penetrating light

"Lord, You are my lamp; the Lord illuminates my darkness."
-2 Samuel 22:29, HCSB

This Sunday, I admired my church's candelabras.  I love candles and their vintage look; also, I think there is something deeper about our attraction to light.  Light can symbolize truth and understanding.  When we believe in the power of the Bible as God's true Word, then God can guide us as we read.  His Word brings "light" to life, and we can pray to ask him to help us follow His way through whatever we are facing that day. 

A man at my work the other day was telling me about how whenever he hears his pastor speak, it is like it is speaking directly to him.  He said it seems to meet him, right where he is.  It's like God knew exactly what he needed to hear. 

That is one thing that I love about the Bible; God's words penetrate me, and it reminds me of how awe-inspiring God is.  His very nature is loving, powerful and wise.  Will we try to help others see how much the Bible relates to everyday life and of our need for Christ? 

How can we share His Word with someone today?

"God, Your faithful love is so valuable that people take refuge in the shadow of Your wings.
They are filled from the abundance of Your house;
You let them drink from Your refreshing stream,
for with You is life's fountain.
In Your light we will see light."
-Psalm 36:7-9, HCSB

(photo from etsy.com)

Greetings Gifted2Go Girls!

I am Fired Up! WOW, we have been blessed beyond words with the launching of another Spirit-Filled vision from the heart of one of today's gifted evangelistic Christian woman leaders that is on the front lines of ministry, Jaye Martin! Gifted2Go evangelistic events and resources help equip those that know the Lord to share the Lord with those that need the Lord!! If we have accepted The GIFT of All GIFTS~JESUS, you are Gifted2Go...Can I hear a huge AMEN!!? AMEN!!!!

Gifted2Go Arkansas is THIS WEEKEND 10/21/10-10/23/10! Thank You for your prayers, we are fired up and excited to Share His Gifts as We GO!!! You can GO too as a Gifted2GO Praying Friend, thank you for praying as the Lord leads you!!

I am always humbled by Jaye's invitations to serve on her evangelistic ministry team!! When God put our lives together almost 15 years ago, He blessed my life one of the most special GIFTS that I could of every have been given and I will forever be grateful in ways that are too many to count!

It is an exciting day we live in when Creative Strategic Evangelistic Leadership for Women can take place over the Internet as it is used as a gift from God for an evangelistic tool for our postmodern lives! God is faithful to equip us in the Gifts He has given as we Go and share Him through our lives, think with me how He is using blogs, e-mail, websites, instant messages, texting, christian music videos on the Internet, social networks, and the list goes on!! What are some "postmodern" ways that you are seeing Him at work? In our evangelistic gifted2go lives, one way God reminds us and encourages us through His Word as each of us have been given at least one gift or more from God so that He can minister through us, here are a couple of promises that God has encouraged and equipped my life with: "Do not neglect the gift that is in you..." 1 Timothy 4:14a "Therefore, I remind you to keep ablaze (I LOVE that word!) the gift of God that is in you through the laying on of my hands. For God has not given us a spirit of fearfulness, but one of power, love, and sound judgment." 2 Timothy 1:6-7 (HCSB)

We are full of great anticipation and expectation as we have the privilege of being encouraged and equipped through these Internet blogging waves! As a first-generation Christian, there are so many "firsts" that God has lovingly poured out upon my life that I look forward to sharing with you in the blogs to come, but right now I am experiencing my "first blog" and I thank you for your input and patience with great joy! This BLOGasphere (God may even give us some new first words:-)!) is amazing, just to think, that we are connecting from all over the world as we share from a keyboard, Dear Lord, let this set us ablaze in a new fresh gifted way for your Glory!
We are looking forward in the days, months, years...until Jesus' return of the joy to serve you, pray for you, and cheer you on as The Lord "keeps ablaze the gift of God that is in you" (2 Tim. 1:6b) Please know of my constant prayers for you and my availability to you in any way as the Lord leads us through His Spirit & His Word! One of my prayers, as I close my very first BLOG that I think may have been longer than I expected, is that I pray that you will feel the freedom to share what God has on your heart to evangelistically encourage others or receive encouragement yourself as we are all Gifted2Go praying friends looking to Jesus = The Greatest Gifts for ALL! Go God!!

Cheering You On In The Gifted2Go Blazing Joy Journey With Jesus,
Tracy
Ephesians 3:14-21
2 Corinthians 9:2b

Let the leaves fall

"The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear its sound, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes. So it is with everyone who is born of the Spirit" (John 3:8, ESV).


I don't usually rent a car when I am in Louisville, but for several reasons, I had one last week. What a joy it was to get to drive around and enjoy the beautiful fall leaves. I have to admit that fall is one of my favorite times of the year. I'm afraid in Houston we don't get enough of it.
 
I was driving down the road and all of a sudden, a quick gust of wind blew across the road and with it came a host of leaves, dancing right in front of my windshield. It was a beautiful sight to behold. It was as if I had been lifted up and was floating! The dead leaves from the trees were being brushed away to reveal the beautiful ones still hanging.
 
It reminded me of how God's Spirit works. He comes down at the most unexpected times, lifts our spirits, cleans up the dead leaves in our lives, and reminds us that there is beautiful changing work that He is doing among us.What a beautiful thing to remember! God is always at work. He desires to work in our lives and in the lives of those we meet.
 
Let's remember to look for the Holy Spirit's work as we go. We never know when His Spirit will fall fresh upon us on on the lives of those we are trying to reach.
 
How can you make a difference in the lives of young women? Bring them to the W conference!
http://events.sbts.edu/wconference

Integrity on the way to the ballgame

"He stores up sound wisdom for the upright; he is a shield to those who walk in integrity" (Proverbs 2:7, ESV).

Funny thing happened on Friday night. I flew back to Houston after an incredible few days in Louisville. We met some friends for a quick dinner before the neighborhood high school ballgame. Someone offered a free pass to the ballgame ($5) but it would have meant that we were dishonest about who were worked for...since the intention of the pass was not for us. We turned it down and gladly paid the $10 ($5 each) to get into the game, knowing that it was the right thing to do. (Let's be honest, we can all use any extra we can get these days.) Upon giving our ticket to the girl at the entrance gate, the policeman grabbed the tickets from Dana's hand and asked him to wait there. He came back, shoved a $10 bill into Dana's hand, and "comped" him for the tickets! We had his three kids in the youth group at church years ago. It was a blessing and it was fun to catch up.

Here's the point: what if we had used the pass? He would have known that we were getting in "illegally" and we would have thrown away 20 years of integrity. It was an amazing reminder that as leaders, we are to have integrity in all we say and do...because God has integrity..He IS integrity. He is right and honest and holy. As we live out our lives, our best witness may be while living out the character of God.

May God continue to be our shield as we walk in His integrity.

Don't forget to come to the W conference! http://events.sbts.edu/wconference

Equipped for Truth

 "Whatever overcomes a person, to that he is enslaved."  (2 Peter 2:19)
Lies!  Lies!  Lies!  That is what Satan wants us to believe.  He wants us to believe that we are in bondage to __(you fill in the blank)__  and cannot break free from it.  Then he uses that to make us feel incapacitated to share the gospel, which is one of our main purposes in life. We, as leaders, need to not only recognize the lies that Satan is using in our lives, but need to equip other young women to discern the  lies they are believing. 

If you are wondering how you can equip young ladies (and yourselves) to live in the truth as wise women in a world of lies, then you should seriously consider bringing a group of ladies, college students, and/or high school students to the W conference with Mary Kassian and Heather Payne on the campus of Southern Seminary, November 19-20, will be an equipping tool in how to truly live in the truth and not be disabled by lies.  Check out the website for other information.  I am certainly going and taking as many high school students (girls) that I can from the high school where I teach.  Let's not miss this opportunity!

http://events.sbts.edu/wconference

Victory!

"On that day Deborah and Barak son of Abinoam sang: When the leaders lead in Israel, when the people volunteer, praise the Lord.  Listen, kings! Pay attention, princes!  I will sing to the Lord;  I will sing praise to the Lord God of Israel" (Judges 5:1-2, HCSB).

The above is the first part of Deborah and Barak's song.  Leaders from Israel, from different clans like Benjamin and Zebulun, had gathered to fight against Sisera.  These Israelites praise the Lord, since God gave them victory over Sisera. 

Recently, I got to meet a woman who was running for the office of a judge.  She impressed me with how evident it was that she loved her family as well as the people of the city.

How do we love our God?  He has gifted us all in different ways, just like He gifted Deborah and this woman I met.  We can trust in Him to use our strengths and to help us overcome our weaknesses to do great, good things for His story. 

Deborah's story reminds me that no matter what I think of my weaknesses, that God is glad to lead His children.  If we love Him, believe in Him and call on His Name, He will be sure to answer (John 1:12).  I pray that we trust Him and that we remember to share how Christ died to save us, so that we may live (1 Peter 2:24).

"Lord, may all your enemies perish as Sisera did. But may those who love Him be like the rising of the sun in its strength" (Judges 5:31, HCSB).

RESCUED!

RESCUED FROM DARKNESS!!

"...for He has RESCUED from the domain of DARKNESS and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins..."! Colossians 1:13-14

"But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for His possession, so that you may proclaim the praises of the One who called you OUT of DARKNESS into His marvelous LIGHT."! 1 Peter 2:9

The miners are ALIVE, RESCUED FROM the trap of DARKNESS, a confined pit called a mine, and raised into the marvelous LIGHT of FREEDOM!! Waiting for them are many people that have prayed continuously, worked tirelessly, and waited patiently for this day of RESCUE!

As we all watch the news reports we see many emotions that accompany the PRAISES of those that are being brought OUT of DARKNESS and into marvelous LIGHT!

As believers, when someone is RESCUED from darkness, the pit of sin, and into The Marvelous LIGHT of JESUS a TRUE MIRACLE takes place! For the first time some is capable of truly experiencing real LOVE, JOY, PEACE, PATIENCE, KINDNESS, GOODNESS, FAITHFULNESS, GENTLENESS, & SELF-CONTROL = THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT & LIFE IN JESUS CHRIST!!! (Gal.5:22)

A New Heart/New Life in Christ is contagious!! As we witness someone being RESCUED from Darkness hopefully we relive our moment of RESCUE~FREEDOM & HOPE, we shed tears of joy while watching others being RESCUED, and most of all we think about and are burdened for others that still need to be RESCUED from DARKNESS...NEVER GIVE UP ON THOSE THAT STILL NEED TO BE RESCUED & SAVED!!!!!!

What can we do as His "...chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for His possession, so that you may proclaim the praises of the ONE who called you OUT of DARKNESS into His marvelous LIGHT" 1 Peter 2:9? LET'S GO SHARE JESUS & WHAT WE HAVE PERSONALLY WITNESSED (our story and the story of others) with PEOPLE THAT NEED THE LORD = EVANGELISM = GIFTED2GO!!

YOU ARE THE LIGHT OF THE WORLD!!!! WE HAVE THE JOY & PRIVILEGE OF SHARING JESUS TODAY!!!!

Jesus said, "I have come into the world as a LIGHT, so that no one who BELIEVES in Me should stay in DARKNESS."!! John 12:46