God’s Word Changes Us

The Word of God didn’t always come alive to me.  I didn’t grow up reading the Bible. I wasn’t even taught to read it all.  It wasn’t until as an adult that I became interested in reading it as I matured in Christ.  Little by little God watered the seeds that He had planted as a teen when I became a new believer. 

The desire still wasn’t that strong even though I claimed to love God.  My obedience to God wasn’t as strong as my obedience to the world for a long time.  Yet the Lord through His mercy and grace gave me a desire little by little because when I “thought” I had control I really didn’t.  It’s a struggle I had in parenting, thinking you can always decide for your children. Boy was I wrong.  Through that time of parenting and fighting the enemy for my family.  I became dependent on the Only One who could control my situation;my family struggles. 

I heard this quote today by Billy Graham, “when we get to the end of ourselves that’s when we come to God.” 

You may know what that feels like.  I did during that time. I still get chocked up remembering but it’s good to remember what God has done in our lives and what He has brought you through.  For me, it was through the storms He places a passion for more of His Word which is more of Him!  Jesus Christ is waiting in those pages my friend. He provides help, hope, deliverance, saving and so much mercy and grace than we can imagine.  God uses us and strengthens our weak hearts and changes our hard hearts.

Long story but it’s my story of why I love God’s Word and why there is a growing desire for more of it inside me everyday.  Have you found that desire too? .

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*Illuminated Scripture Journals shown are my favorite gift from husband💗

Knit the Gospel into your hear t FB group will be studying 1/2 Thessalonians soon! (I don’t have all the details yet but feel free to join us anytime! 

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BELOVED BRACELET  shown is from my Shop

Much Love 

trAcy

Shop has ReOpened for 2019

Hello friends!

I am excited to announce the  SHOP  has reopened and taking orders!  I will have a limited amount of Custom Orders for each month.

If you were on my email list you saw the Surrendered Life Collecfion CLICK HERE The original set of  bracelets all sold out. But I have restocked the words onto New colors! These words all represent what a surrender life means to me as a believer in Jesus Christ.
Let me know which one you live most! I didn’t even share all of them. But you can see them in the

• SHOP

SHOP

How I read my Bible in a Year

Handmade Knits by Tracy

Hello there friends!

Last year I decided to read my Bible in a whole year. Yes one year. You see I had decided to do this many times in the past. I just had not gotten very far when I got behind a day or so. Then months went by and my daily reading the Bible was a thing of the past.  I would just resolve to try again next year.  I easily gave up but I realize now that I was giving up on God. I was giving up on something like spending time in the Word for the World even if I was "behind" according to these expectations I had set up for myself.

God doesn't care about a reading plan! This is a lesson I learned this year while doing this discipline which by the way is what it is. The spiritual discipline of reading our Bible daily.  We have to learn to do things in our Christian faith that doesn't come naturally like reading the Bible.  How else will we know what it says.  For some of us reading is not our favorite thing to do.  I actually enjoy reading when I actually stop doing other things and sit down and read.

So for me to dedicate time to read this year this is what it looked like :

1.  Set a time to read/spend time with God, set an alarm if you need to.  I would write this down in my planner so I would schedule the time and not forget.

2.  Gather your supplies for your reading time such as Bible, journal, planner, notebook and pens and place them where you can easily have them together.

3.  Prayer time before and after reading my Bible. This is so important and should come naturally while reading your Bible. Ask the Holy Spirit to illuminate the time spent in the Word because to be honest we wont understand everything or always know what is going on sometimes while reading. This is the beauty of the Bible. We can live a lifetime and never know everything in the Bible.


The last lesson is that you dont have to read the entire Bible in a year.  I do think we should at some point do it but do it at your own pace.  I also study slowly other books of the Bible if you follow along, you know that we have studied this past year 3 books of the Bible in   KNIT THE GOSPEL INTO YOUR HEART GROUP
Reading through the Bible this year has grown my intimacy with God so much this year.  The more you are with Gods Word the more of a desire He places in you to share Him with others.  I had not had that desire before and this year God has shown me He equips us for the work of ministry even when we doubt and have insecurities.

I will be doing this another year. In 2019 I will be reading through the Bible from Genesis to Revelation in the THE DAILY WALK  You can find all kinds of reading plans but I like using a Bible with dates and a guide for me to read as I go.  Last year I read through the Everyday with Jesus Bible
It was a really great one to read through because it read some from the OT, NT, Psalms and Proverbs everyday.

Here is my challenge to YOU!

Just start!

Just begin with me and so many others January 1st reading your Bible. It will change your life.   I wont tell you it will be easy to start something new if you have never done it before but I will tell you that God will show up in your life if you show for Him.

Let me know if you will be joining me again this year and we can encourage each other! I really enjoyed all the encouragement I received this year and I believe you will too once you join the community.  Share pics on social with the tag #bibleinayear so we can cheer each other on in 2019!

Blessings
tracy

Encouragement from Ruth

Hello friends!

These past few weeks as I have been studying the book of Ruth with you guys, I have learned so many nuggets of truth through God's Word.  Isn't it great that as we draw near to God He draws near to us! James 4:8 tells us this.  I am humbled everyday that you can come empty to the throne of God but you wont leave that way. He refuels our life.  I know I have let my tank get low to empty for sure. God will fill us up if we get quite with Him. He gives abundantly more than we can imagine.

So I wanted to share some of these encouraging thoughts I had from studying Ruth.  Kinda what God revealed to me over these past few weeks.

1.  God is our hope in seemingly hopeless situations.  I mean Naomi and Ruth were left widows with no help. They trusted God, turned to Him. They did not turn to the world or other Gods.

2.  Find God in our situations and circumstances instead of searching for a new circumstance, or situation.  We often ask God to give us "what we think we deserve"  like change our job, move us from this situation to another. Although there are situations in life I believe God does move us from and to. I believe God wants us find contentment in Him first.  He is saying, Find ME.
I mean don't you think if you were a widow and left to find a family redeemer, food and provisions you would be praying for change of circumstances too?  I think Naomi and Ruth were content to trust God through the season they were in even though it was hard. We are not promised a easy road to walk in faith that is for sure but God did tell us He would be walking with us and we can find our refuge in Him.  I loved the references to Gods wings being our covering for refuge and hiding place in times of need.  Like Ruth asking Boaz to be her redeemer and cover her. That is what our Redeemer Jesus Christ does for us.

Here are a few scripture references to check out regarding this. See.. Psalm 36:5, Psalm 17:8, and Psalm 91:1 


3. God also tells us that He will not slumber before He takes care of your need. See Psalm 121:3
Like Boaz vowed to Ruth in Chapter 3, God vows to take care of our situations.  We must have faith and trust in the waiting. I know many of us feel as though the waiting is too long and hard to bear but I too am waiting on God to move in a life close to me and it may take a lifetime. God is the only one that bring change in hearts.  That doesn't mean we give up on the situation, others or on God. We keep believing and trusting! God Never gives up on us.

4.  "Encourage one another as long as its called Today!"  Hebrews 3:13 
That is exactly what Naomi did for Ruth when they found out they had family redeemer.  She explained to Ruth what to do before she went to Boaz. She also, helped her to go boldly to him.  God will give us confidence and in Hebrews 4:16  He says approach His throne with confidence. I like to refer to it as "Christ Confidence" because He is where any confidence I have in sharing with you the gospel comes from. It is from Jesus Christ.  Ruth had that confidence and boldness. She didn't shy away from diligently working and doing the duties set before her.


I shared more over on my Facebook Live video tonight if you are a follower there.  I hope this encourages you or maybe encourages you to search the scripture in Ruth this week along with us as we continue on to Chapter 4 for our final week of bible study in the
"Knit the Gospel into your Heart" bible study group  
This is a free online private bible study group I created for women to study the Word and find encouragement together. Feel free to join any time!  Our next study will not be until 2019.
Although if you follow me on my Facebook page, my husband, the preacher and I pop on sometimes for what we like to call  "Jesus and Coffee" chats:) See you there!


I hope have a great week and find rest in the Almighty.

blessings,
trAcy