The "Inside Scoop" in T-Ball

It is amazing what you hear and see at a t-ball game with a bunch of five and six year olds playing "baseball dress-up". First of all, let me paint the picture. All of their hats are way too big..doubled over and hooked in the back....pulled down so their little ears are sticking out. They are like a colony of ants trying to figure out what and where to go on the field. Let's just give you a few highlights:

1. Little guy between first and second base....jumps around, loses his gum...digs around in the dirt for it....finds it...brushes it off ....and proceeds to eat it. A little crunchier than before but acceptable.... parents have fit in stands.

2. Little girl gets to finally put all the gear on to be the catcher..but first comes out to ask her folks, "do you like my outfit"..... oh they start that so early.

3. Coach yells for the team to put their mits down and all of them squat at the same exact time sort of looking like synchronized swimming.

4. Our little guy is in the outfield for this game and all we see him doing is picking up rocks and putting them in his pockets...and we wonder just how fast he will be able to run with the extra load he is carrying.

5. Another little guy comes up to bat and when he swings...the bat heads for the pitcher while the ball still sits on the t...and he starts running.....I guess he thought that was a fair hit.

6. Another little guy in the outfield between second and third is turning random circles and dancing to no music...hmmmmm I will keep my eye on him.

7. Our little guy and a cute little girl are hitting each other in the batting helmets with the bats....probably a new courtship ritual.

8. We keep having to send our little one back into the dug out.... he is so busy looking at the rocks he is unloading that being in the dug out isn't quite as interesting as the treasures he found.

9. Another little guy gets the ball between first and second and is being told to throw it to first...so he runs up to his teammate on first and within a couple of feet, lets him have it with the ball in the chest because they told him to "throw" it....

10. Random toddler makes his way onto the field making a grand entrance.

Just a few highlights of all that took place inside 30 minutes.

How adorable are children. Laughing is good for the soul....my soul is very good!

On a side note, Dawson and I had a discussion about girls playing sports that usually are played by boys..like football. I told him that some girls do play football. He had a hard time with that and I told him of one brave young lady at the Jr. High I worked at that pushed until she could play football. The coaches and most parents were dead set against it but she was persistent and brave and took on the system until they allowed her to play. She did a great job and I remember telling her to always hold her dreams that high and never give up. I was one of the few that encouraged instead of discouraged. We are at the T-ball field and who comes up to the fence but that young lady, all grown up with a little one on the opposing team. I was able to introduce Dawson to the brave young lady that as a jr. high student played full blown football. He was impressed, amazed, and his response was "wow". What a coincidence that two days after talking about her, she would be right in front of us. That was a God moment because Dawson was able to see someone and meet that someone who followed their dreams against all odds. Amazing.

Fear "You Are Safe"

Over the past few weeks, I have witnessed several instances where someone was facing something that if they passed something, did something, or took a chance, what was waiting for them would be incredible. Though they were filled with fear over failing, they took the risk and took a chance. Here are my top five leaps:

1. A co-worker had to take a very scary assessment type test. Though she felt prepared, she was afraid of failing and not passing. She took it and passed and her new position offers more financial security and brand new exciting challenges because she faced her fears.

2. A friend was in a bad relationship but was sort of addicted to it as well. She finally told the man that she was done because she was better than how she was being treated, and ended it. She is very young but still could have ended up in an abusive relationship that had legal ties. Not only that but she would have had his kids to contend with.

3. Having difficult conversations is just that.....difficult. Having that conversation and clearing the air is a complete cleansing of the soul and in this case offered more confidence and control.

4. My grandson was chosen in Disney to partake in a little demonstration featuring Captain Jack himself. There was quite a crowd but when chosen, he went out and you could tell that he was very shy and uncomfortable until he allowed himself to get "into it" and then not only did he enjoy it but he proudly came away with an awesome story to tell. He was scared but faced his fear of being the center of attention.

5. My grandson played his first little T-Ball game on Saturday. He was very shy when we were all snapping pictures of him during warm-ups as he realized all eyes were on him. But...once he got into it and started concentrating on the game, he forgot his inhibitions and really did a great job. His focus for a five year old amazed me. He faced his fears.

Do you have fears? Maybe it's starting a new job...maybe a new past time, or maybe a new relationship or a committment. Just remember that what is worth having, doing, or achieving is worth finding your way through your fears.

My Heart Aches

American Idol Gives Back is the creation of the viewing sensation of the century. American Idol continues to attract audiences of all ages week after week to watch, vote, and either celebrate or mourn the loss of their favorite performer.

This week's performances were geared towards inspiration as corporate America joined forces with American Idol to donate ten cents per call up to a donation of $5,000,000.00 and then a two hour results show featuring mega stars from all walks of the entertainment world including the phenomenal Bono.

During the show, video footage was shown of Ryan and Simon's trip to Africa and Randy and Paula's trips to Atanta's homeless areas and other areas plagued with the less fortunate and those facing poverty every single day. Simon even visited a food bank that was close to his home yet unknown to him until now. Visably shaken by all of the visits, the show's message is that we all can make a difference by joining together to tackle the problems headon with each other.

US Cellular (the company I work with and for) joined forces for Aides in Africa with the Red Campaign featuring a handset and accessories designed in red especially to show support for this cause that is championed by none other than Bono. We were made aware of the issues in Africa because of the publicity behind this effort and because US Cellular wanted to be a player in making this world a better place.

It sickened me to see these poor babies hungry, living in shambles, and most without parents because of disease and lack of medical help. I looked at my little grandson after viewing the videos and I was so humbled with how fortunate I am to be providing a home to share with my daughter and this little guy. We both work hard to have what we have but the point is that we have a chance to work hard. Those kinds of opportunities do not exist in Africa. My feelings are that I am one person and that my contribution will only help one or two but when I think that if I join forces with thousands of others, my contribution will multiply and climb to an amount to really make a difference.

I don't know these children but I can only connect with them with my heart and tonight, my heart was opened and challenged. American Idol is a show but it does just that....it "shows" America how we can make a difference.

Jordan (age 17) sang my mom's favorite song and captured the meaning of the two day event:

When you walk through a storm

Hold your head up high

And don't be afraid of the dark

At the end of a storm is a golden sky

And the sweet silver song of a lark

Walk on through the wind

Walk on through the rain

Tho' your dreams Be tossed and blown

Walk on..Walk on..With hope in your heart

And you'll never walk alone

You'll never walk alone

Walk on..Walk on..With hope in your heart

And you'll never walk alone

You'll never walk alone

Sharing My Workplay

I had a very interesting day today at work...or was it work....or was it fun....or is work suppose to be fun....or is fun suppose to be work? Well...I have come to the conclusion that it was a fun, exciting, and impacting day that was considered a work day but it was a labor of love.

We have monthly leadership retreats or "academy" as they refer to it. I think it is more of a retreat as we get to stop the hectic pace of our normal days to chill in jeans, eat good food, relax in a cabin out in nature, and to grow together as a group which just happens to have a common bond which is our work. Today was extraordinary. We were divided into groups and sent off on a scavenger hunt with a list that Mission Impossible would have been proud of. All of the items to find were connected with what our company is all about but with finding all of the items, we met, talked with, encountered, laughed, worked together as a team, and really focused on our mission. We are customer focused and we proved how focused we were by how we attacked each element of our list.

I felt good about my team, our presentation, of our 100% involvement to our tasks and what we took away from the day.

I really felt a lot of pride today and accomplishment. It is a great day to be with a great company that has great people to share my life with daily.

Cease the Moment...

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor.

Catch the trade winds in your sails.

(Mark Twain)

Don't waste a single moment...have courage!

Blue and Gold

What a great day.... I went to the Notre Dame Blue and Gold game today with a friend and we had just the best time. We parked in an area that required us to walk through the campus and today was so beautiful. The crowd of 51,800 broke the record for this annual spring event. There was a gentle breeze blowing that offset the sun's rays... Perfect!!!

After a lot of exercise, a great game, and more exercise, we got a bite to eat and enjoyed the Bulls win one of their playoff games. I always love the last 10 minutes of a basketball game. Not interested in the first part but just the last ten when it really gets interesting.

Afterwards, I was able to listen to Rob Wegner's message at GCC. He is a funny man but boy, does he know how to get the message out. Pretty great relationship messages in this series. It isn't all about married couples either but all about achieving the best from your relationships and the effort that needs to be put out all the time whether you are dating or married. It is an ever growing thing. Relationships need nurturing and you need to grasp and hang onto any good relationship that God blesses you with. Don't ever take it for granted that it will sustain abuse, neglect, or that it will always be there at your beck and call.

Anyway, I am having a great weekend and I hope all reading this do as well.

Doors

"When one door shuts....God opens another one"

Always remember that the new door usually has a welcome mat....and behind the door, the possibilities are endless.... Isn't it amazing.

What's in Your Conscience?

"The purpose of my instruction is that all the Christians there would be filled with love that comes from a pure heart, a clear conscience, and sincere faith."

1 Timothy

Have you checked your conscience today??????

What Goes Around Comes Around

I found this article written by Jan Tincher....its great...thought I would share!

Do you love people? Do you love things? Do you love people and not things? Do you love things and not people? Do you love yourself? Do you love whatever you're addicted to? Do you love money? Do you love the thrill of the chase? Do you love the feeling of defeat?
Don't laugh. The feeling of defeat can be a definite turn on for someone who doesn't succeed at anything except defeat. The point here is to find what you love.
You see, everyone loves something. Even the person who says he doesn't know how to love. At the bare minimum, he loves the feeling of not knowing how to love, simply because he is in his comfort zone. If nothing else, people love to be in their comfort zone, even if the comfort zone excludes love. Again, I say, everyone loves something. It may be in varying degrees, but it's still a form of love.
If someone asked you if you felt loved, and your answer was no, but you wished you did, then this article is for you. Lot's of people don't feel loved, but wished they did. The problem is, they don't know how. They don't realize that love can be a learned response.
There are people out there who are loved, who are loving, and who love. Lots of times, but not always, one person is all three. Are you saying to yourself, yeah, that's THEM. I'm ME. Nobody loves me. That may be your reality, but it's not law. I say: If you can think, you can learn. If you can learn, you can love. If you can love, you can be loved.
Practice loving yourself, and understand and believe that what goes around comes around. Isn't that simple? Once you love yourself, you will automatically send out love.
We're not talking romantic love here. We're talking basic life -- we're-happy-to-be-alive-we're-in-love-with-the-world love.
My life turned around once I discovered how to love myself. Do you want to know how I did it? Here's how: Whenever I had a negative thought, I said, "Thank you, Lord!" I triggered myself to immediately recognize that I was having a negative thought, and to say, "Thank you, Lord!" in its place! The minute a thought came in that said anything negative, I went immediately to "Thank you, Lord!" Your words could be the same or different. It doesn't matter as long as you replace your negativity with something that wasn't negative. Your words could be, "Hot dang! I did it again! I ain't going to do that no more!", and then smile like you've never smiled before. It really doesn't matter. Whatever you choose to say will stop the old habit of thinking badly, and the smile alone will do wonders.
When you get the negative thoughts gone, you'll have plenty of room to feel the love you are giving yourself!
Take control of your life and your thoughts now. Stop the bad thought the minute the first word comes out and replace it with words that you now choose. Again, say what makes you feel good and nullifies the situation, taking away the negativity.
In case, you didn't realize it, negativity does not promote love. We need to promote love in ALL our thoughts, so we can become used to having love in our lives.
What you are really doing is helping yourself immensely. You know how? Remember that I said, What goes around, comes around? You've now decided to stop the bad from going out. That, alone, will change your life. Make it a point to only send out good. Truly. Only YOU can decide. Only you can fill your life with love. Once you have love inside, you'll receive more of it, because that's what you'll be sending out.

Quote

If you haven't the strength to impose your own terms upon life,

you must accept the terms it offers you.

~T. S. Eliot ~

Time with Bonnie

Though plagued with a sinus headache, I enjoyed my sister's visit which was fun and memorable. From our giggles in the middle of the night to the heart to heart talk with our father, it was a great visit I will treasure forever.

Lindsay and Aunt Bonnie

Kisses for her niece

My sister, my pal!

My sweet girl and lil ole me

Family, Friends, and Freedom

What a great weekend. Dawson and I left South Bend for Michigan to visit with my sister and her family. Lindsay had a full weekend of activities beginning with the wedding of one of her friends at work so it was a great time to get in some good sister time. Lindsay's cousin Jason was disappointed that she didn't come too but promises to visit us in the coming weeks. Dawson and his cousin Mikayla had a grand time hanging out. They get along great and they spent the weekend giggling, "camping" in the living room, and romping with the other little ones. A surprise ending was my sister hopping in my car and coming home with me for a day as I have Monday off. Pretty cool.

Lindsay in her beautiful wedding "attire"

my nephew Jason

My niece Elizabeth

Brother-in-law Jack

My niece Jody

Baby Kya

A great picture of Jason

Silly cousins, Mikayla and dawson

Jody's other daughter, Mikenna

My sis, Bonnie, with Elizabeth's daughter, Kya

Thought of the Day!

Opportunities are never lost; someone will take the one you miss. ~Author Unknown

Its Black or White...Right or Wrong...

God does not work in the color "gray".

Are you a Christian or are you playing at being one? Are you going through the motions of being one or do you "walk the talk" all the time? Do you put your feelings before that of others? Are you selfish and self-centered? Do you justify the wrong you do by playing the cards of "confused", "frustrated", "searching", and hurt others with no regard to how they feel? Do you say one thing to someone's face and then turn around and do the opposite? Do you tell someone endearing things and then turn around and tell someone else the exact same thing? Are responsibilities not your "thing" because you don't want to grow up and be responsible? Is life all about YOU?

Funny but these are all the things I used to talk about and observe when I worked in the Jr. High. There were excuses made for every wrong doing because of their age. The age is difficult and you somewhat expect some of these behaviors from 12, 13, and 14 year olds. Being able to be there for them is very special for me because it is a hard time. I helped at Oasis last night and this group of jr. highers was different. Not that they don't have the same things going on in their journey but they have the love of God and the group that surrounds them every Wednesday night. I love it. It is where I am meant to be.

Now, on another note...if you are an adult and you are acting like a jr. high student and playing the game of life with disregard, then maybe you need to really look inside and then quit justifying your actions with excuses.

His Life, Our Life

Today is Easter. I attended services at GCC Friday night. It was awesome as usual. It did make me think a bit so I will share!

Jesus' life was not long. He accomplished everything he was destined to accomplish per his Father's wishes. He didn't waste one moment being self centered, self absorbed, or feeling sorry for Himself. He knew that a lot of what He needed to do was scary and unfamiliar. He pushed ahead and accepted what was going to be life changing for all mankind.

Our lives are so much longer for the most part but we spend a lot of time being self absorbed, self centered, and feeling sorry for ourselves. We sit and whine and miss out on so much because we dwell on the negative instead of the positive.

So on this Easter Sunday, 2007, my message is this. Capture the positive, forge forward, and don't' be afraid. He is right there to walk with you and even if it is a scary venture, the outcome will be well worth the forward walk. Take His hand and enjoy the journey. Pick someone awesome to share it with, and don't look back, look forward, and embrace all that God offers you. If you keep refusing it, the opportunities might pass you by.

Happy Easter!

Not Just Another Shampoo Commercial

Do you want your hair shiny, full of life, and full of volume? You need to try what SHE is using. It causes you to randomly have "moments" at random times. It just brings out the tiger as shown by our lovely model. It is called "Lucky Locks" and can be found on a shelf at a store near you.

Friends and Fun!

What an action packed day. We started off at Kona Cafe' at the Polynesian Resort. So good! and then our group went to the Animal Kingdom. It was so fun to spend the day with Joanne and her sis Terri. They are a riot. Joanne played some games with D while Terri, Linz, and I went on the Prime Evil Whirl. On the way up the hill, Lindsay reminded us that she had been disappointed the last time because we hardly spinned. Well, not so this time. We never "stopped" spinning and we were all so sick from laughing and trying to breath at the same time. Face Painting, game playing, laughing, and sharing what's new in all of our lives was great. Enjoy a glimpse into our second to last day. Enjoy!

Gotta love the "Tude"

Is that me?

Why, yes it is Dawson!

Gotta love the "Auntie Boo" spoiling

Dawson's little face!

A tradition...we both say we are gonna win and she does!

So good to spend the day with our friend!

I am lovin' this picture!

Diggin' up bones at Dinoland in the Animal Kingdom!