She is a mermaid, but approach her with caution. Her mind swims at a depth, most would drown in. –J. Iron word  

When I close my eyes, I softly listen to the whispers rushing all around me with feelings of hope and prosperity for the future. Sometimes I question life, as we all do so says the deep thinker. The past, that very moment, and my future. This weekend was full, yet again of God’s way of romancing a soul when needed most. That’s always been his protection against a solid beating heart. He holds me tighter than I deserve to be held sometimes and let’s me know that he is with me always. I had a lady growing up who was like a second mom to me and she always used to say “Chelsea, you have a God heart.”and with a little age I’ve learned to understand more and more what that means to me and how special having him always there comforts my heart constantly. There is something extraordinary about being in the middle of the ocean. No cell phones, no radio stations- Just you, God, and all of his creation surrounding you. It’s a place that makes you think out in the desolate seas, a thought train that runs as deep as the seas that you are floating on. And You know what I thought about? Soul Mates… Soul mates are something that I believe in with my whole entire being. They are not always romantic partners like some think when they hear the word “soul mate.” They are people that you connect with in a way that you never deemed conceivable. It’s a connection that you dream of, but one that you didn’t ever know you were capable of having until that split second that they walked into your life. And 99% of the time, it’s an abrupt soul recognition that says “oh, there you are.” They are the ones that rip you wide open. They expose the darkness that you were never brave enough to embrace on your own and they are the ones to reveal a worthiness that you never knew existed. But most importantly, they are one of the most influential people you will ever come into contact with, for this person will help you to discover exactly who you are meant to be and will change you in ways you never thought possible. Sometimes they point out your worth and treat you in a way that exposes a person that you never thought you deserved to be. Your own self that you spent years beating down, you then gain the worth that you haven’t ever been able to find within yourself. And other times they break your wall so far down, and you learn to fight, to fight for yourself in a way that you have never fought before. A fight that you didn’t know you had within you. It’s purely passionate, a fiery passion. But it leaves you with a legendary strength that you will never loose from that moment forward. Thus far in my life I have had the privilege of having a couple of people that I would consider soul mates. Because of them, I have been forever changed. As writer Gareth Egan says although it may not seem like it, sometimes you’ll pull yourself through the disaster that you find yourself in. Please, as much as you may want to don’t forget the inferno that you have had to swim through- not only for yourself, but for the lessons that you can now teach those who are suffering through the same disasters that you have seen; show them that they can dance with the flames and not drown and in fact come out stronger for surviving the burn; harness the heat, harness the lessons, let them fuel you and not consume you. Life isn’t beautiful, but I always remind myself that it’s a beautiful ride. There are times in life that you wish you could take back, times that you wish you would have made different decisions and choices, and simply time that you wish you could get back and relive a different way. The one thing that I have learned in life is to embrace these times, embrace the good and the bad that you are faced with and the lessons that you gain with.  And always know for your own self, that you fought with everything in you and gave it 110%. Life will rarely turn out like we had planned, and that’s the beauty of it. God has far bigger dreams for us than we could ever have for ourselves. You fight to hang on and you fight to let go. I’ve discovered that now I can handle the pain. It is the little voice in my head that reminds me of how long I’ve handled it that haunts me. And through this, I’ve learned that the fire within me burns brighter than the fire around me. And because of my soul mates that I’ve been blessed enough to have in life, a zealous fight has been revealed that will always pursue the very things that I love most. I’m so thankful for embracing the gulf sea and for receiving God’s blessings in some of the most rich and perfect ways. He never ceases to amaze me.

Loving life is loving the chaos that stems from the freedom to make our own decisions; our own mistakes; how exciting it is to learn from each and every one of those. –Gareth Egan