July 8, 2024

Dear Ones,

Hope you had a wonderful Holiday weekend. I especially enjoyed a sauna and swimming at the lake and time with family. It’s warming up in the 80’s this week and we aren’t excited since our A.C. is not working. 

Devotions from Judy’s heart

Did you know that when you come to know the Lord, you are called a living stone? It says in I Peter 2:5, “You come to Him as living stones, a spiritual house that is being built into a holy priesthood.” Christ is the head cornerstone, and He places us by other stones as well. But as wonderful as that is, we find that we have to be shaped and ready to fit in, so that means we may have to have our rough edges shaved off and smoothed. Actually, we can count on it! We may want to resist but it is necessary if we want Him to use us. While reading about this process in Pastor Christianson’s book, “The Renewed Mind”, he calls this the sanctification process. We are being made holy, separated from the world, as the Holy Spirit is doing a work in us so we become more like Jesus. We may go through discomfort when this is happening, but it is important not to resist. Sometimes, we feel like we have been set aside as we are in a waiting time when we are being prepared for what the Lord has for us next. Kind of reminds you of a tree that has dropped his leaves and is dormant but waiting for spring to come. We may feel like we are on the shelf right now, but it could He be preparing us for the next phase?

We must guard that we keep close to the Lord and also in fellowship with other believers, for we are being built together into a beautify spiritual house. It makes me think of Taylor, who you have prayed for in the past, especially when she went on a 9-month mission. We had them for breakfast Friday morning at the lake before they headed back to Wisconsin. She and her husband are now part of a Chrisitan community there and like two precious little stones in the building of His kingdom. They wanted to be part of community of believers that worship and pray together and work together. For now, they are staying with a pastor’s family with 3 little ones and an Amish girl that has joined too. We look forward to hearing how the Lord will be shaping them into beautiful stones for His glory.

Let all of us be patient as we are being shaped by His hand.

Challenge for today: Don’t resist the Lord’s loving hand as he shaves off your rough edges and polishes you and fits you into His beautiful House.