Dear Ones,
Happy weekend to you and may it be filled with good things! This morning I made two spaghetti pies and a dish with many veggies and did some studying. Al is hyped about the games starting but later we will go for a beautiful walk on the Paul Bunyan. 
Devotions from Judy’s heart
How much of our lives are controlled by fear?  Some fears are imagined and may not be rational; other fears may be real and some even helpful in preventing us from falling, burning ourselves etc. I was studying for our Women’s Bible Study tomorrow and this time it is on not becoming a slave to fear. There are 365   “Fear Nots” in the Bible and it is the most repeated command of all. Fear is a robber of the life that God wants us to live. Fear began in the Garden of Eden when Adam and Eve hide from God after disobeying Him. When God confronted them, they played the blame game and didn’t own up as they were afraid. It is important that we face our fears and replace them with God’s truth so not to become a slave to fear. Most of our fears and worries don’t happen and it does no good to be consumed with fears. Instead of fear that we might fail, worries over what others think of us, or fears of the future, we can go to the Bible and rehearse the promises that God has given us. God wants to empower us and have us cast all our cares and worries on Him. I know we are all concerned about COVID and we need to take the necessary precautions, but we are not to live in fear and dread. Stress is like an epidemic and kills us mentally, emotionally and often physically. Some Doctors tell us we are more apt to die from the anxiety, loneliness, and stress of worrying about the virus than the virus itself. Our security and trust is in the Lord and we must change how we think. He will keep us in peace when our mind is set on Him. We can store up His promises that He is with us always.  I memorized Psalm 91 a long time ago, but I don’t think I noticed back then that verses 9-10 speaks of the plague. It says in ESV translation, “Because you have made the Lord your dwelling place—the Most High, who is my refuge—no evil will be allowed to befall you, no plague come near your tent.” The Psalmist also says that God is our refuge, fortress, deliverer, shelter. Aren’t those wonderful words when we feel fearful? We are all going to die one day but even death is not something we have to fear; for those that know the Lord death is the victory. We just get to heaven a little while before those we left on earth but we will join those that have gone before us. So whether we live or die, as Paul said, “we belong to the Lord”. (Romans 14:8)
Challenge for today: Confess any fears you have to the Lord and trust His promises to be with you always. 
Blessings on your weekend and prayers and love, Judy