Category: Sister Judy (Page 202 of 279)

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Devotions from Judy’s heart
Today I am missing out as the Ladies of the Lake go to Dancing Fire for brunch. I would like to be with them but don’t dare because of the side affects of my last day of antibiotics. I missed Renewal Group yesterday and another group on Monday….all groups I wanted to be at. The fact that I couldn’t go makes those groups even more inviting, and I soon hope to return to them. It is so easy to take things for granted because they are familiar and routine, until they are taken from us.  Think of our weekly worship services. Do we just go through the liturgy and prayers without letting them touch our hearts?  Do we see those in the Body of Christ as our beloved brothers and sisters or do we take them for granted? Perhaps even more close to home, do we really appreciate the loved ones God has placed beside us in our families or do we just exist side by side? God can use all things in our lives to awaken us and I think he is using this time when I have pneumonia to show me in a greater way how He is so present and not to miss Him in the familiar. I know I look forward to being in church again, to being with friends again, but most of all I don’t want to miss Him in this  present moment. Let us not go along in our familiar routines without our eyes open to see Him.  May we be like the two blind men who cried out to Jesus, “Lord, let our eyes be opened.” ( Matt. 20:34)

 Devotions from Judy’s heart,

It is surprising how our circumstances can quickly change our outlook on things. Last week at this time, I was in the hospital with no energy.  Today I am so excited that I can scrub the floors, bake and get ready for a Pastor coming. Before, this would have just been routine, but today I am grateful that I CAN do these things rather than having someone wait on me. Our outlook need not be dependent on our present circumstances though, but rather where our focus is. If it is on the Lord, then everything we do will flow out of love and gratitude to Him. When our eyes are on Him, we can live above our circumstances and rest in His Presence, no matter what is happening in our lives. “And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with Him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus.” Eph 2:6   Let us rest with Him in the Heavenly realm, even as we go about our work here below!

Devotions from Judy’s heart

While I was in the hospital I felt too sick the first day to care about bathing for I was chilled and wanted to avoid taking off any covers.  That was fine with my nurse, and I had bathed before coming to the hospital.  But the second day I was feeling rather “stinky” and knew I needed a nice shower. My Dr. stopped my IV and Oxygen during the day so I only had to have my arm wrapped for bathing….and I had a wonderful hot shower with fresh gown and robe and slippers waiting.  I felt and “smelled” heavenly afterwards and got into fresh sheets as well. As good as I felt, it is nothing compared to being cleansed by the Lord. Now sometimes we know we are “Stinkers” but other times we may not realize just how much we need His cleansing. There was no doubt in my mind I was dirty this time, but what about when we just go out into the world each day. Don’t we need to wash off afterwards? Don’t we need to deal with our responses, our lack of love, our false ways?  “Search me, O God, and know my heart, test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.” Ps. 13:23-24. May we know our need and ask Him to daily cleanse us, even as we have our daily shower!

Devotions from Judy’s heart,

When I came home from the hospital yesterday I almost fainted when I stepped on the scale…I had gained #13 in 3 days and eaten like a bird since I had no appetite. I was so shocked! When did this unsuspecting thing happen? I was fed continual IV’s for the first 40 hours or so and it was pushing my personal weight scale up at the same time. I haven’t gained that much since I got married and now it happened in 40 hours!  When my primary Dr. saw me initially, he quit the IV’s except for my final IV antibiotic but the “damage” had already been done. I read on Yahoo that it is not uncommon and that it may take a couple weeks or more to get the fluid off. One gal even sued her hospital as she gained #20. What lies before me is a challenge and one I didn’t ask for really. It just happened. And isn’t that the way it is in life. Why do some breeze through life with so few hard challenges and others seem to have severe ones?  Does it mean God loves them less and some more? No! I needed the IV fluids and now I have a challenge ahead. What may happen to any of us may even be the result of someone else’s error. But we have to deal with what comes to us and know that God is in charge and lovingly going to go with us through every trial, every hard thing we have to face and give us His grace. We may not always see any good out of it at first, but just watch for it. As I looked back  on getting sick, if we had not come back from our trip early we may have been in that terrible weather that hit the south. So let us praise Him at all times for GOD IS GOOD ALL THE TIME!

Devotions from Judy’s heart

When I got to the hospital I was walked in freely but soon was restricted by tubes. I could only go a short distance with my IV and  nasal oxygen, as I would reach the end of the tubing! Sometimes I got a yank when I forgot. There were more things I wanted to do but had to have others do because they were out of my reach. I thought of how we enter the world as babies so free without all kinds of inhibitions and hang ups. But before very long we find ourselves full of attachments, hang ups, addictions, all kinds of things that restrict us.  We even put it on others that they should be just like us, so they have less freedom too.  But Oh it felt so good when my Dr. came in and said pull out the IV, take off the oxygen apparatus and move about all up and down the halls etc. YES! Of course we know that is exactly what the Lord is waiting to do for all of us.  We are reminded of that in Gal 5:1 “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.”  Let us not be bound any more!

Devotions from Judy’s heart

We don’t always get to choose if we are to be the giver or the receiver but a balance is good for us all. I would rather be the giver, but these past days, it has not been hard to be the receiver as I have had no energy at all. It has felt so good to have all my needs taken care of and the nursing care here has been wonderful. We need to just where God wants us each moment, sometimes the giver and sometimes the receiver. I have been in no shape to get up and serve the nursing staff so for now I am receiving. But if my life is focused on receiving all the time, it makes for one spoiled egocentric Judy, and that is not good!!  I wonder if even in our receiving we can be giving back to the giver in hidden ways. I think we have all said at one time or another,” I received more than I gave”, after helping someone.  I have enjoyed listening to the life stories of the nurses and nursing assistants as they care for me, and maybe they just need someone to listen to them too. But most important we must listen to the Lord as it is up to Him. So let us not miss the opportunities He puts before us…either to give or to receive.

Devotions from Judy’s heart

When I went to the clinic yesterday, I felt quite weak and sick. I prayed the Dr. would have wisdom to help me but never dreamed I would be put in the hospital. I slept almost continually once in my hospital room and noticed very little of my surroundings. But today when I woke up, I looked out my window that faces the courtyard and has several beautiful pines. Kids were playing there this afternoon and it was delightful. I also noticed for the first time that on my wall was a big picture of the woods with bright light shining through the trees. God has used a similar picture years ago in my life to make me more aware of His presence. I just meditated on it today as it felt like His healing light coming into my being. I also thought of how we all want to be whole and transformed more like Christ. Sometimes it takes a crises but in our heart of hearts, isn’t that what we all want?  I wish it was instant and transformation occurred overnight. But more often it is a long journey of many ups and downs. Just like I wished that the Dr. could have given me a powerful antibiotic and sent me home yesterday ( actually that was what I was expecting) but I can see this is going to be a longer process. Let us not be impatient with the Lord’s ways as He has so many things to gradually unfold before us as we look to Him. “The Lord is righteous in all His ways and loving toward all he has made.” Ps. 145:17

Devotions from Judy’s heart

Words! Words! Words! On our way to my brother’s we were at organic soup restaurant. A lady came in and cornered two young men who were there to get soup too. She talked incessantly for over an hour while they held their soup tray and it got cold. After having it warmed up she kept on while they finally got to their table. She stopped by our table too but ended up back at their table again. Their patience was amazing!  We talked to them after she finally left and they said they had never met her before. I don’t think they ever had a chance to utter a word as she talked the whole time. I thought of the scripture “Let everyone be quick to hear, SLOW to SPEAK and slow to anger. The lady said she talked too much but it didn’t change anything, as she just kept on. Sometimes we see things in exaggeration so God can make a point with us. Later that day I read from Prov 13:3 “He who guards his lips guards his life but he who speaks rashly will come to ruin.”  May we be good listeners and keep our words few.

Devotions from Judy’s heart

This morning as we went to the continental breakfast at our hotel there was only one other person there at 6 am. He was a man from India and engaged us in conversation. It wasn’t long before we found out he was the son of a Church of God pastor and grew up in India. What impressed me was his warm and sweet spirit. He wasn’t overbearing but so full of love. When I got back to our room I read from Colossians and several phrases stood out from chapter 3 and 4…”Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts….Be thankful….Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom…do all in the name of the Lord Jesus giving thanks to God the Father….Be watchful and thankful…Make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace seasoned with salt.”

I felt like this man uses the opportunities God gives and does so with grace. As we said good–bye to him, it isn’t his words so much that will stay with me but his grateful, humble spirit and the aroma of Christ that he exuded. Let us make the most of every opportunity to share Him with others and do it with gentleness and grace.

 Devotions from Judy’s heart

I love when I see acts of unexpected kindnesses and it makes my heart leap with joy. A couple days ago I had just made 2 kinds of cookies and Ann asked me to go for a walk before I cleaned up the dishes. I left the mess and went for the walk and when I came home the kitchen was all cleaned up and the dishwasher emptied. Paul ( age 13) had surprised me and I couldn’t help but give him a big hug. If I was made glad by a simple act of kindness, how must the Lord feel when we think of things to do for Him out of gratitude and love.   I must confess I have often done things out of obedience rather than a full heart of gratitude….especially when I have had to do public speaking! Just like I had not asked Paul to do the dishes etc, his act meant even more to me.  As I read in Deut. 11:12 “What does the Lord your God ask of you but to fear the Lord your God, to walk in all his ways, to love Him to serve the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and to observe the Lord’s commands and decrees that I am giving you today for your own good?”