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 | Inspirational, Tuesdays With Tracy
“Bless (affectionately, gratefully praise) the Lord, O my soul; and all that is (deepest) within me, bless His holy name! Bless (affectionately, gratefully praise) the Lord, O my soul, and forget not (one of) all His benefits— …Who satisfies your mouth (YOUR NECESSITY AND DESIRE AT YOUR PERSONAL AGE AND SITUATION) with good so that your youth, renewed, is like the eagle’s (strong, overcoming, soaring)!” Psalm 103:1,2 & 5 AMP
All I can say in response to our scripture today is, “WOW!” Did you know that God is not only aware of your circumstances, but He longs to satisfy your necessity and desire at your personal age and situation with good? God also promises to renew you with His supernatural strength in order that you can overcome every obstacle in your life!
You may be currently facing the obstacle of money, health, forgiveness, restoration in a relationship or wisdom, but you can count on the fact that God knows your personal age and situation and He will satisfy you with good, and you will once again soar like the eagle’s.
I am continually amazed at God’s unending love toward us and Psalm 103 is packed full of God’s promises to us as His children. Just listen to some of God assurance in this beautiful Psalm:
*God forgives us of all of our sin (v.3)
*God heals us of all our diseases (v.3)
*God redeemes us from the pit (v.4)
*God crowns us with His love and compassion (v.4)
*God satisfies our desires with good things (v.5)
*God renews our youth like the eagles (v.5)
*God is slow to anger toward us, abounding in love (v.8)
*God does not harbor anger toward us (v.9)
*God commands compassion on us because we fear (reverence) Him (v.13)
*God understands us, He formed us in our mother’s womb and He remembers that we are dust (v.14)
*God’s righteousness will be with our children’s children (v.17)
*God loves us (v.17)
Psalm 103 ends in verses 20-22 by giving total praise to God. Will you join me in praising God for all of His benefits? Let’s say this out loud together: “Praise the Lord, you his angels, you mighty ones who do His bidding, who obey His word. Praise the Lord, all His heavenly hosts, you his servants who do his will. Praise the Lord, all his works everywhere in His dominion. Praise the Lord, O my soul”.
God is deeply in love with you my friend. It is my prayer that you will not forget ALL of God’s benefits. You can rest in the fact that God is personally aware of your situation. And because of Him, You are saved, healed, forgiven, and made righteous through the Cross. May you continually relish in God’s amazing love for you forevermore.
Prayer: “Lord, thank you for loving me and satisfying my necessity and desire at my personal age and situation with good. Thank you for forgiving me of my sins, healing me of all diseases, redeeming me from the pit, crowning me with love and compassion and renewing my youth with strength to overcome and soar. May I never forget all of Your benefits. 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.”
by Tracy | Practical, Tuesdays With Tracy
Dinner Anyone?
“I am Lady Wisdom, and I live next to Sanity; Knowledge and Discretion live just down the street…Are you confused about life, don’t know what’s going on? Come with me, oh come, have dinner with me! I’ve prepared a wonderful spread – fresh-baked bread, roast lamb, carefully selected wines. Leave your impoverished confusion and live! Walk up the street to a life with meaning.” Proverbs 8:11,9:3-4, Message Translation
Do you ever have days when you feel as if you are losing your sanity? There are times when confusion and worry fill my mind and when this happens, I literally turn into a different person! And while I am usually a person of peace and joy, those precious gifts are nowhere to be found. I have learned that when I am in this state, I need to sit down and have “dinner” with God! The truth is that according to Proverbs 8, Lady Wisdom is calling to us everyday. The Wisdom of God will show us how to live well and enjoy life. The problem is that there are other voices calling us as well: The voices of the world, opinions of man, fear, temptation, greed and the list goes on and on.
My question for you today is: whom are you dining with tonight?
Let’s choose Lady Wisdom as our dinner host and enjoy a wonderful meal. You see, if we choose to dine and fellowship with the other voices listed above (the world, opinions of man, fear, temptation or greed) -we will surely be eating worms…to which my daughter would reply “ehh”! It is our choice to which dinner invitation we reply a “yes.” I don’t know about you, but fresh-baked bread and roast of lamb sound good to me. Will you join Lady Wisdom and I for dinner tonight? I promise you will leave her table feeling spiritually satisfied. And remember that Knowledge and Discretion live just down the street – who knows maybe we can join them for dessert – I’m sure they will be serving chocolate🙂 .
Prayer:
“Lord, I seek You for Wisdom this day. I give you all the concerns heavy on my heart. I ask that you take away the plate of confusion and worry from my life and replace it with heaping portions of Your Wisdom and Peace. Thank you for inviting me to eat “dinner” with You. I answer, “yes” to your invitation. I know that everything I need will be discussed and that your guidance will be given as we dine together tonight.” Amen.
by Tracy | Inspirational, Tuesdays With Tracy
“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 also believe there are a lot of us who love to give, but have a difficult time receiving! Does anyone else out there in cyberspace struggle with receiving?
I simply love to give – It is a joke among my closest friends that they are never to tell me if they like something in my home because I have been known to just hand the item over to them! I honestly get tremendous joy when I am able to give, but the receiving thing…well that was a much more difficult thing! Yet, I have come to the conclusion that in order to give, we 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 here. Okay, now with raised hands toward heaven, let’s pray this simple prayer together, “Jesus I want to receive everything You have for me today. Amen.” Now just wait and receive from God. Whatever you need today – God longs to give you His provision and all you have to do is receive from God.
Why do we struggle to receive? I believe that we are more comfortable giving to others rather than receiving because when we give, we are in control. But when we receive from someone else, we are in the more vulnerable position. It is when we open our hands to receive that we are acknowledging to others and to our God that we can’t do it on our own. The very act of lifting our hands toward heaven in prayer is admitting to ourselves that we cannot make it without a Savior. It is my prayer that we receive from God this day and forevermore.
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.”
TWT Readers: Do any of you use coupons?
If so, I have developed a blog (www.couponswithtracy.blogspot.com) where each week I will share tips on how to save money on groceries and more. Blessings & Happy Couponing Everyone!!!
by Tracy | Bad Day Blues, Inspirational, Tuesdays With Tracy
Blessings are on the head of the righteous, but violence covers the mouth of the wicked. Proverbs 10:6
Did you know that blessings are on your head today? As a follower of Christ, no matter where you go this day, the blessing of God is upon you and there is nothing you can do about it! You see, when Jesus gave His life for you on the Cross, you were made righteous through His Blood.
What I want Proverbs 10:6 to awaken within your spirit is the fact that: You are highly favored of God and His blessings are on your head! Isn’t this good news?
When we meditate on God’s Word something powerful happens – we become aware of God’s promises more than life’s challenges! As a counselor, I am aware that what we focus on becomes our reality – it’s what Psychologists call, “our phenomenological world.” Bottom line – if you meditate only on the bad things that happen to you then you will continually see bad things happen in your life, but if you meditate on God’s Word and the fact that God’s blessings are on your head then you will see God’s blessings not only come upon you but overtake you as you obey the voice of God (Deuteronomy 28:2).
Isaiah 61:9 tells us that even our descendants will be blessed and that when the world sees us, they cannot help but acknowledge us as the one whom the Lord has blessed! Psalm 37:12-15 explains that our enemies may plot wicked schemes against us and gnash their teeth at us, but the Lord laughs at him, for He sees that his day is coming. The wicked may draw their sword and bend their bow to cast us down, but their sword shall enter their own heart and their bows shall be broken. Why you ask? Because God’s blessings are upon our head!
Friend, no matter what you are going through, you can run to God’s Word in your time of need. If you are in the fight of your life, then you may need to put index cards with scripture all over your home, but you can rest in the fact that God loves you, He is moving on your behalf and His blessings are upon your head today and forevermore.
Prayer:
“Lord, I run to You and Your precious Word today. It may not look like it right now, but I am highly favored and Your blessings are upon my head this day. I will not give up. I will not back down. I will stand and fight every obstacle before me with Your Word. No weapon formed against me and my family will prosper and every idle word spoken against me–You will condemn (Isaiah 54:17). I rest in the fact that You love me Jesus. Thank you for giving Your precious blood for me which deems me worthy to receive every blessing from heaven. Amen.”
by Tracy | Bad Day Blues, Inspirational, Tuesdays With Tracy
“For You, O Lord, will bless the righteous; with favor You will surround him with a shield.” Psalm 5:12
Did you know that you are blessed with God’s favor today? You can rest in the fact that God is the Blesser and the One who gives you the capacity for living a full, rich life. You and I are simply the recipients of His favor and there is nothing that can separate us from His love (Romans 8:38-39). It is through the love of Jesus and the power of the Cross, that we are deemed righteous, blessed, and highly favored of God.
No matter what you are going through at this time, God will surround you with favor like a shield. When you walk into a room, God’s blessing is with you. When you walk through a dark valley, God’s favor will go before you and enlighten the way to victory. When your enemies are out to eat you for lunch, God will surround you with His favor like a shield and none of their plans will prosper.
It has been my experience that God’s favor is not only seen upon us by man but that God can even shield our areas of weaknesses in order for His favor to be manifested toward us on earth as it is in Heaven. God is the potter, we are the clay (Isaiah 64:8) and man’s heart is in the hand of the Lord, like the rivers of water; He turns it wherever He wishes (Proverbs 21:1).
Is there a place in your life where you need the favor of God? I want to encourage you today to declare Psalm 5:12 over your situation. As you declare God’s Word, you can wait expectantly for God to move on your behalf. You, my friend are the righteousness of God and He will surround you with favor like a shield this day. I declare that no weapon formed against you shall prosper (Isaiah 54:17).
Prayer:
“Lord, thank you for surrounding me with favor like a shield. I can never repay You for what You did on the Cross, but in return, I willingly give you my life, my dreams, my desires and I ask that You alone be glorified through me. I declare Your Word over my life and I wait expectantly for You to move on my behalf. Amen.”
PS: Ladies – Thank you for your recent prayer requests. I am agreeing with you in prayer that God is willing and able and I look forward to hearing your praise reports! If you are in need of prayer today, please click here, it would be my honor to cover you and your need in prayer. Blessings!
by Tracy | Inspirational, Tuesdays With Tracy
A picture from my recent trip to Costa Rica
“And behold, a leper came and worshiped Him, saying, ‘Lord if You are willing, You can make me clean.’ Then Jesus put out His hand and touched him saying, ‘I am willing; be cleansed.’ Immediately his leprosy was cleansed.” Matthew 8:2-3
Most of us know that God is able, but did you know that He is also willing? I love the story above because it demonstrates the true heart of God – He was not only able to heal this man of leprosy- He was willing. God longs to touch you, heal you, restore you and move every mountain in your life today. He is an amazing God who loves you and longs to bless you every single day out of His abundant grace.
As I ponder this truth, I am overwhelmed with love and gratitude for God my Father, Jesus my Savior and the Holy Spirit my teacher. The Trinity is able and willing to move on your behalf this day. Whatever you are in need of friend, God is not only able…He is willing. There is not enough space to tell you of the miracles God has done within my life. God has rescued me, healed me, restored me and given me favor beyond my wildest imagination – I boast in the Lord today – He alone is worthy of all glory and honor. Friend, God is not only able…He is willing to do miracles in your life this day.
When the going gets tough – don’t give up, but press into God’s Word. No matter what you are going through, there is a scripture for you to stand on. If you are believing God for a miracle, please send me your prayer request through my “Prayer Button.” I want to stand in agreement with you. You can simply click on the Prayer Button located on the top of my website or click here.
Be encouraged today. God is a God of miracles and NOTHING (No-thing) is impossible with Him! God is able and willing to remove every obstacle before you as you rest in Him and His precious Word.
Prayer:
“Lord, thank you for being able and willing to move on my behalf. I declare that every obstacle, which stands before me, must bow at the Name of Jesus! Holy Spirit, show me scriptures to stand on and profess as I walk through difficult situations. Help me to hold onto God’s Word with expectancy. I give You my life and ask that You show me Your truth in every situation, for the Truth sets me free. Amen.”
by Tracy | Practical, Tuesdays With Tracy
“All the days of the afflicted are evil, but he who is of a merry heart has a continual feast.” Proverbs 15:15
As our days of summer slowly come to an end, it is important that we take the next few weeks to simply have fun! I believe it is time for us to laugh & enjoy our loved ones as never before! Proverbs 17:22 states that laughter is like medicine for our soul, but did you know that it also reduces pain and allows us to tolerate discomfort? Laughter reduces blood sugar levels, increasing glucose tolerance in diabetics and non-diabetics alike. Laughter can improve our job performance (as a business woman or stay-at-home mom), especially if our work involves creativity or solving complex problems. Laughter also plays a vital role in all our relationships, especially in marriage.
Bottom Line: Laughter is underestimated!
Let’s change the atmosphere in our home through laughter and fun! I have come up with a few tips, from myRadio Series titled, “Setting the tone in your home” which aired on “The Dottie Coffman Show”. Let us continually feast on laughter and fun with a merry heart!
Tip #1: Set aside time for fun.
Vacations are great, but don’t wait to enjoy your family and friends until then! A colleague of mine did this and a few days before his family ski trip, he broke his leg! Ugh! It is important to make time for fun in your everyday, ordinary life. Host a game night at your home or invite your loved ones over for a dessert night – the key here is to enjoy your family and friends!
Tip #2: Do Something Out of the Ordinary.
Do something unpredictable! All of us tend to be creatures of habit, but I want to encourage you today to break out of the mundane and do something extraordinary! For example, take a day off and go somewhere you have always wanted to go! Take a trip to the zoo, buy a new pair of shoes and strut your stuff or rent a stack of DVD’s and declare a “national pajama day” in your honor! (P.S. – Don’t forget to laugh:)
Tip #3: Find one thing to laugh about each day.
Laughter releases stress and tension in our body and when we laugh, we feel refreshed! It is important to laugh at yourself and at life when possible, especially when difficulties come our way. Whether you find a joke online to giggle about or apply one of the tips from above – it is my prayer that you will allow laughter and fun to change the atmosphere in your home and life!
Prayer:
“Lord, thank you for the gift of laughter. Psalm 16 tells us that in Your Presence is the fullness of Joy and at your right hand are pleasures forevermore. Please fill me with Your Presence and help me to set aside time for fun and do something extraordinary today that will make me and others laugh! Amen.”
