the magnificent exchange

I stumbled upon this today. My work? Oh yes and how perspectives can change over time! Enjoy as you dig into Chelsey's teenage years.

It is somewhat of a miracle how one can
live when the heart has been stolen.
But where has it gone?
Into the hands of another.
One so sweet but unaware of his power.
Ignorance is lethal when it comes
to love. It can crush a girl's
dreams into pieces so small they turn
to dust and blow away in the wind as if
they never existed.

But what can a girl
do. Advice to all girls: build a wall around
your heart and make sure to dig a moat.
You can never be too careful. Then choose
a room within the castle. Secrecy is ever
so important. Tell no one which room
it lies within until you have gotten
the attention of the one you love.
Then you can make an arrangement with
this man who has committed his life to you. You
can label this day of grandeur as "the magnificent
exchange." Your heart for his.

Despite its dramatic tone, I must believe that it was real at the time. If I were to give advice today though, I would direct girls in the opposite direction. Take chances. Most likely this means you will get hurt. Yes, there is a downside of taking risks. The upside: you will gain a better understanding of life as you experience relationships that don't turn out according to your expectations. Why? because they force you to think at a deeper level, leading to self discovery. You will begin to learn what really matters to you. The more you know, the better equipped you are to find someone with similar values, desires, and dreams. But what may be most difficult is finding a match and realizing their commitment level is not the same- the timing just doesn't align. For this I have no direct answer, only to stay hopeful and to have faith that all will work out one way or another. Respect yourself. Remember your worth. Aspire to be a better person. And most importantly, turn to your Father in Heaven to find eternal joy which is much fuller and more dependable than the 'happiness' the world has to offer you.

Now, I speak to any that are in need of comfort, healing, love, spiritual enlightenment, or temporal things such as food or transportation, I invite you to pray to your Father in Heaven. The specific words chosen during prayer do not matter but what does matter is:

1)expressing righteous desires with reverence to our Father in Heaven, 

2)being sincere with our gratefulness, 

3)and having a willingness to do our part in receiving blessings. 

The components listed below are taken from the Lord's prayer taught by Christ during the Sermon on the Mount. Personal prayers shouldn't use vain repetitions, but I wanted to share a helpful model.

[Address in Holiness] Dear gracious Heavenly Father:

 

[Express gratitude and love] I am thankful for...

[Pray for Heavenly Father's will to be done] I pray in accordance to Thy will for me and my loved ones...

[Ask for specific blessings] Humbly I ask that Thou would bless me with... my family & friends with... all your children with...

[Sincerely ask for forgiveness & begin the process of repentance] Please forgive me for... help me to change...

[Close in the name of Jesus Christ] In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen