It Takes A Team

April 27, 2008 by 2 Comments

It’s that time of year again. Spring not only sees the natural world renewed, but ball parks come to life as well. Cries of “Play ball!” and “Batter up!” ring out across the country. Players and fans alike take up their respective roles in this slice of Americana. Yesterday Don and I became a part of the cheering throngs as we attended one of our nephew’s games.

I stayed busy trying to capture some good shots of Cody while he was all business playing catcher for his team. I’m not sure he was happy having his own personal photojournalist following his every move, but darn it all, I have to take pictures when I get a chance :) Thanks to this camera-happy aunt, though, we have this shot of him scoring a run for his team. I must say I was pretty pleased with myself :)

Speaking of the team, baseball is all about teamwork, isn’t it? Cody wouldn’t have had the chance to cross home plate if one of his team members hadn’t kept the inning alive, and his team would be in a world of hurt without him — he’s their only catcher. He worked hard the entire game, but the other players all had roles to fill, too. In baseball, each player has his own job to do, and if he fails to do it, the bases fill up and runs are scored. Baseball is truly a team sport. One player just can’t do it alone. It takes a team.

In my last post, I asked you to think about the groups you enjoy sweet fellowship with. Today, consider specifically the teams you’re a part of. And no, I’m not just talking about sports — that might leave a lot of us out :)

We’re all on teams of some sort. If you’re married, you’re on a team with your mate. Or you may be part of a team at work or through one of your volunteer roles. And just like in baseball, each team member has own job to do. If we fail to do them, the team suffers or has to adjust in some way. If we each do our own job, though, the team works together and produces wonderful — and sometimes amazing — results.

Tell me about the teams you’re on. I’ll kick it off by sharing a few of mine — and try not to snicker at the obvious lack of sports involvement :) I’m an alto in our church choir, work with several others on a missions committee, serve with my friend Lisa in a Sunday School class for 1-yr. olds (though that might count as a sport!), and also work with Jeneal, my writing critique partner. Each of these endeavors requires teamwork. How about you? What teams are you on? Anyone seeing some great results?

“What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants…as the Lord has assigned to each his task. I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow…For we are God’s fellow workers…” 1 Corinthians 3:5-6;9a

*My photo

Filed Under: cheer, family, goal, group, spring, team

Good Medicine

March 26, 2008 by 8 Comments

I did my best to avoid it. I took mega-doses of C and sucked on zinc lozenges for well over a week, but the crud finally got me. It started wrapping its fingers around my throat while we were at Kristin and Shawn’s last week, and by Easter Sunday morning I had to croak my way through our choir’s cantata. On Monday I pushed through the day’s activities, but by yesterday I had to give up and collapse. Funny how a little fever makes the body demand some rest, huh?

Since I’m still feeling puny today, I’ll keep this brief but did want to pass along a home remedy guaranteed to at least put a smile on your face when you’re feeling under the weather. Proverbs 17:22 tells us that “A cheerful heart is good medicine…”, and thanks to some fun memories from our recent visit with Kristin and Shawn, I’ve had some good medicine to help me through these days of feeling bad.

You see, when we get together with our kids, we play games like crazy. In fact, as shown in the picture above, we had to move the table in by the tv so we could continue our games while the guys watched basketball :) As you can imagine, over the course of a couple of days, many hilarious moments transpired.

The one that makes me laugh out loud each time I think about it happened when we were playing Blokus. At one point while Kristin was out of the room, Shawn announced that we are the most competitive family he’s ever known and then went on to refer to us as “you three loonies” :) Maybe you had to be there, but that funny moment has provided me with some really “good medicine” the past couple of days. Thanks, Shawn :)

Ah, fun memories — now there’s a medicine I don’t mind taking!

Filed Under: body, cheer, family, fun, rest

Going "Splat"

February 24, 2008 by 5 Comments

Up for a little more basketball talk? We didn’t get to see our local college teams play this weekend, but we still worked in some basketball. Late Friday afternoon, we made a trip down to see our nephew Cody (taller kid front and center above) play on his 5th grade team.

Cody’s team beat their opponents handily, and yes, I whooped and hollered when Cody made a basket :) A few heads turned to see who the crazy lady was cheering for Cody, but I didn’t care. I needed to be extra loud since it will probably be the only game of his I get to see this season.

We arrived late and missed the first few minutes of play, but after spotting the rest of the family and getting seated, we could tell right away we were in for a totally different kind of ball than what we’re used to seeing at the college games :) Every few seconds, boys seemed to hit the floor. A few simply fell while running down the court, several got their feet tangled up with other players, and some would go down as a group. One collision sent four or five of them to the floor at once.

Their little bodies made such awful splats. I gasped more than once. Thank goodness, Cody stayed on his feet the entire time we were there. My sister Carolyn assured me that this was normal — that they fall all the time. When I pointed out blatant traveling and fouls that that the officials seemed to be blind to, she offered more assurance. “They can’t call everything. We’d be here all night. They have to pick and choose what they call.” Good point.

Even though this isn’t the first year of basketball for most of these boys, they’re still very much in the learning and skill developing stage of the game. What’s exciting, though, is that in between the falls, fouls, and travels, they made some great plays. Steals, lay-ups, good blocking, teamwork — we saw it all. And one day, some of these same boys could be the ones on college teams making the slick plays and slam dunks.

Whether in basketball or life in general, acquiring new skills and attempting new things just can’t be done without making plenty of mistakes along the way. Can anyone relate? I know I can. I remember going “splat” many times throughout my life :)

Let’s not let the fear of making mistakes keep us from growing and learning new things. Trying to master computer stuff and our new digital camera keeps me making my share of mistakes — but I’m also learning and improving all the time. Kind of like some 5th grade boys I saw the other night… How about you? Attempting anything new lately? Remember, going “splat” is to be expected. Just keep trying.

“…we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” Galations 6:9b

*My photo

Filed Under: cheer, family, goal, new thing, team

Cheer On!

February 20, 2008 by 6 Comments

1509146427_c8a460c84b_zMany Wednesday and Saturday evenings during the winter find me and Don cheering on our local community college girls and guys basketball teams. Well, I cheer anyway. Don doesn’t get too excited, just a little clapping here and there. That’s okay, though. I make enough noise for both of us.

It’s probably a carryover from my high school pep club days. We wore uniforms, had our own special section at home games, rode the bus to “away” games, and “screamed our guts out” (an expression of the day) every Friday night. I’ve considerably toned my behavior down since then :), but I still love to whoop and holler and “oh, yeah!” at all the appropriate moments during the games we attend now.

This past Saturday night, the gym rocked as our biggest rival tried to defeat us on our home court (they beat us a few weeks ago when we played there). Our guys, usually conference champs who go on to nationals, have suffered several losses this season, but they weren’t about to let a long-time rival beat them at home. With home court advantage and a few hundred fans cheering them on, they outlasted this year’s conference leader and gave us all plenty to whoop and holler about. You know, edge of your seat excitement the whole game through. It was great.

Coaches and players everywhere will testify to the difference fans can make. Players are spurred on by the roar of the crowd. They thrive on the support. Sometimes the only thing that keeps tired athletes going are the shouts cheering them on that they hear from coaches, teammates, and, yes, their fans in the stands.

We all need that kind of encouragement in our own lives, don’t we? We need someone cheering us on. Think of the challenges you’ve faced over the years. Did someone’s encouraging words, faithful prayers, or exhortation to “hang in there” help you achieve your goals or see the challenges through to the end?

The support of family and friends has helped me time and again, but most recently, it has helped me persevere with my writing. Everytime someone shows an interest or tells me they’ve enjoyed something I’ve written or rejoices with me when something is published, I’m strengthened and encouraged to stick with it. Many of you have acted as my cheering section — thanks so much.

Let’s be watching for those who may need our support. Let’s be ready to be cheerleaders. If you’re the one who needs a little encouragement right now, consider yourself encouraged. May God strengthen and uphold you with His mighty power.

“Therefore encourage one another and build each other up…” 1 Thessalonians 5:11

Flickr photo by echobase_2000, Creative Commons License

Filed Under: Above and Beyond, cheer, goal, help, team, writing

Merry Christmas!

December 23, 2007 by 7 Comments

Things are very Christmasy at the Barker house. Our kids are home, and we are in the thick of enjoying each other and all of our traditional Christmas activities — eating, playing games, eating, watching Christmas movies, eating… Bet it sounds a lot like your house :)

And guess what our kids did? They surprised us with a digital camera for our anniversary! Yes, we are a little late moving into the digital age. Now I just have to figure it all out :) Thought I better post a picture on the blog while they are here to show me how to do it. Hopefully, I’ll be able to remember all of the ins and outs so I can share more pictures with you in the future :)

Today I simply want to wish each and every one of you a “Merry Christmas” and leave you with a little something to think about as you celebrate this most precious holiday:

“…she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.” (Luke 2:7 NIV) Is there room at your house, in your heart, for the Christ child?

“God always fills in all hearts all the room which is left Him there.” F.W. Faber

May you be blessed this Christmas — and don’t be surprised if I don’t post again for a week or so. I’ll be busy eating fudge and Christmas cookies. Hey, a girl’s gotta celebrate! Merry Christmas!

Filed Under: blessing, cheer, family, holidays
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