Friends

I really want to go to Wal-Mart....
....but I can't.

It's CFAW weekend here at Liberty and if I drive to Wal-Mart, I am guaranteed not to have a parking space in close proximity to my dorm when I return. Sad day.

You see, you figure these things out after a while.

For example, I've found that I can't drive anywhere past nine o'clock or else I'm doomed to park over at Doc's Diner. I then end up walking twice the distance when I could have just walked half of that, and not to mention half of that distance consists of walking through the tunnel and walking through the tunnel is a good  thing because it thoroughly blocks out the most crucial winter winds that cause your nose to run and your snot to freeze to your face. Call me crazy, but I'd like to keep any fluids that are in my nose, in my nose if you know I'm saying.

"Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends."

John 15:13

I know it's been a while, especially since I've written an actual post. Be rest assured however, that things are going great here - better than I could have ever imagined.

This week has been the most stressful so far. I've had four papers due in the past four days and because of it, the computer lab and I have become very well aquainted. So have God and I.

Although it's been so hectic lately, I've actually been spending more time with Him. When you would think it would be the other way around, I've found more time to be with God even when my time has been the most limited. I just can't help myself. I can't wait for those walks to class or the moments when I'm sitting in my desk waiting for class to begin.Those beautiful, stolen moments which occur in the most lackluster of days. It's not all fireworks, but I just can't make it through the day without Him. We steal away moments simply as friends and even though it's nothing glamorous, in the process I somehow keep falling more and more in love with Him.

The next few weeks will be a little busier than usual. The Center for Worship has been trying to prepare and also raise some money for our trip to Germany in a few weeks. We've been having extra practices and doing all sorts of fundraisers to help Bible Missions since they've been so generous in providing lodging, transportation, and food for us while we're over there. The total cost for the trip is $1200 and so far you all have been generous enough to help me with $700 of it and I could never thank you enough! I am so excited to see what God is going to do in the hearts of those we're going to be able to minister to and I'm also excited to see how He's going to stretch us and use us.

I can't believe I'm going to Germany in the name of the Lord.
God is so good.

Two of my closest friends here and my "adopted" parents back home are going on a mission trips as well, except my friends are going to Haiti and my "parents" are going to Uganda. I covet your prayers for them, for God to provide the funds for them to go as well as prepare their hearts and the hearts of those they're helping, and to simply keep them safe and healthy. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

I don't know when I'll write again, but I will try my best to stay somewhat consistent.

I love you all! Good night.

-C

"A true friend is the person in whose light we shine the brightest."
Keely Chace

Wired.

I was going to write a blog, but I have no idea what to write about. So I ran outside and took a picture of DeMoss Hall from our balcony.

Yup...beats me, too.

John and I finished up our theory homework right at two this morning at the computer lab. I drank a tumbler-full of coffee right at midnight. It's now 4 a.m. and I'm still awake. Moral of the story?

Don't drink coffee at midnight.

-C

Prayer Request

I just sent in my portfolio to the Ministry Team Department here at Liberty University and I humbly ask for your prayers over the next month as they are led to make a decision of whether or not they would have me be on a worship team next year and for the years to follow.

Remember, this is not a prayer to have Chelsea Cline make it on a worship team - it is a prayer for God's will to be done, and for whatever will bring Him the most glory, and we're going to rejoice whichever way He decides to go! He's going to do what is best for His kingdom, that I am assured, but in the meantime, we get to talk to Him about it :) How sick is that?!

Thanks friends!

With love,
-C

Another One for the List

Another engagement to add to the list, except I'm super, super, SUPER in favor of this one :)

Congratulations to the future Mr. and Mrs. Micah Downs!

OH, WORD!

And Then I Found Twenty Dollars

It's snow day here in Lynchburg!
And that means NO CLASS for me and an update for you!

I've been here for a little over three weeks now, but it feels like I've been here for so much longer.

I'm sad to announce that I STILL don't know my other housemates, but as I was cooking in the kitchen earlier today, two of them walked in the front door, all bundled up in winter attire.

Me: "Heyyy!"

Them: "Hey."

...and then I found twenty dollars.

It's progress, I suppose.

Classes are going pretty well so far. I've totally developed a love for my music theory class, which is something I thought I would never, ever, EVER, ever say. The dudes and I have moved up to the front row so that we'd pay better attention, and I nervously shake my foot the whole time thinking over and over to myself, "you can learn this, you can learn this, you can learn this!" and then I totally end up missing everything and have to ask my professor to repeat it all over again.

Like I said, progress.

I probably look forward to my theory homework the most. Okay. Let me say that again. Theory homework is the ONLY homework I look forward to. It takes the longest and it's definitely the hardest, but I enjoy the challenge. I guess God really does know us better than we even know ourselves - not that I ever doubted it, I just have never seen Him demonstrate it so blatantly to me before. Me? Loving music theory? What??

I ended up joining a choir class unexpectedly my first week here, and even that has turned out to be for good reason. The reason?

Well, turns out they're going to Germany this spring break....

Uh huh.

If you know me at all, then you could only imagine what was going on in my heart when Dr. Whaley was asking for people to sign up.

"Bidi. Bidi. Bom. Bom. Sign. Me up. NOW!"

And then I found twenty dollars.

Psh. I wish.

The trip costs $1200 total and that includes everything. Lodging, food, transportation, etc..

It's dirt cheap when you look at it that way, but $1200 might as well be a million when you don't have it, but  I know He'll provide if He wants me to go. He's already gotten me this far.

The roomie and I have just been chilling out in the room all day. We watched Hitch earlier and ate this INCREDIBLE southwestern chicken and white bean soup I made. I've thought about a million other things I should have gotten at Wal-Mart last night with the boys, but I think I'll make it through the weekend without starving.

The snow is still coming down outside, and I really want to go get dressed and go for a walk, but I'm not sure how much fun that would be. Maybe I'll go visit my car. I haven't seen her since Monday. Pretty sure there's still some coffee sitting in the cupholder...

hmm. Ice coffee?

Oh! I listen to straight up piano music now!

And for everyone who is concerned, don't worry - I'm not engaged yet. It's still winter, you know. "Ring by winter" doesn't quite have the same "ring" to it as "ring by spring" does.

Okay. That was funny. 

Just kidding. But really. Liberty is crazzzy.

Exhibit A:

Transfer Orientation

0900 hours

“Gentlemen, your future wife could be in this very room. So what we’re going to do is take the next two minutes or so for you to introduce yourself to the ladies. Come on, now. Get out of your seats, smile real big and let’s go.”

Exhibit B:

Campus East 12

Refrigerator magnet – “KELSEY IS ENGAGED!!!!”

Holly: RA #1 – Engaged.

Tawni: RA #2 – Engaged.

Kristin: RD – Engaged.

Exhibit C:

Greater Lynchburg Transit Company; LX 1

1600 hours

Girl A on bus – Engaged.

Girl B on bus – Engaged.

Girl C on bus – REALLY engaged.

So, wait - what did I come here for, again???

Derailed, but this is important:

Drowsy Poet Cafe has the equivalent to Borjo's Dirty Chai Milkshake called "the milton" and it is sooooooooooo gooooooood.

You just lost the game didn't you?
Me too.

-C

After Midnight

I’ve heard it said that nothing good comes after midnight.

Whether you’re trying to write a paper for English class or hanging out with a friend in the computer lab spouting off such phrases as, “dad gum,” “golly nads” “golly gee” “golly gee wiz” and “word vomit,” all the while laughing a ridiculously obnoxious laugh, I think it would be a fair thing to say that everything usually does tend to come out in moron past midnight.

Needless to say, your guard comes down.

Now, whether that’s actually a good thing or not, I’m not sure. I guess it potentially lends itself to flippancy, as was case in point this evening, but sometimes it can very well lead you to sit back and listen to a story of how God saved a life, changed a life, and how He’s continuing to use that life for His very own glory and good purpose.

It beckons me to wonder about the story God has written for Himself through my life or at least through this chapter of my life. I don't really know the plot, the chapters or even all of the characters just yet, but He does. He's already finished the book.

I have hopes of being involved in music here at Liberty in some way, shape, or form, but lately what God's been calling me to do is cast down my imaginations and instead focus on how I can worship Him with my resources and with the opportunities He's already given me. What does it matter what we do, just as long as we’re committed to doing whatever it is reverently and passionately for the glory of God?

I have a call to be faithful and obedient, this much I know. To go when and where He calls, and to trust Him with the rest - and trust Him, I do. I am completely content at where He has me now.

I had to sacrifice a lot to be here. Most certainly I haven't sacrificed as much as others have, but I have had to trust Him while dying a few little deaths; my finances being one of them. I need a way to get money for school and a way to be able to pay it all back after school and I’m not sure how getting a degree in worship is going to help me with any of that, but I’ll be committed to it until the Lord gets me to that point. He's given me resurrection power and I believe He can resurrect me out of debt.

Get it??!!

Like I said. Nothing good.

Getting this degree in worship has not only led me into debt, but it's also caused me to drop the opportunity to lead worship every Sunday at Aletheia, in hopes of gathering a clearer view of my Savior and a deeper understanding of worship here at Liberty University. It's bittersweet, really. I fully know that I may not even be able to lead worship while I’m here. In fact, I could have very well sacrificed a great opportunity to lead worship, for a lesser opportunity to lead worship. Let’s face it: I’m a small fish in a big pond here and God is on everyone's side.

Like I've said in previous posts before, I wish I knew why I was here. All I know is that He called, and I followed. No questions asked.

When Christ called out to the fishermen who would soon become His disciples, He gave them no other instruction than, “Follow Me and I will make you fishers of men.” (Mat. 4:19) They already knew how to fish obviously - they were in the middle of doing so when He called out to them. But even still, God called them to follow Him so that He could make them, teach them, and prepare them to trust - to walk in faith and not by sight - so that they would be able to fish in an entirely new way; to fish in a way that they never could have expected, to fish in a way that they never would have been able to had they not dropped their nets, left their boat and sacrificed the act of fishing for game, to develop what it would take to fish for glory.

Now, I know that it's currently 4 a.m. which is welllll past midnight, but can you see where God could possibly be going with this?

I think I might have an idea as to what God is trying to do with me, but then again, I have to stop and remind myself that, "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him." (1 Cor. 2:9)

No, I haven't a clue.

All I know is that as they were following Christ, the disciples didn’t look back to see an empty boat or a bunch of empty nets on the ground and regret it. They were way too busy setting their eyes on Jesus and His kingdom.

"But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness,
and all these things will be given to you as well."
-Matthew 6:33

Nothing good after midnight?

                

Negatory.

God is always good.

-C