Welcome to Trace’s Space. I love buying shoes. The problem is I find that most shoes while very attractive in appearance, they tend to be very tough on the foot. The older I get the more I realize heels, while I love how they look, cause me great agony, and well, I just can’t walk in them, even with the correct fit.
Today as I was reading our local news online, I went to the comments section and started reading what folks had to say about a certain incident that had occurred over the weekend. I was bothered. Usually I just kind of read the comments, consider the source, then move on... but today, it stirred something in me. The question kept creeping into my mind, “who do we think we are?” Unless we have worn the same shoes and walked the same path, we are clueless.
We all have our definitions of what is right and what is not, what is holy what is evil. We all have our own level of moral infuriority that some how places us in a self created place of betterness. I like to believe that I am no better than anyone else no matter where I am in my journey, but sometimes we travel to that not nice place, you know where it’s okay to feel that way, to feel because you take the higher road you are a better person, but honestly it’s not! No matter our lot in life, we are no better than anyone else.
From dust we have come, to dust we will return. No one is getting out of here alive!
People were being quite cruel. Saying openly what they believed was the cause of said incident. Attacking every person involved, attacking the break down of society. No Solutions, a couple of we need to pray, some so sorry. Only one person defended the person by saying what they believed to be true ( I tend to go with her version of truth), but then folks went after her!
See she had worn the same shoes. Her life experience spoke volumes...yet the sneaker wearers were more than willing to kick this girl off her Stiletto’s like a punter kicking a football. Life experience spoke nothing to them, and to me that was sad. No matter what angle she took, sharing her personal journey, no one seemed to have a moment of mercy to spare. Her journey was relevant to the situation and full of truth.
It got to me.
Every part of my being wanted to engage in the commenting, but my heart said no! Wisdom, wisdom, wisdom. I am learning to guard my tongue and hold my thoughts captive. Speaking your mind is not always wise, it’s not always profitable. I think all it would have done by engaging in the conversation, was burn the rubber off my flip flops.
We live in a society that feels that we always need to just say what we think or feel, but that’s not truth! We have two ears and one mouth for a reason. We need to filter and process our words wisely.
Combat boots are not meant to be worn daily unless you are planing on engaging in battle. As a Christian I have a full set of armor for that! While we need to be ready for spiritual battle, the shoes we choose or have chosen will contribute to the success of our own journey, not anyone else’s.
So can you walk in your own shoes, or do you need to maybe shop for a different pair? It’s up to you!
See you next time.
Tuesday, June 26, 2018
Sunday, June 3, 2018
Seasons come, Seasons go!
Welcome to Trace’s Space. Weather, is it really that predictable or do the Forecasters just get lucky? The weather this season (Spring) has been all over the place. We have had summer like days, and snow, ice and hail. Sometimes all In the same day. If one was inclined to believe that there really is a Mother Nature, they would very much want to label her bipolar.
To some degree of accuracy, the local weather guys have done a good job getting a handle on their forcasts, a shout out to them, but can you imagine their surprise when morning after morning well into March, they were still predicting snow, several inches at that. It was blustery, it was cold, then boom it happened, spring finally made an appearance.
Like a long lost friend the sunshine finally returned and the trees decided to bud. Flowers started blooming and the lilac bushes have avoided frost. Children are gleefully playing out until dark, and the grills are releasing the aroma of wonderful dinners being prepared. Yes, Spring has sprung!
See the seasons here in Western Pennsylvania are so unpredictable. You never know what you are going to get. Even though by date they are defined, they come and go, and are never exactly the same.
As is with life. I am quite sure that most of us would desire that any season we walk through be well defined. I am sure we would be content with our ducks being simply in line, the row not mattering much. We find unpredictability uncomfortable, we do not marvel at the constant changes and while most folks tend to find a way to just roll with it, for some the struggle is way beyond real. Life is constantly throwing stuff our way, and whether we encounter a bright sun shiney day or a hail storm, finding balance is the key to finding contentment.
Some of us have preferred seasons. I myself favor autumn, I love the temperature, you know the chilly sunny days, and the vibrant colors, the deep reds and oranges, purples and browns. While I recognize that the appearance of the colors indicate the follage of summer is dying off, there is hope that when Spring returns that rebirth will take place.
See we have to have to experience a season of death (in the spiritual sense) in order for rebirth in our lives to take place. Sometimes the things we hold onto are just as beautiful as the colors of fall, but there comes a time that we have to let it go. Letting go is hard. Holding on is easy.
I went skiing once. I would love to tell you it was wonderful, it it was not! I had no clue, see you have to have some knowledge of skiing before you attempt the mountain, that I did not have, I couldn’t stand on roller skates let alone skis. The folks I was having this adventure with had skill, they had been before. So they told me that I would be skipping the basic skill training and going right up the mountain, their reasoning was, just like learning to ride a bike, all you need is a little push. A true indicator this was going to be a fail could have been when I lost my ski and they had to stop the lift to retrieve it.
So up the mountain we went. Did I mention the temperature was -15 F and the wind was blowing and so was the snow, not the snow on the mountain, that was fully packed, and felt it like cement when I fell, immediately after leaving the lift. So my friends instructed me on how to ski, and off they went. Yes they passed me three times as I attempted to roll down the mountain. I would ski about ten feet and fall, my skis would cross and fall off. But I was determined to make it down the mountain.
Did I make it down the mountain? Yep, via the emergency medical/rescue team. About half way down they came for me. The medic said, hey we’ve been watching you for a while and we just can’t watch it any longer. So they loaded me in the rescue basket and down the mountain I went, backwards and very quickly.
My friends when they finally met up with me in the bar of the ski lodge, found this hysterically funny. Me, not so much. It’s very funny now, but then I was tired, cold and bruised. My pride was damaged because I had to be rescued, and also my feelings were hurt because they just left me on the side of a mountain. In their defense I don’t think they thought I would struggle, they had hope in my skill, and ability to catch on. They had never been skiing with anyone like me before! Lol
I wanted to keep on going, I was going to make it on my own, but that was not wise. I had to trust the experts when they said, enough!
God does that you know, He will let you know when it’s enough, and when He is Enough. He will let your heart know when it’s time to give up and give Him opportunity, when it is time to let that thing you’ve been holding onto die.
For some it’s physical, really, I’ve lived with this ailment for so long it’s okay. For some it’s mental, you know when you convince yourself it’s just me. It’s a multitude of things that we don’t have to suffer with because God truly wants to rid us of it. He wants us to fully trust Him and let it go!
It is then that we are in that season of dying to ourselves and opening our hearts to rebirth.
What ever your struggle, God is with you.
So now that Spring has arrived, and Summer is quickly approaching, enjoy the newness and freshness of this season, and know that something may have had to die in order to fill this season with new life!
Sit back and breathe, and simply thank God, for His voice and His wisdom surrounds us.
See you next time!
To some degree of accuracy, the local weather guys have done a good job getting a handle on their forcasts, a shout out to them, but can you imagine their surprise when morning after morning well into March, they were still predicting snow, several inches at that. It was blustery, it was cold, then boom it happened, spring finally made an appearance.
Like a long lost friend the sunshine finally returned and the trees decided to bud. Flowers started blooming and the lilac bushes have avoided frost. Children are gleefully playing out until dark, and the grills are releasing the aroma of wonderful dinners being prepared. Yes, Spring has sprung!
See the seasons here in Western Pennsylvania are so unpredictable. You never know what you are going to get. Even though by date they are defined, they come and go, and are never exactly the same.
As is with life. I am quite sure that most of us would desire that any season we walk through be well defined. I am sure we would be content with our ducks being simply in line, the row not mattering much. We find unpredictability uncomfortable, we do not marvel at the constant changes and while most folks tend to find a way to just roll with it, for some the struggle is way beyond real. Life is constantly throwing stuff our way, and whether we encounter a bright sun shiney day or a hail storm, finding balance is the key to finding contentment.
Some of us have preferred seasons. I myself favor autumn, I love the temperature, you know the chilly sunny days, and the vibrant colors, the deep reds and oranges, purples and browns. While I recognize that the appearance of the colors indicate the follage of summer is dying off, there is hope that when Spring returns that rebirth will take place.
See we have to have to experience a season of death (in the spiritual sense) in order for rebirth in our lives to take place. Sometimes the things we hold onto are just as beautiful as the colors of fall, but there comes a time that we have to let it go. Letting go is hard. Holding on is easy.
I went skiing once. I would love to tell you it was wonderful, it it was not! I had no clue, see you have to have some knowledge of skiing before you attempt the mountain, that I did not have, I couldn’t stand on roller skates let alone skis. The folks I was having this adventure with had skill, they had been before. So they told me that I would be skipping the basic skill training and going right up the mountain, their reasoning was, just like learning to ride a bike, all you need is a little push. A true indicator this was going to be a fail could have been when I lost my ski and they had to stop the lift to retrieve it.
So up the mountain we went. Did I mention the temperature was -15 F and the wind was blowing and so was the snow, not the snow on the mountain, that was fully packed, and felt it like cement when I fell, immediately after leaving the lift. So my friends instructed me on how to ski, and off they went. Yes they passed me three times as I attempted to roll down the mountain. I would ski about ten feet and fall, my skis would cross and fall off. But I was determined to make it down the mountain.
Did I make it down the mountain? Yep, via the emergency medical/rescue team. About half way down they came for me. The medic said, hey we’ve been watching you for a while and we just can’t watch it any longer. So they loaded me in the rescue basket and down the mountain I went, backwards and very quickly.
My friends when they finally met up with me in the bar of the ski lodge, found this hysterically funny. Me, not so much. It’s very funny now, but then I was tired, cold and bruised. My pride was damaged because I had to be rescued, and also my feelings were hurt because they just left me on the side of a mountain. In their defense I don’t think they thought I would struggle, they had hope in my skill, and ability to catch on. They had never been skiing with anyone like me before! Lol
I wanted to keep on going, I was going to make it on my own, but that was not wise. I had to trust the experts when they said, enough!
God does that you know, He will let you know when it’s enough, and when He is Enough. He will let your heart know when it’s time to give up and give Him opportunity, when it is time to let that thing you’ve been holding onto die.
For some it’s physical, really, I’ve lived with this ailment for so long it’s okay. For some it’s mental, you know when you convince yourself it’s just me. It’s a multitude of things that we don’t have to suffer with because God truly wants to rid us of it. He wants us to fully trust Him and let it go!
It is then that we are in that season of dying to ourselves and opening our hearts to rebirth.
What ever your struggle, God is with you.
So now that Spring has arrived, and Summer is quickly approaching, enjoy the newness and freshness of this season, and know that something may have had to die in order to fill this season with new life!
Sit back and breathe, and simply thank God, for His voice and His wisdom surrounds us.
See you next time!
Sunday, May 13, 2018
mommy! Mommy! MOMMY!
Welcome to Trace's Space! Happy Mother’s Day! Each and every holiday my mind gets consumed with memories of my mother. Mother’s Day for the past twenty six years has always been difficult, but as I get older I seem to miss my mother more so than ever.
I have had some very uncomfortable moments lately in coping with a loss that is not fresh but feels fresh every single day. That is how grief works, well for me anyway, no matter how long it has been it still feels like it just happened, and peeps, that’s okay!
Not only do I miss her, I miss the things that she has missed, birthdays, weddings, graduations, great grandchildren ( she would have loved all the babies). She has missed our failures and our triumps. She has missed our joy and our sorrows. But of all that saddens me, the thing that I find gut wrenching is the fact that my two youngest children remember very little of her.
I remember when she first passed that I struggled because I forgot the sound of her voice. Thankfully my sister in law video taped a couple family gatherings. But today we were talking and one of the kids said that they really don’t remember her...it made me so sad.
So I started sharing funny stuff about mom. I would describe her humor as awkward. She wasn’t really intentional in making people laugh, but she did. Hearing her bust a gut over something was truly special once she let go and let it happen. Sometimes I believe she saved laughter/joking for her closest friends or relatives. Honestly dad was the funny one, I guess you could say it was balanced.
Mom had the mother rage face that made you laugh...she wasn’t mean, she didn’t have to be, we were pretty good kids...we weren’t perfect, we got into trouble, but I don’t remember it ever being scary. Home was a safe place.
She loved movies. Everything from Cheech and Chong ( too funny, she tried not to laugh, Mike found her more funny than Up in Smoke) to Burt Renoylds, her favorite actor was Charles Bronson.
She was musically gifted, played piano by ear, and her musical tastes were all over the place (yeah, just like mine).
She took us to see “The Jerk”. I’ll leave it at that.
She was complicated, consumed by her love for her family, consumed by memories of her past, the most forgiving person I ever knew.
I believe her love for writing came from her love for history and geography. She was very intelligent, she had wanted to become a nurse. She did the crossword puzzle in the newspaper every day. She loved words, she had taken Latin in High School so she whizzed through those puzzles.
Any one was welcome in our home.
I guess when you think someone will be around forever you seem to not recognize the greatness of who they are until they are gone.
How I long to hear her mess up a perfectly good song by singing a rough harmony to it. How I long for a really well done hamburger. How I long for the smell of really strong coffee and ham. How I long for the break peddle being pushed by the passenger as I drove (yes and she’d grab your arm too). How I long to hear her laughing as she talked long distance to her cousin Barbara. How I long to see her taking care of someone who had lost everything, making sure their kids had. By golly I just want good macaroni salad, my sister in law has mastered the pie crust!
I miss her so much.
I would like to think that God let’s her have a little peek of what we have all become.
Yes this Mothers Day, I pay tribute to one of the greatest, mine. I find some comfort in knowing she will never suffer, and that she is with Jesus, and that we will see each other again someday! She would not dig this sadness I feel, but it’s okay, that’s what she would say, it’s okay... cherish your mother if you still have her, life is too short to not!
See you next time.
I have had some very uncomfortable moments lately in coping with a loss that is not fresh but feels fresh every single day. That is how grief works, well for me anyway, no matter how long it has been it still feels like it just happened, and peeps, that’s okay!
Not only do I miss her, I miss the things that she has missed, birthdays, weddings, graduations, great grandchildren ( she would have loved all the babies). She has missed our failures and our triumps. She has missed our joy and our sorrows. But of all that saddens me, the thing that I find gut wrenching is the fact that my two youngest children remember very little of her.
I remember when she first passed that I struggled because I forgot the sound of her voice. Thankfully my sister in law video taped a couple family gatherings. But today we were talking and one of the kids said that they really don’t remember her...it made me so sad.
So I started sharing funny stuff about mom. I would describe her humor as awkward. She wasn’t really intentional in making people laugh, but she did. Hearing her bust a gut over something was truly special once she let go and let it happen. Sometimes I believe she saved laughter/joking for her closest friends or relatives. Honestly dad was the funny one, I guess you could say it was balanced.
Mom had the mother rage face that made you laugh...she wasn’t mean, she didn’t have to be, we were pretty good kids...we weren’t perfect, we got into trouble, but I don’t remember it ever being scary. Home was a safe place.
She loved movies. Everything from Cheech and Chong ( too funny, she tried not to laugh, Mike found her more funny than Up in Smoke) to Burt Renoylds, her favorite actor was Charles Bronson.
She was musically gifted, played piano by ear, and her musical tastes were all over the place (yeah, just like mine).
She took us to see “The Jerk”. I’ll leave it at that.
She was complicated, consumed by her love for her family, consumed by memories of her past, the most forgiving person I ever knew.
I believe her love for writing came from her love for history and geography. She was very intelligent, she had wanted to become a nurse. She did the crossword puzzle in the newspaper every day. She loved words, she had taken Latin in High School so she whizzed through those puzzles.
Any one was welcome in our home.
I guess when you think someone will be around forever you seem to not recognize the greatness of who they are until they are gone.
How I long to hear her mess up a perfectly good song by singing a rough harmony to it. How I long for a really well done hamburger. How I long for the smell of really strong coffee and ham. How I long for the break peddle being pushed by the passenger as I drove (yes and she’d grab your arm too). How I long to hear her laughing as she talked long distance to her cousin Barbara. How I long to see her taking care of someone who had lost everything, making sure their kids had. By golly I just want good macaroni salad, my sister in law has mastered the pie crust!
I miss her so much.
I would like to think that God let’s her have a little peek of what we have all become.
Yes this Mothers Day, I pay tribute to one of the greatest, mine. I find some comfort in knowing she will never suffer, and that she is with Jesus, and that we will see each other again someday! She would not dig this sadness I feel, but it’s okay, that’s what she would say, it’s okay... cherish your mother if you still have her, life is too short to not!
See you next time.
Sunday, April 29, 2018
So, It’s A Mystery Box!
Welcome to Trace’s Space! In my job I spend a lot of time taking notice of children what they know, what they do. What is the process, how do they get from point A to point B. What level of expertise or difficulty do they have in obtaining a goal. Children are enlightening, we can and should take notice, we can learn a lot about who we are from watching them.
So our Grandson Jase enjoys Lego’s. He loves to build, he loves to create. So I knew he was coming over today so I decided I would treat him to a very small LEGO set. This was not a typical set, it was a “Mystery” set. At first he was intrigued, the whole idea of it being a mystery was very appealing.
So he quickly rips open the box, pulls out the bag of various shaped and sized legos, and the instruction book. He’s immediately says, “Mawmaw, what is this suppose to be?” I answer, “ I don’t know, it’s a mystery.”
His demeanor changes. Not that he is overwhelmed, this immediately becomes serious business. The instructions for these sets show you exactly what pieces you need for each section, so even though he didn’t know exactly what was being built, he had the plan, a visual aide to help him along. So about thirty minutes later he was finished not only with the five items in the set, but with also creating something from the leftover pieces.
He never gave up, he just followed the plan. He is five.
How often do we give up when something we are struggling with deviates from what we know or what we need to see? Even if there is a plan, how often do we throw up our hands and say forget it because we have no clue in how it’s going to turn out.
See life is a mystery, and in a sense the things and the ways of God are too. A lot of Who He is, is revealed in His word, but so much more as we simply live. We really never know what’s coming unless we plan, or have been given a plan. So much of our life journey is trial and error, and so much of our journey needs to be trust driven.
We often find ourselves future tripping trying to figure it all out with out a set of instructions, that is life. Our mind game or visually created trip is always much worse than the actual journey, see that’s how it is when we try to figure it out on our own. But sometimes it is what it is.
Jase wanted to go off plan when he was finishing up because there were left over blocks. The problem was the pieces were random, using his mind and having vision, he created exactly what his imagination saw, it made little sense to no one but him, and that was fine, but for the rest of us, is being so random ok? Perhaps! See again it’s trust!
Sometimes we need to just go with it. That is very hard for most folks. I am a ducks in a row girl, so going a little rogue is hard for me. I need rules, I need order, although when I was a kid that wasn’t reality! I was the poster child for ADHD, lol! But as I grew older I found my ability to function was controlled by order, it’s what I need. I have to be given a plan.
So I pray a lot for direction and clarity of His plans for me, because even though I have walked a lot of my journey with Him, I’m still a little lost! My life is still has a lot of mystery left to it.
I guess what I’m trying to say is our mysterious life should be looks upon as an adventure. We may be often surprised by outcomes but in the end it’s all good because our God is Faithful. We have to learn to lean on Him for understanding and simply trust Him.
Lord today I pray for understanding and clarity. I pray that I am walking the path and following the plan you have for my life! Lord I also pray to you on behalf of those who are reading this, that they too embrace You for who You are, Amen.
See you next time.
So our Grandson Jase enjoys Lego’s. He loves to build, he loves to create. So I knew he was coming over today so I decided I would treat him to a very small LEGO set. This was not a typical set, it was a “Mystery” set. At first he was intrigued, the whole idea of it being a mystery was very appealing.
So he quickly rips open the box, pulls out the bag of various shaped and sized legos, and the instruction book. He’s immediately says, “Mawmaw, what is this suppose to be?” I answer, “ I don’t know, it’s a mystery.”
His demeanor changes. Not that he is overwhelmed, this immediately becomes serious business. The instructions for these sets show you exactly what pieces you need for each section, so even though he didn’t know exactly what was being built, he had the plan, a visual aide to help him along. So about thirty minutes later he was finished not only with the five items in the set, but with also creating something from the leftover pieces.
He never gave up, he just followed the plan. He is five.
How often do we give up when something we are struggling with deviates from what we know or what we need to see? Even if there is a plan, how often do we throw up our hands and say forget it because we have no clue in how it’s going to turn out.
See life is a mystery, and in a sense the things and the ways of God are too. A lot of Who He is, is revealed in His word, but so much more as we simply live. We really never know what’s coming unless we plan, or have been given a plan. So much of our life journey is trial and error, and so much of our journey needs to be trust driven.
We often find ourselves future tripping trying to figure it all out with out a set of instructions, that is life. Our mind game or visually created trip is always much worse than the actual journey, see that’s how it is when we try to figure it out on our own. But sometimes it is what it is.
Jase wanted to go off plan when he was finishing up because there were left over blocks. The problem was the pieces were random, using his mind and having vision, he created exactly what his imagination saw, it made little sense to no one but him, and that was fine, but for the rest of us, is being so random ok? Perhaps! See again it’s trust!
Sometimes we need to just go with it. That is very hard for most folks. I am a ducks in a row girl, so going a little rogue is hard for me. I need rules, I need order, although when I was a kid that wasn’t reality! I was the poster child for ADHD, lol! But as I grew older I found my ability to function was controlled by order, it’s what I need. I have to be given a plan.
So I pray a lot for direction and clarity of His plans for me, because even though I have walked a lot of my journey with Him, I’m still a little lost! My life is still has a lot of mystery left to it.
I guess what I’m trying to say is our mysterious life should be looks upon as an adventure. We may be often surprised by outcomes but in the end it’s all good because our God is Faithful. We have to learn to lean on Him for understanding and simply trust Him.
Lord today I pray for understanding and clarity. I pray that I am walking the path and following the plan you have for my life! Lord I also pray to you on behalf of those who are reading this, that they too embrace You for who You are, Amen.
See you next time.
Saturday, April 28, 2018
Take Me To Your Leader
Welcome to Trace’s Space. Being a leader is not easy. In one way or another, we all have opportunities to lead others in some way or another. Whether we are technically a supervisor, or in charge of a group of folks in an informal way, life tends to pull us in that direction at some point.
This week a phrase from a the Bethel song, “ It is Well” has been on my mind. “ The wind and Waves still know His Name”.
I have been thinking about the disciples, and how interesting, even though the disciples chose to follow Jesus, they spent the majority of their time with Him learning to be led by Him. They felt drawn, they witnessed the miracles, they heard the words, yet, they still had to be taught to be led.
The qualities of leadership vary depending on the task, but when I think about effective leadership, I think about folks who are kind, expect your best, take notice of it, and never shame you, even when you may have it coming. I know sometimes a leader has to deal with uncomfortable situations, but, response and delivery doesn’t need to be cruel, ruling with a whip gets you no where. A leader never sends a bolder rolling at you from the top of the mountain, they jump in the way, and protect who they are leading, they take the bolder with you, even if it means being shoved into a valley!
Years ago when our son played football, my husband decided coaching was his deal. I would love to say that Mike excelled at the logistics of football and teaching the kids valuable playing skills, but I don’t believe that was his thing, he’s a musician! But, he cared about these boys. See in our community there are a lot of kids that wouldn’t have a way to practice or games, for some money to play was a miracle in itself. He even moved these kids into a different league so that a guy with a troubled past could help coach, the reason being this guy deserved a second chance.
These boys did not win one game. It didn’t matter. What happened even though they looked humiliated, they were proud, and they tried, and they respected coach Mike.
I remember being beyond angry with my husband. These kids had no way to get where they needed to be so he loaded them up in the back of our pick up truck! My God, what was he thinking? He was like “Trace, what am I suppose to do?”
Because of his leadership, these boys who are almost thirty, when they see him out somewhere get excited yell out to him, and most times, greet with a handshake that leads to a hug. He cared for them and they knew it. He was a good leader!
He looked beyond their circumstances, he provided their need, and he legitimately cared for them! It was REAL!
When Jesus and the disciples where out on the sea in the storm, those men were panicking, Jesus slept, and when they finally went to Him and He spoke to the wind and to the waves, and the storm stopped, their response was, even the wind and sea knows His name. In other words, they knew (wind and waves) Who was speaking to them, and it was almost like the twelve were in shock that Jesus could calm the storm.
Time after time each event was a learning experience, a trust building exercise, even though they knew, they didn’t, if that makes sense. They constantly were learning. They often questioned Him, but He knew their hearts, He knew His plan, He knew He was leading the right group! He never gave up on them, He never gives up on you.
People gravitate towards positive influences, they produce well when they feel valued. Being a leader isn’t easy, it is also a position to not take lightly. A good leader puts on your shoes even when they don’t fit, they walk your path with you, sometimes without you... they care...when some one asks you to take them to your leader, you aren’t afraid to.
Just like God, where He leads I will follow, and when I need Him I go, I am not afraid to take folks with me, because He is Who He says He is! He is my Leader! Amen? Yes!
Lord today I pray for folks in leadership positions, whether it in ministry, or in the world at any level. I pray that You guide their thoughts, give them wisdom, and guard their hearts. I also pray for those who follow, that you give them the grace to follow, and an open heart and mind to accept their leadership and the wisdom to learn. This I pray in Your Name, Amen.
See you next time.
This week a phrase from a the Bethel song, “ It is Well” has been on my mind. “ The wind and Waves still know His Name”.
I have been thinking about the disciples, and how interesting, even though the disciples chose to follow Jesus, they spent the majority of their time with Him learning to be led by Him. They felt drawn, they witnessed the miracles, they heard the words, yet, they still had to be taught to be led.
The qualities of leadership vary depending on the task, but when I think about effective leadership, I think about folks who are kind, expect your best, take notice of it, and never shame you, even when you may have it coming. I know sometimes a leader has to deal with uncomfortable situations, but, response and delivery doesn’t need to be cruel, ruling with a whip gets you no where. A leader never sends a bolder rolling at you from the top of the mountain, they jump in the way, and protect who they are leading, they take the bolder with you, even if it means being shoved into a valley!
Years ago when our son played football, my husband decided coaching was his deal. I would love to say that Mike excelled at the logistics of football and teaching the kids valuable playing skills, but I don’t believe that was his thing, he’s a musician! But, he cared about these boys. See in our community there are a lot of kids that wouldn’t have a way to practice or games, for some money to play was a miracle in itself. He even moved these kids into a different league so that a guy with a troubled past could help coach, the reason being this guy deserved a second chance.
These boys did not win one game. It didn’t matter. What happened even though they looked humiliated, they were proud, and they tried, and they respected coach Mike.
I remember being beyond angry with my husband. These kids had no way to get where they needed to be so he loaded them up in the back of our pick up truck! My God, what was he thinking? He was like “Trace, what am I suppose to do?”
Because of his leadership, these boys who are almost thirty, when they see him out somewhere get excited yell out to him, and most times, greet with a handshake that leads to a hug. He cared for them and they knew it. He was a good leader!
He looked beyond their circumstances, he provided their need, and he legitimately cared for them! It was REAL!
When Jesus and the disciples where out on the sea in the storm, those men were panicking, Jesus slept, and when they finally went to Him and He spoke to the wind and to the waves, and the storm stopped, their response was, even the wind and sea knows His name. In other words, they knew (wind and waves) Who was speaking to them, and it was almost like the twelve were in shock that Jesus could calm the storm.
Time after time each event was a learning experience, a trust building exercise, even though they knew, they didn’t, if that makes sense. They constantly were learning. They often questioned Him, but He knew their hearts, He knew His plan, He knew He was leading the right group! He never gave up on them, He never gives up on you.
People gravitate towards positive influences, they produce well when they feel valued. Being a leader isn’t easy, it is also a position to not take lightly. A good leader puts on your shoes even when they don’t fit, they walk your path with you, sometimes without you... they care...when some one asks you to take them to your leader, you aren’t afraid to.
Just like God, where He leads I will follow, and when I need Him I go, I am not afraid to take folks with me, because He is Who He says He is! He is my Leader! Amen? Yes!
Lord today I pray for folks in leadership positions, whether it in ministry, or in the world at any level. I pray that You guide their thoughts, give them wisdom, and guard their hearts. I also pray for those who follow, that you give them the grace to follow, and an open heart and mind to accept their leadership and the wisdom to learn. This I pray in Your Name, Amen.
See you next time.
Sunday, March 25, 2018
They Couldn’t Buy A Clue, So He Paid!
Welcome To Trace’s Space. Hosanna! Glory to the Highest ! Words that came from the mouths of the clueless as Jesus entered Jerusalem. I know that sounds harsh, but it was the reality of the moment, these same folks who were praising the King they had long awaited for, would be the same folks six days later selling him off to die so that a murderer could be free.
They did not know. As Jesus was being crucified, He asked the Father to forgive them, for they knew not what they were doing. For three years He had been walking amongst them being about the Fathers business, healing, preaching, raising folks from the dead, but somehow the witnesses to the Man, their Messiah, had been swayed by public opinion and fear of the government, and they managed to go into complete denial of who He was/is.
Even the twelve, His friends were quick to deny Him. One even sold His whereabouts for a few coins. Tough times in the Holy Land.
Tough times in our land, America. The simulairites to that time and ours is so amazing. Our country is in turmoil, everybody looking for an answer, everybody blaming everyone else, everybody selling off one another in order to gain something, the only difference is, we aren’t selling off our Messiah, or are we?
We have lost a concept or two, or three, or many. Someone asked today, what if none of us are right? The question really had little to do with faith, but depending on where you stand, it could have everything to do with faith. See we all have our opinions on what is wrong or right with the world today. We have this influx of information and that information can lead us in many directions, the problem is, how much if it is truth? How much is biased, how much is based on actual facts, how much of it is what we think we hear, or what we want to hear? How confusing is it all? We all process information differently, then we form our opinion.
From gun control to gender, from politics to religion, we all have a thought or two. Who is right? We can’t even respect anyone’s opinion, or at the very least, let them complete a sentence. It seems like the right for public opinion has been outlawed unless it’s popular. But who decides that? WHO IS RIGHT?
We are clueless.
See history repeats itself, we are human and we tend to forget, tend to not care unless it directly effects us. See there is a pattern here. A repeat. The crowd was somehow convinced that they wanted Barrabas. Even though Jesus too was standing there, they forgot or never really knew their Messiah, their salvation, that was about to be sent to die by those He came to save.
They were clueless. Swayed by public opinion, or fear.
The good news is though, even though we don’t get it, there is hope! Even though we can’t buy a clue, someone has already paid full price for our inability to catch on to that which is right. Our human nature will some day leave this world and our spirit will dwell where earthly matters won’t be so important.
We need to put the petty aside, live for Jesus.
Who’s right? I don’t know. But what I do know is, I have decided to follow His lead, and pray for forgiveness, because I need to daily. I need to pray for those who I disagree with and pray that God help me understand and vice versa. What are the answers? God only knows!
Amen? Absolutely!
See you next time.
They did not know. As Jesus was being crucified, He asked the Father to forgive them, for they knew not what they were doing. For three years He had been walking amongst them being about the Fathers business, healing, preaching, raising folks from the dead, but somehow the witnesses to the Man, their Messiah, had been swayed by public opinion and fear of the government, and they managed to go into complete denial of who He was/is.
Even the twelve, His friends were quick to deny Him. One even sold His whereabouts for a few coins. Tough times in the Holy Land.
Tough times in our land, America. The simulairites to that time and ours is so amazing. Our country is in turmoil, everybody looking for an answer, everybody blaming everyone else, everybody selling off one another in order to gain something, the only difference is, we aren’t selling off our Messiah, or are we?
We have lost a concept or two, or three, or many. Someone asked today, what if none of us are right? The question really had little to do with faith, but depending on where you stand, it could have everything to do with faith. See we all have our opinions on what is wrong or right with the world today. We have this influx of information and that information can lead us in many directions, the problem is, how much if it is truth? How much is biased, how much is based on actual facts, how much of it is what we think we hear, or what we want to hear? How confusing is it all? We all process information differently, then we form our opinion.
From gun control to gender, from politics to religion, we all have a thought or two. Who is right? We can’t even respect anyone’s opinion, or at the very least, let them complete a sentence. It seems like the right for public opinion has been outlawed unless it’s popular. But who decides that? WHO IS RIGHT?
We are clueless.
See history repeats itself, we are human and we tend to forget, tend to not care unless it directly effects us. See there is a pattern here. A repeat. The crowd was somehow convinced that they wanted Barrabas. Even though Jesus too was standing there, they forgot or never really knew their Messiah, their salvation, that was about to be sent to die by those He came to save.
They were clueless. Swayed by public opinion, or fear.
The good news is though, even though we don’t get it, there is hope! Even though we can’t buy a clue, someone has already paid full price for our inability to catch on to that which is right. Our human nature will some day leave this world and our spirit will dwell where earthly matters won’t be so important.
We need to put the petty aside, live for Jesus.
Who’s right? I don’t know. But what I do know is, I have decided to follow His lead, and pray for forgiveness, because I need to daily. I need to pray for those who I disagree with and pray that God help me understand and vice versa. What are the answers? God only knows!
Amen? Absolutely!
See you next time.
Sunday, March 18, 2018
This Is My Story, This Is My Song!
Welcome to Trace’s Space. My grandson and I were hanging out yesterday, and he said something and I immediately broke out into song. He says, “ Mamaw why you singing.” And I said, “ Jase I could probably come up with a song about anything!” I believe at first he was amazed by my skill, then he became annoyed and asked me to stop.
But it is true, no matter the subject matter, I can come up with something, because music for me has always been my happy place. As a child I remember the neighbor guy yelling for me to shut up because I was hanging upside down on the swingset singing opera. I would sing songs I knew, that I made up. I absorbed songs and they became part of me, if that makes sense. For every life event there is some song attached to it...Music is the clearest attribute connected to my soul.
There are times when I am troubled, the safest place I can be, is sitting on my bed, iPad in hand earphones in place, and music blaring. There are also times that in that escape I find myself dancing like no one is watching, or drowning in tears. There is freedom there for me. I can leave my space, and just drift away completely into what I am listening to.
No Segway! Here we go!
So, I wanted to be a star! This is actually pretty funny. I was about thirteen years old and Jamboree USA was having a star search. I wanted to to this thing, you know, to compete to sing so badly, that I could taste it. Since it was country music I decided that I would learn a little ditty called. “ Heavens Just A Sin Away,” by the Kendall’s. This was my song selection and ticket to stardom. Remember I was thirteen. So I get dressed up in my light blue pantsuit, with light blue ruffled blouse, adorned with really big bow, and along with my parents and little brother, off to Wheeling we went. We sat in on the show that evening, then proceeded to take my walk up the stairway to stardom. Lots of famous folks had climbed those stairs, every step had someones star studded name on it. It was dark and smokie, and scary. So we get to the top of the stairs, I turn to my dad and say, “I can’t do it!” I believe Dad breathed a sigh of relief, and gave a smile, and home we went.
I always chuckle about my road to fame, well, my pothole filled road to fame. Did that experience make my dream go away, no, but it changed how I viewed how I was going to do what I loved just because I love it. Or how God was going to bless me, with serving Him, by giving me the desire of my heart.
I love to praise and worship. I know it’s the call I have on my life, and I feel honored every time I stand in the Presence of God and His folks, and help them to engage in Worship. It is the most freeing place I know. To me it is the ultimate chain breaker, healing, safest place I know. When I speak on Worship music time, it’s like I am talking about one of my children. It is more than a song, it’s a way of life. Well for me anyway...
This is my story, this is my song, is a line from the Hymn, “Blessed Assurance”. We sang that today during worship, and as we sang it was so clear to me, the message of the of the chorus, this is MY story, this is MY song. That moment in time, that lyric inspired by someone else’s journey, defined mine. We all have a hymn, a spiritual song, not always attached to musical notes, but totally adorned with melody. Whether it be major keys full of fun and simplicities, or minor keys full of depth or desperation, our lives, our journey flows like a song.
I totally thanked God for my journey today, for my song. Because no matter how tough the piece, my song has been beautiful, and will continue to be so.
So today I pray that you too find your hymn, your song, that you find peace in your journey, you find a place of comfort, and when you are at your lowest, just sing! Help us to remember that our journey is so, so long, with out you Lord!Amen.
“This my story, this is my song, Praising my Savior all the day long, this is my story this is my song, Praising my savior, All the day long!”
-Blessed Assurance
Phoebe Palmer Knapp
See you next time!
But it is true, no matter the subject matter, I can come up with something, because music for me has always been my happy place. As a child I remember the neighbor guy yelling for me to shut up because I was hanging upside down on the swingset singing opera. I would sing songs I knew, that I made up. I absorbed songs and they became part of me, if that makes sense. For every life event there is some song attached to it...Music is the clearest attribute connected to my soul.
There are times when I am troubled, the safest place I can be, is sitting on my bed, iPad in hand earphones in place, and music blaring. There are also times that in that escape I find myself dancing like no one is watching, or drowning in tears. There is freedom there for me. I can leave my space, and just drift away completely into what I am listening to.
No Segway! Here we go!
So, I wanted to be a star! This is actually pretty funny. I was about thirteen years old and Jamboree USA was having a star search. I wanted to to this thing, you know, to compete to sing so badly, that I could taste it. Since it was country music I decided that I would learn a little ditty called. “ Heavens Just A Sin Away,” by the Kendall’s. This was my song selection and ticket to stardom. Remember I was thirteen. So I get dressed up in my light blue pantsuit, with light blue ruffled blouse, adorned with really big bow, and along with my parents and little brother, off to Wheeling we went. We sat in on the show that evening, then proceeded to take my walk up the stairway to stardom. Lots of famous folks had climbed those stairs, every step had someones star studded name on it. It was dark and smokie, and scary. So we get to the top of the stairs, I turn to my dad and say, “I can’t do it!” I believe Dad breathed a sigh of relief, and gave a smile, and home we went.
I always chuckle about my road to fame, well, my pothole filled road to fame. Did that experience make my dream go away, no, but it changed how I viewed how I was going to do what I loved just because I love it. Or how God was going to bless me, with serving Him, by giving me the desire of my heart.
I love to praise and worship. I know it’s the call I have on my life, and I feel honored every time I stand in the Presence of God and His folks, and help them to engage in Worship. It is the most freeing place I know. To me it is the ultimate chain breaker, healing, safest place I know. When I speak on Worship music time, it’s like I am talking about one of my children. It is more than a song, it’s a way of life. Well for me anyway...
This is my story, this is my song, is a line from the Hymn, “Blessed Assurance”. We sang that today during worship, and as we sang it was so clear to me, the message of the of the chorus, this is MY story, this is MY song. That moment in time, that lyric inspired by someone else’s journey, defined mine. We all have a hymn, a spiritual song, not always attached to musical notes, but totally adorned with melody. Whether it be major keys full of fun and simplicities, or minor keys full of depth or desperation, our lives, our journey flows like a song.
I totally thanked God for my journey today, for my song. Because no matter how tough the piece, my song has been beautiful, and will continue to be so.
So today I pray that you too find your hymn, your song, that you find peace in your journey, you find a place of comfort, and when you are at your lowest, just sing! Help us to remember that our journey is so, so long, with out you Lord!Amen.
“This my story, this is my song, Praising my Savior all the day long, this is my story this is my song, Praising my savior, All the day long!”
-Blessed Assurance
Phoebe Palmer Knapp
See you next time!
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