http://tarabruce.theworldrace.org LOVE* is the movement... - This is my story as it unfolds. -Tara Bruce en-us Mon, 7 Jul 2008 06:22:22 GMT 30 http://tarabruce.theworldrace.org/?filename=DECE142BB6104885B36138CEE87A03 http://tarabruce.theworldrace.org/?filename=DECE142BB6104885B36138CEE87A03 The only thing that counts is FAITH expressing itself through LOVE. Gal 5:6 This is reality now and the life that I desire.   I get to wake up to this new life of living out my faith in LOVE in a new environment.  I am here in Pelenque, Mexico breathing in the freshness of the beauty that surrounds me.  I have so much to take in and so much to learn; language, customs and common struggles of the local people.   I so deeply desire to go out and meet peoples need Fri, 4 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://tarabruce.theworldrace.org/?filename=why-would-a-married-couple-want-to-go-on-the-wr-part-2 http://tarabruce.theworldrace.org/?filename=why-would-a-married-couple-want-to-go-on-the-wr-part-2 Interview with the Pratt's Tara: What intrigued you about the World Race? Marissa: I was ready to not be working the typical 9-5 job as I had already done that for 2 years and was basically bored. I wanted a life of adventure with my husband. Johnny: I wanted to see the world and make a difference as well as share this amazing experience together with my wife. I wanted us to become more as one with Marissa and I am excited to see how God works through her this year. Tara: Marissa woul Wed, 2 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://tarabruce.theworldrace.org/?filename=why-would-married-couples-want-to-go-on-the-world-race http://tarabruce.theworldrace.org/?filename=why-would-married-couples-want-to-go-on-the-world-race Why would married couples  want to go on the World Race? At first consideration it might seem harder to go on the World Race as a married couple, because according to the world you have so much more to leave behind.  Weve been on cruise control to obtain the American Dream since our inauguration into adult-hood.  Society places you on that path and to veer off course you must fight a battle of expectations. My husband and I graduated High School, went to college (both colle Thu, 26 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://tarabruce.theworldrace.org/?filename=choo-choo-to-the-nooga http://tarabruce.theworldrace.org/?filename=choo-choo-to-the-nooga   Before leaving to go on the World Race my best friend, Steen, her sister Amanda (May-hay), and I went to Chattanooga as you read in my previous blog.  But, you didn't hear about all of the fun childlike adventures we had.  When we arrived we walked around the town taking pictures and sitting by the river.  While we were walking around we were approached by a homeless woman named Andy who calls herself the Chattanooga Street Poet.  Andy asked us if we would like to Thu, 26 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://tarabruce.theworldrace.org/?filename=we-are-cantonese-if-you-please http://tarabruce.theworldrace.org/?filename=we-are-cantonese-if-you-please    Yesterday, Steen, May-hay, and I had a girls day out in Chattanooga (or, as we now call it CHOO CHOO to tha NOOGA!)  It was in incredible day and I will be posting part 2 with pictures desrcibing the adventures we had.  But, for now I want to post part of our new friend Nathan's Blog.   Nathan runs a shop called WORLD NEXT DOOR - check it out!    "Today in the shop three young ladies from Canton, GA (does that make them Cantonese? Th Tue, 24 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://tarabruce.theworldrace.org/?filename=steens-blog http://tarabruce.theworldrace.org/?filename=steens-blog My best friend Steen has started a blog in honor of me leaving so that I can keep up with all the magnificient things God is going to do in and through her over the  next year.  Check it out:  Steen Jones Sun, 22 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://tarabruce.theworldrace.org/?filename=yellow-balloons http://tarabruce.theworldrace.org/?filename=yellow-balloons On Tuesday mornings I meet with my women's bible study.  I am by far the youngest of the group by at least 15 years and I truly love these women dearly!  I have learned so much from all of them and have really enjoyed getting to know them this past year.   Each woman in our group is so unique and different, but you put us all in the same room and the room is filled with laughter!   This past Tuesday they threw me a going away party and we all went outside and released yellow Sat, 21 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://tarabruce.theworldrace.org/?filename=42nd-generation-part-1 http://tarabruce.theworldrace.org/?filename=42nd-generation-part-1 Posted in Reaching a Remnant by Seth Barnes on 5/18/2008Andrew Shearman has this message he preaches called "The 42nd Generation." I first heard him share it in Brownsville, Texas about 14 years ago. The point of it is that there is a generation that will come to faith and cross over the Jordan. Adam lost his birthright - the title to stewardship of this world. But God had a plan for getting it back. He had a second Adam. As the New Testament opens up in Matthew 1, we see it. In apparently borin Thu, 29 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://tarabruce.theworldrace.org/?filename=revival-in-lakeland-posted-by-seth-barnes http://tarabruce.theworldrace.org/?filename=revival-in-lakeland-posted-by-seth-barnes Revival in Lakeland, FLPosted in The Holy Spirit is on the move by Seth Barnes on 5/8/2008I don't know if you've seen what's been going on in Lakeland, Florida. Some are calling it the the beginnings of a global revival; others say it's a farce. This [edited] report describes it. I find it interesting it how quickly some people rush to judgment about something that is bearing good fruit and that God may be authoring. I want to ask them, "So at a minimum they're focusing on Jesus - what are you d Tue, 20 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://tarabruce.theworldrace.org/?filename=corndog-the-story-continued http://tarabruce.theworldrace.org/?filename=corndog-the-story-continued So you read in my previous post that Steen and I prayed for Corndog and he was healed. Well, this past Wednesday he had a doctors appointment and he was released to run, meaning the doctor could see no reason why he could not compete. But, to be cautious his coach told him to take it easy. Corndog contacted Steen and I to let us know about his doctors appointment and to tell us about his race on Friday. So, on Friday Steen and I went to his race to watch him run. We got their and he waved a Mon, 19 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://tarabruce.theworldrace.org/?filename=corndog-is-healed http://tarabruce.theworldrace.org/?filename=corndog-is-healed Before Steen, my best friend, and I set out to have our girls day out we told each other that we needed to keep our eyes and ears open for how God could use us. So, after we had fun drinking Chik-fil-A milkshakes, buying goodies to take into the movie theater (smart food white cheddar popcorn and reeses pieces), lovingly embarrassing our friend Amy who works at Publix and watching "What happens in Vegas," we went to dinner. We picked up Amy during her dinner break and tried to eat at a local r Sat, 10 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://tarabruce.theworldrace.org/?filename=i-believe-my-normal-needs-to-change http://tarabruce.theworldrace.org/?filename=i-believe-my-normal-needs-to-change We were asked to write an essay called "This I Believe" about what really matters to us, as preparation for this world missions adventure called the World Race. This is what I believe... I believe that God is so much bigger than my "normal." And, that my "normal" needs to continuously change. Normal. What is normal anyway? Normal is a perception of our current reality. And, our normal is transformed and changed as we add new truth to our reality. As truth is revealed our normal morphs to Fri, 25 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://tarabruce.theworldrace.org/?filename=videos-from-training-camp http://tarabruce.theworldrace.org/?filename=videos-from-training-camp These videos were made by Natalie Montgomery. She is amazing. Check em out! Thu, 24 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://tarabruce.theworldrace.org/?filename=i-am-an-anna http://tarabruce.theworldrace.org/?filename=i-am-an-anna Have you ever wanted to be someone else for a day? Well for me that person is Anna the prophetess. Anna is a woman of faith. Below is the passage about her in Luke as she got to see baby Jesus on his day of dedication at the temple. I wish I was Anna on this day - getting to see Jesus face to face. "There was also a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was very old; she had lived with her husband seven years after her marriage, and then was a widow until sh Thu, 24 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://tarabruce.theworldrace.org/?filename=this-i-believe--i-will-see-love-on-a-white-horse http://tarabruce.theworldrace.org/?filename=this-i-believe--i-will-see-love-on-a-white-horse The night I turned 21 was a pivotal night in my life. I was sitting in the kitchen at my friend Rich's house and it was a little after midnight. I just sat their reading my bible and praying alone until both Rich and Traci who had been asleep upstairs both came down declaring that God had woken them up to come and pray with me. So as you can see this was not the typical 21st Birthday. We grabbed some blankets and went and cuddled up on the back porch. Rich prayed, and then Traci prayed. A Wed, 23 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://tarabruce.theworldrace.org/?filename=team-bold http://tarabruce.theworldrace.org/?filename=team-bold This is my interpretation of our Team name. Team B.O.L.D.! We are no longer called the married team! Read below to see what we are all about. B*O*L*D* Bringing our Lord's Deliverance, Discipleship and DominionBold: (confident, adventurous, free, fearless, daring)We are living out God's dream. We have been commissioned, and are going out BOLDLY. NO more passivity. We will not be silenced. We know the love of our Father and the intimacy with him so deeply that we can't contain it and are compe Fri, 18 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://tarabruce.theworldrace.org/?filename=the-rock http://tarabruce.theworldrace.org/?filename=the-rock Holding my 15 pound rock in my hands I began walking along the path ahead of me. It was heavy and I could feel it's weight, but as I began to walk further and further I began to feel the weight of the rock in a new way. I began to feel the heavy burdens I had been carrying around with me. I began to feel internally the heaviness that my arms were feeling physically. I began to get tired as I climbed the first mountain. And, as I reached the top a familiar face greeted me, asking me what the Tue, 15 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://tarabruce.theworldrace.org/?filename=tears http://tarabruce.theworldrace.org/?filename=tears The presence of the Holy Spirit was thick in the room like a blanket of love and peace wrapping  me up.  The reservoirs of emptiness within me were being filled up with real love,peace and joy undescrible.   I was once again crying tears of joy as his presence was bubbling up within me.  Then I hear someone praying over my husband and I look down and this man of God on his knees praying for Joshua. At that moment more tears of joy spilled out of me.  I knew that Go Tue, 8 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://tarabruce.theworldrace.org/?filename=the-countries http://tarabruce.theworldrace.org/?filename=the-countries 2008 July Race Route: And, don't forget - all of this is subject to change based on the Holy Spirit's leading. July - Central America - Mexico (Palenque)August - Central America - Guatemala/NicaraguaSeptember - South East Asia - ThailandOctober - South East Asia - CambodiaNovember - South East Asia - VietnamDecember - Southern Africa - South AfricaJanuary - Southern Africa - Swaziland/MozambiqueFebruary - Southern Africa - Swaziland/ MozambiqueMarch - Eastern Europe - RomaniaApril - Eastern Eu Fri, 14 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://tarabruce.theworldrace.org/?filename=vietnam http://tarabruce.theworldrace.org/?filename=vietnam I can't believe we get to go to this place! As I watched this video the blood in my veins was bubbling up inside me as if joy was going to burst forth from my being. We get to share the LOVE of God with these people. It is unbelievable! Fri, 14 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://tarabruce.theworldrace.org/?filename=ukraine-video http://tarabruce.theworldrace.org/?filename=ukraine-video I don't know much about this place, but this video gave me a glimpse of what Ukraine is like. Check it out. Fri, 14 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://tarabruce.theworldrace.org/?filename=places-that-dont-exist-transnistria http://tarabruce.theworldrace.org/?filename=places-that-dont-exist-transnistria While I was looking up video's on Moldova on youtube I discovered this BBC documentary about a new country that is unrecognized by the rest of the world. It is very interesting, but you will need about a half hour to watch all three videos above. Fri, 14 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://tarabruce.theworldrace.org/?filename=photos-of-our-race-route http://tarabruce.theworldrace.org/?filename=photos-of-our-race-route Ok, so you all are not doing so well on the flags. Here are some images too. Can you guess where they are? Wed, 12 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://tarabruce.theworldrace.org/?filename=race-route-can-you-guess-the-flags http://tarabruce.theworldrace.org/?filename=race-route-can-you-guess-the-flags So here is the regions we are going to in order, but you'll have to guess the countries by checking out their flags. See if you can get them all right? Then I will post them all in the next couple of days. And, as a little disclaimer - these are all subject to change. The regions listed below to the left are pretty definite, but the countries can change based on the Lord's leading. We want to be where the Lord is moving! So, with that said... Start playing the game? Do you think you can Tue, 11 Mar 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://tarabruce.theworldrace.org/?filename=fun-pics http://tarabruce.theworldrace.org/?filename=fun-pics Fri, 15 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://tarabruce.theworldrace.org/?filename=update-on-katelyn http://tarabruce.theworldrace.org/?filename=update-on-katelyn She may still be alive? UPDATE ON I AM KATELYN Based on recent discovery obtained by the Alabama Bureau of Investigation on the Katelyn case, there is reason to believe that she is alive. To protect the safey and integrity of everyone involved, we are currently unable to release any audio recordings. We continue to partner with law enforcement to seek out the truth regarding Katelyn's life. Due to the public response to Katelyn's story, aggressive resolve has been put in place. Major transpo Sat, 2 Feb 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://tarabruce.theworldrace.org/?filename=video-2 http://tarabruce.theworldrace.org/?filename=video-2 Please read the story and poem below. Child sex-trafficking is real and very present in our own backyards. Innocence is being stolen and these beautiful children need you to hear their cries for freedom. Do you hear them? Can you hear her? Read below. (Josh and I will be going to her memorial service tomorrow in Atlanta - if anyone wants to go, please contact us) - I have just been informed that the memorial service has now been cancelled. Updates will be posted to www.IamKatelyn.org - che Fri, 25 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://tarabruce.theworldrace.org/?filename=alive http://tarabruce.theworldrace.org/?filename=alive "Don't spend your time trying to figure out what the world needs.  Find out what makes you come alive, because what the world needs is people who are alive."I first read this quote by John Eldridge when I was on a plane to Tanzania in the summer of 2002.  I was just out of college and did not have a clue what I was going to do with my life.  The only thing I knew is that without a shadow of a doubt I was supposed to go to Tanzania.  So on the plane I decided to make a list of Thu, 24 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://tarabruce.theworldrace.org/?filename=fragrance-chapter-1 http://tarabruce.theworldrace.org/?filename=fragrance-chapter-1 The question I have been asking God lately is, "What do you smell like?" I want to know his smell and to recognize him by his fragrance. Last night I sat on my bed and listened for him to speak to me, hoping he would reveal his fragrance to me. I kept seeing pictures of life being awakened, life blooming, and the sun arising over the earth. And, I sat there imagining what those things smelled like. I am still awaiting God to send his heavenly aroma to my nose so that I can take him in. Bu Tue, 22 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://tarabruce.theworldrace.org/?filename=wr-video http://tarabruce.theworldrace.org/?filename=wr-video Here is a video of the World Race. This is a taste of what Josh and I will be doing next year. Check it out. And, you can read all kinds of articles from current world racers by going to the World Race website World Race Promo from The World Race on Vimeo. Tue, 15 Jan 2008 00:00:00 GMT