Thanksgiving

It’s been awhile friends!  Life has certainly gotten hectic leading up to my first break at work since July!  I have never been so excited for a little vacay from work, sports schedules etc.!  This is my favorite time of the year.  The weeks between Thanksgiving and Christmas are always filled with fun family gatherings, special events and parties, yummy food, and shopping!  All of these things put my happy meter in over-drive!  My Christmas trees are up and decorated and this girl is ready to spread some holiday cheer!  

WAIT!  (record scratch sound)

We all tend to skip right over the holiday of Thanksgiving.  Certainly, we all cook for it and eat AT it.  However, it tends to just be a gateway to the bigger holiday of Christmas.  Hello...Black Friday!  We must CARB load for that day, am I right?!  That is a serious sport that requires lots of energy and patience!  The one with the most deals WINS!  

With all jokes aside, I do want to give the holiday of Thanksgiving the respect it deserves.

As some of you know, I am doing a Bible Study called “Anxious for Nothing- Finding Calm in a Chaotic World,” by Max Lucado.  My church, 12Stone, also started a series on anxiety last Sunday.  I think the Lord is trying to teach me how to deal with this issue in my life from all angles.  I love it when His voice is so clear!

Philippians 4:4-8  says, Rejoice in the Lord always.  I will say it again: Rejoice!  Let your gentleness be evident to all.  The Lord is near.  Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with THANKSGIVING, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Let’s face it friends, being a mother, and even a wife, can sometimes be a thank-less job.  Many of us work full time and then come home and continue to work for everyone else in our homes until our heads hit the pillow at night.  We often are tired, grumpy, and hear words from our family such as “you are so mean,” “you never let me…,” “why do I always have to…,”  “just relax mom,” etc.  Our to-do lists never get completed, only added to.  It’s very rare that anyone says “Thank You.”

 This week, I caught myself getting really upset about this.  I wanted to go “on strike” and let my family fend for themselves.  However, God stopped me in my tracks with this poisonous thought.  He revealed that I am just as guilty of this as they are.  I am Thank-less for all of the blessings I have in my life.  How often, in times of stress and anxiety, do I stop and “Rejoice, and let my gentleness be evident to all.”  How many times do I begin prayer in Thanksgiving?  Usually, it’s just the opposite.  Usually, I am so stressed that I am raising my voice (ok, yelling) for people in my home to follow MY plan!  In prayer, I am PLEADING for God to fix the messes that I have made by trying to do things my own way!  

On Sunday, our pastor pointed out that “anxiety exists when the problems around you overwhelm the peace within you, and that peace exists when the praise inside you overwhelms the problems around you.”

It’s time we all overwhelmed our problems with praise.  Instead of looking down at our to-do list of problems, we should be “lifting our eyes to where our help comes from.” - Psalm 121

Our goal of trying to be self-reliant, doing it all, being it all to everyone, only brings anxiety and stress.  We are not gentle.  We are not thankful.  

However, when we rely on Him and give Him thanks, even in times of hardship, PEACE and GENTLENESS will enter our hearts… “peace that passes all understanding.” Our family is more likely to learn in times of gentleness than in times of us screaming at them to listen.

With this season of giving and celebrations, comes times of high stress and anxiety for many of us.  When faced with these moments I urge you to stay C.A.L.M. (Max Lucado Study)

C: Celebrate God’s Goodness (offer THANKS for all of the good in your life)

A: Ask God for help (rely on him, not on yourself.  He is always near- Philippians 4:5)

L: Leave Your Concerns with God (He will work them out FOR you)

M: Meditate on GOOD things!

This is a HUGE challenge for me!  I am so very THANKFUL that God has blessed me with this wonderful, crazy family of mine.  It’s the best gift I’ve ever received.  I constantly take it for granted.  I am going into this season with the awareness of my stress and anxiety levels.  My goal is to stop, pray, and to be gentle with those that I love the most.  

I am thankful for all of you!  Enjoy this Thanksgiving with those you love and the food that will surround you!  We can worry about the pounds we gain on Jan.1!  

• Tracie

Slow Motion

Slow Motion

I am a runner; however,  I have never been an athlete.  I did not start on my running journey until my late 30's, and once I started, I haven't stopped.  Running is addictive, and it's my therapy.  It makes me feel sane when life is crazy, and it makes me feel strong when in other areas I am weak.  Although I run, I am not light on my feet.  More often than not, I deal with injuries.  Running does not come natural for me, and I'm only fast when I train hard to be.  Otherwise, I am content to run/walk my intervals and just finish the race.  I say that with a grain of salt though.  I am very competitive, especially with myself.  I have an overall pace that I really need to be around in order to feel good about my performance.

This past winter/spring, I set 2 goals for myself.  One was a sub 30 minute 5k race, and the other was a sub hour 10k race.  I achieved my 5k goal my first time trying.  My 10K goal proved to be more difficult.  It took me 4 races before I finally finished in 55 minutes, and it was down a mountain...LOL!  I did it though, and I was able to put a check mark in that imaginary box.  However, it all came with a price.  I ended up injuring my back/hip.   Recently, my doctor put me on running restriction, with a home exercise program.  I did no physical activity, other than light walking, for almost 2 months.  My back still hurts on occastion, but it did get considerably better.  He cleared me to run at the beginning of October.

Rewind to this past July.  My running club friends and I decided to do a diet/fitness challenge.  Our goal was to "weigh-in" and celebrate our successes by completing the "Dalton Red Carpet Half Marathon" together.  I was not able to train, but I also couldn't let my friends go to this race without me.  I hate being left out of the fun.  So, I registered for the race, without running a single mile to train for it!  I figured I had run so many half marathons that it couldn't possibly be THAT hard.

Boy was I wrong!  The race was HARD!  It was the slowest half marathon time I have ever had!  It was even slower than my very first one over 5 years ago!

It started off good. Once I got past mile 7, things started to go south.   My running friends were right behind me at this point, and  I decided to run with them.  I needed the comradare in a major way!  I was only was able to run with them for about 2 more miles when I decided to fall back.  Mile 9-13 were the looooongest and most difficult of my running career.  I was HOT, I was HURTING, and I was ALONE!  I hated every step and just wanted to be finished!  If I could have called an Uber to come and get me, I would have!  At mile 12, I knew I wasn't going to finish in any decent amount of time.  My back was on fire, I couldn't get my stupid long sleeves to push up! I was so HOT!  I wore a ridiculuous tutu and I couln't breathe, much less run.  So, I walked the last mile.  I didn't even walk with a purpose y'all!  I flat out strolled to the finish line!   How could this be?  I'm a runner!  I am not supposed to walk the last mile of a race!  I was embarrased and mad at myself!

A member of our running group was aiming for a Personal Record at this race, and she DID it!   It was amazing to see everyone pull together for her to help her make her goal, but it added sadness that I was not able to be a part of it because I was TOO SLOW!  I was so proud of her, and of my friends for pushing her to her goal! The running community is like no other.  There is a coach in all of us, and it's amazing to see the help others selflessly pour out on friends, and strangers, to help them finish a race!  I'm sure you have seen pictures of people carrying others across the finish line on social media.  It's no joke, people are so kind, especially runners, if I do say so myself!

 Reflecting back on the day, I have come to realize some important lessons.  I made progress.  It was sloooooow progress, but it was HUGE progress!  My back is doing just fine!  I actually went out to run another 3 miles last night.  I learned that I don't have to go fast, as long as I can go.  Later in the summer, it was miserable for me NOT to be able to run.   Being hurt was horrible!  The fact that I can get out there at all is a gift!  It was not a good idea for me to go from 0 miles to 13.1.  It is important to respect the distance.  Train for the race you want to run.  It was silly for me to think that I was going to be able to keep up, when I put no effort into the preparation.  I didn't do the hard work.  Race day IS supposed to be a celebration of the work you put into your training.  Not being able to train, put me at a huge disadvantage.  I completed the miles, but it was ugly and painful. As it should have been.

The same can be said for the hard work of life.  We can't expect to get the promotion, or find our dream job, experience an awesome marriage, or have respectful and successful children if we don't do the hard work to make it happen. There is no reward in lazy.  Respect the "race."   Put in the work.  Only then will you feel proud of a job well done.  Anything worth having in life is HARD!  Set goals for yourselves and then go after them with all you have!

On Thanksgiving morning, I will be doing another half marathon.  I would like to think of it as my redeption race.  I do NOT plan to beat any records that day.  I do plan to train for the race and feel better about my performance than I did this past weekend. I plan to earn my proverbial "pie!"  I will run the "race," as long as my body will let me!  I thank God every day for the health and the ability to do so!  It could be gone in the blink of an eye. 

So, today I will "keep running the race that is set before me with endurance." - Hebrews 12:1

What races are you facing in your life?  Are you putting in the work?  Make a plan and tackle those obstacles and dreams today!  You have to START before you can reach the finish line!  On your marks, get set, GO!  I'm cheering for you!


- Tracie

Let it Rain

Welcome everyone to my very first blog post for Life in a Tizzy!  

I'm so nervous for some reason!  Although I didn't invision my first post being so deep, I have to write what is on my heart. This has been a tough few weeks for many of my very good friends.  My heart has been heavy, and words have been floating around in my mind constantly.  I decided to get them all out here (well at least some of them)!  I hope it brings comfort to at least one person who reads along. 

Let it Rain

Life is not always sunshine and rainbows.  Sometimes, more often than not, we experience seasons of rain.  Lots and lots of rain!  

This summer in Georgia, we had ourselves many “gully washers,” as we like to say in the south.  It rained non-stop!  When you are a mother of 2 energetic boys, this is no vacation at all!  All of my dreams of outside sunny adventures turned to dust...or should I say mud!  Instead, we were often cooped up in the house together for hours on end.  I quickly became “that” mom, the one that lets her children spend hours upon hours playing mind-numbing video games, and watching the same episode of “Teen Titans Go” for the bajillionth time!  The alternative would have been WWF wrestling matches in my living room!  All of my home decor would have been ruined, and I would have ended up in a sure-fire TIZZY!  Rainy days make life unpredictable.  It makes us on edge.  It makes us feel out of control and without a plan.  It’s not like a vacation at all.  It’s hard and exhausting.  We just want the rain to stop, so that we can get back to finding our joy and chasing our dreams.

On the flip side, the earth needs rain.  During seasons of drought, we pray for rain.  For farmers, rain is essential to grow their crops.  In California, people are praying for rain to put out the devastating fires that are taking their lives and homes.  In 3rd world countries, villages depend on rainfall for basic necessities.  Rain brings life.  Rain sustains life.

Some of us are in the midst of torrential downpours, rattling thunderstorms, and those are terrifying! It feels like it will never stop.  We can’t keep our heads above the water.

The rain in my life is anxiety.  It’s not always present, but it comes like a storm.  I have friends battling cancer who are longing to be restored to health.  I have other friends battling addiction who have the feeling of drowning, because everything feels too hard.  That is some heavy rain!  I pray for these friends constantly, with almost every breath I take.

However, God is IN the rain.  God is washing all of our impurities away, whether that be an illness or negative thoughts and behaviors that are keeping us far from the truth.  Rain brings rebirth.  Rain makes things new.  If rain never fell, we would never grow.

Scripture tells us, “He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; He is my God, and I trust Him.” - Psalm 91:2

“No disaster can overtake you, no plague come near your tent; He has given His angels orders about you, to guard you wherever you go.” - Psalm 91: 10-11

Trust that there has NEVER been a storm that has not run out of rain.  During these violent storms in life, seek shelter in TRUTH.  That truth comes from God.  Turn off the voices of self-doubt in your own head.  Let God carry you through the hard times.  He promises to give you strength for every battle, wisdom for every decision, and peace that passes understanding.  

My friends, I urge you to look for the rainbow.  Look to God’s promise that the rain will stop.  I don’t know what you might be facing in life, or what rain you are either praying for, or against.  There will always be rain, but there will always be sunshine that follows. Let the rain make you new.  Celebrate the rain.  

This past summer, despite the rain, the boys and I learned a few important lessons.  Lessons that have made our crazy household run a little smoother.  Today, we look back and miss those lazy days of summer!  However, we are all excited to move into the new season of fall. The weather is finally getting cooler and football season is in full swing! Just like the seasons change, so can we.  It's a perfect opportunity for new beginnings!

Life can get us all in a tizzy, but there's always second chances in tomorrow.

- Tracie