Hopeful Expectations

What if we could make fear go away? How? We stop talking about imagined disaster. We stop listening to media alarm. We begin to live again…laugh again…hope again that the world is good.

Might this defeat the weapon of fear? Might the new narrative, spoken aloud, create a different reality? Is this what the kingdom government of God might look like? If we weren’t living in fear, might we make different decisions? Might we open doors of innovation bringing new solutions to education, government, media, health care, family, life? 

Good days are ahead.

Cooler weather is coming.

The earth is stable.

What is happening is not unusual.

Sleep. Rest. Breathe.

Let's turn off the noise and turn on some music.

Dancing is healing; joy is wisdom; love is the main thing.

Job 3:25 says “what I feared the most has come upon me.”

Fear is a great weapon. Let's do the opposite and embrace hopeful expectation of good.

Have you read my book, Tapestry - The Divine Design for Your Life? Find it here on Amazon.com.

Bravo, God, Bravo! Walking My Canon

Autumn on Grand Mesa - Western Colorado
Chris Tracy Photography

I used to walk Butch, and Cooper, and Brutus, and Brody. I loved the dogs of my life who were always happy to go!

Now, I walk my camera. Well, I walk with my camera. It sits on my table wagging its lens and panting - beckoning me to take it wherever I venture. It seems to have a life of its own. When my camera is in my hand, I see things I wouldn't see without it. When I walk around my neighborhood, I like to take pictures of flowers, mailboxes, trees, life, seasons, sunsets, rain puddles, and whatever else seems beautiful to me. I post many of my photos on Facebook and blogs in hopes that others might appreciate where we all get to live.

When I am up in the mountains, my buddy around my neck, I have a different focus than if I didn't have my camera. I watch, I sing, I smell, I listen, I crunch through leaves, and get my shoes muddy and soon I come upon something carved on a tree or reflected in the lake, or grazing in a meadow. Sunlight, shadows, contrasts, colors, clouds, all just thrill me because I know they are waiting there just for me to notice.

So what is my type of artist to do with this? Why is this so exciting for me? What is this passion? How can I share it? How can I make a living with it? Or should I? Is art more for the enjoyment of the artist - a relationship of love from Creator to creator? Am I just called on this earth to appreciate the grand Artist and to help others do the same through my art? Is our passion our calling? I think it could be. Or it provides the means and tools to accomplish our calling.

With all my love I share these photos with you, my readers. Have a wonderful day!

Bravo, God, Bravo! Everyone join in the great shout: Encore! In awe before the beauty, in awe before the might. Psalm 96:7 - The Message

For more photos and a daily inspirational prophetic word, also visit my blog:

Crisp Mountain Air!

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The Best Breakfast Ever!

  

   We had been fishing since before dawn without a single bite. Maybe the water was too warm. Maybe we weren’t trying hard enough. Perhaps we were simply content to just float and watch the sunrise in silence.

   When the mist cleared, we noticed someone on the beach. "How's the fishing?" he shouted. My friend, Pete, heard him suggest we cast out in another direction. We thought, what the heck, we’ll try. To our surprise, the fish were hitting and before we knew it, we had caught our limit. We took up the anchor and headed to shore.

   The man on the beach was bending over a campfire and we could smell the fresh bread he was baking in a dutch oven. Pretty soon we heard the sizzling of fish in the pan and we realized just how hungry we were. The man smiled and waved and invited us to bring some fish and join him. All of a sudden Pete cried out, took off his shirt, and jumped in the water to swim to shore. The rest of us rowed in and pulled the boat onto the sand. Crazy Pete - we were all thinking.

    We walked over to the campfire, and there, to our utter shock, cooking breakfast for us, was the friend we had watched die just a few days earlier. Were we dreaming? He was joking and talking as if nothing had happened, and he warmly greeted us.

   Our friend was alive. He was alive! And he was making us breakfast! Pete sat next to him, weeping. What was this? What happened? All we knew was that the joy and love felt greater than ever – and our hopelessness and grief were now turned to hope and laughter. Jesus was really here.

   When he died, we grieved that things would never be the same again.

And now that we knew he was alive, we were - and are - sure of an even greater truth which sounds the same but means so much more:

   Things...will...never...be...the same...again!

My book, "Tapestry," is available at Amazon.com. It, too, will give you nourishment of the soul!  Click here for information and to order: Tapestry

Puddles to Paradise

Three-year-old Mesa dashed out the door in the pouring rain and took a running, perfectly executed leap into the middle of the greatest mud puddle she had ever seen. Giggling, she gazed at her tall rain boots and danced with every inch of her 3-year-old frame at this miracle of rain on her little Texas ranch. This was a day she had long waited for - her favorite kind of day. No gloom here. Just wild fun.

So how do I turn my “puddles” into paradise? Simple - I turn to Psalms.

When I can’t sleep, I read Psalms 4:8 – “I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.”

When I have physical pain, I turn to Psalms 6 and read: “O Lord, heal me, for my bones are in agony;” and “for the Lord has heard my weeping; The Lord has heard my cry for mercy; the Lord accepts my prayer.”

When I feel insignificant or weak, I find my identity in Psalms 8 that reminds me I am “crowned with glory and honor.”

Loneliness, weariness, fear, anxiety and depression are all dealt with and overcome in this mighty book of healing. Here I find encouragement, joy, love, and peace. If you are having a rainy, puddly day that lacks joy, start at Psalms 1 and read until you find yourself in the prose and heart of the One who inspired every word – our ever good Father God.

My prayer for you today is that you, like little Mesa, will take wild delight in life’s puddles as you discover this paradise of life that is such a gift to you – through even the difficult times.

My book, Tapestry - The Divine Design for Your Life - is now available in Kindle and book form on Amazon.com! Read the great reviews!!!! Click here to order!

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!!!!