God’s Plan For Your Life Is BIGGER

Hey y’all!! Hope you beautiful people are doing well and hanging in there with the extended quarantine 😞 I will be so grateful when all this is over and we can just come and go as well please. I won’t lie I miss shopping 🛍 lol and being with friends, family, and church.

I want to encourage you today, I know it’s hard but don’t be discouraged by what’s going on around you. While our circumstances they might be extremely bad they are only temporary, they will not last forever. This to shall pass….we have to remind ourselves of this. God’s plan for your life is BIGGER and has eternal value sweet friend! He was NOT caught off guard by any of this or anything else that’s happened in your life.

Encourage yourself today, encourage your family and others around you and stir yourself up my friend.

Encourage means to take action, giving someone support , confidence, and hope. We are all capable of doing this. Sometimes though we have to do it to ourselves first before we can someone else. It’s kinda like that oxygen mask on a plane…..put it on you first and then others around you.

Speak Gods word over yourself and your family and friends. We see in Psalms 42 where David encouraged himself, “Why are you so downcast O my soul….”

“My soul thirsts, pants, and longs for the living God. I want to come and see the face of God. Day and night my tears keep falling and my heart keeps crying for your help while my enemies mock me over and over, saying, “Where is this God of yours? Why doesn’t he help you?” So I speak over my heartbroken soul, “Take courage. Remember when you used to be right out front leading the procession of praise when the great crowd of worshipers gathered to go into the presence of the Lord? You shouted with joy as the sound of passionate celebration filled the air and the joyous multitude of lovers honored the festival of the Lord!” So then, my soul, why would you be depressed? Why would you sink into despair? Just keep hoping and waiting on God, your Savior. For no matter what, I will still sing with praise, for living before his face is my saving grace! Here I am depressed and downcast. Yet I will still remember you as I ponder the place where your glory streams down from the mighty mountaintops, lofty and majestic— the mountains of your awesome presence. My deep need calls out to the deep kindness of your love. Your waterfall of weeping sent waves of sorrow over my soul, carrying me away, cascading over me like a thundering cataract. Yet all day long God’s promises of love pour over me. Through the night I sing his songs, for my prayer to God has become my life. I will say to God, “You are my mountain of strength; how could you forget me? Why must I suffer this vile oppression of my enemies— these heartless tormentors who are out to kill me?” Their wounding words pierce my heart over and over while they say, “Where is this God of yours?” So I say to my soul, “Don’t be discouraged. Don’t be disturbed. For I know my God will break through for me.” Then I’ll have plenty of reasons to praise him all over again. Yes, living before his face is my saving grace!”
‭‭Psalms‬ ‭42:2-11‬ ‭TPT‬‬

YES!!! I love this! He is my saving grace and He is yours too my friend!

Be an blessing and encouragement to someone today. I know it’s hard from home. We just have to be more creative.

– Donate money to a local charity.

– If you are able to safely go out using wisdom and social distancing and deliver food to elderly and people in need.

– Send a text to a friend or call someone.

– Send a surprise gift online to someone.

– Start a bible study or work out group using Zoom with other friends so you can stay connected.

– If you like to cook do a Facebook Live and teach people how to make it. You can encourage and interact that way.

– If your going to the store ask a neighbor or someone you know that can’t get out if they need something.

There’s many more, I’d love to hear what you’ve done to encourage others and also have you keep yourself encouraged.

Lastly, sweet friend He calls YOU beautiful child of the King, destined for greatness!! You are called and anointed for such a time as this. Don’t let the enemy whisper lies to you. You remind him of who you are and of Who’s you are and then remind him that he is under your feet and he is a defeated foe……You are a Victorious Overcomer, full of COURAGE and HOPE, and Destined For Greatness 💗🗡🔥🙏🏻

Big hugs,

Nicole💗

My God Is So Big

The Lord Is Near….Be Anxious For Nothing

Coronavirus…it’s on everyone’s mind. Whether you say it is or not, all the lines, shopping, hoarding, and empty shelves at the stores shows it. I still don’t get the toilet paper selling out🤷🏼‍♀️🤣

Here’s what I’ve noticed, some have gone from one extreme to the other. It’s crazy. Some are like “Its just a cold. Why are you acting so ridiculous?” Then others are screaming “It’s the end of the world!”

If we listen to what the doctors say and follow what YOUR SPECIFIC NEEDS are, meaning whether you’re a healthy individual or if your elderly or immunocompromised that kinda tells you which direction you should go. It’s not a guarantee you won’t get it, it’s a guideline for you.

Personally, I fall in that immunocompromised category and I have several friends that do as well. I have CVID, so I do have to use wisdom and caution with what I do. You may decide to go to movies, church, small groups, etc. and that may be right for you but for others like myself that is not a good idea. What bothers me is when I hear people say “Well your living in fear when you stop going to places.” No, on the contrary I’m not living in fear at all, I’m living in wisdom and doing what’s best for me.

We shouldn’t judge other people’s decisions when we don’t know what they deal with. So many people have health issues or they have loved ones with health issues and all that needs to be taken into consideration when making a decision on what you will do or where you will go. It’s based on you and your family….not based on what someone else thinks. But that’s just my opinion 🤷🏼‍♀️

I just want to remind you that during all this chaos, the Lord is near.

When fear of the unknown threatens to bog you down, and steal your peace and joy and you find yourself scared and anxious, your not crazy, it’s normal in times like this.

We are human.

Fear of the unknown does that.

The difference is you don’t want to LIVE in fear. We have to choose faith over fear but also use wisdom for your own circumstances.

The Lord is near.

We all face fear and anxiety from time to time but just let me encourage you today sweet friend that God never gave us a spirit of fear, but one of power, love and of sound mind. He didn’t cause this but I can assure you, He will work things out for your good.

The Lord is near.

For some, jobs are uncertain.

I know with the economy fluctuating like it is, it’s scary and unsettling.

But the Lord is near.

Some moms and dads just found out schools out K-12 for almost 3 weeks and your thinking “Y’all gonna make me lose my mind, up in here, up in here.” 🤣🤣

But the Lord is near.

Like Joseph, God can cause you to prosper during a famine. Put your trust in God and get in the Word. God will bless you to be a blessing.

Pray! Pray! And pray some more my friends.

Check on your neighbors or elderly family or friends.

Pray for our healthcare workers.

Pray for our government officials, all branches whether you like them or not. Pray they have wisdom.

Put on the whole armor of God.

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities,against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.

Sword of the Spirit:

When I am afraid, I put my trust in you” Psalm 56:3

God will “instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my eye upon you” Psalm 32:8

And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus” Philippians 4:19

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. Philippians 4:6

For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control. 2 Timothy 1:7

Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. Psalm 23:4

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. Jeremiah 29:11-13

And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:7

I pray you start to see the goodness of God and His supernatural provision in your life and family.

Prayer:

God answers prayers sweet friends and it says in James, The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. So Lord we come before You with praise and thanksgiving. We worship You for who you are and thank you for loving us and saving us. Father there are so many people sick and in need of healing, help them regain their strength. Refresh and restore them. Bring healing from the top of their heads to the soles of their feet. Bring supernatural healing to every cell, every organ, repair dna, and we declare it must come in alignment with Your perfect Word.

We come against that spirit of fear that is so evident in our world today. We declare you have NO place here. God has not given us a spirit of fear but of power, love, and sound mind. When fear, worry and doubt come against me, I’m reminded how big my God is. How he holds my future in his hands. He has a great and mighty plan for my future.

Lord bring provision where provision has been lost. You are Jehovah jireh, my Provider. Give divine wisdom, ideas and creativity to your sons and daughters. Bless us in the famine and open up the windows of heaven Lord.

Help us to point others to You. To show love to others and be a light in the darkness. Thank you Lord for what your doing and that through all this You will get the glory. We give You all the glory and honor, in Jesus name, Amen!🙏🏻

Here As In Heaven

A miracle can happen now
For the Spirit of the Lord is here
The evidence is all around
That the Spirit of the Lord is here
A miracle can happen now
For the Spirit of the Lord is here
The evidence is all around
That the Spirit of the Lord is here

“Though an army encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war arise against me, yet I will be confident…For He will hide me in His shelter in the day of trouble; He will conceal me under the cover of His tent; He will lift me high upon a rock.”

He’s got you precious one!

Big hugs,

Nicole💗

Put on a garment of praise for a spirit of heaviness….

Raise A Hallelujah- Kick Depression To The Curb

Good morning y’all! 🤗 Hope your week is off to a great start. Mine is super busy.

I thought we’d talk about depression today. Have you ever dealt with it? Sometimes I feel as Christians we don’t talk about it enough.

Yes! You can be a Christian and still have depression despite what some people think. And just because you struggle with it doesn’t mean there is something wrong with you. I think most people at some point their life have struggled with it.

No one is immune to it. It crosses all barriers and races.

There are many causes of depression.

• Hormone imbalances….such as thyroid, adrenal, menopause, etc.
• Genetic predisposition
• Environmental factors.
• Situational
• Winter weather for some.
• Insomnia/sleep deprivation
• Struggling relationships
• Vitamin deficiencies
• Loss of a loved one
• Loss of a job

I’m sure there are other areas I haven’t mentioned.

First off let me just say if this is you….you are not alone.

I’ve struggled with depression too from time to time. Mostly mine has been hormonal but some situational as well. There is nothing to be ashamed of.

One of my favorite verses is Romans 5:8

My friend, God loves you at your darkest.

He loves you even when you feel unlovable.

He loves you in your guilt and shame.

He loves you in your addiction.

He loves you in the pit.

Even better if you invite Him, he will come down to the pit and raise you up out there, Amen!!

God just loves you the way you are, even in your broken mess.

You don’t have to get all cleaned up to come to Him. You simply come as you are sweet friend!

Praise and worship is so incredibly powerful and it is our weapon that can break chains that bind us, bring healing, deliverance, and restoration to our lives and loved ones. It can opens doors, and it can cause the enemy to scatter in Jesus name! Hallelujah 🙌🏻

The Word says  “For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through to the pulling down of strong holds”– 2 Corinthians 10:4

So we have to fight in the invisible realm. Worship and prayer does just that!

I love my worship! Worship changes everything, including the atmosphere.

Man this song Even Louder is one of my new favorites. “The bigger depression hits, the louder my praise gets” Just that one line gets you fired up!

When your in the pits of despair, worship Even Louder.

Get your praise on! Talk back to the devil. Speak the Word.

Praise precedes the victory my friends!

PRAISE HIM IN ALL THINGS! https://nikhop320.wordpress.com/2018/11/11/praise-him-in-all-things/amp/

You can’t wait till all your circumstances are better. No! You gotta praise Him right now…in the storm.

The devil will stop at nothing to destroy and defeat you but you and I already know how the story ends….HaHa! The devil IS DEFEATED AND he IS A LIAR!

Worship pulls down Heaven to earth.

Psalm 22:3 “God inhabits the praises of his people.”

When we learn to praise and worship God in the storm, breakthroughs come, strength comes, and JOY COMES!

We do not have to live defeated lives while we are here in earth. We can get up every morning and CHOOSE to live a victorious life. Let me just say that praise and worship is one of the most powerful weapon God has given us against the devil.

When we pray and worship the devil and all his demons tremble. Don’t you love that?!?! You have the power to make the devil tremble!

Confessions From Joyce Meyer

1. I love all people, and I am loved by all people. 

 2. I prosper in everything I put my hand to. I have prosperity in all areas of my life – spiritually, financially, mentally, and socially.

 3. My children have lots of Christian friends, and God has set aside a Christian wife or husband for each of them.

 4. All my household are blessed in their deeds: we’re blessed when we come in and when we go out.

 5. I take good care of my body. I eat right, I look good, I feel good, and I weigh what God wants me to weigh.

 6. I operate in all the gifts of the Holy Spirit, which are tongues and interpretation of tongues, the working of miracles, discerning of spirits, the word of faith, the word of knowledge, the word of wisdom, healings, and prophecy.

 7. I know God’s voice, and I always obey what He tells me.

 8. The love of God has been shed abroad in my heart by the Holy Ghost.

 9. I do all my work excellently and with great prudence – making the most of all of my time.

 10. I am creative because the Holy Spirit lives in me.

 11. I love to pray. I love to praise and worship God.

 12. I am purposed that my mouth shall not transgress. I will speak forth the righteousness of God all the day long.

 13. I have humbled myself, and God has exalted me.

 14. I am a giver. It is more blessed to give than to receive. I love to give! I have plenty of money to give away all the time.

 15. I cast all my care on the Lord for He cares for me.

 16. I don’t give the devil a foothold in my life. I resist the devil, and he has to flee from me.

17. I don’t have a spirit of fear, but of power and love and a sound mind.

18. I am not afraid of the faces of man. I am not afraid of the anger of man.

 19. I am a new creature in Christ: old things have passed away, behold, all things are new.

 20. I have died and have been raised with Christ and am now seated in heavenly places.

 21. I am dead to sin and alive unto righteousness.

 22. I am a doer of the Word. I meditate on the Word all the day long.

 23. I am not passive about anything, but I deal with all things in my life immediately.

 24. I do not judge my brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus after the flesh. I am a spiritual man and am judged by no one.

 25. I take every thought captive unto the obedience of Jesus Christ, casting down every imagination, and every high and lofty thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God.

 26. I am a responsible person. I enjoy responsibility, and I rise to every responsibility in Jesus.

 27. I have been set free. I am free to love, to worship, to trust with no fear of rejection or of being hurt.

 28. I have compassion and understanding for all people.

 29. I catch the devil in all of his deceitful lies. I cast them down and choose rather to believe the Word of God.

 30. I am anointed of God for ministry. Hallelujah!

 31. Work is good. I enjoy work. Glory!

 32. I have a teachable spirit.

 33. I do not think more highly of myself than I ought to in the flesh.

 34. Pain cannot successfully come against my body because Jesus bore all my pain.

 35. I am a teacher of the Word.

 36. I lay hands on the sick, and they recover.

 37. I do what I say I will do, and I get where I am going on time.

 38. I don’t hurry and rush; I do one thing at a time.

 39. God opens my mouth, and no man can shut it. God shuts my mouth, and no man can open it.

 40. The law of kindness is in my tongue. Gentleness is in my touch. Mercy and compassion is in my hearing.

 41. As a man thinketh in his heart, so is he; therefore, all of my thoughts are positive.

 42. I do not allow the devil to use my spirit as a garbage dump by meditating on negative things that he offers me.

 43. I am a believer not a doubter.

 44. No weapon that is formed against me shall prosper, but every tongue that rises against me in judgment, I shall show to be in the wrong.

45. I am slow to speak, quick to hear, and slow to anger.

 46. I cast out devils and demons; nothing deadly can hurt me.

 47. I never bind a sister or brother with the words of my mouth.

 48. I am always a positive encouragement. I edify and build up; I never tear down or destroy.

 49. I will cry to God Most High Who performs on my behalf and rewards me.

 50. My son (name) has a sweet personality, and he is not rebellious.

 51. I don’t speak negative things.

 52. My children love to pray and study the Word. They openly and boldly praise God.

53. My children make right choices according to the Word of God.

 54. I am an obedient wife, and no rebellion operates in me.

 55. My husband is wise. He is the king and priest of our home. He makes Godly decisions.

 56. I use my time wisely. All of my prayer and study time is wisely spent.

 57. I walk in the spirit all of the time.

 58. All that I own is paid for. I owe no man anything except to love him in Christ.

 59. I love to bless people and spread the Gospel.

 60. I am an intercessor.

 61. I receive speaking engagements in person, by phone, and/or by mail every day.

 62. My daughter (name) operates in Godly wisdom and discipline, and she is full of energy.

 63. I never get tired or grow weary when I study the Word, pray, minister, or praise God; but I am alert and full of energy. And as I study, I become more alert and more energized.

 64. I will study the Word of God. I will pray.

 65. I do not hate or walk in unforgiveness.

 66. I do not fear. I am not guilty.

Sword Of The Spirit:

Psalm 30:11 “You have turned for me my mourning into dancing; you have loosed my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness,”

 Deuteronomy 31:8 “It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.”

 Psalm 3:3 “But you, O Lord, are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head.”

 Isaiah 40:31 “But they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.”

 John 10:10 “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.”

 Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through him who strengthens me.”

 John 16:33 “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”

Psalm 143:7-8 “Answer me quickly, O Lord! My spirit fails! Hide not your face from me, lest I be like those who go down to the pit. Let me hear in the morning of your steadfast love, for in you I trust. Make me know the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul.”

Matthew 11:28 “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”

 Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.”

Father right now we come against that spirit of depression. We declare you have no hold on us. We command you to leave and we send you back to the fiery pits of hell where you came from! You have NO place here! Gods Word says “he inhabits the praises of his people” and we are Your people. You are close to the brokenhearted. We can take comfort in knowing when we are lost, You have found us. When we feel alone and abandoned, Your Word says You will never leave us nor forsake us. When we feel desperate like we can’t go on one more minute, You give strength to weary. Increase our heart of praise and worship. Help us to worship You in the midst of the storm. Bring those along side of us to lift our arms when we can’t. Thank you for loving us, give us peace, comfort and strength to endure our trials in Jesus name, Amen!

Have a blessed and wonderful day!

Big hugs,

Nicole💖

I’m including 2 of my favorite songs to help get you started. Just soak in the worship and the Word, when you do you calling all of Heaven to earth to fight on your behalf and break the chains of depression and bondage

My Hallelujah- Bryan and Katie Torwalt

https://youtu.be/w8F492HcuKk

Nothing can take my hallelujah
Shadows will fade, darkness will break
I’ll keep on singing Your praise

O, what can take away
My hallelujah
No darkness can contain
My hallelujah
Your cross has made the way
For my hallelujah
My hallelujah

Me, I give my all despite my downfalls
Where many see me fail, only You see me prevail
The bigger depression hits, the louder my praise gets
The bigger depression hits, the louder my praise gets, c’mon

Even if the drum stops beating
My soul will keep on singing
Even louder, even louder
Even when my eyes can’t see it
I will sing till I believe it
Even louder, even louder

Even if the drum stops beating
My soul will keep on singing
Even louder, even louder
Even when my eyes can’t see it
I will sing till I believe it
Even louder, even louder

When I lift my voice
Heaven comes to earth
When I sing this song
I feel You respond

When I lift my voice
Heaven comes to earth
When I sing this song
I feel You respond

I feel You respond

How Can We Pray For You?

Prayer changes everything my friend!

So how can we pray for you today?

Have you been waiting on a miracle or a breakthrough?

“But in my distress I cried out to the Lord; yes, I prayed to my God for help. He heard me from his sanctuary; my cry to him reached his ears.” Psalm 18:6 NLT

Let’s believe God together!

Let’s call Heaven to earth.

What to do while your waiting:

• Remember how much God loves you.
• Forgive others, including yourself.
• Remember past victories.

• Pray the Word.
• Speak the Word out loud.
• Worship

Have a blessed day!

Big hugs,

Nicole💗

Waiting Here For You- Christy Nockels

You are everything You’ve promised
Your faithfulness is true
And we’re desperate for Your presence
All we need is You

Waiting here for You
With our hands lifted high in praise
And it’s You we adore
Singing Alleluia

Singing Alleluia
Alleluia, singing alleluia, alleluia

https://youtu.be/J3OEGnH5x8g

The Battle Has Just Begun

Don’t forget who created you, you are anointed for such a time as this!

The storms and trials that come into our lives may bend you but they can never break you! They may even bring you to your knees but what better place to be on your knees crying out to Jesus. God’s got you sweet friend.

I know for me fear has played a huge part in my life. Especially when it comes to people closest to me. The fear of the unknown, fear of the known, sometimes I don’t know which is worse. Rejection and anxiety run close to fear. Are you anxious or worried about something?

It’s real easy to get consumed by it all. I’ve been there, can you relate? I get wrapped up in the problem and I can’t see anything else. I’m stuck and I feel paralyzed. I can’t see beyond it, it seems as though it will never end or change. But can I just tell you, that’s just lie from the pits of hell!

When we submit to God, he moves on our behalf. He says precious one, “the battle does not belong to you.” Come to Me, rest in Me and I will fight this battle for you, all you have to do is be still. 2 little words…..so hard to do. It’s in our nature we want to do but sometimes it’s not up to us to fix the situation.

We have to learn to lean on God and trust Him in the hard times….and good times.

If I’m honest, I have also found that I wasn’t waiting on God, he was waiting on me. Often times, we have to do hard things before God will do his part. It could be a matter of setting a boundary with someone but just the thought of it makes you sick. I’ve been there. Or allowing another to feel the consequences of their own choices and behavior, and not rescuing them or fixing it for them.

Why do we feel not worthy of someone treating us right?

Why do we accept bad behavior from people in our lives?

Let me reassure you that God loves you and wants good things for your life but you have to also want them. You have to set boundaries for yourself and others.

You have to know that Jesus died for you to have life to the full, till it overflows. Are you living in that overflow? Or are you just getting by, excepting things that you shouldn’t?

You are beautiful, you are worthy…because of what Christ did for you on the cross.

You are known by the King. You are fearfully and wonderfully made. You are treasured, chosen, called, adored, valued, priceless, wanted, and LOVED.

Do you know how great Gods love is for you?

Do you know how He sees you?

In life, we can learn to view ourselves by the things that people have done to us or the things they’ve said to us. We allow that to permeate on the inside of us and we become broken and toxic. God never meant for you to accept those things. He wants you to see yourself as He sees you. He wants you to forget what lies behind and press forward to all the good things He has in store for you. He wants to do a new thing in you precious one.

If you living in fear, worry, and anxious about everything there’s an answer…..If it’s enough to make you worry about then my friend it’s enough to pray about it!

Fighting on our knees is the key to living a victorious life.

1 John 5:4 for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith.

You are an overcomer and the war has already been won. Do you not see it?

When things get tough and you feel overwhelmed, hit your knees sweet friend. The battle is won there. Keep praying, keep believing, keep trusting God. But also remember, you have another part to do as well. We must “be still” and know that God has us in the palm of his hand. You may also have to do something.

God maybe saying you need to do a certain thing so He can do his job, we can be in the way sometimes of God doing what He needs to do in our lives and others. If you’re honest you probably already know what it is, you just need courage to do it. Sometimes you have to release people, let them feel the pain of their own choices so things can be rebuilt and trust in your heart that God has you.

PRAY! PRAY! And PRAY SOME MORE!

Get In The Word:

The Lord is a man of war; the Lord is His name … Your Right Hand, O Lord, has become glorious in power; Your right hand, O Lord, has dashed the enemy in pieces. And in the greatness of Your excellence you have overthrown those who rose against You; You sent forth Your wrath which consumed them like stubble.” (Exodus 15:3,6)

“The Lord shall go forth like a mighty man; He shall stir up His zeal like a man of war. He shall cry out, yes, shout aloud; He shall prevail against His enemies.” (Isaiah 42:13)

“I will go before you and make the crooked paths straight; I will break in pieces the gates of bronze and cut the bars of iron.” (Isaiah 45:2)

“For you shall not go out with haste, nor go by flight; for the Lord will go before you, and the God of Israel will be your rear guard.” (Isaiah 52:12)

“Therefore understand today the Lord your God is He who goes before you as a consuming fire. He will destroy them and bring them down before you; so you shall drive them out and destroy them quickly, as the Lord has said to you.” (Deuteronomy 9:3)

“The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.” (Exodus 14:14)

“Be strong and courageous; do not be afraid nor dismayed before the king of Assyria, nor before all the multitude that is with him; for there are more with us than with him. With him is an arm of flesh; but with us is the Lord our God, to help us and to fight our battles.” (2 Chronicles 32:7)

“… For I will contend with him who contends with you.” (Isaiah 49:25)

“… since it is a righteous thing with God to repay with tribulation those who trouble you …” (2 Thessalonians 1:6)

The eternal God is your refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms; He will thrust out the enemy from before you, and will say, ‘Destroy!’ ” (Deuteronomy 33:27)

Do not say, “I will recompense evil;” Wait for the Lord, and He will save you.” (Proverbs 20:22)

I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you …” (Genesis 12:3)

Praise Him while your waiting. He will bring you comfort in your time of need. He is the God of all comfort and He brings restoration!

Have a blessed and wonderful day!

Big hugs,

Nicole💗

This is how I fight my battles
This is how I fight my battles

It may look like I’m surrounded
But I’m surrounded by You
It may look like I’m surrounded
But I’m surrounded by You
It may look like I’m surrounded
But I’m surrounded by You
It may look like I’m surrounded
But I’m surrounded by You

https://youtu.be/YBl84oZxnJ4

Fan the Flame

God’s love for you is everlasting and unconditional my friend. I love that in God’s word he tells us to stir ourselves up, to fan the flame.

For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. 2 Timothy 1:6

So what does that mean exactly and how do we go about doing it?

Ways to stir yourself up:

1. Remembering past victories helps increase our faith and gives hope that you WILL come out victorious!! Journaling is a great way to do this. So when your down and feeling hopeless you can look back on all the great things God has done for you in the past and prayers he’s answered.

2. Speak God’s word/Affirmations

Call those things that be not as tho there are!! It’s time to do spiritual warfare with the words that come out of your mouth!! Is what your saying in agreement with God’s word or are you complaining about your problems and situation instead going to THE ONE who can solve it? Complaining only makes our problems seem bigger, never ending and hopeless. Use your faith and words and SPEAK LIFE. Our words our soooo powerful!! The are like containers, they either contain life, faith and blessings or they contain death, doubt, unbelief and cursing.

Remind yourself

“He will work ALL things out for my good”

“God loves ME and has a great plan for MY life” “

“NO weapon formed against me shall prosper on any way”

“YOU are an overcomer.”

This is stirring ourselves up and this brings HOPE, JOY and PEACE to our lives.

3. Listen to sound bible believing teachers and preachers daily. There are so many ways to do this, your church every week, thru television, podcasts (one of my favorites) and YouTube just to name a few. You can literally do this anytime, any where, while your at work, cooking, cleaning, just doing your every day life and still get the Word in you.

4. Be in the Word daily.

Being in the Word daily has many benefits.

– Helps you grow in your relationship with God.

– When temptation comes and it always does, knowing the word will help you fight temptation.

– Helps to nourish and revive your soul and body.

– Provides comfort in dark times.

– It’s transforming, changing us into his likeness more and more every day.

My friend the mind in a battlefield…Memorizing scripture and it will come back to when you need it most.

The law of the LORD is perfect,

reviving the soul;

the testimony of the LORD is sure,

making wise the simple;

the precepts of the LORD are right,

rejoicing the heart;

the commandment of the LORD is pure,

enlightening the eyes;

Psalm 19:7-11

5. Just being thankful, showing gratitude daily.

If you look around and think about it even just a little bit you have so much to be thankful for.

If you woke up…you’re breathing today.

If you can walk, that’s something to be thankful for.

If you have clean running water, that’s a huge blessing. It’s estimated that 844 million people don’t have clean water, that’s unbelievable and so sad to me.

If you have a toilet, which we probably take for granted then that is a blessing as well. It’s estimated that 2.3 billion people don’t have a decent toilet. Isn’t that just hard to imagine???

If you have food to eat, a home for shelter, if you have loved ones in your life….you have MUCH TO BE THANKFUL FOR.

Look I know some days it’s hard to be thankful but if you have to start small that’s fine but just start being thankful for something. The cup of coffee you drink every morning or for me it’s Spark and oh man am I thankful for Spark every morning lol. A picture of a loved one, a memory, hot water, gluten free food, your bed, whatever just be thankful for something everyday!!

6. Put on the Armor of God every day.

Ephesians 6:10-18

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord’s people.

7. Find a small group to do life with. Fellowshipping with other believers is life changing. It helps build healthy friendships and can be good accountability. Being able to find friends and being vulnerable is hard I know but in my experience it’s being vulnerable is what tears down the walls around us and more often than not you find you are not alone in your pain and struggles. I’ve also discovered me being real not only helps me but it also helps others to feel safe and secure and they open up with what they are struggling with. Then you are able to help one another. That is what I think small groups are about.

Proverbs 27:17

As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another.

Get connected my friend!

8. Pray daily

The Word tells us to pray on all occasions, making our requests known to God. Ephesians 6:18

It tells us to pray without ceasing. 1Thessalonians 5:17

It tells us never to worry about anything, and to thank God for what He has already provided. Philippians 4:6

Jesus showed us examples of different times to pray.

-He prayed at the cross.

-He prayed during sad times.

-He prayed before he ate.

-He prayed while he was in despair and agony.

Jesus made prayer a priority. I wonder what life would be like if we made prayer a priority the way Jesus did? I can only speak for myself but I haven’t always gone to God when I had problems, sometimes we go to others to tell them what’s going on and seek their help or wisdom. But WHAT IF instead our first response was to go to Jesus with our problems instead of others, I mean he truly is the only one who can fix it. Seems like it would be logical for us to do it but it’s not always the case.

9. Our attitudes and thoughts toward things in life. Sometimes it’s just a small shift in out perspective. Ya know is my glass half empty or half full? Or one thing I’ve noticed is we tend to say “I have to do this or that.” But what if just changed one word in there, it could potentially change your whole perception….”I GET to do this or that.” Man that’s totally different and if you think about it takes off some stress.

We don’t have to think every thought that comes into our mind. A lot of the time we are thinking about our problems/situation and when we focus on that it brings us down, makes us feel hopeless and depressed. But when we think and speak His promises over them it can literally change everything. Choose on purpose to renew your mind and speak God’s word and positive things from your mouth. You’ll be surprised at how quickly a hopeless situation turns around when we allow God in and change our perspective. God IS BIGGER than any problem we have and the battle belongs to Him so Let go and Let God!

10. Fasting

Fasting is basically giving up certain foods, like doing the Daniel Fast or giving up soda, sugar, social media, tv, or other things that have gotten a hold of you for a certain period of time in order to turn your thoughts to God. Fasting is found all throughout the Old and New Testaments of the Bible. I encourage you to study up on fasting. There are many great books on this subject. Our church does 21 Days of fasting and prayer every January and then 21 days of prayer in August. It’s always an amazing experience and God has showed me many things and have had breakthroughs because of fasting.

Sweet friends we have to keep ourselves stirred up because the world is always coming at us trying to tear us down. Don’t believe the lies of the enemy. Don’t believe what the enemy tells you about your doctors report, bank account, economy, the shape your family/marriage is in and that nothing will ever change. NOOOO, Believe God, trust GOD, He’s behind the scenes working it all out. You do your part, stir yourselves up, trust, believe and you praise Him until your breakthrough comes, because it’s coming precious one!!!! I believe it with everything in me, God is working and moving sweet friends, don’t doubt it!! He is bringing us to a new level this year, He’s opening doors that NO man can shut, so get ready!!!!

Big hugs,

Nicole💗

Joy Unspeakable

When it rains it pours right? Gosh I’ve been there, not a fun place. Not like the fake rain in this picture, lol. But I can honestly say In His presence is fullness of joy. Psalm 16:11

My friend, if you are saved then the fruit of the spirit is in you already. You may not see it all manifested yet but it doesn’t mean it isn’t in you. Joy is one fruits of the Spirit, and YES it’s on the inside of you. It takes time for it to come to the surface and for others to see just like all the other fruits of the spirit. So be patient little grasshopper😉

Fruit must grow, it takes time and it must be nurtured. Same thing with Joy.

I am the vine; you are the branches. Remain in me and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing. John 15:5

Get in His presence because THERE in His presence is fullness of joy precious one. Ask him to increase your hunger and thirst.

Do not grieve for the joy of the Lord is your strength. Nehemiah 8:10

Happiness and joy are not the same.

Happiness is based entirely on our circumstances and things going on around us. As soon as a difficult situation comes up or pain arises the happiness is gone. But Joy is different, Joy translates to “calm delight” and joy is a gift from God. It helps us be stable in the hardest of circumstances. It also helps us find the good, and hope and peace even when our lives are in turmoil. It’s not dependent on our circumstances and in the midst of the storm we can still have joy, a calm delight.

5 Things that steal your JOY.

1. Complaining and Grumbling-This is a HUGE one! It’s so easy to do and causes so much trouble in our lives. What I can tell you is that a #grateful #thankful heart is NOT dependent upon our circumstances. It’s not dependent on whether you got a good doctors report or bad, or whether your loved one is doing or acting right. No, the joy of the Lord is your strength, friend!

Remember your words are containers of power. You get to choose what kind of power they carry no one else.

You are what you speak and think. So you must get in agreement with Gods word, and speak life.

The things we think or ponder can steal our joy if we are not careful.

“Where the mind goes the man follows.” Joyce Meyer

“Complain and remain. Praise and be raised.” Joyce Meyer

2. Procrastination– Oh goodness this one is NOT my friend, because I can fall into procrastination easily especially if it’s something I DO NOT want to do. I’ve got a million pictures that need to go in albums but man I know how long it’s gonna take me so I have put it off for a long time. I’m sure some of you are like that too. But I’m learning to do the hard things first, I don’t always get this right but it is something I’m working on. Don’t put off things you could do today.

3. Approval Addiction yep this is one I’ve also struggled with….approval.

3 little words have plagued me most of my life. Please. Perform. Perfect. Thankful I’m learning different way and to be gentle with myself😌

“Perfectionism is not self improvement. Perfectionism is at its core, about trying to earn approval and acceptance. Most perfectionist were raised being praised for achievement and performance (grades, manners, rule following, people pleasing, appearance, sports). Somewhere along the way we adopt this dangerous and debilitating belief system: I am what I accomplish and how well I accomplish it. Please. Perform. Perfect. Healthy striving is focused – how can I improve? Perfectionism is other focused – what will they think?”

Excerpt from The Gifts of Imperfection. Excellent book if you struggle with this! Check it out!

4. Living in the past or past Hurts

Forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead. Philippians 3:13

Strain forward my friend to ALL the good things God has in store for you.

You can’t live in the past. You can’t change the past. All you can do is learn from it and press on.

5. Fear

Fear is absolutely the worst! I’ve struggled with fear a great portion of my life. Let me just say that is NOT Gods plan for you my friend. Fear is of the devil and fear is a liar! I love the song Fear Is a Liar by Zach Williams. Here is a portion of his lyrics:

Fear, he is a liar

He will take your breath

Stop you in your steps

Fear he is a liar

He will rob your rest

Steal your happiness

Cast your fear in the fire

‘Cause fear he is a liar

The “feelings” of fear can be paralyzing, I’ve been there myself and you may find yourself there today. In the past fear has kept me from walking in the plans God had for me. I can recall a time when I was a volunteer counselor for Sav-A-Life. See the reason I was drawn to do it was because I was 19 and pregnant myself, scared, didn’t know what I was going to do. So I knew that feeling all to well and wanted to help others. For me abortion was out, so Sean and I talked and I prayed, we loved each other and so we got married and we’ve been together for 28 years now, 3 daughters later. God is good!

I went through training and I loved the one on one counseling, I knew I was helping and making a difference. As time went on they asked me to do educational classes for Mom and Dad. Well there it was, Fear showed her ugly head. I was good with one on one but teaching a class full of people well that was different. I knew in my heart that God wanted me to do it but fear prevailed and I ended up quitting and never went back. THAT IS WHAT FEAR DOES.

Fast forward a few years, I became a Life Issues leader for Celebrate Recovery. I was leading a group, sharing my testimony in large groups. The thing I feared God was using and I was doing it afraid. That lead to leading lots small groups, teaching health and wellness classes. I still had some fear but the difference was I wasn’t allowing it to control me any more.

My friend fear cannot be outrun, it MUST be faced in order to overcome. If you allow it fear will steal your joy, wear you down, and keep you from the plans that God has for you. So say “NO!” to fear. Do it afraid! Be expectant that the Lord is going to do something great in your life today!

PRAY, PRAY, and PRAY SOME MORE!

Here’s the thing, if your lacking in joy, and let’s be honest a lot of us are these days, pray! Pray at all times, in all situations and without ceasing. Prayer changes things! It gives God the opportunity to show himself strong in your life.

Sometimes He changes your circumstances and other times he changes YOU. That’s what he did in my life and he will do it for you too precious one.

Your prayers can literally can change the atmosphere. It can change your life, your marriage, your loved ones, and anything else you need.

This is the year for Unspeakable JOY in your life. God is looking and longing to bless you, to set you free, and bring more joy to your life. So you be expectant my friend!

Unspeakable JOY is on the way!

Big hugs,

Nicole💗

New Year Resolution- Leaving People Better Than You Found Them

Hello to all my beautiful readers, I hope the start of your new year has been good.

Most of us when the new year roles around we set New Years resolutions. But honestly how often do we keep them?

We say to ourselves “New year, new you” right?

I know I for one haven’t always been great at keeping them. If your like me you start fired up and then at some point it fizzles out. In the morning you wake up and have a healthy smoothie by night time you want chocolate, cookies, or brownies LOL.

Me in the morning drinking my smoothie…..

Me in the evening…..

Come on you’ve been there maybe not the same foods, I love chocolate. My husband however it’s chips and Party Dip EVERY SINGLE NIGHT…..and he always leaves the stinking chip bag on the counter, UGH! (Insert eye roll) I think I found my hunky mans New Years resolution….Put the chip bag up every night, LOL!

The number 1 resolution is and you probably guessed it, it’s eat healthier, lose weight but exercise and save money are right there with getting healthier. While those things are all great I’d like to offer up a different New Years resolution.

This year let’s also focus on leaving people better than when you found them. That can literally change your world and someone else’s.

I’ve known people in my life who only think “How can you serve me?” They only think of themselves and to heck with others. “You need to do for me.” It seems like as soon as they wake up “THEY” are on their mind and what they can get people to do for them.

I’m sure you know a few. I like to call these kind of people drainers. Because that’s just what they do, they drain the life out of you. They are not adding value to you at all just draining you and others around them.

I often wonder “Do you think everything revolves around you?” Have you once considered helping someone else or thinking of others instead of focusing on yourself or only your needs? There is a whole world around us who have needs and needs that you or I could actually meet.

So I think the more important question is “How can you serve someone else?”

How can I make your life better?

How can I lift you up, encourage you?

How can I leave you better than when I met you?

It’s been my experience that when I get the focus off myself or my problems and look to help someone else my life seems better. My circumstances may not have changed but the way I look at them does when I get myself off my mind.

If your struggling in your marriage then pray about it, trust God that He has it and find someone else around you going through the same thing, you won’t have to look far I can promise you that. Pray for them and their marriage. Encourage them. You are planting seeds for a harvest in your own life. This goes for any problem you have, there is ALWAYS someone who has it worse than you or I.

Get your mind off yourself and your problems and help someone. Bless someone in any way you can and encourage them. Leave them better than when you found them. You may be the only Jesus they see.

Just some little things that make a difference in someone else’s life:

1. When your eating out or checking out some where just glance at the persons name tag and call them by name. I can’t tell you what a difference this truly makes to people. I’ve literally had people just be totally stunned that I called them by name. They’ve even said “No one ever does that! You’ve made my day!” Everyone wants to be noticed.

2. SMILE at people. You can brighten someone’s day by just a smile. To quote one of my favorite movies Elf “I just like smiling, smiling’s my favorite.

3. Say THANK YOU. Let someone know how much you appreciate them or appreciate what they did. Send them a handwritten note through snail mail. I don’t think we do this enough. I know this is an area I need to work on. I have a friend, Jo Ellen who blesses me so much and others around her. She prays for me and sends me encouraging cards with things she knows I like or might need on them and it just makes me feel so good and brightens my day. She’s a angel and she gets it!

I have another friend Patti, she’s my son in laws Mom who I also call a dear friend. I’m pretty sure she’s one of the most thoughtful people on the planet. She, like my other friend they pay attention to what others say or like and they tuck it away and then they knocks your socks off when you least expect it.

We should pay more attention to what others say and need and when it’s within our power encourage and bless them. The world would seriously be such a better place.

4. Bake some cookies or brownies and take them to a friend or neighbor. That doesn’t cost much of your time or money and you’ve brightened someone’s day.

5. Compliment people. If you see a lady and you like her hair or their outfit, then tell them. Say the words out of your mouth. You never know they may not have anyone say anything nice to them but that one compliment simply brightens their day. I try to do this often, even if I just breezing by a stranger I’ll say “Wow you look beautiful today!” Or “I love your outfit!” I love to see people’s face light up when I do this.

6. Open the door for someone instead of rushing in before them.

7. Pray for people regularly, especially when you know they are having a difficult time.

8. We all don’t like the same things but in relationships it’s about compromising and communicating with one another. I don’t always like my husbands tv shows but I watch them because I want to be with him. Going to the shooting range isn’t my favorite but I have grown to enjoy it more and it’s something I do because I love my hunky man and I want to be with him and have something in common. He nicknamed me “Deadeye” LOL cause I always get my target. He was so proud he saved one of my shooting targets and it’s above our garage door so you see it when you come in. I joke with him and tell him you better behave yourself or I’ll take you out LOL.

9. One of my personal favorites is “Paying it Forward.” I love to pay for someone behind me in the drive through and as I drive away I pray for them. You’ve just blessed someone who can’t thank you or do anything back to you. Nothing better than that to me. Same thing when eating out if I feel like I’m supposed to pay for someone’s meal, I want to do it secretly. It’s just fun to be a blessing!

10. When your driving, let someone in and don’t give them the finger if they don’t take off when the light turns green, LOL. This is just a funny one but seriously so many people get cra cra on the road.

These are just a few simple things you can try for a New Years resolution or just changing the world around you but there are so many more.

Choosing to do something that’s meaningful and something that you can succeed at and even get better at, it truly will change your life for the better along with someone else’s.

Many blessings my friend! Go out and change your world for the better.

Leave those you find better than when you found them.

Big hugs,

Nicole💗

JOY

What an amazing Christmas service last night! I love when God brings confirmation of something he’s spoke to you.

As I mentioned in a previous post God has been speaking the word JOY to me for the last few days and yesterday I received a Joy picture from a friend out of the blue.

I have already been praying about what my word for next year would be and decided yesterday my word was JOY. So last night at the service wouldn’t you know the first song was JOY to the World and then Pastor Chris brought a powerful word. Then he started talking about what the word for 2019 was…..I already had tears in my eyes and was saying to myself he is fixing to say JOY….then he says it’s JOY! Goodness the tears just flowed, I was completely blown away. He just amazes me.

God is so good! Connect to the source (Jesus) and your life will change in amazing ways. He’s speaking sometimes we just need to be quiet enough to hear. Be blessed!

Let you light shine for all the world to see!

Merry Christmas y’all!

Big hugs,

Nicole❤️