I help coach Jay's t-ball team during games and it's one of the most challenging things I've ever done. They play 2 innings each game because it takes some of the kids about 5 minutes to actually make contact with the ball and determine which direction they should run while the players in the field play tackle baseball trying to get the ball from each other.
About halfway through the first inning at Tuesday's game, I realized that I had probably said "watch the ball" about 40 times and probably said it 100 times before the game was over. Stop playing in the dirt and watch the ball. Stop kicking each other and watch the ball. It occurred to me that it's the basic fundamental skill in learning to play the game of baseball. You MUST keep your eye on the ball. If you don't, you CAN'T be a good baseball player. It's simply impossible to be good at any aspect of the game without learning to watch the ball, and it's the great baseball players that seem to have the uncanny ability to see the ball almost as if it's in slow motion...
In my thoughts on this subject during the game, my mind went to my faith during the 5 minute at bats toward the bottom of the line-ups;) What is the parallel "skill" in Christianity? What is THE foundational "activity" that will ensure success in our faith and without which we will ultimately founder? Some may say that there is no answer to this question and that any answer would be an oversimplification of the faith, but I believe that there is and that overcomplication of the faith is much more of a problem than oversimplification...
The "skill" that is essential to the Christian faith is... Treasuring Christ above all else! This is the essential activity that causes the rest of the "game" to fall into place. Without it, we're just pretending. Where there is no genuine passion and love for Christ, there is only hollow religious activity that will ultimately end in temporal emptiness and eternal dissapointment.
Watch the ball! Love the Lord your God with all your heart! It really is that "simple";)
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Tim Keller thing on Monday Morning Insight, check it out..
http://mondaymorninginsight.com/index.php
Religiosity is EVIL... Keller is the man.
I can't tell you how much it does me good to read that you are participating in activities that "someone" once made fun of me for.
This is the second time this has happened recently. The blog was the first. HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA
(sorry this is too much like a regular jeff comment, bisque)
Regular Jeff- I don't get it??
Coach,
You know it's easier to just kick a ball than try to...hit, catch, and throw. Sounds like your boys already have the kicking down.
#19
Mike, they can kick the dirt better than anything. Jay's got a good foot and he's already pretty ambidextrious. I'm sure he'll be good at soccer;)
Go wathc your boy Driscoll on live stream from the Purpose Driven Life Conference.. He was cracking me up.
http://www.ustream.tv/channel/purpose-driven-network-summit-2008
I was featured on the guy interviewing him in the red shirts blog. That's Ragamuffinsoul.com
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