Tracy's Blog

Last Thursday I met with the Youth For Christ Selkirk Director and his wife for prayer.  This is something I do regularly as a way to be involved in the ministry.  (To learn about it check out yfcselkirk.ca ).  As we talked about the youth, I became heavy-hearted.  They face such tremendous challenges such as poverty and mental health struggles.  They also tend to make decision that are based on instant gratification instead of long-term wellness which can get them into more trouble.  So while I was happy that I had taken time to pray and I do believe God is at work in their lives, I drove away from the prayer meeting feeling sorrow.  As the grief settled in, I had an interesting thought, "It's a gift".  Grief is a gift.  What!? Why? How? I learned a long time ago that grief means that something significant is missing or has been taken away.  I can keenly remember being on a plane flying to Ontario in my early twenties and thinking, "I...

I'm back.  I know it has been awhile.  But I'm here now.  Happy to be connecting with you again. Last week I was meeting with my spiritual director and I was sharing with her that I think my definition of love has been changing and I hope that is it aligning more with God's love.  We were talking specifically about love's ability to endure tension.  My nature disposition is to avoid internal tension.  I don't like when things feel unfinished or I feel unprepared.  I don't like conflict - internal or external.  Uncertainty stirs anxiety in me.  Chaos and imperfections can cause irritability.  I think you get the picture of what I am like without God's power working in me! But what I've come to realize is that God can handle a lot of tension.  There is so much that is "not yet" about this world, the church, me and yet God loves us all!  He is for us.  He is with us.  He is gracious and merciful towards us.  Thi...

Today I am thinking about dandelions. There are many of them on our lawn.  They appeared overnight a few days ago and then became puff balls so quickly.  I sometimes wonder if I stayed still long enough if I would be able to see them grow and change!  I know that dandelions are a weed but I am inspired by them.  I've always been a pursuer of change - desiring to see a definite difference in circumstances and characters.  Now the trouble I run into is that I want the change to be instantaneous.... or at least as quickly as a dandelion grows... but this isn't how transformation happens in our spiritual lives or in our souls. How does it happen?  Here are some phrases that come to mind: - enduring suffering - patient waiting - wise (but sometimes hard) decisions - counting the cost - putting off the old self - setting the mind on the Spirit - taking steps of faith - living a life of love - facing fears - humility - resisting temptation - trusti...

Christ is Risen!  I hope that you've had a meaningful and joyous Easter weekend and that this season of Eastertide (from Easter Sunday until Pentecost Sunday) is blessed.   I've been in an "Easter" mood and mode this week: grateful for God's forgiveness and the power and hope of the Resurrection as well as celebrating the freedom we have in Christ. (Yes, that means I've eaten a fair bit of chocolate!) Today, however, a heaviness settled on me.  I still don't know exactly what it was about but I took it as a prompt to get alone with God.  During that time, I focused on a repeated phrase in today's Gospel reading, John 20:19-31 :   "Peace be with you."  I love that Jesus' first words to His disciples after His resurrection are words of peace.  The gospel is about peace: with God, others, and ourselves.  The barrier of sin is removed and we are free to love and be loved.  It really is marvelous!  I had an interesting image come to mind ...

It is Holy Week.  As we making our way to Gethsemane, Golgotha, and the Garden with the Empty Tomb, a phrase keeps repeating in my mind, "forgiven and cleansed".  Friday we will remember what Jesus has done for us - the pain, abandonment, and physical torture He suffered, how He laid down His life.  Sunday, we will celebrate the power of life over death and the victory over the grave.  As we do this, let us take to heart what it means for us. We are forgiven - our sins no longer are held against us.  There is nothing separating us from God. We have peace with God. And cleansed - not only is there no punishment for our sins, but the stain, scum, and stench of them are removed as well.  We have been washed and made pure. Sound too good to be true?  Hear it from God's Word: "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." 1 John 1:9 (ESV) "Therefore, brothers and sisters, since...

Rivers, or specifically the Red River, has been on my radar a lot this week.  In fact, the Red is  the focal point of life in Selkirk right now. Why?  Because the ice started to break up, melt, and move last week. This impacts life here.  A road over in East Selkirk flooded which means that the main bridge connecting East Selkirk and Selkirk is closed and people have to drive a 10 km detour. Some years people houses are flooded resulting in thousands of dollars of damages or even to the point of being "lost". Here is a picture of the river and the flooding near our house from Thursday, March 30th.  Huge pieces of ice came up onto the banks and water flowed onto the grass. And here is what that same area looks like today. (April 3)  There ice and debris in the middle is actually the edge of the river.  Now that the river is flowing, the flooding will go down and life will get back to normal. This morning, another river came ...

Yes, you read that title correctly!  Here we are in the middle of Lent and today (March 25th) is a Holy Day that points us to the Incarnation: The Annunciation of our Lord Jesus Christ to the Blessed Virgin Mary. We usually read the Gospel account of the Annunciation during Advent as we are preparing to celebrate Christmas and we are swept up in the amazing truth that God became human and dwelt among us.  But Mary wasn't pregnant for only a few weeks.  March 25th is 9 months before December 25th and it is the date that the Church has designated to attend to the miraculous and glorious event of the Annunciation. As you read the passage, invite the Holy Spirit to speak to you.... in your place of need.  You may want to read it slowly, two or three times.  Let the words so familiar in another season of our lives bring hope and perspective during this season of contrition and repentance. peace and grace, Tracy Luke 1:26-38 (ESV) 26  In the sixth mon...