Stuck at Home Base

"Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." (1 Thes. 5:16-18)

God gave me this verse tonight while I was sitting on my front porch, all alone, feeling sorry for myself. You see, while I am sitting here typing these words Kaelie is playing in the finals of the state Dixie softball tournament and I am missing it. Not by choice, mind you, but because I'm on the DL ("disabled list," a term I picked up from years of listening to my husband talk baseball).


Yesterday morning I woke up and I could feel the familiar pain beginning in the back of my neck. I tried to be careful all day, but the longer I sat in the bleachers cheering the team on as they won last night in the semi-finals, the more painful it became. Today it has been excruciating, and my doctor thinks my herniated disc is rearing its ugly head. His office is less than a mile from my house, and every bump in the road on the way there today was agonizing. I knew there was no way I could handle the two-hour round trip between home and the softball tournament.

My sweet Kaelie was so understanding and we made Joey promise to call at the end of every inning with updates. In fact, he just called to let me know that it is scoreless after the first. Oh, how I wish I was there! These kinds of opportunities don't come around often in a child's life, if at all. I think that's why God gave me this verse. It is, after all, HER opportunity, not mine. She's going to sieze it and cherish it whether I'm there or not, as she should. I will find joy in knowing that she gets a chance to play for a state title. I will pray for her and her team, for their safety and sportsmanship, and despite my painful circumstances at the moment, I will give thanks that she is healthy and strong and able to get out there and compete.

What an amazing God we serve! He loves us way too much to let us sit around and wallow in self-pity. Don't ya just love him?!

Is there a time that he has pulled you out of a pit of self-pity? Click on "comments" at the bottom of this post and tell me about it...I love to hear other peoples' stories about the things God has done!

Oh, just to update. Hannah's district championship team also got to play in the state tournament for the 9-10 year-old age division. After losing their first game, they came back for a strong win in the second. They were eliminated on Saturday, however, after losing their third game. They were heartbroken, but we were so very proud of them for making it to state and giving it their all! And Hannah was able to close out her season with a great hit in the last game, scoring the first of her team's two runs!
Okay, soon I'm going to need toothpicks to prop my eyelids open. I guess the painkillers and muscle relaxers are kicking in so I better go. Who knows what I might write... :)

A quick footnote: Joey and Kaelie just called to let me know they lost. The final score was 0-6 against a team that was undefeated throughout the tournament. Apparently Kaelie made an awesome leaning, backhanded catch in left field to end an inning...wish I had seen that! Sooo, State runners-up! Not to shabby if you ask me! Way to go Blacksburg!

Seasons and Celebrations

Finally...back online after almost six days without internet service! There have been so many times I have wanted to get to my blog and I haven't been able to. I guess I could've picked up a pen and paper, but I've gotten so used to typing out my thoughts that somehow it just didn't seem the same. Writing everything out by hand is so much slower. I find I keep up with my thought process a lot better (meaning things don't fly out of my head before I can get them down) when my fingers are flying over the keyboard.

I've missed blogging through a several important events. First, an update on Hannah's trip to camp. She had a blast and came home all smiles and feeling quite full of herself. Even though we sent note cards with pre-addressed and stamped envelopes for her to write home, she didn't even bother. Turns out she pulled herself together and began having a great time from the moment she could no longer see me waving goodbye from the church parking lot. Go figure...

The day after she returned we got to celebrate her homecoming with fireworks. Actually, it was Independence Day, and since Joey didn't have to work, we really enjoyed just hanging out and having some down time. Joey got to take a nap on the couch, Kaelie got to spend the day at the pool with her friend, and Hannah and I went to the new American Girl movie, Kit Kittredge. It was really good, by the way, and one the whole family can enjoy. That evening we all went out to Texas Roadhouse together (we figured you couldn't get much more American than that) and then to the firewords display.

The next day, July 5th, Kaelie turned 13. Yes, I am now officially the mother of a teenager. We spent the morning standing outside in a downpour for the first day of the all-star softball tournament. Both girls made the teams for their age divisions, but neither got to play because all the games were postponed until the next day. Suddenly, Kaelie's birthday was freed up and she had no plans. I let her call two of her bestest buddies and took them to Kaelie's favorite Mexican restaurant, which just happens to be at the mall. We dropped them off and let them have dinner together, they called when they were ready for us to come and pay, then they went off and left us again to shop. I was really impressed with Kaelie for letting Hannah come along to shop with her and her friends. Hannah was feeling a little sad about her big sis becoming a teenager and I think it made her day when Kaelie said she could come with them. Joey and I made ourselves scarce and did a little shopping of our own, and when we realized that it was kind of like a date, we decided that maybe this business of having a teenager might not be so bad after all! Afterwards, we all went back to our house for cake and ice cream, and all in all the impromptu birthday celebration turned out to be a big success.

Since then, we have been busy with softball every day. Hannah's team lost their first game but they won the next two. They were supposed to play in the semi-finals tonight but alas, another rainout. Kaelie's first game was rained out twice, they finally got to play last night and lost. Their second game scheduled for tonight was also rained out, so who knows how long this tourney could drag on!

Sooo....the operative word for the Altizer family in July thus far is BUSY. The verse I have to keep coming back to is Ecclesiastes 3:1. "There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven." Right now for us it is softball and swim team season, then comes volleyball and soccer seasons, then basketball season, then track season. :)

Seriously, I have to keep reminding myself that this season of my life needs to be about my children. Yes, I have to take care of myself and my needs and that is important too, but childhood is so very short and so very special. I had my turn to be a child and do lots of wonderful activities that my parents sacrificed for as well. Now Kaelie and Hannah get their turn to be children and I want them to be able to seize the opportunities that they're given. No, softball is not my favorite sport, in fact I find it rather boring, and I have whined and complained about the schedule. But they really wanted to play and Joey is coaching their teams and it has given them some great time and interaction with their dad.

So, I dutifully sit behind the fence, I cheer when they and their teams hit the ball and make plays and I try to shout words of encouragement when they don't. And I'm realizing that it's more than softball season that will soon come to end. Their childhoods will also, and as my friend Denise wistfully reminded me today, before I know it they will be 20 (her oldest son's age) and I will be missing this sweet and precious season. Such a lovely thought to ponder as I approach my own birthday tomorrow!