DEVOTION – GRADUATION Near the end of my first grade year, I asked my mom how much longer I needed to go to school. I enjoyed first grade as well as kindergarten the year before that, but I did wonder if there would be a day when I wouldn’t have to go anymore. I had… Read More »Graduating with the Lord Read More

There have been a number of publications in recent years estimating the monetary value of a stay-at-home mom. They look at mom’s various roles, her number of hours worked, the savings on outside childcare, and crunch it all together to spit out a number usually in the neighborhood of $100,000. That’s one way to estimate… Read More »THE VALUE OF A CHRISTIAN MOM Read More

When the master of the feast tasted the water now become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom and said to him, ‘Everyone serves the good wine first, and when people have drunk freely, then the… Read More »Power and Compassion at Cana Read More

Armageddon. I Am Legend. The Day After Tomorrow. Wall-E. The apocalyptic/post-apocalyptic genre of film has performed very well for Hollywood over the past several decades, and it’s no wonder! Imaginations run rampant when considering what the end of the world might look like. If only the end of the world fiction was restricted to Hollywood!… Read More »The Last Chapter Read More

“I’ve been to three churches on this street, and yours is the only one that says the Lord’s Prayer,” a visitor informed me one Sunday. This surprised me since I figured most Christian churches would regularly say the prayer that Jesus gave us. However, it appears that those familiar words are being prayed less and… Read More »A Unique and Precious Prayer Read More

Every other month our CLC Board of Missions updates us with recent news from various mission fields. “The Lord bless you and keep you; The Lord make His face shine upon you, and be gracious to you; The Lord lift up His countenance upon you, and give you peace.” (Numbers 6:24-26) That is the end-of-service… Read More »Endings and Beginnings Read More

I don’t know anyone that likes goodbye. We look forward to warm welcomes standing in our doorways, we cherish the moments of togetherness around a table, but we all know that eventually, we will be standing there at the end of the drive, staring, and waving as the car disappears around the bend. The last,… Read More »An Ascension “Goodbye”? Read More

TAKING THE GOSPEL ON TOUR In the second of this four-part series, seminary student Sam Rodebaugh shares his memories of trying out for the Tour Choir of Immanuel Lutheran College. A few weeks into every fall semester, tryouts are held for the Tour Choir of Immanuel Lutheran College. For those of you who have had little… Read More »Tour Choir Tryouts Read More

DEVOTION – NAME OF JESUS “And when eight days were completed for the circumcision of the Child, His name was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before He was conceived in the womb.” (Luke 2:21)  Though not often descriptive today, there have been many names in times past with meaning behind them. It doesn’t take… Read More »What’s in a Name? Read More

You’re probably familiar with the insurance company whose TV commercials feature the tagline, “Mayhem is everywhere. Are you in good hands?” A man in a black suit acts the part of a deer standing in the road, a texting teen, a faulty GPS; and the commercial always ends with an accident. The lesson is that… Read More »The Project KINSHIP General Fund Read More

Near the end of my first grade year, I asked my mom how much longer I needed to go to school. I enjoyed first grade as well as kindergarten the year before that, but I did wonder if there would be a day when I wouldn’t have to go anymore. I had suspected that I… Read More »Graduating with the Lord Read More

When we consider St. Valentine—the early Christian martyr for whom Valentine’s Day is named—his identity remains a mystery. There were numerous Christian martyrs named Valentine, and any number of them could have been the one whose name we remember every year. Regardless of his identity, I’m certain he would not recognize the current customs of… Read More »Sacrificial Love Read More

DEVOTION – BACK TO SCHOOL What do you remember about the first day of school? It’s always exciting, isn’t it? New clothes, new school supplies, possibly a new classroom, a new seating arrangement. If you struggled with your math last year, there’s good news! The new school year brings a fresh start. Even those of… Read More »Back to School Joy Read More

MISSION NEWSLETTER Every other month our CLC Board of Missions updates us with recent news from various mission fields. Formerly the capital of Myanmar, Yangon is the most populous city in the country. In a nation of an estimated fifty-four million people, Yangon boasts a metro-area population of just over seven million. Sadly, many of… Read More »Myanmar Children’s Assistance Read More

DEVOTION – ADVENT Do you ever read to the bottom of a page and then double back to the top after realizing you didn’t absorb any of it? Or have you ever been at the wheel of a car and encountered the unsettling realization that you’ve been rather inattentive while driving? If so, then you… Read More »Watching Attentively for Christ’s Return Read More

DEVOTION – EASTER We each bear a name that tells a lengthy story. The longest name in recorded history belonged to a man who went by “Hubert B. Wolfe + 988 Sr.” This was merely a shortening of his full name which included twenty-six ordinary names followed by a 988-letter surname. I would guess that… Read More »The Longest Name Read More

COVER STORY – CONVERSION I certainly believe that the Lord works conversions, I just don’t think my actions always show it. If you’re like me, you find it comfortable—even exciting—to share God’s Word with those you find agreeable. If they look like me, share similar interests, and carry a friendly demeanor, the light bulb goes… Read More »God Called Me by the Gospel Read More

If you placed a pin dead-center in a map of Florida, you would be approximating the location of the city of Winter Haven. There is much to do in the area. Conveniently located between Tampa and Orlando and only twenty-nine miles from Disney World, Winter Haven’s central location has allowed it to become the home… Read More »Immanuel Lutheran Church and School Winter Haven, Florida Read More

DEVOTION—JOHN THE BAPTIST Have you experienced the frustration that comes when you try to point at something exciting, only for your audience to miss it? This happens frequently in my family when we’re on the road. I will see something that I want my young children to see as well. I will point and exclaim,… Read More »Where is John Pointing? Read More

DEVOTION—RESURRECTION LIVING The story was told by one of my former teachers of a time when the lower grade classroom of Messiah Lutheran School in Hales Corners was working on an art project. I was in second grade at the time, and my classmate, Gretchen, already having finished her project, walked up to my desk… Read More »Following the Risen Lord with Confidence Read More