baseball has my heart too...

Today is a day when the air is thick with the buzz of political drama and forecasting. While the outcome of today’s election weighs heavy on my heart and mind, my passion for sports is strong and imminent as ever.

First of all, I believe college football history is to be made this weekend between the Alabama Crimson Tide, ROLL TIDE, ROLL!!! And the Texas A&M Aggies, Whoop, Gig’Em!!! The reigning champions are having a phenomenal season and playing their hearts out as they hold onto their undefeated title, and the Aggies have made a strong debut in the SEC, that has brought shock to fans of all conferences and teams. I truly believe Bama will hold on to their reign after week 11, but I know A&M will put up a good fight with their flighty offense and they’ll make the Tide play hard to win it. Needless to say, I can’t wait to share the afternoon Saturday with some of my closest friends, as they all stay true to the heart of the lovely Texas, and I lonesomely bear all and holler for the Tide. It’ll be fun no matter what happens and we’ll make memories. And I have my hound’s-tooth cardigan, worthy of Bear Bryant himself, all ready to show my pride for the Tide!

On a more serious note, even though baseball season just ended, trade agreements and free agent talks are just beginning to get heated up. You all know I’m as die-hard a Texas Rangers fan as I am an Alabama fan. So the fact that there are so many grey area players this off-season is a little disturbing. I’ve tried to stay up to date with TR Sullivan’s blog, and other MLB rumors, but I wanted to put all of my opinions into writing and officially declare my feelings, so I can look back in a few months when the season begins and see how cut out I am for the industry I’m working hard to make my way into.

So If you’re not into sports, you’ve surely had enough by now, so you can forgivably be done reading and check back in a few weeks for a new post related to more practical musings of my life. But if you know me, and how I feel about my passions, and you enjoy the entertainment of my ramblings, stay tuned for my 2013 Rangers forecasting, and some general MLB predictions.

Josh Hamilton is quite possibly the hottest topic of discussion in the Rangers front offices right now. Everybody knows that this 5x American league all star, former AL MVP, 2x silver slugger and winner of multiple other batting and performance awards on the field has literally been through hell and back in his career. But remarkably, Josh has prevailed through all with the grace and strength of God on his side and proven to be an incredibly talented baseball player. In his 5 years with the Rangers, Josh has had stellar seasons, consistently setting and breaking records and blazing paths for himself and the team as they made their way to post season play multiple times and made franchise history in not one, but two World Series runs.

Josh is a hot topic, not only because of his offensive and defensive productivity and success, but also because of the impact that his time in Texas has had on his personal story. His comeback has been with the Rangers, and many have expressed that if he leaves Texas, there’s a significant chance that he could relapse. He has an awesome support system in the clubhouse, so that’ll be a huge loss to undertake in moving to a new team, but if money is what he’s truly interested in rather than proving his talent on the field and continuing to be a good ballplayer committed to the excellence of being part of something larger than self, is he truly worth keeping in Texas?

I’m biased, and I love him, but this ball club can’t afford arrogance, and unfortunately that’s what society has turned the game into. Nobody above the college sophomore level plays just for the love of it anymore. That’s just sad.

So to sum up my thoughts on J-Ham, as sad as I am to say, I don’t think we’ll see him on the home bench in Texas come spring. So with his shoes to fill, lets talk about more players.

Mike Napoli has also moved to free agent status but may be a more wise choice to keep around the clubhouse than Josh for the figures that they’re worth. Josh has high interest, and Napoli is darn sure worth it, but doesn’t top as many lists so he’d surely be easier to bring back, but equally worth the fight. Plus, on the field, Nap’s far more versatile than Josh. He’s great behind the plate, but he’s also strong on 1^st and he can fill the DH spot when Young needs to be on the field, not just in the lineup. He’s strong, offensively and doesn’t hit defensive slumps and I think he’s got longevity in him so he’d be good to invest in as far as high price offerings are concerned for the Rangers this year.

Lots of pitchers have declared free agency, which is totally normal, making the pitcher market so vast. Currently the Rangers are looking at a rotation of Darvish, Holland, Lewis (set to return for the ’13 season), Harrison and either Ogando or the returning Feliz will complete the Rotation. These guys have the potential to be strong with the two recovering from surgery and with relievers in the pen like Ross, Grim, Kirkman and Scheppers I hope they look as good as they sound. As far as the guys who have declared free agency, the Rangers need to bring in someone who can join Joe Nathan to close out the games. Scott Feldman needs to go. That’s plain and simple, his season of productivity in Texas has come and gone. Guys I’d like to see stick around for a bit are Dempster, Oswalt and Lowe. But, I know there are lots of other guys on the market to look at who could come with low prices so seeing these guys go won’t necessarily be too heartbreaking.

As for the Rangers current active and 40 man rosters, they could definitely make it with what they have. Last season lots of young guys dazzled fans with great talent and the farm system continues to show potential.

Jurickson Profar tops the list for future Ranger all-stars! This kid can play ball, y’all, and biased as I am towards Ian Kinsler, he needs to watch his back.

In the case that Josh isn’t back for the 2013 season, I think Kinsler moving to the outfield could be good. His speed would be viable there and it would give Murphy (who’s spotlight is to come) and Cruz time off, and help Gentry as he eases into regular outfield play. Martin also shows potential, but definitely isn’t ready for a regular spot in the lineup, so with Kinsler in the OF, Washington could start Murphy and Cruz daily, rotating Kins and Gentry sending in Martin and Beltre if someone needed a pinch hitter, runner or day off. As for Julio Borbon, he makes the list of Rangers I wouldn’t be upset to see go. He’s yet to prove himself offensively consistent and hasn’t worked to earn a lot of playing time. If you don’t prove you want it, why are we keeping you around?

In 2012, David Murphy definitely showed that he’s ready to be an every day player, and Ron Washington has definitely seen that, and shown it by starting him more towards the end of the season. He’s not up for free agency for another year, and if he plays well this season, I definitely feel that the Rangers will make him an offer. He’s a local boy and I think he’ll want to stay around. Money’s not a big issue in his contracts either, so fingers crossed that the Murph stays on fire and keeps burning up in Arlington.

Moving to the infield, with the possibility of Kinsler on the grass and Profar taking his spot at 2^nd the rest of the diamond seems pretty set. Obviously Beltre’s got 3^rd handled. Andrus and short are great and Papa Moreland was heating up offensively and at first base towards the end of the season. Then you have Napoli to stand in on first when Mitch is off. Mike Olt and Brandon Snyder can also fill in at 1^st and 3^rd respectively if needed and Snyder could also be converted to outfield if trades required one of the bench players to leave. But Snyder and Olt are also young, viable players who are available to trade in order to gain bullpen help.

My final note will be that although I love Ian Kinsler dearly, it may be time for the Rangers to let him go. He could be the key to keeping Hamilton and Napoli and they combined are definitely worth seeing him leave. His levels of productivity have been down across the board. There’s less consistency batting leadoff, less homeruns, RBIs, and stolen bases, and he missed several critical routine plays last year picking up unneeded errors like never before. I love the boy, and he’s still young with lots of ball left to play, but maybe he doesn’t need to play it calling Texas home.

So basically, other than Josh Hamilton and Mike Napoli, the bullpen is the major area of concern for Texas this offseason. If there had been greater consistency from some in 2012, there may have been a longer post season run, but maybe a break from playoffs was good for the boys. Who knows?

I’m very optimistic and ready for December meetings to get here and action to happen. It’s so much easier to just know what’s going on than to have to wait.

Stay tuned for my further ramblings on who the Rangers should consider investing in outside of the clubhouse, especially to build their pitching staff.

And please, let me know what you think of my first sports blog!!!

Love y’all!

In Grace’s Amazing Hands,

Katelyn “The Huke”

...blogging is probably the last thing I should be doing right now....

I have a macro-economics final at 6 pm, and I don't think I'll ever truly be ready for it, but my heart is burdened for people in my life who are literally at a point where they're "failing" at what they invest themselves in. 

We are all born with an inherent fear of failure. Human nature comes with an irreversible desire to be a people pleaser. To get everything right and to prove ourselves in all that we do. Sin nature causes us to strive for a perfection we'll never achieve, and so we're all, together, running on a hamster wheel towards something we want, but isn't meant for us to have. 

I think for a lot of people my age, Biblical encouragement has become too cliche. Telling someone in a struggle that "God is in control and has the best plan, no matter what ever happens" often falls on empty hearts and goes quickly through the ears of my peers. This is SO discouraging! 

Being a recent college grad, I myself struggle with "being a failure" every day. I've invested four years, countless hours, tears and struggles into gaining an education that would best prepare me to throw myself into what the Lord has for me as I continue to grow and become what He's shaping me into. 

I started hunting for a job before I even graduated. I can't even say how many interviews I've had at this point, or how many applications and resumes I have submitted. But time and time again, I've been told no, and not been given the chance to prove myself professionally. I know I'm qualified for everything I've pursued, and its the hours of my class schedule come fall keeping me from so many opportunities, but it still feels like a hard sucker-punch to the gut. You can only be told "NO" so many times before it truly does feel personal...optimism only goes so far.

I know a lot of the people who I'm walking through life with feel the burden of failure upon their shoulders in different, more literal ways, like not achieving things in their jobs or literally failing in school and stuff. But it's all relative to each of our situations, and so we all find ourselves sitting in this big boat of failure together. 

None of us want to be here, but I'm beginning to think this is a stage of life where we continually find ourselves here the most. And I think it's because we're at a point where we can't completely wrap our heads around our faith. We've been thrown out on our own in a spot where we're supposed to be learning independence and walking on our own feet. But it's not nearly as simple as the world has always made it look. 

In the process of arriving where we are, we refuse to see failure around us every day, and then when it hits us in the face, we don't really know what to do. 

I think it probably seems like I really don't know where I'm going with this anymore, but I promise I do, and I'm almost done...

As we grow, we must overcome failure every day. Whether it's personal failure or helping those around us to see past their own struggles. 

ONLY GOD AND LOVE WILL NEVER FAIL US. 

So as we overcome the failures and struggles of our lives, God and his love, and the love of others is what we must cling to. 

I recently began the devotional by Sarah Young, "Jesus Calling" and y'all, I ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT!  If you've been searching for something to keep you in the word daily or even if you have something, I strongly encourage you to check it out, it's great. This to say....

Several times in August, remember it's only the 9th, I find myself being reminded of the Lord's unfailing, unconditional and unwavering love for us. Every day, it seems the things Sarah encourages are somehow interconnected. I like that a lot, because we can't ever be reminded enough that in the imperfection we're stuck living in, we're covered in something so perfect that it redeems us and makes us worthy of the Lord's presence in our lives. 

That's just awesome to me, and I literally have chills right now saying this! 

I don't know where this post finds you in life, but I hope it's a decent reminder of the Love that covers us all. 

Remember in your life, you're not the only one dealing with difficulties and struggles. We're all walking in that together. It's not always easy to come up with encouragement when those we love are hurting and breaking and falling short of where they want themselves to be, and it's not easy for them to come up with what we need when we're in the same situation. 

I realized this morning that sometimes, its better to have open arms, than trying to find the right words. Love in it's purest form is unspoken, but exhibited and acted out, intentionally and without complication. 

While we have words for God's perfect love, thrust upon us. Expressing our love towards others in adequate ways is seemingly impossible. That's when the promise that our actions speak louder than our words, falls so well into play. 

I've certainly learned in my 22 years, that showing is far simpler than telling, when it comes to matters of the heart. So today, and tomorrow, wherever you are, whoever you're dealing with, and however you're struggling to love, or overcome failure, I simply encourage you to act towards others from your heart of hearts. 

Let the love of Christ and our Heavenly Father, the love that exists within us, in the purest, most covering and redemptive form, pour out from you. Show someone love, accept them in the midst of circumstances that make them shout unworthy. We're all on this journey, in this walk together. Don't find your comfort in words, rather find it in unconditional love. We're all capable of giving and receiving it. And if you're the one struggling, remember that where you are now, is right in the middle of His perfectly mapped plan for you. Maybe it doesn't seem so, but only He knows where we're meant to be. 

In Grace's Amazing Hands,

katelyn 

to live and LOVE above reproach

On February 26, 2010, I did something nobody believed I ever would. I didn’t do it to prove a point, or to show rebellion against my family or faith or anything like that. It wasn’t spontaneous or unprompted, and there were definitely people who tried to talk me out of it; I got a tattoo. 


I didn’t go out and get any sort of a tramp stamp or tribal ink or some random symbol that I’d regret years down the road. I didn’t get it have just to show off to or make me look cool, or even to be a ministry tool. I did it to be a reminder to myself. I was setting myself up with this challenge: to LIVE ABOVE REPROACH. 


When I was in high school, these words hung on a sticky note on the bedroom door of one of my best friends. Every time I was at her house, and I entered or exited her room, I would see those words and ask myself “what on earth could possibly mean?” Many more times than once, I googled the phrase, and I even tried to find the words stated as such in the Bible, but I just couldn’t find them. So instead, I took the words and defined them as a statement. 


The first 2/3 of the statement I understood completely; live is the essence of what I do. Each day, I am alive, breathing and serving a glorious, unattainable God, watching HIS perfect plan for this life He’s given me unfold. Above is simply to be more, or higher than something else. But at that time, reproach, that silly little word, just didn’t have a distinct meaning in my life. So instead of googling the phrase, I just decided to search for that word, alone. 


Various dictionaries had many definitions of reproach, as a noun or a verb, in a couple of contexts each, but my favorite definition said simply: “a cause or occasion of blame, discredit, or disgrace.” I like this, because to think about myself as a cause of disgrace, to my personal reputation, to my friends and family, and especially to my savior, the one I owe so much, because I deserve so little of all He’s done to save me, is a completely appalling thought. I don’t want to let anyone down and so to disgrace them would honestly break my heart. 


Although I’ve set this challenge before myself, there are far too many days that end with my thoughts of how poorly I’ve upheld this goal. While many would take this shortcoming as a sign of defeat, I see it only as greater incentive to strive more deeply to end each coming day with the ability to tell myself that I deserve to hear “well done, my good and faithful servant.” 

But even with that in mind, it’s still hard to live up to, especially in such a phase of transition as having just graduated from college and entering grad school all within a matter of weeks. Living a life above reproach has brought me far in my collegiate career. It’s taught me a lot and helped me to endure many really difficult moments and to embrace my experiences wholeheartedly. 


My first trip to Jamaica was crucial in my understanding of how to LOVE above reproach. (If you don’t know about this trip, I briefly explained it in my very first post, and, since I recently came home from my third trip I intend to share more about it soon, so stay tuned!!) The people there thrive off of the relationships we built with them. They truly understand that our actions towards them come without demand or condition for reciprocation, although they offer back an unconditional love that could rival anything. 


Other experiences, like working with kids, working at kamp, falling in love with an amazing group of sisters in AIΩ and meeting such a diverse group of people in Abilene and at Hardin-Simmons have taught me the importance of accepting people with open arms and loving them freely. I’ve understood time and time again that people have to be loved, regardless of where they’ve come from, and that their pasts make them who they are. Where we’ve been helps us develop daily into who we become, and to fully love people, above reproach and without disgracing others means that we take the time to understand how a person’s past has shaped them and how understanding that leads to understanding how best they receive love that is given. So not to ramble any longer, but since I shared what the challenge of living above reproach means to me, I wanted to share this extent of my personal challenge as well. Feel free to send me questions and leave comments! I love your feedback, and I’d absolutely love to continue sharing my heart with you.  


Don’t forget to check back soon for an update on my most recent journey to Jamaica! God’s still doing marvelous works there, and my heart still knows that Jamaica is its other home! 


In Grace's Amazing Hands,
katelyn