Bettye Nicole

In my “try again” era. It's wild how many opportunities I gave up or let pass because I was afraid. Fearful of failure. Fearful of how I would be perceived. Afraid things wouldn't work out.

Over the last five years, I've signed three contracts that I backed out of because of the what-its. God has shown so much favor, but favor that is not realized will result in you leaning on your own understanding and resources, and backing out mentally and, inevitably, physically.
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Since turning 40 last year, my mind has been completely renewed and fueled by faith. Not because I have all the right answers, but because I trust the God who does. The Lord has me covered.

The Lord has you covered as well! Don’t allow your fears to dictate your life. Faith isn’t the absence of fear, but it is the courage to do it anyway. Be courageous and try again.
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“Have not I commanded thee? Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the LORD thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.”
‭‭Joshua‬ ‭1‬:‭9‬ ‭KJV‬‬

Be Encouraged,

More here: www.bettyenicole.org/blog-bettyenicole/justtryagai…
#bettyenicole #beencouraged.

1 day ago (edited) | [YT] | 120

Bettye Nicole

I lived a good portion of my life without healthy boundaries. Folks coming in and out, making choices that they knew would hurt me, and | leaning on my religion and forgiveness to allow them right back in my space. Some would apologize. Others wouldn't. I used to believe it was better to keep people as friends than to know them as enemies. After all,
"WWJD"?

When Peter asked Jesus how often he should forgive, the Lord said, "70x7. The Biblical principle here is to forgive always, as this is what the Lord has bestowed upon us.- Forgiveness of sIns.

But forgiveness and communing are two separate things. To forgive is to release the offense, whereas communing is to let someone back in as if nothing happened

Over the years, the Lord has done a restorative work in my heart. With this restoration has come freedom from others' opinions and the chains of the imbalance between what the word truly says and what it actually means. God never called us to mistreatment. Sure, we would encounter it, but it is not something we need to adapt to for the sake of the community.
Love isn't acceptance. Love is respect. It's honor. Respecting yourself and others, while honoring your boundaries.

For me, I don't have much to say, if anything at all, when I notice the parameters I set around my space being trampled. But my action is to peacefully remove you from my space with grace and forgiveness. The welcome sign outside my door only allows for healthy entry.

I pray that you would examine your life and surrender it, and the people in it, to the Lord, and only commune with those who are willing to respect and honor you.
Be encouraged. #bettyenicole #devotional

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5 days ago | [YT] | 103

Bettye Nicole

As a gal who loves to write and weave the hope of healing and restoration through God’s word into the chaos of life circumstances, with my words, I often get one of the best gifts ever. That is someone emailing me to say that my devotionals have helped them.

I recently received an email, and I thought I would share some insight into finding steadiness with God when you feel overwhelmed with life and the crushing thoughts of failure.

Here is a summary of my response,

“It can be challenging to find a rhythm amongst the chaos of life. I can only imagine how divided you must feel, caring for your home, church, and yourself. 

You know, I used to pray fervently for balance in my life, believing it would help me feel less overwhelmed. But the Lord has shown me, time and time again, that it’s not balance I need, but to invite him into the natural rhythm of my mundane tasks. 

I would encourage you to pray and ask the Lord how you can consider him and his presence in your life in everything you do. Each day, as much as you pour out, you should also be filling your soul with more of His word through podcasts, sound preaching throughout the week, prayer, and worship. But more importantly, through surrender. 

The Lord loves you, and His burdens are easy and light. Ask him to help you surrender and entrust your circumstances to Him. As you surrender, pray often for strength and comfort as you navigate this season.
Insert verses.
My Words to you…
You may be feeling the weight of the world today, bills, family, health, purpose, or a breakdown of some other circumstance. And it all feels like too much. You may feel divided and pulled in so many directions, both mentally and physically. There is hope for you...

See the blog post at the link for the rest.
www.bettyenicole.org/blog-bettyenicole/invitethelo…
#beencouraged #bettyenicole

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1 week ago | [YT] | 58

Bettye Nicole

Don't Quit, Hope in the Lord
www.bettyenicole.org/blog-bettyenicole/dontquithop…


"For so long, my prayers were, Lord, fix this or do that. But when you have nothing left, your heart longs for peace. That's it! A rest that trusts that, as you walk in obedience, watering others, by sharing your testimony, and serving those who are weak, God in return will water you. This is the process of discipleship and the sterilization of your expectancy from God. In the end, you will see that God was fighting for you all along."
Be Encouraged,
#blogmas #bettyenicole #encouragement

1 week ago (edited) | [YT] | 78

Bettye Nicole

One of the worst postures you can have as a believer is the unwillingness to forget “those things that are behind”. Meaning, to not allow the memory or decisions from what was to affect your path forward. It is the wildest yet simplest phenomenon to bear the wounds of the past while living in the liberty of your present. God has worked in so many ways in your life over the years, so to allow Satan to lead you to fixate on one failure, one heartbreak, one moment, is to do yourself a disservice by denying the Holy help that is available for you.

In one of the most challenging seasons of my life, I found myself stuck. It was as if the broken pieces around me would only cut me more when I tried to pick them up and surrender them to God......More on the Blog www.bettyenicole.org/blog-bettyenicole/howtoforget…

Over the years, I have prayed about overcoming, written about overcoming. Still, it wasn’t until I decided that I would, and actually did it through the power of the Holy Spirit, that my mind and heart became truly free. Freedom isn’t just an idea. It can be your reality when you lean into God’s Word, even when you are weak, trusting in His strength.

If you have been stuck in a cycle that has hindered your progress forward, I encourage you to seek the Lord. Pray, transparently and wholeheartedly, for help and release. God is Faithful.

Prayer has always changed things, but sometimes “the thing is you. It’s you who must believe God’s word of old things passing away and being made new in Christ. It’s you who must wrap your circumstances around the hope that is offered through Christ.

Don’t waste another moment in the shadows of your past. God has so much better in store for you; trust Him.

Be Encouraged,

'Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. 'Philippians 3:13-14

More here www.bettyenicole.org/blog-bettyenicole/howtoforget…

#blogmas #christian #blog

1 week ago (edited) | [YT] | 68

Bettye Nicole

Happy Thanksgiving! 🤍

2 weeks ago | [YT] | 58

Bettye Nicole

Put on the Shelf…

A blessed life isn’t a perfect life, but a walk that has been surrendered to God.

Over the last few years, there has been a feeling of being placed on the shelf. I heard Dr. Charles Stanley use this phrase, “When God places you on a shelf”, and it was the perfect image of what life has been like for me lately. I have not spoken at a church or women's service in what feels like forever. I miss it. Not the stage but the faces of women. The hugs and conversations that followed the service. The hot wings in hotels and the process of studying and preparing.

Years ago, this would have made me sad, but today, there is joy. Although I have not spoken in churches or visited any women’s conferences as a speaker, I have drawn closer to the Lord and deepened my dependency on the Lord.

There is this security I know that has restored me to a meaningful purpose, even in obscurity. I have found true joy in the mundane—private conversations of the faithfulness of God and prayers for others, cleaning, and small tasks around the house. I’ve written three new devotionals for YouVersion. Weekly prayer calls for DiscipleHer and the school have been working out so far. But above all, I have learned to exist as a surrendered believer in Christ and to rest in contentment.

If you feel as though you are on a path you are unsure of, or if some dreams and desires have seemingly been put on pause as the Lord works out the kinks in your character through the sanctification and refining process, be encouraged. If this is true, then the shelf is the best place to be.

In a world that pushes for visibility through stages, platforms, counting numbers, views, and clicks as validation, God often does His best work in the dark. In John 12:24, KJV, the Bible says, 'Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.'

The corn of wheat falls into the ground, into the darkness of the soil and moisture of uncomfortabiltiy, and it dies. But the death is only for what it was, as the new and fruitful life is what springs forth at the right time and the right season.

Trust the shelf-life process. God won’t let you expire there. The Lord’s mercy and purposes won’t fail, and He is renewing them each morning. The test of life as a saint is doing the next right thing and remaining steadfast in the process of development.

Be Encouraged,

Read more here at www.bettyenicole.org/blog-bettyenicole/whatisthebl…

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2 weeks ago (edited) | [YT] | 47

Bettye Nicole

🤍

2 weeks ago | [YT] | 13

Bettye Nicole

And when I am asked what changed my life…

3 weeks ago | [YT] | 107

Bettye Nicole

Happy Friday 🤍
I have a new episode posted. I discussed several different topics on trust and focus. I pray that it is encouraging 🙏🏼

3 weeks ago | [YT] | 14