What I learned after accepting Christ

Give Me Jesus Bracelet

When I look back at my life, I can see that receiving Gods salvation was the easy decision when I was 13 years old. I can see now what I was missing in my life after I accepted Christ as my Savior was a understanding of surrendering to His Spirit inside me. I never understood this life was meant to be walked out in His Spirit not me walking without thought of Him helping me.  ⁣

I was taught growing up to be in control of my life. You can do whatever you want but work hard for it. So it was so hard for me to rely totally on Jesus.  I believed He had my eternity covered BUT the here and now I wasn’t completely surrendered. I didn’t believe it because my knowledge wasn’t in the Word of God.  It was in what the enemy knew I would cling to for a very long time, control. I would continue to believe in what I could control around me or if I worked harder everything would work out.  ⁣

⁣

It was such a turning point for me when I totally surrendered to God.  I broke down and felt the weakest I have ever felt.  This is a terrible feeling for someone who likes control.  In my prayers I heard God whispering come to me, “I have always been here.” “Give it all to me.”  ⁣

⁣

When I surrendered to Him and finally received His gifts to me. I listened to the Spirit, I couldn’t get enough of God, His Word and His transforming power. I saw the strongholds fall in my life and finally understood His grace.⁣

It’s been a daily surrender and I hope you will join me!  

-tracy 

What I Get to Do!

Hand Knit & Hand Stamped Bracelets 

I love creating custom knit bracelets for you guys.
I love beginning something new and selecting the colors. Just like every new beginning there is an excitement and possibilities of what you can do with it.  Our master creator, God, created us like that and gives us a “new beginning” doesn’t He? He knit us together to bear His image, to be His representatives. (Gen. 1:27)
 God made us perfectly imperfect for His glory.

Nothing I create is for my fame but is to make Jesus famous!
I want to share the gift I have been given with y’all everyday I “get” to be creative🤗 🙌🏻

What has God given you that you “get to” do?


Blessings friends
Tracy

Is my behavior reflecting my beliefs?

Knit the Gospel into your Heart
 wearing a Custom Knit and Stamped Bracelet

Hello there friends! 

If my behavior doesn’t reflect my beliefs, How much value do I hold in them? I read this in The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People  by Stephen Covey, "We are shaped by what we love."

My status was that I love Jesus and He saved me but my behavior did not always reflect my belief in God. In a God who saved me, who has forgiven me of my sins and lavishly loves me.

My actions were a reflection of what I was still believing about myself not of what God says about me. 

I had walked for years in shame and guilt of my past that in my own strength I tried to forgive myself of.  I had repented to God but why didn't I immediately act like it?

Shame is a painful feeling of humiliation. I felt others would reject me if they got close and knew me.  

I was locked in chains because I wasn’t living out what I claimed to believe about God. I had repented years ago and God had forgiven me from my past sins. I was also living with a lot of fear in several areas of my life. I had some legalistic thinking going on that kept me following man made rules and never finding God's grace and truly nurturing an intimate relationship with God. So I could lead my heart from listening to feelings toward Gods Truth. I had not thought at this time reading my Bible was that important but that’s further from the truth.
How else are we to know that the "feelings" and our hearts we listen to can lead us astray.

Genesis 6:5 says," The Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually."

My relationship with Jesus went from a “Jesus is my God and saved me"  to  “Jesus is my everything."

My thoughts changed because I was replacing those lies with biblical Truths. I stopped listening to the world. The enemy wants us as believers to be inactive and to listen to him  more than God's Word.  I had not taken the discipline of reading my Bible and hiding God’s Word in my heart seriously but when I did my actions started changing once I started taking God at His Word. Believing Him. Trusting Him. Praying to Him. Loving Him more than anything else. I learned the hard way like most of us I am sure but I am grateful God never gives up on us.  

Soon my actions started to follow my beliefs. I began the discipline of scripture reading and studying God’s Word for myself. Then I realized, if I believed God then His scripture commands me to be a doer of the Word not just a hearer.
"But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves." James 1:22

God wants me to claim His promises and proclaim the Gospel to others and bear fruits of our faith. So others will see that Jesus heals the broken sinner, takes our shame, and gives us right thinking.  God never leaves with shame or guilt and no rules will ever make us good enough. God’s grace and power in our lives is real when we pray fervently.

Friend, I pray you find that change of heart by changing your relationship status with Jesus and listening to His Word more than anything else.  Our hearts are continually thirsty and Jesus is the living water to fill it.

2 Corinthians 12:9  “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me."


I pray this encourages you today my friend!  You can always leave me a comment because I love hearing your stories walking with the Lord.

knit the Gospel into your heart❤
trAcy

Does my life show my faith?

Hello friends!


April was a blast with you guys. We started the study of the letter of James together in our online bible study group.  We are still going through it and we are currently on chapter 4.  When I first began this study with you I told everyone God knows why we are are studying together and has plans for each of us and I am seeing everyday the work He is doing in my life daily. I think some of you can too, right?
I mean "walking by faith" has a whole new meaning for me today than it did yesterday.  As I am growing in maturity with God, I can see the changes God is making in me with my mouth and actions. Am I hiding Christ in my life anymore?  Am I 'snapping" when the kids are not acting the way I think they should? or spill the dressing all over the floor I just mopped?  You see these are just a few of the things I use to do in my life.  I am not saying I am perfect at it but the difference is that as a believer we keep trying to do better the next time.  Even with my husband I am more conscious of the way I speak to him.  Sometimes the ones we love are the very ones we hurt the most. I know God loves me in my worst self so I must love them at their worst and show forgiveness.

The wisdom and teachings in the letter of James has opened my eyes to how much I use to seek outside wisdom before ever seeking God first. I am sad that this was true of me and it took several devastating life trials for me to turn back to Him.  I would just pull God out of a box whenever its was my last resort for help.  Prayer is the key that unlocks the power of the Spirit to help us and if we ask with a right heart God answers and gives generously wisdom and help to those that ask.  (James 1:5, James 4:7-8)
What is spurring you on this month? Are you studying with me too?



On to SHOP NEWS:

I have a few new bracelets and several colors in the shop that I want to share. The last few weeks I have been busy knitting up new colors and stamping. I love these Spring colors that hit the shop recently.
Who needs Mother's Day gift ideas?  These are beautiful reminders for Christian Women.

Pray Bracelet

Word Before World Bracelet

Grace Wins Bracelet

These are a few of the newest in the SHOP so check out them before they are gone! The cuffs are all knit with hand dyed yarns so when they are gone they are gone forever. That is just another special quality about these cuffs I love.  

FYI if you have one of my bracelets and want to share your pictures with me please email them and I will share your testimony wearing your bracelet. I believe we can share seeds of faith wearing these cuffs when someone asks you about your words on them. Go ahead share what they mean to you! 

You guys rock supporting what I am doing here at hAndmade knits by trAcy and from the bottom of my heart thank you! 

your sister in Christ,

tracy

  

Are you Praying BIG!

Hello Friends!

Gods word always changes my worry into worship. Hebrews 4:16 says come confidently to God and He will give us mercy and find grace in our time of need.

Are you praying in confidence to our Heavenly Father? He wants all of our heart, mind, and body and our Big Prayers to Him that if He isn't in that thing your praying for or about it will not work, be healed, or happen in our lives.  We have to give it all to Him in confident prayers.

PRAY BIG BRACELET
Click to visit Shop! 

My WHY 

I started creating bracelets that encourage women began about a year and a half ago when I needed to be encouraged during a season of life that felt like I was suffocating and drowning in the pit of parenting struggles with teenager. Have you felt that way before? Or maybe you are there now? I can tell you you are not alone friends. Prayer and God's Truth is where you can find an ever present help, always 💞 

His Word fed my soul and words just seemed to leap off the page and I wanted them to wear daily. So I began this dream to create bracelets using my God given talent, knitting and the need for scripture to be in front of me and you guys have blessed supporting me and more importantly God has used you guys to encourage me when I doubted in myself. 

So today I pray for the mother, sister, wife, friend and woman who needs to feed her faith and not the lies, pray big to our Heavenly Father. 

Grace to you friends!
trAcy