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Remembering Whitney Houston
1963-2012
clipart
 
 
 
 
If you want to know about her accolades, how many Grammies she won or about her career on screen…this is not the place- In this place I’m going to recall the person I met long ago when I was a young girl with a dream.
 
At that time, Whitney Houston was everything I aspired to be.  She was beautiful, talented, and walking in her anointing. Then, she acknowledged her voice as a gift and although she would go from singing in church, to being a background vocalist to superstar status, she always acknowledged her voice was a gift from God and He received all the glory when she used it.
 
Tonight, as I learned about her passing, it bought more than tears to my eyes and pain to my heart- it was a wake up call of epic proportion. Life is too short; there’s simply no time to be complacent! I’ve said it a million times (and this news serves as evidence) the enemy is real and he is relentlessly after our relationship with God.  
 
Whitney Houston was not a drug addict, someone without morals, without hope and depressed. The devil is a liar and he painted her with the colors of her disobedience and destroyed the portrait of who she truly was and could have been to God’s glory.
 
The Bible says that the devil comes to rob, steal and destroy and if you believe that you can outsmart, outrun or hide from the wiles of this world, you are wrong. There is not a reason on this earth why a gift and talent such as hers should be equated with waste…this is Satan at his best and I refuse to glorify his trickery of death by not honoring her light and God’s light in her. 
 
 
I pray tonight that Whitney’s light far outshine the shadow of her sudden death.  I pray for Bobbi Kristina, Sissy Houston, Dionne Warwick, Aretha Franklin, Bobby Brown and the host of other family members, friends and colleagues she left behind too soon. I pray tonight for Whitney to have found the peace that eluded her in this realm and I hope in faith that her death will not be in vain but instead serve as an example to the millions of ‘wanna be’ divas, fans, friends and family members that consequences can be fatal and the idea of tomorrow is gift and not a promise.
 
 
I need to thank Whitney Houston for her mentoring when I wanted to sing. It’s not many recording artist who would take a complete stranger under her wing, even for a day, to show them the ropes and a birds eye view of the business I was pursuing.  John Houston arranged for what will remain one of the most memorable days of my life and the lessons I learned that day I carry with me always.  Whether it were singing All at Once for my Commercial Jazz final at Five Towns College or singing You Give Good Love to my husband, her music freed me and gave me confidence and belief that I could be talented and beautiful too.
 
 
One of my favorite childhood memories is being downstairs in my basement, singing Saving All My Love and my mother yelling at the top of the stairs, “Nidicka, turn that radio off!”  I smiled and yelled up the stairs- “That’s me singing Ma, the radio is not on”…My mother mistook me singing for Whitney playing on the radio and in that moment I could see myself sharing my gift with millions one day, just like she was sharing with me by her example.
 
 
Glory to God, my life went in another direction and hopefully my gift that I am sharing with the world via this ministry is well received.  I honor my memory of you Whitney- I remember your tenacity, your fire, your spirit and especially your voice. The gift of your life made me dream but the reality of your death will make me pursue righteousness. Rest in Peace and I will always love you…
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Praise ReportI have encouraged my fellow Christians to start journaling because its a wonderful way to dialogue with God as well as to document what God continues to do in your life.  I have journals where in one page I was praying for a car and then pages ahead I'm thanking God for the blessing of a new ride. Sometimes, we can get so wrapped up in the need or the want, that we forget to give God all the glory, honor and praise that is due Him when He delivers us out of our affliction.
 
Well, I have used this website as a journal of sorts. I have shared with my members the hurts and pains I was enduring when my oldest son became estranged from our family.  I publicly went through stages of grief as I mourned all the hopes I had for his life as lost and I asked God's forgiveness for selfishly bombarding heaven with prayer for my son when so many other families were suffering with pains far greater than what I had to endure.
 
 
Right here at this ministry, we have prayed together, gone into fasting and even organized out First Annual Youth through Young Adult Prayer Vigil and all with no evidence of things changing but rather operating completely on faith as set forth in God's Word- Now faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things unseen (Hebrews 11:1, KJV). 
 
So now, it is with overwhelming joy that I share this praise report and testimony with you regarding my son...
 
 
 
The Prodigal Son Returns
 
  
It was two painful years. Two days felt too long because of the love that my husband and I had shared with our children.  When I was called into ministry, it started at home. Praying over my children and teaching them how to find comfort in praying was where I started.  It was always easy raising my children because I had established two very important truths from the beginning- 1) They were a gift from God that I was to care for like any precious item giving to you from someone you greatly love and 2) They are not mine to have. I knew my children were being raised to fulfill great purpose and to further the Kingdom of God and I even imagined them overseas, in other continents, or in missionary positions but nothing could prepare me for good old fashion rebellion.
 
I had assumed that I had made enough mistakes for us all. I left home, moved in with a boy and within the first  three years of dating returned home to announce to my parent at twenty that I was having a baby. I remember how cocky I was that day, the day I started my announcement with "I'm not asking your permission I'm just letting you know..." That very rebellion placed me on a path of disobedience and sin that only God and His mercy could make for greater good.
 
I knew that I wasn't worthy of the gifts of my children, but I also knew that the birth of my 1st son placed me at the crossroads of my life and I would have to decide which direction I would go in and I chose God.  My son, and later my sons- made me desire to be a better person. So I'd graduate college, get off welfare, marry my "baby daddy" and make good. Whenever you chose to live by God's design, you are going to get tested- God does this I believe to perfect us in His love.  I'd declare I'm holding on and within minutes be faced with every imagination you can think of that made me want to let go.  But I'd fight, stay and pay the price for my mistakes- I'd apologize to parents and commit to a lifestyle that screams, "You were right, and I'm sorry" and it would still be hard!
 
Having lived this life in front of my oldest son, I figured that although I might not know what our malfuctions in life will be, I knew (somewhat for certain) what they would not be. My son played by the rules for 18 years and I never knew the resentments he held for me.  He was a straight A student and beloved by teachers, pastors, and parents alike. My son was talented and friendly and I looked at him with such pride and admiration because he was proving to be so much more than me- which was my only true hope for him at all.  He was my legacy...proof that God truly does forgive and he was breaking generational curses across the board (especially with his relationship with his brother, his education, and I had hoped putting an end to the word wedlock in our name sake).
 
Our life together was filled with so much love and seemed so natural that I never imaged the weight of my hopes and dreams was crushing him to death. I never suspected that he would think that the only way he could live happily would be to live away from me all together.  I felt like I lost him and my crime against him was that I hoped in him and possibly loved him too much. God knew what He was doing, but I couldn't agree with his plan- it wasn't that I didn't want him to love, grow and experience life- I just wanted him to create new mistakes and bypass reliving mine.
 
So I focused on my fear of him losing his scholarship, getting too close to the first girl that made him feel special and inadvertantly relinquishing the gifts God had placed in him. This came from me being in gross financial debt from school, getting pregnant at 20, and only coming into the fullness of who God is now in my forties! So yes, the time without my son, who never went a night without saying I love you- was the longest, saddest 730 days of my life.  but what I learned in that time was valuable though and I'd like to share some of that with you...
 
I learned that loving God is not a guarentee of life going smoothly all the time
 
I learned that people will not always understand you determination to live by the spirit and not by the flesh
 
I learned that God is true to His Word and you will be faced with either standing on its truth or standing in your pain
 
I learned that the devil is not interested in me (or you) at all- its your relationship with God he's after
 
I learnd that love transcends pain
 
I learned that 730 is just a number
 
I learned that regardless of what grammar dictates- love, faith and hope are action verbs
 
I learned that a heart not right with God is a heart not worth having
 
I learned that God is truer to His Word than we will ever be to Him
 
I learned that patience has nothing to do with waiting and everything to do with knowing
 
And I learned that spiritual extortion is the trick of the devil!
 
I can go on and on but at the end of the day God told me to stand on His Word and I knew that was what I was going to do; So I take it to the Word of God and I start praying in Luke 15:18-20 and God not only answered my prayer, he went above and beyond as only he could do. The very thing I feared most, was the very thing God used to bring my family back together. A phone call from my son with the announcement he and his girlfriend had just had a baby would do things to my heart that I'm still having a difficult time placing in words and then it all became clear with this picture...
 
 
 
Passage Luke 15:18-20 (KJV)
   I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee,    And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants.    And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.
 
 
Please help me to welcome into the world Lillian Jayde Frederick also known as "Grandma's Lil' Angel"
 
My Let's Talk family, I ask that you pray for my son, for his new daughter and for the future of his new family.
 
 
 
 
 
Let's Talk Year End Review
 
Another year has come to an end and the promise of the new year approaches us...What better time to reflect on the journey we have taken together and to give thanks for all that God has done for us in the past year.
 
The year started out with its fair share of obstacles. By February, 2011,  I had experienced my first hospital stay since giving birth to my children and I learned firsthand what I had delivered in sermon many times prior...that my life was a direct reflection of my faith and I wasn't trusting God for much regarding my physical health.
 
Random heart palpitations and chest pains landed me in the RRU of the ER and after learning that I didn't have a heart attack, I was encouraged to lose weight and carefully monitor my blood pressure and cholesterol. On Valentine's Day, I decided to romance the Word of God and embarked on a 40 day fast to confront my relationship with food and how it was affecting my health and relationships with others.
 
I started by reading the Bible and Daniel's lesson taught me a lot about the purpose of food. Realizing God didn't call me to Daniel's fast, but to my own, I laid my bad food habits at the altar and used Pastor Gregory Dickow's 40 Day Fast from Negative Thinking for spiritual support and got a grip on my eating habits. Today, I am 32 pounds lighter and I am in the best physical shape of my life all to the glory of God!
 
Lessons about health was not all the first quarter of the year held for me...right before Easter, I was faced for the very first time with my mother's mortality as she entered the hospital with internal bleeding and I was forced to perceive life without her. I learned how easily we can take love and life for granted. I was one of those people who would easily declare "I can't imagine life without my mother" so I couldn't understand how such a far off imagination became a potential reality literally over night.
 
As the family all gathered to be around my mother, tensions ran high and emotions ran even higher. My sister and I slipped into our usual (and all too familiar) discord and the realization of my oldest son's  absence from the family hit me like a ton of bricks as he was the ONLY immediate family member not present to pray and hold each other up during that frightening time.
 
The impact of that moment in time was tremendous for this ministry and has changed my life forever. We can say quotes like "Life is short" but when faced with it's accuracy- you are forced to make a choice. I was already in the mode of thinking to live my best possible life having just come off the fast, but this was something different. Seeing my mother's fight and watching her willful determination to get well, made me want to put that same effort into how I live my life and the effort I put into this ministry.
 
I decided to chose love, peace, joy, faithfulness, patience and perseverance over fear, worry, anxiety, restlessness, and impatience. Life is a precious gift but how we live it is our choice...I am here to testify that there is no better cure for procrastination and complacency than the realization that time is a gift that we should never take for granted.
 
Our monthly empowerment seminars at the Eastern Monroe Public Library (EMPL) continue to grow and be the blessing God intends for it to be. New and familiar faces graced each meeting as we tackled topics such as: Living a Life Resolved, Unanswered Prayers, The High Price Paid (Parts 1 and 2), Blindsided, Purpose and Passion, The Scenic Route and much more! We continued to share faithful fellowship and to support one another while literally witnessing the transformation of hearts that can only happen by the goodness of the Lord.
 
God truly anoints each and every meeting and we continue to be grateful to the EMPL for allowing us to host God's important work on there site.
 
By the summers end, I was feeling compelled by the Holy Spirit to have a Youth Prayer Vigil. By this time I had shared in various group talks the anguish my family was living through due to my oldest son "departure" from our family. I had been praying incessantly for my son when so many other families were suffering hurts, pains and actual loses.  When I realized how long I had bombarded heaven requesting that my son call home or visit when other parents were facing issues with drugs, disease, even having their child overseas at war, I knew I had to ask God's forgiveness and pray for all of the young people in the world!
 
Even though the enemy tried his hardest to disrupt our event, on October 22, 2011 NOTHING could stop our praise! This was our First Annual Youth-Young Adult Prayer Vigil and an event that stretched us outside of the library and into the community. We continue to be grateful for the communities service by way of donations and general support to help our ministry further the Kingdom of God! I was especially grateful for the love and support of my husband, my youngest son, my family and my dear supporters whose love and support maintained me throughout the vigil preparation process.
 
And glory to God this year I was also able to accomplish another first...I was invited to speak on the radio to discuss the true meaning of Christmas. Now this took me entirely out of my comfort zone but I am so glad that I walked in obedience and did the show. My dear friend and ministry supporter Lorelei Sands is a DJ at pibco1.com and engaged me in a wonderful conversation about Christmas, holiday traditions and the importance of keeping Christ in Christmas. This was a perfect way to introduce our ministry to a wider audience and share God's word at the same time!
 
Finally, our year ended with the perfect treat. I was proud to host our First Annual Founders Christmas Party! What an honor and a privilege it was for me to give back to the wonderful women of faith who support this ministry and offer their continuous service. It was an awesome evening of a home cooked meal, baked goodies and delightful conversations. I give special thanks and heartfelt appreciation to our founders/supporters: Juanita Harris, Sharon Jens, Lorelei Sands, Pamela Bentzoni, Madelyn Storelli, Rosa Dubose and Larydice Moore-O'Dowd. Laughter, great conversations, and food have become a Let's Talk staple and I am looking forward to another year filled with accomplishments to share with you in 2012!
 
Let's Take a look at what we are praying for in 2012
 
 
  • Monthly speaking engagements
  • Video programming
  • Community Events
  • Couples Ministry
  • 2nd Annual Youth-Young Adult Prayer Vigil
  • And much, much more!
 
 
Glory to God, We Did It!
 
Passage 2 Chronicles 7:14
   If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
 
Prayer Vigil 2011
 
 
 
Passage Matthew 18:19 (KJV)
   Again I say unto you, That if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven.
 
 
This was an awesome experience, the ups and downs were worth every moment to get into the presence of the Lord with friends, family and community members to Praise God! 
 
We had some obstacles to overcome but they failed in comparison to God's grace as I experienced blessing after blessing throughout the day and night. 
 
First, I received a wonderful confirmation from Apostle Carolyn DeSilva from United Voices of Victory who was visiting PA from NY and was at the park when my brother and I were praying over the park and doing some last minute brainstorming. I stood in amazement as she left her own event to give me words of encouragement. She held me and read my heart like pages of a book. She knew my pain, could feel my discouragement and fear and bind Satan's attempts all in the Sweet and Holy name of Jesus and told me to move forward and complete this mission in the name of Jesus.
 
I cried in the car  with my brother because I shouldn't have needed that random encounter so much, but I did... and God being of such grace and mercy sent me a hug through the arms of a complete stranger who I now get to call my sister in Christ.
 
When my husband and I arrived at the park, we were surprised to find no lights were on. This was a particularly hard blow since I was already dealing with the program/printer/ink fiasco...we stood in the dark hopeful the lights were on a timer and grew concerned as the night grew pitch dark and the light never came on by our scheduled time of 8PM. 
 
God made his presence known to me again as I watched my husband shine our car headlights into the pavilion and hooked up an entire sound system with minimal light. My husband saw the disappointment flushing over me and reminded me I was there to do God's work and God's Will, will be done...
 
As my friends started to arrive and then family, they were shocked to find the pavilion unlit. And then something amazing happened; I watched as they all came together to light wood logs, bring in coffee and donuts, my momma's famous pumpkin muffins, juice, chips and hot dogs and helped to set everything up in the dark. The vigil candles were doubled as a source of light so that we could see through the thickness of the night and the young people gathered around like this was a planned autumn bonfire.
 
Now it was time to give Praise! I started my sermon with my husband holding a little hologen flashlight over my notes and God was definately in the building. I was surrounded by such love and I was able to look into the faces of my husband, son, niece, nephews, sister, brothers, mother, father, friends and community members and draw from their love.
 
What could have been a disaster was simply BEAUTIFUL and I was honored to share God's love, dance, sing and hold candles to heaven with them all.  If there is anything I have learned from my faith walk,  it's that there is never a testimony without a test and I am here to testify God's awesome love and kindness!
 
I love the Lord! I love that He can place something on our hearts and allow us enough challenges to remember that it is ALL to His glory. I love that a message designed for youth-young adults could apply to every man amd woman in the room because we are all children of God, and I love that God's love will always transend over fear and the enemies attempts to sabotage. Our First Annual Youth-Young Adult Prayer Vigil was such a resounding success and I can't wait to start preparing for our second and pray to see you there!
 
Since the program never made it to press I'd like to give thanks to my family and friends for their endless support. ..
  • To my husband who set up the sound system and provided the music
  • To my son Tyrik who gave up his time to help me display my faith and make T-Shirts
  • To my mother who baked her famous pumpkin muffins and set up the food and refreshments tables
  • To my big brother Tone who is always by my side
  • To Pamela Jardine who purchased flyers
  • To Sharon Jens for her tireless advertising efforts
  • To Lorelei Sands and Lisa Mangroo who purchased vigil candles and bobeches
  • To Jolanda Martinez who donated chips/snacks
  • To Dunkin Donuts Mangers Cindy (Main St.),Vanessa (Rt. 611) and Tim (Courtland St) who provided hot beverages and donuts
  • To BJ’s Wholesale manager Brenda, Weiss Markets manager Russ in Stroudsburg and Shoprite in Mt Pocono for their gift card donations
  • To Community Agencies: Boys Scouts of America, MH/MR, Catholic Social Services, Parents at the Cross, and Labor of Love for their support and resources.
  • Special thanks to Jessica O’Keefe at Parks and Recreation.
  • And especially to each and every family who walked in obedience and came out tonight to pray…I thank God for you!
 
 
 
 
Let's Talk Presents...
Our 1st Annual
Youth and Young Adult
Prayer Vigil
 
 
Join us on Saturday, October 22, 2011 as we come together to pray for all the youth and young adults in the world!
 
 
Our candle light vigil will be held at Dansbury Park in Stroudsburg, PA from 8:00 PM-10:00 PM.
 
 
This event is FREE and open to all people regardless of denomination of faith. WE believe that God has called us to this collective prayer event and everyone is welcome and encouraged to come by.
 
We will have:
  • Testimonials from youth and family members
  • Services of hope and encouragement for families
  • Access to individual and group prayer
  • Tables with community resources
  • Refreshments
  • Music
  • Vigil candles with bobeches will be provided on a first come, first served basis.
 
 
For more details...Read below!
 
 
 
 
Greetings,    
 
     My name is Evangelist Nidicka Frederick and I am writing to invite you to attend and more hopefully so, participate in a prayer vigil my ministry Let’s Talk is holding for the youth and young adults in our country.  At present, I have invited various Christian leaders in the community, including Pastors from Catholic, Pentecostal, Baptist, Lutheran, and non-denominational faiths to come together in prayer for the hearts and minds of our future generation.  This effort was bought to my heart after praying incessantly for my own son, who after going away to college- did a complete transformation in personality and faith making him unrecognizable to our family and his friends. 
 
 
     After a long while, I realized, it wasn’t right for me to bombard heaven so selfishly, but instead, I needed to recognize the hurt and pains of so many other families who were suffering due to broken relationships, addictions, unexpected/unplanned pregnancies, unemployment, educational drop outs, homelessness, and various other hardships that are plaguing our youths and young adults and consequently, their families.  I am speaking in faith as I type this note that the turn out will be reflective of the need for this vigil and Heaven will hear our collective prayers that Christ mindedness and righteous thinking will fall upon the hearts of millions of adolescents and young adults that very night!
     To date, we are still in need of much…but glory to God Dansbury Park in Stroudsburg, PA has not only confirmed our date for October 22 from 8PM-12AM, they have further waived all fees! God is truly in motion.  We are still looking for volunteers who will help create and post flyer, offer their testimony or present a service relevant to our theme for the night, performers (singers, dancers, praise and worship teams are all welcome), food servers, food donations (anything from pot luck to a bag of chips is greatly appreciated), paper products (including cutlery), drinks and of course donations of candles (which a box of 60 can be purchased at candles4less.com for 19.99).
 
 
I will keep you posted of all of the details and our progress as the date continues to near us right here on the homepage of our website. 
 
I would like to take a moment to acknowledge my wonderful husband and son, who have been a constant source of support during the planning of this event, my faithful friends and co-workers who have been giving monetary donations, participating in bake sales, and buying candles as well as my young prayer warriors who have agreed to give up their Saturday to offer their testimonies, help serve and clean up during this event…I am truly blessed to receive such love and support.  I am also grateful and excited to have had fellowship with community resources such as Labor of Love, Pregnancy Resource Center, and Parents at the Cross. I look forward to responses from the various other churches and youth groups I have reached out to. 
 
 
 
The Corrupt Mind
By Evangelist Nidicka Frederick
 
This article is long overdue especially considering I publically acknowledge Joyce Meyers and her book Battlefield of the Mind for being the vessel God used to literally save my life when I was on the brink of total self-destruction. Today I want to talk about Corruption of the Mind and how it can not only pull us away from our families, destroy friendships, end marriages and stifle employment opportunities but it is also one of the biggest hindrances between us and God.
 
We all have had negative thoughts; thoughts that something in our spirits tells us we need to move away from before they become manifested in our flesh but instead of removing them we actually foster, nourish and help bring them to fruition against the advice of the Holy Spirit. The enemy attacks us by way of our minds. Our minds are the meeting place of our sins as all actions are first formulated there. The enemy loves to corrupt our thoughts and because the enemy also knows the desires of our hearts he takes great pleasure in creating fear, anxiety and confusion in our hearts and minds that causes us to distrust God’s promise, relinquish our futures and fail at life. Corruption of the mind is the destroyer of hope and the stealer of joy!
 
One of the things I find necessary to talk about is how easily our minds can fall under corruption.  Have you ever heard a low, gnawingly convincing voice in a moment of confusion or fear that fanned the fires of your worst thoughts?  This is the voice that tells you, you have no will power when you’re trying to diet, that you’re not smart enough to get the job your second guessing about applying for, that your husband or wife isn’t faithful during an argument or even that you will never catch up and get ahead when your bank account is low…This still voice is often recognized as "The Devil on your shoulder" but it is really the enemy in your head!  The enemy is so deceitful that he can subtly convince you of anything if you continue to listen.  
 
So how is it that we can cross over into that threshold of darkness which is seemingly impossible to return from?  For that answer, I’d have to delve deep into the psychology of the likes of a murderer, rapist, or serial killer and this article is not about them but about you; who like me has a consciousness about our descent into corruption and wants desperately to hold on to the coattail of Christ to keep from completely falling into the abyss of our own negative thoughts.
 
A negative thought can be as simple as a self defeating thought about yourself like “I hate my hips” to more detrimental strongholds about yourself or others like “I hate my life”, “I hate my job”, “I’ll never make it”, “I’ll always be broke”, “I’ll never find true love”, “I’ll never get married”, “My family hates me” or various other corrupt feelings. Corrupt thoughts undermine your faith and places you outside the presence of the Holy Spirit.  One thing to know about negative thoughts is that once one permeates, it’s easier for others to join in making them even more difficult to abandon.
 
For instance: I was convinced I was ugly.  Once convinced of that, I couldn’t accept compliments and thought I must also be untalented or my talent would go unnoticed because of my ugliness. I thought no one would ever be true to me and that I would always be wanting because…I wasn't the standard of what I learned to be "pretty". I grew up during a time when the ideal of beauty was light skin, soft, long hair and skinny. I am dark complexioned, my hair was usually long but nappy, and I was always a thick girl. Combine that with growing up witnessing racial injustices which were explained away by the fact that "We just weren't born blonde with blue eyes" and you can see how I would have thought, even have been conditioned to believe, that I didn't stand a snowball's chance in hell of being seen as beautiful. Yes, the devil will even create an entire environment to substaniate your negative way of thinking!
 
Satan had convinced me that ugly people were overlooked, unloved, and disrespected. Ugliness, as taught by Satan, came from a physical place of appearances so whatever I appeared to be, must be ugly…my height... “ugly”, my complexion...“ugly” along with my size, hair texture, voice, even my smile I thought was ugly.  It took years before I learned that true ugliness is the very nature of Satan and comes from corruption of thoughts which is often than reflected in our behaviors and has nothing to do with physical appearances at all!
 
People, know this- a corrupt mind does not think rationally because the devil is not rational. He is in fact the father of lies and all that is untrue, but for a season, I believed every lie he told me about myself and that was a very difficult time for me.  Before I could learn to think differently about myself and about everything I held corrupt thoughts about, I first had to acknowledge that there was a problem.  I had to realize that my way of thinking did not bring any glory to God.  Now I could apply logic and ask "Who benefits from my corrupt way of thinking?" That answer revealed that Satan had been doing a number on me and trying to get me to relinguih my blessings. Now I would have to decide who I would believe- God’s Perfect Truth or Satan’s Impending Lies?
 
I can remember teaching a lesson about relationships out of Genesis. I taught the methodology of sin. I can remember when we discussed how original sin is far more than biting a piece of forbidden fruit; it was a systematic approach designed by Satan to cause a rift between mankind and our Creator God.  Way before the deed was acted out by Eve, it was thought out in her mind. The scripture shows us how before Eve ate from the tree of knowledge, she had a conversation with Satan in which she told Satan what was meant to be kept between her and God.  At that time, Satan was able to convince Eve that God was keeping something from her. Once convinced that what Satan said was more true than what God said, she engaged in the sin. Eve had to be convinced or her mind had to be corrupted by what Satan said first. It is imposible for Satan to tell you the truth because he is the faher of lies...
 
The devil is a liar! I am not ugly and untalented! Not only am I beautiful, but my beauty is uniquely and wonderfully mine. I am not only gifted and talented but my gifts and talents are anointed and used to the glory of God!  For years I lived with a corrupt mind.  I, like Eve, was convinced of some of the most brutish thoughts imaginable that Satan told me and today all I can do is thank God for loving me enough not to let me die with them.  When I think of all of the love I would have missed had I stayed convinced my husband didn’t love me, or the things I would not have seen had I stayed convinced I was going nowhere.  Had I allowed my thoughts to define me, I wouldn’t know my ministry, engage in my many wonderful friendships, or be able to help others the way I do today. 
 
Believing whatever Satan speaks over your life or over your calling is simply corrupt. Just as there is a methodology to sin and corruption, there is a method how to free your mind from the negative ways of Satan and I'd like to share with you how I did it-
 
1)     I acknowledged the corruption. This was incredibly hard for me because not only was I thoroughly convinced in all that I thought; I felt I had evidence to support it. Satan will validate your crazy! He will turn a friend into an enemy, make a simple phone call a dirty secret, or strike so much fear in your heart that you cannot recognize the truth from a lie.  And this is not to say that people, including those who you love, won’t do you wrong.  Unfortunately, people are flawed and things do happen but they shouldn’t have the power undermine your relationship with God.  Satan destroying your personal relationships is extra, like icing on the cake; what Satan really wants is for you to stop trusting in God.
 
2)     Confess with my mouth my sin and ask God for His guidance.  Many people think it’s enough to just acknowledge you have sinned; it’s not. It is crucial that you confess your sins to God with a heart of repentance. Once I realized how corrupt my thinking was, I immediately took it to God. I prayed and asked God to help me.  God is the only way to be delivered from anything! In your own strength, you will fail over and over again but with God, all things are possible.
 
3)     Receive the lesson, accept the blessing.  While I was yet at my lowest point, so far removed from anything even vaguely familiar, God revealed the vessel He would use to change my heart. I was in Sandy Cove, Maryland in a dangerous state of depression. I was at my church's annual women’s conference and I couldn’t receive a word from anyone! I couldn’t figure out why I had even bothered to go and excited to return home, I stopped into the bookstore to buy a book for the 5 hour ride home. I never expected to find a book with a title that described exactly what I was going through in that exact moment in time: The book was Battlefield of the Mind; the vessel, Joyce Meyers and the outcome, glory to God- I pray is evident in this article!
 
4)     Withstand the attack! Once you make a conscious decision to stop negative thinking, Satan will be vexed. He is going to use every person in your life and every trick up his sleeve to grab hold of your mind and corrupt it again. BE VIGILANT! Stand on God’s Word and equip yourself with scriptures. I would even find songs to help me fight Satan off. Every day I would recite in my mind and protest in my heart thoughts like: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me”, “By your stripes I am healed”, “Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all other things will be added to you”, “Lord, your grace is sufficient”, etc. The enemy would say- you can’t do it and I’ll start singing “We fall down, but we get up... for a Saint is just a Sinner who fell down... and got up!”
 
5)     Crucify your flesh.  Paul said he died daily for a reason. This will be a journey. Everyday will prose a new challenge but every morning is a new opportunity to get it right. I made a decision that I would do the express and exact opposite of what my flesh desired and it took months, even years to get into the habit. There was a time when my insecurities ran so deep, I thought I needed to become inspector Clouseau to judge, convict and persecute my offenders. I could easily justify invading someone’s privacy, mistreating or even withholding love once I decided someone else was wrong and deserved my wrath…this is the trick of the devil! If the flesh wants to yell, take a moment of silence. If the flesh wants to accuse, remember how they accused Christ. If the flesh tells you not to forgive, remember you were forgiven! Do the opposite every time and Satan will flee from you.
 
I promise you that if you follow these steps, you will feel better.  Within time you will notice and people around you will notice the difference. You will smile more, laugh more, and enjoy being in the presence of the Lord even more! Don’t let Satan trick you into relinquishing your blessing and create a wedge between you and God.  I truly encourage anyone who is battling with low self esteem, self doubt, anger, depression or anxiety to buy Battlefield of the Mind by Joyce Meyers. Visit her website at www.joycemeyers.org  and start your own personal journey towards rightful thinking today.
Passage 2 Timothy 1:7
For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.
 
Thank you fo sharing this time with me. Walk in your beauty, in your anointing, in your love and in your passion. You are a blessing to behold!
 
God bless you always,
Nidicka
 
 
 
 
This is How I'm Doing It!
 
 
There are two questions I have been asked by family and friends that  I absolutely love answering...The first is ”How much weight did I lose?” and the other is “How did I do it"?  Well, I am happy to share with all of my readers, supporters and anyone seeking to truly make a positive change in their lives exactly how the weight has come off (and continues to come off) without me even trying.
 
 
Diets Don't Work!
No statement has ever been truer for me. This is not to say that you cannot lose weight from a diet, you can; but for me, the weight would always return (with a vengeance) and I wouldn’t feel healthy or at my physical best.  I credit my husband for helping me to acknowledge the truth and to utilize the approach I eventually took to change my attitude towards food, forever. 
 
During one of our chats while driving to New York, I mentioned how I can’t imagine why I gain so much weight sporadically.  Joyfully, being tall, it typically takes a lot of added pounds before I would start to appear “fat” but unfortunately, it didn’t take as many added pounds for me to get winded going up and down stairs, walking any distance or to get heart palpitations so I knew I had serious work to do. My husband, who never once complained about my weight, made a comment in the car that struck a chord. He said, “You’re not ready to lose weight, if you were, you’d approach it like you do everything else you’re serious about and it would happen.” A little intrigued and a lot puzzled, I asked, “I’d approach it how exactly?” and he said “Spiritually!” I cannot explain the spiritual revelation that took place at that exact moment.
 
So now, I’m facing the reality that I had tried various diets…everything from cabbage soup, no carbs, to detox drinks, but never had I tried God.  I never imagined that God had anything to do with my weight so even though I had complained a million times about how “fat” I look on my You tube video or on tape while delivering His Word, I still never connected my ministry walk with my weight walk.  I didn’t realize that the Words that were coming out of my mouth held the power to what I was putting into my mouth and now I’m here to tell you that my relationship with God had and continues to have everything to do with my physical well being.
 
Now I am not a medical doctor or a personal trainer but I can tell you that by re establishing my life with Christ, I have broken addictions to unhealthy eating habits, gained muscles, strength and endurance as well as became healthier (blood pressure and cholesterol wise) in my body without dieting.  I do not count calories, the scale has no authority over me, and I deprive myself from nothing!  Regardless what I eat, the results are an increase in my metabolism, a healthier digestive track, and shed pounds. So how is this happening? I’m excited to tell you…
 
 
Engage in a Spiritual Awakening!
 
Years ago I started Pastor Gregory Dickow’s Fast from Negative Thinking.   It is a forty day journey that confronts our thought process and reinforces positive thinking using the scripture as the cornerstone of effective change. (http://www.changinglives.org/) After about a week of following his daily fast, I started “feeling better”, so I collected the notes for the “next time I’d need them”.  Although at that time, I didn’t recognize the immaturity of my spirit, I later learned that I needed each and every day of the fast and allowed Satan to derail me from my blessings in completing it.  Nonetheless, for a season, it sat in my yahoo mail folder, unused.  Time had passed since my husband and I had that conversation in the car and I found myself weighing over the 200lbs mark.  Now granted, at 5’9, that may not seem detrimental to someone struggling with extreme weight concerns, but I truly believe that my weight was one of the contributing factors that landed me admitted in the hospital overnight with heart irregularities needing nitroglycerin and monitoring to correct.
 
I wasn’t healthy.  Now sickness is something that most Christians feel comfortable taking to God.  Now that I was able to truly see how “unhealthy” I was, my husband’s initial advice became much easier to take, or as he put it…I became "ready".  Now I’m going to start speaking in language that relates specifically to my walk- this avoids issues of debate and debacle.  My weight has always been a manifestation of feelings.  I can remember doing a sermon teaching how our lives are a direct reflection of our belief systems…meaning we have and live exactly what we trust God for, and for me, my weight was no different.  When asked what size I wore, I could have easily answered, “my circumstance”. Now I’m certain that there are a lot of skinny miserable people but the premise is the same, only the question would be different.  Some of us wear our appearance while others may wear their behaviors but our “look” is often reflective of our spirits one way or another. 
I couldn’t successfully become physically healthy because I was still mentally and spiritually unhealthy so I knew much like my husband implied, that I’d have to change my entire approach. I prayed, in my readiness and placed my weight (all the mental, physical, emotional and spiritual aspects of it) at the altar.  I was called into a season of prayer and fasting.  Initially, I thought it was the “Daniel fast” I was being called to do, but God revealed quickly, that He was not dealing with Daniel, he was dealing with me and I was to only take heed to his example. So I read the book of Daniel and prayed.  I figured out that the fast I put away after only a week was the fast I was being called to, so I combined my knowledge of how God intends for me to eat (sacrificing fast food, soda, coffee, cheese, meat except chicken and fish, chips and candy) with Pastor Dickow’s Fast from Negative Thinking and today I have a new relationship with God and food. 
 
 
Embrace the Change!
 
Something funny happened at work the other day; I went to eat a mini piece of chocolate out of my supervisor’s office and one of the ladies who I work with tried to stop me. She asked, “Aren’t you dieting?”  And I couldn’t answer “No” fast enough.  I wasn’t looking for something to eat because I was frustrated with my day, had just received a horrible call, or was under pressure to submit work.  I wasn't angry, depressed and seeking the slightest comfort…it was just a little piece of chocolate…powerless and void of emotion.  I ate a piece of chocolate for the sake of wanting a little piece of chocolate and none thing else! Not only did forty days of fasting create new habits and renew my thinking, it also took the authority away from desserts, treats, and the scale which once bound me. Food was never intended to be a spiritual stronghold for us.   This experience created the balance that I would need to continue with life long good habits. No deprivation needed.  I learned that God feeds my spirit and by having a completely nourished mind, I simply perceived food differently. 
 
I confronted not only how I felt about food but what I was thinking about myself and my life everyday in general.  I noticed that I stopped at McDonald’s almost every day on the way to work for “breakfast” with oatmeal in my cupboard at home not because I love McDonald’s breakfast but because I hated my job! Going to work was just easier with a coffee coolata, sausage biscuit, or French toast sticks in hand from one of my favorite fast food joints. I realized that a single cupcake or piece of candy was not satisfying me because I was eating for the purpose of feeling better, not feeling full.
 
But once I got fed from the Word of God and started getting full from the fruits of the spirit, everything I ate not only tasted better but ironically I needed less to get physically full.  After learning how to change the negative thoughts I held towards myself and my circumstance, I also started incorporating time with me, for me.  I started exercising-(I am a huge Turbo Jam and The Firm enthusiast), walking, running, drawing and even singing again!  I found that a healthy frame of mind encourages positive choices and included doing things that make me feel good, utilizes my gifts and talents, and evokes a sense of accomplishment and pride in being wonderfully me! 
 
 
 
The Principles of Righteousness goes Across the Board!
I can remember when I gave up profanities. I stopped cursing years ago because it was revealed to me in the scripture that the same mouth that offers praise should not also curse (James 3:9-10). It was just plain common sense…logical even.  Let’s look at the Word of God and apply its logic, its basic principle to how we treat ourselves:
 
Passage 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (KJV)
What? Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?
For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.
 
My body is a gift! It houses the Holy Spirit and is intended to glorify God!  Any form of excess which can cause or causes: high blood pressure, heart disease, high cholesterol, diabetes, STD, etc. is not to the honor of God.  It is only natural to want to please God and respect the gift he has given me.  Of course this is a daily walk but you can cheat on a diet, you can’t cheat on God. What makes this journey so peaceful and beautiful is that you take it growing closer to God.  He is with you, never judges or forsakes you so you can never fail. You can stand on His promises to that avail!  You don’t have to rely on gimmicks, fades, crazes or your own strength because God is your strength!
·        Zech 4:6
·        2Cor 12:9-10
·        Phil 4:13
·        1 Pet 5:10
So in a nutshell this is how I did it and will continue to do it for the rest of my life:
 
       1.)  I put my struggle on the altar and made it a spiritual endeavor
 
        2.) I learned what the scripture says about food and my body
 
        3.) I went into a season of fasting and prayer- I suggest Pastor Gregory Dickow’s 40 Day Fast from Negative Thinking (posted but don’t forget to go to the official website!)
 
         4.) I emerged 27 lbs lighter (and counting), 100 times healthier and even more IN LOVE WITH THE LORD than ever before!
 
 
Now tell me what you think.  I hope this was encouraging and inspires you to reflect your love of the Lord from the inside out. Send me a message and open a dialogue. I believe that everything you need to reflect who you are in Christ is already within you.  I believe that you have the victory over every struggle and addiction in your life, and I believe with God, it is impossible to fail.  Say good bye to dieting and hello to living a life reflective of God’s goodness! Let's Talk about it...
 
Blessings to you always,
Evangelist Nidicka Frederick
 
07/13/11 3:58PM
 Last week my 13-yr old daughter decided it was okay to share a beer with several friends w/o, of course, any adult permission; however, what was worse for me, was the fact that she had also smoked cigarettes. She actually had the audacity to tell me it was her body and in the heat of the moment, I told her it was not her body until she's age 18 because she is under my charge - not completely true, of course! Thanks for your article and Bible verses for looking up with my daughter about how our bodies belong to Christ and are to be used for His glory!
 
 
 
Just Pray
By Evangelist Nidicka Frederick
    
 
     These are difficult times indeed!  For many, the economy is crashing around them, the world is vexed with hurricanes, earthquakes, and floods, while typical worldly chaos remains at an all time rampant high...things can appear quite grim.  Within the last 10 years, we have experienced the terrorism of 911, the devastation of a 7.0 earthquake in Haiti, Hurricane Katrina, massive quakes and tsunami's in Japan and have had the end of the world predicted on more than one occasion. Its no wonder that many are finding it difficult to focus on their day to day functions and are falling further out of faith with each passing day.  My thoughts towards all of this is a simple suggestion, "Just pray."  I want to share with you how that simple instruction can get you through the worst of times but first you must learn the magnitude and the power of prayers and be willing to look at what your hesistancy towards those words might actually mean.
 
     I can remember when I was struggling with what felt like (then) the most difficult time of my life and being told on a regular basis to "Just pray about it".  In fact, I can also remember having one of those Ally McBeal, out of body thoughts where I could imagine literally punching in the face the very next person who told me to "Just pray"! I was livid by how flip and indifferent others regarded my suffering and I was especially angry that anyone would have the audacity to assume that I haven't been praying already. It wasn't until much later, when I was neck deep in self-pity and in the broken ruins of my life that I learned to surrender and it was in that place of surrender that I learned what was truly meant by those two simple words, "Just pray".
 
    I prayed constantly. What I didn't pay enough attention to was the words that I was using to communicate with God. I am here to tell you that you can pray wrong. I know I did (for years!). I prayed often but I often prayed wrong. I would spend countless hours telling God what I wanted, how I expected He should give it to me, and I'd even follow up with what I thought He should do to others who clearly loved Him less than me. I communicated with God, the creator of this universe and all within like He were my personal hitman, genie or Santa Clause. Take a minute to reflect on how you have been praying. In a world with catastrophic calamities ensuing, I thought my problems the most significant and with all the time I spent focusing on my needs, I couldn't understand why God would not just answer my prayers for my personal happiness.  In retrospect, I'm embarrassed by how self asborbed I was, but to be able to share this as a testimony is further evidence of God's mercy and grace.
 
     In my place of surrender, Jesus spoke to my heart and told me that I should pray in the same manner He taught the disciples. Prayer is never meant as a means to gratify the flesh or worldly desires. It took a long time for me to understand that I didn't even have the right motives when I prayed and that most of things I prayed for were to statisfy my own wants and desires and not being sought in willingness to surrender to God's will. And so to really understand how to pray, we need to understand the ingredients for a prayer which should  always include; Acknowledgement (of who you are praying to), thanksgiving, repentance, and supplication. Let's look at the Word of God.
 
Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
   Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
   Give us this day our daily bread.
   And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
   And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
Matthew 6:9-13(KJV)
 
     Now I must have recited The Lord's Prayer a million times and had it memorized sinced my elemetary, private school days but it wasn't until I was at my weakest, that God revealed to me the strength found in simply knowing how to pray. You see, that was the difference; it wasn't bad advice I was getting being told to pray; and the audacity I mentioned wasn't in assumig that I hadn't prayed- it was in assuming that I knew how to pray at all. 
 
    For the longest time, I thought I was resenting the lack of interest in my plight. I thought it was condescending to say "pray" when I was heartbroken believing my prayers were going unanswered- But in my hardest times, God's grace really was sufficient, healing, amazing, powerful and all that I needed. The purpose of this article is to remind you that when you pray, even in the state of this economy, with all the devastations going on around the world, and where ever you stand in your life circumstance, God's grace really is sufficient, healing, amazing and powerful!
 
     Let's take a moment to just pray together.  With complete acknowledgement of your pain and with heartfelt belief that you have already prayed, will you take this moment to pray with me? It took years for me to get my life into perspective.  It took years before I would realize that the tears I cried were already shed for me and that I was forgiven, redeemed and saved by the blood of Jesus. I worried over my finances, my marriage, my health, my children, my career, broken relationships and my future when all I needed to do was to pray through my circumstance. There is power in surrending to God and acknowledging that He is in control. There is power in praying for others, even your enemies and in realizing that your problem(s), however big, are not the biggest and most important problems in the world. Right now, in the midst of your circumstance, let's just pray-
 
Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name.
Lord, I acknowledge that you are God and Holy is your name!
 
 
Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
Lord, I long to be with you. I will live by your will while I am here on earth so that I can take my place with you in heaven!
 
Give us this day our daily bread.
Thank you Lord, for making every provision in my life! You supply all of my needs!
 
 
And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors.
Lord, I repent of my sins and ask that you forgive me and I will walk in forgiveness towards others as set forth by your example.
 
 
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever.
Lord, keep me from falling under the corruption of my flesh. Help me to make deccisios that shows how much I love you. For you are my Savior, you are my power, and to you I give all the glory,
 
Amen!
 
 
May the love, peace and joy of the Lord be with you today and always!
Nidicka-
 
 
 
In Just 20 Short Days…
By Evg. Nidicka Frederick
 
God has revealed so much during this fast and it’s hard for me to believe that the first twenty days have gone by already.  During the first week, I knew God was speaking to my heart and that I would be the better for acting in obedience to His call that I should fast.  Coming into this, I assumed I would be praying for the obvious wants…Blessings in my marriage, in my finances, in my children’s life, in my parent’s health, for my siblings, movement in my career, etc.  but instead, I am so excited that the first half of this fast was designated not to asking for anything but simply listening to what God has been placing on my heart, in some instances, for years now. 
 
Since I’ve invited so many to take this journey with me, I thought I’d share some of what God has been speaking to my heart.  My decision to share this is twofold:  On one hand, I promised to be a support to those who might be struggling with their own journey.  I’d like to offer what I’ve learned as a possible place to start for someone who might be saying…”I’m not quite getting anything out of this so far…” I promise you this is the express trick of the Devil and he is trying desperately to steal your anointing and your blessing God has for you at the end of this journey.  The second, if I should fall short, in my behaviors after this fast, I’d like for what I share now to be repeated back to me to get me back on track if needed.
 
I was just sharing with a friend, Satan is so specific at what he wants and although we can credit him for the devastations of life like ruins in our finances and the destructions of marriages; it is not a depleted bank account and a broken home that Satan wants. He is interested in destroying your relationship with Christ as you go through it. Satan could care less if you get a divorce.  He wants to make sure that you stop believing God’s promise of a happily ever after.  Satan can care less if you lose your job, he wants you to stop trusting God for the financial blessing He promised you… the devastations are a means to a much greater end- Satan wants our faith, our patience, our joy and our intimacy with Christ.  Getting us all out of whack is just how Satan has his fun in the process.
 
God has been merciful enough to share with me some major themes about my personal relationship with Him, my family, my finances and even my eating habits that are truly worth sharing. I need to take a quick second to just thank and acknowledge Pastor Gregory Dickow whose daily messages and inspirations have opened up such a wonderful dialogue between me and my Savior and I’m so thankful that he had the fortitude to address such an important topic as ‘how we think’ in the body of Christ. It’s amazing what you see when you stop looking and what you hear when you are quiet and still enough to listen…Thank you for leading me to stillness so I could hear God’s voice. 
 
On faith-
I have been reciting Hebrews 11:1 for years now because I have been trusting God for things that I have not seen come to pass yet, but I still hold God to His word. The problem with this is when the reality of a circumstance becomes so convincing and you are now left to wait on something less superficial, you can start to lose faith as quickly and as easily as the memorization of that scripture. For instance; I have been trusting God for an opening in the television writing field for years now.  I feel like I can wait on that forever because I never had it to begin with.  So here I am feeling all evolved like “I have the faith that can move mountains” because I’m not freaking out completely over not having what I’ve never known.
 
Now I’m thinking… am I waiting patiently or am I not entirely faithful that God can get me a position in television? That answer becomes a lot clearer once I’m expected to have faith in an area much closer to my heart...literally.  One minute, I'm feeling fine, the picture of health and the next, I'm being admitted into the hospital with heart palpitations trying to prevent a stroke.  Where is my faith now? You know, the kind that can move mountains? Faith is a daily walk.  It is easy to believe in what you see and in what you can explain or control but faith, the kind required to have a personal relationship with Christ is hard work and requires daily exercise!
 
I learned over the past couple of weeks fasting that I have a love for God that can move mountains but my faith needs much more exercise to gain its full strength. Growing complacent in your struggle is not an exercise of faith.  I have an older son who I have become estranged from. I thought I was acting in faith to just “let go and let God” handle whatever my oldest son was going through.  Each time I’d fight him, I’d fight in my own strength, feel completely defeated and then place the situation back on God to play the waiting game.  During this time, I learned that faith is not something you sit on, it is something you move in. This is why the scripture tells us to".. fight the good fight of faith."
 
I guess this is why it is said in scripture that faith without works is dead.  I have not, in the fullness of my faith, called on God to end this rift between me and my son, my finances, my employment, my health or any other adversities I face in my daily walk.  I have not stood on God’s Word and shown God on a daily basis that “No weapon formed against me shall ever prosper”. 
 
Not moving in faith is the equivalent of being a coward in the comfort of His love.  It is important that we remember that the scripture does not say that if we should have the love of a grain of a mustard seed, we could tell a mountain to and it would move; it speaks this of our faith. The scripture does not remind us of the love of Job, Daniel, Sara, Abraham, Noah, Abel and Enoch; it reminds us of their great faith.  It is the faith of Moses, Isaac, Joseph, Samson and Rahab that we are reminded of throughout the Old and the New Testaments.
 
Hebrews 11:6 says “But without faith it is impossible to please him (God): for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is the rewarder of them that diligently seek him”.
 
Although for the past 20 days I have eaten much less food than usual, I have been fed beyond the required nourishment to my very soul.  Please feel free to share with me your experience or write me with any questions or comments about this 40 day journey. I look forward to connecting with you again in the next twenty.
God bless you,
Nidicka
 
A 40 Day Journey
(we can take together)
 
By Nidicka Harris-Frederick
 
I can remember the first time I went on a fast with my church.  My mom called and asked, “Ne are you doing the fast with us this year?” and without delay, I agreed. It was a three day consecration and at that time, I didn’t even know what the word consecration meant. Water only, and a sip of tea if I felt weak was all the instruction I got and all the instruction I thought I needed. I wasn’t hours into day one before I complained to my father, “This sucks!” and even with my colorful choice of words, I didn’t realize that I wasn’t in a spiritual place to fast-
 
I'd continue with my father, "I’m starving! Everything seems to smell extra good and I have a headache!" I was so cranky, I couldn't even think straight and I was sure it was because I didn’t eat enough the day before to start a fast. Finally, in utter disgust for having made the commitment to fast, I spoke the words I should have spoken before taking on the commitment when I asked my dad, “Why would anyone want to fast…and what’s fasting really about anyway?” Had I had the spiritual maturity to ask that question initially, my entire experience would have been different but I thank God that it went exactly the way it did because today, I can draw back on a real experience that makes fasting much easier to do and to encourage others to do with the right mind and spirit. Hereis wat I've learned-
 
Fasting is not about "not eating".  Although it is common to reduce, alter or eliminate certain foods all together during periods of fasting, it is not uncommon to fast behaviors or habits as well. A television program, music, caffeine, and complaining are all things we could fast to grow closer to God. The idea to fasting is growing closer in intimacy with God. 
 
Although you can pray without fasting and fast without praying, I cannot seem to fast without continual prayer. There are many reasons why God’s children should fast. For me, it’s a time to hollow out the noises and distractions of the world so that I can purposely and wholeheartedly listen for God’s will.  Other reasons to fast may include asking God to deliver us out of burdensome situations or when we feel like we are up against powers that require strength that can only come from God.
 
Once I learned about how and why we should fast, I realized that fasting should become a routine part of my walk.  I fast the last Friday of every month before I deliver God’s Word in effort to consecrate my body and receive God’s divine wisdom. I use that time of fasting to abandon my own objectives and to submit completely to the will of God.  It has been my experience that as you continue to grow and mature in the spirit, God will also call you too fast. I love this because I feel especially loved knowing that God would place in my heart that I should get in His presence. Which brings me to the fast I’m inviting you to join me in now. I am embarking on a 40 day journey of fasting and praying and I would love if you would join me.
 
I’d like for my readers, family and friends to complete Pastor Gregory Dickow’s 40 Day Fast from Negative Thinking with me. In the past, I’ve treated this fast like an antibiotic…as soon as I started to feel better, I stopped fasting. That is not purposeful fasting.  I love this particular fast because it addresses so many infirmities of the mind.  Although I wasn’t obedient to the fast as intended years ago, I did collect all of the devotionals and now I am ready to revisit this fast having developed and matured spiritually.  
 
I am combining this fast from negative thinking with a detoxification fast. So for 40 days, I am also eliminating snacks,chocolate, coffee, sugar, fried foods, fast foods, white grains (bread, pasta, rice, etc) and wine from my life. My diet will be made up primarily of fruits, vegetables, nuts, whole grains, fish, white meat chicken, 100% juice and water. The foods I am sacraficing are some of the "comfort foods" I have been leaning on, looking foward to, making my strength in times of stress and allowing to comfort me instead of Christ. Cracking open a cold Coke was the equivalent of lighting a cigarette for me and about as equally as healthy.
 
Do not confuse this with a diet. This is a fast because I am not doing this with the hopes or intentions of losing weight and I acknowledge that I cannot create better habits for my life without receiving guidance and strength from God first. Although this may seem like just a healthier way of eating, if you knew my particular eating habits and th authority I have given junk food in my life, you would understand that this is indeed fasting for me.
 
It is my sincere hopes that after this designated time of fellowship with God that I will have the strength to make better choices and engage in ongoing healthier eating habits, make better choices regarding food and exercise, have better responses, be more forgiving, as well as be more focused and secure in the future God has designed for me. Please consider joining me. I will have a comment and question board up on the page titled A 40 Day Journey along with links to Pastor Gregory Dickow's ministry. And as always, I am available via phone, text, e-mail, etc. to pray with you and discuss this endeavor in greater detail.
 
With love,
Evangelist Nidicka Frederick
 
 
 
 
 
Let's Talk About SURRENDERING
 
 
What is it about that word that is so difficult to establish?  Is it the idea of giving up, giving in or letting go that drives us utterly insane or are we a generation so desperate to be in control that the very thought of relinquishing anything, even our own pain, just seem too much to handle? Whatever the matter, I am here to share with you the power found in the idea of SURRENDER and explain why you can not have the peace you are looking for in your life without it.
 
I can remember when I suffered from the disease “I”itious.  “I” itious is a disease of control that causes spiritual, physical and psychological warfare on the mind, body and soul and it could have killed me…literally. “I” had to be in control of everything. “I” had the answers to fix every problem and when they ended up in a greater disaster than previous, “I” thought that “I” had to come up with the fix for that too! “I” was trying to handle my emotional state as well as what others were feeling (in their lives and/or about me; it didn’t matter) and “I” thought “I” had to handle that too.
 
Whether it were bills, work, school, money, heartstrings, fidelity, my parents, my children, my relationships and/or the lack thereof; “I” had to have it all under control. I never felt like “I” got what was deserved, I believed “I” always got the crap end of the stick, and “I” would often turn to God in anguish with the same cries, “Lord, what about me?” I allowed myself to believe “I” was always alone, things would never change, and “I” deserved whatever bad things happened to me because I was not worthy of the things I hoped for anyway.
 
Dreams, the future and even someone else’s past, all made its way into my cipher of caring and like magic became part of my thoughts, making it my burden and hence my problem…but “I” had it under control. That is until the day “I” found myself standing alongside the Chesapeake Bay contemplating jumping in and ending it all! That was the day I came to terms with my diagnosis of the “I”itious and it was also the day God offered me a cure. I’d like share with you what God shared with me when He spared me that day.
 
God shared with me lessons that day that I continue to share in seminars, in therapy sessions and now with you about Surrender and it is my sincerest hope that you will allow my journey to create within  you an option for freedom from self prescribed anxieties much like those I once prescribed myself. In my book God’s Perfect Truth, I wrote about an incredible experience I had with the Lord. I was having a recurring dream for months. It was driving me insane (so I thought at the time) and I would have done anything just to make it go away. I would wake up in the middle of the night to the taste of my own tears or have my husband awake me with a gentle “Ne, it’s happening again”.
 
This dream was the equivalent of a nightmare not because it echoed images of ghost and goblins but because of its haunting affects.  In short, in this dream I was surrounded by millions of faceless people, all in white and one of them slipped me a bag. I accepted the bag and allowed my curiosity to take a peek into the bag and found every infirmity of my life inside of it. I could feel myself losing all hope and dreams as fear, jealousy, insecurity, restlessness, pain and anxiety were part of its content.
 
Now the owner of this cursed purse, I became determined to give this package back to tha one faceless person that had given it to me.  Everyone else seemed smarter than me knowing not to take ownership of this bag and although I could hear a voice in the distance saying “Give it to me, I will take it”, I was hell bent and determined to give it back exclusively, to its rightful owner.
 
When God paints a picture, He can paint it in all white and yet make it colorful at the same time!  I now understand that it was the Lord asking me to relieve all of my burdens and cares on Him and even with God as the only viable option, I was STILL determined to handle things myself.  Much like in my real life, in my dreams, I thought that if I just tried hard enough and were persistent enough that “I” could affect those people in my life who were making me into the version of myself I had become.  Everything wrong with me was someone else’s fault and I felt obligated to make them “own” their part in my misery. But God doesn’t work that way. God was waiting for me to SURRENDER and He is also waiting for you.
 
In order for me to get anywhere in my life and especially in my walk with the Lord, I would have to SURRENDER to Him completely.  I could never have imagined how hard it would be for me to just rest in this concept alone. I always thought that “Letting go” was synonymous with “Giving in”, “Giving up” and “Losing”. I thought that the very nature of the word implied “weakness”. It took a while for me to learn that the only way for me to get strong was to find rest in my weakness and to allow God’s strength to lead. 
 
2 Corinthians 12:9
And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. (KJV)
 
We can actually find strength in the knowledge of God’s sovereign power.  We don’t need to validate our pain. We don’t have to collect evidence against those who have hurt us or live miserable “Woe is me” lives.  It is expected that we cast our burdens to the Lord and many of us are holding on to them so tightly that we cannot separate our circumstance from our lives! Stop trying to make others responsible for your discontent when God is clearly offering you an option to live in purpose. I remember when God revealed this to me and I remember having that now infamous by Oprah “Ah moment” when I finally said out of my heart and soul “Lord, I surrender”.  Say it now- it literally works for everything. Because God has authored your life, He knows your beginning and your end.  Just go ahead and confess from your mouth, “Lord I surrender” Whether its your…negativity, procrastination, unhealthy living, making reckless choices, marriage, volatile relationships, finances, infidelity, meanness, depression, poor habits, eating habits, loneliness, a spirit of  laziness, etc- SURRENDER! God is willing to take it all and the minute you trust him with it, is the very moment you will establish the relationship that will help you live the life God truly intends for you. 
 
 
Living in Anger
 By Nidicka Frederick
 
I have lived at various addresses throughout my life. And regardless of where I was living, what I could never get past was how I was living. It was never an issue of residency, furniture, food, cramped spaces or square footage for me but more likely matters of the heart. It took a long time before I realized that the loneliest, scariest place that I have ever resided was with my self, in my own anger and misery.  What was even scarier to learn was that in order for me to survive I’d not only have to move, but I’d have to unload a lot baggage. 
 
 
This is about the renewal of thought processes that is necessary for us to have the relationship with God that relieves us of anger. It might require, for some, giving up old habits and teaching yourself how to “un think” the way you’d normally think but I promise, it will be worth it.  Many of us are runners. We are running out of energy, running from our fears, running out of faith, and running out of time.  Last night, I was packing boxes preparing for my own literal move when God shared these thoughts with me and now, in the spirit of our theme of renewal, I’d like to share them with you.
 
 
I have always been too quick to anger. I don’t know if it’s personality, genetics or a twisted combination of both, but I can get and stay extremely angry.  What many people may not realize about anger is that it’s not an isolated emotion. Anger will very rarely, if ever, live alone and will often invite its cousins depression, fear, anxiety, frustration, justification, faithlessness, and outburst to live with it in your soul.  I can remember thinking to myself and even having confirmed the notion, “It’s okay to be angry, even Jesus was angered in the temple!” but there is huge difference between experiencing anger and living in anger and that is a point often overlooked and ignored.
 
 
As a student of psychological theory, I can assert that it is indeed healthy to experience a wide range of emotions.  Many people are counseled on how to go through emotional processes like grieving when faced with loss but not many classes are offered teaching how to cope with and get through feelings of: insecurity, loneliness, impatience, dependency (whether dependency is on drugs, sex, welfare, or toxic relationships doesn’t matter the premise is the same) and anger.  Expressing your emotions is a natural thing but no emotion is healthy if it consumes you, immobilizes you from receiving or even recognizing a blessing, and/or keeps you from being able to move forward in Christ. This is even true of love which makes the old adage “There’s a thin line between love and hate” surprisingly accurate. Anger, much like love has been taught wrong, misused and grossly misunderstood which is why it is understandable how easy (and often) we can find ourselves stuck in that emotion.  Love, the way God intends us to know it expands across a vast range of emotions:
 
Passage 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 (NLT)
    Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance
 
To say you love someone and then accuse them, constantly fight with them, manipulate them and obsess over them is not what love is in God’s eyes!  You can be offended by someone you love. Someone you love may hurt your feelings and disappoint you. Loving someone does not justify jealous, boastful, and proud behaviors. Loving someone does not justify being obsessive and trying to isolate someone from loving others. But true love never gives up, never loses faith, is hopeful, and endures in every circumstance. I could spend my entire life just trying to get that right. One of the things we fail to realize is just as we are taught how to love by our own experiences with it, so too are we taught how to be angry. 
 
Have you ever seen parents reward anger?  I know I have. I can remember sending my son out to confront bullies telling him how proud I’d be for him to knock someone else out. I have even gone so far as to threaten him with a beating from me if he’d let someone else beat him up. As a school teacher, I have confronted parents on their all too familiar lunacy as I witnessed that same poorly given advice cause children to get expelled and hurt.  Anger (and therefore not knowing how to release it) is learned but not talked about very openly, especially in the church. Maybe it’s too difficult for us to admit how often we’ve encouraged the very emotion that grows out of control and then separates us from our relationship with Christ. 
 
Before God came into my heart and I became familiar with His Word, I learned what love looks like (and therefore must be) by what I observed by others and by what I experienced for myself.  I thought I could engage in a volatile relationship and call it love; after all, it worked on TV.  Then, when I became thoroughly convinced my husband did not love me, I compared his behaviors to the evidence of true love I had witness in soap operas and TV.  “What, no roses, you don’t cry and want to whisk me off to a tropical island to declare your undying love to me? You don’t want to be with me every second of the day! You don’t truly love me!” These were the ranting of a person who could not recognize the genuine love that was right in my face because I had diluted what love truly is with images of what was clearly tainted.
 
Anger is an emotion that is easily drawn from love. I, in fact, am a person who would grow angrier towards the people I love because their offenses seemed to hurt the most. It’s this thought process that lend hand to yet another old adage “You always hurt the ones you love”.  If we are not careful, just as we can misidentify love, we can justify and hold on to anger that God allows us to experience but not own. Now I’m moving back to the moving analogy.  Many people believe they are okay to live with anger. Have you ever heard, felt or said, “I’ve just learned to go on and live with it.”  That statement is a tell tale sign that you are setting up residency in a place where you don’t belong.
 
Some important facts you need to consider about anger are:  1.) Anger will literal corrupt your mind and can cause physical weariness Passage Psalm 38:3 (KJV)  There is no soundness in my flesh because of thine anger; neither is there any rest in my bones because of my sin.  2.) Anger will be accompanied with negative behaviors Passage Ephesians 4:31(KJV) Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: and 3.) Anger is a place to visit but you are never intended to stay there! Passage Psalm 30:5(KJV) For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.
 
God never intends for His children to live angry, bitter, saddened, discontented, disappointed, and unfulfilled lives.  So how do you stop? Where do you begin? I usually find that the hardest step towards reaching any goal is the first step.  This is not a lesson to “get”; this is a lesson to incorporate into your lifestyle and make a practice out of applying. Take one step at a time.  Being a proponent of Psalms 137:23-24 I like to start in front of a mirror, with myself, in confession.  Take a minute to really look at yourself. Don’t feel humiliated or angry with yourself yet open up your heart to the potential of healing and living life right. Notice that you’re holding baggage that belongs to God and that you are living in a place where He, in His righteous could not visit you.  If you are holding on to grudges, attitudes, anger and meanness towards someone decide that with Gods help, you will try (everyday) to let it go. 
 
NOTE: I always caution people with using this time of self reflection to declare they “forgive someone” else.  I’m especially cautious with that because usually the one saying they forgive you is the one who needs forgiving!  Also declaring you forgive someone else also takes the burden of self reflection off of you and places your behaviors back in the fault of someone else which defeats our purpose.  I recently received a phone call in which the first statement was “I want you to know that I forgive you…” and I deleted the message because in that person’s arrogance, they could not recognize what they had done wrong and became immediately self righteous.  I mention quite frequently in my sessions and seminars the difference between trying to live righteously VS living self righteously and there is a BIG difference.
 
Now I’m not discouraging anyone from “forgiving” another but it’s important to remember that only God can forgive our sins.  People who offend us are hurting us but are only sinning against God. It’s more likely that we learn how to be offended, how to be despised, how to be mistrusted or accused and live through it by not wishing or doing harm to our offenders than “forgiving” them. Believing you have the authority to forgive someone else’s sin is another pitfall into self righteousness that you want to avoid. Next, pay attention!  Once you tell God you want to change He will remind you and convict you when your behavior is the same.  Now that you’ve unloaded some baggage, you’re free to move away freely from bad habits (and sometimes people) that want to hold you hostage to old ways. 
 
Change is never easy but often necessary.  Living with anger is toxic.  It will affect your health, your physical appearance, your social life, your professional life and all other aspects of your life when you hold on to, fester in and harbor anger towards a person or a circumstance.  Just as you can feel when a cold is coming on by aches, pains or even a fever; you can also tell when you are living with anger by looking closely at your spiritual symptoms; if you are avoiding talking to someone, constantly on the defensive, holding a grudge, miserable more than joyful,  have a spirit of complaining, seem more pessimistic than optimistic, have a difficult time saying sorry, have a more difficult time accepting an apology, constantly refer to, recall and recount past pains, and find yourself stuck in the same place you were years prior…you might be living in anger.
 
The only thing left to do after you surrender your problems to God, accept accountability for how you feel, and pay attention to your progress (and inevitable regression but with God you’ll get right back up) is to share God’s love with someone else. 
 
Resting in Rightness
 By Nidicka Frederick
 
 
One of the things I have learned but that took a very long time for me to master is resting in rightness.  What does that mean? I’m glad you asked because once you learn how to master this Christian characteristic, I believe you will find a renewal in how you communicate with, respond to, and even respect others around you. Let’s talk about it.
 
I have a personality that hates being wrong. I think many of us (who are honest) can relate to that.  As we continue to draw on our theme of renewal, one of the things that you can practice is learning what you can do and what you cannot do (in your own strength). I’ll give you an example and it’s a big one.  I spent a lot of time trying to “fix” my husband.  I thought that I could “change him”. Because I had this misconceived notion stuck in my head, I’ve spent countless hours with my husband in arguments, screaming matches, and sometimes separate rooms because I didn’t know he had a right to be wrong.  I thought that my self righteousness served as evidence of my rightness which made me wrong every time! Confused? Let’s look closer...
 
Usually, when someone is so focused on trying to change someone else; the true burden of change lies within.  And usually when someone spends a lot of time demanding acknowledgement of their rightness, they are usually in a place of ‘self-righteousness” and consequently, in the wrong. This truth revealed to me from God is the very reason why I start all counseling sessions (whether it’s financial, marital, or otherwise) with the scripture Psalms 137:23-24. Renewal of spirit literally starts with you.  But what does that have to do with rightness? I’ll show you.
 
Have you ever gotten into an argument or disagreement with someone and felt this compulsive urge to prove you were the one in the right?  Have you ever taken an argument or small disagreement to the pitch of yelling (to make a point of course) in hopes of someone hearing you and finally agreeing with you being in the right?  Have you ever searched through some else’s property to find condemning “evidence” against them, or even eavesdropped in on a private conversation in hopes of gaining the “proof” necessary to drive home your point which is simply “You are right and they are wrong”? If you can relate to any of these feelings then there is a good chance you do not know how to rest in rightness.
 
Being right does not mean you have an obligation to “prove” someone else is wrong. I was always under the assumption that being right was this triumphant victory that can only be gained by admission of someone else’s wrongness.  Now of course, if I believe myself to be in the right, you can believe that the person whom I thought was wrong thought themselves doubly in the right (and hence the battle would ensue).  Are you aware that arguing, nitpicking, judging others, and holding yourself as self righteous is wrong in the eyes of the Lord?  God has not appointed any of us as judge and jury over the salvation of his creation.
 
Many of God’s people are struggling with how we love, how we receive love, how we communicate, how we are communicated with, how we offer respect and with how we are respected- simply because we don’t understand that we are to rest in our rightness. 
 
There is a huge different between being “righteous” and being “self-righteous”.  Being righteous is what God wants of His children. He wants us to live right, be right and rest in HIM so that HE can rectify what is wrong within and around us.  Let's look at another example- your alcoholic husband doe not need you to tell him that his drinking is wrong. Therefore each time he drinks too much or wants to go out with the guys to the bar; you are not required to berate him, judge him, condemn him and create behaviors which just describing, is driving me to a bottle!  He can be wrong all by himself and your self righteous indignation will not make him stop drinking or get you any closer to God. The same principle holds true about infidelity, relationships of the heart or any situation you could find yourself in where your "rightness" causes you to act wrong.
 
Instead, try letting go and letting God be God all by himself.  When you see a behavior, are accused, or find yourself about to engage in an argument in which you claim to be right- take a minute and turn that situation over to God.  Remember that people can hurt you, disappoint you, come against you and even scorn you but they can only sin against God. God will give you all of the strength that you need to humble yourself in every situation.  In fact, God’s Word tells us to rest in Him: Passage Psalm 37:7 (KJV)
   Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.
 
So in the spirit of renewal let’s try to rest in our rightness with God. Let’s try to humble ourselves to His authority, let’s try to learn how to let others be wrong without entering into their wrongness. Together, let’s renew our faith in God’s sovereignty; together let’s let go and (possibly for the first time ever) truly let God!
Amen.
 
 
Please feel free to leave comments and/or questions about this article on our comments page!
 
For further discussion, please contact Nidicka@letstalkchristiancounsel.com
 
 
 
 
Agnostic Christians
By Nidicka Frederick 
 
           
My son was working on his first college assignment in his Modern Beliefs class when we engaged in a conversation about the different belief systems in American society and God lay heavily on my heart the idea that His children are living agnostic lives.
 
Agnostic:  Someone who believes it is impossible to know whether or not God truly exist (Encarta Dictionary)
  • I don’t know
  • I don’t care
  • Too much sinfulness in church
  • If I believe I will have to change
   
I have always been familiar with the concept of atheism, simply not believing in God, but agnostic belief is different. You see the agnostic don’t know whether or not God exist and in their lack of evidence they can justify their sin.  To truly acknowledge that God exist, would require change and change is simply too much work so it’s simply easier to claim not to know.  Here is the problem, in learning about this state of being; I was able to see many people in my own ministry, in the church and sadly even in my own behavior! And in retrospect of my own "Agnostic Christian" behaviors, God bought me to this...
     Loving God is not convenient.  That may seem a strange thing to say but it’s true.  Loving God and receiving His love is a conscious walk and daily struggle because it requires effort on the part of the believer to seek after his righteousness.  We have become a generation of “Agnostic Christians”.  We want the blessings that are promised in the Word but we don’t want to follow any of God’s laws to receive them.  We want God to bless our relationships while we are living, unmarried and in sin.  We want financial blessings but refuse to give tithes and offerings.  We want the promise of good physical health while smoking, drinking and living immoral lives.  We act simply as if we sort of know without the commitment of actually knowing.
      Well guess what?  There is no place in heaven for pseudo Christians.  You either know that God is real, the creator of this universe, the giver of mercy and grace who so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son so that whoever believe in Him would not perish but have everlasting life(John 3:16) or you don’t!  You don’t get to “un know” His truth for your fleshly convenience.  Some of us are under the belief that the church is so far removed from God’s grace, that its better simply not to go.  Some of us are so concerned with what’s being done with tithes that we are withholding them and some of us are so afraid to change that we’d rather say we don’t know whether or not it’s really required because God doesn’t seem to mind.
     Dear family in faith, it is with God in my heart that I plea… Choose God. He is real as evident in His Word.  There is nothing to wonder about.  Yes, God hears you.  Yes, He knows your needs. And yes, you are required to walk in his truth to receive His promise.  Let us not second guess our place in heaven away!  God has placed in my spirit Isaiah 59(NLT). Read it, pray over it and ask God’s forgiveness for your own agnostic ways- I know I have.
  
 
 
Isaiah 59 (NLT)
1.   Listen! The Lord’s arm is not too weak to save you,
      nor is his ear too deaf to hear you call.
2.   It’s your sins that have cut you off from God.
      Because of your sins, he has turned away
      and will not listen anymore.
3.   Your hands are the hands of murderers,
      and your fingers are filthy with sin.
      Your lips are full of lies,
      and your mouth spews corruption.
4.   No one cares about being fair and honest.
      The people’s lawsuits are based on lies.
      They conceive evil deeds
      and then give birth to sin.
5.   They hatch deadly snakes
      and weave spiders’ webs.
      Whoever falls into their webs will die,
      and there’s danger even in getting near them.
6.   Their webs can’t be made into clothing,
      and nothing they do is productive.
      All their activity is filled with sin,
      and violence is their trademark.
7.   Their feet run to do evil,
      and they rush to commit murder.
    They think only about sinning.
      Misery and destruction always follow them.
8.   They don’t know where to find peace
      or what it means to be just and good.
     They have mapped out crooked roads,
      and no one who follows them knows a moment’s peace.
9.   So there is no justice among us,
      and we know nothing about right living.
      We look for light but find only darkness.
      We look for bright skies but walk in gloom.
10. We grope like the blind along a wall,
      feeling our way like people without eyes.
      Even at brightest noontime,
      we stumble as though it were dark.
      Among the living,
      we are like the dead.
11. We growl like hungry bears;
      we moan like mournful doves.
      We look for justice, but it never comes.
      We look for rescue, but it is far away from us.
12. For our sins are piled up before God
      and testify against us.
      Yes, we know what sinners we are.
13. We know we have rebelled and have denied the Lord.
      We have turned our backs on our God.
      We know how unfair and oppressive we have been,
      carefully planning our deceitful lies.
14. Our courts oppose the righteous,
      and justice is nowhere to be found.
      Truth stumbles in the streets,
      and honesty has been outlawed.
15. Yes, truth is gone,
      and anyone who renounces evil is attacked.
      The Lord looked and was displeased
      to find there was no justice.
16. He was amazed to see that no one intervened
      to help the oppressed.
      So he himself stepped in to save them with his strong arm,
      and his justice sustained him.
17. He put on righteousness as his body armor
      and placed the helmet of salvation on his head.
      He clothed himself with a robe of vengeance
      and wrapped himself in a cloak of divine passion.
18. He will repay his enemies for their evil deeds.
      His fury will fall on his foes.
      He will pay them back even to the ends of the earth.
19  In the west, people will respect the name of the Lord;
      in the east, they will glorify him.
      For he will come like a raging flood tide
      driven by the breath of the Lord
20.“The Redeemer will come to Jerusalem
      to buy back those in Israel
      who have turned from their sins,
      says the Lord.
21. “And this is my covenant with them,” says the Lord. “My Spirit will not leave them, and neither will these words I have given you. They will be on your lips and on the lips of your children and your children’s children forever. I, the Lord, have spoken!
 
 
 
Please send your questions, comments and/or prayer request to:
 
 
 
The Enemy Within-
 
Do you know when the enemy is using you?
 
    We all have either heard or used the expression “The devil made me do it” but have we ever truly put into consideration that all people, regardless or race or creed, socioeconomic background or religion are usable for Satan. It’s not quite as flip a statement when we consider that Satan truly will and does use us and usually without our knowledge or soundness of mind to fight back. We know that Satan’s purpose is to pull us out of God’s grace but how aware are we to his true intention and our own vulnerabilities to his will?
      It’s funny, during the dark days of my marriage; I can remember screaming to my husband- “I swear you are the devil incarnate!”  It took years before the Lord allowed me to see my own behaviors and more importantly how I, bible in hand, church goer that I am, was equally if not more susceptible to Satan’s trickery as my husband.  You see, the devil is always happy when a sinner stays outside of God’s grace, but that’s not a challenge for him.  In other words, he doesn’t have to try to take away what someone has already regarded as his; but now a person who seeks after righteousness has plenty to be defensive about because Satan’s attempts will be relentless. This is why 1 Peter 5:8 warns us to stay alert and be aware because Satan is waiting to devour us!  What makes it so easy to see the devil’s attempts in someone else but to be completely oblivious of when we ourselves are under his control?
     I believe the answer that question falls in our own self righteousness. Christians are self righteous. We tend to believe that our unruly behaviors are “justified” while others offer an opportunity for an “unsaved” reprimand. But when we consider Paul as he spoke with his supporters in faith and stated to them that he approach them weeping because their behaviors show more that they were enemies of Christ than otherwise; we can see that this concept is not at all foreign. There is always room to serve better and live better in Christ and we are usually blinded by our own holiness rather than the holiness of Christ to realize it.  Christians are not above being used by Satan. In fact, Satan insists on it.  As a messenger of the Lord Jesus Christ, I urge you to stop, evaluate, and rebuke Satan’s attempts at your life.
     We know from the scripture that Satan will use and attempt to corrupt righteous people.  In Matthew 16:23 Satan used Peter and in Luke 22:31, Jesus warns Simon of Satan’s desires to get him. In Luke 22:3 Satan enters Judas Iscariot and he was a disciple!  Whenever you feel the urge to point a finger, ask yourself if you and your own behaviors are Christ like.  I was informed that once I committed into ministry the enemy would attack me at various times and at various levels. Well, I’m here to tell you that no truer words have ever been spoken.  Remember those dark days of my marriage I was mentioning earlier, well I had engaged in some horrible behaviors which included: lying, invading privacy, plotting retaliation, and stealing yet I was the one in the relationship protesting salvation!
     I have had many encounters with Satan since then, or should I say I’ve faced myself many times since then and I am telling you that the only way to protect yourself and your inheritance in heaven is to follow the words of James as he states: “So humble yourself before God and resist the devil and he will flee from you.” (NLT James 4:7)  If you don’t realize Satan can use you, you won’t recognize when he uses you.  I was recently made aware of the enemy’s attack on my spirit through a dear friend. It didn’t even dawn on me and probably still hasn’t dawned on her that she has been a pawn of Satan in my life for weeks. Now this is a person who I had cherished and over the last couple of weeks, I revealed to her that the Lord was encouraging me to remove myself from certain negative presences at work (one in particular) who had too much access to my professional goals and could have easily been a force working against me. It dawned on me that my friend has encouraged me to be in this person’s presence consistently and without fail on a daily basis since the day I confided in her!  Further more she has recently made attempts to infiltrate my marriage with argumentative theories about sexual morality in marriage, has taken her “issue” up with her priest and offered it as evidence of her rightness (not righteousness) against me and my ministry, and has accused me of calling her names and frankly just being a negative influence in her life! All of this while wearing a smile and the guise of friendship. In retrospect, it’s amazing that I didn’t just say “Satan I rebuke you” at his first utterance, but I didn’t because I couldn’t conceive him using her.
     Satan will use anyone…Be it your mother, father, sister, brother, friend, co-worker, pastor or spouse not one of us are impervious to his schemes but glory to God that we are equipped with the Word which Satan must bow down to.  We are separated by more than our faith; it is our behaviors, which lets the world know that are children of God, ambassadors for Christ and receivers of the gift of everlasting life.  Stay attentive to your life and your lifestyle. If you are consumed with doubt, fear, insecurities, and worry- know that you are outside of God’s presence.  If you are encouraging wrongs, quick to anger, and spend more time acknowledging “other people” sins than your own, you are outside of God’s presence. When Satan evades you territory, quickly kneel before God and stand on his scripture and Satan will flee from you.  Remember that Satan is relentless because he wants what he cannot have and operates in hope that you will relinquish your blessings based on his deceptions and your own refusal to live as Christ
 
 
In His Service,
Nidicka Frederick
 
 
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5 Ways to Undo your "I Can't Do IT" Attitude
 
By Nidicka Harris-Frederick
 
How many times have you told yourself, "I just can't do it"? Well as women we all wear many hats. I myself juggle being a mother, wife, daughter, colleague, friend and spiritual advisor on a daily basis. There is no wonder why on most days it seems there is not enough time to focus on me; what I want to be and who I want to become.  But there is.  There is absolutely enough time in any given day to accomplish all that is needed to feel productive and self actualized and I'm going to share with you five ways to undo that "I can't do it" attitude..
 
I was recently talking to a dear friend of mine who is blessed with the gift of knowlege in finances. I call this a gift because I am a person who can easily confuse an IRA for a gun organization; so I say with great honesty, we don't all know how to make, manage, and save money.  With all of her knowledge in tow, my friend recently shared with me how she is feeling somewhat "incomplete" having chosen to raise a family rather than work full time in what she dares describe as "her calling". "Ne, I don't think I can do it, not until the girls are older...maybe then I will pursue my life," are the words that she shared with me. My heart broke at her realization for many reasons.  The first reason being the conviction of her feelings. I knew she actually meant it.  Another reason was because there is nothing worse than witnessing life lived unactualized. As I stood in front of her broken brillance, I shared these five things:
 
ONE- Nobody should ever feel guilty for wanting the most out of their life! God has placed gifts inside of each of us.  For some, the gift is completely actualized at marriage and motherhood but for others, there can be more and that is nothing to feel ashamed or guilty about. Raising children (and in many cases a husband) is hard work and if we could receive compensation for all of the skills needed to complete that job successfully (which in many cases is getting to the next day with everyone in one piece) mothers and wives could contribute out of their own personal wealth and solve the country's deficit.  But we are not usually compensated monetarily or even with a "thank you" in most cases but that doesn't take away from the fact that women who are stay at home moms or working moms who assist with their family needs are absolutely brilliant!
 
TWO- Not having enough time is an illusion! I've come to find that there is a big difference between not having enough time and learning how to use my time wisely. "Waiting" is sometimes just "procrastination" spelled wrong. Everything worth doing requires careful planning, preparation, and attention. I can completely respect wanting to watch your children grow but their are many entrepeneurs who have created million dollar industries from the soccer field or at home in the kitchen while the kids were at school. The best way to learn how to utilize your time wisely is to make a list and to visualize. See yourself as the "you" you want to be. Next, make a list of the things that it will take to get you there. Finally, approach each step with a mindset of promise!
 
THREE- Your gifts are meant to be shared! Remember, you are a unique individual with gifts given exclusively to you.  Embrace your gifts and share them. If you like stories, write one, if pictures, draw one.  Don't limit yourself to what you have done, embrace what you have yet to do.  Whether you're a great listener, a great dancer, or have a talent with creating recipes, embrace it!  Don't assume anyone can do what you can do.  You are possibly sitting on your families financial future and the life you've always wanted. 
 
FOUR- Opportunities are all around you! I can remember responding to a blogger who asked what is the best way for an unpublished writer of children's book to get published.  There must have been at least twenty responses to this inquiry which were identical.  "Find a literary agent" or "Invest in a literary manager" where always amongst the suggestions.  My response got the writers attention because being an unpublished writer myself, I could understand her frustration and more importantly had a different perspective to share. 
     I suggested that she take her children stories to a local public library and initiate a mommy and me reading night (in which she would feature her original stories as well as foster literacy). I told her don't look for the obvious ways through the front door because God will sometimes meet you at a back door. Even though she might not get a book deal right away, she would get valuable insight from her target audience (children), be surround by a list a free publishers she could pursue herself, and be in an environment that would help her to envision the future she saw for herself (like one day being at that same library doing a book signing). If you hold on to the will, then God will find the way.
 
FIVE- Never stop believing! Faith moves mountains and the minute you stop having faith in yourself, you will inevitably stop trying. Hold on to a grateful heart.  Be content with where you are as you work towards where you want to be. Don't talk down to yourself with words like "I'm just a..." or "I can't do it ...".  You are amazing and everything you do is valid.  God is training you and developing you for greatness. There is nothing you can't accomplish if you just believe.  So if you: let go of guilt, create time for yourself, share your gifts, look for opportunities and hold on to your faith, you won't be able to go a single day feeling unactualized but instead you might just want to celebrate your potentiality.
 
God bless you always,
Nidicka
 
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Lord, Hold my Peace
By Nidicka Frederick
 
My father use to tell me, “Just shut up; there’s no such thing as a rational argument” and I would just continue arguing in heated anger certain that this time, my point would be heard and my feelings would get across. So desperate is the fleshes need to be heard.  I could hear the Holy Spirit within me saying “Go in peace” and I’d stay; ready to fight it out because clearly, I was standing on the side of righteousness. I’ll make this fight an issue of spiritual warfare and win for all who were unjustly accused, lied to, hurt and abused. I thought in my mind, God would be in the background of this battle and I would learn after the first five seconds at the helm that I was standing in the forefront alone and defeated. So desperate is the fleshes need to be right. 
 
If I could just learn to hold my peace, I might gain a glimpse of redemption. But why is it so difficult for Christians to be quite?  Is it self- righteousness, a secret plan between us and God, or are we just as argumentative as sinners and hide our true selves under the visage of religion?
 
I couldn’t imagine that God would call me to learn how to be humiliated, discouraged, embarrassed, and even angered with grace.  I, like so many other Christians thought that because I knew God, I was exempt from feelings of sadness and unhappiness. I thought that I was supposed to be happy and misery was justly reserved for anyone who didn’t service and/or love God as much as as did. 
 
I recently heard on television someone say, “I’m not happy, I’m a Christian”.  I thought the scene blasphemous until God allowed me to fall into agreement with it. Happiness is superficial at best, truly knowing and having a relationship with God requires joy.  Joy is not reliant on the satisfactions of the flesh.  We are expected to find joy in all situations. (KJV) Romans 14:17 For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.
 
This is my plea for your silence. I urge you to hold your peace. Just once, allow God to be God all by himself.  Don’t believe for a minute the lie of the enemy when he says, “Go on... say it.” I can’t believe as someone who studies and tries to adhere to God’s Word how many times I’ve… talked backed, engaged in senseless arguments, used exploitative and profane words, was determined to get the last word, manipulated and contorted words to my advantage, and outwardly refused to shut up!
 
I promise you that God will meet you in your silent place of peace and faithful worship and I can also promise you that because He is pure and righteous, and holy and just that He will not step into your filth! If you want to prove a point the next time someone entices you into an argument, prove that you can rest in God’s perfect peace. Dare to let someone be wrong without appointing yourself judge and jury. Trust that the next time someone offends you that you will not fade away into obscurity by your silence but instead will allow God an opportunity to do His wondrous works!
 
The next time you are tempted to be right, to call someone out, or to engage in reckless communication; think about the strength it took Jesus to endure the cross. Remember how he was mocked and offended, laughed at and then beaten and how He endured it all for the joy that awaited Him in heaven. (KJV)Hebrews 12:2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
 
Take a moment and think about the last time you allowed your mouth to take you outside of God's grace.  Repent and ask God for the strength to be still and to be quite. Watch as God supernaturally handles your situation. Feel free to write us with your testimony of God's work.
 
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Grown Ups Make Lousy Kids!
By Nidicka Frederick
 
 
During my counseling sessions I’m finding many people are struggling with the same thoughts, “Why isn’t God answering my prayers?”  I am coming across families who are struggling financially, couples who are hanging on by a string, and individuals who are lost and confused about their life’s purpose.  I found myself sharing the same example over and over again to make a point and thought it fitting to present it as an article so that anyone who is feeling unfulfilled, dissatisfied, confused, lonely or anxious in life could read it to get back on track.
 
Last year, I was dropping my youngest son over to my mother house so that he could catch the bus to school when he expressed to me in the car how excited he was to be going to grandmas today because it was “allowance day”.  He just beamed at the prospect of getting his little hands around those shiny quarters.  My mom always encourages the kids to do the right thing and at this time, she was giving out quarters as an allowance at the end of the week.  She’d promise my son eight quarters if he’d remember house rules all week long, without reminders.
 
He went over the list in the car and double checked, “I hung up my jacket, put my shoes away, and finished my homework…yup, I’m getting my quarters” he stated on the ride down. I marveled at how I could have given him two dollars a million times over and how it’d fail in comparison to Nanas quarters!  So we arrived at the house and my mom grabs her bag and starts digging at the bottom of her pocketbook, “Okay my love, grandma has something for you…” and she pulls out the quarters one at a time, counting: One, two....  She had found six and then realized there just weren’t anymore in there. She continued to look and look as she noticed the look on his face changing from a beam to a frown to almost near tears and I was just standing watching before I realized he was really upset.
 
My mother started to apologize, “Grandma will give you the two quarters later, don’t frown; you know grandma loves you.”  Now I’m watching and growing furious as I notice tears streaming down my son’s face.  Without thinking twice, I grabbed him by the arm and asked him “What on earth are you crying for?” and he could barely get the words out as he sobbed “I-On-lee-ga- six- quar-ters-and I-was-su-pose-to-get-eight quar-ters…” and before he could finish, I went ballistic!
 
“Look at me!” I demanded, “Do you mean to tell me that you are so selfish, and so ungrateful that you are going to cry over two quarters?” I could feel myself getting hotter as I started screaming, “Two quarters?!”  My mother tried to calm  me down by explaining how when a child wants something so bad and they don’t get what they hoped for when they thought they’d get it, they can "act out" because they're disappointed. Well that just set me off even more! “Don’t you try to justify this” I yelled. “That’s just crazy!” “Who cries over the little they don't have when they should be grateful for what they do have!?”
 
It was in that moment that I realized that grown ups make lousy children.
 
I started crying so profusely that I think I scared both my son and my mother becaise it was in that moment that I realized not only was I speaking to my child, but God was speaking to me.  I had been behaving exactly like my son. I had just been complaining so much lately.  “I need a new car; I can’t stand my job- I feel like I’m always depending on other people”.  How similar it all seemed!  Here I was crying over what I didn’t have when I had not an ounce of appreciation for all of the blessings God had already given me! All of my needs are met by God and yet I spent so much time complaining about the things I didn’t have and the things I really wanted.
 
My son knew that he wasn’t being punished by his grandma.  He just couldn’t understand why he should have to wait on a blessing when it seems he had already done his part.  As adults, we sometimes treat God the same way.  God will put us in the position of a waiting child at times.  Maybe God wants to test our gratitude; or maybe he wants to test our patience and faith.  The point is, sometimes we throw tantrums just like a child because we don’t get what we want, when we want it and thats wrong.
 
As a parent, I was angry with my son because I thought he should have trusted his grandma.  I thought he should have known that the measure of her love was not determined in quarters (or gifts).  I thought that he should have been grateful for what he had and not remorseful for what was yet to come.  I carried on to show him how much he hurt me, as his parent, knowing that I had taught him lessons of patience, gratitude, and faith by my own sacrificial example and I felt all of this before realizing I was doing the exact same thing to God. 
 
It’s not a coincidence that we pray, “Our father who art in Heaven…” God is our father and we are his children.  We are children made in his image and given express knowledge of how to live in the Word of God.  How we must sadden and embarrass God with our daily tantrums.  How we must look like ungrateful, little children when we lose faith, fear the future, worry over bills, complain about our spouses, and live discontented lives.  I am so happy that God loves us enough to not turn His back on us just as he has taught us to love our own children, even as we chastise them and never turn our backs on them.  I am grateful that He will give us lessons so that we can see Him and our own behaviors through the innocence of a child. 
 
Remember at all times that your father in Heaven loves you.  He would no more give you what you are not spiritually mature enough to handle than you would give your own child based on their maturity.  Would a mother give her six year old the keys to the car and say see you later?  Or any parent a ten year old a home to live in alone.  It would seem ludicrous as a parent to give a child the responsibility of an adult when we know that they are not mature enough (mentally, physically, or spiritually) to handle it. 
 
This is what we need to remember when we communicate with God. We need to remember that God knows our hearts; he knows our level of maturity all mentally, physically, and spiritually and loves us too much to trust us to our own devices.  God is waiting for us to develop.  He is waiting for us to blossom into His true image so that anyone who stands besides us sees our resemblance to Him.  God takes no pleasure in denying us the desires of our hearts but cares so deeply that “No” is an option to our request at times.  Wait on the Lord, trust that he knows what we need better than we know what we want.  Accept that we are God’s children, and in that respect we all have plenty of growing up to do.
 
In His service,
Nidicka Frederick
 
 
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Grief and Grieving Seminar
By Evangelist Nidicka Frederick     
 
 
I'd like to start by thanking each and every one of you who shared your Saturday with me to receive a Word of the Lord on grief and grieving. It was wonderful the way each of you were able to open your hearts and share with the group such intimate and personal feelings for the purpose of healing.  I thought it would be appropriate to blog highlights of each seminar and posted the notes as an added support.  
 
So we talked about grief and we learned that God has a purpose for our pain.  And before we could get into the reasons why it's so hard to stop grieving, we put into perspective the definition(s) of grievance.  Right off the bat, we learned continued grievance stems from deep rooted feelings of eternal loss; a complaint for not having what we desire or long for and it's ongoing.  We also realized that bereavement (feelings of great sorrow as a result of death or as if caused by death) was felt greatly by those who were experiencing loss not associated by death.  We heard some people grieving over the loss of a spouse who had left the relationship and/or the marriage and was being grieved as if by death. We also heard from those experiencing financial hardships and a lack of direction causing intense feelings of grief. 
 
And then we went directly to the Word of God. We learned  that God expects us to grieve but only for a time and that joy comes after the pain. We looked at John 16:20-22 which offered us the example of child birth and how after the agony of labor the miracle of the new child literally erases the pain of labor.  We also looked at the physical manifestation of grieving on the body as the Word shows us we will lose our strength, become weak, have a broken spirit and become restless when in prolonged grievance (Psalms 31:10, Proverbs 15:13, and Ecclesiasstes 2:23) and we know this is not how God wants us to live.We know that to stay in grief is a dishonor to God by very definition of the word. God is not a god of eternal loss; He is the God of eternal life! The most natural part of grieving is to let it end.  
 
It is the hope of the enemy that you stay in grief because this way you will undermine your own blessing!  We questioned whether or not God was the culprit to our misfortune and asked whether it was a dishonor to those (or that) which  were lost to move on and for those answers we went into the book of Job.  We remembered how Job suffered across the board.  His loss was physical, emotional, financial, and spiritual.  We know that he loss his children, his livestock, his home, his fortune, and was stricken with boils from head to toe.  But then we looked even closer to the conversation when God offers Job up to Satan when he was randomly causing destruction on earth and God asks, "Have you considered my good and faithful servant Job?".  Initially, one might see a cruel God and ask why would he do that to a good and faithful servant but look deeper.This shows us so much about the mercy and integrity of the Lord. 
 
First we see, Satan has no power.  With all of his destructive ability, he cannot touch God's people.  God had to offer Job up.  But why would God do that?  God could do that because he already knew the outcome.  What a difference it makes going into a battle that you know is already won!  Job's wife told him to "curse God and die" but we know that Job endured.  God did not cause one ounce of Jobs grief but He did allow it.  God shows us that He is the one who determines our outcome and if you are His good and faithful servant than Satan can come at you with everything he has and it is but a peeble against a mountainous God!  We know that Job was restored.  We know that God gave Job more than what he loss.  We know that God will allow the pain for the blessing and that our part in pain is to endure it in faith. (Just take two weeks and read the entire book of Job in meditative contemplation) 
 
We know that we will all grieve.  No one is impervious to pain. The economy is horrible, relationships are broken, people are depressed. lonely, and dying...we will grieve but God expects it to be only for a season.  God is merciful and forgiving and a mighty restorative God. Honor the ones you've lost by holding fast to the truth that life, not death is eternal!(Revelations 21:4-7).  Remember that Satan is the creator of nothing but the destructor of all and if you are a child of God, he cannot harm you or anything that God has for you! (James 5:11).  Remember that you you are expected to move forward, to live each day in love, and God will (as promised in His Word, not by me) restore you abundantly. Review the scriptures shared and use the notes on the online counseling/grief page to work through what you've learned. 
To discuss this article write: Nidicka@letstalkchristiancounsel.com  
To comment on this article please submit your comment in the text box on the comments page and it will appear at the end of this article  To have this article forwarded to someone in need, please send a request on the comments page and a forwarding e-mail address   God Bless and keep you always-
 
"It Starts With You"
By Nidicka Harris-Frederick
 
       
 
   I couldn't imagine what I had done to deserve the life I was living.  I thought myself a decent Christian, not without fault but clearly a good person.  So why was I so "incomplete"? I have a husband, two children, a wonderful family complete with parents who are still healthy, vital and supportive. Yet, with all this, all I could wrap my mind around was what I didn't have. 
    My education was incomplete, my job, not the career I'd imagined, and my personal relationships were broken.  I could focus for hours on what made my life miserable and it was everyone else fault to boot.  Why me? This became my battle cry of discontent.  Why don't I have a beautiful home, a lavish car, or a flourishing career?  Why aren't me and my husband happier and why is my bank account so insufficient?  I don't own one thing that would justify my debt! This was the very way I was thinking each and everyday before the Lord rescued me from myself!
    If you can relate to feeling: Overwhelmed by daily expectations, like you just can't do everything by yourself, like you would be a much nicer person if other people weren't such jerks, or like you are provoked into certain behaviors,,,than this is the article for you. 
    I would like to share with you what God has revealed to me about living with a discontented heart and it shocked me. God bought me to the scripture Psalms 139:23-24 which reads Search me, Oh God, and know my heart! Try me and know my thoughts! And see if there is any wicked or hurtful way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
   Wait a minute.  Are you saying for me to look first at myself in the midst of my troubles. Am I to evaluate my own actions and my own obedience to You and Your will Lord?  I read that scripture everyday for months because I knew to memorize it wasn't enough, I'd be expected to actualize it. I thought I was faultless (in comparison).  I thought that because I deemed myself a relatively "good" person that I was owed happiness. I didn't think I deserved hardship so it became difficult for me to process it and almost impossible for me to see myself in it.
    I was literally shocked by the prospect of what God was suggesting to me.  Here I am literally praying that He would change the hearts of other people and God was telling to me search my own heart.  I was offended and in that offense I found remorse, and through that remorse I could seek repentance and only in repentance could I receive the blessing that was in store for me. What I learned was that my life, is a direct reflection of my thoughts and actions.  What I believe is exactly what I manifest.  I became comfortable in my discontent because it was easier than taking ownership of it.  The funny thing about the truth found in God's Word is there is no way to unknow it.  So I could only move forward and in doing so I was given a peace that can only come from God. 
 
 
 
  Here are 5 suggestions I would like to share to help you begin your own personal journey with God: 
  1. The first thing I will suggest is to end the blame game. You cannot tell God what He already knows.  The best way to approach your misery is to decide the time to stop being miserable is now.  Where you are in your life is exactly where you have placed yourself.  Decide you have done things your way long enough and chose to give God's way a try.  You are not waiting on God, God is ever patiently waiting on you. 
  2. The second thing I will suggest is to to replace your ungrateful attitude with a spirit of thanksgiving.  Everyday, before I put on my slippers to go to the bathroom when I wake, I thank God for the blessings of the new day.  I thank Him for what He has already done and I trust Him for what is still to come. I refuse to let my mind become saturated with negative thoughts that will inevitably corrode my relationship with God and bind me to being miserable. 
  3. The third thing I suggest is to become familiar with Psalms 139:23-24.  God already knows your heart but you open a line of communication with God when you tell him you want Him to lead the way.  It is so important to repent to God and to seek His guidance on a daily basis. This scripture will help you to see you.  Each time I prayed it, I'd list what I had done and would ask God to take behaviors that offended Him and kept me from Him away.
  4. Fourth, I suggest getting familiar with Ephesians 5.  Specifically verses 1-4.  God is so clear in His expectations of us and it is unreasonable for us to make demands of God and not be willing to first follow His instructions.  God describes the behaviors that are unacceptable to Him (most of which I was participating in while praying for a miracle) and God is just and consistent. I love that at the end of verse 4, He reminds us that  instead of  engaging in those hindering behaviors we should "give thanks". 
  5. My final  and fifth suggestion also comes from Ephesians (which is a comforting Book to read and meditate on when you are feeling discouraged) which is to find out what makes God happy. God wants us to live happy, prosperous, and contented lives but he does not want us to "live like people who are not wise" (Ephesians 5:15) God tells us to make the most out of every opportunity (Ephesians 5:16) and we are to have faith that all that God has placed in us, He will bring to fruition.
 
 
I offer my life as I write this testimony to you today as evidence of God's mercy and grace. I was pitiful.  The way I thought about and processed life was corrupt, but what a God who offers us a new opportunity each day to finally get it right.  You do not have to be lonely, sad, depressed, anxious, broke, disgusted, or discontent.  We are each designed specially and marvelous to His glory.  Don't give the enemy another minute of you life. And remember making a commitment to live your life according to God's will is not a guarantee to never have problems but it is a guarantee that God will be there to get you through them all and that makes all the difference in the world!
 
God Bless You Always-
Nidicka
 
 
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