Sometimes a song can say it all...

I can remember hearing the song "Candle in the Rain" by David Meece the summer before I started Bible College back in Renaissance times. Seriously, it was quite a while ago...we're talking the fall of 1988 - maybe you weren't even born yet. There's a good chance that's true.

Anywho...I had never really heard contemporary Christian music before (besides listening to the occasional Amy Grant album at my friend Heather's house during jr. high and high school) and this was like a breath of fresh air. A song that wasn't a hymn, that was more like something I would hear on the radio. And, that song perfectly described the way a relationship with Jesus could be. I remember my eyes instantly filling with tears and the constant requests of my roommate to put that cassette tape back in her cool boom-box-stereo-thingy. I was simply amazed. When did this type of music come to be? Little did I know back then when everything was still in black and white that one day I'd be working in the Christian music industry. God works things out, doesn't He?

So, how about you? What song has had a life-changing impact on you? Maybe it was the song that got you through a painful divorce, the death of a loved one, or a serious and scary medical journey. We want to hear your story. Tell us how a song you've heard recently on 91.5 WCIC has been THE song for you and you might be a part of our audio-visual promotional pieces for Sharathon, our Spring Fundraiser. And, those chosen will receive a special “Thank You” gift including some cool station gear, a travel mug, a wireless mouse, and a couple of CDs!

Leave your story here as a comment or on the Doing Life with the Traceys page on Facebook. And, thanks for sharing the music!!!

And the winners are...

Congratulations to Pam and Taryn. You've both won a copy of the CD "Sunny Day" by Kid's Music extraordinare, Julie K! And, we're with you, can't WAIT for Spring!

So, Pam and Taryn, I just need you both to contact me at jill@wcicfm.org with your mailing address for the CD! Yeah!

Happy Sunny Thoughts for the weekend!!!

We could use a Sunny Day right about now!

OK, as we're busy preparing for the snow storm of the century, what my husband has dubbed "Snow-maggedon", I think we need to take a moment to dream of the future. Just a few seconds to ponder the fact that in about 6 weeks or so this blizzard will be a distant memory and we'll be looking forward to spending time outside doing something besides shoveling and FREEZING! We'll be actually pausing to look at the displays of shorts and t-shirts at all the department stores without laughing at the thought of actually WEARING them. Can you picture it? NO? Well, we'd like to help!

Kids' Music extraordinaire, Julie K, has kindly provided the Traceys with several copies of her awesome CD, Sunny Day. I tell ya, popping this puppy in the CD player will have you and your kiddos dreaming of running, playing, biking, and going to the ZOO...all OUTSIDE. Yes, really! You'll even start looking forward to seeing a swarm of bumblebees! It's a fun CD that's designed for kids but will have the adults singing along as well. So, it's time for a giveaway to get us believing Spring will actually come this year!

Here's all you need to do: Reply to this post with a comment about a Sunny Day. It can be about what you can't wait to do this Spring or Summer. It can be wistful thoughts about the lack of snow. It can be a haiku about warmer weather. Just make us forget about what's really going on outside...if even for a few seconds. The folks with the most creative posts will receive a copy of "Sunny Day" by Julie K to help get you through the coldest days this winter!

I'll announce the winners by this Friday at 5 pm, so get those creative juices flowing. Oh, and don't forget to shovel the driveway! (I know, UGH!)

Did you do donuts?

Last night I was leaving the radio station and drove by Arby's which was apparently suffering a little downtime because the entire parking lot was empty. Except for one car. One car was slipping and sliding around in circles, getting dangerously close to crashing into a light pole at times. And, just like that, I was transported back to my youth. I can remember getting my friends together to go do donuts in a deserted school lot. We would have been in SO MUCH TROUBLE if we had been caught by a school administrator, or the police, or especially our parents. It was irresponsible. It was disrespectful of school property. It was dangerous. So, why did we do it? It was FUN!

I know. That's not a good excuse. I should have followed the rules. I should have been more careful. Seriously, I should have. If you're a minor and reading this, DO NOT take my admission to doing donuts as an excuse to do them yourself, because I really could have been hurt, along with the way too many friends packed into the car with me.

But, I'm reminded that there's something to be said for having FUN! In my adult world with my lists of to-dos and my responsibilities and all my rushing around, I forget to take time to just have FUN! How about you? Now, I'm not saying we should go out and do donuts and possibly harm ourselves, our cars, or someone else's property. But, I do think we should go sledding, have a snowball fight, or take a midnight walk in the snow. Who knows, maybe we'll start celebrating like our kids do when we hear reports of yet ANOTHER snow storm heading our way. Maybe.

So, here's my challenge to myself and to you, if you're willing to accept. Let's get outside and do something, anything, fun this week. Just a few minutes of not accomplishing anything but the enjoyment of the cold, the snow, and spending time with our friends or loved ones.

Hmm...who will reply 1st with what you've done after reading this blog entry? Let's just say a comment might be well worth your effort! ;)

WATCH OUT WORLD...My child is a creative genius!

Yesterday I attended Alyssa's pre-K parent-teacher conference and I tell ya, when you hear from a teacher how creative your child is, you can feel like you're raising the next best-selling author or world-renowned artist. I knew Alyssa was doing pretty well with her letters and numbers. But, like all her classmates, there's always a few that she gets stuck on. So, I'll be working more with the flashcards, helping her keep it fresh in her mind. But, when Mrs. Neal launched into a description of how well Alyssa's doing with her drawing, I couldn't help but swell with pride, just a little. I know Jesus gave her the talent, but she's MY KID, right?! Then I learned that one of the skills they work on during this year is to have the students each come up with a one or two sentence story about the latest picture they've drawn. Well, apparently, Alyssa can go on all day with the stories behind her works of art. (SIGH) I can see the book reviews and long lines at author signings already.

OK, OK, I'll try not to get ahead of myself. But, I'm so proud of my little creative girl. If you're a parent, I'm sure you know what I'm talking about. There's a certain, well, almost HIGH you can get by celebrating the strengths of your child. For me I think it's the awesome realization that I (with my husband and God's help of course) have created this beautiful little being and now she's creating beautiful things. I'm sure you feel this way about whatever area your child is excelling in, too. Now, the challenge will be to continue to encourage the creativity and freedom of expression without allowing my own self-worth to be confused with my child's successes. Know what I mean?

Anywho, for now, I'm just going to revel in my daughter's creative genius. I'm going to let her know I think she's awesome. And, I'm going to look forward to seeing what God does with this strength that He has given her!

Hey, have a great weekend, and feel free to comment with a story of why YOUR kiddo is a genius! :)

WHO is the reason for Season? The answer might surprise you!

Guess what’s on my mind today?

CHRISTMAS!

Ha ha…I know, surprise surprise, right? It’s on everyone’s mind. It’s everywhere we look. Sale ads, commercials, decorations, even the cold temperatures and snow constantly remind us that December 25 is just days away. Like many of us, I’m concerned about where our focus is concentrated this time of year. We get so easily sidetracked by the gift lists, the shopping, the decking of the halls, the party planning and attending. Even those of us who want to avoid the commercial-consumption-filled-Holiday find our schedules overloaded. Maybe they’re overloaded with good things like Church services, volunteer opportunities, and family events, but overloaded is overloaded. So, the question is, what are we all very likely missing as we look forward to celebrating Christmas day?

Amid the Christmas rush… In the middle of the mounting bills…In the insanity of our schedules…What are we all losing sight of?

All together now…We’ve forgotten the reason for the season!

But, what exactly IS the reason for the season?

Right now you’re probably thinking…DUH…Jesus is the reason for the Season! Haven’t you seen it plastered on coffee mugs, t-Shirts, bumper stickers, and Facebook statuses?! Jesus is the Reason for the Season! Just ask anyone who believes in more than a big red-suited guy who delivers presents with the help of eight (or nine depending on whether they need Rudolph’s red nose, I guess) mammals who have no business flying outside of the magic of North Pole. Of course, Jesus is the reason for the season!

Would you hate me if I say I don’t necessarily agree with that?

Before you write me off as misled, heretical, or just plain CRAZY…let me reassure you. I believe Jesus Christ is THE son of God. He is the King of Kings and the Savior of the World.

In fact, I would say without hesitation that Jesus is the Creator of the Season.

There would BE no Christmas without Jesus. He is the Creator of EVERYTHING!

The Bible says, “Through (Jesus) all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.” John 1:3

“He came into the very world he created…” ~ John 1:10 (NIV)

So, yes, Jesus is the Creator of Christmas.

I would go even further to say that Jesus is the Focus of the Season.

What He came to do is amazing! I hope to never lose sight of what Jesus was committing to by coming into the world as a baby born in the humblest of circumstances.

“He appeared as a man. He came down to the lowest level. He obeyed God completely, even though it led to his death. In fact, he died on a cross.” ~ Philippians 2:8 (NIrV)

So, yes, Jesus is the Creator of the Season and Jesus is the Focus of the Season! He is the Who, the What, the When, the Where, and even the HOW of Christmas.

But, my friend, we are the WHY!

So, that’s why I believe the Reason for the Season is…

YOU!

“He came into the world…for you.” ~ 1 Peter 1:20 (NIrV)

Isn’t that incredible? The Creator of all that is, the Master of the universe, the Lord of all, gave up equality with God and chose to come to that low level as a human being. He chose to live a humble life in order to show us the way to do it. He chose to die in a horrific way…for YOU!

But, maybe you’re a little like me and you can’t imagine that you could be the reason for this Season. Maybe you look at others and see Wonder Woman or Superman when you feel like the Queen or King of Chaos! I can so relate to that.

And, maybe you’re asking, why me? Why would Jesus come into this world…for me?

Well, my question is, why not you?

You are a child of the one true God. You are His creation. And, besides, all that stuff you try so desperately to hide from the world, from your friends, your family, and maybe even from your spouse…He already knows. He already sees. Every impure thought, every time you say those hurtful words to your loved ones, every time you try but fail, every time you fail to try…God knows, God sees, but He LOVES you anyway.

David the Psalmist understood this well. He got the fact that God knows us, INTIMATELY, inside and out. He had some understanding of the fact that it’s pointless to hide anything from God. In fact, he wrote about it:

1 Lord, you have seen what is in my heart.
You know all about me.
2 You know when I sit down and when I get up.
You know what I'm thinking even though you are far away.
3 You know when I go out to work and when I come back home.
You know exactly how I live.
4 Lord, even before I speak a word,
you know all about it.
5 You are all around me. You are behind me and in front of me.
You hold me in your power.
6 I'm amazed at how well you know me.
13 You created the deepest parts of my being.
You put me together inside my mother's body.
~ Psalm 139, 1-6, 13 (NIrV)

So, yes, God created you, He sees you, He knows all there is to know about you. Even things you don’t know fully yourself. But, here’s the exciting part…He LOVES YOU!

“The LORD your God wins victory after victory and is always with you. He celebrates and sings because of you, and he will refresh your life with his love.” ~ Zephaniah 3:17 (CEV)

So, why not you? He created you; He knows you, and HE LOVES YOU!

AND, He knew this was the Only Way!

“For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard...” Romans 3:23

What is sin anyway? Isn’t it simply choosing to go our way instead of His way?
So, yes, we’ve all done it. If we’ve ever even entertained a THOUGHT that goes
against what He wants for us…we’ve sinned. So, we were all headed to eternal
separation from God.

But, He provided a way…

“The wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.” ~ Romans 6:23 (NLT)

“I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” ~ John 14:6 (NIrV)

And, you know what’s seriously cool? He planned it all along!

Sometimes I fool myself into thinking God had to scramble for plan B after Adam
and Eve chose to disobey and take that fateful bite of fruit. Sometimes I imagine
God saying to Himself, “Oh great! I created this perfect place for them. I gave
them everything they need. All I asked was that they not eat from ONE little tree.
But did they listen? NNNNnnnooo! Now I’ve got to figure out another way to get
‘em into heaven. Why don’t they just LISTEN?!”

Isn’t that ridiculous. This is God we’re talking about here. He’s all powerful, all
present, and ALL KNOWING. He knew we would choose to sin. And, He
PLANNED a way to save us from ourselves from the very beginning!

“Long before God laid down earth's foundations, he had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus of his love, to be made whole and holy by his love. Long, long ago he decided to adopt us into his family through Jesus Christ…He wanted us to enter into the celebration of his lavish gift-giving by the hand of his beloved Son.” ~ Ephesians 1:3-6 (The Message)

I don’t know about you, but this gets me all jazzed up. I AM THE REASON FOR THE SEASON. Doesn’t feel so strange to say that now. Why don’t you practice it? Go ahead…don’t worry about your co-workers, or the other customers at Panera, or even your family. They need to know this truth, too. So, go on, shout it out! Or, at least say it out loud. And, then maybe share the good news with someone close by. Can you imagine the encouragement you could give with those words? YOU are the Reason for the Season. Jesus is the Creator of the Season, He is the Focus of the Season. He is the Who, the What, the When, the Where, and even the HOW. But YOU are the Reason for the Season!!!

I don’t know what you’re facing today. Maybe you’ve received some really bad news from the Doctor. Maybe your child is hurting. Maybe you don’t know how you’ll provide food and heat this month, let alone a “MERRY” Christmas. (If you know of someone in this position, make sure you nominate their need to be met at www.icanhelpcentralillinois.org!) But, there’s one thing you can be certain of. It was BECAUSE OF YOU that Jesus came into this world. And, He would have done it if YOU were the only one to believe it, ever. YOU mean that much to Him!

So, on the days we feel like Wonder Woman or Super Man (or Lego Batman on the video game my husband and daughter are playing right now) OR the Queen or King of Chaos…these are the words that can get us through…WE are the Reason for this Season!

LOVE to you this weekend, and here are some words from one of my all time favorite Christmas songs to help you as you trudge through heartbreak, the mall, or both…

We Are the Reason
by David Meece

As little children we would dream of Christmas morn
And all the gifts and toys we knew we'd find
But we never realized a baby born one blessed night
Gave us the greatest gift of our lives

As the years went by we learned more about gifts
And giving of ourselves and what that means
On a dark and cloudy day a man hung crying in the rain
Because of love Because of love

And we were the reason that he gave his life
We were the reason that he suffered and died
To a world that was lost He gave all he could give
To show us the reason to live!

A Daddy's Influence

Hey Dad, ever wonder what kind of impact you have in your daughter's life and on her heart? Well, what I saw today is proof of a Father's incredible influence. Our 4-year-old had her final ice skating lesson. And, let's just say ice skating has not turned out to be Alyssa's favorite thing. She has repeatedly told me she's ready to give up on ice skating, that the skates hurt her feet, and that she wants to go back to gymnastics. But, we had made a commitment to eight weeks of classes and she agreed to push through to the end. As a treat we took her to see the Disney Princesses on Ice as they twirled through Peoria last weekend. Alyssa loved the program but still held firm to her decision that after her last ice skating lesson this week, that was it! Of course, that trumped my secret hope of her watching the magic on the rink and deciding that ice skating IS her life's dream after all. But, alas, we have accepted the simple fact that Alyssa made it through one round of ice skating lessons and will probably never sign up again. We're OK with that...really. Totally OK with it.  Anywho...today's final lesson was anticipated as more or less a sigh of relief. We made it. We persevered! But, it didn't turn out that way at all. Alyssa skated stronger and faster than she had ever before. She laughed and giggled instead of turning to me with that "are we done yet?" look. Instead of trying to think of reasons to get off the ice, she was gliding, dipping, and marching with the best of them. What made the difference? DADDY came to ice skating today! It was amazing the difference in Alyssa's overall level of eagerness simply because Jeremy was there watching her. Daddy definitely made all the difference. Isn't that the story of a little girl's life?

You know, after today's experience, I can't help but think about opportunities for a Dad to impact his little Princess's heart by taking her to a special event like the Father/Daughter Purity Ball put on by the Christian Center. It's a once-every-two-or-three-years event. Yes, you have to get dressed up and yes, there will be dancing. But, can you imagine the way a girl's life would be impacted by this special one-on-one time? I know my heart yearned for something like this as I was growing up. And, I'm so glad to see my own little girl through the eyes of my husband who simply adores her! You can create these special moments in many ways, but if you'd like more information on the Father/Daughter Purity Ball coming up in just over a week...visit http://www.wcicfm.org/.

Oh, and just in case you're wondering, Alyssa was really glad Daddy watched her today but, no, she still doesn't want to sign up for another round of lessons. :)

Time to play the grace card...

Jeremy and I had a chance to preview a new movie coming out in February 2011. Last night we arrived at the Rave in Peoria, bought our popcorn, and settled in prepared to see a heartwarming film but also something that would be a little underwhelming when it comes to story line and acting. I don't want to sound pessimistic, but generally Christian films can tend to have great heart and intentions, but because they have to deal with a low budget, etc., the overall product is sometimes a little less than excellent. You love the message and the themes, but maybe not everything else. So, we weren't setting the bar too high. In fact, I think we both went into it thinking we needed to LOOK for the good in what was probably going to be the typical low budget film that we wish could be produced at a major Hollywood-production level. Well, we were surprised on all counts! Instead of just heartwarming it proved to be challenging and instead of a poorly written script and not-so-great acting, we watched what could be a real life event taking place in any city across the U.S. And, there were a few strong performances as well. The two lead actors deserve major kudos as does Academy Award winner, Lou Gossett, Jr. who plays a small but crucial role in the film. There's a little violence and blood, in case you're concerned about that kind of thing. The film also deals with some tough issues, but doesn't real life? It's not for the little eyes and ears, but for older kids/teens it could be OK. All in all we are excited to encourage you to see The Grace Card if you can when it comes to theaters on February 25, 2011. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised at what these folks from a church in Tennessee have put together. To find out more about how your church, small group, or organization can support the movie, log on to www.thegracecardmovie.com.

People blow me away

The other day Alyssa and I were in the car when she heard on the radio a spot about Vision this week on 91.5 WCIC.
"Mommy, what's that?" She said.
"What, Vision?"
"Yes"
"Oh, that's our fall fundraiser. Basically we let people know about the need we have for money to keep the radio station on the air everyday. And, we ask people to help us with that need."
Alyssa (crinkling her nose and forehead in that adorable way only a preschooler can), "Well, they need to come up with a different name for that because that doesn't sound like FUN at all!"
Me (trying not to laugh because she's at the age when cracking up at the cute things she says make her very upset), "It's not a FUNraiser, sweetie, it's a FUND-raiser! We raise FUNDS, which is another way of saying money!"

You know...I can understand my girl's 4-year-old logic. It really doesn't SOUND like fun at all. Asking people for money? It actually sounds dreadful. But, somehow...it's not. Somehow it's a blast!

I love fundraiser time. Sure, it's longer days. Sure, my husband and the rest of the full time staff works 1,000 hours overtime preparing for Vision. But, once we open up those mics Tuesday morning...the party begins.It's kind of like a big family get together at Thanksgiving. We have lots of company and so many yummy temptations that I have to ban myself from the kitchen! It's a special time.

Beyond the fun of having a full house of volunteers, it's simply amazing to see how people sacrifice to help keep the music going at 91.5 FM! The volunteers give their time, SO MANY listeners give financially at all kinds of levels and usually it's something that constitutes a major sacrifice for their individual budgets, restaurants donate food and drinks, masseuses offer free massages to our staff and volunteers. It's all about the magic of people who stop saying why they can't help and just start...helping! They see what they CAN do and do it. These people blow me away and I want to be like them when I grow up.

So, whatever you're doing this week to help with Vision on 91.5 WCIC...thank you! Whether you've donated food or services, answered phones, made a pledge, prayed for us, or all of the above...your gift and sacrifice is not taken lightly. We know you give because you believe in what God is doing through this radio station. He notices your act of kindness and so do we.

Things I love about my Hubby!

I'm sitting here in semi-darkness listening to Jeremy snore and for some reason it's making me feel thankful. So I thought it appropriate to jot down a few reasons I'm thankful for my husband.

1. He's here
2. He loves me
3. He loves our daughter
4. He makes me laugh
5. He gave up going to workout tonight because he wanted to have time with Alyssa
6. He's awfully handsome
7. He kills spiders and other icky bugs
8. He puts up with all of me; good, bad, & ugly
9. He's a good kisser!
10. He just stopped snoring