David Welter's Blog, page 16
September 6, 2020
Reflections from the Home Team - September 6, 2020…...
Reflections from the Home Team - September 6, 2020
…Sometimes when our minds are fixed on asking why when facing physical, emotional or spiritual challenges along with the personal toxic thought spirals that can result, we simply can’t see the forest through the trees. An old baseball saying comes to mind for me… “I wondered why the baseball was getting bigger, and then it hit me!” Often, when an obvious solution may be right in front of us, we simply don’t realize it until it literally hits us!
Greetings from Cedar Falls,
As we step into the Labor Day weekend, I find myself thinking back to some of the trials I have experienced along the way on my life’s journey. I often continue to want to ask the question why, which I know is not productive, but at the same time, the thought seems to keep crossing my mind. I’m guessing I may not be the only one experiencing this based on some recent conversations with friends, but it begs the question for me… Why does life keep teaching me lessons I have no desire to learn?
My mind and thoughts have been troubled recently thinking about the tragic loss of life and property given the recent civil unrest throughout the country, the impact Covid 19 has had on all our lives as well as the number of challenges that accompany the cancer journeys that so many of us are experiencing either ourselves or with a friend or loved one. I know that in visiting with others recently who have experienced the impact of these challenges, or for that matter, any of the curveballs that life can throw our way, those thoughts can bring a wave of feeling helpless in trying to know how to deal with them, while also sneaking in the thought of “Why Me?”
I think sometimes we all may feel as though we have no faith in God because we do ask the question why… I know that many times when I have asked myself the question why, in most cases, I hadn’t given the situations confronting me much focused thought until I actually experienced the suffering or challenges they presented. In turn, I had to formulate a response on the fly. Not a good time when our thinking is muddled, and we may be exhausted as well. The point being that we need to think about how we will deal with challenges before those trials come our way.
I often get asked whether I’ve ever had a moment in my life when I had doubts or questions… Of course, I have. I don’t know whether I’d qualify them as doubts, but they certainly have qualified as very hard times. One of those times, of course, was when I was diagnosed with cancer and went through the difficult treatment process. I asked why… why me? The question wasn’t so much why it happened to me, although I have to admit that I asked that. It was more why now, what have I done to merit being diagnosed with cancer at this time in my life?
I’ve come to the conclusion there’s nothing wrong with asking God why. It’s okay, just don’t expect an immediate answer, but it’s OK to ask away. If God were to actually answer and say, “Okay, now I’m going to tell you why… Are you ready for it? Write it down,” we probably wouldn’t like the answer anyway!
Sometimes when our minds are fixed on asking why when facing physical, emotional or spiritual challenges along with the personal toxic thought spirals that can result, we simply can’t see the forest through the trees. An old baseball saying comes to mind for me… “I wondered why the baseball was getting bigger, and then it hit me!” Often, when an obvious solution may be right in front of us, we simply don’t realize it until it literally hits us!
Most all of us have had situations in our life where it’s so tempting to wallow in the “why?” I guess asking why is normal, but I’ve found that if asking this question pushes me further from God rather than drawing me closer to Him, it is the wrong question. If asking the why question doesn’t offer hope, then what will? The what question seems to help me with that. In other words, “Now that this is my reality, WHAT am I supposed to do with it?”
Instead of wallowing in why this happened. I’ve had to do some self-talk by acknowledging this is my reality.
Now what am I going to do with it?
What can I learn from this?
What part of this is for my protection?
What other opportunities could God be providing? What maturity could God be building into me?
Switching from the “why” to the “what” questions paves the road to parking my mind in a much better place...
Is it always easy? No. But is it a way to find a perspective beyond situations where we feel God has allowed something in our lives we don’t understand, and we absolutely don’t like? Yes, it is, and I pray this process helps because even if my circumstances aren’t good, I can trust God’s purpose always is.
I want to process everything I face in life through the filter of His love. I know He loves me, but sometimes it’s just hard to understand the circumstances that come my way. I find myself consumed with trying to figure things out rather than looking for His perspective and trusting Him.
I continue to ask why but have yet to find a satisfactory answer. So, I’ll go back to whom, as into whom do I turn? The answer, of course, is Jesus Christ, because He’s the one who sustains me.
A verse from 2 Corinthians 1:8-9 provides me some comfort when I get stuck in asking the question why…
“We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired of life itself. As it turned out, it was the best thing that could have happened. Instead of trusting in our own strength or wits to get out of it, we were forced to trust God totally — not a bad idea since he’s the God who raises the dead!”
This is some sound advice as we enter this Labor Day weekend, a Holiday designed to “throw down our tools” whatever they may be, back off a little bit, relax and chill out. It’s also a great time to trust God and watch what He can do. He can do it a whole lot faster and a whole lot better than we can do it. God can do what we can’t do. Jesus did not say, “If you’re busy, you can move mountains.” He didn’t say, “If you work really hard and get really stressed out, you can move a mountain.” He said that if you have faith, you can move mountains.” Matthew 17:20. Faith, not busyness, is what gets the job done. As that “curveball”, whatever it may be for you gets closer, let those words “hit” you.
So… when I get on that “hamster wheel” full of anxious thoughts and man-made solutions and the rug literally gets yanked out from underneath my feet, I need to continually remind myself that God my Father is fully capable and more than willing to hold and comfort me in His loving arms. I know that everything God does is done in order to draw me closer to Him.
I’ll close today with a quote taken from James Bryan Smith’s book titled The Good and Beautiful Life. Let these words ring in your ears as we tackle the ongoing challenges facing all of us each and every day.
“Each day, Jesus says to each of us, “Come follow me”. If we say yes, we can be sure that a good and beautiful day awaits us. And when we string those days together into months, years and decades, we will have lived a good and beautiful life. And that life is destined to echo a benediction of love for all of eternity to hear”
James Bryan Smith
Enjoy your weekend by putting down those tools and chilling!
Dave
Release Date Set for October 15, 2020
My website is currently “under construction” as I wait for the release of my new book Reflections from the Home Team… STAYING POSITIVE When Life Throws You a Curve! The book will be released on October 15, 2020. My Publisher has shared that they are experiencing printing delays due to the pandemic.
I thought you might enjoy an overview of the book which I have shared below prior to its release. Thanks to each of you for your support as part of my “HOME TEAM” over the years. Your love, support and encouragement have helped carry me through many of the challenges on my life’s journey❣️
Book Overview
Reflections from the Home Team... STAYING POSITIVE When Life Throws You a Curve! is intended to be a resource you can turn to each day for hope and encouragement as you take on the daily challenges that life may “pitch” your way. The book is a go-to resource for injecting a healthy dose of positivity into your daily life. Positivity has been proven to make a difference in overcoming negativity and adversity, and each reflection in the book examines positive perspectives and approaches to dealing with those life challenges.
Since writing Reflections from the Home Team… Go the Distance, and surviving cancer, the author has continued to share encouragement and inspiration for others who may be facing not only serious health issues such as cancer, but other life challenges as well. By processing his cancer journey through writing reflections based on his experiences and the experiences of those he has come into contact with, David Welter has provided hope and comfort for others who may be experiencing similar challenges in their life’s journey.
As this book is released, our world has been hit with the “curve ball” of the COVID-19 pandemic that has infected millions, cost hundreds of thousands of lives, ground travel to a standstill, and threatened the global economy unlike anything experienced in generations. It is a liminal moment where the world teeters on the threshold of hope or despair, winning or losing, great pain or great gain. Remember, life is like a baseball game; when you think a fastball is coming, you have to be ready to hit the curve!
Each reflection includes an encouraging attitude, a spiritual insight and a step to consider which are frequently blended with baseball analogies and metaphors. Life’s challenges are not easy, just as baseball isn’t always easy. The game provides many lessons about success and failure, and those lessons can often be applied in our life journeys. As life’s curveballs and challenges come our way, the author encourages reaching out to our “Home Teams” (both human and divine) for the strength, love, support and comfort needed to meet them.
Pastor Brian King writes:
“Dave is a teacher and coach at heart who knows the power of a well-spoken and well-timed word. A voracious reader and lifelong learner, his insights and musings are frequently spiced with the wisdom of theologians like Richard Rohr, pastors like Max Lucado, best-selling authors like Jon Gordon and, of course, baseball greats like Mariano Rivera. Dave is someone wired by God to look for the teachable moment in every situation, the winning approach to every challenge, and the deeper meaning in every experience. People are looking for good coaching, sound advice, faithful counsel, and time-tested insights as they approach challenges they’ve never encountered before. For this reason, I am thankful that my friend, Dave Welter, has been given “the tongue of a teacher”. Even in this changing, turning, and challenging world, Dave has a word to sustain the weary; a message for “STAYING POSITIVE when life throws you a curve!”
August 21, 2020
Reflections from the Home Team - August 21, 2020“Wh...
Reflections from the Home Team - August 21, 2020
“What kids naturally embrace is being in the moment and not having another care in the world when they are engaged. We as adults on the other hand, have a difficult time focusing on the present. If we, as adults, can incorporate this child-like behavior into our daily lives, we can surely learn to live more from the heart… especially during challenging times. When the heart softens, we can then truly feel, connect and smile, something that is not always easy during times of challenge and adversity…”
Greetings from Cedar Falls,
Have you ever noticed that at a certain age we stop playing and become more attuned to responsibilities and to things that need to get done? I’ve certainly been there! If you have the chance to watch or be with a child, you will notice the authenticity, vulnerability, laughter, tears and pure joy that they indulge in. Being in the presence of a child you have the ability to be more present; watching their moves, conversations, questions, humor and most of all play. That really struck home with me recently as my wife Tricia and my granddaughter Lucy were spending some quality time together on the farm. Trish commented it looks like we will be getting some rain soon, and Lucy asked the question “How do you know?” `Tricia shared that the weatherman (meteorologist) says there is some rain in the forecast… Lucy of course asked the next logical question; “How does he know? Do you think God sends him a note?” Trish said, I know a meteorologist, I’ll check with him. She checked in with a good friend who actually is a meteorologist and he replied… “Well, I haven’t received any notes from God recently about the weather, but He has provided me with some clues that help me with my forecasts. But we always have to be ready for surprises!” Now that’s a true weatherman’s answer!
I couldn’t have described my time at Mayo Clinic this past week any better… My team of doctors spent some quality time with me examining the “clues” as to the source of my ongoing concerns, and I don’t think God had sent them any notes prior to their “forecast”, but they have come up with some answers and a plan to help me “manage” the concerns. They also noted that “we always have to be ready for any surprises that may pop up along the way!” What a caring, knowledgeable and compassionate group of folks I was blessed to work with at Mayo Clinic in Rochester.
I tie these thoughts together because as I’ve so often done when experiencing challenges, I become more analytical and often stop feeling, while at times starting to feel a bit disconnected. Being in an analytical mindset (one of the “side effects” of being a principal) can often suppress emotional feelings. Those emotional feelings, sharing laughter and tears gives us a sense of heart to heart connection that are so very important in any recovery process.
What kids naturally embrace is being in the moment and not having another care in the world when they are engaged. We as adults on the other hand, often have a difficult time focusing on the present. If we, as adults, can incorporate this child-like behavior into our daily lives: we can surely learn to live more from the heart… especially during challenging times. When the heart softens, we can then truly feel, connect and smile, something that is not always easy during times of challenge and adversity…
That brings me to this reflection. As my team of doctors at Mayo shared, before anything can be managed, it must first be recognized for what it is. This is especially important for complicated medical situations. I recall my last visit to the Mayo Clinic after being hit in the head with a baseball back in the early 90’s. It was then that I became familiar with the Serenity Prayer by Reinhold Niebuhr. It reads, “God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; the courage to change the things I can; and the wisdom to know the difference.” After this week’s visit, I may modify that prayer to read “God grant me the serenity to accept the things that cannot be solved, but rather that can be managed; and the courage to manage the things that cannot be solved along with the wisdom to know the difference.”
Manage, not solve are difficult words to accept when in an analytical mindset. It can also be an unsettling strategy to use as it implies that you may have to rely on your in-the-moment thinking which can lead to uncertainty and in turn, stress and anxiety. The Mayo team discussed that true answers to complicated medical issues often require extra planning in order to help understand as many of the possible outcomes as possible. It brings to mind a quote I recall from General Dwight Eisenhower in WWII. General Eisenhower said; “When preparing for battle, plans are useless, but planning is indispensable!” In my ongoing battle with cancer and its treatment side effects, the planning helps give me peace of mind as I contemplate how things might unfold but cannot always anticipate exactly how things will unfold.
Something else that gives me peace of mind, which is much needed during times of challenge and adversity is enjoying time with my grandkids and remembering what it’s like to be a child. It’s fascinating to watch, but you don’t just have to be a spectator. Viewing the world through a child’s eyes and participating with them on their journeys can help us through times of stress and anxiety in so many ways.
Children are fascinated because everything is new to them and full of possibilities. Instead of dreading whatever challenges we may face each day, we need to clear our minds and “pretend” we don’t know what to expect. By doing that we can make each day feel like a clean slate in which anything can happen. Make everything a learning experience!
Something I definitely need to be better at is just letting go, and not being busy. When’s the last time you sat outside in the sun and just let your mind wander? Or played on a swing set, or went down a slide? You don’t have to play to let things go, but too often as adults think we always need to be doing something. If we are not at work, we need to be reading or taking care of the house or some other mundane thing. It’s great to make good use of your time, but we don’t always have to be doing something. Why not take time out to enjoy the sunshine, the breeze, sitting outside with friends or family? Our tasks will still be there when we’re ready to get to them, I know mine always are. I’m planning to make this a definitive part of my management plan!
Let’s be honest –one of the best parts of being a kid is you don’t care what other people may think. I watch my grandkids dress themselves in a polka dot shirt and striped pants with different colored socks because that’s what they want to wear, and then strutting their stuff in public, just proud that they dressed themselves. Asking questions because they want to know the answer, not vowing to look it up later because they don’t want someone to laugh at them… Imagine how free we would feel if we didn’t care what people thought about us? Not to the extent you totally let yourself go, or become the office clown, but just enough so that you do things you want to do without worrying what others will think – because, honestly, you never know what other people are thinking. Maybe everyone would love your stripes, polka dots and mismatched socks!
In the Bible, God tells us that children are a blessing and a gift! Their spirits are filled with innocence, joy, and laughter. Jesus actually tells us to be like children and to come to Him full of faith and trust. The popular children's song "Jesus Loves the Little Children" reminds me that "all are precious in His sight" and no matter your race, gender or nationality, God wants to see all children come to Him. Jesus died on the cross for all people!
In Matthew, Jesus called a little child to Him and placed the child among those he was speaking to and said: “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me.” Matthew 18:2-5
Let’s become more like children as we take on the daily challenges in our lives, learning to live more from the heart so we can then truly feel, connect and smile, something that is not always easy during times of challenge and adversity. I like to think that life is a blessing not given to us by choice, but rather by grace. As a good friend recently shared… “It is a wonder-filled life if we just have the eyes to behold it.” Let’s be sure to have the eyes to behold it!
Wishing many of life's blessings your way!
Dave
– Soon to be Released –
My website is currently “under construction” as I wait for the release of my new book Reflections from the Home Team… STAYING POSITIVE When Life Throws You a Curve! I thought you might enjoy an overview of the book which I have shared below prior to its release. I will let you know once it is released and when I have completed work on the book’s website. Thanks to each of you for your support as part of my “HOME TEAM” over the years. Your love, support and encouragement have helped carry me through many of the challenges on my life’s journey❣️
Book Overview
Reflections from the Home Team... STAYING POSITIVE When Life Throws You a Curve! is intended to be a resource you can turn to each day for hope and encouragement as you take on the daily challenges that life may “pitch” your way. The book is a go-to resource for injecting a healthy dose of positivity into your daily life. Positivity has been proven to make a difference in overcoming negativity and adversity, and each reflection in the book examines positive perspectives and approaches to dealing with those life challenges.
Since writing Reflections from the Home Team… Go the Distance, and surviving cancer, the author has continued to share encouragement and inspiration for others who may be facing not only serious health issues such as cancer, but other life challenges as well. By processing his cancer journey through writing reflections based on his experiences and the experiences of those he has come into contact with, David Welter has provided hope and comfort for others who may be experiencing similar challenges in their life’s journey.
As this book is released, our world has been hit with the “curve ball” of the COVID-19 pandemic that has infected millions, cost hundreds of thousands of lives, ground travel to a standstill, and threatened the global economy unlike anything experienced in generations. It is a liminal moment where the world teeters on the threshold of hope or despair, winning or losing, great pain or great gain. Remember, life is like a baseball game; when you think a fastball is coming, you have to be ready to hit the curve!
Each reflection includes an encouraging attitude, a spiritual insight and a step to consider which are frequently blended with baseball analogies and metaphors. Life’s challenges are not easy, just as baseball isn’t always easy. The game provides many lessons about success and failure, and those lessons can often be applied in our life journeys. As life’s curveballs and challenges come our way, the author encourages reaching out to our “Home Teams” (both human and divine) for the strength, love, support and comfort needed to meet them.
Pastor Brian King writes:
“Dave is a teacher and coach at heart who knows the power of a well-spoken and well-timed word. A voracious reader and lifelong learner, his insights and musings are frequently spiced with the wisdom of theologians like Richard Rohr, pastors like Max Lucado, best-selling authors like Jon Gordon and, of course, baseball greats like Mariano Rivera. Dave is someone wired by God to look for the teachable moment in every situation, the winning approach to every challenge, and the deeper meaning in every experience. People are looking for good coaching, sound advice, faithful counsel, and time-tested insights as they approach challenges they’ve never encountered before. For this reason, I am thankful that my friend, Dave Welter, has been given “the tongue of a teacher”. Even in this changing, turning, and challenging world, Dave has a word to sustain the weary; a message for “STAYING POSITIVE when life throws you a curve!”
August 8, 2020
Reflections from the Home Team - August 8, 2020“One...
Reflections from the Home Team - August 8, 2020
“One thing that has remained a constant for me throughout is that our human fragility always has a powerful effect upon our relationships. When we lose people who we love and care about, or when we lose certain physical traits due to illness of injury, we learn to value and cherish those people and traits we are blessed to retain. Human fragility reminds me that our time in communion with others is precious, and that our relationships with others are treasures to be cherished!”
Greetings from Cedar Falls!
Lots of thoughts rolling around I my mind this past week and I always enjoy taking a break from “thinking” by watching baseball. This past week, my Atlanta Braves suffered a huge blow when their young pitching ace, Mike Soroka was lost for the season after tearing his right Achilles tendon while pitching against the Mets. Mike was injured in the third inning after delivering a pitch when the Met’s J.D. Davis grounded a ball toward first baseman Freddie Freeman. Soroka broke toward first base to cover the bag only to go down on his first step off the mound. He let out a scream, knowing it was a serious injury that fully ensures he won’t be back on the mound until 2021.
Well, so much for taking a break from “thinking” by watching baseball… This devastating injury to Mike got me thinking of many things as I await my appointment at Mayo next week.
Atlanta is now faced with the daunting task of replacing one of baseball's brightest young stars, a pitcher who turns just 23 this week but already displayed enormous poise and command of his pitches during his first full season in the big leagues last season. What stood out to me was the compassion by Braves manager Brian Snitker as he helped Mike off the field and in his post-game comments following the incident. Brian has spent many years in the Braves organization managing at a variety of levels gaining wisdom and experience while waiting his turn to get that opportunity at the Big-League level. Most importantly, Brian has always treated his players at all levels with dignity, respect and a caring approach while also holding them accountable for their actions, a combination not often found in today’s professional sports.
In my work with high school, college and professional athletes over the years, I have so often run across a sense of “invincibility” when dealing with them. Might this be a standard attitude that prevails among strong, young athletes who are at the top of their game? Perhaps, but in reality, frailty is a condition of our existence; our beliefs about our toughness tend to draw on myth more than objective truth. Full disclosure, I have fit into that category throughout most of my life. My cancer journey and most recently the pandemic we are all struggling with have led me to a different thought process regarding my “invincibility”.
One thing that has remained a constant for me throughout is that our human fragility always has a powerful effect upon our relationships. When we lose people who we love and care about, or when we lose certain physical traits due to illness of injury, we learn to value and cherish those people and traits we are blessed to retain. Human fragility reminds me that our time in communion with others is precious, and that our relationships with others are treasures to be cherished!
This thought brings to mind a poem I was blessed to have shared with me during treatments by one of my favorite nurses in Iowa City. It’s titled “The Guest House” by Jellaludin Rumi. It reads:
The Guest House
This being human is a guest house.
Every morning a new arrival.
A joy, a depression, a meanness,
some momentary awareness comes
as an unexpected visitor.
Welcome and entertain them all!
Even if they are a crowd of sorrows,
who violently sweep your house
empty of its furniture,
still, treat each guest honorably.
He may be clearing you out
for some new delight.
The dark thought, the shame, the malice.
meet them at the door laughing and invite them in.
Be grateful for whatever comes.
because each has been sent
as a guide from beyond.
— Jellaludin Rumi
The first time I read “The Guest House,” I felt certain that it had been written just for me, as if Rumi had been reading my thoughts. I’ve not only been visited by the feelings he names — “a depression, a meanness,” “the dark thought, the shame, the malice” — I’ve said and done things that brought those feelings my way.
Rumi tells us to open the door to these “unexpected visitors.” In my experience, that’s not necessary. If the door’s not open, they’ll blow it off its hinges, or break in through the windows. Once they’re in, I don’t want to “welcome and entertain them all” as Rumi advises. Instead, I want to give them the boot like I might tell any annoying guest, “You must come again when you have less time❣️”
Honestly, we should not only welcome these troublesome guests but rather be grateful for whoever comes. For a long time, I thought Rumi meant, “These hard feelings will pass, and happier ones will take their place.” Then it dawned on me that even when the visiting vandals are trashing my guest house, their very presence is a sign that I’m human. That’s a fact that unites me with everyone who acknowledges and accepts their human condition. For me, the true delight is in knowing that we have company on this endless and sometimes perilous journey toward becoming more fully human.
Another thought that came to mind was a comment made by my oncologist, Dr. Claman, a wise and skillful doctor while sitting in his office in Iowa City. Halfway through treatments, when the pain and suffering was nearing its peak, he told me when dealing with cancer, you just have to have faith...
I sat there and thought about how the burden of healing sickness is never really on the patient, how it is never really even on a doctor, but how it is always, always, on God.
A verse from Jeremiah recently comforted me at a time when I had doubts about some of those “Guest House” visitors who had taken up some rental space in my mind.
“Heal me, LORD, and I will be healed; save me and I will be saved, for you are the one I praise.“ – Jeremiah 17:14
The burden of healing truly rests on the shoulders of my big, gracious God!
The burden of healing falls on my God who knows the plans he has for me even when my own hopes may at times collapse around me. The burden of healing doesn’t lie in saying just the right words or praying something that sounds beautiful. And I don’t know about you, but that frees me up to pray a little more boldly for God to heal the trials I am experiencing now.
But no matter what I might be facing or feeling, when I’m willing to stand dependent on God for the Spirit’s fresh filling of power and love, all other things tend to lose their hold on me. God’s love truly encompasses all. It reaches to every dark crevice and fills every need or longing that I feel. It gives me the power to let go of the pains and sufferings of the past. It gives peace to the hurt that I may be experiencing. It is powerful and surely surpasses my own knowledge and understanding, because His love never fails... I can come to my heavenly Father and ask him to heal me because He wants me to be whole. He wants me to be whole, not just in my spirit and soul, but also in my body.
I don't always know what the Lord’s will for me is... especially in times like now, when I seek His help in healing me. I certainly offer Him no promises, no bargains, no deals to exchange for my health. I simply bow my heart before Him to tell Him the desire of my heart... that I want to spend as many years as I can loving Him here, loving others, and wanting to become more like Him.
However He chooses to accomplish that is up to Him—and that’s okay with me. If He uses doctors to provide healing for me, I pray He gives them wisdom to know what to do. Regardless of how He may choose to accomplish it, the healing He gives is always miraculous. And He deserves all the praise!
Thanks to all of you who are part of my Home Team for listening to my ramblings... It helps me to process the thoughts rolling around in my head, which are spoken from my heart as I tackle the challenges and surprises each day brings. As one of my favorite authors shares:
“You'll get through this. It won't be painless. It won't be quick. But God will use this mess for good. Don't be foolish or naïve. But don't despair either. With God’s help, you will get through this."
Max Lucado
Whatever each of us may be dealing with on our daily journeys, be it loss, illness or injury, take a deep breath and then… remember nothing is too great, too terrible, too large, or too heavy for Him. Embrace that truth as Satan weaves and God reweaves.
God’s richest blessings your way!
Dave
– Soon to be Released –
My website is currently “under construction” as I wait for the release of my new book Reflections from the Home Team… STAYING POSITIVE When Life Throws You a Curve! I thought you might enjoy an overview of the book which I have shared below prior to its release. I will let you know once it is released and when I have completed work on the book’s website. Thanks to each of you for your support as part of my “HOME TEAM” over the years. Your love, support and encouragement have helped carry me through many of the challenges on my life’s journey❣️
Book Overview
Reflections from the Home Team... STAYING POSITIVE When Life Throws You a Curve! is intended to be a resource you can turn to each day for hope and encouragement as you take on the daily challenges that life may “pitch” your way. The book is a go-to resource for injecting a healthy dose of positivity into your daily life. Positivity has been proven to make a difference in overcoming negativity and adversity, and each reflection in the book examines positive perspectives and approaches to dealing with those life challenges.
Since writing Reflections from the Home Team… Go the Distance, and surviving cancer, the author has continued to share encouragement and inspiration for others who may be facing not only serious health issues such as cancer, but other life challenges as well. By processing his cancer journey through writing reflections based on his experiences and the experiences of those he has come into contact with, David Welter has provided hope and comfort for others who may be experiencing similar challenges in their life’s journey.
As this book is released, our world has been hit with the “curve ball” of the COVID-19 pandemic that has infected millions, cost hundreds of thousands of lives, ground travel to a standstill, and threatened the global economy unlike anything experienced in generations. It is a liminal moment where the world teeters on the threshold of hope or despair, winning or losing, great pain or great gain. Remember, life is like a baseball game; when you think a fastball is coming, you have to be ready to hit the curve!
Each reflection includes an encouraging attitude, a spiritual insight and a step to consider which are frequently blended with baseball analogies and metaphors. Life’s challenges are not easy, just as baseball isn’t always easy. The game provides many lessons about success and failure, and those lessons can often be applied in our life journeys. As life’s curveballs and challenges come our way, the author encourages reaching out to our “Home Teams” (both human and divine) for the strength, love, support and comfort needed to meet them.
Pastor Brian King writes:
“Dave is a teacher and coach at heart who knows the power of a well-spoken and well-timed word. A voracious reader and lifelong learner, his insights and musings are frequently spiced with the wisdom of theologians like Richard Rohr, pastors like Max Lucado, best-selling authors like Jon Gordon and, of course, baseball greats like Mariano Rivera. Dave is someone wired by God to look for the teachable moment in every situation, the winning approach to every challenge, and the deeper meaning in every experience. People are looking for good coaching, sound advice, faithful counsel, and time-tested insights as they approach challenges they’ve never encountered before. For this reason, I am thankful that my friend, Dave Welter, has been given “the tongue of a teacher”. Even in this changing, turning, and challenging world, Dave has a word to sustain the weary; a message for “STAYING POSITIVE when life throws you a curve!”
August 1, 2020
Reflections from the Home Team - August 1, 2020 Chal...
Challenges are what make life interesting…and overcoming them is what makes them meaningful. Challenges are also made to make us stronger, and I’ve learned not to run away from them, but rather to run over them!
Greetings from Cedar Falls,
The past six months have been difficult for all of us…whether challenged with Covid 19, other serious health issues, job security, family issues or countless other challenges, you probably would agree that even the most enthusiastic person you know needs some encouragement from time to time. Perhaps that person is you! I know it definitely includes me!! Even with a sound plan and promising outlook, sometimes, life has a way of throwing us curveballs that seem to knock us off balance. Given that, we should all take comfort in something author Jon Gordon recently shared. “So, if you aren’t okay, it’s okay. It’s okay to be scared, frustrated and feel down. You just don’t want to stay there too long and allow these feelings to take you down a spiral staircase of depression and despair. The key is to find the optimism, hope and faith to keep going and create a better future.”
Life certainly has its ups and downs. I think challenges are bred so that you will appreciate the outcome even more. Challenges are what make life interesting…and overcoming them is what makes them meaningful. Challenges are also made to make us stronger, and I’ve learned not to run away from them, but rather to run over them! As a farm guy, I know the harvest is always 100 times more than the seed sown, so I’ve learned to get excited and take action when the “seeds” of life’s challenges come my way.
That brings me to this reflection. Those of you who have followed me know that I have been dealing with some ongoing side effect issues since my radiation and chemo treatments for cancer back in 2009. Those issues continue and have escalated in recent months. I will be traveling to Mayo Clinic to attempt to get some resolution to these ongoing issues. This will become my new challenge, and I look forward to overcoming it with the help of my medical team. As always, when my mind kicks into action during these times I turn to reading and came across a verse in Romans 8:28.
“And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.”
That Scripture verse brought me some comfort and hope. It says to me that those who love God and are doing their best to obey his commands, even though bad/sad/evil/wicked things will touch our lives, God will use them to ultimately bring about good, both in our life and in the world.
I recently read a story about Joni Eareckson Tada, an inspirational speaker, author, and singer, who is a quadriplegic who has been confined to a wheelchair for more than 40 years. (kind of puts my struggles into perspective...) When people ask her why God allows suffering, she often says, “God allows what he hates to accomplish what he loves.” I love this❣️And what does God love? For people to enter into a relationship with himself and become more like Him!
Romans 8:28 certainly doesn't mean all things will be good... No matter how rose-colored our glasses are, there’s nothing good about cancer, pandemics, suffering or death. Until Jesus returns and conquers Satan once and for all, sin will continue to drag its poisonous tentacles across our world, damaging and destroying everything in its wake.
I recall a discussion I had during treatments at Hope Lodge in Iowa City with a group of fellow cancer patients. One of them told me, “God allows everything into our lives for one of two purposes—either to bring us into a relationship with himself or, if we already know him, to make us more like His Son.” He was diagnosed with a brain tumor at age 35 and he had played college baseball, married his high school sweetheart, and fathered two handsome sons. I really related to him.
Convinced of the truth of Romans 8:28, he chose to believe God had a good plan for his bad cancer. Because he believed God could use even something as destructive as a brain tumor, he responded in faith and trust. “Even though this is not what I planned for my life,” he told us, “I trust God to use it for good.”
Unfortunately, he didn’t survive his battle with cancer, but because he chose to respond in faith and trust, many people, including his younger brother, came to know Jesus Christ as their Savior. His cancer wasn’t good, but God used it for good to make him more like Christ and to draw others into a faith relationship with himself.
Sometimes, I find it difficult to understand how God can bring beauty from the trials of my life. At times I struggle to trust Him with the broken pieces. I know that without faith it is impossible to please Him, and I want to please Him. I want to trust Him. I want Him to make me more like His Son and to use my trials for not only my good, but for His glory. May “God allow what he hates to accomplish what he loves” as I continue my journey.
Wishing you each a joy filled day believing in the promise of Romans: 8:28!
Dave
– Soon to be Released –
My website is currently “under construction” as I wait for the release of my new book Reflections from the Home Team… STAYING POSITIVE When Life Throws You a Curve! I thought you might enjoy an overview of the book which I have shared below prior to it’s release. I will let you know once it is released and when I have completed work on the book’s website. Thanks to each of you for your support as part of my “HOME TEAM” over the years. Your love, support and encouragement have helped carry me through many of the challenges on my life’s journey❣️
Book Overview
Reflections from the Home Team... STAYING POSITIVE When Life Throws You a Curve! is intended to be a resource you can turn to each day for hope and encouragement as you take on the daily challenges that life may “pitch” your way. The book is a go-to resource for injecting a healthy dose of positivity into your daily life. Positivity has been proven to make a difference in overcoming negativity and adversity, and each reflection in the book examines positive perspectives and approaches to dealing with those life challenges.
Since writing Reflections from the Home Team… Go the Distance, and surviving cancer, the author has continued to share encouragement and inspiration for others who may be facing not only serious health issues such as cancer, but other life challenges as well. By processing his cancer journey through writing reflections based on his experiences and the experiences of those he has come into contact with, David Welter has provided hope and comfort for others who may be experiencing similar challenges in their life’s journey.
As this book is released, our world has been hit with the “curve ball” of the COVID-19 pandemic that has infected millions, cost hundreds of thousands of lives, ground travel to a standstill, and threatened the global economy unlike anything experienced in generations. It is a liminal moment where the world teeters on the threshold of hope or despair, winning or losing, great pain or great gain. Remember, life is like a baseball game; when you think a fastball is coming, you have to be ready to hit the curve!
Each reflection includes an encouraging attitude, a spiritual insight and a step to consider which are frequently blended with baseball analogies and metaphors. Life’s challenges are not easy, just as baseball isn’t always easy. The game provides many lessons about success and failure, and those lessons can often be applied in our life journeys. As life’s curveballs and challenges come our way, the author encourages reaching out to our “Home Teams” (both human and divine) for the strength, love, support and comfort needed to meet them.
Pastor Brian King writes:
“Dave is a teacher and coach at heart who knows the power of a well-spoken and well-timed word. A voracious reader and lifelong learner, his insights and musings are frequently spiced with the wisdom of theologians like Richard Rohr, pastors like Max Lucado, best-selling authors like Jon Gordon and, of course, baseball greats like Mariano Rivera. Dave is someone wired by God to look for the teachable moment in every situation, the winning approach to every challenge, and the deeper meaning in every experience. People are looking for good coaching, sound advice, faithful counsel, and time-tested insights as they approach challenges they’ve never encountered before. For this reason, I am thankful that my friend, Dave Welter, has been given “the tongue of a teacher”. Even in this changing, turning, and challenging world, Dave has a word to sustain the weary; a message for “STAYING POSITIVE when life throws you a curve!”
July 19, 2020
Reflections from the Home Team - July 19, 2020“Just as ma...
“Just as many of us have been waiting patiently for the baseball season to start, we can take hope in the fact that we have “been there” before… As we continue to struggle with the COVID-19 epidemic and the impact it has had on our daily lives, we need to employ both patience and faith which will allow us to be strengthened and to endure. Simply put, patience and faith can be our hope in these challenging times.” Greetings from Cedar Falls!
A good friend who also scouts baseball recently sent me an email with the above photo attached to remind me “we have been there before” as we finally get ready to open the 2020 baseball season this coming Thursday. Gleaned from the archives of the National Baseball Hall of Fame, the image showed an exhibition game played in Pasadena, California, in January 1919. The scene shows the batter, catcher and umpire all wearing surgical masks, as are those watching from the grandstand. The image was captured just a few months before the third and final wave of the devastating influenza pandemic that emerged in 1918. One hundred years later, we are all wearing masks again as we prepare to finally open the Major League baseball season this week.
When Major League Baseball begins its 2020 season Thursday in Washington D.C., players will not need wool hats and coats in the dugout. It should be about 80 degrees. A season opener on July 23 will certainly be unusual. In early April, the Nationals would have seen the thermometer dip into the 40s. This year, fans won’t have to be worried about the weather … they won’t be there. And, no matter the outcome, the losing team can’t just shrug it off as one loss in 162 games. The 2020 schedule is a 60-game sprint.
It is a cruel twist of biology that the social distancing required in response to the COVID-19 epidemic has robbed us of baseball’s normal spring start, something that might help to heal our souls. But wait we must — for a sport that has previously proved nearly impervious to both war and pestilence.
I remember as a kid imitating my favorite players batting stance, (which changed often depending on how well I was hitting) somehow believing this would miraculously transfer my heroes’ skill into my performance. That is the special relationship we have with baseball and indeed all sports. As the world now takes on the challenge of COVID-19, those on the medical front lines too have to be hailed as heroes. Baseball may be considered by many as a medicine for the masses, but for each individual fan, it can also provide a personal prescription that may be “used as needed.” The topic of baseball is nearly always welcome, especially in the most difficult moments.
If you’re like me, your life has been most likely been turned upside down by the Covid 19 outbreak. Work is different. Any social life has ground to a halt. “Social Distancing” is suddenly a word that we know and hear daily. Fear and uncertainty are rampant. Anxiety thrives on the unknown. By and large, despite all the ups and downs, we’ve all become accustomed to relative stability and predictability. Now, however, our changing world all but ensures waking up to a new set of rules, limitations, and changes. Despite our anxious brain’s effort to often highlight the terrible, and despite what we often hear being reported around us sucking any sense of optimism from the day, there is HOPE!A couple of things come to mind as I try my best to frame what is going on around me into a positive mindset, which brings me to this reflection, setting the table for some hope and optimism in these challenging times.For those of you who know me, you know that I have been a longtime advocate for Afterschool programming for kids. I recall hearing a story at a conference I was presenting at in Dallas back in 2016 about a program called Hope Center located in the Houston area. Hope Center was simply a trailer in the middle of a trailer park started as a non-profit by its founder, Ray Hughes. Ray and several members of his church asked themselves how they could make a difference in their neighborhood and help the children who lived there. They determined that an Afterschool program for the neighborhood kids was the answer, so they bought a trailer, built the Hope Center and now the neighborhood kids go there to learn, play and engage in healthy activities after school. The kid’s grades have improved dramatically all because a few of the locals asked what their community needed and then proceeded to “build” the answer together.Interestingly, there is another church about 100 feet from this neighborhood, basically right next door, with a big iron fence around it to keep the kids in the neighborhood out. Yet, the founders of Hope Center chose to move into the neighborhood and welcome the children with an open heart. The kids are thriving because someone gave them HOPE and took action to show them what it looks like.
I believe this is symbolic of the choices we all now have in this time of challenge. We can choose hope and faith or imprison ourselves with fear. We can choose to give hope to others or build an iron fence around our lives and heart. When we live with hope and take action to give hope to others, we become all we are meant to be. Even though we might not have to buy a trailer and build a Hope Center, we can each turn our life, our work and our homes into a center of HOPE!
Another thought that popped into my mind about positivity and hope came as a result of dealing with an infestation of ants out here on the farm. Can you believe that?? I’m sure many of you can, because many of you have shared with me you have had a similar problem this year. How does that tie into positivity and hope you may ask? Well, let me share an article I ran across back in 2016 by Dr. Daniel Amen titled “The Number One Habit to Develop in Order to Become More Positive.” Given all the negativity going on around us in today’s world, it provided me some practical mental exercises I could use to fend off that negativity. It reads:
Would you like to reverse depression, anxiety, or negativity in your life? Would you like to experience peace of mind and joy? Then you need to become an expert about “ANTs.”
Dr. Daniel Amen coined this term in the early 1990’s after a hard day at the office, during which he had several very difficult sessions with suicidal patients, teenagers in turmoil, and a married couple who hated each other.
When he got home that evening, he found thousands of ants in his kitchen. As he started to clean them up, an acronym developed in his mind. He thought of his patients from that day – just like the infested kitchen, his patients’ brains were also infested by Automatic Negative Thoughts (ANTs) that were robbing them of their joy and stealing their happiness.
He started teaching patients how to eliminate all of the ANTs because they are what drive depression, what stoke anxiety, and what fuel negativity. Every single time you have a thought, your brain releases chemicals.
Every time you have a sad, hopeless, mad, cranky, unkind, judgmental, or helpless thought, your brain immediately releases chemicals that make your body feel awful. Your hands get cold and wet, your muscles get tense, your heart beats faster, and your breathing becomes shallower. Additionally, the activity in your frontal and temporal lobes decreases which negatively affects your judgment, learning, memory.
The opposite is also true – whenever you have a happy, hopeful, loving, kind or positive thought, your brain releases a completely different set of chemicals. Your hands get warmer and dryer, your breathing becomes deeper and more regular, your muscles relax, your blood pressure decreases, and your brain works better.
So, if you want to eradicate depression, anxiety, and negativity from your life, you need to work on disciplining your mind to get rid of the ANTs and developing an ANTeater to patrol the streets of your mind.
Just as there are a many species of ants in the world, there are different kinds of negative thought patterns (ANTs).
Here are a few you need to learn to identify:
FORTUNE TELLING This is the ANT of almost anyone who has a panic disorder. They are masterful at predicting the worst, even though they don’t have any evidence.
MIND READING Where you arbitrarily believe that you know what someone else is thinking, even though they didn’t tell you. Many people do this, and more often than not it gets them into trouble. It’s a major reason why people have trouble in relationships.
GUILT BEATINGS Thinking with words like should, must, ought and have to. The words we use to talk to ourselves are very important. Guilt is not a very good motivator for change. Telling yourself “I should go see my grandmother” rather than “I want to spend time with my grandmother” only serves to make you feel negative.
BLAME Whenever you blame someone else for the problems in your life, you are a victim and you can’t do anything to change it. Many of us play the blame game, but it rarely helps us. Stay away from blaming thoughts and take personal responsibility for changing the problems you have.
LABELING Calling yourself or someone else a derogatory name. This diminishes your ability to see situations clearly and labels are very harmful.So now that you have met some of the ANTs that rob you of your happiness and peace of mind, what do you do about them?
Whenever you find yourself feeling mad, sad, nervous, or out-of-control, write down what you are thinking. Then identify which ANT species is infesting your mind and talk back to it. Challenging negative thoughts (killing the ANTs) takes away their power and gives YOU control over your thoughts, moods, and behaviors.
Some good practical advice when confronted with those pesky ANTs!
This morning, I felt a sense of hope as I attended one of our first “in-person” services at Nazareth since shutting those down back in March due to Covid 19. Pastor Dennis Hanson shared this morning’s message focusing on the 8th Chapter in the Book of Romans talking about “Gospel Induced Hope”. A thought he shared has stuck with me throughout the day… “Hope is the promise of a future worth the trouble it takes to get out of bed in the morning.” That really resonated with me as I know the feeling of doing my best to literally “roll out of bed” in the morning these days… sometimes I even land on my feet!
As Romans 8:24-25 says: “For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.”
Just as many of us have been waiting patiently for the baseball season to start, we can take hope in the fact that we have “been there” before. As we continue to struggle with the COVID-19 epidemic and the impact it has had on our daily lives, we need to employ both patience and faith which will allow us to be strengthened and to endure. Simply put, patience and faith can be our hope in these challenging times.Blessings your way and take time to enjoy OPENING DAY this Thursday!Dave
Are you or someone you know fighting cancer... struggling with the physical, emotional and spiritual issues that accompany a cancer journey or other serious health issue? Making ourselves available to others can open up the doors of opportunity for deeper relationships, healing, and transformation. For many, time is one of the most valuable commodities in today's fast-paced world. Sharing time with others is a wonderful gift. It says, "Here I am... for you. To listen, to care, to serve." The power of presence should never be underestimated! Be an encourager in someone else’s life!
To learn more about being an encourager, and to view the Reflections blog, visit the Reflections from the Home Team website at:www.reflectionsfromthehometeam.com/
July 7, 2020
Reflections from the Home Team- July 7, 2020The past few ...
The past few weeks have been difficult for me staring down some challenges that have been a part of my life for a while now and some that have just recently popped up. The pandemic has taught me to slow down and tackle them one at a time, but that has not always been a simple task as it’s so easy to succumb to the pessimism that surrounds us which has the potential to suffocate us if we allow it to do so…
Greetings from Cedar Falls,
More than ever over the past few months, I have come to realize we live in an instant culture. We’ve been conditioned to expect fast food, fast travel, and fast internet. We’ve also mastered multi-tasking, so we don’t waste a nanosecond. Impatience rises up when are forced to wait. Unfortunately, this fast-paced, calendar-packed attitude carries over into our daily walk as we deal with the pandemic situation and any number of other challenges that may come our way.
The past few weeks have been difficult for me staring down some challenges that have been a part of my life for a while now and some that have just recently popped up. The pandemic has taught me to slow down and tackle them one at a time, but that has not always been a simple task as it’s so easy to succumb to the pessimism that surrounds us which has the potential to suffocate us if we allow it to do so. Another thing that I have learned is that it quickly exposes my weaknesses.
Given all that, one thing that has remained a constant for me is the importance of encouragement in my life, encouragement by others when I face some of these challenges. I learned that lesson early on in my “baseball life”. I always thought I was a pretty good player. Maybe I lacked the strength and specific skills of some others… my arm strength was a bit south of 90 mph, my 60 yard dash time would have been average for a catcher, but I was a consistent baseball player and I played my heart out every time I stepped on a field. My stats were generally up with the league leaders… but for the most part, no one seemed to take notice or even care. My dad would always try to encourage me. He would challenge me to keep outworking others. At times I felt I was swimming up a river that was taking me nowhere…One thing I did notice is that when players moved away from home and had to make decisions for themselves, the players with the above average work ethic and drive, started to close the gap on the talented players. The result was that many of the extremely talented players began to fade, while those with “grit” began to overtake them and stand out above the crowd. I recently read a study done by Angela Lee Duckworth, a psychologist who was obsessed with learning the science in player development as to who is successful and why? Her conclusion was that one characteristic emerged as a significant predictor of success, and it wasn’t IQ, it wasn’t specific skills…It was grit. She defined grit as “having passion and perseverance for very long-term goals. Grit is having stamina. Grit is sticking with your future, day in and day out. Not just for the week or month, but for years. And working hard to make that future a reality.”
I have been praying for that “grit” in my life these past few weeks and am so very thankful for the encouragement I have so often received from many of those on my Home Team. As I so often share; “Making ourselves available to others can open up the doors of opportunity for deeper relationships, healing, and transformation. Sharing time with others is a wonderful gift. It says, Here I am... for you. To listen, to care, to serve”. Thanks to all for helping me keep that internal fire lit, to keep working on my “game” so that when the “going gets tough”, the grit within will keep me standing at the end.Jon Gordon recently shared a message in his Weekly Newsletter that touched my heart at a time when I really needed it… It had to do with encouragement and prompted me to share my thanks for all of you who are encouraging others. It reads:
OXYGEN FOR YOUR SOULTruett Cathy asked, "How do you know if a man or woman needs encouragement?"He answered, "If they are breathing."
With so many suffocating in pessimism today we need encouragement, optimism and faith to provide us with oxygen for our souls.
The word encourage means "To put courage into."
We all need to encourage and put courage into ourselves and others.
Today let's:
Attack This Day with Enthusiasm - The word enthusiasm comes from the root word "entheos" which means filled with the divine. Let's tap into a greater power and strength to keep going. Faith in God doesn't make life easier. It makes you stronger.
Feed the Positive and Weed the Negative - Your mind is like a Garden. You need to weed the negative and feed the positive each day to create a fertile environment that produces amazing fruit. The more you feed yourself with the positive the more you can feed others. If you don't have it, you can't share it. Weed, Feed, Share!
Be Thankful - You can't be stressed and thankful at the same time. When you are feeling blessed you can't be stressed. Think about what you are thankful for right now. Write it down. Think about it throughout the day.
Talk to Yourself instead of Listen to Yourself - Don't listen to the fear and negative thoughts that fill your mind with doubt and discouragement. They are lies that try to hold you back and keep you from living your destiny and purpose. Instead speak truth to the lies. The truth is you are here for a reason. You are here to do great things and you have greatness inside of you. The truth is you will prevail through this time.
Live and Look Forward - Your vision is greater thank your circumstances and your purpose is greater than your challenges. Stop looking backwards. Your life isn't there anymore. You can't change the past, but you can find focus, optimism and peace in the present to create your future. Stop looking at the negativity on the screen and look up to the heavens. Then look out into your future and think about what you truly want to create. If you can see it you can create it. If you have a vision you also have the power to make it happen.
Someone told Zig Ziglar that motivation doesn't last to which he replied, "Neither does bathing. It's why you have to do it each day."
Encouragement works the same way. We are facing a difficult time. There's a lot of pain and suffering. The struggle is real but so is your power to overcome.
Remember to encourage and put courage into yourself and others each day. Don't worry about the future. Just encourage yourself daily and give your soul the oxygen it needs to be fully alive and thrive.
Stay Positive,-Jon
As Paul shared in 2 Corinthians 12: 9-10 when he was struggling with so many issues:"Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore, I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ's sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong".That's it! He got it too. And he went with it for the rest of his days. The very things we dread and run from in our lives are precisely what brought contentment to Paul. What a way to live your life—content in everything—knowing that divine strength comes when human weakness is evident. That's what gave the man of grace true grit. It will do the same for each of us if we allow it to.Sometimes our current circumstances are so difficult and heavy that we can think of nothing else. Been there a number of times… We wonder if and when God will come to our aid. In those times of difficulty, when groaning often pushes out sleep, when my spirit grows faint, I try to reflect on all the ways God has intervened, helped, strengthened or comforted me in the past. By remembering His faithfulness, it allows me to bolster my trust in God’s future provision for me as I then, watch and wait with anticipation.
There is no quick and easy path to wisdom when it comes to life’s challenges, but God will fill us with His wisdom when we take the time to internalize His Word. Like tough meat requires low, slow heat to tenderize it, we stubborn humans need to ruminate on the rich truths of God’s Word in order to get the most life-changing benefits.
Blessings to all!Dave
P.S. I have recently submitted an edited manuscript for my second book titled Reflections from the Home Team… STAYING POSITIVE When Life Throws You a Curve! It goes into production tomorrow. Here’s a quick overview…
Reflections from the Home Team... STAYING POSITIVE When Life Throws You a Curve! is intended to be a resource you can turn to each day for hope and encouragement as you take on the daily challenges that life may “pitch” your way. The book is a go-to resource for injecting a healthy dose of positivity into your daily life. Positivity has been proven to make a difference in overcoming negativity and adversity, and each reflection in the book examines positive perspectives and approaches to dealing with those life challenges.
Each reflection includes an encouraging attitude, a spiritual insight and a step to consider which are frequently blended with baseball analogies and metaphors. Life’s challenges are not easy, just as baseball isn’t always easy. The game provides many lessons about success and failure, and those lessons can often be applied in our life journeys. As life’s curveballs and challenges come our way, the author encourages reaching out to our “Home Teams” (both human and divine) for the strength, love, support and comfort needed to meet them.
The book can be used as a daily reflection to find a way forward, one step at a time, and to help create some positive momentum whenever you may feel discouraged and may need a boost. Remember, life is like a baseball game; when you think a fastball is coming, you have to be ready to hit the curve!I’ll keep you posted on progress as the process moves forward.
Thanks again! Dave
Are you or someone you know fighting cancer... struggling with the physical, emotional and spiritual issues that accompany a cancer journey or other serious health issue? Making ourselves available to others can open up the doors of opportunity for deeper relationships, healing, and transformation. For many, time is one of the most valuable commodities in today's fast-paced world. Sharing time with others is a wonderful gift. It says, "Here I am... for you. To listen, to care, to serve." The power of presence should never be underestimated! Be an encourager in someone else’s life!
To learn more about being an encourager, and to view the Reflections blog, visit the Reflections from the Home Team website at:www.reflectionsfromthehometeam.com/
June 22, 2020
Reflections from the Home Team - June 22, 2020“Find your ...
“Find your ‘one thing’ that you can do to contribute to the solution. I don't know what your one thing should be. But I do know it feels a lot better to act and see change, than argue about it online. Imagine if millions of people picked one thing to make a difference. Imagine everyone being part of the solution. This is how we will change the world for better!”
Jon Gordon
Greetings from Cedar Falls,As I reflect on the events of the past few months in our country, I am truly disheartened by what I see. I have witnessed the divisions that currently exist in our country, along with the tragic, senseless acts of violence being displayed. I’m deeply troubled by the hurtful comments being made and directed at others with whom we may disagree. So many disparaging comments are being directed toward individuals and groups on both sides of a discussion. I see them on T.V., hear them on the radio, and read them on social media, and without question, they continue to push us more and more into the ‘great divide’. That brings me to this reflection.Let me begin with an analogy, baseball related of course…Nothing is worse for a baseball player than a hitting slump. Most players have encountered them at one time or another and sometimes they seem to last forever. I’ve seen hitting slumps make players quit before…that’s how frustrating they are.When a player is in a slump, they usually have people from every angle telling them what to do. “Be patient”, “Load early”, “Stay back on it”, “Use a different bat” and many more things are called out to batters when they’re in the box. Coaches, parents, and other players, all well-meaning, trying to “get in their ear” while trying to give them directions. I’ve been on the receiving end of that a time or two. I’m feeling some of the same frustrations with a number of things going on in our current reality as we as a nation appear divided about politics, COVID-19 and racial issues. As I’ve often shared, baseball can offer us many life lessons, so please bear with me as I make an analogy in this reflection.
Most “experts” believe that hitting slumps are most often caused by a mental change, not a physical one. There are many things that you can work on to overcome a hitting slump but having a specific thing to focus on helps a batter to not overthink his swing. The “art” of doing one thing at a time can also be applied in our current reality if we are to have meaningful and productive change. In his recent Newsletter, Jon Gordon shared some thoughts on the “Art” of doing one thing… Jon writes:DO ONE THINGHave you noticed a lot more fighting and dividing happening on people's social media pages the last few weeks? I've seen friends, neighbors and families debating each other and becoming divided about politics, COVID-19 and racial issues.
When I wrote that we need to have a conversation about race two weeks ago, I didn't mean on Facebook or Twitter. We need real conversations where we can talk, listen and explore the depths of the issues and the experiences that drive each person's perspective and narrative.
Instead of meaningful dialogue, people are responding back and forth with negative comments. They are angry and looking for someone to engage and unleash their anger on.
Too many are talking, instead of listening. Too many are looking for a fight instead of finding ways to unite. Too many are contributing to the noise pollution instead of being part of the solution.
St. Anthony of Padua said, "Actions speak louder than words; let your words teach and your actions speak. We are full of words but empty of actions."
The truth is, no one ever changed the world by arguing on social media. We need less words and more action!
I realize that you may not know where to start. When you dive into the issues, they are very complex and there is a lot to do. With all the layers to the predicament we are facing today it can feel overwhelming. It can make you feel powerless, so you don't do anything.
But we can all do something and if we all do one thing to contribute to the solution, we can accomplish a lot.
So, here's the deal. Find your "one thing" that you can do to contribute to the solution.
I don't know what your one thing should be. But I do know it feels a lot better to act and see change, than argue about it online.
Imagine if millions of people picked one thing to make a difference.
Imagine everyone being part of the solution.
This is how we will change the world for better
-JonI’ve found that people who have suffered in some way can usually understand and relate to others who are experiencing similar struggles… They have the space and capacity for compassion and understanding for others who may be struggling. Deep understanding and compassion are formed much more by shared pain than by shared pleasure.
Seeing how divided our country is right now, it's clear we need to have a difficult conversation about race in America. Instead of being separate teams we need to become one team. It starts by listening to and understanding those who are frustrated and hurting. We can all grow if we just stop and listen. To start the process and better understand the struggles of the history of racism in our Country, may I suggest reading a book recommended by a good friend titled The Sun Does Shine, How I Found Life and Freedom on Death Row by Anthony Ray Hinton. I’d also encourage you to watch the movie Just Mercy, a powerful and thought-provoking true story, about a young lawyer who heads to Alabama to defend those wrongly condemned, with the support of a local advocate. Both are stories that can help us understand and have compassion for those struggling with the issue of race in America.
Jesus told Peter in Luke 22:31-32, "You must be ground like wheat, and once you have recovered, then you can turn and help your brothers." Until we take the time to stop and listen, it is difficult to help those who may not share our same experiences.
We can certainly take a lesson from how Jesus handled these types of situations. He didn't post things on social media dismissing people he disagreed with and he didn't tear other's character down. Jesus offered them love and support, not only showing them a better way, but He also modeled it Himself. We are all complex, we are all sinners, and we simply can't wait for "perfection" to begin the process of understanding each other. Let's allow the light of positivity to shine through all those complex folks around us as we start a revival of our own in 2020, each doing our "one thing" to contribute to a solution in helping change the world for the better.
May we each be a part of a solution, one step at a time.
Dave
Are you or someone you know fighting cancer... struggling with the physical, emotional and spiritual issues that accompany a cancer journey or other serious health issue? Making ourselves available to others can open up the doors of opportunity for deeper relationships, healing, and transformation. For many, time is one of the most valuable commodities in today's fast-paced world. Sharing time with others is a wonderful gift. It says, "Here I am... for you. To listen, to care, to serve." The power of presence should never be underestimated!
Be an encourager in someone else’s life!
To learn more about being an encourager, and to view the Reflections blog, visit the Reflections from the Home Team website at:
www.reflectionsfromthehometeam.com/
June 13, 2020
Reflections from the Home Team - June 13, 2020“Our attitu...
“Our attitudes are shaped in the home and as I have had the privilege of working with young people of all races, ethnicities and genders as a teacher, coach and principal over the past 40 years, that is certainly a fact that has stood out to me. Interestingly, as much as I agree that we as adults must take the time to help shape our young people, I have also been profoundly impacted by the young people in my life that I have had the opportunity to “grow up” with over my career in education and athletics. They have provided me some much-needed love, care, support and wisdom during the times I have faced not only the health challenges of cancer but also the tensions and challenges that I have faced in my work. Just as the two youngsters featured in the image above have used their “innocence” in viewing each other as best friends, it’s a prime example of how we should all view each other as loved regardless of the color of our skin.”
Greetings from Cedar Falls,
My heart was touched recently when I viewed the image above given the emotions I have experienced as I heard the words uttered by George Floyd as he gasped for his breath and called for his deceased mother with a knee on his neck. Just like the video of two men chasing down and shooting Ahmaud Arbery in Georgia while he was out running. It’s unfathomable that these things are happening in our country in 2020. As we’ve witnessed the response play out in cities across our nation, it makes it clear that we are in need of a wake-up call. What we are witnessing in our country should be our jolt to stand for what’s right and denounce what is evil.
I recently read an article by Benjamin Watson, former NFL football player and author of the book Under Our Skin where he writes about his experience of having “The Talk” with his children in The Players’ Tribune: He shares:
“The Talk takes many shapes, but at its core it’s the conversation black parents must have with their kids about what it means to be black in America--both historically and right now… The most important part of the “Talk” is to teach our children to think of people as individuals. To see a white man, black man, policeman or any other citizen as humans that may look like others in ‘their’ group, but don’t necessarily act or think like them.”
“We need all families--white, black, whatever race--to have their version of The Talk, too,” Watson writes. “That’s what I’m hoping: that as I’m having The Talk with my daughters or sons, maybe there is a white dad across town talking to his son about race, too. Yes, the conversation will take a different form, but education always starts in the home. It starts with family. When families decide to teach their children and challenge themselves about difficult subjects like race, I believe that’s when you start to see hearts change.”
Benjamin is absolutely right. Our attitudes are shaped in the home and as I have had the privilege of working with young people of all races, ethnicities and genders as a teacher, coach and principal over the past 40 years, that is certainly a fact that has stood out to me. Interestingly, as much as I agree with Benjamin that we as adults must take the time to help shape our young people, I have also been profoundly impacted by the young people in my life that I have had the opportunity to “grow up” with throughout my career in education and athletics. They have provided me some much-needed love, care, support and wisdom during the times I have faced not only the health challenges of cancer but also the tensions and challenges that I have faced in my work. Just as the two youngsters featured in the image above have used their “innocence” in viewing each other as best friends, it’s a prime example of how we should all view each other as loved regardless of the color of our skin.
I have to admit, it's hard to even know where to start when having the “Talk” that Benjamin Watson describes. It’s easy to post a Martin Luther King, Jr. quote on social media and let the world (or at least our small little slice of it) know where we stand on racial issues. It’s much harder to know how to represent Christ and follow the prophet Micah’s urging to “seek justice,” “love mercy,” and “walk humbly” (Micah 6:8) in real life.In my own personal soul-searching, I feel there are a few things that as a Christian, I can and should be doing during our current racial conversations.
First, I feel we need to believe what the Bible says about race, and let our actions show we believe it. The Bible is abundantly clear about race, from cover to cover. We see God’s creation of man in His image in the beginning, and we see the vision of every tribe, nation and tongue together in heaven in the book Revelation. In between, we have the words of Jesus, Peter, Paul and James:
“And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” Mark 12:30-31
“Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor.” Romans 12:9-10
“For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.” 1 Corinthians 12:13
Reading these words is one thing. Understanding them and allowing them to guide our everyday life is another. If we believe we are all equal–and family–then it should change how we approach our current events.
Second, we need to pray for racial reconciliation, and pray that it will start with each of us as individuals. As Billy Graham once said, “Whether prayer changes our situation or not, one thing is certain: Prayer will change us!” We should pray for racial reconciliation in our country. As we do, we should be open to the Lord’s leading as He provides opportunities for our own repentance and growth. Christian rapper KB (yes there are Christian rappers) said “We must do more than pray but we can never do less than pray. Prayer is our first protest. Our most effective tool.”
Third, listen to and have empathy for what people are experiencing during these trying times, it’s easy to voice our opinions. And, from what I’ve read and heard, we have a lot of them… So, now is not the time to speak, it’s the time to listen. “Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger” (James 1:19). We need to use the opportunity in front of us to listen to others, while learning about them and their experiences.
There is no hierarchy of human beings demonstrated throughout Scripture. Jesus came so that all may be saved. God has always had open arms to the whole world. In Paul’s writings, we are challenged to consider how Jesus unites all of us as brothers and sisters, regardless of ethnicity or nation. As God loves all peoples, so should we. Remember, you and I can never be the kind of people God wants us to be on our own. We were never intended to do life that way. We all need people who are teaching us, sharing their lives with us, investing in us, and encouraging us to grow.“Walk with the wise and become wise, for a companion of fools suffers harm.”Proverbs 13:20May we all walk together sharing our experiences with each other, investing in each other and encouraging each other as we grow in loving ALL our neighbors as ourselves.
Blessings to all in this time of challenge and potential growth!
Dave
[image error]Are you or someone you know fighting cancer... struggling with the physical, emotional and spiritual issues that accompany a cancer journey or other serious health issue? Making ourselves available to others can open up the doors of opportunity for deeper relationships, healing, and transformation. For many, time is one of the most valuable commodities in today's fast-paced world. Sharing time with others is a wonderful gift. It says, "Here I am... for you. To listen, to care, to serve." The power of presence should never be underestimated!
Be an encourager in someone else’s life!
To learn more about being an encourager, and to view the Reflections blog, visit the Reflections from the Home Team website at:www.reflectionsfromthehometeam.com/
May 30, 2020
Reflections from the Home Team May 30, 2020“No person sho...
“No person should live with this type of daily fear each and every day. This is what I feel as a black man. Memories of fear from 30 years ago should not rushing back like this. I have a young son who is going to one day grow up into a young man. What will I tell him? He should not have the same fears in this new age. America, we have to do better.” Tyrone Brooks
Greetings from Cedar Falls,
I am extremely saddened by the tragic events that have taken place in Minneapolis as well as around the country this past week beginning with the death of George Floyd while in Minneapolis police custody. Those events have sparked both outrage and fear in our nation.
A post from a good friend drove it home for me… The post came from Tyrone Brooks, a baseball friend for many years. Tyrone and I worked together as he joined the Atlanta Braves Organization as my scouting supervisor here in the Midwest. I have watched his professional career progress over the years through several organizations to his current position with Major League Baseball as MLB’s Senior Director of the Diversity Pipeline Program. This was a new position created by the commissioner to stimulate greater diversity at baseball’s administrative levels. Just as important, I have watched Tyrone raise a beautiful family while always working to impact other’s lives in a positive way. Tyrone has always looked at his work as an opportunity to do something bigger than himself… something I have always known and admired about him.
Tyrone writes:
"True story...You never forget the feeling.... the flashing blue and white lights seen in the rear-view mirror, the pulsing heart rate as the cop car approaches, your body tensing up. What will happen next? Will I be harmed? Will I live another day?
Just yesterday (May 29th) I was driving, and two cop cars started approaching from the rear. Was I speeding? I thought I was doing the speed limit. I could feel my heartbeat starting to race. That same feeling when I got my first speeding ticket nearly thirty years ago not long after the Rodney King beating came immediately rushing back. Will I get beat too?
As the cop cars started getting closer, I started to pull over and I could feel my mouth going dry. My mind started racing. Do I have my license? Do I have proof of registration with me? Just be calm and collected. I want to live! Seconds later the two cop cars blow past me as I made my way to the shoulder.... finally, I can breathe again.
No person should live with this type of daily fear each and every day. This is what I feel as a black man. Memories of fear from 30 years ago should not be rushing back like this. I have a young son who is going to one day grow up into a young man. What will I tell him? He should not have the same fears in this new age. America, we have to do better."
Tyrone’s friendship has been a blessing to me over the years and he is right, we have to do better! While baseball continues to break down barriers that often separate people, baseball also gives us so many life lessons we can draw from; and I’ve learned and taught many of them. This event is no exception as life lessons are being learned from this situation by people we love and support in all our communities. As Jackie Robinson stated; “A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives.”
As Christians, we have been taught to hold no preconceived notions about different groups of people. We're not to be judgmental, or racist, or prejudiced against people who look different. Right? Well, that’s what I’ve been taught, but I was recently challenged to spend a day “recognizing” my first thought about every person I came across who didn’t look like me in a parking lot, in a car or while shopping… I was to note the first thought that popped into my head. (Given the current Covid 19 situation, that first thought often revolved around are they contagious?) – but after that, I began to realize that I did have some preconceived notions about people who may look different than me. I think we all have some of them.
This challenge has made me determined to fight any predetermined perceptions I may experience on any given day, labels I may have placed on people without even knowing it. Stereotypes and judgments based on appearance are everywhere and usually begin at a very young age because of our upbringing and environment. I hope to do my part in stopping this in future generations, because God truly doesn't care about skin colors. God loves diversity!
I recently read that there are between 25,000 and 35,000 genes in every human cell and up to forty trillion cells in the human body! Somewhere between 100 to 378 genes are involved in the production of melanin—the pigment responsible for skin color. And this same melanin also determines our hair and eye color. God, in His perfectness, put together a formula, so small it can only be realized under high efficiency microscopes, just to create variety in His prized creation. It was no accident He orchestrated us in such a way that every human is unique. He programmed the genes from which all our variations come from… This was what He wanted.
Every ethnicity is the beautiful handiwork of God’s creative mind. His abundance of creativity pushes beyond our human understanding. A variety of skin colors gives Him glory for the vastness of His imagination! And we don’t have to look solely at humans to see evidence of this. Diversity is found in all of His creation. Trees. Flowers. Birds. Horses. Dogs. All glorify God and should be celebrated.
As Colossians 3:11 states, “Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.” And Romans 10:12 says, “For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, ‘Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’”
And notice what He leaves out. He does not categorize any of these groups by their skin color. Why? Because He loves everyone the same. He made each beautiful and unique according to His infinite creative mind. If we are Christ-followers, we are called to be like Jesus, so we must work diligently to fight against labeling people by the color of their skin. God wants us to love each other in the same way that He loves – unconditionally. In fact, God wants us to love in such a way that the people around us will know we are fully devoted followers of Christ. Love is an ongoing and very deliberate choice – not an emotion or a feeling. Let’s choose to love those who may cross our paths each day the way Jesus loves each of us.
One of my favorite baseball quotes comes from a friend who I have scouted with for years. When I was diagnosed with cancer, he told me to “Live life like a 3-1 count”. For those who may not understand what that means in baseball “lingo” it means when you’re a hitter and the count is three balls and one strike, you’re in control of the at-bat, the pitcher has to throw a strike or you get on base with a walk, it’s your time to take a big swing! I challenge you all to live life like a 3-1 count and take a big swing when the opportunity to do something positive presents itself in helping eliminate the fear that Tyrone described in his post. Our future generations will be better if we do and America will be better for it!
Blessings to all!
Dave
Are you or someone you know fighting cancer... struggling with the physical, emotional and spiritual issues that accompany a cancer journey or other serious health issue? Making ourselves available to others can open up the doors of opportunity for deeper relationships, healing, and transformation. For many, time is one of the most valuable commodities in today's fast-paced world. Sharing time with others is a wonderful gift. It says, "Here I am... for you. To listen, to care, to serve." The power of presence should never be underestimated!
Be an encourager in someone else’s life!
To learn more about being an encourager, and to view the Reflections blog, visit the Reflections from the Home Team website at:www.reflectionsfromthehometeam.com/
May 2, 2020
Reflections from the Home Team - May 2, 2020“Our future i...
“Our future is always uncertain… and as we find ourselves facing major life transitions in this pandemic environment, and sometimes feeling lost, stuck, confused or aimless, remember - these are all signs of an invitation for growth. This is a time between the ‘what was’ and the ‘next‘, a time of transition, a season of waiting, and not knowing.” Richard Rohr Greetings from Cedar Falls!
One of the things that has upset me about this global pandemic is the uncertainty it has brought into our lives. I have been having some issues recently due to ongoing side effects I have been experiencing since treatments and I have a sense that my life on this earth has at times been an “endurance” contest. I look at it that way because then I’m not shocked or disappointed by the number of trials encountered along the way. I guess I may be focused more on that now given our current situation. Ultimately life is very short. None of us knows when it is time for us to go. Our time on this earth is shortened every moment, whether we like it or not, and once a moment is gone, it is gone forever.
I recently read a piece from author/theologian Fr. Richard Rohr which has really helped me through this difficult time. He has been a morning quiet time “main stay” for me over the years. His focus was on one of his editor/authors who received a cancer diagnosis two years ago which required a difficult surgery. Like many individuals who face serious health challenges, she allowed the painful and challenging experience to transform and guide her to greater wisdom. Obviously, I related to that as a cancer survivor, but I also connected it to the current situation we are all facing with the virus pandemic.
In the piece, Sheryl Fullerton, a cancer victim, talks about “Liminal Space”. The word liminal comes from the Latin word ‘limen’, meaning threshold – any point or place of entering or beginning. A liminal space is the time between the ‘what was’ and the ‘next.’ It is a place of transition, a season of waiting, and not knowing. Sounds an awful lot like what we are all going through right now!Fr. Rohr describes “Liminal Space” this way:
“This is the sacred space where the old world is able to fall apart, and a bigger world is revealed. If we don’t encounter liminal space in our lives, we start idealizing normalcy. The threshold is God’s waiting room.”
These thresholds of waiting and not knowing our ‘next’ are everywhere in life, especially these days, and they are inevitable. Each usher in a new chapter of life and holds varying degrees of disruption. Whatever the change, it’s a seismic shift for us as our future seems uncertain.Change never exists in a box…No matter how hard we might try to contain it, change in one area of life spills into others. There is a ripple effect. Community, careers, spirituality, vocation, relationships, our physical well-being, friendships and emotions do not exist mutually exclusive from one another—they all intersect with each other. For me, that has been pretty obvious over the past couple months. When we become aware of our liminality, many of us, if we’re honest, don’t know who to become or how to navigate the transition. We often miss the real potential of ‘in-between’ places – we either stand paralyzed or we flee the “terrible cloud of unknown.”When thinking about this, I couldn’t help but recall a book I read a year or so ago that put this in perspective for me. In fact, I pulled it off my shelf and began reading it again. The book is titled The Closer: My Story by Mariano Rivera, probably the greatest relief pitcher of all time who shares his extraordinary story of survival, love, and of course, baseball. The man who intimidated thousands of batters merely by opening a bullpen door, began his incredible journey as the son of a poor Panamanian fisherman. When first scouted by the Yankees, he didn't even own his own glove. He thought he might make a good mechanic. When discovered, he had never flown in an airplane, had never heard of Babe Ruth, spoke no English, and couldn't imagine Tampa, the city where he was headed to begin a career that would become one of baseball's most iconic pitchers.
What he did know was that he loved his family and his girlfriend, Clara, that he could trust in the Lord to guide him, and that he could throw a baseball exactly where he wanted to, every time. With astonishing candor, Rivera tells the story of the championships, and the struggles of being a Latino baseball player in the United States while maintaining Christian values in professional athletics.Mariano represents to me the concept of how to make the most of liminal space. He is a classic example of walking through “what was” and into “what is to become”. His story shares how he encountered a number of challenges/pain along the way, going from a poverty stricken, dirt poor son of a Panamanian fisherman who actually caught the eye of a Yankee scout while throwing rocks on the beach to the best reliever baseball has ever known… Quite the “transformation”!The only player to be elected unanimously to the National Baseball Hall of Fame had a rough first nine months in Yankee pinstripes, a stretch that lasted between May 1995 and spring training the following year, when he was shelled in his major league debut, demoted to the minors and was almost shipped to Seattle as part of a trade package during the beginning of the Joe Torre era.
The Panamanian-born right hander says that those early setbacks, in particular being sent down to Triple-A with Derek Jeter on the same day early in their careers, were “pivotal” moments that helped shape his character and Hall of Fame resume. He obviously used his “liminal space” wisely! He shattered bats, struck out 1,173 batters during the regular season, and gained respect throughout baseball due to both his dominance and humble nature. Rivera has spent his post-baseball life building a church in New Rochelle, near where he lives, and continues to expand his ministry, charitable efforts and foundation work.
As Fr. Rohr points out, our future is always uncertain… and as we find ourselves facing major life transitions in this pandemic environment, and sometimes feeling lost, stuck, confused or aimless, remember - these are all signs of an invitation for growth. This is a time between the ‘what was’ and the ‘next ‘, a time of transition, a season of waiting, and not knowing. Just as Mariano used his “liminal space” to improve his game and life skills, we can successfully transition during this time if we learn how to wait and listen while working on bettering ourselves and developing a clear path forward. The good news is that you don’t have to go through transition alone! This doesn’t have to be something you endure and survive. I think the following verse from James 1:12 says it best... “Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love Him.”
I can relate to that thought as I reflect on some of the trials I have faced along the way in my life. Even in the midst of some of my hardest times, the joy of God’s presence has always been available to me. The “crown of life“ seems similar to the wreath that was awarded for athletic victory in biblical times, and yes, even the first unanimous selection to the Baseball Hall of Fame for Mariano. Those athletes were competing for a perishable crown of greenery, and in James 1:12, God has promised to give His reward of the “crown of life” that will never fade away to all who love Him, despite what trials we may face in this life.
I am trying my best not to obsess about these problems and continue to bring them to God in prayer. I know God is near me, and instead of wasting time worrying, I am devoting my time trusting Him to supply what I need, when I need it to get through this. I am praying that He will equip me to handle whatever comes my way. He is the God who provides, and I plan to rest there, each day, right smack in the middle of all His abundance.
Wishing you a wonderful, safe and joy filled day in the middle of all the craziness going on around us. Remember, Jesus dwells within us and transforms us into new beings, which guides us and empowers us to live a good and beautiful life.Dave
Are you or someone you know fighting cancer... struggling with the physical, emotional and spiritual issues that accompany a cancer journey or other serious health issue? Making ourselves available to others can open up the doors of opportunity for deeper relationships, healing, and transformation. For many, time is one of the most valuable commodities in today's fast-paced world. Sharing time with others is a wonderful gift. It says, "Here I am... for you. To listen, to care, to serve." The power of presence should never be underestimated! Be an encourager in someone else’s life!
To learn more about being an encourager, and to view the Reflections blog, visit the Reflections from the Home Team website at:www.reflectionsfromthehometeam.com/
