Dear Ones,
   Happy Weekend to you! It rained all morning and everything looks so fresh. I’m sure those at the lake are disappointed and hoping it will clear up soon. This morning I did food prep and made stroganoff and egg dishes etc.  
Devotions from Judy’s heart
   Do we value the presence of the Lord above everything else? That was a question that Juliet Canha asked in her book and maybe we need to ask ourselves. Do we really practice the presence of the Lord throughout our day?
   I have always been impressed by the Brother Lawrence, a monk, who worked in the kitchen but talked to the Lord all through his day. He prayed short prayers and focused on the Lord even as he washed pots and pans etc. I want to live that way, more and more, and just share my day communing with the Lord. Too often I am thinking of what comes next and not being present in the moment to enjoy whatever He brings into my day.
   Recently our friend David, who we walk on the trail with each day, wrote a poem of how he has discovered peace of mind as he seeks to live in the present with the Lord. His wife has Alzheimer’s and he writes that he doesn’t want to be disturbed by his circumstances but to observe the unfolding of life as God intended. He goes on to say that we need to make space for peace to begin and silence to surface which requires us to be present at the moment.
   We can all have deep inner peace knowing the Lord is with us in everything that touches our lives. David said that the past couple years of his journey he has had to face significant headwinds but the Lord has held him closer and given him peace as He turns his headwinds into tailwinds! I love that picture of how those difficult things that we face, can become the very things that spur us on and make us stronger. Think of how many more miles our cars can go on a gallon of gas when we have a tailwind! 
    Like King David said in Psalm 16:11 that it is in His presence that we experience fullness of joy. Let us walk closely with the Lord daily and experience His peace as we become more aware of His presence.
Challenge for today: Talk to the Lord as you go through your day and thank Him that He is right there with you.  
Blessings on your weekend and prayers and love, Judy