Serve the LORD with gladness! (Psalm 100:2a)

Have you had a unique opportunity in your life? Whatever opportunities you have enjoyed, today there is an opportunity for each of us. That opportunity or “possibility of doing something” is Lent! Lent is an opportunity. Lent is a favorable juncture of time where we are given the gift of 40 days to prepare for Easter. This opportunity begins on Ash Wednesday. For 40 weekdays, we pause, remember, and contemplate what God has done and continues to do for us. So, what might be your “opportunity” this Lenten season?

What an Opportunity!

Me, A Short-Term Missionary? is written by Leslie Colligan.

“Be All You Can Be,” You Are Special, written by Alma Kern

Copyright © 1985, revised 2022 Lutheran Women’s Missionary League. All rights reserved.

An inspirational thought excerpted from Alma Kern's book, You Are Special.

I need to remind myself: my salvation does not rest on me.

“Jesus Paid the Price,” You Are Special, written by Alma Kern

Jesus Paid the Price

An inspirational thought excerpted from Alma Kern's book, You Are Special.

Open my eyes to recognize the opportunities You give me today to tell someone about You.

“Talk About Jesus,” You Are Special, written by Alma Kern

Talk About Jesus

Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? And not one of them is forgotten before God. Why, even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not; you are of more value than many sparrows (Luke 12:6–7).

"As I was growing up, I struggled with my own self-worth. I never thought I was pretty enough, smart enough, athletic enough, had clear enough skin, had cool enough clothes, etc. I always thought I needed to conform to something that wasn’t me, whether I admitted this to myself or not, in order to be accepted."

Lillian Johnson, O’Fallon, Missouri

YOU are Worth It

An inspirational thought excerpted from Alma Kern's book, You Are Special.

Do You understand how that hurts? … Do You understand what it’s like to be bone weary? … Do You understand how hard it is to cope with injustice? … Do You understand how awful it is to feel forsaken? … 

“God Understands,” You Are Special, written by Alma Kern

God Understands

Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever (Psalm 106:1b NKJV).

The family table … a place to pray, to praise, and to give thanks to the Lord for all His blessings. … a place to share God’s Word and our faith in Him with our children. … a place to laugh and share the joys of the day.

The Family Table by Vivian Ernst, Ida Grove, Iowa

The Family Table

The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps (Proverbs 16:9).

Many times we become stressed, frustrated, and unhappy that what we thought was going to happen or what we were going to get done is foiled. We complain, groan, and get grumpy! But as we look at Scripture, we find that we can rely on the Lord, knowing that He has a plan and a purpose for us.

In His Steps by Betty Reichert, Vinita, OK

In His Steps

What would your answer be if someone were to ask you, “Are you ready to meet your maker?” This advent season is a wonderful time to remember that Jesus promised to return to us. Acts 1 states to us that when He arose into heaven, angels told His disciples, “This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven” (Acts 1:11b).

Are You Ready? by Patricia Main, Lawrence, Kansas

Are You Ready?