Author Archives: Tannika Nikeya
Darkness-What I Learned About It Last Sunday
Last Sunday, I went to church in person and was so glad I did.
The presence of the Holy Spirit was definitely present from the sermon to the prayers going forth. We also had a moment when we were directed to pray with one other person personally. As I listened and prayed in the Spirit while my prayer partner prayed for me, I also cried as God confirmed through her prayers what He has been sharing with me.
It was a glorious time in the Lord. God is so amazing.
But what I wanted to share here is a few things that stood out to me as Pastor Guice delivered the sermon. Much of these points are summed up and not verbatim, nonetheless a word from the Holy Spirit. The sermon was titled Receiving Spiritual Direction in Perilous Times. And Pastor taught about the effects when darkness invades our lives.
Darkness is basically all that separates us from God. We also know darkness as destruction, hopelessness, chaos, lack of peace, lack of order, absence of light and joy as well as an increase of violence.
- Darkness will not allow you to move. It makes you feel stuck, lethargic spiritually.
- Darkness attacks your prayer life. It makes it difficult to stay consistent in prayer, communication with God. It can even make you feel like God is nowhere to be found.
- God’s blessings are not always a mark of God’s approval.
- The presence of God is crucial to your life.
- When you are in darkness, darkness increases in the land.
So, how do we begin to come out of darkness: I believe we must first begin to pray and read God’s Word. And then proceed to the following below.
A final word: Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil. For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.
Ephesians 6:10-12 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/eph.6.10-12.NLT
Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.
Romans 12:2 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/rom.12.2.NLT
Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land.
2 Chronicles 7:14 NLT
https://bible.com/bible/116/2ch.7.14.NLT
Prayer For Chicago
You Get Better
What do you think gets better with age?
Currently, it seems that ageism is increasing, or maybe because of social media, getting more awareness.
Ageism, according to Google, is defined as prejudice or discrimination on the grounds of a person’s age.
It can show up in the discrimination of an elderly person applying for a job, the demonizing of young people when not understood, or the unrealistic expectations placed upon an older or younger woman.
It is scary that younger people are getting messages that they should have everything settled and figured out by 21 and that older people should stop living as soon they turn 60. Or that someone is even old at 35, 40, and there is nothing left in life for them. Assinine thinking. (This is not a license for young people to not apply themselves and start the work to figure things out or live recklessly. Nor is it a license for older people to live recklessly and never mature mentally, emotionally, etc.)
We all, good Lord’s will, get older. Or are supposed to get older. If you wake up each day, getting older is inevitable. And it is NOT a bad thing. It is blessing. Some people leave this earth too soon. Moreover, some people’s dreams, goals and potential go to the grave without being brought to fruition or even to full capacity or total fulfillment.
And that part is disheartening.
So, remember, we all get older and it is a good thing. However, watching yourself change and evolve, moreso physically, can bring about a variety of emotions, and can be scary for some.
But don’t fret. Life gets better, yet.
And what gets better with age, you ask.
You.
Yes, you.
As you get maturer. As you become an adult. And as you become a grown grown person as some say, you should become better.
Not perfect. But better.
Your self awareness should be building. Your true confidence unlocking. You should be growing in wisdom. You should be more accountable and responsible. You should be busy living and not just existing. You should be awakening into the you, God created you to be.
So, with age, you get better. And life should get better. You are learning to live more authentic. You are healing. You are becoming more self-aware. You are unlearning some things to learn the right things. You are learning how to truly take care of you.
You have built up resilience and you have learned to persevere. And for some of us, you have learned when to rest and how to. You have set goals for yourself and maybe not all of them, but some of them. And you are realizing with age, it is not over yet.
Life is just beginning. Or you have come to the middle of your life where there is a plot twist, and you are in for a good treat. Especially with God leading the way.
Chicken Philly Fun!
Lunch At Aster Hall
Yesterday, I had lunch with my best friend at Aster Hall, an elegant mall located 900 North Michigan Ave in Downtown Chicago. We had an awesome time dining there, and using it’s aesthetics for videos and pictures as well as filling the place with our hearty laughs which we have every time I hang out with bestie.
We ordered and paid for our food from a touch screen and retrieved our food from its stations. This part of the process was simple. It got a bit confusing after locating the stations to retrieve our food. I had to keep asking the attendant, making sure patrons received their meals, where things were. I first asked where to retrieve my drink I ordered, then the plastic cup, and the eating utensils. He laughed a bit after the third question 😆.
The seating was great. We chose a booth near the big window facing another downtown building. There are also outlets near the booths and you can choose to work while you lunch. Nice place to work or even play table games, I suppose are provided by Astor, as we saw some elderly ladies playing a game (I forget what the game was lol).
Moreover, there were luxury shops at Aster Hall: Bloomingdales and other fancy shops. However, we did no shopping. We just wanted to try someplace new for lunch, encourage one another, work in our planners and discuss our goals as well as provide support and a listening ear as we both expressed we have had some rough patches in this season.
Grateful for my bestie, my bff, my sister! After lunch at Aster Hall we went to a Starbucks and plotted our next adventure over Frappuccinos.
Favorite Genre of Music
What is your favorite genre of music?
My favorite Genre of music is R&B, moreso the 80s and 90s era. I love the New Jack Swing Era. I love the music that expressed love, allowed you to connect and feel. That era of music was just a vibe.
My other favorite Genre of music is gospel and worship music. When my soul needs a reminder that my relationship with God comes first, I know the Holy Spirit will give me one. And worship music is another way to hone in and sit quietly and reflect on the welcome and goodness of the Lord, Jesus Christ. Sometimes, I incorporate listening to worship music in my time with the Lord.
I love music. And it has been such a great past time, self-care tool, and fun.
Introverts and Last Minute Plans
I came across this article as I scrolled through my Google news feed and I think it is spot on. See link below:
https://introvertdear.com/news/4-reasons-introverts-hate-last-minute-plans/
Although I like spontaneity here and there, last minute plans can often rattle me. I have to prepare mentally, and if not given the chance, I can get frustrated. I remember explaining to a family member that I can’t often take last minute plans or requests of my service all the time. And sometimes last minute may suffice when things change out of your control or an emergency arise. However, if you can control and know in advance, please let me know ahead of time so I can prepare mentally.
I also value my alone time. My time to sit, my time to just be, my time to chill, my time to reflect and rest. My time to do something I love to do. My time to quiet down everything around me and not be pulled in a hundred thousand different directions. I have a busy schedule most of the time and I need to recharge myself. I believe we all need to practice recharging ourselves whether our schedules are busy and plates full or not.
Some people think introverts don’t like people; many of us do, and I am one who does like people. And I like spontaneity here and there because too much routine can also make me go haywire, lol. But I don’t like last minute stuff or my time being so consumed without moments of replenishment and time for self.
Self-Control
I came across an old movie, one with Ben Matlock. Lol, I mean Andy Griffith. But I am sure some Gen Z’s may not know Andy Griffith or even his Ben Matlock character from his Matlock TV series. In this movie I was watching, Andy Griffith plays John Wallace, who is some well-known land owner in his town. John Wallace has to definitely be a narcissist. And at the end of the movie is when I realize just how much he is one. In the end, Wallace tries to compare himself to the man who takes him down for his murderous crime as well as expresses himself as a man of power.
But it is the sheriff’s (played by Johnny Cash) response that stuck out to me. “How powerful is the man who can’t control themselves,” Sheriff Lamar states.
Now I suspect that Wallace would not care about self control when he loves power and is a narcissist but developing discipline and self-control is so necessary and beneficial in every area of our lives.
Self-control, according to Google, is the ability to control oneself, in particular one’s emotions and desires or the expression of them in one’s behavior, especially in difficult situations.
Self-control comes in handy when you need ammo to fight temptation. When you need to regulate your emotions. When you need to accomplish a goal. When you need to push through a hard season. When you want to get even.
Don’t underestimate the power of having self control and discipline. The quality of your life depends on it. Don’t aim for perfection but do aim to build self-control. Let us heal, grow, take care of ourselves and build our discipline and self-control. Let us trust God and lean on God for the grace to do so.
Oh, my apologies, the movie is called Murder in Coweta County.
Let’s Take This One Day At A Time Planner available at Amazon!
Tannika Nikeya 