{Holiday Dates}

It's been a while since I've published a post. The end of the year is a busy, busy time within the ministry. Thanksgiving banquets, Christmas musicals, decorating and Christmas Eve service seem to consume most of the time during the day and by the time I get home, after cooking dinner, all I want is a relaxing bath, pjs, snuggling with my man and sleep! But this Thanksgiving vacation has given me time to relax, enjoy time with family and catch up. Today, as I sit snuggled up on my parent's couch by the fire, watching Madea Christmas [we LOVE anything Madea!!], while waiting for Thanksgiving dinner with our family, I started thinking about all the fun things that go on during the holidays. 

This is my absolute favorite time of year! Starting November 1, there is such an excitement in our house as we gear up for Thanksgiving and Christmas, not to mention our anniversary at the beginning of November and Bryson's birthday at the beginning of December, both which add to the excitement. I always let Bryson choose the type of birthday party he wants and we go ALL OUT for it! I remember as a little girl, birthday parties were my favorite and my parents made me feel so special...I want the same for Bryson. Even if he's not with us on his actual birthday (luckily he is for this year and the next), we always make sure he has a big party and HE is celebrated! [This year its Ninja Turtles...I never thought I'd have so much Ninja Turtle stuff in my life!] November and December are busy times, but I wouldn't have it any other way. 

Whether you need something to do as a family or a special date night for just you and your special someone, here is a list of 11 holiday dates we've enjoyed!

| Decorating the House | If you're anything like me, there are 2 times to decorate the house: Fall/Thanksgiving and Christmas, each of which have just as many decorations! I used to want my house to have the cutest decorations, placed in the perfect spot. Now, our best decorations are the ones made by our sweet Bryso! 

Bryson painting his THANKFUL tree this year

Making a date night out of it with the whole family is so much fun! Drinking hot cider or hot cocoa, turning on some music and decorating together makes for such a fun night! 

Every year, we go and pick out our trees together. Bryson gets a small one for the porch and together we pick out the big one for our living room. We turn on Christmas music, pull out all the decorations, drink hot cocoa and decorate. Bryson always puts the first ornament on the tree. Sweet memories we will have forever! 

| Tacky Christmas Sweater Party | Bryant and I love hosting parties! Whether it's a football party, birthday party, Valentine's Day party or Christmas party, we love it! This year we're having a tacky Christmas sweater party with some of our friends. I can't wait! We're setting up a screen outside and watching a movie by the fire, playing dirty Santa, Quelf, and having lots of yummy food!...and, we get to see who has the best tacky Christmas sweater. I'm so excited!

| Movie Night Under the Stars | My husband is amazing and created the best date night at home a few weeks ago. He took one of our mattresses, carried it downstairs and outside in our side yard. He hung lights, made a fire and set up a movie underneath the stars. It was the most romantic, relaxing date nights ever! It literally looked like something out of a magazine when I walked outside. He's wonderful and I'm so thankful that the Lord saved Him for me! 

Our perfect date night

| Gingerbread House | Gingerbread houses are a tradition around our house. Every year we watch Polar Express at my parent's house and make gingerbread houses. Bryson loves to decorate the house and it somehow always ends up caving in and making a mess, but we have the best time doing it and that's all that matters to me!

| Mountain Getaway | It's a little more than a date night...it's more like a date weekend, but...we love the mountains! So, for our 1 year anniversary, we took a getaway trip to the mountains. We stayed away from social media, our phones and spent time enjoying time together and our amazing surroundings. We stayed at a little bed and breakfast in Lakemont, GA, Lake Rabun Hotel . They were celebrating 92 years of being in business. It was perfect and I would highly recommend it to anyone else! The restaurant within the hotel was phenomenal! The head chef was named top chef in America in 2013 and it was certainly evident. We spent the first afternoon hiking waterfalls [we LOVE hiking], shopping in Helen, GA and cozied up by the fire while playing board games and the second day was spent horseback riding. It was absolutely wonderful! 

Our perfect anniversary getaway weekend!

| Christmas Movie Marathon | Personally, I would recommend the Home Alone movies, but whatever Christmas movies you choose, get in your pjs, pop some popcorn (make sure to put m&ms in the popcorn so you have the salty and sweet going on), open a Coke and watch as many Christmas movies as you can. There's nothing like being lazy on the couch all day long! Although my busy schedule doesn't allow it often, but during this holiday season, I make sure to plan at least one lazy day somewhere in there. 

| DIY Gifts | One of my favorite things to do is DIY projects. Give me a cup of coffee, my pjs and a DIY project and I'll be set for days! This year, some of our Christmas presents to people we work with and family friends are personalized Christmas plates with our famous Neiman Marcus homemade cookies on top. My husband isn't big on sitting around and painting plates, but to have dinner at home, put on a football game for him and let me paint, it's the perfect relaxing date night! I love the way the plates have turned out! I can't wait for everyone to get them. Not to mention, the numerous orders I've had placed from other people...I've got lots of work to do! 

Makes the perfect gift for teachers too! This one is for Bryson's Kindergarten teacher, Mrs. Melton, who has been absolutely incredible to us and we love her so much! 

| Ornament Making Party | This is something new we're adding this year. The week before Christmas, we're having a ornament making party at my mom's house. We invited some of Bryson's friends, we'll watch a Christmas movie, bake cookies and all the kids will be able to make an ornament for their tree. Everyone is so excited! 

| Lights | This tradition started many, many years ago when my sisters and I were small. My parents take us every year to Fantasy In Lights at Callaway Gardens. We always ride the trolly, go see Santa Claus and take tons of pictures. I have carried that tradition over into my family. Bryson LOVES going to see the lights. This year, one of my closest friends, Tierney, is coming in from med school right before Christmas and will be joining us for our Fantasy In Lights trip! 

Last year at Fantasy In Lights 

| Ice Skating | I am terrible at ice skating! TERRIBLE! When I was younger, my parents took us snow skiing every year. One of the evenings, they decided to take us ice skating. After two sprained ankles and many tears, I came to the conclusion that ice skating and I don't mix. Recently, I've given it another try. I obviously haven't perfected the ice skating skill (see pictures below) but it's more fun now! And it makes the perfect date night...especially during the holidays! 

Ice skating...well, falling...

| Bonfires | Last but not least, bonfires! They're a favorite of ours! Sitting around a fire, making s'mores and laughing with my favorite boys makes for the best date night! 

Making s'mores with the most handsome guy around! 

My prayer is that this season is filled with the hope, love and peace of Jesus Christ! All my love ~Chelsea 

the bypassed temptation

Temptations are thrown your way everyday. Some may be considered "small" in your eyes and others considered as the "danger zone" temptations, but regardless of how we try to classify them, they're always present. We often hear about the obvious, "really bad" ones such as adultery, drunkenness, drugs, sex before marriage, stealing, and so on...but, I think there's one that is more present within our lives than we feel comfortable acknowledging. [the temptation to give up.] 

A picture I took about 4 years ago while I was in school at Southeastern University in Lakeland, FL. It wasn't the best time in my life, but this picture reminds me of all the Lord pulled me through and how gracious He is! 

Have you ever read through parts of the old testament and asked, what is the point of this book? Take Lamentations for example. If you have never read through this book, let me go ahead and warn you, its quite depressing. The name itself, Lamentations, means the passionate expression of grief or sorrow; weeping. All 5 chapters are filled with sorrow, hurt and despair. The first part of chapter 3 specifically, is a cry of hopelessness and many times, looks like situations we've found ourselves in.  It's easy to think about the obvious temptations; ones that we've been taught as children and young adults to fight or steer clear from...but how do you fight the temptation to give up? When you've taken all you can and everything within is begging for you to wave that white flag in surrender...when your situations often mirror the desperate cries found within books of the Bible such as Lamentations...how do you resist and conquer the temptation of giving up completely? The answer, as always, is found within the Word of God. Here are the top 5 ways I've found from within The Word. 

.one. [allow the Lord access to all situations, no matter how hopeless] 
The author of Lamentations is not known, although most people like to think the prophet Jeremiah wrote the book. Jeremiah, was a mighty warrior of God; one that was called to preach the gospel to the crumbling Israel, begging them to repent. He was known as the weeping prophet because of his urgency and tears of sorrow that were shed while pleading with his people to turn back to God. Eventually, because of the rejection and non compliance of his people, discouragement and depression got the best of him. His cries are recorded in Jeremiah 15 and the despair within his writing is evident. If not for any other reason, (which I know there are many other reasons I have not yet seen) Lamentations was written to show us that despair comes to all. This life is not an easy thing to live. Depression can easily slip in. If it overtook a mighty prophet used by the Lord such as Jeremiah, what makes us think it won't affect us? Lamentations shows the battles this life can create, but also shows the desperate situations we can find ourselves in; situations that the Lord is able to step in and be the lifter of our heads if we allow Him to. The only way to overcome the temptation to give up is to allow God to carry you through it, meaning He has to have access to everything...even that painful past or dark secret you feel your can't let go of. 

.two.[guard yourself] 
When you're in a place of brokenness and despair, it gives satan the perfect opportunity to sneak in and destroy what joy you may have and steal any hope for the future. The perfect example of this is laid out in Nehemiah 4. Nehemiah had been called to lead a team to rebuild the walls of Jerusalem, but the task before him seemed to be much more than he could bear. 

"Then the people of Judah said, 'The work crews are worn out, and there is too much rubble. We can't continue to rebuild the wall.' Our enemies said, 'Before they know what is happening or see a thing, we will be right in the middle of them. We'll kill them and bring the work to an end'. " Nehemiah 4:10-11

When the mountain in front of you seems too big for you to handle, its easy to become fatigued, frustrated & allow the fear of failure to creep in. Nehemiah's team began calling out all the reason why they couldn't rebuild the wall. [the crew is worn out. there was too much rubble. our enemies will only destroy it again and kill us.] Many times, when life gets hard, we begin throwing out all the reasons why we can't do something...at least, I know I have time and time again. [the money just isn't there; i can't get over what they did to me; i'm not good enough to do this; they just make life too hard.] The reasons can go on and on...but, instead of calling out the reasons why you can't, try calling out the one reason why you can: 

"If God be for us, who can be against us?...What will separate us from the love Christ has for us?...I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God's love which Christ Jesus our Lord shows us. We can't be separated by death or life, by angels or rulers, by anything in the present or anything n the future, by forces or powers in the world above or in the world below, or by anything else in creation." Romans 8:31, 35, 38-39. 

If you continue reading, [I would highly recommend reading through the story for yourself, but for now, I'm going to paraphrase] you see Nehemiah quickly reminds the crew of who they are serving and that the Lord had already taken care of their enemies. Because Jews lived near their enemies, they over heard their plans to attack and sent warning to Nehemiah. Nehemiah then positioned armed people around the wall with swords, spears and bows. He reminded them to not be afraid of the enemies and to remember how great their God is. Word got back to the enemies that Nehemiah knew of their plan to attack and the Lord had prevented it from happening. Many times, the things you're worried about in life, the Lord has already prevented them from happening; don't give up when hard times hit- learn to trust Him in  all times and know that He protects His children! 

.three.[first things first] 
I want to go back to the 1st chapter of Nehemiah. The book is opened by the horrible news of the persecution of the Jews in Jerusalem and the destruction of the walls. If you read the first chapter, before Nehemiah begins crafting his plan to rebuild, before he sets out on his journey to Jerusalem and even before he asks the King's permission to rebuild the walls, Nehemiah sits down and prays to the Lord. 

"When I heard this, I sat down and cried. I mourned for days. I continued to fast and pray to the God of Heaven." Nehemiah 1:4

Its okay to cry...too often I keep my feelings inside and somehow have adopted the mentality that crying is for the sissy girls whose emotions are a wreck. But, Nehemiah, a man used of God, weeped and mourned when he heard the news of Jerusalem, a place he loved dearly...it's okay to cry! But, after you get done crying, don't call it quits and give up. Don't give into the temptation of surrendering to the troubles of this life. Call out to the Lord and allow Him to intervene! 

.four.[fresh vision]
The easiest way to set yourself up for giving in is by staying in the exact same spot, thinking the exact same way & revisiting the exact same heartache. After the initial pain (that everyone will have at some point within life) allow the Lord to bring fresh vision. Allow Him to renew that passion you once had & rekindle the fire. If you continue to focus on the bad, the failure or the hurdle, you're always going to face the temptation to give up. After Nehemiah was broken, crying out to the Lord for help, he didn't just stay there. No! He got up and did something about it. 

"During the night I went out with a few men without telling anyone what my God had inspired me to do for Jerusalem." Nehemiah 2:12

He allowed the Lord to inspire Him and from there, he acted on that and began taking steps to rebuild the wall. 

.five.[press on]
 The wall was rebuilt in 52 days. Considering the people Nehemiah had and the conditions in which they were building, 52 days was amazing! It certainly grabbed the attention of their enemies:

"The wall was finished on the twenty-fifth day of the month of Elul. The wall took 52 days to finish. When all our enemies heard about this, all the surrounding nations were afraid and lost their self-confidence. They realized we had done this work with the help of our God." Nehemiah 6:15-16

If you fight the temptation of giving up and you press on, I can promise you, your enemies will see the Lord's hand working in you, whether they want to or not. When life gets the hardest, those who are critical of Christianity watch to see how you handle the hard times. 

"We also brag when we are suffering. We know that suffering created endurance, endurance creates character, and character creates confidence." Romans 5:3-4

Press on! Don't give up! Sometimes you have to look your enemy in the eyes, whether that be an actual person, a sickness, a task that is more than you can handle, a situation, a certain temptation, whatever it may be, and remind them who goes before you, just as Nehemiah did:

" 'The God of Heaven will give us success,' I answered them. 'We, his servants, are going to rebuild. You have no property or claim or historic right in Jerusalem.' " Nehemiah 2:20

Remind satan that he has no place in your life and that you WILL rebuild! You will carry on! You will finish the work the Lord called you to! 
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I don't know what you're going through; I don't know the battles that you face. I do, however, know that although our circumstances may not be identical, we all have things that weigh on us; things that try to pull us down and force the white flag of surrender to go up. 

Go back to the very beginning of the blog when I opened up with Lamentations. After Jeremiah desperately cries out to the Lord, something begins to happen. HOPE.

"But this I recall and therefore have hope and expectation: It is because of the Lord's mercy and loving kindness that we are not consumed, because His tender compassions fail not." Lamentations 3:21-22

Don't give up...keep pressing on! His word promises that you will not be consumed, He will go before you & He will protect you...and as I've said many times before, He's the most faithful promise maker you'll ever meet! 

All my love ~Chelsea 

"Life is like riding a bicycle. To keep your balance, you must keep moving." -Albert Einstein 

[step]mom: the 9 things I've learned about being a step parent over the past year.

Jumping into your first year of marriage can send you spinning with a whirlwind of emotions...throw in learning to be a step parent on top of that and man, oh man! Let's just say, I could write a book full of lessons learned. Here are the top 9 that I've taken from this incredible year.

Bryson and I picking out our Christmas tree last year.

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1. it will be your greatest joy. Think about it: you've been given the opportunity and privilege of loving, caring for, and taking part in raising this beautiful child. You'll have nights where you lay in bed laughing for hours because of a cute saying they made, you'll have tears that flow due to their precious words, and artwork hanging all around the house that just had to be hung up that instant! You'll be one of the people they run to when a nightmare wakes them up, when their tummy is hurting or when they just need some extra loving. On the weekends that Bryson is with us, Saturday mornings are my favorite! We all sit on the couch, snuggling in our pjs, watching Ninja Turtles and eating cinnamon rolls. No agenda or place to be; just spending time together. Out of everything I've done in life, my accomplishments, my career, my degree, and any accolades my future endeavors will hold, being a part of his life outweighs them all! 

Saturday morning cartoons. 

2. it will also be your largest hurdle. The joy will certainly outweigh the hardship, but being a step parent brings its own set of struggles. It is often a thankless job. The minute something goes wrong, you're the easiest to blame. Discipline can be a sticky subject when you're not their "real" parent. Keeping balance in your home, teaching respect and working as a team can all pose as great challenges. One of the greatest things that helped us overcome our obstacles was to strengthen my relationship with Bryson. He needed to see that just like his daddy, I was going to love him unconditionally, regardless! ...but, that didn't mean he could act out and get away with whatever he wanted because I was around. We needed our own bonding time, just like he and Bryant have their father-son bonding time. Sometimes we'll go shopping together, just me and him, or make cookies together. As our relationship has grown over the past three and a half years, he has a healthy respect for me, but also knows I'll be the first to play hide-and-go-seek with him when we want to have a good time. All obstacles can be overcome with a lot of love and a little patience.  

Bryson being silly downtown on one of our evening ice cream dates. 

3. the ex will always be. (this may not be what you want to hear, but its what you need to hear!)          Obviously something didn't work between your husband/wife and their ex. There is nothing you can do to change that. If they didn't get along then, chances are, they're not going to be "best buddies" now. Hopefully you're able to get to a place where its not constant bickering and arguing, where both parties work together as a team for the betterment of the child. However, sometimes things aren't always that easy like we wish they could be and take a long road to get to that place. If arguing starts, as I stated earlier, the step parent takes most of the blame. Unfortunately, you become a target for that ex and every piece of your social media becomes means of gaining information about you...and how I wish I could tell you there was something you can do about it! If you fight back, it fuels the fire. If you ignore it, they become upset because they feel they're not being heard, only causing them to get louder. My advice: ignore it..and know that many times it stems from jealously and envy. Just let it be, don't react, and pray for them and their family. If you don't hear anything else I say in this entire post, hear this: don't you dare try to taint or skew your step child's opinion of that other parent! Regardless of what your opinion is of them, it is not your place! You will do more damage to that child in a few negative words about their parent than you could ever imagine. Bryant and I decided a long time ago, regardless of how we felt about Bryson's mom, we would never utter a negative word about her for Bryson's sake! Last weekend Bryson brought over a stuffed animal that had a recording of his mother saying "I love you, Bryson." As he was getting ready for bed, he wanted to make sure he had it in his room. After we said prayers, he squeezed the bear, making the recording play. After he played it, I looked at him and said "what a sweet mommy you have to make sure you know, whether you're at Daddy's house or her house, she always loves you." The biggest smile came across his face, he kissed us goodnight, and drifted off to sleep (sleeping in his bed all night long! Can I get an AMEN??) Had I become threatened and hostile after hearing the recording, it would've hurt Bryson. That's his mommy and she will always hold a special place in his heart. You, as the step parent, are not allowed to try and take that away!

Bryson holding his Mommy Bear.

4. you're called to love. You're not called to try and replace their biological parent. You're called to love. Love them in their triumphs and in their failures. Love them when they had a great day at school and when they had the worst day of school. Love them when they've had their first heartbreak and when they give their life to the man/woman of their dreams. You're called to love. 

Bryson trying to impress Anslee on the drums at church. 

5. encourage. Being in a blended family is a hard thing for a child to wrap their head around. Feeling tension on either side of family will only hurt them more. Encourage them! Help them feel its okay to have two mama's and daddy's. Bryson had a friend over one day and out of pure curiosity, the friend asked, "why do you call her mama? She's not your real mama!" Immediately I could see the "HELP!" look on Bryson's face. I'm glad I didn't jump right in and gave him a few seconds to answer. He simply replied with, "just like I call Danny my daddy, I call Chelsa my mama." I then followed up by saying what an awesome thing it is to have two mama's and daddy's because Bryson gets two sets of birthday and Christmas presents and two families that love him. Bryson has a little brother on his mother's side and whenever we go on vacation or somewhere special, he wants to buy a present for his little brother. We make sure to include him when buying things as much as possible so that Bryson never feels a disconnect or tension when it comes to his other family. Encouragement will go further than you think in the life of your step child. 

6. cover everything in prayer. You're not going to make it without prayer. Each night Bryant and I lay in bed calling Bryson out in prayer, asking the Lord to protect, guide & take care of him. Every person has a flesh side that wants to start yelling sometimes, but prayer brings you back down to reality. Prayer places yourself back in the hands of God, acknowledging that He is the one who leads and guides you. Prayer allows the Lord to speak to you and allows Him access to move in any situation. Prayer strengthens and encourages you. And I can promise you, being a step parent, you'll need encouragement some days. Who better to get it from that the maker of it all? 

7. be what they allow you to be. For the first two years of being in Bryson's life, he always called me "Chelsa", because he couldn't say "Chelsea" when he was two. I loved that name! I loved walking into Bryant's apartment and hearing "CHELSA!!!!!!" as he ran to give me a hug. I never wanted to be called "mama" or "mommy" or any other maternal name. However, one day, after Bryant and I were married, we were sitting in Bryson's room playing with toys and instead of saying Chelsa, he said mama. We both looked at each other and I asked him to repeat what he just said. After saying it again, I looked at him and asked where it came from. Being a typical boy, he just smiled, shrugged his shoulders and went back to playing with his toys. A little while later, as we were eating dinner, I asked him about it and in that typical Bryso voice, he looked up and said "what? You are! Just like Danny is my step dad." From then on, "mama" stuck, but not because of anything I forced on him. Sometimes a step child isn't going to want to confide in you and other times they may trust you more than anyone else. Don't force anything on them. Only be what they allow you to be, not what you want to be to them. 

8. boundaries. I'll never forget one Saturday morning when I had jumped in the shower and Bryant (who wakes up way before anyone else) was already downstairs. Bryson was still snoozing away, or so I thought (he usually will sleep late on Saturdays). As I began to wash the soap out of my hair, I hear two little feet come into the bathroom, followed by "I'm hungry." I froze! I'm sure all step parents have had those moments. Calmly I told Bryson to go downstairs and let daddy fix him breakfast, all while having both hands on my towel which was hanging over the shower curtain just incase he decided to open the curtain. The dynamics of a blended family are different, meaning different boundaries must be put into place. I learned very quickly that whether or not Bryson was awake or asleep, when changing or getting into the shower, locking the door is a must! 

9. cherish every moment. Before long they'll be too cool for you and more worried about the cute girl/guy at school than going to the park with you. You only have a short time with them. I counted up the days: from today, we have 4,424 days until Bryson is 18 and can make his own decisions...and many of those days are spent at his mother's house. The time that we have with him is precious. I don't want to waste it. I want to use it to love him, encourage him, teach him about the Lord and make wonderful memories with him. 

Bryson and I this past summer at Disney World. 

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If you're a step parent, or you're about to become a step parent, my prayer is that you see this role you've been given as an privilege and you use it to show the love of God. What an honor we have! 

I love being a step parent. I can't say its always easy, but I can certainly say its worth it. He may not have my eyes or my smile, but from that very first moment, he had my heart! 

~All my love

"i still fall for you, everyday..."

Because Monday was my husband's 28th birthday, I wanted to write a little about him; maybe you'll see just a few reasons of why I'm always bragging on him and what an incredible man I have been blessed with. 

Each year when the cold weather starts rolling in, we begin reminiscing on when it all began. Last night after dinner, we had our french doors open letting the cool air inside, I was sitting at the bar and he (being the amazing husband that he is) was doing the dishes (even though he is sick and felt horrible last night). One after another, we began recalling memories of when we first started dating. In our conversation, Bryant asked me something, followed by a statement that kept me thinking and reflecting all night long. 

Why'd you stay with me? I had nothing to offer you.

Bryant has been married before and was biblically dismissed from that marriage (Matthew 5:31-32). At the time, he was working in the call center at TSYS and absolutely hated his job! He barely made enough to get all the bills paid, take care of Bryson, put gas in his car & buy groceries. At the time, even though the custody arrangement was listed as "joint custody" it was set to where he was only "allowed" to see Bryson every other weekend, or twice a month. Those were the hardest days: taking Bryson back to his mother's house while he cried his eyes out because he wanted to see his daddy more. No parent should have to go through that. (Luckily things have gotten better since and as Bryson gets older, he's able to voice what he wants more.) But I remember the look in Bryant's eyes as he took Bryson to the door, holding him in his arms...and I knew if my heart was breaking, Bryant's had to be torn in half every time we had to do that. I remember the lunches that he packed each day; a simple sandwich, chips, a piece of fruit and a water. I remember the Fridays that we would pick Bryson up and head to Burger King; that was splurging ;) I remember the grocery store visits when he had to make a choice over not what he wanted, but what he needed because he only had a certain amount of money to spend on groceries. I remember his rotation of shirts that he wore each week; after being with him a while I noticed something...he never bought anything for himself! Whatever extra money he had, he spent it on Bryson. 

Christmas morning 2011 in Bryant's apartment

 The more I tossed and turned last night, the more I wanted to wake him up and tell him how wrong he was. 

No, he didn't have a "high and mighty" job, but...                                    at any time, a lay off could come.

No, he couldn't offer me a huge salary at the time, but...                            money doesn't last.

No, he didn't have a perfect past, but...                                                         neither did I.

No, he didn't own his own house or drive a nice car, but...                          he had just what he needed.

He offered love...in the purest form. He chose to love even after being burned and hurt...unconditional, strong love. A love that willingly lays down anything he wants for my sake. He offered loyalty. I once heard it said, "those who don't know the value of loyalty can never appreciate the cost of betrayal." I never worry about his faithfulness...I can see the love he has for me in his eyes. He offered honesty. His legacy is wrapped in honesty. He doesn't just "tell the truth", he speaks the truth, lives the truth and loves the truth. 

"Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free." John 8:32

He offered to be my biggest fan. Often meaning, he sits on the sidelines and supports my dreams. He comes along side me when I'm down and encourages me and corrects me when I'm out of place. He offered me a future. Not one that was made for us already, but one we built together; one built on the rock, Jesus Christ. He offered me the ability to dream again, taking my hurt and past experiences, throwing them to the side and teaching me to trust again, making this life what we wanted and what the Lord has called us to. 


The more I thought about it last night, the more I realized...he offered me what truly matters: a life, one that we are building together, in total submission to our Savior. He offered everything I dreamed about as a young girl. I love thinking back over where it all started and where we've come from. The Lord has blessed us tremendously and I am so thankful for the daily blessing he gives me...my husband. Till this day, this is one of our favorite verses. The Lord has proved Himself faithful in our life time and time again.

"The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still." Exodus 14:14  

{Bryant Reid, I love you. I am proud of this life we are building and I still fall for you...everyday.}

Here's to you, my love. 

On My Side

 Not sure how it looks at your house today, but at mine its gloomy, yucky, & at times, raining sideways. 

Rainy days are the best writing days...get a cup of coffee (aka manna from heaven...just kidding, but I do LOVE coffee), your journal & the Word of God and you're setting yourself up for a wonderful morning. I was sitting on my back porch this morning drinking my coffee, reading the word and listening to the rain and began to think back on a parable within the Bible. 

"Therefore, everyone who hears what I say and obeys it will be like a wise person who built a house on rock. Rain poured, and floods came. Winds blew and beat against that house. But it did not collapse, because its foundation was on rock. Everyone who hears what I say but doesn't obey it will be like a foolish person who built a house on sand. Rain poured, and floods came. Winds blew and struck that house. It collapsed, and the result was a total disaster." Matthew 7:24-27

If you grew up in the church, you've probably heard this preached on hundreds of times when discussing the sermon on the mount and the many lesson we can learn from the abounding wisdom within the profound words of Jesus...but, as many times as I've heard this used in sermons, I saw it from a new perspective this morning. 

Have you ever noticed the wording when Jesus described the storms that came against the two houses? He didn't say "another/different storm came against the second house"...not at all. He used the exact same words to describe both storms. "Rain poured, and floods came. Winds blew and beat against that house." This life can throw some serious curve balls at you. I'm sure we each have our own that come to mind with that statement, but you have to understand who's behind those unexpected obstacles and heartbreaks. 

"Keep your mind clear, and be alert. Your opponent the devil is prowling around like a roaring lion as he looks for someone to devour." 1 Peter 5:8

If satan can throw one punch that catches you off guard, giving him a small crack to sneak in through, that's all he needs. The Bible doesn't say he comes to pester you every once in a while. DEVOUR [to consume destructively]. He comes to destroy...completely! And all he needs is a small entrance; a little piece of bitterness that you've held on to; secrets done in the darkness of the night; a sliver of jealousy; a hint of complacency...a small crack that can lead to path of destruction. Take heed to the warning issued in 1 Peter: keep your mind clear and be alert! All he needs is a small crevice. 

The game changer within the parable of the two houses lies within the foundation of the house. Build your family, marriage, children, business, confidence and future on Jesus Christ and you're sure to stand. 

Our yard this morning as the rain continued to pour! 

Maybe you feel like you're drowning...like life has thrown one too many curve balls your way and you can't handle any more. Maybe you've tried to get up and the first step you take, something else hits you; another medical bill, another issue with a child, another unexpected expense, another death, another argument with your spouse that makes you question why you even continue. Do you remember the words of Jesus when describing the two houses? Both of them faced the same storm; both of them faced the rains that continued to pour, winds that continued to blow, and floods that continued to rise. You may not go up against the exact same battles that I do, just as I'm probably not facing the things you deal with...however, we're still standing on common ground. We both face storms coming from the same enemy: satan! 

So how do we overcome? What's the key to getting back up? To continuing when you've had just about as much as you can take? 

"The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me? The Lord is on my side as my helper; I shall look in triumph on those who hate me. It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man. It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in princes." Psalm 118:6-9 (ESV)

Take the first phrase and say it a few times:

       The Lord is on my side.
             The LORD is on MY side.
                   THE LORD IS ON MY SIDE! 

The God of all creation, who spoke this world into being, who supplies every breath you take in, who can identify every grain of sand on the beaches, every strand of hair on your head, who daily lavishes His love, mercy and truth on a very undeserving people, who knows the heart of every person, who holds the hearts of every president, ruler, and king of this earth in His hand, who pursues you even when you deny Him, who was willing to take on the brutal, torturous cross for those who mocked, spit and beat Him...HE IS ON YOUR SIDE! He is who makes you brave and gives you the courage to carry on. There is no relationship or marriage, status, financial security, rise of the stock market, physical appearance, or outcome of situations that can give you what God Himself can give. You press on because you've been called heavenward, seeking the day when we all bow before the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, spending an eternity with the One who gave it all for us.

No matter what storm you're going through, always remember:

The wind & waves still know His name.

being the bride

As much as I would love to sit here and talk about the beautiful love story my husband and I have, there is someone who loved me even more and His story is far more important than ours. 

Over the past few weeks, our lead pastor has been preaching on Heaven. All throughout my life I've heard message after message on Heaven...walking down the streets of gold; a place where there is no more weeping or pain; a place that I can't wait to get to! I've always heard about getting to Heaven, but have heard very little about what happens after we get there. Of course I've read about the millennial reign, with a new Heaven and new earth in Revelation, but hearing my pastor paint the picture of our lives after we get to Heaven rekindled my desire to dig into Revelation. 

In saying that, I've been reading through Revelation over the past few evenings and I couldn't help but draw a comparison. If you read Revelation 19, John describes the Lamb's Wedding; when the bride of Christ (the church) is reunited with the Lord. 

"Let us rejoice, be happy and give Him glory because it's time for the marriage of the Lamb. His bride has made herself ready." Revelation 19:7

As I was reading this, and since my husband and I are just now coming up on our first wedding anniversary, I instantly remembered that feeling of "making yourself ready." Countless hours spent in the salon getting my hair done, sitting in front of the mirror putting on my make up, and even weeks and months before that day, the numerous miles ran making sure my dress looked just right on me. I can relate to what John is saying, as I'm sure many of you can. There are a plethora of preparations that go into a wedding...and not just with the bride. The flowers, the dress, the setting, the food, the photographer, and the list can go on and on! Just as with our earthly weddings, we also have preparations getting us ready for the greatest of all weddings: the return of Christ. 

He tells us in His word the things to carry out until His return:

"Don't become like the people of this world. Instead, change the way you think. Then you will always be able to determine what God really wants- what is good, pleasing and perfect." Romans 12:2

"First of all, I encourage you to make petitions, prayers, intercessions and prayers of thanks for all people. For rulers, and for everyone who has authority over us. Pray for peaceful life always lived in an godly and reverent way. This is good and please God our Savior. He wants all people to be saved and to learn the truth." 1 Timothy 2:1-4

"Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Whatever happens, give thanks, because it is God's will in Christ Jesus that you do this." 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 

"I'm giving you a new commandment: Love each other in the same way that I have loved you. Everyone will know that you are my disciples because of your love for each other." John 13:34-35

"But I tell you this: Love your enemies, and pray for those who persecute you. In this way you show that you are children of your Father in heaven." Matthew 5:44-45

"When Jesus came near, he spoke to them. He said 'All authority in Heaven and on earth has been given to me. So wherever you go, make disciples of all nations: Baptize them in the name of the Father, of the Son, and of the Holy Sprit. Teach them to do everything I have commanded you. And remember that I am always with you until the end of time'. " Matthew 28:18-20

And these are only some of the things...

          Major preparations, right? 

               A lot of work, huh?

 However, just as it was on that day you married the love of your life, all those preparations are more than worth it. Even more so with the greatest wedding of all time: when the Lord comes back for His church. The preparations and temporary pains of this world will pale in comparison to the joy we will have in eternity! 

So I ask you, what eternal preparations are you making? Let me warn you...these things are not easy. When you go to pray, there will be 100 other things that can grab your attention; when life gets hard, giving thanks isn't the easiest thing; loving, having a heart and taking care of the broken is hard to do when your bank account quickly brings you back to the reality of this world; loving your enemies is the biggest battle when they're constantly spitting venom and making life hard; being bold and making disciples isn't easy and can cost you anything from your popularity to your very life nowadays...

...but in the light of eternity, it all falls away. We have a King who is coming back for us (very soon, I believe...according the prophesies being fulfilled within the Bible).

What are you doing to make way for the King of Kings?

All my love~ Chelsea  

the many masks: a message to us girls

One of the downfalls of being in ministry is the constant pressure and burden to "have it all together"; the mask of perfection...and its not just in ministry you find this. Maybe you've felt it before or are feeling it now. Maybe your parents unintentionally pressure you to make the perfect grades, while balancing the perfect amount of extra curricular activities, while being involved within your church, while looking into the best colleges so that medical school is in your future. Or, maybe you're in a relationship where you feel the need to always have on the cutest outfit with your hair and make up perfect.

[Side note: There is a time and place for getting all "dolled up"...don't get me wrong, one of my favorite things to do is put on some heels, curl my hair, take the time to do my make up, and watch my husband do that double take when he sees me...but you should never feel you have to do that! I was in a relationship for 4 years with a guy that I felt I always had to look "perfect" in order to be with him. Nothing against him at all, he is a wonderful man and now has a beautiful family of his own, but something made me feel I always had to "look good" when I was with him (maybe it had something to do with the fact that he used to model and regardless of where he was, he always had to look good...I don't know) but I always told myself, the next guy I date, I'm going to make sure I show up to our first date in gym clothes with no make up on...that way he'll see me at my worst from the start and that pressure won't be there. Not even thinking about that previous promise I made to myself, Bryant asked me on our first date...I declined- ha! I was leading a middle school girls bible study and already had plans for a lock in that night. But, luckily he asked again...the next day, which was a Saturday, I met him and Bryson at the river walk to ride bikes...guess what I was in? Yep, you guessed it--nike shorts, a t-shirt & ZERO make up.]

Maybe you're in a position of leadership at your place of business, with people always looking to you for advice and guidance. Or, maybe you feel there are too many people watching you, just waiting for you to fail, so you stay hidden by the mask of perfection; never allowing the world to see the raw you. I've been in all of those places once before in my life. Now I find myself in the job of my dreams, one that I am certain the Lord called me to many years ago, and yet I still find myself struggling with these masks. Am I standing on common ground with anyone else? 

I love what Jesus says in Matthew 11:28...

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." 

See, He knew the hurt we would carry; the constant battle to feel "good enough" and the desire to want to seem like we have it all together. But, if we have it all together, if we're sufficient on our own, if everything in life is perfect for us...what was the point of Him coming? He came for the broken, the widow, the girl who will never know her dad and struggles with her identity because of that, the man who constantly fights a battle of depression, the couple that can't conceive a child, the young adult who feels they will never find the person the Lord created for them, the single mother who works two jobs in order to keep her family afloat, the person who is so lost in their web of lies they can't remember the truth, and even for those people who think they're too good for a Savior.  He knew the hurt this life would create and He beckons us to find rest in Him. Nothing this world has to offer, no person, no amount of earthly things, no "good time" is going to give you rest. You will remain restless until you find rest in Him. 

LET ME TALK TO THE YOUNG LADIES REAL QUICK: 

Your confidence is not found in good pictures, a good looking man in your life, accolades or the perfect body size. I feel that many times we pick up these masks because we're basing our confidence on things of this world. Here's a perfect example: I AM PREACHING TO MYSELF RIGHT HERE!! How many times have you gone through all the filters on instagram until you find the perfect one that makes you look just right? If you don't like how you look in the picture with it being in color, black and white always looks better, right? 

Take a look at these first 4 pictures...all of which have a filter on them.  

Now take a look at the true picture below. Big difference, huh? You can see the patchiness (if that's even a real word) of my skin, how big my forehead is, how my eye brows desperately need to be plucked, how white I am (going to the beach next weekend, so that will be fixed) & how my right eye is slightly more crooked than my left eye in the original picture. All of these imperfections seemed to be masked or camouflaged by these filters. 

 I am by no means against filters...I like looking tan when I'm pasty white in the winter, but my security is not tied to how I look in a picture, or in the mirror for that case! I think all too often us ladies can get lost behind the mask of filters or photoshop and too easily our security becomes look based...just the opposite of what Christ showed us! 

Colossians 3:3 says "For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God." Do you see what Paul is saying? If not, listen up! You are not called to be hidden behind a mask, but hidden within Christ! Your confidence is based on Jesus Christ, nothing else! 

"...being confident in this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." Philippians 1:6

When He created you, He created a masterpiece...and His word promises, that if we allow Him, He will continue that good work. I don't know about you, but I would much rather the Lord continue a good work with me than to constantly be held down and mocked by this world's standards!  It's time for us to set aside the masks. It's okay to be broken and have flaws. No one likes to be around that person who boasts about having it all together (which, I'm sure if they're honest, their life is just as scarred and jaded as ours are)...there's comfort in knowing the God we serve is daily scooping up the ashes of our lives and making beauty. Jesus didn't say, love the perfect ones as I have loved the perfect ones...not at all! He said, "A new commandment I give to you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so must you love one another." John 13:34  He loved us despite our flaws. 

I challenge you: take off the mask. Be real, raw and genuine. Allow the Lord to use your weaknesses to prove His strength in your life and in the lives of others. Don't allow satan to use this world's standards to set the tone for your confidence. You were created by the King of Kings! HE delights in YOU! You were chosen, called and set apart! Allow Christ to shine through the cracks of your life...don't cover Him up with a mask! You don't need to have it all together in order to be used by the Lord. In fact, the more I live, the more I think the Lord chooses those who have many shortcomings...for in their weakness, it is He who is strong and all glory is given to Him. I'll leave you with this verse...

"For the Lord is your security. He will keep your foot from being caught in a trap." Proverbs 3:26

All my love~ Chelsea 





PS- the mask I used in the opening picture is Glacial Clay Spa masks. You can buy them at Walmart/Target for $1 - $2 in the mud formula or the pre-packaged mask that you put over your face; both are great and make your face feel super soft and help with acne and blemishes. I highly recommend them! You'll look funny for about 20 minutes, but hey, it gave my husband something to laugh at for a little while and I came out with super soft skin :)