Seize Your Summer
“Have the roots (of your being) firmly and deeply planted in Him, fixed and founded (in Him), being continually built up in Him, becoming increasingly more confirmed and established in the faith, just as you were taught, and abounding and overflowing in it with thanksgiving.” Colossians 2:7, AMP
It is officially summer my friends – school is out, the weather is hot, pools are open and life as we knew it, is no more (I know all the mom’s are shaking their heads in agreement with me right now:)! But, I have an important message for you today: It is important that you seize the summer and not let the summer just pass you by.
Summer is often a time of activity, rest and relaxation, but it can also be a season where the days feel like they are never-ending! I made the decision several months ago to take the summer “off”, but hadn’t yet grabbed a hold of what my summer would entail. The problem was that I had no vision for what the days of summer would hold for me. I was quickly becoming bored and I began to dread each day as another day with nothing to do! You see, I was letting the summer seize me, instead of me seizing my summer!
Just this morning, I sought God about the next few months. I heard the Holy Spirit clearly state, “Tracy, how you spend your summer will determine how you spend your fall.” I felt within my spirit that the summer (for me), is a time of preparation and that I have three main goals: (1) Word (Spending time with Jesus and reading my Bible), (2) Workouts (walks and weights) and (3) Quality time (spending time with those that I love). Proverbs 29:18 states, “Where there is no vision (no redemptive revelation of God), the people perish…” With these three goals in mind, I now have a vision for my summer. I can already see myself getting up early to spend time in God’s Word, I can see Alyssa and I taking walks and I can imagine enjoying precious time with family and friends! With this new vision I know that I am going to have an awesome summer!
What is your vision for your summer? If you are not sure, then ask God. He will give you some guidance on how you can enjoy your summer and be prepared for your fall, which is also known as harvest time! What you sow in the summer, you will reap in the fall. I pray that God speaks to you today. Remember to seize your summer and do not let summer seize you! Be encouraged because no matter what your summer holds, God will use these months to prepare and propel you into your promise land!
Prayer:
“Lord, please speak to me today. I want my summer to be filled with purpose and destiny. Show me the areas of my life you want to strengthen. As You give me a vision for this summer Lord, I can see goodness and mercy following me. I see days of laughter, revelation and enjoyment! In Christ I seize my summer. These next few months will prepare me for Harvest – get me ready Lord, for my greatest days in You are yet ahead! Amen.”
Clothed In God’s Armor
“We are hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed – always carrying about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus, that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our body.” 2 Corinthians 4:8
“Now thanks be to God who ALWAYS leads us in TRIUMPH in Christ, and through us manifests the fragrance of His knowledge in EVERY PLACE. For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among who are perishing.” 2 Corinthians 2:14-15
No matter who you are or where you are headed in life, if you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, then you are at war! It seems that there has been an all out attack on God’s people as of late, BUT I want to encourage you my friend – no matter how things may appear at this time, you will triumph in every place!
It is vital that we clothe ourselves in God’s spiritual armor at this time. Just as a soldier would never go into the battlefield without his riffle and grenade in hand, we are soldiers for Christ and it is essential that we put on the whole armor of God during the battles of life.
We MUST encourage ourselves in God’s Word! It is not time to back up or give in! Our greatest days are yet ahead. As David declares in Psalm 42:5, “Why are you cast down, O my soul? And why are you disquieted within me? HOPE IN GOD, for I shall yet praise Him for the help of His countenance.”
Isaiah 60:2-5 states, “For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and deep darkness the people; but the Lord will arise over you. And His glory will be seen upon you. The Gentiles shall come to your light, and Kings to the brightness of your rising. Lift up your eyes all around, and see: They all gather together they come to you; your sons shall come from afar, and your daughters shall be nursed at your side. Then you shall see and become radiant, and your heart shall swell with joy; because the abundance of the sea shall be turned to you, the wealth of the Gentiles shall come to you.”
Hold on -your greatest days in Christ are yet ahead! Ephesians 6:10-18 tells us how to be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. Let’s pray the prayer below together, shall we?
Prayer:
“Lord I put on the whole armor of God that I may be able to stand against the scheming of the devil. I recognize that I am not wrestling against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against rulers of darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. I choose to take up the helmet of salvation and ask that every thought we made captive to the Word of God. I put on the breastplate of righteousness and declare that my emotions and thoughts come under the authority of God’s Word. I wrap my waist with the belt of truth that I may know the truth of God’s Word and that this truth will set me free. I pick up the sword of the spirit, which is God’s Word and I declare that it is living and active and sharper than any sword, piercing through soul and spirit. I raise my shield of faith so that every fiery dart of the enemy will be quenched and not prevail against my family or me. And I will pray continually for God’s people. I know the end result – WE WIN! If God is for us, then who can be against us? I declare victory over the lives of God’s people this day. I rebuke the devourer. I take back what the enemy has stolen from me and I declare confusion in the enemy’s camp. I choose this day to stand strong in the Lord and I will triumph in every place! Amen.”
I Know Who He Is
“Trust God from the bottom of your heart; don’t try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for God’s voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he’s the one who will keep you on track. Don’t assume you know it all. Run to God! Run from evil! Your body will glow with health, your very bones will vibrate with life!” Proverbs 3:5-8, The Message
One morning last week I was pondering the difficulties of my own life and those around me while driving down the road. And needless to say, my heart was extremely heavy as I could not figure out “why” these challenges were going on or “what” to do about them. These thoughts led me to feelings of helplessness, but then a thought came across my mind, “I may not know why these situations are going on or what to do about them, but I know who my God is.” Within an instant I began to feel better. I got my eyes off the problem and onto God – The Solution.
The truth is, we may never understand “why” we are walking through dark times, but we know who our God is! He is faithful and He is everything we need! Join me today in declaring who God is:
When my body is sick – He is my Healer.
When I cannot pay my bills – He is my Provider.
When my mind is filled with worry – He is my Peace.
When my family forsakes me – He is my Father, Mother, Sister and Brother.
When my heart is filled with anger – He is my Forgiving Father.
When strife is all around me – He is my Protector.
When my friend betrays me – He is my Loyal Companion.
When I am rejected – He is my Acceptance.
When I don’t know what to do – He is my Wisdom.
When I do or say the wrong thing – He is my Grace.
When I can barely get out of the bed – He is the Lifter of my head.
When I am afraid – He is my Perfect Love that casts out all fear.
No matter what you are going through, God is everything you need at this time. Run to Him and as the scripture states your body will glow with health and your bones will vibrate with life!
Prayer:
“Lord, You are everything I need today. I give you every situation on my heart. Please be my healer, provider, peace, protector, wisdom, grace and lifter of my head. I choose to get my eyes off of the problem and onto You – the Solution! I love you and I plead the Blood of Jesus over me, my family and those I love this day! Amen.”
When Life Hits You Hard
“But me, I’m not giving up. I’m sticking around to see what God will do. I’m waiting for God to make things right. I’m counting on God to listen to me.” -Micah 7:7, The Message
Does it ever seem like the unrighteous are continually prevailing over God’s people? Do you often feel like giving up? Well, hold on tight because although there are many upsetting things in this world, we have a God who loves to perform miracles on our behalf! Let’s stick around to see what God will do – shall we? I have personally experienced God’s restoration power and I have seen the wicked tremble and repent before God. And I am waiting expectantly for God to make things right on behalf of His people today. Remember that it is God who always gets the last word! Selah (pause and think about that for a moment).
“Do not fret because of evildoers, nor be envious of the workers of iniquity. For they shall soon be cut down like the grass, and wither as the green herb. Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land and feed on His faithfulness.” -Psalm 37:1-3
Just the other day I was thinking about all the “wrongs” done by the unrighteous in my life, and I heard the Holy Spirit ask me, “What if your step-father had not abused you, what if your parents had stayed together and not divorced before you were one years old?” As these questions ran through my head, I realized that if these “wrongs” had not occurred, I would not have experienced the first hand power of God in my life, nor would I have my testimony of grace to share with you and others! Let me be clear with you today: whenever you see killing, stealing and destroying, the author of this is the devil, but whenever you see abundant life and restoration, the author of this is Jesus Christ (John 10:10). What the enemy meant to destroy you, God will turn it around for your good. The truth is, we would not be the person we are today without the difficulty of our past. It is through our pain by the unrighteous that Jesus can became OUR EVERYTHING!
I love our scripture today. No matter what you are going through at this time, you have an important choice to make that can alter your destiny: Will you choose to give up or will you choose to trust in the faithfulness of God? If you choose to wait and see what God will do on your behalf, then God’s best is just ahead of you!
Prayer:
“Lord, I will not give up. I choose to stick around and see what you will do on my behalf. Thank you for listening to my heart’s cry and making things right for your people. I will not fret over evildoers, but I will trust in You and feed on Your faithfulness. You are an awesome God and I set my eyes upon you today. Amen.”
When Someone Calls You “Mom”
“For You formed my inward parts; You covered me in my mother’s womb. I praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; Marvelous are Your works, and that my soul knows very well.” – Psalm 139:13-14
If you are reading this blog, then I know one fact about you today– you have a mother. Just think about this for a moment. If it were not for God as your “Creator” and your mother as your “carrier” – you wouldn’t be alive today! Isn’t that amazing? It took your mother’s cooperation with God’s will for you to be here on earth. Selah (pause and think about that for a moment).
When someone calls you Mom:
– It means that for nine months your body is not your own.
-It means that sleeping late on a Saturday morning is no longer possible (at least for a while).
-It means saying “good-bye” to dress-up clothes and “hello” to leisure suits.
-It means that your days are consumed with bottles, burps and diapers.
-It means that your quiet baby will later become a talkative teen.
-And it means that you fall into bed most nights totally exhausted.
But when someone calls you mom, it also means:
–You are the one they run to when they get hurt.
-You are the one they want to hug and kiss before bed each night.
-You are the one who gets to see their “firsts” in their life.
-You are the one who can comfort them like no one else.
-You are the one who gives them confidence to explore the world through your love.
-And you are the one that God chose for them to call “mom.” God searched the earth and selected you!
No matter the relationship you currently have with you mother, she loved you enough to carry you in her womb for nine months (and for most of us that includes nausea, weird cravings, weight gain, bed rest and much more – can I get an Amen? 🙂
As Mother’s Day is fasting approaching, I declare abundant blessings upon all the mother’s, grandmother’s and future mommies-to-be! I give honor to you today and I pray that you will forever relish in God’s love! To Moms: Thank you for giving us life on earth. To our Heavenly Father: Thank You for giving us eternal life through Your Son, Jesus Christ.
Prayer:
“Lord, thank you for creating me in my mother’s womb. I am fearfully and wonderfully made and I celebrate my mother this day. Thank You for selecting my mom to bring me into this world in order to give glory to Your Name! Amen.”
A special note to my mom, Penny: Thank you for always believing in me. I love you and I am so thankful that God chose you to be the one that I get to call “mom!” Love, Tracy
Crying Over Spilled Milk
“For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.” – Jeremiah 29:11, NLT
I think we all grew up hearing the phrase from our parents, “Don’t cry over spilled milk!” But so often when our plans go “sour,” that is exactly what we do – we boo-hoo our eyes out! (Trust me, I know a thing or two about this:) I am a planner by nature and I wish I could tell you that I always respond in faith when “my plans” don’t work out, but that would not be the truth! In the past I have cried for days and questioned God. But through my grieving process, I have come to this conclusion: “When it appears that God is withholding something from me, He is only setting me up to be blessed!” This revelation has changed my life and I pray it does the same for you today.
I believe that statement with my whole being. I know, that I know, that I know, that my God loves me and He has good plans for me. I also realize that God can see things in His infinite wisdom that I unaware of here on earth. In the late 90’s I applied to a particular graduate school and didn’t get in, but God knew that attending this school was not His best. You see, God had a better school choice for me that would allow me to work full-time while pursuing my studies. And that full-time job was at Mount Paran Central where I met my husband!!!! It appeared that God was withholding something good from me, but He was only setting me up to be abundantly blessed!!! Let me just say that other than accepting Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior, meeting my husband has been the greatest blessing in my entire life! As Garth Brooks so beautifully sings, “I thank God for unanswered prayer!”
No matter how things may appear, you can trust God. He loves you and has awesome plans for you. I pray that the revelation God gave me years ago will encourage you today. I am currently leaning on this revelation in my own life. I have a situation where “it appears” that God may be withholding something from me, but I know the truth – He is only setting me up to be blessed and I choose to trust Him this day!
Prayer: “Lord, I choose to believe that You love me and have awesome plans for my life. Thank you for loving me even when I question You and fail to trust You. I give you my dreams, my plans and desires. I give you permission to re-arrange anything in my life and I ask that You line it up with Your perfect will. I love you Jesus and thank you for always looking out for me and wanting the best for me in every situation. Amen.”
Helping One Another
“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always even to the end of the age. Amen.” – Matthew 28:19-20
For me personally, there is no greater joy than to help someone succeed and go higher in the things of God. I love to speak encouragement into a dream of a friend and pray with them until their dream becomes a reality! It is a “high” that no amount of money or chemical substance can give you. When we freely give, we are being used by God to bless another individual. And I have found that as God leads and I help others, He always takes care of my needs in abundance!
Giving – isn’t that what we are here to do anyway? We are here to give people the good news of Jesus Christ. We are also here to give of our gifts and talents to the body of Christ so that all can fulfill what God has called them to do on earth. How would our world be impacted if everyone (including you and me) gave freely to one another? Selah (pause and think about that for a moment).
So, if you happen to be feeling a little blue today, I encourage you to help and pray for someone else! It will get your mind off of “you” and onto someone else who is in need. Self-absorption equals misery, but helping someone else is sure to turn your day around and bring joy to your spirit! We have the privilege of being an extension of God’s love to those around us today.
Prayer:
“Lord, forgive me for being self-absorbed. I choose to get my eyes off of myself and onto The King of Kings, who will perfect everything that concerns me today. Open my eyes to see how I can help someone today. Thank You God for filling my spirit with joy unspeakable. Amen.”
Receiving From God
“Until now you have not asked for anything in my name. Ask and you will receive, and your joy may be complete.” John 16:24, NIV
I don’t know about you, but I grew up hearing, “It is better to give than receive.” And while this statement is oh-so true, I now seem to have the hardest time receiving! Anyone else out there in cyberspace struggle with this too? I just love to give though! It is a joke among my closest friends, “Never tell Tracy that you like something in her home, because all of a sudden she’ll just hand the item over to you.” The truth is, it thrills my heart knowing that people have left my home holding lamps, clothing, shoes, books, hats and baked goods! I get so much joy from giving, but the receiving-thing…well that’s a different story!
In just the past seven days, three women have paid for my lunch! Of course I gave the “Oh-no you don’t,” but they quickly replied, “God told me to do this Tracy and do not rob my blessing!” Well, who can argue with that? Their statement made me ask myself, “What if my friends had left my home empty handed rather than receive what I deeply longed to give them?” I believe that if this had happened, a blessing would have been stolen from me!
I have come to the conclusion that in order to give, I must also be willing to receive! Did you know that God is daily longing to give us gifts from Heaven? Yet, so many of us are trying to please God rather than simply receive from Him! Will you do something with me today? Will you place your hands out in front of you and open them up toward Heaven? Go ahead…I’ll wait for you. Now let’s say this prayer together, “Jesus I want to receive everything You have for me today. Amen.”
Prayer:
“Lord, I am so thankful that You love me and nothing can stop Your love from flowing into my life today! I choose this day to receive everything that You have for me. I willingly open up my hands, my heart, my mind and all that is within me to receive from Heaven. I also long to have a giving spirit. Help me to know when to give and when to receive according to Your perfect will.” Amen.
Reliable Friends
“Reliable friends who do what they say are like cool drinks in sweltering heat – refreshing!” Proverbs 25:13, The Message
Many of us are longing for so many things in life – money, recognition, a clean house or maybe your like me and would just love an occasional nap! 🙂 But no matter who you are or where you come from, I think we can all agree that God-centered friendships are priceless and a gift from Heaven above!
The truth is, if we have just one reliable friend – we are truly blessed. When the trails of life come knocking at our door, it is important for us to know whom to call upon for prayer and support. I often think about when Jesus himself asked a few disciples to come and pray with him at the Garden of Gethsemane. Isn’t that amazing? I mean, just think about this for a moment…even Jesus needed his most dependable friends near him during the darkest hours of his life. This fact has given me a new freedom. When the storms of life begin to blow, I immediately run to the shelter of God’s Word and I also know it is okay for me to call upon a few reliable friends to stand with me in prayer. We don’t have to fight the battles of life alone. We can call upon God and His people to stand by our side.
My prayer for you today is for God to shine a light on your reliable friends – those He has called to stand with you. And do not forget that YOU can be a reliable friend to those in your life! In Christ you have the power to offer a cool drink to a person in need today – now that’s refreshing!
Prayer:
Lord, thank you for always being with me. You are with me at every mountaintop and valley throughout my life. Please help me to be a reliable friend to those in need today. Shine Your light on the individuals You have called to stand with me for such a time as this. Thank you God for always being my most dependable friend. Amen.
Reliable Friends
“Reliable friends who do what they say are like cool drinks in sweltering heat – refreshing!” Proverbs 25:13, The Message
Many of us are longing for so many things in life – money, recognition, a clean house or maybe your like me and would just love an occasional nap! 🙂 But no matter who you are or where you come from, I think we can all agree that God-centered friendships are priceless and a gift from Heaven above!
The truth is, if we have just one reliable friend – we are truly blessed. When the trails of life come knocking at our door, it is important for us to know whom to call upon for prayer and support. I often think about when Jesus himself asked a few disciples to come and pray with him at the Garden of Gethsemane. Isn’t that amazing? I mean, just think about this for a moment…even Jesus needed his most dependable friends near him during the darkest hours of his life. This fact has given me a new freedom. When the storms of life begin to blow, I immediately run to the shelter of God’s Word and I also know it is okay for me to call upon a few reliable friends to stand with me in prayer. We don’t have to fight the battles of life alone. We can call upon God and His people to stand by our side.
My prayer for you today is for God to shine a light on your reliable friends – those He has called to stand with you. And do not forget that YOU can be a reliable friend to those in your life! In Christ you have the power to offer a cool drink to a person in need today – now that’s refreshing!
Prayer:
Lord, thank you for always being with me. You are with me at every mountaintop and valley throughout my life. Please help me to be a reliable friend to those in need today. Shine Your light on the individuals You have called to stand with me for such a time as this. Thank you God for always being my most dependable friend. Amen.
About
Tracy became a Christian at the age of 16 and her life was changed forever. She went from being a depressed, suicidal, rebellious teenager to a dynamic leader for Christ. Immediately after accepting Jesus as her Savior, Tracy fought the school board in order to begin a Bible study on school grounds at her high school in Illinois. The dramatic transformation in Tracy's life has inspired many, including her own mother, to give their lives to Christ.
