Dinner with My Mentor

Paula Sommers is so special to me for many reasons.
We only met about 6 years ago but we feel like we've
known eachother forever! After I met Paula, God put
it on my heart to ask her to mentor me. I had never
even thought about having a mentor, but now I felt like
I had to ask. She said yes and said that God had put
it on her heart that she was going to mentor me. I
guess He was working on both of us. We used to meet
almost weekly and Jake was only 3 yrs. old at the
time. We would go to Chili's and he would sit as
we talked and shared and prayed. Now I have 3 little
munchkins and it's much harder to meet, so the times
that we do get are so special. We met for dinner and
it seems like there was not enough time to share all
that God is teaching us and doing in our lives. I am
so thankful for her insight and for her prayers for
me and my family.

If you have never been mentored, pray about God bringing
somebody into your life. It is so nice to have someone
speak godly wisdom into your life. I am mentoring a
High School senior and pray that she will receive a
portion of what I've received from Paula!

Why do I buy toys for my kids?

Are any of you moms out there like me and
wondering why you spend so much money on
toys when the kids are content to search
through drawers to find pots and pans to
play with and a bunch of other little gadgets?

I found my boys playing with all our medicine
measuring cups and am thinking I should go through
my junk drawers before birthdays and Christmas!
I could save a lot of money!

Women In Sports Day 2010

Michele Smith is one of the very best to ever
play the sport of softball! She is such an
amazing athlete, woman and a good friend!

A few years back I spoke to female athletes from
Orange County, Ca as they celebrated Women In Sports
Day. This event has been put on for 10 years now and
they had over 800+ in attendance this year. A friend of
mine, Sally, has been running this event since it began
and told methat my former teammate, Michele Smith, would be
speaking this year. I was so excited to see Michele
and listen to her share her story and inspire these
high school athletes.

It was a great group.


Kaitlin Sandeno (3X Olympic Swimmer) was one of the
4 speakers. She was funny and refreshing. I never
met her at the games, so I thought I'd meet her that day.

Sally does a great job for these young athletes!

These girls play softball at Foothill High School.

God will make a way: Vlog

**Make sure to hit the pause button on the music
list on the top right of the page before pushing play

Anxious Yet Content

OK, so can you really be both anxious and content?
The Bible tells us that God gives us His peace those
who trust in Him. It also talks about being content with
much or with little. I have experienced God's peace in my
life and am so content with where I am in life and with
what I have. . . LOVE being the most important
"thing".
So why have I been feeling anxious lately? What is
this stirring in my heart that I keep asking God to
reveal to me? I believe God stirs us to get us walking
in His direction. If I am seeking God and reading
and studying the Bible and if I'm living a life of
obedience (*very much the key), then I can trust that
this stirring in my heart is from Him.
I have MORE than I could ever need or imagine and I
am so very blessed. I am grateful to give to others
with the blessings God has given me (It is better to
GIVE than RECEIVE). I look around at all that I
am blessed with:(starting with my family)I have
my husband who loves me and takes care of me, my
children who are healthy and live life to the fullest,
my mom who is one of my closest friends staying with us,
my in-laws who are like my own parents, my siblings
and in-laws who are also my friends, my nieces (Anna & Taylor)
and all my nephews who I don't see enough of, my friends
who I cherish, my home that is beautiful, and the list
could go on and on and on. I am content, and not just
because things are good right now and I have more than
I need. I am content because God is the One who receives
the glory for all that He provides. When I stop looking
around at others and when I look at ALL of my blessings
and GOD who gave them to me, I am SO very grateful.

So back to this stirring, I believe God has given
me a heart to share about Him and this stirring is so
that I will keep moving forward. I could just sit back
and say, "I don't need anything else. Life is good."
But God wants us to keep bringing Him glory. As He prepares
to open doors, I believe He stirs us in a certain direction as
we work with Him. This anxiousness is an excitement for
what God is doing. The more I seek God and read my Bible,
the more God shows me. He wants to lead every single person
this way. It's up to us if we will follow.

Video Blog about God's Power

**Make sure to hit the pause button on the music
list on the top right of the page before pushing play

God's power and how it relates to hitting.

It's all about timing to reach our full
potential and to have the most "power"!

Linfield Christian School

Yesterday I had the chance to speak to the Linfield
Christian School softball program. I spoke to the
girls and their parents about my Olympic experiences
and my path to Olympic Gold. I also love the fact
that I was able to talk about my faith in God with
these girls. I was impacted in a huge way by a
college teammate and I want these girls to know
that they can have that same impact on the lives of
others. I hope they were encouraged and I wish them
the very best on the field this year! I am always
blessed when I meet families and coaches who are
committed to making a positive difference on and off
the field.
Good Luck Lady Lions!

The Coaching Staff

Drew is playing Baseball

We asked Drew if he wanted to play baseball and
he said "yes!" so we signed him up for T-ball.

Tommy was so excited he immediately ordered him
some Under Armour Cleats! With Tommy working for
Under Armour, he has to "Protect This House" you
know!
Drew couldn't wait for practice to wear them. When
they came, he wore them each day and even wore them
to a Birthday Party!

Drew says they make him run fast!

So the first day of practice comes and we all head
to the ballpark! Drew was wearing all his Under Armour
gear and had his batting gloves, bat and glove.

They call all the kids out to the field and that's when
the drama starts. Drew says he's not going out on the
field. Tommy tries to take him and has to drag him.
Tommy starts walking off the field and Drew follows him
off. Drew starts crying, saying "I don't want to
play baseball." The kids are stretching and he's crying
saying "I can't do that." We try to take him back on the
field a couple more times but nothing is working. Next
thing you know, he will only go out there if Grandma
goes with him. So you have 10 little kids rolling the
ball back to eachother and then you have Drew and my
mom. At least he was out there! I finally had him
play catch with me and then he worked his way into the
group. Let me just say, NOTHING comes easy with these
boys!

This is just the beginning!

More Mountain Pictures

Our second day in Big Bear, we had a snow storm.



Then the rest of the time it was beautiful.


Here are a few more pictures from our trip to
Big Bear Lake.

My kids ate so much snow. Hopefully all of it
was white.

Drew couldn't wait to get out in the snow
every day. I went out and he was sledding
in his P.J.'s! Another reason I love vacation
so much.


We realized that with the Cannon camera that Tommy
bought me for Christmas, we could take action shots.
Here are some shots I took:
Tommy's "wild" ride!




The saucer flew away from Tommy after he flipped!
We were cracking up.

Luke and me coming down the mountain

We are still moving in this picture. Drew is
trying to get out of the way and we stopped right next
to the tree!

Jake at the end of his run

Speak the Truth, The Whole Truth

A number of years ago after speaking at a softball
engagement, somebody came up to me and said, "I would
love to have you come to our church and share your faith."
At this point, I had 2 gold medals and when I would
speak at softball events, I would also mention my faith
(it is the foundation for everything in my life, so
how can I leave it out completely?).
After we exchanged information, the guy e-mailed me and wrote
that if I came to speak, that I should know that their
church tells the congregation that "everyone is accepted"
by God. Well, I know that God accepts everyone who
is willing to make Jesus the Lord of his/her life, but
I had a feeling he was trying to say something else.

I asked what he meant by "accepts" everyone and he cleared
it up by saying that even if people live in a lifestyle
of homosexuality that they are loved too. Immediately
I knew what he was asking me to do. If I came and spoke
at their church, he wanted me to not speak the whole
truth. You can speak the truth (God loves everyone)
without speaking the whole truth (everyone has sinned
and falls short of the glory of God).

I had to decide what to do. I either had to say "no
thanks" or I figured God would use me to speak the "whole
truth" to the people in that church. I told him that
God had changed my life dramatically. I told him that I
believe God loves us all but not all are willing to submit
to God and honor Him. I said that I looked very moral and
upright on the outside but God had (and has) plenty to
change in my heart. I told him that God loves me so
much that He would never leave me where He found me. He
will change us to be more like Him and that means recognizing
sins in our lives like lying, anger, bitterness, pride, and
yes, even sexual sins including homosexuality that some people
struggle with.

The "whole" truth that churches like his are leaving out is that
God is not only a loving God, but He is also a holy God.
Jesus paid for our sins and we are forgiven but we must
recognize the sin and repent (turn from them). The Bible
tells us that if we regard iniquity (sin) in our hearts,
that God will not listen to our prayers. He is waiting with
open arms for anyone who will come to Him on His terms, not
ours. We don't make the rules, He does. But they are not
burdensome when you really know God, they are life-giving
and full of freedom!

After I stated my conviction, I never heard back from him.
I know God is in control and as I read my Bible, I cannot
follow man's ways of making people "feel" good. There is too
much at stake in the end. We need to know the TRUTH, the
WHOLE TRUTH! Read and study your Bible so that when somebody
tells you something that isn't the whole truth (even from
the pulpit), you can stand on solid ground! That's how I
live my life . . .standing firm on God's Truth!

30th Birthday Celebration

I wish I was only 30 years old again, but I'm not!
Up in the mountains we celebrated my sister-in-law's
30th Birthday! I am thankful and blessed to have Jessica
in our family. We are good friends and are even in
Bible study together. I love the discussions about
God I have with Jessica. She is real and honest and
always willing to help.

We got her a Birthday Hat and she was a good sport
by wearing it.

Happy Valentine's Day!

I just want to wish everybody a Happy Valentine's
Day! This year has been awesome for me. We spent
this past week up in the mountains for vacation
and I had an awesome "Date Night" with my wonderful
husband, Tommy (the day before V-day). Drew had
his 1st Baseball practice (post on that coming soon),
and then Tommy and I headed to Pasadena the the
Bold and Fresh Tour with Bill O'Reilly and Glenn Beck.



We watch Fox News because "They Report, We Decide" and
The O'Reilly Factor is what we watch most because he is a
conservative who tells the truth and exposes the
"bad" in our country.

They really are "Fair and Balanced" but progressives
don't like to hear that because they want us to follow
their ways that are trying to lead this country to socialism.
Glenn Beck has a funny sense of humor but also is very
concerned about the direction our country is headed. He
has sounded the alarm and we are starting to see things
unfold in our country that he has talked about, so he's
worth listening to. He has opened my eyes about some
things going on.

I have to admit, until I was out of college I didn't follow
what was going on in politics and too many people
in this country are like I used to be. We NEED to
follow who we are putting in office and know what is
happening so we can fight to keep our freedom in this
country. We need small government and personal choice.
OK, so needless to say, they were awesome! They are
funny but also very honest! They know their stuff
and if you don't watch them already, you should start.

After the show we went to dinner at a Japanese
Steakhouse, Tokyo Wako, and ate a TON! It was so good!
We then went to a movie and after it was over we found
some room in our bellies for Cold Stone Ice Cream!
What a night for us.

This morning I woke up and made the family strawberry
pancakes.


We even made Breakfast In Bed for Grandma
(my mom).

She watched the boys while we went out and
they made awesome heart cookies. If I gain
10 pounds in 2 days, you'll know why!

Then we were blessed at church to have Frank Pastore
(KKLA Radio Host and my co-host on More Than Conquerors)
speak today!

His message was awesome. It was about being a "Dangerous
Christian" and Acts 17. He reminded us to make a
difference to someone in our lives and to live a life
that would make others want what we have (Jesus).
The Kingdom of God starts when you ask Jesus to be the
Lord of your life, so live a life that makes a positive
difference. It's been a great Valentine's Day!

I Will Find A Way!

My kids will try anything when they REALLY want
something! I walked in my room and found Luke(2)
here:


And then I realized what his motivation was:
Tic-Tacs!


So now that I'm a crazy-blogging mom, I laughed,
took a picture and then told him how unsafe it
was to climb up there. He couldn't get back down,
so I put some tic-tacs on the ground and he jumed
down (OK, not really, but he probably would have
done that). Anything for CANDY!!!

Family Time in the Mountains

We are spending quality time together up in
the mountains and having a blast! Yesterday
it snowed so much and the boys had the best time playing
in the snow and trying to catch snow flakes on their
tongues. They wake up in the morning and throw their
snow clothes on and run out the door. Right out
our back door is a big area to run and play. People
are building snowmen and even making a couple
slopes for sledding. Today the weather was perfect!
There was tons of soft snow which makes it easy
to make snowballs for the kids.

My brother and his family came up yesterday and
the kids are having so much fun together. Today
we are celebrating my sister-in-law's 30th Birthday.
Happy Birthday Jessica! Here are some pictures of
the first half of our trip:

My boys are having a great time in the snow!

Snow Angels

Smaller Snow Angels

Loving this time together!

My brother, Keith, with his kids, Taylor and Micah

The trees are covered in snow

Jessica ready for a snowball fight

Tommy sledding down the hill

A Snowman Family in our "backyard" where we are staying

Finding some good hills to go sledding on (I love this
picture of Drew (4) - he is my thrill seeker!)

Hanging with Drew and my brother and kids while my hubby
and two other boys stayed warm at our timeshare.

Getting ready for his run:
On your mark, get set, GO. . .

Having a blast!

My brother. . .

And me (we wanted to keep sledding while the kids were
ready to go back to our place)
Cousins and Best Friends