Category: Uncategorized (Page 1 of 3)

April 18, 2025

April 17, 2025 / Judy Hendrickson / 0 Comments

Dear Ones,

A blessed Good Friday to you! We are at Mark and Andrea’s now and thank you for prayers for the long journey here. What a joy to see family after so long and to hug and play games and catch up.

Devotions from Judy’s heart

My favorite magazine, Just Between Us, is celebrating a 35-year anniversary and many of the articles are focused on the subject of celebration. As the word celebration implies, we give praise to the Lord and are mindful of His goodness to us. I personally like celebrations, especially when we can honor our family members on their birthdays with parties presents, and perhaps a special meal. I have always believed that every person needs to have one day when they are honored and appreciated as they experience God’s love flowing to them through others. Here at Northern Lakes, we celebrate birthdays every month of the year.

In scripture we read of special times the Israelites were told to celebrate, and soon we will celebrate Good Friday and Easter. We want to never forget but rather to celebrate Jesus’ sacrifice for us. Pastor Sharon Miller writes about how everyone needs to celebrate and it can become one of the spiritual disciplines in our lives. She mentions how God created everything in 6 days and then celebrated on the 7^th day by resting. His first miracle was at a wedding celebration when the wine had run out and he turned the water into wine. Jesus also celebrated Passover meal with his disciples before he was crucified. Sharon also mentions the wonderful celebration we have to look forward to in the future and that is the marriage feast of the lamb. In Revelation 19 it says, “Hallelujah! For the Lord our God the Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and exult and give Him the glory, for the marriage of the Lamb has come and His bride has made herself ready.” As the church we are the bride of Christ and we can look forward to this wondrous celebration one day.

Another celebration we may not have given much thought to is our identity in Christ. We celebrate that we are chosen by God, we are adopted, forgiven, redeemed. We can fully trust everything we read in the Word about how we matter to God and He loves us unconditionally, He forgives us and even forgets our sins. We are beautiful in His eyes and every day we can celebrate who He made us to be. There is no one else like us!

Let us take time in our lives for celebrations! In June Al and I are going to celebrate our 60^th wedding anniversary and we give praise for all these many years that God has given us together to love each other and to serve and love Him.

Challenge for today: Celebrate something that you are eternally grateful for!

Blessings on your Easter weekend and prayers and love, Judy

September 27, 2024

September 27, 2024 / Judy Hendrickson / 0 Comments

Dear Ones,

Happy weekend to you! This is party day here and we are going to Costco to get the Birthday cake for celebrating 9 birthdays in September. Our son from N.C is also arriving today for a week and will be at the cabin part of the time and with us the other half.
Devotions from Judy’s heart

It is quite likely we have all gone through heart-wrenching experiences in our lives and felt like our hearts were crushed. It could be in the death of someone we love or feeling betrayed by a close friend etc. I read two Psalms today and in Ps. 34, David escaped from Abimelech and is praising the Lord with a heart full of thanks. He tells how God met him in his desperate situation and shares in verse 18, “If your heart is broken, you’ll find God right there. If you’re kicked in the gut, He’ll help you catch your breath.” He had been in many tight situations in his life but had experienced God listening to him and delivering him. If you feel like that today, know that God not only listens to you, He will rescue you.

The second Psalm I read today was Psalm 77 that Asaph who was one of David’s chief musicians wrote on a night he feels very upset and faint. I noticed the Psalm is full of “I’s” as he tells how he can’t sleep all night and says, “I cry aloud to God… I think of God and I moan; I meditate and my spirit faints…I am so troubled I cannot speak etc. But then I notice things change as he switches the focus from himself to the Lord and begins worshiping Him. He goes from asking if God has forgotten him to recalling all of God’s wonderful deeds and His goodness during the difficult times. He starts meditating on the Lord and how He led His people through the Red Sea and worked wonders.

God can help us shift our focus as we also go through desperate times. We can share how we feel but then remember how faithful He has been and all that He has taken us through before. Listen for God’s voice as He will lead us through our own Red Sea to see His mighty hand and work His miracles.

Challenge for today: In those times of discouragement, meditate on God’s Word and also the works that He has performed and give thanks.

Blessings on your weekend and prayers and love, Judy

September 27, 2024

September 27, 2024 / Judy Hendrickson / 0 Comments

Dear Ones,

Challenge for today: In those times of discouragement, meditate on God’s Word and also the works that He has performed and give thanks.

Blessings on your weekend and prayers and love, Judy

May 15, 2024

May 15, 2024 / Judy Hendrickson / 0 Comments

Dear Ones,

Greetings from Lexington, KY and we arrived here after a full day of travel in the rain and lots of traffic. Our usual place to stay was filled up and so we kept traveling. I had a wonderful swim and today we will be going to Knoxville and Thursday to Statesville, N.C. So excited.

Devotions from Judy’s heart,

I just finished reading the new book out by my cousin’s daughter-in-law, Kristin Salvevold, “A Quiet Witness”. It was so good that I read the whole 346-page book in one day, as we traveled. It taught me much of how the Lord can navigate His children through the most difficult circumstances in life and shower them with His goodness, binding them together as a family in God’s love. I can’t even imagine the painful circumstances this family endured as Kristin and her husband Chris first lost one baby by a miscarriage, and then had 8 children; one was a special needs daughter, Britlyn, who had a rare condition of a deletion in her tenth chromosome which hindered her from growing as other children and required surgeries and lots of therapy.

The latest 8^th child that was rather a surprise, was Jensyn with an even rarer condition that only a few in the world have. It is called Trisomy 5p which resulted with many multiple problems that required constant care, much of it being in the hospital ICU. But she was loved so much by her parents and all her siblings that I think they would all say she was a gift to them and helped each of them to cling to the Lord in deeper ways than they ever would have, without caring for her. Often mom or dad had to miss birthdays or games of her sibling because she was in need of emergency care. Since Chris is a pastor, their church stepped up to help often and prayed much. Miracles were evidenced when they prayed, and Jensyn would suddenly get better. Jensyn was a silent witness as she never learned to talk or walk but communicated God’s love in other ways.

The family was all able to be with Jensyn when she was near her homecoming and through tears, they each sat at her bedside and cradled her and said their goodbyes. They sang and worshiped together and before her last moment they sang Chris Tomlin’s song, as the words became very real, “I will rise when He calls my name; No more sorrow, no more pain.”

Although she lived only 6 ½ years she touched many hearts, even of the doctors and nurses. There were 550 at her funeral, and Al and I were among them and very touched. It was a funeral we won’t forget as Jensyn’s siblings were the worship team and lifted their hands and hearts in praise to the Lord for His gift to them. Jensyn wasn’t a burden but God’s gift of love.

Each person has to deal with pain and death, and it isn’t the same for everyone. Jensyn’s siblings have written letters to her, and they are grateful for what they have learned through her. One said she taught her to how to love without expectation of return. Another felt she learned that she couldn’t rely on her own strength, but the Lord’s. Her brother writes that she brought the family close and now they await being reunited someday.

Challenge for today: Be present to others going through grief and allow them to grieve their way and hold them up in prayer.

Blessings on your day and prayers and love, Judy

April 19,2024

April 19, 2024 / Judy Hendrickson / 0 Comments

Dear Ones, Happy weekend. Hope you wake to a sunny day. Each morning as I look out my window the trees are budding and everything is starting to green up. Today Ann’s family is taking us out for lunch! Devotions from Judy’s heart The Lord is after our hearts and wants us to know Him in a deep way. We can pray and ask Him for decisions about who to marry, what field of work we should go into, or whether we should move etc. But those things, though they are important, they are not the most important for first it is to really know the Lord. The more intimate we know Him, the more we will be able to discern what He wants in our lives. Because I know Al so well, I can almost predict in situations what He will do. There are many times I could finish his sentences and he mine. It’s because we spend time together and share together and know each other well. As we spend time in the Word and prayer with an openness to the Lord, the Holy Spirit will reveal more of the Lord to us. Some of the questions we are asking may be answered specifically in the Word and we don’t have to wonder if it is His will, for it is only a matter of obedience. Through our times with Him, we may find our hearts are being enlarged and softened and we come away with a desire to express His love to others around us. It is not something we feel we have to do, but it becomes something on our hearts we want to do.

One thing we discover as we draw closer to the Lord, there is no room for unforgiveness towards anyone. Jesus forgave those that put Him to death, and we must also forgive everyone who has hurt us. We are going to need His power to do that, as it is one of the most difficult things He asks of us. But if we do not forgive and become revengeful, it is much like poison in our bodies. It may show itself in depression, anger, bitterness and anxiousness. But as Paul told the Colossian believers, “Forgive as the Lord forgave you.” (Col. 3:13) If we do not forgive our Heavenly Father will not forgive us. (Matt. 6:15) Let us give our hearts fully to the Lord and let us be known by Him and become like Him. Challenge for today: Open your heart in new ways to the Lord and to others. May you have a wonderful weekend full of blessings and prayers and love, Judy

January 4, 2021

January 4, 2021 / Judy Hendrickson / 0 Comments

Dear Ones,

Hope you had a good weekend. Al and I enjoyed a wonderful time at the party on Saturday and had a feast that included prime rib, games and prizes and time to fellowship. Yesterday there were lots of happy people in MN as the Vikings won! Al preached and thank you for prayers. Today my exercise classes started again and it felt good to work out.

Devotions from Judy’s heart

How often do we forget the kindness of the Lord to us? We may start out praising Him and before long we begin to complain and forget all the wonderful blessings we have been given. The children of Israel were good at that as they saw miraculous works of God, and then it says in Psalm 106 they did not remember the abundance of his steadfast love… they forgot His works…they forgot God their Savior… and they despised God’s plan for them. As a result, a plague broke out among them and their enemies oppressed them. But when things were at their worse, they cried out to the Lord and He heard them and delivered them. What about us? How often are we like the Israelites and forget how God has been there for us and carried us through difficult circumstances, healed us of sicknesses, forgiven us of all the wrongs we have done? I think it is helpful to keep a spiritual journal where we can record God’s blessings that we are made aware of daily and also write down prayer needs. Then as we see the answers, we are reminded to give Him praise and not forget His powerful works in our behalf. I keep a diary as well as a prayer journal, and since it is a 5 year one, I often read what happened on that day the year before. I marvel of the things I have forgotten that God did. King David prayed in Psalm 103:1-2 (Amplified), “Bless (Affectionately, gratefully praise) the Lord, O my soul; and all that is (deepest) within me, bless His holy name! Bless (affectionately, gratefully praise) the Lord, O my soul, and forget not (one of) all His benefits.” Sometimes our pride enters in and we give ourselves credit for blessings and think we have earned them. But like David we can ask God to help us remember that it is His blessings and benefits we are receiving, especially when things seem to be going well. God warned the people of Israel when they were about to enter the Promise land not to forget the Lord or let their hearts become proud, but to observe His commands, and remember that it was He who brought them out of slavery. As we begin 2021, let us make it a practice to remember what the Lord has done for us and give Him thanks and praise for all His benefits.

Challenge for today: Begin a praise and gratitude list, as well as, a prayer request list.

Blessings on your week and prayers and love, Judy

January 2, 2021

January 2, 2021 / Judy Hendrickson / 0 Comments

Dear Ones,

Hope you are enjoying this holiday weekend. This afternoon we are going to the home of a couple from our church for a dinner party along with 10 others. Fun! This morning I did some food prep and cleaned the apartment and especially my desk top of papers. Tomorrow Al will be preaching at our church as our pastor’s family is on vacation. I’m sure he would appreciate prayers.

Devotions from Judy’s hear

When I was at my former Bible Study group, a Christmas gift was left at my place on the table and I do not even know who it is from. But it was a book by Erwin Lutzer, “A Practical Guide for Praying Parents.” When I first read the title, I thought our kids are grown but maybe it has wisdom in praying for our grandchildren too, as they have so many challenges that we didn’t have to face. As I read it, I was reminded of the importance of prayer and the tremendous power in prayer. Our children belong to God and Erwin said the best way we can honor and prove our love to them is to pray regularly for them. I know my parents prayed daily for me and my siblings even as Al and I pray every day for each of our children and spouses and our grandchildren. At Moody Church they had Prayer meetings for Parents of Prodigals for 4 weeks and attendance grew as many came and wept in prayer for their prodigals. It’s not necessarily the parent’s fault when their children go astray but a couple questions they asked themselves were, “What is God teaching us through our children?” How might we have contributed to their rebellious choices? Maybe we were too strict or self-righteous or never wrong and need to ask the Lord to change us. Some children are born into homes where they were thought of as a burden and not a blessing; maybe mom was raped, or dad wasn’t in the picture at all. But all children need to know they are loved and to receive hugs and words that they are valued. Sometimes we are more concerned about our children’s behavior than the condition of their hearts. We allow their hearts to be stolen by cell phones, violent games, pornography, T.V. etc; but we need to spend more time praying for the Lord to capture their hearts. There are times God makes them miserable in their sin and we are not to enable them or to rescue them but pray they come to the Lord. God wants to create in them a clean heart. Most often, they have to come to the pigsty before they can come home to the Father who is waiting. Let us never give up on our children, for God’s power is greater than the enemy. The disciples tried to shoo the children away from Jesus but Jesus let his disciples know that He welcomed them. In Mark 10:16 (The Message) it says, “Then, gathering the children up in His arms, He laid His hands of blessing on them.” Just as Jesus blessed them, we as parents can also do that. Al had his father place his hand on his head to say a blessing on him and we can pray a blessing over our children. They need to know unconditional love, affirmation and encouragement for that which is good. Pray! Pray! Pray and never give up!

Challenge for today: Pray for children in your life and bring encouragement to them when there is opportunity.

Blessings on your weekend and prayers and love, Judy

January, 1, 2021

January 1, 2021 / Judy Hendrickson / 0 Comments

Dear Ones,

Hope your first day of the New Year is bursting with joy! I have a new journal and it begins each day with a space for praise and gratitude and then follows with prayer requests. I have so many things to be grateful for and writing praise and blessings down seems to almost multiply them. Today is football day and special treats that we have only once a year. I went downstairs for coffee this morning and am going through the Christmas cards and pictures etc. Hope you have a joyous first day of the year!

Devotions from Judy’s heart

Happy New Year! I love ringing in a New Year as it reminds me of a clean slate, and a fresh start. As we look back on the past year, we probably never imagined it would be so challenging, but God was with us. What about 2021? What will it hold for us, only God knows and we don’t need to fear because He is Emmanuel, God with us. We can trust Him with everything for He is dependable and never changes. He is our Loving Father and understands our humanity, and even when we fail, He gently nudges us back. I wonder what things will be birthed through each of us in a new way this coming year. Will we wait for His timing or will we spin our wheels and rush ahead of Him? Maggie Cooper writes about how often her young daughter gets impatient as she reads to her if there are many words on a page. Sometimes her daughter just grabs the book in her hands and turns the pages before the time, but she misses the details and the story doesn’t make sense. I wonder if we do that with the Lord when He has us in a waiting mode and we get impatient and rush ahead of Him before it is time to turn the page. Of course, we won’t have peace and we get frustrated and may even miss the meaning of what He wants to do in us and through us. It says in Proverbs 19:21 (ESV), “Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand.” We can have lots of plans mapped out for our future but it is God’s purposes that will prevail, mot ours. Let us first seek His direction for each day as we face a new year, and wait for His appointed time. I think we will find our hearts at peace and we can confidently rest in the Lord.

Challenge for today: Seek His will and purpose for your life each and and let go of your own plans.

May the Lord bless you in this new year. Love, Judy

December 31, 2020

December 31, 2020 / Judy Hendrickson / 0 Comments

Devotions from Judy’s heart

We are about to begin a New Year and 2020 was quite a year, full of the unexpected. None of us could have predicted the pandemic and all that has happened in our country. As we go into the New Year, we need God’s wisdom and strength, remembering that he is in control and we are not. Today I am sharing Alisha Headley’s prayer and may we make it our prayer on this last day of 2020.

“Dear God,

We thank you for being faithful, for giving us the courage to push through another day in 2020. Despite this year, you promise that you will never “leave us nor forsake us” (Deuteronomy 31:8). You are a faithful God. You tell us that “those who put our trust and faith in you cannot be shaken” (Psalm 125:1). Thank you that even when our world was shaken in 2020, we serve an unshakeable God. We ask that in times of doubt and questioning, you would remind us to “lean not on our own understanding, but trust in you, and you will direct our paths.” (Proverbs 3:5-6) We ask that you would remind us to rely on your wisdom, which is far greater than our own. As James 1:5 says, “if any of you lacks wisdom, ask you and you will graciously give it to us.” We ask that in all our decisions you would give us wisdom to end 2020 the way you desire us to. We ask that you give us wisdom in the coming year in all that we do. We trust that you are in control and that even if we don’t see the end of this world pandemic in the near future, that you are working and that you know exactly what’s to come. Thank you that you have gone before us, that you are with us, and you go behind us. Thank you for being the only source of security in this insecure world we experienced in 2020.In Jesus mighty name, we love you and ask these things, Amen.”

Challenge for today: Memorize a scripture to carry with you into the New Year.

Blessings in the New Year and prayers and love, Judy

December 30, 2020

December 30, 2020 / Judy Hendrickson / 0 Comments

Dear Ones,

Hope you are enjoying the day and the fresh snow. I think we got about 4″. Al was still able to get out to early morning men’s group and while he was gone I put away our Christmas decorations. This afternoon Ann and grandson Paul are stopping by as they are shopping in Brainerd today.

Devotions from Judy’s heart

We are all on a spiritual journey that is unique and not like anyone else. We go through many stages on our journeys and one would think that everything would get easier but that is not the case. Often it seems to get harder and Teresa of Avila once said after being tossed from her carriage into a mud puddle, “God, if this is how you treat your friends, no wonder they are so few!” Our progress isn’t linear but there are times we may feel like we are going backwards or stuck somewhere on the sidelines. God doesn’t force us to move on for we all have free will, but He patiently waits to shower us with His grace. My cousin has a labyrinth and when I walk it, it often seems like I am going back in the same direction I have just come from. But actually, if I keep going on the winding path, I finding I am getting closer to the center. I love to sit on the rock in the center and look out at the path I have come from with all its twists and turns. Sometimes I look out at my cousin’s lovely flower garden in the summer, another turn takes in the view of the woods or raspberry bushes. Our journeys get more difficult as we have to continually say good by to our false self, our ego, and as Jesus said in Matt. 16:24, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.“ When our false self wins out, we feel like we are back to square one and must humbly accept God’s grace to get up and get going again. Sometimes we experience an awakening where we know we are not in control and we are led back to see our need for the Lord and experience His grace. This may happen on a retreat or maybe after we have had a loss or are going through a midlife crisis. We suddenly realize life is not just about us but about Him and we return to trust and to begin to live in the present moment with Him. He is our friend, our companion, and our true self comes forth. We find acts of kindness seem to flow out of us, not as obligations but natural responses. Our life changes and becomes rich for it is all about Him and not about us. Let us walk the journey with open hands and hearts!

Challenge for today: Commit to keep going on your journey and awake to what God has for you.

Blessings on your day and prayers and love, Judy

Category: Uncategorized (Page 1 of 3)

April 18, 2025

September 27, 2024

September 27, 2024

May 15, 2024

April 19,2024

January 4, 2021

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December 31, 2020

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