I ALMOST DIED!!!

Seriously! But like I always tell you guys, God is my Protection, baby! I was driving down a major highway here in Florida when my car skid and swirled around, ultimately facing the COMPLETE opposite direction. It’s just another one of my incredible testimonies to the greatness and wonders of God. When the policeman arrived, he was amazed that I wasn’t hurt and didn’t hit any other vehicles. It was like God’s hand just lifted my SUV and put it safely to the side of the road, completely and totally out of the way of all the other passing and speeding cars and HUGE TRUCKS that frequently pass. The greatness and wonders of God! I will indeed sing of His love forever!

“Even if I do not see Him, my attitude to God must not change. His omnipotence, wisdom, and goodness are always the assurance of a good end. This is why I want to place with confidence in His hands all the events of my life. Whatever God does is well done. Lord, lead me wherever you will. Without reservations, I abandon myself to You.” – Minute Meditations

So, I call my mom to tell her about what had happened. Can you believe the same exact thing occurred with her many years ago? She was driving in the rain, pressed brakes, and the car went utterly facing the opposite direction. That’s our God. His faithfulness goes from generation to generation!

That’s why is such a pleasure for me these days to bring all five of my kids to work with us. Yesterday, Duro took control of buying inventory with my husband, and today was Ember’s turn to work along with him. I’m passing on everything my mom taught me like going the extra mile, and if you’re a street cleaner, be the best street cleaner. I’ve run with that, doing my best to be the best wife, mother, and person, and let me tell you, my mom didn’t lead me wrong. Her wisdom has helped to guide my life on a very gorgeous path. Thanks, my sweet mama!

Add in the God factor, that He is behind the scenes giving us His wisdom, help, protection, and support, I’m talking A COMPLETE WIN knowing He is on our side and we handle nothing alone. It’s just for us to start learning His voice through our alone times with Him and the people He is calling us to be by going the extra mile in loyalty, love, forgiveness, kindness, and patience. Then, working smarter not harder, following His lead as to what He would have you to do in every moment, every example, and every experience. Let’s do everything for God’s glory!

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GOD GETS IN ON OUR FAMILY JOKE!

This God wink started from Joshies’ first day of summer camp almost two weeks ago. He told me about a short guy in his class who began referring to another slightly overweight kid in the class as “BIG DADDY.” I told him how mean and terrible that was (for the record), but we ended up keeping this “BIG DADDY” as my little fun nickname for Joshie. Then one day, I’m talking to my husband, and Joshie says to him, “Hey, BIG DADDY!” and we’ve all just been having a terrific time with this “BIG DADDY” thing.

Fast forward to this morning, I’m talking to my husband, and I asked him, “Do you want me to call you Papa Bear or BIG DADDY? I like calling you BIG DADDY (SMILE).” We were buying cars together at the auction, and there was a Range Rover he was interested in buying, and I said, “This is a BIG DADDY RANGE ROVER.” You guys are not going to believe this, but in less than one hour after our conversation, a message came up for one of the sales at the auction saying, “If sale – Online Bid: BIG DADY CARS INC. (Wink! Wink!)”

This was another one of my God winks where everything lines up enormously too perfectly to be considered some ordinary coincidence. It’s God’s loving way of getting in on our family’s joke and letting us know that His invisible Presence is always with us. How sweet is that? To go through life knowing God is always with you.

Our real BIG DADDY – God is so funny and EXTREMELY LOVING. In fact, today, I was feeling so terrible about this rut I’ve been in lately. I’ve stopped exercising. Stopped all my work for God. And I was feeling awful in my appointment with Him. He had this to say to me through an old post, though:

“But even in my weaknesses, lack of focus and drive, God shows up in my morning appointment, letting me know that HE IS PLEASED WITH ME:

“I AM PLEASED WITH YOU, MY CHILD…You don’t have to perform well in order to receive My love (Wink! Wink!). In fact, a performance focus will pull you away from Me… It can also be a source of deep discouragement when your works don’t measure up to your expectation (me lately!).

Shift your focus from performance to My radiant Presence. The Light of My Love shines on you continually, regardless of your feelings or behavior. Your responsibility is to be receptive to this unconditional Love.” – Jesus Calling

God is too much! To come and meet me at this low point and remind me of His unconditional love that He has for us all. I’m just the God nerd who pays attention. Don’t miss out! Say this prayer with me, ‘God, I want a closer walk with You.’ Then start involving Him in every decision. Every circumstance. Every relationship. As He guides us all on the path to the best life with Him. Amen.

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“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)

In my alone times with Him, God whispers His secrets to me. Like today, He had these reminders to pop up:

“Happiness never came from the dependency upon people; happiness comes from dependency upon Allah/God alone.” – Tumblr.com via believeroftheunseen

“Don’t love people so much; don’t rely on people so much. It is deception, don’t love it, don’t love anything here. Allah (God) has made connections in this world like mother, father, husband, wife, or friend to test you. Don’t put too much heart in this matter.” – Shaykh Mohammad Akram Nadwi

God, I’m seriously getting the lesson! I just had one of my sacred conversations with my daughter, Julie. She shared with me how God is teaching her not to love praise so much from other people. And that you should accept compliments the same as criticism because people are so fickle. One minute they can love and adore you, and the next, you are their biggest enemy. So, the trick I’ve learned is not to lean on other people for recognition, love, and approval; I look to God and respond to everything and everyone with His love holding and backing me up in this treacherous world.

So, the wiser Nik has learned to go to God every moment. I seek to be the best person He is calling me to be in every circumstance, every relationship, every decision. Doing this has led my life on a gorgeous path like my brother, Kevin, so wonderfully put it. It’s all because I’ve made God the Guide and First Love of my life. A LIFE GUIDED BY GOD CANNOT FAIL!

All these relationships are tests. Learn the crucial lessons each interaction is there to teach you and keep walking humbly, calmly, and faithfully with God. We need others. Life is too hard on our own. We just have to learn to keep everyone in their proper perspective. God has to be our God, who we’re ultimately depending on, nobody else. So let’s show up as our MOST loving, genuine, supportive, and forgiving selves, giving our best, all for God’s glory. Everything is between Him and us!!! When we shine, He shines, too! Wink! Wink!

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“YOU’RE TRYING TO KILL US IN AMERICA!!!”

That was my sweetie pie, now eleven-year-old Siah, yesterday. “You want us to go to summer camp. You want us to go to work. How many things do you want us to do?!?” LOL! I have the best time laughing and joking with him because he has this fun, light, loving, happy personality, and he is such a pleasure to be around. And that’s where I want us all, lightheartedly and joyfully going through life, crucially KNOWING we have God who is ALWAYS with us.

That was the lesson I tried teaching my daughter, Julie, and nephew, Duro, on Friday at our office. We can enjoy work and be happy and cheerful around the people we work with. But they both turned on me saying I took my terrible jokes too far (rough crowd!). But the following morning, Julie came to apologize after her appointment with God. He repeated the lesson I was trying to teach her. She said no way this was a coincidence that this showed up in her alone time with God reading our Jesus Calling daily devotional:

“LEARN TO LAUGH at yourself more freely. Don’t take yourself or your circumstances so seriously. Relax and know that I am God with you… Laughter lightens your load and lifts your heart into heavenly places. Your laughter rises to heaven and blends with angelic melodies of praise. Just as parents delight in the laughter of their children, so I delight in hearing My children laugh. I rejoice when you trust Me enough to enjoy your life lightheartedly. Do not miss the Joy of My Presence by carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders. Rather, take My yoke upon you and learn from Me. My yoke is comfortable and pleasant; My burden is light and easily borne. “A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones. – Proverbs 17:22””

This life gets hard and extremely overwhelming sometimes, but this is the lesson that God has been teaching me. We can be joyful and at peace despite the challenges, stresses, and frustrations that come our way. His yoke is easy, meaning we can hand over the heavy burdens from our shoulders to Him, trusting He is at work in the spiritual realm on our behalf. We can HAPPILY show up giving our best to life and leave the rest with Him.

Today, we’re headed over to celebrate Father’s Day with family. Family and loving relationships are essential for life. We need each other to help lighten the journey. I loved another conversation I had with Siah yesterday. I asked who did he need to forgive. He surprisingly responded, “No one. I’ve learned from you to always forgive.” Then when his dad was a little upset with me today, I stole from Siah’s playbook and lightheartedly said, “I’m sorry, Sa (Sir in a Nigerian accent).” He then responded, “Who am I to forgive anyone?” That should be everyone’s attitude! Who are any of us to withhold forgiveness from anyone when we mess up all day, every day ourselves? We’re here to love, support, encourage, and PATIENTLY bear with each other, leaving the judging and forgiving with God. No one is perfect!

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“JULIE, WHEN ARE YOU COMING TO WORK?”

That was me harassing my seventeen-year-old daughter this week! She told me, and she stuck with her word joining me day before yesterday at our office. We’re in the car business, and I gave her the assignment to sit with a manager and assist him with posting ads on the internet. She sat with him until all vehicles were listed. That’s my hardworking boo! Early the following day, some customers showed up showing us one of the ads Julie posted.

Long story short, they ended up buying the vehicle, but you wouldn’t believe the name of the customer… Julie. How did JULIE end up coming to buy a car from an ad JULIE posted? Believe it or not, this was one of my perfectly orchestrated God alignments to let me know that He is with me as I work on this overwhelming challenge of getting our business back on track. There is no way that my daughter, JULIE can show up one day to help us with our advertising, and another JULIE shows up to purchase one. THIS WAS NO ORDINARY COINCIDENCE; it was God!

There is an important verse in the Bible I live my life by:

“’Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the Lord Almighty” (Zechariah 4:6).

Meaning that I’m relying on God who is working in the spiritual realm on my behalf. Yesterday, in my appointment with Him, He said that I should look at this getting our business on track again as a lighthearted challenge that He and I can handle together. In other words, ‘Nik, have fun with it, I’m with you to help you!’ So, as Julie showed up to post ads, God’s Spirit made sure that the other Julie saw it and showed up to buy it. Like I always say, “Teamwork makes the dream work.” God and I are a TEAM, baby, as I bravely and joyfully tackle every aspect of my life with Him!

Perspective is everything! With God on our side, we can show up giving life our very best and trust that He can do what we can’t do: “’Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit,’ says the Lord Almighty.” It’s just for us to learn His voice and follow where He leads us on a moment-by-moment basis. His ways are not our ordinary human ways, His ways are far superior. I get my wisdom from God on living my best life, and I want you here with me. Make sure you wake up every day making Him your priority!!! Instead of saying I have a lot on my plate, I’ve made God the plate. Meaning I’m centering everything on Him seeking His help with EVERYTHING I do, say, and everywhere I go. He is my life Partner! This life is much too hard to go it alone! WE NEED GOD!

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I HAD SUCH A TERRIBLE DAY ON SUNDAY

But God figured out a way to remind me that His sweet Presence is always with me. I was out with my daughter, Ember, running some errands. I told her how my trip to Nigeria was so good for me and how God has changed my perspective on my relationship with her dad. I said a verse showed up from the Bible that taught me to honor the leaders that work hard for me (her father) and that I should overwhelm him with love and appreciation. I told her how her dad goes overboard in showing us his genuine love, and we should do the same for him.

Fast forward a few hours later, I go to have an appointment with God at “31” minutes past the hour on page “31” of our family’s website, and look what shows up on top of the page there:

“Honor those leaders who work so hard for you (that’s my husband!)… Overwhelm them with appreciation and love (Wink! Wink!)” – 1 Thessalonians 5:12-13

It was another one of my God winks when, out of the blue, everything lines up a little bit too perfect to be some ordinary coincidence. It was all orchestrated by God to let me know on a terrible day that His invisible Presence is always with me. From an intimate conversation with my daughter to an alone time seeking Him. That was all Him wrapping His arms around me to comfort me when He knew I was feeling so down and discouraged the entire day with so many difficult things on my plate to deal with right now. This life is hard! We need God.

The next day, I bounced out of bed back to being God’s girl full of such peace and joy – My God is with me! I am confident that with Him on my side, there is no difficulty too great for Him and me to handle together. That’s what I call Godfidence! As I do my best, I trust that God is working behind the scenes in the spiritual realm on my behalf. I can therefore work for the best AND expect the best!

About this overwhelming my husband with appreciation and love, though. It’s also to teach all of us about loving others God’s way. The human way is to focus on what others are doing wrong, cut them off, take revenge, get angry, but God’s way is for us to love unconditionally despite others’ weaknesses, faults, and failings. That true love can go through the darkest of times, but yet there can still be hope that better days are still out ahead of us without giving up on each other. Love AND loyalty, baby! All for the glory of God!

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