Thinking Out Loud |

Ambition: the fuel that drives us to conquer the world.

I think that one of our generation’s biggest problems is the lack of ambition. I think that people settle. Maybe not intentionally, but nevertheless they find themselves in a state of perpetual complacency.

Why is it that the vast majority of our population has one specific goal: To graduate from college and attain a 9-5 job that will provide them with enough income to sustain their future family, with some left over for a vacation to Disney etc. Why is it that we settle for the norm, the mundane, the ordinary? Why is it that most people find themselves a supporter of someone else’s dream while ignoring their own? Why is it that we have become content with just existing? Why is it that we settle instead of becoming great and achieving greatness?

This post was partially inspired by conversations that I have had as of late. What I have found lately is that I really have developed my own ideas about life since I started college, and what I’ve realized is that I don’t want to settle. I never want to wake up at forty and think, “What in the world did I do with the first half of my life”. That thought frightens me. The other day someone asked me, “What is your biggest fear?” I responded by saying that my biggest fear was to die without ever having left an impact on the world. It absolutely scares me. I understand that there are a slew of things that I won’t be remembered for, but I never want making an impact to be one of them.

I read everyone’s current literature craze, “The Fault in Our Stars”, last spring and there’s an underlying theme that has always kind of stuck with me. Hazel, the main character, has cancer, as does her boyfriend, Augustus Waters. Near the end of the book Augustus is distraught about the fact that he really hasn’t made a massive impact on the world, and tells Hazel about it. Hazel then tells him that it shouldn’t matter because he still made an impact on one person. She then says that it is more important to make an impact on just one person’s life. While I understand Hazel’s opinion, I can’t help but wonder why it is that she settles to impact the life of just a single soul. I understand that she desires to make a massive impact on the life of one person, instead of a small impact on many people, but what if there’s more. What if we are capable of greatly impacting and influencing the lives of every person we encounter and interact with? What if there’s more to life than working a 9-5 job. I am a firm believer in higher education and in getting a degree. I think it is essential to success in the job world, however, we cannot live our lives solely in pursuit of a degree. Our life goal should not consist of financial stability. We are capable of so much more. I think we have to get to a place in our lives where we realize that there is so much more that we could do to better our lives and more importantly the kingdom. I think that we settle because we are afraid to scratch the surface of our potential. Maybe this is just me spilling my current thoughts into words, per the usual, or maybe I find myself writing this because my dad is constantly pushing me to do more and be more. Honestly, I’m not sure.

But ask yourself this, what do you really want to do in your lifetime?

Honestly. I want to inspire people. I want to change the world. I want to reach as many people as I can with the gospel. There isn’t any part of me that wants to be ordinary. I think that in order to be extraordinary, we must continually fight against the average, against the norm. I can promise you that people who are great are not consumed with what others are doing, but instead pave their own path to greatness. Maybe it’s time to stop setting.

 Maybe it’s time to start truly living.

XOXO

One Year Blog Anniversary!

Guys. I just celebrated my one year blog anniversary! Pretty exciting right!? There's nothing I love more than sharing my heart with people around the globe. I honestly cannot even believe that there are people in Singapore and Germany and other various countries reading my blog. So I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who has stayed with me over the past year. I appreciate your support more than you know. 

PS: Here are some pictures from a recent outfit blog. Shoutout to my BFF Sam Aleman for capturing my craziness. 

Love you all lots. 

Xoxo

Going Through the Fire

Going Through the Fire:

-A Character Study on Daniel-

          This blog that I have written was actually just a section in my notes on my phone. I was studying the book of Daniel, and felt compelled to jot down some notes into my phone. The notes then became a lesson for the Youth Class that I teach, and now I have converted it into a blog. The following is simply a character study on Daniel.

          From the very beginning of Daniel, the reader becomes immediately immersed in this story of national destruction and general upheaval throughout the nation of Israel. Daniel, along with many others are abducted and taken to Babylon where they will train to be servants of the King. They are forced to partake of the customs of this foreign land and immerse themselves in the culture of Babylon. In other words, Daniel was placed 100% out of his comfort zone. This really spoke to me. I think so many times we focus on bettering the obvious talents and gifts that we have, instead of allowing God to take us out of our comfort zone and into new dimensions. I personally relate to this tremendously. There are certain things that I have always felt comfortable doing in the kingdom, and things that I know I have been called to, however there are also areas that I assumed I would never venture into. Sometimes we have this mental list of things that we feel too scared to attempt, because we don’t want to go out of our comfort zone. We don’t want to leave that safe zone, however I have found that if you tell God, “I will do whatever you want me to”, you are then allowing him to have full control over your life. I promise you that greatness occurs when you step out of your comfort zone, and let God use you to your full potential. Daniel is a prime example of this. His entire world was in shambles, but because he allowed God to use all of him, he becomes ones of the Heroes of the Bible.

         Daniel went through many tests and trials throughout his life. I can almost guarantee that when you think of Daniel your mind immediately jumps to the lion’s den, because that is what his name is linked to. Sometimes your name will be linked to your trial. Sometimes your identity will be linked to the situation or circumstance that you are going through. Sometimes, you may just have to go through the fire. Often God allows us to go thorough situations that may be the hardest thing you’ve ever had to go through, but the Bible assures us that we will come out of our situation without wounds. Daniel 6:23 says,

“The king was overjoyed and gave orders to lift Daniel out of the den. And when Daniel was lifted from the den, no wound was found on him, because he had trusted in his God.”

         I think sometimes that we tend to focus on the great exploits and highlights of the life of Daniel, but we often fail to remember that Daniel was a man of prayer and fasting. Daniel was a man who had a prayer life. He had a relationship with God that was not dependent on what other people were doing. He had a consistent prayer life on the floor of his bedroom. In other words he lived a life of prayer and consecration to God when nobody else was watching. I believe that is the sole reason that Daniel was elevated by God. Daniel was a dream interpreter, a man who survived the lion’s den and a man who was given great visions of the end times, yet he reminded humble through it all. His humility is the main reason that he was highly esteemed by God.

Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, this next point really hit me. In Daniel 6:3-5 it says,

“Now Daniel so distinguished himself among the administrators and the satraps by his exceptional qualities that the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom. ⁴ At this, the administrators and the satraps tried to find grounds for charges against Daniel in his conduct of government affairs, but they were unable to do so. They could find no corruption in him, because he was trustworthy and neither corrupt nor negligent. ⁵ Finally these men said, “We will never find any basis for charges against this man Daniel unless it has something to do with the law of his God.”

When God elevates you, people are going to make it their mission to find something wrong with you.

          When God takes you to places that may be more public than the usual, and gives you opportunities on opportunities on opportunities, there are some people that will resent you and do their very best to point out your flaws and weakness and your issues. It is then that you must realize that you are in this position for a reason. God has placed you where you are like Esther “For such a time as this”. Like Daniel, continue to live for God no matter what your current station is in life and you will be blessed and highly favored by God.

Love you all.

Xoxo

NikkiMarie 

Out of the Ordinary |

This entire look is completely out of the ordinary for me. My style is normally very classic with a slight edge, needless to say this dress does not fit my typical look. But, I decided to step out of my comfort zone and wear something different. 

I would also like to mention that Sam (my best friend/ photographer) and I crashed a traditional Indian wedding at Meadow Brook Mansion to get these pictures. We tried to ignore the confused and annoyed stares as I spun around and posed in the middle of their wedding venue. Haha. The things we do for the blog. 

Happy Friday Eve,

NikkiMarie

Legacy |

Legacy. What is a legacy and how does it relate or correlate to our lives? The great Maya Angelou once stated that, "people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel". This quote has become somewhat of a life motto to me lately. Legacy is defined as "anything handed down from the past, as from an ancestor or predecessor". However, my personal definition of a legacy, and the definition that many others identify with is, the impression that you have left once you are gone. I think many times in life we focus our time and energy more on things that are temporary than things than things that are lasting or eternal. Perhaps, the greatest travesty in life is wasting what could be an incredible legacy on trivial matters. My favorite scripture is 2 Corinthians 4: 17-18, "For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us, a glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but what is unseen, for what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal". As I grow older, (and hopefully a little bit wiser) I have realized that only what I do for His kingdom will last. As much as I desire truly make something of myself, it really doesn't matter in the end if it isn't enhancing my God given purpose. It is because of this that lately I have been thinking a lot about the legacy that I want to leave behind. I want people to remember me as someone who was genuine, authentic in my beliefs, kind to everyone that I encountered, someone who gave of my time, energy and resources to others, someone who loved others above myself despite their flaws or shortcomings, and most of all someone who loved God more than anything and someone who gave every ounce of talent that i had been given, to Him. 

Perhaps, sometimes we worry too much about the future and forget that each and every day we are building our legacy. Each and every conversation we have contributes to how we will be remembered. Perhaps, the greatest joys in life do not come from how much money you make or how successful you are on this earth, but instead from the knowledge that you have reached as many people as humanly possible and that you have truly lived a life that deserves "well done thou good and faithful servant". I've realized that loving, encouraging and investing in others can bring you so much joy. Taking the time to listen to others and encourage them will mean more to them than you can ever possibly imagine. "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others." (Philippians 2:3, 4 NIV). There are times when we feel like our efforts are in vain, and that all of time and effort we put into others really isn't benefitting anyone. It is then that we have to remind ourselves of this scripture, "And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith." (Galatians 6:9, 10 KJV). 

If we live our life to serve Jesus and then others, we will never regret it. 

"Jesus first. Others second. Yourself last."

Xoxo

Nikkimarie. 

I Think Myself Happy |

Initially, I decided to write this blog post because about a week ago, I felt this random sense of inspiration. Last week I had three different situations pop up unexpectedly, all of which I was quite upset about. One was particularly upsetting, and it took a few days for me to really get a handle on my emotions and truly forgive. Essentially, I felt like I was drowning emotionally; it really took me by surprise, and it definitely wasn't a good one. I'm what one might call a "type A" person: a perfectionist, always planning, worrying and preparing; however what I found was that I wasn't prepared at all for that situation and I discovered this sense of loss and uncertainty. Suddenly I wasn't in control, and I couldn't make this situation better or recover the trust that had been broken. The situation was irrevocable and I had an extremely difficult time forgiving. After much contemplation and prayer, I remembered something that my father told me years ago. He told me that forgiveness is what you do for yourself not for others." I think that forgiveness is an issue that truly effects our happiness, and holding on to something often robs us of our joy. 

In the book of acts Paul says, "I think myself happy". I feel like people say this and don't truly understand how profound this statement really is. Paul spoke these words after being locked in prison for two long years. King Aggripa finally asked Paul about the situation after Paul had been thrown in jail for preaching without so much as a trial. Yet, Paul utters the phrase, "I think myself happy". Why would Paul choose these words when we know how truly unjust his situation had been. Paul understood the profound concept that joy is a mindset. We have the ability to choose joy, and to choose a lifestyle that exudes joy and contentment. I realized that I could allow my situation to take control of me, or I could choose a lifestyle of joy. I could make happiness more than just a destination but a mindset. 

Sometimes, we get so caught up in what is happening in the moment, that we lose our joy. We don't find joy in the ordinary and the commonplace pleasures of life, but instead complain and find fault, and in that we lose who we truly are. It was never Christ's intention for the body of Christ to be disgruntled, joyless Christians. Am I saying that by following Jesus our lives will be perfect? Of course not. Happiness is not a destination; it is a mindset. Some of the happiest people do not have opulent wealth, or the ideal love life, or incredible career, but instead find joy in the ordinary, and in the trials that life throws at us. "Think yourself happy" today, because it makes all the difference. 

Xoxo, 

Nikkimarie 

Inadequate |

Inadequate. The word itself seems depressing and hopeless, right? As I was thinking about this topic, I began to realize that every human being, no matter how confident they may seem, feels inadequate in some area of their life. The bottom line is that we all feel it and experience feeling insignificant to some degree. Sometimes I feel like I am not capable for what I know God has called me to do. In the sense that there are so many people who are more talented and gifted than I am. Inadequacy stems from fear and doubting one's self worth. But how do we fix this? How do we change our mindset? It is only when we realize God's extraordinary, constant, unfailing love that we can overcome a mindset consumed with inadequacy and doubt. I know so many truly phenomenal, kind, loving, generous people who doubt themselves because they fail to meet the standards of the media. They're convinced they aren't intelligent enough, or good looking enough, or talented enough to fulfill their full potential. At an early age I was placed into music ministry. I felt the call of God on my life at thirteen years of age at youth camp. I knew inately that music was definitely one of my callings. However throughout the years, I've has my fair share of struggle in the "leading worship" department. There have been several times where I've felt that i've completely failed, and that I was somehow inadequate for what I know I've been called to do. I recall distinct times where I went to my dad's office and cried because, in my opinion, I wasn't cut out for the job. (If you know me at all, you know that I very rarely cry.) Yet, the beauty of living for God is that if you surrender your failures, doubts and worries to Him, He will mold you into something you never thought you could be. To Christ, "inadequacy" is a ten letter word, not an insurmountable obstacle. 

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. (2 Corinthians 12:9-10 NIV). 

Self worth is essential. You cannot love and mentor others if your own wounds and insecurities are crippling your spirit and joy. You are worth it. You are worthy of love, and not just temporal love, but a love that surpasses all boundaries, insecurities or doubts: the never ending love of Christ.