That was me to my brother, Kevin, today! He shares wisdom with me that I can pass on to you guys! Sharing is caring! So, the gift we want to share today is for you guys to make decisions from the crucial God perspective, continually asking, “God, how can I please you here?” Obeying God and leaving the consequences with Him! Trust us, God’s ways are not our ordinary human ways; they are so much better. God is not only an expert in everything, but He is behind the scenes at work on our behalf in the spiritual realm. NOT learning His voice and NOT following His leading is NOT wise! Wink! Wink!

Like this relationship with Kevin, as my guru/adviser, began over three years ago when my husband called to report something I had done to him (your girl was a terror then!). When I called Kevin back to give our family’s response, he said, “Nikki, forget this foolishness you and your husband are fighting about!” He told me to focus on more important matters.

See the wisdom in all that? Life is full of distractions that will take us away from what’s important. The schemes of the devil! And if we’re not careful, we waste precious time and energy fighting the wrong battles that take us away from living our best lives and God’s plans for us before we were even born.

For example, your girl here has wasted too much time and energy on tracking and monitoring my husband (COMPLETE WASTE OF TIME AND ENERGY!!!!). But when you know better, hopefully, you do better. The new Nik is focused, man! I have my daughters, that will both soon be off to university in New York, by the grace of God, that still need momma to be their guard rails, along with my nephew Duro, who is doing exceptionally well on his internship with Amazon. Now, the same time and energy that I put into them has to be put into my sons. Emmie made me so proud in that he almost made all A’s except for one B in the school they attended this year in the US. Joshie gets the award for most improved how he adjusted himself after the school sent a letter saying he may have to repeat 6th grade. That’s how we do, boo! We may fall a million times, but we get up a million and one.

And this better than best husband needs my support with our businesses more than ever. He spoils me, and it’s my time to spoil him by showing up on his behalf as the better version of a wise wife (Wifey 2.0!). To sometimes pretend I don’t see what I see or hear what I hear and free him to live his best life, as I live my best life as God’s superstar. That’s wisdom!

As Kevin taught me, as long as Manny (hubby) is taking care of his family, he respects you; there is nothing more you can ask. Just keep it respectful, boo, or the crazy lady will show up like she did that day you had to call Kevin for me! Believe it or not, God teaches me the same thing as Kevin, to be ignorant as if I’m deaf and blind, even mute, as He tells me to keep SILENT and vent to Him! God, anything to please You, let us learn as you give more than I can imagine! May we all be peacemakers, forgiving plenty and loving extravagantly, especially in our homes!

This morning, I was headed back home from touching my God tree, where I try to go every day to see what He has to say to me there. On the way back, I thought of someone I spoke with two days ago. In my mind, I was thanking them for their honesty and great advice. At that precise moment, I looked up, and that very person I was thinking of was directly walking ahead of me on the cross street! Wow! That lined up extremely too perfectly to be some ordinary coincidence! Even the God Maniac here was blown away by that one! (HUGE SMILE)

I tried calling them, but they didn’t hear me, so I ran and caught up with them, telling them how I was just thinking of them and what they said in our last conversation, and they suddenly appeared. No coincidence, but a God wink that He is intimately involved in my life and incredibly knows everything about me, including every thought, I think! To have that person lined up so perfectly was just God again revealing His invisible Presence REMINDING ME THAT HE IS IN COMPLETE CONTROL OF EVERYTHING AND EVERYONE!!! Come to think of it, maybe He was the One who placed that thought in my head. It is one of the ways He communicates with us – through our thoughts.

So, I walked with this person for a bit, then headed back home. I noticed a speed limit sign with the number 30 on it. I felt God in my spirit (a strong nudge/feeling) saying I should go to page 30 of our family’s website for an appointment with Him there as I walked back home. I couldn’t believe what was there at the very top of the page! It was a story from over two years ago that I started to write and tell you guys about TWICE yesterday in my post, but deleted it both times, feeling it wasn’t the message God wanted me to reshare that day. For me to just see that sign saying “30” and to go there on our family’s website to see this very story on the top of page “30” was God’s way of AGAIN revealing His invisible Presence with me, as if saying, ‘I saw you, Nik, delete that story both times yesterday!’ The story began with my husband sending an old pic of us together, and I felt God dictating to me the specific message to send in response (He is my help in every aspect of my life!):

“Forget the former things! God is doing a new thing! He is taking our family to new and greater heights! HE WILL MAKE A STREAM in the wastelands, a spring in the desert.”

Long story short, the girls came out to run errands with me that day, and as we were driving next to the highway, Ember shockingly pointed out a LONG STREAM of water flowing that was not there before. Apparently, some nearby lake overflowed from lots of rain, and I immediately thought of that text to my husband: HE WILL MAKE A STREAM. God did! THIS WAS NO COINCIDENCE! That was God finding a NEW way of showing me His deep love and attention. I was at peace the entire day driving around with my daughters KNOWING GOD HIMSELF WAS THERE WITH US.

Fast forward two years later, the lake overflowed again recently, and I thought back to God’s promise from two years ago. Honestly, guys, GOD HAS DONE A NEW THING! Where God has taken our family TRULY blows me away, and why I say I’m no longer on the high road with Him, I’m on the highest road! God, how may I please You, let me learn.

God has exceeded our expectations, as usual! I’m thanking Him every moment, grateful that we’ve kept our HOPE IN HIM, following His leading, and doing what Dr. Charles Stanley taught: OBEY GOD AND LEAVE THE CONSEQUENCES TO HIM. Like that person I met up with today said, “Only God doesn’t disappoint!” Let’s forever keep our hope in Him, no matter what’s going on around us. Nothing too complicated or difficult for God to handle. Let’s keep doing our utmost best and leaving the rest with God! Amen!

That was the prayer I said for hubby with him on the phone under my God tree today. Hubs responded, “Amen!” That’s my prayer for all of us today and every day, though! It’s not an easy road, this life, but that’s where our relationship with God comes sweetly in! Getting closer to home, I called hubby again, asking, “How much does this wife love you?” He answered, “Two percent!” “Wrong answer! This wife loves you infinity (incalculable) percent! And whatever it is we’re going to go through, we’re going to go through it together! Thanks for being the best baby daddy and husband in the world,” I replied.

Let me tell ya, I was out dancing on that run today like it was nobody’s business! I think what Kevin taught me has finally sunken in, “God wants you to know you are secure in Him.” God, I got it! That means He must be the center of our lives (no one else), making decisions from His Almighty perspective and continually asking, “God, what would YOU have me to do here?” Our hope is in Him!

“Those who look to him for help will be radiant with joy; no shadow of shame will darken their faces.” – Psalm 34:5

I can’t get over how God has discovered a new way for the “311” to show up! Yesterday, a God thought came to mind, ‘Nik, you should run a 5K today.’ So instead of cutting across the street to get home, I took a longer loop around. I got home and asked Mr. Google how many miles in a 5K, and the answer was 3.107. I stopped my Nike Running club app to discover I had run unbelievably 3.10 miles. So, I said I needed to get that .07 in, and right as I left out of our front door, it switched to 3.11 miles. Wink! Wink! God’s sweet way to let me know He was with me, nudging me with that impression in my spirit to take on that 5K. Julie, your momma is leaving her comfort zone, baby girl!

In case you are new to my posts, the “311” showing up is a crucial sign from God to me that I should be still and allow Him to fight battles for me while staying on the high road going the extra mile in love, patience, loyalty, mercy, and kindness. I’m to the point now that I’m on the HIGHEST road with God now! Forget high! God shows my family and me such love and tender care, consistently EXCEEDING our expectations in every aspect of our lives that I just want to live my life glorifying and enjoying Him. I HIGHLY SUGGEST YOU DO THE SAME. Forget what anyone else is doing; YOU JUST BE YOUR BEST SELF FOR GOD. Our reward is with Him! Wink! Wink!

The way He shows me such love and attention!!!! Like, I’ll be honest with you, yesterday was an awful day dealing with some messy love stuff that I shouldn’t be dealing with, but it is what it is, folks. So, in all my hurts and frustrations, I cried to God, of course, and He showed up in all His awesomeness. I noticed He drew my attention to the small date in the corner of my computer with the day’s date of “17.” I took it as a nudge to go to page 17 of our family’s website and look what incredibly showed up in an old post from years ago:

“I pretty much played one song repeatedly, ‘Let Me Be Love You,’ (William Singe’s version), imagining God singing these lyrics to me:

“You should let Me (God) love you
Let me be the One to
Give you everything you want and need
Ooh baby good love and protection
Make Me your selection
Show you the way love’s supposed to be”

I read that, and it immediately turned my depressing thoughts into such joy and laughter with God. I knew right away that this was His fun and special way of speaking directly to me, sweetly saying, ‘Nik, how many times do you want Me to repeat this to you? LET ME BE THE ONE TO LOVE YOU, My Girl!!!” (AND STOP EXPECTING SO MUCH FROM OTHER PEOPLE!!!)

But the God wink didn’t stop there! Told you guys I needed to get some work done, and I turned on my music, allowing God to be the DJ, but I kept clicking through the first 4 songs (not feeling them!), and on the 5th one, out of the entire library of over 800 songs, look what showed up, minutes after reading that post:

“You should let Me love you
Let me be the One to
Give you everything you want and need
Ooh baby good love and protection
Make Me your selection
Show you the way love’s supposed to be”

This time it was the original version of the song by Mario. No coincidence, baby! Only God showing me His deep love!!! God, let me be the one to love you!!! (HUGE SMILE)

I still had page 17 up on my computer screen with the lyrics there, and I was just blown away how God would even go to the extent of confirming that this message was Him speaking to me in that awful day by having that song play. God, I will finally take you up on this offer, and let YOU be the One to love me!

I loved another special wink from Him yesterday, too. I had written this in my last post, feeling God in my spirit dictating these words to say to you guys:

“We do not follow the ordinary rules when we walk in faith with God.”

Then for another appointment with God, I asked Him where I should go to hear from Him, and the feeling was my book this time of 366 old blog posts. I took the scroll key at the bottom and just asked God what He wanted me to read, and of all those 366 posts, I promise you, I landed directly on the one entitled:

“WE’RE NOT GOING BY THE ORDINARY RULES” Wink! Wink!

See why I say I’m God’s fav? From sensing in my spirit to include that sentence in my last post for Him to use my big book from so many years ago to confirm that it was indeed His voice I heard directing me to include that sentence.

For me, not going by the ordinary rules means we can take life courageously, bravely, happily, and joyously knowing God Himself is with us in every moment, assisting us in the spiritual realm, no matter the situations that come our way. Even with these messy love lessons! What can I say? I’m Tom Brady and Mike Tyson combined now. I take the punches for the team, doing my thing for my family and God.

I just want you guys to know that I’m no longer on the high road with God, I’m on the HIGHEST road, asking, no matter the situation I’m confronted with, ‘God, how can I enter this moment to glorify You?’ Despite the disappointments, I have no regrets, and l look forward to better days ahead for our family together, all by the grace of God! Ain’t nothing perfect, guys! STAY STRONG! Ask God for His moment-by-moment direction as to what He would have you do. Let God be the One to love you, then spread His love to the rest of the world, beginning in our homes.

”But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.” – Galatians 5:22-23

Let’s make Papa God proud out there!!! AND LET HIM BE THE ONE TO LOVE US!!!

I’m sitting at our dining room table this morning, debating as to which DESK I should work on to complete an overdue project. I love the quiet of our work office when everyone leaves, but I also love the home office I set up inside my husband’s closet. Decisions, decisions! Then I thought of having an appointment with God before getting ready for work. It was 42 minutes past the hour, so I went to page 42 of our family’s website, and look what incredibly showed up at the very top:

‘HOW MANY APPOINTMENTS WITH GOD DO YOU NEED?’

That’s me having some fun with myself as I sat procrastinating about getting an overdue project completed. But, turns out, that alone time with God was perfect, as He reminded me that His invisible Presence is always with me. Of all books and of all pages that were close by, I ended up reading these words as I SAT AT MY DESK:

“My friend, Jesus Christ (God) wants us to be serene (calm) WHEN WE ARE AT OUR DESK (Wink! Wink!) and have to face the problems and decisions our work involves.” – Jesus As Friend by Salvatore Canals

That was no coincidence! It was God’s sweet way of revealing His invisible Presence with me, reminding me that I was not handling that project alone. My help comes from the Lord!”

So, I’ve gotten to know God’s personality pretty well, and for that message to show up on page 42 at 42 minutes past the hour as I debated which desk to work at to complete this overdue project today, was just His way of reminding me that no matter where I sit, He would be there to help me (HUGE SMILE). See the sweetness of God I experience? His love blows me away with the close attention He pays to the details of my life. This is the God that I want you guys to know for yourselves!

And this awareness of His Presence with us is what gives us the courage, peace, and joy to take on our lives. We can hold His hand while doing our best in the physical realm, knowing He is behind the scenes in the spiritual realm tweaking situations on our behalf, and taking care of what we can’t. I love this verse:

“‘Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the LORD Almighty.”- Zechariah 4:6

We do not follow the ordinary rules when we walk in faith with God; He can do anything BY HIS SPIRIT! It’s just for us to follow His leading moment-by-moment by learning His voice and being obedient to Him. Notice how I paid attention to that nudge from Him to go precisely to page 42 at 42 minutes past the hour. I’ve learned God’s crucial voice! See the peace He gave me knowing I don’t have to handle that complex project alone and that He would be there with me, NO MATTER THE DESK I CHOOSE?

Get to know God for yourself! Make Him a priority by waking up to appointments with Him by reading or listening to anything spiritual that makes you feel closer to Him. I promise a life close to God is the best life!!! Wink! Wink!

God found a fun way to reveal His invisible Presence with Ember and me today. This God wink started with this post I wrote two days ago:

“God, did you send this customer here just to remind me of “311?” I had some fun with God yesterday. Whenever I see “311” it’s my reminder from God to stay on the high road with Him (to be still and allow Him to fight battles on my behalf). And yesterday was a day I wanted to lose it and go on the low road, forgetting the high road. But this specific customer showing up was my reminder from God to stay on the high road because his telephone number ends in “311.” I remembered this because God had him to call me one day requesting some information, and I took down his number to call him back. As I was telling Ember about the famous “311,” showing up (we sold her fav car to him), I looked down at the time, and it was precisely 3:11 (Wink! Wink!) as I was talking to Ember. God is fun and talkative once you get to know Him!”

Fast forward two days later (today), I have my fierce daughter, Ember, here with me at work, and I’m showing her how to help the momma with a project I’ve been procrastinating completing. There are three numbers I’m showing her that should add up to “365,411,” and I promise you, the calculator incorrectly shows:

“311,311” Wink! Wink!

WoW! God totally freaked me out after telling you guys like a crazy lady all the time about this “311.” How could this possibly be a coincidence? The numbers are not even close! GOD IS REALLY REAL!!!! Believe it! We did the addition the second time, and it correctly showed the “365,411.” Ember is here with me as I type this, and she says that it is no doubt God.

“Now you see your momma is not crazy, right?” She is a witness to some of the things I take the high road to follow this “311” sign from God Himself. So many major decisions I’ve made because of this “311” and they’ve all paid off beautifully! She legitimately questions me like any loving daughter would when she sees her momma getting all sad and depressed by them, but I explain that I’m being obedient to God and being wise like my brother, Kevin, taught me. I follow God’s lead, and I’m so happy that my daughters get to witness a super wife/momma/person doing her thing for her family, God, and the world by sharing my dramas with you guys.

Staying on the high road with God is the best way to go! I told you guys about the 10,000th punch I received yesterday (not real blows), but I’m happy to suffer them for God, who exceeds my expectations in every aspect of my life. No one has a perfect life! I take the good with the bad, and trust me, God makes sure that His girl here is well taken care of. (Wink! Wink!) A customer told me this week that I’m overly blessed! When he asked me a question as to what was going on with our business, I told him the truth: my biggest problem was that I have a husband (and God!) who spoil me. (HUGE SMILE)

On the way to our office, I had the best drive ever with Ember. She has been talking about transferring from the university she now attends (the one I have no doubt God picked for her!), and I had to stand firm with her that I won’t support her with downgrading. She has now changed her tone, saying she will stick with this university. If the university is better and is offering you an excellent scholarship package, no problem. Other than that, forget about it! You better! This was just another example of God fighting my battles for me and giving me the wisdom and strength to stand firm with this tough daughter (I wouldn’t have it any other way, though! I want my kids fiercer than my husband and me!) Tom Brady and Mike Tyson combined wife, mom, and person, all the way for the glory of God!

That was from our great friend, Chief, who is no longer with us, but these words from him live on in the God maniac here. Are you learning this crucial life lesson of involving God in every single moment of your life? Every relationship. Every decision. Every circumstance. EVEN WHEN IT’S DIFFICULT! This life is hard, but I’m wisely learning to suck up to God and follow wherever He leads me.

God, did you send this customer here just to remind me of “311?” I had some fun with God yesterday. Whenever I see “311” it’s my reminder from God to stay on the high road with Him (to be still and allow Him to fight battles on my behalf). And yesterday was a day I wanted to lose it and go on the low road, forgetting the high road. But this specific customer showing up was my reminder from God to stay on the high road because his telephone number ends in “311.” I remembered this because God had him to call me one day requesting some information, and I took down his number to call him back. As I was telling Ember about the famous “311,” showing up (we sold her fav car to him), I looked down at the time, and it was precisely 3:11 (Wink! Wink!) as I was talking to Ember. God is fun and talkative once you get to know Him!

So, remembering God in every moment means following His lead on critical and minor issues. So, that customer coming in on that crazy day I had yesterday was all God getting my attention to stay on the high road with Him. GOD, THIS IS HARD!!!

Obey God and leave the consequences with Him is the message I’m stealing from Dr. Charles Stanley. By remembering God in every moment, I do whatever He asks me to do, and I trust that He will take care of the rest. If He went to all the trouble of sending this customer to remind me of this yesterday, I lovingly say to Him, “No problem, God, I got You! The high road it is, going the extra mile in love, mercy, and patience.”

But this pic of my daughters has shown up in two separate places and appointments with God today with this verse:

“Now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within…” – Ephesians 3:20

And this has certainly been my experience with God! I told someone yesterday that I don’t bother praying for anything because God always exceeds my heart’s wishes. I’m blown away by his love. Even with the “bad” that I ask Him to remove and He says, “no,” I see the hands of a loving God who knows what is best for me. Situations don’t happen to us; they happen for us. To help us become all that God has designed for us to be. Amen!

… THEN SELF! HE HELPS THE SELF TO BE ITS BEST SELF!” That was a comment to my sweetie-pie, Glory, on Facebook after she commented, “The most important relationship is one with yourself.” Let me tell ya, speaking from someone with great experience, we can indeed be our own worst enemy (ME!!!!). No joke! That’s where the relationship with God comes sweetly and crucially in because He lovingly helps us with all our weaknesses and humanness. Hey, He is the manufacturer, after all! LOL!

So, the wiser Nikki has learned to go to God in every moment asking for His perspective on my life and this has been the best thing. Honestly, I don’t know where my life would be if not for God holding my hand and helping me through all the challenges and difficulties that come my way.

And I love how He finds the sweetest ways to let me know He is with me. Like yesterday I was at work on a Sunday, and I felt God saying in my spirit that I should go home and get some rest. I ended up watching and enjoying Travis Scott’s documentary on Netflix. After I keep saying I’m getting back in my Tom Brady mode (having the discipline to be the greatest of all time wife, momma, and person by training myself like an athlete every day), I instead stopped for ice cream and apple pie before going home (not at all Tom Brady mode approved).

But let me tell you guys about how funny God is. Of all the people for them to show a text message from to Travis Scott, can you believe it was from Tom Brady? It was just God’s fun way to say, ‘Nik. What’s going on here? I thought we were in Tom Brady mode?’ That’s just the sweetness of God I’ve come to know and love. Of all the content on Netflix, for Him to have me watch that documentary, and of all the people for them to show Travis receiving a message from, was all orchestrated by God to reveal to me a tiny glimmer of His Presence with me there. He is quite talkative once you have the ears to hear Him and the eyes to see Him. God, I’m back in Tom Brady mode!!! May my life bring glory to You!

But one of my best surprises from God EVER was when my daughters and I thought we were going to a DJ Khaled concert but ended up at the Sports Illustrated Awards Show, and guess who was there live and in-person to receive his Athlete of the year award? TOM BRADY!!! This was after that very day I recorded a YouTube video going all crazy about what Tom Brady has taught me. When Tom Brady came on that stage, your girl lost it! God totally set me up so perfectly for that surprise!!! See the love I receive from God? Even meeting with my brother, Kevin yesterday was all designed by God. Kevin taught me one crucial thing recently: NEEKS, GOD WANTS YOU TO KNOW YOU ARE SECURE IN HIM. That’s what gives us true joy and peace, KNOWING that God Himself is with us, continually holding our hands, even when our own selves become our worst enemies. (HUGE SMILE)

Make sure you are making God a priority by having alone times with Him by reading or listening to anything spiritual where you are getting to learn His voice for yourself. And then by going to Him all day by making Him the center of every move you make (FOCUS ON GOD!!!) – what you eat, what you drink, what you think, what you say…everything! God, what is Your perspective here? Doing to the best of our ability whatever He asks of us, then leaving the rest with Him. God is in control of everything and everyone! (WINK! WINK!)

The LORD himself will fight for you. Just stay calm.” – Exodus 14:14

That was me to my brother, Kevin, waking up this morning! I didn’t even have time to go to my God tree but to meet with Kevin to discuss us being God’s superstars by taking this crucial message to the world that we have God with us in every single moment. Like if you’re not rolling with God, you’re missing out on His love, help, support, kindness, mercy, strategies, strength, personality, protection, charm, tact, grace, boldness, imagination, joy, peace, approval, power, wisdom, calmness, and encouragement backing us up in this crazy world. THE GREATEST NEWS EVER!!!!

As I type this, can you believe God figured out a way to let me know He was there in our meeting? Kevin pointed out a server to me who has a bad memory. I said to Kevin that this server taught me an important lesson. That I needed to wake up every day and put on a shield so that the disappointments of life don’t get to the inside of me. And as I go through two email accounts trying to find one message from Kevin about being a boxer, look what showed up right under Kevin’s message in an old blog:

“It was my brother, Kevin, who said to me under my God tree one day something like, “Neeks, you’re like a boxer right now. After getting hit in your head like 10,000 times, you eventually get numb to the pain.” That’s what has happened, the figurative (not real, guys!) blows don’t affect me the way they did in the past. The emotional, weak, and wreck of a person, needed to go! This was all God’s LOVING way to help me become the Neeks He would have me to be: courageous, tough, brave, strong, confident in Him woman, but at the same time, loving, gentle, loyal, faithful, enduring, kind, and going the extra mile wife, mother and person HE WOULD HAVE ME TO BE. Thanks to the pain!

I was at brunch with Kevin one Sunday, when an elderly server said, “You have to have a shield on so that nothing gets through to bother and upset you.” I wake up now and put on my shield. The disappointments still come, but with my shield on, I don’t let them get to me anymore the way they used to. I now live from a space of having one foot on earth with the hurts, disappointments, messiness, clutter, challenges, and brokenness exist, and the other foot in heaven FOCUSED ON GOD.”

That was no coincidence that that story about that server showed up right under the one I was so intent on finding of me being a boxer. God directed me there to tell you guys that His invisible Presence is always with us. Still, it hasn’t been easy, but I lovingly carry the weights of those hurts every day. This is the spec of a cross that God has asked me to carry, and for all that God does for me, I say, ‘No problem, God, I got you! I will joyfully and lovingly take this cross for you! What cross is God asking you to carry for Him? May His will and not ours be done. Amen.

God, however, lovingly changes my perspective on situations. Mother Teresa taught me to love until it hurts because eventually, it becomes only love. Unbelievably the knocks on the head have done the trick. I see how God sees us, from all our different angles, the good, bad, and ugly sides, but He still loves us all UNCONDITIONALLY.

Like I told Kevin today, we don’t have to get all clean up to be God’s representatives in the world. That’s our message that God meets us exactly where we are in all the messiness of our lives, and He meets us right there, loving and approving of us, NOT JUDGING US. He knows the worst of us but still loves us completely. Even if we’re at our lowest (me these last three years!) He meets us and says, ‘Come My child, take My hand, and let’s keep going, living our best lives together.’ He can help get any situation back on track, one step at a time and little by little. I told Kevin that I’m so proud of myself that I didn’t run to drugs or alcohol. I ran to him and God, and it turned out that those falls and punches brought me directly into God’s arms, and trust me, there is nowhere else I’ll rather be. (HUGE SMILE)

That’s my brother/angel from God, Kevin, to me today under the God tree. I told him I don’t like bothering him too much because I know he has a lot going on, and he continued, “You’re my sister. I love you, and I’m here for you. You say you want us to take this God thing serious, so let’s meet to discuss it.” Kevin is another one of my unique gifts from God. The way he has been there for me over the last three years, holding my hands and helping me get through my little dark period, has been extraordinary, including the advice he gives (He is definitely a messenger from God! No joke!).

He has become an essential adviser in every aspect of my life. Even with trying to get our business back on track here, I was blown away by what he said one day, “Neeks, I’m sorry that I didn’t have time to think about what you have going on, but I feel you have the wrong inventory for your area. You need cars that people could just make cheap payments on and have transportation to get up and down to work with to feed their families. And they don’t have to be perfect, either.” I was so amazed by what he said that I excitedly replied, “That’s it! That’s what I needed to hear!!!” I ran with that advice, and honestly, it worked so well that I’m pretty much completed sold out of cars! So, as I look for inventory again, I keep EXACTLY what Kevin taught me at the forefront of my thoughts, ‘Would this be an affordable car for someone to get up and down to work with?’

See the out-of-world kindness I’m talking about? Neeks, I’ll stop everything I’m doing to meet with you. Neeks, I’m sorry that I didn’t get a chance to think about the problem you are having. Apologizing that he didn’t reflect on my problems!!! Unbelievable right? Who says stuff like that?!? In a world where everyone is so caught up with me, me, me, God sent me a brother who is concerned about his little sister being OK. Wow! And, of course, I see God’s hand and love all over this! It’s like He planned my life out from beginning to end and knew that during this challenging period, I would be down and need Kevin to help me stay strong. Kevin even jokes that his job from God is to keep me happy!!! (HUGE SMILE)

So much so that I tell Kevin that with the love and support he has shown me, I want to do the same for others, going overboard in loyalty, gentleness, patience, kindness, and love. Can we all be God’s hands, feet, and voices in the world the way Kevin has been for me? Everyone is going through a rough time right now, AND WE NEED TO DECIDE EVERY MORNING WE WAKE UP TO BE MORE LOVING, no matter what anyone else is doing, especially in our homes. That may mean overlooking, pretending we don’t see what we see, keeping silent, and being gentle as an act of love towards the other person. Everyone is on their own path with God. Let’s just practice being God’s angels for each other like Kevin so wonderfully does for me.

“The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you but will rejoice over you with singing.” – Zephaniah 3:17