Category Archives: Love

February 26, 2020

Best Vacation Spots

By Christina

I was telling my husband that Miami Beach has got to be one of the best vacation spots ever! Water is so blue, breeze is lovely and the temperature is perfect this time of year! We had some beautiful days here.

Top spot is our trip to the UK in May 2017. We hit London, Scotland and Paris! It was amazing. Two weeks of pure bliss and an unapologetic reset for us. It was much needed for the soul. That same year in November I traveled back to Scotland for an unforgettable 8 day trip with my sisters!

But this year as I sit on Ocean Drive in South Beach Miami—Starbucks and light breeze I cannot help but be in complete awe! This is utterly fascinating. Its lovely here. Lots to do and lots to see. It is certainly relaxing and the same time as upbeat and lively for some evening festivities. We love watching the people and the international diversity. Its like a warmer New York only with sand and palm trees everywhere.

We needed a nice time away. As we just celebrated 21 years married and 28 years together during our Vow Renewal 02.21.2020 in Atlanta Georgia. We couldn’t be more grateful, thankful and blessed! We had a small ceremony, that was intimate with our beautiful family and special friends that make life worth it all. We danced, laughed, shared, ate, traveled around and got stuff done together.

Everything came out perfect… our own version of what perfect looked like. It was exquisite, extraordinary and excellent. What a place to have it… we just took the New York cold with us! It rained a lot in Atlanta more than ever and while there it even dropped to upper 20s and 30s!!! On our vow renewal day—it was sunny skies and brisk. Just enough to make it happen! Then we celebrated! We are overjoyed!

Now we head back to New York today to prepare for work and also our “what’s next” steps. We are ready and keeping all this so prayerful. May God open the necessary doors so that our next half feels just like a nearby vacation everyday. Healthy living and happiness. All things are possible. Trusting God because He said it and does all things perfect in its time. ♥️

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November 1, 2019

Three Week Journey

By Christina

It’s November! And I can already sense so many of the blessings ready to be released.  I am thankful for what God is doing in our midst! I see the blade.

“And He said, “The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground, and should sleep by night and rise by day, and the seed should sprout and grow, he himself does not know how. For the earth yields crops by itself: first the blade, then the head, after that the full grain in the head. But when the grain ripens, immediately he puts in the sickle, because the harvest as come.”
Mark 4:26-29

A M E N to that! I woke in the morning very early! Precisely 2am! I said in my mind as always, “God are You serious?!?”

Yes–He was very serious!

So I prayed… Lord may it be Your will. May it hit that sweet spot. You are my Defender, my Negotiator and the One that worked it up. Sealed the deal over my life. I feel like I am wrestling in the night watches like Jacob did with the angel, saying “I’m not going to leave until You bless me!” I can only keep praying the way I know how. Silently but deeply; contemplative, earnest and in great anticipation. I have my hope anchored in You, remove all doubt and distractions. Make it happen.

Amen … amen…. amen.

I see this late night tweet pop on my phone from Reverend Victor Adeyemi:

“This month, I pray that the hand of the Lord will rest upon you for GREAT EXPLOITS. You will walk in supernatural wisdom, strength and favor for your life and purpose!” Amen!!

Then I go back to sleep. Easy. Keep my peace.

I am waking up to breakfast now in another state away from home, work, church, hustle and bustle. And as hard as it was for us to get down here and drive through the storm, I’m so glad that I’m spending a four day weekend in this beautiful place called Charlottesville, Virginia. It’s sunny, cool and beautiful out here.

My heart is happy. I came off a three week journey in preparation for what’s next. More to come on that.

It’s November!!!! ♥️ Be blessed all!

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October 18, 2019

126 Days!!!

By Christina

Wow I am super excited! Today I was going through a check list in preparation for our wedding vow renewal date and got so caught up!!! So much left to do that I had to get started with pushing out these invites!

I finally finalized our wed-site and blasted it off but I wanna share a little story about us as we move forward in victory.

HOW WE STAYED TOGETHER

FIRST COMES LOVE, THEN COMES MORE LOVE

Our story is beautiful…because it is our own. It is filled with grace and love. It is my first book, “Rebuilt! Beginning the Ending”
It is intimate, powerful, funny, frustrating, painful, forgiving and filled with lots of joy, laughter and love.
We first met back in 1992 over a hang out type of summer with the girls for me, with the guys for him. Then out came the booze and we just schmoozed! It was inevitable. We were leaders in our packs-destined to find each other, explore, have fun, experience life and survive the seasons!
Right off the bat–we knew it was just us from the first date. Then he told me he wanted me to be his wife and that he would give me the world –he does just that everyday.
I do all that I can now to hold our family and he does all that he can to cover this family. Together we make the funniest US! I can say there isn’t a day that is boring together. There isn’t a day that we are not angry with each other LOL, but there isn’t a day that we are not loving each other unconditionally! We both have unique gifts, two beautiful kids, moms that we adore and we work in ministry together. Our life is crazy, busy, fun and growing. And we are excited to say YES again to our next BEST.
We hope that you can celebrate with us too.
With Love,
Juan & Christina Mendez

Let the countdown continue with lots of faith, hope & love. We are excited! ♥️

And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.
Colossians 3:14 ESV

2 Comments | posted in Celebration, Faith, Hope, Inspiration, Love

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