Hi friend, I am so excited to share my message from Passion 2022 with you! I pray this encourages you and speaks Truth into your life!
Starting out, I need to say that what I know more than anything is that the enemy does not want you to receive the message I’m about to share. I know the enemy doesn’t want you to be reminded of who you are and what you’re called to do. But the enemy cannot stop the move of God.
I want to take this time to remind you of who you are. I want to talk about identity, which should be a great conversation, right? As a culture, we love to talk about identity. We’re actually obsessed with it. We love talking about the enneagram, myers-briggs test, or any kind of online quiz we can take. We even like to talk about our childhood self and how we became who we are today. But it’s kind of strange, because even though we love talking about who we are, nobody actually likes to be hit with the question, “who are you?”
If you’ve ever been in a group setting like the first day of school, and the teacher says to go around the room and say a bit about yourself, it’s pretty awkward, right? All of a sudden, you’re hit with so much insecurity and awkwardness and you start questioning who you are, what you’ve ever done, and what to say in that moment that’s not too cocky but still cool. And that’s kind of a funny moment with silly insecurity and anxiety. But for some of us, the reality is there is true anxiety and insecurity around the thought of “who am I.” Because truthfully you might be sitting there right now thinking, “I have no clue who I am.” And not only is that the case, but you don’t know you’re purpose either. That’s a tough place to be, but you are not alone.
Then there are some of you who are just confused about who you are. You identify with all types of things but none of them are really fulfilling. A few weeks ago, I asked this question on Instagram: What do you identify yourself with? And I had thousands of answers. Some of which included looks, sororities, grades, gender, sexuality, race, disabilities. Then I had tons of people say, “I don’t know.” But then there are some of you who are confident to answer the question of “who am I?” Your answer is simple. “I am who You say I am.” But I want to follow up with this question: Has that actually changed who you are? Has who He says that you are actually changed the nature of who you are? Because we can say it all day long with confidence, but that doesn’t mean we’re confident people. You see, there was a time in my life when I could tell you all about who He says I am. Yet, I was still insecure and living in shame. So, what He said about me didn’t actually change me. Friend, you can know everything He says about you. But what ultimately matters is who He is to you. If He’s not on the throne of your life, then what He says about you isn’t going to change who you are.
So, as we dive into the topic of identity, I have another question for you. The answer to this question is going to tell us who we are and what we’re going to do with our lives. I want us to take a look at Matthew 16:13. But before I get there, I want to paint a backstory of the situation. Jesus is having a conversation with His disciples. It’s a huge conversation between Peter and Jesus in Caesarea, Philippi, a city known as the gates of hell. At the time, Caesarea was the central place for false worship. If you went to this city, you’d see temples lined up everywhere, all serving different gods. It’s a little strange that this is the place Jesus decided to have this conversation. But I know He had a purpose for it. So, as he’s surrounded by all these people worshipping other gods, he asks the question, “who am I?”
“When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” “But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” (Matthew 16:13-19)
I want to emphasize how big of a moment this is. Here at the “gates of hell,” Jesus is telling Peter He was going to use him as a rock for His church. Notice that when Peter recognized who Jesus was, Jesus in return, told Peter who he was. Peter’s identity was not found in who he or anyone else thought he was. It was found in who Jesus said he was after first establishing that Jesus is God. That’s the most important question you can answer. Who is God? Because whoever is on the throne of your life is going to be the one telling you who you are. Therefore, if God is God to you, then that should change everything about who you are. Who we believe we are will directly impact us to do the things we do in life.
After Peter was given his identity, he then was given his mission to build the church. What we’re trying to do as a culture is allowing the world to tell us who we are, attempting to establish ourselves in the world, then trying to have purpose and live with intention for the Gospel of Jesus. But those two things contradict each other. Because who the world tells you that you are, and what God calls you to do are typically not going to go hand in hand. We find ourselves studying the enneagram to find out who we are more than studying the Word of God to find out who we are. We’re scrolling through social media trying to find answers to these massive questions about who we are instead of leaning into the voice of God.
Let me clarify, I’m a big fan of those things. I’m a 6 wing 7 on the enneagram and could tell you all there is to know about it. I’m an ENFP and I know my zodiac sign. But none of that could tell me more about who I am than the one who knit me together in my mother’s womb. See, what happens is when I say those are the things I identify with, it excuses me to not have to be who I am called to be. I could say, “I’m a 6 so I’m just going to be afraid because that’s who I am.” But the Word of God says that you’ve not been given a spirit of fear, but one of power, love, and self-control. So, we have to ask ourselves if we believe more about what the enneagram says about us or what God says about us.
I was at a friend’s wedding recently and everyone was sharing speeches at the rehearsal dinner. So, the mom of the groom stood up to speak and started her speech off with a very profound statement. She said, “Son, although nothing about giving you away feels natural, it is extremely biblical.” When I heard this, I couldn’t help but think about how true that is for so many areas in life. There are a lot of things in life that won’t come natural to us, but are extremely biblical. It’s not natural for me to turn the other cheek when someone slaps me across the face, but it’s biblical. It’s not natural for me to want to go the second mile with someone, but Jesus says that if a brother asks you to go one mile, then go another. It’s not natural for me to forgive someone who has hurt me, but the Word of God says to forgive seventy times seven. It’s not natural for us to even want to live sometimes because we wake up and feel like a failure. But it is biblical that your life has meaning and purpose.
Friend, there will be times in life when some things might legitimately feel natural, but even more legitimate than those feelings is the Truth of what God says that you are. Notice that I didn’t say your truth or my truth. I said THE Truth. One day I googled the verse John 8:32, “and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” Jesus was listed as one of the many who said that the truth will set you free. But the reason it was so powerful when Jesus said it is because He is the Truth and He actually has the power to set you free. He is the way to freedom and will lead you to the Father. Culture will tell you that your truth will do the same thing, but that is a lie. So many of us want to be our own version of truth. Love, power, control. But what we have to consider is when we try to take on these God-like attributes, we’ve got to carry the weight of our sin. And we’re not able to do that. It’s the same thing Eve faced in the garden. She desired this apple, then the enemy tried to convince her that if she ate the apple, she would be like God. It’s that same temptation for us. We want to be like God. As soon as Eve took a bite of the apple, she realized that was all a lie.
My daughter, Honey, is the best little girl ever. I’m obsessed with her, if you haven’t already been able to tell from my social media. She is so fun and such a wiggle worm. So, with that personality, you can probably assume that she hates the car seat. If Honey could talk, she’d probably tell me that sitting in her car seat is not natural and it is her truth that she doesn’t need a car seat. But what I don’t do is agree with her and excuse her from the car seat. Instead, I strap her in as tightly as I can. Not because I’m trying to hold her back from who she truly is, but because I know what’s best for her life. Just because her truth may be different, it doesn’t mean that the effects of a car crash would be any different for her.
Just because we have a different truth doesn’t mean the effects of sin will be any different for us. Proverbs 16:25 says, “There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end, it leads to destruction.” And we have to trust God enough to know that He created us with beautiful intention and design. There is something amazing about the fact that He made us all original and diverse. But we can’t go find out more about our originality and identity by who the world says we are. We have to find that in who God is.
There’s a part in The Lion King that represents this so well. Simba had been living his hakuna matata lifestyle after he’d run from all his worry and shame from his past life. Then one day, as he was going to wash his face in the water, he looked and saw his father’s reflection instead of his own. All of a sudden, he was reminded of who he was and what he was called to do. Then he realized that he had to go back to his homeland of Pride Rock where destruction had been taking place. As he shows up back home and lets out a huge roar, Scar, the enemy in the move, turns around and with fear in his eyes says, “Mufasa?” He recognized Simba’s father’s voice in him.
Friend, when you get a good look at who God is and you know who you are, the enemy will no longer try to intimidate you, because he’s intimidated by who God is in you. “It’s no longer I that live, but Christ who lives within me.” (Galatians 2:20)
It doesn’t matter if we try to figure out who we are. What really matters is us trying to figure out who God is. Knowing who God is has changed everything about me. There’s a message from Priscilla Shirer that I’ve likely listened to 1,000 times because I need a reminder of who God is every day of my life. It’s called “Who’s Your Daddy.” I want to declare the same message over you.
Priscilla says she looks in the mirror and asks, “Girl, who’s your daddy?” Then she reminds herself, “He’s the beginning and the end. He’s the keeper of creation and the creator of all. He’s the architect of the universe and the manager of all time. He always was, always is, always will be, unchanged, undefeated, and never undone. He was bruised, but brought healing. He was pierced but eased pain. He was persecuted but brought freedom. He is risen to bring power and He reigns to bring peace. He is light, He is love, He is longevity, and He is the Lord. He is goodness, power, faithfulness, and He is God. He is righteous, powerful, and pure. His ways are right and His will is eternal. His mind is unchanging and His mind is on us. He’s our Savior, our God, our peace, our Lord, our comfort, our joy, and He rules our life. He is the wisdom of the wise, the power of the powerful, the leader of all leaders, the ancient of days, the ruler of all rulers. His goal was a relationship with me. He’ll never leave you, never mislead you, never forsake you, never forget you, never overlook you, and never cancel your appointment in His appointment book. When you fall, He will lift you up. When you fail, He will forgive you. When you are weak, He is strong. When you are afraid, He is your courage. When you are broken, He will mend you. When you are blind, He will lead you. When you are hungry, He will feed you. When you face trials, He is with you. When I face persecution, He shields me. When I face problems, He will comfort me. When I face loss, He will provide for me. When we face death, He will carry us all home to meet Him. He is everything to everyone every time everywhere and in every way. He is your God and that is who you belong to.”
If you believe that is who your God is, you will not be confused by who you are because He’s not confused by who He is. And He is not confused on the purpose of your life. Friend, you must know that the gates of hell shall not prevail past His Kingdom. The God in you can do more than you could ever think of, ask for, dream, or imagine.
DEFINITION: The act of being in a relationship that brings out the best version of you while also learning selflessness, humility, and love.
Your girl Sadie Rob sharing here. The two biggest aspects to entering into a relationship is knowing when you are ready to date and being able to identify when it is the right relationship.
How do you know when you are ready to date?
This answer is coming from a humble place, because had I known this when I was 16, I would have saved people and myself from a lot of heartache. Looking back, I am truly sad to say that out of my brokenness, I would get into relationships because I “needed” something. Of course, at the time, I didn’t realize my impure motives. I never intentionally thought, going into a relationship, that I was trying to “get something” out of anyone, but I can see now that I was searching for something.
I needed self-confidence, reassurance, affirmation, healing, someone to make me feel less lonely, someone to redeem the past. I went into every relationship needing something that only Jesus could give me. When it ended it left me feeling emptier than when I started. I think you are ready to date when you find contentment in Christ and don’t actually “need anything from anyone.” You have to realize that they cannot and will not give you what only Jesus can give you.
How do you know when it is the right relationship?
First off, I want to touch on how you can know you’re in a WRONG relationship. One good clue is to look at who you have become since dating that person. If you have lost your personality, your peace, your joy, your confidence, your purity and the desires inside of you, then it’s probably time to lose the relationship and find yourself again in Christ. The wrong relationship will produce the wrong fruit. If you have to change who you are, it’s not the right relationship.
The right relationship will produce the right fruit in you and through you. It will bless you, not take from you.
Ask yourself questions like: “Since the beginning of this relationship, have I seen the fruit of Jesus in my life?” No one is going to be perfect, so don’t look for perfect, but you can be and should be HEALTHY!
The other thing is when you realize the one you are dating is really “the one”, it won’t be some magical moment with bells ringing and pixie dust falling from the sky and seven shooting stars flashing across the sky like a July 4th celebration. You won’t get a “sign” written by the universe that he is the one. I think so many times we get caught up in looking for a sign.
The looking causes us to miss the actual magic of how God brings two people together. How he creates one to complete the other. Stop looking for crazy signs around you and look in front of you. That way you can see that what you prayed for is standing right there. Look inside of you and realize who you have become by the power and blessing of partnering with who God has created.
If you happen to find this right relationship in college, what a blessing! If not, God is preparing you for something that only a season of singleness can bring about. Those years are sweet if you can have the eyes to see it through that lens. Don’t wish it away.
TRUTH: Philippians 4:6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.
How can you apply this scripture to your perspective of dating?1. What are you looking for in a dating relationship?
2. What could God be wanting to show you in your season of singleness or dating?
3. What are some ways you could start preparing for the person God has for you?
I hope this encourages you today, friend! If it did, be sure to check out the rest of the Confidence In College workshop here inside LO sister 🙂
Friend! Today is the day. I finally get to share my new devotional, Live On Purpose, with all of you! This book is full of both biblical truth and stories that have shaped my life, and I pray they do the same for you. Snag your copy here for some daily doses of encouragement!
Now, I hope you enjoy this devotional from day 15 of Live On Purpose:
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And God said to Noah, “. . . Make yourself an ark of gopherwood.”
(Genesis 6:13–14 nkjv)
Revelation and realization might look and sound like similar words, but there’s a big difference in what they mean. A revelation is something that you’re suddenly aware of—like you suddenly become aware of what God wants you to do with your life (or at least part of it). A realization is when God makes that revelation actually happen.
Chances are, you will have a revelation of what God wants you to do before you see the realization of what He is going to do.
Think about Noah. God gave him a revelation: “You need to build a boat.” Noah listened. He acted on that revelation and started building. And I bet he had some learning and training to do before he figured out exactly how to build that boat. When the rains started, Noah saw that God used the boat to save humankind and the animals. That’s when the realization happened.
For me, I had a revelation that God wanted me to go on tour and speak to people about Him. Maybe I’d call it Live Original, but I wasn’t sure. Back then, I never thought it would be what God has grown it to be. I never thought I’d speak at the Passion Conferences, go on to start a podcast, and spend every day working on content to preach, write, and encourage people in their faith.
That first revelation, though, was strong enough for me to know that I needed to start training and learning. I needed to stop listening to some of the music I was listening to, and I needed to stop watching some of the shows and movies I gave my time to. I needed to start digging deep into Scripture and saturate my life with the Word of God. I wouldn’t know the Bible stories I know today if I had not spent that time in the Word— after I had the revelation, but before I had the realization.
When God gives you a revelation, that’s your cue to ask Him to start teaching you what you need to know before you get to the realization. As He teaches and trains you, you’ll not only learn what you need to know; you’ll also learn to trust the Lord who leads you. And He’ll lead you right into the purpose He has for your life.
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A prayer for you: Holy Father, open my eyes to see Your revelation for my life. Then teach me and train me so that I will be ready for the realization. Amen.
We all know how real the lies of the enemy can be. But I want to take this opportunity to talk about truth. And it got me thinking about this story from the early stage of mine and Christian’s relationship. Let’s be honest. My husband is amazing. He is so sweet and kind. He is a man of God. But we all have our things, right? So, I want to share a moment with all of you.
It was our first argument and it was a big one. I’m not going to lie. We had been dating for about six months and everything at that point had been going well. We’re sitting at dinner and he’s telling me that his best friend just got a girlfriend and how amazing she is. So, I go to follow her on Instagram and instead of being on her main feed I ended up on her tagged photos. Long story short, this girl I don’t know at this party I don’t know about has my boyfriend’s arm around her. And I’m like, “Hold up. who’s this?” and “Where was this?” And his first response to my questions was, “I told her not to post that!” Okay, that just got a whole lot worse. So, we go home and it’s really awkward. Then I get all dramatic with the “I don’t even know if I can trust you” and “I don’t even know about this relationship.” You know how it goes.
Apparently, it was a going away party and Christian just stopped by and the girl jumped in a picture with him. But come on, you would be investigating too, right? Well, of course, love keeps no record of wrongs. Gotta let it go. So, I decided not to bring it up anymore. Then, nine months later, when we’re two months away from being married, I wake up from a nap and Christian is sitting there shaking. He said, “I have to tell you something. I lied to you. I didn’t actually tell her not to post it.” He further explained that he thought if he’d said he told her not to post it that it would make the situation better. But it actually did the opposite. So, what seemed like some huge deal ended up being nothing at all because of one little lie. And I think that happens a lot. All the sudden we’re so confused and we don’t even know where we’re at and it all circles back to some initial little lie. And sometimes the thing is, it’s hard to say the truth because it’s awkward. Sometimes the truth is even offensive. But on a more real note, the truth is actually loving.
However, in our generation, I don’t think telling the truth is really our problem. I think the hardest thing for us is actually knowing what truth is. Because everyone has their own truth, right? And it really is leading us down a bad path. Urban dictionary defines “my truth” as:
A non-negotiable personal opinion. This is a convenient phrase for avoiding arguments because people can contradict your opinion, but they can’t contradict your truth. This phrase is often used when seeking to justify a personal stance or action because you’re not allowed to argue with someone’s truth.
That’s a scary way to live when we are so entitled to our opinion that we change it to our truth so that no one can tell us that it’s wrong. It’s actually very confusing when we don’t have a standard for truth. Because if nothing is true, then questions arise such as what even is love or what even is confidence. It’s weird because you could tell someone they have food in their teeth and them deny it because of “their truth.” But it doesn’t change the fact that there’s food in their teeth. Proverbs 12:5 says this, “The fool is right in his own eyes, but the wise man listens to advice.”
I don’t want us to be a generation of fools believing we’re right all the time. I never want us to get so confused and lost all because we aren’t willing to confront ourselves with the truth. I want to bring up a moment in the Bible whenever the truth was all up in the air and everything was confusing. At this point, Jesus had been arrested and the Jewish people were fed up with Him. They were convinced Jesus was not their king. They wanted to get rid of Him. But in Jewish culture they couldn’t kill. So, they thought if they told the Roman government, Pilot, that this guy was trying to be king, that they might think He’s trying to pose a threat to their empire. Then they would kill Him, because in Roman culture they could crucify. In summary, they were planning to mold Jesus’s story into a little lie and make them think He’s so terrible so they would kill Him. But the story goes on to judgement from Pilot. Pilot is confused as to why Jesus is there in the first place as He was a Roman and Jesus was a Jew.
“So Pilate entered his headquarters again and called Jesus and said to him, ‘Are you the king of the Jews?’ Jesus answered, ‘Do you say this of your own accord or do the others say this about me?’ Pilate answered, ‘Am I a Jew? Your own nation and chief priests have delivered you over to me. What have you done? Jesus said, ‘My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered to the by the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.’ Then Pilate said, ‘So are you a king?’ Jesus said, ‘You say that I’m a king for this purpose I was born and for this purpose I’ve come into the world to bear witness to the truth everyone who is of the truth listens to me. and Pilate said, ‘What is truth?’Pilate went away he went outside to the Jews and told him I find no guilt in Him.” (John 18:33-38)
So, Pilate at this point kind of established his truth by saying he doesn’t seem guilty nor poses a problem.
But in verse 39:
“You have a custom that I should release one man over to you at Passover. So, do you want me to release to you the king of the Jews?” (John 18:39)
And I love how he says it. He’s like, “So this is obvious right? We’re going to release the king of the Jews because who cares he’s not really posing any threat. In fact, He’s actually healing people. Making the blind see. Turning lives around.” But no, all said not this man. Barabbas. And Barabbas was a robber. I mean is that not crazy!? And that’s what our feelings do sometimes. It’s like, I would actually rather not have the thing that makes me uncomfortable. I would rather have the thing that’s the worst thing for my life.
As we know the story goes, Jesus was crucified which means Pilate changed his truth to what the majority said truth was. And I think that that’s really happening in our day. If everyone says it’s true it’s got to be true. Oh I saw it on tiktok. I saw it on Instagram. It’s definitely true. Without even thinking does this actually benefit my life, we just take it as our truth. It impacts our lives in bigger ways than you think. We choose things that are more comfortable in a moment than doing something that’s best for us in the long run. And it’s funny because we don’t do it sometimes in the obvious thing. If you fall and you trip and you get a big gash what are you going to do? You’re going to put alcohol on it. You’re going to have surgery. You would do whatever you need to do even though it hurts stings. You’d rather endure the sting of a moment than a lifetime of infection, right? But we don’t do that in our spiritual life. Ephesians 6:13 says, “Therefore take up the whole armor of god that you may be able to withstand the evil day. And having done all that you can do to stand firm having fastened on the belt of truth.”
Let me tell you something. Truth is not comfortable. My daughter, Honey James Huff, is the CUTEST thing in the world. She hates the car seat because it’s uncomfortable to get in. But you know what I don’t do as her mom? I don’t say, “Oh you are so uncomfortable. Let me take you out.” No, I put her in the car seat even though she’s crying and I strap her in because it’s saving her life. You know what Christian told me the other day? He said he wears a belt around his waist at the gym for support and to protect him from getting hurt. You know why we need the belt of truth in our life more than ever? Because we cannot stand firm against the lies of the enemy right now unless we have a belt of truth. If you’re going to carry the weight of the world you have to stand on the truth of God. We all know the phrase, “truth sets you free.” It’s actually not true when many people say it. Not all truth sets you free. THE truth sets you free. Your truth doesn’t set you free. The truth that came 2000 years ago and died on a cross and actually can carry the weight of your sin sets you free. In John 8, Jesus said,
“Truly truly I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin. The slave does not remain in the house. The song remains in the house. So, if the son sets you free you are free indeed.” (John 8:34-35)
Before that He says this, “If you abide in my word you are truly my disciple. And you will know the truth and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:31-32) Jesus said the truth will set you free. But how did he say that’s going to happen? If we abide in His word. That’s not even my truth. Jesus literally claims to be the truth. He says, “I am the way I am the truth I am the life. No one gets to the father except through me.” (John 14:6)
You know what the enemy does these days? He gives us lies daily. He says “Oh you overslept today? You’re not really where you want to be in your life. You’re worthless.” Man, all of a sudden, I’m absolutely worthless. I’m going to be very real with you because I see this happening too much to not say it. We love our best friend. She’s awesome. I love my best friend. She’s so beautiful. Wait am I attracted to my best friend? Well, there was that one time whenever I thought that so that must mean that I’m this. Oh wow yeah that must be true. I’m just going to follow this new truth because this is my new truth. And now why am I so confused because it sounded true at the beginning. But there was a little lie there that took a turn. And when we don’t allow the spirit to convict us and to stop us in the moment to have discernment to hear the voice of the enemy rather than the voice of God, we start to change our whole identity.
All of a sudden, we are our anxiety. We are our depression. We are our sexuality. We are our addictions. We are all of these things and we don’t know how we got here or why we got here. But if you go all the way back, there was a little lie planted that you took on as your truth. But if instead you would hear that and you would read the word, you say I am not my sexuality. I am actually not my anxiety. The enemy’s lies are not my identity. I am a daughter of a good father who created me. Who has healed me. Who has redeemed me. Who has washed me clean by the blood of sin.
Think about where you’re at right now. Do you have truth living in you or do you feel like a thief has come and destroyed your life? Now I want to tell you something powerful. If you’re sitting there right now and you’re saying, “Man I’m living with Barabbas. I have chosen what the enemy spoke over me. But today I want to choose Jesus.” You can. Take a moment in your heart where you make the decision that’s going to be life-changing. You no longer choose Barabbas. You choose Jesus.
Friend, I encourage you to watch this full message on YouTube and let Jesus speak truth into your life today!
It’s been so cool watching people step in and guest host the WHOA That’s Good podcast while I’ve been out with Honey! And I’ve got to say, one of my favorites has been a recent episode with Candace Cameron Bure. (Listen here!) Candace is one of the main reasons I ended up going on Dancing with the Stars and she’s made such a huge impact in my life. So, it was only fitting to have her on the podcast! And how cool is it that my mom got to step in and guest host this one for me?! Let’s dive in!
My mom and Candace have been friends for a while. They first met when I got asked to do Dancing with the Stars and I had just turned 17. Candace and I happened to have the same dance partner, and mom was eager to know more about who she’d be letting me spend my next few months with. So, she called Candace! Candace was super positive and excited about the whole situation and mom was relieved. And heyo, I began my journey on the show!
Of course, mom had to ask Candace the biggest question of the podcast which is for the guest to share the best piece of advice they’d been given. Candace said her best piece of advice came from her mom and she said it all the time. “Honey, would you feel comfortable if Jesus was standing right in front of you?” WHOA that’s good! Jesus IS with us everywhere we go and this is a great question to ask ourselves before we speak or act.
Mom then went in to asking Candace how she manages to live out loud with her faith and how tough it must be doing so while in the spotlight in the midst of Hollywood. I love Candace’s initial response! “I love Jesus!” It’s not just a part of her she can put aside for her work or friends. He truly is the most important person in her life and her faith exudes from her. Of course, she uses discernment in times of when to share her faith or when to talk more or less about Jesus. She opened up about how it can be tricky in the entertainment industry because as a person who wants to live her faith out loud, she must understand that not everyone shares that faith. She believes there is a way to share Jesus that isn’t offensive or pushy toward people, and that’s exactly what she strives for! You know how people feel when they buy a new house or get a new car and something in them just wants to share the news with others? That’s just how Candace feels about Jesus.
I love what Candace then had to say. “The more you talk about Jesus and the blessings He’s given you, the more confident you will become in Him.”
Then the conversation shifted more toward the business side of things in Candace’s life. Mom asked her to share about her clothing line and how she determines what to say yes and no to in her busy career. Candace then went on to mention her journal she’s been writing in for years. It’s filled with prayers, dreams and goals she’s sought out over the years. And she keeps praying about them. She admits that her accomplishments didn’t just happen haphazardly. She’s been working toward and praying about her goals for 15 years now. So many people could look at Candace on Instagram and think huge success happened overnight for her. But it’s encouraging to know she was fervent in prayer and God blessed her for that!
As most of you probably know, Candace has kids of her own and my mom asked her to speak to her decision to take time off work for her kids and how it has affected her life. Candace spoke to the quote my mom shared, “You can do everything you want in life, just not all at once.” by reminding us that God gives us seasons in life for a reason. When Candace began having kids 2 years after she and her husband, Val, married, she knew she had to be home to raise them. Though it wasn’t necessarily easy for her, God grew her so much in those ten years of her life. She gave the decision to God of whether or not she’d go back into the entertainment industry and trusted He knew best either way He’d guide her. As Val and Candace began to pray about whether or not Candace should return to work, God flung the doors wide open for her. She went back in full force and saw the workforce as a mission field. Since then she’s been in over 30 movies and written children’s books all while giving the glory to God!
As I’m home with Honey right now and mom got to share some of her experiences with her own kids, it was only fitting to ask Candace for her best mom advice. And she was so sweet in encouraging me with such wisdom. She reminded me how important it is to soak in the little moments with Honey. Because one day I’ll blink and I know she’ll be grown.
Candace then talked about how much she enjoyed the teenage years with her kids and the conversations during those years and up until now. Mom chimed in and said there are always opportunities to learn from your kids, but as they become adults you truly learn so much from them. Then Candace agreed by telling a personal story about her son. During the pandemic, he preached a whole sermon to Candace and Val, and it was such a gift to both of them.
To close out the episode, mom asked Candace to share about her fitness journey and offer some tips. Candace replied with the truth of how it’s always been a bit of a challenge for her until she found certain things in fitness that she really loved, such as specific workout programs. As a woman who formerly struggled with an eating disorder, she became more motivated to continue her fitness journey. And the rewards don’t only come physically, but mentally as well. The better she physically feels from a workout, the better she mentally feels.
Candace is clearly full of life and wisdom and it was such an honor to have her share some of that with us! For the full version, listen here!
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