I came across a new blog site this week which I really enjoyed. Angela had done something neat, and called it a Blog Mission Tour. Her goal was to have many people post their blog address on her site, and then go back to their site and mention what the mission for their blog is. So, below is what led me to blogging, and what God laid on my heart to do through this blog:
Last year, one my fellow Proverbs 31 sisters, Mary Beth Whalen, kept talking about blogging. She is an awesome home schooling mom of six (yes, I gasped too when I first met her - what a woman!). She always encouraged the rest of us on the team to get a blog, but as for me, I didnt even know what a blog was! As Lysa Terkeurst said in a blogging session at the She Speaks Conference in June, the word blog kind of sounds like something you do when you feel nauseous. Ha ha! But once my P31 sisters began building their blogs and I became an avid reader of their blogs each week, I wanted one of my own!
After a few months, my blog was up and running. After a few weeks, I wondered what I ever did without it. It was a such a release for me to be able to write down my thoughts and feelings that God had impressed on my heart about things. I have always admired, or maybe I should say envied, women who could journal. As hard as I tried over the years, I could never seem to make myself consistently do that. I dont know if it was just laziness, lack of time, or the inability to use a pencil anymore instead of a computer keyboard, but I just couldnt seem to make it a habit. My sister, for example, has a stack full of little journals, all recording the experiences and feelings of her every day life over a period of many years. What a treasure. Im jealous again.
So now instead of feeling like a zero for missing out on chronicling my life in a journal and still unable to force myself to do it, I can just use my blog (and never have to pick up a pencil!) But more importantly, my blog does have a mission, and it is not simply to blast my feelings out to the world or assume that everyone cares what little ol Tracie has to say. Nope. It is a God thing.
God has completely transformed my life over the past eight years. It all began by accepting His forgiveness for a mistake I made as a teenager, of which I had never forgiven myself or accepted God's mercy. But finally one day in a powerful worship service, He cleansed me. He called me to be a speaker and writer, but for three years I closed my ears and didn't listen. Then out of complete surrender, I went to She Speaks in 2005, and God's passion infused my soul like a match thrown into a gasoline tank. The Monday after that conference, I resigned from my executive position at a Big 4 accounting firm, where I had been successfully climbing the corporate ladder for the past seven years, with eight years corporate experience and a college degree preceding it. I was instantly catapulted into the field of ministry - and I have never regretted it! My only regret is that I wish I had listened to Gods voice when He first spoke, instead of wasting years in disobedience when I could have been swimming in His blessings.
In the past three years, God has given me a new family by allowing me the immense blessing of being part of the Proverbs 31 Ministries speaker team. My life is no longer full of rush hour traffic, quick dinners, a couple hours with my family each day, and so much stress that my health was suffering; instead my life is now filled with a focus on my family, a renewed relationship with my husband, opportunities to travel across the US to encourage women in their faith and a newfound love for Christ and doing what He has called me to do.
Last year, one my fellow Proverbs 31 sisters, Mary Beth Whalen, kept talking about blogging. She is an awesome home schooling mom of six (yes, I gasped too when I first met her - what a woman!). She always encouraged the rest of us on the team to get a blog, but as for me, I didnt even know what a blog was! As Lysa Terkeurst said in a blogging session at the She Speaks Conference in June, the word blog kind of sounds like something you do when you feel nauseous. Ha ha! But once my P31 sisters began building their blogs and I became an avid reader of their blogs each week, I wanted one of my own!
After a few months, my blog was up and running. After a few weeks, I wondered what I ever did without it. It was a such a release for me to be able to write down my thoughts and feelings that God had impressed on my heart about things. I have always admired, or maybe I should say envied, women who could journal. As hard as I tried over the years, I could never seem to make myself consistently do that. I dont know if it was just laziness, lack of time, or the inability to use a pencil anymore instead of a computer keyboard, but I just couldnt seem to make it a habit. My sister, for example, has a stack full of little journals, all recording the experiences and feelings of her every day life over a period of many years. What a treasure. Im jealous again.
So now instead of feeling like a zero for missing out on chronicling my life in a journal and still unable to force myself to do it, I can just use my blog (and never have to pick up a pencil!) But more importantly, my blog does have a mission, and it is not simply to blast my feelings out to the world or assume that everyone cares what little ol Tracie has to say. Nope. It is a God thing.
God has completely transformed my life over the past eight years. It all began by accepting His forgiveness for a mistake I made as a teenager, of which I had never forgiven myself or accepted God's mercy. But finally one day in a powerful worship service, He cleansed me. He called me to be a speaker and writer, but for three years I closed my ears and didn't listen. Then out of complete surrender, I went to She Speaks in 2005, and God's passion infused my soul like a match thrown into a gasoline tank. The Monday after that conference, I resigned from my executive position at a Big 4 accounting firm, where I had been successfully climbing the corporate ladder for the past seven years, with eight years corporate experience and a college degree preceding it. I was instantly catapulted into the field of ministry - and I have never regretted it! My only regret is that I wish I had listened to Gods voice when He first spoke, instead of wasting years in disobedience when I could have been swimming in His blessings.
In the past three years, God has given me a new family by allowing me the immense blessing of being part of the Proverbs 31 Ministries speaker team. My life is no longer full of rush hour traffic, quick dinners, a couple hours with my family each day, and so much stress that my health was suffering; instead my life is now filled with a focus on my family, a renewed relationship with my husband, opportunities to travel across the US to encourage women in their faith and a newfound love for Christ and doing what He has called me to do.
My kids always poke fun at me, because every day I seem to gleam some new devotion idea from circumstances or situations that happen in our lives. They wonder if I can ever think of anything besides life lessons, and stop writing devotions in my head! But it is a such a blessing to see life that way - to always be on the lookout for how God is working and be anxiously seeking His hand in everything that we do.
So my blog mission is two fold:
(1) To remind others how much Christ loves them, despite what they are going through or what they have done. Also to encourage people to step out in faith and do what God has laid on their heart. Obedience is always followed by immeasurable blessings.
(2) To introduce my readers to Proverbs 31 Ministries, if they are not already aware of it. P31 is an amazing ministry intended to encourage, equip and minister to women all over the world with Gods love. We have a full color monthly magazine, an awesome website, a library full of resources, the most amazing team of speakers in the country, a radio program that hits 1000 radio stations each day, and online email devotions that reach 250,000 people around the world every day. We even have Gather and Grow groups, which are groups of women around the country who have partnered with P31 and get involved in bible studies together in their communities.
Doesnt it sound awesome! I would love for you to get involved with Proverbs 31, and give us the opportunity and the blessing of partnering with you in your journey of faith. Check it out at Proverbs 31 Ministries. If you have any questions about Proverbs 31, please feel free to email me personally.
Be sure to visit my blog again on Wednesday, July 23rd when I start a four day Running By Faith journey that you will not want to miss!
Mission Blog Tour hosted by Angela at Becoming Me, head over there to read hers and many others or join in.
Mission Blog Tour hosted by Angela at Becoming Me, head over there to read hers and many others or join in.
3 comments:
Tracie
You are evidence of what happens when a woman says yes to God. (Finally says yes to God, ha ha.) I stand in awe of what God has done in your life and through your life.
Keep the walk of faith going. You and God do it so well!
Tracie,
Your blog is beautiful to view and beautiful to read. I am also surprised with the way God is using blogging to communicate His hope and love and witness.
As we honestly share His light shines through our stories.
I'll be back....Beautiful!!!
Your blog is beautiful and I am so glad you participated in my tour. Your mission is lovely.
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