We were planned for

Ephesians 2:10

¹⁰ For we are His creation, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time so that we should walk in them.

There is one thought that has really awed me about this verse.

God prepared ahead of time.

Other versions say:

God hath before ordained.  (KJV)

Prepared in advance.  (NIV)
God predestined.  (AMP)

If God prepared ahead of time something for us to do, good works...wouldn't that mean WE were planned?  He thought of us long, long ago.  He's had his plan in the works for thousands of years, we see that with Abraham, Issac, David, Ruth and all of those in the line of Christ.  We are part of that plan.  We were planned for.

That means we (you) are NOT a mistake.  God didn't say, "Oops, didn't know she was coming!".  No matter what someone tells you, your mom, your dad, a teacher, you are not a mistake, you have a destiny in Christ.  God, the Creator of the entire universe, wanted you here.  He wants a relationship with you.  

You matter to God. 

Restoration!

I was reading the entry for Jesus Calling this morning and looking up the verses at the bottom of the page.  One was 1 Corinthians 4:18, but instead, I "accidentally" ended up at 5:18

Everything is from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation:

Ok...well I wanted to read the verses around it.  

¹⁶ From now on, then, we do not know^[a]anyone in a purely human way.^[b] Even if we have known^[c] Christ in a purely human way,^[d] yet now we no longer know^[e] Him in this way. 
¹⁷ Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away, and look, new things^[f] have come. 
¹⁸ Everything is from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation:
¹⁹ That is, in Christ, God was reconciling the world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and He has committed the message of reconciliation to us. 
²⁰ Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, certain that God is appealing through us. We plead on Christ’s behalf, “Be reconciled to God.” 
²¹ He made the One who did not know sin to be sin^[g] for us, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

Verse 16:  From now on...  If you look at the verses before Paul talks about Christ dying for ALL.
So, from now on, since Christ died for all, we don't know anyone in purely a human way anymore.  Just like we no longer know Christ in a human way, but spiritual.  
My thoughts, we can't look at others in just the natural or human way, but spiritual, which is how Christ sees them.  Kinda hard with some people, I must admit!

Verse 17 is awesome!  We are new creations!  We are NEW!  The old is gone, hallelujah!!!

Verse 18:  Everything is from God, NIV says all this is from God.  I need to look into this more, but since verse 17 says new things have come and then says everything is from God, I believe Paul is reminding us the new things are from God.  
Now for the rest of the verse, God reconciled or restored us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation or restoration.

Restoration...What a word!!  
From the dictionary:

c : a restoring to an unimpaired or improved condition restoration of a painting>

Restoring to an improved condition!  We are a broken people and God is wanting to restore us!  To improve us!  How many times have you heard we must be broken to be used?  It's a hard, hard process, refining us like gold going through the fire.  Ugh.  When you're going through it, you just want it over and done with.  BUT!  When you can get to a point of looking back and saying, "Oh!  I see what you were doing, God!  Wow!"  What a blessing that is!  

Verse 19:  Again, Paul says how God is restoring the world, us, to Christ.  Hmm.. Repeated, must be important!  Then, he says that God did not count their (our) trespasses or sins against us.  That's good to know!  And repeats again, the ministry we have of reconciliation and restoration.  He has committed it to us. A definition in Strong's says established.  He established it with us.  That is our ministry...person through which something is accomplished.  We have to bring the message of reconciliation to others!  That's our job!
Not to judge, but to be a vessel God can use to restore!

Verse 20:  None of this can be done without this.  He made Christ the sacrifice for sin so we could be made right with God.  Restored with God.  This is how the restoration comes.  Through Christ, through His Sacrifice, we are restored to righteousness, ready for a relationship with Our Father.  Ready to be used, to minister, to be that vessel of restoration for others.

Restoration...That is what the Father seeks, to be restored with His children.  And to restore our broken places to be new creations in Christ.  

Isaiah 30:15

Isaiah 30:15
For the Lord God , the Holy One of Israel, has said:
"You will be delivered by returning and resting;
your strength will lie in quiet confidence.
But you are not willing."

Boy was this verse me not too long ago.

I knew that my life wouldn't come together without coming back to God, restoring the relationship I'd had with Him.  But I was not willing.  

Looking at the previous verses in this chapter, I was so like the Israelite people.  

I didn't want to listen to what anyone had to say about God, didn't want to read or even listen to music that was Christian.  

Then, I got turned around by helping someone else.  

Verse 18 says, "Therefore the LORD is waiting to show you mercy and is rising up to show you compassion, for the LORD is a just God.  All who wait patiently for Him are happy."

Well, duh.  LOL.

Psalm 16:11
You reveal the path of life to me;
in Your presence is abundant joy;
in Your right hand are eternal pleasures.

Pride can get in the way so easily.  Not wanting to admit that friends are right, your family is right or especially that God is right.  I'm going to go my own way.  

Thank you, Father, that you waited patiently for me to turn around!

Thank you that even time away from You is never wasted, but used for Your glory.

#blessed

I am doing an online Bible Study through Facebook.
http://melissataylor.org/

We are using the book Stressed-Less Living by Tracie Miles
http://www.traciemiles.blogspot.com/

The subject for today is blessed.  Counting your blessings.  If you're counting your blessings, then who has time to be stressed, right?  haha!!!!

So today, I just prayed a prayer of thankfulness to God for all that's in my life and all He's done.

Thankful for my husband - Sticking with me, being patient, loving me.
Thankful for my children - Giving me such joy and teaching me to love more fully than I knew possible.
Thankful for my job - I'm able to work from home now and have Emma with me.  What a blessing that has been.  I don't want to miss anything!
Thankful for friends - I have just a few that stuck by me and loved me through my mess.

Thankful especially for God.  Oh my.
His mercy
His grace
His patience
His everlasting love
His pursuit of me

When I think of where I've been the past 2 years.
Such turmoil, such pain and grief.
And to now, feel blessed beyond measure.
Happy, content.

Oh God is so good!  He never left me.  Never forsake me.  Never gave up on me.

It's April!

What a great month so far!

Celebrated Easter, Christ's birth and resurrection.
New season, a time for new beginnings.
Things are really good on the home front. Best they've been in a while. Definitely a prayer answered!

Tomorrow, I begin working at home with Emma. Oh boy... That's going to be a challenge for sure. I pray I can get my work done, make enough money and especially spend some good time with my baby girl. Not to mention being able to be there more for the boys. Such an important time for them both. It's a blessing that I can do this.

Don't panic. I'm with you. There's no need to fear for I'm your God. I'll give you strength. I'll help you. I'll hold you steady, keep a firm grip on you. (Isaiah 41:8-10 MSG)

Claiming this as I start this new adventure with my family. Hoping that I can be able to minister also. I know God has a plan there. Just waiting to see what it is.

Lessons on spring break

Spring break started off fine, but poor Emma brought home a stomach virus. So, I've been home with her and Jon. Troy is home today. :-(

So, yesterday something happened that I'd like to share.

Emma has a tendency to walk without looking where she is going. Lol. She falls, cries and then gets back up again. Yesterday, that happened as I was laying on the couch. I put my arms out to her, but she wouldn't come. So, Jon picked her up and brought her to me. I snuggled her a bit and she got over it and got back down. Then, not one minute later, same thing happens! This time, I held my arms out and she came to me.

Isn't that how we are with God? We fall down, get hurt and instead of going to our Father, we stay right where we are. A lot of times wallowing in our pain, refusing his love and comfort. Sometimes, we stay there way too long!
I was fortunate to have someone that helped pick me up and bring me back to God. The cool thing is we walked back to God together. My sweet friend, Sara, in her pain and hurt brought me back to Christ.
I've had plenty of friends and family praying, I'm very blessed. But it took someone I met on Facebook that God told me to buy a book for.

Don't stay down. Don't resist God. I wasted so much time not accepting His love and forgiveness. It is freely given! No strings attached. Nothing you have to do but accept it.

Today's reading.

I LOVE You fervently and devotedly, O Lord, my Strength.

The Lord is my Rock, my Fortress, and my Deliverer; my God, my keen and firm Strength in Whom I will trust and take refuge, my Shield, and the Horn of my salvation, my High Tower.

(Psalm 18:1, 2 AMP)

How do you start your day?

I'm so guilty of starting my day with Facebook. What did I miss? Who's doing what? What drama has unfolded while I was sleeping?

Does it really matter??
No.

I've found myself having some rough mornings. Trying to get myself ready with a 14 month old running around is quite a challenge! I get angry. I get frustrated. The littlest things can set me off.

Well, duh.

So this week, I'm going to make the effort to check my Bible first. It's too easy. Pick up my phone, open my Bible app and there ya go. I've started a devotional on that same app. How handy is that?

Not too say that from now on I will have the perfect mornings, but my reactions , I hope will be better.

Today's reading was from 1 Corinthians 1 where Paul teaches how God uses the people others think are foolish.
To expand on this, God uses people who are flawed and broken. You may think I've done this or that, I haven't gotten a good education, I have too much wrong with me for God to use me. We are exactly who God wants to use. He chooses us because of those flaws and shortcomings because then we can't say we did it in our own power. It was all God! He gets the glory as He should. Not us.
And I don't know about you, but I'm ok with that. He's God, He can handle the praise and glory. I can't. It would be too much for me to live up to.

God, use me.
In my weakness, use me.
In my brokenness, use me.
With all my flaws, use me.
I want to be used by You.
I want You to get the glory.
You deserve it!
You are mighty, God!
You are awesome, God!

Don't conform, transform

Romans 12:2 

Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.

I feel like all my life I've tried to conform, tried to be what whoever needed me to be at that time.  I've put so much pressure on myself that I've driven myself nuts.
When you see the first part of that verse, the first thing that comes to mind is "Don't conform to the world".  That's what the NIV says and the KJV.  That's what I've been taught.  Don't conform to the world.  Don't drink, don't smoke, don't dance and don't hang out with those who do.  Stay in our box.  Do what we do.


But what if it means, more than just the "world", but means anyone or anything?  What if it means so-called, "Christians"?  Should I do what they do?  Should I just listen to what they say?  No.  They fail.  They sin.  Sure, we should try to live our lives right and be an example, but they are not the plumb line.  They are not the standard.  They are not NOT who we should be looking too.

It's Christ.  It's the Son of God.  It's the only perfect, sinless, blameless human being that's ever walked this earth.  

I have got to stop thinking I have to measure up to whoever and just focus on God.  
THEN, I will be able to see what His will is for me.  For Nickie.  Not for Pastor Joe or Sister Susie, but Nickie.  God has a plan for ME.  It may not be the same path others have taken.  

Did Christ walk the same path as the religious of his age?  Nope!  He allowed His Father to make a way and he followed it.  Jesus was focused on His Father.  No one else.

Micah 6:8 

Mankind, He has told you what is good and what it is the LORD requires of you:to act justly,to love faithfulness,and to walk humbly with your God.

Matthew 22 

34 When the Pharisees heard that He had silenced the Sadducees, they came together. 35 And one of them, an expert in the law, asked a question to test Him: 36 “Teacher, which command in the law is the greatest?”37 He said to him, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.  38 This is the greatest and most important command. 39 The second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself.  40 All the Law and the Prophets depend on these two commands.”

It all comes down to Love God, walk with Him and love others.  

A New Thing...

Isaiah 43:18-19  


“Forget the former things;   
  do not dwell on the past.

See, I am doing a new thing! 
Now it springs up; 
do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the wilderness    
and streams in the wasteland.

This is a Scripture that God gave me back in 2007 when our church split.  It was such a hard time.  My church family meant a lot to me and to see us split like that was heartbreaking.  We made it through that.  God did bring some new things in my life.  There was Seminary and I was working almost full time.

Then I fell.

It's been almost 2 years that we've been going through this.  Trying to recover from the fall.  Problem is we, Troy and I, have been expecting things to go back to what they were.  It's not going to happen.  The past is gone.  God is doing a new thing.  Things are changing, I have changed.  

Biggest change, of course, is the new life in our family.  Little Emma, big impact!  Such a joy!  Her brothers love her, her daddy loves her and I just adore her.  She may  not have been planned by us, but she was God given.  She has brought a lot of healing to our family.

Time to figure out who Nickie is now.  Wife, mother, daughter, Christian...check check check check...

What's my purpose now?  What's God's plan now that I'm on another path?  Would love to get back in to school.  Ministry?  I don't know...

Ok, God.  Let's see what happens.