Life With Multiple Sclerosis part 1

It all started when I was a sophomore in high school. I was going to soccer practice like I always did, but this day was different. My skin was all tingly on my stomach, like when your foot falls asleep. The next day the tinglyness moved to my hands and feet. My mom was concerned with what was happening, so we went to the doctor to get some blood work done. When the blood tests came back, they were all normal. The tinglyness was still everywhere, so my doctor wanted me to get an MRI to see if that would answer any questions. Well, the MRI came back and it did answer our questions. The doctor found inflammation of my myelin-the layer that surrounds the axons in your spinal cord diagnosing me with Transverse myelitis. They were afraid that if I dove wrong while playing keeper that I could possibly paralyze myself, so I had to stop playing soccer. This was definitely devastating because soccer was my life, and now it was taken away. This news made me have to look to the Lord for comfort and peace. My faith definitely grew the next few months. After a lot of prayer, 3 months later I got another MRI and the inflammation was gone! It was a miracle! I was able to play soccer again! I had no idea that my life would be changed forever 2 years later...

Why DBU?

Everytime I tell people I am from AZ, they ask "what brought you to Texas? Why here?" My answer? The only logical way I can put it is God totally lead me here! I was looking to go to a Christian college with a soccer program. I looked all over the country because I needed to get out of AZ. I looked in Tennessee, Iowa, Arkansas and Texas. After visiting all of the colleges, I felt that DBU was the place for me. I had this peace that transcended all understanding. I was really excited when I signed with DBU- I was going to live in a big city, I was going to be free, I was going to get a texas twang! After 3 years here, I have been to the city maybe 6 times, soccer has kept me pretty busy, and unfortunately I haven't aquired a texas twang, yet :)

The other neat part about coming to Texas is that I have had the chance to reconnect with my extended family. My first thanksgiving away from home was spent with 30 family members that I hadn't seen since 6th grade!

It is so neat to see how perfect DBU is for me. Although Jeremiah 29:11 is somewhat cliche, that is what I live by. The Lord definitely has a plan for my life and it is evident since I have been at DBU. Everthing has fallen into place so nicely there is no other explaination than God has His hand all over it! I am so excited to see what other amazing things the Lord is going to do with me while I am at DBU. I have no idea where He is going to take me after college, but I can say with confidence that He has a plan and those plans will not be thwarted!

Adventures of Summer '08 Part 3- Chicago Illinois

After the amazing trip to Brazil, the men's and women's teams headed back to good ol Wheaton, IL to get started with our four weeks of kids camps. Each week was in a different place through out chicago and wisconsin. The best part about the different weeks was that we got to stay in homes of different families.

Along with staying with families, we also got to tour Chicago- navy pier, sears tower and Lake Michigan! We also had a different group of kids that we taught not only soccer skills, but also share the gospel!Although the kids were cute, this summer definitely confirmed that I am not meant to work with them in a career :)

This is one of the houses that I got to stay in downtown chicago!

I spent my 20th birthday in chicago, so all the girls went out to dinner!

We spent the 4th of July in Chicago as well, so here are some girls watching the fireworks!

Reflecting on all of my adventures this summer, all I can say is I AM BLESSED! I am so blessed to have had this amazing opportunity this summer. My life was definitely changed this summer and I will never forget what I learned and the people I met!

Adventures of Summer '08 Part 1- Rio De Janeiro, Brazil

Wow, its been a while since I've updated! Well, I will begin back with the adventures of my summer! After the week in Goiania, we met back up with the boys in Rio De Janeiro.

In Rio, we got to visit "Ciudad De Deus" (City of God). This is one of the most dangerous places in Rio, but with God's protection we were safe. We got to play with the kids at one of the local schools as well as share the Gospel to them :)

After going to the City of God, we visited Villa De Conquista- one of the poorest places I have ever seen. The most amazing part was that the people living there still had smiles on their faces! We played soccer with the kids and shared the Gospel

One of the coolest things we got to do while in Rio, was that we go to attend a professional soccer game! The place was packed and the game was awesome!

We also go to go to the Christ statue that over looked the city of Rio De Janeiro! It was such an amazing statue as well as view!

These were just a few amazing experiences that I had while in Brazil! I think that part of my heart is still left in Brazil and I hope that some day I will be able to return. Going to Brazil was definitely a life changing experience that I hope to never forget :)

Craziest Game Ever Played!

Sorry for the interruption of adventures of summer part 2, but I have to share the craziest soccer game I have ever played in!

This past weekend we traveled to Odessa to play UTPB, a team that we have beat before. Well this game definitely didn't go the way we expected. We weren't playing very well and only scored one goal in the first half. We got a talking to during half-time and we had 45 minutes to prove to our coach that we wanted to win.

During this time, I was wondering if I was going to play in goal 2nd half. I asked coach hoping she would say " ya put your gloves on" but instead she said " you might have to put on a jersey and play on the field". Oh, forgot a minor detail: we had 3 girls on the bench who were injured so our bench was very small even before the game started.

So now me, never playing on the field except in the goal, finally had the amazing chance to get to play on the field.

By the time I got out onto the field to play forward, the score was 2-0 us. UTPB ended up scoring to make it 2-1. Fifteen minuted before the game was over, one of our forwards went in for a tackle and suddenly broke her ankle! It happened so fast, and me along with everyone else on the field suddenly saw her ankle not going in the right direction! After the paramedics took her off the field we started up the game again. (we found out she broke her tibia and tore ligaments-she's getting surgery this week) UTPB ended up scoring to tie it up. We scored, and they scored right after. Two minuted before the game ended we scored again! The end score was 4-3! This was definitely the craziest game I've ever played in- and the coolest thing is that the Lord was there by our sides the whole time, He gave us the strength and perseverance to push through adversity! The Lord is good and it is so fun when you give it all to God where He takes you in life! For me, that could be playing forward :)

Adventures of Summer '08 Part 1- Goiana, Brazil

This summer I had the privilege to be a part of the Chicago Eagles 2008 Soccer Academy. The Chicago Eagles is a sports ministry organization that gives both men and women college athletes the opportunity to not only play for a team in the summer, but also a chance to use their God-given talents to glorify the Lord and bless the lives of others. The academy is 2 months of kids soccer camps, a two week mission trip, sports ministry training and league matches.

This summer both teams got to go on a mission trip to Brazil for two weeks. The men's team went to Teresopolis for the first week and the women got to go to Goiania. While in Goiania the women got to love on the kids at Projecto Crecer- a place for kids to have the opportunity to learn, play soccer and most importantly hear the Gospel.

We also got to help out a women named Ana from the local church and build her a wall for her home. This woman had 8 children, no money , but faith and joy that was amazing despite her circumstances. It was so humbling building this wall, and it blessed our group as much as it blessed her!

Another awesome thing we got to do was attend an Athetas De Critso meeting. This is similar to FCA (fellowship of Christian Athletes) but for professional athletes. It was so neat to not only meet professional soccer players, but ones that were totally on fire for Christ. These type of men will definitely impact Brazil because people in South America really look up to athletes and if the athletes are Christian-man! Singing "Shout to the Lord" in both Portuguese and English was also amazing!

More of "adventures of summer '08" to be continued

Mini Introduction

*My name is Emily and I am from Flagstaff, AZ. I am a junior at Dallas Baptist University where I am pursuing a degree in Marketing with a minor in spanish. I am also the goalkeeper for the DBU women's soccer program.

*Most importantly I am a follower of Christ! I strive to live a life that reflects Christ on and off the soccer field everyday. I believe that the Lord has a plan for my life and that He is in total control. Although there may be trials and obstacles, I know that the Lord will never leave my side! "If God is for me, who can be against me?" Romans 8:31 <><

*I come from an amazing family of five. I have two sisters who I admire and cherish very much! My oldest sister is a 4th grade teacher over in Indonesia following the Lord's calling on her life. My little sister is a freshman in college who is blessed with amazing guitar skills (I hope to see her turn famous someday!) And my parents, well they're amazing! My dad is a banker and my mom is an accountant and both of them are the perfect example of supportive, loving Christ following parents :)

This blog will be a way for my friends and family to stay updated on the life of Emily Ruth :)