All we do is wait...

A portion of our life as Christian girls or women is waiting....we are waiting on the perfect man....the one we call the "right" man.  Waiting for sex until marriage.  Many even wear a ring on the 4th finger on the left hand that symbolizes waiting.

When I was 16 years old I was given a purity ring by my parents to wear on my left finger.  It is a ruby from Proverbs 31 - a excellent wife is far more precious than ruby's!  Yep that's the one, and I just cherish that ring because it's from my parents.  

On February 6, 2012, four years later, I removed that ring from my finger.  

However not for the fact that many may think.  But because I asked myself the question "why am I waiting?"  Why am I spending my time and energy waiting on a husband when my focus could be on serving the Lord.  We are taught not to look to a man for satisfaction or to define us, however we put so much focus on waiting for him and being perfect for him, that that in itself we allow to define us.  I know that one day I will be married, but until that day when the Lord puts him in my life, I will serve and glorify HIM whole heartily, and not hold a part of me back that is still waiting around until the day a man comes into my life.  I don't want to miss the here and now anymore, all because I'm focused on the what's to come.  

I am not bashing or criticizing true love wait rings at all, don't think that.  But for me personally I have spent so much time "waiting" and I have missed opportunities that the Lord has placed in my life.  So instead of waiting, I will go and serve my Jesus and praise HIM for this time in my life where HE is my only focus.  Praise Him for this season of singleness to pour into ministries!  

Don't misunderstand me....I'm not one of those girls who doesn't want to be married, because I do....I'm just so content and satisfied in the Lord, and I know that He has my life in His hands!  
Yes I still have my ruby ring :) I now wear it on my right hand! And I look at it as a reminder to be a proverbs 31 one women in all I do.  In the way that I treat the people around me, and the way that I live for the Lord.

Nine years old with white hair :)

Today I got told that I look like I am nine years old, told that my white hair was beautiful, that I have a beautiful nose, and oh about five people commented on how short I am! Haha oh the joy of working with people from other countries.  Today I began working with Somali's here in KC! Once or twice a week I will be going to a learning center to help tutor and teach English.
Tonight was such a blessing to my heart and the Lord is already knitting my heart together with a couple of the girls.  I can't wait to really know them on a deeper level and get the chance to share the gospel with them.  There were so many precious women there covered from head to toe in fabric.....all but their faces and it just reminded me of the hope that I have in Jesus and want them more than anything to know that hope too.  There is a precious young women named Hobiba, and she is just Beautiful and I all I could do was sit there and pray that she will understand the gospel and one day be my sister in Christ and come to know the Lord.

Who am I ...

So, I have this habit of listening to songs, but not really hearing them. Today I was listening to the song "Who am I " by Casting Crowns...and for the first time I "heard" it.  As I was listening to it the Lord really just made His grace evident in my life.  

Who am I, that the Lord of all the earth would care to know my name

would care to feel my hurt.  Who am I that the bright and morning 

star would choose to light the way, for my ever wandering heart. 

Not because of who I am

But because of what you've done

Not because of what I've done

But because of who you are.

Who am I, that the eyes that see my sin, would look on me with love

and watch me rise again.  Who am I that the voice that calmed the sea

would call out through the rain and calm the storm in me.

Who am I...that the Creator of the world and every living thing, would die for me.  Who am I that the highest of all kings would pursue my wandering heart over and over again every time I stray from Him.  Who am I that the Sovereign Lord over the universe pours His Grace over my life and allows me to take part in sharing His gospel with the nations.

He is Sovereign and merciful and I praise Him for His never ending love for me and that life is about bringing glory to HIS name

Sometimes blessings aren't what we think...

The Lord blesses us more than we ever deserve...
and I love the packages that His blessings come in.  Sometimes His blessings are in such a unique shape and form that we don't realize them.  A family that attends my school are preparing to travel to Africa in a week to share the gospel and serve the Lord with their four daughters.  Today my friends, my brothers and sisters in the Lord and I had the opportunity to serve them by going to there apartment and helping them organize, pack and clean their house before they leave.  We went to be a "blessing" to them and to serve....however the Lord used them to be a blessing to us.  As I sat on the floor surrounded by piles of medicine, pots and pans, band-aids, lotions, and anything you would need living in Africa, I was praying over everything as I was organizing and packing things up for them, and tears just streamed down my cheeks because they are such a blessing to me, and helping them prepare was such a blessing.  Seeing and being with their family in the last days they are here and watching the joy that they have in the Lord.  They don't know how long they are going to be there for this time, it could be 2 years, or it could be over 10 years, but they are prepared and willing to go to the bush in Africa and serve our Father and share His gospel and love with the people who have never heard it before.  They are so passionate about our Lord and so faithful to the calling that He has placed on their life.  The Lord also used them to answer a huge prayer.  There is a strip club close to where I live and the Lord has placed it on my heart to talk to the manager and ask if I can bring the girls(dancers) gift bags filled with items such as makeup, lotion, body wash, hairspray, a bible, and anything that the girls could use.  I have been praying that if the Lord wanted me to do this than He would open the doors and provide the things to go in the gift bags, because as you could probably guess those things are expensive to buy for 15+ girls :) Let me just tell you what my Jesus did ;) There were some things that this family had an abundance of and and couldn't take all overseas such as lotion, deodorant, toothpaste and a few other things, and so they told me to use them for the girls and give to them! Praise the Lord! How amazing is He. He so provided, so I will let you know when we get an open door into the strip club to give out the gift bags to the women :) I tell ya....the Lord is faithful! Be in prayer for what the Lord is going to do in this strip club, and also be in prayer for the Inman's, the precious family who are giving their lives to serve our Lord in Africa!

We'll see how this goes!

Welp I love to write and journal, however I'm not good at keeping up with things, so we will see how this goes with the blog! I am Kelsey Coffey, 20 years old, in my 2nd year of college at Midwestern Seminary in Kansas City! I'm an undergrad of course...I'm not smart enough to be 20 and already be in seminary :) I have a heart and passion to take the gospel to the nations...to proclaim the name of the Lord with all that I do...and to bring the hope of Jesus to those who don't know it!
When I was 16 years old the Lord called me to work with girls in the sex industry/human trafficking! That goes from girls who are sold by their parents or boyfriends, to girls who sell themselves to live.  It's all the same and they're all hurting.  So we will see where the Lord takes me with that...there are some very big possibilities in the near future, offering hope to girls in strip clubs and brothels, however many doors have been closed, and although sometimes it can be frustrating, the Lord is the one who has called me to do this, and it is in HIS timing, not mine. That's really hard to remind my heart of that daily though, because every part of my being wants to be out there right now on the front line with these girls.  But I am reminded daily that it's for the glory of my KING, and because of that I will wait for Him, I will wait for His timing and I will wait for His leading!