Hey there!
Sorry it’s been so long since blog posts…I’ve been crazy busy. Be careful when you ask God to increase your borders and expand your territory – you may not be able to keep up 😉
I’m hoping to get into a more regular pattern of posts but thanks for sticking with me!
Excited to go to “regions beyond” ~ let’s stay connected and encourage each other along the way!!
Much love,
Tracey
Monday Morning Encouragement is in the form of a blog today because…well just because. Honestly, I could have made a video happen if I had hustled to get it done.
But, if I had, I would have set my day to the “rhythm of rush.” (to use Lysa Terkeurst’s phrase) And I didn’t want to set my day to that rhythm. We are 11 days from the Awaken Conference for FTGI so I have quite enough “rush” in my life right now.
So, this is me right now, writing this blog. Unshowered. Unhurried. Un made-up. Just me.
I saw a little news story this morning about some un-retouched pictures of Cindy Crawford that were leaked and it inspired me to allow myself to be seen a little un-done this morning. (ok, I admit, I was not brave enough to not add an antique filter to slightly soften the un-made up lines on my face! There is always room for growth in this pursuit to be real)
I breathed a sigh of relief this morning when I was reminded that everything we see around us is not as perfect and together as we perceive it to be – maybe you need to be reminded too. Maybe that’s my Monday Morning Encouragement for you.
It’s OK not to have it all together all the time. Nobody does!
Is there something you just need to let go today? Allow yourself to “fall short” for the sake of peace and serenity? Go for it. It’s pretty liberating!
I’ll be cheering you on! (in my pjs)
Have you ever felt that way? If so, it probably means you are stepping out of your comfort zone and that’s a good thing!
The good news is there is a light for your path and someone to hold your hand along the way!
I know it’s Tuesday BUT I thought maybe someone might have missed this on Facebook yesterday and could use the encouragement!
Happy 2nd Monday of the year!! I am in New York City – one of my favorite places on earth so MME is in the form of a blog this week.
We are here visiting my son, who moved here a few months ago and attends Hillsong NYC so we tagged along to Sunday evening service with him. The first thing that struck me was that no matter where you are on this planet when you enter a room filled with believers lifting up the name of Jesus you immediately feel right at home. How beautiful to be surrounded by strangers who are in fact just family you haven’t met yet. So first little nudge is…if you don’t have a church you regularly attend you are missing out on the community that we all need in order to flourish. I loved how a stranger I had never met could speak truth from the word of God and speak to me right where I am in my journey!
The title of the message was It’s Time to Go. The theme for FTGI in 2014 was It’s Time and I just loved how, here I am in the second week of 2015, and the word of the moment is…It’s TIME to GO!
What I loved even more was the context. The passage the pastor spoke from was Mark chapter 5 where Jesus encounters a man full of demons and commands them to leave the man. In essence Jesus tells the demons – It’s time to GO!
I know it sounds kind of freaky – a man filled with demons but if we are honest, we will see ourselves in this man. The pastor encouraged us to replace the word demons with “issues” and it makes it a little easier to relate. I certainly have issues. We all do, right?
And some of us (like me) feel like we have been dealing with the same “issues” for longer than we would like to admit. Issues of insecurity and self-doubt, physical issues, financial issues and the list goes on.
Here was his encouragement and I pass it onto you. The same authority that Jesus spoke with to the demons when he told them is was “time to GO” is the same authority that was given to us!
So, let this be the year that we commit to looking our “issues” straight in the face and saying, “It’s time to go.”
For me, I will no longer be plagued with insecurity as a leader. I have battled with the feeling of inadequacy and unworthiness for too long. I stood in the company of thousands of family members that I haven’t met last night and made that decision.
How about you what do you need to give walking papers to?
Hope you have a GREAT week!
Good Morning!
For the past few months I have been posting an 3-5 minute video on the FTGI Facebook page on Monday mornings for anyone who would like a little encouragement to start their week! I thought I would start posting them here for those of you who follow the blog…who doesn’t need a little boost on Monday morning?
You can click HERE or the picture below to link to my YouTube channel and tune in each Monday morning! Hope you have a GREAT DAY as you start the first full week of 2015!
I sat down in my hairdresser’s chair and he innocently asked, “How’s the book coming?” Uugh! Is there anyone I didn’t tell about the book? He had no way of knowing that he was pressing a hot button of shame for me. The excuses began to run through my mind…I got thrown some curveballs that threw off my groove… the demands of the FTGI were increasing and I was having a hard time keeping up…I had too much on my plate… He was satisfied with my answers, but I wasn’t. I was just feeling like a huge failure. All talk no follow through. We can be so mean to ourselves can’t we?
I decided to write Six Impossible Things I Believe Before Breakfast in 2013 but the year came and went with no book. So, I announced at the beginning of 2014 that this was THE year…but here we are only a few weeks from 2015 and still – no book. At this point I’m beginning to feel like it’s the 7th Impossible Thing!
I hesitated to put this “failure” out there like this because well, honestly, it’s a little embarrassing. I’d like to just quietly release the book when it is ready and forget that it ever had a deadline that passed. But, I suspect that I’m not alone. Here’s an important thing that we must remember:
Failing does not equal being a failure.
I failed to deliver on my commitment to myself but I am not a failure. This may seem obvious to you but it is a very real distinction that I need to allow to penetrate my soul.
I am guessing there may be one or two of you out there in cyberspace who made a goal for 2014 that is unfulfilled. If you are a performance oriented person like myself, you are beating yourself up. I was beating myself up but I stopped. I realized that I give grace to everyone but myself and it’s time to change that. So, join me all you recovering perfectionists…stop being so hard on yourself!!
So, now what do we do? Do we carry the dream/project/goal over to 2015 or put it to rest altogether? Here are a few questions to help you answer that question for yourself.
1) Who commissioned you?
It’s important to know the WHY behind the dream/goal/project. Why are you doing it in the first place? Is it to prove something to yourself or others? Is it out of misplaced obligation or someone else’s expectation? Those may not be the right motivators if so. For me, the answer must be that I know, that I know, that I know, that it is something God has called me to do. Yep, even the really seemingly unspiritual things like getting in shape or getting finances in order, or starting a project. (He cares about every detail of your life – and those things are more spiritual than we realize!) Run it by Him. Make sure this is something He has moved you to do and if it is…KEEP GOING! If you think maybe it is something you put upon yourself then maybe it’s time to cut it loose and move on! Listen to your gut – the Holy Spirit lives in there.
2) What happened?
If you are sure that this dream/goal/project is something you are to proceed with this simple question is a great place to begin. What circumstances got in the way of your goal? Were they valid? Sometimes simply looking at the facts help you to realize that it was really out of your control. Or, maybe you realize that there things you can work on like better time management or scheduling, or having an accountability partner, that will help you this coming year.
3) Is “timing” at play?
The simple fact that it hasn’t happened yet sort of answers that question. There is a time for everything. For me, this among other factors was a big part of the delay on the book.
A lot happened in my heart this year that will make Six Impossible Things a different book than it would have been if it was completed in 2013.
I heard this line the song Shadowfeet by Brooke Fraser the other day and it really resonated with me.
I am changing…less and less asleep…made of different stuff than when I began…
Everything we go through changes us. Some things cannot be brought to fruition until certain changes have taken place in our hearts. When we allow “patience to have its perfect work,” (James 1:4) the fruits of our labor will be complete and lacking nothing.
So…onward to 2015! Leave behind those things that were not planted inside of you by the One who loves you more than anyone and seek out those beautiful assignments that He has waiting for you next year!
Each Monday I have been doing a little Monday Morning Encouragement (MME) for For the Girls International. I thought I would start sharing it on my blog because who doesn’t need a little encouragement on a Monday morning?
Mornings in general aren’t really my thing, so I could use some every morning! I’ll be blogging a little more about change because it can be so tricky to navigate whether we initiate it ourself or it is brought upon us by someone or something else.
Either way it’s like riding a wave, if you are not careful, you can get caught in the undertow…Here’s a principle to help us with our mindset…
Have a GREAT Monday!
P.S. If you don’t already subscribe to my blog I’d love to be able to send it right to your email inbox. You can subscribe by entering your email at the top right corner of the page and then you will automatically get an email every time there is an update 🙂
I was a 26-year-old mom, trying to make it through the holiday season with a brave face. Despite the Christmas cheer that greeted me around every corner of my world, the grocery store, the mall, my mailbox, my son’s school etc… my heart was breaking. My mother was laying in an ICU unit 10 minutes from my house, in a coma. Three weeks after the accident, December arrived and with it new challenges of navigating this tsunami that had hit our family.
I had two little boys, without whom I may have locked myself in a room and not come out until January. But they kept me going. I was determined that they would have Christmas as always. And they brought me joy that was so hard to come by at that time.
My sister-in-law called and kindly relieved me from entertaining my husband’s family on Christmas Eve, which was our tradition. Between taking shifts at the hospital and the flux of visitors keeping me busy, It was a welcomed relief.
One night while sitting at a light on my way to the hospital I looked over at a car full of people chatting and laughing. The sharp contrast of my reality was piercing. I began to look at people differently. There would be no way for someone in the grocery store or the mall to know by looking at me what I was suffering through that holiday season. I shopped and went to events as I usually would, but I felt like a walking mannequin – all dressed up but hollow on the inside.
A few days before Christmas, my doorbell rang. It was my mother-in-law. In her arms was a stack of wrapped presents. I was confused because Christmas was still a few days away. She began to explain that she was there for my mom. Because she knew that my mom would not be able to shop for me she wanted to give me a few special gifts on behalf of her.
That simple gesture was the nurturing touch my broken heart desperately needed. I will never forget it.
I don’t tell this story to pitch a bummer on the Holiday Spirit but just to put a bug in your ear – a reminder – that this is not the hap- happiest season of all for all. You will most likely cross paths this season with someone who is in pain. Ask God to show you some small way that you can show sensitivity if you do. If you know someone who is going through something particularly difficult – acknowledging their pain is a gift that doesn’t require wrapping or bows. After all, doing so, is an extension of the Greatest Gift of All…
xo
I woke up this morning with an overwhelming sense of…well with just an overwhelming sense! I have 3 major aspects of my life going on at the moment: one is a new, work venture/project I am working, another is the ministry I run and then there are lots of family related things to tend to.
I am not, by nature, an organized person. Dreamers rarely are. My natural inclination would be to wander through my day randomly working on whatever feels pressing at the moment. And then, once I get working on that one thing, my natural inclination would be to become distracted by the next thing and stop in the middle of the first thing leaving it undone. This process typically repeats itself several times until I have a collection of unfinished tasks leaving me feeling unproductive and frazzled.
During the slow times of year this can be hard to manage but add in CHRISTMAS and I can easily feel like my life is spinning out of control.
So here are 3 things I do to stay sane. (Relatively sane, anyway)
1. Make a list
If you are not a list maker, I promise this helps tremendously especially around the holidays when life gets chaotic. I have 3 lists going right now for each aspect of my life demanding my attention. Making lists does a few things:
Everyone gets the same 24 hours in a day. I have pleaded with God for more but alas – that’s all we get! SO, we have to use it wisely. I am the queen of wasting time. (Technically writing this blog was NOT on my list today but I know that there are others feeling the stress and I wanted to share!) Seriously, take a long hard look at your list and see what you can ditch, defer or delegate.
I have been working out of a co-working space recently in order to focus but this morning I could tell that I just needed a day home to breathe. I was able to have coffee with my husband before he left for work, which is always good for me. (he calms me!)
These are just a few ideas but I’d love to hear yours too!
P.S. Here is a little encouragement that I recorded earlier this week when I realized that it was DECEMBER already! Click picture to listen.
Lots of love to you….stay sane!
We interrupt the continuous process of you replaying over and over again in your head, the same scenario or problem that is causing you anxiety, with this urgent message:
You can stop anxiety dead in it’s tracks when you start focusing on the only person who can actually do something about it and promise you peace in the meantime.
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. ~ Philipians 4:6-7
Here’s the recipe:
Ingredients
Anything.
Everything.
and lots of Thanksgiving.
Steps:
1.Bring anything and everything to Him in prayer.
2.Add thanksgiving.
3.Let it simmer for as long as necessary until desired consistency.
And BAM! Peace!
Thanksgiving is not just a day with turkey and all the trimmings…it’s an attitude that will change the direction of your life and bring you peace that goes beyond your own understanding.
I’ve recently found myself obsessing over things that I don’t have the power to change. When I do that I lose my joy and my peace (and have heart palpitations!) So, I write this blog to remind myself and hopefully someone else who needs reminding.
We must take the time to practice this verse and really focus on being grateful for the good in our lives to help redirect our thoughts. And the bad…well we can be grateful for that too, knowing that God is working on our behalf behind the scenes brings us peace that the situation does not naturally provide. Jotting it down on paper or in a journal can be a great reminder.
The holidays can be stressful. Peace can be hard to come by for a variety of reasons. Take time to practice gratitude and watch your anxiety transform into peace!
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!
TRACEY METZGER 
