Category / Living on Purpose

by tracycpoetry

Don’t be a squirrel.

Ok, so…. When I saw this, it made me laugh. But it made me think, too. Could our lack of decision-making actually be a lack of faith in the fact that God is still God if when we don’t make the best decisions?

“If you don’t know what you’re doing, pray to the Father. He loves to help. You’ll get his help, and won’t be condescended to when you ask for it. Ask boldly, believingly, without a second thought. People who ‘worry their prayers’ are like wind-whipped waves. Don’t think you’re going to get anything from the Master that way, adrift at sea, keeping all your options open.” –James 1:5-8 (The Message Paraphrase)

by tracycpoetry

Let Love Lead

So… I’m typically not into the whole Royal Wedding thing.

I believe our culture’s fascination with pomp & circumstance, celebrity, and fame causes us to miss out on encounters with the everyday amazing in our own hometown.

That being said, it really was an amazing ceremony!

Preach!!!

In our families, communities, and careers – it’s time to

Let love lead the way!

by tracycpoetry

Seize the Day!

As I flew back from Atlanta this weekend, I realized that I have been in 7 different states (Texas, Virginia, Tennessee, North Carolina, West Virginia, California, and Georgia) in as many months.

Some of that travel was for difficult things like being at my Mother-in-Law’s bedside as she transitioned to Heaven. Other trips were for adventures like my first Interim Nurse Leadership assignment or hiking trips with a dear friend. Other journeys provides much needed reconnection with family I have seen much too infrequently over the years: my Dad, my sisters, nieces and nephews, and most recently some awesome cousins-by-marriage during my trip to Atlanta.

I have worked hard at my current assignment in Virginia while doing phone interviews during lunch breaks to see where God wants me next. The few weekdays off I have had have been to fly to on-site panel interviews. Each step of the way I have seen God provide for my husband and I and even grow our relationship through the increased intentionality (planning trips to see each other and long reconnecting phone calls) that a successful relationship across distance requires. Along the way I have reconnected with old friends and made new friends.

I had someone say to me recently, “I don’t see how you do it – how you keep up the pace and do all you’re doing. Aren’t you tired?”

Sure. I get tired at times… Exhausted at times, actually. But those times are countered by the fact that this whole recent whirlwind-of-a-journey has actually been quite invigorating. You see, I have done more intentional, purpose-driven living during the past several months than I have in decades. I would do it all over again and I am not planning to stop anytime soon. Every moment is a gift and it’s time to make the most of each one. It’s time to Seize the Day.

All these thoughts have thrown me back to a song from the 1990’s by Canadian singer/songwriter, Carolyn Arends. Check out the awesome lyrics below or checkout the song on YouTube by clicking this link

SEIZE THE DAY

I know a girl who was schooled in Manhattan

She reads dusty books and learns phrases in Latin

She is an author, or maybe a poet

A genius, but it’s just this world doesn’t know it

She works on her novel most everyday

If you laugh she will say

Seize the day, seize whatever you can

‘Cause life slips away just like hourglass sand

Seize the day, pray for grace from God’s hand

Then nothing will stand in your way

Seize the day

Well I know a doctor, a fine young physician

Left his six figure job for a mission position

He’s healing the sick in an African village

He works in the dirt and writes home to the cynics

He says “We work through the night so most every day

As we watch the sun rise we can say

Seize the day, seize whatever you can

‘Cause life slips away just like hourglass sand

Seize the day, pray for grace from God’s hand

Then nothing will stand in your way

Seize the day

I know a man who’s been doing some thinking

He’s as bitter and cold as the whiskey he’s drinking

He’s talking ’bout fear, about chances not taken

If you listen to him you can hear his heart breaking

He says “One day you’re a boy and the next day you’re dead

I wish way back when someone had said

Seize the day, seize whatever you can

‘Cause life slips away just like hourglass sand

Seize the day, pray for grace from God’s hand

Then nothing will stand in your way

Seize the day

Well one thing I’ve noticed wherever I wander

Everyone’s got a dream he can follow or squander

You can do what you will with the days you are given

I’m trying to spend mine on the business of living

So I’m singing my songs off of any old stage

You can laugh if you want, I’ll still say

Seize the day, seize whatever you can

‘Cause life slips away just like hourglass sand

Seize the day, pray for grace from God’s hand

Then nothing will stand in your way

Seize the day

Songwriters: Carolyn Bernice Arends

Seize the Day lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Capitol Christian Music Group

by tracycpoetry

Happy Moving-Forward Monday!

My friend, Keisha, likes to name the days with alliteration and encouragement. Well, today, I’ll follow her lead and call this a Moving-forward Monday! Let’s throw off the heaviness of past regret and take the next best step forward!

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.” – Hebrews‬ ‭12:1-2‬ ‭

by tracycpoetry

My Favorite Photo from Solar Eclipse 2017

Of all the amazing photos from yesterday’s #SolarEclipse2017, my favorite is not of the sun – but one of a little boy gazing up at it. His Mom, Mary, shared that her sweet son, Israel, had been in tears when he was told he couldn’t watch the eclipse (or, actually, the partial eclipse viewable from here in TX) because they didn’t have the special glasses to protect their eyes. But then as they were out running errands – the moment Mary captured with this photo happened. 


And I can’t help but wonder…. if thousands of people from all different backgrounds can gather and be so quick to help each other experience a natural phenomenon that lasted a couple minutes, what would it look like if the same efforts ensued to help people make eternal connections with the #MAKER of that phenomenon and His #MostLovedCreation, other humans?

by tracycpoetry

The Leadershp Style of Jesus

Jesus’ Leadership style:
He valued people. He communicated DIRECTLY and clearly to His #team members – a.k.a the Disciples. He didn’t depend on layers of bureaucracy and angels or assistants to send out memos or take messages so He wouldn’t actually have to deal with people Himself. He chose to live AMONG them not ABOVE them.

I highly recommend the free YouVersion reading plan, “Learning to Lead Like Jesus”. I just finished the short reading and video for day 1 and have gleaned so much already! 

by tracycpoetry

Living Life Out of Order is EXAUSTING!

be stillSo… I have been thinking a lot about why we in our abundance-filled Western culture seem to be unhappy and struggling much of the time.

A couple things have recently helped me wrap my head around this a little bit more and got me thinking maybe we become so miserable because we are simply living life out of order.

We are designed to be still and centered on the inside (spirit and emotions) while being busy and productive on the outside (physical realm) in order to create more beauty in this world our Good Father God has left in our hands. The way I have gotten this beautifully-designed order all mixed up is by living much of my life with a busy mind and spirit (filled up with chatter, clatter, and worry) while my body has been motionless (stuck in the bed or on the couch practically paralyzed from stress and fear. Now I am learning the importance of staying spiritually and mentally in a state of rest, stillness, and “centeredness” while staying in a strong forward-press with the rest of me!

So what has been helping me learn recently to “flip-flop” my life operations back to a pattern of peace on the inside and productivity on the outside?

First, Derrick Golden, Pastor of my Amazing Church (yes, that’s really my church’s name – and for good reason!) in my beautiful city McKinney, Texas, has been teaching a series called Intentional Faith University (simply click the link to listen to the teaching) which has served as a timely reminder for me to focus on the faithfulness of my Father, God, rather than the seeming impossible obstacles that sometimes seem to close in on our lives.

Next, I make a point to surround myself with those who inspire and motivate me rahter than those who fill me with negativity that contradicts the truth my Father, God, has laid out in His Word (a.k.a. The Bible). And that includes being very selective about what I read and follow on social media.

But some social media contributors can be a very positive influence in your life. One of my favorite Instagram pages is @PlanetBossThings from the owner of Boss Things Apparel. And today this picture was shared on that page which went right along with all the motivation and inspiration Holy Spirit has been pricking my heart with lately.

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So, I challenge you…  I challenge me… let’s make our tomorrows different and better than our yesterdays by working hard to be still and settled on the inside while active and productive on the outside. I know it won’t be easy because it’s a new way of living and thinking. But I know it will be worth it.

by tracycpoetry

Crafted Together for HIS Glory

So, this verse came up in my Bible reading today. And, as I often do when something moves me, I #GoogleIt. (I know…. you were expecting something deep like meditate or prophesy. But, no. You got Google 😉). 
My Google search led me to the picture of the lovely crown you see here. But this picture became more meaningful because as I was Googling, I was listening to a prayer call by incredible inspirational teacher and Amazing Church #WorshipPastor, Barbara Calloway. She was talking about the #HolySpirit and specifically the importance of #unity.

Here’s something she said: “Break out of your comfort zone and decide you are going to be unified together”. As words and thoughts of unity hung in the early morning air, I continued to stare at the picture on my screen. As I looked at the beautiful crown, I realized that – although a pile of diamonds would be a site to behold – this artistic work of jewelry is so amazing and even more valuable because the individual stones have been crafted together into one beautiful masterpiece. 

In the same way that the uncrafted pile of diamonds was easy and effort-free, the introverted and conflict-avoiding version of me finds it easier to stay a “lone diamond” capturing a little glimmer of my Father’s light all on my own. But if I press through past the awkward seasons and difficult conversations that are eventually and inevitably part of every healthy relationship, how much more beauty, value, and #GodLight will be reflected in the unified whole of so many different and precious individuals! I think we’ll find it worth the effort. And I think we already know that our God is so very worthy of being crowned with our beautiful unity.