Dear Ones,
Happy weekend to you! Hope it is a sunny one for all the fishermen. My swelling has gone down some and I will be in church Sunday even if I still look “tough!” Today I am cleaning as I have let some things go the past few days. I will try to send out the picture of the tree in my devotional today. 
Devotions from Judy’s heart
  Springtime is a special time of marveling at the beauty of God’s creation. As I looked out our bedroom window this morning there is a flowering tree in full display. Only a few days ago it had only small buds on it and now it is so gorgeous and full of white blossoms. It was if the Lord is saying, “Do you want to settle for a minimal relationship with me like those small buds or do you want to allow me full access to your life to enable you to be aflame with my love? We can settle for minimal but we will miss so much of what the Lord desires to give us.
  Jesus said in John 15:5, that He is the vine and we are only a branch. We have to remain in Him and He in us if we are to blossom and bear fruit. He also says without Him we can do nothing. We have to be connected to the Lord and have our roots go down deep into His grace or we can accomplish nothing. If we are to come into full bloom, we will also become aware of our condition; we know that apart from Him, we are weak in ourselves, and need humility to see our need for His grace and forgiveness.
  The Lord does not force us to be connected for it is our free choice. If we give way to Him, we die to self and are no longer in charge, but surrendered to Him. Soon we find we do things not out of duty because we have to, but out of love. When we listen to His voice, He daily guides our lives and as it says in Isaiah 30:21 “You will hear a voice behind you saying, “This is the way. Follow it, whether it turns to the right or to the left.” As we surrender, like the tree to the elements of sun and rain, we are transformed and filled with the light of His loving presence. Then when people gaze at the blossoms, they know it is only the Lord.
  Let us give Him space in our lives and surrender to the Him that our lives will bear full blossoms that bring glory to Him.
Challenge for today: Expose yourself today to the rain of the Holy Spirit and the sunshine of His love.
Blessings on your weekend and prayers and love, Judy

 

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