Greetings from Judy. In the midst of this HOLY week, it is what we call Silent Wednesday because the Scriptures do not tell us what JESUS did on this day or if HE said anything.  There is only silence in the midst of our waiting for what we know is coming—HIS last supper with HIS disciples, HIS time in the garden to pray, the betrayal by Judas, HIS arrest, the savage beatings HE endured, HIS “trials”, HIS carrying HIS CROSS to Golgotha, HIS BEING NAILED to the cross, HIS forgiving the criminal hanging beside HIM, the soldiers dividing HIS garments among themselves, the soldiers scoffing at HIM and offering HIM sour wine.  And the darkness which came over the entire place from the 6th hour until the 9th hour.  The curtain in the temple was torn in half. And JESUS GAVE up HIS last breath, and died.  HIS body was taken down and prepared for burial by Joseph of Arimathea who received permission from Pilate and then he laid JESUS’ body in a tomb cut in stone where no one had yet been laid.  Then the Sabbath day began and HIS followers rested.  On the first day of the week, the women who had followed HIM from Galilee went to the tomb with prepared spices and ointments, but they found the stone rolled away from the tomb and it was empty.  HE HAS RISEN! HE HAS RISEN, indeed.  HE OVERCAME death and ROSE to life to walk among HIS followers for a time.  Just as the SCRIPTURES had foretold…and after the prescribed time, HIS FATHER TOOK HIM up to heaven to be seated at the right HAND of HIS FATHER, to forever be our intercessor. What do you do during a time of silence?  Do you wait patiently for someone to speak?  Are you restless and impatient, feeling forgotten?  Do you seek HIS VOICE through the reading of HIS WORD?  Do you try to make something happen when nothing seems to want to work the way you are hoping?  Do you pray to JESUS, who is patiently waiting to intercede for you when you ask? We all have our own answers.  It is not easy to wait patiently during times of silence or inaction.  And we live in a world which is filled with noise…cacophony everywhere!!!  Silence can be a gift from JESUS…to cause us to reach out to those around us and or to go deeper into HIS WORD for answers HE HAS for us.  HE DESIRES us to seek HIM, to tell others about the hope we have which only comes from JESUS, and to praise HIM in the midst of our upside down world.  You know how I like modern day worship songs and the lyrics by Brandon Lake to PRAISE YOU ANYWHERE seem appropriate to share with you.  “Sometimes you’ve gotta dance through the darkness, sing through the fire, Praise when it ‘don’t’ make sense.  Sometimes you’ve got to stare down the giant…worship from the lion’s den.  Sometimes you’ve got to shout it from the mountain, louder in the valley, trusting that HE’S gonna get you there.  Sometimes you’ve got to welcome the wonder, wait for the answer, worship with your hands in the air.  I’ll praise YOU anywhere.  Praise, give HIM praise in the highest. HE is worthy, yes, HE IS worthy of all the praise. Sometimes you’ve got to praise in the prison, cry out to heaven. Shout it ‘til the doors swing wide.  Sometimes you’ve got to stand on your shackles, brace in the battle, worship with your hands held high.  I’ll praise YOU anywhere.  Faithful all my life. Blessings day and night. Countless reasons while I’ll praise YOU anywhere.  Every promise kept; goodness every step; Each and every breath..I’ll praise YOU anywhere.  Oh, I’ll praise YOU anywhere..oh, mountain, oh valley. I know that YOU’RE with me there. I’ll praise YOU anywhere.”   I know that is a long song…but that is what I desire for each and everyone one of us to be able to praise HIS HOLY, HOLY, BEAUTIFUL NAME above ALL NAMES no matter whether we are on a mountain top or walking through a valley.  And this HOLY WEEK in which we await the GLORIOUS news that HE HAS RISEN, HE HAS RISEN, indeed…no matter what our circumstances, is reason to PRAISE HIM for the gift of eternal life HE GAVE to us by dying on the cross for all of our sins.  HE GIVES us a choice whether or not to admit we are sinners, to believe that HE IS THE SON of GOD who died on the cross and rose again to give us eternal life and to confess with our mouths that JESUS IS LORD, KING of KINGS and CREATOR of heaven and earth and that HE WILL RETURN once more. I pray that you have each asked HIM to be YOUR SAVIOR so that HIS PROMISE of eternal life is yours.  For those of you who know there are those around us who have not opened the doors of their heart or confessed with their mouths that JESUS IS LORD, I pray that we are not silent and share our praise of JESUS with them and give them the reasons that HE IS OUR BLESSED HOPE in the darkness in which we are now living.  I apologize for being silent for these last few months and not giving you my praise report.  We have been in IDAHO since early November, ‘23 and through HIS GRACE, MERCY, PROVISION, PROTECTION and LOVE, I have been given a waiting period. We return to WA in late April where I shall have scans to see how the three treatments of PRRT have affected the NETS.  I give all my praise to JESUS for giving me these last 5 months of normalcy and being able to enjoy my family, friends and the beauty of HIS CREATION with which we are surrounded without being concerned about having any treatments or lab tests or scans.  HE IS GOOD! May each of you reading this know that I remain ever so humbled with a heart overflowing with gratitude for your prayers of healing and health for me.  On this day of silence in the middle of HOLY WEEK may we each lift our hearts and prayers to our SAVIOR, JESUS CHRIST.  In HIS LOVE and mine, judy