Category: Sister Judy (Page 159 of 277)

Dear Ones,

Hope you are having a wonderful day. This morning I got shopping and spent some Kohl’s dollars and also delivered a fruit basket from our church to a widow. This afternoon I also hope to shop a little more with Christopher and Banks dollars.  Fun!

Devotions from Judy’s heart

I am very rich and so are you if you know the Lord…that’s because we have an inheritance that is beyond what we can even imagine. As Paul says in Romans 8:16-17 (God’s Word), “The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children. If we are His children, we are also God’s heirs. If we share in Christ’s suffering in order to share His glory, we are heirs together with Him.” Many years ago, I inherited a cabin on lake property which was a gift to me because I was a member of the Seburg family. I didn’t earn it, I didn’t buy it, I simply received it from my parents with much gratitude.  It was the same piece of land that we later built a retreat house, Canaan’s Rest. And then the day came when we gave it to our children and they inherited what we had been given at one time and I hope one day they will pass it on to their children. I remember often kneading bread on the counter at Canaan as I looked out over the trees and lake. I was always struck by the beauty before me and reminded of the gift given me… and this was just an earthly gift. Now even though it is a wonderful gift, there is one that is far greater and can’t even be compared and that is our inheritance of eternal life. We cannot earn it, we can’t buy it, we must simply receive Jesus by faith and the inheritance is ours. He makes it all possible because of His sacrifice for us. But as Paul said in Colossians three, we are to respond by doing everything whole heartedly, knowing we will one day be given our inheritance. Whatever we do in this life is really peanuts compared to the inheritance that is ours. There is no reason to see ourselves as paupers for we were chosen and given eternal glory with the Lord forever. Let us live whole-heartedly and gratefully, knowing how rich we are!

Challenge for today: Express your gratitude to the Lord for the inheritance you have been given as His child. 

Dear Ones,

Hope you are having a good day. Al had his Band of Brothers group this morning and soon we are leaving for Hackensack. Our first stop is to see a friend at Birchview which is so wonderful that  it is now open for visitors. I am going to Share and Care before having my hair cut and then on to meet Joe for his birthday and transfer gifts and birthday cake etc into his car. Ann isn’t feeling good so we have to cancel our plans to go to the lake to celebrate there.

Devotions from Judy’s heart

What is your image of God? We all have different images of Him but none of them are inadequate to describe our great God who is so beyond words and our understanding. We try by using visual words such as rock, shepherd, lover, potter, guide, deliverer but none of them can fully capture His greatness. Our image of Him is often formed when we are very young and how we related to our parents. For some it may seem like God is a policeman who is watching us, or a Santa who gives us what we want, or a distant person who we can’t get close to etc. Many images we have are unhealthy and hopefully we grow to see God more like what we find in the Word. Our image of God is important as it has a lot to do with the direction of our spiritual journey and seems to point us in a certain way. In my own life, I think I felt like God was going to require of me things that were too difficult and I remember being fearful. We gest that it was because my mom expected that I would walk by myself from the cabin to the outhouse at night; and at 3 years old, I could only imagine what animals were lurking by, and especially the possibility of a skunk or bear. But hopefully we outgrow the kind of images that illicit fear or limit God and our view of Him changes. He is mighty and great and powerful and yet love! We are influenced also by the teaching we get in our churches, songs we sing, and even the culture we grew up in. On our wall in the dining area we have Rembrandt’s painting of the Prodigal Son returning and notice that the father’s left hand is masculine and his right hand is feminine to help us realize God is beyond male and female in our understanding too. We need to ask ourselves if our image of God brings up feelings of fear and dread or if it floods us with love and grace. One thing we do know is that God is seeking us and wants to bring us into a close relationship. Jeremiah 29:13-14, (The Message) says, “When you come looking for me, you’ll find me. Yes, when you get serious about finding me and want it more than anything else, I’ll make sure you won’t be disappointed.” May we let go of our false images of the Lord, and see Him as our loving Father pursuing us.

Challenge for today: Spend some time picturing yourself as the prodigal son returning home and being welcomed by your loving Father.

Dear Ones,

Hope you are having a good day. Kurt and Bo stopped to see us on their way home this morning and showed us pictures of Kurt on the ice after a sauna with only a towel on. ( And that also means walking all the way from the sauna down the hill too!)  They got lots done at the Silver Chateau and time to relax. I got cookies baked, went to Aldi’s, and getting things ready to go to the Lake tomorrow to celebrate Joe’s birthday. 

Devotions from Judy’s heart

One of my daily prayers is that I would be more aware of God’s presence throughout my day; that I might see the Lord in all that is happening and experience His grace. Some of you know I love greeting cards; I love getting them but I really love to send them. The Lord also knows that, and just yesterday Al took a call from a friend whose lovely Christian mother died and she is going through all of her things. She invited us and others to help ourselves to some things left that she needs to dispense with. I had only 10 minutes before I had to go to an appointment but His gift was waiting for me under a table. What do you suppose I found? Bags of cards of all kinds to send! I felt as if the Lord was smiling and I just gave Him thanks.  Later I went back with a friend, whose health does not permit her to go shopping any more. And she found a whole new wardrobe of clothes that were just her size and even shoes and slippers. I rejoiced even more as I had remarked to Al in the morning that I felt sad for her as I could no longer take her shopping to the Mall. Isn’t the Lord full of surprises? He wants us to be awake and recognize His hand in our everyday life. Sometimes it is peace in the midst of what normally would be a tense situation and we know it is Him. There are many practices that also help us be mindful of Him since we have a tendency to drift and miss what God is up to in our lives. Some feel fasting helps them to be more awakened, humble and open to the Lord. But that doesn’t just have to be fasting from food; it could be from e-mails or the TV or our phones. Some find it helpful to journal as they see a pattern in their life of how God may be leading them. Others practice hospitality or spiritual formation. There are many spiritual practices that help direct us back to the Lord and to wake us from our routines and become mindful. In I Thess. 5:6 we are told to keep awake.  We are to be alert and awake to what God is saying and wants to do in our lives. Each of our journeys is unique and planned out by the Lord, so we have to see what works best for us at this time in our lives. As we grow in Him, we may need to let go of some practices and go on to something that is new to us. But we will know as we will experience His grace and be drawn closer to Him.

Challenge for today: Ask the Lord to help you be mindful and aware of His presence in your life.

Dear Ones,

Hope you had a wonderful weekend. We had church virtually yesterday even though we all gathered together, our pastor’s son was sick so his family stayed home as a precaution. Today I made cookies and a big pot of chicken stew.  I had trouble with my computer again yesterday and they think it is in the hardware. I ordered a new computer and when it comes I will be without a computer for a few days while they transfer things over to my new one… so no devotions on those days.

Devotions from Judy’s heart

We all like to think of ourselves as honest and truthful but are we that way with God? Do we pray and tell Him what we think He wants to hear or do we tell it like it is? Jesus was very open with His Father and expressed all kinds of emotions like grief, anguish, anger, compassion etc. Since He didn’t suppress what He was feeling inside, neither should we, for after all He knows even our thoughts. It is helpful to own our emotions, even negative ones, and welcome them as a guest for they tell us a lot about ourselves. They are like an alarm that goes off as the Lord is trying to tell us something. As we learn from them, we can then release them and say farewell, knowing the Lord is seeking to draw us closer to Him. Of course, we’d all love to live continually in deep connection with the Lord, experiencing joy and peace and sensing the warmth of His love.  But there may be times when we go through what is called desolation or a dark night when we feel isolated from God and others. Saint Teresa lived for 50 years in spiritual darkness, feeling cold and forgotten, but she walked by faith and didn’t let her feelings control. She let go her images of God and served Him with much love.  We may not go through a dark night but we sometimes go through times of confusion and wonder what is God up to. Certainly, Job must have wondered that when so many catastrophic things happened to him and his family…but He still trusted even though He didn’t understand at the time.  Or what if we were in Joseph’s place and trying to make sense of Mary’s pregnancy when he knew the child was not his; yet He obeyed the angel’s message and followed God’s leading. The more we grow in the Lord, the more we realize we don’t know. There is so much that remains a mystery and may not be explained to us, but one day we will know.  For now, our part is simply to keep moving forward with the Lord, even if it is baby steps, and all the while, trusting Him. May our prayer be as Paul’s in Eph. 1:17 (God’s Word), “I pray that the glorious Father, the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, would give you a spirit of wisdom and revelation as you come to know Christ better. Then you will have deeper insight. You will know the confidence that He calls you to have and the glorious wealth that God’s people will inherit. “

Challenge for today: Be honest with the Lord and trust Him in things you don’t yet understand.

Dear Ones,

Hope you are having a good weekend. I went to our Women’s Bible study at church this morning and enjoyed the time of study and fellowship. Our son Kurt and Bo stopped by last night on their way to the Silver Chateau and so good to catch up with them. 

Devotions from Judy’s heart

We are all invited into a deeper relationship with the Lord as we respond to His grace. He loves when we notice His presence in the ordinary things of our day and respond like children who delight in the wonder of it all. It helps to be mindful and to live in the present moment and not let our past use up our day. Sometimes we go on autopilot and miss what the Lord is presently wanting us to see in the now. It is easy to slide into a comfortable mode where we sleepwalk through the present, but we blow our opportunity to experience the exciting things He has planned for us. Isn’t it our own egos that get in the way when we think we might miss out if we go God’s way, but that is a lie?  God’s agenda may be different than ours but it is a whole lot more exciting and satisfying. Our way is often to increase our self-image or self-gratification and if we trace its roots, it may go back to unmet needs in our childhood. We’ve all had positive and negative experiences and we need to need to invite the Lord into the broken places and let Him heal us. Otherwise we end up with ego obsessions and act impulsively and life becomes all about us. How much better to acknowledge those things and give them to the Lord and let Him transform us. Perhaps when we think of a deepening relationship with the Lord, we feel we have to memorize more scripture, pray more, go to church more; and although all of this is good, our spiritual lives are really about love. The Pharisees were good at keeping rules, tithing, and memorizing but they left out love. We also can do many things for the Lord but do it out of duty. The Lord wants us to do things from a heart of love which isn’t based on warm toasty feelings but a willingness to forgive and keep our hearts open. What follows affects how we live for we will respond to the needs of others around us with love. In I Cor. 16:14 (NRSV) it says “Let all that you do be done in love.” As I read today, our spiritual progress is measured by the size of our hearts. Let us live in the present moment with our hearts open wide to His love.

Challenge for today: Give your day to the Lord and accept His invitation in love.

Dear Ones,

Hope your day is full of peace. Another beautiful sunny day and I love to watch the sunrise from my study window, and by the time we finish our walk the sun is setting again. Today I did food prep and studied and this afternoon Al is having a friend from church over so I plan to go shopping. 

Devotions from Judy’s heart

It seems like Christmas is near when we begin hearing the Christmas carols played or sing them in church. They tell the story of the nativity and some carols go back hundreds of years. But haven’t you wondered who wrote them and what the circumstances were behind them at that time they were written?  On Crosswalk.com I read how several of them came about. Take the carol, “O Little Town of Bethlehem,” which was written by a young abolitionist preacher, Phillips Brooks, who was an Episcopal priest. He gave the funeral address for President Abraham Lincoln but he was more well known for writing this Christmas carol. Because he was very tired from the years of war and wanting to find some peace, he decided to take a sabbatical to visit the Holy Land. He was moved to write a few lines of the poem while looking out over Bethlehem at night. The town looked so insignificant and the words came to him, “O little town of Bethlehem, how still we see thee lie. Above thy deep and dreamless sleep, a silent star goes by.” It wasn’t until years later that he continued to complete the poem and Lewis Redner, his organist, wrote the music. The Children’s choir in his church was the first to perform it and the verse was added to hymnals as one of their favorites at Christmas. Later salvation through the song was brought to Helen Keller, who at that time was not even born. Being blind and deaf she later met Pastor Brooks who explained the gospel to her for the first time through her teacher and translator. She responded saying, “I’ve always known there was a God, but until now I’ve never known His name.” I have not thought before of what the third verse would mean to a deaf and blind person but it seemed to perfectly fit such a one as Helen. “How silently, how silently, the wondrous gift is given! So God imparts to human hearts the blessings of His heaven. No ear may hear His coming, but in this world of sin, Where meek souls will receive Him still, the dear Christ enters in.” In a spiritual sense we are all blind and deaf until we receive the Christ Child. Let us open our hearts anew to Him at this Christmas time.

Challenge for today: Thank God for the gift of His Son and proclaim His birth to others.

Dear Ones,

The sun is shining and it is a gorgeous day for MN wintertime. We love our afternoon walk! This morning I did food prep, studied and began to work in my closet to pass on things I don’t wear. This afternoon we are going to Culvers for ice cream! 

Devotions from Judy’s heart

Are we good receivers or is it easier to be givers? Some find it harder to receive and may feel beholding to someone who gives them something big. Others may receive an unexpected gift but feel unworthy and undeserving. Recently a friend stopped in with a gift of candy and a card for Al and me in appreciation for helping her when she was in need. When I opened the card, I didn’t realize until after she left that a $50 bill slipped out and fell to the floor. We were not expecting anything in return and she so wisely wrote that we could use it to pay ahead for someone else who may be in need. But with the Lord, He desires that we be good receivers of His love, regardless of how we feel. None of us are worthy or have performed so well that we are deserving, but the important thing is what He wants to do in us. We read in Rom.8:32 (ESV), ”He who did not spare His own Son but gave Him up for us all, how will He not also with Him graciously give us all things?” The Lord desires to give us Himself and fill us with His love. The most important thing is being there with Him to receive. There isn’t anything we can bring Him except ourselves, which reminds me of the words from the hymn, Rock of Age…”Nothing in my hands I bring, simply to the cross I cling. Naked come to Thee for dress. Helpless look to Thee for grace.” God loved us in our nakedness, our nothingness; He loved us into existence and He wants to share Himself with us. It’s good to realize we have to come as empty vessels, knowing we have nothing to offer Him, so that He can fill us. We have only to think of Mary at this Christmas time, who was just a young girl and had nothing to give…only she offered herself. She said yes and so willingly carried Jesus. We have to also come to Him empty of ourselves and freely receive what He has to give us and respond in love. Let us be good receivers!

Dear Ones,

Hope you are having a joy-filled day! Every day is a gift from the Lord. This morning I did food prep and went to Aldi’s and also watched a church service my brother gave on Sunday which was a blessing. Since Al preached most  Sundays I have rarely gotten to hear my older brother preach (YoutubeSalemChurchofDarmstadtEvansvilleIll).

Devotions from Judy’s heart

Isn’t it easy to see the faults in others but fail to see the faults in ourselves? Jesus had something to say about that when He spoke to the crowd in the Sermon on the Mount and warns us. He says in Luke 6:41-42 (ESV), “Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take out the speck that is in your eye,’ when you yourself do not see the log that is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck that is in your brother’s eye.” Mark Roberts has written about this passage on crosswalk.com and his words are helpful and challenging.  We first have to deal with our own negative stuff before we can see clearly to help another. He calls it splinter removal. If we don’t deal with our own logs, we can come across to another as prideful and self-righteous and full of envy. In fact, we have no right to deal with the splinters in others if we don’t take care of our own sins, bad habits, etc. Only after that can we see clearly to help others and do it with humility and kindness. When we have a deep loving relationship with them and share our own logs and how God has helped us, they may be more open to see the splinter in their own eyes. Roberts says to deal with one splinter at a time and not say, “Oh by the way, there are other things that you need to change!” Our motivation must be love and compassion and it is important to hang in there with them. Instead of disappearing after the splinter removal, encourage them and tell them we want the best for them and will be praying for them.

Challenge for today: Ask the Lord for help to deal with the log in your own eye and then be open to help others.

Devotions from Judy’s heart

Even though we are limited in so many ways because of COVID, I suspect we may still get stressed out over Christmas preparations. The Prince of Peace has come but how do we make room for Him and rest in His peace during this holy holiday time. I read an article in Just Between Us magazine by Tara Furman an Lisa Grimes and they gave some hints of how we can do that. Of course, there are hundreds of suggestions online of fun things to do and things to make, but why not make Christmas time special without wearing ourselves out. We can focus on what needs to be done and keep simple in our decorating and our meal preparations; even store-bought food served in a pretty dish can make it special, or we can choose recipes that have only five ingredients. We don’t have to be elaborate! Why not decorate early and put the manger scene in a prominent place to be reminded often of what Christmas is really about. All the planning ahead and doing things beforehand will save us stress. Shopping for our loved ones can be done throughout the year or online as we listen to what their wishes may be. It helps to have an appetizer or dessert in the freezer so friends can be invited in on the spur of the moment for coffee and fellowship. I like to do my Christmas cards early and it is a wonderful feeling when they are in the mail. But in all of our preparations, let us not short change our time with the Lord. We need time with Him each day and it affects our behavior and how we respond to others around us. We can miss the real meaning of Christmas when we buy into the world’s frantic way of celebrating and buying. Let us not get distracted and stressed but keep our focus on the Lord whose birth changed everything. As it says in II Cor. 4:18 (God’s Word), ” We don’t look for things that can be seen but for things that can’t be seen. Things that can’t be seen last forever.”

Challenge for today: Make a list of things that need to be done and another list of what might be fun, only if there is time.