So let's just avoid the obvious that it has been FOREVER since I last blogged. Life has sure been a whirlwind this summer, but it has been amazing to say the least. For those of you that follow us on facebook, you are up to date with our latest news that we are now apart of the Atlanta Braves family! God's timing and provision with that falling into place couldn't have been more perfect.
We absolutely loved our time with the Saltdogs and truly formed some lifelong friendships with the guys/couples we met this season through that team. Daniel says it was one of his most favorite teams ever and the most fun he's had in a long time. Independent really turned out to be a huge blessing in disguise. We loved our time in Lincoln, Nebraska and it will forever have a special place in our hearts.
For those of you who are not too familiar with how the baseball world works, let me fill you in a little. Pretty much life can change REAL quick in this game... whether it be from a move, injury, release or in this occasion, a signing for us! Daniel had been doing amazing in Lincoln (he finished the season .303 with 7 home runs, 30 RBIS and 22 stolen bases). His agent had sent out an email with his stats, along with an article that was written about Daniel in our hometown newspaper (ARTICLE HERE) to all the MLB teams. In less then 24 hours, his agent had received a few phone calls with interest from different teams, but the Braves put an offer down right away. It would have been crazy to turn down an opportunity, Daniel and I prayed about it and felt at peace to move forward with it. We had heard so many great things about the Braves organization and had friends who had been with this organization before who could attest. Not only were we attracted to their great organization and reputation, but our friends also had an aunt & uncle who lived 5 minutes from the field Daniel would be assigned to that we could live with! God was just opening all the doors and we clearly saw His Hands over it.
So within a few hours from getting the call and agreeing to a contract, Daniel was now a Brave! The Braves called him and welcomed him to the organization, worked out some traveling details and we were set! I couldn't be more proud or excited for him! We were just thrilled for an opportunity to continue on this journey of reaching his dream. Daniel's best friend, Jesse, was in town visiting at the time when all this went down, so he got to experience firsthand what life is like for us. He was so sweet to help us pack and get things ready for our road trip to Rome, Georgia. Within a day, Daniel and I were packed and back on the open road to our next adventure!
The Braves have been amazing so far! Daniel had an awesome night the other night, hitting his first homerun as a Brave and going 4-4 that night! God is so good to always meet me where I'm at and remind me that He is truly in control. Before that night, I had been dealing with a little bit of discouragement & ungratefulness. While this lifestyle is amazing and God has given me a heart for it, it definitely comes with it's challenges. I know it's not just in baseball, but in life in general- we all go through hard times- whether we're in this game or not. But when your husband's career is solely based on his performance, you can ride the highs and lows real quick in this game. Somedays it could be tough. Daniel had been struggling a bit at bat before that great night and my heart was feeling weary for him. My biggest desire is for him to have fun out there and do well, so when he's not, I have a hard time. I then sometimes allow it to take me on a downhill spiral where I can get caught in thinking of our circumstances and focus on the negative, which leads to me having an ungrateful heart and having fear over the future. I allow my eyes to so quickly move to our circumstances rather then on my all knowing, never changing, loving beautiful Father in Heaven! I KNOW He knows and holds our future (Jeremiah 29:11), yet I allow myself to forget that sometimes when things get tough.
Well the morning before Daniel had that great game, I read 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 which says "Rejoice ALWAYS, pray without ceasing, and give thanks in ALL circumstances; for this is God's will for you"...boy, did that convict and pierce my heart! I was doing everything opposite of that the days prior to reading that. No words can ever describe how thankful I am to be covered in His perfect grace because I continually fall short. After reading that, I decided to change my attitude, perspective and heart. I want so bad to be in Lord's will always and that was a clear direction of what His will was/is for me. It was so amazing to see Him prepare and change my heart in that way so that I could truly appreciate the blessing of Daniel's amazing night that night. His faithfulness never ceases to amaze me!
Time has seriously flown by this summer and I can not believe we are already on our last week of the season! Business has been going well for me and I just launched my new website www.chelseacarrolldesigns.com! Be sure to check it out! Thank you to all of you who have prayed, encouraged and supported us throughout our baseball journey! I'm always so blown away by the amazing people we have been surrounded with in our lives. Although Daniel is a bit sad for the baseball season to end, we are looking forward to being back home again for the offseason.
Oh, I forgot to mention another cool thing about going to the Braves. Some of you who were at our wedding might remember Daniel's dad reading an old school paper Daniel had written when he 14 years old. Well, the school paper topic was "Where do you see yourself in 10 years?"... along with being married, Daniel said he would be playing for the Atlanta Braves! We just thought that was funny because now he is! :) We're excited to see where this journey leads and again, are so thankful for all the love and support from all of you! Will post some pictures from our baseball adventures this season soon! xo.
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