All posts tagged: Jesus

Treat Yourself! The Blessings Found in Showing Yourself Love

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Valentine’s day was nearly a good month away when I began plotting with delight how I was going to, for the first time in my near thirty-seven years, treat myself with love and kindness. Now, before we get the wrong idea, let me just say I’ve always believed that I have treated myself well but I have never really ‘treated’ myself. Sure, I have gone out just like the next person and purchased myself something that I had desired, but this…this was different. This was celebrating love for me! Okay, I know that still sounds a bit vain, but journey along with me and I think you will catch the revelation. Valentine’s, as I stated in my article A Valentine From Your Father, was more of an acquaintance than a moment of romance that I had ever experienced. Having truly spent my adult years circling around a relationship with the opposite sex but never being drawn in to the point of having an established relationship, I had always felt disqualified from the fantasy and delight …

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 …

The Joy of A Spiritual Love Affair: Faith for Creatives

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“For a day in Your courts is better than a thousand. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness.” ~PSALM 84:10 To look upon the one you love and to say that one day with them, in their presence alone, is better than 1,000 days put together is a mighty statement. These words are the embodiment of an incredible love affair and devotion. Have you ever been in love? Have you ever felt so strongly for another soul? Whether you have or not the truth still remains that we all were created with the desire for such a great love. The beauty, being made as we are, is that we are blessed to experience this kind of love and its greatest fulfillment. This love that never ceases but ever makes us aware of its intense sweetness, is the spiritual love that we all can have with God through trusting faith in His Only Son, Christ Jesus. His righteous, unrelenting love will NEVER LEAVE US NOR …

Points of Pursuit: Pursuit of Passion pt 4

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“Commit your deeds to the Lord, and your plans shall succeed.” ~PROVERBS 16:3 In this life, no matter where you currently stand, there will come a time in your journey that you will desire to have more love, better relationships, profession, more money to pour into your passions, and success in balancing all of them. In our youth, we have the awkward moments of sampling what love and relationship with the opposite sex look like. We are giving crash courses in high school and undergrad or university, where we are expected to be good managers of our time and the ‘fruits’ of labors we are expected to produce. In and through it all, even into early adulthood, middle-aged life and beyond, the pursuit of success is the driving force toward our passion. During the season of ‘love,’ the rise for the pursuit of a romantic relationship and the refreshing tingle of endorphins is hard to miss. Having this desire is not a sin, but how we choose to meet these needs (inherent as they are …

The Impossible Romance: From Novels to Now Through Christ’s Example

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*Revised from March 3, 2016 Women, as well as some men, love the idea of an impossible romance; where the heroine, despite the circumstances, is still found to be worth winning, worth pursuing, worth redeeming by her unforeseen love, until against all odds he wins her heart and heals its brokenness. The recipe for most romance novels tends to stay upon that common thread. Women want to read about redemptive love. I believe this is why women are more open to accepting the grace, truth, and love of Christ. He comes as the Hero of the ultimate, impossible, love story, sacrificing Himself for a bride who doesn’t know how to love Him in return, doesn’t see her own brokenness, or His value upon first glance. But when she, the bride, the heroine, does come to herself and allows His redemptive love, she finds her home in His heart where she thrives magnificently. Romance novels offer this balm to the unspoken ache that all woman carry. The bible says that we are not meant to be alone, that He …

Come Out of the Poverty Mindset: A Prophetic Word by Bri Lassiter

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A Message from Bri Lassiter: I’m excited to share this prophetic word as the Lord enables and prepares those entering a season of prosperity, to receive it. Just like Joseph experienced many different seasons in his lifetime, ranging from spoiled daddy’s boy who lacked nothing, to the pit, poverty, and slavery, to obtaining a favored position in a rich rulers house, to imprisonment again, and finally governing Pharoah’s house and guiding a nation through a famine, we too, experience both lack and prosperity in our lifetimes. The Lord sustained and prepared Joseph for each season, and he wants to do the same for us. “Learn how to trust Me and see My provision in times of lack, and learn how to take, as I bring you to a new season of authority and give you everything you need to do My will. Learn how to let go of fear, fear that I will not provide, fear there will not be enough, fear I will let you down. Trust who I Am, and My thoughts and …

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 …

The Wisdom of Pursuit: Pursuit of Passion Pt 3

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*Revised from the “Postures” Series from July 2016 “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. 6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind.” ~JAMES 1:5-6 Our passions are as vast as the sand of the sea. Even so, the way in which we are to pursue those passions are equally as vast and require wisdom, the wisdom of God if we are truly to hit our marks and be successful in a way that not only pleases God but allows us to be blessed and be a blessing to others. The Word of God tells us in that if any of us lack wisdom we should as God who gives unto us abundantly. To approach and pray to Savior in Faith and Wisdom is to approach Him with focused confidence in Who He is and who we are in Him as …

Blessed Under Pressure: Faith for Creatives

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“…being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”~PHILIPPIANS 1:6 As I sat, several years ago, and practiced calligraphy with a pen I had never used before, I noticed that when I didn’t apply the right amount of pressure with my hand, the inky lines would break and lose their fluidity. They lacked perfection. I continued to draw more curved lines all in the attempt to make the perfect, curvy, line with thick sections here and thin, fine sections there, repeating the pattern, all without breaks. As I continued to draw the Holy Spirit gave me a revelation. Just like with that pen in my hand, Christ Jesus is working with us in His hands. He is working with us to get us to do greater things that we have never done before. Just like with the pen, He must apply the right amount of pressure at the right time to get our ‘lines’ perfect, fluid, without breaks. The task …

Faith & The Fast Lane: Faith for Creatives

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“But, beloved, we are confident of better things concerning you, yes, things that accompany salvation, though we speak in this manner.  For God is not unjust to forget your work and labor of love which you have shown toward His name, in that you have ministered to the saints, and do minister.  And we desire that each one of you show the same diligence to the full assurance of hope until the end, that you do not become sluggish, but imitate those who through faith and patience inherit the promises.” ~HEBREWS 6:9-12 Sometimes in the pursuit of our passion, the vision that the Lord has set ablaze in our souls, we find ourselves slowing down to a productive pace that does not match the zeal that is burning on the inside of us.  We look around us and see others seemingly tackling goals and gaining momentum with neck-break speed while we putter along. We wonder if our faith is enough.  The answer is yes, yes your faith is enough!  Your journey in pursuit of your creative passion and the calling that the Lord has placed upon your life …