My undergraduate degree is in Exercise Science and I spent some time working for a Chiropractor. Part of my job requirements was to give massages to our patients. We called it trigger point therapy. Trigger points are nodules in the muscles that are a source of pain in the body. We would focus on these particular trigger points to try and reduce stress and tension in the body.
I think as we go through life, experiences can leave “trigger points” in our minds and hearts. Someone can say or do something in particular that triggers a memory, some source of pain, and leaves us reverting back to a place in time as if the initial experience was reoccurring all over again.
Confrontation is a major trigger point for me. There are plenty more which will lead to plenty of more blogs I’m sure. When it comes time to handle confrontational situations, the trigger point is pressed resulting in fear that paralyzes me often resulting in my exercising the natural “flight” response. This deep rooted fear results from my childhood and in these moments I find myself hating (yes, hating) the abuser who instilled this in me.
As I’m faced with this debilitating anxiety, sometimes the outcome is not as intense as my mind has created it to be and sometimes it is something I could never have imagined. However, if this anxiety did not exist, I would be able to effectively communicate in a healthy manner, thus relieving myself of unnecessary pain. Fulton Oursler once said, “Many of us crucify ourselves between two thieves – regret for the past and fear of the future.” I seem to be a victim of both.
As I continue on this journey, I am finding that some of the work on the trigger points are orchestrated by God Himself. He is exercising His relentless refining process where He purifies and tests our hearts. I know in my mind that if I allow Him to exhort pressure on those trigger points, He will restore me to the person He created me to be…one of sound mind. My flesh has a lot of catching up to do. Afterall, God did not give us a spirit of fear, but of power and love, and of sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7).
So whatever you are facing today, remember this thought. The sweetest victories come not when we scale the highest mountains, swim the wide seas, or run the longest races; they happen when we overcome ourselves, our fears, the demons inside us. To conquer those things that we can, to give the rest to God – is everything (Unknown).
Love in Christ,
Nichole
Month: January 2010
A Resume Built by God
StandardIf you have been following me or know me, you know I am an avid follower of Beth Moore. She is a remarkable woman who genuinely loves God and has been called and appointed by God to be in Womens’ Ministry. In one of her posts “Ok So Here’s the Story”, she shares a very candid story of her recent experience in a cancer treatment facility. “It was not my season or His time for me to walk the road of cancer treatment. But, make no mistake. God went WAY out of His way to increase my awakenness to that road from a very personal vantage point.”
It seems as though every time I turn around, I am seeing things from that “vantage point” as Beth described. I cannot simply lose a job and quickly gain another, I have to experience 8 months of unemployment. I cannot simply have my appendix removed and go on about life, I have to experience an abscess from surgery that results in an extra 3 months of recovery. The list goes on and on and in my Divine plan, I’m pretty sure it will continue.
As I am finally crossing over that perilous and immovable mountain disguised as my past, I am stepping into the woman God wants me to be. As the pieces of my broken life are being put back together fully restored, I will no longer live in fear and will walk in love. God is my protector and vindicator. “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?”-Psalm 27:1.
In Beth’s post, she said, “God has gone to many lengths to allow and appoint me to experiences common to women.” God has called me, and so many others in women’s ministry, to experience a broad spectrum of women’s issues so I can grow more equipped to do His will toward those I serve. And it is my privilege.”
Just like Beth, I too should feel honored that God trusts me which such a daunting task as this. He has a plan for me just as Jeremiah 29:11 states. He specifically choose me to experience pain and sorrow first hand, so I will be better equipped to live out His will. I am in the midst of my eight month of unemployment. My resume is updated and a constantly making its way on the information super highway. My resume is full of experiences, but does not display the one that God is currently updating.
His Objective: “And we know that in all things God works for the the good of those who love Him and who have been called according to His purpose.” Romans 8:31
Experience: Borrowed words from Beth that intertwine with my own personal experiences – “I endured the same kind of troubled childhoods as many of you. I’ve been abused, oppressed, and scared to death. I battled the same kinds of adolescent ups and downs as most of you. I’ve been a help and a hypocrite. Smart and almost too stupid to live.”
I can only hope that the traits I now possess will properly display the fruits of His spirit – mercy, compassion, dilligence, hope, faith, perseverance, love, flexibility, forgiveness, kindness, and humility and I will complete the work He has set me out to do.
So I ask you this, are your objectives in life clearly defined with His or does your resume need a little tweaking?
Love in Christ,
Nichole
It seems as though every time I turn around, I am seeing things from that “vantage point” as Beth described. I cannot simply lose a job and quickly gain another, I have to experience 8 months of unemployment. I cannot simply have my appendix removed and go on about life, I have to experience an abscess from surgery that results in an extra 3 months of recovery. The list goes on and on and in my Divine plan, I’m pretty sure it will continue.
As I am finally crossing over that perilous and immovable mountain disguised as my past, I am stepping into the woman God wants me to be. As the pieces of my broken life are being put back together fully restored, I will no longer live in fear and will walk in love. God is my protector and vindicator. “The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?”-Psalm 27:1.
In Beth’s post, she said, “God has gone to many lengths to allow and appoint me to experiences common to women.” God has called me, and so many others in women’s ministry, to experience a broad spectrum of women’s issues so I can grow more equipped to do His will toward those I serve. And it is my privilege.”
Just like Beth, I too should feel honored that God trusts me which such a daunting task as this. He has a plan for me just as Jeremiah 29:11 states. He specifically choose me to experience pain and sorrow first hand, so I will be better equipped to live out His will. I am in the midst of my eight month of unemployment. My resume is updated and a constantly making its way on the information super highway. My resume is full of experiences, but does not display the one that God is currently updating.
His Objective: “And we know that in all things God works for the the good of those who love Him and who have been called according to His purpose.” Romans 8:31
Experience: Borrowed words from Beth that intertwine with my own personal experiences – “I endured the same kind of troubled childhoods as many of you. I’ve been abused, oppressed, and scared to death. I battled the same kinds of adolescent ups and downs as most of you. I’ve been a help and a hypocrite. Smart and almost too stupid to live.”
I can only hope that the traits I now possess will properly display the fruits of His spirit – mercy, compassion, dilligence, hope, faith, perseverance, love, flexibility, forgiveness, kindness, and humility and I will complete the work He has set me out to do.
So I ask you this, are your objectives in life clearly defined with His or does your resume need a little tweaking?
Love in Christ,
Nichole
In an Instant
StandardIn an instant….life goes from good to bad.
In an instant, that young aspiring athlete suffers an injury that will cost him his career.
In an instant, a mother creates new life offering unconditional love to the world.
In an instant, two cars collide and fatalities remain.
In an instant, two people meet and realize they have met the one.
As my family prepares to bury two of their own, one taken by natural causes and the other taken by the hand of another, our lives are changed instantly. Smiles will no longer be exchanged, conversations will no longer be shared, and we will be left with only our memories.
Kathleen Gage once said, “Life sometimes offers us a second chance to right our wrongs. Those second chances often come disguised as tragedy waiting to be recognized as a miracle.” As my family gathers this week to pay respect and mourn the loss of loved ones, I realize that this is also our opportunity to find healing and restore broken relationships. I hope that through death, that the true beauty of life will be revealed.
I am not sure where you are in your journey, but I hope you can stop and reflect on the blessings that you do have. I hope you appreciate the relationships you have and make an effort to restore the broken ones. You cannot prevent the birds of sorrow from flying over your head, but you can prevent them from building nests in your hair. ~ Chinese Proverb
Remember…it can all happen in an instant.
Love in Christ,
Nichole
Rise Above
StandardHelen Eustis once said, “What you were yesterday is fixed for always, making its mark on what you are today, what you will be tomorrow.” 2009 was a dark year for me, but has created the platform of who I will be in 2010. Beth Moore summed up the year perfectly!
As I enter in a new decade, I have no idea what the future holds, but I can only hope for a spectacular year. I have not made any resolutions because I often find that they are not kept. However, I do have goals that I want to acomplish and obtain. I want to complete the Country Music 1/2 marathon under 3 hours. I want to obtain a full time job in the profession that was instilled in me. I want to rise above the little things and lastly, I want to choose joy!
As you embark on the new year, I hope you remember this one thing. “The past is a source of knowledge, and the future is a source of hope. Love of the past implies faith in the future.” – Stephen Ambrose
Love in Christ,
Nichole
My Next Move 