Dear Ones,
Hope you have a day of giving attention to what is important. Al will be going to meet with the men this morning and will have a donut waiting.
I plan to study, do food prep and go to Bible study.
Devotions from Judy’s heart
How mindful are we of God? Are we aware of His presence throughout our day, or do we come to the end of our day and finally talk with Him and say nightly prayers? While many of us do spiritual practices, we must be careful that they don’t become obligations, but rather means of helping us keep alive spiritually and awake to God’s presence. Our relationship with Him is more about being present and less about doing. I think maybe we have all read our Bibles, gone to Bible studies, memorized scriptures, gone to retreats, and yet we don’t know how to rest in His presence and give Him our attention.

In our families, the first act of love is to give them attention. We may do nice things for them, take them places and give them gifts, but that falls short of giving them attention and love. A rich husband may give lavish gifts, maybe bought by his secretary, but that won’t earn his wife’s love unless he gives attention and spends time together with her. It is much the same with God, for He desires that we know Him in a personal way and wants us to open ourselves up to Him and come to rest in His love. He wants us to be present with who we are and honest with even the things in our lives that we would rather hide.

It doesn’t matter what we are doing in our day, for the Lord wants to be a part of it. I love reading about Brother Lawrence who was a monk that cooked and washed pots and pans for his Carmelite order, all the while aware of God’s presence with him. He didn’t feel it necessary to do great things, but to do everything for the love of God. It’s the closeness and awareness to the Lord that is most important, whether we are a mother at home with little ones or the CEO of a big company. May we also be present with ourselves so we can be present to God.

Challenge for today: Memorize:  “Trust steadily in God, hope unswervingly, love extravagantly. And the best of the three is love. (I Cor. 12:13)
Blessings on your day and prayers and love, Judy