Christina Speaks

I’ve learned that the fear I have concerning my success or failure may often be self-centered. If I believe the Lord has created me for something specific; If I believe He has called me to whatever that thing is, then what is stopping me from doing it? Me. The Lord has created every single one of us for something great. The degree of “great” varies.” Whatever He’s called me to is specifically for me. Whatever He’s called you to is specifically for you. It may look a little like this person’s or that person’s, but it’s not. He has a plan designed for each of His creations individually.  I don’t know about you, but that makes me feel pretty special. When out of fear, we hold back from being who He’s created us to be, we put ourselves before Him and what He’s asked us to do. He will always give us what we need to complete the task, so what’s the problem? When I think of it like that, it gives me so much more courage to move forward. It’s not about me. It’s all about Him and His perfec...

Last week my mind was consumed with the business of my book. I’ll be honest. . . I’m freaking out! I’m in the final stages of everything, and the enemy’s voice is getting louder and louder telling me I’m a fraud, telling me that it’s a horrible book, and telling me how everyone will be disappointed in it. I’m having to do a lot of praying and self-talk. I’m reminding myself that because He led me to all of this, He’ll lead me through it.  My book may not be a best-seller, but the Lord will get it into the hands of those who it will bless. I am working not to get caught up in the comparison game. I am fighting the fear of failure. I am fighting through the feeling of wanting to quit. I am trying to hand over the anxiety I feel over financial needs not being met. I am working to hear the Lord’s small, still voice telling me it’s going to be okay. I am reminding myself that God has a specific plan for me and that I can trust Him. I am reminding myself that it’s not about me, so keep t...

How many times have you heard someone say, “I can’t do this.” How many times have you said it yourself? How many times have you heard (or even said) “The Lord doesn’t give you anything you can’t handle?” Mmhmm, yeah, that’s a phrase you can only find in Ridicalations1:9 because it doesn’t exist! First of all, I don’t believe the Lord gives us many of the trials we experience. He never intended for us to hurt, struggle, or experience loss. His plan was for us to live in perfect peace as we walked with Him in a garden. Through the continued sin of humans and living with consequences of the choices made by those who came before us, we endure much. I have experienced many moments, especially recently, when I feel I can’t do what I need to do or what God has called me to do. As quickly as those thoughts enter my mind, I remember that regardless of the lack of confidence in myself, I know I can do anything through Christ gives me strength, and so can you.  Life is hard. Living life today...

  Do you know the discomfort of being judged?  I’ve thought a lot about it lately. Sometimes it’s based on truth in our lives and sometimes it’s only based on perception. Because being judged has made me feel bad, I decided to explore my own part in judgment. I, like all of us, am often on the judging side. The last few years have revealed chronic issues of judgment not only in the world but in my own heart. Where does it come from? What I’ve determined is that it derives from our own insecurities. It comes from all the ways we compare ourselves to others. We want to feel good or better about ourselves, so we mentally put someone in a position “below” us in order to feel good about the decisions we make. We want to feel good about our choices and subconsciously often look to others as a gauge.  How is it that so many of us truly believe we know what the very right thing is for everyone else? I mean, I can look back even in recent times when I believed I knew better than s...

  I must apologize, as I have not kept those of you not on social media up to date. So this will be a long one... Last week Covid struck our household. It hit me, my husband Ozzy, and our daughter Olivia. First of all, I’m pretty sure that Covid came straight from hell, and as far as I’m concerned can go back anytime. I didn’t share initially because I thought we could just glide past and pretend it never happened. We had avoided it for almost 2 years and believed that maybe we would never get it. I have had every symptom there is except for loss of taste. Somehow, I can find gratitude for it, as I am always grateful for experiences that allow me to find empathy for others in specific situations. The most difficult part of our Covid journey began when Ozzy struggled to breathe deeply Wednesday evening, and had some sort of seizure-like episodes. I made the choice to call 911. It was the first time Covid truly scared me. I have refused to live in fear of this evil entity, but I adm...

I recently flew to my hometown and visited with friends I’ve known for thirty-six and forty years. As we spent time together, I learned things about them I never knew while growing up. When we were teenagers, they each chose very different paths than I did. Around that time, in the middle of high school, I moved away. Their choices led to years of struggle and heartbreak.   As I spoke with the one who’s known me for forty years, I shared that growing up, I struggled with identity. I never really knew who I was. I was insecure and didn’t think anyone could “see” me. I never believed I had any kind of impact on anyone. She informed me that I have always been the strong person I am today, just like I was as a little girl. In fact, she told me that if I had stayed, she feels she would have been able to resist the temptation to go the wrong direction. She explained that she would have felt strong enough to stand behind me, find confidence through mine, and choose to do the right th...

Over a long weekend, I was blessed to spend time with two long-time friends from my hometown of San Diego. I needed the break, but I also needed the perspective. There’s something about going back to where you came from that helps you figure out who and where you are in life. Talking with my friends shed some light on my past and theirs. We realized we had been learning from each other for well over 30 years and continued to do so during our time together. I bet if many of us go back down memory lane to the days of our youth, we will find that we can learn new things all over again or simply from a new perspective. I think most of us older folks can agree that we are grateful no one had portable, mini video cameras when we were growing up. “Do not remember the rebellious sins of my youth. Remember me in the light of your unfailing love, for you are merciful, O Lord.” ‭‭Psalms‬ ‭25:7‬  This week I will dive into some of the lessons I learned during my trip. I hope you are all well. ...