Psalm 27:8

"When You said, 'Seek My face,' my heart said to You, 'Your face, LORD, I will seek.'"

Psalm 27:8 (NKJ)

    "Seek My face," God said.
    To seek someone's face is basically to meet up with them and know them better. Kind of like you'd get to know a friend, growing closer to each other and strengthening the friendship. Here, God is giving us an invitation to get to know Him better.
    Why do we have to be the ones to approach? God's not being hard-to-get or anything. He wants us to approach Him because He won't impose on us. He wants us to be fully willing and glad to be in His presence, praying and hearing from Him not out of a sense of duty, but out of an eagerness to know Him better. You know what I mean?
    Well, have a great week, people of Internet land! :)

Songs: Good For The Soul

    Music is really awesome--and beautiful. Harmonious sound that can touch the heart and make one feel certain things.
    Lyrics are similarly amazing. They're words that come together in a certain beat, holding deep, strong meaning. And they too can bring out emotions from people.
    Together, music and lyrics are a powerful combination with unlimited potential.
    A joyful song that sings of the greatest things in life can make a person feel empowered and ecstatic. A sad melody about loss can provoke someone to tears. Songs about a place or a time period or a person can make a person reflective and thoughtful. And songs with a message in them (like to have faith in the Lord when things seem to be rough) give people peace and encouragement.
    Songs are powerful, beautiful, and enjoyable. Good for the soul. Don't you agree? :)

What Doesn't Kill Us

"What doesn't kill us gives us something new to write about."

~Julie Wright

    Isn't that an awesome and true thing?
    Everybody has bad stuff happen to them. But writers can take those opportunities and use them. Get caught in the rain? Perfect--you can write a scene about that with authentic description. Is there a jerk at school who never gets caught or punished for their cruelty? Bam--inspiration for the behavior and antics of an antagonist. Have a less-than-pleasant evening because of a thunderstorm that literally shakes your house? There's a suspenseful scene that could be an opening to a story.
    Have you ever written a story or scene that was inspired by something like that?

Psalm 27:14

   

"Wait on the LORD; be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; wait, I say, on the LORD!"

Psalm 27:14 (NKJ)

    These days, long waits are not common. People can get things in moments with the flick of a switch, the push of a button, even the snapping of fingers. If you want to know something, you Google it. If you want to see a certain movie, there's Netflix. If you have an idea that you want to jot down in seconds rather than minutes, you can type it on a computer or a phone.
    But in this case--getting strength from the Lord--it takes faithful patience. And patience can be difficult to hold when you have a serious problem. It can even be painful, frightening. With high stakes, waiting seems to take a very, very, very long time.
    The psalmist says to be of good courage because God will give us the strength we need. He will help us. And He knows when it's the best time to act. We need to be patient.
    The Lord will come through for us. Just have faith in Him.

Write! (Even When It Hurts)

    Have you ever just really, really, really, really not wanted to write to the point where it's somewhat painful and your mind feels so strained? That you'd rather do anything--even mow the lawn--than write?
    Well . . . my advice is: write anyway.
    Writing is kind of like swimming. When you jump into the pool, it's freezing. Makes you cringe and want to get out of the water. But after a few minutes, you get used to it. And you start to swim. And you realize that swimming is fun and awesome and you don't want to leave--like how when you're caught up in the momentum of writing, you don't want to stop.
    Write, even when it hurts. You might only manage to spit out a few hundred words or you might be swept into an awesome brainstorm. Either way, you get something accomplished. :)

Romans 8:15

"For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry out, 'Abba, Father.'"

Romans 8:15 (NKJ)

 

    "Abba" in the English language, basically means "Daddy." An affectionate term for one's father.
    One of the great things about our relationship with the Lord is that we've been adopted into God's family.  He is our Father--our Abba, who loves us more than anyone else--and He sees us as His precious children. As our Father, God cares for us, helps us grow, defends us, and picks us up when we fall. He's always there when we need encouragement, and He gives us the strength and wisdom we need to get through life.
    Isn't it wonderful?

Chatting With God

    God wants a real relationship with us. A thriving relationship wherein there's genuine love and excitement and fun. Communication is a huge part of relationships like that.
    God talks to us through His Word, through situations, and sometimes through miraculous ways. We talk to Him through prayer.
    But sometimes, prayer can get really tough. You might not know what to say--or you might feel that you're supposed to say a certain phrase or request a certain thing every time you pray. And then prayer becomes hollow, boring, ritualistic. It doesn't seem heartfelt--it doesn't seem real.
    God doesn't want that. He doesn't want to hear a robotic recital. He wants us to like prayer, to be comfortable speaking with Him, and to have great conversations with Him. Kind of like how we'd talk to a dear friend or to a parent we're close to. He wants to hear us tell Him what's on our minds, how we feel, what we're thinking about. Casually chatting with God is a good thing (as long as there's due respect, of course) and it's a great part of our relationship with Him.
    Do you have those kind of conversations with the Lord?