Dear Ones,
Hope you wake to a day of sunshine. Al will be going to Men’s group early this morning and later leading Bible Study. After that we are going to help set up for a rummage sale here at Northern Lakes as it will start tomorrow and go until Saturday afternoon… a chance to make more room in our apartments for things we can do without as long as we don’t buy more!
Devotions from Judy’s heart
When I wrote my recent devotion on forgiveness I got many responses. Some found it hardest to forgive themselves for things they wished they had never done. One gal forgave her husband who tried to kill her, and in forgiving him she had found peace.  But whether it is something minor or something major, we must forgive if we want to be free. When we choose not to forgive, we are really saying that Jesus’ death on the cross was not enough. But the truth is He paid the full price that we might be forgiven of all our sins we commit and that has been done to us. Maybe we feel knocked down right now, but we need to get up again and go the way of forgiveness. Let us remember Paul’s words in Eph. 4:32, “Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you.” That means big things and small things!

One friend responded to my devotions by giving a testimony of forgiveness in her own life and I will share with her permission.                                                                                                                                                        “When I was a student at UW-Superior in the 1970s, I regularly attended a daily noon prayer meeting.  I lived in an apartment and had to park my car on the street.  One day my car would not start.  A friend looked under the hood and discovered that the alternator had been stolen!  At the prayer meeting I asked for prayer for the thief.  I likely said a prayer of forgiveness at that time. (I know my heart was forgiving him.) After the meeting a gentleman (older student like myself) asked me what kind of car I had.  He then proceeded to tell me he had an alternator he would give me!  My friend installed it, and I was on the road again.  (An interesting sidelight is that the man who gave me the alternator is the father of my chiropractor.  Of course, I told him the story.)                                                                                                                                          I know we don’t forgive to get something.  However, this was a graphic picture to me of God’s favor for my having an attitude of forgiveness, and praying for the thief. God’s ways are higher than our ways!”

Forgiveness is a gift we extend to others for we ourselves have been forgiven much.

Challenge for today: Freely forgive everyone, including yourself.
Blessings on your day and prayers and love, Judy