Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to Me. Get away with Me and you’ll discover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with Me and work with Me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhymes of grace. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with Me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.

Matthew 11:28-30 The Message Translation

So my answers:

TIRED—YES

WORN OUT—YES

Burned out on religion—uhh YES!

And so He reaffirms His everlasting nearness in the embrace of His arms!

How do you get there if you are weary all the time with work and pressing activities?

It’s tiring!

I am TIRED!

Just tired. Can I just openly state that and it be accepted?

I have been working nonstop since my first job at 18.

Full-time!

I am now 42 and completely worn out in pure exhaustion. Shaving off all forms of anxiety and depression.

During all that there is always an assignment, a task, a meeting. Then another meeting about the meeting and a few loads of emails to follow all that up!

It’s just madness. Insane work. Busyness. Planning. More work. When can I rest FOR REAL!

Like enough rest to say, “OK here is what I can do and what I can’t.”

A weekend doesn’t do it for you.

A quick vacation…week here or a week there doesn’t do it for you.

The long 3 day or 4 day weekends also don’t do it for you.

You know what does it for you?

DETACHMENT! Enough to find yourself.

That does it for you. Especially when you hit those unexpected life-altering fragile seasons of life. That is what I found myself in once again.

How about a break Chris?

Sounds good!

That is OKAY!

So that is what I chose to do for the betterment of my overall health. Body, soul and spirit.

I am ready for this journey. But never could I be further exhausting myself in a fragile season.

Being fragile doesn’t help the fragile moments.

But being well rested, rooted and grounded IN Christ does help through the fragile seasons and unexpected changing moments of life.

Sincerely,

Chrizzy ♥️

Did you know that often times the broken places in our lives can be the BEST places?  How you may say?  It gives God a way to show forth His power, His grace, His favor and His strength in us.  Yes– so you may be shedding uncontrollable tears in this moment but just know that every tear you sow is not to tear you down or weaken you, but it is to build you up and strengthen you…

Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
2 Corinthians 12:8-9 English Standard Version (ESV)

And the Word declares for us:

For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.
2 Corinthians 4:17-18 English Standard Version (ESV)

I think about this family and what we are facing and know that God is IN IT! He is the Author and the Finisher.  He is the Alpha and the Omega.  He is the beginning and the end.  And as much as this tries to weigh us down we are still fighting, still smiling, still laughing, still praising God, still ministering and still working through as many raw emotions that try to surface.  What is deeper inside us is bigger than our circumstances.

We have faced hurt repeatedly.

Death repeatedly.

Loss– oh a lot more than one can tell.  But in and through it all, God has managed to sustain us and pull out of us the best.  In feeling broken, tattered and torn He has us building a terrific testimony.  Our faith will rise above our fear in the most adverse situations.

This will all pass as Nicki Koziarz states in “5 Habits of a Woman who Doesn’t Quit,”  Victory is often found in the most unfamiliar and uncomfortable places–we will find the treasure in the trial.

We may find ourselves in broken places often–but it is here that God makes it the BEST places where we encounter His peace, love, power, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, victory and triumph.

So February, we welcome you as we have now been brought quickly to the 2nd chapter of the 12th within Twenty-Eighteen and we see Your power emerging in us, through us and for us every day!

What a rough day! Between site planning, moving and attacks trying to rise up, it has certainly been a struggle.

I finally got a quite moment in what seems to be another challenging yet powerful year. I feel so many mixed emotions and I am trying to drown them out along with a whirlwind of other meshing factors.

Trying to stay positive, productive and functional but I am getting a little tired. I hate when everything else around me grows so much that it makes me feel like I am shrinking down to nothing.

I don’t want to be the “Debbie Downer” but doubt comes so strong to overpower any inkling of mustard seed faith I may have. The small thing should be the driver to get me through.  To try to pass through all the hurdles, curves and distractions of life. But it gets rough.

Good day..good day…good day… here comes a BIG bad day. And the knot at my throat grows too and the tears of frustration start rolling down. After every victory there appears 10 more valleys!!!

So what am I going to do… right now I am going to sit back, shut down and shut up.  I’m going to have to settle a bit more inside so I can gather up the strength to use where it will be most necessary.  I can’t win every battle and every fight but I can still run in the race. Doesn’t always promise a win–but a finish–THAT’S A PROMISE!

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.”  Hebrews 12:1-2

Because I started to take such huge leaps of faith for ’18 it feels like massive heaps of doubt is trying to overtake me.

What will I do now?

I am going to drown out the doubt.

I am going to drown out the negativity.

I am going to shut my ears to discouraging words.

I am going to close my eyes on gruesome stares.

I am going to drown out the lies with the truth of God’s word!

I am going to look away, walk away and back away from all the antagonistic voices that are trying to shout over my victory and progress. I am in a good place. I am better. I can do more.  I can obtain it.  I choose to believe GOD and not the faces or doubting voices!

Then when the victory comes again–I will have escaped from the depths of these valleys and moved on to an even place. A God place.  All because I know it was the Spirit of God prompting me to take the huge steps of faith!

Watch it work Christina! Watch God work!!!!!

It’s time to let go so God can do the rest. Another huge leap of faith! Let’s go!