A Year in the Life of...

So I have this friend. If you know me, you probally know her or know of her. I am not going to be weird and say she completes me or anything, because she does play softball, but you get the picture. Anyways, I have a feeling it is not a very intelligent thing to let us hang out...by ourselves.

Jordan and I have had many an excurssion. But one trumps all. The Uk 1975 Anniversary game. As we approached Rump, we realized that this was the first time our parents had trusted us to go alone to Rump Arena (not really, we were just reminising of being young.)

As we approached the door we began to run because it was quite chilly outside. We made it into the little tunnel thing that connects the buildings together. We were laughing and talking, doing what girls do best. All of a sudden we came to the second door. Jordan tried to pull it open. She continued to pull and pull I went to pull and WHILE reading the PUSH sign said oh we need to push. Notice the fact that this was right after the "maturity" statement had been made.

The night continued on, but I will spare you details. However, that was only one night in our life. Other nights have consisted of Alexis Texas concerts in MY ROOM!, Sonic adventures, many a long talks till 2 am if not later, STORMIN MORMON BASKETBALL.......

I have to go in detail here. Jordan plays on a basketball team called Stormin' Mormons. I mean I am laughing so hard I am crying still. Really it's great.

She parked on a railroad, I broke my arm IN HALF doing a cartwheel. She thought a plane was a shooting star, I called Tubby Smith, Toby Smith. She is addicted to Grey's Anatomy, I am obsessed with ONE TREE HILL! She plays sophball, I...........jog occasionally. She falls down stairs, SO DO I!

All in all we are a pretty good pair. I say that with as much un"softball" humor as possible. But seriously, should two individuals with about one brain BETWEEN them be allowed to spend as much time together in trechorous situations? you be the judge...

When we are weird in the right ways, and normal in the right ways. When we are different from the culture and actually take a stand. The world will shake their heads, some will condemn, and others laugh at us. But Jesus will smile."

Connector...

So I am constantly amazed at just how big our God is.

Maybe it is just me, but I have a feeling it's not. Ever so OFTEN I get these moments, where God shows me something one moment, and the next connects it too another. It's like this: I will read verse and totally not get the meaning of it at all. The next Sunday, the whole lesson is on that verse. CONNECTOR! When you do a devotion, and then Kenneth preaches on the same topic, just to say..."hey you know what I told you earlier, right on the money."

How cool that My Father, My Best Friend, My closest Friend, knows everything about the future, and becusae He loves me He decides to let me in pieces by pieces. Until it makes just one clear picture. Sometimes it takes a day or two, others a weeek, some a year, and I am sure He is doing it all the way through my life. I go back to my theory of stars, they make one huge picture. Promise they do, but we can only see one section at a time. It's like that in life, God connects each piece slowly.

I know through out these last view months, I have had certain issues that at the time seemed impossible or just incredibly stupid. Later on though, it is ONLY through that exact issue I hated, God has opened an oppruntunity to shine for His Glory and His alone. He is so soverign in ALL He does. And He does this time after time. But we miss it when, I, miss my time with Him. He can't connect our dots if we don't make the effort to have a dot to connect. (lack of a devo)

Perfect example, today and probablly yesterday I had just been struggling through some thoughts and meditating on what God wanted or was doing. And to be honest felt lonely with this issue, like no one would really get it. Got a phone call and my best friend was going through the same thing. Like exactly. To the tee. (ps college decisions stink for planner girls) So I say all this to say. God is totally in control and knows exactly what He is doing. I thank Him for making Himself even cooler by showing us these truths when we ask. ASK HIM! He gives "generously" to those who ask. James 1:5..."without finding fault." I have tons of faults, but like Francis said so clearly...He loves me, so He just wants our honesty and obediance. He WILL do the rest, cuz trust me...He IS able!



PS...cookies (or brownies) for the person to name why I chose a butterfly for the picture.

Creator...

So it's taken me some time to sit down and write for various reasons, but one topic has not left my mind since Passion last weekend. I have constantly been reminded of the lessons I learned in DC. One thing I loved was Louis talking about the stars. Anyone who gets to know me knows that I love stars, moon, sun, etc. Kinda funny how all my life, I have loved these things ever since I was little. I think the main reason that I have loved them is because of jsut how huge they are in comparison with who I am. I constantly have thought wow! I have heard all my life how creation groans and screams in retrospect of its Creator. Until last weekend, this didn't sink in. They are screaming, "HUGE GOD!" "BIG CREATOR!" "HUGE GOD!"

As I was driving back from Elizabethtown this weekend, the sky was perfectly clear. I saw all these stars and all I could think was "HUGE GOD!" "AWESOME CREATOR!" The amazing part to me is that that same Creator, 1-created me. But even better - He loved me. That in and of itself I have heard my entire life. But to meditate on that thought like Francis talked about was just unbelieveably life changing. That I, Chelsea Ball, am loved by GOD. Hello, that's tight. And when I truly grasp that I am changed in more than one area.

One quote that FINALLY helped me grasp the love of God was, "God created the world, then God stepped down into His creation to redeem what we had messed up so that we could glorify God.''

Wrap your mind around that. God created, then stepped into His creation. He came to us to redeem our screw ups. HI! THAT'S cool. But then we get the chance to love Him back. He had every right to make us slaves, but instead He made us free. Wow!

I know I rambled, but hey that's just a sneak peak of some of the truths I got from Passion that hadn't been touched on!