THE ROADTRIP

Note: for the latest news on the roadtrip, go to www.themoomobile.com

Here are notes from the message of Daniel and Ken on Sunday. These are insights we expect to have from our trip. You might say these are our spiritual hypotheses.

Value of fathers and sons bonding while there is still time. Years go by so quickly and then they are gone. Often as boys become teens relationships change and independence enters a boy’s (*ahem* teen’s) heart. Suddenly it is too late. Even with a great relationship, a boy’s job is to grow to be a man and to find his place in the world and move away. So buy up today.
I’m thinking that we’ll probably bring a trip-log and we’ll be comparing a lot of things with the way that we, in the mid-west, are used to seeing them: gas prices, cities, street signs, speed limits, rest stops (this will be an important one), food, rich suburbs, city slums, as well as the people themselves.

I believe that we will also note that not many people, whether they live on the east coast or west, have ever seen a cow-truck. I’m going to assume that we will have a lot of pictures taken of us as we travel, and that we’ll take a lot of pictures.

God’s majesty is revealed in nature. This is a big country with lots of open spaces and awe-inspiring scenes. Large cities are also amazing, but pale in comparison. This is a trip of worship.

Baseball is a great illustration of life, and contains many metaphors for living the Christian life.

In the BigInning God created the heavens and the earth…..and that’s how baseball came to be.

It’s one, two, three strikes, you’re out. On a practical human level, if you abuse the grace that someone offers you, or you draw too often from the well of favors from someone, you will eventually run out of grace.

It does no good to argue with the Umpire; the decision is never reversed, and you only get kicked out of the game (frankly, if the umpire doesn’t know the rule, then he’ll make one up just to prove you wrong….but let’s not go into that here).

The object of the game is to score more runs than your opponent. It takes both an offense and a defense to do that. With the defense you keep your opponent from scoring, but even if your defense is perfect you can’t win, because you must score runs to win. Defense is fellowship, community and maturing discipleship. Offense is outreach and evangelism. You do the math.

There is no clock in baseball, which is how we should live; it ain’t over til the fat lady sings (which is technically at the beginning of the game) (there is always hope, even when you are down 6 runs in the bottom of the ninth).

Only a few make it to the major leagues, and very few really look good once they get there (literally less than one in a million) (The Straight and narrow).

If you strike out three times for every home run you hit, but you hit 50 home runs in a season, you will still start every game.

Many teams can string together a good run, but that’s why they play 162.

The Yankees are the best team money can buy, and that’s why we hate them.

There’s no crying in baseball; walk it off and get back in there (and don’t rub it!).

Baseball is a game of numbers, and if you don’t like stats don’t bother watching (lucky thing for us is: God doesn’t keep track of numbers).

It takes a team to win or to lose (if you have no team there at the beginning, the other team wins by default).

Play by the rules. You have to respect the game; shortcuts in life, like steroids, do not work in your favor in the long run. 2 Tim 2:5

Of course baseball is slow-paced; like chess or fishing, your imagination fills in the gaps with strategy, statistics and conversation—it’s how men have conversations.

It is unforgivable not to hustle; make mistakes if you must (and you must), but make them with all your effort. As Martin Luther said, “If you are going to sin, sin boldly.” (But because you are neither hot nor cold but lukewarm, I will spit you from my mouth).

Baseball builds character when you win, when you lose, and when you go into extra innings, when you play hurt, when you are praised, when you are criticized. 1 Tim. Prov. ?:??

You gotta have the talent; you gotta have the discipline; you gotta have the love. 1 Cor. 9:27; 1 Cor. 13:1-3

Baseball has been very, very good to me (and so has God. Need we say anything more?).