by Tracy | Inspirational, Tuesdays With Tracy
“That means we will not compare ourselves with each other as if one of us were better and another worse. We have far more interesting things to do with our lives. Each of us is an original.” Galatians 5:25-26, The Message Translation
Before you were created in our mother’s womb, God thought about you (Psalm 139). He dreamed up in His mind your color of hair, personality and the talents that He would entrust to you while here on earth. Did you know that God uniquely placed forty thousand pieces of hair just in your inner ear alone? If God put this much thought into the creation of your inner ear, how much thought and creativity did He put in all aspects of your life? God is The Artist and you are His glorious creation.
The problem is that instead of focusing on how God uniquely created us, we fall into the trap of spending countless hours trying to be someone else! This type of behavior keeps us from fulfilling our personal destiny in Christ. The truth is, there is always going to be someone thinner, smarter, wealthier or more gifted in different areas, but there is only one you! God made you to be an original work of art. Stop trying to copy the brushstrokes God has placed in someone else’s life!
I once told a client of mine who loved the game of tennis, to “get out of everyone else’s court and begin to play her own game!” She struggled with comparing herself to others and this type of thinking led her to continual defeat every time. My client finally realized that she had her own game to play. With this revelation, she took control of her inner thoughts and she is now successfully enjoying her life! She grabbed onto this truth and she is free! Let’s join her, shall we?
Lord,
“Help me to see myself as You see me. You had such joy creating me and I have robbed Your joy by not appreciating my uniqueness. I will no longer compare myself to others. I will no longer speak negative words about my body, personality or the way you have made me. I choose to love myself as Your beautiful masterpiece. I release others to be who God created them to be and I release myself to enjoy how God uniquely made me. There is no one else like me on earth and I celebrate my life!” Amen.
I dedicate this post to my fun-loving Aunt Shelia, who taught me to just be myself and embrace my uniqueness. Aunt She-She:- You are God’s beautiful creation and I love you!
Photo above is from: www.freefoto.com
by Tracy | Inspirational, Practical, Tuesdays With Tracy
I found this in the archives and I thought it was fitting to share this once again with you as we celebrate the gift of Motherhood this Sunday! Blessings to all the Moms!!
In honor of Mother’s Day, I have asked “My Moms” to share some words of wisdom with us. Their messages are timeless and great reminders to us all. Whether you are single, married, divorced, with or without children – these pearls shared below are priceless! So sit back and enjoy hearing from these Godly women.
A Message from my Mom, Penny Kenton:
As funny as it may sound, my daughter, son and I all have fond memories of a vacation-on-a shoestring we shared when they were young. I was a single mother at the time and did not have extra money for a vacation, but as my mother had taught me, you can have fun on a shoestring budget!
Instead of eating meals out, we went to the grocery store and bought food. For breakfast we would eat cereal out of little boxes. For lunch we ate peanut butter, bananas and honey on pitas. As we munched our lunch on the beach, a sandstorm came along and our gourmet delights now included a crunch of sand with
every bite. In the evening as we watched movies on TV and ate snacks in our motel room, we laughed and talked and just shared time being together.
It’s hard to believe but that was 16 years ago. Even though in subsequent years the three of us shared more extravagant vacations, I think we all agree, the shoestring trip holds precious memories.
My message to mothers is this – don’t be afraid to be creative and adventurous. It’s not about how much you spend or how luxurious things are when you do things with your child or children, it’s all about creating precious memories. You may be surprised how some of them can be created on a shoestring budget.
A Message from my Mother-in-Law, Linda Hurst:
When I was a young mother with three small children I asked the Lord, “What special things do I need to do in raising my children?” The answer came softly in my mind – “Just be.”
“Just be” – That seems so simple, I thought. Looking back I realize that to “just be” is not as simple as it sounded. The world we live in does not encourage one to “just be.” The world is constantly telling us we need to do this, we must have that and we should never be satisfied with the status quo – whatever that means. Many voices call us to get involved in various activities that take our time away from our families. Being involved in activities is important and beneficial, but should not be a priority over our family. As a mother, I feel that it is very important that we are there for our children and to always be in prayer for every aspect of their lives.
A Message from one of my Spiritual Moms, Ann Platz:
I am glad that I’m now sixty years old. So much of life is trial and error. Rearing two daughters alone for seven years taught me a lot. That I needed
the Lord in my life! I also learned that His love is stronger than anything else. That in time God will restore everything that you allow Him to.
My ambition as a child was to be a wife and mother. That was it! When my first marriage ended it was catastrophic for me. What I did not see at that
time was that God was unfolding a plan for me that would supercede my wildest imagination! What He did was bring my husband John into my life.
Along with John came a new stability in the home. I was able to come back to my early desire to be a mother and a wife. A miracle? Yes!
Celebrate being a mother! And to every single mother, I pray for hope, grace and love.
A Message from my Step-Mother, Rosemary Randell:
“TRAIN UP A CHILD IN THE WAY HE SHOULD GO; AND WHEN HE IS OLD, HE WILL NOT DEPART FROM IT” – PROVERBS 22:6
As I was watching my young adult child walk away from the Lord, this verse was going through my mind often. I felt guilt as only a mother can.
What could I have done differently? This was a child that had loved Jesus so much when she was a young, but now she was saying that she didn’t think God’s Word was true.
After a couple years of tearful prayers and continuous feelings of false guilt, the Lord gave me peace. One morning as I was making breakfast, not really thinking about anything in particular, the Lord said to me, “ Rosie, you take care of others and I will take care of her.” I just sat down and cried a peaceful and grateful cry. I didn’t understand what the Lord completely meant, but I knew that He was in charge, not me, and that she would eventually be alright. One year later, as I looked over and watched her singing to the Lord on a Sunday morning, my heart was full of love for my Lord. Thank you Jesus!
Happy Mother’s Day and may the blessings of the Lord chase you and overtake you this day!
Love,
Tracy
by Tracy | Practical, Tuesdays With Tracy
(A picture of me & Brigette, my dear friend of 17 years)
“For everything we know about God’s Word is summed up in a single sentence: Love others as you love yourself. That’s an act of true freedom.” Galatians 5:14, The Message Translation
What kind of a friend are you?
– Do you hold confidences or break them?
– Do you celebrate successes or respond in jealousy?
– Do you “give” in the relationship or simply “take”?
– Do you thank God daily for their friendship or take them for granted?
– Do you listen or do all the talking?
– Do you tell them how much they mean to you or assume they already know?
– Do you encourage them when they are down or pick them apart with your words?
– Do you bringing your friends closer to Christ or pull them farther away?
– Do you love at all times or just when it’s about you?
– Do you speak highly of others or gossip about them behind their back?
– Do you forgive or hold bitterness in your heart?
– Do you see the best in others or assume the worst?
– Do you judge quickly or give the benefit of the doubt?
So let me ask you again: What kind of a friend you are?
It is so easy to see faults in other people, yet fail to see the truth about us. Earlier this year, I encouraged you to do a “friend check” (click here if you did not read this blog) and give God permission to remove anyone who is a wrong influence in your life and bring new friendships, which will encourage you to fulfill your destiny in Christ. I have heard from so many of you how God is moving in your life concerning your friendships. However, it is now time to do some self-reflection and make sure that you are being the kind of friend you are expecting everyone else to be.
Lord,
“Help me to be the kind of friend I am expecting others to be to me. Forgive me Lord for gossip, jealousy, unforgiveness, assumption, selfishness and not sharing how important my friends and family are to me. I speak blessings over those You have brought into my life and I ask that goodness and mercy follow them all of their days. You are my best friend Jesus and I long to be a faithful friend to You here on earth. Open my eyes to see Your goodness and ears to hear Your voice this day. I am so thankful that I can call You my friend. I am never alone or forsaken. Thank you Lord for always being there for me. Your love is amazing and I worship you this day.” Amen.
PS:
Dear Tracyhurst.com Readers,
As many of you know, Heather from www.especiallyheather.com is having surgery Thursday at the Mayo Clinic. Please be in prayer for her and her healing. For more information and to sign up for prayer cover click here onto Kelli’s site.
by Tracy | Life With Alyssa, Practical, Tuesdays With Tracy
“Unto You, O Lord do I bring my life. O my God, I trust, lean on, rely on and am confident in you. Let me not be put to shame or {my hope in You} be disappointed; let not my enemies triumph over me.” – Psalm 25:1-2, Amplified Bible
Just this morning the Holy Spirit informed me that I have not been fully trusting in God. My first reaction was “who me?” After all, I am the one who often speaks on the topic of faith. Ask anyone – I always believe God for the impossible. But of course the Holy Spirit is always right and I can be so wrong! He showed me how recently I was full of worry and concern about my daughter. Alyssa had caught a stomach virus and as I rummaged through some medical books – panic set in. She was showing signs of dehydration. As a new mom I felt utterly helpless! Alyssa cried her first tears of pain and I must admit that I also broke down and cried. My mind was filled with the “what if’s” and formulating a plan to bring quick relief.
Instead of having faith that God loves Alyssa and trusting that He will take care of her, I was full of fear. When fear enters our hearts and minds, faith goes out the window! But the opposite is also true: When faith enters our hearts and minds, fear must leave! Faith and Fear cannot co-exist. We have to make a choice everyday to either live in fear or faith.
It is only through us having confidence in God’s love, that we can remain in perfect peace. No matter what you may be facing today – DO NOT allow fear and the cares of this world to rob your confidence in God! Psalm 138:8 states, “The Lord will perfect that which concerns me.” We must CHOOSE to believe Jesus at His Word. Needless to say, Alyssa is on her way back to health, and me, well I’m on my way back to faith.
Prayer:
“Lord, forgive me for allowing fear and the cares of this world to rob my faith and confidence in You. I choose to believe Your Word and that You will take care of the things heavy on my heart this day. I submit my thoughts and emotions to you. I thank you that Your Word is greater than my thoughts and emotions and that You know ALL THINGS! Thank you for loving me and taking care of my concerns this day.” Amen.
Image above is from: www.freefotocom
by Tracy | Bad Day Blues, Inspirational, Tuesdays With Tracy
“Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” Isaiah 40:28-31, New International Version
I have reached the point of exhaustion, my friends. I don’t know if it is because of the cold that has lingered for weeks or Alyssa continually getting up in the middle of the night due to teething, but today I am in desperate need of God’s strength. You may not currently be at this point, but I know that all of us deal with extreme physical or mental fatigue at various times in our lives.
I am so thankful today that although I am faint hearted, my God NEVER grows tired or weary! No matter how we feel, we must choose to put our hope in God. When we do this, we can expect a renewed strength to enter our mind, body and spirit, as we trust in Him. We serve an awesome God who loves to bless us! Psalm 127:2 in the Message Bible states, “Don’t you know He (God) enjoys giving rest to those He loves?” So let me ask you: Are you also in need of God’s strength and power today? If so, meditate on the scripture above and wait expectantly to soar on God’s strength this very day.
Prayer:
Lord, I am desperate for you today. I place my hope in You and ask that You fill my mind, body and spirit with Your supernatural strength and power. I am so thankful that You never grow tired or weary and that You understand all things. Jesus, You are awesome! I give you my life, my dreams, my past, my future and all that I am. Thank you for renewing me today. I will run and not grow weary. I will walk and not faint. I give praise to Your Holy Name! Amen.
From me to you: 
I would like to send some flowers to a few blogger friends who are going through difficult situations at this time. I got this idea from my Canadian blogger friend, Susanne,at www.susannesspace.blogspot.com. Please join me in lifting these beautiful women below in prayer at this time. I know that God will be faithful concerning them, Psalm 38:8 promises that “He will perfect thost things which concern us.” We serve a faithful God who is willing and able to heal, comfort and restore us. Please check out their web pages and keep them in your thoughts and prayers.
These flowers go to Angel Cope, from www.1smartmom.com. She and her sister, JoAnna recently lost their grandmother. Although, we celebrate that she is dancing in heaven and having a grand time, please lift up their family during this time of loss.
These flowers go to Keli, from www.living-in-grace.net, whom I have never met, but she is struggling with some serious health issues. She is walking out her healing and you will be encouraged to read how God is moving in her life during this time. Please pray for God’s total restoration power over her body at this time.
These flowers go to Heather, from www.especiallyheather.com, who leaves for Mayo Clinic next week seeking treatment and possible brain surgery. Let’s agree in prayer for this tumor to dry up at the root and that no surgery will be needed. Check out her blog and you will be amazed at her faith! Keep her in your prayers and call forth her healing!
Photos above is from: www.freefoto.com
by Tracy | Life With Alyssa, Practical, Tuesdays With Tracy
“Give yourself to the Lord; trust in Him, and He will help you; He will make your righteousness shine like the noonday sun.” Psalm 37:5-6
This afternoon, I was busy folding laundry when Alyssa decided that she wanted to come and “help.” You know, the kind of “help” that makes your work twice as hard? I had just separated and neatly folded the clothes into piles. Nevertheless, after just a few seconds, those neatly folded clothes were thrown all over the floor! As I began to pick up each item and fold them once again, I began pondering on this little exercise called the “laundry of life.” It is something that our Heavenly Father knows a lot about.
Let me ask you a question: How many a time has God neatly folded and taken care of the concerns in your life, only to have you come and “help” Him and create a total mess? Can I get an Amen from someone?
We serve a God who longs to put us in the washer of His grace. He longs to cleanse us in His love and forgiveness and warm us in the dryer of His Word. The truth is, there will always be the “laundry of life” (various challenges and trials), but we serve a God who will wash us, dry us, care for us, and even uniquely handle and fold the delicate issues dearest to our hearts.
Prayer:
Lord, forgive me for being fearful and not trusting You with various issues in my life. You did not give me a spirit of fear, but of power, love and a sound mind. I will seek You in prayer and trust that You will show me if there is something I need to do. Otherwise, I will leave the details to You, Lord. Please wash me in your grace, dry me in your Word and uniquely handle and fold the concerns of my life this day.” Amen.
IF YOU DID NOT READ MY PREVIOUS POST FROM THURSDAY, APRIL 5th, PLEASE CLICK HERE (It’s an important announcement for tracyhurst.com readers)
Image above is from: www.freefoto.com
