Dear Ones,
Hope you wake to a joy filled day. The house is quiet and I am going to send this out before others get up. Al’s sister is here and we had such a fun day yesterday going to our daughter’s at the Lake, having Finnish Pasty and a hot Sauna, finding treasures at Share and Care, watching movies and having popcorn etc. Today we are going to do some shopping and maybe ice cream at Culvers. 
Devotions from Judy’s heart
  Grow! Grow! Grow!  People are getting itchy to get out in their gardens and plant flowers and veggies and then have the joy of watching them grow. When we lived at the lake, I gardened with a man who was a former farmer and I loved watching everything grow from those small seeds. It seemed like such a miracle when we finally were able to eat the produce that started from something so minute.
  Wouldn’t it be sad if they stayed the same and didn’t grow and burst through the soil and become what was potentially in that seed?  But it is more dreadful in a spiritual sense when we come to know the Lord and don’t mature into what God has planned for us. Maybe we don’t take time to read His word and be open to the Holy Spirit or find fellowship with others. It’s like trying to grow without sunshine or the necessary rain and we tend to dry up, just like the seed that Jesus mentioned that fell on the hard path. Or maybe we grow for a little while and then get choked out by weeds or the desires of the world. As long as we live, we will have to face the challenge of the world trying to squeeze in and to rob us of our faith.  
  Sometimes we had trouble with animals who dug under the fencing of our garden and stole some of our good veggies after they were ripe. Even when we mature as Christians, we must be on guard against the enemy that would lead us away from the Lord. He wants to steal the fruit in our lives and destroy us. We must be vigilant!
  Peter says in II Peter 3:18 (NRSV), But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.” No matter where we are in our spiritual journey, we have more room to grow. Let us open ourselves to all the ways He wants to feed and nurture us and to grow, grow, grow!  
   Challenge for today: Take time today to nurture of the life of Jesus within you.
Blessings on your day and prayers and love, Judy