Wednesday, October 17, 2012
Thankful Challenge
I like a challenge. It just motivates me like nothing else. It seems like if I can make up some challenge to myself and set a time specific goal, it is almost ALWAYS achieved. Probably because I hate disappointing people, even myself...my biggest critic.
I have had several self challenges over the years...most frequently weight loss/control, challenges of faith, how much I could clean out of my home and rid of stuff, fasting and praying, attempting to tame my tongue (probably the least successful :)....lots of things.
My current is the Thankful Challenge. Life has been weird the last few months. I was married in May and that brings up all sorts of change. And I started a new job three months before that. I practically have a new life and it has been crazy weird and hard at times! But I know in my heart of hearts that the Lord is faithful (Exodus 34:5-7, Deuteronomy 32:4, Psalm 36:5-6 , Psalm 71:21-23, Psalm 100:4-5, Psalm 117:1-2 , Isaiah 61:7-9, Lamentations 3:22-24, 2 Thessalonians 3:3)
It has been SO easy to sulk in my perceived dejection of wishing things were easier, NOW, but the LORD really put it on my heart just to be content and praise Him for all the wonderful blessings I already have. After all, ..."godliness with contentment is great gain." 1 Timothy 6:6
So I started the 40 days of Thanks, leading up to Thanksgiving! It started October 13th and I focus my prayer time each day on what I am thankful for and pray for what is on my heart. You know..."by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God." (Phillipians 4:6) I also recently read this article: http://www.awmi.net/extra/article/effects_praise ,which talks a ton about the scriptural command to praise God, reminding me, "for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus." (1 Thessalonians 5:18) and the effects on satan when we praise God. Anything I can do to take a jab at satan, I do swiftly and often! Lord knows I owe him a few.
I am looking forward to learning true contentedness .... and praising God all along the way!
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
Here goes...something...?
Hmmm. I am really not sure what I am doing here. OK. I am sure about WHY I am here, but not sure about why I really am here typing away on my computer. Does anyone really read these things? I know I do, and love the ladies whose blogs I follow, but really....outside of our little oikos, does this have any impact?
Here goes my attempt to find You...
I am not a writer. Just not. Never won, nor competed in any poetry nor prose readings. In fact, I could not stand them. I have never been a fan of poetry in general. Flowery words wrapped up with extra drama just never has been my thing. I was much more in to acting it out. My best friend in high school was a great actress and I loved sitting through her countless rehearsals and shows. Watching her live out other people's lives somehow gave me hope that mine would be important some day. To be determined...but something about acting made my heart soar with excitement. It is probably because I never let myself live in an alternate reality except when I was watching plays, or movies. She and I would talk till wee hours in the night after rehearsal about the love lives we wished ahead of us, the ways we would achieve fantastic careers, raise our children, marry a prince, rule the world, all sorts of things. I had some hope that my life would be like those plays and movies someday; that people would be so compelled by my story that they would sit for hours enthralled in the drama that ensued. There was always plenty of drama in my life, but not the kind I thought any soul in their right mind would want to see. Which is why I never let myself dream too much outside of "play time". It just never seemed possible that I would break free. Only God would know that the next 10 years of my life would be a multi-Grammy/Oscar/Emmy award winning performance. No credit to my own acting by any means. More to follow on that I am sure.
Fast forward and you find me here typing away without clear direction. Just to write. I am not even a good writer. I have TONS of words but most of them fly out of my mouth so fast I cannot even keep up with my own conversations. If you are still reading, I am humbled. Sincerely.
And that is the only "why" that I know I am here. Humility. I read a blog (ironic, I know) this week that quoted 1 Timothy 4:15. "...Throw yourself into your tasks so that everyone will see your progress." NLT
This is my THROWING myself into my tasks. So that I can share my progress. If you will look back at my old posts when I first started this blog thinking I could become a compelling writer, that was precisely one of the titles of my blog, Fully Exposed. I think that is "why" I am here. And in faithful obedience after prayer and tugging on my heart, He got me here. I guess I have a story to tell. Stay tuned. I'll try to make this worth your while.
much love,
nikki
Here goes my attempt to find You...
I am not a writer. Just not. Never won, nor competed in any poetry nor prose readings. In fact, I could not stand them. I have never been a fan of poetry in general. Flowery words wrapped up with extra drama just never has been my thing. I was much more in to acting it out. My best friend in high school was a great actress and I loved sitting through her countless rehearsals and shows. Watching her live out other people's lives somehow gave me hope that mine would be important some day. To be determined...but something about acting made my heart soar with excitement. It is probably because I never let myself live in an alternate reality except when I was watching plays, or movies. She and I would talk till wee hours in the night after rehearsal about the love lives we wished ahead of us, the ways we would achieve fantastic careers, raise our children, marry a prince, rule the world, all sorts of things. I had some hope that my life would be like those plays and movies someday; that people would be so compelled by my story that they would sit for hours enthralled in the drama that ensued. There was always plenty of drama in my life, but not the kind I thought any soul in their right mind would want to see. Which is why I never let myself dream too much outside of "play time". It just never seemed possible that I would break free. Only God would know that the next 10 years of my life would be a multi-Grammy/Oscar/Emmy award winning performance. No credit to my own acting by any means. More to follow on that I am sure.
Fast forward and you find me here typing away without clear direction. Just to write. I am not even a good writer. I have TONS of words but most of them fly out of my mouth so fast I cannot even keep up with my own conversations. If you are still reading, I am humbled. Sincerely.
And that is the only "why" that I know I am here. Humility. I read a blog (ironic, I know) this week that quoted 1 Timothy 4:15. "...Throw yourself into your tasks so that everyone will see your progress." NLT
This is my THROWING myself into my tasks. So that I can share my progress. If you will look back at my old posts when I first started this blog thinking I could become a compelling writer, that was precisely one of the titles of my blog, Fully Exposed. I think that is "why" I am here. And in faithful obedience after prayer and tugging on my heart, He got me here. I guess I have a story to tell. Stay tuned. I'll try to make this worth your while.
much love,
nikki
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)