Candidly Christian

Real Women. Real Life. Real Faith.

The Gospel

The Gospel

Stillness in Rushing Waves of Grace

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Be still and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations; I will be exalted in the earth.

Psalm 46:10

The chants of laughter, resounding loud that you could hear from the children who ran into the rushing waves and excitedly waiting for a tremendous wave to come and ride it like we own the vast of the ocean. Its sunrise and morning breeze from the waves are the best-loved moment I had when I was a child. My friends and I loved to dip every morning or afternoon.

Growing up in a place where rushing waves were fun, not even a scary thing, was one of my childhood’s best experiences. But not in the reality of life when I’ve grown up. Its emblem the adversaries in my life’s journey.

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Living in Light of the Gospel

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We walk by faith, not by sight.

2 Corinthians 5:7 (ESV)

If you’re anything like me, when you read the words, “Living In Light of the Gospel” you think about sharing your faith. You think about all the lost people of the world who need to know Jesus, but I’m coming to find that it means so much more than that. Yes, sharing our faith is part of it, but it’s not the whole.

Years ago, I was introduced to the idea that the gospel wasn’t just for the unsaved… it wasn’t a onetime thing, but an everyday thing. That realization was life-changing. The love and forgiveness of Christ isn’t something that we ever stop needing.

Tethered to Jesus

When I think about living a holy life, the gospel is where I start. It’s there for when I fail. It’s there for when I’m feeling down.

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Whitewashed Christianity

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I walked into church Easter morning feeling more like a whitewashed tomb than a temple of the Living God.

Have you ever felt like that?

Pretty on the outside, but just full of junk on the inside?

It seems like the older I get, the less I enjoy holidays. Going to church on Sunday is just what we do. It felt pretty normal. Sure, we ate breakfast with our church family, and the kids had an egg hunt. Our pastor preached about the resurrection. But all in all, it felt like a pretty normal day.

Which made me feel even worse on the inside.

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How to Trust in Jesus When Everything is Falling Apart

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Have you ever wondered how to trust in Jesus when everything is falling apart? Sometimes we cling to Him when the going gets tough, and sometimes we wonder how things got so far out of control. That’s where this week found me. I’ve been trying to memorize Psalm 62:2 for the past couple of days, and I think Satan took it as a challenge. It says, “{God} alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress, I shall not be greatly shaken” (ESV).

Let me back up a little bit for you though.

Last week I attended a women’s conference that stirred something deep within me. A longing to know Jesus more. Not to just live for Him, but to walk with Him. So, when I came home, I stumbled across Psalm 62:2 in my morning quiet time and clung to it. Everything was going great… until today.

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Why Should God Let You Into Heaven?

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If God were to ask you why He should let you into heaven, how would you answer?

I read that question recently, and it kind of stopped me in my tracks.

My friend and I finished studying Genesis and Exodus recently, and just began Ephesians. And I feel like we are at the contrast of what life was like before the veil was torn, and being saved by the riches of His grace that were lavished on us through Jesus.

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What Does Your T-Shirt Say About You?

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Recently, I was at a baseball game, and I noticed how many people were wearing t-shirts with slogans. Some of these were super funny, others were sad or sarcastic, and a few were quite offensive with language I won’t repeat. The whole concept about t-shirts made me think, what would I want to say if I wore a t-shirt? We make ourselves walking billboards, but is the message we are sharing on our t-shirt showing who we are? Who are we allowing to advertise on us for free?

What Does Your T-Shirt Say About You?

What we choose to wear has a significant influence on how people perceive us. Why? Because if we are wearing a t-shirt that supports something that someone else supports, it can strike up a great conversation and build a connection of comradery, but if it is something someone doesn’t support, be ready for the backlash of hate and for the venom to spew.

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Life is Hard, But God is Still Good

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“Both our van and our stove broke down this weekend, but God is still good.
My head hurts, but God is still good.
I spent the day in the emergency room, but God is still good.
I can’t breathe, but God is still good.“

As I write this on Sunday, Heather Hart has been in the hospital with covid for eighteen days. It’s been a rough time, full of joyful ups and terrifying downs, especially for Heather, but also for everyone who knows and loves her.

We thought she was getting better; we thought she’d be home in a few days, but Saturday night, the doctors said she has bacterial pneumonia. Breathing continues to be increasingly difficult and painful.

We don’t know what lies ahead, but if there’s one thing I’ve learned from Heather since I found Candidly Christian in 2017 it’s this:

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Our Only Hope to Avoid Hell is Jesus

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I was crying over a Facebook comment on a post I didn’t post, about an article I didn’t write.

Romans 12:18 says we should do our best to live at peace with those around us so far as it depends on us. Thus, I generally try to avoid social media arguments.

Now, I’m far from perfect. I definitely read, write, and delete more than my fair share of social media commentary. However, you won’t often find me getting on a soapbox or ranting about pet peeves. It’s one of those areas where I try to catch myself before it’s too late.

Anyway, this was one of those times.

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4 Reasons Why I’m Comforted by Jesus’ Death

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I have another confession: I can’t handle when beloved characters in a movie die.  

I can’t even handle when I know they are going to die. Let’s take for example, the movie Charlotte’s Web. It was one of my favorite movies growing up, and thought it was a great idea to let Olivia watch it. She immediately fell in love with the pig.  

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Dear Suicidal Me…

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Dear Suicidal Me, 

Hey there! It’s me—um, I mean you. I’m so glad you found this letter. I know you’re frazzled, so I’ll cut right to the chase. 

I know what you’ve been thinking. You wonder how cold the water would feel as it fills the car. Will it hurt as the water fills your lungs? Maybe, if you’re lucky, you’ll hit your head on impact so you’ll never know what the bottom of the bay looks like. 

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