‘GOD THIS IS HARD!!!’ (REPOST)

That has been me to God a lot lately. But God has such a great sense of humor because, in one of my appointments with Him, He took me back to this old post from January when I sent this text to my daughters after running for two and a half miles to Starbucks:

“Made it. Let’s do HARD THINGS this year for God.”

And now that the hard things are here for me to do, I’m like, ‘God, what is this?!? I didn’t want it to be this hard!’ LOL! But, I love how I have this relationship with Him where we can have fun with each other. I say no problem, God, when the going gets tough, the tough (ME!!!) gets going. I got this handled! I know that this difficult and sometimes overwhelming stuff I have to deal with is God’s way of challenging me to be better, training me as an athlete to be stronger (mentally, physically, spiritually, and emotionally). God, let’s do this! I’m a soldier in God’s army, baby!

I know I will come through it happier, more mature, more disciplined, more focused, and more at peace. You can’t beat God’s school of HARD LESSONS! It’s a constant struggle and a strong fight to be this person who I know He is calling me to be, but that’s the challenge for us all: For God to be or Guide of our hearts and to make some super tough decisions from His GOD IS LOVE perspective. He wants to remove the weeds from our hearts like bitterness, envy, jealousy, hate, greed, selfishness, temptations, evil thoughts, anger, doing and saying hurtful things and replace them with mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience bearing with and forgiving each other, clothing ourselves ALWAYS in love. Phew! Did you get all of that?

SUPER HARD, I KNOW!!! But that’s where the PRACTICE, PRACTICE, and more PRACTICE comes in. Looking to God in every moment and seeking to please Him. With all the training from Him, we’ll have a heart and mind filled with His love, joy, and Presence knowing He is our intimate life Partner and Guide.

Everything is between God and us, not between us and anyone else – His BLESSINGS amaze me. A strong run today with my daughters had me going crazy over His love. Those who hope in God will not be disappointed! AMEN!!! Hard stuff here, but we can do all things through Him who strengthens us! Amen.

WEROLLWITHGOD.COM

“GET A JOB!!!”

That’s been me to my daughter, Ember, for about a month! She’s an exceptional university student, but I wanted her to also have experience working (tiger mom!). “Let’s maximize this time in New York,” I lovingly harass her. Finally, God put it in my spirit to leave her alone and be patient with her. So, she called me this week so excited, saying, “Mom, I got a job!” Not only did she get a job, she believes it is precisely where God wants us.

This God wink started before Ember even began university! Whenever we both would see the numbers 11 and 7 together, we would take it as a special wink from God that He is revealing His invisible Presence with us. We get to Ember’s university for the first time, and these two huge signs are directly outside the entrance saying “117!” Guys, such peace came over me feeling those signs were God Himself saying He would be there with her. Even when Ember wanted to transfer, I strongly said, “That’s the university God has placed you in, so until we hear from Him, you’re not doing any transfer.”

So fast forward to her getting the job this week. Can you believe the same “117” signs are outside her new job? She felt so loved by God! Like God Himself again revealed His Presence with her, giving her a special wink and saying, ‘Yes, Ember, this is where I would like you to work.’

I had a great talk with Ember yesterday, explaining where her crazy momma has been getting it wrong. I’ve been looking too much to my husband for his love and approval, and God has been saying, ‘Nik, I love and approve of you, and that’s enough, my sweetie.’ I told Ember not to play around with her relationship with God – we need Him!!! God placed those signs at Ember’s job for me, too! Reminding me just how intimately He is involved in every aspect of my life and every worry – including parenting! God, I will sing of Your love forever! From generation to generation!

But God really blew me away yesterday when I went all crazy in my video saying how He revealed His Presence to me through a Facebook reel that appeared on my feed of a Justin Bieber’s live performance of him singing his song ‘Purpose.’ Just an hour or so before this, Lillian, my videographer, commented that I had found my PURPOSE (sharing this great news with you guys!) So, if you read these posts, you would know I am a huge Justin Bieber fan, and just the day before this I was running around our home singing this very song, Purpose.

For our anniversary yesterday, I celebrated with our staff some small Nigerian snacks, and I called one of our staff that I saw coming my way inside to have some of the cupcakes. Of all the songs in the entire world, he was playing at that very moment the very song ‘Purpose’ by Justin Bieber. No one can possibly say that this was a coincidence. It was all perfectly orchestrated and timed by God Himself to let me know how much He loves me and how closely He is involved in every second of my life.

That’s the peace you cannot buy! KNOWING THAT GOD HIMSELF IS ALWAYS WITH YOU! Forget chasing love from other people; God’s arms are wide open to welcome and receive us at every moment – that’s the love we need for our lives!!! I now continually ask this better than best husband, “How much does this wife love you?!?” The answer always being “Infinity (can’t put a value on it!) percent!” He is my kind of perfect! Like my brother, Kevin, wisely put it, “Neeks, your husband respects you, takes care of his family, and there is nothing more you can ask for other than that!’ God even sent me a wise brother/angel to be the guide rails of my life so I don’t mess up! (HUGE SMILE)

As soon as you wake up, have your appointments with God!!!! GOD EXISTS!!! Make this your year to get closer to HIM!

“IF THE SAME PERSON HAS HURT YOU OVER AND OVER AND OVER AGAIN…

…If the same person betrayed me. The same person hurt me. If the same person just continues to reject me over and over again, he or she could be an instrument of the enemy to destroy you.” – Pastor James Edwards

I loved this from a Facebook reel yesterday! I loved it because that’s his take, but my take is entirely the opposite. That person, he or she, has been sent by God to MAKE us, not break us! (Wink! Wink!) I agree with Jesus, “If your enemy is hungry, feed them.” Welcome them! These people have been sent as gifts from God Himself to help us become all that He has created us to be – stronger, wiser, braver, bolder, more loving, more grateful, and most importantly, bring us closer to God! HEEHAW!!!

Yesterday, I had the most beautiful conversations with my brother, Kevin, and his wife, Verona. I was thanking Kevin that I was in Nigeria with my husband and our two sons were there with us because, in my lowest moments, Kevin has been there holding my hands, helping me to stay strong, and giving me the best advice. Like the day his only response was, “Neeks, get closer to God. Make Him your top priority!” I ran with that advice, and the most unexpected thing happened: GOD HAS TURNED MY MOURNING TO JOY!!! I’m back celebrating every day like a birthday! What was meant to destroy me, God used it for my good!!! Thank you, pain. Thank you, betrayals. Thank you, hurts.

And that’s my advice to you today: LET’S USE ALL THE BAD THAT COME OUR WAY FOR OUR GOOD by using them to up our relationship with God. Kevin said that life WILL throw ten thousand punches at us, no one gets away (so don’t be surprised by them – they’re coming!), but eventually, you will become numb to the hits.

David Goggins taught me that people will hurt you until you decide they can no longer hurt you. He said you form callouses (tough, hard, thickened area that forms over a wound while healing) so that nothing can penetrate through to harm you. DON’T LET THE OFFENCES COME INSIDE OF YOU. DON’T GET BITTER; GET BETTER, AND GET CLOSER TO GOD.

THE MORE GOD IN YOUR LIFE, THE BETTER YOUR LIFE! Present everything to Him, asking for His perspective! God, what is this hurt to teach me? The reason why I call Kevin for advice is that he is pretty wise. He CONSTANTLY told me, “Neeks, enjoy your gorgeous life!” I can honestly do that because all the hits I’ve taken have brought your girl here extremely close to God’s heart, where I know He is with me, for me, and by my side. NO GREATER LOVE THAN THIS!!!

After sharing everywhere like a crazy lady a picture of Ceri, my God influencer, with a caption: LOVE GOD AND LOVE EACH OTHER, feeling so strongly that this really is the way to an extraordinary life, I go to have an appointment with God with my husband the following day and the very verse Ceri was referring to showed up. Of all the verses in the entire Bible, for that specific one to show up was God revealing another glimmer of His Presence with me. That’s the intimate love and attention God shows me. He tells me which of Ceri’s messages to listen to, even what to share with my husband in our appointments together. Every aspect and moment of my life has become a beautiful collaboration with God. Don’t miss out! Make this your year to get closer to God where you’re tapping into His love, strength, and wisdom on a moment-by-moment basis! I don’t want to be this close to Him by myself! (HUGE SMILE)

GOD HAS SENT AN ENTIRE TEAM OF ANGELS TO SUPPORT ME!!!

That’s the love I’m experiencing from God! Like our family friend, Ceri (in the pic!), who I call my God influencer because I’m learning so much from him about God (HUGE SMILE). He calms my mind and keeps me focused on God and GOD’S PATH for my life. Ceri is seriously helping me to be happier, more loving, wiser, trusting God more, courageous, and a better wife, mom, and person (even coaches need coaches!). God even whispers to me the messages from Ceri He would have me listen to! Like a recording from over a year ago from Ceri was my personal message from God yesterday:

“And I’ll read from Philippians 3:13-14 and it says,

“No, dear brothers and sisters, I have not achieved it, but I focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead, I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us.”

Today, I am grateful for a new year AND I’M GRATEFUL FOR WHATEVER LIES AHEAD. Something that stood out to me what Paul said in this particular verse when he’s speaking of the Philippians was he said, “but I focus on one thing: forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead.” He didn’t say that he had amnesia and forgot about the past, he said but I FOCUS on one thing. That means that he actually took his time and dedicated his time. When you focus on something, you put all your time and energy into that. That’s what focus is like, when you actually focus on something you have tunnel vision toward it.

When we have plans, goals, dreams, we have to focus on it. We have to tunnel vision that! We have to remember that our past doesn’t determine who we are. Our past just is something that we live, it’s a process that we went through. It’s what lies ahead that matters, and the decisions we make today will determine how our future lies ahead, not our past. Our choices today cannot affect our past. What’s done has already been done, but the decisions that we make today, is what will affect tomorrow. And I think that that’s one of the messages that Paul was trying to get through to us in these particular verses.

Another thing what he said that I must highlight is “I press on to reach the end of the race and receive the Heavenly prize for which God through Christ Jesus is calling us.” That Heavenly prize is to live with him and obeying his word. But most importantly, following these two Commandments that I always stress: love God and love each other. That’s it. Love God and love each other.

It’s so important for us that while we’re focusing, to remember those two things because they will determine today what our tomorrow is like by loving God and loving each other. We focus on them. Go ahead towards our goals. Head in the direction of our goals, but keep those two things at the center of our life – His Commandments: loving Him and loving each other. That will help to determine how good of a future we have, which will carry us to our Heavenly prize for which God through Christ Jesus is calling us.”

Honestly, following this advice from Ceri of loving God and loving others has led me to a beautiful destination! Thanks, bruh! I love my life and I’m GRATEFUL FOR WHAT LIES AHEAD, AS I FOCUS ON LOVING GOD AND OTHERS. (Wink! Wink!)

GOD LOVES ME IN EXCESS!!!

That’s my testimony, baby! He has placed around me so many angels. Like my YouTuber, Anita Sirene, who gives me CLEAR, CLEAR messages from Him. I’ve been replaying repeatedly her latest video, ‘Your April Prediction,’ feeling blown away by God’s love and comforted knowing that He is aware of EVERYTHING going on in my life. God is very talkative once you have ears to hear Him, and Ainta had so many positive messages from God to deliver personally to me. His love, let me tell ya, is too much!

Like I wrote this in a recent post: “I was talking with my brother, Kevin, a short while ago. I told him how his WISDOM EMPOWERS ME SO I CAN EMPOWER THE ENTIRE WORLD with everything I’m learning from him.” Anita incredibly says in this video,

“This is such a positive time for you in your life in April because God is showing you how He’s going to use you to give service to other people. And I feel like the way God is going to use you as a tool to serve humanity is being made crystal clear to you because each one of us…have a special strength that has the ability to benefit others…Your energy also has the ability to MAKE PEOPLE FEEL MORE EMPOWERED (Wink! Wink!) and more confident…

Your energy, it makes people feel good. And the way in which it makes people feel good is it makes them feel safe. It makes them feel protected. It makes them feel cared for. Just by being in your energy, other people feel more empowered, more brave, and more courageous. Simply by being around you because you have to remember that moods are contagious… States of being are contagious. And the contagious energy you give off to other people… give people a sense of empowerment. They feel more brave and less scared. That’s why people like being around you, and when they’re around you, they instantly feel happy. They instantly get a hit of dopamine. They instantly get cheered up.”

Can you believe God would go to that great length to confirm my conversation with Kevin through Anita. Even to go as have her use my very word to him – “Empower.” Told y’all, our God is pretty talkative! And everything she said was spot on! Forget you guys, I go back and reread my old posts or watch old videos of myself, and I’m instantly cheered up. No shame, I would be in the worst mood, and I run to our family’s website, werollwithgod.com, and I’m instantly EMPOWERED to take on my life. This life is hard, and the reminders that God is with us at every moment give me the courage to keep going no matter my troubles. THE JOY OF THE LORD IS OUR STRENGTH. He is with us, for us, and by our sides!

DON’T MISS OUT ON THE BEST LIFE WITH GOD, where we find true joy, the greatest love of all (God’s love!), contentment no matter the situation, the peace you cannot buy, and pure gratitude for everything – even the bad! WE MAY LOSE EVERYTHING AND EVERYONE, BUT WE WILL NEVER LOSE GOD!!! Thanks, Anita, for all my messages from God through you!!! May all our lives bring glory to God!

“NIK, WHY WOULD YOU GO TO NIGERIA TO BE WITH YOUR HUSBAND IF HE DOESN’T WANT YOU THERE?”


That was the question someone asked me a few months ago, and my answer was simple: I MUST OBEY GOD. Fast forward to today, I’m thanking God for being the guard rails of my life (Every time I go the wrong way, He turns me back around!). When the world and the devil would tell me to give up that it made no sense, God kept telling me to give everything instead by being the best wife, mom, and person, doing everything for His glory. Thank God for God! I can’t stop talking about His deep, deep love and intimate involvement in our lives!! DO EVERYTHING TO THE BEST OF YOUR ABILITIES (OBEY GOD!!!) AND LEAVE THE REST WITH HIM!!! Wink! Wink! Nothing is too difficult for God!

That’s why I will continue to preach this great news: THE BEST LIFE IS A LIFE CLOSE TO GOD! God sees the bigger picture! He knows the beginning, middle, and end and why He is our best advisor.

Can you believe that the very person who asked me that question asked me to now speak to their girlfriend for them? I explained to her that this marriage thing was no joke. I told her how my brother, Kevin, told me to stay in the ring and take the 10,000 punches, and I’m so happy for his advice because of the love that I now feel for my husband, I would take a million punches. Kevin explained that you should just be sure that the person you are accepting the punches from is worth taking the punches for. Hubs has honestly earned my deepest love, respect, and appreciation. God has opened my eyes to how blessed I am to have him (nobody’s perfect! We must keep forgiving others the way God forgives us). My cross to carry has now become my gift from God. I bury the little bad against all his overwhelming good.

How that all happened is nothing short of a complete miracle – the hurts became love. In my darkest moments, I kept running to God and step by step, moment by moment, He has lovingly guided me. Even everyone is asking Kevin why he kept advising me to stay based on everything that was going on. Still, luckily Kevin also had the wisdom to see the bigger picture, too. He would say, “Neeks, you have a husband who respects you, takes good care of you and your family, and there is nothing more you can ask other than that. Enjoy your gorgeous life.”

Kevin’s advice of making God our number one priority and focus remains the best advice ever in my books. Like I told this person yesterday, MAKE SURE YOU HAVE CONSTANT CONVERSATIONS WITH GOD ABOUT WHO TO MARRY!!! I know God Himself put me and hubs together, so even when things got difficult, I knew that this was the husband God Himself put me with. That meant sticking with the vows I made before God and the world: For better or worse, til death do us part! Even in the darkest hours, I kept my hope in God that light was still shining beyond the dark clouds.

To my better-than-best husband, may we continue to be this couple in the world on God’s behalf. Our marriage was ordained in heaven by God Himself to reflect what true marriage is supposed to be. So help us, God.

“NEEKS, I WANT YOU TO TELL EVERYONE TO ENJOY THEIR LIVES!!!”
That was the perfect advice from my brother, Kevin, and I ended up overly enjoying the most delicious roasted fish and FRIED yams for dinner last night. But can you believe God showed up a few hours later saying He wanted me to enjoy my life too when, in an appointment with my son, Joshie, reading our Jesus Calling Devotional For Kids, God had this to say:

“Laughing at Troubles

She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come. – Proverbs 31:25

Learn to laugh at yourself and at the world. Instead of getting bogged down in the mud of worry and fear, laugh and be happy because I AM BY YOUR SIDE. Just as parents delight in the laughter of their children, so I delight in hearing you laugh. I feel happy when you trust Me enough to ENJOY YOUR LIFE (Wink! Wink!).

Like God Himself approved of me enjoying my fried yam, y’all! LOL! That’s why these alone times with God are so crucial to us living our best lives with Him! I was back stalking my God influencer, Ceri, (NO SHAME! He is giving me the God perspective I need to take on my life!) In one of his old recordings (I call them vintage Ceri), he gave us why we can enjoy our lives: GOD GOT US!!! (Wink! Wink!) Here’s Ceri:

“I’ve been going through a lot for the past week, more than a week, but this last week has been pretty intense–physically, mentally, and emotionally. WE ALL WILL FACE TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS (Like Kevin also mentioned, no one is immune from troubles-life WILL throw 10,000 punches our way!), and I found myself deep in the Psalms. Reading all these Psalms and looking at what David went through. But I stopped last night, put my Psalms down, decided to get on my knees, and prayed.

I told God I didn’t want to pray for anything other than just to thank Him. Thanks for everything. Thanks for gifting me with life. Thanks for my family. Thanks for being able to just be here. Thanks through the midst of all these things that are going on around me–the city burning–but still, thanks for being able to watch it. (Wow! Now that’s a great perspective!)

This kind of calmness came about me, where I felt more at peace than I did saying all those Psalms and other prayers I used for strength and protection.

So, my advice this morning is that sometimes, let’s just stop and give God thanks and praise. I’m not saying we don’t pray for protection and peace, but sometimes just pray and just tell God thanks. Because through all of these things we’re going through, it does forge us in the fire and it does allow us to come up even more resilient than we were when we went inside. Cast these troubles on Him. Allow him to take the burden. Allow him to take it because when I told Him thanks last night, I woke up with that refreshing clean feeling. Like okay, I don’t have nothing else to worry about. God got this! So, IN ALL THINGS, I just want to give God thanks and give God praise.

I’m with you, Ceri! God, THANK YOU!!!! (HUGE SMILE)

DON’T MISS OUT ON THIS STRONG, STRONG LOVING FROM GOD!!!

My mom didn’t like the title of yesterday’s post: ‘Going Through Hell With A Smile’ – “You’re not going through any hell! You have a beautiful life!” I do! I do! I do! I love my life where I told someone yesterday how I eat one cooked meal a day, and I enjoy that meal like it’s my birthday every day (the blessings of God!) But what I explained to mom is that even in this gorgeous life I have, some moments are not so pretty, and that’s where the crucial God perspective comes in so that WE CAN STILL HOLD OUR HEADS HIGH AND SMILE DESPITE THE TROUBLES AND STORMS THAT COME OUR WAY, KNOWING GOD HIMSELF IS WITH US. HeeHaw!

I was talking with my brother, Kevin, a short while ago. I told him how his wisdom empowers me so I can empower the entire world with everything I’m learning from him. Like in that awful moment, I’ve written so much about when he said, “Neeks, all I can tell you is get closer to God. Make God your priority!” Now, I’m on this mission to bring the entire world closer to God with me. I don’t want you guys to just know about God, I want you guys to have a personal relationship with Him where you know you have individual access to God every moment (His wisdom, love, help, support, favor, approval, strength, and generosity!)

Take for example a very hurtful (HELL) moment I had to deal with some months ago. The crazy lady was ready to come out swinging, but with one glance at God, I knew what it was He, and Kevin would have me to do (Kevin is in my head, y’all!). Neek, check the emotions because they will take you nowhere. Don’t crazily react, but wisely respond. Life is not checkers where you rapidly make moves. It’s chess where you strategize 4 to 5 moves ahead. So, I calmed down and asked this important question that I’ve stolen from Pastor Drew of the Bel Air church:

“Jesus (God), what is your perspective on every moment of my life? Every relationship. Every decision. Every circumstance. And how can I enter into it to glorify you.”

“Your girl swallowed that hurt, put on a fake smile, and did what she needed to do!” The next move was to take Kevin’s advice again. I didn’t get bitter, I got closer to God. I began doing my morning runs to my God tree in the dark! Romans 8:28: what is meant for my harm, God will use it for my good! GOD WILL USE YOUR ENEMIES TO BLESS YOU!

Please take Kevin’s and Pastor Drew’s advice by praying for a closer walk with God and continually asking:

“Jesus (God), what is your perspective on every moment of my life? Every relationship. Every decision. Every circumstance. And how can I enter into it to glorify you.”

This is how He guides us on the best paths for our lives! Being obedient to God is where the blessings are! (Wink! Wink!) THE GOD PERSPECTIVE CHANGES EVERYTHING! Make sure you have alone times with God by listening or reading anything spiritual that will bring you closer to Him! And don’t worry about all your mistakes and failures of the past; OUR GOD LOVES US UNCONDITIONALLY!!! No situation too difficult for Him, either! Kevin’s advice today was to put everything in God’s hands: BE STILL AND KNOW THAT HE IS GOD!!!

“GOING THROUGH HELL WITH A SMILE!”

That’s where I want us all, that no matter the situation, the challenges, the difficulties, the frustrations, the hurts, the disappointments, and the stresses we face, we can walk with our heads extremely high, KNOWING that God, the Creator of the entire universe, will NEVER leave us or forsake us. It’s just for us to tap into His wisdom, strength, help, support, favor, generosity, love, approval, peace, joy, courage, and boldness to tackle our lives CONFIDENTLY with God as our intimate Partner and Guide on this beautiful adventure called life. GOD IS THE MEANING OF OUR COMPOSURE!!! HEEHAW!!!

“Don’t bother me, and I won’t bother you!” That was the deal with my sons yesterday because they don’t like me disturbing them when they’re playing their games, and I don’t like them asking me to cook (I ain’t that momma!). But my son Joshie kept coming to give me these long hugs and kisses the entire day. That made me extra grateful to God for His INTIMATE love and guidance for making yesterday possible. I kept thinking back to a question someone asked me some months ago. It really didn’t make sense, humanly speaking, what I wanted to do, but I was so happy I remained committed to obedience to God. Fast forward to this morning, that very conversation with that person showed up in my alone time with God (God knows every thought we think!)

“… disagreed with me on some plans, but I explained to him that I must be obedient to God. Even when He asks difficult things of me. I truly want to be EXTRA like Nora said in going the EXTRA mile in love, patience, kindness, loyalty, forgiveness, excellence, and being obedient to God and what He would have me do on a moment-by-moment basis. Kelly said to me, “Nikki, it is very clear that God has placed many angels around you to support you.” So, I want to be a walking billboard for this God who does EXTRA for me, reflecting His unconditional love by being His representative in the world, overcoming evil with LOTS OF GOOD, so help me, God! I promise you, a life guided by God CANNOT fail.”

I keep asking myself why I’m sticking with running these 3.11 miles every day (yesterday was supper rough!), but my running Coach, Angela, from the Nike Running Club app explained that the running wasn’t really about the run, but taking the lessons from our runs into our lives. Your girl who struggles to complete that run is being trained by God Himself on ENDURANCE, DOING HARD THINGS, and going the extra mile even when it’s rugged and tough, KNOWING GOD IS WITH US IN EVERY MOMENT, PROVIDING US WITH HIS SPECIAL STRENGTH TO KEEP GOING DESPITE HOW SITUATIONS MAY SEEM. Then, learning to find the joy and purpose in it all, AS WE DO THE BEST OF OUR ABILITIES OF WHATEVER GOD ASKS OF US, THEN TRUSTING GOD TO HANDLE THE REST! Wink! Wink! God, thank You for this lesson of endurance! The runs will continue!

WE CAN DO ALL THINGS THROUGH HIM WHO STRENGTHENS US.

“I’M A PROFESSIONAL DRINKER!”

That was from someone who amazed me yesterday. He astonishingly knew the alcohol content of some alcoholic beverages off the top of his head. I was Googling to see if he was correct, and incredibly, he was!!! He was advising my 90-year-old mom to drink a little when she was feeling stressed, but I told him my way of handling stress was best, though – I run to God!!! NOTHING BETTER THAN THIS!!!

Like so many times under my God tree, I would call my brother, Kevin, so frazzled and crazy. I would get nudges from God to call Kevin, and I would listen for his take on the current dilemmas of my life. Kevin has a gift of wisdom, and we’ve agreed, looking back on everything, that it’s God speaking to me through him. He would blow me away with his deep responses that would come so quickly. One day he said something like, “Neeks, right now you are like a boxer. You will get knocked in the head 10,000 times, but eventually, you will become numb to the pain. Stay in the ring and keep fighting.” Today I asked him, “WHO ADVISES SOMEONE TO TAKE TEN THOUSAND PUNCHES?” His response was this:

“Life WILL throw you 10,000 punches, my sister. The wise person will expect them and not be surprised when they come. A wise person will also know who is worth taking the punches for!”

Wow! That’s the real-life perspective I love from Kevin. I’m happy I took his advice, even though the world might call me foolish. Someone asked me today, “How are Emmie and Joshie (my sons!)?” My response was this, “I’m enjoying them!” Yesterday I dragged them out to work with us, and I put them with the cleaning crew. I SUCKED THE ENJOYMENT OUT OF EVERY SECOND. I WAS MORE GRATEFUL THAN EVER TO KEVIN FOR ENCOURAGING ME TO STAY IN THE RING. Words can’t express my gratitude to Kevin, and his faithful, ride-or-die wife, Verona, who have become one of my inspirational couples to keep giving our best for our families. Our families are worth fighting for, and it’s our essential work from God Himself! Let’s do it all for the glory of God!

When the punches got a little harder to take, God, in all His love, sent me our family friend, Ceri, who repeatedly talked in some daily recordings about listening and being obedient to God. In fact, he said the MOST IMPORTANT THING WAS BEING OBEDIENT TO GOD (That’s where our blessings are (Wink! Wink!) He also added in Biblical passages on unconditionally loving others the way God loves us. With God’s mercy and grace every morning we wake up to, we’re to share it with others.

And about those 10,000 punches that life WILL throw at us! I want us living life with one foot on earth and the other foot in heaven, where we’re having constant conversations with God Himself from one moment to the next (God, what do I do here?!? Talking more with God than with anyone else!). He is with us and for us! But to obey God, we must know His voice and what He directs us to do.

How exactly do you know what God is advising you to do? PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE!!! Like me listening to Kevin’s tough advice and following through with them and eventually seeing how well things have worked out because I listened. It’s the same with God. His voice becomes more evident as I practice listening and He always leads me on the best path.

God is pretty talkative!!! So moment by moment, as I’m in the world, I listen to what God is saying, even as I’m speaking to someone else, I’m listening to God on how to respond. Sometimes He speaks to me in my spirit (something would just light up within me that I know it’s God), or He would say to call someone like, Kevin, or go and have an alone time with Him in such and such a place, including my fav meditation book, Jesus Calling.

The key is to be receptive to Him in all the ways He speaks that are unique to each of us. It’s up to us whether or not we want to follow Him or go through life without Him (I don’t recommend this route!) As for me, I’m sticking with my favorite verses in the entire Bible:

“Trust God from the bottom of your heart (GOD, ALL MY TRUST IS IN YOU!!!);
don’t try to figure out everything on your own.
LISTEN FOR GOD’S VOICE IN EVERYTHING YOU DO, EVERYWHERE YOU GO;
he’s the one who will keep you on track.” – Proverbs 3:5-6

God is an expert in everything, and His ways are always best! Don’t miss out! Walk with Him in every moment! (Wink! Wink!)