A Disney Confession

Disney is on my mind. The days until our next trip are quickly approaching. Our countdown plate reminds us of the remaining weeks, and the magnetic dry-erase board is updated daily. Brandon and I have been feverishly writing to meet end-of-the-month blogging goals for the Mouse for Less before our vacation, ensuring we will have additional treats awaiting us when we arrive at our resort.

With my mind on Disney, I feel compelled to make a confession, although this fact has already been discovered by several of my close friends. While most acquaintances know that my brain is filled with a plethora of Disney odds and ends – some quite helpful and others just bits of trivia – and that our family frequents Mickey’s Florida home almost yearly, many have not yet realized that I belong to a group of fellow Disney fanatics that meets monthly for the sole purpose of discussing Disney.

The group began quite unintentionally. My friend Stacey entered a contest and won a Disney party-in-a-box. With nothing specific to celebrate, she decided to invite other friends who love and appreciate all things Disney. The party was such a success that one guest suggested we meet monthly to continue sharing favorite memories, valuable tips, and hopes and anticipations of upcoming trips.

And thus began Mouse Club. Our unique fellowship has the appearance of a support group for Mickey stalkers or obsessive Disney fans, but in fact, we are merely friends who like Disney World.

Well... maybe we are just a bit obsessive with our numerous planning tips, our multiple Mouse for Less blog posts, our color-coded vacation agendas, and the abundance of Disney paraphernalia that can be found within our homes.

But our group benefits us all. We each have a wealth of Disney facts and experiences in our minds, and we enjoy sharing tips and passing along information as we learn it. We also gain from one another’s knowledge and experiences.

We are not an exclusive group, but few people understand our love for Disney and the excitement it ignites. Therefore, a core of four and our children make up Mouse Club. Others have been welcomed, however, and friends have visited when seeking assistance in planning upcoming trips. A few even return to share the exciting, memorable details of their vacation.

Our kids get along well. They understand the Disney connection, but are usually more interested in hiking trails, throwing footballs, playing video games, and simply hanging out together. They enjoy the yummy snacks, too.

My Disney friends are some of my dearest. I eagerly anticipate getting together not merely for the Disney talk, as wonderful as that is, but because I genuinely like these ladies.

Our bonds extend beyond Disney. I attended Andrea’s wedding and visited her in the hospital after the birth of her first child; I gleaned leadership support and wisdom from AD when we were both coordinators of local MOPS ministries; I have eagerly received homeschool advice and blogging tips from Stacey. During certain times, I have prayed faithfully for each.

These ladies are loyal, compassionate friends that I can call on in an emergency and know they will do all they can to help; I would do the same for them. What started as merely a common fascination with Disney has evolved into a trustworthy, steadfast group of friends.

Planning our gatherings gets more difficult each month. Our children are on different school schedules, and Stacey has an afternoon job to work around. But continuing to meet together is a priority.

Using a bit of resourcefulness, we find times for getting together. Sometimes it’s a breakfast with just the ladies; at other times, we may meet in the evening or during a child’s ballgame. Once a year, our entire families gather for a Christmas party. No matter what or how, we will continue to get together because we like each other – and not just Disney – that much!


Both our Disney vacations and the good friends who share a mutual enthusiasm for one of the “happiest places on earth” are undoubtedly blessings from the Lord!

“…Go home to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you…” Mark 5:19

That's the Ballgame!

Another season of baseball has wrapped up, and even though our sons brought home no championship titles, my family deems it one of the best yet!

With great delight, I observed Zachary seize the opportunity given to him to play his most desired position: catcher. On days when no games or practices were officially scheduled, he would suit up with the gear and work on catching pop-ups in our yard. During games, he quickly pulled the catcher’s mask off and sought after almost every ball that failed to hit his mitt.

Our energetic, fearless son seems to be fashioned just for the catcher’s position. Zachary willingly and enthusiastically sacrificed bodily comfort for balls he hoped to grab. His perfect fit reminds me of a Christian’s distinctive position within the body of Christ. God gives all believers unique, individual gifts in order to work together as a team to accomplish His purpose.

Nicholas struggled to find his spot on the team. He yearned to pitch and was able to relieve in one game, ending a long inning for the previous pitcher. Yet he never had the opportunity again. He sought after the short-stop position, one he played well in fall baseball. Again, he played this spot in one game, making no mistakes, even tagging a runner out, but was not given another chance.

After a while, he settled into rotating between second base and out-field, but quickly lost focus and interest as his most coveted positions eluded him. Life is filled with undesirable situations and tasks. Yet we should honor the Lord wherever He puts us. This reminder perked Nicholas up and motivated him to do his best wherever he was assigned.


Zachary’s story with the bat is well recorded, but what about Nicholas? Moving up to kid pitch presents more struggles for batters. Much of the game is made up of walks and stealing bases. After earning only one or two hits last spring, this year Nicholas was delighted to achieve seven hits!

Furthermore, he had fewer strike outs and was often walked when he was not hitting. A pro at stealing bases, he earned a “homerun” without ever hitting the ball. After being walked to first, he was able to steal second, third, and home before the next batter ever stepped up to the plate!

As for me, I struggled at times during the season with complaining, finding it easier to see the injustices rather than the simple joys. Eventually, God reminded me while studying Exodus 11 that “..when the people complained, it displeased the Lord.” The reprimand was accepted, and I pushed aside the complaints, determining to cheer enthusiastically for each player rather than contemplate biases during ballgames.

One of the highlights of the season for our family was the friendships that developed. Three families, including our own, were on both the Seadogs’ and the Riverdogs’ teams. Spending almost every evening together at the ball park sealed the friendships among both teammates and siblings.

The younger boys were soon referred to as the Three Musketeers; one was never seen without the others.

The middle ones quickly followed suit.

And the older brothers, including Brandon, who decided not to play this spring, enjoyed and appreciated the friendships that formed while riding Ripstiks and scooters, socializing at the playground, and cheering on the younger kids.

Parents connected as well while cheering for each other’s son at bat. We understood the nerves experienced when one’s child stepped up to the plate and the maternal heartbreak of a strike-out. On the other hand, hits and homeruns resulted in ecstatic cheers and high-fives among the baseball moms.

Even the coaches developed a camaraderie as they worked together to teach the boys not only about baseball, but also sportsmanship and Christ-likeness. After a particularly frustrating loss, the Riverdogs’ coaches, including Mike who pitched for the team, were observed praying together for their young players.

Feelings of withdrawal are surfacing as I find myself missing the excitement of the games, the friendship among both the kids and the moms, and the close-up view of God at work in recreational baseball. What a fantastic season spring 2011 has been!

“Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good…!” Psalm 34:8a

Our Dad!

In the words of Brandon, Nicholas, and Zachary:

Our dad is the best because...

-He is a Christian.
-He is a good role model.
-He provides for our family and takes care of us.
-He teaches us about God.
-He knows a lot and is wise.
-He takes us to Disney World.

-He gives us haircuts.
-He takes us to Home Depot.
-He gives us tools.
-He teaches us how to build things and how to have a garden.
-He has a cool job as a SWAT team officer and tells us exciting stories about it.
-He takes us shooting.
-He takes us to see sports events like the Carolina Mudcats, Durham Bulls, and Carolina Hurricanes games.

-He plays sports with us and teaches us how to get better.
-He lets us have a dog and a gerbil.
-He plays games and watches movies with us.
-He tells funny jokes.
-He’s our hero!

Happy Father's Day! We love you!


“And the glory of children is their father.” Proverbs 17:6b

The Slump: A Mom's Perspective

Throughout Zachary’s slump in baseball, my heart ached. Although relatively short-lived, the slump seemed like months. A few difficult games and practices can easily cause all accomplishments from the season to be overlooked.

My son understandably struggled the previous spring as a new coach-pitch player, but now, a year later, he had been hitting almost every ball pitched to him. Why would God allow this sudden switch back to his previous batting difficulties? I observed Zachary’s discouragement and frustration, wanting so badly to fix it for him.

A knot in my stomach would form as he stepped on deck, preparing for his turn to bat.

“Come on, baby, you can do this!” I cheered him on.

“Come on, God, you can let him hit again… please.” I pleaded with the Lord.

In the midst of his struggles – and mine too with nervousness from a maternal desire to see my son overcome his slump – my faith was stretched. While not comprehending what God was doing, I was certain, however, that He was at work.

In the middle of an intense season of baseball, this recreational sport can seem deceptively big not only for eight year-old boys, but also for coaches and parents. Maintaining a proper perspective can be difficult.

During a Sunday morning sermon on the day of a tournament game, our pastor preached from 2 Corinthians 5. My eyes glanced to the previous chapter, and I began reading.

“For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.” 2 Corinthians 4:17-18

With much clarity, God reminded me of His perspective. Recreational baseball is simply a fun pastime, and a slump in this sport is merely a light affliction.

The “things which are seen”, including hits, runs, and catches, are neatly tallied in a book and used in part to assign All Star status at the end of the season. Yet they alone are temporary and relatively unimportant in the whole scheme of life.

Whether due to injury, illness, or a slump, any or all potential accolades can quickly be taken away from a player. No matter how far in life baseball takes a person, his success in the sport will eventually fade away.

What cannot be taken away? The far more exceeding and eternal!

The spiritual maturity and character building Zachary achieved as a result of his slump cannot be eradicated and in fact, although unseen by most, holds much more importance in his young life. All of the players, coaches, parents, and fans saw Zachary’s homerun, as well as the outs he made as catcher. We all cheered him on, and I praised God for giving him this success.

But the prayers I listened to him utter and the faith I saw strengthened even when God answered “no” far surpass the homerun and catches. The spiritual lessons he learned through his struggles and the power given to him by God to overcome those difficulties greatly exceeds his baseball statistics.

While Zachary just missed taking home the championship title and a spot on the All Star’s team, my son has been rewarded with a far more exceeding and eternal prize - one not seen by human eyes, yet one that will carry him farther in life than baseball alone ever will.

“For we walk by faith, not by sight.”
2 Corinthians 5:7

The Slump: Zachary's Struggle

What a baseball season for Zachary, my little Riverdog!

After almost no success with batting last year, Zachary charged into a new season with might, determination, and a string of hits. For well over half the season, he seized each opportunity given to him to hit the ball, rarely failing to get on base. He also earned his coveted spot as lead catcher and played the position with every ounce of energy and enthusiasm he had, catching pop foul balls and tagging runners out at home plate.


But then something happened. In sports, they are called “slumps”. While Zachary maintained success as a catcher, he began struggling with the bat.

In the Bible, Job speaks of the Lord giving and the Lord taking away. I attempted to suppress thoughts that this may be the path God was allowing Zachary to take, yet the new statistics could not be ignored.

In reality, his hitting slump was somewhat dramatized; reflecting back on the entire season, my young ball player had just two games with only strike-outs. Yet it felt much worse at the time, to some extent because he had hit exceptionally well prior to the slump and also because of struggles at practice with batting. Moreover, his order in the line-up began dropping with each successive game.

Slumps in life cause frustration and sadness, yet they also provide many opportunities for introspection and reflection.

In the midst of his difficulties, Zachary candidly stated that he had been asking God to help him hit better again. Despite the struggles, I rejoiced in the knowledge that my youngest son was praying on his own with no prompting. Perhaps God allows difficulties in life for that reason – to bring the one struggling to a closer relationship with Him.

Zachary’s faith was strengthened as he trusted God with the results. Lifting up a prayer to God is no magical formula for success. He simply made his request known to God and trusted whatever answer He gave.

Additionally, Zachary discovered that struggles in life are sometimes compounded by negative thoughts that seek to torture their victim. He began to believe the lie that he would never hit again. Upon recognizing his discouraging feelings for what they were, he made every effort to douse those hopeless thoughts and replace them with a God-honoring attitude.

Perhaps most of all, Zachary learned that God’s love supersedes baseball. Beginning to feel as if he was disappointing others, he became downtrodden. Yet when reminded that our love, and most of all God’s love, does not depend on his success in baseball, his enthusiasm returned.

In the midst of the spiritual revelations, God granted Zachary an answer to his prayers with a “baseball” revelation. All the advice and coaching he had received confused him, and, in part, compounded his problem. His own discovery that keeping his elbow down (new advice given to the team) hurt his swing rather than improved it became the fuel he needed. Immediately convinced that his slump was over, he was ready to play ball!

Although not quite at the same level as before, Zachary did begin hitting again. He finished the season with one or two hits at each tournament game, even bringing home the winning run in game two. Perhaps more importantly, his confidence and happiness returned.

Zachary conquered his slump. But I am convinced it was not merely due to hits or big plays, but because of a growing faith and trust in the Lord and an unwavering assurance of God’s unconditional love for Him

And just as the Lord gave Job much more than he initially lost, God did the same for Zachary.

During one of his last at-bats of the season, he hammered the ball down the third base line and straight to the fence. As his opponents chased after the ball and fought to bring it in-field, Zachary ran around first base, then second and third, and straight to home plate – earning his first homerun ever! What a beautiful opportunity the Lord gave to Zachary, who in turn, with renewed confidence and trust in the Lord, seized it with all his might!

“The Lord gave and the Lord took away; blessed be the Lord!” Job 1:21

“Now the Lord blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning…” Job 42:12a