All posts filed under: Creative Motivations

Praying with Accuracy, not Accusation: Turbulence in Transition

Published by

Change can be such a beautiful thing. Moving from one season of life into another, leaving one position at the workplace in order to lay claim to a more rewarding position, stepping out of the realm of singlehood to embrace that of a family, is glorious change. And the list goes on. Unfortunately, many times when we are offered the chance to embrace life redefining change brought on by accepting transition through the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we inevitably run into the turbulence that shakes our current relationships to their very core. The truth is with the turbulence of transition and change comes the bitterness of pain in some of our existing relationships, be they familial, friendship, or romantic. Sometimes these are growing pains that draw us closer to our loved ones. Other times they are pains that push us away with the sharp barbs of rejection and disapproval. What do we do when we face such shaking when the wounds caused by a loved one’s rejection cut us deeper than our marrow? What …

Palms of Victory: Season of Salvation pt 1

Published by

“Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your King is coming to you; He is just and having salvation, Lowly and riding on a donkey, A colt, the foal of a donkey.” ~ZECHARIAH 9:9 Before the very foundations of the world, before the Creator spoke and set out His Words to cause light to shine in the darkness, the Precious Lamb of God, the King of Kings and Savior of all was slain, shedding His blood in a covenant that would shape eternity. Before Adam and Eve inhaled the very breath and Spirit of God, the Ruah that gave them purpose by His design, before their feet could know the touch of grass or their ears hear the ring of pleasure in laughter, before they could fall prey to the lie of the evil one and cause all creation to fall, victory over death, hell, and the grave had already been won. They had, we had, every one of us who would believe and receive His free gift and unmerited favor and grace, based off His finished work was …

Turbulence in Transition: Relationship Wisdom for Faith Moves

Published by

Turbulence. It is what happens most often when a plan takes flight and encounters unruly pockets of wind while in motion. The plane shakes, rattles, and by the grace of God, refuses to roll even if your belly does, as a result of the sudden ‘speed bumps’ that drive as a force against the craft, nearly knocking it off course. The sudden jarring punches of the wind from outside cause many passengers to grip their armrests with white-knuckled fear as if that will keep the plane in the air. Others simply buckle up, having decided not to be bothered by the jostling forces from outside, and continue to look forward to the journey ahead, fully confident that this moment will pass and the plane and the passengers will reach their destination intact. Have you been there before, not just as an experience of an actual flight, but within a relationship with someone close to you as you took off on your journey of transition from dream to manifestation? The Lord God, Jesus Christ, places a …

Strategic Power: Power in the Process pt 4

Published by

“Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the ax.” ~Abraham Lincoln In the book of Acts, we find the disciples waiting in Jerusalem, along with many others for the green light from Heaven to go out and spread the goodness about the Lord and Messiah, Jesus Christ. They’ve witnessed His miracles, they’ve heard His words, they watched Him die a gruesome death on a rugged cross only to see Him risen on the third day. They believe. They believe in what He has said, they believe in what He has done, they believe in Who He is. They believe in what He has commissioned them to do…however… However, He, considering all of their belief instructs them to…wait. “Therefore, when they had come together, they asked Him, saying, “Lord, will You at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” And He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons which the Father has put in His own authority.  But you shall receive power when the Holy …

The Purpose in the Process: Part 3 of Power in the Process

Published by

“Anything good will often require a good amount of time.” ~Candice Coates Scripture: I Samuel 17:24-40 (I encourage you to read I Samuel 17 in entirety.) In I Samuel 17, we find the Children of Israel in the Valley of Elah, stationed there for forty days in fear. Why? Because the champion of the Philistine army, Goliath, has come to defy them. “Send me your best warrior!” He says. “If he kills me, we will be your servants, but if I kill him, you will be our servants.” Standing nine feet tall and likely weighing near a complete ton, it is understandable why the Israelites would see this giant and camp out in fear. Who could match his strength? Who could possibly bring him down? No one has the courage to do so…except one–David, the son of Jesse. Ironically, David was likely no more than seventeen years old and was a trained…shepherd, not a warrior. But he was a master of faith in the God if Israel and the world. David was also a poet and inventor of new musical instruments, instruments …

The Process of Prayer: Power in the Process pt 2

Published by

 “…rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer…” ~ROM. 12:12 One thing that I have noticed in my own faith walk and processes is that sometimes, when time and patience seem to stretch, and trials seem to mount, my rejoicing has the propensity to draw into silence as I fill my time with distractions…and prayer about my situation goes silent. Yes, I am still praying about other things, but praying about that purpose or point of passion that burns in my heart but seems oh so far away, I at times grow quite, fatigued. I begin to think, “Well, I’ve prayed enough times about this, and the Lord knows.” But the problem with this attitude and posture is that when we cease to rejoice in our hope when we lose patience in the process when we grow quite in our pointed prayers, we inadvertently fall out of line with the purpose that God has for us. We allow the passing of time to push us off course, thusly becoming distracted with things that will not strengthen …

Like a Sapling through Soil: Flash Fiction & Musing

Published by

You’ve gone quiet,” their words weren’t condemning, still, it drew her attention with enough force to make her spine go rigid. Forcing her nerves into a sense of calm, she shook her head. “I haven’t really gone quiet.” “No?” “No. I’ve been in the dark, much like a seed.” Without looking at them she could almost feel their interest peek and a smile bloom with interest. “Explain if you can. I like seeds, so much potential there.” This made her smile. “Like a seed I’ve been in the dark. I have a lot of things pressing on me from every side, but the pressure is only promoting change. I have much to say. The words are on the tip of my tongue but I need to allow the right moment to arrive.” “Like a sapling through the soil,” “Precisely! Like a sapling through the soil. Seeds planted in Fall burst forth in the Spring.” “Spring is right around the corner you know?” Another smile. “Yes, it is. I can feel it in my bones.” THE …

The Process of Patience: Power in the Process pt 1

Published by

“Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him…” ~PSALM 37:7 Patience. For many, especially in the age of ‘hustle and grind,’ has become a foul word and even more a foreign concept to those who have a heart that beats to the tune of ‘do and achieve.’ Patience itself seems to be the very antithesis of progress and success itself, almost as if it is a waste of time. And waiting on the Lord, well, that seems to be a difficulty all its own. But oh is it so very worth it! First, let’s gain the understanding and the truth that more than you or I want to succeed, the Lord wants us to succeed even more. The glory and beauty of His desire and plans for us is that He is the one who planted those desires in us in the first place. He is the one who has written each of our stories from beginning to end, and He knows exactly what it is going to take to get us for beginning to glorious …

Power in the Process: Progressions from Seed to Success Intro

Published by

“The first step to being successful at anything is in taking the first steps.” ~Candice Coates What is success? What is success specifically for you? We as humans have a bad habit of measuring success or defining it by all of the wrong things. We think money, material gain, perishable things that cushion our lives somehow are the marks of success and ‘making it’. But this could not be further from the truth. Success is founded in “action” and that action is the response to Christ moving in your life and shepherding you from one level and dimension of faith and grace in Him, to another. Success is abiding in Him, His timing, His wisdom, His way, His action! Your action could be simply being still and trusting God to do the most amazing things in your life. Your action could be to research your next project. Your success could be simply getting out of the bed in the morning at a decent time. The point is when we push ourselves beyond the walls of …

Single While Serving & the Blessing in Both: Mini-Series

Published by

One of the hardest things that I have found while walking with the Lord and serving in His Kingdom, is that the older I get, the more my desire for a husband and a family of my own grows. I know that at my age, I am not alone in this. I am not the only one that, although at peace with my singleness, still find myself battling with understanding my desire for companionship. I at times find that I am wrestling to understand the sudden longing for something as simple as having my hand held, or wanting to be tucked under a protective masculine wing, to simply have companionship. After all, the Lord said Himself that it is not good for man (or woman) to be alone. Yet, many of us in the Body of Christ and even in the world, have found ourselves over the age of thirty and just that, alone. We find ourselves not only being asked the question of why we are still single by well-meaning others, but some of …