Okay, so my muscles might be buried under some flab but I still have muscles! lol!! Where on earth am I going with this blog....muscles, flab??? Here we go...I spent January devouring the book of Romans in The Message translation. It felt like I was reading it for the first time. wow!! I marked up practically the entire book but by the time I got to chapter 15, the Lord dropped my mouth with what Paul was saying in verse 1-2, "Those of us who are strong and able in the faith need to step in and lend a hand to those who falter, and not just do what is most convenient for us. Strength is for service, not status. Each one of us needs to look after the good of the people around us, asking ourselves, 'How can I help?'"
Think about this: every single one of us has a strength(s). That strength is to be used to build up each other, to serve one another, to support each other. Think about how different your world would look if we made that our daily life motto - "How can I help you today?"
When I look back at the life of Jesus - He used His strength and put it to death on a cross so that we could rise up through the power of His strength and live. His strength, through dying, gave us life. Our strengths, through giving, can save a person's life for eternity. What massive impact we can make in our world by the power of one word: Serve. Our strengths are not to be placed on a plaque on a wall and gloat and boast about it, it's to be used to help those who falter, not to be used at our convenience, but to be used at any given moment, whether we are comfortable about it or not. That's where Phil. 4:13 comes in, "I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength!"
My challenge is for us to stop looking so inwardly at our lives, how we can better ourselves, tend to our complaints and pity parties, but to start shutting up the flesh side of our lives and start living by the spirit and let our strengths, given to us by God, radically impact the world we live in. As Paul said, "So, reach out and welcome one another to God's glory. Jesus did it, now you do it!" (v.7)
What can I do for you today?
Tracee
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
I have a secret....
When I was a little girl, I LOVED secrets. It made me feel like I was someone really special to get in on something that no one else was suppose to know. It's funny what a secret can do to you on the inside....even now. lol!! Such strange creatures we are.
So....guess what? How many of you actually go about your daily lives hanging with God feeling like you don't have much of a clue what He's doing in your life, so you feel a little clueless? Many of us have fallen in that trap but I've got brilliant news...and no, it's not that I saved money switching to Geico. I Corinthians 2 is the reveal of a massive secret. Verses 10-16, "The Spirit, not content to flit around on the surface, dives into the depths of God, and brings out what God planned all along. Who ever knows what you're thinking and planning except you yourself? The same with God—except that he not only knows what he's thinking, but he lets us in on it. God offers a full report on the gifts of life and salvation that he is giving us. We don't have to rely on the world's guesses and opinions. We didn't learn this by reading books or going to school; we learned it from God, who taught us person-to-person through Jesus, and we're passing it on to you in the same firsthand, personal way.
The unspiritual self, just as it is by nature, can't receive the gifts of God's Spirit. There's no capacity for them. They seem like so much silliness. Spirit can be known only by spirit—God's Spirit and our spirits in open communion. Spiritually alive, we have access to everything God's Spirit is doing, and can't be judged by unspiritual critics. Isaiah's question, "Is there anyone around who knows God's Spirit, anyone who knows what he is doing?" has been answered: Christ knows, and we have Christ's Spirit."
This is not a complicated issue here...it's simple, it's black and white - when Christ lives IN you, you have the mind of Christ. His Spirit lives in us which allows us to know what HE IS THINKING and so He lets us in on it, what His plans are, His reveal, His gifts of life. He is not a mind-game player and wants to keep you guessing. He is a God-revealer. What we must do is take what He gives us ONE DAY AT A TIME. Sometimes God will reveal His plans to you and it will be a lay out of the future, but don't forget, there's still the present that must be lived in order for the future to come alive. The key is: live out today as the spirit of God leads you and reveals to you. You HAVE the mind of Christ - His secrets are revealed to you to help you today, to guide and instruct you so that you don't keep making the same mistakes over and over walking around feeling like you have no direction. Use the power of His Word and the power of prayer and I promise you - He will keep revealing one secret after another that will help you walk from your present to your future. And remember - it's okay if you don't know it all, HE DOES and He's got your covered!!!
Now, go tell this secret to somebody else....
Tracee
So....guess what? How many of you actually go about your daily lives hanging with God feeling like you don't have much of a clue what He's doing in your life, so you feel a little clueless? Many of us have fallen in that trap but I've got brilliant news...and no, it's not that I saved money switching to Geico. I Corinthians 2 is the reveal of a massive secret. Verses 10-16, "The Spirit, not content to flit around on the surface, dives into the depths of God, and brings out what God planned all along. Who ever knows what you're thinking and planning except you yourself? The same with God—except that he not only knows what he's thinking, but he lets us in on it. God offers a full report on the gifts of life and salvation that he is giving us. We don't have to rely on the world's guesses and opinions. We didn't learn this by reading books or going to school; we learned it from God, who taught us person-to-person through Jesus, and we're passing it on to you in the same firsthand, personal way.
The unspiritual self, just as it is by nature, can't receive the gifts of God's Spirit. There's no capacity for them. They seem like so much silliness. Spirit can be known only by spirit—God's Spirit and our spirits in open communion. Spiritually alive, we have access to everything God's Spirit is doing, and can't be judged by unspiritual critics. Isaiah's question, "Is there anyone around who knows God's Spirit, anyone who knows what he is doing?" has been answered: Christ knows, and we have Christ's Spirit."
This is not a complicated issue here...it's simple, it's black and white - when Christ lives IN you, you have the mind of Christ. His Spirit lives in us which allows us to know what HE IS THINKING and so He lets us in on it, what His plans are, His reveal, His gifts of life. He is not a mind-game player and wants to keep you guessing. He is a God-revealer. What we must do is take what He gives us ONE DAY AT A TIME. Sometimes God will reveal His plans to you and it will be a lay out of the future, but don't forget, there's still the present that must be lived in order for the future to come alive. The key is: live out today as the spirit of God leads you and reveals to you. You HAVE the mind of Christ - His secrets are revealed to you to help you today, to guide and instruct you so that you don't keep making the same mistakes over and over walking around feeling like you have no direction. Use the power of His Word and the power of prayer and I promise you - He will keep revealing one secret after another that will help you walk from your present to your future. And remember - it's okay if you don't know it all, HE DOES and He's got your covered!!!
Now, go tell this secret to somebody else....
Tracee
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Ready or Not - Here I Come!
For Christmas, Mark got me The Message bible. It was the only thing I wanted. It feels like I am reading the Bible for the first time as I read it in my everyday language that is opening a whole new world of what God is speaking through His Word. One book that I have always turned my head sideways on because of not fully understanding all that Paul was writing about was the book of Romans. It’s got some brilliant scripture but also has writings that I might as well be reading Chinese. Lol!! Well, The Message has totally changed that and I’m having one ‘wow’ moment after another.
Romans 5:6-11 – is a must read in The Message. You would think that I actually have an endorsement with them. Lol!! Okay, so get this: Your morning routine involves waking up, getting ready and picking out your clothes for the day before you head out to face your world. You would never think to only get ‘half’ ready….like, wash one half of your face, only put deodorant on one armpit, wear one sock, put on your shirt but leave your pants off, wear a shoe on the foot that doesn’t have the sock on, put lipstick on half your lips, brush only the bottom of your teeth, gel only one side of your hair. I’m sure you are getting the picture by now….…now flipside that and think about your life spiritually. When God brought His son to die a sacrificial death for our lives, WE WEREN’T READY YET. We didn't have all our ducks lined up in a perfect row. We had sin issues, selfish ambitions, anger, pain, and hardships that had scarred us. But to show how brilliant God is,He so knew that we’d never be ready so to wait on us would’ve been futile so He took a massive step of ACTION that would forever change us. Taken from verses 6-8 - “He didn’t and doesn’t wait for us to get ready. He presented himself for this sacrificial death when we were far too weak and rebellious to do anything to get ourselves ready. And even if we hadn’t been so weak, we wouldn’t have known what to do anyway…….but God put his love on the line for us by offering his Son in sacrificial death while we were of NO USE whatever to him.”
If you walk around feeling like you are unworthy, always a sinner, never getting it right, don’t have much to offer….guess what? God took you in anyways, when you weren’t even truly ready to be of any good use to Him and because of that sacrificial death that God offered us through the death of His Son, Jesus, we do not have to ACCEPT the feelings of unworthiness, what-good-am-I kind of thinking, feeling like you are a scum of the earth because it goes on to say in verses 9-11 – “there is NO LONGER a question of being at odds with God in any way. If, when we were at our worst, we were put on friendly terms with God by the sacrificial death of his Son, now that we’re at our best, just think of how our lives will expand and deepen by means of his resurrection life!”
He took us exactly how we were, not ready…and from our worst state he turned it into our best. My brain can’t fathom how totally cool God is and how deep and wide His love for us really is. So, today, I challenge you – start walking out the ‘best’ that GOD did for you when He gave us His son to die for you. Stop reflecting so much on where you were and where you've been, or even what you did wrong just a minute ago, and start moving forward to where you ARE and where HE is taking you.
Only Moving Forward,
Tracee
Romans 5:6-11 – is a must read in The Message. You would think that I actually have an endorsement with them. Lol!! Okay, so get this: Your morning routine involves waking up, getting ready and picking out your clothes for the day before you head out to face your world. You would never think to only get ‘half’ ready….like, wash one half of your face, only put deodorant on one armpit, wear one sock, put on your shirt but leave your pants off, wear a shoe on the foot that doesn’t have the sock on, put lipstick on half your lips, brush only the bottom of your teeth, gel only one side of your hair. I’m sure you are getting the picture by now….…now flipside that and think about your life spiritually. When God brought His son to die a sacrificial death for our lives, WE WEREN’T READY YET. We didn't have all our ducks lined up in a perfect row. We had sin issues, selfish ambitions, anger, pain, and hardships that had scarred us. But to show how brilliant God is,He so knew that we’d never be ready so to wait on us would’ve been futile so He took a massive step of ACTION that would forever change us. Taken from verses 6-8 - “He didn’t and doesn’t wait for us to get ready. He presented himself for this sacrificial death when we were far too weak and rebellious to do anything to get ourselves ready. And even if we hadn’t been so weak, we wouldn’t have known what to do anyway…….but God put his love on the line for us by offering his Son in sacrificial death while we were of NO USE whatever to him.”
If you walk around feeling like you are unworthy, always a sinner, never getting it right, don’t have much to offer….guess what? God took you in anyways, when you weren’t even truly ready to be of any good use to Him and because of that sacrificial death that God offered us through the death of His Son, Jesus, we do not have to ACCEPT the feelings of unworthiness, what-good-am-I kind of thinking, feeling like you are a scum of the earth because it goes on to say in verses 9-11 – “there is NO LONGER a question of being at odds with God in any way. If, when we were at our worst, we were put on friendly terms with God by the sacrificial death of his Son, now that we’re at our best, just think of how our lives will expand and deepen by means of his resurrection life!”
He took us exactly how we were, not ready…and from our worst state he turned it into our best. My brain can’t fathom how totally cool God is and how deep and wide His love for us really is. So, today, I challenge you – start walking out the ‘best’ that GOD did for you when He gave us His son to die for you. Stop reflecting so much on where you were and where you've been, or even what you did wrong just a minute ago, and start moving forward to where you ARE and where HE is taking you.
Only Moving Forward,
Tracee
Monday, January 10, 2011
Tools, Cars and Reality T.V.
Sitting here in my bedroom which feels like it's all I have done the past 3 days while I battle out this sick bug that's overtaken my body. lol!! So, what have I been doing during this down time? I have been doing a lot of music research on all sorts of bands and individual singers. It leaves me so inspired as a singer-songwriter. I wish I had a grand piano in my room! Nothing inspires me more than doing what I was created for. Using the gifts that God has given me and allowing Him to be the words I pen on paper and the musical notes I play on the piano.
This has caused me to think about each and every one of us. We all have a tool, a gift that God has given us to use for His purposes and His glory in this life He has given us. The purpose of using this gift is to shine the light on Christ, not us. Okay...so I am sooo not the mechanic but think of a tool that is used for a car. (stop laughing, I promise this 'thought' will work and you'll get what I'm talking about! lol!) The tool is not what you are going to ooh and aah about, it's the car. The tool is just a part of the process that makes a car do what's it's meant too. Now remember, I have been sick so if I'm not all making sense, you'll understand why. haha!!
Totally inspired by the story of Keith Green and the short 28 years he lived on this earth.....he wrote this:
"God gives us each our own unique tools. But we may never use them if we become more interested in someone else's. Seek God, ask Him for His plan for ministry (true, God glorifying ministry) in your life."
So, what is your gift? What are you doing with it? Don't waste your precious time wanting to live out someone else's dreams....this is one reason why I find reality t.v. a complete waste of time because you are watching other people live out their lives when you have one to live out yourself. Life is more than just going to your 9-5 job. It's what you do inside that 9 to 5 job, how you live, what you say, how you love and reach out that makes the difference!! YOU are the tool that will show others to Christ. Yea, it's really that simple. Find your dream, find your gift....it's already inside of you...waiting to be discovered, waiting to impact this world for Christ.
Living out His dreams...
Tracee
This has caused me to think about each and every one of us. We all have a tool, a gift that God has given us to use for His purposes and His glory in this life He has given us. The purpose of using this gift is to shine the light on Christ, not us. Okay...so I am sooo not the mechanic but think of a tool that is used for a car. (stop laughing, I promise this 'thought' will work and you'll get what I'm talking about! lol!) The tool is not what you are going to ooh and aah about, it's the car. The tool is just a part of the process that makes a car do what's it's meant too. Now remember, I have been sick so if I'm not all making sense, you'll understand why. haha!!
Totally inspired by the story of Keith Green and the short 28 years he lived on this earth.....he wrote this:
"God gives us each our own unique tools. But we may never use them if we become more interested in someone else's. Seek God, ask Him for His plan for ministry (true, God glorifying ministry) in your life."
So, what is your gift? What are you doing with it? Don't waste your precious time wanting to live out someone else's dreams....this is one reason why I find reality t.v. a complete waste of time because you are watching other people live out their lives when you have one to live out yourself. Life is more than just going to your 9-5 job. It's what you do inside that 9 to 5 job, how you live, what you say, how you love and reach out that makes the difference!! YOU are the tool that will show others to Christ. Yea, it's really that simple. Find your dream, find your gift....it's already inside of you...waiting to be discovered, waiting to impact this world for Christ.
Living out His dreams...
Tracee
Saturday, January 8, 2011
I AM
I love reflecting on who God is, how powerful He is, and what He longs to do in our lives and through us. He is simply beyond amazing!! So much so, we can’t even fathom the greatness of who He is. So, I was reading an email that my friend, Shelly, sent me and you guessed it….my brain got to going on God as our I AM. What does that mean? Imagine it this way:
I am:
• The truth
• The life
• The way
• Your healer
• Your covering
• Your fortress
• Your King
• Your Lover
• Your Peace
• Your Creator
• Your Salvation
• Your help in the time of trouble
• Giver of every good and perfect gift
And the list goes on….
When we hold onto life’s difficulties, anxieties, worries, stresses, sin, pain, grief, confusion, feeling unworthy, feeling lonely…..it doesn’t allow God to be the I AM of your particular circumstance. Instead, your I am IS your circumstance.
What happens when we release our circumstances and allow the I AM to take over:
1. We take captive every THOUGHT that is not lined up in agreement with God’s word.
2. We demolish strongholds that seek to destroy our lives.
Surrendering your daily circumstances to God allows you to hear HIM better.
Check this out what a deep friend of mine, Shelly Trivette, who is our Children’s Pastor at The Bridge, wrote:
‘Anxiety sounds like a riot to our spirits...we cannot hear Him when we are anxious. Anxiety causes other things like unwarranted guilt. Anxiety is the worst of thieves. This is a command: Be anxious for nothing. How do we do that? We surrender (we believe Him) and we are thankful. We believe so that we can see. I am talking like I know that it is easy. I know better than that. I have so many irons in my fire that I don't know whether I am coming or going....and I have so many people that depend on me. I have had some times where things press on me so hard that I couldn't figure out how to surrender to Him. So as a symbol, I would grab it off my chest and offer it up to heaven. I would do it again and again and again. There was a particular day when...I cried out to God, “Help me, I don't know how to do this.” He took my mind to that story where He was able to sleep through a storm on the boat, dead asleep in the middle of a storm. I said, “Lord, how were you able to sleep in the storm?".... He slept in surrender to the Father. He believed in the Father so much that He could lay His head down in the storm and sleep like a baby. He was connected so deeply to the Father that He understood the authority He had been given to say "Peace be still to the storm." We have the same authority if we walk in the same surrender to the Father. So that when our hearts storm like that...we can sleep like a baby...because He is our Peace we can be thankful. It is a decision we make. We can walk on our fear like He walked on the water.’
This is long but I couldn’t keep any of it out!! Ephesians 1:3-14 MSG reads -
"How blessed is God! And what a blessing he is! He's the Father of our Master, Jesus Christ, and takes us to the high places of blessing in him. Long before he laid down earth's foundations, he had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus of his love, to be made whole and holy by his love. Long, long ago he decided to adopt us into his family through Jesus Christ. (What pleasure he took in planning this!) He wanted us to enter into the celebration of his lavish gift-giving by the hand of his beloved Son. Because of the sacrifice of the Messiah, his blood poured out on the altar of the Cross, we're a free people—free of penalties and punishments chalked up by all our misdeeds. And not just barely free, either. Abundantly free! He thought of everything, provided for everything we could possibly need, letting us in on the plans he took such delight in making. He set it all out before us in Christ, a long-range plan in which everything would be brought together and summed up in him, everything in deepest heaven, everything on planet earth.
It's in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for. Long before we first heard of Christ and got our hopes up, he had his eye on us, had designs on us for glorious living, part of the overall purpose he is working out in everything and everyone.
It's in Christ that you, once you heard the truth and believed it (this Message of your salvation), found yourselves home free—signed, sealed, and delivered by the Holy Spirit. This signet from God is the first installment on what's coming, a reminder that we'll get everything God has planned for us, a praising and glorious life."
So, 2011 is only 8 days old….start it off by releasing the Great I Am in your life in a way you’ve never done before….and I promise you, by the end of this year, your jaw will be dragging on the ground in complete amazement as to how phenomenal God is. He is YOUR I AM.
So, what do you need today? He’s waiting….
Tracee and my friend, Shelly
I am:
• The truth
• The life
• The way
• Your healer
• Your covering
• Your fortress
• Your King
• Your Lover
• Your Peace
• Your Creator
• Your Salvation
• Your help in the time of trouble
• Giver of every good and perfect gift
And the list goes on….
When we hold onto life’s difficulties, anxieties, worries, stresses, sin, pain, grief, confusion, feeling unworthy, feeling lonely…..it doesn’t allow God to be the I AM of your particular circumstance. Instead, your I am IS your circumstance.
What happens when we release our circumstances and allow the I AM to take over:
1. We take captive every THOUGHT that is not lined up in agreement with God’s word.
2. We demolish strongholds that seek to destroy our lives.
Surrendering your daily circumstances to God allows you to hear HIM better.
Check this out what a deep friend of mine, Shelly Trivette, who is our Children’s Pastor at The Bridge, wrote:
‘Anxiety sounds like a riot to our spirits...we cannot hear Him when we are anxious. Anxiety causes other things like unwarranted guilt. Anxiety is the worst of thieves. This is a command: Be anxious for nothing. How do we do that? We surrender (we believe Him) and we are thankful. We believe so that we can see. I am talking like I know that it is easy. I know better than that. I have so many irons in my fire that I don't know whether I am coming or going....and I have so many people that depend on me. I have had some times where things press on me so hard that I couldn't figure out how to surrender to Him. So as a symbol, I would grab it off my chest and offer it up to heaven. I would do it again and again and again. There was a particular day when...I cried out to God, “Help me, I don't know how to do this.” He took my mind to that story where He was able to sleep through a storm on the boat, dead asleep in the middle of a storm. I said, “Lord, how were you able to sleep in the storm?".... He slept in surrender to the Father. He believed in the Father so much that He could lay His head down in the storm and sleep like a baby. He was connected so deeply to the Father that He understood the authority He had been given to say "Peace be still to the storm." We have the same authority if we walk in the same surrender to the Father. So that when our hearts storm like that...we can sleep like a baby...because He is our Peace we can be thankful. It is a decision we make. We can walk on our fear like He walked on the water.’
This is long but I couldn’t keep any of it out!! Ephesians 1:3-14 MSG reads -
"How blessed is God! And what a blessing he is! He's the Father of our Master, Jesus Christ, and takes us to the high places of blessing in him. Long before he laid down earth's foundations, he had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus of his love, to be made whole and holy by his love. Long, long ago he decided to adopt us into his family through Jesus Christ. (What pleasure he took in planning this!) He wanted us to enter into the celebration of his lavish gift-giving by the hand of his beloved Son. Because of the sacrifice of the Messiah, his blood poured out on the altar of the Cross, we're a free people—free of penalties and punishments chalked up by all our misdeeds. And not just barely free, either. Abundantly free! He thought of everything, provided for everything we could possibly need, letting us in on the plans he took such delight in making. He set it all out before us in Christ, a long-range plan in which everything would be brought together and summed up in him, everything in deepest heaven, everything on planet earth.
It's in Christ that we find out who we are and what we are living for. Long before we first heard of Christ and got our hopes up, he had his eye on us, had designs on us for glorious living, part of the overall purpose he is working out in everything and everyone.
It's in Christ that you, once you heard the truth and believed it (this Message of your salvation), found yourselves home free—signed, sealed, and delivered by the Holy Spirit. This signet from God is the first installment on what's coming, a reminder that we'll get everything God has planned for us, a praising and glorious life."
So, 2011 is only 8 days old….start it off by releasing the Great I Am in your life in a way you’ve never done before….and I promise you, by the end of this year, your jaw will be dragging on the ground in complete amazement as to how phenomenal God is. He is YOUR I AM.
So, what do you need today? He’s waiting….
Tracee and my friend, Shelly
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Cover Life with Laughter!
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
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
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
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