apology.....

So, in yesterday's post, my friend Kellie (sorry about Ashes) commented about our experience with Kimiko Soldati, and she said about me, "Look how far the Lord has brought you". It made me think, was I that "bad" before, or is it just a difference that is now seen in me in other ways, that was not there before?(Now, Kellie, stop writing the email to me apologizing for what you said. It was not hurtful in any way, and it actually made me think. So again, stop typing.) I thought about it while on my walk this morning (do lots of thinking on my walks), and I think it is a combination of both.

None of my friends or family are going to say I was "bad", but I was at a time. I had no direction, no purpose, and just forced my way through situations. Since my return to church in 2004, it was slowly changing, but it has been ramped up to full speed after we found CRB in December 2007. For that I am very thankful, and feel blessed, especially for the fact that I have been able to share this growth with my friends, but even more so that I have experienced it with Morgan by my side.

That brings me to my apology. I am sure many of you may have heard or read about Josh Hamilton and his incredible home run display during the Home Run Derby, Monday night at Yankee Stadium. Also, from that, you may know about his even more incredible story (please read his Wiki, and the ESPN the Magazine links on the bottom of it) about how he started as the #1 overall pick for the Tampa Bay Devil Rays (they dropped the "Devil" part at the end of last season, and coincidentally are having their first winning season ever in their existence) in the 1999 baseball draft (out of Athens High in Raleigh), then went to the absolute lowest of the low, due to the demons of alcohol and drug addiction, was out of baseball for four years, only to return for the 2007 season, and now he is the leading candidate to be this year's American League MVP. Ask him what changed, and he will tell you it is all because of his faith and love in Jesus, and he will also tell you that if he had to do it all over again, he would not change one thing about his journey.

Well, sometime during that four years away, I remember reading a story about him in the Raleigh News & Observer, and I remember mumbling and talking to myself about what a "waste" of talent and energy he was. Seemed like each time he was getting ready to play again, he would revert back to the demons. Pathetic, I thought.

Now, he is on top of the world, and is telling the whole world his testimony about his love and faith in Jesus. Each time I have heard it over the past season and half, I have been inspired, but it has been seeing him these past 2 weeks tell his story that it hit home even more. I no longer "look up to" and admire athletes, like when I was a kid, but I have one now.

So, with that, I want to apologize for those thoughts I had about him while he was struggling. I am in no position to judge anyone, and his story shows me how anything is possible with the love and faith in Jesus Christ.

Between Josh's story, and Kimiko's story about the shovel, it has given me a great amount to think about and to inspire to with regards to my faith. Hopefully, I will get another comment in the future telling me again how much further the Lord has brought me.

- Comic Con is a week away.
- New Ben 'n Jerry's ice cream (wish it were vanilla)
- I enjoyed watching last night's All-Star Game.

Until the next time.....