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Letting Go of Fear & Holding On to God – Why It Sets You Free

03.08.2017 by Emelda De Coteau // 1 Comment

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Emelda De Coteau
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Emelda De Coteau

Mother, wife, sister, friend, writer / blogger / communications consultant, budding photographer... These are just a few of the many hats I juggle each day. I believe creativity is oxygen for the soul. I created Live In Color blog to celebrate the beauty in every moment, from faith to inspiration and motherhood.Follow the inspiration on Instagram: @liveincolorblog



Emelda De Coteau
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Latest posts by Emelda De Coteau (see all)

  • Why God’s Grace Changes Everything  - June 23, 2017
  • Living by Faith (Blog Series): Writer Christina of The Whole Cook - April 28, 2017
  • Living by Faith (Blog Series): Writer and Podcaster Tiffany T. Huff - April 21, 2017


I do not know about you all, but during the busyness of life, I forget a lot; the chaotic nature of days with a little one moves some chores further down the list. Let’s take watering plants – easily thrown into the nonessential pile. It’s why I can count the number we have sprinkled haphazardly around our house on one hand.

Every now and then, I look over at the small one lovingly squeezed into a corner of our bathroom, bursting with specks of green, and remember to water it. On this particular day, I noticed brown leaves drowning the greenery. It dawned on me, for weeks, I kept feeding what no longer lived. Rather than prune it, I continued watering, instead of seeing its shedding as a pathway to new life.

“See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.”

Isaiah 43:19

What are you clinging to for the sake of appearances? Are you afraid of changes God has ahead, because you do not know how others will react? 

Slowly, a kind of spiritual suffocation takes root as we tighten our grip on familiar experiences, tugging at these like security blankets. And it is impossible to understand what God is preparing, and remain open to his promises. We are adrift in a symphony of sameness.

Do not feel bad. I stand alongside you in this dilemma, sweet friends, both desiring change and simultaneously running away. But I do know this with certainty – I want to feel fully what God is manifesting in my life, our lives, as a family, and this means saying goodbye to the weights standing in the way – worry, anxiety, fatigue, and doubt.

During our tough season, some friendships have evolved or evaporated – taken different shapes, their force a dwindling presence. For the first time, this extroverted woman is learning it is ok to say no to what no longer feeds me – people-pleasing, one-sided friendships, and giving away so much of my spirit that little remains for God and me.

Our creator cannot birth something novel and divine in our lives if we cling to the old. You and I have to ask God daily to prune us, renew our minds, clear the toxicity in these hearts so transformations can begin taking root.

Prayer:

Dear Lord,

Thank you for the freedom I find in you. Your promises are true and good, and I know you desire to bring about beauty, even in the midst of what appears as suffering. All of this struggle will be used to transform me. I speak healing and wholenes to my mind, body and spirit, in your precious name I pray, Amen.

Musical Inspiration:

The Story You’re Building In Me by Love & The Outcome

Categories // Faith & Social Justice, Inspiration Tags // behold I am doing a new thing, Christian devotional, encouragement, faith, God is with us, growing in faith, Isiah 43:19, let go of fear, new beginnings

Dr. King, The Revolutionary – Why We Need His Thoughts Now More Than Ever 

01.16.2017 by Emelda De Coteau // 1 Comment

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Emelda De Coteau
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Emelda De Coteau

Mother, wife, sister, friend, writer / blogger / communications consultant, budding photographer... These are just a few of the many hats I juggle each day. I believe creativity is oxygen for the soul. I created Live In Color blog to celebrate the beauty in every moment, from faith to inspiration and motherhood.Follow the inspiration on Instagram: @liveincolorblog



Emelda De Coteau
Follow Me:

Latest posts by Emelda De Coteau (see all)

  • Why God’s Grace Changes Everything  - June 23, 2017
  • Living by Faith (Blog Series): Writer Christina of The Whole Cook - April 28, 2017
  • Living by Faith (Blog Series): Writer and Podcaster Tiffany T. Huff - April 21, 2017

Americans like our leaders sanitized, captured in Pinterest quotes and witty tweets. We teach kids to swallow comfortable myths about historical figures, instead of thinking outside the box. But now in the age of Google, you and I can seek different narratives, rediscovering these men and women in the fullness of their humanity, not reduced to occasional  sound bites.

This is how I fell in love with Dr. King, the revolutionary. There I sat as the sun illuminated my childhood bedroom, tears streaming, college textbooks thrown haphazardly on the dresser, as I read what I believe is his greatest speech at the Riverside Church on April 4, 1967, “Beyond Vietnam – A  Time to Break Silence.”

I remember running excitedly to my mother’s room that day, “Mom, listen to what he said!” ” Yes,” she shook her head calmly, smiling, after I finished. “I know.” Of course she did; she lived through all of it, and I didn’t. And yet as much as she told us about Dr. King growing up, there reading his words, I discovered him for myself, anew – a man  deeply committed to revolution, such a radical and courageous way of being in the world.

Friday, as Trump was sworn into office, I thought of that day I sat enraptured by King’s words. How tragic is it that we are content to reduce his legacy and vision solely to the “I Have a Dream” speech? Perhaps its because doing so makes us feel better about upholding this illusion of “colorblindness?” 

I mean, if Dr. King said we should not judge by skin color, but instead look at the content of character, well, those people caught up in our massive prison industrial complex, and oppressed by economic and educational inequality, have all brought it on themselves. This perspective completely absolves us from questioning how systems, laws and institutions are designed to oppress whole segments of American society.

Questioning the status quo takes courage; most people are drawn to the comfort of denial.  Dr. King challenged not merely the government, but intersecting forces of domination – economic and social, militarism, our way of seeing one another. He understood the path forward meant transformation from within, and a revolution of values:

“A true revolution of values will soon cause us to question the fairness and justice of many of our past and present policies… True compassion is more than flinging a coin to a beggar. It comes to see than an edifice which produces beggars needs restructuring. 

A true revolution of values will soon look uneasily on the glaring contrast of poverty and wealth. With righteous indignation, it will look across the seas and see individual capitalists of the West investing huge sums of money in Asia, Africa, and South America, only to take the profits out with no concern for the social betterment of the countries, and say, “This is not just.” It will look at our alliance with the landed gentry of South America and say, “This is not just.” The Western arrogance of feeling that it has everything to teach others and nothing to learn from them is not just.” 

Across the world people are waking up and they are resisting…

Not one of us knows what will happen during the next four years, but we can choose to cultivate values which take root in our hearts. We must begin to see one another in radical love, understanding there are commonalities within our struggles, while not denying the uniqueness of our truths.  

Perhaps in an odd way, the ascension of Trump is an advantage. It is giving rise to voices which have remained silent for far too long, and causing us to question the values in our society. But the even deeper and far reaching question is
this: How do we show up in everyday life? Is it with a heart of compassion, or one so hardened by our own pain that we cannot see ourselves in another living being?

Now, more than ever, we must become clear about what we value, so we can sow seeds of compassion and light, as we resist the toxicity of:

hatred

racism

patriarchy and white supremacy

homophobia / transphobia / xenophobia

social and economic equality

 

Further Reading:

Where Do We Go From Here: Chaos or Community?
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness
Michelle Alexander

 

Who are you all reading these days? What are you doing in your community to sow seeds of understanding and love?

 

Categories // Faith & Social Justice, Inspiration Tags // activism, be the change, Chaos or Community: Where Do We Go From Here?, community, dr. martin luther king jr., j20 protests, Michelle Alexander, protests, radical love, revolutionary, speak up, stay woke, The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness

Why My Word for 2017 is Rest 

01.03.2017 by Emelda De Coteau // 5 Comments

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Emelda De Coteau
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Emelda De Coteau

Mother, wife, sister, friend, writer / blogger / communications consultant, budding photographer... These are just a few of the many hats I juggle each day. I believe creativity is oxygen for the soul. I created Live In Color blog to celebrate the beauty in every moment, from faith to inspiration and motherhood.Follow the inspiration on Instagram: @liveincolorblog



Emelda De Coteau
Follow Me:

Latest posts by Emelda De Coteau (see all)

  • Why God’s Grace Changes Everything  - June 23, 2017
  • Living by Faith (Blog Series): Writer Christina of The Whole Cook - April 28, 2017
  • Living by Faith (Blog Series): Writer and Podcaster Tiffany T. Huff - April 21, 2017


I fight sadness with busyness. There, I admitted it to you and myself. Somehow hurt seems to evaporate for me, even if only momentarily, under a mountain of to-do lists and phone alerts, that is until the pain catches up to me. And it always does…

No one talks about rest. Everyone I know is hustling, striving, pushing to arrive at the next level. I am not saying ambition is bad, but when it slowly robs you of peace, surrending to moments of stillness heals – even a few minutes alone each day, practicing deep breathing, slows the pace of frantic days.

For the past few years I chose a word to guide me annually. As my relationship with God grows, I now pray for direction in this regard; last year I heard breakthrough. In 2017, I hear REST.

Sounds rather dull, huh? Not quite as epic as breakthrough, and yet it is subtle in its depth. Rest not from a standpoint of passiveness, but standing within my faith, accepting the radical love of Christ, and the flow of grace I experience while reading the Bible, couched in verses like Psalm 46:5: “God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at break of day.”

If you know me, you understand I am a doer, often juggling multiple projects. Rest? What’s that? I want to do it all and solve problems.

I carry the weight of my own struggles,  along with a deep commitment to social justice. I cannot afford to become still. And yet God is saying draw closer, rest in me, take your eyes off the problems and confess my promises. Each day, I am learning to listen intentionally, as I meditate on this powerful verse:

Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God.” Mark 10:27

Do you have a word for this year? How did you come to it – through prayer, mediation, journaling, etc.? I want to hear all about it in the comments below!

Categories // Faith & Social Justice, Inspiration & Style Tags // empowerment, faith, god, healing, hope, let go, live with intention, Mark 10:27, mediate, meditation, mindfulness, minimalism, nothing is impossible with God, pray, purpose, radical love, reflect, release, rest, seek God, Speak Hope, Speak life, Speak Love

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Emelda De Coteau
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Emelda De Coteau

Mother, wife, sister, friend, writer / blogger / communications consultant, budding photographer... These are just a few of the many hats I juggle each day. I believe creativity is oxygen for the soul. I created Live In Color blog to celebrate the beauty in every moment, from faith to inspiration and motherhood.Follow the inspiration on Instagram: @liveincolorblog



Emelda De Coteau
Follow Me:

Latest posts by Emelda De Coteau (see all)

  • Why God’s Grace Changes Everything  - June 23, 2017
  • Living by Faith (Blog Series): Writer Christina of The Whole Cook - April 28, 2017
  • Living by Faith (Blog Series): Writer and Podcaster Tiffany T. Huff - April 21, 2017

Ever since elementary school, I have stood up against any perceived injustice. Not on a picket line, more subtly I suppose, as my early protesting involved befriending kids others made fun of or ignored. On the weekends, Dad told my brother and I stories about his life, the years he spent in Hounduras before coming… [Continue Reading]

  • About
  • Latest Posts
Emelda De Coteau
Follow Me:

Emelda De Coteau

Mother, wife, sister, friend, writer / blogger / communications consultant, budding photographer... These are just a few of the many hats I juggle each day. I believe creativity is oxygen for the soul. I created Live In Color blog to celebrate the beauty in every moment, from faith to inspiration and motherhood.Follow the inspiration on Instagram: @liveincolorblog



Emelda De Coteau
Follow Me:

Latest posts by Emelda De Coteau (see all)

  • Why God’s Grace Changes Everything  - June 23, 2017
  • Living by Faith (Blog Series): Writer Christina of The Whole Cook - April 28, 2017
  • Living by Faith (Blog Series): Writer and Podcaster Tiffany T. Huff - April 21, 2017

I do not know about you all, but during the busyness of life, I forget a lot; the chaotic nature of days with a little one moves some chores further down the list. Let’s take watering plants – easily thrown into the nonessential pile. It’s why I can count the number we have sprinkled haphazardly… [Continue Reading]

  • About
  • Latest Posts
Emelda De Coteau
Follow Me:

Emelda De Coteau

Mother, wife, sister, friend, writer / blogger / communications consultant, budding photographer... These are just a few of the many hats I juggle each day. I believe creativity is oxygen for the soul. I created Live In Color blog to celebrate the beauty in every moment, from faith to inspiration and motherhood.Follow the inspiration on Instagram: @liveincolorblog



Emelda De Coteau
Follow Me:

Latest posts by Emelda De Coteau (see all)

  • Why God’s Grace Changes Everything  - June 23, 2017
  • Living by Faith (Blog Series): Writer Christina of The Whole Cook - April 28, 2017
  • Living by Faith (Blog Series): Writer and Podcaster Tiffany T. Huff - April 21, 2017

Americans like our leaders sanitized, captured in Pinterest quotes and witty tweets. We teach kids to swallow comfortable myths about historical figures, instead of thinking outside the box. But now in the age of Google, you and I can seek different narratives, rediscovering these men and women in the fullness of their humanity, not reduced… [Continue Reading]

  • About
  • Latest Posts
Emelda De Coteau
Follow Me:

Emelda De Coteau

Mother, wife, sister, friend, writer / blogger / communications consultant, budding photographer... These are just a few of the many hats I juggle each day. I believe creativity is oxygen for the soul. I created Live In Color blog to celebrate the beauty in every moment, from faith to inspiration and motherhood.Follow the inspiration on Instagram: @liveincolorblog



Emelda De Coteau
Follow Me:

Latest posts by Emelda De Coteau (see all)

  • Why God’s Grace Changes Everything  - June 23, 2017
  • Living by Faith (Blog Series): Writer Christina of The Whole Cook - April 28, 2017
  • Living by Faith (Blog Series): Writer and Podcaster Tiffany T. Huff - April 21, 2017

I fight sadness with busyness. There, I admitted it to you and myself. Somehow hurt seems to evaporate for me, even if only momentarily, under a mountain of to-do lists and phone alerts, that is until the pain catches up to me. And it always does… No one talks about rest. Everyone I know is… [Continue Reading]

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