Candidly Christian

Real Women. Real Life. Real Faith.

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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5 Lies I Have Believed About Being A Mom

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I’ve been a parent for twelve years now, and in that time have made all kinds of mistakes. I’m sure I’ll make loads more before it’s all said and done. There are several lies about being a mom that I realize I’ve believed over the years that have contributed to those mistakes, some of which I still struggle with. I believe that exposing the lies of the Enemy is a powerful way to defeat him, so I thought I’d call him out on a few of them today.

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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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3 Keys to Survival When You’re Running on Empty

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We need a lot of things in this life. That is not a secret. Let’s be honest. We have needs. Personally, I think women have more needs than men. LOL, but that is for another discussion.

However, not every need will be met. And because of that, we don’t always understand why. A lot of people pull on us as women to meet their needs and we get plain ole empty.  We are mothers, daughters, sisters, friends, wives, etc. and we get pulled on by all those people in our lives. Sometimes all at once. Or at least it feels that way.

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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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3 Steps to Overcome Laziness

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I’ve been lazy before.  Not the “I should probably get up and work but it’s been a busy day and I’m going to play board games with the kids instead” lazy.  The sinful, procrastinating, anxiety-provoked and provoking, let-down-your-friends-and-miss-deadlines lazy.

There! I said it out loud.

And it wasn’t a short-lived lazy either.

As a teenager, I plagued my mother with my stubborn unwillingness to clean my room until she gave up in despair.  I dumped papers in my backpack rather than stick them in the folder. Every time I opened the bag, I felt guilty.  Every time I felt guilty, I put off sorting them out. The night before they were due, I frantically tried to organize them into something I could turn in. I cost myself not only time and worry but a good grade. I’d like to say I only did this once, but that would be a big fat lie.

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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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Point to Jesus

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A new year is upon us. It’s full of new possibilities and new life. The old is gone and the new has come. It’s a new day.

The past few years have been full of new challenges for our family, but one thing has been abundantly clear: God can use any situation, no matter how painful or unexpected, for His glory and our blessing.

God can use any situation, no matter how painful or unexpected, for His glory and our blessing. #ThankYouJesus Click To Tweet

I am not one to dwell on the past, but that’s one life lesson I want to take with me into the new year.

I never want to forget how God blessed our socks off when I was in the hospital. Or how our church family stepped up time and again to fill needs, sometimes before we even realized they were there. Through all the pain and waiting and everything else we went through, we never doubted God’s goodness. Not even for a moment.

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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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