All posts tagged: #MotivationMonday

The Triumph of Transition: The Glory in Going From One Dimension to the Next

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“It’s not all easy, but I think it’s all awesome.” ~KRIS LANGHAM I am pretty certain if anyone sat down and told a caterpillar the work that it was going to take not only for it to transform into a butterfly but just to able to break free of the future environment that would keep it safe–which would also soon become the very thing that would potentially hold them back and captive–that they would rethink the whole metamorphosis thing and likely stick to a flight-less existence. But then…maybe not. I think the guaranteed results of flying would be too much to resist. Nevertheless, transformation takes time and transition. Being able to fly is a right that comes from gaining power and strength from the struggle found in the process born of transition itself. If a caterpillar never struggled to break free of its cocoon–the place that once was its protection while in transition–it would never have the strength to take to the skies. There are dreams and greatness in each of us, but to see …

Creative Winters: Waiting for the Fruits of Spring

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“Winter is the silent intermission for glorious spring! There is life beyond our frozen earth waiting to break forth in its season.” ~CANDICE COATES There are these moments that come in our creative journey whereas it seems that nothing is happening. We feel as if we’ve hit a wall in our writing, our art, our everything. But just like in nature, just like with God who took a day off from his work of creation, we too have our creative winters. When your creativity slips into silence, allow it a moment of rest. Though it may seem as creative winter in your world, be confident that spring is just around the bend. Ebbs are always followed by flows. As King Solomon so eloquently put it in Ecclesiastes 3:1,(1-8), “For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven.” If the Lord has promised you a destination, trust that He will keep His word to you. I have found that some of my best creative seasons came after a time of rest. This …

Tell Them I Love Them: The Most Everlasting of Loves

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“The Lord has appeared of old to me, saying: “Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love; Therefore with lovingkindness I have drawn you.” ~JEREMIAH 31:3 This message is simple. It is not full of scripture or analogy. It does not use metaphors are large words. However, it is the most Powerful message of all. Not only that, but as we embark on what is supposed to be the most romantic months of the year, and yet, one of the most lonely, I feel compelled to share this with you. Many years ago, as I meditated in prayer and waited for the LORD to send me a Word to share with the Body of Christ, I kept hearing Him say, “The Word will come.” Actually,  I had been waiting and praying for a word for quite some time and He continued to give me the same response. “The Word will come.” When the Word finally did come it was so compelling and again so simple that I had no choice but to open my …

Plan BIG!: A Word on Vision Casting

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“When God is your partner, make your plans big!” ~ D.L MOODY Plan BIG! You’d think that that exhortation would make every person who heard it celebrate with a motivated fire for action when in reality it makes a lot of people shrink back in fear and hide under the heavy blankets of safety and mediocrity. Dreaming is not so much of an issue for most of us. But dreaming big . . . well, that has the power to not only knock the wind out of many of our sails but sink our boats completely. Like me, I suppose you are wondering why that is. If we are honest with ourselves we would have to admit that insecurity and the scrutiny of others are what holds us back. The old ‘what will people think?’ phrase acts as the perfect glitch in our plans of action. The very thought of failing in front of others, especially those who’ve minimalized our former dreams with the constant song of ‘you can’t,’ strikes us immobile. Them witnessing our …

The Almighty Quarter: 3 Ways to Make Creative Time in a Busy Day

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Quarters are amazing! You can do so many activities with quarters. You can do laundry, you can play a game at an arcade with enough quarters (are those even a thing in today’s world?). You can purchase a cheap, hot cup of liquid motivation on your way to work with quarters. Once upon a time, you could make a phone call in a phone booth with a quarter. Packs of chewing gum used to be a quarter! I mean I could go on and on about how great quarters are! My favorite quarters, however, are those within a day, made up of minutes and seconds. In a single day, you have twenty-four hours, forty-eight half hours and ninety-six  QUARTERS! Nintey-six! Now, you are probably thinking, “What is the big deal?” “Time does not play fair. It plays mind tricks. More often than not, it will rob you, trick you and leave you frustrated…if you let it.” Here it is, as creative beings, who have full-time commitments away from our crafts, finding the time to cultivate …

Start with Fire: Start Here pt 2

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“We are on fire. Act now.” ~UKNOWN I saw an image of an activist with a sign that read, “We are on fire. Act now.” Instantly, the thought of the words of the Savior flickered into a flame in my heart. The scripture is Mark 9:35-38, which reads: “Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.  Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.” What the Lord began to reveal to my heart in light of the sign and then the reminder of the scripture was twofold. ONE: The Lord was saying and is saying to all of us who know Him, that the people in the world are ready, right now, to hear about Him. They are thirsty for the …

Prophetic Word of Promise by Candice Coates: My Favorite Read

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“My covenant I will not break, Nor alter the word that has gone out of My lips.” ~PSLAM 89:34 During the Passover, Ressurection, Easter Season, the Lord gave me a prophetic word of promise for His children. This summer, as we draw into the season of harvest, the Lord has prompted me to reshare this word, as His covenant He will not change and His promises are yes and amen in Christ. The word is titled: TAKE YOUR PROMISE This word is for any who will receive, who will step out in faith, lift their hands and faces to the heavens, and ask for what He has placed upon their hearts to ask. He has already purchased everything we need for life and Godliness. He has truly finished everything. Anything we need is available. We need only believe, ask, and receive. And He is calling us to ask BIG! The Heaven’s are still open! See TAKE YOUR PROMISE, and release the promises of the Lord in your life today! ~Dream. Imagine. Believe. Do. CONQUER! 

Today is a Good Day: Being Grateful for Those Around Us

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*Revised from November 18, 2016 “Today is a good day! Why? Because you’re in it, I’m in it, and we’re in it together! Praise Jesus for making this day!” ~CANDICE COATES The Psalmist said it best Psalm 118: 24 when they said, “This is the day the Lord has made, I will rejoice and be glad in it.” What a blessing it is to not only know that the Word of the Lord is the truth, but to also choose to live it out. The glory of this life is that the Lord did not design it or us to do it alone (GENESIS 2:18). He created us as communal creatures, beings destined for relationship. When we take the time to celebrate those who the Lord has blessed us to do life with, whether that is for a season or for many years to come, we find it hard to not walk in joy. My prayer for each of us this week is to allow the Lord to shift our focus and to enable us …

Be Brave

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Updated from August 26, 2016 “Promise me you’ll always remember–you’re braver than you believe, and stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.” ~Christopher Robin to Pooh Being discouraged by circumstances or challenges is easy. It’s deciding to overcome them and be victorious that takes courage and strength. The beauty is, just like with any muscle, whenever there is resistance applied and a pushback given in the face of resistance, do we see strength and growth occur. Our courage, our hearts, require healthy doses of resistance in order to grow strong. Whatever you’ve set your heart to do, be brave in your doing. Discouragement can always be turned on its head and be the stepping stone to CATAPULT you to your goal. If the dream is in you, it only means you were meant to see it as a reality. Be Brave and keep creating! ~Dream. Imagine. Believe. Do. CONQUER! *Photo by Simon John-McHaffie on Unsplash

Learning To Relax: Abiding Fruitfulness

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“God never hurries. There are no deadlines against which He must work. Only to know this is to quiet our spirits and relax our nerves.” ~A.W TOZER  The word of God instructs and comforts us in Isaiah 40:31, that they that wait on Him shall have their strength renewed. But most of us seem to struggle in our fast pace world to not only slow down but even to wait. We find the urge to rush ahead, to be hurried in not just the seemingly grand things in life but even the small and simple things. We rush to get dressed in the morning, rush through prayer, rush to get the kids fed and off to their activities, all so that we can achieve some goal, that even once we have met it we still don’t quite feel fulfilled. The truth is even though our Heavenly Father has called us to abundant life, abundant life, contrary to what today’s culture says, is not found in rushing and striving, but in resting and abiding. Christ knows …