Trusting in His Peace

 

Passage John 14:27 “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.”

When we are worried or anxious over something it is difficult to hear a verse such as this and apply it to our lives. I think it is much easier to feel at peace in the Lord when everything is going great in our lives. However, it is when we feel that tug of fear, trouble or anxiety that we need to remember that God’s peace is always with us…so long as we have faith and place all of our trust in Him and in His promises. Easier said than done is truly a cliché that is appropriate but I have heard it said that if life is going to be hard anyway why not spend that struggle and energy focused on putting God first and putting all our trust in Him. Let it go and let God take care of it because ultimately He is in control.  What about when "it" is unknown?  How do we "give 'it' to God" when we don't even know what "it" is?  That my friends is not something I fully know how to do yet myself, I am working on it at this very moment.  Prayer is a big key, this I am sure...God wants to hear from us...whatever "it" is that we may be going through, He already knows what we do not.  I say let's pray for peace.  Peace of mind that whatever "it" is God has a plan to prosper us and He will never leave us.  Peace of heart feeling His presence dwell with us as we pray our way to letting go.  Peace of soul, trusting entirely in  John 14:27 that He has given us His peace, He has left it here with us and for us.  I pray that whether times are good or troublesome in your life right now that God may grant you all peace and cradle you in His loving arms so you can fell His peace fully surrounding you.  I ask you to please continue to join me in remembering Summer, our troops and each other in our daily prayers.  I am still and ever thankful that God allows me to come to you each week and share His love and Word through my thoughts and writings.  I am also always praying that He may surround you with His love, favor, blessings and protection.

Love through Christ,

Niki   

Let Your Light Shine

 

Matthew 5:14-16 "You are the light of the world.  A city on a hill cannot be hidden.  Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl.  Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house.   In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven."

 

There was a song we used to sing in Sunday School and Vacation Bible School that must have been written with this passage in mind, "This little light of mine, I'm gonna let it shine...all around the world I'm gonna let it shine...let it shine, all the time, let it shine!"  Actually that song came into my mind this morning as I was trying to search for a Bible Verse and it led me to remember verse 16, "...let your light shine before men..."  In my small way I feel like these messages each week allow me to let my light shine.  I have dreams of going bigger, maybe learn more about web sites and build myself a good one, maybe someday even use my messages to write a book...dreams, hopes, faith, all are good to have.  Sometimes I think it can be hard as adults to find where we can let our light shine.  Many employers are so politically correct these days that your could possible be written a warning or worse for talking about it at work because it could offend others and therefore falls under a Harassment Policy.  Maybe you feel uncomfortable talking about your faith in a store or at sporting event or any of a hundred other places we may go each week because you do not know if the person you try to reach out to will yell at you to leave them alone.  It can be overwhelming to figure out, "How can I let my light shine for God?"  How about in a non-verbal way?  What if we model our behavior after our Lord's awesome example?  Do you think that may be a good way to shine?  I do...in fact I think that is a great start especially if outright talking to strangers isn't your thing!  If we let our faith shine through our actions we can shine as bright as the Son!  It may not reach every person but I believe that in a world of hurry up and out of my way that even small acts of kindness will catch people's eyes because it can be so rare...it may even get their curiosity peeked enough to confront you for a reason as to why you act that way...and then...tada!  A way to talk about our heavenly Father without initiating the subject.  I pray this week that you remember Jesus called you the light of the world and He will be with you and help you to shine your light for all to see.  This week, I ask that we please keep the people affected by the tragedy at Virginia Tech in our prayers.  Please join me in praying for their comfort, strength and peace.  Please also say a prayer of thanksgiving for the lives that were saved by classmates and professors, that although this massacre was horrific we should praise God that it was not worse, because it truly could have been.  I also ask thatwe please continue to pray for Summer and her family, for healing and praise for the healing that's already taken place.  Also, please keep our soldiers and each other in daily prayers.  I continue to be honored and blessed to be able to come to you each week with these messages and pray that God may bless, protect and inspire you.  Have a blessed and awesome week ahead!!!

 

Love through Christ,

Niki

 

"Today we are all Hokies"

Prayer Request

In the face of the tragedy that befell Virginia Tech, the state of Virginia on a whole and our great country yesterday morning I have a prayer request. 

Please join me in praying for the families and friends of the victims, for the survivors, for all who feel the pain of this horrific situation...please join me in praying for their comfort, for their strength to survive, for peace in a time where it feels so far from being obtainable. 

Please pray with me in thanksgiving for the lives that were saved by classmates and professors who put themselves at risk to barracade doors, join my in thankful prayer that this massacre although the worst college shooting in the history of our country was not even larger, for the law enforcement, ems, doctors and nurses and other civil service men and woman who were called to action in Blacksburg yesterday. 

My heart goes out to all who have been touched by this violence... In a situation where it is hard to determine "where can I help" I turn to prayer and now I am praying intensly for all of them because I feel this is what I can do.

What A Friend!

 

 

John 15:13 "Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends."

 

Sorry that last week's had no title and this week's is a day late...I fell victim to jet lag and distractions but it was a poor choice by me to not put better effort into making sure things get done right.  I do hope that everyone had a wonderfully blessed Easter.  We spent ours in Texas with my grandparents and it was superb! 

 

Have you ever had one of those days where it felt as if nothing were going right?  How about having an entire vacation begin and end that way?  What did you do?  How did you choose to react?  It is our choice you know...we can choose to take it out on everyone around us.  OR, and this is the harder choice but I personally feel it is the better one, we can choose to take it up to Him!  One of my favorite hymns growing up was "What a Friend We Have in Jesus."  Several times in each verse we would sing, "take it to the Lord in prayer."  I am a firm believer that we need to take it to our Lord with praises when we have a good day!  I also think that there is no better time to choose to take it to our Lord, and friend, than on those "bad" days.  I don't know about you but every now and then I need a good vent.  I know that my true friends will always listen to my tales, good or bad...just as I hope and pray that they know I would always do the same for them in a heartbeat!  However, if ever I am not available for whatever reason I pray that they would make the choice which I try hard to make...and that is to take it to our Lord in prayer!  Take it all to Him!  He is always listening and ready to hear our prayer.  Guess what else, He wants to hear from His friends!  That's right, our amazing Lord, Savior and Guide considers us, lowly sinners, we are dear to Him as His friends.  So just as your closest friends are ready and willing and wanting to hear from you in good times and bad so is Jesus longing for you to take it all to Him in prayer.  My prayer that I am taking to our Friend this week is that He give each of you the strength to take it all to Him.  I also please continue to ask you to join me in praying for Summer and her family, thanksgiving for all He has done and also to ask that He continues to heal her in His perfect timing.  Please also continue to join me in daily praying for our troops for all that they choose to sacrifice so that you and I may sleep safely each night.  Also please keep in mind to pray for each other, prayer is our most powerful gift from God that we can easily share with our brothers and sisters in Christ.  I am personally and continually grateful that God has blessed me with each of you allowing me into your week through my thoughts and I pray that He may bless and protect each and every one of you today and always.

 

Hope you have a blessed Sunday and an awesome week ahead!!!

 

Love through Christ,

Niki

He'll Wipe Every Tear

 

Revelation 21:4 "He will wipe every tear from their eyes.  There will be no more mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."

Some days it can be pretty difficult to keep on smiling...sometimes even this ever perky Niki can feel like the valleys of life are so low and dark.  However, then I read a verse like Revelation 21:4...In my mind I picture our loving Father and His eternal victory for us.  I picture the tears of ALL His people, ALL the tears that they have ever shed...ALL will be wiped away forever.  Matthew Chapter 5 tells us "Blessed arethose who mourn for they will be comforted."  God assures us time after time in His precious Word that s not only with us, but He longs to comfort us...if only we would put our faith in Him and His promises.  If only we would truly and without reserve take Him at His Word then in His perfect timing He will wipe all of your tears from your eyes.  He will comfort you and strengthen you with His divine spirit.  My prayer for you this week is that you may trust God's grace-filled promises and allow Him to work His comfort in your life.  I also please continue to ask you to join me in praying for Summer, and her family.  They continue to have a long road ahead of them, but they amaze me in how thankful and full of praise they remain.  So together with Summer's family and I please let us also join in thanksgiving and praise to our amazing Lord for all of the awesome work He has already done towards her healing.  Please also join me in pray for our troops, everyday and always for each other as we are all brothers and sisters in Christ.  I personally continue to thank God for each of you allowing me into your inbox each week and I pray that He may bless and protect each and every one of you.

Have a blessed Easter and awesome week ahead!!!

Love through Christ,

Niki

American vs. Christian

Happy Thursday all! I am going out of town this weekend and so will not be able to send emails on Saturday as normal so I figured I would send a “retro” Thursday message {for those who are newer my emails used to be Thursdays when I first started sending my weekly emails J}.  I was in a patriotic mood this morning on the way to work and could not figure out why at first.  As I pondered it more I started comparing being an American to being a Christian.  I know there is all sorts of controversy about being an American, who is an American, and what rights immigrants and illegal aliens should be afforded.  I don’t want to go off on a terribly long rant about it but I will share some of my opinions.  I sometimes wonder and wish about what it would have been like to be living in the40’s and 50’s in this country, or even earlier, what about the 1800’s?  Americans back then knew how to be Americans, they may have had German, Polish, French, English, Swedish, Danish, Scottish, Spanish or a hundred other ancestries but when they came to this country it wasn’t to be German-American or Danish-American, it was to become an American, 100% love and devotion for the land of the free.  That’s how I see being a Christian in a way too.  We may be a mother, a father, a sister, a friend, a member of the clergy, a son, or a lot of other things but we are first and foremost a Christian, a son or daughter of the most high God and when we become a Christian it is to give 100% love and dedication to our Father, Lord, Savior and Counselor.  If we put being a mother, father or spouse above or before being a Christian then we are losing out my friends!  I read a verse this week, Matthew 10:37-39, “Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.” This is Jesus talking to His disciples, when He is sending them out to, “Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy,[b]drive out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.” {verse 8}.  This speaks to me that in this day and age no matter who we have here on earth to care for, love and cherish, be responsible for, they should never come before Him who has blessed us with their presence by His grace!  So put God first and feel His love run over, love God the most and receive His love in abundance, seek God and He will bless you eternally!! I pray this week that you are able to give God 100% of your love and dedication, to love Him more than anyone else in your life, and I pray He allows you to feel the amazing changes it brings in your life.  I continue to ask that each and everyone of us please pray for Summer and her family, please pray for our soldiers and please pray for each other.  I am daily thanking God that He continues to allow me into your email box each week and I pray that He inspires you through my messages.  Finally, I will always pray that God surrounds you with His love, favor and blessings, this day, this week and forever.

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

His Victory Plan For You

 

As I have been personally studying the Bible this year I have read so far Genesis through Deuteronomy and have begun reading Joshua...it occurs to me that {and I knew this in my heart but had never dwelled in thought on it} we are not the only people who have had our ups and downs.  The Bible is filled with stories that tell of victory and despair...mountains and valleys is maybe a more well used term.  Here's the thing that really hit me hard, the victories always come after a time of despair to those who have devoted and re-devoted their lives to God.  Maybe it has been a while since you have attended Sunday morning service, you've gotten down to praying only once a day or not at all, maybe it is even less subtle than that...whatever it may be that could be drawing us away from God and towards a valley of despair we need to remember that when we devote our lives to Him, when we place Him at the center of our daily lives than the victory is not too far away, the high points will be in view.  We just need to keep our faith in His promises, and believe we are His people whom He wishes to bless.  I am sorry this comes late and may seem to leave the topic open and not concluded...I pray you are able to listen to your heart for our Lord's voice to guide you to the conclusion of His victory for your life.  I continue to ask the each and everyone of us please pray for Summer and her family, please pray for our soldiers and please pray for each other.  I am continually thankful that God continues to allow me into your email box each week and I pray that He inspires you through my messages.  Finally, I continue to pray that God surrounds you with His love, favor and blessings, this day, this week and always.

  Have an awesome week ahead!
Love through Christ,
Niki