Tracy's Blog

Maybe the title of my blog should be "Pepsi's Blog" instead of "Tracy's Blog" since I am yet again going to tell you a story about walking our dog. It was a lovely afternoon and Clint, Tim, and I were walking Pepsi along the street we live on. All of a sudden a little black dog came running across the street. I think he was excited to greet Pepsi. His owner was calling out for him so I watched her for a moment until my eyes were drawn to the road. There was a car coming! The dog was running straight across the street. The car was coming at a normal but quick enough speed. A collision seemed inevitable. What happened? Well, if left only to my eye witness account, you would never know. Why? Because I closed my eyes. I couldn't bear to see the dog get hit so I shut my eyes tight. When I didn't hear a "thud", I opened my eyes. The dog was running off. The car was picking up speed again. "What happened?" I asked Cli...

On Sunday morning, I was walking our dog, Pepsi, down our street.  It was very quiet when something peculiar happened.  A woman stopped her car several meters in front of us and got out.  I recognized her as the grandmother of a girl who attended a preschool program with Timmy but I couldn't remember her name as that was years ago.  As we got closer, she asked if it was okay if she gave Pepsi a treat.  I said yes and she asked him to sit, which he eagerly did.  She gave him several treats and petted him lovingly.  Pepsi was in his glory as he loves attention of any sort!  She told me that she once had two labs but they both died of cancer when they were 7 years old and how that broke her heart.  Then as quickly as it started, it was over.  She was back in her car and off to work while we continued on our way. My immediate thoughts were about love and what it does. Love motivates. Love grieves. Love obeys. Diana (I asked her name) w...

Today I was suppose to meet someone at 10:00 am in the lobby of an apartment building.  10:00 came and went and she wasn't there.  I sat down on a bench outside and started to stress asking myself, "Did I misunderstand the location?" In those minutes I had to wait (she showed up at 10:15 am as she thought we had agreed on that time), a variety of things happened. 1) I started to question myself 2) I felt anxious 3) I thought about how this could apply to waiting for God and maybe I could write a blog about it 4) I ran into someone I knew and had a friendly chat. This brief experience today has me thinking.  It has me thinking about how quickly I begin to doubt - myself and others - when I end up waiting.  Am I this way with God?  Sometimes.  Sometimes I am okay with waiting.  I know things take time.  I know there are many aspects to the coming of the kingdom of God in a specific situation.  But others times I am no...

Life is a whirlwind right now with the end of school and many special events (at work, church, and school) .... the biggest one being our oldest son's Grade 12 graduation coming up on Monday.  I find that when I am in a "whirlwind" time of life, one of the things I need most is to be still. To obey His command to " be still and know that I am God." (Psalm 46:10) To be able to " be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him" (Psalm 37:7) To trust that "The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still .” (Exodus 14:14) How do we practice this when there is so much to do?  When our schedules and brains are so full? When the challenges demand more time than there are hours in the day and more work than we are capable of? In the moment... in the now... by faith. A simple way would be to take a minute and pray through one of the three verses above.  Telling God about what has you "moving" and asking Him for the trust and...

Sometimes kids do things that make us laugh and sometimes they do things that make us think.  Awhile back, a delightful three-year old I know did both.  It was during a special service at church where the children were sitting up at the altar for part of it.  The particular thing that made me laugh and think was during the prayers of the people when part way through she said, in a not so quiet voice, "When is this going to stop?"  Now, she was just expressing how she felt ('this is going on way too long') and that made me smile.  But why did this get me thinking?  Basically because her words struck a chord.  Isn't that what is underneath many of the prayers that we pray and pray and pray?  The prayers that we keep bringing to God over the weeks, months and years.  The prayers that haven't been answered yet.  The prayers that are often prayed in tears or anger. We want to know when the pain or suffering or trial or war or ill...

The Psalm appointed for last Sunday in the lectionary was Psalm 138.  I found it very encouraging.  Here it is from the ESV: I give you thanks, O Lord , with my whole heart;      before the gods I sing your praise; 2  I bow down toward your holy temple      and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness,      for you have exalted above all things      your name and your word. 3  On the day I called, you answered me;      my strength of soul you increased. 4  All the kings of the earth shall give you thanks, O Lord ,      for they have heard the words of your mouth, 5  and they shall sing of the ways of the Lord ,      for great is the glory of the Lord . 6  For though the Lord is high, he regards the lowly,      but the haughty he knows from afar. 7  Th...

I was about to do the dishes tonight when my mind was filled with the too many things that I need to pray about but don't have what it takes (time? energy? insight? faith?) to pray.  Then I heard myself start recite a portion of the Epistle from Pentecost Sunday last weekend: "The Spirit helps us in our weakness...." I immediately came over to the computer to jot this blog down and share this passage with you. Romans 8: 26 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but that very Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words. 27 And God, who searches the heart, knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. Isn't it wonderful that the Holy Spirit came and that He is praying for us!?!  Pentecost is a day on the Church Calendar but the significance of it is felt day by day, moment by moment. "Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!" (...