JusChrist4

So here’s what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You’ll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.
Romans 12:1-2 MSG

Yesterday after work, I left and went straight to Target with a target in mind.  I want change.  Change in my mind, change in my diet, change in my scenery and change in my routine.  I really do.  As tired as I was–I went to get things I had in mind that could help.

I came in today refreshed and positive.  I want Christmas here!  So here is how my day began:

• I woke at 5 am for the 40 day prayer rally with Pastor Edward Ramirez.
• I finished with my own personal prayer after the online version ceased.
• I got dressed for workout at my own personal gym that I am building in the basement.
• I drank my water–got showered & ready with new Enagic products.
• I got dressed for work–skirt day & some make up. 🙂
• I jotted down my workout routine in my motivation journal as a tracker.
• I made myself my Vega-One protein shake & gathered my food for the day.
• I left the house with my coffee and belongings–got to work with all the decorations.

As I walked down the corridor with all the decorations in the box–my boss smiled and said –“Wow, what is all this!?” I said, “I am bringing Christmas here!.” She responded, “I just love you for that!”

I decorated the office and soon after the colleagues joined in the holiday fun.  I handed out some stockings and we continued to decorate.  Everybody’s mood was quickly changing and super joyful.  All smiles in their faces. We needed some holiday cheer here.

Just as the Word says–“Take your everyday and bring it before God as an offering!” When we take a positive approach and change our atmosphere, we are bringing God a GREAT offering.  Spreading love and holiday cheer can be every day! Not just in December.  Consistency is key.  A set mind is key.  A smile is key.  I need to be more proactive and intentional about changing my environment on the regular.  I am happy that I got a lot done so far today.

The rest of the day is set for me as I will continue to listen to positive and uplifting music.  I will think on good things [Philippians 4]. I will read throughout the day–as is my norm and I will press for productivity.  The more effort I put in; the more results I will see because I decided to change my atmosphere.

I am ready to do it again tomorrow. ❤  I am an atmosphere changer! So are you!

Happy Holidays all.

With Love,
Christina

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