Focus

Have you ever had one of those days where distractions are constantly pulling for your attention? Distractions constantly pull for my attention, time, emotions, and focus. Those distractions can be as simple as a notification on my phone or an email. Sometimes distractions can even be my own emotions — fear, pain, anxiousness, etc.

When I am distracted by my emotions, I tend to move from a place of peace to a place where I feel overwhelmed. When that happens, I lose my focus. It is then that I am reminded God is in control, not me. Sounds simple, right? While it is simple and true, I still have days where “I just want to do it myself.” Thankfully, God has provided people I love to walk with me through a process of refocusing and remembering He is in control.

If you find yourself distracted, you may find this Bible study helpful: “Focus Lost…Focus Restored.”

Karla Koehler

Treasurer
Lutheran Women’s Missionary League

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Go and Tell — LWML’s Mission

How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? (Romans 10:14).

District conventions are underway for 2022. Hooray! What is the purpose of these conventions? Business items such as selecting mission grants to spread the good news of Jesus Christ to those who need to hear and choosing officers. Sisterhood. Fellowship. Caring. Encouraging. Mentoring. All these describe LWML also, but our heart is to Go and Tell! Now is the time to look around to find mission-minded, Gospel-sharing ministries in your area that could benefit from the support of a 2023 LWML Mission Grant to be selected in Milwaukee. Consider submitting a mission grant proposal. Our Lord tells us to, Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation (Mark 16:15). That is what we do through district and national mission grants.

LWML Mission Grant Guidelines available here.

Karen Morrison

Vice President of Gospel Outreach
Lutheran Women’s Missionary League

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Forgiveness and Grace

Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you (Ephesians 4:32).

I messed up. Big time. I sent an email that needed to be reread and toned down before clicking “Send.” It hurt a friend’s feelings and threw someone else under the bus. A friend called me out on it and was correct in doing so. I needed to be held accountable. I had not been kind or tenderhearted.

I apologized to my friend. What a Christ-like example she was to me! Jesus’ love shines through her and she shared that grace with me. I thank God for her understanding spirit and her forgiveness.

The LWML website has wonderful resources. Type “forgiveness” into the search box, and dozens of outstanding devotions and Bible studies are listed. Leadership Tips help hone needed skills.

So, I am back to the computer—and I vow to be better— to encourage one another and build one another up as Apostle Paul taught in 1 Thessalonians 5:11.

Forgiven, through His Grace,

Brenda Piester

Recording Secretary
Lutheran Women’s Missionary League

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Lutheran Woman's Quarterly — Communication and Mission Tool

The official publication of the Lutheran Women’s Missionary League (LWML), the Lutheran Woman’s Quarterly, is a valuable method of communication. It is also a powerful mission tool. Sheila Lutz, Quarterly Editor-in-Chief, recently shared with district presidents ideas for using the Quarterly as a mission tool. Here are few of her suggestions:

• When a subscriber is through reading her issue, she can share it with someone — a friend, another woman in the church, a non-Lutheran woman, or a pastor.
• Some ladies have shared Quarterly issues by asking if they could put them in the racks at doctor or dentist offices. Consider leaving a copy at hair and nail salons.
• Information shared through stories can spark ideas of how readers can become more involved in missions — new ones or in different ways.

Consider how you can share your issues of the Lutheran Woman's Quarterly. If you are not currently a subscriber of the Quarterly, visit lwml.org/lutheran-womans-quarterly to sign-up and begin sharing today!

Kathy Pavelock

Vice President of Communication
Lutheran Women’s Missionary League

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The Gift of Faith

“If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will the heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” (Luke 11:13).

Our immediate family celebrates six birthdays in April, half of our family of twelve providing a host of opportunities for gift giving. Our youngest grandchild, Sammy, turned one on April 2. Last year he was born on Good Friday and was baptized by his Grandpa Terry—my husband, a retired LCMS pastor—on Easter Sunday. What a gift the Holy Spirit gave Samuel — the gift of faith.

We all like to receive gifts. The LWML store has many gifts that help remind us of the great gift of faith the Holy Spirit created in our hearts. Devotions for All Seasons and Text Messages from God, Volume 2 are a couple of gift ideas that include a Scripture reference, reflection, and prayer. These and many other gift ideas are available at the LWML website under the Shop tab.

May we always thank God for our gift of faith.

Arlene Naasz

Meeting Manager
Lutheran Women’s Missionary League

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Risen

“He is not here, for he has risen,” (Matt 28:6a).

Of all the holy days, Easter stands out above them all. Christmas is when Jesus was born but some give more importance to decorating and giving gifts. Think what Easter Day says.

• It proves that Jesus is who He said.
• It proves that we can believe everything Jesus says.
• It proves that God has power over everything, including death.
• It proves that Jesus is the Messiah who came to complete salvation.
• Finally, it proves that having faith in Jesus, we can have full and complete confidence that, since Jesus arose from the dead, we, too, will rise from the dead.

Even more we can believe in confidence that, at our resurrection, He will take us to Himself into the glories of heaven. So, yes, it is the most important day of the year. We celebrate it, all year, in one way or another, but for 50 solid days, we especially celebrate during the Season of Easter.

The Rev. Gary Piepkorn

Junior Pastoral Counselor
Lutheran Women’s Missionary League

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We Wait

Our soul waits for the LORD; (Psalm 33:20a). If we listen, the seemingly quiet day between Good Friday (good for us, not for Jesus) and Easter, speaks loudly. The culmination of Jesus’ state of humiliation is on full display. From the day Jesus was born, He was destined to die, as a human, and be buried, as a human. Therefore, as a substitute for us, fulfilling human nature in every way, He lay in the grave, just like all of us will.

Therefore, if it was good for Jesus’ body to lay in rest awaiting the resurrection, then it is also good for our bodies to lay in rest awaiting the resurrection. On Holy Saturday we look forward, and knowing now to what we look, oh, is it a wonderful picture we see — the resurrection. Then, because He arose, so will we. On this day, we wait for that great day to come.

The Rev. Gary Piepkorn

Junior Pastoral Counselor
Lutheran Women’s Missionary League

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