Dear Ones,Hope you have a sunny spring day! Today I plan to make another new recipe and it is also Donut Day here. Ann may stop in this morning and this afternoon we have Bible Study.Devotions from Judy’s heartRecently, I asked the question: When have you had a time when a specific scripture seemed to speak to you in a powerful way to help you through a hard circumstance? I always love when your answers come back, and I am blessed as you share God’s touch on your lives. I want to share a few of the responses with all of you.“To answer your question: When my husband was going through his difficult time, the Lord gave me Psalm 84:6 ‘When they walk through the valley of weeping, (Bacca) it will become a place of refreshing springs. The autumn rains will clothe it with blessing.’ (It literally was in the autumn, too.) I had previously heard a pastor preach on this, pointing out that “they walk through it”, they don’t stay there, they walk through it and then there is refreshment and blessings! That was so encouraging! The Lord faithfully did that for us after a time of weeping and trials 🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼. Thank you, Jesus.”“In answer to the question: Those decades when I was going 100 miles to Rice Lake nearly weekly (and for emergencies) to care for Mother and brother John, I found myself getting resentful. I did not want that. I asked the Lord for a Scripture. He gave me Psalm 16. The verse that really helped me was: “The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places, Yea, I have a goodly heritage.” I began reciting it in my heart daily—even until now. It helps me with my care for H & D too, as they are a big part of my music “heritage.”She is caring now for her former music teacher and his wife. Both need lots of care and I suspect this scripture is also close to her in her present situation.“There are so many scriptures that have helped! Seems like something changed when I started reading the Bible looking for God’s promises! As far hard times, of course I go back to our son. There were no answers… There were so many promises to lean to! One I recall was 2 Timothy 1:12: ‘He is able to guard what I have entrusted to him for that day.’ I heard that scripture in church and looked up several versions. It was profound! All my needs/fears, God was hearing and working on that day! Glory to God, alone!”More answers have come in, but may we each be open to scripture promises the Lord gives when we are especially needful.Blessings on your day and prayers and love, Judy
Dear Ones,
Hope you have a joy filled day. I am excited as Al and I have a Date Day to go to a book sale which both of us are interested in and then out to Culver’s for lunch. If I am home in time I will go to crafts and Bible study later.
Devotions from Judy’s heart
Think upon the words with me that I just read from Zephaniah 3:18, “The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness; He will quiet you by His love; He will exult over you with loud singing.” When our children were young we played a tape of many scriptures put to music and this was one of them. Today these words are even more meaningful, for doesn’t it just blow your mind to think that the Lord is rejoicing over you and over me with gladness and loud singing?
Yet, how can He rejoice over us when we fail? He sees our sins, and yet when we repent He welcomes us into His arms of forgiveness with loud singing and great joy. Yes, He is making us into a new creation, but we are far from perfect in our daily living as we tend to get in the way ourselves. I can only think of our children when they were little and confessed when they did something wrong. I was so glad that they admitted and were sorry for whatever they had done! Sometimes it takes a while to get to that place, as it is easier to rationalize our behavior and even blame others. But when we truly know we have done wrong and ask forgiveness, our souls are forgiven and healed and our relationship is restored.
What about when we sin in our thoughts without actually acting on them? When we bring that before the Lord in honesty and repentance, He rejoices. I want to be an open book before the Lord and not hide or rationalize my sinful behavior. When I am real with Him, it seems my heart knows peace and rest. Just as we love our children even when they are naughty, the Lord still loves us and offers forgiveness and feels joy over us.
Challenge for today: Spend some quiet moments with the Lord, and thank Him that He loves you and exults over you with loud singing.
Blessings on your day and prayers and love, Judy
Dear Ones,
Hope you are enjoying the spring like sunny days! We enjoy the walks on the trail! Today I hope to do lots
of baking and some studying.
Devotions from Judy’s heart
Many people today are overly busy and overworked and live under pressure. It can happen to each one of us when we give in to demands of others rather than seeking to know what God has planned for us each day. How can we really love others when we are all tired out from running the world by our constant activity. Even when we go on a vacation, we almost need another one when we return as we wear ourselves out trying to do everything. That is not what the Lord planned for us.
In fact, He wants us to have a Sabbath Rest which is really a holy day. That means one day a week we relax, we enjoy a day of rest from our regular jobs, go to church, take a nap, read a book, watch a game, and be free of obligations. The Lord told Moses in Exodus 31:14- “Above all you shall keep my Sabbaths, for this is a sign between me and you throughout your generations, that you may know that I, the Lord, sanctify you. You shall keep the Sabbath because it is holy for you.” He goes on to say it is a solemn rest, holy to the Lord. We might say it is a day to enjoy the Lord, pay attention to His presence, and accept the rhythm He has for us. We work 6 days but on the 7th we rest.
Al and I visited a Trappist Monastery and the monks have 7 scheduled times of reading and singing the scriptures that begin at 3:45 a.m. and the last one is 7:40 P.M. What a beautiful rhythm to remember the Lord throughout our day and into our night. But we also can stop and take a few moments during our day and evening to be mindful of the Lord, like taking a couple 5 minute breaks to center on Him and offer up a prayer.
Challenge for today: Pause several times during your day to be still and know that the Lord is present with you. (Psalm 46:10)
Blessings on your day and prayers and love, Judy
I have been reading a book by Dr. David John Seel entitled “Aspirational Masculinity.” It has been very informative as I continue to process what it means to be a man, living for Jesus in this new year (2026). He acknowledges that masculinity is in a state of flux. Even though men are listening for the male voice of others, they are not at all confident in knowing what a man actually is and how he should behave in our day. Men wonder who they can follow or trust with their “life aspirations.”
Dr. Seel asks an intriguing question, “What if men must lose their autonomy to find their authenticity?” How are men to behave in a society, where men are “being minimized, erased, and blamed.” The crisis of masculinity in the author’s understanding is more a crisis of personhood. Seel notes, “a man who is fully alive, is a man who is living his life in Christ; a man both aware of his Creator and dependent on his Creator for a re-created inner life.” He lives in reliance on the indwelling presence of Christ. Masculinity is about becoming someone new.
Dr Seel focuses is on being rather than doing . “Masculinity is not a noun, something we are, but a verb, something we are in the process of becoming, by living in the inner spiritual presence of God within us.” Jesus’ incarnational presence in our lives makes the difference. Jesus is not an idea but the actual presence in our life. “It is this mystical spiritual relationship, living life in Christ,” maintains Seel, “that animates all else in our live and brings it into a unified focus.” God did not come to make us marginally better persons, but a whole new kind of person. “An aspirational male,” maintains Dr. Seel, “is a new kind of creature, not merely a nicer male.” He quotes C. S. Lewis: “Our real selves are all waiting for us in him…Until you have given up yourself to Him you will not have a real self.”
Dr. Seel has a challenge for men. “Are you ready to live as a “modern mystic,” embracing the deeper meaning of life? How does this fit with your goals?” Men will ultimately find their security and significance in the inner presence of Christ. It is this dynamic that makes men whole men, able to embrace their full masculine self. Dr. Seel is firm in his conviction: “There is no other way to find ourselves as men.” I agree with Seel in his observation of men viewing talk about “the presence of Christ within” as rather weird. “This is a mystical spiritual relationship, but it is no less real or objective because of it. Our problem is our cultural bias for materialism and scientific empiricism.”
An aspirational masculinity is based on a choice to “align ourselves with our true nature and with the true nature of reality.” We align with something outside ourselves, giving us the ability to find who we really are. Our personhood is unified in Christ. The four components of manhood – spirituality, identity, work and marriage are harmonized and empowered in Christ. “This is the coherence we all most desire in our lives.” We can aspire to such a lifestyle.
I find Dr. Seel a fresh breeze in the affirmation of the masculine. 1) His insistence of “self-abdication,” 2) Personhood in Christ – a totally new man. 3) Masculinity being more “verb than a noun” – more about becoming than doing, 4) Embracing the mystical – life of Jesus within, 5) Find meaning in a unified lifestyle – God, self, marriage and work, 6) Balance of head and heart – the objective and subjective.
Dear Ones,
Hope you had a wonderful weekend. We enjoyed Teen Challenge at our church yesterday and so miraculous what the Lord does in so many of their lives. Today Al and I have our annual checkups at the Doctor so have to miss my exercise class etc.
Devotions from Judy’s heart
Greed is very evident in our culture today, where people want more and more, far beyond actual needs. Growing up it was never about the money, but more how much could be given for the Lord’s work. When we were young my folks lived within a tighter budget, but through the years dad was successful and put all of us through Christian school and college. They could have moved to the fancier suburb of Edina, but they remained in their modest two-bedroom house in south Minneapolis. Al and I, on the other hand, went to our first church and were fortunate enough to move into the large parsonage, but we were probably the poorest family in Edina. If I remember correctly: after surviving seminary on a part time salary, we had only three hundred dollars in our bank account when we moved to our first house…but we always had enough.
In Prov. 28:25 it says, “A greedy person stirs up a fight, but whoever trusts the Lord prospers.” We are probably all tempted by greed at times, but a good way to keep it from overtaking us is to give to others from a generous heart. We can give more than money: we can give of our time, acts of kindness, showing appreciation and encouragement to others who serve us, etc. The more we give away the less we will be tempted by greed. Jesus told the crowd in Luke 12:15, “Take care! Protect yourself against the least bit of greed. Life is not defined by what you have, even when you have a lot.
The more we give away, the more room we have for joy to fill us. I remember my folks so excited as they took a trip to see a missionary family home on furlough that they had supported each month. They were thrilled that they could give to their needs and to further the gospel. We might ask ourselves when we see others getting a new car or boat, etc.: do thoughts come to us that we would be happier if we had one too? Or do we rather give generously to the youth going on a mission trip? Let us have a generous spirit, and as Jesus said in Luke 6:38, “Give away your life; you’ll find life given back, but not merely given back—given back with bonus and blessings. Giving, not getting, is the way. Generosity begets generosity.”
Challenge for today: Ask the Lord to show you any ways that you are greedy, and give to others from your heart.
Blessings on your week and prayers and love, Judy
Dear Ones,
Happy weekend! Today is cleaning day here and seems like the kitchen especially needs it with all the new recipes I have been trying. Your question for this week is: When have you had a time when a specific scripture seemed to speak to you in a powerful way to help you through a hard circumstance?
Devotions from Judy’s heart
One day I saw a scripture posted on social media by someone I knew all the way back to my grade school years. Once before, God had used him to pray for me when I was at a conference to speak for a couple of workshops and definitely feeling inadequate. He was assigned with others to come to pray over me beforehand. What he didn’t realize was that the scripture he gave was perfect for me on how God uses the poor and the weak. In I Cor 1:27 Paul says, “But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong.” I felt poor, weak and foolish, and my only boast was in the Lord and not in what I had to offer.
So many years later I was asked to speak again, and as I was preparing, I noticed this same friend on Facebook sharing a Bible verse. I stopped to read it, wondering if God would use him again. This time the verse from Psalm 3:3 seemed perfect, as I began to visualize it as I prayed. They were the words of King David who was fleeing from his son Absolom who was trying to overtake his father’s throne. He prayed, “But you, God, shield me on all sides; You ground my feet, you lift my head high.” Another translation puts it, “But you, Lord, are a shield around me, my glory, and the One who lifts my head high.”
You can almost count on it when we are doing something for the Lord: the enemy will come and try to bow us over, telling us how inadequate and unworthy we are. But as we call on the Lord, He strengthens us, infuses us with His power, lifts our droopy heads, and grounds our feet. David closes the Psalm by saying, “Victory belongs to the Lord! May your blessing rest on your people.” When times come of feeling bowed over, let us call out for the Lord to help us, protect us and lift our head in victory!
Challenge for today: When feeling oppressed by the enemy, go quickly to the Lord, grab hold of His promises and stand firm.
Blessings on your weekend and prayers and love, Judy
Dear Ones, Happy weekend to you!! The snow is almost all gone again and it seems like Spring is around the corner. Last night Al and I went to a movie at the nearby theater. A friend recommended, “The Great Awakening.” about George Whitfield and Benjamin Franklin based on a true story. What a powerful story and a reminder to be praying for an awakening in our country.
Devotions from Judy’s heart
Many of us are liars: even though we may not intentionally tell lies to others, we may lie to ourselves. We fail to admit when we are angry, sad, and fearful, putting on a good face and remaining silent about how our heart is feeling. When we don’t deal with what is going on within us, we are really lying to ourselves that all is well.
It is important for all of us to own our feelings, or we will project them on others who may have no idea why they are blamed for not knowing what is wrong. It doesn’t help that many feel their church friends would view them as unspiritual if they confessed to such feelings of depression, anger, anxiety, etc. So emotions are kept inside and not dealt with. How much better to have good Chrisitan mates and friends that we can be honest with and share our struggles, admitting what is going on inside of us without judging and helping us deal with those things!
We can lie to ourselves only so long before we can’t stuff things anymore and we miss the joy of being alive emotionally. The deeper we are willing to go with the Lord, the more we are able to embrace our emotions and process them. Really, they are gifts from the Lord, like a warning light on our dash that tells us something needs attention. We may feel angry when our boundaries are violated, or frustrated when we said yes to something to which we know we should have said a simple no. Sometimes our anger is a sign that we feel inadequate or not good enough, or have unrealistic expectations that haven’t been met. The warning light goes on within us and we can ask the Lord to take us to the source of our problem. Let us not keep covering over our feelings, but ask the Lord to help us honestly admit and process them, giving it all to Him that He may transform us to be more like Him.
Challenge for today: Stop lying and be willing to deal with your feelings and emotions as you claim Phil 4:13: “I can do all this through Him who gives me strength.”
Blessings on your weekend and prayers and love, Judy
Dear Ones, Hope you are living this day according to God’s plan. Al will be off to Men’s Group this morning and I am going to make another new dish. Ann and Leif will be coming this afternoon and we also have Bible study.
Devotions from Judy’s heart
How many of us are living true to who God made us? Or do we try to live our lives by the expectations of others rather than God’s design for our lives? Do we say yes because we care what others think, or do we respond by how we feel the Lord is guiding us? We all need to live the life God has always planned for us, for He has put the gifts inside of us that are perfect for accomplishing His best through us to bring glory to His kingdom.
Jesus gave us his own example of living according to His Father’s will for His life. He was not detoured by the cries of others who wanted to make Him king to save them from Roman rule, but went on to be crucified. He lived his life in complete faithfulness to His Father’s will. We are also to live wholeheartedly for the Lord and to live the life He has purposed for us, not like someone else whose calling is different than ours. Paul said in Eph. 2:10, “He creates each of us by Christ Jesus to join Him in the work He does, the good work He has gotten ready for us to do, work we had better be doing.” The work He has for us to do is unique and not the same as others, so we have no need to copy someone else and should ignore voices that tell us otherwise. Years ago I remember hearing about a pharmacist who was proudly sharing how all of his children became pharmacists like him. I wondered at the time, did some of them feel pressured to become one and as a result missed their true calling?
We each have to live our own life with the Lord that is unique and the real question is: will we be faithful to His will? We were never asked to live someone else’s life, for one day we will have to give account for how we spent our life on earth and if it was lived as God had planned.
Challenge for today: Listen to the Holy Spirit and let Him direct your life into all that the Lord has for you.
Blessings on your day and prayers and love, Judy
Dear Ones, Hope you have a blessed day. Al will be preaching this morning next door at Assisted Living and I plan to do food prep and try a new recipe; also go to my exercise class, Craft Class and later Bible Study.
Devotions from Judy’s heart
Spring is coming (even though we have snow on the ground now), and I love to see the first wildflowers peeking out of the ground after a cold winter. It’s also a reminder of new beginnings, a fresh start, a new chapter in our lives. Since we were a pastor’s family, we had many new beginnings as we moved to a new place and a new congregation. That was exciting, but it was also hard to leave the old and familiar behind. We had to begin the process by letting go of the old. That meant saying good-bye to friends who had stood with us, prayed for us, and loved us, and it’s much like a death process. We didn’t know if we would see those friends again and we knew they would also have to open their hearts to the new pastor’s family who came next. But we can’t enter into the new if we don’t let go of the old, and who knows what God has planned ahead for us?
New seasons in our lives may not mean a change of location, but might be a new job, a new ministry and we need to be open to whatever it is that God has waiting for us. That calls for listening and finding out where the Lord wants to place us. We are not to rush ahead, but to wait for His timing when He will have everything in place. Only then should we move on to what is next and do it with an expectant heart.
As Al and I age, God moves us on into a more hidden time, and we have to take care for ourselves physically, emotionally and spiritually. We are no longer very visible, but spend a lot of time in secret with the Lord as we pray (our prayer list is very long), study, and write, etc. This is an easier transition for me than Al since I am an introvert and never liked being up front. But we have peace in where the Lord has placed us and we want to be fruitful in this fourth quarter of our lives. We hope that new growth will pop up out of the soil of our hearts, just like when we walk the Paul Bunyan trail and see new life.
Let us all be open to times of transition in our lives, when the Lord opens a new door to us and we have to say good-bye to the old. We never know what awaits us, but like the Psalmist said in Psalm 86, “Oh sing to the Lord a new song…Sing to the Lord, bless His name. Declare His glory amongst the nations, His marvelous works among all the peoples!”
Challenge for today: Be open to whatever new things the Lord has waiting for you, and be willing to bid farewell to the old.
Blessings on your day and prayers and love, Judy
Dear Ones,
Hope your foremost thoughts are on the Lord today. I have Women’s Bible study this morning and also hope to do some baking. This afternoon we are invited to friends for coffee and fellowship.
Devotions from Judy’s heart
One day I sat down at my desk to have my devotions when, I was reminded of the day before at church when my heart truly worshiped. I wasn’t trying to conjure up feelings so that my soul might feel worshipful, but just sensed my spirit connecting and worshiping the Lord. There are times when I am having my quiet time at home, when I spontaneously just start worshiping the Lord and it feels so right and complete.
Sometime later I read what Bobby Haaby, senior leader at Eagle Mountain Fellowship, had to say about worship. I think we often worship from our soul which has to do with our mind, will and emotions. The trouble with that is it is mostly dependent on our circumstances, preferences, and if we simply feel in the mood to worship. So when we come to church, we expect someone to hype us up with the right songs. Or we are distracted and more concerned about what others think.
Jesus said to the Samaritan woman in John 4:24, “God is Spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth.” Spirit-led worship is all about surrender and connecting to the Lord, no matter what is happening in our lives. We worship from our hearts, and as Haaby writes, “Worship in its truest form, is about living from the deepest part of who you are–your spirit, and connecting with God who is Spirit.” When we worship from our spirit our soul will follow, for true worship is not all about feelings, but our communion with the Lord. In I Cor. 6:17 Paul says, “He who is joined to the Lord is one Spirit with Him.” We are already connected!
Let us worship with our Spirit and let it be all about Jesus, not about the perfect songs or settings that would make us feel a certain way. Jesus is first, foremost and our all.
Challenge for today: Surrender to the Lord each day and worship Him in spirit and truth.
Blessings on your day and prayers and love, Judy
Recent Comments