Category: Sister Judy (Page 11 of 267)

June 9, 2025

June 9, 2025 / Judy Hendrickson / 0 Comments

Dear Ones,

Hope you had a great weekend. Yesterday the youth had a fund raiser and meal following the service, including the dunk tank where Pastor and others got very wet! We also had a wonderful surprise as Ethan and Taylor (who many of you have prayed for in the past) came for a visit. She is now 7 months pregnant!!

Today I am going to Aldi’s and my exercise class and then having a DEXA scan, hoping my bones have gotten stronger.

Devotions from Judy’s heart

Each one or you who is reading this devotional today has either come to the Lord through a conversion experience that might have been sudden and dramatic, or one that one that happened more gradually over time. Or perhaps you are one that has not yet accepted Christ. Coming to receive the Lord is the most important decision any one of us will ever make and effects how we will spend eternity.

Professor Zittser, in his book Water From a Deep Well, writes that conversion means a change of direction, a new way of life. It involves repentance and a change of heart, mind and direction. It is like a new birth! It happens in many ways and we can tell if it is true and authentic by the results that follow. If it is real, we will draw closer to the Lord and we become more like Him. Some may listen to a charismatic evangelist and go forward at a crusade to receive the Lord, but there is no evidence of a change of life that follows. One such girl in our youth group had an emotional experience, but it didn’t last long as she later returned to her former life.

Jonathan Edwards preached to many in the 1700’s and saw great awakening in the church. He observed the pattern that conversions seem to follow: “a conviction of sin, commitment to live a better life, repeated failures, feelings of utter helplessness and guilt, and finally an experience of grace, which overwhelmed the converts with confidence, rapture and love.” Edwards recognized and believed people coming to the Lord was the result of God’s initiative and work! If we try to live it out on our own we will fail, but when we experience His grace we are left with gratitude and great joy. Yes, conversion is far more than just an ecstatic experience. When we experience God’s grace in a deep way, we may then respond with love for God and for our neighbor.

We may not have an exact date when we came to believe but the big question is, have we surrendered to God and does it affect our marriages, schedules, relationships, jobs, finances, etc. If we know Him, it will impact on how we love and serve, for we will be known by our fruits. (Matt. 7:16) If you have never received Him, the Lord waits for you to open your heart to Him.

Challenge for today: Ask the Lord to help you live a life of love and service and share Him with others.

Blessings on your week and prayers and love, Judy

June 7, 2025

June 7, 2025 / Judy Hendrickson / 0 Comments

Dear Ones,

Hope you are enjoying the weekend! We are excited as Andrea and our grandsons have made the big road trip to MN. and John Mark got to do part of the driving as well. Mark flies in this afternoon and we hope to see them soon. This morning I plan to clean the apartment and get things ready.

Devotions from Judy’s heart

We are all made up of three dimensions: body, mind, and spirit, and it is good when there is compatibility between psychology and faith. There are times we may need to go to counseling and as things get uncovered in our lives, we see the need for the spiritual dimension as well. Other times we may go to our pastor or priest for prayer and healing, and he or she sees a psychological disorder that could be helped by a psychologist. Both should work together, because like priest/therapist, Martin Padovani writes in his book Healing Emotions, “There can be no spiritual healing without being in touch with the emotional, and no fullness of emotional healing without the spiritual.” They should complement each other.

Jesus gave us His example, for he blends the human and the spiritual in His life and said, “Follow Me. I am the way, the truth and the life.” He is also the Light. We are to follow Him not only spiritually but emotionally. I had never thought of that before. He wants us to get in touch with our problems, deal with them, and follow through to go on with life. When we deal with our problems, we can grow through them to maturity. But if we run from our problems and fail to use the trained pastors and counselors around us, our problems often intensify. God’s desire is to lead us through our problems, for He always loves us, forgives us and is present with us to give us hope.

When we think about it, Jesus is the master psychologist who understands people, relating to our human needs as well as our spiritual needs. I think of Mary Magdalene who had seven demons cast out of her by Jesus and whose life was forever changed by Him. Being around Him and helping provide for the needs of Him and his followers must have taught her healthy behavior and how to get in touch with herself and bring deep healing.

If you are reading this and have unresolved problems, know that the Lord is ready and waiting to help you face the things that seem so huge, and also give meaning to your life. May we all come to know and love ourselves and experience healing.

Challenge for today: Don’t hide from your problems but address them with God’s help and grow through them.

Blessings on your weekend and prayers and love, Judy

June 6, 2025

June 6, 2025 / Judy Hendrickson / 0 Comments

Dear Ones,

Happy weekend to you!! We had a rain shower yesterday and everything looks fresh and green. Today I am going to

make an enchilada casserole and do some food prep and writing.

Devotions from Judy’s heart

Have you thought much about how you live in the world matters to God? We can observe the lives of missionaries, monks, pastors, etc. who serve God full-time, but what about ordinary people like you and me? Shouldn’t we also serve the Lord in our everyday lives and commune with Him as we go about our various mundane activities? How can we change our lives to praise God and connect with Him as we do our chores?

Professor Gerald Sittser writes about some extraordinary people that did many wonderful, courageous and sacrificial things for God. But he also asks the question, “Is it possible for ordinary people to be true disciples, too?” Of course! When Paul was writing to the Colossians, he said in Col. 3:17, “And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.” I think that could include all of us that are ordinary believers who want to serve the Lord, as well as the saints we read about.

During the Medieval times, the laity was considered the lowest position because they would be doing secular activities. Next was the clergy, who filled the middle position and served the church as they lived in the world. Thirdly, the monks and nuns were held in the highest position because they lived apart from the world and spent their time in worship and prayer. Lay people depended on monks for their salvation. Things gradually changed in the Middle Ages as laypeople began to experience a more spiritual life themselves and were active participants in the Chrisitan faith. Many lived like monks and nuns, practicing prayer, fasting, poverty, service to the poor, etc. while at the same time, remaining in the world and serving the people.

Calvin encouraged lay people to use their gifts to serve God in the world and said that all work has dignity and purpose, no matter how lowly. God uses ordinary people like you and me, empowering us through the Holy Spirit to live in the world and claim it for God’s kingdom. Even our mundane tasks can have divine purpose to them and become holy activities. Let us pray as we work, serve others, love all those God puts around us and share the Good News with all.

Challenge for today: Begin the day by visualizing the presence of God in your ordinary life and ask Him what He wants to do through you.

Blessings on your weekend and prayers and love, Judy

June 5, 2025

June 5, 2025 / Judy Hendrickson / 0 Comments

Dear Ones,

Hope you have an awesome day. Al is going to Men’s group and I plan to make cookies on a stick and later we have Bible Study. We are excited as Mark’s family is leaving this morning from N.C. to come back to MN for nearly 3 weeks. Please pray for a safe trip for them.

Praying for safe travels.

Devotions from Judy’s heart

Prayer is so important on our spiritual journey and we can all become more prayerful as we walk out our daily Christian life. We might first of all think of the many techniques of prayer and wonder if we are doing it right but it is much more than that, for it is all about relationship. It is not about saying the proper words, but rather paying attention to God. It doesn’t matter if prayers are memorized, said aloud or whispered, but rather that we realize to whom we are speaking and what we are really saying to Him. It is all about speaking from our hearts.

My prayer partner and I meet together every other week or so and we always have a subject or a question to write about. This time it just happens that she chose that we are to write a love letter to the Lord and will share together when we meet again. I find it as I write it helps me say what is in my heart and to think more about my words that I express to Him, which is really prayer.

Before Al and I were married, we were separated most of the summer and wrote to each other most every day. The words seem to just flow out as we missed one another and expressed what was in our hearts. (It was handwriting then as we didn’t have cell phones.) If we want to grow closer to the Lord, we also will want to spend time expressing our love for Him and our gratitude for His gifts to us each day. As it says in Lamentations 3:20, “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; His mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” Every day we can draw closer to Him in intimacy and there are new things to thank Him for.

We must remember we are speaking to God and our focus is on Him. Can we picture Him right with us when we wake, beside us when we go to work? He is with us in the midst of activities, so we can just talk with Him as we go about our day. In I Thess. 5:16-18, we are told to “pray constantly, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” Let us make our day more prayerful and at times just pray the name of Jesus.

Challenge for today: Set aside time for prayer early in the day, also lifting your thoughts and prayers to the Lord throughout your day.

Blessings on your day and prayers and love, Judy

June 4, 2025

June 4, 2025 / Judy Hendrickson / 0 Comments

Dear Ones,

Hope you have a wonderful day! We had a big group of women show up last night for Bible Study. Today I have exercise class, Craft time and another Bible study.

Devotions from Judy’s heart

I love to eat, and one of the first things I do in the morning after my devotions is begin to think about what I am going to serve for our main meal and start making preparations. I love the aroma of baked goods in the oven or soup on the stove top, and even while I am at exercise class I think of how nice it will be to get home to eat our big meal. There are so many recipes online with details of how to prepare them and it’s good to be present to our bodies, emotions and others as we eat and drink.

Very few of us have ever gone hungry, but some people self-medicate with food as they seek to remedy the emptiness that is felt within. But stuffing down food (gluttony) is not the solution. Others may use alcohol, drugs, cigarettes and any number of things and then that becomes a problem. When we use them to disconnect from ourselves and to escape from things we don’t want to deal with, it can become addictive. We can get high on cannabis, alcohol, cocaine, etc. in an attempt to forget what we are trying to suppress at the time, but that is not the solution. We may do the same thing over and over again hoping for a different result, but it will not get rid of our pain or the reason for it in the first place. Many of our behaviors that we think will bring us peace and wholeness just leave us empty and will not satisfy the deep hunger within.

Al and I lived through the Hippie generation when young people were trying psychedelic drugs and zoning out looking for meaning, but instead found addictions, drunkenness, depression, etc. But rather than run from our feelings and use artificial ways, we need to allow ourselves to feel our feelings and connect to the Lord, ourselves and others. The craving for artificial means may just be a holy hunger for God and as it says in (Eph. 5:18), “Do not get drunk on wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Holy Spirit.” Within all of us is a craving for union with the Lord and to have that connection beyond ourselves. Let us not be given to gluttony to satisfy the hunger of our souls but connect with the Lord.

Challenge for today: Ask the Holy Spirit to fill you and to satisfy your heart hunger.

Blessings on your day and prayers and love, Judy

June 3, 2025

June 3, 2025 / Judy Hendrickson / 0 Comments

Dear Ones,

Hope you have a joy-filled day! I plan to make Finnish Pasty and go to an appointment with Al and tonight we start a new Women’s Bible study at church.

Devotions from Judy’s heart

Joy is a wonderful and beautiful gift from the Lord and when He lives within us, joy seems to bubble over. Joy comes from a deep place for it is not dependent on our circumstances but rather the knowing that the Lord is with us in everything that touches our life. He never leaves us to struggle on our own, but promises to walk with us through whatever may come.

A verse that is on many plaques that you may have seen is found in Nehemiah 8:10, “The joy of the Lord is our strength.” Before Jesus left this earth, He told his loved ones that He loved them the way the Father loved Him and wanted them to be at home in His love. He said in John 15:11, “I’ve told you these things for a purpose: that my joy might be your joy, and your joy wholly mature.” The enemy wants to steal our joy, so we must guard against discouragement, finding our joy in the Lord even when problems come our way. Jesus, however, wants us to live in His love and to be completely joyful as He is.

Our Bible study group here at Northern Lakes is growing, not just in numbers but in depth with one another. After a recent Bible study, I got a text from a member who remarked how much joy is in the group. We had just studied the crippled man who was healed and went “walking and leaping and praising God.” The person woke up singing the song with those words flowing through her mind. She has been in other prayer groups before, but has never experienced this much joy and said that others will recognize us by our joy and love for one another.

We can be examples to others when we can remain peaceful and joyful even as we go through hard times. They see firsthand that Jesus is present in our lives and walking with us, giving us strength to overcome. Let us be joyful in Him!

Challenge for today: Go about your day with a joyful heart and sing a song of praise to Him.
Blessings on your day and prayers and love, Judy

June 2, 2025

June 2, 2025 / Judy Hendrickson / 0 Comments

Dear Ones,

Hope you had a good weekend! We had beautiful weather for walking the trail and a bear was also sited on Saturday.

Yesterday we were surprised by good friends from our former church that showed up for our service. Wonderful to catch up with all of them.

Devotions from Judy’s heart

We know that as Christ followers we are not to be judgmental, but open and welcoming with others. We may find it hard to do when we have an opposing view on things that we consider very important, or are defensive and even offensive. How do we handle that?

Elizabeth Oldfield has much to say in her book Fully Alive about our turbulent world, where many are polarized and not open to connect with others who may think or feel differently than they do about life, issues, etc. But as Christians, we are to engage others and be a light, not just sticking only with other believers, but shine His love on all. How do we do that, especially if we are poles apart on how we view life, our political views and especially matters of faith? Oldfield gives some good pointers as she has conversations and dinner parties with those like and unlike her. It is good for us as well to not ignore others that are unlike us, but to learn how to engage them.

Instead of just spilling our views all over others, it is good to ask people what is important to them. How did they come to believe what they believe? We need to hear their stories, listening with respect and curiosity, not defensiveness and rebuttal. When they know we care, they may open up and even ask us in return how we arrived at some of our views. As we give them our attention, it is good to ask the Lord to help us tolerate our differences, help us see the person underneath and understand what might have led them to their conclusions. Some who have a strong aversion to the church may have been hurt deeply and need healing.

Jesus was criticized for gathering with others that were not like him: tax collectors, Samaritans, poor, unclean, etc. But he ignored the invisible lines and treated them with love. We are to also love even our enemies and pray for them; all need the Lord and are lost without Him. Jesus said in John 10:10, “I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.” Let us reach out to others, even those markedly different than us.

Challenge for today: Don’t judge those who are different than you but be open, welcoming and listen to them with Christ’s love.

Blessings on your week and prayers and love, Judy

May 31, 2025

May 31, 2025 / Judy Hendrickson / 0 Comments

Dear Ones,

Happy weekend to you! We had a fun Birthday party here yesterday and a very full house! Today I plan to clean the apartment and do some writing and baking.

Devotions from Judy’s heart

A question many ask today is, “Why go to church on Sunday?” Why not stay home and just watch online or go out on the lake with your fishing rod and enjoy nature? I grew up in a home where it was never a question on Sunday morning: we all went to church and began preparing the night before to have everything ready. Things have changed in our fast-paced world, and sadly people don’t realize church is a gathering with other believers to worship. As it says in Heb. 10:25, “Let’s see how inventive we can be in encouraging love and helping out, not avoiding worshiping together as some do but spurring each other on, especially as we see the big Day approaching.”

I read an article by Pastor Sarah Coleman, and I’d like to share a few reasons she gives as to why going to church will improve our week. Remember even Jesus purposed to attend worship as it was His custom, and it certainly is good for us too.

When we are gathered to offer praises in worship, we sense God’s presence in a powerful way. He inhabits our praises! We also receive revelation as we listen to the Word through the pastor’s sermon, through scriptures read or testimonies given. We connect with other believers as we worship together, have coffee and fellowship and grow in the sharing of our lives.

Sarah also says church is an opportunity to see outside ourselves and to serve others. It’s not just “bless me,” but in helping others we are also refreshed. Church helps us find answers to questions we may have, and they may not come through only the pastor, but also others who have been through similar situations. Studying the Word together and sharing our lives can help us make sense of things. Church is also a place that provides a moral compass. Truth is found in the Word and as we hear and study it, we can become people who live truth.

Studies show that church just might help us live longer. Sarah shares that the New York Times says it boosts our immunity and lowers our blood pressure. Going regularly may add years to our lives! Wow!
Church helps us keep our priorities straight: as we put first things first, other things seem to fall into place. The Lord is to be in first place always!
The last reason Sarah gives is that church puts us in an atmosphere of faith. Our hearts are encouraged as we gather with other believers, and we find doubts and fears replaced with hope. May we take time to go to church and be blessed, encouraged and ready for what’s ahead.

Challenge for today: Ask the Lord to open your heart to receive from Him what He offers you through your church.

Blessings on your weekend and prayers and love, Judy

May 30, 2025

May 30, 2025 / Judy Hendrickson / 0 Comments

Dear Ones,

Happy Weekend. Hope you have a relaxing one. We start the weekend with our monthly Birthday party and will be going to Costco to get the Birthday cake. Thankful for my two helpers and we enjoy serving together.

Devotions from Judy’s heart

We are meant to live in fellowship with others, to share God’s love, and to let go of our pride that thinks mostly of self, disconnecting us from others. Our hearts are to reach out to others, instead of the overemphasis in our culture of the I and the loss of the we. It’s wonderful to belong to a small group of people where we share and seek each other’s good. Hopefully, we can do that in our church fellowship groups: show care for one another and come to deeply to know one another.

There are some that have gone the extra mile to live in community. I have written about Taylor and Ethan who have their own home but clustered in a community where they meet together to worship, to work and to fellowship. Oldfield writes that she and her husband are living in community, sharing a house with another couple and their children. That is even more of a challenge, but it is helping them to love each other well, even though their imperfections are obvious as there is no hiding. It is also a time of dying to one’s pride, for as it says in Proverbs 27:17, “Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another.” I can only imagine that living in community is sometimes messy, but growth takes place as we connect and let others know us.

The early church, after the Holy Spirit came upon them, were of one heart and mind and shared everything. In Acts, Luke writes how they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, fellowship and were together with no one in need.

Not all of us will join a live-in community, but we are to connect with others, surrender our pride and discover what it means to be interdependent, joyful and free.

Challenge for today: Ask the Lord to help you surrender your pride and to connect with others in His Body.

Blessings on your weekend and prayers and love, Judy

May 29, 2025

May 29, 2025 / Judy Hendrickson / 0 Comments

Dear Ones,

May you have a peace-filled day. I plan to bake Al’s favorite cookies and later we have Bible Study.

Devotions from Judy’s heart

Most of us would not like to admit that we have idols in our lives; but the fact that there are no statues in our house doesn’t mean we are free from idols. Francis Schaeffer wrote some years ago that personal peace and affluence are the defining idols of our time. We are people who like comfort, to be left alone and to have prosperity with material goods in abundance. I remember watching Schaeffer’s movies while at our church in Des Moines wondering if people would really come to the place of ignoring the needs of others and just be concerned about themselves and gaining wealth? But if we look around us and maybe within us, we must acknowledge we want a comfortable, affluent life of ease.

Even our children are taken in by the word to “follow your dreams and live your truth.” Athletic and personal success become more important than spiritual formation and growth. They desire status and trophies and think God’s favor lines up with whatever they achieve. But that kind of living leaves us with anxiety, addictions, laziness and emptiness. How contradictory it is from God’s way that speaks of self-denial, helping others and surrendering to God.

Our faith involves obedience, sacrifice and serving others. If parents don’t teach this to their children they will not be able to embrace suffering when it comes. They are more likely turn to quick fixes like vaping, alcohol and excess time on their phones, etc. It’s best when parents model a life of faith and sacrifice, help others and surrender to the Lord. All of us need to embrace God’s way of truth, expressing His love as we help others and reject the idols of our day.

Challenge for today: Do as John says in I John 5:21, “Dear children, guard yourselves from false gods.”

Blessings on your day and prayers and love, Judy

Category: Sister Judy (Page 11 of 267)

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