Fulfilled (a book review)

I had the opportunity to get a sneak peek at Danise Jurado’s book Fulfilled: Learning to Live the Life God Promised. It releases next week, on the 25^th, but I’ve had a chance to read it – and thanks to Danise’s generosity, I have a signed copy to give away to one lucky reader as well.  Details on how to win (and details on another giveaway) at the bottom.

Fulfilled is a balanced mix of personal stories and practical advice for how to live life to the full potential given you. I expected this to be a lofty, idealistic book – something teeming with clichés and generalizations. Instead it is hands-on. It is detailed and specific. Danise shares details and hardships – the times when things were at their worst – and how she, with God’s help, overcame all those situations. How she took the knowledge she has of God and His power, what she reads in His Word, and what she has learned from prior experience – and turned it into useful advice. It has targeted activities with real life examples from Danise’s own journey, but shows the reader how to apply in their own life. 

The chapters take you through a logical progression – from the most basic need of salvation and a relationship with God, through the hard choices of forgiveness and restoration, and forward on the challenging but rewarding journey of hope, joy and courage.  The chapter on family was particularly insightful for me. Danise’s parents divorced when she was young and it discusses how to piece a new family together – something very much needed in my own walk. She writes “I learned at a very young age that, when you are willing to open your heart and accept others, anyone can become your family.” This encouraged my heart – that walking the path as a single mom now need not define how our family is constructed. My identity is not found only in a broken family, but now also in a whole, yet different family.  Later on, this is summarized: “Our value as people doesn’t change just because our roles or responsibilities have changed.”

In the later chapters, Danise moves on to the harder aspects of growing in faith and fulfillment: finding your courage and confidence. Sometimes it is easy to get stuck in the existence of every day. It is a simple choice to give up, especially in the face of a challenge. But Danise reminds the reader that these journeys and struggles aren’t unique. They aren’t one-time isolated events. Every hurdle you overcome is a stepping stone to the next challenge set before you. “Confidence that has been built with the wisdom of preparation can only truly succeed if its foundation is faith in God, who is always bigger than the unexpected.”  You can train, practice, study, or however you look at it. But even the most prepared individual in any situation can face something unexpected with the task at hand. Knowing that God can bridge those gaps brings confidence to attempt them anyway, rather than to turn tail and run. 

These are only a few of the valuable points made within the pages of Fulfilled. It’s an easy read from the perspective of being written in down to earth language, with real life examples. Yet at the same time, it is a challenge – lots of step-by-step in the earlier sections that are meant to mull on and pray over. Practical applications that when complete allow the later chapters to have more influence on daily choices.

You can purchase a copy of Fulfilled on Amazon. 50% of the proceeds benefit the Dream Center.  And you can enter to win a signed copy by leaving a comment below. Entry closes on August 27 at midnight Eastern Time. Winner will be selected at random from all entries received.

**Note** in addition to your comment for the entry, please send me an email so that I have a way to contact you if you are the winner. I can't make the comment form mask your email and I don't want you to have to list it. Thanks** 

In addition, Danise has a $100 giveaway that is open until September 25, with unlimited entries.

Thanks, Danise, for the opportunity to read your book and to pass it along to someone else.

Favorite (Five Minute Friday)

Welcome to Five Minute Friday where I write on the wrong day of the week about the prompt provided by Kate - and then link with all the folks who wrote on time to share our thoughts. Five minutes, raw and unedited.

This week the word is FAVORITE. And while I will still pour my heart out for a few, I might not stop at 5 minutes this time. Because I want to tell you about my favorite baseball player.

Lots of my friends love baseball. Lots of people love baseball. Some have favorite players and some don't. And reasons people pick their favorite are as varied as the people who walk the face of the earth. Some like players who hit, or ones who throw untouchable fast balls. Some like players with personality, pizzazz, or ones who choose particular walk up music. There are folks who like players for their good looks or for where they played college ball, or just because they're on a particular team.

My favorite player is liked for a lot of reasons by many people. For me, it's his heart. Ian Desmond, shortstop for the Washington Nationals has the biggest heart of any baseball player I know. Last year Ian led a campaign to raise money for the Children's Tumor Foundation. (I wrote about that here. And in that post are links to all the back story of Ian's friendship with Ethan and how everything got started. Hop over and have a read).

It could have stopped there. The campaign raised over $30,000 and that is amazing. But Ian did it because he cares about the cause. Because Ethan is his friend, and like a little brother. I've become friends with Ethan and his family as well, and this whole year I've seen posts about the time Ian makes to check in and see how things are. To make sure Ethan has what he needs - to offer advice about girls, and to offer advice about friendships, and to offer wise counsel about where to study in Scripture.

And it could stop there. But it doesn't. Last week I organized an outing to a Nationals-Braves game in Atlanta. We did it through the Georgia chapter of the Children's Tumor Foundation. The Braves were gracious hosts and made sure we could get our seats in the shade, with wheelchair access if needed. We had a group of 17 people come to the game. A few of us flew down from DC. Some drove in from South Carolina and Alabama. And a few were Atlanta locals.

I reached out to Ian and let him know we were trying to get a group together. And Ian, with the Nationals, hosted us at batting practice before the game. Every single person in our group was able to get down on the field to watch BP. Ethan and his family joined us, too. 21 people in the BP crowd. But it doesn't even stop there.

Ian came out onto the field well before the Nationals were even due out to warm up. He came over to our group. He took photos with us, signed balls and programs, for way more people than he should have had to. But more than photos and signing, he took time with us. He stopped to visit with all the folks in our group. He engaged the kids and talked with them. Not cursory hellos, but thoughtful conversation. "What's happening. What's your name. (and then he used their names for the rest of the conversations). How are you. Do you have NF1 or NF2. Tell me your story.  Tell me about your family." And on and on.

Great to see this group from @ChildrensTumor, guests of Ian Desmond, rocking Curly W's here in Atlanta! #Nats #EndNF pic.twitter.com/vFNBNYmwlE

— Washington Nationals (@Nationals) June 30, 2015

The time Ian devotes to people - to investing in them. To making them feel special and important and welcome. To understanding what they are facing and making them feel included. THIS is what I love about Ian and this is why he is my favorite baseball player. We are lucky to have a role model on this team who puts his faith and his heart into action, and who shares that willingly and openly with the community. Because of how Ian speaks of Ethan and his heart to EndNF with the guys on the team, others on the team, including Bryce Harper and Dan Uggla, came over to say hello and visit as well.

Thank you, Ian, for making our group feel loved. For using your name to give a voice to a cause that needs more spokespeople, and for sharing your heart to #EndNF in Washington. (and Atlanta). (and across the world).

On behalf of all the folks who came out to the game last week: from the bottom of our hearts, thank you.



a few pictures from the evening are below.

 

Dream (Five Minute Friday)

This post is a part of Five Minute Friday, hosted by Kate. Where we get the word, write for 5 minutes, and then link here with lots of other writers - all sharing hearts and encouraging each other.

DREAM
Do you have a bucket list? I do. It's a hodge podge of things I want to do or places I want to go and such. Includes watching a sunset in Hawaii, visiting Australia, taking my kids to Paris, seeing Mount Rushmore, hiking in the Grand Canyon, seeing the Alps....
and until last week it included going to the College World Series in Omaha, Nebraska.

Last week I got to put a big check on my bucket list. My alma mater, Vanderbilt University has a fabulous baseball team. They won the CWS last year - national champions! I wanted to go last year, but timing, end of school, and exorbitant airfare prevented me from making it happen.

welcome sign at the airport in Omaha

So, when Vandy made it back to the CWS (8 teams go), my friend and colleague who lives in Omaha messaged me. "Are you coming?" I was admittedly on the fence. How would the logistics work? Could the girls stay with their dad and stepmom for a few days outside of our normal schedule? Could I get a flight?

And so I decided I would try. Step 1: ask about kiddo coverage. Their dad graciously agreed to have a few extra days. YAY! next: check airfare. I found an amazing deal - bought those tickets in a hurry.  Step 3: figure out work stuff.  I am a telecommuter - my friend has everything I need since she's a telecommuter for the same company, plus she has an extra room at her place and set me up like a regular office.

I decided to go even if Vandy didn't make the finals. I might never have the opportunity again. My friend bought tickets to Monday and Tuesday's games. I had a return flight Wednesday night because I needed to get the kids Thursday.

and then -- VANDY MADE IT TO THE FINALS!! JACKPOT!

and so - off to Omaha I went. LATE flight Sunday night. And we arrived later than we were supposed to. I will spare you the airport drama in Chicago. I am still trying to forget it.

My friend picked me up in the wee hours. Monday afternoon we headed over to the stadium. I saw all the great photo spots.

only Vanderbilt and University of Virginia flags left standing tall. The other 6 teams had already been eliminated. 

Road to Omaha statue

Got my T-shirt. Went to the pep rally picnic. Went in and found our seats. Met up with a friend (he drove in from Dallas) who I had not seen since graduation.  (17 years ago... ). And then we watched the game. Cheered until we were hoarse.  End of game 1: Vandy wins!! One win away from the championship.

Tuesday, we went to dinner at an "Omaha pizza dive".  It was DELICIOUS! And I discovered fried ravioli.  I also found some CWS postcards to send home - to the girls and to my folks and to some UVA friends...   Tuesday night UVA won. I was hoarse and I was sad. If Vandy was going to win, they would do it without me there. OR WOULD THEY?

My friend said "can you stay?" And so I called Southwest on the way back to her house from the game. "Can I swap to the Thursday AM flight?"  and yes, I could.  No change fees. Small airfare difference.  WHOA! OK, I am in!!  And then another friend, who had driven in from Denver with her kids, asked if I wanted to go with her.  So I said yes. We got tickets Wednesday morning in the lottery drawing and were 8 rows behind the enemy dugout that night. We cheered loud and proud all night long. Our team fought hard and played their hearts out, but at the end of the day, Virginia prevailed. 4-2.

We cried. We cheered. Virginia was the better team that night, but I am still so proud of our guys. Returning to the national title game after winning the year before is no easy feat. And there's a pile of statistics running around somewhere about how evenly matched Vandy and UVA are, so we are all pulling for a rubber match next year.


After the game, we walked out of the stadium and waited for the team to board the bus. They finally came out after the press conference, tears in their eyes. But holding their heads high. The fans cheered and said thank you. The team stopped, the guys took photos with us and signed balls for kids and were classy all the way.

with Rhett Wiseman, who was drafted by the Washington Nationals

With Dansby Swanson, who was drafted first overall by the Arizona Diamondbacks

Several of them have played their last game in the Vandy pinstripes. They're headed off to the pros and I will cheer for each of them on their journey. Several will be back, and we have another banner recruiting class.  So maybe we WILL get that rematch next year. And maybe, just maybe, I can add "see my team win the national championship in person" to the things I've checked on my bucket list.

Even with the loss, college baseball in Omaha was better than I dreamed it could be. It truly is the "greatest show on dirt" and I would do it all again in a heartbeat, even knowing the outcome.

#AnchorDown #VandyBoys

I also got to meet David Price, former VandyBoy and now pitcher for the Detroit Tigers

Fear (Five Minute Friday)

Writing over a week late, but needed to get this post out there.

FEAR
I had the chance last week to laugh in the face of fear. Not everyone gets an opportunity to do that, but I did, and it was fabulous.

The Nationals hosted an event called ladies night on Thursday, June 18. I went with a bunch of my Nats friends and we had a blast. There was some chaos and confusion due to a ginormous thunderstorm, but my Nats ladies and I make the best of things - and hey, baseball, friends, and food? Nothing mixes better for me.

I added to the fun by debuting my "Nats dress" which I made. It turned out pretty well, I think - but I am not quitting my day job and taking up as a seamstress anytime soon.

We hung out at the reception. I danced with Abe Lincoln. And then while we were standing around chatting before the game, Mike, the Nats in-game entertainment host wandered by. We hollered at him and said hello. And then out of the blue, he looked at me and said "hey, do you want to throw out the first pitch tonight?"

I paused for a split second. And then I said YES. Because who says no to throwing out the first pitch at an MLB game? Not me. Why did he ask me? I'm pretty sure it was the dress. People talked about it all night. So score one for my dress.

I followed Mike and some other staff members down to the field. And then it set in. REALLY set in. Ummmm ... I have NEVER thrown a baseball before. Yes me, super fan extraordinare. So, what better way to debut than in front of 25,000 people?! HA HA. GULP.

What am I getting into?!

 What was I thinking? As we stood on the field waiting for "the time" I got to meet Mr. Lerner, team owner. He liked my dress. We took a selfie - because hey, if I am doing crazy things, why not ask for that too? My friend Michelle worked her way down close enough to the field to capture all this nonsense on camera. She's a gem. And you will see in the photos that I decided to shake off that fear - by laughing. because as my mom always says, if you can laugh about it later, why not laugh about it now?  I did a LOT of laughing that night.

My pitch-buddy was Blake Treinen. He's a relief pitcher for the Nationals. I gave him fair warning. He asked me if I was ready and I told him no. "I've never thrown before. ever. So I will never be ready, but that's ok, right?" He responded with "Just get it in the neighborhood and I will bail you out."

Blake was so kind - he made me forget about my nerves for a split second. And then I remembered about that 50 Cent pitch for the Mets. My thoughts went like this:
            Surely I can't be that bad, right?  Well, so what if I am? The worst thing that happens is the whole stadium laughs at me. Ok. My friends are up there, so that's 20 folks that will love me through the embarrassment. Good. I can do this. OH  MY WORD I CANNOT DO THIS.



Then it was time.
Step 1: don't mess up the line from home plate to first base. Ok, good, I stepped over that and didn't fall.

Step 2: find a good place to stand. I knew I couldn't throw all the way from the rubber . I wasn't even sure I could step up on the mound and not fall. I was wearing flip flops. (not throwing shoes in case you wondered). OK, found a place to stand. Close enough to the mound to not be wimping out, but on the grass. I thought that was safe.

Step 3: ask Blake if he's ready. He was. He smiled. GULP. GULP.

Step 4: wind up. HA HA. I had no idea what I was doing at this point. My hands were sweaty and I was petrified. I heard a cheer somewhere.  (Turns out that was all my awesome friends cheering my name. I LOVE YOU GUYS).

Step 5: throw. ok, I survived. WHEW. It bounced once. And then was "juuuuuuuuuuust a bit outside". Well through the left handed batters box. But in the general neighborhood of home plate. At that point I just laughed. and laughed.  All the way back to meet Blake for the ball signature (THANK YOU BLAKE) and the photo with Screech. My hands were still sweaty and I was still shaking, but I did it.

I threw a baseball. In front of 25,000 people. And I did not totally embarrass myself. And I laughed about it.

And you know what? It was FUN! And it is a night I will never forget. Ever.

(all photos courtesy of either my friend Michelle or the Washington Nationals. Used with permission).

Post is a part of Five Minute Friday. Hosted by Kate.

Tomorrow (Five Minute Friday)

Tomorrow is a very special day. Two of my wonderful twitter-turned-real-life friends are getting married. So, this post is for you, Sam and Elaine.

Dear "Mr. Sam" and "Miss Lainey":

We wish you a beautiful day filled with sunshine and smiles. We wish you lots of great hugs, dancing and laughter. May some of your pictures turn out well enough to hang up in your home and may the rest make you laugh enough that you want to print them too. May all the readers get through their assignments without tongue twisting. But even if we do, may everyone understand the heart behind the words if they don't sound just right. May you dance as if no one is watching, even though we all are. May you enjoy the celebration with friends and family - know that we all love you so much.

May you remember that tomorrow is about you - not about the rest of us. Focus on each other, enjoy the ride. For tomorrow begins a new journey together - may every day be an adventure. Some will be fun, some will be amazing. Some will be less fun, and some might even be lousy, but always you will have each other. There will be tough times for sure - may you trust each other enough and lean on each other to weather the storms and come through to the side of the rainbow.  And for all your days from here on out: may there be more ups than downs, more smiles than tears, more hugs than stompy feet, more kisses than complaining. Thanks for letting us share in your beginning with you.

Congratulations, my dear friends. Hugs and kisses from all 3 of us.

Love,
Jen, S & A



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Also linking at Five Minute Friday.

Relief (Five Minute Friday)

Relief. 

This is what I feel on Thursday nights when the kids go to bed. We have made it through another week of homework, piano lessons, soccer, meal preparation, school and work. I breathe easier on Thursday nights. The weekend awaits. When we can sleep in (because 7am IS sleeping in). When we can stay up late (8:30pm IS late). 

Friday nights sometimes stink in my house. Kids can be crabby. More than once we've all crawled into bed at 6:30pm and just collapsed from the exhaustion of a "regular" week. Work for me, and school for the littles. The grind of the routine  wears us out. To the breaking point. And we need the weekend to rejuvenate.

In sweet, sweet spring, we can leave it all behind and head to the ballpark.

Sometimes, we have a Friday night baseball game. And like their mama, my girls love a good trip to Nats park. The Friday crabbies don't usually come on baseball nights. There's something about nachos and cracking bats and baseballs thumping into catchers mitts. It takes the crabby away and instead we find our sweet solace. We snuggle down in the seats with stuffed animals and blankets and scorebooks. Pencils and Uno cards and notepads.  And we watch. We listen. We cheer. We sing. We dance. And on those Friday nights, relief sets in ... that our little family of 3 is in our home away from home and all is right in our little world. 

***************

Linking up over at Kate's place with the rest of the Five Minute Friday crew.

Where we get a word, we write for 5 minutes (no edits, no backtracks, typos are permitted and never chastised), and then read the words of our fellow writers, and leave them a little love.

Join us. 

Good (Five Minute Friday)

Five Minute Friday - where we stop for 5 minutes, throw some thoughts on the screen, and then go share in the words of friends.  You can see all of this week's FMF posts at Kate's place. And you can find us online every Thursday night tweeting with the #FMFParty hashtag.


GO.
A few weeks ago I got to be a guest poster over at Citizens of Natstown - about how baseball is always good.  So when GOOD was the prompt for Five Minute Friday this week, I was a bit stumped. It was opening day for the Nationals this week and frankly baseball has been on my mind. We returned from our Spring Break adventures and I was solely focused on baseball.

Baseball season is my happy place. Work is chaos and school is getting frantic as the end of the year approaches. And when I need a break, my beloved Nats give me what I need.

The first few games this year have been a bit rough. Some defensive miscues. Some early season rust. A few of our main guys on the Disabled list and some of the fans are restless. A few have hit the panic button. HELLO, we play 162 games. And hopefully more. So on game 3 it is not yet time to panic. Unless the stadium is on fire (which it is not. And even if it was, they would find somewhere else to play.)

And today, on my late lunch break as I was listening to the game, I found myself sucked in to the crazy. Trying to defend my team from our own fans. Fans who were calling for player benching and manager checking and marketing phrases and I don't even know what.

And then I stopped. because they were were invading my happy place. Baseball is good for me. baseball is a break from the world of chaos. And so I decided ... I am going to exercise my mute functions on twitter. I am going back to the radio to listen without the temptation of a device that can access social media if a game gets nuts. Because while I love chatting with friends online when the games are going great, I am not going to let the crazy take away my good.

So - if you don't see me online during a game, chances are it has nothing to do with me missing the game, and everything to do with me making sure the game gives me what I need.

STOP.