An Attitude of the Heart

How is it that Memorial Day has rolled around again? This is the week I have traditionally written a series on modesty and purity. Memorial Day kicks off the summer with high temperatures and high humidity. People wear lighter and less clothing. It is not that modesty is only an issue in the summer, it is a year round, 365 (366 this year) day problem. However, I doubt anyone would argue that it becomes more evident with the warmer weather. The beaches and pools are packed to overflowing, and the amusement parks and ice cream stands have long lines. People are out and about.

It is disheartening when I see young women (and some not-so-young) wearing attire that would have only appeared in pornographic magazines 30 or 40 years ago. If it is catching my attention, you can be sure it is turning almost every male’s head. Sure, there are men out there intentionally looking, ogling anything female, but I would venture to guess that they are not the majority. I think the majority are men with wives and families and daughters who are accosted with sensually and scantily dressed girls and women everywhere they go. I wish I could say they could just flee to the church but sadly, it is not safe even in the churches.

Women of God, it is time to stand up and battle the enemy as he is gaining ground in the hearts and lives of the men of our churches, our husbands, our sons, our brothers, our pastors. We need a new attitude of compassion and support rather than condemnation and irritation.

Please hear my heart. I am not blaming scantily dressed women for any man’s sinful attitudes or actions! Each man is 100% responsible for where he allows his eyes and heart to linger. I would also say each woman is 100% responsible for her own attire and her attitude towards this whole area of struggle for her male counterpart. It is a cop-out to chalk it up to being “his problem.” More than that, it is short-sighted, superficial and flat out sinful.

Which one of us would sit in the foxhole painting our nails when our fellow soldier was waging war against our enemy who appeared to be gaining the upper hand? NOT A ONE! I believe every one of us would jump to the aid of another in our company, doing battle alongside them rather than against them. Let’s carry this word picture into the modesty, lust and purity battle. Can you see how God calls us alongside rather than against our brothers in Christ?

How do your wardrobe choices reflect love for Jesus Christ? How does your attire reflect love for your brothers in Christ? How does the way you dress reflect your heart?

Romans 13:10 Love does no harm to a neighbor…

Luke 10:27 ” ‘You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind,’ and ‘your neighbor as yourself.'”

Diane Hunt is the Director of Addiction Recovery Ministries at America’s KESWICK, Biblical Counselor, Conference and retreat speaker, Victory Call writer/editor, wife, mother, grandmother, and nut and not necessarily in that order.

Have you ever forgotten what the Lord has done for you? I think we all tend to forget, especially when things are going great. We tend to think things are going well because we deserve it, or we forget that our blessings come from God. The Israelites were like that. They would get in trouble, cry out to God, and He would rescue them. Then they would start living in their old sinful ways once again, until they got into trouble. Then they would start their old routine of crying out to God, and He would rescue them. Then they soon forgot His goodness and left His ways until they were in trouble again, then they repeated their old routine.

Psalm 106: 7-8 states: “When our fathers were in Egypt, they gave no thought to your miracles; they did not remember your many kindnesses, and they rebelled by the sea, the Red Sea. Yet he saved them for his name’s sake to make his mighty power known.” Then in verse 13, “But they soon forgot what he had done and did not wait for his counsel.” Verse 21 “They forgot the God who saved them.” Verse 43 “Many times he delivered them, but they were bent on rebellion and they wasted away in their sin.”

When trouble comes to us, what is our first response? Is it, “I can fix this by myself?” Is it, “Why did God do this to me?” Our response should be like the Israelites finally responded, vs 47-48 “Save us, O Lord our God, and gather us from the nations, that we may give thanks to your holy name and glory in your praise. Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. Let all the people say, ‘Amen!’ Praise the Lord.”

Marilyn Heavilin is a summer counselor-in-residence along with her husband, Glen. She is a speaker and author of numerous books.

I had someone share with me recently that they were fighting depression and they wondered if this indicated they were lacking something spiritually. How could a solid Christian ever be depressed? Well, listen to these words from Psalm 42.

“My tears have been my food day and night, while men say to me all day long, ‘Where is your God?'” The Psalmist is depressed and discouraged, he is all cried out, he wonders where God is; yet his words were considered spiritual enough to be preserved in the Holy Scriptures. What can we do when we feel depressed and discouraged and wonder if God has forsaken us? The Psalmist continues:

“Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me?
“I say to God my Rock, ‘Why have you forgotten me? Why must I go about mourning, oppressed by the enemy?’
“My bones suffer mortal agony as my foes taunt me, saying to me all day long, ‘Where is your God?’

Have you ever felt you have cried so much you should be suffering from dehydration? Have you felt completely defeated and held down by Satan?

Here are the conclusions the Psalmist came to.

“Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.”
“My soul is downcast within me; therefore I will remember you.
“Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.”

Yes, it is quite common for Christians to become discouraged. We live in this world. We are vulnerable to the problems of this world. We have human emotions, and many times we can feel overwhelmed. But the Psalmist tells us to Put your hope in God, Praise God, Remember God.

No matter how depressed you feel, God has not left you. He is standing there waiting for you to turn to Him and just curl up in His lap. You will be safe there.

“By day the Lord directs his love, at night his song is with me” (Psalm 42:8 NIV).

Marilyn Heavilin is our summer counselor-in-residence

It is finished! There is a saying that goes “A Mother’s work is never done!” And I say “Amen” to that! No sooner do you finish doing dishes…there’s a glass in the sink. When you wash all the clothes, fold them…perhaps even iron (you remember that thing you plug in, gets hot and you press down on those wrinkled clothes??), it seems the hamper is full again. But it doesn’t stop with housework! It extends to every area of our lives. There is always the next task that needs to get done.

This is even true in ministry. Since becoming the Intake Manager in February, I have truly come to see the demands of being a part of an addictions ministry. While serving in the Women’s Ministry was also demanding, the intake office demands so much more. First, I have to say that I love being a part of the Colony of Mercy. I have never felt so much in the center of God’s will for my life. But whew! It sure is a busy office! I like being very conscientious, keeping on top of things, making sure all the tasks that need to be completed are.

As I began my new position in the intake office….I was falling short of getting “everything” finished. I was getting very frustrated and upset…my ducks just weren’t all in a row and I wasn’t happy about it! One morning a very wise chaplain…Jim Freed…shared some words of Jesus from Scripture that I have tried to hold in my heart and keep in the front of my mind at all times. In the Gospel of John the 17th chapter, Jesus is preparing Himself through prayer for the suffering that lay just ahead. In verses 1-5 Jesus is praying for Himself and in verse 4 says “I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do.”

But wait a minute! There were still so many hungry people, so many sick and dying, so many poor, so many suffering people…so many souls to save. He had only been in ministry for three years and there was still so much work to do. Yet, Jesus said He finished the work God had given Him to do AND had brought glory to His Father through it all. Did you ever wonder, why just three years?…why not ten or twenty?…He could have done so much more.

Our Father God doesn’t expect me or you to do it all or finish it all. Jesus rested in the fact that while He was on earth, ministering for three years, everything He did brought glory to His Father. How can I think I can do more, finish every task? But with each phone call, each intake, each unexpected task, if I am bringing glory to God through it, then and only then have I finished all the tasks before me. My prayer for me and for you is that we do ALL for the glory of God and not worry about completing it ALL.

Mary Ann Kiernan and John have been married for 35 years, have 2 grown/married sons and are the proud grandparents of two grandsons. She serves at America’s Keswick as a Biblical Counselor and also as Intake Coordinator for the Colony of Mercy. Her life verse is Romans 8:28.

Sorry for the delay in posting these, but we were experiencing some techincal difficulties.

HAPPY MOTHERS’ DAY

I wish I could give a hug to all of the mothers reading this. Since this is impossible, I’ll just send my love and wish you a Happy Mother’s Day! (even though it’s belated)

At the May Keswick Hymnsing they asked for all who celebrate a birthday in May to stand. My friend and I will both be 75, so we stood. Across from our table was a lady whom Mr. Bill Welte, our director, recognized. She was 105! They even had a cake for her covered with candles all lit.

My friend and I both thought of the same thing – “That’s 30 more years added to our 75”. I can’t imagine that! What a blessing this lady was to us.It did bring to my mind that my mom, if still living, would be 108 this May 30th. However, God took her at just 59. She loved life; she loved everyone. I miss her!! Enjoy your mom, please.

My one regret for her was that she never got to enjoy her 5 grandchildren and 10 great grandchildren. They would have loved her as I did. Her favorite song was “Moment by Moment.” My favorite is “Day by Day.” I remember her singing so often, and I realized she lived moment by moment for the Lord, not just day by day. Her favorite verse was Matthew 5:16, “Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in heaven,” I, too, pray this for my life.When I was questioned as a child, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” I always replied, “A mother.” I wanted to be like my mother! I still do.

Hug your mom and give her an extra hug from me in remembrance of Mother’s day. I will see Mom again one day as I know she is in heaven. She accepted Christ as her Savior and is waiting in heaven with Him.

Dottie is the bride of Chaplain Jack Noel (50 years), mother of 3 married sons, and grandmother to 8. She is a genuine prayer warrior and her love for Jesus Christ is evident to all who know her.

“For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead (James 2:26).”

I recently heard someone pray, “Lord if I were to be arrested for being a Christian, let there be enough evidence to convict me.”

I read this statement: Our faith in the word of God can be measured by the influence we allow it to have upon our conduct. We should ask ourselves: “Does my faith affect my everyday conduct by what is taught in the Bible or is it just traditional ‘religion’?”

Does your behavior show you are a Christian? How do you behave on the freeway, in a long line at the market, or when someone speaks unkindly to you? Do you join the speed demons, those who become impatient when they have to wait, or those who have an unkind remark in response to those who behave that way toward us? Or do you observe the speed limit even when there are no police in sight; offer to let others enter a long line in front of us, or respond kindly to unkind remarks?

Glen and I were at a buffet style restaurant recently. The couple in the booth next to us had two young well-behaved children with them. As the mom returned to the buffet, she placed her used salad plate on the booth divider to keep it out of reach of her little ones. The older lady sitting in the next booth took offense to having to see the dirty plate. She started yelling at the mother, even questioning her ability to train her children properly. Needless to say, the older lady was out of line, but the mom had a choice as to how she would respond. She chose to verbally respond back in a like manner and even purposely set used dinner items on the divider. She willfully provoked the older lady. As I watched this scenario unfold in front of me, I just kept thinking, “Dear Lord, I must admit I hope neither one of them knows you. If they do know you, please don’t let them say so.” How embarrassing!

If you were arrested for being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?

Our prayer should be: “Dear Lord, let my responses reflect that I have spent much time with you.”

Marilyn is a wife and mother, author, and international conference and retreat speaker. She and her husband Glen serve as Counselors-in-Residence at America’s KESWICK during the summer months.

Don’t Be a Quitter
Recently I came across the Bible that my grandmother gave me when I was a child. I opened it and found a number of passages underlined that contained the very wisdom I should have practiced in my late teens and early twenties. Instead I walked away from God and His Word. What I thought was important enough to underline soon got shelved because my plan for my life sounded so much more “fun”. Seeing that Bible was a sad reminder that at one time I was a quitter.
Perhaps you are tempted right now to quit. It may seem your prayers go unanswered. Things just don’t seem to change. You don’t understand your circumstances. Maybe you want to slam your Bible shut and put it on the shelf. Hebrews tells us to “lay aside every weight, and the sin that so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us.” (Heb. 12:1 NKJV) The weights we need to lay aside may be good things but we are unwilling to wait for God’s best. Each of us knows all too well the sins that ensnare us. But I want to focus on the race itself.
What will keep you and me in the race? It is knowing that the race ahead will be hard so we can prepare to run it. Not long ago I learned that the word race is the word agon in the original Greek. This is where we get our English word agony. In reality what we read is “let us run with endurance the agony that is set before us. ” Do you only want your way? A life of ease and pleasure? When was the last time you heard the honest truth that the Christian life is one of agony as well as victory? We have chosen the most difficult, agonizing way, the narrow way! Ladies, there is so much teaching telling us that we are to have lives of prosperity, health and wealth. Let’s be balanced according to the Word of God! If we know we will have a rough road ahead and prepare our hearts through prayer, study of and obedience to the Word we will receive from Him the joy we are looking for and the strength to endure and overcome! Jesus tells us we will have trials and tribulations not a rose garden. Will trials and tribulations surprise us? Disillusion us? Cause us to quit?
“We, too, often forget that God lays our afflictions upon us, if we remembered this fact, we should more patiently submit to the pressure which now pains us. The time will come when for every ounce of present burden, we shall receive a far more exceedingly and eternal weight of glory.” Charles H. Spurgeon Please read James 1:2-4, 1 Peter4:12-13 and Romans 8:18 Keep running the race! I know it is agony but don’t be a quitter!
Kathy Withers serves in the America’s KESWICK Book and Gift Shop and is a gifted Bible teacher and speaker.

Flying Fish
If you travel the Garden State Parkway, you’ve noticed the speed limit has been reduced from 65 MPH to 55 MPH in a section that runs through Monmouth and Ocean Counties. It was reported that due to the high number of accidents in this area it would be advisable to reduce the speed limit. In my opinion, I agree. I agree because I’ve been driving long enough to realize that the faster I’m going the harder it is to stop or slow down. Having had very few accidents, praise the Lord, I also realize how much the impact is felt even at a low speed.
Sadly though, I also realized something else. I speed! If the speed limit is 55 MPH chances are I’ll do 60 MPH, 65 MPH I may push it to 70 MPH, but that’s as fast as I want to be going and faster than I legally should be. Yes, I realize I am 100% in the wrong and I need to comply with the law. No argument there.
A friend was driving over the past weekend and I was one of the passengers. She is a good driver and was very conscience of the fact that she tends to speed and she was really paying attention not to do so. She shared a funny story of conviction. She had attached to her car a stick-on emblem of a fish, symbolizing Christianity. One day, while speeding, the fish flew right off the car! Her husband remarked; “Uh, honey, flying fish are not a good testimony…” Well, as you can imagine we got a good laugh out of that one! But he did make a valid point.
I pray that this might not only give you a laugh today, but also and most importantly give you pause the next time to get in and buckle-up (we are doing that right ladies?), before you hit the peddle to the metal remember we don’t just “walk with the Lord” we “drive with Him too.”
I may show my age by quoting this from a TV show no longer on the air, but I bet some of you will remember Hill Street Blues, just before the police were sent out for the day the Captain would say…
Let’s be careful out there-

Dina Seaton serves on staff in marketing and also as a staff writer and speaker. She is the mother of one son, John, who is 13 years old and a geographical genius! (Or so she says…) She is currently working on completing her first book, “Do It Again LORD…Do It Again!” A collection of interviews that will excite your faith…

“I swear to tell the truth..”
As I look into the book that witnesses are sworn in on I read Philippians 4:8 “Finally brethren, whatever things are TRUE, whatever things are noble. Whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy- meditate on these things.” For today let’s think about what is true.

If you are like me you tend to do a lot of thinking. My specialty is “stinkin’ thinkin'”. My friend, Mary Ann, has had to bring this to my attention. It’s almost embarrassing how often she has to point out to me that I am “projecting into the future things that haven’t even happened yet.”

One of my favorite authors, Alicia Britt Chole tells of her “not yet truths” in this way: Her husband was late getting home at 12:00. She thought that was interesting. At 12:05, she thought “Hhhhmmm”, at 12:10, she thought ” I wonder if something happened?’, at 12:15 “What IF something happened?, at 12:20,”Something DID happen and it was BAD!”, by 12:25 her husband had been hit by a bus, by 12:30 he was lying in the road in a pool of blood, by 12:45 the police were at the door telling her that her husband had died, at 1:00 she was weeping and planning a funeral. At 1:05 she greeted her husband at the door exclaiming “You’re alive! You’re alive!” He had been delayed in traffic but she spent much time and energy on what wasn’t even true.

This is not just a vivid imagination gone amuck.. This is thinking on things that are not even true. Don’t you and I have enough reality without making it up too? “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.” Matthew 6:34 In your situation separate what is true from what is false. Try not to speculate, project or write the story in your mind but think on what is true.

“And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work.” 2 Corinthians 9:8 “My grace is sufficient for you, for my strength is made perfect in weakness.” 2 Corinthians 12:9 “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. 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.” Matthew 11:28-30

Kathy Withers is on staff full-time at the Keswick Book and Gift Shop. She is married to her husband Dave and has two adult children. Kathy is active in her local church. Her passion is the Word of God and encouraging women to dig deeper into the truths of the Bible.

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I just found my list of God’s Positive Answers given to me back on May 22, 2005. His Word is still the same! It is now May 2008 and all of these thoughts still come to my mind – God has His same answers. When will I learn! Maybe you feel the same.
Keep this list of verses where you too can be assured of His daily concern and love for us.
You & I say: God says:
It’s impossible All things are possible Luke 18:27
I’m too tired I will give you rest Matthew 11:28-30
Nobody really loves me I love you John 3:16 & 34
I can’t go on My grace is sufficient 2 Corinthians 12:9
Psalms 91:15
I can’t figure things out I will direct your steps Proverbs 3:5-6
I can’t do it You can do all things Philippians 4:13
I’m not able I am able 2 Corinthians 9:8
It’s not worth it It will be worth it Romans 8:28
I can’t forgive myself I forgive you 1 John 1:9; Romans 8:1
I can’t manage I will supply all your needs Philippians 4:19
I’m afraid I have not given you a spirit of fear 2 Timothy 1:7
I’m always worried & frustrated Cast all your care on me 1 Peter 5:7
I’m not smart enough I give you wisdom 1 Corinthians 1:30
I feel alone I will never leave you or forsake you Hebrews 13:5
How special it would be to memorize these verses to pass on to others and especially to have God’s Word right there in your heart and mind. What a way to defeat Satan.

Dottie is the bride of Chaplain Jack Noel (50 years), mother of 3 married sons, and grandmother to 8. She is a genuine prayer warrior and her love for Jesus Christ is evident to all who know her.