The most astonishing part of the journey over the past couple of years is that despite the personal exhaustion, setbacks, injuries, & heartbreaks - by the grace of God & all glory to God - we keep hobbling up to the plate like Kirk Gibson in the 1988 World Series and hitting game winning homeruns. It has been absolutely amazing... or God-awesome as I like to say. For 26 years we have run hundreds & hundreds of incredible events that have impacted thousands & thousands of people who still savor and talk about those events today (Thank You Jesus!), but somehow the past few years - despite the personal injuries & exhaustion - we are providing events at an even higher caliber and an even higher level of excellence than ever before. On paper, it shouldn't be. By all accounts we should be striking out to lose the game. But by the power of God - when I'm at my weakest - He keeps supplying the supernatural strength to limp up to the plate and hit game winning homeruns event after event after event. People are getting saved, people are rededicating their lives, people are being revived, people are being renewed, people are being encouraged, families are bonding, kids are making positive life decisions, fears are being overcome, life is being seized. I can't take any credit for how far the ball is flying off of the bat. That's all God! The only part I can relish in is knowing that I could have stayed on the bench, but I didn't. I could have let the injuries and exhaustion take me out of the game, but I didn't. I could have made the heartbreak an excuse to tell the Coach I can't play, but I didn't. Just like when I was 17 years old and broke my hand playing baseball in my senior year of high school I still showed up and practiced everyday, and every game I put my uniform on and tied my baseball glove on to the outside of my cast and I showed up ready to play. Back then the coach found ways to get me into the game as a pinch runner and even to pitch a few innings (I would catch the baseball on the outside of my mitt with both hands). After 4 weeks I ripped the cast off my arm and went back to playing fulltime to finish my senior season. I take that same attitude into running GTD events. Nothing is going to keep me from showing up to practice, suit up for game day, or to be ready to play the game. I may be in agony before the game and I may collapse after the game, but I'm going to play the game and help my team win. And what I'm finding is what I've always found >>> great things happen when you let God have whatever you've got - especially when all you've got is the least you've ever had. God will take the little that you have and turn it into something supernatural. God gets all the glory and you get the miraculous experience of a lifetime! Nothing compares to and no one can ever take away the inner elation that God gives you when He uses your hobbled body to hit a game winning homerun. Thank You Father that when we are at our weakest YOU are making your strength and power work perfectly! We are finishing up our 26th year of ministry - arguably our greatest year ever, and this "aging and worn down" player can't wait for our 27th year of ministry. Camps, retreats, adventure trips, and mission trips are already being scheduled for 2023. In fact, we are actually working on expanding GTD! I may need off-season surgery, but I'm eager and able to play high caliber ball. I'm exhausted, injured, and crushed aaaaaaaaand I'm washing my uniform getting ready for the next season and the next game! There are more game winning homeruns to hit! I'm already looking forward to our next event :)
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