We Interrupt This Program . . .

. . . with a special news bulletin: Unnamed sources have indicated that it is likely that there will be a very important meeting taking place within the next 24-48 hours at an undisclosed location along the coast. Please stay tuned for further details.

We now return you to your regularly scheduled program.

Better Than Nothing!

The kids and I will leave in the morning for a short trip to the beach. I can only get away for 3 days and 2 nights. I would love to stay longer, but scheduling and finances stand in the way. My only time away this summer has been two days at Montreat. On one hand, that doesn't count because it was for a conference. On the other, I was there by myself and the conference was great so it can count for a little something. Still, vacation time away is desperately needed.

Can't wait to stick my toes in the sand!

Two Prayer Requests and a Praise Report

Those of you who read some of my posts from last week remember CJ, my text-son who was badly injured in an attack last week. While he continues to have a good deal of physical pain, the emotional effect is proving to be much, much worse. It seems that the trauma of the attack has reawakened repressed memories of his abusive biological father who committed suicide about 6 months ago. Now everytime CJ tries to sleep, he wakes up after 20-30 minutes in a cold sweat and/or in tears from flashbacks. He has not slept more than 30 minutes at a time since the attack last Wednesday night. He has an appointment with a specialist tomorrow morning. I pray it helps. He does NOT want to talk this out with anyone other than just a few of us who are close to him - his mom and step-dad, his coach, Rosemary, and me. I've encouraged him to cooperate with this specialist as much as he can, knowing that no matter how uncomfortable and frightening delving into his memories will be, the only way to the other side is to go straight through them. God help him! It will be a rocky road.

Speaking of Coach - you remember him, don't you?! (blush, giggle) His family is going through a rough patch involving his mentally handicapped sister and his critically ill father. Things are beginning to look up, but it's been a tough week for them.

Last night I sat through a community ministry board meeting while a wing-dinger of a storm blew through town. At the close of the meeting, we were sharing prayer requests - practically shouting them to be heard over the wind and thunder - when the trucks from our local fire department screamed by. I lifted my voice to say, "It sounds like someone is in trouble now. Whoever it is, whatever it is, let's pray for them too." Turns out that the whoever was my best friend and her husband. Their brand new, blood-sweat-and-tears house was struck by lightning and there was fire and damage in their basement. They managed to get the fire out themselves before the fire department even arrived. They were spared major damage. Thank God!

They Did It!!!

It took two weeks, more games than I can count, and a major trauma. Today alone took four games, two of which (including the final) went into extra innings. But . . . drum roll, please . . . they won the tournament!

CJ has been at the field watching all day - some 13 hours. He had a rough spot earlier today, but took a quick break for rest and food and returned. He would much rather have been playing, but he's a happy guy! And so is his coach, I understand. (wink, wink) I will check on that in a little while.

Prayers, please, for this happy bunch of guys as they make the long trip home.

Sports Gone Bad

I've never been that much of a baseball fan - until now. I've been following a certain baseball tournament in Nebraska with great interest these past two weeks. My text-son was playing in it and his coach is the one keeping a smile on my face these days. It has been an overwhelmingly eventful week, in some good ways and in some very bad ways.

Last weekend "my" team played against a big rival. Text son (from now on to be known as CJ) hit a homerun off their pitcher, who hates his guts for some reason. CJ's next time at bat, the pitcher hit him intentionally, fracturing his collarbone. The next day several members from that team tried to start a fight with him away from the field. The coach talked with their coaches and reported everything to the tournament officials. End of story - I wish.

"My" team went back up against this same team again last Wednesday night. CJ, ever persuasive and determined to play, talked the coach into letting him play. In spite of his injury, he hit the ball over the fence his first time up to bat. Then as he rounded third base, 12 members of the other team jumped him. It took 3 umpires and 3 coaches to pull them all off of him. He was badly beaten. He has a black eye, a bruised larynx, broken ribs, and gashes all across his chest and abdomen from metal cleats. He can't talk or eat solid foods. He is supposed to stay in a wheelchair. (Emphasis on supposed to. This kid is hard-headed.) He is in a tremendous amount of pain. Pain medicines makes him sick - not a good thing for someone with broken ribs - so he just isn't taking any. He sat in the dugout with his team at last night's game. After about an hour he passed out cold and remained unconscious for several minutes. He has passed out twice since then. The doctors say it is a comination of pain, lack of food, dehydration, and stress. Gee, wonder why this kid would be stressed?

Rosemary is head-over-heels for this kid. She has been in New York on a mission trip this week. This was a hard trip for her even before all hell broke loose. She doesn't know anyone on the trip except for my niece and her husband and apparently the kids have been pretty cliquish. She has done hard physical labor all week - something that believe me she is not accustomed to. And then all this happened. She has been a complete wreck. Thank God, she will be home with me tonight.

"My" team is one game away from winning the championship. These kids have been amazing throughout this whole fiasco. My opinion of their coach (blush, giggle giggle) has been continually raised with the way he has handled everything. They will be home by sometime tomorrow. I hope to be telling you of a wonderful first meeting soon.

Blink, Blink

Talked to him for a loooong time last night. Apparently he is not afraid of (a) my vocation, (b) my teenaged daughter's questions, or (c) my little ones. Wow.

Rosemary has also talked with (erm, grilled) him. So far, so good.

Still giggling and blushing!

Oh, and they are still undefeated. Go team!

Fifteen Again

Warning: Silly, immature, chick post ahead. Forgive me, but if I didn't say something I'd bust!

I've been talking to a guy! (giggle, giggle) I think we'll be going out (blush) when he gets back from Nebraska with his busload of teenaged baseball players - who are giving him major grief about "his girl." (tee-hee!) They are doing great in the tournament - so far undefeated - so they may be there the rest of the week if they keep it up.

A little more seriously (but not much), so far he seems like a great guy - committed to these kids, has fun but still takes charge when needed, has a great sense of humor. Not bad for a start, huh?!

Yeah. I'm 15. But give me a break - I haven't dated in over 5 years, and that was a very brief (thank God) experience. I'm a little out of practice.

Now let me try to grow back up long enough to get some work done (she says with a smile on her face) . . .