Christina Speaks

More lessons from the garden. . . One of the things that caught my attention as I was pulling weeds the other day, was the worms. There were a ton of earthworms crawling through the soil. They thrive on organic matter such as leaves, dead roots, and whatever kind of compost I throw in there. There are all kinds of things that are a part of their lives. Vegetables, flowers, weeds, soil, etc. Their digestive systems turn their castings (poop) into nutrients for the soil, benefiting the whole garden. After a while, I noticed every so often, when I pulled out some weeds, I could see a number of worms clinging to the clump of soil surrounding the roots. Because worms tend to be a good thing to have in a garden, I shook the clumps of soil until the worms fell out, back onto the soil of the garden before I threw out the weeds. They would usually crawl back into the soil, but sometimes they would just lie there, sitting on top of it, exposed to the elements. Once in awhile I would say, “Yo...

Yesterday I was pulling up weeds in my “garden.” The area I call my garden used to be an actual garden full of vegetables and such. Years ago I took great care in fertilizing the soil with compost and even transplanted some worms into the mix. Since then, after I let it go, the soil had been fully supporting and nourishing various kinds of weeds that found their way into those boxes, until yesterday. As I pulled up the weeds, I noticed how some of the weeds don’t look like weeds. Some of them produce beautiful little flowers. Some of them look like a tomato might grow on them at any moment. Some produce beautiful leaves that could complement a wedding bouquet. Some of those weeds are so plant or flower-like, and attractive, you almost hate to pull them up. But, the truth is, they are weeds and will choke the life out of the plant you actually want to grow, and possibly get nourishment from. It’s important to know the difference between the plants and the weeds. If you nourish the w...

There is a member of my family who often makes decisions, to which I usually ask “Why?” They often respond, “There’s no reason, it’s just what I want to do.” I generally get aggravated and explain that there is a reason for EVERYTHING so figure it out! When something is going on, when someone has done something, when circumstances change, we often ask why. Have you ever thought of asking why again, and again, then again, until you get to the very root of why whatever it is happened? There is always a root cause, and it’s usually far from what it appears to be. In this fallen world, the root cause tends to be spiritual. There is a war being fought that we cannot see. “For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” (Ephesians 6:12) It’s important to see beyond what is obvious and rise above it. Knowing what we’re up against i...

The other day I was admiring the marigolds and pansies I had just planted in flower boxes on the porch, when I noticed some dead flowers among them. One by one I began pinching those dead and diseased flowers from the group. Every time I broke one off from the bunch, I heard a little snapping noise. I thought, “That sounds like it hurts,” but the more I removed, the more beautiful the bunches of flowers looked. I knew if I kept it up, they would be more healthy, and more flowers would bloom. I immediately thought of the way God often prunes us. Sometimes there are parts of us that are unhealthy and keep us from blooming. Though it hurts, God knows what to remove from our lives to help us grow and thrive, ultimately enabling us to live the beautiful life he has planned for us. I can’t help but think there has been a lot of pruning happening over the last month. Some of it has been really uncomfortable, hasn’t it? However, I have seen some beautiful things happening around the worl...

Are you still struggling to and accept God’s will for your life? Do you feel like a nobody compared to the people you admire and put on a pedestal? I’ve been struggling with that same thing. But have you ever noticed the screw-ups in the Bible God chose to make history? Let me just name a few of the big players for you. Paul, who used to be Saul, persecuted and murdered God’s people. He later became the greatest preacher of all time. Moses was a murderer with a speech impediment, chosen to lead God’s people to the promised land. Rahab was a sexually promiscuous woman with a bad reputation, whose faith led her to help two men of God. She became a part of the genealogy of Jesus Christ. Simon Peter denied Jesus THREE times. He later dedicated his life to sharing the Gospel with the world. David was a king who impregnated another man’s wife, then had him killed to cover up his own sin. He ended up being named a man after God’s own heart. My guess is that most of you do not...

The other day Isaiah my son Isaiah picked up his cap and gown for a graduation ceremony that will probably never happen. He has been looking forward to that day for almost his whole life, but especially since beating death over 4 years ago. Isaiah is disappointed, but he also knows there are other positive things coming out of this situation. 2020 was supposed to be the year of perfect vision. . . a special graduating class. What a vision they are getting! They have been given an opportunity to pause and reflect on the world around them. To take inventory of who they are, and who they want to be with so much stripped away. A high school graduation ceremony is a right of passage for so many, but it’s not just graduations. This year, there have been and will continue to be many disappointments and shattered dreams. Most of us who live in this country have never had to experience hardship the way citizens in other countries have. We are a truly blessed nation. So what’s happening may fe...

“Hope is the confident expectation that tomorrow will be better than today, Hope in God. He’s proven Himself faithful, even in the midst of life’s toughest storm.” - Dr. Tony Evans For some of you who are struggling emotionally, financially, or in some other way, it may be difficult to hold on to any kind of hope. The future either looks bleak, or life is just too foggy right now to see ahead. In times like these, when you can’t see in front of you, it often helps to look behind you. Look back to the ways God has gotten you this far. It may not be in the way you would have chosen for yourself, but He’s been faithful. The fact that you are sitting with some sort of technological device reading my words right now, means He has brought you through. He is faithful. Hope is commonly used to mean “wish,” but you can do more than wish. When you know the Waymaker, you can have confidence in knowing that He holds you in his hands, and will handle tomorrow. He is already there. Take a deep b...

Over the weekend we remembered the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. Now what? What does it mean for us today? Okay, so Jesus rose from the grave. The fact He did that means He has power over everything holding us in bondage. I can’t think of anything bigger than the bondage of, or the fear of death. What are you facing today that holds you in bondage? Have you fully grasped the fact that when Jesus conquered death (for us), He conquered anything that could ever potentially have power over us? Some of the last words Jesus spoke on the cross were, “It is finished.” He paid it all. It’s done. We won. Do you know what that means? When looking at life with an eternal perspective, we do not need to fear anything. We can learn from the story of Job in the Bible. Job lost everything. His family, his health, his property, everything. He could not understand what in the world God was doing and why He allowed so much to happen to him, but he trusted Him. He had an eternal pers...

Today is Good Friday. I’m going to be honest when I tell you that I’ve never thought much about this day, until now. As I reflect on what today means, especially during this time, I can’t help but cry. This is the day that Jesus the Son of God, died for you and me. I hope the significance of that is not lost on you the way it has been lost on me in the past. Jesus died because He knew His blood was the only thing that would cover our lives. He knew who we would be and what we would do, and still chose to die for each one of us. There is no greater love. As important as it was for Him to die, it was even more significant that He rose again and lives today. Because He lives, we can face tomorrow without fear of what will come. Because He lives, we can find peace in the midst of a global pandemic knowing that all of this is temporary, and our real home is in Heaven. Because He lives, we can find joy regardless of our circumstances. “So we’re not giving up. How could we! Even thoug...