GOD TALKS TO ME THROUGH MUSIC (REPOST)
It all started during my “wilderness experience” in the U.S. where I knew without a doubt it was Him communicating with me. I had to go on a long drive and Bruno Mars’ song, ‘That’s What I Like’ played on the radio. I instantly downloaded it and it became me and God’s song (Our song!) that we sang to each other. I’ll never forget a day I was feeling down and every radio station I turned to was playing this very song, and I knew it was God trying to cheer me up – it worked!
And on another long drive, on a beautiful Sunday with my momma, another song played, ‘Starving’ by Hailee Steinfeld, and again I knew it was an important message from God:
“I didn’t know that I was starving ’til I tasted you _
Don’t need no butterflies when you give me the whole damn zoo”_
There I was feeling really like I was starving for love, feeling neglected, like everyone was happy I was gone from Nigeria, including my hubby and kids (all my crazy thoughts), and God used this song to remind me of all the love He has for me – I didn’t need no butterflies when He was giving me the whole zoo. I came back from my trip alone as God’s girl! Other humans only have scraps of love to offer us! We’ve all probably been looking for love in all the wrong places! I’m now so filled with God’s love that NO OTHER HUMAN LOVE IS REQUIRED. I now have love in excess that I’m spreading everywhere I go! Heehaw!
And I’ve written so much about Pitbull’s song Option that God brilliantly said:
“…you know, you know we got a strong thing _
So stop thinking ’bout the wrong things”_
Since then, I’ve been beating my mind with a stick, focused on important, not trivial matters and all my blessings, which brings me to the next song, ‘Blessings’ by Lecrae. One line did the trick:
“Baby, I’m too busy countin’ all these blessings”
Perfect reminder for crazy lady! I was finding the worst things to think about, but now,
“Baby I’m too busy countin’ all these blessings”
Then on Saturday, it was the song ‘Who am I’ by Beenie Man that got me thinking. Really, Who am I? And this Monday, reading John Joseph’s book, ‘Meat is for Pussies,’ he surprisingly had this to say:
“As you start to appreciate the value of your spirit, you become more focused on your mission in life. You become less neurotic and understand that anything good takes time. That’s why the first teaching in yoga is to meditate on the phrase “Aham Brahmasmi,” which means “I am spirit.” Doing so offers a fresh perspective on life.”
And our lives should reflect this first and foremost. We’re not about how we look or about what others think of us, what car we drive, or how much money we have; It’s KNOWING we have God’s spirit dwelling in us and that He is with us in every moment.
Like I told someone today, our work for God is to be the wives, mothers, and people He would have us to be – loving, faithful, enduring, forgiving, going the extra mile and extremely patient. Not always easy, but we’re doing it for God.
KEEP CALM—YOU’RE ROLLING WITH GOD
A BEAUTIFUL DAY WITH GOD
He has this way of making me feel so loved. I woke up feeling a little REJECTED, and He spoke to me through my meditation book, He and I:
“… even if all the affections of your heart were to fade away and you found yourself alone and misunderstood by everyone, I should still be your treasure, your goal, your incomparable friend, your beginning and your end. SO DON’T BE UPSET BY ANYTHING. Once and for all, place your heart in Mine, in joy as in distress.”
That was the perfect message at that moment!
Then, my daughter, Julie, pushed me to go for a run and the first song to play was, Love on Me, which has great history between me and God from a couple of years ago:
“This God wink began yesterday morning when I had an appointment with Him reading an old post entitled, ‘NIK, I WON’T LET YOU DOWN.’ To be very honest, the God maniac here was a bit anxious going into that alone time with Him, wondering if He was going to remember to help me with a certain challenge I have, and that post was exactly the reminder I needed; I got my high five from God: ‘NIK, I WON’T LET YOU DOWN.’
Fast forward later that day, we’re at the mall shopping when I saw a beautiful dress in a store I liked for my friend. I persuaded her to get it, and because she had to run to another store she wanted to give me the money to pay for the dress for her, but this friend, who is like more than ten great friends in one, I refused her money, and I went in line to pay for it. As I’m standing there waiting, I’m listening to the lyrics of the song playing in the background, and they astonishingly say:
“Girl put your love on Me
Cause I WON’T LET YOU DOWN
I WON’T LET YOU DOWN” – Love On Me by Galantis & Hook N Sling
Wink! Wink! The happiest, most blissful feeling came over me! I knew without a doubt this was God singing to me, again, saying that HE WON’T LET ME DOWN! Reading that old post that morning with the exact words in that song, out of the thousands of posts I’ve ever written, as my only appointment with God that day, and for that song, of all songs, to play for the few minutes I stood there in that line, was once again everything lining up STRANGELY a little bit too perfectly to be a coincident; it was another love song from God reminding me that I CAN trust Him.”
God has never let me down!!! Even my bad, He uses for my good, especially to bring me closer to Him. I want us with our eyes strictly on God; He’s our greatest friend. No matter the trials and tribulations that come our way, I want us NEVER LETTING GO OF GOD’S HANDS. My number one goal for the rest of this year is to get even closer than ever to Him. Even if I’m misunderstood and rejected by the entire world, I know I’m INFINITELY love by God. And that’s enough!
#GODisreallyREAL
“HONESTLY, I’M TRYING TO STAY FOCUSED”
Those are the lyrics that begin the song ‘Girls Need Love’ and EXACTLY WHERE I AM IN MY LIFE!!! Focus is the new superpower, baby! Life will try its best to distract us and have us thinking and doing the WRONG things, but I want us with our FOCUS on God, asking Him to be the Guide of our lives continually asking:
‘God, what would make You happy for me to do here in my thoughts, words, and deeds.’
Yesterday, I found myself thinking back about all sorts of craziness. It was just one little comment that got me so sad and thinking about a hurtful situation from the past. I was back to beating my head with a stick saying, ‘Nik, let’s please stay focused on happier things!’
“I am stronger than my temporary painful thoughts. I will not let myself get trapped into a destructive cycle of thinking.” — Affirmation of the day.
And all day long, I kept trying not to go down that dark road of negative thinking. But then, a late night appointment with God encouraged me:
““I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.” – Ezekiel 36:26
Before You Turn Out the Light
Trust Me to do what you cannot do: remove the little stones that mar the beauty of your heart.” – Jesus Calling
That made me so happy that God was there with me feeling my pain, but I must trust Him to take away those hurts from my heart. I wrote in my notes on my phone: “Don’t let difficulties from the past mar the beauty of your heart.” I went to bed happy.
Fast forward to today, I’m chatting with a customer, and he gives me his card and unbelievably, printed on the back are these words:
“Then I will give them one heart, and I will put a new spirit within them, and take the stony heart out of their flesh, and give them a heart of flesh.” – Ezekiel 11:19
I started crying KNOWING this was a direct message from God to me confirming His message from the night before.. No coincident! This was His way of letting me know that He’s with me and He doesn’t want me focused on past hurts and disappointments, but on HIM. And that He does not want me sad. I asked the customer why did he pick that particular verse for his cards, and he showed me there are different verses, but he always asks God that he should give the right card to the right person. In this case, he got it correct!
Let’s keep our focus on God knowing that even the bad he can use for our good. He used my PAST hurts to reveal His intimate Presence with me TODAY! God is with us!!! Let’s give Him our very best – even a smile – let us do all for His glory. Our reward is with Him!
#GODisreallyREAL
THIS IS VERY HARD
Being obedient to God is not easy, let me tell ya!!! He takes us on some complicated paths full of hurts, dilemmas, disappointments, frustrations, challenges, sadness, pain, and lots of suffering. Many times I’ve said to Him, ‘God, I don’t want to hear from you!’ I want to turn into the crazy, drama, emotional Nik who wants to ignore God completely.
However, thank God for growth and maturity. I’ve learned that although God ways are tough to follow at times, they always lead me to the best and happiest places.
Like today, as seen in the pic, my fierce daughter, Ember, is at work with us. There is a project I need her to help with, and she was up and ready before me to come and help out. She is just an example of a tremendous blessing God has sent my way – a beautiful, wonderful, healthy, wise, responsible, excellent, and calm daughter. Proud of you, boo! And because God has filled my life with such amazing blessings, I ask Him, ‘God, how may I serve You?’
He has such sweet ways of revealing His Presence and love to me that I fall more and more love with Him every day. Yesterday, after writing my blog, I got the feeling from Him to go back and include one more sentence:
“I’ve made GOD’S UNCONDITIONAL LOVE THE FOUNDATION OF MY LIFE.”
Fast forward to later in the evening, I decided to read from a Bible app I had just downloaded on my phone. Of everything there, including the entire Bible and videos etc, the very devotional I decided to read confirmed this one sentence I just got the feeling from Him to go back and include:
“If we do not know, in the deepest places of our soul, that God loves us so much, then we will not love him, trust him, obey him, serve him, enjoy him, worship him, rest in him, or seek him. THIS IS THE FOUNDATION OF THE SPIRITUAL LIFE (Wink! Wink!). Nothing is more important.”
Call that a coincident if you want, but I’ve gotten to know God’s personality pretty well, and this was His way of letting me know He’s with me. That’s why His love is the foundation of my life. The troubles, stresses, and frustrations will come, but I TRUST that my God loves me, and there is never a moment when He is not with me. This gives me the PEACE and JOY to hold my head high, no matter what comes my way, allowing His wisdom to guide me safely through any storm.
I’ll never forget one Easter Sunday when I was crying like a little baby and God figured out a way to speak to me. Just that week, a new manager and I started referring to ourselves as God’s girls. Then of all songs that I decided to play to cheer myself up, Pitbull’s song came up first saying, “You know you’re my girl!” Wink! Wink! I knew this was again God reminding me of His deep love for me.
Are you getting to know God’s personality for yourself and His deep love for you?
#GODisreallyREAL
“I DON’T KNOW WHAT YOUR AGENDA IS”
Was a comment I got today! My response was, “Very simple: to be the best wife, mom, and person possible, all for God’s glory. Nothing more, nothing less.” And let me tell ya, that right there is the secret to living a successful life. With every decision seeking to please God, He loving guides us on the BEST pathway for our lives. Everything is between us and God AND HIS PLANS FOR US ARE REAL GOOD AND NOT TO HARM US. ‘God, what would YOU have me to do?’ is the priceless question. Wink! Wink!
In fact, I woke up early this morning to get to some housework done. In between, I got a great run in, gave the kids a pep talk about not letting this summer go to waste as we have important goals ahead of us, and now I’m at work to supporting the best husband in the world. Every day I’m hustling, baby! All for God!
I love the lyrics of Justin Bieber’s song, ‘All In It:’
“BY NOT BEING PERFECT YOU, YOU SOMETIMES CAN DISAPPOINT PEOPLE…
And with God, it’s like He’s perfect and He never disappoints
So I, I just get my recognition from Him
And give Him recognition”
Perfect lyrics! That’s exactly where I am at this moment: Getting all my recognition from GOD, baby! I’ve given up on trying to please people because that only wears you out. Please God. Finish! I’ve made GOD”S UNCONDITIONAL LOVE THE FOUNDATION OF MY LIFE.
My mom gave me the best advice growing up. She taught me that if I’m a street cleaner, to be the best street cleaner and that advice is seriously working for me.
“Call me an aggressively involved parent,” I messaged a friend. But again, that’s my job from God Himself. I want to show up in every moment the best, most awesome version of myself knowing God is my Constant Companion. And I want you here with me. People will disappoint us, and we’ll disappoint them, but God NEVER disappoints. He knows EXACTLY the experiences we need to become the extraordinary people He has created us to be.
Like this tolerance issue I wrote about yesterday. The thing God has asked me to joyfully tolerate has ACTUALLY made me stronger. I got up this morning super happy and content ready to take on anything that comes my way. I’ve accepted that life will not always go the way I want it to go, but I’m trusting God that whatever He wants for me cannot but be good for me. God, I’m with you.
I’m going to keep my eyes DIRECTLY on God, being the flexible, strong, forgiving, loving, genuine in every moment, disciplined, gentle, faith-filled, joyous and tolerant Nik He would have me to be.
God, I want to spend my life with You. Amen!
#GODisreallyREAL
“LET ME ORDER THESE PARTS BEFORE YOU GO LOOKING FOR THAT PERSON’S WIFE”
Was me having some fun with my husband after he complained that he wished I was more like a friend’s wife who was very on the ball with helping him purchase needed items. At first, I was very hurt. Especially after an evening out with the kids and my husband gave them a whole speech praising them for making the Honour Roll but made absolutely no mention of the mom who was behind the scenes dragging them to the office to study, meeting with their teachers, staying up late to study with them, having constant conversations and pushing them to be their best selves. I’m talking this long speech without congratulation the kids and not one word about me. LOL!
But like my daughter, Julie, reminded me, we get our recognition from God, not from man. I want us in every moment always trying to the best people we’re capable of being all for God’s glory. God and heaven are our audiences. Got that? I want us gong the extra mile in striving to be the best wives, husbands, mothers, fathers and people God Himself would have us to be. Let’s be God’s representatives in the world spreading His love in everything we do. God is our reward!
And I can’t get over how intimately He is involved in our lives. I consider myself my husband’s Vice-President and on a certain business issue we’ve been discussing lately, I’ve kept saying, “Slow and steady wins the race.” Like so many times I’ve said it (I’m such a nag!) because this strategy has been working for our family. So, this morning when I heard him discussing the matter with someone else, I just said to myself, I won’t discuss it again and I’ll let Mr. President do his thing. Like 30 MINUTES LATER, I’m having an appointment with God and unbelievably look what showed up:
… but remember the story of the tortoise and the hare. The tortoise, although he walked SLOWLY AND STEADILY (Wink! Wink!), reached the goal before the quick-footed hare.” – A Return To Love, Marianne Williamson
I immediately sent the pics to my husband as God confirming what I’ve been saying to him all along. Call me the crazy God maniac wife, but for this to show up was no coincident. God is still speaking to us, it’s just for us to PAY ATTENTION.
Like last summer, I kept saying to hubs on a different matter that I felt God saying to go in a certain direction with it. Again, Ms. Nag here, kept stressing him about it. Things didn’t go the way I felt it should have and based on what has since transpired, those feelings from a year ago turned out to be spot on.
HERE’S THE DEAL:
GOD KNOWS EVERYTHING. He knows the future and He knows the utmost best decision for us, but if we don’t learn His voice we sadly miss out on His guidance. God loves each of us so much, but He doesn’t force Himself on us. He patiently waits for us to acknowledge Him and invite Him to be a part of our lives. Me sitting down and having alone times with Him asking for His input in my life has been the best use of my time. I don’t regret one second praying for a closer walk with Him and sitting quietly reading spiritual books seeking to hear His voice. Let me tell ya, if you want to be the best person possible, being, SPEND TIME ALONE WITH GOD GETTING TO KNOW HIM FOR YOURSELF.
#GODisreallyREAL
‘I NEED A WIN RUN’
That’s the name of the excellent run I did for three miles yesterday. This life will try and get us down, but we have to keep reminding ourselves that we’re a part of God’s WINNING team. Heehaw! Despite the setbacks and challenges that want to get in our way, we can break through them or jump over them KNOWING we’re rolling with God and that there is never a moment where we lack His strength, wisdom, and guidance to tackle any and every situation:
“I look to the hills. Where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord. He is the Maker of heaven and earth. He won’t let your foot slip. He who watches over you won’t get tired.” Psalm 121:1-3
The devil won’t put us to shame; we’ll put the devil to shame! So, your girl here needed a little time out running to get back focused. It’s not about how many times we fall, it’s about how many times we rise back up being BETTER than we were before the falls. Rise and shine brighter, baby!
We have God’s spirit empowering us in every moment, and these runs are my alone times with Him where I go and get recharged. “… but the Lord stood with me and strengthened me.” It was a tough morning, and mentally, I was in a shallow place (life can do that to us sometimes!). But I threw on my sneakers, put on that I need A Win Run and I played a recorded Garnett Silk’s concert from 1994. My mood IMMEDIATELY changed when I heard these words from his song Splashing Dancing:
“O Father who art in Zion
Hear our voice, oh Jah today in our prayer
And accept our thanksgiving
Father, we thank you for all that you have done
And for what you are doing now
The Lord is I shepherd, I shall not want
He maketh me to lie in green pastures
He leadeth besides the still waters
He restoreth my soul, he restoreth my soul”
Nik, The Lord is your Shepherd, you shall not want!!! In other words, keep your focus on God because He is the supplier of ALL YOUR NEEDS, and He is taking WONDERFUL care of you despite the challenges. Your girl was HAPPY again!
Then, unbelievably right before sleeping, I heard my husband with our sons reading, and of the entire Bible I heard them say:
“The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want
He maketh me to lie in green pastures”
I took this as a God wink at me because this message meant so much to me earlier that day. And after sharing the story with my daughter, Julie, we go for a 5K run together today and after asking the Nike Run app to shuffle my music library of 868 songs, look what song incredibly played FIRST:
“Father we thank you for all that you have done
And for what you are doing now
The Lord is I shepherd, I shall not want
He maketh me to lie in green pastures
He leadeth besides the still waters
He restoreth my soul, he restoreth my soul” – Splashing Dancing
So, minutes after telling Julie about how much this song meant to me yesterday, God made sure that it was the first song for me to hear on today’s run. Like He was saying, ‘Just in case you didn’t get the message yesterday, Nik, RELAX, I’m taking care of you.’
This life is DIFFICULT, and you can call all of this a coincident if you want, but this is the personality of God I’m getting to know. He finds these amazing and sweet ways to remind me of His constant Presence with me. “He maketh me to lie in green pastures.” No matter the troublesome situations I know my God is with me and that He loves me unconditionally. He’s teaching me to get my recognition from Him and to give Him all recognition.
#GODisreallyREAL
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I’M LITERALLY AFRAID TO HIRE ANOTHER HOUSE HELP!!!
After the last EVIL experience I had with my cook, I’m scared to bring another new person in my house again. She came on a mission to destroy my home and don’t think I’m being dramatic, either. Stay alert! And stay close to God! The devil comes to kill and destroy.
And like I always tell you, feelings of stress and fear when thinking about going in a particular direction is God saying, ‘Hold up. That’s not a good idea.’ So, for now, the plan is to make moment by moment decisions waiting for God’s direction on when and whom to allow in my home again.
GOD KNOWS EVERYTHING! That’s why I say don’t play with your relationship with Him. He knows the hearts and motives of everyone. And He is ALWAYS speaking to us through our feelings. Anyone you feel uncomfortable around, watch out because God may be trying to tell you something.
I’ve been up from about 6 am washing, cooking, and cleaning. I believe God is asking us to continue carrying Jesus’ cross and whatever I have to do for the sake of keeping my family safe, happy and together, I will JOYFULLY do it knowing God is my strength and Helper. I imagine Him being tied by the neck with me as we journey through life TOGETHER.
I loved a God wink from Him yesterday. Last week I had a beautiful appointment with Him reading Psalm 138. I loved it so much that I got a paper and pencil to write out the words:
“Though I walk in the midst of trouble, thou will revive me: thou shalt stretch forth thy hand against the wrath of mine enemies, and thou right hand shall save me. The LORD WILL PERFECT THAT WHICH CONCERNETH ME…”
Fast forward to yesterday, a message came in from a friend:
Psalm 138:8: “THE LORD WILL PERFECT ALL THAT CONCERNETH YOU.”
Another love note from God! He was also reminding me that He is familiar with all my ways: ‘Nik, I saw you writing out these verses the other day! And they’re correct, I will protect you from your enemies and perfect ALL that concerns you.’ Amen!
See how sweet God is?!? Stand down on hiring any house staff is the feeling I’m getting. Yes, Boss! And like my brother said, God will level out this situation. He has His ways of working behind the scenes of our lives:
“The Lord himself will fight for you. Just stay calm.”
Back to my cleaning and washing…