The Ship

Most people have seen the movie Titanic. If not, it's a movie about a huge ship that ends up causing the death of thousands of people after it hits an iceberg and sinks.

This is something that God showed me.

The Titanic was flowing smoothly at first. There didn't seem to be any issues or problems; things seemed to be going as planned. The problem appeared when the captain realized that the path the Titanic was on, would lead them all to destruction. They knew they were responsible for everyone on board. So as a result, they attempted to turn the ship and go a different path to avoid the things that were ahead.

They did everything they could to turn the ship. The ship slowed down. And even though the iceberg was still in the distance, because the ship was so big, it took a long time for it to turn. Mainly because of it's size but also because it was accustomed to going with the current.

I woke up this morning thinking about the Titanic. And this came to mind. We all were once on a path headed towards destruction. We were going along with the current until we got a glimpse of where we were headed. We went to God and asked Him to turn us around. This is my main point. Sometimes when we go to God and we do all that we feel like we can do to cause the change we need in our lives, things still seem to slow down. We feel like we're not moving. Our situation isn't turning around.

I want to encourage you not to give up on going with God's system. It may seem like nothing is happening. But just like the Titanic, it will sometimes take time for things to turn around. All the water has to be moved to make room for your turnaround. And we know, it takes more effort and time to go against the current than it does to flow with the waves. God is setting you up for a complete 180. The bigger your "ship" the longer it may take. But just know, things ARE turning.

And you won't have to worry about sinking. We have the power to rebuke the waves and even the icebergs that we see in the distance. We are no longer on the world's system which will tell us, that because the iceberg is close, we're all going to die. Not so. We are now on God's system. In Proverbs 6:2 it says, "you have been trapped by what you said, ensnared by the words of your mouth." YOU control whether you will be ensnared by the words of the world's system or by the words of God's system. I choose God!

So in the meantime, we must speak LIFE until we see the change. I WILL NOT be broke. I WILL NOT be sick. I WILL NOT give up. I AM prosperous. I AM healed. I AM strong. There are things going on that you can't see and you may not even feel yet. Be encouraged and remain patient. Just know, THE SHIP IS TURNING.

Day 26: My Thankful

I'm thankful for the compliment a customer gave me today. She said I should be a manager, since I look like I'm running everything. :)  At my job, you have to be able to multitask. Chick-fil-A and most fast food chains are very fast-paced working environments, and it keeps you on your toes. I was taking orders on the headset for the drive thru, bagging orders for front counter, and refilling drinks all within a matter of minutes. I appreciate the compliment, but I was just doing my job. =)

I'm thankful for what God has brought me from. I'm not the same person I used to be. When I was younger, I thought I knew it all. I thought I knew how my life would be. I just knew I would marry a certain person and that we would have a few kids, and live a cozy happy life. I thought for sure I was gonna be a member of the same Baptist church I was born into for the rest of my life. I thought my friends would be my friends forever. I never expected we would grow apart. I thought I was gonna be a pediatrician or an orthodontist. Little did I know, that my career aspirations would change with the seasons. I never thought I would grow out of my painfully shy days.----> However, God had different plans for my life. His plans allowed me to see that He is truly in charge. We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps. (Proverbs 16:9)

Day 24: My Thankful

I'm thankful for willpower and the ability to not give into temptation.

I'm thankful that I'm still eating big, two days after Thanksgiving! *Fist pump!*

I'm thankful for opportunities. Success always comes when preparation meets opportunity. Keep preparing yourselves people! What's done in the dark always comes to the light, good or bad.

I'm thankful that I can officially blast the Christmas music. Some people, including Walmart, found it cute to start playing Christmas stuff the 1st week in November. Not cool...lol

I'm thankful for new beginnings. I don't have to wait until 2012 to start anew. Change begins when you decide to change, and if nothing changes, nothing changes. I don't think I said change enough in that sentence. :-)

Maturity Sneaks Up On Ya!

It's so great when you can actually SEE and FEEL yourself growing from the inside out.  Immature activities you once used to take part in seem so petty and childish now. You wonder why you were that way in the first place, but that phase was needed so that you could grow into the YOU displayed now.

This afternoon, I had the opportunity to go to the Wood Grill in Charlottesville, VA to celebrate my grandparents' bdays. All of my mom's siblings and spouses were there, as well as my dad's sister and one of my cousins. The food was buffet-style (not really my preference), but I think it was a notch above Golden Corral.

There was SO much food available; I couldn't even visit all of the stations. This was one area I recognized growth. As I said a couple postings ago, I love food. I love to eat. I don't think I'm a gluttonous person; I just like to eat food until I'm full. :) But after my first plate today, I was about ready to call it quits. Maybe get a dessert later or something. When I was younger, I didn't care how stuffed I was! This was a BUFFET, and that meant I had to eat until I literally couldn't eat anymore. I made it a point to visit EVERY food station and go up numerous times for seconds, thirds, fourths, a salad, and something sweet. But, not today! Just about 1 1/2 plates of food (including lots of seasoned veggies) and some cheesecake topped with ice cream and sprinkles. YUM! I wasn't miserable from overdoing it like I would be in the past. Thank God for maturity! It might sound silly, but some people have major problems with gluttony. A buffet or the Thanksgiving table is not the place to be if you do...jussayin! :)

Then, it was the conversation at the table. My grandma will probably never read this, but she's a GOSSIP QUEEN! lol...so a little of that was going on. Not much, but I knew the topic of my younger cousin was gonna come up sooner or later.

I have this cousin. I guess she's slowly dug herself into a hole of being labeled the "black sheep" of the family. She's a year younger than me with 1-year-old twin boys, living off the government with her boyfriend. Neither one of them have jobs. Sad situation. I remember when she had big dreams of going out of state to be a dance choreographer. She loved to dance. Now, who knows...?

Basically, at every family function, my uncle (her dad) or my grandma dish out the latest dirt on her. My other cousins and myself are then praised that we don't have kids yet, that at least we're doing something with our lives, that we're just better off than her. I think when I found out she was pregnant, I was eager to get in on the latest gossip. But now, all I wanna do is pray for her.

[REwind] Pray for her? Huh? Me? But laughing about someone else's situation makes me feel better about my own situation. I get a high knowing that their bad news is my comedic relief and entertainment.

Not anymore. Maturity kicks in once again. I had to say a silent prayer in my head, as I listened to my uncle call her stupid and vow not to give her anymore money. It was just sad to hear family talk down about her and joke about everything. She's still a daughter, niece, granddaughter, cousin, mother--family! If family doesn't build you up and encourage you, who will?? Of course, she's made mistakes. Who hasn't? Maybe I have a problem  or something...I tend to give people the benefit of the doubt. I believe someone can change.

I mean, "One day in His courts did forever change my course."

SIDENOTE#1: These stories were not to demean people with gluttony issues or my cousin. Just for the purpose of sharing the findings of my day and realizing that I'm maturing! :)

SIDENOTE#2: I cleaned my entire bathroom Saturday!! Shout it from the rooftops and proclaim that Candice isn't a slob anymore! Hahaha...I still have other areas to work on, but cleaning all the nooks and crannies (minus the clutter in the drawers) helped me breathe easier and I felt accomplished. Just thought you'd like to know that I'm maturing and getting my housewife status on! Sikeeee! =D


 

Keep Your Stank Attitude Away From Me, Thanks!

Fill in the blank.  "Life is too short to be______." 

My answer: mad. You're wasting precious time when you sit around being mad at someone for whatever reason.  Can we just AGREE to disagree at times? No need to make a scene. Just breathe and keep it moving. 

I hate when someone is visibly mad at me, and they're not saying anything. (Didn't I just talk about the silent treatment earlier this week?? Yea, that's neither sexy nor cool. Get right! lol) It's like, seriously? I'm feeling pretty good now. You wanna be stank and mess up my giddiness and my flow? Please exit, because I don't want any of that to rub off on me.

Now, we all get moody and have our days. But when you're moody, you need to just keep to yourself. If someone asks what's wrong, though, don't snap. Just talk...no more silent treatment. Talking to someone nearly always helps to bring me quickly out of a funk.

I've been thinking about how I acted in my previous relationship when I was mad or annoyed with him.  I would pout and ALWAYS do the silent treatment---making him try to figure me out.  He would ask what was wrong, and I would just continue to be mad and say, "Nothing," because I didn't want to talk about it. I didn't want to let him off the hook for whatever he just annoyed me with. I wanted to be mad, because it was the typical thing to do when someone upset you. How often do you argue with someone, quickly apologize (or just talk calmly about the situation), and just get back to "normal" without all that unnecessary tension? Probably not nearly as much as you should.

A lot of people just hold grudges for a day or two, weeks, months, and even years. Let it go. You're wasting time, like I said before.  Quickly forgive, and N E V E R go to bed mad. Make sure you're cool with all your loved ones. No tension, uncertainty, etc. at all. Life is short, and you don't want any regrets lurking in the back of your mind when it's too late.

With that said, PLEASE keep your stank attitude away from me, THANKS! You will not bring me down to your level. Life is really looking up for me right now. I'm being presented with new opportunities that I didn't even know existed on my behalf, and I don't have time to entertain mood swings. 

Don't get me wrong, I am very sensitive of others' feelings (even when it doesn't seem like it haha). However, I also realize that negative feelings and vibes can transfer to someone else. And, sorry but I'm not tryin to catch that! haha...Have a good night! :-)

Untitled...just 5-7-2011

The reason it took me so long to write this time was:  I didn't have anything to say!    :-/

I don't really have a particular topic in mind for today either.  I don't know what it is.  I'm just writing because...I guess.

From my last posting, you may have guessed that I just started immediately living life with no regrets and blowing all my money on life adventures (like Queen Latifah did in Last Holiday).  But...no. I had a semi-productive week after that.

I finally got my education stuff straight. I've switched colleges SO many times...long story. But I've finally decided to finish something this time.  So back to square one at ODU (via satellite), and hopefully by Dec 2012 or May 2013 I will be DONE!  I feel like I've been in school long enough to have obtained a Masters or Doctorate in something. smh.

Classes are registered for the Fall...just gotta pay for them. haha...and I'm forcing myself to take an online summer class. I'm getting focused for real this time.  I like to have fun and hang out with friends, and that has been one of my highest priorities since I began college.  This time around, I gotta do what's right for Candice. My dad always says that there'll be plenty of time for fun.

College is really not long. I'm amazed at how quickly four years went by since I graduated from high school. I can't believe my little brother is graduating in a month.  Wow...I'm telling you, it feels like I just did that! If I had caught on to the concept that "College isn't long, and there'll be plenty of time for fun," I would be singing a whole different tune right about now.  Oh well, this is not the time for regrets.

I heard this quote awhile ago pertaining to regrets. "You shouldn't have any regrets, because at one time it was something you wanted to do."

So, I really have no regrets. I guess in a perfect world, we would all want to do things a little bit differently.  However, everything works out for the good for those who love GOD!!  Everything always has a way of shaping you into the person you were meant to be anyway.

As far as being more productive, I've been reading a little more.  Soon, I'll be back on my nerdy bookworm status. I don't care what you think or say.  I used to be in LOVE with reading and writing.  I could do that all day--it was like my favorite pastime or something.  Haven't been that into it since maybe middle school...sigh. I'm getting back into it though.  What am I reading now??

Call me what you want, but I'm trying to read the entire Bible.  Never did it before, so why not? Sometimes when people use references from the Old Testament, I have no clue as to what they're referring to or where it is located.  So, I'm  reading it for a better understanding and to see all that God wanted for us to know.  I'm excited as to what I will find out.  I'm halfway through Genesis lol, so stay tuned.

I'm also reading A Month to Live by Kerry and Chris Shook.  It is taking me F O R E V E R to finish this book!!  I remember when I got it a couple of years ago. I was in the same position as I am now, as far as figuring out my purpose and life. Not to sound deep, but I went into the Christian Bookstore looking for a quick fix to my problem and God literally led me to this book.  He told me that this was the book that would help me with that, but still I have yet to get past Chapter 3.  Ughhhh!

No worries, changes are being made.  Progress doesn't take place overnight, but excuses can be eliminated.  You must change a thought or a habit to see true C H A N G E manifested in your life. Keep smiling.  Keep dreaming.  Keep believing, and just GO!

Turning Over A New Leaf

Ok, folks! I think I'm ready to change now. 


You may notice a trend in my postings, and I don't like it.  To me, I feel as if I complain and just broadcast my problems without even attempting to change anything.  I've really been thinking on these two phrases today--->If nothing changes, nothing changes.  You have to change to change.  


I have a surge of energy, and I have asked God to give me inspiration, motivation, and creativity to make my days brand new.  I'm literally SICK of complaining and making excuses.


This week, I am scheduled to take 3 finals.  Sad to say, this will be the most effort/study time I will put into my classes for this semester.  I may have to take a few classes over, mainly from lack on my part.  However, I am determined not to fail in life.  I will be grateful.  I will be productive.  I will find the good in every situation.  I will embrace knowledge and wisdom.  I will NOT sleep my life away, and I will NEVER allow my mind to be idle again. I will embrace my childhood love of reading and writing.  I will NOT be afraid to live anymore.  I will NOT worry about anything.


I really enjoy this quote from the movie Last Holiday, "Next time, we'll laugh more.  We'll love more; we just won't be so afraid."

It seems as if fear has been trying to pierce my dreams a lot lately.  Maybe you've felt the same.  However, just know it is only an attack planted for your demise.  There is SO much to live for.  There is a unique purpose you must fulfill while you are still breathing on this Earth.  My constant prayer is for everyone [including myself] to quickly realize what that calling is and just Walk It Out.


Seriously, keep God #1.  "One night with the King changes everything.  One moment in His courts will forever change your course..."  You will be amazed at the results.