Category: Sister Judy (Page 105 of 277)

Dear Ones,

Hope you had a wonderful weekend. What an exciting game for the Vikings and suspense until the last minute. 

The weather is cool and we are aware that Fall is here. This morning I did food prep, made Al cookies and went to my exercise class. 

Devotions from Judy’s heart

  Is the Lord our first love today? We might ask ourselves that question, even though we may have been a Christian for many years. What is the condition of our hearts today? Is the Lord first above all other loves?

   We may think back on how we felt when we first fell in love and could hardly think of anything or anyone else besides our beloved. We wore a smile on our face continually and could hardly wait for the next chance to be together. Words were not always necessary for we could read each other’s hearts. 

   But today we might ask ourselves if we have grown cool over time and have let other things get in the way of the Lord being our first love. Gradually we can let other things squeeze out time with Him and other relationships that have become more important than Him. We must always be on guard for it can happen so subtlety, just like the church in Ephesus. They are told, “But I have this against you, that you have abandoned the love you had at first.” (Rev 2:4). They are told to repent and to listen to the Spirit had to say or their lampstand would be removed.

  When we love the Lord with that same intensity that we had when we first came to know Him, His voice will be the sweetest sound to our ears. On Facebook I saw a new father who was stationed near his just born baby in the delivery room. The baby cried loudly, but each time he talked to her, she quickly quieted down for she recognized his voice. Most likely he spoke loving words to her while she was in utero just as the Father knew us when we were first conceived and loves us forever.

   May we make Him our first love and respond to His voice and leading.

Challenge for today: Ask the Lord to show you anything that is getting in the way of your love for Him and seek forgiveness.

Blessings on your weekend and prayers and love, Judy

Dear Ones,

  Hope you are enjoying the weekend! This morning I made a new chicken recipe and the house is so full of good aroma. Will see if the taste matches it. Bill is doing well and may possibly go to the Transplant House today where he and his wife will be for quite some time. Thank you for prayers for him. A friend Bernadine could also use your prayers, as you will read.

Devotions from Judy’s heart

After a night of sleep I wake up most mornings with the question to the Lord of what He would have me write. I never know how He will lead me and often it is a surprise. I go to the scriptures and also to some devotionals online from Fuller seminary and other writers and often it sparks something in me to write.

   Recently I have been concerned for friends going through some serious health issues and as I read Debbie McDaniel’s words, she shared scriptures to start our day. One of the scriptures was Psalm 91 which is one I memorized when going through a tough time years ago. But this day the words meant more as I thought of our friend Bill, who I asked you to pray for, as he received his kidney transplant. I prayed that the Lord would be his refuge and strength and that no evil would befall him; also that God would protect him and as verse 16 says, “With long life I will satisfy him and show him my salvation.” I praised the Lord for His watchfulness over Bill and how well he was doing with vital signs good, kidney working and walking laps around the nurses’ desk.. Bill’s help came from the Lord!

    I also have concern for my friend Bernadine who was just healing up from a fractured wrist and other symptoms from an encounter with a dog. She emailed that she was going to the ER as she had fallen down the stairs and later found out she had 3 fractures ribs and a broken collarbone etc. She lives alone but her former roommate was finally able to get a hold of her by phone and prayed for her. She emailed that Bernadine was a trooper and upbeat and full of faith.” Just like another scripture McDaniel had given from Psalm 46, Bernadine’s help was from the Lord, her very present help in trouble. She was not fearful for she knew the Lord was with her and she was not moved but trusting Him.

    A third scripture given was Psalm 121 about our help coming from the Lord. I thought of our friend in a nearby apartment whose sight is failing and her hearing diminishing. She is aware of her need for help from the Lord and as it says in verses 7-8, “The Lord will keep you from all evil; He will keep your life. The Lord will keep your going out and your coming in from this time on and forevermore.” Even though her sight and hearing is poor, God is with her and she is in His keeping power.

   As we read verses of scripture each day, may they speak to our hearts and applied to our lives as we claim the wonderful promises that are given.

Challenge for today: Read one of the Psalms and meditate on it as you go about your day. 

Blessings on your weekend and prayers and love, Judy

Blessings on your day and prayers and love, Judy

 

Blessings on your day and prayers and love, Judy

Dear Ones,

Hope you wake up to a day of thankfulness. This morning I am going downstairs for coffee and choc covered raspberries. This afternoon we are having a couple over for prayer and fellowship, which we look forward to. 

This week  your question is what have you gained through what you have suffered in your life?

Devotions from Judy’s heart

   How well do we suffer​? I guess I don’t know anyone that says they love to suffer but many share that good came from their suffering and left them more dependent on the Lord. We all will go through struggles in our lives and are told to give our suffering to the Lord; as it says in Rom.8:16-17 (ESV), “The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with Him in order that we may also be glorified with Him.”

   We are not to run from God when going through those hard times, but to run to Him. We can pour out our hearts to Him for He fully understands. Psychology Professor Todd Hall writes about how we can grow through these experiences. Many come away with a deeper appreciation for life and no longer take things for granted. Some have a change in their priorities as they know in a new way how precious time and relationships are. Others find meaning in and through their suffering and are strengthened spiritually. Some even discover spiritual strength that they didn’t know they had and are amazed. Al and I have often been surprised as we have seen those in our congregations that seem to sail through tough times, and others that fall apart. Todd also brings out that some come through suffering with greater acceptance of their vulnerabilities and limitations. People see how helpless they are and depend more on the Lord.

   We may find that when going through suffering, it makes us more compassionate of others who are going through similar hard things and we can express our emotions more openly. I remember shedding tears with a friend who lost her baby and there were no words at the time, we just sat together and cried.

   It does help to have others who will walk beside us in our suffering and we feel the strength of their support and are able to tell them what we are experiencing. We don’t feel alone but rather joined together in a deeper way.

    Sometimes we change our priorities after going through a hard time. We see what is really important. What we learn through it all can also be passed on to others who go through similar situations..

Let us give our suffering to the Lord that we become more like Him.

Challenge for today: Ask the Lord to make you stronger as you go through suffering. 

Blessings on your day and prayers and love, Judy  

Devotions from Judy’s heart

   Sometimes new Christians think that when they receive the Lord that all their problems are over; so, when they encounter difficulties, they get disillusioned and think something is very wrong and are tempted to abandon their new faith. But we were never promised a smooth road and a life without trials; in fact, we were told we would face sufferings of all kinds for His sake.

   In our Bible study here at Northern Lakes, we are in the book of I Peter, and he writes to the Christians that were exiled because of their faith. In fact, as Christ followers, we can expect persecutions and trials, and how we go through them is a testing of our faith. Peter tells the exiled Christians that they will have to suffer various trials for a while and he says in “The purpose of these troubles is to test your faith as fire tests how genuine gold is. Your faith is more precious than gold, and by passing the test, it gives praise glory, and honor to God.” ( I Peter 1:7) When miners find rocks with gold, they put them in the fire and impurities float to the top and can be skimmed off and the true gold comes forth. Our testing also proves if our faith is pure but we may discover that we have pride and selfishness and all sorts of impurities.  But if we let the Lord refine us our faith and hope will increase and we will rely more on Him. As the genuineness of our faith comes forth, it brings glory to God.

   Let us not be surprised when we go through suffering. We may all have hoped for an easier road and at times even compared our road to others but that is not wise. We must trust that the Lord who is in control of our lives, lays out the road before us, and promises to be with us on our journey all the way. Even when there seems to be no way He can reroute us!. As the hymn goes, “God will make a way/ where there seems to be no way/ He works in ways we cannot see/ He will make a way for me/ He will be my guide/ hold me closely to His side/ with love and strength for each new day/ He will make a way.”

 Instead of complaining of the hard road we travel, let us be thankful that He is in the process of refining us.

Challenge for today: Trust and thank the Lord for the road He has you on right now!

Blessings on your week and prayers and love, Judy

Blessings on your weekend and prayers and love, Judy

Devotions from Judy’s heart   

Do we make room in our hearts each day for the Lord or is He pushed to the side by our prideful attitudes and sinful behavior?

   I woke up early this morning thinking of an old song that I haven’t heard sung for a long time by Billy Gaines, reminding me there is never a lack of room at the foot of the cross The song goes: “The cross on which Jesus died/ Is a shelter in which we can hide/ And its grace so free is sufficient for me/ And deep is its fountain as wide as the sea/ There’s room at the cross for you/ There’s room at the cross for you/ Though millions have come, there’s still room for one/ Yes there’s room at the cross for you.”

  A repentant heart is spacious and open and really a gift from God. It brings incredible peace; but a heart that is full of pride and denies sin, making excuses and blaming others, is a closed heart that keeps the Lord at a distance. It is not a peaceful way to live and will weigh us down.

   How do we keep an open heart? We must hate sin and be willing to humbly come to the cross and confess our sins and be willing to change. As it says in Romans 8:6-7 (Message), “Those who trust God’s action in them find that God’s Spirit is in them—living and breathing God! Obsession with self in these matters is a dead end; attention to God leads us out into the open, into a spacious, free life. Focusing on the self is the opposite of focusing on God.”

   What a difference when we are willing to deal with our sin, for God’s grace is poured out on us and there is more room for Him. But if we hold on to our sinful ways, we won’t experience that spacious free life of peace in the Lord.

    It is because the Lord loves us so much that he shows us our sin so that we can repent and have room in our hearts for Him to fill.

   Challenge for today: Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal areas in your life that need to come to the cross, and ask forgiveness with a willingness to change.

Blessings on your weekend and prayers and love, Judy

Dear Ones,

  Hope you are enjoying this day. It started out with rain and thunder when Al was off to Men’s group! This morning I went downstairs fo donut day, and  made meat loaf and Preacher’s cake. When we were making Alzheimer’s quilts yesterday we were served a scrumptious cake so I am trying it today and I’m sure Al will sample it for me. This afternoon we have Bible Study here and last week we had a large group. 

Devotions from Judy’s heart

  When we lived on the lake, I loved the Saturdays that we had Wildmen Retreats. I never quite knew how many would show up but I usually made more food than I thought we’d need, because the men loved to eat!” Al led the discussions with the men, and it was based on scripture of how to be godly men. At the dinner table I got to ask them a question which they all took turns answering and I liked their honesty and ability to tell it like it is.

  It’s been a few years since Al’s retirement and I am sad as I see where many of the men’s movements have gone. Men are in crisis and dropping out; they no longer take pride in their work or even want to work, and many choose to not marry and become responsible for family. So many are depressed and lonely and attempting suicide.

    I read an article by Delano Squires, a black father, who wants to teach his sons what it means to be a man. He said that “The ultimate act of man is being willing to commit to one woman and the children you create for a lifetime… Healthy masculinity is found in men who exhibit self-control, wisdom, patience, courage, honesty, kindness, gentleness, grit, adventure, and love.” He wants to influence and model these traits for his two sons.

    He doesn’t want them or any man to feel ashamed of being a male, for that is how God created them and they are to be led by God’s Word. He goes on to say that women are also made in God’s image and equal in worth and meant to complement, not compete with one another. Men are to provide and protect and be responsible. Delano says that men need to be like leather—the perfect balance of tough and tender. His prayer is for his sons to know God, find work that is meaningful and marry a good woman and raise a family that is characterized by peace and productivity.

   Maybe this sounds old fashion to you as you read these words, but look where the culture that doesn’t not honor God has taken us today. Other ways that exclude God do not work! May men flourish and also women flourish for His glory!!

  Challenge for today: Encourage the men you know to be godly men who love God and family and are willing to do the hard work of hanging in there.

Blessings on your day and prayers and love, Judy