To Girls Like Me

A year and a half ago, my lovely mentor Heather started a blog for girls called A Girl Like Me. From the start, her heart has been to let young women know that they are not alone in their daily struggles and the ups and downs that life brings, to see them come to know and embrace a truth about themselves and about their Savior that they may have never recognized before or have struggled to believe. The blog quickly grew so much that she invited another beautiful woman of God, Kelly, to become the second half of AGLM. I have gotten to watch their passion for girls evolve into a beautiful ministry that touches and speaks to the hearts of so many readers, including myself. The posts they write contain an honesty that is hard to come by in today's society, but one that is wrapped in love and drenched with grace.

If it isn't obvious enough yet, I absolutely love this blog, admire these women, and believe in the message of life that fills their posts. After the way God has used their words and the way they share their lives to impact my life, needless to say I was recently quite honored to be asked to write a post for them as a guest blogger. I had no idea what to write, but the Lord definitely had something in mind. So I wrote what was on my heart (the only "prompt" I was given), and ended up learning a very important lesson through my own post - I am nothing more than human. So I invite you into my recent journey, to explore what it means to be A Girl Like Me.

Read here, at agirlikeme.com!

Be Still and Love

Love languages. You’ve probably heard of them. According to a book that I have never read (let’s be honest, I googled this out of sheer curiosity), there are five. They are words of affirmation, quality time, receiving gifts, acts of service, and physical touch. Though our thoughts often immediately jump to these languages being applied in the context of romantic relationships, they are not limited to this category. We see these in the way our love is expressed in our relationships with parents, siblings, friends, etc.

After taking the online assessment, I discovered that my personal love language is quality time. This makes perfect sense to me as I am definitely aware that I thrive on spending time in deep conversation with, doing something meaningful with, or simply being in the company of those I love. Once I started touring with Silver Ring Thing, I took my love of quality time to the next level, trying to spend as much time as possible with my family and friends before I left in the beginning and when I had breaks from the road. Every time the opportunity arose, I packed my schedule as tightly as possible to make sure I spent time with everyone on the rare occasion that I was home.

That had all been wonderfully satisfying…until I eventually hit a wall of conviction. Isn’t it equally as important that I spend quality time with God as well? Ouch. How much had I really been doing that? I mean, I kept up with a daily devo, but reading a few verses a day is hardly quality time, especially compared to the attention I had been giving everyone else important to me.

After tour ended and I came back home for the summer, I found myself in a rut. I spent nearly every day in a quiet house, alone for most of the day, and never once used that time to pick up my Bible or take a few minutes to talk about life with the big man upstairs. Though my social life has taken a breather for the past few months, I have found plenty of ways to occupy myself while pretty much doing nothing. I have watched movies and way too much tv. I have read several books and visited the social media realm more times than I can count. I have attempted to busy myself with house-cleaning, laundry and dishes. And I have spent hours of my life engrossed in solitaire and Sudoku on my phone.

Though I have had plenty of time on my hands this summer, I have not use it wisely, which has left me with an uncomfortable distance between me and my Heavenly Father. Cue once more that painfully familiar conviction. Sure, I have stepped out of the chaos and kept my calendar pretty empty. I have created a lot more time and space for the most important relationship in my life. I have continued to follow along with each day of my Jesus Calling devotional. Then why have I felt strangely hollow? Where is that fulfillment I so desired back when this conviction hit the first time? It’s not here. Because when I thought I had removed myself from the noise of life, I had really only turned down the volume.

It is in times like these, when my spiritual light bulb starts to flicker, that God really breaks through, speaking to me in a love language not listed in a book. I am forever finding conviction, calling, encouragement, and comfort in music. So of course, as soon as I began to realize how keeping myself wrapped up in a busy social life was causing me to neglect the Lord, and how taking “me” time was distracting me from much needed “we” time, lyrics to a beautiful song reminded me what I need to do.


Young Oceans "I Will Be Still"

I will be still
I will be still
And know
And know
And know You

Though the earth give way
Though the mountains fall to the sea
Though its waters roar
I will cling to Thee

Though the nations rage
And creation yearns for the Lord
Though the earth may melt
I'm forever Yours

There is no fear
As I look upon You

I will be still
I will be still
And know
And know
And know You are God

Forever my Refuge
Forever my Strength
Forever my Helper
Forever my Friend

I will be still
I will be still
And know
And know
And know You are God


Being still is not something I am used to. It’s kind of out of my comfort zone, really. I’m most comfortable being constantly on the move, especially after living the majority of the past year of my life on the road. Even when I think I am taking a break from the continuous motion, my mind is always racing. But that doesn’t allow me to just stop. Listen. Clear my head. Seek the Lord. Watch Him move. Be reminded of His will. Dwell in His Word. How much of a difference can that make in my daily life if I just take 10…20…30 minutes a day and invite Him into the silence…and stillness? I don’t know, and that is why I have recently challenged myself to start being still with God every day. Whether that means reading my Bible, praying, journaling, worshipping, or just resting and listening, I am going to focus on a new love language – being still – and I invite you to join me. Give Him your undivided attention. You never know what God will use that quality time for.

Let's Be Honest...

So I'm lazy.

Let's just get that out of the way.

If there is one thing I've learned being engulfed in tour chaos, it's that when I have free time, the last thing I want to do is talk about how little time I have.

Don't get me wrong. I love what I do. I thrive on a fast-paced lifestyle. Racing from city to city, all over the country, night after night, and working hard all day to bring a crazy show to life for a bunch of teens is an experience I can only describe as exhilarating. But of course I'd be lying if I said I don't crash once the adrenaline stops (bet you can't guess who's passed out on the bus in the top right...).

I mean, let's be honest - I'm downright exhausted. Hence the lack of blog updates since January.

Yeah...about that...

So to bring you up to speed on my past 5 months, the Spring half of tour was way busier than I ever imagined. Despite warnings from the "been-there-done-that's" of the team, I was still shocked when we traveled from Florida to South Carolina to Georgia in a matter of three days...having a show each day and getting 3(ish) hours of sleep in between. And that was only one of several such circumstances. Our schedule was packed, to say the least. But looking back, I don't think I would have it any other way.

We ended the Rewind Tour season having done 80+ shows, 70+ of which I was blessed to have had the opportunity to speak at, and visiting somewhere around 40 states (I lost track after 36, so 40 is just a guess. Haha). We did the very first outdoor event (and learned the to-dos and not-to-dos for future reference). We even got to bring some Jesus to Sin City!

Our team got to see the this ministry reach the 100,000 mark for people who have committed their lives to Christ at an SRT show. We have witnessed both the Kingdom and the abstinence movement growing in such huge ways!

All of that being said, after all I have seen and taken part in, I can't see myself walking away from this just yet. In August I will be heading back to Pittsburgh to do it all over again for the One Night Stand tour!

I absolutely can't wait to learn more, grow more, laugh more, cry more, and do more for the Lord's glory with some of my greatest friends from this past year and a handful of new faces I'll grow to love and adore the same.

Oh - and I promise to try to blog more and share more of my crazy journey along the way ;)

WARNING: This Is Cliche. And I Don't Care.

I told myself that, when the time came, I would NOT blog, tweet or post a Facebook status involving the lyrics to the most over-quoted Willie Nelson song. (You know which one. Don't pretend you're not singing it in your head right now.) I refused to be "that person."

Well.
Here I am.
Preparing to end my month-and-a-half break at home.
Preparing to leave for Pittsburgh once again on Thursday.
Preparing to embark on the last five-month stretch of tour.
And the song that I've resisted is the only thing playing in my mind (edited slightly to accurately describe my life)...


On the road again -
Just can't wait to get on the road again.
The life I love is (spreading the love of Jesus and traveling the country) with my friends
And I can't wait to get on the road again.

On the road again
Goin' places that I've never been.
Seein' things that I may never see again
And I can't wait to get on the road again.

On the road again -
Like a band of gypsies we go down the highway
We're the best of friends.
Insisting that the world keep turning our way
And our way
is on the road again.

Come on. Too perfect, right? I just couldn't ignore it. (What's funny is that my family has been calling me a gypsy since I started in August. How appropriate then that this song would refer to a band of gypsies!)

I've been home since Thanksgiving, and while I've absolutely loved every second I've gotten to spend with my family, I am ready to get back out on the road with my SRT family. This stir God's placed in my heart doesn't take a break for the holidays just because I do. I've had plenty of time to rest. Now I'm refreshed and excited to return to life on the road. It's time for more states, more cities, more shows, more laughs, more memories, and ultimately more opportunities to see God move as we joyfully work to further His Kingdom.

And so, at the risk of sounding incredibly cliche...
I just can't wait to get on the road again.

Doin' What I Love, Lovin' What I Do

Alright. I know what you’re thinking. I said I was going to use this blog to keep everyone updated on what’s going on in my crazy life on tour…but it’s been 2 months on the road and I haven’t posted anything. Yeah…about that…

It didn’t take me very long after things got started to realize that our busy schedule was going to make it a little difficult to keep up! I promise I’ll try to do better. Haha So that being said, I’ll do my best to try to recap the last 2 months. Forgive me, this may get a little lengthy…there is much to cover!

After everyone arrived in Pittsburgh in August, we spent a quick minute getting to know each other over a scrumptious meal at Primanti Brothers, then got right down to business the very next morning to kick off training. For about a week, our days looked a little something like this:

10AM – Meet in the office, team devotions/prayer, discuss what our lives would look like for the next 9 months
12PM – Lunch break! (We introduced the out-of-towners to the 8th wonder of the world, Sheetz, leading to us enjoying many of our lunches, sometimes dinners as well, there.)
1PM-ish – Working in the office, writing/memorizing talks, practicing skits
4PM – Head to the warehouse down the road where we learned how to use all of the equipment, how to load and unload the truck, and how to set up and tear everything down. Then we’d spend hours upon hours practicing and running through the entire show.
Somewhere between 2 and 5AM we would finally wrap it up for the night (er…morning…) and return to our host homes to get a couple cherished hours of sleep before doing it all over again the next day.

Again, I know what you’re thinking. 16-19 hour work days?! That’s crazy! How the HECK did we function all week?! The only possible answer to that question is this:

Jesus and energy drinks.

Haha Monsters and Red Bulls were definitely appreciated among the team from time to time, but the reality is no amount of sugar-loaded beverages could truly keep each of us coherent, positive, and patient with one another if that was all we were relying on. The reality of it all is that God is our strength and provision. Only He could sustain us as each long, crazy hour ticked by, as we rehearsed for the 86,000th time. We often didn’t really realize just how exhausted we were until we were told we were done for the day! God provided us with just enough strength to do what we needed to do and learn the entire show and process surrounding it in only a week.

Of course we made plenty of time amidst the chaos to goof off as well, which was rather helpful in keeping our sanity ;) I swear I should have abs of steel by now after how much I have laughed since we’ve all been together…we definitely keep each other entertained, that’s for sure!

Once training week ended, we loaded up our glorified shuttle bus, said goodbye to our wonderful office family, and hit the highway! We had our first bunch of shows and school assemblies in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. When Hurricane Isaac pushed us out of that area, we escaped to Houston, TX about a week earlier than we had originally planned. After some relaxation, shopping and family bonding, we jumped back into show mode for another 2 weeks of shows deep in the heart of Texas. A quick stop back in MS followed by a weekend in Arkansas wrapped up our southern shows for a while, so we travelled back to Pittsburgh for a little break. During this time I got to spend time with my family, a bunch of friends, and my mentor, which was very refreshing and exactly what I needed to prepare for our biggest show yet – Cranberry.

Last Sunday we had a show at Victory Church in Cranberry, PA. Typically on show days I get that butterfly feeling in my stomach as I’m about to go on stage, but on this particular day, I was insanely nervous ALL DAY LONG. Why? Many reasons. We had a crowd of a little over 1,000 people, which included people from our office, my family and some of my friends. It’s so different when you’re on stage in front of people than you know as opposed to a large crowd of strangers. But, as always, God pulled through, calmed my nerves, and used me (as well as the rest of the team) on that stage.

In case you don’t know exactly what I do in the show, I am in a skit in the beginning, then later I do what we call the boundaries talk. I get up and talk a little about my personal testimony, my journey of abstinence, how I’ve remained pure in an impure world, and some tips for dating and waiting. Though I wrote my own talk, I can’t tell you how many times I’ve blanked on the entire thing just moments before walking out in front of the crowd. Panic. Deep breath. Lights come up. Mouth opens…and 8 minutes later I’m taking my mic off backstage, completely speechless. Sure, I don’t hit it perfect every night. Actually I think I’ve only done that for 2 out of the 16 shows we’ve had so far. But the beautiful part is…it’s out of my control. I practice my talk every single day, whether I go through it in my head to pass time on the bus, talk to the shower walls while I wash my hair, or perform for my hotel room mirror. I do my part. I give it my all. But when it comes down to show time, there’s no more time for practice. Now it’s all in God’s hands, and it’s been such a blessing to learn night after night that I am not in control. This is not my show. It is not my responsibility to simply memorize a bunch of empty words in a script. Much rather I am just a vessel for the Spirit of God to inhabit and speak through. All I have to bring is the emotion and passion I feel…He’ll provide the words.

As I write this, we are on our way back to Pittsburgh after a show last night in Warren, PA. I sit here completely consumed by thankfulness. Sometimes I still can’t believe this is my life. 4 years ago I walked into a church in Indiana, PA with my youth group and walked out with a silver ring on my finger. 3 years later, just last year, I was volunteering at shows while just visiting a friend when she suggested that I look into applying for the tour team myself. Now here I am, on the opposite side of things, doing everything I’ve always wanted to do but didn’t know I could have all together. My interests/passions of acting, speaking, being on stage, working with people and kids, ministry, and seeing change in a downward-spiraling culture…they all combined into one big package called the Silver Ring Thing national tour team. And I get to be a part of it. I couldn’t be more at peace and in love with where God has me. It is so true that He knows the desires of our hearts. This has been mine all along and I didn’t even realize it until He revealed glimpses of His plan to me and said, “Go.”

Sure, life on the road with 12 other people, living in close quarters and getting very little sleep isn’t always a bundle of rainbows and butterflies. Sometimes it’s difficult to see the silver lining or the bigger picture when you’re tired/hungry/sore/sick/irritable. But it is in those times that the Lord stretches and grows each of us on this team to become more and more like Him…preparing us for a beautiful purpose.

(If you want to see for yourself a little of what the team has been up to, check out our webisodes! Silver Ring Thing videos)

This. Is. Happening.

It starts as a jittery, run-and-tell-everyone kind of excitement. Then comes the flood of I-MUST-be-dreaming thoughts, followed by that this-is-all-so-crazy-I-don't-know-how-to-feel feeling. Finally...you reach the something's-alive-in-my-stomach-and-it's-throwing-a-dance-party stage (sometimes known as "butterflies"). You get to that point where you begin to realize...this is happening. This is actually happening. That stage...yeah, that's where I'm at. The only difference? It's combined with all of those previous feelings as well! With only ONE WEEK to go before I head to Pittsburgh to meet the rest of the team and begin training, I have become this jumbled mess of pure enthusiasm, occasional disbelief, and sudden realization as this crazy reality finally starts to sink in - the life I have for the past two months known and referred to as my future is now becoming my present.

In church yesterday, the sermon was about how the same God that performed miracles back in biblical times, walked beside His people through every high and low. and changed so many hearts and minds is the same God present in our lives today. After all that He has done, what can't He do? Who are we to doubt the impact He can have in and through us after the difference He has made in and through those before us? I'm pretty sure He's over and beyond proven Himself. right? For that reason there is absolutely no doubt in my mind that I, along with the rest of the team, am about to see God at work in some incredible ways. This team was in no way a mistake. Each of us was chosen to fill a very particular role on the team, in the show, and as part of a family. I, for one, am definitely looking forward to seeing His hand in both our individual and team growth as we fulfill those purposes.

Someone said to me today in talking about how much I am sure to grow on tour, "You are definitely not the same Chelsea I met a year ago." It got me thinking...the same God who changed my life over the past year, who shaped, molded and transformed me into who I am now, who prepared me to stand exactly where I am now...that same God isn't finished with me yet. If I can look back now and notice that much growth in a 12 month period, how much more will I see when I look back 10 months from now? It's so crazy to think about, yet so humbling at the same time. A year ago I absolutely would not have been at in a place in my life where I could say, "Hey - why don't I just leave school, hop on a bus with 12 others, and travel the country telling people about abstinence and Jesus?" No. That most definitely would not have been a good idea. My heart for ministry and the things this particular ministry stands for was there, and it was blazing...but it took a year for God to bring me to that place of, "I'm actually ready for this. Lemme have it, Lord!"

I'm not the same. I'll never be the same. And there is more change to come. That can be a scary thought at times, just knowing that God is about to stretch me even more (I mean, come on, you can only stretch a rubber band so far before it snaps, right? Is it really possible for me to keep stretching?).

But in my ever-changing life, I can rest in knowing that my God will always stay the same. He knows exactly what changes are in store for me this year and their exact purpose. I don't know what to expect, but this one thing I do know for sure - I am ready for this.

Want a glimpse of what I'm about to dive into? Check it out --> REWIND Promo

To Where, Exactly?

God has blessed me with the heart of a traveler. I recognized this at a young age and have watched Him mold and shape me to accept call after call. That heart followed His lead to find St. Petersburg, Russia three years ago, and willingly returned to love on students there the next two years. After this past Spring, God gave me a strange peace about not returning for a fourth mission, though I didn't understand why at the time. That is, not until three weeks ago.


Let's rewind three and a half years...I attended a Silver Ring Thing event on November 15, 2008 where I put on a ring and made the commitment to wait, to save myself for my future husband, to remain abstinent until the day that ring is replaced by a wedding band, and, until that day comes, to live by 1 Thessalonians 4:3-4, "It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control your own body in a way that is holy and honorable."

Now fast forward to 2010...towards the end of my senior year, on a campus tour at Geneva College, I met another prospective student who would soon become one of my best friends. Savannah and I hit it off immediately and discussed maybe being roommates. However, she told me that she had applied for the SRT National Tour Team, and if she was accepted, she would be taking a year off of school and would not be attending Geneva in the Fall. Not long after, Savannah found out she was accepted.


We kept in touch through out the rest of high school and through my Freshman year at Geneva while she was on the road. I attended many shows in that time frame when the team was close by, both to see Savannah and to help out with set-up and tear-down while I was there. It was at one of those shows that she asked me if I'd ever considered applying for tour myself. Up to that point I really hadn't. I just enjoyed helping while I spent time with my friend and got to know the team. However, once she'd suggested it...my wheels started turning. I loved everything about the ministry. From the experience I'd gained so far, I'd gotten used to how things worked and how the show was run, from start to finish. Through Savannah, I'd been exposed to some of the behind-the-scenes aspects that gave me an idea of what life on the road is really like.


I spent about a month really praying hard about it as I gradually filled out the application. Despite my dear friend's impatience (she would have loved for me to have the paperwork in the mail the day after that show), I took my time. I didn't want to rush this kind of decision. I mean, think about it - simply signing my name and putting a stamp on that manila envelope could change everything for me. Was I really ready to withdraw from college after only a year, live on a bus with a bunch of strangers, travel the country for 10 months, spend every day in a different city, and all the while not be able to hop in my car and commute 2 hours back home to see my family at the drop of a hat? This was big. But the longer I mulled it over, and the more encouragement I got from great friends, my wonderful mentor, and my amazingly supportive mother...I finally decided in November to send in the application.


Fast forward once more...it's now June, 7 months since I applied and 3 months since I had an interview. Let's be honest here - at this point, I'm going CRAZY. The longer I waited to hear whether or not I was accepted, the stronger my desire grew to join the team. I knew if it was God's will, it would happen. But you try convincing yourself of that after not hearing a peep about it for that long! Looking back now, I realize that the whole waiting game was just God's way of testing my sanity and teaching me a much needed lesson in patience. Finally I let go of my own desire to map out my life (or least the next year of it) and relinquished the control that I was so tightly holding to (driving myself crazy). It was then that God gave me this inexplicable peace, followed by that wonderful phone call inviting me to be a part of the 2012-2013 National Tour Team.


And so...my life changes in August. Instead of heading back to Geneva for the fall semester, I will be traveling to Pittsburgh August 6 where I'll meet the other 11 members of the team. We'll train together for a week, then hit the road to spread the message of purity, share God's love, and be a light in cities and towns all over the country. I am so incredibly excited for this next chapter of my life, and I cannot wait to see what God has in store for me and for my new "family." So if the title of this blog I've started still has you a little stumped, and you find yourself asking, "To where, exactly?" I can't give you a straight answer to that. God put me on this crazy train, strapped me in, and now I'm just along for the ride, asking Him each day, "Where to next?" He's prepared me for this journey, and I'm ready to travel "there," wherever that may be, "and back again."


The ministry: http://www.silverringthing.com/

My bio: http://srttourteam.wordpress.com/chelsea-bio/

Meet the fam! http://srttourteam.wordpress.com/tour-team-bios-landing/