daily blessings

On a daily basis I think of multiple things that I'd like to blog about.. but usually by the time I get to sit down in front of the computer I forget what they all are. Tonight I just want to brag on Jesus a bit and tell you about a few precious things that have been my blessings lately.

1. I brought my kitty, Delilah, here to live with me again! She's loving it, and I am not nearly as lonely with her around. Plus she's super self sufficient and really enjoys her "me time", so she doesn't mind at all when I'm at work for 13+ hours.

2. On a day off last week I got to spend quality time with my sweet friend Ada who I went to school and church with in Knoxville. Once again, we live in the same town [praise the Lord!]. We went to a pottery painting place and I painted this little jewel to kick off the fall season:

3. After not having seen anyone I lived with in Haiti for about 6 months, I got a surprise call and breakfast date with two of my favorite girls, Sarah and Willow!

4. I have been going to a small group of "young professionals" at New Vision Baptist Church where I've been warmly embraced by people who love the Lord and I am more than excited to get to know them better while we study this book on apologetics:

5. Tonight I got to join in online for the Live Link for Passion 2013. If you're not familiar with the Passion Movement, please please please click here and check it out. It's absolutely mind blowing what God is doing through this generation of believers!

6. I got a very thoughtful package in the mail today from one of my sisters [Cheney] with a happy birthday note [no, it's not my birthday. thats just how she rolls] and a stack of delicious chocolate chip cookies!



 7.. My patients this week at the hospital were extraordinarily precious. I was privileged to get to care for a very sick individual who is on hospice care and who had been so sick the doctors wrote an order for the nurse to pronounce at the bedside if she passed away. During my second shift with the patient, I got to witness a remarkable comeback...  this individual went from no appetite to drinking 3 Ensures plus a meal for breakfast, lunch and dinner, a bi-pap machine 24-7 to a nasal cannula for my whole shift, not really knowing what was going on to throwing a fit over her iron pill that had been discontinued a few days prior, and telling me the same stories every time I went in the room to literally cheering "C-H-E-L-S-E-Y CHELSEY! YAY, CHELSEY!!" every time she saw my face. It was priceless. I was reminded this week that in serving others and caring for them and their families in the most desperate, helpless, and scary times, I am truly walking on holy ground. [more to come on that at a later day]

And finally, the things to come: Titan's game with my Daddy and brother and KaLee on Sunday [I don't really care if we are any good or not... just happy to see some of the fam!]. Going home next week for the county fair, which is a guaranteed good time. Starting to decorate my apartment with crafty cheap things for Halloween and Fall. Moving on up the orientation ladder and getting 4 patients this coming week [pray for me.. 3 almost killed me haha]. And of course, just the everyday life and little blessings that show me in a HUGE way how much God loves me.

I was unlovely, and He called me lovely. I was unworthy, and He called me worthy. I had no place in the world, and now I have a place in the arms of the One who created the universe. What more could I possibly want?

Goodnight :)

raped by strangers.

This past week I was able to be a part of Passion 2012 in Atlanta, Georgia. If you've never heard of the Passion Movement or 268Generation, you should click here now. Then come back to this blog, of course, because it's important! :)

Basically, roughly 44,000 18-25 year olds gathered in the Georgia Dome to worship King Jesus and learn about Him and grow in Faith and encourage each other as brothers and sisters in Christ. To give you a short version... GOD MOVED.

The Passion Movement is centered around the idea that worship isn't just singing and praying and holding our hands in the air. Worship is JUSTICE. And Isaiah 61:8 says, "For I the Lord LOVE justice..."

Remember slavery back in the 1800s? Remember in school you learned about people being forced to do labor for others, being beaten and abused and treated like commodities rather than like people? Remember that feeling you got when you realized what slavery was of "I can't believe my people did that to other people"? Remember thinking "I can't believe it took people so long to realize how wrong that was. I'm glad it's over"?

What if I told you that there are more slaves in this world today than there have ever been at any other time. Would you believe that? Would you believe that there are over 27 million people who are being beaten. mistreated. forced to work. forced to have sex. used. all over the world? You might believe that. And you should, because it's true. Let me tell you a few more things about modern day slavery that are TRUE:

80% of slaves are women and children.

2500 women and children are sold every single day.

2 children are sold every minute.

The total market value of human trafficking today is $32 BILLION. This is more than Google, Starbucks, and Nike COMBINED.

In 1850, a slave cost about $40,000 in today's equivalent of money. Today a person can be bought for as little as $30.

You probably don't have much trouble believing that this is happening all over the world. India, China, Brazil, Pakistan, Bolivia, Greece, France, Bulgaria, Japan, Iran, Haiti, Uzbekistan, Bangkok. The list goes on and on. But let me tell you something else that is true.

there are over 200,000 slaves in AMERICA right this second. 

Would you believe that? Big cities like Miami, Florida. Dallas, Texas. Los Angeles, California. Portland, Oregon. Atlanta, Georgia. Toledo, Ohio. San Fransisco, California. Las Vegas, Nevada. Big cities with big international airports are major hubs for the sex trafficking of women and children as young as 4 years old.

This is real. And it is happening, right now. Possibly less than a mile from where you sit. Are we going to be a generation who sits by and lets this happen? Are we going to do nothing and ignore the problem, hoping it goes away? I have news... IT ISN'T GOING AWAY. In the next year another 70,000 slaves will be brought in to the USA from all over the world. They will be women and children just like your sisters or mothers or daughters or nieces. They will be put up in brothels and strip clubs and on street corners. They will be beaten. and abused. and USED. And it will happen right here, where we live.

We must raise our voices. We must stop watching and listening and thinking and talking... we must raise our voices and start STOPPING it. 44,000 young adults stood for freedom this past week. In 3 days, over $3 million dollars was raised to put towards organizations who are working tirelessly to bring justice and freedom to the people caught in modern day slavery. We stood together in silence and prayed to the God of the universe for justice to come, for freedom to come. And we know that it will. Freedom will one day come for every man being forced to harvest coffee beans. for every boy working in dangerous factories with no pay. for every woman being forced to stand on a street corner and sell herself. for every girl being repeatedly raped by strangers.

What will you do TODAY to stop the buying and selling of human beings?

Will you continue with your safe, happy life in silence?

Or will you RAISE YOUR VOICE, and DO SOMETHING.

Ignorance is not an excuse.

Indifference is not an option.

"O LORD, you hear the desire of the afflicted;
   you will strengthen their heart; you will incline your ear  

to do justice to the fatherless and the oppressed,
   so that man who is of the earth may strike terror no more"

  Psalm 10:17-18

comfort: granted

This week as I have been trying to discern what God's will for me is in Haiti and here in America, I have been overwhelmingly attacked with a feeling of hopelessness. I should have been ready, because it is when we are most faithful that Satan chooses to attack us. Consider the story of Job... When Satan comes to God with the request to attack Job, God states in 1:8 "Have you considered my servant Job? There is no one on earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears God and shuns evil." The more faithful we are, the more attention we attract from Satan. We must be prepared for this.

Anyway... I was overwhelmingly attacked with heavy feelings of hopelessness that I really struggled to shake. All week I have felt like a 20 lb weight has been tied to my waist, and I had trouble even getting out of bed for the heaviness that I felt. When I think of the people of Haiti, the various situations that I encountered there, it is heavy. I taught a "Life Lessons" class at a high school the day before Prom, and some of the students were just so lost and confused. Despite meaningful conversations and multiple blessings of good friends that God has given me this week, I still had a sense of weight that felt unbearable at times. It wasn't until last night and this morning that God has been so sweet to lighten my heart.

Last night I was able to go to the Calvary Student Ministry Night of Worship. It was an hour of songs and talk about serving others put together completely by high school students. I was refreshed to be reminded that there are still young people living and breathing for the glory of God. This morning, God woke me up early and I was able to have a quiet time with Christ before my busy day of classes began. I read Malachi, and found immense comfort in 4:2 that reads, "But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings." How exciting! That when the Son of Man comes to judge this world and destory all that is not of Him, the sun of righteousness will rise for me! And with rays of healing for me... to make me complete and take all of my heavy heart to Heaven. And not only for me, but for my brothers and sisters for whom my heart breaks daily, who I know are struggling and hurting. Healing will come for them too.

As if this verse and the time that I was able to spend with my Lord this morning were not enough, I went back in my room to get ready and turned on the radio to 88.3 KLOVE. The first song that played was "Reach" by Peter Furler, which I had never heard before. This song was such a blessing to me.. it brought tears to my eyes as God spoke to my heart through it and comforted me in such a tangible way. It is posted below, so take the time to listen please! My favorite part is the line that says "You hold the weight of the world, still I don't slip through Your hands." So many times I find myself despairing over the thought that God may have forgotten the people of Haiti, or the people in America who are hurting, or me. It is so comforting to be reminded that He ALWAYS has me and every single person in His hands.

[p.s. if you are readying this and have never visited my Haiti website, you can learn all about my trip at http://chelsinhaiti.weebly.com]

the call: answered (sometimes)

As many or most of you know, I am getting on a plane at 6am tomorrow bound for Port Au Prince, Haiti. Seeing as I have never traveled to a third world country, I'm slightly apprehensive but mostly just excited. There are so many people that we hear about on a daily basis struggling with the basic necessities of life. But it seems like the more we hear and see, the more calloused we become to the hardships of those around the world.

It could be that some people hear what is going on and are truly saddened, but when we think of something we can do it seems that any effort would be futile because the battle is so big. So, we choose to do nothing and try to push it out of our minds. I have to say I have been there, and remain there in some aspects of the world. But when I think about it, that is like a slap in the face to our God. It's like saying that He isn't big enough, and how can this be true when Isaiah 66:1 says "This is what the Lord says, "Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool. Where is the house you will build for me? Where will my resting place be?" The earth is what he props his feet on!! There is no way anything here is too big for Him. But thats hard to fathom, I know.

We go day to today (and by we, I mean I) trying to find the "balance" in life. Between friends and lovers, school and fun, work and play, church and life, comfortable and different, rich and poor, God and the world. We are fighting daily battles to be balanced people who function adequately in all areas of our lives. But what if its not about balance? I read recently that we should not focus on balance, but rather on obedience. What if we focused only on being obedient, and not on balancing everything? How much different would ours lives look! I know for me it would be a radical change.

Although I find myself sometimes discouraged by the troubles of the world, I am trying to rearrange my thinking to focus on obedience. In preparing for Haiti, I have been meditating on Isaiah 6:8 "Then the Lord said, 'Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?' then I said, 'Here I am Lord! Send me!'" What a beautiful attitude toward the Lord's call. So many times when I know the Lord is seeking someone to send (whether it be across the street to the neighbors, across town to the projects, or across the world to Africa), my response is more like "I'm here, and I will go if you force me I guess, but I'd really rather you choose somebody else!"

Who am I to choose whether I go or stay? As a follower of Christ, "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." Gal 2:20. My body, mind, and spirit is nothing but a tool that I have given to Christ to use however He sees fit, so who am I to choose? Really, who are we compared to the Almighty Father?