Snatching Defeat From the Jaws of Victory

Sad ending to what had been a good Braves game. Good thing my TV doesn’t pick up many of the games.

Last night M organized supper. C had baked a chicken. We also bad black beans and rice, cole slaw, and chips & salsa. I dropped my car off at the shop. Luckily the repair was minor, so I can return to the office tomorrow.

This morning I skipped the gym and worked from 7 -11 am. Got a My workout was walking the 1-1/2 miles each way to the ballpark. Cloudy but humid. During the game the sun broke through. With the threat of rain I wore a navy brave tee, my old braves road cap, long pants and my “waterproof On Cloud Monsters. Long line at the Third Base Gate. 

We both got our personalized State Farm bobbleheads outside the park: me a potted plant and M a kittycat.

Checked out the new kids area and Blooper’s new clubhouse. Went down to the A List Gate and got our designated driver Cokes. M was looking forward to the free popcorn, so we each grabbed a couple of boxes. Arrived at our seats just as the game was starting at 1215.

Nice to see Riley, Acuna, and Baldwin hit home runs. Kid goes up to the plate and swings the bat. Ozuna’s deep fly to center drove in two more. Nice to see them score some runs. Perhaps trying to change his luck, Michael Harris switched from his high socks look and wore his pants down to his shoes. Smart man. Not sure it helped.

We took a break from the heat and went to the team store to get a nice navy Braves hoodie. Ate the free popcorn and ice cream. After one inning a DBack tossed a ball in our direction, but it bounced high over our heads to a kid who needed it more than us. Had a nice long chat with my lawyer friend who just stepped down as the Braves 400 Booster Club president. He’s surely well into his 70’s but still working. Must need to, to afford those front row seats.

The last time the Braves lost after leading by 6 runes after 8 innings, Willie Mays had the game winning RBI. Maybe it's me. Perhaps I need to stay away for a bit.

After the game the Braves finally called up Craig Kimbrel. Not sure he is the answer. Not sure what the answer is. Perhaps GM AA's strategy of giving long term contracts to young players isn't working out. Harris, Kimbrel, Albies, Murphy. I dunno. Buy me another beer.

Just learned that Trees Atlanta planted a seedling grown from the Spiller Magnolia (that used to occupy centerfield in old Ponce de Leon Park, across from what is now known as Ponce City market). The seedling was planted outside Truist Park, and is named Maggie. But today I looked for the magnolia but couldn’t find it. I’ll keep looking.

Had a shady walk back to M’s truck. He drove me over to pick up my car in Roswell. Swung by RaceTrac for a drink. Was home by 4 pm. Will cut the grass this evening after work.

Denison: 30 million more US adults are following Jesus today than just 4 years ago, led especially by “younger generations.” God is moving in other parts of the world as well, places where the death of the church has long been predicted. In France, 10384 adults were baptized on Easter, a jump of 46% from last year and double the number in 2023. The number of teenagers baptized was ten times higher than in 2019. God is moving dramatically in the UK as well: Bible sales increased 87% between 2019 and 2024. Twice as many are making first-time commitments to follow Jesus compared to 2021. Last year, more than 2 million tried the Alpha course, a ministry designed to answer seekers’ questions and lead them to faith in Christ. This is the highest ever. A woman came on an online Alpha course with a painful case of shingles. The Alpha leader prayed with her, and the shingles vanished. One church saw 120 respond to the gospel on Easter. A PhD researcher in Wales collected 600+ stories of people being healed. A youth ministry saw 630 professions of faith last year. Last Christmas, more than 100,000 believers took the gospel to the streets of London, singing carols and sharing the gospel. There were numerous reports of salvations, healings, and revivals.