AboutDebbie, bloghome, Lutheran Reflection, Lutheran Women in Mission

My Grumbling — God’s Grace

As you read this, I am in Minnesota. It’s cold up here in the north country! But my heart is warm and full as Scott and I enjoy visiting family. We left Colorado a day earlier than planned to beat the winter storm but, alas, we traveled over 800 miles on snow covered, icy roads. Yesterday, we drove from Bismarck, North Dakota to Bemidji, Minnesota — yes, on snow covered roads. I humbly admit that I did complain but, as I look back, I praise my Lord for safe travel and a husband who will continue driving when he knows I’d rather not, scrape the windshield so I don’t have to, and fill with gas so I can stay in the warm car.

We spent four days with my son and his family. Not once did we get our afternoon nap (for which I will not apologize. Indeed, I brag about my ability to fall asleep sitting up). Again, no grumbling was justified. We were blessed to watch our grandsons during wrestling matches and basketball games, wake each morning to two very large and happy dogs, and spend time laughing and enjoying time together.

Are you like me? In moments of distress or times of interrupted routines, I often don’t see the good, but looking back on the day I see God’s hand. His hand is always upon me. God’s plans are always for my good. For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope (Jeremiah 29:11).

Today, I will ask God to help me see His hand as I go through unknown valleys. The Lord blesses us with a landscape of valleys and mountains. Tomorrow and throughout this week, as Scott and I continue visiting relatives and friends, we will travel through winter weather, and I will ask God to help me see Him in each moment. By the grace of God, I will feel His hand upon my shoulder and trust in His grace and mercy.

Dear Lord, help me see Your hand in all situations. When I hesitate, direct my thoughts to You and Your love. Let my desire be to run to You for comfort, trust in You in all things, and praise Your name in the valleys and on the mountain tops. You walk alongside me. I am not alone. My family is safe in Your arms. You give me a future and a hope and my strength comes from You. I thank You and praise Your name. Alleluia and Amen!

Today, and always, we are surrounded by HIS grace,

Debbie

AboutDebbie, bloghome, Lutheran Reflection, Lutheran Women in Mission

You Can’t Make This Stuff Up!

I’ve just returned from an incredible trip to St. Louis for a number of important events. I was privileged to take our LWML Office staff out for a postponed Christmas celebration dinner. I also recorded (actually, our Digital Marketing Coordinator Jill recorded — I just talked!) the video “Report to the Districts” for our upcoming LWML district convention season this year, and we held our Board of Directors and Presidents Assembly meetings.

Each evening, the board members and I try to spend some time together NOT working on policy or making decisions. We talk about our families, childhood memories, our children, and other subjects that are totally random. We laugh, we pray, and we have become a family centered on Christ.

One night as the stories continued to get more personal — from touching memories of those who are now with Jesus, to telling of embarrassing moments you only share with those you trust —  we belly-laughed so hard I heard someone snort, and say, “You just can’t make this stuff up!”

Our memories make up who we are and how we see the world around us. Isn’t it amazing how we can remember snippets of being a toddler, the scent of Grandpa’s tobacco, and the feel of a soft quilt that Grandma wrapped around us? The capacity and miracle of the human brain do not happen by accident.

How can anyone believe this creation is by chance? We are intricately woven into the person we are. Each memory and each personality trait is a gift from God. He chose the color of my eyes and the sound of my voice. Each of us are unique and special in His eyes. I want to shout to the world, “You just can’t make this up!” You can’t look at this creation and each other and believe this was all by chance.

You, and I, just can’t make this stuff up. No human can explain why we remember some things and not others. No human, studying their whole life, can understand the intricacies of the human brain. If we can’t even figure out the why and how it works, we certainly can’t make this up — only God can! And He did! We know this because He shares creation with us in and through His Word.

When we snorted, “You just can’t make this stuff up” we were talking of simple and funny stories of our past. I love to find simple topics and relate them to God — and I have yet to find any topic that I can’t relate to our Creator. Creation — “stuff” starting from nothing at all — we can’t do that. But our Creator, in His love, made each of us and knows the number of hairs on our heads. I find that simple fact amazing and humbling at the same time. Ponder that, my friends!

Today, and always, we are surrounded by HIS grace, Debbie

AboutDebbie, bloghome, Lutheran Women in Mission

A Lesson in Patience

Over the holidays, I was blessed to travel with my husband Scott to California to volunteer as a Petal Pusher (a decorator on the Lutheran Hour Ministries (LHM) Tournament of Roses Parade float and other floats in the same warehouse). I was also privileged to ride on the LHM float in the parade. It was amazing to watch the crowd stand in honor of our Savior as we passed. The float was titled “Jesus Teaches” and a local pastor, in costume, portrayed Jesus. It truly was all about Jesus!

I thought I’d begin this blog with something positive because, I admit, I was not in a positive mood on January 2 as we tried to fly home. Flights around the country were delayed or canceled. Our day was a lesson in patience, and mine was used up early in the day. Our flight from Ontario, California to Denver, Colorado was delayed. We arrived around 2:30 p.m. — sat on the tarmac for 40 minutes — no ground crews. Then we waited for luggage for an hour and a half — no ground crews. Our flight from Denver to Colorado Springs was canceled. We rented a car — along with half the people in the airport. Hours (2 ½ to be precise) later we were on our way to the Colorado Springs airport to pick up our car and drive home over the mountain pass.

Our patience had disappeared, and our moods were — not good. So on the way home we made lists of things/people for which we were thankful. The lists were long. Here are just a few:

My list: I was humbled to represent the LWML on the LHM float, thankful for all the wonderful Christians we met as we worked on the floats, thankful I have a husband with more patience than I, thankful our plane made it to Denver and we got our luggage, thankful I wasn’t traveling with small children who were tired and hungry and didn’t understand, thankful that we made it home in one day, and thankful we have a home to which we can return.

Scott’s list: He was thankful we got to fly home together (when flights were canceled they had originally booked us on separate flights), thankful we were reunited with a neighbor from over 40 years ago as we worked on decorating the floats, thankful he has a wife with more patience than he has (hahahaha!), thankful the icy roads had cleared off and we could find a rental car, and thankful for safely arriving home.

Yes, we are both thankful for Jesus! If you’re wondering if I prayed at any time for more patience, I did not. God gave me enough — I just refused to see it. I just got off a phone call with a friend that had a 60 hour experience in airports with many more delays and cancelations. So, as I write this blog I thank God for a lesson in trust, in patience, and in thankfulness. However, I may ask Him to make my next trip a little less eventful!

Today, and always, we are surrounded by HIS grace,

Debbie

AboutDebbie, Lutheran Reflection, Lutheran Women in Mission

Setting Priorities in the New Year

Another calendar year is almost over. Does time pass quickly for you or do the hours seem to crawl along like a sloth crossing the highway? I suppose it depends on what is going on in our lives at the moment I ask such a question of any of you. I know if I’m waiting for family to arrive for a special celebration, time passes slowly. If I’m enjoying time with a friend, time passes quickly. If I’m responding to LWML emails, time flies and it seems I’ve spent hours of the day to my laptop. (This is something I love to do — correspond with my sisters and brothers in Christ!).

I remind myself that we all have the same amount of time — you can’t buy more time. You have what you have been given. Every moment is a gift from God. So many things in this life can be bought, bartered, or borrowed, but not time. You can’t give your time to someone or share the time you’ve been given — or can you? I believe that’s what we do when we serve God by serving others. The time I spend packing Mercy Meals for Orphan Grain Train is time I’m able to give. The time I take to call a friend who has lost a loved one is time I’m able to share.

Yesterday, I found myself judging others and how they spend their time. Yes, I admit to doing this — forgive my sin, oh Lord! The Holy Spirit gently nudged my thoughts as I realized how much time I spend checking Facebook and on other non-essential activities in comparison to how much time I spend in the Word. Ouch ….

I can squander my time or make the most of it — we all make those choices. My priorities are evident through my actions. Today, I am the one who will choose how much time to spend with my Lord. I’m the one who will choose how much time I squander on social media. Tomorrow, I again will choose to spend time wisely or wastefully. With God’s help, I pray I choose wisely!

New Year’s resolutions are one way we express what we’d like our priorities to be. These are resolutions we know in our heart are priorities we should keep. I normally don’t make New Year’s resolutions, but I may this year — and I hope that I will think of them as opportunities to set priorities that will delight my Lord.

Resolution #1: The time I have been given is a precious gift from God and I will give Him thanks each morning for another day to praise His name and share His love. As the Lord grants me a new day, I will put Him first and trust that He will grant me time for everything else that is necessary. I trust He will do the same for you.

A happy and blessed New Year to each of you!

Today, and always, we are surrounded by HIS grace,

Debbie

AboutDebbie, bloghome, Lutheran Reflection, Lutheran Women in Mission, Missions for God

It’s Not Pretty

I was sitting in church this last Sunday enjoying the festive decorations all around the sanctuary. I smiled as I realized that no matter how we dress up the church, the large cross above the altar continues to appropriately dominate the space. We Christians love our crosses. I have a delicate cross necklace. I’ve seen silver and gold cross jewelry, crosses embroidered on Bible covers, and many lovely wall crosses. The symbol of the cross is beautiful — to those who understand that Christ died in their place, for their redemption.

In biblical times, the cross was certainly not pretty. The practice of crucifixion began long before the Romans perfected this particular cruelty. Thousands of people were subjected to this most brutal and shameful punishment. Our Lord Jesus was not the first or last person to be crucified, but He was sinless and endured the cross — for me — and for you.

I arrived home from church and spent some time researching this reprehensibly cruel sentence. I looked up from my laptop at the Christmas tree. Why on earth would I dwell on this most somber subject during the joyful season of Advent and Christmas? Because, as we celebrate the birth of the Christ child, we must acknowledge He came to earth because of our sin — to be our teacher, our example, and most of all, our Redeemer.

Non-Christians have taken this most holy celebration and embraced it as a secular observation of feasting and gift-giving. Stay strong, my friends. Stay strong in your faith and conviction of the truth. Keep the cross of Christ at the center of every celebration. As we worship the baby Jesus, may we find peace in the hope the Christ child brought to this fallen world. Go ahead and feast. Continue to give gifts to those less fortunate and those you love. Dress up pretty and enjoy Christmas. Celebrate Jesus, who came as a child in a manger, grew to teach the truth, and endured a suffering and death on a cross that was … not pretty. No, to those who understand, the cross is beautiful.

Today, and always, we are surrounded by HIS grace,

Debbie

AboutDebbie, bloghome, Lutheran Reflection, Missions for God

Going Home

Aurora Australis

Scott and I arrived home to Colorado late last Tuesday evening. I stepped out of the vehicle and breathed in the scents of sage and pine. We had driven through thunderstorms and watched lightening race across the sky. The clouds had parted and the stars were shining. We live in a gated ranch community in the heart of the Rocky Mountains and, each time I drive through the gate, I am quite sure my stress level drops. Oh, how I love coming home!

Scott’s father had been struggling for several months and he died peacefully in his sleep early on Sunday morning, August 11th. The memorial service was held in Bemidji, Minnesota, on Saturday, August 17th. Lloyd has gone home to be with Jesus. With family and friends, we celebrated Lloyd’s life but the real celebration was the fact that we will see him again in heaven.

Our Father has set us on this earth to be His missionaries and spread His message of salvation to all those who do not know that He is the only way to eternal life in heaven. We are here to bring glory to the Lord. I count it an honor and a privilege to serve Him in this way. At the same time I want to remember this is not my home (referencing 2 Corinthians 5). As much as I love my home in Colorado, and as much as I loved my home in North Dakota when I was a child, I look forward to meeting Jesus face to face.

I love to travel. I love to visit friends and family. I love to see and experience new things and places. Yet there is always a great feeling of peace when I come home. As we mourn the loss of Scott’s father, we know he is at peace because he is home, really home. He is with Jesus and we will join him some day. 

This is why we, as Lutheran Women in Mission, share Jesus. This is why we serve others and give to missions. We are His missionaries and we spread His message of salvation … so all may know Jesus and go home!

Today, and always, we are surrounded by God’s grace,

Debbie

Lutheran Women in Mission, Missions for God

Coins Go Rolling!

Someone dropped their Mite Box! Coins go rolling around and people scramble to help find them all! It’s another Mite Box Sunday at our church — the first Sunday of every month when we invite the congregation to bring their Mite Box offerings in and add them to the big Mite Box. We then dedicate those offerings to God for spreading of the Gospel message.

It reminded me of the power of those Mite Box collections when they go rolling out of the box. Just this past month we have delivered the first two of our mission grant awards.

One was to Franklin Avenue Mission who sponsors Mercy House for Women and Children in Flint, Michigan to remodel, add on to, and provide a shelter. In Flint 46% of the general population and 66% of the children live below the poverty line. This mission outreach will help unwed, pregnant, abused, homeless Caucasian, African American, and Hispanic mothers and their children.  Can you see those coins rolling out into the community?

The second grant was the grant for Current Missionary Need to support LCMS missionaries overseas. As you know, LCMS missionaries must raise their own money to finance their mission work. The $100,000 grant will provide $10,000 each to assist nine missionaries/missionary families already serving in Kenya, Togo and Ethiopia, Africa; Hong Kong; Peru; and St. Petersburg, Russia, as well as another missionary who has been called to serve in Thailand. Can you see those coins rolling out into the world?

I hope whenever you see a spilled Mite Box you’ll think of those coins spilling out into the world — making a difference in someone’s life for eternity.

Let’s keep those coins rolling!

Patti

 

And he looked up, and saw the rich men casting their gifts into the treasury. And he saw also a certain poor widow casting in thither two mites. And he said, “Of a truth I say unto you, that this poor widow hath cast in more than they all; For all these have of their abundance cast in unto the offerings of God: but she of her penury hath cast in all the living that she had”  (Luke 21:1–4 KJV).

Check Presentation inside the offices at Mission Central

Check Presentation at Mission Central
LWML Treasurer Marilyn Schroeder presenting the check to the personnel at Mission Central for the grant Current Missionary Need

Check Presentation to Mercy House personnel, pictured outside of Mercy House's facility

Check Presentation to Mercy House
Pictured from left to right: Sue Aussen, Mercy House Program Manager; Michigan District President Susan Gruber, Kaye Wolff, Vice President of Special Focus Ministries; Pastor Bradley Yops, Mercy House Director; MaryBeth Heikkinen, Michigan District Vice President of Communication.

Lutheran Reflection

Traditions

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Happy New Year! Our guest blogger this week is our LWML Junior Pastoral Counselor, Rev. Mitchel Schuessler. He and his wife, Penny, live in Troy, Illinois where he is pastor at St. Paul Lutheran Church. 

 

I pray that your 2017 went well and 2018 will be a blessing to you. Me? 2017 saw me elected to the office of LWML Junior Pastoral Counselor. WOW! Never thought it would really happen but the Lord does amazing things.

Do you have a favorite tradition you do around Christmas/New Years? Penny and I do. We make raviolis on the day after Christmas. It is always an adventure that ends in a very tasty fashion. It is amazing how, even after doing this for years, we forget what we are doing. After the first set of raviolis come out of the press, we start to remember. “Oh yeah, that is what we do,” is often said. Fun times and good eats are a part of this Schuessler/Rex tradition.

What tradition do you have in your family? One tradition that I never had in my family was the LWML. As I look back, I wish that my mom would have been involved in the LWML but she was not. I did not grow up with the LWML but I did raise my family knowing and participating in the LWML in various ways.

Penny and I have been active throughout the past 35 years, which is hard to imagine. The day we brought our daughter Rachael home from the hospital, I took her over to the church at Trinity, Harvel, IL, to meet the ladies of the LWML society. From that point on, she has been a part of the LWML, a tradition we have handed down to her and to our son Matthew. We look forward to one day passing it on to the next generation.

Happy New Year and enjoy those traditions.

Rev. Mitchel Schuessler
LWML Junior Pastoral Counselor

Pastor Mitch and his wife Penny

Lutheran Reflection

Where’s Baby Jesus?

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My son’s family has a lovely nativity set from Italy which is displayed each Christmas on a separate table. This table is kid-friendly high. Starting with the first of three kids, the baby Jesus of the set tended to travel a lot!

Baby Jesus might end up in the hayloft of the set. He visited the dollhouse. He connected with dinosaurs, ponies and robots. He spent several days riding the train around the Christmas tree.

It was interesting that Mary or Joseph or any other character was left in place! The focus was on baby Jesus. For some reason the children focused on the Christ child in his manger. Maybe as children they related to Him being their size or having mom and dad watching over them. Maybe it was because the baby Jesus is usually portrayed with open arms reaching out to them.

It makes a point for me. Christ Jesus has come with open arms, reaching out with His love to all people. He is present everywhere, as the glorified Son of God, not simply reflected in some expensive exhibit to be admired, but there with us at our work, in our homes, during times of travel and change. He’s there among us with understanding, love and support as we experience every nuance of our lives.

Some of my friends will spend Christmas with hospitalized relatives. Some will spend Christmas feeling alone as they only have family at a distance. Some are fighting cancer, depression, or a first Christmas without a beloved spouse or mother. Whatever the circumstance, if they know Jesus by faith through the Word they can take that baby Jesus with them and treasure the joy of knowing He came for them. He is always reaching out to them and is with them wherever they happen to be this Christmas time.

My prayer for all of you is that you find that baby Jesus and focus on him.  Put him in the place where you happen to be. Praise be to God for sending Baby Jesus, our Emmanuel to be with us and among us.

As LWML women we desire all people to know the peace and joy that our Baby Jesus brings to us at Christmas. That’s why we do what we do as LWML—Lutheran Women in Mission!

I hope your baby Jesus ended up in your nativity set this morning! Christmas blessings to you all!

Lutheran Reflection

O Little Town of Bethlehem

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Guest blogger this week is LWML Senior Pastoral Counselor, Rev. Robert Mundahl. He and his wife, Peggy, recently traveled to the Holy Land. My best wishes to all of you for a week of safe travel and joyful preparations for Christmas, family visits and Jesus’ birthday. – Patti

O little Town of Bethlehem is one of my favorite songs at Christmas, but after traveling to Israel last month my perspectives have changed. Bethlehem is no longer the little town of Jesus’ day. Instead of being a town of 300 to 1,000 people when He was born, Bethlehem has grown to envelop almost 76,000 people within its borders. It is quite easy to sit in Jerusalem and see Bethlehem in the distance. It reminds me of our spreading metropolises where every town simply runs into the next. The six miles Mary and Joseph journeyed to the Old City for Jesus’ purification is now filled in with walls, homes, and businesses. It’s hard to imagine that old little town anymore.

No matter the size of this town, the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem is considered to be the place where Jesus was born. Even though the Church is currently under renovation our tour group had the opportunity to enter down into the place set aside for His birth. Many paintings depict the cave like place understood to be where it all happened.

For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.  And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger (Luke 2:11-12).

I’ll still sing the song with reverent joy as I celebrate His birth again this year. Bethlehem is the place. The Savior was born there. Jesus is still God’s gift to us. I was blessed to see and touch and mark the place where the Word became flesh.

 

 

 

 

 

Thanks be to God – Joy to the World!
Rev. Robert Mundahl