Just Open Your Eyes

Just open your heart and your eyes; God will present you with opportunities to witness...

This weekend I went to Snowshoe, WV for the College Crew Ski Trip. It was an awesome time of cold slopes, fellowship, good food, and awesome devotions. And with no phone service, it was just a great time to focus solely on my Lord. I guess you could say that I opened my eyes...

Saturday night, after I had a great time at dinner with seven of the girls that went, we got back on the shuttle to return to our chalet. I was the first one on the bus and met Howard, our driver, and asked how his night was going. I was expecting no answer, or a short-look, but he just smiled and proceeded to tell me how blessed his night had been. He started in telling us his 5-minute "shuttle testimony" of how God brought him to Snowshoe, to take care of his sick mother. He seemed to have an awesome story and he then told us some amazing God things. He said how God had given him the power of healing and that he prayed over several people, and God made them well. The one that stuck with me the most, was of his aunt who was diagnosed with cancer. He went and laid hands on her and a few weeks later, the cancer was gone. How powerful is our God?! I just couldn't help but smile the whole time he was talking, because I just LOVE running into other Christians who aren't afraid to share their God stories. We arrived at our cabin, and everyone got of the shuttle, thanking him for his testimony and wishing him a blessed night. I was the last one off, and went I went to tell him good-night, he grabbed my hand and asked to pray for me. (I'm thinking: Really?! This man I've never met, wants to pray for me?!) I agreed, bowed my head, and opened my heart to his words. Howard prayed for my safety while in Snowshoe, my group's safety, and that the Lord would be with me in whatever He calls me to do. One of the coolest moments of my life, I walked off the bus, almost in tears, knowing that I'd be keeping Howard in my prayers too.

I went inside and told everyone what happened and how cool it was that Howard was witnessing to so many people on his shuttle rides, everyday. What an awesome way to share God's love! And for me to be able to witness what God was doing through Howard, really just made my day. And it was all because I just opened my eyes...

The very next day, while skiiing, Hannah and I were on the ski lift with another lady. Small talk was made, but nothing too heavy. I'm always thinking of ways that I can bring up Jesus in conversation and before I could even began with this lady, she brought up Christmas and the real reason behind the season: JESUS. So neat to just talk about my God with another random person.

Just open your eyes for people to witness too :)

Extreme Makeover: Home Edition

The Graham family of Augusta was blessed this past week with a new house from Extreme Makeover: Home Edition! And I was given an amazing opportunity of helping out twice in the past 7 days!

On Sunday night, Lauren Stephens and I went out there around 10 and stayed until about 12. We did a lot of clean up for the house and moving bricks back and forth. We got to carry tiles for the bathroom floors upstairs unto the house and see what it looks like at day 3. It was SO super cold but so neat to see how many people were out there so late, putting in all their effort for a family they might have never even met.

Tuesday night, which was the last night, Jenn Edwards and I went out at 10 and stayed until veryyyyy late (I might as well just say until early Wednesday morning). It was an even better experience, but even colder! We started off just looking for things to do and ended up unloading trucks with Sears appliances and furniture. A lot of the stuff we worked with that night was actually for the Sister-in-law's family, who lived behind the big home. Jenn and I were given the task of putting together a bathroom storage unit that went over the toilet. It took over 3 hours but we finally finished it! We were SO proud.

So today, Wednesday, was the reveal and Jenn, Kendall, and I went up at 1 to see the family come back and be surprised by their brand new house! The reveal was supposed to be at 2...but it didn't happen till after 4. That's Hollywood, I suppose. We got to high-five Ty and see the rest of the Extreme Team crew. Did I mention we were front row? :) But anyway, I have to be honest--it's NOT what I expected at all. The limo came in, and then again, and again. There was like 25 takes of everything that happened. And when the family did finally come, and everyone yelled "move that bus!", I heard that they had already seen it. But they did seem super excited, happy, sad, anxious and everything at the same time. So congratulations to the Graham Family!

 Here's a link to the rest of the pictures:
http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1494666375168&set=a.1494650694776.2067582.1489320099#!/album.php?aid=2067582&id=1489320099&page=3

"Take All of Me"

You have to watch this video. You have to listen to this song. You have to live the words.

About Me (Who I Am)

Heyyyy, my name is Chelsea Johnson.

Thanks for visiting my blog. This is "about me" is like a year after I've started blogging, but sometimes it takes that long to really "find yourself". And for the past year I have done more soul-searching and God-yearning than I ever have. I've pondered about who I am, where I'm going, and reflected on who I was. It's been a crazy year,with more ups and downs than ever but I've learned more than I ever thought I could and I'm excited to learn more about who I am becoming.

I am a Christian. I am deeply, madly, crazy in love with my Savior, Jesus Christ. I am trying to follow Him, wherever He leads. I am His slave, saved by His grace and living in His mercy.

I am a daughter. My parents divorced when I was young which means I've been blessed with four parents pratically my whole life. I am a big sister and absoutely love it. I have three younger siblings whom I adore. Slayton is 17, Raymond is 13, and Kendall is 10.

I am a friend. I love my friends more than they'd ever realize. I'm so thankful that my close friends are Christians and that they're there for me no matter what. It's a huge blessing to have real people in your life.

I am a missonary. I've been on two foreign mission trips already and absoutely cannot wait for when He sends me again. I'll go anywhere He leads. I live for showing people His salvation and letting Him grow the seed.

Some other things that I've grown quite fond of in my twenty years of life are: photography, music, movies, dancing in the rain, praying, worshipping, going on mission trips, shopping and then giving stuff away, dates with my girls (we always end up at Salsa's), watching 80's movies on double dates with my parents, scrapbooking, traveling, cuddling, going to basketball games, quoting movies with my man, church, speaking to groups, camping, hiking & rafting, staying busy, riding roller-coasters, working and anything else that involves the people I love...

So since I said earlier, this blog is who I am, I'm going to be blogging on who I was and who I am becoming in the future. Look for them...it'll be mighty interesting. :-)

Girl, You've got to STOP.

Okay, so this is a blog post I've been wanting to do for a LONG time. I consulted quite a few women and other girls on it before doing this. A lot say no-and a lot said yes. I'm going with it. God has laid this one big time on my heart.

It's on gossip. I'm so tired of my Christian sisters GOSSIPING! Seriously girl, you've got to stop.


Now I am NOT perfect, in any way, but several months ago, God laid it on my heart to stop gossiping. And I felt VERY convicted from then on, when I said something rude about anyone. I am still praying a lot about this, and working everyday to not gossip (or talk crap). And I feel personally, like I've done an okay job--not perfect--but better than I was. Because I was definitely one of those girls. You know the type, the ones that sit in the corner with their "friends", talking bad about everyone that walks in. (And by the way, if they're talking bad about someone with you, they're talking bad about you with someone else!--a hard lesson learned for me) ALWAYS something NEGATIVE, never any positive. The ones that just stare through you, up and down, everything you're wearing. The ones that have their nose in the air like they're better than you. Yeah, those girls.
But honestly, IT'S NOT THAT HARD TO STOP. You just have to PRAY. 

"God give me a loving heart. Help me to not see people's faults, but to work on my own. Show me everyone's inner and outer beauty, and help me to compliment them, lifting them up, instead of bringing them down. Lord, let me love like You."

Now I've always heard that when you're praying not to do something, or to better anything about you, the devil will always test you in that way. And boy, did he try to get me. A few weeks after God had showed me just how evil it is to gossip I was confronted with just that. I went to a dinner party with some fellow Christian ladies. And what was EVERYONE doing?! GOSSIPING!! The whole entire time. (There was one girl, other than myself, who did not participate). It was seriously ridiculous. It was almost like a contest--who could come up with the worst things to say about everyone else. It actually made me sick to my stomach. I remember driving home that night, calling Will and him saying "Oh, that just girl's. Girls can be rude." But these are CHRISTIAN GIRLS, I thought to myself. Why were they acting like this?! Why did I used to act like this?! This is disgusting. I actually went home that night and practically cried to my parents from being so upset. I guess I hadn't hung out with that many girls in awhile and didn't realize how EVIL they were. OR maybe it was because my true friends, ladies really trying to live with the love of Christ, didn't do that. What a wake-up call! That night put a lot of things in to perspective to me and was a HUGE lesson from God. Yet again, showing me how NASTY GOSSIPING IS and how much better I could show love, if I just didn't talk crap. I tell you what, I think twice before saying something nasty about anyone from now on.

Now again, I am going to restate that I am not perfect-at all. And I'm no better than anyone who does gossip. I'm just saying that God has told me how bad, evil, nasty, ugly, disgusting gossip is and I am trying to tell others about it. I really hope this can be a wake-up call for some girl/lady out there. I really hope that you realize what you're doing, how you're hurting your Christian witness, and seriously check yourself. Because, Girl, You've got to STOP.

"Besides that, they learn to be idle, gaddling about from every house to house; and they are not merely idle, but also GOSSIPS and busybodies, saying what they should not say." 1 Timothy 5:13
"They were filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, covetousness, malice. Full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, craftiness, they are GOSSIPS, slanderers, God-haters, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, rebellious towards parents, foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless." Romans 1:29-31