Nikki Rosen's Blog, page 19

Thankful

“Never, never be afraid to do what's right, especially if the well-being of a person or animal is at stake. Society's punishments are small compared to the wounds we inflict on our soul when we look the other way.” Martin Luther King Jr.

How did he do it? How did King stay focused and speak truth when so many tried to silence him? How did he not give in to fear? How did he stand so brave in the face of violent opposition? 

King cracked the code. He found the way....the thing that enabled him to stand brave. I'm grateful for...

Hope....hope that things can be different.
Hope if held onto long enough shifts to faith...faith that the thing we hope for, will happen. 
Faith....that defines reason.
Faith...that gives courage and keeps us holding strong even when everything screams, let go. 
And mostly.....that He gives the hope that ultimately turns to rock solid faith....that inner knowing, that no matter who or what, something spectacular will come out from the bad. Faith is what cracked the code for King and faith is what continually cracks the code for me. 

Made a video on Hope.....hope you like it.
Happy Thursday, Guys...hold strong. 

Thankful

Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.
Arthur Ashe
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/start.html#4U4OpvCLBDhy5h8S.99Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.
Arthur Ashe
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/start.html#4U4OpvCLBDhy5h8S.99
"Each one of us will face a moment when eternity whispers into our hearts, this is your time." Michael W. Smith

Life usually plays out routine....one day shifting into the next, nothing very special, just the same old, same old norm. 

And that's okay, but every now and then something incredible happens and things get exciting. Opportunities drop into place. Doors fly open. Other doors slam shut. Those are the times my heart skips a beat.....my mouth drops open and I stand amazed at how....why.... wow.....incredible. I'm thankful for....
-Not selected for jury duty. Waited all day at the courthouse. Numbers were called. Mine wasn't. Did happy dance on way out.
-Formatting has begun to put In the Eye of Deception into a prison edition that will be distributed to women in prison across North America. Very cool.
-Contacted by someone who read my first book and wanted to buy my other 2 books. We meet yesterday. She told me my book gave her back her life and pumped her with hope. That blew me away.
-Running the last group in Jan. this morning. Thrilled to be a small part of the journey of some very incredibly brave women. When I tell my story...when I remember where I was and what He did, I'm ever more grateful.
- Mostly that He shows me again and again the past doesn't define us. That if I let Him, He uses it to draw people who are where I was....to bring them into larger places....better ones, and to give them freedom.

Happy Thursday, Guys! 

Thankful

 "You need to remember that summer follows winter and sunshine follows rain. Don't give up don't give in...life can come again." Ray Watson

Looking out the window, seeing the withered plants and flowers, it's hard to believe that in a few months they'll be back again, full of life and colour and vibrancy. 

It's the way I sometimes feel about my life...those times everything looks bleak, dark, grey. Yet something in me knows to wait...to hold on and trust. Life and purpose will come again, just like summer after winter and sunshine after rain. Thankful this week for....

-good friends. They make the down days bearable, even fun
-my kids. They teach me the things that are really important in life. My love for them makes me want to live my best life so they can live theirs. 
-imagination. It's awesome to be able to imagine the spring, walking on the trails, smelling the earth, hearing the nature again. 
-writer friends who believe in me, who keep my passion alive, and inspire me to write from the inside out. 
-Mostly.....Even in the blah times, I know He's got awesome plans incubating. My job? to wait, to hope, to trust. I've seen Him do it in the past again and again and again. I know He'll do it again so I'm waiting. He'll do it 100%. 

Thankful Thursday

Life is either a great adventure or nothing.
Helen Keller
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/adventure.html#X8Jfrlv3CSGCuILE.99

"Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all." Helen Keller 

I love stepping out onto new adventures. This year has already started out with a couple. First, I've been called to jury duty. Never done that. Don't know what to expect, but it sounds sort of exciting. 

And something I've been toying around with - going back to school. I love learning and the thought really excites me. And today, I'm running another group to empower women based on my first book. I love these groups b/c not only are the women encouraged, but I always come home inspired by their bravery to reach for their best. I'm thankful for.....

-opportunities to give back all the good that has been given to me. 
-someone donated $5000 to put my first book into a prison edition. They've started the process. Once done, they'll distribute into women's prisons across North America. Very cool. 
-getaways. We started planning a holiday for March Break and the summer. Just talking and thinking about it is total fun.
-Kids preparing for University and high school. Scary and exciting.  
-Mostly...knowing life with Him is always an adventure. Every year He opens new doors. Every day, is exciting b/c He's got plans for the two of us. Every moment shines b/c He's in it. 

Happy Thursday, Guys. 

Thankful Thursday

In the depth of winter I finally learned that there was in me an invincible summer.
Albert Camus
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/winter.html#lDLLgIurRaBBS1kv.99In the depth of winter I finally learned that there was in me an invincible summer.
Albert Camus
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/winter.html#lDLLgIurRaBBS1kv.99In the depth of winter I finally learned that there was in me an invincible summer.
Albert Camus
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/winter.html#lDLLgIurRaBBS1kv.99  "In the depth of winter I finally decided that there was in me an invincible summer." Albert Camus
In the depth of winter I finally learned that there was in me an invincible summer.
Albert Camus
Read more at http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/winter.html#lDLLgIurRaBBS1kv.99 
It's been real winter....not like last year or the year before when it hardly snowed and temps hovered above zero. It's already snowed a ton and temps have dropped to -25. Too cold to go out or walk the trails or feel the wind in my hair or the sun's warmth on my skin.

We've been staying indoors.....heat cranked up.....huddled together. I've decided....I'm not a winter person. I can't wait for spring....to get back outside, to roam the woods and hike the trails. It's where I feel totally alive and inspired.

Winter though does have its good points. Everything looks so pretty like some magical city and when I daydream about spring, I feel that familiar hope inside. Nothing stays the same...things change....the bad turns good....and life goes on.  Grateful for.....

-chunks of time indoors to get stuff done....clean out the old, make room for the new.
-reading more books...the ones that inspire, and pump me to reach higher.
-incredible chats with my teen. We've talked about everything and anything, her dreams, mine, life, etc. Love that.
-Cooking with my youngest.....Although cooking bores me, my youngest loves it and doing it with her makes it a ton of fun.
-And mostly the hope I feel inside...hope that originates from Him...hope that makes me sing...hope that twirls in my gut with a knowing, Spring really does live in me.  

Thankful Thursday

"Cold, cold, cold, cold." Disney Movie, Frozen
 It's cold out. Minus 16 cold. We don't want to leave the house. We want to stay home and hunker down in warmth and cozy.

Maybe it's a good thing....the best way to start a new year....huddled with family....chatting,  laughing,,,,taking time with each other,  watching movies, playing board games, reminiscing.

Life's good. I feel it right down to my toes and in every part of my being. Maybe it's b/c I feel incredibly loved, or maybe life with all it's tough stuff has evened out and played out well these last couple of years. Whatever it is, 2014 is going to be another incredible year. I'm grateful for......

-our home.....warm, safe, tons of creature comforts
-family and friends who show they care in big ways and small, who are always there in my corner  and me in theirs. It's living with their kindness that pushes me forward to want to give back and help someone else find their way.
-Twisted Innocence, positive reviews have been coming in. And the people I wrote about, the little girl, and the detective's family, love the book. They said I captured the characters bang-on.  Makes me glad I pushed for the truth and wrote it in this little book.
-Beginnings. There's something neat and exciting about them. New year. New beginnings. New adventures. New purpose. It feels like I'm standing on the threshold, catching a breath and preparing to step into a whole new experience.
-Mostly, knowing that I don't have to go it alone....He's there, already charting out everything and reaching out a hand for me to step out again on paths unknown....and to not be afraid. Love that. Love that every day of every year is remarkable b/c He's on the journey with me. I look at the trees, hills and nature and think, okay....if He's done all that, what He and I do together is bonus.

Happy 2014, Guys....It's gonna be an amazing year!

Thankful Thursday

“Maybe the truth is, it's the things you fight for and struggle with before earning that have the greatest worth. When something's difficult to come by, you'll do that much more to make sure it's even harder--if not impossible--to lose.” Sarah Dessen
Things I'm thankful for.....
-my family and the love we have for each other. No matter what happens, good or bad, we're always there for each other. -my sister. We worked really hard to find our way back to each other after being separated for so long. The love between us is now strong. -healthy body. Was hit with a really bad virus over the holidays and spent time in the hospital. Grateful for feeling better again and for good medical care. -Hydro. Temps have been freezing. Many people have had their power off for days. Ours stayed on. Grateful for warmth and light. -inner peace....it doesn't matter what happens there's something inside that says, it'll be okay - His voice in my heart whispering.....stay the course, don't give up, I'm here....trust. 

Thankful Thursday

"Courage is found in unlikely places." J.R.R. Tolkien

Sometimes I hear about someone's life experience and it reminds me to stay focused and live my best life. Those incredible people who face tough times and yet somehow find the will and the bravery to push through the difficult and stand strong. Grateful for.....

-all the brave people I know fighting cancer. 
-friends who got laid off work, lost their income, struggled to make ends meet, but somehow reinvented themselves and pushed their way back up. 
-the mom who decided to go up against the mental health system and fight for the rights of her daughter in spite of powerful resistance.
-the amazing couple who foster and adopt children no one else wants. Many of the kids come broken and with difficult problems, but to my friends, the kids are worth every bit of time and energy and love. 
-Mostly for the courage He's infused me with....courage to be real...to stand strong, to live my best life...and maybe just maybe....courage to make a difference in someone else's life. 

Happy Thursday, Guys!!!
  

Thankful Thursday

"I want to think again of dangerous and noble things. I want to be light and frolicsome. I want to be improbable and beautiful and afraid of nothing as though I had wings.” Mary Oliver
 I love those times when something grabs me and becomes inspiration. It usually happens when I'm goofing with the kids or hiking the hills near our home or spotting a blueheron in flight. This week grateful for.... 

-first snowstorm. It hasn't hit yet, but tomorrow and over the weekend we're set to get our first winter blast. Frigid temps means hunkering down inside with cuddles and family time.
-December. Love this time of year. It's so pretty and magical.
-Opportunities to reach out. We've signed up to be involved in reaching out to people who've fallen on hard times. Giving back is a gift not just to those receiving help, but to us too. I think giving is the best exercise for the heart.  
-My book Twisted Innocence has been selling. People are emailing...telling me they're loving it. I wasn't sure b/c it's different than what I usually write so it's good to hear.
-Mostly that He makes everything awesome no matter what the season.

Thankful Thursday

 “Invisible threads are the strongest ties.” Friedrich Nietzsche

I had a ton of stuff to do, but I didn't care. Something inside me knew I had to do something even more important. I turned the car onto the dirt road and headed towards the isolated park. Even as I did, I felt it...a sigh inside. 

I parked the car, jumped out and walked to the other side of the pond. There was no one around. I looked up at the sky, whispered thanks, then waited. It didn't take long before I felt it....the unmistakable touch of His gentleness.

It was freezing out. I didn't stay long. Just long enough to ensure the connection between us. The rest of the day was fabulous. Grateful for....

-The power of His gentleness
-The always forever connection I have with Him.
-The assurance I get knowing He's in my corner no matter what
-The courage He gives me to take a risk, then another, and then another.
-And mostly, the hope that has lived inside me since the first time He touched me and which has never blown out.