Baseball, Hot Dogs, and Peanuts

We were given tickets to attend today's afternoon baseball game at Busch Stadium, here in St. Louis.  I love to go watch baseball in person.  It reminds me of the many games my dad took us to when we were younger.  The Oakland A's and the San Francisco Giants were both fun to watch play because there were players with names like Clark, Thompson, Uribe, Brenly, Williams, Davis, McGuire, Canseco, Eckersley, Lansford, Henderson, Cey, Jackson.  That is just to name a few.  There isn't a better professional sport to watch, in my opinion, in person.  The smell of the freshly cut grass, the immaculate lines that are chalked, the pitcher's mound grooming is a complete art form.  There is a 'buzz' with everyone at the game.
The concessions never taste better than at the ballpark.  I am anticipating this game today will be one that the boys and I will remember for a very long time.  Our seats are right behind home plate so I'm excited to hear the loud call of the home plate umpire as he calls out the 'balls and strikes'.
It's a hot and humid day here in St. Louis but the game will go on and I will be smiling, the whole time.  Play Ball!

Sing A Song

We went to the Missouri Botanical Gardens, last night, to see the beautiful Chinese lantern display all lit up.  It was stunning! 
Some friends of my brother and sister-in-law were also there with us.  One of the young boys in the family has autism.  He is such a nice ten year-old.  Toward the end of the night, the young boy approached me and asked me what song I liked to sing.  I told him that I liked to sing, "We Thank Thee, O God For a Prophet."  That is a favorite church song that I have liked since I was a young boy.  It's lyrics are enlightening and hopeful to my soul.

"We thank thee, O God for a prophet, to guide us in these latter days.  We thank thee for sending the gospel, to lighten our minds with it's rays.  We thank thee for every blessing, bestowed by thy bounteous hand.  We feel it a pleasure to serve thee.  And love to obey thy commands.  When dark clouds of trouble hang o'er us, and threaten our peace to destroy.  There is hope smiling brightly before us, and we know that deliv'rance is nigh.  We doubt not the Lord nor His goodness.  We've proved Him in days that are past.  The wicked who fight against Zion will surely be smitten at last.  We'll sing of His goodness and mercy, we'll praise Him by day and by night.  Rejoice in His glorious gospel and bask in it's life giving light.  Thus onto eternal perfection the honest and faithful will go.  While they who reject this glad message shall never such happiness know."

Each one of us has a song whose lyrics touch our very soul.  When your heart is troubled, those lyrics will act as a strength.  This young ten year-old reminded me of a favorite song and my heart is enlightened today.

A Lesson From The Golf Course

I went over to one of the local golf courses, here in St. Louis, with our oldest son Brady and a nephew.  We went to go hit a bucket of balls.  We spent a little while doing that and had an enjoyable time.  On our way to the practice putting green we walked past an instructor who was teaching several young people how to properly stand, swing, and hit a golf ball.  Because the mechanics of the game are so complex, that is quite a chore for this older gentleman.  He held out his hand to me and introduced himself as Ernest.  I, in return, told him my name and told him that it was a pleasure to meet him.  He spoke with Brady and Dixon and asked them about the game a golf.  He was a kind and pure man. 
It doesn't matter where I meet people, the reality always is the same.  There are great people all around.  I thought that Ernest was an example of a wonderful person just trying to do his best.
What an experience it was for me and the boys thought that was pretty cool, too.

I Can Learn From Young And Older Alike

We spent several hours at a community swimming club, here in the St. Louis area.  I sat and watched for a little while as kids of all ages played and enjoyed the cool water.  As I watched, I observed many different games being played.  One game was played by young kids and teenagers alike.  During the game, I noticed a young girl stand next to the side of the pool trying to get the attention of a teenage girl.  The young girl stood patiently until the teenage girl finally acknowledged her.  I could see the words mouthed from the young girl.  "Can I play?" The teenage girl nodded her approval.  The young girl fixed her goggles onto her eyes and jumped in the water next to all who were playing. 
The 'inclusion' part really put a smile on my face.  I felt grateful that this young girl had been treated kindly.  I admired the courage of the young girl for asking to do something  that she so badly wanted to do.
It doesn't matter where in the world you go, there are valuable lessons to be learned.  It was my turn in St. Louis.

I Want To Be Thankful

I believe that being thankful is one of the most important values a person can have. It is one of the attributes of a good, decent person. From the time that I was a young boy, I have heard my mom say a million times the words, "what are the 'magic' words?" I learned then that the words 'please and thank you' were extremely important. You might be asking yourself, what does this have to do with positive thinking in our lives. Here's my take on this subject. If each of us want to raise up good decent children, who will grow up to be exceptional human beings, they need to be grateful. There are very few things, in this world, that are more concerning than the reality of someone who is ungrateful. I have a strong opinion on this topic, but I feel such an urgency when it comes to our own children. I am grateful to Becky for instilling in our children the import that this characteristic will offer throughout their lives. The implementation of this divides the good from the great, in my opinion.

Puts A Smile On My Face

Today, we enjoyed the opportunity to watch a Swim Meet.  I feel impressed to share a couple of observations about things I saw at 'the meet'.  On two different occasions, during a particular heat, I watched an individual have an especially difficult time with their swim using a specific stroke.  They were much slower than the other competitors but they were still required to finish the race as to not let down their teammates or family who were there to support.  It was fun to watch all of the supporters as these individuals finished even through difficulty.
The other observation was the mass amounts of people there to support children, grandchildren, and even friends.  I always like to see support from those that care the very most.
Life, in many ways, is just that--support for one another.  I love to see love extended from one person to the next.  It is a wonderful sight. 
Our family was there to 'cheer on' our two nieces and nephew.  We enjoyed the time we spent there just like everybody else who came to encourage and cheer for those who they love.
And the night was complete at the sight of beautiful fireflies in the warm, humid air of St. Louis, Missouri.
What a time!

The Funniest Things

I love to laugh.  The feeling of being able to relieve the various stresses of life through a loud outburst from a funny joke or something that is said that is unexpected is awesome.  One of my favorite things is to hear something said from one of our children.  When they were young, they had some really funny things to say.
When our oldest was young, she would say something that seemed inappropriate, but funny, and I was quick to correct her.  As time goes on, I have come to realize that there are just some funny things that they say. Some of life's greatest moments have come from the hiliarious things that were said.  Thank heaven for those things.