Christina Speaks

As things continue to be difficult this year, it is important to remember we were created to need each other. When we try to do life alone, it pretty much goes against the spiritual laws of nature, and things go wrong. It is now more important than ever to consider others before ourselves, as we work to get through the rest of this year, and into the next, together. It’s time to drop the pride and restrain our words. When we need help, we’ve got to ask. No one is a mind reade r. When comparing the people of this world to my kids, and how we raised them, I think about the fact that it was never an option for them to fight. Never an option not to get along. We raised them to be kind and love each other. They are not always happy with each other, but when it comes right down to it, they are family, and that takes precedence over anything else. In His word, God told us how to live together. You and I are family. We are all God’s children. Let’s act like it. “Love each other with genuine af

This picture of our son walking right into the middle of our little photoshoot pretty much represents the way 2020 has gone for many of us. We all had such high hopes for this year, didn’t we? Then, uninvited, came the virus, killings, death, strife, divorce, loss of every kind… They were not expected, and certainly not welcome. They walked right into the perfect picture of a year we had planned. It made us mad. It made us sad. It made us question who was really in control. Though not much has gone as planned, I believe we could all find blessings in each day. The sun still rose and set. There were weddings, there were births. Our Creator remains on His throne. This year has been the perfect opportunity to teach our children, and even learn ourselves, that things don’t always go as we hope, so we have to adjust. There’s no point in focusing on what went wrong. Let’s seek what went right, and work to make things even better. Let’s smile more, love harder, and make the best out of what w

I have shared this before, but it came up again, and I felt it was worth the reminder.  If you look at my face here, I was in total freak out mode. For a moment I thought I was plunging to my death. I had forgotten I was attached to my instructor by a harness secured in a few different places. Two at the shoulders, and two at the hips. When we initially jumped from the plane and were free falling at about 120 miles per hour through the sky, it was a little bit scary, but also quite exhilarating. Then it happened. My instructor pulled a “string” releasing the attachment at the hips, changing our position from horizontal to vertical. For a couple of seconds, I completely freaked out, and thought… “This is it. I’m going down, and it’s not gonna be pretty.” Then I felt his hand grab my arm as if to remind me he was still there, right behind me, making sure I was safe. He didn’t need to grab my arm. The harness was secure. He did it because he knew I was scared. Let that sink in for a secon

Oh how I have been deceived by my heart. Haven’t you? Depending on where we are in life, what is happening to us or people we love, what our hormone level is, how our past experiences color our views... what we feel conviction about is not always based on truth.  There are times when I FEEL I know what’s right. I feel it deep in my soul… but is that always based on God’s truth, or just what I’ve always known or been taught to believe? How about you? Many of us invest time and emotions into issues that are not based on God’s word (Though we often believe they are). We often get so caught up in our emotions that it feels like surely HE said it. That’s why it is so important to be still (quiet), taking time to talk to the Creator, and study what He has to say about the things we are passionate about.  We can trust Him. He will never fail us. 

Have you ever been so overwhelmed with whatever you are dealing with in your life, that you have no idea how to pray?  There are times when I feel my words are not adequate or eloquent enough to be worthy of answering. I sometimes feel that if I come up with the proper length or sequence of words, then maybe God will hear me more clearly. Well, that is not the case. Though we need to keep an open line of communication, God knows we will not always be able to express what is in our hearts. So, it’s a good thing He already knows what’s in there. Maybe you are like I am and all you can come up with is, “Lord, help me.” That’s okay. Romans 8:26 says, “And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for. But the Holy Spirit prays for us with groanings that cannot be expressed in words.” Don’t worry. The Creator knows your heart. You may not always know what to say, but take time to spend time in His presence.  He adores you, and wants to be

It’s hard to remember this.  A handful of things go wrong in one day, and we think we’ve had a bad day. There are no bad days, only bad moments. Acknowledge them, then move on. Choose joy regardless of your circumstances. We may not be happy with our circumstances, but we can still find joy in the midst of them.  “I have told you these things so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow!" John 15:11-12

Everybody’s got a title, but do you know your name? That question was posed in a Kirk Franklin song I heard yesterday, and it brought tears to my eyes. Who am I? So many of us carry titles. Parent, spouse, divorcee, widow, sibling, teacher, doctor, fixer, helper, a minister… the list goes on and on. There are too many to name. We tend to get lost in those titles, forgetting, or not even really knowing who we are. Our insecurities, our failures, and especially the accusing enemy, make us doubt who we are. He tells us we are less than, rejected, lost, worthless, failures… Some titles come and go as our circumstances shift, though when we live in Christ, the names God calls us never change. What other people call us is irrelevant. Who does God say we are? We are CHOSEN 1 Peter 2:9 JUSTIFIED and REDEEMED (Romans 3:24) We are LOVED. (John 3:16) He calls us FRIEND (John 15:15) TRIUMPHANT (2 Corinthians 2:14)  RIGHTEOUS (2 Corinthians 5:21)   An HEIR of God Galatians 4:7  ACCEPTED (Romans 15:

It just keeps coming, doesn’t it? So many issues piling up from day to day. Though there is a lot to deal with, many of us have taken on burdens that are absolutely not our responsibility... Especially how our “neighbor” lives, believes, votes, acts, etc.  There’s something I need to be reminded of often, and you might too. We are not called to make sure everyone else is godly. We are called to make sure we are living godly lives. The best testimony is how we live, and that our words mirror our lives. The best we can do today as Christ-followers is to truly seek to live the way Jesus did. Take a look at His word and see how He treated people, even those who were not living the way God intended. He loved them into the Kingdom. He never shamed them. “Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for him to act. Don’t worry about evil people who prosper or fret about their wicked schemes.” Psalm 37:7 Yes, we know there are people out there who are not living the way they shou

I’ve been talking a lot about what it should look like to be a Christ-follower in this day and age. It’s no secret that I’ve been grieved over our behavior in recent times. I’ve had to check my own heart in all of this, and still have a ways to go. “Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children and walk in the way of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” Ephesians 5:1 Christ gave His whole LIFE. Can we not sacrifice the ugly, selfish, accusing words that come out of our mouths, or onto the computer screen? We often disguise our words with a cloak of well-meaning, but our hearts know when our words contain venom. “You have been set apart as holy to the Lord your God, and he has chosen you from all the nations of the earth to be his own special treasure.” ‭‭Deuteronomy‬ ‭14:2‬ ‭NLT‬‬ Being set apart means we should look different than anyone expects us to. Love when it doesn’t seem to make sense. Some say all w

2020 has been a less than desirable year. For many of us, it has been difficult to find things to be thankful for. It can be difficult to see past the isolation, the division, the sickness, the death, and the various issues we are facing today. James 1:2-4 says, “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be matur e and complete, not lacking anything.” I get it. I don’t think we are ever thrilled to go through trials, but what we are learning and gaining from those trials can bring us joy. Make no mistake. It’s not easy and sometimes takes work to find the good. The end of May was one of the most emotionally exhausting times I have ever been through. It was difficult to sleep, hard to eat, and I felt like crying every minute. However, I learned so much, and there were things that had been in the dark that were brought to lig

I know I may have offended some of you yesterday, and may lose you today, but I feel compelled to share a few more thoughts on this subject. I am specifically speaking to so many who use Jesus to further their own personal or political agendas. When posting about various political figures or topics we believe in so much, let’s be aware that we may be contributing to division. What many of us forget (because we mostly hear from people that agree with us) is that not everyone stands where we do. So when we align ourselves with a particular person or party, we alienate a whole group of people… the very people we profess we are trying to reach. Do you see the problem?  When we align ourselves with that particular person or party in the name of Jesus, those people will not see Jesus in it. They won’t. They will only see us imposing our right to speak against them.  Yes. We have really good points, but God’s Word has better ones. Let it speak for itself. Do we not believe the story of Jesus

I’m not even sure where to start today. I am disappointed, perplexed, flabbergasted, overwhelmed… by the behavior of so many who claim the name of Jesus. The fighting, the threatening, the belittling is out of control. Consider this post, me, standing on a chair in the middle of this social media room screaming…. STOOOOOPPPP!!! I want to remind you of the enemy we have out there. His purpose is to steal, kill, and destroy (John 10:10). When participating in these “discussions” we willingly contribute to a plot to divide the church. I get it. Sometimes it’s quite literally painful not to respond when someone says something that offends you, angers you, or is just plain stupid in your mind... or maybe that’s just me. “Fools show their annoyance at once, but the prudent overlook an insult.” Proverbs 12:16 We are often concerned about our rights being violated, or freedoms being taken away, but we must stop and think about what we are fighting for or against when speaking to a brother or s

Many people have been talking about how this political season, along with the pandemic has revealed people’s true colors. Friendships have been lost, families estranged, many relationships broken. There has been a great deal of heartbreak. Though I have been shocked by the truth of these various colors, I also realize, life is iridescent. It reveals colors that seem to change when seen from different angles. Though we are seeing colors from people we never thought we would, w e also have to remember, like us, they have the potential to change. What may look like a character flaw could be an issue of a different color we cannot understand until perspectives shift a bit, allowing us to see something we couldn’t before, offering a place of understanding. Consider a bubble. When you see it in a certain light, you can find various colors. It is iridescent. The circumstances around the bubble will determine what colors you can find in it. The wind, or even one’s breath can send it soaring to

As I drove home from a wedding the other night, I reflected on the feeling I had throughout the celebration, that something was off. It was a day when our country received news that changed history. There was so much going on in the world around us, yet there we were focused on and celebrating a beautiful couple, beginning their new lives together.  Life continues on. We get so caught up in the temporary, that we often forget to stop and celebrate life. Births, weddings, graduations, baptisms, life accomplishments. I know I know I know. You are feeling so many feelings right now. I am too. For the sake of unity, I will not share all of my thoughts and feelings in this current climate. I often have a great desire to lament over who has been offensive, and who I believe is wrong, or crazy, or misguided. I want to exercise my right to tell  you why I am right and they are wrong, but I know, in this space, it is just not helpful. However, I will share the feeling that I have today, and hav

If you claim the name of Jesus, this message is for you. “Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ? Any comfort from his love? Any fellowship together in the Spirit? Are your hearts tender and compassionate? Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose. Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too. You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had.  Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross. Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other

It amazes me how God’s word can be so in line with the present times. It’s not always easy to accept, but it is the truth. “You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you! Trust in the Lord always, for the Lord GOD is the eternal Rock. He humbles the proud and brings down the arrogant city. He brings it down to the dust. The poor and oppressed trample it underfoot, and the needy walk all over it. But for those who are righteous, the w ay is not steep and rough. You are a God who does what is right, and you smooth out the path ahead of them. Lord, we show our trust in you by obeying your laws; our heart’s desire is to glorify your name. In the night I search for you; in the morning I earnestly seek you. For only when you come to judge the earth will people learn what is right. Your kindness to the wicked does not make them do good. Although others do right, the wicked keep doing wrong and take no notice of the Lord’s majesty. O Lord, they pay no

I am seeing many posts telling people that they need to prepare for another Civil War. Apparently, there are people threatening violence if tonight doesn’t go the way they hoped it would. After reading many of those, my anxiety level got pretty high. I want to remind you that fear is a tactic of the evil one. Don’t fall for it. Don’t share it. Please do not act or react out of it. Remember who and Whose you are, then act accordingly. Our God is bigger, and prayer works.   Pray for peace and unity.

Today is the day, and if you are anything like several people I’ve talked to over the past week, you may be freaking out. I get it. I have moments of freak out as well. Moments. Then I remember that I am the daughter of the Almighty King, and I don't need to worry. You are one of his kids too. Because our Father holds the highest position in the universe, we can trust that no matter what happens today He will uphold us with His righteous hand (Isaiah 41:10). Breathe in. Be anxious for nothing. Breathe out. Regardless of who wins tomorrow, there will be some feelings. You may be dealing with your own disappointment, or the disappointment of others. Either way, stop, take a breath and say, “I will put my trust in you.” (Psalms 56:3) Breathe in. “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he’s done. Then you will experience God‘s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. This peace will guard your hearts

  Whether we like it or not, it’s happening. Tomorrow will be yet another monumental day in our country this year. There are many thoughts and opinions concerning each candidate, but the one that truly matters is the one who created each one of us.  We have all seen a lot of energy being put into uplifting or putting down those running for office, and some of us have done the same to their supporters.  First of all, we forget that these men and women are mere humans just like us. Why are we putting them and their positions above those we claim to love? Psalms 146:3-4 says, “ Don’t put your confidence in powerful people; there is no help for you there. When they breathe their last, they return to the earth, and all their plans die with them.” ‭‭ Where does that leave us when the dust clears? Yesterday, Matt Atnip, the minister of my church reminded us, “We vote without expecting the person we vote for to love our neighbor for us, or feed the hungry for us, to value life for us, to fight