god is so good

So let me tell you about Montana...15 coaches and 35 students headed to Two Moose Ranch in Glenn, Montana. It was in the middle of nowhere. But in the middle of nowhere you are always in the middle of somewhere--mountains surrounded us on all sides and the beauty of God's creation was astounding. AND GOD DID SO MUCH--The girls I met were awesome and here they are!



Three girls became believers over the trip and so many girls were encouraged to live a godly life outside of just saying what they believe. It was so neat to plan events and ways to pull each other out of temptation because we know there will be some along the way!

On the first row second from the right is Jessica, or Jess. She was my roommate in Montana and it was so great getting to know her. She is a GA for volleyball and loves the Lord so much. It was so encouraging to talk to her and it was so EASY. The common bond of Christ was all we needed to hit it off.

On the top row second from the right is Kristy Brown, the Assistant Women's BBall coach at Shorter and she is SO GREAT! She has such a love for the Lord and such a desire to pour into girls so that they may know more of Christ! I have learned so much from her and we also have just hit it off great! God is so good!

And my car:



My car was crazy! As a new coach, for some reason I was put as a driver for all guys and little Sarah! I drove an expedition XL so I had the biggest SUV out of all the coaches. I had 5 football players and a soccer player and then SARAH my life saver. I definitely needed a girl there with me. That picture explains it all--they said: "Now let's take one like how we annoyed her in the car!" and all jumped on me! Ha! So fun.

Montana was awesome, God did and is doing so much in the hearts of the students at Shorter University. I can't wait to see what this year will bring. By the way, I'm up to ten players!! PTL!

jaja boniques

Last night, I went to hang out with one of my best friends Jordan Newberry. Our freshman year though we gave each other nicknames. Hers= Jaja Boniques. Mine= Megan Malpoopoo. Don't ask, but this definitely defines our friendship. God has brought our friendship SO FAR too!! We lived together freshman year and hated each other, but at the end of freshman year, we bonded HUGELY--Jordan hadn't taken her medicine and I was writing a paper on Beauty and the Beast, and we just connected through stories!! So Awesome--we've been great friends ever since!

So last night we decided that we wanted to rent Toy Story 2 and watch it, so we went to Blockbuster. We got Toy Story 2, three boxes of candy and I got popcorn and a drink bc I don't love candy! So we check out and the man says: You should get another popcorn and drink and it will be cheaper. WE LOVE FOOD so of course we went and got more but I started thinking..this guy didnt tell us the price before...he could just be getting us to get more for more money!! But we did it anyway, and ended up getting 8 items for 11$! WOW! The movie was $5 so really we got 7 things for $6! (butterfinger, two popcorns, two drinks, three more things of candy!). Just think:

Cost for 2 Movie theater tickets: 15.50
Cost for 2 drinks+2 popcorns at a theater: 15.50
Cost for 3 things of candy: 10.00
Total: 41.00

COST FOR TOY STORY 2 + OUR GOODIES: 11.00 (We definitely got the better end of the deal!)

We ended our night with another classic Harriet the Spy! A movie that absolutely changed my life as a kid. I went from an ordinary kid to a kid with a mission, I was the best spy ever. I read ever Nancy Drew book, got spy gear every Christmas and probably drove my parents nuts!!!

Pictures of me and Jaja Boniques from freshman year: We were Awesome. No doubt.

tryouts anyone?

Today I had an open tryout for laxers. I'm not gonna lie, I didn't set it up and I didn't get a chance to advertise it. I've been out of town for the past two weeks.

Long story short...No one showed up!! What a great first tryout! Haha

But PTL* God has now provided 9 players! Slowly but surely God is providing exactly what I need. I'm learning to not just pray for things but to expect great things from God. Ephesians 3:20 says that he is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us.

For some reason, I really do have a peace about my team for next year. Call me crazy, but I really think I will have 12 by the end (although I'm praying for more). I'm really not that stressed even with the smallest lacrosse tryout showing in the world! I know that God will have a team for me! We'll just have to see how things come together. And know this..Im not just doing nothing. I am recruiting like crazy! I love building relationships with students and I can't wait to see what God does next year!

*PTL-Praise the Lord

montana..the way home

Just got back from Montana and yes it is 3:36am, but I just had to share this fascinating tidbit with everyone!!

As I was boarding the flight from Denver to Atlanta some very interesting things happened. I was there with a big group but of course our seats were scattered through the plane. They called to board rows 1-4 and my seat was 4c. So I definitely felt like I should board. I headed to the desk...Im the only one headed there and I hear the ladies behind the counter murmuring something like this:

Lady #1: Oh here she comes.
Lady #2: Yeah, she's military.
Lady #1: Ma'am, are you military??

--Now don't get me wrong..I am wearing a PC sweatshirt and purple Darlington Basketball shorts...How the heck do I look militarily??? haha

Me: Ummm no ma'am, I thought you said rows 1-4.
Lady#2: Oh yes, right ahead.

Weird. But gets funnier. I sit down, get situated and as I am a man passes by me and he looks soooo excited!!! He looks at me and says:

Man: DID YOU SAY YOU WERE IN THE MARINE CORPS????
Me: haha no sir...Im not.

HAHAHA WHAT IN THE WORLD!! I hated to let him down, I should have just said yes and told him I just got back from being stationed in Montana in platoon 32 or something made up! But wait the trip gets better. So I decided to do a little quiet time in the plane. I pull out my Bible and start reading it and studying it. When Im finished the man next to me starts talking to me.

Man: So, I see you are reading the Bible and stuff.
Me: Yes Sir!
Man: So are you going to school to be a nun or something??
Me: Haha, no sir, its just a really big part of my life!

OMG!!! In the time of an hour, I was confused as a member of the Marine Corp and a nun!! What a fun ride back.

Note to readers: Just because you read the Bible doesn't mean you are destined for nunhood.

Can't wait to update you on the trip to Montana!! Stay tuned for more!

montana

Alot has happened since I have last blogged. I have really spent a period of wrestling with the Lord, learning to trust in him in all things and finding joy in who he is and the Lord is so GRACIOUS. A verse I have been praying for myself-- "Restore unto me the joy of your salvation" Psalm 51:12 and the Lord has totally been doing that!!

Within the past two days, these things have occurred. I got to talk to one of my recruits (by the way we are up to 7 girls!!!) that is definitely coming to Shorter. We got to have a gospel conversation in which she was able to say: Yeah I really want to know more about God and it is really helpful that I know that I can talk to you about these things. AWESOME!! PTL (Praise the Lord!!) This conversation excited me about sharing the gospel and telling her of the good news of Christ!

Yesterday I left for Montana. This trip has been hard for me. I do not feel known, none of the girls understand what has been going on in my life for the past few weeks but it is so comforting to know that we are known by the Lord and that he gives us everything we need always (phil 4:19). On the plane, I sat by a women who wasn't supposed to sit by me at all, we talked about the Lord and who he is and I got to lay out the whole gospel before her. She said she had never heard aything like it. She thought we had to earn God's love and work for it. NOT TRUE!! Thats the good news! I have no idea whether she asked Christ into her heart, but she asked GREAT questions and has a better understanding of what the gospel is. Her name was Sarah!

God really is restoring to me the joy of salvation: in myself and in others. You can be praying that my trip here goes well: that Shorter University students grasp the gospel and start to live it out on the campus of Shorter and on their athletic teams. Help me to be open with the girls who are my age, and continue to be bold with the gospel. I'm studying 2 Timothy:

"Yet I am not ashamed, because I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that he is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day."-2 Timothy 1:12

I want to know the God I love and serve. I want to know whom I have believed. I want to guard the gospel that the Lord has entrusted and fan into flame the gifts God has given me in order to do so.