“GOD, WHY ME?”

That was from someone who woke up to a troublesome situation today. I sent them a pic of what God had said to me in my early morning appointment with Him: “You can believe, can’t you, that your God used this trial as a new way of getting your attention so that you would take a firmer grip on Him?” – He and I

This was my high five from Him after I went through my own little something something last week. God, You definitely got my attention!!! LOL! I can laugh at it now, but when I was going through it, it was not funny. And that’s how I can look back at all the so-called “bad” stuff that has happened. I see they were from the hands of a loving God who knows what is best for me (and you!). They’ve all taught me some crucial lessons that God Himself would have me to learn, especially as opportunities to learn to trust Him more.

Another one recently was dealing with my mind going into this repetitive negative thinking mode all the time. Like running around the same track 1,000 times and going nowhere. Stuck mode. But when this thing happened last week, it was like a huge wake-up call – Nik, WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH YOUR LIFE? Stop running around this same darn track over and over again, going nowhere with the same nonsense thinking.

This week, I’m out of the nonending loop in my head, and I’m focused on important dreams and goals. I said to God today, “Send me!!! Let me be your voice in the world to encourage and bring people closer to You.” A total 360 from negative to positive. God, thank You!

“I am with you always,” are the words printed on a bracelet I purchased on a sad afternoon last week. I can’t express to you guys how this little piece of jewelry around my wrist has brought me such joy. No matter what I’m going through, it’s a reminder of my power (God’s omnipotence within me.) He is my strength, joy, wisdom, calmness, and peace in every moment. I’m strong with Him as my Protector and Guide. And most importantly, He is all the love I need — no more starving for a little bit of love from others. Your girl is good! I’m now about sharing God’s overflowing love with everyone around me.

Repeat after me: God got me. And let’s use every trial as opportunities to trust Him more. Amen.

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“HAVE I TOLD YOU LATELY HOW MUCH I LOVE YOU?”

That was me to my hubby today. He said it’s because I’m living good. I replied, ‘Yes!! I’m enjoying driving my new Mercedes truck.’ Wink! Wink! And we had the biggest laugh about it. Then I said, “You know my love for you is not about any money. I love our life together and our family. Our family is our greatest blessing from God. I want us to be a testimony to the world of a family rolling with Him”

We may go through our stuff, but at the end of the day, we come back stronger than ever, all for God’s glory. Like He sweetly taught me through Pitbull’s song, ‘Ain’t nothing perfect, girl!’ What God has ordained, ALL THE FORCES OF EVIL cannot destroy!!!

This little conversation with my husband shows where God’s guidance and wisdom has brought me – to a very beautiful life! I can go through my lil hurts and disappointments but still come through them an even better and more committed, respectful, faithful, loyal and loving wife, mother and person. Don’t ask me how, but God has this way of changing my perspective on everything. EVERYTHING!!! And that’s why I want you getting to know and learn from Him for yourself. He and the Holy Spirit (His voice within us!) are the best teachers, let me tell ya, for this crazy world we live in. We need them!

And speaking of crazy, either I’m getting SO close to God, or I’m surely losing my mind. LOL! He’s just finding the sweetest ways to let me know He’s with me. Like yesterday, I heard a song playing on the radio. I go to Google the lyrics so I could download it, and as I’m jamming to it on the way home from work, there’s a sample of another song in the background. This is very bad (don’t do this!), but I started searching for that sampled song while still driving. I couldn’t find it, but this incredibly came up, and I knew without any doubt, it was God singing to me (and to you, too!!!) through this opera song (and you know your girl doesn’t listen to any opera!):

“No more talk of darkness
Forget these wide-eyed fears
I’m here, nothing can harm you
My words will warm and calm you

Let Me be your freedom
Let daylight dry your tears
I’m here, with you, beside you
To guard you and to guide you

Say you need Me with you here, beside you
Anywhere you go, let Me go too
…that’s all I ask of you” – Andrew Lloyd Webber

This is the God I’ve come to know and love: HE SINGS TO ME!!! He’s pretty talkative once you get to know Him. Will you invite His Presence into your life?

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“NIKKI, GO AND HAVE AN APPOINTMENT WITH GOD!!!”__

That was advice the other day from my friend, Danny, when I called her extremely angry. We’re each others’ sounding boards when it comes to this marriage thing – it aint easy! She suggested I go and randomly pick a number from my book and see what God had to say to me about the situation. But at the time, I was so upset, I didn’t want to hear any of God’s positive advice!

Fast forward to that night, right before sleeping, I said, ‘OK, God, what do You have to say to me?’ I used the scroll button at the bottom of my phone to randomly select where to read from an electronic version. I couldn’t believe it when this incredibly showed up:

“THE BEST MARRIAGE ADVICE EVER…

… Focus on God! Respond to difficulties from a calmer, kinder, respectful, patient and more loving space, allowing God to direct you with His wisdom. Rest with God while He fights on your behalf!”

I’m talking DIRECTLY to that very page and title!!! No coincident! I felt like God Himself showed up to be with me and comfort me. Out of a book of 366 blog posts, I knew this was Him, again showing me His intimate involvement in every aspect of my life. You can’t beat God’s love!!!

So, what I’ve learned is that God has to be our first love. And all of our actions should be from a place of ‘God, what would YOU have me to do here?’ Not what crazy, angry lady wants to do. What would You have me to do?

Others will continually disappoint us. That’s life! But going to God and asking for His guidance and direction has really led my life on an amazing path. Not always easy, but when I look at the BIG picture, THIS IS THE GOOD LIFE WITH GOD. Don’t miss out! Start involving Him in EVERY decision you make always seeking to do the right, excellent and most loving thing. This is how He guides us on the best paths. Wink! Wink!

Dear Lord, grant us grace to stay faithful, loyal and committed to our families no matter the challenges we face. You wipe our slates clean every day. May we do the same for our loved ones. Amen.

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‘I GOTTA FEELING THAT TONIGHT’S GONNA BE A GOOD NIGHT’

That was my daughter, Julie, waking up yesterday morning singing this Black Eyed Peas song. We were to leave out early for church, but I felt God saying to complete my work for Him first (Yes, Boss!) and then go. After sending out my post, though, I felt I needed a little time alone with God out on a run around our neighborhood. I went to my music library to search for a song We (God and me) sing to each other, ‘I Gotta Be,’ but on top of the search was ‘I Gotta Feeling.’ I thought to myself, ‘Wasn’t that the song Julie woke up singing?’ So, I decided to play it instead, and oh my gosh, I had the best time running/dancing/singing like a crazy lady:

‘Look at her dancing… Party every day, p-p-p-party every day
And I’m feeling, woohoo
That tonight’s gonna be a good, good night’

Like this EXTREME HAPPINESS just came over me. I was jumping, dancing, and having myself THE BEST TIME. I know people must have thought, ‘This lady has lost her mind!’ But to see God take me from feeling so sad the other day to be out on that run so filled with love, excitement, joy and enthusiasm was nothing short of a complete miracle.

I’m so on to God! He uses disappointments, hurts, and wounds to open our eyes and see our lives from totally different perspectives. Looking at the BIG picture, I HAVE NOTHING TO COMPLAIN ABOUT. NOTHING TO BE SAD ABOUT. God has guided my life on a wonderful path and I will praise and thank Him all day long.

Yes, we all have our crosses to carry. I happily accept mines, knowing I don’t carry them alone. I give the heavy parts to God saying, ‘You carry this please!’ And I joyfully go on enjoying my life, looking to Him in every moment, continually asking, ‘God, what should I do here?’

Like my sister in law taught me, “You have to be deaf, dumb, and blind.” Otherwise, this life will drag us down and get us focused on the wrong things! We have to stay focused on God and what HE would have us to do. The world may be falling apart around us, but with our eyes on God, He can guide us through ANYTHING!!! LET’S JUST KEEP BEING OUR BEST EVERYDAY, ALL FOR HIS GLORY.

And that song was so on point – that night was a good, good night. My brother, Jason, came from the Bahamas and treated us to the best cooking we’ve had in a long time. I was so happy to see my daughters spending time laughing and learning how to cook from their uncle. God, thank You for my beautiful life.

THIS IS MY CONFIDENCE: GOD HASN’T FAILED ME YET

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‘GOD, WHY DO YOU CARE IF I AM SAD?’

I asked Him after He showed up for me at 1 am the other morning to comfort me. ‘Weren’t you concerned about your daughter the other day when she seemed a little upset about something?’ I felt Him reply through my spirit. God, I was.

And that’s the God I’ve come to know and love. He finds me in my weakest moments and picks me back up and says, ‘Come on, Nik, let’s keep going. I’m right here with you’ And knowing He is with me makes me invincible – too powerful to be defeated, baby. When I’m weak, God is my strength. I can, therefore, boast of my weaknesses because those are the times God’s power comes shining through and takes over. I can do all things with Him by my side! He makes me sincerely happy. No matter what the world thinks of us, our God loves, cares, and approves of us. We can hold our heads high, no matter the challenges coming our way!

He takes me through these sad times, though, to grow me up, mature, and teach me (and hopefully you) some crucial lessons. This time I felt He was teaching more about love – His kind of love. Love is not a feeling, it’s an ABILITY to go through difficult times and yet stay committed, going the extra mile in love and forgiveness, wiping he slates completely clean, and no looking back on the past. Got that?

I so loved an appointment with God where I was feeling so down on myself and God showed up saying:

“Even when you feel good for nothing, give Me this nothing. Didn’t I create with nothing.” – He and I

And when we turn to God in all our relationships for His guidance, He can turn any and every situation around for the better. There is nothing too difficult for Him!

I’m finding love to be like bread, you eat it up, and you have to keep remaking new loaves. When I first met my husband, he came to visit me in the Bahamas, and there was a song I played for him on the drive from the airport. That was 18 years ago this month, and I still believe every word:

“One… you’re like a dream come true…
_ Two… just wanna be with you…
_ Three… it’s plain to see that you’re the only one for me…
_ And four… repeat steps one through three…
_ Five… make you fall in love with me…
_ If ever I believe my work is done
_ Then I’ll start back at one” – Back at One, Brian McKnight

This goes for all our significant relationships!

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“AM I CRAZY?”

I asked my daughters last night on the way back home from seeing the movie Joker. I told them how I felt God’s Presence with me at 1 am when I was up feeling all sad and depressed the night before. I was listening to Rich Roll’s podcast, and he said, “No one gets out alive.” I remembered how my nephew Justin always used to say the same thing. Some minutes later, still unable to sleep, I said let me stop the podcast and see what God had to say to me in my own book that I published a couple of years ago. Unbelievably, this showed up:

“…since her son, Justin, always reminds us, “No one gets out alive!”

Believe it or not, this was God’s way of letting me know that His invisible Presence was there with me. He knows every thought we think! This is a book of 366 blog posts, so for me to simply continue reading from where I had last left off, to read that one, after listening to Rich Roll, was all lined up too perfectly to be some ordinary coincident. It was God wrapping His arms around me to comfort me and remind me that whatever I’m going through, He will always be with me.

What kind of a love is this? Too good to be true right? Before the movie, the girls and I got some beautiful inspirational bracelets, and the one got says, “I (God) am with you always.” Him showing up at 1 am to be with me was nothing new. In fact, I’m beginning to love hurts and disappointments because God always figures out some way to let me know He is with me.

The movie turned out to be the perfect selection. A song played, ‘That’s Life,’ by Frank Sinatra that said,

“Each time I find myself flat on my face (me yesterday)
I pick myself up and get back in the race”
And I thought, I must download it on my phone.
As soon as we got in the car, my daughter, Julie asked for my phone and next thing I knew, she was playing this very song loud in our car:

“That’s life (that’s life), that’s what all the people say
_ You’re ridin’ high in April, shot down in May
_ But I know I’m gonna change that tune
When I’m back on top, back on top in June”

I took it as another message from God for me. For my daughter to download and play this song from 1966, was His way of saying, ‘Nik, disappointments will come. That’s life. Now pick yourself back up and get back in the race. KNOWING I AM WITH YOU ALWAYS.’

Yes, Boss! Let the world around us just fall apart, my eyes are fixed on You!!! Heart to heart. Amen.

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“I NEED YOUR ADVICE ON SOMETHING PLEASE”

That was me calling for a friend for help deciding whether or not to cancel Netflix for my daughters. I couldn’t make up my mind because they’re such great girls, but at the same time, I’ve noticed how it’s becoming such a distraction. She gave me the perfect advice, “Allow them to watch during holiday times only.” Thanks, my girl!

Fast forward to that evening, God had something to say about it through our Office Manager, Martha. We were driving together, and I don’t even remember why, but out of the blue she remarkably said, “I’ve canceled my Netflix.” Wink! Wink! I couldn’t believe it. I told her how I called my friend all the way in Nigeria because this Netflix subscription was really bothering me. I took that as God Himself confirming, ‘Nik, Cancel Netflix.’ Mr. Netflix, we love you, but we’ll see you again soon, during the holidays!

That was another one of my God winks where everything lines up strangely too perfectly to be an ordinary coincident. God is pretty talkative once you get to know Him – START PAYING ATTENTION!!! That was no coincident! It was His loving way of helping me make a significant decision as well as remind me that He is always with me. How great is that? God’s Presence never leaves us. The school has moved the girls up to Honour level classes (proud momma here!), and I don’t want the TV to get them off track. Tough love! God is intimately involved in every aspect of our lives, just waiting for us to include Him. My phone screensaver still has this crucial message from Him:

“May your life be Mine-uninterruptedly Mine.”

God, a big YES! Will you also accept that invitation from Him? To invite Him to be with us through the good, bad and ugly as we hold His hand tightly, and resting on His heart?

“Have you discovered what hinders you from coming? Discover and destroy.” – He and I

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THIS IS A GREAT THING!!!

That was me encouraging my son, Emmie, after some “negative” comments at his parent-teacher conference today. I explained to him that we should THANK his teachers because they’ve told him how he could IMPROVE and hopefully become a better student and person. We’re not running from our weaknesses, and whenever we fall, we pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and we keep going, trying to become the ultimate best versions of ourselves. Woohoo!!!

And helping us GRANDLY in this endeavor: God. He knows the perfect experiences we each and uniquely need to help us become ALL He has created us to be. Like today I was out for another Thank You Run (mostly walk!) with Him around our beautiful neighborhood here in sunny South Florida. I first thanked Him for EVERYTHING, and then I called my hubby saying, “Thank you that I get to live this great life with you and for being the best husband and dad ever.” It was such a positive experience where I was reminded of all the good in my life that I might sometimes take for granted.

It’s a far cry from an awful situation that I described as my worst day ever, but even with that, I got to see the hands of a wonderful, caring God who knew I needed to go through it. He showed up asking me to forgive, and I’m so thankful that I was obedient to Him. NOTHING TOPS GOD!!! His ways are not our ordinary human ways, they’re so much better. He lovingly guides us on the paths to the best lives. The times when I’ve asked Him, ‘God, why me?’ are the very times He changes the trajectory of my entire life for the better. He knows what He’s doing! Trust me on that!

These awful times give me such a new perspective, crucial lessons, and they especially bring me closer to God. To know He is so intimately involved in my affairs, melts away all my sadness and anxieties. The world might be falling apart around me, still, I just tightly hold on to His hands, keep my eyes fixed on Him, constant recalibrate and readjust myself based on current circumstances, and I roll with it, listening to God in every moment as to what He would have me to do. God’s girl, baby! Are you His?

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It’s like a wilderness experience I’m on right now. Away from hubs, sons, and a very comfortable life in Nigeria, but oh so so so much closer to God. The sweet life with Him just got astonishingly sweeter. I’m feeling His intimate Presence everywhere I go.

Like yesterday, we had an appointment with a customer to purchase a car from us. I told them that I would personally like to test drive it. I jump in the car and the song on the radio made me cry. I felt immediately, through my spirit, God saying this was a message from Him to me (and now you!!!):

“Standing here beside you
Want so much to give you
This love in My heart that I’m feeling for you
Let ’em say we’re crazy, I don’t care about that
Put your hand in my hand baby
Don’t ever look back
Let the world around us just fall apart
Baby we can make it if we’re heart to heart
And we can build this dream together
Standing strong forever
Nothing’s gonna stop us now
And if this world runs out of lovers
We’ll still have each other
Nothing’s gonna stop us
now
I’m so glad I found you
I’m not gonna lose you
Whatever it takes I will stay here with you
Take it to the good times
See it through the bad times
Whatever it takes is what I’m gonna do”

And can you believe God confirmed that this was indeed a message from Him. Right after returning from that test drive, I downloaded this song on my phone: ‘NOTHING’S GONNA STOP US NOW.’ I then had an appointment with God, reading my book from where I had last left off to incredibly this:

“In fact, on the drive to the meeting that morning, I was happy. I sang a song on the radio to God: “Your love pours down on me, surrounds me like a waterfall. AND THERE’S NO STOPPING US RIGHT NOW, I feel so close to you right now.” – Calvin Harris, Feel So Close “

Off all the books, and of all the pages, for me to read those words after feeling so intensely that God had just spoken them to me, was His way of saying, ‘Nik, yes, that was Me in that song you just heard on the radio. AND THERE’S NO STOPPING US RIGHT NOW’

And with a love like that, I just want to be about being the person God has called me to be. Every moment asking, God, what would You have me to do here?

It’s not always easy, let me tell ya! I was telling someone today how I would be so mad at my husband that I didn’t want to sleep in the same bed as him, but with one glance at God, I knew what He would have me to do. I would then sleep on the very, very edge of the bed, as far away from him as possible. LOL! But this guidance from God has brought me on such a beautiful path. I called hubs the other day asking, “How’s the best baby daddy and husband in the world doing?” He truly has earned my love and respect. Nobody’s perfect! God, thanks for being the world’s best INFLUENCER! Don’t know where I would be without You!

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WHEN WE STOP FUSSING AND START TRUSTING… (REPOST)

…we’ll be able to see that God is more deeply at work in our lives than we ever imagined.”

He reminded me of this one day when I was filled with anxious thoughts about the future. Despite having reminded myself that God hasn’t let me down yet, I still doubted Him. That was until He had me pull a magazine, Activated, from my laptop bag, which had incredibly been there for almost a year, but I never got a chance to read it until that day. There I read a perfect message from Him:

“When God led the children of Israel through the desert, they didn’t have a map or a compass or a smartphone with built-in GPS telling them when to turn. They didn’t even know where they were going. All they knew was that they were supposed to leave Egypt.

… As they obeyed and followed God, He took care of them. When they ran into a dead-end at the Red Sea, He opened a road for them right through the water. When they were hungry, He dropped food from the sky. When they were thirsty, He poured water from a rock. When they didn’t know which way to go, He put a cloud in front of them to lead the way.

Yet even after all that, they still doubted God. I never understood why; it was obvious God had been with them all along. Why would they question His abundance and care after He showed them again and again what He was capable of? But then, I do the same thing. God has never failed to provide for me and guide my life, and yet I still end up fretting when the future isn’t clearly mapped out.

Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV) tells us to, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding: in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” Even if everything is dark ahead, if you feel like you’re in a fog (totally me that day!) and you don’t know which way to go, if you acknowledge God, if you turn to Him, He will guide you. He will keep you on the right track and bring you through to your personal promised land.”

How God planned for me to have that magazine on that very day I needed to hear that message from Him so badly is so beyond me and my brain’s capabilities.

Dear God, may we trust You with all our heart. Amen.

KEEP CALM—YOU’RE ROLLING WITH GOD