The Shepherd and the Lamb

Outside the farm and ranch store I almost literally ran into a friend I had not seen in a while. She was bubbly, telling me about a new baby lamb.

“He gets so excited when we come toward him with the bottle. His little behind just wiggles with expectation. He will let us hold him as he falls to sleep. He has such a sweet little voice. Do you want to see a picture?”

Of course, I wanted to see a picture of a cute wooly little white lamb, but what I saw was a thin, almost gray, dirty, limp-looking creature.

I was kind, wished her well, and then as I drove home, it dawned on me. The way she loves and looks at her lamb, is the way my Savior, my Shepherd, loves and looks at me. My Shepherd rescues me as she has rescued this lamb.

LWML has devotions to remind us of our Shepherd.

• Green Pastures
• His Sheep
• Mustard Seed — Water of Life: Life of a Sheep
• Mustard Seed — The Race of Faith: Water Stations

The LORD is my Shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures (Psalm 23:1–2a).

Dianna Just

Recording Secretary
Lutheran Women’s Missionary League

View past messages

Gather and Share

District conventions are approaching, and Lutheran Women in Mission nationwide are preparing to gather, study God’s Word, and plan for the coming biennium. These gatherings also provide an opportunity to celebrate recently funded Mission Grants and learn about the work accomplished by their recipients.

As you prepare, your plans may include a servant event or a Gifts from the Heart collection. These activities offer meaningful ways to share the Gospel with those in need throughout our districts.

A helpful list of Mission Service Activities is available here.

Even if your District Convention plans are complete, I encourage you to use these ideas within your congregations. It is a blessing to join with fellow believers in service and extend that care into our communities.

“Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful” (Luke 6:36).

Anne M. Hartman

Vice President of Gospel Outreach
Lutheran Women in Mission

View past messages

Opportunity!

He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed (1 Peter 2:24).

We are now in the season of Lent, 40 weekdays before Easter. Lent is a penitential time — an opportunity! — to reflect on Christ’s Calvary-bound mission on earth. We journey to the cross with Jesus and focus on His perfect life, suffering, and death for each of us, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness.

Lent is also an opportunity to be in God’s Word. Does your church provide Lenten devotion booklets with a devotion for each day? Do you regularly attend worship and Bible study? Do you have a regular devotional plan that keeps you daily in God’s Word? However you choose to do so, take this Lenten opportunity to begin or continue in the study of God’s Word.

Read the devotion, What An Opportunity! It gives you other suggestions for observing Lent this year and ways to serve Him. You can also access free resources available for Lenten Bible Journaling. Serve the Lord with gladness (Psalm 100:2a) in whatever Lenten opportunities you choose! God’s blessings during your Lenten journey!

Shari Miller

Vice President of Christian Life
Lutheran Women’s Missionary League

View past messages

Cherish Memories

After more than 40 years of living in the same home, we decided to embark on the daunting task of moving into a new one. As boxes were filled, taped, and then transported to our new address, I learned a great lesson. There is no substance to the memorabilia you collect throughout the years that compares to the love of Christ, to the joy of spending precious time with loved ones, and to creating fond memories embedded in your heart.

At the end of our moving days, we took time sharing photographs recalling the blessings of our old home and getting excited about the anticipation of the memories to come.

Be blessed by listening to LWML’s devotion Photo Memories and hear how you’re never forgotten but are cherished and chosen by God. “Behold, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands” (Isaiah 49:16a).

Linda Guteres

Vice President of Communication
Lutheran Women’s Missionary League

View past messages

Share the Joy

Rejoice always, (1 Thessalonians 5:16).

My grandson, Simon, is known for his unique sayings. His latest Simonism, "Sometimes when I hear a song it makes my eyebrows want to dance." Have you ever felt such joy that people can watch your eyebrows dance? You have been given faith by the Holy Spirit; belief in Jesus’ perfect life, death, and resurrection. Jesus’ love and redemptive act has led you to the assurance of life everlasting in heaven. What now? Share the joy!

If you want to schedule a retreat for this year, check out lwml.org. Lutheran Women in Mission offers a three-part retreat/Bible study as a free download titled, Experience the Joy ─ Then Share It! Check out this resource, celebrate our forgiveness, and be encouraged to witness to those around you.

You could even have an “eyebrow” dance contest!

Cheryl Mattil

Strategic Plan Facilitator
Lutheran Women in Mission

View past messages

What is next for me, Lord?

When the blessed celebration of our Lord’s birth as well as the new year’s celebration has been completed, I have often asked, what is next for me, Lord? How best can I serve You? Have you too asked this question?

One way we each can gain a little insight into how best to serve the Lord is to study our spiritual gifts and to contemplate how we are to live out our Christian life. We can dive into His Word and seek His direction with the Bible study by Cheryl Mattil, Gifts, Chosen for You - Lutheran Women's Missionary League.

For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them (Romans 12:4-6a).

Leslie Colligan

Meeting Manager
Lutheran Women’s Missionary League

View past messages

Imperishable Wreath

Athletic events are major news stories. The college football playoffs just finished. The Superbowl is coming soon, then the Winter Olympics, the World Cup, and on and on. We hear how these athletes spend hours every day preparing for the big event.

How much time do we spend every day preparing for our biggest event – eternity? Do you have a daily Bible study routine? Many resources are available to help you be ready for whenever God calls you home. On our LWML webpage under the Shop tab, you can find Bible Reading Plan Bookmarks. This packet contains five sets of reading the Bible in one year. Order the set and encourage four others to begin a yearly journey through the Bible. Athletes have coaches to help them train, and you and your friends can help keep each other stay on track for your imperishable wreath.

Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable (1 Corinthians 9:25).

Arlene Naasz

Vice President of Organizational Resources
Lutheran Women in Mission

View past messages