Chels For China

Well, if you know my father, and possibly if you don't personally know him (there are probably already billboards and radio spots in Grove concerning the news I am about to share), you have probably already heard, but in case you haven't, I have been accepted for the January 2011 World Race!

When I woke up yesterday morning January was a long way off but I got a call at 2pm that suddenly made it seem much closer. There is so much to think about, and things to prepare, and people to call, but in the midst of personality tests, rules, support-raising tips, and packing lists, I felt this overwhelming sense of peace. A confirmation from my Heavenly Father that said, "You were made for such a time as this." I realized that He has been preparing me for this day for alot longer than I thought. If I look at all that needs to be done in the next 7 months, its overwhelming and stressful, but God is the light for my path, He knows the way. Jeremiah 29:11 says, "I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD...." So amidst the chaos that is ahead of me, I know who is in control and I am just thankful that He finds me worthy of such an amazing opportunity to be His hands and feet.

This is where ya'll come in...please pray for me as I prepare for this journey, pray for my future teammates and squad mates, pray for the churches and ministries we will partner with next year, and for the people we will minister to. Pray about supporting me financially. The cost of the Race itself is $14,300, that covers food, lodging, and travel. In addition, I will need to raise another $5,000 for insurance, gear, training camp, and a small amount of spending money while on the field. If you would like to give a tax-deductible gift you can send a check to:
Independent Baptist Church
PO Box 450723
Grove, OK 74345
Memo: Chelsea Hughes or World Race

Thank you for all your prayers as I have gone through the application process...I can't wait to share this experience with you all.

My dad is an amazing writer, check out what he had to say about my acceptance to the trip.
http://ibcgrove.blogspot.com/2010/05/dangerous-milestones.html

My little Mandi Pandi Pants graduated high school this past Saturday, I am so very proud of her. The little uncoordinated, mullet sporting, 4th grader that I met has grown into an amazing young woman with a purpose and a passion. What it took me 23 years to figure out she has known since she was 13, living your life for Christ is worth so much more than this world has to offer. I love this girl more than I ever thought possible, she is my little sister in every sense of the word and I can't wait to see what God is going to do in her life! I cherish the time we had together, White Water Bay, Six Flags, yoga on the beach, running out of gas, volleyball, many, many On the Border dates, Anchorman and Elf, and Bible study. So congratulations to the graduate...I am so very proud!!

"For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. Jeremiah 29:11

Why do I never learn...I feel like God has to teach me the same lessons over and over again...when will they finally stick?
Well, let me tell you about my Tuesday. I was feeling super discouraged, I heard from the guy with my car and he changed the terms of our agreement and basically I was looking at 2-3 more months without a car. Work was stressful...I'm working on a wedding that is now 3 weeks away, with a bride in Chicago and a groom in Ft. Worth...my Dad was in the ER and I was feeling very discouraged that it has been 2 weeks since I applied for the WR and I haven't heard anything back from them. It was not a great day, when I got home from work I went in my room, laid down, read a book and wanted to just wallow in self pity. I was doing a pretty good job of it too. At 7:00 on Tuesdays I am taking an evangelism class at Arden Road, last night I did not want to go...and I had determined not to...but at 650 I got up and headed out the door...I just felt that I really needed to go. Did I ever! A guy in my class said something that punched me right in the gut and slapped me across the face....basically he brought up that when we are discouraged we need to take our focus off of ourselves and put it back on God. Wow, how I needed those words. I had been focusing on myself and my problems all day and it felt terrible.
When I got home from class and realized that my roommate wasn't home (and thus LOST could not yet be watched) I decided I would walk over to the House of Prayer (this is a great ministry in Amarillo offering 24/7 prayer rooms). I spent the next hour and a half putting my focus back on God. I gave my Tuesday to Him.
And it somehow still amazes me how quickly God will work when we surrender things to him. While I was praying I got a text from the man with my car and he is going to honor our original agreement and I will have my car on Monday, thanks God. By the time I was at the HOP I had already talked to my Dad and found out that he was fine, but I still spent time praying for healing and believing that God can heal him without surgery...and then I did the hardest thing I've had to do in quite some time....I gave God the World Race...despite the months of prayer and the peace I felt about applying and doing this, I had began to doubt...the enemy was placing thoughts of unworthiness and mistakes from my past that will disqualify me...I had taken the WR away from God and was trying to push things myself...so through tears last night I gave it to God, I told him that I would be OK if this wasn't his will...and I told him honestly that those words were a work in progress...that I really want them to be true and I know that they will be but that letting go was hard....but I wanted him in control. It's crazy what chaos I can cause in just a few days of taking control from God...I look back and wonder how I got to this place in such a short amount of time.
So there it was the WR and my future hope laid at the feet of God...and I walked away...I didn't pick it back up and "help" him carry it...I simply said "here ya go" and walked away. And wouldn't you know that this morning a 9:15 I received an email that said there had been a problem with my WR account and it had been fixed, so my application had now been submitted and I could schedule a phone interview...
I love God and his way of saying "Hey, let it go. I am way better at this than you."
So keep praying...my interview is next Wednesday at 11:30am.

I will leave you now with the lyrics from the Tenth Avenue North song "Let It Go"

I've been holding on so tight

Look at these knuckles
They've gone white
I'm fighting for who I wanna be
I'm just trying to find security

But You say let it go, You say let it go
You say life is waiting for the one to lose control
You say you will be, everything I need
You said if I lose my life it's then I'll find my soul
You say let it go.

Well...I am struggling to wait patiently on the Lord..and the World Race. Although it has only been 4 1/2 days since I completed all of my application and turned in the application fee, I have begun obsessively checking my inbox for a reply. And lets be honest, this obsessive behaviour started on Wednesday. So I am back to the "God, you're not working fast enough" mindset. I am just at the point where I feel like my life is on pause...I am just waiting for God to hit play so I can dive into preparations for the WR. But this morning I am seeing things differently. I have put my life on pause...not God. God wants me to serve Him where I am, no matter what the outcome of my application, whether I am accepted to the WR or not, I need to "be about my Father's business" right here, right now. Waiting on the Lord doesn't mean I sit around watching Gilmore Girls, eating brownie batter, theorizing LOST plots and hoping to hear from God. He speaks through His word, and work done for Him, and through prayer and fasting and seeking His face. I am aware that this is much easier said than done, I do so enjoy the witty banter of the dynamic mother/daughter duo, but I realize that I'm not going to hear anything from God if I'm spending every waking moment doing other things...prayer can't be something I do quickly as I fall asleep at night, it is intimate time with the God of the universe. So I am striving to spend more time with Him and less time with the characters on my TV.