Waking up to Thunder and Lightning

Today was the first day of practice. At first I didn't think it was going to happen because I woke up to the sound of thunder and rain. It was the first time it has rained since I have been here and it definitely wont be the last. I love the thunderstorms out here for some reason. Probably it's because they are basically unheard of in California. Anyways the rain ended up stopping after about an hour and the sun cleared enough of it up in time to practice. Not to much really went on throughout the practice since there was only 6 guys that showed up. It is still early and a few guys just got done playing with their college teams so they are still on their way. Hopefully they will be on there way sometime soon and we can get things going. So far all the guys seem like they are pretty cool dudes and I can't wait to see what the rest of the team is going to be like.

After the practice I headed back to the house and relaxed for a while and watched some Lost. I was kind of tired due to the fact I couldn't really sleep last night and because it was the first time going through a practice in well over a month so it wore me out. I absolutely missed baseball though and it was so nice to get back on the field and get things going again. After a while I got the chance to go golfing with my host dad Ray. Ray is hilarious, I enjoy spending the time with him and his wife and they are great Christians that really care about the players they host for the summer. They are treating me wonderful and I couldn't of asked for better host parents. Although I didn't golf very well it was still fun. For some reason I just couldn't adjust to Ray's clubs and it through off my game (not that I have much of a game anyway).

As golfing came to end we headed home and waiting for us was a delicious home cooked meal. It has been years since I have consistently been able to eat home cooked meals on a daily basis and I love every single one of them. I mean anything is really better then eating at the Biola cafe for two years but this is even better. As you can see I am really enjoying my time here once again in Illinois and the season hasn't even started yet! Tomorrow we have a scrimmage depending on how many players show up. There are supposed to be a few more that came in later on today but I guess I will find out at 2:00.

The thing I would like to talk about and get off my mind is addiction. Now there are many different forms of addiction and they could be good or bad. Right now I would like to talk about the bad ones and things I have struggled with in the past and still do today. I won't really get into details about the whole thing but it is as honest as I can be. Addictions can basically control our lives. Even though we know they are doing nothing but bad to ourselves we still continue to go through with them. There are times where we can go days, weeks, or even months without going through with the addiction but for some reason right when we think we have fixed the problem it comes back to haunt us. Even when we are in the most friendly sort of environments. One little thing can trigger it off and then you forget everything that you were working for.

In my case I am working hard to please God and addictions take place of this action. Whether it be anger, frustration, or being negative none of this pleases God. Like I talked about yesterday I may not show my emotion on the outside but when I am by myself it comes more often. It is tough to look to God in these sort of situations but this is the number one thing we need to do. Now I know we are being selfish in the first place with having the anger and everything so its hard to snap out of it and start praying. I know for one example is when I am basically venting to my mom and she stops me and asks me to pray. For some reason I constantly have to push myself to pray with her when I am upset with something even though that would be the best thing for me. I wonder why it is so difficult to do..is it because I am ashamed of how I am feeling? Ashamed of my sin? Forgetting that He is there? Thinking there is nothing he can do? Well whatever it may be I need to understand and realize that there is nothing he can't fix and no matter what my sins are forgiven because Jesus sat up there on the cross and died for each one of my sinful actions or thoughts. Overall when times are low or things get difficult we need to just get on our knees and pray. To get through the bad addictions try to start up a good addiction to take place of the old one. The first one could in fact be prayer.

Today I am going to look in Matthew 6:19-23. It reads "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. "The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. ²³But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness! "No one can serve two masters." 

Jesus made it clear that having the wrong treasures leads to our hearts being in the wrong place. These wrong treasures can be our addictions and they can control us whether we admit it or not. Lets not be in the dark but in the light and fix our eyes on the heaven not on the earth! Lets please Jesus!

GODISHERENOW.