When the small door closes...

When God tells us to do something and we know it's the right thing to do, why is it so hard when we want to do something else? Are we not lesser than God? Does God not have the greater picture of what's going on? Doesn't He want what's best for us?

Yesterday, I found out that I was not accepted into the Navy financial Management Program. Finally, after months of the process and weeks of waiting I get the bad news... Oh but God is good.

Yesterday before I found out I wasn't accepted into the program I had lunch with a very friendly, and outgoing National leader of the FCA (Fellowship of Christian Athletes). Her name is Marilou and she wanted to get to know me and hear my plans for the future. She also, just wanted to help me out and give me some advice.

So, we're talking and I'm letting her know what's going on with my situation and she becomes my inside ticket to FCA. She tells me about several opening in FCA and how to handle the whole fun raising situation. She gives me several people's numbers to get in contact with for training and job opportunities.

It's just funny how God prepared my heart to receive the information about not getting into the Navy program by opening another opportunity that He wants me to take. It's like my mom use to say to me: when God closes a door He opens a window. And I think that window is the window of opportunity and blossoming growth that God wants me to take.

I know being young and in this position isn't going to be easy, but with the Lord on my side I can do anything. Greater is He that is in me than who is of the world. I will have a place and do what God has laid out for me as long as I continue to use God's gifts for His Glory. Now that's throwing spears at life.

Continue to keep me in your prayers and let me know what you think, or any other prayer requests that are known to you. Thanks again for reading and God be with you.
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Sitting in waiting...

Why is it that waiting is so difficult? You would think that not having to do anything would be relaxing and easy to do, right? Then why does it stress you out, make you have anxiety and even drive you a little crazy? :)

I don't know what I was even thinking when I thought I might want to throw at SECs. I am only a little under 8 weeks from surgery and one wrong movement could send me straight back to that operating table. Plus, probably dead once my mom would get wind of it. Lol

So I blame it on the waiting! :D I'm waiting to know everything. Waiting to heal up from surgery and doing rehab everyday, waiting to hear from this federal job in the Navy that I really would want and just waiting to know what I'm going to do with my life from this point on.

I know one thing for sure though. I'm still going to throw next season. I've got too good of an arm and too much talent to just give up and not throw a stick or two. Plus, I love this stuff man! It's easy for me and just being out there makes me so excited and pumped. Track and field is awesome!

So, working or not working... Or school or no school... I'll be on the track lifting some weights, running some sprints and throwing some spears!

Pray for my sanity and keeping my mind clear and motivated. It's hard when I want to move on, but I know I'm going to miss my coach, friends and teammates soo much... And even maybe this place called Georgia. :) I love you guys, because Christ loved us first.
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Decisions, decisions

Why is it that at this age, everyone just assumes that graduating college students should know what they want from their lives and what path is right to choose? I just don't get it. A few years ago our parents would question every move we would make, yet now suddenly a few years later we're responsible to make major life decisions. Yet, truthfully we've all been making as many mistakes as we possibly could get away with all college life-long.

So how do we get away from this self-destructing behavior and make the right decisions? Well, I guess I'm not the one to ask since I am a recent college grad in exactly that situation.

I've been in waiting mode forever now... Well not really, but that's what is seems like. I'm waiting to hear from this job I'm really looking forward to and it would be a great fit for me. I applied in Late January and have gone through the whole screening and interview process. The waiting is killing me!!! I just kinda want to know what I'm going to do with my life. Plus, I've got a few other things that I need to decide now that might effect the rest of my life.

I've been presented with an opportunity to throw at our conference meet [a stand throw of course], but to throw none the less. I'm contemplating what I should do. I recently found out that the whole "medical red shirt" is pretty much out the window. So it would be my last chance to compete as a college athlete and a chance to be there to root my teammates on. Yet, on the other hand, its a risk! Who knows what could happen? I would be a little over 8 weeks out from surgery, which can still be a very dangerous period. So, what to do?

Now, know that me stand throwing would place in the top 5 at SECs and this is counting on girls hitting their PRs. I could even possibly place in the top three and go to regionals. Yet, is it worth it?

I can't go through the pain of having to go through surgery again if something were to happen, yet I would wear a hard core brace to prevent that from happening.

Oh woe is me... I need to make a decision. I have until Monday morning to decide. What to do? What to do?

God is on my mind and I'm asking for the right thing to do. Please pray for me and if you have any ideas let me know. Thanks.
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In my last class at UGA

Today is my last day of classes here at UGA, and I'm looking forward to this class being over. The lecture is boring and I have a lot of work still to finish for this semester. Plus, I just can't wait to get to the pool tomorrow. Rachel, Eve, Nicole and I are going to the pool to chill on reading day, which is the last day before finals start on Monday.

I was there yesterday watching shot and just having a ball when Rachel tells me they rejuvenated one of the pools we use to visit this summer. I'm so stoked to check it out. Anyways, that's kind off subject, but its making me happy while I'm here in class. :)

So, today I'm going to watch some more stick throwing practice. Actually on Tuesday I threw a little. I'm not quite sure if I was suppose too, but I did some stand throwing. I wasn't even sore the next day either. My physical therapist is awesome! He's got me doing some crazy stuff and I'm getting my strength in my leg back fast.

Therapy is pretty awesome though. I try to make it fun, because I know it could be a drag. Plus, Mike, my physical therapist makes everything a challenge and it really pushes me to work my tail off.

Well, I'm going to count down the seconds to my last class so I can get back to actual learning. I'll get back to you guys later.

Hey, and thanks for reading. God bless. :D
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I'm BACK!!!

So, I'm back! Finally after a little hiatus I'm back! Back to the grind and back to throwing spears at life. In the short time I've been away I've had a major knee surgery, conflicted with a big mess of eligibility and have had an interview for a job that would be awesome and would change my life.

I'll be keeping you updated with what is happening on the regular. So keep checking up on this and I'll be explaining how God is just changing my life and my overall perspective.

Feelin' a little better everyday

So it's been over a week since I destroyed my knee and I can actually walk without crutches or any other kind of help. I've been walking almost like before and in rehab I've even been riding a bike. I'm loving how quicky everything in my knee is healing and turning out.

I go to rehab everyday in place of my practice and sometimes even twice a day. I'll tell you it's painful sometimes, but it's so great to see the results of the day before. Plus, the physical therapist saying the better everything ends up before the surgery the better everything could end up after it all. So I've been working hard to get as much motion as possible. I think I'm going to start actually adding in some upper body workouts starting Monday as long as my trainer thinks it's all right.

The thing that's been really getting me though is how good I've been feeling emotionally. I was really down at first... as anyone that is so involved with their sport as I am, would be. Yet, God has been doing something in my life. Making me know that it's His plan at work in my life.... Letting me know that He loves me so much and just securing my Faith in His Word. I'm moved so much by the people he has placed in my life and how much support he gives me in my time of need. I have places to go when I'm feeling down and I have people to talk to when I start to falter. He's always there in some form or another and putting me through only what I can handle.

So I was at our big Team United Monthly Meeting tonight, which is when the student-athlete ministry gets together from all the individual bible studies and has worship together. Well, I got an opportunity to speak to everyone there about what I'd been learning through this struggle not being able to compete this season. I'm glad I did. I know God works in mysterious ways and He gave us that extra time I believe for His work through me to reach at least one person there tonight.

I would never think I would be able to get through something like this before it happened, but I guess you never know what you can do until it comes your way. Plus, I know it's God in my life that's changing my attitude everyday and with Him all things are possible.

Oh and for those that don't know... my surgery is on March 18th. I will be getting a new ACL grafted from my hamstring and either a meniscus repair or getting it shaved down. So please pray for the doctor's hands and minds. Also, any words of wisdom would be great. I'm always looking for inspiration and focus from loved ones. Like today my good friend Ty shared with me Isaiah 55:8-9:

"For My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways," declares the Lord. "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts."

God's plans are always so much better than anything we could ever dream about doing in our own lives. That's why everything we have and can give should be done to Glorify God's name.

It is what it is...

Hahahahaha... why do I laugh?...I just found out that my knee is officially destroyed by the results of my MRI. Yet, what leaves my mouth is laughter while slow tears run down my face.

After the lovely Javelin throwing session on Friday where my knee happened to explode on me, I had an MRI scheduled for today. I was kinda excited because I've never had an MRI and my knee was starting to look better even from just Friday. I still had a good range of motion and thought my knee would end up fine.

Yet, to my surprise my knee is nowhere from fine. It has been destroyed in almost every way possible. My trainer approached me after returning from the MRI and speaking to the head trainer in charge. He said the I had ruptured my ACL, torn my MCL, even ripped my medial meniscus. I was so surprised.

I was almost in shock! The only thing I could think about was wow is everything going to be different. This is suppose to be my senior season and all my practices have been going so well. Now it's like I have to re-think everything. I couldn't help but laugh. I almost felt insane... I was there being told news that would kill most people and I was laughing soo hard! Tears streaming down my face, but the Joy of the Lord was still there. I know that my plans aren't always God's plans and it was like God was saying hey Michelle that's not going to happen quite yet.

I was so lucky to have one of my close friends Summer Nelson step into the training room right when I was being told the news. I swear God is always there! Anyway, Summer and I just left and went and talked, and just realized what God has in store is better than anything I could ever do on my own. Plus, I have no reason to complain or be disappointed for the Lord has blessed me with everything that I have and all the talents and opportunities that are here and what will come. To be here at Georgia and have met all these people here that have changed my life and have led me closer to God is more than I could have ever imagined.

Plus, God has a plan for me in Track and Field. I know I have this desire and talent in throwing for a reason and that's to bring Glory to God. God didn't put these feelings and desires in me for no reason. So these next 6 months of rehab, after surgery, are just going to be teaching me even more about the Glory of God and giving me more of an opportunity to share God's glory with others.

I thank everyone for their prayers and their hospitality. I'm probably going to be able to get a medical red-shirt for this year so I can compete next season and train here at Georgia. Please keep that in your prayers and also for wisdom in the doctor whom performs the surgery. Thanks again to everyone and I'll be keeping everyone posted throughout everything on this blog. So post any questions or comment and I'll be glad to respond.

28 days... to recover...

I missed writing yesterday because it was a really eventful day. It was an awesome day... great weather, finishing classes for the week, going to throw some spears and my roommate was even going to take some more pictures. I was super excited and was even feeling pumped up. Even when we arrived at the soccer fields to throw, a good friend of mine Maria Taylor, one of the great past volleyball players at UGA was there to interview me and take some video of my throws for the website and channel CSS.

I was feeling good. Coach brought some of the good spears out to the practice area so I could finally throw with my Carbon. I was lovin' it! My first throws were awesome! I was hitting the javelin so clean and very powerful. I was really getting after it, and moving so smoothly. I think we all were. It was just one of those practices that everyone was looking forward to and loving every moment.

Then, it was about the 10th throw... I was moving like I had on all my other throws, smooth and with a great rhythm. I pushed through the penultimate very strongly and then all I heard was a pop/rip sound in my right leg when I was planting. My first reaction was just to drop everything. It's not like I felt pain... or at least I don't recall it at that point, but I knew I had to collapse. I yelled out and fell to the ground tossing my stick like 10 feet in front of myself. I almost didn't believe what happened. I had done everything as I had been doing before on that approach as all the others, yet I had collapsed.

While on the ground I turned and realized that my leg was just tingling all over. I tried to bend it and turn over, and that's when I knew I had hurt my knee very badly. The pain hit me all at once and forced me to yell out once again. My coach came running and tried to get me to turn over, but the pain was excruciating. The softball training who was at the field across the way heard me and came running. It just took a few seconds after she arrived for the initial pain to wear off and she helped me hobble over to the softball training room. I was just so shocked to how it happened. I was feeling great one moment and I was a the ground yelling in pain the next.

So anyway, After that it was just a long waiting process of waiting to see a doctor, getting x-rays done and hearing the same thing from all kinds of people. At least I know nothing broke as of right now. I'm just waiting to get an MRI on Monday to really see the extent of the damage to the ligaments and tendons. For sure, I hurt my MCL, which is the most common knee injury and heals with rest, but the cautious part of it all is if I hurt my ACL or not. If that is torn or detached it would require surgery and that would suck!

So right now I'm hoping that things aren't too bad and just resting all weekend. So Prayers would be greatly appreciated. Thanks and here are a few pics from right before the knee incident. Enjoy:


Johnnie





Brian





Johnnie and Brian


Me














And of course like always, trying to absorb as much as possible of the Coach Babbitt knowledge bank. :)

30 Days and Counting...

Today was another day with the outdoor season on the horizon. I got to watch a good friend of mine and a great Spear thrower Chris Hill, also known as Chris Hillbilly, throw today. He was in Athens for a few days visiting and training with our coach, Don Babbitt. He has such a natural talent and feel for the darn thing. I love just being able to watch him and see how smooth and clean he throws. Not, like everything is perfect or that he's throwing extremely far right now, but it's always nice to see how he's practicing and just doing overall.

Chris has become my brother! He's my brother in Christ and just has become someone that I care about and really love as a person. It was great this week to catch up with him and meet his fiance. I miss having that guy around. His Louisiana nature is always very calming and a joy to joke about. I can't wait to go and visit, down in the Bayou... whatever that mean. lol

I also got a chance to do a little fine tuning on my discus technique today... which means that I actually threw discus before outdoor season starts. lol My roommate Nicole got a few pics. So here they are...


Stretching and lacing up for some Good Ole Discus!











Izzy








Petr (Honey Bear) He also happens to look like a fire cracker today! :D








Eve











Rachel











Me











Coach Babbitt


Absorbing the knowledge of Coach Babbitt

31 DAYS until Outdoor Season Starts!

I officially now have a month until the Outdoor season starts. We still have no track and it's still freezing cold outside, but I've been training hard and am awaiting the last beginning of a collegiate season.

I'll tell you one thing though, I am not in great form... yet... I kinda believe it's a good thing. Not being too ready, or going too big too soon. lol That's a lot of ooos :D. Anyway, I know that the season will be long and me getting into far chucking shape isn't going to be too hard or take too long.

I'm just really getting excited about what's to come. My roommate is already doing big things in indoor season, throwing the weight. She's PRed four meets in a row and is now ranked 4th in the Nation, at 20.59m or 67'7". She's a little small beast! It gets me so excited to watch her videos and see everyone else on the team having so much fun. Geeze, I wanta join... Soon enough...

Well, everyday during this count down I'm going to post a little something about what's happening in my days and any thoughts I have leading up to the first meet. So check this out whenever possible and leave any of your own thoughts as well. Thanks and PEACE!

There are No Excuses!

So I've been thinking and really working on myself mentally as preparation before the season starts. I was watching video this weekend of some international javelin throwers and noticing how the US has never really had a woman javelin thrower that was consist in the international field and that sucks! America is a great country!

I've had American pride from the day I was born and would never want to say that I was from another country!... Never... I love it here... I know we have our problems and our economy has been slippin', but my love isn't because of the greatness or the world power position... well... maybe a little, but that's not the point. We are great in more than just that. We are the diverse land, and the place that other countries call free... a place to prosper. We are one of the few countries that have to build walls around our borders to keep people out. Most others build them to keep their citizens in! lol

Anyway, the point was that the US needs someone to step up and do something on the international realm of spear throwin'. Don't get me wrong. We have a couple girls working hard in Chula Vista, at the Olympic Training Center hoping to be the future of America's Women javelin throwers. ! just know we need more. We need to lift the expectations and the entire skill level.

You're probably saying, "Why do you say this Michelle?" Well I'm glad you asked. :) I want to do something about it. I want to throw far... farther than the rest of this horrible women's stick chuckin' country! It's going to take more than 60 meters to get there. Yet, only 2 of the current women throwers in the US have even thrown over that.

So where am I?... Not even close!... but I've got one thing that the others don't... I have God on my side! I don't throw for me or for some coach or to beat others or to even make a name for myself! Instead, I throw to be the best I can to bring glory to God and my best is not even close to where I've thrown now.

Most would look at my marks or my build and say yeah right! Plus, I've only thrown 54 meters, yet I have faith and I'm not going to let anything stand in my way. There are no excuses! I work hard and will continue to do so! I'm doing this for a reason and God would never waste talent or hardwork that is walking in His will.

There are so many out there that have the talent and great skill, yet they let the little things stop their performance. I've also been like that, but I know all the little things are never perfect and the conditions aren't always going to be idea, but that's why we train. I mean, anyone can throw their best in perfect conditions with perfect warm-up time, yet how often does that happen? Especially in big meet situations?... you're moved from place to place as a herd, checking in extremely earlier and never throwing on the competition ring or runway until you actually compete.

All I'm saying is that nothing should get in the way of throwing your best. I'm hoping I'm not saying this and then the season starts and I make the same type of excuses as others. lol I know I won't. Preparation is key and knowing all the things that could go wrong and being prepared for anything. It's just about using what God has given us to shine for His Glory.

So, if anyone has any words of wisdom to give or just think I'm crazy, let me know. God Loves you guys and prayers are gladly appreciated. Thanks.

Snow in Athens!!!

So yesterday Afternoon when I was getting ready to go to practice, I looked outside because I heard it raining. When I looked outside I didn't see rain... It was freakin' snowing! It was awesome! Well, I didn't go to practice because when I looked at the my email the school had closed, plus I didn't want to get stuck somewhere on campus and not be able to get back to my dorm. That would have sucked! Anyway, here's some pics.



















So it sucks that the indoor team is missing the snow here in Athens for the second year in a row. I guess this is the good thing about not doing indoor. I get to experience the school in choas! It's great!

Oh woe is me...

So since the team is competing in indoor season, I was left alone once again for the weekend. So I tried to make the most of it... I watched movies... ate junk food.... and checked the stats of the meet all Friday night and Saturday afternoon. I did managed to squeeze in doing some people's taxes on Saturday morning, but pretty much just sat around all day doing nothing.

I feel like a bump on a log right now, but I know it's going to speed up fast when outdoor season starts. Dude, and it's not far away! I've gotta buckle down and do some hard core training and throwing this next few weeks. I hope you continue reading and experiencing what I go through. :) Thanks.

Oh and here are a few pics and video from this weekend's meet... Courtesy of my 20m throwing roommate, Nicole.





Lots and Lots of snow at Virginia Tech


Lucy a heptathlete


Izzy and Maria, Izzy's a shot and discus guy and Maria jumps the triple jump


This is David and Freeman (both Hammer throwers)


Here's the Honey bear


Brano Loves his Honey bear!


Nicole 20.07m or 65'10"


David 18.61m or 61'


Brano 19.54m or 64'1"


Freeman 20.75m or 68'1"


Izzy 18.46m or 60'7"


Honey bear Petr 17.54m or 57'6"


Eve 13.63m or 44'9"


Rachel


Crazy Beastwoman, but she throws extremely far! 18.56m or 60'11"