Category Archives: Faith

November 15, 2018

The Struggle Is Where You Learn

By Christina

Dear Christina,
I met you at the conference in Charlottesville; I started reading your book the same day that you tossed it on my lap as you were speaking at the conference on Elizabeth in the Bible. I read it in two days. I wept, I stood up, I curled up with it in my bed, I lifted my voice to the Lord, I personally understand every word and gut wrenching sentiment of your book.  I have survived the unthinkable as well, even death at my door.  I found myself in every page.  Your words Christina, ring our mercy and strength.  I thank you for your book.  Love and prayers…

It is testimonies like this where I can feel that peaceful affirmation that when I sowed it–it was right! I love sowing my books–sowing the words that God gives me. Because every storm we face tells a story.  It paves the way for others. I am sure many of us would wish that we wouldn’t have to struggle. We want everything easy, quick and given to us with no real effort. That is the ideal.  But it doesn’t really happen that way.  In fact some people struggle even more than the average struggle.

I was speaking with my new beautiful boss and she tells me this….

“The struggle is where you learn!”

I said, “Wow! I am writing that down. That was a deep statement!”

Yet it is true! We all struggle and in those places of our struggle, He leads us through it so that we can grow through it. That is what I know and that is what I have learned on my own as well.  It is nothing that I could have learned had things been so easy for me. They never were!

At six –I had no dad at home.

At seven –we were already conformed to a life of poverty, struggle, government dependence and roaches.

At ten –I was already made fun of by every person in the school so I never could feel comfortable with who I was.

At fourteen –I was already introduced to the “hit & quit” over someone I just randomly met a night before.

At sixteen –I already ran away from home to return with a sexually transmitted disease.

At eighteen –I was already pregnant right after High School graduation.

In my twenties –I was still partying and getting high. I was still depressed and still hurting.

In my thirties –after somewhere meeting Jesus at the tail end of twenties, I would learn that Church was really not the “thing” that would keep my saved!

In my forties –I would learn that after much death, darkness and drama that I needed a serious encounter with the God of the Impossible in my life.  So I was Elizabeth too! I was the 88 year old that basically had no movement of life in me. Always left last and by the wayside and on the bottom end of life.

I kept going moment to moment, day to day, week to week and year to year only to discover that when you do that aimlessly you will always experience even MORE loss.

And all through that–what I do know now…… I got to say it…. WHAT I DO KNOW NOW! Is that God is my God! He is my King and He is my everything. He is my friend. He is the One who sustains me. He is the One that has kept me and He truly is the One that has been my Defender in every way possible –all through the impossible dark days and sleepless nights of my life.

There He would find me and there is where I would learn that only in the struggle would I have the deepest roots that I have ever had in Him. So I must say –just like the woman shared such a powerful testimony.  I now know that the words He has given me perhaps will make some want to stray more from me, but for the majority I know they are going to touch the world! ❤ I am at peace with that. The struggle is where I learned how to tell others about the greatest One of ALL!!!!

Amen

Jesus knew they had questions to ask of Him, so He approached them.
Jesus: Are you trying to figure out what I mean when I say you will see Me in a little while? I tell you the truth, a time is approaching when you will weep and mourn while the world is celebrating. You will grieve, but that grief will give birth to great joy. In the same way that a woman labors in great pain during childbirth only to forget the intensity of the pain when she holds her child, when I return, your labored grief will also change into a joy that cannot be stolen.
John 16:19-22

I have told you these things so that you will be whole and at peace. In this world, you will be plagued with times of trouble, but you need not fear; I have triumphed over this corrupt world order.
John 16:33

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October 14, 2018

Hmm My Testimony

By Christina

I was having brunch today with some very important people that God has put in my life and they started to ask us questions….
How did you and your husband meet?
How did you feel about all of this?
What was your view with him coming to Christ?
What about you?

Well–I also pick up this book from Annie F. Downs called “Remember God” and she talks about the importance of her reflecting on all the things that God does and continues to do. So this was a perfect time for the questions to come my way. I can reflect and really see that I didn’t know my purpose. I didn’t know what would make of my life. I had thought I would be some elementary school teacher or something like that. But God’s plan was for me to teach His word. Either through writing or by communicating on any level that He would have for me. In a woman’s meeting, church service. out on the field, testifying to people or any other means –even international.

Most recently, I had the opportunity to share that on a video tapping for TBN Salsa that will soon air across 144 countries in just a few weeks. So I remember God! I have a testimony. He has done great things in my life.  He is continuing to do that now and I know that there is just so much more to come.  It is absolutely amazing.

God does that! He is just amazing, awesome, awe-inspiring in every way.  I love Him. But most importantly –HE JUST LOVES ME!

I can remember very early on in life that things weren’t working out in our favor as a family.  Mom moved us out–me, my brother and her.  We spent the majority of the time on public assistance and my mom trying to get as much work as she could. With the absence of my dad and no real presence in our life after that move, things became worse.  It was an awkward separation that left me wondering…. always wondering AND wandering without a purpose. I didn’t really have anyone sharing to my face that I could be something of value like that.

I disliked life. I disliked our family situation. I disliked myself and everything about me. I didn’t see any value or purpose at all. I just cared less. So I just thought to WASTE my time with meaningless things. Anything.  Like poor relationships, smoke, drinks, lousy parties with people I would never see again.  I had no purpose, no direction, no focus and I was so so sad all the time. I was a miserable and an extremely angry person. I had so much frustration of my past.  I was hateful. There was nothing in me to want to continue except that God was keeping me.

I remember when I finally had an encounter with God. I was so touched because I truly didn’t want to live like this anymore. It is horrible to live with no sense of purpose, love or happiness.  But then that moment opened for me. And even though there were still many trials up ahead for me to face, the fact that I had God in my life only kept me more secure in Him.  His word had power. His voice had authority. His ways had overtook mine.  There was nothing else to do but surrender to the God of my life.

The Dr. told me today –you need to share your testimony because it is powerful.  You have a story to tell –so tell it.  Here is me doing that on a quick blog as I shared so much in my first book “Rebuilt: Beginning the Ending.” God is doing so much. I am blessed. I am favored. I am grateful and I am super thankful for who He is. He has given me a tremendous testimony. I will share it more and I will share MORE! I hope you will share yours too because there is so much more to come.

“At least there is hope for a tree:
if it is cut down, it will sprout again,
and its new shoots will NOT fail!”
Job 14:8

With Love,

Christina

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October 12, 2018

Keep To The Script

By Christina

“Keep your gentle nature so that all people will know what it looks like to walk in His footsteps.  The Lord is ever present with us.  Don’t be anxious about things; instead, PRAY. Pray about everything.  He longs to hear your requests, so talk to God about your needs and be thankful for what has come. And know that the peace of God (a peace that is beyond any and all of our human understanding) will stand watch over your hearts and minds in Jesus, the Anointed One.  Finally, brothers and sisters, fill your minds with beauty and truth. Meditate on whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is virtuous and praiseworthy. Keep to the script: whatever you learned and received and heard and saw in me—do it—and the God of peace will walk with you.”
Philippians 4:4-9 (VOICE)

Isn’t if funny how much we struggle to be still when everything inside of us is going in a million directions.  It makes us flustered, anxious, frustrated, overwhelmed and revved up! But His Word reminds us don’t be anxious about things… instead PRAY! We have to stick to the script—God’s script! God’s Word! God’s plan! God’s ways and His doings.  Because every time we try to go left, rest assured He will find some way to make us go RIGHT!

I had left early yesterday to arrive as a guest on the show TBN Salsa that is going across 140 countries! Wow… OK–Be anxious for NOTHING! Try that in the midst of dead stop traffic…red lights all around!!!! I cannot even express to you how much everyone in my car was on overdrive! LOL

I had to get there early!

Obviously I was late –extremely late.  So much so that they had to change the order of speakers.  I was supposed to go first and be ready to deliver.  What circumstances that were set before me.  It always seems to happen that in someway or another I end up last.  Only God.

So here is the kicker—As we were extremely backed up in this traffic line (had to be there at 6:15 and it was already 6:47) I told my husband –I am going to walk the rest! There is no way we are going to pass thru this and it is less than a mile.  He say to me, “fine, go with Sam and I will meet you there.”

I jump out with Sam and I am going full speed ahead in flip flops on the slippery ground because of the constant rain.  I am on 44th and I have to get to 15th in the city.  By the time I get to 40th my husband calls me and says, “I am already on 39th! Get back in the car, I pulled over and I am waiting for you. This is still moving faster than you it is going to clear up.”

I get back in the car only to hear the Holy Spirit tell me, “You always want to do something else. Always want to move when all you have to do is be still. The first way is the BEST WAY!”  You see, it is not that there are no other ways to get there but we have to go with the way that He takes us.  That is the way that will always get us there faster and at the pace He called us to go with.  Because we get so anxious we want to DO something in the interim.  We want to turn around. We want to quit. We want to try another route. We want to do something else.  We want to try another this or that based on our schedule of life. We always stay fighting against the strong currents that come our way not realizing that those are the things that teach us HOW to be still. It is IN that midst. It is IN that mess. It is IN that route.  It is IN that path. It is IN that waiting where He is working! All the obstacles are the ways that God typically uses to show us the better opportunities.

So no matter what you want to do while you wait, we are just better off getting back in the car and following His lead and His drive.  It will get us there safer. It will get us there timely. It will get us there exactly when we need to be there because I was not supposed to go first on God’s agenda. For Him, He continues to show me time and time again that He will always save the best for last.

God did that.

I have to know that I must keep to the script. His script is better than any one that I could ever try to write up for myself. And I am just extremely thankful.

My message to you this morning is JUST WAIT! Hold on. Keep to the script. Keep to HIS timing for your life. The things that God has for you, the promises, and overwhelming victory is just around the bend. You are going to get there too.

With Love,

Christina

 

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September 2, 2018

What If I Told

By Christina

“But now, thus says the LORD, who created you, O Jacob, And He who formed you, O Israel: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; You are Mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, Nor shall the flame scorch you.”
Isaiah 43:1-2 NKJV

What if I told you as a publishing author of two amazing collections, I am afraid to share?

What If I told you that I am afraid to speak?

What if I told you that I think of myself as so insignificant?

That even after having 27 years of professional experience, Bachelors degree, awards and other accomplishments that I felt like I still have nothing going for me?

What if I told you that I felt so much less every single time I try to take a step forward in the right direction?

What if I told you I felt sad these days?

What if I told you I felt so alone these days?

What if I told you I felt like no one really cared?

What If I told you I felt like I had no support?

What if I told you I felt like the man at the pool of Bethesda?

Or the woman at the well?

Or the man with leprosy?

How about the woman with the issue if blood?

What if I told you most days I just felt so numb?

I don’t want to feel that way anymore when I know that those things are primarily lies in my head!

I know that! But the feelings, the moments, the opposition, the challenges, the fear, the fight… the cost… it really is too great. I also know that most of this will be like a moment.

43 years later, I can tell you these moments are a lifetime. It is such a journey for me. And if it had not been but the Lord, just as the psalmist declared, I just don’t know where I’d really be.

Through everything He is with me.

Through valleys.

Through darkness.

Through loss.

Through defeat.

Through rejection.

Through failure…. ah He is with me in this place.

Reminding me of the very opposite of my war within. That war in my soul. How great that war is when I walk through what I walk through. That even after releasing, “Rise Above Adversity” that I would find myself caught in another whirlwind of great adversity.

What can I do?

What will I do?

What if I also told you, that no matter how low I go or how deep the valleys get that I will STILL do what I know He has called me to do!

“But there are so many authors!!!!”

“Yeah but none that I know like you!”

“But I am at a loss!”

Yeah but you can try this now!”

This is an opportunity for other things to work. I am not gonna quit! Not now! Not ever! My no right now is only a PAUSE! Another push to rest in the very presence of God! To know that even through this, He is with me.

“No doesn’t mean that you stop; it simply means that you change course in order to make it to your destination.” Rachel Hollis (Girl, Wash Your Face)

Things are going to work in my favor. I am more than a conqueror and will have everlasting victory!

What if I told the real authentic story

If I just be who God called me to be.

If you just be all that you are in Christ.

What if I told you and I….

That we just gotta keep trusting the Lord!

Because He is always on our side. ♥️

“Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.”
Psalm 23:4 NIV

“I lift up my eyes to the mountains— where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip— he who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The Lord watches over you— the Lord is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. The Lord will keep you from all harm— he will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore.”
Psalm 121:1-8 NIV

““If it had not been the LORD who was on our side,” Let Israel now say— “If it had not been the LORD who was on our side, When men rose up against us, Then they would have swallowed us alive, When their wrath was kindled against us; Then the waters would have overwhelmed us, The stream would have gone over our soul; Then the swollen waters Would have gone over our soul.” Blessed be the LORD, Who has not given us as prey to their teeth. Our soul has escaped as a bird from the snare of the fowlers; The snare is broken, and we have escaped. Our help is in the name of the LORD, Who made heaven and earth.”
Psalms 124:1-8 NKJV

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