Dear Ones,
Hope you are enjoying the weekend and the beautiful fall days. I made zucchini salmon patties from the last zucchinis from Ann’s garden. Emoji We have loved all the fresh produce from her two gardens. Kurt will be stopping by shortly on his way to the cabin for a few days. Tomorrow we will be dedicating our new addition to the church and starting S.S. and having coffee and fellowship time together. 
Devotions from Judy’s heart
If you are reading this devotional you are living somewhere between your birth and your death and what does your life show for the years you have already put in? I continue to read Larry Crabb’s book, “Waiting for Heaven” and he asks questions that get me to thinking more deeply of why we are here, and what should we be about as we wait for either our death or the Lord’s Second coming, if that comes first.  We are meant to live for the praise of His glory but how do we do that in this corrupted world that tries to deny that God should have any say in our lives? The only way is to open our hearts to receive His love and then let His love pour out to others and reveal His very essence.  Our reward is coming one day, but in the meantime, we are to encourage one another as we journey home and to live well, and love well; as we are told in Hebrews !0:24 (ESV), “And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works.” As we actively wait for our Homecoming, we are to cooperate with the Holy Spirit to become more like Jesus and to use every opportunity to share Him with others. Crabb emphasizes that we wait for what is ahead but we don’t demand everything to be good and comfy here and now. We are to enjoy God’s blessings today, but whether we have trials or blessings we can still live well today. Crabb himself, is going through chemo and fighting leukemia, and although he would like life to be easier, it is more important how he relates to others with God’s love. Anything that carries us away from God between our birth and our death is an idol; that can be even the good things that we do to make life fair and better for others. If it becomes our priority rather than our relationship with the Lord, it is an idol. Our real need is for God, and one day He will make things right and fair and good; but we live in the now and may we live well, letting Him form our hearts as we wait for all He has stored up for all eternity.
Challenge for today: Live well in God’s love and care, and share Him with others every chance you get.
Blessings on your weekend and prayers and love, Judy