Sunday, November 1, 2009

Love Song for a Savior

"In open fields of wild flowers
She breathes, the air flies away.
She thanks her Jesus for the daisies and the roses,
In no simple language;
Someday she'll understand the meaning of it all...

He's more than the laughter,
Or the stars in the heavens.
As close as a heartbeat,
Or a song on her lips.
Someday she'll trust him,
And learn how to see him.
Someday he'll call her,
And she will come running;
Fall in his arms, the tears will fall down
And she'll pray...

I want to fall in love with you

Sitting silent wearing sunday best.
The sermon echoes through the walls-
A great salvation through it calls to the people
who stare into nowhere,
Can't feel the chains on their souls...

He's more than the laughter,
Or the stars in the heavens.
As close as a heartbeat,
Or a song on our lips.
Someday we'll trust him,
And learn how to see him.
Someday he'll call us,
And we will come running;
Fall in his arms;
The tears will fall down and we'll pray...

I want to fall in love with you

Seems to easy to call you savior.
Not close enough to call you a god.
So as I sit and think of
Words I can mention to show my devotion...

I want to fall in love with you"


-Jars of Clay

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

My Marathon Training Journal

If you know me well, you know I LOVE to run. I have run countless 5Ks and 2 half-marathons. I always said I would never race a distance longer than 13.1 miles, but deep down inside, I made it a goal of mine to run a full marathon - 26.2 miles! When my good friend Aaron, USNA Grad & Marine Pilot, passed away in May, I decided I wanted to pursue training for the Marine Corp Marathon (Washington, D.C.) in his honor. I was a little worried because since my last half-marathon (Dec. 2006), I had been through one knee surgery, 2 shoulder surgeries, and a 3-month stint in Africa where I tried to keep up with my running but when you go from healthy American food to beans, rice, and crepes for every meal, it's hard to keep up any endurance. Needless to say, since I had gotten back to Africa and moved to Charlotte I had been trying to get back into running...let's just say, I was doing well if I could run 3 miles. However, once I signed up and paid for the Marine Corp Marathon, I was bound and determined to run and finish it. I started training in June to rebuild my endurance. Then, in July, I started a 16-week training regimen that would lead me to the day of the race on Oct. 25th. I ran 3 days a week, cross-trained the other 3, and took a day off. My runs each week consisted of one sprint workout, one mid-distance tempo workout, and a long run. Below is a brief synopsis of my training (I'm using the MasterCard theme):

*Registration fee for the 2009 Marine Corp Marathon: $85
*Amount of time from day registration opened to when it filled up: 3 weeks
*Amount of runners signed up for 2009 MCM: 30,000 (3rd largest marathon)
*Amount of time put into training: 4.5 months
*Number of miles run in training: 460
*Pairs of shoes purchased throughout training: 2
*Number of runs done with a partner: 2
*Places I ran during training: Cornelius, NC; Davidson, NC; Huntersville, NC; Cary, NC; Huntington Beach, CA; Annapolis, MD; Miami, FL; Ft. Lauderdale, FL; the treadmill
*Number of times I got sick during training: 2
*Number of snakes I saw (dead or alive) during runs: 6-8
*Number of deer I saw during runs: 6
*Number of times I ran in the pouring rain: 5
*Number of IBS flare-ups I had during a run: 4
*Number of times a bee flew in my mouth and stung me on my lip during a run: 1
*Number of times I almost got run over by a car during a run: 3
*Longest run pre-marathon: 20 miles (twice)
*Areas chaffed during running: inner thighs, collar bone, face
*Number of toenails lost during training: 1, and counting.....
*People who supported me during training and during the marathon: God, family, Adam, friends, the parents of the kids I coach
*Amount of time it took me to run 26.2 miles on the most beautiful day in Washington, D.C.: 3 hours, 57 minutes
*Number of friends I made in line for the port-a-potty before the race: 2
*Memories I made during those 3 hrs, 57 min: countless
*Lessons I learned from the marathon: will be included in future blog post

***WHAT I FELT AS I CROSSED THE FINISH LINE AS TEARS STREAMED DOWN MY FACE: PRICELESS





For everyone who supported me through my training and through the race - THANK YOU FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART!!!!

WHO WANTS TO RUN THE NEXT ONE WITH ME???? I'M READY FOR ANOTHER ONE!!! BRING IT ON!!

Thursday, September 24, 2009

"Oh the Places You'll Go..." & what God will teach you!

In case you didn't catch it in my previous blogs, I'm in a long-distance relationship right now. This is a first for me, so God has taken the opportunity to teach me a TON recently! For those of you who know what it's like to be in a long-distance relationship, you will be able to empathize with me; for those of you who have never shared the experience - it's not easy, but I believe long-distance relationships build character and create a special bond between two individuals. I also believe that God uses those types of relationships to bring His children closer to Him through the process. It has taken me a while to get used to being 7 hours away from Adam, but I think I'm finally getting the hang of it; at least, I think so...Here are some things I feel like we have learned through the process of developing a strong, God-centered, incredibly unique relationship while living 430 miles apart:

1) You have to have a large amount of monthly minutes and unlimited texts on your cell phone or you end up with a very PRICEY phone bill

2) You may be in the middle of a long-winded, incredibly wordy, but super good story when your phone rings in your ear and you realize your significant other had a dropped call, and you had been talking to nothing but silence for the past 5 minutes

3) Skype video chatting is only fun if you have a webcam with a good microphone. Otherwise, sudden, loud static interrupts your conversation every 3 minutes and 30 sec and you have to hang up and call back. There are also those video calls where the other person freezes up momentarily in a weird position...


4)You don't have the luxury of seeing the person every day. As a matter of fact, depending upon our schedules, we are lucky to see each other once a month

5) The positive side to not seeing the person very often, is that it's virtually impossible to become too dependent upon the other person

6) Communicating through snail mail or FedEx is no longer a thing of the past

7) You think of creative ways to have fun while being miles apart (i.e. online scrabble, the chicken dice game, battleship, muting the microphone and watching online TV shows while video chatting, playing "Guess what animal I am" while making a random animal face...remember the picture of Adam above?)

8) On the nights where you may be too busy to talk at all, a simple text that says, "Goodnight. I miss you!" speaks volumes

9) You realize that driving for a total of 14 hours (or 18 if you get lost....) just to see the person for less than 24 hours is better than not seeing them at all

And, the best thing I've learned thus far through my long-distance relationship with Adam....
10) When we do finally get to see each other, every minute we're together is a chance for us to grow closer together - an idea I feel gets too often taken for granted in non long-distance relationships

Monday, September 14, 2009

East Coast to West Coast to East Coast

TO THE WEST...
A few weeks ago, I went on my desperately-needed vacation from work. I got a week and a half of time to do whatever I wanted. So, the first part of my time off, I went to Newport Beach, CA to visit my best friend! It was the best week I had had in a long time. The weather was amazing, and the beach was beautiful! I had so much fun meeting Matt, Jessica's boyfriend, and getting to know him. I'm so happy she has found such a great guy. God knows both of us have battled through thick and thin in our past relationships. I pray for them all the time, and I know God will bless their relationship immensely. My favorite part about the trip was spending quality time with Jessica and being able to share pieces of our hearts with each other. We go through these phases where we both get really busy and since we are both terrible at calling each other, we'll often go weeks or longer without contact. However, I know she is a genuine friend because we never have any problems picking up right where we left off when we do finally connect. The only drawback is that we always share with each other the latest dilemmas or struggles we have been facing, realizing halfway through our stories that we had been struggling with the same things at roughly the same time; it just took us so long to contact each other that we realize our similar dilemmas after the fact. However, it is still incredibly comforting to know that someone is going through the same struggles I am, and because of that fact, we don't feel so alone. I am so blessed to have Jessica in my life. She is one of the most beautiful women I know, and her heart for God and people speaks volumes about the incredible woman of God that she is. Even if we do live on completely different sides of the US, we know that we are just a phone call or text away (most of the time) from providing encouragement for each other. We have both grown so much as people the past couple of years and I cherish her Godly insight and advice, especially because I can always trust that we are most likely going through the same thing! I love you Jessica!!!

OH LA!

MATT AND JESSICA

TINY SURFERS AT SURF SCHOOL...SO CUTE!

AFTER DINNER IN DOWNTOWN DISNEYLAND



BACK TO THE EAST
The latter part of my vacation, I headed back east to what I think is one of the cutest towns ever - Annapolis, MD - which is also where the US Naval Academy is located on one of the most beautiful campuses I have ever seen.
THE VIEW FROM CAMPUS

I went to visit Adam for a few days in Annapolis, then we headed to his parents' house in Bethesda. He gave me the most amazing tour of campus! I love listening to Adam talk about the Naval Academy because he is so passionate about it. I think it is such an honor to attend a service academy, and I have no doubt that each graduate develops strong character, perseverance, great leadership skills, courage, and an unsurpassable respect for his country. Well, I know at least one person who possesses those qualities ;) as well as my friend, Aaron (USNA '05), who passed away back in May, doing what he was most passionate about - flying in the Navy.

While I was in MD, I also took my first trip to Washington, D.C. I didn't get very many pictures of the city and historic landmarks because it was pouring the rain while we were there. We ran in the rain from the subway station, to the Smithsonian Museum, and then, to the National Air and Space Museum. We had no umbrella, and it was so fun! I hope it will be sunny and nice when I go back to D.C. for my marathon at the end of October. I'll see plenty of the city's sights on that day...26.2 miles of it! I can't wait!
WET WITH RAINDROPS

Our time together was short, but we packed in a lot of activities. He also took me to Covenant Life Church where Joshua Harris preaches!! That was so cool, and he gave an awesome message, which I mentioned in a previous blog. The last day I was there, Adam took me to a beautiful park on the Potomac River. Words cannot describe it, so check out the pictures:
THE RAPIDS

HARDCORE WHITEWATER KAYAKERS

I had the most amazing vacation and did so many exciting things. It's too bad we can't be on vacation all the time; but...sooner or later, you have to come back to reality. However, I'm thankful for the time Adam and Jessica took out of their schedules to allow me to visit! MISS YOU!!

Monday, August 31, 2009

Want More Details?!!! :)

Well, I figured I couldn't publish the post below without giving a few more details about the guy God brought into my life when I was least expecting it! Don't worry, I got Adam's permission to talk about him (I did ask you didn't I, Adam?)

You may not know this about the swim team I coach for, but even though we are an age-group team, we also have an Elite program where Olympic-bound swimmers can train with one of the best coaches in the world - Coach David Marsh (he's my boss). You can learn more about it by visiting our website at www.swimmaccarolina.org (good PR, right?)Well, Adam swims for the Naval Academy and he decided to come to Charlotte this past summer and train with Coach Marsh. The first time I saw him on the pool deck, I thought he was pretty cute!!! Another coach introduced me to him, but I don't even know if he remembers that because I'm pretty sure he came straight to practice after waking up from a nap. A week or so later, I went out to eat at Cabo Fish Taco with another coach and one of the other Elite swimmers who had invited Adam. For those of you who know me well, you know i'm obsessed with chips and salsa, and I especially LOVE salsa on salads as dressing! Wow, my mouth is definitely watering as I'm typing this...Anyway, Adam was going to be late and he had already eaten, so we went ahead and ordered from our waiter, who looked exactly like an overweight version of Johnny Depp. At Cabo Fish Taco, they have this fresh corn, bean, and chunky tomato salsa, but they're kind of stingy with their refills. Well, Johnny Depp had to refill ours several times because we were devouring it. Then, I asked him for an extra bowl of it to use as dressing on my salad. From the way he acted, you would have thought I had asked him to donate me one of his kidneys! Thankfully, he brought me an extra bowl despite his hesitancy. Well, I excused myself from the table to go to the restroom and while I was there, Adam showed up. As I was walking back to the table, I realized Adam had sat down in the seat across from me, and was DIPPING A CHIP IN MY EXTRA BOWL OF SALSA, which was specifically for my salad! I sit down, Johnny Depp (the waiter) walks up with our food, notices Adam eating my salad salsa, and let me tell you...he was NOT happy! He straight up asked me why Adam was eating my salad salsa...I didn't know what to say; I just looked at Adam holding the salsa-laden chip in midair and started laughing! And, it just so turns out, that Adam is as obsessed with chips and salsa as I am!

The experience at Cabo Fish Taco was what started our friendship as we continued to hang out. We got to know each other better through...
*Going to church together
*Going to the NASCAR race together (even though I was the 5th person he called) *Watching movies on the big screen TVs at the various houses I housesat for this summer
*Taking a spontaneous road trip through the backwoods (no offense, Allie) of Mathews County, VA to visit one of my best friends and on to MD to surprise his dad for Father's day

*Watching Harper's Island w/Greg and Emily

*Wakeboarding or jet skiing on a weekly (sometimes daily) basis
*Cheering him on as he kicked butt at the swimming World Championship Trials with a 10th place finish in the 200 Fly and 7th overall in the 200 IM (do NOT read any further until you click on the link above to watch the amazing video!! Lane 3 from the bottom of the screen is the lane to watch!!)
*Sharing how God had brought us closer to Him through similar struggles we had faced in the past couple of years, and realizing we were both scared to death about starting a relationship because of said experiences;
*Taking a leap of faith to pursue a relationship with each other, and trusting God to guide it and strengthen us, despite living 7 hours apart and not knowing God's plans for our rapidly emerging individual futures.
*Being OK with the unknown because of God's promise in Jeremiah 29:11, "For I know the plans I have for you; plans to prosper you, and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

Friday, August 28, 2009

Yes, I Know It's Been a While...

SO, here is a run down of what's been going on in my life since...May (wow, 3 months since my last post); Time sure flies when you're having fun! I had an incredible summer, but I definitely wasn't looking for things to do: between coaching twice a day, training for my marathon in October, babysitting, housesitting, and wakeboarding, I stayed pretty busy. Despite running around like crazy from one thing to another, God still managed to teach me several things. For me at least, I think He teaches me the most when I least expect it...

**I think I mentioned in an earlier post that I felt God was leading me to begin thinking about going to grad school for Occupational Therapy...well, I'm most certain of that now, I'm just a little unsure where He wants me. There are no OT schools in Charlotte, so inevitably I have to move. One of the biggest things I learned in Africa last summer was that I needed to relinquish all control of my life to God. I still struggle with that daily, but I'm becoming more and more cognizant of when I begin to make a decision without fully consulting God. So, I'm applying to several different OT schools around the US and praying that God will open or shut doors into the programs as I receive my acceptance or rejection letters. I honestly don't have a preference where I go to school, so I actually feel comfortable handing that decision over to God. I mean, I wouldn't really want to move to North Dakota or Nebraska or somewhere like that, but if God wants me where the winters are freezing cold, then I'll just have to accept that and hopefully get over my Seasonal Affective Disorder. Either way, I'm genuinely trying to be open to whatever path God sends me down, because I realize how much easier it is to follow His will when I allow Him to take the lead. I will update more on this when I start the whole application process within the next month or so.

**After a year and a half of waiting, wondering, and denying God's gentle voice that it wasn't in His plans to last forever, I accepted the fact that the relationship I had with Matthew was just a period of immense spiritual and emotional growth for me, and realized it was time to continue on with my life. It was a hard decision, but as soon as I made it, I felt like a huge weight had been lifted from my shoulders. Until that point, my life had been almost stagnant, even after my move to Charlotte. Part of me wanted to get on with my life, but there was a bigger part that just couldn't stop denying the fact that things were over. I have said this before, and I will continue to say it for the rest of my life: I wouldn't trade the time Matthew and I were together for anything. Part of who I am today is a direct result of the things God taught me through that relationship. It all made perfect sense to me last weekend when I visited Joshua Harris' church. He said that God puts us through trials, tribulations, and suffering to show us how much He loves us. It is in those tough times that our hearts are most vulnerable and moldable because we fall to our knees and cry out to God for help and comfort. He brings us closer to Him and teaches us the most during these times, even though we may not realize how much we have learned until He brings us out of the pit. We should definitely praise God for His blessings, but we should be even more gracious for the things He teaches us through our pain and tears!

**God answers our prayers when we are least expecting it....much like how you can stare at the night sky for hours in hopes of seeing a shooting star, but are unsuccessful until a random evening you happen to glance up at the sky at just the right moment to catch a glimpse of the thing you had watched for and anticipated for countless hours...Back in May, God brought the most amazing person into my life. At this point I definitely wasn't looking for a relationship, and it took a while of developing a friendship with him before I realized I was attracted to this guy. Prior to meeting him, I had given up hope of finding anyone in Charlotte who met/exceeded my standards, and I decided to just stop worrying about it and let God do His thing. Well, He did just that... After trying to ignore my feelings for Adam a few times early on in our friendship and talking to God about it, I finally allowed myself to accept the cliche that there was "another fish in the sea" (which was something it took me a year and a half to believe), and God brought him right to me! We have been officially together for almost 2 months after developing a friendship that began in May. Not one day goes by where I don't thank God for Adam and thank Him for giving me the assurance that His timing is perfect!

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

A TRUE HERO....In So Many Ways To Me, To Others, To Our Country


On May 5th, I lost a good friend, role model, and hero. 1st LT. Aaron David Cox died in a tragic helicopter accident during a nighttime training exercise. Aaron graduated from the US Naval Academy in 2005 and went on to pursue pilot training. How did I know him? I went to high school with Aaron, we swam together, we went to youth group together, and he drove me from school to swim practice everyday of high school until I had my own car. Aaron touched my life in so many ways. He could make me laugh no matter what situation we were in or what kind of mood I was in. He had the craziest facial expressions and little sayings. He had such an infectious laugh and a smile that could light up a whole neighborhood! Aaron was such an encouragement in swimming, in academics, and how he never ceased to give 110% in everything he did. He taught me the true meaning of the word, 'HARDCORE.' I remember every time our coach would tell us our main set at swim practice, we would all groan and complain, but Aaron never did. He would say things like, "We are HARDCORE!" or "Let's be HARDCORE!" or "They can't hurt us!" with a huge smile on his face. I'm pretty sure he taught me that it always feels good after you swim through the pain, and that it is OK to work so hard that you almost throw up. As most of you know, I am obsessed with country music. Well, it hasn't always been a favorite of mine. I actually hated country music until I began carpooling with Aaron and I was forced to listen to it. He would go through periods of several weeks/months where we would listen to one type of music and the same CD in that genre of music. In Aaron's car, I listened to music such as Creedence Clearwater Revival, Hank Williams, Kirk Franklin, Nirvana, Brittney Spears, 2-Pac, Dave Matthews, Johnny Cash, and the list goes on and on. I went through a period when I had a little crush on Aaron, but that quickly changed as he became more of a big brother to me. He was so protective and always made sure I wasn't hanging out with any sketchy guys. From the first time I met Aaron, he always wanted to go to the Naval Academy. He would always do crazy physical training movements and assure us he was just being a 'Navy SEAL.' I truly believe Aaron achieved more in his 26 years of life than most people do in a lifetime! I got to fly home to attend his funeral, and without sounding to morbid, it was one of the most amazing things I have ever experienced. First of all, we had a huge swim team reunion party where we celebrated Aaron's life and told all of our funny stories about him. None of us dressed up very much for his funeral, nor did we wear all black, because Aaron had always said that he hoped no one would wear a tie to his funeral. So, his parents asked all the men not to wear a tie. That was how Aaron always was...he loved life and made every situation a celebration! Lastly, we had a ceremony outside after his funeral. Many Marines and his friends from USNA came dressed in their uniforms. They did a 21-gun salute along with the usual pomp and circumstance of a military funeral, but the most moving part (and I lost it at this point) was while they were folding the American flag to give to Mrs. Cox - it was completely silent until a rumbling in the distance began to get louder as 3 military planes flew directly over us. I was told later that it is normally 4, but they just flew 3 because Aaron represented the 4th one. His life and accomplishments were highly honored at his funeral, and I find comfort in the fact that he's partying right now in Heaven....

REST IN PEACE AARON - I LOVE YOU AND I WILL NEVER FORGET YOU!
**The Station Wagon**The broken clutch**Hot pockets**Prayer and a Biscuit**St. James Youth**Pine Cove**Your turd in the lake at Pine Cove**Nick's RV party at Maumelle Park**The Tick**Navy SEALS**Hardcoreness**GrapeNut Os**I'm sorry, Baby**Cheekbone dimples**LR Central High State Champs**LRAC Lasers Swim Team**Latin III and IV**Mrs. Ligon**Bell Bowl**Ummmm yeeeah**The spoiled milk, mustard, mayonaise, ketchup, chicken, beef, yogurt, coke, and real-life loogey mixed suicide drink someone dared you to drink**(and many more memories)......

Oh Yes! You guessed it...That is Mr. Ryan Lochte in all his handsomeness


Ever since I started coaching for SWIMMAC, I have been looking forward to this one swim meet - the Charlotte UltraSwim Meet. We have hosted this meet for the past few years, it's a very fast meet, swimmers have to have qualifying times for UltraSwim, and a ton of Olympians compete in it every year. Well, this year it was HUGE because of what swimming brought to the Olympics in 2008. The most coveted tickets to the meet were the Gold Medal Seating tickets at Finals, and those tickets sold for $450 a piece! Of course, as SWIMMAC coaches, we received a coach's pass and could pretty much roam wherever we wanted to. So, I got to stand directly over the lanes as I watched some of the best athletes in the sport of swimming such as, Michael Phelps, Aaron Piersol, Cullen Jones, Mark Gangloff, Freddy Busquet (and many more), and of course, my favorite swimmer of all - Ryan Lochte (see above)...
Luckily, I was able to get a picture with him, but not before making a blubbering idiot out of myself. The president of USA Swimming offered to introduce me to Ryan Lochte, so naturally, I accepted his generous offer! As we approached Ryan, he introduced me by saying, "Ryan-I want you to meet Laura Beth Minnich. She coaches 12&U with SWIMMAC." We shook hands. He introduced himself. Then I introduced myself by repeating verbatim what the USA Swimming president had already said. As if that wasn't bad enough, I was sweating profusely and the redness was slowly creeping up my neck to my face. Then, I said the most ridiculously thing ever...."Nice to meet you. I'm really sorry, but can I get a picture with you? My kids would love it!" He replies, "Of course. Why are you apologizing?" I reply, "Ummm, uhhh, hmmmm, ummm, ya, I'm just really embarassed!" I think to myself after turning beat red, "WHAT IN THE WORLD DID I JUST SAY AND WHERE THE HEC DID THAT COME FROM? WHO SAYS THAT?" Needless to say, I got my picture and got out of that situation FAST! Unfortunately, he walked by me again 20 minutes later, looked straight at me and started laughing. Gosh! What an idiot I am! Oh, well, it was all worth it for that picture! Words can't describe what an awesome experience I had at that meet - watching the fastest swimmers in the world compete was amazing! I am blessed to have been given that opportunity!

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Ahhh...Memories!



Two weekends ago, I had 3 amazing young women come to visit me here in Charlotte. These 3 girls were on my Ghana team this past summer and we became very close. Camden is from Asheville and is my age; and Trish and Margaret are from Illinois and are still in college. We had such an awesome time! They got here on Friday and we spend the evening laughing and reminiscing about all the crazy things that happened while we were in Africa. We hadn't seen each other since last August, but it's like we just picked up where we had left off. I had been cooking dinner in my crockpot all day. That was my second meal to make in the crokpot, and it turned out to be pretty good! The first dish I made in the crockpot was a different story, however. That night I took them around downtown Charlotte and the temperature was perfect. Thankfully, my practices had been cancelled for that Saturday, so I took them to the National Whitewater Center in South Charlotte (if you've never heard of it, look it up www.usnwc.org - it's where all the Olympic whitewater kayakers train and it's amazing!) We couldn't afford to go whitewater rafting, do the climbing wall, ride the forever long zipline, or even eat at the delicious restaurant there, so we just hiked the beautiful mountain biking trails there....and of course, the best part, watch all the kayakers and rafters fall out of their vessels on the rapids! We were exhausted that evening, so we rented The Grizzly Man and laughed our heads off at Timothy Tredwell, but then we got sad at the end as we realized that's actually a very sad story. Sunday, they went to church with me, then drove back. It was such a blessing to have them stay for the weekend! We had brunch after church on Sunday and prayed for each other and shared how drastically God had changed each of our lives since we had been back from Africa. His timing is so perfect because I had been having a couple of rough weeks leading up to the weekend my friends came, but being around them and realizing He had been testing their faith just as much as He had been mine was exactly what I needed! I hope I can continue to keep in touch with these girls and always look to them for encouragement and prayer! Below is a picture of us in Africa. Look back at the pic at the top of this post and just compare the two....

Sunday, April 19, 2009

"Hope Now"

This is a song that just recently came out, and the first time I heard it, I almost cried because the lyrics represent exactly what I'm dealing with now. It's funny how God places songs like these on your heart in order to speak to you (#51 on my playlist)...

"If everything comes down to love,
Then just what am I afraid of?
When I call out Your name,
Something inside awakes in my soul.
How quickly I forget I'm Yours...

I'm not my own;
I've been carried by You,
All my life...

Everything rides on hope now.
Everything rides on faith somehow.
When the world has broken me down,
Your love sets me free!


When my life is like a storm,
Rising waters - all I want is the shore.
You say I'll be ok, and
Make it through the rain.
You are my shelter from the storm...

Everything rides on hope now.
Everything rides on faith somehow.
When the world has broken me down,
Your love sets me free!


I am not my own.
I've been carried by you all my life...

Everything rides on hope now.
Everything rides on faith somehow.
When the world has broken me down,
Your love sets me free!


You've become my hearts desire.
I will sing Your praises higher,
'Cause Your love sets me free.
Your love sets me free.
Your love sets me free...

-Addison Road

Wednesday, April 15, 2009

A Long Awaited Spring Vacation

A couple of weeks ago, I finally got a much needed break from work. Ever since I moved here, I have been desperately missing all my friends at TU and actually, just Tulsa in general. So, the first part of the week, I went to Tulsa. I also decided to go to Arizona to visit the Jones family because I missed them greatly and I had never been to AZ before. So, the second half of my week off, I went to Phoenix. Below are some pictures from my trip and a few of my highlights:

FIRST STOP: TULSA - GO TU!!

I LOVE THESE GIRLS!



Even though Meaghan graduated in December, we planned to come back to TU at the same time, so it was reunion of "THE UNIT"! I realized the moment we were all back together again how much I truly love each of those girls and what a blessing they have been in my life. We went to dinner the first night we were together and then we had a sleepover at Nicole's. For those of you that don't know - Allie snores. I didn't really get any sleep, but I was OK with that because I was having the time of my life! It was just like we had never been apart - we laughed until we cried (well, Lindsey snorted instead of laughing)! It reminded me of how important girlfriends are and I hope we can continue to have an annual "UNIT" reunion each year, no matter where we all scatter off to.

I have to put a picture of Jackson because he has gotten so big and so cute. I'm very proud of Lindsey for balancing raising a child, studying, rowing, and graduating all at one time. I know I couldn't do that right now - that's for sure!


SECOND STOP: ARIZONA - Amazingly Beautiful!


I had such an awesome time visiting the Jones' and Lichtenberger's. It was my first time to AZ, so I didn't know what to expect, but it was more beautiful than I had imagined. I was so thankful that they allowed me to hop on a plane and spend several days with them. It was sunny and somewhat warm the whole time, and there were so many things to see and do. I got to see Jerome, Sedona, Flagstaff, and best of all-the Grand Canyon! Besides realizing that my next big trip will be a week long camping/hiking excursion to the bottom of the canyon and back, with a little white water rafting thrown in there, I also think God had a couple of things to show me while I was there:

#1. I was so excited when Jessica told me she was going to be able to come the same time I was there! It was so good to see her - she's like a sister to me! Even though we've talked a lot over the phone this year, when we got to hang out together and talk a little more about the things God is teaching us currently, something finally hit home with me: We are going through the same exact things, we are in the same stage of life, and God is teaching us pretty much the same things! It is such a relief to know that I am not alone in the things I'm dealing with right now. So, whenever I start to feel alone, I always think of Jessica because it's comforting to know that we are struggling through this period of our lives together, and we are able to pray for and encourage each other!


#2. Well, I already knew this one, but I LOVE THESE KIDS!
Shelby and I climbin a tree at the Grand Canyon...

Jesse and I makin scary faces...

I could never quite get Lucy to look at the camera while I was holding her, so I just got a sweet one of her by herself...


#4. God WILL save you from falling off the edge of the Grand Canyon if it's not your time to go.... Yes, I know - I'm clumsy. And, yes, I did slip and fall only inches from the very edge of the deep abyss of the Grand Canyon. I fell flat on my butt and almost had a heart attack, while scaring the hec out of Mr. Jeff, Jessica, and Shelby. Thankfully, God was holding my hand and I obviously wasn't meant to go to Heaven that day. However the mules walk that close to the edge with people on their backs...how do they not slip and fall? Guess they aren't meant to die that way either...




#5. I went on several runs while I was there, and I took that time to really open my heart and my mind to anything God wanted to whisper to me. Sometimes it takes being out of your element and in the middle of God's beautiful creation to be still and listen to Him with no distractions. Through these moments of just stopping to listen and through a lot of prayer, I feel like God's leading me to pursue Physical Therapy and apply to PT school. It has always been my dream, but I didn't know if it was part of His plan for my life. I've been struggling with this decision for quite some time now, but I don't think the timing has been His until now. I am still praying about where to apply and when exactly I would start, but I know that's where He's leading me right now! I am very excited about it, but I know these next several months are going to be tough as I continue to seek His will with this next phase of my life...

I had such an awesome trip and it was so good to see everyone. I love each of you with all my heart - thank you so much for being a part of my life and allowing me to come visit! I hope to come back in the near future!

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

I LOVE MY KIDS!!


I definitely have my moments with my job where I don't like it or look forward to it at all. Some of those moments turn into several days or weeks in a row, but then God brings me a little moment to cherish where He reminds me, through my kids, why He has me coaching swimming to 7-12 yr olds at this point in my life. So, here are some examples of those little things which become constant reminders that my job is more than something that 'barely' pays the bills, it's a chance to forever leave an impact on a child's life...

1) Before each practice, I get my kids together for 15-30 minutes to do "Drylands." Now, if you have never been a swimmer, you probably don't know exactly what that word means. Well, for younger swimmers, it means warming up out of the water through running, calisthenics, abs, etc. But, the majority of the time, I just play games with my groups. So, one evening, I was taking my older group outside for dryland, and it was one of those crazy Charlotte weather days that starts warm and sunny, but ends cold and snowy (yes, that really happens here). We were playing basketball and the temperature had to drop at least 30 degrees in the course of 20 min, but the worst part was that it began to snow. Well, I told my kids we needed to go inside because, quite frankly, I was freezing! Of course they answered with whines and objections to ending their basketball game before it was time to. Despite all my efforts to stand firm, I just couldn't, and here's why - after I admitted to them that I wanted to go in because I was cold, all 20 or so of them ran and formed a circle around me, wrapped their arms around me and said, "Keep her warm! Keep her warm! Coach Laura Beth, if we warm you up, can we please stay out and play?" At that point, I didn't even care that I was surrounded by 25 sweaty, smelly kids; I was so caught up in the moment and they just melted my heart!

2) On a different occasion, I was outside with my younger group (7-10). This group has dryland after practice because of lack of lane space. So, back when it was really warm, I took them outside while they still had their suits on. Well, not long after we started playing, one of my little girls came to me and asked if she could go to the bathroom. We only had a few minutes left, so I asked her if she could hold it, and she said yes. We finished our dryland and I sent the kids back inside to get their stuff. As everyone got I up, I realized the little girl that had asked to used the bathroom was still sitting on the concrete. She looked up at me and said, "Um, Coach Laura Beth....I accidently went." She slowly stood up and where she had been sitting was a large wet spot. Ooops! I felt so bad, but I have to admit, it was pretty funny!

3) Just the other day, one of my kids returned to practice after being gone for a few weeks. His mom had informed me that he would be missing practice due to a minor surgery he was having. So, the day he came back to practice, he walked up to me and said very seriously, "Coach Laura Beth, I couldn't practice for a couple of weeks because I had my asteroids taken out." I paused for a minute and wondered if I had misunderstood him, but then I realized he had meant his "adenoids"! Kids say the darnest things!

4)I have been told on far too many occasions that I don't look much older than my kids. I know it's considered a compliment when someone thinks you are younger than you really are, but it's actually an insult when people can't pick me a part from kids who are no older than 12. And, it doesn't help when half of the 12 yr old boys in my group are the same height or taller than I am. One day at practice, I was talking to one of my girls and she said, "You know Coach Laura Beth - you don't even look like your 21...you look 17 or 18, but I'm saying that as a compliment!" I know she was trying to be sweet, but I said,"Well, thanks, but I'm actually not 21; I'm 24." And, of course, she didn't believe me...

5)At our end-of-the-season state champ meet last month, I wrote each of my kids a note of encouragement with a quote or Bible verse that I felt fit perfectly for the type of person they are. Little did I know, I would be getting a note of encouragement from one of my swimmers...it made my whole year. One of my older girls got me a thank you card that said, "I just wanted to thank you for helping me become a better swimmer and a stronger person. You are the best coach I have ever had because you make it a point to connect with each one of us; you push us to become faster, but you still let us have fun; you are my coach and my friend at the same time; and, the best part of all is that you are younger than all the other coaches!"

Little did I know that the same kids God placed in my life for me to impact would end up leaving a bigger impact on me...

Monday, April 6, 2009

Africa...After the Fact #1

Africa...After the Fact #2

Africa...After the Fact #3

Thank you God for teaching me lessons, despite my stubbornness

Wow! So, I'm really bad about this whole blog thing. I wish I made it a priority, especially during this time in my life because I'm growing so much, and God is teaching me far more than I ever thought possible. I think what I need to do is just put post-it notes everywhere to remind me to post on my blog every other day or so. It's not that I don't have anything to write about; I actually think I have too much to write about, and I have a hard time deciding what should be captured and recorded through writing and what just needs to stay deep in my personal thoughts. When I make the decision to actually sit down and type, I get too overwhelmed with what's going through my head, that I give up. It's a vicious cycle. Well, I'm going to write several posts because I know some things I want to write for sure, but I don't want to make one massive entry. So, I'll put it into several smaller ones. OK, here is one thing God has shown me in the last couple of months that needs to be written down so I don't ever forget it.

Due to the coercion of a couple of my friends, I have gone on a few dates since I moved here. It was fun to see and eat at different, new places around Charlotte, and I enjoyed getting to know the guys, but I have decided that when you reach your mid-twenties and you go on dates with guys around your age or older, the majority of them just try too hard. I just want to have fun and socialize; don't go ridiculously far out of your way to impress me, please - just be yourself! Here's an example to illustrate what I'm talking about; and, the reason I'm telling this story is because God taught me a very profound lesson through this guy. So, my friends introduced me to a guy who was a little older than I, and after a brief period of time, he asked me out to dinner. I figured it couldn't hurt, so I agreed. Everyday leading up to the night we went to dinner, he either called me or texted me to ask me how my day had gone and never failed to end the conversation by saying that he wished our date was that night; not 4 nights from then, or 3 nights, or 2 nights, etc. I didn't think that was that big of a deal; I just figured he was a very forward guy. So, the night comes, we go to dinner, and without going into too much detail, I enjoyed it but I knew I wasn't interested. So, the next day, he calls me and asks if I would like to go on a 2nd date...I told him I would be interested in hanging out as friends (honestly, he would have been a great friend and I was all for that) and he said OK. Well, I guess OK, didn't mean he got the picture. He kept calling and texting me. And, I don't mean once a day; I mean several times a day. It got to the point where I got too "busy" with work to do anything, and then I just flat out had to ignore him. Even, then, he didn't get the hint. I was at a loss; I didn't want to be mean, but I didn't know what else to do. My mom was visiting me during this time, and I remember asking her in frustration why he wouldn't leave me alone because he was truly annoying me. Well, she laughed at me and said, "Oh, I think this is great!" WHAT???!!! I couldn't believe it! I was so confused with her response. She said, "I think this is the perfect situation for you. God put this guy in your life to show and teach you something...." I wondered what in the world could this clingy guy possibly be revealing to me? Then she told me, and I realized she was exactly right. At one point in my recent past, I had been exactly like that guy: I was dependent, clingy, and unwaveringly anxious with the fear of losing the person God had blessed me with, and I pushed the person away, just like this guy freaked the hec out of me. Now, I know the situations aren't exactly the same but there's a good parallel between the two, and God opened my eyes so I won't make that mistake ever again! To end the story, the guy finally quit talking to me. I am a little bummed because I was interested in making a new friend, but that just goes to show that you can't become good friends with members of the opposite sex, espeically if there's one-sided attraction.

Sunday, January 18, 2009

Another year to a close...several weeks ago

So, I had decided that one of my new year's resolutions would be to do a significantly better job of keeping up with my blog.....Didn't you hear the latest news? Today is the NEW New Year's Day! That's right. January 18 now marks the first day of the year 2009 (well, for me at least)!

I actually have really wanted to update my blog so many times since my last post, but my life has been a whirlwind since then. I kept on trying to make it a point to journal the newest thing God had taught me, my latest stories, or my most recent epiphany, but I always got caught up in something and never got around to it. Then, I had shoulder surgery, and well, typing was out of the picture. But now, thanks to everyone's prayers, I'm healing well and I'm counting down the days when I can hit the pavement (or trails) running and get back in the water, hopefully pain-free!

As I look back over this past year, I realize that this has been the single, most impactful year of my entire being. It's funny, when I reread my very first blog entry (which was around this time last year), it hit me that those first few entries marked the beginning of the year that only God knew would forever change me. One minute I had my whole life planned out and I couldn't have been happier; the next minute, I found myself standing in the middle of my upside down world attempting to pick up the pieces of my broken heart (a little melodramatic, I know; I've been reading the flowery writing of the Twilight series); but that's what it felt like. Then, in the short span of 5 months, my faith grew immensely and God lead me to Africa where He reiterated the fact that HIS PLAN IS WHAT IS BEST FOR ME (Jeremiah 29:11). And then, after 3 months of fully surrendering to Him and successfully existing outside of my comfort zone, I ended up here in Charlotte, NC, coaching age-group swimmers.

After I moved here, I figured that since I had faithfully endured 8 months of back-to-back life altering experiences, God would give me a little breather.....no sir! I am like a rubberband in God's hands: He stretched and stretched and stretched me until, to me, it felt like I could snap any second, but to Him, my weakest times are His chances to teach me the most. So, not long after I moved in with the family that so graciously took me in as one of their own, and began my full-time job, I started feeling the ill effects of the transition from college to "the real world." Unfortunately, no one really tells you what to expect during this transition phase of life, and I have a theory as to why that is: I think everyone I know that has experienced this period of their life had to enter into it with no knowledge of what it would be like either. So, since no one told them the struggles they would have to face, they feel like everyone after them should have to endure it with their blinders on as well. I think it's almost like a rite of passage or a fraternity initiation - you're not a true "brother" until you pass the entrance test into this "real world." Then, when you whine about how much you miss college (especially the breaks) to your co-workers, they say, "Welcome to the Real World," and give you a congratulatory pat on the back like you should be proud of it or something. I have been told that once or twice, but I don't really consider myself part of the real world yet because I still feel, look, and most of the time, act, like a kid. I actually have a story to confirm this fact: When we were having individual and team pictures made with SWIMMAC (the team I coach), all of us coaches had to get individual pictures made for our online bios. Well, a few weeks later at a staff meeting, we were given complimentary luggage tags with our individual pictures on the back of them (ahh, the perks of being a coach). As the last one was handed out, I realized I was the only one who didn't get one. So, I asked politely what had happened to mine. The photographer looked at me kind of funny and she said, "Well, my goodness; I thought you were one of the swimmers, so I threw your bag tag in the pile to be distributed to the kids..." Oh, that was simply hilarious. Let me tell you...

Unfortunately, I am still going through initiation into the real world, and I just pray each day that it will get easier. Despite that ongoing process, there have been many other adult things my eyes have been opened to in the past few months: I haven't been home since I moved here; I live on my own and I pay my own bills (my first rent bill was the scariest thing I've seen on paper since the Living Will I signed before I left for Africa); I had to stay strong and be a 'big sister' to the 3 kids who were like family to me when their oldest brother died in a tragic car accident over Thanksgiving; I had to allow myself to cry after I had held it in for over 2 months (to this day, I'm not quite sure why I couldn't cry); my relationship with my sister is the strongest I every dreamed it could be; I have questioned time and again if this is really where God wants me; I have stumbled in my walk with God and doubted His plans one day, but woke up the next day to an unquenchable thirst to dive deeper into His Word and to seek His heart more sincerely.

I have been through a lot in the few short months since I moved here, and I know there is much more to come. Some days are much harder than others, but I'm trusting in God's unfailing love and mercy as He reveals His plan for my life in the days, weeks, and months to come, and for my future...

Happy New Year! From now on (at least for this year), it is my resolution to update my blog more frequently....we'll see how that goes. Oh, and because Greg told me to say this....
GO STEELERS! BRING IT ON SUPERBOWL!