MISSION MUSINGS

Mission Musings

December Mission Musings: An Advent Prayer

O Most Gracious God, I give You thanks and praise for bringing Christ’s light to my life! Your Son spoke these words in John 8:12 “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”

During this season of darkness, I am so thankful for the sunshiny days! The lights at night that adorn churches and homes give me abundant joy too. I praise God for sending His Only Son into the world to overcome the darkness of sin, death, and the devil. My heart is filled with adoration at Christ’s first coming.

I come before You this Advent, knowing that my life is overloaded by far too many things. Forgive me for not heeding Your command to put You first in my life!

There are gifts to buy and wrap. There are gatherings to attend. Cookies need to be baked. Christmas programs must be prepared and practiced. Decorations need to be hung. Christmas cards should be sent. As I prepare to celebrate the birth of Jesus, I am overwhelmed by the “stuff” that needs to be done.

O Lord, as I follow Martha’s example of service to my neighbor, may I also follow Mary in remembering the one thing needful this Advent.

You shall have no other gods before me. (Exodus 20:3)

Guide me with Your Spirit, that as I reflect on the true meaning of Advent. May Your Holy Word be rooted deeply in my heart and mind. Help me to prepare for and celebrate the first coming of Your Son, Jesus, through daily Scripture readings, devotions, and prayer.

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. (Psalm 119:105)

May Christ’s present coming through Word and Sacrament be a blessing to me. I pray that these means of grace will keep me steadfast in faith, as I look forward to Christ’s second coming.

Even when I am in church each week and midweek services, sometimes I wish I were somewhere else, or doing something else. Forgive me when I “despise preaching and your Word” (Luther's Small Catechism, Explanation of the Third Commandment). I know that these things are needful! I know this gathering together is an encouragement for my faith. I want to receive the good gifts, which You, dear God, have promised to me. I am sorry for my sinful and selfish ways, O Lord!

May my words and actions reflect the light of Christ to all I interact with each day.

I get so crabby and tired at this time of year, because my focus is on the wrong thing. Forgive my grumbling! There are many who don’t know why Advent and Christmas are celebrated in the first place. I pray that what they see in me comes from the Lord, and not from the sinner that I am.

Jesus said, “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:14-16)

I pray this in the name of Jesus, the Advent King. Amen.

He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus! (Rev. 22:20)

Mission Musing – November 2024

God Is in Control, We Are Not!

“Lord, I am anxious today. I don’t know what is going to happen next, or if the next paycheck will cover the expenses, or if the doctor reading the test results will have a good report, or if it will be bad news that he shares with me.” These are just a few of the thoughts that run through our minds each day. Are you dealing with anxious feelings right now? Perhaps you have had some in the past? Maybe the results of the presidential election have you all flustered and concerned about the future. The devil brings doubt to our troubled hearts and minds every day, making us doubt the promises of the Lord. As Moses spoke these words to Joshua, they still ring true today, “It is the Lord who goes before you. He will be with you; he will not leave you

or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.” (Deut. 31:8)

God is in control, we are not! If our lives are focused on the Lord through His Holy Word and Sacraments, He will guide us and give us peace no matter what is going on in our lives, the nation, or the world. It is when we look to ourselves or others for our “salvation” or “saving grace” that we take our eyes off of the one True Savior, Jesus. It is then that panic sets in and we flounder about trying to make things all work out with our own works and strength. We look outward or inward instead of upward to the Lord. We need to remember that God goes before us, and He is in control!

God will fight for us! When the Israelites were standing on the banks of the Red Sea, Moses spoke these words from God to His chosen people, ‘“Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will work for you today.”’ (Exodus 14:13) He then goes on to say from Exodus 14:14, “The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.”

Just like the Israelites didn’t know the outcome of what would take place, we don’t know what our earthly future will hold either. What we do know is that whatever comes our way, God will be with us, and He works for us! The Lord God fights for us. We will not spend eternity in the brokenness of this world. Instead, Christ has gone to prepare a place for us, and where He is, we will be forever!

Remember Jesus declared, “It is finished.” He has already fought and won the battle against Satan, the world, and our own sinful nature. Thanks be to God for our victory through Christ Jesus.

Onward, Christian soldiers,/ Marching as to war

With the cross of Jesus /Going on before.

Christ, the royal master, /Leads against the foe;

Forward into battle/ See His banners go!

Onward Christian soldiers,/ Marching as to war,

With the cross of Jesus/ Going on before.
Baring-Gould, “Onward, Christian Soldiers” Lutheran Service Book (St. Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 2006) 662, 1

Debra Albers
VP of Christian Life

Mission Musing - October 2024

How many of you are “sky watchers”? I don’t mean, just when there are storms predicted, I mean all the time—well, not really all the time, but from time to time on a daily basis. I am “guilty” of this and have been for as long as I can remember. When I was very young, I can still remember being outside with Mom and my younger brother, and we would play the “cloud” game—you know the one where you try and find different shapes or things in the clouds. It was an adaptation of the game: “I see something you don’t see”. Walking to school, I would catch myself looking at clouds and trying to “see” something besides clouds. When I was teaching school, we would often cloud watch at recess, and then come in and either draw what we saw, or do some creative writing about the clouds. Some of the classes would get really creative with these projects.

Clouds aren’t the only thing to enjoy when you “sky watch” though, as I’m sure many of you enjoy sunrises and sunsets as much as I do. Living out in the country as we do, we pretty much have an unobstructed view-(except every 3^rd year when our home is surrounded by corn fields-LOL.) of both sunrises and sunsets so I get to enjoy lots of them. I never get tired of watching them, even on busy days because it usually is a colorful reminder of the marvelous God we have. David’s words in Psalm 19:1 really sums it all up. The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims His handiwork.

Recently, I was driving to an evening meeting, and I happened to glance in my side mirror and saw something red that I had to get a closer look at. I pulled off the highway on a side road where I could stop and get a better look at what was so red. The one picture with this Mission Musing is what I saw. It was hard to believe what I was looking at. David’s words that I shared above came rushing back to me, and I wondered how people can say, there is no God!

The sun and the clouds are not the only thing that catches my eye in the sky. On clear nights, I love to “moon” watch too. The 2^nd picture is of the recent Harvest Moon. I look at the moon and just have to thank God for such beauty. Not only does He share it with us, but people around the world are able to see and enjoy His creation. But how many people stop to thank God for sharing such a beautiful world with us?

Rainbows, birds flying, rain and snow are more things that catch my eye as I “sky watch”, even jet trails as I wonder who is on those planes and where are they going? No matter who or where, I do know that God is with them, just like He is with us, no matter where we are.

Do you have a chance to do some “sky watching”? Take a few minutes out of your day, and enjoy the beauty not only around us, but above us. I often wonder after I’ve seen an especially beautiful sunset or some really awesome clouds, that if what we see down here on earth is so pretty, what is it like in heaven, looking down. Hope you can do a little “sky watching” soon, and always remember David’s words written so long ago are still true today, and everyday.

Helen Mayer, Recording Secretary

Mission Musing - September 2024

Has it ever happened to you when you are working on a project and all at once everything just seemed to fall in place? Just like those last pieces of a jig saw puzzle—especially if you have been struggling to get the puzzle together for some time when you put one piece in, the others just seem to fall into place too. Times, when one thing leads to another and another, and before you know it, your project is finished! I am sure that it was a very good feeling for you, a combination of thankfulness, relief, and the good feeling of being able to check one more thing off your “to do” list. Well, let me tell you, that is what happened to me today (August 25) and this MM.

Every month, I tell myself that I need to get the MM written about the 2^nd week of the month, so I can give our Pastoral Consolers more time to review it before it is added to our web page. Good idea-right? Right! Well, here we are the last week of the month, and here I am writing the MM for September! We know that God’s timing is always right, and just within the last 24 hours, He caused all the things for this MM to fall into place. Who can argue with His timing? Know we are sometimes tempted to, but we know that He is the time clock of all of our lives, so His time is always right!

Yesterday evening, my granddaughter and I were sitting on the back steps, enjoying watching the cats playing, listening to the birds singing, and just spending time with each other (she is 14, and I know before long, these times together will not happen as often.) There was a slight breeze blowing, and Amy noticed an ant trying to move a rather large (dime sized) dead moth. Now the tiny ant would make a little progress carrying it’s precious food source forward, then the wind would come along and blow the moth and the poor little ant backwards! We watched as the “stubborn” little ant just keep moving forward, even though it could not see where it was going a lot of the time. As we watched this little ant, I thought of us—people – who are daily struggling to move ahead to an unseen future, and then things of this world, like the wind for the ant, push us backwards again—farther from our goal, and we question “WHY?”

This morning on FACEBOOK, a friend of mine shared the following quote from Toby Mac: There will come a time when every step of the journey God is taking you on will make sense—until then, keep trusting! Wow—we all know this, but sometimes when we are going through struggles, we just need to hear it again, or in a “new” way. I am going to type that quote and put it on my frig (that is if I can find a free space—lol), to remind me that I’m not in this journey of life on my own—God is always right here beside me, every step of the way, and when things happen, I don’t understand, I can be reassured that someday, it will make sense.

With that thought going through my mind today, the last piece of the MM fell into place. Here at Trinity, Conant, we still use TLH, and one of my favorite hymns, started going around in my mind, and I just have to share the first verse. You can read the others, if you don’t have the whole hymn memorized. Savior, I follow on, Guided by Thee, Seeing not yet the hand That leadeth me, Hushed be my heart and still, Fear I no further ill, Only to meet Thy will My will shall be. (TLH #422)

The little ant kept going in spite of many challenges—so can we! Unlike the little ant, we have a Savior who loved us enough to die for us, so we can be sure He will ALWAYS be here to guide us home—even though at times, we don’t understand the road we are on to get there. Jesus answered, “I am the way….”. John 14:6a.

Helen Mayer

VP of Christian Life

Mission Musing - August 2024

Not sure how it happened so fast, but here we are in August! Seven months of 2024 are gone—already! Summer is starting to wind down, school will be starting in a couple of short weeks, and already nature is beginning to take on the look of fall. How did that happen so fast?

The other morning, I was down in our garden to pick the pickles,and I was enjoying the colorful flowers, the busy bees gathering nectar, and the Gold Finches having breakfast on the bloomed out Brown-Eyed Susan’s seeds. It was then, that the flower you see along with this MM, caught my eye. At first, I noticed it because it was leaning over, almost touching the ground, rather than standing tall like the rest of the zinnias. Then, I noticed the beautiful colors, how the stages of color were all in perfect order, from the darker colored petals on the outside of the flower, down to the almost white petals near the center. You know me, I took out my camera and snapped a picture of it, so I could enjoy its beauty long after it had bloomed out. It was then, when I looked at the picture closer, that I noticed the tiny dew drops between the petals, and the way the sunshine had cast little shadows on the flower. The more I looked at it, the more beauty I saw and the more I thought, only GOD can create such beauty! Sure, my husband had tilled the garden, and I had planted the seeds, but only God could make them grow and bloom.

God’s creativity goes so much farther than the beautiful flowers He gives us to enjoy. We are all flowers in His garden—He creates each of us with our own special “colors”, talents, beauty and jobs to do. Not all of us can stand straight and tall, not all of us grow and bloom at the same time, not all of us look the same, but we are all part of His garden! All of us have a reason to be a part of the garden of life. A garden of all one kind of flowers would be really boring, so our lives. If we all looked alike, lived the same way, did the same things, life would be very boring! But God took care of that when He gave us different looks, different talents, and different lives. We are all different but one! One in our Savior, one as part of His garden of life.

So where do we go from here? Peter sums it up beautifully in his first letter where he says: As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace. (1 Peter 4:10) Use the talents you have been given in any way that you can, so that others may see Christ through you, as you continue to live and grow in God’s garden of life!

Helen Mayer

VP of Christian Life

Mission Musing - July 2024

How many of you have had a “just in the nick of time” moment? I’m sure that we have all had our share of them in our life. You know, the times you catch something just about to cook over on the stove; you just make it to the school bus to get the kids on it; you make it to the service station, while the little low on gas light is blinking – again; you catch the mail man to give him the letter that HAS to be in the mail today; you are able to say “Hello” to the person on the phone just at the last ring; and oh how the list could go on! We have all “been there and done that” more times than we can count.

Well, this morning, (June 20), I had one of those “nick of time” moments! Most all of you know by now, that God has given me the ability to see things differently sometimes, and then lets me capture some of them with my camera to share or to just enjoy later. I went over to our woods early this morning while the sun was just getting up, to pick some blackberries at my son’s, since he was out of town. We have a pond through the woods behind his house, and so I decided to drive back there and see what was going on. On my way back through the woods, I noticed the sun shining through the trees with such a neat glow that I decided to stop and try and capture it. When I began to focus my phone, I was in for a big shock! As you can see from the attached picture, the sun was reflecting off a big spider web hanging in the trees. The picture does not do it justice, but the beauty I saw was amazing! I quickly clicked my phone, and was getting ready to take another picture, when I looked and the sun had moved just enough that the spider web was no longer visible. WOW! How did I pick that perfect spot along the road to stop and get the picture of the sun in the trees? How did I get to that spot on the road in the woods at just the right time to get the picture? Why did God bless me with being able to enjoy this very brief moment of His creative beauty? He has made everything beautiful in it’s time. (Ecclesiastes 3:11a NIV)

Ok, so what’s in this “nick of time” moment for us? To me, it’s just another beautiful example of how God’s timing is always perfect! We all remember stories in the Bible that prove this: The Three Men in the Fiery Furnace; Daniel in the Lion’s Den; Noah and the Flood; The Disciples on the Boat in the Storm; and we could go on and on. How many times in our own lives, has God given us a “nick of time” moment? Many times we pray for a specific request, but it seems God isn’t listening because the prayers seem to go unanswered. Our trials, whatever they may be, seem to go on and on, but wait---what does the Psalmist David say in Ps. 31:14-15a—But I trust in you, O Lord; I say, “You are my God.” My times are in your hands. That’s it, isn’t it? Our time is not in our own hands to decide how our lives will be, but rather we gladly put our lives in our Savior’s hands—we are living on His time, on His schedule, following His perfect plans for us! Yes, we may have many “nick of time” experiences in our lives, but we always need to remember, that it is our Savior who gives us every minute of time we are to have on this earth before we are welcomed into our “forever” home with Him.

While we are here on this earth, God shares His wonderful beauty with us. He puts us where He wants us to be, when He wants us to be there, to do what He wants us to do. So when you have your next “nick of time” moment, just pause and say, Thank You God!

Helen Mayer,

VP of Christian Life

Mission Musing - June 2024

And when he got into the boat, his disciples followed him. And behold there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep. And they went and woke him saying, “Save us, Lord; we

are perishing.” And he said to them, “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?” Then he rose and rebuked the winds and

the sea, and there was a great calm. (Matthew 8:23-26)

We all remember the story I just shared—how can we forget it? From my early Sunday School days, (we won’t mention how long ago that was--) until now, this has been one of my favorite stories about Jesus and the way He cares for us. Maybe it is because the words paint such a clear picture of Jesus love and care for those He loves or maybe it is just the easy way He solved the problems of the disciples, but it leaves a lasting impression on those who hear or read it.

For most of us, living here in Southern Illinois, this past month has brought more than the usual share of weather related storms. Many times, we have been in the path of the storms that brought winds, hail, lightening, thunder and too much rain. But every time the forecasters warned us of the up-coming storms, the above Bible story came to mind, and helped to calm my troubled nerves.

Sometimes, it is not the physical, weather related storms that have brought panic and havoc to our lives, but rather the storms of illness-ours or a family member; the storms of life situations we are going through; financial storms; and the list goes on. Many times these are the storms that no one sees but us, there are no forecasts sent out via the media of their approach, they are just upon us! We have all faced these kinds of storms, and many are facing them now.

No matter what the storm is that comes into our lives though—we know that just as Jesus calmed the storm for the disciples in that tiny fishing boat, He can and will calm all the storms that come into our lives, we just have to believe! The calm may not come as fast as we would like, but it will come for all of us!

As the hymn writer so beautifully says: Jesus Savior, pilot me over life’s tempestuous sea: Unknown waves before me roll, Hiding rock and treacherous shoal. Chart and compass come from Thee. Jesus, Savior, pilot me. (LSB 715:1)

The next time a storm rolls into your life—no matter what kind, may these words help to bring you peace and comfort, as Jesus words on that boat brought comfort to His disciples.

Helen Mayer,

VP of Christian Life

Mission Musing - May 2024

The Lord their God will save His people on that day as a shepherd saves His flock.

They will sparkle in His land like jewels in a crown. Zech.9:16

On a recent morning, here where we live in SW Perry County, we had the thickest fog I have seen in several years! When I got up, the fog was so thick I could not even see our machine shop which is only about 70 feet from our back door. It was a strange feeling to hear the sound of the cars and trucks on the highway just 1/8 mile from the house, but you could see nothing but fog! My first thought was to say a prayer for everyone who had to be out traveling in the fog—I knew it had to be hard to see anything driving, and not knowing what was ahead of you as you traveled.

It wasn’t long though, before the sun began to rise, and the fog began to lift. Slowly you could see things again, and the birds began their morning songs. I said another prayer—thanking God for the sun which was making it easier to see things once more and hopefully avoid the dangers of “driving blind”, as people sometimes say.

When I went out to feed our farm cats after breakfast, the sun was glistening off of things from the “left over” fog. Little drops of fog looked like crystals and everything took on a beautiful shine! I happened to walk by the clothes line, and it was then I noticed the crystals on a spider web on the clothes line. Most of you know me well enough by now, that I just had to take a picture of that beauty.

WOW! Just an ordinary spider web becomes something so beautiful because of the sun shining on the “left over” fog. By now, you are probably beginning to see where this MM is going—or I hope so. Here’s how I see it---all of us are just like the ordinary spider web—nothing special, just part of the everyday world we live in. Most of us don’t stand out from others, most of us just keep on doing what we can in this life, yet God sees us entirely differently. We are special, we are loved, we are sparkly jewels in a crown! It is because of the Son that we can stand out and shine in this world of darkness and sin. Jesus cleared up the fog of death for us, when He rose triumphant on Easter morning, and now someday we will spend eternity with Him in heaven. Oh yes, we will still have to go through foggy times in our earthly lives, BUT, the best is yet to come. In His time, Jesus will return in all His heavenly glory and there will be no more fog to hide eternity from us. We will be “jewels” in His heavenly crown. Here on this earth we only have a limited amount of time to shine for Jesus, just like that beautiful spider web was only visible for a short time, but for those of us who believe in Jesus as our Savior, we can daily sing: “I am content! My Jesus ever lives. In Whom my heart is pleased. He has fulfilled the Law of God for me, God’s wrath He has appeased. Since He in death could perish never, I also shall not die forever. I am content! I am content!” (LSB 468)

Helen Mayer,

VP of Christian Life

Mission Musing - April 2024

“Wow! It’s over!” How many times have we said those words? I’m sure, more times than we care to remember if we are honest. As you think of these words, stop just a minute and think of all the meanings they could have when they are said. Those same three words can have a wide range of meanings when they are said and can find us high on the mountain of happiness or down in the valley of despair. They can find us crying tears of joy or shedding tears of sadness, and sometimes a combination of both!

Please take a few minutes, if you will, and let’s do a little traveling with these three words. We’ve all been in that valley of despair in our lives, and for some, a number of times. You know, when we lose a loved one after a long illness or when we go through rough financial times. The times when we are faced with really tough decisions and no matter what we decide, it seems wrong. Rounds of chemo or radiation for cancer for us or a loved one seem unending, until we can finally say those three words. And the list could go on, because I know we’ve all been in that valley that never seemed to have a way out.

But as much as it seems like it, we never stay in the valley of despair forever, no, sometime, we all travel to the mountain of happiness! We’ve all been there—the birth of a child, the reunion of a long lost family member or friend, that new job we’ve worked for, the better home we’ve hoped for, the item we finally checked off our “bucket” list, and we could go on and on. Yes, we’ve all been blessed to visit that mountain of happiness more than once in our lives, and the REAL mountain of happiness is still waiting for us, when we finally get to our Savior’s home!

We’ve just celebrated Easter and those three little words can be used in both the sad and happy way because of it. Remember when Jesus was on the cross on Good Friday, when He said, “It is finished!”? In the valley of despair, He declared His work to save sinful man was over. WOW! It’s over—His work of salvation for us was over, His unspeakable suffering for us was over, His work here on earth for His Father was over, His victory over the Devil was over, His life as a man was over! WOW! It’s over! Just three short days later, on Easter morning, on that mountain top of happiness, He rose from the dead! WOW!, It’s over! His stay in the cold tomb was over, His earthly life to pay for our sins was over, His work of saving us (all of us from Adam and Eve to the end of the world) was over, His suffering for us, His pain for us, all this and more was over. WOW! It’s over!

Now, three more words come into our lives and give us all we need—“Because He lives…”! So with much confidence we too can say: And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of His glory in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:19) With these words, we know that our earthly lives, although sometimes rough and hard to bear, are nothing compared to what is coming for those who believe. Our Savior lives eternally, and so will we when one day, like our Savior, we can say about our earthly life, “WOW! It’s over”, and our eternity has just begun! Until then though, we have every confidence that our Savior will never leave us, and will supply all our needs!

Helen Mayer

VP of Christian Life

Mission Musing - March 2024

We all know the Bible verse: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you fill find; (Matthew 7:7a), and I know that all of us have been in situations where we have been looking for something that we could not find. More than likely, we’ve put it in a “safe” place so we could find it whenever we needed it-right? It’s just as likely that while we were looking for the one thing we needed, we ran across something else that we were not looking for, but the find was a blessing. That’s the case with the quilt in the picture accompanying this MM. My Mom loved quilts, and in her lifetime hand quilted hundreds of them for family, friends, etc. It was a tradition in her family that the ladies made beautiful handmade quilts. (Unfortunately, the tradition stopped when it got to me, because although my sister can quilt beautifully, I never got that talent!) Back to my “find”—this quilt was made by my mother’s grandmother. I know many of you recognize the pattern—it’s a Crazy Quilt—made from scraps that the maker had and lovely sewn together with fancy stitches to make the plain scraps into a beautiful quilt. I was blessed with this particular quilt because, I was the only great grandchild, my Great Grandma Wildermuth got to hold before she died. (Being the oldest has some advantages, I guess.) One of my treasured pictures is of her holding me as a tiny baby, with my Grandmother and Mother. Seventy six years ago, there were not many 4 generation pictures taken, because there were not that many 4 generations living.

It had been quite a few years, since I had gotten this quilt out, to enjoy, and the more I looked at it, the more I realized, it was really all about life. Great grandma began the quilt, not knowing the size it would turn out to be, after she finished putting the scraps together—she used what she had. We don’t know the “size” of our lives, but the Maker does—the exact number of our days are known to Him. There are bright colors, and not so bright colors in the quilt—just like our days—bright, happy days, and dark, not so happy days. Yet, each of them are sewn together with love!

As we get ready to celebrate Easter—may we each look at the quilt and see beyond the “patches” that make it up, to the beauty of the finished quilt. Jesus in His earthly life, looked beyond the dark, bad days, to the beauty of His finished work—His Resurrection, that would ultimately be our resurrection with Him in heaven.

Just a Crazy Quilt-yes, just a Crazy Quilt, but oh the love that made it! Jesus love for us, sews our lives together with love and beauty, till our Crazy Quilt life is done!

Helen Mayer

VP of Christian Life

Mission Musing - February 2024

It’s happened before, I know, but it’s been awhile. And oh, how fitting the celebration of Valentine’s Day falls on Ash Wednesday, this year. Valentine’s Day brings to mind pretty colors of pinks, reds, white. Valentine’s Day brings notes of love to and from those special to us. Valentine’s Day brings flowers for many, and other gifts to show love to the special people in our lives. In fact, many stores are already putting out their Valentine’s Day gifts, candy and cards! (I say already, because I am writing this the 1st full week of January, 2024.) The world, it seems, cannot wait to celebrate this “day of love”, which sadly for many, this love is soon forgotten in our busy day to day lives.

But, February 14, 2024, is also special for another reason—a reason many in this world either ignore or forget—Ash Wednesday! Oh, you will hear lots of people talking about Mardi Gras, “Fat” Tuesday, etc., but for many, that is where the parties stop—Ash Wednesday is just the day after all the “big” events leading up to it. The colors of Valentine’s Day are the colors of the world—the color of Ash Wednesday, purple, is the color for we who are Christians. It’s a pretty good bet, that none of us will receive Ash Wednesday cards or flowers or gifts from those we love --- but wait—think about it! We receive the best gift of love ever when on Ash Wednesday, Jesus, our Savior begins to complete the real reason He came to this earth as that innocent little baby on Christmas. As for notes and words of love, we already have the best ever written—we have God’s words of love in the Bible. Not only that, we have the every lasting love that only God can give, in the person of His Son, our Savior! Every lasting love—not just for one day a year, not just one filled with pretty things that remind us of love in this world, but every lasting love—love that is out of this world! As far as gifts—there is none greater than the gift of eternal life given to us by Jesus death and resurrection! This is the gift that lasts forever—who could ask for more!

So, as we can see, Valentine’s Day is a great day to also celebrate Ash Wednesday. As Jesus said we are in the world, but not of the world. The world may see pretty hearts and notes of love on Valentine’s Day, but we have Jesus’ love that never ends. As the hymn writer so wonderfully says: Love divine, all love excelling, Joy of heav’n to earth come down! Fix in us Thy humble dwelling, All Thy faithful mercies crown. Jesus, Thou are all compassion, Pure, unbounded love Thou art; Visit us with Thy salvation, Enter ev’ry trembling heart. (LSB 700).

Helen Mayer

VP of Christian Life

Mission Musing - January 2024

“Here we go again!” Just these four little words can change a person’s life—for better or worse. I’m sure we have all used them over and over in our lives, many times not even realizing how we say them. Depending on who says them and the circumstances they are said in, they can mean so many things! Right now, as we are beginning another calendar year, it is easy to say it as we talk to our family and friends—not knowing what the coming year will bring for us, it is a way of expressing our thoughts for the New Year. As we put up our 2024 calendars it is easy to at least think those words, if we don’t say them out loud.

Looking ahead, with the knowledge of the past to guide us, when we say, “Here we go again!”, we have an idea of what lies ahead—family birthdays and weddings, and other planned family times. On the other hand, there is nothing to predict exactly what is going to take place or when. Plans change for us all. I’m sure many of us have daily calendars to help us keep track of the coming events, but even that can change. One thing never changes though, God’s plan for us His children.

As we read through the Old Testament and follow the Children of Israel to their new home, we see so many times when God could have said, “Here we go again!” You remember the times---times when the Children of Israel forgot who their leader was, or complained about their living conditions on their trip, or even began to worship false gods along the way. God was giving them everything they needed and guiding them to the Promised Land, yet, how many times did they turn away and set out on their own way. Can’t you just hear God saying those four little words over and over? Yet, God’s patience did not run out for the Children of Israel, He eventually led them into the Promised Land. No, not everyone made it to the early promised land, but God kept His promises all the way.

As we begin another year, a year God has already planned for us, by the way, may we hang on to the promises He has given us no matter what. Paul reminds the people of Philippi and also us, And my God will supply every need of yours according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus. (Phil. 4:19) As we go through another year, we are reminded again, that this journey is just temporary, and as Peter reminds us: But according to His promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. (2 Peter 3:13) Yes, “Here we go again!” into a New Year, a year of unknowns for us, yet a year of promises from our Savior, and the reminder that He ALWAYS keeps His promises, and we are NEVER alone, no matter what!

Helen Mayer

VP of Christian Life

Mission Musing - December 2023

In the beginning, God created the heaven’s and the earth. (Gen. 1:1) And so the story begins! By now, we all realize that Christmas is literally, “just around the corner”. We are in December, Advent has started and for many, our social calendars are getting filled up! The list of “things to do” grows daily, and as each day passes, for many, we just get farther behind in the things that need to be done or so it seems.

But wait—is that what Christmas is all about? Of course not! It’s not about beautifully decorated homes, brightly lit Christmas trees, meaningful Christmas cards, just the right gifts for those we love, sharing Christmas greetings with those around us, even strangers we happen to meet, and the list could go on. We all know that, but it’s so easy to fall into the world’s Christmas trap—the one that says we have to do all the material things to make it a good Christmas for ourselves and those around us. Now, in themselves, bright lights, guests, gifts, greetings etc. are not wrong—only when they become our main focus do they become something that is not part of Christmas!

So let’s take a few steps back—way back, if you will to that first Christmas, because after all, that is how the story began. That first Christmas had bright lights—the brightness of the glory of the angels on that cold winter night when they shared Good News with the shepherds. As far as Christmas greetings go, none can match the greeting from the angels to those lowly shepherds, after all, as the old commercial says: “ When you care enough to send the very best”, and God had done just that! He sent His very best, His only Son-not just to Mary and Joseph, but to the whole world—the world then, the world now, and the world to come. Oh yes, and Christmas guests—Mary, Joseph and the Baby Jesus had Christmas guests who also brought gifts—. The shepherds, and later the Wise Men came to see Baby Jesus, and they brought their gifts—but nothing could compare to the gift that God gave the world—His Son! As for sharing Christmas greetings—remember the shepherds who left the stable and told the good news they had witnessed to all they met.

The world had waited for this Good News, since Adam and Eve had sinned in the Garden of Eden after God created the world for them. Now that wait was over—the promised Savior was here—in the form of a Baby. A baby like no other—the one who would redeem the world and bring all people back to their Father. The wait was over! God had kept His promise to Adam and Eve made so long ago. In the Introit for the last Sunday of the church year, we find these words from Psalm 39: And now, O Lord, for what do I wait? My Hope is in You. (Ps. 39:7)

What do we wait for now? Some of you may not read this until after Christmas, when the hustle and bustle of the season is over, and the excitement of Christmas is just becoming a memory. So we too, ask the question, “What do I wait for?” Well, that answer is easy, because we are all waiting for the time when we will receive our crown of glory with our Savior! And so the story that began in the Garden of Eden so many years ago, was just the beginning. When will it end? Only God knows! For some of us, this coming year may be the one when we go home, or some of our loved ones go home, while others of us may have to wait a bit longer for us to begin enjoying the beginning of the story that has no end!

Helen Mayer

VP of Christian Life

Mission Musing - November 2023

On a windy fall day, the leaves are not the only thing blowing around here at our house. We have a Milk-weed patch down at the edge of our garden for the Monarch butterflies, and by this time of the year their seed pods are busting open with seeds and the light, lacy seeds are blowing around in the wind. There are hundreds of them in each seed pod, all floating off to hopefully land where they can come up next year to provide more feed and a resting place for the Monarchs. The floating seeds are God’s way of caring for and continuing a small part of His creation.

Before they float away, these beautiful white seeds in their pods, remind me of the hymn: Behold a Host, Arrayed in White, with their pure white natural beauty. They are created by God, perfect in every way, just like we will all be when we reach our final resting place with Jesus. After leaving the seed pods, along the way to their final resting place where they will lay and wait for their new life next spring, they will probably run into problems—some may be trampled under walking feet, others may get stuck in the weeds, others may stick to the hair of an animal and end up miles from here. The lucky ones, will however, fall to the ground, and rise up as new plants next spring. Just like we, after all our problems of this life, will rise up in our “new” eternal life with our Savior after our rest in the ground of mortal death.

Kinda reminds you of Jesus’ parable of the sower and the seeds, right? We all know that parable, we have heard it since we were younger (for some of us MUCH younger) in Sunday School. How many times have we read and heard that parable through the years? Whenever I hear/read it, my mind automatically goes to our pastors and missionaries who are “sowing” the seeds of God’s Word throughout the world. But wait, what about you and me? Yes, we though our LWML mites and programs, are sowing the seeds of God’s Word around us, but is that enough? Have we fulfilled what we are supposed to be doing as God’s children, making disciples of all nations? Are we reaching out to those we see in our daily lives-family members, friends, neighbors who may need to hear that Jesus is their Savior too?

The Apostle Paul had a slight problem when it came to sharing God’s Word at times. He had the desire to do it but he just could not always follow up on that desire—imprisonment, etc. kept him from fulfilling his understanding of what he needed to do. Now, none of us are imprisoned for speaking about Jesus, but sometimes, we build our own prisons of self doubt, pride and other earthly “faults” to keep us from sharing God’s Word. The Holy Spirit, however, gave Paul the help he needed, and Paul has passed this along to us in his letter to the Colossians where we read: “Continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the Word, to declare the mystery of Christ. “ (Col. 4:2-3a).

Remember that seed pod—full of pure white seeds—those seeds have no use as long as they are in that pod—they must leave it, to be scattered and to do their job of producing more plants. Just like us, we cannot do our job of bringing others to Jesus, unless we scatter and share the Good News of our Savior. May we all follow Paul’s advice and may God open doors for us to sow the seed of Jesus’ love to others, no matter where He has placed us in this life.

Helen Mayer

VP of Christian Life

Mission Musing - October 2023

What do you see in this picture? That is a question I have asked hundreds of times over the years, and I’m sure you have asked it often too. At first glance in this particular picture, you see a leaf laying on the ground after it’s fallen from the tree. Well, you are right about the leaf, but it is not laying on the ground. You see, I happened to see this leaf swinging in the wind, but it never fell completely. I had to walk over and get a closer look. There it was, the leaf was dangling from a fragile spider web! The spider web was invisible until you got really close, but it was strong enough to hold that leaf as it moved in the wind.

As I watched the leaf swinging around, I thought back to all those times in life, when I seemed to be dangling—just barely hanging on. You know the times, because you’ve had them too—waiting for a loved one to return home from a trip; waiting for the phone to ring with an important call; waiting to hear from a doctor’s report; waiting on news of a possible new job; waiting for the birth of a child; waiting for a package in the mail; waiting for those special days in our lives; waiting and praying as a friend or loved one goes home to heaven. I’m sure all of you can add the times when you’ve been “dangling” too.

Back to our dangling leaf—I’m not sure if the leaf got caught in the spider web, or if the spider made it’s web around the stem of the leaf, but I do know, that the spider web had a strong hold on that leaf! It was not letting go!

Back to our personal “dangling”. Our Savior is holding us tight through all the dangling! Through all the times we feel we are on our own and falling, our loving Savior has a strong hold on us. Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love Him. (James 1:12) and Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. (Proverbs 3:5-6) Our Savior has a strong hold on us, no matter how much dangling we do! So on those days when you feel like you have dangled as long as you can, don’t give up—JUST HANG IN THERE

Helen Mayer, VP of Christian Life

Mission Musing - August/September 2023

Isn’t it amazing how God uses simple everyday things to teach us a lesson? For example, recently I was hanging my laundry on the line outside to dry, when I noticed a knot-hole in the side of a very old “smoke-house” that has been a part of our lawn long before it was “our” lawn. I took a closer look, and saw that a vine was growing up the old wall, and had gone inside the dark hole in the wall. It was still green and growing, even as it went into the dark hole. As I stood there wondering about that, I saw where another part of the same vine, had also gone into another hole in the wall, but had found it’s way back out of a small crack between the boards. It had followed the light of the sun, shining through the crack to make its way back out of the dark building, to continue it’s growth outside.

Sometimes in our lives, we enter “dark” holes, just like that vine. Holes of depression, illness, loss of a loved one, etc. seem to invite us to stay in them. We want to hide from the light of the world, and stay in the darkness away from the light of even our family and friends, and many times, most of all, away from our Savior. We forget that our loving Savior once entered the darkest “hole” possible-a cold, dark grave, and stayed there for three long days, for us! Like that tiny vine though, He did not stay in that awful “hole”, but came out of it to be the light of the world so that we will never have to stay in any of the dark holes we enter.

Again Jesus spoke to them saying, “I am the Light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” John 8:12 ESV. What a promise to us all! Those dark holes that try to keep us away from the light, cannot succeed. If we follow the “Light of the world”, we will forever walk in the light of our Savior and grow and live in light until He calls us home to the eternal light in heaven with Him.

Helen Mayer, VP of Christian Life

Mission Musing - July 2023

Parched and Dry

It has been so dry; not much rain in our area has been falling. However, you probably don’t need me to tell you that! The ground is hard, like a rock. The farmers can hardly get the implement into the ground to sow their stubble beans. If they do, they wonder if there will be enough moisture to sprout the soybeans and to keep them growing afterwards. Farm life is a vocation where no matter what the farmer does to the seed, they depend upon the goodness of God for the rain and favorable weather to produce a crop. They need faith to get them through the “dry times” and all the other times as well.

Drought is nothing new for Christians. It took place many times in the Bible. It was considered a curse. I can see why. I am not sure about you, but I have really been looking at the skies throughout the day watching for clouds, any clouds; and praying that the Lord would bless the land with a good soaking rain. We have had a few tenth here and there, which I thank God for; but a soaking rain hasn’t come yet. We continue to rely on the perfect timing of the Lord God, in this dry season, like we do in all seasons of life.

God gave us a list of 10 commandments, and I fail to follow them each day, and yet somehow, I expect goodness from Him at every turn. Why? I don’t deserve anything good in this life, for I am a sinful creature, but God shows His love for us in that, while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8) I gave Him nothing, yet He gives to me freely. I thirst for the Living Water of Life and Salvation, in Christ Jesus, My Lord. O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no

water. (Psalm 63:1) That is how I feel, parched and dry needing water from God to feel renewed and refreshed, just like the crops and ground need the rain to replenish the life in the land, I seek God’s Life-giving water through His Word, and Sacraments, which quench my eternal thirst.

Lord, God Almighty, Your plan is always perfect! Help me to trust in Your will for my life. Forgive me when I fail to seek You and instead look to myself or others to provide. May the Holy Spirit keep me rooted in the true faith of Christ Jesus, my Savior. As the days of drought drag on, hold close all Your children and give them the peace that comes only through You. If it be Your good and gracious will, water the earth that it may be bountiful. Quench my soul with Life-giving water so that my faith may grow and be strong in Jesus! I pray for this in His saving name. Amen.

Debra Albers, VP of Gospel Outreach

Mission Musing - June 2023

A Prayer to God, Our Heavenly Father

Dear Father, He really is, after all, our Father. The One who created us. He made every human being in the whole world and still does. Adam was created first, then the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature (Genesis 2:7). God formed Adam, He did not just speak into being His children, He created them! So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them (Genesis 1:27). Now we call Him Father because He truly is!

You are holy and most worthy of praise! God, our Heavenly Father deserves and expects our praise and thanksgiving for everything He has given to us. Psalm 145:3 says Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised, and his greatness is unsearchable. Unsearchable means that no one can comprehend how great our God is! I most certainly cannot.

Thank You for all that I have been blessed with, in both the good days and the bad days. give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you (1 Thessalonians 5:18). According to the 2nd Commandment’s meaning, we are to use His name to pray, praise, and give thanks.

Father, forgive me for the sins I have committed against You and help me to forgive others when they sin against me. and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors (Matthew 6:12). We need forgiveness, for we daily sin much and deserve nothing but punishment. (Lord’s Prayer 5^th Petition Explanation)

Renew my spirit and help me to walk in Your ways each day. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit (Psalm 51:10-12).

I pray all this in the name of Your Son, our Lord, Jesus Christ. Amen. I know that I can’t come to You on my own, but through Jesus who said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me’ (John 14:6). I am so glad that Christ Jesus died for my sins so that I may pray to You dear Father through my Savior, Jesus’ name.

Debra Albers - VP of Gospel Outreach

Mission Musing - May 2023

It is so nice to be able to be outside in the early morning, especially this time of the year, when all the birds are just waking up to begin another day. Their songs are so joyful and they are sharing the start of a new day with their “friends”. They are thankful for making it through the night, and are welcoming another day. As I listen to them sing, these beloved words come to mind—“…and heaven and nature sing”.

We also have a special rooster cardinal who has been around for several years now, and he, like the other birds who call our yard home, loves to “sing” for us. This particular cardinal likes to sit on the FM radio tower we have by our house, especially in the evenings, and sing for us as the sun goes down. As you can see in the picture, he really enjoys ending the day with song in spite of the weather.

So where are my thoughts going for this Mission Musing? Psalm 96:1-4 comes to mind and I would like to share it with you now. Oh sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all the earth! Sing to the LORD, bless his name; tell of his salvation from day to day. Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous works among all the peoples! For great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; he is to be feared above all gods.

We can all learn a lesson from the birds that God has created. They begin and end their days, singing. Their days may not have been perfect—the temperature may have been too hot or too cold, they may have had to endure storms, they may have had trouble finding things to eat, etc., but they made it through their troubles to sing to their Creator!

None of our lives are easy—we can all agree to that. We all go through daily struggles, storms of illness, hurt, etc., but we never go through them alone. We never have to face anything that comes into our lives alone! We all know this, but sometimes it is easy to forget this simple truth. When troubles come our way, it is sometimes easy to forget that our God is always beside us as we struggle through our earthly life. Storms (troubles) may seem to always be in our lives, but as an old country song says: “Storms never last….”.

Next time you are in a “storm” of life, I hope you can hear a bird sing—and remember that --Of how much more value are you than the birds! (Luke 12:24b). God will get us all through the storms until He is ready to take us home to Him. Until then, sing your songs anytime and anywhere and enjoy the songs of nature God is sharing with us.

Helen Mayer, VP of Christian Life

Mission Musing - April 2023

Each spring, I cannot wait for the spring flowers to start appearing and sharing their beautiful colors. It seems like after the cold, drab, and dreary winter, those flowers look even prettier than ever. As you see in the attached picture, not only did I find some early spring crocus blooming in my yard, but I also found a very slow-moving, but busy bumble bee in them. He was either so busy or so slow in getting moving on that cool spring morning, that he let me get close enough to really capture him working on that crocus. After I took the picture, I thought back on all the bumble bees that found food

in the crocus over the years. It could have been the same picture, just different bees. It was the same food source, just different bees benefiting from it. It was the cycle of life that God had set in motion in the Garden of Eden, and still continues today. This Bible verse came to mind and as you read it, see if you agree: That which is, already has been; that which is to be, already has been; …… (Ecclesiastes 3:15a)

As I write this, we are still in the season of Lent—preparing to once again journey down that long road with our Savior as He travels to the cross that awaits Him, when He will fulfill the promises of His Father to save us from the world and our daily sins. Death, He knows awaits Him, but by that death, eternal life awaits us as we travel the road through this earth to our eternal home. Like His road, our travel is not always easy. Like His road, our road is sometimes one we have to travel without friends to help us along. Yet, we can take comfort from the verse I shared above, because we know that whatever we have to face, those before us, have faced the same thing. We also know that until Christ comes to take us all home, those who are living in the future will face the same problems, issues, etc. that we do today. We are not and never will be alone!

The wonderful thing about knowing the past, is that we also know “how the story ends”. We are not forced to stay on the road with Jesus to Calvary because we all know that “the best was yet to come”! Easter morning finds us with the women at the empty tomb! God’s promise of our resurrection has been kept with His Resurrection. We know that no matter how long our earthly road is, “Heaven is our home!” The past is full of memories, the future may be full of unknowns, but the present is our time to live our lives to the fullest, and wait for the fulfillment of the promise Jesus made to the thief on the cross: “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.” (Luke 23:43)

Helen Mayer, VP of Christian Life

Mission Musing - March 2023

Shelter, Refuge, Fortress

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress, my God in whom I trust” (Psalm 91:1-2). Dwelling in the shelter of God, what a glorious place to be. I personally don’t want to be anywhere else. I praise God the Holy Spirit for the guidance to know this shelter in my daily life.

During this season of Lent, we repent of our sins and ponder on what the Father sent the Son, Jesus, to do on our behalf. This shadow of the Almighty is not a scary place to be, but one of comfort. A place where we, believers, know that the Omnipotent God is watching over us, always.

Verse two states, I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress, my God in whom I trust.” There are three possessive pronouns in that true statement from Holy Scripture. God Almighty makes this personal to you, dear brothers and sisters in Christ, and to me. He made all things, and yet He didn’t walk away and say, “It’s all up to you now.” No, He continues to be “my” refuge, “my” fortress, “my” God! It is through the power of the Holy Spirit, that I can trust in God for all things!

As we ponder the work of redemption that our Savior, Jesus Christ, has done for us. Remember that we have shelter from the “storms” of life that come our way. God provides us with refuge from the overwhelming times of trouble and sorrow that plague us. The Father Almighty is our fortress of protection from the evil one, who seeks to devour us each day. We can trust all His promises from His precious Word, because He does not lie, like Satan does. Through faith, we trust in God alone!

Please pray with me. Almighty God, thank You for watching over me and guarding me each day. You have power to do all things, and yet care for me, a sinful human being. I am overwhelmed by Your great love for me. Please forgive me when I look within myself or seek other ways of eternal protection and salvation. I pray that I may dwell in Your shelter all the days of my life. May Your fortress protect me from the power of Satan and his evil demons. I ask that the Holy Spirit guides me to always find refuge in You, dear Father, Almighty. I pray this in the Savior, Jesus’ name. Amen.

Debra Albers - VP of Gospel Outreach

Mission Musings - February 2023

There is something about their eyes! Whenever I look at pictures of eagles close up, I am captivated by their eyes! They seem to be able to pierce right through a person. They are always watching, always looking for whatever is around.

Many of you know that I love to watch eagles, and try to capture them in pictures, like this one. I am fortunate to live in an area where eagles enjoy living, so it is not uncommon to see them when we travel around our area, especially this time of the year—(Jan.-March). Less than 10 years ago, this was not the case, however. Eagles were pretty scarce to see, and you usually had to travel closer to the Mississippi River to see any at all. Now, they have moved into our area and spend their time here. Since we see them on a more regular basis, that in no way takes away from their beauty and majesty. We read about the eagles even in God’s word where the Psalmist writes:…who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. (Ps. 103:5). A favorite hymn for many of us talks about eagles, (LSB, 727) too. Yes, eagles have a special place in God’s world!

So where am I going? The watchful, penetrating eyes of the eagle, remind me of God and His ever watching eyes. Not only is He watching out for us, to protect us from the evil around us, He is watching for His children that tend to stray from Him, so He can bring them back into His loving arms. The eagle uses his eyes to protect his life, provide him with food, and keep him alive. God does the same for His children. Many times, if you see an eagle flying, they are not using their wings to flap and keep them moving, no, rather, they are floating on a wind current, letting the current carry them along. Like the eagle on the wind current, God gently lifts us up, and carries us in the strength of His arms, especially in those times, when we are too tired, too sick or too afraid to use our own strength to move through life.

The “eyes” have it! I can picture the eyes of our Savior, while hanging on the cross, looking down on those He is dying to save—piercing, but loving, as He gives up His life for us—His children. Someday, we will all be with Him and will be able to see Him with our own eyes and enjoy our forever time with Him in His home. ….Oh, that we were there! Oh, that we were there!. (LSB 386).

Helen Mayer, VP of Christian Life

Mission Musings - January 2023

To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven. Ecclesiastes 3:1

Here we go again! Can you believe we are beginning another year? What happened to the “old” year? If you are like me, there were a lot of things that did not get done last year as you had planned. If you are like me, there are also plans for the coming year—some of which will be accomplished, others not. But you know what, that will be OK! God reassures us in the verse from Ecclesiastes that there is a time for every purpose under heaven! The whole concept of time boils down to this: God’s work will get done! Sometimes, the work we want to do may not get done, but again, that is OK. God has given us a job, and when we are finished with it, He will call us home. What a reassuring blessing that is!

One recent morning, we woke up to a beautiful sparkling world! The cold air had frozen the fog and everything was shining brightly. Spider webs were threads of glistening silver; dead leaves were bright with sparkling crystals; dried up weeds shone with new beauty, the dull gray world was “in lights” as the sun rose to shine on the frost. Sadly this beauty only lasted a short time until the sun melted the dainty beauty and once again the dead weeds became dull and gray. But oh what beauty there was, even for just a little while!

There are times, like that recent shiny morning, when God gives us a glimpse of what eternity must be like. Times when the beauty around us is hard to explain—the greatest artists of all times cannot paint such beauty—pictures cannot capture it— writers cannot describe it--only God can make it happen. If God shares with us, this fleeting earthly beauty, can you imagine what our eternal home with Him will be like?

Many of us said good-bye to loved ones and friends this past year, and even though it was hard, I find comfort in knowing that they are now enjoying the everlasting beauty that we are only getting to see briefly here on this earth. It is also a reminder, that we are here for only a short time and that is to do the work God has for us to do.

So here we go again—ready for whatever 2023 brings our way, and doing it knowing that God is here with us, every step of the way! For those of you with access to The Lutheran Hymnal, take a minute and read hymn 123! “Our God our Help in Ages Past……” This pretty much sums up our life here on earth and our eternal life to come.

Helen Mayer, VP of Christian Life

Mission Musings - December 2022

The Christmas Rose

It is one of those pre-winter jobs that probably most of us put off until the last minute. I know I do. Yet every fall, you will find me outside, usually in the cold, getting my roses ready for winter. It’s not that I don’t enjoy doing this, it is just that I want to enjoy them as long as possible, because it will be a long cold winter before they bloom again in the spring. This year was no exception as one recent cold, windy day, I was out caring for my roses. As I was putting straw and leaves around a very special rose—one my parents gave me years ago—I noticed that it was blooming! Here in the cold, even after a frost. As you can see in the picture, it was a perfectly white pure blossom! The first thought that went through my mind (well actually the 2^nd one—the first was to get my phone out of my pocket and take a picture of it to preserve it, so I could enjoy it all winter) was the hymn: Lo, How a Rose E’er Blooming! LSB 359.

The “Christmas Rose” was something I was not expecting to find that morning. Yet it was perfect! In the same way, the shepherds out in the cold wintery fields watching their sheep did not expect the announcement of the angels that their Savior had been born that night so long ago. Yes, the shepherds had no doubt heard the promise given so long ago by Isaiah: There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit. (Isaiah 11:1-2 ESV), but can you imagine their surprise when they went to Bethlehem and actually saw this fruit of Jesse’s roots! The perfect Baby they found was in some not so perfect conditions—no soft bed in a palace, no attendants for the Baby and His mother. Yet here was the fulfillment of the promise given in the Garden of Eden, here was the long awaited branch from Jesse’s roots! The gift of the Father to a world lost in sin and darkness.

Those lowly shepherds surely must have asked themselves: O Lord, How Shall I Meet You. LSB 334. We know they worshipped Him before leaving to share the Good News with all those they met on their way back to their fields. Thus we ask ourselves the same question today. How do we meet that perfect Christmas Rose? We do so with praise like the shepherds, and then like them, we share that joy with those we meet along our way back to our “fields” of life.

May each of you find the joy of the perfect Christmas Rose this holiday season amid the leaves and clutter of this world. After you find it, I pray you will share it with those around you so that they too may know the endless peace and joy He brings to us all!

Helen Mayer, VP of Christian Life

MISSION MUSINGS - NOVEMBER 2022

A burning bush, the sound of a rushing wind, a still small voice, an old weathered hunting sheath—what do all of these have in common? Now you may have read the first three and thought—uncommon ways God “talked” to His people, but I bet the old hunting sheath threw that idea out the window, so to speak. Right?

We remember how throughout the Bible, God spoke to His people in many different ways—some common like His prophets and apostles, some not so common, like the ways that opened this Mission Musings. God has always used people and sometimes things to get His message to those who needed to hear it. The same is true today—we have our Pastors and teachers, our family and friends who share God’s Word with us through words and actions. Then there are other times, when God uses things like the beauty of nature around us, or in this case, that old weathered hunting sheath to get a message to us.

Let me explain that a bit more—it began on a sunny, windy Sunday afternoon in a ripe soybean field, way back in a far corner on land we rent. My husband was using his old (1979) IH combine in one field while our son and grandson were combining in another field not too far away. The old combine pulled pretty hard going up a hill as Vernie was combining, and as he glanced around he noticed smoke coming from the other end of the field by the semi where he had just unloaded a hopper of beans. Looking back to where he was combining, he noticed his header was chocked up so he immediately stopped the combine on the level part of the field above the hill. As he was climbing out of the cab to unchoke the reel, that is when he noticed the fire beneath the ladder of the combine! He immediately tried to call 911, but his phone was dead. He called on the combine radio to our son, but John was out of the combine dealing with his own combine problem. That left Isaac, our grandson who was using the grain cart—he heard Vernie’s call for help on the radio! Isaac called 911 and calmly gave directions to the field which was by now burning around the combine and by the semi. In spite of the dispatcher questioning which fire department to send, Isaac stayed calm and kept telling them how to get to the fires. By this time, John had ran through the field and was fighting the one field fire along with our daughter in law while our other son Brian was trying to get there with a disc to try and stop the fire by using the disc. On the other end of the field, Vernie was trying to fight the fire around the combine. Finally they thankfully heard the sound of the fire department coming down the road.

After the fires were out—one fire department sent two trucks to put out the field and combine—and our family, after prayers of thanksgiving, went back to their work of combining, Vernie just had to find out what had stopped that combine sickle and saved his life. You got it, it was an old hunting sheath!!!! God used it to stop Vernie’s combine in time for him to get out and get help! We brought that old sheath home with us, as a reminder of God’s perfect timing and the way He cares for us all.

God was with Vernie and the rest of our family that day in other ways too, just like He is with all of us through the good times and the trying times. No one was seriously hurt, most of the field of beans was saved, the combine can be fixed, John got the semi moved before it caught on fire and once again, God used a unique way to talk to His people.

God may not use a worn hunting sheath to talk to you, but every day, in many ways, He “talks” to each of us. He talks to us to encourage, strengthen, assure, protect, guide and share His unending love for us. As Paul reminds the people of Philippi: I can do all things through Him who strengthens me. (Philippians 4:13 ESV)

Helen Mayer, VP of Christian Life

Mission Musings - October 2022

For nothing is impossible with God. (Luke 1:37 NIV)

Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego; Daniel; Elijah; Joseph, son of Jacob; David and the list goes on. As you read these names, what comes to mind? For me, all of these men were placed, by God, in situations that were not the best—life threatening if you will. Reread those names and think about them for a moment. None of them chose to be in such a life and death situation, yet, we can read their stories in the Bible, as happening—not because they choose them, but because God placed them in their situations for a purpose. All of them were used by God to further His kingdom, AFTER He rescued them from their threatening situation. All of them could have/should have died for what they went through, but they did not because God had a plan!

By now, I’m sure you have at least glanced at the pictures with this MM. Through the years, you have seen a number of pictures along with my MM, and it is strange what God uses to give me the words I share in our MM. This time, He used an old broken gourd! A gourd, that for all intents and purposes, was dead and useless—at least as the world saw it. It had not been used to make a bird house, nothing had used it for food when it was young, green and fresh, it had not decayed to become nutrients for the soil and future plants----nope---just a dried up shell of a gourd! But wait---God still had a plan for it! As you can see, after we had a rain shower, the tiny seeds within the gourd began to sprout and grow! They grew bigger and stronger, and finally made it out of the cracked gourd to sunlight. Unless something happens to them, they will produce more gourds. What once was just a dried up gourd, became the source of new life!

That reminds me that God uses us when and where He needs us. When it seems that we have done all we can for our Savior on this earth, God surprises us with yet another “job”. He puts us in situations we may not want to be in, or like being in, but He puts us there for a purpose. There is something we need to do for Him where ever/whenever we find ourselves in such a “useless” situation. Think about it---where has God put you lately? What can you do where you are to help spread His loving Word to others? Someone where you are, may be in need of the “Water of life”. Is there a way you can share it with them and let them see that God loves them too? Maybe it is just a hug, a phone call, an invitation to Bible Class, anything that shares the love of our Savior can be enough to plant the seed of hope for them. We know only God can make that seed grow and nourish, but we can plant it out of love.

Many of you have probably seen the small sign that sometimes hangs in

homes that says: BLOOM WHERE YOU ARE PLANTED. That is so true-just

like the tiny seeds in the dried up gourd that began to grow after receiving

the gift of water, so those around us will also begin to grow spiritually when

they receive the “Water of Life” they see coming from you. God “planted”

you where you are for a reason—even in seemingly impossible positions—

just like He did the Old Testament believers mentioned in the opening of this

MM. His love will see you through every position you find yourself, until our

work for Him is finished here on this earth. For with God, nothing is

impossible. (Luke 1:37 NIV)

Helen Mayer, VP of Christian Life

Mission Musings - September 2022

The Right Directions

[Jesus said,] “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.” (John 10:27–28)

Recently my husband and I had to travel into central Illinois to attend the funeral of the father of one of our church members. Before leaving, we careful travelers checked a road map, typed the address into the GPS on our cell phones, and even ran a paper copy of the directions, just in case the phone reception might not be the best. As we set out, we dutifully followed the female voice of our GPS, trusting that she would correctly lead us to our destination. Unfortunately, her voice led us to a poorly paved road in the middle of a cornfield where she confidently announced, “You have now reached your destination.” With no church anywhere in sight, we re-entered the address into our phones. The GPS recalculated our route. “Now we are certainly on the right track,” my husband and I said to each other. Breathing a sigh of relief and knowing we still had plenty of time to reach our destination, we again followed the female voice of our GPS. Several miles and minutes later, we again were in the middle of a cornfield, although it was a different one than the first time.

Fearing we would now be late, we drove another mile and came upon a house. As my husband went to the front door to ask for directions, a kind man came out and told us the way we needed to go to reach the church. This time, as we started the car, we turned off our phones and followed his directions to the right location. After we parked in the church parking lot, my husband and I looked at each other and agreed not to tell anyone of our misadventures as we were already embarrassed enough. Following the funeral service, another person from our congregation asked us if we had any trouble finding the church. After a furtive glance at one another, my husband and I admitted that we had indeed been lost and if it wasn’t for the kind man who directed us, we would probably still be out among the tall stalks of central Illinois corn. It turned out that almost everyone from our congregation who attended the funeral had experienced difficulties in finding the church. Needless to say, all of us asked for directions to find our way home that did not involve many field and township roads!

Even if you’ve never been physically lost, we’ve all been lost in another way—lost in sin. Having been born sinful by inheriting the sin of Adam and then committing our own acts of disobedience, we were once lost in a pit of despair that even the best map or finest GPS could not fix. The Bible tells us, For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:22b–23). Lost and without hope, we needed the help of our Triune God to rescue us. In love and mercy, God sent Jesus to lift us up out of the deadly pit of sin. Jesus died and rose to redeem us from sin and to bring us back to God. Jesus came to seek and to save the lost (Luke 19:10). Jesus is our Good Shepherd who gives us the gift of eternal life and who leads us to heaven.

On all our earthly journeys, the voice of Jesus directs us as we hear it and read it in God’s Word. He is our always trustworthy GPS. He promises us He will never allow anything to take us from Him. Jesus promises to always lead us in the right direction because He Himself is the way, and the truth, and the life (John 14:6).

Remember the kind man earlier in the devotion who eagerly gave my husband and I the right directions? He knew we were lost and distressed so he told us the right way to go. All around us are people who may know how to physically reach their destination. But when it comes to knowing their spiritual destination, they are lost, distressed, and often without hope. As we follow Jesus, the Holy Spirit empowers us to have the eagerness of the kind man. May we eagerly, at every opportunity, share this Good News—the only way to heaven is through faith in Jesus, our Savior. That’s the right directions!

We pray:

Amazing grace how sweet the sound—that saved a wretch like me!

I once was lost but now am found, Was blind but now I see!

The Lord has promised good to me, His Word my hope secures;

He will my shield and portion be As long as life endures.

Through many dangers, toils, and snares I have already come;

His grace has brought me safe thus far, His grace will lead me home.

Yes, when this flesh and heart shall fail And mortal life shall cease,

Amazing grace shall then prevail In heaven’s joy and peace.

“Amazing Grace,” vv. 1–4, John Newton, LSB 744, Public Domain

Diane Grebing, LWML SID President

Mission Musings - August 2022

It’s No Mystery

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. (2 Corinthians 1:3–4)

I consider myself an avid reader. I enjoy all kinds of books: fiction, non-fiction, biographies, and the occasional mystery. On a recent vacation I relaxed with a mystery novel which wasn’t simply about solving a crime. It was also about the importance of friendship and the comfort friends bring us, especially when we face affliction.

The main character in this mystery novel had recently moved to a new town. A group of women befriended her and included her in their luncheons and outings. When her husband was accused of murdering a business associate, these friends rallied around her, stayed by her side, helped to solve the mystery, and even saved her life!

Our gracious heavenly Father and His Son Jesus, our best Friend, do the same for us. The Scripture reading above says our loving heavenly Father is the God of all comfort who is always there for us in every affliction. This includes our greatest affliction of all: sin. Our merciful God sent Jesus to rescue us from the pain and suffering our sins cause us and others. Jesus died and rose again, freeing us from the eternal death we deserve, and giving us the wonderful gift of eternal life through faith in Him. Knowing that God did this for us, we can trust in His comfort and help through any other affliction we face.

It’s no mystery—affliction abounds in our world. Illness, financial setbacks, broken relationships, and loneliness are but a few of the challenges we and those around us face. As we encounter individuals facing affliction, the Holy Spirit helps us to show them the same comfort and hope God has shown and continues to show us. Sometimes we are directly informed of a person’s affliction. But sometimes we need to use the detective skill of compassionate observation provided by the Holy Spirit to uncover what might be causing a sister or brother in Christ to suffer. God opens our eyes so we see the lonely widow or widower, the new church member afflicted by illness or depression, the new neighbor who could use a friend, the child or grandchild who suffers from bullying, the single young mother exhausted by her work within her home and outside of it. In these situations, God helps us share His grace and compassion. As we show Christian friendship, we are the face of Jesus to those who are suffering. We are blessed with the opportunity to show God’s love, care, and comfort in meaningful ways.

It’s no mystery—the world needs to know Jesus’ saving love and the comfort and hope that come from believing in Him. Ask God in prayer to open your eyes to the needs of others. Ask God for His wisdom and strength to be a comfort and help to those around you who are hurting.

Prayer: Blest be the tie that binds our hearts in Christian love; the fellowship of kindred minds is like to that above. Before our Father’s throne we pour our ardent prayers; our fears, our hopes, our aims are one, our comforts and our cares. We share our mutual woes, our mutual burdens bear, and often for each other flows the sympathizing tear. When here our pathways part, we suffer bitter pain; yet, one in Christ and one in heart, we hope to meet again. From sorrow, toil, and pain, and sin we shall be free and perfect love and friendship reign through all eternity. Amen. (“Blest Be the Tie That Binds,” LSB 649, John Fawcett, Public Domain)

Diane Grebing, LWML SID President

Mission Musings - July 2022

HIDDEN PICTURES

How many of you have ever had a book or maybe just a page of “hidden” pictures? You know—the big picture that has cleverly hidden smaller objects within it. They were always a lot of fun. I remember helping my sons and then more recently my grandchildren find the “hidden” pictures. Sometimes they were really hidden and you had to look hard to find them, but they were always there! When I was teaching, I always had some “extra” worksheets for my students when they had finished their assigned work and needed a little something to do—“hidden” pictures sheets were always a hit with them too. (This was before tablets and computers were available for everyone.)

Right now in this world, the “big picture” looks pretty negative. Destructive weather of all kinds seems to be everywhere. Prices of numerous goods seem to have sky-rocketed overnight. New diseases are springing up all around us. People are using guns to kill and hurt others on an almost daily basis—this not only happens in the big cities, but also in small towns across the U.S. and around the world. And so it goes-----

Yes, the big picture does not look good, but just for a minute, let’s look for the “little pictures”: the sunrise reminding us of yet another day of God’s grace to us; the birds singing for joy that they are alive and well; the tiny bees being very busy doing their work of collecting honey for the hive; the smile or wave of a friend or a stranger, the colorful flowers blooming all over the place reminding us that God clothes us every day and some day we will be clothed in the spotless garments of eternal salvation. And so it goes------

Jesus followers were having their problems “seeing” Jesus in their world even though Jesus was with them, so John records Jesus words to them for us today:”I have told you these things so that in Me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33 NIV)

There you have it! Don’t let God’s love for you get “hidden” in the big busy picture of the world. Take some time and look for the little “hidden” pictures of His love and grace all around you –every day! On some days it may seem hard to find, but don’t worry, they are there—all the time—after all, God the Father is the one who plans, draws, and completes all of our life “pictures”! In the ultimate “big picture” we know God is indeed working all things for our good “in light of eternity” to achieve a glorious victory. “The night is far gone; the day is at hand.” (Romans 13:12a)

Helen Mayer, VP of Christian Life

Mission Musings - June 2022

The power of one---

It is that time of year again, when you notice them along the roads-beautiful bunches of white daisies, blooming just where God planted them.

As you can see in the first picture, their simple white color stands out from the weeds and grasses and conveys beauty to all who take the time to notice them.

As I was enjoying these daisies along one of our fields, I could not help but see one special flower in the patch—one with extra beauty, if you will. On this daisy a tiny bee was super busy collecting pollen for the hive. He was so busy, he did not notice me getting close to take a picture.

I quietly stood there and watched as he carefully went all around the daisy, collecting as much pollen as he could. After I took the picture, I could not help but notice the numerous tiny parts of that daisy that I had not seen before. Just looking at the daisy, I had not noticed each of these tiny parts, I just saw the whole flower.

The one daisy stood out from all the rest in the patch, because of the busy little bee. I just bet that after all the pollen was collected from the one daisy, that little bee visited many of the others there in the field of daisies. One little bee, can do an amazing amount of work collecting the pollen and taking it back to the hive! I don’t think the tiny bee worried about all the work he had to do, he just kept working on the job-one beautiful daisy at a time!

Have you ever felt like that little bee? You see way too much work to be done and no one to help you? No one to share ideas. No one to do a little of the work, no one to just say, “Good job!”.

Throughout our LWML/SID, we see more and more groups shrinking in the number of ladies involved for reasons that include illness, age, other commitments, family needs, jobs, and the list goes on. It may seem like you are the only one able to carry on the many jobs in your society/group. Jobs that many used to do and jobs that now need to be done. Do you ever feel like that little bee—so many flowers, so little time?

Just as the one bee can pollinate many flowers and collect lots of pollen for honey, so one person working for the Lord can do so much to further God’s kingdom. All of us have been given at least one talent from our Savior to use for His work. Like that little bee who uses his talent, we need to use our talent for the good of the Lord even if we are working alone.

It has been said that “one” is a lonely number, but “one” is a powerful number when we use it for our ONE God! And Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve’ ”. (Luke 4:8.) Our ONE God only asks us to live one day at a time and serve Him. Like the one little bee, He will give us the strength needed to do His work and one day take us home to be with Him forever. Oh, the power of ONE!

Helen Mayer, VP of Christian Life

Mission Musings - May 2022

Let’s Bloom!

[Thus says the LORD:] “Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose trust is the LORD. He is like a tree planted by water, that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green, and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.” (Jeremiah 17:5a, 7–8)

Since late April and all throughout May, nature is in bloom! Bushes, trees, and various plants are covered with colorful blossoms and new green growth. Our great God provides the good soil, sunlight and water so vegetation blooms and grows, adding color and beauty to our lives.

People are also blooming parts of God’s creation, more beautiful than any plant or flower. We can bloom only because of God’s work in our lives. Through the death and resurrection of Jesus, God’s Son, we have been rescued from sin and eternal death. God blesses us with new, eternal, and blooming lives as the Holy Spirit grows and strengthens the faith He’s given us through His Word and the water of Holy Baptism. Firmly planted in Jesus, the Living Water, we are enabled by the Holy Spirit to flower and bear fruit which brings glory to God.

Jeremiah 17 says in the year of drought God continues to work in us so that even then we may bloom and bear fruit for Him. A year of drought may be a time of illness, a time of stress, a time of sorrow and loss, a time of doubt, a time of fear and worry. While the devil may try to use such situations to lead us to believe that we are shriveled and useless, our all-powerful God promises us in His Word:

- And the LORD will guide you continually and satisfy your desire in scorched places and make your bones strong; and you shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail (Isaiah 58:11).

- [Jesus said,] “I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples” (John 15:5, 7–8).

- Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving” (Colossians 2:6–7).

Our blooming is a result of God’s work in us. He alone gives the growth (1 Corinthians 3:7). What a blessing! Wherever we are planted, we can trust that God will work in us and through us so we can bloom, and thus share the precious, life-saving and life-giving Good News of Jesus.

Prayer: Gracious God, we thank You for planting us where we are fed and strengthened by Your Word and Sacraments. May Jesus, the Living Water, continue to flow in us so we may always bloom for You. In His name we pray. Amen.

Diane Grebing, LWML SID President

Mission Musings - April 2022

The Best Greeting Ever

But on the first day of the week, at early dawn, they went to the tomb, taking the spices they had prepared. And they found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they went in they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus. While they were perplexed about this, behold, two men stood by them in dazzling apparel. And as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, “Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen. (Luke 24:1–6a)

And they rose that same hour and returned to Jerusalem. And they found the eleven and those who were with them gathered together, saying, “The Lord has risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!” (Luke 24:33–34)

What’s the best greeting you’ve ever received? Some that come to mind are the excited hug of a child or grandchild when they see you, the hug and kiss between military spouses when they are reunited after a deployment, the “Hello! How are you?” on a phone call with a long-distance friend, or the “Hi, Mom! It’s great to see you!” when your young adult child returns home from college for a visit.

For the followers of Jesus on the Easter morning when He rose from the dead, the best greeting they received were the words “the Lord has risen” spoken by two angels to the women at Jesus’ empty tomb and spoken by Cleopas and his friend from Emmaus to the eleven disciples and others on Easter evening. Having been in shock and mourning since Good Friday afternoon when Jesus died on the cross, His followers thought they would never see Him again. But what a surprise! After suffering and dying for the sins of everyone, Jesus triumphantly rose from the dead to live forever as their (and our) risen Savior and Lord. Filled with joy, these early Christians took to greeting one another with the same words: “Christ is risen! He is risen indeed!”

Perhaps you’ve given and received this joyous greeting. Known as the Paschal Greeting, the words, “Christ is risen! He is risen indeed!” have been exchanged between Christians for centuries. Paschal is a Greek word taken from the Hebrew word pesach meaning Passover. For the weeks from Easter Sunday until Jesus’ ascension into heaven, this phrase is enthusiastically exchanged between pastors and parishioners, as well as between parishioners themselves as a greeting which conveys the miraculous truth that Jesus indeed rose from the dead.

As Christians, we have the privilege of sharing this best greeting ever to proclaim that Jesus’ death was not the end, neither for Him nor for us. The Bible tells us, He died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised (2 Corinthians 5:15). Holy Scripture also proclaims, But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive (1 Corinthians 15:20–22). What wonderful news! Jesus died and rose for you! Like the early Christians, we can give the joyous greeting, “Christ is risen! He is risen indeed!”

Prayer: Lord Jesus, in this Easter season and always, we thank and praise You for rescuing us from sin’s deadly grip through Your death on the cross and for giving us a new and eternal life through faith in You and in Your resurrection. Give us joyful hearts to proclaim to everyone the best greeting ever: “You have risen indeed! Alleluia!” In Your saving name we pray. Amen.

Diane Grebing, LWML SID President

Mission Musings - March 2022

And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. (Ephesians 5:2)

Did you know that you might have a new “resident” in your home? This new invader is not the usual mouse, wasp, or fly that sneaks in during cold weather to keep warm in our basements, crawl spaces, or in the upstairs areas of our homes. This new invader is the BMSB: the brown marmorated stink bug. In the summer and fall, you may have seen these insects in your garden or on your porch. The BMSB is characterized by a flat, shield shaped body that is as wide as it is long. It has black and white banding on its antennae, alternating dark/light banding on the edge of its wings, and smooth shoulders. Its piercing mouthparts are capable of damaging crops such as apples, pears, and soybeans. Stink bugs were first identified in the U.S. in 1988 in Pennsylvania. They are not native to North America and it is thought they arrived here in storage containers shipped from Asia. They have now been found in 47 states. They come into homes during cold weather to keep warm. During the winter, they enter a stage called diapause which slows down their metabolism allowing them to survive without food for months. As long as they are not bothered, stink bugs usually find their way back outside once the weather turns warm.

The BMSB is not harmful to humans or pets. So why are they called “stink bugs?” When these bugs are threatened or startled, they release a bad-smelling liquid from a scent gland. If you crush one or spray it with insecticide, its odor is released. The best way to get rid of a stink bug is to gently sweep it into a bucket, then fill the bucket with a few inches of soapy water which will kill it without any stench. Vacuuming them up is not recommended as the stinky smell will be released and make your vacuum cleaner smell terrible.

Recently we hosted a BMSB on our dining room wall. Knowing to leave it alone, we did so as it stayed mostly motionless close to our back door. One evening, however, after a particularly warm winter day, the bug began to fly around our living room. Eventually, we were able to coax it into a plastic cup and then throw it out our back door into the cold evening air. We hope we will not see any others using our home as their winter B & B (without the breakfast part, of course).

No matter how we try to ignore, hide, or forget them, our sins “stink.” While they may not cause odors which can be detected by the human nose, our sins stink because of the hurt, damage, and heartache they cause us and others. We are told in Romans 3:22b–23, For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. In fact, as the Bible reminds us, even the actions we do to try to make ourselves right with God stink. Isaiah 64:6a says, We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like a polluted garment. There is nothing we can do to remove the stench of sin from ourselves. But there is a solution—Jesus.

Jesus came to the world with a mission to rid us from the stench of sin. To atone for our sins, our Savior Jesus suffered and died on the cross to pay the price God demanded. Being without sin, He alone could do this for us. His great love for us led Him to give Himself up for us (Ephesians 5:2). Jesus’ sacrifice on our behalf was a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

After Jesus died for us He rose from the dead! We now have victory over sin and death through faith in Him. The sting of sin is death, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 15:56–57).

Pest control experts recommend to get rid of stink bugs by drowning them in soapy water. By the power of the Holy Spirit, when we are baptized in the name of the Triune God, the water combined with the powerful Word of God drowns our sins and washes them away. Our hearts are cleansed. We are given saving faith and are enabled to walk in love as Christ loves us.

In this season of Lent, we especially focus on what Jesus did to rescue us from our stinky sins. As we ponder the ultimate sacrifice our Savior made for us, may our hearts be filled with thankfulness for the faith we have been given in Him which leads us to our glorious, fragrant heavenly home.

Diane Grebing, LWML SID President

(BMSB facts courtesy of the University of Illinois and Griffin Pest Control (www.griffinpest.com.)

Mission Musings - February 2022

One, Two, Three!

We live in a world today of recycling, refurbishing, reusing, etc. There are pages and pages on the internet with ideas on how to make something old “new” or find a different way to us it. Pages on how to make something usable out of something that should be discarded. Indeed, reusing the many resources God has given us is a good thing, and something we should all do.

Did you get a chance to look at the three pictures above? What did you see? Let me guess- you saw three different things and most of you probably had different thoughts come into your mind when you saw them. Well, if you will give me a couple minutes, I’ll share what I see, ready—one, two, three!

One: I see a pretty good sized live cedar tree. While it was standing out in the fence row, it offered shelter to the birds and small animals that lived near it. It provided shelter from the hot summer sun and the cold winter winds. It also provided a safe place for them to hide from the various predators that lived around it.

Two: I see a beautifully decorated Christmas tree proudly standing in our church, offering bright colors and joy to all who see it. The sparkling lights reflect the joy of the season, the birthday of our Savior! The ornaments, many of them very old, bring back memories of Christmas past and loved ones no longer celebrating here on this earth. However, they are celebrating with their Savior in heaven and waiting for us to join them there.

Three: I see a rugged old cross, cut from the limbs of that cedar tree that once was so bright and full of color—our Christmas tree! The cross is bare and rough, not all that pretty, a reminder that on a similar looking cross our Savior was nailed for our sins. What a shelter we find in that cross! It is a shelter from the temptations of the Devil, the world and our flesh. It’s a constant reminder that it’s all about Jesus—not us! This “Christmas” tree cross will sit by the altar at Trinity all during Lent and Easter, a reminder that it is truly a cross of love!

One, two, three! That is it—one tree— and three roles that it played in our Savior’s life and death. Reminds me of Jesus role in our lives as we read in His Word: Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life.” John 14:6a (NIV

Helen Mayer - VP of Christian Life

Mission Musings - January 2022
In the same way, let your light shine before others so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. Matthew 5:16

The sun was shining through this vintage Christmas window decoration the other morning in such a way, that the candle looked like it was burning. It caught my eye as the light was then reflected on the wall and a full shadow was there to enjoy. On a cold winter morning that sun light gave warmth through the window decoration .Even if it was just a little bit of sunshine you could still tell the difference in the warmth coming from the window. The next time I went by the window, the sun had moved just enough that the shadow from the window decoration was no longer there.

Growing up, I loved to stay out on my grandparent’s farm. One of the special memories I have of those times, was during the winter on especially cold nights, Grandpa would take a kerosene lantern down to the “pump” house to keep the water pump warm during the night. The “pump” house was about a quarter of a mile from the house, but on blustery cold days, it seemed much farther away. Every fall, Grandpa and my uncle would place bales of straw around the small structure that held the water pump for the farm. The straw bales made good insulation, and for most of the winter, kept the pump from freezing. There were times though, when the straw bales were just not enough. It was those times when Grandpa took a lantern down to add some extra heat. The tiny flame in the lantern produced the extra heat needed to keep the pump warm. If Grandpa took two lanterns down in the evening, you knew it was going to be a REALLY cold night! The next morning, he would walk down to get the lantern and bring it home so the glass globe could be cleaned and the lantern refilled with kerosene ready for the next cold night.

We are entering what is usually the darkest, coldest part of the year here in Southern Illinois. Thankfully most of us, we have homes that keep us warm and cozy during the cold winter. Yet with day-light saving time in effect, we all have the long, cold evenings ahead of us each day. The longer evenings give us more time to do the things we enjoy, that we cannot get to during the other busier times of the year. For some of us, however, the long evenings can be over whelming, and even cause us to retreat into a mild depression. We need a little more “light”, if you will. Like Grandpa’s lantern that gave a little more light and warmth to the tiny pump house, we need just a little something extra to keep us going.

May I suggest a few possible “lights” for you to try this year: Find a new Bible study that you have always wanted to do, but never had the time. Read a book on your “someday I will find the time” list. Write a real pen and ink letter to an old friend you haven’t heard from for awhile, or send a card to someone in a local nursing home—even if you do not know someone at the home, just address it to –“Someone who needs a hug”, and you will make someone’s day. Get out some crayons or colored pencils, and do some coloring (check out LWML.org for some neat ideas, and printable pictures)—we are never too old to color!!!! Put a puzzle together. Go through and label all those pictures you have in a box-someday someone will wonder who is in the pictures they find after you are gone. Phone a friend and catch up on what is happening in their life. Most importantly, remember, that God’s light of love shines in and through each of us—find a way to share that with those around you. Be like the candle with the sun shining through the window decoration, reflecting Christ’s light to all.

Helen Mayer - VP of Christian Life

Mission Musings - December 2021

A Hymn For All Seasons

¹⁰And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. ¹¹For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” ¹³ And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, ¹⁴ “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” (Luke 2:10–11, 13–14)

²The LORD has made known his salvation; he has revealed his righteousness in the sight of the nations. ⁴Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth; break forth into joyous song and sing praises! ⁸Let the rivers clap their hands; let the hills sing for joy together ⁹ before the LORD, for he comes to judge the earth. (Psalm 98:2, 4, 8–9)

“Joy to the World”

1. Joy to the world, the Lord is come! Let earth receive her King; Let ev’ry heart prepare Him room

And heav’n and nature sing, And heav’n and nature sing, And heav’n, and heav’n and nature sing.

2. Joy to the earth, the Savior reigns! Let men their songs employ, While fields and floods, rocks, hills, and plains

Repeat the sounding joy, Repeat the sounding joy, Repeat, repeat the sounding joy.

3. No more let sins and sorrows grow Nor thorns infest the ground; He comes to make His blessings flow

Far as the curse is found, Far as the curse is found, Far as, far as the curse is found.

4. He rules the world with truth and grace And makes the nations prove The glories of His righteousness,

And wonders of His love, And wonders of His love, And wonders, wonders of His love.

Did you know that the lyrics to the beloved Christmas hymn “Joy to the World” were never written to be sung at Christmas? The hymn’s author, Isaac Watts, never even wrote these words as a song. Instead, he wrote them as a poem based on Psalm 98. Watts’ poem was never set to music until well after he died. The words of Watts’ poem tell of Christ’s second coming, our Advent focus, not of His birth. In Verse 3 of the poem we read of the end of sin. Verse 4, speaks of the time when all nations will tell of Jesus’ glory. Today, as we continue to wait for Jesus’ return, sin still hurts and destroys and unbelievers do not proclaim Jesus as King

So why do we sing “Joy to the World” at Christmas? To answer this, reread the verses of Luke 2 and Psalm 98 which begin this devotion. On the night Jesus was born, the angel told the shepherds of great joy (Luke 2:10). This joy was because of Jesus’ first coming to earth as a baby who would grow up to be the long-awaited promised Savior. Watts wrote his poem while especially meditating on Psalm 98:4: Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth; break forth into joyous song and sing praises! This is the joy that will be when Jesus returns. As John writes in Revelation 21:1–5: Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” When Jesus comes back to earth a second time, all sin, death, and sorrow will be gone. All people, even unbelievers, will know Jesus is the King. All who trust in Jesus as their Savior will live with Him in heaven in eternal joy and peace.

Even though Watts never meant his poem to become a Christmas hymn, it is all about what Jesus came to do as Immanuel, “God with us,” in a manger centuries ago. In the Advent and Christmas seasons as well as in every season, we focus on what Jesus has done for us as our Savior, what He continues to do for us every day as our risen Lord, and what He will do when He returns. It is all about the joy we have in Jesus every day. It is the joy we have been called to share with all nations so that all may know Jesus and the “wonders of His love,” shown in His forgiveness, grace, and in the new life faith in Him brings.

May God help us to eagerly express in every situation, season, and time of our life, “Joy to the world in Jesus, our Lord, our Savior, and our King!”

Diane Grebing, LWML SID President

Mission Musings - November 2021

Spiders Web

Spider webs have always fascinated me. When I was young, they were scary things when I would walk into one in a dark corner of Grandpa’s big red barn or in Grandma’s chicken house. I hated to have them cling to me and get on my face or in my hair. There did not even have to be a spider in them for me to get scared of them, BUT if there was a spider in them that I saw, then I was really scared!

As I got older and wiser on how to avoid running into them, I began to see them for their beauty. On a dewy or frosty morning, they just glow when the sun shines on them. They look like diamonds sparkling in the light. I remember when one of my teachers in elementary school taught us how to “capture” a spider’s web on paper. We did it for science in the classroom but then our assignment was to “capture” a spider’s web for homework. Have you ever done that? They are beautiful when you can “capture” them by dusting them LIGHTLY with baby powder on a dewy morning, and then gently touch a dark sheet of paper to them. The wet powder will cling to the paper—a beautiful web!

Spider webs are still beautiful to me, and I have been able to capture some with my camera to enjoy and share. It always amazes me how a spider can make such a perfect web—or any web for that matter, when you see them attached to tree limbs, to blades of grass, to flowers, etc. God sure gave the lowly spiders a great talent! Recently, I was hanging my clothes on the line to dry, and I noticed a spider web-attached to my clothes line and a tree limb beside the line. (The attached picture). I was careful not to disturb the spider as I carefully slipped up to take a picture. When I looked at the picture closer, I could see the actual web the spider was making as it moved along to the tree limb! Amazing! If you look carefully at the picture, you can see the white web coming from the mouth of the spider.

Ok, so I know some of you are thinking---“what is the point?” Here it is—Peter wrote –To God’s elect, strangers in the world-(1Peter 1:a NIV) that –Each one should use whatever give he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God’s grace in its various forms. ( 1 Peter 4:10. NIV). So the spider was using its talent to spin a web (yes it was mainly to catch food to eat, but it is also to beautifiy the world) even if only for a little bit before the fragile web is broken.

Very soon, the LWML/SID Nominating Committee will be sending each LWML group here in Southern Illinois a letter requesting nominations for District offices to fill jobs on our Board of Directors for the coming four years. I know that we have some very talented ladies in our District who could fill these offices, and use the talents God has given them in service to others, as the verse in 1 Peter says. So when your group gets that letter, please remember Peter’s words “to God’s elect” -- that is you, and consider saying YES to having your name placed in nomination for a District office. We all have talents that we use, even when we do not think about them, all the time. Like the lowly spider, we can share that talent to serve others and many of you are already doing this on a local or zone level. Yes, I understand that doing this may cause you to step out your comfort zones a bit, but you can do it! Think about it—if the spider did not try to reach that limb, he might spend his life without knowing that he could do it.

We need you, to step up and use your talents in service to our Lord and others through the LWML. Are you brave enough to give it a try? I hope so—you will not be working alone like the spider on its web because there are many other ladies who are using their talents in service to others on the District level of LWML. Think about it—pray about it—say “yes” to serving! Together, we will make a beautiful web of service to our Lord and others!

Helen Mayer, VP of Christian Life

Mission Musings - October 2021

The Lord is Good to Me!

⁸Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him! ²²The LORD redeems the life of his servants; none of those who take refuge in him will be condemned. (Psalm 34:8, 22)

Autumn is here and with this season comes some very tasty treats. Apple butter, apple pie, apple crisp, caramel apples, pork roast with baked apples, apple cider, and all things apple tempt and satisfy our taste buds. Pumpkin bread, pumpkin pie, pumpkin cake, and the newly-popular pumpkin spice lattes make our kitchens and our favorite restaurants and coffee shops the places to go to feed our pumpkin cravings. As sweet potatoes are harvested we enjoy them baked, roasted, and in sweet potato pie. Pork sausage, sauerkraut, and cranberries are served at church dinners. Savory beef stew with carrots, potatoes, and butternut squash warms and fills our hungry stomachs on cool autumn evenings. Football tailgate parties and bonfires feed us spicy chili, grilled hot dogs, and hot chocolate. If your mouth is watering right now, I’m sure you’re not alone!

Psalm 34:8 invites us in autumn and in every season to taste and see that the LORD is good. The word taste as used in this Psalm means “perceive.” When we perceive something, we see and understand it, often through the use of our senses. Autumn foods delight and satisfy our taste buds and our physical hunger. God’s forgiveness and salvation through Christ Jesus and the refuge from sin and evil we have in Him, delights and satisfies the spiritual hunger in our minds and our souls. When we put our trust in God we see by His continual actions on our behalf that He provides all good things for us. His Word assures us: none of those who take refuge in him will be condemned. What a satisfying promise for every soul hungry for comfort and peace!

Do we taste and see God’s goodness with the same eagerness we show when we gobble apples, pumpkins, stew, chili, and all the delightful fall foods God provides? Do we recognize and give thanks for God’s constant provision, protection, and care for us? Do we truly perceive the tremendous price our Lord Jesus paid to make us righteous before God our Father? Do we daily remember the redemption and refuge from evil God graciously gives us through faith in Jesus?

By the power of the Holy Spirit, we are able through the Means of Grace to do all of the above. Whenever we dig into God’s Word we are reminded, guided, and delighted by all God has done and continues to do for us. When we eat and drink Christ’s body and blood at the Lord’s Supper, we receive forgiveness for all our sins, including for the times when we forget to thank and praise God for all of His care. At the Lord’s Table, we receive renewed strength to live for Him and to bring Him glory in all that we do and say. We have a taste of the peace and joy we will someday experience for eternity at God’s heavenly banquet table.

As you enjoy the physical tastes autumn provides, may you remember and share with others all the good God gives, not only the good He provides for our physical bodies, but also the perfect good of His Word and Sacraments which He lovingly and graciously gives our souls.

To our Triune God be all honor and glory!

Diane Grebing, LWML SID President

Mission Musings - September 2021

A pile of sticks

What do you see in the picture by this devotion? A pile of small broken sticks, trash that needs to be cleaned out of the lawn, or something else? I see what was a wren’s nest this spring. You see, my husband makes wren boxes, blue bird boxes, and duck boxes as his winter past time. He has put up over 50 blue bird boxes, over the years, on ground we own/farm. If you put them up, you also have to clean them out periodically so that the birds can reuse them. Same is true of the wren boxes. Thus, the pile of sticks you see in the picture.

Those of you who know me, know that I often times, ‘Think out of the box” on things, and this pile of sticks is one of those times. Stay with me, and I will explain.

If you look at the pile of sticks, you cannot know the number of sticks in the pile, unless you take the time to count them one by one. Just guessing, it looks like close to or over 100 tiny sticks. That is a lot of trips for the little wren to make to find them, and then return them to the box, and get them all through the small hole in the box to make a nest. I am sure that the wren did not count each stick/trip it made, it was just busy working on making a nest.

After the wren had used the nest to raise its little family, the nest was useless to the wren. The nest needed to be cleaned out of the box, so another wren could begin the process all over again. It only took my husband, one sweep of his hand to clean out the box and make it “new” again.

OK, do any of you see where I am going with this devotion? Those sticks are like the “tiny” sins we commit each day. We don’t keep track of the sins we commit, we just keep on living our lives, because sometimes, we do not even realize we have committed a sin. You know, those “tiny” sins, of omission, the “tiny” sins we don’t even think about. Just like that tiny wren, we just keep on going.

By now, I am sure most of you have figured out the “rest” of my story. Jesus’ death on the cross, was the hand that cleaned our sins away. His one death, daily cleans out the sins in our lives, and gives us a new start to our lives, not just once, but as Paul said in Ephesians 1:7: In Him, we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses according to the riches of his grace.

A pile of sticks, a pile of sins—one hand cleans them away! We thank Jesus, for cleaning up our sinful lives, so we can begin anew each day, and live our lives for him, without him counting our sins but with his always present love for us, and his unending mercy.

Helen Mayer, VP of Christian Life

Mission Musings -August 2021

Lifelong Students

For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding; he stores up sound wisdom for the upright; he is a shield to those who walk in integrity, guarding the paths of justice and watching over the way of his saints. (Proverbs 2:6–8)

It’s back to school time! Public and private schools prepare students to live as productive individuals who make meaningful contributions in their homes, jobs and careers, and in the world around them. In subjects ranging from reading, mathematics, science, social studies, language arts, fine arts, physical education, computer science, and vocational education, students learn skills to equip them for life’s joys and challenges. A special joy of attending a Christian school is that students also spend time in God’s Word.

Once students graduate and go on to earn a living, they discover their education really isn’t over. Not only do they often receive further training to adapt to changing technology and techniques in their work, they also discover opportunities for personal growth and continued learning through their interactions with other people. Learning is indeed a lifelong process.

It’s always back to school time when it comes to the study of God’s Word. No matter what schools we’ve attended or for how long, God desires that learning His Word be a lifelong process for us. This is achieved by “being in His Word.” We are “in God’s Word” when we read and study the Bible individually, with our family members, and with other members of the body of Christ. Just as school students receive many benefits from their studies, Proverbs 2:6–8 tells us through His Word, God equips and enlightens us. As we read and study the Bible, we find God’s wisdom through which the Holy Spirit enables us to make God-pleasing and sound decisions. Through study of His Word, God guards our hearts in the true faith and guides us as we walk in Jesus as His forgiven and redeemed people.

As Lutheran Women in Mission, we are HIS! We are: Held by God’s Word; Inspired to share His Gospel, Surrounded by His grace. Note that the first letter in the acronym HIS pertains to being in God’s Word. LWML provides us with many ways to be held by God’s Word through the devotions, Bible studies, retreats, and sketches they publish. Mustard Seed devotions, whether read from traditional packets or online, provide a way to focus on a truth from God’s Word every day. The new 2-year planner, Faith Building Helps for Groups, includes 50 new devotions, songs, Bible studies, and sketches to encourage your faith. This huge resource is available as a free download on the LWML website under “The Word” tab. Other Bible studies, devotions, and resources for groups are found there as well.

It’s always back to school time for Christians. May this season and every season of the year be your opportunity to be in God’s Word as a lifelong student.

---------Diane Grebing, LWML SID President

MISSION MUSINGS - JULY 2021

ONE VINE, MANY BRANCHES...

The other day as I was washing dishes, I looked out the window by the sink, and saw one of my rose bushes in full bloom. This was a bush a dear friend gave me over 5 years ago. When she gave it to me, it had unique orange roses—like I had never seen before. Each spring, I would eagerly watch for the first buds, so I could enjoy the orange rose. Well, a funny thing happened—about 4 springs ago, when the buds came out, instead of being orange, they were more red than orange-still pretty, but not my orange roses. Each year since then, the roses on that bush have become more and more red-a little darker each year. As I looked at the bush closely the other day, I was even more surprised—there were at least 4 different colors of flowers on the one bush! I am not sure how clear this will show up on the picture I’ve sent with this Mission Musing, but there are at least 4 distinct colors of roses on my “orange” bush!

As I enjoyed the beauty of the rose, and thought about it, I could not help but “see” the many different colors that God made us, His children. Probably like many of you, I have not done a lot of unnecessary shopping the past year because of COVID. I did stop at a craft store a couple of weeks ago for a bit, and was surprised to see a box of 24 colored pencils, called “Colors of the World”. Maybe some of you have these already, but they were new to me. The box promised—“this box contains 24 specially formulated colors that represent people from all around the world.” WOW! As I was holding the box, do you know what went through my head—(probably some of you are now silently singing—“Red and yellow, black and white-they are precious in His sight. Jesus loves the little children of the world.” Well, that box of pencils came home with me, even though they were not on my list. Every time I get them out, I can “see” the famous painting of Jesus and the little children—of all races and colors, and the love the artist put in Jesus eyes, as He loved all these little children of the world.

You don’t have to watch/listen to the news for very long these days, so see that for many, the color of a person’s skin, has much to do with how they are treated—how they live—how they are “viewed” by others. This goes on around the world—all the time. It is sad, that people of all races/colors are judged by the color of their skin, not by the color of their hearts. All our hearts are the same color and we are all connected to one branch—Jesus! As it says in John 15:5—“I am the vine, and you are the branches.” Just like my multicolored roses that are growing from one main branch, so we, the multicolored people of the world, are all connected to our Creator, no matter what color our skin is. We all need to remember, that:…”Red and yellow, black and white, they are precious in His sight. Jesus loves the little children of the world.” As Jesus Himself said, in John 15:12—“This is my command: Love each other as I have loved you.” Growing and blooming together in love, we can make the world a beautiful place, just like my multi-colored rose!

Helen Mayer

VP of Christian Life

Mission Musings - June 2021

Only God Gives the Growth

So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. (1 Corinthians 3:7)

In the garden along the back of the church parsonage where my husband and I are privileged to live is a rose bush which was planted there before we came to this parish. This rose bush has literally been more of a “thorn in my flesh” than a thing of beauty to me due to its long and unwieldly branches and the sharpness and length of its thorns. Several years ago I used part of a birthday gift card to purchase some long leather gardening gauntlets to wear whenever I work with and around this bush to prevent the scratches and punctures I once endured without them.

For the first five years we’ve lived in this home, this thorny bush produced only one flower. Last fall as I was trimming down the bush to prepare for winter, I vowed that if it went one more season without any blooms I was going to pull it out and replace it with a kinder and gentler plant. However, as you can see from the photo, this rose bush currently has a beautiful pink blossom with five more buds ready to pop open!

The growth and blooming flowers of this rose bush are truly God’s handiwork. I had nothing to do with them as I have often been less than a good or happy caretaker of this plant. This gardening experience reminds me of what the Apostle Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 3:7. In terms of growing and blooming spiritually, it is only by the Holy Spirit’s power through the Word and God’s amazing grace that faith and the growth and blooming of it are accomplished in any of us. Yet, as growing and blooming Christians, we do have one important responsibility that Jesus Himself gave us. We are commissioned by Him to go and tell all nations the Good News of salvation (Matthew 28:19). Our great and mighty God then takes His Word we’ve shared and works in the hearts of those we’ve told to lead them to trust in Him as their Lord and Savior. This wonderful work of God may be immediately seen. It may also happen over time and may never be witnessed by us. Only God gives the growth.

As Lutheran Women in Mission, God gives us many opportunities to share His Word and to nurture those around us in it. Sometimes God places us in situations where we are enabled by the Holy Spirit to share God’s truth with people who are eager and receptive listeners. At other times, God may send us to share His truth with those who don’t want to hear it, who don’t think they need it, or who respond to our sharing in prickly, angry, or even hateful ways. Whether the opportunities we are given are pleasant or thorny, God promises this: “For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it” (Isaiah 55:10–11). Thanks be to God!

---------Diane Grebing, LWML SID President

Mission Musings - May 2021

It all began one chilly morning last spring. I happened to look out my window, at just the right time. There on a limb of the old Chinese Elm tree in our yard sat a pair of robins. They were sitting on a medium sized limb that had a little “elbow” on it. They seemed to be chatting with each other. The female flew away, and after a bit, so did the male. Well, I left my “watching” post, and got busy around the house. Something seemed to draw me back to that window, several times during the day, and each time, I had to look out to that special limb. The next morning, I was excited to see, that the male robin was back, this time, with some “building” material, and he was slowly and carefully beginning the construction of a nest, there in the “elbow” of that tree limb. He worked hard, but carefully, to anchor it to the limb. From time to time, I would notice the hen robin also bring by some material she had found, to add to the nest. I had a rough time, not staying by the window and watching the building process, but I did make several trips by the window each day to see their progress.

In just a few days, the nest was complete! During the building process, we had a couple of small showers, but that did not stop the progress of building. Soon after the nest was complete, the hen began to lay her eggs in it. I looked out the window, and wished I had a way to see her eggs in the nest, but since I could not, I was content to watch from my window. She was very faithful to sit on the eggs to hatch them. We had a couple of pretty good rains, but she stayed in the nest, protecting the precious eggs. By this time, the leaves on the tree offered her some protection from the sun and rain, but she never seemed to mind either one. Her mind was on better things than her own personal comfort.

After the little ones hatched, I would sometimes see tiny heads peaking over the edge of the nest when “Mom” and “Dad” were gone-out hunting for their food. As the babies grew, they needed more and more food to keep growing, which meant more and more away time for Mom and Dad. It never failed though—close to dusk, Mom would return and once again, sit on the nest during the night to protect the little ones.

One day, when I looked at the nest, no little heads could be seen. Mom and Dad were no longer sitting by the nest, with worms in their beaks—the little ones had flown away on their own. The nest however stayed there on the limb of the tree, until mid-winter when it fell down—time and weather had broken its grip on the limb.

Just like that pair of robins, our Heavenly Father takes care of all of us, His children. He provides us with shelter, protection from the storms of life, food, and the comforts of His love. As it says in Matthew 6: 26—“Look at the birds in the air. They don’t plant or harvest or store food in barns, but your Heavenly Father feeds them. And you know that you are worth much more than the birds.” We, like those baby robins, have everything we need for this life, and in most cases, a lot of “extras”—all from our Heavenly Father. Like the robin “parents”, our Heavenly Father is always there for us. When our earthly “nest” finally crumbles, He has a perfect home waiting for us—with Him for eternity! We can be sure of this because of Jesus’ Resurrection from the dead-that we have just celebrated again at Easter.

The next time you see a robin, or any other bird, caring for their young, I hope you are reminded of the care our Father gives each of us. His care is unending, His love eternal, and someday, we will each leave our earthly “nest” for our forever home, where joy never ends!

Mission Musings - April 2021

Our Light is More Than At The End of the Tunnel

Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12)

In my china cabinet I have a collection of Precious Moments figurines. Most of the pieces I own have a connection to a Bible account or verse. During various church seasons of the year, I take out figurines whose messages reflect the truths of that particular season and place them prominently on the center shelf of the cabinet. One of the pieces I take out during the Lent and Easter seasons is called, “There’s A Light At The End of the Tunnel.” It shows a girl on her hands and knees peering through one end of a stone tunnel at a rabbit holding a candle on the other end.

For those who believed in Jesus, the first Good Friday was a day of great darkness. When Jesus died on the cross, they thought they would never see the light of the world again. Their hope Jesus was the promised Savior was dashed. But then came that glorious first Easter morning! Jesus rose from the dead showing His almighty power over sin, death, and the evil prince of darkness, the devil. For those first Christians, and for us, Jesus the Light shone brightly, never again to be extinguished.

Jesus is indeed the Light at the end of every tunnel we face. As wonderful as that truth is, Jesus is even more than that. Jesus is also the Light at the beginning of every tunnel and the Light in the middle of every tunnel. He is the Light at every turn and twist in every dark tunnel through which we may pass on this earth. Jesus is the Light who is with us when we first receive a cancer diagnosis. Jesus is the Light who is with us when we lose a job, lose a friend, lose a loved one. Jesus is the Light who is with us when our children disappoint us, when we face financial hardships, when we are lonely. Jesus is the Light who shines out to us when we are in a dark tunnel because of our own sin. Jesus knows what it is like to face darkness because He faced the worst darkness ever on the cross—the darkness of all our sins. Our Savior faced this darkness all alone, without the help of His Father, so that we would never have to do so. In His triumphant resurrection, Jesus conquered the darkness of eternal death forever for us.

Jesus promises, “I am with you always to the end of the age” (Matthew 28:20b). Through Word and Sacrament we are bathed in His light. By the power of the Holy Spirit, may we reflect Jesus’ light to others as we share the miracle of His resurrection with those who are in their own dark tunnels.

Jesus is risen! He is risen indeed! Alleluia!

--------Diane Grebing, LWML SID President

Mission Musings - March 2021

God's "Love" Letter

A couple of weeks ago, I had the privilege of substituting in Kindergarten at St. Mark’s. It was one of those last minute calls—shortly before classes were to begin, so I had little time to plan ahead, but God had that taken care of just like He always does. As I drove to Steeleville, I prayed that God would help me to do the best I could in His service that day. Now for any of you who have not had the privilege of substituting, especially in the lower grades, you do not know what you are missing! The class was already in the room when I got there, so as soon as I walked in, their chatter stopped to see who was invading their “territory”. After introductions, I took off my coat and went to the desk to see the plans for the day. I had lots of little helpers, all ready to share what they could and help me find the things I needed to begin our day. This was my first time teaching this year, so I tried to become familiar with all the new COVID practices as quickly as possible. The class was patient with me, because I was “new” and they had been in school for almost five months already.

Fast forward to the end of the day—a day we accomplished most of what the teacher had left for us to do, a day of growing for us all, a day filled with the “noisy” joys of learning, a day of sharing God’s love in and out of the classroom.

After I had everyone on their way home or to latch key, I straightened up the room, left my notes for the teacher, and turned out the lights. That is when it happened—as I was walking through the latch key room, one of the students came up to me, and gave me a hug and the note you see at the top of the page. She said, “I love you being my teacher. This is for you.” I thanked her, and put the note in my purse.

As I was driving home, I kept thinking about that note. Sure, no one could “read” it, but she knew—she wrote it to tell me she “loved” me. I could not understand the letter, but by the smile on her face and the hug when she gave it to me, I knew what it was all about.

Sometimes, we all have difficulty reading God’s “love” letters to us! Sometimes it is hard to understand why things happen the way they do. Sometimes we feel like we are trying to find meaning in our chaotic lives, and end up getting “lost” in the process. Sometimes, it just seems impossible. We know He loves us, we know He has a plan for us, as the prophet Jeremiah says in chapter 29: ”I have good plans for you, not plans to hurt you. I will give you hope and a good future.”, yet, sometimes it is hard to “read” His love note and see His plans.

As we journey through Lent, God’s ultimate love letter to us, in the form of His Son, becomes reality as we once again study Jesus journey to the cross for us. The writing becomes clear—our sins took Jesus to the cross. God’s love letter is perfectly readable, as we hear the words from the cross, “It is finished”.

The next time you run into parts of your “love letter” from God that you cannot read or understand, remember the little note I shared with you here—all you really need to know—it was written in love, and signed with Jesus blood—for you!

Helen Mayer

VP of Christian Life

Mission Musings - February, 2021

Glowing Red

Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way;

it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth.

Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends.

(1 Corinthians 13:4–8a)

Since the day after Christmas, the greeting card aisles in many stores have taken on the red glow of Valentine’s Day card displays. As “women in mission” for the Lord, this red glow can be a reminder to us of the greatest love ever shown when Jesus sacrificed His life to save ours. This red glow can remind us of the blood our Savior Jesus shed for us to free us from our sins. Like a red light, this red glow can lead us to stop and realize that so many in the world need to hear, see, and come to know the great and amazing love of Jesus which changes hearts and lives.

The verses printed above from 1 Corinthians 13 describe this most amazing love. Paul originally wrote these words to the people of the church at Corinth. These Corinthian Christians found themselves surrounded by a culture which valued sexual love, passion, and self-love. Sound familiar to the world today? Paul wanted the Corinthians to understand the highest kind of love and to live lives which showed it. Paul wrote of agape love—the self-sacrificing love Jesus showed on the cross and the merciful and forgiving love that He continues to show us every day as our risen Lord. Jesus’ love is something precious for we unworthy sinners don’t deserve it. Loving us miserable sinners so much, Jesus chose to give His life so that we might be rescued from the eternal death sin causes. Jesus’ love brings hope and spiritual life to us and to a broken and self-centered world.

Take a moment to once again read 1 Corinthians 13:4–8a. The love described here is not self-centered. It leads us to regard the needs of others as more important than what we want or desire. This love leads us to forgive others multiple times, just as our Lord forgives us. This love is useful, helpful, beneficial, and respectful of others. It rejects anger and leads us not to keep score of wrongs or to get even for them. This love does not rejoice with evil, but rejoices in God’s righteousness. This love helps us to put the best construction on everything. This love is based on the sure and certain hope and promise we have of God’s grace and forgiveness through faith in Jesus Christ. This kind of love is eternal, just as our Triune God is eternal. This is the love God daily shows us. This is the love God daily wants us to show others.

The season of Lent begins this year just a few days after Valentine’s Day. If you are one who gives up something for Lent as a reminder of Jesus’ sacrifice as your Savior, try this: ask the Holy Spirit to help you give up any selfish attitudes you may harbor in your heart. Ask for His help and guidance to better serve others with the love of Jesus. By the power of the Holy Spirit, may you “glow red” as you live in Jesus’ love, cherish it, and freely share it.

---------Diane Grebing, LWML SID President

MISSION MUSINGS - JANUARY 2021

There is a time for everything, and everything on earth has its special season.

What do I do now? How many of us have said those words recently? The holidays are over, so that means, no more extra cooking, no more cards There is a time for everything, and everything on earth has its special season. What do I do now? How many of us have said those words recently? The holidays are over, so that means, no more extra cooking, no more cards to send, no more gifts to wrap and deliver, no more extra shopping, no more decorating, so ‘what do I do now?’

We are in the “quiet” time of the year for many of us. Winter, the time of rest, the time for many of us, when our schedules are not quit as busy, the time to recharge from the busy holidays and get revived for the coming year ,and whatever it brings, the time to catch our breath! As the writer of Ecclesiastes says: 3:1- There is a time for everything, and everything on earth has its special season.

For me, it is a time of looking back on the quiet times of winters past—long past. Growing up, I spent a lot of time on my grandparent’s farm. My grandfather was a hard working German farmer, and back then (60+years ago), they did not have the modern equipment that we do today on the farm, so there was a lot more hand-work all year long. Grandma too, did not have the modern “help” that we enjoy today. Getting to help Grandma in the kitchen was something that I really enjoyed—she just had a wood stove to cook on and help warm the house. There was no running water in the house—but she always made the best meals! She would find “jobs” for me to do too, and I always felt very important to get to help her while I was there.

While Grandma was busy in the house, Grandpa was busy outside. I loved to be able to bundle up against the cold, and go out to the barn with him while he fed the cows, horses and pigs who lived in the big barn. Yep, the barn was big enough for the team of horses, the sow and her little family, and the dozen milk cows they had. It was also home to the “barn” cats who lived among the hay bales in the loft, and enjoyed fresh warm milk each time the cows were milked-by hand.

In the evenings, with no tv, everyone stayed busy, Grandma with her patching, Grandpa reading the papers and smoking his pipe, and if I was there overnight—a real treat, sometimes, Grandpa would play Mill with me. Now I don’t remember all the rules, but I remember spending time playing that game with Grandpa. It was the only game we would play. Ok, so after my walk down memory lane—thank you for walking with me—what do we do from here? First of all, I hope that each of you take the time for your personal walk down memory lane. Our “lanes” are all different, but they are important because they helped us to get to where we are today. Second, I hope each of you will take some time during this “quiet” time of the year to think about the memories you are making right now. What will you see when you look back on the present time, years from now? Are you working on making good memories with those around you? Are you keeping the faith?

The writer of Ecclesiastes continues in Ecclesiastes 3:4:there is a time to cry and a time to laugh. He also writes in verse 5 : there is a time to hug and a time not to hug. These verses have sure been brought home to us in the last months. Yet, they should also bring us peace and comfort, because we know that the words are from God Himself—written by a man, but given by God.

As we, along with all of nature, wait for the coming of spring, and more things happening, may you all take the time to relive old memories, make new ones, and praise God, that, everything has a special season—even the quiet season of winter!

Helen Mayer

VP of Christian Life

Mission Musings - December 2020

It’s that time of year again—Christmas is coming! By the time you read this, we will be into the season of Advent, and even though our worship is probably not the same as it has been in years past, we are still looking forward to Christmas! Many of us will have an Advent wreath in our homes, to help us prepare for Christmas. Many use some type of Advent calendar to count down the days till we can celebrate the birth of our Savior.

No matter how we are getting ready, this is the time of year when many memories come to us. Memories of Christmas past, memories of spending Christmas with loved ones who are now celebrating Christmas in heaven with their Savior, memories of many Christmas “firsts”, memories of special Christmas trips, and the list goes on. Everyone has special Christmas memories.

Memories—they are so special for each of us—no matter what our age, we make new memories each day. Most are good memories, but there are some we would like to forget, yes, even some Christmas memories. Memories of loved ones who were sick over the holidays, memories of missing that special family member who went home, memories of broken promises, and the list goes on.

The Psalmist, David, had memories too—both good and bad. He said it this way in Psalm 143:5a—I remember what happened long ago. I consider everything you have done. I think about all you have made. That is a pretty good summary of our lives—all our Christmas memories included, don’t you think?

This Christmas, no matter how different it may look, is still about “what happened long ago”. It is still about the birth of our Savior. It is still about the visit of the shepherds to the newborn Babe—the eternal Savior of us all. It is still about the Wise Men traveling for so long to find and worship the Babe. It is still about peace on earth. It is still about …”everything you have done” ( you being God). It is still about the unbelievable love God has for us sinners. It is still all about Jesus! Like Mary, in Luke 2:19, we should –treasure these things in our hearts.

Christmas memories—you bet! Treasure the ones you have of the past, and do your best to make new ones today, and look forward to wonderful ones in the future. God has got this (whatever “this” turns out to be.) May Christmas joy come to you all and may there be lots of Christmas memories!

Helen Mayer

VP of Christian Life

Mission Musings -November, 2020
Giving Thanks--No Matter What!

… give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. (1 Thessalonians 5:18)

Years ago, I purchased a small but thick paperback book titled, 10,000 Things To Praise God For. In this book the author, Jan Dargatz, wrote 498 pages of spiritual, physical, and emotional blessings for which she wanted to thank and praise God. I have no idea how long it took the author to comprise her list. However, at the book’s beginning, she notes to the reader that her list can be described as a “spiritual autobiography.” She added that this list is a song of praise from her heart.

The book mentions many spiritual blessings from God concerning faith, forgiveness, Jesus, and fellow Christians around the world. It also has a lot of blessings

that made me chuckle as well as think. Her mention of “pincushions” is one such example.

In 1 Thessalonians 5:18, God tells us to give thanks in all circumstances. Right now our entire world is living in a time when the COVID-19 pandemic has made our circumstances less than ideal. In our time on this earth, we all experience a variety of challenges that may make giving thanks seem difficult. But the rest of the Bible verse says, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. God gives us all that we are and have. He promises to work good for us in every time of our life (Romans 8:28). His will for us is to thank and praise Him. God knows that as we give thanks to Him, no matter what might be dragging us down, the Holy Spirit works to lift our hearts and to readjust our focus on Jesus and on the wonderful blessings of forgiveness, salvation, and eternal life we have through faith in Him.

Try it right now! Think of something ordinary or something awesome with which God has blessed you. Pray, “Thank You, God, for ___________.” It is good to

give thanks to the LORD (Psalm 92:1a).

In this season of Thanksgiving, we are especially mindful of the blessings we daily receive from God. As a Lutheran woman in mission, I challenge you in the month of November to think of 30 things for which you want to thank God. Keep in mind as you make your list that even what appears initially to be a challenge to you can be a blessing as God works for you in it. You may even want to begin to make your list in a journal or notebook so that you can continue it beyond this month. Share your growing list with your family. As you share the joy of Jesus with others in your life, use your list as a starting point to talk about Jesus, God’s greatest blessing

to us.

Here’s the start of my list: our new LWML SID website (on which you are reading this), orange fall leaves, dachshund antics, the Word of God, God’s patience with

me …

Blessings to you as you give thanks to the Lord!

---------Diane Grebing, LWML SID President

was not on my “to do” list last Monday afternoon, but I found myself going over to our woods to collect some gourds from our patch there to use to decorate the house for fall. On my way out of the woods, a splash of red caught my eye. It was the blooms on one of the rose bushes I had moved from Mom’s house after her death. The bush is on old fashioned rose—the kind that blooms once a year—in the spring--, but there it was with 3 red blooms on it! Being an old fashioned rose, it also has a lovely “rose” smell to it, unlike the modern hybrid roses that have no special smell. Seeing the roses and enjoying their unique fragrance, brought back wonderful memories of Mom! She loved her roses, and spent time caring for them as long as she was able. As I enjoyed the rose and the memories it brought back, I knew it was not mine to keep, but I had to try and get it to my sister—200+ miles away. You see, she was having major cancer surgery on Thursday, and I knew she needed to have the roses before then. I took them home, put them in a tiny tub of water, then in a small plastic bag with a wet paper towel and zipped the bag shut. Next I found a small box to put the bag in, wrote my sister a short note, then taped the box shut. A quick trip to town to the post office to mail it—before the mail left town for the day. I asked how long it would take to get to my sister’s, and was told it would get there Thursday! That would be too late for her to get it before her surgery, but I mailed it and said a prayer to speed it on its way. Wednesday afternoon, I got an excited message from my sister---she got the roses! In the midst of her pre-op prep, the package got there and brought back wonderful memories of Mom for her too, and a special kind of peace for her. It was as if Mom was there to tell her everything would be OK. So why did I share this personal story for our Mission Musings you may be asking yourself—well, here it is. It is an excellent example of God’s Plan-God’s Hand! It was God’s plan that my sister got the roses from Mom’s bush before her surgery. He made the bush bloom 2 times in one year—He made me go to the woods at that particular time—He got the package to her a day early (and we all know that for the post office to get something delivered early, it was sure by God’s hand) AND it got to her still blooming and smelling like a rose! Yes, it was my hands that cut if off the bush, packed it to mail, got it to the post office, etc., but it was God’s hand guiding mine—using mine, if you will, here on earth. How is God using YOUR hands? Do you see His hands at work on His plans in your life? He has a plan for us all, and a use for all our hands! For some of us who cannot use our hands like we used too, we can always fold them in prayer—prayer for our own needs, and for the needs of those around us. My aunt had a stroke and was partially paralyzed for 10 years before Jesus took her home. She often talked to me about why she was still here on this earth, and I always told her that her work wasn’t finished—God had a job for her. As time went on, instead of asking, “Why me?” she began to say, “My work isn’t finished. There are so many things I need to pray about, and so many people to pray for.” God’s plan—God’s hands—may we all see the plan, and be His hands until He calls us home. Helen Mayer VP. Of Christian Life

Mission Musings - October 2020

It was not on my “to do” list last Monday afternoon, but I found myself going over to our woods to collect some gourds from our patch there to use to decorate the house for fall. On my way out of the woods, a splash of red caught my eye. It was the blooms on one of the rose bushes I had moved from Mom’s house after her death. The bush is on old fashioned rose—the kind that blooms once a year—in the spring--, but there it was with 3 red blooms on it! Being an old fashioned rose, it also has a lovely “rose” smell to it, unlike the modern hybrid roses that have no special smell. Seeing the roses and enjoying their unique fragrance, brought back wonderful memories of Mom! She loved her roses, and spent time caring for them as long as she was able.

As I enjoyed the rose and the memories it brought back, I knew it was not mine to keep, but I had to try and get it to my sister—200+ miles away. You see, she was having major cancer surgery on Thursday, and I knew she needed to have the roses before then. I took them home, put them in a tiny tub of water, then in a small plastic bag with a wet paper towel and zipped the bag shut. Next I found a small box to put the bag in, wrote my sister a short note, then taped the box shut. A quick trip to town to the post office to mail it—before the mail left town for the day. I asked how long it would take to get to my sister’s, and was told it would get there Thursday! That would be too late for her to get it before her surgery, but I mailed it and said a prayer to speed it on its way.

Wednesday afternoon, I got an excited message from my sister---she got the roses! In the midst of her pre-op prep, the package got there and brought back wonderful memories of Mom for her too, and a special kind of peace for her. It was as if Mom was there to tell her everything would be OK.

So why did I share this personal story for our Mission Musings you may be asking yourself—well, here it is. It is an excellent example of God’s Plan-God’s Hand! It was God’s plan that my sister got the roses from Mom’s bush before her surgery. He made the bush bloom 2 times in one year—He made me go to the woods at that particular time—He got the package to her a day early (and we all know that for the post office to get something delivered early, it was sure by God’s hand) AND it got to her still blooming and smelling like a rose! Yes, it was my hands that cut if off the bush, packed it to mail, got it to the post office, etc., but it was God’s hand guiding mine—using mine, if you will, here on earth. How is God using YOUR hands? Do you see His hands at work on His plans in your life?

He has a plan for us all, and a use for all our hands! For some of us who cannot use our hands like we used too, we can always fold them in prayer—prayer for our own needs, and for the needs of those around us. My aunt had a stroke and was partially paralyzed for 10 years before Jesus took her home. She often talked to me about why she was still here on this earth, and I always told her that her work wasn’t finished—God had a job for her. As time went on, instead of asking, “Why me?” she began to say, “My work isn’t finished. There are so many things I need to pray about, and so many people to pray for.”

God’s plan—God’s hands—may we all see the plan, and be His hands until He calls us home.

Helen Mayer

VP. Of Christian Life

Mission Musings - September 2020

There is an “old” country song that talks about it being …”the perfect country/western song” because of all of the things mentioned in the song that people associate with the country/western life style. The singer explains how each phrase of the song is talking about a part of that life style. Whenever you listened to the song, you could “see” the ever-popular way of life loved by so many people. Through the words, the composer of the song “drew” us a picture of cowboys, cattle, trails drives, western towns, etc.

Have you ever thought about the hymns we enjoy and try to think of “the perfect hymn”? Right away, I’ll bet there are hymn titles going through your mind of some of your favorite hymns-I know hymns are always going through my mind. Different hymns for different situations, and I for one, find them peaceful and beautiful, and a source of comfort and hope.

This is not written to argue which hymn is “the perfect hymn”, but rather to look at a hymn and see why it may just fit the title of “the perfect hymn”. Feel free to come up with your own “perfect hymn” either individually, or as part of your group discussions.

The Psalms provided the background for many of our hymns, and this one is no exception-based on Psalm 90 where we read: Lord, you have been our home since the beginning. ……. You are God. You have always been, and you will always be. Ps. 90: 1 and 2b. So, do you have any idea which hymn I feel is the “perfect” hymn, from the picture in your mind from these verses?

Let’s look a little more at the words and see if we can “see” the picture they paint, just in case you have not come up with the hymn yet. The hymn verse talks about “our” God—yours, mine, and everyone’s—no time limit on when this will happen, just OUR God! The Psalm says that God has been our home since the beginning—home, our safe place, the place where we can live, where there is hope and help for the things that happen in our day to day life. The hymn says God is our help and hope. Sometimes we go through times in our lives, where we are almost ready to give up hope, but wait, God is our hope! God is forever—like the Psalm says: “You have always been, and you will always be.” That is good enough for me---if God is our/your-mine God, we can always have hope—because He is ALWAYS with us. That is good enough for me!

This life we are living now, is only temporary as we know all too well. Once again, if we are God’s, then we are his forever! There is no time when we will not be with him—our forever home is waiting—what a comfort, what a peace, what a hope!

OK, have you figured out what I consider the “perfect hymn”? If not, open your hymnal to hymn 123 in The Lutheran Hymnal (yes, we still use it each Sunday at Trinity) or 733 in LSB, and read once again, the words that Isaac Watts wrote from Psalm 90. The “perfect” hymn-right?

By: Helen Mayer

Mission Musings - August, 2020

All Lives Matter

And he [Jesus] died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised. (2 Corinthians 5:15)

“Come one, come all!” “All are welcome here.” “Y’all come!” The word all is inclusive and inviting. All leaves no one out. All makes no differentiations between people.

In 2 Corinthians 5:15, God’s Word reminds us that Jesus died for all. Jesus died for all because there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (Romans 3:22b–23). Without faith in Jesus we are all in the same boat, and it’s sinking because of all of our sins. But our God is a God of life. To Him, all lives matter. He proved this, once and for all, when He sent His Son to rescue the world from sin. Jesus’ sacrifice on the cross was the only way the price that we all owe for our sins could be paid. All who believe in Jesus as their Lord and Savior have forgiveness of sins and eternal life through faith in Him (Colossians 1:13–14; John 11:25–26).

God’s view that all lives matter is very different from what the world thinks. Many in the world believe they have the right to say whose life matters. Children still in the womb, the child no one else wants to eat lunch with at school, people of color, the chronically ill, the developmentally challenged, the homeless, the elderly, and even women are just a few of the people who the world thinks don’t matter. Sadly, when we look into our own hearts, we may find that we also have not always valued all whom God has placed in our path. When we acknowledge these failures, we know that God forgives us for Jesus’ sake and helps us to change.

The second half of 2 Corinthians 5:15 reminds us that because Jesus died for us, we are to no longer live for ourselves, but are instead to live our lives for Him. Living for Jesus means that we are called to love all and serve all. Living for Jesus means that we are to value all life as He does. Most importantly, living for Jesus means that we are to share with all the truth that He did indeed die and rise again for all people and that salvation and eternal life are found only through faith in Him.

As He ministered here on earth, our Lord Jesus made it a habit to be with those that who were neglected and devalued by others. Jesus ate with tax collectors and sinners. He healed those with sicknesses that repulsed many. He spent time with a Samaritan woman at a well who had been rejected by those around her, including His disciples, because of her gender, ethnicity, and behavior. As His saved and redeemed people, we live for Jesus by looking outside of ourselves to notice those who need His saving grace, just as we do. As Lutheran Women in Mission, the Holy Spirit works in us to lead us to see, to help, and to love all. The Holy Spirit leads us to share the Gospel with all as we follow Jesus’ command to go therefore and make disciples of all nations (Matthew 28:19a).

In these difficult and challenging times, ask God to open your eyes to someone who needs to be included. Ask Him to give you the courage, strength, and wisdom to indeed include her in your life. Ask God to help you share with her the truth that all who believe in Jesus as their Savior are saved, Ask God to help you show through your words and actions that all lives matter.

---------Diane Grebing, LWML SID President

Mission Musing - July 2020

It was just a tiny orange flower, no bigger than a dime, growing in the middle of a wheat field, but it caught my eye. As I was walking in the wheat field, I saw the ripe wheat, standing tall, waving in the breeze, waiting to be harvested, and I saw the dry, cracked earth—in need of a rain to give it moisture and life. Where I was walking, the wheat had been cut, so I did not have to worry about breaking off the stalks. I looked down anyway as I walked, and then I saw it—blooming as bright as could be—all alone—planted by God, in the middle of the wheat field—the tiny orange flower.

The tiny flower had survived growing in the middle of the wheat stalks, and since it was so short and close to the ground, it survived when the wheat was cut around it. It still stood as tall as it could, blooming amid the cracked dry ground, among the cut wheat stalks. Sharing the beauty God gave it, with little hope of being noticed by people, cause who would be walking around in a harvested wheat field? Still it bloomed!

To put it in a little better perspective, this wheat field was about a 10 acre field. Now, I realize that many of you are saying, “OK, so how big is an acre?”—well, an acre is about the size of a football field—thus this tiny orange flower was in about 10 football fields of wheat. As you can see, in the big picture, this tiny flower was next to nothing, yet it was growing and blooming!

Those of you who know me well, know that I had my camera with me, and of course had to take a picture of the tiny flower. I have it in a frame in my home, because it is special to me, and let me explain why. Most days, I feel like that tiny flower—planted by God, in the middle of a world that seems to be too busy, too wrapped up in things like the color of a person’s skin, the economy, the latest pandemic, etc. to have any real importance in the world. Yet, our Father sent His only Son so that each of us could be saved. Each of us is important enough to our Father, that His Son would die so we could live. Think about that a minute---just like that little orange flower, in the middle of the millions of wheat heads in that field was important enough to God that He not only allowed it to grow, but He let it bloom. So to, we are important enough in the middle of the millions of people on the earth, for Jesus to die for us! WOW!

It is sometimes easy to feel sorry for ourselves and feel that we aren’t important, or that our work is not important, or no one cares about us but then that is when we need to stop and think about that little orange flower---we are all of more value that it, so, just like it did—stand tall and bloom—where ever God has planted you! He cares for each of us, and will keep us in that care until we are “bloomed” out here on earth, then He will gently take us home to Himself to heaven, to “bloom” forever with our Savior!

Helen Mayer