“And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.” Matthew 2:11

“The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, A broken and a contrite heart— These, O God, You will not despise.” Psalm 51:17

What a gift we have received ….Jesus the Christ! He came and He gave His very life for you and me. I pray we don’t take that for granted. I hope we don’t hide that gift away and only look at it once or twice a year. I pray we do not get tired of the wonder of the gift of eternal life given through Christ.
We tend to be a people who receive more than we give. Sometimes we don’t reciprocate. We are given much but give back so little. Because Jesus came and gave we all, should be gift givers.

The magi or wise men certainly saw it fitting to bring gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh so, what do we give to Jesus?

There is nothing that I could bring to Jesus to repay Him for all He has given me. However, I think there are gifts that He would want to receive from us. The gifts we can bring are not tangible gifts but gifts such as …knowing Him deeper…loving greater… trusting more. We can bring Him all of our desires to draw closer in our relationship with Him. I think Jesus would be pleased. Maybe the gift you can bring this year is your brokenness, that bad habit you can’t overcome on your own, your disappointment, your grief, your heart that is shattered in pieces. Maybe, like me, it’s easy to get comfortable with those things and it is hard to let them go.

Regardless of what your gift may look like, Jesus wants to give us more than we can ever imagine so we can become everything He knows we are meant to be!

Blessings,
Kathy

Kathy’s on staff at America’s Keswick in the Development Department. Kathy has been married to her husband Dave for 28 years. They have two adult children. Kathy is active in her local Church and has taught Sunday school and Bible studies 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.

Would you consider being a part of our STAND IN THE GAP campaign for 2015? Our goal is 1,000 people that will partner with us for January, February, and March, which are some of our toughest financial months. Each STAND IN THE GAP partner will make one $25 gift each month for 3 months in addition to their normal giving. This will bring in $75,000 towards our first quarter expenses. This is perfect for partners that already give or for people that would like to give but cannot make a long term commitment. Sign up today at http://www.americaskeswick.org/support/help-now/stand-in-the-gap
Thank you in advance for your partnership. Come STAND IN THE GAP WITH US.

“Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature, the old things have passed away; behold, new things have come.” 2 Corinthians 5:17 NASB

I remember who I was before Christ. No need to go into all the specifics but let’s just say I can identify with most biblical characters and their shortcomings. In a nutshell, I was a sinner in need of a Savior. There was no good thing in me.

But Jesus….He came because He loved the whole world but He also came because He loves me. He came so I could be righteous, a saint, a disciple, a child of God. Do these things sound foreign to you? Sometimes they do to me, too. It is hard for me to wrap my mind around all that Jesus is and all that I have become in Him. I look at myself. God looks at me through the eyes of Jesus. I see all my warts. Jesus sees me as righteous. I see myself as a rebel but Jesus calls me daughter. I think I will never change but Jesus calls me conqueror.

Here at Keswick we “know” all about new creations. We see it all the time…in others but rarely in ourselves. Would you take a few moments to remember that Jesus came to make you new, too? Do you and I know who we have become since we have come to know Jesus? May you unwrap the gift of new life in Christ and know who you have become in Jesus.

Blessings,
Kathy

Kathy’s on staff at America’s Keswick in the Development Department. Kathy has been married to her husband Dave for 28 years. They have two adult children. Kathy is active in her local Church and has taught Sunday school and Bible studies 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.

Would you consider being a part of our STAND IN THE GAP campaign for 2015? Our goal is 1,000 people that will partner with us for January, February, and March, which are some of our toughest financial months. Each STAND IN THE GAP partner will make one $25 gift each month for 3 months in addition to their normal giving. This will bring in $75,000 towards our first quarter expenses. This is perfect for partners that already give or for people that would like to give but cannot make a long term commitment. Sign up today at http://www.americaskeswick.org/support/help-now/stand-in-the-gap​

Would you consider being a part of our STAND IN THE GAP campaign for 2015?  Our goal is 1,000 people that will partner with us for January, February, and March, which are some of our toughest financial months. Each STAND IN THE GAP partner will make one $25 gift each month for 3 months in addition to their normal giving.  This will bring in $75,000 towards our first quarter expenses.  This is perfect for partners that already give or for people that would like to give but cannot make a long term commitment.  Sign up today at http://www.americaskeswick.org/support/help-now/stand-in-the-gap​

Thank you in advance for your partnership.  Come STAND IN THE GAP WITH US.

“And the Word became flesh…” John 1:14

I have been pondering on the word “became”.  Of course this season brings to mind that Jesus became flesh….fully God and fully man. I began to think about ALL that Jesus became. Yes, He was a babe in a manger but He became so much more. We are told in Scripture that Jesus grew in wisdom and stature. He didn’t stay a baby, He grew up. He became a carpenter and then later He became a teacher, a friend to sinners, a healer, performer of miracles and provider for hungry crowds and needy individuals.

To be specific He became Emmanuel, Lamb of God, The Good Shepherd, Light of the World, Lion of Judah, Bridegroom, Only Begotten Son, King of the Jews, Redeemer, The Way, the Truth and the Life.

This babe in the manger, Jesus….He became flesh so that He could be all of these.

Do you know Him as Savior and Redeemer? He became the perfect sacrifice for us so we could have life and eternal salvation.  Then as we grow in our relationship with Christ He becomes our Comfort when we grieve, our Great Physician when we are sick, our Friend when we are lonely, and our Way when there seems to be no way. As we go through life we get to experience the many facets of who Jesus is and He becomes more and more a “personal” God.

And yet there is more….we seek to know Christ but we will not exhaust ALL that He is. May you and I continue to know who Jesus is and may He become your all in all.

Blessings,
Kathy

Kathy’s on staff at America’s Keswick in the Development Department. Kathy has been married to her husband Dave for 28 years.  They have two adult children. Kathy is active in her local Church and has taught Sunday school and Bible studies 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.

For you, O God, have tested us;
you have tried us as silver is tried.
 You brought us into the net;
you laid a crushing burden on our backs;
 you let men ride over our heads;
we went through fire and through water;
yet you have brought us out to a place of abundance.
(Psalm 66:10-12)

I’m a foodie and I absolutely love pizza! My husband says I’m a pizza snob, but that’s only because I won’t eat just any pizza. It has to the right pizza. There’s something about the perfectly proportioned mix of mozzarella cheese and a sweet, savory sauce, coupled with crust that is gooey on the inside and slightly crisp on the outside that sends my taste buds over the moon! I don’t know what it is but I’ve been this way since I was a kid. I have literally walked for blocks in NYC, going in and out of unfamiliar pizzerias inspecting the pies in an effort to find one that looked like it could be a winner. For me, I’d just rather have no pizza at all than have a slice that falls short.

And then the other night, I was sitting in my car waiting at the Walgreens pharmacy drive-thru when I heard a pastor talking about this very thing on the radio! Well, not his love for pizza, but about the process by which pizza is made. He said, (I’m paraphrasing) “The crust is the most important part of the pizza.”

“It sure is, it makes or breaks the pizza!” I thought.

He continued, “Most people want the ‘good stuff.’ You know… the toppings… the meats, veggies, cheeses, sauce…etc. But without a properly prepared crust, the toppings wouldn’t have the same effect on the pizza. It wouldn’t even be a pizza. The toppings would just fall all over the place.”

In other words, the dough first must be prepared to receive the toppings before the toppings can be used to make a pizza. It is the manipulation of the crust – the pounding, kneading, tossing, and stretching – that prepares the pizza’s foundation to receive the “good stuff.”

I began to give this analogy some serious thought. It put into greater perspective the suffering and pain that I’ve experienced in my life and will continue to experience. Unfortunately, unlike a good pizza, most of us want the good stuff (toppings) without attaining the proper foundation (kneading the dough).

Psalm 66:10 says that God has tested us and tried us like silver. To be tried is to be refined. Silver refinement involves the smelting of lead until the impurities separate and then are blown away with a blast of air. And this is done repeatedly until what is left is the purified melted silver.

As a daughter of God, you are called upon to go through trials.  And like a pizza crust, your foundation, your soul, has been and will forever be pounded, kneaded, and tossed to and fro, in the hand of God, to both develop your character and prepare you for His work. No experience, circumstance, or hardship ever occurs without God’s permission and it is never in vain.

It’s all about the process, not the progress.

If you are the right metal, your impurities will one day be completely blown away leaving a pure, shiny silver ready to be crafted into any number of fine objects. Or as the foodie in me would put it… If you’re the right pizza dough, one day you’ll be kneaded to the point of perfection, ready to receive the finest toppings to make that perfect pizza!

Are you standing in the way of your own development and progress because you’re too focused on getting to the end of a situation rather than learning through it? Today, reflect on the lessons you can learn right now from the hand of God kneading away in your soul.

Diera Mendez

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 writes 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!

Would you consider being a part of our STAND IN THE GAP campaign for 2015?  Our goal is 1,000 people that will partner with us for January, February, and March, which are some of our toughest financial months. Each STAND IN THE GAP partner will make one $25 gift each month for 3 months in addition to their normal giving.  This will bring in $75,000 towards our first quarter expenses.  This is perfect for partners that already give or for people that would like to give but cannot make a long term commitment.  Sign up today at http://www.americaskeswick.org/support/help-now/stand-in-the-gap  Thank you in advance for your partnership.  Come STAND IN THE GAP WITH US.

What tempts you to forget God? You may say – I never forget God. I don’t mean literally forget Him, rather I mean distracted from your devotion to Him. I know from personal experience that when things were difficult in my life I was fervent in prayer, and didn’t miss a day in my Bible. As things smoothed out I became less diligent in both. Sounds a lot like the warning God gave His people as they entered the Promised Land.

Deuteronomy 8:11-14 Take care lest you forget the LORD your God by not keeping his commandments and his rules and his statutes, which I command you today, lest, when you have eaten and are full and have built good houses and live in them, and when your herds and flocks multiply and your silver and gold is multiplied and all that you have is multiplied, then your heart be lifted up, and you forget the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.

Maybe it’s not abundance that tempts you to forget God, maybe its things and possessions?

Hosea 2:13 And I will punish her for the feast days of the Baals when she burned offerings to them and adorned herself with her ring and jewelry, and went after her lovers and forgot me, declares the LORD.

It could be anything that causes us to forget God. Hosea calls them lovers – or in other places in the Scripture they are called idols. We all have them. What are yours? What are those things in your life that edge God out of His place of preeminence?

Hosea 13:6 but when they had grazed, they became full, they were filled, and their heart was lifted up; therefore they forgot me.

What is it in your life that tempts you to forget God?
1. Abundance?
2. Work?
3. Leisure?
4. Family?
5. Marriage?
6. People?
7. Activity/Abundance?
8. Idols?
9. Things/possessions?

I think we should heed the Old Testament warning to not allow our hearts to be distracted or lifted up, basically full of ourselves resulting in forgetting God.

Lord, “Give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name.” Ps. 86:11

Blessings, Diane

Would you consider being a part of our STAND IN THE GAP campaign for 2015? Our goal is 1,000 people that will partner with us for January, February, and March, which are some of our toughest financial months. Each STAND IN THE GAP partner will make one $25 gift each month for 3 months in addition to their normal giving. This will bring in $75,000 towards our first quarter expenses. This is perfect for partners that already give or for people that would like to give but cannot make a long term commitment. Sign up today at http://www.americaskeswick.org/support/help-now/stand-in-the-gap
Thank you in advance for your partnership. Come STAND IN THE GAP WITH US.

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 are some who believe that to be a “Christian” is to live a dreary, joyless, poor existence. As a matter of fact, that is what I thought before I came to know Jesus as Lord and Savior of my life. Non-believers think that the Christian life is so full of “don’ts” and “can’ts”, there just can’t be any joy in that kind of a life.

The Truth is, what non-believers usually consider fun is a sinful lifestyle. Partying, promiscuity, putting self first, doing what seems right in their own eyes,  sleeping late on Sundays (to mention a few), seem like fun for a season but eventually leave you alone, unsatisfied and wanting for “something” more. There are some who try then fill that emptiness with “stuff.” That can be substances, relationships, extreme sports . . . even medication prescribed by doctors. All in an effort to get that momentary thrill, pleasure or satisfaction. Still there is an emptiness.

In the United States of America, depression, anxiety and insomnia seem to be at epidemic levels. If you watch television or flip through a magazine there are ads upon ads that have a pill for whatever ails you.  All the answers seem to be right there in that little pill and the promises abound. But peace, joy and satisfaction can’t be found in a prescription bottle either. So if the world can’t find an answer, where can it be found?

There is a place you can go and find promises that go beyond that temporary fix or satisfaction and will not fade away in moments or days but will last for eternity. And yes, it is the promises that are found in The Book . . . with the very words of our LORD.

Jesus said in John 10:10 “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” NIV

And in John 15:11 “I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.”

These are promises straight from Jesus! And this surely doesn’t sound like a dull, unsatisfying life! In Him we can live life to its fullest. He gives us His joy and since we are given His joy there is no other joy that needs to be added, no other joy that can be found in anyone or anything besides Jesus. This joy is truly “complete.” Amen and Amen!

There are even Christians that go through life without joy and peace because they have never embraced or believed the promises of Jesus in the Bible. How heartbreaking! There it is ours . . . all we need do is believe.

On Christian radio there is a song by Casting Crowns called “Thrive.” What wonderful and hope-filled lyrics.

“Just to know You and to make You known
We lift Your name on high
Shine like the sun, make darkness run and hide
We know we were made for so much more than ordinary lives
It’s time for us to do more than just survive
We were made to thrive
Joy unspeakable
Faith unsinkable
Love unstoppable
Anything is possible”

As believers in Jesus Christ you and I were born to “Thrive”!

MaryAnn Kiernan

Would you consider being a part of our STAND IN THE GAP campaign for 2015?  Our goal is 1,000 people that will partner with us for January, February, and March, which are some of our toughest financial months. Each STAND IN THE GAP partner will make one $25 gift each month for 3 months in addition to their normal giving.  This will bring in $75,000 towards our first quarter expenses.  This is perfect for partners that already give or for people that would like to give but cannot make a long term commitment.  Sign up today at http://www.americaskeswick.org/support/help-now/stand-in-the-gap​

Thank you in advance for your partnership.  Come STAND IN THE GAP WITH US.

Recently I read a blog, from someone I deeply respect, wherein he shared a story of a redeemed sinner who was counseled by his pastor to seek the forgiveness of a prostitute. Upon receiving the initial counsel from the pastor this man made it clear that he could not and would not ask forgiveness and “that seemed to be his final word.”

The article goes on to say, “His final word lasted only about an hour.”

This brother in Christ began to see that the way to live in the kingdom of Christ was different, much different than his own.

One of the things that struck me was the statement: “He began to see that this was the way to live in the kingdom of Christ.”

I had to sit back for a moment as those words landed in my brain and I asked myself, “what does it look like in my every day doing to live in such a way that I demonstrate that I am from another realm, another kingdom, the Kingdom of Christ? How would you answer that for yourself, dear sisters?

What I know for sure is it really isn’t that complicated and yet, in our flesh, the serious truth is it’s extremely hard; difficult challenging to subdue the flesh as day after day, we are confronted with all sorts of obstacles that would seek to block our Kingdom focus.

In the case of the man from the blog mentioned above, who was daily repenting of sexual sin and had post-conversion relapsed into a former way of living, it meant seeking forgiveness from the one with whom he had been physically intimate. There was nothing complicated about “what” was required of him.

However, the details regarding how, when, etc., were anything but easy to accomplish. Any one of those things could prove to be an obstacle and yet, praise the Lord, this dear brother did all that was up to him to do for the glory of God. He set his mind and heart to live in the Kingdom of Christ which meant he had to go and do something above and beyond his natural way.
“In other words, he was willing to go more public with what he did. Though his shame was screaming to stay hidden…”

The writer, Ed Welch, continues:
“When he greeted her, he offered a very simple explanation of why he was there and gave her the letter. In it, he had written that the Spirit of God had convicted him, Jesus had forgiven him, but his actions had hurt her too so he wanted to ask her forgiveness.
She read the letter carefully. By the time she was done, a tear was already falling from her face.
She looked up and said, “I forgive you.”
He thanked her.
And she responded, “No, thank you.”

Dear sisters, again I ask you, what does it look like TODAY to live as and be a daughter of the Most High, the One who is King of kings and Lord of lords, the One who alone is God?

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.

Would you consider being a part of our STAND IN THE GAP campaign for 2015? Our goal is 1,000 people that will partner with us for January, February, and March, which are some of our toughest financial months. Each STAND IN THE GAP partner will make one $25 gift each month for 3 months in addition to their normal giving. This will bring in $75,000 towards our first quarter expenses. This is perfect for partners that already give or for people that would like to give but cannot make a long term commitment. Sign up today at http://www.americaskeswick.org/support/help-now/stand-in-the-gap
Thank you in advance for your partnership. Come STAND IN THE GAP WITH US.

Would you consider being a part of our STAND IN THE GAP campaign for 2015?  Our goal is 1,000 people that will partner with us for January, February, and March, which are some of our toughest financial months. Each STAND IN THE GAP partner will make one $25 gift each month for 3 months in addition to their normal giving.  This will bring in $75,000 towards our first quarter expenses.  This is perfect for partners that already give or for people that would like to give but cannot make a long term commitment.  Sign up today at http://www.americaskeswick.org/support/help-now/stand-in-the-gap​

Thank you in advance for your partnership.  Come STAND IN THE GAP WITH US.
I want to take you back a few years to the Wizard of Oz when the wicked witch tried to hinder Dorothy, Tin Man, Scarecrow and Lion from reaching the Emerald City by placing a poppy field in their way.  As the four of them entered the poppies, Dorothy becomes sleepy and drops into the ground to rest “just for a minute”.  Lion soon follows though his drop into the poppies was much less graceful than Dorothy’s.  Do you have the scene in mind?  Now here’s my question. How many of us are spiritually just like Dorothy?

True confessions—I have felt just like that for the last several months.

A few weeks ago, as I was waiting for Sunday service to start, God whispered to my heart, “Awake from your slumber.”
As I considered what God was saying I could see how I had been lulled into a lethargic state in my spiritual walk.

“Laziness casts one into a deep sleep.” Proverbs 19:15

“How long will you slumber, O sluggard? When will you rise from your sleep?  A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep – So shall your poverty come on you like a prowler…” Proverbs 6:9-11

I think in the busyness of life it is easy for lethargy to sneak up on us (like a prowler).  Here are three ways (by no means an exhaustive list) that lethargy can take root in our lives.

1. Laziness  – even in the midst of busyness
C.J. Mahaney wrote an article called “Biblical Productivity” – here are a few excerpts for the article.  “Busyness does not mean I am diligent.” “Busyness does not mean I am faithful.” “Busyness does not mean I am fruitful.” “Recognizing the sin of procrastination, and broadening the definition to include busyness, has made a significant alteration in my life. The sluggard can be busy – busy neglecting the most important work, and busy knocking out a to-do list filled with tasks of secondary importance.”

2. Over commitment – we have too much on our plates.  God has perfect portion control.  If we have too much on our plates, God did not put it there.  We can become spiritually lethargic because we are too distracted to care for and nourish our own soul.

3. Routine.  You may wonder how on earth we can get off track with routine.  Structure and routine can lull us into spiritual lethargy easily without our awareness.  The Christian walk should be dynamic, alive and growing.
a. We are all still in the sanctification process – “Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it.”   1 Thessalonians 5:23-24
b. God is still in the process of conforming us to the image of His Son. “But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.” 2 Corinthians 3:18
c. We should all be growing in Christ likeness. If we are not growing – we are stagnant or dying.  In other words, spiritually lethargic.

Do you want to know if you have a touch of this?  Ask yourself this question:  How am I more like Jesus today than I was last year at this time?

Have you fallen asleep? Or have you just started to run among the poppies?  To whatever degree this applies to you, let me say to you what God said to me.  “Awake from your slumber.”

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.

This morning in my devotional reading in Paul Tripp’s new book, I read this statement: “You don’t wait for grace and then do what God has told you to do. You get enabling grace in motion.” (i) It was the first statement I read and I could have put the book away and chewed on that all day.

Here are some excerpts from November 11:
“God’s grace provides everything you require. God’s grace is form fitted for your moment of need. God’s grace is multifaceted and expansive, but also focused and personal. God in grace, doesn’t just forgive you, he also empowers you to do what he called you to do. But he gives you his grace as you follow him and at the moment when you need it…It has always been hard for the people of God to rest in the reality of grace in motion.” (ii)

Oh, this is so good. Let’s face it. Many of us are inclined to wait until we FEEL forgiving, FEEL generous, FEEL like serving, FEEL right about what God has called us to do before we step out and do it. Tripp’s reminder is we need to step out in faith and as we step out, God’s grace will be there. It takes FAITH. We get grace in motion.

Tripp illustrates this from the story of Moses and the Israelites as they are trapped between the Egyptian army and the Red Sea. You can read it in Exodus 14. He concludes, “What he (God) does not do is tell them what is going to happen beforehand. Why? Because He is working in them, as he works in us, to craft them into people of robust and sturdy faith. He calls them to follow, and he willingly unleashes his grace as they do.” (iii)

What area of your life have you been standing on the shore waiting for God to pour out His grace so you can cross the sea? God is ready to “unleash his grace” as you step out in obedience. Yeah, you’re right, it takes faith. Then have faith in the Creator, Sustainer, and Lover of your soul. He will not let you down.

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.

i Paul David Tripp’s new book, “New Morning Mercies: A Daily Gospel Devotional” November 11
ii Ibid
iii Ibid

Would you consider being a part of our STAND IN THE GAP campaign for 2015? Our goal is 1,000 people that will partner with us for January, February, and March, which are some of our toughest financial months. Each STAND IN THE GAP partner will make one $25 gift each month for 3 months in addition to their normal giving. This will bring in $75,000 towards our first quarter expenses. This is perfect for partners that already give or for people that would like to give but cannot make a long term commitment. Sign up today at http://www.americaskeswick.org/support/help-now/stand-in-the-gap
Thank you in advance for your partnership. Come STAND IN THE GAP WITH US.

The giving of thanks. All over the United States today, people are gathering with family and friends, or perhaps spending it alone, in honor of the holiday we call Thanksgiving. Sadly enough, few of them know to whom they are giving thanks or even care for that matter.

Doesn’t the very concept of giving thanks require that there is a recipient of that thanks. We are thankful for…but we are also thankful to… Doesn’t receiving blessing imply the blessings have been given?

Let us be bold today, willing to say, “I thank God and my Lord Jesus Christ for the blessings He has bestowed upon me this year, this month, this day, this moment.”

Be encouraged and let your heart smile with these words:

Psalm 100
Make a joyful shout to the LORD, all you lands! Serve the LORD with gladness; Come before His presence with singing.
Know that the LORD, He is God; It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves; We are His people and the sheep of His pasture. Enter into His gates with thanksgiving, And into His courts with praise. Be thankful to Him, and bless His name. For the LORD is good; His mercy is everlasting, And His truth endures to all generations.

Happy Thanks – giving,

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.

Would you consider being a part of our STAND IN THE GAP campaign for 2015? Our goal is 1,000 people that will partner with us for January, February, and March, which are some of our toughest financial months. Each STAND IN THE GAP partner will make one $25 gift each month for 3 months in addition to their normal giving. This will bring in $75,000 towards our first quarter expenses. This is perfect for partners that already give or for people that would like to give but cannot make a long term commitment. Sign up today at http://www.americaskeswick.org/support/help-now/stand-in-the-gap
Thank you in advance for your partnership. Come STAND IN THE GAP WITH US.