Christina Speaks

Today I want to simply remind you that God is bigger than EVERYTHING. “This I declare about the Lord: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I trust him.” ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭91:2‬ (Read the whole chapter though) ‭ I am praying for each of you. Have a wonderful weekend.

It’s one of those seasons. As I type, I can feel my weariness, but I choose to embrace it. The Lord is still working on me, and that’s no easy task, so I’m thankful He never grows weary. I had dinner with a young friend last night, and she said something that struck me. It’s not a thought that generally occurs in my mind because of where I am in life, but she said, “Sometimes I wonder what the point is.” She was talking about life. You see, she lives in constant chaos. Friends, family, and neighbors die young, and often all around her. She rarely sees the lives around her add up to much. She constantly wonders if that’s all life has to offer. Is that something you have wondered too? I think many of us have at some point. So, I’m going to share what I told her with you, and if you need to hear it, I’m talking to you too. You absolutely have a purpose here. God gave you all of those gifts to use to carry out the plan He has for your life. DO NOT GIVE UP. Keep pushing toward your...

Calling all Christians and Christ-followers (I know… but they’re not always the same). Please stop engaging in divisive behavior. Yes, you have an opinion, and you’re entitled to it. Yes, you absolutely have the right to share it, but is it always the best thing to do? Probably not. Now, if you have a relationship with someone, and you want to engage in a healthy, respectful, loving conversation about things you disagree about, then go for it. But let’s keep it real. Most of the people you’re friends with on social media are not people you have genuine relationships with. You will not change their minds by posting those memes, articles, or even actual facts. Telling people that Jesus would or would not wear or not wear, go or not go, will not draw anyone close to Him.  And by the way, when has guilt ever created real heart change? Are we petitioning our Creator about all the crazy in our world, or are we quick to jump up on our high horses as if we are the ones who are omniscient? ...

  If you know me at all, you probably know how much I dislike crying. . . even in front of myself. But lately, I have shed many tears. They are not tears of sadness, so I don’t mind them. They are tears of gratitude. Each drop is an offering of praise to a God who is good in every circumstance, though it is often difficult to see. Life isn't always what we hoped it would be. However, I believe if we look, if we open our eyes, we will see God in all the details. He is good all the time.  There is so much wrong in the world. The News makes sure we know that. But you know what? This is nothing new. “What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun.” Ecclesiastes 1:9 That brings me comfort. Remember that God is the same today as He was yesterday and will be tomorrow. None of this is unknown to Him. None of it is bigger than He is. He wins. “You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them because the one who is in you is...

About Afghanistan… For many of us, Afghanistan is barely real. Some of us know it’s real because we’ve lost love ones to the country, whether physically or mentally.  Many Christians in this country feel we’ve been “persecuted” because of our beliefs. Those who feel “oppressed” because we’ve been ridiculed for standing up for what we believe to be right.  I can’t adequately express how much that frustrates me.  Most of us have no idea what it feels like to be persecuted. Take a moment to think about the Christ-followers in Afghanistan. The Afghan church is one of the fastest-growing churches in the entire world. What we have seen is that persecution grows the church. That is the opposite of what is happening in our country.  The Taliban has a hit list of many Afghan people they know to be Christians, and they are taking them out one by one. Some have chosen to flee, and others refuse to leave their homes. They refuse to deny Jesus. They would rather die.  Oh, ho...

  I’m struggling to give you a message today.  I have so much on my mind, but I’m tired and emotional.  I want to talk to you about Afghanistan, but I’m not ready. I want to tell you how God is doing AH-mazing things in my life and the lives of my sisters in Christ. I want to tell you that even though the world is super scary and seems to get worse every day, our God remains the same today as He was yesterday and will be tomorrow.  I want to remind you to BE the church—A Christ-following, life-giving, people-loving church. We’ve got to stop acting like just because we go to church, we are Christians. Simply going to church doesn’t make you a Christian any more than sitting in a garage makes you a car.  I want to talk about all of those things today, but I just can’t. Today I ask that you have a serious conversation with God. Ask Him to open the eyes of our hearts and show each of us what He wants us to know. Pray for the Christ-followers of Afghanistan. They ar...

Oh, I’ve been so guilty of judging whether or not someone deserved something they had, and it’s exhausting. I know I’m not alone because you all are humans too. We get so caught up in our own version of what is fair or not that we often lose focus of what God has for us. It’s especially difficult if we haven’t been invited to “the table” when we feel we should have been.  But seriously, sometimes I have to ask myself, “What would you do if you were at that table? Do you really think you belong there, or is it your pride that says you should be invited? Is that the path God has you on?” Oof. Then familiar words begin to run through my head. “Check yourself before you wreck yourself.” I wonder how many times I have missed what amazing thing God had waiting for me or how beautiful what I already had right in front of me was. And doesn’t watching the “highlight reels” of others on social media make it that much harder? Friends, what God has given to others is irrelevant to what He has ...