“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!

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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!

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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!

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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!

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“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!

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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.
 
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This is how I do it. I imagine that I’m going through life with God. There’s an imaginary yoke (a wooden bar used for joining animals) that ties God and me together. Whenever a situation gets too much for your girl here, and it weighs me down, I know automatically that I’m taking too much of the burden on myself. I then take whatever it is that is frustrating me and stressing me out and say, ‘HERE, GOD, THIS IS FOR YOU TO HANDLE, PLEASE.’ I then continue going through life happy, joyful, and at peace, TRUSTING God to do what I cannot do.

That’s why I say GOD IS OUR GREATEST FRIEND. He is super wonderful and cool like that and READY to take on whatever worries and burdens we have to give Him. This yoke that I referred to is sweet and light. He never gives us too much to carry. He does not create us and then says, ‘Good luck with this life thing.’ He unbelievably wants to be a part of our lives helping and guiding us on the best paths. However, we must get Him involved. Even in messiest of situations. He. Is. There. Ready to help us.

Our part is to be the best of our ability in every moment with our eyes fixed on God seeking to please Him BEING OUR MOST LOVING SELVES. Sometimes that calls for us to pretend we don’t see what we see or hear what we hear. But that’s cool. I say, ‘OK, Boss!! I’m happy to do anything for You.’ Life is too short to be fighting useless and unnecessary battles, anyway. I leave them for God AND MOVE FORWARD HAPPILY.

God has also TRULY been my greatest friend because He has helped me work not only on talking less (and trying to keep myself out of trouble!), but also with all the nonsense talking going on in my head all day. The Nik who was a professional at THINKING THE WRONG THINGS has gotten lots better. No alcohol needed, either!

Like the reminder on my phone says- “Whatever is true, right, admirable, excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things.” I take all the junk, negative, utter nonsense talk, and then look at the situation again from His perspective. It is super easy to complain and to tear ourselves and others down. But when I shine God’s light, I take all the complaints back, looking at the BIG picture with such gratitude. God, I’m sorry for complaining.

And when I do this, I’m so much happier. I take on all the battles GOD WOULD HAVE ME TO FIGHT, with my whole heart giving my best in every moment ALL FOR HIS GLORY. #godslittlesuperhero

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“JUST FEELING SO TIRED AND EMOTIONALLY DRAINED”

That was a message from a friend today. She said initially she didn’t want to hear my positive advice, and I completely get it.I do the same with God – God, I don’t want to hear from You! I want to be mad, mean, angry, and upset! But thank God for GROWTH and maturity. Now I’m RUNNING to hear what God has to say because He honestly leads me on the best paths. Here’s an old post to explain more:

‘THIS IS VERY FRUSTRATING!’ I complained to God. It’s an ongoing issue that has become my cross, and He is helping me to carry it joyfully (most of the time!). I love that I can go to Him in all my terrible moments and look at things from His Almighty perspective. He had me reread this prayer:

”O God! Refresh and gladden my spirit. Purify my heart. Illumine my powers. I lay all my affairs in Thy hand. Thou art my Guide and my Refuge. I will no longer be sorrowful and grieved; I will be a happy and joyful being. O God! I will no longer be full of anxiety, nor will I let trouble harass me. I WILL NOT DWELL ON THE UNPLEASANT THINGS OF LIFE. “

And speaking of being FULL of anxiety, that was me yesterday, and I immediately RAN to Him AGAIN. I reread some old posts, including my fav lately:

“Come to me all you who labor and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon your shoulders and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble of heart, here you will find rest for your soul. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30

She (a priest) called our attention to the image of the yoke, a wooden bar or frame by which two draft animals such as oxen are joined at the heads or necks for working together. She said she could imagine Jesus (God) already wearing the yoke and inviting us to let Him be our Partner as we bear our burdens together with Him. She said when things get harder (and they will get harder) Jesus (God) would not let his side of the yoke go.

I loved this part so much that I listened to it repeatedly, imagining God and I clasped together with this piece of wood holding our heads together. I especially loved it because now I’m WISELY learning to let God lead the direction we go in, on a moment by moment basis. It’s not always easy, and at times it takes serious DISCIPLINE not to be the crazy, drama Nik who wants to make an appearance. But God’s ways always lead me to make the utmost best decisions no matter the tough situation. I never regret following His leading, even when He takes me out of my comfort zone on some treacherous paths.”

Are you going to God in your sad, frustrating, painful, anxious, and other awful moments? Let’s bear all our burdens with Him.

KEEP CALM—YOU’RE ROLLING WITH GOD

I asked Him recently. And I believe He answered me today through one of my meditation books. It was the story of Paul, who wrote like half of the New Testament in the Bible. However, before he was Paul, he was Saul who went around persecuting and killing Christians. That was until God showed up, blinded him, and told him to meet some people where his sight was eventually restored. If not for this experience to get his attention, would Paul have become such a warrior for God?

After this encounter with God, Paul traveled tens of thousands of miles spreading Jesus’ message. His preaching eventually helped turn Christianity into a worldwide faith! He endured stonings, betrayals, shipwrecks, imprisonments, starvation, etc. all for God’s glory! That’s my kind of a guy!

So, God does allow “bad” to happen because He knows He can bring such good out from it. In fact, looking back on my life and the times I’ve asked, ‘God, what is this???’ have turned out to be some of the MOST valuable experiences. Your girl here had her own personal encounters with God. If not for them I wouldn’t be this crazy “God maniac,” let me tell ya!

And through the good, bad and ugly, I’ve come to know a God who is so in love with me, in love with you, in love with the billions of other people on this planet. My assignment is to get that message to you – YOU ARE DEEPLY LOVED AND APPROVED BY GOD (forget what anybody else thinks!) no matter your failures or mistakes from the past.

This world makes us feel so judged, unaccepted, and criticized all the time, but as annoying and messed up as I am, I know my God LOVES PUTTING UP WITH ME (I’m His girl!). This morning I woke up to the most beautiful message from Him:

“I BLESS YOU AND KEEP YOU; I make My Face shine upon you; I turn My Face toward you and give you Peace. I want you to meditate on this blessing, for it expresses well the overflow of my heart towards you. Those who come to Me find not only approval but also rest for their souls.” – Jesus Calling

God shows me such DEEP love, and I want you feeling it too. Even when the bad comes, its coming from the hand of a faithful Father who knows exactly what He is doing with each and every one of us. As I look back in grateful remembrance of the past and how God has shown up for me, I can look forward to the future relaxed and at peace, TRUSTING GOD with all my confidence.

#GODisreallyREAL