This past summer my husband Glenn and I were in the Pacific Northwest.  We were traveling to the area to attend my niece’s wedding.  Since we were making the trip we decided to spend some time in the Olympic National Park and Forest.  While there we learned about the Elwha River Restoration Project. 
          It seems that one hundred years ago, entrepreneur Thomas Aldwell had a “good idea.”  He saw the Elwha River as an economic opportunity. He was hopeful to power nearby Port Angeles and see it grow into a busy port city like San Francisco.  Construction began in 1910 and it was functional by 1913.  The Elwha Dam supplied energy to Port Angeles but it never developed into the port city of his dreams.  However, despite Thomas Aldwell’s good idea to bring economic opportunity to the region, he didn’t likely see what he would be destroying.
          A long time ago, the Elwha River provided ten different fish including five different types of salmon. The Elwha River provided the salmon spawning ground.  Wild animals such as black bears, cougars and eagles made their home along the Elwha River.  But all that and more changed with not only one dam but two dams were eventually built.  The rich natural resources were no longer available to the people.
          This made me think of the many “good ideas” I have had, filled with lots of good intentions.  I could not see that in the end there may be fruit but not necessarily the fruit that I was anticipating.  My good ideas become like dams blocking the flow of God’s blessing and plans for my life.  Today, before I move forward with my “good ideas,” I try to remember to ask Holy Spirit if I am lining up with His plans for my life.  I don’t need my good ideas, I need revealed to me God’s plan.  His plans are the best; they have a future and a hope (Jer. 29:11).
          In 1992 Congress passed the Elwha River Ecosystem and Fisheries Restoration Act.  It was signed by then President George Bush.  The Elwha River continues to be in process of being restored.  The salmon are returning; the animal and plant life is being restored.  The people are once again fishing in the river.  It has been hard work to blast away man-built dams.  But it is being done.  Once gone the river and all the benefits that come with it can be restored.  (Learn more at: www.nps.gov/olym/historyculture/history-of-the-elwha-overview.htm)

          Are there some dams you need to ask God to identify and blast away?  God is so very faithful.  Ask Him.  If you seek Him, you will find Him (Jer. 29:13).  With all my heart I believe our God longs to set us free from all things that will hinder our walking in the fullness of all He has prepared for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28).  Let the River of Life flow blessings into your life!! (Rev. 22:1-5)

Patricia Wenzel
WOC Graduate

For further study:
Spend some quiet time with the Lord.  Review the lyrics of Let the River Flow or listen to it on U-Tube at: www.youtube.com/watch?v=XyKLV8YN6wY

Let the River Flow!!
By Darrell Evans

Let the poor man say I am rich again
Let the lost man say I am found again
Whoa, let the river flow
Let the blind man say I can see again
Let the dead man say I am born again
Whoa, let the river flow
Yeah, yeah, yeah, let the river flow.

Let the river flow
Let the river flow
Holy spirit come
Moving power
Let the river flow.

Let the poor man say I am rich again
Let the lost man say I am found again
Whoa, let the river flow
Let the blind man say I can see again
Let the dead man say I am born again
Whoa, let the river flow
Yeah, yeah, yeah, let the river flow.

Let the river flow
Let the river flow
Holy spirit come
Moving power
Let the river flow.

          There are plenty of posts shared on Facebook that I just have to wonder about. Anything that mentions “re-post and you will be blessed” or “Say this prayer and something wonderful will happen to you in 24 hours” always reminds me of old-fashioned chain letters based in superstition. I never give these thought, let alone share them. My niece recently posted the following: “Pick up the nearest book to you, turn to page 45. The first sentence explains your love life.”  I had actually misread it at first. I had thought I read “the first sentence explains your life”. Either way, I know what the question meant from a worldly point of view. I knew there was nothing valid in this and that there would be nothing accurate or truthful in following through on this suggestion. But the book next to me was “Follow Me” by David Platt. I was curious about what that one sentence would say. As I turned to page 45 I began to read. “….adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will – to the praise of His glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves.”
          As far as I am concerned this describes my life/love life. I have been adopted by Christ! What better description of love do you or I need? What better source of love can we have in which we can love others? When others fail to love, Jesus never fails to love us. When Jesus is our beloved we are loved with an everlasting love that knows no bounds.
          I don’t recommend that you look to page 45 of the book nearest to you to know how your life/love life is. I do recommend that you continue to read His love letter to you. Don’t just read for a quick reminder. Soak in it and grasp how deep and wide His love for you really is! Today may you know that He is your love and your life!
          “Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God![a] Therefore the world does not know us,[b] because it did not know Him. 2 Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is. 3 And everyone who has this hope in Him purifies himself, just as He is pure.” 1 John 3:1-3
Blessings,
Kathy Withers

Kathy’s on staff at America’s KESWICK in the Development Department. Kathy has been married to her husband Dave for 28 years.  They have two adult children. Kathy is active in her local Church and has taught Sunday School and Bible Studies for women. Her passion is to encourage women to deepen their walk with Jesus Christ by finding and living out the truths of God’s Word.

“…Love the Lord your God with all your heart with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment.” And the second is like it: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matthew 22:37-39 NIV)

          During the 2006 summer conference season, an elderly woman came into my office and asked for counsel. After meeting with her and praying with her, my heart was deeply impacted by the pain this women carried. When our session ended I felt the Lord prompting me to ask her if I could give her a hug. She said “yes,” and I gave her a hug that indicated to her that I cared about her and what she was going through. To my amazement she said this was the first time in 10 years that she had received a hug! I just had to give her a second hug. I couldn’t imagine not having that personal touch in such a long time.
             Have you ever thought that a hug could be a ministry? I’ve been thinking seriously about this very idea. Sometimes a listening ear is enough and sometimes it isn’t, and although a hug is not appropriate in all circumstances, there are times when a hug is very much what the person needs. It conveys so much to the person receiving a hug. It expresses our Christ-like love for one another and our compassion. It can convey to a hurting person so much more than words ever could.
             Have you ever been so deep in a pit that you couldn’t imagine anyone caring about you? Or have you ever been so full of despair and pain that you felt unworthy of a hug? Maybe it’s been a long time since someone gave you a hug or even a gentle touch of a hand. Perhaps there’s someone you know who is going through a very difficult time, or illness, or is grieving over the loss of a loved one. Maybe you’ve sat with a friend, or a stranger, and have listened to them share their heart with you. You prayed with them and felt God prompting you to give them a hug. Ask permission and then give them their hug from God. I haven’t met anyone who has turned a hug down or told me they didn’t need a hug.
          Ephesians 4:2 (NIV) Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.

“Lord, when I learn that someone is hurting,
Help me to know what to do and say;
Speak to my heart and give me compassion;
Let your great love flow through me today.”
Kurt De Haan

Mary Ann Kiernan

Writer for “Real Victory for Real Life” 
365 Devotional Thoughts in the Spirit of America’s Keswick
VOLUME 2
 To order a copy of “REAL VICTORY For REAL LIFE” 365 Devotional Thoughts in the Spirit of America’s Keswick, forwarded by Dr. Joseph Stowell visit  www.americaskeswick.org  and click on store.

          In a very different sort of way, prayer is much on my mind and flowing often from my lips these days. Most nights, my husband and I pray together before we close our eyes to sleep, and more often than not, when I turn over, I find my lips still moving as I want to talk to God and tell Him what’s on my mind. I want to tell the God who moves mountains and calms storms that I am anxious, fearful and full of sadness and grief, over real painful stuff in my life. I want to hear Him speak to my spirit and tell me what to do, how to be, how to function though my heart yearns and aches.
          Over and over – never failing to supply – God speaks, telling me that He is present in all the details and that I am safe…we are safe from all potential undoing…when we…IF I/we trust His Hand. He reminds me that He is always present; never late and always on time in all things, ALL THINGS (situations, circumstances, sickness, disease, etc.) NO MATTER WHAT!! He reminds me that He is powerful and might to save!
          Saint John Chrysostom wrote this about the power of prayer:
          “The potency of prayer has subdued the strength of fire; it has bridled the rage of lions,; hushed anarchy to rest,; extinguished wars,; appeased the elements, expelled demons, burst the chains of death, expanded the gates of heaven, healed diseases, repelled frauds, rescued cities from destruction, stayed the sun in its course, and arrested the progress of the thunderbolt.
          Prayer is an all-sufficient panoply, a mind which is never diminished, a treasure which is never exhausted, a sky unobscured by the clouds, and a heaven unruffled by the storm.
          It is the root, the fountain and the mother of a thousand blessings. Is this mere rhetoric?  Ah, no. The Bible knows no such cunning.”1

          So, what I say about prayer is, it is my opportunity, no matter what, or when or where, to talk to the God of all Creation and then to listen for His voice, His Presence, His Spirit speaking to me,; to my soul, into my spirit. In so doing He reminds me of who He is and that I am not alone, never, no never, ever alone. He is with me to the very end!
          So dear sisters, what say you of prayer?

Stephanie Paul

Stephanie Paul serves as part of the Addiction Recovery Team at America’s Keswick as Director of Women’s Addiction Ministry. She has been married for almost 30 years to Sesky Paul who is a graduate of the Colony of Mercy. Stephanie serves alongside him as Care Group leaders in their church. They have two grown children.
Her single focus in ministry at Keswick is to image Christ in grace and truth to wounded and hurting women, encouraging them to make Jesus the truest Lover of their soul and the One in whom all hope lies.

1 http://www.rzim.org/a-slice-of-infinity/the-spirit-of-prayer/Quoted in Leonard Ravenhill, Why Revival Tarries

          Recently I was visiting my sister’s church in Rochester, NY – The Father’s House – and I was quite impacted by the pastor’s sermon.  Pastor Pierre du Plessis gave a powerful message and this Victory Call is part of my gleanings from his message.  It is by no means complete and any departure from his intent is strictly my fault. 
          His overall message was about trusting God. Until we fully surrender we are not fully trusting God. 
          In part, he spoke of John 13 when Jesus washed the feet of the disciples.  Pastor du Plessis challenged us in following Christ’s example to fight for the towel.  I love that phrase because it gives a visual of the heart attitude of service.  I am certainly guilty of picking and choosing when and where it is convenient for me to serve. What kind service is that if it doesn’t cost me anything?  What kind of service is it if there is no sacrifice required?  Well, that is when service is easy. 
Think about it.  Sitting in a room full of fellow believers, there will certainly be some that will be quick to take the towel and serve the rest and many that will be just fine being served.  Which are you?  We all like the ease of being served, don’t we?  But Christ’s example is one of sacrificial service.  That we be like Christ….
          John 13:12-14 When he had washed their feet and put on his outer garments and resumed his place, he said to them, Do you understand what I have done to you?  You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am.  If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet.  For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you.”
          Matthew 20:26-28 “…But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be your slave,  even as the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
          Galatians 5:13 For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.
          How about you? Next time will you “fight for the towel?”
Blessings, Diane
Diane Hunt is part of the Development and Addiction Recovery teams at America’s Keswick.  In addition to being a Biblical Counselor, she is a Women’s speaker for retreats, conferences and events.  She is a regular writer for Victory Call and one of the authors of Crossing the Jordan Bible Study. She has been married to her husband John over 28 years.  She has 2 adult children and 3 grandchildren and 3 adult step-children with 7 grandchildren making 10 in all.  She delights reading and teaching, but mostly laughing at the funny things her grandchildren say and do.  

“He who the Son sets free is free indeed! It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.”1

          One of the most freeing things I am experiencing of late is a gradual freedom from “the fear of man.”  Freedom from the barrage of thoughts that seek to beat me up from the inside out as I waste time consumed with wondering; with asking myself silly questions regarding what other people do or don’t think about me; why they did or did not speak; what they REALLY meant when they said this or that; why they always say things to me a certain way or different than they speak to anyone else; why they seem to me  speak in a condescending way. I could go on and on…but, really what’s the point? 

I AM FREE! 

          I’m fighting for my life to no longer be filled with such life-choking debris, and my mind is clearer and freer to think thoughts which are more pleasing to the LORD.

          Sometimes our minds can be a playground for the enemy of our souls to romp around in. For any number of reasons we simply forget to take our thoughts captive and make them obedient to Christ. We allow life-long insecurities to resurface and do harm to our souls and possible other people. 

          I’ve cried many tears; I’ve fussed and fumed out loud before the Lord and my patient husband. Though I was allowed to vent, clearly heard and understood, sometimes I needed to be corrected and exhorted.

          None of this is by accident.  God is always up to something,always using the stuff of life to cleanse and purify. He wants healing to take place in my life. He wants the areas of my heart that are scarred by sin and shame to receive the treatment, the surgery I may be in desperate need of, so that I can move on and heal.

          Dear sisters, why does the Lord take the time to do all this for me and for you? Why does He love us so? Why is He so committed to our good? He is the Great I AM! He is Jehovah! He is the God who sees! He is the Good Shepherd and He is committed to our care and feeding. 

          We are His kids! Like any loving earthly parent, He is willing to do whatever it takes to brings us up in a manner consistent with godliness and holiness. He wants us  to grow up and stop sweatin’ the small stuff!

          Dear ones, why do I share this with you?  I know that in a variety of ways many of us are trapped by STUFF – stuff that daily renders us less effective for Kingdom work.

          Join me in continual, fervent prayer, seeking God for wholeness and freedom from whatever IT is that binds us.  Let’s take our souls to task, wrestle them to the ground if we have to! Let’s allow ourselves to be set free to BE who God has called us to be,; who God says we are! Remember and never forget: He whom the Son sets free IS FREE INDEED!!

Stephanie

Stephanie Paul serves as part of the Addiction Recovery Team at America’s Keswick as Director of Women’s Addiction Ministry. She has been married for almost 30 years to Sesky Paul who is a graduate of the Colony of Mercy. Stephanie serves alongside him as Care Group leaders in their church. They have two grown children.
Her single focus in ministry at Keswick is to image Christ in grace and truth to wounded and hurting women, encouraging them to make Jesus the truest Lover of their soul and the One in whom all hope lies.

1 see John 8:36; Galatians 5:1

          The other night my husband and I were in prayer together and something he prayed on behalf of a loved one grabbed my attention and encouraged me to get back in the gap and stay there.
          In his talking with God he asked the Lord to guard and protect this dear one, even though they resist coming to Him for themselves.

          Moses and his people leapt to the front of my thinking.  Over and overagain Moses went to the Lord on behalf of God’s children.  Children the Lord loved enough to save from captivity in Egypt.  God delivered them into and from bondage; He brought them out of other life-threatening predicaments and situations. And still they (just like us) resisted, disobeyed, and longed to return to captivity for the mere taste of leeks, onions and garlic. Rather than humble themselves in the sight of God, seek His face, worship Him, and ask for help to deal with their circumstances, not to mention their flesh, they grumbled and complained.

          Praise God for Moses and for the friendship relationship he had with his God.  Moses consistently (not perfectly) sought the Lord. He even petitioned God for mercy on their behalf when God had determined to discipline them for their sin(s).

          Just as my husband and I stand in the gap for those whom we love, Moses stood in the gap for his people.  There was no other like Moses.  Just think where God’s people would have been if there wasn’t one to stand in the gap on their behalf?

          Dear ones, we need to GET IN THE GAP!!   We must determine to tirelessly go before the Lord, to make a stand for righteousness and holiness, to seek God’s mercies for ourselves and those we love. We must make a stand right now! The lives of our loved ones are at stake! 

          We need to pray even if it appears nothing is changing or happening. None of us know for sure the moment-by-moment impact or effect our prayers are, or may be, having in the spirit realm.  We just don’t know.

          The enduring faith of one prayer warrior,; one person willing to get in the gap, to take a stand is immeasurable. So let’s pray for those who wander aimlessly in the dessert to come to an end of all their foolishness, turn from their wicked ways and humble themselves before the Lord. God can reap generations of blessings. 

          And dear ones, on a personal note: let’s put to death the deeds or our own flesh (gossiping, slandering tongues, critical judgmental spirits, haughty attitudes, etc., etc.).  Let’s go to God and ask Him to reveal the besetting sins in our own hearts and lives, remembering there is One who stands in the gap for us, making intercession, lest we like God’s people of old be burned up with fire or swallowed up by the very ground that we stand on.           

Selah

Stephanie
Stephanie Paul serves as part of the Addiction Recovery Team at America’s Keswick as Director of Women’s Addiction Ministry. She has been married for almost 30 years to Sesky Paul who is a graduate of the Colony of Mercy. Stephanie serves alongside him as Care Group leaders in their church. They have two grown children.
Her single focus in ministry at Keswick is to image Christ in grace and truth to wounded and hurting women, encouraging them to make Jesus the truest Lover of their soul and the One in whom all hope lies.

O LORD, thou hast searched me, and known me.  (Psalm 139:1)

           The sovereign Creator of the universe cares about you!  Just take a moment and try to wrap your mind around that fact.  It’s easy to lose sight of Him in the busyness of the day.    His Word tells us that:
          * He created you in His image (Genesis 1:27).  Of all the created beings on the earth, humans are the only ones created in His image.
          * He loved you when you were His enemy (Romans 5:10).  His perfect love allowed Him to love us even when we hated Him.  How much more does He love us as His children? 
          * He sent His only Son to be your perfect sacrifice for sin (John 3:16).  His law called for perfection; only Jesus was perfect and was the only suitable sacrifice to provide atonement for sin.
          * He knows your every movement (Psalm 139:2).  Not in a “puppetmaster” way, but because He loves you NOTHING escapes His attention.
          * He knew you before the foundation of the world (Psalm 139:15).  He knew who you would be even before you were a glimmer in your parents’ eyes.
          * He knows the number of hairs on your head (Matthew 10:30).  I don’t know about you, but that is a fact I cannot even comprehend.
          * He thinks about you so many times in a day that you can’t even number them (Psalm 139:17-18) .  At any given moment there over 6 billion people on this planet, and the Creator of the entire universe thinks about you, His child, individually and personally.
          * He hears and answers every prayer (Psalm 86:6-7).  In the commotion of life, He hears your individual voice.  He knows exactly what is going on in your life, and knows how best to respond to that prayer.
          * He provides for your every need (Philippians 4:19).  Only a perfect God knows how to meet your needs perfectly, every time.
          * He knows your needs even before you do (Matthew 6:28-30).  He knows the master plan of your life.  We can only see the day-to-day details, but He sees the overview.
          * He collects your tears in His bottle (Psalm 56:8).  In His infinite mercy, He has compassion on you.  His heart breaks whenever a child of His is sad, struggling or lonely.
           Any time you are feeling unloved or alone, I would encourage you to take some time and meditate on these things.  Pray that God will help you understand and accept them more fully.  It will truly change your outlook on everyday life!

Donna Connors

Writer for “Real Victory for Real Life” 
365 Devotional Thoughts in the Spirit of America’s Keswick
VOLUME 2
 To order a copy of “REAL VICTORY For REAL LIFE” 365 Devotional Thoughts in the Spirit of America’s Keswick, forwarded by Dr. Joseph Stowell visit  www.americaskeswick.org  and click on store. 

          Yesterday, we thought about trusting God and faith when things don’t go as we expect and He doesn’t do what we are trusting Him do do.  Psalm 44 is what prompted my thoughts yesterday but since it is 26 verses long I wanted to hold it till today.  Please resist the temptation to skip it or skim over it.  Hear the cry of the Psalmist. 

O God, we have heard with our ears,
    our fathers have told us,
what deeds you performed in their days,
    in the days of old
2 you with your own hand drove out the nations,
    but them you planted;
you afflicted the peoples,
    but them you set free;
3 for not by their own sword did they win the land,
    nor did their own arm save them,
but your right hand and your arm,
    and the light of your face,
    for you delighted in them.
4 You are my King, O God;
    ordain salvation for Jacob!
5 Through you we push down our foes;
    through your name we tread down those who rise up against us.
6 For not in my bow do I trust,
    nor can my sword save me.
7 But you have saved us from our foes
    and have put to shame those who hate us.
8 In God we have boasted continually,
    and we will give thanks to your name forever. Selah
9 But you have rejected us and disgraced us
    and have not gone out with our armies.
10 You have made us turn back from the foe,
    and those who hate us have gotten spoil.
11 You have made us like sheep for slaughter
    and have scattered us among the nations.
12 You have sold your people for a trifle,
    demanding no high price for them.
13 You have made us the taunt of our neighbors,
    the derision and scorn of those around us.
14 You have made us a byword among the nations,
    a laughingstock among the peoples.
15 All day long my disgrace is before me,
    and shame has covered my face
16 at the sound of the taunter and reviler,
    at the sight of the enemy and the avenger.
17 All this has come upon us,
    though we have not forgotten you,
    and we have not been false to your covenant.
18 Our heart has not turned back,
    nor have our steps departed from your way;
19 yet you have broken us in the place of jackals
    and covered us with the shadow of death.
20 If we had forgotten the name of our God
    or spread out our hands to a foreign god,
21 would not God discover this?
    For he knows the secrets of the heart.
22 Yet for your sake we are killed all the day long;
    we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.
23 Awake! Why are you sleeping, O Lord?
    Rouse yourself! Do not reject us forever!
24 Why do you hide your face?
    Why do you forget our affliction and oppression?
25 For our soul is bowed down to the dust;
    our belly clings to the ground.
26 Rise up; come to our help!
    Redeem us for the sake of your steadfast love!

Be blessed today.
Diane

Diane Hunt is part of the Development and Addiction Recovery teams at America’s Keswick.  In addition to being a Biblical Counselor, she is a Women’s speaker for retreats, conferences and events.  She is a regular writer for Victory Call and one of the authors of Crossing the Jordan Bible Study. She has been married to her husband John over 28 years.  She has 2 adult children and 3 grandchildren and 3 adult step-children with 7 grandchildren making 10 in all.  She delights reading and teaching, but mostly laughing at the funny things her grandchildren say and do.

          How is it that godly people suffer?  Why do men and women of faith get cancer?  Or their children die? Where does the line between faith and action fall? 
          When saints are challenged with trials and difficulties, what counsel do we offer?  How do we encourage them? 
          We talk of God’s faithfulness and encourage them to have faith and trust God. It’s good counsel but not enough. Why?  Because typically we are trusting God to meet our needs our way, right?
          We trust God will heal our loved one but what if He doesn’t?  We trust God for the finances to pay our mortgage but what if Hhe doesn’t send money?  We trust God to keep the surgeon’s hand steady, but what if something goes wrong? Was God untrustworthy?  Did we lack faith?  OR were we trusting God for something He never promised? 
          Working with the wives in Women of Character they would say they were trusting God to keep their husbands clean – but God never promised to keep their husbands clean.  He does promise to never forsake us. He promises strength in our weakness. He promises that His grace is sufficient, etc. 
          Psalm 44 is a Psalm that portrays this exact dilemma. It is 26 verses long – too long to tag on the end of this Victory Call. So I will post it tomorrow in it’s entirely.  In the meantime, think about where is your hope?  Is trusting God enough?  What are you trusting God for? 
          That should whet your appetite.  …Till tomorrow.
Blessings, Diane

Diane Hunt is part of the Development and Addiction Recovery teams at America’s Keswick.  In addition to being a Biblical Counselor, she is a Women’s speaker for retreats, conferences and events.  She is a regular writer for Victory Call and one of the authors of Crossing the Jordan Bible Study. She has been married to her husband John over 28 years.  She has 2 adult children and 3 grandchildren and 3 adult step-children with 7 grandchildren making 10 in all.  She delights reading and teaching, but mostly laughing at the funny things her grandchildren say and do.