I'm seekin, I'm seekin'!!!!!!!

"My heart says of you, "Seek his face!"
Your face, LORD, I will seek."
Psalm 27:8

I've walked in the faith long enough to know that I must look to the Lord for everything, every time, every purpose. I know it, know it! All I have to do is look back and see...reflect back and remember...He has been faithful. This I know.

Yet my heart is deceitful above all things. It doesn't have a memory. It tends to follow my emotions if I'm not careful.

It's no accident that Kristen at Exemplify posted this as today's verse to ponder and discuss. As a matter of fact, hardly a day goes by when I don't need to be reminded that I not only need to seek Him with my mind and declare it with my mouth...I need it to be the overflowing attitude of my heart as well.

For me, the only time that happens is when I go before the Lord small--empty--surrendered.

As He fills me up by the power of the Holy Spirit, then my heart follows after Him. When I don't, my heart follows my emotions and compulsions instead.

So I declare with my mind and my mouth, "Your face, LORD, I will seek. Open, humble, ready, willing." And my heart will declare it too.

Drawin' A Blank

Most who know me know I love to send notes of encouragement. It's one of my favorite things to do when I have the spare time. So when I found some new blank cards at the store yesterday, I was ecstatic. What's even better is that I got the kind with foil gleaming throughout.

The great thing about blank cards is that I get to put my original thoughts inside of them--something I want to say especially for the person I'm sending it to. Just seems more personal than the blanket statements I see on the standard "thinking of you" cards. And when they have a sparkle or a glitter on the cover, it just says "You're special," you know?

God must like blank cards too.  Because I've noticed that when I go before Him with an empty heart, He etches a personal message on it, a unique one just for me. While He is powerful and full of splendor and majesty, He is also personal. He longs to give me His special encouragement and leading for my life.  And when I receive it, my life is wrapped in His foiled light, which glimmers for everyone around me to see. It's such a beautiful way for Him to say "You're special," you know?

"When Your words came, I ate them; they were my joy and my heart's delight, for I bear Your name, O LORD God Almighty."

Jeremiah 15:16

Lord, write your words on my heart, those I need to hear, those I need to absorb, and those I need to put into practice. And then Lord, may I come before You with my own special and personal lyrics of praise and worship--from my heart straight to Yours.