Canaan's Rest

Dear Ones,

Hope you have a great Holiday weekend!!! We enjoyed seeing Kurt’s family yesterday, later had a good Bible study and then went to Culvers. Today the paramedic comes and then I plan to bake Al’s cookies and do food prep etc.

Dear Ones,
Hope you have a great day and keep cool as well. I’m sure many of you are getting ready for the holiday weekend. We have Kurt and Brenda and Grant stopping by this morning on their way to the lake and later Al has Bible study. I was so grateful for the good report from the Wound Specialist yesterday as she said the wound is looking good now and by the end of July it should be healed. PTL! Thank you for prayers!
Devotions from Judy’s heart
Wouldn’t we all like to say we are free of temptation and we have victory over all the things that use to trip us up? But how prideful that would be, for we would credit ourselves and think we are beyond certain sins. The truth is, we will never be beyond temptation, but we may look at those things that seek to undo us with new eyes. Pastor Gary Thomas writes that he sees good that comes from fighting temptation and says we need to stay engaged in the struggle against sin. We can fall hard when we think we are no longer vulnerable or need God’s help. When you think about it, even Jesus was tempted.

I heard of one pastor who led a wild life before coming to the Lord, but he is careful now not to put himself in compromising situations, as he knows temptations will come. His computer and phone are open for others to see and he is careful where he puts his attention. Our temptations will die when we die, but we are naïve if we think they will all die before then. Like I read from Prov. 20:9, “Who can say, ‘I have kept my heart pure; I am clean and without sin’?” None of us!

Until reading Thomas’ book, I never thought of the good that comes from fighting temptation. Rather, I get down on myself when tempted and wonder why I haven’t progressed farther. But even if we find victory over one sin, we will have another to deal with and the next one could be worse. Instead, our struggles are good in the sense that they keep us humble and continually dependent on the Lord. We need His grace and are reminded of that each time we fail. But our struggles to fight against sin point us towards heaven, rather than choosing lesser pleasures in life. Those times we do fail and sin, we become more compassionate for others who also fail at times.

When we own our failures and share them, we might think others will think less of us. But maybe it is good for them to know we struggle with unbelief, selfishness, pride, lust, etc. also and need forgiveness daily, but we are not giving up. Let us learn how to use temptation to love and depend on the Lord even more.

Challenge for today: Share with a trusted friend an area in which you struggle and ask for prayer.
Blessings on your day and prayers and love, Judy

Dear Ones,
Hope your day is full of peace. I have an appointment this morning with the wound specialist and hoping for a good report this time and no infection. Your question this week is, what is your favorite peaceful place to go when you want to spend time with the Lord?
Devotions from Judy’s heart
I love peaceful settings like sitting by a still lake, walking in the woods, or even simply beholding the beautiful tree outside my window. Slowing down and opening our hearts as we live in the present moment helps us enjoy the many gifts the Lord has given us. Peace is a precious gift and it is also a fruit of the Spirit. The more we allow the Holy Spirit to indwell us, the more we experience incredible peace.
We have a wall hanging that has the names of Jesus, including Prince of Peace. Jesus often spoke of peace, brought peace wherever He went, and even spoke peace to a raging storm. Peter tells us in I Peter 3:11 that if we want to love life and see good, we are to, “seek peace and pursue it.” Our peace begins with the Lord, for if we open our hearts, confess our sins to Him and receive forgiveness, we will have peace. We also are to cooperate with the Spirit, for He helps us grow and mature, and encourages us to give Him all that concerns us, including any anxious thoughts.
Too often we allow people, circumstances or thoughts from the enemy steal our peace. Sometimes we are to just remain silent. We try to defend ourselves or get across our opposing views to others who have made up their minds already, when it may simply be better to pray. We can ask the Lord to work in their lives and change them according to His will. It is exciting when God has spoken to them without a word from us but by His spirit, and their eyes are opened.
Sometimes the Lord asks us to do something or to change in some way, and when we refuse, we find our peace seems to disappear. Let us humble ourselves, be open and willing to go God’s way, and He will blanket us with His peace.
Challenge for today: Ask the Lord to help you cooperate with the Spirit when He shows you what is blocking His peace, and to humbly go His way.
Blessings on your day and prayers and love, Judy

Dear Ones, Hope you have a good day and keep cool on this hot day. More warm weather expected for the holiday weekend. I am planning to bake early this morning!!
Devotions from Judy’s heart
The question is often asked today by parents of how they can disciple their children in this busy and electronic filled world today. It seems like there are so many soccer games or basketball practices to take the them to, church functions, work related projects etc. that leave parents feeling overwhelmed and maybe guilty too. When do they have time to teach them how to be a Christ follower? I do believe it is harder today than when we raised our 3 children. We ate meals together and had family devotions after supper together, had family night once a week to do special things, and actually talked in the car while we taxied them. Today meals are often eaten on the way to practice and schedules are filled to exhaustion. What can be done? For some it may be a simple start to have everyone turn off their phones when traveling to a game and share together while listening to Christian music.

First of all, none of us are 100%qualified to disciple our kids but the Lord will equip us and give us wisdom and we need only to ask. The church can be a wonderful support and it helps to be surrounded by a faithful community. Most churches have resources for families with books for family devotions and discussions, podcasts, programs for the youth, Sunday school, youth programs, Bible Camp. There are many great books to help us with questions and problems that arise and hopefully groups where we can discuss them with others who have navigated what we are going through.

I read an article by Abby Perry who had some good words to help parents as she encourages connecting generations at home and at church. Some churches have a meal together once a week which involves all ages. There are summer family camps and mission trips where old and young are serving together. A teen may sometimes feel more likely to share his struggles with the youth director or someone older in the church. Growth often takes place as people are in community with those older and younger and are walking with the Lord.

Challenge for today: Ask the Lord to help you disciple those under your care but openness to help others and being helped.
Blessings on your day and prayers and love, Judy

Dear Ones, Hope you had a good weekend. Warm days are ahead this week but also lots of celebrating as the 4th is soon here. Today I am going to Aldi’s and no wound care today as the paramedic is out of town.

Devotions from Judy’s heart
Don’t we all love to be around humble people who are open and don’t think their way is the only way? Humility is beautiful for it shows strength of character with a willingness to listen, and to learn and to grow. Pride, on the other hand, shows up in unteachableness, defensiveness and a puffed-up ego. The Lord hates pride! James 4:6 says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” Even a stronger word is given in Proverbs 16:5, “Everyone who is arrogant in heart is an abomination to the Lord; be assured he will not go unpunished.” We may think that pride is not a serious sin, but God sees it differently. And wasn’t it pride that the Devil fell from his heavenly angelic place?
If we think of sins in our own lives, it seems like they all go back to pride at the root. We may envy someone but we think we deserve even more than them. We complain of hard circumstances and forget that we are owed nothing for Jesus paid the ultimate price to rescue us. If we have a disagreement, we feel certain it is the fault of the other person, rather than searching our own heart.
Pride is not pretty but rather stinky!! It tries to hide and mask itself as something good. But when we look closer we realize that it is not rooted in love but in selfishness, defensiveness and fear. The Word has so much to say about our need for humility and warns us against pride. Pride certainly hinders good relationships with others and is defensive and not open to correction.
Humility, on the other hand, is so beautiful as it reveals those who know they are loved and chosen and don’t have to prove their worth. They are at home with themselves, and when they make mistakes, they thank the Lord for His grace of forgiveness.

Challenge for today: Ask the Lord to show you the places that pride is hindering your relationship with Him and with others.
Blessings on your week and prayers and love, Judy

Devotions from Judy’s heart

I would surmise that most of us don’t like suffering of any kind and would like a trouble-free life. But that is not possible for all of us will go through painful times, struggles and hardships. The key question we can ask ourselves, is how well do we do when suffering comes into our life? I was reading an article by Joy-Ann Wood who shares how Paul writes to Timothy, his spiritual son, and exhorts him to be courageous in suffering and uses the examples of a soldier, an athlete and a farmer from II Tim 2:3-7. He starts out by saying, ”Share in sufferings as a good soldier of Jesus.”

If we were in the military we would want to be strong and not distracted given our assignment. If we are an athlete, we would want to be disciplined and focused on the goal and training well. If we were a farmer we would be hard working and willing to toil in the heat and deal with the weeds etc. In other words, Paul is saying to keep focused, work hard and endure suffering courageously.

I must admit I am not excited about suffering but I am seeing more and more the benefits of suffering. As you all know, I fell and have been dealing with my injured leg and often have to go to a wound specialist at the hospital. I am excited to go in one sense, as she surveys my wound and knows exactly what to do to help it heal. But I also know when she debrides it, and removes the old dried blood and skin with several kinds of instruments, it hurts! Sometimes I close my eyes and just pray. All the while she is doing it I know it is for my good and so I thank her and call her my angel. I am thankful she is very observant and knows what to look for and detected that I had a staph infection. She gave me the necessary antibiotic and although I could have rejected her advice it would not be wise to do that or I would only have become more sick and not heal.

The last time I was there, the picture came to me of how our Great Physician is our healer, and we need to be willing to go to Him for help. Sometimes it is something very big but even in the little things that cause pain, He is the one we need to go to. If we reject his ways and don’t receive His help, we will only become sicker and deeper in despair. Yes, it may hurt initially, but in the long run it is healing. We are not to let things go, but to quickly run to Him for help.

Challenge for today: Thank the Lord when going through suffering that He is bringing healing and restoration to you, and follow His instructions.

Dear Ones,
Hope you have a great weekend! We had a full house for the Birthday party yesterday. Today is cleaning day and Al and I will be working together to shape up the apartment.
Devotions from Judy’s heart
I believe our hearts long for wholeness, for we are made for God and made to love. We see so many books in the bookstore or online about healing and wholeness. For our physical health, we are apt to pop vitamins in our mouth, walk ten thousand steps a day, and go to the gym, but what about our souls? How can we live as God’s children, lives that are holy and whole? God is only too happy to correct us when needed, to guide us, and to heal us. He wants to restore us and transform our character to be like Him. Paul writes in a letter to the Christians of Ephesus, “Long before He laid down earth’s foundations God had us in mind, and settled on us as the focus of His love to be made whole and holy with His love.” (Eph. 1:4)
How many of us feel holy and whole? In ourselves we are anything but holy, and we can’t be whole without being holy. Would our driving habits exhibit that we are holy? How about our response when someone has stormed us with their political views? John Eldredge wrote, “He makes us whole by making us holy. He makes us holy by making us whole.” It’s in the Lord that we come to know who we are and can live lives of purpose. The Lord wants to restore us and heal those broken parts of us. He desires that we have far more than correct doctrine, for He wants intimacy with us.
How do we want to be known? Would we be called the cantankerous one or the loving one? The impatient one or the kind one? The stingy one or the giving one? We can fake things for a while, but that is shallow holiness and eventually what is inside is seen. Holiness is a matter of our hearts and the Lord knows what is going on inside of us. He wants to transform our lives, heal our souls and make us ever more like Him.
Challenge for today: Be honest with the Lord about your motives and ask Him to make you holy and whole.
Blessings on your weekend and prayers and love, Judy

Devotions from Judy’s heart,
I believe our hearts long for wholeness for we are made for God and made to love. We see so many books in the bookstore or online about healing and wholeness. Physically we are apt to pop vitamins in our mouth, walk 10,000 steps a day and go to the gym but what about our souls. How can we live as God’s child and a life that is holy and whole. God is only too happy to correct us when needed, to guide us and to heal us. He wants to restore us and transform our character to be like Him. Paul writes in a letter to the Christians in Ephesus and he says, “Long before He laid down earth’s foundations God had us in mind, and settled on us as the focus of His love to be made whole and holy with His love.” (Eph. 1:4)

How many of us feel holy and whole? In ourselves we are anything but holy, and we can’t be whole without being holy. Would our driving habits exhibit that we are holy? How about our response when someone has stormed us with their political views. I read a book by John Eldredge and he said, “He makes us whole by making us holy. He makes us holy by making us whole.” It’s in the Lord that we come to know who we are and can live lives of purpose. The Lord wants to restore us and heal those broken parts of us. He desires that we have far more than correct doctrine for He wants intimacy with us.

How do we want to be known? Would we be called the cantankerous one or the loving one? The impatient one or the kind one? The stingy one or the giving one? We can fake things for a while but that is shallow holiness and eventually the inside of our cup is seen. Holiness is a matter of our hearts and the Lord knows what is going on inside of us. He wants to transform our lives and heal our souls and make us ever more like Him.

Challenge for today: Be honest with the Lord about your motives and ask Him to make you holy and whole.
Blessings on your weekend and prayers and love, Judy

Dear Ones, Hope your day is full of wisdom. We have Bible study here today and it is also Donut Day. I hope to get some food prep done and catching up. I had a good report yesterday from the wound specialist and am so grateful!
Devotions from Judy’s heart
Haven’t we all wanted to be a person of wisdom, knowing what to do in situations and responding in the right ways? King Solomon had a dream and God said, “Ask what I shall give you.” He asked God for wisdom to govern the people and was given great wisdom. God was very pleased with his request and he became the wisest man ever. He applied that wisdom during most of his reign, but sadly in his last years his heart was not fully given to the Lord. Something we all need to guard against for we can start out well, but then give out.
There are those that have a lot of knowledge, but wisdom is putting that knowledge into practice and doing the right thing. What good is it if we have knowledge, but don’t follow through and act in the right way? It is easier said than done! Most of the time we don’t actually lack the knowledge of the truth of what we know we should do, but we fail to live it out. What good is that? James said in James 1:22, “But be doers of the Word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.” The Message translation says, “Don’t fool yourself into thinking that you are a listener when you are anything but, letting the Word go in one ear and out the other. Act on what you hear!”
Of course, there may be times we aren’t sure what to do, and it may help to think of what you would tell someone else if they were in your situation. It may become clearer to us, and we see our need to do the very thing that is hard but right. It has helped me to be accountable to a friend about my desire to spend quiet time in stillness before the Lord each morning before I get into my work routine. Since I have done that, it has helped me to be faithful daily. Do whatever works for you, but don’t stop part way in just knowing what you should do, but actually do it.
Challenge for today: Ask the Lord for wisdom to know what is the right thing, and then follow through by doing it.
Blessings on your day and prayers and love, Judy