CHANT Chargers vs. John Paul II

My apologies in advance, our little blog is about to be filled with softball, and more softball and even more softball.  Right now is regular softball season, it's the time of the year when all of the high schools are playing.  Abigail's CHANT Chargers Varsity team is playing other private schools and a few public schools.  

Abigail is also playing on the select softball team, Rage.  They are a tournament team that practice during regular season and then when high school ball finishes up in March they begin playing tournament ball. Most of the girls on Rage all play for other high school teams.  We currently have softball games scheduled through August!! 

This morning we were on the fields at John Paul II at seven to warm up for our eight o'clock game. There were several teams playing, we lost to John Paul II 2-4, but beat the THESA Riders 6-1.  The facilities at the private schools are incredible, brick & stone dugouts with heaters and piped in music.  I almost expected the risers to be heated!  We're looking forward to coming back again and next time winning! Go Chargers! 

All hard work brings a profit,

    but mere talk leads only to poverty.

Proverbs 14:23

CHANT Chargers First Game

This is one happy, happy girl!  For the last several years with aspirations of making the high school softball team.  In our area CHANT (Christian Homeschool Athletes of North Texas) Chargers play football, basketball, baseball, and softball against private schools.  Abigail has played in the off season with the Chargers, but this year she will play in the competitive season.  

She is over the moon about playing on the high school team. Today was her first game against Ursuline Academy of Dallas and the Chargers won 10-5! The first thing she did after the game was text her brother. 

Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. I Corinthians 9:24

Bandina Christian Youth Camp

This weekend Jon and I headed to San Antonio to check out Bandina Christian Youth Camp with the Texas Bible Bowl Board of Directors.  This is the new location for this year's competition in May. We have out grown the facilities at the Camp of the Hills in Marble Falls.  

The camp site at Bandina can accommodate more youth and should allow for our program to continue to grow. Much of the camp has been remodeled and it sits along the beautiful Medina River.

This was one of the few trips Jon and I have made alone, generally one or all three kids are with us at all times for the past 26+ years. It was nice to spend time alone in the car and take a leisurely drive together and not rushed to get to the next event!  

Better is a handful of quietness than two hands full of toil and a striving after wind.  Ecclesiastes 4:6 

Holy Care Package Batman!

After having the boy home for Christmas break, the girls were beginning to miss him.  So we gathered some of his favorite things to ship him a care package.  And for Caleb, most of his favorite things center around food.  We filled a box with fruit cups, Pringles, Pop Tats and chocolate.    The girls also made cards for Caleb with sweet notes to let him know how much they miss him and keep him up to date on their latest adventures. 

With each package we've picked a fun theme to keep the boy amused.  He never opens his packages in the common area, he has learned to wait until he returns to his room to open up his boxes! I can't image why, I mean what a great looking package!  It looks like a package for a big brother with two sisters who think he's pretty awesome! 

 His sister stood at a distance to find out what would be done to him.
Exodus 2:4

Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King Day

One of most impressive things to me about today's holiday is that MLK was first and foremost a Reverend and then a Doctor.  I was reminded of that today as Abigail and I sat at the Blaze Studios for a filming of the Glenn Beck television program.  Reverend King's niece, Alveda was on the set along with Bishop Jim Lowe of the Guiding Light Church in Birmingham, AL.  

Today's taping looked at the history of MLK and unity and compassion he wanted for all people vs. the current media messages of hatred.  Again, as always the answer to the current unrest lies in the peace and calm stillness in Christ. 

It is a fascinating dynamic to watch Glenn, a former alcoholic, anger filled individual to talk scripture and Biblical principles in front of a huge TV audience with a well read Pastor. It was also incredible to listen to Ms. King who knew Dr. King and could speak first hand to the civil unrest at the time of his assassination. The living history stories are fascinating, I'm not sure our kids realize how fortunate they have been to have witnessed so much history through the eyes of actual witnesses. 

From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us.  Acts 17:26-27

Rockin' & a Bowlin'

With the boy back in school and the holidays being over our lives return to a normal routine which includes Bible Bowl every Sunday.  The kids and I are slowly moving through our six months of studying.  It won't be long until we head to San Antonio for Texas Bible Bowl.  

We have made it through all of Joshua and the first nine chapters of Judges.  My students are keeping up with their homework at a pace of two chapters per month!  Impressive!  For my out of state friends, if you are needing a study guide for Joshua, Judges & Ruth HERE is the link for the review questions I wrote for Texas Bible Bowl.  They are also on the Texas Bible Bowl website, all two hundred and twenty-four pages! 

Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth. 2 Timothy 2:15

Back to School

The boys Christmas break went so quickly!  It's hard to believe it's time for him to return for his second semester.  

I'm beyond thrilled with his first semester.  For posterity and for the grandparents: this kid transitioned from twelve years of homeschooling to his first year of college brilliantly.  He is in the Honors program, based on his grades.  He also serves in LCU's Ambassadors program; a student envoy for the school.  He serves on Student Senate.  He is working five days a week in Dr. Patty's office, his Honors adviser.  He pledged Kyodai, the Christian college version of a fraternity. And, managed to receive all A's and one B, earning a spot on the Dean's List! 

The glory of young men is their strength,

    but the splendor of old men is their gray hair.

Proverbs 20:29

Puppy Bath Time

Bath time for pookie at Hakuna Matata!  As she has gotten older it has become more difficult to get her in and out of the tub.  The hydraulic lift tub at the doggie grooming spa is perfect.   It's great to get her clean and not have to dry down the walls in my bathroom.  I may however have inadvertent sprayed myself in the face while grasping the sprayer incorrectly!  It was funny because Caleb looked at me like what are you doing?! 

He who is to be cleansed shall wash his clothes and shave off all his hair and bathe himself in water, and he shall be clean.  Leviticus 14:8

Closing a Chapter

Our beloved pantry is growing, we will be opening up at a new location in a matter of weeks.  Right now construction is underway at the new location.  When the board of directors were looking for our new space they took into consideration that many of our guests come from about a five mile radius of the pantry.  Our current location is only a mile and a half from an extended stay motel.  Many of our guest are forced to stay at the pay by the week rentals. Also a large portion of our demographics are elderly who walk to our facilities.  Fortunately the board was able to find a larger facility for us that is literally across the street from our current location. I'm so excited for our guests to see our new location the first of February! 

The lips of the righteous feed many,

    but fools die for lack of sense.  Proverbs 10:21

Practice Test

What better way to start the new year than with a one hundred and twenty-five question test?  We are over half way through our preparations for Texas Bible Bowl so it is time to gauge the kids progress.  

Caleb was able to spend one more Sunday with us before he returns to LCU.  I asked him to bring a couple of his trophies and talk up his experience to the younger kiddos in class.  The kids tried to stump Caleb, the Bible Major, with a few of the harder questions on my test.  It made for a fun afternoon class, despite the hard work! 

encourage younger men as brothers 1 Timothy 5:1