Dear Ones,
Hope you are having a relaxed weekend and having time to get refreshed! We are enjoying our time here in Kansas and so much joy to be with family after a whole year. We are eating, laughing, shopping and catching up. Our granddaughter took us to her favorite store this morning as she is really into plants, and the house will soon look like the garden of Eden! We plan to celebrate tomorrow going to church and eating as we watch the Super Bowl.Emoji Appreciate prayers as we leave early Monday for home and some snow is predicted. 
Devotions from Judy’s heart
We all get weary at times and not just tiredness of body from work, but also of our souls. Jesus said in Matt. 11:28-30 (ESV), “Come to me all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” That invitation includes all of us at various times in our lives who need rest! Going to Kansas yesterday we had gotten up at 2:45 a.m. and began our long road trip. Al and I talked the first 5 hours together, and then walked a mall, had lunch etc before I took a little snooze. I was feeling weary! Other times we may feel tired from a hard work day project and we remember Jesus inviting to us to come to Him for rest.  We serve the Lord often in our strength but we also can serve Him in our weaknesses. The apostle Paul had lots to boast about as a Pharisee of Pharisee, but after coming to the Lord he boasted instead of his weaknesses. Could it be we actually serve the Lord better in our weaknesses for there we come to experience His strength. Pastor Tish shares about a friend who confessed his secret sin to the Pastor and told what he was ashamed of. The Pastor’s response was surprising as he said, “We need you in our church, not in spite of your struggle but because of it.” In the place of weakness and repentance God shows Himself best! Jesus calls all of us who are weary and know we are not strong and all together. We need the Lord. How many times I have to pray, “Lord I need you!” Isaac the Syrian said, “Blessed is the man who knows his own weakness, because awareness of this becomes the foundation of beginning of all that is good and beautiful.” In our weaknesses, we experience God’s strength! Jesus said He’d give us rest and a yoke. Those that wore a yoke in Jesus day were to submit to someone. We are to submit to God’s authority and be taught by Him.  If we go our own way, we will experience a heavy yoke. Going God’s way, the yoke will be light for He shares our burdens, however heavy. Sometimes we find ourselves exhausted, and may not even have the words to pray, and in those times we can just sit before Him in silence. We then have the promise that the Holy Spirit will pray and intercede for us. Let us learn to rest in the Lord!
Challenge for today: Confess a weakness you have and ask for His strength.
Blessings on your weekend and prayers and love, Judy