Hard to Keep In

And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them (Luke 2:20).

Have you ever received a Christmas gift that made you so excited you had a hard time trying to contain your joy? Did you have to tell someone about it because you were so excited?

On that first Christmas, the shepherds received an angelic announcement that the Savior had been born, and upon finding the Christ child, they were filled with joy. The excitement they had over this fulfilled promise caused them to return to their homes glorifying God — they could not keep in their joy!

Again, this Christmas, the Lord is reassuring us that our Savior has been born. In this child, all the promises of eternal salvation are fulfilled in His subsequent death and resurrection. In Jesus, we find unending life and light. May that great news fill us with so much joy that we find it hard to keep in this Christmas and, like the shepherds, excitedly share our joy: Christ, the Savior is born!

Click here for a Christmas devotion about the shepherds.

Rev. Brian Noack

Senior Pastoral Counselor
Lutheran Women’s Missionary League

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Our Infinite, Eternal, Omnipresent, Triune, Creator

Have you ever, like me, just sat in wonder and awe thinking about all the attributes of our Triune God? The magnitude of God is immeasurable. Each time I return to His Word, I learn more about Him and His will for my life, and I am embraced by His loving presence. All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness (2 Timothy 3:16). Each day, God invites us to be in His Word. We learn about Him, His saving grace, and we are drawn closer to our Lord.

Let’s come together to read the whole Bible in 2022. On the Gospel Outreach webpage there is a “Read Through the Bible in a Year” resource. This can be done in half an hour each day. We pray that as you read God’s Word, it illuminates your path (Psalm 119:105), it lessens your burdens (1 Peter 5:7), and it fills your heart with hope, peace, and joy (Romans 15:13).

Leslie Colligan

Gospel Outreach Committee, Chairman
Lutheran Women’s Missionary League

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Program Resources for You

Commit your work to the LORD, and your plans will be established (Proverbs 16:3).

Have you ever found yourself on the program planning committee for your LWML Christmas or other LWML event? I have and it was a committee of one. After a little panic and prayer, God answered and directed me to the LWML website. You can do the same — it is easy.

Go to lwml.org/program-helps and you will find many possibilities, organized by type. The categories include: Bible studies, sketches, devotions, crafts, mite offering ideas, and many more suggestions. These resources are downloadable at no cost to you. Best of all the resources on the LWML webpage have all gone through doctrinal review and are ready to go. Your biggest challenge may be deciding which one to use for your program. When you commit your efforts to God, you can trust that God will bless your event.

Arlene Naasz

Meeting Manager
Lutheran Women’s Missionary League

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Happy New CHURCH Year!

This week marks the beginning of Advent, the first season of the church year. Advent — which is from the Latin word for “coming” — helps us prepare our hearts for the celebration of Jesus’ birth.

Family traditions surrounding Christmas are plentiful. Trimming the tree, baking Christmas cookies, and gathering with family and friends are wonderful activities that help us focus on the celebration. But what about other traditions that help us count down to the celebration of our Savior’s birth?

As a child, I remember having an Advent wreath on our dining room table. Each night after dinner we would gather for an Advent devotion. My two sisters and I would take part by lighting the candles, reading the devotion, or blowing out the candles afterwards. Memories were made and traditions were established as we turned our focus toward celebrating the birth of Christ.

To access more information about how to make and use Advent Wreaths, check out Sharing Jesus’ Love in Action — Making an Advent Wreath on the LWML website.

Deaconess Betty Knapp

Vice President of Special Focus Ministries
Lutheran Women’s Missionary League

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Eat, Drink, and be Thankful!

giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ (Ephesians 5:20).

I have a kitchen towel that I set out as I decorate every Autumn. It says “Eat, Drink, and be Thankful.” If the towel had decorative accents other than Fall-colored leaves, I would keep it out all year round. Since we eat and drink throughout each day and not only on Thanksgiving, the towel would be a constant reminder to give thanks always for all the blessings God bestows on us.

There is an LWML Bible study, “Always Thankful” that encourages us to give thanks no matter the situation. Download this resource as your reminder to always give thanks for everything that God provides and especially for the gift of our Savior, Jesus Christ.

Thank You, Lord!

Kathy Pavelock

Vice President of Communication 
Lutheran Women’s Missionary League

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Giving Thanks!

Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever! (Psalm 106:1).

Thanksgiving is next Thursday! We are so thankful to God for giving us His Son, so we can have eternal life, and we thank God for that gift every day. Let us also remember to thank those around us: our pastor, our church workers, and those who have helped and encouraged us. Show your appreciation by taking advantage of the different printables that LWML has available online for you to download. You can thank your pastor for his service using the Pastor Appreciation Card. Use the Thanksgiving bookmarks or notecards and write a note of thanks on the back. Check out other printables throughout the year.

What a great opportunity to take time to give thanks to God and to each other! Happy Thanksgiving!

Marie Chow

Vice President of Organizational Resources
Lutheran Women’s Missionary League

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Encourage and Serve One Another

Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing (1 Thessalonians 5:10).

November is the time of year when we take stock of the things for which we are thankful — the harvest, our ability to worship freely, good health, our families and friends. Praise God for these blessings!

However, some years we may find it more difficult to be thankful. Maybe we are dealing with a physical ailment, a broken relationship, the loss of a loved one, or loneliness.

As Lutheran Women in Mission, we state in our LWML Pledge that we consecrate to our Savior our hands to work for Him, our feet to go on His errands, and our lips to proclaim His redeeming love. One way to share His redeeming love is to encourage and build up one another. We can do this through the service activities found on the website. When we encourage and serve others our focus turns to others and provides us opportunities to be thankful once again.

Michelle Jenks

Strategic Plan Facilitator
Lutheran Women’s Missionary League

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