Christina Speaks

All week friends have sent me messages or made comments when we talked, mentioning what a crazy week it seems I’ve had. Every time I’m like, “No, I’m good.” My random struggles are nothing compared to so many. It’s all relative. But then I looked back at a few things that may have truly been a bit “crazy” in my life over the last seven days. I watched my husband sleeping and thought I might need to perform an exorcism based on the sounds coming out of his mouth and nose.   Our dog “disappeared” after falling through our kitchen floor when a contractor was working on it, and I literally considered that the Lord might have taken him to Heaven in a fiery chariot like Elijah in the Bible (He’s 16-yrs-old, and it’s time). I looked at a woman in a car behind me through my rearview mirror at a drive-through and thought she had a bulbous head like aliens we see in movies, and thought maybe I could finally “see” things that I couldn’t before, just like “Men in Black.”  I thought I should start

A lot is going on in our lives, and we say it all the time—“Let go and let God.” But I think we need to start looking at that phrase differently. We are often using it as a cop-out, and letting go just sends us straight into paralysis. Oftentimes, we are holding on so tight to our will that we won’t accept His. It’s not always just about “letting” God. A lot of the time, we should be the ones who move. Sometimes we need to make the decision, or step out in obedience to do something we are called to do but are too afraid to do it. Perhaps there is someone we need to forgive, or another one we need to have a tough conversation with. Maybe there’s a relationship we need to let go of but don’t know how to live without.   We must LET GO of our own faulty will and TRUST God to help us do the hard things.  Trust that if He’s called us to do it, He’s going to help us through it, and what comes out on the other side will be the best possible situation, working for our good and His glory. I know

Most of you know that my wallet was taken a few days ago, so I had to get a new one at the DMV yesterday. Of course, I was slightly dreading having to go because… The DMV. However, I was surprised and quite pleased to find that the whole process took about fifteen minutes. It only took that long because I had to find two proofs of residence to give them in order to get the new REAL ID. But I was able to screenshot a couple of documents from my phone and use those. It took a little time for me to do that, and the lady was so very patient with me. Once all of that was done, she sent me to have my picture taken. I didn’t even have to wait for that! I put on my best smile, signed my name in the little electronic box, got my license, and went on my way. On my way home, I marveled at how fast the whole thing went. I thought about the importance we put on that little card, but it doesn’t show who I truly am. The experience reminded me of how many of us have lost our identities. Sometimes

Do you ever feel you have nothing left to give? I have days like that when I feel like I have nothing of value to give to you all. Sometimes it’s because I’m in a bad mood, feeling exhausted, or perhaps it’s just a day I’m not feeling or hearing the Lord.  I was feeling a little bit that way last night when I came upon a post by @sethlinaamakye. She explained how sometimes that happens to her, and she made me feel normal and less alone in my experience.  When you are a person who’s committed to a ministry like this, you want to encourage those who trust you to bring a message each day, but sometimes you can’t find it within you. Maybe some of you feel that way about your families, jobs, friends, or something else you want to give your all. I am learning that the days I feel I have nothing to give, are often the days I share the most important and meaningful messages because it’s 100% the Lord. There’s nothing left of me to get in the way.  Often on days like those, I find revival. When

  Yesterday, I was attacked.  It’s a longer story than usual, so I hope you can hang in here with me. This past weekend I spent time in Georgia and was honored to do some things to serve others, and represent Jesus. I also spent time with my precious Godfamily and heard an excellent sermon from their pastor about how God often allows suffering, even if we live good lives serving the Lord. He explained what a difficult and discouraging week he had, then shared the story of Job and how after so many things had gone wrong in his life, his wife and friends told him to curse God and die. He reminded us that God is always good, even when bad things happen. He reminded us that our pain is never wasted and that sometimes we are allowed to struggle because something in it may teach someone else a lesson. It’s not always about us. I didn’t feel like it was a message for me because things had been going well.  HA. Fast forward to my drive home. I was exhausted and stopped for coffee. Before I got

There’s a stirring deep within me. I wonder if you feel it too. The last year has unearthed something in me. There’s a part of Esther 4:14 that keeps jumping out at me, and I believe it’s a call to action. “... 𝗪𝗵𝗼 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄𝘀 𝗶𝗳 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗵𝗮𝗽𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗺𝗮𝗱𝗲 𝗾𝘂𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝘀𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝗮 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀?” Many of you have been feeling some kinda way. Something’s been stirring inside of you too. You’ve felt restless, or maybe depressed. You’ve felt that there’s more to your life than what you see. There is a reason for that. Yes queens. We have been called.  At this point, I instinctually feel that I should go into all of the Biblical examples of women in leadership found in the Word to show those who think women are only called to remain silent. But I won’t. That’s not my problem. The Lord calls men AND women, but I feel deep in my heart, this is a significant time for us women. What I do feel is wrong is for us to be stifled, restricted, or prevented fro

I spent some time reflecting yesterday. I can hardly believe we are halfway through the year. Last year is almost a blur. Almost. 2020 wasn’t what we thought it would be, was it? So many thought it would be the year of perfect vision, right? Well, in my opinion, it was. Hindsight is 20/20. Look back for a moment. Many doors were shut, but many more doors were opened. Folks got creative. There was political and racial unrest, but so much was brought out of the darkness into the light. Some of us actually learned to love better. We learned more about ourselves and about the people we live with. I can’t help but smile and think of ‭‭James‬ ‭1:2-4. “Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.” I mean, right? Can you see it?

“Let’s commit to seeking the Lord’s Plan rather than pursuing the approval of others.” -Karen Ehman Part of the enemy’s battle for our minds includes causing us to overthink what others may believe or say about us. It’s an effective strategy. I realized just yesterday, that part of what kept me from doing what God called me to do for so long, was my concern about what others thought of me. It still sneaks up on me from time to time. What if they think I’m not good enough? What if they laugh at me? What if they talk about me behind my back? Like we discussed yesterday, thoughts like that are Satan’s way of holding us back from being who we are called to be.  But you know what? Sometimes they are not lies. There may be someone who doesn’t believe in us or have any interest in seeing us succeed, but that’s not our problem. What I’ve learned is that it doesn’t matter what anyone else thinks. It’s not their business. If God calls you to it, He’ll lead you through it. What He has for you, is

Someone needs to know this today. There is a reason Scripture tells us to take every thought captive and make it obedient to Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5). The Lord knows how our minds work. He knew how easy it would be for us to believe the lies of the enemy.  But by making our thoughts obedient to Christ, we are able to hold tight to the truth. Whatever is true and honorable, and right and pure, is what we must focus on. When Satan plants negative thoughts and lies in our minds, he holds us captive. We become unable to move toward who God created us to be. Don’t you know that’s been his plan all along? The thief comes to steal kill and destroy (John 10:10), and he starts in our minds. I’m going to keep reminding you to never forget who the real enemy is. Whatever negative thoughts you are believing about yourself today, know that they are lies. You are God‘s masterpiece. He has a plan a perfect plan for each of our lives. All we have to do is trust Him with it. If whatever you are beli

“God didn’t promise days without pain, laughter without sorrow, nor sun without rain, but he did promise; strength for the day, comfort for the tears, and light for the way.” This past weekend I had the blessing of spending time with my best friend. Our friendship has resembled the quote above. We realized that we’ve been friends for about 28 years. We’ve been friends for longer than we haven’t. We have experienced so much together. Deaths, births, love, heartache, a move, celebrations. . . and through every bit of it, we’ve had laughter. Even if we are crying our eyes out, it can quickly turn to laughter because one of us speaks some random hilarious truth. Now, the part of our friendship I cherish the most is that it’s rooted in Christ. We have been able to encourage each other in a way that has meant everything to me. I trust her always to tell me the truth, and though we haven’t lived in the same town for 18 years, God has continued to bind us together. Today’s message is just a

You messed up. So did I. So did David (2 Samuel 11), and Abraham (Genesis 12 & 20), and Sarah (Genesis 16), and Moses (Exodus 2), and Rahab (Joshua 2), and countless others.  But you know what? They are still considered heroes of the Bible. In fact, when you read about them, they appear to be some of God’s “favorites.”  God knows exactly who we are. He had plans that most of us didn’t stick to, but, He still works for the good of those who love Him and have been called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28) “For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.” -Romans‬ ‭3:23‬  He knew that would happen, and He still marvels and delights in us. Our mistakes have never deterred Him from loving us, as He focuses on our gifts to further His Kingdom. You know how sometimes you see (I hate to say it, but you know what I’m talking about) a really ugly baby, and its mother or grandmother looks at it and thinks it’s the most beautiful child ever born in the universe, and

The Lord is speaking to someone today! A couple of weeks ago, I was in Las Vegas with my son. We visited a place called the Neon Museum, where casino/hotel signs go to die. We walked down the aisles, looking at the displays of signs on either side of our path. Some were gigantic and glorious. Some were small and unimpressive. A few were easy to miss because they blended into their surroundings. Some were attractive, boasting impressive light displays, while others sat quiet and mysterious. Some signs were intensely nostalgic for me, as I remember seeing them perched on the hotels they occupied when I was a child visiting with my parents.  All of them had once resided on dwellings where anyone could find addiction, heartbreak, and loss.  Still, they drew people in, promising glory and riches, then often spit them out drenched in guilt and shame.  That neon sign graveyard is like sinful experiences of our past. Most of us can remember situations, though they were sinful, contributed to

I’ve noticed something about the evil one lately.  He is REALLY clever. I mean, I knew that. I am pretty clever myself and not easily fooled, but that guy— he knows exactly where to hit me. This time, I knew it was coming. The Lord has been drawing me closer to Him, so I figured Satan would get into freak-out mode, pulling out all the files he has on my past hurts and failures and work on his strategy. He knows how to get to me through others, and it’s almost undetectable. They don’t even know they’re being used. He often plants lies in my head about who I am, or maybe even who someone else is. Add in a third party to validate my suspicions, and all Hell can break loose.  He’s done it to every single one of us, and we often don’t realize it. We see it every day in relationships.  Marriages end, friendships dissolve, fights break out between strangers. I know who/what it looks like, but did you ever stop to think about who the real enemy might be? I’ve fallen for it time and time again.

I see a common theme in what I feel some of you need to hear. And it’s not just you. Anything I share is usually a message God has for me too. Some of us are dealing with rejection. Maybe it happened a long time ago. Perhaps it has been more recent. Regardless of when it happened, it hurts and is a difficult thing to get over. It’s hard to see rejection as an alternative path leading us back to our Creator — leading us to freedom, but it can be.  We can feel rejection in all kinds of ways from all sorts of people or places. Regardless of where the rejection comes from, it makes us question our value. It makes us shrink back. I find it helpful to focus on the One who never has and will never reject us. It’s hard because He can’t physically wrap His arms around us when we are hurting, but He usually sends someone who can. Sometimes the hurt is so deep, it blinds us so we can’t recognize a person or situation, reminding us that we are wanted, accepted, and loved.  Remember, God sees the b

  “When God put a calling on your life, He already factored in your stupidity.” That is truly one of the best and most comforting quotes I’ve ever read. I don’t know about you, but I feel like I mess up constantly. It is utterly rare for me to do anything even close to perfection. I can only assume God allows my mess-ups to keep me humble and remind me that I need Him. The enemy uses my imperfections to make me think I am not worthy of any kind of calling on my life. Every time I mess up, I feel like he whispers, “See, that’s why you can’t do this. You’re not good enough, and you will never get it right. Just give up. You’re embarrassing yourself.” Even worse, “You’re embarrassing God.” Satan is a liar. I bet others of you out there have heard those exact words in your heads. It makes me angry because I fall for it almost every time. I can’t tell you how many times I have believed those words and given up, walking away from something I was created for. In fact, I’m sure I’m years behin

Some of the best advice I’ve been given: “Don’t take criticism from people you would never go to for advice.” Someone needs to know this today. When God puts a calling on your life, it is essential to surround yourself with people who will help and encourage you on your path—people who help you be the best version of yourself. The one that reflects the Creator. Find your tribe. I have learned this in the last several years. Finding a tribe of women who lift me up and encourage me in who God has called me to be has meant everything to me. They help me to know I’m not weird. I’m not messed up. I am different because God has set me apart, and that okay. He has set you apart too. He has created you for such a time as this. Embrace who God has created you to be, and find others who will embrace you as well. “..for by wise guidance you can wage your war, and in abundance of counselors there is victory.” (Proverbs 24:6)