Aligning with God’s Timing: Prophetic Rhythms in the Hebrew Calendar with Christine Vales

In this episode of Hope Unlocked, Kristin Kurtz engages in an enlightening conversation with Christine Vales, a passionate teacher of God’s appointed times and seasons through the lens of the Hebrew calendar. Christine shares her transformative journey of discovering the prophetic significance within each month, revealing how they point to Jesus and help align our lives with His divine timing. From her unique chalkboard teachings to the creation of her His Appointed Times resources, Christine's testimony highlights themes of rest, grace, and the revelation of God’s unending love. Whether you're seeking to deepen your understanding of Biblical rhythms or align your steps with God’s perfect timing, this episode will inspire you to embrace the joy of walking in His purpose.

Christine's contact info and resources:
Website-https://www.christinevales.com

Chapters

• 0:16 Finding Hope and Purpose
• 15:16 Resurrecting Childhood Creativity and Gifts
• 23:59 Unveiling the Prophetic Calendar
• 39:33 Step-by-Step Journey to Purpose
• 47:34 Resting in God's Love and Grace
• 56:07 God's Appointed Times Resources and Blessings

Transcript

Speaker 2: 0:16

Welcome to the Hope Unlocked podcast. I'm your host, kristen Kurtz, and I'm also the founder of New Wings Coaching. I help and empower wildhearted and adventurous women of faith feeling caged and stuck, unlock their true purpose and potential, break free from limitations and thrive with confidence, courage and hope. If you're curious to learn more about coaching with me, head to newwingscoachingnet and be sure to explore the show notes for ways to connect with me further. Get ready to dive in as we uncover empowering keys and insights in this episode. So tune in and let's unlock hope together.

Speaker 1: 0:48

Welcome to the Hope Unlocked podcast. I'm Kristen Kurtz, your host. I pray this episode is like a holy IV of hope for your soul. Please help me welcome Christine Vallis to the show. I am so thrilled to have her here today. I connected with her, I believe, through YouTube gosh five, six years ago. I've been watching her videos, have utilized some of her resources and I'm just so thrilled to introduce you to her, or to introduce her to you is what I'm trying to say. This is the Real and Rock podcast with Kristen. So, christine, would you be open to just sharing a little bit about yourself and then we'll hear more about your story?

Speaker 3: 1:28

Sure, yeah, thank you so much, kristen. This is awesome how the Lord just connects people, and so it's a blessing to connect with you. Thanks for having me on and, yeah, well, what can I say? I am coming to you, live here in Florida, united States, and I'm not an original Floridian, but I was born in New Jersey and lived up there. Most of my life, lived kind of up and down the east coast, but um, right now living in florida, but, uh, my husband and I visit, uh, new jersey often, new york often, and so we go back and forth and, um, we're just blessed. We are blessed to be, a blessing to um share jesus, share his love and grace with everyone in any way, any means we can point hearts to him, who is our life.

Speaker 1: 2:32

So yeah, what does it look like to? You know, we all have a different story of encountering Jesus in our life. What did that look like?

Speaker 3: 2:42

Okay, so, yeah, well, I grew up in New Jersey. My mom was definitely the spiritual leader of the house, and so she took me to Sunday school, to church, and I was born, raised, born and raised in a Presbyterian church. I had two and have two older brothers, but they didn't go to church. They were much older than me and they didn't go to church. My dad didn't go to church, so it was just me and my mom and I accepted Jesus.

Speaker 3: 3:19

When I was about seven years old, I would say in a Bible study or Sunday school. I should say, and, um, yeah, so I, I knew that, um, I was going to heaven, that Jesus loved me, he forgave me of all my sins. And then, when I came home, I remember coming home that night thinking, oh, my gosh, like my mom is a Christian, but my dad isn't, my brothers aren't't. And I remember just crying because I wanted them to know the Lord. You know, especially my dad. And um, but over the years, it's amazing, you know he's in his 80s now, but he knows the Lord. Um, my brothers, uh, they know of the Lord. I would say, but, um, you know, uh, the Lord has to. He draws us and calls us and sometimes a prophet is not accepted in their own home. You know how that goes. But anyway, so that's my growing up.

Speaker 3: 4:14

I accepted Jesus in about, like I said, seventh grade. I knew I was going to heaven and I would say, you know, I mean, was I living a Christian life at seven years old? I mean, I guess you know what does that mean at seven, you know? Um, but all I knew is I was going to heaven, I knew the Bible was true, I knew God loved me and I had security in that and um, but then later in life, I would say, in my, you know, in high school years, or I, you know, I always had Jesus in my back pocket and I would pull him out when I needed him. But it wasn't like I wasn't. I didn't want to be one of these full on throttle Christians, you know. I just wanted to be kind of like a low key Christian, you know. But I remember having a conversation with my college roommate who kind of had a similar story and she was saying no, you can't, you can't really have it like that.

Speaker 3: 5:19

You have to either be all in or not and I thought, are you sure, can't we just kind of live, you know, one day in the world and one day, you know, living in church, or and I, I tried living like that and you can't, you really can't. And so when I basically came to the end of myself in um, actually at the end of college, graduating college, I was like all right, lord, you know what I have to. Just, I can't just play in two worlds. You know, this is not working. And I just felt like the Lord's. I really felt his presence in my room, in my room and him, you know, I I felt like I had, um, almost treated him like um, well, you know, like like a husband, in a way that you, you just neglect, you know, or you just, um, like a friend that you just leave, you know. And so when I finally kind of came back and was rededicating my life to God, I felt I didn't feel any condemnation. In fact, I felt like love, his open arms open wide, and he's like, yeah, I know all that, but I love you and that's the whole point. I, you know, that's why I died for you and I love you unconditionally. And that blew me away. That really blew me away. And so since then that was in like 1995 or so Since then I have just been walking with the Lord, following him, and not just in good times, but just following him, you know.

Speaker 3: 7:00

And it's a great place to be, because the enemy, I think, always would try to make me think that if you really give your whole life to Jesus, you're not going to have any fun, your life is going to be boring, you're going to be so restricted, you're not going to be able to do anything, and it's totally the opposite. It is totally the opposite because the devil's a liar, you know. So, um, so it's, it's, it's been a freeing, abundant life, and and every year, just learn more, you know, so, just learning more, and he's like unsearchable, like it just keeps getting better. With god, you know, and I guess that's why we'll have eternity just to spend with him and discovering all of his love toward us and everything. It's just beyond words, you know.

Speaker 1: 7:54

I wanted to kind of capture something. You said it was like end of yourself.

Speaker 3: 7:59

Yes.

Speaker 1: 8:01

Like what, what was going on at that time time? What, what was going on that you kind of came to that, that realization, that a very good question, a very, a very um observant podcaster.

Speaker 3: 8:16

Seed caster, you are to extract that out? Yes, well, I'll tell um what it was really with me. I think that I had grown up pretty popular girl and um a likable girl cheerleader. You know, um I say smart, but you know, got good grades. You know um wasn't involved with the wrong crowd. You know, had great friends. Um, we never really got in trouble, but um anyway.

Speaker 3: 8:50

But I didn't realize how much um of my confidence lied in my own self right, my self-confidence. And I would later learn that you know that our confidence is to come from Jesus right, christ's confidence. And but you know the whole world would tell you, no, you know, have self-confidence. You know, be, be proud of who you are. And so I was going down that way and I put a lot of. I didn't realize this, but I put a lot of confidence in my personality, I guess, and in my outward appearance, and I mean I'm not a raving beauty or anything, but I mean I guess I just didn't realize how much my appearance affected my confidence. And so I think in college those years gaining a little bit of weight and in addition to that I know this is going to sound really funny and I've told many people this, but at one point I got a haircut and I always have long hair, but I got a haircut and usually if you get a bad haircut it grows out. But this was like an Edward Scissorhands uh, edward Scissorhands haircut and, um, I was like, oh my word, what happened here? And instead of just trying to let it grow out, I got like maybe three haircuts in like a month and it just kept getting worse, you know, and I was like oh my gosh, and I just it's such a vain testimony, but I remember looking in the mirror and saying this is not my style of hair. This has never been. It was like a permanent, I don't know. It was like I didn't even have to. It was hard to explain Exactly, I just hated it, right so. But I could not really believe how much it affected me and you know, it was like I was stuck and I was like, oh my gosh, you know, and you know my mother would say, well, don't worry, your hair is going to grow, Don't worry. And I was like I know, well, I know it will, but it may take a long time. And I remember one of the girls who did my hair. She was like, um, yeah, this is going to take a long time to grow out. This could probably take like a year or so. The way, whoever cut your hair like this, and I was like, oh, my gosh, you know it was anyway.

Speaker 3: 11:32

But all that to say, god used it because, um, it really made me realize that, uh, gosh, man, I I've been, I haven't been, I've been relying on myself and my looks, or my this or my that, and nothing about God. You know, I haven't really been confident in him. I've been confident in me, you know, and, and so it was like this whole thing opened up. It was like God used that to kind of show me that my, that, that my foundation, although he was there, he wasn't. I wasn't basing my whole life on him, I was basing it on me, you know. And so if something were to happen with me and, uh, the whole thing would fall out, you know. So it was like, you know, building your house on the sand and the rock, and you know. So, anyway, at that point I was like, well, gosh, um, I need to get my life on you because I'm, I'm, I'm not stable here, you know. So, um, so I really learned a lot. That was, that was, and it seems like a really vain testimony, but God used it for good and actually from that I really learned about my identity in Christ and without even well later on I had gifts of songwriting. I gave my life to the Lord in about 95. And I was just studying about my identity in Christ, who God says I am.

Speaker 3: 13:16

I learned about how to renew my mind with the scripture Because I was taught in Bible study and Sunday school and all these things. Yeah, memorize scripture. But I didn't realize, for what you know, memorizing scripture, this is just another thing you do in school, you know. Like, okay, so you memorize stuff in history and go ahead and memorize stuff in Sunday school, you know.

Speaker 3: 13:39

But then I realized that my mind needed to be renewed of who God was saying I am, because I didn't like who I was and I would believe lies. I would look at every other person and say, wow, this girl is so pretty and I'm so ugly and all this stuff. So it's just lies, lies, lies. I needed to have my mind renewed with the truth and then it was like, oh well, that makes sense. Like why didn't anybody ever tell me this in Sunday school. That's why we memorize verses, you know, like to renew your mind and be transformed by the word of God, and so that's what happened to me, and one of the scriptures that God led me to was Ephesians 2.10, which says that we are his masterpiece, that we're created, you know, before the foundation of the world to do good works, and we are his masterpiece. And so if God calls us his masterpiece, I need to believe that, you know, and if I don't believe it, then I don't believe what God is saying about me, you know. So I was like no, a group of Christian friends this was like when I was in my 20s and a lot of them were in Bible study and also in music and in worship.

Speaker 3: 15:16

And a long time ago, in fifth grade, I took guitar lessons and I always used to like to write songs. And so one kid in our Bible study he wrote a song and it was about his life or whatever, and I thought I can write a song. I used to write songs. I'm going to write a song, you know. And so the first song, one of the first songs I wrote, was called Masterpiece, and it was basically my story of how God sees me and just helped me to believe, this Lord, that I'm your masterpiece, and so I was able to play it, you know, in our group. But then over the years, god actually not only led me to have a little Bible study where we were sharing stuff, but we did coffee houses and concerts and and over the years, made CDs, led worship, did worship conferences, women's conferences, and I've sung that song many times and, um, even got to make a music video on it, so you can Google that on YouTube. What's that?

Speaker 1: 16:23

Add that to the show notes, because I'm sure that add that to the show notes.

Speaker 3: 16:27

Yeah, I'm sorry that was a really really long answer. It probably went on for five minutes.

Speaker 1: 16:31

But I never apologize. Like you know, you have the mic here and what I believe what you're sharing is gonna bless many. Honestly, when you so awesome if you think back to like that moment you mentioned that you played guitar, you had lessons in fifth grade like what happened after that? Did you just kind of give it up for a while, like was there something that kept you from being, musically, you know, on that little pathway of music?

Speaker 3: 17:04

yeah, yeah, well, I took. I always wanted to take guitar lessons, so fifth grade I took it and then it was great. I had an awesome teacher. She used to come to my house and she had an old Volkswagen bug and it was cool. I got to ride in it with her one time and the trunk is the engine and the engine is in the hood. It's the reverse. It's very cool. Anyway, she threw her guitar in the in the hood of her car, which was actually her trunk, and I thought it was funny. But little side note on that.

Speaker 3: 17:34

But, um, she was awesome, she taught me guitar, but then I had her for one year and then she stopped teaching it. Who knows how long she was teaching, I don't know, but she moved or something. And so I thought, well, that was that, you know, and I didn't. I didn't find another teacher and you know I was involved with, like other other things, and so I thought, well, I know how to play this. And it sat. It basically sat in the corner of my bedroom growing up and then eventually ended up in the attic.

Speaker 3: 18:06

But, um, but when I got back involved with um, when I got involved in Bible study after college and saw that people were whipping out their guitars, I was like, wow, I so, basically, god resurrected that thing, you know, you resurrected the group, resurrected the gift, and that's why I always tell people that when you're young, when you're little, you are really, you're open to trying out so many things, right, and there's really no fear. Usually you're involved, you're taking ballet, you're doing, and you're and you're taking so many different classes, checking out different things, and but it's usually um one or two things that you really like and it really comes easy. And so I think you know that's like a clue to um to go back to those things that you really enjoyed to do when you were little, whether it's drawing or baking, or you know music or songwriting and and, and that's like a clue I would tell people Um, cause that's what he did with me. You know, he took me back and even with, with drawing and stuff, I always like to do that Um, and then God uses it, you know, later he and he and he develops your craft with you, you know, and it's awesome to use the gifts for Him.

Speaker 3: 19:26

You know I often thank the Lord that I didn't use my musical gift really any other place except for Him, you know, because I know a lot of people have the musical gift and they sing, maybe in bars and other stuff like that, and then maybe, you know, um come to the Lord and God pulls them out of that and puts them in, you know, christian venues and stuff, and that's awesome. That's awesome too. I never, um, I never got involved in the non-Christian music scene, so, um, so I was thankful about that. But, um, but yeah, so look at those things in your life, things that you love to do as a child, but just said, ah, what's the use? You know there's use, there's use.

Speaker 1: 20:11

I love that. I I. I'm so on board with you. I've, I've often talked to people, whether it's clients or you know. Just I talked to anybody about anything, right, the things that you know. There might've been something that sideswiped you right there could have been something that you loved, like like we talked you talked about here with the drawing, for example. What is you know?

Speaker 1: 20:33

maybe somebody said something in school like you, don't do that well yeah really sidetracks a gifting that you were maybe in the midst of developing and, exactly like what you said, I, I say I, I say to people too, like he wants to resurrect that creativity and yeah, back in 2020, I just kept hearing when in war creates like there's things that he's wanting us to tap back into because it is there's, there's like a there's an anointing on it and, like I said, we were talking a little bit before we got started like it's gonna look different, right, yeah, right yeah and um, you know, and I think there's a lot of grace and freedom when you're doing things that you know, that you just enjoy.

Speaker 3: 21:24

I mean, what's wrong with doing something you enjoy, like? I think that's another clue. So if things come naturally to you and you enjoy doing it, that's probably, you know, gifted you with that and you're anointed to do it and just um, step out into it. You know, because, like we were saying, like you said before, um, um, you know, and with Jesus, things that he calls us to do, he says my yoke is easy, my burden is light. So we can be doing music or doing podcasts, or cooking or personal training somebody, and when we do it by his grace that means, like by his strength there's a light and easy flow to it. When we do the same thing in our flesh, it becomes a burden, you know so, but I think he really makes it easy for us because, um, I'm sure everyone listening to this can think of one thing that they really enjoy doing, and that's probably a gift that God gave you you know for bringing that up, Cause I think you're probably activating somebody.

Speaker 3: 22:40

And, like we were saying to Kristen, is that, um, a lot of people say and even I have said this, well, why should I do it?

Speaker 3: 22:47

Um, you know there's a hundred people doing the same thing, there's a thousand people doing a podcast, there's you know so many people that have a cookbook or whatever. You know. But, um, but if you were to say that about music or about clothing, you know you, you want all the designers to design all the dresses that they possibly can, right, so that you can go into, uh, m wherever and, and look and see, wow, oh, I like, I like that style, okay, and so you wouldn't want them not to design a dress because there's 10 other people already doing it. Or you wouldn't want somebody to not sing because you know there's already, you know, 10 bands out there. No, we, we like variety and everybody has their own way of communicating, even the same exact subject, you know. So be encouraged. God has an abundant life for us and he wants us to really enjoy life with Him, and that includes using our gifts and talents, you know, to the fullest. And so we just have to take that step.

Speaker 1: 23:59

Well, I want to highlight your creative gifting of artboard and chalk to bring to life. Well, I'm going to let you tell us, but it just sparked me. When I first saw your email years and years ago, I was like, oh my gosh, I'm so drawn in because it is different. So would you maybe kind of back up to when you were led to start doing your chalkboard teachings, like, how did you start?

Speaker 3: 24:40

Yeah well, I wasn't looking to do any chalkboard teaching at all.

Speaker 1: 24:48

What happened. Say that again. Somebody needs to hear that again.

Speaker 3: 24:51

Say that again. Yeah, I wasn't looking to do a chalkboard teaching. It wasn't my intention. And actually I think real art ministries that we have right, whether it's music, podcasts, teaching or whatever I think that I know for me, because I used to lead worship and sing. I didn't pursue that, I just had my worship time with the Lord and it came from there, it came from intimacy. So even with the chalkboard teachings, that actually came out of intimacy. So our ministry isn't something that you kind of hunt down and try to plan out. Well again, it's relationship with Jesus, with God. You get with Him and in the secret place he starts revealing things to you.

Speaker 3: 25:47

And so for the chalkboard stuff the Lord had been showing me about His calendar, this prophetic calendar.

Speaker 3: 25:54

I had never heard of anything about a prophetic calendar.

Speaker 3: 25:59

I had heard about Passover and Hanukkah and I think that was probably it, but I had never heard about all the months and all the prophetic stuff that's embedded in every month.

Speaker 3: 26:15

So when I started learning about it, I had a chalkboard in my kitchen and so I literally would write down the name of the month, the tribe that was associated with the month, any kind of characteristic that was related to that month that really spoke to me. I would write that out and I hung it while it was hanging there in my kitchen anyway, just doing nothing really and I thought this is like God's clock on the wall, because whatever's going on in my life, I need to refer it back to this, because that's who God really. This is the real time, and so so then the next month would change and I would erase it, and then I draw the next month, and I probably did that for about two or three years and um, but never, never, did I ever plan on doing anything with them at all. No, I was just trying to learn how to spell these months and figure out what these months were. So I was doing it for myself and, um, yeah, so that's how the chalkboards came in.

Speaker 1: 27:24

Oh, I mean, I feel like you can almost you can grab so much listeners to what she just said. You know, I think I think of you know the verse of like we can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps. You were taking those steps and it he unfolded the plan within it, right, so what? What came next? Like what you're, you're, you're doing this for a few years and actually back it up a little bit. Was there something like what? Was there something that maybe you heard from somebody that that, um, kind of sparked you to kind of go deeper with the calendar? What, what was it that like even got you ignited into stepping into the calendar, do you?

Speaker 3: 28:08

do you Well, actually, um, at, at the time I first started learning about it, I thought it was interesting because there was a church that I was on Somehow, I was on their email list and they were, you know, celebrating all the months and doing all this stuff. And I would get it and I would say what is this? This sounds interesting, but at the time I did not have time to get into it because I thought this is going to take a little time to understand, you know, and um, so I was interested but I just didn't have time, you know, and um. So then, when I had time, that's when I started writing on the chalkboards and all this stuff and getting a little deeper, and but over the years, I would say in my probably over maybe 10 years, even before then, god was, like, you say, like the crumbs or a popcorn path of. I was in a Messianic congregation up in New Jersey and they were talking about the Feast of Tabernacles and I was like, so God had been putting like this popcorn path along over the years and, you know, teaching on the Hebrew letters, and I was like, oh, that's cool, you know, and so, but I was like, oh, I want to. I want to look at that one day, but I don't have time right now, you know. And so, finally, I had a time where I was kind of shifting from one season to another and I was like, okay, now I can, I can get into this, you know.

Speaker 3: 29:39

And one one of the things, though, really, that made me want to get into it, like you said, was, um, when I discovered the prophetic, uh, characteristics and themes of the month, it was happening in my life, like I wasn't trying to like, make this stuff happen. If it was a month of provision or if a month of new beginnings, I was like, oh, my gosh, that's what's happening in my life. Like, wait a minute, you know. So it was really, um, god was really highlighting his calendar to me, that, um, that there's something here and it's. I want you to look at this, and so you know. But I will say this um is that, with, with learning about the calendar and all this stuff and even sharing it with people along the way, you know, people are like, oh, wow, that's cool, or whatever.

Speaker 3: 30:34

And then, um, you know, looking at the calendar now is like, oh, what does the calendar say? Or, but you know, it's like it's like some mystery thing, you know, and really all the calendar is doing is pointing us to Jesus, you know, the more and the more I look at his calendar, it just points us to who God is, how much he loves us, how his grace is unleashed in our lives and how much of a good shepherd he is. The calendar is another piece of his creation and it's not to be like, oh, throw away your Bible and just look at the calendar. You know, I always tell people this. You know, um, that you, this is just stuff to confirm what he's doing. You know, and um, but there's nothing that is higher, you know, than his word, you know. So, um, anyway, but yeah.

Speaker 1: 31:42

It's incredible, you know, it's interesting that you would say you didn't have time but then he led you into a time where you could even times and seasons time. The word time is very high.

Speaker 3: 31:51

Yeah.

Speaker 1: 31:54

So I thought I would just touch on that Um, because, as you were saying, there's there's times and seasons within the calendar that, um, you know, there's alignment happening with what was going on in your life, and I'm sure you were seeing people testifying to what you've been sharing over the years.

Speaker 1: 32:10

Um, do you have? Uh, you know, I'm sure that everything we do isn't always going to be super well received. I'm sure you've probably um, maybe naysayers come along the way, but we want to really highlight the people who have um really been blessed by you stepping out and doing this, would you?

Speaker 2: 32:28

be open sharing.

Speaker 1: 32:29

Do you have any testimonials from people on this? Um digging deeper into the calendar that you yeah, well, uh, thank you.

Speaker 3: 32:41

Yeah, um, it's interesting because really, um, I, um, I I wasn't um planning on. You know, I have the book out too, and I really made this book for myself, honestly, because I was wanting I was handwriting a calendar kind of like the one I have now, but never, you know, even just for my own ease to have it. I'll just back up and I'm going to answer your question. But I had been making a handwritten calendar that had the Gregorian and the Hebrew calendar, just like a handwritten one, I would get a monthly planner and then add all the Hebrew stuff. And I did that for about four or five years and then I thought, all right, I got to find one on Amazon, that for about four or five years. And then I thought, all right, I got to find one on Amazon and I couldn't find one.

Speaker 3: 33:42

And God said, that's, this is your assignment, that's why you can't find one. You're going to make one. And I was like, oh no, what, I don't know how to do this. And so, anyway, that's how he likes it, so we can depend on him. But I didn't know. Like you said, that's how he likes it, so we can depend on him. But I didn't know, like you said, who's going to buy this thing. You know, and um, of course some of my friends bought it in the beginning, you know, but, um, but yeah, I remember when somebody bought it from me and I was like I don't even know who this person is and they're buying this.

Speaker 3: 34:07

Who are these people? So it's, it's um, it was, it's, it's been a blessing. And you know, originally I just had like a book out and then the chalkboard teachings came later. I was just kind of showing the images and then the Lord is like, no, you have to teach about that. And so, you know, you step into one thing saying yes, and you don't realize how deep it will take you into it, but, but, his grace is there every step of the way. And yes, but over the years, I mean, I have just been blown away at who's watching, who's impacted. You know, like you were even saying about this seed cast, um, 42 nations listening to you and, um, yeah, I'm, I've, I've touched nations. You know, south Africa is a big one, Australia, um, all over the United States, uh, germany, uh, you know, france, switzerland, you know, and and I'm like, wow, okay, you know, and I'm like wow, okay, this is awesome.

Speaker 3: 35:20

And just, people aligning with the Lord's timing, they're being encouraged. And one thing I will say is that in this vein of ministry, where you're talking about the Hebrew calendar, the biblical calendar, it's very easy, and even for me in the beginning, to get tangled up in the law actually again, because if you start talking about stuff like the Sabbath and all these feasts and fasts and, like I said even in the beginning for me I was like, oh okay, so now this is how we live, and it's like the Lord is like no, you know, like Galatians 5 says, stand therefore in the freedom, stand therefore in the freedom. So all these things that are connected with um, with, uh, the old Testament, you know, are there to teach us and we learn from them. But we're not bound by all these things, you know, and I think I think that was probably um, I had to confront that with myself, um early on. And but I try to free people from that, because a lot of people say tell me exactly how to do Shabbat, or tell me exactly how to do Passover, or what do I have to do? Do, do, do, do. And it's like you don't have to do anything, you just rest. And if you have joy in doing Passover, if you have joy in celebrating Hanukkah, you can't do it wrong, because God is your father and he delights in you and he just wants to point you to Jesus. So it gets back to you know, knowing how to rightly divide the word of God.

Speaker 3: 37:14

But I've seen, it's been my privilege actually to help people that you know discover about their Hebrew roots and they start getting under the law again. So it's been my blessing to help people get out of that, you know. And then it's been my blessing to just bring out the Jewishness of the gospels and um the love of God. You know, I think I think um also Kristen, I had a personal revelation of the love of God um a few years ago and that came out in my teachings. And I mean I've had pastors, wives, email me um former students of mine, uh email me that these people have been in church their whole life but never really knew God loved them. You know, um and just receiving God's love and not it's not about how much you love God, it's not about how much you love God, but how much God loves you. It's a total flip on that. So to me, my heart is just always to point people to the love of Jesus for them, and there's a rest that comes with that and there's life that comes with that.

Speaker 1: 38:33

So I've seen that so beautiful. So how, how long, how long has it been since you released um like your first resource?

Speaker 3: 38:41

Yeah, um, I would say the very first one I did was like a little pilot edition and that was in like 2016 or 17.

Speaker 1: 38:49

Yeah, I wanted I wanted to highlight too I think you said something to the point of like I didn't know how to do it oh, they didn't know how to do it.

Speaker 3: 39:01

Part yeah.

Speaker 1: 39:03

I love when I hear that I have to figure this out and um, like, what did that look like? What was that process? Like, I just want to maybe have you share a little bit of that part because I think, a lot of times people can get into striving or in somebody else's blueprint and, oh, I better do it this way or it won't work.

Speaker 3: 39:27

Yeah.

Speaker 1: 39:28

Would you share a little bit about like what that process was like for you?

Speaker 3: 39:31

process was like for you. Yeah, sure, you know, like when God called me to do this book, I thought, well, how the heck do I do this book? Like it's got a calendar inside that I would have to make a calendar and I don't know how to make squares. So you know, I didn't. I didn't know how to. You know, and it's not just a regular calendar, it has to have both dates in it. So I can't just go on Word and ask them to throw up a calendar in there, because I have to change it all.

Speaker 3: 39:58

So I mean, I just kind of did what I knew how to do. You know, on the computer, which was I did use Word document, you know to write a lot of the stuff, but I also used Excel, I mean things that I already knew. So I feel like the Lord is saying just go with what you know right now and just use what talents you have and just try this, just do it, and you know it's. You know the way the Lord is. He's, step by step, his word is a lamp unto our feet. So just little by little, I started creating on my computer and you know, I didn't know how to combine PDFs, but I learned how to do it. I mean, I had to. I had to figure out how to.

Speaker 1: 40:47

I think you're muted by accident.

Speaker 3: 40:48

Muted. I'm muted by accident, sorry, am I on Okay? So, um, so he was just saying just go with what you know, just go, just do as much as you can with what you know how to do. And so I just started working on my computer, a little by little, and, um, and I think you even shared you know just how funny, how funny god works. You know, even on airplanes. Like you were saying, you, you met, uh, someone who introduced you to a awesome resource.

Speaker 3: 41:18

I happened to sit down on a flight next to somebody who worked for, um, amazon publishing, and we just got talking and I was telling her, oh, she told me she worked for them and I was like, oh, I was like I was, um, thinking, you know, I'm trying to, I'm creating a book right now. And she's like, oh, you can totally just do that on Amazon publishing. I was like, what? So anyway, I mean, she didn't tell me how to do it, but I didn't know that they even did that back then. And so so I went on their website and I just tried figuring it out, and you know, it was a lot of hit and miss and it was a lot of learning curves. But, um, you know, I, I didn't know what I was doing for a while. You know how to upload stuff and artwork and margins and all this stuff. But but you know, you, you, you learn. God gave me the grace to do it, you know, and so little by little he helped me put it together. But you know, I mean, if I look at my pilot addition to where you know, I guess 10 years later or so, where it's at, it's grown and it's developed over years, that didn't just come out like it is now. You know, and I think if you look at almost even like um, any program on tv, you know the pilot starts off like kind of really raw and like you know, but then it develops into something really rich, you know. So you just have to let the Lord just take time with him with it.

Speaker 3: 42:51

You know, don't expect it to be perfect. You know, like, like, oh, this is the final. You know, you know, and it's never going to be perfect anyway. In fact I actually rejoice in if I I have a friend and I said, gosh, see if you can find any cameo of me in the book, and that's like the Alfred Hitchcock, you know, the cameo appearance where, oh shoot, there's a typo on page seven. You know, like I'm a human, I forgot you know. So you know I mean trying to be perfect, it's just impossible, you know. So give yourself some slack and enjoy the process. And if you do it so perfectly in the beginning that where else are you going to go? I mean, even the iPhone keeps you know. Every year you got a new one. So I mean you know.

Speaker 1: 43:44

Yes, upgrades.

Speaker 3: 43:45

Upgrades yeah, Just yeah. I love that you said that Just do something.

Speaker 2: 43:53

You know, I tell, I tell people like a lot of clients, I'm like just do it, just do it.

Speaker 1: 43:56

The world says ready, set, go, and he showed me several years ago that it's go, set ready in the kingdom. Like you just go. If he calls you to, you go and he'll show you along the way. That's right, that's awesome.

Speaker 3: 44:13

The world would not have you to go that way, right? No, and that's why I think it's so hard, because in our flesh we want to be, we want to know everything. We want to. I mean, that's what you go to school for you study everything and then you go and do the job, but a lot of times God gives you something that you haven't even studied. You know, like. He also called me to do a CD and I said well, that's great, I have all these songs, but I, I'm not a, I don't know how to make a CD, but he introduced me to somebody who knew how to do that, you know.

Speaker 3: 44:43

So you know God will connect you with people, and um, you know, and, and he will use the things that you know, you've gained from other places that sometimes have nothing to do with what you're doing. Like, um, I learned how to use, you know, word and Microsoft office and all that stuff in a job that I didn't really even like, but you know. But now he's, you know he uses all that for, for ministry and for what you're doing. Now it's, nothing is ever wasted and it builds on each other, you know. So you just glean. You glean from where you are, even if it's for a short season, even if you don't like it, where you are right now, glean, take whatever you can, learn whatever you can, because God will use it, you know in a place that you really like.

Speaker 1: 45:37

I so agree with you on that. Like I like to say, it's not for not rehabs. You Right Right there's, and I'm sure maybe for you too, like some of the times that I've been in those places, I've picked up tools and keys, but it's also been people connections mostly. Definitely.

Speaker 3: 45:55

Yep, definitely. Oh, yeah, I can. I can testify that. And, and you know, the more you try to connect with people, the worse it is. Don't even try.

Speaker 3: 46:09

You know God will connect you, he will connect you with people, just, you know. I mean, jesus makes it really easy. He just says follow me. He doesn't even say, you know, blaze away. You know he's saying no, just follow me, and then everything else will be added onto you right, seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, right, which is Jesus, who we are in him, and everything will follow.

Speaker 3: 46:40

So we don't have to worry about promoting ourselves or connecting with the right people. We can ask the Lord, you know pray, like the prayer of Jabez, you know to for the Lord to expand your territory and and and his favor, you know, and um, but as his children, we have his favor, you know, we already have his favor. So I think, kristen, I think going back to that is like when you are a child of God, when you've asked Jesus into your life and you've become a new creation. You have such authority, such favor. You, your royalty. You're not like the world, you know. So you, you start at the finish line. You know Jesus has already done the whole thing for you. You're more than a conqueror. You go out and enjoy it. You know, there's no striving, sweating, you just go out and follow him and um, it's totally from a different um mindset. It's a, it's a place of rest. You're not doing all these things to earn people's approval or to gain recognition. You already got the recognition. All you want from your Heavenly Father. His eyes are on you. You've got all the favor. You've got the Holy Spirit. You've got so much. You have everything you need really. So anything you do in this world is just a bonus and you're blessed to be a blessing for other people, bonus, and you're blessed to be a blessing for other people.

Speaker 3: 48:13

And um, you know, but we have to have our hearts established in his love and his confidence so that, so that no matter if we're doing amazing things or if we're not doing really anything, let's say, in a season of our life where you know the Lord is calling us into a time of rest, let's say, or Sabbath or something, and you feel like, well, I'm not doing anything, yeah, you are, you're just following him and there's a rest that comes with that. And right, and not striving right, because coming alive is about thriving, and so the opposite of that would be striving. So we're not striving right, and if we are striving, it's just. Thank you, lord, for showing me I'm striving. All right, let me just rest and come alive in you, you know so the Holy Spirit is awesome and gentle. To just get us, get our eyes back on who makes us come alive. You know who makes us come alive.

Speaker 1: 49:28

You know. Well, you know you talked a lot about rest and I love that word because I went through a season of learning how to rest back in 2017 and it felt very violent. Honestly, I come from many generations of you know. Rest when you die, rest when you die. So I had to, kind of he called me to be a breaker. In many ways, my family. Is that something that you had to learn. Like you know, people might hear you say rest and you just never know who's listening.

Speaker 3: 50:01

They're like well, yeah like for talking about yeah, yeah, I love talking about this subject. Thanks for bringing it up. Yeah, well, coming my background, you know, growing up came from a very hardworking family. My dad had his own business, his family business. Everybody worked in it. I worked in. It Still exists to this day, my family business, my dad's company. So it's very work oriented, which is good. Right, I mean you want to be.

Speaker 3: 50:41

The Bible said if you don't work, don't eat. Right, god is saying rest and do nothing, lay on the floor and be, you know, just lazy. No, that's not it, but it's more of a mindset of rest. And you know, two people can be doing the same exact job. And one person is striving while they're doing it and sweating, and you know, you can see it all over their face, you know. And and then another person is doing the same thing, but doing it from a place of rest and peace, you know. And so that is really, I think, the difference between the spirit by His grace or flesh, you know. And so we're, we're not meant to operate by our flesh, you know. So, um, they become like dead works. You know, it's what they talk to talk about in the Bible. You know, the good works. Good works are the works that just come, you know. You don't even know you're doing them half the time because they flow automatically, without even effort, you know. But the dead works are the automatically without even effort, you know.

Speaker 3: 51:55

But the dead works are the works that you're striving and and it could be the same exact thing, but it's just a different heart posture you know, and so God wants us operating from, from his rest, which is his grace, it's his supply, and that's what this whole year and that's what this whole year, 5785, 2025, is about. So when we talk about the grace of God, it's really the rest, I think, the rest of God, because it has nothing to do with you, it's just everything you get is from the Lord and it doesn't mean you're not working, but you're working from a place of rest and there's a joy, you know. And in Hebrews 4, it talks about rest and entering into the rest. And in the Bible it says, I think, 365 times. It says fear not, fear not, fear not, right? You've heard about that. Well, in Hebrews 4, fear not, right. You've heard about that.

Speaker 3: 52:53

Well, in Hebrews 4, it says fear this. This is the one thing that it says to fear. And it says fear this, that you do not enter God's rest. And it goes on to say, in verse 11, chapter 4, 11, it says strive actually to enter into God's rest. So if you're basically God saying, listen, I know you like to strive, so if you want to strive, strive to enter the rest. And I think maybe that's you were talking about the violent way to enter into the rest, because it goes totally against our nature, you know. But but it'll, it'll keep us living the abundant life, because anything we do in our flesh It'll keep us living the abundant life. Because anything we do in our flesh we can never maintain it. We will conk out sooner or later, we will lose our joy and we'll burn out, you know. And meanwhile God has another way that he wants us to live and it's from his rest and grace. And you know, we have to really, um, we really do have to strive to enter into that rest, but it's a great place to be, you know.

Speaker 3: 53:59

And I think about it because, you know, I don't know what it is, but if anytime I got a new job, my first question was how much time do I have off? I want to know my vacation, you know. And I'm a good worker, I'm a hard worker, I'm probably one of the best workers. That was in the firm I was in, but I liked having vacation. I'm not somebody who was like proud of never taking a day off. I like vacation, you know.

Speaker 3: 54:25

So it's like God saying, yeah, you like, you like to have a day off, you like rest. Well, you can live in rest all the time. Why don't you enter in? And just, it's a different way of operating. So you know, it's just, I think, just meeting with God and resting.

Speaker 3: 54:46

And I think rest comes from when you know you're loved by God. You know you have a revelation of God's love, not just like, oh, does God love me or not? Yes or no, Check it off. Okay, move on to the next question. No, it's like a daily knowing that you're loved by God, Because that gives you confidence and gives you rest. It gives you joy. God, Um, because that gives you confidence and gives you rest. It gives you joy, it gives you purpose. It's, it fuels your whole life. Otherwise, you're looking to everybody else or anything else and nothing is going to give you the unconditional love of the father. So so I believe that's why it's so important to have the fresh revelation of God's love for you. Important to have the fresh revelation of God's love for you, because then you can relax.

Speaker 1: 55:34

Well, I feel like that was just a whole word for somebody Praise.

Speaker 3: 55:38

God.

Speaker 1: 55:41

Oh my gosh. Well, we could just talk forever. I love everything.

Speaker 3: 55:50

I know I thought gosh, I'm sorry I've been a blabbermouth, I'm sorry I was like shut up. So much for the resting. So much for the resting. My mouth has been going.

Speaker 1: 55:55

It's beautiful. I just want to thank you.

Speaker 3: 56:03

Thank you, guys for listening out there.

Speaker 1: 56:05

And if you had to turn off, it's okay. I'm sorry if I bored you. You're just a wealth of wisdom from him, so I wanted to share a little bit um his appointed times or some of the resources that you have. What are some of the resources? I know that you've got some new things and you can add upgrades right. Tell us, I do, maybe, some resources. What are your favorite resources where? What are people's?

Speaker 3: 56:27

resources. Okay, yeah, I guess the, the. I have maybe about eight, so resources, I counted them all but I've got a pile here next to me. But I guess the. The number one resource people get is the, his appointed times, um, calendar, journal and study guide. It's basically the book that he called me to create and, um, all of these are available on my website, christineballascom. The book you can get on Amazon, um, but all the other resources that I have to kind of go along with it are available on my website.

Speaker 3: 57:05

But the book is, um, uh, basically a chapter for every month and it's I create a new one every year. So so it kind of you can know nothing about God's calendar because basically I knew nothing. And so basically it's. It kind of describes each month in all different ways, like there's a narrative, there's a place where you can journal, there's an outline that kind of features everything. There's a Bible study for the month, there's um, uh, there's the actual calendar so you can see, um, you know what month we're in on God's calendar. You can write down, you know your appointments, see where they line up on God's calendar. The chalkboards are in there with the links for all the teachings and also have some other cool things, like I have a Hebrew alphabet chart in there. I've got just different ways how God keeps time. You know there's some other cool little things inside the book, but that's the number one resource I would say.

Speaker 3: 58:08

Second to that, I did create a wall calendar, which is basically a calendar you hang on your wall and for every month features the photograph is the chalkboard for the month. So people like that. It depends how people, I guess, want to get into it. If people really want to dig deep, they'll get the book. A lot of people like that. If people just want to maybe have the chalkboard hanging on their wall and they can just watch the video and maybe take notes, then they like getting the wall calendar.

Speaker 3: 58:39

And then I also have the prophetic flashcards, which are all the chalkboards on these nice heavy flashcards, and I like those because I keep it in my Bible what month it is and, uh, just to remind myself. So a lot of people like those. And, um, I have a blank journal out. You know just everybody likes to journal and doodle and sketch or um, so I have a blank journal for the year and I also have, um, uh, the chalkboards available now on canvas. If people want to um purchase those, I have those, and flashcards for all the months, all the years that I've done and, um, yeah, I think that's it. Oh, I also have anointing oil out there. God called me to do some anointing oil.

Speaker 1: 59:29

I love it so incredible, like I just again, you know, if we think back to kind of the beginning of when she got started she was like isn't incredible. Like glory to.

Speaker 3: 59:44

God or oh my gosh yeah.

Speaker 1: 59:49

I don't know what I'm doing.

Speaker 3: 59:51

Absolutely. And you know, when I look at these resources sitting here, I can look at the wall calendar and say, wait, how did I find that? You know, and and just God leads you to. If you don't know how to do it, he'll lead you to somebody that either does or you know. Even creating some of these flashcards I was, I was working on them on the computer and, um, I was.

Speaker 3: 1:00:14

I remember the first time I was making these flashcards and I had, I was having trouble with the margins and all this stuff, and and a girl popped up on the chat and, um, her name was angel joke, and she went in and she fixed, like, all these margins. They came and I was like, oh my gosh, thank you, you know. And I was like, thank you, lord, you know. And so you know, it's just so many different ways. The Lord will just come in and help you with your assignment and it's the co-laboring right. He didn't ask you to do it all yourself, it's a co-laboring right. He didn't ask you to do it all yourself. It's a co-laboring thing, you know. And you're laboring with God, you know.

Speaker 3: 1:00:56

So if you're going to partner with anybody, you know when you used to, you know, be in school and you had to pick a partner you know to do a project with. Well, you've got a good partner. Jesus is your partner, you know. So I would say we've got the best partner we could possibly have, you know. So he wants us to succeed in the work that he's called us to do, and he wants us to succeed. And good success is doing what he's called you to do, um, and still have a life. Good success means you're successful in what he's called you to do ministry or work or whatever and you still have a life. You still have time to be with your family, you still have time to exercise or go out for a coffee. It doesn't consume you. Good success gives you the abundant life, and that's what God has for us.

Speaker 1: 1:01:50

Well, I think that you just wrapped up the goodness here today. Oh my gosh, yay. Well, thank you. Thank you for being a brave voice that's setting others free. I want to just, at the end of every podcast episode, or as I call it, a seed cast I do believe that you know he called me to do this for the one there's more that are listening beyond the one but if you could just, you know, imagine the one that's listening today. Do you have anything that you'd want to say over her or him, and would you be open to praying?

Speaker 3: 1:02:22

Yeah, absolutely, kristen, thank you so much. Thank you for saying yes to the Lord with your assignment here in this season. So, thank you, you're bringing much hope to so many. And yeah, before we started, I was thinking Lord, what do you have? You know, just let me be your voice today. Let us speak life, and even if it's just for the one you know.

Speaker 3: 1:02:46

So, so, even in this whole world, god sees you like you are the only one, that you are the apple of his eye, and he sees you. In fact, god's. One of God's names is El Roy, and that means I am the God who sees you. And so God, his eyes are upon you, and his eyes are upon you for good, not to condemn you, not to put you down, but to actually love you, to elevate you, to encourage you, to inspire you, to enlighten you, to bless you All the things that your heart desires. God is smiling on you when his eyes are upon you. He is not angry with you. He loves you so much that he gave his beloved son so that he could have relationships with you, and so he's done that, and so so there's this open door now that we have with the Father. So he sees you, he loves you, he's inviting you into relationship with him. There's no barricade, there's nothing that you've done that's so bad that you cannot be with him, because Jesus has taken everything upon himself for you. So all you have to do is just accept that and receive the gift that Jesus gave all of us, and when you do, everything opens up.

Speaker 3: 1:04:24

And so I pray that you feel loved, because you are loved, and God is love and his eyes upon you, and he wants you to start off this new year knowing that you are loved, that you are his beloved. He is for you, not against you, and he wants you to thrive and come alive this year. And so I just pray too, for, whether you're just a new believer or a seasoned believer, to come alive by the word of God, to get into the word of God. It is life, it is spirit. Jesus said my words are spirit and life.

Speaker 3: 1:05:09

You're not going to find life in any other place outside of his word. So even in this winter time where it's cold in a lot of places, use this downtime where you're indoors a lot, to get into the word of God and let him revive you from the inside out in this winter season and you will come alive and you will thrive with the work that he's doing underground, bringing water refreshing into your soul, enlightening the eyes of your heart and giving you wisdom, revelation and understanding. So receive, receive, receive from the Lord. Don't ever stop taking from him, because he loves it. When you take from him, he wants to continue to supply you. So blessings, blessings, blessings.

Speaker 1: 1:06:05

Oh my gosh, what a gift you are. Christine. Thank you so much for anchoring today. I know that you're going to bless so many. I am going to close with Hope, Unlocked anchoring verse which is may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that, by the power of the Holy Spirit, you may abound in hope. That is Romans 15, 13. So thank you again, christine. We'd love to have you back on again sometime. Share more if you're led to, and we'll be back with another episode next week. Thanks for tuning in. Bye.

Speaker 2: 1:06:50

Bye, thank you.