Dear Ones,
Hope you wake to a peace-filled day! We will be leaving at 7 am. this morning to go up north. I plan to visit a friend in Assisted living on the way, and  Al is going to spend the morning with a friend in Hackensack, whose wife is going on with me to Ann’s. We are going there to be with the Bible Study group of which I was part of when we lived at the lake. I look forward to seeing those special friends again and having lunch together. 
Devotions from Judy’s heart
   Isn’t it amazing how God uses ordinary people to do extraordinary works for His kingdom? Sometimes it seems He picks the least likely persons we would expect, to bring change and motivate others and do great works; all the more reason we know it is God and it is His power at work in them. We must not disqualify ourself from God using us by saying we are insignificant or come from a damaging background, for He can take anything from our past and actually use it to work for good to bring glory to Him. Like Blanca Juarez Olthoff said, “God is bigger than your history and more concerned with your destiny.”   
   Think of Rahab who was a harlot but courageously hid the spies and is later mentioned in the lineage of Jesus. Or Gideon who was fearful farmer and yet became a mighty man of valor in victory over a massive army with his army of only 300 men. 
   We studied Deborah in our women’s Bible Study and God used her as a Judge and Prophetess in a day when women were not highly valued. Yet, God filled her with wisdom and called her to take military leadership in a battle against the Canaanites, who had long oppressed her people. Together with Barak, victory was miraculously won and they were given a song of praise and celebration for the victory.
   Maybe today we feel very ordinary and wonder how God can use us and yet He waits for us to surrender ourselves to Him and be willing to say Yes for whatever His calling is on our lives. I never dreamed when I wrote short devotionals in my letters to our parents years ago that I would one day be sending daily devotionals to all of you. But whatever God calls us to do, let us do it with our hearts engaged as serving the Lord. Paul said in Col. 3:23-25 (Message), “Work from the heart for your real Master, for God, confident that you’ll get paid in full when you come into your inheritance. Keep in mind always that the ultimate Master you’re serving is Christ.” 
   Challenge for today: Ask the Holy Spirit to confirm God’s specific call on your life and do it willing from your heart.
Blessings and prayers and love, Judy