Intentional Walk

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Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean out unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

Proverbs 3:5-6 KJV

One story that Rick Horton talked about was the death of Kile a pitcher for the Cardinals back in 2000. He was a guy in early 30′s that had a heart attack and died in a hotel room in Chicago. Rick was called in to help the players deal with the death. One thing he said was that “It’s not that God caused that situation to happen-what faith tells you is that He cares about all of us and that provides comfort and peace from an eternal perspective.” Rick says that reading the Bible brings peace and joy to him and he believes that God is concerned about our hearts. God is always looking out for us and making sure we are all right. Some might not believe in him but he always make sure that we are doing all right and if not he helps us get on the right path again. 

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In all your ways acknowledge Him,  And He will make your paths straight.

Proverbs 3:6 NASB

Kolten Wong was drafted to the Cardinals back in 2011 out of Hawaii. He had always had some faith in God but it really did not start to shine through until spring training. The players like Matt Holiday and David Freese really helped him dig deeper into his faith and what he believes in. They are the players that helped him become more familiar with the Bible and motivated him to start doing nightly Bible reading. He truly believes that God has plan for everyone and I agree. God knows our path in life and how to help us succeed and become successful human beings. 

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'Truly I tell you, it is hard for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.' 'With man this is impossible but with God all things are possible.'

Matthew 19:20-26 NIV

Matt Carpenter once said: “I’ve always believed in the fact that strong Christians are strong people. You have your faith as a backbone. I believe what the Bible says about faith being the most important thing in your life, and that you should be fearless. There are a lot of things that can get in the way of performance like fear and worrying. That’s where faith comes in and helps give you strength.” 

God got Matt through his injury at TCU and was a major factor in what kept him strong through out the seasons before he enter the big leagues of major league baseball. His faith is what keeps him together and what drives him to be a better player, husband, brother and son. 

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How can a young man cleanse his way? By taking heed according to Your word. With my whole heart I have sought You: Oh, let me not wander from Your commandments! Your word I have hidden in my heart, That I might not sin against You.

Psalm 119:9-11 NKJV

Lance likes to say that God gave him the ability to hit a ball but that he would choose to be a father over becoming a great baseball player. He was the type of guy to put family before his career. But for Lance he did not find his faith in God until he went and played for the Astros. While he knew all the Bible verses he didn’t actually know them. He could recite but could not explain to a person the importance of what God was trying to tell us. Once he found his faith then he started to understand what the Bible was actually telling people. His faith and family have always been a strong factor in his life but so has baseball. 

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For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

John 3:16 KJV

Like David Freese Rip Rowan was also in a car accident and now looks at life in a new way. But the only difference in them is that Rip Rowan was in a car accident not caused by his actions but by someone else’s actions. He was the equipment manager always running from place to place making sure everything was right. So the day he was in an accident everyone made sure he was safe before continuing on their trip to another city for a game. He was a person people put trust in and Rowan is thankful he has people that care for him. He sees his life differently know and his Faith grew so much kind of like how my faith grew after the car accidents I was in. Like I said before faith is what we can have trust in will always be there for us when we need it most. 

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However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me-the task of testifying to the good news of God's grace.

Acts 20:24 NIV

Adam Wainwright was born a southerner from Georgia. He always wanted to play baseball but did not see himself playing for the Cardinals. When Adam came to play for the Cards La Russa did not believe in his skills because he felt he did not have the mental strength to get through playing major league baseball. But for Adam he found God through his friends. God helped him get on the straight ready path towards a good career and life. But he became very close to God those times in the season when he was on the bench. He has the strength to believe that everything happens for a reason and that God knows what is good for him. I feel that we all need to have that belief and strength in God. God knows what we can and cannot handle and where we will succeed and strive in life. He knows the path that we will be on and how to help us strive to be the best human being we can be. Have faith!

[theosemester2]

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.  He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.  Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

Psalm 23 KJV

David Freese has had an interesting career in baseball. But I think it is important to note that it took him a while until he became a master at his craft, baseball. David Freese is well known for what he has done for the Cardinals especially that infamous game in October against the Texas Rangers. David took a while to become a major league baseball player for the cardinals. He would be good some days but others off. Back in 2009 he was in a car accident that became his wake up call. I personally always thinks its interesting in what a car accident can bring out in people. I can say from personal experience that they can bring you closer to a person or make you fearful of something. Back when I was in 6th grade I was in three car accidents that started my fear of cars. I use to be this back seat driver always saying what I felt but after the accidents I turned to prayer. Which brought me closer to God. I saw him as my safety blanket, I felt that if I prayed every time I was in a car I would get to my destination safely. I did this everyday for the next three years. My friends never said anything, no adult ever said anything but I think they noticed. They had to notice because I always sat in the passenger seat or the middle of the back seat. Prayer was what made me feel safe. One of my friends one day suggested instead of praying every time I was in a car to do a night prayer. One where I could pray for my friends, my health and getting me everywhere safely the next day. I got to say it has worked and every night since I do my prayer, no matter where I am I make sure to do my nightly prayer. It sometimes is difficult because I don’t want to have to explain why I am doing it in case someone thinks I’m crazy but it is what makes me feel safe and protected. David Freese also uses his faith to keep him staying on the right path. While we may use them slightly different faith keeps people safe and on the right path in their life.  

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Prologue: Mike Matheny

One of the stories that Mike talks about in the prologue to this book is of an incident where he broke a person’s window in their house. He and his friends where playing golf one day when he made a shot that broke a person’s window. Mike was the type of guy who would go up to the house write a not saying what happened and that he was wanting to pay for the damages. Most men would not own up to their mistakes but he did. The guy is all about putting family and faith first in his life. 

Also in the prologue is a letter that Mike Matheny wrote to his little league parents. He wrote a letter telling them what he hoped to get out of the players his first year coaching them. He knew from being a part of little league as a child how competitive people can be and the different types of parents a person would find on the teams. Mike wanted the parents to know that he will be the coach and the only other coaches the children should have are batting or pitching coaches, he did not want the players learning bad strategic plans or being unsportsman like. He wanted the kids to have fun but also play well, Mike invested his time into making a good team and took those skills when he became the Cardinal’s manager. 

When Matheny took over the Cardinal’s he knew he was with a strong Christian team. They had Wednesday night family Bible study which is very similar to a Bible study group I am a part of. During last summer I was a camp counselor at a Christian sleep away camp and every Tuesday and Thursday was Counselor Bible Study. I really found it helpful to be among young men and women who had similar beliefs to mine and learn more about the Bible. At school we talk about but we don’t really talk about it, there’s no comparison to today’s day in age and how people can still relate to the Bible without going all crazy religious.