It was 2009 and our lives and dreams had imploded in economic disaster. We lost our business, our home; and we felt ashamed and lost.
Holding hands, Rick and I paused at the top of our driveway, turned around, then looked at the sweet, quiet, beauty of the place we called home for 30 years. So much life lived. So many laughs, giggles, and big dreams fulfilled. Here, we had built a home and a family with our own hands and hearts.
We prayed for the next tenants; blessed the land and the neighborhood; and thanked God for the amazing gift of being able to raise our family here. And then...we moved on.
That was 11 years ago. Though times were frantic, tumultuous, and seemingly hopeless, we entered our new lives with cautious hope; leaning on a glistening promise of a better tomorrow. Looking back, I now know we had an uncanny faith to move mountains.
How did we do that? It wasn't under our own power. We were devastated and hurt to the bone. But we felt called. And then we felt sent. We left our home to sit at the feet of Jesus for two years where we were healed and set free.
When others saw failure, horror, and doom, we saw and witnessed the promise and presence of a Father that loves us most; who cares for us; who fights for us.
Sometimes things need to be stripped away so we can see what's true and real.
Here's a classic from Matt Redmon to quiet your spirit and bless you day. You're welcome!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P-Zp586pvZg
Do you ever fret and wait and procrastinate and finally, once you take the risk and try something new, you realize it wasn't hard at all? That just happened (again) to me!
I'm still learning by leaps and bounds. Today I learned to do a landing page in Mailchimp for one of my workshops. Who'da thunk?
I just determined to do it, and I did. I'm about to send it out and we'll see what happens.
Nonetheless - I want to encourage you to take that next step. Try that new thing. Learn that new skill. Dive into creativity in a new form. Imagine that new business and make a plan. Don't settle. Go big! You can do it, and these days, all of us have extra social distancing time, right?
I believe in you!
Love, Chris
James 1:5 - If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.
If you'd like to get info about my upcoming online writing workshops, email me at chris@christinetracy.com
Do you ever walk around and feel like Captain Jack Sparrow (Pirates of the Caribbean)? Last night, moving around my kitchen, I walked a little crooked, felt a little tipsy - just like Jack.
Sometimes the truth of what we experience isn't quite what we actually experience. What we feel must look strange to others - others don't even notice.
For example:
We're doing the right thing, but it feels wrong. We're following the rules, but they seem strange. We say "yes" when we're really needing to say "no." We worry when we ought to hope. We doubt when we should be in faith. We're busy when we should be at rest. We're working when we should be playing. We're sad when everything is happy around us.
Oh how I wish my reality would match my inside truth. I want to focus, to say out loud what I mean, to not stumble, to feel like I am doing perfectly and perfectly doing.
But that is not my reality. I'm just me. God made me this way. I stumble. I fall. I forget. I see things differently. And that's ok. If I have to be like somebody, Captain Jack isn't so bad. #learningtoloveme.
Let Billy Joel sing to you, friend. Pretend your Papa is singing over you! He loves us just the way we are! You are OK and you will be OK! (click)
Have you ever had someone talk about the future of YOU? Who you'd become? Your destiny? The gold they saw in you? If so, you were the receiver of a beautiful gift God gives us to "see" each other differently than we sometimes see ourselves. We all love an encouraging word.
Instead of dismissing words that highlight your gifts; or diverting words to some other person you think is more worthy; why not dust those words off, read them aloud, say "yes" to them, and receive them into your very being - your body, soul, mind, emotions, and spirit?
This could be the time in history when your destiny words are fulfilled. A time when you step into your true identity.
In fact, I'll declare all of this for all of us: "The best is yet to come!"
Psalm 24:7 - So wake up, you living gateways! Lift up your heads, you ageless doors of destiny! Welcome the King of Glory, for he is about to come through for you.
"Reach out!" the voice shouted and, startled, I woke up. I went to the kitchen where the clock on the stove read 3:33 a.m. I know from past experience that this was a significant moment. God wanted to show me something.
His message was for me - in my insecurity as a person. This might be for you, too.
Are you someone who sometimes sings a different tune; marches to a different drum; dances to the off-beat; dreams a different dream? Me too.
I felt like God was telling us He loves who He has made us to be; and He's about to give us something huge to share with others in this time. We feel it. But sometimes it's crowded out by busy-ness or self doubt.
This is why He shouted, "Reach out!" God is calling for us to reach for His hand and hold tight. He will bring us through as we keep stepping forward...and He will never let go.
I'm ready for the new adventure. Are you?
Isaiah 41:10 - Do not yield to fear, for I am always near.
Never turn your gaze from me, for I am your faithful God.
I will infuse you with my strength and help you in every situation.
I will hold you firmly with my victorious right hand. (The Passion Translation)
You know how Rick and I buy old, sad, unloved houses and make them into beautiful homes?
Well, I was thinking today about destiny.
I felt like God gave me a picture of our home remodeling process. He was showing me that just as we are able to create a lovely space to live in...we are also able to, with Him, create a life we love living in.
Joining our gifts and imagination with Holy Spirit will give us divine strategies and ideas for that abundant life we are promised in the Kingdom.
What life are you creating?
Jeremiah 29:11 - "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "Plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
In these times...
I could feel hopeless. I could feel depressed. I could be angry. I could blame.
But I can't go there. Some might say I don't care. But...the truth is I care too much. It would be too easy for me to climb into a hole of despair and get stuck.
So...I get up every morning, sip my coffee, check my messages, read, water my garden, walk my dog, greet people, connect with friends, bake a little, work, write, take photos, and I give myself an assignment to look for the good.
I may not be able to control what's happening in my world, but I can control how I respond to it.
That said - I am believing with all hope and trust that we are going to be OK as a people and a nation. Today we celebrate a day in history when suddenly everything changed.
Happy Easter everyone. The Lord is Risen and He is indeed good!
In the middle of the night, I felt like the Lord was wanting to talk about fear, hate, and sickness.
So many right now are full of fear - for good reason.
So many right now are full of hatred - because they are full of fear.
God's question to me was "What are fear and hatred?"
Knowing He would give me the answer, I said "you know, God."
"Fear is dis-ease of spirit.
"Hatred is dis-ease of soul.
"Our humanity is body, soul, and spirit. Could two affect the one? Might dis-ease of soul and spirit invite dis-ease of body?"
I pondered...if the answer is yes, then, could joy, hope, and love generate physical wellness? And, if so...how do we release that?
Nehemiah 8:10 Do not sorrow, for the joy of the Lord is your strength.
Isaiah 60:1 - Arise and shine for your light has come.
I'm a career journalist; a born and bred newspaper lover. I have been defending the media lately. The news outlets I watch and read, I believe, are indeed trying to present the facts.
That said, I also know humans, and hence those in the media, tend to look at the negative; the crisis; expecting the worst.
These sentiments seem to rise like invisible cream in every report these days. May I suggest that no one really can foresee how this will end? We must not put our faith in reports that stem from a reporter's or "expert's" own fears. I have heard it said that fear is faith in the wrong God. I have also heard it said that we empower the enemy when we believe his lies.
So how can we change how we respond? If we could just re-look at what is happening, could we begin to believe for headlines like these? I'm looking forward to them.
100 Percent Survival Rate!
49 Things the Government Did Right
The Victory our Leaders are Going After
5 Things the President Got Right
Communities Unite to Help Health Workers
The World Unites in the Battle
Defeating the Hidden Enemy
Virus is Losing the Battle
The Intelligence Behind the Victory
Successful Drugs and Vaccines Win the Day
Valiant Health Workers Band in Herculean Battle
and Win
92 Lives Saved Today
Thousands to Volunteer Help
Polls Show 98 percent are Unafraid
No More Fear
Here's to 2020 - The Year the World's Vision Corrected
People More Thankful, More Giving, Kinder, and Full of Joy
The Day We All Hugged Again
Doomsday Thwarted
Could God Really be Real?
Miraculous Departure of Virus Stuns Experts
Let's begin to declare and pray these headlines.
Thank you very much!
Love to all. Praying for every reader - for protection, provision, comfort, connection, healing, and that you would see God's mighty hand and presence in your life today.
Romans 4:17 - (paraphrase) - God calls things which are not as though they are. (We are made in His image. He is Creator. We are creative. He creates things with His Word. We can, too, by our declarations. What will you call into existence today?
How many of us are spending time listening to the good voices on social media much more than the foreboding ones? I, for one! I am loving the good home-brewed music; so many good prophecies; so many excellent classes and conferences; and countless stories of humans doing good and being kind.
We are all playing, slowing down, breaking out the paints, enjoying our music, gathering around the table, and yes - finding time to be silly - like Mesa, and her brother, Cord, who put on an elaborate coronation ceremony for our Aussie-doodle, "Queen" Daisy. Now that's creativity!
Hang in there everyone...and listen to the "good" out there. If you look for it, you'll find it.
Proverbs 17:22 - A cheerful heart is good medicine.
The Bible talks a lot about the enemy falling into his own trap.
Combined with Romans 8:28, I think that could be what we are witnessing now.
How could God use this evil of a global pandemic and turn it around for good? Well, at least at the moment, He has quite a captive audience. Many are asking Him "What are you doing? What are you saying?"
I propose we take time to ask Him every day, starting now, those two questions - and then listen for the answers.
One inkling of an answer I feel I'm getting is: there is interest and excitement for the new way of doing church. God is reaching into living rooms and offices in so many ways through social media.
Another inkling is I feel God is instilling something new into his human creation - a brain upgrade.
One more inkling is, He is teaching us to give ourselves permission to rest, to lay low, to spend un-rushed time with those closest to us.
Do you have an inkling of what God might be doing?
Psalm 27:13 - I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living.
Romans 8:28 - And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.
In the time since the onset of the virus here in the U.S., life has taken on a new course. Right now, hugging is a no-no; grandkids are at our table doing schoolwork because their schools are closed down; and my birthday presents yesterday included several rolls of TP (presented with big bows and lots of laughter).
But I've also noticed creativity rising up and welcomely invading our internet space from people's home studios. I love the free concerts, online conferences, the paintings, the humor, and the strategic new ideas for business.
In a time where fear is being generated; when we're having to be wise and careful; when the headlines are getting worse by the day...I am doubly thankful for anything that can bring hope, love, encouragement, and promisees for a future that may be different, but will still be good.
Psalm 106:12 - Then they believed his promises, and sang his praise.
It was 2009 and our lives and dreams had imploded in economic disaster. We lost our business, our home; and we felt ashamed and lost. 
