It's Not About Me

 When I came to the realization and understanding that everything does not revolve around me and its not always about me; I suddenly had a more serene outlook on my circumstances, my life , career just about everything that is in my world. Some insights:

• How do you get to the point where you aren't always thinking about self and what the world is giving you and telling you ?
•  For me it was when I realized it was because I was thinking more, meditating more, praying more  and reading more and studying more about what the Bible has to say and do and not about what I must gain and what must be done for me.
• I realized I could  say thank you  God for hearing me and for being with me, protecting me even when  I think things are lousy and not so great.
• It came true  for me; all the things that I had  heard and had seen in the faithful, a peace about life that you gain with complete trust in God, finally happened to me; I became the faithful.
• The choices I make about even the smallest things effect my day and determine if it is going to be about me or about Jesus. Example: The weather has been so dreary and cold, unable to get  out much and the day seems to have nothing new to offer, nothing exciting going on or looking forward to, kind of a slump day. I  realized where my thoughts were going; another week till pay day, the same old difficulties at work, at home, same ole, same ole except a different day. I was beginning to think where is that tingle, that sparkle that excitement for the day I am in.   I said out loud,  "This is where the rubber hits the road, Nikki" this is where in this very second that I can make a choice to look to what Jesus has to say and do or what I feel like saying about this  "slump" day.
• Then I make my choice, I remember God's word, His verses, I quote out loud. Philippians 4:4-9  "Finally ,  brethren, whatever things are true,whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of a good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy  - meditate on these things, The things which you learned and received and heard and saw in me, these do, and the the God of peace will be with you."  
•  I get the focus off of myself and I start to speak  out loud the positive; thank God for each and every thing He has given me, blessed me with, all of His promises to me and  understand it is not about me.

So, if you ever have one or some of those days, as I do, choose to turn it around and remember it is not about you but about Jesus Christ and worshiping Him, about what He has to say. Trust Him totally with every problem and He will take care of all the rest.

I have learned:

• For every circumstance I encounter, God has the answer
• The Bible is the blueprint for my life; God made me and He knows what I need. I need to read the blueprint for the path of my life.
• I choose to make my day, my life for the good that is in it or I can choose to see only what I don't have.
• If you don't like your habits, determine to do something in your day to change it.
• If you fail, ask God to give you the strength, Philippians 4:13 to do it.
• Keep doing what God says  to do, keep making the turns that he says. What are those turns for your life? Fin out what His will  is for you.
• What is that will of God for you ? It is found in His word. Seek Him out and you will find Him. Jeremiah 29:13 
• Keep showing up at Sunday School, at church, at fellowships where people who love Jesus are.
• God has given you a  special gift to offer to others, to help others, your passion, what you love to do, use it so God's name may be mentioned and exalted, lifted up.
• Speak His name in a crowd, to a friend, to a neighbor, to a stranger and see the strength the blessings ( favor ) you receive. It works !!
• The Bible is the only book that speaks to you , it is living, true and inspired by God. 2 Timothy 3:16-17.  
• I want to be in charge of my day, my life, have favor and blessing from God. I know if i am obedient and keep trying very hard, every day no matter what, I can find God's will for my life.  I make a choice to set aside time and worship, with prayer, reading , and thanking God for every thing I can think of. James 1:17 ...  Every good and perfect gift is from above.

  Finally,
Don't let anyone or any circumstance rob you of the joy,  peace or the sweet promises of God . Know what Jesus says about how much  you mean to Him and how much He loves you. He chose you !! John 15:16-17. Keep talking to Jesus, He is listening. He never sleeps nor slumbes- Psalm 121:4

All these things have taught me it is not about me !!

In Jesus Name,
Nikki

Putting God's Promises to work.

One of my favorite scriptures is Romans 4:17 : ...... God who gives life to the dead and calls things that do not exist as though they did.....
I  find myself  always praising God for His goodness, His mercy , His power, His magnificent grace in my life, as I  prepare my heart to speak to Him and to thank Him for His  abiding love for me even before I was born and yet even  now when I fall short so may times in my obedience to His word.  My worship by acknowledging Him as my Saviour and praising  Him and  giving thanks to Him draws me into His presence with a humble heart. He tells us in Hebrews 4:16 : "Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need." This verse gives me the authority to come to Jesus with my needs.
Therefore:
 I translate this verse  into every aspect of any problem I am having, with my health, my relationships,my financial situation, my career, anything I need God's power for in my life. I keep speaking His word and promises over difficulities in my life. I keep speaking what He says for me to say and do over my circumstances.
  As an example, my health : Whatever my problem, I quote this verse and  put my hand (in  this example) on my arm and say. " My Lord in heaven, I will not have this pain, because you have told me to call things that do not exist as though they did and  I am doing just that.  The pain is gone in my arm, the blood is flowing  in my vessels exactly as you ordered it to do, my muscles,  my tendons everything is working just as you designed. I know I am healed of this pain in Jesus name.
Your word does not come back void, Isaiah 55:11 says,"  So My word  that goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it."  God, Your word is true and you keep your promises.
This pain has no authority in my body.  Your word tells me in Luke 10:19 :  "Behold I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall any means hurt you."
Keep speaking to where you want to be. Proverbs 18:21: "Death and life are in the  power of the tongue ......"
This is how I live my life and all my circumstances by putting God's word ahead of everything else .
Try it for just one day and you will see the difference.  It is His power that guides my life and He will guide yours . Trust Him to keep His promises.
In Jesus Name,
Nikki

A Few Thoughts

As I was thinking about my spiritual understanding; trying to pin point some specifics that have carried me on this awesome journey which brought me to this exciting place and given me this desire to share with others;  I discovered it's about putting God's promises/words into today's world, in my world.

• How can I make this relevant and put the Bible in my life, when the Bible is over 2000 years old ?
• How do I know God is real when I have never seen Him?
• How can I understand a Book that has so many "Thee's and Thou's and there is so much to read? It can be overwhelming.

My Discovery :

• Start out in the beginning, slow, keep on the path, keep faithful, start doing what you read
•  The Bible is your self-help book. If you want to improve your health, your wealth, your relationships, your mind, move up the career ladder, have a positive approach to your life; KEEP READING, KEEP PRAYING , no matter what is going on around you
• God will show you personally that He is real and the creator of you and the sustainer of this universe. Jeremiah 29:13 says , " And you will seek me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart."
• Little by little your heart, your speech, your actions, your attitude will  begin to reflect what Jesus has said and  you will be excited about reading the word of God.
• I say and speak things that I want to happen  in my life." There is life and death in the power of the tongue..." Proverbs 18:21
•  Learning who Jesus is, is like anything else; if you want to get to know someone or something you have to read and study the subject to have knowledge about it.  We are influenced by what we surround ourselves with. If that is always bitterness, anger, a sour attitude, always complaining about what we don't have instead of what we do have then that is what our daily lives will reflect.
• What has helped me, is staying constant in His Word and I know it will help you !!

What I Wanted and What I learned

What I wanted Spiritually:

• I wanted to know what the Bible said , what Jesus did, His life
• I wanted to be able to find the books in the Bible without looking  them up
• I wanted what I heard my Pastor say over and over," peace, happiness, joy no matter what"
• I knew I was saved but what next
• What do I do now that I am saved and how does that change my eveyday life  

What I Learned:

• I have to do my part
• I have to seek Him
• I have to read about Him
• I have to be determined to read,pray and study
• I have to set aside the beginning of my day for my worship with Him ,which is my prayers, my reading, my memorizing scripture that speaks to  my life
• I have to go to Church and hear His word, be with other Christians that can encourage me and I can encourage them  
• I have to do these things even when I don't feel like it
• I push my self, I press on even when it feels,looks like nothing is changing 
• Then all of a sudden, I have the strength, the words, the knowledge to keep going, to say what Jesus would say and do what Jesus would do and remain faithful to do what I promised myself I would do.
• I fail many times, but I always know I am forgiven and Philippians 4:13 comes to my mind 

A side note about relationships and What I've Learned:

• Make sure the very last thing you say to someone is the last thing you want to say to them. You may not have the opportunity to add to your words.

In Jesus Name,
 Nikki

During a Day

What I found to be true :

• No matter what my circumstances;  a bad day at the office,  a quarrel with those I love, my feelings get bruised, my confidence is lacking;  I remember what God says to do and what He says about me and not what they say about me.
• That is why it is so important to know His word
•  I memorize it so it is in my heart and I can speak it when I need it
•  I try to keep treating others as He would do by doing what He says, the kind words, the smiles, yielding my needs/desires, by putting the other person first, whether I feel like it or not.
• There was a change in my attitude and life when I  began to yield. It is NOT easy. It takes practice. It's not our natural instinct to give up what we want and let someone else have there way.
• It is not about me, it is about doing what Jesus would do. When I understood this and really  tried to apply it in  all my circumstances, things didn't seem so bad.
•  I have joy in my day, in my attitude and in my hope in becoming a better person through the words of Jesus when I yield.

In Jesus Name,
Nikki

A Few Thoughts in the Beginning

Well, at long last I think I have mastered the fundamentals of "blogging" . I will soon find out for certain if anyone is interested in some thoughts that cross my mind and abide in my heart. This premise of blogging is for the purpose of sharing thoughts, ideas and works that help me in my day to day adventure as a Christian in the world I live in. It is with sincere hope and unselfish prayer that the words I post will encourage, reveal, involve, support and uplift us as we seek and find what God says to us in His word.

It is with loving thanks to my daughter in law, Elizabeth that I have started  on this journey. She is all the things mentioned above that have encouraged me to explore this avenue of sharing what God has done in my life. My husband, Linwood and I are blessed beyond measure with  who she is  and how she loves so much, Leslie our son and grandchildren. We also are so very blessed with Morgan who loves and cares so much for our youngest son , Jesse. It is the culmination of the answered prayers for these two very special women of God, in our lives that have prompted this attempt at blogging. The blessings are so presious that I can't contain them and I want others to have the same abundant life.

Please keep in mind these posts will be from my heart and my lifc experiences that God has revealed to me.  Some are profound and some are very basic and simple yet the combination has filled me with  joy and a determination to always try and be obedient to His word. 

I may not post daily but will have something posted as often as I can. Jesus is the inspiration of everything I will post.

Now that I have explained the reason for the beginning of all this; this is one of the things that changed my life.

• Setting a time in the morning before life gets in the way, to read the Bible and pray.
• I was challanged to do this by a minister of ours; and then see how God would change my life
• It worked.  I started in Genesis and would read a chapter a day, mark it, then pick up there the next day. It worked. I am changed. It didn't happen over night but I kept doing it. I get up 4-4:30 most mornings and determine to do it. If I fail some time to get up, I continue the next morning or the next. I am determined to read and pray. I didn't know so much how to pray in the beginning but as you talk to God the Holy Spirit will carry you to the next sentence in your heart.

Till Next Time
 God's Love and Blessings,
Nikki