Nikol – Page 14

Yes?

May 27, 2014 // by Nikol// 1 Comment

God reminded me this week of the power of my words – not only to others – but to Christ.

Recently, I asked someone to do something. They agreed, but when the time came for them to close the deal, their response was, “Oh. I thought you were kidding.”

How many times have I done the same to God? I’ve told Him I would…

follow Him anywhere;
do anything He wants me to do;
pay any price.

Then, He asks me to…

do something uncomfortable,
or scary,
or outwardly foolish,
or embarrassing.

My palms sweat, and my heart pounds. I hope He is kidding, but it turns out, I’m the one kidding myself.

Lord, help me to heed whatever Your call. Help me obey with abandon. Change my heart into one that delights in service to You whatever the cost. Help to remember our covenant is real and binding with eternal consequences both for myself and others. Let my “yes” really be yes.

Shadowland

May 19, 2014 // by Nikol// Leave a Comment

This year, God has been fairly quiet. I’ve felt few promptings and whispers to my heart. At times, I’ve wondered…

…if God has left me,
…if I did something wrong,
…or if I’ve not done something that perhaps I should.

Then, I read in Revelation these words about the throne room of God:

The one sitting on the throne was as brilliant as gemstones – like jasper and carnelian. And the glow of an emerald circled his throne like a rainbow….from the throne came flashes of lightning and the rumble of thunder…In front of the throne was a shiny sea of glass, sparkling like crystal. (Rev. 4:3, 5, 6)

Look at the descriptions:

brilliant as gemstones…
like a rainbow…
flashes of lightning…
rumbles of thunder…
sparkling like crystal.

Y’all! I’ve been so caught up in hearing from God that I missed actually seeing Him.

Suddenly, the twinkle of a diamond on someone’s hand is a tiny peek at the glory of God. The beauty of a rainbow is now a glimpse of what encircles His head. The shimmer of a crystal vase in the sunlight is a trace of what rests beneath His feet. The fear and awe thunder brings is a whisper of His actual voice.

Are you looking for God? Do you see Him in what is around you?

We live in a land of shadows. Everything He created is a glimpse of Him.

For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse (Rom. 1:19-20).

Seven Words

May 12, 2014 // by Nikol// Leave a Comment

Seven words are following me.

Back in January, they popped up as David’s prayer in Psalms and became mine as well.

They snuck up on me again during Holy Week only this time they were the last words of Christ.

I entrust my spirit into your hands.” (Psalm 31:5; Luke 23:46)

Heavy words.

Spoken first by the one with a heart like His.
Spoken again by the One who had His heart.

When the disciples heard Jesus utter those words, they were probably on the verge of panic. Their hopes and dreams were wrapped up in Jesus. How could they process that promise now hanging on a cross about to die the shameful death of a criminal?

They believed in Him.
They hoped in Him.
They followed Him.
He was their life.

As they stared at what appeared to be the death of their promise what went through their minds?

Panic?
Doubt?
Fear?
Disbelief?
Anger?

He told them before what would happen. They didn’t understand.

Maybe you have a promise hanging on a tree. It is a promise seemingly unfulfilled. And like the disciples, you don’t understand.

You believe in Him.
You hope in Him.
You follow Him.
He is your life.

But how will you process it?

Will you be as brave as David in the midst of his distress?
Will you be as faithful as Jesus in His dying?
Are you able to say despite what comes: “Father, I entrust my spirit into your hands?”

Wandering Wednesday

April 30, 2014 // by Nikol// Leave a Comment

So…it appears I just took an unplanned writing break for the past 3 months. Wow! Where did the time go? I’m hoping to get back in the swing of things, even if I just reach out for a one-liner or some wanderings.

Things have been kind of slow in the writing department because my life is pretty uninteresting right now. Yet, somehow, it is uninteresting and busy. How does that even happen? There is a lot to do every day but to what end? I’m calling it my Wandering Phase because it feels like I’m in between destinations. For example:

My accountability group took a break for about 6 months. We’re down by one, but we’re trying to get our feet back under us. It’s not the same.
I’ve been visiting churches for the past 3 months. I’m trying not to be bitter about the process, but I hate starting over. It’s hard.
My department at work moved under a new division head after 7+ years. Learning new roles and figuring out how old ones fit is always an interesting process. It’s uncomfortable.
Everyone seems to be up in this single gal’s business and I’m not sure why. Some people mean well, and some people are just plain mean. It’s disappointing.
Prayers seem to bounce off the ceiling and God is pretty quiet these day making me feel even more disconnected and uncertain. It’s frustrating.

But there have been good wanderings too…

Remember this little guy? (His name is Deacon, by the way.)

Well, now he is this not-so-little guy.

Is it wrong to confess that I didn’t like him for the first three weeks? Probably. But we’ve worked some things out and now that he doesn’t whine constantly and isn’t peeing in my house every 10 minutes (literally), I’m in love with him. He’s a sweetie.

I can’t give Deacs a shout-out without giving Ellie one as well. She’s a trooper. Look at these faces, y’all! Would you get anything done with this much cuteness around?

During Puppy Chaos 2014, I taught Zechariah. I had no idea what I was getting myself into by picking the study, but it was worth the time & effort.

I’m toying with the idea of doing another triathlon. It’s crazy. Some of you may know that I’m a recovering triathlete. For those of you who didn’t, don’t get too impressed. My motto is: “I don’t compete. I complete.” Big diff.

I’m doing some creative work…like making this trophy for a weight-loss competition at work.

I know. I know. It’s a masterpiece. Stop it!

And to inspire all my awesome creative endeavors, I stayed out late on a school night to see Dave Barnes in concert. I scored some pretty awesome seats, and it was a pretty awesome night where my face hurt from laughing so hard.

I’ve also been spending a lot of time in nature. I love the extra sunshine daylight savings time brings. There is nothing better for the soul than to take in this after being cooped up in a grey cubicle all day. Don’t you think? It’s refreshing.

Oooooooo! Let’s not forget Holy Week. I took it to the next level this year by taking a full week of stay-cation. It was glorious – as Holy Week should be.

Now you know some of my wanderings. What’s been going on in your neck of the woods?

2013: A Year of Adventure

January 30, 2014 // by Nikol// Leave a Comment

Seeing that it is the last day of January you might think a 2013 recap post is long over due and you would be right! Things were a tad bit crazy during December, and then things went really bonkers when this little thing came home with me in January. Lord, have mercy!

It must be said, 2013 was a fantastic year jam packed full of adventure! I traveled near and ~~far~~ sorta near. I went to a couple of conferences, taught Bible Study to a group of phenomenal ladies, tried some new things, and made some improvements. It was a year of growth which is what I should expect after the pruning that was 2012. Yesh! Here are some highlights:

Biggest Blessing:
Celebrating my birthday with friends in Charleston, SC at this fantastic loft!

Best New Year’s Resolution:
Taking the time once each week to send a note to encourage or thank someone via snail mail.

Scariest Moment:
Learning that Ellie has Exercise Induced Collapse in front of a preschool neighbor. Utter terror.

Funniest Moment:
I was heading to Decatur for a surprise 18th birthday party for this beauty.

Prior to leaving I uttered to her mom the most prophetic words that will likely ever come out of my mouth: “What if she sees me while I’m driving down the interstate?” Forty-five minutes later she calls my cell phone & wants to know why I’m on I-65 and where I am going because she was behind me!!! I should’ve won an Academy Award for the acting that ensued in the next 3 minutes.

Weirdest Month:
December

Biggest Obsession:
The word “harvest.”

Do not ask me why.

I just saw it everywhere.

Favorite Read:
Trusting God by Jerry Bridges

Favorite TV Show:
Scandal.

Well written.
Well acted.
And not a single episode that hasn’t left me speechless.

Favorite Bible Study (to redeem the previous category):
David by Beth Moore

Best Vacation:
A glorious combination of Savannah, GA and The Masters.

Favorite New Experience:
Segways!!! If you can swallow your pride long enough to get over the geek factor, they are FUN and hands down the best way to tour a new city.

Best Spontaneous Decision:
Emailing a friend I hadn’t seen in 7 years and driving to Lexington two days later to see her and meet her husband and fabulous kids. Aren’t they the cutest family ever?

Biggest Loss:
35 pounds and over 60 inches of me 🙂

Biggest Accomplishment:
A stray dog we loving referred to as Ruby took up residence at our office building. She was incredibly skittish. It took us 6 months and countless weekends to catch her but we finally did!!

Best Conference:
Hutchmoot

Biggest Disappointment:
Having to cancel a trip to visit a dear friend in San Antonio.

Biggest Surprise:
Watching Auburn win the Georgia and Alabama football games in the most stunning moments in college football history. There simply are no words.

Most Memorable Moment(s):
For an entire week the company I work for celebrates their employees. I work with some pretty awesome people and we had some great competitions & great laughs but I will never forget singing at a “concert” during a pizza lunch. I was scared to death!

Most Embarrassing Moment:

I was teaching a class on “Breaking Free from Fear” and had to take a break because I was suffering from anxiety attacks. True story.

Favorite Gift:
Building this masterpiece with Robyn for her nephew’s birthday. The piece is officially known as CarterTown and is worth $1,000,000.

And there you have it! 2013 will likely go down as one of the best years in this blessed gal’s life!

(Re)Thinking Christmas: Silence

December 25, 2013 // by Nikol// 2 Comments

Houses throughout the country right now are filled with the sounds of children pattering down stairs and giggling with delight as they stare at the toys a fat man with some reindeer and a sleigh magically left for them last night. There are sounds of wrapping paper being ripped, of ohs and ahs, of thank yous, and of cheer.

But my house…well…my house is quiet.

There seems to be something inherently wrong about a quiet house on Christmas morning.

The rooms are not filled with people.
The kitchen is not busy with food preparations.
The sounds of the clacking of silverware on plates is nowhere to be heard.

It is simply quiet.

In Christmases past, the quiet house would go unnoticed because of the clatter in my head. While my house was quiet, my heart was not, yet it felt more empty than the rooms. The silence made my soul ache for life-long dreams unfulfilled.

A quiet house is not how I imagined my 39th Christmas on this earth.

There should be a husband.
There should be children.
There should be toys and presents piled high.
My living room should be cluttered with chunks of wrapping paper right now.

No. This is not how I envisioned my 39th Christmas because for the first time I am grateful for the quiet.

You see…I have what few people have this morning:

…time to think about its uniqueness,
…space to cherish its significance,
…a moment to ponder the holiness of this day.

I am reminded of:

…a faithful God;
…and a promise kept.

I am grateful to sit – not in a living room littered with clutter and clatter – but in the throne room of my King.

One day – God willing – my house will not be silent on this blessed day, but for now I will relish its stillness.

No. It is not how I imagined my 39th Christmas on this earth.

It is better.

Oh come, let us adore Him.