Affirmation

You know, anytime there is a big change or big move in our lives, we always seek God in those decisions. Repeatedly He has tested MY faith by opening doors, many times waiting until the last minute. But when those doors open, they open wide and we just stand in awe of His provision. It happened over and over again during our move to Asia, and things are no different since we moved back to the States.

He provided jobs for T and me, which was no small task. Not only were the jobs provided good jobs, they were dream jobs. And not only did He provide them for us, but He did so at a time when there was a job freeze. Again, we stand in awe, I'm ashamed to say.

But yesterday He affirmed us again, but this time through one of our kids. Any time we had to move, our children and their well being was at the top of our list of concerns. Moves are extremely difficult on kids, and we did not want to raise children who are emotionally detached, which is something that can happen when children move too often, even under the best circumstances. In our case, there was also physical concerns. Two of our children had some pretty big physical obstacles, and we needed to find the right doctors to meet their needs.

So yesterday, C went to see his endocrinologist. Not only did he have a good report, the but doctor told us that the timing in which we came to see him was crucial. C definitely could have had major life changing problems had he not come to see this particular doctor when he did. His medication at the time was all wrong, and he was at risk for developing more problems as the antibodies in his system could have turned on other organs in his body. The doctor emphasized the timing of our first visit to him on several occasions during the visit. Presently, C's antibodies are extremely low, leading the doctor to say that in some cases his particular disease can reverse itself. It is something that might happen. If it doesn't, he'll be OK, but it's out there.

Once again, we just looked at each other realizing that once again, our decision to move halfway across the world was affirmed. We pretty much knew it at this point, but there was just that additional word that adds to the contentment already there, and made us say, "Yes, Lord. Thank you!"

Lone Star

OK. This is kind of exciting. The son-in-law of my good friend and teaching partner wrote this show and executive produced it. It's coming out this Fall on Fox, on Monday nights immediately after House. It's called Lone Star and it looks like a good ol' Texas soap opera to me. My friend even had a little bit of a say in the choosing of the lead character. ;) Click on the link and watch the trailer! It looks intriguing....

Perfect Imperfection in our Beloved Sport

* Picture courtesy Foxnews.com

It's amazing how quickly a sport can fall from grace. One minute, the crowd is up singing "Take me out to the ball game..." and the next minute they're throwing beer bottles and cursing the very turf on which their beloved players play.

But this week was a little different. The crowd was witnessing history: the pitcher for the Detroit Tigers was on the verge of pitching the elusive Perfect Game. He had not allowed one player on base, and now, in the last inning, he could almost taste this once in a lifetime achievement that most players only dream about. Only one more out to go.

You should know the rest. It's been all over the news: There was a clear out at first, yet the ump called the runner safe. Perfect Game gone. Coaches came over to give the ump their favorite choice of words, other players fell over in disbelief. But there was one person who was curiously not a part of the hubbub. The pitcher. I'm sure, he was disappointed, but he just walked back to the mound and waited. When everything settled, he pitched to the final batter and didn't allow him on base.

Here's where it gets good. It's where the imperfect almost becomes perfect. The ump asked to look at the play immediately after the game. After viewing the play, he knew he was wrong, and he said it! He was so remorseful, that he admitted he would understand if Galarraga never spoke to him again. He said, "It was my fault. I robbed this guy of a perfect game. I blew it. This was not just any call, this was the call of a lifetime, and I blew it." Enter Galarraga. With so much grace and humility, he noted that calls like that are part of baseball, and the unpredictability is what makes the game great.

There's a lot of speculation right now about technology and baseball. Some want to bring it into the sport for plays such as these in order to over rule the ump, like in, say, tennis. However, wondering if the ump is going to get the call right is part of the imperfection of the sport that adds to the excitement. If we brought in technology, as tennis has, then there would be no need for an ump to stand behind the catcher and very dramatically yell "STUURRIIIIKE THREEEEEE", and forget about the coach running toward the ump, bumping chests, kicking dirt, letting words fly, being the ultimate advocate for his players. Can you imagine that being gone from the game? It's part of the whole tradition of the sport we love.

The next game, there is a picture of the ump, Jim Joyce, and the pitcher, Armondo Galarraga shaking hands at the beginning of the next night's game. Jim is crying. His immediate acknowledgment of his actions may have even created a new friendship. This event, and the way it was handled, was a defining moment for them in their careers. It may take fans a little longer to come around. But hopefully the sheer honestly of Jim Joyce, the courage he displayed by speaking the truth, and the sheer grace that Galarraga showed at a time when he had every right to be upset, will allow these two men to stand out in their careers for very different reasons.

I'm impressed with them both.

The Busy Years

That's what my mom calls the years we're living right now, and I completely agree. There are days when I long to just stay home all day and not go anywhere, but for now that is just an elusive wish.

That said, I wouldn't trade these years for anything. Em just finished her second year of college and will be transferring to UNT in the Fall. We're so excited because we found out yesterday that between grants and scholarships, her Junior year is completely paid for: books, tuition, housing, meal plans...everything. Our goal of getting through college with no student loans is getting closer. She's been busy, though, and she can totally take credit for all of that with her high GPA and all.

Timothy is driving now, but that wasn't the case all year. He turned 16 last September, but wasn't chomping at the bit to get his license, thank goodness! But he was patient, and we were able to get him a truck (completely paid for!) that he can use to get around town. It's a nice truck, and he put a lot of work in it himself to get it that way. He's doing great in baseball, and that alone has kept us busy. People love to watch him play, especially stealing bases, and he occasionally gets reamed by the coach for stealing before they have a chance to give him a signal. He started his first job last night, and is thrilled. Rosco's Smokehouse will never be the same!

Christopher is coming into his own. He's the comedian of the family and continues to hone his skills. He's also good with languages, and even though he had the Spanish teacher from *the bad place*, he's catching on anyway. He'll be driving soon as well (and our insurance is completely taking a hit!) but he and Timo will be sharing the truck. It will be good for them for the next two years. Christopher's health issues are now under control, which means growth spurt, which will also translate to better baseball. He'll be going out for the team next year. Still, he keeps us hopping and laughing, and that's always fun.

Nathaniel is finishing his last year of elementary this year. It's an end of an era. We will no longer have elementary school students in our house. I'm kind of sad, but only for a little bit, because he's so ready for middle school. He'll be going where Christopher went, and he's happy about that. He's got a good group of friends here, which is what I like about his elementary school. They stay friends all through school and are a tight bunch. Academy kids stay Academy kids, even when they leave. I'm happy about that for him.

T and I are two ships that pass in the night! Literally. Well, we pass in the morning. He works midnights, I see him for about 30 minutes, then I'm off to work and he's off to bed. But he's got such a fun job. It's kind of fun knowing the inner workings of a city. My job is crazy busy, and is different every day. I love that. I even have to keep a little post-it note on the back of my name tag to remind me where I'm supposed to be each day. But it never gets boring, and I love what I do. It also doesn't hurt to work with wild and crazy people. Really. They are nuts. I think it's a pre-requisite, though.

The busy years fly by, and they're exhausting as well. But it's a good kind of tired. The kind that makes you sigh before you go to sleep. It's far from perfect, and that just makes me love our life even more. I wouldn't change a thing.

Where Ever You Are

I pray for you.

Everybody's Got a Story

This used to be my favorite news show. A reporter, Steve Hartman, would throw a dart at a map then go to that town, open a phone book at a local phone booth, randomly open a page, then close his eyes and pick a number. His story would be about the person who answered the phone. He wasn't looking for the extraordinary, but he found it. Good or bad, it was always there.

There are some amazing stories from ordinary people in our neighborhoods. Little nuggets of treasure that, if we just stop and talk to people, we could find it. That includes our relatives. My grandmother remembers walking on foot by a wagon when she was four years old. That would have been 1921 or 1922. Her family was moving and ended up close to an indian reservation in Oklahoma. Her job as a four year old was to pick up little pieces of wood for kindling and throw it into a little canopy hanging down under the wagon. Looking at her at the end of her life, one would have never known or even thought to ask about life when she was young.

My new favorite show is now "Who Do You Think You Are?" If you watch it, sit with a box of kleenex, because the stories are truly touching and remarkable. As I said in my previous post, we stand on the shoulders of the generations that came before us, and we live much more comfortably because of the sacrifices they made. It was only two or three generations ago that relatives scrimped and saved for necessities like food, and splurged on things like ice cream or steak. They had hard lives with extremely humble circumstances, yet carried on with dignity and perseverance. Because they stuck it out and worked without seeing much benefit in their generation, they knew enough to know that this generation had a fighting chance.

I'm so grateful for that.

Get to know others' stories. People are fascinating if we just take the time to look.

Almost a Century

Today is T's grandma's birthday and she's 90 years young. I've thought a bit about her life and what she's seen as I've thought of her off and on today. She was born on this day in 1920. It's the day that Joan of Arc was canonized. It was the beginnings of the Roaring Twenties. It was a time of prosperity following the ravages of World War I. She was born into plentiful times, much like many of us. But like many of her contemporaries, she did not benefit from those wealthy times. Her family still had to work hard for what they needed. That was good, though, because it prepared her for the Great Depression. Like many in that Great Generation, she learned to do without, to make do with what she had, and to work hard for what she wanted. In many ways, the Great Generation are the epitome of Perfect Imperfection.

I think God honored and continues to honor that generation. We can sit and take credit for many of our blessings, but it is arrogant to think that it is because of anything we have done or deserve. In my opinion, most of our blessings are the mere residue of the blessings God bestowed on Gramma A's generation.

Gramma A is the first to tell you that she is undeserving of praise, and is quick to say she's done things wrong in her life. However. I don't think God is looking to bless perfection. On the contrary, I think he's looking for the imperfect through which to show Himself and make Himself known to the rest of the world. Gramma A's right choices and faithful steps, though small as they may seem, had ramifications even into the third and fourth generations. She did right when doing right counted. And as a result, we stand more firmly today than we would have. God will not be mocked, and He honors those who are deserving. He's honored Gramma A.

So, today, her family all over the world has stopped and called, prayed for, and thought fondly of this perfectly imperfect matriarch of the Adermatt family. And we smiled.