Dear Ones,
Hope you had a wonderful weekend! We enjoyed having friends come for  the weekend and it  was a rich time with sharing together, praying, walking on the trail etc. They also got to meet and get acquainted with our trail friends that we walk with each day. God’s timing is perfect. I got to my exercise class this morning but it is going to be very hot for our walk this afternoon.
Devotions from Judy’s heart
How we picture God, shapes the way we live each day. Throughout the years we have formed a picture of God and it influences how we react to life. If we think he is a hard judge, we will live carefully, much like walking on eggshells, trying to keep all the rules. If we think he is like Santa we will pray and believe He will give us whatever we want. But our inaccurate pictures of God can be redrawn and become more like we find in scripture; although He is mystery, we will never fully grasp all that He is. For a clearer picture, we can look at Jesus life and we find that He is love. John Powell compares His love to the nature of the sun that radiates warmth and light and never stops shining. It doesn’t matter if we are outside in the sun, or inside in a dark room, the sun still shines and doesn’t change. He compares it to the way God loves us and never stops; our part is to open up to be changed by His love. We are loved just as we are! 
I am reading a book by Trevor Hudson called Discovering our Spiritual Identity and he is a pastor in South Africa, an author and a spiritual guide. It’s been a slow process for him to come to really know in his heart that he is unconditionally loved by God. He has a burden to help others wake up and know they are beloved by God. Once when he was a speaker for a men’s group, he titled his talk, “The Subject Men Don’t Talk About.” No, it wasn’t what you may think, but shared from II Cor. 12:9, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is made perfect in weakness.” Our worth is not found in achieving great things, or what good things others may say about us or even what insights we get about ourselves. For even when we fail miserably, he keeps shining His love on us, like the sun. Jesus received His identity from His father who said at his baptism, “This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased. (Matt. 3:17) Because we are loved by God, we don’t need to prove our identity and worth to others but see ourselves as He sees us. We are set free when we know our worth doesn’t depend on what we do or don’t do because we are always lovable to God.
Challenge for today: Thank the Lord that He chose you and ask Him to reveal to your heart how He sees you.
Blessings on your week and prayers and love, Judy