Tuesday, January 28, 2014

Rules for Living Life Through the Game of Baseball

Missing my Nashville babies 
and becoming quite sentimental 
as I thumb through the 
pages of my scrapbooks
(yes, no digital scrapbook for me).

This is my (our) son,

Daddy's man,

but always 
Mama's boy.


He calls me when he wants and needs to talk
about life stuff.

He calls his daddy when he wants to talk
about fun stuff.


In our 35 year of marriage, 
there were some difficult times
as would be expected. 

During one of those years, 
as a little fellow, 
Chad asked, 
"Mommy, are you and daddy
going to get a divorce?"
(Divorce, no.  Kill him, yes!)

"No honey, what makes you say that?"

"I'm just gonna tell you, 
if you do get a divorce, I'm going to 
live with my daddy."

His daddy taught him
how to live life
through the game of baseball.

Before he could hold a bat, 
he was running the bases 
and sliding into home plate
at his daddy's softball practices.


These were his Daddy's rules for living:

"Keep your eye on the ball."

"Sometimes you'll get hit hard.
Take the hit and move on."


"Don't just stand there, swing the bat
and run with all your might."


"Watch for the opportunity to steal
and take it."


"Be a Team Player."

Chad incorporated some these values 
in his Salutatory address 
at his high school graduation.

1.  Keep your eye on the ball.
Keep your eye on the goal.
Chad was always goal-oriented.

"Let us keep our eyes on Jesus,
the Author and Finisher of our Faith."
Hebrews 12:2

"Do you not know that in a race only
one gets the prize. Run in such a 
way as to get the prize."
* I can't seem to find the reference.

Very early, he said he wanted to

Play college baseball
(He did, even though his coach
said he wasn't college material), 


Be Valedictorian of his class
(He missed it by only a few points.)

Be a doctor
(He decided he wanted to be a husband and daddy first
and became a Physicians Assistant.)



2.  When life throws you a curve ball, 
take it and move on.

"Endure hardship as discipline, 
God is treating you as sons."
Hebrews 12:7

Life has not always been easy for Chad. 
He was an ADHD child.

He had many fears
as the result of someone who
threatened his life
over a "don't-tell-anyone 'secret.'
or I'll kill you, your mama, your daddy and your cissy."

He spent many years in therapy.

God healed him completely.
(That's a different blog post 
that will never be posted.)

3.  Swing and Run.

"Therefore we also, since we are surrounded 
by such a great cloud of witnesses,
let us lay aside every weight,
and the sin which so easily 
entangles us and RUN with endurance
the race that is set before us."
Hebrews 12:1

His daddy taught him well, 
and the determined young man
has become quite the spiritual leader
of his home and role model 
for this precious one!



A great husband and daddy.

Thank you letting me share my heart
these past few days.

Bonnie:)










10 comments:

  1. What a sweet post:) I am smiling along with you! Thank you for visiting my blog this morning! Have a blessed day, HUGS!!!

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  2. Bonni, what a heartfelt post and beautiful story about your son. Just wonderful to read! Thank you for sharing!

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  3. What a great post - you have an amazing son and you have every right to be proud of him!

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  4. What a wonderful post. I am so glad he recovered through the childhood trauma he experienced. I am sure it has made him a wiser, better man/husband/dad.

    I have a Mama's boy, too. He is the heart of my heart- xo Diana

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  5. Very sweet post, and what a wonderful son and family you have!
    Mary Alice

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  6. Oh Bonnie, I already love your family and don't really even know them.

    What a wonderful post, and certainly rules to live by.

    Your son is adorable as is his wife and son.

    As I read your stories, it's amazing how God moves in and out of our circumstances but is always there...Does that make sense? I'm just saying life struggles shape us to be more and more like Christ...if we let Him. It sure looks like your son has done that in his life.

    Three daughters, one son...yes, he's my mama's boy too.

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  7. Bonnie,
    I love this picture of your son with the baseball shirt and the black under his eyes holding his girl. Such a sweet picture. Sons are special people, indeed.

    Love,
    ~Sheri

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  8. This is such a great testimony to the way you two have raised your children to be wonderful adults.

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  9. What a beautiful, beautiful family and a son to be more than proud of. We love our physicians' assistants - - - go to them often more than the docs because they seem to have more time and even interest in their profession. They have not become tired or over-worked with it. Praise God, too, that he was able to be healed. I had a brother whose life was ruined because of it - - - never regained self-esteem and could not hold a job. Always nervous with demanding bosses - - -but that, too, is another story. Today we are celebrating your WONDERFUL family!

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  10. Nice to read more about your son. He has a beautiful family and I know you are so proud of him.

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