Journey into Meditative Prayer

Meditative prayer, or listening to God, has long been a challenge for me.  Whenever I attempt to be still in prayer (“Be still, and know that I am God." ~ Psalm 46:10), my mind jumps at the chance to wander and is often filled with thoughts of what the day may have in store for me.  When this happens the focus of my prayer shifts back to my desires, my concerns, rather than positioning myself to hear from God and to be led by the Holy Spirit.

In my daily quiet time, most of my time is directed towards reading - keeping up with the readings from 3 Bible studies that I'm currently involved in and reading some daily devotionals.  My desire to meet with God is structured around this time I've carved out in my day to awaken early in the morning and hear his voice through these readings, and then before I rush off to the gym or for a quick run, I might journal some thoughts and then close with a short prayer.  Last month, through a number of circumstances, I felt God directing me to focus more on my prayer life, specifically towards meditative prayer.

Over fall break I had an opportunity to visit my parent's church and hear Jim Turley speak on prayer, and in his talk he suggested a book by Richard J. Foster, "Sanctuary of the Soul: Journey Into Meditative Prayer".  This book offered some great guidance on stepping into meditative prayer which I'd like to outline, but I must acknowledge and remind myself that hearing from God is not some kind of mechanical process rather it comes from becoming comfortable in a continuing conversation and ongoing relationship with God.  "Meditative prayer comes from an inner longing but only becomes a holy habit if we stay with it."

The first step is Recollection.  The idea is to let go of all competing distractions until we have become truly present where we are.  Begin with imagining God's presence in the room; release my thoughts, concerns, worries to Him - allow God's great silence to still my noisy heart.

The second step is Beholding the Lord.  This is an inward steady gaze of the heart upon God the divine Creator.  Consider using scripture as a means to quiet the mind; meditate on the scripture - and read it as though God is speaking directly to you; read it not for information but for transformation.  Or instead of reading scripture, listen to scripture - I've found that closing my eyes and listening the audio Bible on my phone or computer (both the NIV and ESV versions) have helped me to feel as though God is speaking the words into my heart.  Another way to Behold the Lord is to gaze into his creation.  Envision nature, all that He has created.  Early in the morning, just before the sunrise, sometimes I will walk to the park and wonder on all of God's creation.  Another way of entering the experience of Beholding the Lord is by means of worship music.  "Reflections" is a program I found on the Daystar network which shows scenic videos in nature from around the world set to worship music.  Often I'll watch one of these music videos first thing in the morning from my DVR in order to position myself to Behold the Lord.  

The third step is an Inward Attentiveness - the prayer of listening.  The word step is a little misleading here as we learn to discern the voice of God by experience.  We know from scripture that Jesus made it clear that his sheep can hear and know his voice (John 10:11-15).  "Graciously we are given a teachable spirit so if we are truly willing and obedient, the word of the Lord will be a light to us. But to receive this guidance and know it is from the Holy Spirit, we need a certain personal relationship with our 'inward Teacher'."  The author recommended the book "Hearing God" by Dallas Willard, what he called, "the finest book on hearing divine guidance", which I'm now reading.

The last part of the book deals with everyday difficulties, such as wandering minds and the fact that we have noisy hearts - so be patient, it takes time to develop a single-hearted concentration.  Distraction is the primary spiritual problem of our day.  God does not cease speaking, but the roaring lion (Satan) fights for our attention.

It's important to remember that we were created for an intimate conversational relationship with God; drawing on the foundation of this truth opens the door to stepping into and experiencing meditative prayer.
"Meditative prayer comes from an inner longing but only becomes a holy habit if we stay with it."

Chasing down all 30 MLB ballparks

Following up on my previous post, another summer tradition I have is visiting MLB ballparks.  Over the past 20 years or so, America's pastime has increasingly become my favorite pastime and a summertime ritual for me has been journeying to major (and minor) league ballparks.  It's an obsession that began in my youth, and it really began to grow when I started traveling more often for work.  Back in the mid-to-late 90's I went to games at Wrigley Field and Fenway Park, and it dawned on me that I had been to roughly half of the major league ballparks.  And after attending the Astros Opening Night of Enron Field in April 2000, I remember thinking to myself that I wanted to visit all of these new ballparks that were opening around the country as well as visit the remaining old ballparks I haven't been to yet.  With plans of children on the horizon I needed to get busy, so over the next 4 summers ('01-'04) I knocked out trips to 16 ballparks completing my journey that would ultimately continue on each summer as new ballparks continued to be built.

My fast-track tour to visit each remaining ballpark kicked in with a vacation to Montreal with Cindy in May 2001.  With rumors of the Expos relocating, we were able to catch the visiting Astros at Olympic Stadium before the Expos began playing home games in Puerto Rico ('03) and later moving to D.C.  My ballpark chasing continued with busy summers in 2002 and 2003 with trips to: Cleveland/Detroit (a combo double-ballpark weekend), Milwaukee, Seattle, and additional combo trips to Kansas City/Minneapolis, Cincinnati/Pittsburgh, Phoenix/Denver, and a vacation beach trip to Tampa-St. Pete with Cindy and new born Taylor.  In 2004, a business trip to Sacramento finally landed me at beautiful PacBell Park in San Francisco (3 years after 9/11 preempted our planned Northern California vacation), and I completed my ballpark tour in July '04 on a vacation trip to Southern California paired with a visit to Petco Park in San Diego.  But with new ballparks under construction at the time (and with many others being planned), I looked forward to continuing my ballpark travels in the years to come but at a more leisurely pace.   

Having visited the new ballparks during their inaugural seasons in St. Louis ('06), Washington DC ('08), New York City -- both new Yankee Stadium and Citi Field ('09), Minneapolis ('10), and Miami ('12), I have now attended games in 41 different MLB ballparks -- all 30 active plus 11 non-active or extinct ballparks.  The 11 extinct ballparks (in order of attendance, and notice the "Stadium" attached to their name as opposed to "Ballpark"):  The Astrodome, Shea Stadium, Jack Murphy Stadium, Veterans Stadium, Atlanta Fulton County Stadium, old Busch Stadium, old Yankee Stadium, Olympic Stadium, The Metrodome, Dolphin Stadium, RFK Stadium.  I look forward to adding on to this list as plans for new ballparks are being discussed in Oakland and Tampa, while also revisiting my favorite ballparks each summer.

I'm not alone in this pursuit of ballparks.  In 2008, I ran across a social media website dedicated to this quest, Ballpark Chasers.  I created my ballpark chaser page and the site is now up to 2,300+ chasers.
A question I get asked all of the time is what is your favorite ballpark?  Ranking ballparks is an ongoing debate that is discussed often among baseball fans.  I came up with my own list with one caveat:  I'm giving Wrigley Field, Fenway Park, and Dodger Stadium a "classics" exemption as it's not fair and impossible to compare them against the newer parks.  It's difficult to sort through the many factors in developing a solid ranking system that most can agree on, so I'll just say one of the key determining factors in my ballpark rankings is the unique features that a ballpark has which give it character; also, the outfield view/skyline is big in my perspective of a particular ballpark.  Here's my ranking:

1. PNC Park, Pittsburgh - most impressive view of downtown skyline bordered by one the three rivers.

2. AT&T Park, San Francisco - fabulous views of SF bay; love the huge glove and Coke bottle behind LF bleachers.

3. Comerica Park, Detroit - underrated view of downtown skyline with many unique features throughout the ballpark including the large tiger statues upon entering and the kids ferris wheel.

4. Minute Maid Park, Houston - of course I'm partial to the Astros, but I really like the train above the drawn-in LF wall with the Crawford boxes and Tal's Hill in CF.

5. Petco Park, San Diego - perfect setting in beautiful downtown SD and the "Park at the Park" beyond RF fence with the sand pit provides the perfect touch to this ballpark.

6. Target Field, Minneapolis - great views from all seating levels and seats seemed closer to the field than in most ballparks; love the Minnie and Paul Twins logo in CF.  

7. Oriole Park at Camden Yards, Baltimore - I visited in its inaugural season ('92) and this park ushered in many of the other retro style parks; built around the existing warehouse beyond LF.

8. Citizens Bank Park, Philadelphia - *we're at a point in my rankings where any of the next 10 or so  ballparks could easily be slotted anywhere in the middle; I really liked the outfield pavilion with Ashburn's Alley and the two-tiered bullpen in CF.

9. Nationals Park, Washington DC - not in the best location; the ballpark offers a nice view of the Capitol beyond LF wall but can only be seen from the upper level.

10. Citi Field, New York - was more impressed with the Mets new park over the Yankees, which both opened in '09.  Cool features beyond the outfield including a mini ball field for kids and a dunk tank.

11. Great American Ballpark, Cincinnati - would have preferred to have an outfield view of downtown Cincy (which is behind home plate) than the hardly awe-inspiring view of Northern KY.

12. Coors Field, Denver - wished there were better views of the mountains from all viewpoints in the ballpark; could really only see from upper deck on the first base side.

13. Rangers Ballpark, Arlington - like Texas, this a large ballpark with a unique porch-like seating deck hanging over RF.

14. Marlins Park, Miami - so many cool and unique features and color schemes: the large tropical HR sculpture, The Clevelander bar in LF, aquariums behind home plate and the bobble-head museum.

15. Safeco Field, Seattle - one of the better retractable roof stadiums and on my list for a return visit.

16. Kauffman Stadium, Kansas City - old stadium from the 70's has held up well because it was built only for baseball; love the scoreboard and fountains; need to revisit to see recent outfield renovations.

17. Progressive Field, Cleveland - nice view of downtown but park lacks some unique characteristics.

18. Busch Stadium, St. Louis - one of the better atmospheres in all of MLB, but good tickets are hard to come by; great view of the Arch, but wished the concession level offered an open view of the field.

19. Turner Field, Atlanta - soon to be replaced in 2017 by a ballpark being built in the suburbs.

20. Yankee Stadium, New York - near replica of old Yankee Stadium gave it a legendary feel, but felt like the huge upper deck dwarfed the much smaller lower deck.

21. Miller Park, Milwaukee - the fan-like retractable roof is oddly shaped; I need to make a return visit for a game with the roof open to get a different feel for this ballpark.

22. Chase Field, Phoenix - massive stadium with retractable roof that stays closed most of the time which is a drawback but who doesn't love the pool in the outfield?

23. Angel Stadium - old ballpark that was renovated in the 90's, but lacks a certain charm that could come with a new ballpark in LA (i.e. palm trees, beach and/or Disney theme?)

24. U.S. Cellular Field, Chicago - nothing special here, and no view of downtown Chicago.

25. Rogers Centre (Skydome), Toronto - was cool 25 years ago when it opened with the first retractable roof and attached hotel in the outfield; now it just feels like a dome stadium.

26. Tropicana Field, St. Petersburg - only remaining permanent dome stadium; a new ballpark with ocean views is sorely needed here.

27. O. Co Coliseum, Oakland - haven't been here since '79; the former outfield views of the mountains were replaced by upper deck seating for the Raiders years ago.  The A's fans deserve a new ballpark.

Summer family traditions

Redbirds game on the bluff
Sun 5/25/2014

No big surprise here but this summer is quickly passing us by.  As we've been enjoying the unseasonably pleasant weather this week, it dawned on me that my girls will be going back to school in 2 weeks.  Seems not long ago that we kicked off this summer  sporting our patriotic t-shirts and enjoying a baseball game and fireworks at AutoZone Park over Memorial Day weekend.

Every summer brings an opportunity for our family to make new memories and relive some family traditions we've enjoyed over the years.  Every family needs the anticipation, experiences and memories that come from a planned vacation.  We've been fortunate and extremely blessed to be able to go on a family vacation every summer since 2006, the year after Nicole was born.  The past 8 summers we've enjoyed going to Perdido Key, FL, usually right in the middle of summer (wk of July 4th), thanks to Barbara and Jim's generosity in allowing us to stay at their fabulous condo on the beach.  One of my own traditions is to create a video slideshow of our trip.  I've posted this year's video on my youtube page:
(note:  you may not be able to view this year's video on a mobile device, but should be able to view the prior years.)

Here's a direct link to the video: FL vacation 2014

Something I read recently stuck with me:  Memories are not built by default.  Memories are made by couples and parents who are intentional about being together.  Just as the romance of marriage relationship is enhanced by cozy getaways, the romance of a relationship with your children is built on the memories you create together. 
 
Some other summer family traditions of ours include:  Jerry's Sno Cones, Donuts with Dad (Fridays before summer camp), Redbirds games, Saturday evenings on the patio/grilling, and watching America's Got Talent.

What are some of your summer family traditions?

Happy Opening Day!

Happy New Year baseball fans, the long cold winter is behind us and Opening Day is here!  Over the past month I've been counting down the days by tweeting favorite baseball quotes while keeping up with the latest spring training news.  This year I'm feeding my addiction by participating in 3 fantasy leagues; these teams will keep me engaged all season long -- long after the Astros have fallen out of the pennant race.

I'm already looking towards August when my summer baseball trip takes me back to Fenway Park (15 years after my first visit in '99) for the Red Sox-Astros 4 game series 8/14-17.

Before going on the record with my predictions, here's a look back at some of my favorite baseball quotes in countdown fashion:

Counting down the days until #OpeningDay with one of my favorite baseball quotes. #MLB in 30 days!

"People ask me what I do in winter when there's no baseball. I'll tell you what I do. I stare out the window & wait for spring” ~Rogers Hornsby

"The trouble with baseball is that it is not played year round." ~ Gaylord Perry #MLB #OpeningDay in 29 days

"People think we make $3-4 million a year. They don't realize that most of us only make $500,000."~Pete Incaviglia #OpeningDay in 28 days

"Life will always throw you curves, keep fouling them off...the right pitch will come, when it does be prepared to run the bases" ~R.Maksian #MLB #OpeningDay in 27 days

26 days 'til #OpeningDay #baseball "It breaks your heart. It is designed to break your heart. The game begins in spring, when everything else begins again, and it blossoms in the summer, filling the afternoons and evenings, and then as soon as the chill rains come, it stops and leaves you to face the fall alone."~A. Bartlett Giamatti

"You gotta be a man to play baseball for a living, but you gotta have a lot of little boy in you too"~Roy Campanella #OpeningDay in 25 days

"I don't want to play golf. When I hit a ball, I want someone else to go chase it."~Rogers Hornsby #MLB #OpeningDay in 24 days

"I've come to the conclusion that the 2 most important things in life are good friends & a good bullpen"~Bob Lemon

23 days 'til #OpeningDay

"Baseball is like church. Many attend but few understand."~Leo Durocher #MLB #OpeningDay in 22 days

"A baseball park is the one place where a man's wife doesn't mind his getting excited over somebody else's curves”~B. Francis #MLB in 21days

"It’s a mere moment in a man’s life between an All-Star Game and an old-timers game"~Vin Scully #MLB #OpeningDay 20 days

"Baseball, it is said, is only a game. True. And the Grand Canyon is only a hole in AZ."~George Will #MLB #OpeningDay in 19 days

"Baseball is fathers and sons. Football is brothers beating each other up in the backyard"~Donald Hall #MLB #OpeningDay in 18 days

"A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives."~Jackie Robinson #MLB #OpeningDay in 17 days

"Bob Gibson is the luckiest pitcher I ever saw. He always pitches when the other team doesn't score any runs"~Tim McCarver #MLB in 16 days

"A man once told me to walk with the Lord. I'd rather walk with the bases loaded."~Ken Singleton #MLB #OpeningDay in 15 days

"Why does everybody stand up and sing "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" when they're already there?"~Larry Anderson

2 weeks 'til #OpeningDay

"Baseball statistics are like a girl in a bikini. They show a lot, but not everything."~Toby Harrah #MLB #OpeningDay in 13 days

"There is no greener green than the green of a baseball field."~Buster Olney #MLB #March31Madness #OpeningDay in 12 days

"Fans don't boo nobodies."~Reggie Jackson

#MLB 11 days until #OpeningDay

"Baseball is my favorite sport because it is orderly. Football is organized confusion; coaches dont know anything until they get it on film...and basketball is just fellows running up and down a court in their undershorts."~Red Barber #MLB #OpeningDay in 10 days

"The saddest day of the year is the day baseball season ends."~Tommy Lasorda #MLB #OpeningDay in 9 days

"There are 3 things in my life which I really love: God, my family, & baseball. The only problem...once baseball season starts, I change the order around a bit."~Al Gallagher #MLB #OpeningDay in 8 days

"Baseball, to me, is still the national pastime because it's a summer game. I feel almost all Americans are summer people, that summer...is what they think of when they think of their childhood. It stirs up an incredible emotion within people"~S.Busby #OpeningDay in 7 days

"When they start the game, they don't say, 'Work ball.'

They yell, 'Play ball!"~Willie Stargell #MLB #OpeningDay in 6 days

"You spend a good piece of your life gripping a baseball; in the end it turns out that it was the other way around"~JimBouton #MLB in 5days

"This is a game to be savored, not gulped. There's time to discuss everything between pitches or innings"~B.Veeck #MLB #OpeningDay in 4 days

"A hitter's impatience is the pitcher's biggest advantage"~Pete Rose

"Hitting is timing. Pitching is upsetting timing"~W.Spahn #MLB in 3days

"You can't sit on a lead and run a few plays into the line and just kill the clock. You've got to throw the ball over the damn plate and...give the other man his chance. That's why baseball is the greatest game if them all"~Earl Weaver #MLB #OpeningDay in 2 days

"It's a great day for a ball game; let's play two!"~Ernie Banks #MLB 1 day 'til #OpeningDay 

2014 MLB Picks:

I heard on Olbermann the other night that only 2 of the 6 division winners last year were repeat division winners from the year before (Tigers and A's), and this was the case in 2012 as well.  Before last season, it seemed many of the experts we're predicting teams like the Angels, Nationals, Reds and Yankees to reach the World Series but neither of these teams even made the playoffs.  Predicting baseball's post-season is a shot in the dark but here's my picks:

NL: Nationals, Cardinals, Dodgers, WCs: Giants, Reds

AL: Rays, Tigers, Angels, WCs: Red Sox, Royals

Nationals over Cardinals in NLCS

Rays over Tigers in ALCS

Nationals win World Series

Countdown to Opening Day

March is upon us and I'm gearing up for Opening Day by renewing a tradition that I started a few years ago on twitter by sharing some of my favorite baseball quotes through a 30 day countdown to March 31st.

I applaud Ozzie Smith who made news this week  by announcing his campaign to make Opening Day a national holiday.  He started a petition  Declare MLB Opening Day a national holiday, and as of this morning the petition is half way to reaching it's goal of 100,000 signatures needed to  trigger a response from the White House.

"MLB Opening Day is more than just the beginning of the season. It’s a symbol of rebirth. The coming of spring. The return of America's national pastime. It’s a state of mind where anything is possible. You can feel the electricity in the air. Opening Day brings with it the promise of a new beginning. Every fan is in good spirits. It’s a day of celebration. It’s a day of hope. It’s a day that, for generations, has been looked forward to by baseball fans every off-season. It’s an American tradition, and it deserves to be recognized as an American holiday. Join us in our quest to make sure every American can exercise their inalienable right to celebrate the day those two magical words are uttered for the first time: “PLAY BALL!" 

Two years ago I blogged about Opening Day and suggested it should be made a national holiday, while also questioning MLB's decision to begin the season in another country (in 2012 it was Japan; this year it's Australia)  So yes, I'm on board with Zach Greinke of the Dodgers on his thoughts about opening the 2014 season in Australia, "I would say there is absolutely zero excitement for it. There just isn't any excitement to it. I can't think of one reason to be excited for it."  
Who wants to wake up at 4 am on March 22nd to watch these games (assuming the MLB Network will  even be televising the games?)  I'm OK with ESPN marketing their Opening Night game on March 30th, but let's hope MLB can stick with a traditional Opening Day in America and join the movement to make it a national holiday.

Takeaways from DownLine Summit

This weekend I attended my fourth DownLine Men's Summit.  Ever since I went through the DownLine Institute in 2010-11, I always look forward to this annual event in February, and each year I come away inspired and challenged to answer the call to make disciples.  Here are some  of my takeaways from the weekend.  

The Summit was held at a new location this year, Highpoint Church, with an estimated 1,200 men in attendance.  Founded in 2006, DownLine exists to restore Biblical discipleship in and through the local church and equip followers of Christ to make disciples.  DownLine defines disciple as a world-visionary, world-impacting, follower, learner, and reproducer of Jesus Christ.

Kennon Vaughan kicked off Friday night with a talk on "The Place Where Disciple-Making Begins", walking through Matthew 9:35-38 (The Harvest is Plentiful, the Laborers Few).  

The first thing we see (v.36) is that Jesus had compassion on the crowd -- they were described as helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.  Then, he tells the disciples (v.37) "The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few."  Jesus came to start a movement, but before he sent them out on this gospel movement, (v.38) begins with this command, "pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest."  Jesus instructs the disciples to ask God to put on their hearts what is on God's heart.  Thus, the place where disciple-making begins is on your knees.

On Saturday morning, one of the workshops was led by Ronnie Stevens.  I've always enjoyed hearing Ronnie speak, and I could listen to him teach the Bible all day.  His talk was on "David's Mighty Men: A Pattern of Old Testament Discipleship" (2nd Samuel 23:8-23).  

Ronnie led off with this point:  ever since the Cross, God's agenda is not to use God's servants to kill God's enemies, as we read in much of the OT -- in particular how David trained his men for battle, and their exploits are outlined in passage referenced above.  Our perspective on fighting/combat has changed as New Testament believers are to fight God's spiritual enemies.  Ronnie referenced 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 (God's mighty weapons are available to us as we fight against Satan's "strongholds", including our pride), and the memorable passage from Ephesians 6:10-18 where we are called to put on the full "Armor of God", as Paul often taught in his letters that our primary battle is our internal battle, just as Jesus often talked about the battle that goes on in our thought life.

In the other workshop I attended, Chris Conlee (Highpoint Church lead pastor) talked about the discipleship relationship he developed with Clyde Cranford during his first year of seminary and the great impact Clyde had in pouring into him.  Chris even said if he had to make a choice he would have traded in his seminary degree for the life-on-life training he received in the form of discipleship from Clyde.  Chris made the clear point:  Information + Application = Transformation.  Chris also shared some about his Priority Time (not his quiet time -- because God isn't quiet!), and I look forward to reading his new book on this subject. 

Soup Campbell closed the Summit with a talk on "The Privilege of Disciple-Making".  In Matthew 4:18-20, Jesus calls his first disciples..."Come follow me, and I will make you fishers of men."  Jesus invested his time into a few faithful men and he expects much interest when he returns.  Soup challenged us with this question:  Are you investing in the "man market" like you invest in the money market?  What deposits are you making in your spiritual downline?

2013 in review

At the end of every year I always look forward to reading articles written about the "Best of" movies, TV shows, books, music for that given year.  I tried listing my favorite movies of 2013, and I had a hard time remembering what I saw ("Skyfall", "Undefeated", "Silver Linings Playbook" - no, those were in 2012). When I finally came up with a list of 7 movies I did see last year, they were hardly memorable enough to a make a "Best of" list, although I enjoyed seeing these movies with my family as my girls really liked these movies:
- Parental Guidance
- Despicable Me 2
- Frozen
And the movies I saw with Cindy:
- The Way Way Back
- Gravity
- Captain Phillips
And, I saw one other movie (solo) - Metallica Through the Never

This morning I was on Goodreads and discovered that I actually read 12 books in 2013:
 Books I read in 2013 

I've never really been an avid reader but in the past couple of years I've grown to enjoy reading in my daily quiet time.  Of these books, I'd say Randy Alcorn's "Heaven" and "Praying Circles Around Your Children" ("quick-read" version of Mark Batterson's "The Circle Maker") were the most memorable.  The most disappointing was "Baseball as a Road to God" (didn't even finish), and most educational were: "Parenting Beyond Your Capacity", and "The Five Love Languages of Children".



Here are my other "Best of 2013":

TV Shows:
- The Blacklist (NBC)
- The Americans (FX)
- Homeland (Showtime - although Season 3 was a letdown from the first 2 seasons)

Concerts:
- Rush (had to drive to Nashville; first time seeing Rush live since seeing them in TX in '97; their last show in Memphis was in '92!)
- Shinedown at Mud Island
- Third Day, Josh Wilson, Colton Dixon at Hope Church (the girl's first concert!)
- Steven Curtis Chapman, Laura Story, Jason Gray at Hope Church

Sporting events attended:
- The Grizzlies playoff run was most memorable.  I went to one game in each of the 3 playoff series:
Sat 4/27/13:  Game 4 of the Clippers series - won and tied the series at 2-2
Sat 5/11/13:  Game 3 of the Thunder series - won to take a 2-1 series lead
Mon 5/27/13: Game 4 of the Spurs/Western Conference finals - lost the game and series, but it was awesome to be there and be a part of the standing ovation for best season in franchise history.
- On the night before we returned home from our Mission Trip to Mexico, we stayed in downtown San Diego across from Petco Park so I was able to attend the Padres-D'Backs game on 6/14/13.  Love this ballpark and it was a great night for baseball.
- Astros-A's series over Memorial Day wknd (5/25-27/13).  I returned to Houston for 3 games at Minute Maid Park; it was my first time back in this park in 6 years.  I've been fortunate enough to take a  baseball trip each year (with the exception of 2011) for the past 10 or so years and I look forward to these each summer!

Prayer for 2014

The new year brings new commitments and a fresh start on goals and desired outcomes I have for my personal life and for my family.  Towards the end of 2013, I reflected often on how I might be able recharge my daily devotional time and engage with God on a more consistent and deeper level.  Oftentimes my daily quiet time feels like I'm just going through the motions, or my mind is on the day ahead, or I'm more focused on hitting the gym or heading out for a run to start my day.  I'm thankful God has transformed my heart and given me a passion to meet with Him daily in the still of the early morning (long gone are the days when I dreaded setting my alarm, now I look forward to setting it for 4:30a!)  Being the structured person that I am, I found myself looking forward to beginning a new Bible reading plan for 2014.  Two years ago, I ran across this 2-year Bible reading plan which I blogged about on New Year's Eve 2011.

This year, I'm looking forward to reading "Through the Bible Through the Year" by John Stott which was recommended to me by my friend/pastor Robbyn Abedi.

It's not your typical Bible reading plan with daily selected passages, rather this book is outlined in 3 parts (of 4 months each, with daily readings centered around a weekly theme covering the whole biblical story):

• Part 1: Creation to Christ
• Part 2: Christmas to Pentecost
• Part 3: Pentecost to Parousia (yes, I had to look this word up; Parousia = Christ's Second Coming)

My prayer is that this resource will launch me into a new approach to reading the Bible this year and awaken my soul daily as I open God's Word with anticipation and expectation that He will meet me and I will feel His presence daily.

Another resource I'm looking forward to reading daily is the new First15 from Denison Forum on Truth and Culture.  I have been receiving Jim Denison's daily devotional emails for 10+ years and would highly recommend to anyone to subscribe.

Happy New Year!