President Jan's Blog

Sunday morning, January 31, 2011, I had the opportunity to visit one of the LWML grant recipients for the 2009-2011 biennium. PR Director Edie Norris and I came to St. Louis a day early for our meetings so that we could worship with Light of Christ Chinese Lutheran Mission in St. Louis. We arrived in time for the Bible class and Sunday school hour. Classes in ESL (English as a Second Language) are offered and many take advantage of this opportunity. The members of the classes we visited were professionals; doctors, surgeons, researchers, who were invited by friends to attend. There is also a class for Chinese seeking citizenship status in America, as well as a regular Bible study.

Participating in the worship service was quite an experience; songs were sung in Chinese and English at the same time, and a woman translated the entire service for the benefit of those who did not know the language. We witnessed two baptisms, one a newborn baby boy; the other a young man who was already a member of the choir that sings at the services. He is the first member of his family to be baptized; his wife and son were in attendance at the service. After the service, Pastor Shaw was approached by two more people who want to be baptized! Nineteen baptisms took place in 2009. The attendance at today’s service was over 125 people. Since the mission was established 10 years ago there have been over 100 baptized in the name of the Triune God.

Many of the people who attend the services and participate in the ministry are only in the United States for a short time as they get advanced degrees. Often when they return to China they share what they have learned about Jesus, becoming lay missionaries to their own people. God is doing amazing things.

Giving us the grand tour and hosting was the pastor’s wife, Becky Shaw. Becky is a former YWR (Young Woman Representative) from 1975 (the first class of YWRs?) from the Minnesota South District LWML when Doris Durkee was president there. What a delight to get to know her and hear her story of mission work in Taiwan, and then to see her in action with the Chinese of greater St. Louis. She is truly a partner in mission with her husband; their three children are also active members and participate in the music support.

At the end of the service I was able to share a little about the grant process. I also showed them items available from the LWML Web site in the missions section. The focus for February 2010 is this very mission; go to that section of our Web site, download and print the prayer guide for February 2010, learn more about this particular grant, and use the special devotion these that highlights this grant. Pray for Light of Christ Chinese Lutheran Mission; I told the group that the LWML does just give money to support the 19 grants for this biennium, but our members and advocates pray for each of the grants.

Thank you for praying for this grant, and for all the grants chosen on the national level, as well as the ones from your district. Be on the lookout for a news release about our visit today.

On a flight today to St. Louis, the flight attendant took note of a book I was reading on leadership. She proceeded to share with me her favorite leadership quote: “True leadership is fueled by love.” The attendant was a delightful young woman who had done a year internship working with leaders; she shared that a key for her was when she learned to serve those she was to lead. She then shared some of her favorite Bible verses; it was a great time of sharing …all because of a book I was reading.
When I got to the hotel, I saw a friend who asked me how I was doing with my blog; just the incentive that I needed to share my experience today. If you are ever on a Sky West flight with a Chicago crew and your flight attendant is Stephanie, tell her I said hi! I did give her a copy of the Winter 2009 Lutheran Woman’s Quarterly, to let her know a little about the LWML and how I lead.

Monday, January 11, I had the opportunity to attend a pre-Lent retreat for pastors and wives in the South Wisconsin District. The presenter was Dr. Reed Lessing from Concordia Seminary in St. Louis. I found myself taking lots of notes. One of my favorites had to do with reading the Bible, imagine that! Dr. Lessing said that the Bible is meant to be reread, not just read once. Citing Psalm 1:2, But his delight is in the law of the Lord and on his law he meditates day and night, and Joshua 1:8, Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night so that you may be careful to do everything written in it.

Dr. Lessing also said, “One of the joys of the Bible is reading it and, Shazam! I never saw that before! The Holy Spirit gives us eyes to see.”

Have you experienced that as you have read the Bible? Sometimes it seems to me that a phrase or passage is in boldface, just what I need to see that day.
May He guide your reading and provide Shazam moments for you as you read and reread God’s Holy Word.

I just received an e-mail from an LWML District President who shared that one of her pastors had found a one year Bible that several small groups in her church are using. She and another secretary (she works at the church office) are arriving to work 30 minutes early each day to do the study together. This was at the request of the other woman.
Lutheran Women in Mission who are in the Word!

A couple of observations: the other woman sought her out to join in this journey through the Bible; and both of them committed to a set time in their schedules. they didn’t wait to see if they could fit it in; they made time for it.
E-mails like that one are a real joy for me to receive. Why not share about your time in the Word? You can e-mail me at lwmlpres@lwml.org, or comment on this blog.

Here’s a “shout out” to the women responsible for the January 2010 issue of the North Wisconsin District LWML newsletter, Mission Tidings. On page 7 they have an article about this blog, complete with instructions for people to view the blog. Thanks for the support, District President Dottie and Editor Sonja!

Look for more information about the blog in the Spring 2010 issue of Lutheran Woman’s Quarterly, coming soon.
Is everyone cold enough this January? Where is global warming when we need it? Bundle up, spend some time with something good to read, like God’s Word. Most of all, enjoy your time reading His love letter to you, basking in the love and forgiveness of THE Son, Jesus Christ.

What fun it was for me to watch the 2010 Rose Parade this morning, remembering my time as a Pedal Pusher for the 2009 float. Then to have the honor of riding on that float; a once-in-a-lifetime event!

This year’s float: The Ten Commandments; Jesus Fulfilled, sets the tone for the new year. Jesus fulfilled all the requirements of the Law, for you and for me. He did what we could never do, and because of His perfect life and sacrifice, eternal life is mine in Jesus. All praise and thanks be to God for this gift of life.

Congratulations to the entire Pedal Pusher crew, led by Dick and Lynn Gast, for another successful year of sharing the message of salvation through the Lutheran Laymen’s League float! Dick and his family work tirelessly to see the float (and all the other ones that the Pedal Pushers help to decorate) to completion; a true labor of love.

Lord, help me to share the hope that is within me to those that You place in my path in 2010.
A blessed New Year to you and those you love.

Yikes! That was the subject line for an e-mail that I received earlier this week. Of course, that got my curiosity right away, so I quickly read the e-mail from a friend. She relayed that she had been reading the death notices in the Milwaukee Sunday paper and saw my name! Reading further she realized it was not me, but a woman with the same name.
Well, we receive the same paper, so I looked and sure enough, there was my name. Something else struck me, and that was I had met this woman’s mother at a luncheon in October. I had commented on her last name being the same as mine (no relation) and she shared that she had a daughter with the very same  name as mine.  She went on to tell me that her daughter lived in Portland, Oregon,  (I had been there a few times over the last several years relating to our 2009 convention) and that her daughter was fighting cancer. That battle ended on November 20, 2009. My sincere condolences to the family and friends.
There was something about seeing my name in the death notices in a newspaper that brought home the reality that someday my name will be there. Thanks be to God that my eternal home is being prepared even now. Death will be the door to my heavenly home.

For now, God still has things for me to do as His dearly loved daughter. So, I must be about my Father’s business. How about you?

This week Monday I was finishing up my reading in the book of Hebrews. One of the verses that jumped out at me was in chapter 11:5: (NKJV) Let your conduct be without covetousness; be content with such things as you have, for He Himself has said, “I will never leave you or forsake you.”
Contentment: that’s not the American way, is it? We have to have something new, something better, something to keep up with the proverbial “Joneses.” God’s Word is pretty clear; He calls it covetousness in this verse. A whispered prayer, Lord God, work contentment in me!
A few verses later, 11:8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever. After writing that verse in my journal, I wrote two words: Enough said.
One other neat thing to share. The journal that I am currently using has scripture verses on the bottom of each page; the verse on that page was Matthew 28:20 “Surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Words of Jesus, for you, for me.Words from the great I Am; Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today and forever. God is in the details.
Today and each day as you walk with the Lord may He remind you of who He is. Introduce Him to those you meet along the way.

Long time; no blog! Just what I thought might happen; I guess that I have to get used to this manner of communicating.
As I was reading in Romans this past week, so many things really impressed me and spoke to my life. One passage that stood out was Romans 11:33-36: “Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out! Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor? Who has ever given to God, that God should repay him? For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen.”
May these words minister to you; rest in the arms of this mighty God; explore the riches of His wisdom and knowledge. Secure in His love, tell others about Jesus.

My quiet time reading yesterday completed the book of John. Chapter 20, verses 30 and 31: “And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.”
Do I need any more incentive or encouragement to be “in the Word?”
May God minster to you through His Word. Blessings on your worship of the Triune God this weekend.