His Voice
"....Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts." Hebrews 4:7 Sometimes
we don't like what God is saying to us. We want to direct our life down a certain path and God says no. Isn't
it typical of us to miss it and say God really didn't say no! We try to do it on our own and we fail.
We keep running into walls, until we realize that God has great opportunities waiting for us! We need to learn
to ask the Lord for patience to wait for His timing. We try to rush things to get them when we want them, then
we miss an even better blessing that the Lord had for us. Pray to the Lord to give you patience to "wait"
today. God's love is unconditional and pure. Desire to grow closer to Him and desire His will for your
life. I pray the Lord has touched your heart and will to continue to be the center of your life. There is a song
that has a long in it that goes, "hold on, just because God said no, there is going to be a better yes."
I love the better yes! I hope you have a great Thursday!! Please continue to pray for Vicky, Terry, Brian, Sara,
Massimo, Mary and Bill. Love, Tracy
Do Not Worry
"Therefore
do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." Matthew 6:34
God doesn't want us
to worry, to spend our lives in fear. Worry steals the joy that God wants us to have! We can't change anything by worrying!
The next time that you start to worry, remember that we are not in control, God is and that is good news. He is the
one who redeems us. He restores us. And gives us strength. One of my friends saw me on the computer this
morning and she said you are late praying for us today. My answer back was I know I am tired. I started thinking
about that. What if Jesus was late praying for us? What if He was tired of our games and was late going to our
heavenly Father on our behalf? And it was too late! Aren't you glad Jesus is never late and He is always on
time!
Jesus,
Jesus, Jesus ......... is the sweetest name you'll ever know! Faith, Hope, Love, Forgiveness, Peace, Understanding,
Mercy, Grace, Salvation ... I could go on and on as to what it means to me. What does HE mean in your life? Do
you turn your eyes upon Jesus? Look full in His wonderful face, And the things of earth will grow strangely
dim, in the light of His glory and grace! I pray He touches your life and changes your heart today. Have
a great Tuesday, Please continue to pray for Vicky, Terry, Bill and Sara all battling some type of cancer and for
Brian (the Lord knows his situation), pray that God will just bring about a drastic change in his life ... today.
To God Be the Glory!
Love, Tracy
Conversations
"Ye are the
salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing,
but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot
be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that
are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is
in heaven." (Matthew 5:13-16 KJV) After a long day at home or at work when you sit down for the night, do you ever think about your
day and all the conversations you had and all the people that crossed your path that day? I usually do that each day. I am
a thinker, well in some ways. Sometimes I just open my mouth without thinking (then afterwards I say to myself, why did I
say that!). Do you ever think, God why did you create me? Why am I a mother or father? Or why am I a teacher or secretary?
Why am I poor? Why am I wealthy? Lord, what is my path in life? Why did you die for me? Why did you save me? Why am I blessed,
yet others struggle? Did you ever think ... God why don't I appreciate what I have more? Why don't I tell others about
what you've done in my life? Do you ever think MY GOD IS AN AWESOME GOD? Do you ever thank God for the opportunities He
has placed you in? This
verse follows the Beatitudes. Jesus telling His people of all their blessings. Have you ever just stopped to count your blessings?
You may struggle financially, yet somehow everything always gets paid. You may feel empty, yet somehow you have strength to
get out of bed each day. Count your blessing - name them one by one ... count your many blessings and see what God has done.
Most days when I start to feel sorry for myself the Lord brings some thought to my mind or some person to me to remind me
to count my blessings! Our God is an Awesome God. He is our protector and He is our ROCK. No matter what we face today - Jesus
holds the future. No matter how hard our circumstances are - Jesus is the Rock. No matter what road we face today - we are
not alone. Lat night my daughter through this dramatic temper tantrum because she had something to say and I was not listening
to her. I said Jenna, please it will be alright, it is not the end of the world. I was thinking about that as I was writing this. It
is true, it will be alright, we will have struggles, life is all about a journey and when our lives are over here it is not
the end for Christians - it is the beginning of what we have been living for! Encourage others in the name of Jesus today.
No matter what valley you face today you can say - Jesus is my ROCK. Have a great Friday and a great weekend. Remind yourself
today of all you do have to be thankful for! Love, Tracy
Prayer of Thanksgiving
"And let the
peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful. Let the word of Christ
dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with
grace in your hearts to the Lord. And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving
thanks to God and the Father by him." Colossians 3:15-17 KJV
As we begin each day, do we say a prayer of thanksgiving to the Lord for allowing us to put two feet
on the floor? When I woke up the morning I had a lot of thoughts going through my mind about the day ahead
of me. As I was getting ready and I was praying about my quiet time alone with the Lord I could hear myself complaining
about how tired I was and about my headache and before I knew it all my prayers and petitions to the Lord were complaints!
I had to stop and thank Jesus for another day! Another day that I had to place two feet on the floor and to open my
mouth and share the Good News of Jesus. It is so easy to get stuck in a mode of murmuring and complaining. Decide
today that is it a new day to praise the Lord and begin to thank Him for your many blessings! As you count
your blessings and you name them one by one you will begin to see just how much God is doing and has done in your life!
Be blessed. Have a great
Thursday, please continue to pray for Terry, Vicky, Massimo, Sara, Mary, Bill (my cousins friend with cancer) and Brian.
Love, Tracy
God is in control!
"He shall
not be afraid of evil tidings: his heart is fixed, trusting in the LORD. His heart is established, he shall not be afraid,
until he see his desire upon his enemies. He hath dispersed, he hath given to the poor; his righteousness endureth for
ever; his horn shall be exalted with honour. The wicked shall see it, and be grieved; he shall gnash with his teeth,
and melt away: the desire of the wicked shall perish." Psalm 112-7-10 KJV
I was thinking about my day today and what it may bring. This verse
just helped me today, remembering that God is in control. I may have the worst day today, I may get the worst news I've
ever gotten or I may get the best ... through it all, God is in control. Nothing is impossible if the Lord is in it! I just keeping looking at all that is around
me and I am reminded that there is nothing that comes as a surprise to the Lord and there is nothing that we face that
is too much for us if we put on the armour of God. We may feel overwhelmed in the moment, but if you look back you will
see how you made it through. Why aren't we praising Him today? Facing The Giants is one of my favorite movies.
I love the message of the movie. We all have GIANTS in our life ... but each one we face turning to the Lord for our
strength we will make it through! No
matter what we are facing this day, yours may be a marriage issue, a financial issue, a personal issue - etc, God knows
what we are facing. It is that giant and nothing is impossible if God is in it and the Lord knows what you are facing
and what you are about to face. Turn to Him. Seek Him. Psalm 115 verse 1 caught my eye, it says "Not
to us, O Lord, not to us, but to Your name be the glory because of Your love and Your faithfulness." It is nothing we do or say, we can only humble
our selves before a great and awesome God. I will believe and I will trust and I will love Him with all my heart until
the day I take my last breath. I may not always be obedient to His Will for my life, I pray I seek Him always, but there
will probably be times I will try to do it on my own - but when that happens I pray that I will open His Word and search His
Will for my life and for Jesus to change my heart to discover the journey that He has planned for me. I may not always
understand, but I pray that He will always reveal Himself to me. I hope that you are seeking His plan for your life
today. I am praying for each of you as you receive His Word each day. I am so thankful to those of you who pass
it on to someone else. Everyone needs a word of encouragement. You never know how God's Word will touch someone's
heart and heal them and restore their faith in Him. People are hurting today - share the Love of Christ with someone.
I love what it says in Psalm 116:4-6 "Then called I upon the name of the LORD; O LORD, I beseech thee, deliver my soul. Gracious
is the LORD, and righteous; yea, our God is merciful. The LORD preserveth the simple: I was brought low, and he helped
me" Please continue
to pray for Vicky, Brian, Sara, Mary, Bill, Massimo and Terry. Have a great Tuesday - I can hardly believe today is
November 11th, where is the time going? Pray for our Veterans today and thank them for all they have given to our country.
Love, Tracy
Busy Weekend
"O LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! You have set your glory
above the heavens." Psalm 8:1 NIV
As I was thinking about the busy weekend I had and remember a few different conversations I had. I was thinking
about just how beautiful the leaves are right now. I don't know about other parts of the country, but in South Carolina
the reds and oranges are just amazing this year. It has not been this way in awhile, some years just going from green
to yellow to the ground. But this year they are just so ... majestic is the word that comes to mind. On the way
to church yesterday as I was driving I said to my husband and kids, aren't trees just amazing? They can go from
being a vibrant green all spring and summer and then when fall comes they change to these beautiful colors (red, orange, yellow)
and then they fall to the ground. Then when spring comes the cycle starts all over again. It is just amazing to
me. How can anyone not believe in the miracles of God? Just in a simple illustration of a tree. We are like
a tree, from season to season in our lives, shining vibrantly in the good times, yet in the valley's we shed our leaves
until there is nothing left. Then our hearts spring up again and we become vibrant again. God is so faithful to
us. When your leaves are
on the ground, take a look around and see how majestic the Lord is. He never said we would not see a valley - as a matter
of fact He said, in this life we will have many troubles. But with God all things are possible - He will bring
you through it - He has done it before and He will do it again. I am praying that you can see His majesty today.
Have a great Monday! Please continue to pray for Mary, Brian, Sara, Terry, Massimo, Bill and Vicky. Love, Tracy
Oh Lord, You're Beautiful
Oh Lord, you're beautiful,
Your face
is all I seek,
For when your eyes are on this child,
Your grace abounds to me.
Oh Lord, you're beautiful,
Your face is all I seek,
For when your eyes are on this child,
Your grace abounds to me.
I want to
take your word and shine it all around.
But first help me to just, live it Lord.
And when I'm doing well, help
me to never seek a crown.
For my reward is giving glory to you.
Oh Lord, please light the fire,
That
once burned bright and clear.
Replace the lamp of my first love,
That burns with Holy fear.
I want to
take your word and shine it all around.
But first help me to just, live it Lord.
And when I'm doing well, help
me to never seek a crown.
For my reward is giving glory to you.
Oh Lord, you're beautiful,
Your face
is all I seek,
For when your eyes are on this child,
Your grace abounds to me.
Oh Lord, you're beautiful,
Your face is all I seek,
For when your eyes are on this child,
Your grace abounds to me.
Cry out to Jesus
"Lord,
I cry unto thee: make haste unto me; give ear unto my voice, when I cry unto thee. Let my prayer be set forth before thee
as incense; and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice. Set a watch, O LORD, before my mouth; keep the door of
my lips." Psalms 141:1-3 KJV
When
you cry out to Jesus, this should be our prayer ... it is probably our heart. Help me Lord! Every one of us has different
circumstances, even those that are traveling the same valley have a different journey. Are we calling out to Jesus in frustration
or have we come to a place where we finally realize that He is our Rock and He is our Redeemer?
When I read through the Psalms, I pray that my heart will
be like David's. I know I can releate to the pains of his. With each Psalm I can say ... "Yes, Lord ... touch me
today." Sometimes I am not the one in the valley, sometimes I am standing in the Gap for a sister or brother in Christ
and I still receive that touch from the Lord. He knows our circumstances before they are known to us! He is our Rock. No matter
what I face today and no matter how scared we can get sometimes, we have the greatest gift ... God's mercy and His grace.
It doesn't matter what else is going on ~ with Christ I will always get out of the valley. I may face another one, but
Jesus will be right there. It is in the valley where we are drawn closer to the Lord, we are not alone. We can fight the fight,
because Jesus is the ROCK of our Salvation and that is really what matters.
Trust in Him today. Even if He has kept you in the valley, release yourself to Him. Place
your faith into His hands. He loves you. I hope you have a great Friday and a great weekend. Please continue to pray for Massimo,
Mary, Brian, Sara, Vicky, Terry and Bill.
Love, Tracy
Know the Truth
"Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples
indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. They answered him, We be Abraham's seed, and were
never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free?" John 8:31-33 KJV
Know the truth and the truth shall set you free. A very well known
verse of scripture. What does it mean to you? When we know the truth about ourselves, we can be set free from the bondage
of sin because of the blood that Jesus shed for us on Calvary. I was thinking about Church and what it means to me. As a young
girl and young adult going to church was just a thing you did on Sunday. A "feel good" message prepared and I never
even owned a bible, that scripture also provided for me. I didn't have to do anything, show up, listen and leave. There I did my duty. Now that I am older and
I have a closer - bolder Christian walk I see going to Church is a privilege. I have a bible, my husband has a bible and my
children bring their bibles, we read along with the Pastor. I purchased a new study bible yesterday and the version is New
King James, my Pastor reads from King James. I was lost every time he read because the words were not word for word of what
he was reading (I have to go back to my old bible). How do we get it if we are not reading and studying the same thing? Not
that New King James was not the truth of God's word - it is, perhaps the words may just be a little simpler. I remember thinking about Church in my earlier
years, I never got anything out of it. I wondered why. We learned certain prayers that were said each week - repetition. I
could probably still "recite" them today. But they were just words. What was the fruit of my love for the Lord?
There was none because I had made no investment in knowing who the Lord was and why I went to Church. I loved God - I knew
that Jesus was a man in Heaven that died for our sins, OK. But what did that mean. I knew there were mysteries to our Faith
and that bad things did happen to good people. I thought that since I was good and I believed in the Father, the Son and The
Holy Spirit that one day when I was old and I died I'd be in Heaven. That is what I believed. But as I got older and Salvation
came and I actually started reading and mediating on what the Bible said and not words someone told me, I began to understand
knowing the truth and the truth setting me free. Asking Jesus to be Lord of my life and trusting in Him with every step I
take. You see, even the demons of
hell believe in Jesus. A problem we have in churches today is that a lot of services are done to make people feel good. A
lot of preachers are not telling people that there is only one way to Heaven. Through Jesus. I can't pray for someone
to go to Heaven. I can pray for someone's Salvation on earth and I can pray that the Lord convicts their heart to accept
Him as their Savior, but I can't pray for them once they have died. I think some people count on a deathbed confession
- well what if you are not given that chance? What if your death is immediate - are you prepared for the day you face the
Lord? Living the Christian life is not easy and yes, you do have to stop doing some things that you may have done before -
but Jesus will place that desire in your heart to change. Seek Him today. He is the only way to eternity. I am praying that
you know Him today! He loves you and His desire is for you to know
the truth, so the truth can set you free! Stand firm on God's word! Have a blessed Wednesday.
Please continue to pray for Brian, Mary, Sara, Vicky, Terry, Massimo and Bill (my cousins friend who is battling cancer).
Love, Tracy
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