Summer Documentation: Part Two

So it's three weeks into this summer adventure and it is definitely an adventure. We're traveling, having fun, and most of all working our butts off. It is hard work packing and unpacking, setting up and tearing down, but I love the little kids' excitement and seeing their faces light up when they win something.

We've been in Georgia for the past couple weeks and it was so hot! The people are so friendly down south though, and even the little kids are all about saying "yes, ma'am." I love that with all of my insides.

We got to Florida early this morning (my first time in Florida) and will be in Palm Beach until Thursday when we drive to Clearwater where we will stay for the weekend before driving to Kissimmee.

We spent the biggest chunk of the day at the beach (my first time in the ocean!) and it seriously was one of the greatest moments ever. The ocean is such a visible reminder of how small we are and how big our Creator is. Ricky, Assistant Sports Editor for the Murray State News, said "It's hard to believe that on the other side of this ocean is Africa."

Then I just wanted to start swimming and make my way to Africa. But that's a terribly long swim so I decided against it.

We have a tournament tomorrow afternoon/night and it's supposed to rain but hopefully it won't because we need to do some major selling. We're working hard but sometimes people just aren't interested. That's life.

School is so hard. Chemistry especially- it's all math and numbers, two of the most difficult things for me to do. I just can't understand numbers, so this is really hard. Astronomy is easier and then online yoga is kinda ridiculous... Yeah.

God has been showing me a lot lately, some of which I'm still processing and therefore can't share yet, but He is definitely active and showing me more and more everyday how weak I am and utterly incapable without Him. My verse this week:

"I beseech you therefore, bretheren, by the mercies of God, to present yourselves a living sacrafice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed to the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God." -Romans 12:1-2

PHOTOGRAPHS

Kids I want to adopt:

Cummings, Georgia

The Hilton, Palm Beach. Our hotel.

The pool area at our hotel

The beach!

"How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand." -Psalm 139:17-18

Please keep praying for us, we need it desperately.

He Apologized? What?!

So yesterday after watching the first base umpire ruin Galarraga's perfect game I was mad. Super mad. But today I read this article, the umpire apologized to Galarraga after the game. That is practically unheard of in baseball. I'm not super mad anymore, I'm super amazed.


http://content.usatoday.com/communities/dailypitch/post/2010/06/detroits-armando-galarraga-3-outs-from-another-perfect-game/1

Summer Documentation: Part One

Okay, so first I’m just going to say that this will probably be a short blog but there will be lots (several) pictures at the end to give you visuals of what’s going on in our daily life.


This needs to be said: The East tour is really awesome, definitely the best team. We all mesh fairly well and have a lot of fun doing everything. I really like them all a lot.

The first couple of days were spent doing some intense training and some equally intense eating and sleeping. What we’re doing is a LOT of hard work but it is so much fun, I really enjoy every part of it, even the loading and unloading of the 35’ trailer.
We started off in Morehead, Kentucky and then went to Louisville for a tournament and now we’re enjoying several days off until our next tournament in Knoxville on Friday. We went to the Louisville Slugger Museum today and then ate at Hard Rock Café (ridiculously expensive… geeze) on Fourth Street Live before driving to Knoxville.
Note to self: Don’t drink Gatorade, or anything with sugar, before or during a road trip no matter how short the distance- my bladder just can’t take it.
Anyway, God has really been so amazing through this whole adjustment period. I love that no matter where I am or what I’m doing He is always the same. That is so awesome. The verses that God has used the most are Philippians 2:14-16-

"Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life."

Thank you to everyone who has prayed for us, please keep those prayers coming.

The group: Ben, Paige, Hunter, Lizzy, Ethan, Shana, Ricky, and me

These are the tents we set up at each tournament...

I work the Topps Attax tent and this is my little buddy Carter who became my best friend on day one in Morehead.

These are some of my buds in Louisville, they have the greatest smiles!

This is the guys filling up the truck after they ran out of gas on I-64... Funniest thing ever.

Ethan, Hunter, and Paige, and me at the Louisville Slugger Museum with a legit Johnny Bench bat.

The gang at Louisville Slugger.

Summer classes start this week... I'm nervous about time management, so please continue to pray for that. I hope you guys are having a fantastic summer and are remembering that by not complaining we are shining like stars in a crooked and depraved universe.
 
Much love,