To be Strong and Courageous

Strong and Courageous Bracelet

Hello Friends!

These words, Strong & Courageous, remind me today that to be truly strong is to fully rely on Jesus Christ.  To stand up physically and spiritually with a supernatural strength when you get the worst news possible. Courageous only with Jesus standing with you leading you because the road ahead looks pretty scary alone.  It is something we don't like to think about, the bad news. You see we could stand all day when things in life are going great. I wish I could say that it will be that way forever but we all know that life doesn't work that way.  Personally I haven't been through some of the devastating losses that a few of my friends have went through such as losing a baby or a child. I haven't been through cancer personally.  I can tell you what I have seen though, I have seen death happen and been the family or friend to support to support them and been there to help loved ones when they fall to their knees in despair when it does and ask the question, Why God? 

Whether it is something tragic, cancer or if we are blessed to live to ripe old age and our bodies wear out, we will come to that day to say goodbye.  Our hearts will ache for them but standing up wont be easy. God gives us friends and support but the only true comfort you can possibly find is resting in Jesus Christ for a peace that surpasses all understanding.  Because understanding is not easy.  It is something we may never find here on earth. Why did God take our child or husband so soon and suddenly.  But trusting a Savior in all things is how we can be strong and courageous because He is strong and courageous.  God knows and sees you.   
Look to the creator for all things and according to God's Word  all things will be made new and we will dwell in heaven with God one day.  So my comfort as a child of God is that one day we will be with Jesus in heaven.  This life is not the end for us.  Many times in the bible Jesus tells us "don't be afraid" He is with us. Take courageous my friends and draw on the power of Jesus Christ for everything until that day comes.  We will fly on eagles wings to our new home.  

"The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit." Psalm 34:18

Bless you
trAcy

Every Day with Jesus this Year

Encouraging Custom Bracelets

Hello friends!

This year I am reading through my entire Bible in this year.  I purchased the Everyday With Jesus Bible last year and I am trying to use some hashtags like #wordbeforeworld started by one of my fav companies, Well Watered Women as an encouragement and resolve read it everyday.
This will be the first time for me and I am excited for this year and what God will do through this.

Its already three months into 2018 and I can say that God's Word has been what I crave now. I am in a season of less right now.  Two of my children are grown and I have one teenager son at home but the demand for me is way less than before. As a Mom there is less dishes and clothes to wash, less kids demanding my time and overall less going on in my house. I have more time for reading, writing and creating which I do everyday.  I suppose the season of less is really even more of Jesus.
I crave the knowledge and more understanding of His Word. I want to keep learning what it means to "delight in Him" and being "rooted in Christ".  The very presence of God is with us as believers but I can tell you I have never acknowledged Him in gratitude like this year. These past few months have already taught me to slow down with each word I read and to take it in slowly.  I am grateful for time to do this like never before.  Take courageous if your season is different, because He teaches each of us different things in each season of life. I use to long for days to do this but it wasn't my season yet. God teaches us patience and following Him requires us to wait sometimes. His timing is always better. 

I have had some of you guys ask for help finding a daily bible reading plan. I will highlight a few here so if you are curious or want to join me please do!
I would love for you to join  along and use some hashtags too!

Here are some of the ones I use  #wordbeforeworld or #bibleinayear  and of course I have one for my shop I use #handmadeknitsbytracy (you can tag your bible time and bracelets! I love to repost your pics!)

*These are free resources below.  My suggestions only, feel free to use your own.

Bible Reading Plans for 2018 

1. She Reads Truth

2. She Works His Way

3. Bible Gateway Reading Plan


Go ahead and comment if you have joined in reading through the bible in a year too! Or if you want to because we All need encouragement to keep going when life gets busy and if you have gotten behind no worries! Pick it back up and keep going!

Bless you guys!
trAcy

Eat God's Word Everyday

Are you eating with Lord?

Hello Friends!


Are you hungry?   I mean hungry for something that lasts forever and can never be taken away. The love, joy, peace  and forgiveness that can only found in Jesus Christ. We all have sinful desires and each of us can easily seek the things of this world to fill us up, to give us temporary satisfaction but it will disappoint or even send us down a path of destruction.  This hunger can only be filled with Jesus.  We were created to want something more.  We were meant to be His image bearers. This is why we as Christ followers need the Word of God to drink and eat of His Word.  How can we reflect Him if we aren't looking in the mirror of the Bible. 

So our provider of everything is waiting to feed His children not only physically but spiritually.   
God has equipped us with His Word so that our "eyes would be opened to recognize Him" daily.  I am praying that we would not be "slow of heart to believe" but keep His Word close so our "eyes will be opened". 

I am reading through the bible in a year. I don't know if you are taking this challenge this year or not but just this one act of obedience has changed my life. You see I use to never be confident about what God's Word said because I didn't know what it said. I was not reading it to really dig in and learn. Sometimes I read the Bible out of obligation or because I needed something and on Sundays it would be like a crash course from sermon notes.  Then I realized if I wanted more confidence in Christ and have true growth in my walk with Christ I needed to learn what God's Word said for my self. So I started reading and writing scripture daily. The writing really helped my mind see the words and then reading them helped me memorize them. I have even written scripture on my hands to give myself truth to focus on during my day.  Try it for yourself and see God change your day and open the eyes of  your heart throughout your day to see His abundance and recognize His work all around us. 

I want to challenge you to read scripture everyday too.  I think we can all relate to being lead by emotions and our own strength. It is through God's Word that we can distinguish  between lies of this world and truth. This is were we will grow roots so we can stand firm in our walk with the Lord and truly be Spirit lead through our days. 

I am rooting for you this year to get started reading through God's Word for the first time or continue on in the faith my friend. 
I shared more here on this  Facebook Live Video  about being lead by the Spirit if your interested.  I hope to keep encouraging  you guys so go ahead and leave me a comment whether you are joining me or if there is something you would like to hear more discussion on.  Walking this Christian life isnt easy and we must rely on Christ to do it. 


"But you beloved, building yourselves up in your most holy faith and praying in the Holy Spirit." Jude 20



Grace to you! 

trAcy 




  

We need God

Knitting and reading this morning!
Custom Hand Knit Bracelets

Hello friends!

I am reading through Jen Wilkin's book None like Him and I have stopped at self-sufficient because as I read this chapter I was nodding my head in agreement. I have turned to self sufficiency in myself instead of God alone. God is self sufficient, we are not. He doesn't need us. We need Him. You have heard this saying, "they are so needy". Right? I have said it and felt that way.  There are sinful desires that we think we need and can lead to bad things for sure but we were created to need God.  There is a part of us that has needs only He can meet. So really were created needy, to need Him.

Here are some ways we deny God and boy it might sting because I am guilty of these too.
Prayerlessness, forgetfulness, lack of conviction of sin, avoiding christian friends, and anger in trials these all hit me because how many times have I avoided prayer? Things in life are going great but no time to acknowledge the One who gives me everything. Forgetting where my provisions come from, that it is not based solely on my job or our circumstances. God put me where I am.
Have I avoided friends before, sure have when sin has taken root.  For sure we don't want conviction to sting us in the heart so we avoid church or anything that has to do with God. Concealing our lives as if everything is great when its not.
Oh and anger can take us down a rabbit hole of emotions away from God. There is no humble of heart toward God because we got this.
Wrong! We dont have everthting together as a beliver, we have nothing
but the sufficiency of Christ if we allow Him to have control.

All of these things, we are talking about here are indicators that we as believers are not relying of God but our own self suffiency.
I have been exhausted in ministry with my husband and felt the anxiety and worry that is when I took on the self sufficiency role in my life and didn't hand it over to God. In my lack, is where He is glorified. Only God is self sufficient. Only God has no needs.
We do have needs. We have a lack that God can fill with abundance. As believers, we should always seek Him to meet our every need.

How am I relying on God alone today? Lord I am in need of you for sure every hour and day. Amen

"And my God, will supply every need of yours according to His riches in glory in Jesus Christ." Phillipians 4:19

Thanks for hanging around here, and taking the time to read my ramblings. I am thankful for the truths God is teaching me and I hope by me sharing with you and not keeping them in I can help share His sufficiency and love for each of us.

Christ alone,

trAcy