I've Been A Busy Little Bee...

I have been a busy little bee as of late...Things in my life have taken an abrupt turn in a direction I did not quite foresee happening so rapidly. I'm beyond excited for what it all means as I take each step. All along this journey I'm left ONLY being able to trust in God because I have no idea what I'm doing. It's all so much bigger than me. I'm driven by this inspiration to pursue my passions and my hubby has been a tremendous help and push as my wobbly legs stepped off this boat, onto the water, and out for a walk. Funny though how a leisurely stroll has became a marathon run...or at least that's what it feels like.

I find myself many times cruising on "auto-pilot" and then becoming startled as I realize I wasn't even paying attention to how I got from point A to point B. I know God is using this journey to show me some things about myself, things He wants me to allow Him to change, things He wants to help blossom in me, revelations He wants to awaken within me and speak through me.

Easy is not a word I will be using to describe this journey...in fact this Jourmey is far from anything remotely close to the Island of Easy, yet somehow I'm smooth sailing in this tumultuous and often bi-polar weather. I can only hope to successfully and obediently complete this race set before me and truly bring glory to God's name as He rolls back the tape of my life.

So here is what I have been up to:

The Launching of My New Website... C h r i s t i n a M i c h e l e

About Me

Apparel

Candles

Accessories

Gluten Free Living

Blog

 I have thoroughly enjoyed blogging via MyLifeWritten and will continue to do so for now. However, my life is merging into something different and most often you see me writing/blogging via ChristinaMichele or ChristianTalkSpot. I hope you will join me and follow me on these NEW Adventures...it's Still MyLifeWritten just perhaps an additional novel, a next chapter, a new book...I'm not quite sure yet, but I'll let you know when I do.

You can link to my ChristinaMichele FB Page and click on LIKE or Follow Me on Twitter @ChrstnaMchele or visit ChristianTalkSpot and be inspired. 

Thank You to all of you who have journeyed with me from the beginning or who are just joining in...Everything is purposeful. You have blessed me by reading and following me and I hope to have blessed, encouraged, and inspired you in some way on your own journey.

Until the Next Post...

LOVES&HUGS,
Christina

Opened Eyes...Opened Heart

My heart is filled with an outpouring of Compassion. I love when the Lord allows me to see through His eyes, His heart. Oh precious and beautiful it is. He sees us, His people so different than we look and see each other. If I was able to grab everyone and hug them with the love I have flowing out of me right now I would...

In these moments of Compassion that God allows me to experience is causes me to stand in-between time. I see people who have crossed my path, people whose lives I have touched, people whose lives I have yet to impact. I see these people and I begin to see them as God sees them...the beauty they hold as His creations. I am filled with this love I cannot contain or explain, but I want to just grab them and tell them how special they are and all that God wants to do with them. Would they hear me? Would they listen? Simultaneously, I am also seeing myself. I see the areas in my life where God wants to bring increase in my gifts and accomplish the purpose He has for me. He begins to renew my faith in His hand on my life. The fears, struggles, distractions, doubts, negativity all fades away like a distant voice far away and barely heard. Instead I hear, see, and feel Him. He is taking me by the hand to each of these areas where He wants to take me to the next level. Any other time I am completely overwhelmed by the all that it will take to achieve these goals I am working towards, yet in these moments those overwhelming feelings are so far behind me and I am able to just see.

A glance, a moment of an Opened Heart! God really does Love me!!!! He really does Love His people. If only we would hearken to His voice more often, we would begin to walk more upright, more confident, and more bold in who He has called us to be and what He has called us to do.

Tonight...I KNOW that I CAN through Jesus Christ. All these things set before me right now....are IN HIS HANDS. I put my Trust in Him and walk into His arms...I am Safe in Him. Your Will Father, be done!!! In Jesus Name, Amen!

Show Me Your Glory...

I'm thirsty.

I'm dry.
I'm hungry.
I'm longing.

Oh Lord, would You just come down into this place and fill me, fill this atmosphere with You. Lord, I need You, I want You, I gotta have You. Let Your Everlasting Beauty surround me. Surround me Oh Lord. Surround me Oh Lord. Fill me up with more of You. Surround me Oh Lord. Surround me Oh Lord. Fill me up with more of You.

That is truly the cry of my heart. I long for Him, I long for His presence and for some reason I keep trying to go these spurts without Him. I don't even do it intentionally. I am just going about my business, working, cleaning, daily duties, and then the realization hits and the emotions begin to swell within me....JESUS, I NEED YOU! I begin to experience this insatiable desire, a craving, I NEED Him, I NEED Him, I NEED Him! I was working on my computer while also doing some baking and I had originally been watching some shows on Hulu (it helps my brain remain calm sometimes while thinking so hard...haha). Yet, I felt this void growing within me all of a sudden. I needed to experience the presence of God. I needed to feel Him and I immediately begin to feel far from Him. I turned on some worship and it was if my arms were opening wider while I was also running closer to this thing in front of me...It was like a magnetized force was pulling me forward towards Him....He was the "thing" I was sensing. Do you ever feel like certain songs come at that right moment, like, "God, are You doing that for me?" ......that's what was happening with me and with each song the intensity grew, my spirit stirred...

I have had so much on my mind the past week and I am trying to avoid coming "unhinged" while completing some of these tasks in front of me. I am walking in an uncomfortable territory, an unknown territory, a place in which trust is the only way I am able to see my foot take a step. I'm a little afraid by the NEW, but at the same time I am full of confidence, a knowing, that I am on the right path. I'm pushing down and out all the thoughts that are trying to plague my mind and my emotions, that I am not able to accomplish all these things that God is and has been stirring within me since He first created me. He put things within me and I have uncovered some of them, yet now it's as though the field just bloomed and it's Harvest Time!! I'm scared that I might fail, that I might get too overwhelmed, that I........I don't even really know......Flip side, I am oddly brave and finding myself taking these giant leaps before turning around and realizing what I have just done.

All I can stop and think is, MORE LORD! Give me More!!! Show me Your Glory Father. Rain down Your Presence all over me, fill me, surround me, reign Lord, reign over me. I'm stepping my feet out of the boat and walking toward MY GOD out on the water. I know He will keep me. I know I am safe even though my senses my be experiencing a different scenario. Lol! I'm stepping into the Glory Cloud and I'm not afraid...I'm Ready!

Show me Your Glory Lord!!!

Now That'll Make Me Smile...

I am the type of person who "makes due with what I got" or I make what I got do.....lol! I am c r e a t i v e and experimental even if it means something won't come out perfect. Sadly my desire for perfection keeps me both unsatisfied and self-conscious when having to "share" my work. The great thing about fearless efforts is stumbling upon something amazing. The not so great thing is when it turns out to be a total flop. To elaborate here I would like to focus on FOOD! 


I tend to create new things, especially with having food allergy limitations. I don't always have everything I need to create so I make what I have work. It is very common for me to look up a recipe on a certain food item and then find 5 other recipes, all tweaked differently, and fashion my own recipe. I am not "the best" Mommy Chef in town. People don't go around talking about my spectacular meals. I do tend to get excited though when I have found something to enjoy. I make food for my own tastes, which are unique. You may or may not like things the way I do, but I gotta eat so....I need excitement in my food when I am limited in what I can have. A Gluten Free(GF) - Soy Free(SF) - Chocolate Free - Partial Dairy Free(DF) diet with common fruit and veggie limitations (broccoli, carrots, oranges, apples...to name a few) can make life boring. When I find something I like, I am eating the heck out of it - everyday - all day!!! 


Now I am fully aware of the p l e t h o r a of Foods available to me that I haven't even tried before and I am working on bringing more food excitement into my life a little at a time. My toughest crowd of people to please is my kiddos, mainly my middle son Camron. If I can thrill his taste buds I can stamp SUCCESS on my work...even on my life! These moments propel me forward, give me purpose, make me just SMILE!!!! Yes!!!!


Today, after many months, I have finally made my Homemade GF Bread. Admittedly, I have been somewhat lazy, or lets say uninspired to bake for awhile. However, buying $5 GF Bread that lasts all of no days, can get pricey! My kids love to eat GF bread with me. My most Favorite GF brands are Rudi's, Udi's, and Kinnikinniks. Mostly you will find a loaf or more of Rudi's in our freezer. The kids have been begging me to make my bread, but I just didn't have the motivation to commit to the lovely process of bread making. It was really sad actually! How does one perfect a recipe if one does not bake? 


So today after my delicious smelling bread came piping out of the oven, the kids ran over beaming asking if I made my bread, begging for a slice! Then they walk away smiling saying, "Mom's bread is the best bread, better than any bread!" 


We have eliminated all "chemical" bread from our diet (bread on the shelves, bread with ingredients you can't understand that are a mile long list). After years of eating it, "chemical" bread ranks pretty high, especially the special gourmet kinds, with my kids taste desires. I have not ventured into making the Wheat Versions of these breads, or any versions of these breads yet (one day). The mere fact that my kiddos AND hubby Love my bread makes me so fulfilled inside. I can't say that I 100% feel confident in their love of my bread, I may still be suffering from rejection issues...lol! I do know that when my little tad bit of acceptance-pride pushes out of the way, I beam a myself with that good-sense-of-pride in my accomplishments. 


So after my long drawn out story about Pride, Smiles, and Bread....I am happy to say that I have a satisfied family and some bread to eat! :)
(Now if I have to share it with "other" people than I may still need to work through some issues...)

Are You Ready For 2012?

Well, seems I have let time come between us again...Lol! I hope everyone enjoyed their End of the Year Celebrations, Family Time, Christmas, New Year, etc. Are you ready for 2012? We are half way into this first month. Have you started working on those pesky Resolutions yet? You know, join a gym, lose weight, buff up, be a better person, cut out the negativity, clean your bad mouth out, be a better Mom/Dad/Sister/Brother/Husband/
Wife/Daughter/Son/Friend...whatever! The list of many millions of people around the world. The list you start and somehow by the end of the year, during the times of reflection, you gripe at yourself for not living up to something as simple as this list. Oh, but that's not you, right!?!?!


I will admitt, I have been that person many a time. I have joined gyms in January (I joined one this January), then stopped going. I always had justifiable reasons WHY? Once you disrupt the routine you amped yourself up to begin, it's so hard to jump back in the game. Then it's one excuse after the next. Excuses do Not produce results people! I KNOW!!!


For the past few years now, I have started the New Year with a  F a s t. It seems churches everywhere have caught on to the "F a s t i n g  F a d". Oh, but I don't want my time of Fasting to be a Hobby or Bi-Anual Habit, a Trendy Thing To Do, an All-About-Food-Focus, an Anything but God time...For me, Fasting is a way to Force my Flesh to Submit. Simple as that! I consider myself a Moderately Disciplined Person. Some areas of my life are very disciplined, while others..well....I am a Procrastinating Perfectionist. It is what keeps me sane, yet also seems to drive me insane. Some weird catch-22 I suppose. Maybe even a tad sad. Eh, it's how I usually operate. Fasting somewhat breaks that cycle for a time...or maybe it doesn't, but it is definitely a Boot Camp for my flesh and my spirit. You see, my Flesh is learning to relinquish control (something I disillusion myself that I have), it's being put through Ettiquiette Training, it's Stretching Out  a l l  E l a s t i c-Like...like a Giant Rubber Band Ball Bouncing Around the Walls of "Shut-Up, Sit-Down, and Listen!"...It's not a bad thing at all! It's great! My flesh forgets who it is, gets a little Hot-Headed, Pride pushes in, Self-Will begins to take control...No Good I tell ya! But the Boot Camp isn't JUST for "Reminding my Flesh" of some things. This Boot Camp is producing Strength, Power, Authority, Righhteousness, Stature, Awareness, Soberness, Agility, Passion, Purpose Released! My SPIRIT is finally allowed Freedom to operate how it was intended. My Flesh, always trying to steal the spot light from My Spirit...it's my Fiesty Flesh...a good smack, a little time-out, all goes a long way! 

F a s t i n g!

Sing it out now....

"FREEEEEEEDOM, FREEEEEEEEDOM, 

FREEEEEEEEEDOM, FREEEEEEEDOM! 

I'm gonna Clap a little louder, sing a little stronger, 

dance more freely, jump higher, spin around, shout it out loud! 

No More Shackles, No More Chains, No More Bondage, My Spirit is Free! 

Hallelujah, Hallelujah, Hallelujah, 

FREEEEEEEEEEEDOM!"

BUT....then also, Fasting isn't so Fancy Free and Fun! It's at times very challenging! It does not feel good to see your flaws. Have you ever started a workout routine...energy is high, then comes pain and soreness, then energy kicks up again and you "feel" like your really making changes, but maybe you don't "see" them changing fully yet. I was listening on the radio this morning and they were discussing a News Releasing indicating a New Pill they want to release on the market that has all the answers...you know this pill...the one that gives you the perfect body WITHOUT the workout. Sadly, if that does ever actually come out, people WILL buy it. I mean who would want to actually DO the work that produces results, when a pill could DO it for you. (insert sarcastic eye rolling here!) It's the EASY BUTTON MENTALITY...always looking for shortcuts. At what price though and with what reward? Is your life worth it? What is more rewarding than sweating it out and achieving a goal! Gee, wonder if Jesus had a shortcut to our salvation....oh wait, He did! LUKE 4...you see Jesus was coming off a 40 day fast, He was hungry...wouldn't you be? I mean He sure wasn't eating Corn Tortillas, because technically they are a vegetable. Or drinking your morning cup of coffee because taking that away just doesn't work, caffeine withdrawals, needing the wake-up-in-a-cup to get through the day. Now I am not saying your fast doesn't count when you do this. The focus of the fast is not about food, what you can or can't eat. The focus is denying your flesh, replacing those fleshly desires for closeness with God, being more sober, more spiritually aware that you are weak and you need God. I am a huge modifier of fasting(yep I admitted it), so I am not being hypocritical, just stating the obvious in regards to how we desire the Easy way. My life isn't even all that awful, it's actually pretty great, yet I still find myself looking for something easy amidst so many other "not-so-easy" things. Anyways, off track as usual....Satan tempted Jesus with the EASY BUTTON more than once. What if He took it? Where would our Freedom and Salvation be then?


Let me put it like this.....

If God doesn't step in 

and intervene, 

we get stoned!

I was thinking of Mary, the mother of Jesus, when the people found out she was pregnant and UN-married and Joseph wasn't claiming that baby. The people wanted to stone her to death, that was the law! She must be punished! After all, it wasn't Joseph's baby, people don't just become pregnant without the "doing-it" part! BUT, God totally stepped in and intervened. The Angel visited Joseph, the story takes a dramatic turn back on track. For every "YES" to God's Will and to God's Way, something marvelous is birthed. You see, Mary said "YES" to God and the Salvation of the World was birthed. Jesus said YES to God, and The Salvation of Mankind was Fulfilled! What happens when we say YES to God...What amazing thing is God birthing through our YES? From Moses to Abraham to Issac to Jacob all the way to David and all the way to Mary. All these people said YES and something GREAT was able to be made manifest. If just ONE of them said NO, the picture would not be like this. So what thing(s) is God asking you to say "YES" to? Have you said Yes? It doesn't actually Stop with the Yes. Yes is the beginning. Don't let that scare you though. The rest is Easy, well not Easy Button Easy, but Easy in the sense that you just Let God Be God! You pray, you seek Him, you worship, you guard and protect the thing you birthed, you let Him be God. Mary said YES to God, Jesus was birthed, then she had to Let God be God. She was not in control of how Jesus would Save the World. As a Mom, I am sure she had moments of being Mom-like, but in the end God had to step in, intervene, and have HIS way so His will would be accomplished. "IT IS FINISHED!"
Yet, it's not over! Jesus is returning for His people...are we ready for Him? Have we done all God has asked us to do to Prepare the Way for the King? What things are we still needing to Say YES to? God works in steps to fulfill His purpose. It was steps from the beginning of creation, the flood era, the promise of Abraham, the heart of David and the restoration of the Tabernacle, the birth of Jesus, the obedience of the Disciples. Each person, each area, played a significant role to accomplish the bigger picture. I am sure that when each person said YES they didn't realize the magnitude of what was then able to be accomplished at large. God may have even given them glimpses, but to take in in full the vastness of His plans....


If you don't say YES, if you don't Let God Be God, if you skip out on Your Part of the Whole...what are you doing to the Larger picture? 


ARE YOU READY FOR 2012 now?