We live in a world where it seems that everybody has something to say. Social media platforms have created an ever present audience for absolutely anybody to be a pundit on whatever topic they desire at any time of the day or night. There are so many voices in the atmosphere seeking to have us subscribe to the channels they have created for their words to flow into our lives. Likewise, in our personal lives, we have people all around us and they each have words that touch us and affect us whether we realize it or not. My encouragement today is simply a reminder that words carry the power of life and death (Proverbs 18:21).
The people that we surround ourselves with and the information channels we subscribe to are either giving us more life, or sucking the life out of us (John 10:10, Proverbs 16:24, Proverbs 18:6-8). It is incumbent upon each of us to be cognizant and to choose to have and keep people in our lives that we can trust to have God's word in their words for and about us. We cannot trust people to give us life, no matter their stature or station in life, if their words do not represent the word of God. We have the tendency to be drawn in by people who use flattering words, because who doesn't like a kind word to make us feel good? We like to hear words that sound positive, complimentary, and uplifting. But it is important to know God's word for ourselves so that we can detect the flaws in the flattery coming our way (Psalm 8:5-9).
If someone is flooding your life with sweetly spoken words that contradict the truth or undermine the character of God's word, no matter who they are or appear to be, you would be wise to restrict them from having access to your spirit (Acts 10:34, Psalm 1:1) I encourage you to meditate on Deuteronomy 30:14-10 AMP today, and be reminded of the power that words and the personal influence of people we invite or allow to speak into our lives to affect our choice to live or die according to God. 

Be Blessed!
​~Nina

​Let's deal with what's real. Too many times we consider the status of who and where we are in life based on the people and circumstances around us. We look at what others have and what they are doing, and we compare it to our own circumstances. We observe the culture and we often succumb to its trends (Romans 12:2). The truth of the matter is that God has uniquely assigned and equipped each of us to excel at exactly who we are, with what He has blessed us with for his glory. No one around us can judge or complete the purpose for our lives, nor can they guarantee our outcomes outside of God (Matthew 4:1-11). God does that. He is the author and the finisher for our lives (Hebrews 12:2). He set within each of us the calling on our lives before he planted us in our mothers' wombs (Jeremiah 1:5). His word declares that the gifts and the call on our lives are irrevocable (Romans 11:29). There is no person or circumstance in the world that can alter God's purpose for our unique and individual lives.
God is absolutely real and everything that we are and all that we experience are in His hands (Psalm 95:3-5). So when we are trying to check the pulse of our lives and gauge our progress we must check ourselves according to what is real--God's standards according to His word and the individual purpose He has planted in our hearts for a life that is pleasing to Him. Trust and believe that even the worst circumstances in our lives are working together for our good because we love God and we are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28). The progress, failures, or peculiarities of the people around us are simply scenery along the path set by God in the life of purpose that He has created us to fulfill. Let us confirm the reality of our lives by consuming the word of God daily and conforming to His will so that we may fulfill the calling on our lives.

Be Blessed!
~Nina

I have a robust witness about the power of Jesus Christ in my life. Not a day goes by that I don’t desire to tell somebody about the awesome and miraculous healing power of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I have an encyclopedic index of instances where I have been rescued from death, healed of infirmities, prospered through the impossible, encouraged through the insanity, elevated beyond my capacity, insulated from the penalties of my own iniquities, and clothed and in my right mind in spite of all of these things (Luke 8:35).

We do not wrestle against flesh and blood in this life (Ephesians 6:12). Every battle we fight is spiritual. I am thankful today for the power of the name of Jesus, the name above all names, at which every knee shall bow and every tongue should confess (Philippians 2:9-11). It is my pleasure to take the time to tell somebody about Christ’s power in my life (Psalm 107:2). I can never repay the debt of salvation. But if I can help somebody...I want to encourage you to lay aside every weight in this life and to take up your cross in the name of Jesus Christ (Hebrews 12:1-2).

Be Blessed!
​~Nina

We have to remember that living a blessed life requires endurance. Living a life of faith, hoping in the unseen, causes us to wait on the Lord for that which He has promised to do in our lives because He loves us (Hebrews 11:1, 1 Corinthians 2:9). God's steadfast love endures forever, through anything we could possibly experience (Psalm 136). Knowing this, it is by faith and the love of God that we are empowered to endure as we are continually expecting God to have His way in our lives. Living our lives knowing, declaring, and embracing God's steadfast love allows Him to imbue us with renewed strength as we endure what we are faced with in this life (Isaiah 40:29-31). Let us put our lives of faith in perspective according the example of Jesus Christ, a model of endurance and a manifestation of God's love (Hebrews 12:2-3, John 3:16). 

Let us simply be reminded today of God's word in Isaiah 40:29-31 NKJV:
He gives power to the weak,
And to those who have no might He increases strength.
Even the youths shall faint and be weary,
And the young men shall utterly fall,
But those who wait on the Lord
Shall renew their strength;
They shall mount up with wings like eagles,
They shall run and not be weary,
They shall walk and not faint.

Be Blessed!
~Nina

My prayer for you is that wherever you show up in your life today that you will establish yourself as the one God has sent. It matters. Showing up on behalf of God in any situation sets you on a foundation of power and in a position of ordained victory by His Spirit (Zechariah 4:6, 1 Samuel 17:45-47). How do we do this? It is all about the way we show up. We should show up in every scenario on behalf of God by operating by His word. Identify and carry in your heart the specific word of God that applies to what you are entering into. Pray and ask God to reveal to you exactly how He wants you to approach the situation and what scripture you are to stand on. Incorporate that scripture into your personal introduction and approach to what you are facing. You will not fail because “No word from God will ever fail.” (Luke 1:37)

When you show up by the Spirit and in the name of the Lord, you will not fail. You will prosper, and God—the one who sent you—will be glorified (John 12:45).

Be Blessed!
~Nina

​There are times in life when we feel pressed to the point of weakness. There are moments as adults—with responsibilities, jobs, dreams, and social expectations—when we feel so deflated that it becomes difficult to gather the strength to move forward. The good thing about those times is that when we are experiencing them we have the tendency to cry out to God in despair. Being under such intense pressure triggers a surrender to God for the strength that we cannot seem to muster on our own. In a posture of surrender, let us acknowledge that God’s grace is sufficient for us and accept that His power is made perfect in our weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9-10). Let’s train ourselves to delight in our weaknesses for Christ’s sake, and declare in those moments that we are strong in the Lord. When we are completely weak, we can be made strong by rendering the weight in our lives to God, who has promised that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us (Philippians 4:13). When we truly believe that God is going to handle every battle of ours (2 Chronicles 20:15), we can receive the blessing of being strong in the Lord. “Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord.” (Psalm 31:24)

Be Blessed!
~Nina
​

I thank God today for His infallible word. In our lives we experience change and transition on an ongoing basis. In our relationships with people, we experience shifts in circumstances and perspectives as we all grow and ascend, and especially when we refuse to do so. In all that we do, and all that we deal with in our lives, what a blessing it is to know that the word of God is constant. Let us be reminded today that God's word is fixed, unerring, and dependable without fault or fail. 
The word of God is perfect. Knowing this, let us stand on His word in all that we are faced with today to yield the perfect outcome for every situation in our lives. Let us yield to the power of God to perfect that which concerns us (Psalm 138:8) through our belief and embodiment of His word. "As for God, His way is perfect; the word of the Lord is proven; He is a shield to all who trust in Him." (Psalm 18:30) Be encouraged and empowered today in God's word for every matter in your life.

Be Blessed!
~Nina