Must Go: If you are REALLY Hungry!

I had heard about Gausti Homestyle Cafe in
Chino from some friends. On the sign it
says, "Home of the GIANT Pancake" and they
are right, it is GIANT! But so was the omelette
I ordered! If you are hungry, head on over!


Drew and Luke shared this and I had a few bites.
We took the other 3/4 of it home for left-overs!

Please forgive ALL my ACCIDENTS!

It never fails that whenever I have the entire
house cleaned (floors and all), somebody spills
something all over the floor. This past week was
no different. My mom joked saying she was going to
ask who had spilled right after it was cleaned, but
what wasn't a joke was Drew's cup of hot chocolate
ALL OVER the floor!

Pictures are theraphy. . .

and give me a minute before I have to clean it all up!

Oh, and this is just the toy of the day all over
the floor. Connect 4 on the FLOOR. We can't play
with our toys, we have to THROW them all over the
place!

Still trying to figure out what God is trying to teach
me through this???
That boys are VERY MESSY. . .
or that kids like to make messes but don't like
to clean them up. . .

OR maybe it's that I make messes too and He's
my LOVING Father ready to clean up my mess, and
tell me He loves me and forgives me and reminds
me that accidents are going to happen and we can
learn from our mistakes!
Thank you God!

Feeling Tired???

"Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord
is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends
of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and
His understanding no one can fathom.
He gives strength to the weary and increases the
power of the weak.
Even youths grow TIRED and weary, and young men
stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord
will renew their strength. They will soar on wings
like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they
will walk and not be faint." Isaiah 40:28-31

Exciting things ahead

I'm getting excited for what lies ahead! Every
year is different. We are always busy with all
that is going on with the kids (homeschooling,
baseball, art, guitar, play dates, etc.) and
church, but each year for me is like a new
adventure to see what doors of opportunity are
going to open up.
I have run softball clinics all over and the
past few years have brought many new adventures
with motivational speaking and also sharing
about my faith.
Well, a couple things that are new on the list
and coming up soon are:
*Throwing out the 1st Pitch at the Angels' Game
(April 9)
*Speaking at Shoreline Women's Spring Retreat
with the girls from God's Call (www.godscallministries.com).
The theme is "Growing Deeper" and we are excited
to share all about how to have that "deep" relationship
with God and what that looks like! (April 30, May 1)
*A Jr. High/High School Christian Event that I am putting
together with a group of HS/College girls where
we will talk about all the things that are so
important to teenage girls (relationships, purity,
identity, how to deal with falling into temptations,
etc.) We are shooting for May, so I will definitely
be posting about how it all falls into place, but I
am very excited about this!
*An opportunity to share/speak about Sports & Faith
at my home church
*More Sports Commentating (the past two years I have
worked with ESPN on College Softball Super Regionals
and really enjoyed the opportunity. I was shocked
because the first time I did it was back in 2000 &
was convinced that I was horrible and would NEVER do
TV Games again. That all changed with ESPN- they are
the best and made my experience so enjoyable! Well,
this summer (June 12, and August) I will will be
commentating for the softball Pro League (NPF) and
the BEST of the BEST will be featured in these games.
Many of my teammates and many young and talented athletes
will be on these teams. I am so excited to not only
watch them in action, but also to be able to share my
thoughts about them across the country on TV!)
*Speaking at an NSA Softball World Series for youth
softball players in South Carolina. I have spoken
twice at this Worship Service just prior to the
Opening Ceremonies and they are expecting around 9,000
in attendance. I have had a great time in the past
and am looking forward to returning!

For my praying friends, I appreciate your prayers!
I just hope that God will give me the wisdom and words
to speak at each and every one of these events. He
opens the door and equips us wherever He takes us!
I am so thankful for that. . .and very excited for
what lies ahead!

Pics from PA Clinic

My friend, Jim, took a bunch of pictures from the clinic
and sent me a few so far. Just thought I'd share a few
from the day working on softball!

Good contact point for hitting

Ordering people around again :)

Talking to the group

Jim, who coaches HS, travel ball, and also give lessons,
wrote this verse on the picture. He knows my heart!

I guess I was lucky last weekend with the weather. It
has snowed and rained ever since I left! Jenna, the one
who I wrote about in my earlier post sent me a message
and said she almost hit a deer 10 minutes after she
dropped me off Saturday night!!! Crazy! I'm so glad
I just "heard" about it and didn't "see" it!!!

Softball Analogy and Faith: Vlog

**Make sure to hit the pause button on the music
on the top right hand side of the page.

Hope you enjoy this analogy:

More Than Conquerors: Up and Coming

A couple weeks ago we taped some new shows for More
Than Conquerors (Christian Sports Show on Trinity
Broadcasting Network- TBN). I co-host the show along
with Frank Pastore and AC Green. It airs every Monday
morning nationally at 8:30am PST, and 11:30am EST. Check
it out if you haven't already- you won't be disappointed!
I just thought I'd share a couple pictures from the day!
We have way too much fun on set!!!

Our shows will feature athletes and coaches from the
2010 Pro Bowl, and from the Indianapolis Colts and
the World Champion New Orleans Saints!

Talkin' Football. . .& Goofin off!


We also talk all about Frank's new book coming out
soon. Pick up "Shattered: Struck Down but Not
Destroyed" to learn all about Frank's life and
the power of God! Click HERE to read more about him.

Oh yeah, and you will also find out about his
amazing Record (eating a 72 oz. steak quicker
than anyone else) that held for 21 years until
Professional Eater, Joey Chestnut, broke the
record by 30 seconds in 2008. Watch the show
to hear what Frank has to say about it and
also to see the steak.

Why wait- check out the size of this steak!

Our producer, Randy, had the steak flown in and
surprised Frank! We had a lot of laughs and we
all had some steak as well!


We also featured Tobin Heath (USA Women's Soccer)

and we even had a Live-Skype Interview with Jinelle
Zaugg-Siergiej(2010 Olympic Silver Medalist
with USA Ice Hockey) and her husband. Mike.
Keep your eyes
out for these new shows to air!

Pennsylvania Softball Clinic

Wings Anyone?

Last weekend I was in Pennsylvania for a softball
clinic. I have been out there 6 times in the
past 8 years for clinics. I had another great
time working with the athletes ages 8-16 years
old. Softball around the country has improved
through the years and that is another reason I'm
so sad that softball was removed from the Olympics.

I worked with pitchers on Friday night when I got
there and then taught hitting and fielding on Saturday.
We had great weather (high 60's, low 70's) and we
even got to go out on the field for defense! Usually
there is snow all over the ground when I am there.

Of course, once the clinic was over we had to go
get some dinner! I always say, "Softball players
know how to eat!" I don't have any pictures
from the field, but I do have pictures from our
trip to the original Quaker's Steak and Lube!
This place is known for it's buffalo wings and
different kinds of sauce. I also now know about
Daffin's Chocolate now because that is the choice of
chocolate in this area of PA. Move over Hershey's,
Daffin's chocolate is awesome! My new friend Bailey,
11, bought me a chocolate-caramel bar and then had
to add an assortment of chocolates, 2 more bars and
a caramel chocolate egg for the family! I'm saving
that one for Easter!



Bailey, Me and Jenna & some Onion Rings!
Jenna and I laughed a lot as she drove me
around and I heard all about the 6 different
times she has hit deer with her cars! I knew
I wasn't in CA anymore!

The General Manager, Jason, of the Steak and Lube.
They put pictures up on the walls of people
who come through and visit, and now my picture
will be on the wall!

The whole group for dinner! Softball coaches (special
thanks to Dan and Jim) and also softball families who
love this sport! (a.k.a. My new friends!)

Cheyenne, Bailey and me: showing the chocolate!

"THE Egg!" That's enough chocolate for the whole family
on Easter!

Jenna, Me, Cheyenne, Bailey and Kayla
We Had Buckets of FUN!!!

The Prayer of a Child

Sometimes this little guy brings such a smile
to my face, and I want to write about one he
brought the other day!

So this post is about prayer. The most important
thing is the position of our heart. God hears us
no matter what physical position we are in, whether
we are on our knees, sitting in a chair, standing
or even face down on the ground. But I want to ask
you- have you ever prayed face down before? I must say
that I had never prayed this way until about a year
and a half ago and there really is something powerful
about taking the most humble position there is before
God. I'm doing a Beth Moore Bible study and she
asks us to get face down before God every day, even if
it's just for a few minutes. Because I am doing it
more regularly now, I thought I'd have my kids join
me and we started one day on our faces together in
prayer.
That night, Luke (2), said, "I want to pray." I
said, "OK" and next thing I know he's face down, on
the ground praying to God and thanking Him for the
bath and for the ice cream he had that night and many
other things I couldn't understand. At one point I'm
pretty sure I also heard, "8, 9, 10, ready or not, here
I come." But then he kept going until he said, "Amen".

It was the cutest thing ever! I realized how much our
kids really do "catch" from us, so I want to make sure
I'm throwing them some really good stuff to catch!

I had to take pictures since he did this on his own.


If you have never prayed this way, try it! It is such a
reminder of who God is and how blessed we are to be able
to boldly approach His throne like the Bible talks about.
Like Beth Moore says, in God's economy, the way up is
down! Here are a couple verses of the way the people in
the Bible worshipped God.

2 Chronicles 20:18
"Jehoshaphat bowed with his face to the ground,
and all the people of Judah and Jerusalem fell
down in worship before the Lord."

1 Kings 18:39
When all the people saw this, they fell prostrate
and cried, "The Lord--he is God! The Lord--he is God!"

1 Chronicles 29:20
"Then David said to the whole assembly, "Praise the
Lord your God." So they all praised the Lord, the God
of their fathers; they bowed low and fell prostrate
before the Lord and the king."

Spring Brings Softball Season. . .oh, and now Baseball season too!

I always love the spring! It means the softball fields
are full of little girls with ponytails in their hair
and bats in their hands! It also means the weather is
starting to get really warm and a great place to be
is on the softball field! I played my whole life and
still enjoy the chance to get out there now with young
players!

Now that my 4-yr-old is playing baseball, I'll be out
on the fields even more! I have some pictures of Drew's
1st game that I'll have to post later, but this little
one has some pretty good form for fielding and his first
hit was a line drive up the middle- my ALL-TIME favorite
hits to get!!! I have to laugh though, because he is put
at 2nd base and this picture I took at practice is exactly
what he does every time he is out on the field! Wonder
what he's finding in the dirt???

I also was able to watch my niece, Taylor play this
week. This is her first season and she is playing
in the Chino League that I grew up in. She thought
it was funny that her teammates wanted my autograph
on their jerseys after the game! They were so cute.

I was at the ballpark again to work with a local softball
team. They did a great job and loved checking out the
medals at the end!

I love this sport and the fact that I still get to
be a part of it!

John Wooden knows how to motivate!

OK, need something to motivate you? Here are some
quotes I found from John Wooden, one of the BEST
EVER to coach in any sport!

"Sports do not build character. They reveal it."

"It isn't what you do. It's how you do it."

"Failure is never fatal, but failure to change
might be."

“Be more concerned with your character than your
reputation, because your character is what you
really are, while your reputation is merely what
others think you are.”

“If you're not making mistakes, then you're not
doing anything. I'm positive that a doer makes mistakes.”

“Talent is God given. Be humble. Fame is man-given.
Be grateful. Conceit is self-given. Be careful.”

“It's the little details that are vital. Little things
make big things happen.” ** I tell athletes that I
work with this same thing all the time. We won Gold
medals by being fundamentally sound. The little things
done great, led to big things happening!

“Ability may get you to the top, but it takes character
to keep you there.”

“The main ingredient of stardom is the rest of the team.”

“Consider the rights of others before your own feelings,
and the feelings of others before your own rights.”

“Be prepared and be honest.”

Don't these quotes just make you want to do something
BIG??? I love the fact that John Wooden was known
for having amazing basketball teams, but even more
known for the way he coached. He lived out Biblical
principals and taught his athletes that it's more
important to be a good person than a good athlete.
He always expected them to strive for excellence
on the court and had talented athletes which means
that he expected them to live lives full of character
off the court.

At Coach Wooden's House

Signing a ball for Jake!

I was able to meet John Wooden at his house a couple
years ago when I was on the Women's Board for Athletes
In Action. He was such a humble man with every
award you can imagine around him. It was his heart
for the Lord that shined through the most! That is
the goal I desire. To live a life that shows the
love of God to others and one of integrity and
character, even though I have 3 Gold Medals. God
doesn't care about the medals, He just cares if I
use them to bring Him glory!

Me, Coach, and Ellen

What Goes In, Will Come Out

This book is a Must READ!!!

I have heard sayings like, "You are what you eat" (I'm
in trouble then) and "You Will Be what your Eyes
Behold" and there is much truth to that. The
Bible tells us that "out of the overflow of the
heart, the mouth speaks". This can be both good
and bad. We need to pay attention to what is
coming out of our mouths. A good reminder is that
it will start as a thought and although some people
don't use their filters (time between thought and
word, especially when it's inappropriate) very well,
we all have the choice to agree with our thoughts
or change them. My heart is to agree when my
thoughts are true, noble, right, pure, lovely
and admirable like the Bible tells me they should
be (check out Philippians 4:8: I memorized this verse
because it is so important). I also want to disagree
and "take my thoughts captive" like the Bible tells me
and choose not to say things when they are not any of
those things I listed. This is a challenge, even with
the best of intentions because our flesh can be weak and
our feelings many times take over! I desire to
do what is right and with prayer and God's help,
I will be victorious most of the time!

OK, so the reason for this post was really to share
a couple books that I've read lately that have
really impacted me in a positive way. This is
another way of helping myself to take IN good
stuff, so that it's the good stuff that comes back
OUT!

First of all, my Bible study girls and I finished
the study by Beth Moore called "A Heart Like
His" about David.

Through this study I learned so much about David
and what he went through, both good and bad!
The Bible is full of life lessons and many times
studies like these allow you to see them come
to life and you are able to apply the lessons
in a better way. One major thing that stood
out is that when we are close to God and surrounding
ourself with people who will speak truth to us
(even when it's hard and when we stumble), we have
the best chance for living out God's will.

I also finished Beth's Book, Believing God which
I've had for years. I don't know why I never
read it, but now I have!

I was tremendously blessed and encouraged. I don't
have a hard time "Believing God" and yet I learned in
depth about some familiar scriptures and got a better
background for them. I'll have to share more later.

And the other book I read in just a couple days
was "Do Hard Things: A Teenage Rebellion Against
Low Expectations" by Alex and Brett Harris.

This book is for everyone who is a teenager, who has a
teenager or has a kid that will one day be a
teenager! I completely relate to what they share
about because the main points are what I speak about
when I do motivational speaking. What I loved was
the challenge for High School students to step out
and do things that nobody thinks is possible. In
fact, God used the book to show me that I need
to tie in teenagers with my passion to put on a
Girls event! I met with a few girls and am already
seeing how true the book is: give them an opportunity
to do something big and they will rise to the occasion!!!
***This is a MUST READ!!!!

More Than Conquerors Update: Vlog

More Than Conquerors Update: Vlog
**Make sure to pause the music button before
hitting play on the video to hear it.

Make new friends but KEEP the old ones!

Proverbs 17:17
"A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born
for adversity."

I cherish my friendships! I am so thankful for all that
I have learned through them. I enjoy meeting new people
but there is nothing like friends who have known you for
a long time. We all get busy with our own lives,
especially once you have kids, but I am so thankful for
my friends who make it a point to get together when
there is an opportunity.

Last weekend I was able to visit with Sarah who moved
to Georgia a couple years ago. Sarah is somebody who
can talk to anybody and always gets a good conversation
going. I miss her insight at our Bible studies but am
thankful for the time that she did live here because
now we are friends forever!

Kristi, Sarah, me and Jessica went to dinner.

Mike and Sarah were able to go to church before
heading back to their 3 little ones in Georgia!


I also was able to hang out with a bunch of girls
that I played softball with when I was 14 years old!!!
Isn't that amazing- our friendship has lasted through
the years and I so enjoy when we get together. The
special reason was that Geneva (top of pic) was in
town from Sydney, Australia where she is a Doctor!

From bottom left clockwise: Christy, Danelle,
Geneva, me and Luna (that's what we call her!)

Our cute kiddos

Our crazy kiddos!

Thank you God for all my friends! They mean so much to me.

Fellowship of Christian Athletes: Chino Hills HS

I talked with the FCA group at a High School right
down the street from where I grew up: Chino Hills
High School. I also coached their Varsity Softball Team
a couple years ago before realizing it was just too much
with my little ones at home.

I tried to share as much as I could in
20 minutes and hopefully was understood as I was
talking a mile a minute! I just hope that they
were encouraged to live a life for God that makes
a difference in the lives around them! Always so
thankful for another opportunity to share!

Blessed the most when you least expect it

Well, as I write this post, I can't say that I didn't
really expect to be blessed, but I guess I'm amazed
at how blessed I was last night. I have a heart to
help others and serve others and sometimes feel like
I don't know where to start. I'm very involved with
Bible studies and serving at church, and travel,
not to mention taking care of my kids and being a
wife. But I want to get out of my comfort zone so
I can be stretched.
Last night I was able to go with a friend and some
people from her church to help feed the homeless. I've
done that a couple times in the past through our church
and have been blessed to help prepare food and find these
people some clothes that fit them through donations of
clothes people have given. But this was a little
different. A handful of people from a local church
started cooking hot meals for the homeless once every
two weeks. They just started going to a park where
some people are living and handed out invitations to
get a warm meal. I was a little late last night, but
I took my two boys with me and we showed up with a
bunch of cookies. The boys went around and handed out
cookies and gave big smiles to the people they met.
They received big smiles in return. The boys also
played with my friend's two sons and they ran around with
a dog of one of the homeless couples.
Here are some ways I was blessed last night:
1. I stepped out of my comfort zone and approached
people I didn't know (doesn't seem like a big deal to
some but it is for me)
2. I was able to ask what major needs are and found
out that something as simple as a sleeping bag could
be huge for them (*on it!)
3. Found out a shoe size and it's the same as mine
so now I have a place to give that extra pair of
tennis shoes I have
4. Found out that these people start out with a life
that looks just like mine (one lady has 4 boys) but
then circumstances rock their world (I know sometimes
it is their own choosing, but not always)
5. I learned that one guy works the night shift at
Denny's, but it's not enough to afford a place
6. I learned that they feel like they are a burden
to others so they don't want to ask
7. I found out that some of them do enjoy hearing
people talk about God with them and pray for them
***One lady said that God answered a prayer the next
day after somebody prayed for a place to stay (even
if it was temporary!)

These are just a few lessons. I plan to step out
more often and am thankful my boys could be with me
to experience helping others as well. They ended the
night meeting the "Cookie Man" because when they asked
if he wanted cookies, he jokingly grabbed the whole
package and put it in his coat. Jake didn't know
what to think and the guy cracked up at Jake's response.
By the end of the night, I told the kids that they
couldn't have any more cookies because we gave them
to the people there and Drew said, "Did the Cookie Man
take them?" and ran and told the boys that is was the
Cookie Man who took them after all!

Proverbs 3:5-6: Vlog

*Make sure to pause the Music on the top right
of the page to listen to the video

Fellowship of Christian Athletes Virginia Trip

In Virginia this week, I spoke 7 times at 5 schools
to over 3000 High School Students and at an FCA
Fundraising Banquet. I was so encouraged
by the people and students that I met and hope they
were encouraged my the messages that I shared.

I met the Matoaca Baseball Team that has 6 D1 recruits
and 4 D3 recruits! Expecting Big things this season!

I met people who were really excited to see the medals.

I met FCA Staff members who are changing lives for Christ

and people who were willing to serve and drive me ALL
AROUND VA!

I met students who have obstacles and yet they shine!

And students who want to DREAM BIG in medical fields.

I met school staff who spend time at schools for very little
pay so that they can impact the younger generation in a
positive way

and those who share the Lord when the opportunity arises.

I met a girl who is competing in Miss Virginia pageants

and Principals who bring out the best when they challenge
their students to rise to their potential.

I spoke at an FCA Banquet to support the eternal impact
being made on these public school campuses,

and met a Pastor and his wife (Colonial Heights Baptist
Church) who love the Lord and believe in what FCA is
doing in their communities.

I met the Brunswick HS Softball Team and other FCA
athletes who understand that Faith in Christ and
Sports can go together!

I met many more staff, teachers, FCA supporters, and
students that I don't have pictures of. I had a great
trip and am so humbled to be able to share my stories
with them.