This past week for my annual Bible reading plan, I read the account of Joseph and was struck by the verse:

The LORD was with Joseph, so he became a successful man. And he was in the house of his master, the Egyptian. Now his master saw that the LORD was with him and how the LORD caused all that he did to prosper in his hand. (Genesis 39:2-3)

Over the years, I was discipled to see my secular job is as valid a ministry as the work I volunteer to do in my local church. As I read that Joseph had the LORD’s favor and not only was it noticeable to his master, but also his master was in turn blessed by it, I was struck by the notion, am I a blessing that adds richness to my employer or a hindrance that brings sorrow?

Proverbs 10:22 says, “The blessing of the LORD makes rich, and he adds no sorrow with it.”

As an employee, I am a resource to my place of business. If I am a blessing to my employer, I should bring positivity and joy to my work environment, skills and talents to project teams, and insight and wisdom to solving problems. If not, then the opposite is the case and I am an ineffective vessel for God’s favor and blessing to flow thru.

In 2 Corinthians 3, Paul writes,

“You are our letter, written in our hearts, known and read by all men; being manifested that you are a letter of Christ, cared for by us, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of human hearts.”

In other words, we are walking billboards for the evidence of Christ and His transformational power in this world.

Sometimes (…and I say that loosely!) work can be challenging, particularly when collaborating with unbelievers. Their ethics and viewpoints can be against ours as believers in God’s Word. Nevertheless, we are empowered by the Holy Spirit to be witnesses.

I can do all things through him who strengthens me (Philippians 4:3). The challenge is to remember God has an agenda for each person we work with and we never know to whom He has planned for us to witness or be a blessing. Our job is to maintain our relationship with Christ so that we are continuously aware and aligned with God’s will, and seek opportunities to witness and be the light in this world of darkness.

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!

The last few days I have been hearing the word “righteousness.” When I open my Bible, when I listen to a message, even when I am driving in the car I hear the word righteousness in my mind. I am going to share some Scripture about “righteousness,” believing that the Lord wants us to consider “righteousness” and open our hearts and minds to His Holy Spirit who is our Helper, our Counselor. By His grace we will all be blessed.

Ps. 97:6 – “The heavens declare His righteousness, And all the peoples see His glory.”

Look into the heavens, what do you see?? Look and look again.

Ps. 111:3 – “His work is honorable and glorious, And His righteousness endures forever.”

Let us give thanks that His righteousness is forever.

Prov. 14:34 – “Righteousness exalts a nation, But sin is a reproach to any people.”

Let us pray that we would become a righteous nation.

Matt. 5:6 – “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled.”

Lord, give us a hunger and thirst for righteousness.

Matt. 6:33 – “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.”

Lord, I want to seek your kingdom first, show me the way.

2 Tim. 4:8 – “Finally, there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will give to me on that Day, and not to me only but also to all who have loved His appearing.”

Thank you Jesus.

Heb. 12:22 – “Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.”

Lord, thank you for the peaceable fruit of righteousness.

Blessings,
Patricia Wenzel
WOC Graduate

Nothing is covered up that will not be revealed or hidden that will not be known. Therefore, whatever you have said in the dark shall be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in private rooms shall be proclaimed on the house tops. Luke 12:23-3

I have read these verses dozens and dozens of times, so why, on THIS day, did it leap off the page into my heart? My first instinct was to write in the margin of my Bible… “Imagine if this was true”, a silly thing to write in the margin of God’s Word. What I meant was, imagine experiencing that in reality. Just think about it… You know those conversations we have when we lower our voices so we are not overheard. The statements we make about others that are sarcastic or unkind. The information we pass along that we have no business passing along. Imagine those things we said “in confidence” about others being proclaimed on the wide screen display, or posted on the bulletin board at work, or broadcast on the 6 o’clock news.

Don’t we gossip because we figure no one else will hear?

God hears.

All of us have fodder in our lives for others to gossip about. How do we want others to guard our reputations? Do we not owe that same consideration to others? It seems to me gossip is a manifestation of pride. At the unspoken core of our gossip is the belief I am better than them or I know better than them. I would not do what they are doing. Do you hear the proud heart?

I really want to take myself to task in this area. I not only want to hold myself accountable to not talk about others but I also want to be courageous enough to stop others when they are whispering in MY ear. It takes courage and humility.

… Therefore, whatever you have said in the dark shall be heard in the light, and what you have whispered in private rooms shall be proclaimed on the house tops… Luke 12:2-3

Will you join me?

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.

Have you ever met someone who takes pride in holding a grudge? You know who I’m talking about. The person that believes giving in and forgiving first is a sign of weakness. They would rather die than say, “I forgive you,” or “I’m sorry.” Overall, this person is very angry and just downright bitter. He or she typically is accustomed to bad things happening to them, and generally wants to get ahead of the negativity curve and attack it before it attacks them. They look for it to come. What an awful way to live!

Based on the events that are happening in the world today, I have come to the conclusion there is an epidemic of unforgiveness going about. From murders to domestic violence to broken homes to suicide: anger, bitterness, vengefulness, wrath, are at the root of it all.

I find it interesting that as people all over the world continue to operate with a grudge-holding habit, we are seeing a rise in incidents of cancer, heart disease, high blood pressure.

I read the other day a research study was done on cancer patients and 61 percent of them reported having trouble forgiving. More than half of them had a severe problem with forgiveness. Forgiveness therapy has even become part of secular practices in medicine and psychology. Clearly, unforgiveness has both negative physical and spiritual effects on us.

When I was in kindergarten, I got into a fight with my friend, Amber, over who was going to take the toys back to the teacher. The argument resulted in a tussle for the toy bag and ultimately ended with me getting scratched in the eye. Let’s just say I didn’t play with Amber for the rest of the school year. I actually didn’t let it go until sometime in high school and I never saw her again after first grade. Talk about holding a grudge! But I was 5 years old. That’s what children do, unless they are taught differently.

Some of us have a real pain. We’ve been abandoned by parents, mistreated by spouses, betrayed by friends, let down by children, blamed by siblings. We’ve been lied to, cheated, and just overall mistreated.

But the Bible tells us:

Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. Eph. 4:31-32

Forgiveness is not for the faint of heart. In fact, I’m not going to lie and say it is easy or painless. But it is essential to our growth and development. The Bible says we can do all things through Christ. Forgiveness is truly a supernatural response to some very natural experiences. Yet it provides us with the prime opportunity to share the undeserved, unmerited love and mercy of God with someone else.

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 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!

“There are many plans in a man’s heart, Nevertheless the LORD’s counsel—that will stand.” Proverbs 19:21

Have you ever given advice? I am sure you have and I am sure that you have experienced times where your advice could have been better, delivered in a better tone, or simply was ignored.

While I was reading a blog on giving advice from a professional business point of view, I quickly thought these ideas were excellent for me personally as well as professionally. I thought I would share these advice tips with you.
1. Be careful about overstepping boundaries. Has our advice been asked for? Don’t answer before a question is asked.
2. Don’t rush to a diagnosis. Wait to hear the full story. Probe, listen, and ponder before giving advice.
3. Keep your own experiences to yourself. You aren’t in their shoes so don’t advise based on what you would do.
4. Communicate clearly. Avoid jargon and academic language and, I will add, “Christianese”. Clichés come easy but think beyond advising a quick snippet of often heard words of wisdom.
5. Don’t be hurt if your advice is not taken. After you have said all you can say the decision and the consequences are the seeker’s. *

As believers, we always want to advise from the Word of God so it is wise to get familiar with the advice of God. We can only advise as far as our own wisdom takes us. But as you and I seek to know God and His Word we will be better equipped to share advice that can transform lives.

That’s my two cents worth for today!

Blessings,
Kathy

*Advice Giving as vocation, avocation and hopefully not annoyance by Generous Matters, January 12, 2015 and HBR(Harvard Business Review)-The Art of Giving and Receiving Advice by David A. Garvin & Joshua D. Margolis

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.

Born again to a Living Hope! 1 Peter 1:3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.

Hope – Expectation of something that is going to happen in the future. The world’s hope is uncertain. As we live our lives we may set our hope to have a quiet and peaceful life. As believers in Christ, we have a “certain” hope. Certain means to be free from doubt or reservation; confident; sure to happen!

I Peter 1:4 & 5 “God is protecting our inheritance”; and our inheritance is imperishable, undefiled, kept in heaven for you & me and guarded by God’s power. I don’t know about you, but I want to hold onto the expectation of “my inheritance waiting and being guarded for me in heaven”.

Jesus never said we’d be free of pain and suffering. 2 Timothy 3:12….we will be persecuted……and in John 16:33….in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart: I have overcome the world.

Truth to hold onto:
1) We have a living hope to hold onto; in the midst of the storm “Jesus is our lighthouse”. Be confident, God has our back; I trust Him and because I trust Him, I can rest in Him, I can sleep.
If you have never heard “There’s A Lighthouse” sung by Joyce Hayes, I encourage you do get a copy of the CD by Robert, Joyce & Jordan Hayes. Every time I hear the words “Jesus is our Lighthouse” it brings tears of joy to my eyes because this is certain;
2) We will face some trials – What is He teaching me? In shunning a trial are we seeking to avoid it?
3) Our trials will only last a little while. We must have a proper perspective. God is in it with me – He’s the only one who truly has our back. When we are in the dark “remember” the light of God’s Word – “He is our Lighthouse”.

“When a train goes through a tunnel you don’t toss the ticket, you trust the engineer.”
Corrie TenBoom-

Blessings,
Pat Spies
America’s Keswick Volunteer

Recently on a trip to visit family I passed a car with this license plate. IANS2NO1. I answer to no one.

I couldn’t help but think that a pretty self-centered, arrogant, foolish person had to be driving that car. Basically, a person that would say that believes they rule their own world. They are at that top of the life pyramid. No one higher than themselves exists.

Foolishness.

The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” Psalm 14:1

As believers, it is an obvious affront to a Holy God for anyone to truly believe that we answer to no one, living as if we are the god of our own lives. I would venture to guess that no genuine follower of Jesus Christ would have a license plate that says IANS2NO1. BUT…..

I may not have the license plate but, every time I chose my way over God’s way, every time I sin, every time… I am living as if that is MY license plate; I am living as if I answer to no one.

But in truth I do answer to SOMEONE. We ALL answer to SOMEONE – some of us know that to be true now, others will know it to be true when they come face to face with the ONE TRUE GOD.

May you and I choose to live knowing that we answer to Some One.

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.

We participate in a prayer meeting once a month to mark each new Hebrew Month. Jan. 21st marked the beginning of the Hebrew month of Shevat.

The word Shevat (TZADIK) symbolizes “the righteous one”. Therefore this is the month to make sure the righteous one is your foundation. This is the month to renew your connection with the only righteous One. It is a great month to fast and review Psalm 1:

1 Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. 2 But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in his law doth he meditate day and night. 3 And he shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, that bringeth forth his fruit in his season; his leaf also shall not wither; and whatsoever he doeth shall prosper. 4 The ungodly are not so: but are like the chaff which the wind driveth away. 5 Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous. 6 For the Lord knoweth the way of the righteous: but the way of the ungodly shall perish.(KJV)

Each Hebrew month is also associated with a Hebrew tribe. This is the month of the tribe of Asher, the 8th son of Jacob. The word Asher means “HAPPY”!! Asher’s inheritance was in some of the most fertile land in Canaan. This area was also where Jesus revealed Himself as the “BREAD of LIFE”. The tribe of Asher was among the most blessed of all the sons of Israel by Moses (see Gen. 33:24-25). Anna, the prophetess mentioned in Luke 2:36, can be traced back to the tribe of Asher. This patient widow, who devoted herself to prayer in the temple day and night, was blessed to see Jesus and announce Him to others. May we patiently and joyfully go forth into our world, which is hardly filled with joy, and announce the hope we have in the BREAD of LIFE!!

Blessings,
Patricia Wenzel
WOC Graduate

More information on Hebrew months and tribes can be found in:
A Time to Advance, Understanding the Significance of the Hebrew Tribes

As a woman who has very recently lost her only daughter to illness, I have many days, hours, moments and seconds when I don’t know for sure how or if I am going to make it. One of the things God uses on some of those occasions is a song which I first heard sung by Bill Welte and Robert Hayes. The title and words of the song say it all.

I’ve not yet been able to listen to it without tears because, to me, it’s simple and beautiful in the pure truth it expresses, which is, God is with me! He is never not present with me/with us in all the moments of my/our lives, especially when the pain seems unbearable. He is there.

So, recently, I wanted to listen to it but couldn’t find my copy which led me to Google® it and found it on YouTube sung by another favorite of mine, Guy Penrod, who sings with the Gaither Vocal Band. Before he sang, he said the following:

“God has promised to take us through. So often I pray, in my human way of understanding, that the hard stuff of life will just be removed and I ask God to make me well, solve my problems, provide what I need or want, and that’s okay. God wants us to come to Him with everything that troubles us; all of our needs. But often times, the things we pray to be removed from our lives are the very things He’s using to make us the kind of people He wants us to be. Let’s face it, hard stuff is hard, but God is so trustworthy and He has promised to walk with us through all the episodes of our lives and in the process He is finishing the work He started in us to make us, well…finally perfect.” Guy Penrod.

“When I saw what lay before me, ‘Lord,’ I cried, ‘what will You do?’
I thought He would just remove it but He gently led me through.

Without fire there’s no refining.
Without pain no relief.
Without flood there’s no rescue.
Without testing no belief.

Through the Fire.
Through the Flood.
Through the Water.
Through the Blood.

Through the dry and barren places.
Through life’s dense and maddening mazes.
Through the pain and through the glory.
Through will always tell the story.
Of the God whose power and mercy,
Will not fail to take us through.”

Dear sisters, whatever it is that has gripped your life or heart today, know this: God is with you. He will never ever leave or forsake you. Trust Him. Most especially trust Him when it makes no sense, because He is there. He is ever present and all the time and He is faithful to take you THROUGH.

Stephanie Dale

Now there is in Jerusalem by the Sheep Gate a pool, in Aramaic called Bethesda, which has five roofed colonnades. In these lay a multitude of invalids—blind, lame, and paralyzed. One man was there who had been an invalid for thirty-eight years. When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had already been there a long time, he said to him, “Do you want to be healed?”… Jesus said to him, “Get up, take up your bed, and walk.” John 5:2-6, 8

The man was an invalid.
He had been an invalid for 38 years.
He could not walk, at least not well.
Jesus asks him, “Do you want to be healed?” Who would say no?
Jesus calls him to act in a way that assumes healing.
He was lying there a long time.
Jesus tells him to get up.
He was an invalid…
Jesus tells him to take up his bed.
He didn’t walk…
Jesus tells him to walk.

Think about your own life. What are you asking God to heal you of? I don’t mean just physically. How about that sin that so easily ensnares you?

Are you waiting for obedience to become easier? Are you waiting for God to take away the temptation? Is it possible God is calling you to act in a way that assumes healing? That you need to step out in faith believing God has healed you?

“Freedom lies on the other side of our obedience.”

Blessings, Diane