All posts filed under: Family & Relationships

Conversations and clarity exploring the many facets of relationships and how we can best thrive in them as Creatives, from that with Christ, Christ community, family, friendships, romance, and more.

A Tale as Old as Time: Revelation in Relationship by Charlie Louthen

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I think it’s important to share that I did not want to write this article. I literally tried twice to disqualify myself to Candice and to myself numerous times. But Papa (Christ Jesus) continuously tugged at my heart to do it. Why was I so resistant? I narrowed it down to one reason. Fear. Why was I afraid? 1. How do you write something on a topic so deeply personal like a hard break-up with care and consideration for the other party involved when you were hurt by their actions? 2. How do you help others with forgiveness when you are not fully healed? I prayed for days on these two questions and got wise counsel from close friends. In the end, the answer was simple. Truth and grace. The truth is sometimes God will give you exactly what you want so that He can show you what you really need. This is biblically accurate. He gave the Israelites a king when they begged Him for it. He even told them all the horrible things …

The Heart of Hospitality: Faith for Creatives

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“Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another; not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer; distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality.”              ~ROMANS 12:10-13 (See vs 9-21) Hospitality, whenever many of us hear the word the first image that comes to mind is that of homecooked meals, friends and loved ones gathered around a table, smiling and sharing in one another’s company. I know that I have often considered hospitality meant that I had to open my home, serve a meal and all that comes with it. And although that is indeed true to the definition, there is so much more to it and yet so much more glorious simplicity than what we typically assign to the word. Hospitality isn’t about a location per se but more about meeting others in their need wherever they are. It’s about being present and available in the moment, with undivided attention, no matter the location, but with sincerity …

Praying with Accuracy, not Accusation: Turbulence in Transition

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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 …

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

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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 …

The Kindling Spark: Musings on Love & Romance

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The look on his face The taste of his lips Was nothing short of sublime The honey-sweet savor encompassed my soul The instant his lips touched mine The first of that moment The kindling spark Birthed fire within our dance The flavor of passion In an innocent kiss Spoke whispers of Romance THE POWER OF THE KISS Kiss– If my memory serves me correctly the Hebrew word, ‘Nashaq’ used for ‘kiss’ also means ‘to kindle or ignite.’  In Syriac, ‘to smell.’ An Arabic translation for the word means, ‘to fasten together.’** Basically “To kiss is to kindle or ignite with the scent of fastening together”. (On what it means to “fasten together,” I’m going to encourage you to use your blessed imagination.) In short, WOW! Adhering to this truth, one that is not widely shared among the young in love or even those who are seasoned, I am only made to view the act of kissing as something far more sacred and special than our modern world has made it out to be. Where some …

A Valentine from Your Father

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Valentine’s Day.  I’ve always loved it. As a child, my dad would always come home with heart-shaped boxes of chocolates and a teddy bear for me and my little sister. It was a delight. Daddy loves you. Who doesn’t thrive there? When I hit my early teen years my dad’s gifts kind of trickled off but my Granddaddy began to send me flowers through the mail. It was such a heart-filling act that, as I write this brings tears to my eyes. My granddaddy is no longer on this side of Heaven, but the fruit of his acts live on. My Granddaddy loved and loves me. In undergrad or university, the guys in the art department pooled their money and purchased all the ladies in the program flowers, chocolates, and teddy bears. Then they went around campus delivering them to us as a surprise. Wow, unexpected care and appreciation. They saw me…they saw us. Now as a single woman, well in my thirties I realize Valentine’s Day has always been more of an ‘acquaintance’ of …

Celebrations that Suit Your Season: by Bri Lassiter

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It’s not always easy to celebrate holidays based on what part of life we find ourselves in. Whether you’re facing a health difficulty, financial struggles, family issues, loss, or simply any type of transition that’s preventing you from celebrating how you normally would, its comforting to find a way to adapt your current situation to still experience the joy and comfort that holidays bring. This Valentine’s Day I’m finding my health abilities are a bit different than they’ve been in the past, and I’m not up to going out to celebrate with a romantic dinner date like my hubby and I usually do. But since Valentines Day has ALWAYS been something we’ve made a big deal about, I started trying to find a solution that adapted my physical needs to our way of celebrating. So it’s a candlelit dinner at home this year, with a full meal already cooked for me from a local Fresh Market. It’s a great solution for our life change, and be encouraged that if you too, find yourself wanting to …

In the Silence: A Story of Friendship

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Written July 22, 2015 by Candice Coates Well, I am going to go then,” I thumb toward the front door from the back deck and look down at him, waiting for him to respond. We have been sitting out here for the last couple of hours. The perfect buffet line for every mosquito in the neighborhood. He stares forward still unmoving before finally tilting his head around to look at me. He can’t see my face, which is a good thing. The sun behind my head has created the perfect backdrop, veiling my features in darkness. Like I said, it is a good thing. I have never been good at poker, and I can’t mask my expressions so well anymore. When this began I was good at it, but it hass been almost a year now. I began to wear down six months ago. His eyes glance down at my toes and he grins. I must be balling them and releasing them again, a telltale sign that I am irritated. He is very astute that …

An Unexpected Purpose & a Prepared Blessing by Pastor Robert House

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*This Article is written by Pastor Robert House. A short bio of the author will be at the end of the article.  My purpose in writing this is to tell my own truth and not to talk bad about anyone else or their experience as a pastor, stepfather, husband and even simply as a Christian but just to write out my own thoughts on what I have experienced so far in this 10-month journey of change. I have known my wife since I was in the 6th grade but we were never close because I was older but her family was active in the church as I was. Everyone knew me because I was one of the few blacks in the school. My wife also played sports with one of my close friends so I knew her through that association. Around September of 2017, she messaged me and told me how much I meant to her during that time since she grew up in a rough situation and we begin talking every day. On November …