Saturday Shout Outs!

If you read this blog at all then you know that life has been kinda crazy these past few weeks. Life tends to be that way from time to time. There have been many posts about questions, doubts and frustrations- because those are the things on the tips of fingers when I write these days. But those things are fleeting, and will pass as we keep the faith and we keep praying. The things that are real- the things that are permanent- are things like God's love and the friendship, courage and support we can offer each other. And those things are plentiful in my life. They are the things we remember here today as we do our Saturday Shout Outs! So keep reading, and be encouraged. There is much to be thankful for...

• Marilyn and I are so thankful for all the thoughts and prayers sent our way since Conner's death and Will's departure for UCF. We miss them both very much. The house is very strange still, but we are adjusting. And we are used to that. Tomorrow marks 29 years of marriage. We KNOW how to adjust!
• Prayers continue for Lisa Moran, whose courage and spirit know no limits in her fight with pancreatic cancer, but whose body is struggling. We love you Lisa, and pray that you will be able to join us on...
• September 9th (good LORD willin' and the creek don't rise!) we head to Ocean Isle, NC for a gathering of some old friends for a few days at the beach. I'm not just excited to see Denise, Carl, Beth, Tammy, Steve, Rob and all the rest- I NEED this getaway. 
• In the past week I got sweet notes from Jay Osborne, Susan McBane Tuggle, Leigh Ann Venable, Marie Allen Duke, Cheryl Deal Meadows, Ashley Goad and Teresa Tysinger offering words of comfort and encouragement. I also got calls from Jan Koerner, Jennifer Kuramochi and our old buddy Lewis Farlow. Old friends ROCK!!!
• We have seen on Facebook where Jennifer (Gastler) Chan and Isabelle Davis Randolph are expecting! Prayers for both of these wonderful former youth as they go forward. And I SOOOO look forward to Debbie Davis being a grandmother!!!
• As if it was really needed, here's further proof that Taylor Swift is cooler than you...or me...or most anyone else...

• Speaking of great songs, Tammy Foster requested that I prepare a few Brown/Jones classics for the beach trip. Anything in particular, Tammy? The Parakeet Song? We've Got Gas? Roll Over Lucy? Cast your votes!!!
• While moving Will into his luxury accommodations last weekend we got to share whatever meal it is you have at 4 PM with the Hanbery clan! Great to see them and to know they are local to Will's new home. Jerry is already making plans. Oh. My. Goodness.  :)
• Speaking of Jerry...he ran an idea past me that I will now run past my other Kissimmee era friends. He was wondering - if we booked part of the Betsy B for a long weekend in the Fall of 2016 (perhaps right after Labor Day) could we get folks to commit to joining us? So...could we? Voice your opinion here! I know Brook Teoli is pushing for another reunion. We need input!
• I'm only gone for 21 years and the NC Yearly Meeting of Friends just falls apart. I knew they couldn't make it without me...
• Another reason to be jealous of my son's new college digs. He has a Bojangles close by. We in Tampa do not. This is just wrong!
• For those of us living in Tampa Bay, here's the big question. What's more likely to be a dud- Tropical Storm Erika or the 2015 Tampa Bay Buccaneers? Right now it's even money.
• And finally...as many of you (over 400 of you read yesterday's post Maybe Chicken Little Was Right) know Lisa Jewett is having major surgery on Monday. So let's make tomorrow Prayers for Lisa Day! How do we participate, you ask? First of all- PRAY! Secondly, send her a message on Facebook, Twitter (@lisajewett18) or by leaving a comment here. Let her know that we are with her and God is for her. And finally, pray some more. We can be her support team on Monday by lifting her to God tomorrow. Prayer matters.

That's it for today. Have a great Saturday and keep smiling.

Because of Jesus,

Throwback Thursday: Remembering Charlie

The Guilford College Yankees, my 12 year old season. 
My Dad is directly behind Charlie in the gold shirt. 
Can you guess which one is me?  :)

Today's #TBT post takes me all the way back to Little League- but begins with a more recent memory. Several years ago I remember watching in awe as the now disgraced Oscar Pistorius, a double leg amputee from South Africa, ran the 400 meters with the able-bodied runners of the world at the London Olympics. It was an amazing moment, but even more amazing to me was the fact that many people considered his disability and the fact that he ran on "cheetah legs" to to be an unfair advantage to him. The runner once said that he "has never considered his disability to be a disadvantage." That statement brings to mind someone from my distant past who could surely identify. His name was Charlie King.

When I was growing up in the Guilford College community just outside of Greensboro, NC, you could not help but know Charlie King. He owned and operated a Texaco gas station and a fuel oil company. He was a regular attender at Guilford Baptist Church. He owned and operated an insurance company. He was the manager of the Guilford College Yankees, a dynastic Little League team in the community. He was often seen driving around in this custom-built vehicle. Charlie was one of the pillars of Guilford College. You see, he had an unfair disadvantage. Charlie had been born without the use of his arms of his legs. His wrists worked, and he had some movement in his ankles and neck. But for the most part, Charlie, back in the 1960's, was supposed to be a burden on society. He never got that memo.

I knew of Charlie from the age of about 6, but I really got to know him when he selected me to be a Yankee in the Little League player draft when I was 8. I spent the next 5 summers learning baseball from a man who had never played. But he knew it all. So much of what I know about baseball and so much of my love for the game came from Coach King. He turned me into a good player, with lots of help from my dad and the other coaches. But baseball was not all he taught me. He taught me so much about overcoming obstacles and ignoring pessimists. The first time I ever water skied, Charlie was driving the boat- a custom made made boat with a stick for a steering wheel that only Charlie could drive. He had simply never considered saying "I can't." And it showed in every aspect of his life.

You see, Charlie King took his disability and turned it into an unfair disadvantage. He was never able to take anything for granted. He always had to work harder than able-bodied people who were trying to do the same things. Like Oscar Pistorius, he inspired others to greatness, and also like Oscar his success brought criticism and petty jealousy. Because of my relationship with Charlie, I have been a life-long believer in the power of positive thinking. I have always believed all things are possible if you have faith. I want to leave you with my one, signature enduring memory of Charlie. There was nothing...NOTHING...I have ever witnessed quite the equal of an umpire missing a call, seeing and hearing Coach crank up his motorized wheelchair, and watching him drive from the dugout to home plate to "discuss" things with the ump.  The little man in the little chair could strike fear in their hearts. It was an honor to play for him and an honor to be his friend. I know Guilford College is not the the same without him. My question to you all today is this- Who is it in your life that has demonstrated that they have an unfair disadvantage?

Because of Jesus,