by Tracy | Bad Day Blues, Inspirational, Practical, Tuesdays With Tracy
“Who is the King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle. Lift up your heads, O you gates! Lift up, you everlasting doors! And the King of glory shall come in. Who is the King of glory? The Lord of hosts, He is the King of glory.” Psalm 24:8-10
At one time or another we will come face to face with difficulties and trials. Even Jesus had to endure crowds that wanted to stone Him to death, people that spoke evil of Him and friends that betrayed Him, yet in every situation, He was rescued and Jesus did not leave this earth until it was His appointed time at the Cross. And friend, I want to encourage you today that no matter what you are going through, the same God who saved Jesus at every point and turn is the God who will also save you!
I will never forget when my liver began to fail during my senior year at Asbury College. I was twenty years old and fighting for my life. I literally fainted in the doctor’s office when she stated that my name needed to be placed on a liver donor list. I had already been through so much in my childhood and the thought of dying at a young age seemed surreal and yet all too familiar. For so long I had longed to take my life, but it was God who radically saved me and with every breath that was now within me, I longed to tell others of what God had done in my life! Thankfully, I was placed on Asbury’s intercessory prayer list and mighty prayer warriors went before God on my behalf. The truth is that others believed for my healing when I did not have faith for it myself. I was experiencing physical difficulties to the point that I could not even walk to the bathroom a few feet away without becoming totally exhausted.
Friend, there maybe times when others will have faith for your miracle even when you don’t. When this happens, simply receive their faith and let them believe for you until you can believe it for yourself. And you can rest in the fact that the prayers of the Righteous will alter your destiny and destroy every plan of the enemy.
It was when my doctor performed a liver biopsy (with no anesthesia I might add) that my miracle manifested. The physician team was amazed and perplexed when they discovered that my liver would in fact heal itself within a year’s time and that I would not need a liver transplant after all – our God is mighty to heal! I found out later that my testimony greatly affected my attending physician and she later left her practice to pursue her dreams – our God is mighty to encourage!
I can give you story after story of testimonies from my life and the lives of others that would further demonstrate the fact that God is a God of miracles, signs and wonders. I have seen God restore marriages, rescue those in deadly accidents, heal those sick in body and mind, and provide finances in time of need (I’ve literally seen cars given to those in need with no strings attached and I’ve seen bills miraculously paid). God is the One who can save, heal, restore and bring peace to your mind during the trails of life. I encourage you to run to Him today friend because He is mighty to save! Who is the King of glory? The Lord strong and mighty!
Prayer:
“Lord, I profess that even when I cannot see You with my natural eye, I know that you are always moving on my behalf. You are the God who is mighty to save. I give you every difficulty I am experiencing at this time and I ask that you strengthen me and put people around me who will believe in my needed miracle till the end. I also ask that you put women of faith around me to believe for my breakthrough even when I cannot believe for it myself. I declare that all things are possible with You. You are my refuge and strength, my God in whom I trust. Amen.”
If you are currently going through a trial and would like prayer, please click on the “Need Prayer?” button below and myself and my prayer team would honored to cover you and your confidential prayer request.
by Tracy | Bad Day Blues, Inspirational, Tuesdays With Tracy
“Jesus answered and said to her, whoever drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst. But the water that I shall give him will become in him a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life. The woman said to Him, ‘Sir, give me this water, that I may not thirst, nor come here to draw.” John 4:13-15
As I enter the New Year it is my desire to give God everything that I am, but more importantly, I want to give God everything I am not in 2010. Although I have been blessed to achieve some goals in my life, what I am aware of most is my utter dependence on God and everything that I am not. I will be the first to admit that I have not always made the right choices and my failures are many, but through God’s amazing grace He has taken everything I am not and somehow, someway, used it for His glory. Bottom line, I shouldn’t even be alive today but thanks to God I am here and I will serve Him all the days of my life. As it states in 2 Corinthians 12:10 (NLT), “That’s why I take pleasure in my weaknesses, and in the insults, hardships, persecutions, and troubles that I suffer for Christ. For when I am weak, then He is strong.”
The Samaritan woman in our scripture above understood what she was not. She had failed in five marriages, she was not considered worthy as a Samaritan to serve Jesus a simple drink of water from the well that day, not to mention, the numerous disappointments she had experienced in life which brought lack in her mind, body and spirit.
Yet Jesus was not concerned about her accomplishments (everything she was) or her failures (everything she was not) in life. He was there to give her EVERYTHING HE IS which superseded everything she was not.
You see, it was the Samaritan woman who was in need of a drink that day. She needed more than what natural water could supply, she needed a drink of everlasting life. What she found out that day was that one drink from God’s well would quench the deepest thirst within her soul. This living water brought healing to her body and peace to her mind.
It is God alone who fills our longing to be loved because He loved us so much that He sent His only Son to earth. It is God who fills our hunger to be accepted because He calls us the apple of His eye. It is God who fills our need to be valued because He sees us as precious in His sight. It is God who fills our yearning to be cherished because His thoughts of us each day are more than can be numbered. It is God who fills our desire to be taken care of because our Father in Heaven shall supply all of our needs according to His riches in glory. And like the Samaritan woman, we to need to drink from the well of God.
What are you in need of today? What do you need in 2010? Whatever it is, God is your solution. He is faithful to complete the work which he begun in you. All we have to do is give Him everything we are and everything we are not and receive a drink from His well today. When we give God our everything, the rest is up to Him.
Prayer:
“Lord, I give You 2010 and ask that You take everything that I am and everything that I am not and use my life for Your glory. I am in need of a drink from the everlasting well of life today. Please fill my mind with you peace, my body with your healing power and my spirit with faith for the New Year. I declare that in my weakness, You are made strong. Amen.”
by Tracy | Bad Day Blues, Inspirational, Tuesdays With Tracy
Please welcome again our guest writer for “Tuesdays With Tracy,” Carol Abersold. Carol is the best selling author of “The Elf On The Shelf: A Christmas Tradition.” She is currently traveling throughout America signing books and bringing smiles to children everywhere. Please check out her wonderful website at:www.elfontheshelf.com. My daughter goes onto her website daily to create cookies, color, and play games.
I know you will be blessed by Carol’s devotional today and it’s timeless message to let your light shine this Christmas and everyday of the year.
“Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and give praise to your Father who is in heaven.” Matthew 5:16
Although I had tried to faithfully serve the Lord for more than fifty years, my light, for all intents and purposes, was out. I found myself in the blackest of pits mentally, physically and spiritually. I had been physically suffering with three herniated discs in my neck, my husband’s business was failing, and my in-laws let me know how much they disliked me after thirty-four years of pretense. I found myself curled up in a ball weeping and crying out to God for help, healing and deliverance. All hope seemed gone.Why was I, a Sunday school teacher, amateur Bible scholar, a word believing, walking, talking Christian suffering from hopelessness?!! My usually strong husband was suffering from his own worries ( I was one of them), and I “turned to God” but He seemed to be on vacation. What was the deal!
My oldest daughter came over to pray for me. She took action and made an appointment for me to get professional Christian counseling, and she encouraged me to start writing. My Eeyore-like reply was, “I have nothing to say.” Determined child (adult) that she is, she looked up on a shelf in my kitchen where my little pixie elf from childhood still remained even though the holidays were past. “Why don’t we write a book about the elf tradition?” she said. My reply was, “Oh, Chanda, nobody would want to read that……Okay.”
And so we began writing what turned out to be The Elf On The Shelf: A Christmas Tradition. While we were in the process of writing the story, I received the professional help I needed from Tracy Hurst. These two women, Chanda and Tracy, let the Lord use them to shine His light upon me. He graciously healed me from my pain, the source of our financial drain was revealed to us, and most importantly… I got my light back.
The point is this: a Christian woman’s light never completely goes out, but it can grow extremely dim. Perhaps, you, like I, need someone to shine their light on you until you can get your “batteries recharged.” Don’t be afraid, just receive it. In turn, when darkness seems present in another’s life do not hesitate to shine your God-given light.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, let me be equally as willing to be set alight, as to shed light. Let the Holy Spirit remind me not to lose heart, because I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living. Let me not be ashamed to seek proper help when my light seems to dim, and let me be a beacon shedding Your light on everyone I meet today. Amen.
For all you coupon lovers, click on over to my coupon site: www.couponswithtracy.blogspot.com. This week I highlight a $5 off target coupon for any Blu-ray disc, a $2 off coupon on Bertolli Frozen Meals (on sale this week for $6 and a $5 Gift Card when you buy 3) & I share a great price on chicken at Publix this week – just $1.59/LB – a great time to stock up!!
by Tracy | Bad Day Blues, Tuesdays With Tracy
“For I know the thoughts and plans that I have for you, says the Lord, thoughts and plans for welfare and peace and not for evil, to give you hope in your final outcome. Then you will call upon Me, and you will come and pray to Me, and I will hear and heed you. Then you will seek Me, inquire for, and require Me (as a vital necessity) and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart. Jeremiah 29:11-13, AMP
There was a time when my husband and I were asking God to bless us with twins…okay…I know what some of you are thinking, but it was our hearts desire at that time. We diligently prayed for a double blessing, but our ultrasound made it clear that there was only one heartbeat within my womb. And although we were thankful for one healthy heartbeat, I will admit that for forty-eight hours, my husband and I moped around our home in disappointment due to what we considered “unanswered prayer.” Another time that comes to mind is with past boyfriends (a.k.a. “potential love interests”). I remember praying that a few of them would fall in love with me and choose me to be their wife – all the while – my prayers were lovingly answered with a “no” because God had good plans for my final outcome.
You see, my husband is the perfect one for me and the same is true concerning my daughter, although twins are a huge blessing, God knew what we could handle and once again we thank God for His way of answering our prayers. God knew the desire of our heart to marry and have a family and He answered us with His plans for welfare and peace, to give us hope in our final outcome.
The scripture above tells us that God always hears our prayers and heeds each one. With some of our prayers requests He answers us with a “yes” (and boy do we love it when this happens!!), there are also times as in my examples above when God lovingly answers us with a “no” in order that our future outcome will be good, and other times He answers us with “wait.” Just recently I thought God answered “no” to a request of mine, only to find out a few months later that I needed to “wait” so that He could make a good situation even better! Bottom, line, we can rest in that fact that God knows about our personal situation and He has good plans for our life.
How many times have we pouted and complained to God for not answering our prayers, when He was simply answering it His way out of His great love for us? God knows all things and He is the One who knows what we can handle. It comes down to knowing God’s will for our life and trusting that He has good plans for us. Our amazing God longs to bless us, heal us, restore us and prosper us. We are promised in Isaiah 5:11 that when we pray God’s Word it will never return back void.
Prayer:
“Lord, thank you for always hearing my prayers. I declare that You have good plans for me. Your plans are full of hope for my final outcome and I align myself up with Your Word today. I give you everything heavy on my heart and I ask that Your perfect will be done. As I seek and inquire of You this day, I will rest in that fact that You gave your life to heal, restore and bless me. I grab onto the Word of God and declare that it will not return back void, but will prosper in the thing for which You sent it (Isaiah 55:11). Amen.”
by Tracy | Bad Day Blues, Inspirational, Practical, Tuesdays With Tracy
Do you ever find yourself thinking about getting older? You know, thoughts like…“What will it feel like? What about wrinkles? Will my mind stay strong till the end or will I live in a state of “blonde-moments?’” I realize that these questions may have haunted you in the past, but what I am about to share with you today is better than Ginkgo biloba & Botox!!
As the daughter of the King of Kings, you have the promise in God’s Word that you can grow old in grace! Listen; if Moses can live to be 120 years old with strength in his bones and eyes that did not dim, then you too can grow old in grace!!! I am a firm believer that what we say will come to pass – good or bad.
One example that comes to mind is the story of the actor, Jim Carrey. Did you know that Jim Carrey at one time was turned down at every audition in Hollywood and he could barely pay his utility bills? But every night, Jim would drive to the top of a hill overlooking the Hollywood sign and he would not leave that spot until he believed that he would one day be famous. Jim also wrote himself a fake check made out to him for millions of dollars and he believed that one day he would be able to cash such a check. Even when things were at an all time low, Jim Carrey continued to believe and boy did his confessions come true! Let me ask you, what would happen if you believed for the impossible like Jim Carrey? God’s Word tells us in Matthew 19:26 that with man it is impossible, but with God ALL things are possible.
As a Professional Counselor, I am aware of the power of the mind. Did you know that if you confess something long enough, your body believes what you say and will eventually produce whatever you are confessing? Friend, if you confess daily that your memory is lapsing then guess what…. your memory will lapse.
What I am about to share with you in God’s Word will show you how God’s blessing to grow old in grace is for you! The question is, are you ready and will you meditate on these scriptures each day until you see them manifest? If so, then grab a pen or get ready to push the print button because you will want to begin confessing these scriptures over you mind, body and spirit today!
Psalm 92:12-15, AMP
“The [uncompromisingly] righteous shall flourish like the palm tree [be long-lived, stately, upright, useful, and fruitful]; they shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon [majestic, stable, durable, and incorruptible]. Planted in the house of the Lord, they shall flourish in the courts of our God. [Growing in grace] they shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be full of sap [of spiritual vitality] and [rich in the] verdure [of trust, love, and contentment]. [They are living memorials] to show that the Lord is upright and faithful to His promises; He is my Rock, and there is no unrighteousness in Him.
Psalm 91:14, AMP
“ Because she (put your name here) has set her love upon Me, therefore will I deliver her; I will set her on high, because she knows and understands My name [has a personal knowledge of My mercy, love, and kindness–trusts and relies on Me, knowing I will never forsake her, no, never]. She shall call upon Me, and I will answer her; I will be with her in trouble, I will deliver her and honor him. With long life will I satisfy him and show him My salvation.
Deuteronomy 34:7, NKJ
“Moses was one hundred and twenty years old when he died. His eyes were not dim nor his natural vigor diminished.”
Prayer:
“Lord, I choose from this day forward to embrace growing older because I understand that I can do it in grace! I am a living memorial to show the world that You are upright and faithful to Your promises. Because I set my love upon You and I understand of Your great love for me, You will deliver me and set me on high, with long life will you satisfy me and show me of Your salvation. Just as Moses left this world with perfect vision and vigor, so shall that be said of me. Amen.”
by Tracy | Bad Day Blues, Inspirational, Tuesdays With Tracy
“For You, O Lord, are good and ready to forgive (our trespasses, sending them away, letting them go completely and forever); and You are abundant in mercy and loving-kindness to all those who call upon You.” Psalm 86:5, AMP
Do you have trouble forgiving yourself? If so, I have good news for you today because our scripture above tells us that we are not only forgiven but our sins have been sent away, let go completely and forever by our merciful and loving God!
Do you remember in Elementary School when a teacher would put our name on the chalkboard if we disobeyed in class? Having our name on the board would stir up feelings of embarrassment and awareness of our wrongful behavior. It was the very act of seeing our name on the chalkboard throughout the day that kept our bad choice in front of our face and before your peers. This is the very thing the devil longs to do to God’s people. Satan is the accuser of the brethren and he wants to keep us focused on our past sins rather than on God’s grace.
Satan understands that sin conscious people live a state of hopelessness and depression. He does not want you to fulfill your destiny and focusing solely on your past sins – will do just that! You see, Satan does not want you to know that Jesus is the “eraser” of all sin. The chalkboard that once listed your sin was erased with His precious Blood the moment you gave your life to Him. That my friend is the power of the Cross!
The truth is that you may not feel forgiven but God’s Word supersedes feelings. Psalm 86:5 is clear, “For You, O Lord, are good and ready to forgive (our trespasses, sending them away, letting them go completely and forever); and You are abundant in mercy and loving-kindness to all those who call upon You.” Your feelings will LIE to you, but God’s Word is ALWAYS TRUE.
If forgiving yourself has been a struggle for you then I would like for you to do something…Take out a pencil and a piece of paper. Then write down all the sins that have tormented you. Once you have completed your list, I want you to re-read Psalm 86:5. As an act of faith, I now want you to use an eraser and erase your list until it is completely gone. And now with your blank paper in front of you, it is time to thank Jesus for His Blood and forgiveness of sins!
I would also like to encourage you to put this piece of paper somewhere for you to see (a kitchen cabinet or bathroom mirror perhaps) and anytime you feel un-forgiven or tormented by your past sins, walk up to this piece of paper and declare: “The Lord has forgiven me of my sins. My sins have been erased, sent away, let go completely and forever out of God’s abundant mercy and love for me. Feelings you must submit to the Word of God. I am forgiven, redeemed and an over comer in Christ Jesus. Amen.” That my friend is what it means to be forgiven completely & forever!!
Prayer: “Lord, Your love is amazing and I am so thankful that my sins are forgiven, let go of completely and gone forever. Help me to believe Your Word over how I feel. I declare that my feelings must line up with the Word of God and I ask that You help me receive this truth deep within my spirit. Thank Jesus for Your precious blood that came to erase my sins away. Help me to walk in the abundance of Your grace forevermore. Amen.”
