LSU TIGER - KELSEE SELMAN

The Lord; our God, tells us to bring all thoughts, requests and petitions to Him in prayer. I do believe in the power of prayer and that is my testimony! As a little girl, when I said my prayers at night I would ask the Lord; “Why did you give me such talent in an area with no opportunities?” You see, when I was a little girl, society made it perfectly clear that girls where not suppose to be athletic because girls were not allowed to play on any organized sport teams. I had to watch from a distance as my brothers and neighborhood friends play Little League baseball even though I had the ability to compete with them. Literally, I prayed every day that I would get a chance to play. As I look back on those days, I realize that I was on a team all along; God’s team! He had a plan to answer my prayers all along and in bigger ways than I could possibly imagine! God hears our prayers! He is the POWER of our lives! Eternally! “Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work in us.” - Ephesians 3:20 Dot Richardson Dot Richardson M.D. Two-time Olympic Gold Medalist (’96 & ’00) Five time World Championships & Pan American NCAA Player of the Decades (‘80’s) NCAA National Championship (’82) Five time Collegiate All-American (UCLA/WIU)

When I was 8 years old, I accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior and was baptized. I began playing travel softball when I was 9 years old, which made it difficult to get to church every Sunday and Wednesday, and that was really hard for me to accept. When I started playing for my travel ball organization, we had weekly devotions and formed our team around Jesus Christ. At this point, I began connecting softball with God. Once I realized that I wasn’t just playing softball for myself, it changed my outlook on the game. Ephesians 3:21 says “to Him be the glory.” Every time I go out to practice or play a game, I am playing for the glory and honor of God. As athletes, we are called to bring Christ to the game. Before every game, I pray to let others see Christ through me, so win or lose, as long as someone saw Him, the game was a success. -Julie

I started playing softball at the age of four, and growing up my schedule revolved around practice, games, and the recruiting process. Once I got to high school, the pressure of being offered a softball scholarship increased exponentially. I attended several camps, clinics, and showcase tournaments to reach the goal of playing in college. As my focus became more directed toward softball, the more I turned away from God. December of my Sophomore year is when my life was flipped upside down. When the doctor said, "you need shoulder surgery," the only life I knew suddenly was not the same. I was right in the middle of trying to earn a college scholarship and who was going to recruit someone fresh out of surgery? I felt that all I worked for was now for nothing, and it was going to be a long rehabilitation process to try to get anywhere close to where I was before. It was not until I stepped away from the game, that I saw the bigger picture. God had a bigger purpose for my life, greater than anything I had ever imagined. At times it was hard to trust God through the long recovery process, but I kept going on with perseverance and trusting God's plan. After an extensive rehabilitation, I was finally released to be back on the field. Not long after that, I was offered the opportunity to play for Georgia Tech. It was then I finally saw God's plan unveil in my life. If it was not for the timing of my surgery and God putting me in the right place at the right time, I may have never been given this opportunity. Looking back at it all now, God placing me through this trial, not only helped me mature in my faith, but carved out the next step of my life that four years ago I never even believed was possible. Morgan Taylor

December 6, 2012. That’s the day I committed myself to the Lord and made the decision to change my life in a way I never knew possible. I grew up in a non- Christian home with two parents and a sister. My dad was catholic so we were the typical Easter Sunday family until it became impossible with athletics. When I was in 8th grade, I went to a camp where I met Robin Ahrberg, a 4-year letter winner for softball at FSU. We eventually got to the point where she was my hitting instructor. She came into college not being a Christian but within her first year and a half, she was saved. At the time, I thought it was weird and thought she was joining some sort of cult, but we kept the friendship we had. Fast-forward about 5 years to my freshman year of college. I signed to play softball at Georgia Tech and major in some sort of engineering field. I came into college ready for the parties and the freedom. Nowhere in the back of my head did I believe I would be apart of anything religious. One of my roommates and teammates, Caroline Hilton, was a new Christian. For about a month she would ask every Thursday if I would go to Bible Study at CCF, Christian Campus Fellowship. I kept blowing her off and really was just annoyed she kept asking. I finally went just so she would stop asking me. I found that I really enjoyed the singing although I didn’t know what the words actually met. I went every week for about a month because of the atmosphere and community and went to Midtown church on Sunday, but I still went out every weekend. I eventually stopped going for some reason until the spring semester. Chris House, Caroline, and another roommate Elaina bought me a great study bible that Christmas, but I never really opened it. That spring I started really listening to the word and was finding out who God really was and what it means to live a Godly life. When my relationship of almost three years ended, I found comfort in the people at CCF and in the comfort of God. I still wasn’t living the life of a Christian and I had the urge to go out every weekend. By the time the summer rolled around, I went to church a few times with Robin or alone, but that didn’t last long. I began on the opposite path again; I didn’t go to church again all summer and my bible was untouched. Eventually school started back up and I continued going to CCF and also 925 – mostly for the social aspects. As the semester went on, family problems erupted and I turned straight to God because I wasn’t comfortable talking to anyone else about personal problems. In November of 2012, about 7 teammates and me went on the Panama City Beach Retreat with CCF. At this point Caroline had graduated and was an intern along with about 14 other people at CCF. I was having a great time, meeting new people, playing on the beach, and worshipping Jesus with my team. That Saturday night, Carline gave her testimony and when she ended with her part on redemption and being redeemed, I felt a feeling that was too real to even explain. I reflected on my struggles - current and past - and was able to see how God was working in them. I realized that regardless of every sin I’ve ever committed, He wants me even more because of it. At that moment I have never felt something so prevalent and real and it’s a feeling I want to live with forever. At that point I committed myself to the Lord by baptism December 6, 2012 in a freezing cold lake in Atlanta. The months after that were more rewarding than any other time in my life. I was a better teammate, friend and player because I wasn’t worried about worldly successes or failures, but about the bigger prize at the end. However, being in the Kingdom of God doesn’t exempt you from trials. The summer of 2013 was the hardest time in my life to this point. My parents were going through a separation, my mom was moving to Texas for a new job, and I felt so lost and alone. By the time their divorce was settled, I wasn’t doing everything the Godly way. I was making decisions based on other people and based on what I was going through – not the way God had intended. Because I didn’t want to talk to many people about it, I had no choice but to turn to God. He really made everything so much easier and while a lot of my family never understood why I took this route of becoming a Christian, it was something I wanted to ground myself in and stay committed to because I know the feeling it gives me. It’s been just over a year since making a covenant with the Lord and I still have temptations and urges all the time. Every week when the temptations are magnified by the weekend, I think about the eternal prize and what the godly decision is. These decisions are made much easier being surrounded by the right people like Alysha Rudnik, House, Robin and Caroline. And although I am in the middle of many of my trials still, I recognize and strive for the end goal. I realize that Jesus Christ is my Lord and Savior and that whatever I have been through or will face, He will take care of it. I’m in it for the eternal prize. Caitlyn Coffey Georgia Tech Softball (Junior)

My parents are believers so I grew up in the church. I learned about Jesus from both of their influences. I also started playing softball when I was 6. I'd say my life leading up to college could be described by the word 'good'. I had good friends, made good grades, was good at sports, and was a good girl. People told me I was good and I believed them. I also felt like I was good with Jesus. Then I got to college. I can remember telling God, "I still love you and all but I want to do my own thing for a while." I wanted to make a name for myself, so that's what I did. On the outside I wouldn't say I was ruining my life or anything but the choices I was making were not honoring to God and little by little they were tearing me up inside. Once I realized I didn't want to be hurting inside I knew I needed God but I tried to earn his love and redemption by 'being good'. But it didn't work. This was all happening my sophomore year and I remember being very frustrated and weary about it all. That summer I did a bible study with an old coach from high school. For the first time I was reading God's Word and He was speaking to me, telling me who He is and who I am in Him. I knew a lot about Jesus but for the first time I was beginning to know Him like I would a friend. It was amazing. Surrendering to Him was better than living for myself. From there my desire to know God has grown so much. Over the past two years God has answered so many prayers, given me such a wonderful community of believers and changed my heart to be more like His every day. When I look back at my life when things were 'good' I realize I had no idea how truly good and joyful life could be fully surrendered to Jesus Christ. And I believe the best is yet to come! Alysha Rudnik