DREAMS
I wrote
my first poem when I was twelve years old.
As a teenager, I continued writing and was so surprised to find that my youth leader
at my church had my poem,
"A
Teenager's Dream" published in our church bulletin.
It
was at that time, God planted the dream
down
deep in my heart to be a writer.
I
continued to write poems and stories for years, but never fully pursued that dream and desire that God gave me until 1998.
It was
at a turning point in my life, when I decided to enroll in
some
Home Writing Correspondence Courses.
In
2008, at the age of 46 years old, I prayed and asked God for the umpteenth time to show me His
purpose for my life.
"God, please send me clear instructions
for my life and please,
would you just
make it easy and put it in my mailbox."
Within a week, and under God's divine intervention,
I was searching on the internet,
when right before my eyes was information about a
Christian Writer's Conference.
God didn't put it in my mailbox,
but He almost put it in my backyard.
It was at a Christian University, only 26 miles from
my home.
I knew immediately that these were those
clear instructions that I had prayed for.
I registered and attended my first Writer's Conference in June of 2008.
I left the conference so excited that
I could hardly stand it.
On July 10th of 2008, taking a big leap of faith,
I submitted some devotionals to Barbour Publishing.
On July
16th, just 6 days later, I signed a contract with them to
be
a contributing writer for a devotional book for Single Women.
In Septemer of 2008, I attended the North Texas Christian
Writer's Conference, where I won the
2008 Best of Conference Award in the Poetry division for my poem,
"The Cowboy and The Cross."
After many years gripped by fear to follow my heart's desire,
I started pursuing my dream of writing.
I've had several articles
published in newspapers and write devotionals for my blogs.
I had one devotional published by The Presidential Prayer Team for their
"Deeper with God" Daily devotional Series.
I
currently have three blogs:
http://acupofcowgirlinspirationwithbobo.blogspot.com/
and
God amazes me daily by
opening doors of opportunities.
Dreams
can come true, if you have the courage
to
step out in faith and trust God, knowing that
the
desire He places in our hearts also comes
with the ability to accomplish the task.
"KEEP
DREAMING!
G.U.T.S
God Understands Tough
Stuff!
Need, I say more.
CALLED
BY GOD
I accepted
the Lord as my Savior, when I was six years old,
kneeling
at an old fashioned alter.
My Aunt Debbie, who
is five years older than me,
prayed
with me that day.
I was raised in a Christaian home and attended the First Assembly of God
Church
in Snyder. Texas on
a regular basis.
I always got involved in everything
that pertained to the kids and youth.
I attended Kid's Camp every summer and
when
I became a teenager, attended Youth Camp.
I was baptized in the Holy Spirit at youth camp in 1975.
I went to camp that summer just wanting more of God
and He filled me to overflowing.
The
summer of 1979 at church youth camp in
Roaring Springs,
Texas was no different than any other
camp that I
had attended since I was a child, or so I thought.
Once again, I went wanting more of God,
but this time I begin seeking His direction for my life.
As I stood at the front of an
open sanctuary out
in the middle of a barron West
Texas
countryside...God begin to speak to my heart.
Not being sure that I
was hearing exactly what I thought
I was hearing,
I asked God to confirm it to me and I added,
"I'll
wait on you Lord."
What happened
next kind of blew me away.
The audience started
singing the song,
"They that wait upon the Lord
shall renew their strength...they shall mount up with wings as eagles...They shall run and not be weary...They shall walk
and not faint...Teach me Lord, Teach me Lord, to wait."
Oh my goodness!
Not only was that the words from one of my most favorite scriptures found in Isaiah 40:31...I just got through telling
the Lord, that I'd wait on Him.
Over
and over I kept hearing God telling me the same thing,
and
over and over again I just kept telling him,
"God
are you sure that's what you want me to do?"
I kind of left it at that and told the Lord once
more that He would have to confirm His plans and calling
for my life.
After the service was over, my dear friend,
Karen Walton and I started walking down the hillside back towards the girls dorm.
For some reason, I suddenly stopped.
I looked over at Karen and said,
"Guess what?"
Karen looked
right into my eyes and without any hesitation whatsoever
said
the words that I've never forgotten to this day.
"Tracy, You are going to be a preacher!"
At that moment, I've got to tell you, I thought for sure
that I was going to fall down that hill.
I had asked the Lord to confirm it and that He did!
The words that came out of Karen's mouth were the very
same words that I heard God speak to my heart.
I couldn't get back to the dorm fast enough
to tell our Youth Leader.
When I told her the news,
she looked at me and said,
"Tracy,
this Sunday night at church is National CA's Day (Christ Ambassadors in the Assemblies of God denomination) and the youth
is in charge of the service.
Tracy, I want you to preach."
So
on that next Sunday night, on June 10th 1979 at the age of 17,
I
stood up in front of the church that I had grown up
in and preached my first sermon.
My Message was titled, "Starving Sinner...Sleeping Saint."
I felt the annointing
power of the Holy Spirit as I
preached for the
first time.
I
gave an alter call and the whole church came up to the front.
The young people who had come back
from church camp prayed with all those who came forward.
There was a message given in tongues and
an interpretation.
I later made an appointment to talk with my Pastor
about the calling on my life.
As I sat in in his office, He shared these words with me.
"Tracy,
I give every young person that feels called to preach this
same
advice. Do everything you can, besides preaching and if you
are really called, you will never be satisfied until you fill that
calling that God has placed on
your life."
I said, "YES," everytime my pastor
asked me to preach
for the next year and a half or
so.
Fast Forward...1981...I moved to East Texas
with parents.
I started attending a Non-denominational
church...
I became the Youth Leader and sang
on the Praise and Worship Team.
In 1984, the devil came at me hard... to make this story short and to the point, I believed his
lies
and walked away from God and the calling on my
life.
For the next 25 years, I lived through
depression
and what I call
G.U.T.S.
{GOD
UNDERSTANDS TOUGH STUFF!}
The rest of my testimony is about God's grace and how
He forgave my sins and healed my
wounded heart.
God
has restored my salvation, my joy and my
ministry
that He called me to at the age of 17.
We don't become complete by hearing the will of God,
but by doing the will of God.
Don't ever give up my friend,
cause it aint over, until God says it's over!
The Lord has allowed me to teach a Women's
Bible Study
and also allowed me to get my Minister's credentials through World Evangelism Fellowship,
(Jimmy Swaggart Ministries).
At the beginning of 2011, I felt the Lord telling me,
"Closer to Heaven
in 2011."
God
has opened doors of opportunity for me to speak at different Women's Ministry Meetings and the Stampede of Faith Retreat.
After fasting
and seeking the Lord back at the beginning of this year, God spoke to my heart and told it was time to start
G.U.T.S.
Ministries. This Ministry will help women who struggle with pain from their past. Only Jesus and what He did at the
Cross of Calvary can set a person free.
I
know God has amazing things in store for us during these last days. I hope you will become a prayer partner with
me in this ministry.
Thank you friends for your prayers & support.
Your Sister in Christ.
Rev. Tracy "Bobo"
Banks "For
the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable." Romans 11:29 NKJV
Being confident of this very thing, that he which
hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:
Philippians 1:6 ( KJV )
