Colossians is one of my favorite books in the bible. I have most of it underlined. This particular book really speaks to me & reminds me that Jesus is my rescuer, my Lord & my strength. Colossians 1:9-14 is an encouragement to walk worthy.

Spiritual wisdom comes from studying the Word, obeying it & letting the truths sink deep into the heart.

Many people choose their ‘gospel’ according to what has happened to them in life. They park in places that make sense to their own understanding. Well….I am ok with not understanding everything. What God wants me to know is in the bible & the rest will go unanswered on earth

I’m certain there are reasons many things are not explained in scripture. That doesn’t mean I can create a ‘fill in the blank gospel’ to comfort my own flesh. No way….I trust & aim to obey scripture as is…unchanged…unpopular to some….left in context.

After all, the Word of God is my sword…Ephesians 6. I can’t battle the enemy of my soul with faulty twisted scripture. Gods Word confronts society, it doesn’t conform to it.

I firmly believe more time needs to be spent in the Word. Popular authors, speakers & false teachers need to be set aside. It can become a distraction from the truth. I see it as an honor to have Gods Word convict my soul.

It pushes me toward change, growth & self examination. Satan is still using the same tricks. The enemy still whispers “did God really say?” & that starts the questioning and tearing apart of scripture. Too many are falling & buying the lie of anything goes, fleshly comforts & all ways are ok.

Ephesians 6:18 is a call to pray. A type of praying that never stops. There is quiet time prayer & then there is a constant communing type of prayer. The fact is, we are to pray always. Could it be that if we don’t, it’s another way for the world to creep into our lives?

Tie on the belt of truth. Place the helmet of salvation over your mind. Put your feet in the shoes of peace. Armor your heart with the breastplate of righteousness. Hold up the shield of faith to protect your soul. Be ready for battle with the Word of God as your sword. He has equipped us if we look, study & spend time in the Word.

Shining His light,

Tracy

Christmas time can be so many things. Sweet memories. Dreams. Excitement. Pain. Sorrow. Loneliness.

A longing for the real meaning. Reaching the image we create in our minds.

It was so different when my kids were little. Anticipation. Hectic schedules. I baked more. I decorated more. I read more Christmas stories. I watched more Christmas specials. I did more crafts. Their excitement spread over to me.

We came to a place where we started giving only 3 gifts. It just seemed fitting to give the same amount that Jesus received from the wise men. After all, the whole reason we have Christmas is to celebrate His birth. I wanted my kids to have that truth at the center of their Christmas.

The world paints a picture of Christmas from classic Christmas songs & movies. A roaring fire in a beautiful fireplace, sleigh rides, laughter, slowing down & enjoying each other. That image can leave us with a hole. Reality can be so very different.

I look back now & it saddens me how fast the time went. If I knew then what I know now, I would have slowed down, really have looked at my kids faces, had more talks, listened to them, played more & stored each moment away in my heart. I try & remember details but many of the years are blurs. Trying to be everywhere & please everyone is never what Christmas was meant to be.

Making one batch of cookies together…unrushed…now that’s a gift.

Time together is precious & short. It doesn’t last forever even if it feels like it will. There is an end to our earthly time. It’s a moment…a blink.

I miss looking out the window & seeing my children play in the snow. I miss wet mittens, snow pants, sleds & boots everywhere. I miss them needing me.

Christmas is harder now. It’s quieter. There are no little ones waking up early & rushing down the stairs. There are less stockings hung. Less gifts to buy. Less places to set at the table.

Christmas, for me, is also a reminder of my son. He’s no longer here. There will be no more earthly Christmas times with him. No sound of his voice. No truck pulling in the driveway. No gifts for him. The reminders are everywhere.

Yes, Jesus is still celebrated. Christmas is celebrated. It’s just different now.

Might I encourage you to extend more grace & understanding. Cherish your time together as a family.

Joy. In all things…joy. No matter what hurts you have or how hard Christmas can be, the Father is near. Jesus walks beside us & carries us when we can no longer take the steps ourselves. There may be no joy in our circumstances but there is joy in Him….an immeasurable joy in the Lord.

John 16, Romans 5, 2 Corinthians 6:10

Adore Him….Christ the Lord. Christ…my Lord.

Merry Christmas,

Tracy

There are many broken families. Families full of hurt & unforgiveness.

It’s important to measure everything against Gods Word. Look to His Holy Scriptures for guidance & wisdom. Our own ways are faulty & can set the stage for bad decisions & poor choices. This can add more strain to any existing cracks.

Pushing aside truths & grasping onto what you think is right or what your flesh wants places you as your own god.

Mark 7

Once  a decision is made, there is no turning back. There are no do-overs. Is it worth having the cracks turn into canyons?

Regret can smother. It can be a road block to moving forward & trying to live a fruitful life. Repentence is not a popular word in our culture but it’s the first step to true freedom. Freedom from the chains we place around ourselves.

The outside can be deceiving. The inside is where truth is. The truth of who we really are. None of us are exempt from wordly temptations. None.

1 Corinthians 10:12-13

Time is short & precious. Use it wisely. Proverbs is a great place to park & ponder. Let the Living Word speak to your soul. Let it become part of you. Don’t read it & think of others. Read it & examine yourself. Build a solid foundation.

Matthew 7:24-27

Yes… the walking wounded.  There are many, but the good news is….there is hope & healing in the Savior. I can never change another. Just me. One thought at a time. One decision at a time.

Psalm 19:14

Hebrews 12:1-4 , 12-13

Thank you for redemption oh Lord…

Committed to Him,

Tracy

I can’t believe how long its been since I’ve written on here. I finally start a blog & then I ignore it I read my last blog…the one I wrote when I was sick. I contemplated deleting it but thought ‘hey…why not leave it’. If anything it will remind me of the summer of 2015.

Another reason I have been lazy on blogging is because I’m not a fan of typing out my words. Just like I figured, my fingers go faster than the letters on here. I spend more time separating words that jumble together & fixing sentences. It interrupts my thinking. I’ve decided to go back to my love of paper & pencil. I can copy it to this blog afterward.

I also dove into tons of essential oil work. I do a lot on Facebook for Roots of Healing & my private page for my group… Blessed Oilers. I started my oil classes back up. I volunteered for my daughters AHG troop. Church, homeschooling, chores, Home Bible Fellowship, canning,  MOPS, birthdays, accident date, Thanksgiving, grandbaby time & now Christmas. Not to mention, all the stuff in between. You know…Life.

During all of that, I missed my writing. Sure, I write whenever things come to me. I have papers, scraps of paper & sticky notes everywhere. I had, for the most part, stopped writing writing. Disobedience…again. Smack dab in my face disobedience. I was aware of it but I was also choosing to keep placing it on a back shelf. Writing is just part of who I am. I get antsy & full of words if I don’t write them down. After a couple of lame excuses, I had the same friend calling me out. Encouraging me to write. So, I thank her. Sometimes you just need that friend to say “Hey” & get back at it!

God gifts each of us specifically. Uniquely. I know I get off balance when I spend too much time on busy work & give pebbles to Kingdom work. Looking forward to getting back on track!

Blessings,

Tracy