by Tracy | Inspirational, Tuesdays With Tracy
“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 enjoy my summer, 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 either overwhelmed with activity or feeling the dread of a new 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 enjoyment and rest this year and I desire to spend my time : (1) Reading God’s Word (Spending time with Jesus and reading my Bible), (2) Enjoying my daughter & family (Spending quality time with those that I love), and (3) Writing (Spending time on my next book and writing bi-weekly devotionals that I pray will encourage women). 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 refreshed by spending time in God’s Word. I can see my family and I laughing and discovering new things in our City. And I can imagine seeing the cover of my new book! 🙂 With these goals before me, 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.”
*This devotional is an oldie but a goodie. It was published 2 years ago on my site, “Seizing Your Summer” but there is no better time to publish it again! Thanks for your continued encouragement of “Tuesdays With Tracy!”
by Tracy | General
“I run for dear life to God, I’ll never live to regret it. Do what you do so well: get me out of this mess and up on my feet. Put your ear to the ground and listen, give me space for salvation. Be a guest room where I can retreat; you said your door was always open!
You’re my salvation—my vast, granite fortress.” Psalm 71:1-3, Message
Did you know that God could be your “guest room?” God and His Word can be our place in which we can retreat and get some needed R&R. Psalm 16 tells us that in His Presence is fullness of joy and at His right hand are pleasures forevermore. He even promises in our scripture above that His door is always open for us. As one Hotel has marketed itself, “He’ll even leave the light on for ya!”
When we are overwhelmed, our earthly bodies long for a place of tranquility and today I am here to tell you that it is in God’s presence that you can truly unwind and rest from the difficulties of life. He is a refreshing drink to our thirsty spirits, He is the healer of our mind, body and spirit, and He wants us to lay in green pastures with total confidence that He loves us and will fight every battle before us.
Just as you are able to rest and receive while staying in a guest room of a close friend or family member, when you run to God for dear life, He is our guest room – our fluffy bed, luxurious sheets and soft pillows. He is our “calgon take me away” bath salts and He is everything we need.
I want you to know that God loves you and He has amazing plans for you. Hold on because your BEST days are yet ahead. No eye has seen and no ear has heard the plans that He has for you! And when things get difficult remember to run to the true “guest room” of Jesus.
Prayer:
“Lord, I run to you for dear life today and I declare that I will never regret it! You are my salvation and everything I need in my life. I give you every situation on my heart today and choose to find my retreat in You and Your Word. Thank you for always loving me. Amen.”
by Tracy | Inspirational, Practical, Tuesdays With Tracy
“So since we find ourselves fashioned into all these excellently formed and marvelously functioning parts of Christ’s body, let’s just go ahead and be what we were made to be, without enviously or pride-fully comparing ourselves with each other, or trying to be something we aren’t’.” Romans 12:4-5, The Message
In the past I have dreaded shopping for a new bathing suit…can I please get some sisterly love on this one? I have literally walked into a dressing room with 20+ swimsuits in hand and left the room empty handed and feeling as if none of them looked nice, but this may have been because I was under a faulty delusion that somehow my size-12 body would magically turn into a size-8 body whenever I went shopping – of which I thought I could experience a “Tadah” moment. However this “Tadah” never happened and I was quickly snapped back into reality that simply putting on a new article of clothing does not cause immediate weight loss! LOL!
However, somewhere along the journey of life, I have come to the place of simply longing to be the best me. I don’t know if this revelation has come with age or by consciously choosing to love myself, but I no longer walk in trepidation at the thought of shopping nor do I compare myself to others because I just want to be the best me.
I no longer give my energy or thoughts over to what the world would say about me, (my accomplishments or lack of, my weight, my values, etc) because as our scripture states above, God excellently and marvelously formed me. This truth has become a line in the sand for me. I no longer expend precious time comparing myself to others – I just need to be the best me…whether size 12 or 8…I am fashioned and formed by God, I am created to be a blessing to the body of Christ.
So let’s all make the choice to go ahead and be who God made us to be and lets choose to let others be who God made them to be. Bottom line: I am free to be me and you are free to be you!
You see, God fashioned and formed you and you are vital to the body of Christ. There is no other “you” on the face of the earth. The gifts and talents God put into your life are greatly needed by those around you. It is my prayer that today you will make the choice to no longer compare yourself to others and that you will simply be the best you!
Prayer:
“Lord, I choose from this day forward to love myself. You tell me in Your Word to love my neighbor as I love myself. Help me to embrace the fact that you fashioned and formed me and that You have good plans for me. I will no longer give my time and energy to what others may say or think of me but I will honor You with my thoughts. Help me to be who You created me to be – the best me! Amen.”
by Tracy | Bad Day Blues, Inspirational, Tuesdays With Tracy
“I’ve tried everything and nothing helps. I’m at the end of my rope. Is there no one who can do anything for me? Isn’t that the real question? The answer, thank God is that Jesus can and does.” Romans 7:24, The Message
A few weeks ago and I had the honor of seeing our God show up and show off for His precious daughters. As our scripture states above, “The answer, thank God is that Jesus can and does.” The weekend was full of worship and digging into God’s Word. Needless to say, it was amazing and the testimonies from our time together keep coming.
I prayed for one woman who was diagnosed with colon cancer. The doctors informed her that the cancer was also spreading into her bladder and ovaries. We prayed together and asked that God would remove all cancer from her body and replace it with His love. We declared that she would live and not die and declare the works of the Lord for His glory. She and I have been communicating through email and I want to share with you how God has showed up and showed off in her life.
Last week this young woman went in for her scheduled surgery. Although she was scared, she held onto God’s Word and believed that all things were possible with God. When the surgeons opened her up – they could not find any trace of cancer! God truly showed up and showed off for this precious woman. The doctors were baffled but she knew exactly who removed the cancer from her body – Jesus!
Friend, whatever needs be removed from your life – God can remove it! If you need the removal of debt, sinful behavior, fear, depression, sickness, bitterness, shame or anything you want rid from your mind, body and spirit, God can remove it and He will replace it with His love.
Beloved, whatever needs to be brought into your life – God can bring it! Whenever God removes something, He always replaces it with something. When fear is eradicated, God replaces it with His perfect love. When sickness is confiscated, God replaces it with wholeness and health. When God plucks out bitterness from your heart, God replaces it with joy. When God lifts the label of shame off of your life, God gives you a new label – the Righteousness of God. Whenever God eliminates poverty from your life, He replaces it with prosperity for your mind, body and spirit. We serve a God who loves to show up and show off for His people simply because He loves us.
The truth is that God loves you – period! And He is longing to show up and show off on your behalf.
If you have a prayer request today, please click on the “Need Prayer” button found on my website and I would be honored to pray for you.
by Tracy | Inspirational, Tuesdays With Tracy
To grant [consolation and joy] to those who mourn in Zion–to give them an ornament (a garland or diadem) of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, the garment [expressive] of praise instead of a heavy, burdened, and failing spirit–that they may be called oaks of righteousness [lofty, strong, and magnificent, distinguished for uprightness, justice, and right standing with God], the planting of the Lord, that He may be glorified. Isaiah 61:3, AMP
In Isaiah 61:3 a great exchange occurs. God gives us His beauty instead of ashes, the oil of joy instead of morning, the garment of praise instead of a heavy, burdened and failing spirit. Friend, I don’t know what you have been through in your life, but I do know that Jesus gave His life for you on the Cross. He exchanged your sin, sickness, and every curse and nailed it to the Cross in exchange for His mercy, healing, grace and salvation. One day while reading Isaiah 61, I was led to write down all that God had exchanged in my life and I pray that it will bring encouragement to you today.
I know what it’s like:
To be abused, but I also know what it’s like to forgive my abuser and to be set free
To have thoughts of killing myself, but I also know what it’s like to carry the life of my daughter inside my womb.
To be full of fear to the point of rocking back and forth with my Bible in hand just to make it through the night, but I also know what its like to see God’s angels moving on my behalf.
To feel alone in this world, but I also know what it’s like to have the honor of Jesus being my EVERYTHING
To live in depression and despair, but I also know what it’s like to be pulled out of the pit for God’s glory.
To worry to the point of almost losing my mind, but I also know what it’s like to be renewed in my mind through God’s Word.
To barely get out of bed, but I also know what it’s like to experience God’s joy that comes in the morning.
To wonder if my dreams will ever come to pass, but I also know what it’s like to have faith that God never withholds anything good for me but He only sets me up to be blessed.
To be diagnosed with liver-failure and need a liver transplant, but I also know what its like to have Jesus miraculously heal me.
To only have oatmeal in my pantry to eat for dinner, but I also know what it’s like to see God provide all of my needs through the body of Christ.
To run for my life to an abuse shelter, but I also know what it’s like to have God make purpose out of my pain and know that my best days are ahead of me.
To be told that I am stupid and invaluable, but I also know what to read in the Bible that Jesus died on the Cross-for me and that I am the apple of His eye.
My question for you today is: What do you need to exchange?
It is my prayer that we will embrace the Great Exchange this Easter Season.
Easter Blessings,
Tracy
by Tracy | Inspirational, Practical, Tuesdays With Tracy
“Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all your heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.” Matthew 22:37, KJV
We are triune beings – spirit, body and soul. From the moment you were conceived, you were a spirit. Your body was uniquely formed in the womb of your mother with the purpose to house your spirit and soul. Your soul is made up of your will, emotions, intellect and imagination. As believers, God’s Spirit within us is to reign over the soul and body, however this will not happen without the help of the Holy Spirit because the soul wants to dominate. Our soul is moved by what it sees, feels, hears and touches. It longs to be entertained and if we are not careful – our feelings, intellect, and personality can rule our lives rather than God’s Spirit.
Roberts Liardion states in his book, Sharpen Your Discernment, “An unharnessed soul wants to be the center of attention of everything. If the atmosphere is not exactly what the soul wants, it becomes depressed. If the soul doesn’t get what it wants, it becomes unhappy. If someone wrongs the soul, it becomes bitter. If someone hurts the soul, it becomes engulfed in self-pity. If the soul is in a hurry, it pressures everyone. If the soul does not like someone, it becomes rude. If the soul is rejected, it becomes obsessive or withdrawn. If something scares the soul, the soul worries. If someone has what it wants, the soul becomes jealous. If the soul thinks it has to please everyone, it becomes phony and deceitful.”
Our mind, will and emotions are gifts from God, but these gifts are never to dominate over God’s spirit within us. When trials come our way, it is vital that only God’s Spirit direct our plans. This is why we need to make sure that our body and soul are submitted under the Word of God and not vice-versa. It is extremely important that we hear directly from God concerning every area of our lives for such a time as this.
There are places God longs to take us. People God desires to touch through us. And God is currently repositioning His people for Kingdom purposes. So, let me ask you: Who is ruling your life? Is God’s Spirit reigning or are you allowing your thoughts and emotions to run your life? I can tell you from personal experience that when my thoughts and emotions rule my life, I live in a state of constant anxiety, confusion, fear and depression. But when I let God direct me and rule my soul, then I can remain in perfect peace no matter what is going on around me.
Prayer:
“Lord I ask that Your Spirit within me arise once again. I declare that my thoughts and emotions must submit to the Word of God. No matter what is going on around me, I declare that if God is for me, who can be against me.I give you permission to correct me and re-align my life for Your purposes for such a time as this. Amen.”
by Tracy | Bad Day Blues, Inspirational, Tuesdays With Tracy
“Many even among the leaders believed in him. But because of the Pharisees they would not con-fess their faith for fear they would be put out of the synagogue; for they loved praise from men more than praise from God.” John 12:42-43
“The fear of human opinion disables; trusting in God protects you from that.” Proverbs 29:25, The Message
There was a time in my life when I longed for the approval of man. I wanted to be a person of great importance. I drank in the praise of man and became intoxicated with what people thought and said of me. Yet my approval addiction was never satisfied and thankfully so because it brought me to the place of brokenness and total surrender to God. I have come to the place where I no longer desire the praise of man, but only to hear my Father say, “Well done my good and faithful servant.”
In our society we are encouraged to glorify the accomplishments of man. Many strive to achieve titles, positions of power, wealth and to be deemed by the world as a noteworthy person. And although we are promised much favor and success as children of God, a lot of individuals believe that the praise of man alone will bring them a sense of worth. They crave to hear man say of them, “Wow, look at her and what she has accomplished.” This is true even in the Christian culture. There is often a mixture of longing to glorify God while also enjoying the seduction of the praise of man.
Let us be reminded today that the praise of man is temporal and it will never bring true satisfaction, hence why you continually see Hollywood and sports stars turning to drugs, alcohol, affairs and such. The only true satisfaction in this life is to have a relationship with God. And friend, God has already deemed you worthy! Through the Cross of Jesus, you are the righteousness of God and He loves you – the real you!
Friend, you can rest your head tonight knowing that no matter what man may think or say about you, God loves you! It is my prayer that each night you will fall asleep pondering God’s amazing love for you. Oh how He loves you! Jesus gave His life for you, what more could He give? Oh how He loves you and me!
Prayer:
“Lord, thank you for loving me. I acknowledge that there is nothing this world can offer me that will bring me true peace or satisfaction but You! I will choose this day forward to meditate on what You say about me. No matter what man may say, I am the righteousness of God, I am the head and not the tail and the blessings of the Lord will chase me and overtake me (Deuteronomy 28). Amen.”
by Tracy | Inspirational, Tuesdays With Tracy
“Love your neighbor as you love yourself.” Luke 10:27, NKJ
As women we tend to wear a lot of “hats” everyday without even realizing it! We just know that we are exhausted each night – can I get an Amen? Within a twenty-four hour period women often fill the roles of: wife, mother, business woman, chef, chauffeur, counselor, daughter, aunt, bible study leader, school teacher, fashion consultant, friend and this is not comprehensive list by any means! It is no wonder studies have shown that women in America feel overwhelmed and dissatisfied. Needless to say, it is imperative that you take care of yourself!
Notice in the verse above that in addition to loving your neighbor (i.e. preparing meals for a family grieving, volunteering at your local church and listening to a friend in need), we are also commanded to love ourselves!
So let me ask you: Are you good to yourself? Do you take time for you or does everything and everyone else take precedence? I am going to guess that most of us reading this blog (including myself) often fall short in this area. But the truth is, if we don’t take care of ourselves – we will eventually reach the point where we can no longer function! When we find ourselves exhausted and overwhelmed, depression can creep in if we are not careful. So, if you are reading this today please know that I love you and I plead with you to take care of yourself:)
I give you permission to take care of you! Let’s start right now – I want you to think of something that you can do for yourself today… go ahead and think about it and then DO IT!
Prayer:
Lord, forgive me for taking care of everyone else, but me. I choose this day to take better care of me. You have entrusted me with a special purpose while here on earth and by taking care of myself – I WILL fulfill my destiny in Christ! Thank you God for this gentle reminder and I will love my neighbor as I love myself this day.” Amen.
by Tracy | Bad Day Blues, Inspirational, Tuesdays With Tracy
“For I am persuaded beyond doubt (am sure) that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities, nor things impending and threatening nor things to come, nor powers. Nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Romans 8:38-39, AMP
There is nothing you can do that will separate you from the love of God. His love for you is not contingent on what you have or will do, but it is solely dependent on the work of the cross. You don’t have to “do” anything to deserve God’s love, it has already been freely given when Jesus gave His life for you on the cross. When we give our lives to Jesus, He takes away our sin, sickness, and poverty and replaces it with His forgiveness, wholeness and prosperity for our mind, body and spirit.
No matter what you are currently going through – God loves you. You may be going through unbearable circumstances or you might have recently made the biggest mistake of your life, but God is and will forever be in love with you friend. God made you in your mother’s womb and He understands you better than yourself. It is when you are in a time of crisis or transition that you need to fall at the feet of Jesus and receive His love, mercy and never-ending grace. People will fail you, but God will never leave you nor forsake you.
There are many barriers that keep us from receiving God’s love. The enemy longs to torment God’s children with condemnation, but there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1). He wants to weigh down the righteous with despair, but God has given us a garment of praise instead of a spirit of heaviness (Isaiah 61). The devil desires to oppress us with fear, but God did not give us a spirit of fear but of power, love and a sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7). All authority over the enemy has been given to us. Jesus made a public spectacle of him through His death and resurrection and it is time that you and I take our authority in Christ and declare Romans 8:31, “If God is for us, who can be against us?”
Friend, you are the righteousness of God and He is deeply in love with you. As our scripture tells us above, there is nothing – no height, no depth, nothing, that can separate you from His love. I pray you rest in this truth friend and receive all that He has for you this day and forevermore.
Prayer:
“Lord, thank you for loving me – all of me. I give you everything I am and everything I am not. You know what I am going through right now and I run to You today. I am in desperate need of Your mercy, grace wisdom and love. I take authority over every plan of the enemy in my life and ask that only Your plans succeed. I declare that goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life. Amen.”
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.
