Dear Ones,
  Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend! Thank you for prayers as we traveled to Kansas and enjoyed time with our son’s family.
This morning I am going to make Al’s favorite cookies and go to my exercise class. This afternoon we have Trim the Tree for our community room and coffee and goodies. It’s starting to look like Christmas!
Devotions from Judy’s heart
 We have just entered the season of Advent and the Advent colors change from green to a deep blue or purple. It is a season of waiting and hoping, not just getting ready to celebrate Jesus’ first coming but waiting for His coming again. It is a time to quietly reflect and to listen to the Lord speak to our hearts in new ways. As King David said in Psalm 62:5 (ESV), “For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from Him.”
   While at our son, Kurt’s, I had a vivid dream and I awakened with a fresh resolve and desire  to discern what God is saying to me, and to follow in obedience. We are surrounded by a culture that leaves God out, but He is most important and when our lives revolve around Him, we are at peace. In my dream I was going about my life and there were new rules being made that didn’t seem right in my spirit. We were all suppose to comply and many did, but I went about my life without talking about it, but also not complying.  I asked the Lord for discernment and also noticed that someone was kind of following me and watching if I would do what was expected. I tried to have a low profile but didn’t want to comply on things that I knew weren’t right. Just before I woke the man was confronting me and I don’t what words I said, but I knew I had to give a defense for my lack of action. Within me was a strong resolve that I could only do what I heard the Lord saying, and not what man was demnding. I was filleed with the most wonderful feeling of deep joy and also a holy boldness to not go man’s way but to listen to the Lord and go His way.
   In the days ahead I pray we may have holy boldness when needed to go against our culture, and to go God’s way, no matter the cost. I believe it is going to cost all of us, and now is the time to prepare and to strengthen our resolve not to compromise. When we listen to the Holy Spirit, not the world, we find our hope is only in the Lord. He is coming again and now is a season of advent to prepare for that great day.
  Challenge for today: Take some time for quiet reflection and listen to what the Lord has to say to yo.
Blessings on your week and prayers and love, Judy