Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me. And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
2 Corinthians 12:8-10 New King James Version (NKJV)

So I picked up a NEW cop… aka thing to get.   A book by Trip Lee called “Rise.” It is pretty powerful so far.  Normally what I do when I go into a book store is open them up somewhere in the middle and start reading a few paragraphs! Here is what I found:

“Why do we feel the need to pretend like everything’s all right? Because we replace God’s glory with our own, and we replace contentment in His acceptance with the approval of other people.  

Recently I sat in a physician’s office and talked with the doctor about a health issue I’ve had for a while.  After she prescribed some new medications, she asked me a series of questions to make sure I was doing fine otherwise. I appreciated her inquiries, because she was trying to care for me as my doctor.  If there had been something wrong, she could have acted immediately. The dumbest thing I could have done is hide my ailment from the very person appointed to help me with it.

Yet we’re often tempted to make a similar mistake with our spiritual health.  God has given us one another to help fight our sin, but we often hide from each other in shame.  That’s an understandable response for those who are still exposed and vulnerable to judgment.  But our sin has already been covered, so we have no need to hide it.  Why hide a bill that has already been paid?”

The point of this message is him reminding us, WE ALL HAVE ISSUES STILL!!! But we continue to fuel the lie and pretend like everything is okay all the time.  We are afraid to speak, afraid to share, mindful to keep things back because it truly seems so redundant.

“You mean to tell me your STILL struggling with this???”

Well, quite honestly –HECK YEAH!!!! I still have to fight! Hello! My sin has been paid for–not the process.  Then we continue to hide because we can’t find a healthy safe “over and over again” place.  Like where can I go through with some “over and over again” folks.  That when I explain my “over and over again” not making sense type situation… THEY GET ME!

So here is the big lie folks— “YOUR THE ONLY ONE LIKE THIS!”

Everyone has already conquered this–the pastors, the leaders, your friends… that amazing and powerful speaker!

YES THEY OBTAINED IT–BUT I CANT….

Pressing Toward the Goal
Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me. Brethren, I do not count myself to have apprehended; but one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead, I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.
Philippians 3:12-14 New King James Version (NKJV)

Like how does the overcome preach about overcoming?

How do the depressed reach the depressed?

How do the anxious help those struggling with anxiety?

How do the lustful help those in lust?

BECAUSE THEY GO THROUGH IT TOO!!! That is how!

Here is what I will never forget my mentor, Femi Adun telling me–“only one who has been restored can restore others.”  Most times I say to myself, “Well have I? Why do I always feel broken though??? Why do I always feel like less in a mess!”

You know why–because I am human! And so are YOU! We are not Jesus! He walked this earth flawless and paid the ultimate price FOR US knowing that we could never accomplish that… so he paid for all the “over and over and over again” type situations!

You are not alone.  You have a body of people that can help you–but here is how… by being open! By allowing yourself an opportunity to share and allowing others to share with you. By being a trustworthy person.  By understanding how to listen and share for the betterment of our process called growth.

I mean the enemy does like to attack us –over and over and over again.  So what can we do over and over and over again…. We can repeatedly share–repeatedly seek help–repeatedly go to His word–repeatedly cry out to Him–repeatedly pray–we can do all those things until there is a BREAKTHROUGH!  Remember the only way to get THROUGH is by the BREAK that goes before it. And in our brokenness we find the most beautiful things.   An amazing, unique, gifted, talented, giving, sharing, loving version of who God made you to be!

Now I have to use ALL that I can to think and do positively over and over again. I use the things God gave me and that is a powerful Bible, an amazing family, a thriving church and a body of beautifully gifted sisters that can strive with me.

So my struggle may seem redundant.  But so is my God! He is redundant at keeping me all together–about reminding me of His word–about surrounding me with people that are just like me and can relate with me.  I am NOT alone.  I am in that over and over again place of complete and total victory the same way that you are too.

With Love,

Christina

Dear God,

Thank you for EVERYTHING! I even thank You for the pits of life because if it wasn’t for them I wouldn’t know how to get out. You lead the way EVERY TIME and there is no better place but Your presence. It’s in the light of Your love.

I can worship here.

I can be myself here.

I can laugh here.

I can cry here.

I can vent here until every negative word vanishes from my mind.

I can be real with You because You know me.

I can hold myself knowing You are teaching me and guiding me to be a better version of me.

Even when I feel like I’m running on empty You find a way to replenish my soul—every time.

I find my strength in You.

I find a way through You.

I find the thoughts through Your Word.

I find the peace in the quietness of the days that You give me to sit in silence.

It’s uncluttered and empty of the worlds busy pace.

Here I find You.

Here I see You.

Here I hear You.

And I listen… I listen intently as You keep reminding me of something so dear and that is Your nearness.

As I go closer to You—You match it!

And even if I didn’t, You find me to match it anyway. How thoughtful, how mindful and how great that You are.

You’re just trying to get me to that place where I am still in You, settled in You, safe in You, sound in You, secure in You, seasoned in You.

You know it all and got it all.

Every time…

All I need is You Lord.

All I need is allof You.

That works very well.

My soul knows that very well.

Thank you God.

Amen and Amen.

The Lord is my strength and shield.
I trust Him with all my heart.
He helps me and my heart is filled with joy.
Psalm 28:7

Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings. Hebrews 10:22

Dear Lord, consecrate me for this next season.

Keep changing my mind.

Keep changing my thoughts.

Keep changing my heart.

& Keep changing my ways!

Let the last of this year be in COMPLETE JOY for me! Even through the patchy days & cold seasons. May I rejoice DAILY!

I’d say, I never wanna cry again.

Then there are tears.

Tears to remind me that I am just human and that You are supernatural.

May I put on love-joy-peace and also meditate in Your Word so there is continuous CHANGE!

Flush my mind with the Word of God—the Word that breaks the chains of darkness.

The Word that breaks the chains of doubt.

The Word that breaks the chains of discouragement.

The Word that breaks the chains of depression, anxiety and any ill thing!

Your Word gives me LIFE!!!

Break the chains that try to shackle my mind.

Break the chains Lord—that every thought is taken captive.

Keep renewing, restoring and rebuilding my mind.

R E C A L I B R A T I N G

Because it is a constant war. Let the noise of my thoughts settle. If it’s not gonna bless me now, let me let those things go!

Quickly flush them out of me because those words seal in my heart. I will keep praying and fasting about this! Lord let my mind grow with rich and positive thoughts. Leave a positive message branded in my mind Lord.

Words of LIFE, in the name of Jesus.

I need You God! I need You in my thought life.

Because I can’t think any other way.

Keep changing my mind.

Dear God—that is my prayer.

Amen

Wow–thanks to Pastor Edward Ramirez for such a revelation to close out the year of 2017!

“I have come that they may have LIFE and have it to the FULL.”
John 10:10

My prayer for the day; My prayer for the journey….

Dear God, THANK YOU, for my life, my love, my family and friends. Thank you for keeping me in the midst of a very difficult year. You held it down! You managed to still do so much with me and for others.  I saw smiles in the midst of massive tears.  I heard laughter in the midst of agonizing pain. Thank you because none of us lost our minds in the madness but we found miracles in it.  We saw your hand literally over the face of our family embracing us in the chaos.  You were there just as the Word declares…

“Even there Your hand shall lead me, and Your right hand shall hold me.”
Psalm 139:10

You’re just amazing God because we still have life when we faced death.
We saw light in the midst of darkness.
We see a way in the midst of the deepest valleys.
Your power and glory are there!

So apart from the gratitude here is the simple request that I bring to you in prayer.  May You continue to shower healing and great health over the Mendez family, Arvelo family, Ramirez family, Cruz family, Rivera family and the many more families that I am connected to both in the natural and in the Kingdom! We love you and trust you. This is our year for greatness! Why? Because You were there through the most daunting experiences and You are still here now.  May the family LIVE, LAUGH AND LOVE well.  Let the smiles be radiant and thankful hearts rejoice in this holiday season.  Make it happen –because You will always be the God of the impossible. Amen and Amen.

This is our time to emerge!

With Love,

Christina