Candidly Christian

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Candid Confessions

Candid Confessions

When the Struggle is Real

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“I don’t need refreshment, I need a resurrection.”

My friend said that to me in January as we were sitting at the local Starbucks. That statement hit me like a ton of bricks, and I have been reflecting on that statement still months later. The truth is that if I am honest, there are times that I have felt like that. Times I wasn’t sure I had anything left to give. Times I felt like God was being silent. Times I wanted to quit, because I was unsure He had anything in front of me. Times of fear, and doubt. Times of the weight of unworthiness.

Several months back, I wrote Confessions of a Perpetual Quitter. Little did I know at the time, that as I began to write that post, I would face an intense battle of wanting to quit. In my defense, I had a 2-month-old, and I was running low on sleep, and high on emotions. But the struggle was real, and I was barely walking the fine line of solid ground, and falling off a cliff. In writing the post, I began to feel like a hypocrite. How could I write a post about following His lead, when I was about to run from what He had in front of me? This is as real as it gets.

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Hope For When You Feel Like Giving Up On Life

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I was ready to give up. My head hurts so bad. I started counting the cost. Not just the cost, but the worth.

I begged the hospital staff to let me go because my family needed me. But then I got home and my head hurt so bad I couldn’t get out of bed. I was useless. Sure, they loved me and were happy to see me, but I wasn’t needed. And it’s a good thing I wasn’t.

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Faith, Fat, & Fitness

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Disclosure: This post contains sponsored and affiliate links

I have gained seventy pounds since my 30th birthday.

Seventy. Pounds.

That doubled my pants size.

Literally.

After the first thirty or forty pounds, my doctor assured me it was normal for women in their thirties. Not that that made me feel any better.

In fact, the more weight I have gained, the more discontent I have become.

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Confessions of a Christian With Anger Issues

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I am a Christian with a temper.

Yes, it’s possible to love Jesus and still have anger issues. I’d like to share my journey with anger for other hot-headed Christians hiding out there. With God’s help, I’m learning to apply His anger management plan, make better choices, and live in peace. I’m here to tell you that you can, too.

From Mouse to Monster

I wasn’t always an angry person. In fact, I was a mouse. I was pushed around by my younger siblings at home and spent way too many lunch hours hiding in the girl’s restroom at school. Fighting was naughty and I was a good girl, so I silently fled instead.

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It’s Okay To Be Mary In A World Full Of Martha’s

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Housekeeping is not my forte.

It never has been.

I have friends who are household rock stars. They are the perfect embodiment of the Proverbs 31 woman. But I am not that woman.

Back when I was a single mom with just one child, I could keep up pretty good… most of the time.

Let’s face it, there wasn’t much to keep up with.

However, I still remember the time we went to my mom’s for the weekend and I forgot to take the trash out before we left. That wasn’t pleasant.

But now I am married and the mother of four. I could clean 24 hours a day and probably still not keep up. I tried for a while. And then I gave up.

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What Happens In The Light

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Recently I had to help with a really big project. Most of what I helped with had to do with painting, and cutting and stapling a mesh screen on painted frames that would be hung.

Measurements had to be exact, the mesh had to be put on the frames in a specific way, and the mesh also “shed” a lot. Oh and the painting… that required just as much care and detail.

Simultaneously, we are reading about the 10 commandments and the explanation of them as well. There are so many if-then situations connected to the commands. My head was spinning over all of the conditions based on circumstance.

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What is Gossip?

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By Candid Guest, Jessica Sims

A few weeks ago, the women from our church’s small group went for a ladies night out. It was a much-needed break from our daily responsibilities. The night was full of laughter and stories, everything from church happenings to our fully dysfunctional families that we love oh so dearly. 

We were having a great time until someone referenced their previous small group. Immediately the vibe changed. The tension was all over their faces. Whatever it was, it wasn’t a pleasant memory. 

These ladies have been friends for years, but I was the new girl they just welcomed in. I asked about the reference to the previous small group and got an unexpected response.  

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3 Biblical Truths to Help You Know You Belong

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You Belong: 3 Biblical Truths to Help You Know You Belong is a Guest Post by Nikki Evanson

As long as I could remember, I struggled with a deep sense of not belonging.

I never felt like I belonged in my family growing up and it led me to feel like I had no place in the world either. At gatherings, the causal question of “where are you from?” made me cringe, knowing that it might lead to more in-depth questions about my past.

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Are You a Peacemaker?

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Are You a Peacemaker: How to Choose Unity Over Division is a Guest Post Written by Stacie Cherill Dickson

I am a very passionate person.

I love people so much and want to see them live their best life in Christ.

Although my zeal is wonderful, sometimes I have found myself pushing my own personal convictions on others in a harsh way. There is a fine line to tread of sharing your beliefs as in invitation versus forcing someone to believe like you.

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