December 20, 2025
God Heals
God heals.
I don’t care what you are going through.
God heals.
I don’t care how long you’ve been going through it or how severe the suffering.
God redeems.
His word says it, but even more, I have lived it.
John and I have been through testing so fierce, trial in top of trial, all by the while we remained faithful to God and endured. He made us go the hard way and climb the mountains instead of just opening all the doors for us. Don’t know know, having to the climb the mountain is merely a different version of God opening a door. But it’s a golden door with golden keys because once you overcome you possess a strength, resilience, and perspective that can only be birthed through Fire.
I used to wonder why it seemed God’s mercy was gentler on believers around me. Why did we have to endure all the horrors we have had to endure. What was he going to ask of me that I needed to go through all of this? Why did it have to last so long? Decades. Reminiscent of the life of Job in nature were our difficulties…extreme.
Whatever you go through….
God is using it. He may not have sent it. But he has allowed it. He’s grooming you to give you keys only His authority can open.
This is the word of the Lord He has put in my mouth to share this morning.
Don’t loose heart….
God heals.
“But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed.”
Isaiah 53:5
~Nicole
November 25, 2025
“I am a Christian”
“And they have defeated him by the blood of the Lamb
and by their testimony…”
Rev. 12:11
New life in Christ is exciting, bewildering, and a little scary. There is new peace salvation brings; New hope. We feel the weight of our sins lifted off of our shoulders. Perhaps your guilty conscience finally clears.
I acknowledge that becoming a Christian can also be daunting. Not because God isn’t good, because He is! Rather, it is a lot of new all at once. Where do we even begin to learn about this King we have professed our devotion to? What will my devotion look like in real time?
For a person who has little experience with going to church, church can be a whole lot! It’s just new and sometimes new can feel a little much. I get it.
The Bible tells us that we are an Overcomer. Jesus overcame ALL so we could have the trophy for His great victory. His blood was spilled so we can overcome. This is called justification. The next steps of your new faith is the sanctification.
Sanctification is the process of becoming a disciple. It is a holy transformation and moral shift. It is the process of becoming more like Christ.
Jesus told his disciples to go spread the good news and to make disciples of men (people). A disciple is more than just believing Jesus is the Messiah. Demons believe this! Being a disciple is being a Christ follower, obeying His Word, and then sharing the good news of what He has done for you. It is taking up your cross and following Him. (Matthew 16:24-27, Luke 9:23-26)
Our cross can look like many things. Our cross is denying or need to feed our pleasures and doing what Christ would have us do. It may be sacrificing our comfort for the provision of someone else. It’s practicing kindness when someone cuts you off on the road.
Begin small, tell someone your story. Tell them where you were before Jesus, what happened, and where you are now. Tell people, “I am a Christian”. It may have a hard time squeezing out your throat. You may have warfare in the spirit. Do it anyway! It’s an act of courage, faith, and power that will help shake the enemy of God off your tail!
This post is very specific. I had a very specific dream last night and saw the struggle to share your testimony of Christ. Be encouraged, if this is for you—if you feel right now like I’m speaking right to you— I am.
I also saw your growth. I saw doors opening for you. I saw new beginnings and a clear and bright horizon. God is with you!
~Nicole
November 14, 2025
Grow Up!🌱
I have had three dreams this week that involved a baby and hiding. I have sought the Lord as He would wake me up and keep me up to pray at all hours of the night on what I saw. He would then give me supernatural rest and energy during my workday! I wasn’t tired!
He took me to Hebrews 9. Then one of my daily devotions encouraged reading from Hebrews 9. So I have been camped out there all week. Today I read through all of Hebrews and God unveils my understanding to reveal:
💡His meaning of my dream.
🙏🏼What He wants me to pray about.
🔊What He wants me to say.
It is time to leave infancy behind and mature in your faith!
In my dream I saw women concerned more about appearance than service and I saw weak men. I am not trying to offend, but must release what the Holy Spirit is showing me.
Hebrews 5 says:
“In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.”
This is for the person who has been a believer a long while, not true infants who do need spiritual milk. This is for people who have maybe been saved a few years, but haven’t committed, surrendered, or decided to fully follow Christ leaving the entanglements of sin and fleshly desires behind.
It is time to disciple, exhort, encourage, and serve the new believers. It’s time to be mentored if you need to grow.
Service will require real strength. So strengthen yourself in the Lord that you may be able to offer real strength in time of need.
Time for men to lead.
Time for women to serve.
Time for women to lead.
Time for men to serve.
My pastor recently said that church can either be “clean and fruitless or messy and fruitful”. This is so true!!!!
Let us be willing to do what needs to be done so we can have the fruit. Each person will be called on by God to serve differently. It won’t look all the same. We are one Body and many parts.
If you don’t go to church…Find one!
If you watch church online…get in the room (if health or physical condition aren’t limiting factors).
Activation Prayer:
Lord, activate your gifts in your people. No more isolating themselves and hiding from truth, and community. We are One in Christ. You have called us to belong to a church. We are the Church, but together we are stronger. We are family! Show us how to progress from milk to meat. Nourish us spiritually so we can share the nourishment with others. Establish the five fold ministry in your house. Let us lace up our boots and get our shovels ready! The harvest is great and the workers are few!
I have so much confident hope for you added strength and joy!
Blessings~
Nicole
November 10, 2025
Facing the Fear of Man
I have had a thread pulling my dreams and the Lord’s burden for my prayers together. I discern in the spirit that many in the Church are being held back by the devil with fear of embarrassment.
Many are afraid to step out in faith, use their gifts, and usher in a new wave and level of God’s glory because of a fear of failing, falling, being wrong, and becoming embarrassed.
I woke this morning with this word burning in me:
“EPHAPHATA! Be open!”
Ephaphata means to open. It is found in the Bible in Mark 7.
If you struggle with a fear of embarrassment (most people do on some level if your being honest with yourself), then here is a prayer. As I type it out I decree it over you and bless you. You may use it as a script to help you fight the enemy.
Prayer:
Lord, you alone are worthy. You alone have the might to tear down strongholds. Nothing or no person is as great as you! I approach your bench—Great Judge of the Earth—and ask confidently for victory for your people over the fear of man. Your word says;
“Obey me, and I will be your God, and you will be my people. Do everything as I say, and all will be well.”
(Jeremiah 7:23)
I bind a spirit of embarrassment and pride. Our dignity is found in you, Oh, Lord. Let us be a people who are more interested in surrendering our reputation so you can cloak us in yours. No weapon formed against your people will prosper. Our greatest care will be what you think of us, God, not what people think of us! The enemy tries to intimidate, but we will not fall for it. Fear is powerless in the presence of thankfulness!
I decree:
Our freedom will not be limited by what someone else thinks.
(1 Corinthians 10:29)
I will not value my comfort over obedience. “I don’t do what is best for me; I do what is best for others so many will be saved.”
(1 Corinthians 10:33)
“The fear of man lays a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is safe.” Proverbs 29:25
May my eyes and ears be open! Ephaphata! I will hear the voice of the Lord louder than any other voice, including my own.
I will be grateful to the One who is Holy and True. Every ounce of fear will crumble in submission to the massive overflow of gratitude that spills forth from my heart.
In Jesus Name, Amen!
If the Lord gives you a breakthrough with this prayer, please share! I can reshare your testimony and it will encourage others! We are all in this together. Let us be a united front!
Remember always how loved and valued you are! God has given you a voice to be used for His Glory!
Strength and Joy,
Nicole
September 13, 2025
Transformation Specialist
God wants to pour out intimacy on His Bride. It will require total surrender. All-In. No more being a spectator but imitators.
A true conversion to Christianity will change your life. He will touch your life radically, but you have a part to play. There will be working on yourself, killing your old passions and desires, and walking the high road. All of that needs to take place.
Showing up at a church service and sitting there doesn’t make you a Christian.
Being a nice person doesn’t make you a Christian.
Saying you believe in Christ doesn’t even make you a Christian.
Most of my grandfathers life he would say he was Christian. He believed being an American made you a Christian (he believed this because he knew the true history of our nation). That was wrong thinking. He wasn’t a Christian. He made a visible change and professional of Christ in the very last years of his life. Don’t wait like he did!
The older you are, the more difficult it is because pride makes people set in their ways and often enjoying their sin—not because sin is so fulfilling and edifying, but because it’s familiar. People do what they know.
Look around, the world has gotten more than a little bonkers. Biblical end times prophecy is literally being fulfilled right before our eyes. The earth groans, but the King is still on the Throne. His besotted eyes are upon you with adoration.
Even though it’s been a long time…
He hasn’t forgotten you. He still waits for you to come back to Him or even meet Him for the first time.
“Man looks out the outward appearance, but God looks at the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7)
“Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.” (James 4:8; Jeremiah 29:12-14)
Shine bright! The darkness will never be able to extinguish the Light!
~Nicole
February 17, 2025
R.E.D. Flags for Wellness
It has been more than a hot minute since I blogged on this WordPress account. It feels good to be back! Since I’ve been gone I have been writing on a few other platforms. I have an email list where I share both spiritual fitness, physical fitness, and nutrition help. I also wrote and published a book! Let’s get reacquainted… my name is Nicole. I am a wife of 30 years, a mother to five children (I gave birth to them all!), and I work in the field of fitness and nutrition. I am a personal trainer, nutritionist, lover of Jesus, and someone who has always wanted to help others. I am a believer that mind, body, and spirit are all connected. I aspire to add value to your life through any and all of these areas.
If you have found this page and are interested in any of these (joining my email list or ordering a copy of my book) comment on this post and I will get you more information. For now, I want to focus on offering some strength to you today. Let’s talk about gut health.
They call the gut the “second brain”, and for good reason. We have a neuron circuit in our body that directly links our gut to our brain. The human gut is lined with more than 100 million nerve cells. Wow! That is a lot!
Do you have butterflies in your stomach or something feels off? Well, listen to that gut of yours because it is talking to you. Research is continuing to show us that when our gut microbiome is off it can be linked to problems in the brain such as dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, and even some mental illnesses. The gut biome is our gut bacteria. Bad bacteria make us sick. Good bacteria fight those bad bacteria and help us do a variety of intracellular tasks.
There are a few different ways you can create good gut bacteria. Healthy habits like exercise create short-chain fatty acids (metabolites such as butyrate) in the gut which play a role in quality skeletal muscle. The more lean muscle you have the healthier you generally are. Lean muscle mass is deeply equated with longevity. Muscle has been called, “the organ of longevity”. Lean muscle plays an incredible role in being strong, not just in a weight room or on a playing field, but inside your own body fighting sickness, inflammation, and disease.
Another way to increase gut microbiome is by consuming polyphenols. Polyphenols are found in foods rich in fiber: fruits and vegetables. Polyphenols give these foods their rich and vibrant color. Polyphenols help your body create metabolites. A metabolite is a product of cellular metabolism and does things like provide structure, fuel, pigment, and antibodies in small molecules. In essence, we need them to function properly. We need them for homeostasis (stasis is balance in the body). Good gut biome helps us digest and absorb nutrition, and support our immune system. Polyphenols help your body regulate blood pressure and cholesterol to name a few benefits.
As we age our gut biome changes. Our good bacteria tend to decrease while bad bacteria increase. We need to be proactive in making sure we are ingesting foods that are going to help boost good biome and avoid foods that will feed unhealthy bacteria and things like sugar. Sugar is a primary food source for all bad bacteria. Avoiding sugar is going to do so much more for you than just keeping your weight in check. Increase your consumption of fruit, vegetables, and fermented foods like yogurt, and kimchi.
Proper rest and circadian rhythm play a role in good gut health. The composition of your gut health will fluctuate and is in tune with your sleep and eating cycle. Create a routine and your body will thrive in it. There is something to be said for “early to bed, early to rise”. Some research suggests that the more sleep you get before midnight gives the body greater opportunity for deep R.E.M. sleep during the night. Quality sleep is where your body has the chance to mend and repair internally. There is a sweeping mechanism in your body that activates every 90 minutes, sweeping through your body and clearing out debris and waste–pushing it into the colon for elimination–all while you’re sleeping!
This may all be a little much to remember so here is a little acronym to keep it simple. It is what I call the R.E.D. Flag for Wellness.
- Pay attention to your REST (sleep and simple downtime).
2. Pay attention to your EXERCISE (move your body: weight-bearing exercise and 8,000-10,000 steps per day).
3. Pay attention to your DIET (nutrition vs restriction: lots of lean protein sources plus fiber-rich whole foods).
Your life is valuable. You add meaning to this world. Those around you benefit from all of your gifts and talents. Take care of yourself for yourself, but for the rest of us, too! We need you! We all need each other.
Eat well, live strong, and enjoy your life. If there are any specific health or training topics, or questions about faith, you’d like me to explore let me know in the comments!
June 25, 2021
No Fear
“Faith is not rooted in fear.” These are the words the Spirit of God spoke you my soul in the middle of the night.
There is something so special about when the Lord speaks. His voice like a gentle breeze that kisses our cheek. We must be still. We must wait. We must listen, but we can hear His guidance and trust He is the pilot directing our life when we continually put Him in control and understand He IS in control.
When listening for the Lord we may sometimes doubt or lack confidence in knowing what is us and what is Him? The evidence is found in the fruit. Fit fruit is patient, kind, gentle, joyful, self controlled and full of goodness. You can read about it in Galatians 5:22-23.
Love does no harm. (Rom. 13:10)
Love always protects. Always trusts. Always hopes. Always perseveres. Love never fails. Never is a pretty emphatic word.
It doesn’t say, in 1 Corinthians 13, that love sometimes fails, or is almost always successful. It says love is always victorious. This is because God IS Love, and where love is there is no room for fear. Where love abounds the flesh fails. The good news is we want our flesh to fail. Not fail as in poor health. That’s not what I’m saying. What I’m saying is, our desires and wants that aren’t in our best interest will fail, but God’s love will remain. But the two are at constant odds with each other. We must choose the way of love, the Hugh road, and we must know we can never be too kind, loving, gracious or generous with love. Love is for everyone.
Love is for you.
So we can be love where ever we go and who ever we interact with.
Seasons change. People change. But God’s love still remains.
Faithful.
Change people, not by pointing out their flaws, but by loving them well, without letting them change you. In other words, don’t let someone else’s bad attitude, mood, negativity or critical spirit affect you and who you are. Just keep shining on. He is a God of peculiar means and methods. Embrace it. No more worry or fretting. Life is changing, from the inside out.
If you feel weary and worn, but are trying your best to pursue the path God would have for you, then this post is for you to edify, exhort and encourage you. Know that faith is always tested. So if it seems the fiery trials have stepped up and your courage is fading, it must be growing. God wants it growing. Temptation is not a sin. Don’t let the enemy shame you into thinking otherwise. The test may merely be an unintended compliment from the enemy that you’ve got some fit fruit in the making!
“On this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.” Matthew 16:18
“LORD, bless us with dauntless courage. To GO, DO and PURSUE the doors God has opened—
Because fear is a miserable reward, we will choose faith and wade into the waters deep. Amen.”
Nothing will be able to seperate you from this love. (Romans 8:35)
You will overcome. You have already overcome. Beautiful blessings will come, wait and see…Just you wait and see. Your life is changing, ‘worse for the better’. (Romans 8:37)
~Nicole
May 25, 2021
Covenant Not Contract
In Romans Chapter 4 we learn that God sees His relationship with us as a fluid entity. Covenant, not a Contract.
Big difference.
In a covenant you are loved and whole just as you are. In a contract once a mistake or breach has occurred the contract is broken.
We may be broken, but God’s love for us never is. This is something we can rely on.
The world is full of hardship and heartache—but take heart. God has overcome the world. ~Nicole
brokenandbrave©️
(Photo credit goes to “I Do Boundaries” by Havilah Cunnington)
March 27, 2021
Faith-Patience-Confidence
“The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me,
because the Lord has anointed me
to proclaim good news to the poor.
He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim freedom for the captives
and release from darkness for the prisoners,
2 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor
and the day of vengeance of our God,
to comfort all who mourn,
3 and provide for those who grieve in Zion—
to bestow on them a crown of beauty
instead of ashes,
the oil of joy
instead of mourning,
and a garment of praise
instead of a spirit of despair.
They will be called oaks of righteousness,
a planting of the Lord
for the display of his splendor.“
February 24, 2021
Have Confidence
I am having trouble with my subscription plug-in for my website. So here’s the link to my blog. Brokenandbrave.com is my main location. Hopefully I can update the subscribe plug-in soon and you can follow me there.
I am honored to encourage you with faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these, is love. ~Nicole
Broken & Brave 
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