You can make a difference

Well here I am sitting in my kitchen designing my first ever blog. Color...okay. About me...wonderful. Blog name...genius =). Design...eh. I'm sure I will be changing the color and design frequently based on my mood or the weather.

Since this is my first post I think I will start by explaining why I decided to start a blog. I go to Puyallup Foursquare Church and our senior pastor, Roger Archer, gave all the staff members a 90 challenge. The staff then extended the challenge to their teams and support staff. We have 90 days to complete, or at least attempt, three challenges--simple, moderate, complex. This blog is my "moderate" challenge. I have always loved to write and I have kept a journal (not really just one, it would be bigger than the Bible by now) since I was in 5th grade, but I have never published my writing or really allowed people to read it. It's going to be quite fun I'm thinking.

Now, in regards to the name of my blog, "Chelsea Lately"...you might be thinking, do you realize that you are committing fraud by using this title? In answer to your question, because I know the thought really did cross your mind, yes, I do realize this. It's catchy and it really is my name so I am going to use it.

The two most important things in life--love God, love people. Let us never forget that. If you're looking for a good book to read that will help you love others more, I recommend, "The Hole in Our Gospel", by Richard Stearns, the president of World Vision. He has an incredible testimony and his view on loving your neighbor as yourself is profound. I think in life we get too caught up in ourselves. We want to live our best life, make enough money to be comfortable, make good friends who help us feel better about ourselves, marry the right person for us, elect to office those who best fit what we need...why don't we focus on someone else for a change? Take our attention off our lives and focus it on someone else's. Now, the object of this challenge is not to look at all the problems in the world and get so overwhelmed by our own helplessness that we start to look to our own problems again. The object is to insert yourself into someone else's world and use your personality, money, time, engergy, outlook, morals, wisdom, knowledge to help them overcome obstacles in their life. You can make a difference. Now, if you don't believe you have enough influence to change just one person's life, let me gently correct you. You live in the United States (sorry to anyone who is reading this who doens't); we have access to incredible resources. When we take our focus off of ourselves and direct it toward others we actually will begin to solve our own problems without realizing it! I know it sounds a little out-there, but let me assure you that it works.

So here's my challenge to you: Whose day will be better because you were in it today?

It can be as simple as making someone laugh who's having a bad day, telling someone you love them just in case they don't know, giving food to a homeless person holding a sign even if you don't know for sure if they're homeless, saying a quick prayer for someone, sending an email or text to a friend you haven't talked to in a while. Anything. Let's be selfless for a day. Let's think of others more than we think about ourselves.

Faith.Hope.Love.
Chelsea Rae