My Weakness

I can't help it, I love ice cream! And every knows it... These were from friends and family for various occasions, including one from mom for Valentine's Day. Now I have almost $45 of gift cards to Cold Stone. (I had over $50 but I treated Ally Sides and myself yesterday!)

More Soccer Thoughts

- Who could forget sitting in line for meals during preseason with bags of ice on and under various body parts?!

-One year when we went to Northland we forgot the girls' socks and had to wear the boys' stinky ones after they played.

- Sophomore year Mandy Blumer and I missed about half our Principles of Bible Study classes because it was sixth hour on Tuesdays and Thursdays and we had games to go to.

- Coach would declare no laughing practices when we weren't paying attention, then we would laugh even more.

- The best practice was when we were doing butt traps in the pouring rain on the upper field. I laughed so hard!

- After a drill during one practice Sandy said I had hit her nose with my elbow and I couldn't figure out how my elbow, way down there, could hit her nose?! But then I remembered how tall I am and how short she is and it all made sense!

- Eventually Sandy evolved my nickname, "Lenny", into "Leonard."

- The Hummer dealership we went by to one field we played at I always said I would love to test- drive them at their little driving course thing; coach said if a guy ever asked him where to take me on a date he would tell him to take me there.

- Hayley's dad was our biggest fan and it was great hearing him cheer for us. Sometimes he would show up for games when Hayley didn't even know he was coming!

- I always liked to smile and wave at the trains going by our soccer field because I was confident that someone needed a smile and a wave and that I might be able to brighten their day. Weird, I know. =)

- For team pictures I had to stand in the back, in the middle...I wonder why that is?!

- One of the most embarrassing moments was freshman year and coach was going to put me in the game for someone and I asked where she was playing and he got mad and wouldn't put me in. Boy did I feel stupid. But, in my defense, I was asking because he was putting me in at either forward or midfield (can't remember which it was) and I was so surpised so I asked to make sure. So there!

- One other game I had just received the ball and out of nowhere a girl from the other team ran into me and knocked me right over and coach really yelled at me and I was so mad at him because how was I supposed to know she was going to run into me? Later I did realize that I should have been looking up and paying better attention, but still, I was totally ticked at the moment. =)

- Jen Adam was and is so fun and encouraging and she told me consistently that I had the best touch on the ball. That meant alot to me because I really am not that super at soccer, but I love it, so it was nice to be encouraged.

- Because of soccer I gave up drinking pop, and to this day I rarely drink the stuff.

- I loved that coach encouraged his players to be godly women on and off the field. He was a great spiritual leader.

Snowy Day...NOT a Snow Day

we don't really want visitors...just kidding, we never really used this front door =)

everything is so white!

my car is just behind a pile of snow, not actually buried!

mom's Jag has been sitting for a couple days

Snow has been falling on a regular basis these days and lots of it. We didn't see too much during the day today, but just before school let out it started coming like nobody's business. I barely made it home. Actually, I am not even home yet, just at mom and dad's. It is beautiful, but treacherous. As I was driving here, I was amazed by the power of my God. He makes the seasons come and go. In His hands is the authority and majesty and might that is, to me, incomprehensible. Michigan is blessed to see so much change in the weather that gives glory to our great God alone. Don't fear the snow and ice; don't despise the cold. Praise God for His omnipotence, and trust in His steadfast love!

Deuteronomy 10:12-13

And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all His ways, to love Him, to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to keep the commandments and statutes which I am commanding you today for your good?

Memories

Yesterday I was rather shocked by the most recent post on coach's blog. He's not going to be coaching soccer at MBBC anymore. At first I was swept with a wave of sadness, but that was quickly followed with a sense of gratitude that I had the privilege of being on his team for four years. He mentioned in his blog that he wants to take the next few days to reminisce a bit about his years as Maranatha's soccer coach. I was inspired to do some remembering of my own. My four years at Maranatha were some of the best in my life, and the four soccer seasons were the highlight of those years. Here are some of my favorite personal memories

- Preseason, freshman year, coach asked if I was related to Lenny Dykstra. Regardless of the fact that I was neither related to him nor even knew who he was, coach decided that I was to be called Lenny from then on. It stuck, big time.

-Preseason, sophomore year, coach had written on the board "How to Survive at Maranatha" with the "survive" crossed out and replaced with "thrive." I was thoroughly challenged with that, and it has stuck with me ever since.

- My first or second year we were running before practice (which I hated) and I was in the middle of the line. I also hated being in the middle because that meant I actually had to keep up with everyone else, which wasn't easy for me. I must have said something about it because KJ said that if I didn't push myself I would never get any faster. I have thought about that and carried it over into other areas of life as well.

- One year our team verse was about loving the Lord with all your heart, mind, soul, etc. I couldn't remember the reference in the locker room one day, and the one I said was to a verse about not knowing the Word of God. Doh!

- Freshman year (I think it was) when I was actually playing in a game, coach told someone (Sandy?) that he had a three day old niece who could run faster than me. Unfortunately, it was probably true... =)

- At an indoor tournament some of us played in, we were resting outside between games and some of the girls got it in their heads to spell MBBC on the grass. Laura hollered up the hill to me, "Hey, Lenny, wanna play?".

- Once coach and I predicted what time we would get back to campus. He saw that I was going to be dead on so when I wasn't looking he changed the clock in the van so it read the time, or close to the time, that he'd predicted. Cheater!

- Senior year there were three RA's on the team and several PC's. Good for us!

- Senior year, last home game, Parents' Day...I scored my first and last goal on a free kick. That was fun. Later I was given the Goal of the Year award. Won't be forgetting that anytime soon.



This is all I can think of for now, but maybe I'll post some more memories as I think of them.

Good Morning, America!

This morning I was greeted by the Stars and Stripes flying proudly in the wet, chilly February wind. I wish I'd had my camera; the flag was completely unfurled and bold as ever. "Oh say does that star spangled banner yet wave; o'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!" We are free, because of the brave.

Spirit Day

A casual day topped off with an hour and a half of fast- paced all- school competition. The cheers and smiles were at an all time high today!