Dear Ones,
   Hope you are having a good day! I haven’t done much except sleep and did a little writing and hope that I will get well soon. I will miss Al’s Bible study this afternoon.  
Devotions from Judy’s heart
  Each week or so I try to ask you a question about your own life and I love getting the responses and wish you could also read them all. Last week I asked if you would name a unique gift the Lord has placed in you. No need to get prideful as it is a gift God has placed in us to share His love in our world.
  One person wrote that God has placed within her the gift of hospitality. She said she is an extrovert and loves bringing people together. She has a welcoming presence and organizes and plans many gatherings and finds joy when it all comes together.
   Another person said she has the gift of inclusion. She doesn’t like to see anyone left out and does her best to make sure everyone has a seat at the table etc. She moved around a lot as a child and feared that no one would make room for her, especially in the school lunchroom.
   Another has the gift of music and uses it whenever the opportunity comes, often singing and playing the piano or organ in church and ministering to others through song.
   A fun 87 year old senior wrote of her gift of a sense of humor. She is able to laugh at herself and also the most mundane things that seem to bring her joy.
   One wrote that she has the gift of imagination and it helps her write and motivates her to do new things. She is a librarian and comes up with the most inventive ideas for the kids to have fun as they learn
   Just one more who wrote that God gave her a charitable heart to love easily, those who society often neglects. She attributes it to God’s grace in and through her, and she is in a ministry of helping those who are hurting.
   God wants to grace all of us with compassionate hearts and He gives us gifts to help us in loving others and winning them for His kingdom. Let us put to use whatever gifts God has given us and as it says in I Peter 4:10 (NRSV), “Like good stewards of the manifold grace of God, serve one another with whatever gift each of you has received.” We know that every good and perfect gift is from above! (James 1:17)
Challenge for today: Thank God for the gifts He has given you and use them for His glory.
Blessings on your day and prayers and love, Judy