Pondering the Impossible

June, 2025, Texas sunset -
God was
pouring out a
message from Heaven.
What was He saying?

Love God.

Love your neighbor.

Only believe.

Trust in the Lord.

Know He is good.

Renew your mind.

I asked Rick yesterday - if He were God, how would he fix this world? He didn't hesitate when he said he would not give people free will.

I thought of the verses above - loving commands and promises written in my book of wisdom, inspired by a God who gives me freedom. I think the answers are in there somewhere if we can only grab hold.

Matthew 19:26 - With God all things are possible.

How to Thrive - a Post for Plants and People

The Thanksgiving cacti are sprouting new growth right now - fresh green as the daylight wanes. They are getting ready to bud.

Last year, one of my plants - the orange one - only had a single lonely bud and bloom. It was the first year it was bloomless, while the older plant burst into a cacophony of magenta. This summer, my Easter cactus almost died not from neglect, but because I gave it too much water and sunlight. I had to learn a different way.

Each plant needs its own unique care, light, water, soil, pot size, and food. Some grow easy. Some grow hard. They are not unlike my children who were all such different personalities. As a mom, I had to learn how each communicates, how each learns, what each loves to eat and then somehow keep them all alive. It's truly a miracle that they survived being raised by such an amateur.

My point is, if you are the caregiver, be gentle, be attuned to the life form you are caring for, and don't forget to talk, pray, and sing around them. I promise, if you do this, they will thrive. I believe every living thing knows when someone is loving it, whether plant, animal, or human.

Finally, if you are the one being cared for, receive your care with grace and forgiveness. Let's all do our best.

Chris Tracy is an author and a grandma who loves life. Find her books on Amazon and at www.christinetracy.com

My New Book, Essence: 365 God Thoughts About You

I want my Crisp Mountain Air readers to know about my newest book. I spent 365 days (and yes, there is a Leap Year post) praying and writing what I thought God wanted to say to my readers. It was a labor of love and learning to listen. Now I want you to experience that voice I heard for you and for me. In a dark world and in scary times, I pray this book brings light and life and hope to you as you start each day brighter and rising higher to see a beautiful vision of how God sees us and His creation. I'm so blessed to have endorsements from some of my favorite teachers and authors, including Dr. Brian Simmons; Ray Hughes; Don Milam; Steve Backlund; Theresa and Kevin Dedmon; Matt Tommey; and more. Much love to all and thank you for reading my blogs!

My friend sent me this picture of my book given to her as a gift. 

Here is the Amazon link to purchase. It will make a great gift any time during the year, but especially for the New Year. Gift yourself and a friend! 

Click here to purchase paperback, hardcover, or Kindle.

Old Couples Not Talking At Restaurants

When Rick and I were first married, building our house in the mountains, and working two full time jobs with three kids...occasionally we would get to go to Denver, drop the kids at their grandparents' and go to lunch together. These rare times were full of conversation and catch-up.

There would always be an old couple sitting at a table in any restaurant. I would notice them because they would NOT be talking. I would tell Rick something like "we will never be like that. We will always have something to talk about. We will love each other. We will care about each other. We will enjoy being together." 

Well, we have now become that old couple, and quite often we will sit at a restaurant and NOT talk. I have come to realize there is a precious intimacy in being so content and confident in your person that language can be silent and still joyful. But this kind of knowing comes after many years of living together. 

Life is so funny; such a paradox; and loves to laugh at our folly. Be joyful!

Find my books on Amazon by clicking right here.

Poem 6 of 30 by Christine Tracy

Truth that Overcomes

I sit in a tree top

Looking upon life

My life

Wondering about 

The little girl

Who daydreamed.

Of faraway places

Journeys

and adventures

Safely in the hands of

Family and a Papa she knew

But couldn't see.

"Too sensitive" she was labeled.

"Perfectionist" she was called.

"I wonder where she goes?" 

Said her teacher, frustrated,

Failing to capture her attention in class.

And then, the girl's heart changed,

And she believed the lies.

She would never reach her goal, her dream.

She would fail. Never be quite good enough.

But God.

Now she knows truth.

Her failures led to regrouping, restarting.

Perfectionism led nowhere.

But, instead, the word "excellence" 

Meant her efforts were enough.

Did she do the best she knew how?

Yes.

She did her best - far from perfect.

And that was enough.

That was excellent.

She was enough.

Learning to love herself still.

Will she ever arrive?

Doubts! Unworthiness! No! Go!

Her Father calls her "beloved daughter."

He sees her gold - what He placed in her.

His promises come true in the waiting.

He works ALL for her greater good.

She can rest - yet unknowing - in that.

Poem 5 of 30 by Christine Tracy

 

Friends

In the grand scheme

there is nothing

quite as pure,

as holy,

as personal,

as sweet,

as nurturing,

as joyful,

as dear,

and as precious, as

the gift

of a

true friendship.

The Holes in My Heart

I've had several holes in my heart. They appear when loved ones pass; when my children have been hurt; when I feel fear, or lose a sense of what I was created for. 

Holes have been repaired, filled, and stitched back together when there has been resolution, joy, peace, and solutions...when time has passed and healing has prevailed.

Today, even with the tumultuous year we have all had, I don't feel any holes or any stitches torn. It may be because I keep tuning into and praying for the truth of my being so that I can walk in that truth. I'm not there yet, but my focus is in the right place. I'm so thankful for the One who brings healing and strength; purpose and solitude; grace and forgiveness; purpose and identity.

I am not flailing in the abyss of virus or politics. But I do see the need for extra peace right now that can only come from the presence of God, Jesus, and Holy Spirit. 

The enemy would have us believe his lies and deception as we revel in controversy so that we become ineffective to fix what is broken. I don't want to go there. I want to rise above and stay connected heart to beating heart to the One - the only one - that is able to overcome.

I love you, my readers. I pray you, too, have a whole heart - free of confusion. I pray you are able to repel deception, walk in love and kindness, and trust in your Father in Heaven. I pray you are able to overcome and see clearly as I pray the same for myself.

www.christinetracy.com

Find my book, "Tapestry - The Divine Design for Your Life,"on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3iavMYH

Ancient Eyes and Birdsong Mornings

A dead tree pays honor to the beauty of a brilliant sunset;

A memory of love yields its capacity to the hope of new love;

The brokenness of age contrasts the perfection of a newborn’s cry;

The faded bloom is outperformed by the brightness of a new bud;

The cry of pain soon gives way to the joy of healing;

A fierce storm ushers in a birdsong morning;

Ancient eyes stare into the innocence of youth.

The world keeps turning.

Life regenerates.

The old is but a memory of what used to be.

Yet…the old, the storm, the brokenness, the pain - are still honored, cherished, found beautiful, in what they invite into the now. Selah.

"To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven." Ecclesiastes 3:1

Walking Like Captain Jack Sparrow

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)

A 4 a.m. Conversation

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.

The Goodness of Love

I'm reflecting today on the goodness of my Papa God. He's kind, with a sense of humor, and astounding amount of grace. He sees me. He's for me. He cheers for me. He likes my ideas and he loves my dreams. I have his DNA. He loves others through me. He gives me favor, provides, and protects. He heals and lifts me up and he is my hope of life here and hereafter. I love him with all my heart. And the good ending is: he loves me more.

How precious is your unfailing love, O God! - Psalm 36:7

You Are a Gift!

Have you ever considered that we were given the gift of life in order to give it away?

Gifts like compassion, personality, faith, love, wisdom, experience, and knowledge...they're all part of the life we've been granted. So what do we do with all of this?

Sure, we need to work to pay the bills. But the fun comes when we can work from passion, create from strategic and brilliant ideas, and then give, give, give of our heart to others who are hungry for what we carry.

We actually become a gift!

I feel like I have been given so much. How can I release it to change the world around me?

1 Timothy 4:14 - Don't minimize the powerful gift that operates in your life, for it was imparted to you by the laying on of hands of the elders and was activated through the prophecy they spoke over you. (TPT)

2 Timothy 1:6 - Therefore I remind you to stir up the gift of God which is in you through the laying on of my hands.

Magnifying Magnificence

When I take one facet of the magnificence of Creation and magnify it… my heart skips a beat as I recognize in that tiny brilliance of God’s goodness, I find myself - my inmost being - thrilled and full of joy at the beauty that takes my breath away. We are that kind of beauty to Him. Did you know that? He went to the cross for the joy set before him of being with us for eternity. In Song of Songs he literally exclaims His love for us: “For you reach into my heart. With one flash of your eyes I am undone by your love, my beloved, my equal, my bride. You leave me breathless— I am overcome by merely a glance from your worshiping eyes, for you have stolen my heart. I am held hostage by your love and by the graces of righteousness shining upon you.” Song of Songs 4:9, The Passion Translation.

Chris Tracy's art includes writing, photography, and helping people tell their stories. www.christinetracy.com

Love. Period.

I have been having some physically painful and emotionally weak times lately - the kind that make you think of things you shouldn’t think about; and the kind that make you believe lies that consume your soul and make you feel unloved and unloving.

But the other morning, I imagined the arms of Jesus wrapped around me, speaking healing to my bones and truth that overcomes lies. The most important truth? It isn’t any of my business what people think of me or if they love me or not. What IS my business, is that I love them. I do have control over that and it's who I am created to be. This was so profound to me…and healing. When I love, I bless others and I bless myself, too.

1 Corinthians 13:13  - Until then, there are three things that remain: faith, hope, and love - yet love surpasses them all. So above all else, let love be the beautiful prize for which you run.

Photo Caption: Reunited cousins!

It is For Freedom that Christ Has Set Us Free!

What does freedom mean to you? There are many types of prison - from literal bars to walls we build in our own souls to keep us safe, but which also keep us from taking risks. I want to be totally free in my heart and life and thinking.

Just as I am thankful for the many who fought and gave their lives for the physical freedoms we enjoy; I’m thankful for those who have spoken and rendered truth into my life that has set me free from the chains of shame, judgment, and self-imprisonment. Yay!

Galations 5:1 - Let me be clear, the Anointed One has set us free - not partially, but completely and wonderfully free! We must always cherish this truth and stubbornly refuse to go back into the bondage of our past. (The Passion Translation)

My book, Tapestry, the Divine Design for Your Life, is now available if you click right here!

Do You Already Have What You're Praying For?

An Exclamation Point Love! Photo by Chris

Dear Reader - 
As always, I want to write to you personally. 
Heart to heart.
Love to love.
So much is happening in my world, but there are some things I've learned just lately that I want to share with you because I think they pertain to you, too.
Today I write the first one.
Many of us pine away wishing we could be more of something. Smarter, wiser, more loving, more discerning, a better mom, a better dad, a better friend, more organized, on and on.
I was that way this year in three areas. I prayed and almost immediately God showed me I already had what I was praying for.
For example. I prayed I could be a more loving person; not judgmental; truly free to share love without worrying about the risk. I prayed about this and immediately I turned to this verse in Song of Songs 4:5: "Your pure faith and love rest over your heart...." As I read this, I was at a ranch, sitting on a log, enjoying the warm morning sun. I was surprised. Really surprised at such a quick answer and affirmation. What I truly desired I already possessed. But then the real shocker. I turned around, looked down, and saw what I posted a photo of here.
God is not worried about me. I shouldn't be worried either. I just need to step into who I am and rest in His exclamation-point-love for me. 
What are you asking Him about? Watch for the immediate answer and trust it is Him and it is true.
Love to you!
- Chris
Read my story in my book, Tapestry - The Divine Design For Your Life; available in Kindle and paperback at Amazon. Click here.

March 21, 2018 - Five Things a Puppy Knows About Life

1 - Life is AWESOME!
2 - Wild moments are important before naps.
3 - Love is returned with more love.
4 - The world needs to laugh.
5 - Everyone needs a friend.

Proverbs 17:22 - A joyful heart is good medicine.

Here is our new Aussiedoodle, Daisy, saying "hello" to Allison, Patsy, and Dolly.

A Video Message From Me!

October 15 - Child of the Most High

In the dark of night when you can’t sleep and worries begin to take over, think instead about how much you are loved by your Papa God.

Jeremiah 31:3 - "I have loved you with an everlasting love; therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you."

1 John 3:1 - See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!

October 3 - The Father's Love

Some days it is well with our soul to feel sadness; to grieve; and to silently listen and stand by those who need a shoulder and an ear or just someone to sit with them.

In these days, let us stand strong; reject fear; strengthen our own hearts with truth and prayer; and, in turn, do what we can to encourage others.

Love to all!

I am attaching this beautiful song by Brian and Jenn Johnson because from this day forward I want this to be my theme song. Help me to love...

https://youtu.be/lBefEXomQNM