Snow Day = No Church

It is cold and snowy today in my neck of the woods. While it doesn’t normally bother me to be snowed in, I really hate when it falls on a Sunday. I love going to church and worshipping my Lord. Hearing his precious word, and being revived. 

While I know that I can still worship my Lord at home, it’s not the same. I miss hearing the church sing, the fellowship with my brothers and sisters in Christ, hearing His gospel, and the testimonies of others. I am thankful that I can still read my Bible and pray, regardless of where I am, but I am also grateful that my heart desires to be at church. 

What a wonderful God that we serve! His love for us is boundless and free. It is my heart’s desire to always serve Him. And every day I want to learn just a little bit more about Him and His beautiful ways.

So while everyone in my house is still asleep, I am going to read my Bible, pray, and sit in stillness. Just because I can’t go to church today, doesn’t mean I am going to skip spending this precious time with my God. 

Photo from Unsplash

Hope you all have a blessed Sunday!

Love and blessings, 

Candida 

Drawing A Line In the Sand

Have you ever had a moment that changed your life? One moment that triggered something inside of you and made you want to change something about your life? 

I’ve had several of these moments through out my life. None of them have been pleasant. Usually, I’m heartbroken and defeated by the time that I get to the place where I want to change.   But once I decide to change, the change happens immediately. It’s not the change that is so difficult, but the desire to remain the same that causes our heartache. 

We love routines, comfort zones, and knowing what to expect. It is the uncertainty that causes us discomfort. We all hate to feel vulnerable, unsure, and afraid. What we don’t understand, however, is that when we remain the same, we are still making a choice. Usually, it’s just the wrong choice for us. 

So how do we move forward? By deciding right now that we will not accept our previous behavior any longer. When we raise our standards for our life, our life will change—immediately. 

I vividly remember the day I ripped my favorite jeans. As I burst into tears, I vowed to myself that I would never again utter the words “I don’t care” in reference to my health. That day, I decided to change my eating habits and I have never looked back. 

It was the same way with my scars. The day that I accepted them, wholeheartedly, they no longer had the power to hurt me again. I stopped crying, stopped having pity parties, and stopped wishing them away. 

For so long the fear of becoming disabled loomed over me. Every time my health would decline, the fear of not being able to work any longer burdened me. But one day, I had to make that choice. Once I decided to fight for my life, that I would do whatever it took to live the life of my dreams, I haven’t worried about it any longer. 

It’s a beautiful gift when we reach that place of discomfort and are forced to make a decision. Otherwise we would always remain the same. 

And it’s such a blessing when we can follow the voice of our Lord and do what He wants us to do. That is when we really start living. 

Love and blessings,

Candida 

How to Prepare for the Hardships of Life

If I had know that my workout would result in a fractured arm, four weeks ago, then I would have skipped it. But I didn’t know. I was doing something simple. Something I had done many times before. That evening, however, I was injured in an instant. 

This injury has reminded me that we don’t always know what is coming our way. While everything may be just fine in my life right now, it could change in a moment. And that’s why we need to be ready—to live our life fully and, yet, to be prepared for death. While we may not know what tomorrow holds or even the next second for that matter, God does. He foresees our future, and helps us to be prepared. 

Every trial that we experience now will aid us in the future. When we go through something so difficult with our Lord, and overcome the hardship, it sets up a memory for us. Then when a similar trial occurs, we remember how God helped us previously and that memory gives us hope, strengthens us, and encourages us to keep going when we really want to give up. 

These last four weeks have been so difficult for me. The intense and aching pain has accompanied me throughout each day. Simple tasks are difficult, leaving my body drained by the end of each day. Even though I’m exhausted by the end of the day, I’m usually hurting so badly that it is difficult to sleep. After a few days of constant pain and very limited sleep, it gets hard to keep going. While I would not have chosen this trial for myself, God knew it was coming and He has prepared me accordingly. 

All of those intense workouts and runs, where I wanted to give up, but forced myself to keep going, have strengthened me and increased my endurance, faith, and taught me that on any given day I am so much stronger than I even realize. Each Sunday that I have gone to church to learn more about my Lord has strengthened me spiritually, and mentally. 

The previous battles have taught me that through my Lord I am an overcomer. 

But I have also learned that I can’t wait until I’m in the midst of the storm to seek Him. If I do, then I am not strong enough to endure the hardship. And my lack of wisdom, knowledge, and understanding will cause me even greater heartaches. When I am prepared, however, I can praise Him through the storm, and reap the rewards that only the hardship can bring. 

So how do we prepare for hardships:

1. Seek God daily, through prayer and His word. 
2. Go to church as often as possible to learn and grow.
3. Step out of our comfort zones. 
4. Do something every day that is hard.
5. Trust the Lord.

From Unsplash.com

While I may not have chosen this trial for myself, I am so thankful that God chose me. Yes, it is difficult right now, but those that sow in tears shall reap in joy. My God is wonderful! He knows exactly what I need, and I trust Him to help me today, and always.

Have a wonderful day!

Candida

How to Be an Overcomer

It is so easy to get stuck in the I can’t do that mind-set. We often give up, before even starting, because declaring that we can’t do something is easier than trying. Stepping into uncharted territory is hard. And it’s only natural to want to quit at times, but the beauty happens beyond the I can’t do that mind-set. 

If we condition our mind to look at a situation, and decide if we can do it or not based on our on beliefs, then one of two things will happen. We will either conquer the world or do nothing. My fear is that I would land in the “do nothing” category. Because I would approach my life based on what others expected of me, what they told me, what they believed, and what I could see on the surface— without questioning it. 

For example, if I had listened to my doctors three years ago, then I would be disabled, depressed, and living the life that was expected of me. I’ve heard so much negativity about my condition, from others as well as my own negative beliefs, that it would be easy for me to believe that my future is doomed. In fact, it would be easier for me to believe that I will continue to decline in my health, than for me to believe that I will find a way to overcome the challenges. I have no scientific proof that I will get better, but I have hope. 

Instead of allowing the things I have experienced thus far to determine my future, I have faith, hope, and trust in God. When the world tells me something is impossible, I go to my Lord for clarity. And He always encourages me to try. Since He created the world, I know that He can help me overcome each challenge that comes my way. But only if I seek Him, and get rid of my negative mind-set. 

So how do we change our mind-set?

1. Ask ourselves if what we believe is the truth or based on assumptions.
2. Seek God. Ask Him to lead us and guide us, and then be willing to follow His instructions. 
3. Try before giving up. If something is impossible, then you will not be able to do it regardless of how hard you try, but be sure it is impossible before you give up.
4. Constantly test the limits. See what is possible and what is impossible. 

Our life is a gift, and we should nurture it daily. We are all capable of so much more than we realize. Just remember the devil can’t take away your greatness, but he will do his best to persuade you to waste your life, to hide your talent, and to give up because he can’t defeat you when you try. 

 Have a wonderful day!

Candida

How to Find Peace During the Storm

Our life plan and God’s plan for us are usually very different. We want a life without struggles, heartaches, or pain of any kind. However, we want the wisdom, knowledge and understanding that only comes from the suffering. If our life actually happened as we often wish, we would be shallow, ungrateful, and self-centered. 

It is overcoming the challenges that help us to grow. When we learn to embrace the challenge, instead of fighting it, then we are able to glean every morsel from the situation. Always believing that bad things happen to us is a victim mentality. During the trial, we need to take a moment to evaluate our feelings and center our thoughts. 

I like to ask myself questions. It always good to ponder our thoughts and feelings and try to understand. 

1. What can I learn from this trial?
2. What does God want to teach me?
3. How can I use it to grow?

The eighth chapter of Romans in the Bible is one of my absolute favorite books. Romans 8:28 speaks to me and reassures me that all things happen for me and not to me. And it is all for my benefit. 

Romans 8:28 (KJV)

28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

When I fell and hurt my arm, I couldn’t see one ounce of good. What would it accomplish anyway for me lie awake at night in pain? How could anything good come from my challenges?

Now I am able to see how it all worked to my benefit. The pain humbled me and helped me to open my eyes to new possibilities. Not being able to use both of my hands forced me to modify everything about my day, but it also reminded me that there are many different ways to do a task. Moving slowly throughout my day, taught me another degree of patience, and helped me to see that slow progress is still progress. And finally, it made me so hungry for my dreams. This injury forced me out of my comfort zone, and gave me the courage I needed to fight for my dreams. 

This is my life, and I refuse to allow the enemy to take it from me. I will not give up. Nor allow the devil to take away my dreams. 

So often when we feel our hopes and dreams slipping away from us is when they take on a greater importance. And with absolute certainty, I can now thank God for this trial. I may not always like the situation, but I love my God and I trust Him to do what is best for me. God is my peace during the storm. 

Happy Monday!

Candida

Are You Living or Existing?

It is so easy to get stuck in the trap of mediocre, and go through the motions of life. How many times do we wake up uninspired and unmotivated? How many days a week, month, or year do we just hope to make it through the day? So often we choose to barely get by, when we could be living, loving, and dreaming. 

The Bible tells us that our life is like a vapor—here today, and then gone tomorrow. And yet, we often, grumble and complain and waste our precious time. 

I have caught myself many times asking the Lord to help me make it through the day. One day I caught the words as they left my mouth and wondered if that was really all I wanted for my life—to just make it through another day. But when I shifted my focus and changed my prayer, my life changed. I don’t want to just make it through my day. Every day I want to live, and live well. I want my day and my life to matter. Not only to me, but to others as well. 

When God blesses us with the gift of another day, we should offer it back to Him. We should ask Him how we can serve Him and others. And then set our intentions on making the most of each day. We don’t have to have a perfect life to enjoy it.

Every day we should do something that matters. And help as many people as we can. When we focus on others and how we can serve them that’s when we truly start living. Prayer, kindness, sharing our testimonies, and showing our love to someone else is the recipe for a wonderful day. 

Today is a gift. Enjoy it. 

Happy Monday!

Candida 

How to Live in a State of Gratitude

The Monday after vacation is always so hard. It’s usually the first day back into our routine, the first day back to work, and the first day when the after vacation blues set in. This morning I would love to be sitting on the deck, overlooking the water, with the same peace and gratefulness that I experienced on vacation. 

When we arrived at the lake house, and I experienced my first glimpse of the beautiful scenery, my heart immediately started extending gratitude to my Lord. As I breathed in the air, along with the peace and serenity, I was so grateful. And every few moments, I would whisper a thank you to Him. All of the stress of the previous weeks and months disappeared in those first few moments. And I couldn’t help but wonder if it would be possible to take the feeling home with me. 

Wouldn’t it be great if we could start every day with a peaceful and grateful heart? Imagine how much greater our lives would be, if we could learn to live in a state of gratitude. The reason we don’t get to a place of thankfulness every day is because we wait for the big moments in our life in order to feel grateful. So often we don’t appreciate the small things in our daily life. But if we could master the skill of gratitude, our lives would transform. When we feel gratefulness, our stress and worry diminishes. 

I know you’re probably thinking, this all sounds great, but how do I get there? How can I live in a state of gratitude? Here is my top three ways:

1. List three things you are grateful for each morning. And make sure they are three different things each day. Instead of just writing them down or saying them, feel them. Welcome that feeling into your heart. 
2. Pray and read His word daily. When we give ourselves a few minutes to talk to God, our whole day will be better. We should ask Him to lead us, guide us, and give us a Godly perspective on life. 
3. Live joyfully. We need to train our minds to see the good in every situation. 

When we can master these skills, our lives will transform. We don’t need it all to be joyful, we just need to learn how to appreciate what we already have. 

Happy Monday!

Candida

Today is a Gift

What we do today, will impact what happens to us in the future. The choices of today will yield the results for tomorrow. Living in the past, and always dreaming of the future will not help us reach our goals. Reaching our goals and living our life to the fullest requires us to seek God, become disciplined, and take action for the moment we are in right now. 

Every decision we make affects us in some way. We might not see the results immediately, but the process is still happening. For example: If I cut my calorie intake today and exercise, the number on the scale won’t change today. But if I do the same thing every day, I will start to reap the rewards—both physically and mentally. It boosts our mood when we eat healthier and exercise. Although, the benefits of exercise might not show up immediately for us, if we stick with it, the changes will happen— inwardly and outwardly.

If we show up every day, and do the things that we need to do, God will help us grow and prosper in our lives. Will it be easy? No. Stepping beyond our comfort zone and working hard is never easy. But it will be so worth it. When we start seeing the fruits of our labor, the feeling inside of us will be unexplainable. 

When I run, I always want to quit around the 1/4 of a mile mark. But if I keep pushing myself and keep running, although it is hard, my mind will get stronger along with my body. Pushing beyond what is comfortable for me is how I gain the mental endurance to overcome my challenges. And the feeling of completing my run is amazing. Because I know that at any time I could have quit, but I chose to keep moving forward. 

Every day is a beautiful gift from God. We all get to decide how we use our gift. What will you do today that your future self will thank you for? 

Photo courtesy of Unsplash

Psalm 118:2 (KJV)

24 This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.

Live inspired and live well!

Blessings,

Candida

Cry Out To Jesus: Digging Ditches in the Valley

Some days my life is on point. My to-list gets accomplished and I feel great about the day. Even when things don’t go well, I’m able to make the necessary modifications to keep going. 

And then, there are days when just getting out of bed and taking a shower is a struggle. Sometimes I just feel burdened and overwhelmed. On these days, I become discouraged. And instead of turning toward God with my heart and tears, I tend to distance myself—without even realizing what I’m doing. 

During these times, every thing is a struggle. Sometimes I even wonder, where is God in my life? Why do I feel so sad and alone? And how in the world can I make it through this trial?

This, my friends, is what we call the valley. In the valley, is where the work takes place. This is where we dig a little deeper, and get as low as we can go. In the valley is where we pray, and do the Lord’s work. When we get our thoughts out of the way, then we are able to take the lessons we have learned and apply them to our lives. So often we feel alone during these times, but if we remember the footprints in the sand, then we understand that the Lord is carrying us. 

After just a few minutes in the valley, I’m usually ready to give up. We all like it when our life is easy. So often, we pray for things and then just sit back and wait for our prayers to be answered. But we have some work to do, however, before we get to the blessings.

While some things are out of our control, still God wants us to do the things that we can do. Yes, He wants us to pray and ask Him for help. But that doesn’t mean we should leave it all up to Him. We have a part in this as well. 

When I write these blogs, I can’t control who reads them. Nor can I touch anyone’s heart. What I can do, however, is set aside the time to write them, pray for guidance and understanding, and then pour my heart onto the pages. Once I’ve done my part, God will do His part.  We have to take the first step by faith. We don’t know how it will work, or how God will make it happen, but we just have to believe that He will work it out to our benefit. God blesses our efforts. 

The things which are impossible for us to understand are possible with God. He is always in control and He can change our situation or circumstance in an instant. Don’t give up!

Just remember the devil would love for us to give up. He tries every day to distract us all. But when we get as low as we can go, and cry out to Jesus, the devil has to flee. God understands our tears. In His time, He will deliver us and put us a mile ahead of the devil. And we will proclaim, the victory in Jesus. 

Sometimes we just need to remember that we are a child of the King! And His love for us is unconditional. We have nothing to fear. 

John 14:27  (KJV)

27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

May God bless you, 

Candida 

Gift of Hope: Do You Embrace Your Purpose?

Several years ago, I endured the darkest time of my life. My body was plagued with pain, I wasn’t able to work, and my heart ached, continuously. During the day, I tried to put my misery aside and care for my home and children, but at night I cried until all of my tears were gone. Every night, alone on my deck, I talked to God and cried. My misery stemmed from my unwillingness to do His work and my rejection of His purpose for me.

I didn’t want to be scarred or to live in constant pain. Fighting every day to do simple tasks wasn’t what I wanted for my life. Yes, I wanted to be an author, but I wanted to be funny, and only write fictional stories that excluded any similarity to my life. Opening my heart and sharing my deepest heartaches was NEVER part of my dreams. It was, however, the desire of my heart. I just didn’t know it yet.

God was so patient with me through the process. Every time my heart began searching for understanding, God was there to instruct me. He comforted me as I cried, and gave me the encouragement, faith, and courage to keep going.

I will never forget the moment, when my heart asked Him why. Some viewed me as burden, fluke of nature, defect, etc. and even made comments that my scars were a punishment. Seeing the disgust on their faces made me feel even worse about myself. While some people believed that I should have never questioned God, I needed a new perspective about my scars. In most situations, there are two perspectives: spiritual and scientific. Since no one could satisfy me with the scientific explanation, I desired to know the spiritual reasoning.

Did God, in fact, have a reason for my scars?

One night, as I sat on the deck God gave me a glimpse of my scars’ purpose. A light shined upon my hands and extended from them. At first this vision scared me, and I closed my eyes. I rubbed my eyes, and breathed deeply. But when I opened them the light was still shining on my hands and I could feel His spirit in my heart. God showed me that my hands would give others hope. Sometimes it is so comforting to know that we are not alone in our journey.  And in that moment my feelings about my scars changed. My whole life I had been ashamed of my scars and tried to pray them away, but when the light faded I saw them with a different understanding. I was not punished with scars, but blessed with life—to love and be loved. My situation could have turned out differently. The bands could have wrapped around my body and taken my life, but God spared me. Since that day I have never looked at them the same way. I’m so thankful God blessed me to live. And for the beautiful testimony He placed in my heart to explain them.

Some people hate the word inspiration, and believe it is a form of pity. I believe it is a gift from God. Anytime that He will allow me to inspire another life is priceless. According to the definition in the Merriam-Webster dictionary, to inspire is a :  to influence, move, or guide by divine or supernatural inspiration. In my opinion, we should all strive to live an inspired life. 

My son captured this picture of my sister and me at an event. The first thing I saw was the light on my hands. As the tears fell from my eyes, I remembered that moment with God on my deck. Regardless of what people think of me, I know this is my purpose. As long as there is breath in my body, I pray that I will do His work and live my life for Him. To give others hope, when they feel hopeless, is a beautiful gift—it’s priceless.

Do you have a group, school, or event that you feel would benefit from hearing my story of hope? If so, please email me at candidasullivan@yahoo.com. 

May God bless you,

Candida Sullivan