Tuesday, May 30, 2006

The Latest

In the house we currently live in there are 6 people, two dogs, and now, a hamster. If you read my previous blog entry, you know that the latest addition was the result of Josh's good behavior in school. The little rodent known as Frisky is really very cute, except for his devilish red eyes. They kind of freak me out.

Anyway, the poor hamster has been tormented ever since he was purchased for $6.99 at Petco. Josh is so excited about the little guy that he constantly shakes his cage, or takes him out and puts him in a box and carries him around the house. Just this morning Josh brought Frisky downstairs in a box and asked Brian to hold the box open while he showed Frisky his new card trick.

On a different subject, Brian has a new "most embarassing moment." Last night I was talking to my friends, Kim and Julia, after the baseball game. They are both wives of other players. Brian knows Kim, but had never met Julia. He walks up to the three of us, says hello to Kim, and immediately says to Julia, "you must be Kim's mom." Ha! I thought I was going to die! Kim and I quickly corrected him and told him that she was his teammate's wife. Julia just smiled and shook Brian's hand. I felt so bad for him because I knew he was embarassed. I tried to comfort him by letting him know that we've all done something like that before!

Wednesday, May 24, 2006

Our Host Family


This summer, as well as last summer, Brian and I have lived with a host family, the Joachims (pronounced Yo-kims). We were a little apprehensive last year about living with a host family because we'd never done it before, but I am so glad we decided to anyway. The Joachims are wonderful! They are gracious enough to let us have the basement all to ourselves which includes a bedroom, bathroom, and den with a big screen tv! Their two boys, Joey (12) and Josh (9 I think), provide quite a bit of entertainment for us too. With the boys and the two German Shepherds (Griz and Roni) around, there never seems to be a dull moment! Anyway, thought you might enjoy some pictures of the family so you can put faces with names. Most of these pictures were taken by Kari when they went down to Florida to watch some Red Sox spring training games. Tim and Joey are huge Red Sox fans.

In other exciting news, Josh is getting some hamsters soon thanks to his good behavior in school these last few weeks. Tim and Kari were actually hoping he'd screw up so that they didn't have to buy the rodents, but unfortunately, as Josh said last night, "his good behavior has been up and running."

Also, Brian is coming home tonight (3am) from a long road trip in Canada. I'm so excited to see him. Thankfully these long road trips don't occur too often. Enjoy the rest of the pictures!


Tim


Joey and Kari


Roni and Griz


Even Griz is a Red Sox fan.


Josh and Joey

Tuesday, May 16, 2006

Winnipeg

Brian and I are in one of the most diverse cities I've ever been in, Winnipeg, Canada. You walk down the street and it looks like every person is from a different country. Even so, there's very little to do here, and it's not what I would call a pleasant place to be. It resembles New York in filth. Thankfully, Brian's team only played two games against the Winnipeg Goldeyes, so we'll be headed elsewhere tomorrow. (Brian will be flying to Edmonton, Canada to play a series against the "Cracker Cats," while I'll be driving back to Fargo, North Dakota.)

Despite the lack of entertainment, and cleanliness, there is one thing I look forward to when we come up here . . . the singing of the Canadian national anthem. I love it! I think it's so beautiful. I rarely make it a point to be on time to Brian's games, especially since he's not a starting pitcher, but when we're in Winnipeg, you better bet I'm there in time to hear the Canadian national anthem. I think it bothers Brian. He says he's just kidding when he picks on me about "where my allegiance lies," but I think he really is a little bothered. He has nothing to worry about. I much prefer the States in every way, except for when it comes to national anthems. You can decide for yourself and listen to the Canadian national anthem at http://www.singforcanada.ca/anthem.html , or to hear it with lyrics go to www.xav.com/scripts/search/test/binaries/Oh_Canada.mp3.

Saturday, May 13, 2006

Blog Title

I figured I should explain the title of my blog, "Wandering in the Desert," a little more than the description at the top of the page. It didn't occur to me that some readers would find it funny, but my aunt emailed me today and said she had to chuckle when she read it. When I take it out of context, it does sound really funny, and random. But there is a much deeper meaning . . .

I should give a little background first. I began to realize the similarities between our lives in professional baseball, and those of the Israelites, about 2 months ago. The Chicago Cubs had just released Brian and I was talking with my cousin, Terri, venting my frustration. She asked me, "Lindsay, do you and Brian ever feel like the Israelites, wandering through the desert?" I thought, yes! That's exactly how we feel. It's like we're laboring through a dry, hot desert hoping to get to the promised land soon.

Before I go any further, let me clarify a few things. Brian and I have absolutely loved the experiences God has afforded us through professional baseball. We get to travel all over the country, see new places, meet wonderful people that enrich our lives, and make some incredible memories! So when I refer to our journey through baseball as "wandering in the desert," I mean it strictly from a professional standpoint.

To begin, let me briefly explain the Israelites journey to the promised land. Please excuse this inadequate summarization, but for time's sake, I must be brief.

Ok, so God delivered the Israelites out of Egypt and promised to lead them to "a good land - with springs flowing in the valleys and hills; a land with wheat and barley, vines and fig trees . . . a land where bread will not be scarce and you will lack nothing," aka the "promised land." From what I understand, as the Israelites traveled, they were rather stubborn, foolish, outright rebellious, and constantly doubting God's promises (much like we do sometimes). So God allowed them wander around in the desert for forty years as He taught them lesson after lesson. He also did it to test their hearts. Moses tells the Israelites in Deuteronomy 8:2 that, "God led you all the way in the desert these 40 years, to humble you and to test you in order to know what was in your heart." Eventually, after a lot of teaching and disciplining, God held up his end of the deal and deliverd them into the promised land.

So, here Brian and I are on this exciting, yet unexpectedly emotionally difficult journey through professional baseball. At times Brian and I wonder if he will ever get to realize his dream of pitching in the major leagues, or if our earthly promised land is something totally different and unexpected. Whatever the case may be, I am thankful for the lessons God teaches us along the way. I know He is preparing us for something. We've certainly had our weak moments when we've questioned and doubted God's plan, just as the Israelites did. But God has proven Himself to be faithful, and He is worthy of our trust no matter what our circumstance.

Unfortunately, baseball is a deceptive, immoral, and selfish business. Sounds harsh, I know. It's the greatest game on earth, and yet the more I learn about the way it is run, the more disappointed I am. However, none of that really matters because while people will always fall short, myself included, God and His plan for our lives remains perfect. I never want to be ok with the fact that professional baseball has some very unethical practices. But I also never want to be bitter about what happens to us as a result, because it is actually God who directs our path, not the people in baseball. Every time something disappointing happens I feel like God asks me, "Lindsay, how will you respond?" In times of crisis, I hear these questions - What will I choose to believe? What will my attitude be? Will it reflect my faith in the Lord? I realize that it must, and that it is quite possible that God is allowing this crisis "in order to test me, and see what is in my heart."

So as Brian and I wander through the desert, greeted by trials and spiritual battles, I cling to Moses' words of encouragement to the Israelites. He said, "The Lord your God, who is going before you, will fight for you . . . before your very eyes . . . in the desert."

Friday, May 12, 2006

I'm officially a blogger!

Well, I've decided to jump on the bandwagon and become a blogger. My friend Melissa suggested I set up a "blog" long ago when I hardly knew what blogs were. After much thought, and with the addition of our new laptop, I figured this would be a good thing. It will be a good thing for many reasons which are listed below:

1.) I love reading my friends' blogs. It makes me feel like I'm a part of their daily lives. I keep in touch with most of my friends and family, but I miss not knowing what happens on a daily basis, even if it seems trivial.

2.) Therefore, blogs are a great way to keep family and friends updated on the latest happenings in my life, even if it is just my daily activities. My mom especially likes to know how we're doing all the time so I think she'll enjoy reading it.

3.) I find myself quite bored at work some days and "blogging" will be a good time killer.

I'm sure I'll think of more reasons later. As they come to me, I'll share them with you.

Anyway, today is my second day of work. I am working at the baseball field where Brian plays. I had this same job last year, but this year they gave me a raise! I'm the front office receptionist. The job is quite easy once you learn everyone's names and all the promotions going on. They even feed me dinner every night for free! Of course it's usually ballpark concession food which we all know is VERY healthy. I wasn't going to eat here tonight because I am planning on going home instead of staying to watch the game (since Brian isn't going to pitch). But around six o'clock I got really hungry and decided to go ahead and get something to eat. Usually I try to keep it as healthy as possible, but tonight I was a rebel. Tonight I was craving a hot dog, so I got one, and a box of popcorn (the good buttery and salty kind). Not only that, but I had a "Tab" soft drink. Does anybody remember Tab? I have no idea why it exists because it tastes exactly like Coke, and it's even made by the Coca-Cola company! In any case, the drink wasn't even diet, which I actually prefer. So, it was an all around rebellious and abnormal dinner for me tonight, but it sure was good.

Brian pitched last night for one inning, the ninth. It was so cold! I had to come inside for a while and go back out when the ninth inning started. He did well, but walked one batter. It was so cold and the wind was blowing so hard that I'm thankful he only walked one. I'm sure he couldn't feel his hands at all. As I said before, he's not supposed to pitch tonight so I don't think I'll try to brave the cold tonight. On tomorrow's entry I'll expand on the reason for naming my blog, "Wandering in the Desert."