Category Archives: Identity

July 7, 2020

Best Seasons

By Christina

img_7922

Fix your thoughts on what is TRUE & GOOD & RIGHT! Think about things that are lovely & dwell on the fine, good things in others.  Think about all you can praise God for and be glad about.  
Philippians 4:8 TLB

Seven/Seven! We have to enjoy the best season ever! Summer is here and so far such a great start. I pray that this season continues to allow us all to flourish into all that God has for us.  I truly cannot complain at all.  I would have to say for myself — I am in one of the best seasons of my life.  “One of the Best!” Because there were so many other challenging seasons that I was able to grow internally & externally.  

However — As I reflect and acknowledge the season that I am in now turning 45 on July 4th, I am grateful.  I am able to do things that I have wanted to accomplish before this pandemic.  Taking care of a lot of house items, organizing and online ministry.  The best for me, is my career.  

I love LOVE loveeeeeeeeeeee being able to work from home! It truly has been such a blessing for me in disguise. I would never have wished for this impromptu crisis to occur but for me it was a cross-over to a greater place for me to flourish in every aspect of my life. I am feeling great…working strategically and more effectively… able to get things done timely with having the opportunity to control my pace and have the quietness I need to get a lot of tasks done. I am more productive.

I invested a lot in this home work space environment.  Furniture — nice desk, office chair, seat pillow, tables, moved my PC and printers.  Organized desk items and brought in all basic supplies that would help me. I even found an old HP Color LaserJet –the good heavy duty kind that prints like a charm!  You don’t even realize what you have until you dig deep in the areas that are hidden right! 🙂 

I am meditating on good things –to keep focused and so I continue in a journey and path to flourish.  I work daily, document progress and plan strategically for all of my items.  I manage from day to day in a balanced method that works well for me.  Strategy is all of it!  From mentors and coaches that I have guiding me along the way -they share with me the insight that will help me to get my mindset focused!

This place that I am in now is an alternate universe to what I was used to.  It is time to pull out all the strengths as I manage the weakness that we can all find.  Tap into the treasure and manage the thorns. If I want to be significant in life — I have to maximize and capitalize on this season that I am in.  Move from being a transactional leader to a transformational leader.  Understand what relevance really is. Do the things behind the scenes and be more strategic. Enforce and Reinforce the things that bring empowerment to the lives of others.

I have experienced where situations, relationships or methods didn’t work well for me.  Lots of places of failure.  But I didn’t stay there.  That I know. There was always more for me.  The moments where I had to walk away was where I met an exceptional strength that I never knew existed.  🙂 Pivotal!

A teacher asked her top A student how he dealt with receiving a bad grade in a higher course that he had taken.  Here is what he said:

“I did feel bad — I did — but I didn’t dwell on it.  I knew it was done. I knew I had to focus on what to do next. So I went to my teacher and asked for help.  I basically tried to figure out, you know, what I did wrong. What I needed to do differently.”
Grit, By Angela Duckworth

So in this season that we are in –it can be wasted if we don’t learn how to do things differently and in a better way. As I pass from one season to the next, there are so many lessons enfolded.  I pull them out, reflect and keep going.  I keep growing. I keep learning. I keep trying to do things more strategically. I do talk to myself YES.  And I talk to my God and look for the guidance I truly need that helps me in the moment that I need it. NOW! 

Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.
~Thomas Edison 

Growth & Comfort do not coexist!
~Virginia Rometty

 

3 Comments   |  tags: | posted in Emerging, Encouragement, Grit, Growth, Identity, Inspiration, Mindset, Transition

February 3, 2020

Motivation Monday — Need it?

By Christina

Everything negative –pressure, challenges is all an opportunity for me to rise (higher).
Kobe Bryant

For a righteous man falls seven times, and rises up again.
Proverbs 24:16 WEB

One week there is a major loss and the next is a major high as everyone joined to watch the Latina women shake their shelves on Super Bowl Sunday. The world was glued on both.
I did watch the opening of the Lakers game with my husband this past weekend too. The tribute was very touching. ❤ The game continued.  So much news and everything comes and goes.

Now today we have to create our own sunshine. We have to be positive on what we have today. Being positive in a negative situation is not naive. It’s leadership. After having a tremendous first turnout for the Leadership Masterclass this weekend –today we decide to walk in this mindset!

We will give sharp focus towards our goals and not look in any other direction but ahead.
We decide what kind of life we really want and say no to everything else that isn’t that!

Progress is impossible without change –so we have to embrace CHANGE! We have to change what we do today if we want results! Anything is possible if we got enough nerve to step out and DO! We cannot become what we want by remaining where we are. Change is possible. If we change nothing then nothing changes. Simple.

Our old ways wont open NEW doors!

The key to our success is to start before we are ready! The truth of the matter is that most days we are never going to “feel” ready. We are not going to “feel” like anything and we cannot be governed by that. We will never grow where we are comfortable. It’s time to get moving no matter what.

This day is filled with possibilities and potential for us. What can we do today in preparation for tomorrow. The clock is ticking and we feel like we are running out of time –so much was wasted but we have to redeem it.

So let’s get strong –and let’s toughen up. Time to move past the petty so that we can get steady!

Top 4 things below:

  1. They move on
  2. They invest their energy in the present
  3. They are willing to fail
  4. They think productively

1 Comment | posted in Emerging, Encouragement, Faith, Hope, Identity, Inspiration, Reset, Rise

October 20, 2019

With EVERYTHING

By Christina

What will it take for us to go a little more deeper… a little more further… a little more innovative and creative?

There was a young man in the bible that was taken away in exile and during his dark season produced the most excellent character and works.  He took his situation and didn’t count it as a loss but made it an opportunity for him to be tested for GREATNESS.

He knew who he was and WHOSE he belonged too –even in an adverse situation that was against all hope.  He wasn’t free–he was held captive –a prisoner. But all through that he lived a more excellent way.  He tested those that came before him to TEST him.  So that the true royalty upon his life would be in complete demonstration and manifestation.

What are you manifesting in your moments of captivity?

What are you demonstrating in the dark seasons of your life?

What are excelling in when it feels like you have been imprisoned?

Are you willing to give MORE? Are you willing to do things with EVERYTHING that you know that you have to give! That is what you call EXCELLENT. Dictionary.com says that to be excellent is possessing outstanding quality or superior merit; remarkably good. It means that it is above average, above the norm.

What will it cost you to give it all? What will it cost you to give one more step or one more push to EXCEL?

The Bible says in Daniel Chapter 1:6-19

Among those who were chosen were some from Judah: Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah.  The Chief official gave them new names: to Daniel, the name Belshazzar; to Hananiah, Shadrach; to Mishael, Meshach; and to Azariah, Abednego.  But Daniel resolved not to define himself with the royal food and wine, and he asked the chief official for permission not to defile himself this way.  Now God had caused the official to show favor and compassion to Daniel, but the official told Daniel, “I am afraid of my lord the king, who has assigned your food and drink.  Why should he see you looking worse than the other young men your age? The king would then have my head because of you.” Daniel then said to the guard whom the chief official had appointed over Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah, “Please TEST your servants for ten days: Give us nothing but vegetables to eat and water to drink.  Then compare our appearance with that of the young men who eat the royal food, and treat your servants in accordance with what you see.” So he AGREED to this and TESTED then for ten days.  At the end of the ten days they looked HEALTHIER and BETTER nourished than any of the young men who ate the royal food.  So the guard took away their choice food and the wine they were to drink and gave them vegetables instead.  To these four young men God gave knowledge and understanding of all kinds of literature and learning.  And Daniel could understand visions and dreams of all kinds. At the end of the time set by the king to bring them into his service, the chief official presented them to Nebuchadnezzar.  The king talked with them, and he found NONE EQUAL to Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael and Azariah; so they entered the king’s service.

You have to understand that in the TEST you have to DO! And not just a little, an effort, a move, a task here or there but you have to give your all! It’s all in.  All or nothing. Understanding what the will of the Lord is and carrying out to fulfillment for the rest.

Even then in the very beginning of the test, we see that God was an advocate for Daniel because he was DIFFERENT.  He had a relationship with God.  He had the favor of God.  Daniel didn’t wait to be told to do something, he acted out and took a step of faith.  He took a step of excellence.

Look at the results of their excellence.  There was none found equal to these men.  That means they were OUTSTANDING… it means that they were excellent. They were promoted from the kings prison to the kings palace.

What can we do in our level of service to God, to our families, at our jobs, at church or any place that we volunteer to help. Can we be the BEST? Can we give the best? What can do to take a step further? Can we give all that we have to obtain the goal of a united community and environment of collaboration? This is what God wants us to do. The result is good. The result is favor. The result is that even when it is tough, dark or difficult that God will be the advocate for you to make you stand out among the rest.

Promotion is knocking on your door.  Favor is chasing you down. Transition is coming your way.  Good things are in store for you and your family.  Transformation is inevitable.  The harvest is here. All we have to do is give it our best and nothing less. Because less than that –is simply not excellent.

We can just be one step away from excellence. One day, one touch, one word, one moment, one opportunity, one act of faith –to say, “Test your servant!”

With everything.

Innovate. Create. Lead with diligence and excellence, so that you can walk in the harvest God designated for you.

With Love,
Christina ❤

C

Leave a comment | posted in Emerging, Faith, Health, Identity, Inspiration, Transition

October 13, 2019

LOOK UP

By Christina

“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.”
Psalms 121:1-8 NIV

Amen, what an amazing promise that God will watch over us. All we need to do is look up. Look up to Him.

Many times in life, we tend to look back at our past. We look to our side circumstances or situation. Or some of us even look down upon our situation in fear, doubt, guilt or shame!

But the one place that God always wants us to look is UP! That is where He is. That is where purpose is. That is where the promise is, when we keep our eyes fixated on Him. When we have our ears attentive to His Word and not on the waves of life.

It is so easy to look behind us. It can be a crutch for us to look BACK!!! We think of the memories and often result to the things that are familiar. When God is pushing us to move forward, we hold ourselves back as hostages when we don’t allow ourselves to move ahead to what is next!

Another struggle that we have is to look at our situation! We magnify our problems when the One we need to magnify is GOD! The promise keeper! The Way Maker!!!! The light in any darkness we may face… He will carry is through (Isaiah 43)! That is a promise bigger than any problem that tries to present itself!

Some of us have an issue with looking down upon ourselves. We easily get distracted, discouraged, distressed, disengaged, disheartened and disappointed! Why? Because we allow the enemy to plant these seeds (negative thoughts) into our head when we don’t see things working out in our favor as quickly as we want it to!!

But here is what I want to encourage you with today!

Don’t keep looking back! It is over! Done! Finished! Move on from the past and learn to embrace a bright future of endless possibilities!

Discard every negative lying thought!!!!

Understand WHO and how powerful you are in Christ!!!

You don’t need to compare your life with others, God has written yours amazingly! He is not working on it… He is working on YOU! All that He has for you is done and selected… in time you will see and understand all that. God is not writing your story—He has WRITTEN your story, Psalm 139 tells us so!

And lastly DON’T LOOK DOWN! LOOK UP!

You were made for more! You are a king or a queen! You are a chosen generation! A royal priesthood!!! You are more than a conqueror! You are the head and not the tail! You stand victorious!

STAY POSITIVE! Stay prayerful! Keep your eyes on the One that will cover you all of your days!!! There’s so much more for you to do— now let’s just get to it!

Look on UP!!!

1 Comment | posted in Encouragement, Faith, Identity, Inspiration, Love, Rise, Trust