A good friend once told me, "When you feel weak, then it's time to let others be strong for you."
I've been going through some pretty rough storms lately, a lot of battling in my spirit, and I am getting quite sick of talking about it, but what I wanted to say today was that.. there have been people lending me their strength and cheering me on, and I am so so thankful for them.
I've had Ninny and Pearly reach out to me in the past few days, talk to me and get out all the mess in my mind, assure me that I was handling this well, praying for me too. But not just them, so many voices have been around me edifying, encouraging, holding my hand through it all. And I think, as I look back now and hear those words again, even prophetic words further down in my past, I find strength enough to go on. Just a bit more, just a bit more.
And that's just the people who have specifically been talking me through my issues. This morning as I was walking to uni, a man who was sweeping leaves in the car park wished me a good morning and offered small talk as I waited to cross the road. His joy was so infectious, that I caught myself smiling along, even after I walked away, and suddenly the frustrations of continually falling asleep through the night when work had to be done just didn't matter. The man was so happy that today was a beautiful day, and I now realize the difference in how we started our day, me with frustration and exhaustion and grumpiness, while he chose to be thankful for the sun. He lent me strength in the simplest of moments, and unknowingly too.
Teach me O Lord to keep running back to You with a thankful heart, because we both know that I have much to be thankful for every day. May I bless others the way that man blessed me today too. :)
And my lecturer today was this balding old-ish man who wore a suit with a bow tie. TOO CUTE I tell you. :)
Little things, but these are the things that matter. :)
"I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus."
- Ephesians 3:14
Love,
Candice
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
Monday, April 16, 2012
hidden beauty
Beautiful.
That may just be one of my favourite words, if you read this often enough, you would have probably seen me express many things such. There are so many things, and people around me that I fail to describe in much else but simply.. beautiful. Not because they look good, but because of the heart behind what I see when I look at them.
Today, on my way to the city, I passed Oakleigh station, for what may be near my hundredth time. And if you've been there before, you would have seen the drawings of people on the walls. I never thought twice of it, and in all my time here, simply wrote it off as street art. But today, as my seat stopped moving right next to description of the artwork, I read what the artist(s) had to say. And it caused me to see something I never saw before. The drawings were people on top, but as your eyes gaze downwards, you will find the story of their lives at the base of each person. And I was so amazed, how could I have not seen that before? I stared in pure wonder and joy even after the train began to pick up speed and move away, hungrily absorbing story after story before it left the station. One day, I want to get off there, and just spend some time mulling over each drawing. Just another thing to add to my list of 'one days'.
When you look closely, there is beauty in everything. Many times, we pass by these beautiful things because we're too busy, or because we have simply stopped bothering to look at all. Sometimes, it's the world that makes us skeptical. Other times, it's our pain that makes us hard. Maybe, there are just too many who have stopped believing in a world full of beauty.
Don't. Because the world IS still a beautiful place.
I love these moments I get, where I see the hidden beauty in things. The moment something clicks in my mind, and I go OHHH. Like lately, I've been around people who I feel, are just perfect for each other. Like ten people off the top of my head that I believe can make five really great couples. It clicked in me, but.. not just yet for them. ;) I can't wait for the day they find that hidden beauty that I see. But who knows, I could be wrong anyways. :)
I look around, and I see so much beauty. May I never stop looking. May you never stop either, because it would be such a pity to live through life and miss out on the astoundingly beautiful things that were right in front of our eyes all along.
Be blessed,
Candice :)
That may just be one of my favourite words, if you read this often enough, you would have probably seen me express many things such. There are so many things, and people around me that I fail to describe in much else but simply.. beautiful. Not because they look good, but because of the heart behind what I see when I look at them.
Today, on my way to the city, I passed Oakleigh station, for what may be near my hundredth time. And if you've been there before, you would have seen the drawings of people on the walls. I never thought twice of it, and in all my time here, simply wrote it off as street art. But today, as my seat stopped moving right next to description of the artwork, I read what the artist(s) had to say. And it caused me to see something I never saw before. The drawings were people on top, but as your eyes gaze downwards, you will find the story of their lives at the base of each person. And I was so amazed, how could I have not seen that before? I stared in pure wonder and joy even after the train began to pick up speed and move away, hungrily absorbing story after story before it left the station. One day, I want to get off there, and just spend some time mulling over each drawing. Just another thing to add to my list of 'one days'.
When you look closely, there is beauty in everything. Many times, we pass by these beautiful things because we're too busy, or because we have simply stopped bothering to look at all. Sometimes, it's the world that makes us skeptical. Other times, it's our pain that makes us hard. Maybe, there are just too many who have stopped believing in a world full of beauty.
Don't. Because the world IS still a beautiful place.
I love these moments I get, where I see the hidden beauty in things. The moment something clicks in my mind, and I go OHHH. Like lately, I've been around people who I feel, are just perfect for each other. Like ten people off the top of my head that I believe can make five really great couples. It clicked in me, but.. not just yet for them. ;) I can't wait for the day they find that hidden beauty that I see. But who knows, I could be wrong anyways. :)
I look around, and I see so much beauty. May I never stop looking. May you never stop either, because it would be such a pity to live through life and miss out on the astoundingly beautiful things that were right in front of our eyes all along.
Be blessed,
Candice :)
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
a year of promises
I'm believing O Lord. In Your promises, and in Your goodness.
I CHOOSE, to believe. I praise You for You are good and Your mercy endures forever. :)
You know there is something stirring when all the voices around you edifying are saying the same thing, preaching the same message of hope. You KNOW that God is up to something when there are prophecies over your life that overlap, and confirm one another. Even if you don't know it, I KNOW it. I FEEL it and I BELIEVE it.
I am getting more and even more excited for what is to come. Feeling so excited to give my friend a gift today, I imagined the excitement of my Heavenly Father as He is waiting to give me His gift, something unimaginable, and amazing beyond measure. I'll be honest and say that a part of me still stands afraid of what the enemy may do to me, I feel the oppression already as well, but I will keep proclaiming the truth, that GREATER is He who is in me than he who is in the world. Because I know that the enemy cringes at my faith and is crushed by the light of my Father's truth. Greater, is He who is in me than he who is in the world INDEED.
Lord, bring the rain I pray. Send the stormclouds. But above all, let Your incredible and indescribable will be done on earth as it is in heaven. I will trust in You.
Can't you feel that uprising of faith! This is truly, only the beginning. :)
With much love as always,
Candice
I CHOOSE, to believe. I praise You for You are good and Your mercy endures forever. :)
You know there is something stirring when all the voices around you edifying are saying the same thing, preaching the same message of hope. You KNOW that God is up to something when there are prophecies over your life that overlap, and confirm one another. Even if you don't know it, I KNOW it. I FEEL it and I BELIEVE it.
I am getting more and even more excited for what is to come. Feeling so excited to give my friend a gift today, I imagined the excitement of my Heavenly Father as He is waiting to give me His gift, something unimaginable, and amazing beyond measure. I'll be honest and say that a part of me still stands afraid of what the enemy may do to me, I feel the oppression already as well, but I will keep proclaiming the truth, that GREATER is He who is in me than he who is in the world. Because I know that the enemy cringes at my faith and is crushed by the light of my Father's truth. Greater, is He who is in me than he who is in the world INDEED.
Lord, bring the rain I pray. Send the stormclouds. But above all, let Your incredible and indescribable will be done on earth as it is in heaven. I will trust in You.
Can't you feel that uprising of faith! This is truly, only the beginning. :)
With much love as always,
Candice
Thursday, April 5, 2012
I can hear the sound of RAIN
Yet another breakthrough today! Yet another person reaching a check point in her life, praise God for His amazing grace upon my sister! :) She got like the perfect job today, a total this-HAS-to-be-God story. Blown away by His goodness to us all.
I'm really starting to believe for rain like never before. I see clouds the size of fists and something is stirring in my soul! I am SO EXCITED to see what else God has planned.
By faith I believe, that this is only the beginning! :)
Blessings,
Candice
I'm really starting to believe for rain like never before. I see clouds the size of fists and something is stirring in my soul! I am SO EXCITED to see what else God has planned.
By faith I believe, that this is only the beginning! :)
Blessings,
Candice
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
joy, unspeakable joy
I should be studying now. But I just wanted to blog for a bit. :)
It's funny how some things work out, and others don't. But how God can use the broken pieces with the good fragments to create something absolutely beautiful. And looking back, I am reminded of how far I've come. How God pushed a bit there, and stretched a bit here, to mold us to where we are now. I see the things in my life that led me to this point, and I ponder the LONG journey Daddy's brought me on. There have been people, and desires I had to let go off, and new circumstances I had to embrace. I see the things that didn't work out in my past, and the hopes that came true, directing me slowly, occasionally painfully to the future He has intended for me. And right now, I find myself here. A place I never expected to be, with bigger dreams for my future than ever before.
A friend of mine recently got together with an incredible guy, the both of them lifting up their relationship to God faithfully. And I am filled with this deep, inner joy as I hear bits and pieces of the story, knowing that their love for one another is only strengthened by their mutual love for God. I've realized that there is such beauty in hitting a 'check point' in our lives, in being in the right moments God wants us in and finally experiencing the surprise He's been keeping for so long. It fills me with absolute amazement and.. JOY (for lack of another word) to see people I love achieving God's destiny for them. And I think now.. how much happier must He be, if imperfect, lacking me can feel such joy at moments like this, how much MORE must He feel for them? :) And it's not just them, I see other people that I've known from my past as well, some who have parted ways with me since, others who stuck with me all the way through. I don't see only my journey, I see all of theirs too, and I am blown away by how every story is unique. How every story took some pain, experience and loss to perfect. How God worked in mysterious ways, and is still working wonderfully in our lives. May I never forget the immense honour it is to walk alongside people in life and witness God move in and through them.
And the message He has for me?
This is only the beginning. :) There is even more beauty out there in my future to experience, and praise Him for. I can't wait to see what Daddy has in store for me. By faith I know they're amazazing though! :)
Thank You Daddy, for being such a good God, for being beautiful beyond measure. And thank you dear reader for reading my very disorganized thoughts at 2.12am. :P Good night!
Love heaps,
Candice
It's funny how some things work out, and others don't. But how God can use the broken pieces with the good fragments to create something absolutely beautiful. And looking back, I am reminded of how far I've come. How God pushed a bit there, and stretched a bit here, to mold us to where we are now. I see the things in my life that led me to this point, and I ponder the LONG journey Daddy's brought me on. There have been people, and desires I had to let go off, and new circumstances I had to embrace. I see the things that didn't work out in my past, and the hopes that came true, directing me slowly, occasionally painfully to the future He has intended for me. And right now, I find myself here. A place I never expected to be, with bigger dreams for my future than ever before.
A friend of mine recently got together with an incredible guy, the both of them lifting up their relationship to God faithfully. And I am filled with this deep, inner joy as I hear bits and pieces of the story, knowing that their love for one another is only strengthened by their mutual love for God. I've realized that there is such beauty in hitting a 'check point' in our lives, in being in the right moments God wants us in and finally experiencing the surprise He's been keeping for so long. It fills me with absolute amazement and.. JOY (for lack of another word) to see people I love achieving God's destiny for them. And I think now.. how much happier must He be, if imperfect, lacking me can feel such joy at moments like this, how much MORE must He feel for them? :) And it's not just them, I see other people that I've known from my past as well, some who have parted ways with me since, others who stuck with me all the way through. I don't see only my journey, I see all of theirs too, and I am blown away by how every story is unique. How every story took some pain, experience and loss to perfect. How God worked in mysterious ways, and is still working wonderfully in our lives. May I never forget the immense honour it is to walk alongside people in life and witness God move in and through them.
And the message He has for me?
This is only the beginning. :) There is even more beauty out there in my future to experience, and praise Him for. I can't wait to see what Daddy has in store for me. By faith I know they're amazazing though! :)
Thank You Daddy, for being such a good God, for being beautiful beyond measure. And thank you dear reader for reading my very disorganized thoughts at 2.12am. :P Good night!
Love heaps,
Candice
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
just a little tip
Find joy by bringing joy to someone.
Be blessed by being a blessing.
And receive way more than you ever imagined, by giving generously. :)
With much joy and love,
Dice
Be blessed by being a blessing.
And receive way more than you ever imagined, by giving generously. :)
With much joy and love,
Dice
Sunday, March 25, 2012
extremely blessed
God is so good. There's been a lot of things He's been working on in my life, moulding me and teaching me. It's been a tough journey, probably gonna get enough tougher as I rise up to fight this, but even in this season of my life, I'm learning to count my blessings.
Today, I took the train back to Clayton after visiting Chelsea with Luth, Sylvia and Michelle. I was blur, and totally got lost in the city. And it's not even like my first or second time in the city, I've been here all year, yet somehow I managed to still get lost. Bravoo.
Still, it was a nice night, not too hot or too cold. I just walked slowly to the train station (found it like 20 minutes later), and looking back now, I might have been in a different train if I didn't get lost. How God works in amazing ways indeed. :)
So as I waited in the train station, I looked around and saw so many different kinds of peoples, the two girls I sat in between had their earphones on, and I was thinking of taking mine out too, as listening to music is my normal train-pastime. But something in me, God probably, stopped me and said No, don't listen to your music today. Just sit and observe people, and I wanna show you how much I love them all. So I'm like.. Okay, God, this could be interesting. :) And so I sat there and just watched people move, and felt God say I love that person. And that person. And that one too. Hahahha, it may sound crazy now, but it gets erm... even better. :) Hahaha.
I eventually got on the train and sat in a double seat that faced another double seat, and just looked at people some more. And after a while, I just imagined God in the seat opposite me, and I wondered what I would tell Him if He was really there. So I just started talking to Him (in an empty seat opposite me) in my head. The train had stopped in Flinders for quite a while, so I had plenty of time with Him. :) Our conversation went like this.
Okay God, tell me something amazing. :)
I love you.
Wait, I think that was my voice. C'mon God, tell me something amazing, I'm listening, and pressing in, not gonna let You go till You tell me something amazing! :)
You make My heart beat fast. When I see you loving and worshipping me, it makes my heart beat fast. And I am so excited for you to see you moving towards the future I have for you and where I want you to be now. And so so proud of you.
AWWW. :') (I know to those who haven't talked to God like this before, I sound INSANE, but that time I KNEW it was Him cause of how all the words came flooding in at once into my mind subconsciously, such a PRECIOUS PRECIOUS moment, and words I needed to hear too.)
Then I started talking to Him about all the healings I'm waiting for to happen in the lives of those around me, and He promised me that they were gonna come to pass.
God, is this just my voice? Am I really just some insane person talking to myself on a train?
Well, what is the voice telling you? Is it growing and drawing you closer to Me or is it pulling you away from Me?
Well.. growing, but what if I'm overestimating Your love for me?
You can NEVER overestimate My love for you.
OMG, such a heart melting moment la. As I scribbled that down into my journal because I didn't want to forget it, two girls sat opposite me. I was a bit bummed, cause someone sat in my God seat (yes I realise how crazy this sounds hahahaha :P) but anyways, the girl sitting there had a Malaysian flag with her. Knowing that Fiesta Malaysia was this weekend, I just struck up a conversation and asked her about it. Turns out, her name is Shueh-Yi and her friend Sandra, and they were both from OCF in Monash. And we had like a couple of mutual friends too, SUCH A SMALL WORLD I tell you. And it was really good, I felt SO BLESSED, cause I love meeting strangers, and Shueh-Yi even offered me a lift home from Huntingdale station, convincing her friend I wasn't dodgy because I knew Jon (mutual friend). AHAHHAHA. By the end of the train ride we had talked about all sorts of things, life, exams, God, church, friends, encouraged one another a bit even. And I barely even noticed when we reached Huntingdale, cause I was just so caught up in our conversation.
I met Grace afterwards, her friend who was picking her up from the train station. And she was like, how do you know each other again? And we're like, OH, we just met on the train, didn't know each other before this! And Grace was like... so random wan. Hhahaha, but they were both really lovely people, and so kind to give me a lift home too, sparing me a lot of waiting and walking.
:) I just love it when God gives me such good things like this, little things, to perhaps make my heart beat fast too. :) And to think, I probably wouldn't have talked to them if I had my earphones on. I'm feeling really good now, pumped up to get work done and all. I was a bit bummed to skip tonight's movie with the urban life also, cause I have to finish my assignment, but seeing how it turned out in the end, good talk with God and meeting three new friends, I am feeling.. extremely blessed. :)
Loveee,
Dice
Today, I took the train back to Clayton after visiting Chelsea with Luth, Sylvia and Michelle. I was blur, and totally got lost in the city. And it's not even like my first or second time in the city, I've been here all year, yet somehow I managed to still get lost. Bravoo.
Still, it was a nice night, not too hot or too cold. I just walked slowly to the train station (found it like 20 minutes later), and looking back now, I might have been in a different train if I didn't get lost. How God works in amazing ways indeed. :)
So as I waited in the train station, I looked around and saw so many different kinds of peoples, the two girls I sat in between had their earphones on, and I was thinking of taking mine out too, as listening to music is my normal train-pastime. But something in me, God probably, stopped me and said No, don't listen to your music today. Just sit and observe people, and I wanna show you how much I love them all. So I'm like.. Okay, God, this could be interesting. :) And so I sat there and just watched people move, and felt God say I love that person. And that person. And that one too. Hahahha, it may sound crazy now, but it gets erm... even better. :) Hahaha.
I eventually got on the train and sat in a double seat that faced another double seat, and just looked at people some more. And after a while, I just imagined God in the seat opposite me, and I wondered what I would tell Him if He was really there. So I just started talking to Him (in an empty seat opposite me) in my head. The train had stopped in Flinders for quite a while, so I had plenty of time with Him. :) Our conversation went like this.
Okay God, tell me something amazing. :)
I love you.
Wait, I think that was my voice. C'mon God, tell me something amazing, I'm listening, and pressing in, not gonna let You go till You tell me something amazing! :)
You make My heart beat fast. When I see you loving and worshipping me, it makes my heart beat fast. And I am so excited for you to see you moving towards the future I have for you and where I want you to be now. And so so proud of you.
AWWW. :') (I know to those who haven't talked to God like this before, I sound INSANE, but that time I KNEW it was Him cause of how all the words came flooding in at once into my mind subconsciously, such a PRECIOUS PRECIOUS moment, and words I needed to hear too.)
Then I started talking to Him about all the healings I'm waiting for to happen in the lives of those around me, and He promised me that they were gonna come to pass.
God, is this just my voice? Am I really just some insane person talking to myself on a train?
Well, what is the voice telling you? Is it growing and drawing you closer to Me or is it pulling you away from Me?
Well.. growing, but what if I'm overestimating Your love for me?
You can NEVER overestimate My love for you.
OMG, such a heart melting moment la. As I scribbled that down into my journal because I didn't want to forget it, two girls sat opposite me. I was a bit bummed, cause someone sat in my God seat (yes I realise how crazy this sounds hahahaha :P) but anyways, the girl sitting there had a Malaysian flag with her. Knowing that Fiesta Malaysia was this weekend, I just struck up a conversation and asked her about it. Turns out, her name is Shueh-Yi and her friend Sandra, and they were both from OCF in Monash. And we had like a couple of mutual friends too, SUCH A SMALL WORLD I tell you. And it was really good, I felt SO BLESSED, cause I love meeting strangers, and Shueh-Yi even offered me a lift home from Huntingdale station, convincing her friend I wasn't dodgy because I knew Jon (mutual friend). AHAHHAHA. By the end of the train ride we had talked about all sorts of things, life, exams, God, church, friends, encouraged one another a bit even. And I barely even noticed when we reached Huntingdale, cause I was just so caught up in our conversation.
I met Grace afterwards, her friend who was picking her up from the train station. And she was like, how do you know each other again? And we're like, OH, we just met on the train, didn't know each other before this! And Grace was like... so random wan. Hhahaha, but they were both really lovely people, and so kind to give me a lift home too, sparing me a lot of waiting and walking.
:) I just love it when God gives me such good things like this, little things, to perhaps make my heart beat fast too. :) And to think, I probably wouldn't have talked to them if I had my earphones on. I'm feeling really good now, pumped up to get work done and all. I was a bit bummed to skip tonight's movie with the urban life also, cause I have to finish my assignment, but seeing how it turned out in the end, good talk with God and meeting three new friends, I am feeling.. extremely blessed. :)
Loveee,
Dice
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