Welcome to Failures Anonymous. We sneak in the backdoor and meet in the basement. Some of us are in disguise. We wear the masks of good performance, the many hats of admirable behavior, the coats of enviable credentials, and nice-gal necklaces.

Failure is a word almost no one wants to be associated with. Our failures don't have to be final. But we need to learn the ways that let us move beyond them. Start by listening to God's Word.

Candis says...

You are going to need an entire journal for this one! This week's episode is about failure and success - but not the way that you are used to talking about. We are getting into the truth about what God has asked us as women to do and how we were chosen for His purpose from the very beginning.

Theresa wants to know : Who "defines" us then?

Parents. Past. Unruly children. Finances. Friends. Social media. Your boss. The crotchety coworker. An abusive partner. Education. Possessions. Property. Success … or failure.

Let us prayer, Heavenly Father, give me the boldness to attempt big things for You-so that whether I succeed or fail it will be in a big way! Amen."

1. Can you think of an occasion when you unintentionally offended someone, and you were totally shocked when you heard how he or she perceived what you said or did?

2. Have you ever been offended by someone, only to find out later that the person never intended to offend you and was genuinely sorry when he or she found out how you felt about it?

3. What do you think is the most mature way a person can respond when he or she is tempted to get caught in the trap of offense? How do you think you should deal with a potential offense when someone hurts your feelings or lets you down?

You are not alone in this! Always make the choice to seek him and his guidance.

How about you? I’d love to hear what you think about this topic and how you are choosing to be unoffendable in your own life. Please feel free to leave a comment below, or to contact me directly.

The Third Hardest Things-Fail/Succeed Part 2

"What if I fall? Oh, my darling but what if you fly!"

I absolutely love this quote. I've seen it posted lots of times. It's often accompanied by captions that have encouraged and inspired me but I often find myself thinking… yeah the flying bit is cool but what if I do fall?

Candis says, Last week we talked about failure/success and what it means in terms of how we are moving with God. This week we are talking through the scriptures and what the WORD tells us about failure and success. As we are reading and sharing each one -- ask yourself how this is showing up in your life today? And what is the TRUTH the God is saying to you? It is time, today, to stop living in the safe zone and move in what we are being called to do. Fear Aint In This House!

Theresa says, Neither our successes nor our failures define us. It's our identity in Christ that defines us. Knowing who we are in God and trusting Him completely will allow us to be fulfilled, content and to remain stable; whether we are experiencing the highs of life or the lows.

Yes, we will be okay. Yes we can be fulfilled! Let's get ready to Soar.

This week's question

Do you have a dream that your've been afraid to pursue

Application-

Today take one specific step towards reaching your dreams.

Jounral your process.

Shalom Sisterfriend.

Do I proceed or do I wait?

When sitting at the stop line, I anxiously await a red light to turn green and give me the go-ahead. When cruising towards an upcoming intersection, I tense up at the sight of a yellow signal, as I am forced to instantly determine if I can stop safely or if I should proceed with caution.

I wonder if God sometimes chooses to act like a set of traffic lights.

Sisterfriends, Get those journals!

For instance, how often do we want to say or do something despite our conscience telling us otherwise?

When you think about the goal behind a signal they are used to give information about something. More than likely an instruction. This instruction is to keep up safe, to guide us and keep things moving. How does God signal you? How is God showing up in your life to tell you when it is time to proceed and when it is time to wait?

This week we are discussing how God signals provide us with everything that we need, exactly when we need it.

This week- search your heart to see if you are waiting on God with intergrity or taking the matters into your own hands?

This is the 100th episode of Cup of Soul with Candis!

In this series we are reading

The 7 Hardest Things God Asks A Woman To Do by Kathie Reimer and Lisa Whittle

The book should have been called When God calls you to do something hard, He impresses it in your life so deeply that you can't ignore it (even if you try).

We're in Chapter 4 which the author discuss Proceed, while also waiting but right in the middle of Proceeding and Waiting ….the questions is asked….

WAIT- grab your pen/journal.

Proceed now!

Do you want to know what God is asking of you?

Yes, this can be confusing, we discuss in the episode ways to focusing on the main things, it all falls into place-

So many times, we want God to reveal Himself to us.

We question if He is real. And if we believe in Him, we expect Him to put Himself on display in big ways.

So dive in and let's discuss -What are the main things God asks us to do?

This week's episode -

Let me ask you the same question Job's wife asked, "Do you still hold fast to your integrity?" (Job 2:9 NKJV). When the world around you becomes corrupt, do you cling to purity? When life gets tough and temptations come, do you remain firm in your principles? Do you still trust God? Will you swerve in your commitments or persist in your faith?

Honesty. Goodness. Character. Righteousness. Goodness. All of these words are connected to a much heavier word -- Integrity. What we discovered is that integrity is a matter of the heart. It doesn't deal with actions as much as it deals with the inner man.

What is it? How do you know you have it?

Where is it showing up in your life?

The last two weeks we have talked about proceeding and waiting - a hard thing that God asks us to do. When we are asked to do these things [and we all will be asked]

integrity is the foundation on which our actions take place. In the face of testing and trials, you choose whether to hold on to integrity or let it go.

Get a pen and your journal - we are going all the way in!

One of the hardest lessons we have to face, which we try to deny, is that we are in control of so little in our lives.

Life is really one change after another. One thing that doesn't change, however, is God's truth that guides us. I'm grateful for the steady hand His Word offers when the roller coaster of life takes us on one ride after another.

Oftentimes we will receive advice to "hold on" when it is time to be safe and "let go" when things aren't good for us. Each one of those is centered around what is comfortable. Now go here, what has God asked you to hold on to? To let go of? And are you putting aside peace and hope for being comfortable?

In this episode we are on the fifth hardest thing that God asks a woman to do. What we do know is that when God asks you to do something you will walk in freedom by leaving it in His hands and trusting in His timing.

What's one thing you can let go of today?

Get that pen and paper!

God is….

When we say that God is, we must first identify who he is.

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Then, what he is to us personally. For me I would like to say that he is my everything. Saying that is a powerful statement that sums up my life. To proclaim that he is my everything is the result of him meaning nothing to me at some point in my life. That may sound harsh because it startled me as I was writing. To even think that my everything now meant nothing prior to the point of accepting Jesus (change) into my heart. It brings me to wonder how I even made it to the place of him being my everything without him meaning nothing to me before. .

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Grab your pen and paper.... let's go in.

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He is my everything because he has to power to become all I need because he is!! God is! God is! God is and will forever be my everything. He has proven himself to me in more ways than I will ever comprehend with my natural mind. I am a believer in him and his works. How about you? Have you tried him? Is he your everything? If he isn't I strongly recommend trying him for yourself. You won't be disappointed.

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Sisterfriend, neither of us are qualified to write of these things because we don't live it perfectly, but because we have tested what we speak in my own daily life for over alot of years between us. We have come to know this amazing God who keeps leaping over all my flaws and weaknesses to love me with all His heart, and I want others to know Him as they can, for their joy and for His glory.

Let's talk about it.

God Bless!

Theresa and Candis