This weekend Madeline also had her Opening Day game for Talleyville Softball.
Like her brother, this is her first year playing at a higher level (Seniors). She is also her first year playing for her Middle School team so I’m very proud of her for both!
While she is the youngest on the Seniors Talleyville Team, she got to pitch in 3 innings in the first game and had 6 strike outs. Way to go Madeline!
Wishing you all the best for a great softball year as well!
Today is Opening Day at Naamans Little League.
Rowan is playing his first year in the Majors Division on Horizon Services. Very proud to be his father and look forward to the coming season! Good luck son!
Flaws. We all have them. The question is what do we do about them? On the outside things might be looking just fine, but what if there is a problem lurking beneath the surface?
Flaws can be ugly and embarrassing so we often want to hide them from those around us. We think they wouldn’t understand or fear they may treat us differently if they knew about our defects. So we try to hide them with a smile or a positive attitude meanwhile beneath the surface, trouble is brewing.
Sometimes we are simply unaware of a problem we have. Maybe nobody has ever pointed it out and we simply lack the ability or willingness to look at ourselves critically or carefully enough to discover it. Despite our ignorance of the problem, however, it is still there, lurking beneath the surface causing damage that we are unaware of.
In either situation, the damage is taking place.
We just had a situation in our home where we discovered that a water pipe in the ceiling had a small pin prick hole and had been slowly leaking and spraying out water. It was a tiny small hole and it was hidden behind the drywall of the ceiling. Small enough and hidden enough that there was no visible damage, at least not until yesterday.
Eventually that small, hidden problem causes enough damage that it starts to become visible on the surface and to those around you. Eventually there is no more hiding or no more denying that the problem is there. The damage is done. It is time for repair and to address the root cause of the problem.
Maybe you lack a key professional skill in your job that is limiting your career. If you haven’t learned anything new in the industry of your profession since school, chances are you are falling behind and won’t have the skills required to perform well in the future. Your lack of learning might be a serious flaw that you try to cover up by pointing out the mistakes of others.
Maybe you have an issue with gambling, or alcohol, or drugs, or pornography, or other addictive behavior. Maybe it’s a control problem or an anger management issue that plagues you.
It could be a health problem that you know nothing about until one day you are hit with reality of a heart attack or a stroke or mental breakdown.
We all have flaws. Pretending that we don’t or focusing on the flaws of others is self-defeating. Some flaws are easier to fix than others, but they are better and cheaper to fix before they cause damage. The process can be intimidating and often requires help from others but the key is to recognize the problem and take the first step to addressing it.
What is that first step you need to take?
We had the opportunity this weekend to get away for a day as a family and go skiing at Camelback.
End of a Fun Day
The run of cold weather last week produced a decent amount of snow in the Poconos and we had not yet had a chance to due any skiing this winter so we decided to take advantage of the opportunity and hit the slopes. The conditions were very good for this time of year and $25 lift ticket price was perfect!
I enjoy our special days where we can get away and create memories and do things together as a family. Even thought there is work to get organized to go and to make it happen, days like this refresh me and energize me.
My notes from this weekend’s message at Fellowship – part 2 of the “Hitched” series.
Some Benefits (and Dangers) of Marriage!
- mortality rates
- rates of chronic illnesses or disabilities
- one’s own health
- depression, anxiety and suicide
- problems with drinking and substance abuse
- financial well-being
- rates of violence
Marriage rates in the U.S. Are at an all time low. Many seem to be afraid of the dangers above.
Big idea - “Bump the bumps” by bringing back the fun.
Love Bumps:
1. Words that cut.
2. Not asking for forgiveness.
3. Lack of fun.
4. Trying to straighten out your spouse.
5. Secrets.
6. No intimacy.
How to Love - Romans 12:9-11 NLT
“Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other. Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically.”
Take Aways
* Raise the value of your spouse as high as possible. (Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Romans 12:9)
* Pursue God. (Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. Romans 12:9)
* Build the love bank. (Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other. Romans 12:10)
* Do something great. (Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically. Romans 12:11)
What do you do for fun? It is common in the tech world to often find our niche or the thing we like to do and do it over and over again. Even outside the tech world it is easy to be stuck in the rut of a daily routine. I enjoy opportunities to break the cycle of the daily routine and do or see different things.
I had the opportunity this evening to take Rowan to see the Harlem Globetrotters. It was a first time for both of us and it certainly was an enjoyable show. It’s great to share new experiences with family members. It definitely creates memories and the chance for new creative thinking.
We all need breaks in our routine. I’m finding more and more that regularly scheduled breaks not only give me fresh perspective but also make me more productive over the long haul.
What was the last fun thing you did do break the routine?
The start of a new year is often a great time to get oneself reorganized, set goals and do some planning. Planning and goal setting are great things to do but it is easy to become discouraged if we don’t achieve or accomplish them. As a result, many people (I’ve been guilty) give up setting goals (or making them very low) because they feel they won’t achieve them.
Medium to long-range goals are often derailed by a lack of short-term focus to get things done. Life is full of distractions and competing priorities. If you try to get everything done at the same time you’ll get nothing done. If everything is a priority, nothing is.
Instead of giving up or setting the bar too low, I’m looking for tools and methods that will make for a better plan of attack on achieve the goals I set and the immediate tasks I need to accomplish at work, at home, at church and in my own business. It is definitely a work-in-process and often a challenge to my sanity! Sometimes I try something, only to find it doesn’t work or only works for a short while. But I have found the key is not to give up, but to keep trying.
I am currently trying out a few things that I hope to share over the next few weeks. In the mean time, I’d love to know how do you stay focused? Do you have any methods, tools or tricks that you have found that work for you?
Today marks 20 years since Mary and I have been married. It seems hard to believe that it has been that long already, but 2 decades and 2 children later I am happy to say we are still together. I don’t know where I’d be today or how I would have made it without her.
Like many kinds of relationships, marriage is one that is full of ups and downs, highs and lows, excitement and mundane, anticipation and disappointment. What I think makes a successful marriage is a very unique kind of relationship however is how much you learn about yourself.
Nothing will reveal your selfishness like the marriage partnership does. You can often put your own emotional needs on hold for a period of time, particularity during a dating or courtship period, in order to focus and impress your mate, but for a relationship to get through all of the peaks and valleys of a life time, you have to be willing to let your goals, ambitions and desires be brought together with that of your spouse. Not so that you loose your individuality but in order that God can truly “make one” from the two.
I have found that my nature tries to fight this and even rebel against it but it is in those battles that I have learned that God is teaching me how to be more like Jesus. There are lessons to be learned that only come with time and sacrifice but the other thing which makes a marriage unique is the blessings that come from fighting through those battles and learning how to “become one”.
I have been surprised to also learn that you never get it all figured out. It is a life-long process that even after 20 years, shows me I have plenty more to learn! I am just glad I have Mary to learn from and with and look forward to the next 20 years together!
Something that God has shown us is how blessed we are in the grand scheme of things. There are so many things we have and take for granted and God wants us to demonstrate his love and compassion to those less fortunate. To that end, Mary and I are celebrating our 20th anniversary by partnering with Charty: Water. We want to help bring clean drinking water to a few of the one billion people in the world who don’t have access and would ask that you consider helping us celebrate our marriage milestone by making a contribution to the campaign instead of any gifts for us. This short video will give you an idea of how the desperate need so many are in and how Charity: Water is making a difference. Thanks for celebrating with us by helping others!
I am so very thankful for you and on this special day I want you to know how much you mean to me. I don’t know where I’d be without you! I look back and am amazed at how God has used you in the lives of so many. From students, to street leaders, to parents, and most importantly to our family! You have a special gift and I enjoy seeing you use it as you relate to those around you and share the grace that God has shown.
We want you to know how much we appreciate all that you do for us and how much we love you. You are the world to us!
Ah to be a 10 year old boy again! There is something very special about the 10 – 11 year old range for boys. They have grown enough to be able to learn to play sports with actually skill, to be able to understand the rules of the game, to be able to demonstrate good sportsmanship, and to have a heart big enough to care. At this age they are not yet permanently distracted by the female gender and raging hormones. The focus is on enjoying life and having fun.
As my wife and I had the privilege of watching our son grow this past year, I was reminded anew of this special time in life. I think there is something that draws most men back to that time in their life. While we cannot go back in time, I do believe having fond memories of this period of your life are an extremely important foundation for the next (more challenging) stages of adolescence and young adulthood. I am extremely thankful and grateful to have had the opportunity to watch Rowan experience that and be a part of helping make it happen.
This past week was the end of the 2010 season for Naamans Little League. Rowan’s team made it into the playoffs and while they didn’t win, they did have a great last game as described in the write-up below. Thanks to team manager Rob Mullen and coaches Bo Pagleili and Gregg Donahue for the skills they taught the boys and for being such positive role models to them!
The Phils jumped out to a 7-1 lead through three innings then had to hold on to withstand another Dodger rally to win 7-6 and advance to Saturday’s AAA Championship. The Phils got off to a fast start with three runs in the first courtesy of Jake Mottola’s 2 RBI double to the wall and Ryan Maffia’s steal of home. Two innings later Mottola tripled in Jake Steltz and George Steinhoff to put the Phils up 7-1. After three quiet innings, the Dodger bats came alive in the visitor’s 4th with 4 runs, with the key blow being Jeremy Hartnett’s monster 2 RBI triple to the wall in left center that pulled the Dodgers within 2 runs at 7-5 before the Phils escaped further damage. Down to their final three outs, the Dodgers mounted one last charge. With one out, Rowan Davis legged out an infield single and stole his way around the bases to pull the Dodgers within a run before Phillies’ pitcher Austin Leshock retired the side on a Mike Pagliei’s comebacker and a strikeout.
Mottola led the Phils with 4 RBI and three hits, plus 7Ks on the mound. Ryan Maffia scored a pair of runs, and Matt Hetrick blasted a ground rule double to balance out the attack. Hartnett and Harry Geisenberger (2-3, double, 2 runs) led the Dodgers offense, and Tommy Donofrio pitched a pair of scoreless innings to keep the Dodgers in striking distance.
Congratulations Rowan on a mighty fine season and I hope you will always look back on this year of your life and thank God for the fond memories!
