Dear Ones,
Hope you are having a relaxing weekend. We are heading out this morning for Barnsville for a graduation brunch and then to see a missionary/librarian friend, and then on to see a missionary couple that is soon going to Africa. A rich day for sure! 
Devotions from Judy’s heart
Why do we try so hard to be a good Christian? Why do we just have to read the latest book by a popular author, or make sure we hear a well-known speaker. The truth is we can talk all about spirituality and yet not be spiritual ourselves. Yes, we may know many facts about the Bible and yet fail to live in close relationship to the Lord. We don’t need to know more truth but we need to practice living the truth we have. It is far better to admit how much there is that we don’t know and how needy we really are, than to run after more truth.  Knowledge puffs up but love builds up. What we really need is to listen to God and be led by the Spirit and not to be concerned if others see our actions. I love when I see persons who are joyfully serving others, often in hidden ways, and not calling attention to themselves. They are doing it out of love for the Lord and not to be seen as a super Christian by others. God has so much to teach us directly from His heart. I think of a mate who has read all the books on being a good spouse and does many of the things out of duty. He says he loves his wife every day before he goes to the office and does his share of household duties; but how much better when he spontaneously takes his wife in his arms and expresses what is in his heart. In contrast the older Al becomes, the more he expresses his love for me in varied ways and it is a delight to my heart. I keep telling him it just keeps getting better and better. Our love for the Lord should keep increasing day by day, until one day we see him face to face. A friend related stories about Fanny Crosby who became blind when 6 weeks old. It didn’t keep her from loving and serving the Lord and she wrote and composed more than 8,000 hymns and gospel songs including Blessed Assurance and To God be the Glory; she also wrote 1000 poems, books and did mission work. Once a pastor remarked to her that it was a pity that the Master didn’t give her sight when He showered her with so many other gifts.  But she was full of gratitude and surprisingly thanked God for her blindness and told him, “Do you know that if at birth I had been able to make one petition, it would have been that I should be born blind?” The pastor wanted to know why and she said, “Because when I get to heaven the first face that shall ever gladden my sight will be that of my Savior.”  May we also “love the Lord our God with all our heart and with all our soul and with all our might (Deu.t 6:5) and to keep growing in love for Him until one day we see Him face to face!
Challenge for today: Express your love for God and others in new ways today.
Blessings on your weekend and prayers and love, Judy