The Sparty Countdown... #2 & #1

This is it! The best of the best! Here are the top 2 things I have come to love and will miss the most from college:





#2 - Competing on the Big Stage
Big Life. Big Stage. Big 10. We've all seen the commercials and heard the slogan, and wow, is it ever true. I have been so blessed to have competed for MSU in the Big 10 - the best volleyball conference in the nation - where every single night is a battle, most likely against a Top-25 team. Cathy would always give us the analogy that we were performers - actors you could say - and the court was our stage. We were putting on a performance for the crowd and in order for it to be a successful production, we had to get all of our 'lines' or 'acts' right and work together. Boy, am I going to miss that stage.

I'm especially going to miss that stage because I am a competitor through and through. And I don't think I ever felt more exhilaration and excitement competing than when I did on the big stage donning my green and white. It may have taken me most of my career to let go of any inhibitions and of the fear of making mistakes or not pleasing coach; but once I finally did let go, the complete freedom and joy that I felt and played with was indescribable. I loved playing volleyball and I loved competing! And I think the best part was knowing that all the while I was able to give God the glory because I finally figured out that it wasn't about me, or the stats, or coach, or even the wins (as hard as that is to say!). It was about using my gifts to their fullest and just having fun glorifying Him. And that is where my joy and excitement and competitiveness were able to flow from so purely.

Even more than missing the joy and freedom and excitement I felt competing will be all of the little things that went into game-day and my competition. Competing with my teammates and working through the struggles to have great team dynamics and chemistry... thinking through and practicing the game plan and strategy... the adrenaline rushing through me during a game and especially during the critical moments... the determination, the intensity, and the look of being in the zone and seeing it my teammates as well... the awesome physical and mental feeling of getting that huge block... the stare-downs... the overpass fisty 5-foot-line kills... being one step ahead of the competition and just smiling knowing that we're going to win and can't be stopped... and celebrating after a huge point (or even the little ones, in my case). Oh, what I wouldn't give for another 'jump spin-fist pump-stomp' combo celebration! I wish competing and playing could last forever (and I'm sure to many people it seemed like it did with my redshirt year!) but my achey-breaky-grandma body has had enough, and I think the NCAA has a few rules about my eligibility being up as well.... But competing for Michigan State University has definitely been one of my favorite things and something I will always cherish and carry with me.

#1 - My Christian Communities 

As if the rest of my countdown wasn't enough to prove God's goodness to me throughout my time at MSU, he richly blessed me with amazing Christian fellowship and communities: my church - Shepherd of the Hills, Athletes in Action, and our team bible study. These 3 communities in conjunction with most of my best friends - who are also fellow brothers and sisters in Christ - have been the most important people to me throughout my career because of the foundation we share on Christ and the way they have spurred me on in my faith. It's so obvious that there was something so right about all of these people, because after saying goodbye to each 'group' after my final meeting or service, I cried... a lot. It was hard and sad to say goodbye to the communities that have helped mold me and support me in my walk with the Lord. And I don't think I fully appreciated the ease and simplicity with which I was able to walk into these uplifting and sound communities. Being on a team, having an athlete campus ministry, finding a wonderful church... it was all just there. Now I know and pray I will always be surrounded by a great cloud of witnesses, but nothing will ever quite compare to walking and living daily life with teammates and fellow Christian athletes in a similar environment.

Throughout college the importance of Christian fellowship has been made so apparent to me. God showed up in a BIG way and showed me that despite my resolve and stubbornness and firm convictions, I couldn't maintain true devotion with Him alone. I was weekly and daily fed the truth at church and encouraged and loved on by my congregation. I was able to be supported, poured into, and uplifted by fellow believers at AIA. And I was able to live daily life in fellowship and learn how to honor God in volleyball with some of my believing teammates. I was presented with differing beliefs and views which challenged me and made me turn to God, I was surrounded by friends that had the same convictions as me, I was held accountable in word, actions, and love by fellow believers, and I was poured into and challenged to have an outward-centered faith that didn't keep my salvation to myself. Although, again, it is painful to say goodbye to all of the amazing people that have impacted me and helped me stay on the straight and narrow path, I first of all know that my goodbye is simply a "see you later," and second I know God will continue to show up in my life and surround me people that will help me stay close to Him in the future.


In case you haven't been able to tell, I have loved and been incredibly blessed during my 5 years at Michigan State. These Top 10 moments and things are what I have come to love most and will always cherish. And I think the greatest part about all of this is that because the best of the best consist of all people and relationships, I can actually carry this part of MSU on with me into the future. I praise God for opening up the door for me to attend State in the first place and seeing me through safely and beautifully to my graduation today.

"Be joyful always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances."

The Sparty Countdown... #8 & #7

Continuing on with The Sparty Countdown of the things I will miss most about college, East Lansing, and Michigan State; here are numbers 8 and 7: 

#8 - Grand River & the EL Community

I didn't start to truly appreciate East Lansing until I moved off campus - and I guess I shouldn't expect anything different. Living in the heart of downtown EL and in the neighborhoods for 2 years (and kind of this year, though my apartment complex this year is not quite 'community' material) was such a treat. The part of East Lansing I lived in with Natalie was awesome - it was just far enough away from campus so that it wasn't crazy, but close enough to walk to classes and hear the band and stadium cheers during football games; it was in the middle of neighborhoods that were quaint and great to walk through; and it was right outside of Valley Court Park. And this park and its East Lansing activities... equally as awesome as the neighborhood area itself! Weekly Farmer's Market on Sunday's, 'Midnight Movies' on a big screen during the summer, open areas to read, suntan, or play. It's no wonder I still call it home :)

Grand River Avenue is also something I've come to love about East Lansing and my time at State. Seems a little weird that what, a road would make the list... but coming from a town that isn't conducive to getting around by foot, I loved being able to walk around and go into all the shops and restaurants or just walk the street on a nice day. And the places that were my favorite on Grand River: Noodles and Company, Chipotle, Urban Outfitters, Beggar's Banquet, SBS (because that's where I got my free books and Christmas presents for family), Bubble Island, Splash of Color (where I got my nose pierced, which was unfortunately short-lived), Barnes & Noble (until it closed!), my favorite bar -PT O'Malley's, Conrads (of course, haha), Insomnia Cookies, and the Douglas J Aveda Institute (where I got many a quality haircut and pampered for cheap). It's not that I won't have any of these places elsewhere, but they've worked their way into many memories I have at State and have provided many smiles and laughs along the way!

#7 - Jenison 
With all the blood, sweat, and tears (no joke) that I have shed at Jenison Fieldhouse, there's no way that it couldn't make the list! Jenison is so much more than just a Fieldhouse and the place I played volleyball. In fact, the Fieldhouse itself is probably one of the least nostalgic parts compared to all of my other memories in the building.


First is the Training Room. Ohhhh, the training room. I think I could probably challenge any student-athlete to most time spent in there and come close to winning any battle; and I joke that I could be an athletic trainer simply based on my own experiences. Now obviously the injuries and ailments  that had me in the training room for most of my career - from a torn ACL and a bulged disc, to stress fractures and pulled muscles, of course the hurt shoulders, and even now as an alumni a microfracture knee surgery - these were not part of my wonderful memories. But the time spent in there with Lianna, our athletic trainer, before practices, on game-day, and for rehab because of these problems certainly was. I'll talk about Lianna more in an upcoming post, but the Training Room oddly enough felt like a second home and was a place where the team got filled in on the latest gossip, just hung out to avoid pre-practice drills, or went for a respite from the stress. It actually became a joke among our team about how comfortable and frequently we went in there, especially on road trips - we all loved treatment and hangout time so much at home that we would literally overtake the Training Room on the road... to the point of head trainers sending out 'Warning Texts' to other head trainers if we were coming the next day! Also another visiting team's Training Room, Ohio State I think, had a sign in theirs saying that the Training Room was "not to become a place of social hangouts." HA. Jenison couldn't pass that rule if they tried! Oh, how I'll miss the laughs and good times spent there!

Second in Jenison: the Weight Room, mainly because of our strength coach, Red (again, later in the countdown), but also because of the control and competence that I always felt up there. I may be in the minority here, but I really do genuinely enjoy lifting. There was no greater feeling than being challenged and completing a good workout (well, some I'd prefer not to remember, say the "Unwise Business Decision" or No-Card workouts) away from the volleyball environment. So I'm going to miss not only the weight room and staff, but also being pushed and having workouts created for me all the time (my body is already regretting not being pushed hard every day!). The place that I started off dreading because of the "Freshman Lift" (100 bench presses, anyone?) and horror stories I made up in my head became yet another place of relief and respite. I knew I would rarely leave there feeling unaccomplished or burdened because of the relationships I have developed with the strength staff and the way in which they challenged me to get better both physically and mentally.

Next is of course the Locker Room. So much of my time has been spent climbing the 3 flights of stairs to get to the locker room. Although at the time I detested those stairs (especially after a hard workout or during pre-season), I'm going to miss climbing them because I know where they lead: My team's home. No matter what happened to us in the outside world, we were always able to come together and be as one through volleyball, and that transformation and unity among us always started in here. Watching TV or movies (or coming in to cartoons being on?!)... playing games... blowing out the speakers a gazillion times... listening to visualization tapes... talking and hanging out... trying to recover after a killer workout... getting the renovation and 'kitchen cupboards?!'... helping each other cope and get through difficult times... Gatorade... "shotty first shower"... preparing for an upcoming game or season... countless hours worth of team meetings and film sessions... having our pre-game dance parties and 'Photoshoots'... celebrating a big win... even wallowing in the frustration of defeat... and inevitably crying as we bid farewell to the seniors every year... it all happened in the locker room. And no matter who comes in and decides to replace my locker and #5, that corner will always be my home!

Finally is of course the Fieldhouse itself. Even if the smell does make me a little sick to my stomach,  I know it will always fill me with the anticipation, excitement, and anxiousness of game-day. Although I think we can all admit that it isn't the most up-to-date arena out there (but it did get some nice updates this past year!), having the opportunity to play for a Big 10 institution in a facility with such rich history and community support was an incredible honor and blessing. The Fieldhouse = Game-Day! And I don't think words can even describe the emotions and feelings associated the place in which I competed for past 5 years. So with that... GO GREEN!

What Are You Promoting?

So my life this semester is pretty awesome, if I do say so myself. I'm interning and taking one online class. And that is it. Yes, it rocks... in case you were wondering. But anyways, my class is all about social media and how we can best use it for marketing and promotion of ourselves and business. It got me thinking that everything and everyone serves as a promoter of something - by talking about it, spreading the word, excitement about it, the clothes we wear, and the way we act towards it or the way we act in general. Unless you simply aren't passionately living your life, odds are you promote one thing or another.

I, for example, am a big promoter of MSU Volleyball, my family and brother, and my Faith. Most college kids are promoters of the bars and drinking. Parents are promoters of their children and their accomplishments. Companies are promoters of their product or service. Some people - well most if we are honest - are huge promoters of themselves (because who doesn't love sharing their All-American type accomplishments with others?). Ok, I think you get the picture...

Yes, Dwight and The Office are awesome. But no need for all of us to toot our own horns!

Can the same be said about promotion for Christ? Do I proudly wear and bear his name as I walk by faith through life? Do I excitedly talk about how I have been saved and will get to share in The Feast of heaven by simply believing in Him? Do I always have Beautiful Feet and share my faith and the gospel with others? Or, do I shy away from promoting Christ, do I become worried about my 'image' and instead continue to promote myself and toot my own horn, attempting to 'fit in'?

Why is it so hard to walk by faith? Well, put plainly, I'm sinful! "For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do - this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it." (Romans 7:19-20).

My sinful nature keeps me from being a "Jesus Freak" and having reckless abandon to promote Christ. But a) what better thing could I really be promoting and b) what a privilege that the God of the universe uses me to promote his work and love! This isn't even to mention Jesus' promotion of me before his holy Father in heaven. He's vouching for me despite this sin that's so ugly and present! Umm, mind blown, anyone?

The opinions of others and approval I crave from this world start to seem pretty insignificant, as does my own self-centered promotion. Especially when I consider the amazing works of my God. That I am loved and chosen by Him. And that nothing in this world can separate me from his hand. It doesn't necessarily make my desire to fit in disappear, but I'm at least I'm 'not fitting in' and even hated (John 15:19) for a pretty dang good cause.

Share it with me!

Walking by faith and promoting Christ start to become easier when I place my focus back on Christ instead of myself. "Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!" (Romans 7:25). I don't need to muster up the strength to do it all and promote Christ on my own. It comes from Jesus living in me... from the overflowing love of His spirit in my life. Not by sight can truly become a way of life, because I'm being lead by my heart, not by my selfish mind.

So I think my self-promotion (subtle, humble, or loud as it may be) can take a back seat for awhile. And I challenge yours to do the same. Go be bold. Go against the grain. Go share the gospel. And go be a Jesus Freak. "For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain." -Philippians 1:21