A Call to Serve

So after having a baby, I constantly struggled with serving, signing  up, getting back involved being a mentor or being mentored. But, whoa, how can I do that when I am working full time, cooking dinners most nights of the week, and feeding a baby who has to eat every 4 hours (plus I have to eat that often too, right)?

I know there is help near. But still, just adding more to my plate (just with one child) would be something I have to settle in my mind for a bit.

I know, people. It's rough. 

I have a job, a husband, a home, and [only] ONE CHILD.

^^You may be thinking^^

I constantly asked the moms at church, HOW DO YOU DO IT with TWO, THREE, OR even FOUR

Kiddos?

I really applaud you. 

Momma who goes to We Will Go on Saturdays,

leads a Bible study, and really studies the Word,

loves on people in the grocery store (I am getting that one down).

You enjoy the places God has you during the day and on the weekends.

I am working on it.

Loving on the mail lady, Harold, who puts out the fresh produce,

and the guy who gets annoyed with me at the post office for never knowing 

the address for where I am sending off my package...

Nothing is important if you can't love the ones around you well first. (The second [commandment] is this: 'Love your neighbor as yourself). There is no commandment greater than these"). I have in my mind that when Tatum (and hopefully more kids) grow up I can go on missions locally and abroad. That I can put my family first, but also put the Great Commission first. We're called to do that. That's my calling first with my family, and on that same time frame, with strangers. For now, I will continue getting to know the people in the places I frequent most:

Michael's - the guy who gets his ladder down to help me with a huge canvas

Kroger- Harold who I now know a lot of his most recent story. He wants a job at another Kroger location because they aren't quite as kind to him there. He works a few jobs to pay the bills and take care of his older kids. He needs money to pay for gas for his kids to visit his ex-wife.

I sit in church and feel God telling me to ask them to dinner... with our friends. We aren't called to gather only with our friends. The Lord continues to speak, "What you did for the LEAST of these you did for ME."

Matthew 25:40-45(NIV)

 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’

“Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.  For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.’

“They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’

 “He will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.’

I am learning to befriend these people on these little trips I make each week. After all, isn't that what we are called to do? They know my name, I know theirs, and a little bit of their story.

For now, I will start here. My prayer will continue to be>> Show me, Lord, where you want me. 

"Here I am Send me." (and give us the people around us to help with the babies so we can go).

Good to be back,

Chelsea

Recreating

Have you ever taken a picture of a haircut or color to your stylist to recreate?

I was looking at a picture of my wedding hair after a long day at the end of the night at the reception. You know, what we think we see is not really what we see a lot of times. I am looking at the photo and thinking it's perfect -- when maybe that day I didn't even see that side of my hair. 

Sometimes when we try to recreate a look we see on someone else, it ends up being overdone, underdone, money wasted, and just leaves you feeling dissatisfied. 

Don't you feel that way with comparison? It's dissatisfying to spend money or try to talk or walk or act a certain way from how God made YOU. He wants you to be you. Not someone else. We need you in our lives, not that personx2. 

When we look at comparison-- we talk about what it is; but we also have to ask ourselves why? Why do we want a quality someone else has? Are we ungrateful? Have we not discovered a path to being me yet? 

Depending on age, it could be a few different reasons, but the main reason is-- our flesh tells us it's about us. Seek us. The Bible tells us it's about Him, Ask, Seek, Knock. 

When we focus on us, we want for us. When we focus on Him, we challenge our own hearts towards The Lord. 

So how can we desire less of me? Make a point to pray, read, and talk to God and listen. He will guide us and give us more and more desire for Him. His peace will leave you wanting less of the world each day. And grace... 

Look at deut. 4:29.

Fixer Upper Answers

Do you ever wonder things like where Chip and Joanna get their furniture from to furnish homes? Or how they met?

I have been wondering some of these things...

I really liked the part of "Chip and Joanna despite being TV stars don't even have a TV in their home!"

Read more here!