Busy, Busy, Busy!

Busy, Busy, Busy!
http://www.chelseacrockett.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/stayfocused1.jpg

Hello, I would like to introduce myself to all of the fellow insiders and Mama’s out there! My name is Jen I will appear as a guest blogger from time to time. I come from a social work background, and I am excited to be sharing with you thoughts and stories on life and all of the blessings, joys, hurts, and trials that come along with it.

I don’t know about you, but I find it all too easy to get carried away with busyness and I am easily distracted by the simple cares of my everyday life! I always find myself caught up in the little things, you know, like what I am going to cook for dinner tonight? When am I going to make it back to Target to pick up all the things I forgot last time I was there? And how on earth I am going to be able to fit in a few good trips work outs this week? These types of things go through my mind constantly and make me feel like I will never be on top of life!

When I really sit down and think about how flustered I get by all of these silly distractions, I see that being consumed by the trivial busyness of everyday life leaves me nothing but empty! Sure, having a clean kitchen, snagging a good work out, and enjoying a relaxing trip to Target with a Frappuccino in hand are all wonderful, but the momentary happiness I get from the little things makes me wonder if being caught up in all the “extras” is really just a means to escape deeper desires and longings.

We all have those big unsettling questions in our lives…

“Where do I belong?”

“Is my life meaningful and purposeful?”

“Why did that happen to me? I did not deserve it.”

“Am I really known? And loved?…”

We can bounce around from place to place completing task after task, but at the end of the day, a checked off To Do list does not bring any sustenance or meaning to our lives.

There are these two ladies in the Bible named Mary and Martha. Now these two were sisters, and they both had a special opportunity one day to have Jesus into their home for a visit. When he arrived the two sisters had very different reactions to Jesus’ presence. Luck chapter 10 tells us that Mary sat down before Jesus quietly to listen to all that he had to say. Martha scurried about the home serving everyone who was there. Naturally Martha became frustrated that Mary was neglecting to help entertain their guests and so said to Jesus, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.” But Jesus answered her by saying, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.”

Mary sat before Jesus to listen to all he had to say about what is truly meaningful in life, while Martha got distracted from a rich and meaningful experience by being caught up in busyness.

My challenge to you is this: Let the distractions of the day slip away and take time to sit before Jesus. Pray. Spend time in the Bible. Let Him speak to your heart, and let Him tell you that you belong in His love, that He offers you meaning and purpose, and that He is there to heal your heart. He is there if you will only take the time to listen.

-Jenny

Read More at ChelseaCrockett.com

Tags: #Jesus, #MamasCorner, #StayFocused, #Chelsea Crockett, #Beautyliciousinsider, #Chelseacrockett, #Chelsea, #Beautylicious, Jesus, mamas corner, stay focused, Chelsea Crockett, Beautyliciousinsider, Chelseacrockett, Chelsea, Beautylicious, Makeup, Beauty, Fashion, Cometics, Youtube, beauty guru
Category: #"TheWORD.", "The WORD."

By: Jenny Childerson

See Chelsea Crockett - BeautyLiciousInsider on YouTube

The Missing Piece of the Puzzle

The Missing Piece of the Puzzle
http://www.chelseacrockett.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/heart-puzzle-e1373817404468.jpg

This past week, I’ve been reading a book by Louie Giglio, titled, I AM NOT BUT I KNOW I AM. Something that hit me hard right away is when he talks about two archenemies of the heart- stress and meaninglessness.
I’m sure many of you can relate to what it’s like as a mother to take on the weight of the world, like it’s something we are supposed to do. We feel like we have to be all things to all people. Louie says, “If we knowingly or unknowingly, view ourselves as the source of all things of all people, we slowly lose peace of mind and find ourselves staring at the ceiling late into the night trying to figure out how to hold it all together and/or medicating ourselves just to make it through the day. ” He then goes onto say, “Why? Because the human frame wasn’t created to carry the weight of the world. That’s why, in the end, stress kills. It kills laughter. Extinguishes hope. Cracks relationships. Squashes dreams. Robs health. And steals God’s praise.”

The other archenemy he talks about is meaninglessness. He says, “Meaninglessness woos us into spending our one shot life on insignificant and trivial things. Our days become filled with drama over the ridiculous: our complaints fly free at the small challenge or difficulty: our energy and wealth are consumed by what is fleeting; and our chatter becomes dominated by events, people, and things that won’t last much longer than the morning mist.”

While reading this book, I thought about a time after college, when I decided that I wanted to get my “husband to be”, a nice gift to go in his office. I decided on a framed ‘Old Map of the World’. It would be the nice touch to the place where he spent most of his time. There was only one stipulation to this idea. It was a 2500 piece puzzle that had to be put together, glued, and fitted for a special sized frame. So being the Ultimate Ambassador, who up until that point had majored in delegating difficult jobs, I asked my oldest sister, Deb, to help me with this task. After all, I would never have the patience to see how all of those pieces fit together by myself. I told her that I would pay her to put it together. Little did we know, after all the hours it took her, she would discover a missing piece upon completion. So, she, in her most frustrated voice, asked what she should do. So being the lovely little sister that I am, I told her to get another one and to find the missing piece in the new box. After many, many hours of looking, she discovered that the new puzzle was cut differently than the original one. Therefore, she would never be able to find the missing piece!

Why do I tell you this story, you might ask? Well, to get to this point. I’ve been searching for the missing piece for so long, but the missing piece is evident. Louie Giglio says, “To both stress and meaninglessness, this book says, “Enough! Enough of little lives led by little people, crumpling under the weight of stress. And enough of empty ambition masquerading as something grand yet marked by the numbing effects of a vacant heart. And more important, this book bids, “Welcome to the story of God!”

Several years ago, I was talking to an older lady who experienced deep pain in her marriage. I was very inquisitive about her life and her experiences. I asked her what it was like to lose her husband. I asked her if she thought that it was the right choice for her life. She said, “I don’t know. I’ve never known anything different.” She then paused, and  said, “But,….it was like I had been working on this very, very, large puzzle with someone, and when we were just about finished with it,….. he just quit.”

While this woman knew nothing about the family heirloom that still hangs in our office, I knew this moment was very significant. I thought about how, in many ways, I’ve not been willing to even pick up the first piece. But, it was at that moment, that I knew that I would begin trying harder and harder than I would at anything else to pick up the pieces. After many prayers from family and friends, as well as some very hard work, I’ve come to know this. “God is really, really, BIG! He is the beginning and the end. He is the Alpha and the Omega.”

And, for those of you wondering what happened with our “Old Map of the World”, with the missing piece, …… my sister inserted a similar looking piece of the cardboard box, into the area where the real one should be. It is quite the conversation piece, still, after all these years. In fact, if you ever come to see it, I’d be happy to tell you about it, as well as what we have come to know as our missing piece of our puzzle. It’s a story of loving, caring, and forgiving God.

Mama.

Buy Louie’s book here:http://tiny.cc/LouieGiglio_Book

Read More at ChelseaCrockett.com

Tags: #God, #Jesus, #MamasCorner, #Puzzle, #Chelsea Crockett, #Beautyliciousinsider, #Chelseacrockett, #Chelsea, #Beautylicious, God, Jesus, mamas corner, puzzle, Chelsea Crockett, Beautyliciousinsider, Chelseacrockett, Chelsea, Beautylicious, Makeup, Beauty, Fashion, Cometics, Youtube, beauty guru
Category: #Mama"sCorner, Mama"s Corner

By: Michelle Crockett

See Chelsea Crockett - BeautyLiciousInsider on YouTube

The ABC"s

The ABC"s
http://www.chelseacrockett.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/00541-1024x683.jpg

A time to get away with family, to play and talk, with no interruptions, no cell phones ringing, no deadlines, and no normal pressures of everyday life........... those times are few and far between.  As many families take time to get away over the spring and summer, I feel blessed to be able to spend time with mine.   We are all anticipating a time of sunshine, sand, shopping, roller coasters, talking and eating at restaurants we"ve never been to, and just being content in being together. 

 

We celebrate these times, because the memories that we create are priceless.  They serve as the highlights of a child"s life.  Good memories are much like God"s love during a severe storm in our lives.  God gives us his word to help us when things go wrong in our lives.  His word is still living and breathing, as time goes by.  While knowing God"s word is important, he is never impressed by our intellect, but he is moved by our heart and our faith.

 

There have been several times in my life when his word has carried me through a storm- one that seems to never end is more bearable because of God"s promises.  Jeremiah 29 says,

¹¹ For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. ¹² Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. ¹³ You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.

Whether you are going through a storm or are on vacation with your family, God"s story remains the same.  Some say that being a Christian, is as easy as learning the ABC"s.

A Admit that you are a sinner
B Believe that Christ is the lord
C Confess him before men
D Deny yourself and follow him
E Enjoy being a child of God
F Forgive your enemies so your father will also forgive you
G Glorify your father who is in heaven
H Honor your father and mother
I Ignore Satan when he comes to deceive you
J Judge not
K Keep working for Jesus
L Leave your past behind you
M Marvel Not
N Never go to sleep with hatred toward your brother
O Obsess yourself with the word of God
P Provide food for the hungry
Q Quit serving the things of this world
R Respect God and the things of God
S Sell your soul to God
T Tell your friends about Jesus
U Unite yourself with other Christians
V Venture into strange lands spreading the word of God
W Witness to others
X X-ray your heart every day
Y Yearn to see God
Z Zone the devil out of your life

When we go through storms, we can choose to use that storm to help others.  This week, I"m recommending a book titled, Reflections from the Pit , by Cindy Winters.  Four years ago, our minister, Fred Winters was shot and killed during our Sunday morning service.  The gunman also stabbed two others before being subdued.  Since then, his wife, Cindy Winters and their two daughters have been on a roller-coaster of healing. Four years later, she holds no grudges against the man who killed her husband.   She has since then shared how her youngest daughter told her that she hopes that the guy who did this to her daddy learns to love Jesus. What an amazing testimony of love, faith, and forgiveness!

 

While we can"t imagine something like this happening to our family, we can imagine some of the feelings that go along with difficult times- grudges, resentment, and bitterness.  But forgiving really does free us up in our minds to move forward and to become the person we are supposed to be.  It doesn"t mean that we forget what happened, feel less alone, at times, but it does mean that we will let go of the hard feelings and move on or start over. 

 

 If you are interested in purchasing Cindy Winters book, Reflections from the Pit , it is on her website, Grace and Hope Ministries.org or you can also purchase from Amazon.com here:http://tiny.cc/ReflectionsFromThePit

Read More at ChelseaCrockett.com

Tags: #Abc, #FromThePit, #God, #Jesus, #MamasCorner, #Trust, #Chelsea Crockett, #Beautyliciousinsider, #Chelseacrockett, #Chelsea, #Beautylicious, abc, from the pit, God, Jesus, mamas corner, trust, Chelsea Crockett, Beautyliciousinsider, Chelseacrockett, Chelsea, Beautylicious, Makeup, Beauty, Fashion, Cometics, Youtube, beauty guru
Category: #Beauty, Beauty

By: Michelle Crockett

See Chelsea Crockett - BeautyLiciousInsider on YouTube