Bambino Baseball

As many of you know, my Daughter Ellie has severe mental and physical handicaps. She has enough issues that we were forced to place her in a special home last Spring. That was one of the hardest things we have ever had to do. However, seven months after being there she is doing really well and she loves her new home and seems to be thriving.

She is doing so well that last Sunday we took her to play in her first baseball game. That's right.....Ellie played in a baseball game that is especially designed for kids with special needs and challenges. MARA has a great program on a few Sunday afternoons for special need kids called Bambino Baseball. It is volunteer run by a few wonderful coaches that are already involved in many other sports at MARA. They give their time and energy to help these kids and their families have just a slice of normality as a kid.

Each special needs kid gets a "buddy" that plays along side of them. This "buddy" helps them do the things that they can not do. For example...the buddy may stop the ground ball then hand it to the special needs kid who then attempts to throw it. In more severe cases the buddy may have to help the player run or know what direction to run in and the like.

This past Sunday was great as my 10 year son, Peyton, was Ellie's "buddy". She had a good time. She of course had to have her metal walker and could not do much in the field. However, when it came time to swing the bat and then run...she had a ball. Peyton would help her swing and then she would follow fast after him to each base. Most of the time....he would have to help her in the last stretch of the base running. It was a beautiful cool fall day and for the first time in her life....Ellie was playing a sport and had our Home Team and other friends there cheering for her.

I share this as an update on how well Ellie is doing and to remind you of what good can come about when people have vision to help others. Always remember that the vision of our church is so much more than one hour Sunday Services. The vision for our 60 acre campus is so that we can provide a location for our city to come and have their lives changed. That can be with special needs kids on a baseball field, a single mom's car care garage here that functions to help those in need, a gym for teenagers, class rooms for kids to learn the Bible, a studio for those with music gifts to train and produce the worship that moves us and the list goes on and on........

Our vision and passion is to impact this city in many, many, many various ways. Are you ready to really change our community, city and world?

Today's Bible Reading Acts 15 & 16

Many people read these passages and wonder..."how could Paul and Barnabas get into a fight so bad that they split ways?" Answer: They were human just like you and me and they had pride, jealously and other sinful desires that fueled their disagreements.

For a time, Mark had not kept the same values as Paul in the acceptance of non Jewish Christians based on faith alone. Mark was pushing for the Gentiles to have to follow some Jewish "outward" traditions before they could be "Christians." He also left them high and dry in the middle of a tough trip. Paul did not want to bring him again.

Barnabas disagreed and thought they should give him another chance. They went their separate ways. The end of the story works out as both men were successful with new partners. The point is that good people can disagree....and if they will continue to do what God tells them for the right reasons....then and only then can God use what started out as a negative in a positive way.

do you have anything happening in your life that is maybe a negative but.....if you do the right thing and follow God...he can use it soon for His Glory?