Apparently You're Not Supposed to Take Pictures While You Drive

Today Lindsey, Andrew, Ben, and I went to Chipotle.  I think I have been every weekend since it has opened.  And thats not taking into consideration the weekends I went twice.  It was delicious as usual but my favorite part of the trip was Andrew's driving advice.  I was scolded when I started the car without a) buckling, b) adjusting my mirrors, and c) making sure everyone in the car was seated and buckled.  After I had properly done my safety check, restarted the car, and made it to the interstate I apparently broke another rule by taking this while going down the interstate. 

"NO PICTURES while driving!" -Andrew 

(I love that I caught him admonishing me in the background.)

Andrew, I read that study guide for my drivers test too, and there was NO rule about not taking pictures while driving.  Just sayin'. 

I let Lindsey take this one.

I feel like Andrew's face perfectly displays his feelings about my hands being at 10 and 2 on the steering wheel instead of the proper 9 and 3.  Ben was just happy I bought him chocolate on the way to the car. 

        

As happy as I am for Andrew to be driving soon, I feel like I may not survive the next couple weeks of his backseat driving.  I suppose an easy solution to my problem may be to just not take pictures while I drive...but what fun would that be?!

JAMAICA~I'm Thankful for...

I'm thankful for Hillsong United concerts...utterly incredible.

For my sister who deals with my love for airport trains.

I'm thankful for walking sidewalks. (I have no idea how to rotate this picture. Sorry.)

And for Jamaican driving. So thrilling. 

I'm thankful for these beloved children. So much JOY in their hearts.  

I'm thankful for little Jamaican boys asking me why I am wearing a scarf.  "Isn't this for the snow?!"  Yes, dear one.  I should probably lose the scarf now.  I didn't even try to explain the summer scarf thing.  Probably because I am not sure I totally get it either...

And for the way Matt, Joyel, Taylor, and Jacob are loving Jesus by loving His beloved children at the Robin's Nest.  

I'm thankful that I was not present for the murder of this rat.  I was kinda proud of him though...

I'm thankful for long days playing with these super fun boys!

And for Tirzah and Brandon.  And I'm thankful for Lu in the background!

I'm thankful that Jesus protected me from falling off this bed to my death.  I fell asleep pleading with Him the first night to just let me stay still until morning.  

I'm thankful for Mega Mart and all the fabulous fun we had shopping there.

And for Jacob's intense coolness which compensates for my extreme lack of coolness. ;)

I'm thankful for Delroy, and for the HOPE of healing that he has because of the strength of our beautiful, matchless, mighty God. 

And for Jodi-Ann, as well as Sueming, Demille, and Shauna-Kay.  What beautiful daughters of the King!

I'm thankful for Ian (above) and the tour he gave me of the chickens.  Not so thankful for the explanation of the killing process, but I must say the way they described it was amusing.


I'm also thankful for Wade, Sun, Swade, and Prince, AND for the future that God has for them.

And for the Robin's Nest.  All my friends there.  All the beautiful Pod Moms who selflessly pour into the sweet children.  And for the Wiley family-mighitly serving our Lord.

I'm thankful that somehow Jesus helped me eat goat a plethora of other things I would have never eaten in a million years.  I feel like I can handle anything now.  


I'm thankful that He is gracious and compassionate and abounding in love (Psalm 103:8).


And that He is working righteousness and justice for all the oppressed (Psalm 103:6). 


Finally, I am thankful that one day, a great multitude-that no one can count-from every nation, tribe, people, and language will stand before the throne and before Lamb (Revelation 7:9), worshipping Him saying:


"Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne and to the Lamb." (Revelation 7:10)


"Praise and glory and wisdom and thanks and honor and power and strength be to our God for ever and ever. Amen!" (Revelation 7:12)

Pre-Jamaica!

Well, today begins our Jamaican adventure.  Lindsey and I are off to Atlanta with Brandon and Tirzah this afternoon.  We are going to worship with Hillsong tonight and then hit the airport tomorrow morning at 10:00.  


Between Lindsey and I, guess who has been put in charge of the passports, tickets, and other important documents?  Yes, that would be me.  Not because Lindsey isn't capable, rather the pressure of that job just stresses her out.  I was fine with the idea of being in charge of them until mom was giving me the rundown on the contents of the "document folder."


"...And these are your insurance cards.  If one of you dies in Jamaica this will help get your body back to America."


*Silence*


*Nervous Laugh*


Well, I will be sure to keep those safe, however, I am really hoping they won't be necessary.  

Thank you to all (including sweet Katy) who are praying for the four of us on our trip.  I can't wait to see how Jesus is glorified and His children in Jamaica strengthened in the faith!


Psalm 103:8


"The LORD is compassionate and gracious, 
   slow to anger, abounding in love."


Rejoicing in our unendingly gracious and compassionate God, praying He will make you aware of His abounding love today, beloved.  


Can't wait to share more about my trip when we return!  


(Literally need to go grab my suitcase and run out the door. No time for spell check...Hope its all ok!)

Out of the Mouths of Babes

Throughout the week I complain about staying up late in order to finish my homework.  All my heart desires is to crawl into my warm bed, wrap my comforter around myself, and have time to think about the many-and I do mean many-thoughts fighting for my attention.  I look forward to the weekend when I will finally be able to sleep and process all that goes on in this head.  But then Friday night rolls around and I stay up just as late-if not later-for "me time".  And tonight, "me time" is updating my blog.  Not the most exciting Friday night activity ever, but when compared to organizing our craft closet's beads by color and type, you can tell I am making progress.  


I just came from babysitting some of the sweetest kids on the planet, so children are so on my mind tonight.  Are you looking for joy, laughter, and a major humbling experience?  Surround yourself with children.  Oh my goodness.  When I have kids, I am going to have a journal just to write down the funny things they say so I can remember them later.  I have already implemented this technique with the three incredible kids that I tutor and occasionally when I babysit, and it is paying off.  


I am still laughing at what sweet 2 year old Bryan told me tonight as I was cutting out foam shapes for his masterpiece: "Um, Miss Chesney, your face looks weird when you are cutting..." Ha!  Guess I was getting a little too into those circles and octagons he asked for.  


And the kids I tutor...I can't count the number of times that I have had to stop what I was doing to pull myself together after something profoundly hilarious (or profoundly true) makes it out of one of their mouths.  


A conversation we had earlier this week took an unexpected but hilarious turn.  The 6th grade girl was telling me about how she told her friends that she had had three tutors.  "Oh, they've never had one?" I responded.  Then the sweet 3rd grade girl asked emphatically from the other table "Why would they WANT one?!" Oh my.  So humbling.  Good thing I know that deep down she really loves me...I think...


Another example: a couple of weeks ago I became incredibly overwhelmed with school and the enemy took full advantage of my stress.  He began speaking worthlessness and discouragement over me.  My response was to try to be perfect.  Of course I couldn't, and my failure to meet my own performance expectations drove me deeper and deeper into a pit of despair.  At work one afternoon, I had my litter planner out and was prodding the 7th grade boy I tutor to tell me  about his tests that day and his assignments.  When I started to become way too obsessive about something, he looked at me and said exactly this (I know because I wrote it down immediately after I could sit up from laughing so hard):  "Sooner or later you're gonna have a total meltdown and freak out about everything...that happens to everyone who over plans." Out of the mouth of babes.  I laughed, but really was so thankful for his words.  The child is so right.  His words made me realize my need to let Jesus deal with the performance and perfection driven areas of my heart.  


And Jesus did exactly that.  The fact that my pens and pencils must all have their tips facing the same way in my pencil pouch clued me into the truth that I had some perfectionistic tendencies, but I would never have said that I was performance driven.  Then I started college.  And a job.  And my desire to have things together and perfect all the time turned into a thought process of performance based worth.  My inadequacy to meet MY performance standards in my school, relationship with Jesus, and relationships with others resulted in a deep sense of worthlessness, and let me tell you the enemy was all over that.  But Jesus was so faithful to speak truth into my darkness and has begun a work in my heart towards completeness in HIS perfection, strength from HIS strength, and rejoicing in His delight for me.  


     Isaiah 62:4 (HCSB)


   "You will no longer be called Deserted,
    and your land will not be called Desolate;
    instead, you will be called My Delight is in Her,
    and your land Married;
    for the LORD delights in you,
    and your land will be married."


No longer called deserted or desolate.  No longer called worthless.  Because God delights in me.  God delights in me.  Just because He does.  Because He chose to.  Not because of my performance.  If He chose to love me without me having to perform, then I don't have to perform to keep His love.  His delight in me also solves my other problem.  No, I don't want my sense of worth to be based on how I perform, but I also do not want to do nothing because "He delights in me anyways".  Jesus revealed to me the freeing truth that SINCE He delights to love me for me, I am compelled to honor Him with my life. To please Him through His strength in me. Oh my, I could write another book concerning what He spoke about strength, but Ill save that for next Friday night. 


Oh that His delight in us would keep drawing us closer and closer to Himself!  And that kids would keep saying hilarious and profound things that point us to Jesus...or make us more aware of our facial expressions as we use scissors.