Dear Ones,
 Happy day as the sun is shining again and hoping you are enjoying the day. This morning I made a veggie stir fry, went to Aldi’s and my exercise class. This afternoon is crafts and tonight is Bible study with video from Max Lacado. 
Devotions from Judy’s heart
   Where do we seek encouragement and hope when things seem to be falling apart? Do we find it in confiding in a friend? Or calling our pastor? Or reading a self-help book? Yes, it is good to get empathy and words of encouragement from others but if we don’t go to the Lord, we can still be left feeling lost and alone when they are not around.
   In one of our previous churches, we had a young mother who would come to Ladies class and take up group time sharing alot about things she was worried about, especially in her family. She got encouragement from others but it never seemed to stick. So I asked her to come early each week and then just spent a few minutes praying for her and pointing her to the Lord for His help. It makes such a difference when we go to the Source. He stands beside us always and our hope is in Him.
   Mark Roberts from Fuller Seminary has been writing about Lamentations which is a book of sorrow and laments of all that is happening around Jeremiah. He was called the weeping prophet and wept as he saw how God’s people had turned away from God and rejected Him. Jeremiah says he feels attacked and homeless; his soul is bowed down and he lacks peace and hope. Doesn’t sound like a good place to be and maybe you have felt like that at times when life seems to be caving in and you have lost your hope and strength.
   But then Jeremiah calls to mind God’s steadfast love and becomes a man of hope. He says in Lam 3:21-23 (God’s Word), “The reason I can still find hope is that I keep this one thing in mind: the Lord’s mercy. We are not completely wiped out. His compassion is never limited. It is new every morning. His faithfulness is great. My soul can say, “The Lord is my lot in life. That is why I find hope in Him.”
   Whenever we may feel hopeless and sad, let us remember God’s mercy and hope in Him!
   Challenge for today: Bring all your sorrows before the Lord and then recount His mercy to you and hope again in Him.
Blessings on your day and prayers and love, Judy