That was me this morning after listening to a conversation between Devon Franklin and Lewis Howes on YouTube. They pinpointed so many areas where your girl has been getting it seriously wrong. LIKE I’M SO INSECURE!!! Feeling that if I don’t have my husband’s full attention and love, my entire life will fall apart. But this conversation reminded me that our security and love should rest in God only, not in other people. With the love that we receive from God, we’re to share it with others, not try to suck like vampires every drop of their love. HUGE WAKE-UP CALL FOR YOUR GIRL HERE!!!
I then go for my appointment with God on our family’s website, and because it’s August 11th, I go to page 11 and look what showed up:
“PATIENCE AND PRAYER – In areas that I’m not 100% happy within my marriage, I practice patience, and I pray asking God for help. SOMETIMES, BELIEVE IT OR NOT, IT’S ME WHO GOD HAS TO CHANGE (Wink! Wink!), NOT MY HUBBY. God gives me the wisdom to look at things from another perspective.”
God is pretty talkative! Yes, Nik, IT IS YOU WHO HAS TO CHANGE!!! It was God who put it in my spirit to relisten to this Devon Franklin interview, and I’m so grateful. I look too much to my husband for love, security, happiness, and fulfillment, which is not his job. That’s work that I need to do for myself, not looking to anyone else to provide these things for me.
The time we spend chasing others should be spent seeking God and what He would have us do. That’s the only place we will find true love and fulfillment. Time and energies are limited, and if we’re not careful, we spend them choosing the wrong battles. God told me recently that I should find joy in serving Him. For me, that means showing up as the best mom guiding and helping my children to become all that God has created them to be. To be the loyal wife, loving and supporting my husband to live his best life with God. And to be the best person I can possibly be. I loved a God wink yesterday on a passing truck with one word from Him: “SHINE.” May we all SHINE BRIGHT through reflecting God’s love and light in all the dark places in the world. Amen.
That was my kids teasing me the other day at the doctor’s office. I had taken them for check-ups, and the admin lady said that the last time I brought them in was five years ago. The horror! But, believe it or not, it’s just another testimony to the faithfulness and goodness of God in our lives. To have a healthy and happy family is a HUGE blessing from Him that I’m not taking for granted! His wisdom in every aspect of my life is seriously working.
So much so, that when He asks me to do difficult things for Him, I just have to say, ‘God, anything for You!’ Like yesterday, at the dentist’s office. I used the time waiting for the boys to talk to my husband in Nigeria. Trust me, I had a lot that I wanted to say in that conversation, but God figured out a way to tell me, ‘Nik, SHHHHHH. Be quiet.’ Exactly where I was on the phone, outside in the parking lot, my husband says, “I spoke to your MOM for over one hour. Did she tell you?” Immediately as my husband said “MOM,” God took my eyes to a license plate of a parked car that incredibly had the word “MOM” inside. This was one of my God winks where once again, everything lined up too perfectly to be some ordinary coincidence. It was God revealing His invisible Presence with me there.
And with one glance at God, I knew what He would have me to do: “MUMS THE WORD, NIK. BE SILENT! To hold back all the words I wanted to say and stay on the high road with Him. ‘Yes, Boss!’ God exceeds my expectations when I stay on the path that He has for my life. Not easy, but when I look back, I can see that God’s ways are always best. He is making your girl stronger, more mature, loving, forgiving, and much more patient. ‘God, how may I honor and glorify you in every moment of my life?’ is my constant prayer.
The way I knew this was God with that “mom” showing up on that license plate was because, on my birthday, I went to the mall with Julie. She is learning how to drive, so I had her park all the way to the back of the parking lot away from all the other cars. Getting there, we were listening to a song where the lyrics said, “Can’t make a wife out of a hoe.” I got out of the car singing these lyrics and laughing with Julie. Within 30 seconds, there was a car we were passing with the word “HOE” in the license plate. Again, I took it as God getting in on my laugh with Julie and revealing His Presence with us. This lined up too perfectly to be some coincidence!
Are you picking up on these glimmers of God’s Presence with You? This is what gives me the courage and strength to do the difficult things I know He asks of me. When the crazy lady wants to come out, I have to say, ‘Go away! I’m sticking with God!’ When others are unfair to us, we have to immediately shake off the disappointments and keep our eyes fixed on God, whose ways are MORE than fair. He gives more than we can imagine. Wink! Wink!
WEROLLWITHGOD.COM
MOM, THIS IS YOUR WORST YEAR EVER!!! (REPOST)
That was my daughter, Ember, to me two evenings ago, but today my attitude is, even during my worst year, I’m gonna be killin’ it. Meaning, as defined by urban dictionary, “To do something with the best of your ability; to become a legend in the process.” Never let a good tragedy go to waste! I’m using all the negativity as fuel to motivate myself to be better, stronger, and most importantly, LOTS closer to God. Heehaw! Are you with me? Let’s recommit our entire lives over to pleasing and honoring God in every moment, no matter the challenges that come our way. WE ARE RELYING ON GOD. Finish!
God has been showing up for me all over the place! Like right after Ember made that comment, I pushed her to have an appointment with God, reminded that she and my daughter, Julie, are like my audience right now. They’re watching and learning valuable life lessons from their mamma on doing life lovingly, kindly, bravely, and courageously with God! I had just written this in my last post:
“MY GREATEST STRENGTH Is knowing that I CONSTANTLY need God!!!”
And unbelievably, Ember decided to read her birthday for that alone time with Him, and it shockingly said (written as if God was speaking to us):
“I DESIGNED YOU TO NEED ME CONTINUALLY—and to delight in that neediness.” Wink! Wink!
So, for me to write MY GREATEST STRENGTH Is knowing that I CONSTANTLY need God!!! and a couple of hours later, He says back, “I designed you to need me continually,” was no coincidence. It was God Himself revealing His invisible Presence with me and Ember. (SWEET!!!)
Then, after my husband sends an old picture of us together yesterday, I felt God saying I should respond with this specific message back to him:
“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.”
Just feeling God Himself was the one dictating to me as to what to write (He is my help in every aspect of my life!). Long story short, the girls came out to run errands with me, and as we’re driving next to the highway, Ember shocking points 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.
“And the LORD, He is the One who goes before you. He will be with you, He will not leave you nor forsake you; do not fear nor be dismayed.” – Deuteronomy 31:8 (NKJV)
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‘GOD, NO SPECIAL WINKS FOR YOUR GIRL TODAY?’
That was me having some fun with God while brushing my teeth late last night. I picked up my phone to go to bed, and this special screensaver appeared:
“And surely I AM WITH YOU ALWAYS, to the very end of the age.” – Matthew 28:20
I smiled with God, taking this as a message from Him that whether I have a God wink or not, I can surely know that He is ALWAYS with me. Fast forward like ten minutes later, I’m lying in bed listening to a YouTube video, and of all the millions of YouTube videos, the very one I chose said very quietly in the background of the loud music introduction:
“And I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Wink! Wink!)
That lined up too perfectly to be some ordinary coincidence! From me smiling with God to read that verse on my phone, and for it (of all verses in the entire Bible!) to be included at the very beginning of the YouTube video I decided to open minutes later, was all God revealing another glimpse of His invisible Presence with me – NIK, I AM ALWAYS WITH YOU!
Then, this morning, I had a long conversation with my sister, Kelly. She was saying that possibly I should try to get my son, Emmie, off of fast food because of his skin problem whenever he is in the US. I said, “IS THAT EVEN POSSIBLE HUMANLY SPEAKING?” My son loves fast food! Fast forward to me leaving the house for my run with God, and I say to Him, ‘I will have my appointment with You under our tree reading from our family’s website the page number of the minutes past the hour.’ I got there, and it was five minutes past, so I ended up reading page 5 that said:
“Can you imagine getting to a place where you do not feel anger, insulted, offended, or annoyed by anyone for what you believe is unfair treatment by them and having such feelings only against yourself? Wow, what a wonderful life that would be, BUT IS THAT EVEN POSSIBLE HUMANLY SPEAKING?!?” (Wink! Wink!)
For my words to my sister to show up there was AGAIN God having some fun with me and letting me know that He is always with me. He knows everything about me, and He is involved in every moment of my life. Not only that, your girl needed this message where the post continued:
“Well, God is truly trying to get me there, and I want to challenge you to get there with me. We’re to love others, stop judging them. Everyone is on their own path with God.
We must be professional ignorers, otherwise, we will go through our lives always offended, insulted, and frustrated. When others disappoint us, we have to shake off the hurts and disappointments immediately and keep walking humbly with God, extending grace (pardoning without punishment), forgiving endlessly, becoming better instead of bitter and loving extravagantly.” – Keep Calm, You’re Rolling With God
Not easy, but the way I’m looking at my life is that I’m on this beautiful life adventure with God. Down to a quarter of a second, He is with me. I can spend those quarter seconds enjoying Him or being frustrated by other people. I pick door number one: Enjoying God. I can, therefore, hand over all the disappointments to Him, with my eyes fixed on all the roses in my life.”
WEROLLWITHGOD.COM
I HAD A MELTDOWN IN THE MIDDLE OF MY RUN!!!
But, no shame in my game, I went running to God! I sat down under a tree and vented all my frustrations to Him, like He has been teaching me. He said to tell Him everything, but to others, I should be silent. SUPER HARD FOR YOUR GIRL HERE WHO WANTS TO LOSE IT ALL THE TIME. So, as I’m venting to God how difficult this is for me to do, I’m also helping out our office with a work-related issue. At one point, I needed a code from Microsoft, and look what they sent: 2117545. And like I’ve said so many times before, whenever 11 and 7 appear together, it’s my reminder from God that His invisible Presence is with me. When I’m weak, He is my strength.
But the wink from God didn’t stop there. I had looked up this email from 2 months ago because I disparately needed the reminder earlier that morning:
“GET GOOD AT COVERING THE OFFENSES OF OTHERS!”
This is such great advice I received through Victoria Osteen! In fact, I’m getting GREAT at overlooking, forgiving, ignoring, and staying on the high road with God. It’s like I’m living life with one foot on earth, where the offenses constantly show up, but one foot sweetly in heaven where I rest and enjoy God. I don’t let the irritations, frustrations, and disappointments get the best of me anymore. I wisely use them to push myself even closer to God. And the closer you get to God, the infinitely better your life gets. (HUGE SMILE)”
Fast forward a couple of hours later with me sitting under that tree venting to God, I got a feeling to read our family’s website. It was 4 minutes past the hour, so I went to page 4, and that very post showed up: “GET GOOD AT COVERING THE OFFENSES OF OTHERS!” I just had the biggest smiling session with God! That’s why I have no shame in telling you guys when I’m going through rough times because these are the very times God shows up for me as if asking, ‘Nik, what’s the problem here, my sweetie? You know I’m here with you!’ No way these were just random coincidences, it was God wrapping His arms around me to melt away all my anxieties and frustrations.
Like my brother Kevin has been teaching me, God wants me to be a wise woman. Learning to stay calm, cool, and steady with my eyes fixed on Him in every moment, not doing what the crazy lady in me would do. My other messenger, Chris, sent me these verses today, and it was just the reminder I needed:
“My brothers and sisters, God called you to be free, but do not use your freedom as an excuse to do what pleases your sinful self. Serve each other with love. The whole law is made complete in this one command: “Love your neighbor as you love yourself.” If you go on hurting each other and tearing each other apart, be careful, or you will completely destroy each other. So I tell you: Live by following the Spirit. Then you will not do what your sinful selves want. Our sinful selves want what is against the Spirit, and the Spirit wants what is against our sinful selves. The two are against each other, so you cannot do just what you please. But if the Spirit is leading you, you are not under the law.
The wrong things the sinful self does are clear: being sexually unfaithful, not being pure, taking part in sexual sins, worshiping gods, doing witchcraft, hating, MAKING TROUBLE, being jealous, BEING ANGRY, being selfish, making people angry with each other, causing divisions among people, feeling envy, being drunk, having wild and wasteful parties, and doing other things like these. I warn you now as I warned you before: Those who do these things will not inherit God’s kingdom. But the Spirit produces the fruit of LOVE, JOY, PEACE, PATIENCE, KINDNESS, GOODNESS, FAITHFULNESS, GENTLENESS, SELF-CONTROL. There is no law that says these things are wrong. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified their own sinful selves. They have given up their old selfish feelings and the evil things they wanted to do. We get our new life from the Spirit, so we should follow the Spirit. We must not be proud or make trouble with each other or be jealous of each other.” – Galatians 13-26
So, the WISER Nikki is learning to not go with what is pleasing to my flesh but seeking to make God happy in all my actions. Our reward is with Him who exceeds all our expectations! Wink! Wink!
