Another year down. I am now 38. Let's go over what has happened since last year. Here's the list from last year's blog.
1. Be a better dad. Less computer time, more reading time.
2. Finish my BA. Find the money to do so.
3. Get that Challenger program up and running with Steve Bailey up at North Rialto.
4. Get involved with Children's Ministry.
5. Be a better umpire. Go to umpire school.
6. Go see Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat live.
7. Stop procrastinating, some.
Updates:
1. I don't think I have done much better with this one although it may be minor steps. Trina and I just watched a pretty compelling documentary about how the church has usurped the responsibility for the spiritual development of the family away from the dad and how the church, through youth ministry/children's ministry, should be equipping the dad in his God-given responsibility. Pretty convicting on two parts -- 1. Am I that dad taking responsibility at home and 2. Am I hurting the family by doing what I do at the church? I had a lot of kids that I have loved over the years and have tried to help them build that relationship with Christ but towards the end, I always believed that the family should have been the first line of discipleship. More on that in 4.
2. Well, Trina is actually working on her B.A. right now through online courses through CBU and I have to say, I think I could do that. It would have to be after she finished but seeing her do it is encouraging to me because I have always been better at the school thing (test taking, writing papers, stuff like that.) She is better on the motivation thing though so she'll have to keep me on task.
3. North Rialto fell through. Completely. My dream is still to start a program in central Rialto for the district but it is back burner.
4. Get involved with Children's Ministry: I was asked if I would step up and be the Children's director this year. After much prayer and discussion with my wife, I had to turn it down. There were two reasons that I gave -- 1. We live too far away to really do it justice and 2. I can't give it the time it deserves with the rest of my schedule. I don't think it really came to the surface until Trina and I watched that documentary -- I don't know if I agree with Children's ministry in the status quo. That may be why I have been burned out for a while -- trying to push through something that I have not really believed in for a while. If our church really started moving the way towards family ministry, I could really see myself getting back involved in a major way.
5. I went to umpire school. I had a blast. I was sore beyond all ends. I did a lot of baseball games this year. Trina and the kids took a cross country trip in June and I umped almost the entire time they were gone. I really enjoyed it. Looking back on 38 years, I only say that I should have started umpiring sooner. A couple of days ago I put in an application to do the Intermediate Division Western Regional tournament. This is the new division in Little League where the mound is 50 feet away from home and the bases are 70 feet away (as opposed to 46/60 in majors or 60.6/90 for the big diamond.) This is the inaugural season of the 50/70 division so I am expecting a lot of people to apply for it but you never know. I don't even know where the tournament will be held. It would be quite the privilege to do it though.
6. Haven't seen it playing anywhere yet.
7. I got this done on time. That's a start. I am doing better in several places though, when it really matters to me.
Some new stuff from the past year:
1. Five Iron Frenzy got back together. That is amazing. They are like my favorite band and I had the chance to see them twice this year, two days apart from each other. This was during the family roadtrip that I was not able to go on. The concert on Friday was at the Glass House in Pomona. Their second concert back. It was good. The concert on Sunday was at the House of Blues down in San Diego. Fourth concert back. It was the absolute best concert that I have ever been to. It was like karaoke night with Reese Roper all night long and I had a blast. Don't tell my wife.
2. Netflix is amazing. Trina and I have sat together and watched quite a few shows together. Star Trek: TNG, Doctor Who, Merlin, etc. I have really taken a liking to British shows.
3. We had some new employees in our office that I consider more than co-workers. It's nice to work with some people who I can invest my life in and who invest their lives in me.
So some goals:
1. To be a better umpire. I need to work on game management this year.
2. Be a better dad. While I am becoming a better umpire, do not let my family fall by the wayside.
3. Read more.
Well, happy birthday to me.
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