If you'd like to know one of my little secrets that keeps a smile on my face it's this: I laugh at myself a lot!! I don't know about you, but it seems like everyday I am doing something hilariously funny that literally cracks me up. I don't have to have loads of people around either - it can be just me, myself, and I and you got it - I'm dying laughing. We tend to take ourselves and this life too seriously - each day carries a new load of 'junk' that we carry, or surprises that hit us that day but when we can 'train' ourselves to not let it attach to us we find that we gain even more strength to take on the task that we are dealing with. So for me, laughter is really the best medicine around. Here are some of the things that I have done over the past few weeks...
A little over a week ago I was sitting in my living room when I heard what sounded like a spaceship taking off downstairs. I didn't have a clue what it was until Mark walked in and said, "Whoa, I think that's the dryer!" My first thoughts were, "No, not the dryer!! I don't want to have to pay for a new dryer right now, it's almost Christmas, I need to be buying Christmas presents, not a dryer!" Think about this: That thought brought a massive amount of stress on me in literally a split second. But no sooner had that thought come to mind when I found myself saying, "Tracee, everything is going to work out!!" I caught myself and stopped the stress of a dying dryer and realized that MY GOD was bigger than my dryer! And that HE would provide. Well, guess what! He did and all that dryer cost me was $40.00 after I ended up getting a phone call to go work in the studio that wasn't on my agenda that week....what did I do, I laughed! (my new dryer is even nicer than the one I had!! ha!)
Then, Sunday morning, a few weeks ago which are crazy day for me as always, rushing around trying to get last minute things done at church. I ended up having to do a quick insert for the bulletin but every time I tried to put this insert on postcard paper, it wouldn't work right - so I ended up having to put it on stock paper and then cut it with the cutter - instead of responding stressed, I laughed. So, here, while I was cutting the inserts, the hole punch kept getting in my way so I picked it up and you guessed it - the entire bottom of it fell off and bam - all those lovely little circles of paper confetti ended up EVERYWHERE - what did I do - I laughed.
Then, this past weekend I was looking for my phone and couldn't, for the life of me, find it ANYWHERE.....after a good long pause and lots of searching through my car and purse I discovered that I was talking to a friend on it the entire time!!
Then, last night, I was leaving the church parking lot, exhausted from a long but great day and was ready to head home and get to bed.....so, I put the car in reverse, hit the gas pedal and went backwards. I laughed as I tried to figure out what was going on. See, my mind was thinking forward but the car wasn't responding that way...so, I tried it again and went backwards AGAIN!! Instead of getting frustrated at this mistake...I laughed at myself as I came to the realization that I hadn't put my car in drive, got it in the right gear and off I went.
We are going to make mistakes, we are going to have 'duh' moments, we are going to have days when you feel like the world is sitting right smack on top of your head....just make sure you don't take yourself too seriously and remember - laugh it off. You'll discover that your everyday trials really aren't that bad at all. It's about perspective....so, laugh!! Always remember, God has all your 'oops' covered, your car not starting - covered, your dryer breaking down - covered, your every day life - covered!! Let Him do His job in your life and respond with a laugh cuz He has you covered.
James had it sooo right, "Consider it joy when you go through various trials and tribulations knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience!" :) James 1
LOL,
Tracee Lee
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Monday, October 18, 2010
Mexico City Soup!!
If your life is anything like mine, you are always looking for good home-cooked meals that you can make in 30 minutes!! Well, I have one for you but I can't take all the claim to how DELICIOUS it is since the recipe came from a friend of mine - Zelda Wilmoth!! But thanks to her, this soup never fails to get eaten down to its LAST drop!!
Here's the recipe since everyone is always wanting it - enjoy!!! :)
1 Whole Chicken OR 4 Lg. Chicken Breast, cooked and shredded
2 Boxes of Chicken Stock (see no. 2)
1/2-3/4 Cups of Rice
1/2 bunch of cilantro, chopped
1/3 of an onion, small slices
3 tsp. Cumin
2 tsp. Chili Powder
4 Garlic Cloves
1 tsp. Cayenne Pepper
1 cup. of frozen corn
Toppings:
Tomatoes, diced
Onions, diced
Avocado, slices
Cheese, shredded
Tortilla Chips
1 Whole Cooked Chicken - You have 2 options here: Either buy a rotisserie chicken at the store and just de-bone it OR you can boil a chicken for a few hours (fill a large pot with water and add 3 tsp. of cumin, 2 tsp. of chili powder, 4 whole peeled garlic cloves, salt and pepper to taste and 1 tsp. of cayenne pepper) - bring to a boil and cook for 2 hours. Once it's done - take the chicken out to cool and use your broth to make your soup - DON'T FORGET, mash the garlic cloves into the broth or you'll get a super burst to your taste buds of garlic! lol!
2. If you bought a rotisserie chicken from the store - you will need to buy 2 boxes of chicken stock. I use Kitchen Basics....thinking.....well, I can't remember but just look for the one that is a yellow box and has the word Kitchen on it. ha! Don't forget to add all the spices mentioned in no. 1, put on med-high heat and then bring down to medium when you put the rice in.
*I usually add 1 box of stock to my chicken broth from the chicken I cooked because we have a big family PLUS, we love leftovers! So, that would make it equivalent to approx. 3 boxes of stock if I were doing the broth all from store bought boxes.
3. Add 1/2 cup of rice to your broth (if you are using equipvalent to 3 boxes like I do, put in 3/4 cup of rice), the onions, the corn and the cilantro - cook on medium heat until the rice is done, take about 20 minutes. While this is cooking, de-bone your chicken and add to the broth.
4. Cut up your toppings while your soup is finishing up.
5. Ta-da!! Your done!! Your family will 'ooh' and 'aahhh!' over this meal and so will your company!! So, happy cooking!! You'll have this meal done within 25-30 minutes max, especially if you get your chicken already cooked!
From my crazy kitchen to yours,
Tracee
Here's the recipe since everyone is always wanting it - enjoy!!! :)
1 Whole Chicken OR 4 Lg. Chicken Breast, cooked and shredded
2 Boxes of Chicken Stock (see no. 2)
1/2-3/4 Cups of Rice
1/2 bunch of cilantro, chopped
1/3 of an onion, small slices
3 tsp. Cumin
2 tsp. Chili Powder
4 Garlic Cloves
1 tsp. Cayenne Pepper
1 cup. of frozen corn
Toppings:
Tomatoes, diced
Onions, diced
Avocado, slices
Cheese, shredded
Tortilla Chips
1 Whole Cooked Chicken - You have 2 options here: Either buy a rotisserie chicken at the store and just de-bone it OR you can boil a chicken for a few hours (fill a large pot with water and add 3 tsp. of cumin, 2 tsp. of chili powder, 4 whole peeled garlic cloves, salt and pepper to taste and 1 tsp. of cayenne pepper) - bring to a boil and cook for 2 hours. Once it's done - take the chicken out to cool and use your broth to make your soup - DON'T FORGET, mash the garlic cloves into the broth or you'll get a super burst to your taste buds of garlic! lol!
2. If you bought a rotisserie chicken from the store - you will need to buy 2 boxes of chicken stock. I use Kitchen Basics....thinking.....well, I can't remember but just look for the one that is a yellow box and has the word Kitchen on it. ha! Don't forget to add all the spices mentioned in no. 1, put on med-high heat and then bring down to medium when you put the rice in.
*I usually add 1 box of stock to my chicken broth from the chicken I cooked because we have a big family PLUS, we love leftovers! So, that would make it equivalent to approx. 3 boxes of stock if I were doing the broth all from store bought boxes.
3. Add 1/2 cup of rice to your broth (if you are using equipvalent to 3 boxes like I do, put in 3/4 cup of rice), the onions, the corn and the cilantro - cook on medium heat until the rice is done, take about 20 minutes. While this is cooking, de-bone your chicken and add to the broth.
4. Cut up your toppings while your soup is finishing up.
5. Ta-da!! Your done!! Your family will 'ooh' and 'aahhh!' over this meal and so will your company!! So, happy cooking!! You'll have this meal done within 25-30 minutes max, especially if you get your chicken already cooked!
From my crazy kitchen to yours,
Tracee
Friday, October 15, 2010
Turqouise Shoes
Everything I do in my life, everything I say, everywhere I go, I want it to be surrounded in hot pursuit of the one I love - Jesus. It's amazing how when you add Jesus to everything you do in your everyday life how it changes your perspective, your meaning, your purpose, even down to what you buy at the store to how you go about living out your day. I have learned that when I keep my mind so aware of God's presence in my daily life how much more I am directed with meaning in what I do and say.
One of the dynamic things I have learned in my 29 years...Okay, add a few here and there, is how much EVERYTHING matters to God. And I really mean EVERYTHING. The more we pursue Him in our daily lives, the more we will discover how much He LOVES being right smack in the middle of all that we do.
I'll never forget this day about 4 years ago. Finances were tight but my kids, who never seem to EVER stop getting taller, needed some summer clothing even though the current jeans they were wearing were almost short enough to be called shorts! lol! Mark was heading to a meeting in another city and wanted me to go with him, drop him off and then was like, "You could go shopping while I'm at this meeting and then come back and get me when I'm done." Of course, I LOVED THAT IDEA! I had $100.00 I had been saving and felt this was the oppurtunity I was waiting for - and yes - Point 1: Pursue God in EVERYTHING!! I asked the Lord if I could use this money towards my kids clothing and had total release that I could.
So, I happily drove Mark to his meeting and took off toward the store in which I asked the Lord where to go - before I knew it, I found my car heading to Kohl's. The moment I walked in, it was me and God. Shopping with God is a BLAST!! I asked Him where to go, so off to the boy's department we went. I found ridiculous deals for them, and then felt led to go to the Men's department where I found even more ridiculous deals - I'm talking, 4 dress shirts for a total of $8.00!! Between these 2 departments my $100.00 was almost gone. I had a few dollars to spare and I asked the Lord, "Now where?" I felt to go to the shoe department. I was baffled but went there anyways - I didn't have a clue what I was looking for but felt that I would find this treasure when I got there. I looked at all the clearance but there wasn't anything for my kids but there happen to be LOADS of size 10 women's shoes on clearance. I started opening up the boxes of shoes and trying them on...that's what we do, right? lol!! All the sudden, I came to a box, (is your heart racing...lol!), I opened it up and there they were, a beautiful pair of shimmery turquoise wedge heels. I put them on and they were a perfect fit....I was scared to look at the price but when I did, I couldn't believe what I saw - $3.00. The moment I picked up that box, I knew that God saved them for me. I had been looking for a pair of shoes EXACTLY like that for 3 years. What blew me away about that day is God showed me how much He cares about the little things - like my desire for a turqouise pair of shoes.
Point 2: Pursue Him in everything you do EVERY SINGLE DAY YOU LIVE because everything matters to Him...everything you do. His love is deeper than any love we will ever experience, He shows it in beautiful ways like my turqouise pair of shoes...
Pursuing the One I love,
Tracee Davidson
One of the dynamic things I have learned in my 29 years...Okay, add a few here and there, is how much EVERYTHING matters to God. And I really mean EVERYTHING. The more we pursue Him in our daily lives, the more we will discover how much He LOVES being right smack in the middle of all that we do.
I'll never forget this day about 4 years ago. Finances were tight but my kids, who never seem to EVER stop getting taller, needed some summer clothing even though the current jeans they were wearing were almost short enough to be called shorts! lol! Mark was heading to a meeting in another city and wanted me to go with him, drop him off and then was like, "You could go shopping while I'm at this meeting and then come back and get me when I'm done." Of course, I LOVED THAT IDEA! I had $100.00 I had been saving and felt this was the oppurtunity I was waiting for - and yes - Point 1: Pursue God in EVERYTHING!! I asked the Lord if I could use this money towards my kids clothing and had total release that I could.
So, I happily drove Mark to his meeting and took off toward the store in which I asked the Lord where to go - before I knew it, I found my car heading to Kohl's. The moment I walked in, it was me and God. Shopping with God is a BLAST!! I asked Him where to go, so off to the boy's department we went. I found ridiculous deals for them, and then felt led to go to the Men's department where I found even more ridiculous deals - I'm talking, 4 dress shirts for a total of $8.00!! Between these 2 departments my $100.00 was almost gone. I had a few dollars to spare and I asked the Lord, "Now where?" I felt to go to the shoe department. I was baffled but went there anyways - I didn't have a clue what I was looking for but felt that I would find this treasure when I got there. I looked at all the clearance but there wasn't anything for my kids but there happen to be LOADS of size 10 women's shoes on clearance. I started opening up the boxes of shoes and trying them on...that's what we do, right? lol!! All the sudden, I came to a box, (is your heart racing...lol!), I opened it up and there they were, a beautiful pair of shimmery turquoise wedge heels. I put them on and they were a perfect fit....I was scared to look at the price but when I did, I couldn't believe what I saw - $3.00. The moment I picked up that box, I knew that God saved them for me. I had been looking for a pair of shoes EXACTLY like that for 3 years. What blew me away about that day is God showed me how much He cares about the little things - like my desire for a turqouise pair of shoes.
Point 2: Pursue Him in everything you do EVERY SINGLE DAY YOU LIVE because everything matters to Him...everything you do. His love is deeper than any love we will ever experience, He shows it in beautiful ways like my turqouise pair of shoes...
Pursuing the One I love,
Tracee Davidson
Friday, September 10, 2010
This is the way we clean the house, clean the house.....
Kids and chores. hmmmmm!! I think some of you just passed out! lol! That is an interesting sentence to have the word, kids and then the word, chores in the same sentence. As a child, I wasn't always the most cooperative daughter that enjoyed doing my chores. I can recall sitting in the living room and hearing my mom ask me for a good 3 hours, "Tracee, you need to vacuum." I would put it off hour after hour until I finally got that stare mixed in with this powerful, life changing sentence, "If you don't vacuum I will inform your dad when he gets home." That was always the magic sentence for me to 'get er done.'
One of the things I have done with my kids is I try, for the most part, to not call them chores but instead, we call them responsibilities. It's a vital lesson for our kids to understand that we will always have things that we are responsible for in life so looking at chores through the eyes of 'I am responsible for this,' changes the perspective a bit.
When my kids were small, we started small. I remember sitting on their bed when they were 2 and 3 years old and helping them by directing where each toy, books, and my son's collection of dead June bugs belonged. lol!! Notice, I didn't do the work myself, I directed him while having loads of fun doing it. We had a blast doing it and he LOVED having me in his room. Kids LOVE for you to hang out in THEIR territory from a small age to being teenagers. As they grew, their responsibilities grew because they were ready to take on more, like an easy one for a 5-6 year old is to put the bathroom trash into the kitchen trash.
Here's a few ideas of what we've done through the years:
2-4 - Teach them how to keep their room clean as you lead by direction
5-6 - Empty small trash cans, wipe down bathroom cabinets on their level, polish the coffee table
7-9 - Take dirty laundry to the laundry room / laundry sort, feed the pets dry foods, take their sheets off the bed, pick up things collecting around the house and put away, clean off the table after a meal and place in kitchen, around 8-9 they can put their own clothes away that you folded, as well as hang their shirts, etc.
10-12 Do a load of laundry a week, take out the trash, clorox wipe the bathroom (this is not the deep cleaning but a light cleaning for a mid-week freshen up), load the dishwasher, clean up the family room, clean out the car, vacuum their room.
13 on up - They can do their own laundry, fold and put away, clean the bathrooms entirely, keep their rooms clean, kitchen duty 1-2 times a week (clean up the dinner dishes, load/unload dishwasher, wipe down counters), clean out the fridge, mop, sweep, vacuum, windex.
These are just to name a few...and yes, my kids do these actual responsibilities on a weekly basis. Life is very crazy these days and so, it helps when we all take part in cleaning up our messes! :) Plus, it teaches your children to take value in their belongings and to learn one of the greatest lessons of all - being responsible.
One last thing that is VITALLY IMPORTANT - lead by example. Don't expect your children to know 'how' to do all this, lead them, patiently and with loads of love and every once in a while, bless them and say 'I'll do that for you today!'
Now go put away those dead June bugs,
Tracee
One of the things I have done with my kids is I try, for the most part, to not call them chores but instead, we call them responsibilities. It's a vital lesson for our kids to understand that we will always have things that we are responsible for in life so looking at chores through the eyes of 'I am responsible for this,' changes the perspective a bit.
When my kids were small, we started small. I remember sitting on their bed when they were 2 and 3 years old and helping them by directing where each toy, books, and my son's collection of dead June bugs belonged. lol!! Notice, I didn't do the work myself, I directed him while having loads of fun doing it. We had a blast doing it and he LOVED having me in his room. Kids LOVE for you to hang out in THEIR territory from a small age to being teenagers. As they grew, their responsibilities grew because they were ready to take on more, like an easy one for a 5-6 year old is to put the bathroom trash into the kitchen trash.
Here's a few ideas of what we've done through the years:
2-4 - Teach them how to keep their room clean as you lead by direction
5-6 - Empty small trash cans, wipe down bathroom cabinets on their level, polish the coffee table
7-9 - Take dirty laundry to the laundry room / laundry sort, feed the pets dry foods, take their sheets off the bed, pick up things collecting around the house and put away, clean off the table after a meal and place in kitchen, around 8-9 they can put their own clothes away that you folded, as well as hang their shirts, etc.
10-12 Do a load of laundry a week, take out the trash, clorox wipe the bathroom (this is not the deep cleaning but a light cleaning for a mid-week freshen up), load the dishwasher, clean up the family room, clean out the car, vacuum their room.
13 on up - They can do their own laundry, fold and put away, clean the bathrooms entirely, keep their rooms clean, kitchen duty 1-2 times a week (clean up the dinner dishes, load/unload dishwasher, wipe down counters), clean out the fridge, mop, sweep, vacuum, windex.
These are just to name a few...and yes, my kids do these actual responsibilities on a weekly basis. Life is very crazy these days and so, it helps when we all take part in cleaning up our messes! :) Plus, it teaches your children to take value in their belongings and to learn one of the greatest lessons of all - being responsible.
One last thing that is VITALLY IMPORTANT - lead by example. Don't expect your children to know 'how' to do all this, lead them, patiently and with loads of love and every once in a while, bless them and say 'I'll do that for you today!'
Now go put away those dead June bugs,
Tracee
Just DO IT!
Ever have that kind of night where half way through the night you wake up and never find your zzzz's again? Well, this night is that night on what is to be a very crazy Friday for me!!! lol! I am one of those crazy nuts that if I get woke up by something, chances of me going back to sleep is a rarity. So, tonight, my husband apparently got cold and got up to get a t-shirt about 3:30a.m. and yes, you guessed it, I have been up ever since. It's now almost 6a.m. and with my alarm going off in 45 minutes, what's the point of sleeping now. lol!!
So, I'm laying here on my couch just resting, feeling some major heavy eyeballs on my face and then all the sudden I asked myself a question - What do you love to do? What inspires you and puts a huge smile on your face? One of the first things that popped in my sleepy brain is, writing. I love to write. I started thinking of how hilarious it would be if I wrote a book titled, 'The Adventures of a Preacher's Wife.' Oh, the stories I could tell. I quickly started going through my life's journey and feel as I have enough stories and experiences as if I were 80 years old. The crazy thing is, just laying here thinking about something I love doing woke me up. And voila - I decided to get on my joyblog since it's been way too long since I've been on here and write. :)
So, let me ask you a question. What do you love doing? What inspires you and brings you joy? Then I'm sure you know what I'm going to say next - DO IT!! Even if your life can't evolve 100% around what you love most, find time to do those things that bring you joy. I can't write all day but I can totally find moments of time here and there to do something I love...you can too.
Psalms 37 says 'Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart."
Have your 'ooh, aaaah' moments with God and then watch out, cuz He will give you the desires of your heart....
Inspired and smiling at 5:58a.m....(something is really wrong here....lol!!)
Tracee
So, I'm laying here on my couch just resting, feeling some major heavy eyeballs on my face and then all the sudden I asked myself a question - What do you love to do? What inspires you and puts a huge smile on your face? One of the first things that popped in my sleepy brain is, writing. I love to write. I started thinking of how hilarious it would be if I wrote a book titled, 'The Adventures of a Preacher's Wife.' Oh, the stories I could tell. I quickly started going through my life's journey and feel as I have enough stories and experiences as if I were 80 years old. The crazy thing is, just laying here thinking about something I love doing woke me up. And voila - I decided to get on my joyblog since it's been way too long since I've been on here and write. :)
So, let me ask you a question. What do you love doing? What inspires you and brings you joy? Then I'm sure you know what I'm going to say next - DO IT!! Even if your life can't evolve 100% around what you love most, find time to do those things that bring you joy. I can't write all day but I can totally find moments of time here and there to do something I love...you can too.
Psalms 37 says 'Delight yourself in the Lord and He will give you the desires of your heart."
Have your 'ooh, aaaah' moments with God and then watch out, cuz He will give you the desires of your heart....
Inspired and smiling at 5:58a.m....(something is really wrong here....lol!!)
Tracee
Monday, August 23, 2010
Ever wonder....
Have you ever wondered what this world would be like if we were all positive? Why is it that it seems more normal to be negative than positive? For example, everyday our day starts off with thoughts - check it out and see if they are positive or negative. That will say a lot about who you are and how you see life. Crazy thought, huh? Or, what do you say to yourself when you look in the mirror? I know that for years, I would look in the mirror and say, "Why is your rear as wide as the mirror? That kind of rhymes. lol!! Oh, here's one, "What is happening to my neck, it's starting to sag and I'm only in my 30's!!" I now know why my grandma wore scarfs all the time in her later years...because the neck gives away your age more than your face does so when she would wear a pretty scarf, you were drawn to her gorgeous face. Even at the age of 88, when she went to be with Jesus, she was gorgeous!!
So, why must we tear ourselves down all the time? Not believe in ourselves and in our God potential? If we really say life is about choices, then if we choose to walk out life with a negative attitude, then it's because it's a choice that we have made. Think about this: If you were put in a cell for a week, all you had was a window with bars on it looking outside. Would you look through those bars and look at the dirty ground and wonder why life must be so miserable, why did this have to happen to you or would you look through the bars and look up and out and see the celebration of life, the sun shining in the day, the stars twinkling in the night around you?
Life is all about how you choose to live and SEE it. A question I get asked a lot is this: How do you stay so happy? Because I choose to live life this happy. I have had my 'cell-like' moments in life. Life hasn't always been fair to me, dreams I've had have fallen apart, my rear is still as wide as my mirror, I have been hurt by people I have loved deeply....but when I really 'see' my life, I see beauty, I see potential, I see new dreams yet to be lived, I see an AMAZING husband that loves me deeper than any love I've ever known, I see children that bring me overwhelming joy. If you have Christ, then no matter where you are in life, you HAVE LIFE - a life that is waiting to be lived with positive thoughts, words that will not tear you down, words that believe in your God potential, words that say "Today is a beautiful day, no matter what!"
"Summing it all up, friends, I'd say you'll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies." Phil. 4:8 (MSG)
Change your world by the power of how you think!
Through Christ, there's NOTHING I cannot do,
Tracee
So, why must we tear ourselves down all the time? Not believe in ourselves and in our God potential? If we really say life is about choices, then if we choose to walk out life with a negative attitude, then it's because it's a choice that we have made. Think about this: If you were put in a cell for a week, all you had was a window with bars on it looking outside. Would you look through those bars and look at the dirty ground and wonder why life must be so miserable, why did this have to happen to you or would you look through the bars and look up and out and see the celebration of life, the sun shining in the day, the stars twinkling in the night around you?
Life is all about how you choose to live and SEE it. A question I get asked a lot is this: How do you stay so happy? Because I choose to live life this happy. I have had my 'cell-like' moments in life. Life hasn't always been fair to me, dreams I've had have fallen apart, my rear is still as wide as my mirror, I have been hurt by people I have loved deeply....but when I really 'see' my life, I see beauty, I see potential, I see new dreams yet to be lived, I see an AMAZING husband that loves me deeper than any love I've ever known, I see children that bring me overwhelming joy. If you have Christ, then no matter where you are in life, you HAVE LIFE - a life that is waiting to be lived with positive thoughts, words that will not tear you down, words that believe in your God potential, words that say "Today is a beautiful day, no matter what!"
"Summing it all up, friends, I'd say you'll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies." Phil. 4:8 (MSG)
Change your world by the power of how you think!
Through Christ, there's NOTHING I cannot do,
Tracee
Up, Up, Up!
I have the song, 'Up' by Shania Twain going on in my head. It's been years since I've heard it but i think I'm going to find it and blare it on the sound system this week. The chorus, or what I can remember, goes, "Up, up, up, can only go up from here." After having a 103 fever last week for 3 days and feeling miserable, I figure - this week will definitely be better than last weeks! lol!
So, I started off today making a list of to-do's. My first thought was, "Well, I have to play catch-up from being sick last week." (yes, I do talk to myself...haha) But, I immediately kicked that thought out of my brain as I began to feel smoke bursting from my ears and the top of my head come open (I watched way too many cartoons as a child!) because if I even begin to think of the word 'catch-up' you can forget me ever really catching up on my to-do list EVER!! Just to name a few like weeding, cleaning out the garage, painting the back deck, organizing closets, and that's just to name a few household items on my list not to mention Girls Ministry, Youth, and Worship projects!! So, I will take on what I can today and whatever doesn't get done, well, that's what tomorrow is for, right? lol!! Another day to mark a few off the list, and yes, add a few that I forgot.
So, today - I will celebrate this beautiful life He's given me, I'm not going to put my make-up on, do my hair, I will hang around the house in my sweats and t-shirt, I will be thrilled to mark off a few items off my to-do list, I can't wait to breathe the air my kids are breathing, to hear about their day at school, I will fix a fantab meal of fajitas and watch my husband goo goo and gaga over my homemade tortillas, and I will end my day knowing that whatever didn't get done today will happily greet me in the morning without fail. lol!!
"Celebrate God all day, every day. I mean, revel in Him!.....Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down." Phil. 4 (parts of Ch. 4 in The Message)
Now go have some fun!!
Tracee
So, I started off today making a list of to-do's. My first thought was, "Well, I have to play catch-up from being sick last week." (yes, I do talk to myself...haha) But, I immediately kicked that thought out of my brain as I began to feel smoke bursting from my ears and the top of my head come open (I watched way too many cartoons as a child!) because if I even begin to think of the word 'catch-up' you can forget me ever really catching up on my to-do list EVER!! Just to name a few like weeding, cleaning out the garage, painting the back deck, organizing closets, and that's just to name a few household items on my list not to mention Girls Ministry, Youth, and Worship projects!! So, I will take on what I can today and whatever doesn't get done, well, that's what tomorrow is for, right? lol!! Another day to mark a few off the list, and yes, add a few that I forgot.
So, today - I will celebrate this beautiful life He's given me, I'm not going to put my make-up on, do my hair, I will hang around the house in my sweats and t-shirt, I will be thrilled to mark off a few items off my to-do list, I can't wait to breathe the air my kids are breathing, to hear about their day at school, I will fix a fantab meal of fajitas and watch my husband goo goo and gaga over my homemade tortillas, and I will end my day knowing that whatever didn't get done today will happily greet me in the morning without fail. lol!!
"Celebrate God all day, every day. I mean, revel in Him!.....Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down." Phil. 4 (parts of Ch. 4 in The Message)
Now go have some fun!!
Tracee
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Where are your eyes focused?
There is one thing I promise to do in this joyblog and that is to always be real, honest and simply - me. The one thing that frustrates me in this life is how we can play the silly game of thinking, "Well, she never goes through any struggles or hard days, her life is perfect." That, my gorgeous friend, is a major lie of the enemy because each and every one of us, whether we are Lisa Bevere, Joyce Meyers, or just me, Tracee Davidson, have our good days, our bad days, our enemy warfare days and days that we are laughing our heads off. We are human - and yes, I'm so going to go there - we all sit on the same toilet, doing the same thing. lol!!
So, where on earth am I going today - raise your hand if you never get stressed out! Okay, I see that none of you did, so we have all been in the same exact boat. I am no expert at walking out crazy life circumstances and always walking on the water. Yes, I have sunk many many times and that is so not cool cuz it takes me a good 45 minutes just to blow dry my hair after it gets wet. That's a stress in itself. lol!! But, I want to share a few little thoughts that I'm doing in my own life at this very moment, actually - I've only broken my toe, had my laptop crash and lost everything, came down with an upper respiratory infection that lasted 5 weeks, then went back down with another illness with fever this week, had to cancel some events, and am trying to re-create everything that was on my laptop for the coming 2 months of calendar events on my agenda! Stressed, me? lol!!! Soooo, I want to pass a few things I do onto you as well cuz that's what friends are for - to walk through life together. (beware, this will not be a short blog...ha!)
1. Keep your eyes focused on.....(drum roll) GOD! That is the first and foremost important thing that will NEVER fail you. Focus, focus, focus. Man, that's not always easy to do because our problem is: we keep our eyes focused on the problem instead of the solution. God has the answer to the solution, so stay FOCUSED on Him. (As I am re-reading this I just had to laugh because I so have a problem with say, I'm cleaning the kitchen, so I head downstairs to grab some kitchen towels out of the dryer to dry the dishes and then next thing you know, I'm cleaning the laundry room.....lol!!!!)
2. Keep your eyes focused on.....HIS WORD! Back in the day, sounds like I should be talking 1800's dialogue here....but don't worry, I won't! lol! I can recall a MAJOR stressful time in my life when we came back from missions in 2002. I won't go into all the details of that story here but I had never experienced stress like I did then. I was to the point that had it not been for God's Word, I know I would've broken down with some panic attacks. Everytime I felt that anxiety rising up within me, and trust me, it's not like I invited 'it' to appear, I would immediately grab my Bible and begin to read His word. It NEVER failed, God always took over my anxiety with floods of peace. This wasn't like a 2 minute reading...it was more like 20-30 minutes, sometimes an hour. I had key scriptures or verses that were speaking loudly to me during that time so I would turn to them and read them over and over and over again until God would literally begin to flood my heart and calm my spirit...it was through that, that I would regain my focus - in our weakness HE is strong!! He really is!!
3. Surround yourself with close friends. If you are married, this will include your husband but also close girlfriends. God has truly blessed me these past 5 years with some of the closest friends I have ever had. The kind that you can 100% be yourself, hold each other up, be REAL together, and also speak things into each other. Knowing that you are not walking alone, but are surrounded in support, prayer and loads of love will get you through whatever your life brings your way. If you do not have this kind of friendship circle, ask the Lord for it. God is a God that will give you the desires of your heart. Never forget, the first gift of friendship is to be a friend yourself....it will flow from there.
So, I leave you with a verse that one of my inner circle friends sent me today because she know's that I have had a crazy last 5 weeks that has caused me to have moments of crying, pulling my hair out but also, I have had many God joy moments and found oppurtunities to laugh my head off....knowing that she loves me and is praying for me and surrounding me helps me to know, I will get through this - between God, my amazing husband, and my dynamic friends....this too shall pass.
Psalm 27 (MSG)
Light, space, zest— that's God! So, with him on my side I'm fearless, afraid of no one and nothing. When vandal hordes ride down ready to eat me alive, Those bullies and toughs fall flat on their faces. When besieged, I'm calm as a baby. When all hell breaks loose, I'm collected and cool. I'm asking God for one thing, only one thing: To live with him in his house my whole life long. I'll contemplate his beauty; I'll study at his feet. That's the only quiet, secure place in a noisy world, The perfect getaway, far from the buzz of traffic. God holds me head and shoulders above all who try to pull me down. I'm headed for his place to offer anthems that will raise the roof! Already I'm singing God-songs; I'm making music to God. Listen, God, I'm calling at the top of my lungs: "Be good to me! Answer me!"
When my heart whispered, "Seek God," my whole being replied, "I'm seeking him!"
Don't hide from me now! You've always been right there for me; don't turn your back on me now. Don't throw me out, don't abandon me; you've always kept the door open.
My father and mother walked out and left me, but God took me in. Point me down your highway, God; direct me along a well-lighted street; show my enemies whose side you're on. Don't throw me to the dogs, those liars who are out to get me, filling the air with their threats. I'm sure now I'll see God's goodness in the exuberant earth. Stay with God! Take heart. Don't quit. I'll say it again: Stay with God.
Together, we will help each NOT pull our hair out!!
Tracee
So, where on earth am I going today - raise your hand if you never get stressed out! Okay, I see that none of you did, so we have all been in the same exact boat. I am no expert at walking out crazy life circumstances and always walking on the water. Yes, I have sunk many many times and that is so not cool cuz it takes me a good 45 minutes just to blow dry my hair after it gets wet. That's a stress in itself. lol!! But, I want to share a few little thoughts that I'm doing in my own life at this very moment, actually - I've only broken my toe, had my laptop crash and lost everything, came down with an upper respiratory infection that lasted 5 weeks, then went back down with another illness with fever this week, had to cancel some events, and am trying to re-create everything that was on my laptop for the coming 2 months of calendar events on my agenda! Stressed, me? lol!!! Soooo, I want to pass a few things I do onto you as well cuz that's what friends are for - to walk through life together. (beware, this will not be a short blog...ha!)
1. Keep your eyes focused on.....(drum roll) GOD! That is the first and foremost important thing that will NEVER fail you. Focus, focus, focus. Man, that's not always easy to do because our problem is: we keep our eyes focused on the problem instead of the solution. God has the answer to the solution, so stay FOCUSED on Him. (As I am re-reading this I just had to laugh because I so have a problem with say, I'm cleaning the kitchen, so I head downstairs to grab some kitchen towels out of the dryer to dry the dishes and then next thing you know, I'm cleaning the laundry room.....lol!!!!)
2. Keep your eyes focused on.....HIS WORD! Back in the day, sounds like I should be talking 1800's dialogue here....but don't worry, I won't! lol! I can recall a MAJOR stressful time in my life when we came back from missions in 2002. I won't go into all the details of that story here but I had never experienced stress like I did then. I was to the point that had it not been for God's Word, I know I would've broken down with some panic attacks. Everytime I felt that anxiety rising up within me, and trust me, it's not like I invited 'it' to appear, I would immediately grab my Bible and begin to read His word. It NEVER failed, God always took over my anxiety with floods of peace. This wasn't like a 2 minute reading...it was more like 20-30 minutes, sometimes an hour. I had key scriptures or verses that were speaking loudly to me during that time so I would turn to them and read them over and over and over again until God would literally begin to flood my heart and calm my spirit...it was through that, that I would regain my focus - in our weakness HE is strong!! He really is!!
3. Surround yourself with close friends. If you are married, this will include your husband but also close girlfriends. God has truly blessed me these past 5 years with some of the closest friends I have ever had. The kind that you can 100% be yourself, hold each other up, be REAL together, and also speak things into each other. Knowing that you are not walking alone, but are surrounded in support, prayer and loads of love will get you through whatever your life brings your way. If you do not have this kind of friendship circle, ask the Lord for it. God is a God that will give you the desires of your heart. Never forget, the first gift of friendship is to be a friend yourself....it will flow from there.
So, I leave you with a verse that one of my inner circle friends sent me today because she know's that I have had a crazy last 5 weeks that has caused me to have moments of crying, pulling my hair out but also, I have had many God joy moments and found oppurtunities to laugh my head off....knowing that she loves me and is praying for me and surrounding me helps me to know, I will get through this - between God, my amazing husband, and my dynamic friends....this too shall pass.
Psalm 27 (MSG)
Light, space, zest— that's God! So, with him on my side I'm fearless, afraid of no one and nothing. When vandal hordes ride down ready to eat me alive, Those bullies and toughs fall flat on their faces. When besieged, I'm calm as a baby. When all hell breaks loose, I'm collected and cool. I'm asking God for one thing, only one thing: To live with him in his house my whole life long. I'll contemplate his beauty; I'll study at his feet. That's the only quiet, secure place in a noisy world, The perfect getaway, far from the buzz of traffic. God holds me head and shoulders above all who try to pull me down. I'm headed for his place to offer anthems that will raise the roof! Already I'm singing God-songs; I'm making music to God. Listen, God, I'm calling at the top of my lungs: "Be good to me! Answer me!"
When my heart whispered, "Seek God," my whole being replied, "I'm seeking him!"
Don't hide from me now! You've always been right there for me; don't turn your back on me now. Don't throw me out, don't abandon me; you've always kept the door open.
My father and mother walked out and left me, but God took me in. Point me down your highway, God; direct me along a well-lighted street; show my enemies whose side you're on. Don't throw me to the dogs, those liars who are out to get me, filling the air with their threats. I'm sure now I'll see God's goodness in the exuberant earth. Stay with God! Take heart. Don't quit. I'll say it again: Stay with God.
Together, we will help each NOT pull our hair out!!
Tracee
Tuesday, August 10, 2010
Don't Forget - Wear the Right 'Clothing'
As hard as it is to imagine, it's back-to-school time around our household. I can't even get my head around the fact that my children's summer vacation is already over. I spent their first day of school living in my car, going here, there and everywhere, getting last minute supplies they need, or shorts for band, and lunch snacks and I am sure there will be even more trips this week for the 'oops, I forgot to tell you I need...." lol!!
So, I found myself having a hard time going to sleep last night and couldn't figure out why...and then I had that V8 moment and realized that I was taking on the stress of this new season which was causing me to not get the much rest I need so I can ensure I don't get more grey hairs on my head before they are really due. lol!!
So, that has led me to this verse - an inspiration to be careful what 'wardrobe' I choose to wear every day. I am determined that I be a mom that stays calm, doesn't get huffy, or react out of the craziness of a school year schedule including everything that is on my agenda with my music and other ministries I'm involved in.
I have always asked myself this question through the years, "Would I like having me for a mom?" I want my children to grow up and have amazing memories, looking back and seeing lots of laughter, joy and loads of love - cuz - WHEN MOMMMY IS HAPPY, EVERYBODY IS HAPPY. :)
Here's your inspiration for the day:
Colossians 3:12-14 (The Message)
So, chosen by God for this new life of love, dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline. Be even-tempered, content with second place, quick to forgive an offense. Forgive as quickly and completely as the Master forgave you. And regardless of what else you put on, wear love. It's your basic, all-purpose garment. Never be without it.
Enjoy, take it one day at a time and breathe in EVERY single moment of mommyhood!!
Smiles,
Tracee
So, I found myself having a hard time going to sleep last night and couldn't figure out why...and then I had that V8 moment and realized that I was taking on the stress of this new season which was causing me to not get the much rest I need so I can ensure I don't get more grey hairs on my head before they are really due. lol!!
So, that has led me to this verse - an inspiration to be careful what 'wardrobe' I choose to wear every day. I am determined that I be a mom that stays calm, doesn't get huffy, or react out of the craziness of a school year schedule including everything that is on my agenda with my music and other ministries I'm involved in.
I have always asked myself this question through the years, "Would I like having me for a mom?" I want my children to grow up and have amazing memories, looking back and seeing lots of laughter, joy and loads of love - cuz - WHEN MOMMMY IS HAPPY, EVERYBODY IS HAPPY. :)
Here's your inspiration for the day:
Colossians 3:12-14 (The Message)
So, chosen by God for this new life of love, dress in the wardrobe God picked out for you: compassion, kindness, humility, quiet strength, discipline. Be even-tempered, content with second place, quick to forgive an offense. Forgive as quickly and completely as the Master forgave you. And regardless of what else you put on, wear love. It's your basic, all-purpose garment. Never be without it.
Enjoy, take it one day at a time and breathe in EVERY single moment of mommyhood!!
Smiles,
Tracee
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Don't Forget - To Trust
So, here it is 7:52a.m. I have been awake since around 6a.m. this morning and if you know me, I'm not a creature of the morning but more of a late night girl!! I like just went to bed at 2:15a.m. lol!! So, yes, a nap is definitely in my near future.
What woke me up was my brain. It wouldn't stop talking even though I kept trying to get it to be quiet, it just kept thinking and thinking...I so know I'm not the only one that does that....so, I got up and have been - you guessed it...'thinking.' lol!! What I wanted to share with you is a life scripture that I have leaned on over and over in my life, no matter where I am in life, what's going on, it just always seems to be the verse that settles everything in my brain and in my heart. It's literally that powerful!! I know you know it and if you don't, mark it down in your Bible and make it your life verse...living by this passage of scripture will totally revolutionize your life, how you see it, how you live it, how you respond to it....so, are you ready? Here it is!!
Proverbs 3:4-6 (The Message) - Trust God from the bottom of your heart. Don't try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for God's voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; He's the one who will keep you on track.
The version I have memorized goes like this - 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.
One of my favorites things about this verse is this: You don't have to try and figure it all out!!! Not every question will be answered in this life....it's okay. Not every circumstance will work out the way you thought...it's okay. Not every day will go as you planned...it's okay. Just simply TRUST God with ALL your heart and HE will direct your path. It's soooo incredibly beautiful that I just had to pass this powerful verse to you and remind you - He's got it all figured out - just trust HIM. :)
Enjoy, live to the fullest, love and laugh a lot - :)
Tracee Lee
What woke me up was my brain. It wouldn't stop talking even though I kept trying to get it to be quiet, it just kept thinking and thinking...I so know I'm not the only one that does that....so, I got up and have been - you guessed it...'thinking.' lol!! What I wanted to share with you is a life scripture that I have leaned on over and over in my life, no matter where I am in life, what's going on, it just always seems to be the verse that settles everything in my brain and in my heart. It's literally that powerful!! I know you know it and if you don't, mark it down in your Bible and make it your life verse...living by this passage of scripture will totally revolutionize your life, how you see it, how you live it, how you respond to it....so, are you ready? Here it is!!
Proverbs 3:4-6 (The Message) - Trust God from the bottom of your heart. Don't try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for God's voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; He's the one who will keep you on track.
The version I have memorized goes like this - 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.
One of my favorites things about this verse is this: You don't have to try and figure it all out!!! Not every question will be answered in this life....it's okay. Not every circumstance will work out the way you thought...it's okay. Not every day will go as you planned...it's okay. Just simply TRUST God with ALL your heart and HE will direct your path. It's soooo incredibly beautiful that I just had to pass this powerful verse to you and remind you - He's got it all figured out - just trust HIM. :)
Enjoy, live to the fullest, love and laugh a lot - :)
Tracee Lee
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