Dear Ones,
Hope you are enjoying your day. We left Chattanooga this morning and had a fun day as we hit a large Christian Book Store that is connected to the seminary. We both had a prosperous time! Emoji We went through some beautiful winding roads this afternoon looking out on mountainous peeks and rushing waters and ended up tonight  in Sylva (western Carolina). I just had another wonderful swim in the hotel pool and Al is out walking. Tomorrow we head to our son’s family in Statesville, N.C. and we are so eager to see all of them. Thank you for your prayers. 
Devotions from Judy’s heart
Traveling is fun and enjoyable and gets us out of our regular routine to see our family, enjoy beautiful scenery, and meet new people. And as wonderful as that is, I find that at times I feel lonesome for the Body of Christ where we are planted. Since we left home, a member there who we have come to know and love, has died and we will miss his funeral. We also have church at our apartment complex and miss gathering of fellowship that meets each Thursday. 
I read what Rev Mark Roberts from Fuller Seminary had to say about how important it is to flourish where we are planted and to be in fellowship with others. If we just go to church but not actively engaged and in fellowship with other believers, then we are missing out on a huge blessing that God has for us. As Paul said in I Cor 3:16 (NIV) “Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit lives in you?”
Like one pastor said, we are living stones in God’s temple and we are bound together with other stones. We don’t just roll in on Sunday morning and then roll out again; but we are living stones strategically placed next to others as God would have.
Last Sunday we were at Life Church, which is just one of the Satellite gatherings of the largest church in America. We heard a great sermon that Pastor wove into the Super Bowl theme. It was also stressed at the end of the service by one of the pastors that we need to be involved in serving and in loving fellowship together. It can be too easy to just come to the service and leave without talking to anyone or serving in any way.
Digital connections have been important during Covid and zoom helped us keep in touch remotely, but we also need intentional relationships with other believers, We are not meant to be loners but planted in the sacred soil of Christian community as God’s temple. God is present among us and wants to bless us through Christian brothers and sisters who help us grow.
Let us not miss out on one of God’s great blessings by holding back from being tightly knit together with other believers and serving one another.
Challenge for today: Intentionally talk to someone at church who seems on the fringe and include them in your fellowship
Blessings on your day and prayers and love, Judy