Welcome to Trace’s Space. At work we have magnetic wands, you know those things old ladies use at bingo to pick up their bingo chips. Because magnets have a positive and negative end, when you try to put them together using the same positive energy (or negative), no matter how hard you try you can’t force them together.
Science is a cool thing!
Lately I have been feeling so disconnected. No matter where I go or what I do, I sense this energy that makes me feel not wanted. I play these scenarios in my head, is it my age, my weight, my looks, my smile or lack their of? Are people tired of me, is my knowledge out dated not relatable for this time? Do the things that connected me to others not matter any longer? I can be in a room full of folks and feel alone, am I depressed? What is wrong with me?
Are you there? Stick with me here!
If we are honest more of us are there than care to admit.
First of all I have been not feeling well, so I get that, I’m super sensitive, but ugh, what a lonely place this is. It’s in this season of darkness a person such as I needs TLC, and because we have not been a supplier of that for others, I guess folks just figure we are hard and don’t need it.
I’m not good at that touchy feely reaching out and hugging stuff. While you can read my face, I hide a lot in my heart. While I don’t physically embrace folks, I am a easy conversationalist.
I see your face when you see me coming! Am I getting what’s coming to me? I assume folks prefer me to be silent. I am that person people see at Walmart and hide from.
I’m tired! Worn.
But what I sense is that this season of feeling sorry for myself is brought on by my illness, and I am pretty sure anyone who is wearing the shoes I have been handed, feels this pain.
So why am I sharing all of this?
Because transparency is abosolutely necessary in this crazy world. People need to know the state of mind of others in order to reach out. I’m not begging for attention, I am begging for awareness. To caution others of how we are capable of hurting others just by a look on the face, or not even giving a look. Trust me this is all stuff I have done! I spent time with God repenting for how I have treated and felt about others because I am sure I am feeling this because I have been hateful and jealous and not willing to connect. Not willing to give of myself to spend time with someone who is hurting.
For looking at folks as not being relevant, not valuing thoughts of others no matter how great they are or are not. We are mean to one another. We all need to change!
With all the news focus these days being about bullies, you know from the very top to the bottom, there is this easy pattern we can get into, and we are all prone to inferiority complexes. We have talents, gifting, knowledge, whatever, but we need to remember to whom we belong and where those things come from. Point blank, we need to REMEMBER where we come from.
Jesus knew exactly how folks felt about Him. Before his feet touched the earth He knew there would be very few that would get who He is. He had to identify Himself as I Am. It was simple, so those around Him could understand the deity was not complicated. He shook off the haters and got about the Fathers business.
I don’t imagine that was easy, but He is perfect, and guess what, we are not!
This season of polar opposite will pass for me, I am sure, but please if you get nothing else from this, reach out. Be conscious of how you respond to others. Reach out and love on others!
If you are suffering find a friend, seek help.
Lord today, I pray for the broken and hurting, that when folks see them they reach out and love on them, Lord help me to be better at that too. This world is darker every day, help us to be light, and show folks more of You! You are Love, and through You we are able! Amen
See you next time
Saturday, March 3, 2018
Sunday, February 25, 2018
Hansel and Gretel, She Can’t Devour You, But She'll Try.
Welcome to Trace’s Space. The world is scary, and our enemies are on the warpath ready to steal, kill and destroy, we seem to be spinning out of control, consumed by violence and non-willingness to stand for what is right... whether it is spiritual or not, we need to get over our daily offenses and stand strong and be courageous.
So Hansel and Gretel. You all know the story, they were disobedient, and decided to go where they were warned not to go. They went into the woods, left their crumbs for guidance and ended up captive at the home of someone who offered them sweets! You know the stuff that not only looks appealing but tastes good too. This place was soooooooo inviting. Captivated by the beauty of gumdrops and lollipops and the aroma of freshly baked bread. They were so hungry.
As quickly as the entered into what they believed to be pure joy, it was even quicker that they realized they were in really big trouble. This beautiful place was dangerous. The host was evil. Evil had found what they needed, food, and that was the only invitation they needed.
When I was a kid, I don’t remember being warned too much about where not to go. We went out early and played until well after dark. My mother had two rules, don’t play in the creek, and when I yell you better get your backside home. She knew where we were most of the time, we tended to feel guilty if we played in the creek because she told us not to... consequences of playing in the creek, my older brother got a whooping, my younger brother ended up with leeches, I don’t know which was worse.
I remember the neighborhood kids were allowed in the water so we would sneak and swim. On one occasion I went alone, oh how stupid was I? Well I encountered a very large snake, needless to say I believe my creek adventures ended there... but think about the danger, the water and the current was not my fear, the snake! I could have drowned and no one would have known. I could have been abducted, raped, murdered, but those were different times, we had no fear. Not that those things didn’t happen, we just didn’t hear about it.
When raising my kids I was a nut job! I worried about where they were what they were doing, who they were with, don’t hide in the clothes rack, heart attack at 30!!!! I was always afraid that someone would take my kids. Dear Lord, that maternal instinct was in overload. I had to be told by my loving husband to just breathe for crying outloud!
But our job as parents is to protect our kids, to keep them safe. The world today is a really hard place to do that.
After 9/11, the idea of our children leaving home and not returning seemed to intensify for me. With every act of violence in neutral places seemed to somehow add an extra awareness that no matter where we go, we are vulnerable to violence. Churches and schools should be the safest places ever, but they are a constant target. Any place where folks gather is a target, yes we live in a scary world, and while we aren’t throwing crumbs to mark our path, we are sure looking at the beauty of the outside and falling for the smell of fresh bread. We are aware of the danger but ignore it because it hasn’t directly effected us.
The evil in this world is constantly looking for the most vulnerable and attacking.
What I forgot to tell you was, Hansel and Gretel were starving. Their father had went out to look for food. Their intentions were good, I figure they believed if they could find a good meal their father would forgive them for not listening. The father knew the danger that awaited them and tried to protect them, but they made a choice.
Have we become so desensitized to danger and violence that we have decided to accept it?
We aren’t suppose to.
First and foremost we need to get on our knees and pray! Lord forgive me for whatever I have done to contribute to the state of this world today. Lord lead me in Your ways, equip me with wisdom, give me vision and strategically place me so that I can help in a positive way! It has to begin personally. We have to first get right with God in order to effectively pray that others do the same.
We need to lose that because I am a child of God attitude of entitlement. I am no better than anyone else, my sin is sin in the eyes of the Father. Jesus walked amongst the sinners of His day. Just because you minister to this messed up world doesn’t mean you aren’t messed up too.
So Hansel and Gretel. You all know the story, they were disobedient, and decided to go where they were warned not to go. They went into the woods, left their crumbs for guidance and ended up captive at the home of someone who offered them sweets! You know the stuff that not only looks appealing but tastes good too. This place was soooooooo inviting. Captivated by the beauty of gumdrops and lollipops and the aroma of freshly baked bread. They were so hungry.
As quickly as the entered into what they believed to be pure joy, it was even quicker that they realized they were in really big trouble. This beautiful place was dangerous. The host was evil. Evil had found what they needed, food, and that was the only invitation they needed.
When I was a kid, I don’t remember being warned too much about where not to go. We went out early and played until well after dark. My mother had two rules, don’t play in the creek, and when I yell you better get your backside home. She knew where we were most of the time, we tended to feel guilty if we played in the creek because she told us not to... consequences of playing in the creek, my older brother got a whooping, my younger brother ended up with leeches, I don’t know which was worse.
I remember the neighborhood kids were allowed in the water so we would sneak and swim. On one occasion I went alone, oh how stupid was I? Well I encountered a very large snake, needless to say I believe my creek adventures ended there... but think about the danger, the water and the current was not my fear, the snake! I could have drowned and no one would have known. I could have been abducted, raped, murdered, but those were different times, we had no fear. Not that those things didn’t happen, we just didn’t hear about it.
When raising my kids I was a nut job! I worried about where they were what they were doing, who they were with, don’t hide in the clothes rack, heart attack at 30!!!! I was always afraid that someone would take my kids. Dear Lord, that maternal instinct was in overload. I had to be told by my loving husband to just breathe for crying outloud!
But our job as parents is to protect our kids, to keep them safe. The world today is a really hard place to do that.
After 9/11, the idea of our children leaving home and not returning seemed to intensify for me. With every act of violence in neutral places seemed to somehow add an extra awareness that no matter where we go, we are vulnerable to violence. Churches and schools should be the safest places ever, but they are a constant target. Any place where folks gather is a target, yes we live in a scary world, and while we aren’t throwing crumbs to mark our path, we are sure looking at the beauty of the outside and falling for the smell of fresh bread. We are aware of the danger but ignore it because it hasn’t directly effected us.
The evil in this world is constantly looking for the most vulnerable and attacking.
What I forgot to tell you was, Hansel and Gretel were starving. Their father had went out to look for food. Their intentions were good, I figure they believed if they could find a good meal their father would forgive them for not listening. The father knew the danger that awaited them and tried to protect them, but they made a choice.
Have we become so desensitized to danger and violence that we have decided to accept it?
We aren’t suppose to.
First and foremost we need to get on our knees and pray! Lord forgive me for whatever I have done to contribute to the state of this world today. Lord lead me in Your ways, equip me with wisdom, give me vision and strategically place me so that I can help in a positive way! It has to begin personally. We have to first get right with God in order to effectively pray that others do the same.
We need to lose that because I am a child of God attitude of entitlement. I am no better than anyone else, my sin is sin in the eyes of the Father. Jesus walked amongst the sinners of His day. Just because you minister to this messed up world doesn’t mean you aren’t messed up too.
We are called to be the hands and feet of Jesus.
When Hansel and Gretel’s father returned home and found them missing I don’t think he panicked, he knew exactly where they were. He went looking and found them after a couple of days! Those kids had enough wisdom once caged to not get fat! They also had the faith in their father, they knew he’d come looking for them. They knew he could over take evil because of Who He Is!
We are like them you know! Kind of my point!
Our Rescuer is always present looking for us. Even when we disobey. He is willing to take on evil on our behalf. His only desire is that we seek, find Him then follow! To proclaim He is Lord of all. To repent, turn and sin no more.
Yes our world is a scary place, but we have a God that is way bigger than any of it!
God So Loved the World that He Gave His Son so that we shall have EVERLASTING life!
See you next time!
When Hansel and Gretel’s father returned home and found them missing I don’t think he panicked, he knew exactly where they were. He went looking and found them after a couple of days! Those kids had enough wisdom once caged to not get fat! They also had the faith in their father, they knew he’d come looking for them. They knew he could over take evil because of Who He Is!
We are like them you know! Kind of my point!
Our Rescuer is always present looking for us. Even when we disobey. He is willing to take on evil on our behalf. His only desire is that we seek, find Him then follow! To proclaim He is Lord of all. To repent, turn and sin no more.
Yes our world is a scary place, but we have a God that is way bigger than any of it!
God So Loved the World that He Gave His Son so that we shall have EVERLASTING life!
See you next time!
Saturday, February 17, 2018
Ruth! Where did Orpah go?
Welcome to Trace’s Space. This morning I was thinking about being prepared for life and expectations, how unprepared we really are for the things life hands us and God got me thinking about Orpah.
Orpah was Ruth’s sister who was married to her husbands brother, Naomi’s son, both of which who died along with Naomi’s husband. She is a brief part of the story in the book of Ruth and Ruths journey from becoming a widow to becoming part of the liniage of Jesus.
For those unfamiliar, after the death of their husbands Naomi decides to return to Israel to Bethlehem to her folks because her husband and sons have died. She was technically alone. She urges her daughters in law to return to their people, Orpah goes but Ruth refuses because she loves this woman who is now her family.
That’s where the story seems to ends for Orpah... what happened to her? You won’t believe it! According to the Bible she went home... Historians indicate this woman from the moment she received the kiss goodbye from Ruth, then entered into a life of utter chaos. She was rejected by her people, so inturn she ended up amongst the Philistines. She gave birth to six sons, six different fathers, six Giants... one being Goliath!
Years later there would be a encounter with Ruth’s great grandson David and this giant! According to the Talmud (a collection of Jewish writings) not only did Goliath die at the hands of David but so did Orpah her death brought on by defending her surviving son who constantly went after Israel, so she was killed by a General in David’s army... this woman spun out of control....
Sad thing is she was a bargaining tool, sold off to a King as a political pawn, then used by men for what ever! Her life, awful!
One sister Ruth, represents good... the other sister Orpah, represents evil.
I imagine Orpah wanted revenge, even though she chose to return home. Her idea of redemption was killing off what I imagine she thought should have been her inheritance.
I don’t imagine that Ruth ever thought that her sister would come at her family in such evil ways! I figure as we see the example of her ability to love, she thought her sister loved her as much as she loved Orpah. How incredibly sad!
The day those girls married brothers, they were happy and could have never imagined where life would lead them...two starting on the same basic path, but life handing them a crappy deal. I don’t think that Ruth thought her sisters life would be a living hell, and it probably was because she was in relationships with men who did not value her, the worst part, Orpah was fully aware of Ruth’s blessings. Ruth’s family was royalty, full of honor... Oprah’s family was royalty as well, but they were bullies!
What tragedy!
Families... the good, the bad, the ugly. So back to what initially brought me to Ruth and Orpah. I was thinking about a local news story, a teenager that went into a school and stabbed a bunch of people, and a interview that was done with this kids parents. It was incredibly sad, at first they were mortified, they thought perhaps he was a victim, little did they know he was the perpetrator. They talked about a neighbor who called them and told them they needed to check their kitchen for missing knives, their son was the one trying to kill his school mates. Never in their lives did they expect this.
Stories like this happen every day.
We never expect life to hand us a crap storm. But sometimes it does, and our choice to follow good or evil is completely up to us.
We need to pray daily that God guides us and protects us. He keeps us in check and bitterness far away. It is so easy to get caught up in bitterness, it’s like cancer, it grows until it kills you! That is precisely what happened to Orpah!
Lord,
I pray today for families. No matter what situations come our way we rely on you to get us through! Kept our Hart’s from getting hard and cold! Protect us from the cruelness of this world. Amen.
Orpah was Ruth’s sister who was married to her husbands brother, Naomi’s son, both of which who died along with Naomi’s husband. She is a brief part of the story in the book of Ruth and Ruths journey from becoming a widow to becoming part of the liniage of Jesus.
For those unfamiliar, after the death of their husbands Naomi decides to return to Israel to Bethlehem to her folks because her husband and sons have died. She was technically alone. She urges her daughters in law to return to their people, Orpah goes but Ruth refuses because she loves this woman who is now her family.
That’s where the story seems to ends for Orpah... what happened to her? You won’t believe it! According to the Bible she went home... Historians indicate this woman from the moment she received the kiss goodbye from Ruth, then entered into a life of utter chaos. She was rejected by her people, so inturn she ended up amongst the Philistines. She gave birth to six sons, six different fathers, six Giants... one being Goliath!
Years later there would be a encounter with Ruth’s great grandson David and this giant! According to the Talmud (a collection of Jewish writings) not only did Goliath die at the hands of David but so did Orpah her death brought on by defending her surviving son who constantly went after Israel, so she was killed by a General in David’s army... this woman spun out of control....
Sad thing is she was a bargaining tool, sold off to a King as a political pawn, then used by men for what ever! Her life, awful!
One sister Ruth, represents good... the other sister Orpah, represents evil.
I imagine Orpah wanted revenge, even though she chose to return home. Her idea of redemption was killing off what I imagine she thought should have been her inheritance.
I don’t imagine that Ruth ever thought that her sister would come at her family in such evil ways! I figure as we see the example of her ability to love, she thought her sister loved her as much as she loved Orpah. How incredibly sad!
The day those girls married brothers, they were happy and could have never imagined where life would lead them...two starting on the same basic path, but life handing them a crappy deal. I don’t think that Ruth thought her sisters life would be a living hell, and it probably was because she was in relationships with men who did not value her, the worst part, Orpah was fully aware of Ruth’s blessings. Ruth’s family was royalty, full of honor... Oprah’s family was royalty as well, but they were bullies!
What tragedy!
Families... the good, the bad, the ugly. So back to what initially brought me to Ruth and Orpah. I was thinking about a local news story, a teenager that went into a school and stabbed a bunch of people, and a interview that was done with this kids parents. It was incredibly sad, at first they were mortified, they thought perhaps he was a victim, little did they know he was the perpetrator. They talked about a neighbor who called them and told them they needed to check their kitchen for missing knives, their son was the one trying to kill his school mates. Never in their lives did they expect this.
Stories like this happen every day.
We never expect life to hand us a crap storm. But sometimes it does, and our choice to follow good or evil is completely up to us.
We need to pray daily that God guides us and protects us. He keeps us in check and bitterness far away. It is so easy to get caught up in bitterness, it’s like cancer, it grows until it kills you! That is precisely what happened to Orpah!
Lord,
I pray today for families. No matter what situations come our way we rely on you to get us through! Kept our Hart’s from getting hard and cold! Protect us from the cruelness of this world. Amen.
Sunday, February 11, 2018
Will We Know By and By?
Welcome to Trace’s Space... Often I have heard folks say,”when I get to Heaven I am going to ask God, why, where or how.” To clarify before I go further, I really do not think that when we enter Heaven we are going to care much about our questions, the awesomeness of God will take those earthly questions away. We will be so engaged in worship, on our face before Him, it won’t matter why there was never world peace or how many licks it took to get to the center of a tootsie pop.
But seriously, I have been thinking a lot lately about where God stands on our need to know, what answers He supplies, and the context of those answers... How much understanding does He really want us to have, especially in the areas that are really tough.
We have all had those events in our life that were really difficult, times when we have questioned the faithfulness of God, and even questioned if there is a God, where is the love, where is the healing, why did He allow my mother to die or my child to struggle... why is my husband sick? All of those things the world looks at as issues that lack the intervention of a deity that I as a Christian have chosen to trust fully in. But on the flip side of that, how do people survive the awful of this world without God?
Just yesterday I had a conversation with our daughter Rachael, we were discussing a terrible thing that had recently happened to someone we know... we were talking about the pain and suffering, and as the conversation went on, I shared with her what I believe God wants us to get about reasoning, understanding...Why He allows bad things to happen to good people. This is my kind of God driven explanation... knowing His nature and His desire to protect His children... I believe we will never know His reason for allowing tragedies to strike, because if He allowed us to know, we would never be able to bare it. In is omnipotent wisdom, He protects us from “us” and our need to get it. We do not need to know.. in the earthly view, it’s not fair, but in the God view we have to trust in knowing His ways aren’t ours. This whole life journey is about Trust!
Oh how hard is that?
When my mother died I tried to figure out Gods justification in taking her! She was good, kind, a woman of God! I had words with God a lot over it, ocassionally still do... why could God take her and leave not nice folks... I think I have shared the screaming match I had with God one morning on my way to work! But I’m going to share it again... I was angry with someone, and so I was actively discussing my total dislike for this person with God... I was letting Him know how mean this person was, you know because someone needed to tell Him. So I was so mad I was bawling, I said, “ God, how could you take my mother who was kind, who was good and leave me———?” As quick as I said it, He replied... “ She was ready”... nothing more... now to some you would think that was the by and by moment, but no... The picture was not completed, what We considered a great sadness could result in joy... Our flesh can’t handle that. We are selfish by nature...we can’t look beyond our grief and God knows it...
Job lost it all... Yet, he overcame because He knew and trusted God!
Israel had to wonder in the Wilderness...
Jesus went to the cross...
All for the bigger picture..
So today I pray.., Lord even though it hurts, I know Your ways aren’t mine! Lord help us to accept Your silence, but most of all Your wisdom...amen
See you next time
But seriously, I have been thinking a lot lately about where God stands on our need to know, what answers He supplies, and the context of those answers... How much understanding does He really want us to have, especially in the areas that are really tough.
We have all had those events in our life that were really difficult, times when we have questioned the faithfulness of God, and even questioned if there is a God, where is the love, where is the healing, why did He allow my mother to die or my child to struggle... why is my husband sick? All of those things the world looks at as issues that lack the intervention of a deity that I as a Christian have chosen to trust fully in. But on the flip side of that, how do people survive the awful of this world without God?
Just yesterday I had a conversation with our daughter Rachael, we were discussing a terrible thing that had recently happened to someone we know... we were talking about the pain and suffering, and as the conversation went on, I shared with her what I believe God wants us to get about reasoning, understanding...Why He allows bad things to happen to good people. This is my kind of God driven explanation... knowing His nature and His desire to protect His children... I believe we will never know His reason for allowing tragedies to strike, because if He allowed us to know, we would never be able to bare it. In is omnipotent wisdom, He protects us from “us” and our need to get it. We do not need to know.. in the earthly view, it’s not fair, but in the God view we have to trust in knowing His ways aren’t ours. This whole life journey is about Trust!
Oh how hard is that?
When my mother died I tried to figure out Gods justification in taking her! She was good, kind, a woman of God! I had words with God a lot over it, ocassionally still do... why could God take her and leave not nice folks... I think I have shared the screaming match I had with God one morning on my way to work! But I’m going to share it again... I was angry with someone, and so I was actively discussing my total dislike for this person with God... I was letting Him know how mean this person was, you know because someone needed to tell Him. So I was so mad I was bawling, I said, “ God, how could you take my mother who was kind, who was good and leave me———?” As quick as I said it, He replied... “ She was ready”... nothing more... now to some you would think that was the by and by moment, but no... The picture was not completed, what We considered a great sadness could result in joy... Our flesh can’t handle that. We are selfish by nature...we can’t look beyond our grief and God knows it...
Job lost it all... Yet, he overcame because He knew and trusted God!
Israel had to wonder in the Wilderness...
Jesus went to the cross...
All for the bigger picture..
So today I pray.., Lord even though it hurts, I know Your ways aren’t mine! Lord help us to accept Your silence, but most of all Your wisdom...amen
See you next time
Saturday, December 16, 2017
We Can’t All Be A Magi, But The Gift Sometimes is So Worthy!
Welcome To Trace’s Space. Oh boy, funny how memories flood our thoughts during the holiday season.
In the car today my husband asked me what it is I would like for Christmas. I hadn’t given much thought this year of anything that I’d really like, or need...I have been focused on what I would be gifting everyone else, and I responded that I’m really good at giving, not so much with receiving. He thought that was funny, had a dialog with me about if he gave me gifts without thought I would be mad...in a way he was right. When I receive a gift, the monitary value means nothing, what matters to me is that a lot of thought was put into it, and the gift has meaning between me and the person who gave it to me. Does this make sense? My gifting is intentional, thoughtful, and well I would hope everyone else is wired that way too, yeah, ok, I’m a realist, but a girl can dream, right?
So a little later I got to thinking, and I went back in time and remembered a time that was tough, and actually ugly, and it involved gifts, and my ungreatfulness.
At work we use to do Secret Santa. What happened was we would draw names, and for the five days before Christmas break we would leave a little token as a clue so that the person who was being gifted might be able to figure out who their Santa was.
So it began. I started to receive gifts... really strange gifts. Nothing that really had much to do with anything... like travel supplies, a loofa, a mirror, a back scratcher, story short, weird...I actually thought my Santa was playing tricks to throw me off and that my gift on the last day was going to be AMAZING! Boy was I wrong! It was awful, not really, but the thought that counts went straight to you know where and I sobbed! I thought my goodness this person hates me, and didn’t want to play once they got my name, blah, blah, blah! Poor me! Then BOOM!
God slammed me with reality. He spoke! Trace go thank her! I was like nope ain’t going to do it. I will not thank this person for this bunch of stupid stuff, He again spoke, go thank her. So I attempted to put on my big girl pants and think of words that wouldn’t be a blatant lie, so I could do as I was being told, my blood was boiling, but the reality, my heart was hurt, she was not worthy of my thankfulness, but....
I gathered my thoughts, put on my happy face and proceeded to go and tend to my fake thankfulness.
So I only had to walk up about twenty steps and by the time I got to the top of the stairs I was aware that there was something to these unwanted gifts, and that God was trying to show my hard heart something. As I opened the door and looked at her face I realized that her gifts had nothing to do with me, but everything to do with her struggles. So I said, hey thanks for being my Santa, I am thankful for my gifts. This woman got the biggest smile on her face, and then I received the gift I had been waiting for, I gave her validation, and made her happy! She was really clueless on how this game was to be played. It was a tough season for her as well, she needed encouraged and hugged and loved on, and isn’t that what it really is all about? My gift, her moment of joy!
We can’t all be a Magi in the sense of giving physically appealing or monetary gifts, but what we can do is accept all gifts no matter how humble as if they are worthy. The Shepherds brought nothing but themselves to the stable (read that sentence twice)...they had no fancy gifts, they actually had no idea they’d be visiting a newborn King, yet their presence was enough.
So as we reach the anticipated day of giving and receiving gifts in Celebration of His birth, let’s not get so caught up in the what it is or what it’s worth, and focus more so on the why...
17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. (James 1:17 NKJV)
Have a Merry Christmas! See you next time.
In the car today my husband asked me what it is I would like for Christmas. I hadn’t given much thought this year of anything that I’d really like, or need...I have been focused on what I would be gifting everyone else, and I responded that I’m really good at giving, not so much with receiving. He thought that was funny, had a dialog with me about if he gave me gifts without thought I would be mad...in a way he was right. When I receive a gift, the monitary value means nothing, what matters to me is that a lot of thought was put into it, and the gift has meaning between me and the person who gave it to me. Does this make sense? My gifting is intentional, thoughtful, and well I would hope everyone else is wired that way too, yeah, ok, I’m a realist, but a girl can dream, right?
So a little later I got to thinking, and I went back in time and remembered a time that was tough, and actually ugly, and it involved gifts, and my ungreatfulness.
At work we use to do Secret Santa. What happened was we would draw names, and for the five days before Christmas break we would leave a little token as a clue so that the person who was being gifted might be able to figure out who their Santa was.
So it began. I started to receive gifts... really strange gifts. Nothing that really had much to do with anything... like travel supplies, a loofa, a mirror, a back scratcher, story short, weird...I actually thought my Santa was playing tricks to throw me off and that my gift on the last day was going to be AMAZING! Boy was I wrong! It was awful, not really, but the thought that counts went straight to you know where and I sobbed! I thought my goodness this person hates me, and didn’t want to play once they got my name, blah, blah, blah! Poor me! Then BOOM!
God slammed me with reality. He spoke! Trace go thank her! I was like nope ain’t going to do it. I will not thank this person for this bunch of stupid stuff, He again spoke, go thank her. So I attempted to put on my big girl pants and think of words that wouldn’t be a blatant lie, so I could do as I was being told, my blood was boiling, but the reality, my heart was hurt, she was not worthy of my thankfulness, but....
I gathered my thoughts, put on my happy face and proceeded to go and tend to my fake thankfulness.
So I only had to walk up about twenty steps and by the time I got to the top of the stairs I was aware that there was something to these unwanted gifts, and that God was trying to show my hard heart something. As I opened the door and looked at her face I realized that her gifts had nothing to do with me, but everything to do with her struggles. So I said, hey thanks for being my Santa, I am thankful for my gifts. This woman got the biggest smile on her face, and then I received the gift I had been waiting for, I gave her validation, and made her happy! She was really clueless on how this game was to be played. It was a tough season for her as well, she needed encouraged and hugged and loved on, and isn’t that what it really is all about? My gift, her moment of joy!
We can’t all be a Magi in the sense of giving physically appealing or monetary gifts, but what we can do is accept all gifts no matter how humble as if they are worthy. The Shepherds brought nothing but themselves to the stable (read that sentence twice)...they had no fancy gifts, they actually had no idea they’d be visiting a newborn King, yet their presence was enough.
So as we reach the anticipated day of giving and receiving gifts in Celebration of His birth, let’s not get so caught up in the what it is or what it’s worth, and focus more so on the why...
17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning. (James 1:17 NKJV)
Have a Merry Christmas! See you next time.
Monday, December 4, 2017
Silent Night
Welcome to Trace’s Space. I imagine the scene was quite chaotic yet very holy. That night in the stable where Jesus was born. Joseph and Mary in a very humble situation, Mary giving birth to the One who came to save a lost and chaotic world. No doctors, no meds to make her comfortable, not even a clean blanket to wrap the new born baby in, but in the midst of the chaos, somehow it manifested into calm, holy.
Mary I am sure gazed into the eyes of her baby boy and looked beyond the promise of a Messiah and saw pure love and trust. Can you even imagine what joy she felt holding her baby. He is ours, but He was hers, to nurse, to comfort, to teach to speak, walk, potty train, all the things we do as mothers, as parents... yet he is God.
Silent Night.
Fast forward a couple of thousand years. We have entered into the hustle and bustle of the holiday season. While we shop and prepare to celebrate His birth, our world seems to be more chaotic than ever, and Christmas seems less holy than ever, yet in the midst of that chaos, calm is manifesting, and holy moments are happening, we just have to open our eyes and ears and receive them.
I really believe that this particular Christmas season is a time that God is calling on His people to not just rejoice in His coming, but to reflect, to remember, to embrace the chaos and find peace in it.
It’s been a tough season for most of us. The trials of the day, you know, illness, financial woes, work issues, family troubles, the list could go on and on... an unhappy king! Seems familiar, huh?
We all are struggling, but we need to seek Him in our trouble and find the calm in the chaos.
Joseph and Mary were in Bethlehem for the census in order for the government to tax them. They weren’t there because they wanted to be. But yet it was right where God wanted them to be! (That’s a word for someone)
Finding peace in chaos.
Silent Night.
The song moves me. I again think of Mary holding her baby, and the reaction of every person who made contact with Jesus...Even the heavens were aware of His birth. All was calm, All was bright. Heavenly Hosts sang, Shepherds quaked (trembled) in His presence. Yet He was tender and mild (calm).
So this Christmas I pray that we find peace in the chaos, and Rest in His Mercy!
Merry Christmas.
See you next time.
Mary I am sure gazed into the eyes of her baby boy and looked beyond the promise of a Messiah and saw pure love and trust. Can you even imagine what joy she felt holding her baby. He is ours, but He was hers, to nurse, to comfort, to teach to speak, walk, potty train, all the things we do as mothers, as parents... yet he is God.
Silent Night.
Fast forward a couple of thousand years. We have entered into the hustle and bustle of the holiday season. While we shop and prepare to celebrate His birth, our world seems to be more chaotic than ever, and Christmas seems less holy than ever, yet in the midst of that chaos, calm is manifesting, and holy moments are happening, we just have to open our eyes and ears and receive them.
I really believe that this particular Christmas season is a time that God is calling on His people to not just rejoice in His coming, but to reflect, to remember, to embrace the chaos and find peace in it.
It’s been a tough season for most of us. The trials of the day, you know, illness, financial woes, work issues, family troubles, the list could go on and on... an unhappy king! Seems familiar, huh?
We all are struggling, but we need to seek Him in our trouble and find the calm in the chaos.
Joseph and Mary were in Bethlehem for the census in order for the government to tax them. They weren’t there because they wanted to be. But yet it was right where God wanted them to be! (That’s a word for someone)
Finding peace in chaos.
Silent Night.
The song moves me. I again think of Mary holding her baby, and the reaction of every person who made contact with Jesus...Even the heavens were aware of His birth. All was calm, All was bright. Heavenly Hosts sang, Shepherds quaked (trembled) in His presence. Yet He was tender and mild (calm).
Silent Night, Holy Night.
All is calm, All is bright
Round yon Virgin, mother and child
Holy infant so tender and mild
Sleep in a Heavenly Peace
Sleep in Heavenly Peace
Merry Christmas.
See you next time.
Monday, October 16, 2017
You Are Surrounded
Welcome to Trace’s Space. I recently read an article from Focus On The Family on the “ Me Too” campaign. For those of you who are not familiar the campaign desires to bring attention to those who have been sexually assaulted. I had been seeing those two words, “Me Too” all over social media but had not yet gotten the jest of what it was about, and this article was full of information on the movement.
So research shows that we are surrounded by folks that have been victims of sexual assault, whether it be physically, or mentally, including sexual harassment. While this study focused mostly on women, commentors on the article brought attention to men who have also suffered from sexual assault.
So the word surrounded kept tugging at my heart. And God put this little thing into my mind and I shared it on the book, but I believe it is definitely to be shared on my blog, it’s deeply personal, but it’s truth, so here it is.
Sometimes those things in the depth of your soul, even though they are covered and the shame removed are still too fresh!
You are surrounded...
See shame is a funny thing. We can be ashamed of that which we have done, but we also can be ashamed because of the things done to us. You know those things that we thought we had a handle on, those things we thought God has expelled from our hearts, but deep down it’s still there. You know those things we own because we allowed ourselves to get ourselves into a tough spot. We find ourselves being surrounded, not only by others, but by that thing that happened.
It’s personal.
Her friends told her not to go. Alcohol and pride were the motivator, the ugliness of the evening was not only environmental (it was raining) but so was the outcome. She was assaulted by someone she knew, and when it was over he took her back to her car and acted like it never happened.
For years she acted like it never happened. Sometimes she still does. She blamed herself, never did she blame him. Even when she shared that dark deep secret with her husband, and he wanted to hurt him, she took ownership. She surrounded herself with guilt and pain.
Surrounded...
It’s personal.
While in our minds we know God can heal the wounds, our hearts still feel the violation. Then we go through life constantly struggling with trust issues among other things.
It’s personal.
Me too!
God is faithful, while we may not see this in our suffering, He is.
I shall walk before the Lord in the land of the living. He is my defender, my rock and fortress. And He can be that for you too.
Even as Christians we find ourselves not only being surrounded, but also being those who surround.
All we can do sometimes is pray, and press on.
So today Lord we pray, we pray for peace in our souls! Amen.
See you next time.
So research shows that we are surrounded by folks that have been victims of sexual assault, whether it be physically, or mentally, including sexual harassment. While this study focused mostly on women, commentors on the article brought attention to men who have also suffered from sexual assault.
So the word surrounded kept tugging at my heart. And God put this little thing into my mind and I shared it on the book, but I believe it is definitely to be shared on my blog, it’s deeply personal, but it’s truth, so here it is.
Sometimes those things in the depth of your soul, even though they are covered and the shame removed are still too fresh!
You are surrounded...
See shame is a funny thing. We can be ashamed of that which we have done, but we also can be ashamed because of the things done to us. You know those things that we thought we had a handle on, those things we thought God has expelled from our hearts, but deep down it’s still there. You know those things we own because we allowed ourselves to get ourselves into a tough spot. We find ourselves being surrounded, not only by others, but by that thing that happened.
It’s personal.
Her friends told her not to go. Alcohol and pride were the motivator, the ugliness of the evening was not only environmental (it was raining) but so was the outcome. She was assaulted by someone she knew, and when it was over he took her back to her car and acted like it never happened.
For years she acted like it never happened. Sometimes she still does. She blamed herself, never did she blame him. Even when she shared that dark deep secret with her husband, and he wanted to hurt him, she took ownership. She surrounded herself with guilt and pain.
Surrounded...
It’s personal.
While in our minds we know God can heal the wounds, our hearts still feel the violation. Then we go through life constantly struggling with trust issues among other things.
It’s personal.
Me too!
God is faithful, while we may not see this in our suffering, He is.
I shall walk before the Lord in the land of the living. He is my defender, my rock and fortress. And He can be that for you too.
Even as Christians we find ourselves not only being surrounded, but also being those who surround.
All we can do sometimes is pray, and press on.
So today Lord we pray, we pray for peace in our souls! Amen.
See you next time.
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