Leaves are Falling, Seasons are Flying

This past weekend we played in the Regional volleyball tournament in Michigan. We took third place, which means I won't be soaking sun in Florida for Nationals...lol. But it was a great wrap up to a particularly great season.

We finished with a record of something like 22-6, and claimed a number of those W's from talented teams that deemed us underdogs. We were a team of eleven girls whose tallest player was characteristic of the shortest on some teams. We started the year with a new coach and team, curiously filled with expectations. As a family we were pushed physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually. Never have I experienced such a rapid, but genuine, knitting together of lives.

These people quickly became so valuable to me. As cliche as it sounds, we shared blood, sweat, and tears. We moaned together while stretching after lunges, rubbed our eyes as we loaded the bus for tournaments, and shared everything from shampoo to clothes to deodorant. We pushed and challenged each other. We compared bruises and blisters, and bottles of pain killer.

We learned how to juggle sports, school, work, and life; and perhaps more importantly how to admit that sometimes we just can't do it all. This season, volleyball was more than a sport for me. I've never experienced such community with athletics. We shared life not because we had to, but because we wanted to. I was free to encourage and be encouraged. It became a season of refining strengths instead of learning weaknesses. Beyond developing physical skill, it included character development. We failed, fought, and succeeded together. We laughed, cried, prayed, sang, and danced as a team.

I'll most remember eating at Red Robin; playing a game where we all hold hands under the table and flip a coin to see who can grab a ketchup bottle the quickest. I won't forget eating at Culver's discussing whether you "chuck" or "chunk" a ball. I hope I always remember the Grace Bible Tournament where a coach scouted our team, taking vigorous notes for two whole games on me, and other non-starters; only to find out he'd wasted an hour (and a lot of ink) because the girls his team would face were on our bench that day, hahaha! I'll remember when Rachel lost her toenail, and Katie lost her 'finger-tube'. I won't forget warming up each game with Megan Curtiss. I'll most remember when Hannah came back to the bench and missed her chair completely, lol. And I can't forget movie night when coach came flying on his stomach, on a rolling desk chair, and kicked a cup of apple cider out of my hand! Honestly, I could go on and on because this has really been a scrapbook worthy season, and I'm sure it will build it's own camp on my memory lane.

As it's all said and done, I'm so thankful to have been a part of it. Through nearly sleepless nights and road trips marked by carsickness, I take away from the experience much more than I could count as lost. I'm reminded of how lucky I am to be surrounded with people to love and be loved by. Here's to a season marked by surprises galore!


Moody Volleyball 2010: "We provide the effort, God provides the results".

Algunas Fotos

You must be sick of reading so much, and I don't have much time, so here's a scrapbook entry of some fun things I've been up to!



Volleyball is still such a treat. We sing as a team for the National Anthem at home games, (pretty awesome, I know).


Visiting "the (notorious) Bean" with some new Bro/Sis: Nate, Me, Sarah, Rachel & Ben :).


We accidentally stumbled upon one of the city's hidden treasures; a beautiful park outside the Art Institute.


Add this^ to the list of reasons I love going to school in Chicago: Museum FREE Days!


Inside the Chicago Field Museum, the dinosaur is named "Sue". My initial thought: really? haha!


Currently, the museum has an entire exhibit on Africa :), and I thoroughly enjoyed it.


...after some ice cream and an adventurous day with friends, I hate to admit that the darn city is growing on me.

That's all folks!

One Month Gone, Many Lessons Gained

Lesson #1: How People React To You Is All About Context.
My PCM (weekly service act) this semester rocks. I'm serving with an organization called "By The Hand" (comparable to Boys&Girls Club) in an area of Chicago known as Cabrini-Green, which is notoriously a 'recovering-projects' type neighborhood. (Well actually the city is perhaps wiping it out entirely, but that's another story). So, I was walking there (with my backpack on, eating a tuna sandwich, and drinking from a milk carton); when an officer stopped me. He gave me a sort of 'Good Afternoon Miss, are you lost?'. I responded with "anything but" and a smile. Upon walking through the door of the organization, a familiar face introduced me to her manager. He responded with some clapping, jumping, and a gleeful “You’re a God-Send!” (Lol), and then he went on to make note of my favorite cookie and tease me about how white my name is.

Lesson #2: Fresh Perspective Can Do A Soul Some Good.
I can be rather selfish when I have a lot to do. It's as if I switch into some sort of auto-pilot mode, mindlessly juggling responsibilities. Under these circumstances, any unplanned interruptions usually get disregarded, ignored, or yelled at. But this past Wednesday my dear friend was taken by ambulance to a local Emergency Department. Needless to say, I spent the day there with her, erasing eight hours of agenda in a moment's notice (willingly). My window of perspective was literally shaken and shattered as I was forced to seriously take heart as to what matters. Does it really matter if I don't finish this reading, go to this class, attend this event, be at this practice, etc, etc? I was caught in the tragedy of realizing that I had made things about obligations, lists, and responsibilities. How ridiculously unfulfilling it is to live for and focus on such temporary items. If I want to live free of hypocrisy, it has to be about relationships; obedience, love, and selflessness.

Lesson #3: People have hidden talents :).

A friend of mine (Sarah) from the Vball team can paint toenails awesomely! I just couldn't resist sharing...

Lesson #4: Never say never!

So my immensely tight schedule really limited my class options for the semester. But I wasn't ready to settle for a light load as I'm still playing a little game of catch-up credit-wise. So after a couple conversations with professors and department chairs, I get to participate in a "directed study" this semester :D. Basically, I'll receive three credits to fulfill my "Ministry Skills Elective" requirement by reading/researching and writing about stuff my heart totally beats for. I'll be reading two Catherine Hamlin books, along with a book called "Half the Sky" and one titled "Shepherding Women in Pain". WHOO, WHOO, WHOO! I more or less get to design the class under supervision of a professor. AND I recently found a ministry that serves fistula women in the Congo whose base is in Chicago! (You can bet I'm going to interview them as my class project!) I'm also taking a class this semester called 'Race, Poverty, & Social Justice' which I can already tell I'm going to LOVE (and hate). And I'm taking Philosophy as well, which just makes me sweat :P. Really each of my classes this semester should be bomb.

Lesson #5: Today's joys may be tomorrow's therapy.
As the semester drops gears to "FULL FORCE" I am ever aware of the discipline that will be asked of me. I've got a lot on my plate... much by choice, some by obligation, and a bit out of requirement. Nonetheless, I'm thrilled & filled with anticipation. There will come a time in the semester when the overwhelmed-ness that is tying knots in my stomach will question ‘what have you gotten yourself into’, and threaten ‘you can’t do this’. But as for now, I’m expectant of the opportunities and experiences to come. So I take the initiative to type it out, in case I need to come back and remind myself just what privileges and joys are tucked into each corner of my life this fall.

What's The "Skinny"?

This past weekend we had our first VOLLEYBALL tournamnet! This whole adventure has definitely challenged me both physically and mentally, but God knew I needed these girls. After our first tournament (and taking first place!), I just can't wait for more to come!












My New Room!











^^Two sweet things: My Wall Map & The View From My Window!! The map's a good, constant, reminder that I'm not the center of the universe. The view... it rocks just as much (maybe more) at night.


Finally, Here's to a semseter of being BOLD.



So, I wrote a letter to a state rep, pretty much pleading for him to cosponsor a newly proposed bill that concerns international aid to Fistula prevention and relief, (ahh- crazy cool opportunity)! Join me by getting your Pray on ;).


More to come, stay tuned.