Take Time For You

Talking with a friend yesterday, I realized just how far God has brought me on my journey. When we are in the process of growing, we don’t realize how much progress we are making until we look back and compare our lives from then to now. So let me tell you about my life then. 

I was always overwhelmed and stressed out. For one, I didn’t get enough sleep. My husband worked night shift and I worked day shift. In order for the kids to sleep a little longer for him in the mornings, I tried to keep them up later at night. By doing this, however, I caused chronic sleep deprivation for myself for years. My life was more about surviving than living. When we lose sleep for long periods of time, it just makes life harder. I could barely think, simple tasks overwhelmed me, and I never had time for me. 

Back in those days, taking a bath was a luxury. Normally, it was a quick shower and minimal time to get ready. I usually had a never ending to-do list, but I never ended up on my list. I didn’t have time to exercise, read a book, or do things to take care of me. Every day I continued to poor from an empty cup, until I thought it might shatter. Now, I know the importance of taking care of me. 

Anytime we say yes to something, we are saying no to something else. It took me a long to understand that concept. The impulse for me is always yes. I want to help other people. Now, however, I try to ask for a few days to think about projects that will require more of my time. Before I commit now, I look at my calendar. If the time is not available, then I don’t do it. Even though it’s hard for me. 

Now, I put my exercise, writing, and reading my Bible on my daily to-do list, and my time is scheduled. It is non-negotiable. I want to be around for my kids for the long term, so I make my health a priority. It’s not selfish to take care of me—it’s necessary. When I take time to care for myself, then I have so much more to give others. 

Are you on your list of priorities? Take time for you today. Do something that will nourish your body and soul. You deserve to feel great!

Love and blessings, 

Candida

God’s Unconditional Love

Yesterday was a beautiful day in my neck of the woods. I went for a walk with my neighbor and then decided to do some yard work. As I was cleaning out a flower bed, I touched a thorn on one of the bushes. It cut my hand. As the blood was dripping, I thought about my Lord and what He endured for me (us). Touching one little thorn hurt so bad, I can’t even imagine how our Lord suffered. And He didn’t open His mouth. He endured every moment of agony because of His love for us. 

Sometimes I get so caught up in my own life that I don’t pray like I should. I allow the distractions of the world to distract me from serving my God. Regardless of our problems, nothing can separate us from our Lord. The devil is not strong enough to destroy us. He would have to go through our Lord to get to us, and he can't even stand before our Mighty God. 

In all reality, we can’t even comprehend how much our Lord loves us. The closest comparison that I can come up with is how much that I love my children. While I love my children with my whole heart, God loves us even more. He gave His Son to die for us. As we go into the weekend and celebrate Easter, I want to think about that unconditional love. God didn’t put a list of restrictions on His love. He died for each and every one. Even the ones who don’t believe or accept His love. 

The devil gives us all a hard time. Look at how he treated Jesus. In the end, however, the enemy was powerless against God. Satan can only go so far. When we cry out  to Jesus, He hears our prayers. He understands our pain. And He goes to God on our behalf. 

The troubles of this world are small in comparison to the joy waiting on us. I can’t even wrap my mind around living without pain, fear, worry, etc. In Heaven, there will be no suffering. We will live with God forever in the paradise that He created for us. What a day that will be! 

Love and blessings, 

Candida

Hope Beyond The Struggle

Receiving bad news can be devastating. At the time, it might seem that life will never be normal again. All we can see is the mountain before us, and when we are lying in the valley, afraid and heartbroken, the mountain seems so much bigger than it actually is. Our problem is often that we think we are alone and that we have to tackle the hardships on our own, but God is always there for us. 

We like to make things complicated because our knowledge is based on what we know and our abilities. So often we forget that all things are possible with God. I am so bad to put limitations on Him, but my God doesn’t have limitations. He is the Creator of the world, and He invented the miracle. 

God can take our heartaches, threatening to destroy us right now, and turn it into a blessing. He can even help us grow through our struggles. My illness and pain was actually a blessing. It forced me to evaluate my life and make life changing decisions. When my body started screaming in pain and developing symptoms it was telling me that something was wrong. While I could have silenced the pain with drugs, I wanted to fix the problem instead of covering it up. I knew if I continued doing the same things that I would continue to be sick. Changing my lifestyle, however, helped me to regain my health. 

No situation is hopeless. God has grace for our every need. When we turn to Him for guidance, He will help us get through our problems. While our bodies are capable of getting sick, they are also able to heal. God can also mend our broken hearts. We just have to give Him our troubles and ask Him to help us through them. Although we might not always like His guidance, because it can be things that we don’t want to do or it can seem so simple, we just need to remember that His ways are always best. He will help us if we just listen and trust Him.

Love and blessings,

Candida

Why We Need A Support System

We never know when heartaches or trouble will strike our lives. It often catches us unaware and leaves us heartbroken. During those peril times it is so great to have the support and love from others. When we turn to others for help, we can often gain a new perspective from their experiences and wisdom to help us through our hard time. 

That’s one of the things that I love about Beachbody. It gives me a platform to help others. We people join my challenge groups, they also get my support during the process. Whether they want to lose weight, gain weight, or just become healthier, I am there to support them every step of the way. Sometimes just having a friend and support group through the process makes all the difference. 

We celebrate every success. It’s not just about losing weight or restricting calories, but about changing our lifestyle. Exercise, the food we eat, and our thoughts all play a big role in our health. When we work on it all, then we will become healthier and be more likely to stick with it. 

If you want to make changes in your life, but you don’t know where to start, let me help you. We can talk about your goals and challenges and come up with a plan to help you. The girls I work with now talk to me about their problems, their goals, dreams, and I do my best to help them through their challenges. When they reach their goals or overcome their circumstances, we are all there to celebrate with them. We are also there to help them through a tough day, without judgements or criticism. 

Comment below if you’d like to talk to me about it. Let today be the day that you decide to change your life. You deserve to feel better! 

Love and blessings, 

Candida  

The Lord Is My Shepherd

Sometimes things happen in our lives to knock us off of our feet. Trouble usually strikes out of no where. The devil attacks us continuously. He is merciless. He delights in our heartaches and sorrows. At times, when the storm is brewing in my life, it is hard for me to see the light beyond the darkness. When we are in the place of pain, it’s so much easier for the enemy to paint us a picture of hopelessness, and for us to believe that our situation is hopeless. God, however, is our hope.

During the trials, it is so important for us to remember that we have favor with God. He doesn’t leave us in hard times, but He is there to help us through them. Our life will never be easy. The devil is always trying to lure us away from God and causing trouble in our lives. When it seems as if the battle will be lost, and we don’t know where to turn, we just need to remember that the devil has never defeated our Lord. God works out of our sight. When we feel troubled and alone, we just need to remember that God is working on the problem for us. 

I have faced many heartaches in my life, each one a little harder than the last, but I know that God is in control. Nothing that occurs in my life catches Him unaware. My Lord knows it all. He has a plan. And He will hold my hand through every step of the journey. 

Even though I can’t understand it at the time, the trial has a purpose. I can allow it to destroy me and make me bitter and angry at God or I can use it to get closer to my God and grow in His wisdom and knowledge. While I don’t get to decide the time of the trial, or the obstacle in my way, I still have the power to decide how I am going to go through it. 

As I prepare for battle with my Lord, I am so thankful that He will be leading me. Nothing can ever separate me from Him. The Lord is my Shepherd. 

Love and blessings, 

Candida

If It Doesn’t Challenge You, Then It Won’t Change You

Comfort zones are not as safe as we think. In all reality, they hold us back. When we continuously stay in our place of safety, physically, mentally, and spiritually, then we prevent ourselves from growing. The growth that we all need in our lives is beyond our comfort zone. The only way to discover our true potential is to constantly challenge ourselves.

When I first started venturing beyond my safe haven, I was so uncomfortable. Every day of my life was a challenge. At first I hated the feeling, and then I learned that beyond my comfort zone is  where the creativity and growth occur. 

When we get stuck in the same routine, eat the same foods, watch the same TV shows, read the same types of books, etc., then we don’t give ourselves the opportunities to discover new things. I used to order the same thing at a restaurant, every time I went there, because I was afraid to try new things. I never experimented with new foods or gave myself permission to try new things. Now I realize that my comfort zone held me back and caused a lot of my pain.

True growth is getting comfortable with the uncomfortable. Every day we need to challenge ourselves in some way. Being stuck in a certain mindset isn’t healthy. We need to explore and be open to whatever God brings our way. Once we do something, then it gives us an experience and the next time a challenging tasks comes up, we can remember our previous experience and know that we have the ability to conquer any task with God. 

I remember my first time speaking in front of a large crowd. I thought it was supposed to be about 20 kids, until I got there and saw them taking all the students to the gym. When I asked them what was going on they told me there was an assembly in gym. My first reaction was that they had forgotten about my visit and booked someone else for the same time. You should have seen the look on my face as I realized that I was the assembly. My whole body trembled and I wanted to run away. As they ushered me into the gym and introduced me to the audience, God replaced my fears with excitement and helped me to change my feelings about the situation. Instead of sharing Zippy with 20 kids, He blessed me to share him with hundreds. The audience connected with me and it was a beautiful experience. That one experience sparked hundreds of similar experiences for me. All because I was open to the change. 

Be open to growth and change in your life. At first it will be uncomfortable, but then it will be like an adventure. We never know what we are capable of until we try. We don’t have to see God’s whole plan for our lives to take the first step. He will guide us every step along the way. Trust Him to do what is best for you!

Love and blessings, 

Candida 

What It’s Like To Live With A Physical Difference

The longing in my heart to fit in used to be fierce. In my heart, I desired to be just like everyone else. Honestly, I didn’t want to have to deal with the stares.  I didn’t want to have to explain my scars a thousand times and stand there, feeling vulnerable, as someone inspected by scars for the first time. Or see the look of pity on their face as they examined by scars. Some people even dismiss my accomplishments, by stating that people are only kind to be because they feel sorry for me. Gah! My favorite, however, is when they tell me that it’s really great I can write books, speak to thousands of people at one time, and make a difference in the world with my condition. 

While I have developed a mental strength to help me overcome it all, it still breaks my heart to see it affect my loved ones. Jordon and I were having lunch a few years ago, when I noticed his lip quivering and he looked so upset. When I asked him what was wrong he said people were starring at me. Sometimes people even approach me, without a smile or even introducing themselves, and just demand to know what happened to me. The sad part is that I used to believe that it was okay for them to treat me that way. Now I know that if anyone approaches me in that manner that the problem is with them and not me. I would never dream of treating anyone that way. So I just handle the situation how I feel like handling it. If I believe the person is genuinely concerned about me, I will introduce myself and share my testimony. If I feel negative vibes from them, I smile and walk or turn away. I don’t have to be the topic of discussion or allow anyone to make me feel bad.

Now children are a different story. They love to ask questions, and are just generally curious. So I take time to explain my scars, and even take it a step further to explain differences to them. But we should teach them, from a very young age, how to treat everyone. A child in their class with a difference should not have to explain it every day or answer the same questions over and over. 

Being different can be hard physically and mentally. It’s not just that people with differences look differently, we do things differently as well. Sometimes I struggle with simple tasks. Asking for help, however, is not my default response. I want to be independent, and if I start relying on others to help me all the time, then what will I do when no one is around? So I’ve just learned to figure things out. The ability to modify any task, in any situation, is a gift.

Now I have decided that I don’t want to fit in. I don’t want to be like everyone else and just blend in. I want to have my own unique voice, my own style, and ultimately work on becoming the person God created me to be. The greatest gift we can give ourselves, as well as the world, is to be our own person. Be unapologetically YOU! 

Love and blessings, 

Candida