June 1, 2021

Dear Ones,

Hope you are enjoying this beautiful sunny weather. Later this week  it is going to get very hot with 96 degrees here. This morning I made Starch free cookies, a veggie dish, egg dishes and got the rest of the blinds dusted. My face continues to look worse from the ointment I have to put on so I am looking rather scary these days! 

Devotions from Judy’s heart

We all carry memories in our hearts! When we ponder and remember things in our past, it often breathes new life into our present. Such was the case over the weekend when we are at our family gathering around the campfire. After we roasted hot dogs and marsh mellows, my cousin Terry lead us in a time of remembering her mom (and my favorite aunt) who went home to the Lord in November. We all shared favorite memories of her of how she touched our lives and expressed God’s love.  There was much laughter at the gutsy things she did in raising her 8 children and fun times and parties! Her daughter also shared how her mom had called her in the middle of the night and was hemorrhaging. She rushed to her Assisted Living apartment and discovered her mom was in big trouble. Her son who is a doctor got on the phone and asked her if she was willing to go to the hospital as she had expressed before that she wanted to die at home and not be hospitalized. But since it was Covid time and she had not seen her 8 kids and many grandkids for some time, her mind was changed and she consented to go. She was rushed there and in ICU for some time while she recovered; when she was discharged, she was not up to living alone. That’s when Terry, who had just quit her job the day before offered to take her mom to her apartment and give her care for several months until her death. God provided a way for all of her children and grandchildren and other relatives and friends to spend time with her and say their good-byes. Her memory lives on in all of us as she shared God’s love and helped us to feel valued and cherished. In the Bible we are often told to remember, just like the children of Israel who God brought out of Egypt and through the Red Sea etc. They were to tell their children of God’s marvelous acts on their behalf. We also have Mary’s example of pondering the angel’s words in her heart. Each one of us have stories to rehearse with our children and others, just as we did around the campfire. We all have a sacred journey to share as we remember the many circumstances God has brought us through, times when His presence was so real. Of course, no day is without His presence and at night before going to sleep, it is a good practice to review our day of how we experienced Him. Let us not forget but remember and share as David said in Psalm 143:5 (Amplified), “I remember the days of old; I meditate on all Your doings; I ponder the work of Your hands.”

Challenge for today: “Spend some time remembering the good things God has done and thank Him; share with others when given an opportunity.