As a Christian blogger my main purpose for building this page is to give an outreach to people, and to show or point to a place overflowing with love and hope and encouragement. The place we want to look towards is heaven, the person is Jesus and The Holy Spirit. From my experience its important to stay in their presence and how it absolutely can be done on a daily basis. I want to share with everyone how I've been led even when I had not the slightest clue. In my walk or journey on this earth I know it started with seeking God at about 9 years old. I was very interested in the Bible, singing at church and praying, talking to the Father. I've laid it down and picked it backup and for whatever reason things have always worked out better for doing so. The picking back up part, ha ha I've gotten off track a few times, going down rabbit holes studying, and honestly gotten into some really cultish stuff that actually didn't seem too bad at first. Wasting some years of my life listening to this person and that person instead of just listening to the right person… My Heavenly Father, holy spirit and staying in his Presence.
If I can say a few words of what I've learned through all the ups and down in my life about God, it's all about LOVE, FORGIVENESS and RELATIONSHIP. Not Rules, regulations, steps, or what kind of food you eat or don't eat, what day you spend or worship him. Some of the sweetest moments I can remember were just singing and praising with other believers, in a living room, kitchen, laying on a blanket on an auditorium floor at a conference, or outside. Not necessarily between the 4 walls of a church building. It's key just to be in his Presence! It's possible all day long, anywhere! For some that might be funny to hear, but it's true. I too had to give up some of my ‘in the box thinking’...Hahaha. The reason I say this and it's kinda freeing is because much of my childhood and young adult life my church experience was made up of rules, so many rules and much of the time isolation. Going from church to church, denomination to denomination, even stepped into some cultish ideologies that only the love and grace of God got me out of!
Much of what I mentioned above did not offer much freedom, came with a lot of judgement, guilt and didn't show very much of God's love, OUCH!
Nor were they easy to understand or follow. Scripture mentions Jesus and his words being easy for a child to understand.
Mark 10:15 We are called to have a childlike faith
I have to admit so much judgement came with these places in my life. Judging others and others judging me and not with good judgement either, like God instructs us to have. These places in my life actually distanced me from God and others. If I were to blame anyone it would be myself, no one else. Considering a person's experience with our earthly parents and experience with whatever leadership we have had can mold our feelings and thought process. We can form opinions of our heavenly father and how we give and receive love from him and others.
In sharing my story I just want to offer a little glimmer of hope to you wherever you are right now. Sending you love, thoughts and prayers of hope, peace, provision, and strength. For me to tell my story without mentioning the hope, power and love of Jesus Christ and his story, and his workings in my life it would really be a waste of time. For it is only his spirit and love that have made all the difference.
Wishing you the best of life!
Love,
Candice "Candi" Holtzclaw