This is something that I haven’t wanted to do for a while.
Vulnerable moment, but all good.
Thank you for watching.
Author: Tracey Buckley
I am a singer/songwriter and an advocate for people who have or had an eating disorder.
I am also a soon to be author.
I love being creative and dancing as well.
I am passionate about sharing my journey of recovery.
My Mentor
This week I was so blessed to catch up with my music mentor.
I was staying at my sister’s in early 2007 and I was watching the Christian channel, there was a talk show on and the host was interviewing Merelyn Carter. She was talking about the Dove Body Perogram. I watched and listened, this subject resonated with me I was so focused on the subject. I wanted learn more, to know more and to do more.
Then a few months later I was in a Christian bookstore I had chosen a book and then I wanted something light to read like a women’s magazine. One of the employees of the shop suggested some magazines. I remember so clearly reaching into the box and choosing one magazine I opened it and the page I found myself on was the one with Mereyln Carter being interviewed. It was from the exact TV program that I had seen a few months ago.
Yes, insert what!!!
I love it when there are those little confirmations.
I brought the magazine and read the article a few times. I also read that she offered music workshops.
Merelyn and her husband David are Carter & Carter.
They are country music singer/songwriters.
I did contact Merelyn and went for my first workshop in 2008.
We have known each other now for about 8 years.
It was so good to see her and her husband this week.
I had a mentor session and we talked about new goals and ideas. It was such a great night. We laughed, we planned and reflected about where I was when I first met them and where I am now.
Yes, it has been a journey, a great journey.
I love it when you can share your dreams and ideas with people who are going to encourage you, who are going to challenge you in a positive way.
I also have someone that I need to be accountable with.
Is there someone that you would love to learn from?
Do you have a dream in your heart and just needs a little help to live it?
Find a mentor, find someone that can encourage you creatively and journey with you.
You never know what will happen.
Blessed
I don’t know about you but I find birthdays as a single woman a little bit difficult. If I am really honest.
I said to someone another birthday as a single girl, not married and no children.
Aaahh!
But something really amazing happened on Friday my birthday, I actually realised how blessed I am.
It was one of my favourite birthdays.
I went to work and as you know I work as a school chaplain, I had such a lovely day. We had assembly and the whole school sang Happy Birthday to me. It was such a great start to the day.
Then I just realised I have so much to be thankful for.
I received a beautiful bunch of flowers there was a birthday cake and lots of laughing.
Friday night I celebrated with my family and that was really special. I loved having my nieces and nephew there to help me unwrap presents. I loved the excitement they feel when they go and help get the cake ready. I love how birthdays are so exciting to them.
I feel really blessed at the moment.
We can go around focusing on what we don’t have or we can look around and see what is in our lives.
I can sometimes focus on what I don’t have, but when I look around and focus on what I do have my world becomes bigger.
I know that it happened, on Friday my world became bigger. On Friday, my focus changed about celebrating birthdays. My focus shifted into a much healthier way of looking at birthdays.
What is something that you can focus on, what is one thing that you can say that you are blessed.
Celebrate life, embrace life.
You are important.
Be Kind To Yourself
In my last blog I talked about recovery and that recovery is possible.
Recovery is a journey it is not one straight line and that is okay.
I love the story in Mark 5:25-34 it is about a woman who had been unwell for a while and needed a miracle. She knew that if she just touched Jesus she would be healed. I admire this woman she had, had enough of being unwell. She put her faith into action and was healed.
It took a decision for her to realise that she had enough of being unwell. She also had to make her way to wear Jesus was and to push past the crowd. I wonder what she was thinking as she did this, I wonder if she was nervous or excited. It must have taken all of her energy to reach out and touch Jesus clothes. She had faith.
The part that encourages me and helped me was when He said to her “Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace and be healed of your affliction.”
Wow!
This scripture encouraged me in my recovery, I wanted to be a woman of faith.
Now I was not healed instantly, mine was a journey of discovering who I really was. I am okay with my recovery journey, it is my unique story.
Recovery looks different for everyone, so let’s not compare our journey with others.
You are you. You are created for a purpose on purpose.
Your journey of recovery is yours to explore, to realise that you are a gift and to trust and have faith.
So be kind to yourself, every day is a new day.
Do something nice for yourself.
Buy a nice journal and a lovely pen and write draw.
Maybe buy yourself a nice perfume and wear it every day.
Remember these words-
“Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace and be healed of your affliction.”
Friday Quotes
I love this quote that I found and it resonated with me.
You are a warrior. Yes you are.
You are you, yes you are an individual. Yes you can make a difference.
Let all that you do be done with love.
Today be encourage. You are amazing.
Recovery Is Possible
Reading-
John 10:10
The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill and to destroy. I have come that they may have life and that they may have it more abundantly.
Devotion
I love this scripture it has been on my heart for a while, it makes me think about life and living it to the full.
Think about this for the moment, imagine yourself living life in freedom without an Eating Disorder controlling everything that you do.
Wow!
What would that look like for you and how would that feel?
It will be different for everyone.
I have been thinking about this for a while and I am so passionate about helping and seeing women break free from this illness.
I have been thinking what can I do?
How can I make a difference?
Is it at all possible?
Yes, I believe that it is possible, you can have freedom, you can have a beautiful life.
Maybe you haven’t thought about what life would be without an eating disorder, but just think about it.
Take some time to think about it, pause for a moment.
Over the next few weeks I really want to look at recovery and to realise that recovery is possible
I am going to share some things that I did to reclaim my life.
I hope that you can join me in exploring that recovery is possible.
Please look after yourself-
If you need help please see a professional, you really do need to see someone that specialises in this area. I would encourage you it takes a team.
In The Shallows
Do you sometimes feel like you are staying safe in the shallows?
I love going to the beach but I am not a confident swimmer at all. It also takes me a while to walk out into the water especially when I can’t see the bottom. Everything that touches my leg I imagine that it is some sea creature trying to attack me. I feel a lot safer when I am near the shore and closer to the edge.
I know that if I venture out from the shore that I am really going to enjoy my time. I am also going to become braver the more I have confidence in the whole experience.
It made me think about parts of my life and am I still wading in the shallow?
I think that some parts of my life for me I am walking in the deeper part of the ocean. I love my job and what I am able to do and have seen such growth in the communities that I work in.
There are others areas that I do need to be a bit braver with.
So I want to let go of the shallows I want to run into the water laughing and smiling.
Is there something that you have been wanting to do but are still wading in the shallows? Do you need to have faith and try something new?
I love the beginning of months and for October I am declaring this Adventure Awaits.
Adventure Awaits
Write down four adventures that you would like to have this October-
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Take your time to fill out the above. Print it out and place it somewhere that you are going to see it often maybe on the fridge on the bathroom mirror whatever works for you.
Now for some accountability if you need it, if you are brave why don’t you share one so that we can encourage each other.
I am ready to venture from the shallows.
When You Are Forced To Rest
I had things that I wanted to do this week.
My to do list was quite extensive and I was ready to tackle the items on the list and conquer them.
You see I am on School Holidays for two weeks and this week I had things planned.
Last Saturday I woke up (which is a good thing) and felt dreadful (which was not a good thing) I was aching, tired and just not feeling 100%.
So I had to listen to my body and rest, I slept most of the day and most of Sunday. This is when I know that I am unwell. I also only had one cup of coffee this is also a sign that I was not okay.
It made me think about those times when you are forced to rest. There really isn’t anything that you can do.
You just need to rest.
Have you been running at a fast past?
Have you forgotten to take the time to rest to recharge?
Where is it in your day or week that you can make time for rest?
Not the rest I will just sit down for one minute I am exhausted but now I need to get up rest. I am not talking about that kind; I am talking about the kind where you make it a priority.
The rest where if you have to you write it in your diary. You make it and you a priority.
So this week I was forced to rest I was home 3 days and did not leave my house.
I had to venture out on Tuesday with caution.
When was the last time when you were forced to rest?
What did you do?
Today is you need to rest.
Friday Quotes
Shine lovely Shine.
Designing some postcard for The Heart Project.
You make me smile.
Love this quote that I found. You are strong.
Enjoy today.
Shame
Daily Devo
Shame a word that can cripple us with fear, that can condemn us, that can trap us in our own personal prison.
Is there something in your past that you feel shameful about?
Is there something in your life that you have done that you just don’t feel right about?
Is there something that when you are trying to get to sleep at night just keeps coming into your mind?
Is there something that causes you anxiety?
Is there something in your life that you think God will never love me, you don’t know what I have done?
We can become so upset and worried about what we have done that it stops us from experiencing all that God has for us.
If we are all honest we have all experienced shame in some form.
God gave his only Son for us that we can live in freedom.
God gave his only Son for us so that we can be free.
God want us to be free.
Maybe it’s time for you to give it to God.
He can handle it.
Romans 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the spirit.
There is no condemnation! Read this and receive it.
This verse will provide you with comfort.
Speak it out over your life.
Write it up and place it somewhere, so it will remind you that you are forgiven.
There is hope, there is forgiveness, there is His Grace and His love.
Shame you do not belong here anymore.
God is for me and with me.
He will comfort me and protect me.
Be kind to yourself.
Daily Reading
Romans 8:8-4
theheartproject.net 