Dear Ones,
Hope you have a blessed day. I plan to bake cookies on a stick and go to exercise class and Crafts and later Bible Study.
Devotions from Judy’s heart
Our joy should not be dependent on what is happening around us but rather what is happening within us. When we know the Lord, we can live in peace and contentment even when everything around us is not what we would like. It’s how we react to challenging circumstances in our day that is so important. If we have something negative happen, we may react and determine that the whole day will be bad. But we don’t need to throw up our hands saying this will be a terrible day but rather take the attitude found in Proverbs 4:18, “But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, which shines brighter and brighter until full day.”  Sounds like each day for a Christian is one to enjoy!

I usually wake up cheerful and I thank the Lord for day and might pray for the things that are on my schedule. But on occasion there might be something in my day that I dread and would rather not go through. I have a choice at that point if I am going to face it negatively or if I am going to turn it over to the Lord and ask for His help and for the power to do what is before me. If I choose the later, I can then start praising Him that It is in His control and later after I have seen His hand in it, I start thanking Him. Those are the times when I am in the car coming home from something that was difficult, I sing songs of praise at the top of my voice for I know the Lord went before me and prepared the way for me to walk through it. When we give our hard situations to the Lord, it doesn’t mean we don’t have to go through it but that we will experience His strength in it.

In order to have a good day it is wise to set some goals of things we want to accomplish as it helps us focus our attention. Goals can also keep us from being overwhelmed by all that needs to be done. If we have piles of work at the office, it may help to concentrate just on our goals for that particular day with intentionality.  We don’t need to borrow tomorrow’s load but find joy in what is before us this day. All throughout our day, the Lord also has a ready ear to hear our prayers and our praise, so let us face each day with joy.

Challenge for today: When you wake in the morning speak out, “This is the day the Lord has made I will rejoice and be glad in it!” (Psalm 118:24)

 Blessings on your day and prayers and love, Judy