…and find out what pleases the Lord. Ephesians 5:10

We have all experienced it in our relationships.  It may be a friend, a parent, a sibling, a spouse, a co-worker that you want to please because of your love for them.

Those feelings of fondness that cause us to find out what would please our loved one.  A surprise gift perhaps or running an errand for them or going to their favorite restaurant even when it is not yours or preparing their favorite meal or getting off the couch and getting them a snack during the movie or … the list is endless.

Things we do because we love someone.

I remember a time many years ago when I was in my 20’s – the man I was dating and I were sitting on the couch in my parent’s family room watching TV with my Mom.  She asked if anyone wanted a snack that there were oranges in the fridge. My boyfriend said he would like one. I told him which drawer in the fridge they were in but made no move to go get him one.  In response to my mother’s look of surprise I responded, “He knows where the fridge is.” But in my mind I remember what I was thinking, “I have no intention of ending up a servant in my house.”

[That relationship eventually ended.]

Fast-forward. I met my husband, came to Christ and grew up a little (but just a little). As I dated John and eventually married him I found myself not a servant in my home, but willingly serving him because I love him. I want to please him. I want to honor him.  I want to show my love for him.

You don’t have to be married to understand what I am talking about. When we love others we want to please them. Family, friends, roommates, co-workers, whomever.

Put that idea into a spiritual context.

I say I love God, and when I hear the whispering of the Spirit’s prompting am I eagerly responding?  Am I looking for ways to please my Lord? Am I choosing obedience with a willing heart?  Do I delight to please Him?

Oh, Lord may I find out what pleases you and eagerly do it with delight.

Blessings, Diane

Diane Hunt served for 16 years on the staff of America’s Keswick until recently when she and her husband relocated to North Carolina. She now continues serving as a contributing writer and Partner Care consultant. Diane is also a Biblical Counselor, speaker, teacher, and author. She delights in the opportunities she has as a women’s conference and retreat speaker to share from God’s word.  Many of her illustrations are drawn from her relational experiences as a wife, mother, and mema. They are the very relationships that bring her the greatest joy and the most fun!

There are 86,400 seconds in one day. Now, if we take away the recommended 8 hours of sleep, that leaves us with 57,600 seconds in a day. How do we split that time up?

Is the majority of our time spent doing activities that will edify us, grow us spiritually, and bless others? Or do we spend too much of our time feeling lousy because of past mistakes, worrying about present or future problems, complaining, or stewing in anger? What takes up most of our time? Is our focus on the finite world or the infinite one?

In Psalm 39:4-5, David writes “LORD, remind me how brief my time on earth will be. Remind me that my days are numbered – how fleeting my life is. You have made my life no longer than the width of my hand. My entire lifetime is just a moment to you; at best, each of us is but a breath.”

Ephesians 5:15 -17 states: “So be very careful how you live. Do not live like those who are not wise, but live wisely. Use every chance you have for doing good, because these are evil times. So do not be foolish, but learn what the Lord wants you to do.”

Colossians 4:5 “Be wise in the way you act with those who are not believers. Use your time in the best way you can.”

Christians are often viewed under a microscope. In today’s day and age, it’s not uncommon for a believer to experience harsh treatment if they mess up. Now, because of our human nature, we will all mess up. We need to be intentional, however, about how we spend our time and what we do with our time.

“Be careful how you live. You may be the only Bible that some person ever reads.” – William J. Toms

How will people “read” us? We are women who profess to be born again, renewed in Christ, and His children. We are representing what it means to be a follower of Christ – so how will people see us? Will people see us as the women who get on our knees and pray in faith and anticipation in all circumstances? Will we be seen as women who prioritize time with Jesus over everything else? Will we be seen as women who put others above themselves and serve others every chance we get?

I want to be the woman I described above. All Christians should strive to fit that description. That’s option number one. Option number two is that we can be seen as women who go to church on Sundays, lift our hands in worship, even attend countless Bible studies during the week, but outside of the church environment we are harsh, unkind, insincere, have an unfulfilling prayer life, and have a tendency to talk about others.  Therein lies the question, will our time be spent participating in edifying activities or unedifying ones? How will you spend your 57,600 seconds today?

Erin Culleny serves as a Marketing Assistant and Staff Writer. She had served on Summer Staff since 2011, and in 2015 had the unique opportunity of co-directing Children’s Ministry with one of her best friends. She is very excited to continue to build relationships with the guests and be very involved in the ministry.

But my eyes are fixed on you, Sovereign LORD (Psalm 141:8, NIV).

Life is uncertain. We do not know what will come our way any given day.  As we look around us there seems to be an increase in evil and ungodliness.  The economy is precarious. The nation has turned from its moorings founded on the belief that we are “One nation under God”. Our future as a nation and what life holds for us personally are both unknowns. How do we face the future with confidence?

One of my favorite Bible verses is Isaiah 26:3-4: You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You. Trust in the LORD forever, For in YAH, the LORD, is everlasting strength. Isaiah 26:3-4

We can face the future with confidence with perfect peace.  Perfect peace that only God can give. Perfect peace comes as we keep our minds stayed on – steadfast — fixed on God.   We can have perfect peace because we know and believe that the One we trust is trustworthy, sovereign and faithful. We can face the future with confidence when we fix our minds, fix our eyes on God.
Sometimes there is so much vying for our attention that our eyes flit here and there and everywhere.  When fear rises up and nearly chokes us – keeping our eyes fixed on God seems nearly impossible. It seems that our eyes are fixed on everything BUT God.  So how do we keep our minds fixed on God?

I remember a time when I was having a heart catheterization and I was sitting waiting the 3 hours before it was my turn.  I was rehearsing Isaiah 26:3, and as I got to the part that said, “…whose mind is stayed on You I remember praying – “Lord, I can’t even do that part myself. I need You to keep my mind stayed on You.” I was not fearful.  God knows our frailty.

If you find yourself in a place when you don’t feel like you can keep your mind steadfast, fixed on God – cry out to Him for help.  God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. (Psalm 46:1- NIV)

We can face the future with confidence when we fix our eyes not on the future but on the One Who holds the future.

Blessings,
Diane

Diane Hunt served for 16 years on the staff of America’s Keswick until recently when she and her husband relocated to North Carolina. She now continues serving as a contributing writer and Partner Care consultant. Diane is also a Biblical Counselor, speaker, teacher, and author. She delights in the opportunities she has as a women’s conference and retreat speaker to share from God’s word.  Many of her illustrations are drawn from her relational experiences as a wife, mother, and mema. They are the very relationships that bring her the greatest joy and the most fun!

Question: Are you willing to repent?

There it is. Right between the eyes.  Sounds so simple, so fundamental, so basic.

Answer: Of course. That’s the right answer, right?  What genuine believer of Jesus Christ would say no?

Stop.

I don’t want the “right” answer from your head. I want the answer you know is deep in your heart.

Are you willing to repent?

For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death. 2 Corinthians 7:10

Feeling bad about our sin is not the same as repentance.  Feeling bad doesn’t result in change. Feeling bad without appropriate change of behavior, attitude, and action is simply feeling bad and, according to 2 Corinthians 7:10, leads to death.

Merriam Webster on-line  defines REPENT :  “to feel or show that you are sorry for something bad or wrong that you did and that you want to do what is right”

According to this definition – feeling sorry for something bad or wrong you did and that you want to do what is right is sufficient to qualify as repentance.

I don’t want to nitpick but feeling and wanting are not the same as actually repenting – changing, making new choices, saying no to temptation, resisting, fighting, turning away from sin and turning towards God.

Are you willing to repent?

Sometimes we feel bad about our sin because we know it is wrong and yet we continue in it because we’re not quite ready to give it up yet.  Any of this sound familiar?

Easton’s Bible Dictionary expresses the distinction between feeling bad and true repentance.
“The verb metamelomai is used of a change of mind, such as to produce regret or even remorse on account of sin, but not necessarily a change of heart. This word is used with reference to the repentance of Judas (Matt. 27:3).  (2.) Metanoeo, meaning to change one’s mind and purpose, as the result of after knowledge. This verb, with (3) the cognate noun metanoia, is used of true repentance, a change of mind and purpose and life, to which remission of sin is promised.”

I ask again. Are you willing to repent?

Repentance is much more than a change in our behavior – although it includes that – it is a change of heart that results in a determined fleeing from sin and a passionate, intentional, determined, unwavering pursuit towards God.

Will we do it perfectly? No. Will we fail at times? Yes. Do we give up in despair? No. No. We get up, confess our sin, ask for and receive God’s forgiveness, remind our self of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the cross, the Blood, His love, His grace, His mercy, His forgiveness and move forward.
I have heard it said, “For every one look at our sin, take ten looks at Jesus and the cross.” A good practice to develop.

“The first of Martin Luther’s famous Ninety-five Theses was this: “When our Lord and Master Jesus Christ said, ‘Repent.’ He willed that the whole life of believers should be one of repentance.  Each day we turn afresh in faith and repentance toward God. We rediscover our first love all over again so that we’re not tempted to engage in spiritual adultery.  The key to continual and deeper spiritual renewal and revival is the continual re-discovery of the gospel. ”

I was preaching to myself today and thought I’d let you listen in.

Blessings, Diane

Diane Hunt served for 16 years on the staff of America’s Keswick until recently when she and her husband relocated to North Carolina. She now continues serving as a contributing writer and Partner Care consultant. Diane is also a biblical counselor, speaker, teacher, and author. She delights in the opportunities she has as a women’s conference and retreat speaker to share from God’s word.  Many of her illustrations are drawn from her relational experiences as a wife, mother, and mema. They are the very relationships that bring her the greatest joy and the most fun!

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/repent accessed 5.23.16

Ever heard something like that? Or “I don’t need to be in a church building to worship God.”   Or, “I have moved away from organized religion, there are so many hypocrites.” “I spend time with God on my own.”

How many times have you heard these excuses for not being part of a local church body?  Now please don’t misunderstand me.  Can we worship God in the outdoors?  Absolutely – I find it hard NOT to worship God when I enjoy His magnificent creation.  Do we need to be in a church building to worship God?  Absolutely not—if that were the case we would only be worshipers on Sunday.  Should we spend time with God on our own?  Absolutely – after all, our saving relationship with Jesus Christ is personal.

But I’m not talking about those things. I am talking about people that have made a conscious decision or a decision by default to not be a part of a local congregation of believers on a regular basis.  I am not being legalistic here – you don’t get extra brownie points for being in Sunday worship and if you miss a Sunday (with a proper heart attitude) you don’t get a demerit.

As I have mentioned before I am doing a year-long study of Joshua in preparation for Keswick’s Fall Ladies Weekend in October (come join us). In my preparation I am reading Deuteronomy with fresh eyes. In Chapter 12, God is very specific that He was setting up His dwelling place for them to gather. He clearly said they were not to just go where they wanted to go.

“But you shall seek the place where the LORD your God chooses, out of all your tribes, to put His name for His dwelling place; and there you shall go.”… “You shall not at all do as we are doing here today—every man doing whatever is right in his own eyes— … But when you cross over the Jordan and dwell in the land which the LORD your God is giving you to inherit, and He gives you rest from all your enemies round about, so that you dwell in safety, then there will be the place where the LORD your God chooses to make His name abide. There you shall bring all that I command you: your burnt offerings, your sacrifices, your tithes, the heave offerings of your hand, and all your choice offerings which you vow to the LORD. …Take heed to yourself that you do not offer your burnt offerings in every place that you see;  but in the place which the LORD chooses, in one of your tribes, there you shall offer your burnt offerings, and there you shall do all that I command you.” Deuteronomy 12:5; 12:8; 12:10-11; 12:13-14

This Victory Call is not about WHERE you should participate in a local church but THAT you should participate in a local, Bible-believing, Bible-preaching congregation.  That is where God has chosen for us to worship corporately.  It is HIS church. Jesus Christ is the Head of the Church.
You may be thinking: “That is Old Testament, it doesn’t apply today.”

Well, as is common, you will find Old Testament principles all through the New Testament. So don’t assume that if it is in the Old Testament it doesn’t apply today.  God warns us in Hebrews…

“And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.” Hebrews 10:24-25

The church is not the building, it is a living, dynamic body of Christ-followers of which Jesus Christ is the head.

If you have fallen away from active church participation let me encourage you to fight the temptation to keep doing what you are doing – that is the easy thing to do.  I invite you to stop doing what’s easy and comfortable and plain old habit and do the hard thing – start going to a local church that preaches the gospel of Jesus Christ.

It may be hard at first until you form the new habit of worshipping with a local congregation of believers but God will honor your obedience. Step out, step up and go.

You are loved.
Diane

Diane Hunt served for 16 years on the staff of America’s Keswick until recently when she and her husband relocated to North Carolina. She now continues serving as a contributing writer and Partner Care consultant. Diane is also a biblical counselor, speaker, teacher, and author. She delights in the opportunities she has as a women’s conference and retreat speaker to share from God’s word.  Many of her illustrations are drawn from her relational experiences as a wife, mother, and mema. They are the very relationships that bring her the greatest joy and the most fun!

http://www.americaskeswick.org/christian-events/overnight-events/fall-ladies-weekend

“Set me free from my prison, that I may praise your name. Then the righteous will gather about me because of your goodness” Psalm 142:77

The cries of David throughout the Psalms have taught me that it is okay to be honest before the Lord. It goes to reason that what is swirling in my mind and heart is not hidden from the Lord. So, why pretend with prayers that “sound” right? He knows already. Therefore I can and should speak honestly even if I am hurting, angry, sad, or happy.

There are times that I hold back from coming to the Lord as if I can manipulate Him with silence or come to Him holding my emotions for ransom as if He would do what I want while I am in a snit and then things between us will be better and I will share my heart again. Behaving this way only puts me in a prison of my own making. I knowingly or unknowingly pull back, waiting for God to make the next move and do it my way.

Honesty before the Lord is welcome and right but there is no room for manipulation. In a prayer ending Tim Keller’s devotional on Psalm 142 he writes, “Show me how to bring them (emotions) honestly yet submissively to you”. Being honest and demanding a ransom? No. Being honest and submitting ALL? YES!

Jesus gives you and me the example of how to balance honesty with submission in Luke 22:42 “Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done.”

Today pray with honesty but don’t hold your heart for ransom. Pray for His will above your own. When the things you are holding on to are given over in prayer you will be free, you will begin to praise and your will is at peace with His will.

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.

Loss – it’s a part of life that we all dread, but unfortunately, it’s unavoidable. When I was 15, I lost my Aunt Dot. Now, she wasn’t actually related to me by blood, she was my great-grandmother’s best friend since the time they were pre-teens. I started getting close with my 90-something-year old Aunt Dot from the time I was about 13 on, which is probably very uncharacteristic for a young teenage girl, but she meant so much to me.

I just recently moved to a new apartment and had different boxes of house decorations waiting to be put up. Most of these decorations belonged to my Aunt Dot – the Bible my great-grandmother gave her, her old-fashioned dancing figurines, different wall ornaments that she knit, etc. The other day, I was driving down the road and thought about how I needed to put her tchotchkes up, and I just lost it. I was crying during my entire drive. I know it’s been almost 6 years since she’s passed, but I still miss her so much. I just remembered how she would teach tap dancing steps in my mother’s kitchen when she was 91 years old, how we would play cards in her assisted living home, or how she would tell me stories about my great-grandmother and her from when they were children. She was so wonderful.

How great is it, though, that we have a God who is so concerned about us, that loves us so much, that He would comfort us while we are hurting?

2 Corinthians 1:3-4  “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.”

Isaiah 41:10  “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.  I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

If we put it into perspective, in the grand scheme of all God has created, we’re so small and we sin against Him constantly. There’s a song I love from Casting Crowns called “Who Am I?” and the lyrics are so powerful.

Who am I?
That the Lord of all the earth
Would care to know my name?
Would care to feel my hurt?

    Though the Lord is so big and our hurts can be seen as small in the grand scheme of things, His love is unfailing and He loves us so much that He comforts us and grants us His peace. Isn’t that so humbling? He is such an awesome God.
His comfort doesn’t just stop there either – it’s so great to think that while we face struggles here on earth, there will be a day where there will be no more tears, no more death, no more crying, no more mourning, no more pain. He will wipe that all away (Revelation 21:4). So where pain is great, comfort is all the greater. Where sadness seems to overtake us, God’s love and mercy will overtake us all the more. There is always a light at the end of the tunnel for Christians, and the joy in knowing that the pain we feel here on earth is as bad as it will ever get

Erin

Erin Culleny serves as a Marketing Assistant and Staff Writer. She had served on Summer Staff since 2011, and this past summer had the unique opportunity of co-directing Children’s Ministry with one of her best friends. She is very excited to continue to build relationships with the guests and be very involved in the ministry.

“For He satisfies the longing soul, And fills the hungry soul with goodness.” Psalm 107:9

“My soul longs, yes, even faints For the courts of the Lord; My heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.”  Psalm 84:2

I’ve been reading a book by Shelia Walsh called The Longing in Me. I began to read this book after I heard a few reminders on our identity in Christ and the labels that are given to us. Labels we can carry with us through many years of our lives. Shelia uses many labels to contrast the possible longings they represent. I’ll share just two. Someone who is labeled as an overachiever may long for significance and one who is labeled skinny or overweight longs to be noticed for more than just their weight.

In my growing up years the labels I carried and the longings in my heart led me to make poor decisions and face the consequences of those decisions. Shelia talks about how our longings can lead us to very dark places. As I began my relationship with Christ I found a new identity. In my husband’s family I also found the acceptance and love that I had longed for.  One by one, many who fulfilled the longings of my heart went home to be with Jesus. Over the last few years I have longed after the way things used to be. I have longed for the ones who are not here anymore.  Last year I was told “You don’t want to carry death around with you; you want to carry the good memories and the good reminders of those you lost.” I want to throw off the labels of “grieving, depressed, lost, and hopeless”. Some days I do better than others. The good days are when I purpose to have my longings fulfilled in Christ. When I focus my heart towards Him the labels fall away. When I focus on myself and my losses, then the labels stick on again. I am learning that my longings need direction until they are found in Christ alone. We know this, don’t we? How easy it is to think, “Jesus is all I need” until you realize you are longing for other people and other things. Our hearts wander; oh I feel it, as the hymn goes, and so we must lead it back to where it longs to be.

Today I know your heart is longing for something. A careful examination of your heart may reveal that you’ve been mislabeled.  Maybe you never realized your label has so much influence on your longings.

Maybe your longings need to be redirected.

I pray today will be a day that you will focus your longings on the One who is longing for you. May you and I find that He is more than enough and more than able to meet our longing hearts.

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.

“Train up a child in the way he should go, And when he is old he will not depart from it.” Proverbs 22:6

While struggling with this I began a deeper study on Proverbs using a study guide called The Art of Living Well by Kenneth Boa and Gail Burnett.  During this study I read:

“First, the maxims in Proverbs are universally true and applicable in most cases, but there is room for deviations. Proverbs are not promises of God. Rather they are keenly observed and divinely interpreted patterns of cause and effect in human behavior. Proverbs are totally valid, highly reliable, and typically repeatable. Nevertheless, God is at liberty to intervene and altar those patterns in any way He sees fit. He will do so when our best interest is at stake. Second, we must carefully read and interpret what these maxims are saying. Some people read what they want scripture to say and then get angry at God when He doesn’t deliver the way they have in mind. If in our own lives we find deviations from principles expressed in Proverbs, we should first go back and read what the verse really says and then examine the truth of how our situation fits that principle. These two cautions do not lessen the value of Proverbs, nor do they diminish the wisdom of following them. Indeed, Proverbs give timeless insight; and even today they offer us incredible predictability of outcome”

I finally understood. There was no magic bullet for raising godly children. The equation was never A + B = C. OOPs…you didn’t do that? You lose! Proverbs suggests that if you do A then B should be the outcome.

I began to understand many things like, the free will my children possess and that there are no guarantees. I could have been June Cleaver or some other idea of the perfect mother and my kids would still come to a point where they make their own decisions. Greater still was the understanding I gained about who God is. He is sovereign and has seen fit to intervene in my life and the lives of my children for His greater purposes. Only through my mistakes do I feel that I can relate to other mothers with prodigals. God uses our pain. As the Lord has used my past and my current situation, I know He has a purpose for my children and the path they are currently on.

I am in the waiting room with many other mothers of adult prodigals. In the waiting room I am able to share and comfort others who deeply feel they are why their children are _______.  I am confident that God is bigger than ALL my mistakes! Proverbs 22:6 doesn’t sting like it used to. God has comforted me in ALL my tribulations and my prayer is that you will be comforted and able to let go of your regrets.

Blessings,
Kathy

Kathy 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.

A friend of mine, Catherine DeBenedetto, recently published a book she wrote titled, real women cry (and real men let them).  The book was birthed out a place of grief after a deep loss in her life. She writes, “Contrary to what we may have been taught, God-ordained tears are a gift intended to help move us through seasons of pain and change.  Even so, women and men alike struggle to get past the ‘stigma’ of crying in order to embrace this gift.”

Although I will not share more from the book in case you want to read it for yourself, I do want to share some scripture for your prayerful consideration.  The God who created us, tears and all, sees our tears and surely responds to them.

Return and tell Hezekiah the leader of My people, ‘Thus says the LORD, the God of David your father: I have heard your prayer, I have seen your tears; surely I will heal you. On the third day you shall go up to the house of the LORD. 2 Kings 20:5 (NKJV)
God has been known to heal in response to tears He sees and prayers He has heard.

Those who sow in tears Shall reap in joy. Psalm 126:5 (NKJV)
Our tears will reap joy.

He will swallow up death forever, And the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from all faces; The rebuke of His people He will take away from all the earth;For the LORD has spoken. Isaiah 25:8 (NKJV)
God cares deeply as you cry and it is He who will wipe away those tears.

Thus says the LORD: “Refrain your voice from weeping,
And your eyes from tears; For your work shall be rewarded, says the LORD,
And they shall come back from the land of the enemy. Jeremiah 31:16 (NKJV)
I love this verse.  Poor Jeremiah had a really tough assignment.  He cried out to God to restore His people of Israel to their homeland.  I can almost hear God saying “Ok, Ok, Jeremiah, I promise, I will bring them back to Israel from the land of their enemy.” Our desperate cry, not unlike Jeremiah’s cry, will move the heart of God.

Jesus wept. John 11:35
Jesus knew the pain of death of a loved one while He lived in the flesh among us on the earth and He himself was moved to tears.  He knows full well.

Today let us give thanks that we serve a God who created us to cry, He understands our tears, and is moved by our tears so much so He collects them.  So great is His love for YOU!!

Blessings,
Patricia L. Wenzel
Women of Character Graduate

Note: The book referenced above is available through Amazon and/or Christian Book Distributors:  Catherine H. Cieciuch DeBenedetto, real women cry (and real men let them), 2015