Perspectives and Pitchers

Good morning, y'all.  Kind of a sad day around here today.

Earlier this morning, I was browsing a message board for our local wrestling community here in Iowa and I came across a thread asking for prayers for one of our youth wrestlers.  Unfortunately,  tragic circumstances have struck another family that has a wrestler at Noah's age and weight.  Actually, Ryan is a year younger than Noah, but he and his twin brother, Logan, are quite the opponents.  We met up against Ryan on his home turf last year and Noah had a very tough match against him. This morning, I found out he has been diagnosed with leukemia. It just breaks my heart.  Why do these things happen???

Noah and Ryan last year at the Beckman Little Blazers Tourney.
Ryan is to the left of Noah.

As you know, Noah decided to take a break from wrestling this year and when I read about the horrible circumstances that this wrestling family is struggling with, my words to Scott earlier this season came back to haunt me:  "Wrestling is not the be all-end all of the world, Scott.  Yes, it bothers me that he wants to quit because he has natural talent for it, but quitting is NOT the end of the world!  Let's put it in perspective...  He could have cancer or something.  Would wrestling even matter then?!"

Yeah.  There's perspective for you.

This heart-breaking news just really brings home what the Lord put on my heart a few months ago.  Despite how we like for our kids to succeed, do I REALLY want them to look back on their childhood and the only thing they remember is feeling pushed and driven in competition?  No.  Are there worse things in the world than Noah not wanting to wrestle?  Yes.  And the news this morning really drove that point home.  Yes.  There are so many things much worse than having a child that's good at a sport and doesn't want to do it.  So many.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to Ryan's family and the wrestling community at Beckman.  We pray that Ryan will beat leukemia with the same determination and ferocity that he beats his opponents on the mat.

And because I promised Kammy I would post the before and afters of the bowl and pitcher I bought last week...

Before:

After:

A little spray paint and a little glaze can do wonders.  Kammy... You can keep your $7.50.  I think it's a keeper.  :)

Now, off to accomplish something today, with thoughts and prayers for the Burchard family running through my head.