Candid Conversations

By Heather Hart

Life isn't always sunshine and chocolate.

It's hard.

Being a Christian doesn't change that.

In Candid Conversations you'll read real life stories from real Christian women, and how God has used their struggles to either refine their faith or used their faith to help them weather the storm. From struggling with doubts to dealing with the loss of a loved one, these women lay it all out. They aren't afraid to get real, because they know God can use their struggles to inspire, encourage, and reach others all for His glory.

Heather Hart, founder of the #CandidlyChristian movement, encourages readers to be honest and look for ways they can relate to each story. Then take that mentality into their everyday lives and start having candid conversations with those around them. Because when we share our struggles, when we are real, that's when we truly point others to Jesus.

So what are you waiting for? It's time to get Candid.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Heather Hart
• Release date: Aug 13, 2018
• ISBN: 9781386168522

Heather Hart

Heather Hart is an internationally best-selling and award-winning author with an unquenchable passion for Jesus. She knows one thing every girl needs is a little honesty, so she’s not afraid to get candid and share her struggles. Her hope is that through her writing, she can help others soak up the love of Jesus. Heather currently resides in a small Texas town with her husband, Paul, and their four quickly-growing children. You can connect with her online by visiting her website BooksFaithandCoffee.com.

Book preview

Candid Conversations

Real Women. Real Life. Real Faith.

Heather Hart

& Contributing Authors

Candid Conversations

Real Women. Real Life. Real Faith.

Copyright © 2016, 2018 by Heather Hart & Contributing Authors

Cover design by Heather Hart

Cover photo © Africa Studio – Stock.Adobe.com

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means—electronic, mechanical, photographic (photocopying), recording, or otherwise—without prior permission in writing from the publishing coordinator, except where permitted by US copyright law.

For permission requests, write to the publishing coordinator at the following address:

Candid Conversations

C/O Heather Hart

P.O. Box 1277

Seymour, TX 76380

Or send an email to [e-mail] with Candid Conversations Permissions in the subject line.

All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

Scriptures marked (TPT) The Passion Translation®. Copyright © 2017 by BroadStreet Publishing® Group, LLC. Used by permission. All rights reserved. thePassionTranslation.com

Scripture quotations marked (KJV) are taken from the Holy Bible, King James Version, Cambridge, 1769.

Scripture quotations marked (MSG) are taken from THE MESSAGE, copyright © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene H. Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress. All rights reserved. Represented by Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.

Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version® 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Scripture quotations marked (NCV) are taken from The Holy Bible, New Century Version®. Copyright © 2005 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked (NKJV) are taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked (NASB) are taken from the New American Standard Bible®. Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. www.Lockman.org

Some scriptures were also noted as being taken from The Voice Bible. Copyright © 2012 Thomas Nelson, Inc. The Voice™ translation © 2012 Ecclesia Bible Society All rights reserved.

Visit Candidly Christian online to learn more at CandidlyChristian.com.

Table of Contents

Let’s Be Honest

Judgements & Jesus

Your Life Is God’s Story

Living for Jesus

The God Who Hears Me

Finding My Confidence

A Servant’s Heart

I Am Not Alone

While I Am Waiting

Uncomfortable Callings

Baby Blues

The Forgiveness Exercise

Stressed to the Max

Where Does My Help Come From?

God is Faithful

Used and Abused

Seeing With Your Heart

Letting Go of Unforgiveness

She Did What She Could

More Than Worry

Dealing With Loss

God Is In Control

Overwhelmed

Words Hurt

Singing Through The Spirit

The Grace of God

The Motives of My Heart

Bitter Prayers

Finding My Place

Writing The Next Chapter

Time To Get Candid

Like This Book?

About Heather Hart

Contributing Authors

Contact Information

Let’s Be Honest

Heather Hart

WHAT IS ONE THING YOU struggle with as a Christian woman? I asked that question on Facebook one day and the responses started pouring in. One of the first women to comment answered with a question of her own, Just one?

In fact, most of the women who responded listed multiple struggles in their answers. They ranged from common to tragic. Many women struggled with patience and pride. Some women struggled making friends while others struggled with submission. Some women were struggling with contentment, and others were struggling with commitment. But not a single woman responded saying she didn’t struggle with anything.

We all struggle with something. Life. Faith. Family. Work. Love. Learning. PMS. Menopause. It seems like just when we think we have a handle on things, another struggle pops up or an old one resurfaces.

Can I be honest with you? I used to look around at other Christian women in awe, thinking everyone other than me had it all together. That these other women had mastered house cleaning, child-rearing, and life. I thought every woman at my church (besides myself) was a solid Proverbs 31 woman and that at any moment I would be found out. That they would realize what an utter failure I was. The problem with that sort of thinking is that it’s wrong and it’s shallow.

What I have discovered though, is when we take the time to really get to know other women, we realize that all of us have our own share of struggles. Maybe it was immaturity or inexperience on my part not to have realized it sooner, or maybe it’s just the way we portray ourselves to those around us. Because whether it is an instinct or a learned behavior, we women tend to fight our hardest to put our best foot forward. We want others to think we have it all together. At the end of the day, we want others to look at us and think, Wow, that lady has a ton on her plate, but she gets it done and she looks good doing it. We wear our Hot Mess[1] badges with pride, don’t we ladies?

I am definitely a mess. I have no doubt about that, and I am thankful for clichés like God can turn our mess into His message, and Our mess is His masterpiece. Sayings such as these don’t just tell me I am not alone in this, they remind me that God’s got this. He is in control.

I will never forget the first time I heard another Christian woman confess her struggle with depression. This woman, who I idolized, was a pastor’s daughter. She was super fit and an amazing mom. She had gorgeous hair and trendy clothes. But as she sat there in our Bible study group pouring her heart out, I was stunned. I thought if this amazing lady had issues, maybe I was okay. Maybe it was okay that I had struggles, too. Maybe they wouldn’t snub me if they knew how much I was struggling with life as a stay-at-home mom, or just how many cheerios were under my couch.

I would love to tell you that my struggle with my struggles ended there, but it didn’t. While I learned I could trust that group of women, I thought maybe they were unique. That other women really did have it together, and we were just birds of a feather. I loved their honesty and, for the first time in my adult Christian life, I felt like I belonged.

These women became my closest friends. They were my church family in a way I had never experienced before. Eventually, life happened, and my family and I ended up in a new church. I was in a different Bible study group with new women. These women surely didn’t struggle. The mom’s home that we met in was always spotless. The women took turns bringing snacks and everyone took the time to study the lesson in advance. These women were most definitely Proverbs 31 women.

One day I just couldn’t take it anymore. I arrived a bit early and I asked the hostess how she kept her house so clean with children at home, and her answer rocked me to the core. Are you ready for it? She simply said she didn’t. She told me the reason she volunteered to host the study once a week was so she would put the effort in to clean. She confessed that if I would come any other day of the week, or even just a few hours early, that her home wouldn’t be so tidy. Housework was something she struggled with.

Now, I tend to be a bit pessimistic. Not towards other people, but towards myself. My first thought is always, well you may think you struggle, but you don’t struggle as much as I do. Have you ever felt that way?

I used to take part in this blog hop where we would all post pictures of our messy homes. I think the lady started it to show others it was okay if your home wasn’t perfect, but even her messes looked tidy to me. Sure, there was an overflowing laundry basked tipped over and spilling onto the carpet, but it was freshly-vacuumed carpet. I couldn’t find a place in my home that was clean enough to compare to her mess.

Fast-forward a few years and I found myself doing the exact same thing. I took a picture of what my messy quiet time looked like. You know how all you ever see on Instagram are perfectly poised Bibles and pens? Well, my quiet times don’t look like that. I have my Bible and a notebook. Probably a dozen pens and highlighters depending on the day. And all of the above is usually all strung out over a table that needs to be cleaned. My Bible shares the space with paperwork that needs to be done, my half-eaten breakfast, and most likely a few of the kids’ toys or school papers that have been abandoned.

My goal in taking my messy quiet time picture was to show that it was okay if your quiet time wasn’t neat and tidy, but I carefully positioned the camera so you couldn’t tell the floor hadn’t been swept... or even picked up. So, after I posted my candid photo, I had to force myself to go back and post it again. The whole unfiltered mess that it was.

Some women believe that sharing our mess should be taboo. That we should set a righteous example for others, not flaunt our failures. They say if we struggle with something, we should keep it quiet and work through it. If needed, we should seek out women who do have it all together and learn from them. Yet if there is anything I have learned in my life, it is that none of us have it all together. Romans 3:10 says, As it is written: ‘There is no one righteous, not even one.’

Can I just say that if you are searching for a Christian woman that has it all together, you are either looking for someone who doesn’t exist or a liar. That is why we need Jesus. Jesus came to save us because He knew we could never make it on our own. He didn’t come to give us a leg up—a boost in the right direction—so we could take it from there. He came to save us from our sins. Those sins include the sin of pride and thinking we have risen above our sinful nature.

We are all sinners in need of a Savior, thankfully if you are reading this book, you most likely have already met Him. His name is Jesus. He is the eternal God, conceived of the Spirit, and born of a virgin. God became man to live a perfect life and die a sinner’s death. Not because of anything He had done, but to bridge the gap between God and us. He paid the price for our sins. For mine and for yours. And by His wounds we are healed (Isaiah 53:5).

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever