Home with Tracy

Have you ever had a time in your life when God placed a certain verse in front of you over and over again.  And He reveals this verse in places you would never look, but yet you find them?  That has been happening to me over the past couple weeks.   "Have I not commanded you? Be strong and of good courage; do not be afraid, nor be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go." Joshua 1:9 I know I have read this verse over the years, but recently it has been everywhere around me.  First, it is in the movie Courageous, which I am so excited about this movie being released because my husband and I are actually PLANNING a date night!  That never happens.  Secondly, this verse is part of my Community Bible Study - Servants of God study, that I am currently attending.  Not only do I study it in my adult Bible study, but I am also studying it with my oldest son in his Bible study.  It is such a joy to be studying the same script...

A few mornings ago my children were all singing the Fruit of the Spirit song.  At the end of the song, my 4 year old daughter asked my 7 year old son "What is self-control?"  My son's answer - "It is when you guys make me angry and I want to hit you, but I don't.  That is self-control."  I thought that was a pretty good explanation, especially for a 7 year old!  Since hearing that conversation, I have been thinking of what self-control is for me. When I am having a bad day and I feel like I am failing, do I turn to my Heavenly Father or do I turn to food? When I am having a bad day and I am grumpy, do I put on some worship music and pray or do I take it out on my husband and children? When something happens that I didn't plan on happening, do I turn it over to God and ask for His help or do I make it worse by trying to fix it? When someone hurts my feelings, do I ask God to help me forgive them just as I would pray that others would forgive me ...