DAY 16: "Finding My First Love" by Tricia Robbins

DAY SIXTEEN: "Finding My First Love" by Tricia Robbins

Several years ago I went through a time that was very painful. I was serving in a place of ministry within a church and I was deeply hurt. Many of you have had those kinds of experiences - huge disappointments by those you trusted. Through my hurt I sought the Lord in a deep way. I asked Him to expose my heart and show me things that I needed to work on and submit to Him. I knew I had not sinned in any way, nor had I done anything I felt was wrong, but I was missing peace. Through the hurt I noticed I was not happy with the condition of my heart. I was so deeply hurt, I began to fight all kinds of strange feelings like jealously and bitterness. I questioned myself and why all this had happened. I decided I did not ever want to serve in ministry again.

One day Shane told me he wanted me to read a book called “The Bait of Satan” by John Bervere. I looked it over and after seeing chapters on "forgiving people who have hurt you" and "learning how to move past the hurt", I said “no way”! After about 2 months, the hurt was not leaving so I went to Lifeway and purchased the book. At the very same time I began reading the book, I was deeply hurt yet again by someone I had a great relationship with and had worked under for 11 years. During all these things happening in my life, I asked God to please show me what He was trying to do in me. There had to be a reason for all of this.

Slowly, I began to read the book. I listened as the Holy Spirit changed me in a deep passionate way that was all new to me. Through months of doing whatever I felt the Lord speak to my heart to lay down and let go of, I began to heal. I was at a very broken place I’ve only known one other time in my life. I knew God was stripping all I had ever known. It was very hard. I knew He was leading me to a true forgiveness of those who had hurt me, but He also did so much more! After an entire year of much brokenness and many deep tears, I forgave people – truly forgave people - that had deeply hurt me. I submitted to a new way of thinking about the Lord. I returned to my first love, and began to fall in love with the Lord all over again. I felt true peace like I had not known in at least 10 years. I got my focus off of me and the “bigger and better” and began hurting for the hurting, homeless, and single moms and people all over again. I began to realize that my salvation was not secure by all the work I did for Him, or by the hours I spent in prayer or by any amount of fasting I tried. I realized that my salvation was secure and the love I began to feel for my Savior was deeper than any love I had ever known with Him. I was free and found compassion in my heart again. I learned to worship Him in a deeper more intimate way than I had ever known.

After I was full of joy again and had spent a year of not serving in a church role, God changed my heart. I was ready to roll my sleeves up and serve people through my amazing Father once again. This is when the Lord brought Shane and I and our precious kids, Morgan and Ethan, to Trace Crossing. I would never trade all the hurt and broken time in my life, for the return of my First Love. Thank you to the people that make up The Church at Trace Crossing for letting me serve - because it is my joy to serve my Savior after all He has done for me and all He has set me free from!

My Prayer for Trace Crossing:

My Jesus, there are no words to thank you for this place of worship that you have put together in your mercy. There is much work to be done for Your kingdom, and I pray that Trace Crossing would always love the unlovable - the people in this earth that no one wants to be with, the lost, the hungry, the homeless, and the hurting! We want to be your hands extended from Heaven to here, and I pray that we would shine your love to everyone unconditionally. Lord, I ask more than anything, one last thing, that this church would always know and feel Your presence in all we do and hunger each day to know and feel Your presence with us as we serve each other. Help us to forgive each other’s faults, and see Jesus in each other every day. You are amazing and I love and adore you. Amen.

DAY 15: "Something More" by Traci Wood

DAY FIFTEEN: "Something More" by Traci Wood
About ten years ago, Kevin and I were driving down to Florida for Thanksgiving. I had my feet firmly planted on the dashboard and was completely enthralled in reading a book - Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire by Jim Cymbala - on the eight hour trip. I will never forget the things that took place over the next few hours. As I was reading I felt this pulling at my heart. I kept asking myself, 'Isn't there more to the Christian life? Is this really it?'

I have often been accused of asking very random and deep questions when in the car. So, after an hour or so of saying nothing, I turned to Kevin and said, “Do you ever wonder if you are missing something? Is there more to life than what we are doing and how we are living?” Of course, I wanted a short and sweet answer. Instead Kevin and I began a conversation that completely changed my outlook on life.

You see, before this conversation I was very much about 'doing' things for God. I had never experienced 'being' with God. There is such a difference. My life had been about following rules - being the perfect minister's daughter and then the perfect minister's wife. I had to be the perfect student or the perfect friend. Very rarely did I just focus on my relationship with Christ. I was consumed by appearing 'perfect', but often struggled with how empty and hopeless I felt. My life was so barren of any true 'fruit' of Christ, that I had finally had enough of the way I was living my life.

After that trip, I began to pursue God like never before. I was hungry! Hungry for something more. Hungry for my life to count for something. Hungry for a relationship that could not be filled by anyone here on earth. I was tired of living a life that was empty of passion, empty of joy, and just plain boring! I wanted to see Christ do amazing things! I wanted to be a part of something different to make a true difference.

I am still on a journey. I can often get pulled back into that normal hum-drum of life when my thoughts and attitudes are entirely focused on me and my life. I pray that I will constantly be searching for the needs of others and living my life in such a way that only brings glory to our Father.

My Prayer for Trace Crossing:
May we be a people that is tired of being ordinary. Let's not waste our life on pointless things, but be persistent in pursuing God wholeheartedly. I pray that we will not be content with day to day living unless Christ is the center of all that we do. May Trace Crossing be defined by individuals who are so consumed with Christ that our lives are constantly pointing others to Him.

DAY 14: "A Light Bulb Moment" by Linda Willis

DAY FOURTEEN: "A Light Bulb Moment" by Linda Willis

Have you ever had a light bulb moment? You know, the moment where, after hearing or seeing something dozens of times, the message suddenly appears or the answer becomes apparent? I think Beth Moore calls them “God Stops”. Or, have you studied a particular Bible verse and it just keeps popping up when you start to study the Bible—like God is trying to tell you something? Whatever you call them, it seems that in the past two years, I’ve had a lot of these moments.

It was two years ago this week that Rick and I moved to Booneville for a promotion for Rick. We had lived in Tupelo for the past 30 years! What a change! After the rush of selling our house (and unloading 17 years of “stuff” for 2 grown children), and buying a new house was over, reality set in. Although we had moved, we knew we would still be close enough to keep in touch with friends. But on Sunday mornings it became clear that we didn’t have a church home! For the past several years, we had been very active in church; Rick was in a leadership position. So the first church we visited was the same “non-denominational” church that we had attended all of our lives. It was very apparent after the first visit that we didn’t need to go there. For the next year we visited around several churches. We even traveled to Corinth a couple of times, but nothing felt “right’.

I still travel back to Tupelo every day to work. On the way to work each morning, I listen to praise music and pray. There’s one spot on the way where there is a field and at the edge of that field there’s a small tree standing all alone. It is at that “spot” one day that some Bible verses in Jeremiah became crystal clear to me. I had always loved Jeremiah 29:11 (“I know the plans I have for you declares the Lord”) , I guess because it gave me so much hope that God actually had plans for me! But, the verses right after that are even more special.

“Then you will call on upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all of your heart.” Jeremiah 29:12-13

It was along that highway that I knew that I had to give Him all of my heart on finding a church “home”. It wasn’t too long before my daughter Courtney told us of a new church in Tupelo that we might want to visit. Courtney lived in Birmingham and she had heard that a minister from Birmingham had gone to Tupelo to plant a new church. Then, we heard that some of our friends had started going to Trace Crossing. We checked out the website, and decided one Sunday morning to go back to Tupelo to visit. We came out of church that morning feeling truly blessed and knew we had found our new “home”.

God does have a plan for us. He plans to “prosper us and not harm us”. He plans to “give us a hope and a future”. That little tree on the road from Booneville to Tupelo is a daily reminder that God had a plan for me. A plan to begin a new spiritual adventure. And by doing what He told me to do — "to seek Him with all of my heart" - he answered my prayer. I’m wondering now just how long it took me to have that “light bulb moment”!

My Prayer for Trace Crossing

Dear God, Creator of this world and all that is within it, I pray thanking you for including me in Your plan. I thank you for your church at Trace Crossing and for the vision of its leaders. I thank you for the concern for others that I have witnessed and for the love for one another, that is so apparent there. I pray that your message will be spread and that much good will come from what we learn here. I pray for Kevin as he guides us and for his tender heart, and I pray for Kevin as he leads us in worship in such a wonderful way. I pray that we will be a church that is known for living Christian lives and that by doing so, we will teach God’s words to many more people. I love you. In your name, I pray, Amen.

DAY 13: "No One Walks Alone" by Jennie Lee

DAY THIRTEEN: “No One Walks Alone” by Jennie Lee

"I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in. I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me....I tell you the truth, whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, that was Me--you did it to me." (Matthew 25:33-40)

One of the most exciting things about being a member of The Church at Trace Crossing is getting to know the people the Lord has placed in our church family. I want to tell you about a man who is part of our family and who would never tell you his story himself.

One year ago this month a man quietly showed up one Sunday morning to worship with us. He had just walked from the Salvation Army Shelter, where he was living at the time, to Kohl's Department store. He had heard they were needing help unloading a truck. After being told that the job had already been taken, he walked back to town--a total of five or six miles. On the way back, he remembered that he had seen the church building that week when he had been in the shopping center looking for work. So, he decided to stop by and visit.

That one visit started a friendship that has blessed Tommy and me more than I can ever tell you. Since he didn't drive or have a car, we invited him to join our Life Group telling him that we would pick him up that very night. He became a regular member, and as the weeks progressed, he began to share his story.

He had been living in Alabama, and because of addictions which led to a serious illness, he decided to leave his environment and head west - on foot. With no certain direction in mind, he found himself in south Mississippi, with no money and unable to find work. He was told to come to Tupelo where there were jobs available.

So again, he started out walking, heading north to a destination what would not only change his life, but the lives of all of us who have gotten to know him. He shared with the Life Group something that none of us could imagine - the horrors of traveling alone, the extreme hunger he experienced, the fear of the night while sleeping under bridges and in ditches. He told about the night he literally wept in fear of hearing the howl of coyotes nearby.

He told us about his salvation experience, and how as a youth had been faithful in church. But he had turned away from the Lord. Little did he know how the Lord was working in his life to bring him back.

He was able to find a job here in Tupelo, and is grateful for the opportunity to work. After living in the Shelter for several months, he was able to move into a small apartment. He became a faithful member of our Life Group. He helps with the greeter ministry. I have seen him with an umbrella helping people get into the church on rainy mornings. When it was our turn as a Life Group to clean the church, he would be there moving chairs, mopping floors and helping in any way he could. Not once have I ever heard him complain. He has never asked us for anything, and is so appreciative of everything that is done for him.

He has taught us so much - humility, gratitude, kindness, goodness and many other qualities that we as Christians are supposed to possess. His very presence reminds us that material things really do not make the person, but the fruits of the Spirit do.

This story is not about how The Church of Trace Crossing has helped a man in humble circumstances, this is a story about a humble man who has helped the Church at Trace Crossing.

Who is this man? His name is Jeff Button.

His story reminds me of another man who knew extreme hunger, who experienced loneliness, who Himself said that he didn't have a place to lay His head. He is the one who told us that what we do for others, we do for Him.

Who is this Man? His name is Jesus.

Father, Thank you so much for the privilege of being a part of this great faith family. Remind us to be sensitive to those who come into our fellowship, knowing that whatever the circumstance in life, we are all in need of a Savior. Thank you for Jesus. May we grow to love You, serve You and follow You with all of our heart.

DAY 12: "In The Margins" by Drew Love

DAY TWELVE: "In the Margins" by Drew Love

“Margins are those clear spaces along the edge of this page that keep the words from spilling off. Every book has them. You might jot notes in the margins, but for the most part they go unnoticed. They don’t represent the book, and they don’t define its message. They’re simply there.

Society – our world, our culture – has margins just like this page does. They’re places occupied by people who go unnoticed, misfits who seldom figure in when the mainline world defines and esteems itself. But they’re there.” – From Rick McKinley’s Jesus in the Margins

I have to admit that I have spent most of my life focused on the middle of the page and not in the margins. Here is what you find in the middle – wealth, power, pride, comfort, pleasure, popularity… The list goes on but you get the picture. If you really think about it we spend so much of our time and energy preparing for this “middle of the page”. For the most part our society, culture, and education prepares and points us to the “middle”. So it should be no shock that at the point in our faith when “we get it” or the “light bulb comes on” that we then spend the remainder of our life unlearning and undoing all this stuff we have been so focused on.

I have been a follower of Christ since my late teens, but it hasn’t been until the last 7-8 yrs of my walk with Him that I have been able to begin to have a vision and heart for these “margins of life”. As John Piper says, “I was wasting my life – slipping by in life without a passion for God, spending my life on trivial diversions, living for comfort and pleasure, and perhaps trying to avoid sin.” My transformation didn’t happen overnight and it isn’t over with. It is a continual process and journey I am on with Him. Earlier I spoke about what the “middle” looked like. Contrast it with the “margins” – fear, doubt, uncertainty, being uncomfortable….. The water is much deeper in the margins and it can get messy. But if we examine Jesus’ ministry, this is where he spent his time and efforts.

To this day, I am still not comfortable in the margins. But I also don’t think that I will ever be comfortable because then I would not need faith.

I think God’s ultimate plan for us is that we see everything as one page, no margins, and no middle - just one big canvas. He is the painter and we are brushes.

On my first visit to Trace Crossing, I saw a church that understood and has a vision for the margins of life. A church that isn’t afraid to get in the deep waters of life, that wants to roll up its sleeves and be about our Father’s business.

My prayer for Trace Crossing:

Oh God, give us the vision, strength and courage for the margins of life. May we be transformed by your love and grace. Help us to remember who we are and why we were created.

DAY 11: "God of this City" by Kevin Wood

DAY ELEVEN: "God of this City" by Kevin Wood
I love music even though sometimes I am left to observing and not participating. I am what some people might call "musically challenged". That's a nice way of saying, "Music ain't my thing". While I can't strum in rhythm or drum on beat or even hum in tune, I still love to hear a good song. I especially love hearing a good song when it comes at just the right time. The right song at the right time can make the experience all the better. I had one of those "right song right time" moments this morning in worship.

Kevin Williams introduced a new song to us called "God of this City". While it was new to Trace Crossing, I have grown to love this song over the past several months. It is one of the ten most played songs on my iPod right there with Coldplay's "Viva la Vida" and Jon McLaughlin's "Indiana". My best estimate as to how many times I have listened to "God of this City" is somewhere in the 100+ range. But when we sang it this morning, it felt like I was hearing it for the first time. The song had a certain freshness to it - a very palpable vitality to it - when it was being sung by 100+ voices in a worship room. It sounded good... very good.

The reason the song resonated with me this morning was fairly simple: the song echoes the message of Malachi, the book we are studying this fall. Malachi lived in the midst of a troubled people. Israel was dazed and confused during Malachi's time. They had lost heart in themselves and they had lost hope in God. They felt forgotten and forsaken, so they gave themselves to living in a way that God had forbidden. And in the midst of this culture of chaos sat a piercing voiced prophet named Malachi. He wanted to stir God's people to passionate obedience. He simply wanted to remind them who they were and what their calling was in this world.

Malachi did this by reminding Israel of their past. They were the people of Abraham - pioneers willing to leave all that was comfortable for a far off land where God was doing something new. They were the people of Moses - leaders capable of facing the greatest power on earth with the humble moxy to not back down. They were the people of Joshua - dreamers who conquered massive cities with nothing but a praise band. They were the people of Gideon - warriors who needed no weapons as long as God was calling the shots. They were the people of David - giant-slaying shepherd boys who turned the world's mocking laughter into victory after victory after victory. There was no shortage of heroes in Israel's past, men and women who had demonstrated to God himself their faith and fortitude. And yet, as great as Israel's past was, Malachi had one closing thought for the people of God:

Greater things have yet to come, Greater things are still to be done in this city.

As we sang that line together this morning, I could almost hear Malachi singing along. I let my imagination wander a little and pondered the thought of Malachi singing this very song to the people of his day, urging them to see and seize the opportunity of the moment. Malachi is standing on his feet, fist pumping in the air triumphantly, singing the song with every ounce of energy he can muster. Tears are in his eyes. Sweat is on his forehead. Passion is in his voice. Yet you see and hear and feel a desperate hunger in this man's worship. He is not satisfied. He wants more. Certainly God had done great things for Israel. But He still had one great thing He wanted to do through Israel - send His Son on a mission of redemption and restoration. And this prophet wants in on that day of celebration. He isn't satisfied with Moses and friends. He wants Messiah. He wants Jesus.

Fast forward some 2,400 years from Malachi to Modernity. The people in Tupelo are no different from the people in Malachi's day. Many of us are indifferent to God's vision for the world, yet we still drag into worship on Sunday morning "because it is just what we do in the South". Many of us will put an offering in the plate, but "don't ask me to go around the world and spread your good news." We like living in the vicinity of complacency. We enjoy the zip code of comfort. We have lost sight of who we are.

Are we really the people of Abraham... Pioneers who say "yes" when God says "Go"?

Are we really the people of Moses... Leaders who speak truth to power with humility and integrity that crumbles the enemy?

Are we really the people of Joshua... Dreamers who trust that God knows where he is leading and don't get caught up in all the details?

Are we really the people of Gideon... Warriors whose worship is a greater weapon than their wealth or influence?

Are we really the people of David... Giant-slaying Shepherd boys whose purity and passion makes a skeptical world take notice?

And here is the hardest question of all...

Are we really the people of Christ... a sinner-loving, water-walking, disciple-making, towel-toting, cross-bearing, tomb-busting, Father-trusting follower of God?

If we are that people - a hungry and desperate people like Malachi - then strike up the band and let's sing it again and again and again.

Greater things have yet to come, greater things are still to be done in this city.

But if we are NOT that people - if we are complacent and comfortable - then I just assume we never sing that song again. I will just listen to it on my iPod for the 101st time and wonder "what if?"

My gut, though, tells me that we are that people. That we believe God for the biggest. That we believe God for the boldest. That we stand in a long line of heroes who will one day sing that song with us.

Hear me out friends - God has done some great things in this city. Tupelo has much to be proud of from Elvis to TVA to AFR. But nothing in her past compares with what might be lurking right around the corner for a people desperate for God.

Greater things have yet to come, greater things are still to be done in this city.

Do you believe that? I do.

Strike up the band Kevin... let's sing it again.

My Prayer for Trace Crossing:
God, forgive us for our apathy. Rip it from our hearts. Break us down if you must, tearing away our ego and pride. Shred every ounce of selfish motive and shrink us down to size. Help us see how insignificant we truly are in light of your greatness and glory. And once you have brought us to that place of utter brokenness, begin that restoration reconstruction work. Break us down in order to build us up. Make us a holy people whose hearts are bent on knowing You, loving You, serving You, enjoying You, sharing You. Carve within this faith family a desperate hunger for Your Presence. Do it anyway You choose. Amen.