Notes from Nicole

"The more things change, the more they stay the same." This quote was first written by French critic, journalist and novelist Jean-Baptiste Alphonse Karr in 1839 in one of his satirical epigrams. Little did he know how many times this same quote would be uttered in everyday life. According to wiktionary.com the translation of this phrase has two definitions; 1. Turbulent changes do not affect reality on a deeper level other than to cement the status quo. 2. A change of heart must accompany experience before lasting change occurs. Either way something is going to change. Maybe it is a change in your daily living habits. Maybe it is a change in your geographic location. Maybe it is a change in your marital status. Maybe it is a change in your family status. Maybe it is a change so turbulent that it has shaken you to your very core. Change is something that we try so hard to either make happen, prevent or stop from happening that we tend to focus on the act of change i

To say that I have been in sort of a slump would be a drastic understatement. I just haven't felt like myself lately. I haven't had those same desires to do things like I did before. Is it COVID? Is it menopause? Is it lack of effort? Maybe it is all of the above?! Well, I have been struggling to "figure it out" in the past few months when I realized that what I should have been doing is going to God. Sometimes because I feel so efficient, self-sufficient and self-reliant that I somehow forget to go to the creator, you know the ONE who is REALLY in control! Yes, I am one of THOSE people who thinks I can fix everything and everyone and that I somehow have a say in it all! But guess what happens, the more I try to be in control is when I am painfully aware of just how out of control I truly am. If you were to sit down and make a list of all of the things that you or what you feel others expect from you on a daily basis I am sure the list would be quite long fo

Have you ever watched one of those "strong man" contests on TV? When I was growing up I remember my mom would watch such a show if she happened upon one while channel surfing. She would say, "Wow! I wish I was that strong? Wouldn't it be something if I could just lift a whole car up?" I would laugh and say, "Yeah, that would be something to see-we could probably sell tickets!" We would both laugh and then watch in awe at the great feats of strength that these men would endure; pull vehicles using their teeth, lift enormous amounts of weight until you thought the veins in their bodies were literally going to burst, flip tires bigger than a car, the list goes on and you get the idea. These contestants showed such great physical strength that I had to wonder how long it took them to get to this point in their career as a "strong man"? When you think about the hours of training, discipline and sacrifices that they had to make it is really

One of my favorite movies of all time is Frank Capra's "It's a Wonderful Life." I am assuming if you have never seen it, you have at least heard of it. Here is a brief synopsis; George Bailey has lived a life of humility and serving others, he has given up his hopes and dreams in order to further someone else's along, he has always chosen to do the "right" and noble thing, even at times when he was tempted to give into his selfish desires. Then the bottom falls out. He realizes that the "almighty dollar" is more powerful than he could have ever imagined. George does not continue on with his positive attitude, but instead he realizes that he would be worth more dead than alive. An angel, of sorts, appears to George and gives him the opportunity to see what life really would have been like had he not ever been born into the world. Have you ever thought, "I just wish things would slow down!" or "I just wish that our family w

I am sure most of us are aware by now, going to the store isn't what it used to be. For me, if I needed something for a recipe or dinner I would just grab my purse, my keys and hop into my vehicle and go to my nearest store and get what I needed without even really thinking about it. Today a trip to the store could mean contracting a serious virus that could not only infect me but also infect the lives of those I love. As I sit here and plan my list I am wondering if I should wear a mask, should I wear gloves, should I bring my own wipes, etc..... It reminded me of the passage from the bible in the book of Ephesians, chapter 6, wearing the full armor of God. I remember learning about this in Sunday School and we even had a coloring page that labeled all of the pieces of armor and what their function was in protecting us from the things of this world. This is what the Full Armor of God looks like; the belt of truth, breastplate of righteousness, your feet fitted with readiness

I know that most of you that are reading this are living in the state of Illinois and as of 5pm this evening on Saturday, March 21, 2020 there is a "shelter in place" ordered by the Governor of Illinois. I watched this news conference and the feeling of angst that I already had in the pit of my stomach began to grow. I have been practicing Faith over Fear and trying to fully rely on God during this pandemic, but I am only human and sometimes those human feelings of doubt and despair get the better of me. The hardest part for me during this time is not being able to see my close friends and some of my family members during this time. I also have three adult children; two of whom work in the healthcare field and one who works with the public, so I do fear for their health and safety at times. Once I heard the Governor say those words though, "shelter in place" I just couldn't get that phrase out of my head. I went to bed thinking about it and I woke up think