We Won the World Series!

We played in a district tournament, state tournament and now the Coach Pitch World Series tournament. The tournaments started in June and we have played a total of 27 games. Now the journey comes to an end and we can say, "We won the Coach Pitch World Series!" We beat the Texas State Champions in the final game. They were from Prosper, TX.

We have had a blast with all these boys. They have grown up and matured into some disciplined ball players! They have gained endurance and learned how to survive the heat as an athlete. We have spent this HOT summer playing baseball. We have had fun but I think I now have seen all the baseball I can for a little while. We only get a month off and it is time to start Dixie Fall Ball.

Christopher will begin football camp tomorrow and begin football practice soon. Andrew will start running again to get back into shape for middle school cross country. As for now we are going to the pool a lot since Christopher was not allowed to swim much before and during the tournaments. And we also promised the boys a camping trip so we are going to try to go camping close to home and take out the boat.

These are a couple of pictures from today's game. I will post more when I'm not so exhausted from cheering and watching Andrew and Christopher play ball since Wed. of last week. Fun but now I am officially tired :) And I have to go get Christopher out of his football gear and into bed. Do they ever get tired????

Not many fans are left in the stands because they are all on the field taking pictures. But we had a great crowd cheering our boys on. We had many players' family members and friends come watch.

All Stars Continues

I am excited that Andrew's all star games finally started. Christopher played 18 all star games before Andrew's ever started. They won their first game against Haughton and they lost last night to Ruston. When Andrew played 10 year old all stars, Ruston was the team to beat in his age group (Christopher's age group it's Bossier). So the game last night was pretty much going to tell who is going to win the state title. We were losing the game 8 - 1 in the 4th then tied it up in the 5th. Then we lost it in the 6th. Ruston had a couple of good hits and then someone hit a homerun. We went from sad, happy to really sad in this game. But wow it was a great game!

That feeling in your stomach wanting them to win is that baseball game thrill that we love so. Last night there was a point in the game that I couldn't sit in my chair to watch anymore. I had to move around. I remember feeling that knot in my stomach when Daniel played college and professional and now I'm feeling it for my children. Pretty cool to see Daniel out there coaching our children and getting to enjoy the game with them. Real life has it's struggles & pressures - it's great that you can escape into a great game with your family. We have game nights (we love UNO) at the house but we also enjoy our game nights together at the ballpark!

Here are a few pictures from last night's game. Shreveport vs. Ruston

The boys (Blake, Andrew and Joey) are smiling here because we just tied it up.
Mama Mc, Granddaddy and Kevin trying to beat the heat! The game started at 103 degrees and when it was over the wind began to blow, the dark clouds moved in and it was down to 85 degrees when we started to drive home. When we reached downtown it was about 75 degrees and STORMING!

Can you see the concentration in Andrew's eyes? He is getting ready to bat.

Here is Andrew still waiting to bat with Daniel in the background coaching first base.

Granddaddy keeps Andrew and Christopher their own scorebook for their games.

Coach Brad is smiling even though we just lost. It was such a good game and he was proud of his players. Someone has to win and lose. It would have been nice to be the winner though - but welcome to the game of baseball.




After the game, Andrew was still feeling the defeat. He really wanted to win that game.

We pray and give thanks even though we lost. All these boys love God and praise him for their safety and the ability to play the game. This is what it is all about - Give Glory to God in everything you do!

Today is a busy all star day. It begins with Christopher's team participating in a parade in Downtown Minden. They are excited about throwing candy and beads. After the parade they will have a fish fry with other World Series teams and their Opening Ceremony. The Coach Pitch World Series will begin tomorrow - three games on Saturday. Hopefully we will be playing through Monday. Andrew also has a game tonight. Thank goodness they are both playing in the same place. God is good to this mom who can't stand to miss a game! Praying for fun, good attitudes and that we glorify God in the bleachers and on the field. And especially praying for safety - this is the first all star year an ambulance has not been called. Looking forward to an In The Zone day!

CaringBridge / maggieleehenson / Welcome

This is a website for Maggie Lee Henson that was on the church bus that rolled over. She is still in the hospital fighting. Please visit the sight and leave her a message. Her mom is reading the messages to her.

CaringBridge / maggieleehenson / Welcome

Andrew's All Star Team

It is now time to begin watching Andrew play all stars. He begins his tournament tomorrow. We have been so busy watching Christopher's all star team (18 games already with World Series this weekend) and Andrew has been very supportive of Christopher. But each night he would say, "I can't wait until my games begin." Christopher will continue to practice this week while we watch Andrew's games. Thank goodness for great baseball friends who help us out when we have conflicts! This is the first conflict of the all star season.

We are so proud of both our boys. It has been a crazy baseball summer but they are doing what they love and that is what matters. But most importantly they are having fun! And that makes me smile :)

Coach Daniel and Andrew enjoying the game of baseball together!

Happy 4th Birthday to Kevin

Happy 4th Birthday to Kevin! He started his day off with Vacation Bible School. On our way home we picked up pizza. When anyone in our family has a birthday they get to pick the restaurant for a family dinner. Well Kevin said he wanted to eat at home and eat pizza. So pizza it was. When we got home he had a surprise. I had decorated the kitchen with balloons and Daniel put a waterslide in the backyard. He was so excited when he saw all the "party stuff." With Andrew and Christopher celebrating birthdays within the last couple of months, Kevin was really ready for this day to be here. He truly put joy in my heart with his excitement! He appreciated every minute of his birthday. His birthday party or as he says "my real birthday" will be in a couple of weeks when we have a free weekend from baseball. Today consisted of my parents coming over and having pizza, waterslide fun and family time. Here are some fun pictures from our pizza party and backyard birthday fun.

I LOVE THIS BIRTHDAY BOY!

This picture is a little weird but Kevin and I were holding the camera together trying to take our own picture.

Daniel, Christopher and Kevin stuffing their face with pizza.

Kevin opening his cards. This card is from my parents. He loves Spiderman! Andrew and Christopher gave him a card that sings. He played it and played it. He put the money to the side and enjoyed the card - the joys of a 4 year old. The boys will give their present at the birthday party.

Here is some backyard fun! One of the wonderful blessings of having three boys is that they have built in friends. They had a blast together!

Christopher and Kevin always have to give me a crazy pose for a picture. I have learned to just take the picture and appreciate their personalities :)

Christopher and Kevin have really become buddies this summer. They play so well together. But of course just like friends they do need breaks from each other.

Logan wants to join the boys in water fun! It has been so hot here. It was 100 degrees today!

Today was a great day from the moment it started! What we didn't get completed was Andrew's homemade birthday cake. He cooked a double layer cake at my mom's house but there was a little bit of a problem. Their dog, Chloe, ate one of the layers. So Andrew cooked another one. The cake has icing but he wants to write Kevin's name on it. So we will continue with the celebration tomorrow when we eat homemade birthday cake. Stay tuned for some more In The Zone birthday moments.

Bus Wreck Update

Here is an updated article on the First Baptist Church of Shreveport bus wreck. It is hard for us to understand how God could let something like this happen. Many will question Him. But this is where faith comes in that God has a perfect will for each of our lives. We can not begin to know what all this is about. "trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not unto your own understanding" Proverbs 3:5 We have to trust God and lean on Him for peace, comfort and strength.

As a mom, the news of the bus wreck made me immediately think of the parents. All I could think of is how many times in the last couple of years I have put Andrew on a bus. My heart just sinks when I think of those parents when they heard the news. I receive comfort in knowing that God was with each one of the passengers on that bus. Not all the time but this time God gave us clear evidence He was there: The National Guard bus He had traveling directly behind the church bus. The bus full of National Guard had just been trained on rollover accidents. Wow! God had it all in his hands. I am praying for the families and friends of the injured and the family and friends of Brandon Ugarte. Brandon was an 8th grader at Andrew's school last year.


Andrew had another child from his school die during the school year. With these tragic accidents, Andrew and I have talked a lot about trusting in God and knowing He has a plan for each of us. We can not live our lives in fear of what could happen. We are growing in our faith together. As a mom with three children, I have had to learn to put so much faith in God and that He will protect my children when I can not. Then something like this happens. Thank goodness I have God's Word to remind me of His perfect will and trust it. Again, we can not trust in our own understanding and we have to have faith. Not easy stuff for a 12 year old or a mom of three precious boys. This is why I continue to study God's Word, Worship Him and Praise Him. As my relationship grows closer to God the more I learn about Him and how to trust Him. I pray for others that do not know Jesus Christ as their Saviour that the will reach out for Him. That they will grow closer to God so they can have peace, comfort and strength for tragic situations and praises for the blessings.

http://www.abpnews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=4228&Itemid=53


pictures - these pictures make it so real for me. My heart goes out to these families. They are going to need continuous prayer from all of us. It will take a long time for them to heal emotionally and physically. I pray that they find strength and peace.

http://toomsubafire.org/churchbuswreck071209.html

Shreveport Church Bus Wrecks

It has been a sad day for the First Baptist Church family in Shreveport. It really has been a sad day for our community. There was a bus of 17 youth, 6th grade - high school, and 6 parents traveling to a church camp in Macon, Georgia.

A tire on the bus blew and the bus flipped three times. Please read the articles for more details.

Please pray for these families! There was one death and there is a girl that is fighting for her life in a hospital in Mississippi. Please lift her up and all the other families involved.

Please take note that there was a National Guard bus behind the church bus when it crashed. The bus had triage nurses on board. They responded immediately to flip the bus back over off of passengers. How much worse would the crash had been if the National Guard was not there immediately?

KTBS 3 News Shreveport, LA: ArkLaTex News - One dead, more than 20 injured in First Baptist Church bus wreck in Mississippi


http://www.ksla.com/global/story.asp?s=10713791

THANKFUL TUESDAY

The LORD is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation.

He is my God, and I will praise him, my father's God, and I will exalt him.

Exodus 15:2

1. I am THANKFUL that my family is healthy.

2. I am THANKFUL for Daniel that works so hard to take care of his family and gives us support in everything that we do. I am thankful for all the hours he puts in to serve God and the hours he gives to his children. He is a good man! I love him very much :)

3. I am THANKFUL for the roof over my head and the food we have to eat. There are so many families struggling to make ends meet. After starting our own business, I have really learned alot about our wants and needs. There are so many things I do not "need" they are just a "want" that I thought were a "need."

"But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction." 1 Timothy 6:6-9

4. I am THANKFUL for my God that is patient and waits on me to learn and steer away from foolishness. As my relationship with God grows I learn what is important in life - God and my family!

5. I am THANKFUL for my new teaching position. I am thankful that I will be able to incorporate God's word into the curriculum everyday to precious children.

6. I am THANKFUL for my boys' baseball ability. I am thankful that we are able to extend the baseball season through the summer with all-stars. I am enjoying watching Andrew and Christopher play. Through the years of watching Daniel and the boys play baseball, I have learned that you lose some and you win some. . . and it's just a game. Players and coaches both make mistakes and it's just a game. It's a game that I use as quality family time. I am thankful that I can rejoice in the victories and help my children learn and grow from the loses. Just like the game of life. Praise be to God for all the plans his has for our lives. He already knows about our victories and loses.

"For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11

7. I am THANKFUL for our wonderful friends that are encouragers. I am thankful for the Christian friends that my children have in their lives.

"And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds." Hebrews 10:24

"How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity." Psalm 133:1

"He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm." Proverbs 13:20

8. I am THANKFUL for the birth of my niece, Hope. She is healthy and beautiful. I can't wait until the day that I get to hold her. I am thankful that I am an aunt to 3nephews and 2 nieces. Wow, I'm an aunt to five wonderful children. What a blessing!

9. I am THANKFUL that it is summer and I get to spend lots of time with my family! Fun in the Sun!

10. I am most THANKFUL that God has blessed with me with a 17 year marriage and 3 precious boys. As a mom and wife I am loving my life! Every decision I make they are in my thoughts.

Thought For The Day:
A wonderful & encouraging Christian friend shared this today. Thanks Laura S.
If you are kind, people may accuse you of ulterior motives - Be kind anyway. If you are honest, people may cheat you - Be honest anyway. If you find happiness, people may be jealous - Be happy anyway. The good you do today may be forgotten tomorrow - Do good anyway-anyway. For you see, in the end, it is between you and God - It was never between you and them anyway. - Mother Teresa

Meaningful Monday - One Body

One Body

TGIF Today God Is First Volume 2 by Os Hillman Sunday, July 05 2009

"The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ" (1 Cor 12:12-13).

Imagine with me for a moment that you have won a very expensive car. However, in order to receive your prize, you must agree to an unusual requirement. You must agree to remove one major component in that car in order to receive the gift.

Which component will you remove?

Will it be the steering wheel? Perhaps it will be the left front tire or the front seat or the two headlights. My illustration may seem ridiculous, but you get the point. Unless you have the complete car and have the ability to use all of its components, your ability to benefit from that car is going to be severely limited. The Bible says you and I are part of a larger Body - the Body of Christ. We each have our own body, but we are also made up of a larger Body that has a unique function to play. When you are not functioning as God intended, the entire Body suffers because you are not fulfilling your prescribed function.

When you function in a way that is not directly connected to the larger Body, you are only fulfilling a small portion of why the Manufacturer made you. There is a greater mission that you must fulfill. Today, the Body of Christ is fragmented and seeks to do things separated from one another. Our individual church "silos" stand alone - often as monuments to man instead of the greater mission of reaching the city.

Jesus knew the key to fulfilling His mission was getting His larger Body to work as one. "I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me" (John 17:20-21). What is your part in the overall mission? Are you fulfilling your prescribed function as designed by the Manufacturer?


Today's Prayer
O Lord, thank You for Your wonderful promises! Though in this world, I face troubles, you have told me to take heart because You have overcome the world! (John 16:33 ). I am so relieved and thankful that through You, I am an overcomer. So, Lord, when I am overwhelmed or discouraged or faced by great challenges or tempted, please remind me that I can overcome when I rely on You. Remind me to "take it to the Lord in prayer" and allow You to carry me through. I also pray for wisdom and for that way out when temptation comes my way. Thank you. In Jesus' name, amen.

All-Star State Tournament Begins!

We are at Christopher's All-Star State Tournament. We have won our first 3 games with 2 more left before the championship bracket. We are the only team in our pool bracket that has not lost a game. Hopefully we can keep our bats and defensive play going for tomorrow. Championship play is the next two days. We have been playing since Thursday. We will celebrate the 4th of July with music and fireworks at the stadium.

Here is the hotel door that we decorated for the boys. This is our room.

This picture is not very good quality but you can see Kevin sleeping. This particular hotel doesn't have suites nor roll aways. Normal hotel rooms are not made for a family of five. Andrew and Christopher are sharing a bed. Then Daniel and I have the other bed. Well Kevin needed a spot so we pushed two chairs (sturdy - not moving) together. He looks like he is in a baby bed. As you can see he is sleeping well after a long day at the ballpark in the heat and then swimming. I think he is glad to just have something that resembles a bed.

Well, my family is all asleep and ready for a nine o'clock game. Off to bed myself. Goodnight from our All-Star State Tournament!