Tag: Life

Let’s Talk About You!

Author, Nicole L. RossLeave a comment

           all_about_you

          When someone asks the question who are you, at first thought it seems easy enough to give them your name or maybe where you’re from.  Simple enough right? Not so much.  When asked who you are, if you truly think about it, it can be one of the most difficult and challenging questions for you to answer.  I know for me, if someone asks me that question depending on who it is and situation,  I will more than likely go down a list; I am Nicole, I’m from Florida, I am a mother, I am a wife, I am a sister, I am a daughter, and the list could just go on and on and on.  Nothing wrong with this list because I am all of these things.  I have come to realize however that my life is so much deeper than that, which in turn is why I can see how this question could be a lot more complex than it first appears.

Yes, we all could probably use a list of titles to describe who we are, but what about who you are deep down inside.  What are you all about?  Why on earth are you here?  One revelation that God gave me while I was asking myself these questions,  was to shift my perspective a little on life and I will use this analogy to help explain.  I’m sure that most of you have heard of a business having a mission statement.  In fact, the mission statement is one of the first things established before the business can ever begin operating.  I’d like to point out the main goal of a mission statement for a business, which is to define the organizations purpose and primary objective.  Its prime function however is internal.  It brings the leadership together and helps them stay focused on the overall main goal, which for a company is to be successful.  Bring it back to you.  Do you have your own personal mission statement?  If not, before you do anything else you should write one.  Doing so will help you a great deal as it relates to being able to identify your main purpose in life.  As you create a mission statement, you will be able to pin point key areas of interest, areas that you maybe want to learn more about or grow in, as well as your strengths and weaknesses.  What you think about, dream about, talk about, or actually do the most – this is what you are all about.  These are the things that make you who you are.  Or at least it should.  This brings me to my last question I want you to think about.   Does your life truly reflect what is important to you and how you want others to see you?  In other words, if people on the outside looking in had to say what they thought seemed to be important to you, what would they say?

Today’s topic of discussion has been all about you.  I truly hope and pray that you are able to read this and do a little self-reflection.  I only write about what I am thinking about and going through at the time and this is truly a time of self-reflection for me.  So many things are going on around me, a lot of which I know are distractions sent by the enemy.  But I hear God telling me to be still and concentrate on me right now.  Before I can successfully move forward I must do an internal investigation of myself to make sure me and God are on the same page.

I want to challenge you all to follow suite and take a few moments for self-reflection.  I say it’s a challenge because we often get so caught up in day-to-day activities that we don’t give our self the time and attention that we deserve.  Today, God is saying be still. Establish your mission statement.  What does your life reflect? Do you like it?  If not, change it.  If yes, keep doing what you are doing but look for ways to enhance it and make it better.  You are you wherever you are, so be sure that you are the best you that you can possibly be. God Bless. #iDeclare #letstalkaboutyou

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Prayer:

Father God in the name of Jesus, I first want to say thank you for creating me.  Thank you for making me so uniquely and different from everyone else.  I ask now God that you will help me to take some time and focus on me.  I decree and declare that not only will I take time to do a real self-reflection, I will also do what it takes so that my life can reflect a life that exemplifies those things that are important to me.  Thank you Jesus for helping me to be the best me that I can possibly be at all times, no matter where I am or who I’m around.  In Jesus name, Amen.

Scripture:

Philippians 2:5 NIV  “In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:”

Proverbs 16:9 ESV “The heart of man plans his way, but the LORD establishes his steps”

Just One of Those Days

Author, Nicole L. RossLeave a comment

Life

Have you ever just woke up feeling like it was going to be just one of those days.  When you don’t want to do anything but stay in bed.  That is how the day started off for me.  It’s like I had an uneasy feeling in my spirit.  My mind was racing at a hundred miles a minute thinking about everything and nothing all at the same time.  As I got the girls up and got them ready, I prayed.  This gave me some peace, but the lingering feeling didn’t really go away.  To be honest it only got worse once I left the house and started moving around.  Nothing went anything like I thought it would.  I ended up being gone for a lot longer than I expected because my short to-do list turned into a long list of surprises.  By the grace of God, I made it through.  What I’d like to talk about is how do we handle days like these?  Why do we even have them?

Although I am not a fan of days like these, I truly believe that God allows us to go through to draw us closer to Him.  Yes, you may have a set schedule in regards to your prayer life or time that you spend with God.  I do to.  But sometimes we get so caught up in our day-to-day that God wants to break up the regularity. He wants us to pray differently, read our word differently, just overall spend time with Him differently. I know at one point, there was a time in my life where I would spend Tuesday and Thursday morning as my in-depth prayer time and study my bible comprehensively on Monday and Wednesday.  Now, I would throw prayer in every day as well as bible study, but God showed me that He wanted to change things up a bit.  He wanted to modify my regular scheduled programming.  When there is transformation and growth taking place, you cannot continue to do the same old thing the same old way because if you do you will get the same old results.  This can be said for everyday life, not just spiritually.  The definition of insanity is doing the same thing expecting different results, hence where the uneasy feeling comes in.  God doesn’t want His children to be crazy.  He is constantly growing and maturing us in Him and in order for that to happen, something’s in our life and in our everyday ‘norms’ are going to have to shift.

As for how we handle when the shift is taking place, first and foremost we have to acknowledge it for what it is.  When you get that feeling on the inside, but you aren’t sure what’s going on you must first acknowledge that something is in fact going on.  Don’t just count it off as being tired or depressed.  No, that is what the enemy would have you to believe.  When those feelings come, talk to God.  Not just because you know it’s the right thing to do, be 100 percent honest with Him and tell Him how you feel.  Be real with God.  If you aren’t real, then there is no way you’re going to be able to make it through.  Eventually the front that you are putting up will be exposed.  Besides,  He already know anyway.  When you express your feelings take a minute, and pause.  Hear what He has to say back to you.  Think about it like this, when you have a conversation with someone you talk and then you listen.  Do the same with God, in your conversation take the time to listen.

It can be tough to experience days like what I’ve mentioned above, but what I want you all to get is that you are not the only one it happens to so try your best to see the bigger picture.  Having just one of those days, could really be a great thing because that is evidence that a shift is taking place.  I don’t know about you, but I say Lord shift me, shape me, mold me and make me into the woman of God that you created me to be.  There’s a reason that God allows things to happen in our life.  Embrace it. Learn from it.  After all, that’s what living life is all about.  #iDeclare #justoneofthosedays

Prayer:
Heavenly Father, thank you for seeing me through just one of those days.  Although it may not be the most pleasant experience when I am going through, help me to see the bigger picture and truly discern what it is that you would have me to do at that moment.  I decree and declare that I will embrace change.  I will learn from it and as transformation is taking forth in my life, it will push me towards my destiny.  In Jesus name, Amen.

Scripture:

Psalms 139: 23-24 KJV “Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”

2 Corinthians 3:18 KJV “But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord.”

Different People/Different Purposes

Author, Nicole L. RossLeave a comment

Jeremiah-29-11-LONG

It’s amazing how when you talk to certain people they make you feel a certain kind of way.  I say that because I recently talked to one of my best friends, and talking to her really just gave me the kick start I needed and allowed me to refocus.  It wasn’t anything that she said in particular, it was just the fact that she knows me and has known me for so long and when talking to her I could really just be myself.  Then I think about when I talk to my husband, who really is my confidant.  It’s like God placed this man in my life for so many different reasons, and one of them is really to help me figure out me.  What I mean is, often times I think about a lot of different things in my mind just gets all jumbled up, but when I try to talk to an average person about it, I am not able to fully express what I mean in a way that they will understand. With my husband however, when I talk to him, he always helps me put things into perspective.  I mean it seems as though the light bulb in my head just clicks on during our conversation and what I couldn’t express to anyone else, now makes sense. And not only does it make sense to me, but he also understands.  Now, when I talk to either one of my brothers, no matter what situation is going on around me or how good or bad I may feel, they always bring such happiness to my spirit and cheer me up because they are so funny and crazy.  But in my dealings with them, they also challenge me to be a better me, a better sister, a better wife, a better daughter, a better friend, just an overall better person in general.

I gave these examples to say this, different people have different purposes in your life.  Ultimately, their purpose should be to help you along life’s journey and help push you towards your purpose.  Stop trying to make folks a part of your life who aren’t trying to help you get to your purpose.  AND stop giving people a role in your life that they were never meant to play.  Everyone can’t be your best friend, everyone can’t be your husband or wife, everyone can’t be your brother or sister, so do not expect them to act like it.  Then turn around and get disappointed when they don’t.  That is only setting yourself up for failure.  We have such high expectations for people, which many times is why we end up getting hurt.  If you put people in the right place in your life, and deal with them from the right perspective it will save you a lot pain and heartache, and that’s speaking from personal experience.

There comes a point in your life when you realize who matters, who never did, who won’t anymore and who always will. So, don’t worry about people from your past, there’s a reason why they didn’t make it to your future.  And thank God for the new people He will send your way to help thrust you towards the destiny and greatness that you have on your life. #iDeclare #differentpeopledifferentpurposes

Prayer:

Father God in the name of Jesus, I thank you for helping me to understand the different roles that people play in my life.  I decree and declare that I will not give anyone a role that you never intended to play.  Thank you for those who will push me towards my destiny in you.  Help me gain a stronger spirit of discernment so I can know who they are.  I trust You Lord, and I thank You that You are the head of my life.  In Jesus Name, Amen.

Scripture:

Jeremiah 29:11 ESV “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.”

John 15:16 ESV “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.”