If any of you know me in person, you know I’ve been playing a lot of softball lately. It seems to be winding down as our co-ed team is in tournament play and Tuesday night my ladies’ team finished the last regular season game.

The game Tuesday? Was frustrating and painful. We played the first place team. Please don’t get me wrong – I wasn’t frustrated with anything anyone else on my team did. I was totally frustrated with me. I hit to the first baseman twice and made it very easy for her to get outs. Then I hit to the pitcher but somehow managed to beat out the throw. I was mad. I was determined to get there. And when I did beat out the throw? Something I never would have been able to do before I started to workout? I was still mad because I hit it back to the pitcher. I couldn’t even give myself credit for running hard.

Wednesday morning came and I was still down. I really tweaked my quad muscle and it hurt to walk. Our co-ed team was supposed to play our next game in the tournament and I didn’t feel like going. Duck’s group (which I run sound for) was supposed to be playing at a church service. He wasn’t going to the game which was disappointing because we were missing a few other players too. We had decided the group could do without me so I could go to the game, but the way I hit Tuesday, I didn’t have any confidence to go play.

Then the wonderful news came. Ball game canceled. I could let my leg rest. Our players would be back for the make-up game Monday. This was great news.

So I got to go to the church service. And. Oh. My. Did God show up and give me a reality check. See, this was no regular church. At least, not like you and I know it. This church is part of an intermediate care facility for the mentally retarded – profound, severe or moderate mental retardation.

Many were escorted in wheelchairs. Many were just escorted. I fought back tears as I realized how amazingly blessed I am to have 2 fully functioning arms and 2 fully functioning legs (even with a pulled muscle!). How blessed I am to be able to hold a bat, grip a ball or run the bases. I realized softball is just a game and it’s supposed to be for fun.

The biggest realization came when Duck’s band played “He’s got the whole world in His hands” — because it was then that I realized how truly mentally handicapped I am. Here were many who were doing the hand motions and singing as best they can — and they were truly worshiping God. They weren’t worried about what anyone else thought. They weren’t worried about what anyone else was doing. They just sang and bounced and had a grand time! I should be like that when I worship God! A child-like faith.

I thank God He had us right where He wanted us to be last night.

Tonight my ladies’ team plays the first place team again as the first round of the tournament starts. My prayer is that I will realize how much I am blessed to even be out there on the field and win or lose, have fun playing the game.

First, thanks everyone so much for the birthday wishes Friday! For my birthday I got to get up super early and go on a school field trip. It wasn’t nearly as bad as I thought it was going to be — though I was still really tired. Top it off with dinner with my parents, sister, great-niece and of course Duck and Doodle and it was a pretty good day.

Thanks to everyone who prayed for me Saturday. The dinner went really well. The band sounded great (of course they have a pretty good sound person ) and I managed to get up there and ramble a lot. I was so nervous — I could hear my voice shaking, but evidently it didn’t sound that bad to everyone else. Or they wouldn’t tell me. Which leads me to the big question I have after the weekend.

If someone is really bad at speaking, would you tell them? Or would you tell them you enjoyed it and they did a good job — just so you wouldn’t hurt their feelings? These are the things that have crossed my mind because I think I’ve felt God leading me to speak — but that scares me to death — and I’m not sure I heard Him right. So, I look for confirmation in other ways, but I also know no one will come up to tell me I suck as a speaker if I do even if I really want that feedback. I’m a mess aren’t I?

Oh, I had flashbacks to when I was about 5 years old. I was in front of the microphone at the church I went to as a child and all I had to do was recite John 3:16 (part of the Christmas play). I froze. I saw my Daddy sitting about half-way back in the church and I just ran and sat in his lap. I was majorly embarrassed because people laughed — Mom said it was because they thought I was cute. Ugh. My buddy behind me said my verse and hers and then I felt a little more stupid. Dad came with Mom and I made him sit up front — the only man sitting with the ladies (thanks to the church men for serving him too!). I couldn’t look at him while I spoke for fear I would just run over and sit in his lap again. Everything’s right in the world when I’m on my Daddy’s lap!

Anyway, I felt really down after I spoke. I didn’t say nearly 1/10th of the things I had planned to say and I’m pretty sure most of it came out in the wrong order. But, I had been praying that whatever comes out would touch at least one person. The pastor came and told me after the dinner that someone spoke to him because of my testimony. He said God had been dealing with that person and my testimony kinda pushed them over the edge. Praise God! He can use a donkey and He can use my ramblings!

I know I can do better at speaking or that I can learn what I need to learn, but I guess I’m not totally convinced this is God’s will for me or just my imagination working overtime. Because I can imagine myself speaking very eloquently and it was nothing like that in real life

Lastly, thanks to everyone who sent Happy Mother’s Day wishes my way. I hope you had a great Mother’s Day as well. I spent mine playing in a couple of softball games. I played some really good ball in at least one of those games

There are so many things to thank God for everyday.

• Thank God for you — for those of you who made a card for Emma and Heather. I found out Friday that they had so many cards they had to ship 3 baskets! They are on there way to Emma and family.
• Thank God for Dayspring and the peeps that work there also. They made these baskets possible and I know they are praying for Emma and family as well.
• Thank God for the wonderful update on Especially Heather’s site. Go check out how Emma’s progressing. It’s a miracle!

We were able to put together 225 cards for Emma. That just amazes me! I pray they bring some peace and comfort to Heather and her family.

Don’t forget to grab a Pray-ers for Emma button!

{think Gomer Pyle when you read the title because that’s how I sound}

I’ve mentioned here before that I am the Techie Girl over at She Seeks (a division of Proverbs 31 Ministries targeting 18-29 year old women). Now, I have to tell you, I love my P31 peeps to death, but really I had no idea why God has me working on a site targeting this age group. I’m so not in that age range any more, and really? I don’t feel like I have anything to offer up but my techie skills.

But last week I sent an email to Lisa W. who is the team leader of She Seeks and we started talking about Valentine’s Day. Yeah, I know it’s over, but I’m still talking about it. I’m talking about it over at She Seeks today.

That makes me nervous and feels really funny. This is the first time I’ve officially written something for someone else that will be somewhere else other than the ramblings of this blog. Years ago when I made the statement on this blog that I am a writer, I don’t think I even dreamed of writing for another site like this.

I remember what it was like when I was in that age group. Even though I’m older, I’m still getting good stuff through the devotions over there and I think you will too.

Go check it out. If it sucks, I give you complete permission to lie to me

PS. Duck so didn’t listen to me. He brought home a dozen red roses for me and a red rose for Doodle. He says he never agreed to the deal I thought he had — I realized I was just talking and he never said one way or another. I love you Duck but you’re hard-headed

Because I am very organized {not} and have shared every thought that flows through my head here {not}, you probably already know about my work over at She Seeks {not}.

At the She Speaks conference last year, I was honored to be asked to work on a new site — a division of Proverbs 31 Ministries called She Seeks. Initially I was only going to setup the website, but have stayed on as their She Seeks Techie. I find that God has a wonderful sense of humor and thinks our plans are funny. See, my plan would be to write/minister to women just like me — 30-something, wives, mothers, bloggers But God’s plan was for me to be involved with a site for 18-29 year olds, singles, new mommies, college kids, etc. What I’ve found is even though the site may target that age group, I have been getting a lot out of the devotions written there and the video logs that have been shared.

This week She Seeks has offered up a challenge to those who may not be able to send money to help those in Haiti. When something that devastating happens, it’s hard to know what one little person can do. So, here’s the challenge — go over to She Seeks, watch the video and share the link to the Compassion site. Leave a comment there (not here – I’m closing comments on this post so you’ll go there!), and for each comment up to 300, $1 will be donated to Compassion’s Haiti fund. You may not be able to give financially, but maybe someone you share the link with can give financially if they only knew about Compassion’s work there.

What are you waiting for? Go, watch, share, comment!