Seashells by the seashore....

Last week, I had the opportunity to spend the weekend with my family and a friend at our condo in Siesta Key....I've always loved walking along the beach especially at sunset. There are normally families walking together, laughing, talking, and making memories-I love taking this all in. As I was there kicking the sand with my feet and picking up shells, I was reminded of something interesting. Those of you that know me, know that I love "marine biology," I am so fascinated with the wonders of this world, but especially those that involve the ocean. One of those wonders to me is the "sea shell," or better yet, the animal that takes shelter in that sea shell. It is so interesting to me that a whole world for one animal can exist in something smaller than a quarter. It is because of their size and frankly "the circle of life" that predators present a high risk to them, even those of "their own kind!" Did you know:

"Many mollusks prey on other species of shells by means of drilling. This means that they use specialized mouth parts and enzymes to excavate a circular hole through the shell and then insert their proboscis to eat the soft body parts of the clam or other shell. Sometimes octopi also drill holes in shells to get to the tasty animal inside."

-"San Diego natural history museum"

What that means in "layman's terms" is that over a period of time, the predator slowly works it's way into that shells world and takes over, by complete consumption. This drilling does not happen fast, but slowly-over time.

Does that sound familier. Isn't easy especially in high school , to allow someone to talk us into doing something that it totally against our moral code? And yet we go along with it and before you know it, we are completely taken over by sin..and it seems like all of a sudden-we are an empty shell. What once housed a flourishing individual, now houses an empty spirit..Drained of ambition, drained of life itself!

Please take a second to read these lyrics by "Casting Crowns:"

Be careful little eyes what you see
It's the second glance that ties your hands as darkness pulls the strings
Be careful little feet where you go
For it's the little feet behind you that are sure to follow

It's a slow fade when you give yourself away
It's a slow fade when black and white have turned to gray
Thoughts invade, choices are made, a price will be paid
When you give yourself away
People never crumble in a day
It's a slow fade, it's a slow fade

Be careful little ears what you hear
When flattery leads to compromise, the end is always near
Be careful little lips what you say
For empty words and promises lead broken hearts astray

It's a slow fade when you give yourself away
It's a slow fade when black and white have turned to gray
Thoughts invade, choices are made, a price will be paid
When you give yourself away
People never crumble in a day

The journey from your mind to your hands
Is shorter than you're thinking
Be careful if you think you stand
You just might be sinking

It's a slow fade when you give yourself away
It's a slow fade when black and white have turned to gray
Thoughts invade, choices are made, a price will be paid
When you give yourself away
People never crumble in a day
Daddies never crumble in a day
Families never crumble in a day

Oh be careful little eyes what see
Oh be careful little eyes what you see
For the Father up above is looking down in love
Oh be careful little eyes what you see

Do you see all of the parallels? Distractions do not normally affect our decision making right away, but rather over time. Even our own friends can have an affect on our downfall. Remember that saying "You are who your friends are?" Well it is true, the people we spend the majority of our time with should reflect what we want to emulate!

When that same shell is alerted and knows that it is being threatened, it will bury into the sand immediately! Using that example, when the holy spirit alerts us inside that something is "not right," may we too bury ourselves in the Lord- Using His Word for guidance and refuge!

So ask yourselves this question: "Who am I allowing to influence me, is this good or bad?"

Big Mess!

I remember being in a drama group in Middle School that volunteered to serve for a dinner at church. I was so excited, I thought that it would be so cool and "official." After we served everyone their food, it was time for their coffee and dessert! I had never carried coffee without a top before so I thought the best thing to do was to watch the coffee very closely, just in case it decided to spill I could somehow tell the cup to "stop that!" HAHA right? I was later told, after intense concentration, that I should not look at the coffee but rather look ahead at the person I was bringing it to. For some reason this actually steadies your hand and causes you to spill less. Who would have thought?

I know that it is so easy for me/us to have something happen in life, where we end up staying so focused on the issue rather then the ONE that we are taking it to. If you were to look directly into that coffee, you would not see your reflection-Your problems do not define you, but rather the way that you handle them. Everyday we are faced with different obstacles that we can either allow to consume our attention or forge us ahead to focus on the Lord. I want to remind you that no one ever said (or should ever say) that "the christian life is easy," but we choose what we make of it. It is important that we keep our eyes fixed ahead so that we do not make a BIG MESS!

"Let your eyes look straight ahead, fix your gaze directly before you." Proverbs 4:25

"The Last Supper"

The night before the "Master Cleanse"....Ok, so I know that you all must be thinking "Why is she publicizing this?" Well because I need accountability! 

So tonight, I decided to eat "Steak and Shake!" I had a cheeseburger with fries and a chocolate shake, and then when I got home and I ate some "famous amos" chocolate cookies..Did I mention that I have not had a burger slash anything (Steak and Shake) like that for at least two years? Oh man but it was good! And there was "no gym" today, talk about a blow out, or maybe I took my "last supper" a little too far! Yeah but I will not be eating solid food for another 2 weeks!!!! If you are interested in doing this too, get the book "Master Cleanse." But to give you a snip-it of my life for the next couple of weeks....(Just FYI, they tell you to ease into it, which as you can see is not my approach!)

To make the Lemonade you will need the following ingredients:

lemons/or limes

water

maple syrup

cayenne pepper

I also have to drink herbal tea (which I did tonight) and do a "salt bathing" in the AM (google that, fun times)

Wish me luck and do not invite me to dinner...please!

I'll be back tomorrow...Night!

"Throw it OVERBOARD!"

Anyone that has ever seen "The Little Mermaid," or "Titanic" knows that if a ship gets too full in a storm, something has got to give. In each of these movies you see the crew trying to figure out what has the most importance (needs vs. wants), in order to know what is to be thrown over first. Amidst this observation, I/we can assume that there have been instances where the items thrown overboard, were deeply cared about, or had extreme monetary value-resulting in a great loss. How many times in life, do we see God strip us of something, that we thought we could never live without? We look around and question how we will ever survive without that job, or that car, or that house, or that guy, or that girl? Sadly, because we are human, it is easy for our identities to get wrapped up in these things and we all know that as soon as that happens, God has to help us re prioritize, and if we don't-we will SINK! Think about it, once the storm is cleared, as much as those people thought that they would miss those things, all that they can reflect on is the fact that they are alive! Nothing else matters! What if we embraced God's "pruning" of our "vessel" that way-as, "it is sooo good to be alive in Christ?" Would we view life differently? I can't help but think about the different times in my life where God insisted that certain people and or things that were important to me, be thrown "overboard," and how devastated I was-but now reflecting, since the storm has passed, I am thankful to be alive, thankful that I did not sink to the bottom. I want to be a "vessel" that flows on all cylinders, with nothing holding me back and well, sometimes that means some things just have to go "overboard!"

So I challenge you as I challenge myself, What are the things in your life that are holding you back from being the greatest vessel (in/for Christ) you can be-A vessel that is pressing on towards it's final destination-called HOME?

Take refuge in your storms...

Pslam 34:22

"The LORD redeems his servants; no one will be condemned who takes refuge in him."

A Letter..about my Dad!

Dear Reader:

I know that you get letters all the time telling you how amazing someone feels that their parent is to them, so you will find it as no surprise that I too believe that my Dad is the best that any person could ask for.... I discovered at a very young age that I did not like to sweat! I was the little girl that would sit in her dress and bows on the bench on the playground. So...obviously that meant that I had nothing to do with sports or anything that required me to "glow." (until later in life) So in an attempt to help me find a hobby my dad suggested that I try singing lessons. At the time, we had no idea that it would turn into a complete and utter passion. My dad says that I have never been the same since the first time that he saw me perform live, I knew then that I had found my niche. I will say however, that I later discovered (as you well know) that this requires a lot of "glowing," good thing that I did not know that then! As the years went on, both of my parents continued to encourage me to pursue my dreams of singing and using my voice for the greater good.

On May 15th, 1999, I was on my way home from church one night with some friends of mine and their mom. After proceeding through a green light, we were broadsided by a drunk driver, we then spun into traffic. After being hit a second time by a truck full of furniture- we hit the curb, my seat belt ripped and I was ejected out of the car. Not only did God spare my life that night, I had no broken bones. It was at that time that I realized that life is truly as precious and short as God says it is. I feel that during this time God revealed to me a lifelong purpose that He has for all of us, but He showed me my personal way to do it. To put it simply, "Love on people and tell them about me-through song!" I was not exactly sure how to do that, so that was where my Dad came in. Without hesitation he started calling in "favors," we joke that he used to have to beg people to let me sing! Before we knew it, people were calling us, and inviting me to not only sing, but speak as well. To fuel my inspiration he would take me to "GMA week" in Nashville. I will never forget when we went to the awards show together, I learned so much at these events and also got to spend some amazing one on one time with Dad.

Since my ministry began almost 10 years ago, he has never taken a single cent-ever! In fact he has done serious fundraising and the majority of the behind the scenes work. We were able to embrace the fruits of our labor my senior year of high school when "Butterfly Records" approached me about signing on to their record label. We were always told that we could do it with out a label but knew that this could truly take me to the next level-I would be able to reach more people. This decision forced me to move to Nashville at 18 years old, knowing only about 5 people. I was scared to death, but knew I had worked hard to get there. Sadly after 10 months the label went bankrupt! There my Dad was yet again, there to pick me up and encourage me to forge ahead. There has been so many times when I did not believe in myself, but because he did, I pushed on. Fortunately during that ten months the label set me up with "Provident" and "Word Records" for writing sessions. During one of these writing sessions we wrote this song:

Father Me
Lyrics by: Christina Sanders, Joel Lindsey. Tony Woods

We’d ride our bikes bout a mile to the curb drink icees and sit on the curb
There were so many jokes that we both understood without even saying a word
You’ve been my center the heart of my world I’ve always been proud to be your little girl

Chorus
You Father me
You Father me
The way I believe God intends it to be
I see him leading you as you’re leading me
I love the way you Father me

There was never a doubt not even once of whether or not I was loved
You’ve given me strength and the courage to dream to hope and step out in trust
You were there by my side when my heart found it’s faith you Fathered me then and still to this day

Chorus

You are my constant
You are so strong
You are so tender and true
It’s no surprise my picture of God looks a lot like you

Chrous


I think that the song speaks for itself, my earthly father has been a great example of love to me and because of that- it has been easy to trust that my heavenly father always has my best interest at heart. Last year I went through a very life changing experience yet again. In 2006 I married whom I thought was the man of my dreams. After just under 2 years of marriage, he left and decided to pursue a homosexual lifestyle. Mind you, the main focus of my ministry has been purity-so I was a virgin when we got married. (because I made a commitment to God, my father and mother that I would save myself.) Divorce was always a bad word in my home, my parents have been married for almost 30 years on the solid foundation of Jesus Christ. I don't think that they take it for granite that it is only with God's strength and provision that they have "outlived" the statistics. After my divorce, (which by God's grace, I was able to get annulled-legally!) I felt like I had failed! Being fully aware that the decisions made were not my fault, I still wondered how God could use me...It will be a year in July, since my ex-husband left, and over time God has shown me that He is the keeper of my heart, where I find peace and rest. As time goes on, I have been given more and more opportunities to share my experience and how God plans on using it for His glory! In fact, I can honestly say that I am experiencing the happiest most fulfilling time of my life!

Through it all, my Dad has been there as a great example of what a godly man looks like. I am so thankful that I have a Dad that has constantly reassured me of his love. In a little over 3 minutes, you cannot fully capture the size of my heart for him, however I, with the help of the other writers- did my best.

There have been quite a few bumps already in my short journey, but I know, no matter what, my "Father's" will always be there!

Thank you,

Christina

PS: The song "Father Me" is on my most recent CD, as well as iTunes :)

Fulfillment

FUL-FILL also ful·fil (fl-fl)
1. To bring into actuality; effect: fulfilled their promises.
2. To carry out (an order, for example).
3. To measure up to; satisfy. See Synonyms at perform, satisfy.
4. To bring to an end; complete.

I was at dinner with a friend of mine the other night, and we had a discussion about "fulfillment." We talked about our different views on certain people in our lives, that we did not feel were reaching their "full potential." It was really neat because we sat there and talked about what we thought that they should be doing, and after a while realized that maybe they were already doing exactly what they should be. As an outsider we look in on people's lives and have our own ideals of what they should be accomplishing, but those ideas are not always the other person's dreams. Now by no means do I want to confuse "settling" with this topic. No one should ever settle, however they should fight for what they are passionate about.

Just because we thought that these individuals were capable of something greater in our eyes, doesn't mean that they are not already doing what God wants them to do. Think about a missionary, many of them are highly educated and could be making a fine income elsewhere, but instead they are out in the world spreading the love of Jesus. Being a missionary, does not take a lot of head knowledge but you definitely have to have a heart for people. And at the same time think about the president of a major company, heaven knows it takes a special person to hold that type of responsibility and not just anyone can do it. I say all of that to say:

"(Success) Fulfillment is not measured by the greatness that surrounds you, but rather by the greatness that dwells in you!"
-Me

(Disclaimer: This is not like one of those sermons that you heard as a kid-that says money is bad, and having nice things is wrong, I am very thankful for the nice things that God has allowed me to have...These thoughts are only written to explain that it does not matter what you do, just do it unto the Lord!)

True fulfillment can only be found in Jesus Christ. If we commit all of our ways to him, He is faithful and will continue to reveal what he has called us to do. Let's face it, aren't we the most fulfilled when we are in His will, no matter what the task?
Because He designed us all differently, some of us are meant to be the CEO's of companies, and some of us are meant to volunteer and answer the phone at the local church. All of us have different gifts and talents, therefore God will use us all at different capacities.

What are some of the ways that God allows you to experience fulfillment? Do you see that fulfillment as a result of committing your ways to the Lord?


Proverbs 16:3 (New International Version)
3 Commit to the LORD whatever you do,
and your plans will succeed.

Jeremiah 29:11 (New International Version)
11 For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

What sound does your life make?

Last night I had a great opportunity to go and see "The Celebrity Dance Event" for The Spring as well as see Daniel Bernard Roumain (DBR) perform. It was an exciting night filled with music, laughter and a lot of running. It reminded me of the movie 27 Dresses because she would go back and forth to weddings to be a part of it all. Well that is what Carissa Caricato and I did last night...We went back and forth, and did it all-in one night.

We started at the Dance event, so that we could see our friend Aakash Patel perform, he did fantastic. We then went over to the theater adjacent and watched this "DBR" as they call him. I really had no idea what he would be like, considering the fact that all I knew about him was that he played "hip hop violin." With everyone anxiously awaiting in the dark, we began to hear some music from the DJ (Elan Vytal), with an occasional spin from the turn table. DBR began to play and then in a Haitian accent I hear, "My Haitian mother always told me to always bring a gift when you go into some one's home and my Haitian father always told me to always walk with grace." And from there he started playing his violin. The lights came on and there stood a man with dreadlocks down to his knees and energy like I have never seen before. I know most of you are thinking, "oook weird." But I do not think that I would do it justice if I tried to put my experience into words. It was truly an amazing evening.

A quote from his website:

A musical exploration between contrasting cultures and instruments of classical and pop music. The violin, the keyboards, the turntables and the laptop will sing, battle and rhyme together, honoring a full spectrum of musical inventions.

Amidst this eclectic encounter, Daniel asked something that penetrated me far deeper than his music...He asked, "what is the sound of your life?" I am sure that there are many different interpretations of this internal interrogation, however, I felt like he was asking all of us in layman's terms "What does your life stand for, what does it mean?" I'd like to think that we all make music by the way we life our lives. It is kind of like the statement "He/she dances to the beat of their own drum." Everyone has a melody that is essentially our legacy. What are we going to leave with people?

There is a beautiful verse in the bible that states: (1 Corinthians 13:1) "If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal."

When someone meets me, can they tell how much I love the Lord? Can they tell how much I value my family? Do they know that my friends are dear to me? Do they know that I care about them even only after 5 seconds? Can they tell that I am honest, and so on? It is so easy to take every human encounter lightly, but you have to remember that you are leaving people with your sound, with your song, what does it sound like? We all know what it is like to hear a song that greatly disturbs us. Are you that to others, or are you a beautiful symphony that soothes a stranger's soul?

We can either choose to harmonize and enhance or clash and crash. What will you do? Will you love? What sound does your life make?

Daniel, thank you for bringing us your gift and walking with grace..