Dear Ones,

Hope you have a peace filled weekend! This morning is the celebration of life of our friend who lived in the apartment next to us. We miss her and at the same time rejoice she is now with the Lord. This afternoon we have our monthly birthday party here and then we have a friend coming for the weekend for a time of retreat.

Devotions from Judy’s heart

  One night I woke with the song playing in my mind, “I Look Not Back”. Whenever that happens, I often look up the exact words of the song and the author to see what the Lord may be saying to me. I had not been thinking of this song before bedtime, so it came as a surprise.  This song was written by Annie Johnson Flint who was born in 1866 on Christmas eve in N.J. When she was only 3 her mom died when giving birth to her sister; her dad had an incurable disease so willed the children to a Baptist family. Annie’s start in life was not the ideal but she doesn’t focus on the past. It is wise for all of us to leave the past behind with its regrets and mistakes, although learn from it, and focus instead on the One who was with us in our present and will be with us in our future.

  Annie writes, she is not wasting time on sinful things of past but leaving it all with the Lord, who wipes our record clean. She also does not look forward for only God knows what is ahead and will help her, promising to carry her through every trial, bearing her burdens. She goes on to include not looking around her as she could get overcome by fears of the darkness in the world. How true that is also for us today. She also says she is not going to spend her time looking inward either on all her offenses and failures but concludes with the wonderful verse: “But I look up into the face of Jesus, for there my heart can rest, my fears are stilled; and there is joy, and love, and light for darkness, and perfect peace, and ev’ry hope fulfilled.”

  We all have to choose where we will place our focus. We need to sever the cords of our past if we want to live in His peace today. After all, He has forgiven us whatever we have done. If we worry about the future or what is happening around us, we will get anxious and fearful. Or if we are navel gazing, we will only be reminded how we have failed. But if instead we look to the Lord and place our trust in Him, we will abound in peace and light and love. Let us be like Paul who said in Phil 4:13-14, “But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”

  Challenge for today: Let go of your past and trust Him for this day and each day to take care of you.

Blessings on your weekend and prayers and love, Judy

Blessings on your day and prayers and love, Judy

Dear Ones,

Hope you wake to a day of joy and purpose. I plan to bake, go to Aldi’s and exercise class and later to Crafts and soup supper and Lenten service.  Today is also a special day as it is our grandson Lar’s birthday.

Devotions from Judy’s heart

  How many of us would say we lived a balanced life? Or would we confess we feel like life is out of control and are being pulled in several directions at once? If we have children to tend while having aging parents that need care, we might be told we are in the Sandwich years and life can seem frantic. We don’t know exactly how many years we will live such a busy life before things slow down, but we also have to live through it now. Catriona Futter writes about how we can respond to things we have no control over and instead control our own responses. It is so important to get our focus on the Lord who is our anchor and solid place, or anxiety and negativity will take over our lives. But we can choose instead to focus on who we know the Lord to be and remember He will give us strength for whatever comes our way, as we trust Him.

  We go through seasons in our lives, and we have to not jump into the next season before it’s time. When we are busy with young children, it is not the best time to go back to school and earn a degree or volunteer for numerous other time-consuming tasks. We might have to postpone things for a time; but God’s timing is perfect, and He will open doors for us according to His time schedule. For the present time, our job may be to care well for those who are in our charge and see them through. We can’t do everything and if we feel like we are getting over our head in busyness and becoming grumpy, we can ask for help from our family and let them lighten the load with us. They too have to learn that they can’t do everything but make choices and saying no until a better time.

  If we don’t pay attention to being overly committed and too busy, we will find that our joy seems to disappear. We may spend less time with the Lord and even the activities we are involved in seem to feel flat. But we can go to the Lord and give Him our burdens and take His easy yoke as it says in Matt. 11:28-30, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you res. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” It may help to lighten our burdens to put on praise music as we fold clothes, or sing as we bake, or do something fun for self-care. Let us not get off- balance but live our lives with room to breathe in the strength that He will give us.

  Challenge for today: Ask the Lord to help you live a balanced life and make adjustments as He directs.

Blessings on your day and prayers and love, Judy

Dear Ones,

Hope your day is filled with sunshine and recall of many blessings you have received. This morning, I have women’s Bible study and this afternoon we are having friends over for a time of fellowship.

Devotions from Judy’s heart

  How often do we focus on the negative in life and miss the beautiful things the Lord has for us in the present? Such an attitude can lead us to become self-absorbed and not pleasant company to be around. How can we keep from coming a complaining, griping person that misses the joys in life by our negative attitudes?

  I was reading an article by author Lisa Elliott in “Just Between Us magazine (My favorite), and I read of her how life was radically changed through a simple act of posting her own thankful list. She has seen firsthand what had helped a friend of hers by doing that every day for about a year. So, what can it hurt? She decided to publicly post five things she was thankful for that was honest and simple and centered on the Lord. It helped her begin her day on a positive note than previously, by watching for blessings instead of the negative. She based her new outlook on Psalm 92:1-2 “What a beautiful thing, God, to give thanks, to sing an anthem to you, the High God! To announce your love each daybreak, sing your faithful presence all through the night.” When we proclaim His love in the morning and watch during the day for His faithfulness, it’s bound to make an effect on our lives. Most days she named simple things she was thankful for like sunshine, a meaningful chat with a friend, a chance to serve etc. Even those that were reading her daily list were encouraged and inspired to do the same. Not everyone has to put it online, but maybe write in your journal.                                                                  Lisa quickly found that cultivating a grateful heart resulted in her own life spilling over with joy. She started to focus on the Lord and learn from the example of His life and attitude. She began setting her mind on things of a heavenly viewpoint, what is true, pure, lovely etc. She discovered her selfishness was being replaced by a humble spirit. She also reflected back on how God had been faithful in her life, through all the crises she had experienced. She began her day now with thanksgiving and an attitude of gratitude, expecting that God would show up… and looking for Him to reveal Himself. She also challenges us to let others know what we are thankful for; maybe when we gather for coffee or Bible study, just begin with sharing the blessings you have received that day. Some of you reading this may even want to post it on social media.

  The article closes with encouraging us to gear our praise to the Lord Himself for He is the One who has blessed us in more ways than we can ever count. Let us praise the Lord from our inmost being!

Challenge for today: Make a gratitude list of 5 things you are thankful for every day for a week and share as you are prompted by the Spirit.

Blessings on your day and prayers and love, Judy

When I checked my e-mail, I found that our neighbor next door had died. I had seen her before we went on our trip and we talked about the Lord’s healing power since she had cancer. Now she was with the Lord.  Right after a friend e-mailed that she had just lost her 67 year-old brother-in-law in the night and family would now be getting plane tickets to go to Florida to help make arrangements.  Not long after that we got news that Al’s former secretary and her husband were in an accident in Mexico and her husband broke his back and they were trying to get an ambulance to transport him to the States for surgery, so insurance would cover. I remembered the words of the song:

“All the way my Savior leads me, what have I to ask beside? Can I doubt his tender mercy, who through life has been my guide? Heav’nly peace, divinest comfort, here by faith in Him to dwell! For I know, whate’er befall me, Jesus doeth all things well; for I know whate’er befall me, Jesus doeth all things well.

The song goes on to say that Jesus gives grace for every trial even when we are weary and may falter. He will give us perfect rest in Him and share with us the fulness of His love. Even when death comes and we are clothed in immortality, our song is still that Jesus leads us all the way. Whether in life or in death, we are not alone for the Lord is always with us and shows us His tender mercy and grace.

We don’t know what things may happen to us in any day, or if the Lord will take us home, but we need to be ready and to trust Him that He will lead us. Words from songs based on scripture can remind us of that and give comfort. Jesus last words to his disciples before He ascended were, “Behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matt. 28:20)

Blessings on your week and prayers and love, Judy

Dear Ones,

Hope you wake to the sense of the Lord knocking on your heart’s door and desiring to be invited into all of your day. May your weekend be a time of spiritual refreshing as well.

Devotions from Judy’s heart

  One morning I woke up with a song playing in my heart and it was one I haven’t thought of or sung for so long. The author is unknown, but it asks the question if we have room in our heart for the Lord. Jesus knocks and asks admission, but the question is, will we let Him in.

  Recently I got fresh beef from a farmer, and I had to make room for it in our small freezer/frig. I took out much of the baked goods etc. and made space for what was more essential and to be used for many meals in the future. I am overjoyed as I think of the possibilities of what I can make from the meat since I made room for it!  But the song asks a more important question that we need to ask ourselves, do we have room for Jesus in our hearts or is He crowded out by all the things of the world. Like the song goes we have room for pleasure and for business but no place for Him to enter in. He never forces His way in but waits for us to open up and invite Him in. It’s a time of grace to just realize He is knocking and tomorrow we may not hear Him if we are caught up in our worldly things. So, we need to give our attention to the Holy Spirit who will open our ears to hear the knocking. It could be He is calling us today to make more room so we may go deeper in intimacy with Him. As the chorus goes:

     “Room for Jesus, King of Glory!

       Hasten now His Word obey:

       Swing the heart’s door widely open,

       Bid Him enter while you may.”

 We know what it is like when we go to visit someone and they swing the door open and hug us and let us know they are glad to see us, it is a happy moment.

  I read today from Jer.29:13-14 (Message), “When you come looking for me, you’ll find me. Yes, when you get serious about finding me and want it more than anything else, I’ll make sure you won’t be disappointed.”  Let us open wide to the Lord and let Him into the deepest parts of our heart.

Challenge for today: Respond to the Lord when He speaks to you, and don’t harden your heart!

Blessings on your weekend and prayers and love, Judy

Blessings on your day and prayers and love, Judy

Dear Ones,

Hope you wake to a loved-filled day! Al will be going to Men’s group this morning, and I plan to make him egg dishes and replace the Valentine decorations for Easter ones. We have Bible study this afternoon.

Devotions from Judy’s heart

I woke early one morning with the familiar song playing through my mind, “The Love of God is greater far than tongue or pen can ever tell. It goes beyond the highest star and reaches to the lowest hell. The guilty pair, bowed down with care, God gave His Son to win; His erring child He reconciled and pardoned from his sin.” And the chorus continues to express His love, “O love of God, how rich and pure! How measureless and strong! It shall forevermore endure-the saints’ and angels’ song.”

Challenge for today: Spend some time basking in His love and letting it penetrate your heart.

Blessings on your day and prayers and love, Judy

While on our trip, I began reading a book of a young woman whose openness to God was so inspiring, and His love just poured out of her to all those around her. She had a hard beginning as she lost her mother when very young, and she died when only 24, but in that time, she touched so many lives. I would like to share a few of the things she had to say so that we may love the Lord in deeper ways and give Him all that we are. But just like Valentines are often secretly given, I will keep her identity a secret that we may apply what she has to say to our own lives today.

We don’t have to be rich and beautiful to be loved, because God loves us in our littleness and poverty. In fact, the poorer we are the more we may rely on God rather than ourselves. It is like when we approach God in our weaknesses, it is not a liability but an asset. We don’t have to feel bad that we are not better than we are because the littlest in God’s kingdom is the greatest. God knows our faults and we all have them, but we can cast them into the fire of His love, just like that of a trusting child, and they will be consumed for God is full or mercy and love.

We don’t have to be fearful of God, but rather open ourselves to His ways and transforming love. He loves us for our own sake and wants us to love Him also for His sake. He doesn’t hate us when we sin but rather hates the harm our sin does to us. We can never be good enough to earn salvation but our serving others is an expression of our love for the Lord. All love must be freely given or it isn’t love. We must be humble and childlike for Jesus said, “Whover humbles himself like this child is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. (Matt. 18:4)

Let us be single minded in our love for the Lord so that we express love to Him whether we are experiencing good things or hard things. Let us also be true to Him and not chase after other lovers, only Him. The young person I write about was so eager for heaven and humbly waiting to be with the Lord.

Blessings on your day and prayers and love, Judy