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When Your Dream Finally Comes True

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I have always envied the people who’ve known what they’ve wanted to do since they were young. Whether that’s being a dentist or teacher or family business owner.

How beautiful it must be to know what you want and to go after it.

I, on the other hand, have spent the past 30+ years of my life trying to figure out what I want to do with my life. And that’s largely because I want to try my hand at just about everything.

You can see that desire of mine in the list of jobs I’ve had over the past several years:

  • Birth doula
  • Facepainter
  • Bar tender
  • School teacher
  • Etsy shop owner
  • Fair trade jewelry business owner
  • Public speaker
  • Sales associate

On more than one occasion I have bemoaned the fact that I only get one lifetime. I joke that I wish I could have 5 lifetimes just so I have enough time to try all the things I want to try!

And while it’s fun being a free spirit that loves trying new things and going on adventures, there was still this sense of aimlessness. Like, why was I put on this earth? What is my gift to this world (besides being a kind and loving person)? 

I never had an aha! moment.

But over the years this dream, this vision started to take shape. And it wasn’t until 2 or 3 years ago that I was able to visualize and articulate my dream. And that is to be a public speaker of some sort to large groups of people.

As for what kind of public speaker? I’m still figuring that out… is it to be a pastor, a teaching pastor, a motivational speaker? Will it be full time? Or will it be a part time gig in addition to my writing and blogging/vlogging? I don’t know.

But what I do know is that I love people, I love connecting with and inspiring and encouraging others, and I love the craft of preparing a good message and pouring my heart and soul into it.

And I also like big groups.

Not because of fame or popularity, but I have such a heart for unity that big groups coming together for a single cause is the heartbeat of my existence. We are all so diverse and we all have so much to offer that when we come together, there is so much potential and power in that kind of unity!

So when I speak to large groups, that’s exactly what I see.

People from all walks of life. Different backgrounds, different stories, different connections, different dreams.

And a chance for me to pour into them, share something with them, that they can all bring back home with them and into the lives they live. A unified message that can be lived out in beautifully diverse ways.

And this past weekend I was able to live out my very dream.

I was invited to speak at our church, which is the largest church I’ve ever been a part of – a few thousand members with around 20,000 weekly podcasters.

This has been a dream of mine for about three years.
We’ve been attending our church for 6 years, and we love the people at our church. Through volunteering, taking classes, and teaching classes there, we’ve been able to get to know a lot of people as a result. And so it has been a dream of mine to be able to share my heart with our ‘family’ by sharing a sermon with them someday.

And this past weekend was that day.

To be up there, in front of those beautiful faces of my extended family, was one of the greatest joys in my life.

And just like every other time I’ve spoken at gatherings, both large and small, I walk away thinking, This is what I’m called to do with my life. This is my gift to the world.

I never thought I’d reach a point in my life where I’d actually know what I’d want to do with my life. But this is it… sharing and speaking and connecting and challenging and inspiring and bringing people together so that we can do life better when we’re apart… that’s the dream I’m working towards.

Plus, when your husband cleans the house and makes the kitchen spotless on the weekend that you preach, you know it’s a sign you gotta preach more! 😉

Say wha?? #WillPreachMoreOften

Thank you to my home church for inviting me to speak. It was incredibly humbling and thrilling, and I am forever grateful. To the people who go there, I love you guys more than you know. <3

You can view my sermon here:

3 Comments

  1. Elise Weinberg on July 21, 2017 at 5:54 pm

    Nikole,

    I am glad I finally slowed down enough to write you this note. I have been a member of Woodland Hills for over 17+ years. I just wanted to give you some wonderful feedback from your sermon that you preached there on July 2nd.

    First of all, THANK you! You were AWESOME! I am in Toastmasters International, and it is a public speaking and communication/leadership organization. My local club is in White Bear Lake. Being in that organization, I am (now) very aware of the “technical” aspects of giving a speech. It truly IS no SMALL FEAT to talk to a couple thousand people, let alone 10-15! Either way, it is nerve-wracking and completely a SKILL to learn how to communicate effectively. So, with that being said, I am giving you this feedback based on my 2.5 years of being in Toastmasters –

    First of all, Wow, wonderfully masterfully created. Organized and so thoughtfully planned out. Secondly, no “Ah’s” or “Um’s” or filler words! Oh my Gosh! So amazing!
    I am the QUEEN of “Um’s” in my Toastmasters Club and it’s a good day when I am under 10 “um’s” in a speech or an evaluation. It’s a tough-y for me. I think I had over 30 or something when I first started in Toastmasters. One of the first times I was there, and there was going to be an evaluation of my speaking, I said, “You don’t have ENOUGH lead in your pencil…to keep track of the Um’s I will probably say…..”

    Yeah. Anyway. I’ve come a little way since then, but still………truly impressed. A 45 minute speech! Whew!

    Another thing I really liked about your speech was – that I actually learned something (hope that comes out right, I mean I have been there a long time and I’ve heard a LOT of cool sermons, is what I mean !!)
    But like, I never knew anything about the Eunichs, other than well, what they are. That was unbelievable what you found out, researched for us. I never knew the sacrifice that Eunichs had to make when they were serving the King or Queen or whoever. That was really really good history – woven into the deal with guys and their lineage and how that was really their calling card back then and then to either have to give that up or willingly give that up – whew! I had a lot of compassion for the people who chose to do that. I am also single, never married and in my “upper 40’s” (a-hem, a-haw) I guess it’s legitimate to “hem and haw” now- if I have to (UGGGG!) say my age. I get the whole “being left out” thing and feeling like an outsider – thanking more from my youth, than these days, but I think we can all relate to that.

    So, wrap UP ALL THAT GOOD TEACHING, and only to have Greg say, “What do you think about that Nikole Mitchell, huh? That was her FIRST SERMON…” And I am like, What? Her FIRST sermon??? Wow – Wow, Wow! Good on you! I could tell from your writing how much you felt loved and honored to be able to deliver that at Woodland. So cool, so wonderfully cool. I hope I get to meet you someday! I go to the 11 am service and also the 5 pm too, sometimes (both). I did that when I heard your sermon(s) that weekend. Really cool! Congratulations and job very well done!

    Regarding your dreams and starting over or having different jobs, I left the business world and recently became an elementary school teacher. LOVING IT. It’s hard but I wouldn’t – couldn’t do anything else right now. Be fun to meet you sometime.

    Love in Jesus from another Sister from Woodland Hills!

    Elise Weinberg

    • NikoleMitchell on July 28, 2017 at 3:20 am

      Loved, Loved, Loved being able to meet you the other week! Thank you so much for taking the time to write this beautiful email and for meeting up at church. I remember telling you I was going to send you some information, but now I can’t remember what that was. Do you happen to remember? Hope you’re having a great week!

      • Peter La Anguila on October 10, 2022 at 11:49 am

        De actriz porno a dar sermones jaja que mundo tan descarado

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