Dear Ones,
Hope your day holds lots of blessings and that you appreciate the now! Today I’m going to make a big pot of stew to take to the lake tomorrow as my brother and sister-in-law are having dinner with us at the Silver Chateau. I hope to get downstairs this morning for coffee and to catch up. 
Devotions from Judy’s heart
Do we treasure the gifts God has given us or do we tend to take them for granted? Sometimes we don’t realize what we have until it is taken from us. This past week I went to visit a friend who many of you have prayed for in the past. She is in a wheelchair, has very limited vision and until recently has not been able to have company because of COVID19. It’s been many months since I have actually seen her, but this past week we were allowed to go out to the gazebo and have coffee and goodies and pray together (with masks and social distancing). What a joy that was and I savored it even more than those times before the virus changed things. On Facebook I saw these words, “Maybe when social distancing is a thing of the past, we’ll hug a little harder, hold on a little longer, and remember that nothing matters more than time we spend with people we love.” So many things we can take for granted rather than appreciating the gift they are to us daily. In I Peter 4:7-8 (The Message) Peter says, “Everything in the world is about to be wrapped up, so take nothing for granted. Stay wide awake in prayer. Most of all, love each other as if your life depended on it. Love makes up for practically everything.” There isn’t anyone that knows what lies in the future, except God; so it is important to not take things for granted but appreciate what is right now, this very moment we are actually living in. That doesn’t mean it is all roses but even in the hard circumstances, we can still have joy and appreciate His grace to us. The Apostle Paul is such an example of that as he went through so much and yet he expressed joy and thankfulness in his letters. His life was a demonstration of God’s grace and ours can be too, if we practice His presence and have daily intimacy with Him. Let us not complain or take His gifts for granted but live in thankfulness and gratitude for all He is and has given us.
Challenge for today: List several things you are grateful for and give Him thanks.
Blessings on your day and prayers and love, Judy