Ramblings of PBS Kids hostage

    Tonight, I am asking myself, "Christina, why are you even sitting down to write a blog?"  It's a valid question, since there's no way, after listening to Cookie Monster, (for an hour and a half) sing "C is for Cookie" - that's right, the SAME song, over and over,  I'll be able to, in any way, communicate with adult readers.  I'm not even sure what I just typed even makes sense.
    Noah is on such a Sesame Street kick, that as I plan my decor for my new home, I forget that this is a fleeting phase that will last but a moment, and that I don't really need to match my walls to the ever present furry characters that are ceaselessly dragged about our home and yard. Yes, indeed, I think I will put in a phone call tomorrow - "Cancel my order Sherman Williams, I came to my senses and decided against the Snuffleuffagus Sienna afterall."
     May I never forget this period of time won't last but a moment.  And, may I never forget that I am indeed an intelligent woman. This tiny blip in history may a little too often leave me wondering what's happening this very moment in world news?  Am I up to date on popular action flicks? - Negative.   I could, however, go on and on about how Ricky Gervais is the funniest celebrity to ever lull Elmo to sleep.  I could tell you that Burt and Ernie's never altered sweaters are back in style.
    Tonight as I foggy headedly write this message, I remind myself that I am the same person who got 4.0s in her college courses, who's bilingual, who plays a mean game of chess, and cannot only spell and pronounce "connoisseur", but that I am one in many things non-PBS Kids.  And, I encourage moms all over the blogosphere not to lose heart and feel like you're slipping into a never-ending sweatpants and diapers abyss... but rather, embrace such a time for what it truly is, a gift.  And, if what older people tell me is correct, it really doesn't last that long, and all too soon, we'll be looking back at these clean-the-toothpaste-out-of-the-heat-vent-AGAIN days, wishing we could spend just one more moment in them, looking into the innocent eyes that trust us completely to do what is in their best interest and shape them into the prosperous, educated, and happy adults we want them to be.

And without further ado, I must tell you, as the great Oscar the Grouch would say: NOW GET AWAY FROM MY BLOG - SCRAM!

Go ask your kids what they want to be when they grow up.  Make a card for them.  Play outside with those eager littles.  LISTEN to them.  Tell your tykes that Jesus has SUPER AWESOME plans for them (Reading Jeremiah 29:11 to them is a great way to do that)... and most importantly... Take those older folk's advice and never miss a moment you can't have back.

Much, much love,

The Extraordinary Ordinary Only Sometimes Semi-Coherent Me

PS.  Teach them good dental hygiene too.  That's important.

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

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

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