Remembering Blessings

He will yet fill your mouth with laughter and your lips with shouts of joy. -- Job 8:21 (NIV)

On my desk at work is one of those verse-a-day calendars that you can reuse from year to year. I bought it when I started working because I wanted to have something to help re-center my thoughts and meditate on throughout the day, especially working in a secular environment. Up until a few years ago, working in Christian businesses was all I knew, and this transition into secular employment has been both exciting and challenging.

The past two and a half years haven't been the easiest transition for me. Struggling to fit in and find my place in a new town and congregation has been very challenging, and not without tears of frustration many times. Moving to a community that, for the most part, has a very small-town, closed community mindset often leaves me feeling like I'm on the outside looking in. Of the friends I've been blessed with here, most of them are transplants themselves, which provides a great community of shared experiences and companionship. I cherish each and every friendship, and the richness they bring to my own life.

We aren't promised days, months, or years without struggles and heartbreak. Yet God promises to work all things for good (Romans 8:28) for those who trust in Him. What comfort this provides during seasons where everything seems upside down and "normal" is no longer peaceful.

In spite of all these stresses and frustrations (sometimes on a daily basis), we are blessed. This verse from Job reminds me that in the midst of all the stress, frustration, worry, heartbreak, and yes, even hopelessness, the Lord still fills our mouths with laughter, still blesses us daily and provides reasons to shout for joy. They may not be blessings we see immediately; we may not even realize them for years to come. But still our Lord daily and richly cares for us, providing everything we need to support this body and life.

Sing praise to God, the highest good,
The author of creation,

The God of love who understood

Our need for His salvation.

With healing balm our souls He fills

And ev'ry faithless murmur stills: 

To God all praise and glory!

(LSB 819:1)

Sankt Nikolaus Tag!

Today, we celebrate St. Nicholas' Day. It's one of my favorite Christmas traditions. Last night, we put our shoes by the front door, and sure enough, St. Nicholas visited!

Presents from St. Nick! Also, notice the hilarious difference in shoe sizes... 

Originally a German tradition, Sankt Nikolaus Tag celebrates the life of St. Nicholas, Bishop of Myra, who died on December 6, 343. He is best remembered for his generosity toward those in need, especially children, which is where our tradition of giving presents at Christmas time began.

For more information on St. Nicholas, you can go here: St. Nicholas Center.

Pentecost, Confirmation, and Memorial Day, Oh My!

This weekend has been incredibly busy and thoroughly rewarding! Looking forward to relaxing tomorrow before getting back into the swing of things for the "normal" week... whatever normal means anymore. :)

As today is a major Church festival (Pentecost), things were naturally busier and a "big deal" at church today. Although I missed singing with choir for today (ours ended a few weeks ago... at my home congregation, we would usually formally sing through Trinity Sunday [which we'll celebrate next week]), the music was particularly fitting. One of the hardest things I've had to adjust to since moving here and joining a new congregation is adjusting to the different musical styles and preferences. (Mostly, not singing all my favorite hymns anymore.) At my home congregation, we would always sing certain hymns for each major feast and festival, and it's strange to not sing those anymore, since I so strongly associate those days with certain hymns. However, I'm also enjoying the opportunity to sing some other hymns from our hymnal that I haven't sung often before. Music, specifically the liturgy and hymns, has always been a great comfort and joy to me, and I often find the hymns from the previous Sunday running through my head in any given week. There's something so reassuring about singing the same words that people sang hundreds of years ago, and knowing I'm joining in a common confession with believers throughout the centuries.

Today we also celebrated with the four young men and women of our congregation who were confirmed today! What a wonderful day to celebrate the confession of baptismal faith as we all join together for worship and the Lord's Supper. One of the members of my home congregation worked with the confirmands every year to help design and create banners for the students' confirmations, as a memento of the day and a reminder of the promises they made to God and their congregation. This year, at our new congregation, I offered to help organize and orchestrate the banner making. A dear friend of mine helped me with the tedious task of cutting out all the letters and designs. The kids all selected their confirmation verses, the design that went along with the text, and glued their banners together. I think they turned out wonderfully and hope our confirmands love them as much as I do.

As I mentioned in a previous post, my in-laws are also visiting for the weekend. We've been so excited to have them here and spend some quality time with them, even though we've been unusually busy with church events. For part of their visit, I cooked supper on Saturday evening. {Well, D grilled everything. I planned the menu and put together the non-cooked stuff.} Everything was so tasty, and I was particularly pleased with my table setting. Simple, festive, and cute, I think it really added a nice touch to our meal. The menu included grilled brats and corn on the cob, plus a mixed greens salad with cranberries, nuts, and homemade vinaigrette dressing. For dessert, we had angel food cake with fruit salad and whipped cream on top. Summery, refreshing, and delicious!

Hope everyone has a safe and enjoyable remainder of the weekend!

Perfect... just as we are

Perfect. I've always struggled with the concept of perfect. And let me tell you, it's exhausting, trying to be perfect. The perfect wife. Daughter. Student. Employee. Friend. Pastor's wife. You name it. It's exhausting, and no matter how hard I try, I always fall short.

Whether it's assignments that are flawed, falling behind on coursework because I've got so much on my plate, a burnt dinner, not making time to be with those I love and cherish, or balancing the public and private life that comes with a husband involved in the ministry, life isn't perfect -- in fact, it can be downright messy. There are days when I feel like everything's falling in place, and days where I struggle and feel at the end of my rope. And many, many days in between.

Thankfully, it's not up to me to be perfect, because perfection has already been attained through the life and death of Jesus. And as a baptized Child of God, I have been clothed with Christ's righteousness.

God already sees me as perfect through Jesus.

What a blessing that even on days when I fall short, Christ makes me perfect. And one day I will be completely perfect, in both body and soul, joining with all the Church Triumphant in praise to the One who makes us so.

But when Christ had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God, waiting form that time until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet. For by a single offering he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.

-- Hebrews 10:12-14