December 1, 2023

Dear Ones,

Happy weekend to you! I am soon going to bake Choc chip cookies on a stick and then go to get my haircut. There was a mix up in scheduling yesterday as Al had his teeth cleaned and his extraction isn’t until Monday at 10. 

Devotions from Judy’s heart

  How often do we feel we have to help God, or maybe even tell God what we think He should do in a situation. When that happens, we may find that we actually mess up His plan and leave behind a situation for Him to clean up. It is always good to go with God’s plan and wait until we have instructions from Him before we act. Pray first, wait, and then follow His leading.

  A humorous example that recently happened here at Northern Living I will share with you. A friend who is gifted in crafts made a beautiful Christmas picture out of fine little diamond dots. Since we already have such nice pictures on the walls of our halls, she decided to hang her “masterpiece” downstairs near the elevator in the underground where our cars are parked. We would be able to see it as we come and go and also when we take recycling down there. One morning I was going by to get into our car and I saw her beautiful picture on the floor and leaning on the wall not far from the recycling. I wondered why it was there and also thought maybe someone new would think it was something that was given away and would give it a new “home.” I decided to wait until I came back to do something about it. But when I came back it was gone. The story unfolded as I went to Crafts and the artist herself rehearsed the unbelievable morning she had. She had gone downstairs to put up the picture and needed a hammer and nails so went upstairs to her apartment. When she came back the picture was gone. She panicked thinking someone had stolen it and wrote a note on the elevator doors of each floor of our apt. complex. About an hour later a concerned loving friend texted her who was at Costco and said she had her picture in her apt as she was afraid someone would take it and wanted it safe. What relief and soon it was back and hanging up for all of us to see. We had a good laugh and our friend who took it meant well, but it complicated things for the artist!

  Often, we may “help” the Lord with good intentions in mind, but it may not be in His will, what we set out to do. As it says in Psalm 85:8, “I’ll listen carefully for your voice and wait to hear whatever you say. Let me hear your promise of peace-the message every one of your godly lovers longs to hear. Don’t let us in our ignorance turn back from following you.”