Love... COVER UP!

So for the past few days I have walked all over campus and been MORTIFIED at the way some women chose to "express themselves" and dress.Women in the world feel like they need to use their bodies to "catch a man" so they dress the way they do.  It makes me really sad and my heart breaks for them. BUT I need to call out my sisters in Christ ( no judgement.. just accountability). I have seen my sisters dressing the same as some of the women we see " In the world." I REALLY feel it on my heart to touch on this ISSUE because I want us to do BETTER!

Ladies,

The way we dress and carry ourselves is CRUCIAL to our walk with God.. and can even affect our  brother's in Christ as well. 1st Corinthians 8:13 says

"Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble."

Now this verse applies to more than just food. The last thing we want to do is cause our brother's to stumble. If my brother deals with lust and I wear a short skirt and a tube top that shows EVERYTHING God gave me, I am causing him to stumble. He is then going to lust after my flesh which will be incising to him which can lead him to do things in his walk that are ungodly and not holy and unpleasing to God. ALL BAD! We want to help keep their eyes focused on the cross and on God at all times.

I can hear it now "Well if they don't like it.. they don't have to look!"

YEAH RIGHT!

Part of the reason you dress the way you do is for attention! ACTUALLY probably more than 80% of the reason you dress the way you do is for attention! Men will be men.. ! Don't show them a steak and expect their mouth not to water! That is foolish thinking and you are playing yourself if you think it is the guy's fault for noticing the seductive way you are dressing!

DON'T FOOL YOURSELF!

Do not think that you can get a TRUE man of God to take interest in more than just your body if you dress the way that you do!
1.) A man of God wants a woman who honors her body by giving it to Christ and keeping herself covered up for her future husband!
2.) How can he take you seriously if you won't take yourself seriously??? If you look like a girl who is willing to "go" then a Godly man will do his very best to RUN from you and FLEE... most likely you will portray the " look" of a Proverbs 7 woman (read that)  and He will move SWIFTLY!
3.) Have some self-respect! Why show the world everything you have??!?? you will just continue to be used, abused , and hurt !
4.) DO NOT plant an apple tree and expect to see peaches grow! You get what you put out! So if you are offering up meat.. you will get nothing but DOGS! So when you don't see the good ones taking interest... don't be shocked!

Now I am not saying you have to wear a turtle neck and  sweat pants!!!!! You can be fashionable and still be modest in your dress! The bible says a woman of virtue clothes herself well! We are suppose to be the bomb.com LADIES! We can do that though, with out looking like the bomb went off and took half of our clothes with it!

" She is Clothed in Royalty... She clothes herself well, she reflects her worth through what she wears." - 31status.com 

Proverbs 31:22 says :

"She makes coverings for her bed; she is clothed in fine linen and purple." 

Purple is the clolor of royalty! YOU ARE ROYALTY! start acting like it! you better know who Christ says you are! You are fearfully and wonderfully made! That means all the extra stuff you are doing to get attention from guys is just that, EXTRA STUFF! God said you are AMAZING .. made in His IMAGE! You look JUST LIKE JESUS! ACT LIKE IT! 

My heart cries for women who do not know their value! It makes me sick and sad and I am not even kidding! God thinks you are PRECIOUS and GORGEOUS fully clothed with your heart abandoned worshipping Him.. and the RIGHT man of God will think the same!
You do not have to put out an image that you aren't in order to get attention! CHRIST is willing to give you His undivided attention and all you have to do is accept it!

COVER UP!

True beauty emanates from a woman who serves Christ with her LIFE.. it comes from the inside! But to test true outer beauty is to be the most beautiful woman, fully clothed, with a heart like Christ!




You ALL are crazy loved by God! 



Love you, 

Nicole L. 

Love...What God is doing

So I am FINALLY getting just a little bit of time in between classes to write a blog that has been on my heart these past few weeks! I have been such a busy girl with school, work, family and friends, but God doesn't feel like it is too much to do a conference so I trust Him.


God has entrusted me with a ministry and instilled in me this NEW passion for WOMEN.. It is NUTS to me! If you know much about my story or my testimony, then you know women have not always been my favorite human beings to communicate with.


For as long as I can remember I was the girl who was always way more comfortable with guys. Not that I was dating every guy ( Not the case AT ALL) I just had tons of male friends. Women always struck me as catty and insecure, full of drama, and CRAZY! I shied away from friendships with women because my past experiences had only proven me right! I had TWO really close female friends from high school that I love to death STILL today (Cherelle and Terrion) who pretty much felt the same about other women that I did! I always found myself in situations where I was trying to be nice and sweet and it totally back fired into " Nicole thinks she is better than me." I could not win if I had tried any harder to impress all of these women! It was horrible to feel like I could not relate to my fellow "sisters" I felt out of place and uncomfortable! I hated it... so I went right on back to my comfort zone with the fellas and I was fine!

*Side Note: I was wrong to be trying to please people! I should have kept my eyes ont he cross and focused only on what pleases God! His opinion of you is the MOST important! KNow that through Him you are ALWAYS so LOVED! He will NEVER exclude you!

It was not until LAST YEAR... YES .. just LAST YEAR that God began to instill in me a heart for women!


I decided to pledge for my organization ( Zeta Phi Zeta Christian Sorority Inc.). I knew I could do anything else in the world I had always had my eye on a D9 (Divine Nine) org since I was a little girl. But God made other plans! I found myself on line with two other ladies, Angelica and Ebony ( Love you ladies!). At first I was so unsure of myself and of them. Would history repeat itself? Would they keep me at arms length like I wanted to keep them? I was so nervous that the process of getting to know these ladies scared me MORE than the entire process of getting into the organization! As our days went on together I built such a bond with those two. We shared our stories, hurts, pasts, presents, what we wanted for our futures. We knew where each other was spiritually, mentally, physically, and emotionally. We had BONDED. It was wonderful how God brought us together for a greater purpose.. to serve Him with our lives TOGETHER as sisters in Christ!


Still, even after such an encounter with women as I had with those two amazing ladies, I STILL hung close to my mind set of " women are evil" I just eliminated the FEW that I thought were not.


What I didn't know is that the few who I eliminated from being " not evil" were seeds God was planting in my life to grow a passion in me that I couldn't see.

* Side Note: God will plant seeds in our hearts and nurture them for His greater purpose. We often don't see the seeds being planted we kind of just chalk them up to being " life experiences." But with God, every experience is part of a testimony which leads to a vision which is His ultimate purpose for your life in the kingdom of God! You have a purpose in His kingdom! Find it!


The seeds God had started to plant in my life began to grow at such a rapid pace! I found myself truly wanting to be a part of a sisterhood with other women! My mind transformed ! I totally did a Romans 12:2 "Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is —his good, pleasing and perfect will."


My mind had no longer been stuck in the " Women are evil" state that the devil had been fooling me with for years! The devil has us convinced that we are competing with each other instead of working together for a common purpose and goal! God changed my heart so that I could live out His will! I found PASSION and PURPOSE in women! I want to build strong bonds and connections! God is blowing my mind with the love He has given me for all of you lovely ladies!


Which brings me to where I am today with this ministry I have been given and this exciting conference in the works!


My passion is now to see women of God come together and SERVE Him and each other! I want to see self esteem in the kingdom of God increase and for women to know their value and worth comes from Christ ALONE! I want to see CHANGE in our minds and CHANGE in our hearts! A change that only God can make happen!


This is where my new ministry " Love Me...31" comes in! I am so excited about all of the vision God has given me for the women in the body of Christ! There are so many ministries out here that are AMAZING I am ecstatic that God wants mine to be a part of it!"Love Me...31" is designed to bring women together and get us all on the same page when it comes to our self-esteem, our confidence, and our passion for God.  Our founding scripture is Proverbs 31:30 " Charm is deceptive, beauty is fleeting, but a woman who fears to Lord is to be praised." That is my FAVORITE scripture and it shows us that our worth is in Christ not in our beauty or charm but in Him ALONE!

I am so excited to get to FINALLY share this vision with all of my amazing sisters in Christ! God has hit me with so many things all at once for this ministry that the moves I have to make are STRATEGIC! I am so ready and my heart is in the right place for such a time as this! I am ready for where ever God wants me to go with this, my heart is open!




I ask for tons of prayer as I go into this journey.. lots of covering over everyone who has their hands in this ministry! If God leads you to give me any tips or advice I am open to listening, hearing, and receiving! I than you all for all of the support that I have already gotten. And I am SO excited to see God working and growing in me!




I pray that this ministry has an impact on LIVES and HEARTS! This is so not even about me at all! It is about God and what He wants to see in His kingdom! I am just simply a servant who He is using... nothing more... nothing less! 

I pray for my sisters in Christ! that you continue to be lead by the holy spirit in all endeavours. I pray that God continues to grow you and mold you into a BEAUTIFUL women who has a heart just like  His! I pray that you begin to give all of yourself to God fully and that you grow content with who you are in Him! I pray God shows you His vision and purpose in you life and instills in you vision and passion

you can email any comments, questions, or prayers to 31LoveMe31@gmail.com ! I will respond to them ALL! :)

Also "like" us on facebook : Love Me 31

and follow us on twitter : @Lov3me31

I love you all so very much and I can not WAIT to see God's vision lived out fully!

God loves YOU like CRAZY!!!!

Nicole L.

Love...Prayer Time

So I KNOW I am not the only one who sometimes wished prayer before a meal would go just a little bit quicker! I mean you are HUNGRY .. and it is usually those days where you haven't ate anything and  the "long winded" prayer warriors want to pray for the meal. Lol.. don't judge me God isn't through with me yet! But shouldn't we enjoy prayers? I mean it is our conversation with the creator right?


I used to be the person who just COULD NOT pray. I guess I should say WOULD NOT pray! I would rather sing a song to God to express myself and worship rather than just breaking down and talking to Him. Which is AWESOME, BUT can you imagine every time your best friend wanted to talk to you about something, they sang a song to you instead of talking to you? WEIRD right!?!? God is our BEST FRIEND.. or He should be...We should totally be talking to Him constantly! 

" Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart."- Colossians 4:2 

To be devoted to something means you are taking the time to be serious about the task at hand. God wants us devoted to our prayer life with Him! He desires you to come to Him and " hang out!" Talk to Him spend time with Him.. and pray humbly and thankfully to Him. 

I can be totally upfront and honest with you when I say my prayer life Sucked about a year ago.It is still a daily thing that I have to INTENTIONALLY do. It does not just come naturally for me to go " Yep.. time to pray." My mind isn't wired that way.. But I am working on it. IT wasn't until last October that God tapped me on the shoulder and said, "TALK to me." I heard Him loud and clear. I was in my car driving to work one morning listening to Adele, JAMMING. When I heard so clear God tell me to just talk to Him. So I turned my music off and I began to just chat with God. At first I was a little apprehensive, the people in cars driving by were just looking at me and I felt weird. But God then said "focus." So I focused and I devoted ( Colossians 4:2) myself to talking to Him. I prayed for everything from my family life, school, friends, people I had not thought about for years and years, I mean EVERYTHING. Before I knew it, I was at work. I felt so good and very liberated. I felt like chains and things had LITERALLY been  broken in the spiritual. It was bananas too me. So I made it a habit to pray in my car too and from work. 

I kept up an AWESOME prayer life for a while. God and I were buddies, it was great. Until one day I was praying and as soon as I said "amen," my tire blew out. Thank God I was okay, no one got hurt, just a little blow out. So I called my dad, we worked it out and I was fine. Then a month later I was praying in my car again and I said, " amen," and heard something (DEFINITELY the holy spirit) tell me to put both hands on the wheel ( btw I tend to drive with one hand propped on the wheel and the other on the gear stick..I think I am a thug lol). So I put both hands on the wheel and the next thing I knew my OTHER tire blew out and I swerved almost hitting a semi-truck but I missed it! PRAISE GOD my hands where on the WHEEL!!!!!! HALLELUJAH!! So I was fine, my friends were an amazing help that day and made sure I got where I needed to go and things were okay.. I got ALL new tires on my car so I was fine. So I still continued to pray in my car  daily and then a month later I was driving home from work and I began to pray. This was my best prayer session EVER with God. I was casting things out.. calling the devil out on his stuff and doing major work! I said , "thank you Jesus, amen," and the next thing I know a deer comes out from the median of the highway and rams into my car. I cried and cried, I called my dad and it was so awful! I knew at that very moment that the devil HATED my guts and my prayers were not helping my popularity with him. I was terrified to pray in my car after that. I could have been killed in my deer accident , he put a hole through my back door and took off my entire left fender. I was mortified. So my prayers ceased! 

Things definitely got chaotic in my life after my prayer time with God stopped. He missed me and I missed Him but I let the devil get to me. WRONG MOVE! 

"Be unceasing in prayer "- 1 Thessalonians 5:17

I had "ceased" to pray! I was going against what the word of God said for me to do. I had stop my continual communication with God and my life showed it! 

ALSO [Jesus] told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not to turn coward (faint, lose heart, and give up). Luke 18: 1

I had become coward to the devil! Which is NUTS.. * Side Note : When you have the holy sprit inside you, the devil will NEVER win.. EVER. He might try and bully you but your daddy is bigger and so much better than him! Make sure you never let him even THINK he has any victory! 

One day, my little brother (my BUDDY love him!) was listening to me while I cried to him about how stressed out and just sad I was all the time. He looked me in the eye and asked me about my prayer life. I thought " you are real bold aren't you!" But I was honest with him and told him how I felt about my car incidents. He looked at me and spoke with tons of wisdom ( holy spirit for sure!). He told me I HAD to start prying constantly again. I had lost myself because who I am is in God and I was not connecting to my source. So in my next car trip.. I womaned up and I PRAYED! and it was AMAZING and changed my life! 

Now I pray constantly to God. My life is centered around talking to Him about EVERYTHING even things that seem so small to me. I want Him to have every part of me so I have to give it to Him daily. 

So what can YOU do to improve your prayer life??!??

1.) First, you have to know that prayer doesn't have to be formal! Talk to God like you would talk to a friend. I constantly use words that I use with my friends . Sometimes I even end my personal prayers with, " You are so TIGHT God!.. I love you!" He is your friend.. He calls YOU friend.. treat Him like it! (John 15:15) 

2.) Fasting is an AWESOME way to increase your prayer life.. because fasting should ALWAYS be partnered with prayer.. if not .. you are on a diet not a fast (blog on that coming soon!) When you are fasting you are trying to accomplish something in the spiritual or sometimes even the natural that normally can't be accomplished until you have personal, devoted, earnest, one on one time with God that comes with sacrifice! It is a form of WORSHIP! Worship Him! (Luke 2:37)

3.) Try writing a prayer journal! This is something that has helped me so much in my prayer life. Sometimes you may not be able to accurately articulate what you want to say to God. But writing might be something that comes easier to you. I know it does for me. and It makes prayer kind of fun, it is like writing a love letter to God! 

4.) READ YOUR WORD!!!!! The best way to become familiar with God is to know His word and what He says! Jesus is the word of God in the flesh.. how you gonna have a DEEP conversation with a God you know NOTHING about??!?? It is like having a very awkward conversation with a stranger at a bus stop.. It will work.. they will hear what you are saying and you will hear them but how invested are you in building a relationship with that person? Prayer helps build a relationship with the God who created you! 

5.) Always keep in mind the God is all about what kind of relationship yall have with each other! The more you talk (pray) with Him, the stronger the bond you have. Never look at prayer like a task! It is something that should be fun and done with joy! 

Here are some scriptures on prayer that show you JUST how important it really is. It breaks chains, and bondage, builds relationships, and most importantly makes God smile! He gets glory when we pray to Him! 

Let my prayer be set forth as incense before You, the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice. Psalm 141: 2

Give ear, O Lord, to my prayer; and listen to the cry of my supplications. Psalm 86: 6

Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything, but in every circumstance and in everything, by prayer and petition (definite requests), with thanksgiving, continue to make your wants known to God. Philippians 4: 6

Be earnest and unwearied and steadfast in your prayer [life], being [both] alert and intent in [your praying] with thanksgiving.Colossians 4: 2

The Lord has heard my supplication; the Lord receives my prayer. Psalm 6: 9

Seek the LORD while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near. Isaiah 55: 6

Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. Matthew 7:7-8

All of you must keep awake (give strict attention, be cautious and active) and watch and pray, that you may not come into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak. Matthew 26: 41

And whatever you ask for in prayer, having faith and [really] believing, you will receive.Matthew 21: 22

For this [forgiveness] let everyone who is godly pray--pray to You in a time when You may be found; surely when the great waters [of trial] overflow, they shall not reach [the spirit in] him. Psalm 32: 6

Is anyone among you afflicted (ill-treated, suffering evil)? He should pray. Is anyone glad at heart? He should sing praise [to God]. James 5: 13

Confess to one another therefore your faults (your slips, your false steps, your offenses, your sins) and pray [also] for one another, that you may be healed and restored [to a spiritual tone of mind and heart]. The earnest (heartfelt, continued) prayer of a righteous man makes tremendous power available [dynamic in its working].James 5: 16

Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man. Luke 21: 36

Now My eyes will be open and My ears attentive to prayer offered in this place.
2 Chronicles 7: 15

The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination, hateful and exceedingly offensive to the Lord, but the prayer of the upright is His delight! Proverbs 15: 8

The LORD is far from the wicked, but He hears the prayer of the righteous.
Proverbs 15: 29(NKJV)

But certainly God has heard me; He has given heed to the voice of my prayer. Psalm 66: 19

Blessed be God, Who has not rejected my prayer nor removed His mercy and loving-kindness from being [as it always is] with me.Psalm 66: 20

Be earnest and unwearied and steadfast in your prayer [life], being [both] alert and intent in [your praying] with thanksgiving.Colossians 4: 2

Be unceasing in prayer [praying perseveringly] 1 Thessalonians 5: 17

And it shall be that before they call I will answer; and while they are yet speaking I will hear Isaiah 65: 24

But I tell you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. Matthew 5: 44

I desire therefore that in every place men should pray, without anger or quarreling or resentment or doubt [in their minds], lifting up holy hands. 1 Timothy 2: 8

Evening and morning and at noon will I utter my complaint and moan and sigh, and He will hear my voice. Psalm 55: 17

So too the [Holy] Spirit comes to our aid and bears us up in our weakness; for we do not know what prayer to offer nor how to offer it worthily as we ought, but the Spirit Himself goes to meet our supplication and pleads in our behalf with unspeakable yearnings and groanings too deep for utterance. Romans 8: 26

ALSO [Jesus] told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not to turn coward (faint, lose heart, and give up). Luke 18: 1

For this reason I am telling you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe (trust and be confident) that it is granted to you, and you will [get it]. Mark 11: 24

Pray at all times (on every occasion, in every season) in the Spirit, with all [manner of] prayer and entreaty. To that end keep alert and watch with strong purpose and perseverance, interceding in behalf of all the saints (God's consecrated people).
Ephesians 6: 18

“Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.”. Matthew 18: 19-20

I encourage everyone to get deeper in your relationship with Christ. He wants to talk to you! Don't just call on Him when you are sad, someone is dying, or you need something from Him. Call on Him in the good too! Just like you like it when your boyfriend/girlfriend call you just to say "hello," God loves it when you do the same for Him. So call God, Text Him ( I have done this.. make sure you text your own number.. or you will have some random person very confused!) However you have to communicate with Him.. JUST DO IT! He takes joy in you !!! Love on God today and give Him some of your time! :) 

God is CRAZY in love with YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!! :)

Nicole L. 

Love Me...or your will

Have you ever been in a place with God where you are trying to compromise with Him? Your conversation may go something like this :

" God, If we could just agree on this situation.. everything would be PERFECT."

Then God responds to you with :

" We do not have to agree on this situation.. I am in control and I know what is PERFECT!"

Yeah...slap in the face...kind of hurts a bit right? But it is TRUTH!

Why do we ALWAYS want to compromise with God? We think that our lives would just be so perfect if He would just do WHAT we want WHEN we want and HOW we want. But.. God knows better.. He knows that if He left our lives in our hands.. we would be EVEN MORE of a hot mess then we already are!

So why do we INSIST on even trying to do it our way? We throw temper tantrums with God ..we cry.. we get sad.. we sometimes even give Him the silent treatment when we don't get our way. But no matter how crazy we act.. God isn't stuntin' us because at the end of the day.. He is STILL God.

This compromise game we play with God can get us into a big mess and take us out of the will of God .. We see it in the bible..A LOT.. a great example is Abraham and Sarah's story told in Genesis where God promised Abraham (Abram) He would have sons of many nations...BUT he was married to  Sarah(Sarai) who could not have children.. so they decided to try and take the situation into their own hands..

Genesis 16:1-6

1 Now Sarai, Abram's wife, had borne him no children. But she had an Egyptian maidservantnamed Hagar; 2 so she said to Abram, "The LORD has kept me from having children. Go, sleep with my maidservant; perhaps I can build a family through her." Abram agreed to what Sarai said.3 So after Abram had been living in Canaan ten years, Sarai his wife took her Egyptian maidservant Hagar and gave her to her husband to be his wife. 4 He slept with Hagar, and she conceived. When she knew she was pregnant, she began to despise her mistress. 5 Then Sarai said to Abram, "You are responsible for the wrong I am suffering. I put my servant in your arms, and now that she knows she is pregnant, she despises me. May the LORD judge between you and me." 6 "Your servant is in your hands," Abram said. "Do with her whatever you think best." Then Sarai mistreated Hagar; so she fled from her. 

See how AFTER they stepped outside of God's will for their life.. FLESH began to creep in. * Side Note: If God has given you a promise and you are living in His will.. and HE fulfills that promise to you.. a good way to know for sure if God fulfilled that promise or if you made it up in your head is to ask yourself this : "Do I feel like this was a good step for me" Because God won't have you make ANY steps that are not for your good.. and also ask yourself "Did this promise glorify God and who He is..?" God's promises for your life are ALL for His glory.. so if you can't see God getting that glory.. chances are it was not from Him. :) 

Sarah became upset that she LET her servant sleep with her husband.. ( I am sorry.. BUT stepping outside of MARRIAGE is TOTALLY not from God... lol) . Her flesh became jealous and things became chaotic..God is not a God of chaos and confusion.. REMEMBER THAT!.. God never said no craziness like " Go sleep with Hagar and ya'll will have a family." That was NEVER His plan! 

Stepping outside of God's will is DANGEROUS!!!!!! It can be the difference of LIFE and DEATH .. literally.. it gets that deep! God knows what is perfect for us.. He has our lives mapped out JUST the way He would love for them to go. He has you on a blueprint and all you have to do is communicate with Him and follow it. Will your life be PERFECT??? NO! NEVER.. we have a TRUE enemy who wants nothing more then to see us fail at God's plan! He will do everything to distract you and take you off track. But PRAISE GOD for grace and mercy because if you get off track.. He will direct your steps back! Proverbs 3:5-6 "Trust in the LORD with all your heat and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight." 

So what does it take to stay in God's will ??!????

* Talk to Him daily- Make sure you are in constant communication with the creator... The holy spirit is AWESOME about giving us discernment.. ask God what His will for your life is... check the passions He instilled in you ( New blog about that in the works) and make sure whatever it is .. that it glorifies Him! 

*Get in your WORD- make sure you know what God has envisioned for His people... it is ALL written in that amazing 66 book love letter He gave us 

*Fast and Pray- Fast and pray on things God has promised you! That is a time for you to hear Him even more clearly and chances are.. in that time He will give you tons of specifics for your life! 

*Focus on the CROSS- Make sure you are focusing on the cross daily. Make sure Jesus is Lord of your life and that you FULLY submit to Him and His authority! 

A really awesome devotional I have been doing with our young adults ministry at church is called " The Dare" by Josh Mayo .. He said so many things SOOO perfectly in this book but one that REALLY stood out to me was this : 

" So what is " the cross" in our daily lives? I think " the cross" is where your will and God's will sometimes CROSS! Every day all of us have "decision points." Our human nature wants to go in one direction, but in our gut , we know Jesus wants us to do something different. Whatever it is.. Your will and God's will CROSS! You have to decide if you will "deny yourself" and let Christ be LORD (Boss) of your life, or whether you're going to keep calling the shots." 

- Josh Mayo " The Dare" 

This was my " LIGHTBULB" moment! DUH ! We have to let Jesus be the Boss! He calls our shots.. NOT us! So I have to chose to be a good " employee" or be the kind of employee who doesn't listen and messes up because I want to do the work MY WAY. NO THANKS.. those employees get fired and lose money :) 

We have to STAY in God's PERFECT will for our lives...ALWAYS.. if not.. we are running down a very DANGEROUS path! 

You make the choice... I know I have made mine ! 

God ADORES you..and He is SO in love with YOU... 

Nicole L.

Love...My Journey

So I see SO many women who just WANT TO BE MARRIED! I can tell you.. I am in the EXACT same boat! There is nothing wrong with wanting to be a wife some day. 

Genesis 2: 20-24 says: 

20 So the man gave names to all the livestock, the birds in the sky and all the wild animals.

But for Adam no suitable helper was found. 21 So the Lord God caused the man to fall into a deep sleep; and while he was sleeping, he took one of the man’s ribs and then closed up the place with flesh. 22 Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib he had taken out of the man, and he brought her to the man.23 The man said,“This is now bone of my bone and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called ‘woman,’for she was taken out of man. ”24 That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh.

We were DESIGNED to be WIVES as women..!!! The moment Adam woke up from the sleep God had put him in.. he called her his " Women... His Wife, " NOT his "girlfriend, baby mama, side chick, "the B word" , his main..." she was his WIFE!!!! 

* Side Note: KNOW YOUR WORTH LADIES AND WHO AND WHAT YOU ARE TO BE CALLED :) 

It is natural for us to want to be someone's help mate and to desire that covenant relationship! BUT don't let all of that get you LOST in translation with God. We can get so caught up in the " fairytale" we see in movies that we forget who we serve! 

I can only tell you guys my " love" journey in hopes that you GET IT! 

I, not too long ago, was SUPER obsessed with marriage...wedding bells... I wanted what I saw in the movies. I was looking at EVERY guy I passed thinking , " God.. is he it..??!??" All I wanted to talk about was marriage.. I would even speak on it with my friends biblically.. But my yearning for marriage became the EXACT thing that separated me from God.

 "WHHHHATTTTTTT...." you might be saying.." how can MARRIAGE.. a covenant thing from God himself.. SEPARATE you from God??!??" Stick with me... 

I was OBSESSED with what my idea of marriage was. I did not want to be  lonely my entire life.. I wanted someone I could lean on when my days got rough .. I did not want to do life " alone." I sought love.. I watched these reality shows where women were seeking love.. they were aggressive.. and pushy.. and got what they wanted. So I became aggressive.. and pushy to get what I wanted..

*** SIDE NOTE: that crap works in " the world" for women.. "worldly men" usually LOVE women like that.. but if you are seeking a man after God's own heart.. he ain't going for all that.. " He that findeth a wife.. finds a good thing.." NOT she that finds her hubby.. :) 

I couldn't see what was wrong with me! I thought " It is perfectly okay for me to want marriage.. " It was not until one day.. my best guy friend was having a conversation with me.. he told me .. in these exact words " Stop being thirsty!" OUCH right.. yeah.. it hurt .. THANK GOD he is a real friend who tells me what I NEED to hear and not what I WANT to hear.. make sure you have those friends around :) 

That statement hurt my little feelings.. lol I was sooo hurt and I went home and just sat in my room. I got on my knees with God and cried out and said " God.. Where is MINE.. I want to be a wife one day.. I want to be in love.. I want a relationship.. is that sooo wrong? " God then.. got real with me.. don't ask God a question unless you REALLY want the answer.. just saying :) 

God spoke to me and told me: "Nicole.. I can not send the one I have for you, to find you until you hide yourself in ME. You want  to be in love.. I am here.. love me.. I love you!... you want a relationship.. build one with ME.. I desire YOU.. and ALL of you. I have someone set apart just for you.. but you need to know ME first so you can be the kind of wife.. you will need to be for him. "

YEP... Blew my world up! 

So I made the decision.. that day.. to let God be " my man." I started just hanging out with God all the time. I took some advice from one of my FAVORITE bloggers : Heather Lindsey.. check her out! She said.. she went on dates with God.. and ate dinner with Him. She became content in God.. the more I did things with God I started to become content in Him. I started to not entertain EVERY guy who came my way. I started to focus on what God was telling me to do. ( this blog being one of the outcomes of my time spent in God.. AWESOMENESS ) . God just became my ultimate homie. We hung out .. we still do. and he is never a disappointing date... He is always a gentleman who " texts" my heart when He thinks about me.. which is ALWAYS... He " calls" me when he wants me in His presence.. He wrote me 66 chapters of love notes.. designed for me. He is the BEST "boyfriend" EVER! 

Although I am still physically " alone" I am never LONELY.. there is a difference! I soak God's presence up.. and I just let my heart be joyed in Him. I stopped focusing on marriage.. which had become my idol.. * Side Note: ANYTHING.. even things of God i.e marriage.. love..friends.. that takes your focus and attention away from your personal relationship with God.. is an Idol.. check your life..and your heart :) 

I can now confidently say.. I am CONTENT in GOD.. NOT stagnant.. but growing daily in who I am in Christ. My view has changed drastically.. and my life is so much more full. YES.. I STILL... want to be married one day.. but NOW.. in God's perfect timing and to God's perfect person for me ( not a perfect person... just the perfect one for me). 

So I encourage you... if you are feeling lonely.. talk to God.. get before Him and let Him mold you into the AMAZING woman He intends for you to be. Your relationship with ANY human WILL NOT be full or purposeful if your relationship with the creator is not flourishing. Let God be your husband right now... my dear sisters.. I will share Him with you :) 

Get married to Him.. before you try and marry one of His sons :) 

God is so in love with YOU!!!!

Nicole L. 

Love...Repair Me

THIS WAS SOMETHING I POSTED A WHILE AGO ON MY TUMBLR. ( THAT I NEVER USE).I KNOW I JUST RECENTLY POSTED A BLOG " LOVE ME..SIMPLY" IF YOU HAVE NOT READ IT.. PLEASE DO SO.. BUT SOMETHING IS TUGGING AT MY HEART STRINGS TO POST AND SHARE THIS WITH ALL OF YOU NOW.. SO HERE IT IS..  I WAS COMING OUT OF A CRAZY STATE WHERE I FELT SO ALONE AND SO LOST.. BUT GOD GOT ME THROUGH.. HERE IS MY STORY : 

LATELY GOD HAS BEEN PRUNING ME.. SHAPING ME AND MOLDING ME. IT HAS NOT BEEN AN EASY PROCESS.. AND I HAVE DISCOVERED A LOT ABOUT MYSELF AND THOSE WHO SURROUND ME. IT IS AN ON GOING JOURNEY THAT I AM NOT TAKING LIGHTLY. I AM ON A MISSION FOR HIS KINGDOM. THIS WEEK I HAVE BEEN SO SAD.. FELT LIKE I COULD NOT GET HAPPY.. AT ALL. EVERYTHING IN MY WORLD SEEMED SO OFF.. I WANTED TO JUST PUT MY COVERS OVER MY HEAD.. AND SHUT THE WORLD OUT. BUT I HAVE OVERCOME THAT AND I AM A BETTER ME.. FOR GOD’S GLORY! I WANT TO SHARE SOME OF THE AWESOME LESSONS I HAVE LEARNED IN THIS TIME WITH YOU ALL.. THEY ALL HAVE OUTCOMES.. GROWING UP.. AND JUST REALNESS THAT ONLY GOD CAN BRING. I WILL BE COMPLETELY TRANSPARENT AND I WILL NOT HOLD BACK. 

I HAVE LEARNED THAT SOMETIMES GOD HAS TO TEAR DOWN EVERYTHING IN YOUR LIFE IN ORDER FOR US TO GIVE EVERYTHING TO HIM. IT IS LIKE THIS: WE HAVE A HOUSE… IT IS DINGY.. ROACH AND RAT INFESTED, PAINT CHIPPING, INSIDE AND OUT IS JUST A HOT MESS. SO WHAT DO WE AUTOMATICALLY WANT TO DO?? WE WANT TO FIX IT UP. WE TRY TO PAINT THE HOUSE TO MAKE IT APPEAR PRETTY AGAIN. WE WANT TO CALL THE EXTERMINATOR OUT TO GET THE RATS AND ROACHES OUT OF THE HOME. WE TRY OUR BEST TO FIX EVERYTHING SO IT APPEARS TO LOOK OKAY. BUT THE REALITY IS THAT OUR HOUSE IS STILL DINGY, AND NASTY UNDERNEATH THE PAINT. AFTER THE EXTERMINATOR LEAVES, THERE IS A SLIGHT CHANCE THOSE RATS AND ROACHES CAN COME BACK. WE SPEND SO MUCH TIME AND ENERGY .. TRYING OUR BEST TO “FIX” THE PROBLEM, WE FORGET THAT OUR FIXES ARE ONLY TEMPORARY… THE PROBLEMS WILL COME BACK AND YOU WILL BE IN THE SAME SITUATION ALL OVER AGAIN. 

BUT GOD! … GOD IS A GOD WHO WON’T JUST PAINT THE OUTSIDE AND MAKE IT LOOK PRETTY.. HE IS NOT CALLING AN EXTERMINATOR OUT TO YOUR HOUSE TO GET RID OF THE RATS AND ROACHES. GOD IS GOING TO BULL DOZE AND WRECK THAT HOUSE DOWN SO HE CAN BUILD IT BACK UP. GOD TEARS DOWN THE ENTIRE HOUSE, HE TAKES ALL OF YOUR PROBLEMS, FEELINGS, EMOTIONS, WORRIES, AND HE TEARS THEM DOWN. HE REMOVES THE LEFT OVER DEBRIS FROM YOUR LIFE, AND HE STARTS TO RE-BUILD YOUR HOUSE. HE LAYS THE NEW FOUNDATION, HE BEGINS TO BUILD THE NEW HOUSE, HE PUTS ON NEW PAINT, NEW FURNITURE, NEW EVERYTHING. HE TRULY FIXES THE PROBLEM SO THAT WE DON’T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT OUR “PAINT PEALING ” AGAIN. HE THEN GIVES US THE TOOLS , SO THAT IF WE EVER HAVE THAT SAME EXACT PROBLEM WITH OUR HOUSE, WE KNOW WE CAN CALL ON HIM TO HELP US RE-BUILD OUR HOME. 2ND CORINTHIANS 5:17 SAYS ” IF ANY MAN BE IN CHRIST, HE IS A NEW CREATURE. OLD THINGS HAVE PAST AWAY, BEHOLD! ALL THINGS ARE BECOME NEW.” 

THIS APPLIES TO THE OLD BELIEVER AND THE NEW BELIEVER. AS CHRISTIANS, SOMETIMES WE “FORGET” WE ARE IN CHRIST. BECAUSE WE “FORGET” TO CALL ON HIS NAME IN EVERYTHING. GOD WILL MAKE US NEW. HE WASHES US CLEAN. HE HAS ALL OF THE ANSWERS TO EVERY PROBLEM. HE MADE US! HE KNOWS WHATS UP! SO WHYYYY ARE WE NOT GOING TO HIM SO HE CAN RE-BUILD OUR HOMES ??!?? GIVE IT TO GOD. LET HIM TAKE IT.. AND MAKE YOU NEW. KNOW THAT IN YOUR TIME OF SORROW, THAT GOD IS JUST WRECKING YOUR HOUSE TO RE-BUILD YOU BACK UP!!!!! KEEP PRAYING, KEEP SEEKING HIM FIRST! KEEP SPENDING TIME IN YOUR WORD AND WITH HIM. I KNOW ONCE HE GOES IN AND WRECKS YOUR “WORLD,” YOU FEEL AWFUL, YOU FEEL DEFEATED, BUT CHRIST OVERCAME DEFEAT, HE HAS VICTORY AND BECAUSE HE DOES, WE DO! ONCE GOD CLEARS ALL THE “DAMAGE” AND DEBRIS, A NEW CREATURE IS BORN, AND HE CAN BEGAN TO OPERATE IN YOUR NEW HOUSE, AND YOU WILL BEGIN TO SEE AN OUTPOUR OF NEW VISION, NEW BLESSINGS, AND NEW HOPE! IN YOUR TIME OF STRUGGLE ALWAYS REMEMBER GOD’S GRACE AND MERCY IS NEW EVERY DAY, AND THAT EVERY DAY HE CREATED AND YOU HAVE TO REJOICE IN IT! 

I PRAY THAT GOD RESTORES IN YOUR LIFE. IF YOU ARE GOING THROUGH ANYTHING AT ALL, KNOW HE IS ALWAYS THERE. HE WILL NOT LEAVE YOU OR FORSAKE YOU. YOU HAVE TO OPEN YOUR DOOR FIRST THOUGH, SO GOD CAN INSPECT YOUR HOUSE, SO HE CAN REALLY GRASP ALL OF THE ISSUES IN YOUR HOUSE. YES , HE IS AN ALL KNOWING GOD. HE CAN SEE WHAT IS WRONG AT ALL TIMES, BUT HE STILL NEEDS THE INVITATION INTO YOUR HOUSE, IN ORDER TO FIX IT. 

GOD IS CRAZY IN LOVE WITH YOU,

NICOLE L.

<3

Love Me...Simply

This is my very first blog post and I am SUPER nervous! I have been both inspired and convinced to write out my thoughts, give advice, and tell the world the vision that God has given me for people. I prayed before I started writing and God said, " Just let it Flow." So here is my first official " flow."

First... I want to talk about what the title of this post TRULEY means! " Love Me..Simply," is what it sounds like... it is a blog about simply loving yourself.

God has called us to AMAZING things ! the bible says we have the ability to do great things.. even greater things than even JESUS did! ( John 14:12).  CRAZY AMAZING right! I am always baffled at how God made creation.. and he designed us for a special purpose! So here it is.. simple.. raw.. and real! LOVE YOURSELF!!!!! You were created for a PURPOSE! God had so much vision in mind when he was molding you in your mother's womb. So all of this crazy insecurity mess needs to GO! You are SPECIAL! Fearfully and wonderfully made ( Psalm 139:14), no one can do you like you can!

I am pretty sick and tired of seeing women who do not know their value and their worth!
You are so PRECIOUS! SO LOVED! Set a standard for yourself and LOVE YOURSELF!!!!! God makes NO MISTAKES! EVER!!!!!

Now, Do not get me wrong.. I have my days where I don't feel good enough.. pretty enough.. smart enough.. but all that is in my head! Take your thoughts to God and cast out all negative emotions! DO NOT be a prisoner to your feelings.. your God is bigger than them!

If you feel like you just can not shake your insecurities here are some tips that always help me :)

1.) Go to God and speak with him. Pray about the way you are feeling. God can change your mindset with just a few words.. let him in! He wants you to see yourself the way He sees you :)

2.) Throw on some worship music and SUBMERGE yourself in God's presence! In his presence.. all your HOT MESS .. MUST GO lol. it is SO true! When you worship God.. you are forgetting about your flesh and how you " feel" and you are focused solely on your passionate love for God.

3.) Get with your friends who build you up. Let a friend know how your day is going and how you are feeling. That is what we are suppose to do as the body of Christ, we are suppose to edify and build each other up. Don't be afraid to talk it out with someone who loves you ! * Side Note- MAKE SURE the friend you are talking to is a true friend.. be sure it is some one you can trust that you KNOW won't spread your business and who will help the issue and not hurt it.

4.) Speak POSITIVE things over your life DAILY. Words have power!!!!!! God SPOKE the earth into motion!!!!! Be careful what you are saying. Wake up in the morning and proclaim " Today I will be the best me I can.. I know I am beautiful and I will see myself as God sees me." I know.. it sounds corny.. but DO IT.. It works :)


Be encouraged!!!!! God has so many AWESOME things for your life.. all you have to do is GRAB them and MOVE! You better start acting like you know who your daddy is!!!! YOU ARE A PRINCESS!!!!! ACT LIKE IT :)

God is so in love with YOU!


Nicole L.

<3