Dear Ones,
Hope you had a good weekend. I hit more sales at Kohl’s and had a ball. This morning I baked cookies and did lots of food prep and soon I am off to my exercise class. 
Devotions from Judy’s heart
    The Lord created us with the capacity to connect with others for we are relational beings that thrive as we have close relationships. In fact, it is important for our spiritual growth and physical and mental health. Children that are separated from parents or a loving care giver have attachment problems and may even fail to thrive. They can actually die because of the lack of human connection even though they are fed and warm. We all need deep attachment bonds and connections to cope with stress and to have mental health and spiritual growth.
   Of course, it is most important to be attached to the Lord and to put our trust in Him. As we learn to rest in His love, God becomes our secure base and place of security. We can always run to Him for He is always there for us. When we come to rest in God’s love,we come to know Him as our Father like it says in Romans 8:16-17 (Message), “God’s Spirit touches our spirits and confirms who we really are. We know who He is and we know who we are: Father and children.”
   If we have had a rather tough beginning in our early years, it may be harder to trust that God will always be there for us. In fact, we may feel distant from God and fear that He will abandon us too. Like author Todd Hall said, our early attachment experiences with others in our lives shape our attachment to God but they don’t determine it. We can change and grow through new relational experiences with others He puts in our lives and with the Lord. That’s good news! Our relationship with God doesn’t have to stay at the same level we experienced as a child, for we can be loved into loving. As we form new attachment relationships with others, we discover that it is transforming how we view ourselves, others and God. We come to know that God will not abandon us but will be there for us and we can rest secure in His love.
Challenge for today: Open up your heart in new ways to connect with God and to others in your life. 
Blessings on your week and prayers and love, Judy