Experience the Joy

After the flurry of activity and colorful decorations of Christmas and New Year’s Eve, I find this time of year dull and dreary. What better way to shake off the winter gloom than to gather with your LWML sisters for Bible study. I am recommending to my local group that we start the year with the LWML study Experience the Joy—Then Share it! This 3-session Bible study is available as a free download from the LWML SHOP. Author Miriam Maassel Neumann writes in her introduction “Happiness is temporary and based on events that are happening at the time. Joy, however, is deeper and is based on God’s promises and presence with us.” We can experience joy even during a dull and dreary time in our lives.

I pray that you find peace and joy in the New Year in the presence of our loving Savior.

Debbie Yocky

Public Relations Director
Lutheran Women’s Missionary League

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Encouragement

I once read, “The smallest gesture is worth more than the grandest intention,” and I agree. It doesn’t take much to brighten someone’s day with a word of encouragement, a smile, or a gentle touch. I have been blessed to receive notes of encouragement or Bible verses. Sometimes they come in a purchased card or a handmade work of art. They have also been sent on scrap paper, in an email, or as a text. Once, my husband wrote me a love letter on graph paper – all in block capital letters! (engineer)

I have also received smiles that made me smile back, a gentle touch on my arm, and hugs. Those intimate gestures may be small, but they are most definitely worth more than the grandest of intentions!

Paul writes, Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing (1 Thessalonians 5:11).

Thank you for being an encourager! If you need a card, check out all the options on our website here.

Eden Keefe

President, 2023–2027
Lutheran Women’s Missionary League

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Time for a Clean Sweep?

Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me (Psalm 51:10).

As the new year begins, it is time to reflect on areas where we can improve our lives. Many make resolutions to do something specific for their health, home, family, or personal devotion time for faith-building and prayers.

Individuals are not alone on this improvement journey. The Lutheran Women in Mission Board of Directors is working through strategic planning. Looking to the future, we discuss practices in our organization that need a “clean sweep.” Our communication methods, event planning, and volunteer structure benefit from a review of their importance, relevancy, and efficiency. We also review whether practices need to be eliminated, streamlined, or updated.

Your local group may wish to do the same thing by using helpful Group Development resources on the LWML website. I recommend using “Time for a ‘Clean Sweep?’” to challenge your group to self-evaluate — all for the ultimate purpose of proclaiming Christ, supporting missions, and equipping women to honor God by serving others.

Happy cleaning!

Brenda Piester

Recording Secretary
Lutheran Women’s Missionary League

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Discernment

Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing (1 Thessalonians 5:11).

Discernment is the process of understanding and applying God’s Word to a situation and one’s life. This week, the Mission Grant Selection Committee is in the final stage of reviewing and selecting the grant proposals that will be placed on the ballot for the 2025 LWML Convention in Omaha. God tells us to “Go and Tell.” That is why Lutheran Women in Mission have been supporting mission grants and ministry work around the world since 1942.

The Mission Grants Selection Committee have been individually praying for discernment as they have read through each of the 112 grant proposals submitted. Now, relying on God and the discernment He will provide, the committee concludes their work.

How can you help? PRAY! Lift the nine committee members in prayer this week, asking God to guide their thoughts and decisions, so that together they may discern where He is leading them in this process.

Serving in Joy,

Karen Morrison

Vice President of Gospel Outreach
Lutheran Women’s Missionary League

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New Things

And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new” (Revelation 21:5a).

This week marks the end of one calendar year and the beginning of another. What will the new year bring? You might begin the new year with new goals or resolutions. You may be looking forward to special events such as the Omaha LWML Convention which will provide the opportunity to grow in grace and make new friends while reconnecting with old ones.

2025 will also bring almost 50 new online Mustard Seed devotions marking both sacred and secular holidays. Subscribe for free to Mustard Seed devotions through the LWML app or online at lwml.org. Then, freely forward them to others (or print and share them with those who do not have a computer or smartphone). Online Mustard Seeds also have an audio feature for those who are visually challenged and select devotions will be translated into American Sign Language.

God bless you as you serve Him with gladness throughout the new year!

Ruth Badciong

Mustard Seed Task Force, 2023–2025
Lutheran Women’s Missionary League

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Pure Joy

“Joy to the world the Lord has come let earth receive her King!” During this Christmas season that is what we have received, the gift of the King of the universe. He who is King over all things has come to us as an infant born in usual fashion and laid in a manger. This King is here to get His hands dirty. Those hands will get dirty with the sin and yuck of our lives and He is doing so for us. And yes, we have great joy over the fact that Jesus has graciously come to do so! Not because our hands are clean. But precisely because our hands are not clean. Jesus is born to make us clean. He does so by getting dirty Himself in taking our sins into Himself and dying in our stead. We have great joy because God gets dirty for us.

There are numerous Lutheran Women in Mission Bible studies which will help you to understand this joyous dirty work of the Lord for us. Find them at lwml.org/bible-studies.

Rev. Mark J. Maas

Junior Pastoral Counselor
Lutheran Women’s Missionary League

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Looking Forward

For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations, whose designer and builder is God (Hebrews 11:10).

Looking forward is typical for most people. Usually, it is a looking forward to something better than what one has now. Of course, the damage that sin causes, in everything, causes one to be cautious and reserved so that one is not so disappointed when what one hoped would come to be does not. Yet, there are times in life that God allows for things to be better. Our Christmas celebrations are often some of those. The joy of the carols, the getting together with family, the great message of hope through Jesus, often cause it to be so. And even when it doesn’t always turn out as we wish, we have a vastly greater event awaiting us. It is the very same thing to which Abraham looked forward — eternal life with our God and Savior. We Christian believers truly do look forward to being with Jesus.

Rev. G A Piepkorn

Senior Pastoral Counselor
Lutheran Women’s Missionary League

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