Thoughts: Week Eighteen

Good evening, good morning or good day to each of you!!

I hope and pray that you all had a special, safe and blessed Thanksgiving!  I do apologize for the delay in this week's message.  I have a topic to discuss which I really feel that God is impressing upon me to share my thoughts and experiences of.  This is very difficult for me on two levels.  The first being that it is hard to open up and share something this personal but I feel this is a part of my growing process and more importantly may encourage someone reading this.  The second reason this topic, which is Self-Image by the way, has me so reluctant to share is because I do not want to come off as if this week is my own personal pity party.  I am praying even as I am typing that this does not come off in a way which causes you to feel pity for me.  You see, I have never really had a good self-image...as far back as I can remember I always wanted to be someone else.  I never thought anything I did was good enough.  I loved to act in the plays the drama group performed and lose myself in the character so for just that little bit I didn't have to think about who I am...or all of the mistakes I make every day...or how I always seem to be not quite good enough.  As I have been growing closer and closer to God I have come to find that this way of thinking is blocking His blessings for my life in many ways.  So the new me...the one who is trying to see the good in me that He must see since He is allowing me the blessing of writing these emails, that new me says, let's find what the Bible tells me.  In Genesis we are told of how God created us in His image...I know we all sin and fall short of His glory but at the base of it all we are in His image!  Forgiveness ties in here on multiple levels too.  When we repent of our sins He forgives us, we know this but if you truly take it to heart then when you repent and He forgives then what is left is His image in which He created us!  I could go on and on but I also want to point out that when we ask Him to forgive us then we need to also forgive ourselves!  I know all of this in my mind but man I am still a major work in progress on all counts!  I wanted to keep this short and sweet so forgive me for not going deeper into the 3 topics that I have really opened up here...my prayer for you this week is that you are able to find time to dwell and pray on your own self-image...prayer of thanks if you have a good one!  Otherwise, join me in praying for the faith in His Word to see ourselves as He sees us, in His image. 

I continue to pray that God surrounds you with His love, favor and blessings this day, this week and always. 

Have an awesome weekend and holiday week ahead!
Love through Christ,
Niki

If you feel inspired to pass along my email, please do!  And/or if you or some one you know would enjoy receiving my weekly thoughts, please send an email to: Banklady79@aol.com

My weekly messages can now also be viewed at:

All messages: http://my.care2.com/ngoofychic79/sharebook

All messages:  http://journals.aol.com/banklady79/weeklythoughts/

Niki's Weekly Thoughts ~ Week Seventeen: 11-16-2006

Hello and a superbly happy day to one and all!!!

Philippians 4:6: "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." 

There is still a small part of me that reads a verse like the above and thinks to myself, 'Easier said than done!'  But more and more lately I have been learning that although it is extremely hard to change you perspective to this thankful mind and non-anxious attitude it is not impossible.  Better yet, the more you work at it the more it becomes habit and habits are a bit easier to hang onto once they have become habits.  It takes practice and a very open mind but the next time you feel like complaining try to stop yourself and search for something to rather be thankful for.  Yesterday I had a great example of a situation to practice this in.  I had a ditsy moment and while at an Imaging Center for x-rays I locked my keys in the van.  Poor, sleep deprived George had to rush to my rescue yet I was still going to be late for work and boy did I know it!  But as I hung up the phone and thought about kicking the tires I told myself be thankful.  So I started to pray, I thanked God for the favorable weather, after all it's mid-November and was not too cold at all.  I thanked Him for a momentary understanding moment from my boss and also I even had something to drink in my purse so I thanked God for that too!  Then, when I was laughing at myself and sharing the laughter with a very close friend whom I love dearly, she pointed out to me that there was something important which I forgot to be thankful for...my husband, I am so extremely blessed to have someone who shares my love and my life and comes to my rescue in all the ways he can!  I know that the Niki from even just 3 years ago would have been stomping mad and freaking out and screaming at God why couldn't He miraculously open the locks.  So now I am thankful that I have come such a far way!  I am even more thankful for an experience/example to share with you!  I am thankful that each and every one of you allows me into your email box each week  because I have grown even more through being able to share my faith with you all!  I thank God for you...and I sincerely send my personal thanks to each of you.  I pray that God helps you guide your thoughts towards the good in all situations and that He send His Spirit to inspire your own thankful prayers.  I am sending prayers for a safe, thankful and God filled holiday next week!  I continue to pray that God surrounds you with His love, favor and blessings this day, this week and always. 

Due to Thanksgiving my plans are to send next weeks message by Saturday morning the 25th at the latest.

Have an awesome weekend and holiday week ahead!
Love through Christ,
Niki

If you feel inspired to pass along my email, please do!  And/or if you or some one you know would enjoy receiving my weekly thoughts, please send an email to: Banklady79@aol.com

Niki's Weekly Thoughts ~ Week Sixteen: 11-10-2006

Best wishes for a happy Friday to one and all!!!

Ephesians Chapter 6 tells us to, "put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground."  I once heard an inspirational speaker on American Family Radio talk about praying every day something like this, "Father I ask that you surround and protect me this day as I put on Your armor.  This day I am armed with Your belt of truth, Your breastplate of righteousness, my feet are fitted with the readiness of the Gospel of peace, I hold up the shield of faith, I put on the helmet of salvation and through prayer I carry the sword of the Spirit.  May this armor which Your Word has described for me keep me alert and praying and ever on Your path.  In Jesus Name I ask this.  Amen."  Ok, so I do not remember at all the word by word version she used...but my point is that her suggestion was that we pray on the armor every single day.  I know I have days where I feel so in line with His plans for my life that I am walking strong and must be wearing every piece of His armor.  Still, I have quite a few days where I stumble, fall and sometimes even lay in the dirt having myself a pity party.  God has given us the tools to fight off the evil, to stand strong in Him and to rise above our circumstances.  We need to choose His way.  He is calling each of us to put on His armor and keep our faith in Him because He has great things in store for us when we remember and choose to stand up against the evil and bad times.  We cannot dwell on the down time, we need to fix our eyes on the Lord and keep that focus on Him by faith.  I know I am the first and the worst at making it a daily walk, a daily journey...but I am getting better.  I am seeing more and more how each piece of His armor is an important tool to stay strong in our hope and faith in Him and His plans for us.  I pray that today you have enough time to stop and through prayer put on the armor of God.  I pray He shines His light on your path and guides you through another week. I continue to pray that God surrounds you with His love, favor and blessings this day, this week and always.
Have an awesome weekend and week ahead!
Love through Christ,
Niki
 
If you feel inspired to pass along my thougts, please do!  And/or if you or someone you know would like to join the our list to receive the messages via email please send an email to Banklady79@aol.com .

Niki's Weekly Thoughts ~ Week Fifteen: 11-3-2006

 

Greetings and a happy Friday to one and all!!

Romans 8:24-25 tells us, "For in this hope we were saved.  But hope that is seen is no hope at all.  Who hopes for what he already has?  But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently."

There's this cute story I have heard several times that I want to share...

    A man is conversing with God on matters of time and money.  He asks, "Lord, how long is a minute?"  God replies, "My child, a minute to me is the same as a hundred million years to you."  The man also asks, "Lord, how much is a penny?"  God tells the man, "A penny to me is the same as a hundred million dollars to you."  The man quietly ponders the comparisons and then requests, "Lord, may I please have a penny?"  God smiles at him and says, "In a minute."

    It is often said that it comes to him who waits.  My, oh my, have I felt like I have been waiting.  Isn't it funny though, while it seems to take forever for us to wait on something we so earnestly hope for, once we've had it and look back on it then it always feels that time flies by so quickly.  I started thinking about how time to us and to God is on different scales yet He is always with us.  I compared it in my mind to being a parent.  As a child it seems like every step, every event, every milestone is so long coming...but then once you become a parent those moments fly by so fast that you struggle to grab onto them and cherish them in your heart.  We are right beside our children yet it seems we are almost on different time tables.  But hope is a universal gift, isn't it?  When we hope for something in faith we need to patiently wait for it.  I know from personal experience that this is much easier said than done!  But God has been constantly reminding me through so many different aspects that His will for my life will happen and I need to wait patiently, keep my hope in my faith in His capability to run my life much better than I could ever do on my own.  I have not been feeling well since that sinus infection in early September and this new medicine has clouded my judgement and I cried out to God this week for some relief to that cloud over my mood.  He showed me yet again that I needed simply to refocus my hope and gather up my patience.  He is my rock on which I stand and I pray that He is yours as well.  I know He is showing each of us how to stretch our patience limits and how to hope in Him more and more each day...and by this I know He strengthens our faith as well.  I pray that I was not too rushed this morning to really listen to what God would inspire me to type to you.  I continue to pray that God surrounds you with His love, favor and blessings this day, this week and always. 

Have an awesome weekend and week ahead!
Love through Christ,
Niki

If you feel inspired to pass along my email, please do!  And/or if you or some one you know would enjoy receiving my weekly thoughts, please send an email to: Banklady79@aol.com

Weekly Thoughts ~ Week Fourteen: 10-26-2006

Psalm 28:7, “The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song.” 

Psalm 75:1, "We give thanks to you, O God, we give thanks, for your Name is near; men tell of your wonderful deeds." 

Psalm 107:1, "Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever."

Hello and a happy day to one and all!!

This time of year, we usually start looking ahead to the holidays, Thanksgiving, Christmas, and maybe New Years.  For years, I would only think of these holidays at this time of year.  More and more though, over the past few years, I have been thinking of them often, throughout the whole year…I love to go “window shopping” and think of who would love this or that…I then dream I had the money to be able to afford to bless them with the gift…then I will try to think of a gift that would cost less but mean just as much or maybe more to them.  I also love to give thanks to our Lord.  I have gotten myself into the habit of making Thanksgiving an everyday celebration.  I use my short commute to work in the mornings to talk with God, to thank Him for another day, for the things He blessed me with recently…when something comes across my mind throughout the day that makes me smile, or reminds me of the good things I have been blessed with in my life, I stop and say thanks to God.  Sadly, too many holidays are being short-changed these days.  The media and their fear of being “Politically Correct” and not offending everyone has led to a “Commercialization” if you will.  It saddens me, and angers me at the same time to think that the true meanings and celebrations are getting lost.  I’m sure that you’ve seen the email circulating around, and around, and around stating about a poll taken of this country to see how many people believe in God, and that the results showed a whopping 87% said yes they believe!  Well, if that number is even ballpark, then I say it is about time for the vast majority of us to stand up and say we are the ones being offended.  But, I myself am only one voice, right?  How about if we start smaller then…what if we stand up in our own homes and say that we don’t wish to lose our holidays any longer?  I think we can all do that.  Let’s try together to have a Thanksgiving this year which focuses on prayers of thanks and on God, who supplies our every need.  Let us also then focus our thoughts on being thankful more often than just the end of November.  Stretch with me if you will and picture also a Christmas centered around God and celebrating not only His son’s humble birth but also all of the wonders He gives us, this time of year and the other 364 days too.  I'm not saying that we should walk around and sing Away in a Manger or Joy to the World everyday...what I am suggesting is that we give extra attention, praise and Thanksgiving to God on these upcoming holidays and also try to keep Him at the forefront of our lives the rest of the year too.  My prayer this week is that His Spirit stays with you and guides you to choose thankfulness each day.  I also pray that He continues to allow me the great honor of your time each week as you share in my thoughts and reflections on His Word and His promises and His great power and love in our lives.   I feel truly blessed that you each continue to share your time with me!  I continue to pray that God surrounds you with His love, favor and blessings this day, this week and always. 

Have an awesome weekend and week ahead!
Love through Christ,
Niki

If you feel inspired to pass along my email, please do!  And/or if you or some one you know would enjoy receiving my weekly thoughts, please send an email to: Banklady79@aol.com

Week Thirteen ~ October 19, 2006

Hello and a happy day to one and all!

Lamentations 3:40 "Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to the Lord."

If you want to hear God laugh, tell him your plans.

The moment I read the above quoted scripture verse, it reminded me of the saying I listed below it.  Isn't that so true of us so many times in our lives?  Don't we try it alone only to find we need to return to the Lord for His guidance?  We ask Him to place us back on His path.  I like the laughter saying.  I know some people may read into the wrong way...but what it reminds me of is when I laugh at something Stasi said.  I am not viscously laughing or poking fun at her.  Sometimes her youth and innocence bubbles out in something absurd that just tickles your heart and makes you laugh.  That's how I picture it with God.  We may tell Him what we think we want or where we think we need to go in life and I believe that gives Him that heart tickle and He laughs.  He laughs because He knows we are only saying that because we don't have all the scoop...only He knows the whole picture and only He knows the best path for our lives.  His plan to prosper us takes patience on our part many times...and I think everyone benefits from laughter so I believe it's ok to discuss your plans with God.  He'll get a good laugh and then you will probably realize His plans are the ones you need to focus on.  Which, of course, means you'll need to truly let go and let God.  Easier said than done, I know!  I have been trying to get myself in the habit of doing so...now when my mind wants to let the concerns, impatience, desires, questions, etc to sneak back in and cloud my mind with worry, I literally have to tell myself to let go and let God.  When simply saying to myself is not enough, I add a prayer...if for some reason that still does not satisfy my stresses then I remind myself that the reason I need to let God have the situation is because He's in charge anyways!  It's not going to turn out any way other than how God has planned.  Period.  So, maybe we need to pray the Serenity Prayer, maybe we need to sing a song, count to ten, talk a short walk...you need to find what works for you and then use it.  I'm not saying it will work overnight but if you keep at it, and pray, then anything is possible.  I pray God helps you to let Him handle all of your worries this week. I also pray that He continues to allow me the great honor of your time each week as you share in my thoughts and reflections on His Word and His promises and His great power and love in our lives.   I continue to pray that God surrounds you with His love, favor and blessings this day, this week and always. 

Have an awesome weekend and week ahead!
Love through Christ,
Niki

If you feel inspired to pass along my email, please do!  And/or if you or some one you know would enjoy receiving my weekly thoughts, please send an email to: Banklady79@aol.com

Week Twelve ~ 10-12-2006

Hello and a good day to one and all!!!

I have to be honest with ya'll...today snuck up on me and I had no clue what I was going to type about.  I prayed all morning, all afternoon, at lunch I browsed Bible.com, sent home an email to myself to think about reading Ruth {it's my daughter's middle name after all} and then after a mind-clearing shopping trip...inspired by my hubby who seems to know just when I need to get out of the house...so I came back and felt again that I was supposed to read the Book of Ruth.  But when I got done I thought, "very nice story, but what's it's significance?"  I went and got my trusty Self-Study Commentary for further research.   Then it hits me, ok,yeah, Ruth was David's Grandmother, as in "from the house and lineage of David."  Ok, so she's a distant relative of Jesus, but then again we're all Brothers and sisters in Christ.  I dug deeper.  Did you know that in the first Gospel of Matthew, he writes out the lineage of our Lord?  Why is this important you are asking?  I am getting to that, I promise!!!  See, in the first Chapter of Matthew where the family tree is laid out for us, there are only 4 women mentioned in there...yes, you guessed it Ruth is one of those chosen 4.  Why do I think this is significant?  That's what I was asking myself until I stopped thinking, quieted my heart and mind and asked the Holy Spirit for some much needed help.  Here's why I believe it is so inspiring...God inspired Matthew to list 4 women when traditionally speaking only men made up the family tree/records.  Ruth was not an Israelite, she was an outsider so to speak.  I believe God favored her, chose her to be in this important lineage of our Lord to prove once more what is a recurring, loving, gracious, merciful theme throughout His word...  It does not matter who you are...it matters whose you are!  And it does not matter where you come from...it matters where you are going! We all have a purpose in God's plan.  He has chosen each of us to play an important role.  We choose whether to listen to His call, but He calls us no matter our station in life.  In this day and age society tells us to question everything, evenour faith...but we don't need to.  We feel compelled to wonder, worry, blame, pity...  None of it has to make sense though!  You might have no clue as to why God is calling you, still believe you me if He is calling you had better listen up!  Listen up because He has great things ahead for you!  This week I am praying that the Holy Spirit quiets your minds and opens your hearts so you may hear God's call.  I also pray that He continue to allow me the great honor of your time each week as you share in my thoughts and reflections on His Word and His promises and His great power and love in our lives.   I continue to pray that God surrounds you with His love, favor and blessings this day, this week and always.  Have an awesome weekend and week ahead!
Love through Christ,
Niki

If you feel inspired to pass along my email, please do!  And/or if you or some one you know would enjoy receiving my weekly thoughts, please send an email to: Banklady79@aol.com