-
Finding Contentment in the Tough Decisions
By Vanessa Rasanen I sat uncomfortably on the couch — or was it a loveseat? No matter. The man across from me listened as I rambled a bit, my eyes shifting off to the corner of the room and then to my feet and then back to him. I’ve never been comfortable with eye contact when I’m speaking, and ever since I had someone call me out on my rude way of looking around during a conversation I’m well-aware that I am doing this now. The man chuckles slightly when I finally stop. “You are very black and white in your thinking. You seem concerned with whether you’re doing the…
-
Stuck in a Bad Mood
By Vanessa Rasanen My house is currently in disarray. Our to-do list seems to grow right alongside the pile of packed boxes in the corner and my nearly-third trimester belly that has long-been hiding my feet. We are, perhaps crazily, working to get our house ready to put on the market in hopes of moving out — and up — before this fourth baby blesses our home and family with cute coos and sleepless nights. As if that wasn’t enough on our plate, we are also — all of us — adjusting to my husband’s new full-time work schedule in addition to national guard duty, an online course, church commitments,…
-
Prayer
By Mary Abrahamson Today at work I was unexpectedly asked to join two of my coworkers in praying with them. A man who just started working at our facility a week ago has a son who experienced a medical emergency last week, and his condition is ongoing. So this man, a brand new employee, understandably has his mind and even sometimes his whole self, elsewhere than his new job. What a situation! Imagine the combined worry of your son’s health and the tenuous nature of a new job! Because my coworkers are both Christian people, they wanted to pray together for this man and his son. And because they knew…
-
Daily Prayer Life
By Pam Thompson Thirty years ago on my Confirmation day my now sainted Godmother Louise gave me my very own Bible. Inside the front cover in her flawless script she wrote, “When in need, pray. When you have received, give thanks.” And so, for thirty years, my prayer life has grown. I’m not a flowery or showy pray-er. If asked to pray in front of a group, I will almost always rely on The Lord’s Prayer or Luther’s Morning or Evening prayers. But this, by no means implies that I am a weak pray-er. I take very seriously Paul’s admonition to the Thessalonians: “Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks…
-
A Litany Primer
By Mary Abrahamson Embracing the richness of this beautiful prayer Sometimes we hear or read churchly words and feel like they are far above us. We don’t understand their history, or why such high-falootin’ kinds of words have to be used. In short, they don’t have to be used. But they have been used for generations of church and home worship. And these words are part of the rich history of Christianity. These complicated sounding words define a shared tradition that unites us with all of the Holy Christian Church throughout time. In this article I’m going to share what I’ve learned about the Litany so that…
-
Easing the Back to School Anxiety
By Pam Thompson Today is something like my 14th or 15th first day of school as a mom. It is hard to count, since we homeschooled our oldest for Kindergarten in a very laid back manner, so I’m not sure we even took a photo. Today my two youngest children are enjoying their very first day of kindergarten. For kids, the first day of school in generally an exciting time (even for the kids who pretend to hate that summer is ending.) For moms, this time can be wrought with anxiety and worry. I will share some of the things that have helped me ease into the transition of summer…
-
Why Anne Doesn’t Say Prayers
Why Anne doesn’t say prayers, why Marilla says she should, and why we ought to (or ought not to) pray Part III in a series By Mary Abrahamson When Marilla took Anne up to bed that night she said stiffly: “Now, Anne, I noticed last night that you threw your clothes all about the floor when you took them off. That is a very untidy habit, and I can’t allow it at all. As soon as you take off any article of clothing fold it neatly and place it on the chair. I haven’t any use at all for little girls who aren’t neat.” … “Say your prayers now and…
-
How I Pray
By Holly Scheer My prayer life has changed as my life has changed. When I was younger, the main prayers I can remember saying were the ones at bedtimes and meal times. The bedtime prayer I grew up with is the one I have taught my own children, “Now I lay me down to rest/ Angels guard my little nest/ Like the wee birds in the trees/ Heavenly Father please care for me/ Amen.” We’ve also taught our children Luther’s Evening prayer and they pray that before going to sleep. The older I get, the more prayer has become intertwined to my daily life. We pray before we eat, we…
-
Treasury of Daily Prayer
By Amanda Markel Many individuals and families struggle with having a devotional time in the home. What should this time look like? What do you actually need to do? What resources are available — and not just available, but theologically sound — for you to use? A few years ago, Concordia Publishing House came out with a book that takes all of the guesswork out of spending time in the Word. It’s called the Treasury of Daily Prayer, and it’s a wonderful resource for use in the home, for people of all ages and from all walks of life. And the best part is, you don’t have to worry about…
