It saddens me to know that it has been 26 days since my last blog. It seems as though when my appendix was removed, a big part of my life that I thoroughly enjoyed was removed as well. I lost a piece of my soul and my zeal for life. I am just now starting to feel like my old self. Yesterday, I said good bye to a job that nearly killed me. I’m sure one day I will look back and realize how valuable the experiences were, but I am just so thankful that the nightmare is over. I have two months to rest, relax, and search for the job that will bring me ultimate joy.

A friend of mine gave me a card titled “The Oak Tree”. I would like to share the message of the card. “A mighty wind blew night and day. It stole the oak tree’s leaves away. Then snapped its boughs and pulled its bark until the oak was tired and stark. But still the oak tree held its ground while other trees fell all around. The weary wind gave up and spoke, ‘How can you still be standing, Oak?’ The oak tree said, ‘I know that you can break each branch of mine in two, carry every leaf away, shake my limbs, and make me sway. But I have roots stretched in the earth, growing stronger since my birth. You’ll never touch them, for you see, they are the deepest part of me. Until today, I wasn’t sure of just how much I could endure. But now I’ve found, with thanks to you, I’m stronger than I ever knew.”

I am so thankful, grateful, to be planted in the Lord. For if not for Him, I would have never survived surgery and this job. As I head for the beach in the morning, I hope I can find myself again and regain the part of my soul that was lost. I want nothing more than to spend time with my Father and to be fully restored. I want to stand tall like an Oak Tree and see myself as others have seen me. I’ll leave you with a piece of one of my favorite scriptures (Isaiah 61:1-7). “Rename them ‘Oaks of Righteousness’ planted by the God to display His glory.”

Love in Christ,

Nichole

I am currently reading “Battlefield of the Mind” by Joyce Meyer and trust me, this is not the first nor will it be the last! One chapter was titled “Jesus as an Example”. She said, “Jesus suffered silently without complaint, trusting God no matter how things looked. He remained the same in every situation.” 1 Peter 2:21-23 confirms her words by saying, “He suffered everything that came His way so you would know that it could be done, and also know how to do it step by step. He suffered in silence, content to let God set things right.” I will refer to Jesus as the Constant Variable.

Wikipedia describes a variable as associated with a value that my be changed. In scientific studies, variables can either be independent (changed by the scientist), dependent (responds based on the independent), or controlled (does not change/constant). I seem to fall into the ones I don’t want to be in. I want to be more like Him, the Constant Variable.

Thinking and taking pride in being ‘independent’, just like the variable, I can be easily moved by the world and my past. My actions, the dependent variable, respond based on the day’s events. I may get angry. I may be short with a response. I can easily be offended and wounded! This typically happens when I am mentally and or physically tired. I know that I am not fully equipped to handle the day. To be equipped, I must spend more time seeking God and praying. Isaiah 54:12 says, You’ll be built solid, grounded in righteousness, far from any trouble with nothing to fear!” I highly anticipate the day, when I will be grounded, rock solid, and unmoved by the fallen world. Thank you Jesus for providing this awesome revelation for it is Your words that I have written and Your message that I convey to the world and myself.

Love in Christ,
Nichole