National Tournament

Courts in front of me, hundreds of girls competing for the same goal, and thousands of on lookers watching to see who will be the best in the nation. Where am I? As I write I am sitting in the Tyson Event Center in Sioux City, Iowa. Some may think that there is nothing in Sioux City, and they are right, but once a year in the beginning of December, 24 teams compete for a national title. I am apart of one of the privileged teams that get to experience Iowa during nationals. I not only get to experience, but I get to make lasting memories with my team mates and coaches. I could not ask for better friends and sister on the court. I have made some of my favorite memories at Nationals with my team mates. Starting with pranking the coaches to laughing uncontrollably at something that happened. I wish everyone could experience the fun of nationals and the love from my team mates. We left cal baptist at 4 am Saturday morning, and traveled all day. We will not get back till Sunday, but I am savoring every minute of it, because it is already Wednesday and time is flying so fast. Thankfully I am only a sophomore and I have two more years to experience NATIONALS!!

Hebrews 11:1

My favorite Bible verse is Hebrew 11:1, which says, "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." This verse was my senior verse in high school. I look at this verse a lot if I am feeling down or lost. It talks about faith and what it is. As Christians we believe in God even though we have not seen Him, but our faith in Him is so great we believe without having to have proof with our eyes. I chose this verse because it helped me in high school and continues to help me. This Bible verse can help everyone anywhere with or without a problem because it reminds us about our continuous faith. I first came across this Bible verse my junior year in high school. I really do not remember exactly how I found it, but when I did I highlighted it and almost went over it everyday. After I memorized the verse it has stayed on my heart ever since. This verse has impacted my life so much ever since my senior year in high school. Last year I did a devotion for my volleyball team before a game, and I used Hebrews 11:1. We all need something to believe in, and the Bible is the one thing that will never let us down in our lives. As we live our years here on earth we should remember what we are here for so we live our purpose. The Bible is our manual and when we rely and have faith in God we cannot go wrong.

Reality Check

For some reason I have been geared into watching reality shows. I do not watch that much television to begin with, but when I do, I dive head first into my reality shows. My shows can range from The Real World to The Hills or America's Next Top Model to The Bachelor. These are only a few of my favorite's that I enjoy watching when I can. I usually get made fun of for my enjoyment of reality shows, many call them "scripted reality" and a waist of time. "Scripted Reality" seems like an ironic statement, but in actuality some of the show is scripted, but what do you expect, its television. One of my all time favorite reality shows was Newlyweds with Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey. I have all four seasons on DVD, it makes me think they are still together when I watch them. Sometimes I do have my doubts wether or not it truly is reality or just entertainment, but in the end reality shows are always so much more exciting and drama filled. I always thought it would be so much fun to be apart of a reality show. I think my life would be very entertaining to watch on television. Another plus of reality television, is there are so many a viewer can choose from. There are game shows, finding love shows, a mixture of love and competition, following rich people around and documenting their lives, documentaries, or putting completely random people in a house together and seeing what kind of drama it can make. All these topics and more are on television now. I bet almost everyone has watched a certain type of reality show in their day and has liked it. So if you want to be entertained and enjoy a good gasp or chuckle, you should definitely look into setting aside your evening to watch someone else's life. It is actually more fun than it sounds!

A Life Changing Summer

August 6th 2009 was the turning point of my summer which impacted my life both physically and spiritually. It was the first time I ever went on a missions trip, and I was blessed to share that experience with my volleyball team. On August 6th at 3:30 in the morning, I departed California Baptist University with the rest of the team, our destination: Belize

After we arrived at LAX and checked our bags we waited at the terminal for our connecting flight to Houston, Texas. All I could think about was arriving in Belize, what kind of people we would meet and how the experience would affect me. After tedious lines and irritable security guards checking our multitude of bags, we finally saw the “Welcome to Belize” sign. Exhaustion caught up to us quickly on the ride to Machaca, temporary home during out stay in Belize.

We arrived at the Machaca outreach camp at midnight California time. We were greeted by smiling faces and a warm meal. The Machaca people changed all of our outlooks on life in a positive way. There one true love was Jesus, and they showed it every day. We stayed in cabins sharing sleeping spaces with scorpions, mosquitoes, and many other bugs I never saw before in my life. I am definitely not an out doors type of girl, but when I saw the people of Machaca be content with their living spaces and thankful to have the love of Christ in their life, the bugs did not seem so bad anymore. The great thing about this mission’s trip was the fact that we were able to spread the word of God, but also play and teach the Machacans the sport we love.

The weather, nature, people, and environment was something I never experienced before in my life, but every person and thing affected my life and walk with God in a life changing way. On August 9^th 2009 five girls from my team and I were baptized in the Blue River in Belize. Words cannot describe how that trip affected my life. Not only did we teach the people of Machaca many things, but also they taught and showed us how to be better servants to the Lord and to be thankful for everything God has blessed us with. I thank God every day for blessing me with that amazing opportunity that changed my life forever.