Category Archives: Loving yourself

3:2 No rest zone

Posted in 32, Blessings, Christians, Disciples of Christ, Faith Walk, friendships, Journey to New York, Loving yourself, New York, Purpose Driven life, Uncategorized by

I have been non-stop since 6:30 a.m. Today has been such special day. My church family is simply amazing! I was THE biggest cry baby today and hate saying goodbyes. Being able to share some last laughs with my friends surely made my heart smile.

O

n the eve of my big move, I sit here still in disbelief that the day has finally come. I’m going to post pictures from today. Tomorrow I am going to go into more details. I’m keeping it very light tonight because I still have to finish packing. Please keep me in your prayers.

‘Til next time my loves, I will be blogging from NY tomorrow!!!

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3:2 Paths

Posted in 32, Blessings, Christians, Faith, Faith Walk, Fruitful living, Guidance, Jesus Christ, Journey to New York, Loving yourself, New York, Purpose Driven life, Spiritual growth, The call, Uncategorized by

Tonight’s post will be shorter because I want to leave you with some questions to reevaluate some things in your life. This idea was just laid on my heart. I titled this post Paths because we are all on a path of some sort. My path does not look like yours and vice versa. A dangerous outlook is comparison. What it all boils down to is, how are we utilizing the path that God created for us? I will admit that I have compared my path with other paths that my heart desired. For example, marriage and raising a family, traveling the world and having a certain type of lifestyle just to name a few. All that did was make me depressed, stagnant in every area of life, unhappy and miserable. I had to get to the point to where I was happy and content in both the good and the bad in my life. That only took place when I shifted my view from what I didn’t have to what I actually have right in front of me and within. One of the most awkward season that I went through was the season of moving back home, not having a job for some months and trying to find my place in church and home and with friends and family. But during that long season God was pruning me and molding me for this very moment as I’m preparing for my huge move to New York!! My path is tailor made just for me and God knows exactly why He chose me to carry it out. I do not have all of the answers to most of the questions that people ask me about my move. My one and only answer is God needs me there for an assignment. I honestly don’t know what it’s going to look like or what I will be doing BUT I will continue to watch God happen.

So here’s your questions for you to reflect on:

  1. What are you holding onto in this season that could be holding you back from getting to God’s path for you?
  2. Do you wish that your path was created differently?
  3. In a culture that prides itself on making a lot of money, do you get caught up in that sometimes?
  4. If God’s path for you included the very thing that you dislike the most, how would you approach your circumstances? (What would your attitude consist of)
  5. Does your current path fully represent Jesus? If not then what changes can be made to your path to match THE path made by God?

‘Til next time my loves!!!!!!

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Do you want the real deal or a knockoff?

Posted in Christians, Devotionals, Jesus Christ, Loving yourself, Purpose Driven life by

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🚪🚪🚪🚪🚪🚪🚪🚪🚪🚪🚪🚪🚪🚪🚪 Settling for imitations of love are like all of these closed doors. You are dancing in the hallways of “bliss” & “happiness” only to realize that you don’t have the right key 🔑 to open any of those doors. All of those doors represent something different in each of our lives. For example, one door could represent a relationship that you have invested so much time and wasted energy that functions outside of the will of God. Another door could be a job that you have but it’s not stretching or growing you into your purpose. Or a door that was closed by God in order to protect you from what you thought you wanted. Whatever these closed doors represent to you is something that you are going to have to take to God in prayer and ask him to show you why they are closed.

When we settle for knock offs, we are telling God that we don’t deserve His best for us and that we are ok with whatever comes our way. If it doesn’t line up with God’s word then it is an imitation and we should have no part of that. Knowing your true worth and value has nothing to do with monetary values and materialistic views, it comes from knowing that Jesus died to save us from these knock offs that fill our hearts with lies.

Romans 5:8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

Lies that say you should do whatever you can while you can, you’re only young for a short while so do it, this person really loves you so accept it and love them back even if they are living contrary to God, your biological clock is ticking so hurry up and get a man/woman no matter what his/her view point is of God etc. And the list goes on and on of these imitations. So I’m asking you, do you know what true love is and what does that look like in your life? You have to be careful with those knock offs because they not only will lead to those closed doors everytime but heartache, stress, possible drugs and emptiness just to name a few. Trying to use those knock offs as the real deal will only lead to mediocrity and disappointments. There’s no way the hallway  “bliss” dance will ever supply you with the REAL love that God has for you.

His love will unlock those doors and will never be a knock off! I have been a victim of accepting the knock offs and dancing in the “blissful” hallway thinking that I was really enjoying life and “making things happen”. I had to learn what God’s love really meant and how that looked in my life. Accepting His real love will change your whole approach on life (relationships, attitudes, how you treat people, walking in your purpose, experience joy, eternal gain and kingdom building etc.) Walking through those doors will take you to another level in experiencing God’s love. He will never stop loving us no matter what BUT to understand and feel His love requires the imitations to be thrown out. When you love someone or something you naturally give your best and do not want to mess anything up. Give God your best and share His love to others so they can stop accepting the knock offs.

If you have any comments or questions please leave them in the comments or you can email me at sweetinspirationsbycandyce@gmail.com

Do you know what love means? ❤️

‘TIL NEXT TIME MY LOVES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

♡Posted by Sweet Inspirations by Candyce♡

I wasn’t readyyyyy!!!

Posted in Loving yourself, Spiritual growth by

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One of my favorite comedians is Kevin Hart. He has a lot of funny sayings and this one is one of my faves. Well anyways I thought that it would be perfect with this post because I definitely WAS NOT ready for love and Godly relationships.

Song of Solomon 2:7 (MSG) Oh, let me warn you, sisters in Jerusalem, by the gazelles, yes, by all the wild deer: Don’t excite love, don’t stir it up, until the time is ripe-and you’re ready.

As I read this scripture last week for a daily devotional, it hit me like a ton a bricks because I never understood why I would never be fully open and vulnerable while dating and vice versa. There seemed to be a wall up on both sides and an emptiness that would never become filled. My understanding of what true love was ❤️ and how to love was not something that I was really taught in details growing up. It was something that I saw on some occasions and mimicked but did not truly grasp it. I also did not love myself in the manner that God wanted me to and that really led to so many heartaches and disappointments. I got fed up with all of the of the dead end relationships and emptiness. Once I started desiring more of God by studying His word and understanding what love looks like, my heart began to soften up and began to be healed. My heart had to become broken in order for my transformation to begin. This was not a quick fix healing process because I was carrying sooooooo much baggage and didn’t even realize it. It’s taken YEARS to get to the point that I am at now. The thoughts about my past hurts don’t shake my emotions and feelings up like they did before. Understanding and being obedient to God’s word will help you make better decisions and will lead you down the right path.

Here are some tips to become open to God’s L❤️ VE:

SPEND TIME IN PRAYER THROUGHOUT YOUR DAY. ⌛⏰ 🙏

START A JOURNAL AND JUST SHARE YOUR FEELINGS AND THOUGHTS. 📖✒

SPEND TIME OUTSIDE LOOKING AT ALL OF GOD’S CREATIONS AND HOW HE PROVIDES FOR ALL CREATION. 🌞⛅🌹🌻🐒 🐶

SLOW YOUR LIFE DOWN & BE STILL. 🛀📵

PRAY FOR SIGNS MEANING PRAY THAT GOD WILL SHOW YOU WHAT YOU’VE BEEN PRAYING FOR. 🙏

LISTEN TO OTHERS. GOD USES OTHERS TO HELP US OR SEND COMFIRMATION.👂

TALK TO GOD AND SHARE YOUR HEART ❤️

APPLY WHAT YOU’VE READ AND LIVE IT OUT AND WATCH THE TRANSFORMATION OCCUR IN YOUR LIFE. 👀

SING THE SONG JESUS LOVES ME 🎤🎶🎶🎵🎵

Now back to the title I wasn’t readyyyy, God revealed to me that I was in no shape or fashion to be in a healthy loving Godly relationship before. I thank God for the time that He has given me to get my heart right and so I can have healthy relationships with everyone (friendships, church family, mentee’s, family etc.) I can tell a major difference in all of my relationships all due to God working in my life and changing my heart. As messed up as my “love” life was, God has used it to be able to share it with you guys to help you out whether you’re married or single. If you’re not healing from your past, you will continue to pour your junk into your new relationships. Take my advice and DON’T do it, it hurts the other person in the end and prolongs your healing and growth process! Be encouraged and continue to seek God in all that you do!  God will reveal when you are healed. If you don’t wait on Him more heartache and being outside of His plan for your life will continue to be the driving source of your self destructive life. It’s best to know if you are READYYYY by doing a heart check with God!

GOD TOOK MY 💔 BROKENNESS AND MADE ME 💓 WHOLE!!!

👑👑👑👑👑👑👑👑👑👑👑👑👑👑👑👑👑  👑👑👑👑👑👑👑👑👑👑👑👑👑👑👑👑👑
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‘TIL NEXT TIME MY LOVES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

♡Posted by Sweet Inspirations by Candyce♡

Do you see it? Take a closer look…

Posted in Are you listening, Christians, Disciples of Christ, Loving yourself, Spiritual growth by

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Do others people see it in me? 🙈🙉
Do I see something different in myself? 👀
Am I allowing God to be the head of my life?

Well these are some questions that you should ask yourself when you start to question how far you have come on your journey with God. The IT that I am referring to is change in you that has taken place because you are allowing God to shine through your life. At times we get down on ourselves because we start to feel like we aren’t growing at a certain pace that we “feel” that we should be keeping with. I encourage you to stop ✋, take a deep breath and exhale those feelings. Those are those subtle attack 👊 methods that the enemy will make you believe. You will start to feel like you are going backwards instead of forward, you will be reminded of your past mistakes, you will start to compare yourself to others around you and look at their life, things will trigger old habits and thoughts that once kept you captive to your sin. Please be clear that these will come up when you are trying to grow. The enemy is not going to attack and fight if there’s no real competition to keep God’s Kingdom growing instead of his.

My dear brothers and sisters please look to God and be reminded of your journey thus far. Look at the change that has taken place whether it has brought you closer to God or sin has continued to keep you in bondage. Always look at the positive first and use that to motivate you to keep growing spiritually. Our sin should not keep us from reaching the full potential that God has placed in us. Take my word for it, it’s not worth it! We are all sinners BUT sin should not control our lives. Encourage others to see the positive change in their lives as well because we are called to be the light of the world! Sin = darkness

Matthew 5:14-16 MSG
“Here’s another way to put it: You’re here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept. We’re going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don’t think I’m going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I’m putting you on a light stand. Now that I’ve put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you’ll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven.

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‘TIL NEXT TIME MY LOVES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

♡Posted by Sweet Inspirations by Candyce♡

growing, Growing, GROWING!!!

Posted in Fruitful living, Loving yourself, Purpose Driven life, Spiritual growth by
Grow in God before growing a relationship!

Grow in God before growing a relationship!

I remember back when I would bounce back and forth between the idea of marriage and if I wanted to be or not. My indecisiveness caused more confusion and my heart to become hardened to the idea. Dating different guys only reassured my heart that I should not. Instead of using those times to prepare my heart for it, I ran from it and took it for granted. Thinking back on alot of those heartbreaking situations that I experience were due to my heart not being pure and focused on God like I should. Throughout my journey I can say that God is still working on me for the day that if it be His will, I will be married.

I know for a fact that everything that I am going and growing through is preparing me for my purpose whether it be married life or single life. Since I am in my season of singleness, it has been full of service and ministry. I thank God for using me and my gifts to serve. If marriage is in the will of God for my life, I will truly understand and appreciate the preparation and lessons that I need. I was very immature in my thinking before on the thoughts of dating and marriage and I thank God for the maturity that I have gained. Marriage is not about selfish gains and to have the perfect wedding and ring. It’s about having a ministry together and working together to help build God’s kingdom. I know for a fact that whomever I marry MUST be a strong man of God full of purpose because he will have to lead our household. My relationship with God is stronger than ever and he will need to have one stronger than mine. Encouraging each other to keep God first and work together will be the core and foundation of our lives.

Now you are probably wondering what that picture is all about. LOL Funny story, a few years ago the family joke was Candyce are you ever going to get a man? So a couple years ago on vacation we stopped in Pensacola beach and went inside a souvenir shop to get some things. So at the counter there were these little grow a boyfriend  toys. I looked at it and laughed and thought well I guess this is about right LoL! Then I was told this will be as close as you will get to having a boyfriend LoL! That picture

Thinking back on my earlier single life that is the thoughts that I really held onto, I am now grateful for my singleness because I would have been a toxic person in any relationship. I had not grown or received the proper healing from my past hurts which would have destroyed them all. I thank God for placing those men in my life to help grow me up because I did meet great men. So if you are struggling with being single or if you’re in a relationship but you don’t feel like it has a ministry that can be carried out, pray to God for His will to be revealed. As Christians single or married, you are called to help build God’s Kingdom. Make sure you’re doing your part. If you notice in the title of this post I show the word growing in 3 different sizes. I showed that as my growth in thinking about God, courting and marriage! That represents how your way of thinking and actions in God should be. No matter how hard or long that you take, it will be worth it in the end. Keep GROWING, keep PRAYING, keep L♡VING and keep SEEKING GOD’S WILL FOR YOUR LIFE! I will leave you with this scripture Proverbs 16:3

Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans.
Proverbs 16:3 NIV

TIL NEXT TIME MY LOVES!!!!!!!!
💓💓💓💓💓💓💓💓💓💓💓💓💓💓💓

○●I will add another post about relationships later●○ ☺

♡Posted by Sweet Inspirations by Candyce♡

Who is this Candyce person?

Posted in Devotionals, Loving yourself, Spiritual growth by
Sweet Inspirations by Candyce

This is Me!!!!

Hey y’all heeeyyyyyyy! I know that I’m not the only person that knew that they were DEFINITELY different than others throughout their lives. Not a necessarily weirdo different but a special different that you really couldn’t explain or describe. The stories or moments I can recall, have definitely affirmed my uniqueness at a very young age. I can remember back from learning how to spell my first and middle name that I was not a “normal” child LOL! It wasn’t until I would say 2013 that I began to really come into my TRUE identity which explained my “different” title. Throughout my childhood, I was very well known and liked by many. I was this funny, caring, opinionated ball of spunk and energy. I didn’t really know too many other people with my personality which caused me to start to hide it and become embarrassed. In high school I was the JV and Varsity cheer captain, VP of Senior Women club, Homecoming and Prom Queen and extremely involved in school activities. I would say that those were the years that God really started showing me how different I was. On the back of my letterman I had my first name Candyce and underneath I had “Yes! I’m different”. And the going response was YES YOU ARE! Now, to some I was very weird and annoying or perceived as being fake because “no one has this much energy and smiles all the time“. Comments like that didn’t use to bother me in HS as much as they did once I got to college.

I wanted to “create” this new Candyce that doesn’t seem so “perfect and Ms. goodie goodie” which caused me to lose sight of who I was in God’s eyes! I would pick and choose when I wanted to bring the original “C.D” aka my first and middle initial out and with who I thought could handle me. I met a lot of people and began to find myself revisiting my original “C.D” ways then pulling back once I realized what was happening. So I became very active on campus but this time it was different. Yes I was still a fun, happy, smiley person but  I became an extremely guarded person as a result of the recreation process. For years I just kept her hidden which I’m sure you know what happens when you start hiding things… Things become buried deeper and deeper and you forget where they are or it takes forever and a day to “clean” it up etc. My walk with God became very surface like at times, which really shocked me because I grew up having a relationship with God which I thought was very strong. But that shows the more you hide, the more blinded you become. I could go on and on and on about the different things that I have gone through that brought me to this very moment. I wanted to give you a quick glance of who I am. So the purpose of this blog is to share God’s word with you mixed with Candyce 4.0 (new and improved). You will get to know that loving, funny, outgoing and opinionated Candyce very well, but most importantly… You will know GOD better! Whoop whoop *INSERT YOUR FAVORITE DANCE MOVE* I’m SOOOOOOOOOOO EXCITED TO SHARE MY DEVOTIONALS AND WORDS FROM GOD. One part of my purpose is helping anyone that I can, that brings so much joy and contentment to me that only God can bring. Hope you share this with your peeps… TIL NEXT TIME MY LOVES!!!