Dear Ones,
Hope you will have a peace filled day. Our apartment is full of aroma as I just took cookies out of the oven. Soon I am off to Aldi’s and then to exercise class. Al will be going to Assisted Living to give a communion service and then leading Bible Study here this afternoon. We have Bible Study tonight at church so is a day full of blessings. 
Devotions from Judy’s heart
Who knows best? Do we think we know better what is best for our lives, even better than God knows? We may quickly deny that is our thinking but in practice maybe we trust our own mind above His wisdom. David said in Psalm 139 that the Lord knows Him better than any other, when he sits down or gets up, as well as even His thoughts. He realizes, as he says in verse 17, that God is thinking of him all the time and is very aware of him. David said, “How precious are your thoughts concerning me, O God! How vast are the number of them.” He goes on to ask the Lord to examine him and know his mind and test his thoughts.                                                                        
Our friend David who we walk the trail with, sent a poem to us titled, Give God a Piece of Our Mind, which in reality is really giving all of our mind. He admits that he has been trying to deal with his own mindful understanding, the challenging circumstances of his wife’s Alzheimer’s which only leads to hopelessness and anxiety. When we do this the winds of fear move in and it is like being out of the eye of the storm and battling the wind on our own. Life gets heavy and peace alludes. David describes it like a bird trying to get out of captivity, or a like a flower that dies in the snow. Life is dark with worry and fears overtake us.                                                                                          
 But if, on the other hand, we choose to surrender our minds to the Lord and our way of thinking, He will create in us His peace and a deep trust. Jesus says He knows what we need even before we ask. (Matt. 6:8) What a difference it makes when He is in control, rather than ourselves.                                                                                                                                        
 The choice is ours, as we were given a free will. Will we hold onto the controls of how we think our life should go, or will we surrender and trust Him with everything. Our friend David realized he needed to change directions and now appreciates the peace that is his in the midst of the storm. Peace is a fruit of the Spirit as we live in His loving embrace, trusting God knows best.
Challenge for today: Ask the Lord to help you trust Him in deeper ways, especially in those things your mind can’t wrap around.
Blessings on your day and prayers and love, Judy