From Fame to Farm: Embracing the New with Janice Nikkel

Our guest on the show this week was Janice Nikkel, blogger, mom and Associate Director of the Parent Family Network at Trinity Western University. Janice has led an interesting life as former host of Marriage Uncensored and she’s had several brushes with fame (she discusses her brushes with Bono and Oprah on the show.) But these days, she is mostly away from the limelight, helping parents and students at Trinity Western University make a smooth transition to college life and breeding St. Bernard puppies on her family farm. She is living a life that as a young girl in Oakville, she might never have imagined for herself.

Life is an adventure and has twists and turns we might not expect. Isaiah 55:8 prepares us for this: “‘My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,’ says the Lord.    ‘And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.’ (NLT)” God gives us seasons of busy and quiet. For myself, switching from the fast paced world of business to being a stay at home mom was uncomfortable at first. And now that I’m switching back into something faster paced and more scheduled, it feels uncomfortable once more. But ours is the God of new things who, when he takes something away, provides something even better. If you are in a season where you are not sure why you are there, take comfort in Jeremiah 29:11: “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ says the Lord. ‘They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.'(NLT)”

If you feel like you are in a strange season and have no idea why you’ve been put there, rest assured: God is faithful. He will take that season and use it for your best growth. So whether you feel stressed, busy, bored, confused, stuck, or in turmoil, know that good things will come from this time. Ours is the God of new things, whether you are on a TV show, in a city, at a college campus, or on a farm.