Dear Ones,
Hope you are enjoying the weekend. I am soon off to church to help clean it, along with other gals. I also need to clean our apartment today as Al’s sister from upper Michigan is coming tomorrow for 4 days. We hope to get to the lake and go a movie and do lots of catching up.
Devotions from Judy’s heart
   Little things we do in life often make a difference and can change the course and thinking of someone else! We may never know the results of responding to the Holy Spirit when He tells us to give an encouraging text to a friend who is feeling low, or giving a total stranger a kind remark, or pitching in and helping someone who is overwhelmed by a deadline. Just one scripture or caring look can change the course of someone’s life, though it seems so small.
   Al and I were recently on coffee duty here at Northern Lakes and a friend 2 apartments down from us goes to work early each day. He has offered to push the buttons at 6 a.m. on our coffee makers that I have made ready the night before, so Al can go down later and put the brewed coffee in the carafes. Such a simple gesture but appreciated!   
   Recently on Facebook an employee was shown who definitely made a difference. A homeless man came and sat down at IHOP and asked for a drink for he was thirsty. He said he had no money but the employee gave him the menu anyway and told the man to order from there. The heart of this homeless man must have been so grateful as he waited for his hot meal. Just think of how that act of kindness made the day for him. And another person was also touched as she watched it all unfolded.
   One small act of kindness done when prompted by the Holy Spirit may carry more weight than a huge deed done in our flesh. Have you noticed how a kind word spoken when a person feels down is like gold and can bring healing to them? 
   It’s so important to be open to the Spirit and as it says in Rom. 8:6, that “the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace.” Rather than letting the world influence us, when we have our hearts set on the Lord we have peace and deep joy. It naturally flows out of us like a bubbling spring and spills over on others. Let us not be centered on self but on the Lord and then allow Him to use us to bless others
  Challenge for today: Do an act of kindness for another as the Spirit directs you today.
Blessings on your weekend and prayers and love, Judy