I Got A New Attitude

Have you ever had a name change? Well I did, and my life has never been the same. The funny thing about this name change is not where I legally went and changed my name.  This name change was about God giving me a new identity.

I was at an ibM Mentoring Session with Barbara Wentroble in Denton, Texas. And if you've never been in one of Barbara's sessions, all I can say is hold on because change is on the way.  During the session, I got acquainted with a networking minister named Linda who was from Oklahoma, and we spent the next two days getting to know one another.

Anyway, she began to call me Veronica every time she spoke to me.  I explained to her no worries, I understood it was a mistake. But what was so fascinating, is that she kept on calling me Veronica for the rest of the time we were together.

Okay, the both of us being prophetic people, looked at each other and said there is something to this. But shortly after, I casually shrugged it off and never really thought about it any further.  Well, two weeks later Linda calls me at 7:00 am to share with me what God had given her. Not really moved, because it was still so early, I listened without much enthusiasm, hey, I was sleeping real good that morning. Anyhow, Linda began to share with me what God gave her, and this is what she said.

"Nicole, your name means victory and remember I kept calling you Veronica, well, Veronica means the bringer of the victory. You are no longer just victorious, but from now on, you will bring the victory to others."

WOW!!!

Its seems like such a small thing huh? But what you need to know is, I received that word from the Lord through Linda, and everything from that moment changed. My whole thought process had shifted. I no longer was in the mindset of being blessed. I had stepped into a whole new realm of thinking.  In this place,  my desire changed from self to longing for others to have nothing but the best from God.

What God showed me was He wanted me to know He was using me in a very unique and powerful way. But first, I had to believe what God said. Once I believed that word Linda gave me, the change had begun. My life has never been the same.

Now, I realize this was about authority, and understanding how to operate in it. Its one thing to have authority, and another to know how to use it. God wants us to see ourselves seated in heavenly places like Christ. We have been given such power to bring change on this earth. Unfortunately, so many individuals do not know who they are in Christ, and simply cannot bring the victory as God intended for us to do.

To The Man I Love

I'm writing this letter to the man I love because I want you to know what's in my heart.  I fell in love with you because of so many reasons. You are such a loving person who genuinely loves and cares for others.  You do for others simply because you get pleasure from doing so.


I have to admit, I was a bit concerned about when you were coming into my life because it has taken so many years to finally meet you.  Now that I've met you, I'm giddy as a school girl just at the thought of your smile. God answered my prayer for a man who loved God more than he loved me.  I knew that if I loved a man with this quality, I couldn't go wrong.  This quality was extremely important to me because I know your heart is to please God first and me second. 

You not only make me want to be a better person, I am a better person because of you. My desire is to please you as I please God. Since you have come into my life, I have come alive in ways that words cannot fully express. The only thing I want to do is show you my love in demonstration. There are so many dreams and ideas I have inside of me, and it feels so good to know that now you are here to live them with me. I look forward to spending time with you and all the new things I'll discover about you through the life we'll share together. It excites me to know that we have similar dreams and desires to bring change to this world. 

The fact that you challenge as well as support me, makes me long for you all the more.You continually impress me with your undeniable acceptance. Its refreshing to know that you're not intimidated by me. I just want you to know, its my pleasure to follow you wherever you go. I just want to be with you. These are just a few things that really excite me when I think of you.  





     

True To Yourself

One of the biggest enemies to your soul is self deception.

What do I mean by this statement?

How many of us go through day after day doing things we know we don't like or even agree with, but we do it anyway.  Now hear me out. I don't mean to speak everything that's on your mind. That would be way too risky for some to deal with. I'm talking about being true to yourself about who you are and what you want out of life.

There's a book by T.D. Jakes called "Naked And Not Ashamed." For me, this is one of those books that I keep close at bedside and read every now and then. One of the many lessons I've learned from this book is how to be totally honest with God. First of all, it really doesn't matter how you try to fake it, God already knows exactly how you truly feel anyway, so why even play yourself. So many of us have mastered how to play the game of what I call "getting by."

And as I mentioned before, you cannot just share all of your thoughts...oh believe me, I understand...you just cannot. I've learned how to come before God and just be real in situations where someone does nasty things and I just don't like that person, or if I want to do something that I know is wrong, but I want to do it anyway. Yeah...we've all been there. We all have unpleasant thoughts and feelings about one thing or another. What separates thoses who overcome from those who stay in that same ole place of deception, is the choice to be honest with God and with yourself. By truly expressing your heart and asking God to help you in the midst of that place empowers you. 

No matter how bad you may have messed up, or how ugly you may feel. By getting in the presence of God being naked and not ashamed of where you are rescinds all the power from the enemy.    

This represents a place of power and authority over your own thoughts as well as your own decisions to succeed further in your walk with God. There are always going to be situations and circumstances that happen, and oftentimes beyond your control. How you perceive and the actions that you take will definitely dictate your outcome. The difference between a wise man and a fool are his thoughts and words which intern will lead to specific actions.