The 7th Year

Today is the last day of the 7th year that the Nice family has been in Texas. 

The 7th day & the 7th year are unique and special to God. He set them aside for His people that they may experience renewal, provision, release, rest, and even forgiveness of debts. Exodus 23:10-11, Leviticus 25:2-7, 20-22, Deuteronomy 15:1-3

Our Texas life started with obedience. God asked us to move. In transparency, I said no, for 6 months. But God does not stop pursuing us & encouraging us to receive His best for our lives. Our "yes" to God's plan was scary, risky, dangerous...to us. We sold cars, quit jobs, packed up and traveled 1900+miles. Matt, Sam, & myself moved into a 2 bedroom apartment with 4 others. 

So much has happened since then but we had no idea that the most & greatest things were stored up for the 6th & 7th years. 

The 6th year God prepared & positioned us to receive the gifts of the 7th because order proceeds overflow. 

And oh the overflow.

While we didn't stop our working in our 7th year, we did experience the blessing and richness that accompanies surrendering it to the Sovereignty of God. A Sabbath year to fully trust God & receive His provisions.

Here are some of the rest, renewal, blessing, provision from our Sabbath year in Texas:

-Matt did not spend one day of the year without a job. 

-Sam was able to school at home & spend extra, cherished time with Bella & myself.

-Physical & miraculous healing in Crista's mouth

-Many fish were caught

-Unique time was spent with family

-Saw family members receive Jesus' love 

-Celebrated a wedding

-Traveled to 10 new states on an epic road trip

-Donated 200 handmade masks

-Some of Crista's writing was published

-Made less money but did not want.

-Able to add a second vehicle

-Miraculous forgiveness of deep wounds was made real

-Deep, entrenched lies & strongholds were toppled in the areas of value, capability, anxiety, & others

-Matt started & continues to lead a men's Lifegroup

-Crista participated in, then started a women's Lifegroup.

-Bella & Sam grew in many ways 

-So many new friendships

-Marriage challenges turned to growth & unity

And so, so, so much more.

God is faithful.

And after all this, these 7 years in Texas, we are brimming with excitement for the 8th year. Why? Because after rest comes growth. 

“But you might ask, ‘What will we eat during the seventh year, since we are not allowed to plant or harvest crops that year?’ Be assured that I will send my blessing for you in the sixth year, so the land will produce a crop large enough for three years. When you plant your fields in the eighth year, you will still be eating from the large crop of the sixth year. In fact, you will still be eating from that large crop when the new crop is harvested in the ninth year.”

‭‭Leviticus‬ ‭25:20-22‬ ‭NLT‬‬

WOW!

We surrender it all before You, God. Thank You for being faithful, for giving us rest, for renewing the Nice family. Thank You for teaching us to surrender first to You and teaching us how to receive. May we bless You God and bring You joy. The 8th year is all Yours Lord, may it be marked with a harvest beyond our ability to imagine and bring You glory.

Praise God. 

In Jesus name, Amen.

Thanks all who made our 7th year special. Thanks for being present & growing with us. Praying God's lavish love falls in you and that YOU receive it.

Xoxox

The Nice Family

Vultures VS Promises

 Living in the promises of God means keeping watch for the vultures.

I want to encourage you...

After a big step of faith, boldness, and trust in God; be it asking for impossible or fighting to hold the line of righteousness in your life; often comes a struggle. A fear, worry, or area of weakness is revealed. If this happens, identify that it is occurring & invite God into it. Straight up, a "help me" will suffice.

God promises things. Like help, hope, strong marriages, healthy children, impossible miracles, and SO much more. It requires trust, obedience & waiting. 

Abraham (also known as Abram) was told in Gen 12, God was going to make a covenant/promise then Gen 15, God makes it official. 

“So the Lord said to him, “Bring me a heifer, a goat and a ram, each three years old, along with a dove and a young pigeon.” Abram brought all these to him, cut them in two and arranged the halves opposite each other; the birds, however, he did not cut in half. Then birds of prey came down on the carcasses, but Abram drove them away.” 

Gen‬esis ‭15:9-11‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Did you catch that last verse...there were vultures trying to steal Abraham's offering. And Abraham HAD to do something. He had to chase them away.

When God makes us promises, we lay out the sacrifices of our heart, time, energy, obedience, even boldness & faith. But we MUST shoo away the vultures that come. The enemy comes to steal, kill, destroy. He wants to make us scared, defeated, so we back down. We must shoo the lies, shoo the desire to self-medicate, shoo the thoughts we let run wild. We must take captive our feelings & make them submit to what we are choosing to believe.

I want you to know that I felt this attack very keenly this morning & it persists still. Why? Because last night God made new promises to me! It's amazing yet today, I have fallen face down 3 times in tears. I've admitted my inability, weakness, & prayed for God's help, encouragement. He is trustworthy, even when my past scars hurt. Even when hoping hurts.

Yet when we shoo the vultures away from our  offering, God comes. He makes covenants with us & HE will never back out. 

We must wait & hope. Psalm 27:13-14. We WILL see the promises of the Lord come to pass in our lives.

---additional thoughts---

If all I had to do was trust myself...I would struggle less. I would struggle but it would all just get tossed out when I chose whatever self-medication.

Trusting God...that is....wow it is just different. Being Heaven-minded & eternity-focused means constantly allowing Him to move me into territory where only He can come through.

But, 7000+ Bible promises. 7000 plus! Means there wherever my feet go, is mine in Jesus name. All I must do is step forward to displace the enemy. Because the enemy is already His footstool. And I am seated in victory beside the God of Angel Armies. 

I'm proud of us. Proud of us for protecting our sacrifices. Proud of us for trusting God to do the heavy lifting.