Wearing Your Own Armor by Tracy Joy Jones

Wear Your Own Armor

I first met the incomparable Meg Wilson at a writer’s retreat by the sea. Meg and I were the only early risers, eager to see the sunrise. So each morning, we traipsed down to the beach together, and there on the seashore, God used Meg to change my life. At the time, I was struggling with some really difficult heart issues and questions about my future and what God had for me. One of those issues had to do with who I was called to be in the kingdom of God. As you probably know, I’ve preached for my parent’s …

Stop being alarmed…

Five years ago, Matt and I moved our children from a private school we loved to a public school we have grown to love, and for me, the transition was brutal. Though it was my kids who made the actual transition, it was me who fell apart. We went from the safety and security of a cocoon-like environment to one of perceived danger around every corner. The private school was small, family-like, well-structured, with great communication to parents. The public school was enormous, double the class size, little communication, and in general it was sink or swim. I jumped in …

Baby Turtles and the Sea…

I’ve often joked in my life that God lives at the beach. I don’t know if it’s just that I have had so many God moments with sand between my toes, my eyes on the horizon, and the sound of waves ringing in my heart. I have cried, laughed, danced, dreamed, and prayed so many times at the ocean and found myself time and time again when I’ve felt the most lost. This summer, it happened again. We had a much needed vacation to the ocean and as always, it cleared my tangly soul, swept my heart clean, and cleaned …

The Isolation of Wealth

I heard the strangest comment I have ever heard today. It might not sound as strange to you, but I am still processing it, so I thought I might blog and share it with you. Matt and I were sitting with a friend who was telling me of another friend who has cancer. I hadn’t known about the cancer before today, and I was so shocked and saddened. “What can I do?” I asked. “If there is anything? Maybe I could organize meals for her family?” She has three kids, and I just kept thinking about them as their Mom …

Designed to Dream

“Mommy, I have to potty.” I think those are some of the most torturous words you can possibly hear at 3 o’clock in the morning. It’s not the urgency of the words, it’s the repetition of broken sleep night after night. As you climb back into bed with cold feet and deep weariness, all you want to do is recapture that last fleeting image of the dream you were having. Was it a flying dream? Was it a romantic dream? Was it the dream where you are late to class and realize you have forgotten your clothes? Finally, you begin …

Under the Influence

Never underestimate the influence of a woman. For good or for evil, her influence lingers like perfume over her husband. It is amazing the softening power that a gentle woman can have on a man. It is also amazing how an embittered woman can poison and corrupt the heart of her husband. But it is a very beautiful thing to witness a marriage where a wife’s influence on her husband has the fragrance of love and support and deep honor and respect. That man will walk with confidence, and will garner respect wherever he goes, because somehow that scent will …

When Is Enough, Enough?

I have been struggling with this issue in quite a few areas in the past few months, but the one that has really lodged in my heart today is the issue that seems to be attacking the family life of people all over the world. It is the issue of “how much are you willing to sacrifice for your job?” At what point do you finally reach a point that enough is enough? This question has so many different applications, but it is definitely a question that many families need to be asking themselves. Right now in the lives of …

Discipline (Part 3): The Third Day Hump

Every few weeks I find myself in the position where it is time again to recommit to running. I actually do love to run. I love being in shape and just being able to go out for a run. However, after each pregnancy I have faced this enormous hurdle of having to get back in shape. For me at the end of every pregnancy when I am gi-normous, I don’t just dream of meeting my baby for the first time, I dream of running. I dream of gliding down the street with effortless grace and stamina… yes, it is a …

Discipline (Part 2): Matters of the Heart

Matthew 6:21 says, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” This verse has so often been used by preachers to tell us that we are not supposed to have wealth on this earth, but we need to give it into their ministry or their church so that we can have treasure in heaven instead. I am sorry but I don’t think this verse has anything at all do with giving to the “church”… maybe a little more to do with BEING the church. And it definitely is not talking about just giving away all of your …

Discipline (Part 1): Too Much You, Not Enough Him!

The other day a dear friend said to me, “Tracy, I really like your budget plan but it just takes so much discipline.” I honestly sat there a little speechless. I had really never thought of it that way, but as I thought about it and chewed on it a little I could really see where people might think that. There is a lot of structure to budgeting, and when you have lived without structure in your finances it can feel like it is going to take a tremendous amount of discipline to succeed. So for the next few days, …