Author Archives: Christina

About Christina

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Blessings to all that are viewing this. My name is Christina Cruz-Mendez. I am a Senior Pastor at Mission United International Church in Yonkers, NY working along side my husband Juan A. Mendez Jr. Senior Pastor, currently residing in Canton, Georgia. We have been together for 29 years with 2 children that God has blessed us with. Makes us the family of four - "JusChrist4". I have been a Christian and active in ministry for about 22 years now. Through all the rocky and smooth roads in life I am eternally grateful that God has brought me this far in life to share with the world what He is doing in me, through me and for me.
July 1, 2019

Happy JULY <3

By Christina

Happy July to ALL!

Image result for Keep sowing because in due season, you will reap the bountiful harvest with a song of joy in your heart!

“Tomorrow’s HARVEST are in the SEEDS of today.”
PjM

May everyone have a blessed and beautiful start to the summer. Sow everyday LOVE. Give in every opportunity.  Grow and bloom where God has you today.  The time has arrived for us to enjoy.

The summer holiday is beginning and it is a time to appreciate the family and friends God has placed in your path.  Be grateful for the life God gave you.

Even though it may have been the longest winter …

Even though it may seem like a never ending struggle …

Keep doing what you know to do! DON’T QUIT NOW.  Keep doing it.  You will get the results that you need to live the bountiful life that God has designed for you.

There is hope! There is joy! This is a summer that we are going to celebrate in like never before.

I wanted to drop a quick note for you on July 1, 2019 and let you know that great times are ahead. In DUE time, just like the Word has promised to us.  Let’s start this up right.

Keep going strong! ❤  How do I do this strong, you may say….

IN and With the LORD! #Ephesians6
Have a great summer everyone.

With Love,

Christina

Image result for be strong in the lord

1 Comment | posted in Inspiration

June 21, 2019

Welcome SUMMER!

By Christina

YEAH! What an amazing season we are entering.  This is one of my favorite times of the year 😉 July & December! ❤ And I am probably not the only one.

The summer fun is just going to begin. As July approaches, I am in WONDER! For so many very unexpected and beautiful things took place for us.  One of which was a complete surprise to me by my hubby!

We had been in some beginning stages of discussion for our anniversary and a wedding vow renewal that we had wanted to do for sometime now.  Our story is more than crazy, but such a unique one for us to really appreciate and LOVE!

In any case, I also have not been able to wear my original engagement ring (due to the obvious!!!!) for many years now.  It was one of the first times he truly surprised me when he placed that promise ring on my finger years ago!  The second time he surprised me in our whole relationship is NOW! He got me a new and beautiful ring to re-propose!!! LOL! And I am soooo laughing out loud now as I type this because it’s cute. Also very special.

On Father’s day –this past Sunday, before he went to minister he began to mention me! In my mind I was thinking, “what in the world!” LOL but he started to say he would never be the father of our two beautiful kids without me.  He paused and got choked up as he told the church, “if you only knew all that we have been through!”

At this point, I began to truly cry.  I still had NO clue what he was doing and why he extended it about going on and on about lil ole me! He then reached in his pocket as he shared, “Since we have been together 27 years…I want to ask you if you wouldn’t mind spending another 27 plus years with me!”

I was completely FLABBERGASTED! I had no clue that this man went out of his way to get me a new promise ring for our next half.  This was so unexpected.  What a season it has been for me…on a day when it was about the Dads and nothing about me –he made his day about US! That just meant the world to me. He also said to me, “Truly, this is your season!”

“I will remember the actions the Eternal has taken,
    reminisce on Your ancient wonders.
I will reflect on all of Your work;
    indeed, I will study all You have performed.
O God, Your way is so different, so distinct, so divine.
    No other god compares with our God.”
Psalm 77:11-13 (The VOICE Translation)

I must give God thanks–for all that He has done and all that He is doing now in my life to make me remember that no matter how long I had to wait (yes, if you only knew) that this meant everything to me. I have a lovely husband, a wonderful and supportive family and currently right where I need to be. I can say that this has been a VERY difficult wait to arrive to this season where I can breathe a bit again…. was it worth the wait?

It is worth knowing that God’s promises for me and my house have always remained.

This is a blessed season. Just beautiful to enter in, dance in and celebrate in.

I needed this. God knew and waited to show me that this promise will come to pass before my very eyes –where I will truly laugh with everything in me and smile like I am glowing with His radiant abundance of love that covers me.

Thank you God.  And thank you to the one that you have for me.

#forevergrateful

#youknowme

#welcomesummer

#itsourseason

 

 

 

Leave a comment   |  tags: | posted in Celebration, Emerging, Inspiration, Recovery, Relationships, Restoration, Transition, Trust

May 14, 2019

Wow for the MOM

By Christina

The prayer:

“In her deep anguish Hannah prayed to the Lord, weeping bitterly. And she made a vow, saying, “ Lord Almighty, if you will only look on your servant’s misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the Lord for all the days of his life, and no razor will ever be used on his head.” 1 Samuel 1:10-11 NIV

The promise:

“But Samuel was ministering before the Lord —a boy wearing a linen ephod. Each year his mother made him a little robe and took it to him when she went up with her husband to offer the annual sacrifice. Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife, saying, “May the Lord give you children by this woman to take the place of the one she prayed for and gave to the Lord.” Then they would go home. And the Lord was gracious to Hannah; she gave birth to three sons and two daughters. Meanwhile, the boy Samuel grew up in the presence of the Lord.” 1 Samuel 2:18-21 NIV

The prayer for the promise will come to PLENTY!

But that story didn’t happen so easy. You see year after year, in the process of her pruning, God had to use Peninnah to provoke Hannah!

Imagine what that year after year process was like for Hannah! Enough to irritate her to the place of an anguished prayer. You see it takes anguish to produce a deeper type of prayer…. the kind that moves God. He provokes you so that you can provoke Him.

That is what happened for Hannah! But she not only received her promise, she received her plenty. Pruning will always produce PLENTY! So the next time your bent out of shape from the trial, just know that is because He is bringing you to triumph! A flourishing finish. For when Hannah learned to pray the RIGHT way, He not only answererd her but He also INCREASED her.

See we have to change how we look at our situation. It is only a gateway to the blessing.

Peninnah vexed Hannah at Shiloh, thereby causing her distraught rival wife to pray fervently. Thanks to Peninnah, Hannah’s prayer was answered, and she gave birth to children…. not just ONE son. So thanks to your problem, God is going to bring you into plenty.

Thank GOD right where you are at because you are about to give birth to not just one thing but plenty of favorable things! Just like this mom! It was a wow for her!

So was I on this Mother’s Day. I was showered with not one but plenty! God really opened up the windows on my behalf. I was floored! Non-stop gifts, treatment, love and hugs. What a weekend to remember. For all the labor of love and pressing through the pressure, just like Hannah, God was gracious with this momma too! Wow. I am forever grateful and thankful. The family, church and friends God surrounded me with warmed my heart like never before. They went next level above and beyond this year.

It was a good day. A great weekend. And an unforgettable mom’s day. I said, “WOW!”

Wow for this mom over here that needed it. God knew. 😭😅

I’m so grateful!

THANK YOU AGAIN!

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May 11, 2019

Visit To California

By Christina

California really helped me a lot! It was so needed. So necessary. So vital for me to get out again for a while. It was an amazing 4 day getaway. Spiritual rejuvenated experience. Love and laughter. Family and friends. And just time being in a DIFFERENT place doing DIFFERENT things, hearing and seeing DIFFERENT THINGS!!!

Doing the same CRAZY busy things every day is extremely draining. Internally and externally. I’m tired every day. Pure exhaustion! Fully depleted of any energy and drive. I don’t want to do a thing but love my blanket. I’m walking around like the Charlie Brown character. But mostly frustration, overwhelming frustration. I feel trapped most days from obligations.

Ya feel me?

And I want an escape because then I start to mope and count the losses. That’s not good either. Or I think about what is taking so long to get to a more fulfilling place. I need a real rest so I can do things that not only bring me joy but move to my true calling.

And boredom. Yeah that could have seeped in too. That’s just been my reality on battling with the mundane. I know there’s more. But where’s it been hiding from me? I can’t be doing this day in and day out and not have no joy. I’m not supposed to be frustrated 24/7! No! No! No!

Then came Cali! Wow. Everything I needed right there. Word. Breathtaking scenery. Mountains and trees. Great weather and sun. Shops and walkway streets. It was spiritually blissful to my aching soul. I was able to breathe again.

Take me back.

Most importantly, keep me rejuvenated! People actually like my strange smile. I like it more! I like how it feels to be free INSIDE and not congested with the responsibility of working life.

The 212 conference in San Jose was a purpose and destination. But it became way more than that. It was life again. Drive again. Energy again. Hope again. Resilience again. Birth again. Every message spoke as answered contemplations right from my journal. The unseen tears were wiped away. God was doing it again. Making me feel like it’s a good day again and a good place that I am in.

I shook Bishop TD Jakes hand. I soaked up every word on his night!

Just be who you really are
And be good with you!!!
I AM ON MY SIDE!!!
You are enough!!!!

Inside my heart pushed away the numbness. And I felt those words deep. They were well received by me. Well received!!!! Selah…

Joel Osteen rocked the house with his message on “Designed to Withstand” as it spoke to the adversity we all face. We can move through this triumphantly.

Dharius Daniels reminded the preacher in me to be a water walker and keep praying those powerful simple prayers that I do. It works! It’s heard! I am one of the twelve. I will always be an exception. God will find a way to make an exception for me because I am heading down the humble path He has for me to learn in this journey now. It’s a perfect plan God… let’s do this.

Ron Carpenter reminded me to keep the wonder! To seek God and know that He has given me authority to triumph as well.

And the people I was with— reminded me how nice it was to laugh again and get fired up inside. It was amazingly nice. 9 of us went. 9 lives forever impacted.

I’m never going to forget this LIFE BUILDING experience!!!! Thank you God because you selected me to be somewhere so I can be a part of something out of the ordinary. That was extraordinary. ♥️😇

““Come,” he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus.” Matthew‬ ‭14:29‬ ‭NIV‬‬

1 Comment   |  tags: , , , , , , | posted in Celebration, Encouragement, Health, Inspiration, Restoration