A Chosen People

Everybody wants to fit in and be what you want to be. The sky is the the limit. The choice is yours.

The corner lots was like paradise to a bunch of baseball fans. A gravel yard filled with cinders, cardboard bases, splintered baseball bats, and tattered baseballs. Whatever worked was the name of the game. Nothing could be better and it was fun.

Like the little rascals we gathered with friends on a corner lot to play baseball. After the usual chitchat we got down to business and chose sides.

Two guys tossed a baseball bat to the other while one of them caught it with a bare fist. Then one by one a fist climbed over the other until one fist reached the top and chose first while the boys anxouisly waited to learn which team they will be on.

I trembled with all the guys. I was always chosen last like left over meat. I wasn’t the most popular boy on the team. But I loved to play baseball, anyway. To me it didn’t matter what my friends thought.

Did you know that you are chosen? Maybe in elementary school you were the last one selected for a team. You may still feel the sting of being passed over by the team captain. But today’s message confirms that you have been chosen by God Himself!

God chose Abraham early in biblical history (see Gen. 12). But his descandants did not become a choice nation until they recived the Law at Mount Sinai (Ex. 19:1–8). God promised “Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession.”

The church is also “a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession.” (v. 9) This means we’re called to faithfulness and obedience. We’re destined for a joyful eternity with Him.

It’s encouraging to learn what side of the fence we belong on and how to get there. God is good and we can enjoy life in Christ. Amen.

Actions Speak Louder Than Words

Our men's small group meets every Saturday morning to share the woes of the world and build each other up in the faith. With breakfast and coffee we close our meeting with prayer request from the circle of men. The request may vary, however one gentleman always asked to pray for wisdom.

Everybody wants wisdom. Unfortunately some people expect it to fall into their lap and perform a miracle. Lack of responsibility will get you no where fast.

Wisdom requires action. Some folks call it facts and knowledge on wheels. Once the facts are laid out it's time to put them to work. It's a mindset thing. People can tell you what to do, but if your lazy and ignore all the facts don't complain. I get tired of people complaining about a lack of wisdom without doing anything about it.

People gather on Sunday morning to worship in church. The preacher shares a Bible truth that will melt a heart mixed with a smile and tears. The next step is an invitation to respond and usually the aisles are filled with people gathering around the pulpit.

Baseball is another good example. My friend Tom wants to be a pitcher. The problem is he can't pitch. Something was not right and baseball fans didn't like a losing pitcher.

One day another friend shared some practical advice. "Learn to mix up your pitching style, Tom. Depending on how you hold your ball, it will do different things when it crosses home plate. And vary the speed on every pitch. Who knows, you might confuse the batter and he'll struggle. Surprise!"

Action does speak louder than words. Practice makes perfect and Tom's pitching style started to improve.

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Commitment to Achieve Your Goals

 

Are you committed to achieving your goals in 2022? I thought I was until circumstances told me otherwise.

Commitment is hard work and requires consistency. Don't ignore it. No matter how you feel you must force yourself to accomplish the task like getting a college education or playing baseball as an example.

When I graduated from high school the talk of the town was college. Everybody wanted to go to college. Rich man, poor man and in between, it didn't matter. The in group went to college.

I was a poor student. Reading, writing, and arithmetic, was not my thing. I struggled to get passing grades and was willing to give it a try. 

The demand for a college degree in the job market kept nagging me. No human resource person would listen to me. They were more interested in talking to college grads. We were stuck.

So I made up my mind to go to college and continue to struggle. I tried everything. First evening school, then community college, and finally a university. When I graduated it was a proud day in my life joining my fellow classmates and marching down the aisle in a cap and gown. Persistence paid off. 

Another test in persistence was playing baseball. We gathered on a corner lot with friends, but it wasn't always easy. Some guys played like pros while others struggled to keep up with the game. Bullying followed those who couldn't hit or missed catching fly balls. Even on a corner lot in blue jeans and tennis shoes not everybody could play baseball.

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Your Brighter Future

If you make the right New Year's resolution you will have a brighter future and a better life. Who doesn't want that? The problem is that most people don't take this responsibility seriously.

New Year's Day is gone, but not the New Year. Now it's time to make a New Year's resolution and have a better life in 2022. It's a mindset thing. Are you ready to meet the challenge?

Some people ignore making a resolution, but it's smarter if they did. If 2021 was a bad year doing nothing in 2022 will be even worst. Look for a brighter future.

Dealing with the problems of the world my first thought was to save more money. TV commercials give us all kinds of ways to make money, but I often have doubts. In this inflationary age I don't even have enough money to meet all my basic needs. If only money grew on trees I'd be better off.

Perhaps I should develop a new skill. I always wanted to be a professional league baseball player. I can see it all now when fans watched me pitching fast balls, striking those guys out, and preventing them from scoring runs. But that's wishful thinking. Those were by gone days to dream big. Did you ever see an old man playing baseball today? Neither have I.

As a Christ-follower since 12 I have attended church most of my life. Through many ups and downs in life I like to read my Bible. In 2022 I'd like to share more Bible truths with my friends in a small group at our local church and that is a good possibility.

To be practical and realistic I will continue to share practical truths for daily living from my newsletter. I like to write. Thank you everybody for being a part of Corner Lots Baseball. 

So where are you with your New Year's resolutions? Be practical and know who you are. Don't take on more than you can handle and who knows your bright future may surprise you.

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The Passion of a Violinist

Our family gathered to celebrate an old fashion Christmas with a traditional book exchange. Books intrigue me almost as much as watching a baseball game.

It was Christmas Day at our house. A time when ten happy folks gathered to exchange gifts, have some fellowship, and eat lots of food. Who cares about weight? Enjoy. Have you been good? Are you on Santa's lists? 

The Christmas tree lights are on. As we gathered around the tree gawking eyes stared at all the gifts. Names in a bag revealed who got what gift.

I like to read. John Grisham was one of my favorite authors. I read all of his books except one, The Judges Lists which I just opened. Calico Joe, a story about a baseball player was another favorite. Either way, laugh or cry, I always enjoyed reading a god book.

Recently I heard an interesting sermon at church. That's where I learned about Joshua Bell, famous violinist.

My daughter Debbie is a talented musician. When I drew her name out of the bag I thought of Joshua Bell. Again I'm always interested in people whom fulfill a passion by rising up on their own bootstraps.

Joshua Bell was a brilliant violinist at four years of age. After his mother discovered that he took some rubber bands from around the house and stretched them across the handles of nine dresser drawers to pluck some music he heard his mother play on the piano, he started taking lessons on a scale to size violin at five.

His parents wanted him to be average just like any other kid, but he had other ideas. He was serious about music and at 14 played with the Philadelphia orchestra. The rest is history.

On January 12, 2007 Bell doned a baseball cap and played an incognito busker at the Metro subway station in Washington D.C.. 1,067 people passed by him while only seven stopped to listen to him. For a 45 minute performance he collected only $32.17 from twenty-seven people.

Today Joshua Bell is a famous violinist all over the world. It's an interesting story with a good lesson to learn. Don't let anything stop you. Allow your passion to grow and who knows, you may be successful.

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Home for the Holidays (part 2)

As I sit back and stare at my Christmas tree I am reminded of Christmas. The six foot tree in my living room leaves no secret. By the time you read this Christmas story Christmas Day may have passed, however it's worth sharing so here it is.

Rolling down the tree from top to bottom my eyes saw an assortment of colored light bulbs. Enough lights to make any imagination to go wild along with a variety of Christmas tree ornaments sparkling and reflecting a glow. A gold star on top of the tree completed the decoration.

Surrounding the tree was parked an assortment of gifts wrapped in attractive boxes. Big and small boxes in beautiful colors kept the family guessing what's inside.

Underneath the tree we saw a manger scene. Miniature angels, shepherds, three wise men, the baby Jesus lying in a manger with Mary and Joseph standing or kneeling in some hay, and some sheep reminded us all about the real meaning of Christmas.

From Corner Lots Baseball we'd like to wish all of you a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. Also we hope 2022 is a better year for you as we all continue to move forward with joy in our hearts.

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Traveling with Friends

 

Do you feel discouraged? With all the ups and downs in this world do you feel that sometimes you have so much on your plate that life appears to be a no win situation? Relax because I have good news for you.

Recently my son encountered a difficult situation with his boss on a new job. My son is an architectural manager. The company works on several projects at the same time and don't always get the necessary support from clients, i.e. information to complete the project. The boss is unreasonable and there are deadlines to meet. 

For many years I worked in healthcare. My responsibility was caring for the sick. So I lacked the necessary experience that architects and artists had.

Meanwhile, back to my story. When two personalities clash between the manager and the boss, a third person is necessary. That person is usually a person within the company with a like personality to the manager and experiencing the same frustrations.

Two people experiencing the same thing can build each other up. The trials don't always go away immediately, but hard working honest people can continue to work with integrity.

I am a devout Christ-follower. Naturally my immediate thought is what does the Bible say about this situation? The answer may surprise you. A thousand pound weight was just lifted off my shoulders.

In the gospel of Mark Jesus chose twelve men to be His disciples. He went on to make them apostles with authority and sent them out to heal the sick, cast out demons, and preach repentance for their sins. (Mark 6:7-13)

Jesus knew that they would encounter resistance. So Jesus encouraged them to go out in pairs. That way they can build each other up in the faith. Two-by-two they can encourage each other.

Traveling with friends makes a lot of sense. It gives us strength to meet the troubles of the world. Amen!

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