Dear Ones,
Happy Weekend!! Thank you for prayers for Donald as his surgery went well and they did everything they needed to and he will be going home. PTL!! Big answer to prayers. This morning I cleaned the apartment, did food prep and wrote letters. It is raining now but everything looks so fresh and green again. 
Devotions from Judy’s heart
Surprise! This morning as I opened the blinds and looked out my window, the tree that has looked almost dead all winter is now full of white blossoms that appears almost like popcorn. It seems like the change took place overnight and is now a thing of beauty. Think of all the gardeners who are itching to get out to plant gardens and dream of nutritious veggies and beautiful flowers. Today I read how author, Ann Spangler, had a very small yard but once planted all kinds of veggies and berries and lots of tomatoes in her raised garden. It wasn’t long before she realized that the tomatoes were taking over and were so thick that the other veggies couldn’t thrive. She compared her garden to our hearts and how we need to give it space and nourishment if good things are going to grow. When our lives are crowded with a plethora of even good things, it chokes out time with the Lord and our relationship with Him suffers. We were meant for close fellowship and to bear fruit and that takes space and time for prayer, feeding on His word, for resting in Him etc. If the enemy can’t get us one way, he will cause us to become so busy that our time with the Lord is choked out and we won’t bear fruit. I loved to garden and in our church in Brunswick I had a very large one. The first year, the senior group helped me plant it and then they drove by often to check on it. One gardener said I had the cleanest garden in the county but it took much of my time. Although I had to weed it and tend it, I found it was also a time I could pray and enjoy God’s presence. Some plants needed thinning, others pruning and some needed to be tied to stakes to climb. So, it is with our spiritual gardens, the weeds need to go, other unnecessary or harmful things have to be cut back and sometimes we need encouragement from others who are solid in their walk of faith. Patience is required as we can’t go out and pull up a plant to see how fast it is growing. God gives the growth and our part is to be rooted and grounded in Him and the growth will naturally take place. Consequently, we can live in hope for we know that only by remaining in Him will we produce much fruit. Apart from Him we can do nothing. (John 15:5) So let us tend our spiritual gardens and grow, grow, grow!
Challenge for today: Ask the Lord if He would have you plant something new in your spiritual garden.
Blessings on your weekend and prayers and love, Judy