Chels in Progress

Father, thank You for the adventures You have taken me on since I decided to walk with You. Thank You for ending them, even in my protest, so that You could take me on more. Please forgive my lack of trust, my frustration, my self-pity. Thank You for caring about me. Thank You for being involved when You could've left us on our own. I pray for the next adventure you have in store for me. Prepare my heart, use me where You see fit. ♥

Coffee Bean at 5:50am. [muffins.] new order sheets for the week. great coworkers . 90-year-old customers. funny customer comments about California. sunshine. windows down. country music. bare feet. grass. banana chocolate chip muffins . ripe strawberries. [new music.] roomie talks . Jesus Calling . giggles. squishy couches. shorts weather. and running  ♥

china, 2012. I've come to realize that it doesn't take much to send me into deep thought.  Especially simple things.  Sometimes those little things are so marvelously profound.  It's not even that I haven't heard them before.  For instance, today I was in a discussion with one of my friends at work and she said to me, "delay is not denial".  I had to chew on that for awhile.  I've realized and accepted this in regards to God, knowing that He always answers prayer with either: "yes, not now, or better," but I wasn't willing to give humans any grace for their timing.  This is where I need to lecture myself on a little Charles Horton Cooley "looking glass self" theory and eat a big slice of humble pie.  Talk about selfish!  Lessons in humility and patience... ♥

Quote of the Day, from Beth Moore's Breaking Free : "We fear making sacrifices. But the irony is that we make a lot of sacrifices when we are not living the will of God. How many things have we placed on the altar to Satan's kingdom? " I don't know about you, but I never looked at it this way. Clearly, having lived outside God's will for a considerable chunk of time, the sacrifices I knew I was making had to have gone somewhere- it just never dawned on me that Satan's kingdom was where. In my disregard to the prompting of the Spirit in my life, I ended up not only disobeying my Father, but glorifying the enemy.  Abba , Father, Thank You for Your forgiveness, Your mercy, Your grace. Thank You for using my disobedience for Your glory, that the enemy can't even claim victory in the sacrifices. Thank You for holding my hand, and for knowing that my wandering would bring me closer to You. Be honored, be glorified, be high and lifted up.

As heartbroken as I feel when the Lord ends my time with different serve opportunities, I am always grateful that by closing one door, it enables Him to open another.  Last Saturday, He finished my week-long adventure with our youth group in LA.  During that week, He melted my heart. I love the inner-city.  I love learning about peoples' lives.  I love that preparation for the day meant I woke up before the group to sit with the Lord, instead of doing makeup or picking out an outfit.  I love smiling at people I don't know, trying to convey to them in a three-second exchange that they are beautiful, valuable.  I love dancing on street corners to Tupac with my sisters in Christ.  I love being open and vulnerable with people, letting the Lord use my life story to share His grace and love with others.  I love leading my middle schoolers and high schoolers, even with the momentary heart attacks when I count only 9 instead of 10.  I love hearing their perspectives, processin