Dear Ones,
Hope you wake to a joy-filled day. Al is already at church this morning and soon the donuts will be arriving here for Donut day. I plan to go to Aldi’s this morning and also to make stroganoff. This afternoon we have Bible Study and we have a good attendance each week. 
Devotions from Judy’s heart
  One morning I awakened with the chorus singing in my mind, “Every day with Jesus is sweeter than the day before. Every day with Jesus I love Him more and more. Jesus saves and keeps me and He’s the one I’m waiting for. Every day with Jesus is sweeter than the day before.” Is that true for each of us, that every day we are full of joy as He becomes more precious to us? Or are we overwhelmed by fear and discouragement by all that is happening around us in our world? It depends on where our focus is. When it is on the Lord, we can have joy in the midst of whatever is going on.
    Like David said in Psalm 30:11(NLT), “You have turned my mourning into joyful dancing. You have taken away my clothes of mourning and clothed me with joy.”  Really, can we have joy even in adverse circumstances? Only if our eyes are on the Lord and we trust Him and draw our strength from Him.
     I was reading this morning in my devotions how Paul and Silas were in jail for preaching about Jesus and setting a slave girl free, yet they began to pray and sing to the Lord. I wonder if we would be doing that or would we be questioning the Lord as to why that happened to us while we were trying to lead others to Him. Or asking the Lord what was going to happen to us now.  But as they praised the Lord, their chains were suddenly broken off and they were set free. In a sense, they were free even before their chains were gone, for they were praising the Lord in the midst of their circumstance.
   Perhaps today, rather than looking at the negative things happening around us and becoming fearful, we can in faith trust the Lord and begin to praise Him. Let us tell the Lord, “You are so worthy of our praise and our hearts trust in you no matter what!’’
Challenge for today: Sink your roots deeply into the Lord and praise Him from your heart of faith.  
Blessings on your day and prayers and love, Judy