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Tracey Thorp | Biblical Fiction Author

@traceythorp

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When Jesus said, “Look at the birds of the air…” (Matthew 6:26), maybe he wasn’t just giving a lesson on trust.

Maybe he was directing your attention.

And now we’re seeing why that matters, too.

Studies show that seeing or hearing birds is linked to lower anxiety, reduced mental distress, and better mood—even hours later (Cox et al., 2017; Hammoud et al., 2022).

Birdsong itself has been connected to faster stress recovery and triggering the body’s calming response (Hedblom et al., 2019).

So when you slow down and really notice the birds, something shifts, your thoughts calm, and your body follows.

Jesus wasn’t adding a burden to us.

He was pointing you to something that restores your mind, body, and spirit.

You learn to trust Him…
And your nervous system quiets at the same time.

He created both, and He knows exactly what we need and supplies for everyone.

🎥 @traceythorp credit for the beautiful bird video!! Thank you!!

References

Birdlife & mental wellbeing
Hammoud et al., 2022, Scientific Reports PubMed PMID: 36302928
Birdwatching & brain structure (expert birders)
Wing et al., 2026, Journal of Neuroscience DOI: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.1307-25.2026

#birds #neuroscience #nature #birdwatching #newzealand

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Photography @sapphirestudios___
Make up @tiveshni
Coordinator @willowlane_events
Cake @babybuckbaking
Catering @3forksnz
Venue @treechurchandgardens
Dress @clara__bridal
Suit @rembrandt1946
Rings @naveyaandsloanejewellery
Earrings @capelliaboutique
Bridesmaids dresses @clara_bridal
Flowers @chloelefleur

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Feeling very loved 🤍 the most beautiful bridal shower thank you so much for making is so special @traceythorp can’t get over the dresses!

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Something a little different for Mother’s Day thanks to my darling daughter @clarawigmore. We absolutely loved our cake decorating class with @babybuckbaking. So fun to learn some new cake decorating skills as an outlet for our creativity.
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Clara reminded me today that creativity doesn’t have to be for any reason other than just the joy of creating. This maximalist cake was so fun to create (even if a little wonky in parts) which my Mum got to enjoy too.
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I’ve had a whole lot of crash issues and other pain lately so haven’t been posting any colour outfit reels for a while. Having a chronic illness can get you down from time to time and you start questioning your place in the world. But today I feel encouraged to just create for the joy of it, so keep a look out for some more colourful outfits coming soon.
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@traceythorp #cakedecorating #vintageheartcake #vintagecake #creativitymatters

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Happy 4th birthday to our blue-eyed beauty Lara Grace!!

Lara truly is our delight; a loving, kind, capable, tenacious, brave, adventurous and beautiful little girl and we’re so very proud of her! 🥰

She loves to dance and sing and put on shows, she loves the water and she loves all things pink and sparkly, Frozen and mermaids! 🩰 🎶 🌸💕❄️🌊🧜‍♀️

She started smiling in her first week of life and hasn’t stopped! She’s kept us laughing with all her antics.

Lara’s already developed resilience at her young age, she started her life with a stay in hospital for jaundice, then she had hip dysplasia and had to wear a brace for months, in which she taught herself to crawl, and at 2 she got something in her foot and had to have surgery. She’s a little trooper and we love her fighting spirit.

She is a much loved daughter, sister, granddaughter, great granddaughter, Goddaughter, niece, cousin and friend! It’s a joy watching her grow and blossom and overcome challenges and we can’t wait to see all 4 has in store for our girl 🌸

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While it’s a light hearted video, POTS is not fun. There’s a lot of heartache, depression and pain. There are many, many symptoms that make life a struggle. I was diagnosed with POTS after a bad dose of Covid. Today is Long Covid Awareness Day so here’s a few interesting things you might not know:
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A review in 2023, said about 73% of people with LC met criteria for POTS and other types of dysfunction of the autonomic nervous system (ANS).  It’s believed that LC POTS results from a hyper-vigilant immune response to Covid that causes the ANS to dysfunction.   The ANS balances a vast array of functions including maintaining blood flow to vital organs, breathing, digestion, temperature control and even the reproductive organs, so if the ANS is marginally disturbed, it leads to anarchy in the body.   The simplest of daily tasks – such as having a shower, cooking, or standing to brush my teeth, results in an array of profound symptoms.   A recent study (2023) showed that people with POTS have a poor quality of life – poorer than people with chronic illnesses such as HIV, cancer, or cardiovascular and kidney disease. It’s no wonder I’m often in tears.
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Any Covid infection could cause Long Covid and POTS, and researchers still have no answers. At this point there’s no cure.
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Because the medical profession doesn’t know for certain what causes it, they can’t tell you who might be susceptible. The only way to avoid Long Covid is to not get Covid.
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#longcovidawareness #posturalorthostatictachycardiasyndrome #potsawareness #longcovid #postcovidsyndrome #longhaul #POTS #spoonielife #chronicillnesslife #dysautonomia #dysautonomiaawareness #spooniesisterhood #potswarrior

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Not a fashion post sad to say. I was admitted to hospital 3 days ago and things have gone from bad to worse. I’ve been diagnosed with bilateral pylonephritis which is an infection in both kidneys. A day later and I was being diagnosed with pneumonia. My heart is the next area of concern and I’ll be having an echo to check out whether anything is going on there. Extreme pain in the head is also causing concern; the drs think this is likely related to my immune system fighting the bacteria. I’m on several antibiotics, morphine and paracetamol, the latter ti try and keep the fevers and chills away which had been coming every 4 hours.
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The good news is that my infection markers, although still high, are slowly reducing and I’ve got my appetite back and enough strength to write this without falling asleep. Mind you, I’ve had to change it several times to get it to make sense.

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One of the awards we received at the 2023 @nziarchitects awards was for the Ōhinerau House in Tāmaki Makaurau, Auckland. Very exciting and great credit to our wonderful clients and of course our team, led by Lynley Millar.

Many thanks also for the excellent construction as always by Good Brothers, structures by Chris Rose of CMR Engineers, interiors in conjunction with @seagar_design Adrienne Seagar, and landscape by @pascaltibbits

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My fave look from the collection 🫶🏻 it’s been a whirlwind start to the year but I am so excited for what’s to come! So grateful to the helping hands that have kept me on track

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Tip #7: Elevate your simple side salad for Christmas Day with these delicious alternatives!

Here’s some scrumptious sides from our recipe e-book full of Christmas flavours and colours you can add to your Christmas menu:

Beetroot and Walnut Salad
Kumara and Date Salad with Vinegared Onions
Cherry Tomatoes and Olives
Roast Potatoes
Broccoli and Bacon Salad

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Christmas Tip #3 Don’t try to do every tradition! 🎄

As with many things in life, sometimes less is actually more! When it comes to family Christmas traditions we’ve found we’ve enjoyed having a few that the whole family loves, rather than trying to do everything! We also feel the freedom to mix them up according to the ages and stages of the family!

For us, remembering what the focus of Christmas is makes a huge difference; it’s about celebrating the birth of Jesus and focusing on the relationships in our lives! After all, a stressed and frazzled mum who’s trying to do it all isn’t exactly spreading the Christmas joy! ❤️

Want some ideas to start your own Christmas tradition? 🎄

Between us both there are a bunch of Christmas traditions we’ve enjoyed over the years:
- Dressing up in Christmas PJs on Christmas Eve
- Making mulled wine and enjoying Christmas treats (like our fruit cake)
- Going to see the lights on Franklin Road
- Chocolate advent calendars for the kids
- Doing a daily advent craft - like assembling a cut-out Christmas tree with ornaments
- Reading the Jesus Storybook Bible
- Making special Christmas gift wrapping
- Decorating Christmas cookies
- Making Peace and Comfort Christmas cake
- Choosing a fresh pine Christmas tree and decorating it together

Recipe for our Christmas Mixed Spice and Orange Fruit Cake is in the link in bio. The family (and Santa) will love it!

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Hey humming household! It’s that time of year again!! Over the next few weeks we’re going to give you some top tips for skipping the stress and turning Christmas into the most wonderful time of the year!!

Tip 1: Christmas decorating doesn’t have to happen all at once.

We start by putting out a few simple, but effective, Christmas decorations around the house.

Each week we add to what we’ve already done, a little at a time, and before we realise we’re even decorating, the house is looking like a page out of House & Garden🌟🎄🎄🌟

We get to enjoy the festive atmosphere for longer without having to devote a whole weekend to decorating!

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