Thursday, October 26, 2006

Congratulations this morning to Michael and Julie Burgess, proud parents of their fourth baby girl. Mackenna arrived at 4:47 a.m. and weighed 7 lbs. 12 oz. Julie and the baby are doing great.

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"In the day of prosperity be joyful, and in the day of adversity consider; God has made the one as well as the other..." (Ecclesiastes 7.14a).

I've been in a different hospital everyday this week. On Monday, it was Valley Childrens to visit with a family on the heels of their six-week-old daughter's surgery. On Tuesday, it was UCSF to visit with a 34-year old on the eve of brain surgery. Yesterday, it was Michael and Julie filled with the excitement of a special, new gift from God. Today, I'll be at the nursing home to fulfill a promise to visit a lady in the sunset time of her life.

The visits, the emotions, the situations have covered the life cycle. Some visits are filled with joy, much as my sister and brother-in-law with the birth of their twins. Others are filled with trepidation.

In the end, the faith of every person, whether filled with joy or in the midst of adversity must rest, as Solomon said, with God.

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There is a great article on Hot Springs Village resident and former St. Louis Cardinals scout, Dave Karaff on ESPN.com. Dave and I became friends while we were still in the Village. He would come out to Jessieville and speak to our baseball team each January during our preseason training.

Dave lost his job several years ago when the Cardinals purged their scouting department to go the way of the Moneyball fad. Yet, Dave's legacy lives on since Dave is the scout who discovered, scouted and signed Albert Pujols.