For Everything There is a Season . . .

For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven. ~ Ecc. 3:1

I don’t think truer words were ever spoken. That’s what life is all about . . . seasons. There’s of course our calendar seasons: Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter, which mark the passage of time and the natural order of nature. But beyond that there are seasons which mark life itself. There is childhood, youth, adulthood, middle-age, and oft-dreaded old-age (though I personally think each age and stage offers its own pros and cons and should be celebrated regardless).

While it’s true that the calendar seasons are measured equally in length, that cannot be said of the seasons of life. There are times when a season we are particularly enjoying would last longer, and there are times we are experiencing a season that unbearably painful that seems to never end. But eventually it does, because that’s the way seasons work.

It’s possible to be stuck in a season, but that’s only because while the season changed and moved on, the person didn’t. Have you ever seen or known a middle-aged prom queen, still trying to live in her former glory, wearing clothes that are not appropriate and engaging in behaviors that are definitely not appropriate (or a similar scenario)? Eeewwww… That’s a picture of an unhappy person! How could she possibly be happy living in the past, rather than embracing and functioning in the present (whatever that may look like) and hoping toward the future. It’s impossible to get in your car, and drive to a far away location by only looking in the rear-view mirror. The same can be said for life.

Some seasons we wish we didn’t have to go through. Seasons like that of a debilitating illness, death or divorce. Or perhaps the loss of a job, a home, or a treasured relationship. The betrayal of trust, innocence or childhood. None of these are seasons that any of us want to go through, but they happen regardless. We cannot choose our seasons; what they may be, when they may happen, or even how long they last, but we can choose how we handle them. It’s up to us whether we merely experience them or actually allow them to define us. It’s been said that we can be a victim or a victor, not both… I agree with that.

As unpleasant as they may be, it’s the tough seasons of life that strengthen us and enable us to grow and become more mature. Through the process we develop wisdom, which we can then use, and share, in future situations or experiences. Of course that’s up to us . . . some people never seem grow in wisdom, but then again, they’re often not teachable in other areas of life either! The thing we are able to take comfort in though, is if we belong to Jesus, we have a promise that none of our experiences will be wasted, rather, that all things work together for good for those who love the Lord and are called according to His purposes (Rom. 8:28).

The really good news though, is life’s not all about the tough seasons! We experience seasons of happiness, new beginnings, light-heartedness and, blessedly, smooth sailing! There are seasons in our life when all is well, we are pleased with the way things are going and we are a source of encouragement for others. Sometimes we experience seasons when we’re amazed and grateful at how happy, lucky, blessed, fortunate, favored, fulfilled, prosperous, or successful we are. There are even times when we are so filled with joy and elation we could shout from the rafters, “The sky is blue and the birds are singing!” or even, “The hills are alive with the sounds of music!” (I don’t recommend it though!)

Yes, there is a time for everything, for every activity, under heaven. There is a time for the good and the bad, the happy and the sad, the simple and the difficult, for strength and weakness, for prosperity and lack, for recreation and for work. It has always been that way, and it will always be that way. The Bible assures us that, While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease (Gen 8:22). As long as the earth remains there will be seasons, and they will change. A common and comforting mantra for many during the difficult seasons of life is this too shall pass. And it always does.

A Time For Everything

Seasons have been on my mind lately. Probably because I’ve recently walked through an especially trying, dry and difficult season, and I am now eagerly awaiting a new season, one that’s full of blessing and favor. I have every confidence that the Lord will use the last season, as painful as it was, to benefit me in the new season. He’s good that way.

It has been a long time since I’ve written any type of a devotional. And a much longer time since I’ve done a series! So I am now about to tackle both. Time after time, I find myself returning to the beautiful passage of Scripture in Ecclesiastes 3:1-8. There really is a time for everything – whether we want it that way or not. Life happens. So does death. And everything in between.

I think most of us would prefer if only the good things happened, like life and love and laughter. But if that’s all we knew, I don’t think we’d grow very deep. It’s the pain, sorrow, and trials we walk through that strengthen us and build our character. If we never experienced sorrow, would laughter really matter? It certainly wouldn’t be special. Would beginning be as exciting if there was never any end? I don’t think that it would. I’ve heard it said that everyone wants the mountaintop experience, but not the valley. However, it is in the valley where fertile soil, growth, green, vibrancy and life are evident. The highest of mountaintops are often rocky and sparse . . . but it does offer a great view!

I’m looking forward to diving in to this new series, A Time For . . . I think it will be an interesting, challenging journey, and I’m certain that I will learn and grow from it. The time is right for this new series. We live in perilous and uncertain times, but we don’t have to fear them because God is in control. I hope you will join me on this journey – I think God has a lot to say about it.

A Time For Everything:

For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven. A time to be born and a time to die. A time to plant and a time to harvest. A time to kill and a time to heal. A time to tear down and a time to build up. A time to cry and a time to laugh. A time to grieve and a time to dance. A time to scatter stones and a time to gather stones. A time to embrace and a time to turn away. A time to search and a time to quit searching. A time to keep and a time to throw away. A time to tear and a time to mend. A time to be quiet and a time to speak. A time to love and a time to hate. A time for war and a time for peace. ~ Ecc. 3:1-8 (NLT)

The Miracle of Rising Up . . . Again

Sometimes, the miracle doesn't look like what we think it should. Sometimes we miss it completely because we're looking for something else. Sometimes we can only see it in hindsight. Sometimes the miracle is rising up each time we fall or we’re pushed down by the enemy. Thank you Lord, for your miracles, no matter what they look like!

These are the words that hit me the other day. Like a proverbial Mac truck! I have just gone through a time in my life that has been . . . well, difficult. In the last five years, we’ve experienced fertility issues, three miscarriages, a huge financial burden, betrayal, attacks on our character, the demise of a church we loved and poured everything into, the loss of relationships, the death of two beloved pets (just months apart), isolation, and the silence of God. Yep, it’s been a difficult time.

It would be easy to blame all of this on some great big sin in our lives, but it wasn’t there. Of course, we’re not sin free, but we weren’t in rebellion, or choosing a lifestyle of sin over a lifestyle of loving God and worship. It was “just” a time of warfare. For some reason, our enemy, the enemy, pursued us with a vengeance. We knew we were under attack, and we fought it the best we could. We kept going, we kept praying, we kept believing, we kept praising, we kept on keepin’ on, rising up each time we were taken down . . . for a time.

I have always believed that a person can endure or deal with most things if it’s only for a time. But when that time goes on and on, and the attacks are relentless, when the burden is unbearably heavy, and you have no reprieve, it’s easy to get weary. Deep down, doggone, wiped-out weary.

That’s where I was. My prayers, pleas, cries, and questions went unanswered. I believe in miracles. I’ve seen other people receive miracles. That last moment save, when all seemed lost, and the miracle happened to them. I rejoiced with them, while wondering, where was my miracle, my save? Especially regarding my miscarriages. I mean, I knew that God could intervene and save my babies, but He didn’t. I concluded that either God was not all-powerful, or He just didn’t care.

I wrestled with that. I wrestled with God. I poured out my anger, my pain, my questions, my blame, I just poured it all out. Time after time. And finally, after such a long time, things got better. The assaults haven’t stopped completely, but I’m feeling strengthened and victorious. I don’t have answers to the seemingly endless questions that have been plaguing me, but I have peace. I feel as if the large, dark and ominous cloud that has been hovering over me has been pushed away and has been replaced by glorious Light. God has shown me once again, that I am a victor, not a victim. That I am an overcomer, not merely a survivor.

And finally I know, finally I get it. I received my miracle. I received the miracle of being able to rise up each time I was taken down. Yes, the fight was long, drawn-out, unyielding and brutal. Yes, the enemy won some battles. Yes, we suffered major casualties, but . . . we survived, we got through and we rose up, again and again and again. We were bruised and bloodied, but we were not defeated. I am stronger for it, we are stronger for it. Through the midst of it all, our marriage did not suffer. And we know, without a shadow of a doubt, that what the enemy meant for evil, God will use for good.

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose. ~ Romans 8:28

Yet in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. ~ Romans 8:37

To Begin Anew

It has been so long since I’ve actually written a blog post, I almost feel as though I should begin with by introducing myself. How about just an update? For those of you who’ve been reading my blog for only the last six to nine months, it may seem as though book reviews are all I do. That isn’t truly the case. For those of you who’ve missed my actual writing, I’m pretty sure it is back now.

First, I had decided to use a pen name for my writing and online presence, and had some really good reasons for doing so; it was interesting, fun and security-minded, which I thought was wise, in this open-information age we live in. The one reason I never acknowledged to myself, much less others, was that a pen name was different. It belonged to someone else. A writer. Someone with talent, confidence and purpose. Someone not me.

But alas, God spoke to me about that (as He will do when allowed), and quite directly told me that if my real name wasn’t good enough, no pen name in all the world would ever be good enough. Ouch. See, the name was not the problem, my perception of myself was (and is) the problem. So now, He and I are working on that. And I have returned to using my real name, because according to God, it (and I, by the way) is good enough.

Second, the reason I have written nothing except book reviews for the last half a year or longer, is because I haven’t had the words. Now, those of you who know me personally may laugh, because the idea of me not having words is actually pretty funny. But what I mean is this, when I write, my words are not my own. When I write, the words that are transferred from my mind, to my fingers, to the keyboard, then the screen, are really the words God gives me. In truth, they are His Words.

The reason I haven’t had words to be able to write is because I have been isolated. I have been distant from God, wandering around in the desert (which felt an awful lot like Hell), desperately putting one foot in front of the other to just keep going. In this awful place I experienced the weight of depression, oppression, and self-pity. I allowed anger and frustration to rule in my life. Sounds like a great place to be, right? I have not experienced darkness and heaviness like since before I became a Christian eleven years ago.

The good news is, I’m back! I have my energy, my zest, my enthusiasm, and most importantly, my faith back. The one blog post I’ve written so far in 2010 was called I Will Not Grow Weary. In it, I spoke a bit of what I’d been dealing with, and how I felt that my theme verse for this year (personally and on my blog) was from Galatians 6:9, And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap a harvest of blessing if we do not give up. But I was weary, and I almost gave up…

But God! I love way that sounds! But God would not give up on me, and He wouldn’t let me give up on me, or Him, either. It didn’t matter what I was feeling, God came along, and He held me, and He lifted me up, He comforted me, and strengthened me, and He brought me through. Yes, I was battered and bruised, but I made it through. But God wasn’t finished… He’s showered me with love, put a song in my heart, filled me with hope and if that wasn’t enough, He’s given me words! Because once again, I’m aware that my words are not just for me, and He will accomplish His purposes with them.

My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord. “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine. For just as the heavens are higher than the earth, so my ways are higher than your ways and my thoughts higher than your thoughts. The rain and snow come down from the heavens and stay on the ground to water the earth. They cause the grain to grow, producing seed for the farmer and bread for the hungry. It is the same with my word. I send it out, and it always produces fruit. It will accomplish all I want it to, and it will prosper everywhere I send it. ~ Isaiah 55:8-11

In closing, I excited to be able to begin anew. I have two new blog posts that are coming soon. In them, I will expand on what I’ve alluded to here. I will also continue doing book reviews, but will probably not do as many. All book reviews will state that in the title, whereas a normal blog post will merely have the title. There may be some aesthetic changes to Seed Thoughts, but for the most part it will remain the same. I’m so glad to be back and look forward to spending time here with you all again!

Sowing Seeds,

Tracy

I Will Not Grow Weary

The holidays, and another year, are now behind us, and a new year has begun. For many people, 2009 was difficult, challenging, or just plain hard. I know it was for me. There was a storm in my life. Actually, a storm may not exactly cover it, because it was more like storm, after storm, after storm.

If you’ve read Seed Thoughts for long, you know we experienced our third miscarriage last spring. In some ways, that was the least of what we had to walk through. It was a battle and it thoroughly exhausted me, but it did not defeat me. However, in the last few months, I just felt weary. Flat out, wore out. But because God is good, and He is faithful, he brought the above scripture to mind over and over. And He sustained me.

I don’t know why we had to battle through such a long and overwhelming time, but battle it we did. And God never left us. When I could no longer raise myself up, He did. And I would tell Him, but God I’m weary… And once again He would give me the above scripture. So, I didn’t give up. I just kept on keepin’ on. I kept putting one foot in front of the other, I kept praying and praising, and I kept serving and giving. And you know what? By the grace of God, I made it through.

God is good. He is faithful. And when the storms of life threaten to sweep us away, if we will cling to Him, our Rock and our Foundation, we may sway in the torrent, but we will not be overcome.

So now, with 2010 upon us, I have decided that the theme verse for Seed Thoughts and for me personally is this: And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap a harvest of blessing if we do not give up. ~ Gal. 6:9

I am ready for my harvest of blessing. In the Psalms we read: Those who sow in tears shall reap in joy. ~ Psalm126:5 I have done plenty of sowing of tears, and now the harvest of joy is upon me. It has already begun. The most recent tears I’ve shed, have been tears of joy because God is good and He is faithful, and He has blessed me with His love, with His grace, with His mercy and with His favor.

Trials, tribulations and storms come. They affect us all. But we have a choice to hang on to our Rock, or to give up. It is a matter of choice. It is a matter of will. So I declare in this New Year, I will not grow weary and I will not give up. Rather, I will overcome, and I will thrive, and I will live in joy! Amen!

Would Be Funny, If Not So True

I've seen this before and for some reason, really felt inspired to post it here today. I hope you will join me in mourning the loss...

~~~

Obituary printed in the London Times
by Anne Whitfield

Today we mourn the passing of a beloved old friend, Common Sense, who has been with us for many years. No one knows for sure how old he was, since his birth records were long ago lost in bureaucratic red tape. He will be remembered as having cultivated such valuable lessons as:

~ Knowing when to come in out of the rain;
~ Why the early bird gets the worm;
~ Life isn't always fair;
~ and Maybe it was my fault.

Common Sense lived by simple, sound financial policies (don't spend more than you can earn) and reliable strategies (adults, not children, are in charge).

His health began to deteriorate rapidly when well-intentioned but overbearing regulations were set in place. Reports of a 6-year-old boy charged with sexual harassment for kissing a classmate; teens suspended from school for using mouthwash after lunch; and a teacher fired for reprimanding an unruly student, only worsened his condition.

Common Sense lost ground when parents attacked teachers for doing the job that they themselves had failed to do in disciplining their unruly children.

It declined even further when schools were required to get parental consent to administer sun lotion or an aspirin to a student; but could not inform parents when a student became pregnant and wanted to have an abortion.

Common Sense lost the will to live as the churches became businesses; and criminals received better treatment than their victims.Common Sense took a beating when you couldn't defend yourself from a burglar in your own home and the burglar could sue you for assault.

Common Sense finally gave up the will to live, after a woman failed to realize that a steaming cup of coffee was hot. She spilled a little in her lap, and was promptly awarded a huge settlement.

Common Sense was preceded in death, by his parents, Truth and Trust, by his wife, Discretion, by his daughter, Responsibility, and by his son, Reason.

He is survived by his 4 stepbrothers; I Know My Rights, I Want It Now, Someone Else Is To Blame, I'm A Victim.

Not many attended his funeral because so few realized he was gone. If you still remember him, pass this on. If not, join the majority and do nothing.

~~~

2009 update: At the original time of posting this article I didn't know who wrote it and simply found it online. Since then I have found the writer. She deserves the kudos for writing it.

Note from Lori Borgman: This piece was first published March 15, 1998 in the Indianapolis Star. It has been "modified" and "edited" by others and circulated on the Internet, even sent to me several times. Imagine my surprise to see it attributed to some guy named Anonymous. If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, I take having my work circulated on the web as a compliment.

Our Deepest Fear

I first saw this amazing poem, in the equally amazing movie, Akeelah and the Bee. Some time ago, a blogging friend, Valerie from Simply4Him put it on her blog. Today, I was reminded of it, and wanted to add it to my own blog as well. I hope you enjoy it as much as I have. It really is powerful!

~~~

Our Deepest Fear
by Marianne Williamson

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us.
We ask ourselves,
Who am I to be brilliant,
gorgeous, handsome, talented and fabulous?

Actually, who are you not to be?
You are a child of God.
Your playing small does not serve the world.
There is nothing enlightened about shrinking
so that other people won't feel insecure around you.

We are all meant to shine, as children do.
We were born to make manifest the glory of God within us.
It is not just in some; it is in everyone.
And, as we let our own light shine,
we consciously give
other people permission to do the same.

As we are liberated from our fear,
our presence automatically liberates others.

To Trust and Obey

What I know is this. God will use me. All I have to do is trust and obey. When I began this writing journey a year and a half ago, I didn’t have any idea where it would take me. I just knew God told me to start writing again and make it more public. So I trusted and obeyed. And it has been wonderful!

I’ve found that by following the Lord’s leading, He has used me for His purposes, and I have received the benefit. God is so good! He owes me nothing and gives me everything! The season I’ve been in has been B U S Y . . . With a toddler running around, church activities, attempting to be a domestic diva (ok, so I’m more like a domestic dunce), starting a new home-business, and having a super-abundance of books to read and review, my writing time has diminished. And I haven’t been happy about that. However, God has shown me that it’s just for a season, and I will get back to writing more. Lot’s more.

Just because I haven’t been doing a lot of writing though, doesn’t mean that I haven’t been thinking and praying about it. And once again, God has come through. He is dumping so much into me that I have to write down all the ideas so I won’t forget. He’s been giving me tons of ideas for blog posts, devotionals, articles and fiction books.

Another thing I’ve felt the Lord leading me toward is speaking engagements. I don’t know what it will look like exactly and I don’t know when it will happen, but again, all I can do is trust and obey. So believing this will happen someday, it is my desire to prepare. As it has been said, luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity (Seneca, Roman philosopher, mid 1st century). Of course it’s not luck that I’m waiting on, it’s the Lord, but the principal is the same, right?

With that in mind, I’ve been praying that the Lord would reveal what my platform would be. After all, all speakers have to have a platform right? Once again, God has not let me down. He first gave me the acronym ICE, meaning Identity, Character and Emotions. All of these have been very important to me since I’ve become saved, because I have really worked hard at knowing my identity in Christ, having good character, and mastering my emotions, rather than allowing them to master me.

After ten years, I’m happy to say that I am well on my way to being the person God created me to be. Growing up dysfunctional, I never had any of this modeled for me, so God has had a lot of work to do. But He is faithful, and He will not quit on me. After all, it says in Phil. 1:6 “And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.”

So as I have time, I will write on the things that God has been revealing to me. I am really excited about this new turn in my journey, and I’m thrilled to have you along for the ride! Stay tuned, it’s going to be good!

Do Not Go Gentle...

About two months ago, I began going to physical therapy three times a week. I’d like to say it’s because of an old sports injury, or a wild freak-accident I’d been in, or better yet, that I’d hurt myself rescuing a helpless kitten escape a burning building. You know, something cool like that, but that wouldn’t be the truth.

Sadly, the truth is much less thrilling than any of that. The truth is that I turned 40 this year. Yep, the big 4 0. It is no longer possible to deny that I am middle-aged. But all in all, that hasn’t bothered me too much. After all, my experience has shown me that each decade of my life is better than the previous one.

With aging maturity though, also comes some unwanted things. Things like aches, pains, strains and cracks. Things like not being as fast, fit or flexible. And the understanding of what itis’s are: arthritis, tendonitis, bursitis. I’m now learning the importance of core conditioning and strength training, not for vanity sake, but for health sake.

Some of this is to be expected after all, because we do have earthly bodies that are already in a state of decay and dying to this life. There is no fountain of youth, magical pill, or expensive surgery that will grant us immortality. Unless we meet our demise early in life (which is always possible), old age will creep upon and overtake us. That is merely biology.

But one day, our bodies will last, and we will be pain and illness free. God has prepared for us an eternal and glorified body, to be dwelled in when this fleshly body wears out. One day the aches will be gone, a distant memory of a time when things weren’t perfect and pure. I love the hope, assurance and comfort I get from the following passage of Scripture:

“For we know that when this earthly tent we live in is taken down (that is, when we die and leave this earthly body), we will have a house in heaven, an eternal body made for us by God himself and not by human hands. We grow weary in our present bodies, and we long to put on our heavenly bodies like new clothing. For we will put on heavenly bodies; we will not be spirits without bodiesWhile we live in these earthly bodies, we groan and sigh, but it’s not that we want to die and get rid of these bodies that clothe us. Rather, we want to put on our new bodies so that these dying bodies will be swallowed up by life. God himself has prepared us for this, and as a guarantee he has given us his Holy Spirit.” ~ 2 Cor. 5:1-5

Until that time comes, however I intend to do what I can to be, and live, healthy. Simple activities like eating well, stretching, strengthening, and getting enough water and sleep are great ways to put off the inevitability of old age. Yes, it will come, but I'll not just sit back and let it overtake me. I am reminded of one of the few poems that I actually like. I first heard it in high school and it struck a chord with me even then. I hope you enjoy it too.

~~~

Do Not Go Gentle into that Good Night
By Dylan Thomas

Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Though wise men at their end know dark is right,
Because their words had forked no lightning they
Do not go gentle into that good night.

Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright
Their frail deeds might have danced in a green bay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight,
And learn, too late, they grieved it on its way,
Do not go gentle into that good night.

Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight
Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay,
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

And you, my father, there on the sad height,
Curse, bless me now with your fierce tears, I pray.
Do not go gentle into that good night. Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

You Made Me Lord ~ Psalm 139, Part 3

You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it. You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed. How precious are your thoughts about me, O God. They cannot be numbered! I can’t even count them; they outnumber the grains of sand! And when I wake up, you are still with me! ~ Psalm 139:13-18


Oh, what comfort these verses have brought and continue to bring me. Though I had heard the expression “God don’t make junk” before, I didn’t truly get it, until I read these verses. Then again. And again. I read them over, and over, and over, letting them take root deep inside my heart. I needed them – desperately.


People who’ve grown up in abuse, poverty and dysfunction often struggle with feelings of inferiority. Self-worth is frequently associated with performance. There is often a feeling of not fitting in or measuring up. That’s how it was with me. Often through the years, my pain, anger, loneliness and oppression really got to me. I sometimes thought I was unlovable, to myself, to others, and to God. I didn’t think I was a bad person per se; it was more like I just didn’t matter. I wandered through life, determined to do and be better than my family. I worked hard and was pretty well liked, eventually, popular even. But all of that was superficial. Inside I was eaten up by insecurity and unworthiness.


I always was aware of God, always knew Jesus, but I never committed my life to Him. It wasn’t because I wasn’t interested. I just couldn’t find Him. I tried out various churches through the years, but never felt anything. Finally, when I was 30, I walked into the church that changed my life. God had been wooing me and I was primed. I was ready. I was tired of searching, I now wanted to find.


And find Him I did! God radically changed my life and more importantly, how I saw and valued myself. I realized I was beautiful, enjoyable, and purposeful simply because He made me that way. I had worth and value, because He created me, not because of where I came from or what I’d accomplished. The wonderful and amazing God of the universe, created me, thought about me, loved me, had a purpose for me.


It is truly astounding to me, that He has written all the days of my life in His book. That He has a very specific and unique purpose for me, one that only I can fulfill. He created me; giving me the looks and personality He wanted me to have to fulfill that purpose. I have learned that when I criticize myself, I am actually criticizing the work of God’s hands. That’s not to say I can’t or shouldn’t better myself, but rather I’m kinder to myself as I go about it. I may mess up from time to time, but God is still there. He still watches over me and thinks of me. He still loves me.


I now know that no matter what happens in my life, I am not alone. I am not unwanted or unloved. The following song was instrumental in preparing me to receive Jesus as my Savior. God led me to it a few months before I was saved. I played it nearly non-stop. I love it still. I hope you enjoy it too.

You're With Me, Lord ~ Psalm 139, Pt. 2

I can never escape from your Spirit! I can never get away from your presence! If I go up to heaven, you are there; if I go down to the grave, you are there. If I ride the wings of the morning, if I dwell by the farthest oceans, even there your hand will guide me and your strength will support me. I could ask the darkness to hide me and the light around me to become night— but even in darkness I cannot hide from you. To you the night shines as bright as day. Darkness and light are the same to you. ~ Psalm 139:7-12


Isn’t it good to know we are never alone? Though undoubtedly we may feel that way at times, the truth is that we are not. The thing is the Bible doesn’t ever say we’ll never experience the darkness, storms, sorrow, pain, betrayal, cruelty, evil or death. What it says, is that when we experience these things, God is right there with us.


Have you ever tried to flee the presence of the Lord? Times when you’re angry, doing something you know is sinful, wanting things your way and in your timing, or simply retreating into yourself? I have. It seems like the times that I need Him the most, are the times that I push Him away. Much like a petulant or pouty child. Nevertheless, He is always there for me. He is always waiting on me. He is always reaching out to me.


Have you ever felt as if God has abandoned you, that when you reach out to Him, He’s just not there? I have. There are times when the darkness is so dark and the storm is so violent that you feel you’ll never make it out, you feel like you won’t survive. You even wonder, where is God in the midst of it all? But we can’t rely on or trust our feelings. They are fluid, constantly changing, and influenced by our own limited and faulty perceptions. Feelings waver, truth does not!


The truth is that no matter what we feel, God is right there. Whether we are choosing to live righteously or in sin, whether we are joyful or heartbroken, content or dissatisfied, running to or from Him, He is always there. He supports us when we are frail and uplifts us when we fall. He strengthens us when we are weak and guides us when we are lost. However, we have to let Him. We can, and sometimes do, choose to turn Him down. But that doesn’t mean He’s not there – He is. The darkness may last for a time, but the Light always pushes it back. Weeping may endure for the night, but joy comes in the morning. (Psa. 30:5)


I am so grateful that I don’t have to rely on my own strength, knowledge, wisdom or feelings. To think that the Lord of all creation is always with little ol’ me, no matter where I am, what I’m doing, or who I’m with, is too wonderful for words! Yes, the storms come and the waves crash down, but we don’t have to be overcome by them. We can trust in the Truth, rather than our feelings, and lean on the support and strength of Jesus to get us through. That’s what He wants. That’s what He offers. All we have to do is receive it.


Thank you Lord, for always being with me, no matter what I’m going through. Thank you for offering me your love, mercy, grace, compassion, comfort, patience, strength and support. Thank you for driving out the darkness and showering me in Light. Thank you the hope and abundant life you have for me. You are everything to me and I praise you!

You Know Me, Lord ~ Psalm 139, Part 1

O Lord, you have examined my heart and know everything about me. You know when I sit down or stand up. You know my thoughts even when I’m far away. You see me when I travel and when I rest at home. You know everything I do. You know what I am going to say even before I say it, Lord. You go before me and follow me. You place your hand of blessing on my head. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too great for me to understand! ~ Psalm 139:1-6


This Psalm (139) is probably my most favorite of all the Psalms. I have read it many times throughout my Christian journey. It has given me comfort and assurance in ways that are both deep and profound. It is Rhema to me, life-giving words to live by. Just today I read it again. Once more, it has jumped out at me, specifically the part posted above.


I’m the sort of person that can pretty honestly say, “what you see is what you get.” I’m not much of a faker. I never have been. This doesn’t necessarily mean I wear every emotion on my sleeve, but still, I try to be real, though not always deeply revealing (in that I do try to practice wisdom). That’s why it’s been so important for me to be real in my writing. As I go through the seasons of my life, I find I have to be real and honest about them. With both myself and God.


Reading the above verses, it’s good to know that in this, I’m right on target. Like the Psalmist, God knows me better than I know myself. He knows what I think, feel, say and do, whether I’m honest about it or not. Whether I’m aware of it or not. And even whether I am near or far from Him. He knows whether I will take the high road, or the low road, way before I even arrive at the road.


Once again, with my latest miscarriage, as with my previous two, I felt anger. I was angry with myself, with God, with the world… The thing I didn’t want to do was pretend that I was ok, because I wasn’t. I was hurting badly and flat out pissed off! I hope I don’t shock you too much, but once again, this is me, being real. I spoke of my hurt and anger in person, on my blog, and to God. And you know what? I feel better. Yes, I’m still in the process of healing. But being real, rather than in denial, is both healing and freeing.


Sadly, there are too many Christians who aren’t real. Worse yet, there are “seasoned” Christians who try to influence “newer” Christians to not be real. Who do they think they’re fooling? Certainly not God! He knows us, loves us, and understands when life, and the storms of life, gets to us. That’s part of the beauty of the reality of Jesus. Fully God and fully man. He felt strong emotions; He loved, laughed and grieved. He experienced loyalty and betrayal. And He faced, and conquered, death. He gets us!


And because He gets us, He expects us to be real, even if that real is raw. He is there for us, waiting for us to come to Him, to receive the comfort, peace and love that only He can give. Like a loving Father, He welcomes us to come and sit on His lap and pour out our hearts to him. Even if it is after a temper tantrum. And as we sit with Him, being real with Him, and inviting Him to touch us in His own special way, He does. Tenderly, lovingly, He reaches out to place His hand of blessing on our head.


Thank you, Lord, for your healing-balm, tender-mercies and loving-kindness. Though it is too great and wonderful for me to fully understand, I thank you.

A Proverb A Day . . .

When I began to read my Bible today, I was thrilled to see I was beginning Proverbs again. I can say with absolute certainty that Proverbs is my favorite book of the Bible. And I’m in it quite often. The way I read my Bible, is to begin with a full page or two of Psalms, Proverbs, or Ecclesiastes, then spend some time in my normal reading from the other books. I basically go Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiasts, Proverbs, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, etc. So, as I said, I’m in Proverbs a lot.


But I love that book! There is so much wisdom, instruction, and good old fashioned common sense contained within it. And everything applies to life today. Want to know about relationships? It’s in Proverbs. Want to know about good character? It’s in Proverbs. Want to know about money? It’s in Proverbs. Want to know about how to live your life in a productive and honorable way? It’s in Proverbs. Likewise, if you want to learn how not to be or act, it too is in Proverbs. Do you see a theme here?


Every single time I read Proverbs, something jumps out at me. I’m not kidding every time. So I began my reading today with the beginning of Proverbs, which according to my current Bible, the New Living Translation, explains The Purpose of Proverbs. The first few lines, verses 2 – 4 really jumped out at me. They are:


“The purpose of these proverbs is to teach people wisdom and discipline, and to help them understand wise sayings. Through these proverbs, people will receive instruction in discipline, good conduct, and doing what is right, just, and fair. These proverbs will make the simple-minded clever. They will give knowledge and purpose to young people.” Prov. 1:2-4 (NLT)


WOW! Can you imagine what our society would be like if this stuff was actually taught? How much better off would we be if Proverbs was required reading and teaching, in the home, the schools, and the boardrooms all across America? What if all the tremendous amount of money and effort that goes into teaching liberal tolerance, sexual exploitation of children, alternative lifestyles, etc, what if that actually was used for good? What if, bear with me now, what if the content of Proverbs was actually taught in our churches?


Imagine how society would be if discipline wasn’t a bad and dreaded thing to be fought and rebelled against. Imagine if we studied Proverbs to learn how to handle money, bills, and debt? Imagine life if everyone focused on good character and how to be better people, honest, honorable and with high integrity. Imagine if people actually behaved in a way that was consistently right, just, and fair!


Alas, I know it is just wishful thinking . . . But once again I commit myself to learning and growing through Proverbs, and yes, of course, the rest of the Bible too. In it I’ve learned how to be a good wife and mother. In it I’ve learned (somewhat anyway) to tame my tongue. In it I’ve learned to seek and follow God’s will for my life, because His way is certainly better than mine.


No, I’ve not yet gotten to the finish line. I know I still have a long way to go, to be the person God created me to be. But I also know that I am not alone on this journey. Jesus is always with me. And He has given me both the Holy Spirit and His Word to guide and direct me. And once again I am thankful for it all! I’d love to give you more verses to ponder, but if I added all of the verses that speak to me, this would be about 6,000 words long. So instead, I’ll just recommend that you spend some time in Proverbs. After all, as I always say, “a Proverb a day will keep evil away.”

My Great Epiphany!

Ok, so I mentioned on my Facebook page the other day, that I had an epiphany, but didn’t elaborate at the time. I guess people really do read all those blurbs, because I’ve had several people mention it since, both in person and through e-communication. So, I’ve decided to go ahead and divulge this great “Ah-ha” moment that I had.


Many of you know from reading this blog over the last year that I didn’t come from a close or healthy family. I’ve divulged much of my testimony in various posts throughout the year. But for those of you who may not know, I grew up in poverty and a single-mom household that was dysfunctional. My mother has a lot of . . . issues. Depression, hopelessness and a victim-mentality rule her life. I experienced hunger and humiliation, emotional and sexual abuse, and neglect. My growing up years were based on survival and as such, I was fiercely independent and headstrong. In many ways, I was more like the parent of the household, for myself, my little brother and my mother.


Obviously we are not a close-knit family. Even to this day we are not close. I try to honor my mother as best as I can, but her choice has been to remain distant from my life. I love her, and I pray for her, but I have strong and healthy boundaries, and will not allow myself to get sucked into the drama and dysfunction that I once knew. And I feel good about my life and know that God is ok with it too. What remains is in His hands. My mother gives what she can, which is very little, but now I can accept that, and further I'm happy for that.


The summer before my senior year, I signed up for the Air Force in delayed enlistment. Within two weeks of my graduation, I was off to basic training. I was thrilled and excited and full of fear too! When I left, I said a quick goodbye, with a quicker hug, to my mother and turned to face my new life. Then I noticed something. Others, guys and gals, who were making the same journey, were holding onto their families tightly and crying. I was shocked and confused by this. I just didn’t get it. It never occurred to me to cry, that this might be a sad or lonely thing. As far as I was concerned, it was an exciting new adventure and I was free!


Through the years since, I’ve seen this type of thing many times. I’ve seen tears at saying goodbye to and missing family, a longing to be together, through the good and the bad, talking to parents and siblings often on the phone, and getting together for holidays and even just because. I came to realize that that was “normal,” and I was not. I still didn’t get it, and I didn’t understand it, but I accepted it. My normal was independence, distance and friends – not family. In fact, I held tight to my belief in family by choice, not by chance, meaning my friends and pets were my family, not those I was blood related to.


Fast forward to now and my recent epiphany. We were watching The Biggest Loser the other night and the remaining contestants all got to go home for the week. It was touching and emotional and just… nice. When it was time for them to go back to the ranch though, it was so clear how hard this was for many people – especially the moms who had to say goodbye to their children. I was incredibly moved by these scenes.


I began thinking about how would I handle a separation like that from my beloved husband and precious daughter? Just thinking about it made me cry. Literally. And that was it! That was my great epiphany! I realized then that I had made it to “normal.” All of a sudden, I got it. And I realized once again, the amazing faithfulness of God. He took my deepest longing to have a family that I loved fiercely and enjoyed too, and He gave it to me! I realized that He gave me an Eph. 3:20 family, that He gave me beauty for ashes, and He restored all that the locust had stolen. And I was, and am, so very grateful! Thank you, Jesus!


“Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us.” ~ Ephesians 3:20

Never Again List

I have been struggling just a bit with what to do for my first blog post of 2009. I mean, you only get one ‘first’ of the year post. Such pressure! Just kidding – sort of. I really didn’t want to do a post about goals, resolutions or any of the typical New Years things, but at the same time I really do understand the desire to focus in on change, because after all, that’s what a new year is, right?


What I’ve decided to post is a list I recently came across, while doing some end of year cleaning. This is not a list that I compiled, but I like it very much, and so I’ve decided to share it with you. It really is an appropriate list to begin a new year. I know that I will fail in keeping this list completely, but it will serve as a reminder to renew my mind daily and take my thoughts captive. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.


NEVER AGAIN LIST ~

Never again will I confess “I Can’t” for “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” ~ Phil. 4:13

Never again will I confess “Lack” for “My God shall supply all my needs according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.” ~ Phil. 4:19

Never again will I confess “Fear” for “God has not given me a spirit of fear, but of power, and love, and of sound mind.” ~ 2 Tim. 1:7

Never again will I confess “Doubt and Lack of Faith” for “God has given to every man the measure of faith.” ~ Romans 12:3

Never again will I confess “Weakness” for “The Lord is the strength of my life.” ~ Psa. 27:1

Never again will I confess “Defeat” for “God always causes me to triumph in Christ Jesus.” ~ 2 Cor. 2:14

Never again will I confess “Lack of Wisdom” for “Christ Jesus has made unto me wisdom from God.” ~ 2 Cor. 1:30

Never again will I confess “Worries and Frustrations” for “I am casting all my cares upon Him who cares for me.” ~ 1 Pet. 5:7

Never again will I confess “Condemnation” for “There is therefore now no condemnation for those which are in Jesus Christ.” ~ Romans 8:2


Praise God and Amen!

Takin' the Time

This is the time of year, in which a lot of us typically think about… well, time. The current year is drawing to a close and the New Year is about to begin. We reflect on what we’ve experienced throughout this current year and dream about what we’ll experience next year. Sometimes we’re happy to see a particular year end, because it’s been filled with difficulty and trials, other times we ponder the abundant blessings the year has brought us.

During the Holiday Season, there never seems to be enough time and we are frequently far busier than we should be. We rush around in frantic fashion, going from this event to that, constantly cooking and cleaning, and doing shopping for and wrapping of gifts. How can we enjoy the season if we’re too busy to experience the joy of the season?

Time is a precious commodity, and we all have just a certain amount of it. The Bible tells us to ‘redeem the time,’ to make the most of it. Once it’s gone, it’s gone, there’s no getting it back or making more of it. At the end of our days, we don’t want to look back and think about all of the busy times, but rather we want to think about the special, meaningful times, and have our memories filled with warmth and love, instead of emptiness and regret.

The activities I mentioned previously are all good things, as long as the business doesn’t overtake the joy and meaning of the Christmas Season. If you’re stressed and overloaded this time of year, try to make a conscious effort to slow down, take a break and enjoy. It’ll do you good to relax a bit. Take some time to think about the reason for celebrating – the birth of Jesus and the love of family and friends. I guarantee you it will be time well spent!

Ordinary days and activities do have a place in our lives, and we should be productive, but we must be mindful to seize the moments that come our way that are filled with joy, beauty, laughter, love and life. This is to build memories and to not just get through our time here, but to enjoy the journey. At the end of my days, I want to remember that through it all, I loved, and lived, life. Don’t you?

"Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the number of moments that take our breath away." ~ Unknown

Farewell to Paul

On Friday, September 26th, 2008, Hollywood, all of America and the world, lost a treasured and deeply respected man. Paul Newman was 83 years old, when he succombed to his battle with lung cancer. Normally I don’t write about celebrities, but Paul Newman was anything but a normal celebrity. He was Hollywood royalty, but that in and of itself means little.

In a town where “till death do I part” usually means till I get bored, Paul Newman and his wife Joanne Woodward were married for 50 years. When asked about infidelity, he quipped, “Why go out for hamburger when I’ve got steak at home?” Throughout this long marriage, they both appeared to genuinely love, respect and enjoy each other always. He had 6 children, 3 (1 son who died from an accidental drug overdose and 2 daughters) from his previous marriage and 3 (daughters) with Joanne Woodward.

Paul served in the Navy during WWII. He became a professional race car driver in the 1970’s and actually did well at it. Paul was a political activist and while I personally disagree with his stance on many issues (particularly gay marriage), I wholly appreciate his class and honor in how he represented himself on sharing his beliefs.

Paul was also known for his philanthropy. He was not a celebrity who merely lent his name to draw attention to a cause. He did something about it and he did it big. Philanthropically, he is best known for his Newman’s Own line of food products, which donated all proceeds after taxes to charity. As of early 2006, this amounted to more than 200 million dollars. He is lesser known for co-founding the Hole in the Wall Gang Camp in 1988, which is a summer camp for seriously ill children. One camp has expanded to become several Hole in the Wall Camps in the U.S., Ireland, France and Israel. The camp serves 13,000 children every year, free of charge.

Paul Newman was a prominent American. He was a distinguished actor, a loving and devoted husband and father, a great humanitarian; he loved life and lived his to the fullest. I don’t know his standing with God, but I sincerely hope that he was right with Him. He was truly a class act. And he will be missed.

Paul Newman, January 26, 1925 ~ September 26, 2008

Thank you, Paul, for the good works and the memories.

I'm Like Fine Wine

I don’t get it! I really don’t. I will be turning 40 (yes, 40) in 86 days. So why am I still breaking out like a 16 year old girl? What’s up with that? Zits, pimples, acne, whatever you choose to call it, I got it, and I’m tired of it!

I mean, if I had to still be experiencing things like I did when I was a teen, why can’t it be eating anything I want (and as much as I want), without having to worry about weight, cholesterol, osteoporosis, etc? Or how about my energy level? Why can’t I be plagued with boundless energy at all times? Seriously, the Energizer bunny had nothin’ on me! After all, when I was a teen I worked full time, went to school full time, was social full time and even managed to complete some homework. (Note I said some homework. H.S. was really more social for me and I didn’t start to really take homework seriously until I was paying for my own college courses!)

It’s not that I mind getting older – I really don’t. I’m healthier mentally, spiritually and emotionally. I’m more grounded, patient, relaxed and even, hopefully, wiser too. I love life itself and my life specifically. To be perfectly honest, I think I’m like fine wine – I’m getting better with age. And I wouldn’t go back to adolescence for anything in the world. It’s just that, well, for once in my life I’d like to have a clear complexion. Really, is that too much for a (dare I say) middle-aged woman to ask?

Moving from my own age of youth to age of maturity, I saw something on TV that really cracked me up. I was watching the 4th hour of the Today Show with Kathie Lee Gifford and Hoda Kotb today, and they had a segment on with Gene Simmons, you know, from the 70’s rock band Kiss (with the makeup, wild hair and leather). It seems that Gene has a new gig these days. Apparently, he is now one of the spokespersons for AARP (formerly the American Association of Retired Persons)! Seriously, the AARP! Does anyone else find this to be hilarious? Anyway, in his now seasoned wisdom he basically said, “The only difference between girls and women, or boys and men, is experience.” There you go – I have experience, therefore I am a woman (no matter how many zits I have).

“I’m not interested in age. People who tell me their age are silly. You’re as old as you feel.” ~ Elizabeth Arden

“Live your life and forget your age.” ~ Norman Vincent Peale

“So much has been said and sung of beautiful young girls, why don’t somebody wake up to the beauty of old women?” ~ Harriet Beecher Stowe

“First you are young; then you are middle-aged; then you are old; then you are wonderful” ~ Lady Diana Cooper

“I’d rather be over the hill than under it.” ~ my 87-yr old Gram

“I’m in pretty good shape for the shape I’m in” ~ my 87-yr old Gram

I'm No Tree-Hugger

I’m no tree-hugger. I roll my eyes at the hysteria of the environmentalist crusade. That said, I do recycle and try to save energy and natural resources simply because it is the right thing, the responsible thing, to do. I believe we are to be good stewards of the earth and its resources. However, this should not be something we lose our common sense over. Extremisms are always dangerous.

The most prominent cause du jour is global warming - especially with the Hollywood crowd. I simply don’t believe it. It is a scare tactic used by the liberal left to gain more power. If they can create fear, even to near hysteria, but offer a solution, they figure they can gain trust and consequently elections. Now I’m not saying the signs aren’t there, but I believe they point to something else. Everything is cyclical. Time and seasons and weather patterns are all cyclical. Looking back to the 1970’s, at that point in time, the media and extremists were crying “global cooling” and that we were heading into another ice age. It even made the cover of Newsweek in 1975! It didn’t happen. There is “evidence” back as far as the 1890’s that we have been going through cycles of global warming and cooling. Nothing globally catastrophic has happened, but hysteria sells.

Temps go up and they go down. Storm systems are wildly dangerous and they are relatively calm. Weather patterns are unpredictable and tumultuous and they are even predictable and moderate. There is flooding and there is drought. It’s called weather. Contrary to what Al Gore’s “An Inconvenient Truth” maintains, there is evidence that the earth has been in a cooling trend for the last few years. In fact, he even states that “the debate is over in the scientific community”, but obviously it’s not because over 19,000 scientists and climatologists publicly signed a petition stating they do NOT agree. (For more info see http://www.globalwarmingisafarce.com/)

There is big money to be made in the new push to make everything “green”. From hybrid cars to solar energy to “earth friendly eco-bags” instead of plastic at the grocery store, and a myriad of other things, the push is definitely on. Again, I believe we have a responsibility to be good stewards of the wonderful earth God created, but I don’t believe we should make foolhardy choices out of fear. One of the biggest pushes right now involves an ordinary, everyday item that we all have multiples of inside our homes – light bulbs.

We all need light bulbs and we all use them throughout our homes. For the most part, we’ve been using the same type of bulb for home use, since bulbs were invented - incandescent. And it appears that they both cost more and use more energy in the long run. Naturally, there has been a strong push to start using the new compact fluorescent lamps. It makes sense since they are both energy and money saving. Or does it?

What is not widely reported is that these CFL bulbs are filled with poisonous mercury and are quite dangerous to people. So dangerous in fact, that they must be disposed of properly by using a specific type of recycling facility. There’s one problem – the type of recycling facility needed is very limited. They cannot be disposed of in the trash like incandescent bulbs because they could harm the trash collector, leak into the ground, air and water (obviously this is a danger to both the earth and society), and in quantity they could even kill landfill workers. And this is just for CFL bulbs that have burned out. What about if they break? Well, now you’re really in trouble. If a CFL bulb breaks, for your own protection, you have to hire an environmental cleanup company to come do it for you, at a cost of somewhere around way too stinking expensive. A woman in Maine experienced this first hand, when a bulb in her daughter’s room broke. She is now trying to save at least $2000 to have it cleaned up properly because the EPA has deemed it contaminated. And no, homeowners insurance doesn’t cover that. In the meantime, the room remains sealed off. (For more info see www.wnd.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=55213 )

So what are we to do? For me and my family, we intend to go on with our lives. We will continue to recycle what we can and do our best to use our natural resources wisely. We take the stewardship of the earth seriously, as God gave it to us and told us to take dominion over it. However, we will not be quick to jump on the fever-pitched, goin’ green bandwagon! And we will not willingly bring hazardous material in a fragile glass container into our home! But neither will we be wasteful, negligent or unaware of the fact that the earth’s resources are limited.

The earth is beautiful and precious and should be properly taken care of. It should be respected and protected as much as possible without us going crazy to do it (and making things worse). The earth is the Lord’s creation and it is good. Let’s join in together and do our part sensibly, while being mindful of the current obsession with being environmentally fanatical instead of being environmentally sensible. Don’t be led astray by the fear-mongering liberal left. Just think, use common sense and be responsible. God entrusted us with the earth, should we not be deemed trustworthy with it?

See Genesis 1 and 2 for the Creation story.

“You alone are the LORD. You made the heavens, even the highest heavens, and all their starry host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. You give life to everything, and the multitudes of heaven worship you.” ~ Nehemiah 9:6

“Generations come and generations go, but the earth remains forever. The sun rises and the sun sets and hurries back to where it rises. The wind blows to the south and turns to the north; round and round it goes, ever returning on its course. All streams flow into the sea, yet the sea is never full. To the place the streams come from, there they return again.” ~ Ecclesiastes 1:4-7

(C) 2008 Tracy Keck

Reading, Writing and Life

I love to read. That’s probably a no-brainer, because I also love to write. But I really do love to read. I always have. I love even the smell of old books. Reading has been a passion of mine all my life. Growing up, I was known as a bookworm and reading geek. I could get through anything (even grade school) as long as I could read. At that point in my life, nothing was more important to me than a good book – even food! In a good book, I could escape my life and have adventures, romance, fun, mystery and thrill. If I didn’t like the book, I could easily stop and move on to one that suited me more.

When I was growing up life wasn’t easy for me, so my books were my friends. I couldn’t even begin to guess how many books I read. Of course, some of them were favorites over the others and I loved to read series’. The series that was probably my all-time favorite is the Little House collection. Another favorite was the Anne of Green Gables collection. And of course there was the Trixie Belden mystery book collection. As far as books that weren’t in a series, again I had some favorites – Little Women, Where the Red Fern Grows, The Outsiders and Ice Castles. These were all great books that touched me deeply. I’ve read all of these individual books and the series’ multiple times. Some of them I still do.

My reading has changed and matured though. Don’t get me wrong, I still enjoy a good fictional novel. However, I now read more non-fiction. If you were to take a look at my personal library, you’d find plenty of fiction (because they’re enjoyable), but you’d also find business and reference books (because I want to learn), biographies (because people really are interesting), political books (because I’m a passionate patriot), Christian Living books (because I want to grow) and most importantly, several different translations of the Bible (because I want to know God more and be more like Him).

In addition to all the books that I continue to read, I also read a ton of stuff on the internet. There really is a lot of good stuff out there. From online articles, to writing and reading groups, to blogs, the options for reading are in abundance. The thing about the internet though, is that you have to get through a lot of garbage to find quality content, but it is out there.

Now I’ve joined the fray. I have gone public with my writing in the vast expanse of the internet. I know that God has led me to begin this journey, but I don’t know where it will end, or what I’ll encounter on the way. I’m fairly certain it won’t be in a straight line, which is the shortest distance between two points, but rather it will be more like the long and winding road. It is my desire to contribute to the good content that’s out there and I’m fairly certain it is. I say that not with confidence in myself, but with confidence in my God.

There is much about this new journey that I don’t have the answers to, but I do know that God is in it, and He has a purpose and a plan for it. It seems like that is really not all that different than life itself. We often have more questions than answers in our life journey and don’t really know where we are going. Sometimes we think we know, but end up in a detour or a dead end. But God has a plan and a purpose for all of us. We may stumble, fall, get off track or find ourselves going around the same mountain again and again, but God will always be there to pick us up and help us get back on track.

So I will continue going about my life, seeking God and following where He leads. I will continue to read because I cannot imagine my life without reading being a huge part of it. The cool thing about reading now though, is that it’s not looked down upon. In fact, it is encouraged and as the old saying goes, “Leaders are readers.” And I will continue to write, hoping and praying that God will continue to speak through me and in turn, my writing will touch others. And who knows, maybe one day I’ll be the one who is writing a really good book!

“For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” ~ Jeremiah 29:11

“Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and your plans will succeed.” ~ Proverbs 16:3

(C) 2008 Tracy Keck