Chels in Progress

Mama's Birthday! Praying over Cort before she walked down the aisle! A pretty sunrise before an early workday. Sweet friend time at the beach. Disneyland with my twin! Pasta sauce in the making! Dahlia season. Only the best backpack ever! Baseball on the Fourth of July. 'MURRICA! Lots of quiet time with my Great Love this week.

Thank You, Lord, for the gift of life. Thank You for bare feet and soft grass. Thank You for sand and waves and salty air. Thank You for the coastline and the mountains. Thank You for summer nights. Thank You for friends and laughter and love. Thank You for joy and peace and grace. Thank You for surprises and butterflies in my stomach. Thank You for hugs. Thank You for family and hometowns. Thank You for music and colors. Thank You for providing and caring and loving us. Thank You for life.

While everyone's planning their real or imaginary weddings via Pinterest, I'm over here like, "Yep, that food looks great."  And I'm okay with that. Based on my board counts, my top priorities are food, adventuring, laughing hysterically at brilliant memes, and dreaming about the day I can decorate an entire house, not just a single room.  Also, freaking awesome hair I will probably never have.  And yoga poses I probably can't get myself into.  But that's alright, because I'm about to be the next top chef, gallivanting through Costa Rica, dropping puns like they're hot, and picking up eclectic throw pillows for my future porch swing. Dream big, ya'll.

Tonight I read an article titled "Youth Groups Driving Christian Teens to Abandon Faith", and sighed.  My heart is heavy for our youth.  It has been heavy all week, but as I read the opening paragraph, the word 'disengaged' screamed at me and broke my heart. Disengaged. dis·en·gage verb   (used   with   object),   dis·en·gaged,   dis·en·gag·ing. 1. to release from attachment or connection; loosen; unfasten 2. to free (oneself) from an engagement, pledge, obligation, etc. Disengaged. Separated, unattached. Oh my heart. I just want to gather all the kids in my life and share with them about how good God is, how faithful He is, how He never abandons, how He is both patient and urgent for our hearts, how He is full of life and joy and humor and adventure , how He loves extravagantly , and how He is sovereign over all the powers of the enemy. I want to gather all the people  in my life, to make sure they know. ...

There was a time in my life when God plucked me out of my comfort zone, and dropped me into a whole new environment.  I learned to rely on Him, trust Him, to look up to Him, much like when a child is scared or uncomfortable, they hold on tight to their parent's hand.  He taught me about grace and gentleness , patience and love .  My heart was light and full and bursting . But then, I was right back in a place I knew, and today I'm faced with the reality that I'm too comfortable again.  Today, I am burdened with the reality of my lack of grace .  In my striving to do well, I lost sight of people.  I was harsh.  I was uninviting.  My light was dim, and my love was small.  I was task-oriented before people-oriented.  I wanted to finish my job before serving. My heart was scrunchy and ugly today.  I was scrunchy and ugly today. In our striving, even striving for good things, we sin.  We stop relying on the Lord's stren...

Mom . ♥ My sisters in Christ. Time spent celebrating Cortney . Mountain air. Good morning texts. Youth group kiddos. Having dear friends in from out of town. WalkMS 2014. Pranks. Veggie Tacos.

"And I am done with my graceless heart, so tonight I'm gonna cut it out and then restart..." - Florence + the Machine "And I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh." - Ezekiel 36:26 Thank You, Abba, Father, for Your faithfulness to refine us, to transform us.  Thank You for heart-checks, and "heart-surgery".  Thank You for replacing ugliness with grace, beauty, passion, and joy.  Thank You for endless second chances.  Lord, help me to love, not judge.  Give me eyes of grace and a heart of mercy.  Fill my mouth with praise, my arms with love. ♥ 恩雨