By KIM SIMMONS

Standard Sports Editor

With Christmas just days away, I find myself reflecting on this beautiful holiday season (past and present) and I am counting the many blessings God has given me through the course of my life. One such blessing is the opportunity to write for The Standard and to then be given the latitude to write my own personal thoughts in columns that tightly stretch the boundaries of my assignments - local sports. I thank Managing Editor Eric Copeland and Publisher Jim Bouldin for that leeway.

During this season of giving, I feel drawn to share a piece of my heart with others and I offer these thoughts as my small "gift" to readers - trying my best to wrap these words into a neat little Christmas "sports package" and to then tie it all together with an example of God's beautiful ribbon of love.

Like most parents, my children are my life's treasured blessings. I cherish my memories of Jason, Wes and Jenny traipsing around these many Tiger athletic arenas. My three kids graduated from ESHS years ago - and each has remained proud of his or her Tiger heritage. And although all of my Tiger grads have now moved-on, they still find themselves tied to different athletic endeavors.

•  Wes, for example, works for the Fellowship of Christian Athletes and for Dynamite Sports (an advocate of high school sports). He and his wife, Amy, are now raising our newest blessing (six-month-old granddaughter, Andrea, who is predicted to carry-on the athletic prowess of both her parents).
  
•  Jenny is now teaching and coaching in the Belton School District. She has married Eric - better known by Belton athletes as Coach Scherf. In her own right, Jenny has now earned the title of Coach Scherfette.
  
•  Jason...well, Jason has been living in Heaven for over eight years. Of course I have no idea what he's been up to, but I sometimes wonder if his love of sports didn't somehow follow him through the golden gates. I know that must sound extremely odd to many, but here is my story.

It was several years ago that I dreamed I was holding my son in my arms. I looked down at him and quietly asked this question: "What is it like where you live?"

Jason looked up at me with a huge grin and simply replied, "I live in a corner of Heaven known as ?Homerun Park.' "

And with those few words, I awoke very suddenly - filled with a real sense of peace and a longing to return to my dream so I could ask more questions.

Believe me, I've spent plenty of time in the last eight years wondering what Heaven is like. But how can one begin to visualize a place that one has never seen? Honestly, even God's own description of His magnificent home as found in the Bible is hard for me to comprehend, and I've certainly never considered baseball to be any kind of descriptor for that glorious place.

But after my dream, I spent considerable time questioning why "a corner of Heaven known as Homerun Park" would ever enter my mind, even if only in my sleep. Suddenly one day, I received what I considered a gift of understanding. My heart became warmly filled with the words, "Jason is safe at home forever!"

I was absolutely overwhelmed as I processed those words, immediately conjuring-up images of days-gone-by when my young high school ball player was known for his daring steals down the third-base line to home plate, diving-in headfirst for the score. He loved doing that! In fact, it's one of my fondest memories of his time on the Tiger diamonds. I can still see Number 19 emerging from the dust as the umpire stood with outstretched arms -  yelling, "SAFE!"

Jason learned in those days that if he ran strategically - making just the right moves down the baseline - he might find himself safe at home. But he also learned that all that fun could get him in trouble - there was always the possibility of being called "OUT!"

Hitting a HOMERUN, however, is different! It doesn't require taking chances around the bases. The possibility of being called "OUT" doesn't even exist. After all, a HOMERUN is a free ticket to cross home safely.

Now, put that same scenario into the heavenly realm and the illustration becomes, as Jason would say, "AWESOME!" On a heavenly scale, a HOMERUN would mean eternally safe at home.

I now envision my son    wiping the dust of this world from his feet as he crosses the plate in that corner of Heaven known as Homerun Park. And standing at the plate is Jesus himself (once again with outstretched arms), calling him "SAFE AT HOME FOREVER!" True - this was just a dream, but it was a healing and meaningful illustration of what I consider the essence of Heaven.

My dream about "Homerun Park" is one I love to share with others. It has become another of my treasured blessings. But my most cherished treasure is the greatest gift ever given. After all, it was that gift (born in a manger so many years ago) that placed my son on that heavenly diamond in the first place. It was that same gift that then saved him from ever being declared "OUT" again!

"She will give birth to a son and you are to

call Him JESUS,

for He will save His people from their sins."

(Matthew 1:21, KJV)

Merry Christmas to our readers. May God keep you and your families safe throughout the New Year. and for all eternity.