A Win-Win

II Corinthians 2:14 "But thanks be to God, who always leads us in His triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place. 

I love the game of baseball. 

Yes, sometimes the game can be a bit slow, but it can be equally as exciting. Each individual player has a specific job to execute and for a brief amount of time during each inning throughout the game, we focus on one player as they do their part to move the game forward. Two individuals delivering and attacking the same ball, one pitching and one hitting. One giving and one receiving, and the support ready to respond in equally talented play and athletic ability. It's a game of strategy and signs, fouls and fair play, hitting, running, throwing and a lot of concentration.

We get to know their faces, their stances and body language and nuances, their choice of gum, seeds or chew.

We see their hair grow into long red strands and bushy beards or cut with patterns. Their stats are repeated and we know the line up.

Take me out to a ball game.  I prefer Chavez Ravine. 

~~~

I love planning and executing the NephCure Walk. Last Saturday, we completed our ninth year of providing this fundraiser for specific kidney diseases, nephrotic syndrome and FSGS. Bloating and retaining fluids, lethargy and immune system compromise, testing strips and biopsis, steroids and side effects and a lot of discouragement--that defines the line-up of these conditions.

Yes, sometimes this project, this endeavor can be tedious, a bit overwhelming and emotional. But, on the day of the event, all that seems to disappear. Teams arrive and each individual player participates to make the few hours we walk and cheer and gather our forces, a win-win. In our efforts, we are delivering hope, cracking the bats of our hearts to put donations over the fence and many more seasons of play for our kiddos with this disease.

My son, Tim..he came out of the game early. Now, we pinch-hit in his memory.

With each walk, I've gotten to know our teams and the children we walk for, Mateo, McKayla and Aiden, Kennedy, Gabi, and Isaiah and more.

Aiden is getting tall! McKayla...so  beautiful.  Then there is Mateo, an adorable reminder of my son at the same age. They come every year, healthier, feeling stronger because new medicines are helping.

I know the stats of a previous game.  I pray that no mom or dad has to watch and worry as their child continuously strikes out in relapses.

In October, Take me to English Spring Park where I will continue to raise awareness and walk for a cure.

Thank You Lord for giving us gifts of athleticism, for personal fitness and to also entertain--cheering for teams that we love. Thank You Lord, I am so grateful to be a member of Your Team and listen to the ways You give me hope and cheer me on. Because of that amazing grace, You guide me and encourage me to keep up the proactive involvement in developing the Inland Empire NephCure Walk. Every year it grows and my faith in You and in my teammates increases as well.  I am excited our Dodgers are in the World Series. I am blessed to complete and celebrate success in my own yearly campaign to save kidneys and save lives. Life is not easy, but with You God as my Manager, leading me to see things in an eternal perspective, I embrace an attitude that in the end, all becomes a win-win forever. Thank You for allowing me to be a team player, not just a spectator. Keep me Lord in the centerfield of Your will. May I be a statistic that magnifies Your glory no matter what position I play. Amen.

CENTERFIELD~ JOHN FOGERTY 

A "Freshening" Upwards

Lamentations 3: 22-24 The faithful love of the Lord never ends! 
        His mercies never cease.  
Great is His faithfulness;
        His mercies begin afresh each morning.
I say to myself, "The Lord is my inheritance,
        Therefore, I will hope in Him." 


I've missed a few weeks posting. Starting back to work, Friday night football games and a mini trip out of town last weekend, provided an excuse for not getting some words, some thoughts on this site, but I continue to fill my own heart with the Words of the Lord and inspire these same words in other opportunities God gives me to shine His light.  God is good and when you just know that and see and feel it continuously, I want to shout out His goodness and point others to see and experience it as well. Like leaves from a tree in early fall, I am ready to gather again, gather more!

The word I am thinking about tonight: FRESH.

I just finished renewing my Disneyland Pass!  Now I look forward to a whole new FRESH year to enjoy the Park and all its Magic.

It's Oct 2nd, and after the hottest September I can remember, today was refreshingly beautiful!


FRESH, as in a brand new paint job on our rented townhouse.  I've been steadily watching the progress on the other units since last Spring, knowing by late summer, they'd reach ours. It happened this week. Not sure which color scheme we'd end up with, I came home Tuesday to find a pallet choice I hoped for and soon the trim would compliment it. Today, the job is complete and I moved a few pots and tables back into place and stood back. A FRESH new look and an update; our little place looks awesome!

FRESH!  Now this one is BIG. As a Special Education one on one aide, this year started out a little different--my prospective new student never showed up. Without going into detail, --"sort of in-limbo," and feeling rather insecure in where and when I might be reassigned, I've tried to remain under the radar, still working in the classroom and doing my job.  First, I only found out a few days before school, I'd be back at my same campus, but working with a different population, the moderate to severe. Not quite sure about this, I plowed ahead. After a few weeks of getting to know the kids and co-workers,  I liked this assignment, I wanted to stay. (God always knows what He is doing).

God made that happen in a peculiar--well in a way that only points to Him. A position opened up in the same classroom for a collaborative (teacher's) aide. I applied and I got it. The Lord gave me a fresh start in a new classroom with 10 new students, 4 new co-workers, and a FRESH start at learning new things and using my gifts in a new job. The desire of my heart was to stay at my same site. He gave that to me and then some. Thank you Lord.

God blessed me with a creative spirit and I just love brainstorming FRESH ideas. While taking the kids out in the community, my teacher found these Cheetos shaped liked parts of a skeleton. She showed them to me, how cute they were and thought that somehow we could use these in our domestic lessons for October, (we cook and bake a lot). I had the idea of placing them with a frosting on a cracker. So down the aisle we headed and came up with this FRESH idea. The kids had fun making them, using their fine motor skills to spread the chocolate and preserves and finding the bones to make a skeleton. And you know what?  They tasted pretty good!  I decided to name them "Graveyard Cakes"  

Ingredients

(Seasonal) Bag of "Skeletal Bones" Cheetos

Headstone: Rice Cakes (flavor of choice) 

Dirt: Nutella or Chocolate Spread

Blood and Guts: Strawberry jelly

Bone-Appetit' !  

Lord, thank you for always freshening up my life!  You DO make things new all the time. Walking with You and wanting to live in faith teaches me to expect and hope for Your fresh ideas for me and my ministries. Your Word Lord gives me renewed strength and fresh insight when I read and ask for Your wisdom. When I sit and listen to Your teaching, I am refreshed, encouraged, ready and equipped to share your Hope in a spoiled and stale world. Lord, I do not want to be dry bones, tossed aside and brittle when it comes to knowing You and serving You. Help me Lord to always be reactivated, fresh and alive, piled high in faithfulness and expecting refreshing and new things, all for Your glory, Amen.