That’s the Buju Banton song I just listened to on my way back from my God tree. Touching the tree, though, I gave my husband a call in Nigeria and prayed that God would strengthen him in his inner being to take on his crucial role for our family and the entire world. God will also give him His wisdom, perspective, guidance, favor, and support. Love you forever, best husband/my gift from God! That’s my prayer for us all as we each bravely and lovingly take on our individual roles, all for God’s glory. Amen.

I strengthen my inner being by having many (no shame!) appointments with God by reading my meditation books and old posts I’ve written, continually reminding myself that I’m not going through life alone; God is with me every second. No doubt! And He is with you too! It’s just for us to practice the DISCIPLINE of having those alone times with God and crucially looking to Him in every moment, keeping our eyes fixed on Him, and asking what He would have us do. Extremely hard but so worth it in the end because God’s ways are always best, even when He takes us out on shaky and unstable limbs (walk on water kind of faith needed!) where we’re forced to lean on Him more than ever (me at the moment!).

And God is so good to me, guys, that He finds the sweetest ways to let me know He is with me. I call them my God winks, where everything lines up a little bit too perfect to be considered an ordinary coincidence. But they’re God’s way of revealing His invisible Presence. And this awareness of His Presence is truly what gives me the courage to take on my role as His Rockstar wife, mother, and person. God’s girl all the way, baby!

This morning I had the best time doing a run with Coach Bennet on the Nike Running Club app. Devon Franklin encouraged me to put some praise and worship music on my playlist, and I’m so happy for that advice. You should have seen me running out with my hands up in the air praising God while singing this song (and no, I didn’t look at all crazy!):

“Your grace is all-sufficient
It’s an all-sufficient grace
Your power and Your glory
Are forever on display
And Your loving kindness
Loving kindness
Is better than life

All your ways are just, you’re just in all your ways
I will lift my hands in gratitude and praise
Life can be uncertain at times
Your loving never fails” – Better Than Life, Israel Houghton

Fast forward to me sitting at my computer debating what to share with you guys today. Can you believe God took me to these very lyrics on our family’s website. It was a screen I had left open from days before, and God had me to go right back there minutes after that run, as if He was personally saying, ‘I saw you out there running and singing this song, My Nik!’ No way this was a random coincidence! God went before me and intentionally had me to leave those lyrics open on my screen from days ago just to let me know that His Presence is with me. Trust me, out of 132 web pages and years of blogs, no way I left off reading exactly there by some ordinary accident!!!

And speaking of God’s loving-kindness, I just spoke to my brother Kevin and his wife, Verona. I thanked them both from the bottom of my heart for all their genuine love, wisdom, and support they have given me. Kevin insisted on paying me for some help I gave them yesterday, and I asked, “How can I possibly charge the person who has held my hand for the last three years that I’ve been going through my little rough patch?” He said he wanted to support our family hustle. I told him the emotional, mental, and spiritual support he has given me on behalf of my business and family has been priceless (not everything is about money!).

Yesterday was the most beautiful day with the kids at work with me, thanks to Kevin saying to me one day, “You have to teach your kids the family hustle.” Since then, it has given me a new joy and perspective on going to work. I feel like I’m doing this not only for our kids, but for our future grandkids and great-grandkids. Not to mention all the people who support us and purchase cars for them to do their respective hustles in the world.

Emmie (our 14-year-old) and I fought all that day about working hard and putting excellence into everything he does, but on the way home, he said, “At the end of the day, I still love you.” (HUGE SMILE) Doing everything all for the glory of God!!!