LIFE End of the Year Review

I stink as a blogger and a very good friend tells me I criticize myself too much! It really caused me to stop and think about what I say. I realized I'm very vocal about my inadequacies and I need to stop that.

But I'm going to put a few things here to hold myself accountable. First thing I did wrong was trying make myself blog. I had very few posts in 2015. I don't do well making myself to this blog. I did do a really good job of posting my knitting projects in Ravelry and I'm very proud of that. I'm going to let the blog flow naturally and not force it into something it isn't.

I am having a good year at work. That cats and the sister are good! I'm enjoying my fairy granddaughters and the kids are about to add a fairy grandson and another grandaughter to the mix. I'm so thankful I have a dear friend who let me be a part of her children's life and the kiddos love me and still include me in their grown up life. Thus the fairy grandchildren who I treasure. Honestly, it can be hard to be mid life and realize not only am I not having children but I'm not going to enjoy grandchildren and family in my life as I get older. I'm hushing before I get really emotional! :)

I have really enjoyed my church family this year. Last year I joined a life group - thanks to Priscilla Shirer and Beth Moore. I listened to some of their simulcasts and realized I was missing the connectedness of bible study group. I asked one of my media co-volunteers about his life group and was immediately added to his group. Just like family, whoosh, I was apart of their group and doing life with them. This year they've added four babies to the group so we've not met really regular, but we are doing life together, praying for one another and studying the word together, doing meals together. Holding one another accountable and just loving on one another and it's awesome.

The past month I've been doing a scripture writing plan from Sweet Blessings and she just posted a January plan. It was something I saw on facebook and decided to try. I love it! It is truly just a few short verses a day and I've not been really consistent. Life happens, BUT it is truly such a small time commitment that I am totally caught up and really want to stay caught up. There is something about writing the Word that is amazing and I am going to continue. I started a new spiral bound notebook in December and I want it to be filled with my handwriting and His Word throughout the year.

Honesty moment - since my mom died in 2009, I've been in a really odd place with God. Actually, it goes back further to Dad's passing in 2006, but really grounded in deep after 2009. I've worshiped the Lord, studied and prayed but had an overall dry time. I'm not saying it's totally desert, there have been some lush river time and great springs of joy, worship, and prayer. But I'm really tired of the desert and I want to be back in the valleys and on the mountain tops. I want the Holy Spirit to be teaching me, rebuking me, loving me and laughing with me. I want a refreshed relationship. It has been growing for a while and I've had some heart to heart talks and listened the Him. I'm still not sure where He is taking me but I'm ready to hold on for the ride. It feels good.

Today wasn't really about the stitching and was totally about the sentiments. I'm good with that.

Blessings to whoever reads any of this.

Sentiment Time

I'm sitting in my living room, enjoying the peace of the morning. I'm trying to be a little reflective this morning and thinking about the new year.
I don't make resolutions. But I do know there a few things I want to do differently in 2013.
My church has done a church wide reading plan every year I've been a member. This year we are challenged to read through the Gospels and Revelations four times. It is a simple plan. I don't think we read more than 2 chapters a day most days it is simply a chapter.
This morning I read the first section on the lineage of Christ. Many people want to skip this and get to the "good" stuff. But I love reading about Rahab, Ruth, and Tamar. I want to carry out this plan all year.
I want 2013 to be the year I fall in love with Jesus again. I want to read His Word and fill my heart with Him. I want more focused time with Him.

So in addition to the reading, I'm starting with Beth Moore's Siesta Memorization Team - for a second time. I hope to complete the year this time. I made it to May in 2011. I'm starting with the same verses as last time because I honestly can't tell you what they were and that saddens me.
My first rememorization is Isaiah 40:8 NASB The grass withers, the flowers fade, But the word of our God stands forever. If I find these being recalled quickly, I will add new verses.

I am also jumping into a Precepts study of Matthew so that it coincides with our church study/plan. I'm looking forward to it. I'm not trying to teach it, just make this a personal study.
Sound like a lot as I read what I've typed. But it really isn't. I just want more time with Him and I know that if I do that, everything in my world will fall into place or fall apart and try to separate me from my plan. By putting this out on my blog I can have a visual public reminder of what I want and why I want it.
Praying everyone has a blessed New Year!
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Last Thankful

To be honest, I'm thankful the thankful posts are finished for November 2011. I have many many blessings to be thankful for and I am humbled by them. 

Right now, I'm thankful for two precious little babies born this week. I'm praying for them and their parents. They were born very early and pray the parents and families feel God touch them and walk with them through this new journey. I know they will have mighty stories to tell when God's timing is right.

Have a blessed day,

Tracy

Old friendships

That is what I'm thankful for. I saw a friend yesterday that I've worked with for many years. She has recently retired and is fighting cancer. I'm/we covet your prayers.

I always enjoyed watching my mom interact with her girlfriends. It was like they were back in high school. They would laugh and giggle. It was so much fun to be around them.

I also have a group of friends that I've talked with for years via the Internet. We've gotten together at various stitching retreats and just to visit and stitch. It is like we see it each every day when we get together. I really enjoy these ladies.

I'm thankful for all the friends in my life.

Tracy

Thankful Day Seven

Today, I'm thankful for answered prayers. Even though many, many, many, times I don't receive the answer I want, I'm still thankful that my prayers get answered.

There is a specific request I'm thankful for today. My sweet friends, the Thorpes, had baby Ruthie just a few short weeks ago. Ruthie had a problem with her lungs and today, she actually was able to breathe without any assistance!!!!!  So very excited for them!!!

Have a blessed day,

Tracy

Thankful Day Five

Today was an awesome day! I'm thankful for my church, specifically my Elder team. My church is run a little differently from other churches. We have an Elder team of approx 5 men who shepherd the church. Three of the current team are our pastors or have been. Two of the Elder team answered God's call of missions and they are currently serving in Central Asia with their families.

Today, our lead pastor (Elder) is serving in India on a mission trip and another member of the Elder team was preaching in his place. Jeff became ill during the night and couldn't preach this morning. We currently have two campuses and Steve (campus pastor and Elder team member) was preaching on his campus. He stepped up and offered to preach at both campuses. God had an awesome message to share through him today. 

Steve traveled to both campuses, preached 5 services, and didn't get one speeding ticket traveling between campuses. :) Our worship and media teams were completely flexible and changed up each service and led wonderful worship times. If we hadn't been telling the congregations what was going on, they would have never known at times we were going with the flow! 

I proudly serve on the media team. God has totally blessed me to be able to serve my church with the gifts He has given me with computers and I am totally in awe of how He uses us. It was awesome to be a part of the prayer teams this morning and to see God answer those prayers. Today God really let us depend on Him and it reminds me I can be thankful for my dependence on Him every day!

Have a blessed day,
Tracy

Thankful Day Two

I'm thankful for the technology that keeps us communicating.  This week I've had friends posting picture of their sweet babies. They are far away in miles but not from our hearts and prayers. We've been praying for these sweet babies for months and they've arrived, been healthier than expected and some have already gone home.

Others friends are using technology to keep us up to date on prayer requests and travels. It amazes me how we are able to keep in contact with friends around the world. Some I feel like I may know more about than those who work down the hall from me or live down the street.

I'm able to enjoy and keep friendships going and growing even though I'm separated by distance. With that said, I'll quit typing here and go text a friend I've not heard from in weeks.

Have a blessed day,

Tracy 

Welcome Fall Break

I realize no one is ready my blog, but that is ok! I don't have but a few sweet followers and friends who check the blog out when I post to Facebook.

I'm am welcoming a break in the school calendar. The students and faculties are so ready! This year feels stressful for many of my educator friends in Tennessee. The new evaluation system seems to have so many stressed and ready to give up on educating our future. I hope they can work their way through this latest attack on our profession.

I'm planning on spending my break quilting, stitching and doing needlework on my sweet friend Keisha's bridal veil.  She is getting married next weekend and I'm so excited for her and her fiance. I don't know how my friend Cindy (her mom) has made it through this year, all four children have added spouses!

I've also jumped off the deep end in a new area of my life. I've become a Scentsy consultant. I have a long background in retail and I love sales. I saw the warmer on Plumstreet Samplers and knew it was something I'd love to have in my home. I had my first party this week!  Big shout out to my friend Leigh who hosted for me. We had a lot of fun and sniffed a lot of fragrances. If you want to try it out, check out my Scentsy page.

Last, please pray for my worship leader Jimmy and his sweet wife Kim. They are expecting little Ruthie in the next few days and we are asking God to work miracles in Ruthie's life. She has a health issue and as a result is being born at Cincinnati Children's Hospital. God has worked major miracles in her life already and we know He has more planned!

In His hands,

Tracy

Friday - End of park experience

Thursday and Friday were big days for the mission teams. We ended our time with park parties. One we hosted and one we served as cooks and clean up!

But we started each day with a time to run team errands. We had completed all of our in-park service projects and the ship hadn't arrived for the food bank. So we spent Thursday getting team pictures printed and while running into the stores, team members made a great decision. They decided to bless the children in our park with backpacks.

It was great fun, they purchased backpacks, pencil boxes, markers, and notebooks. We filled the boxes with candy, gum, and our team picture. We took the two mornings to purchase the items and then prepare the backpacks.

On Thursday afternoon we had our park time and we just loved on the kids. We saw new faces and had a great time just loving on the kids. That night we had our park party. It involved a bouncy house, hair paint and hot dogs. Needless to say, the kids had a blast. One of the teams here came and did drama skits, a great time was had by all.

Friday afternoon, we had a small turn out. We got to visit with most of our regular kids and we just spent the day giving out lunches and hanging out. The sun was out and you can tell the kids aren't used to warm 70+ degree days. They loved to stay in the shade. We had a great time handing out backpacks and talking to the kids for the last time but it was bittersweet. But we know the next team will have an awesome time with these kids.

We spent the evening on kitchen duty and serving at another teams block party. It was near our park and the make up of kids was a lot different. This area had a lot of Laotian immigrants and their turn out was huge. We cooked over 150 hot dogs and there wasn't a hot dog left when we packed up.

Team devotions and prayer times have been awesome and tomorrow we pack and leave Graceworks. We will have a fun day going to a glacier and having lunch at a wilderness park with all the mission teams.

Our team is tired but still ready to face the day! Can't wait to see God's creation tomorrow.

Monday Evening

Today, we had orientation at Graceworks Ministries, what an awesome ministry. There are five teams here this week, working in five different neighborhoods. The ministry is very organized, we are all color coded (we are yellow), vans are named (bear van), and neighborhood hosts are assigned to each team. They have really planned how to best use their time and talents.



We worked in Penland park today in a 450 site trailer court. Very inner city, exactly what you imagine in this type of facility. There is a great diversity in the area, both in people groups and family makeup. We had 25+ kids at the park. We are feeding them lunch (federal lunch program) and after lunch we have two hours planned to love on these kids. It is a very young group of kids at the park, ages 3 - 12 with the majority in the 3 - 7 age range. We will have a family night on Thursday.

It was a great day, we had several of the children asking great questions and showing amazing knowledge, someone at home is really pouring into them. After we had our team time, two of the kids met with Phil and a group and had more questions. He walked them through salvation and Jesus' love and they accepted Christ!! Great afternoon.

We followed that with a nice team worship time before dinner and we are about to have devotions. For those of you looking for awesome Alaska photos, sorry! 1) we've been asked to wait a little while before taking pictures with the kids and 2) it is cloudy and you can barely see the awesome mountains surrounding Anchorage.

I leave you with this prayer request for Tuesday. Pray for the children to return, for our team to be unified and very specific in actions, continued ministry to the area, this area to fall in love with Jesus!

Prayers for Sunday

Sunday, July 10:

Please pray for safety, flight connections and unity of our team as we travel to Knoxville and Nashville airports. Our team connects in Minneapolis to fly the last leg together to Alaska. Pray that God begins to place His burden on our hearts for those that He is going to cross in our paths. Pray that God will use us to be the fragrance and light of the Gospel as we drive, fill up for gas, through the airport, security, terminal and on the plane. May our eyes be opened and our hearts be ready for ALL opportunities to share the love of Christ through our words and our actions. Pray for the hearts and field to be ready for those in Anchorage that we will be meeting. Pray that the Holy Spirit begins to awaken souls to be stirred for what’s to come. Pray for God’s protection over our families as we leave them for the week.