Christina Speaks

For the next two days, I’d like to focus on prayer. I believe in the power of prayer, so I pray. I know there are some of you out there who are struggling to pray. I get it. I’ve been there. So until you get back to a place where you can, let me pray for you. If you pray a lot, then allow me to join you. Leave your prayer requests in the comments (especially if you would like others to pray as well), or go to christinacustodio.com and choose “contact” to send them that way “I am praying to you because I know you will answer, O God. Bend down and listen as I pray. Show me your unfailing love in wonderful ways. By your mighty power you rescue those who seek refuge from their enemies.” -‭‭Psalms‬ ‭17:6-7‬ ‭NLT‬‬ I am also asking that you continue to pray for us and my husband’s job search. Please pray that the wrong is made right.  I look forward to praying for you. ❤️

We are almost through the first month of the year, and some of us are still having trouble letting go of things out of our control. So much has happened in the last year. So much.  Some of us are still caught up in what should be, what could have been, and whose fault it is. It can become a very unhealthy cycle of negativity. Each of us is responsible for our own attitudes. We are accountable for what we say and do, not what other people say or do.  I read something that speaks to this the other day. “Instead of murmuring about the situation you are in or waiting for the right circumstance to come along, start being accountable in every situation that God places you in. When you learn to give your best at all times, you will please God. And when God is pleased, He will surely bless you. Choose to be accountable irrespective of place, time, or the people watching.”  Philippians 4:8 says, “And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing. Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorab

“Every selfless act of love is a declaration of faith.” -Bob Goff I don’t have a lot to add to this, except the reminder that the greatest and most important commandment in all the Bible is about LOVE.  Let’s for a moment forget about our opinions, our beliefs, our political parties, our various “statuses,” and consider this scripture. “Teacher, which is the most important commandment in the law of Moses?” Jesus replied, ‘You must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.” ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭22:36-40‬ ‭NLT‬‬ Did you see that? The ENTIRE law is based on love. Strip away all of the things that tend to consume our lives… the things we allow to consume our thoughts.  Where is the love?  Are we obedient to this commandment first, or is it simply an afterthought? Are w

The other day, I read a beautiful devotional written by my friend LeeAnn Kirkindoll. She talked about the process of transformation butterflies go through. For hours a caterpillar will struggle to force its body through a small opening of its cocoon. She explained that the small pinpoint of light the opening provides is what the new butterfly uses as a guide to reach its final destination. She continued to explain that the caterpillar is fighting for his life as it pushes through. The journey through that tiny opening is extremely hard. Sometimes it seems like it will never make it.  But once it completes the brutal transformation process the outcome is not only miraculous but also stunning. During these sometimes dark times, Jesus has been my light. The only way I have continued to push through is by keeping my eyes on Him. I know many of you are struggling to become something more. Struggling to find a place of peace and a place of beauty regardless of your circumstances. Keep pushin

I t’s been such a heavy week, so I want to lighten things up a bit.  Something amazing happened last night. If you were here yesterday, you may have read my post about unity. Unity doesn’t mean we agree on everything, but as we learned, it is a oneness of purpose. Last night, I was moved by something that happened on my personal timeline.  I wrote, “I think we can all agree that Bernie Sanders is the first step in the unification of our people.” (If you are confused about this statement, please google Bernie Sanders Memes) For the first time in a while, I saw my very diverse group of friends come together under that post. I saw so much joy, as Republicans, Democrats, Libertarians, etc. came together with one common goal… To laugh! As silly as it sounds, I literally teared up as different people contributed to the party with Bernie meme after meme. It was the best thing. I believe that’s what was, and is happening all over the country right now. Unity. Unity over silly memes, at the exp

Yesterday was quite a historic day, in more ways than one.  For some there was celebration. For others, there were sad tears. But every one of us should have felt a desire for unity.  How many of us saw a message of unity from another, but refused to “react” to it, or share it, because it came from someone on the other side of our own politics? I know I struggled with it, as I have struggled with many different emotions this season.  I have no problem sharing my thoughts, but have made a conscious decision to keep many of those thoughts confined to private conversations of mutual love and respect. We may not agree on everything, but we agree to love each other anyway.  Here’s the thing. In the end, we will all answer to our Creator. He will not ask what candidates we supported. He will not ask what protests we marched in. He will not ask how many arguments we had, or memes we posted in His name. He will want to know how we loved each other. “Finally, all of you should be of one mind. S

Today is a big day in our country just like it is every four years. Many are in freak out mode, so I have a question. WHY? I mean, do you believe that God is who He said He is? Don’t answer too quickly, because I’m going to be straight up and say, if any of us who claim the name of Jesus are fearful of the future, or believe that one man holds the power to make or break our lives, then saying we believe God is simply not the truth. If you believe God, then I hope you will be praising Him today, tomorrow, and the next day, then the day after that. Praise Him regardless of the circumstances. Praise Him because you trust that He already has things handled. Nothing has changed in Heaven. “Remember your leaders who taught you the word of God. Think of all the good that has come from their lives, and follow the example of their faith. Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” ‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭13:7-8‬  If you have struggled to trust God in all circumstances, no problem, you can star

Too many of us have been duped, deceived, tricked, bamboozled!! Too many of us have been wasting time, caught up in the distractions orchestrated and puppeteered by the evil one. Too many of us think we are fighting for something good, when we are actually fulfilling the agenda of the abominable. Too many of us have lost sight of our own purpose while trying to control, shame, and condemn another’s. Some of us have reached a point where we have paused long enough to look around to finally see the havoc brought by pride, selfishness, and judgment. This is where we are. This is not where we have to stay. The one thing I believe we can all agree on, the one thing that will unify us if we let it, is love and a true desire for peace. We must abandon the desire to be right and pursue the right to be free in Christ. If we love Jesus, then we will allow that love to overflow to those we don’t consider worthy of ours. We’re not truly worthy of His, yet He died for us. What an insult t

Whenever I hear of someone losing a job, I have a strange reaction. I get really excited! I know it means God has something different, yet good planned for them. It was no different when my husband lost his job at the end of last week. Though it was wrong and unfair, it didn’t matter, because there is no doubt God has different plans for him. . . for us. We understand that sometimes in order for God to take us in the direction He wants us to go, our own plans must be terminated. “In their hearts humans plan their course, but the LORD establishes their steps.” Proverbs 16:9 It may sound crazy, especially because we are not living in the most stable of times, but we have not had one moment of stress or fear. When I say we trust God. I mean, we trust Him with every part of our lives. The morning after finding out, was one of the happiest days we’ve had in a while. What a gift. I know, we sound like crazy people. My husband loses his job and we celebrate. We are so excited to see wh

Yesterday morning, I put this necklace on that my best friend gave me for my birthday, for the first time. I had no idea I would need that message later in the day. Some things unexpectedly changed for our family yesterday evening. We are all okay, and it’s not devastating, but there may be some struggle ahead. When I got the news I glanced down at my necklace, remembering, it doesn’t matter what’s next, because we trust our Creator, the author of our lives. I felt peace. Then, I felt excitement because God must have something great planned for us. Then, I remembered I had recently asked God to draw me closer to Him. The last time I asked Him to do that, my son almost died, so I knew it was a risky request, but I also knew it would be worth it. Now, as I face another unexpected trial, I think back to the night I trusted God with my son’s life, and I know I can definitely do this. I may share the details with you later, just not yet. However, please pray for our family as we coul

Can I ask you to do something? It’s not for me. It’s for you.  Look through your timeline, think back on your conversations, recall your actions. Then, imagine you are a stranger looking at all you have put out there. What will they learn about you? Will they know what you are for, or only what you are against? If you tell them you are a follower of Christ, will they believe you? The two weeks after the George Floyd killing were some of the most emotionally difficult weeks I’ve had in my life. That’s saying a lot, considering I’ve dealt with the near-death experience of my son. So, over the last several months, I’ve been working hard not to “see” everything out there, not to allow my emotions to go back to that place. However, some things continue to (literally) grieve me. It’s the lack of love exhibited by so many. I started to say hate, but it’s not always that. It’s a lack of love. A lack of empathy. I know, we talked about this some yesterday, but I believe it’s an important subjec

“People of the Word believe that words matter, because it was the Word Himself who created matter. What we say, and how we say it, matters. Words create actual matter - for good or for evil - in the world. Our words actually speak our own kind of worlds into being. Destructive words make our world just that - and edifying words can build the world into more of the loving Kingdom of God. Please, Lord, make it true of all the people of the Word: Only speak words that make souls stronger.” -Ann Voskamp Our words matter today more than ever. . . Not just our words when we speak, but also when we write, or post. I’ve been not just disappointed, but grieved over some things I’ve seen, especially from people who claim the name of Christ. I’m going to be candid here. Because of the words and behavior of some “Christians,” I find myself embarrassed to categorize myself as such. I’ve talked to many of you who feel the same. Today I will let the scriptures speak for me, as I share just a s

I have felt so many things about the condition of our country, and the condition of “Christians” in our country over the past year. I’ve been extremely disappointed by so many who have idolized their own beliefs over the love of God. If you are human, it’s easy to do. So, it’s important for us to stop, I mean really stop and talk to God about it. Ask Him to show us, what we have valued above him. I have shared many thoughts and feelings on the subject, but there are some people that express things better than I can. Please read these thoughts I took from ministry leader Lisa Whittle.  The person who survives this crazy world is the person who has 3 things settled. 1. That you want more for the Kingdom of God than you want for yourself. (Otherwise, self will drive all decisions. See the Bible for consequences/results of self over God.) 2. That you are able to walk strong in this world that seems to have gone crazy. (You’d be surprised how many people don’t think they are able. This is a

“Take them out Lord!” As soon as I said it, I knew it was wrong, but that’s how I felt when I saw the terror that took place in D.C. on Wednesday. I do want the crazy to stop, but if I love the way Jesus has called us to love, I will pray for those people to know Him. If they have the capacity and the energy to hate so much, imagine the good they could do if they knew Jesus. I mean, REALLY knew Jesus.  God gives me chances to change each day, and I am not better than anyone else. I may have better behavior than some, but God loves us all the same.  “The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance.” ‭‭2 Peter‬ ‭3:9‬  I’ll be honest, that’s really hard to swallow. I tend to think, “But God, those people will. not. shut. up. Are you seriously going to let them keep talking?! Shut them up Lord! Why should those “horrible” people get any more chances?” My humaneness tells

I wasn’t going to look. I didn’t want to talk about it, but it can’t be ignored. Yesterday. There are so many things I could say about yesterday. There are so many thoughts and feelings I have about all that has taken place. However, for the sake of unity, I will refrain from sharing all of my thoughts. As I expressed yesterday, there is nothing new under the sun. I’ve been reading the book of Isaiah, and it talks quite a bit about the people of Judah. I was amazed to find that the political and spiritual condition of those people looked much like the people of the U.S. today. They struggled with idol worship too, losing sight of the one true God. Today, some of our idols look like flags, parties, our own wants, and people in power. None of this is new to the Creator. Isn’t it amazing how He keeps loving us? Dear God, show us how to get back to you. If you’re like me, you may see these stories in the news and feel like maybe our whole country has gone crazy. If I get caught up in

"This world is just getting worse and worse!" "Things have never been this bad!" "It must be the end times!" The freak out is real. People are losing their minds over all that is going on in the world right now, but can I remind you of something? “History merely repeats itself. It has all been done before. Nothing under the sun is truly new. Sometimes people say, “Here is something new!” But actually it is old; nothing is ever truly new. We don’t remember what happened in the past, and in future generations, no one will remember what we are doing now.” ‭‭Ecclesiastes‬ ‭1:9-11‬ ‭ I know fear has taken hold, but find comfort in knowing God has seen it all before. I mean… we aren’t a special brand of bad. Sin brings consequences, as I think we continue to see by the discord in our country, but check out Deuteronomy 31. God knew exactly how the Israelites were going to fail, yet He still allowed them to enter the promised land. He did not withhold their bl

After yesterday's conversation, I continued to think about the importance of taking our place. However, knowing the importance doesn’t seem to be enough. The force holding many of us back is strong. When I think about the things holding me back... good grief! They are completely self-centered. I’m not good enough. People will think I’m not good enough.  I’m going to be embarrassed. What if I fail? What if no one “follows” me. ____ is not supportive of me. “ What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?” Romans 8:31  In this social media world of likes, follows, shares, friends and unfriending, fans, influencers, etc., the “need” for approval, can be debilitating. It often infiltrates how we live in the real world outside of social media. It skews our vision of where God is taking us.  It’s time to get God-focused. Friends, when God has given us gifts and called us to use them, it’s not about you. It’s not about me. It’s all about Him

The other day I watched the new “Mulan.” There was a point when one of the characters recognized Mulan was not being her authentic self. She was holding back. Because she was not being her authentic self, she could not come into her full “power.” So, she told Mulan “Take your place.” It gave me chills. I felt like it was a message to me. Christina, be who you are. Take your place. It’s time. I recognized, not that I haven’t been my authentic self, but that I have held back. I’ve allowed insecurities and fear to keep me from stepping all the way into the place the Lord set aside for me. The very thing I would encourage others through, I still struggle with. Have you done that? How many of us allow insecurities, the voice of the enemy, the voice of others, or a lack of support, keep us from taking our place in this world? What’s holding you back? What's your place? Some of you have it figured out. Many of you have no idea what it is.  Mulan was gifted, but when training was added to

Before I jump into the obligatory first of the year post, I want to say THANK YOU.  I felt your thoughts and prayers over this past week. I feel so much better today, which is perfect timing because it’s a new year! At the beginning of 2020, we were on fire, weren’t we? We just knew it was THE year. All our dreams would come true. We’d finally lose that weight, get that job, finish that project, find our person, be free of that person, travel everywhere... The world was our oyster!  Well, it didn’t exactly go the way most of us had hoped, but I don’t want to look back and think about how horrible it was, because really, was it? If I look back through each day of the year, the good far outweighed the bad. I bet you would find the same. Have you seen that match.com commercial where Satan and 2020 hook up and become the perfect match? It’s humorous. My first thought was, “Oh yeah that’s a match made in... Well, not Heaven. We can all agree, some really difficult things happened over the p