Category: Sister Judy (Page 135 of 270)

Dear Ones,

Hope you got the nice rain that we got this morning and everything out my window is looking fresh again. Al had men’s group this morning and I was able to clean some in his study while he was gone. I went to Exercise class and this afternoon is Crafts and then Bible Study tonight. 

Devotions from Judy’s heart

How bold are we for the Lord and what may it cost us?

I read recently about the abduction by Islamists of over 100 students from a Baptist High school in Nigeria. The attackers came on motorbikes and started shooting as they broke through the perimeter fence of the school. Some students were able to escape but 125 were missing and since then some have been returned. There are so many attacks and mass kidnappings happening all over theworld today and in Nigeria this was the 10^th one since December.

There are many today who are standing up for their faith and it is costing them their lives. It takes courage to stand up for what is right and not blend in to a culture that wants to keep Christ out. Jesus never gave in to the pressures of the world for He knew His purpose and never wavered in fulfilling it. We are to stand out from our culture and not blend in but to stand on the Rock who is Jesus. Like the chorus of the song by Ruth Caye Jones goes, “This Rock is Jesus, Yes, He’s the One; this Rock is Jesus, the only One; Be very sure, be very sure, Your anchor holds and grips the Solid Rock.”

Shakia Clark writes about ways to help us if we want to stand on the Solid Rock. She said we are to spend time reading the Word and getting our instruction from the Lord. As it says in Psalm 119:105 (ESV), “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.” A young man we know and pray for daily, is soon going to get married; both he and his fiancé just recited 60 key Bible verses that they had memorized word perfect. What a wonderful way to challenge one another by committing the Word to memory! 

Clark also shares how important it is to allow the Holy Spirit to guide us and lead is in God’s way. That means we will also need to have an obedient heart. Have you ever prayed, “Lord show me your will but don’t make me do…………” You fill in the blank! Obedience isn’t always easy but the Lord asks us to trust Him and obey Him, even when we don’t see the whole picture. Sometimes that may mean standing alone but He is always, always with us. Clark also reminds us to speak the truth but to do it in love and not to fight back and get even.

We will all be tested at times and we need to stand firm on that stable Rock no matter what the cost!

Challenge for today: Memorize Psalm 119:105 and put it to practice by reading the Word daily.

Blessings on your day and prayers and love, Judy

Blessings on your day and prayers and knowledge of  how much you are loved, Judy

 

Dear Ones,

Hope you had a wonderful weekend!  It is still hot each day but we continue to walk the trail each afternoon. Later this morning we are going to Remer for our dental appointments and it is an all day affair as we take 3 hours for travel time. Hopefully no cavities. 

Devotions from Judy’s heart

Sometimes the Lord just seems to rain down one blessing after another. Yesterday was such a day as it began with a surprise visit from friends that went to our former church in Brunswick. Al and I happened to be greeters at our church when a couple showed up that we haven’t seen for some time. We worshiped together and then had opportunity to catch up during coffee/fellowship time afterwards. Later in the afternoon Al and I went for our daily walk and met friends that we meet half way on the trail most days. Then as we were visiting, another friend showed up on her bike who is head of a helping ministry. We talked for some time altogether, and it seems that maybe one couple’s need might be met by the other friend, who up to this time had never met before.  We huddled and prayed together right there on the trail and we knew that God brought us together; it was His timing and He arranged it all. We felt like we were part of the Church on the Paul Bunyan Trail! Another friend and her dog joined us after that and added more to the joy.

Let us remember that the Lord is with us everywhere and His Spirit brings people together who can meet the needs of each another. One of the friends on the trail later e-mailed us, “What an exciting time at the church on the Paul Bunyan Trail! I felt God’s presence and was reminded that we serve a living God who is involved with us. What a blessing to have His love.”

Yes, God is in control and we have the words of  King David in Psalm 31:14-15 (ESV), ” But I trust in you, O Lord; I say, ‘You are my God.’ My times are in your hand.” Each hour of every day, our lives are in God’s hands. We should not take matters into our own hands but recognize that our lives are under His control. I think as we do this, we will stand amazed at how He brings people together at the right place in His timing to accomplish His will. Let us then live fully in the moment and receive all the blessings He is pouring out on us.
Challenge for today: Acknowledge God’s hand and timing throughout your day and give thanks for His blessings in your life.

Blessings on your week and prayers and love, Judy

 

Dear Ones,

Hope you are enjoying the weekend. Everything looks so fresh again after our much needed rain in the night. Today I cleaned the apt. and made Oh Henry bars, and meatloaf, and did other food prep. So many good aromas!

Devotions from Judy’s heart

It’s so important how we start our day, for it can determine to a great degree how the rest of our day goes. If we lie in bed and rehearse in our minds all the many things we have to do, projects that seem impossible to get done in time, and some negative things that may have happened the day before, we will forge into our day with a less than positive outlook. Instead, we need to pause and commit our day to the Lord and remember His faithfulness to us.

This morning I read Psalm 33 and found ways that we can start our day that bring music to our souls and a spring in our steps. First of all, we can lie in bed for a few minutes and just praise Him for His keeping power through the night. As I am writing this, we had a storm last night with lots lightening, crashing thunder and strong winds and I am particularly praising Him that our power did not go out. What a blessing! 

We can also remember how trustworthy He is and know that He sees everything that has happened in our life and will happen today. Verse 18 says, “The Lord’s eye is on those who fear Him, on those who wait with hope for His mercy.” Since He sees everything that concerns us, we can depend on Him for He is able to rescue us any time throughout our day. Recently, I had a lot planned for the day and I committed my day to the Lord before getting up. At the end of the day, I just marveled at the Lord’s timing of everything, even the unexpected company … and yet I got more done than was even on my to-do list. 

The Psalmist goes on to say in verses 20-22, “We wait for the Lord, He is our help and our shield. In Him our hearts find joy. In His holy name we trust. Let your mercy rest on us, O Lord, since we wait with hope for you.”  We need to wait for the Lord when we waken and confidently put our trust in Him for all the happenings of our day. My window/screen was plastered with raindrops from last night’s storm so that I couldn’t see out on the courtyard clearly this morning. But when we set our hearts with hope and praise, we will see clearly His hand throughout our day and experience His peace.

Challenge for today: Give the Lord your day upon waking, and rest in knowing He is in charge.
Blessings on your weekend and Prayers and love, Judy

Blessings on your weekend and prayers and love, Judy

Blessings on your day and prayers and love, Judy

Dear Ones,                                                                                                                                                    Hope you are having a beautiful day. I am making stroganoff and then will be off to my exercise class soon. This afternoon we have Craft time.                                                        Devotions from Judy’s heart                                                                                                                        We have friends from Washington coming next month to visit us and I was reminded of Tom when I read Sara Whitten’s words on Crosswalk.com about sailing. She shared about the picture of a sailboat that she saw at a hotel, with the words above saying, “You can’t change the direction of the wind, but you can adjust your sails.” For all of us, that means we have to do the adjusting!                              Our friend Tom made his own small sailboat and loves to sail on Washington lake which is 12 miles long. Recently he took his daughter and friend sailing and much to their surprise the small boat motor suddenly conked out. They were 3 miles from where they had launched and the wind was from the wrong direction so they had to tack (go zigzag) and it took 8 hours to finally get back to land. Not a day like they had planned but still enjoyed!         

 Maybe we are in a place where it seems nothing is happening and we feel stuck and frustrated. God doesn’t want us to give up but find the direction the wind is blowing and adjust our sails. Sara writes that it means we need to adjust the positioning of our hearts to be filled with joy from the Lord. It could involve trimming our sails and reducing the drag so we are not slowed and weighed down. Often that means letting go of even good things to pursue what God has for us now. We can ask Him where He wants us to put in our time and energy during this shifting so we don’t capsize spiritually. Even when there is not much wind or movement, we can use the time to prepare for when the wind comes again. We are not to go on autopilot but know there is purpose in the stillness. Usually, the wind increases in the afternoon and Sara recommends taking time to get spiritually fed in the Word early in the day so we are on “wind watch” and ready for what is ahead. During the calm we can look for little signs that our “gust” is coming so we are ready. Small sailboats like Tom’s are more responsive and easier to steer, than large ones that have lower maneuverability. Likewise, we need to embrace what the Lord is trying to teach us in the small steps and then it will help us in the big steps.                                                                   

  Perhaps we feel like the wind is gusting and the sails are flapping now and it seems chaotic but it is a transitional time and we need to make adjustments so we can soon be on our way. Then let us ask the Lord to fill our sails with His Holy Spirit, and as Paul prayed in Rom.15:13b, “so by the power of the Spirit you may abound in hope.”   

Challenge for today: Pray that the Lord will show you what needs to be trimmed and get ready for the wind of His Spirit to fill your sails.                                            Blessings on your day and prayers and love, Judy

 

 

 

Blessings on your week and prayers and love, Judy

 

Dear Ones,

Hope you are enjoying the weekend. Our friends arrived for retreat yesterday and after dinner we spent all evening catching up, sharing, laughing, praying and enjoying fellowship together. This morning  they are having private time alone with the Lord before we go out for dinner. Not sure yet how the rest of our day will unfold as we want to be open to whatever the Lord has planned.

Devotions from Judy’s  heart

The longer I live the more I realize that life is all grace. Our lives are grace-filled because of what God has given us. Paul says in Eph. 2:8-9 (ESV) For by grace you have been saved through faith. And it is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” God’s grace is poured out to us daily and in so many countless ways. We must be humble recipients and know that we don’t deserve anything, but all is a gift.

The other day a Fed X man came to our door and handed me a gift of flowers. I thanked him and then suddenly thought, who would be giving me flowers as it was not my birthday or any special occasion. I looked down at the address which was correct but the name was wrong, as they were for someone else. I quickly told the delivery man that he had the wrong person and he took them back to try to locate the right recipient. The gift was for someone else and I ought to be glad for that person, as after all, I had done nothing to deserve them. But just yesterday, when friends came to our place for a time of retreat,  what were they carrying as they came through the door? A a beautiful arrangement of flowers in a floral vase. This time it was for me. Again, I had not earned them but I received the gift with joy.

I was reminded that God doesn’t owe us anything but because of his grace He pours out His love and lavishes us with so many gifts. We won’t be envious of others if we recognize that we are not entitled, we did not earn them, and we don’t deserve them. But when they do come, and even if a gift comes to someone else first, we are filled with gratitude. All that we have is unmerited and totally a gift. We can rightly respond to His grace by also extending grace to others in our words, our deeds, and in showing gratitude and forgiveness etc.

There is a song that is all about the marvelous grace of our loving Lord, grace that exceeds our sin and our guilt… grace that pardons and cleanses within… and grace that is for all who believe.

Let us all freely receive His grace!

Challenge for today: Thank the Lord for His grace on your life and bestow that grace to others.

Blessings on your weekend and prayers and love, Judy