Dear Ones,
Hope you have a day of joy! Al is off to meet with a friend, and I am going to do food prep and then go downstairs for Donuts! Later today is Bible Study here and a crisp walk!
Devotions from Judy’s heart
  Is it a burning desire within us to share the Lord with others? Do we pray fervently for our families and loved ones and those we are in contact with to come to know the Lord?  It is something we need to ask ourselves on a regular basis to be reminded that we are in battle for the hearts of others to find Jesus. The enemy will try to have us dismiss those thoughts and tell us that our words will bring offense and just to keep quiet. But there is so much at stake when we remain silent and fail to share the most important news ever.
 I was convicted as I read Laura Bailey’s devotional as she said every morning she prays the same prayer, “Lord, open my eyes and heart to see people who need to hear the Gospel today. Give me the courage to proclaim the Good News boldly.” She goes on to say how excited she gets about the prospect of sharing Jesus but then gets full of critical thoughts and self-doubts and often fails by keeping her mouth shut.                            
 We can probably all say there are many times we have missed opportunities to share the Lord because we lacked boldness and were afraid to offend the person, or perhaps we missed the open door that the Holy Spirit had created in our conversation. We hide our lights under a bushel instead of boldly sharing.                                                              
 Many people here where we live pray so much for our kids and grandkids as we don’t want to come to the end of our lives, not knowing if they really know the Lord. We instead want to be sharing Him every chance we get, ask questions, let them know we are praying for them, and then live as one who loves the Lord.                                          
 Part of the prayer that Laura wrote can be a good place to start:                                   
   “May we be bold, leaning into the power of the Holy Spirit, who guides and directs our words and actions. We pray for those who don’t know You as Lord and Savior; please open their eyes and hearts to receiving You. Please help us to make the most of every opportunity, for the days are short. Let us live each day as if it were our last and give us a sense of urgency and conviction. We love you, Lord, and are so grateful for the gift of your Son. We are so undeserving, yet you died for us while we were still sinners (Romans 5:8). May we be vessels, the blessed feet which carry the Gospel to the ends of the earth. In Jesus’ Name, Amen. 
Blessings on your day and prayers and love, Judy