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 tru...

“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 after...

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 pu...

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, a...

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 shoul...

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 ...