Although she lived only 6 ½ years she touched many hearts, even of the doctors and nurses. There were 550 at her funeral, and Al and I were among them and very touched. It was a funeral we won’t forget as Jensyn’s siblings were the worship team and lifted their hands and hearts in praise to the Lord for His gift to them. Jensyn wasn’t a burden but God’s gift of love.

Each person has to deal with pain and death, and it isn’t the same for everyone. Jensyn’s siblings have written letters to her, and they are grateful for what they have learned through her. One said she taught her to how to love without expectation of return. Another felt she learned that she couldn’t rely on her own strength, but the Lord’s. Her brother writes that she brought the family close and now they await being reunited someday.

 Those that keep everything for themselves get all bound up. I have been in a couple houses where there were piles of piles of stuff and so much so, that there was barely a space to find a path to walk from one room to another. How much more would they have been blessed if they gave some away and had space to enjoy what they could see and use. We can’t take it with us, so why not just enjoy the One who gave us everything and wants to spend eternity with us.

  Recently at Bible study a gal shared how her dad did not know the Lord and didn’t want her to even speak about Him. At the end of his life when he was dying, she sat by his bed and told her dad that his life was soon over and he couldn’t take any of the earthly things with him. Even though he couldn’t verbally respond any more she told him if he heard her voice to squeeze her hand. Then she preceded to tell him the way to know the Lord and at the very end of his life he came to faith.

I am sending this out for Monday’s devotions as we will be getting up very early tomorrow morning to begin our way to way to N.C. to see Mark’s family. We appreciate prayers for a safe journey and good health. We enjoyed going to Ann’s for Mother’s Day and had enormous steaks of which I ate all of mine!  Enjoyed church together and a relaxing wonderful day.

Many pastors and prophets are saying the time is short and soon things will come crashing down on us. More than ever the world is looking for love and kindness as there is so much loneliness and despair. Often there are little scenarios played on Facebook of people in distress and others just walking by and not caring or willing to help them.  But after many people pass by them, often stealing their money and goods, a good Samaritan usually comes by and helps them. In reality it was only a set up to find out who really has a kind heart and willing to help, and then that person is rewarded, sometimes with flowers and balloons, or a wad of money etc.

But if we are Christ followers, we are sent to make an impact for the Lord in our world, even when not rewarded in this life. We are to show His grace and mercy to others, just as we have received from Him. The world is looking for love, for kindness, for people who care. As we receive from the Lord, let us give out to others. It says in Psalm 91:16, “And let the beauty and delightfulness and favor of the Lord our God be upon us; confirm and establish the work of our hands—yes, the work of our hands, confirm and establish.”

Let us go in the strength and love of the Lord and make a difference in the life of others through the strength He gives us!

Challenge for today: Do a deed of kindness for a person that the Holy Spirit points out to you.
Blessings on your week and prayers and love, Judy

Jeremiah spoke to the people what God gave him and didn’t compromise the truth. Most often they didn’t listen and heed the message and suffered for it. Even though the people had been freed long ago from bondage in Egypt, they got tired of living by faith and didn’t acknowledge God’s ways. As a result, they were taken to Egypt where there were set rules and worship of idols. Jeremiah detested the place, but his city had been taken over by the Babylonians, just as he said would happen, and he was put in chains and on his way to Babylon. It was a 700-mile journey in the heat but only a few miles out of the city, the Babylonian captain stopped and spoke a word to Jeremiah from King Nebuchadnezzar. He gave Jeremiah a choice of going there to Babylon or staying behind in his own country with a few of the weak and poor people left behind. He either had to stay in the place where he was made fun of, put in a cistern to die, and ridiculed or go to a foreign country where God is not honored. His chains were cut off and he had to decide between the hard life of staying behind or going to Babylon in protective custody of the king, Life in Babylon would be easier by far and he would be protected and have a pension and not have to even work. The choice was his. He chose to live by faith and stayed in Jerusalem with the poor, believing God would one day restore his remnant people into a holy nation. He rejected the easy life in a place where God was not recognized, to live a hard life where faith was built in God.

I believe in the days to come we are going to have to make decisions if we stand: for God and His kingdom or for our culture that rejects God. Just like Jeremiah, if we choose the Lord, it won’t be easy and we may be made fun of and suffer and be persecuted as He said we would. But do we want to live by faith in God, or do we want to bow to the evil of our culture. Let us choose wisely and He will give us the courage and strength to stand.