WHEN THE WHEN THE WHEN THE UUNEXPECTED UNEXPECTED NEXPECTED HHAPPENS HAPPENS APPENS
Stop believing the lies everyone else tries to place on you
Join special featured writer, Amy Lykosh, as she shares how to walk with Jesus when going through seasons of pain STOP MEDICATING AWAY THE PAIN HOLDING ONTO JOY WHEN LIFE GETS HARD
Garlic Chicken Recipe from Tracee's Kitchen and much more...
written by Amy Lykosh
HOLDING ONTO JOY WHEN LIFE GETS HARD
written
by Alicea Marshall WHEN THE UNEXPECTED HAPPENS
written by Faith Lenee Russell
JUST GIVE ME JESUS
written by Tracee Lee Padilla
TRACEE'S COCINA (KITCHEN)
To Die for Garlic Chicken
HEART TALK WITH TRACEE
Stop Wearing the Label
Speaking at a Women's Retreat back in 1997, sharing many of the joyful moments in my life, I spoke these words, "Now I'm going to remove the veil from my face and share what is really going on in my life." Little did they know at that time the difficulty my family was facing financially, barely able to put a meal on the table but God showed up and provided groceries for us through another couple for an entire year and all our hospital debt paid for in full!
It has become my passion and desire to live life unveiled not in just sharing the story of my life, but also for you to see the stories of other women who have walked through life's unexpected difficulties.
Together we have one common denominator and that is, we all have a story. Through living our lives unveiled, we can come together and grow stronger in our journey's knowing that we are truly not alone. May you find laughter, abounding hope and most importantly, know and discover that your Heavenly Father has you surrounded on every page that is written in your life.
by Amy Lykosh
I once was getting ready for a podcast, listening to back episodes.
Laura Duncan spoke about how, when her husband died, one of the things that the Lord said to her was, “Stop medicating away the pain.”
But, fascinatingly enough, she wasn’t using any substances. No wine or antidepressants.
But whenever she was sad, she would go to worship and prayer, and experience the endorphin release from being with the Lord.
But the Lord said, “No. Instead, walk with me through the pain. Enter into it. Let's go through it together.”
Isn’t that interesting?
I know I would far rather avoid pain than face it. Please, can I just feel bliss and joy?
But I appreciate teaching that encourages me: don’t deny your pain. Denial does not honor the God of truth.
Jesus did not go to Mary and Martha and say, “Stop with the wailing already! I’m here to defeat death! Come on!”
Instead he entered in to their pain … and then brought resurrection.
Perhaps like you, I have had seasons of loss piled upon loss until I could hardly catch my breath.
My hope is that, going forward, in the face of loss, I will hold in tension both the expectation and knowledge that God is good, while also facing honestly the reality of loss.
The call of wisdom and the renewed mind somehow presses in to both those directions.
Lord, you are actually with us, in the midst of the pain. You invite us to enter into it, fully experience it, and then you release it somehow.
If we are medicating away the pain, in any way, teach us to grieve in step with you. But may we be like a palm tree, that moves with the wind, but comes back to upright when the wind ceases. Lord, may we move with your Holy Spirit, but then always return to the baseline.
We don’t want to be like the generation in the time of Jesus, of whom he said: “To what can I compare this generation? They are like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling out to others: ‘We played the pipe for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn’” (Matthew 11:16-17).
We want to be properly in step.
Thank you, Jesus. Amen.
Do what is right, Amy Joy
Amy has a podcast out called, The Make Prayer Beautiful podcast, which comes out six days a week. I invite you to listen.
W H E N T H E
BY FAITH L. RUSSELL & TRACEE PADILLA
August 11th was supposed to be one of the most exciting days of my daughter's life. My girl was always my little planner. She has always had the uncanny ability to look into her future and time everything almost to perfection.
Married 2016. Became a Nurse 2019. Pregnant with baby #1 2020-21.
Everything was going according to plan. Just weeks away from their precious little girls arrival, mom and dad anxiously preparing her bedroom, hanging pictures, folding little newborn clothes, setting up the crib, the unexpected happened. This particular evening, July 27th, mom almost 38 weeks pregnant, leans in to give Charlie a kiss and noticed he was unusually hot.
Having been a Covid Nurse in 2020, immediate concern spurred her heart as she rushed to grab the thermometer. Upon checking, his fever was high. She started putting it all together with mild symptoms he had been having. All seemingly as if he had a cold, but the test results came back as positive. Covid.
From that day forward, everything changed. The following is a Facebook update my daughter posted last year as we had been walking through this long, difficult road of recovery for my sonin-law. To date, I am so thankful to report that after spending 77 days in ICU and Rehab, Charlie came home the beginning of November! He has a long road of recovery ahead, but God is a miracle answering God! More to come on their story in future Unveiled Living episodes.
~ Tracee Padilla
Many have asked how I am doing and what this has been like for me. Here is my journey so far.
Never has it felt so loaded to answer that question. I’ve experienced one of the greatest joys in life and the lowest of lows all at the same time! I can honestly say however that I’ve never felt such strength and peace that can only be explained by God breathing it into me!
When Charlie was in the other hospital in the ICUthe beginning of August, and I was pregnant and nearing my delivery, those days were a different kind of hard. I was so scared of delivery, especially without having Charlie there and constantly worried about him and worried how I could be there for Charity as her mom while Charlie was so ill in the hospital. I felt weak, incapable, and scared. I’ll add that I even struggled with anxiety about becoming a mom pretty severely during my third trimester (thanks pregnancy hormones), so then to add a very ill husband in the ICU that I couldn’t be with just added to my anxiety and stress.
One day a few days before I had her in one of my many breakdowns I shared with my mom how I felt like I couldn’t do it, I couldn’t deliver Charity or be the mom Charity needs right now. My mom held me close and in the most loving but real way told me “Faith, Charlie needs you to be strong for Charity, he NEEDS you to be her mom.” For some reason that really sunk in and changed my perspective. I still went into my delivery pretty anxious as we drove to the hospital (especially adding to it that I learned less than 12 hours before I needed to be induced that night) but God blessed me with the most amazing nurses that made me feel so comfortable and at ease. Then he blessed me with a 5 hour labor!
Once Charity was in my arms every anxiety, fear, and worry I had about being her mom completely disappeared. Another total God blessing! I’m so grateful that the transition has been so natural.
I didn’t realize it but I think God also knew how much I needed Charity during this time, that our whole family did for that matter! In Charlie’s song he wrote her he talks about her name bringing us life and love. How fitting that truly was. She’s been a comfort and joy to us in this trial. The day we almost lost Charlie, the hardest day of my life, I never let Charity out of my arms. Through every tear she was right there and so was God. He’s shown his faithfulness through the blessing of Charity’s life and by all the little miracles he’s done to get Charlie to where he is now. We still have a very long road ahead and there’s still so much unknown and uncertainty. Feels like everyday there is something new happening but it keeps us on our knees in prayer.
One thing I’ve always held to in the trials in my life is to let them bring me closer to God, not farther away. I don’t even know how I could make it without Him to be honest, the hope he brings, the promises and his word I can cling too, and the comfort and peace he gives that surpasses all understanding. He is definitely growing my faith and prayer life in ways it’s never been grown before!, this has still been an *extremely* difficult journey. I still process what’s happening every day as there is so much I don’t know and I will never understand. But, it’s not worth even trying. I just pray that through this trial God is glorified and others are inspired by the faith of our family.
I still have days anxiety creeps in, worry takes over, and I go to bed at night crying.
I’m human.
This is still extremely hard and taxing.
I miss having my husband at home, I miss that he’s not getting to experience the beginning of Charity’s life-that breaks my heart. Some days are definitely harder than others but that doesn’t stop me from praying, hoping, and believing for a miracle in Charlie’s life or clinging to God during this time.
My greatest prayer is that one day Charity's Dad will be able to tell her the story of the walking miracle he is and about God, the miracle worker that made it happen and that it grows her faith in him like it has mine.
~Faith Russell
God promises to be near those who are brokenhearted. Psalm 34:18
God promises he would never leave you or forsake you. Deut. 31:8
God promises to give you rest. Matt. 11:28
God promises to be your strength and portion forever. Psalm 73:26
God promises to renew your strength. Isaiah 40:31
byAliceaMarshall
Let us, therefore, make every effort to enter that rest, so that no one will perish by following their example of disobedience. Hebrews 4:11 NIV
What if the baby wakes you up before your alarm does? Or you wake up so sick you can't get out of bed? What if there's an emergency where you have to rush out the door in the middle of the night? Or, your husband and kids are sick, or one is having a seizure? Maybe you wake up to a flooded floor where one of the kids left the sink water on all night long with the drain plugged?
Yep. Been there. Done that.
Here's what I know:
God's grace really is sufficient for EVERY need. He gives us that special grace & supernatural strength to make it through the unforeseen and toughest of circumstances. He said he will NEVER leave us. He's not just there walking beside us, or carrying us, but he resides IN us!
If we abide in Him, He is abiding in us!
To abide means: to wait patiently for, to remain in place
I thank God that His love never fails. Never gives up. Never runs out on us He gives us His joy unexplainable and full of glory! How do we maintain our joy in the middle of some really cruddy circumtances? I mean, let's face it: there are some days and seasons in life that are just HARD!! When it's hard to look past today, hard to focus and think about anything, except our situation Trust me: I get it!
I have walked through some pretty tough, heartbreaking seasons where I felt like no one around me really understood or felt my pain.
No one except God
And you know what? I found that He really was all I needed. Yes, He definitely sends people to speak life into our lives and to help us walk through those valleys, but no one can replace who He is. Nothing and no one else can replace His presence. And I'm not just talking about going to church, but spending time in his presence when at home. First thing in the morning, seeking His face, reading His word, asking Him to fill me to overflowing, praying for others, interceding in the Spirit, worshipping & singing to Him, and listening
Listening to hear what's on His heart and on His mind. Hebrews 4:11 says that we must be diligent to enter that rest We must prepare our hearts to seek the Lord DAILY.
Holding Onto Joy When Life is Hard
Jesus said in John 15:9-11:
"As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; ABIDE in My LOVE. IF you KEEP My commandments, you will abide in My love These things I tell you that MY JOY may REMAIN in you, and that your joy may be FULL."
Wow, think about that!
He gives us HIS JOY!! Not just 'A' joy, but 'HIS' joy! His joy is truly our strength And if we're daily living for him, and obeying his voice, he said that his joy will remain in us Not come and go, but REMAIN
Remain. When situations are out of our control. Remain When we receive bad news Remain. When we are exhausted. All we have to do is, remain.
His joy remains in us when we abide in his love, in his friendship, in his Lordship; surrendering our thoughts and hearts completely to him so we can be one with him. To know him is to love him and to love him is to trust him. Our friendship with him and his place as King in our lives shouldn't be based on surrounding circumstances Our praise should be non-negotiable; we should praise him whether our emotions are in it or not.
When we praise him, our hearts start to line up
"Let my mouth be filled with your praise, and with your glory all day long!!" Psalm 71:8
"I will hope continually, and I will praise You yet more and more!!" Psalm 71:14
So, what's the secret for mainting joy in every circumstance? I believe the answer is so beautifully and powerfully worded in the entire chapter of Psalm 84.
"How lovely is Your dwelling place, O Lord of Heaven's Armies!
I long, yes, I faint with longing to enter the Courts of the Lord! With my whole being, body, and soul, I will shout joyfully to the living God!
Even the sparrow finds a home, and the swallow builds her nest and raises her young at a place near Your altar, O Lord of Heaven's Armies, my King and my God!
What JOY for those who can live in Your House (Presence) always singing your praises. What JOY for those whose strength comes from the Lord, who have set their minds on a pilgrimage. When they walk through the valley of weeping, it will become a place of refeshing springs, the rain will clothe it with blessings They will continue to grow stronger, and each of them will appear before God in Zion
O Lord God of Heaven's Armies, hear my prayer, listen O God of Jacob.
O God, look with favor upon our shield! Show favor to the one who have anointed A single day in Your Courts is better than a thousand anywhere else! I would rather be a gatekeeper in the house of my God than to dwell in the homes of the wicked
For the Lord God is our sun and our shield. He gives us grace and glory. The Lord will withhold no good thing from those who do what is right
O Lord of Heaven's Armies, what JOY for those who TRUST in You." Holding Onto Joy When Life is
I love to cook.
I've discovered through the years that I'm like one of those Italian mama's in the kitchen that when you walk in the door, I find myself saying, "Are you hungry? Can I fix you something to eat?
And secondly, we can't have
an E-Mag without some food in it! So welcome to Tracee's Kitchen!
In each edition I'm going to share with you some of my delicious homemade recipes I've been making for years. Most will be budget friendly, but some we just gotta have some fun with and buy the Steak!!
Let's dive in and get cooking!
6 Chicken Thighs (or your favorite pick of Chicken)
1/2 cup of olive oil
10 garlic cloves, minced or 2-3 T. of garlic powder (and yes I said, 10 cloves!)
1 1/2 T. Paprika
2 tsp. of sea salt
Dash of pepper
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.
Pour olive oil in a medium size bowl and add all ingredients. Stir. Add your chicken thighs to the marinade. Once completely covered, place your chicken inside a cast iron skillet (medium size) or on your air fryer (which makes it just as good, if not better).
Oven: Bake 45 minutes, covered with foil. You can remove the foil the last 10 minutes to brown the top. Air Fryer: Bake 30-40 minutes (uncovered).
You can also bake a whole chicken with this recipe but I would add another 5 garlic cloves and another 1/2 tsp of Paprika to the marinade
Additions:
You can add cut up wedge potatoes or small fingerling potatoes and bake with the chicken. Just add a little more Olive Oil and spices to the marinade - mix all together and plac in casserole dish, bake at 400 for 1 hour. .
Recently I wrote a blog, "Stop Wearing the Label." It's a topic that comes from my core because I can relate 100%. Not only have I struggled with my own battles of what I think of myself, but I have had to fight off the labels that others have tried to put on me my entire life.
I've been asked, "Why are your thighs so big," or "Why can't you be small like your sisters." Statements like this don't simply go away overnight, especially when they're spoken to you by someone extremely close to you.
Or maybe you've found yourself speaking words like, "Unworthy, ugly, fat, broken, shamed, guilty, or useless."
One thing I am positive about, in order to move into what God has aspired us to become, removing these labels is vital to our mental, spiritual, and physical health. The only way to 'cut them off' is to counteract these untruths with God's truth. I call it an exchange. Exchange a negative for one of God's positives. The more we exchange with him, the more freedom we will begin to walk in.
Let's dive in to God's freedom,
Padilla Tracee Padilla
Excerpt from blog:
The enemy comes to steal, kill and destroy - we think that so many times that verse applies to others, but my friend, it applies to us individually. I have to fight on a regular basis to cast off these lies in my life and break them off. But break them off, I will.
But how? God's Word.
God's word breaks off every chain in our life. His word breaks off every lie spoken over us. His word breaks off every judgement that's been cast our way. His word breaks off every label put on us!
For more of this blog click here.
To proclaim something is to speak it, whether in words or actions. Speak life in Jesus' name ~Tony Evans
BYTRACEEL.PADILLA
Sometimes tears fall.
I can't explain them.
Sometimes a well of sadness creeps up within me and I wonder why. Why do I feel this way sometimes?
Sadness is not who I am.
It is not my identity but yet, sometimes I feel it gripping at my heart.
Trying to find my way through this life and make sense of it all.
All I know in moments like this is, give me Jesus. It's all I know that can pull me from this internal pain I sometimes feel.
Pain from past hurts, abuses, decisions.
You can have it all, Jesus.
I can't make sense of it all. I can't find the why's to these tears.
I only want you because you are the only one that gives me peace. You are the only one that helps me get through the trials and tribulations of this life.
I'm tired of the struggle within.
The gaps within me that yearn for healing. I'm tired of feeling afraid of people.
I'm tired of living in a world of PTSD.
I'm tired of living trapped in a world that I can't seem to find my way through.
So, give me Jesus.
You are the only thing that makes sense to me.
I don't want anything else.
I don't need anything else.
You are my one thing.
You. Jesus.
I fail you daily.
I'm not running towards you as I long too.
But I won't ever give up.
I won't ever stop.
I've tasted and seen what you can do too many times, that I could never stop believing.
No matter how dark the valley's are, or how high the mountaintops, I will never give up on you.
You have never given up on me.
For that, I am grateful. I cannot get through this life without you.
Just give me Jesus.
New devotional book, Unpacking Your Baggage coming out this Spring
Living life from God's Perspective The Prayer Box Freedom from Shame STRETCH
Behind the scenes of worship with Tracee
UNVEILED LIVING VIDEO PODCAST AND MUCH MORE..... You Matter Series
But whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil But whenever someone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. For the Lord is the Spirit, and is taken away. For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. So all of us who have had that veil freedom. So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord who is the Spirit makes us more And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image. 2 Corinthians 3:16-18 NLT glorious image. 2 Corinthians 3:16-18 NLT
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