It's that time (.....w/sounds of John Fogerty's "Centerfield"....) - we are cranking up for Fall Ball:  Baseball!  Yes, we are "one of those" families that eats, sleeps and breathes competitive baseball.  I agree, it is a sub-culture............but we all know that when our children are self-driven for a true love, we are right there helping them pursue their love..........and in our family, our sons LOVE baseball.  I'll be the first to tell you, we get more raised eyebrows and rolled eyes from our beloved extended family over our life and love of baseball than when we announced we were homeschooling our children!  And we still get more questions about our baseball life than our homeschool life ~ seriously.

However, I was bound and determined early on to introduce the boys to all sports (including soccer, tennis, basketball, golf, etc.) and a well rounded variety of extra-curricular activities that included music, Chess and other fun things.  But over time both boys came forward and told us they only wanted to play baseball.  We have a standard policy in that they are to speak up and say when they've had enough or want to try something else or even take a break.................and we have taken breaks: one spring season of baseball, they wanted to go fishing ~ and fishing we went and went and went.  It was a great break and one that our sons realized that, as their parents, we want to support their interests but we also want to respect the need for rest and pursuit of other things.

While our sons have both played on travel teams in addition to playing in local rec. programs, we are  now a part of a new homeschool [middle school, JV & Varsity] baseball team and we couldn't be more excited.  There are literally hundreds of travel teams and the homeschool teams of this sort are plentiful in metro-Atlanta where we moved from.  However, in east central Georgia, travel ball is still new to a majority of the population and the homeschool teams are just beginning to form and become established.  Our new team is the third in our region and we are blessed (through a number of crossroad moments....) to be a part of its beginning.

Our head coach is a Christian man, husband, homeschooling father and business man.  He and his wife have a beautiful family with ten children - two that are married - having eight still at home.  I know I will learn TONS from this incredible family that has little to do with baseball.

Our love and pursuit of our interests, so many, many  times, become about the crossroad moments during the journey.

So with my daytimer in hand, here we went for our first business meeting prior to our fall baseball season's beginning.  With the sooner than later winding down of summer and focusing ahead to the new school year, we're filling in those squares on our calendar.  August will jump start us back into our routines leading us into Fall.

If you have a blank line anywhere on your prayer list, I would ask that you pray for this little homeschool team.  Pray for this man and his family who have felt led to start this team for homeschoolers desiring to play; pray that the boys and families God has chosen for this team will yield to His direction; pray for the safety of our children as they play at this level of competition; pray that this team will lend life lessons and bonding friendships for these boys as they grow under God's leadership through this sport that they love; pray that the parents will keep their perspectives and give this team to the Lord; and pray that this is all about God's will for the lives of all these families coming together as a team and that He is glorified.

Happy Friday, Y'all!  Have a Great Weekend!

Harriette