Category: Whispers (Page 69 of 164)

September 5, 2023

September 5, 2023 / Judy Hendrickson / 0 Comments

Dear Ones,

May you have a day full of His peace. I will be off before 8 to the dentist who is going to put in 2 temporary implants this morning.

I didn’t realize when my tooth abscessed on the way to N.C. in May that it would be so involved! Over the weekend my cousin’s husband suddenly died in his sleep and I would ask you to please pray for Barb and her family. My thoughts have been much on eternity and what awaits each of us.

Devotions from Judy’s heart

One day there will not be any more pain or death but eternal joy and peace for it says in Rev. 21:4 (God’s Word), “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes. There won’t be any more death. There won’t be any grief, crying, or pain, because the first things have disappeared.” Doesn’t that sound like a dream? But it is reality for those who know the Lord and it helps us endure whatever difficulties come to us today, for we know we have an eternity that is indescribably beautiful and without pain.

We can live today with that glorious future in mind and know that our loving Father will not withhold anything that is not ultimately best for us. When our 3 kids were growing up, they wondered why other kids got by with things, but they always got caught if they were doing something wrong. I said it was because God loved them and wanted what was best for them. I didn’t pray that they would get out of the painful predicament they were in but rather that they learn what God was trying to teach them. So it is with us, that we would seek to know what God is teaching us even in the hard circumstances we may have to walk through. It comes from His hand of love as He prepares us for an eternity with Him.

Today I read Jesus words recorded in John 15:9-10, “I love each of you with the same love that the Father loves me. You must continually let my love nourish your hearts. If you keep my commands, you will live in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands, for I continually live nourished and empowered by His love.” Can we even imagine the greatness of His love that is same as He is loved by His Father? The book of John is one of my favorites as he was the closest to Jesus and writes from the perspective of things he saw and heard as his disciple, but also as a friend who was loved by Jesus. Let us not doubt His love for us but be nourished in His love each day.

Challenge for today: Thank the Lord for your present circumstances as He prepares you for a life eternally with Him.

Blessings on your day and prayers and love, Judy

September 4, 2023

September 4, 2023 / Judy Hendrickson / 0 Comments

Dear Ones,

Happy Labor Day! Hope you take time to celebrate. We are home now after a fun time at the lake. We enjoyed a wiener roast with about 20 relatives one evening, went to our former church and dinner at Ann’s afterwards, and then headed home when the thermometer reached 100 degrees!
I am making egg dishes and cookies and then we are going for our walk on the trail early before it heats up again.

Devotions from Judy’s heart

Happy Labor Day to you! Perhaps today each of us will give some thought to the work we do and also rest on this national Holiday from our work. This morning I read about what Mark Roberts of Fuller Seminary writes about work beginning with how God was the first worker in creating the heavens and the earth and all that is in it, including us…and it was all good! God worked 6 days but then on the seventh day He rested from His work. He left us a great rhythm for us to follow also.

Work is good but like my mom use to say, “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy!’ We need balance in our lives or we will actually get exhausted, bored, and less sharp when we work continuously. We can thank the Lord for the ways we experience His goodness in our work but then also take some time off from the constant pressures and to relax and play.

I thought I would share with you the prayer that Roberts gave for today:

“Gracious God, thank you for what we learn about work from Genesis. Thank you for being the first worker. Thank you for doing good work. Thank you for creating us in your image. Thank you for creating us to be workers and for giving us good work to do. Thank you for resting on the seventh day, giving us the gift of sabbath.

Help me, I pray, to see how I experience goodness in my work. Teach me to take delight in this and to give you thanks.

Help me also, Lord, to see where my work falls short of what you intended from the beginning. May I be committed to doing all I can to help those with whom I work to be treated as beings created in your image, starting with my colleagues and direct reports.

In the classic words of St. Ignatius, when it comes to my work, ‘Grant, Lord, that all my intentions, actions, and operations be directed purely to your praise and your service.’ Amen.”

Challenge for today: Thank the Lord for the gift of work and find a new way to relax and rest.

September 2, 2023

September 2, 2023 / Judy Hendrickson / 0 Comments

Dear Ones,

Happy Labor Day weekend! Hope you have time to join with others in celebrating. I am packing as we are going to the cabin and stay overnight and go to church at the Lighthouse tomorrow. Al is going to a Fantasy football Draft party and then we will head north. I plan to visit a friend on the way and then this evening we are having a picnic at the Point.

Devotions from Judy’s heart

When I was a child, my siblings and I spent summers at the lake, 200 miles from our busy city life. It was quite different for there was no electricity or running water and the cabin itself rested on pillars. We had many storms and my folks always told us if it got bad, we would all rush outside to the well and go down deep inside. It was comforting words but I doubt we could all fit down in the well, and never once in bad stormy weather was it ever mentioned to do that. While reading a great book by Gem and Alan Fadling, “What Does Your Soul Love”, I just finished a chapter on truth. It spoke to me as I think most of us would say we want to know truth but do we really want to go down deep into the well, to find it? Maybe we want just want relief from pain we may be experiencing.

I’m sure we have all believed many lies; it could be about who we are and our worth, about God loving us or seemingly forgetting us, what we imagine people think of us etc. It is easier to hide from the truth but until we face up to it, we will live in pain. But if we fully embrace the truth of God’s love for us and accept ourselves as He does, even with our flaws, we would be forever changed. Instead of protecting ourselves, if we go down into the deep well of truth, we will begin to see things as actually they are and not how we wish them to be. Jesus is the truth and offers to help us live from the inside out. That means no more focusing just on our outward behavior like the Pharisees but living the truth from the inside. They cared most of all how they appeared to others and desired the applause of the people more than devotion to God.

We also can focus on things about God like Bible studies, mission trips, and spiritual disciplines, and yet neglect our focus on God Himself and letting Him transform us. We may give the appearance of being close to the Lord and yet not trust Him and experience His grace. It is the Truth that sets us free. (John 8:32) and we must believe the truth of who Jesus is and welcome Him into the deepest parts of our lives. He invites us to discover the truth about ourselves and bring healing if we are willing and not simply wanting quick relief.

Challenge for today: Ask God to show you ways you are settling for relief rather than going deeper to know truth.

Blessings on your long weekend and prayers and love, Judy

September 1, 2023

September 1, 2023 / Judy Hendrickson / 0 Comments

Dear Ones,

Happy Labor Day weekend! It looks to be a hot one too and we plan to go to the cabin tomorrow and will dip in the lake when we get too hot. This morning I am cleaning the apt and then going to the Audiologist again and praying more can be done for my hearing.

Devotions from Judy’s heart

Haven’t we all had times when we sensed God’s love and presence in tangible ways and knew He is right there in the midst of our conversations and even in spontaneous fun times? Recently we had a birthday party with the friends who we walk the trail with. We were celebrating David’s birthday and mine, and yet perhaps we were really celebrating Vickie. You have read of Vickie often in my devotions as she is the OB/GYN Doctor. who has had Alzheimer’s for the past 8 years and is declining. But yet her spirit is still awake and I sense God’s love flowing through her, even though she is not verbal now. She came with an open heart and gave tight hugs and beautiful smiles. She can’t entirely hide what is going on inside as the expressions on her face often says it all. We had birthday cupcakes with trick candles and moose track frozen yogurt and balloons and gifts. Perhaps Vickie enjoyed it most of all as she quickly started eating her chocolate cake and candy and noticing things about her.

Her husband e-mailed later that he could feel love in the air at the party! He also said about Vickie, “Her love impacts the people around her more as she is decreasing a little each day. As I observed this, I thought when John the Baptist said, ‘We must decrease, and He must increase.’ It may shed some light on what love is all about. It seems the intangibles in life are more important than the tangibles.”

Like Vickie, there are people around us in our lives that may not be able to speak, or work, or carry on a conversation, but they still have something to give. It may be only a smile or a hug, along with their presence that was created in the image of God. They can be carriers of God’s love in special ways and God uses them to bless us all. But are we open vessels to receive God’s love coming through them? They have something to say, even without words. Can we hear His voice through them? The Lord sings over them, just as He sings over us. It says in Zeph 3:17, “The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you, in His love He will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.”

Let us open our hearts to God coming to us in so many varied ways and not discount any gift He sends no matter how it is wrapped.

Challenge for today: Ask God to open your eyes to discover the special ways He is reaching out in His love to you through others.

Blessings on your weekend and prayers and love, Judy

August 31, 2023

August 31, 2023 / Judy Hendrickson / 0 Comments

Dear Ones,

Hope you have a wonderful day. I am making a hotdish and soon going downstairs for donuts. Al is at men’s group and this afternoon we have Bible Study. I have attached pictures of the little tree I wrote about.

Devotions from Judy’s heart

Isn’t it mind boggling how God uses the foolish things of the world to confound the wise? As it says in I Cor. 1:27-29, “But God chose what the world considers nonsense to put wise people to shame. God chose what the world considers weak to put what is strong to shame. God chose what the world considers ordinary and what it despises—what it considers to be nothing—in order to destroy what it considers to be something. As a result, no one can brag in God’s presence.”

God’s ways are so different from the worlds, and He often uses weak and humble people that have no extraordinary abilities nor are esteemed by the world. In fact, others may view the persons as unqualified and looks at them as being weak. But God views them far differently and sees what He can do through them since they are humble and open. I still remember a sermon back when I was a young adult given by a lay person who would not be viewed by the eyes of the world as important or eloquent. Yet he spoke deep truths with conviction and authority of the Lord. I knew that night that God will use who He wants to accomplish what He purposes.

Recently we were at a friend’s home for coffee and were served fresh apple pie ala mode. I smiled as that very morning I thought how soon it will be the season for apples and I would be able to taste delicious apple desserts. But during our conversation, it became known that the apples for dessert came from the little apple tree in their yard. Now it is not a big tree at all and looks much like Charlie Brown’s tree with hardly any leaves. They had had it for 4 years and at one point Bruce was going to cut it down, but he saw some blossoms coming forth. He dug around the tree and put in some black dirt and continues to water it faithfully every day. But it is still so small, and it’s hard to believe that it produced the big apples for the pie. When first told, I thought he was kidding as it seemed impossible since it was even anchored by a small rope to hold it up. On the way home my thoughts were reflecting on how God uses the weak and foolish to produce fruit and confound the wise. There is no mistake it is not them, but it is the Lord in them, that His power is demonstrated for all to see. Let none of us think that we are not valuable and able to be used by the Lord for His kingdom, but may we be like the little tree that produced big fruit.

Challenge for today: Don’t consider man’s qualifications but rather look at God’s enablement to do something great through you.

Blessings on your day and prayers and love, Judy

August 30, 2023

August 30, 2023 / Judy Hendrickson / 0 Comments

Dear Ones,

Hope you have a beautiful day! I am going to my exercise class this morning and then this afternoon we are having another birthday party. The friends we walk with are coming over as his birthday is close to mine. Tonight, we have a class at church on The Holy Sexuality Project.

Devotions from Judy’s heart

I love to give gifts and have wrapped prizes to take with when we go to N.C.see our grandsons in September. I am delighted when I hit hot sales and can buy more to give. We usually have prizes for games that test our skills or help us share with one another and give cause for much laughter. But who doesn’t like to receive gifts…. some beautifully wrapped but also even those unwrapped that perfectly meet our need.

I think of my cousin, Mary, who is with the Lord now, and how she loved to give. We never went to see her that we didn’t go home with a gift of chocolates or something special. When she came to visit us, she always had a gift in hand. Even at her funeral she arranged handouts to be given us to take home, for she had ovarian cancer and knew ahead of time that her time was short.

Jesus’ desires to give us good gifts far exceeds our own pleasure to give to our loved ones. Of course, His gifts come without strings attached and all come wrapped in love. No one can outdo His generosity and ability to provide every need we might have. He says it is okay to ask for specific gifts like wisdom, strength, courage, daily bread, forgiveness etc. There is no limit in asking or no limit in His provision for us. In Matt. 7:11(Amplified) He says, “If you then, evil as you are, know how to give good and advantageous gifts to your children, how much more will your Father Who is in heaven (perfect as He is) give good and advantageous things to those who keep on asking Him!” His gifts are perfect and meet the needs we have, even when we don’t recognize a particular need we have at the moment.

We can also give back to the Lord and show our love for Him in many ways like in our praying, in giving of our time, meeting needs of others, giving of our money, witnessing of our faith, etc. He said that as we give, we will also receive and that the measure we use to bless others will be measured back to us. Let us not be stingy but generous as the Lord has been with us. We can never outgive the Lord!

Challenge for today: Give to an unsuspecting person today as the Holy Spirit directs you.

Blessings on your day and prayers and love, Judy

August 29, 2023

August 29, 2023 / Judy Hendrickson / 0 Comments

Dear Ones,

Hope you have a beautiful day in every way. The house is full of aroma as I made G.F. cookies on a stick and have a meatloaf in the oven now. I had a lovely birthday yesterday and also good news as my MRI was negative. PTL! Today we are going to friends for coffee and fellowship and tomorrow we are having another birthday celebration here as the friend we walk with has a birthday too.

Devotions from Judy’s heart

Sometimes those small decisions we make turn out to be the doorway to bigger things. It is very important that we pray even about what we may call insignificant decisions as they may play out to be bigger than we can imagine. I was reminded of that just recently on my birthday. It was such a pleasant day that started even the night before when our door was plastered with a banner, gifts and birthday cards. The next day proved to be even bigger as there were cards on the door every time I opened it, and more gifts. It prompted me to thank the Lord that he brought us to this place, where we now reside. Almost 5 years ago we were making a decision to move off of the lake to find a place in Brainerd. We prayed and visited one place several times that we were ready to sign on, but waited and prayed and then looked here at Northern Lakes. There was a two year wait but felt if the Lord wanted us to get this place it would come up sooner… and It did. When we went by one day to ask where we were in the placement line, the manager said, one apartment just opened up and you can look at It now. We saw it and loved it and signed that day for it was like a gift from the Lord.

But what if we would have made a decision to take the first place without praying, I don’t think we would experience the kind of life we have here. We are blessed to have Bible studies, opportunities to have fellowship, coffee times all throughout the day and evenings if we like, parties, and being around people that care for one another etc.

We don’t always know what is ahead in our journey, but we must just take the first step in obedience, and he will show us the next, one day at a time. We don’t know the future as He does, so we must seek His will. We can go to the Word and find promises to lay hold of. As the song goes by Amy Grant, “Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet/ And a light unto my path/..When I feel afraid/ and think I’ve lost my way/ Still, you’re right there beside me/ Nothing will I fear/ As long as you are near/ Please be with me to the end.” We don’t want to miss what God has for us by jumping ahead and we don’t have to know what is far ahead in the future but just to trust Him for today and doing His will. As it says in Psalm 119:105 (Message), “By your words I can see where I’m going; they throw a beam of light on my dark path. I’ve committed myself and I’ll never turn back from living by your righteous order. “ Let us walk in obedience and just walk one step at a time in His will.

Challenge for today: Let the Lord guide you in all your decisions and seek His will first.

Blessings on your day and prayers and love, Judy

August 28, 2023

August 28, 2023 / Judy Hendrickson / 0 Comments

Dear Ones,

Hope you had a wonderful weekend! Our door has been plastered with cards and it is fun to open the door and find even more! Today I am baking Oh Henry bars and going to Aldi’s and my exercise class before Al and I go to Culver’s for lunch.
Devotions from Judy’s heart

When we start out good in a race and may leader of the pack, we feel energized and hopeful. We are determined we will keep going no matter what the cost for we want to go across that finish line to victory. We reject thoughts of giving up even when we start feeling weary. But something often happens along the way. We may see the progress of another runner and some discouraging thoughts filter into our minds. Or we may start questioning if it is worth it to expend all this energy and time when friends are simply out for fun. The enthusiasm of starting out fresh is one thing but keeping on when we are tired is another thing.

In my devotions I have been in the book of Kings and reading about King Solomon. He started out so good, wanting wisdom from God rather than riches and a long life etc. And God was so lavish in His giving to him and not only gave Solomon wisdom but wealth and power and honor and a long life, if he followed His ways. He began well and was blessed beyond imagination with wisdom and riches etc., that was until he got sidetracked and began to take on foreign wives who were worshipers of idols. He lost sight of the finish line and even built high places for idol worship. How sad to begin well but to lose sight of the finish line.

What about us? When we first came to know the Lord, we were so full of joy and enthusiasm and probably believed we would run with Him every moment. But often things distract us, and our hearts get focused on other things and take His place. Even the small decisions we make can put us in a place of compromise and later we find ourselves slowing down or quitting.

Our son was asked by our granddaughter and her fiancé if he would marry them. He has taken this privilege seriously and has just started giving them premarital counseling. He is reading a book to help open up to ways to keep the Lord first and then to help the two of them to run together always. The first surprise mentioned in the book is that one day their eyes will open up to the fact that their perfect mate may be selfish! And not long after they will notice that they themselves may also be selfish! Our human nature is selfish and as we run together, we will find that the Lord starts helping us to deal with that, and to have Him first and others second and ourselves last. That is a lifelong lesson for all of us, and the more we die to self, the less encumbered we will be as we run towards the finish line.

Let us all set our eyes on the Lord and ask Him to keep the finish line before us and to run well.

Challenge for today: Run with endurance the race the Lord sets before you that you may finish strong. (Heb. 12: 1-2)

Blessings on your week and prayers and love, Judy

August 26, 2023

August 26, 2023 / Judy Hendrickson / 0 Comments

Dear Ones,

Hope you are enjoying the weekend! I just made egg dishes and cookies and am cleaning the apartment as I am trying to get my work all done before the Vikings play!

Devotions from Judy’s heart

One day I listened to an interview with Bishop Robert Barron and again I was touched by what he had to say. This time it was on death and why we should ponder our own death. I have written on death in the past but sometimes we need reminding that the time we live in this world is not all there is. In fact, for the Christian, we are told that what awaits us is far more glorious than anything we experience on this earth. In I Cor. 2:9, it says, “Eye hath not seen or ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him.” We cannot even imagine with our mind how glorious our next life will be, but God has given us His Spirit to reveal those things to us. When we live with the truth that we are going to die and leave this world, it should change the way we live today. At one monastery, the monks were to dig a scoop of dirt from their own grave each day as a reminder of the life to come. Wow! That certainly would help us approach our lives today with the future in mind. We should not be afraid of death but looking forward to what is ahead. Bishop Barron shared about how so many TV shows and movies are full of sex and violent deaths. Some movie stars when interviewed about death believed it was all over when you breathe your last breath. Arnold Schwarzenegger said that you just go into the ground and rot!

Many are so afraid of death and try to keep it at bay. Years ago, the one who was dying was surrounded by family and after death placed in a coffin in the main room where people came to be with the family and grieve together. Today many people die in a hospital room and often alone. During COVID that was sadly a common practice. We’ve tried to ignore thinking about death, but it will come to all of us one day. Bishop Barron shared about frightening things that people view about death. One that when you die you are no more. But that is not true for we are just transfigured into a new version with a spiritual body, and we are still a person. Secondly, that all our achievements are gone and fade away. No, what we did in this life is transferred over to God and he rewards us for all that we did for others. Thirdly, that death robs us of love of our loved one. No, even when they die God’s divine love is more powerful than death and our love for them is not lost. Fourthly, death robs us of earthly pleasures and joys. But that is not true either for what is in glory far exceeds anything we have known on this earth. Like Paul said, we can’t even imagine what God has for us ahead.
Let us be careful how we live each day, making the most of our opportunities but also with heaven in mind and life forever with the One who is love.

Challenge for today: Tell the next generation of what the Lord has for those that love Him.

Blessings on your weekend and prayers and love, Judy

August 25, 2023

August 25, 2023 / Judy Hendrickson / 0 Comments

Dear Ones,

Happy Weekend to you! Hope you have time to enjoy some time to relax and get renewed. Today it is party day here as we celebrate all the August birthdays. Al always asks a question to the ones whose birthday it is, so we get to know each other better. Today we will also have to answer since we will both be celebrating our birthdays.

Devotions from Judy’s heart

We were made to fellowship with others in spirit as well as in person. But often we receive hurts, that hinder friendships and times of fellowship together. Sometimes it is not intentional, but wounding takes place, and we need be honest with one another so we can forgive and heal. If we pretend nothing happened, we will experience space between us for we no longer look at them the same. But when it is brought out in the open and the one who wounded asks forgiveness of the pain they caused, it is like a miracle since healing can follow.

Author Lewis Smedes who wrote Forgive and Forget, said we can’t forgive people for things we have forgotten about, but we have need to forgive what someone did because the pain is alive. That doesn’t include trivial things that we simply overlook but rather the pain we dare not remember as we stuff it under the rug of our unconsciousness. But it will pop up again unless we deal with it. Once we have forgiven, then we can experience the freedom of forgetting. Lewis says, “The test of forgiving lies with healing the lingering pain of the past, not forgetting that the past ever happened.”.

He goes on to say that forgiving is not excusing the person because of their upbringing, their genetics, the culture etc. for it is how we played the hand we were delt. Forgiving is not just smoothing over conflict and never dealing with it but helping people forgive one another. He also writes that accepting others is not the same as forgiving them either. We all need to accept people because of the good they are to us but we also have to forgive them for the unacceptable things they have done to us. We don’t have to tolerate everything someone does to us, even though we forgive them.

It is most difficult to forgive people we cannot see or touch like someone who has died as the reunion of coming together again will have to be fully completed in heaven. It is also hard to forgive people who don’t seem to care if we forgive them or not. Perhaps it is hardest for us to forgive ourselves or God. But whenever there is need of forgiveness, we each need to see what we’ve done through the eyes of the other, that we enter into their suffering, that we confess our sin and that we desire not to hurt them again. Let us not stop short by just excusing or smoothing over or putting things under the rug but forgiving as the Lord forgave us.

Challenge for today: Memorize and put into practice Eph. 4:32, “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.”

Blessings on your weekend and prayers and love, Judy

Category: Whispers (Page 69 of 164)

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