This is a place for me to share insights and thoughts with you - from struggles
I'm wrestling with, motivations behind what I do to reasons for writing a
particular song. I welcome any comments you care to share with me. Simply
email me at jtm@johntracymusic.com!

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March 1, 2010 - To trust or not to trust, that is the question.
Or maybe I should say do I trust or do I not. I listened to Charles Stanley this morning and his
message was about trusting God - whether we are really trusting God to have a plan for us or not
and whether we think He will actually bring that plan to fulfillment.

I record various shows for encouragement and inspiration and it never ceases to amaze me how God uses them to speak specifically to where I'm at and what I'm struggling with. Take this morning - I decided to watch Charles Stanley while I exercised. His message was about whether we are truly trusting God in our lives or not. It comes at a time when I really feel unsure about my future and alone on this road I'm on. You might think that was a random choice, but to me it was God specifically speaking to me and my situation.

Charles Stanley's point was that if we are still anxious about something we have trusted God with then we really aren't trusting Him at all. If we pray about this thing and tell Him we know he can do and we think He will do it, then we really aren't trusting Him. Trusting Him means we thank him in advance for the outcome we cannot see. Charles Stanley's example was the story of David and Goliath. Talk about the seeming impossible. How did David win? His focus was completely on God. He saw the finished product, the outcome God had planned. He came to God with a pure heart and pure motives and he knew it wasn't about what he was going to do, but about what God was going to do.

If we know we are walking in God's will, if we see a glimpse of what God has ahead, we need to keep our focus on God and starting seeing it as a done deal. Our hearts and motives need to be pure, and we need to be listening to Him. We need to believe in Him and his promises and we will win. It's a change in heart and a change of our mindset.

So...where am I? Do I trust or don't I? Where are you? Has God put a dream in your heart? Are you really trusting that He can make it happen?

January 15, 2010 - Quit a job with a steady salary...are you crazy?
It's been almost four years since I walked away from a steady salary and a 25-year career. What would possess someone to do that - leave something that is sure and step out into something that is totally unsure? For me, it came down to God allowing something bad to happen - the realization of unmet expectations that would never be met and in many ways outright betrayal. I thought I knew what my future looked like, or at least what it was supposed to look like. I had settled in and guessed I was on that course for the duration. But God had a different plan. Had He not allowed this terrible pain, I would have not strayed from that course I had plotted for myself.

I always had a deep passion for music. I learned guitar when I was 16 years old. During those tumultuous teenage years, I know my music kept me sane and helped me through some difficult struggles. As I got married and had the family I always wanted, I put my music on the back burner. It seemed the logical thing to do what we are told we should do - get a real job, get married, have 2.5 kids, a dog, a mortgage and two cars. And I did that part really well. But it's not all God had for me to do.

When I write songs, it's my way of healing, of dealing with struggles, celebrating joys and really expressing what's on the inside. They are all pieces of who I am. But God showed me that others out there connect with those songs and find themselves in them. He showed me I have work for Him to do through my music.

So my future is completely uncertain. The odds of "making it" in this business are so against me. But God is the one who helps us succeed against all odds. If it is what He has blessed and what He has created me for, then I will succeed. So I step forward each day, one step at a time, against the rejection, against the "nay-sayers", against the "no's", to accomplish what He has for me to accomplish.

December 17, 2009 - Christmas Trees and Memories
Working on the songs for my first Christmas Album, I realized how many holiday memories are attached to them. There are so many symbols associated with this season - Santa, angels, shepherds, wise men, manger scenes, the baby Jesus, the star, the Christmas tree. Of all of these, the Christmas tree holds one of the fondest memories for me. When my girls were little there was such joy in decorating the tree, everyone having their favorite ornaments with special meanings attached. The home-made ornaments the girls would make in school each year always found a special place on our tree. At night during the season, I often sat in the dark in front of the lit tree after everyone had gone to bed. Sitting there was and still is a spiritual thing for me - as if I could feel the very Spirit of God coming from the lights on the tree. Knowing that He had a plan for this world - giving the biggest gift of all, His only Son, that first Christmas night comforts me by helping me realize that God has a plan for my little life as well. He has me right where He wants me. He thought out every detail of that night and the fact that there were no rooms for Mary and Joseph did not catch Him by surprise. He has every detail of our lives thought out and where you and I are right now is no surprise to Him.

There are so many stresses during this time of year, my hope for the Christmas album was to help bring joy to your ears, peace to your soul and to be a catalyst in helping you create many happy memories for this special time.