Backpacking Thoughts – Memorial Day 2010

Jenn often tells me that she feels closest to God when she is out in His creation. That’s one of the reasons she likes backpacking so much. So when we headed down to the Smoky Mountains, I was hoping to commune with God just like she does. I was wrong. That’s not to say that it wasn’t a fun trip. It just means that I see God differently than my wife does. I usually see God’s finger on clear nights where stars shine bright in the sky. However, there were no clear skies for us on this trip. Clear skies would have made a good trip a great trip.

The first day of the trip we aimed to be on the trail by 11:00 am, but a landslide forced us to take a three-hour detour to get to our starting point. And in the process, we got separated from the couple we were going with. So we didn’t get started hiking until 2:30 p.m., and it was a near 7-mile climb up the mountain! We had little time to spare if we were going to get camped and dinner before nightfall. Along the way we came across a rather large snake (it scared the crap out of me, but I’m glad it was not a rattlesnake or copperhead), some interesting insects, and at about five minutes away from our campsite we saw a big black bear that stared us down.

We got to our campsite at around 6:30 p.m. We immediately set up camp, and just as we were meeting our neighbors our partners in crime for this venture, Jeni and Darren, made it to camp. Jenn, Darren, and I went to filter water out of a rather nasty water source, and then we all ate dinner before crashing for the night. The one special part of the evening, besides me getting scared by that snake, was the young deer wandering into our campsite. It walked up to about 10 feet from us. It was just a beautiful sight.

The second day started with an early climb followed by about 7 miles straight downhill. While this was easier on the cardio, it was harder on my knees. There isn’t much to say about this day except it was just a lot of work. Jenn and I couldn’t decide if we were going to camp the night or just hike the extra two miles back to our cars and start the trip to South Carolina. I wanted to finish it and go, and she wanted to stay. In the end, we stayed and it wound up being a better idea, except that whatever I’d eaten that day had made me a little sick. That and my legs were really just done. They were sore and swollen. Thankfully, Jeni and Jenn saw how much I was struggling and let me be. Jenn and I took a “bath” in the stream we camped by, and we had a nice night with Jeni and Darren around a campfire.

The following morning, mostly due to Jenn’s mad problem-solving skillz, we broke camp in the rain while staying as dry as possible. We made it to the car, drove to the Visitor’s Center, got cleaned up, and put some nice fatty food in our systems. Overall, it was a fun and challenging weekend. The only thing I missed was what Jenn usually finds: a moment with God that says He’s there. It was nice to see her bask in God’s creation. For me, it was a reminder of how different we all are, and it has me thinking that I really need to seek God’s face to figure out where I best hear His voice. Seeing Him in the stars is one thing, but learning to recognize him in everyday life is another.

Confession

"That if you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,'and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved."

Romans 10:9-10 (NIV)

It's sometimes troubling that when asked about the Christian faith people struggle to believe that all they need to do confess that Christ is Lord and that He died on the cross for their sins. However, it's written in God's word numerous time that all we need to do is confess and believe in Christ. It's that simple. So what's the problem? I just think that we can not wrap our minds around something this simple. Sometimes we just can not get ourselves to believe.

In other news and thoughts:
A. Jenn and I are still on vacation. Last weekend we backpacked in the Smoky Mountains and we spent this week with her friend in South Carolina. It's been fun getting to know them a little. Tomorrow we are heading north to Shenandoah National Park for a day of hiking and camping, and then we are heading into Virginia and Maryland to meet up with some old military friends. We'll do some touring in Washington and catch a Nationals game.

B. We caught an Atlanta Braves game this week with an old friend of mine. It was the first time I'd seen her in 15 years. It was great for her to meet Jenn. The game was a blast. There is blog forthcoming on that one.

C. I've been struggling a bit with people taking my words out of context or simply just twisting them. It's frustrating when I'm trying to do the right thing to have my words turned around. Very frustrating.

Busch Stadium – May 22, 2010

This past Saturday Jenn and I made the trip to Saint Louis, Missouri to see the home team Cardinals host the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. This was my first new ballpark trip since 2006 and let me tell you it was worth the wait. We were treated to an Angels 10-7 victory while taking in a beautiful ballpark.

Busch Stadium was opened in 2006 and still carries that brand-new look to it. The entire outside of the ballpark is red-brick. It looks great. It fits the city and the team. We sat up behind home plate and took in a spectacular view of downtown St. Louis and the famous Gateway Arch. The view rivals the view found at PNC Park in Pittsburgh. The big difference here is that I recommend you catch a Pirate game at night in Pittsburgh to really take in the beauty of the city, but you definitely need to see a Cardinal day-game to enjoy the scenery in Busch Stadium.

The park is also made special by the die-hard, yet courteous fans in St. Louis. We had open conversations with the Cardinal fans in the ballpark despite Jenn and me wearing our Angels gear. The Cardinal’s staff was friendly as well. I was also blown away by how intelligent the Cardinal’s fans were. They noticed everything from a sacrifice fly to ground out that resulted in a run. They cheered for their team for performing all nuances of the game.

Busch Stadium has a party atmosphere too. The concourses are open in the upper levels which make you feel like you are at one big barbeque that just happened to have a baseball game break out. However, this comes at a cost because there is very little shade as a result. The heat was fierce on Saturday and my wife was only able to find a small area for shade. The seating in ballpark also offers very little shade early on game-days, but later in the day a large portion of the stadium did gain some shade.

Overall, Busch Stadium is one of my new favorites. It’s a beautiful ballpark with a festive atmosphere. There is not a bad seat in the house. Updated rankings are below.

1. PNC Park, Pittsburgh, PA – Beautiful park with a great view of the three rivers. Go at night…it’s one of my favorite views.

2. Busch Stadium, St. Louis, MO – See above

3. Camden Yards, Baltimore, MD – Another great looking park. This park is the starter for all the new constructions of the 1990’s and in my opinion still has the old-time baseball feel the architects were aiming for. The warehouse in background is still a cool sight.

4. Fenway Park, Boston, MA – The newer parks look better in so many ways, but nothing beats the party going on at Fenway on game day. There is so much going at Fenway the moment you get to the park. It does look old, but they keep it painted and the Monster is still an awesome sight.

5. Angels Stadium, Anaheim, CA – This is an old ballpark, but when I visited in 2004, it had been overhauled into a baseball only-facility (the Rams used to play there), and it was gorgeous. It’s especially great at night to watch with the fountains where outfield bleachers used to be. I admit with the Angels being my favorite team, I’m probably biased.

6. Comerica Park, Detroit, MI – This ballpark doesn’t get mentioned enough with other ballparks, but it is absolutely gorgeous. I love the history they put into it with the statues beyond the outfield wall. I really enjoyed visiting this park.

7. Citizen’s Bank Park, Philadelphia – This park is a nice-looking park, but what I thought was cool was the all the stuff they have for kids to do there. In the walkway section of the park there were all kinds of games and stuff to occupy the kids before, during, and after the game. Very cool.

8. Great American Ballpark, Cincinnati, OH – Very nice ballpark that captures the history of the city well with its steam boat representation and the Ohio River in the background. There isn’t a bad seat in the ballpark.

9. Progressive Field, Cleveland, OH – There was a time when I’d rank this ballpark higher, but the last time I went to see a game there, it looked as if it were not being taken care of. It’s still a decent place to catch a game, but I remember how great it looked when I first went in 1997. Last time I went, it looked like the Indians were saving money on maintenance as well as being cheap with their players.

10. Dodger Stadium, Los Angeles, CA – I have to admit that I didn’t care much for this ballpark. It was drab and there wasn’t much there to do but watch the game, which is great for me, but bad for a parents wanting to find things to do with their kids (and their limited attention spans). However, when the sun starts going down, the beauty of the ballpark changes. It’s such a pretty sight to look at the background beyond the outfield fence and it makes up for much of its shortcomings.

*Changes – Busch Stadium slides into second place. I swapped slots between Citizen’s Bank Park and Great American Ballpark. I just realize the ballpark experience in Citizen’s Bank Park is better. It’s just a better looking ballpark too.

The Tongue is a Fire

One of my biggest pet peeves is when someone feels the need to try and tell me what I’m doing wrong by yelling at me, belittling me, or just by forcing it down my throat. Sometimes they try to disguise it with, “I’m just telling the truth.” Sometimes they throw in the L-word thinking it will cushion the blow (“I’m only saying this out of love”). In the end, though, even if the there is truth to it, the targeted person is left feeling disrespected and, in many cases, repulsed. I had someone close to me do this a couple months ago, and the sting of it remains. I have forgiven this person, but I do not want anything to do with this “friend.” Since it’s been a multiple-repeat performance, I feel as though I’m better off without this person in my life. Of course, it would be hypocritical for me to forget that I’ve been guilty of pushing my feelings on other people too, so I guess I understand both directions. We want to try and help someone, but in the end, because our words were harsh and forceful, we get pushed away.

Sometimes we just get angry and say something hurtful. We fail to see how much our words crush someone, and we usually do this to the people we are closest to. According to James 4, the tongue is a fire capable of so much evil. I’ve seen the damage it can cause when I’ve lost patience with Jenn and said something rude or hurtful. I’ve seen her spirit just shrink away, and I hate it. I hate seeing hurt in her eyes. However, when I let her know how much I love her or when I tell her how beautiful she is, she sparkles. The tongue has the power to destroy, and the power to nourish one’s heart and soul. I need to be more careful with how I speak to people; I think we all do. I want everyone who speaks with me to know I care about them and feel blessed by my words.

Friendship

It’s been awhile since I've been able to have good fellowship with another brother-in-Christ, but last night was a great opportunity. I met up with a friend, Roger Chang, at Skyline Chili. (It was my first time eating there and it was pretty decent.) We started off talking about church stuff and in the end it became one of those times that you realize God set up. I needed that time to really bounce thoughts, ideas, and struggles off of someone, and God provided it. I can talk to Jenn all I want, but sometimes I need fellowship with guys. We just think differently. I was very honest with Roger about my past and where I’ve been. I let him in on all my struggles and fears and then we prayed. If anything, I realize that though I’ve been through a lot in life, I still have a long way to go and it’s nice to be able to let it out and be encouraged along the way. I’ve missed that since I moved down here from Columbus. It’s nice to have friendship. Truthfully, I’ve really struggled in my faith of late because I’ve felt - and let me stress the word felt - like God wasn’t listening to my cries for help with some issues, but yet there it was right where I needed it. So I’m thankful for the friendship of men like Roger and of a holy and loving God. It’s just what we all need.

Worship

I was four years old the first time I can remember hearing a praise and worship song. Our family was living in Newport, Rhode Island at the time. It was a sunny day and my mother sitting on a chair in the dining room with her guitar settled in her lap and her song book on the table in front of her. She was playing “This is the Day” on her old Yamaha acoustic and singing like an angel while I played on the floor with some toy cars. Except I really wasn’t playing. I was listening. Listening to my mother sing love songs to her God calmed my heart when life was so hard for us. It made it easier for me to accept her God as my God just a few years later when our days were even darker.

What I remember most about those days listening to my mother praise God is that joy filled the room. She enjoyed worshiping God. It saddens me now to know she has not picked up her guitar in over twenty years, but those memories stick with me. I grew up loving music and I always loved taking part in worship at church whether in the choir, or singing special music. Worshiping God was always joyful, even in moments where the songs we sang were deeper, more emotional songs. So I guess the question I have for everyone is: What does worshiping God mean to you?

Thoughts

I have nothing to really focus on today, but I have a few thoughts to share.

A. I’m going back to school. I waffled on what I’ve really wanted to do with my life for about two years now. I believe God has a plan for my life, so I’ve made on-and-off again plans to go to seminary, but the truth became clear to me recently that it’s just not where I feel God is leading me. I’ve long wanted to be a teacher and I keep letting myself give up on that little dream. I just believe that God will use me best in the classroom, so that’s what I’m choosing to work towards. So I’m applying for the Masters of Education focusing on Secondary Education program at the University of Cincinnati. On Monday night, I scheduled myself to take the GRE on July 1st. (If any of my friends who read this blog and know me well would like to write a recommendation for me, I would appreciate it. I need a total of three to turn in to UC.)

B. If you are doing anything that has the potential to physically and/or mentally hurt you, and there are methods of safety available to you, please use those methods. Seriously, like if you are riding a bike then wear a helmet. If you are welding something, wear your helmet and gloves. Stay safe.

C. I was listening to Mike and Mike in the Morning yesterday and they were debating whether or not Pittsburgh Steelers’ Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger should be even more active in charity work than he already was in order to rebuild his image. Why do people always assume it’s charity work that rebuilds a person’s image? They had Michael Vick doing the same thing after his dog fighting ring conviction, but it’s not the charity work that has quieted talk about him. He’s just focusing on life and staying away from the things that got him all the negative attention. Before Roethlisberger got himself in trouble, he had already formed a poor reputation for himself. I’ve come across quite a few fans that have noted his conduct in restaurants and other public places. Yahoo Sports Blogger Matthew Darnell recently noted that Roethlisberger has this type of rep with teammates and fans in Pittsburgh. So if Roethlisberger really wants to rebuild his reputation among fans, teammates, and the general public, he doesn’t need to be involved in more charities or even any charity. He just needs to behave like a respectful human being and stay out of the situations that he’s put himself in. If he were to start getting involved in all these charities now, it would seem forced and inauthentic. He needs to be real and make changes in his life.

D. A recent AP story reported the story of a homeless man who, while defending a woman in an altercation, was stabbed and left for dead in New York City. Numerous people walked past this man without helping him. Some stopped to look at him, while another person actually turned him over and saw him lying in a pool of his own blood. This reminds me of the biblical parable “The Good Samaritan,” that Jesus spoke of (this is also mentioned in the above article). I don’t understand how people could do this. I just don’t. Have we grown so cold in our society as to not help a person in need? It reminds me of how much our country and the world is in of a Savior.