A Weary Soul In Search Of Rest...

I honestly don't understand why all the bad stuff happens to us in our lives, I really don't. But the Bible doesn't promise us that once we accept Jesus as our Savior and enter into a relationship with Him that it will be all rainbows, lollipops and roses. I wish! 

But God does promise, through His Word, that He will be with us when we face those trials, He will even carry our burdens if we ask for help. He will lift us up when we are down, provide comfort when we are weary and rejoice with us when we face the joys of this life.

I haven’t written for a while. To be honest, it’s been a bit of a rough year so far for me. Lots of life "stuff" has left me emotionally, physically...and even spiritually...exhausted! 

But so many wonderful friends, those I know personally, as well as those I know because you stumbled upon my tiny little corner of the internet, have sent lots of emails and messages asking me if I’m okay. And I just want you to know that I am. 

Right now I’m trying to be obedient. Part of that obedience includes a writing fast. I’m taking a break for at least six months….only four more to go! I'm not working on my book. No blogging. No women’s conference prep. Nothing. Nada. I have checked out. God told this "go go go" girl that it's time to rest!

“Come to me all who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28

Do you need some spiritual rest right now? Is your well dry? Have you been wandering in the desert searching for something you can’t seem to find? Maybe it’s time for you to rest too.

Rest. What an elusive four letter word!

How can we rest? Especially as women...we are wired as multitaskers!

For starters, let's stop running around like a chicken with our head cut off!

Give yourself a break.

Stop comparing yourself to other people. 

Better yet…stop comparing yourself to an ideal that exists only in your head. 

H E L L O… we all do it!

I don’t know where you are in life right now. Maybe you are facing a crisis in your marriage. Or dealing with a disobedient or sick child. Or heaven forbid, both! Maybe you are dealing with loss…the loss of a job, a loved one, a friend or financial security. Maybe it’s the loss of what could be…a child, a job, a relationship. Or maybe, life has handed you a huge bag full of lemons and it’s all you can do to just squeeze out a tiny ounce of lemonade right now. Maybe you are hanging on by a thread and you need a little rest.

“Come to me all who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28

Or maybe, like me, you are finally coming to terms with the fact that you can’t do life on your own….you must rely on God first and foremost, as well as the other wonderful people He has placed in your life.

Maybe, also like me, you just have a big case of the wearies. I've had a case of the crazies before, so the wearies should be a snap to get through! :)

My heart is weary. Contrary to what my blog might indicate, I am not happy all the time. Shocking, I know. Most people think I’m on a sugar high most of the time. But it’s really just a God high….I have been able to find joy amidst most of the hardships in life. But even the most joyful person can only take so much. At some point we all become weary and we just need to rest.

Will you join me?

Let's rest and drink from the well of our heavenly Father.

Devour His word. 

Remind ourselves of His promises.

Ask for prayer.

Lean on friends.

Trust in HIM.

Trust in HIM.

Trust in HIM.

My heart hurts so much sometimes, that it almost feels like I will burst into a gazillion pieces if I can’t just cry out all the pain locked deep inside my soul. So I've been pouring it all out to my Heavenly Father. And like Pringles, once you start, you just can't stop!

Okay, okay, maybe I’m being a tad dramatic. I am in broadcasting after all…

“Come to me all who are weary and burdened and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28

It’s time for this girl to listen and rest. Rest in God’s promises, drink in His word, and spend some quality time with some really awesome, inspiring people who love me just for who I am. 

Oh, hey…before I go…I am going to leave you with a song that I love. A song that reminds me of God's love during all the icky, annoying and bad stuff of life…cuz life is a bit sticky at times, isn’t it? I pray it will provide a little comfort for your weary soul. Rest my weary friend. Rest.

The Queen of Cranky Pants

People like me. At least I'm pretty sure they do. And I’m pretty sure they really like you too. The trouble is, we often forget that we are likable when we are having an off day, don’t we?

“I’m smart enough, I’m good enough and gosh darnit people like me.”

I needed to tell myself these words today. ALOT.

Ever have one of those days where you just want to smack the happy out of someone? You just hate yourself, no matter what it is you do. You aren’t good enough to get the laundry done, not patient enough to get a long task done, not awake enough to do your job properly, not happy enough to help someone brighten their day? In a nutshell, some days we believe we just suck, don’t we?

Well, that was me yesterday. In a BIG way. If they had been handing out an award for the Queen of Cranky Pants, I would have won it hands down. But today is a whole new day! The sun is shining, the birds are singing, a fresh layer of snow is on the ground (boo) and it’s the first day of Spring. *woo hoo* *happy dance*

I feel like today is a do over day. Don’t you just love do overs?

The good news is that we are all still a work in progress. God isn't done with us yet. Isn't that little bit of information just humbling and reassuring?!!! It's also good to remember that on even the crankiest of days,God loves us just as we are, cranky pants and all...but it's even better to know that He loves us WAY TOO MUCH to leave us in our cranky, sad, annoyed, enter your cranky day word here ways.

Yesterday my glass was half empty...today, despite the fact that it's still half empty, I see it as half full...no scratch that...overflowing with His grace, mercy, love, joy and redemption. Yesterday, if someone had pulled out Proverbs 15:13 "A glad heart makes a cheerful face," I probably would have smacked the cheerful right off of them. (Come on, you've been there, be honest!)

But today, I'd just give them a big ol' hug. And then follow that with a little Psalm 46:10 "Be still and know that I am God." Maybe I'd sprinkle in a little Matthew 6:24 for good measure: "Do not worry about tomorrow." And end with 1 Thessalonians 5:18 "Give thanks in all things." All things. Including the cranky days. 

Whew, praise the Lord for do overs and new days, right! 

And hey, by the way, if you feel you could win the Queen of Cranky Pants award today. No worries. Just remember tomorrow is another day – your do over day. Hang in there! :)

Click on the link and check it out!

Scripture Memory Challenge Week 2

Well, it’s another week…are you ready to learn another bible verse with me?

I must admit that my bible memorization last week got off to a seriously rocky start. Each day, I had the verse in front of me, but for some reason I just couldn’t commit it to memory. I didn’t have time, I got distracted, I was tired, I forgot where I put my post it, blah blah blah. Excuses, schmuses. I was so disappointed in myself, I could barely admit to the hubby this weekend that I still hadn’t committed it to memory after six days of “trying.”

Sweet understanding hubby told me to cut myself some slack, reminded me that we had a hugely insane week and that this week is a new beginning. He had a hard time his first week of scripture memorization too. I reminded him that one of my most favorite ladies on the planet had it memorized by Tuesday and how proud I was of her. She even posted it on Facebook! Ask her how she did it so quickly, he said… well then I’d have to admit that I’m struggling with it, was my reply…after all, it was my idea to memorize scripture in the first place, how’s that gonna look? You are only human, he replied. Well, human schmuman… I’m supposed to be superwoman, remember…was my response.

So, dear friends, if you memorized the verse from last week, I AM SO PROUD OF YOU!

But I must sadly admit - superwoman I am not. I just couldn’t get it done. It was a crazy week, in a really bad way. And that’s all the details I’ll share there. But if we’re being honest, I am not sure I even tried that hard. Don’t get me wrong, I thought about memorizing it. A LOT. But I never got beyond that. And ironically, I could really have leaned upon that very verse. Was Am I afraid of something? Will knowing more scripture make me more accountable to my family, friends and to God???? Oh boy, more accountability, just what we all need, right? Or am I just too lazy and need to fight against my sin nature? I dunno. Cuz truth be told, I can be pretty lazy! But either way, admitting you have an issue is the first step in resolving it, right?

So it’s time to wipe the slate clean. It’s a new week. A new opportunity to start fresh and either build upon the bible verse you may have memorized last week (seriously, snaps to you if you did it), or start building a foundation this week.

In case you struggled like me, here are some key tips to memorizing scripture, gleaned from my hubby’s own experience memorizing a new verse each week.

TIPS TO MEMORIZE SCRIPTURE

1. Write the verse down and keep it with you wherever you go – put it up on the coffee pot, mirror, refrigerator, computer, purse (or wallet)…wherever you will see it regularly.

2. Have a smart phone? Set a reminder for once a day, or several times a day, to be prompted to memorize it. Or better yet, put the verse right in your calendar as a daily “to do” that pops up.

3. When memorizing several sentences of scripture at a time, take it sentence by sentence and build upon your memory.

4. Tell people that you are memorizing scripture. Be accountable. Better yet, take that a step further and have an accountability partner - whether it’s your spouse, a friend, your small group or even your kids…make sure someone asks you throughout the week how it’s going. And ask for prayer if you are having difficulty.

5. Remember that it’s not a race or a requirement to memorize scripture. Do it with the right mindset and the proper heart and before you know it you’ll be on fire with memorizing!

SCRIPTURE MEMORY VERSE

So without further ado…here is the verse for this week…ready, set, memorize!

“For no matter how many promises God has made, they are ‘yes’ in Christ. And so through Him, the ‘Amen’ is spoken by us to the glory of God.” 2 Corinthians 1:20 (NIV)

No matter how busy this week gets, or what obstacle gets in my way, no matter how tired I am… I’m getting this verse memorized by the end of this week…all I have to do is think about all the songs I have memorized over the years…and well, there is really no excuse not to do this. But I really don’t want to do it alone. You with me? Let’s grow in God’s word together friends!

Chocolate Peanut Butter Rice Treats

I love chocolate. From time to time, I have the urge to google and see if they really have a group called Chocoholics Anonymous. But I’m fearful they might, so I figure ignorance is bliss. I live in a wonderful world called denial. And I bake.

I haven’t done as much baking since I was diagnosed with celiac disease last summer. And I miss it. Baking has always been such a great stress relief for me…until the yummies get out of the oven, that is. Then a whole new stress begins… the decision ‘to eat or not to eat?”

Call me crazy, but there is something downright therapeutic about beating a bunch of eggs to a runny mess, adding some ingredients and then viola…45 minutes later, you are rewarded with a big mouthful of something sugary and delicious…and let’s not forget chocolaty!

But I must seriously be a big ol’ freak, because while I love finding new recipes, I get so annoyed with the play by play pictures on blogs these days. Do you get annoyed with all the pics too? I mean, really, do we need to see each item being added to the mixing bowl? Plus extra pictures of the items in question being mixed, poured, baked and eaten? Talk about over share! I don’t know about you, but skip the gazillion pictures, tell me it’s yummy and give me the recipe.

So… without further adieu…a gluten free, yummy delight that even the most discerning gluten lover will enjoy!  Allergic to dairy, soy or nuts?  This will still work for you too, with some minor substitutions.

Chocolate Peanut Butter Rice Treats

Makes two 9x11 pans of chocolaty goodness! Great for a big social gathering.

Too much chocolate for you? Cut ingredients in half to make just one pan.

What You Need…

• 2 bags milk chocolate chips
• 1.5 cups creamy peanut butter (throw in some chunky for added texture)
• 12 cups rice cereal
• 3 cups mini marshmallows
• Powdered sugar for topping, approx 1/2 cup

Get Baking...

1. Melt chocolate chips in large pan on stove…stir regularly so they don’t’ burn.
2. Add 1.5 cups peanut butter, stir well.
3. Stir in 12 cups of cereal, add marshmallows, and continue stirring until everything is coated.
4. Scoop in pan and walk away before they all disappear! 
5. Sprinkle top of bars with powdered sugar to make extra pretty and tasty!
6. Let set for an hour or two. To quicken the setting process and give it a candy bar like texture, place in fridge and eat cold. They are really good cold and at room temp. We tried them both ways.
7. EAT and ENJOY!

Allergy Substitutions... 
Allergic to dairy or soy? Use dairy free, soy free chocolate chips
Allergic to nuts? Skip the peanut butter and use less rice cereal (8 cups)

Recipe inspired by “Cookies and Cups.”

Who's Ready To Memorize Scripture With Me?

How often do you memorize a new telephone number? Or the sale price of your favorite food products at the grocery store so you know when you’re getting a good deal? Or the jingle to your fave TV commercial? How about remembering all the lyrics to your favorite song on the radio station? Or the names of people you meet at a big event or play date?

If I had to guess, you probably spend time memorizing these types of “important” things in your life, right?

But here’s a question…how often do you spend time memorizing key verses of scripture that will remind you of God’s promises when life gets you (or a loved one) down?

I can tell you honestly my answer to the above question: never. But I know I should be.

Sometimes our priorities are a little off. I admit that I am guilty of that time and time again. And time again. And more time again. But lately I’ve been trying to reprioritize and put the most important thing (i.e. God) first. It’s not always easy to do. It’s downright inconvenient and highly uncomfortable from time to time. Who wants to cut things you really love to do (Facebook, TV, American Idol, music, Facebook, board meetings, charity work, parties, socials, Facebook, etc) out of your life to make time for things we really should be placing more towards the top of our list each day (bible reading, scripture memorization, praying, discipleship, teaching, mentoring, QUALITY TIME with family and friends, etc)?

My husband was really instrumental in my journey to start thinking about memorizing scripture. Notice I said thinking about, because I haven’t actually done it yet. ;) He was inspired by a wonderful sermon our pastor gave in church right before he retired. This really awesome pastor friend of ours talked about a man who memorized whole books of the bible while he was working a job that he didn’t find very intellectually challenging. Our pastor was inspired by his dedication. So was my hubby. So he came home that Sunday after church and said, “hey, I’m going to do that in 2013” and it's been neat to see God working in him and through him with this scripture memorization. And I've often thought, oh I should do that…but I just don’t have time. Plus my memory stinks about as much as my cooking, so there’s no way I’ll retain anything.

But enough excuses! I’m just being lazy and I can admit it. The radio station I work for recently began having us on air folk share a scripture verse weekly instead of daily…and I thought, hey, what a wonderful way to start memorizing scripture. If I have to keep repeating one verse all week on air, I’m bound to learn it by the end of the week, right? Not. Last week was the first week and I failed horribly. I got too busy to take time to remember it. I forget to write it down and refer to it often. So I thought, okay, I’m going to bring this challenge here to my blog and ask you to join me in my scripture memorization journey. We can keep each other accountable. Are you up for the task? I sure hope so, cuz I don't want to do this alone!

So this post kicks off a new weekly series where I will be sharing a verse each Monday and encouraging you to start memorizing it with me. I’ll share the background to each verse, so there is context, and I promise I will share some tips on the key ways to memorize scripture. These keys insights, of course, are gleaned from my husband’s own scripture memorization journey. But I won’t prolong this post any longer. This week I will just share the verse, next week I’ll begin overwhelming you with more details. So here we go.

Week 1 of our bible memorization journey….
1 John 4:16 – “And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him.”

Write it down, say it often and let’s see if we can commit it to memory by next Monday where we will start memorizing another verse. Are you with me on this journey? I sure hope so. I really don’t want to do it alone!

Beginning next week, I promise the picture to help you memorize will be much prettier and professionally designed!

The Recovering Procrastinator

You know, I thought about writing a blog post earlier today. But then I had the overwhelming desire to clean my bathroom (crazy, I know), check Facebook (not shocking) and start a bathroom renovation project (about a year overdue). And if that weren't enough, I even took the time to redesign my website for the 100^th time. Check it out and let me know what you think. All that stuff just to avoid writing a blog post…silly, right?

Hello, my name is Nicki and I’m a procrastinator. Admitting your problem is the first step to fixing it, right?

{If you care to learn a little radio trivia, it’s National Procrastination Week…a week for procrastinators everywhere to actually do something they've been putting off….um, blog post...}

I really should join Procrastinator’s Anonymous…but I’m guessing they haven’t gotten around to starting the group yet...focus girl, focus…

But writing blog posts is just the tip of the iceberg in my procrastination world. Until recently I also had a little issue reading my bible. I’d always think, “girl, you need to sit down and read your bible today,” but then most days I’d think about all the other stuff I had to do and there just wouldn't be enough time in the day to get there. Sound familiar? I’d even leave the bible on the table each morning, hoping that when I woke up, it’d be the first thing I saw, so I’d have to read it…but I was always running behind, or something else caught my attention. *look a squirrel!* Most days I’d even manage to haul my huge study bible with me everywhere I went, hoping I’d find some quality time to read it at the radio station or church…but all that did was give me a back problem from carrying such a heavy handbag. 

Sound familiar? Anyone? Anyone?

And let me just clarify: I study God’s word and I teach God’s word. But until recently, more often than not, too many things took priority to actually spending quality time each day reading God’s word. 

Sound familiar? Anyone? Anyone?

So it is with great enthusiasm that after many months of success, I can honestly say I am now a recovering bible procrastinator. (Sounds like a weird exotic disease!) 

I've also recently noticed, by the way, that all of my other ‘procrastination’ issues (cleaning, cooking, working out, etc) have become less and less a problem these days. Who knew there were some “worldly” benefits to reading your bible too? :)

Now if I could only find the time to cook a months’ worth of freezer meals for me and the hubby, I’d be set!  But we can’t solve all the world’s issues in one day…so I’ll save that for another blog post.

“For whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope." - Romans 15:4

Have you taken the time to read your bible yet today? If not, there's always tomorrow. Make a date with your bible and stick with it. You'll be happy you did!