I’M THANKFUL FOR ALL THE “BAD” IN MY LIFE
| The hurts, rejections, challenges, difficulties, disappointments, insecurities, frustrations, evil, awful and all the painful stuff that have come my way. These so called “bad” were exactly what I needed to become God’s girl. And now that I’m here, feeling sooooo close to Him, I’m sincerely thankful for them all. “But as for you, you meant evil against me; but God meant it for good.”In fact, yesterday was another HAPPY bawling crying day while listening to K-Ci and JoJo’s song, ‘All My Life’ as I sang these lyrics to God:“And all my life I’ve prayed for Someone like you (to love and accept me) And I thank God (You!) that I, that I finally found You… You turned my life around, you picked me up when I was down”The picking me up when I was down part was where the REAL crying began. Don’t ask me how He does it, but no matter how many times I fall, God is there to help me get myself back up, dust myself off, and to keep going, even stronger than before. Like I remember one time when I felt so hurt and rejected by someone, and I go to have an appointment with God when these messages showed up:“It’s hard to comprehend how much God loves us because we are all used to human love, we had to behave properly, and we had to do certain things to keep our relationships with people going. People blow you off when you don’t do things to please them as we know that conditional love, it lets you down…With God’s kind of love, it’s totally different, it’s awe inspiring….May I be lifted above the pain of rejection, as I remember that who I really am cannot be rejected. May God’s acceptance mean more to be than the acceptance of any person, for it is based on my true worth.”So, there I was, feeling so hurt, down and depressed like this person didn’t want me in their life again, and God’s invisible Presence shows up with this crucial message from Him to me: Nik, the real you, my child, can never be rejected. He picks me up when I’m down.I don’t want to be this bawling happy crying by myself, ya’ll! Tell God you want a closer walk with Him, too. My screensaver still has my reminder from Him, “I’m walking beside you.” I can go through the rejections, difficulties, and good times knowing I am never alone, God’s invisible Presence never lets go of my hand. Make time to have your appointments with Him, reading or doing anything spiritual that connects you with Him. I’m off to my run with Him!WEROLLWITHGOD.COM |
| MARRIAGE AND SINGLE MATTERS |
| “WE’LL WAIT FOR YOU”That was my daughter, Ember, to me this morning in regards to going out to a neighborhood food truck event this evening with her and her sister, Julie. Honestly, this made me feel so special that they actually want to hang out with their God maniac mama here. So, despite not wanting to break my diet, I will cherish every moment with these fantastic daughters God has brought into my life. God, I’m grateful!I’m importantly learning to be flexible, going to God in every moment asking, ‘What should I do here?’ Nik, go and enjoy the evening with your daughters!LIVE IN GOD, LIVE IN LOVE |
| HEALTH MATTERS |
| ONE CHEAT MEAL A WEEK!That’s the deal I’ve made with myself! Food truck, here I come! But, the challnge today will be to eat less and enjoy later with the girls!“Let food be thy medicine!” |
“HOW DO YOU MENTALLY DEAL WITH TOUGH SITUATIONS?”
Wow! That was the excellent question from a sweetie pie God has sent into my life! Here’s how:
God is my GREATEST FRIEND EVER! Anything I’m concerned about, He’s concerned about, let me tell ya. And He lovingly finds all sorts of ways to communicate with me (He’s quite talkative once you get to know Him!) Like yesterday, I was feeling seriously anxious about a situation, and when I finally went to Him to talk about it, I ended up balling crying like a little baby. This wink started from Sunday morning when I felt Him say this to me through my meditation book:
“When you were little you wanted someone to take your hand when you crossed the street. Ask me often to take your hand, because you are always little.” – He and I
I loved it so much, I immediately captioned it on this pic from the night before: God, Take Our Hands And Walk With Us. Amen.
Fast forward to the very next day, feeling so overwhelmed and anxious, I continued reading from where I had last left off in another meditation book:
“…My hand that never let’s go of yours.” Wink! Wink!
There I was in that moment saying God I need to hear from You, and He used that prayer of me asking Him to take hold of my hand like a little child crossing the street, and He sweetly says, ‘Nik, I never let your hand go.’ See the love I’m talking about! From one meditation book to a completely different one, He found a way to connect the two and remind me that His intimate Presence is always with me.
That’s what gives me a positive mindset to manly and bravely tackle whatever challenges come my way. I’m counting on God’s help! He continued speaking through Jesus Calling:
“Discuss everything with Me. Take a lighthearted view of trouble, seeing it as a challenge that you and I together can handle. Remember that I am on your side, and I have overcome the world.” Wink! Wink!
There is no situation too difficult for God! Do you have appointments with Him? See how I go from meditation book to meditation book, seeking His face, and He delightfully shows up as if saying, ‘I’m right here, Nik!’
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“IT’S MESSED UP WHEN YOUR MIND IS PLAYING TRICKS ON YA”
Let me tell ya, the crazy lady is forever trying to make an ugly appearance, but God is with me, helping me to fight her off every little step of the way! Heehaw! Here’s how:
As soon as I wake up every day, I’ve trained myself to put on my exercise clothes immediately. A run around our neighborhood is my therapy time with God. I vent to Him about anything that’s going on with the cra cra lady, and He speaks to me, giving me His awesome perspective on the situation. I lovingly get ideas, solutions, mindsets, strategies to follow and, most importantly, He builds my Godfidence. I’m importantly reminded that I’m not going through life alone, God is with me. I can take on anything that comes my way, KNOWING HE’S WITH ME ALWAYS. I count on Him to do what I can’t do, working in the spiritual realm on my behalf.
Add in the Nike Running Club and Coach Bennet, and my mind is being blown away with POSITIVES to wipe out the negative thinking that wants to keep your girl here down. All my so-called “negatives” are looked at from a totally different perspective, and I leave the runs sincerely happier.
Like today, Coach Bennet encouraged me to acknowledge the setbacks, losses, and the struggles from the past, not to beat up myself about them, but to look for ways to be better. We can reflect on learning more about ourselves, embracing the losses, and then be extremely thankful for being able to come through them. We can look for essential lessons and THEN use them as momentum and motivation to make a comeback for another win. Woohoo!!!
And those ways of being better is where God lovingly comes in. Once you learn His voice, you’ll hear His whispers and directions. Do this first. Don’t say this. Try this idea. Improve here. I continually feel and hear Him direct me as to what He would have me to do.
“We’re doing hard things this year!” That was me to my daughters yesterday as we cleared out a huge pile of old furniture from our house for a bulk garbage pickup. Right after that, we had to clean up for some guests we were expecting. Today they’ll be joining me at work as we give our best and leave the rest with God. I can acknowledge that the comfortable life in Nigeria has made us very lazy, but we’re going to pick ourselves up, by the grace of God, and be better. With God and HARD WORK, we’re on an official winning streak beginning now. Wink! Wink!
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“WHY ARE YOU WATCHING THAT KIND OF A SHOW WITH THEM?”
That was my hubs to me today! I was telling him how the girls and I were watching this TV show where a wife wants a divorce from her husband after she found out that he had an affair over nine years ago. I said to him that I was happy for the opportunity to speak to them about a critical value God has been teaching me: We’re to make allowances for human weaknesses and failures – ain’t nobody perfect!!! And let me tell ya, following God’s ways are sincerely working for your girl over here. People can call me stupid, crazy, or whatever they want, but being obedient to God, and not conforming to the ways of the world, has guided my life on an extremely beautiful path (HUGE SMILE). God, I’m grateful!
In fact, I just got all emotional speaking to hubby again a short while ago. He’s in Nigeria and I’m in the U.S., and because we’re in the car sales business, he suggested I drive a recent purchase. I explained to him that I’m sticking with the one he woke up early one morning to drive about an hour to buy for me. I said that it’s my reminder of how blessed I am to have him and our kids in my life – We’re not perfect, but we’re damn close!
Like I always say, I don’t want to keep all this awesomeness from God to myself. I feel He had my daughter, Julie, to surprisingly play this hit song from 1992 when I picked her up from school yesterday, a special invitation from Him:
“Come and talk to me
I really want to meet you
Can I talk to you
I really want to know you” – Come and Talk to Me, Jodeci
And He truly does want us coming and talking to Him and listening to HIS direction for our lives. He has the best plans! I feel like sometimes I may come off as a little braggadocios, but I’m really only bragging about God. He truly has exceeded my expectations in every aspect. I may not be where I want to be, but I’m certainly not where I used to be – unhappy, insecure, starving for love, overweight, almost alcoholic, crazy lady! Talking to God about my frustrations, hurts, disappointments, anxieties, problems, challenges, rejections, failures, and insecurities has been invaluable to the point that I thank Him for all the negative experiences that have brought me closer to Him (ANOTHER SMILE).
Please, take Him up on this invitation: Come and Talk to Me. He is like a shy person waiting in the background of your life for you to notice Him. Give Him the pleasure of acknowledging His invisible Presence that is ALWAYS with you. Say this prayer with me: “God, I want a closer walk with You this year. Amen.”
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“I’M ELATED THAT YOU ARE MY LADY”
That’s my message from God this morning on a quick 12-minute run around our neighborhood. I was listening to one of my messengers from Him, Justin Bieber, and his latest single, ‘Yummy.’ He continued:
“Ain’t on the side, YOU’RE NUMBER ONE!!!”
Call me crazy, but I believe we each can claim this with total confidence: “Ain’t on the side, I’m God’s number one!!!” Better believe it! I’m over eleven years in from saying this crucial prayer that has changed my life: ‘God, I want a closer walk with You,’ and He has disappointed me yet! I constantly feel His invisible Presence.
Like this week, I, out of the blue, started referring to our family as the A-Team. I even wrote it in a post, that I’m helping my kids and husband to be our best selves together, all for God’s glory. We’re His A-Team! I called my sons in Nigeria to tell them this new name, saying that I’m expecting nothing less than A’s from them. Same with my daughters, ‘Momma not accepting any B’s this time around!’ I mean totally going overboard with this A-Team thing. And as I drove yesterday, out on an important errand, deciding to go the extra mile for God, a truck passed with the name of a business, ‘A-Team (Wink! Wink!) Concepts’
Unbelievably, this was God’s way of saying, ‘Nik, My sweet, invisible Presence is ALWAYS with you.’ I want us all feeling His constant Presence with us. My screensaver on my phone says this: “I’m walking beside you.” I’m going through life KNOWING that God never leaves my side, not even for a nanosecond. I CAN THEREFORE BE STRONG, UNFLINCHING AND COURAGEOUS no matter what comes my way! These verses showed up in an appointment with God last night with my daughter, Julie:
“Be full of joy in the Lord always. I will say again, be full of joy. Let everyone see that you are gentle and kind. The Lord is coming soon. Do not worry about anything, but pray and ask God for everything you need, always giving thanks. And God’s peace, which is so great we cannot understand it, will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Brothers and sisters, think about the things that are good and worthy of praise. Think about the things that are true and honorable and right and pure and beautiful and respected. Do what you learned and received from me, what I told you, and what you saw me do. And the God who gives peace will be with you.” – Philippians 4:6-8
I claim this peace for us all, the peace that surpasses all comprehension KNOWING that God Himself is with us ALWAYS. Pray, work hard, and let God worry!
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“GUESS WHO WANTED ME TO WATCH THAT SHOW?”
I asked my daughter, Julie, yesterday. I had called her to let her know that I had dinner ready for her and her sister and to NOT BUY ANY FAST FOOD. We ended up having one of our sacred mother-daughter conversations. When I told her I was going to have an evening with Mr. Netflix, she excitedly suggested I watch Kevin Hart’s show, ‘Don’t Fk This Up.’ I replied, ‘I don’t think so, boo,I’m not too crazy about him.’ But, as I browsed through the selections for my profile, the TV glitched, unbelievably selecting that very show. And as I explained to Julie, when these “glitches” happen, I know it’s God, and it’s the show HE WANTED ME TO WATCH.
It’s a six-part documentary series about his life, and the episode where he shared a video of his wedding to his wife, Eniko, blew me away when she said these vows to him:
“I unconditionally acknowledge and accept all your faults and strengths, as you do mine.”
Wow! These words thrilled me because that’s what God has been trying to teach me through my last 18 years of marriage: to unconditionally accept all my husband’s faults and strengths as he does mine. It’s been a hard, yet beautiful thing.
Like my husband’s tongue is like a razor, and his words can be pretty intense sometimes, but God has been beautifully coming in to help me. I’ve not 100% mastered this lesson, to be honest, but I’m way better at seeing behind the tough words to see this great guy who I GET to call my husband. I focus on his positives (not the tongue like a razor part!) as God has been teaching me through these Bible verses:
“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.” – 1 Corinthians 4-7
I call hubs my pain in the a husband, and he calls me his pain in the a wife, but at the end of the day, we have deep love and respect for each other. I wish this for all marriages and significant relationships. That we can unconditionally acknowledge and accept each other’s faults and strengths. God is our strength. Amen!
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“GOD’S GRACE IN ACTION” (REPOST)
Was my reply to a friend after she sent me an excellent reminder about God’s grace (His help, favor, acceptance, joy and every possible good) in our lives.
It had been a week filled with lots of grace. It was a rough one, but one of the best ones as I was constantly reminded over and over and over again that I’m never alone and God is my extraordinary Helper in every area of my life. I felt overwhelmingly loved by God.
Emmie, my then seven-year-old, started racking up lots of “dots” for misbehaving in his class. That week, he asked me to accompany him to his class and see all his stars, no dots. Joshie, who used to give me such a hard time in the mornings to get dressed for school, is now the first one going to the car. He too is thrilled about stars and wanting to become the student of the month – at then four years old.
A friend called when I was having a terrible moment, and I didn’t want to talk to her because I didn’t want any of her stinking positive advice, but she kept calling. I started crying because it was as if she knew something was wrong the way she kept calling. She said, “Nikki, what’s wrong? You’re going to make me cry, too.” And it turns out, her stinking positive advice was exactly what I needed. She said, “Keep your focus on God. He can turn any situation around, just keep praying.” I told her some silly thoughts I was having, and she said, “You’re joking, right?” and those words were the reality check I needed to get back to my senses.
Another friend insisted on seeing me, and she reminded me that I have so much to be thankful for because things could be so much worse. God’s grace in action, as I’m in Nigeria away from all my family in the Bahamas, but He has placed some awesome people in my life.
Then it was another person who showed up to assist me with a different issue I had going on; they gave me the perfect advice and once again I was reminded that God is indeed my unfathomable Helper in every aspect of my life. I simply should calm down, do my best in what I must do and trust Him to deal with the rest. Worried about nothing, praying about everything. God, I’m grateful!
“Pray, then allow God to worry.”
Our Father, may our faith in You grow deeper every day. Amen.
KEEP CALM—YOU’RE ROLLING WITH GOD
I’M FEELING LIKE GOD’S SPECIAL GIRL
Oh my goodness! He finds these sweet ways to let me know that He is ALWAYS with me. Like yesterday, I made up my mind to run 5 miles, thinking I want to PUSH myself to do HARD THINGS. The plan was to run 2.5 miles from my house to a nearby Starbucks, and 2.5 miles back. Getting there, feeling so proud, I sent my super daughters a text, “Made it. Let’s do hard things this year for God.” I was listening to a guided Nike Run Club app, and like less than a minute after sending that text, Coach Bennet amazing said something like, “This is not about being a better runner or doing harder runs, it’s about training yourself to do hard things in your life.” Wink! Wink!
You may say that’s coincident that Coach Bennet said that, but again this was another one of my God winks, totally orchestrated and arranged by God to let me know that His Presence is always with me. It was too perfectly timed and said to be some ordinary occurrence. There were so many other runs I could have decided on and so many different paths I could have chosen, but I picked the ones where God could remind me of His love and constant Presence in my life. THERE WAS NO WAY THIS ALL LINED UP SO PERFECTLY ON ITS OWN!
I came back so happy! Feeling like I touched base with God – Yes, Nik, I want you doing hard things this year, all for My glory. Yes, Boss, I’m in! I enjoyed coming back home to the girls and having some meaningful conversations with them about honing their personalities. I used an example of me talking too much and getting myself into trouble as an example of how I want us going to God and asking Him what He would have us to say in every moment. I’m talking constant and never-ending conversations with Him about everything. Like we’re talking to a best friend.
As I cooked and cleaned up, I listened to one of my messengers from God, Justin Beiber. I played his song ‘Company’ repeatedly imaging God asking this of me (AND NOW OF YOU):
“Can WE…keep each other company? Maybe WE can be… be each other’s company.”
God, YES!!! Gladly! I’ve started my 50 days of discipline again, and instead of two hours with God, my challenge is to spend 24 hours with Him knowing that there is never a moment that I don’t have access to His wisdom, charm, tact, protection, love, joy, peace, strength, encouragement, and guidance. Will you keep His company, too?
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I PRAY THAT GOD WILL FILL YOU COMPLETELY WITH JOY AND PEACE BECAUSE YOU TRUST IN HIM
That’s my new phone’s screensaver that I’m in love with! This is where I want all of us; trusting God and living a peaceful and joyful life with Him as our Partner and Guide. He’s with us and for us!!! Do your best and leave the rest with Him!
I loved the way God assisted me with an issue that came up yesterday. I’m learning not to REACT, BUT TO RESPOND to whatever comes up with God’s wisdom backing me up. That means me calming down, slowing down and asking what He would have me to do. And in that moment, I felt Him saying to be a professional ignorer, kindly and respectfully. That turned out to be the best decision and things went way better than I expected. Thanks, God!
Immediate forgiveness of everyone is where I’m trying to be! We’re all on a path of growth and unfoldment and none of us are perfect. I feel that’s our challenge from God, to go the extra mile in love with each other.
Like a feeling this week was to call someone and encourage them to do exactly that; To leave the past in the past, begin again and to be the people God has called us to be. They initially didn’t like me involving myself in their personal affairs, but by the end of the conversation they thanked me feeling I only meant well for them.
Can we all do that? To leave the past in the past, begin again, and to be the people God has called us to be. In every moment, let’s seek Him and ask, “God, what would you have me to do here?”
I PRAY THAT GOD WILL FILL YOU COMPLETELY WITH JOY AND PEACE BECAUSE YOU TRUST IN HIM
KEEP CALM—YOU’RE ROLLING WITH GOD