All posts filed under: Musing Moments

Faith by Hearing: You Are What You Eat pt 1

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“For as a man thinks in his heart, so is he…” ~PROVERBS 23:7a  You’ve probably heard that verse before, maybe pondered its truth a time or two, or maybe this is your very first time encountering it. Either way, the truth of it remains; how a person thinks that is what they are or will become. The thing is what we think is contingent upon many factors and most, dare I say all, are choice-based. What we think is a result of what we: Hear Read Watch Speak As Creatives in Christ, commissioned for a designated mission to advance the Kingdom and to live the abundant life He died for us to have, we have to guard our hearts by censoring what we read, watch, and hear. Some may be turned off by the word ‘censor,’ but hear me out. How many of us have read articles about some sickness or symptom but then suddenly began to feel them in our bodies? How many of us have watched and thusly, heard a television ad or …

Sharing the Greatest Gift

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“Jesus Christ is the Light that dispels fear, provides assurance & direction, & engenders enduring joy & peace.” ~DAVID A. BEDNAR I believe that David A. Bednar was completely correct in his assessment in our Savior, Jesus Christ, the Light of the World. There is such beauty in his words especially during this season of lights and dedication and the celebration of the Greatest Gift this world has ever received. But for many, this season brings confusion, loneliness, and pain. Let us, the Children of God, saved by the grace of God, and made to be lights in the darkness, shine brightly for our Lord drawing others unto Him, out of fear, out of confusion, into direction, joy, life, and peace. How do we shine this light? We shine it through loving those around us, not just during this holiday season but every day, with sincerity, truth, and the same grace that saved us! How else do we behave when we have been given something special? We respond with joy and excitement, such that we …

You Are What You Eat: Fuel for Faith Moves Series

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I (Candice) was having a conversation the other day with a  co-worker of mine. She was telling me how she loved milk but how it hurt her stomach so she had to limit the amount of dairy milk she consumed. We began to discuss the science behind a1 and a2 milk and how a mutation in cows around 1200 years ago changed their milk from a2, which is much like human breast milk, to a1 which tends to be undigestable in many adults today. She then informed me that when many adults, women especially, reach the age of twenty-five, their bodies no longer need milk and cease to produce the enzymes necessary to break it down and digest it. Wow! Here is the truth of that last statement from a spiritual standpoint; we as Creatives in Christ are like the adults who at a more mature age, are no longer able to digest milk, or better put, have no need for it. There comes a point in our faith walks that we as Creatives must …

The Season of Light: The Glory of Hanukkah and the Beauty of Christmas

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December marks the season of Light. It is the when the days grow shorter and the sky is wrapped in a tapestry of deep indigo blue. Night comes and for many, the thought of darkness is the first to cross our minds. But consider the evenings in the winter, when the snow has blanketed the ground in deep, glistening crystals of soft white. And that soft white upon the backdrop of deep blue only glows. Then add the clearness of the cloudless sky with the sharp glow of the moon’s light and the brilliant twinkle of the stars. What was meant to be deep darkness has become the stage for the majesty of light. The imagery alone brings a smile to my face. The Word tells us in that at the fullness of time our Savior, Christ Jesus, the Light of the world, was born into the world to save it (GALATIANS 4:4-7). Just when it seemed that humanity had reached its lowest, most depraved point in creation, with darkness claiming to reign, the Light …

Mounting Up in the Wait: Faith for Creatives

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“But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.” ~ISAIAH 40:31 Turbulence and storms, symptoms and circumstances…darkness. None of these negate the truth of God’s Word and His Light that overcomes the darkness and all that it brings. Our job as born-again children of the Most High God is not to try and make His word come to pass but to trust and have faith in hope that it will come to pass as He declares in Isaiah 55:10-11. This often requires waiting on our part. And let’s be honest, waiting gets difficult. But be encouraged in the wait. There is glory in the wait. Isaiah 40:31 assures us that they that wait on the Lord shall: Renew their strength: The Word says that when we wait on Him and in Him, our strength is renewed. What is it to renew? Think about when you borrow a book from the library, return date comes before you are finished but …

Begin: Poses the Promise

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Begin: Take your steps in faith toward your promise and promised land. “… And Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite said to him: “You know the word which the Lord said to Moses the man of God concerning you and me in Kadesh Barnea. 7 I was forty years old… …but I wholly followed the Lord my God. 9 So Moses swore on that day, saying, ‘Surely the land where your foot has trodden shall be your inheritance and your children’s forever, because you have wholly followed the Lord my God.’… …here I am this day, eighty-five years old. 11 As yet I am as strong this day as on the day that Moses sent me; just as my strength was then, so now is my strength for war, both for going out and for coming in. 12 Now therefore, give me this mountain of which the Lord spoke in that day…”~ JOSHUA 14:6-12* Breathe. Breathe in the Rhema word of truth daily and let your soul be at peace. Believe. Believe what has been said to you by His Spirit…And now, begin. After allowing his mind to be conformed to the Rhema Word of promise, after having walked in the wilderness for 45 years, persevering in the …

Regina Hernandez: Creative in Action

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It is with great pleasure, that I ( Candice) get to present to you Regina Hernandez, one of ICFTS’ team members, sisters in Christ, and fellow creative!  Be blessed by her testimony and the view of her creative path laid out for her by Christ. By Regina Hernandez Starting at a very young age, people around me recognized how creative I was. I remember adults often being impressed with the lens in which I could see certain circumstances or perceive different ideas. I was encouraged to explore my artistic side from an early age, being gifted art-sets and watercolor palettes or just simply doing crafts with my mom. I had an encounter when I was about six or seven years old where someone asked me “What do you want to be when you grow up?” as most adults typically ask little ones. I remember thinking for a bit and going through the usual list in my head “Teacher? No… Police officer? Not really….” And while all of them are noble in their own right and …

What They Say: Fiction by Candice Coates

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“The only time I want to see a whole lot of red inky letters on paper is when Jesus is talking in my Bible, not when I have to hand you back your manuscript!” Mr. Hopeheld drummed his fingers on his desk, the frustration in his eyes melting into compassion. “Don’t look so chewed up. You and I both know you can do better than this. This,” He stabbed his pointer finger into the tome upon his shiny desktop. “This was a distracted effort of lifeless words and that just isn’t who you are.” The tempered rebuke from Lloyd’s publisher a week ago had nearly given him an ulcer. The sad thing was Mr. Hopeheld was right in all he said. The only problem was that him being right had not helped Lloyd one iota. He’d only told him what he’d already known. Lloyd didn’t believe in writer’s block. The truth was he always had something to say, always had some character whispering in his ears, flashing pictures of their questionable misadventures before his eyes. But …

Thanksgiving in Every Step: Faith for Creatives

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“The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord And He delights in his way.” ~PSALM 37:23 The beauty of living our lives to the glory of Christ is that we can rest in the full assurance that no matter where our foot may fall, whether circumstances seem good, bad, or neutral, that our steps are ordered by God our Father. Now don’t misunderstand. This doesn’t mean that we, in our ‘good intentions’ can’t get ourselves off track and go places God never ordained or intended, because the truth is that we all have. What it means is that, if we find that we have made a bad step, the Lord is not only able but faithful to work that step to our good (ROMANS 8:28). He is able to turn what our own misguided direction wrought into something good. Let us give thanks for that! Let us give thanks that because we are now His righteousness through faith (II COR. 5:21, we are assured of always gaining victory. Let us give thanks that our repentance, turning …

Bri Lassiter: Creative in Action

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Bri Lassiter is part of the ICFTS Team. She is a Faithful friend, Believer in Christ, wife and mother. Here is her view of creativity as she takes her action steps to pursue the purpose Christ has placed upon her heart. I used to define creativity as “arts and crafts” and I completely excluded myself from all connection to the arts because I didn’t fit in my own narrow definition of it. Recently I began asking God what His dreams are for me, and he reminded me of a childhood love I’ve had for lettering and calligraphy. I had planned on going to an art school many years ago so I could pursue that love but I had been deeply discouraged by others in my life at the time who believed I could not and should not pursue that dream. I was completely brokenhearted about it and that’s when I started putting up walls by saying that I’m not creative and began defining creativity as “arts and crafts ” and believing it’s “not my thing.” …