The Christianista

Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. – Philippians 3:12-14

Before I started my Sunday run last night,  I was content with finishing my  4 miles in 28 minutes. A 7 minute a mile pace is pretty good for running 4 miles because you work up a nice sweat, yet  you’re not sprinting. I put my shoes on and in less than 5 minutes I was out of  the door to beat the  sunset. Now what happens next is not foreign and happens quite a bit to me, I’m working on this now. I started my run and was about a mile into it when a guy runs past me. In some crazy way, him passing me translated into him disrespecting me in my mind. Because the first step to getting over a bad habit is admitting it, I must admit that I am a pretty competitive person to a fault.  As the runner passed me, my pace automatically picked up and I was suddenly on his heels. I followed this random strange runner mocking his pace making sure that my feet were hitting the ground at the same time as his for about 2 miles. His pace was much faster than my pace and my  lungs were screaming, but I wasn’t going to quit and he is going to learn to never pass me again. At the end of mile 2, his pace started to slow up and I was about to make my move and pass him to show him who’s boss. To my dismay, the runner stops and starts to stretch. What?!?! This was mile 3 for me and I hadn’t realized that I had 1 more mile to go. I had an entire mile to go and my body was aching and crying for me to stop. At any point now I knew my knees would buckle and the t-shirt with “If I pass out call this number” idea that my dad gave me suddenly seemed like a brilliant idea. After I passed the runner and without my permission, my body down shifted to a crawl like jog.  As I finally made it to the end of my 4 mile run, it had been 30 minutes, I was drenched with sweat, and I felt like I needed to throw up. Does this story sound familiar to you?

collage of marathons with friends

Maybe your story isn’t exactly like mine, but have you ever wanted what someone else had or wanted to be just like someone else? Staying focused is especially hard to do when you are comparing and competing with other people. Just like my situation where I was competing with the runner, you never know what happens when you are not watching. I didn’t know where the runner started, he could have only ran 2 miles and instead of me being focused on my goal, I was distracted and lost sight of the goals that I set for myself. In life we want the life of other people, we want their cars, their jobs, their shoes, their bags, their money and in reality we have no idea what the story behind their lives. God doesn’t want us to covet our neighbor but in turn wants us to delight ourselves in Him. Trying to be like others will burn you out, the same way I barely finished my run before the sun went down because I was focusing on someone else. The Bible tells us in Romans 12:2 not to conform to this world but instead to renew our minds. Let’s challenge ourselves to only compete with ourselves and push ourselves to do what God wants us to do and not what others push us to do.

running essentials

happy running,
the christianista

I love technology for the mere fact that it has connected me with people who I would have never met otherwise. I recently had the chance to converse via twitter with a young woman who probably lives thousands of miles away from me. Yet, she has inspired me like she lives next door. I was reading her blog and she wrote a simple yet strong post. The message that I got out of it was forgiveness. The type of forgiveness that God gives us which is very hard to give to others. The message I also got was accountability, she wasn’t making any excuses. She doesn’t blame anything on anyone, she just rolls with the punches and lives her life. In her post I  love how she addresses him as “dad” and signs the letter as “your daughter”. Thanks girl, your dad is missing out!

So if you haven’t heard already, I was doing a 10 day fast. I told everybody, so if you didn’t know, you haven’t been paying attention. I told my parents, friends, family, team mates, members, and co workers. My reasoning for telling was 1) Because most of the time, I was offered food 2) I wanted to be held accountable 3) I was proud of what I was doing. Has anyone ever heard about God telling us what He sees secretly will be rewarded by HIm openly? Basically, I was allll wrong in telling everyone.

Matthew 6: 2 “So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. ³ But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, ⁴ so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.”

What I was doing was boasting and being loud about my plans. My plans that should have been between God and I. God wants us to only find glory through Him and not others. Whether it be giving in church, giving to the needy, doing a fast, or praying for each other to name a few. God will reward us openly, but we must do it for the right reasons and let it be between God and ourselves.

the,
christianista

It’s Tuesday and what is suppose to be day 6 of my Master Cleanse may be day 4. Ugh!!! This is too much.

I decided to do a Master Cleanse to jump start my New Year. I wanted to do the cleanse for several reasons. 1) To clear the toxins and mucus from my body 2) Help me focus and clear my head to make space for new ideas 3) To prove to myself that I’m not addicted to food. So far, I have failed and proved to myself what I was scared to admit. I’m addicted to food and especially cookies.

I thought I was doing fine and came up with a way to do the fast yet trick my addiction to cookies. My body was craving a cookie so bad on day 3, The cookie sitting in front of my desk was not calling my name, it was singing it and very loudly. I had only one option. Eat the cookie. The problem is, if I ate the cookie, my fast would be over. My solution, chew the cookie, then spit it out. Surely if I didn’t swallow the cookie it wouldn’t count. My friends told me that this was cheating and a borderline eating disorder. OK, they are being a bit dramatic, so I wanted to know what you think. If I chewed the cookie and spit it out, does that constitute as cheating?  There was no cookie in my system. Since the day of the cookie incident, it has gone downhill. I ate on Sunday and Monday. I will start over AGAIN today.

Dear God, please grant me the strength and power to accomplish this goal.

love,
the christianista

Sometimes, I am not satisfied with the way I look. When I was younger I wanted to be shorter. I felt taller than everyone, clumsier than everyone and lankier than my peers. Now that I’m older I have a new wish list for myself. I wish my feet were prettier and my skin was smoother and even. I wish I was curvier and had a six pack the list goes on and on.

In Psalms 139, David talks about how God designed and fashioned his tiny body together in his mother’s womb. God loved David before he ever existed. David was shaped by God’s love into a unique creation and you are no different.

You were uniquely made and are uniquely loved by God. Every bump, curve, dimple, freckle, pimple, cellulite, and imperfection in your eyes are perfect in Gods. If we are perfect in God’s eyes does anything else matter?

By God’s wise designing
We are wonderfully made,
Every part essential
And in perfect balance laid. —Anon

love,
the christianista

We’ve all had moments in our lives when we feared something. We’ve feared for our jobs, feared for our kids, feared for our relationships, and our health. Sometimes we fear and worry so much to the point that it makes us sick. What does God say about our worry, anxiety, and fear?

Psalm 27:1

The LORD is my light and my salvation—whom shall I fear?  The LORD is the stronghold of my life—of whom shall I be afraid?

Faith is encompassing His word. Believing in what He says and living by His word  is the definition of faith. That’s all.

love,
the christianista

From a young age I’ve been taught to tithe. In church and at home my parents and pastor always emphasized how important giving 10% of what you earn to God. That’s great, and if you were raised in church, it may be natural to you to give back when you get your paycheck, but what if you are jobless. What if you don’t have anything to give? The answer is, if you are breathing, you can always give.

Luke 6:8
For if you give, you will get! Your gift will return to you in full and overflowing measure, pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, and running over. Whatever measure you use to give – large or small — will be used to measure what is given back to you.”

Basically, you can be jobless, broke, heartbroken, unhealthy, or whatever you think your shortcomings are, as long as you are breathing, you can give back. Giving back to someone less fortunate than you. Someone who will be blessed by you.

Think about it.

love,
the christianista

The choice to give my life to Christ was solely up to me, no pressure from anyone. Of course my parents wanted it for me, but they didn’t pressured me. Actually I remember doing something similar, but I was too young to do it for myself.  I remember like it was yesterday, which is rare for me because I forget almost everything unless its traumatic.  My decision had been made well before the altar call, well before the sermon, well before the choir selection and praise and worship, I just knew that that was the day. Little did I know that the  decision was made for me on this certain day way before the thought entered my mind. This decision was already made for me before my parents wanted it for me and  before my birth – according to God.

I remember the sermon ending and my heart racing. By the time the altar call had begun, my hands were sweating. Was it because I was thinking about what others were thinking – probably. I felt ashamed and felt that everyone would know my sins and would judge me. I was very involved in church, my father a deacon and both my parents were directors of  the Children’s Church. I was at church 3 times a week and had Bible study at home with my family. I mean, was I THAT bad  a sinner? I used profanity quite a bit. I had tried alcohol and weed before, but that was only once and I didn’t even inhale. Sure I kissed plenty of boys, but I was still a virgin and  on my way to college soon, so I wasn’t that bad. Actually, I was pretty darn good. I was only suspended once in school and was only out a few days because I had near perfect grades. I was Homecoming Queen which showed how nice I was to my fellow peers. I worked hard at sports and my track coach told me that ECU wanted to extend a full scholarship to myself and 3 other ladies on my team. The only time I skipped school was to get food. My teachers loved me, especially my bio teacher who helped me get invited to the State Science fair. As a matter of fact because I was such a “good student” I held drugs for one of my “cousins” because no one would ever suspect me.  Of course I went to college parties already and drove when my parents had no idea that I had started driving so early, but I was with my older cousin so I was safe. As long as I made great grades, stayed involved in church, and stayed involved in school what harm could I do? I was like the model teen……..on the outside, but in the inside something wasn’t right. I felt such a heavy burden – I wasn’t right with God. As I raised my hand to confess that I needed Christ in my life, it was like my arm weighed 50 pounds. I felt this feeling many times at church but suppressed it because I didn’t want people to think of me as a hypocrite. This time I felt courage that I had never felt before. When I finally stood up to walk down to the altar, the lump in my throat grew so big that it exploded, the tears  falling down my cheeks were the only evidence. I didn’t understand why I was crying.

The walk to the altar seemed to take 10 minutes and I could feel the heat from peoples stares and the moisture from my arm pits trying to leave stains on my shirt. As I kept walking and getting closer to the altar I started to feel weightless like I knew I was walking, but didn’t feel like I was. It was at that point that I thought about God and not myself and my surroundings. I thought about how He gave his Son because he knew we would sin. I thought about how He knew my deepest darkest secrets and thoughts yet He still wanted me. I thought about how He worked miracles in my own family. I thought about how powerful He was. It was just about me and Him on a personal level now, no one else mattered at this point. As I started to focus on Him, my walk to the altar got lighter. Those stares that I felt previously turned into beams of pride. The stillness in the air lessened and sniffles and cries of praise filled the space. Hallelujahs were heard and rejoicings rang out.  I  started to think how lucky I was for being one of the people God chose. With the salty taste of dried tears on my lips and the gift of God’s love in my heart, I started to feel  the burden lift.  I could hear my Dad behind me shouting and crying- he had made his way down to the altar to support me, he has always been my biggest fan. God had already chose me, but this was the day that I chose Him back.

As I look back at my High School days, I realized that there were so many other people with my same path but have found themselves at a different endings. I was the typical teen and  could have easily ended on a different road. I thank Jesus for his grace and mercy because I myself am nothing short of a miracle.

I just wanted to write to say if you are one of the people who hasn’t accepted Christ and  feel that lump in your throat during altar call, lucky you, He is waiting for you to accept His invitation.

love,
the christianista

Recently I’ve been dealing with things in my life that have kept me away from writing. I have been mourning the loss of a close friend, mentor, and loved one in the form of my grandfather. I understand that death is a a part of living, but it is very hard part to accept.

I thank God for the amazing relationship that he has formed together between his son Jesus and myself. If it weren’t for that relationship, I would question and doubt God’s intentions for taking such a precious part of my life away from me.

I talked to my grandfather on the phone at least every week. I LOVED hearing his voice, it actually made me smile. At times when I heard his voice, my eyes would well up from so much joy I had from hearing his laugh. Feelings of guilt for living so far away and not being able to provide him with a better life surrounded me. I loved my grandfather for so many reasons. I loved him because he was so overjoyed when I called him. I loved him because he was incredibly intelligent and I could never beat him in a game of  checkers. I loved him because of the way his puppy dog eyes looked at me when I had to leave. I loved him because of the way I could talk to him for more than an hour on the phone and not realize it. I loved him because he gave me my Dad who reminds me of him in so many ways. I loved him because I  can empathize with his sweet tooth. I loved him because when I was around him, it couldn’t get any better. I loved him because I could still teach him new things and tell him jokes. I loved him because he made me laugh out loud every time I talked to him.I remember when his first leg was amputated, I was so sad and he could see it in my face. He looked at me and said “don’t be sad, I can still dance” as he lifted his stump of a leg up and down to show me.  He would always tell me to “take my love with you”.

I will always take your love with me Granddaddy, I just wish I could take you with me too. I miss you!

love,
the christianista

So today I realized that God is crazy about me. I love him and he loves me way more. Sometimes when I’m blessed with certain things that I know I don’t deserve, I feel like that little girl who has her Daddy wrapped around her finger. I feel spoiled by God. Out of all the people in the world, He loves me the most, or at least it feels that way. Have you ever received a blessing and thought to yourself that you didn’t deserve it?

I was reading a story about a little boy who was the only survivor of a plane crash and in good condition. Out of the 103 passengers and crew, this little 10 – year old boy survived. The media writes that this is nothing short of a miracle, but I’m writing that this is nothing but a blessing. After seriously thinking I was favored by God and that I had special attention, now I’m wondering is it possible for God to have two favorites?

God is so good that he makes us all his favorite. His omnipresence, love, and consistency is what keeps up feeling like #1.  Psalms 139: 7 says it best:

7 Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence? 8 If I ascend to heaven, You are there; If I make my bed in 1Sheol, behold, You are there. 9 If I take the wings of the dawn, If I dwell in the remotest part of the sea, 10 Even there Your hand will lead me, And Your right hand will lay hold of me. 11 If I say, “Surely the darkness will 1overwhelm me, And the light around me will be night,” 12 Even the darkness is not dark 1to You, And the night is as bright as the day.Darkness and light are alike to You.

No matter what you do, where you go, who you’re with, God will be there too. He will be your #1 fan, your best-friend, your life jacket, your go to person, he will be there because you are his favorite!

love,
the christianista

OK……so, I’m a little confused here. I’m not all about the looks, actually, I’m not about the looks. I believe that the kind of heart a person has is so much more important that the exterior. However, because I watched the show “Let’s talk about Pep”, I’m a little confused on how Jacque ended up with J. Anthony Brown. Jacque Reid, former BET nightly news anchor, was one of my favorites of the show. She is extremely smart, articulate, cute, and fly and J. Anthony Brown is the opposite of all that in my opinion. Is his personality so dynamic that he pulled Ms. Reid? According to The Tom Joyner Morning Show and Black America Web,  J Brown and J Reid are getting married on the “Fantastic Voyage” cruise on Monday, May 17.

love,
the christianista

Lord it is apparent that I couldn’t’ survive without you. It is obvious that I wouldn’t be the woman I am today without you. Lord I love and need you more than I need air to breathe. Lord I love you and need you more than I need water to drink. Lord I love and need you more than I need my heart to pump. You are amazing and I don’t want to live in this world without you. Thanks for leading me through darkness and guiding me through the day. Lord it is inevitable that I will rely on you and that is just the way I like it.

love,
the christianista

Yesterday I found out that my Uncle Willie passed away. They found his body unconscious from a heart attack. My Uncle was young in age and even younger at heart. We would tease him because he would  complain that he was tired all the time. He was the baby of the family. He lived and took good care of my granddad, but would sleep the day away. We would find him walking to his  room saying, “I’m tired, I’ve been babysitting Daddy all day”. When we would come to visit my grandfather, we would bust through my Uncle’s bedroom door to make him wake up. He never told us why he was so tired. When he died, papers were found in his room, evidence finding him guilty of being on a wait list for a heart transplant. He never told us.

My dad took it the hardest in my opinion. It was his baby brother. It was the only other person who could make my dad so mad.  My Uncle Willie. He was so funny!! No, really really funny.  He was about 6 feet tall, thin boyish frame with a big head and even bigger smile. I can’t remember a time when he was not smiling.

There, I did it!

You will always be adored and missed. Until we meet again……

love,
the christianista

When Lauryn Hill sings these lyrics in her song “I Gotta Find Peace of Mind”, I doubt she is talking about the same “He” that I’m thinking of. In her song, she sings of a man who tells her over and over again that it’s impossible and who takes all of her energy.

However, there is one line that I can relate to, although I love this song for various reasons. When she sings, “He inspires me to be the higher me”, that hits home. Not only do I think of the obvious, Jesus Christ, but I also think of my dad. It brings me to think of who I will allow into a relationship with me.

All of my life while entering relationships, I only got with men who inspired me to be a better person. I think it’s important to bring something new and different to the table and only grow and learn from each other. My best relationship was when I actually got closer to God while in the relationship. This is what I desire, and a standard that is not negotiable.

love,
the christianista

Today I found myself incredibly stressed out. I keep telling myself not to let people negatively affect my day, but I’m human and can’t control my emotions 100% of the time. As strong as his faith was, even Job got stressed from time to time. In Job 20: 27, Job says, “The churning inside me never stops; days of suffering confront me.” Despite the situation, everyone experiences stress at some point in their life. Jesus tells us in Matthew 11:28-30 to come to him when we are burdened and weary and he will help us rest. In times like now, I have to remember that stress isn’t worth the headache, especially when you can go to God for a spiritual Advil.

love,
the christianista

I’m going to say NOTHING. I think Valentine’s Day is for women and we should be showered with gifts and love. Call me crazy or selfish, but I just think that women should be appreciated and loved even more on this special day. Valentine’s Day is for us, but if you HAVE to get him something, I suggest doing something special for him instead or buying something. If your guy is making you feel extra special throughout the year and you want to reciprocate that love, try doing something he likes or making something for him. Here are a few low key but thoughtful V-day gift ideas for him:

1. Make him 10 cups with 10 reasons why he is lucky to have a girl like you: You can use icing to put a number on each cupcake, and have a card with the reasons. You can also write numbers and reasons on the bottom of the cupcake.
2. Cook him his favorite lunch and attempt to play a sport with him: He will think it’s the cutest thing when you ask if he wants to throw the football around a bit after lunch. Have him teach you his sport of choice.
3. Make him a CD with all of his favorite songs with you singing or rapping the lyrics: This can easily be done with Garageband on Mac and YouTube. Any music on YouTube can be downloaded to your computer with mp3 converter (free online). If you don’t know the lyrics, don’t worry, you can Google most lyrics on the Internet. Once you have the soundtrack and lyrics, use Garageband on Mac to become the producer that you have always wanted to be.
4. Have your friends call or text him with reasons why you love him: I did this before. He will be surprised to have random people calling, but even more proud that everyone knows how much you love him.
5. Volunteer at a V-day program at Senior Citizen home: He will see and appreciate how you share love with others and also get some wise advice about love from older couples.

love,

the christianista

Shouts to my girl (you know who you are) and someone else needs to hear this too. We had a long talk today and I just want to let you know that you are strong, beautiful, smart,  amazing, and God is crazy about you. Don’t let ANYBODY tell you anything differntly. I know time may feel like it’s standing still right now, but after a storm there is calm and peace and sometimes a rainbow. I will be there for you through it all and so will God. I Love you!

love,

the christianista

So Marvin Sapp was on the Monique show on Tuesday when she said a few things to him including .”Marvin, you digs up in that a@#, don’t you?” That was one of the many things she said. You can find the video here, fast forward to 10:48:

http://www.bet.com/video/797837

love,

the christianista

Does the God command us to stay away from intoxication? Do you think it’s a sin for Christians to drink alcohol? From what I’ve read, the answer is yes and no.

The bible tells us in  Ephesians 5:18 to not to get drunk. So yes, God is commanding us as Christians to not get drunk of wine. The bible also tells us as Christians to stay away from doing things that may hinder non Christians from seeking God. He wants us to be an example, a light.
1 Corinthians 8:9-13
“9 Be careful, however, that the exercise of your freedom does not become a stumbling block to the weak.”
I mean really, think about a time when you did something you regret because you were so gone; or you were so faded you can’t even remember if you did something you regret. It’s not a good look, and it’s not cute.

God also doesn’t forbid us to drink wine, beer, or any other alcoholic beverage. There are many scriptures in the bible where the bible discusses drinking in positive terms. Ecclesiastes 9:7 says, “Drink your wine with a merry heart.”

Even though God doesn’t forbid alcohol consumption, be very careful of the addiction that it could cause, drunkenness and the effects of drunkenness, and last but not least possibilities of causing offense to others who are stumbling. Let his light shine in you.

love,

the christianista

We understand why natural disasters occur; we don’t understand why God allows them to happen. Katrina occurred, the monstrous Thailand Tsunami, now a 7.1 magnitude earthquake in Haiti? Why God? Why would you kill so many innocent people, some of them being babies? Why God, if you love us, why punish us in this way? Many people ponder these questions. People want to know why a God of mercy, all-power, and forgiveness would cause such a devastating event. This isn’t the first time people questioned God in times of disaster, and certainly won’t be the last.

Instead of focusing on these questions, I like to focus on how God has kept us from harm for so long. I like to praise God for saving us and forgiving us and having mercy on us, after sin after sin after sin.  When this question comes up, there are 3 things that come to mind.

1. This earthly world is just a layover

This is not your final destination, this is just a layover until your next flight. Your time here on earth is temporary; you are not supposed to be here forever, period, point, blank! God tells us that he is preparing a place for us after our earthly life (John 14:2-3). Although we want to live a fulfilling life while on earth, we have to realize that life here is provisional. Some people lose sight of the definition of everlasting life.

2. God brings goodness out of suffering

When disasters like this strike; it forces us to think beyond life here on earth. It brings the reality of death and life after death. It makes us think about eternity. After disasters, churches are usually filled as people realize how fleeting their time on earth really is, and how in an instant it could be over. We gather in churches after disasters to pray for the hurt, injured, and those who have lost in a time of disaster. We gather in churches to praise him for letting us have our health. We know how great our God is, and how many miracles occurred during the disaster. Disasters cause people to reevaluate their purpose and priorities in life. Money, help, and attention is given to areas that until the disaster may not have had it.

3. Christians are called to help

This morning I was listening to Lisa and Eric on K-love and a great point was brought up. During disasters like this, Christians and Christian ministries have the opportunity to help, pray, and lead people to Christ. Romans 8:28 says, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him who have been called according to his purpose.”

God can and will bring good out of this tragedy, trust!

love,

the christianista

Ways to help Haiti:

Texting HAITI
to 90999
$10 will be charged to your cell phone bill.

Texting YELE to 501501
On Twitter, musician Wyclef Jean, a native of Haiti,
notes, “Haiti needs your help and $5 will go toward earthquake relief.”

Red Cross
www.redcross.org or 1-800-REDCROSS

Catholic Relief Services
www.crs.org or 1-888-277-7575

Minx nails have been around in California for a while, and now have caught the attention of the south and east coast of the US. I’ve come to believe that Beyonce has something to do with the widespread of this new type of nail design. Minx nails are similar to the stick on nails I use to have as a little girl but with extra strong super glue and crazy designs. These nails are suppose to last for 2 weeks without chips or cracks.

If you’re like me and hate sitting in one place longer than 30 minutes, minx nails may be the way for you. When getting your minx manicure, you don’t have to wait for your nails to dry. You pick out  a design, it is then shaped to your nail, glued onto your nail and then you’re done! Voila!! Unlike your normal manicure, a minx nail manicure alone could cost at least $40.

Find a minx salon location near you at http://www.minxnails.com/salonlocator/index.php?c=1

have fun and minx it up!

love,

the christianista

Actually, I ate the first along with the third and fifth. After the fifth, I went back and ate the sixth, I will just leave the last cookie for someone else. Nope, I ate it too!!

OK, let’s rewind to the beginning of my day. I woke up at 6 am, prayed, blogged, showered, picked out the cutest outfit(my new red fine jersey double-breasted cardigan from American Apparel), and made myself a spinach tomato omelet with cheese. After watching a bit of the news, I casually made my walk to work. On the way to work, I had a fulfilling conversation with my sister about her new boyfriend. My walk was around 20 minutes and although overcast skies and street puddles from the  morning rain, the weather was great. Not only was the weather great, I got to wear my brand new rain boots. I’ve been waiting for 3 months to wear them. As I walked down the streets and freely splashed through puddles, I took in the view of the ocean. I passed kids on their way to school, buses filled with people on their way to work, taxi cabs, dog walkers, and other pedestrians, I knew this day was going to be a good day…. health wise.

I get to work 15 minutes early and caught up with one of my co-workers. She told me she loved my boots and I couldn’t help but to agree with her. Needles to say, I was having a great morning. 30 minutes later, in comes my manager with a plate of cookies. Not just regular cookies, but chocolate chip homemade cookies with few chocolate chips in them, just the way I like it.

He ruined my life!! OK, so I’m a bit dramatic, but I will start over tomorrow.

love,

the christianista

Psalms 34:18 says: The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

When you feel  rejected, dismissed, mistreated, used, and hurt and the list goes on and on, Jesus is there. God is closer to you than you think!

When I was a young girl and would get in trouble by my parents, my younger sister would ALWAYS be there to comfort me, even when I didn’t want her to be there. I would sit in my room and cry, pout, and was angry at my parents and in comes my little sister. She would come to my defense, and express to me how it was unfair for me to be  in trouble.  She would get so involved emotionally that I would have to shush her for fear of my parents coming back in and putting both of us on punishment (lol). She has always tried to take up for me and has always had my back! When you are mistreated and are hurt and down, Jesus wants to be there for you. He wants to comfort you and take up for you even when you don’t want or expect Him to be there.

Wherever you are in your life and whatever you may be going through, remember, He will be right there.

love,

the christianista

I was in a long distance relationship for about 2 years. How did I do it? First of all, it wasn’t as hard as you would imagine. Secondly, it forced me to be wildly creative and think of ideas that I would’ve never thought of before. Lastly, it helped me to see and experience the relationship without the physical influences, but solely off of our personalities.

With all of the different technologies  like skype, gtalk, chats, webcams, ichat, and even cell phones, the distance between two people in long distance relationships are slowly bridging.

I was talking to one of my friends, who is currently in a long distance relationship, about some things that she could do while in her relationship to make it more fun:

• Make sure to constantly communicate – You aren’t able to see each other, so communicating is very important. Tones can be easily misinterpreted without clear communication over the phone and through text messages. In my relationship, my boyfriend at the time , didn’t like talking on the phone. Explain to your partner how important talking on the phone is and establish a time to talk everyday or however many times per week you decide.
• Rent the same movie and watch it together – This use to be a favorite of mine. We would rent the same movie, play it at the same time,  and stay on speakerphone to watch.
• Dinner and a movie – Like the above suggestion but adding dinner. We would both go to Burger King while we were  on the phone together and order and then watch a movie together.
• ichat/gtalk/skype – watching a movie or just watching each other, ichat creates a sense of togetherness
• Write love letters and send through snail mail – Sure, an email is great, but an actual letter is that much more special.
• Send care packages – My boyfriend at the time would send me packages of random things from pictures to tshirts that smelled like him. You don’t have to go out and buy new stuff, just make it personal.
• Send random I love you texts: One of my favorites “I’m here and you’re there. There doesn’t know how lucky it is.”
• Send a CD with you singing your favorite love songs – So you may not be a Mariah Carey, but that doesn’t matter. Having a CD with your voice is something your partner will never forget. Youtube has many songs with just the music and the lyrics that scroll on the screen like karaoke. Use Youtube for your music and record using Garageband.
• Define how long you will be in the relationship – Last but certainly not least, you can’t be in a long distance relationship forever. You need to define how long the gap in distance will exist in your relationship. Set a deadline or date.

These are just a few ideas to get you going, once you start, your creativity will take off. Some of these things can be done even if you aren’t in a Long Distance relationship. If you have things that are creative or cute that you’ve done in your relationshop, share them in the comment section.

love,

thechristianista

Did you know when you look better, you feel better? Literally! According to the American Cancer Society, when you approve your appearance you also improve the way you feel. So basically anytime you need to make yourself “feel better” go to the spa for your mani/pedi.

Before you go to the spa, there are a few things you should know to not only get a safe mani/pedi, but to also make your visit enjoyable. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services suggests the following to reduce risking getting infections while getting a mani/pedi:

• Schedule one of the first appointments in the morning when tubs are cleanest. Or make sure your technician disinfects the tub before your pedicure.
• Bring your own pedicure tools. Use separate tools for pedicures and manicures to prevent contamination between toes and fingers.
• Skip shaving your legs before the appointment to help prevent bacteria from entering the skin.
• Have your feet scrubbed with a pumice stone, but never allow technicians to use a razor to remove dead skin.
• Make sure toenails are cut straight across and smoothed with an emery board. The board should never be shared with anyone else.
• Never allow your nails to be cleaned out with a sharp object that could puncture the skin; a blunt manicure stick is better.
• Make sure toes are completely dry when you leave. Extra moisture can lead to fungal growth.
• Never allow your cuticles to be cut, only pushed back.

With these few tips, you will not only look good and feel good, but do it in a safe manner!!

Instead of fighting the cold changing weather, curl up on a rm couch while still looking cute.  Bring out your inner kid and lounge in these footed PJ’s while watching a good feeling movie like Love Actually. You can purchase these Paul Frank footed PJ’s from www.paulfrank.com. Warm feet, warm couch, and great movie, it can’t get any better than that. Wait! Did someone mention hot cocoa?

When I think of leaving this earth, I think of the people I will leave behind. I think about the hurt and heartache it will cause. Even though I will see my loved ones again, the time away from them for that time period will hardly be bearable. How to live beyond lost? Death may not be a lost that you are dealing with right now. In this economy living beyond job lost, relationship lost, body health lost, and many more is what many people are dealing with. Sometimes we have to take a step back and see how God is using us. He may be using us for someone else to see his mighty power.

Look at what God did to Job. The devil was jealous of Job and God let him take away EVERYTHING. Job’s cattle were taken away, all his servants killed, tornado destroyed his house and killed all of his children, and if that wasn’t enough  he got leprosy. Basically Job was a baller  who got robbed, employees were caught in a drive by, lost his house and kids to Hurricane Katrina, and then got the Swine Flu!! The craziest part of the story is, Job was never unfaithful to God and never questioned his love. WOW!

The question is asked again, how do you handle loss? I must admit, if I were Job, there would be some serious dialogue between God and myself.

In the end Job was blessed with double his cattle, had ten more kids, got his health back and lived another 140 years. God used Job to show us an example of devotion and long-suffering and is still showing us in 2009.

God thank you so much for all that you have done and given me. Thank you for letting your light shine through me. Please give me the strength and devotion of Job. Help me see the bigger picture when I am blinded by impenetrable trials and tribulations. In Jesus name…..

Read More here: Job 1:6-22

OK, so I searched for Christian blogs and most searches returned young pretty moms with families. I didn’t see one blog with young single Christians. Are they out there? Am I missing something? Although the other blogs were very interesting, I like to see young people in love with God. If you know of any blogs, please post them to my comments. During my search, here are some of my favorites:

http://cprice1018.wordpress.com/
http://disciplesteps.blogspot.com/
http://camys-loft.blogspot.com/

Today is the first time that I actually took the time out to observe this day. In the past, it was just another thing that came up and changed the picture on google’s homepage. Actually taking the time to read the bold, sad, stomach dropping stories really made me think about things. Being aware and never too careful is the secret. Here is one story about a young woman named Damaries Cruz:

When were you diagnosed with HIV?

I was diagnosed on November 23, 1991.

It’s amazing you still remember the exact date.

It’s part of a celebration of my life, so I have two birthdays. I cut a cake when it’s November 23 and I celebrate that I’m surviving.

I imagine you saw a lot of people die in those years. That was before treatment was available.

Yes. Unfortunately, I just recently lost a friend two weeks ago.

Was this another person who had had HIV for a very long time?

Yes. I think since 1996. Unfortunately, she had cancer too and they were doing chemotherapy. It didn’t go too well.

Tell me what it was like in 1991 to be diagnosed with HIV.

I was diagnosed when I was 21 years old. They told me back then that I had one year to live. I really thought it was the end of my life.
What was your CD4 count? Do you remember?

Let me think. It’s been a long time. The last number I can remember is 600, a few years after that.
Your CD4 count was pretty high, yet you were given a bad prognosis?

Yes, but they gave me that prognosis because they assumed that HIV means “dead,” so you’re going to die regardless. They just didn’t know a lot about it.

How do you think you were infected?

I know how I was infected — it was by my fiancé at the time. I met him and I asked him if he was positive, if he ever tested, and he said, “Yes, I’m negative.” Then I started to have a lot of yeast infections for a whole year, vaginal infections. The doctor thought that I had cancer and he said, “Go and get tested for cancer. Do a biopsy, because I’m sure you have cancer. Do HIV just to rule it out.” The biopsy came back negative and the HIV test came back positive.

When I went home and I told my fiancé, he said, “I knew I was going to take someone with me. I never thought it was going to be you.” He knew all along that he had it!

What did you do?

I reacted to it. It didn’t hit me until later on. I still was going to marry him for a few reasons. For one thing, I didn’t think anyone was going to accept me with HIV. And I was in love with him and my heart doesn’t know how to hate someone.

But the week before the wedding I found him with someone else in bed. He passed it to her too.

You found out later from her?

No. I found out later on from someone else that she had it.

Did you break off the wedding when you saw them together?

Yes, I did. He passed away two years later.

He left a big trail behind him.

Yes, he kind of did.

What happened then? What a traumatic way to end a relationship!

It was really hard because that first year, I really struggled a lot. We were going to get married right away after we were diagnosed; then this happened. I was with my mother in her house, and she had to do everything for me because I said, “Well, I’m going to die in a year anyway.” She had to feed me because I was so depressed that my mind threw me in bed.

What happened is that someone from church passed around. They took me to a retreat and I felt that God healed my soul.

How long was this after you were diagnosed?

A year passed.

When you were first diagnosed, who did you tell?

I told my fiancé first because he was my partner; then I told my mother.

Was your fiancé much older than you were?

Eight years older.

Read more stories here: www.thebody.com