Sunday, March 14, 2010

Starting The New Week in Prayer, What A Great Way To Start It!

This past week brought a really awesome experience for a group of young athletes and a precious little boy.

As most of you know, my family is a baseball family. Our youngest son, Garrett, is a member of the Bolton High School baseball team. A little while back, his coach came to me and talked to me about taking the team down to St Jude for a tour. I was delighted to set this up for him. This past Thursday we were able to take that tour. The guys all dressed in their game jerseys and loaded up at the school and off to St Jude we went. They divided into 2 groups and went on their way to tour the remarkable hospital. While they were touring, I went upstairs to visit with Jack as he is back inpatient. After the guys returned to the lobby from their tour, after clearing with the nurses, Jack, Katie and Ma came down to the lobby for a visit with the team. The team members and coaches had each signed a baseball and presented it to Jack. Sweet little Jack was so proud of his baseball. The guys were so touched by getting to meet Jack and make pictures with him. Katie sent me a text and told me later that Jack had gone back upstairs and had shown his new ball to all of the nurses. That just made my day to know those guys had brought a smile to that little guy. Seeing him and his smile just made the day of each of those big old manly baseball players. After our visit and picture session with Jack, the guys all loaded back into the cars to go back to the school. It was a very somber and realistic ride home. The first words spoken by one of the juniors riding with me went something like this.... " I will never complain about baseball practice ever again" I knew this group of young scraping athletes lives had been touched.
When we arrived back at the school the players and coaches went into the locker room for a meeting. When they came out, coach came over to me and told me that when they "broke huddle" instead of saying... "one, two, three, GO WILDCATS" they said "one, two, three, GO JACK" Chills and tears!!!!! What can I say. Then the players came out and ask me if I could get one of the team pictures with Jack blown up to a poster for them to hang in their locker room. More chills and more tears!!!! Not only were they touched by this little boy, they saw a need and have the desire to do what they can to raise money for St Jude. So they have decided to challenge the girls softball team to see which team can raise the most money for St Jude during their 2010 season!!! The softball coach accepted and the challenge IS ON!!! The coaches will determine the "reward" for the winning team. Each team will have a donation jar at the concession stand at each home game during the season, and each person making a donation will get a ticket. A winning ticket will be drawn at the end of the 5th inning and the winner will receive a free hamburger and a drink from the concession stand. Our season begins tomorrow.... may the best team win!! St Jude is the real winner here!!!

Ariel got to go home before they got to do the tour, but they also signed a game ball for her. She and her family were able to come out to a pre-season scrimmage game the day before they left to go home. Hopefully it will work out for her to come to more games as she comes back for checkups. The team does plan to have a St Jude night and have some of the kids come out to the game. We will be working on that to make it a special event for some of the kids.


Jack and your 2010 Bolton Wildcat Baseball Team


Jack and the guys showing everyone exactly who is #1


Katie, Jack and Garrett
Keep praying for Jack, he is in a lot of pain, but is such a tough little cookie! Pray for his burns from radiation to heal and him to be fever free. Did you notice his cute little doctor pj's and the tight grip he has on his baseball?

I finally got a chance to download some pictures from a few weeks ago. I think I told you about the outing for Ariel and her mom to go get their hair done. I wanted to share a few of the pictures from this day with you.


Ariel with her new hair cut. Beautiful girl!


Ariel showing off her purple streak in the underneath back part of her hair. She was so proud of it.


Ariel and Mom.... mom is still in process but she looked very beautiful sporting her new much shorter hairdo when she finished. Two new women!!!

Please keep praying for Ariel and her family. I am not going to go into alot of details but I just ask you to read the post left today on her Caringbridge site. Just go to her name listed on the left of this page under the category "Our Friends". Click on her name and it will take you directly to her page. This is such an outpouring of emotions that gives you such a real view of what each of these families face and go through. There is nothing I can say, she says it all and you will see the prayer needs that they have. Please read and keep them in your prayers.

The following is a poem that Ariels twin sister Amber wrote during the first days of their stay at St Jude. What insight this young 16 year old girl has. She is just as amazing as her twin. I did not ask for permission to reprint it for you, so I figure I will ask for forgiveness rather than permission.... I do not feel that they will mind one bit at all or I would not have copied it. I just wanted to have it here for you in case you did not go to her page and read her journal entry today. Pray for The Reynolds Family.



TITLED: COLORS
Everywhere I look I see people...kids.
Here everyone has the same problem;there is someone sick,
someone grieving, someone emotional and someone scared.
All these people are red, yellow ,black and white.
All here for the same thing; all having the same problem,
and all different colors.
You look here, and there, and everywhere, and all you see is colors...
The people, the walls, the buildings and halls.
The walls they're red,blue,white...
they have seasons, and tell stories about life and fun times.
Here, there are so many colors...
inside as there is out.
People here, people there, people everywhere.
Things things things.....
Hopes and dreams.
You soar, you fly, you scream and cry.
People look, people stare, and most don't even care.
You don't care because you aren't scared anymore
you have friends and family, and best of all God.
He knows your life and death
he is your beginning and end
he is alpha and omega.
You are never in this alone
whether you're a patient, parent or a sibling
or even just a friend
you will always have someone there for you.
It's always a fight to survive
but you can never lose,
it does not matter whether you live or die
you win from how many people you save
by being a friend
or having a good attitude
you can always win by that
so be colorful and shine bright
in this even more colorful world.


written by Amber Reynolds

Prayers for a great week for everyone. Prayers for all of those traveling during the spring breaks that so many of our school kids are on during this time of year. Prayers for all of the families missing their angel everyday. God, we pray for a cure to be found to wipe out this beast! In Christ Name, Amen

Have a great week!

BELIEVE PRAYER WORKS~

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