Getting Back To The Basics – Cape Cod Baseball League
I’ve mentioned before that I’m a big baseball fan. I have followed the game for most of my life – first as a Chicago Cubs fan – and now as a Philadelphia Phillies fan (since 1980 when I moved to the Philly area). It’s been fun to support the Phillies especially over the past five years as they have been very competitive, but…
Professional baseball isn’t what it used to be. With steroids, free agency, lack of player/team loyalty, higher ticket prices, and a crazy pay structure, players and teams don’t relate to average fans – like myself. I have found my overall interest in the game slacking off. Much of this is due to the realities of adult life – I now have a family and a job that require my full attention. But I believe that some of my fading interest in the game is related to the fact that professional baseball has gotten away from its roots.
This is why I loved going to see a Cape Cod Baseball League game when Leanne and I vacationed in Cape Cod a few weeks ago. The teams in the league are made up of college baseball players who are looking for a way to work on their skills over the summer. Players come from all over the country to play in this league. They are not paid. They live with volunteer host families. And the games which are played at a high level are free to the public. Players actually walk around during the game to accept entries into the game’s 50-50 drawing which is used to help offset travel expenses for the team.
We went to a game between the Cotuit Kettleers and the Hyannis Harbor Hawks. We literally sat on top of the home team’s dugout. We could hear the players talking. We saw players who were not yet tarnished by the riches of the big leagues. We saw the game of baseball the way it was meant to be played.
Our evening in Hyannis was a reminder that it can be important to get back to the basics. We allow so many things to come along and distract us from why and how we started doing what we’re doing – whether it’s work, school, church, or even family. It’s easy to be distracted by the next big thing. It’s not steroids or free agency, but we are often distracted by other things like non-stop activities, efforts to accumulate the most toys and gadgets, or a drive to climb higher on the corporate ladder. These things by themselves may not be bad, but I think we often lose sight of why we started a family or why we started working. I think it’s important to get back to the basics, so we can rediscover our love for “the game”.
Has the push for more taken away your love of “the game”?
What can you do today to bring back the love?
Keep Going
I took this picture on our Cape Cod vacation a couple of weeks ago. It’s a boardwalk that takes you out to the edge of the marsh from Grey’s Beach in Yarmouth Port, MA. I ran out to the end of the boardwalk three of the mornings we were there.
In the picture, it appears that the boardwalk goes on forever.
Some days, things can seem like this. We have a tough day at work. Our parenting doesn’t seem to be making any head way with our kids. Perhaps, we’re facing health issues that seem unbearable.
The Bible provides encouragement to keep going when we’re ready to give up. I often draw encouragement from these verses:
Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:13,14
Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Galatians 6:9
One of the last day’s that we were in Cape Cod, I took Leanne out to the end of the boardwalk to enjoy the walk and view together. The long walk was well worth it!
What are you facing today that seems like it could go on forever – that seems overwhelming or unbearable? What keeps you going?
You Can Teach An Old Dog New Tricks
Iso The Wonder Dog
This weekend, our family has been puppy sitting Boots. Boots is a seven month old german shepherd who is being trained to be a seeing eye dog to help a blind person. She’s being raised by a local family who is part of our 4-H Seeing Eye Puppy Club. The Club meets once a month (tonight actually) to help puppy raisers with training tips and to conduct business to keep the club moving along. We are currently on the waiting list for a new puppy which should arrive sometime this fall.
Our “forever” dog, Iso, was part of the program. Iso is our seven-year black lab. We got him when he was eight weeks old, and we had him in our home until he was eighteen months old. From there, he traveled up to The Seeing Eye in Morristown, NJ where he was trained for eight months. We got to see his “final” exam, a town walk through the streets of Morristown, and he did great. So we were surprised when we received a phone call a couple of weeks later indicating that Iso was not going to pass the program. Apparently, he was too social – he was too distracted by other dogs.
Fast forward, five years. Iso lives with us, and he is a great dog. He’s very friendly. He doesn’t bark – which makes him a terrible watch dog. He doesn’t fetch – which makes him a terrible retriever. And he’s not real active – which makes him a terrible walking partner. But we love him. He is so loyal, and he loves our company.
This weekend has been a wake up call for Iso. Imagine a seven month old puppy invading your turf – running circles around you – stealing your attention – disrupting the life as you know it. Needless to say, Iso didn’t seem to happy about the whole thing when Boots walked in the door on Friday night. As the weekend has moved along, a friendship seems to be budding, and Boots seems to be teaching Iso a thing or two.
Iso has actually barked a few times in response to the pestering of Boots. We now know that Iso has a deep bark which could be scary if an intruder came to the door. Iso has also dabbled in the whole fetching thing. Boots loves to fetch her orange and blue ball. She carries it around with her all the time. I don’t think Iso understood this at first, but once he saw how much attention Boots received as she returned to the thrower with the ball, Iso started get it. He actually went after the ball a few times and beat out the younger Boots to retrieving the ball and bringing it back.
So…I guess you can teach an old dog new tricks!
We say goodbye to boots today as her family returns from a weekend getaway. But we’ll remember Boots with fondness as we think of the new tricks she passed along to our forever dog. Plus, we’ll get to say hello to Boots at each of the monthly Puppy Club meetings – including tonight’s meeting.
I think we can learn from this story of Boots and Iso. Younger people have lots to teach “older” people. If you are young, speak up and share. (This is a good lesson for me as I am the youngest person on our management team at work.) If you are “older” (and we’re all older than someone), watch and listen to those who are younger. They can add value and new insights. They can also remind you that things can be fun and exciting. Great lessons from our weekend!
Do you have any pets? What tricks can they do?
Who are the young people you hang out with for new ideas and new energy?
My Fenway Park Experience
I’m a big baseball fan! I started cheering for the Chicago Cubs while my family lived in the Chicago area when I was little. And I’m a big Philadelphia Phillies fan now! I moved to the Philly area in 1980, the year the Phillies won the World Series against the Kansas City Royals. (These past five or six years have been amazing!) I still have all my baseball cards, which I used to spend hours organizing, studying, and memorizing. I enjoy watching baseball, especially live! I’ve been to several major league stadiums and a few minor league stadiums, and I’ve even been to the Field of Dreams in Dyersville, Iowa. Like I said, I’m a big baseball fan!
When I was in college, I worked for ServiceMaster for the summer where I traveled to New England every week to inventory all the equipment in various schools. One week, I had an assignment outside of Boston, so it made sense for me to try to get into Fenway Park to see the Red Sox play the Yankees. (I don’t even like these teams!) I couldn’t resist an opportunity to see a game in this “old school” stadium. You probably wouldn’t be surprised to hear that the game was sold out. It was definitely a “stretch” to get into the game. I walked around the stadium a couple of times looking for someone who was selling a ticket. I just wanted to get into the stadium. Unfortunately, no one was selling any tickets. At this point, I was being to resign myself to the fact that I wasn’t going to get into the game.
In Philly, we have cheese steak sandwiches and pretzels. In Boston, I learned that they have sausage sandwiches. I purchased a sausage sandwich from a street vendor. As I enjoyed the sandwich while standing against a telephone pole a few feet away, the sandwich vendor walked over and asked if I was looking for a ticket. I confirmed that I was indeed looking for a ticket. He told me that he had one that he would sell to me for next to nothing. I couldn’t believe it!
I made my way into the stadium and followed signs to my seat. Unbelievable! My seat was 12 rows directly behind home plate – at Fenway Park! I had a perfect view of the field and the dugouts. Around the third inning, the sandwich vendor and his family came and sat right next to me. We had a friendly conversation. During the fifth inning, my new friend bought me a beer. Can you imagine?
To be honest, I don’t even remember who won the baseball game. I do know that I will always remember my experience at Fenway Park.
Are you a baseball fan? Have you ever experienced something unbelievable? Have you ever had a “Fenway Park” experience? Please share.
Refuel Your Marriage – Cape Cod Getaway Highlights
As I mentioned yesterday, Leanne and I had the wonderful opportunity to take a vacation to Cape Cod. We dropped the kids off with Leanne’s folks for the week, and we enjoyed some time away for just the two of us. We try to get away at least once a year without the kids. Usually, it’s just for a night or two, but this year we decided to extend it to almost a week to celebrate our anniversary. In the past, we’ve enjoyed our stays at different inns that offer a bed and breakfast type atmosphere. This year was no different. We stayed at the One Centre Street Inn in Yarmouth Port, MA. It was such a refreshing experience to wake up to a gourmet breakfast every morning after a quiet nights sleep. Here are the brief highlights from our trip:
Monday – Travel and an evening at Dennis Beach (on the Cape Cod Bay)
Sunset on Dennis Beach
Tuesday – Martha’s Vineyard
Edgartown Lighthouse on Martha's Vineyard
Wednesday – Nantucket
Leanne on our Nantucket private boat tour
Thursday – Provincetown and Cape Cod Baseball League
Pilgrim Monument in Provincetown
Friday – Nauset Beach and an evening in Chatham, MA
My lobster dinner in Chatham
As you can see, we had an adventurous week. Time like this is so important for refueling our marriage. It gets us away from the distractions of home life. It provides an opportunity to focus on us. It gives us a chance to take a break and relax. It gives us a chance to enjoy each other. And it gives us a chance to talk about the future and to set goals. (And by the way, our kids had a blast with Grammy and Pappap.)
If you’re married, I strongly encourage you to get away with your spouse on a regular basis to refuel .
How do you refuel?
I’m Back…
I’m back! But maybe you didn’t even know I was missing.
I just returned from a week of vacation with my wonderful wife as we celebrated our 15th anniversary in Cape Cod. It was an incredible trip, and I hope to share some of the details in the days to come. I just wanted to send out a quick thank you to all four of my guest bloggers this week. I think they all did an excellent job sharing how they have felt “stretched” these days. If for some reason you missed it, here are the links to the four guest posts.
Monday: Norman Stolpe (my dad) – God in the Spaces
Tuesday: Beck Gambill – Faith Stretch
Thursday: Alex Humphrey – Savor The Flavor
Friday: Hannah Stolpe (my daughter) – Middle School Missions Trip Recap
Thank you!
When you go on vacation, do you prefer the mountains or the beaches (or maybe somewhere else)?
Middle School Missions Trip Recap
Today, I am so proud that I can introduce my daughter as my guest blogger. In her post below, Hannah shares her take on a missions trip she took two weeks ago with my son and a group of middle school students from our church. I think you’ll see that this trip had an impact on Hannah, and you’ll see that God can use anyone – even a group of crazy middle schoolers!
(If you’re interested in guest posting on my blog, please drop me a comment. I’d love to connect with you.)
Two weeks ago, I went on a missions trip to Johnstown, PA with my church’s youth group. We had a great time and were able to help and shine God’s love to so many people. As well as serving people, I also learned a lot about how I should live according to God’s Word. One of the biggest things I learned can be found in Luke 22:42:
“Father, if you are willing take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done“
A lot of the times, I want to do what I want to do. I’ll want to do this. I won’t want to do that. But as a follower of God, He calls me to do His will – to step out of my comfort zone and not necessarily do what I want to do. He has amazing plans for me, but they can only happen if I follow His will. Two weeks ago, whatever we did we asked God for guidance so that we could do His will. Whether it was asking Him what He wanted us to do that day or listening to Him to see if He wanted us to talk to someone, His will was done and it was amazing to see His plans for our group unfold.
Here’s a recap of our week:
On Monday, we went to a church down the street from where we were staying. This church has been closed for two years due to the economy. With the amount of churches closing in their area, they have decided to reopen. As it has been closed for two years, there was a lot of work to do. We mopped, swept, weeded, trimmed bushes, painted, scrubbed, and scraped paint and rust off poles. It was amazing to see how much work our middle school group was able to accomplish in such a short time. It also was great to see how grateful everyone was for the work we accomplished!Tuesday was by far my favorite day. On Tuesday, we went to an old hospital in the town of Culver. The owner of the hospital (Jeremy) is turning it into a community center for Culver. It will have apartments, a kitchen, his house, and other things for youth – such as a gaming room. On Tuesday, my middle school group and the high school group that was staying with us helped to clean out the hospital and tear down the walls and ceiling. It was God’s miracle that no one got hurt despite the large amounts of plaster that continually fell. After we finished our work, a friend and I explored the hospital. There was lots of papers, x-rays, and old equipment. Later that evening, we played volleyball, roasted marshmallows, sang songs around a fire, and watched fireworks.My day on Wednesday was split into two parts. In the morning, I baked cookies and made cards. Another group would hand out the cookies, cards, and Bibles to people the next day. Their decision to do this definitely involved following God’s will by stepping out of their comfort zones to talk with the people who received the Bibles.
In the afternoon, we went to Goodwill. We swept up trash and threw trash it into a big dumpster. Then a few people who worked there told us about what Goodwill does. We also got to meet a man who was employed by Goodwill a couple of years ago. He was very thankful for his job and groups like ours who help out at Goodwill.
On Thursday, we went to a soup kitchen and a nursing home. At the soup kitchen, we moved wood and sorted food and utensils. At the end, we were able to eat lunch with a few recipients of the soup kitchen food.
At the nursing home, we did several things. First, we escorted the residents to their rooms after a ballroom dancing show. A few of the people on our team were able to talk and pray with residents. After that, we cut and colored Forth of July coloring pages with residents. Later, the nursing home staff were going to put the decorations on the residents’ doors.
On Friday, we traveled home, but first, we made some detours. After a small lunch of pop tarts at the church we were staying at, we went to McDonald’s for a bigger breakfast. We then followed the GPS until we arrived at the incline plane in Johnstown. We took a round trip on the incline plane and then headed to Chuck E. Cheese’s for some last-minute fun. After Chuck E. Cheese’s, we sat on the pavement and went around in a circle complementing and encouraging each other. After that, we went to the food court to grab some food before heading home.
All in all, it was a great trip. I’m so glad I went, and I look forward to future opportunities to serve!
Have you ever been on a missions trip? What was something you learned on this trip?
Savor The Flavor
Here is a guest post by Alex Humphrey. Alex is an author, coach, entrepreneur, husband, and Christ-follower. I have enjoyed following Alex on his blog for the past couple of months, and he graciously agreed to share his thoughts and talents with us today. I love what he has to say below. Please chime in on his questions, and don’t forget to get connected with Alex. Besides his blog, you can follow him on Twitter or Facebook.
(If you’re interested in guest posting on my blog, please drop me a comment. I’d love to connect with you.)
Last week my wife and I had “a talk”. We haven’t been communicating well and it has left us feeling frustrated and making it hard to be open with one another.
It took a while, but we finally figured out what was going on:
- My wife lingers on ideas. She sees books, movies, and even the Bible like a delicious meal where each bite needs to be savored, experienced, and understood before she can move on to the next.
- I try to understand the ideas quickly so I can move onto the next one. If my thoughts were a meal it would be an all-you-can-eat buffet and I’d be doing my best to finish off 10 plates in 20 minutes.
After our conversation, God made it clear: I need to linger more.
Knowing God isn’t something that can be done quickly. We must experience him. Psalm 34:8 says, “Taste and see that the LORD is good”. The experience of lingering on a delicious bite is the same experience of understanding the goodness of God.
There are 3 lessons I’ve taken from this:
- One thing at a time – More than that and I miss out on something.
- Experience every moment – life is a marathon, not a sprint. Every moment should be experienced and enjoyed.
- Work until it’s done – My method leaves a lot of projects unfinished. From now on, part of experiencing every moment is finishing what I start.
When was the last time you really experienced an event in your life? What are you doing to help you experience more of them?
Celebrating 15 Years!
Today, I celebrate 15 years of marriage to my best friend and my soul mate. There’s been far more adventure than I could have ever imagined. I’m thankful for each day. And I’m so thankful that we are “stuck” together.
What were you doing 15 years ago on this day?
Faith Stretch
Here is a guest post by Beck Gambill. Beck is an author, mentor, wife, mother, and Christ-follower. I have enjoyed following Beck on her blog for the past month, and she graciously agreed to share her thoughts and talents with us today. Her writing is inspired and beautiful, and I love what she shares below and how she says it. Please chime in on her questions, and don’t forget to get connected with Beck. Besides her blog, you can follow her on Twitter.
(If you’re interested in guest posting on my blog, please drop me a comment. I’d love to connect with you.)
Lately the very fibers and sinews of my heart are being pulled tight in a deep faith stretch. Three months ago my husband, Chris, and I took a risky step of faith. After serving as worship pastor for four years in a Wyoming church, due to some difficult circumstances and God’s leading, we left our place of ministry trusting God had a plan. My human assumption was that the plan would be revealed quickly and before long we would be serving in a new place of ministry. I was wrong.
We are thankful for dear friends who have graciously opened their home providing a place for us to stay while we wait. Yet I’ve learned it’s not good for a man to live without fulfilling work or a woman to be without a home. God knows this.
There are moments in the waiting that fear and hurt swell, choking off my breath. There are also moments of deep joy. The difference, I find, lies in the abiding. A tenacious sitting at Jesus feet decides if I will sink in despair or soar on wings of faith. Time in the word of God fills my heart with life-sustaining truth that counteracts the lies I would otherwise believe. Lies that say; God doesn’t see you, he has abandoned you, you’re not good enough, you have failed, you will never know fulfillment.
Daily I come, I press on, my spiritual muscles stretched and strengthened. As I come Jesus is always faithful to meet me. He recently revived my heart with the words of Psalm 18. Are you weary from the journey of life, stretched by your limitations or circumstances? Let me share some of those verses with you.
But in my distress I cried out to the Lord;
yes, I prayed to my God for help.
He heard me from his sanctuary;
my cry to him reached his ears…
He opened the heavens and came down;
dark storm clouds were beneath his feet.
Mounted on a mighty angelic being, he flew,
soaring on the wings of the wind.
He shrouded himself in darkness,
veiling his approach with dark rain clouds.
Thick clouds shielded the brightness around him
and rained down hail and burning coals.
The Lord thundered from heaven;
the voice of the Most High resounded
amid the hail and burning coals…
He reached down from heaven and rescued me;
he drew me out of deep waters…
He led me to a place of safety;
he rescued me because he delights in me.
Can you see the God of heaven leap to his feet at the sound of your voice crying out in need. Imagine him take flight on the wings of an angel, thundering his approach, reaching down his mighty hand to rescue you! Like a mother stalking across the playground, determined eyes focused, set to rescue her child from the bully, so is our God with his own children. In a purely physical sense we may not see God on the move but we can be sure when we call out in need he hears and acts.
In the midst of messy circumstances God is stretching my heart to trust him. He challenges me to show up daily to sit at his feet to be fed. As I obey, my heart is comforted that God sees me, he rescues me and it’s his delight to do so.
Are you being stretched through difficult circumstances? How has God reminded you of his care?