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....

"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

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!

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...

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.