Today is Opening Day in a few Major League Baseball (MLB) cities and, within a few days, all teams will be in full swing (pun intended) on another great season of America's National Pastime. Just in case you didn't already know this about me, I am a life-long baseball fan and historian of sorts. Because of that, I find a lot of common things between the game, life and my walk with Christ. So, to celebrate Opening Day, I wanted to share seven baseball-related posts that also relate to refining life, on purpose. So, without further ado, let's play ball! No More Self-Defeat – You Belong on the Field God has already chosen you to be His starter. He’s said you belong on the field so you should not give into self-defeat. Get in the game as i share some lesser known information about John Fogerty's hit, Centerfield. Baseball Metaphors for Moving Forward in Life There are many baseball idioms and metaphors in baseball that can be adapted for moving forward in life. Here are some of my favorites. How the First Professional Baseball Applies to a Refining Life on Purpose On the 144th anniversary of baseball, we celebrated the impact of the game and offered some application of lessons to refining life on purpose. What it Means to Take the Fork in the Road Some thoughts on one of my all-time favorite Yogi-isms. What Mo’ne Davis Teaches Us About Turning the Other Cheek Mo’ne Davis caught the world’s attention when while pitching in the 2014 Little League World Series and achieved many female firsts. It was announced a movie would be made about her story. When male counterpart said some derogatory things, Davis's response was nothing like you might expect. Designing a Life that Personifies Greatness Mascots and impersonators represent something larger than life - so does our walk with Christ.

Opening Day and Greater Desires

Both of the following posts also appear in my free ebook, Greater Desires, available to Swarm readers. Join the 1Glories Swarm and get Greater Desires. Serving Greater Desires – Billy Sunday In 1883, Billy Sunday became a professional baseball player and enjoyed a successful career for nearly a decade. He was a speedy base stealer and talented outfield that had multiple teams offering lucrative contacts for his services prior to the 1891 campaign. He instead gave up that promising baseball career to pursue a new calling. Serving Greater Desires – Justin Masterson As a minor leaguer, Justin Masterson earned the nickname “the Shepherd” because he was well-known for paying attention to homesick Latin American players. Here's more about his story and faith.