POST FLORIDA-CONFERENCE ADVENTURE #3

Paul at Bob Evans restaurant, Port Charlotte.

When I heard that Paul would be coming down here to play a week of baseball, I just knew I had to stick around and wait for him. (It was pretty good timing, I would say.) The conference finished on Sunday, but Paul would not be arriving until the following Sunday. Could I manage to occupy my time in the great state of Florida for seven whole days? Yes—and in the meantime find great fellowship with some really fine people. 

It was just so cool to meet my son down here in Florida; what a rendezvous. The last time we were in Florida together was 1997, when Paul was only 5 years-old. 1997 was the third year of a three-year stint teaching at a Concordant conference in Melbourne on the east coast, down the beach from Cape Canaveral. This time, Paul would be doing all the work and I would be watching.

In his sophomore year, my son is a starting pitcher for the Ohio Wesleyan Battling Bishops. Here we are outside his hotel in Port Charlotte on Monday night:

(Click on photos to enlarge.)

We won the first game on Monday, with Paul pitching three innings. He started the game on Thursday, a game we unfortunately lost. We also managed to lose on Tuesday and Thursday, but won Friday. Today we took both games of a double-header, leaving us with a 4-3 record for Florida, which is a winning record in anyone’s book.

Here are some of the good times with Paul:

Paul warming up with his pitching coach.

Nice wind-up, kid.

Buff dude at the beach.

The wind-blown look.

Father and son.

Two pelicans on the prowl.

Gulf of Mexico at Blind Pass Beach, Englewood.

She sells these at the seashore.

At the Mango Bistro, Englewood, FL.

After Paul's last game earlier this afternoon.

Under the tent.

This bald eagle sat atop the center-field light pole most of the second game.

The Battling Bishops pack up for a long ride back to Ohio.

Paul is such a happy kid. I love him like crazy.

I feel like a resident of Florida now, as I have been here for over two weeks. I really like this state, and hope to end up here someday. In the meantime, God has a lot of work for me to do in Pennsylvania with my one-of-a-kind family there.

I am heading home early tomorrow morning, will spend a night on the road, and arrive home Monday evening. I will resume my audio show on 2 Timothy on Wednesday. Thank you so much for your patience! I needed this mental unwind very badly.

See you back in Pennsylvania! Many adventures ahead; stay tuned.

© 2013 by Martin Zender