There is a plan!!!!

Do you ever wish God would tell you "the plan" for your life? Like, maybe on a billboard, or a voice booming out of the sky? So many times I've looked up to the Heavens and said "really Lord? I'm at a loss here!" So many times I've wished He would just make "the Plan" so apparent to me, that there would be no question if it was the right thing or not. 

 A few years ago, when Adam got laid off and we moved to Greensboro, I would've never thought that 2 years later, we would be in the situation that we are in now. I had no idea that God would just move us to G'boro for just a short while, to pick us up out of the miry clay, set our feet on a rock and establish our path. Looking back, I can see how God just weaved His plan to fruition. I sincerely believe that God used Adam losing his job, to take us out of our home church and protect us from all that would happen in the next 2 years and bring us back for a purpose...His purpose. (if you don't know the whole story, let's grab coffee...I'd love to tell ya about it!!) 

 Tomorrow is the last Sunday that Adam and I will be teaching the FaithBuilders at Beacon. It is so bittersweet to me that our time in there is at an end, but it's hard to deny when God is moving!!!  The last 2.5 years have been nothing short of a rollercoaster, but I can see how God has grown me! Has it all been fun, ummmm, NO, (once again...let's get coffee!!) but it has been part of His plan for us....ALL of it!! Growing sometimes hurts, is at times very lonely, and there are usually trials, tribulations & tests for us along the way.  We have endured all of this in the last 2.5 years, but God is good and He has a plan!!! 

Next Sunday starts our second round in the college class...now called the Loft.  I cannot describe how excited I am about it, and how much I honestly love that age group.  It is so crucial!!  College is where young people either turn to or turn away from God.  I also want to be able to "come to them from the future" and maybe help guide them thru this somewhat confusing, yet exciting, time of their life.  More than all of that though, is that I just want to be used by God.  Just like Isaiah said "Here I am Lord, send me", that is my heart's desire...to be used by Him to do His work.  After all, it is only by Him and thru Him that we can ever be seen as righteous and spend eternity with Him.  (if you don't know Him, once again, let's do coffee...I'd love to tell ya how!!) 

God is good all the time, and all the time, God is good!!!  :) 

Merry Christmas from the Pews

This is my favorite time of year...a time to celebrate with family the birth of our Savior. It's also time to spend with our families. I find it such a blessing for Adam and the kids to be off for 2 weeks with me. There is going to be some serious seperation anxiety going on January 6th...and it won't be from those 3! :) Last Christmas, I did the 12 days of Christmas for Adam. I basically bought him a little gift everyday...1 box of ceral, 2 gloves, a Third Day cd...you get the idea. It was so fun, and the kids loved helping me with it! But, of course, they asked if I could do it for them this year too...soooooo....I did. What fun it was to hear the wrapping paper being ripped off in anticipation! I loved spoiling my 3 loves!!! We also decided to not buy as much stuff for the kiddos this year. They got 4 things....something they Want, something they Need, something they Wear and something they'll Read. I have to say, this Christmas was less stressful and we focused more on what Christmas was really about!!! So, from the Pews, we wish you a Merry Christmas and a Blessed New Year!!!

This is not going to be a popular post

Spoiler Alert:  This is not going to be a popular blog post....

Yesterday was Christmas, so that means that New Year's is next week.  Along with that day come New Year Resolutions. I can say honestly, that I have NEVER kept a resolution I made.  I didn't lose 30 pounds, run a half marathon, read my Bible all the way thru or bring world peace. Usually by February, I've already stopped doing what I said I was going to accomplish in the new year, and feel like a loser.  Anyone with me??!??!!!????

If you know me, you know that I love Facebook and Instagram...honestly I do.  But, in the last few months, I've found myself hiding or defriending/unfollowing people that I'm friends with, simply because they make me feel guilty.  Guilty that I'm not eating "clean", working out every day, following Dave Ramsey's plan, losing 3 dress sizes, reading TONS of mommy books, doing Bible study after Bible study, etc....

Am I happy for those people???  YES!!!  I'm happy that they've made that commitment to do those things, but I've come to realize that seeing that all the time doesn't make me want to do it too. It makes me feel like a loser because I'm not.  I've realized that I'm a MUCH nicer mommy when I DON'T get up at 5am to work out! It's amazing what that extra hour of sleep can do for me!! But hey, if you want to, and it works for you, by all means, do it!  

Maybe it's because I'm older, more cynical maybe, I don't know.  All I know is that I don't want/need a FB or Instagram friend to make me feel guilty.  I have 2 kids and that creates enough guilt anyway....am I screwing them up?  Am I making the right decisions in how we're raising them?  Should I get a job so that I can help with our finances?  I could go on and on....but my point is, I'm taking control of what I'm seeing, and what is making me feel better or worse about myself! :)

 All I know is that today was a pretty perfect day.... a lazy day on the couch, still in my pjs at 2pm, cuddling with my kiddos and hubby, eating cookies!!  I mean, what doesn't sound good about that!!????!! (and no, my cookies aren't "clean") But hey, that's just me....now, maybe that's a resolution I can keep! 

Music....what a blessing it can be!!!

Have you ever heard a song that just cuts to your heart? I love music...all kinds of music! I am a true 80's kid in that aspect. My favorite, however, is Christian music. There is just something about a song that is written for my Lord. Our praise band at church is singing this song tomorrow, and I thought I would just share it with you. Go ahead and raise your hands if you feel like it!! Wait, did I say that? LOL!!! I hope you enjoy this song....it is so beautiful!!!!

Dreams Really Do Come True!!!!

So, obviously from the name of this blog, you are aware of my love of baseball! Well, I just want to give a quick shout out to one of my friends Matt Shoemaker!!!! Matt has been pitching as long as I can remember! Hubby and I would go and watch Matt at his high school baseball games and always knew that he was incredibly talented. It was no surprise to us, that after college, Matt was picked up by a Major League team. 

 For the last few years, Matt has been playing in the minor league system for the Los Angeles Angels. He's been pitching in their AAA affiliate Salt Lake City Bees and has been doing FANTASTIC!!! Not only has he led the AAA league in innings pitched, but also in strike outs. His ERA isn't too shabby either!! :) Yes, I love baseball...but back to the point of this....

Matt's team made it to the finals in his division, and although they lost, Matt received the call of his life...he was getting called up to the Majors!! I know that it has been a long time dream of his and his wife Danielle's. I am so proud of him and all he's accomplished!!! But, I'm even more proud of the fact that he has kept God first in his life!!! He has given God the glory in all of it!!! I have no idea, nor do Matt or Danielle, in what the future holds. We do know this for sure though...God knows! He knows it all...He is the one who was, is and is to come, and NOTHING surprises Him. It makes me giggle a bit to think that God knew just when that phone call was coming for Matt...so sweet to think about it like that!!!! 

 So, to Matt and Danielle....I love you guys and I am so excited for everything to come over the next few weeks!!!! Thanks for letting me be a part of it on the sidelines, but know that the second you're being announced Matt, that there will be screams coming out of this old house in the 'dotte!!! Soak it all in, take a lot of pics, and give God the glory in all things!!! 

 Please join me in praying for Matt and Danielle!!! I don't know of anyone who deserves this more!!!! Go Angels!!! (and Go Tigers!!!...can't go without saying that!!!)

Year 6 is underway...

Five years ago, I was sitting in a Bible study at church and a woman that I just adore, began telling me about BSF or Bible Study Fellowship. She explained that it was an intense bible study, but that I would really enjoy it. That night, I went home, googled it, and got in contact with the class administrator. That following September, I walked in to study The Life of Moses, and I haven't stopped. 

I can't explain it any other way than that I had a hunger to learn about God. I was searching for something to get me to dig in and study. I found that in BSF.  I have met so many wonderful, godly women in the last 5 years, both here & in Greensboro (and one living in Tennessee now). I know i can call at anytime & just ask them to pray for me, and I know that they'll be covering me in prayers.  I have learned so much as well, in studying not just the life of Moses, but the books of John, Isaiah, Acts (that took us ALL over the New Testament) & Genesis. 

This year, we're studying the book of Matthew. I am looking forward to learning about Christ and how He interacted & taught His disciples while He was here on Earth, and then sent them out after His death & resurrection to share the gospel. I'm looking forward to studying about Christ after focusing so much on God and His people last year in Genesis. My prayer is that God will reveal Himself to me in a real and mighty way this year. I can't wait to see how He does it!!

If you're looking for a way to dig deep & study The Word, I definitely recommend BSF. Any questions, please ask!! 

Back to school...back to school

Well, it's official...summer is over!! My kiddos just finished their first week of 2nd & 7th grade! I'm just going to stop right here & say..."when did I get old enough to have a 7th grader??" ;) 

Sadly I do though.  My kiddos are growing up and I'm loving the fact that I get to watch it! I am really excited for this year, especially after meeting all of the kids teachers!!! Bring on the year!!! We're ready!!! 

30 what??!??!!??!

So, I had a little bit of a panic attack the other day! I was registering for the Christy's Legacy of Hope's inaugural 5K and the age came up that I'll be at the time of the race...that is next week. I honestly had to do a double take & thought for a second that I put in the wrong year of my birth. Then, it hit me like a ton of bricks...I AM 37!!!! When did this happen??!!?? And then it dawned on me that my birthday is in 3 months...so I'll be 38!! (GASP!!!) 

Ummmm....I'm going to be 40 in 2 years and 3 months!!!! What???!!!??!!?? I didn't have a hard time with 30, or even 35, but 40? (Gulp....gasp!!) I'm having a difficult time swallowing that one! It made me start thinking about all the stuff I said that I wanted to do before I turned 40. I better get moving on this stuff!!!

Ok, here's my list....

1. Run a half marathon. I've ran in a few 5ks, but I need to start getting serious!!! 

2. Learn how to play the guitar. I have a really nice acoustic one...I'm lame! 

3. Visit 5 MLB ballparks. Yes, you would guess that someone with a blog that has baseball in it, would have something like this. Eventually, Adam & I want to go to every park...I think 5 in 2 summers is reasonable! :) 

4. Read my Bible from cover to cover. I know that I've read it all at some point, but I want to do this!!!

These are just a few things for the next couple years. Do you have a list like this? 

Last Day of Summer

I'm a summer girl...shorts, flip flops, hot weather....yep, that's me!!! So, with today being the last day of summer vaca, I'm not a happy girl! Tomorrow, my kiddos go back to school. Gone are the days of no schedules & sleeping in...and now we're back to the days of homework, dance class, BSF & Awana...busy, busy, busy!!! Yuck!!! Well, I guess I should start the countdown...only 283 days til summer vacation!!! 

Autism....

Autism is a scary word, and one of the last words a parent wants to use as a descriptor for their child! In the news out of Canada this week, came an anonymous letter sent to a family about their autistic son. I originally thought, and prayed, that it was a joke. But, as the media coverage grew on it, my heart hurt for Max's family, especially his mom. It's that pit-in-your-stomach hurt that you know, in some way, what and how she's feeling. 

We've been living with autism for almost 10 years now. My son was diagnosed at 3 with "autistic tendencies". He spoke, but he couldn't carry on a conversation with you or tell you that his tummy hurt or he didn't feel good. When he wanted something, chocolate milk for instance, he would say "ya want some chocolate milk?" instead of say "I want some chocolate milk." But, He also had some MAD reading skills!! He started reading at 16 months and never stopped. He wasn't a hand flapper and didn't line things up constantly, but he liked his routine! 

Right before he was diagnosed, he started biting. Of course he ONLY did it at church! Double whammy....a mom of an autistic boy AND a biter!!! WOW!!!! You would think that church would've been a safe place to go through this. Some people were great, but others....not so much. I was a first time mom and went home crying every Sunday after hearing "you should bite him back" or "spank him more" or "teach him sign language so he can tell the kids no that are trying to take his toy away" or "people aren't bringing their kids because of him" and lastly "you're a bad mom because you keep bringing him here". Never mind the fact that I didn't go to a service for almost a year so I could sit in his class with him. I was doing all I could do, but it obviously wasn't enough.  People are scared of what they don't know, and sometimes don't treat people like they should. It's sad to say that we had so many problems at church...even to him being picked on...but not everyone is like that. There are some precious people at my church, who love my son and are great with him!!!! I just wish there had been more!  (**** My church now has a special needs class and I'm so thankful for all they do in there!!!****)  

Autism scares people. I can see it in their eyes...especially when I explain I have an high functioning autistic son. I get a lot of "I'm so sorry" or "but he looks so normal!!" Of course he does, he doesn't have 3 heads, his brain just works a bit differently. Autism is hard. It's not fun. But it's how God made B-Man. He entrusted Hubby and I to raise him. I feel honored that God gave him to us. Do I wish things were different? Not anymore. I know that B is the sweetest young man I know and I'm so thankful for him...autism just adds to his character! :) 

So to Max's mom Karla & his family, I say, just keep loving your precious boy and keep educating people. People are scared of what they don't know. So, educate them. 

Psalm 51

Have mercy upon me, O God, according to your loving kindness: according into the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. Was me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me. Against thee, thee only have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that though mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest. Behold, I was shapen in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me. Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts; and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom. Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice. Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from thy presence and take not thy Holy Spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit. Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted to thee. Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, thou God of my salvation: and my tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousness. I Lord, open thou my lips; and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise. For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it, thou delightest not in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise. Do good in thy good pleasure unto Zion; build thou walls of Jerusalem. Then shalt thou be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness, with burnt offering and whole burnt offering: then shall they offer bullocks upon thine altar. 

Brrrrrr....

This week has been soooo cold!! It is August right? The temp got down to 50 overnight!!! What!!???!!! And, I'm wearing a sweater!!! Hot weather...come back!!!! 

Summer Has Requested a Fly By.....

This summer has requested a fly by. And even though I told summer that the pattern was full, it has flown by anyway...this time, spilling memories rather than coffee!!!  (Hopefully you've seen Top Gun, otherwise that joke fell as flat as some jokes that come from a pulpit sometimes!!) 

This summer we moved into a new house, and honestly, I don't think we've spent more than 2 weeks in a row in this house as a family! 

Between two summer camp trips for B-man & myself...

Heading to NC to spend our Nation's birthday with sweet friends....

A family reunion in Georgia....

With a stop in Nashville for Jack White's Third Man Studios...

And of course Antique Archaeology (American Pickers)....

The Amecola Falls...

And of course, family to the Family Reunion...

But, we've had a great summer!!! We've given our suitcases a workout for sure!!!  Over 3,500 miles, 9 states, numerous Chick fil a  stops, many hours napping in the car & a few car dance parties!  Lazy summer....I think not....

By far though, the best thing of the summer was this....

GOD IS GOOD!!!! 

Another Blog....

Here I go...another blog... Lately, I've had so many things on my heart, and not things that I'd like to express on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. So, I decided I needed an outlet, hence, this blog. If you know me, you know 3 major things about me. 

 1. I LOVE MY LORD!!!! I am first and foremost a child of the King. God has worked me over in the last 10 years or so, and truly picked me up from the miry pit, placed my feet upon a rock and established my path. I'm a work in progress and just when I think I know more about Him, He shows me that I don't know anything!

 2. I LOVE MY FAMILY!!! God has blessed me with an amazing, God fearing & honoring man to share this life with. He has also entrusted me (us) with 2 little minions. God has given me more than I deserve and I'm so very thankful for these 3 people!! 

 3. I LOVE BASEBALL!! Yes, I'm a girl, and I love baseball!! Not just the Detroit Tigers, but the game itself. Anytime between April (ok, really February/March) and October, you'll find me watching a game. And yes, I do know what I'm talking about as well. ;) I'm sure at some point, and probably all in one week, you'll see me talking about all 3 of these passions of mine. I hope that I add some humor along the way as well, because, let's face it, God is funny, my family is hilarious and baseball is full of bloopers!!