To Infinity and Beyond

 Woo-hoo! I am geeked about Toy Story 3.  Those Pixar people aren't known to disappoint often (not too impressed with Rat's Patootie, or whatever that one with the culinary vermin was).  I plan to go see it the day it comes out (with or without kids?...that is the question...or is the question: popcorn drenched with equal parts heaven and hell, or baby carrots?  I'll let you know the answer to both later).  

          Buzz Lightyear may have coined the phrase in the title, but I find it applicable in my life as well.  Why?  Because it is relevant to every human being.  Not to be redundant, but that includes you and me.  God made it very specific in His word that he will use anybody, who is willing to be used by Him in whatever way they can.  God uses people for one thing: to help other people.   When you commit to that, you will eventually find yourself in places you never imagined, writing books you didn't know were in you, meeting with heads of state, and creating an impact beyond anything you could've ever thought possible.  The great men and women of the Bible never dreamed (except for Joseph (the guy with the cool coat), who dreamed it, but didn't understand it) that they would do the amazing things that they are remembered for.  Moses, who parted the waters and was responsible for the ten commandments, asked God, "Who in the world do You think I am?  I'm not a fancy talker, and I don't consider myself to be a great leader."  But, he was willing to do what God wanted him to do.  David, the singing kid who took care of sheep, had no idea he would slay a giant with a few pebbles, or become King of a nation.  The virgin Mary, was as confused as all get out when she became pregnant.  But, she achieved greatness because of her attitude of willingness.  

   I never dreamed that I would go to foreign nations where I would speak publicly before thousands of people, or that diseases would vanish from them when I preached the word of God.  I didn't know I would speak multiple languages.  For that matter, if you would've told me a year ago that I'd be writing a blog that would help people find a church or lose weight (or smile daily, xoxo), I would have told you, "You must be mistaken, I'm not that person."

     Below is the grave of a person, who much like the great people of the Bible, is still impacting others today.  I first learned of her five years after her demise.  I found a cassette tape with her name on it.  I listened to it.  She and her husband (also below) talked about how they traveled the world with their two small children, renting homes abroad, teaching the kids, cooking the meals,  and preaching the Gospel to every creature.  The Osborns are such an inspiration to me, and to people all over the world.  I thank God they made the cassette(s) and wrote the book(s). 

   Daisy Osborn, King David, the Virgin Mary, Mother Teresa, and (Do I dare put myself next to such a line-up?) Christina Lusk, have this in common; We are people just like you, who are doing or have done the simple things we know(knew) how to, to honor God.

  

   YOU are no different.  God has big, no, - HUGE plans for you.  His plans are to give YOU a hope and a wonderful future.  (He (Big Man Upstairs) actually told me to tell you that.)  If you ask Him to be the head honcho in your life, he will guide you gently into greatness.  All he wants is for you to do the things you know how to do.  Go to church (a church that says the same things (except for stuff about boogers and poop) that you read in this blog).  Meet somebody's need.  Be kind to others.  Pray. SEEK GOD. Belive it or not, these simple things are the keys to greatness.  Who knows?  You may become the next Walt Disney, Martin Luther King, or King David.... Or better yet, you could be YOU, the you God sees.  

To infinity and beyond, 

Christina

Restaurants that describe my body: The switch from "Dairy Queen" to "Hot & Now"

    Whew.  My sincere apologies for last night.  I had every intention in the world of writing to you, but somehow I ended up with my eyes closed and drool on my pillow instead.  When I discovered the run-away saliva,  I said, "Michael that's gross.", and he gave me my pillow back.
    But now I'm back, to let you know, I can really shake 'em down.  Oh how I long to scream, "Do you love me?!", but alas, Bambino is asleep, and that is currently more precious to me than belting The Contours.  (I am however, full-blown lip syncing to the melody in my head.)   So now that we're finished with the stuff that has absolutely nothing to do with the main focus of tonights post...
    
      I don't know about the rest of you, but I've been a little dissatisfied with the physical state of my body.  Now, before you go all, "Christina, you're so beautiful, you should really love yourself the way you are.", on me, lemme tell you, yes, I am and I do, BUT, I know that I'll FEEL better and enjoy time with my great-grandchildren,  if I start implementing a healthier lifestyle.  So that is what I've decided to do.  Fortunately for me, I have a fantastic husband that supports everything I do (Well, almost everything anyway, he wasn't completely on board when I wanted to dye my hair red, white, and blue,  or make the switch to turkey bacon.)  When I informed him I wanted to make healthier life choices he replied, "Great!  Me too! (except for turkey bacon) Let's do this thing."  Then, we worked out together and drank mates (mah-tays) while we discussed how good we felt after exercising.  Thanks Michael, you are above and beyond what I ever thought one could find in a spouse.
      So, I'm contemplating making every Friday's post a "fitness friday".  I will write about my fitness journey and maybe even give you a photo of me taken that day so you can view my progress.  I will also let you know my current weight  and my goal weight.  Please be encouraged to join me.  Also, give me some feedback to let me know if you this idea is interesting to you, or if you're like, "Please just stick to the formula and we will remain faithful to read this nutty blog."

I did some research, and although Paul says, "exercise profits little" (1 Tim. 4:8), he didn't say it doesn't profit at all, he was comparing it to the greatness of having a relationship with God.  Furthermore, back then the dude was probably walking miles each day, not even considering his mode of transportation to be exercise.  Also, he wasn't consuming beaucoup chemicals that messed with his metabolism.  And, last but not least, he was a GUY.  He did not care what his thighs looked like in a swimsuit.

Flipping through the book of love, I also found this verse:


1 Corinthians 10:31 (King James Version)

 31Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.

 I am going to do all things, whether I am eating rabbit food, or enjoying a treat, (hey, He was the one who made cocoa beans and sugar cane), or typing an irreverent (and occasionally vulgar), blog,  to the glory of God.

Now I am going to do something completely gutsy.  I am going to walk over to the scale, step on it, look down at the numbers, and put those very numbers on this public writ.  OMG. This is tough. Here goes:

It says..... 146 lbs.  There you have it.  According to the doctor, 130 lbs. is a healthy goal for me.  So stay tuned to see 16 lbs. shed itself from my "getting more and more rockin', body".

Love you everybody!

PS.  My grandma planted peas for me in her garden.  They're my favorite.  Thanks G!

PPS.  To the ladies (Dana, Crystal, Marla, Kellie) who have been posting FB stats about jogging and biking, I thank you.  You have been great inspiration to me.  Keep up the great work!



    
  
   

Today was the day that the Lord had made.  I rejoiced and was glad in it.  God made this day.  I had no choice in the matter.  He did not ask my opinion.  He just made it.  He did give me a choice concerning my attitude.  I did not have to be glad.  I could've looked at the messy house and groaned. (Ok, I did, but I fixed my attitude quick.) I could've scratched my mosquito bites and grumbled.  But instead I thought about all the GOOD things I had going on.  Here are a few of the things I thought of.

The windows in my car go down again, YAY!  I am now able to get nifty pictures of myself, in the sideview mirror (until Michael drives though a rough neighborhood and makes me put the camera away and roll up the window:(  It's inevitable, every party has one.).

I got to go down memory lane a bit at the in-laws.  This is the Sting Ray Michael used to pick me up from high school in.  How sweet it was!  Below, is the tree house Michael's dad and older brothers built for him when he was a kid.  Michael and I used to play chess up there.  Now he sleeps up there every once in a while with Lucy and the nieces and nephews.

And what would a trip to Grandma & Grandpa Lusk's be without a tractor ride and a few smiling dogs?

I dare you to take a moment, and think of the good things He's done for you.  Do you have someone in your life who loves you? (If you say no, you'll hurt my feelings.)  Say it out loud.  "Thank you God for______________. " You may find once you start you may not be able to stop thinking of good things in your life.  Have a blessed day!  Bible verse for today is...Cue Jeopardy music....

1 Chronicles 16:34 (New King James Version)

 34 Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good!

      For His mercy endures forever.

Love you soooooo much, Thanks for reading,

Christina M. Lusk

The Friendly Ape Man

     I shouldn't have done it, but I did.  I made fun of the extremely hairy guy wearing no shirt.  My friends and I were waiting in a loooooong line, on the hottest day of the year, at Cedar Point.  He was there, just a few people ahead of us, and he was as furry as an ape.  In fact,  I think that's what we were calling him, "Ape Man".  I'm not sure if it was heatstroke or God striking me down for teasing, (leaning towards heatstroke, the doctor at the Cedar Point clinic shares my inclination) but I suddenly got very lightheaded, and next thing I knew, Ape Man was kneeling on the ground and had me in his arms.  "Yer friends said you was a goin' down so I thought ya might like to have yer skull in one piece win ya woke up.  How ya feelin' lil' lady?"  What a nice hairy man.  I deeply regret the unkind things I said about him, especially after he caught me mid-faint.  He stayed with me too, until the mini golf cart ambulance (complete with siren) took me to the wonderfully air-conditioned clinic, where I played poker with the Bernstein  Bears (Sister's not as sweet as she puts on) and received free food coupons for the rest of the day.  Ahh, Good times, good times.  I wish I could say that is the most embarrassing faint story of my life, but alas, there are others that surpass it still.  (I guess I'm a little too calm sometimes, as my blood pressure tends to run VERY low.  Also, needles make me very sleepy and I occasionally take brief naps upon the sight of them.)  

  I know, I know, I always get this from you guys.  "WHY ARE YOU TELLING US THIS?"  Hmm.  Well, I guess it was because I was reminded of this as my air conditioner in the car went out.  Not a big deal unless it's 90 degrees outside and your windows don't go down.  So, it was kind of a big deal.  (Never fear, it is an easy fix and we have another car someone just gave to us.  It's one of those fancy Lincoln Continentals with air and everything.  I mean EVERYTHING.  Where was I.... ?

  Oh yes,  I was wanting to talk more about passing out.  There will be moments in life when it seems like  we can't handle anything else, and you feel like that toy that has the batteries dying.   You can tell  it's about to kick when the alphabet song starts to sound like the soundtrack to the latest Steven King movie.
   The Bible, (how predictable, right?) gives us clear instruction on what to do when we feel too weary move forward, or even stand up, without falling down.  It says.


       but those who hope in the LORD
       will renew their strength.
       They will soar on wings like eagles;
       they will run and not grow weary,
       they will walk and not be faint. - Isaiah 40:31

Can I confide something to you?  Michael and I felt completely inadequate today.  There was too much of the ministry, and the housework, and the parenting, and the budgeting, and the MAJOR decision making, etc,  for us to handle.  We felt overwhelmed.  Michael had the bright idea to stop everything and put our trust in God.  We took turns shouting Bible verses and thanking God for taking care of all that stuff.  Before long we were so pumped up about life that we knocked everything out! We even had fun doing it.  So, I encourage you to do the same.  If you don't know any Bible verses, start with the one above.  It works.  I promise.

Goodnight, Friends,

Christina

P.S.  I know you want to know why my friends didn't catch me when I fainted.  I want to know too.

P.P.S.  You really do reap what you sow.  My husband is shaping up to look just like that guy.

Dr. J and the pimp

Dr. J. (like so many others I've written about in this blog) has made a profound impact on the person I am today.  I fondly recall something something he did several years ago that still makes me take a good hard look at how I live, and say, "I need to have a unique perspective like that guy."  I asked him if I could tell a story about him and he graciously said, "Uh...yeah, a blog about ME!? COOL!"

     

    Dr. J. has a this amazing confidence, wisdom, and awesome personality that just makes him a great leader, the kind of person that you see joking around a lot but also the kind of guy that knows how to get the job done. I remember observing something specific he did that made me change everything I think and do.

       

     He was hanging out one time with a bunch of people from church one day, just walking through town with us.  While walking through a rougher area, we passed by the corner that respectable citizens like ourselves don't often pass by.  The town scoundrel "Papa Willie" the pimp, was there in his purple felt hat, fat wallet, and a few of the poor women who were forced to do unthinkable, humiliating, degrading things daily.  A few of us in our group saw Papa Willie and started to say things to him that we felt maybe would cause him to see things in a new light. "Hey, you disgust me."  "You know you are going to Hell.  Doesn't that bother you at all?"  I remember one of the Deacon's wives pointing a finger at the prostitutes as she uttered, "how dare you's?" and "what would your mother think!?"  I was looking at Dr. J because he always had something interesting to say.  To my (and everybody else's) shock and awe, He told Papa Willie to take a break from work and hang out with us!!  Papa Willie wasn't sure what to do at first.  He was afraid of the narrowed eyes and frowns from the rest of the group.  He knew  our kind, and our kind wasn't so kind.  And then he looked at Dr. J.  He studied his eyes, trying to figure out if he was for real, or if this was some kind of a trick.  Dr. J must have been convincing because Papa Willie left his ladies and his boat of a car.  Good grief!  That filthy creep was ours for the rest of the day!

      Papa Willie didn't have much to say, he pretty much stayed close to Dr. J. and listened to the stories the good doctor shared with us.  "Hey, I have to make some phone calls.  You mind, I gotta take care of some bidness?", he asked Dr. J.  as we neared a phone booth (remember those!?) "We'll wait for you." was Doc's response.

     It seemed like Willie was making calls FOREVER.  I could tell most of our group was seething, but nobody had the guts to say anything to Dr. J.  I bet they were plotting to get him kicked out of our church.  When Papa Willie FINALLY came back to the group he had a big ol' grin on his face.  He had a sparkling smile (lots of gold. Lol).  "Hey." He said to Dr. J, "I got it all worked out.  I called some friends of mine and they want to hang out with you too.  They're (his posse) goin' to my place now and are taking down the girly posters and stashin' the pipes out of sight. Ya know, I wanna do that out of respect for you.  Know y'all don't dig that kind of thang."

  

     Long story short, we found ourselves amongst some pretty scary looking people that evening.  I learned a few new words (not ones I'd ever find on my spelling tests either).  But these scraggly, tattooed, glassy-eyed people were fascinated with Dr. J.  Nobody from any church had ever wanted anything to do with them.  I could tell they adored him for it.  When it was time to go, and we were alone in the church van with Dr. J.  Somebody had had it. "WHY IN THE WORLD did you just eat and drink with such scum??!!

      "Because I'm a doctor.", was his reply.  "Those people have been wounded and broken for years.  You guys don't need me as much as those people.  I live to heal hurting people."  WOW.  Thank-you Dr. J for teaching me to love people that others overlook.

Confession:  I wasn't actually there when this went down.  This is a story about Jesus from the Bible.  He was with religious people when he came upon one of the most despised people of the town.  His name was Matthew (also called Levi) - a tax collector.  Jesus really DID tell him to leave his job and follow him.  Matthew really DID host a party that evening for Jesus.  The religious people really DID freak out about it.  Jesus really DID make comparison to himself and a doctor.  Check it out in the Bible. ( I like the NEW LIVING TRANSLATION of this story myself) http://www.biblegateway.com the passage is from Luke 6: 27-31

I love you guys! Thanks again for reading!

Another Cop Out

        I should be shining light on some beautiful scripture,  capturing your attention with a witty story, genuinely touching your life in a meaningful way.  But I'm not going to.  Ha!  That's right.  I'm not doing it.  You hear me!  Uh-uh.  Why?  Well, I've got oodles of work to do for Lusk World Outreach.  The people running that joint are slave drivers, I tell you.  Awww, come on, don't look at the computer screen like that.  You're making me feel bad.  Ok fine, I'm not going whole hog here, but I'll leave you with some photos and a Bible verse.  Ok? Ok.

Your verse for the evening is Psalm 34:8.  Naturally.

I so appreciate you who need to get out mo...., I mean,  read my blog. Comments have been gettin' slim lately. (Grandma H. and Grandma C. I'm still feelin' the love from you guys.) Drop me a line just to let me know you stopped by.  It means a lot.  Love you all!

Like play-doh - By Carl Johnson

Hey there Blogeroonies,

Good friend Carl Johnson is back at the keyboard tonight.  Please enjoy his post about what he is most passionate about.  Until tomorrow,

Christina



Parents, if you want to give the greatest gift to your children, give them this: Teach them honor. Honor in a family has 3 parts.

First, treat people as special. It is so easy to treat our family members as less special than our friends. We find it easy to violate the dignity that we would afford others. It's easy, because our family is stuck with us. But it's important to reach beyond that, to treat each other better than outsiders.

Second, do more than is expected. As parents, take a moment to write a note to your child once in a while. Teach your children to look beyond the tasks you give them to do. Teach them to look for something extra to do every day. This habit will follow them, and they will find favor with anyone they deal with. Imagine the spouse your child will become with only this one habit.

Finally, have a good attitude. Today I taught the children that attitude is like play doh. You can shape it any way you want. Attitude is your automatic reactions to situations. When you want that candy in the store and Mom says no, do you accept your disappointment, or do you badger or throw a tantrum?

In the end, this is how I packaged it for the kids in my class: Would you rather live in a house with happy parents or angry parents? Would you rather live with happy siblings or frustrated siblings?

We recommend discussing this with your children frequently, but not in the midst of conflict. Discuss it over dinner, or in the car. Make this investment when things are going well, and potential conflict may be avoided.

Carrying honor with them will help them in their future, with teachers, employers, and with their own families. And they will expect to be treated with honor, which will help them choose friends that treat them well.

The Bible only gives two commands to children, honor and obey. The better they learn these as children, the easier the rest of the commands will be for them to live by. Make this investment.

My Trash Talkin' Granny

I was eleven.  My brother was five.  Grandma had agreed to watch both of us overnight.  (What was she thinking?)  My Grandmother (this one anyway) was never the cooking/baking grandma.  She was more of the, "Let's get take-out and go to the movies!" granny.  That was ok by us.
     On this particular day, she decided (or more likely, we did) to get something at the McDonald's drive thru.  She pulled up and waited for the McEmployee's voice to ask her what she wanted.  Nobody on the other end was polite enough to ever greet her, so she took the liberty of placing her order sans salutation.
"I'd like two chicken nugget meals, one with a toy for a boy and one for a girl, a fish sandwich and a medium fry." No response.  She was getting pretty miffed about the bad service.  Other cars in line started to honk at her, as if to say, "Move it already, Lady."  Some of them gave up and sped around her in hopes of finding "fast" food somewhere else.  I remember she did one of those iconic old lady, "Well I never!"s.  My brother and I stared at each other.  Finally he said to me, "You tell her."  "Alright, I'll do it.  Uh, Grandma, ... you're talking into the trash can."
    If you've ever met my Grandmother, you know well her fits of laughter.  She burst into one of them in line at the drive through .  (I'm thankful for the people who can laugh at themselves.)  As soon as Grandma wiped her tears for the third time, she successfully communicated her desire for happy meals and some McSomething or others, and we happily munched on our long anticipated dinner.  Grandma, if you ever read this, I love you, and I am grateful for all the fun memories we have together.

Here it comes:

Grandma wasn't getting her desire met because she wasn't connected to the right source.

Could it be the same with us?  Of course.  We as humans, all have needs and wants.  The only way to see all of our desires fulfilled is to place our order with the Big Mac "Heavenly" Daddy Himself, aka God.

You see,  He created us to be dependent on Him.  Why?  Because he longs for a relationship with us.  Yup, that's what I said.  THE GUY WHO CREATED THE SUN AND THE STARS AND MATTER, wants to be your friend.  He wants YOU and ME to break down and say, "I can do a lot better with YOU God, working with me.  YOU GOD can be a part of my life.  In fact, I will let YOU GOD run the show.  YOU GOD want me to be blessed and fulfilled so, hey, let's go with that."

That's what makes the difference you see in My and my husband's lives.  We pray prayers like the one above all the time.  Go ahead.  Make the crazy move.  Talk to God.  He's waiting anxiously for you to do it.  He's geeked up about the good things in store for you.


1 John 5:14,15 says,

"And we are confident that he hears us whenever we ask for anything that pleases him.  And since we know he hears us when we make our requests, we also know that he will give us what we ask for."



PS.  Somebody gave me a car today.  Crazy enough, they said God told them to do it.

 

3 Essential Reasons Why Christina Lusk and You Can Succeed

I have asked a good friend and fellow blogger, Mark Hancock, to sub for me tonight. Lemme tell you guys, you're in for a real treat. (He talks about me, in a good way, even. :)


When Christina asked me to be a guest blogger on her blog I immediately said, “yes!” because I can tell when something (someone) is going to go places.

In thinking about how I arrived at this sense, three things came to mind.  And these three things can be duplicated in your life.

Here they are:

1)  She did something.  

We seem to spend a lot of time talking about what we should do or what we would like to do. Christina has done it.   In the midst of mothering two beautiful children and one anointed husband as well as growing an international ministry she started her blog.  And she incorporates her mothering and ministry into her blog posts in such a way that we get a picture of her ordinariness and her extraordinariness at once.

Here’s the application for you:  God is calling you, in the midst your mothering or fathering or working – your life – to DO something.

This won’t make you any more saved or loved in His eyes, because Grace is the key, but it will make you more effective as a steward of His mysteries (1 Cor. 4:1), an ambassador (2 Cor. 5:20), and a minister of reconciliation (2 Cor. 5:18-19).  

Give God something to back.  DO something.  Write the book.  Sing the song.  Knock on your neighbor’s door.  Go on a missions trip.  Write a check to the Lusk World Outreach.  Pray for a lost or sick person.  Start a blog.  Enroll in a class.  Buy plane tickets.  Pray and DO something.  

You’ll get to where God is leading you.  It’s much easier to steer a moving ship.

2)  She draws on her strengths.

Christina has a great sense of humor and it comes through in every post.  Rather than hide this, she uses it to both disarm and open the heart of the reader for the truth that always comes at the end.

Our tendency is to focus on our weaknesses, thinking that we’ve got to reach some level of perfection before we launch out and deliver something to someone else.

Build on your strengths.  Find the one (or two or three) thing(s) that you do well and move in that area.

A woman in our church loves to shop.  So she turned that into her ministry.  God has gifted her in finding great bargains on really nice clothing.  So she buys clothes and then prays about who to give them to, seeing God move in miraculous answers to THEIR prayers.  This is her strength and she engages it for the Kingdom.

What are your strengths?  Engage them.

3)  She shakes up the status quo.

C‘mon now, who uses blog titles like, “Have You Ever Eaten a Booger?” or “NEWS: Smoking Weed Pays the Bills”?

Not Christians, right?  Wrong!  Christina does.

She understands that irreverence, for her, is as much a door-opener as anything.

People who are looking for realistic real-life role-models will be drawn to what she has to say.  Enough of the plastic TV evangelists.  

At the same time, the world doesn’t need more Christina Lusks; it needs more YOUS!

If you aspire to be just like someone else, one of you becomes unnecessary.  Be you.

Irreverence is Christina’s key.  It may not be yours, but being real is.

Watch her rise to the top of the blogosphere as she operates in these, and get ready to find your niche.  Open yourself up to God showing you your extraordinary ordinariness.


This is me (Christina) now.  Check out more stuff by Dr. Mark Hancok on his blog, http://leavethegate.com

Lil' ol' me up in a tree

     When I was nine years old my parents informed me that we were going to move.  They explained how we would be living in a different house, in a different city, in a different school district.  Sweet little angel that I was, I took it all in stride and greatly looked forward to the journey before me...NOT!  Are you kidding me?  I was totally anguished.  I loved our home and my school.  I certainly didn't want to leave my friends behind either. Why couldn't my parents see how good life was, right where we were (in a tiny trailer in the not-so-purdy part of town)? I had to stop this madness somehow.  I quickly came up with the answer.  They couldn't leave without me...right?  And they couldn't force me to go if they couldn't find me...right?  I bolted out of the house as fast as my legs could carry me.  Those legs got me as far as the big pine tree three streets down.  My dad was hot on my heels.  Fortunately, I had spent a good deal of time in that tree and could scurry like lightning from a close-by fence into the branches.  By the time I was halfway up, my mother had joined her husband under my sticky coniferous shelter.  There were plenty of pleas, followed by bribes and threats.  But once I make up my mind that something is the right decision, sometimes it can be hard to change.  Eventually my dad started up the tree after me.  But you know something about pine trees?  The branches are real thick at the bottom. The branches at the middle are strong enough to hold grown men even.  But the branches at the top... he he he... are only strong enough to hold petite little girls ;)  So, naturally, I climbed into those branches.

    Exasperated, Mom and Dad tried talking me down (Ever see the police try to coax the guy with the hostages to come out of the building?)  By this time, neighbors had joined in on the action, some of them with trays of cookies and others with puppies.  Somehow, even my grandfather had arrived on the scene.   I remember he offered large amounts of money and came the closest to luring me to the ground.  When the fire truck got there however, I knew the gig was up, and, clinging to what dignity I maintained, I decided to come down by myself rather than go through a humiliating, "kitty in a tree" rescue.

I know you have two questions for me: #1 "Did you get beat?" and #2 "Are you going to weave this into a Bible lesson?"

The answer is the same for both questions.

For He Himself has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.” Heb. 13:5

God is with us even when we (like lil' ol' me up in a tree) distrust others.  He's with us even when we try to hide and keep ourselves out of reach, for fear of being hurt.   But He'll never hurt us.  Throughout the Bible He calls himself many different names, "Prince of PEACE", "The COMFORTER", "HEALER", "COUNSELOR", "PROVIDER", there are many, many more.  (NOTE:  I searched the whole Bible and did not find even one name for God that resembled, "STUPID MEANIE HEAD".)

So, when you find yourself distraught, out of reach on the scrawny branches, remember; you're not as alone as you think you are.  Open up.  Allow yourself to be comforted, healed, counseled and provided for.

Hasta la pronto, Bloggeroonies,

Me

Who will take the son?

Granny sent me this today.  I thought it blogworthy.  What say ye?

A wealthy man and his son loved to collect rare works of art. They had everything in their collection, from Picasso to Raphael. They would often sit together and admire the great works of art..  
  
  
 When the   Vietnam  conflict broke out, the son went to war. He was very courageous and died in battle while rescuing another soldier. The father was notified and grieved deeply for his only son.  
  
  
  
 About a month later, just before Christmas,

 there was a knock at the door. A young man stood at the door with a large package in his hands.



 He said, 'Sir, you don't know me, but I am the soldier for whom your son gave his life. He saved many lives that day, and he was carrying me to safety when a bullet struck him in the heart and he died instantly. He often talked about you, and your love for art.' The young man held out this package. 'I know this isn't much. I'm not really a great artist, but I think your son would have wanted you to have this.'



 The father

 opened the package. It was a portrait of his son, painted by the young man. He stared in awe at the way the soldier had captured the personality of his son in the painting. The father was so drawn to the eyes that his own eyes welled up with tears. He thanked the young man and offered to pay him for the picture. 'Oh, no sir, I could never repay what your son did for me. It's a gift..'



 The father hung the portrait over his mantle. Every time visitors came to his home he took them to see the portrait of his son before he showed them any of the other great works he had collected.



 The man died a few months later. There was to be a great auction of his paintings. Many influential people gathered, excited over seeing the great paintings and having an opportunity to purchase one for their collection.



 On the platform sat the painting of the son. The auctioneer pounded his gavel. 'We will start the bidding with this picture of the son. Who will bid for this picture?'



 There was silence.

 Then a voice in the back of the room shouted, 'We want to see the famous paintings. Skip this one.'



 But the auctioneer persisted. 'Will somebody bid for this painting? Who will start the bidding? $100, $200?'



 Another voice angrily. 'We didn't come to see this painting. We came to see the Van Gogh's, the Rembrandts. Get on with the real bids!'


But still the auctioneer continued. 'The son! The son! Who'll take the son?'


Finally, a voice came from the very back of the room. It was the longtime gardener of the man and his son. 'I'll give $10 for the painting..' Being a poor man, it was all he could afford.


'We have $10, who will bid $20?'

'Give it to him for $10.. Let's see the masters.'


The crowd was becoming angry.. They didn't want the picture of the son.



They wanted the more worthy investments for their collections.


The auctioneer pounded the gavel. 'Going once, twice, SOLD for $10!'


 A man sitting on the second row shouted, 'Now let's get on with the collection!'



 The auctioneer laid down his gavel. 'I'm sorry, the auction is over.'



 'What about the paintings?'



 'I am sorry. When I was called to conduct this auction, I was told of a secret stipulation in the will. I was not allowed to reveal that stipulation until this time. Only the painting of the son would be auctioned. Whoever bought that painting would inherit the entire estate, including the paintings.



 The man who took the son gets everything!'


 God gave His son 2,000 years ago to die on the cross. Much like the auctioneer, His message today is: 'The son, the son, who'll take the son?'



 Because, you see, whoever takes the Son gets everything.

Blog about SEX

Ha!  Not really, just needed a blogospheric traffic boost.  Actually,  after a day full of friendship, wonderful coffee, and great food,  I am continuing the wonderment by going to bed before midnight.  Enjoy this repost of one of my favorite memories.  You'll get a feel of what the first day on the mission field is really like.  Love you.

                                      CLICK HERE

Inn Hi Scule I Stinked @ EEgnlish

He poops in the bathtub. When I'm taking a bath. And that's what he does. That's my brother. My
brother's name is Noah.

Lucy.

Ok, I know that's  a tough act to follow, but I'm going to write a little anyway, just to say I did.  Why is it so important to me to put my thoughts down every day?  Numero Uno,  I love you, and some of you are just crazy enough to read this nutty blog every single day (MUCHAS GRACIAS).  And Numero Dos,  I am proving to myself I can do this writing stuff.  I bet you don't believe I failed a high school English class because I never completed one entry in our "daily thought" journals.  Well, believe it or not, it's true.  The teacher tried to coax me, "Christina, there's no right or wrong entry, just put down how you feel."  Somehow, instinct told me that writing, "I FEEL like this journal stuff is a buncha crap.  And, I strongly FEEL we should just bust out a little more Jonathan Swift up in here." (no matter what she told me), would end up being the wrong answer.  I found it extremely difficult to open up and be transparent with anyone.  Fortunately, although it didn't happen overnight, God has helped me open up to others (and to Him), and to commemorate that victory, I am faithful to you, myself, and Him, with this blog, aka, "thought journal".

Romans 8:37 is always at work in my life:)

Interested in anything else in my life?  Let me know.  I am confident enough now to take on any "open up" challenge.  I really want to know what it is YOU want to know.  Sign in anonymously if you wish. And remember, in the true words of my 10th grade English teacher, "There really are no right or wrong entries."

Goodnight Blog fam.  May you take encouragement from this blog, to just be who you are.  That's my key to success.  Big hugs,

The Extraordinary Ordinary Me

My Groovy Granny

     I placed the dreaded call - AGAIN.  "Hi is Grandma there?" "Hang on, I'll find her."  Once located, "Hello there, Christina, what are you up to today?" (still chipper because I haven't dropped the bomb yet)  I gulped involuntarily. "Hello my wonderful grandmother." said I in my sweetest voice.  Not sure why, but she never reciprocates my tone when I talk to her like that. "Oh GOD. Now what do you want?"  (Well excuse me lady, if you didn't want me bugging you to sew stuff, then you shouldn't have learned how to do it in the first place, you know, like thirty years before I was born.) 

     
   This time it was a pretty simple request, and as always, last-minute.  I asked her (via Facebook - She's deep into digital agriculture.) to do it at 8am this morning.  She was at my house cutting material at 8:45.  Today, at church, the 6-12 year old class hosted a 60's/70's themed Sunday.  Lucy's outfit was groovy enough, but I felt her pant bottoms could use a little more oomph in the bells.  Granny came over, cut, sewed, rebuked me for my lack of foresight, and watched the munchkins while I enjoyed a shower before church, AND (bonus) she did my dishes. We were out the door at 9:25.  Yay!

     Thanks, Grandma (Gloria), for all the outfits, even the SIMPLE:) (total sarcasm there) ones that made you pop pills and see spots for days. (Note: Apparently, some patterns on material, can cause severe trauma if you stare closely at them for several hours. See my psychedelic dandy below.) 
    The photos with Michael and I are from a Groovy Sunday and some sort of space-themed Sunday ten years ago.  The one with the girls and me is a snapshot of my "Divine Divas", the beauties in my bunk at summer camp.  Grandma made my costumes for all of these.  I never imagined back then, she'd be creating them for my kids just years later.  Grandma, I  found a bible verse that describes you well.

Psalm 37:26 (Amplified Bible)

"All day long they (Gloria) are merciful and deal graciously; they lend, and their offspring (ME :p) are blessed."

Thanks much!




All other photos were taken this morning, a decade later, in the same place, directed by the same never-ceasing, faithful children's pastors, Mr Chuck and Miss (really Mrs. but she likes the young feeling of Miss) Becky Siglow, who were there back in the day, training up Michael in the way he should go.  You guys blow me away.

PS.  This is NOT a photo of Mr. Chuck and Mrs. Becky.  These cool cats are teachers, Desiree Jinks (one of the Divas above, if you can believe it), and Emily Siglow.



 If you're looking for a church to attend, I HIGHLY suggest this one,  Faith City Church. If you are not fortunate enough to live close enough to physically attend, you can still see all the action online.  I thoroughly enjoy the videos, podcasts, and blogs connected to the website.  


Have I told you I love you?


Christina

Silent Saturday

Some things you just can't put into words.  Enjoy highlights of my day.

Have a wonderful day everyone.

LOVE, AMOUR, AMOR

Christina

L.L. Cool PJ

   So, I wasn't planning on a sleepover.  It just kind of happened.  There I was, ready to say good-bye to Lucy's friend, when two pairs of eyes met mine.  I don't know how they did it, but all four of those eyes became cartoonishly huge.  Sweetness spilled out of every fiber of their being.  All the while I'm going through my mental to-do list,  "Newsletter has to be designed and ordered tonight, clients need to be contacted regarding their orders, receipts need to be issued, bloggies will be expecting a new post, checkbook balanced, costume made (cue Gloria), etc."  Just as my tongue hit the roof of my mouth to pronounce the "n" sound in "No",  Lucy, (without whining - that's key) made her request known, as she proceeded to tell me all the reasons she felt it would be the right thing for me to do.  "Mom, you always said I couldn't have a sleepover until Noah slept all night, and now he does." She wasn't finished. "AND, you and Dad said I couldn't have anybody overnight because he was going on a trip, and would miss me so he wanted me all to himself for awhile.  YOU said that when he left you would consider letting me have a friend spend the night.  It is a week-end so there's no school tomorrow and Dad will be home soon and want to spend more time with just me."  She's good I tell you, sinisterly good.
      And you know what,  I didn't realize it, but I desperately needed a slumber party.  It's refreshing to get away from the hectic, busy, task oriented life and enjoy a precious life moment.  There is an unequaled joy that comes with listening to seven year olds talk about how cute that boy actor is.  "Yeah, he's soo cute I would probably kiss him. Giggle giggle".  "Um yeah, giggle-snort, but not until you were married."  Thank you, Lauren, for your high moral standards.  I hope that rubs off a bit on the ministers' child:)
    
     Thank God Lucy was so darn convincing, because I was so zonked and under pressure that whatever I did wouldn't be my best work anyway.  And when I knock it out tomorrow, only one day will have passed.  A year from now, I won't remember how I missed a night of work, but I don't think I'll ever forget Lauren's wise instruction on pre-marital relations.  In fact, I plan to smile about it often.
      
         Long story longer, Lucy won me over because she executed two biblical principles.

1. She made her request known. Aka, she ASKED politely.

 Philippians 4:6 (New King James Version)

 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God;

2. She believed I would do what I said I would do.

Matthew 8:13 (New King James Version)

 Then Jesus said to the centurion, “Go your way; and as you have believed, so let it be done for you.” And his servant was healed that same hour.

The key to "getting what we want" from God is doing exactly what Lucy did tonight.  She knew the words I had spoken, she believed what I said, and she acted on it (She ASKED.)

God doesn't have a problem with us bringing up his promises and hoping for a piece of the pie.  He eagerly waits to give us good things. I find throughout His word (the Bible) his desire to give us peace, joy, greater understanding, restoration, even "non- spiritual" things like houses and money.  Oh Yeah! So I am encouraging YOU, special reader, to search his promises and believe them for your life.  And then, if you can muster the courage, (It worked for Lucy) ASK Him to give you all the things he's claimed he'll do.  What have you got to lose?  Ok, next question.  What have you got to gain?  Try it!

I've even done some research for you.  You'll find a boatload of promises from the Bible by clicking Here.  

I love you all more than you could imagine.

Christina

P.S.  Which of these promises will you apply in your life?

"Eight Point Lake by Carl Johnson" & "Today" By Lucy Lusk

Eight Point Lake:

Christina asked me to be a guest blogger. I'm honored. It seems like so much time has passed, and sometimes it seems like only a day since Micheal and Christina and I were together.

Yesterday my work took me to Eight Point Lake. My Grandfather owned a cottage on the lake there that he sold when I was six. I hadn't been back there since, until yesterday.

I have to imagine that you could count the number of times I was there, but for me it was endless. We rode there in a station wagon that didn't have electronic ignition or fuel injection. There was no phone there, I don't think it mattered. I remember a small TV with rabbit ears, but I don't remember it being on much. I remember my dad and uncles sporting crew cuts. They were younger then than I am now.

I remember in the evenings we would bring the inner tubes into the yard. My cousins and I would roll them with someone inside, or bounce on them. We smelled like OFF. Inside the grown-ups would start a fire in the fireplace, and we'd roast marshmallows.

Yesterday I was at the lake to repair a telephone problem. I tried to find that cottage. Last I heard someone had renovated it and now lives there. As I drove around the lake I got disoriented. I had to go to another trouble call. I got out my PDA and Google mapped my location. Cell signal was weak, but it was there.

So here I am in a place I haven't been in four decades, with a truck full of the latest electronic technology, a PDA in my hand, a bluetooth in my ear, leaving the home of a customer happily surfing the internet. I'm there, wishing I could just bounce on an inner tube or roast a marshmallow. I wiped a couple tears away on my shirt sleeve.

I think often about the kids in my class. What will they long for? The good old days of dropped cell phone calls? Cars with tires? Reality television shows?


Carl (C.J) S. Johnson


This is me, Christina now:
Man, that post brought back many memories of my own childhood (I could go for a marshmallow right now).  Carl is huge into being an awesome husband and father.  He has provided a link to an fantastic website that can help you become an amazing (or even more amazing!) parent as well.  Check it out.  They're even offering a FREE conference with lunch and childcare provided.  http://www.foundationalparenting.org

As a bonus:

"Today" by Lucy Lusk

today I went to school.then I went to reading class which we don't read .We make videos. But we we're
suposed to make a book. After that I went to Cici's pizza with my mom. I ate pizza and a breadstick. I
even got dessert! that was the best day of my life!

I call my friend Jordan's mealworm poopy because he poop's a lot.
Lucy.

Rub a dub-dub...turds in the tub.

   No, I didn't set out to attract five year old blog followers (although I'll take 'em if they're interested - boosts my ratings!)  There really is urine on the floor and ....well, it's like the title says.  Every mom has been there... a tot in the tub (or tots, in my case), and then somebody gets warm and comfortable enough to ... Moving on.  You get the slippery culprit out of the tub, so you can clean it and refill it, in order to start again from ground zero, when suddenly you hear an alarming trickle at the same time you notice your sock is wet.  Yep, he urinated right on Mermaid Barbie's head.  It wasn't that big of a deal at that point, since I had just removed her from a much messier situation.  "Ugghh, Christina, why are you telling us all this?"  Hmm... Now that you mention it... (Look up at the description of my blog for a moment. - I guess I just felt it was my duty (pun intended).
      Technically, since I've used a word like bowel movement, I now owe you a lesson.  (It'll have to be short though, because I have to go (pun not intended), and tend to some of my one-year old's business (ok fine, pun intended in both places).

Here is the lesson, which may or may not prove itself spiritually helpful, but maybe someday you'll find yourself face-to-face with Alex Trebek as he pops a related question,  and you'll be glad you read my blog.  (Note: Alex is a very nice man - My husband has a hand written letter from him. Note again:  If you DO find yourself correctly answering related questions on a gameshow, remember Lusk World Outreach P.O. Box 394 Clio, MI)

When the King James Version of the Bible was written (waaaay back ago), people believed deep emotion stemmed from the bowels.  Today we use the word "heart".  Seriously, Google it.  And, if you can believe it, this post actually has hidden meaning and direction.  I told you this in response to a letter I received from a searching friend. She said, "I try to read my Bible (KJV), but I don't understand it.  I must be stupid or something." No my friend, you are NORMAL.  I thank God for the KJV Bible, but I rarely use it myself for the same reason you stated, it is difficult to understand (i.e. - most of us would form the incorrect mental image when we read, "She was so lovely in appearance. I felt a stirring in my bowels. ").  There are others out there now, that communicate the word of God in modern language.  I often use the New Living Translation, and my husband sticks like glue to the NKJV (New King James Version).  I hope this helped you.  (A letter from me is coming your way with more info, via snail-mail as well.)

G'night Everybody! Much love,

Christina

P.S.  I'll be stepping out of the limelight tomorrow, please enjoy tomorrow's postings by guest bloggers, Lucy Lusk and long-time friend, Carl Johnson.  I've read them both and you won't be disappointed!

God is a big fat Ham.

   God is never two-faced, but he does have many facets.  The Bible tells us of times when He is angry, happy, jealous, sad, compassionate, (oh thank goodness, I AM like Him after all, lol)  etc... Today I read about an instance where Jesus was in a show-offy kind of mood.  Oh, who am I kidding? He's always an upstager, isn't He?

  Mark 8:1-10 - The C.M. L. version of the Bible relays it like this. "Jesus was so freaking awesome that people would do anything just to be around Him.  His jokes were fresh and everyone sensed his genuine interest in every individual he met.  A crowd had followed him into the wilderness, forsaking their Nintendo Wiis and Mafia Wars for three whole days.  Eventually, the thronging grew to over 4000 people.

    Jesus looked out at the crowd, and then turned to his disciples, saying, "I feel sorry for these people.  They have been with Me for three days, and they don't have anything left to eat.  If I send them home, they will pass out before they even get there.  Some of them have come from miles and miles away."
      He turned to the disciples with cocked eyebrows.  That questioning look always made them uneasy.
  "How are we supposed to find vittles for that many hungry bellies, out in the wilderness?  HELLO, we're in the desert here." (One of them had the guts to say something like that, anyway).  Jesus responded to his question with a question. (That was kinda his M.O. with those guys.)  Jesus smirked, and said, "How much bread do you have?" "Uh, let's see, Pete, whaddya got? Ok, plus Matt's sourdough pita...that makes... seven.  Seven Loaves, Lord."
      Jesus told everybody to get comfy on the ground.  Then He took the loaves, thanked His Dad for them, and broke them into pieces.  His disciples started handing out the bread to the multitude.  Somebody gave Him a few sardines, and he blessed those too.
       Everybody ate as much as they wanted.  Afterward, the disciples gathered the leftovers into seven large baskets. Then, J.C. thanked everybody for their sacrifice, and told everyone to return home and get some rest. "
  What a show-off! (I know, you're asking me, "Christina, Do you really believe that stuff happened?")  Well, I can't say I've miraculously (yet) fed that many people.  But I have seen the lame walk, blind eyes and deaf ears open, Tumors vanish, and a soul set free.  So, I don't have too many issues buying into this, as well.  (If you're still wondering, the answer is YES!)

   The cool thing about Jesus, is that he never changes.  This nifty book I've been sharing from, tells me that He is the same yesterday, TODAY, and forever.  So, Jesus, I'm resolving right now to give you, not only everything in my refrigerator (no sardines there), but every part of my life. I thank you for the miracles I saw yesterday, the ones I'll experience today, and for the ones I'll see tomorrow.  Thank you for loving me.  As always, You are free to "Ham it up" on center stage in my life anytime.

Thanks again for reading!

Christina

P.S.  Do not google "C.M.L version of the Bible". It stands for Christina M. Lusk, and isn't yet in print.

A Portly Savior

First of all, you have been faithfully following Michael's luggage saga with DELTA AIRLINES.  So, you deserve to know LUGGAGE HAS BEEN LOCATED.  It left Flint, MI and somehow found it's way to Amsterdam, France and Canada.  He doesn't know when he will be reunited with his red roller bag, but at least it has been found.

  "I wish my suitcase was the one who came to Salta, and I was the one who got to take the intercontinental tour." - Rev. Michael Lusk

Also, I had a photo shoot today, which means, another lazy blog day.  However, I will leave you with a momento of our earlier days in ministry.  Yes, believe it or not, we were VERY funny clowns with a pretty substantial following in South America.  We can juggle, make balloon animals, and snort whipped cream with the best of them.  Now you know.

This photo:

Rosa the clown (me),  tries to explain to Gordo about the Superhero with the mightiest powers.  Gordo pauses, thinks, and humorously interrupts with several incorrect guesses.  Can you figure out who Rosa was really talking about? You guys are just soooo smart.  Good guess.


Rest well tonight my bloggies.  I pray for you daily.

In love,

Christina

For the Mums.

Happy Mother's Day!


This post is unique because I am giving you the opportunity to choose happy or heavy; kind of like an alternate ending.  Writers of "Ladder 49" please take note.  (I did not like balling on a bus in front of all those strangers.)


    If you're in a jovial type mood, the author of this blog recommends clicking here, where you will be re-directed to a previous post involving a brilliantly clever, dimpled darling, and her wise mother.


However, if you think you can hack it, I encourage you to click the link below.  But remember to come back to this page so you can email (click the envelope icon) it to share it with someone else.  I love you, especially you Mom.  You had all the "right reasons" to end my life before I independently breathed my first breath.  I'm just as grateful you didn't end it "after" I was born either. LOL.  Thank you for the opportunity of life. Have a wonderful Mother's Day everyone.


                    


                       CLICK HERE