we are the champions.

hello, friends! 

i know, it has been a little while. between then and now i got to live in the midst of a crazy and chaotic story with the lady eagles this summer. one that only the Lord could write. and while at times i wondered - and asked - if he was sure that this is definitely and actually where he wants me to be, i still have the overwhelming sense that i should remain where my feet are, and be here now.

i like to know what's coming, but i'm not God, and he hasn't shown me more than here. so i'm going to stay here until he shows me a different way.

ebenezer night

this summer was an absolute whirlwind. and while the title of this post may give away the ending, the lead-up is still just as crazy even when you know how the story ends. 

via our @charlotteladyeagles instagram

so let me take you back to july 1st. the team went into a big game against nashville - in nashville - knowing that we had to win. yes, we had another regular season game after this one. but if we didn't win on july 1st then nashville would be at the top of the conference, and we would have no way to assume that position even if we won our last game. this would mean no post-season play. 

our season would be done after our final regular season game on july 5. 

we wanted more time together as a team. we wanted to keep playing so we could stay together. and, as competitors, we also wanted to win. 

july 1: the game remained a 0-0 draw for the first 85 minutes of the {90-minute}game.

and then, 

we made one mistake in the back. 

one bad pass in the wrong area. 

it fell to the wrong player on the other team. 

and she put it away.

1-0 nashville. 

and that's how it would end. a 1-0 defeat. which meant that was it. we got one more game together, and then 

the season would end. 

way 

too 

soon.

leading up to our july 5 match against another charlotte team we were given a glimmer of hope. another likely conference champion wouldn't be able to field a team for the regional tournament. if they did win, but could not field a team, then the second place team in the hosting conference would get the first option to go. that second place team was us. 

as long as we won on july 5. 

we had a chance to keep going. 

to stay together for longer.

to play on.

we beat this team before. but it was a hard-fought game. a 2-0 win. 

definitely not a given.

but when the game started we were on our back foot. 

we proceeded to go down 2-0 in the first 30 minutes. 

it felt like the wind got knocked out of us. 

why in the world were we playing like we didn't have to play?

we managed to claw back and make it 2-1 just before halftime. 

but we needed the wake-up call. 

it wouldn't just happen. 

in order to keep playing we had to step up.

we had to play. not just step on the field. 

but play with all we had.

and let me tell you. 

when we scored off a header to make it 2-2, our bench erupted.

but when we scored with about 10 minutes left to make it 3-2?

it was positively electric. 

a 3-2 result meant we had given all we had to keep going. 

but it still wasn't up to us. 

the following weekend we got the official word that one of the conference champions couldn't go to regionals, and we would have the opportunity to step into their vacated spot.

one week following that word, the team headed back to nashville. 

we won 1-0 in the regional semi-final against a good team out of florida. 

but the next day we got our chance to play nashville.

again.

at their home field.

again.

this game went very different from the first.

we scored in the first few minutes of the game. 

1-0 good guys.

but then.

they scored 4.

back-to-back-to-back-to-back.

thankfully we put one away before the end of the half to make it 4-2, but dang.

it was like a sucker punch.

so coming back and tying the game 4-4 by the end of regulation? it showed incredible fortitude.

and then winning 5-4 in OT after scoring in the first few minutes of OT, but having to see out the non-golden-goal OT anyway? 

oh.my.goodness.

what a feeling.

it was almost unbelievable. 

after a hefty week of planning on the staff side of things, our ladies made their way to stillwater, OK for the national championships along with the other regional champions from the east, west, and central divisions.

the semi-final was such a good game. against a formidable opponent out of RI. 

but finally in the 88th minute, we put one away. 

1-0. 

we'd go to the 'ship, 

and play for a national title.

the next day - sunday, july 23rd - the game didn't start until 7pm CT. i didn't travel with the team, so peter put the kids to bed as i set up the livestream on the tv. 

here we go.

and man oh man, it was a game. 

it was so.much.fun. to watch.

we were so evenly matched. 

there was so much back and forth.

i honestly didn't know which way it would go. 

we sailed toward OT, still scoreless as the game drew on.

but then. in the 91st minute. 

a loose ball bounced about 12 or 15 yards out. 

and our outside back - the same outside back who had stepped up to score goal number 3 in that 3-2 win back on july 5th - stepped up and put it away.

in the 91st minute. 

of the national championship.

1-0 eags.

national champs.

via our @charlotteeagles instagram

as we talked about it after the fact, we just kept coming back to this: 

only the Lord could write that story.

and honestly, there is still a tiny little part of me that isn't sure it actually happened because living it was so incredibly surreal.

what a gift to be a part of it.

granted, getting the team home from victory proved to be a trickier task than planned as american decided to cancel their flight about 7 hours before it was supposed to take off which led to a middle-of-the-night wake-up that i was not at all prepared for. 

but they made it back. 

and we met them at the airport with cheers. 

i hugged each one of their tired necks.

and we gave thanks for an absolutely incredible season.

i'll save the updates on the home-front for their own post. because this has been a long one already. 

for now, let me just say: thank you! thank you to those of you who have supported me and the lady eagles. thank you for supporting the work and coming alongside us in various ways throughout this whirlwind of a season.

trophies do not always indicate the best seasons, but this one was one heck of a ride.

trophy or not, God is so good.

xoxo