Dear Ones,
Hope you had a great weekend. Our pastor was sick yesterday so at the last minute the Deacons had to quickly put something together and it all seemed to flow into a general theme. So neat! This morning I made Al’s cookies and went to my exercise class and studied. So good to be able to walk outside yesterday. 
Devotions from Judy’s heart
Sometimes I wake up early in the morning and I have a sense of what I should write about that day; other mornings I have to pray and wait to see if what I am reading in my devotions has a general theme and I need to launch out on that. It isn’t always what I would pick out but rather what I think the Lord wants me write.
Yesterday I read about gossip but that is a subject that I’d rather ignore. Like me, you probably have been the object of someone’s gossip and know that it is not pleasant. It hurts! The trouble is you can’t defend yourself for it is said in secret; but you can pray that those who know you well, will not believe it. Sadly, it happens in the church too, and that should not be! Sometimes those who feel inferior do it just to be in the know and to gloat that other people have problems as they do. It can also come out of hearts that are envious and want to increase their own social status.  But when we pass on negative things to others, even if it is true, it still hurts the person we speak against, the person who listens to it and ourselves. Which of us wants to be known as a gossip?  Others would not be able to trust us and would wonder if we would talk about them in their absence.
King David said in Psalm 34:13-14(God’s Word), “Keep your tongue from saying evil things and your lips from speaking deceitful things. Turn away from evil, and do good. Seek peace, and pursue it.” Just after I read this verse, I saw a tidbit on Facebook about Gossip and will share with you.
“Gossips are worse than thieves because they steal another person’s dignity, honest reputation, and credibility which are challenging to restore. Remember: when your feet slip you can always recover your balance. When your tongue slips, you cannot recover your words.”
Our tongues have power to hurt and we need to ask the Lord to help us guard what we say and if we can’t say something good, to be simply be quiet.
Challenge for today: The next time you are tempted to gossip, stop and pray and remain silent.
Blessings on your week and prayers and love, JUdy