Category Archives: Trust

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

Leave a comment | posted in Emerging, Encouragement, Faith, Inspiration, Trust

August 19, 2018

Seed

By Christina

FOR NOTHING IS IMPOSSIBLE WITH GOD!
Luke 1:37

Winding down for the evening as thoughts of tomorrow keep pressing me. I get this knot in my stomach when stuff is just so off.

I want everything to be in place.

I want joy.

I want peace.

I want things to work out and not have to be so out of reach for me.

I can’t have one thing run good and let it stay that way without any other friction surfacing at the same time.

Today I got my first seed for “Rise Above Adversity!” My second book release. I waited all day for this book to come in yesterday from Amazon—finally to see it live! So I ordered this special copy for myself intended to keep it.

When the book arrives last night and I examine it, the book is smaller than Rebuilt. I said, “Wow, it’s beautiful but I can’t sell this for $20!!!” And my husband said “Don’t worry —yes you can. It is not about the size of the book but the content that is in it.” So I asked our administrator too (lol) and he said “It’s fine, people will buy it but if you feel like to change it then whatever.”

I am walking around with the book and when we got to a second church to preach as a guest in New Jersey, a man begged me for MY BOOK!!! I’m like, “NO! This is my copy.” He said “I am not leaving without that book I need it!” I said “Okay fine …” I hand him the book and he gave me folded money. He was super happy. I just threw it in my bag. A few minutes later I look and I am like this is a $20 bill but I come to see it is $50!!!!! The Spirit told me, “Don’t put a price on that book! It is a seed!” 😱😱 Glory to Jesus 🙏🏽🙌🏽

A seed! Both things happen to the seed…. it gets buried in the ground and also planted. The burying part is the rough part. Because you see nothing. Even the seed is covered. It’s dark, dirty and deep within so no one can see. You would think that this is OVER FOR THE SEED!

Nope! It is just being planted when it gets buried that deep. We always go through both simultaneously. The bad and the good. Except the good is really going to be amazing. For just when things look impossible….. they are possible. For it is only for a moment and a temporary time that the seed is buried unseen!

The deeper it is buried and with the right soil (our care of the Word) it is going to sprout to be such a harvest! It is possible. God says, IMPOSSIBLE means that IM POSSIBLE!!!

Huge note to self….

I am just writing to myself here once again.

May every doubt be canceled! I must believe–nothing is impossible for my God.

Let go of the doubt Chris, when it tries to bury you fast. It’s going to be a harvest! Have faith!

This seed is my harvest.

Leave a comment | posted in Book Release, Celebration, Encouragement, Faith, Inspiration, Trust

August 7, 2018

Purposeful Over Positional

By Christina

God said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the sea and the waters will come back over the Egyptians, over their chariots, over their horsemen.”
Moses stretched his hand out over the sea: As the day broke and the Egyptians were running, the sea returned to its place as before. God dumped the Egyptians in the middle of the sea. The waters returned, drowning the chariots and riders of Pharaoh’s army that had chased after Israel into the sea. Not one of them survived.
But the Israelites walked right through the middle of the sea on dry ground, the waters forming a wall to the right and to the left. God delivered Israel that day from the oppression of the Egyptians. And Israel looked at the Egyptian dead, washed up on the shore of the sea, and realized the tremendous power that God brought against the Egyptians. The people were in reverent awe before God and trusted in God and his servant Moses.
Exodus 14:26-31

God said. Moses stretch. The Israelites walked.

God always speaks a word to us and when He does it requires us to stretch.  For when we do that, not only will things be formed for us but it gives us the ability to walk and allow others to walk through too. Such tremendous faith that it requires from us when God says to do something or gives us a word of what is to come for our future. Some things are more heavier then others and there is always a cost involved to get to the other side.

I been pondering on the life of Moses for some time now.  He gets to see the impossible –possible! What a great start to an emerging victory for the Israelites.  Problem is –that was just the beginning for them.  It took them so long to get to the position and location that God intended for them.  They fussed.  They fought.  They fumed.  They grew faith in some cases and other times they grew frustrated and fatigued!

Don’t we all.

How long does it take to get to the position and place that He has for us.

And so I had a dream last night.  In the dream, I was uplifting others. Inside there were tears falling that no one could see.  There were three instances where God wanted me to minister.  I saw people perplexed, troubled and depressed.  It looked like they were lost. Sometimes like how I feel. Never there yet but trying to be purposeful.  Trying to make the most of my situation when things go from bad to worst.

I encouraged a few in this dream…one by the way of an elevator, the other by some steps and another setting in an auditorium seating.  I said before waking up, “It is not where you are physically but where you are internally.  It is being purposeful over positional.”

Then I woke up…. The story of Jesus at the cross came to my mind.  The story of Moses came to my mind.  It was as if the spirit was preparing not a sermon for me but a sermon IN me.  I wrote it all down.  Because I know I am not there yet! And it frustrates me! It overwhelmes me! But one thing that I do know–is that God is hovering over me, even in my sleep to let me know that He has a purpose for me.

I was telling those people in the dream–“It is not about where you are physically but where you are internally!”

I was telling them–but God was using me to tell me too! I have to live out my purpose every day.  No matter how extensive or variegated my journey may be. If its 40 days, 40 months or I get to another 40 years–it is all about where I am internally so that I can use it to pull on my purpose.

More to come…. stay tuned. #lifeofmoses #themanydayjourney

 

1 Comment   |  tags: | posted in Forty, Inspiration, Peace, Transition, Trust

July 30, 2018

Mistakes Are A Part Of The Journey

By Christina

Lord, hear my prayer, listen to my cry for mercy;

In your faithfulness and righteousness come to my relief.

Do not bring your servant into judgment, for no one living is righteous before you.

The enemy pursues me, he crushes me to the ground; he makes me dwell in the darkness like those long dead.

So my spirit grows faint within me; my heart within me is dismayed.

I remember the days of long ago; I meditate on all your works and consider what your hands have done.

I spread out my hands to you; I thirst for you like a parched land.

Answer me quickly, Lord; my spirit fails. Do not hide your face from me or I will be like those who go down to the pit.

Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I entrust my life.

Rescue me from my enemies, Lord, for I hide myself in you.

Teach me to do your will, for you are my God; may your good Spirit lead me on level ground.

For your name’s sake, Lord, preserve my life; in your righteousness, bring me out of trouble.

In your unfailing love, silence my enemies; destroy all my foes, for I am your servant.”

Psalm 143:1-12 NIV

What a word! For to You I entrust my life!!!

Right now I am learning by making all these big mistakes!

It is so frustrating.

Complicated.

Overwhelming.

A system overload.

Information after information….

My husband says all the time:

“Information without transformation leads to frustration!”

I wanna be there already.

But if I am going to entrust my life to God then I have to be willing to learn!

And some of the greatest lessons come out of the biggest mistakes.

How else will we learn? That is called trying.

And trying will inevitably cause mistakes.

When you try like me… LOL it causes BIG mistakes.

I have to learn.

I have to listen.

That can only happen on a TRAINING ground not a teaching ground.

You see teaching is what informs you, while training is what actually forms you.

Training is the WORK!

The “on-the-job” lessons that you could never get by being taught. You have to do. Training does that. This is how we live. This is how we learn.

This is how we improve. This is how we get better.

This is how we become the BEST version of you!

By making mistakes…. big ones, little ones, any ones!

Just entrust your life to Him and know that He works ALL things together for good.

So in my journey… mistakes are a very big part of that. It leads me to a place of peace, believing that the best is yet to come, just because I tried that much. ♥️

Sincerely,

Chrizzy

Leave a comment | posted in Encouragement, Faith, Hope, Inspiration, Trust