I was just having a conversation with a dear friend who is serving well his bride who struggles with dementia issues, an area I am not unfamiliar with. My dad, who has had Alzheimer’s for about 10 years, is in great physical condition and frankly has lived this long (he’s 89) because of the great loving care my amazing 87-year-old mother is giving him day in and day out. Dad would not get this kind of care in any facility at any cost.

I shared with my friend that I count it an honor to do whatever little things I can to serve my Dad and Mom. If mom did not allow my siblings and me to help it would deny us the privilege and joy of helping. (Since my sisters may read this I want to acknowledge they do WAY WAY WAY more than I because they live close and I do not – I am so thankful for them and their service to Mom and Dad).

Anyway, that leads me to make this point:

Sometimes we rob others of the blessing and joy of serving because “we can do it ourselves”. Has it ever occurred to you that accepting help is not a sign of weakness? Accepting help affords the other person the opportunity to be blessed and to have joy in serving too. May our pride not get in the way and make us joy robbers. Rather may we receive with gladness the help offered knowing that the joy and blessing we receive will be multiplied unto them as well.

Blessings,
Diane

Diane Hunt is a Biblical Counselor, Women’s conference and retreat speaker and author. She serves as the Director of Partner Care and Director of Women’s Ministries at America’s Keswick. She and her husband John have two married children and four grandchildren. She loves reveling in warm sunny climates and playing with her grandchildren.

Over the last few years our little group that gathers to pray could not help but notice the frequency of requests for prayer from couples who are experiencing barrenness. By the grace of God most have moved into fruitfulness and have gone on to be blessed with children. However, we continue to wait on the Lord for other couples.

As I pray and look into the scripture it becomes clear that this is not a new problem. Abraham and Sarah waited a long time before she gave birth to Isaac (Gen. 21:1-3). Isaac pleaded with Jehovah to give Rebekah a child who eventually gave birth to Jacob (Gen. 25:21). An angel appeared to the wife of Manoah who had no children. She gave birth to Samson (Judges 13). Then, of course, there was precious Hannah who prayed and prayed for a child and gave birth to Samuel (1 Sam. 2). Finally Elizabeth, wife of Zacharias, was barren. But at just the right time she gave birth to John, the forerunner of Jesus.

Each one of these barren couples had to wait but at the right time, by the grace of God, gave life to men who would be critical to the Jewish people and to prepare the way for the birth of Christ.

Dear one, if you are currently waiting on God to bring forth life in you, here are some scriptures for you to review, consider and pray: Genesis 25:21; Exodus 23:26; Deuteronomy 7:13-14; Judges 13:1-10; 1 Samuel 2:1-5; Psalm 113:9; Isaiah 54:1-3; Luke 1:7-17.

Praise the Lord, despite your circumstance. In this life you will have trials, but by His grace you can rise above them and enter His gates with praise, thanksgiving, and from a place of peace. Yes, dear one, give Him praise, seek His face and His strategy from the throne of grace shall be revealed to you.

Remember Matthew 7:7 (NAS) 7 “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.”

Blessings,
Patricia L. Wenzel
Graduate, Women of Character

“I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, 2 with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, 3 endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. 4 There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called in one hope of your calling; 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism; 6 one God and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you[a] all.” Ephesians 1:1

There is little talk about unity these days. Actually, the opposite is true. There are more divisions today and in the recent past then I have ever remembered. In the midst of the news reports one message is not getting out- love one another! In Acts 11 the church in Jerusalem needed to open the door to the Gentiles. Things were a bit tough when both Jews and Gentiles needed to understand each other’s culture, nationality, and traditions. They also needed to understand their unity in Jesus Christ. Each one needed to extend acceptance. Each one needed to learn to understand and encourage one another. Each one needed to learn to work with the other. This is what glorifies Christ.

Over the last few years I have attended a multi-cultural church. Sometimes worship is not what I am used to. Sometimes the foods that line the table at a fellowship I have never had before. Every now and then I miss a word but strive to understand. I know this for sure… I have also not felt this much love in a church in a long time. While talking to a friend on this subject she mentioned that “the church is the last segregated place”. Why do we see Korean, Asian and Black American churches lining the streets? Why? How completely sad and wrong that we do not worship as the one Body to which we belong.

So, my thought for today is to encourage you to not let the news headlines get to you. Don’t allow your heart to be filled with division but with unity. Let’s pray for the wrongs done in society and that unity will prevail. Let’s bring healing where there are wounds. Let’s strive to be the hands and feet of Christ right here in our own country. How can you and I be part of the solution? Simple, let’s get to know one another, share with one another and love one another in Jesus’ name!

Blessings,
Kathy

Kathy Withers is on staff at America’s Keswick and serves in 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.

Are you judgment free and should you be?

This Victory Call was prompted by a physical therapy visit. There I was, going through all the prompted exercises, stretching muscles that have been bundled up in knots for far too long.

So, it’s not hard to envision that, while standing or sitting and going through those therapy motions I had plenty of opportunity to look around and observe everyone else within my scope of vision. As I did, I saw “stuff”. I caught glimpses of “different”, “interesting”, etc.

While I was, in my head, perusing, the Holy Spirit prompted in me awareness of the fact that I wasn’t just looking and/or observing, I was also judging. So, I repented and turned my full attention back to my therapy exercises.

Within a few moments I was, once again perusing, but this time I was observing all the attendants who were going to and fro attending to everyone who—just like me—was there because they’re dealing with a little or a lot of physical pain. I watched them for quite a while and here’s what I noticed.

At no time during this observance did I notice a hint or a flicker of judgment on their faces. They were super professional and they were there to serve with integrity. It was clear that I was in a judgment free zone.

With that awareness stalking my mind, the question that begged to be asked was, “Are you a judgment free zone” and/or “should I BE a judgment free zone?”

I mean, really, who am I?

Who am I to sit there being critical and judgmental of my surroundings? I am a sinner saved by grace and as easy as it was for me to be in my head critiquing others—if they’d been able to see into my head and heart—it would’ve been clear that I had some yucky unpleasantness there which needed a different kind of therapy.

So why do I share this with you today? Because I know for sure I am not alone. It’s a part of the human condition and it comes natural to the flesh. That’s why as I wrote the above; I wanted to be sure to leave you with something with far more tangible and life-transforming importance.

You see, dear sisters, inasmuch as I was “caught” functioning in my flesh, the opportunity that I was given in that exact moment was to see with new eyes the beauty of creation, people created in the expressed image of God. It’s not my job or yours to sit or stand in judgment over all the things that are different than us.

What’s ours to do is BE. Be Jesus with skin according to the grace, knowledge, understanding and wisdom of the Word of Truth, the Gospel of Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior. If, I/we cannot or will not do that, it is we who will stand in judgment by the One who alone is Holy, Righteous and Just. Selah.

Stephanie Dale

Stephanie D. Paul serves as part of the Addiction Recovery Team at America’s Keswick as Director of Women of Character. She has been married for over 30 years to Sesky Paul who is a graduate of the Colony of Mercy. 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.

One of the e-devotions I read is called “Girlfriends in God” and a recent reading is the encouragement and motivation for this Victory Call. I’m sharing a portion of it with you today. My hope and prayer is that you are encouraged to remember NOT to forget all that the Lord has done for you and give Him thanks.

Thank God for My Dirty Floor
For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him,
but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. Romans 1:21

A friend told me of sitting with his father discussing the distribution of his “worldly goods,” when the time came to do so. “My dad had very little joy in his life,” Mike explained. “As we sat there discussing who was going to get what when he died, I saw a pride in him I had never noticed before. ‘I did all this,’ he said as he waved his hand around the room like Vanna White. ‘I worked hard and earned it all.’”

“In his mind, he had earned it; he had done it all. Never once did he give thanks to God for all his blessings or acknowledge God’s goodness. There was no gratitude, no thanksgiving, and certainly no joy. His things had become shiny shackles that kept joy at bay all his life…

I thought of Henry Ward Beecher’s words: “Pride slays thanksgiving…a proud man is seldom a grateful man, for he never thinks he gets as much as he deserves.”…

Gratitude can change your perspective on the simplest of mundane tasks and transform them into moments of sudden glory. One day I was mopping the kitchen floor and my mood was anything but grateful. I grumbled with each push of the mop and complained with each dip in the bucket.

Here I am mopping this floor again and no one even appreciates it. I feel like this housework is never finished. Clean today, dirty tomorrow. Why do I even bother?

Then right in the middle of the kitchen, God showed up. Actually, He was there all along, but my grumbling blinded the eyes of my heart to recognize His presence. New thoughts began to emerge as I pushed the mop across the linoleum floor. I believe God put them there.

Suppose you were blind and you couldn’t see the beautiful patterns on the linoleum floor or the spilled juice by the refrigerator door. Suppose you were deaf and you couldn’t hear the soothing sound of the soap bubbles dissolving in the scrub bucket or the rhythmic sound of the mop being pushed back and forth across the floor’s hard surface. Suppose you were in a wheel chair and you weren’t strong enough to stand upright and grasp the wooden handle in your nimble hands to erase the muddy footprints and make the floor shiny and clean again. Suppose you didn’t have a home or a family to clean up after.
Suddenly, my grumbling turned into a song of praise and gratitude.”…

Dear sisters, my encouragement to you today is this: no matter what your situation or circumstance this very moment, regardless of how you’re “feeling”, no matter how stinking your thinking may be, will you pause for quite a few moments and give the God of your salvation the praise He is due? Selah.

Stephanie Dale
Stephanie D. Paul serves as part of the Addiction Recovery Team at America’s Keswick as Director of Women of Character. She has been married for over 30 years to Sesky Paul who is a graduate of the Colony of Mercy. 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.

The longer I walk with the Lord, I get to know myself and see me apart from grace. Thus, the more I know I must be on my face before God crying out for mercy.

The truth is, on any given day I probably give everyone that knows me at least one reason to be annoyed, perturbed, irritated, and flat out angry with me. In fact, for every person who says they like me there are likely a whole bunch of others who do not.

All by itself that could be distressing to my heart and provoking to my flesh and yet, in the midst of it all, when troubles and trials of various kinds abound, there is hope to be found – relief and release from the frailties of the humanity which constrains us.

In a word, it is Jesus.

Lately, my eyes have been locked with the eyes of the Savior seeking to see myself in light of His saving, redeeming and sustaining Gospel. Therein, I have found much to hope and glory in; I have found much to lift my heavy heart.

The simple and profound way the Holy Spirit accomplishes this in my heart is praise, prayer and thanksgiving! Certainly it’s not magic. God forbid that I would treat his Word so carelessly. What it is though, is powerful above and beyond what I’ll ever be able to explain to you. His Word is deeply penetrating, even into my inmost parts.

My life verse, Philippians 4:4-9 says:
“Rejoice in the Lord always. Again I will say, rejoice! Let your gentleness be known to all men. The Lord is at hand. Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
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.”

Sisters, are you troubled with the cares of broken relationships? Do your so-called friends shun you with or without cause? Do you feel alone and in need of encouragement?

Lift your head and say, “Jesus, thank You! Thank You for the Cross. Thank You for being my Kinsman Redeemer, the Restorer of all breaches, the One Who Is, Who Was and Who Is to come. Thank You for grace upon grace upon grace; grace which has saved me from the uttermost darkness and depravity of my own soul.
Go and pray to this Jesus Who sits at the throne and intercedes. Cry out to Him with a heart full of thanksgiving and praise. He is the Rock of our salvation and in Him there is no shadow of turning for He is indeed faithful.

Stephanie Dale

Stephanie D.Paul serves as part of the Addiction Recovery Team at America’s Keswick as Director of Women of Character. She has been married for over 30 years to Sesky Paul who is a graduate of the Colony of Mercy. 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.

A pastor friend posted this on FaceBook recently and has given me permission to post. I thought it bore repeating because “TODAY” is a brand new day and it’s possible that some of us are in routine, a rut—going from the beginning to the end of our day(s) doing the same old-same old. This Victory Call post is a suggestion, a reminder, if you will, to seize the day for the glory of One, the glory of the One True God!

“Here’s a pretty good mission statement for your day—whether you’re a pastor or garbage collector or young mom with small kids or mailman or an about-to-tackle-a-honey-do-list-husband:

1 Chronicles 16:23-27
“Sing to the LORD, all the earth! Tell of his salvation from day to day. Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples! For great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised, and he is to be feared above all gods. For all the gods of the peoples are worthless idols, but the LORD made the heavens. Splendor and majesty are before him; strength and joy are in his place.”

Just to make sure you get the point here is a summary:
1. What we are to do: sing and tell (23, 24)—Go upward in song. Go outward in witness. In song and witness let us declare to him and to all people and peoples his salvation (23), his glory (24), and his works (24).

2. Why we are to do it: For (1) the LORD is great [v. 25] (2) the LORD is to be feared like nobody else [v. 25], (3) all other gods—whether carved into an image or simply in the imagination—are worthless substitutes compared with God who made all things [v. 26], (4) the LORD is majestic [v. 27], and, (5) the LORD is strong and joyful [v. 27].(1)

There’s something that you get the impression none of the other religions of the world offer: a God who is both fearfully majestic and profoundly happy!

Not safe, but good.

Not to be trifled with, but overflowing with a joy that he means us to share.

Go tell it on the mountain!”

Stephanie Dale

Stephanie D. Paul serves as part of the Addiction Recovery Team at America’s Keswick as Director of Women of Character. She has been married for over 30 years to Sesky Paul who is a graduate of the Colony of Mercy. 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 Pastor Tim Shorey

Sunday morning, the conversation with my toddler went something like this:

Me: Time to get out of the shower, Olivia. We have to go to church.
Olivia: No church!
Me: No church? No God, too!?
Olivia: No God!

Clearly she doesn’t understand the implications and depth of what she was saying. She’s two! But as I listened to her declaration of independence and preference, I couldn’t help but see myself and how I am toward God at times.

Sadly, I too have silently uttered those very words in my heart. There are moments I’d rather not be interrupted from my choice of indulgence, in order to comply with God’s request for my time and attention.

But saying no to God has two major impacts:

1. Before we accept Christ, it means we’re lost and disconnected in this life. Worse still, we’re destined for eternal separation for Him upon death. (Matthew 25:46)
2. After we accept Christ, it means we are living carnally and not in full submission to Him. We lack the fullness of joy that comes only from living at peace with God. (Romans 8: 6-8)

The Bible says in Hebrews 3:15, “Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.”

As a first-time mom, I am in awe of my daughter’s development. Watching little humans grow physically, mentally and emotionally is quite fascinating. What amazes me most is her natural inclination to first say no, then possibly she’ll decide to say yes.

Catch her at the wrong time, “Would you like your bottle (sippy cup)?” You receive an emphatic, “No, boggle!” (misspelled on purpose) – complete with the folded arms across her little chest and the pouting, poked lip. Only two minutes later to be followed up by the softly spoken, “Mommy, boggle?” and the sign language for milk.

Goodness, child! Make up your mind!?

But then again, isn’t that what I do when the Lord petitions me. I say no first because I’m too angry… busy… tired… afraid… sad… (fill in the blank)… to be bothered right now. Is there ever an appropriate time to say no to the Almighty God?! As if the giver of life and the grantor of eternal salvation is not important enough for my undivided attention whenever or wherever He sees fit.

Only through self-discipline and reliance on the Holy Spirit, do you ever manage to bring yourself to the place of submission and yielding to God’s will and ways. It’s work… supernatural work. But at some point you must make a decision to lay aside anything that disrupts your relationship with Him.

So in closing I ask, do you recall the last time you ignored the call of God to indulge in momentary desire of the heart? How did that work for you?

Diera Shaw-Mendez is a minister and youth leader at New Beginnings Worship Center, Pennsauken, NJ, and works full-time for an educational nonprofit in Philadelphia. She is wife to Chaplain Juan Mendez and mama to Olivia Joy. She spends her “spare time” running an online invitation design shop on Etsy and write occasionally for her personal blog, With Style, By Grace. Diera is a God-fearing, Starbucks loving, tech junkie (…in that order!) who simply wants to inspire women to invest in THE beauty that never fades!

I read the following devotion recently and share it with you today as an apt reminder to get still before the LORD and LISTEN.

“In the morning, Lord, you hear my voice;
In the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly.” (Psalm 5:3).

“Victor was hooked for life. He called it ‘keeping the morning watch’ and it had become his passion. Before the break of day he was down on his knees listening and communing with the Lord.

“King David understood the passion of all the Victors in the family of God. Rising and peeling out of his toasty, warm bed was not always a pleasured celebration. Often it is a gruesome and bemoaning task for Vic. We should at all cost, keep the morning watch.

“Something happens in the fresh dewdrop hours of the early morning. The air is pure and still. You can literally hear your heart thumping as it pumps fresh streams of blood throughout your entire body.

“I seem to be more attuned to God’s voice in the early morning. Like thunder, His voice rumbles and echoes throughout the chambers of my soul. It is in these quiet and still moments of the day when God makes His loudest proclamation deep within me.

“David was confronted with wickedness, foolishness, iniquity, destruction, deceitfulness, ungodly flatter, transgression, and rebellion at its worst. Yet, David chose to trust God with great joy (Proverbs 3:5–6). David understood what it meant to have the Lord’s favor and divine protection shielding him from the dangers of evil men. David said, ‘In the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly.’(Psalm 5:3).

“Let us habitually seek the Lord in the stillness of the morning with a bold passion and a deep thirst for more and more of God. Determine to make it a godly priority to seek God’s face before you start your day. Without apology, thirst for God’s heart, mind, will, and purpose for your life. Develop a habit of praying this prayer before you drift off to sleep: ‘Precious Lord, don’t allow anything to come between you and me tomorrow morning. But Lord, if it does, immediately remove it. In Jesus’ name, Amen.’

“Few people arise in the morning as hungry for God as they are for cornflakes or toast and eggs.”
—Dallas Willard

Stephanie Paul

Stephanie Paul serves as part of the Addiction Recovery Team at America’s Keswick as Director of Women of Character. She has been married for over 30 years to Sesky Paul who is a graduate of the Colony of Mercy. 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.agrm.org/agrm/Wednesday’s_Word.asp written by Robert Loggins

Recently I was privileged to graduate another wife from the Woman of Character program. Four months had passed since she walked into the Women’s Ministry building, fully aware that she was in need of help and change.

All credit for this work of grace goes to Abba Father who faithfully worked in her a greater desire to be in His Word and to be a godly wife, a woman of character for the pleasure and glory of her Heavenly Husband!

A few of the things she shared, which were very important reminders that she needed, are also vital for the rest of us. I decided to share them with you in this Victory Call. I do because the reason we take time to write the VC in the first place is to encourage you to live in visible victory before the face of God.

Here are the truths she shared:
“It is impossible for anyone to save himself. We are all saved by grace, through our faith in Jesus Christ.
God desires that we rely on Him more than we rely on any other person or thing in our life.
God keeps His promises, every single one.
I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me – Philippians 4:13.
The solution to addiction is not a method but rather a Savior.
What comes out of our mouths is a reflection of the issues of our heart.
God’s anger is just and right, whereas, mine is not.
Faith begins with the belief that my loving, heavenly Father is in control.
A lifestyle that is truly free is one where we submit to Christ in every aspect of our lives.
Anything we look to for comfort, love, or well-being other than Christ, draws us away from the one, true lover of our soul.”

Dear sisters, may you be reminded today of these simply truths, may I encourage you to also seek Him, who is the Lover of your soul! Seek His face today as you continue to walk by faith and not by sight!

Stephanie Dale

Stephanie Paul serves as part of the Addiction Recovery Team at America’s Keswick as Director of Women of Character. She has been married for over 30 years to Sesky Paul who is a graduate of the Colony of Mercy. 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.