The Door

Pastor Vanderpool preached this morning about the gate talked about in John 10:1-11 and the concept of entering the gate.  He used the analogy of a door, and the theme of the sermon was this:  the purpose of a door is to shut something behind us and to open something to us.

Jesus said in verse 7 that He is the gate, that He is the door.  So the question that was asked was:  what are we shutting behind us as we enter the abundant life through Jesus?  Paul says that in Christ we are a new creation; the old has gone and the new has come.

Vanderpool told the story of a young man that is a part of our church family that underwent a horrific tragedy last year.  He was only 19 years old, and as a result of a careless night of drinking and driving, he lost his two best friends in an accident when his car hit a pole, was airborne and flew into a house and burst into flames.  He was burned in the inferno, spent months in a coma and undergoing painful skin grafts and was charged for the deaths of his friends.  He was sentenced to nine years in prison only a month ago, and I remember when this happened.  In this midst of all that has gone on, he wrote a letter to his dad about his inner struggle.  He was dealing with incredible guilt over what took place, and knew that he did not deserve to follow Christ.  Through the pain, God was able to work in his heart to let go of the enormous guilt and replace it with a passion for living abundantly following Christ.

As the sermon concluded, Vanderpool closed with this thought:  A door means absolutely nothing unless you use it.

As I was listening, I was thinking through all the things that hold me back from truly following Christ.  I think about the passionate life that I know God is calling me to live and I wonder what it is that stands in the way.  What is it that I need to shut the door on in my life so I can go forward into the life that God has called me to live?  What do I need to let go of?

First, my insecurity.  Although this has gotten a lot better in the past year or so, there are some things that I just need to decide to put out of my thoughts.  It’s not about worth, and life is not about earning something.  It is about becoming all God desires for us through His strength and power.  It is about falling in love with God and living life in relationship with Him.  It shouldn’t matter to me if so and so doesn’t approve of this or that in my life, and I shouldn’t be so focused on pleasing everyone around me.  My life needs to be solely measured and lived in the grace of God, and my heart must learn how to see through His eyes, and His eyes alone.

Second, my fear.  I have lived my life completely dominated by fear for so long.  Some fear is rational, but there comes a point when it truly stands in the way of following God.  God doesn’t always ask us to do rational things, and quite frankly, living like Jesus taught is a pretty foreign concept in our culture and world for that matter.  I need to choose to put fear behind me as I step forward in following Christ.

Third, my will.  Exercising has been a great lesson for me in sacrificing my will.  Everything inside me tells me that I have earned my keep before I even make it to the gym, but I know I must go anyway.  Five minutes into the workout, my body tells me it’s done doing that and wants to do something else.  I stay anyway.  I do this because I made a commitment before God that I would take care of myself physically.  It may sound like a selfish thing, but this is what He has called me to do this summer:  to focus on being holistically healthy before Him.  This is my act of worship.  This carries over into other areas of my life.  How often do I feel God asking me to spend time with Him, and I really want to do something else so I put it off, knowing that He’ll be there later?  How often does God wake me up in the middle of the night wanting to spend time with me, but I go back to sleep anyway?  I become so frustrated at my laziness, and every day I have been asking God to discipline me to listen and respond in obedience to His voice.  I want to put my will aside, so that even in the little things and as they become larger, I will be able to follow His will.

Fourth, my desire to not be alone.  A couple nights ago is a perfect example of this.  I had a pretty bad nightmare and I woke up suddenly and pretty freaked out.  As I was walking around my apartment, I heard a sound that continued and for some reason, I concluded that the apartment below me might be on fire.  Later, looking back on this, I probably reasoned this because that is one of my greatest fears:  fire.  As I was up, the thought crossed my mind, “I wish I didn’t live alone.”  I realized right then that this was something that I needed to give to God.  Even though I have to constantly give this to Him, some days are harder than others.  Every night before I go to bed as I pray for my future husband (if there is one), I also pray that God would make my passion first and foremost to following Him.  I want to fall in love with Jesus and truly be found in Him.  Sometimes when I wish that I could share life with someone, I must learn to take joy in sharing that life with God.

So if I could truly let go and let God, these would be the things that I would shut the door to.  And today, I choose to do that.

Now, for the other side of the coin, what am I opening the door to?  What does a passionate and abundant life in Christ look like?

This morning at church we sang the song that the David Crowder Band made popular called, “How He Loves.”  Such a powerful, powerful song.  Here are the lyrics:

And He is jealous for me, loves like a hurricane, I am a tree

Bending beneath the weight of His wind and mercy

When all of a sudden I am unaware of these afflictions

Eclipsed by glory and I realize just how beautiful You are

And how great Your affections are for me

And oh, how He loves us, oh

Oh, how He loves us, how He loves us all

And we are His portion and He is our prize

Drawn to redemption by the grace in His eyes

If His grace is an ocean, we’re all sinking

And heaven meets earth like an unforeseen kiss

And my heart turns violently inside of my chest

I don’t have time to maintain these regrets

When I think about the way

Oh, how He loves us, oh

Oh, how He loves us, how He loves us all

How He loves

The thought struck me as I walked into church this morning how I sit amongst a people that I don’t even know.  I’ve been going to this church for over a year now, and there are still so many people I have never met and I don’t even know their names.  As I thought about the deep love that God has for us, and how He not only knows the names of everyone in the world, but He also knows how many hairs are on their heads, every experience they have had, and every tear that they have cried.  He knows the longings of their hearts and the things that they’ve never told anyone.  Amidst all that, it is not just knowledge to God; it is a deep passion and love for what matters to us that draws Him in, and likewise us to Him.  It’s amazing to me to even think about.  It’s so big that I can’t even fathom.

And yet, God calls us to love as He has loved us.  Does that start with a glimmer in my eye?  Does that start with looking at a person, not as someone that I do not know, but as someone that God intimately knows and loves?  Shouldn’t that make me want to know them too?  When I talk to someone, I don’t want to simply have a conversation; I want to choose to focus my eyes between the lines, seeking for their heart, and being passionate about the things that make them who they are.  What if I lived my life like that every day?  What if I talked to everyone I meet that way?  Surely that would be exhausting.  However, when we step out in faith that God will provide the strength we need to live as He has called us to live, that is when we experience the miraculous peace that passes all understanding.  We will walk and not grow weary; we will run and not be faint.

That is how I want to live.  I want to love as I have been loved:  extravagantly.  This life is not about me, it is all about Him.

Yesterday I had lunch with a friend, and somehow we got on the subject that I want to be cremated.  She was pretty intrigued by this and asked me to explain.  It was hard to do, because I’ve never explained it before, but it’s a really deep desire of mine.

I actually have a lot of reasons for this.  First, I will start by saying that I want my ashes to be spread over the ocean.  This seems kind of funny since I grew up in Nebraska and I live in Kansas.  However, the ocean has always had a very significant spiritual place in my heart.  And someday, Lord willing, I will not live in Kansas, but somewhere a little wetter.

For me, it has everything to do with the subject of “the old has gone and the new has come.”  I have realized how much I have put God in different boxes in my life, and consequently put limits on myself.  God’s love is like the ocean:  vast and deep.  In fact, man has gone to the moon, but we haven’t even explored the entire depth of the ocean.  There is so much more to God’s love that we haven’t even known.  There is something confining about a coffin, something that I don’t believe that we were created for.  We were created to be free and to swim in the depths of His ocean of love.  If you’ve ever stood on the beach as the sun sets, it’s like time doesn’t even matter anymore.  That’s like death.  It’s really only in this life that time matters.  After it is over and the sun has set, everything freezes in time and space and there’s just peace.  The water grows calm and the light of the moon reflects perfectly over the water.  I want to lose myself in His love.  I want to ride the waves of His mercy.  I want to experience His grace that falls like rain on the open water.  I want to truly be free in Him, free from everything that kept me captive.  Just like ashes in the ocean, I want to be found only in Him.  On that final day, I don’t want to rise from a box.  I want to rise from the depths of His love.

And there’s something about water that is pure.  When things are washed in the water, they become clean.  Think about how powerful water is.  A wave crashes against a rock mightily and roars like a lion.  Everything that was once dirty and ugly is pulled out to sea to who knows where.  The castles in the sand are gone within minutes, and a new day begins.  That is like death.  Suddenly life is gone, but death in Christ is only a new beginning.  The old has gone; the new has come.  Eternity in the presence and love of God begins.  How amazing is THAT?

In one of my classes in college, one of our first assignments we had was to write in one short phrase the inscription we would put on our tombstone; one statement that we wish to define our lives.  I still remember what I wrote to this day.  I want my tombstone to say:  She loved God and others deeply.  I want love to be the defining purpose of every moment of my life.

So this is the door:  Jesus.  I choose to close the door to my insecurity, fear, will and desires and open the door to living in the depths of God’s love.

Tears of the Saints

Today as I was driving to the bank, I was listening to the radio.  They were talking about the earthquakes in Spain today and the floodwaters of the Mississippi heading further south.  So much has been happening in the world lately.  I don’t think so many things of this magnitude have happened together...ever.  Kinda interesting to think about, especially from a Biblical concept.  I guess every generation has thought they were going to be the ones to see Jesus come back, and so far, they have been wrong.  All this is hitting me strangely, the thought that it might be close.  Initially, I was making jokes about it, but the more the thought lingered, the sadder I became.

After all these reports on the radio, the song came on “O Glorious Day.”  I thought about the words to that song, praising the thought of Jesus coming back and how amazing that day is going to be.  I began to entertain the thought, “I wonder how amazing God thinks that day is?  So many people will from that moment on live forever without Him, and He without them.  I wonder how that makes Him feel?”

Think about how precious God made every person.  I immediately thought about some of the waiters and waitresses I know from the restaurant I go to, who are nowhere close to knowing God that I can tell.  I thought about how much I care about them.  I remember when I thought my friend was leaving, and I was very sad that after a week I might never see him again.  It turns out that he stayed, but I wonder how sad we allow ourselves to become over the thought of eternity...their eternity without God.  And to think that in a moment...in the blink of an eye, the clock will strike midnight and there is no longer a choice to be made.  This reality ends and a new reality begins.  That day will be good for many of us, but not everyone by far.

I went home and changed my clothes and headed to the gym.  As I was on the treadmill, the song came on my IPod by Leeland called “Tears of the Saints.”  I listened to the song at least twice and the words totally struck me and broke my heart.  Here are the lyrics:

There are many prodigal sons
On our city streets they run
Searching for shelter
There are homes broken down
People's hopes have fallen to the ground
From failures

This is an emergency!

There are tears from the saints
For the lost and unsaved
We're crying for them come back home
We're crying for them come back home
And all your children will stretch out their hands
And pick up the crippled man
Father, we will lead them home
Father, we will lead them home

There are schools full of hatred
Even churches have forsaken
Love and mercy
May we see this generation
In it's state of desperation
For Your glory

This is an emergency!

Sinner, reach out your hands!
Children in Christ you stand!
Sinner, reach out your hands!
Children in Christ you stand!

And all Your children will stretch out their hands
And pick up the crippled man
Father, we will lead them home
Father, we will lead them home

I know that I cringe at the word “sinner”.  I guess it’s one of those churchy words that people immediately close their minds to.  However, how else do you describe it?  It is the reality of us all. 

I don’t know that I would consider myself a saint by any stretch of the imagination, but I wonder if true tears have fallen from my eyes for the prodigal sons, the broken, and the generation that I live in every day.  Does my heart break enough for me to do something about it?  I guess that is something that I am praying about.

To My Mom

I’ve been trying all day to figure out how to wish you a happy Mother’s Day.  I guess I’m not quite sure how to do it, or how to portray how blessed I am to have you as a mom.

I don’t know why you had just one kid.  That will never make sense to me.  You and dad are amazing parents.  I know that I was not the easiest child to raise, but I hope that you’re pleased.  Mom, I always knew that I was super important to you, even though sometimes our relationship wasn’t so smooth.  I definitely had my defiant streak in high school, and you still put up with me.  Even in college, I remember times when I did not treat you well, and I even committed to live abroad for a few months before even telling you I was thinking about it.  I remember that conversation, and I know that I hurt you badly.  Being sick for so long has put a lot of strain on you I know, and I’m sure it is hard for you to live so far away.  It is hard for me too, but I don’t tell you that very often.

It took me a long time to realize what a treasure I have in you.  You know me better than anyone in the world by far, and you still love me.  You’ve seen the ugliest sides of me and you still love me.  I am always doing things to rock your world, and yet you are still my biggest fan.  You have always been there for me through everything, and I have no idea what I would ever do without you.  Your support, your encouragement, your wisdom...I could not have made it without them.

I guess growing up I was always afraid of being a disappointment to you.  In a lot of ways, I let this come between us and our relationship and I’m sorry.  I don’t think I’ll ever be half the homemaker you are, even though secretly, and I never told you this either, I want to be.  You are such a hard worker and you are so disciplined all the time.  The entire sky could be falling, as it often has, and the dishes still get done before you go to bed.  Sometimes it would be midnight and everyone else was asleep, and you would be up finishing cleaning.  I want to be like that someday.

Everyone knows you as a very comforting person.  I don’t know how many times as a kid we would be the last people out the door of the church because someone was crying and telling you all they were going through, and you would always cry with them.  You let your heart break for others, and whenever someone was sick or someone died, you would be the first one to make them or their family a meal and cookies...and of course, banana bread.  In fact, I know first-hand this side of you.  I know that every time I am sick and I am hours away from you...all I want is for you to be here.  Whenever my heart is broken or I have a bad day at work, or a good day for that matter, I call you.  I can tell you anything.  There’s just something about talking to you that makes things better.

You always remembered people’s birthdays and anniversaries and sent them cards every year.  I remember our calendar being lined with names on nearly every day, and you sitting for hours at the end of each year writing them all down on next year’s calendar.  You keep AMAZING track of our family, and I thought this was normal until I went to college and realized some people didn’t know every single person they are related to four degrees away.  Family has always been so important to you, and you stay involved in EVERYONE’S lives.  This is so impressive.  Every Christmas we pass around all the Christmas letters sent from everyone, and all the pictures we receive are put on the wall.  Because of this, I know so many people that I have never met.

You were always trying to teach me things I didn’t want to learn, specifically cooking, budgeting, and organization.  I often wondered how one person could be so good at so many things.  I was having trouble remembering my name.  You were always involved in everything dad was involved in, including leading the youth group and caring for the teenagers there.  You always make it to several of the sports, drama, and musical activities of your youth group members.  When you and dad talk about them, it’s like I have a TON of siblings, because you care about them like they’re your own kids.  And when everybody in the church comes to you complaining about this, that, or the other thing, you always listen.  You perhaps have always been the most informed person in our community, but everyone knows that what they tell you goes no further.  Gossip has never been a part of your activities, and was always forbidden in our family.  Thank you for instilling this in me at a young age.

You are like super mom, but also the best friend that I have ever had.  I’ve had a lot of other “best friends”, and they have truly been important to me.  However, they haven’t been through all this or loved me nearly as much as you.  You always support me, even if you don’t always agree with me...and this is something that I am finding out is not the case all the time.  Some of my closest friends have experienced the opposite.  Thank you for standing by my side through everything, for always praying for me, and encouraging me to be everything God made me to be.  You had dreams for me, but God’s dreams for me were always the most important to you.  And you taught me how to make that the most important thing for me too.

So...happy Mother’s Day.  Thanks for being my mom.  Not that you had much choice in the matter, but you did and do a really good job.  I hope someday I can be half the mom and the wife that you are.  Thank you for being not only a great example for me to follow, but for continuing to walk with me through these crazy years.  I think I have the best mom in the world.

Matthew Chapter 3: A Voice Calling in the Desert

Matthew chapter 3 is about John the Baptist and how his ministry and Jesus’ ministry meet.  I have always been really intrigued by John.  What a unique and amazing calling he had.  He was the one the prophet Isaiah talked about when he said a man would come like “a voice of one calling in the desert, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.’”  I wonder what it would be like to be the actual fulfillment of prophecy!

I think we all have experienced times in our lives (or will someday) when it seems like the reassurance and presence of God that we so long for is far away and unattainable.  We could compare these times to a desert, devoid of nourishing water and sand that goes as far as the eye can see in every direction.  The blazing sun is hot and we grow weary, longing for shelter.  It can seem like the desert is meaningless, and truly it might be if we have not experienced the living water of Jesus, from His well that does not run dry, even in places like the desert.

John went through the desert, both literally and figuratively.  Near the end of his life he was in prison, and he sent some of his disciples to ask Jesus for sure if He was the Messiah.  As Jesus confirmed this to them, He defended John to the people listening around Him.  “What did you go out in the desert to see?  A reed swayed by the wind?  If not, what did you go out to see?  A man dressed in fine clothes?  No, those who wear fine clothes are in kings’ palaces.  Then what did you go out to see?  A prophet?  Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet...I tell you the truth:  Among those born of women there has not risen anyone greater than John the Baptist; yet he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he(Matthew 11: 7-11, parts).”

Jesus did not admonish John for his time of doubt, but reinforced his faith and built his reputation in the eyes of the people.  Everyone goes through desert times, when we question if the truth we have held onto is the one that really matters.  However, like John, our calling is still the same:  to be a voice calling in the desert:  Prepare the way for the Lord!  Like John, we must be reeds that stand strong in the winds of doubt, not easily swayed by the difficulties and storms that wish to destroy us.  We are called, even in the desert, to make straight a way for Jesus to come through the pathway of our lives and for others to see Him through us.  What an amazing calling that is!

Who is least in the kingdom of heaven?  Jesus says plainly that it is the one who is the servant of all.  If there’s anything that is true about desert times, it is the fact that those times seem to reduce us to nothing.  John the Baptist said, “He must become greater, I must become less (John 3:30).”  Paul talks a lot about weakness, and the power of God showing itself best through those times.  It all depends on our attitude in the desert.  Do we pull ourselves inside of our own little world, living in a pity party of “why me?”  This is definitely easy to do.  Or do we turn our lives outward, rejoicing in our low position as an opportunity to serve others as Jesus did?  Will we die to ourselves and humbly accept the cross that Christ has allowed us to bear for the sake of His name?  Will we pick up the towel and the basin and wash the feet of those around us?  What an honor it is to bear Christ’s name, whatever that may mean!  What an example we have of John the Baptist, who laid down his very life for the love of his Savior.  He did not let the desert time weaken his resolve to give all for his Lord.  He prepared the way for the Lord until his final breath.

What will be the story of your life?  Will you, like John, be a voice calling in the desert?  Will you prepare a straight path for Christ to shine through you?  Will you be like Jesus, taking the nature of a servant?  Will you follow the example of John, who became less so that Jesus could become greater?  Even when it seems like there is sand in every direction as far as the eye can see, choose to drink the living water from the well of Jesus that will never run dry.  Choose to trust the God who has always proven Himself faithful in your life.  And hold on, because even in the longest night, dawn is on its way.

Matthew 2: When God Trusts Man

In chapter 2 we read about the Magi coming from the East to see baby Jesus, and consequently Joseph, Mary, and the baby having to flee the country.  There are two things that really hit me about this passage:  the fact that God trusted humans with a gift so precious, and the meaningless question of “What if?”

Have you ever thought about how crazy it is that God came as a baby, the most helpless form of humanity?  The God of the Universe in human form, entrusted to the care of 16 and 13 year olds.  I don’t know about you, but teenagers...eh...enough said.  Also, the Magi’s coming alerted the entire city of Jerusalem and put its rulers on edge, yet God still honored their journey and allowed them to see the Christ child.  They could have chosen to ignore the dream and go back to Herod, putting the child in even more danger.  Yet God still trusted them enough to allow them to see the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords.

And what if?  What if the Magi never made the journey?  Maybe Herod would never have known about Jesus.  Maybe Messiah could have grown up having a normal childhood in Bethlehem.  Even moreso, the other children that were killed on His behalf once Herod realized he’d been outwitted would have lived and grown up like they should have been able to.  Why would a loving God allow something so horrific just for the sake of a few wise guys getting to see baby Jesus?  Maybe this leads us to the crazy question:  why would God send His Son into the world to begin with?  To whom was His Son a gift?

It always amazes me that the two people groups that were invited to Jesus’ birth were the shepherds and the Magi.  From the lowest of society to the most respected, His coming was for everyone.  Perhaps it was Herod who was entrusted with the knowledge of Jesus’ birth.  He came for Herod as well.  Surely God would not give the ultimate gift of salvation and keep the recipients in the dark.  He was in control of everything, and would keep His Son safe.  And what about the children who lost their lives and the families who suffered?  Well, the subject of suffering has been the ultimate question since the dawn of time.  Our struggles and questions aren’t much different thousands of years later.  However, the truth remains:  God is not surprised and He is in control.

What has God entrusted to you?  Will you be like the Magi, who journeyed hundreds of miles for one night with the Son of God, and valued the voice of God whom they had not seen over King Herod who posed a great threat?  Or will you be like Herod, who heard the good news, yet felt threatened that someone more powerful than him had been born.  He sought to destroy the very Giver of life.  Stop looking back and asking “What if?” to all the things that have happened, and join with God in asking the question, “What next?”

Matthew 1: What's In A Name?

When I read Matthew chapter 1, there were many important things that we could talk about, but the thing that stuck out to me the most was the naming of Jesus.  Do you ever find it interesting that the angel didn’t just come and tell Mary and Joseph that they were going to have a special child that is God Himself and will save the world, but he also told them what specifically to name the child:  Jesus (Jehovah saves).  Then, the angel takes it one step further and tells them what their child will be called (in accordance with the prophecy of Isaiah):  Immanuel.  Immanuel means “God with us.”  Doesn’t that just take your breath away?

Most of us hear the story of salvation and intellectualize it, probably because we’ve heard it a million times.  Yeah, God put on skin and came down, died on a cross and rose from the dead.  And yay, we have eternal life.  Think about what we just said:  GOD put on skin.  He came to us when we could not come to Him.  You know why we could not come to Him?  He is holy, and we are not.  If we ever entered His presence without being cleansed with the blood of Jesus, we would be crushed.  The Almighty God of the ENTIRE UNIVERSE who created the heavens and the earth, not to mention US, who breathed life into every creature and plant, put our planet into motion with day and night, and literally COUNTLESS other things PUT ON SKIN and came to us.  Immanuel:  GOD WITH US.  WOW. 

I am told that my name (Chelsea) means “safe harbor.”  I don’t think my parents knew that when they named me, but maybe they did, I don’t know.  It’s interesting when I look at my calling and what I deeply desire to do to my life:  to care for orphans.  Essentially, I want to provide a “safe harbor” for them from the people and the things that wish to cause them harm.  Intriguing, is it not?

I look at my dad’s name:  David.  David in the Bible was known as a man after God’s own heart.  I definitely see this in my dad.  He doesn’t command attention, but faithfully serves and maintains his relationship with God.  Ever since I was little, I knew that if I woke up before my dad went to work, I would find him in his rocking chair reading the Bible.  Every single day.  As far as I know, he has never missed an appointment to this day.

In the United States, we don’t necessarily name our children based on who we want them to become.  We think, “oh this name sounds pretty” and occasionally we will name someone after someone else who is important to us, but we don’t pay too much attention to the meaning.  This is definitely not the case in many other cultures, especially in Hebrew culture.  Ever since the time of Abram, naming a child was a BIG deal.  Isaac means laughter, because Sarai laughed when she heard that she was going to have a child in her old age.  Esau means “hairy”, well, because he had a lot of hair.  Jacob means “deceiver”, which comes to be true of his character later on in his life when he tricks his father into giving him the blessing which belonged to the eldest son.  However, the naming thing becomes even more radical.

God was always giving His people “new names.”  Abram became Abraham.  Sarai became Sarah (which is a vast improvement, good for You, God).  Jacob becomes Israel.  They all have deep meanings.  God not only gave them prophetic names in the beginning, but also redeeming names as they committed to following Him.  Do you remember how Jacob’s name meant “deceiver”?  Yes, he was a deceiver, but God is a redeemer.  He changed his name to Israel, which means, “he struggles with God.”  Even beyond this, when he wrestled with God that night at Peniel, God said to him, “Your name will no longer be Jacob, but Israel, because you have struggled with God and with men and have overcome.”  That’s pretty cool.  Names must be pretty important to God.

Well, I have decided that I am not going to name all my children with strong names.  I don’t want war to break out in our house.  However, it goes much deeper than that.  We are given new identities when we follow Christ.  We may still be called by the name we’ve had our entire lives, but we now bear the name of Christ, and that is an honor and a responsibility.  Can you imagine the Savior of the world entrusting His very name to US?  I think of how many times I have failed Him.  However, God isn’t looking for perfection.  He is looking for a heart that is willing to be transformed...or maybe a better word for it is:  REDEEMED.  In Spanish, we don’t often say “my name is such and such”; it is translated literally “I call myself such and such.”  That’s pretty significant.  What is your name?  Or better yet:  what do you call yourself?

Here's What I'm Gonna Do

-Go to Lifeway and buy a Bible that I can seriously mark up and destroy like only Chelsea can do

-Spend at least this summer in deep prayer and evaluation with God of who He created me to be and where my place of service in His Kingdom is (like Lent, no extraneous activities)

-Focus on becoming healthy in every way

-Finish Mansions of the Heart

-Start a blog series on the Gospels (get excited, this is something God’s been speaking to me about for a while)