@therealsweetspot As the old saying goes, "the eyes are the window to the soul." When we look someone in the face, we are better able to gauge their mood and understand their thoughts. We will probably be able to tell if they are happy or sad. If we are looking someone in the face, we are prepared to actively listen to whatever they have to say. It is the same way with seeking God's face. When we talk about seeking God's face, it means we are seeking to know Him, understand His character, and hear His voice. The Bible instructs us to seek God's face: "Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always" (Psalm 105:4, NIV). But why are we to seek God's face? The answer lies in the translation of the word "face." Different translations translate the word face as "presence." In the ESV, this verse is translated as: "Seek the LORD and his strength; seek his presence continually!" The Lord wants us to seek to spend time with Him in His presence more than anything else. He promises that we will find Him: "You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart" (Jeremiah 29:13). ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ #DailyPrayer #Devotionals #PrayerLife #WordBeforeWorld #ChristianWriter #BibleVerseDaily #HopeWriter #SheWritesTruth #BibleStudyNotes #BibleJournal #ItIsWell #JesusAndCoffee #SoulScripts #ChristIsKing #GoodNewsFeed https://www.instagram.com/p/CiLFBcBuu0i/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

Sonia Sanchez, right on: white america (1970), in Soulscript. Afro-American Poetry, Edited by June Jordan, Zenith Books, Garden City, NY, 1970, p. 104

June Millicent Jordan (July 9, 1936 – June 14, 2002) was a Jamaican American, bisexual poet, essayist, teacher, and activist. In her writing, she explored issues of gender, race, immigration, and representation. She was passionate about using Black English in her writing and poetry, teaching others to treat it as its language and an important outlet for expressing Black culture. She was inducted into the National LGBTQ Wall of Honor within the Stonewall National Monument. Her first published book, Who Look at Me (1969), was a collection of poems for children. It was followed by 27 more books in her lifetime and one (Some of Us Did Not Die: Collected and New Essays) which was in press when she died. Two more have been published posthumously: Directed By Desire: The Collected Poems of June Jordan (Copper Canyon Press, 2005), and the 1970 poetry collection SoulScript, edited by Jordan, has been reissued. She was an essayist, columnist for The Progressive, novelist, biographer, and librettist for the musical/opera I Was Looking at the Ceiling and Then I Saw the Sky, composed by John Adams and produced by Peter Sellars. Shy began her teaching career at the City College of New York. She taught at Yale University, Sarah Lawrence College, and Connecticut College. She became the director of The Poetry Center at SUNY at Stony Brook and was an English professor. She was a full professor in the departments of English, Women's Studies, and African American Studies at UC Berkeley. She was known as "the Poet of the People". At Berkeley, she founded the "Poetry for the People" program. It aimed to inspire and empower students to use poetry as a means of artistic expression. She composed three guideline points that embodied the program, which was published with a set of her students' writings, entitled June Jordan's Poetry for the People: A Revolutionary Blueprint. She was not only a political activist and a poet, but she wrote children's books as well. #africanhistory365 #africanexcellence https://www.instagram.com/p/Cfy1ac5rxBxrrsR4CQP6BUywRof4-3EZLzeHPg0/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

Waltz.

A Touch,

Hands entwined, skin on skin, such delicate intimacy.

A Look,

Eyes eternal, gazes bound, what power in vulnerability.

A Step,

Bodies sway, souls in tune, every movement known.

A Dance,

Two as one, rhythms matched, to sweetest music bloom.

As a Christian, how many times do you talk about your faith to others? . Matthew 4:19 New International Version (NIV) 19 “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” . Here Jesus said follow him and he will send us out to bring people to him and to know his heavenly father. . 🚨🚨CHALLENGE ALERT🚨🚨 Over this weekend go out and be the disciple you were created to be, talk about Jesus to a non believer, family, friends, co workers. Be brave and trust God. 👉🏻⬇️DM me or comment to let me know how you got on⬇️ . . . #fishersofmen #jesussaid #followhim #art #christianblogger #modernlettering #watercolor_art #illustrationnow #watercolor_daily #soulscript #communityofchristiancreatives #everydaywatercolor #artandfaith #femaleillustrators #godsgal #rootedintheword #watercolourinspiration #watercolourart #gracemakers #watercoloranchor #anchor https://www.instagram.com/p/B1OsZvYApNC/?igshid=49mum1j1qa6f

Trust your dOpEnEsS 🖤🤓👑 • • • Set that soul on fire! #Dope #Love #SoulScript #Gay #HowItsMade #CaptureToday #Scruff #LiveAuthentically https://www.instagram.com/p/BtO_8d9hldg/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=re4bptzra42k

hello 🤎 praying you all are well! . it is impossible, for me, to situate even the most beautiful words together, in ANY language, to articulate my love for Jesus. i cry and am overwhelmed at His sacrifice for my transgressions. why!? why am i continuously forgiven!? why does He love us this way!? we don’t deserve it. . in my Bible study i paused on Ps. 103:12. at the risk of cherry picking scripture, it just reminded me of His infinite sovereignty. . 🍂...”as far the east is from the west, so far does He remove our transgressions from us.” . His boundless forgiveness does NOT give me permission to relax in my sin. i repent daily. i think it’s so salient to be reminded that although He forgives us, our sins still have consequences. these consequences are NOT His way of making us feel perpetually punished, but are in fact the result of disobedience & sin’s destructive nature. . Remember the way David suffered in 2 Samuel AFTER God forgave his sin completely!? i am flawed & i know that upon my repentance, but i have to prove to Him that in the forgiving of my transgressions that i am made anew IN HIM; that i am obedient to Him and not my flesh. . Lord, thank you for your unending forgiveness when i am weakened in my flesh. thank you for loving me unfailingly when i fail you daily. as i wade through the ocean of my sin, i thank you that i am able to give you glory and be sanctified in it. i thank you that i can be drawn nearer to you from glory to glory. . . #wellwateredwoman #biblestudy #prayer #biblejournaling #biblejournalingcommunity #christianwriter #devotional #shereadstruth #encouragement #faith #savedbygrace #christianbloggers #biblicaltruth #soulscripts #biblegram #gritandvirtue #christianblog #christiancreative #grace #praisehim #faithblog #wordbeforeworld #sistersinchrist #womenintheword #chistianbookstagram #biblestudynotes #biblejournal #biblenotes #christianity #biblelettering https://www.instagram.com/p/CAgHdj2hc5J/?igshid=133t8mb57xflr

God always brings us the people we need, exactly when we need them. ⁣ ⁣ I've doubted this time and time in my life, and time and time again, He has provided. In the moments I felt so isolated or alone, He's brought strangers who have become friends. When a part of my heart felt missing, He had unexpected mother figures stumble into my path. When I thought I wouldn't find love — and, in fact, had no desire to — He gave me someone I could give my heart freely and fearlessly to.⁣ ⁣ God provides, despite how many prayers we feel are unanswered or how many roads have led us to dead-ends. One of the most freeing things is to realize that the parts that we can't control, He has his hand in. We are guided, protected, and pushed along the path we're meant to be on. And even when we feel abandoned, that's the furthest thing from the truth. ⁣ ⁣ #youarenotalone⁣ #marisadonnelly⁣ #soulscripts⁣ #womanoffaith⁣ #writersofinstagram https://www.instagram.com/p/CMaoKwUFK4S/?igshid=1uzl3m9o68vd

Monday 25 May 2020

A prayer for a time when we may find ourselves praying more than most; a prayer for a time when it may be hard to hope. Because it is hard to hope when times are hard; when I watch the death toll climb and try to comprehend the loss we’ve experienced here on Earth.

But there is comfort in trusting that each of us is known and loved by You. Not even one of us is overlooked by His love and no one is forgotten. Keep remembering us in Your love. And where I see no hope, I trust that You are hopeful. And when I hope no more, You hope on my behalf. Amen.

[Based on 1 Peter 1:1-9]: You never saw Him, yet you love Him. You still don’t see him, yet you trust Him.

Yesterday, we talked about swapping our usual list of New Year’s resolutions for the simple, yet profound desire to be more like Jesus.⁣ ⁣ Of course, the big question is, “How do I do that?”⁣ ⁣ Because, let’s be honest, that’s a heck of a lofty goal. He’s way up there *gestures at sky* and we’re way down here *gestures at ground*.⁣ ⁣ But although he’s God, Jesus didn’t set an unattainable standard while he was on Earth. In fact, he was pretty practical in how he expressed his love for God and for other people.⁣ ⁣ Rather than stressing about how we’re not exactly like the Perfect Man, here are some everyday things we can do to better align ourselves with Jesus’ example.⁣ ⁣ ❤️ Get familiar with the Word by reading the Bible⁣ 🧡 Smile and say “hi” when you meet a stranger⁣ 💛 Keep snacks in your bag to give folks on the street⁣ 💚 Say “sorry” when you know you’re wrong⁣ 💙 Thank God for taking care of you before eating⁣ 💜 Add an extra 2% when you give (or start giving!)⁣ ⁣ See? Not scary or hard, right? We can do this.⁣ ⁣ 💬 What other things could you do to live, love, and look more like Jesus in 2020? ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ ⁣ #itwondersme#soulscripts#daughterofdelight#shereadstruth#womenintheword#propelwomen#gritandvirtue#christianblog#faithblog#christianwoman#christianliving#nothingisordinary#belovedlife#graceupongrace#chooselovely#dailydevotional#goodgod#gracemakers#wellwateredwomen#shewritestruth#scripture#gospel#newyearseve#resolutions#practical#jesusislord#infographic (at Hamilton, Ontario) https://www.instagram.com/p/B6vY-R_lKe2/?igshid=ldi37c9rrpl7

@therealsweetspot Your feelings will catch up! A while back I saw @wandamulzac post “your feelings will catch up”. If you give your feelings more power than your faith you will often find yourself in a state of anxiety, frustration, depression, insecurity or mental stress. Growing and maturing for me means learning how to live by faith in God and by the truth of God’s Word instead of living by my feelings, like the psalmist in Psalm 42 describes: ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Why am I so overwrought? Why am I so disturbed? Why can’t I just hope in God? Despite all my emotions, I will believe and praise the One who saves me and is my life. Hopefully it goes without saying that feelings are not inherently bad. Emotions enrich our lives and are absolutely necessary to building a close relationship with God and with people around us. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Without emotion, we would never be able to experience compassion and empathy, or indignation and inspiration. Even emotions we perceive as negative, like shame and regret, can bring us closer to other people by prompting us to seek reconciliation when we’ve done something wrong. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ But emotions aren’t meant to replace our relationship with God: ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ In the end they will be destroyed. Their own emotions are their god, and they take pride in the shameful things they do. Their minds are set on worldly things. Philippians 3:19 GW Have your emotions become your God? That means we can start to worship them, obey them, and rely on them in ways we really shouldn’t. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ Trust what God’s word says, your feelings will catch up! ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀ #DailyScripture #DailyPrayer #DailyBible #PrayerLife #BibleQuote #SoulScripts #JesusCalling #JesusOverEverything #JoyOfTheLord #ScriptureStudy #DailyEncouragement #GraceUponGrace #BibleGram #DailyDevo #ChristianPost https://www.instagram.com/p/ChU69vlu-1D/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

Claude McKay, If We Must Die (1919), in Soulscript. Afro-American Poetry, Edited by June Jordan, Zenith Books, Garden City, NY, 1970, p. 135 (text here)

"I miss 'us'." . "Had there ever been an 'us' in the first place?" . "I am not hallucinating. You are just numb!" . Never thought that it would be our last conversation. It gets lonely inside sometimes. . #soulscripts #inmyhead #thoughts #explore #discover #fallinlove #details #liveauthentic #goodvibes #freespirit (at Las Casas Quezon City) https://www.instagram.com/p/B08LHE5F0l8/?igshid=175ftira4t9dj

Statue

I am stone.

Smooth skin of alabaster, cold to the touch. Firm, and unyielding.

I am of the earth.

Years of pressure have formed me, turned me hard and impenetrable.

Ageless I watch.

weary as the world chips me away until I am nothing but sharp edges.

And then, a river.

It caresses me, laughing softly as it washes away the grime.

It is not frightened by my hardness, the razor edges do not turn it away.

Slowly, it soothes.

It's gentle persistence works my edges into something soft, revealing shape buried deep.

I am formed.

Smooth curves and delicate folds, shining in the sunlight, bare and unafraid.

I am stone.

Carved and polished from a tender touch, resurrected through time and love.

I stand tall.

Still strong, for I am born of the earth, and I will not be pushed back again by the world.

I am beautiful.

Life has been breathed into me, from the darkest depths of my coldness I have been shaped into something...new

Something a little different today🦊 Matthew 11:28-30 New International Version (NIV) 28 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest . Feeling anxious today? Feeling worried? Weary? Don't, take your worries to God and let him give you rest, peace. . 🙏🏻Lord I pray that you are with those today suffering the silent prison of mental health disorders, I pray that you give them peace and rest, in Jesus name, Amen 🙏🏻 . . . #art #christianblogger #modernlettering #watercolor_art #illustrationnow #watercolor_daily #soulscript #communityofchristiancreatives #everydaywatercolor #artandfaith #femaleillustrators #godsgal #rootedintheword #watercolourinspiration #watercolourart #gracemakers #christianmentalhealthawareness #anxietydisorder #foxart #mentalhealthartwork #watercolorfox #foxes #comeallwhoareweary #matthew1128 #foxwatercolour (at Sheffield) https://www.instagram.com/p/B2RrXc7p3p7/?igshid=1caaul0j1y7kq