Our Strength and Shield

The LORD is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him (Psalm 28:7).

As we enter the holiday season of the year and in our church year, we pause to reflect on God, our Strength and Shield. The Psalmist encourages us to trust in our mighty Lord, recognize His help in our lives, and give thanks to Him.

We can trust in the God who is trustworthy. Our Savior came to earth, lived a perfect life, suffered and died for our sins, and lives and reigns to all eternity. We are forgiven in Jesus! Our God helps us and keeps us in faith as the Spirit works in our lives through Word and Sacraments. By faith, we trust all the promises of God, knowing we will be with Him in the glories of heaven.

Our response? As our hearts exult in praise, we sing a song of thanks for all He has done in our lives and for those faithful who have gone before us. Read or listen to this Mustard Seed, Joyful, Joyful: Now Thank We All Our God, and give thanks!

Shari Miller

Vice President of Christian Life
Lutheran Women’s Missionary League

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Finding God’s Peace

Thanksgiving and Christmas celebrations are swiftly approaching. You might have added Thanksgiving, Advent, and Christmas church services, choir rehearsals, Christmas pageants, etc. Some people will be cooking, decorating, and shopping, while others may have added working hours and some may be dreading the financial stress of the season. Family and social gatherings could cause calendars to overflow with too many events also causing stress to blot out the joy of the season.

How can we maintain a sense of peace while we, at the same time, enjoy the holidays?

Nestled in the Winter 2025 edition of the Lutheran Women’s Quarterly you will find “Not the World’s Peace,” a Bible study to guide us toward the true peace only found in Christ Jesus.

Peace, I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you (John 14:27a).

Work through this study. Let God’s precious Word refill your joy. Be encouraged to know how deeply you are loved and let His Word help you navigate the months ahead.

Linda Guteres

Vice President of Communication
Lutheran Women’s Missionary League

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National Candy Day

November 4 is National Candy Day. It brought to my mind a funny event in LWML history. In 2017, Lutheran Women in Mission commissioned chocolate candies with LWML embossed on them. When we received them, the letters were actually LSWL. I guess the proofreader missed that faux pas.

Due to sin, mistakes are made in this world. Perfection is not possible this side of heaven. Praise Jesus that He has covered our sin with His precious life, death, and resurrection. When we are forgiven by faith in Him, not only does He not see the mistakes in our lives, He uses us to tell others about Him. In the 2023 Spring Quarterly, we are reminded that “ God has Chosen Us for a Purpose.” Why not dig into His Word and learn how He will use you even if you are not a good proofreader?

For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them (Ephesians 2:10).

Cheryl Mattil

Strategic Plan Facilitator
Lutheran Women in Mission

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Faith Like a Mustard Seed

“For truly, I say to you, if you have faith like a grain of mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move, and nothing will be impossible for you” (Matthew 17:20b).

And the Lord said, “If you had faith like a grain of mustard seed, you could say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it would obey you” (Luke 17:6).

Jesus told how that tiniest of seeds grows into a huge tree. That planting of the tiniest seed of faith can assist in spreading His love and grace. It is no wonder the LWML ladies so long ago, in 1971, chose the name Mustard Seed Devotions. These devotions are specifically designed to grow our faith and inspire us to share the Gospel with others.

Today, these Mustard Seed Devotions are available through email. New Mustard Seed Devotions are being added into the daily and seasonal rotation. Sign up for these daily devotions by clicking the link below.

Email sign-up — Lutheran Women's Missionary League

Leslie Colligan

Meeting Manager
Lutheran Women’s Missionary League

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Jesus — Our Better Friend

“But I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from My Father I have made known to you. You did not choose Me, but I chose you” (John 15:15b–16a).

My best friend and I have known each other for decades. We laugh together, cry together, try to solve problems together, listen to each other, and pray for one another.

We all have an even better friend — Jesus. A litany on “Our Best Friend, Jesus” is on pages 325–326 in the current LWML Planner. The 2025–2027 planner is easy to download — go to the LWML webpage and search for “Planner” or use this link: Seek, Pray, Serve. Within the planner are many wonderful resources, many written by Lutheran Women in Mission friends.

While we appreciate our earthly friends, what a joy and comfort to know we have an even better friend in Jesus.

Arlene Naasz

Vice President of Organizational Resources
Lutheran Women in Mission

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What is Interdepartmental??

Interdepartmental (ID) is held in October following an LWML convention. New LWML committee assignments were determined by the LWML President and the Board of Directors. These assignments were made after much prayer by both the potential committee members and the Board, as God-given gifts are offered and accepted.

Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit … and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone (1 Corinthians 12:4, 6).

The preparations are well underway for an uplifting and productive meeting. Committees will be developing their plans and learning how they contribute to the ministry and mission of the LWML, with the goal of integrating our LWML mission statement into each program they propose.

Please keep Interdepartmental and Board of Directors Meetings in your prayers for the week of October 22. Perhaps next time, you would pray about and complete the Personnel Resource Profile (PRP) of your God-given gifts for short-term or committee assignments.

Nila Rodriguez

Treasurer
Lutheran Women in Mission

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God’s Plan

I definitely like to be organized, so I make a list of tasks to accomplish. Of course, I am a “check-off the list” kind of person and feel good when I have finished the list!

Recently, my devotional readings have centered on being in tune with God’s plan and His timing.

The Greek words for time: Chronos and Kairos help us understand our time.

This is Chronos time: tasks — digging a hole and digging ourselves out. Chronos time is the time of our own agendas … making our to-do lists and setting our minds on doing them with no interruptions.

Kairos is about rhythm — about God's time, God's timing, God's timetable. The gentle rolling hills of God's time. God's time — a rhythm of His setting. It is God's rhythm of life. God's agenda.

The devotion, God’s Plan for One Ordinary Woman, reminds us of following God’s plan that leads to a full life.

Karol Selle

Vice President of Special Focus Ministries
Lutheran Women in Mission

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