Dear Ones,
Happy Weekend! Today is party day here and Al and I will go get the Birthday cake as soon as Costco opens. We have another party on Monday night but we are not in charge of it. We had a wonderful time of fellowship with our pastor/missionary friend yesterday. We marveled as we see how God has so specifically directed his family and timing of events in their lives as they spend 6 months of the year in Africa and 6 months in the States.  
Devotions from Judy’s heart
   Isn’t it wonderful what happens when God’s people get together to study His word, and to share what He is doing and how He is touching their lives? I love those times and we had a special time yesterday as about a dozen and a half of us gathered in our community room for Bible Study. We sensed the Lord’s presence as we studied together I Peter 2 about being living stones. As it says in I Peter 2:5 (ESV), “you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.”
   Like one catholic gal said we are all beautiful stones of different shapes and sizes and colors that all blend and fit together.  We have many churches represented and we all accept where each one comes from and offer our piece to the whole. Since we are all seniors and over 55, many have walked with the Lord most of our lives. We can encourage one another as we share instances in our lives where the Lord was with us in the death of our loved ones, provided for us in unexpected ways, taught us through our failures and trials etc. We want to make our lives count for the Lord and there is no age that He cannot use us.
   We all have concern for our families to know the Lord and especially pray for our grandkids. I shared an e-mail that I got from an 84 -year-old grandma who was raised in a home where there was not mention of the Lord. Her parents did see that she got to S.S. even though they never went to church. But she said, “My paternal Grandma Olson must have had a huge influence on me, as well. Though she had nothing of the world’s goods (literally living in a tarpaper shack with no plumbing or electricity when I was young), I remember her old Swedish Bible and a little plaque, ‘Korsvagen Leder Hem’ were precious to her. I have that plaque now-‘The Way of the Cross Leads Home’, as she explained it to me.” 
   We never know how the Lord will use our lives as a witness or take our words and speak to the hearts of others. Gathering together with other believers brings encouragement and strengthens our faith. Let us remember that we are a living stone which is meant to be joined to others to become a beautiful dwelling of the Lord.
  Challenge for today: Make time to gather with other believers and share your lives with the Lord.
Blessings on your weekend and prayers and love, Judy