ANYTIME AND ANYWHERE, OUR GOD IS THERE!!!

That’s what I’m talking about! I can be in Nigeria feeling His intimate Presence, and a day later, I could feel His sweet Presence following me all the way to the U.S.! God is great! I still can’t get over my God wink of yesterday when I stopped in the middle of my running to type the words “TAKE EVERY THOUGHT CAPTIVE,” and a couple of hours later, randomly opening a meditation book on a desk at work, and read a message from Him saying, “…bring those captive thoughts into My Presence…” Let me tell you, today I went out with new pep in my step: MY GOD HAS MY BACK WHEREVER I GO!

So, that’s the Godfidence I want us all having. Knowing that there is never a moment when God’s Presence is not with us. He is our Teacher, Protector, Strategist, Planner, Father, Counselour and Friend, and HE IS ALWAYS WITH US. We can go to Him anytime and anywhere to seek His guidance and to rest on His chest when we need a little time out from the world. He’s the GREATEST FRIEND EVER!

I want God to be our Control Tower with us continually going to Him for direction on everything. I loved a wink from Snoop Dogg today in regards to a lesson God has been teaching me. He spoke about how he and Suge Knight reconciled their relationship, and he was then asked if Suge had apologized. He said something like, he didn’t need to, but by the way their meeting and subsequent telephone conversation went, he knew that that was his (Suge’s) way of apologizing. And just like that, they were cool again.

The lesson from God has been that for me as well. Not everything has to be said. If someone did something I may not have liked, it’s no reason to confront them and expect an apology. I can let that thing go and politely move on, lovingly and forgivingly. I’m becoming an expert in this professional ignorer business – life is too short to be stressing things that are not important in the big picture of our lives. Amen! I can lovingly forgive everyone remembering I do it all for God. He’s the Boss and First Love of my life.

WEROLLWITHGOD.COM

“I CAN TAKE ON THE WORLD!!!”

That was me to my momma this morning! I had just returned from an interval run withmy Nike Run Club peeps, and I was feeling FANTASTIC. I felt God say to me yesterday that weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning, and that was me all the way – FULL OF JOY AND EXTREMELY OPTIMISTIC ABOUT THE FUTURE – My hope is in God, baby!

And one of the main reasons why I can be so hopeful is because of my solid relationship with God. He finds these sweet ways to let me know He is with me. Like on that run, in the middle of a ten-minute tempo spurt, I literally STOPPED to type in my phone’s notes what I felt was one of my God thoughts:

“TAKE EVERY THOUGHT CAPTIVE”

Fast forward a couple of hours later, I go to work, and a computer I was using had an internet issue. I then go to another. As I finished up with a task, I got up to leave, but while standing, I grabbed a Jesus Always book from that desk and randomly opened it to see what God had to say to me, and this message from Him incredibly showed up:

“…bring those captive thoughts into My Presence…”

There I was on that run STOPPING to make a note of how I have to take every thought captive, and a couple of hours later, God politely says, “Bring those captive thoughts to Me, Nik!!!” You may call it coincident, but there is no way that this just happened to line up on it’s own. It was another one of my God winks, where out of the blue, everything lines up a little bit TOO perfectly. In a book of over 365 pages, what are the chances of me opening to that message from Him after me stopping during that run to make that small note? It was God revealing His invisible Presence with me, and withyou too. Heehaw!

Let’s take all of our thoughts captive to Him, looking at them from His perspective. Thoughts of worry can become, ‘God, I trust You.’ Thoughts of feeling unloved can become, ‘God, Your love is enough.’ Thoughts of anger can become, ‘God, others may disappoint me, but You will pay me back more than what anyone can ever take from me. My reward is with You.’ Thoughts of past regrets and failures can become, ‘My Godcan restore everything I’ve lost. ALL THINGS ARE POSSIBLE WITH Him.’ NO MORE THINKING THE WRONG THINGS, WE CAN FOCUS ON GOD!

WEROLLWITHGOD.COM

That was my sweet sister calling to check up on me this morning. I had to hold back tears saying the transition from Nigeria to Florida has been difficult, but I’m being patient with myself as I adjust to my new norm. And just like always when I’m down, God showed up, saying, “Nik, cheer up. You know I don’t like it when you’re sad!”
 
Thirty minutes after the conversation with my sister, I debated between going for my exercise run first, or an appointment with God. I picked the time alone with God. In my spirit (gut), I felt a nudge to read a devotional magazine, out of all the other spiritual books I have arranged in a walk-in closet (my God space!). As I went from page to page, I finally landed on an article that was of interest, and unbelievably these words jumped out at me:
 
“Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.”
 
Woohoo! Just the word I needed from Him as if He was saying, ‘Nik, I know this is difficult right now, but trust Me, the joy is on the way!’ Heehaw!
 
I left for my run happy, thinking of all the great plans I KNOW God has in store for us (That’s what you call FAITH, trusting God has good things in store for those who love Him, even as you endure difficult seasons!) We can’t see what’s ahead, but God can. The Bible says, the steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord. As we follow Him step by step, He guides us on the path of His choosing where He exceeds our expectations. I have no doubt that I am exactly where God wants me to be. “I have faith that the very best is unfolding in my life.” Amen!
 
HERE’S THE DEAL: There is a world beyond what we can see and hear. It’s the spiritual realm where God is working on our behalf setting up the right people for us to meet, the perfect opportunities for us to succeed and live happy and peaceful lives, helping us with our challenges, arranging books for us to read to hear from Him (like He did today for me) and on and on I can go. Our job is to learn His voice and follow Him. “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.” Don’t miss out on the best life with God! Let’s say this prayer together: God, I want a closer walk with You. Amen.
 
WEROLLWITHGOD.COM
 
 
 
 
 
 

“HE SAID MEET ME IN MIAMI”

God, that is! He sure has His way of communicating with us, and this message was from the song, ‘At The Club’ one morning while I was running in Nigeria. Ad let me tell ya, now that I’m in Miami, HE HASN’T DISAPPOINTED ME WITH HIS INTIMATE AND LOVING PRESENCE. Not only am I getting these constant God winks that pop up all over the place, I’m especially paying attention to all His AMAZINGNESS. I’m back asking, ‘God, what have I done to deserve such kindness from You?’

But in a conversation with my mom, who came from the Bahamas to hang out with us (another blessing), she told me about someone who had a difficult time dealing with shame. I love a Bible verse that says,

“as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions (wrongdoings, faults) from us.” – Psalm 103:12

Recently, when someone reminded me of some mistakes I’ve made in the past, I responded, “I learned crucial life lessons from those failures. They’ve made me better and wiser.” I’ve simply written them off as life experiences I needed in the making of who I am today. “Be proud of who you are, and not ashamed of how someone else sees you.”

We get experienced in life from having experiences. We WON’T always get everything right. No one does. But we can all hold our heads high despite our screw-ups and humiliations KNOWING we are unconditionally loved and accepted by the Creator of the entire universe (SMILE). When those thoughts of condemnation come, we can beat our heads with a stick and think positive thoughts of faith and hope in anticipation of a successful future. And we can commit to working on our faults.

That’s why we can wake up every day happy, focused on God’s love, not the world’s disapproval and judgment. Forget shame and guilt! Today I ran 5 miles with Him getting my Godfidence up listening to my Coach Bennet from the Nike Run Club. His advice today is for us to have the courage to keep beginning again and getting back on the starting line. So, no matter where your starting line is right now, draw an imaginary line in the sand, get back up, and know that God is with you, and that He loves and accepts you exactly as you are right at this moment no matter what has happened in the past. Kk? HE CAN HELP US GET THROUGH ANYTHING!!! Heads held high my super peeps!

WEROLLWITHGOD.COM

“GOD HAS EXCEEDED OUR EXPECTATIONS”

That was me to my daughters on Friday after leaving a new, beautiful school God arranged for them to attend in Florida. It was fantastic watching God in action, let me tell ya, working behind the scenes of our lives to make this move from Nigeria happen. He step by step guided us. There were so many God winks along the way that we knew without a doubt that this was God at work and the school He wanted them to attend. Go figure!

From the name of the school appearing in a song we randomly played (out of a library of over 800 songs) a minute after calling the school to make some initial inquiries, to the first six digits of my US cell phone number being the exactly the same as that of the admissions officer of the school, all lined up too perfectly to be mere coincident. It was God saying, “This is the way; Walk in it.”

Can God care which school my kids attend? He sure does. Psalm 37:23 says, “The LORD directs the steps of the godly. He delights in EVERY DETAIL of their lives.” Job 22:28 also says,” You will decide on a matter and it will be established for you, and a light will shine on your ways.” The light is God Himself offering us His Divine assistance in the spiritual realm on our behalf. Like I always write, we’re not going through this life alone; we have God.

And God confirmed that He is with us. My mom came from the Bahamas and she asked to watch Joel Osteen on TV. I started searching through the TV guide and found where she could watch him. After saying since Friday and seeing the school that my next blog would be entitled, “God has exceeded our expectations,” the title to Joel’s sermon was incredibly, “The God Who Exceeds Expectations.” Wink! Wink!

This was God reminding me that although this decision is a huge sacrifice for our family and a lot tougher than we had all imagined, He is with us. Joel spoke about how he heard God speak those words to him in his spirit one day. I’ve incredibly written so many times how Joel Osteen is like my personal messenger from God, and this time was a definite communication for me not to worry about anything. We are not alone; we have God. Start listening to Him in your spirit. He’s pretty talkative once you get to know Him! Wink! Wink!

WEROLLWITHGOD.COM

That’s my new affirmation no matter the trials and tribulations that come my way – MY GOD IS WITH ME!!! I can hold on to His hand super tight and make it through ANYTHING! I want us turning every situation into Heaven. When anything “bad” comes up, I want us looking at it from God’s perspective and turn it miraculously into our good. I love these lyrics:

“Because people aren’t perfect and 
By not being perfect, you sometimes can disappoint people 
And with God, it’s like He’s perfect and He never disappoints. 
So, I just get my recognition from Him” – Justin Bieber

WOOHOO!!! Nobody’s perfect and it is going to be a constant back and forth of forgiving others and asking others to forgive us. So, when the disappointments come, I shake them off immediately, using them for my good and as opportunities to reflect on God and His awesome ways with me. Heehaw! I go from being upset to being super GRATEFUL. God has gone above and beyond my expectations of Him. I also use them to grow me spiritually – how quickly I can forgive? I get better, not bitter!!!

If the situation is reversed, and I’m in the wrong, I do my best to make amends and also reflect on how I can also improve for next time. Then, I get up and keep going, no matter how many mistakes and failures AS IF NOTHING HAS HAPPENED. I quickly forgive myself, too. Everything is between me and God. What anyone else does, it’s between them and Him!

Moreover, I’m learning to get all my recognition from God. A BIG mistake is we make is looking too much to others for our value, acceptance, approval, and worth. We seek to be highly regarded, loved and seen by others to our harm. Our self-esteem, goes up and down dependent on other people’s feelings and moods – how crazy is that? Today you may be the greatest person ever, and tomorrow they may think you’re the worst. I’m keeping MY EYES UNCEASINGLY FIXED ON GOD. I KNOW I’M EXTREMELY LOVED AND VALUED BY HIM IN EVERY MOMENT. NO OTHER APPROVAL NECESSARY.

And let’s not forget the sufferings we have to endure, tolerate and deal with on a daily (the thorns of our lives). We can joyously offer them to God as our gifts to Him as a sacrifice for all that He does for us. Let’s continue carrying the cross from Jesus. Godwill be our joy and our strength as we seek to be the loving and forgiving people He would have us to be. Our reward is with Him!

WEROLLWITHGOD.COM

I’M GENEROUSLY GIVING GOD ALL MY WORRIES!!!

That’s what He asked of me this morning in an appointment with Him: “Give me your trials UNSTINTINGLY (meaning not restricting or holding back, liberally, abundantly, lavishly!!!). OK, God, You got it! So, on a very difficult day for your girl here, I’m going to TRUST God by surrendering this situation over to Him asking for His will to be done, not Nikki’s!

I can do this because God has shown me over and over that His ways are always best! Even when I don’t understand them when I’m going through tough situations, when I look back at everything, I always see the hands of an extremely LOVING Father, who wants nothing but good for you and for me. I end up always feeling more loved because HE ALWAYS aims at what is best for us. I trust Him like that!

But to TRUST God, we must get to know Him. That’s where we get the confidence to give Him our trials UNSTINTINGLY and to His guidance for our lives. Knowing God is following everything I do and that He is intimately involved with even the tiniest of details, gives me joy no matter the difficulties or bad times that show their face because I know His Presence is with me. I can give Him all my worries and anxieties looking at everything through His eyes. HE CONTROLS EVERYTHING AND HE HAS OUR BACKS!!

Are you getting to know Him? Taking time to spend alone with God reading anything spiritual is one of the best investments we can make. That’s where we learn His voice. When a new friend asked for some advice in regards to accepting a new job, I suggested that she has a conversation with God. His ways are certainly not our ordinary human ways; they’re far superior because He knows what we do not know and His aim is always in our best interest.

Feelings of peace, excitement in your gut (spirit) about the new job (or whatever direction you’re considering), is God usually saying it’s OK. However, anxious, stressful and doubt are usually God saying, ‘Hold up, this may not be a good move for you.’ PAY ATTENTION! Let’s be determined to go to God in every decision giving Him our utmost best as He gives us His best! Wink! Wink!

WEROLLWITHGOD.COM

GOD, THIS IS HARD!!!

That’s me lately with Him. This morning, I even had to fight back the tears. I went to have a little chat with my daughter, Julie, and said, “God is taking us out on a limb with Him.” Then, I got closer and whispered in her ears, “But that’s where the fruit is, out on the limb.” Less than a minute later, I look outside our kitchen window. Can you believe a bird was eating a guava (the fruit) on the limb of the tree, like three feet away from me?

And that right there was no coincident, it was another one of my God winks, when out of the blue everything lines up strangely too perfectly. For me to say those words to Julie and then come to see this bird eating this fruit on a limb less than a minute later, was all orchestrated perfectly and sweetly by God. His way of saying, ‘Nik, I don’t want you sad. Cheer up. I’m with you.’ And another reminder that His sweet Presence is always with me, and that He will also be with me, even as I climb out on this shaky, risky and unsecured limb on a new adventure with Him. Phew!

How incredible is that? The Creator of the entire universe is thinking of me, and He doesn’t want me unhappy. That’s why when I wrote that He asked me to not to turn into the crazy lady, I said, “I’ll do anything for You.” “Yet not My will, but Yours be done.”

So, I totally get it. This life with God is super challenging to follow through with at times, but we’re doing it for God. As we say an obedient, ‘Yes, Father,” He holds our hands as we bravely go out on the limb with Him to collect our fruit – success, victory happiness, joy, peace, triumph, accomplishment and every other good thing God has in store for us there. Wink! Wink!

So, as I wrote yesterday, no turning into the crazy lady this time, but being the calm, wise, loving, kind, loyal, gentle, disciplined, mature, and obedient to God Nik He would have me to be. Amen! This goes for you too! Let’s seek to please God in every moment as we live in His Presence, allowing the God standard of excellence be the ruling basis for all our decisions. Collect that fruit of victory, baby!

WEROLLWITHGOD.COM

“BEWARE OF BECOMING TOO POPULAR”

That was a message I felt from God in an appointment with Him some months ago. I had asked Him how to get a bigger audience for my blogs and vlogs. Now I completely understand why: THIS STUFF IS EXTREMELY HARD TO DO!!! Writing the posts, making the videos: EASY. Living them: ENORMOUSLY DIFFICULT. And I’m the God maniac here! LOL!

CASE IN POINT:

God, You’re seriously stretching me here!!! He’s really testing this living in God’s Presence thing and being obedient to Him on a moment by moment basis, always seeking to do what is pleasing to Him. I want to turn into the crazy drama lady, and I feel Him saying, ‘No, Nik, let My will be done. Turn this situation over to Me!’

It was an early morning appointment with Him, where these words showed up: “Thy will be done.” Remember these words from Jesus as He was headed to be nailed to the cross, “Yet not My will, but Yours be done.” Super tough example to follow, right, but exactly where I feel God is leading me. That means surrendering the entire problem to Him and being obedient to whatever He decides. He asked through another meditation book:

“Do you love me enough for that? Oh, My beloved child, just think of all that I’ve done for you. Doesn’t that quicken your zeal? So be calm in your soul and happily docile (submissive) to My will. As you look back over your life, don’t you see that My will was always for your good? When it comes to Me, could anything be too much.” – He and I

God, now that You’ve put it that way, “I’ll do anything for You.” “Yet not My will, but Yours be done.”

Like I always say, everything is between God and us. It’s not about us getting what wewant from Him all the time, but following His leading and TRUSTING that whatever outcome, it’s from the hands of a loving Father who knows what’s best for us. Godknows what we don’t know. He knows the future and the best decision we should make in every moment of our lives. And just like that, I politely and calmly SURRENDERED the entire matter to Him. He knows best! Phew!

God has led my life on an extraordinary adventure. I ask myself sometimes, “How did this happen?!?’ I trust His direction completely. That meant no turning into the crazy lady this time, but being the calm, wise, loving, kind, loyal, gentle, disciplined, mature, and obedient to God Nik He would have me to be. Amen!

WEROLLWITHGOD.COM

So, after writing and talking about this imaginary YOKE (a wooden bar) I have going on with God and me where we’re clasped together by the neck, I decided to have an appointment with Him in our bathroom late yesterday evening. There’s a copy of the book, Jesus Calling, that has morning and evening meditations, and out of over 700 pages, the very one that I randomly opened to was unbelievably an entire page dedicated to speaking about this very YOKE. Call me crazy, but that was another one of my God winks where out of the blue, everything STRANGELY lines up too perfectly to be a regular coincident. It was God saying: NIK, I’M WITH YOU, I’M WITH YOU, I’M WITH YOU!!!
 
It was so funny because before writing that last post a few hours prior to this and thinking to myself, ‘Nik, no one wants to hear about this yoke thing again! You just wrote about it yesterday! LOL!’ So, for me to go home and decide to have an appointment with God and for these words to show up was all His way of showing me that SURELY His Presence is ALWAYS with me (AND YOU TOO):
 
“Take My yoke upon you and learn of Me, for I am gentle (meek) and humble (lowly) in heart, and you will find rest (relief and ease and refreshment and recreation and blessed quiet) for your souls. For my yoke is wholesome (useful, good—not harsh, hard, sharp or pressing, but comfortable, gracious and pleasant), and My burden is light and easy to be borne. – Matthew 11:29-30
 
Like God expanded on this YOKE concept to make sure WE ALL got the FULL meaning of what this yoke really  means. Wow! This gave me such happiness and peace right there in our bathroom. Knowing that with everything I have going on right now, that God is with me. In all the tribulations and difficulties, I could have the peace that surpasses understanding KNOWING that God is helping me through them all.
 
Are you feeling God’s Presence? That’s my prayer that you feel and know that HE is with you too. This life can undoubtedly get crazy from one moment to the next, but God wants us all knowing that He is always with us waiting to assist us in every aspect of our lives. Its for us to calm down, slow down, seek Him and be obedient to His direction (that’s the super tough part!) And when we live this way, always in God’s Divine Presence, I promise you, He will direct you on the path to the best life with Him. Wink! Wink! It’s a PRACTICE of continually asking, “God, what would You have me to do here?’ He’s turning me into a new person filled with such joy of knowing He is always with me and I have EVERYTHING I NEED – I HAVE GOD.
 
WEROLLWITHGOD.COM