You Are Woven Into a Tapestry

"You are way more than you think you are. 

The ups and downs, crises and fun times, sad and happy experiences, your dreams and goals, relationships and thoughts are all part of the tapestry of your life.

The dark times contrast the bright times, making them more beautiful. The high places wouldn’t be so lovely without the low places. Like a mountain wildflower that can only exist in extreme weather areas, you are an exquisite creation that is becoming more beautiful as the years and experiences go by.

As you read this book, you will discover your own life’s design, and learn new things about your Creator, whose light invades your darkness and whose imagination has fashioned you to be unique and amazing."

Are you ready to discover what God had in mind when He imagined you?

This is an excerpt from the introduction to my book, Tapestry - The Divine Design For Your Life. I think you will like it. I wrote it for you. It is about YOU! This book will change you. It will help you see God's ever-present hand in your life. There are blessings for you and prayers for you. God has anointed it to touch you in a special way. This book is my dream and I pray it will help you reach your dreams!

Love, Chris

"I want you woven into a tapestry of love; in touch with everything there is to know of God."(Colossians 2:2-4 - The Message)

Available in paperback and digital formats from:

Amazon.Com;

Barnes and Noble.com

Tate Publishing.

How Can We Make a Difference in This World?

My daughter, Bess Tracy, painted this for her niece
(my granddaughter), Samantha Tracy to encourage her
destiny and dreams. "Let her sleep, for when she
wakes, she will move mountains." What a
declaration to wake up to every day!
(Author of quote is unknown.)

I think most of us want our lives to count for something. We truly want to make a difference… to make life better for someone… to be remembered… to do good with our talents and possessions.

One night I could not sleep. Thunder and a full moon had me wide awake at 2:30 a.m.. I ended up “talking”on Facebook with Tom, a friend from the United Kingdom we met at Bethel Church where my husband and I attended ministry school. It was mid-morning in London, and Tom, a young dad, was writing an essay and studying for his degree in Theology. He told me he was struggling due to dyslexia. I simply told Tom in my text that he had a kind heart and the world needed him. We made declarations of healing over his problem. We wrote a bit more and then signed off. He told me he knew why I wasn’t sleeping…that I was awakened to minister to him. He needed encouragement. My part was so simple. The Holy Spirit, (who hangs around Facebook, don’t ya know?), did the rest.

Few of us are called to be missionaries or traveling evangelists or pastors of a local church. Most of us work in the marketplace, we're raising children at home, and we gather with friends who are believers as well as pre-believers.

So…what can we do to make a difference in this world? How can we bring the beautiful light of heaven into people's lives?

The answer? Just be available. Listen to and watch what God is doing. Encourage a child. Help a neighbor. Show Jesus’ love and compassion to a hurting person. Use your culinary or athletic gift to gather friends. Build relationships. Give a $20 bill to a corner homeless person. Support a missionary. Give an unexpected gift. Make a new friend. If you're young, bless an older person. If you're old, encourage a young person. Pray silently for someone next to you on the highway.

You may never know how far your acts of love and compassion may go. You could be making a big difference to a person who will make a difference to his daughter who will make a decision for her own life that will change the world.

Inventor, dreamer, artist, writer, carpenter, friend, sibling, parent, grandparent…you already make a difference. Now do it some more! Do it intentionally. You have been blessed to be a blessing!

“Find out who you are and do it on purpose!” - Dolly Parton

I hope you will find out who you are and what you are called to when you read my book Tapestry - The Divine Design for Your Life. Be encouraged. God will meet you when you seek Him. 

Available now in digital download and print. Click here to order

Bold and Creative Love

Sedona, Arizona
Photo by Christine Tracy

Did you know Paul the Apostle liked talking to the “New Agers” of his day? He did. He was not afraid. He was creative. 

The story goes that this group loved to discuss new ideas and philosophies. They were eager to hear Paul's news. I can picture Paul, brilliant and with the Holy Spirit as his guide, pondering how to reach these people with the message of Christ. Paul looked around and noticed there was an altar “to the unknown God.” That was it. That was what he would talk about.

I think Paul actually loved the challenge. Boldly he followed the leading of the Spirit. Boldly he opened his mouth and taught about this God they honored with an altar but did not yet know.

God loves all people. He loves the ones who don't know Him yet. He loves his Church – even those that are, like the Pharisees, walking in judgment and condemnation and bringing great pain to Him.

The veil is about to be lifted and truth will prevail. The Church, the Bride of Christ, the love of God Himself, will walk in purity and love. It will be  the goodness of God that will lead people to repentance in this great revival.

Are we ready? We, His children, filled with His Spirit, are the carriers and purveyors of His goodness. Love - not fear, not condemnation, not judgment - but love will open doors to let the truth prevail.

Sadness in Colorado

As I write this, the television coverage of last night’s tragedy continues to describe the horror. Children dead and critically injured, a married couple dead, more than a dozen killed and more than 50 injured at the hand of a seemingly intelligent young man who had no previous criminal record. President Obama wonders what could possiblly move a person to hurt another human being. Candidate Romney has put in his thoughts about the living God bringing comfort. People all over the world are listening. People all over the world are praying.

What does motivate something like that? Incomprehensible. Tragic. Horrific. All words that continue to be uttered as witnesses and reporters describe what happened.

My heart is so sad. So sick. Everything within me is wanting to fight, yet what are we fighting? The only answer to President Obama’s question is - no human being could do something like this to fellow human beings. Pure evil is as real as our living God. It is a battle that has waged, according to the Bible, from before the foundations of the world. How do we respond as humans?

We can talk to the One who is able to bring the only comfort, peace, truth, light, life, healing, and love, that can transcend the pain of this time. Prayer works. Intercession works. Allowing Him to love others through us works. Times like these make us hold our children closer; count our blessings; and bond even with strangers. God is with us. He loves us. He loves Colorado. He is present. He will prevail. He is good.

God bless Colorado.

It's Time To Fly!!!!!!

"It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery." Galations 5:1 (NIV)

Free at last, Free at last!!
My cast is off! Yes - those of you who have gone through this with me know how hard it was for me to have the restriction of a cast. Never have I so appreciated all my working parts! Never have I so honored my left hand and all it is capable of normally doing - like supporting my right hand, typing, lifting, washing dishes, shaping guitar chords, cleaning, doing laundry, buttoning my jeans, squeezing the toothpaste...you get the picture. So you can imagine my joy when the cast came off last week. My "wing" was again able to help me fly.

Truly alive!
This experience I liken to my spiritual experience. I have had times when I was injured - rejected -  by someone and my feelings hurt - or times when I tried something and failed, or when I behaved badly and was ashamed, causing injury to my mind and heart. In those times I actually put a "cast" on my pain - a protective cover to help it to heal. Some people call it a "wall." We unknowingly build them to not only help us heal, but protect us from future hurts. The thing is - when we are healed and strengthened in that area, we often forget to remove the cast. It stays on - and the result is we are limited in our abilities to do things - like really love; really show compassion; and receive the same from others. Our walls keep us "safe," but prevent us from truly living.

Life, joy, freedom!
My prayer today is that we can enter life and freedom, and bravely remove our casts and take down our walls - and see that God has healed us - He will protect us - and His desire is for us to be free from anything standing between Him (our true life, joy, and freedom), and us (with hearts so desperately thirsty for that life, joy, and freedom).

The Joy of SOZO
Can you do it? Yes. It's time. If you need help - seek it. So many ministries are out there to assist in helping you find that freedom. SOZO is one of them - now offered through many ministries and churches. I have posted a link on my blog to the left. Check it out.

Blessings and joy to you today!!!!

One Small Book

Rick and I were talking yesterday. He had my Bible in his hand and commented on how small it was.

“It’s funny,” he said. “You could have a whole set of encyclopedias and still they would not contain the wisdom that is in this one small book. It has everything we need for every situation we’ll ever face.”