Life gets hectic and there are many distractions – good and bad — that drain our time. It is ever so easy to lose sight of the vital guiding Spirit of God’s Word and the value of being in it regularly to feast for our soul.

Do we rely on God’s word to guide our attitudes, our actions, our choices, our decisions? Do we call to mind His Word that is relevant to our current situation?

God guards us, according to His Word.
God gives us life, according to His Word.
God strengthens us, according to His Word.
God gives us understanding, according to His Word.
God delivers us, according to His Word.

How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word….My soul clings to the dust; give me life according to your word!…My soul melts away for sorrow; strengthen me according to your word!…You have dealt well with your servant, O Lord, according to your word….I am severely afflicted; give me life, O Lord, according to your word!…Let my cry come before you, O Lord; give me understanding according to your word!…Let my plea come before you; deliver me according to your word.i

Need any of those things lately?

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 over 28 years. She has 2 adult children, 3 grandchildren, 3 adult step-children with 7 grandchildren making 10 in all. She delights reading and teaching, but mostly laughing at the funny things her grandchildren say and do.

iPsalm 119:9, 25, 28, 65, 107, 169, 170

It seems my cookie monsters are back. School’s out and the neighborhood grandkids are back!

Knock…Knock… “Hi Miss Dina, we’re back! Can we have a cookie?”

Little rascals, they know I won’t say no. But first the little guy had to give me his testimony. He told me all about how he now has Jesus living in his heart. Of course big sister chimed in every chance she could to give details. “Yeah, we were in the hot-tub on mom and dad’s anniversary and that’s when it happened! And Pop wrote my name in the Bible too.” Clearly that was the best news I had heard all day and I told him so. I also told him that I, too, had Jesus living in my heart. To which he gave me a wide-eyed, “really?” look. After we jumped around the kitchen shouting praise to God it was back to the business at hand, cookies. Let’s just say they got more than they bargained for, but hey, so did I. Cutie pie- that he is! But cute has nothing to do with it. Years ago, a grandmother was sharing the same news about her young granddaughter to which several of us there gave our whole-hearted and enthusiastic response:; “Praise the Lord!” All but one who simply said, “How cute.” Cute? Really? A soul is saved by God’s grace and you find it cute? Something’s very wrong here. It wasn’t until later I realized she had no idea what had just happened. And although the truth was openly shared with her many times, “No one can come to Me unless the Father who sent Me draws him; and I will raise him up at the last day” (John 6:44).

My neighbor’s grandson is cute. His salvation is a miracle. Having his Pop write his name in the family Bible is something he’ll never forget. Even more exciting is that God has written his name in the Lamb’s Book of Life! May he never forget that and grow up into the man God has called him to be.

Dina Seaton

Psalm 81:10 I am the LORD your God, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt, open your mouth wide and I will fill it.

We know from our Old Testament history that God delivered His people out of their 400 years of bondage. You would think that in the gratitude of their hearts they would trust and obey Him without question or wavering. But that is not true – they obeyed then they wandered, they would return and then wander.

All they had known was bondage when He delivered them. God wanted to be their All in All.

The same is true for us. We will not succeed in overcoming our bondage, our personal Egypt, unless the void that remains is filled by God Himself. “Open your mouth wide and I will fill it.”

Is your Egypt food? Open your mouth wide and God will fill it.
Is your Egypt smoking or drinking or other substance use or abuse? Open your mouth wide and God will fill it.
Is your Egypt your past? Either things you have done or things that have been done to you? Open your mouth wide and God will fill it.
Is your Egypt anger, bitterness or unforgiveness? Open your mouth wide and God will fill it.
Is your Egypt worry, anxiety or fear? Open your mouth wide and God will fill it.

No matter what bondage holds you, when you open your mouth wide and you are filled with God’s filling – there will not be room left for Egypt.

How does that sound for 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 over 28 years. She has 2 adult children, 3 grandchildren, 3 adult step-children with 7 grandchildren making 10 in all. She delights reading and teaching, but mostly laughing at the funny things her grandchildren say and do.

“Though I am surrounded by troubles, you will bring me safely through them. You will clench your fist against my angry enemies. Your power will save me!” Psalm 128:7

While preparing for a talk I was giving to a group of women I had a visual come to my mind. I was thinking about what life looks like when we run our race. I first thought about how I like to run my race. I thought about a running track. I like to run a track that has clearly marked lanes, a smooth surface, curves that I can see before they are right in front of me, and I can see the finish line ahead with no obstacles. Easy!

Then I began to think of a maze. That would really be more realistic. When I think of how I run my race, I run around and find myself stuck or lost. But the definition of a maze is a puzzle that has many paths and many exits. That’s not where I want to run my race either.

Many people are running their race hoping there are many ways to Jesus or heaven. Then I remembered a game I had as a child. It was called Labyrinth. I remember how frustrated I would get with that wooden box that tilted and had two knobs which guided a little silver ball through the dead ends and around the holes that were placed on the main board. I don’t think I ever made it to the finish. I then looked up the definition of a labyrinth. A labyrinth is a puzzle that has many paths but only one exit. I thought this really can explain our walk with the Lord. As the Lord leads and guides us through various twists and curves He may lead us down a dead end. It is there that we may be tested, taught to wait or have to choose to make a u-turn. Then the board tilts again and we are not in a dead end but find another wall or choice ahead. There are even times when we feel things shifting under our feet or times when we even fall into a hole for a period of time. Often we find we are surrounded by trouble.

BUT….these things have not taken God by surprise! He knows where we are and He guides us along the path or the track that He has laid out for us. Our part is to always seek Him, know He is with us wherever we are, and to continue to trust when we can’t see around the next curve. Life is a labyrinth of many paths but as believers in Jesus Christ we know there is One to follow and He will bring us safely to the exit ….where, by the way, He is and we will be face to face one day.

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.

Recently, I had the opportunity to hear Bob Goff speak. He said several one-liners that have stuck with me. I have been mulling over this statement: “Would you rather be right or would you rather be humble?”

The obvious ‘right’ answer, the godly answer of course is: I’d rather be humble.
Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you. James 4:10
The desired answer is: I’d rather be humble.
But would I? Would you? … Really?

Consider the alternative.
Proud: having or showing the attitude of people who think that they are better or more important than others : having or showing too much pride
“…God opposes the proud…” James 4:6
Haughty: having or showing the insulting attitude of people who think that they are better, smarter, or more important than other people
“…Before destruction a man’s heart is haughty,…” Proverbs 18:12
Arrogant: exaggerating or disposed to exaggerate one’s own worth or importance often by an overbearing manner; showing an offensive attitude of superiority
“…Whoever has a haughty look and an arrogant heart I will not endure…” Psalm 101:5

Do any of those describe you? Proud? Haughty? Arrogant?
Is there anything wrong with being right? Not at all, but being right can go hand in hand with pride, especially when it is our practice to persuade others that we are right. Isn’t that how arguments are birthed? Each party is convinced they are right.

“Would you rather be right or would you rather be humble?

Humble: : not proud : not thinking of yourself as better than other people; given or said in a way that shows you do not think you are better than other people; showing that you do not think of yourself as better than other people

“For the Lord takes pleasure in his people; he adorns the humble with salvation.” Psalm 149:4

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 over 28 years. She has 2 adult children, 3 grandchildren, 3 adult step-children with 7 grandchildren making 10 in all. She delights reading and teaching, but mostly laughing at the funny things her grandchildren say and do.

i http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/proud accessed 5.21.14
ii http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/haughty accessed 5.21.14
iii http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/arrogant accessed 5.21.14
iv http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/humble accessed 5.21.14

“Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He will do it!” Psalm 37:5

On many occasions I have decided to rearrange the furniture in my living room, bedroom or any other room. I often did this by myself. Some pieces would be heavy but I figured I could manage. Then years ago I purchased furniture sliders and it made every new arrangement much easier! Dave would come home and ask me why I didn’t wait for him to help me. Well, because I didn’t want to wait. I didn’t feel I really needed help. I could do it by myself. I had other helps like those furniture sliders. I really didn’t need his help.

How often do you and I feel the same about asking our Heavenly Father for help? Really Lord, I can handle this on my own. I’ve got this Lord, I’ll just use this tool over here and you won’t have to get involved. Why do we so often refuse to ask for help? For me the answer is the same as in the illustration I shared about moving furniture….I don’t want to wait….I can do it myself.

How easy it is to take matters into our own hands rather then leaving them in His. How easy it is to rush to get it done rather then letting His timing be perfect. What help do you need today? Why not ask Jesus for His help? No job is too small or too large for Him to handle for you!

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.

Are you ready to get out of the boat??

In the book of Matthew chapter 14, verses 25 – 33 we read the account of when Peter stepped out of the boat and walked to the Lord on water. Here it is for your review:

“And in the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea. When the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out in fear. But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.” Peter said to Him, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.” And He said, “Come!” And Peter got out of the boat, and walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But seeing the wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!” Immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and took hold of him, and *said to him, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?” When they got into the boat, the wind stopped. And those who were in the boat worshiped Him, saying, “You are certainly God’s Son!” (NASB)

Have you ever asked the Lord for something and then when the Lord says “come”, do you begin to doubt? There are times when I am faced with a particular challenge and I think about Peter. I want to step out of the boat but fears take hold, just like when Peter felt the wind and fear caused him to get his eyes off Jesus.

It is hard to leave the familiar, even if we don’t like it. But we can, by His grace, get out of the boat!!

My prayer for you andmeI is that Holy Spirit will bless us with an increase of faith and trust in the Lord our God. That we will develop a God-sized expectation for our future. That we will allow God to speak to us, invade our space and order our steps, even if it means stepping out of the familiar and into the unknown.

Blessings,
Patricia L. Wenzel
WOC (Women of Character) Graduate

“You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love.” Galatians 5:13

I know this week of Victory Calls have been straight-forward talk on a sensitive subject. I need to warn you, today’s will be the toughest yet.
For many of you reading this, the topic may be foreign to your thinking but I assure you it is a very real issue. I want to talk today about the power a woman has via her body.
Some women dress to attract attention. For a few, it is perfectly innocent but I am going to suggest (and you may choose to disagree) that for the majority of these women they are dressing with intention. I don’t mean that every day they get up and say, “Today, I’m going to turn heads,” but rather the selection of clothes in their closet betrays their heart.
I gave very little thought to this whole area before I came to Keswick. Through the ministry to hundreds of wives, I have made some observations and offer this conclusion: Women enjoy the sense of power they get from turning heads of men. It feels good to be noticed. Now, I’m not talking about all women, I’m talking about women in general. You may be quite offended by my conclusion but in the world of counseling I live in, it is very real.
Is there really power? Whatever you want to call it, men react to women. God made men visual. They are wired to be sexually aroused through what they take in through their eyes. But Satan has taken that which is good and twisted it so that men (in general) are confronted with the temptation to lust.
Let me share a quote from “Every Man’s Battle” by Stephen Arterburn and Fred Stoeker (this is written by men to men:
“Males Receive Sexual Gratification Through the Eyes: … We have our eyes and can draw sexual gratification through them at any time. We’re turned on by female nudity in any way, shape, or form. … We have a visual ignition switch when it comes to viewing the female anatomy. … Visual sexual gratification is no laughing matter in your fight for sexual purity. Given what the sight of nudity does to the pleasure centers of our brain, and these days it’s pretty easy to see many naked or near-naked women, it’s no wonder our eyes and mind resist control.”

As I am writing this the thought occurred to me that lust may look different in women than in men. I’m going to throw this thought out for your consideration. Is it possible that lust in women is manifested through their dress and the sense of power to entice?

Ladies, knowing that men are prone to lustful temptation, the law of love warrants that we, as women, seek to love them by being mindful of our attire so as to be a blessing rather than a temptation.

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 over 28 years. She has 2 adult children, 3 grandchildren, 3 adult step-children with 7 grandchildren making 10 in all. She delights reading and teaching, but mostly laughing at the funny things her grandchildren say and do.

“You, my brothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love.” Galatians 5:13

As we have been focusing on modesty this week and seeking to love our brothers by not being a stumbling block to them, I can’t help but think we need to understand balance. Lest you think I am advocating a return to floor length dresses or face veils I want to communicate the heart of love not law. How do we balance proper dress out of love for our brother without becoming legalistic about it? The difference is in the heart. There is a world of difference between being modest because ‘I gotta.’ and being modest as an act of relational obedience and love for Christ and our bothers. One is a result of outward compliance, the other the result of a heart of love.
I believe we are called by God to bring every area of our life under the authority of God. It’s not man’s rules or regulations that should be our highest concern but rather the expression of God’s heart in our lives.
Are you willing to take your wardrobe to the Lord with an open hand and let Him sort through it and discard those things you believe are not pleasing to Him? If you are holding on to your freedom to wear what you want with a closed fist…it’s time for a heart check.

We’re almost done, one more day on this very sensitive and difficult topic. Tomorrow is the hardest yet.

Your challenge today is to ask yourself if you are willing to change if God expresses His desire for you to do so. Are you willing or are you dismissing those nagging thoughts? Are you willing?

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 over 28 years. She has 2 adult children, 3 grandchildren, 3 adult step-children with 7 grandchildren making 10 in all. She delights reading and teaching, but mostly laughing at the funny things her grandchildren say and do.

“You, my bothers, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the sinful nature; rather, serve one another in love.”

This week we have been having a frank discussion (more like a monologue) about modesty. Today I want to briefly discuss the difference between men and women and the lack of understanding of each other and for each other. If you are single, hang in there because this is just as important for you to understand as for us “old married women.”
Men are visual. Women are tactile and relational. Men can be aroused by someone they don’t even know simply by the way she looks or dresses. Women are not so much aroused by the way a man looks but more by the way he looks at her. Sexual purity for men involves discipline with their eyes first and foremost. Sexual purity for women involves discipline with their hearts.
Ladies, we may not understand how quickly a man can become aroused, how quickly he can be drawn away and tempted to lust, but I believe Jesus calls us to have compassion not contempt. Our lack of understanding does not invalidate the reality of the struggle for men. I know if your husband is involved in pornography, this hurts. Perhaps we can “talk” about that another week.
How does this relate to our theme — the law of love? If we as women seek to understand and to be compassionate, I believe we would be much more mindful of our dress so as to not increase the struggle.

I don’t believe that contempt for people is ever the godly response. Let’s get angry at the culprit — Satan – and pray for his failure in this area.

Your challenge today is to pray for understanding and compassion.

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 over 28 years. She has 2 adult children, 3 grandchildren, 3 adult step-children with 7 grandchildren making 10 in all. She delights reading and teaching, but mostly laughing at the funny things her grandchildren say and do.