Birthday Surprise. It's Nicole! part 1

Hey Friends. I am so excited for you. Fun, enthusiastic, and sweet are just a few words to describe my friend Nicki. However, it's her contagious love for Jesus that draws others to her. I pray you may be blessed by today's post. Here is part one of a two part series Nicki has titled: Hope Story. 

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[photo credit]

A Hope Story

Despite the fact that so much appears to be so very wrong with this world, all is very right with God's plan for it. Where I see a world full of hatred, selfishness and tragedy, He sees people in desperate need of His love. Where I see families that have been torn apart by wrong decisions, He sees His sons and daughters in desperate need of His grace. Where I see a needy village in the eastern side of Uganda helpless, desperate and both physically and spiritually hungry, He sees a people that are in need of the hope that can only be found in Him. 

I'll be completely transparent with you. Sometimes it’s quite difficult for me to grasp the concept of people not eating a single meal for the day before they lay their head down at night. (I'm grumpy if I even miss having my lunch.) Or, how some kids go to sleep next to goats and chickens because they've been ostracized by their own families due to some treatable illness they may have. The fact of the matter is, this is real and everyday life for so many around the world. These lives that precious in God's eyes, just as much as you are to Him. 

One evening in a time of prayer, I was really struggling with God. As always, He wins, but I love that He even allows me to talk to Him the way that I do sometimes. This evening in particular, I was having the classic case of the "but whys". But why this God and but why that was all that was spewing from my mouth and draining from my heart that night. It wasn't until I finally shut my mouth and left Him room to speak to me that He gracefully just answered me, and with a still quiet voice in my head, I heard, "You tell me why, Nicki. I'm asking you the same questions." 

I literally sat for a couple moments as I so graciously had just received a spiritual slap in the face. You see, just the week before I had returned from a missions trip to eastern Uganda where I witnessed so many of the real and everyday life stories of tragedy, abandonment, hunger... and the list goes on and on. I was battling so much with why these things are going on and how so many were just in desperate need of HOPE. They need a hope in knowing that God has not left them orphaned and widowed, but that they can trust in Him, who will protect them. The same hope in knowing that the God who created the universe, who flung the stars into the night and who knows them each by name, has a purpose and plan for their lives and will provide for their every need as they put their faith and trust in Him. 

So the question begged to be answered, "Why Nicki?" With so many problems in this world and the amount of solutions there are, why are these things still going on and what am I doing about it? 

I was reminded of the passage where God set a beautiful example of not blaming the victim or even the circumstance, but instead He shows that we are called to take action to help those in need of His hope, love, and healing, ultimately for His name to be glorified.

John 9:1-3 "As he walked along, he saw a man blind from birth. His disciples asked him, "Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?" Jesus answered, "Neither this man nor his parents sinned; he was born blind so that God's works might be revealed in him."

click here for part 2. I promise you, this story of hope will get a whole lot better!!!

picture taken by Nicki , Uganda 2012

photo taken by Nicki, Uganda 2012

photo taken by Nicki, Uganda 2012

photo taken by Nicki, Uganda 2012

photo taken by Nicki, Uganda 2012

Photo taken by Nicki, Uganda 2012

I'm Still Single

Being single can be likened to a restaurant visit. You are hungry, and when you arrive, there is a waiting list. You wait out your turn; the host/hostess takes you to your table. They lead you to believe that your waiter/waitress will be right with you. Not fully understanding just how hungry you are; they leave you alone, with a menu of deliciousness, to wait even longer. The waiter/waitress finally arrives and asks you what you would like to drink. That's when you say, "I'm ready to order." They give you that look of, "Buddy, hold your horses! One thing at a time." Despite their efforts to only serve you a beverage, you place your order. What a surprise! You have to wait and wait some more. By now your hunger pain is more like an 8.0 earthquake in your belly. Your mouth waters at the thought of food. You look unto every plate that passes you and think to yourself, "Could that be my food?" Due to your level of hunger and impatience, you somehow start to believe that yes, every plate coming out of the kitchen is yours. What a let down when they pass you by. You look around and realize that everyone else has their food. Where is your food? Will it ever come? That all changes at the sighting of your favorite person (your waiter/waitress) coming out of the kitchen, walking straight to you, plate in hand [insert slow motion, dimmed lights and Barry White singing 'You Sexy Thing']. Oh Yeah, we do believe in miracles! Your food has arrived... I'll leave you two alone. 

Singleness is not the present day plague or famine; you will survive this! The cliche thing to say would be, "Enjoy your singleness." Who hasn't heard that one?! To this I say, how can anyone enjoy hunger? How can a place of loneliness and emptiness be of any good? My friends, I believe the game-changer for us is found in a new perspective. 

I once heard a story that goes a little like this: There were two young brothers. One was a pessimist while the other was a bubbly optimist. The boys' Father decided that it was his job to teach each boy a lesson: to the pessimist that life has glory moments and to the optimist that life is not always perfect. The next day when the boys arrived home from school, they found presents in each of their rooms. The pessimistic brother found a new TV in his room along with a brand new Xbox 360 with the latest games. The Dad was thrilled and eagerly awaiting a reaction from his son. To the Father's surprise, his pessimistic son looked down and moped around the room. He said to him, "Son, look at the new things I bought you. Isn't life great?" The son replied, "It's nice, but all these models will soon be old models and the games will not be the latest." The Father was a bit disappointed. He then goes to the room of the optimistic son. He had placed a rather large box in the middle of his room, about 5 feet tall and filled almost to the top with manure. To his surprise, he found his son in the box scooping the manure. He asked, "What are you doing?" The son replied, "With all this manure, there must be a pony in this box." (Thank you Therese Gomez for this story)

It is all about perspective. Rather than accepting your singleness as a plague, famine, disease, curse, or what not, accept it for what it is: a gift from God. Yes, it is a gift. Every season given to us is a gift from God. Singleness is a gift. Marriage is a gift. Widowhood is a gift. And what does the Bible say about gifts? James 1:17 puts it best, "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning." Our singleness is both good and perfect. Our singleness comes from the Father. And in our good and perfect Father there is no deceitfulness. Romans 12:2 reminds us that God's will is good, acceptable, and perfect. If, like myself, you find yourself single, you can stand on the truth that God's will is good, it is acceptable, and it is perfect. I pray you understand this. Singleness is acceptable. 

My challenge to you is this: pray for a new perspective. As you accept this good and perfect gift, search God's word for scriptures that will feed your hungry-single heart. Yes, I am still comparing singleness to hunger. Matthew 15:32 paints a picture of how Jesus cares for us in the single community along with oh, you know, the entire world, "Now Jesus called His disciples to Himself and said, “I have compassion on the multitude, because they have now continued with Me three days and have nothing to eat. And I do not want to send them away hungry, lest they faint on the way." I hope you get that. He 1) Has compassion for you 2) He has taken notice of your walk 3) He will feed you. May this be of encouragement to you as you wait. Accept God's gift joyfully for God cares for you, He has taken notice of what you lack and He will respond. Take courage. 

Off to get my breakfast on, 

The Single Lily 

scriptures to feed on: Psalm 27:13-14, Psalm 34:8, Psalm 107:9, Psalm 103:1-5, Psalm 119:9, Psalm 119:103, Psalm 138:3, Psalm 147:14, 

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sentence tuesday

When I give a piece of bread to a little hungry child,I believe what Jesus said "You did it to me". 

-Mother Theresa

hungry?

Hi dear friends. 

It's taken me a few days to put into words the message God has placed in my heart to share with you. I am confident that if you are reading this, it is not by accident or chance but because it is the will of God. Be blessed. 

Have you ever been so hungry that your stomach cannot keep silent? 

Have you been so hungry that you cannot think straight?

Have you been so hungry that you eat the first thing you can, only to regret it later?

Hunger defined: 1. a compelling need or desire for food. 2. the painful sensation or state of weakness caused by the need of food. 3. a shortage of food; famine. It may very well be that you are not experiencing physical hunger yet experiencing all of the symptoms above. 

Do you have a compelling need?

Do you have an unmet desire in your life?

Are you encountering a painful sensation?

Are you found in a state of weakness?

Is their a shortage for a basic need in your life?

Are you going through a dry season, a famine and/or barely surviving?

If you answered yes to 1 or all of the above, you are hungry! 

And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst. john 6:35

Just like physical hunger, our spirit groans to be filled. That is why we search for fulfillment in so many outlets: friends, food, shopping, relationships, career, success, hobbies, etc... you name it! We all seek to be filled. Much like physical hunger, our spirit is restless and cannot think straight. Our minds are so focused on our current state that we miss out on life. We are a self consumed generation, "it is all about me... what about me... poor me!" And sad to say, we can be so spiritually empty that we intake anything and everything but Jesus to be filled, only to regret it later because it never truly satisfied. 

So get rid of all evil behavior. Be done with all deceit, hypocrisy, jealousy, and all unkind speech. As newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby, now that you have had a taste of the Lord’s kindness. 1 Peter 2:1-3 

So often, we are so hungry that we will eat just about anything. So it is with the spiritual hunger, we are so desperate that we turn to the first thing the world offers. The Word of God so clearly reminds us that in our flesh nothing good dwells, so I encourage you today: forsake the garbage this world offers and turn to Jesus. Many times, we seek the council of a friend or we rather go read what another Christian has to say, and to this I say, the Word of God cannot be substituted. As a baby desires milk, desire and seek to be filled with the Word of God. Then and only than will you be fully satisfied and quenched. "We cannot satisfy a physical hunger with a physical solution." -Pedro Garcia

Only Jesus can satisfy your hungry heart. So whether you are hungry for love, hungry for affection, hungry for romance- Jesus is the only source of fulfillment. If your hunger is for knowledge, wisdom or for purpose- only Jesus can fill you with these. Maybe your hungry for life, your hungry because life has not been easy and now you are empty- go to Jesus and you will never hunger again. Whatever your hunger may be, Jesus can and will feed you. 

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I leave you with these amazing promises in God's Word: 

How sweet are Your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth! Psalm 119:103

Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is the woman who trusts in Him! Psalm 34:6 

For it was I, the Lord your God, who rescued you. Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it with good things. Psalm 81:10

By the power of your hand, O Lord, destroy those who look to this world for their reward. But satisfy the hunger of your treasured ones.  Psalm 17:14

When you open your hand, You satisfy the hunger and thirst of every living thing. Psalm 145:16

They will neither hunger nor thirst. Isaiah 49:10

The young lions lack and suffer hunger; But those who seek the LORD shall not lack any good thing. Psalm 34:10 

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled. Matthew 5:6

Blessed are you who hunger now, For you shall be filled. Luke 6:21

Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His temple. And He who sits on the throne will dwell among them.They shall neither hunger anymore nor thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them, nor any heat; for the Lamb (Jesus) who is in the midst of the throne will shepherd them and lead them to living fountains of waters. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.” Revelation 7:15-17

The Joy of Giving

All the peoples will be gathered in his presence, and he will separate the people as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will place the sheep at his right hand and the goats at his left.

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“Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world. For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.’

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“Then these righteous ones will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?’

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“And the King will say, ‘I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!’

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me.’

“Then the King will turn to those on the left and say, ‘Away with you, you cursed ones, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his demons. For I was hungry, and you didn’t feed me. I was thirsty, and you didn’t give me a drink. I was a stranger, and you didn’t invite me into your home. I was naked, and you did

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n’t give me clothing. I was sick and in prison, and you didn’t visit 

“Then they will reply, ‘Lord, when did we ever see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and not help you?’

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“And he will answer, ‘I tell you the truth, when you refused to help the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were refusing to help me.’

“And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous will go into eternal life.”

-Matthew 25:32-46