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Where is the Room to Play?

06.02.2020 by Tracy Stella //

Welcome to June and a fresh topic.  Join us as we look at the power of play. It’s a gift given to us by God, so we can continue to fight the good fight. Play.  Then pick up your sword and fight, sweet friend.

Sometimes, life hands us a whole lot of serious. Stress, trials, & troubles can bog us down.  Life dispenses circumstances that cause room for concern. But I am learning to hand those things over to God.  He wants us to do what we can and give the rest to Him. Pray. Trust. Be Still. And Play.

For me it’s hard to get to that place of play if I have let fear, worry, or too much of the evening news into my life.  I want to be informed, but not formed by what the world is slinging like breakfast at a greasy diner. It doesn’t always sit well in my stomach. I want the Lord and His wisdom to inform my choices. I want the Lord to provide peace when times are turbulent.

It’s a little ironic the word God gave me in January was JOY.  The year of 2020 vision, He knew what my future held.  He knew I’d need to remain centered on His joy well before I knew how much I’d need it.  During all the trials and trauma of 2020 quarantines, isolation, too much of some people, not enough of others, it has been the JOY of the Lord that truly has been my strength.

For a brief moment early on, I wrestled with darkness and depression.  It scared me.  I’ve walked through that dreary tunnel before. It feels cold and damp and alone. I hadn’t felt that feeling in a long time. In the isolation and unknown of what impact Covid-19 would have on life, I felt vulnerable. I felt the weight. I felt the worry (and I wouldn’t consider myself a worrier).

But the beautiful thing about walking with God is He helps us recognize warning signs. In the stillness, we hear His voice whisper.

“This is the way. Walk in it.”

“Come to Me, My weary one and I will give you rest.”

“Be still and know that I am God. I’ve got this. I’ve got you!”

“Trust in Me. Trust in My goodness.”

“I AM your provider.  (Of all things I might add!)”

JOY in spite of circumstances is a barometer of our faith.

When we choose joy, we show others and ourselves we believe what we say. We believe God is good. We believe God is sovereign. We believe God is who He says He is and that He will work everything (even quarantine) to the good of those who love Him.

When we choose faith over fear, play is possible.

Why is that important?  There are several reasons play is important. We’ll look at a few.

  1. Play is important for our emotional health

As I shared, early on I felt burdened and depressed. I didn’t like feeling out of control. I didn’t like everyone else making decisions on my behalf.  Some I agreed with. Some I did not.  If any of you have ever been controlled in an unhealthy way, you might have felt the same.

But God brought about a perspective shift.  He didn’t let me linger too long in that space, but I was there long enough to realize at any given moment if I disconnect from The Vine (God Himself) I could be back in that head space He delivered me from. It was a good reminder of my need for Him.  He is The Light that drives out the darkness. Always.

God led me to play through blessing others in small ways.  I was like a little child, and it brought me great joy. I actually don’t want to get into the specifics here, but leave room for the Holy Spirit to speak to you directly.

What brings you joy that might also bless others?  How can your hands and heart engage in something you truly love doing that will have the added benefit of bringing joy to someone else?

And when we play, even if it’s a little self-indulgent sometimes, that’s okay too.  When we do the things we enjoy? Our spirit is rejuvenated. We engage with others from a place where play has prepared our hearts and minds to love well. Laughter. Joy. Play. They all have a place in helping us be the best version of who God intends for us to be.  So play, sweet friend. Play!  Play for you. Play for your kids. Play for your spouse. Play for your friends. Play for your community.  They all need your best self. Play is good medicine for your emotional well-being.

  1. Play minimizes stress

Have you felt a little stress these days? God has an assignment. Go outside and play.  (Or stay inside but play.)  Remember recess?  That needs to come back. Give yourself a recess every day.  I don’t know what your recess will look like. Whatever it is, do something you enjoy.

We are worth taking time from our busy schedules, for those teaching kids at home, working from home, being the wearer of many hats these days.

We are worth taking advantage of down time if we aren’t as busy.  Play now so you will have strength later when you need it.

We all know worry doesn’t help. So why do we do it?

It’s a trap from the enemy. Don’t step into it. Step beyond the stress. Step into God’s best by playing with Him.

I needed an outlet that wasn’t work.  My job is considered an “essential” job, so I’ve been working. I have the type of personality that has to be careful not to work too much.  In my stress I could have chosen to strive, to keep on the clock day and night.  If I’m not careful, I can be my own personal slave driver.  But I know these things. God has equipped me. And He gives me tools to help fight that.

If I start to feel guilty for taking time to play, to rest, to just be, to just be me, it’s a dead give-away.  Set that stress aside and play. I do not have to feel bad about enjoying life. Neither do you.

I was finding it hard to play with my rhythms so thrown off.  I felt led to get a guitar and spend time learning to play it.  Whether I become the next Eric Clapton isn’t really the point.  The point is to play.  The guitar is a vehicle the Lord gave me to step away from stress and striving. The guitar was God’s invitation for me to sit with Him, to laugh at all the odd noises coming from this instrument not yet making music.

There was an unexpected added benefit to an app I downloaded to help me learn the guitar.  It had vocal instruction too.  So, of course, I fiddled around with that as well.  The instruction reminded me of the importance of breathing.  With each deep breath I took during play, stress was sloughed off me.

So take a deep breath (literally) and play.

  1. Play boosts creativity and brain power

Have you ever had those times when you are trying to solve a problem or develop a creative concept and you’re stuck?  I have found sometimes my brain needs a rest.  I have to set aside the problem.  If I don’t and keep searching, pushing for the solution, it eludes me even more.  It’s as if the more I search for the answer the further away it travels.  Like jumping into water, the ripples push what I’m trying to grasp to the other side of the pool out of reach.  I made a splash but accomplished nothing.

I’ve learned this in my writing.  I can’t force it.  It has to come. I need inspiration. I need to let it simmer. I can’t grab for it.  If I do, it escapes me. I’ve learned to jot down what I have, walk away, and let the rest simmer without thinking on it too much.

I can’t snatch ideas out of God’s hand before He is ready to give them to me.  He’s growing trust in Him. He’s allowing my brain to find healthy rhythms while providing the creative brain power needed for work, writing, ministry, for life.

After all, He is Creator God and we are made in His image.  He wants us to create. Create families. Create businesses. Create goodness and generosity. Create art. Create life. Create joy. Create. Create. Create.

To be our most creative, we need to let our hair down a little and enjoy life.  Set the work aside. It will be there. God will redeem the time.  That has helped me a lot to realize I am actually far more productive when I DO take time to play.  I could sit and rack my brain for ideas for hours, days, weeks.  Or, I could do what I know to do, go play, let the ideas percolate, and then boom: God’s inspiration comes flowing like a river.

He allows me to play and gives me the remainder when I actually need it. His timing, not mine.

God did this very thing Sunday. Sam and I went for a motorcycle ride (one of my favorite forms of play). God allowed me to see something that heightened a burden in my heart. In the quiet of our ride, God gave me something to write. He entrusted it to my care. As He downloaded various ideas over the course of the day, I text them to myself so I wouldn’t forget. I wanted to write, but I knew I needed to play in order to let it all come out the way God wanted. Play helps us look at hard things without letting them overwhelm us. Impact, yes. Overwhelm, no. God inspired me to write this piece on God’s view of color.

Have you ever went for a walk and came back with a flood of ideas?  Perhaps, you fish or boat.  Time on the water refuels your soul and you come back invigorated, on fire, and so much creativity inside it’s almost bursting.  Maybe you love animals.  They teach you how to play.  They spark laughter and joy.  Their snuggles set your soul at rest and your creativity gets recharged.

Play so that you become smarter and more creative.  Give your brain a rest, will you?

My husband used to train triathletes. They’d train super hard for Ironman events. Do you want to know one of the most important elements of a successful training program to compete in a high level event like this?  A recovery period.  There are times of intense training, coupled with rest.  If athletes don’t rest, it actually negatively impacts their performance.

Same with us.

Are you willing to give your brain a rest to have a stronger performance? That “performance” could be your role in the family, your job, your contribution to the  community, your (fill in the blank).  If you want to do well in life, will you commit to play?

“Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” And he took the children in his arms, placed his hands on them and blessed them.─Mark 10:15-16 NIV

We can learn a lot from children. We can learn how to enter the kingdom of God.  We can learn to play like children.  We once played well. How do we get back to that?

“I led them with cords of human kindness,

with ties of love.

To them I was like one who lifts

a little child to the cheek,

and I bent down to feed them.

─Hosea 11:4 NIV

 

The Lord was speaking to Israel about His love for them in the passage above.

He speaks to us through it as well.  He leads us with kindness and love.  He lifts us like a little child to HIS cheek.  He bends down to feed us.

What if our food is play – pure and simple play?

Pray. Trust. Be Still. And Play.

Play unto the Lord.

If you find it hard to play, watch children.  See how they interact with their toys and with one another.  Sometimes they’re in their own little world, not a care, creating a tea party, a sleepover, a castle complete with a mote, lava water that melts (aka carpet), or some other creative immersion.  Observe and learn (except the not sharing part … we probably don’t want to copy that).

Join the conversation here or on our Facebook page.

Categories // Faith, Joy/Humor, Life, Tracy Stella's Perspective Tags // Creativity, Depression, Emotional Health, Guitar, Hobby, Hosea 11:4, Joy, Mark 10:15-16, Motorcycle, Play, Recovery, Stress

What do you do for fun?

06.05.2018 by Tracy Stella //

Welcome to Facets of Faith. This month we want you to dive deep with us into fun. Our prayer is you take time to explore what fun looks like to you. We hope you’re inspired to try one or two of the things we love. Look for Jennifer’s and Kim’s posts later this month to get a few more ideas to help you find your fun.

What Do You Do for Fun? (T. Stella)

Feel that? It’s sunshine warming after winter’s thaw. I (Tracy) turn my face toward the sky like a flower in search of photosynthesis-producing rays. I want to soak it all in, like life.  There’s much to see. There’s much to feel. There’s much to experience. If we are going to encounter difficulty, and we will, it’s imperative we are intentional about finding fun. We all need joy. We all need laughter. We all need those things which are good for our soul.

Toes touching sand cooled by the ocean’s waves and the smell of sea salt air to fill our lungs.  Stress strips away as frothy water laps on shore before it retreats into the ocean.  The beach has always been one of my happy places that fills my soul. At one point in life, I wanted to quit my job and operate a catamaran in the Caribbean, transporting tourists to interesting destinations. (It’s true.) I think the only thing that stopped me was knowing I needed to be responsible for my son’s sake. My previously impulsive nature harnessed, because I had someone who needed more stability and structure than that lifestyle would have allowed.

That desire does speak to a part of me which hasn’t changed even though decades have elapsed since then: it’s my spirit of adventure. Adventure is what intrigued me about the idea of running a catamaran tour in the turquoise waters with palm trees waving me toward the islands. Imagine the people I’d meet. Imagine the sights I’d see. Imagine the pace at which I’d live life – not go, go, go. Rather, go a little and enjoy life while you’re getting to where you’re going.

I do a lot more of that now. I’ll run fast and hard sometimes, but I’ll feel the need to slow down and have fun. When I feel the need, I give myself permission to have fun. Take a break.

In various seasons of life I’ve even scheduled fun into my calendar (which doesn’t sound all that fun when you like to be spontaneous like I do, BUT it’s better than the alternative of not getting in some good times while we’re going). Sometimes, we need to be intentional with our fun finding.

My idea of fun looks different that it used to in many ways. God continues to align my heart with His, purifying my desires. It’s true what Scripture says: God gives us the desires of our heart. (See Psalm 37:4) Not every wish and dream and fancy. More like, “Let me show you something I know you will love.” He puts a pure desire in our heart and then shows us how good it can be and how very much it will bless us. God is generous in His goodness. If you don’t know that already, I pray you get to know Him─really get to know Him─and His goodness.

Yes, we are to honor God. We are to worship Him. We are to do what is right and holy and good in His eyes. But what if we ARE honoring Him and worshipping Him by enjoying the good gifts He gives us. I suggest to you that is exactly the case. Having fun is a form of worship. The Lord loves to see us delight in the good gifts He gives. When we enjoy Him, His presence, and His gifts we are giving back to God.

Every time we say, “Thank You, Lord, for Your goodness”, we show Him that we don’t take Him or His gifts for granted.

What do we really have to give God that He hasn’t already given us first? Not money. It’s His in the first place. Not love. We only love because He first loved us. (See 1 John 4:19) I am not suggesting we don’t give God our money or that we don’t give God our love. Of course, we do! I’m just saying we only are ABLE to give them because He gave them to us first.

We can, however, express our heartfelt gratitude to Him for His goodness.  We can give Him that gift. When He’s generous with us, we should thank Him. And when we’re looking and paying attention, we’ll notice how lavish His generosity is in our lives. That certainly has been my experience.

On your feet now─applaud God!

   Bring a gift of laughter,

   sing yourselves into his presence.

 Know this: God is God, and God, God.

   He made us. We didn’t make him.

   We’re his people, his well-tended sheep.

 Enter with the password: “Thank you!”

   Make yourselves at home, talking praise.

   Thank him. Worship him.

 For God is sheer beauty,

   all-generous in love,

   loyal always and ever.

 ─Psalm 100 The Message

When I’m having fun, you’ll hear me laugh (perhaps from miles away … my laugh is pretty loud!).  Our laughter is a gift to God. We can wrap it up in all its splendor and give it to Him as a gift for all His glorious goodness. He is so generous toward us; we should be generous to Him in return. Laugh. Laugh a lot! You will be giving your Father great joy.

We enter His presence with the password “Thank you!” I love that! We have a not-so-secret password to usher us into God’s presence. Thank You! In God’s presence is where we will find fun. He shines His light on the path He wants to lead us along. He is not a slave-driving task master. He’s a lavish, love-giving God who delights in sharing His goodness with us. And since He made us, He knows what will bless us. He knows that far better than even we know it ourselves.

My husband and I just returned from vacation. I like exploring, taking in fresh sights and experiencing new adventures. And if you even try to take me to a chain restaurant, especially on vacation, just ask my husband how much I’ll stubbornly stomp my feet in revolt! He now knows better than to suggest such an outlandish idea … if he wants to have an enjoyable vacation.  He’s learned a thing or two about his wife over the years.  (giggle) No chain restaurants will keep her happy. And happy is a good head start to having fun!

This year we did something new for vacation. We drove down to Branson, MO. Our primary objective was to take our motorcycles and go exploring down winding roads that would definitely qualify for “the road less travelled”.

Often, we were the only two on the road. For miles and miles.  At times, the road conditions were technical in nature.  That’ll get your adrenaline going! I can’t lie. At first, I was a little nervous rounding all the curves and navigating all the ups and downs of the terrain. Not knowing what’s ahead can be scary. True in life as well. But we keep going. We stretch. We grow. We go slow … until we can accelerate and our muscles ease as we relax into the unknown, open road.  It’s far easier to navigate the turns when we’re not tense. Every once in awhile there’s gravel to look out for, but as long as we see it and can make adjustments we’re still in for a fun-filled day without risking a crash.

My eyes absorbed nature’s hues as my engine hummed. I wished I could blink my eyes and take a snapshot of all the beautiful scenery as we went. Some of the views were absolutely spectacular and I was wishing for a way to help me remember them all. If I looked long and hard enough perhaps they’d permanently etch upon my mind.

God knows I love nature. And God knows I love new things. He knew I’d love this trip! But He needed to start preparation a year ahead. You see, I only learned how to ride a motorcycle last year. While we were on vacation, a Facebook timeline memory came up from the previous year of me learning to ride a small cycle in a church yard. I had just learned how to shift the bike into second gear. It felt exhilarating and a little terrifying, because I didn’t want to crash into anything. When I managed to successfully shift into 2nd gear, I shouted “I did it! I did it!” laughing all the while.

Because God had prepared me for our trip to Branson a year in advance with over 4,000 miles underneath my belt, I was able to settle into a new experience with Him and have a lot of fun while doing so.

Maybe your fun will require some advance preparation too.  Any future marathon runners out there?

While we traversed the Missouri roads together, I couldn’t quit thanking God for His goodness and for the beauty of His creation. There were a few times when I was so thrilled that I visualized myself doing a pirouette for God, twirling for Him in my imagination, a special thank You dance in my mind. I giggled at my silliness, but then I thought to myself, I bet you God rather likes that I am having so much fun with Him out on the open road.

I know it. I felt peace. I felt pleasure. I felt the desires of my heart being met out on the open road. And it felt good. It felt like a fun I didn’t know I needed until I got to experience it first-hand!

How has God shown you how to have fun with Him? What new desire is He growing in your heart? Commit to having fun with God. You have a summer assignment from me if you are up to the challenge. Go on at least one new adventure with God to explore a new way You can experience Him and encounter something fun You haven’t yet done.  I’d love to hear what you try and what you thought of the experience. Stretch out of your comfort zone.  And don’t forget to get to your feet and applaud God for His goodness at the new gifts He gives you. Thank Him as a form of worship -for His all-generous love and goodness!

Be blessed. Have fun. Life is short here on earth. Let’s enjoy it!

Join the conversation here or on our Facebook page.

Signature Image: Tracy Stella

Categories // Faith, Joy/Humor, Tracy Stella's Perspective Tags // 1 John 4:19, Adventure, Beach, Branson, Fun, Generous God, Gifts, Gratitude, laughter, Motorcycle, Psalm 100, Psalm 37:4, Thank You, Worship

How Has God Brought Humor and Joy to your Life? (God’s Got Jokes!)

08.01.2017 by Tracy Stella //

This month we thought we’d lighten things up a bit. We tend to dive deep. Sometimes, it’s good to come up for air, breathe from the belly, and let out a few laughs.  Selfishly, I needed a break from all the sanctification that happens when we tackle the serious topics. This month we chew on some lighter fare.  After all this is FACETS and we have multiple facets to our personalities too. Right? Image bearers of Christ have lots of dimension. (No, I didn’t say dementia!)

I’ll be curious what chuckles Kim, Jennifer and our guest contributor bring this month. Oh goodie! A month full of funny. I can handle that!

She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come.─Proverbs 31:25 NIV

A friend spoke this verse over me several years back.  When she publicly proclaimed its truth over my head, it was fiction, not fact. I hadn’t laughed, really laughed, from a place of exuberant joy and peace in a long, long time. I’m not sure I’d ever felt strength other than the puffed up pretend kind, and dignity would never have been an adjective you’d have assigned to me.

But God’s got jokes! He is the ultimate Author of irony.

  • Little David, here’s a slingshot, and a few stones. Now take out that giant.
  • Here you go Joshua. Grab a trumpet and march around the city. Jericho falls.  I know it makes no sense. Trust me.
  • Rahab, tie this red ribbon in your window. You don’t realize it yet, but Christ will be in your lineage. Today this would be a reality show: From Prostitute to Princess.
  • Gideon, I am going to reduce your numbers. You’ll have less and less help. But what do numbers matter? Haven’t you ever heard less is more? Don’t worry. I’ll bring victory. Quit biting your nails.
  • Virgin birth (come on now!)
  • Skunks. They look cute and cuddly. But stumble upon one and you’ll be singing a different tune (as you head to the store for tomato juice, planning on a good scrub in the tub).
  • A girlie girl who will one day apparently love motorcycle riding. Even better, she’ll be a Bible-loving Biker. That’ll raise a few eyebrows, probably on both sides of the fence.

God’s got jokes! If you would have asked me, even one short year ago if I’d be a motorcycle mama (ha ha) I would have laughed and said, “Not a chance!” But what do I know?  Once again, this confirms I don’t know my left from my right (which isn’t such a good thing for a Bible-loving Biker who needs to lean into the curves).

You want to know at least one thing that’s awesome about God’s irony? I get to embrace it and learn a bit more about how He made me. Just when I thought I was figuring me out. Even in that God says, “I know you better!” Of course He does. He designed me. Apparently, He designed me to love awesome shoes, fashion, and the rumble of an engine as I glide along tree covered country roads on two wheels.

He was right! Go figure.

If you think I’m exaggerating about the irony, consider this:  Mint green jeans and matching scarf, of course. White riding jacket with coordinating helmet. (I may have started a Pinterest board on how to avoid helmet hair. Maybe. Shhh! Don’t tell anyone.)

Now consider all of the above riding up to a biker rally greeted by a sea of black on black attire. That takes some inner strength! I know who I am. Who cares if they’re judging me for my mint green pants? Okay, so maybe I was a little self-conscious. But then I thought, who cares? I’ll do me, grinning knowingly.  Before Christ I would have tried to conform. Now? Me and Jesus will make them curious!

Yesterday, I rode my motorcycle to work for the first time. It was glorious! God has given me a scenic route, literally an official Scenic Drive (thanks God!). I’m surrounded by nature on every side. Since this is one of the most powerful ways I connect with God, my whole ride to work is like worship.

Thank You, God, for this awesome gift I didn’t know I’d love. Thank You for the escape so I feel refreshed and restored, ready to take on each day with You. What a blessing to have such a beautiful ride – and no way for anyone to get ahold of me over the rumble of my engine. Woot Woot!  Peace inside my helmet. A voice echoing inside that same helmet a little off key.

How great is our God. Sing with me how great is our God. And all will see how great, how great is our God.

And then a little giggle escaped between me and my God. Isn’t He awesome?

There is one thing more I’m wondering─at least for now.  I know there are bikers who are Christian. The ones I know all were bikers first; Christianity came second.  Maybe God’s just showing me He made me a little weird (truth — but His word calls it unique), but I wonder what He’s going to do with a Bible-loving woman who became a biker second.  When God’s irony shows itself, you better believe we should prepare for more of the unexpected!

I have a feeling I will have some interesting encounters up ahead. It’s okay. We’re trained in motorcycle class to observe the road ahead. It’s more important what’s coming than what’s behind. Yeah, sure, you need to look for the tailgaters following too close for comfort. But the open, winding road ahead is where we need to focus.

Ahead is where adventure awaits.

How has God’s irony surprised you? What unexpected joy did you experience? What adventure awaits you?

Join the conversation here or on our Facebook page.

Categories // Joy/Humor, Life, Tracy Stella's Perspective Tags // Adventure, Gideon, God's got jokes, Humor, Irony, Jericho, Joshua, Joy, Motorcycle, Proverbs 31:25, Rahab, Red Cord, Virgin Birth

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