Category: Sister Judy (Page 216 of 279)

Devotions from Judy’s heart

I thought of this verse many times today…“You will go out in joy and be led forth in peace; the mountains and the hills will burst into song before you, and the trees of the field will clap their hands.” Isaiah 55:12. As we have been traveling we have seen many different kinds of mountains and I just happen to love the ones covered with many trees and lots of green. The mountains by Edmonds are gorgeous with so many tall trees but when we went over the pass it was like huge sand dunes with very little vegetation.  I thought of how we all have preferences and especially in spiritual rituals and traditions.  When we were at the Vineyard, it was very casual and yet we received lots from the service. But my preference is a little more formality. I like some liturgy, especially before communion etc but that doesn’t mean there is anything wrong with the Vineyard service. It is just my preference.  Sometimes we miss what God has for us as we are so stuck in our traditions and miss the richness of other ways. We loved the people at the Vineyard and the pastors and felt richer because of being there. Next Sunday we will be at a Covenant church and we love going there as well. Let us not stay in our small boxes but let the Lord expand us!

Devotions from Judy’s heart

When we were at Grace and Tom’s house, I got up at 5 a.m. and went to the kitchen where I found a note saying the coffee was already to go. What a welcome sight!  All I had to do was push a button and it was exactly what I was hungering for. It just hit the spot!  I was reminded of how the Lord is waiting for us with just what we need for the day. All we have to do is connect. “Blessed are those that hunger and thirst for righteousness for they shall be filled.”  ( Matt,5:6)  I love having my devotional time when it is still and quiet for it is just what my soul is hungering for. It is my jump start for the day!   Later when everyone got up we had devotions together as there is also a need to gather with the Body of Christ . As we shared from the scriptures, we got more viewpoints and new ways of seeing things. It was a great way to start the day and my taste buds were satisfied.  “Taste and see that the Lord is good!….Those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.”. Ps. 34:8 & 10

May we take time each day  to receive what the Lord is waiting to give us!

Devotions from Judy’s heart

On our trip here,when I was swimming in the hotel pool, there was no one else there so I just prayed as I swam and enjoyed the freedom. I thought I was alone but I looked up and there was a security camera. I thought of the verse from Luke 8, “For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed, and nothing concealed that will not be known or brought out into the open.”  Little did I know that someone was indeed watching me.  I thought of times when we feel like we are going through things alone and wonder where God is in all of it. The words of a song came to mind …” Why should I be discouraged, why should the shadows fall, why should my heart be lonely and long for heaven and home. Since Jesus is my portion, my constant friend is He. His eye is on the sparrow and I know He watches me!

He has promised to always be with us, for “The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and His ears are attentive to their prayer.” ( I Peter 3:12)

Devotions from Judy’s heart

“For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven.” Ecc 3:1.   Are we in the season God would have us in?  Living up north, it seems the weather can change drastically from one day to the next. Just recently I was home and down on the dock in my bathing suit and water bottle near by, with my feet dangling in the water. It was hot!  The next day it turned cold and windy and we were in danger of frost.  It was hard to switch over but things had changed. I had to put on warm clothes and cover the garden as well. Are we paying attention when the seasons change and we are in a new one spiritually, or do we hang on to what once was?  We can miss what the Lord has for us in the present if we are not willing to change and move into the new. Let us not be dressed for summer when winter has come and refuse to welcome the new season the Lord has for us.  Daniel says in Daniel 2:20 -21 “Blessed be the name of the God forever and ever, to whom belong wisdom and might. He changes times and seasons…”  It’s all up to Him and we need to make the adjustments and not hang on to what was!

Devotions from Judy’s heart

Isn’t it wonderful when we are received with open arms and know the other person truly welcomes us into their life?  Each time I go to my friend Julie’s, her dog Molly get so excited and gives me the most wonderful greeting. Her tail almost wags off and she runs to me, licks me if I let her, and when I sit down she plops on my lap. When I go there, I never wonder if Molly will receive me, I already know she will!  When we have Best friends in our lives,we can be quite sure they would welcome us too, day or night. But even if we didn’t have such friends, the Lord is waiting for us each morning to just welcome us into the new day and wants to spend it with us in all we do. But do we always believe that or do we sometimes rather hide from Him when we have blown it or feel guilty over something? No, like Molly, He is always there for us and just as the Father of the prodigal, He waits for us with open arms no matter what! His love is not conditional or based on our performance.  Let us open our hearts to that love and welcome and in turn receive others in the same way..

Devotions from Judy’s heart
We have been enjoying the beautiful mountains and the verse came to mind from Matt. 17:20 “IF you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there’ and it will move.’ Nothing will be impossible for you.” Sometimes it seems our mountain is standing still, like our life is on hold. Sometimes the period of our waiting is like a mountain. God’s timing is a mystery but it is perfect and we can rest in the knowledge that He is in control.  Bill Hybels shares in his book, how to pray a prayer so filled with faith that it can move a mountain?  He said to shift the focus from the size of our mountain to the sufficiency of the Mountain Mover, and to step forward in obedience. We don’t have to spend a lot of time describing our mountain to the Lord for He knows all about it.  Instead we need our focus on the faithfulness and power of the Mountain Mover. Let us walk in faith and follow Him, and watch our mountain move!

 Devotions from Judy’s heart

Forgiveness is a choice we make, just like cleaning our windshield was yesterday. We could have kept going with all the bugs blocking a clear vision but how much better to have it cleaned!  And you may not believe this, but today as we got gas the manager came out and cleaned every window on our SUV for FREE!. ( He does it for a couple hours every Tuesday afternoon and we came just at the right time.) I thought of how the Lord is the one that washes our windows and forgives us freely. We only had to give permission and then He does it all. Isn’t that something that this should happen after writing this devotional yesterday!
As Florence MacKenzie wrote, “Forgiveness is giving up my right to pay back or get even with someone who has wronged me.” When we look at it this way, we find freedom. She uses the letters of forgiveness to give some helpful pointers.
Face the fact that withholding forgiveness feeds our anger, bitterness and resentment.

Openly admit these feelings to the Lord, for He already knows.

Remind ourselves that God, in Christ, has forgiven us.

Give up the right to pay back our offender.

Invite the Holy Spirit’s help as we begin the process of forgiveness.

View our offender as one whom God will deal with justly.

Embrace the freedom that forgiving our offender brings.

Let us choose to forgive as we have been forgiven much!

Devotions from Judy’s heart

Today as Al was napping, I was driving along and kept hearing zap, zap, zap. At 75mph the bugs were hitting the windshield and it got covered over with them so my vision was not as good. It was like a reminder to me of how our spiritual vision gets clouded by unforgiveness in our lives. We had just talked about that yesterday in S.S. as both sides of the split in Nevis are dealing with that. Today I read an article by Florence MacKenzie on the importance of forgiveness. She is not saying our hurts don’t matter as forgiveness doesn’t minimize the offense against us. Forgiveness is not letting the offender get away with it for he is answerable to God and He will deal with that person. Forgiveness is also not forgetting for only God truly forgets our sins and casts them as far as the east is from the west. Forgiveness isn’t even reconciliation. We can forgive but we might never be brought into a right relationship with the person who wronged us as he may not be willing. Forgiveness is not easy and we need the Holy Spirit to help us. Tomorrow I will share more on how to live in forgiveness.

  Devotions from Judy’s heart

As I shared yesterday, Al is helping with the Spiritual Direction course at St. Scholastica and it is made up of people of all walks of life—from a nun to a Unitarian.  We might think it would be nice if  all of them were alike and on the same page, but in their differences they have something to contribute  to the whole. It’s much like a floral bouquet.  As I look back on our daughter’s wedding, she wanted one big floral arrangement rather than several small ones. It was an awesome one and so huge we could scarcely fit it in our car to take home. It was made of a variety of flowers and even a wood branch to give it a special affect. The Shalom group is so diverse but they make up a beautiful arrangement put together by the Creator’s hand… All in varied colors but all seekers.  Let us appreciate each flower along the way and let God place each of us where He wants. May we thank Him for those He puts next to us and all we are to learn and receive through them too.

Devotions from Judy’s heart

Are our blinds pulled? Do we miss the beauty of the Lord because we are closed down? While at the monastery we stayed in the room reserved for priests and pulled the blinds closed at night. But if we never opened them we would miss what God has. We don’t need to let the whole world see us, as we need protection for our vulnerabilities. But God gives us safe places to open up. At daybreak we opened the tall blinds and wow! We saw the sunrise over Lake Superior. It was awesome!  The sun was like a flame red ball on the horizon. Perhaps after dark times in our lives, we appreciate the “daybreaks” even more. Let us not stay locked up behind closed blinds. “He comes in golden splendor, God comes in awesome majesty.”  Job 37:22