Clouds and Majesty somewhere around 6 in the morning

I was driving to work this morning..wait, let me preface this by saying that I wasn't the happiest little dwarf singing and hiking up the hill. I just had my wisdom teeth out Thursday, my mouth still is puffy and ..um..beautiful. It was just a Sunday that I would have rather slept 30 more minutes and then went to sunday school.
So, I don't even get off my front porch without realizing how amazing the clouds were this morning. I was driving all the way to work with my head bent down near the steering wheel looking up at the sky....now I realize that this isn't exactly the safest way to drive but God put those clouds in the sky this morning for me to see and be in awe of His glory. It was a huge reminder of WHO GOD IS. I get caught up in looking at people and seeing characteristics that come from God...its just people like characteristics are nothing compared to God like characteristics...you just had to look at the sky to see all the things God had written this morning....
WOW

Ungana...Kenya...We're Getting Close!!

Hey All!! I am so excited to let you know that Graham and I are headed to Kenya with The Ungana Project this summer (June 25-July 4). I honestly cannot wait! We will be working with Ngaamba (a community that St. Marks has partnered with). Our time will be spent digging wells, playing with kids, working with the local church and loving on Gods people of Kenya!!
God has so much to teach me! I am incredibly excited about going to Kenya....but am having a hard time giving Him everything while I'm here in the states....in the area that I'm used to. I am struggling raising funds for Kenya because I have tried to take it into my own hands. Please pray for me....Graham and I need to raise $5,000. I am diving in now, giving it all to God. In ways it's completely freeing....and a little scary to control freaks like me. Its never been about me...that's not starting now, it's always been and to be about My Amazing God!!
I cannot even imagine what all God is doing in Kenya! It takes my breath away to think that He is going to use me in some little way to work His plan in Africa!!!
Thank you for all your prayers and support!
I love you guys!!

Chels

Jesus Loves You!

I saw this on Ashley's blog and had to share it....just another story How God breaks through our ordinary days with His amazing love..... Jesus Loves You! chels Ok, so I just wanted to give a quick little testimony as to what God spoke to me today, a few of you have already heard, but read it anyways because there’s something I want us to try to do.. Today, i was walking around to class with my Ipod in listening to this song that simply says “oh how he loves us” and as I walked into my religious studies class, I noticed that someone had written “Jesus Loves You” in big letters on the chalk board. Now ofcourse in this class, we talk about all religions, and Jesus is definitly not the focal point. I didn’t even know who had written it, and it was most likely written as a joke… So I sat down, still listening to those words in my Ipod, “Oh how He loves Us”, and then my professor walks in. Most of the class wasn’t paying attention, they were talking and focusing on other things, but I watched as my professor took the eraser and began to erase those three words that we’ve seen some many times… “Jesus Loves You” In that moment I saw that no one was even looking or even cared, and God literally humbled my heart then and there in that classroom. He began to speak to me, and I felt completely broken before God… they didn’t get it! JESUS LOVES YOU, yet they all didn’t even seem to care. But then I noticed that as he erased those words, I could still see this chalked blur on the board, and even though it may have been smeered, I still knew what had been written there… and it was like God came down and sat right beside and began to say “no matter how much they try to ignore it, push it out of their minds, and say its not true, I’m always going to Love them, I’m always going to Love you. ” There’s not an eraser powerful enough in existence to erase the love He has for us. God has really laid this on my heart now for a good while… there are a lot of us who are struggling with acceptance, confidence, motivation, myself included. Lately I’ve been tearing myself apart about what people think and how I come across to people. It’s been a battle that I’ve been losing and it’s taken me seeing several other people going through the same struggle to realize just how much satan is tearing God’s people down with these lies. I’m tired of seeing God’s children struggle, and I’m tired of trying to please this world. We try so hard to make people love us but we’re not looking at the board in front of us… Jesus Loves You. Oh how He loves us, why should you try to be someone you’re not to get people to love you when there is a God who loves you for exactly who you are?! Why should you let the pressures and opinions of others stop you from doing what God wants you to do?! Why? Because we’ve taken those three simple words for granted over the years. It’s time to put the eraser away. It’s time to step into a love that will cause us to transform in so many ways, and I promise you, I PROMISE YOU… you will never be the same! So heres what Daniel Mallard came to me with, we want to see as many people as possible change their status to “Jesus Loves You”, to the point where its all over the place! There are a lot of people out there who are searching for something, and you never know what God can speak to someone in just those three simple words. There are too many people who don’t feel like anybody loves them, but a simple status change can open their eyes to the God of unfailing Love. So anytime after you read this, change your status, and if you want, change it continually throughout the day so it will show up on th eupdates and on peoples newsfeeds. If we all do it, it will be everywhere! It’d be great to keep it up throughout the week! God bless ya’ll Jesus Loves You John 3:16 Galatians 1:10 -Zach

Truth and Love....True Love and Love that's True...

So, I've been thinking about these things since Sunday. I can't really make a clear distinction. I think that these subjects are too deep for my little human brain to wrap all the way around.

I heard someone say Sunday that they think about Truth they think about True Love....

...wow....

If you think about it, its logical for Truth to be an umbrella for Love. For Love to be ...well, Love, it has to be sincere, honest...it has to be endearing. It has to be True.
Another thought...
Love has to be True to be love...
but does Truth have to be love to be Truth?

Does that make sense? I don't know...
I've just been trying to dig into this love thing deeper....
God is love...I want to know God, then what is love?

Next Post won't be so scattered! I promise!!
In His LOVE!
night all,
chels

"इ कैन'टी स्टाप क्र्यिंग कौसे यू वों'टी स्टाप काल्लिंग माय नेम"

ओके, सो माय कंप्यूटर इस दोंग थिस वेइर्द थिंग वेयर इट्स तकिंग माय वोर्ड्स एंड तुर्निंग थेम इन्तो हिन्दी ओंस इ टाइप थेम.....हम। इन्तेरेस्तिंग।

India Pictures =)

I was looking through my India pictures today and realized that I didn't have any on my blog. So, here they are! Well, Some of them. This is me and Mumta (my translator ) that I blogged about earlier while I was in Kolkata. She is amazing and I miss her so much! The other picture is of Sean playing with the kids. We had just finished a game of Colbidy Colbidy Colbidy. Its an Indian game that the kids taught us. Its very complicated...and involves two teams pulling each other to different territories. but lots of fun!! ok, I promise more pictures to come later. My computer to uploading them super slow....
now I am going to enjoy a night of snow falling from the sky!!
God is awesome!
Love y'all!
Chels

Christians = Normal?

I've been thinking lately- dangerous I know...but, are Christians supposed to be normal? I mean, are we really supposed to fit into the culture of today's world? Shouldn't people look at us and we're freaks? I want to love, live, give, worship, spend, adore, play, work, change in a way that only a Christ follower would. ....
maybe it's too revolutionary....so....sign me up.

Sitting, Waiting, Hoping, Praying

This morning I was talking to a man who has truly blessed my life. He has incredible wisdom and is able to open my eyes to Gods ways in areas I have never even thought through.
I've been off a little bit lately. I don't know if I would describe it as struggling. For these last couple of weeks since India I have felt spiritually stuck. I know what I believe and my commitment and desire for God and spreading His message haven't changed. I still am in love with my Savior and have my quiet time...I just don't feel like I'm getting deeper. I want so badly to grow in my relationship with Jesus and know Him in a more intimate way every moment...that hasn't been happening lately.
I've tried reading more, thinking more...honestly, I've gotten really frustrated.
I was talking to my mentor today. He was talking about how everyone hits a ''spiritual ceiling". When you first become a Christian you hit ''walls'' all the time, but don't really know because you aren't as in tune with God and His message. Christian leaders and followers that have matured feel a burden when they hit the ''ceiling''.
This is exactly how I've felt. I felt guilty almost for not growing constantly deeper in love with my God.
Then my mentor brought out the fact that I overlooked in this situation.
"God does EVERYTHING in His own timing"
I know this to be true...just for some reason this time I thought it was on ME to fix it. I wasn't growing in MY relationship with God. So, it must be MY job to fix that.
Thank God, He Saves!!
God's going to grow me in His own time. I will be sitting, listening, waiting, hoping and praying....and worshiping my God...and HE will grow me.

A rainy day on March 1st

I love days like this. I can't really explain why...I just do. It's like God knows exactly what we need. He knew on March 1, 2009 that planet earth needed rain. For reasons beyond our comprehension He saw this need. Either the ground was dry, people needed a day inside...I'm not sure.

I know that God is calling me to live in a different country. I have all these dreams of becoming a missionary...and then someday down the road hopefully a missionary mom. I'm so excited about what God will bring into my future. I am excited about going to College next year....but I read blogs and hear stories of families in the mission field right now.

I'm just imagining all the possibilities for missions that I would love to be apart of...
~Living in Africa and working with kids effected by aids
~Traveling across America to Inner cities working with women and their kids
~being homeless for a season sharing Gods love with others without shelter
~Settling in a foreign village town...going wherever God leads me....

Questions like
Would Jesus live in a house if He walked the earth today?
Would Jesus buy/drive a car?
What would His lifestyle look like?
Does He call all christians to follow His lifestyle?

I get really excited about just dreaming...I don't know where God will take me...but this is the adventure i'm living.

Thanks for reading my thoughts...
God is working hard on me in these last couple of days especially.