The Way

If you know me at all, you know that I am a KC Royals fan. It really goes back a long time. Actually to about 1969. My dad took my brother and me to so many baseball games back in that old Memorial Stadium that had housed the minor league KC Blues, the KC Monarchs of the Negro League, the KC Athletics and the KC Royals. Starting in 1969, the Royals became that mainstay MLB team in KC. The Athletics headed off to Oakland in 1968 and promptly became contenders and a quick rival of the expansion Royals who kicked it off in KC in 1969. The Royals have been my team since then. About 45 years worth of my life. There have been some really good years through the mid-80s and then really lean years until the past couple of years. What this team did this year though is really just plain, old baseball fun. A bunch of young players with a couple of veteran pitchers, a somewhat semi-successful manager and a fan base that had little to cheer for so many years. But it was a great combination. A...

As that wise, old sage Taylor Swift sings in Shake It Off -  But I keep cruising Can't stop, won't stop moving It's like I got this music In my mind Saying, "It's gonna be alright." 'Cause the players gonna play, play, play, play, play And the haters gonna hate, hate, hate, hate, hate (haters gonna hate) I'm just gonna shake, shake, shake, shake, shake I shake it off, I shake it off Heart-breakers gonna break, break, break, break, break (mmmm) And the fakers gonna fake, fake, fake, fake, fake (and fake, and fake, and fake) Baby, I'm just gonna shake, shake, shake, shake, shake I shake it off, I shake it off Shake it off, I shake it off, I, I, I shake it off, I shake it off, I, I, I shake it off, I shake it off I, I, I shake it off, I shake it off Sometimes life can jump up and kick you right in the teeth, the gut or even that great groin shot! You stand there, mouth agape, wide-eyed and out of breath, thinking, "What Just Happened!...

Confession time for me here. I have been a leader, minister, staff person for many years in local churches in MO, TX and TN. I have led 100s of training conferences for student ministry and discipleship leaders in almost every state and in 12 or 13 countries. I have encouraged leaders who were about to quit due to frustration, depression, burn out; leaders just getting started in a new venture; and others who are on the backside of their sweet spot in ministry years and people in between. But . . . this past weekend I got a fresh, new perspective on how to treat volunteers. IRONMAN Chattanooga took place on Sunday, 9/28 with about 2600 participants and who knows how many volunteers. I would say a whole bunch, would be a pretty accurate number. Each volunteer was given a green shirt with all the appropriate IRONMAN Chattanooga and sponsors logos plastered on it and a huge VOLUNTEER written on it. Volunteers served the races in many various ways from water stops to handing out bags, c...