I wanted to share with you a song that has been REALLY helpful to me this week! Here it is:

I hope it helps you as much as it has been helping me!

Steady My Heart Jesus,

Traci

I Like to Dress Up!

These are some photo's of me that my brother took of a dress I bought recently. One thing I REALLY enjoy doing is looking pretty and wearing dresses. Actually there is a joke in our house that "Traci would where a ball gown anywhere." What they're saying is that I REALLY like to wear dresses and dress up! So I thought I would share some pictures of the dress I bought with you! :)

This last one was edited to make the colors come out better... :)

Attractive???

Okay, I don't know about you females out there, but these men have some good qualities and are very attractive in my opinion! :) lol...just a thought to you men and women out there. If you are beautiful on the inside it will make you that much more beautiful/attractive on the outside. Just a thought!

Gilbert Blythe: (some good character and attractive-yes!)

Willie Lahaye: (Most definitely has character <3 and is attractive! Yes!)

Mr. Darcy: (Character and attractive-yes!)

Troy Bolton: (character not so good, but attractive-yes!)

There are others, but these were the one's I could think of at the moment! lol...

you are more beautiful and attractive when your character is like Christ! It's VERY true! :) :)

"Little Mommy"

Well my parents went away for about 3 or so days on a trip for their 25th anniversary but they are really doing it closer to their 26th anniversary because their 25th was last year and this year they are celebrating it closer to their 26th, lol. Anyways, while they have been gone, I have been the "Little Mommy" around here. I clean, fix dinner, water and weed out the garden, take my brothers to baseball games, do the shopping, clean up, babysit and comfort my littlest brother when he needs me. I also babysat for a friend of mine who goes to our church. That was fun to do though, they are wonderful children! Anyways I have been pretty busy around here without my parents here. As I take care of things while my Momma is gone, I realize more and more how much I want and would love to be a Mommy someday. It brings up desires in me as I take care of things and think "It would be so nice to take care of my own home...but a lot of work!" I know someday it will come and I want to be ready whenever that happens, so until then I will keep trying to practice to become the kind of wife and mother my future husband and children need of me and the kind of mother and wife I desire to be one day. To be a wife and mother is a special job and not only a job but to me a privilege and honor-to be entrusted with people to love and take care of and grow with in many areas of life and to train your children in the way's of God. I pray for my future husband and children and I think that it's really good to do so, even though I have never met or know them. I want to encourage all mothers out there that they are special and I am grateful to the one's who do and be the kind of Momma that their kids deserve and need! You are valued! Don't ever think differently!

"Little Mommy,"
Traci

Shopping and Sales!

I recently bought 8 shirts and 1 pair of jeans for $80 and the original price was like $260 for all of it! I was SO thrilled for the deal I got! Don't you just really really like to shop when there is deals?!?! One year there was a sale at Kohls for a lot of things that were ONLY $1!!!!! My Momma and sister and I got LOTS of things! It was SO much fun! I just like deals and sales!!!! What is a shopping experience you really enjoyed?

Purity Commitment

This above is a purity commitment that I printed off for myself and signed. I signed  one like it when I was like 11 or 12 years old and still have it to this day. The purity commitment I made is more than this says. I made a commitment to live my life purely in more than one way. Setting standards of purity are important to me. I think that the purity commitment I have made has helped me live this far where I am at now in my life. There are SO many people in this world who take this kind of stuff for granted, it hurts me SO much, and I know it's actually hurting those who take it lightly and don't care more than it's hurting me. I have made a commitment to stay pure in every area of my life, not just for my future husband, but for God and to live a Holy life that is pleasing to Him. I am not perfect, but I do know that to fight against the tides of this world, I must not be lukewarm and I must FIGHT for the purity of my brothers and sister in Christ! I MUST dress modestly, encourage others in their walks with God, change my thoughts of impurity to thoughts of things above, not on earthly things and not on things that will tear me down. I MUST say and speak the truth. I encourage you to do what's right and make a purity commitment and do whatever it takes to stay faithful to that commitment of purity in whatever you do. If you have messed up and failed, just realize that you are forgiven and turn a 180 degrees! That shows growth and that shows character and a heart to want to do what's right! You can do it! Stand in the midst of a falling world! Be the light in the darkness! Do what's right!

Purely His,
Traci

Dearest Friends...

Have you ever had a really awesome friend that left or you left them and just wanted them to know how much you still love and care about them? Well I DO! This is for you my Dear Friends! This is for you, whom I haven't seen in SO long and for those I have seen. You are SO dear to me and I want you to know how much I miss you and care about you! This is for several friends and if something in this applied to you, then YOU know that I am talking about YOU! :) I love you all SO much!

You are amazing and without you in my life I don't know how I would be who I am today without the love and support and friendship and correction and help and guidance you have placed in my life! You are one incredible person and each day is not the same without you! I love you all so much! There are SO many stories that I could tell about each one of my friends. All of you mean the world to me, you know who you are! <3 Love you!

I miss you so much! <3 <3 <3

Just yesterday my beautiful cousin Heather married the man of her dreams-Michael! It was a gorgeous wedding with so many wonderful things about it. It was so romantic and lovely! She is naturally pretty, but yesterday she just was so happy and so bright and beautiful! I really enjoyed the wedding and the songs that they played, the decorations and the father-daughter dance, as well as the bride and groom dance! It was absolutely gorgeous and I was so glad I was able to be apart of their big day! I pray everyday of their lives that they would continue to love and care for each other. They are such a beautiful couple and I have to say she was most beautiful! I am SO happy for her!

Here is a video they made after they were engaged and I wanted to share it with you! It's a beautiful video that I absolutely adore EVERYTHING about it! :) <3 Enjoy!

click here for video

There have been so many people getting married and so many others getting engaged and having babies! I am SO happy for all of those that I know and love that are having amazing things happening in their life! I love you Heather and all of my friends and loved one's! I pray God will guide you and bless you every step of the way! <3

and CONGRATULATIONS!!! :)

Character

I found this quote above when I looked up the word "character" on google.com. I thought it had some truth in it and I like what it says. I believe it's saying that character is built and doesn't just happen and isn't like a natural talent that we are sort of just "born with." It takes character to just work on building character in ourselves. It's in the trials and pain of this life, it's in the hard times that proves what our character really is. Do we give up or do we keep going and be persistent and NOT give up, are we stubborn or go with the flow of the world? Do we do what's right even when it feels like the hardest thing we've ever done? What we choose to do in the hardest times in our lives proves who we REALLY are! Everything about our lives will determine which direction we will go-north or south/right or wrong! I'm not saying that it's not okay to make mistakes, but when we do make mistakes or mess up, what do we do? Do we give up and not try or are we stubborn and work on our problems because we want to be everything God wants us to be? What choices you make in your life builds who you are and who people see you as. Even the things NO ONE knows about builds who you are because you are who you are and even if people don't know about things in your life, the important thing is that GOD knows and He cares. He wants you to lay your cares and problems over to Him, because He will work it out in your life for YOUR good! God is a good God and He has already taken the burden that you are carrying. The sin and fear and every evil and hard thing has already been paid for! The debt is gone! Christ took EVERY pain you are holding onto on the cross and HE NAILED it there! I encourage you to let go of the things you are holding onto in your life! It's good to let go and give it to God! He will make your wildest dreams come true and even beyond that! There will be a price for you, and that is letting go and stopping what you are doing and holding onto! Give it ALL to Him! He wants you to know that YOU CAN TRUST HIM! He is here and He loves YOU and wants the best for you! It will build character in you! You will become the man or woman you want to be! Let God mold you and make you into ALL that He has made you to be! Don't hold on to your life! Let it go, give your life to God and let it be His life in you! :) Watch this video and tell me what you think and if this helps you!

"I Love You Because..."

God loves you because He loves you, because He loves you, because He loves you, because He loves you! You don't deserve His love, but He loves you any ways! God is the rescuer and we need to be rescued. We just simply let Him rescue our hearts and lives! God loves you and He loves EVERYTHING about you and wants to make you more like Him to show others His great love for them! God doesn't "need" you, but He loves you and therefore He needs you because He wants to love you and to be the love of your life!

GOD LOVES YOU BECAUSE HE JUST DOES! YOU ARE YOU AND WE ALL MAKE MISTAKES, BUT HE FORGIVES AND CHANGES YOU AND ME FROM THE INSIDE OUT! HE LOVES YOU BECAUSE HE LOVES YOU BECAUSE HE LOVE YOU BECAUSE HE LOVES YOU BECAUSE HE JUST LOVES YOU..................................

YOU ARE DEARLY LOVED!
I LOVE YOU too! ;)

Desperate For You

 God,

I love you and I thank You for everything You have done in my life. You are a good Father and a wonderful King. I am unworthy yet You love me and show worth to me. When I am sad and having bad days, you are always there. When life is hard like it is now, I know that You are faithful and You never break Your promises. I know I have not done things that are right and honorable. I know I have failed You many times and I desire and want to do what's right. Create in me a pure heart oh, God. Help me to have a Mary heart and spirit. Help me to be the kind of woman You want me to be! Jesus, You're all I need and ALL I truly want! You are perfect and Holy and I love You. I wish I was more like You and could do everything in life right and didn't have to deal with hard things. I know though that I live in a fallen world and things are hard, but I know that You are God and I trust You to take care of me. You're the best thing that has ever happened to me and here I am playing the harlot, chasing after other lovers/things in this life, when only You can satisfy my every need and desire. You are everything good and everything right. I desire wisdom and instruction. Help me to have a teachable and a heart of clay that is soft so that You can move it the way You want it to be. Help me to run after You and love You from the inside-out. Help me to have Godly character and a humble heart-willing to go wherever You lead me with a "Yes" heart! Help me to live it out and be the kind of woman You have created me to be. Help me to be like Esther and Ruth and Naomi, and Deborah and so many other great women of the Bible...Jesus make me the Traci that You want me to be and do what is right even when it's hard. Help me to hear Your voice even when it's really loud all around me! Help me to never be deceived or misled, but staying steadfast to Your word and Your promises. Help me to always feel Your Holy Spirit!

Jesus, You are my Husband, my Father, and the love of my life. I want YOU above all things that this world brings and offers...Jesus, please make me a reflection of You! Forgive me where I have messed up and failed and sinned. Help me to do things right next time. Help me to have the mind of Christ and to take every thought captive and make it obey Christ! You are everything that I live for! I love You SO much Jesus! I wait for You! Renew my strength Jesus!

Desperate For You Jesus,
In Jesus Name, Amen