Thursday, February 25, 2010

Mantle, Martin and Mays


The greatest center fielder: Dave Martin

I am ready to hear an umpire yell... "you're out", or at least see a little green grass. I thought this story about our good friend Dave Martin and baseball would warm your heart! (as told to me)

“I always wanted to play ball,” remembers Dave Martin. “When I was younger, I signed up for every team that was playing in town: basketball, softball, or baseball. I played center fielder in high school. When I grew older, I organized a softball team just so I could continue to play.”

“I was out of college and getting ready to start work when I got my notice to report to take my army aptitude test. It was to test my intelligence and identify my abilities. I just wanted to coach and didn’t see how a stint in the army would enhance my career opportunities.”

It was 1951, and the Korean War was going strong. I arrived to take my test only to find another budding sports star was to sit right behind me. They lined us up alphabetically, so Martin was in front of Mays. Willie Mays, playing triple A ball for the Minneapolis Millers. Mays kept whispering over my shoulder, “How you do dat’ Martin?” Mays passed the test and was drafted in the army after finishing his first season with the Brooklyn Giants. Dave reflects, “I often wondered if I hadn’t of helped him, perhaps he would have flunked and wouldn’t have been drafted. Perhaps he would have played two more years in the majors. And perhaps in those two years, he would have hit enough home runs to eclipse Ruth’s record before Hank Aaron. It is just a thought I have once in a while.”


Willie Mays

I preferred to go to the Army like Mays, but the Marines drafted me that year. Though a fine specimen, I knew I wasn’t Marine material. I was in shape enough to make it through basic, but I was placed behind a typewriter for the two years in service.

That same year I watched a triple A budding star from Kansas City play the Minneapolis triple A team. Mickey Mantle was playing against Mays. Martin was stuck in the Marines, and Mantle and Mays went on to be become Hall of Famer’s as center fielders and hitters.

Mantle and Mays made history and wrote their name in the archives of baseball history. Mantle hit 536 home runs. Mantle still has the record for the longest home run ever hit. Mays finished his career with 660 home runs, finishing third on the all time home run race.

Martin made the record book too.

At Hector Minnesota, Dave batted 1000% by leading the church from a small, struggling congregation into a growing and healthy church. He led countless people to the Lord, and began his live Sunday afternoon television program that included his 6 daughters singing, his wife playing the piano, and Dave preaching.

At Lacrosse Wisconsin, Dave batted 1000% by leading the Evangelical Free Church into tremendous growth. He began a youth choir of over a 100 kids during the 60’s; many of the kids the church had given up on because of their radical look and hair style of the late 60’s. Dave shaped this rag-tag group of young people into an award winning group of singers that traveled the United States singing and giving their testimonies

At Glenview Evangelical Free Church in Chicago Dave batted 1000%, by giving his all to this metropolitan church. The church grew, Dave became a national figure in the Evangelical Free Church, and his family of six girls were maturing and all heading into ministry opportunities.

In Iowa, Dave finished up his working career, batting a 1000% as the District Superintendent of the Evangelical Free Churches. He started a church planting program that was modeled across the nation in other Evangelical Free Church districts.

Dave is still batting 1000%. He beat off a fierce battle with a stroke and overcame a weakened heart. He is still at the plate, winning life’s game every day. Touching lives and still hearing the calls from the plate, “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

Mickey Mantle

“Your name may not appear down here
In this world’s Hall of Fame
In fact, you may be so unknown
That no one knows your name;

The headlines here may pass you by,
The neon light of blue,
But if you love and serve the Lord,
Then I have news for you.

This Hall of Fame is only good
As long as time shall be;
But keep in mind, God’s Hall of Fame
Is for eternity.

This crowd on earth they soon forget
The heroes of the past.
They cheer like mad until you fail
And that’s how long you last.
But in God’s Hall of Fame
By just believing on His Son
Inscribed you’ll find your name.

I tell you, friend, I wouldn’t trade
My name, however small,
That’s written there beyond the stars
In that Celestial Hall,
For any famous names on earth,
Or glory that it shares;
I’d rather be an unknown here
And have my name up there.”
Poem read by Bobby Richardson at Mickey Mantle’s funeral in 1995

May’s divorced and was on the verge of bankruptcy in the 60’s. He retired from the Met’s in 1973. Both Mantle and Mays were banned from baseball for two years because they worked as greeters for a casino in Atlantic City. Mantle had a liver transplant in 1995, and was diagnosed with cancer during the operation. He died shortly after, but not before making a confession to his good friend, Bobby Richardson, that he accepted Jesus Christ as his Savior and Lord. Mays is still alive and promotes the sport of baseball.

Mantle, Martin, and Mays. No doubt, three great center fielders; and one great servant of God.

Written by:
Earl Taylor, Design and Vision Director
Hidden Acres Christian Center, Dayton, Iowa
www.hiddenacrescamp.blogspot.com
...a youth camp and adult retreat center owned by the Evangelical Free Churches of Iowa, South Dakota, and Missouri

Tuesday, February 23, 2010

Picture of the Week



Holding on for the Ride of their Lives; two middle school retreaters are enjoying their wild ride down the 200 foot toboggan run at Hidden Acres.

Nearly 1100 middle school campers have enjoyed their weekend at Hidden Acres. The Central District Student Ministry team(youth pastors) has provided 4 great weekends of fun, fellowship and teaching at camp. We are grateful for their leadership and their commitment.

Monday, February 22, 2010

DeDe and Earl- The Future!



"DeDe forgive me, this was too true to pass up!"


www.hiddenacrescamp.blogspot.com

Thursday, February 18, 2010

Picture of the Week



I don’t need ABC, NBC, CBS weathermen to tell me Spring is close: I saw it on the road this morning: a dead skunk!

You heard it from me… the skunks are out of hibernation which can mean only one thing: the spring thaw is close at hand. Put away your coats, turn down your thermostat, pull out the fishing pole, and hide your shovels. Spring is on the horizon. For years I have watched this phenomenon, and it is fool proof; better than the ugly, hairy varmint of a groundhog who appears to be all show and with unpredictable results.

Thinking warm thoughts and watching out for skunks!

Monday, February 15, 2010

My 36 inch Parrot



I have a grandson who is four and says and does nearly everything I do. I hunt, he wants to hunt. I fish, he wants to fish. I mow the yard, he wants to get on the mower. I speak a word, he repeats it. It didn’t take me long to see this 36 inch parrot was soaking me up and swallowing anything I would throw at him.

Being a former English teacher and one that enjoyed a good word, I started throwing out morsels of words that he could chew on: wonderful, marvelous, stupendous, Praise the Lord. I moved a little deeper into the thesaurus and declared one of my favorite words, bodacious! He bit and was hooked.

It has become a game around our house: during and as we are finishing a meal, we begin our litany of words to describe the delicacies that grandma had prepared for us. “Delicious“, I cry. “Wonderful“, he shouts, “Stupendous“, I retort… “Bodacious“, he crows. Grandma feels good, we laugh and think of other words that might describe the feast we just devoured.

He is four and will be 14 in ten short years; 14 and dumber than a rock. 14 and squirrelly. 14 and interested in girls, but has no idea where to start. Perhaps even, 14 and no longer a parrot of grandpa’s, but a brazen tree-cawing crow.

My work is cut out for me this next ten years.

Pr. 22:6 Train up a child when he is young, so that when he is old, he will not depart.

Written by:
Earl Taylor, Director of Design and Vision: earldtaylor@yahoo.com
Hidden Acres Christian Center
a youth camp and retreat center owned by the Evangelical Free Churches of Iowa, South Dakota, and Missouri.

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Picture of the Week


....another two days of snow. I am ready to commit to going off the blob one more time, if, in the next 30 days it gets warm enough to do so!

Monday, February 8, 2010

Blessed is the Man who Perseveres under Trials



I was moved to tears yesterday morning as I read through a friend's website and watched videos of projects and interviews that have taken place over the last 6 years. May I share their story?

DeDe and I have known Gaye Sampson for over 40 years; we all attended a little Christian High School near Greenfield Iowa in the early 70's. She was from Chicago, DeDe and I were from Iowa. Gaye was one of DeDe's best friends throughout her high school days. We finished school: Gaye returned home and married Bob Swaback; DeDe married me.

In 2004, Gaye and Bob's son, Mitchell, was involved in a swimming accident that took his life. A 23 year old young man entered heaven that August day. That was a very sad and dark day for Bob and Gaye... but let me share with you the rest of their story.

I referred earlier about reading a friends website: www.mitchellswabackcharities.org. As I read over the website, I saw Bob and Gaye take the tragedy in their lives and turn it into a wonderful, fruitful ministry. First, they committed time and resources to help an orphanage in Peru that Mitchell had been involved with through an earlier missions trip. They didn't stop there, but continued to realize a dream of their son's by seeing that a sports complex was added to the church Mitchell attended. They continued by getting involved by sponsoring an extreme makeover to Tabitha House in Chicago: a Christian run home for homeless women and children. For six years, Gaye and Bob have held fund raising events so they can minister to those in need. Isn't that a wonderful story of ashes to beauty?

I read this morning from James 1. "Consider it pure joy my brothers when you encounter various trials." My devotional book went on to add: "In this reading, James has two other pieces of advice for getting through trials. One is to ask God for wisdom (v.5). Wisdom is practical knowledge about how to live in godly ways, especially under difficult circumstances. The other is to 'believe and not doubt' (v.6). Affirming what we know to be true about God is faith, a rock that cannot be moved by any storm of life."

The older I get, the more I understand that no family is immune from heartache. These past two weeks I have spent the cold, snowy days at home tracking down other students of Stanzel Christian High School. You know what I have found? Nearly every student has had some heartache/trial in their life since leaving high school; no one is immune. I also have seen many different ways we have handled our trials.

Let me encourage you to turn your heartache into joy; your sorrow and pain into something good and productive; roadblocks into bridges; death into life for others; broken lives into restored lives. God is the giver of all good gifts... and He is capable of sustaining and renewing our hearts and minds.... thank you, Gaye and Bob, for your Godly example... may we each follow your example and create ministry from our sorrow.

Written by:
Earl Taylor, Director of Design and Vision
Hidden Acres Christian Center...a youth camp and retreat center in central IowaHidden Acres is owned by the Evangelical Free churches of Iowa, South Dakota and Missouri.

Monday, February 1, 2010

Hidden Acres Picture of the Week


Over 250 men gathered at camp for our annual district men's retreat last week. Hidden Acres is now hosting 4 weekends of Winter Blast: our district middle school winter retreat. Over 1000 young people and youth pastors and sponsors will be a blessing to us throughout the next 4 weekends! Always room in the Inn for one more retreat group. Check us out at: www.hacamps.org