Back to Reality...

Tracee and I sincerely hope that you had as much fun as we did this week as we enjoyed our families. Unlike Tracee, I spent my black Friday like so many of the rest of Bristol did, SHOPPING!!! My mother and I started shopping on Black Friday about 4 years ago...laughing every year about how ridiculous it is to be shopping for underware at 4am to save a few bucks. But, I love and cherish this time that I have, just me and my mom. We rarely get these one on one moments and live for Black Friday now...
After staying up late Wednesday to cook a Thanksgiving feast for 9, getting up at the crack of dawn for Black Friday (without a nap), and getting up early again this morning to go with my husband to those stores holding over their sales, I AM POOPED!!! So, forgive me that this entry is very short, but I am sure that Tracee and I will be sharing our Thanksgiving stories with you over the next few days...Get ready to laugh your Thanksgiving dinner off!!!
We love you and pray for you daily!!
~Tracee and Janice~

Bye Bye Turkey Day – Hello Christmas

It's hard to believe that Thanksgiving is already over AND black Friday. Wow!! I spent my Black Friday getting a hair treatment on my hair to help with my frizzies. My hair feel as greasy as can be and there's nothing I can do about it until next Tuesday!!! But, I should be drop dead gorgeous after this!! Haha!

I have been in Florida this whole week visiting my family. It has been absolutely wonderful and hysterically funny. I have laughed so hard that I never even gained one ounce due to the workout I gave myself from laughing so much. I promise you I'll post our Thanksgiving Day video sometime but get ready to laugh your head off. Between my sister, my brother my mom, and myself, there was no shortage of comedians in the house.

Now, all wonderful things must come to an end and tomorrow I find myself getting in the car for a 12 hour day of traveling with my kiddo's. It's a good-bye I have to do every year but overall, I can't thank my Jesus enough for giving me the amazing family that I have been blessed with. We all have the liberties to be exactly who God made us and that's incredible! Even if my dad spends half of his time wondering where on earth we came from. J The beautiful thing about tomorrow is I get to see my super handsome husband who I left behind in the woods of Tennessee/Virginia as he hunted the wild wild East for deer. November has been so busy with traveling that we've only gotten to see each other a total of 14 days this month!! So, tomorrow is going to be wonderful to walk through the front door of my home and into his arms.

Off to hang with the fam one last time!!

See you when I get back to good ole' Tennessee….

Tracee….tired, fulfilled, loved, stuffed, and happy as a turkey!

Happy Thanksgiving Day!

May your stuffing be tasty
May your turkey plump,
May your potatoes and gravy
Have never a lump.
May your yams be delicious
And your pies take the prize,
And may your Thanksgiving dinner
Stay off your thighs!

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone! 

Love, Tracee and Janice

The Virus I received this Weekend...

This is a copy of the Amish Virus Warning I received this weekend...I died laughing!!!

"Thou hast just received the Amish Virus.

Since we do not have electricity nor computers, thou art on the honor system.
Please delete all of thy files.

Thank thee"

Still laughing...Janice - Have a GREAT Monday!!!

Christmas Shopping

Ahh, the joys of Christmas shopping! I haven't really gotten a great start yet this year but I am working on it. I have had times where I've gotten it all done by the end of September and then times when it was days before Christmas before I was done. I came up with a great solution the other day that I think I'll do one year and that's simply get gift cards to all my kid's favorite stores and take them out the day after Christmas and let them get whatever they want. Time wise, I don't know if that would be good since the stores are busting after Christmas but then I could be onto something here. I can see myself now, sitting at a coffee shop in the mall, reading a book, enjoying myself while my kid's are stressing out about which toy, clothing item, earrings, or video game they want. Sounds like the perfect solution!!

I have to admit, though. I really do enjoy Christmas shopping. I love shopping period. It's fun – well, it's fun when there's money involved. When there's not it's quite a challenge. Haha! But, I do have some great advice…when you don't have money but you 'feel' like shopping…head over to Target, grab a cart and shop. Go through every aisle and enjoy yourself – put all those things you want in the basket, oh – don't forget to get the $1.50 soda and popcorn at the concession area to help make your shopping trip more enjoyable, or if you have $3/$4 to spare you can get a nice Starbucks coffee. So, you might be asking, "What do I do with the cart that's full when I'm done." You simply leave it in the last aisle of the store and walk away. You'll feel refreshed and had an enjoyable shopping experience and you'll walk away feeling good that you didn't spend all that money!! Haha! I confess, I did do that once or twice. Store camera's love me!! I was at the store and I had it loaded with stuff – all kinds of stuff…I ended up walking away from it all because I felt I went a little overboard so I just grabbed another cart and started all over and left saving myself a bundle and feeling quite happy.

When it comes down to it, it's the simple things in life that will bring you greater treasure than thinking you 'need' all the bigger things in life. Stuff is stuff!! It comes and goes with the times, but having those enjoyable times in life when you might only have $5.00 in your wallet…that's okay. Enjoy what you have and get what you need..but overall – enjoy those precious 'small' moments – whether you have loads to spend or nothing. Don't forget – when Jesus comes, you can't say, "Oh, just a minute, let me pack up my suitcase of all the 'stuff' I've collected through the years!" lol! But what matters most is what you've treasured up in heaven. Matthew 6:21 puts it beautifully: "Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be."

Life is what you make of it – if you choose stress, you'll get stress. If you choose to be miserable, you'll be miserable. If you choose love, you'll get love. If you choose fun, you'll have fun. If you seek treausures, you'll find treasures! Life is like Christmas shopping – you get what you shop for. Choose the enjoy the small moments that life gives you…and when in doubt…just walk away from you cart and start all over!!

Tracee….gotta get out of here and start shopping for treasures while convincing my kid's they don't need all this 'stuff!' lol!!!!

Top Ten...

Top Ten Things You Never Want to Find in the Center of Your Christmas Chocolates:

10. Microfilm wht schematics for the new Mach 937 stealth fighter

9. Magma

8. A fortune that reads "A distant relative will come for a lengthy visit."

7. Another chocolate, with another chocolate inside of that, and another chocolate inside of that, and another...

6. A slip of paper that starts with the words, "Your weight is..."

5. A clown that pops out to the tune of "Pop Goes the Weasel"

4. A worning label that reads "Not to be taken internally"

3. Legs of any kind, size, or shape

2. One of the evil Penguin's dehydrated henchmen (but if you dind one, Batman will know what to do)

1. An expiration date - especially if it refers to any time now considered "retro"

Enjoy your Holidays!!

Anxiously waiting...Janice

Gobble, Gobble

My favorite time of the year is summer – I love heat and will take it any day over cold weather. You could probably call me a baby when it comes to cold weather because I simply don't like being cold. I can recall a time when I lived in Ireland which is a very cold country. Your heat stays on 24/7 365 days a year. You might get blessed and have 65 degree weather for no more than 2 weeks sometime between May and August but don't put all your eggs in that basket. We had moved from a house that didn't have working radiators to a house that did….after having lived in a cold house for 9 months I believe I went a little overboard on the heat because one night my husband came home and took one look at me. Of course, my face was radiantly red and I probably had sweat dripping down my brow – I was burning up and loving every minute of it because the heat had been on nonstop for hours. He said, "Sweetheart, don't you think the house is hot enough." I gleefully looked at him and said, "No! Doesn't it feel perfect in here?!" I wasn't about to turn the heat down for second no matter how hot I was. That's what shorts and a t-shirt are for. Lol!!

Now that you know my favorite season, my favorite holiday, though, happens to be in the dead of winter…well, actually, not the dead of winter but the early stages of winter even though around here in Tennessee I woke up to 17 degrees yesterday. So wrong!!! So, they call this fall! Haha! What is winter going to be like? Actually, my TN winters have been pretty calm – cold, yes, but not like Minnesota cold. Haha – I just had a revelation….I was born in Minnesota. Go figure!! I only lived there one year so my blood didn't have time to get use to frigid weather.

So, you ask, where on earth is this crazy woman going with all this cold/holiday talk? Lol! I don't have a clue myself. Haha! Actually, I do – Thanksgiving through Christmas is such a festive time of year and that's what I love about it. I get to see family I haven't seen in a year (we compare wrinkles and age spots) since we live all over the planet and get some extra special quality time with my own immediate family and I have to say…it's fantabulous. Of course, I get to warm up since the kids and I have started a Thanksgiving tradition of heading down to Florida to hang with my side of the family while Mark stays here and becomes a mountain man hunting for deer for 6 days straight. He loves it because he doesn't have to shower or shave! Haha! I've called myself a deer widow every Thanksgiving. So, whether it's just you, or you've got a bus load of family or more, I pray that you have the most beautiful holiday season this year. Don't worry about all the 'stuff' that takes place when families get together with all their lovely opinions….simply reflect on the beauty of your family – the positive things that you love like – hearing with my family: hearing my dad clear his throat (a habit he's done for years) – I can find him in a store just because of that one trademark, or my mom dancing around the kitchen with celery in her mouth singing Elvis songs as she entertains herself while cooking, or my sister constantly giggling from my silly forms of entertainment and then saying, "Does anyone need a starbucks?" Or, my brother-in-law with the t.v. remote permanently attached to his hand while he stays glued to football games, or my kids telling their Aunt, "So, when are you going to take us shopping? I brought my list." Or my oldest sister, the teacher, commenting across the room while I'm having a conversation with someone else saying, "Tracee, it's not her but she." She loves correcting people's grammar. Or, my brother trying to find someone to talk to about his hotrod car and how it goes 110 mph in 5 seconds, a story in which we've heard about every single year…haha! Yes, I have been the good sister and let him take me for a spin in that car at those warped speeds at least twice and I have to say – it's fast and quite scary. Make sure you wear a depends if you attempt this at home.

Alright, so I gave you some insight to my family gatherings and they are quite hilarious and extremely entertaining. Through the good and the quirky – I love my family and the precious times we have together. So, live it up – enjoy this holiday season and no matter whether you are in the state of plenty or the state of need – remember the awesome words of Paul…."no matter what state I am, I have learned to be content." Phil. 4:11-12

That is the joy secret to life…no matter what – be content and live it up!!

Gobble, gobble….Tracee

ATM Machine’s

MALE VS. FEMALE AT THE ATM MACHINE  

A new sign in the Bank Lobby reads:

'Please note that this Bank is installing new Drive-through ATM machines enabling customers to withdraw cash without leaving their vehicles.
Customers using this new facility are requested to use the procedures outlined below when accessing their accounts. After months of careful research,
MALE & FEMALE Procedures have been developed. Please follow the Appropriate steps for your gender..'

*******************************
MALE PROCEDURE:
1. Drive up to the cash machine.
2. Put down your car window.
3. Insert card into machine and enter PIN.
4. Enter amount of cash required and withdraw.
5. Retrieve card, cash and receipt.
6. Put window up.
7. Drive off.
******************************
FEMALE PROCEDURE:
1. Drive up to cash machine.
2. Reverse and back up the required
amount to align car window with the machine.
3. Set parking brake, put the window down.
4. Find handbag, remove all contents on
to passenger seat to locate card.
5. Tell person on cell phone you will call
them back and hang up.
6. Attempt to insert card into machine.
7. Open car door to allow easier access
to machine due to its excessive distance
from the car.
8. Insert card.
9. Re-insert card the right way.
10. Dig through handbag to find diary
with your PIN written on the inside
back page.
11. Enter PIN.
12. Press cancel and re-enter correct PIN.
13. Enter amount of cash required.
14. Check makeup in rear view mirror.
15. Retrieve cash and receipt..
16. Empty handbag again to locate wallet
and place cash inside.
17. Write debit amount in check register
and place receipt in back of checkbook.
18. Re-check makeup.
19. Drive forward 2 feet.
20. Reverse back to cash machine.
21. Retrieve card.
22. Re-empty hand bag, locate card holder,
and place card into the slot provided!
23. Give dirty look to irate male driver
waiting behind you.
24. Restart stalled engine and pull off.
25. Redial person on cell phone.
26. Drive for 2 to 3 miles.
27. Release Parking Brake.

Love, Live, Laugh!!

Tracee, the 'drive 2-3 miles and then remember to release her parking brake!' woman

The Pastries...Redeemed!

This weekend was a blast! Definately a much needed break before the holidays! Our church women's group packed up our bags and headed to the mountains of North Carolina! There were somewhere between 23 and 25 of us (I lost count, and they wouldn't all stand still for me to count!)

Saturday afternoon was our free time and of course, all but two of our ladies went SHOPPING!! (what else, right?) Well, there is the most yumma-delicious bakery in downtown Wayensville that we always stop at and they also serve lunch. Well, it just so happened that my group of thrift store shoppers, ran into for lunch, another group of our ladies who had been shopping the stores of downtown. One of these ladies, (Sandi, our Woman's Ministry leader), had purchased some pastries from the bakery for later and she was so excited about them!! (We took pictures...:))

As we left the bakery stuffed to the gills, we decided to walk it off and found ourselves at the Christian Book store, where we ran into the same ladies!! Coincidence? I don't think so, because the next 1/2 hour brought my group of ladies SOOOO much laughter and joy....:)

Sandi had laid her pastries down on a shelf before we got there and was continuing to shop the rest of the store. WE FOUND THEM...So, we decided to redeem them and take them to the house for her...but we didn't tell her! We just walked RIGHT out of the store with them...Giggling the whole way!!

We decided that we should hold them ransome and take pictures with her yummalicious pastries all the way downtown. We laughed so hard!! People were starring at us as we had our fun! That simple moment of silliness with my friends was priceless! It is a moment that we will all remember and a moment that bonded us for life. Some of us would never have done something like that, and yet for some of us, it is almost expected, but the point is, we bonded...I can still hear us laughing...yes, it is my friends that are now the voices in my head!! You should be so lucky!!! LOL

Our story ends with our last act of silliness, we wrapped Sandi's precious pastries up in Birthday paper and presented her with them at that night's meeting...I'm sure that she would have eventually remembered that she laid her precious pastries somewhere, and she would have eventually found them, BUT this was WAY more fun!!! LOL

Do something silly today...Laugh at yourself...(Don't worry, if your stomach hurts, it just means that it is working! And just think of all the calories you are burning excersizing your abs like that!! Sure does beat sit-ups!!) ~Janice~

Going Back To Work!

My mom sent this to me and I about fell off the sofa laughing so hard. I can so remember the days of typewriters....just watch and see what I mean! haha!



Smiles,

Tracee

What To Do When You’re Bored

Okay, so we all have to make continual stops on a weekly basis to Walmart or Target. Sometimes life can feel a bit monotonous as you constantly need a new pair of socks, shampoo, toothpaste, food, etc. So, here's a list of some hilarious things to do to spice up your shopping adventures. I've actually tried some of them. I promise you, you'll crack up laughing if you attempt any of these and if you do, please let us know. Share the laughter!! And, if you are wondering where the spiritual relevance in all of this is, check out Proverbs 17:22. It says, "A happy heart is good medicine and a cheerful mind works healing, but a broken spirit dries up the bones." The power of laughter is life changing!! Give it a try!!

1. Get some boxes of Dulcolax and place them in people's carts when they aren't looking.
   
2. Set all the alarm clocks in the 'housewares' section to go off in 5 minute intervals.
   
3. Walk up to an employee and tell him/her with an official tone, "Code 7 in Health and Beauty" and see what happens.
   
4. Go to the Layaway section and ask to put a bag of M&M's on lay-a-way.
   
5. Move the 'Caution – Wet Floor' sign to a carpeted area.
   
6. Set up a tent in the camping department and tell other shoppers you'll invite them in if they'll bring pillows from the bedding department.
   
7. When a clerk asks if they can help you, begin to cry and respond: "Why can't you people just leave me alone?"
   
8. Look right into the security camera, use it as a mirror and pick your nose.
   
9. Dart around the store suspiciously while loudly humming the "Mission Impossible" song. (done that!)
   
10. Hide in a clothing rack and when people browse through, say, "Pick me! Pick me!" (gotta try this one!)
    
11. When an announcement comes over the speaker, assume the fetal position and scream, "No! No! It's the voices again!"
    
12. Go into a fitting roomfitting room and shut the door and wait a while, then yell very loudly, "There is no toilet paper in here!"
    

    
     

    Confession time: I'm still a Youth Pastor but back in the 90's, I would have all our girls over for a slumber party. One of the crazy things we'd do is dress up in outrageous outfits and head to Wal-Mart to pick up toilet paper to bless someone's house with. It was one of those trips that we were running around the store singing the "Mission Impossible" theme. I was dressed like a hunter with a paper sack over my head, another friend was wearing a bathing suit OVER her clothes, another girl was dressed like a Grandma, grey hair and all, another girl had a pair of my 2 year old sons Mickey Mouse underwear on her hair with pony tails coming through the leg parts, another girl was dressed in rain gear and carrying an umbrella that was open, and that's only to name a few of the hilarious outfits we put together. The responses from people's faces were absolutely hilarious to witness. The security camera's at the store were watching us like a hawk…you'd hear over the speaker system, "Camera one be in position…", pause, then, "Camera 7 position." Basically, wherever we went the camera people were 'watching' us. We meant no harm except deflating our images but it was worth the laughter and feeling of glee!! Debbie – if you are reading this, remember? J Oh how funny those days were. I have actually done this probably 5 times in the past 10 years and it's been quite an experience!!
    

    
     

    So, my challenge for today is this: Do something totally out of character and enjoy the laughter it gives you!! I promise you, it's like releasing a butterfly and will cause you to soar!!
    

    
     

    Love and laughter…nothing more beautiful…Tracee
    

  

A Funny Moment? What?

I admit that I have had quite the writer's block this week my friends!! Getting sick this week didn't help either! I was trying desperately to think of a funny story that I could tell you because Tracee is right...we were getting quite serious and intense there for a couple of entries and it is good to take a laughter break. I know I need it after this week!! (I don't know about you, but I am sure not in a laughter kind of place after being sick!)

Anyway, like I said, I was trying to resurface a funny story from my life, and I know they are in there, but my brain won't let me retrieve one!! HA! As I was reflecting on my life and all the joy in it, I realized that the most common joy moments that I have is with my husband, William. He tells me often that there is never a dull moment when I am around. I remind him, that is the very reason he married me. It didn't always used to be like that for me. I was married before - got married young and thought I knew best - thought I had found true love, but the Creator of Love was not the center of it, therefore, love, true love could not reside. There was a lot of sad moments, tearful moments in that marriage. However, I wouldn't trade those moments because they forced growth within me.

I am so thankful that God gave William to me. I was not looking, and in fact had made my peace within myself not to remarry. God had other plans and He was moving FAST! William and I were introduced by his pastor (that Sunday we were introduced was my first time visit to that church), in March of 2001...We married in that same church, by that same pastor in July of 2001. I haven't really stopped smiling since. Sure, we have had our moments, and I can count on one hand the number of actual fights that we have had, but the joy moments? I lost count...(I don't have that many fingers and toes!!)

Right now, this very moment, I may not be able to pin-point a specific story, but as I reflect, I know that there has been more laughter than tears because he allows me to be me. He sees things in me that I have yet to discover...the potential, the creativity, the ability, even the confidence. I know that I would not be where I am in life and accomplished the things that I have without William beside me encouraging me to step out, to stretch myself, to believe in myself.

Isn't that just like our Heavenly Father too? These characteristics that are revealed to me through my husband are God given, God inspired and God created. God reveals Himself to you through others. All you have to do is look around. What do you see? What do others see in you? Are you allowing the character of God be revealed through you?

Genesis 1:27 - "So God created people in his own image; God patterned them after himself; male and female he created them."

A New Discovery!

Alright, so hopefully my sister doesn't read this blog because she would die with what I'm about to write but I've discovered a new love and it's called Maxwell House. Haha! I had it this weekend and couldn't resist it…..so I bought some today. J There must be something wrong with me because I'm seeing a coffee blog taking over the past few days…maybe it's because my schedule is so wild this month that the only way I'm surviving is because of coffee…even though I had NONE today! Haha!

My husband has Christmas music playing and I have to admit, it adds to the holiday feeling that is soon coming. Along with my purchase of coffee, I started buying the fun holiday foods that we get like a huge case of IBC root beers, Welch's Fizzy Grape drinks, fun crackers and European style cookies, cheese, fun salamis…all those goodies that make the holiday's even yummier!

Okay, so you can see the randomness of this blog – aren't you gaining so much spiritual wisdom out of it! Haha! I'm sure Janice is going to jump in any minute and take over. Haha! So, let me leave you with something spiritual – TRY SOMETHING NEW! Like Maxwell House. If you are a person that always does the same ole' same ole' – let me dare you to do something or try something you've never tried or done before. Living for God is such an amazingly exciting adventure that our lives shouldn't be or get boring. But live it up to the fullest – He's called us to an abundant and full life – even in the middle of all the economic chaos. How beautiful that our lives aren't based on the physical circumstances of this world! So, live it up, find a new discovery this very week, you never know. It might become your next favorite thing, food or coffee! J

Off to find more adventures and try more coffee!!

Tracee, the converted Maxwell House drinker…

Speechless

I have to admit I am having a problem. Lol!! I'm speechless! I know that is so hard for many of you to imagine but it's true. I've been going and going like the energizer rabbit for the past week and I haven't even had a moment to pause and smell the coffee, well I actually did today – multiple times as it was what kept me alive and running today – coffee!! Haha! I don't recall drinking so much coffee in one day as I did today. I was actually at Target tonight and felt a magnetic pull towards the Starbucks that's inside Target. It was quite hilarious. I've rarely ever felt a pull like that for coffee even though I love it – but, since I didn't feel like spending $5.00, I passed, sadly!! I was desperately wishing my sister, Jocelyn, was around because she would've gotten me one. I've NEVER seen her resist a Starbucks. I'm sure she owns stock in it! Haha!

So, here it is 9:30 at night and I'm finding my first break of the day! It was one of those days that started at 6:24a.m. and never ended. Ever had those days? But, I can say that it's been a beautiful day. What made the perfect topping on a delicious ice cream sundae was hanging with my kiddo's after school today. We went and did some shopping for a few hours and enjoyed some good ole' popcorn from Target and then back home to a wonderful supper my hubby and son made together while they stayed at home playing Risk. (BTW, my son beat his dad for the first time ever!!) I have to admit that ½ of our shopping was simply looking around as if we had all the time in the world. It's fun to watch your kid's sight shop – of course, every so many items you hear, "Mom, can we get this?" I could spend a month's salary in 2 days if I actually bought everything they asked for! Haha!

So, the day was crazy busy, so much so that I haven't even been able to think..haha! But, it was beautiful! I'm looking forward to another crazy Tuesday!! So far it's looking identical to today but I'm determined to make it like today – beautifully speechless! J

Tracee, speechless….

 

You know, I laughed when I read Tracee's post on the blog about not having a picture of herself at Fall Festival because I was thinking that I did. Then in the very next line, she made reference to me finding one...

Well, BABE! Here it is!! (Minus the Cheeta gloves, which are on the chair behind you!!)

We have so much fun together! I challenge each of you reading this blog to dig deeper with one or more of your friends. Be yourself. LAUGH!! Tracee and I have done just that and I cannot tell you the liberation that it brings to you! The joy! The freedom to be yourself! Friendships like these truely stand the test of time and each other!! HA!

Proverbs says in chapter 18 verse 24, "A man (or woman) who has friends must first be friendly, But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother."

Go have a Joy moment with your BFF!! :)

Trust in what you don’t see….

After today's historical election…we all voted one way or another. What matters most is that no matter what person sits in the seat at the White House, my heart is so reassured and at peace because overall, God is in complete control. One thing I have learned as you look in the Old Testament, you will see that God works in amazing and sometimes quite strange ways! Who knows what God is up to – so instead of fearing or feeling afraid of the future – remember, our hope is not in man but in Christ and expect amazing things to happen for this country and in your life. Expect is another word for faith – have faith in the God who gave you life that He knows exactly what is going on right now at this very moment and His PLANS will come into play for His return…everyday just takes us one step closer to seeing Him face to face.

So….Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and HE will direct your path. Proverbs 3. God is in control!

Tracee, Eyes on Jesus

Surprise, Surprise!!

Yesterday I took my gorgeous hubby to the airport as he was heading to Dallas to visit his grandmother who is in the hospital undergoing hip replacement surgery. We were about 3 minutes away from the airport when Janice calls and said, "Hey, have you dropped Mark off at the airport yet?" I said we hadn't and then she went on to tell me that Senator McCain had just arrived at our airport for a rally! We were shocked. We don't live in a huge metropolis area so we were thrilled to know that he picked our Tri-Cities area as one of his last stops to make before he ends his campaign. I felt the speed of the car increase a bit as we hurried to get there in hopes of being able to witness what a presidential rally feels like. Had Janice not called us, we would've figure something was up because I had NEVER seen that many cars at the airport. They were everywhere – parked on the road, every nearby business, the entire airport parking lot was full.

We quickly parked the car, grabbed his suitcase, check him in and then asked, "Where is the rally?" It was on the airport property but it still was a good walk away…we quickly started heading that direction, excited and anxious! After an 8 minute walk that felt more like 25 minutes, we finally made it to the plane hangar where the rally was being held. We made it through security when I heard the main officer say, "This group is the last group we are letting in." I looked around and realized that he was talking about us!! I praised God that we got in!! I can't tell you what I felt the moment I walked into that rally. Excitement flooded my soul and how incredibly neat this amazing, unexpected opportunity to see McCain in person! Wow! What were the chances of that ever happening! Mark only stayed a moment because he had a plane to catch…we quickly said our good-byes and I remained to hear the remaining 12 minutes of his speech. What happened next amazed me….as he was rallying up the group with applause and motivation, my spiritual man inside of me was rallying up. It was actually quite overwhelming. Never had I sensed such a spiritual warring in my spirit as I did yesterday over a presidential election. I realized, and had realized for a while but yesterday it was all put into perspective at how much this presidential battle has been a war in the spirit between principalities – a battle that we can't see with our physical eyes. I couldn't contain that spiritual warring in my spirit so as he was rallying us up, I went to prayer – no one knew..they thought I was all excited about the speech..and truly I was but I was releasing my prayers to the Lord as a warrior in my shouts. It was amazing!! I was overwhelmed to tears! What a moving moment it was. It affected me the rest of the day. I felt my heart so near to the heart of God. One thing, though, that the Lord has continually been speaking to me is this: No matter what the outcome of today's election –there's one thing we can know and trust – that GOD IS IN CONTROL – He is the overcomer in this world – He holds this world in His hands. So, no matter what happens and where this countries state ends up, God is always in control and in the end, HE GETS WHAT HE WANTS!! I love it!! So, keep fighting spiritually and never forget – we aren't fighting a battle against flesh and blood but against spirits and principalities. Put on the full armor of God and change you world!!

Tracee, forever impacted

Character

Okay, so my bad…I failed to do six days last week on this blog. It's called L-I-F-E and Fall Festival all combined into one. How lovely! Haha! If I would've thought, I would put a picture of moi here for you of my 'cougar' impersonation from last Friday nights fall festival but I forgot to take a picture. I'm starting to think that that was a good thing to forget to do after coming home and getting another look in the mirrior! Haha! But, if I don't hush about it, I'm sure Janice will find a picture of me somewhere and post it since she seems to be the 'picture' queen. Haha!

Okay, so I started thinking about the word character because our Fall Festival was just a few days ago and boy, did we have some characters there! Haha! If you really think about it, there are a lot of 'characters' out there disguising themselves as other people. Me included! Why do we find it so much fun to dress up as someone else? I love it! What I love even more is the reaction of people responding to how you look. But, when the night is over, it all comes off and the real you pops back into reality. This is the 'you' that you can't hide, the you that everyone see's….but let's go even deeper. What about the 'you' that you keep inside of you beyond what everyone else see's. The 'you' that you might be afraid to let come out or are afraid of what people might think or say about 'you'. This is the 'you' that God wants you to be - The real character, the real you.

I'll never forget this day as long as I live – but back about 10 years ago, okay, forgive me, I mean, back 20 years ago, okay! 21 years ago, I was heading home to my dorm…I was in 11^th grade and lived in Kandern, Germany (I actually lived in Marzell – a little town outside of Kandern). I went to Black Forest Academy my last 2 years of H.S. – it was a boarding school. And yes, I LOVED IT LIKE CRAZY!! I was heading up the driveway to my dorm when one of the 'cool' senior guys was heading down the driveway heading back to his dorm across the street. Well, if you know me at all, you'll see that I've never been afraid to be me in all my craziness, so this particular day I was extremely chipper and who knows what on earth I was doing, or acting like but for some reason this 'cool' senior felt compelled to say to me as he walked by me, these exact words, "Tracee! You're weird!" I looked at him with pure delight, accepting the compliment and said, "Thank you!", and walked away. It never bothered me for a split second. Even though I know he meant it negatively, I took it in positively because I like me! It's okay that he didn't like me. If I let that one sentence affect me, imagine what kind of power it would've had over the rest of my life over that one statement!! Enough power to stop me from being who God created me to be?Absolutely not! I love the 'character' I am – no, I don't like the muffin tops I have hanging over my jeans or the thighs that argue with each other on a daily basis saying, "You get out of the way, no you get out of the way!", but yet, I still love me – all of me, the way I am, look, inside and out. If God wanted me to be someone else I would be but I'm not – so remove the 'characters' you try to be everyday and put on the real you – from the inside out and fall in love with YOU!! That's the YOU God created you to be, YOU are the CHARACTER He created and you NEVER have to be ashamed of YOU!!

In Genesis Chapter 1:26-28 it says that God made us in HIS image. Accept who you are, embrace it, set yourself free to discover the beauty of who you are, who He created you to be and begin to fly! You are safe in His wings…..safe enough to be the character called: YOU!

Tracee, the weird one