Dear Ones,                                                                                                                                                                Hope you are having a great day! Today is Donut day here so I went downstairs for coffee. I also made Salisbury steaks and dusted all the blinds and washed windows etc. Al had men’s group this morning and this afternoon we have Bible study here and Ann may stop by.                                                                                                            Devotions from Judy’s heart                                                                                                                           The other day, as Al and I walked in the underground parking, we talked intently about how important it is that the Body of Christ be tightly knit together. It is something we pray for daily since it is so vital as the darkness around us in our culture deepens. We need to stand together in unity that we may be strong in His strength in the coming storm.                                                                                                             When we know the Lord, we become part of the Body of Christ and as Paul says in Romans 12:4-6 (God’s Word), “Our bodies have many parts, but these parts don’t all do the same thing. In the same way even though we are many individuals, Christ makes us one Body and individuals who are connected to each other.” The Message says, “Each of us finds our meaning and function as a part of His Body.”                                                                                                                                                                                                It’s so important for all of us to be connected and unified if we are to stand firmly in the days ahead. Some of us may need healing from past hurts as we find it hard to trust and bond with others. There needs to be openness and honesty and dealing with our insecurities, if we are to have a deep connection. The church should be a healing place!                                                                                                                     Also, we will all need to do a lot of dying to ourselves, our vision, our wants, and to consider the whole. And of course, most importantly we need to relate and function together in His love. As we unify, we will be alert for what is coming ahead and have greater power to stand against the enemy. So let us have open hearts and use the individual gifts God has given us to minister to others and to be knit together in love.                                                                                                                                            Challenge for today: Ask the Lord to fit you into your place in the Body of Christ and do all you can to welcome others.                                                                                        Blessings on your day and prayers and love, Judy