Dear Ones,

Hope you are enjoying the weekend. We are having such fun here in N.C and playing games with the grandkids is helping us feel young! (or maybe old!) We played lots of outdoor games yesterday and this morning have some indoor ones as well. They have a stream flowing through their land so we plan to spend some time helping in the clean up near the water. So  beautiful here.  Please pray for our friend Marlene who fell and broke her hip and will be having surgery at 10:30 this morning.

Devotions from Judy’s heart

I love the word GRACE and everything about it! It is so wonderful to know that we are loved by God, not because we do everything right, but because of who He is. Grace is receiving what we don’t deserve. It is a gift as it says in Eph. 2:8 (ESV), “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing: it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”

It brings a song to mind that was written by Julia Johnson in 1910 and put to music by Daniel Towner. It begins with:“Marvelous grace of our loving Lord/ Grace that exceeds our sin and our guilt, /Yonder on Calvary’s mount outpoured/There where the blood of the Lamb was spilt/ Grace, grace, God’s grace/Grace that will pardon and cleanse within/Grace, grace, God’s grace/Grace that is greater than all our sin.” It doesn’t matter what we have done in our past, God will forgive us if we humbly ask. I’m sure we all can think of many things that we wish we had never done; but no matter what they are, it will never exceed God’s grace to us! Just think of how great that is!

Years ago, I read Philip Yancey’s book, What’s so amazing About Grace? Yancy was interviewed recently and he said that the message of grace is so important right now as we are so divided in our country. But even though we may disagree with others on issues we can still show love and be dispensers of grace, remembering that we have received grace. It is possible to hold our values without compromise, while not condoning others with contrary beliefs, yet do it in a grace-filled way. Listening to others can help us see where they are coming from and expand our outlook on things, rather than just trying to win an argument. We must especially practice grace within our families and continually ask ourselves what do we need to forgive.Yancey describes a picture of God’s grace like that of a mountain stream that begins on a high mountain peak. But the stream always flows to the lowest part and touches the poor, the disabled, the prodigals and all of us that are undeserving.Let us always be amazed by His grace and then let it flow out from us to others.

Challenge for today: Share His grace with all who touch your life.

Blessings on your weekend and prayers and love, Judy