Sadly, our days of high school baseball have come to an end. It has been an exciting four years and it flew by entirely too quickly. My mom often watched Brett so I could go to the games. When she wasn't available and it was too cold and rainy to take Brett out, my little car became an all terrain vehicle enabling me to drive right up to the fences at the various ball fields. At one particular school I was especially determined not to miss a thing (Dane was pitching!!) and I had to jump a curb and drive stealthily up the lawn between two fields. A woman from the other team was visibly shocked at my gall and stormed over to the car. I politely rolled down the window to hear what she had to say,

"Just what do you think you're doing?" she asked indignantly.

"Me? Oh. I'm watching my son play baseball." Isn't that rather obvious?

I don't think she knew how to respond to my candor or maybe she saw Brett and didn't have the heart to order me off the lawn, but either way, I continued to enjoy my warm, comfortable front row seat.

At a playoff game against Plymouth (at Plymouth) one of our big hitters, Dan Stoney, hit a home run that landed in the middle of the tennis courts (over 400 feet!). Dan is the baby in his family and the only boy. It's obvious that his older sisters are two of his biggest fans. After his home run, his mom texted them both with the news. One texted back, "Hot Damn!"the other "Praise God! I've really been praying for him!" Sue got a big kick out of it, commenting on how perfectly it illustrated the stark differences in their personalities. Regardless of their different responses, they were both thrilled for their "little" brother.

There is something about witnessing siblings obvious love and concern for each other that really touches me. I feel like parents have done something really right when their children love and support each other. I think about our Heavenly Father and of His many exhortations that we love one another. I know I'm not the only parent that feels a particular joy when I see evidence that my kids genuinely love each other. I think it gives us a small glimpse of the pleasure it gives God when He sees His children being "kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave us." (Eph. 4:32).

"Let me give you a new command: Love one another. In the same way I loved you, you love one another. This is how everyone will recognize that you are my disciples—when they see the love you have for each other." (John 13:34-35, The Message).