One chapter read through and I am not able to put the book down. Such beauty, pain, reality, humanity, God being greater, His love unending, blind eyes opened, sleeping hearts awakened to THANKFULNESS, the key to living life “fully awake”. You must get this book! Savor it. Ask God to use it to speak to you. He will. He delights in changing our hearts again and again. Wow!

Happy New Year, friends! As I journey to my little blog, I can hardly believe how long it has been since I have written! I am so sorry to those faithful ones who look for encouragement here. I really hope to be more diligent in updating more often. 

 Life has been blissfully full and God, as always has been overwhelmingly faithful. Mother and I are doing well. I pray you and your families are prospering in health even as your souls prosper.

As much I enjoy writing each issue of Watching for the Morning, I have also enjoyed the “rest” season it seems to be in currently. As I wait for donations to send out the next issue, Father God has thrust me into lots of beautiful things to keep me busy in other areas. I pray that when the next issue does arrive to you, it will be worth the wait! It’s rather funny not even being able to give an estimated date on it’s departure, but that’s just part of the delightful adventure that pilgrimage in Jesus brings, I suppose. Thank you for your patience, dear ones.

 I am incredibly honored, humbled and blessed to lead a young girls Bible Study called “Bright Lights” each week.  Praying, preparing, and teaching happily occupies a good deal of my time. It is so amazingly beautiful to watch these little ones develop a hunger for Jesus, and to be given the grace to see each one through the Father’s eyes. To see with faith’s eyes that they are not going to follow a broad, destructive road that many their age will is so exhilerating. My heart is overwhelmed with gratitude to God.

I continue to work with 4 year olds daily during the fall, winter, and spring months, make homemade bread and other healthy yummy things and help tend to my 91 year old grandma who is also doing well health-wise.

My dad has been with Jesus 1.5 years now which seems surreal even still. I still miss him dearly, but each day with Jesus and the hope of knowing Him intimately dulls the sting. How thankful I am to know Jesus in a way that is not “far off”. He is so real, so tender and gentle and delights in His children coming to sit at His feet.

At 30 years old now, I continue to wait on Abba to provide the husband He has chosen for me in His perfect time. My flesh does not usually understand what the “hold up” is, but my spirit continues to sing, “I LOVE YOUR LEADERSHIP. I TRUST YOUR LEADERSHIP. YOUR LEADERSHIP IS PERFECT. I AM OVERHWHELMINGLY BLESSED TO BE UNDER IT!” I know this to be true. Time, age, life circumstance never changes the constance and faithfulness of  God.

You see, I am human and I sometimes wonder and look around and even get a bit nervous.  Still yet, I know what God called me to all those years ago and I never attempted to have a “plan b” because only His plan is best and right.  Because HE is PERFECT, I can lean into His love, consume His Word, rest in His arms, keep my gaze fixed on His fiery, jealous, perfect- loving eyes, and He grants the grace to keep trusting until I see…to operate under unseen hope, which is the only real hope according to His unfailing Word. What a joy to remember that in my weakness His strength shines all the more! Blessed be the Name of the Lord!

Dear friends, may you know how much the heart of God is consumed with love for you. May you realize afresh that one look at you moves His heart. He thought you were worth becoming flesh and dying the death of every sinful human being (which would certainly include every single one of us!) for! You were the joy set before Him! And His love draws us to repentance and obedience. It changes us forever and gives us grace to abide in Him, continue in Him, dying daily to ourselves as we follow after Him on the Narrow Road to life.

May the God of all peace and perfect love stir a new fire in your heart for reckless abandon and dependence on Jesus. May you know that His plans are always best and that your prayers, your waiting, your faithfulness has never been in vain. He sees it all and it is beautiful to Him and He is not nervous because you see nothing happening when you think it ought to be. Those who wait on Him will not be put to shame, and as we wait, our strength is renewed over and over again.

My charge to you this 2011:

DON’T STOP WAITING

DON’T TRY TO TAKE THINGS INTO YOUR OWN HANDS

DON’T TRY TO GET AHEAD OF JESUS

DON’T SETTLE FOR 2ND BEST FOR ANY REASON ( BE ESPECIALLY CAREFUL OF A HASTY, WEARY SPIRIT. ASK GOD FOR GRACE.) 

DON’T NOURISH SEEDS OF OFFENSE, DISCOURAGEMENT,  OR DISCONTENTMENT. ASK JESUS TO REMOVE THEM.

DON’T MISS ONE TEACHABLE MOMENT FROM GOD

DON’T LOWER YOUR STANDARDS

DON’T STOP PRAYING

DON’T STOP SERVING

DON’T STOP HOPING

DON’T STOP BELIEVING

DON’T STOP FEASTING ON HIS WORD

DON’T STOP SITTING AT HIS FEET

DON’T LOOK TO THE LEFT OR THE RIGHT BUT KEEP YOUR EYE FOCUSED ON THE LOVER OF YOUR SOUL

DON’T FORSAKE ABOUNDING GOOD FRUIT (This is how they will know we are His disciples)

DON’T BE DRIVEN BY THE EARTHLY RESULT, BUT SET YOUR HEART ON ETERNITY

DON’T GIVE UP

DON’T GIVE IN

IF YOU DON’T QUIT RUNNING THE RACE, YOU’LL WIN!! You win because HE has won!

I pray your New Year is full of joy, peace, love, faithfulness, meekness, patience and all the fullness of the gifts of the precious Holy Spirit! May He bless you in surprising ways as you serve, share the Gospel, pray without ceasing, and love Him with all your heart, soul, mind and strength! Abundant blessings on you!

Because of my soon returning Jesus,

Candace <3

Taken Dec. 30 in the Prayer Room (IHOP), Kansas City, MO