Night Seasons

Now the single mom of three beautiful and talented adult children, Nicole C. Mullen is familiar with broken relationships. She can relate to those who have walked through abuse, betrayal, and hurt—the “desert places and empty spaces.” Regardless of the expectancy of something good in a relationship, she experienced “hands that became cruel.” Through the arduous and lengthy journey out of bad choices, domestic violence, and devastating betrayals, Nicole learned to forgive and came out of heart-breaking night seasons of life stronger than she’s ever been.

“She wishes she could go back in time and instruct her younger self not only to say to her abuser, ‘I forgive you,’ but ‘GO and sin no more . . . produce fruit in keeping with repentance.’” Nicole writes that she would like to have told her younger self “forgiveness is not void of consequences” (Luke 3:8a NIV). She learned in a very hard way that forgiving does NOT mean “pretending as if [the beatings] never happened.” Nicole felt fairly safe in public with her abuser since “he was such a charmer who cared about his reputation. To most, he had a great personality . . . they didn’t know about his cruel, foul demands for his conjugal rights” while he quoted scripture and sang religious songs along with beating her.

Nicole explains, “I became good at pretending, which is [really] a creative form of a lie. My vocabulary was so full of ‘christianese’ at the time that I had a hard time forming the words, ‘I need help. I’m scared’ . . .  so, I glued on a smile.” She continues, “My intentions were right, but my definition of forgiveness was not.” Unfortunately, far too many Bible teachers and preachers promulgate that same error—misdefining forgiveness—and basically reinforce domestic abuse, its crime, and its consequences. “Forgiveness is not the same as healing; it can only make way for it,” writes Nicole. 

Nicole C. learned “I don’t know how, but there’s power when I get on my knees.” God brought this little “thumb sucking, fast talking, bed-wetting, stuttering girl” from Cincinnati, OH, all the way to testifying through her song “I know my Redeemer lives” to hundreds of thousands of people. Born from life shattering and well-hidden experiences, “Redeemer” is sung worldwide. The year of 2020 marks the twentieth anniversary since the hit single’s release. Surely, however, her powerful “The God Who Sees” film is entering that domain.                                                  

When her abuser taunted relentlessly that she had no purpose in life, Nicole knew, even if she could not or dared not verbalize it to him, one major purpose in her life: “I want people to be healed, released, empowered, and encouraged. I want them to see the power of redemption and the relevancy of the Scriptures in their everyday living. I want to explore every avenue available to express this truth.” 

It took a lot of living, but in His timing, God gradually brought that desire to fruition. One most powerful way He continues to do that is through “The God Who Sees” oratorio.

The God Who Sees

C states, “There is a beautiful truth that I know. For the things that have ended in ashes, God has given me beauty. Where there was mourning, He has given me Joy. For times when I have felt overwhelmed by fear and depression, He has given me clothes of praise. For all of the questions that are still unanswered and situations without closure, there is the hope of redemption. I have learned that God may not always still the storm that rages around us until He has done so with the [storm] within.”

In 2019 Nicole C. Mullen partnered with daytime TV-host, singer, songwriter, and actress, Kathie Lee Gifford, former host of Regis and Lee and NBC’s The Today Show, to pen what became another Dove-nominated song, “The God Who Sees.” Gifford soon became one of Nicole’s biggest cheerleaders and personally spent close to half a million dollars to add a 60-piece orchestra to the song and to shoot a twelve-minute, soul-gripping, heart-praising film. The oratorio solely features Nicole in the Holy Land, narrating and singing of God’s loving interaction with broken and hurting biblical characters whose stories are relevant to our own—as if “ripped from today’s headlines.” In this oratorio we experience Hagar, a single mother abandoned and discarded, perhaps representing today’s sex-trafficked women and girls; widowed Ruth, an immigrant with no future heading to a foreign land; anointed, powerful, but terrorized David experiencing fear and depression; and spiritually tormented Mary of Magdala agonizing with seven demons but freed by her Savior.

During their collaboration, Kathie Lee wrote a considerable portion of the lyrics of “The God Who Sees” while one of Nicole’s most significant contributions was writing the narration. Referring to herself as a Bible nerd, the majority of the oratorio came directly from Nicole’s heart as she stood behind the microphone. (See this music film at www.GodWhoSees.com. In these months of COVID-19 when so much of life has been put on hold and may have become faded or stagnant or may have brought death—even to worship—this author testifies to being brought to her knees in tears and holy worship through this film).

Nicole has never forgotten that her mom encouraged her to sing for an Audience of One and remembers one of her earliest prayers asking God that if it were His will for her to ever sing lead again, to put her “around great people so [she could] learn.” Later, she became a background singer with H. David Mullen, Amy Grant, Michael W. Smith, Cece Winans, The Newsboys, and even the voice of Larry Boy of Veggie Tales. Over the years she has graced the stages of Dr. Billy Graham, Franklin Graham, Women of Faith events, governors, heads of state, businesses, prisoners, women’s conferences, churches, and non-profits. Nicole has appeared on The Today Show, Marcus and Joni Lamb/Table Talk on Daystar, has several recordings on TBN Praise, broadcasts of Better Together with Laurie Crouch, Life Today with Shelia Walsh, and other media outlets. Although there is a buzz over what Nicole is currently doing, conversations and requests always include “Redeemer,” her comfort song. The stories shared about its effects are countless, some even miraculous, further confirming that although Nicole is the sole writer, its origin is timeless and from above.                                              

The God Who Sees Continues

Nicole says she never wanted to chase trends and therefore avoided praise albums. However, the Lord kept putting praise music on her heart and gradually motivated her to offer people music to worship with her. Sometimes pain becomes God’s mechanism of entering into praises with His people. Nicole’s music of the soul exemplifies the following words: “Like every human being born into this world, the Positive Woman has her share of sorrows and sufferings, of unfilled desires and bitter defeats. But she will never be [totally] crushed by life’s disappointments because her positive mental attitude has built her an inner security that the actions of other people can never [fully] fracture” (Phyllis Schlafly, mentor to Bobbie Patray).

Nicole tours around the globe as a highly sought-after speaker and singer. Her ministry and travels include France, Belize, England, Jamaica, many nations on the continent of Africa, and throughout the USA.

Nicole C concludes with, “My story—your story—is still being written. What looks like the night is actually the first signs of morning where the sun is beginning to break through. It’s like redemption where one side signifies a deed that is complete while all at once, the other side declares a promise in motion. Because I have been redeemed, the details of my life are being worked together in such a way to prove that it is so.”

“I am in a redemptive season of life”—words of wisdom spoken by Nicole C and offered to you, too.

 Sheila E. Moss: author of Living to Matter: Mothers, Singles, and the Weary and Broken; Interrupting Women: Ten Conversations with Jesus; and international publications from teaching Bible and Christian ethics in Africa, Ukraine, and Venezuela; teacher of Bible classes for over 35 years; mother of three daughters and two sons; and grandmother of eleven grandchildren

MY REDEEMER LIVES, IT’S PERSONAL: 

​​A STORY OF HOPE FOR OUR TIME

​​(Released April 20, 2020) 

Kathie Lee Gifford ​​(Television Personality, Bestselling Author, Director, Songwriter) writes: The life events that inspired the Christian anthem—Redeemer—resulted in a memoir by multi-award-winning, platinum artist and songwriter, Nicole C. Mullen. A tear-stained and triumphant story shows Nicole’s willingness to keep singing, praising, and believing through disappointment and heartache year after year of crying out to God to deliver her. Hallelujah! She knows her Redeemer lives, and she knows He sees YOU, too! For people going through a life storm and looking to find clarity, this book points to grace in the storm. Nicole has a unique way of shedding light and hope on such topics as benefits in suffering and purpose from pain. My Redeemer Lives: It’s Personal, A Story of Hope for our Time is a compelling, transparent, and heart-felt work of Nicole C. Mullen.