“NO ONE IS GOING TO COME AND DESTROY OUR FAMILY, PERIOD!!!”
That was a conversation I had with my daughter, Ember, recently! As I fight for our family, I teach her and our other kids to do the same thing when it’s their turn. OUR FAMILIES STICKING TOGETHER IS IMPORTANT TO GOD! But even more important is our personal relationships with Him to know where He is directing us on a moment-by-moment basis. I laughed with God at how I felt Him telling me to go to Nigeria one minute, and the next, He was saying to stand down. God, which is it? You’re confusing me here! (LOL!)
I can’t get over how God talks to me through our family friend, Ceri. He did one of his recordings one day mentioning training like Rocky and something like trusting the process. Your girl here took that as her cue to get into Rocky mode for 50 days, training myself like I was preparing for a big fight (and the fight is on!). I said I would run a 5K (3.11 miles), and every day your girl has been getting stronger and stronger to take on my life, man. This life is truly no joke! I go to my God tree to pray with my husband. I also use it as an opportunity to RECOMMIT myself to God, asking for His help in becoming the Nik He would have me to be – wiser, stronger, to have more faith and less fear, courageous, more loving and forgiving, gentler, peaceful, faithful, loyal, focused, disciplined in my thoughts and actions, so help us all, God, please!
I’ve added in the Nike Running Club app, and today it was listening to Olympian English Gardener, Coach Bennet, and Andy Puddicombe. I thoroughly enjoyed every single moment, taking lots of notes (I paraphrase here!):
“Only the impossible is worth doing” (like me wanting to bring a billion people closer to God!)
“Fight fear with faith” (constantly replacing negative thoughts with ones of knowing God is with us at every moment – our help comes from the Lord! TRUSTING GOD WITH ALL OUR HEARTS!!!)
“Mistakes are ok!” (let’s keep using them to learn from and be better! Also, being gentler with ourselves and others)
“To stay hopeful despite how things may seem” (our Hope is in God, and there is no situation too difficult for Him! The battles don’t belong to us; they belong to God! Wink! Wink!
“I spoke to myself better” (something we can all work on! Nik, I’m so proud of you! You may fall a million times, but you keep getting back up!)
“Make every moment count” (keep giving your best with your constant focus on God and what He would have you do!
“I made myself get back up after every fall” (I push myself out to do that 5K every day whether I feel like it or not!)
“You come back stronger after you fall -wiser, more confident, and humbler” (me too!!!)
“If I can survive being homeless twice, I can survive anything!” (as long as we have breath and God, we’re good! Let’s keep going!)
“You have your bouts, but you keep swinging. Life will throw you some hard balls!” (God’s grace is enough to tackle any situation!)
“Appreciate life!” (HEEHAW!!! Knowing we have God with us!)