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Reorient

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Prone to wander, Lord I feel it. Prone to leave the God I love.[i]

Robinson captures in verse the strange experience of the Godward heart. It longs for God and experiences “dim mirror” delights in him while at the same time living as a captive in a bodily prison of godless wanderlust (1Corinthians 3:12), (Jon Bloom) [ii]

Recently I heard one of my pastors say that one of the beauties of gathering together each week is to reorient our hearts to God and His Word.

Then in the course of the next few days I heard others comment about reframing our thoughts towards the Gospel, reminding ourselves of God’s truth, resetting our hearts with Scripture.  RE-orienting, RE-framing, RE-minding, RE-setting are all words that speak of coming back from our mental and spiritual wanderings.

No matter how far we have wandered, we can come back and be reoriented to Gospel Truth and the Person of Jesus Christ.

And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near. Hebrews 10:24-25

When we engage in Church, active Bible reading, focused prayer, and biblical fellowship with other believers we get an adjustment that reorients us to God, grows our relationship with Jesus and sharpens our Godward gaze upon His beauty and perfection.

Sister, resist the wanderings by regularly reorienting your heart and mind.

Blessings,

Diane

Diane Hunt serves part-time on the staff of America’s Keswick providing ministry support from her home in North Carolina. She is also a biblical counselor and women’s event speaker. For more information about having Diane speak at your next event please contact her at dhunt@americaskeswick.org.

[i] Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing Hymn by Robert Robinson

[ii] Jon Bloom, https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/bind-my-wandering-heart-to-thee

About my Last Victory Call……….

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Remember last week when I wrote a Victory Call (#PrinterProbs) about how I’m doing such a better job relying on God when I’m stressed? I gave you a scenario – it was a really busy season at Keswick, I had hundreds of programs to print, I had a close deadline, and my printer was down. But I wrote about how I wasn’t worried or stressed about it, because I was learning to trust God more.

Yeah… can I take that back?

I did an awful job with trusting Him yesterday. Like, really bad. I had hundreds of postcards to mail and 2500 Prayer Calendars to send out, but the computer program that I use to address envelopes and postcards wasn’t working. The worst part? My boss couldn’t help me fix it because he was on vacation in LONDON (the nerve!)

I’d like to say that the first thing I did was drop everything and pray about it. I’d like to say that I was rational. I’d like to say that I completely trusted that God would work it all out.

But I can’t say that.

Nope.

That’s not what today’s Victory Call is about. It’s about my shortcomings. I tried to do everything on my own – everything – and it didn’t produce the results I’d hoped for. Here’s a basic rundown of yesterday afternoon…

  1. I recreated the address sheet no less than 13 times.
  2. I restarted the computer… twice.
  3. I tried to do updates on the program.
  4. I cried a little bit.
  5. I restarted the computer again.
  6. I realized that the program still wasn’t accepting the addresses.
  7. I cried a little bit more.
  8. I tried to merge mailing lists and create address labels on Microsoft Word.
  9. I got the IT guys involved.
  10. I called the company that runs the program – no answer.
  11. I cried a lot.
  12. I tried to save my documents in different formats.
  13. I asked Google. Google was no help.
  14. My second printer decided to break in the middle of printing for the Prayer Calendar. (Cherry on top!)
  15. I almost pulled out my hair.
  16. I called the printer repair guy to fix my machine. No answer. Message left!
  17. I asked some coworkers for advice (and for words of affirmation and chocolate).
  18. I went upstairs with tears running down my face to see if there were any other mailing machines that could do large printings. There wasn’t.
  19. The printer guy called me back all concerned, making sure I was OK because I sounded really distressed on the phone.
  20. I hung up, went to the back office, and let myself have a good old-fashioned cry.

Can anyone spot what was missing from that list? Look over it again! The answer? Prayer. I got so caught up in the moment and caused myself so much stress when I could have given it to God the moment I started to feel overwhelmed. Now the end of the story is this: the problems were figured out, the printer guy came, and everything that needed to be mailed was mailed. But what a process. I could have saved myself so much frustration, trouble, and concern just by doing exactly what I said I was learning to do in last week’s Victory Call – trusting Him more.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guide your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.  Philippians 4:6-7

Guess I need to develop more of a Philippians 4:6-7 mindset, huh?

Erin Culleny serves as a Marketing Assistant and Staff Writer. She loves encouraging women through her Victory Calls and finds such joy in praying for her sisters in Christ. Her favorite activities include reading her Bible, encouraging others with scripture, buying new makeup, buying dresses, and eating at the Cheesecake Factory… In that order!

 

 

 

Keep On Keeping On

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And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. Galatians 6:9

Keep looking at Him rather than at self.

Keep moving forward rather than backward.

Keep repenting rather than acquiescing.

Keep getting up rather than giving up.

Keep fighting the enemy rather than fighting others.

Keep seeking truth rather than what feels good or right.

Keep sitting at His feet rather than being distracted by much serving.

Keep loving others rather than loving self.

Keep believing God rather than believing the media – social or otherwise.

Keep embracing abundant life rather than mediocrity.

Keep choosing hope rather than despair.

Keep choosing victory rather than defeat.

Keep seeking righteousness rather than unrighteousness.

Keep pursuing more of Him rather than more stuff.

Keep walking in the Light rather than in darkness.

Keep becoming more like Jesus rather than more like your peers.

Keep seeking unity rather than division.

Keep seeking like-mindedness rather than having to always share an opinion.

Keep sharing the Gospel rather than shrinking back.

Keep seeking purity rather than compromising.

Keep recalling who God says you are rather than who the world says you are.

Keep on keeping on.

Blessings, Diane

Diane Hunt serves part-time on the staff of America’s Keswick providing ministry support from her home in North Carolina. She is also a biblical counselor and women’s event speaker. For more information about having Diane speak at your next event please contact her at dhunt@americaskeswick.org.

 

Despising God’s Good

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Then they despised the pleasant land, having no faith in his promise. Psalm 106:24

There they were, on the cusp of the Promised Land. God was ready to fulfill His promise to Abraham and his descendants to go in and take possession of the land.  But you probably know the story of the twelve spies sent to scout out the land, ten returning filled with a fearful report, two filled with faith ready to take God at His word (See Numbers 13 – 14).

Instead of receiving God’s good gift for them, they despised the pleasant land, and failed to believe His promise.  The result was 38 more years of wandering and the death of an entire generation (save the 2 faithful spies) before Israel entered the Promised Land with Joshua.

We can see their foolishness clearly, but remember – we know details now that they did not have then. It required faith to believe God would keep His promise.

Before we judge Israel too quickly… let’s take a good look at ourselves.

Are there any areas of our lives where we are despising God’s good?   We are inclined to do this when our situation or circumstances are contrary to what we hoped for.  Can we see God’s good hand behind the challenge of our circumstances?  Just because there are challenges in our situation does not mean it is not God’s good for us.

Perhaps another way to think about this is to ask if we are resisting life’s trials that God has allowed in our life to grow our faith and to draw us closer to Him?

Are you experiencing financial strain that God may be using to teach you His provision?

Are you in a difficult job that God may be using to teach you submission?

Are you in a marriage that is less than what you desire that God may be using to teach you a deeper kind of love?

Are you experiencing infertility that God may be allowing to teach you the depth of your Father’s love?

I am NOT saying if you are in any of these situations that God is up to what I have suggested here, but He could be. My point is, difficult circumstances may be God working His good in and for you.

Do not despise God’s good gifts when they are wrapped in the fabric of trial or suffering.  Keep your eyes on His promises to guide you through your difficult journey.  You can ALWAYS trust God and His promises; He will ALWAYS keep His word.

Blessings,

Diane

Diane Hunt serves part-time on the staff of America’s Keswick providing ministry support from her home in North Carolina. She is also a biblical counselor and women’s event speaker. For more information about having Diane speak at your next event please contact her at dhunt@americaskeswick.org.

When the Going Gets Tough….

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The going will get tough. Jesus said so. Funny, I just don’t wake up thinking like that. Maybe if I expected the troubles of the day I’d be less surprised by them!

We shouldn’t be, but we are often blindsided by events. It doesn’t really seem natural for us to walk around wondering when the proverbial ax is going to fall, so when it does, it comes as a surprise. And yet, Jesus was clear about the day having enough trouble of its own.

The steadfast promises of God can counteract the unexpected troubles of the day. Knowing that the God of the universe is not surprised by what is unsettling should settle us. His promises do not fail in the face of trial and tribulation. He is trustworthy, when all else is not.

Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness. Lamentations 3:22&23

When the going gets tough, we as daughters of the Most High King do not need to “get going”. We can rest at the feet of our Father, knowing that He holds our lives in His most kind and capable hands. That should put the troubles of the day into perspective so that we can do as our Savior said:

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air: They do not sow or reap or gather into barns–and yet your Heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his lifespan?” Matt. 6:25-27

Carol

Carol Tirondola is on staff with the Partner Care team at America’s Keswick. She and her best friend, Mario, have been married for 35 years. They have 2 sons and 2 daughters-in-law that they call their “BFFs.” They also have 7 precious gems called grandchildren. Her family has savored many memories of the heart made at Keswick over the last 35+ years and she is thrilled to serve on staff!

Integrity

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 in all things show yourself to be an example of good deeds, with purity in doctrine, dignified (Titus 2:7 )

I finished my day at work from the Raws Memorial building and, while walking towards my car, I noticed a note on my wiper, which said “I accidentally scratched your car door.” She left her name and number to settle the situation.

I looked for the scratch on the car; it was a very small scratch. I was surprised! This lady left her information for me to contact her, and I thought to myself that, if she hadn’t left the note, I probably would not have noticed the scratch.

I asked around for advice to make sure I needed to take the car to be worked on. I was told the paint on the car was completely removed and that it was a good idea to have the car looked at to prevent rust on the car.

I called the lady, shared with her my concern for the car, and I let her know that I would be taking it to Maaco. She was sorry for what happened and very polite, with the explanation of what happened. I got to Maaco and as I got out of the car, a man standing outside asked if he could help me. I showed him the scratch and told him I was concerned about rust developing on the car. He called two guys over to bring him some black paint and he touched up my car. I asked him what I owed him, but he didn’t charge me. I stayed talking with this honest and kind man.

I called the lady and shared my experience I had with the honest man from Maaco. We shared a joyful laugh. I thanked her for leaving her information and a good experience for me. We praised our Lord in His goodness!

Let Him weigh me with accurate scales, And let God know my integrity. Job 31: 6

 I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord In the land of the living.  Psalm 27:13

Sandra Valdes

Sandra is a Full-Time Staff Member at America’s Keswick who works in the Guest Services Department.

 

 

#PrinterProbs

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I work in the Marketing Department here at Keswick, which means that part of my responsibility is to run the Print Shop. I print many of our documents and collateral. Do you ever receive any postcards, prayer calendars, or letters in the mail? Yeah, those come from me! Anything you see on our literature walls here on campus come from my office. Same thing with programs – whether it’s a conference, a Hymn Sing, or Girl Talk, I’m the one that prints them.

I have two printers in my office, and they both work well… usually. Except, of course, when there’s a big event the next day and I have hundreds of programs to print. That’s when both of my printers decide to malfunction. And that’s also when my flesh kicks in. I try to fix it and when I can’t, I get frustrated, upset, and stressed. I can’t tell you how many times my boss has walked in and has heard this:

“UGH!!! These dumb printers are down AGAIN!!! We have an event tomorrow that needs 500 programs and the printers broke down after just 50!! They keep jamming, the coloring is all wrong on one, and the other one wont staple!! Our printer repairman can’t come today and I don’t know what we’re going to do. I’m so stressed!! There’s NO WAY we can get everything done in time, NO WAY.”

And he usually says the same thing, “Don’t worry about it, God’s got it.” What?? As much as I hate to admit it, his response on more than one occasion has frustrated me more than relaxed me. How can he be so calm?? After all, this is a CRISIS SITUATION.

But the truth is this: My boss is right. God’s always ‘got it.’ I’ve worked in my department for over two years now, and any time our printer has crashed during “crunch time,” there has always been a solution. Either the printer is miraculously fixed or we take a different course of action, but (surprise, surprise) the world has never come crashing down because of a broken printer.

When my anxious inner thoughts become overwhelming, your comfort encourages me. Psalm 94:19

I’m learning to trust Him more, in the big things and in these “small things.” Because really, a broken printer is not a crisis. And, of course, God’s got it – we’re doing HIS work! As I’m sitting here writing this Victory Call, I am attempting to do two major printings. I need to print the programs for Girls Weekend Away and print programs for an off-site Hymn Sing. That means there are hundreds of programs that need to be printed before Friday on top of other jobs that need to be printed, and surprise – one of my printers decided to stop working again. How am I going to react – by being full of fear or being full of faith?

I’ll give you a hint – I prayed, tried my best to fix it, texted the printer repair guy, and said “God’s got it.”

Erin Culleny serves as a Marketing Assistant and Staff Writer. She loves encouraging women through her Victory Calls and finds such joy in praying for her sisters in Christ. Her favorite activities include reading her Bible, encouraging others with scripture, buying new makeup, buying dresses, and eating at the Cheesecake Factory… In that order!

Simplify to Magnify

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I brought glory to you here on earth by completing the work you gave me to do. (John 17:4, NLT)

Have you ever reflected on how Christ walked this earth for only thirty-three brief years, yet could proclaim at His life’s end that He had finished the work that His Father had given Him to do? Christ obeyed the Father consistently and completely yet frequently didn’t fulfill the expectations of those closest to Him. And although we’re not the perfectly obedient, sinless Son of God, each of us has individual work that we have the privilege of doing as God’s children; but, just like Martha we can get “worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one” (Luke 10:41-42a).

I started to meditate on all this over a decade ago while frustratingly trying to balance working 12-hour rotating shifts as a police officer along with living faithfully in other important spheres of life- especially relationally. I remember feeling as if I never had enough time in a day to do everything that I needed to do. Resigning from my job, while a future goal, wasn’t a viable option at the time as although our four children were already in our home, we were waiting (for several years) for their adoptions to go through as a necessary prerequisite to laying down my job in a way that my husband was comfortable with.

Hemmed in and seemingly at the mercy of stalled circumstances, I was at the point of feeling exasperated, perplexed, and….exhausted! My desperate heart was fertile soil for the truth that everything is for a reason and a season; each day I too could do the work or things that my Heavenly Father was calling me to do (Notice the qualifier!), and there would always be things that I or others wanted me to do that would remain undone at a day’s end. And although these truths didn’t bear fruit instantaneously, harvest came increasingly and continues thankfully. Truth surely does set free!

So how are you doing in this area? Do circumstances, schedules, lists, expectations, opinions, and demands tend to call the shots as you react to life or are you more of a reflective responder like Jesus who, freed from the shackles of false guilt and others’ expectations, communed with and surrendered to the Father daily? Either way, be encouraged that you not only have all the time that you need, but that you are exquisitely crafted, uniquely skilled, spiritually enabled, and aptly gifted for all that the Father has appointed for you to do in this time and in this place (Ephesians 2:10; Acts 17:26; 2 Timothy 2:21; 3:17; 1 Peter 4:10). He is not looking for perfect, harried stewards – only faithful, responsive ones (Matthew 25: 23). May we simplify our lives and walks so that we can best exalt our incomparable God who lives in us, walks with us, and works through us!

Melissa Smith is the Women’s Enrich Counselor at America’s Keswick. She has the privilege and honor of ministering to the Colony men’s wives, fiancees and girlfriends, the Barbara’s Place women, and some women from the community who God brings to America’s Keswick for help or care. She and Bill, her husband of 18 years, have four adopted children ages 17 to 24. Her fervent desire is to point women to Christ and His sufficiency, provision, and promises.

 

Keeping Up Appearances

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Generous in love—God, give grace! Huge in mercy—wipe out my bad record.

Scrub away my guilt, soak out my sins in your laundry.

I know how bad I’ve been, my sins are staring me down.

You’re the One I’ve violated, and you’ve seen it all, seen the full extent of my evil.

You have all the facts before you; whatever you decide about me is fair.

I’ve been out of step with you for a long time; in the wrong since before I was born.

What you’re after is truth from the inside out.  Enter me, then; conceive a new, true life.”

Psalm 51:1-6 The Message

 My neighbor is working on improving her lawn, but only the front lawn. If you view her property from the front, it looks really good. However, the side and back are sandy and there is barely a patch of grass to be seen. I also can keep up appearances. I slap on my makeup, do my hair and dress so everyone sees a well put together outside. But the inside of me doesn’t always reflect the same picture. We all tend to keep up appearances.

I am reminded that nothing is hidden from the Lord. He created us and knows every detail about us. I can hide nothing. I can’t gloss over the barren areas and I can’t cover up the ugly well enough so that He does not see it. I am also reminded that I don’t need to come to my Heavenly Father and pretend to be what I am not. I can come to Him as I am. He knows what I need to see and is gentle to lead me to see areas that need attention in order to bring about change and transformation. Don’t you find you have areas within in you where the grass is green and flourishing? Don’t you look beyond that green patch and find only dry sand and no sign of water or vegetation?

The bad news is that we all put on appearances but know there is something lurking in the background that isn’t so pretty. The good news is Jesus works in these areas of our lives to bring more life, more growth and more of His image. The process can be tough, and the view not so pretty, but Jesus is at work behind the scene to do a mighty work in you today.

Blessings,

Kathy

Kathy Withers is on staff at America’s Keswick and serves as Director of Partner Care. Kathy has been married to her husband Dave for 30 years. They have two adult children. Kathy is active in her local church and teaches a Bible Study 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.

YES, LORD!!!!

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I’m sure that as you read some of my Victory Calls you find yourself wondering, “How long has this woman been a believer?”  Today may be one of those days.  Sometimes I think I am the only one who is this dense, this slow, and this leaky.  I need constant reminders of what I know is true because so many distractions push what I know is true to my peripheral vision.

I recently had a soul-enriching conversation with my dear friend Stephanie.  She is a woman that I know I can trust with my heart and to speak truth into my spirit, even if it might be difficult to hear.  THAT IS A TRUE FRIEND.

I was sharing with her that I have been struggling with saying “no” to myself, to my flesh.  Rarely a day goes by that I don’t wrestle with wanting what I want, especially in the area of food. There, I said it.  There are other areas of my life this is true as well, but this is one that surfaces most often.  I have been praying that God would show me the ugliness of my sin and He has been answering that prayer.

As Stephanie and I chatted, the conversation had a flow familiar with long-time treasured friends.  In the process, knowingly or unknowingly, she reminded me that I’m not just saying NO to my flesh but I need to redirect my heart to say YES to God.

In that moment, I realized my focus is on saying NO to myself. My focus is on what I need to give up, on the battle and the wrestling.  The NO looms large in my thoughts and my heart.

I am focused on the wrong thing.  Instead of focusing on the battle of NO I need to focus on saying YES, YES, YES, LORD!

I realized again that if I spend every second of every day saying YES to God the NO will happen along the way.  Not perfectly but progressively. But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. Galatians 5:16

PLUS my heart will be filled with a greater vision and greater purpose and my love for my Savior will grow. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace. Romans 8: 6

Where is your focus?  Is it on the wrestling and the battle of denying yourself or is it on the Victor and Lover of your soul?  Or perhaps neither?

How about if today you ask God, over and over again, to empower you to focus saying YES to Him every second of the day?  As you fall into bed tonight, reflect on how different your day was because of your shifted focus.

Let’s dedicate this day to saying YES, LORD.  And then let’s get up tomorrow and do it again.

Blessings,

Diane

Diane Hunt serves part-time on the staff of America’s Keswick providing ministry support from her home in North Carolina. She is also a biblical counselor and women’s event speaker. For more information about having Diane speak at your next event please contact her at dhunt@americaskeswick.org.