“…but whoever drinks some of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” John 1:14

“Are you thirsty?” said the Lion.
“I’m dying of thirst,” said Jill.
“Then drink,” said the Lion.
“May I – could I – would you mind going away while I do?” said Jill.
The Lion answered this only by a look and a very low growl…”
”I daren’t come and drink,” said Jill.
“Then you will die of thirst,” said the Lion.
“Oh dear,” said Jill, coming another step nearer.
“I suppose I must go and look for another stream then.”
“There is no other stream,” said the Lion.
(C.S. Lewis, “The Silver Chair”)

I know there’s really is no other stream. I know Aslan and what being close to him offers. He offers peace but requires surrender. I want to drink from the stream with Aslan but I don’t want to have to really do that to find what I’m longing for. I want to trust God but I don’t WANT to have to trust Him. He sees too much of me when I go to the stream with Him.

I thought I had given up so much already. I’ve let go of the right to myself many times before. Yet I find myself full of myself, My way, My timing, My plan. It’s hard to realize you’re not who you think you are before God.

Drinking with Aslan shows you. Will I go once again and drink? Do I want to know? Why can’t something else quench my thirst? Why can’t things get fixed without me having to die to myself?

Lately, I’ve slacked off from serious study of God’s Word. I’ve been enriched by some good devotion time but I’ve not really asked Him to search me. Maybe I really don’t want to know what He would say. I want who I am now to be enough to get by. I don’t think I want to have a layer peeled off right now. I wish I wasn’t thirsty. But I am….

What about you? What stream are you drinking from? Maybe, like me, now is the time to go back to the only stream and drink up.

Lisa-Jean Sodano

Lisa-Jean is new to America’s Keswick, joining the staff of Barbara’s Place, our soon to open Women’s Addiction Recovery Program. Lisa-Jean is also a pastor’s wife and mother of four children.

“Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night.” (Psalms 1:1-2)

My morning devotions took me to Psalm 1, where the Word reminds us that the blessed man (woman) is a man (woman) that delights in the Word.

I can’t help but think about all the people with a resolution to lose weight this year. The word DIET and Diet ads abound on TV and online. Not that a physical diet is not a good thing to concentrate on this year, but there is another diet that needs to have greater focus in our life, it is our spiritual diet. Have you thought about your spiritual diet? Most of us eat physical food at least 2-3 times a day. Do we feed on the Word 2-3 times a day?

Physical growth and health has to do with our physical diet. Our spiritual health and growth has to do with our spiritual diet. “There is no shortcut to spiritual growth. Like physical growth, it occurs on a daily basis, depending upon the food and proper surroundings. With the right kind of spiritual diet and climate, you can experience “happiness many times over.” And best of all, the daily grind of compromise and its erosive effects can be checked.”

Psalm 1:3 tells us what our life in this New Year could be like if we were to delight and spend time in the Word. “He is like a tree planted by steams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.”

That’s the kind of New Year I want, a year that is firmly rooted and stable, strong, yielding fruit, and that does not wither or fall during the difficulties, a year where I see my spiritual growth and ministry prosper. What about you? I trust you want the same kind of year.

I won’t give you advice on what physical diet is best for you, but I will tell you that the best way to grow spiritually is to feast on the Word regularly and consistently. I’m not asking you to set a resolution to read the Bible through in a year, or to memorize a verse daily, etc… They are all good things and feel free to do that, but my challenge to you is simpler – will you find a way to spend time in the Word daily? And, if you already do that – will you find a way to expand the time you spend in the Word daily?

May God’s Word bring you much happiness this year!

Lynne Jahns

Lynne Jahns is a Christian counselor and holds the honor of being the first Director of Barbara’s Place at America’s Keswick, a residential addiction recovery ministry for women. Lynne is married to Bill Jahns, who also serves on staff at America’s Keswick as the Director of Housekeeping. When not working and studying, Lynne loves to be outdoors and to travel. Family is very important to both Lynne and Bill and a lot of free time is spent with relatives and close family friends. Lynne holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology and Behavioral Sciences from Cedarville University in Ohio, a Master of Arts degree from The College of New Jersey in Community Counseling, and a Doctor of Philosophy Degree from Louisiana Baptist University.

“(5) Put to death the earthly you… (12) Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.” (Colossians 3: 5a, 12-17)

It is a New Year and many are making decisions to make changes in the New Year. The problem is most of us do not keep the “big” resolutions that we make. Paul Tripp, in his final blog for the year, reinforces the idea that changes don’t happen in big ways. He talks about how they happen through the small choices and changes we make each and every day. I would like to think that the resolutions I make for the New Year are changes that I truly can keep and adapt into my lifestyle for the long haul not the short term.

For example, many talk about losing weight and dieting in the New Year. Well, that’s great but no one maintains the fad diets over the long haul. But, deciding to eat healthier is feasible if we just take it one thing or change at a time. Healthy eating is maintainable – fad diets are not. OK, that’s just my opinion.

Georgia Schaffer has a website entitled “What needs to Grow, What needs to Go”. Maybe that’s a better approach to the New Year. In my life what areas can I improve upon, water, feed, nurture? On the flip side, what areas in my life do I need to begin to sort though and take out to the trash? A little like cleaning out the attic, basement or garage of our homes – Use it? Keep it? Or Discard it?

So, join me this year as I search my life and my walk with Christ and ask myself the following questions. What areas of my Christian walk need nurturing? What part of my sinful self do I need to work on shedding? What part of my growth process am I happy with and want to encourage myself to continue on the same path? Keeping up that approach on a daily basis will bring changes in the New Year. Maybe not dramatic changes, but the changes will definitely be more permanent and productive.

Lynne Jahns

Lynne Jahns is a Christian counselor and holds the honor of being the first Director of Barbara’s Place at America’s Keswick, a residential addiction recovery ministry for women. Lynne is married to Bill Jahns, who also serves on staff at America’s Keswick as the Director of Housekeeping. When not working and studying, Lynne loves to be outdoors and to travel. Family is very important to both Lynne and Bill and a lot of free time is spent with relatives and close family friends. Lynne holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology and Behavioral Sciences from Cedarville University in Ohio, a Master of Arts degree from The College of New Jersey in Community Counseling, and a Doctor of Philosophy Degree from Louisiana Baptist University.

We are all on a life-long journey. The Bible is a dynamic book. The author of Hebrews says, “…the word of God is living and powerful…: (NKJV) “…the word of God is alive and active…” (NIV)

It is the most read book in the world and one website indicated it is also the most reread book. It is not a book we read just once; we are on a life-long journey.

When I started reading the Bible 30-plus years ago, I remember praying and asking God to be gentle with me, and then, truth-be-told, I read the Table of Contents every morning for a week. (It was safe).
God’s Word is inspired and is one tool God uses to teach us.

“All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.” 2 Timothy 3:16-17

What is our standard of righteousness? Sadly many people use the world, our culture, as their standard of right and wrong. Our culture has shifted so far from the Bible that we now have same-sex marriages and couples living together as the norm. Culture is not our standard of righteousness – it keeps changing. God’s Word does not change and is our standard of righteousness.

In college I was having a conversation with a priest, the campus chaplain. He told me that sex between two people that loved each other was okay in today’s world (and that was… gulp… 32 years ago). I was shocked though I was not yet a believer but I was sure that was not right.

If we do not keep an unchanging standard of righteousness, slowly and subtly we will veer off course.

God’s Word teaches us about His righteousness – the very righteousness imputed to believers at the cross.

“For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” 2 Corinthians 5:21

God’s word teaches us. Do you have a teachable spirit today?
New Year…Same God!

Blessings, Diane

Diane Hunt is part of the Development and Addiction Recovery teams at America’s Keswick. In addition to being a Biblical Counselor, she is a Women’s speaker for retreats, conferences and events. She is a regular writer for Victory Call and one of the authors of Crossing the Jordan Bible Study. She has been married to her husband John for 30 years. She has 2 adult children, 4 grandchildren, 3 adult step-children with 7 grandchildren making 11 in all. She delights in reading and teaching, but mostly in laughing at the funny things her grandchildren say and do.

When I drive to work I generally avoid busy highways and take a country road that takes me over Bearfort Mountain into Warwick Valley. It is a beautiful ride. As I am coming down the mountain I have an amazing view of the valley below.

One morning in particular the clouds looked as if they were resting over the valley. I could not see the land, only beautiful puffy clouds. As I continued on my journey I went into the clouds and drove below the covering they provided. It was amazingly clear on the road. They just rested above the roadway.

I found myself praising the Lord for He is my covering. How many times did He protect my family or me when I was not even aware of the danger? I have no idea. How many times has He protected my family or me that I am aware of? I can’t give an account; it is too many to count. How about you?

In Psalm 105:39 the Word tells us that the Jewish people who left Egypt were covered by a cloud by day and fire to illumine at night. Our God is so amazing. There is nothing too difficult for Him.

Let us give thanks that He is our covering today, tomorrow and always!!

Blessings,

Patricia L. Wenzel
Woman of Character Graduate

Exodus 14:15 The LORD said to Moses, “Why do you cry to me? Tell the people of Israel to go forward.”

Another year draws to a close. As 2014 winds down, have you had more victories than in 2013? Have you seen/experienced growth in your personal walk with Jesus Christ over the past 12 months? Have you gained ground over your besetting sin (s)?

As I am sitting here thinking about this I wish I could respond with a rousing “YES” – but I am not so sure I can.

Have I prayed about those areas? Yes. Have I wrestled in those areas? Yes. But have I changed? No, not really.

Prayer is vital. Hear me… Prayer is vital. But there comes a time for action, a time for simple obedience.

If we are going to wait around praying until we feel like obeying, until obedience isn’t so difficult, 2015 will dawn and set and you and I will still be praying and crying out and missing the victory in those besetting areas in our lives.

Do you hear God saying to you, “Why do you continue to cry to Me? Go forward and you will find My deliverance.”

Let’s take our first step out in faith today, together.

Blessings, Diane

Diane Hunt is part of the Development and Addiction Recovery teams at America’s Keswick. In addition to being a Biblical Counselor, she is a Women’s speaker for retreats, conferences and events. She is a regular writer for Victory Call and one of the authors of Crossing the Jordan Bible Study. She has been married to her husband John for 30 years. She has 2 adult children, 4 grandchildren, 3 adult step-children with 7 grandchildren making 11 in all. She delights in reading and teaching, but mostly in laughing at the funny things her grandchildren say and do.

Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Eph. 5:15-16

Stop and think about this familiar verse for a few moments.

Look carefully how you walk…

If we were to be honest with ourselves, I suspect we would have to admit that most days we just go through our routine. We don’t think too much about choices we make on a daily basis. In some ways we are like the frogs in the pot of water, gradually warming up, unaware of the change in our environment until it’s too late. I mean, really, how much thought do we put into our daily routines? Are we looking carefully how we walk?

…not as unwise but as wise…

I have been certainly guilty of making unwise decisions over the years, either carelessly (because I did not look carefully) or intentionally (because I wanted what I wanted). A cursory glance at Proverbs clearly distinguishes between the fool (unwise) and the wise.

Fools are self-focused and proud – the wise are humble
Fools lack restraint – the wise practice restraint
Fools talk and forget – the wise listen and learn
Fools refuse correction – the wise receive and appreciate correction
Fools choose wrong and accept evil – the wise choose right and flee evil

At times I am more the fool than the wise.

A very interesting study that warrants deeper study.

…making the best use of the time…

In the NKJV this phrase is translated “redeeming the time”. To redeem means to “change for the better”. After the 16 hours I will be up today, will I be able to say that I made the best use of all of them? Or that I changed for the better even one of them?

Choices. It comes down to choices. One way to consider the best use of our time is to ask, “Is this a good choice, a better choice, or the best choice?” Sometimes we settle for less than the best.

…because the days are evil.”

I don’t think I need to say much here. Just watch the news. Our country seems to have lost its moorings. Daily we hear and see evil being manifested around the world. The days are evil.

We, as believers, need to make a difference in our little corner of the world by looking carefully how we walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of our time, because the days are evil.
Food for thought today.

Blessings,
Diane

Diane Hunt is part of the Development and Addiction Recovery teams at America’s Keswick. In addition to being a Biblical Counselor, she is a Women’s speaker for retreats, conferences and events. She is a regular writer for Victory Call and one of the authors of Crossing the Jordan Bible Study. She has been married to her husband John for 30 years. She has 2 adult children, 4 grandchildren, 3 adult step-children with 7 grandchildren making 11 in all. She delights in reading and teaching, but mostly in laughing at the funny things her grandchildren say and do.

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/redeem November 19, 2014

And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, she had heard the reports about Jesus and came up behind him in the crowd and touched his garment. For she said, “If I touch even his garments, I will be made well.” And immediately the flow of blood dried up, and she felt in her body that she was healed of her disease. And Jesus, perceiving in himself that power had gone out from him, immediately turned about in the crowd and said, “Who touched my garments?” And his disciples said to him, “You see the crowd pressing around you, and yet you say, ‘Who touched me?’” And he looked around to see who had done it. But the woman, knowing what had happened to her, came in fear and trembling and fell down before him and told him the whole truth. And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace, and be healed of your disease.” Mark 5:24-34 (excerpts)

Recently, I was reading this very familiar passage of Scripture when it occurred to me that many people touched Jesus this day as He walked through the streets with His disciples. They were in the midst of a crowd. In fact, when Jesus asked “Who touched my garments?” His disciples said to him, “You see the crowd pressing around you, and yet you say, ‘Who touched me?’” The implication here is that many people were touching Jesus. That is how it is in a crowd. Yet I wonder if any of the other people that happened to bump into Him, or brush up against Him, were healed that day?

There seems to be a distinction between this woman’s intentional contact made in faith — “If I touch even his garments, I will be made well.” — and the numerous other people that had casual contact with Jesus. A lot of people have casual contact with Jesus. But if they do not make intentional contact by faith, they will remain unchanged.

Do you see your need today to touch the hem of His garment? Reach out and touch Jesus in faith.

Blessings, Diane

Diane Hunt is part of the Development and Addiction Recovery teams at America’s Keswick. In addition to being a Biblical Counselor, she is a Women’s speaker for retreats, conferences and events. She is a regular writer for Victory Call and one of the authors of Crossing the Jordan Bible Study. She has been married to her husband John for 30 years. She has 2 adult children, 4 grandchildren, 3 adult step-children with 7 grandchildren making 11 in all. She delights in reading and teaching, but mostly in laughing at the funny things her grandchildren say and do.

There is something to be learned from Jonah. I’m sure more than one something but as I recently read the book named after him I couldn’t help but be reminded that God came around a second time to Jonah, like He does in our lives too.

“Now the word of the LORD came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it, for their evil has come up before me.” But Jonah rose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the LORD. He went down to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish. So he paid the fare and went down into it, to go with them to Tarshish, away from the presence of the LORD…” God clearly spoke to Jonah. Jonah knew what God was asking him to do but Jonah fled.

Then God spoke to Jonah a second time. The message did not change. God tells him to do that which he called him to do the first time. “Then the word of the LORD came to Jonah the second time, saying, “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it the message that I tell you.”
This time Jonah obeyed. “So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the LORD.”

There is nothing new in what I am sharing today. It is a good reminder, however, that God is interested not just in the obedience but more importantly the heart with which we obey. He is patient and will keep giving us the same message to work in us hearts that desire to and do follow through in obedience.

He will come a second time…and a third time…and a fourth time.

I am so thankful that God is interested in each of us individually and personally.

Blessings, Diane

Diane Hunt is part of the Development and Addiction Recovery teams at America’s Keswick. In addition to being a Biblical Counselor, she is a Women’s speaker for retreats, conferences and events. She is a regular writer for Victory Call and one of the authors of Crossing the Jordan Bible Study. She has been married to her husband John for 30 years. She has 2 adult children, 4 grandchildren, 3 adult step-children with 7 grandchildren making 11 in all. She delights in reading and teaching, but mostly in laughing at the funny things her grandchildren say and do.

Jonah 1:1-3
Jonah 1:17-18
Jonah 2:10
Jonah 3:1-2
Jonah 3:3

Today I’m sharing a final message from Paul David Tripp about Christmas. During this season of Advent it behooves us to pause and ponder, to full-stop if necessary and purposely focus our attention on Jesus. He is the only reason for all that gives the very word “Christmas” it’s inherent, exclusive meaning. So, dear sisters, I invite you again to glimpse what “this” day is all about:

“I love the gift part of Christmas. I love shopping for gifts. I love buying gifts. I love wrapping gifts. I love the moment when the person that I’ve gotten the gift for opens the gift. I love thinking about the people in my family and what they would need or what they would appreciate. I love buying those things. I love seeing the smiles on their faces when they open the gift.

Christmas really is about a gift. It’s about the most amazing, incredible, unthinkable, counterintuitive, life-altering gift that could ever be given. And it’s a gift that’s unlike any gift that humanity has ever given.

You know, when I buy a gift for somebody I give them a thing and they take that thing and they use that thing. Christmas is not about that kind of gift. At Christmas this radical thing happens. The gift is the Giver.

You say, ‘Paul, I don’t understand what you’re talking about. That doesn’t make any sense.’ Well, God knew that our need, as sinners, was so profound; our lostness and pain and suffering in this fallen world would be so deep and inescapable, that the only thing He could give us, the only gift that would help us, is Himself.

Christmas is about God giving Himself to us. Jesus came because that was the only thing that would solve the problem. He came as the Gift, the Gift that would live the life that you and I could never live, would die the death that we should’ve died; dying in our place; would rise again, conquering sin and death so that we would have life eternal, but not just life in the everlasting, but life right here, right now; every grace we would need to live as God has called for us to live, to face what we will face inside of ourselves and outside of ourselves.

Listen when you hear the word GRACE think the name JESUS because there is no grace apart from Jesus. There’s no grace apart from His person, His work, His presence.

This Christmas, have fun opening those gifts, smile at one another; celebrate the love of people who have given you things; have fun using those gifts but not forget the Gift that Christmas is about. It’s the one gift where the Giver was the Gift and that Gift has a name—JESUS.”

Stephanie Dale Paul

Stephanie 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.

http://www.paultripp.com/advent