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7 Tips for Making Each Day Your Masterpiece

September 26, 2018 by Tracey 3 Comments

A common conversation I find myself having with family and friends is about how quickly time is passing.

With the threat of Hurricane Florence recently, my husband and daughters were off of work and school for almost a week. Looking back at that week when it was over, my husband and I talked about what we did (and didn’t do!) with that unexpected “free” time. He shared with me this quote from legendary basketball coach John Wooden.

“Make each day your masterpiece.”

I’ve been thinking about that ever since. It’s so easy to just let a day go by without being intentional about how you spend it. We can purposely fill our hours with what’s important to us, or we can just let the day drift by with no purpose.

Obviously there are certain tasks that must be done. But even in those daily must-do’s, we can choose to focus on making the hours meaningful.

Here are seven ways we can work to create a masterpiece each day.

1. Remember that a masterpiece is made up of many small strokes. Here and there we have days with big, bold wins. You get a promotion at work, receive a random, heartfelt note of love and appreciation from your teenager, or finally meet a longstanding personal goal.

But most days are full of lots of little strokes. Things like rocking a baby to sleep, slipping a love note into your husband’s pocket, or lighting a candle while you clean up the kitchen after supper. Maybe you listened to a play-by-play account of your son’s school day, played Candy Land for half an hour, or wrote out a Bible verse to post on the refrigerator door.

None of these tasks seems like a big deal. But put them all together, and those little moments become the building blocks of a life well-lived.

2. Do your best at every task you undertake. Whether it’s making the bed, packing lunches, or washing the car, do the best you can at every thing you try. Colossians 3:23 says, “And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men…”

I’m not a five-star chef nor the most efficient housekeeper, but I can get a healthy meal on the table and run that vacuum cleaner with the best of ’em!

3. Realize that God’s given you the skill to produce something beautiful. He gave you a spouse to encourage and made you the parent of your children. You are His creation and lovely in His sight. Yes, you will sin and fail, but He will forgive and restore.

You were created for a purpose. As long as you’re here on the earth, there is something meaningful God wants you to do.

4. Be kind. A masterpiece can be marred by ugly strokes. One day last week, I got angry when another car cut me off in traffic. I was frustrated and blew my horn – then hoped no one I knew was around because I was so embarrassed! I’m not saying there’s never a time to blow your horn, but I just let my frustration get the best of me.

We teach our children Ephesians 4: 28, and it sounds so simple. “And be ye kind one to another…” But I definitely need the Holy Spirit’s help to live that out every day.

5. Take time for God. It sounds so basic, but isn’t getting to know God better about the most important thing we can do today? Carve some time out of your day to find a truth about God to meditate on.

I’ve started using a daily audio Bible app on my phone so that I can hear the Bible read out loud. Since I’m already in the habit of listening to podcasts, this fits right in to my day. It’s just another way to take in God’s Word.

6. Use your time wisely. I don’t think this means every moment has to be full of stuff to do. It can be extremely life-giving to sit on the porch and watch the sunset. But surfing the Internet mindlessly or sitting in front of a television for hours can leave you feeling empty, knowing that you wasted time.

Just be intentional with the time you’ve been given. Ephesians 5:15-16 reminds us, “See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.“

7. Focus on right now. You can’t change the past. You can’t foretell the future. Set goals and make plans, but do what you need to do today to grow in your walk with God and show love to others.

God gives us a blank canvas each morning. Let’s fill it today with beautiful brush strokes, for His honor and glory.

5 Lessons I Learned from a 10-Hour Travel Delay

July 27, 2018 by Tracey 4 Comments

So remember last week’s post, the one about trusting God to orchestrate our days?

That published on Friday morning. The same Friday morning that we headed to the airport for a 7:40am flight to Chicago, where our family planned to spend a four-day weekend for our summer vacation.

We checked in with plenty of time to eat breakfast before we boarded the plane. We got settled in our seats, and all appeared to be well.

Until they deplaned us. There apparently was a leak in the cockpit, which, since it was raining, could lead to instruments in the control panel shorting out. Not good.

The captain gave periodic updates as we waited in the gate area, saying they’d found the leak, but were having difficulty sealing it. Then they weren’t able to maintain pressure in the cabin, another important concept when you’re tens of thousands of feet up in the air!

They finally canceled our flight just before noon, and we were able to get tickets for a 3:30pm flight. We left the airport to get lunch…and just as we got back to the parking garage, the “bad” news started coming in. The new flight was now delayed due to thunderstorms between us and Chicago. So back into the airport we went…and continued to be delayed.

We finally boarded the plane around 6:00pm. And yes, my husband noted the irony of the post I’d written, and the way our day unfolded. It was NOT how we would have orchestrated it…but what a great chance to live out the truth of what I’d written.

And, as always, there are lessons to be learned.

Here’s five of them.

This trip didn't start out as planned, but it gave me the chance to live out what I'd written.

1. God is in control. I am not.

How many situations do we face every day that we can’t control? Another person’s reaction, the weather, the traffic, how quickly the checkout line moves…the list goes on and on.

Every one of these situations is a chance to recognize God’s sovereignty, and to submit to whatever He has willed for us in that moment.

2. There is always, always, always something for which to be thankful.

Here’s a short list from last Friday.

~They deplaned us quickly on learning there was a problem with the aircraft. There was no sitting on the plane for a long period of time.
~We all kept fairly good attitudes throughout the long day.
~We were traveling with teenagers, not toddlers. Trying to entertain little ones for all those hours would have been a struggle!
~Our girls showed us the Game Pigeon app, which let the four of us play Crazy 8s together on our phones while we waited.
~We were upgraded on our afternoon flight, so had more spacious seats, and free Direct TV for the flight.

3. Don’t take your frustrations out on other people, especially those who, like you, have no control over the situation.

One passenger in particular was venting his frustration over the delay to the gate agent. My husband remarked to me, “Does anyone think the pilot or these airline employees got up this morning hoping that this flight would be canceled?” No way. They were as eager as we were for everything to go as scheduled. But it didn’t. And there was nothing they could do to get that plane in the air any faster than what they were already doing.

4. Laughter is good medicine.

If you’ve never visited the Charleston airport, let’s just say that it’s small. Not a lot to entertain yourself with if you’re stuck there for awhile.

However, on one of our strolls through the terminal, our 15-year-old and I walked through a store looking at what they had for sale. She grabbed a joke book from the shelf, and began reading jokes aloud. Admittedly, we’d been up since around 4:30am, so were a bit on the tired side and easily entertained. Regardless, the jokes made us laugh, and left us a little bit happier.

5. It’s okay to just trust that God knows best, without having to know or understand the reason why.

I can’t tell you what purpose God had in delaying our travel plans by ten hours. As far as we know, there was no life-changing impact on people around us. I can’t say that we avoided some major catastrophe.

The bottom line is that hanging out at the Charleston airport is just what God had for us that day. So my best option was to make the choice to trust His plan, and move on to the next thing.

All of this being said, maybe I should be more careful what I post about the next time we plan to leave town!!

10 Simple But Powerful Pieces of Life Advice for Teenagers (that work for their parents, too)

May 23, 2018 by Tracey 13 Comments

My teenagers aren’t always (if ever!) sitting around waiting to soak up any parental wisdom that comes out of my mouth. They’re more likely to be too involved in what’s going on in their own lives to let me “bless” them with my advice.

But on the off-chance that they want me to share a bit of knowledge with them, I decided to be ready. I rounded up some quotes that are short, sweet, and to the point, yet pack a powerful punch. It’s ten pieces of life advice to help them navigate the coming years with a healthy perspective on what’s truly important.

1. “Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God.” ~Corrie Ten Boom

Here’s a great place to plug in one of my favorite Scriptures, Proverbs 3:5, 6. “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.”

The more we know about God – His goodness, love, and mercy – the easier it is to trust Him with our future. That future could be as close as tomorrow, and as far away as eternity.

2. “Wherever you are, be all there.” ~Jim Elliot

Don’t spend your time wishing you were somewhere else or with a different person. In other words, live in the moment. Instead of longing for the past or wishing for the future, embrace the exact circumstances God has placed you in today.

3. “Expect nothing and appreciate everything.” ~Unknown

This ties together contentment and gratitude, two of the most valuable traits a person can have. When we place too many expectations on a person or a particular circumstance, we’re often disappointed. And living with a grateful heart will keep us focused on how blessed we are.

4. “Wisdom makes decisions today that will still be good tomorrow.” ~Lysa TerKeurst

This is the quote that led me to write this post. Teenagers especially can make decisions that feel good in the moment. But if they will take the time to think about where the consequences of that decision might lead, they can determine if it’s a wise decision or not.

I find myself needing this advice, though I’m supposedly older and wiser! From the words I say to the things I do – if I’ll look back tomorrow and wish I hadn’t said or done it, I shouldn’t do it in the first place.

5. “Fill your life with adventures, not things. Have stories to tell, not stuff to show.” ~Unknown

We’ve found that experiencing events together as a family is usually much better than giving physical gifts. We’ll always have great memories of outings and travels that we’ve had during these years of our children living at home. I hope we’re passing on to them a love for sharing adventures with those closest to them.

6. “Everyone you will ever meet knows something you don’t.” ~Bill Nye

My dad exemplifies this one. He is just as interested in talking to and getting to know his car mechanic as he is the VIP of a Fortune 500 company. Strive to learn something from each person that you meet.

7. “Go the extra mile. It’s never crowded.” ~Wayne Dyer

Don’t try to get by with doing as little as possible to finish the job. Give your all in everything you do, and you’ll stand out. Follow the advice of Ecclesiastes 9:10. “Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might…”

8. “Be somebody who makes everybody feel like a somebody.” ~Robby Novak

Humility and thoughtfulness are qualities that seem rarer than ever these days. Smile at people. Thank anyone who does the smallest thing for you. Just notice other people, and go out of your way to make them feel special.

9. “Don’t get so busy making a living that you forget to make a life.” ~Dolly Parton

Prioritize people and relationships over work. Let the to-do list go at some point in the day, and just enjoy being with your people.

10. ”Attitude is the difference between an ordeal and an adventure.” ~Bob Bitchin

Or, as my dad often told us, attitude is everything. You can make the best of a situation, or you can bring yourself and everyone around you down. The choice is up to you. (I need this advice plastered on my wall!)

Hopefully, I can continue to work these ideas into future conversations with my teenagers. If you have any bits of life advice you’ve found helpful, share them with us in the comments!

Check out my digital printable 10 Weeks of Praying for Your Teenage Daughter.

A Time and a Season for Every Thing

May 16, 2018 by Tracey 6 Comments

It’s clichéd, but true. Life is made up of seasons.

This is on my mind as we rush headlong toward the end of another school year.

Come fall, my oldest will be a senior in high school. One season, at least with her, will slowly be coming to an end. It will be a year of “lasts” – last first day of school, last high school basketball game, last choir competition, last band concert.

Sometimes you don’t see the change of seasons coming as clearly as this one is. Just like in nature, some seasons change gradually. You hardly recognize that one is over and another has begun until you look back.

I’ve always loved Ecclesiastes 3 where Solomon talks about the seasons. My husband’s been teaching out of this book of the Bible in our Sunday School class recently. It got me thinking about some lessons that might be helpful as we face different transitions in the future.

Most things in life – both blessings and trials – are given to us for a season.

Verse 1 ~ “To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:”

Friendships, opportunities, the flexibility of our schedules, and our health change from season to season. What we enjoy in one stage of life may not be available to us in the next.

On the other hand, a trial we face currently may not be an issue in a few years. Recently, when we faced a parenting challenge, my husband reminded me that “this, too, shall pass.”

God uses seasons to change us into what He would have us to be.

Verse 11a ~ “He hath made every thing beautiful in his time:”

If life always ran along smoothly and we knew just what to expect, our faith would never grow. God wants to make each of us into a beautiful masterpiece by weaving into our lives those trials that will refine us.

And, of course, it’s important to remember that He works in His timeline, not ours. I’d like to get through any of those painful growing stages really fast, but He knows just the pace at which I need to grow.

Only God knows how each season will play out.

Verse 11b ~ “…no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end.”

Where is our daughter going to go to college? How different will we be as a family of 3? God has all the answers. He knows before I do how it’s all going to work out. We just need to ask for His wisdom, and allow Him to guide us.

God wants us to find and enjoy the best in every season.

Verse 13 ~ “And also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy the good of all his labour, it is the gift of God.”

God has given us so many blessings to enjoy. From sweet friendships to glorious sunsets, good food to beautiful places to visit, we’re surrounded with things we can appreciate. No matter what season you’re in, look for small – and large – things to take pleasure in.

Each season has its “happy hello’s and sad goodbyes.”

Verse 4 ~ “A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;”

That “happy hello’s and sad goodbye’s” is a quote from my mom. Since we live a couple of states away, she and my dad are always excited to see us come for a visit, and then a bit sad every time we leave.

In the same way, every season has its joys and sorrows. It’s that way with my daughter graduating from high school next year. It’s bittersweet. I’ll be sad over what’s ending, yet very excited at what God has ahead of her.

Surrender each season to God.

Verse 14 ~ “I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever: nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it: and God doeth it, that men should fear before him.”

Our God is sovereign. He is in control of every facet of our lives. As we begin to surrender to Him through the hard days as well as the easy ones, we’ll learn to trust Him even more.

So whatever season you find yourself in today, I hope you’ll embrace it for what it is. Enjoy the good parts, learn from the tough days, and remember that God has a purpose in all of it.

Merry Christmas 2017

December 25, 2017 by Tracey 4 Comments

“Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.” ~Matthew 1:23

“For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” ~Isaiah 9:6

From our family to yours….Merry Christmas!!

Put This Under My Tree, Please

December 8, 2016 by Tracey 6 Comments

I want a lot for Christmas this year.

My list is kind of long, but every item is exactly what I would choose if I could have just what I wanted.

Give me a box of hugs from my daughters, the surprise kind where they slip up beside me and share a quick squeeze. Stick in my stocking the quick “I love you’s” I send behind them as they head out the door to school each morning.

You can package together the driving lessons, the pile of basketball uniforms to be washed, and the stack of books to return to the library.

Just a small box will do for the conversations we share about boys – the nice guys, the thoughtful kind. No need to give that topic too much importance just yet. 😉

All the sounds will need at least three packages. The large one should be the sound of music coming from the piano as my girls practice their Christmas songs. The sound of my husband coming in the door each evening should be the special box with lots of hearts on it. It’s one of those I look forward to every day. Those after-school talks on my drives home with my girls will probably need to be squeezed into a pretty big container.

Why the big box of money? That’s to dole out for lunch money and school fundraisers and youth group activities and Starbucks drinks on a regular day, just because.

The next one I open will have all the smells…bacon ’cause it makes all the breakfasts better, a mixed scent of Bath and Body Works body sprays coming from both girls’ bedrooms, my husband’s new cologne.

There’s an almost empty box since there haven’t been any new hand-crafted ornaments made from hand prints or chip can tops or craft sticks put on my tree in quite awhile. We’re lacking in the glitter-encrusted, white-glue dripping kind. Perhaps that season of life has passed us by….

Yes, a second empty box reminds me to check my closet for what might be missing since the last time a daughter borrowed it – the pair of shoes, the sweater, the necklace.

No need to wrap up those lunchboxes…they greet me early every morning as it is.

Bundle up the sound of the four of us talking around the supper table, riding in the car together, singing Christmas carols side by side in church, our relief at another annual family photo session completed. Tuck in all four of our stockings, currently hung in the living room, anticipating their filling on Christmas Eve.

It’s getting crowded under the tree, but I think there’s room for a few more presents.

Gather the two leftover birthday cakes waiting on the counter, courtesy of two girls born two years and two days apart, early in December. Those contact cases, bobby pins, and flatirons by the bathroom sink get a box all their own.

Give me that contented feeling of falling into bed beside my husband after another late night of ball games or recitals or concerts. Let me watch another cheer routine, sit through another piano recital, watch another JV Girls basketball game, enjoy another band number,

Let me drive a daughter to one more party, buy her one more white elephant gift to exchange, pray another prayer perched on the side of her bed before she drifts off to sleep.

Make that final gift a box of tissues, ’cause at this point I’ll be needing them.

The neat thing about this list is that it’s what I already have. Won’t cost anyone a cent, but will be more treasured than anything that’s frequently deposited on my front porch in a cardboard Amazon box. 🙂

Because these won’t be the gifts of next Christmas. Those will be different, because it will be 2017, and some things, even slightly, will have changed. That’s as it should be, and will bring its own joys, as God wills. But these gifts are the gifts of the present, those to be held close to my heart.

These are the memories my family is making this Christmas season. Yours are just as precious, because they’re yours, and they may never be the same again. What’s a memory you want placed under your tree?

Related posts:
Are You Getting What You Want for Christmas?
3 Gifts I Want My Children to Receive This Christmas
To Simplify This Season…Or Not?

Summer, Past and Present

June 13, 2016 by Tracey 2 Comments

I realize that we’re only one week into the summer break, but we’re definitely off to a good start here!

So far we’ve managed to find the right balance between being gone and staying home, between work and play, and between doing things together and having time to ourselves.

However, my brain definitely hasn’t been in blog mode. I’m taking this week off from blogging and hope to return with fresh inspiration next Monday!

In the meantime, here are some of my favorite Girls to Grow posts from past summers.

10 Traits of a Wise Woman

She’s Already Beautiful to Me

5 Ways That Daily Quiet Time with God Changes Me

Journaling Prayers for Our Children

5 Ways to Encourage Yourself in the Lord

How to Rear a Daniel

Have a great week!!

7 Things Inspiring Me Today

April 8, 2016 by Tracey 6 Comments

In honor of my birthday yesterday, I thought I’d share some of the things I’m enjoying this week!

My current phone wallpaper – one of my favorite photos from earlier this year

Book: The Bronze Bow. Yes, I read this book aloud to my children several years ago, but I wanted to revisit it and see if it was as good as I remembered!

Song: You Are Always Good. A couple sang this at our church several Sundays ago, and I immediately came home and added it to my Gospel playlist.

Blog: This Life I Live. Don’t know why I did this to myself yesterday, but I caught up on the last few posts that Rory has written. Cried through a couple of tissues….

Podcast: Growing Up the Zeller Way and Teamwork on Family Life Today. This two-part series has Steve and Lorri Zeller sharing how they parented three boys through high-profile college basketball careers and on into the NBA.

Instagrammer: Rachel Cruze. She’s been in Israel for the past ten days and the pictures she’s posted show just what a beautiful and unique country it is.

Recipe: Overnight Cinnamon Rolls. Confession – I halved this recipe and made it for myself for breakfast yesterday (also using Jen’s Easy Cream Cheese Frosting). And I, myself, will eat them all (though not at one sitting) since no one else in the family likes them very much. It’s a tough job, but somebody has to do it! 🙂

Bible verse: Psalm 90:2 “Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God.” Still pondering this verse from Monday’s post.

Have a great Friday!!

Merry Christmas!

December 25, 2015 by Tracey 2 Comments

From our family to yours, Merry Christmas!

May your season be filled with the love of family and friends, and may the gift of the Savior fill our hearts and minds with peace and gratitude this holiday!

7 Things I’m Loving This Summer

June 10, 2015 by Tracey 3 Comments

While the season hasn’t technically arrived yet, I call it summer as soon as school is over!

Just a couple of weeks into it, here are 7 things I’m already loving about this summer.

1. Badminton.

This is our family’s latest pastime. On Memorial Day, my husband put up a badminton net in the backyard and we’ve played together as a family nearly every day we’ve been home. Now we wait till the backyard’s shady and cooler in the evening. I’m thinking of it as good after-supper exercise – and we’re having fun, too!

2. My daughters’ cooking.

Last night my 14-year-old made these Lettuce Wrapped Cheeseburgers and Jello Firecrackers, both new-to-us recipes that she discovered on Pinterest. It’s neat to see them developing their cooking skills – and to have a night off from the kitchen! 😉

3. Morning walks with my husband.

Since he doesn’t have to drop our daughter off at school now, we’re getting up at the same time, but using those extra minutes to get outside and walk together.

4. Studying wisdom in my personal devotions.

Lately I have felt such a need for wisdom, especially when it comes to parenting. With one teenager and one soon-to-be teenager, there are constant decisions to be made, questions to be answered, and guidance to be given. I’m studying various passages in the Bible that deal with wisdom and I’m sure I’ll be sharing more on this soon!

5. Crustless Zucchine Quiche.

I’m making one of these a week; it provides lunch for me for three days, since no one else in the family is as fond of it as I am. 😉

6. Having my 14-year-old home during the day.

Her past school year was very busy and it’s so nice to have her home with us all day!

7. Our new bar stools.

We’re in the process of re-doing our office/eating area, and I like how these bar stools at the high counter give us a nice place for eating breakfast and snacks or extra space for the girls to do paper work or crafts.

What’s something you’re loving this summer?