New Season

I'll let God handle this.........

30 THINGS I LEARNED ON MY WAY TO AGE 30!

Excellent Read!!! REPOST from http://urbanbushbabes.com/2012/11/30-things-i-learned-on-my-way-to-age-30/

This little birdie just turned 30 and I have to say that this year has been eventful to say the least! I have grown leaps and bounds! I got engaged, planned my own wedding, got married in Big Sur, California, honeymooned in Muai, Hawaii for 10 days, moved 1 week later to another state into a house after being in NYC for 27 years, I got a brand new car, and I’m looking for a new job! What else could I have possibly wanted or have done for my 30th birthday??? I didn’t want a thing! I already have more than I deserve and I give all the glory to God for taking my mess of a life and turning it into something I could have never imagined or dreamed up for myself! Here are 30 things that I have learned along the way.

1. Change is good. Change makes you grow! Change is an uncomfortable thing because we are creatures of habit and comfort. But if your not changing then it means your gonna keep doing the same old same old. So if you’re too comfortable it means you’re not growing.

2. Be transparent. You can’t grow and get help if you’re not honest with yourself and others. Living a facade to maintain an image is a waste of your purpose. Concealing your reality stunts growth and prevents true change. Every meaningful relationship requires transparency and openness. This means leaving the blinds open with your spouse, family, and friends.

3. There is a definition to love. Here it is:
1 Corinthians 13:4-7
4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not  dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. -via NIV Bible

4. Don’t Take Anything Personally. Nothing others do is because of you. What others say and do is a projection of their own reality, their own dream. When you are immune to the opinions and actions of others, you won’t be the victim of needless suffering – Miguel Ruiz

5. Don’t believe everything you think and feel. Instead say, God show me what you want, teach me to think like you, and help me to feel what you feel. I know in my past I have felt like running away a few times. That would have meant leaving my son Jaden behind. I have also felt suicidal, that would have meant leaving all my loved ones behind. I also thought that two other guys I was with before my husband were my soul mates and I was gonna have an island of their babies. What I’m trying to get at is, I was wrong despite how I felt and what I thought. Trust in what you “know” rather than what you think and feel. Trust me, your thoughts and feelings will eventually follow.

6. Don’t let anyone or anything define you. My past, my clothes, my ethnic background, my college degrees, my role as a mom, my hair, my body, my relationship with my husband, Urbanbushbabes, my job, my friends, my family, my appearance, my creativity, what someone thinks of me, none of these things define me. My identity is in Christ. I can’t base my identity on anyone of those things because they can fail me at anytime. It also allows insecurity and jealousy to creep in because you end up constantly comparing yourself to others, trying to compete against others, and will always have to one up yourself. But I know God will never fail me and I don’t ever have to compete because I know who I am in him and that he has a plan for me. Once I realized this, I stopped living for these things, I stopped trying to prove things to people, and I stopped seeking validation from others. I’m nothing in myself, but I’m grateful that I know who I am in him!

7. Imitation isn’t the sincerest form of flattery. Not only do you annoy the heck out of the person you’re copying from, but you are just doing yourself a disservice when you do what someone else does. You end up following their vision and purpose and not your own. God created you as an original and he has a plan for you that doesn’t look like anyone else’s plan. You can’t enjoy someone else’s gift if your busy trying to be what they are. And when your busy trying to be what someone else is, you can’t fully be yourself.

8. Don’t project onto people and don’t let people project their reality onto you. Thanks to the cleverness of the unconscious mind, we are able to manipulate our picture of reality and see it as we wish to see it—usually in a way that initially makes us feel more comfortable.  For example, an unfaithful spouse might conclude that everyone is unfaithful, since this would reflect his or her own experiences. As a defense mechanism, this allows people to feel more comfortable about themselves because they think they see traits in common with others.

9. TRUE BEAUTY: The world bombards us with messages about what is beautiful and handsome. It sets standards for our physical appearance and our material success that penetrate our minds and shape our personalities and goals – often without us even realizing it. It is difficult to ignore these loud and ever-present voices as they speak to us from magazines, television, movies, the Internet, and advertising. The problem is, these messages can lead us astray. To cope with all this, we need to ask God to help us be content with the way we are. God made us, and it’s wrong for us to think He made a mistake. Some of the most unhappy people possess great beauty or wealth, yet their lives are empty and without meaning. God loves us just as we are! We must also focus on what the Bible calls true beauty – the beauty of a godly character, “the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight” ~ 1 Peter 3:4. – via I Want A Godly Marriage

10. Who ever said, “you can have it all” was very mislead. You can’t have everything without sacrificing something. Ask the CEO of Google if she has enough time to spend with her family. So figure out what means the most to you and then prioritize.

11. Don’t marry someone you wouldn’t want your children to be like.

12. Live a life serving others. Take the focus off of yourself and find out what you can do for someone else on a daily basis. That’s where true joy begins!

13. It’s not what someone says it’s what someone does. Don’t believe what people say, believe what they do .A lot of times we see people who may be successful on the outside, but inwardly are empty and confused. The way we live speaks far louder than our words.

14. Always forgive no matter what! And forgive quickly! God forgives us a million times over, so who am I not to forgive someone?!

15. Always believe the best in people. Don’t assume, get the facts! This is something I just started to do because I’ve been hurt so many times by people I always kept my guard up.

16. Be very careful with who you take advice from. Make sure they are living what they speak or have experienced it themselves. Also make sure the “word” they have for you lines up with the “Word” of God.

17. Be humble. The humble are quick to forgive & difficult to offend. They are peacemakers who adapt & adjust in order to keep peace. – Via Joyce Meyer

18. Let go of your plans and let God reveal his purpose and plan for your life. God’s plan is better than my plan. I ask God to not give me things that aren’t for me. God is the author and finisher of my faith, but God doesn’t have to finish anything that he didn’t author. God please, if I’m asking for anything that is not you don’t give it to me! The worst thing I can do is be in a place that you don’t want me to be in.

19. Learn from your mistakes, don’t keep doing the same thing over and over again expecting a different result. Albert Einstein defined this as insanity.

20. Have a teachable spirit. Allow loved ones to correct you and tell you about yourself. Correction doesn’t feel good, but it’s necessary for growth.

21. Surrender. As Dr. Phil always says, “How’s that working for you?”. If you have been doing certain things or living your life a certain way and it hasn’t been working for you, then it’s time to do something different. My life was full of worry, stress, anxiety, sadness, anger, and panic attacks. I was a control freak who was happy one moment and down the next. I was addicted to dysfunctional relationships and weed. I held onto to people and things that God wanted me to let go of. My life completely changed once I surrendered and let God take over my life.

22. Don’t stress, don’t be anxious, and don’t worry. Prayer replaces worry. There is no tea, no exercise, no medication, etc… that can replace the peace that God can give you once you really have faith and trust in him. You can’t have faith and worry at the same time.

23. Don’t complain. Instead praise and give thanks! I use to be a chronic complainer, until I learned that the root of complaining was ungratefulness and selfishness.

24. There is beauty in simplicity. Less is more! It teaches you to appreciate every little thing!

25. You can fix things, but not people. Don’t try to fix people, I don’t care if they say you’re the only one who can fix it. You’re not God and only he can heal whatever deep rooted issues they have.

26. Accept people for who they are now. Everyone has potential but many never fulfill it. Many people hang onto the past or let future hopes and the pretty pictures they’ve painted cloud their vision. They don’t realize that the past and future doesn’t exist, only the present exists. So accept them for who they are today, not who they were yesterday or who you think they will be in the future.

27. If you live off man’s compliments you’ll die from his criticism.” ~ Cornelius Lindsey

28. Judge not. So many people take these words the wrong way. Convinced that those who follow God should be accepting and tolerant of everything – even sinful things. When we hear such attitudes, remind ourself that God have asked us to strive for something the world does not understand: Holiness. He wants us to stand out, to stand strong – and at times to stand against evil – but for the right reasons. So the issue is not for us to bend over backwards to accept anything in the name of tolerance: the issue is for us to be discerning and loving in all our ways, in honor of His holy name.Judgement belongs to God and God alone. Wisdom and discernment are what He gives us so that we can humbly present His truths and yet speak for Him in love. When our words are seasoned with His grace rather than judgement, just watch – He will use our words to draw people to Him. When we do wrong in our relationships, marriages and lives, we can’t just expect everyone to turn their heads and not speak truth in love to us. Now that we know better, we must do better .Matthew 7:1-12 -via I Want A Godly Marriage

29. Get help. If you have issues from childhood, are dealing with issues now, seek professional therapy or spiritual counseling. Mental health is the biggest part of maintaining any type of healthy relationship. And beyond that it’s just awesome to have a mentor or someone who is living a transformed life to seek wise council from. If you have been trying to do it by yourself and nothing has changed, then do something different and get help. I was in therapy for 2 years and it help me understand where stuff was coming from, it also allowed me to hear a professional give me feed back and shut me down! In addition to therapy and what I still continue now is reading the Bible, praying and meditating on it, listening to my pastor at church, Joyce Meyer Ministries, and my husband and friends praying with me. I also seek council from people who I know are serious with their walk with God. They have a lot of wisdom. This has all transformed my life.

And lastly I will leave you with these words from an unknown author:

30. We are always waiting for something, 
for it to be the weekend, to be finished school, 
till summer, till we are 18.
 We are always got dang waiting
, and what’s sad is we miss every beautiful 
moment in the ‘present’ because we spend our whole
 lives waiting for tomorrow and for the future
, we end up skipping our whole lives
 and one day we will spend our last day
 waiting on a tomorrow that will never come.

Don’t live in your past or your future! Live today! It’s all we really have! With love Nikisha <3 p="">

Change Your Mind, Change Your Life

“Everyone wants to live on top of the mountain, but all the happiness and growth occurs while you're climbing it.” 

― Andy Rooney

Trials Test Your Faith

1. The Pressure Test
   The pressure test asks the question, “How will you handle stress?" Will you depend on yourself, or will you depend on God? Psalm 50:15 says, “Call on me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you will honor me" (NIV). Do you turn to God when you're in trouble and not to other things?
    
3. The People Test
   God often uses people in your life to test and stretch and develop your faith. This test asks the question, “How will you handle disappointment?” Life is often disappointing. Careers, marriages, and even plans don’t turn out the way we planned them. But the most disappointing thing in life is people. Why? We get disappointed by people because we expect them to meet a need that only God himself can meet. This is a test! 
3.  The Persistence Test The persistence test answers the question: "Will I keep my commitments?" Life is about making commitments. The problem we have today is that most people are half committed to two dozen things instead of being totally committed to the one or two things in life that really matter for now and eternity. That’s a waste!

Weak people give excuses. Wise people find the time and way to do what they say they will do. Do you want to be a weak person or a wise person? This is a test of the kind of character you’re going to develop. 

4. The Priorities Test

This is the most important test, and it asks, "Who will be first in your life?"
How do you know if God is really first priority in your life? Ask yourself three questions: What do you think about the most? Where does your money go first? How do you spend your time? Your answers will reveal the priorities in your life. 
God has eternal rewards in store for you if you pass these tests: “God blesses those who patiently endure testing and temptation. Afterward they will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him” (James 1:12 NLT). A crown of life is a symbol of all that God wants to do in your life — all the blessings he wants to bestow on you, all the needs he wants to meet, all the rewards he wants to give you in Heaven. What a deal!

1.  

ALL PRAISE TO THE MAN UPSTAIRS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

THANK YOU!

One Time

Yessssssss!!!! I love me some Maxwell! Hopefully he's working on another album and a tour will follow because I will be there happily :)

Always Wear Your Shield of FAITH

God said it, and that settles it.

You can’t ever take off the Shield of Faith, either. Paul tells us to wear it “at all times.” Satan will never stop throwing his fiery darts at you. Stay on your guard. Trust God and his Word, no matter what’s going on in your life.

• Doubt. You start asking yourself, “Did God really say? Can I really trust God? Isn’t that just your interpretation?”
• Discouragement. Satan tells you, “You’re never going to get any better. Your life won’t change. Don’t even try.
• Delay. You ask yourself, “Why is this taking so long?” Something you want to happen hasn’t happened by now.
• Difficulty. You ask yourself, “Why is this so hard? Why is it so hard to make my marriage work? Why is it so hard to get a job?”
• Depression. You tell yourself, “It’s not worth it.” You don’t even feel like making an effort.

“At all times carry faith as a shield; for with it you will be able to put out all the burning arrows shot by the Evil One.” (Ephesians 6:16 

He will provide! Good News :)

Never Give UP.......

This verse keeps appearing for a certain reason. Until then keep on PUSHIN........

Crazy Faith

I promise this season I am enduring is only building my love for God each and every day. This is that crazy, mad, obsessed, unconditional, faithful relationship only God knows about.....wonder why? He brought here.......and guess what? He is going to bring me out of it too. He still has a plan for me and its working for my better!!!

LOVE
FAITHFUL
PRAY
DOORS
ASK
CRAZY
APPLY
PLANS
POSITIONING
PURPOSE

Sang Lecresia

In the presence of a powerful voice as her's! She use to be the choir director at my previous church before Wheeler which was the The FORT in Houston, Texas and I always wondered did she record any records. Well to my surprise she's an awarding winning gospel singer....Goodness.....sang girl!!!

This Use to Jam!!

Omg my big cousin who I adored as a child use to blast this song all the time........yeah yeah yeah!!!

The drought ends tonight

Thank you Lord, for every hour, minute, moment, protection, keeping me and mostly loving me. Thank You

Faded

You can never "just be friends" with someone you fell in love with.

True Story. 

Yes I Cried.....

I love seeing people in LOVE!!!!! Besides this video was super cute :)

Follow His Commands

God is Still Worthy to be Praised!!

He see's my fit for the position even when I think of myself not qualified. That comes to show you how wonderful God is. For him to even see YOU, yes YOU, meaning Me, yes ME fit for a position, that alone deserves a praise! Basically you do not know my story, so you cannot understand my praise.

Don't Give Up!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I really do wish I could explain how AWESOME MY GOD! YES MY GOD! When the devil attempts to bring me down, he almost wins until I remember what God did for me in the past, present and what my future looks like. Until then I will keep saying how AWESOME MY GOD IS! Praising him for everything He did in the past, and when I saw everything all the good and bad. Thank You :)

He Has The FINAL Say

Don't give up on your dream either. Don't give up on the marriage. Don't give up on your health. Don't, don't, don't give up. God is in control. You haven't read the final chapter of your life. God's already written it, but you haven't read it yet.




The Bible says, "God is always on the alert, constantly on the lookout for people who are totally committed to him." God is looking for people that he can bless. I want you to be one of those people

Don't give up!   However, as it is written:





“What no eye has seen,

what no ear has heard,

and what no human mind has conceived”[a]—

the things God has prepared for those who love him—

Happy Valentine's Day

God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in them.

Evevn though I may not have a "love" in my life right now does not mean that I will be bitter. I have so much love to give to those around me! I know how to love because God shows me love every single day, and I am able to to love those around me......With all that said Happy Valentine's Day lovas :)

Yes He does love me, would you like to know why?

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.



Here's a little reminder folks....."Too positive to be doubtful. Too optimistic to be fearful. Too determined to be defeated.Too faithful to fear failure"

History

Yesterday marked one year of Whitney Houston's passing and she held down the definition of GIFTED AND TALENTED. Anywho she will forever live through her music........

My Appreciation

Chapter closed. 02.06.13

The Length of God's Love

by Rick Warren


“I know that your love will last for all time, that your faithfulness is as permanent as the sky.” (Psalm 89:2 TEV)

There’s a limit to human love. It wears out; it dries up.

That’s why you have to have God’s love in all your relationships if they are going to last. God’s love never wears out. God’s love is patient, persistent, and persevering.

Isn’t it good news to know that God never gives up on you? No matter what you do, his love never gives up. It’s wide enough to include everybody, and it’s long enough to last forever.

God will never love you any more than he does right now. But he also will never love you any less than he does right now.

He loves you on your good days; he loves you on your bad days. His love is not conditioned by your response. God is love, and his love is given freely. It cannot be earned, and it is not deserved.

Accept his love and worship him, knowing that his love is long enough to last for all time: “And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully” (Ephesians 3:18-19a NLT).    

God is love.

Different Paths...

Move Around

Proverbs 4:23

Above all else, guard your heart,

for everything you do flows from it.

Matthew 5:16

In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

2013 and moving forward this is my motto.......

Message: 1988-2013

Trusting God Is Good for Your Health


by Rick Warren

“I said to myself, ‘Relax, because the LORD takes care of you.’” (Psalm 116:7 NCV)

God has given you the gift of your body, and it comes with an owner’s manual — the Bible. In it are all the instructions you need to take care of yourself and live a long life.

You already know the basics: proper nutrition, exercise, a good night’s rest. Today I want to look at the first of four health factors you may not have thought of for living long and well.

Trusting God is good for your health. “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding” (Proverbs 3:5 NIV). Why is trusting in God good for your health? Because when you trust him, you don’t worry.

Psalm 116:7 says, “I said to myself, ‘Relax, because the LORD is going to take care of you’” (NCV). If you really trust in God, you’re going to be less stressed.

The Bible says in Proverbs 14:30, “A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones” (NIV). It’s not just what you eat that matters, it’s what eats you. You can have all the right macrobiotics and organic food, but if your body is filled with resentment, worry, fear, lust, guilt, anger, bitterness, or any other emotional disease, it’s going to shorten your life.

You have a choice:

You can either worry or worship.

You can either pray or panic.

The more you pray, the less you’ll panic. Relax, because God will take care of you!    

Happy birthday to me!

Prescription for Good Health

God has given all of the principles for health management in his Word, the Bible

Our key verse today says, “Keep my commands in your heart, for they will prolong your life” (Proverbs 3:1 NIV). What are some of those commands? “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil. This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones. Honor the LORD with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing …” (Proverbs 3:5-10 NIV).

Great word right before my 25th birthday, plus the message that Jimmy Neutro sent this morning.

Living a godly life may make you different. You may find that your conduct pleases God but offends your friends, or vice versa. Jesus gave the analogy of "light" to show the important of conduct. God wants you to shine into the darkness not for your own publicity but to bring credit to God. A candle doesn't do any good under a bowl. So go forward today being a light to your world. It is written, "You are the light of the world...Let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father." Matthew 5:14, 16. 

Make it a Good Friday! God is so good!!