HOW TO DEAL WITH THE WEEDS (FRUSTRATING SITUATIONS) OF OUR LIVES

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

WerollwithGOD.com

“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

GOD, WHY DO SO MANY BAD THINGS HAPPEN?

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

CALL ME NIKKI SO DUMB, BUT I SAY I’M NIKKI SO SMART!!!

I know a lot of what I write and talk about may seem as if I’m the silliest person in the world, but honestly, this God stuff has led my life on a very beautiful path. Let me tell ya, God’s ways are not our ways, but they’re always on point and so much BETTER. Wink! Wink!

Like a time I will never forget when hubby and I were having a huge disagreement. I finally went to God with it, asking what He had to say about the matter and I opened DIRECTLY to this in my meditation book:

“Although your opinion is good, if for God’s sake you leave it to follow another, it will be more profitable for you.” – The Imitation of Christ

I knew this was no coincident that I opened to this, but God directing me to go along with my husband in this matter. I did exactly that. I gave up what I wanted and went along with hubby, and everything ended up more beautiful than I could’ve ever imagined. There I was fighting for days to have my way and just with that one sentence, God gave me His wisdom, and it worked.

That was years ago, but this advice is still working. I may lose many small battles here and there, but when I look at the BIG picture, your girl is a BIG WINNER all the way with God. Sometimes I complain to Him about stuff, but then I feel so silly afterward because I say I have NOTHING to complain about. Nothing. I have a great life. All thanks to God’s excellent guidance!

And I want you here with me. Allowing God to be the BIG BOSS of your life, going to Him in the 1,000 decisions you make every day asking for His will to be done. NOT EASY. But when you do follow Him with a joyful, ‘Yes, Father,’ He will lovingly guide you on the path He has for you — His plans for us are REAL GOOD. I loved this question from an appointment with Him this week:

“Don’t you know that I give far more than you expect. Haven’t you noticed this spiritually, materially?” – He and I

Me God, Me!!! I’ve noticed! And why I’m soooo sticking with You doing whatever is pleasing to You in every moment because you give me FAR more than I could even ask or think – protection, health, wisdom, guidance and LOVE!!! God, I’m on your team for LIFE, putting as much love as possible into everything I do, even the small stuff!

#GODisreallyREAL

I’M NOT ENJOYING YOU; I’M ENDURING YOU!!!

That was me joking with my hubby the other day! This marriage thing is no joke! But the great news is that God Himself is intimately involved in every aspect of our lives and He has become my wonderful Relationship Counselor. And His advice has led me on a path to a beautiful life, including finding the best husband in the world (SMILE).

HERE’S THE DEAL:

In every moment, we can look to God for guidance and direction on what to say, what to do, where to go, I’m talking 24/7 guidance direct hotline to God. Like the other day, I wrote how I was afraid to get any more house staff after some awful recent experiences. If I had to wake up early to get washing, cleaning, ironing, and cooking done, no problem. They were that bad! And I decided to wait for God’s direction on what He would have me to do.

So, one morning, I’m in our kitchen, and the words “Call Vera” came clearly to mind. Vera is someone who has helped me in the past to find people to work, but feeling so hesitant of hiring anyone, I didn’t call her. That was until those words popped into my mind, “Call Vera.” I PAID ATTENTION and she sent me the following day a lady who has already began work and who I’m very impressed with. She shows up early, and she works very hard. But most importantly, OUR HOUSE IS AT PEACE. And PEACE for me means God is happy with HER being here.

After you get to know God, you’ll begin to know and understand His voice. “Call Vera” was definitely from Him and one of His magic solutions that He would have pop in my head when I have situations I need His help with. I KNOW HIS VOICE.

Sometimes it’s just a feeling. When I think about going in a particular direction and feel anxious or uneasy about it, I know its God saying, ‘DO NOT DO THAT!’ Versus peaceful feelings are Him saying it’s OK to make that move. The more I get to know Him through my alone times with Him, the better I know where He is guiding me.

The alone times are also where I learn the person He would have me to be in the world and that He is always there to help me. All day, I’m learning to keep my eyes FIXED on God. This gives me such joy and peace, knowing I have the Creator of the Universe as my incredible Guide and Mentor. Not to mention how He makes me feel so incredibly and unconditionally loved, approved of and accepted. No human love can compete with a love like His, let me tell ya! Are you getting to know God better?

#GODisreallyREAL

WE’RE EXPECTING TOO MUCH FROM OTHER PEOPLE!!!

That’s my remarkable discovery of today! Talking to a friend and hearing her talk about her disappointments made me realize that we EXPECT WAY TOO MUCH FROM OTHERS. Me included!!! I’m seriously getting this wrong myself. We need to expect MORE from GOD and LESS from PEOPLE. Got that?

Watching a show today made me cry. It was my fav person who communicates what dead people say to their still living relatives. And a deceased father was saying that he regretted not showing his older son more love and attention while he was alive. The son was there, and I could imagine the pain he has gone through not feeling the love he was EXPECTING from his father.

HERE’S THE DEAL:

People can only give us so much. We have no idea the baggage they’re carrying around and what they’re trying to deal with themselves mentally. We need to stop giving everyone such a hard time and be more gentle and more loving. I loved what God had to say to me in an appointment with Him recently:

“And if you often repeat this loving effort of your mind, you will gain the habit of living more with your Creator than with any created thing, more than the unseen than the seen. You will get to the point where you can use the things of earth and relations with people only for the love of God’s kingdom and for His glory. That, my child, is pure love—never to think of oneself but of God and how best you can please Him.” – He and I, Gabrielle Bossis

Wow! Imagine getting to that point that we just love everyone for God’s glory and do everything pleasing to Him in every moment. What a wonderful world this will be. Let’s give it a try!

GODisreallyREAL

“ASK ME HOW I’M DOING? I’M BLESSED!!!”

Thank you, Charlie Wilson, for this beautiful song that just made my day:

“Living every moment, no regrets
Smile on my face, I’m like oh yes
I’m blessed yes, I’m blessed yes”

I LOVE MY LIFE WITH GOD!!! Have you taken a long look at what God is doing for you? Well, I do all the time! And that’s why I can tell you with all the confidence that a life lived pleasing and close to God is the way to an extraordinary life. I couldn’t even imagine this path God has wonderfully guided my life. Let me tell ya, His plans for us are REAL good! So don’t miss out!

HERE’S THE DEAL:

Life is filled with hurts, humiliations, mistakes, disappointments, failures, frustrations, challenges, and bitterness. But I want us POLITELY handing them ALL over to God and HAPPILY go on with life with our FOCUS on God and all that He is doing for us. I spoke to Aunty O again, who taught me to swallow all these hurts and disappointments that come my way. I wanted her to know how her advice made me so happy. She said life is too short to be carrying around all these negative feelings with us. LET THEM GO!!! I want to spend my life happy and full of Joy!!!

My new screensaver says: Whatever is true, right, admirable, excellent or praiseworthy-Think about such things! Amen!

Let’s live a life pleasing to God in every moment, forgetting what anyone else is doing, just being the loving people He would have us to be and leave the rest with Him!

“ASK ME HOW I’M DOING? I’M BLESSED!!!”

GODisreallyREAL

NIKKI, WHAT’S THE PROBLEM HERE?

I was so upset at myself for all the negative thinking that got the best of me on Saturday. Despite all the beating my head with a stick to focus on all the HUGE positives in my life, I stayed stuck on THINKING THE WRONG THINGS. And let me tell ya, when your mind is filled with negativity, it’s tough to be happy and focused on what’s truly important.

But your girl here has bounced back with LOTS of lessons. Like this beating our heads with a stick. We have to do this every day reminded of this famous verse:

“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable–if anything is excellent or praiseworthy–think about such things.” – Philippians 4:8

We can CHOOSE to be HAPPY and CONTENT no matter what life throws our way focused on all our BLESSINGS. It takes LOTS of practice beating our heads with sticks so we can stay focused on God and the thoughts He Himself would have us to think, but so worth it. But looking back to how far I’ve from the Nik who used alcohol as her go-to sedative, I’m thrilled. Alcohol now has no more place in my life!

But I’m happy for this eye-opener on Saturday. I’m thanking God for showing me that I still have to fight against these frustrating thoughts. I can now work on being BETTER. My prayer is for God to help us all throw off anything that’s holding us back from living our best and happiest lives with Him. I need to be MORE alert, and as soon as I catch myself in one of those moods, I can say, ‘No, no, no! We’re not going there!!!’ And then get my mind focused back on God and His will for me.

Let’s get rid of anything that’s keeping us from being our best and HAPPIEST SELVES. When we fall and have these failures, let’s quickly get back up and then use them for our good by reflecting on where we went wrong and how we can be BETTER. All for God’s glory!!!