Tracey & Anna

Today, we are so excited to have stylists from Tracey and Anna with us. They speak to us about how they began working together, humility, and their desire for women to thrive.

Tracey & Anna

Tell us a bit about how Tracey and Anna was birthed: We live in Auckland, New Zealand. Tracey and Anna was birthed out of purposely living a life committed to God. He revealed that He desired the women of the world to remember they’re beautiful and through the transformational process of personal styling and beauty styling, He wanted to draw people to Himself.

Our logo is a jubilee cut diamond with a rose blossoming from within. The true beauty of a diamond is only realised once it’s been cut and polished. It’s hard to see yourself as lovely when you’re a diamond in the rough. You don’t see yourself as God sees you – a precious treasure waiting to be uncovered, waiting to be cut and polished so your true value is reflected in His light. All our styling and beauty packages are crafted to reflect this transformational process of refining and blossoming.

“You don’t see yourself as God sees you – a precious treasure waiting to be uncovered, waiting to be cut and polished so your true value is reflected in His light.”

Inspiring biblical passage of the moment:  “Above all clothe yourselves in love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony.” Colossians 3:14 (NLT)

Spiritual growth focus at the moment: God is teaching us to recognize the “Jezebel spirit” in ourselves and the impact it has on others. Jezebel strives to be the queen of her circumstances, sitting on the throne of her life and manipulating to gain control.

Instead of trying to get others to fit in with our own perspective of circumstances, God is teaching us to get off the throne of our lives, to seek Him so we can see from His perspective, and surrender to Him as servant, putting Him in His rightful place as King.

“Jezebel strives to be the queen of her circumstances, sitting on the throne of her life and manipulating to gain control.”

Profession: Personal and Beauty Stylists

If you wrote a memoir, what would the title be? NONE of Me and All of Him.

When did you first encounter God together and how did you encounter Him? We first started working together in 2012 when God called us to pray for the women of our church ahead of the annual women’s camp. He gave us a word or vision for each woman attending. We searched the Bible and found verses that referred to what we’d seen or heard.

God led us to style a prayer room at the camp, and we laid out the words and verses on a special table. The women were invited to collect the verses throughout the weekend. It was incredible to witness God as He worked through the verses and revealed so much to so many. Since then, many women have continued to share with us how God used the verses to impact them.

God revealed Himself as the One who really knows our hearts. He has so much treasure hidden within His Word. When you’re doing what God desires, seeking Him with all your heart, He will outflow incredible treasure that is such good food to eat. Not only that, it will be the perfect Word in the perfect time.

“God revealed Himself as the One who really knows our hearts.”

How has your relationship with Him changed you? If it weren’t for God, we would have given up on each other years ago! *laughter* Asserting our own way with each other has only led to division and diva moments. He has shown us how truly ugly our flesh is. Having God as our Master has meant that we know we are nothing without Him – we are either a slave to our flesh or a slave to God and we know who we would rather be allied to! Seeking Him first enables us to humble ourselves before each other, becoming unified through Him.

Our inspiring verse at the moment really speaks to this – it’s not just about physical clothes, but about clothing ourselves in Love (with a capital ‘L’), that binds us together in perfect harmony.

“Asserting our own way with each other has only led to division and diva moments.”

What has helped you grow spiritually in this season? God has reminded us that our business is not just about making money or gaining something for self like prestige or calling ourselves experts in our field. He desires to use us as vessels through whom He will reveal Himself to others and remind them how lovely and precious they are to Him. It’s fake if we try to make our business work without Him. We continue to grow as we continue to surrender more of our own perspective and desire to know more of His.

Just read/currently reading (and what has it taught you?): The Way to Gilgal (our Bible study curriculum). Our salvation doesn’t stop at Jesus’ death and resurrection. Through the ongoing work of the Holy Spirit, we are continually being transformed more and more into His likeness. The closer we get to God, the more ‘self’ dies. God is gracious in the process. As we fail, He gives grace. He’s taught us how to number our days and to treasure Him above our necessary food.
[@thewaytogilgal on Instagram]

Top three essentials:
Bible
Prayer journal
iPhone (contacts, camera, telephone, internet, texting, social media, notes, files, etc., etc.!)

How did God speak to you recently? If you’re talking about big picture things, all about Jezebel and how we thought we were the Elijah in the 1 Kings 19 story, but actually, we’re also Jezebel!

He’s also been speaking to us about doing a new thing, and we really see this in the current Covid 19 climate. Just as a rose blossoms and begins to give off a sweet smelling aroma, so do we when we sacrifice ourselves to God’s leading and way. We begin to blossom where He has planted us – not for our own benefit but for His good purpose.
God has asked all of us who are involved in our business to delete our previous Instagram posts and start afresh: @traceythorp, @annafisher, @jessicurwell.

“Just as a rose blossoms and begins to give off a sweet smelling aroma, so do we when we sacrifice ourselves to God’s leading and way.”

Hobby: We love styling events for special occasions. We pray about the theme and get a picture of what each event looks like. It’s really beautiful how each one comes together and everything God provides for the table and decorations. Cooking and creating recipes with Peace and Comfort (another Gilgal project). We’re wives and mothers and love spending time with our families.

Top three practical tips for staying spiritually strong: Seek God first and listen to what He says both via His Spirit and in the Word.
Die to self and abide in God.
Keep a prayer journal.

Favorite person in scripture? Jesus! His name speaks for itself!

What do you want people to learn about God when they look at you? We want the women of the world to see how lovely and precious they are to God.

Favorite holiday? God led us to a styling course in Melbourne with the Australian Style Institute. It’s the only travel we’ve done together as a business. We really loved training to become personal stylists and meeting all the amazing women who were taking part in the course. ASI teaches that there are no formulas and that each woman is special and unique – a perfect fit for what God has shown us our business is all about.

A goal you have? To celebrate the unique beauty that is in all women and help them thrive in their refined style by bringing grace and comfort.
Grace: an unconditional acceptance of who they are and where they’ve come from.
Comfort: a tranquil state of freedom from pain.

A special tradition you and your families engage in or keep: We celebrate the major Jewish feasts – Passover, Pentecost and Feast of Tabernacles, as well as the monthly New Moon Feasts. The feasts all make perfect sense when you see Jesus in them.

Question you will ask when you get to heaven? There’s no question we could ask then that we can’t ask now.

Thing you want to raise awareness about: All things are possible with God and through God. He can make all things new! Let’s not pray that the circumstances go away but that we will learn whatever it is that God desires to teach us about ourselves and our own selfishness in them. Only then can we achieve transformation and true heart change, as well as unity in the Spirit. God calls us to co-operate with Him to step out from our own perspective and step aside into His. When we are prepared to stop being selfish, defending ourselves and our perspective, there can be healing in relationships and within people’s hearts. He can then outflow love through us without the self-focused agenda of the flesh getting in the way.

Everybody deserves grace without placing judgment on behaviour. We’ve all made mistakes but it’s only God who can work in the heart to change it. When heart change comes, that’s when behaviour change happens and no human can make that happen.

“God calls us to co-operate with Him to step out from our own perspective and step aside into His.”

What does your morning routine consist of? Our quiet time consists of working through our Gilgals Bible Study for the day. Our Bible Study includes a prayer guide. We praise, repent, ask, appreciate and then yield (listen). After that, it’s a cup of tea, a shower, makeup and outfit of the day.

What is on your nightstand? Bible, iPad, iPhone, treasure chest (containing special verses).

Define Christianity in a sentence: By Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross, once and for all, God made sure our sins were not held against us so that we could have a full and uninterrupted relationship with Him forever.

For more Tracey & Anna:

Social media: @traceyandanna (Instagram, Facebook, Linkedin)
Website: www.traceyandanna.co.nz
Pinterest
YouTube
Email: styling@traceyandanna.co.nz

Until next time, keep witnessing!

XX