A penny for your

Thought. A common thing people have, I know mine are sometimes... well you can fill in the blank. Now I know I haven't posted in a while and this will not do justice, but I just had an awesome thought and thought I would post a brief blog before I went to bed...

So I think we all have that place where we do our ''thinking'' whether it be the park, your job, your car, wherever. I have three. The first is my car. Shrek had many a moments where I pondered life. But nothing beats driving the backroads, the long way home from work, or just driving out in the middle of no where (watch out for animals) but just being alone. You and God. Nothing beats it. For me, I put in Jeremy Camp and I am good. I know random, but still. The words almost always help and I just clear my head. Another good one is Matthew West, but hey thats just me.

Second is on my back porch. This may seem really weird, and for any girls who use to watch the "torkelsons" (spell check) you may remember the girl talking to "the man in the moon" but for me just being outside under the stars ....''HUGE GOD!" helps me to understand what God's will really is. I guess it's something about being out in the creation that helps me connect with the Creator, but truly it helps.

Lastly, and way random is the shower. I know weird, but once again your alone. I remember once, the only time I saw this cousin cry, a few years ago I was at my cousin's house, and her mom and her had gotten into it and I believe so did her dad. But anways, she had just gotten out of the shower, but an hour later when this fight happened she got back in. I remember her brother saying "she does that when she gets upset." I'll never forget that, but I truly understand why. Your alone, it doesn't matter if your talking to yourself, singing, or bawling your face off. No one knows. But it can also be a time to connect with God if you cry out to Him in your despair.
(I know how weird this may sound)

I say all this to say that we all have our spots where we connect with God, but I was pondering one thought that I still think is awesome. You may not, heck you probablly won't... but this isn't your blog and I have links to the left where you can go for other's if you would like...>

but anyways, my thought is this: I heard some speaker guy or girl say once, and probablly more than one of them say this, "girls should do a character study through out the Bible, on the men who had a passion after God, who walked with Him, who knew Him, and loved Him. We as girls should take those characteristics and develop what we use to shape our expectations for guys."

As I was reading today, I noticed that all of my favorite books were written by one author. Paul. As Jordan and Caroline found out at Dnow, I have these passages that I LOVE! I can only quote them because they are all I read in the whole Big Book, (I know, I know I'm working on it) but it is always Galatians, Ephesians, Colosians, Phillipians, but most recently a inward desire to read Acts and Corinthians. I noticed tonight that they are all by Paul.

The funny thought I had though after reading some of Paul's powerful words ( and I know this is weird) but was that he was single. I know it's a no brainer, but it just stopped me in my thoughts. So many times us as girls, or at least the majority of my thoughts and the girls that i talk to constantly resort to dating, or relationships, or how lack of one. But 13 books aren't about that. Sure I know there are bits in there, but that's not what it's about. It's about The Gospel. Life is about the Gospel. Our ministry is about The Gospel. Not our Relationship status on Facebook.
This could be a whole other post for all girls out there (and probablly will be at a future point) but I am just amazed at how one man whose words I love have a characteristic just like me. I know it's small and even smaller to you readers, but for some reason, it's a thought that I just love.
The characteristics of this man, the character maybe these speakers were talking about wasn't about dating, marriage, and/or relationships. But about Christ. As should all believers. I believe when we wrap our minds around this truth a certain freedom comes about. "Our Chains are Gone...and in more than one way!''

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!

Why

Berfore I post, I'd like to preface, that I am not posting lyrics again, but I really did love this song. Maybe you'll understand why! (pun)

So I found a song by Nichole Nordeman called "Why" and it was really slow so I almost didn't give it a chance. After listening to the whole 6 minute story, I was really forced to think and ponder the words. The song talks about a little girl riding with her dad on the day of Passover through Jerusalem, as she nears the down she sees a crowd rushing and shouting. She asks her father,

"Daddy why are they screaming,
why are the faces of some of them beaming,
why is he dressed in that bright purple robe,
I bet that crown hurts him more then he shows.
Daddy please can't you do something, he looks as if he's gunna cry.
You said he was stronger than all of those guys.
Daddy please tell me why,
why does everyone want Him to die.

She then tells how her dad sent her into the house because a storm was coming, but this girl wasn't scared so she followed the crowds to a place where she knew people had been killed and she heard a voice come from the cross:

"Father why are they screaming,
Why are the faces of some of them beaming,
Why are they casting their lots for my clothes,
this crown of thorns hurts me more than it shows.
Father, please can't you do something, I know that you must hear my cry,
I thought I could handle a cross of this size,
Father REMIND me why,
why does everyone want me to die...

My precious Son, I hear them screaming,
I'm watching the face of the enemy beaming
Soon I will clothe you in robes of my own,
Jesus this hurts me much more than you know
But this dark hour I must do nothing, though I've heard Your unbearable cry.
The power in your blood destroys all the lies,
soon you will understand why.....

See that girl there trembling by her father's side,
She is why you had to die!

I am why HE had to die.

As I listened to this song, I truly began to imagine the cross as more than just a story out of a book. I know that may seem stupid seeing as how I am going on 18 years old, saw the passion, have grown up in church, and A SONG put it into visual for me.
But it was the first time that I realized how much Jesus cared. True I know He didn't question the cross or "why" he was doing it. But He went through all that pain for me. for you. and to see it in the words of this song, as a little girl asking her daddy why, just amazed me. For Jesus to cry almost the same words to the Father, just put into picture how much like you and me he truly was, he felt pain, he felt loneliness, and he had questions he wanted answers to...but he also saw the bigger picture. Now it's our turn to look past our "little, tiny crosses" and look to The Cross.

Not so happytimes...

As I started this post I would like to begin by showing you a bit of who I am. I am the type girl or in general the type of person who likes plans. I like to know what is going to happen, when it is supposed to happen, etc. When things do not go according to this plan, however, I still need an explaination. As I was reading David Nasser's A Call To Die (highly recommended) I came across a portion today that I really liked how it made me think:


So we've all asked those questions or had someone ask,
Why does God let us go through suffering?
Why doesn't God, my Savior just make this pain end?
Why is this happening to me?
What did I do wrong?

"Pain produces character in our lives like no amount of pleasure possibly can. Failure and rejection force us to seek God's face just as Moses did. When we go to him in desperation, our ears and our hearts are more open to him than ever before. In that face-to-face encounter, God can expose and purge away impurities in our behavior and our motivations. We see our selfishness as nev er before, and we also experience God's grace as never before. failure and rejection have a way of striping us of dependence on our own abilities. We realize we can't accomplish a thing apart from God's direction and power. As our motives are purified and our faith grows, we are better able to rest in and trust in God's hands. This will allow us to become more useful in his loving hands."

I think that says it all. Now you know why.
Romans 5:3 Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us.