My heart

God brought this to my mind when I was driving to work this week. 

I know I am to give my heart to Him, to hand over my cares every day.  But do I hand my heart to Him, or toss it over my shoulder?  I think it makes a big difference.

Because He made me, He knows my heart.  He knows everything about me.  My failures, hurts, mistakes, longings, dreams, passions.  I am made in His image.  But sometimes I forget grace, and mercy, and His unconditional love.  I dishonor Him by thinking of myself as a piece of trash, tossing my heart over my shoulder like some disheveled valentine. 

Handing my heart to Jesus involves coming to Him with humility, knowing I am forgiven, yet also understanding that I am a sinner in need of grace, and constantly being made new by Him.  It hurts, sometimes.  Often I feel like Eustace, in the Voyage of The Dawn Treader, when Aslan must rip off his dragon scales in order to reveal the real Eustace.  It's horrible, at times, but so worth it when I appear more and more like Jesus after every trial. 

Here's to handing your heart to Jesus.

<3

Just You

Inspired by one of my professors at school, whom, though very unwilling, God spoke through today.

"Sometimes I am

Overwhelmed by

The voices

Of the world

Sometimes I

Wonder if

Your voice

Will ever

Break through

But then you

Astound me

As you use

The very lips

You created

To speak

Of you

Your creation

Your praise

Your love

Your passions

Your desires

Those lips

Are often unwilling

They often

Speak foul of you

But you use them

For Your glory

And they

Don’t even know

Vessels

That’s what we are

To be filled

With you

Your words

And you use us

Willing

Unwilling

For Your glory

The world

Suddenly seems

Brighter

Better

More beautiful

Holy

Worthy

Of you

Just

You"

By Chelsea copyright 2012

To The Ends Of The Earth...

I love musicals.  Mostly old musicals.  Seven Brides for Seven Brothers is one of my favorites.  There is a hilarious scene when the brothers have all come to a barn raising, and one by one, some single ladies from the village walk by, each asking if she can help carry anything to the tables.  One by one, the brothers each take one girl up on her offer, and carry the food to the table, while escorting her.  My favorite line is when one of the ladies says, “If you’ll just follow me….”  The brother responds with, “To the ends of the earth.” 

            Now, that scene is a bit dramatic, and if someone said that to me in real life, I imagine that I would probably gag from the line’s cheesiness.  But, it makes an excellent point if you think about it in terms of the Christian life.

            Jesus has called us to follow him.  Not just when we want to, feel like it, or when it’s most convenient.  We are to follow him always, to the ends of the earth.  This sets an example for what our relationships with others should be like as well.  We should be willing to follow each other to the ends of the earth, whether we are in a romantic relationship, or a friendship.  We should be willing to go to great lengths to serve and help one another, just as Jesus has done for us.  So what will you say the next time you hear that line?  Will you gag, or think about the deeper meaning, and smile?