Tag: new day

Taking a “Heart Shower”

What is the first thing you do to get ready for your shower? Well, you need to take off all your clothes. Ok, before you think I’m a crazy Californian wanting to talk about getting naked during a short devotional message, just bear with me. We’re actually going to talk about taking a spiritual shower. I felt so grateful to be asked to share this message a couple of months ago at a Ladies Luncheon at my church. The community here in Arkansas has welcomed my husband and me with such warmth and we’re glad to be here.

Regardless of where you are and at what life stage you are in right now, I hope this brief devotional refreshes and challenges you. Every time you take a shower, you can be reminded that our heart needs a good wash too!

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Key Points to Remember:

  • Open yourself to God. (Get naked)

Psalm 139:23-24

“Search me, God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”

  • Be cleansed. (Take a shower)

Psalm 51:10-12

“Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your

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salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.”

  • Train your heart. (Get dressed)

Proverbs 3:3-6

“Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. Then you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man. Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.“

At home:

  • Read the whole chapter to soak in the full context of the verses above. Savor the words by reading them out loud, memorizing a verse or passage that caught your attention, or writing them out in your journal.
  • Take a spiritual shower. For those of you who have put your trust in Christ, go through these steps in prayer, letting the Holy Spirit highlight areas that aren’t right and need cleansing. Let Him teach you ways that you can train your heart to willingly submit to Him.
  • For those of you haven’t taken that first step of faith in Jesus: taking a spiritual “heart shower” is a great place to start.

Embracing your season

As you probably know, I’m pregnant. (Woohoo! Praise God! Very exciting indeed!) Right now I feel very pregnant… I’m bigger, way bigger, than I’ve ever been in my whole life. But it’s a joy and delight to be in this season I’ve always longed to experience.

The crazy thing is that I have been fighting this season or living in denial for some time now. What I mean is that I tend to want to do more and think that I have more energy than I really do. I have the same expectations of myself during this season even though my sleep isn’t as sound, my body is changing tremendously as it participates in the beauty and mystery of the creation of a little human, and my husband and I have plunged headlong into the steep learning curve of preparing to enter parenthood._MG_9212

All my life, ever since my earliest memories, I’ve yearned to be a wife and mother. When I became a wife, I felt like I had received one of the greatest gifts in the love and joy of being one in life with my husband. I didn’t know I could choose to love another human being so much. And NOW my heart is already exploding with love for this precious one forming inside me and I haven’t even met him or her yet! Anyway, what I am getting to is the fact that this is such a beautiful, unique season and yet there are a gazillion things pulling at my heart, time, energy, attention and all I want to do is focus on what’s most important.

None of us have to be victims to all that contend for space in our lives. Today, I caved. I broke down in tears over the phone with my parents because I was overwhelmed. I didn’t realize that I was letting all the distractions win. I was giving space to all the little things that don’t really matter that much!

What season are you in? Are you embracing that season or are you fighting it? Are you celebrating the beauty that God’s knitting together in this unique time in your life?

Maybe you feel like your life is only ho-hum right now with nothing super exciting going on right now. You are in the valley that makes up the majority of life. What you do with the mundane consists of the bulk and substance of what it means to worship God in the ordinary. How are you living worshipfully today?

Maybe you are dating someone special and you’re on a journey of discovering if this will develop into engagement and marriage. You are cultivating a vulnerable plant that needs nurturing, time, and attention. Even if you don’t move forward with this person, there are important things to learn through this time of discovery. Don’t let those lessons pass you by!

Are you engaged and getting ready to enter into a marital covenant with the man you love? Engagement is one of the most intense times when details and potential distractions fly at your face from all directions. Make sure you remember what this time

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is mostly about: preparing for marriage, not just the wedding day. Enjoy the giddy delight of celebrating the commitment you are about to make! Marriage is a ridiculously delicious and amazing gift from God… especially when we treat it the way He wants us to.

Whatever your season, identify where you are and lean into it, embrace it, roll up your sleeves and do the work required to excel through it. Take your deep breath as you sit back to enjoy the ride. Life is a series of seasons. If we run the race of life the best we can in each season, we will get to the end with greater satisfaction. Being that I just truly woke up to the fact that I am in such a beautiful season that requires a new focus, I outlined some steps that led me to this revelation. Maybe it’ll help you recognize and embrace your own season.

Remember the BIG picture

Our lives are a fleeting vapor. We are like the flowers of the fields that are here one day and pretty soon are gone (Psalm 103). Who do we think we are? God is the only sovereign, almighty One! He’s the One that holds everything together (Colossians 1). We are invited into His big plan of knowing Him, making Him known, and advancing His Kingdom. We have the joy and privilege of being His kids. Let’s not freak ourselves out over all the small things. Instead, we get to do our best and bring those things to the Lord!

Humble your heart

So many times, it’s pride that tires us out! We run and run and run thinking that in our own strength we can accomplish all that we think we need to do. Granted, we all need to be diligent and disciplined, however, we need to live life with the sober understanding that apart from Jesus we can do nothing (John 15:1-8). Again, who do we think we are? My mom would often remind me: “Cristina, you aren’t the messiah, Jesus is. You are a servant.” What a difference! Let’s humble ourselves and remember that we are only ordinary by ourselves. It is Christ in us the hope of glory (Colossians 1:27)… He’s the one (not us) that makes us extraordinary!

Let God’s grace cover you

We mess up. We stumble. We learn through scraped knees and embarrassing moments. God’s grace is big enough to cover each of us. Thankfully, we can laugh at some of those memories now that we are on the other side. Sometimes, though, we still wince when we think of the foolishness we’ve committed. God’s in the business of making all things new (2 Corinthians 5:17). Let Him pick you up from your shame. Let Him dust you off, and affectionately slap your little rear end signaling you to get back in the game. He calls you more than a conqueror in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:37).

Stop. Rest.

Sometimes we need a breather. Sometimes we’re straight up tired. We need a time out. Take it! There’s nothing wrong with sitting the bench for a chance to refuel, regroup, and get ready to jump back in at the right time.

Listen and Prioritize

One of the best ways I improved as a soccer player was when I asked my coach during breaks “What could I be doing better?” Thankfully, my coach was good at affirming me, but I truly wanted to know what I could improve. We need to do this with our Heavenly Coach. God sees the whole game. He sees things we don’t see and knows our strengths and weaknesses. Listen to Him. Especially in those time outs, those Sabbaths, take advantage of the opportunity to listen well to the One who knows best. Let His priorities be your priorities. If you get back in the game with your own agenda, you are hindering your team, but if you humbly cooperate with the Coach’s agenda, everyone on your team wins!

Now get out there and give it your best. Be in the season you are in.

Guest Post: Enough Without

Last night my husband and I were talking about the Winter Olympics and remembering how much we liked the movie, Cool Runnings,  as kids.  Earlier in the evening we were having a more serious conversation about how we needed to remember that what God thinks of us is most important… and that that is enough. It was a tearful conversation because it was a reality we needed to embrace.  This morning, my friend, Loren Thornburg, sent out a devotional message that drives this message home!  Loren gave me permission to share this beautiful reminder with you all. – Cristina
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“A gold medal is a wonderful thing, but if you’re not enough without the medal, you’ll never be enough with it.” ~Irv Blizter from Cool Runnings
I love the stories of the Olympics and all that many overcame to achieve their dreams.  I am also struck by all of the disappointments of those who felt they came up short.  Whether or not we are contending for a gold medal we all face the same battle: to be enough without.  There is nothing wrong with dreams and desires, unless you are waiting for your arrival at them to become enough.  If we don’t have security inside we won’t find it outside.  It’s an inside out thing.  Some people chase after it for years, jumping from one success to the next on an endless cycle that leaves them with the same emptiness.  It’s a mirage of thinking that the next thing will bring us to the place of security.  Yet, the truth is you are already enough.  It’s not in the next thing or even the last thing but it is now, because you are already enough.  What freedom to chase after your dreams knowing you don’t need them to be enough.  Whether it’s gold, or promotion, or marriage, or title, or money, or fame…you are enough without it.
“How we praise God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we belong to Christ.”
Ephesians 1:3 NLT
You are enough, because God says so.  You belong to Him not because of anything that you have done, but simply because you are His.  He has blessed you with every spiritual blessing, not because you are super great, had lots of successes or served really well, but simply because He chose to.  He chose you and that makes you enough for the God of the universe.  Can you hear Him speaking it to you, “You, my child, are enough for me, Your Heavenly Father.”  It’s true, but it’s not something easily comprehended.  We have to sit with it, away from the messages of the world telling us all the things we need to have or do to be enough.  Yet, that’s the miracle of God: He loves you because you are His.  He doesn’t need you to be more, He just needs you.
Enjoy the Ride,
Loren Thornburg
Check out her blog: http://lorenquinelle.blogspot.com/
If you would like to receive Loren’s devotional emails you can email her at: lorenquinelle@gmail.com.

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a new month

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Photo courtesy of Casian Babut.

You might have noticed that I haven’t been blogging much during the month of October, and, for my distance, I want to apologize.  To be perfectly honest, I’ve had a challenging month and I went into a bit of a hibernation.  I plan to tell you about it more later, but in the meanwhile I gladly welcome November!!!  We will be focusing on the theme of “GRATITUDE” this month as we prepare our hearts for that beloved day that many associate with turkey, football, second helpings, colorful leaves, and warm drinks: Thanksgiving.

I don’t know about you, but I am overjoyed to dive into the holiday season.  Last year, my husband and I decided to take things very slow and even “undercommit” during Thanksgiving and Christmas.  I am so grateful that we spent our first married holiday season that way so that we could savor every moment and truly wrap our hearts around the meaning of each celebration.  It was as though we were enjoying a twelve course meal over a long evening and able to delight in every bite… simply because we made a decision to be deliberate about remembering the purpose.

This is my prayer for you over the next two months as we celebrate Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year’s:  Jesus, we thank you for your love that is exquisite and spectacular – far better than anything else we could ever experience or desire.  Thank you for lavishing on us your grace, kindness, and faithfulness, even when we are not aware of your generosity.  Please help us to wholeheartedly engage with you during this season of celebration.  Please give us an acute awareness of your presence no matter what we have going on over the next couple of months.  Help us to choose you… every day.  We love you, Lord!

simple truth

As we focus on our theme of health this month, I’m reminded that most of us already know what it takes to live a healthy life: regular exercise, wholesome diet, sufficient sleep, life-giving relationships, reconciled heart to God… You know: no short-cuts… Just the honest, straight-up truth of living the way God intended.

The key to this kind of life isn’t so much about knowing what to do, but simply DECIDING to do it. Implementation. Discipline. Diligence. Knowing when to start some things and stop some other things. Saying no to the destructive. Saying yes to the constructive.

It’s up to you. Will you choose to live a healthy life one moment at a time?

three important appointments

Something that helps me clear my mind and nourish my soul is to keep three special appointments each week: a business meeting, a fun date, and a time to spiritually recharge. This is not my original idea, but I heard it on a Focus on the Family radio broadcast featuring an older couple talking about their secret to a strong, healthy marriage through the years.

Keeping these appointments would be beneficial to everyone at all stages of life: single, dating, engaged, or married! Here’s my version of that older couple’s idea and how try to integrate it into my weekly routine.

Business Meeting: Every Tuesday night, my husband and I have a time to connect about the logistics of our lives. This is a simple version of our agenda: Prayer, Recite out loud our family vision statement, Review: finances, calendar, social and ministry happenings, goals, old and new projects, and we even have a little point system that helps us with motivation (If you are interested, I’ll post a video about our point system below). Prior to our meeting, I update our books, and make a new agenda for the meeting. Yes, I know it sounds totally stale and, well, business-like, but it’s such a freeing thing for us to do in order to stay on the same page and not feel like our lives are out of control. If you are single, this is such a great way to keep short accounts with yourself and your own schedule, goals, and finances. Having your own business meeting is an excellent habit to get into now that will yield great dividends in the long run.

Date Night: Hanging out and having fun probably seems like a “no-brainer” easy thing to do when you are married, dating Cristi cell phone random 010 or engaged, but I want to encourage those of you who are single to have date nights too. When I was single (and was not even getting asked out very often), I would make an effort to get dressed up (heels, makeup, hair, and all) and go to a quaint cafe or oceanside restaurant with my bible and journal and I would call it a God-date. Seriously, I had so much fun and I really felt my worth and my beauty. Even though I usually ordered only a dessert and some tea (I had a tight budget), I engaged with the Lord through the experience. Other times, I would bundle up for a sunset walk along the beach. I listened for the Holy Spirit’s voice to tell me what He thought of me, to confide in me whatever He wanted to say, and I can honestly say that those dates were some of the sweetest ones I’ve

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ever had in my life! Just because you don’t have a “significant other” in your life doesn’t mean you don’t get to go on crazy-awesome dates.

Spiritual Recharge: This is a rest time, a Sabbath time, a time to reflect on the last week and get fueled up for another one, but even more than that to enjoy the present. We tend to have either all-day Saturday or Sunday to do this. We block out the day so that we don’t schedule anything that would be draining and we only allow life-giving activities. For us that means: going to church, taking a nap, going for a run or swim, reading a relaxing book, working on a creative project, having friends over for lunch or dinner… you get the idea. The point is: set aside an appointment on your calendar to recharge and reconnect with the Lord. He commands us to take a Sabbath rest, not only because He knows we need it, but because it helps us to remember that He is the One who makes the universe function, not us. We are just not that important (whew, praise God for that!!).

For those of you who are interested to hear more about our weekly points system, here’s a brief summary of what we do:

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JTrdL41_WWM&w=420&h=315]

going organic

A little over two years ago, my husband and I sat deeply engaged in conversation with a friend who shared some of his PhD in Nutrition knowledge with us.  I remember feeling my head swim with information and resources. Part of me felt skeptical about all the organic food talk and all the changes he challenged us to make, but I decided to be open-minded and to do some of my own research.food

We started by watching documentaries (see below for trailers), then we set off early on Saturday mornings to explore our local farmers markets, then we sat down with a rancher we met there and he taught us the value of organic grass-fed beef, then I began buying almost all organic produce, chicken, and eggs, then we cut out processed foods (ie any snacks you can buy prepackaged), and the levels get deeper and deeper…

Meanwhile, our sleep got better, we had more energy, our portion sizes were better controlled because each serving had more nourishment and our body didn’t ask for more food as quickly, my acne was beginning to clear up, and we experienced an overall improvement in our health.

Why am I sharing all of this with you? Not to boast about our food savvy or healthy habits, but to share a glimpse into a gradual life change with many benefits that are available to you too!  Regardless of whether you are single or married, you can be a good steward of your own body and bless, not only your own life, but those around you now (roommates, family, friends) and in your future (husband and children).

Here are a few links to get you started (or to dive deeper) in your healthy (hot and holy) living:

Food Documentaries worth checking out:

Food, Inc.

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5eKYyD14d_0&w=560&h=315]

“In Food, Inc., filmmaker Robert Kenner lifts the veil on our nation’s food industry, exposing the highly mechanized underbelly that has been hidden from the American consumer with the consent of our government’s regulatory agencies, USDA and FDA. Our nation’s food supply is now controlled by a handful of corporations that often put profit ahead of consumer health, the livelihood of the American farmer, the safety of workers and our own environment. We have bigger-breasted chickens, the perfect pork chop, herbicide-resistant soybean seeds, even tomatoes that won’t go bad, but we also have new strains of E. coli—the harmful bacteria that causes illness for an estimated 73,000 Americans annually. We are riddled with widespread obesity, particularly among children, and an epidemic level of diabetes among adults… Food, Inc. reveals surprising—and often shocking truths—about what we eat, how it’s produced, who we have become as a nation and where we are going from here.”

In Organic We Trust

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VM7D53z_Gqo&w=560&h=315]

“IN ORGANIC WE TRUST is an eye-opening food documentary that follows Director/Producer Kip Pastor on a personal journey to answer commonly asked questions about organic food: What exactly is organic? Is it really better, or just a marketing scam?

The film digs deep with farmers, organic certifiers, scientists, and organic critics to explore the content beneath the label and the truth behind the marketing. It takes a balanced approach to clear up misconceptions about organic food while highlighting practical solutions that are transforming the way we grow and eat.”

If you have Amazon Prime, many of these are available on Amazon Instant Video, like this one: 

Also, here are some excellent food blogs and websites to check out:

Mama Natural

Oh She Glows

Pure Mamas

Frugal Foodie Family

Kayla Howard

O’Mamas

The Weston A. Price Foundation

Empowered Sustenance

We are part of the following food co-ops from which we order our organic food:

Azure Standard

Country Life Natural Foods

We also buy raw milk, honey, and eggs from a local farmer and beekeeper.  Getting your “real food” sources and systems take some time and deliberate effort, but it’s worth it!  Take one step at a time and don’t rush yourself.

summer hibernation

It might seem as though the Bricklayers website went into a bit of a hibernation in July.

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Well, not to worry, we aren’t sleeping.  We are preparing for the next season.

Cristina has been busy moving to Arkansas, the new Bricklayers Leadership team for the Orange County chapter is forming and meeting, and the blog is scheduled to be up and running twice a week as of August 1st.

Be sure to check back here for more encouraging content, practical tips for drawing near to Jesus, and preparing for marriage.  In the meanwhile, here’s a refreshing reminder to be faithful to Him:

“Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act.  He will bring forth your righteousness as the light, and your justice as the noonday.”

Psalm 37:5-6

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