“BUT THE PEOPLE WHO TRUST THE LORD WILL BECOME STRONG AGAIN…”
They will rise up as an eagle in the sky; they will run and not need rest; they will walk and not become tired. – Isaiah 40:31
This is the verse I read in my appointment with God as I woke up, and it gave me such encouragement. I feel myself getting stronger again! Yay! Life can get stressful sometimes, and we may fall a million times, but I’m here to tell you that we can rise back up a million and one. Not only rise up, but BOUNCE BACK wiser, stronger, tougher, better, and most importantly, CLOSER TO GOD, baby! Like an eagle for sure!!! Heehaw!!!
After my daughter, Ember, “Mom, this is your worst year ever,” I’m determined to show her and my other daughter, Julie, that even during my worst year, I’m gonna be killin’ it! Doing my thing to the best of my ability and SHINING BRIGHT, all for God’s glory! What doesn’t kill us makes us stronger! NEVER LET A GOOD TRAGEDY GO TO WASTE, PEOPLE. Don’t become bitter; become BETTER.
To be very honest with you guys, I’m EXTREMELY HAPPY for ALL those falls. Every single time I went RUNNING to God in my distress, He showed up. He would figure out some way to let me know His invisible Presence was with me. I’m talking such TENDER LOVE I receive from Him.
Like yesterday, my daughters and I were in our bathroom joking around with each other before their first day of school. I brought up to Julie that she would be able to see her friend, “ZION.” She hates when I mention him because he teases her a lot with these funny remarks that if I mention to you guys, she would kill me. So fast forward a couple of hours later, I’m at my computer waiting for the number 132 to come up somewhere, so I called my sons in Nigeria for an appointment with God, and said we should read day number 132 from The Purpose Driven Life Devotional for kids and look what showed up:
“Those who trust in the LORD are like Mount ZION (Wink! Wink!), which cannot be shaken but endures forever.” – Psalm 125:1
That “ZION” showing up was no coincidence, but God AGAIN revealing His invisible Presence letting me know He is not only with the girls here (even in our bathroom) and me, He is also with my sons and hubby in Nigeria. I’m talking the most tender love He gives. His love strengthens me, gives me peace, and hope for even a happier and better future and the motivation to keep giving my best and leaving the rest with Him.
He keeps reminding me that He is doing a new thing and I can forget the former things! I’m learning to relax, take life lightheartedly (not stressing!) and I’m enjoying God’s company. Let’s recommit our entire lives over to pleasing and honoring Him in every moment. I promise you, this is the best life close to God.
I just said to my fierce daughters as they’re about to start their school year virtually in front of their computers. Like President Trump loves to say, “It is what it is!” We have to roll with whatever life throws our way. But, most importantly, KNOWING who is rolling with us: GOD!!! Our hope is in HIM, baby!!! Let me tell ya, He makes me feel so loved and that His Presence is always with me. The other day, this song played on the radio, and I knew it was a message from Him to me:
“When the visions around you
Bring tears to your eyes
And all that surrounds you
Are secrets and lies
I’ll be your strength
I’ll give you hope
Keeping your faith when it’s gone
The one you should call
Was standing there all along
And I will take you in my arms
And hold you right where you belong
Til’ the day my life is through
This I promise you
This I promise you” – This I Promise You, NSYNC
This is after I’ve written a couple of times how I’m thanking my hubby for NOT answering my calls when I was feeling overwhelmed and stressed about our business that I’m working to get back on track, and then I go RUNNING to God. And I felt He was saying in that song, “I’m the One you should call, Nik, I’ve been here all along for you.” And God has been showing up for me.
Like He gave me a nudge to hire someone back again. Hubby didn’t agree, but I went out on a limb feeling STRONGLY that God wanted me to leave the past in the past, forgive, and give him another chance. But here is how God thinks so much of all of us. He confirmed to me that He wanted me to rehire this person when I held our house key in my hand as I was about to go out on my morning run.
My daughter had copied this key for herself the day she got her drivers’ license, and she had them to print on it, “GOOD VIBES.” This was the day after I had met this person for the first time, and I kept saying that I got “GOOD VIBES” from him. I took the key as a God wink saying I should hire him, and I did. So, when I wanted to rehire hire him, without hubby’s blessings (I made an executive decision that hubby has given me the leeway to do at times), God drew my attention to this very key that I held in my hand and spoke to me through my spirit, ‘Nik, give him another chance.’ I said, ‘Ok, Boss!’ Who am I to argue with God!
Fast forward to yesterday and telling him about the key story and why I decided to give him another try, we both got goosebumps. He was thrilled that God was thinking and cares about him. An hour or two later, I’m driving home, and there is a food truck on a corner down from our shop, incredibly saying, “GOOD VIBES.” Wink! Wink! Another confirmation from God that He is with us!!!! How sweet is that! Don’t miss out on the best life with God!!!
FORGET THE FORMER THINGS; GOD IS DOING A NEW THING, BABY!!!
I love, love, love my life with God! He is always doing something new with our lives. And He uses EVERYTHING – the good, bad, and ugly, to help us become ALL He would have us to be and more importantly, CLOSER TO HIM!!!
I just sent this pic to my sister asking if she liked it and she responded, “I love all the people…don’t like the green shirts though.” LOL! I explained that green signifies growth and new beginnings. We can forget the former things and expect even a BETTER future with God leading the way to the best path.
I’m not settling for less than His best!!! Your girl here is in fighters’ stance mode because there are sometimes when God says stand down and there are times He says, “It’s time to fight.” In life, I feel its important to have boundaries – I will take this, but I will not take this. All based on constant conversations with God as to what He would have us to do. Sometimes He tells me to be silent and sometimes He tells me to speak, but in a way that’s kind and not humiliating. I don’t get it right all the time, but I feel Him correcting me to just do better next time.
Not every battle is for us to fight! Some you must leave with God. Wisdom is knowing which ones to take on and which ones to leave with Him. Our time and energy are limited, so we have to be careful with what we take on because we could end up wasting them on useless battles. But the ones you deem are important, you go all out, doing your best and leaving the rest with God.
For me, that’s my family. I’m so proud of where God has brought us, not that we’re perfect, but we’re perfect in reflecting that you don’t have to be perfect to roll with God. We mess up every day, but we feel His love and guidance continually with us. Like this business that I’m trying to get back on track, I was there yesterday, and it has a whole new vibe. A new beginning! God has been telling me through my spirit what it is He suggests for me to do, and I’ve been following His lead and it’s paying off.
Are you getting close to God to hear what He wants to whisper to you? I promise you, as you take one step closer to Him, He takes 100 closer to you. Just say, “God, I want to roll with You.” Then start seeking Him in all the decisions you make, “God, what would You have me to do here?” The more you listen and follow Him, the better you will get at it!
That was from my funny daughter, Julie, who has fun calling me “Nikki.” Guys, God has truly led my life on such a beautiful path, that it’s my pleasure to wake up and HAPPILY clean our bathrooms, all for His glory. He said that wherever I am, He is there; therefore everything should be clean and beautiful for Him.
I woke to an appointment with Him listening to Devon Franklin’s sermon on YouTube, ‘The Mamba Mentality,’ and as always, Devon inspired me when he talked about His purpose in life and how everything is tied to one thing. In my case, however, I couldn’t wrap myself around just one thing because I wear so many hats, and my focus has to be all over the place. But, God, again, knowing every thought I think, just had me to read this:
“’Question: What is the chief End of Man?
Answer: Man’s chief End is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.’” – Pursuit of God, A.W. Tozer
Woohoo! That just simplified my life’s purpose: To glorify God in being the mother, wife and person He has called me to be, and enjoy Him. “So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” – 1 Corinthians 10:31
Or like my mom taught me, “If you’re a street cleaner, be the best street cleaner there is!” God is our ULTIMATE BOSS, and I’ve found when I show up as my best self, He is the One to reward me. Not only does God reward me, I say, between Him and my hubby, they spoil me. This is definitely the sweet life with God, baby! Don’t miss out!
To the point, though, that I know I’ve become quite lazy, too comfortable and half-hearted. Devon asked something like is laziness stealing your destiny. I know it is for me. The green that we’re all wearing is to signify new growth and a new beginning. I’m challenging myself to leave the old Nik behind and step up to be all God has called me to be, and I’m challenging you to join me. What do you need to shake off to become your best and shiniest version of yourself, all for the glory of God? LAZINESS, NEGATIVE THINKING, AND PROCRASTINATION, FOR ME, MUST GO!!!
WEROLLWITHGOD.COM
“SOMETIMES, IT ALL GETS A LITTLE TOO MUCH”
That’s from the Shawn Mendes song I love, ‘A Little Too Much.’ I was introduced to it on one of the worst days of my life (and I ain’t exaggerating!), and I knew it was a direct message from God to me:
“So take My hand, it will be alright
And she knew that she would be okay”
And even as I play it now, five months later, I feel God’s Presence here with me in my little office, still saying, ‘So take My hand, Nik, it will be alright.’
I get it, guys, life can really be a little bit too much, but we have to hold on to God’s hands KNOWING that everything will be OK. The reason I know God’s invisible Presence is here with me is that I RAN TO HIM, ‘God, I need to hear from you?’ No shame in my game! I then grabbed my meditation book, ‘Yes Father,’ and He lovingly showed up. It was two conversations with two different people tonight that appeared on the same page, exactly where I had the book already opened.
The first person, I said to them, just two hours ago, ‘Pray without ceasing.” I got those words from a business card on a desk where I sat at work today, and incredibly the book said:
“When Moses lifted up his hands, Israel overcame. PRAY WITHOUT CEASING (Wink! Wink!). Pray “at all times in the spirit…” Our devoted Yes, Father is the form of consecration, our prayer.
Then, in another conversation, I quoted Devon Franklin who has taught me lately, “Prayer without work is dead. You can’t just stand still.” Again, on that very page, that was already opened to, it said:
“Work without prayer is without the blessing of God, it remains dead. Prayer without action (work!) has no ground whereon to stand. Action and prayer: bread and the word of consecration belong together.”
That’s what I call a double God wink with Him saying, ‘Nik, I’m right here with you.’ This lined up all too perfect to be regular coincidences. And this gives me the peace that surpasses all understanding and all the strength and confidence to tackle my life, even when it’s all a little too much, KNOWING I am never alone. God dey! And He wants me to tell you, He’s with you, too. Hold onto His hands super tight as we all go through this very turbulent time together, taking life one moment at a time. We can confidently say, “God, I trust You.” Even if that means repeating that 1,000 a day! God, I trust You…God, I trust You…God, I trust You.
