That was surprisingly my ten-year-old son, Siah, to me yesterday! “Are you being serious? Or are you messing with me like your dad does when he says that?” He said he meant it. And when I asked him what about my life that he likes, I was utterly blown away when he replied, “Your closeness to God… Like how God arranged the Justin Bieber concert for you.”
And if my son and I are the only ones who believe that God loves me that much to have Justin Bieber perform live, minutes away from my house, on my birthday, all the songs I felt God spoke to me through him, to comfort me during a very rough year last year, I’m OK with that. I want my kids knowing that they are not going through life alone, “God DEY!” as they say in Nigeria, to help them go through any rugged and rough terrain. Heehaw!
That was my message to my daughter, Ember, around 3 am this morning. She is in the US, while I’m in Nigeria, and when I woke up, I remembered that we hadn’t spoken the day before. I sent her a text asking if she was OK and when she responded, “no,” I quickly called her. She’s struggling with an advanced level class, and I told her about my last YouTube video where I told the world about how God said to me through Justin Bieber’s song, “I’M AVAILABLE,” and how I run to Him in all my challenges and low moments. That He is also available to her 24/7 to pray and ask for His guidance on what to do.
Right after our talk, I hung up and felt a nudge from God to have an appointment with Him. I opened up, The Purpose Driven Life for Kids, and it asked if I wanted to go to a page in the book that it was opened to on another device. I clicked yes, and it astonishingly took me to Day 117 entitled, ‘ALWAYS AVAILABLE (Wink! Wink!).’ This lined up too perfectly to be some ordinary coincidence. Less than a minute after I said to my daughter that God’s available to help, He confirmed it! That was His sweet way of letting us know that His invisible Presence is always with us. My fairytale love affair with God continues (HUGE SMILE)!
Ember is on a streak with God, reading this kid’s devotional, and today will be her day 117 of it, which made the wink even sweeter because whenever I see the numbers 11 and 7 together, it’s my little cue from God to remind me that His Presence is right there with me. That I can go through life knowing He goes before me, stands with me, and goes ahead of me to level the mountains I’m facing. He is pretty awesome like that! He is available for you too! Just start seeking Him like my Ember is doing in her daily appointments with Him and then going to Him all day long for His guidance, support, strength, and love.
WEROLLWITHGOD.COM
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YOUTUBE VIDEO OF THE DAY
HEALTH MATTERS
DAY 117 OF 365 DAYS OF DISCIPLINE!
DISCIPLINE IS THE WAY…
Let’s make every thought obedient to God! Continually seeking His perspective on everything, KNOWING He is always with us!
That was me to my fierce daughter, Ember, yesterday. I wanted to call her, but I said I know my personality gets a bit overbearing, so I resisted. Within five minutes, she was the one calling me. That’s my boo! I told her about my lonely life of feeling rejected by other people and thinking I have to be less of myself to be accepted. But how God told me recently in an appointment with Him that I’m never too much for Him, and that I should never dim my light just because others think I’m too bright. He tells me, ‘NIK, SHINE EVEN BRIGHTER!’ Yes, Boss!!!
I told her what an inspiration she is to me. She has already gotten accepted at a top university in New York along with almost $30,000 per year in scholarship monies. Her dream is to intern at one of the leading firms on Wall Street while still attending college full time. Talk about being too much, that’s her! My daughter for sure! “I’m coming with you!” I tell her. I want to meet with New York publishers to take my message from God to the next level. Whoop! Whoop!
I can’t stop thanking her for telling me about Justin Bieber’s concert that’s going to be held minutes away from our home in Florida ON MY BIRTHDAY. No coincidence! It was God arranging this for His fav girl here (maybe this is why I don’t have too many friends – referring to myself as God’s fav girl! LOL!) But I play Justin Bieber’s song ‘Favorite Girl,’ and I imagine Him singing these lyrics to me:
“My favorite, My favorite, My favorite
My favorite girl, My favorite girl
You’re used to going out your way to impress these Mr. Wrongs
BUT YOU CAN BE YOURSELF FOR ME, I’LL TAKE YOU AS YOU ARE (That goes for all of us!!!)
I know they said, “Believe in love, ” is a dream that can’t be real
So, girl, let’s write a fairy tale
And show ’em how We feel
You’re who I’m thinking of
Girl, you ain’t My runner-up
And no matter what you’re always number one”
My daughters got so sick of me playing Justin Bieber so loud that they begged me to stop. So, for him to come and have a concert on my birthday, minutes away from us, is God and I continuing to write this fairy tale of His deep love for me. Not only for me, though, but that’s also how much He loves each of us. I’m just the God nerd who pays attention. (SMILE)
I want us all to have this close relationship with God! I ask my daughters all the time, “Aren’t you God’s fav girl?’ Looking at everything God has done for them, they truly believe they are. I’m thinking for the concert we will EVEN wear t-shirts saying, “GOD’S FAVORITE GIRL.”
Don’t miss out! Start seeking a closer relationship with God. Just say this prayer with me, ‘God, I want a closer walk with You.’ He doesn’t require perfection, and He doesn’t judge us the way other humans do. We’re never too much for Him! He loves us unconditionally, and no matter how many times we fall and fail, He stands strong with us to help us get back on track. We can leave the past in the past and move confidently forward with God as our GREATEST FRIEND EVER!!! Amen!!!
WEROLLWITHGOD.COM
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YOUTUBE VIDEO OF THE DAY
GOD LOVES ME TOOOOOOOO MUCH!!!
https://youtu.be/Rj1bzIrGYdA
LIVE IN GOD, LIVE IN LOVE
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HEALTH MATTERS
DAY 116 OF 365 DAYS OF DISCIPLINE!
DISCIPLINE IS THE WAY…
If I’m going to make it to New York with Ember, I gotta get my discipline seriously up! By the grace of God, I will!!! What are your goals and dreams? We don’t go far without discipline!
That was my son, Siah, to me today when I told him MY HUGE GOD WINK! This one started years ago with me feeling like Justin Bieber is one of my messengers from God. Like God speaks DIRECTLY to me through Justin. In fact, his last album, Changes, was God dictating to him PRECISELY what He wanted to say to me. I told everyone who would listen that the entire album ‘Changes’ was God’s love song to me, and me singing back to Him. People probably thought I had really lost my mind, but God went as far as confirming that YES, NIK, THIS ALBUM IS MY LOVE SONG TO YOU!!!! Here’s how: (DRUM ROLL, PLEASE!!!)
Justin has announced that he will be performing live, the album ‘Changes’ in our city, Miami, ON MY BIRTHDAY, July 31, from 7 to 11 pm. And you guys know that whenever I see 7 and 11 together, it’s my wink from God that His invisible Presence is there with me. No doubt whatsoever, GOD ARRANGED ALL THIS FOR ME!!! I told ya, I’m His fav girl, baby!
“Give me an example of how God speaks to you through Justin Bieber?” Siah questioned me. I told him about the song, ‘That’s What Love Is,’ and the lyrics say, ‘Never understood what it meant… It meant to submit to love.. Till You put it in perspective.’ I told Siah about how I was boiling angry with his dad today (this marriage thing is not easy!), and I wanted to turn into a crazy lady, but with one glance at God, I knew what He would have me to do: Nik, vent anything to me, but to others learn to be silent. I had to zip it up and stay on the high road with God – I submitted/humbled myself to God’s love seeking to make Him happy. Looking at everything from a God perspective who does so much for me (even arranging an entire Justin Bieber concert), I asked what would make Him happy, and I did that.
“You teach me patience,” the song also says! And that’s the HARD lesson. To focus on the good of others and allow God to work on the other parts that we’re not so thrilled about. God is patient with us, so we must be patient with others. SUPER TOUGH, but with God’s strength, WE CAN DO ALL THINGS! Let’s do it all for the glory of God, superhero style!
WEROLLWITHGOD.COM
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YOUTUBE VIDEO OF THE DAY
HOW TO DEAL WITH THE WEEDS (FRUSTRATING SITUATIONS) IN OUR LIVES
https://youtu.be/eaeXtMCTspI
LIVE IN GOD, LIVE IN LOVE
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HEALTH MATTERS
DAY 114 OF 365 DAYS OF DISCIPLINE!
DISCIPLINE IS THE WAY…
Super tough to be the people God is calling us to be, but when we’re obedient to Him, He leads us on the paths to the best lives! Wink! Wink!
“LET FOOD BE THY MEDICINE AND MEDICINE THY FOOD”
GOD IS SO COOL AND DOWN TO EARTH
I’m a pretty tough momma, so whenever my kids complain to me about feeling pain somewhere, I simply respond, “Pain is a part of life, sweetie! Get over it.” So, today, with the pain I’m feeling in my knee from my running up and down the stairs of our house, I kept going. Professional athlete style, baby! No pain is going to hold us back! Yesterday, my phone pulled up a photo memory of a year ago when I took a picture of the T-shirt of someone I randomly bumped into at the store that said, “There is no end to the pain. You must be numb.” When we both met again at the ice-cream section looking for the same brand and flavor ice cream, I knew it was a message from God to me regarding some emotional pain and hurts I was feeling. God is pretty talkative!
So this morning, in venting to God AGAIN about this same pain (He keeps telling me to vent anything to Him, but to others, I should be silent!), I felt Him having some fun with me in my spirit, mockingly and funnily like I repeat to my kids, ‘Pain is a part of life, sweetie! Get over it. There is no end to the pain. You must be numb.’ God, very funny!
That’s the sweet and cool side of God I’ve come to know and love. He meets us exactly where we are and gives us His perspectives on handling difficult and awkward situations. I’m talking in every aspect of our lives, He is a total expert. That’s why I love these runs where I get to vent, strategize and focus, getting God’s wisdom on how to deal with matters that I need His assistance with wrapping my head around.
His advice never fails! Whenever I look back, I see that His ways are always best. In fact, better than best because He always exceeds my expectations. I’m sticking with my brother Kevin’s advice, “Neeks, I want you to work on being wise.” For me, that means going to 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.” – Dr. Drew Sams (Bel Air Church)
NOT ALWAYS EASY! BUT ALWAYS BEST! Start pausing and inviting God to be a part of every moment of your life and every move you make, seeking to please, honor, and glorify Him. Not letting the disappointments, challenges and setbacks discourage us but keeping our eyes fixed on God who can guide and navigate us safely through any troubled waters. Off to go between watching Netflix with hubs and studying with my super intelligent and wise son, Emmie. Doing everything for the glory of God! Amen!
WEROLLWITHGOD.COM
***
YOUTUBE VIDEO OF THE DAY
GOD LOVES ME TOOOOOOOO MUCH!!!
https://youtu.be/Rj1bzIrGYdA
LIVE IN GOD, LIVE IN LOVE
***
HEALTH MATTERS
DAY 115 OF 365 DAYS OF DISCIPLINE!
DISCIPLINE IS THE WAY…
I can’t stop thanking some of my siblings who are a part of a group we call ‘A GOD ALLIANCE’ with me. Never underestimate the value and influence of the people you have in your life. This group gets me to the starting line of a run every day where I can vent to God, get His incredible perspective and wisdom on my life, and leave every run better than I started. Just so I can have a pic to share with them that I completed a run from my Nike Running Club app. THANK YOU, MY PEEPS!!! You’re helping to make your sister better! Forever grateful for our alliance! May we all do BIG things for the glory of God!