Country Grandma

When we go to Gramma Lori’s house, life slows down once we hit the gravel road. And, into the country life we go…

Grandma Lori is known by JJ for her bird feeders. When he sees a bird feeder in one of his children’s books, he always reminds us that Grandma Lori has those…

In the country, you get to relax and do a lot of porch swingin….

And, lots of swing swingin….

At Grandma Lori’s, you better bring your ‘scudzy’ clothes, because you are probably going to have fun getting dirty….

In the country you learn that most of what you eat comes from….

You better be ready to sink your teeth into a fresh-home grown tomato. Or, if you have a craving for you-know-what, just call up Great-Grandma down the road because you know she wants some ZENO’S PIZZA too! “Sure!” she’ll say, “I’ll call it in and Grandpa will head into town to get it. Come on over!” So after a relaxing day at Grandma Lori’s it’s time to go down the road to Great Grandma’s. At Great-Grandma’s the first thing you have to do is search for the baby kitties.

Then, you get to sit and have a pop til the pizza comes.

After pizza you wonder, did Great-Grandma have time to make a cherry pie? OF COURSE she did. Don’t forget the DQ ice cream on top. Yum, now that ends a perfect day in the country.

Good bye, country life, until next time.

Jake's Thought for the Week

Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms. If anyone speaks, he should do it as one speaking the very words of God. If anyone serves, he should do it with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ.
1 Peter 4: 10-11

When we use are gifts and trust the Lord's path great things are possible. The question is.....do you have enough faith to take that first step on the road that is less traveled?

ROAD LESS TRAVELED
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth

Then took the other as just as fair
And having perhaps the better claim
Because it was grassy and wanted wear
Though as for that, the passing there
Had worn them really about the same

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet, knowing how way leads onto way
I doubted if I should ever come back

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence
Two roads diverged in a wood
And I took the one less traveled by
And that has made all the difference
-By Robert Frost-

GO ATTACK!
JAKE SULLIVAN

Empathy

In one of my adoption training books I read this excerpt awhile ago…it is within the context of building attachment with an adoptive child and working through emotional barriers (such as anxiety, rage, shame, & despair) regarding his past - and his emotions regarding being adopted. It has really stuck with me:

Empathy enables the child to feel his parent’s compassion for him. With empathy the parent is journeying with the child into the distress that he is experiencing and then feeling it with him. The parent is demonstrating that she knows how difficult an experience is for her child. She is communicating that her child will not have to deal with the distress alone. She will stay with him emotionally, comfort and support him, and not abandon him when he needs her the most. The parent is also communicating her strength and commitment. The pain that the child is experiencing is not too much for her. She is also communicating her confidence that with her sharing his distress, it will not be too much for him. Together they will get through it.

And this is a different excerpt in the same book:

All of us – children and adults – want to feel that someone understands our needs, confusion and hurt. Given the isolation and alienation that so many adoptees feel inside, the importance of receiving empathic responses takes on heightened importance. Empathy communicates “I can see how you feel”. It doesn’t offer answers or solutions for painful feelings or events, but it communicates to the child that we can see into their hearts and minds and recognize the impact that things have on them.

I was really challenged by these words when I realized how applicable they were. Empathizing with someone is a commitment to be there, emotionally, no matter what. I love how empathizing doesn’t have to involve a solution or advice or even knowing just what to say and how to say it. Rather it is simply reaching out to someone who is hurting, walking through the valleys alongside of them, listening to them, and communicating your love and that you can see they are hurting. It’s so easy to back out of these types of situations, because they often stir up our own personal/emotional situations or painful pasts. Empathizing causes us to break down our emotional guard, and let ourselves feel – pain, hurt, sorrow – through another’s eyes.

It’s a challenge for me to put this into practice. People are hurting. Not only half way around the world but in your backyard and mine. At our churches, in our schools. Scanning our groceries at the grocery store. My old friend from college and your new friend that just left a voicemail on your cell. Our co-workers with a desk down the hall. And people who live down the hall in our homes. Lots of opportunities to let down our guard, and walk a mile with someone who needs comfort and support.

Colossians 3:12-14 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.

Let's Talk Whipped Top

When I go grocery shopping I usually buy about 60% store brand items. The other day I needed some whipped topping for my ever famous snicker apple dessert that I was bringing to a BBQ. Well, Hy-Vee was out of their store brand version of the whipped topping that I normally buy….so, I had to buy the top class Cool Whip brand of whipped topping. Wow…MAJOR MAJOR MAJOR difference. The Cool Whip brand was SO MUCH better. I think it was the consistency of it or something, but my snicker apple dessert tasted better than ever before. So good that when we got home from the BBQ Jake looked at me with some sad brown eyes and said that by the time he got up to get some of it, it was gone. If you know Jake, missing out on this dessert could possibly constitute him labeling his day as a bad day. Now, I am not going to quit buying store-brand items altogether, but from now on, I am buying COOL WHIP!

Try it baby!

Snicker Apple Dessert

1 pkg. instant vanilla pudding
1 c. milk
12 oz. container COOL WHIP
2 good sized granny smith apples, cut in bite-sized pieces
4 snicker bars, chopped

Mix together instant pudding mix and milk. Add thawed Cool Whip, apple pieces and snickers pieces. Mix together and refrigerate until serving.

Upgrades

There are lots of changes going on at the Kingdom Hoops facility in Ankeny right now….for starters, 3 new courts were laid down at the beginning of this week!

They are pretty shiny!

Each of the new courts will have the logo Fligg Fieldhouse – Nothin’ But Nets


The owner of the building liked Jake’s program/vision/ideas so much that he decided to purchase these 3 additional courts for the facility – his name is Bob Fligg so that is where the new logo comes in. The facility will eventually be renamed Fligg Fieldhouse – Home of Kindom Hoops. I am sure you noticed the volleyball artwork on the logo - Jake has been meeting with USA Volleyball, and they will be renting court time in the facility. The new courts will be able to hold a volleyball net, and will have paint lines for volleyball courts. Having 6 courts will bring the potential for bigger hosted tournaments, more teams – and a full girl’s program.

Of course JJ had to try them out….

When Jake first found this facility in Ankeny, it was a bare warehouse, painted green with concrete floors and barely there lighting.

However, it is AMAZING how perfectly this warehouse was set up for basketball courts. Most warehouses have huge pillars/support columns randomly placed throughout the building….this warehouse has them, but they were just the right amount of feet apart to squeeze in courts in between. Not only that, but the ceiling height is more than tall enough for shooting and volleyball play. The owner of the building really had no idea what this AAU basketball stuff was all about when Jake began leasing the building from him. But, after the first tournament, he fell in love with it all. He and Jake brainstorm daily about their future vision for the facility. Originally the owner wanted to turn this warehouse into some type of fitness center with a running track, etc. He and Jake will most likely be incorporating some type of fitness area into the building in the near future.

Other changes going on at the facility include Acceleration Iowa (sports enhancement & training) renting out space in the facility. This will be a great way for Jake’s players to have access to a higher level of speed agility and sport specific muscle training. The outside of the facility is also going to gradually be remodeled…right now it is a completely enclosed morton building, but eventually it will have a lot of windows, front entrance, and bigger parking lot. There is also a café being put into the facility! Here is a picture of the beginning work for the café….

The café is being started and built by a couple who’s daughters play in Jake’s program. They had always wanted to start some sort of restaurant, and when they saw the new facility they had the idea to start the café there. It will serve as the concessions area for tournaments and camps. They needed help coming up with a name for it, and that is my specialty – I thought of The Huddle….and they loved it and that is what it will be called! Score one for me! While I am on that topic, you’ve heard me mention Coach Julian and his wife Stacy (Nyla’s parents)…well, Stacy came up with and sketched out the logos for both Kingdom Hoops and Fligg Fieldhouse! Score another one for the wives!

I wish you all could have personally seen what this warehouse looked like at the beginning….to see it now just makes me so excited for Jake and all he has accomplished. It just feels like a big exclamation mark. That is the only way I can explain it.

!