June 2008 Volume 6, Issue 6
Inside this issue: Ladies’ Spring Tea—5th 2 Anniversary Special! Bible Mystery Revealed in 4 Nature A Special Shower for the Degner Family!
6
Large Shed Project
7
June Birthdays
8
Meetings for June
8
Outreach News
9
Schedule for June
9
Devotional Corner
10
The Reporter
God Looks for Faithfulness “Well done, my good servant!” his master replied. “Because you have been trustworthy in a very small matter, take charge of ten cities.” Luke 19:17 Am I faithful? It is hard to say because who sets the standard for faithfulness? If I were able to set my own standard, I would probably say, “I am very faithful.” Now, what if I had to meet someone else’s standard? That might be a different story. Maybe a few examples are in order. Would I consider my refrigerator faithful if it ran only half of the time? Would I consider my car faithful if it started 4 days of the week instead of seven? Would I consider myself a faithful employee if I usually went to work three days a week? Would I consider my employer faithful if he withheld half of my weekly salary? The answer to all of these is, no! The conclusion is simple. Faithfulness needs to be measured by the right standard. So what about me? Am I faithful? If I use God’s standard for faithfulness, it’s obvious I can’t measure up. He says, “Love me, the Lord your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. He also says, “Be faithful even to the point of death.” How could I possibly measure up to this standard of faithfulness? It is painfully clear the Lord doesn’t accept pretty good, or most of the time, or I am trying really hard. What do I do? Where do I find the ability to meet God’s standard of faithfulness? The answer begins and ends with Christ. In Jesus, I not only see the perfect example of faithfulness, I also see the source of faithfulness from which I must draw. Because I lack true faithfulness, I need to look to him and his precious work. I need to wrap myself in the robe of his faithfulness. Then, I need to remain in him through frequent use of his Word. Certainly I will face many challenges. Satan will seek to deceive me. The world will try to change my attitude. Even my own flesh will tempt me to say, it’s not worth the effort. It is when these challenges arise that I need to rely on my Savior even more. Not only will he restore me when I am unfaithful, he will also renew me so that I can return to being faithful. He even promises he will continue to carry out this precious work until he brings me to heaven. It is the strength and promise of my Savior that leads me to be faithful. As I live according to God’s standard of faithfulness, I need to remember what Jesus Continued on page 7
Page 2
The Reporter
Volume 6, Issue 6
Ladies’ Spring Tea—5th Anniversary Special! By Carl Schueler
Somewhere I read that in 5 years an annual event becomes a “tradition.” If that’s the case, then we have inaugurated a new tradition at Our Redeemer—the Ladies’ Spring Tea! On Saturday, May 17th, the 5th annual Ladies’ Tea was sponsored by the Outreach Committee in the fellowship hall. You can find a commentary in each June’s Reporter from 2004 through this article describing each year’s Tea. Featuring a lively speaker each time with uplifting messages about Christian life and outreach to various missions, the annual Ladies’ Spring Tea is an event worth placing on your calendar for May 2009! This year, Reverend Loren and Mrs. Ruth Schaller drove to Santa Barbara from Tucson, Arizona, to attend and present two decades of mission efforts in Mexico that have resulted in a growing conservative mission church served by Spanish-speaking WELS Pastor Bierbach. Although it is an ambitious plan, this mission has been entirely funded by private donations with no Synod financial assistance. Extensive efforts on Mrs. Schaller’s part, and the help of her husband, retired WELS Pastor and educator Loren Schaller, indeed demonstrate faith in action! Forty-eight Ladies, mostly visitors (about a dozen ORLC member Ladies attended), enjoyed chatting around custom-decorated tables. An impressive array of delightful treats, from curried chicken, egg salad, cucumber/cream cheese, and sesame seafood toasts were preceded by mimosas - a fine champagne and orange juice mix - prepared and served to order right at the table. Three kinds of scones with a delectable heavy whipped cream and sweet ripe strawberries completed the meal. Of course, plenty of freshly steeped hot teas of several varieties from Earl Grey and Darjeeling to herbal, were also served throughout the event from traditional teapots . It made one recall the ditty: “I’m a little teapot, short and stout, here is my handle and here is my spout!” As in past years, several strapping waiters (right) provided uninterrupted table service, refilling water glasses and mimosas (five bottles of champagne were consumed!), steeped and herbal tea, and offering continuous availability of sandwiches and desserts before the featured presentation.
Taking the podium following a brief introduction by Pastor Proeber, Mrs. Schaller related a story of Christian devotion demonstrating that earthly life is a mix of blessings and trials for the believer as well as the unbeliever. Trials included a difficult family history. Ruth’s first husband committed suicide over thirty years ago, leading to nine years of struggling single child-rearing, working fulltime as a Registered Nurse, and now still caring for her 38 year-old severely retarded son. Blessings included the last 25 years second marriage to Rev. Schaller and 20 years of Mexican mission work that has benefited hundreds of poor families two hours drive south of the Arizona border in fourteen small villages. Ruth explained that the adventure of assisting Pastor Bierbach, who serves full-time at the Mission church to which Ruth devotes money, time, and energy to bring the Gospel to life, continues. Faced with the uncertainties of border crossings, machine gun toting guards, drug searches and occasional seizures of innocent materials intended for the poor in the villages, Ruth noted that it is all made worthwhile every time she sees the response of parishioners. Following a round of applause, questions from the floor kept Ruth at the podium for an additional ten minutes. A fifth successful Tea concluded at 4:00 pm with thanks to Mrs. Schaller and her husband, the Outreach committee, volunteers who prepared tables and the delicacies we all enjoyed, to the waiters who surreptitiously imbibed beverages—yes, the sixth bottle of champagne— and sampled fare throughout the event, and finally to visitors for joining us in a celebration of the Lord’s gracious gifts to all. Praise the Lord; may He keep our cups running over! And ‘til next year and beyond, may He ever keep us in His knowledge of the Truth.
Page 3
The Reporter
Ladies’ Spring Tea
Volume 6, Issue 6
The Reporter
Volume 6, Issue 6
Page 4
Bible Mystery Revealed in Nature By Carl Schueler
relatively simple and “ordinary.”
The Lord is omnipotent (infinite in power), and omniscient (infinite in knowledge): “Great is our Lord and mighty in power; his understanding has no limit.” Psalm 147:5; and the Lord is omnipresent (everywhere at once): “Can anyone hide in secret places so that I cannot see him?’ declares the LORD. ‘Do not I fill heaven and earth?’ declares the LORD.” Jeremiah 23:24
Consider the ordinary circle. Nothing unusual, you’ve drawn it, you’ve seen many versions, from the wheels on your car to the ring on your finger, from the curve all around your waist to the pupil of your eye, from the rim of a cup or glass to the “o” in “ordinary.” What’s so special about a circle?
How can this be? How can something “real” be all these things when nothing physically “real” (i.e., “finite”) in this universe can be infinite in power, knowledge or extent in both time and space? Is the Lord “real?” He is the great “I Am,” who was, is, and will be before, during, and after creation; the God who is all there needs to be, and who needs nothing and no one. Is he “real?” Indeed, perhaps the only “reality” there really is! So what is the universe, and what are we? Is it, or are we, “virtual reality” in some cosmic computer graphics simulation? Science fiction was invented based on questions like these. The Twilight Zone and all the TV mysteries to follow have explored these questions. Paranormal psychology is based on these questions. Even the satanic occult arts are imbued with these questions. And Luther warned us not to ask, lest we be led by the devil away from the Truth. So I cannot answer these questions, other than to note that in a sense, this is “virtual reality,” and death for the believer is a release from the “virtual” to the “real” and eternal life to come. This is the promise of John 3:16. And it is a mystery not to be resolved on this side of the grave. With that said, a Christian’s life on earth is described in the Bible as “a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ.” Colossians 2:17 So are there natural indications of the infinite that might show us a glimpse of the extent of the Almighty right here in this life? The answer: a resounding “Yes!” And not one, two, not several, not just many, but a myriad of examples can be cited. Some complicated, some
How do you measure the circumference of a circle? Well, if it’s your waist, you place a tapemeasure around you just above the hips, and sigh with the realization you really should cut back on sweets. But if it’s a relatively new car tire whose tread has not yet been worn down, it’s much easier Figure 1: Tire dimento calculate the circumference sions coded by 215/65 from the tire’s diameter (distance R15 on sidewall. across). This is coded within a series of letters and numbers such as those in the illustration below: P 215/65 R15 is printed near the top of the tire on the sidewall. The tire’s total diameter is the sum of the diameter of the inside metal “rim” to which the rubber tire is mounted, and twice the sidewall width, as illustrated by the yellow double-arrows in the annotated tire illustration. P 215/65 R15 is Figure 2: Tire diameter is the sum decoded as follows: of the rim diameter and twice the P: Passenger tire sidewall width.
215: Tread width in millimeters, illustrated to the right. 65: Tire “aspect ratio,” from which the sidewall width in Figure 2 can be calculated in millimeters from the tread width by the following formula: Figure 3: Tire tread width in millimeters
Page 5
Sidewall width
The Reporter
=
(“x” means “multiplied by”) = = =
Tread width (millimeters) x Aspect ratio/100 215 x 65/100 215 x 0.65 139.75 millimeters
R: Radial tire (most tires today are radial ply as opposed to the old “bias ply” tires of the ‘50’s), and finally: 15: Rim diameter in inches. The tire total diameter is given by: Tire total diameter
= =
Rim diameter + 2 x Sidewall width 15 inches + 2 x 139.75 millimeters
One inch = 25.4 millimeters, so that the sidewall width is 139.75/25.4 = 5.5 inches. Therefore the tire total diameter is: Tire total diameter
= = = =
Rim diameter + 2 x Sidewall width 15 + 2 x 5.5 15 + 11 26 inches
Finally, the tire circumference (distance around the tire) is given by the seemingly simple formula: Circumference
=
π x diameter
The Greek letter π (pronounced “pie”) is defined as the “ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter,” which is a “circular” definition, like the definition of “is” is what something “is.” But that is how we calculate the circumference of a circle from the diameter: we multiply the diameter by the “ratio of a circle’s circumference to its diameter,” whatever we agree that ratio “is.” Why did I not put a simple “number” in the formula above in place of the Greek letter “π?” The answer is that “π” is not a number we can write down exactly. We don’t know exactly what “π” is! Only God knows! Only God could “write” it down! And he did, when he defined the circle. But we have no arithmetic or means to exactly enumerate the value of π. We can approximate π by the simple expedient of drawing or making a circle of known diameter, measuring the circumference, and calculating the ratio of the circumference to the diameter of that “standard” circle, and agreeing that equals π.
Volume 6, Issue 6
Then, when we want to compute the circumference of a different (larger or smaller) circle from its diameter, we simply multiply the diameter by the “agreed” value of p, and “agree” that the result is the circumference. We know, however, that the result is not exactly correct because the measurements of the “standard” circle were only as good as the accuracy of our measurements. What is the approximate value of π? Every highschool student learns p ~ 3.1416 (“~” means “approximately”). So our tire has a circumference given by: Tire circumference = p x diameter = p x 26 inches ~ 3.1416 x 26 inches = 81.6816 inches Do we know π to a better accuracy than four decimal places (i.e., to better than 0.01% accuracy)? We know the value of π to within a very precise accuracy compared to most requirements, and with computational methods that do not require measurements of a circle. Early Greek mathematicians were able to compute p to over 300 decimal places using clever abstract geometry! In 1770, however, it was proven that π cannot be computed exactly and it is known as an “irrational” number. Efforts to improve our knowledge of π are therefore not driven by an attempt to know it exactly, but to improve the accuracy of our ability to enumerate it for practical computational benefits. These are legion and at the basis of all modern technologies from advanced communications to rocketry and satellite astrodynamics. The current best value for π is given to 200,000,000,000 (two-hundred billion) decimal places, which means we know the value of π to better than the accuracy with which we know anything we can measure with a microscope, but not “exactly” as God knows it. If we could calculate π to an infinite number of decimal places (a “number” of decimal places that would make 200,000,000,000 appear insignificantly small!), then we could in principle know it as well as God does. The Lord rebuked Job with the words: "Where were you when I laid the earth's foundation? Tell me, if you understand. Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know! Who stretched a measuring line across it?” Job 38:4-5 Surely we deserve the same rebuke, even knowing π to 200,000,000,000 decimal places we haven’t His infinite wisdom and power. He knows π and everything else Exactly! Praise the Lord!
Page 6
The Reporter
Volume 6, Issue 6
Special Shower for Jessica and Joel By Carl Schueler Everyone is special and unique. But those we know and whose history we cherish do generate a different sense of closeness than those we don’t know as well. Our Redeemer was started by Pastor Charles Found in 1968 as a Mission congregation, and his son Pastor Charles Found of Thousand Oaks Prince of Peace congregation therefore has a special place of recognition by many of the original members of ORLC, as well as those who have met Pastor Found over the years at various District events or during vacancies when he has served our Congregation. In 1972, Pastor Steven Degner, fresh from the Seminary, accepted Our Redeemer’s Call to serve. During his service in the mid-1970’s, Pastor Degner met and married his wife Susan, who joined him in dedicated service to the Congregation as Organist and Teacher. As the Degner’s built a substantial family of four children, Seth, Stephanie, Joel, and Daniel, they benefited from the Christian Day School started in 1983. Pastor Degner accepted a Call in 1985 to serve in Tucson, and then in 1988 to Star of Bethlehem in Santa Maria which has since blossomed into a healthy self-supporting sister congregation, just sixty miles north of Santa Barbara. During their years at Our Redeemer the Degner family became close friends with many of the members. Since 1985, they retained substantial ties to ORLC as Susan continued to serve the congregation’s school as kindergarten teacher through the 1990’s, and as their children completed their elementary school training. And now, having completed his undergraduate training at UCSB and finding interesting engineering employment at Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) in Carpinteria, Joel Degner is back again at Our Redeemer. Moreover, since graduating from UCSB and starting his career at SAIC, Joel met a fine young lady who also works at SAIC. Coincidentally, her name also begins with “J,” which Pam and I recommend highly as a basis for any good name. Jessica and Joel were married last year, and since then, Jessica has been recently showing clear signs of fruitful development leading very soon to a new addition to the Degner family, and Pastor and Susan Degner’s first grandchild! With this backdrop, I think it is clear that we have a special addition to the Our Redeemer family! We don’t
know his name yet, but Jessica has shared with us that the choice will be limited to those typically associated with boys. Recently, the Ladies of Our Redeemer planned and conducted a Baby Shower for Jessica, with gifts of various kinds useful to a young first-time mother and father. It was a cheerful and lively gathering of many ladies, with not only members of Our Redeemer and Star of Bethlehem, but also some of Jessica’s friends who wanted to offer advance congratulations and encouragement to the Mother-to-be. An afternoon of refreshments and hors d’oeuvres, coupled with conversation, and the blessings of the Lord’s oversight gave everyone a lingering glimpse of a magical process of physical and spiritual birth that we too often take for granted. May this particular birth provide special meaning to Joel and Jessica’s marriage and may they remain special to our congregation!
Page 7
The Reporter
Volume 6, Issue 6
Large Shed Extension Project By Al Todd In December 2007, the Board of Trustees revised their Strategic Plan. During this revision a short term goal was established to upgrade the large storage shed and remove the small storage shed. The plan is to double the size of the large shed by adding 240 sq. ft. of storage. This “Shed Extension Project” was approved at the April 2008 Board of Trustee’s monthly meeting. The Board of Trustees asked Al Todd and Dave Vetter to assist on the project. The permit fee of $562 has been paid to the Planning and Development Department and the plans, created and modified by Dave Vetter, have been officially approved by the Building Commission. Notification letters were sent to 9 residences within 300 feet of our property line per County permit regulations. In addition, the required Public Notice of Pending Land Use Permit was affixed to the post at the entrance to our church parking lot. This enabled anyone in the neighborhood to understand the plans and to comment to the Planning and Development Department with any concerns. The letter notified anyone concerned how to arrange an appointment at the County offices to review the plans. The two week waiting period to allow responses from the neighbors elapsed with no responses. The Land Use Permit was issued on May 20, 2008. The next step is the beginning of a 10 day Appeal Process before the Building Permit (in addition to the Land Use Permit above) can be issued. Assuming no appeal (a pretty good assumption at this point), the actual building permit should be issued on Monday, June 2, 2008. The County Building office will then determine at what points in the construction we have to contact the County to perform inspections (they need just 24 hours notice). The expectation is that we will need just one inspection at the conclusion; however, we may need two one when the slab is completed and another at the end of the project. In addition, the County issued a 2 page "Conditions of Approval.” This document basically states the hours we can engage in construction (7AM-4PM), tree protection (not applicable in our case), and that we will not wash any cement residue into the creek or anywhere that would
spoil the environment (if necessary we will use a portion of our parking lot), etc. Most of the conditions do not apply to us due to the small scale of the project. Please consider assisting the Board of Trustees when the actual construction takes place. The more help we have, the sooner the project can be completed. In the meantime, there will be additional status reports issued as warranted.
Editor’s Note: The Building Permit was issued on June 4, 2008. After some minor site preparation we will begin to grade, set forms and prepare to pour the foundation. If you know of a reliable concrete contractor, or if you have experience with pouring concrete, please speak with Al, or the Board of Trustees,
Faithfulness, from page 1 taught in the parable: “’Well done, my good servant!” his master replied. ‘Because you have been trustworthy in a very small matter, take charge of ten cities.’” When I put the Lord first, when I delight in his will and ways, when I rely on him to keep me faithful, I know what I can expect. In a quickly changing world, that promotes a flawed standard of faithfulness, I need to look to my Savior and his faithfulness. With him, and through him, and in him, I can be faithful. O dearest Jesus, my precious Savior, as you were faithful to me in everything, lead me to be faithful to you in everything. In the end, bless me with your praise and heavenly blessing. Amen!
Page 8
Volume 6, Issue 6
The Reporter
June Birthdays We rejoice in the many blessings given the members of our family of faith. May the Lord continue to bless them richly. 6th - Eileen A. 9th - Sue P. 12th - Lori K. 18th - Julie S. 20th - Roger J. 21st - Dave V. 24th - Christina F. 30th - Hilary S.
Reporter’s Wanted! Book review? Personal Story of Faith? Event Reports? (Potluck, gathering, party, field trip?) Half-page to three pages Reviewed for scriptural consistency and readability by 25th of month to appear in next issue Hard-copy to Carl Schueler, or email to Carl Schueler (
[email protected]) & Pastor Proeber (
[email protected]) A simple and rewarding way to serve!
Meetings for June 2008 Church Council
June
3rd at 7:00 pm
Outreach
June 14th at 9:30 am
Board of Elders
June
24th at 7:00 pm
Board of Trustees
July
1st at 7:00 pm
Quarterly Congregational Meeting July 13th - Following the Worship Service
Confirmed in the Faith On June 29th, Emily P. will be received into communicant membership at Our Redeemer. This comes at the end of a 2 year course of study in God’s Word and the teachings of the Evangelical Lutheran Church. Please keep her, as well as all of our congregation’s youth in your prayers. Ask the Lord to keep all of them faithful to their confirmation promises, and to the regular use of the Gospel in Word and Sacrament. “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood.” Ephesians 6:10-12a
Thanks to Alan T. for the shed article, to Carl for his contributions, and to Sonja T. for the pictures from the Tea in this month’s newsletter. The Reporter continues to benefit from a variety of perspectives, and this issue is a continuing series with articles by volunteer “reporters.” There is always an open invitation to provide material for the Reporter. In the past, nine members authored some 35 articles which really makes every issue more interesting. These included articles on a wide variety of subjects: ORLC news, past and planned events, thoughtprovoking instructional articles on WELS history and other religions, and articles relating to personal perspectives on our faith in Jesus. We pray that more members will continue to think about possible articles for the remainder of 2008. If you have an idea, and you are not sure whether to act on it, please don’t hesitate to speak to Pastor Proeber or Carl Schueler for advice. Thanks!
Work Day for June The time has come to begin work on the parsonage fence. On June 21st there will be work day to dismantle the old fence, pull the old posts out, and make preparations to install the new fence. We will start around 9:00 am and work until everything is done and taken to the transfer station. Please bring along: hammers gloves pry bars shovels
Page 9
The Reporter
Through the next half of 2008 there are a number of activities planned that will give us the opportunity to invite our friends, neighbors and relatives to come and learn more about our faith in Jesus Christ. Some of the information is still tentative, but the dates are set. So keep them open, and keep others informed.
4th of July Barbeque and Fireworks This is always an enjoyable afternoon and evening of friendship and good food. As in the past we will start the afternoon with a short movie at 4:30 pm. The movie will consider an important topic at the founding of our country, and it remains a timely topic today “The Role of Pastors and Christians in Civil Government.” Then we will dig in to the traditional tri-tip dinner. Meat, bread, and beverages will be provided. Please bring a salad or dessert to share. The evening comes to a close at Girsh Park for fireworks. This is a great opportunity to invite friends. Starting planning today!
Bike & Barbeque This year we are hoping to add another activity to our calendar. The Outreach Committee is looking at August 17th or 24th for a Sunday afternoon at Goleta Beach. For the physically fit this will include a bike ride from the church parking lot to the beach. For everyone else, we will meet at the beach. Hamburgers, hot dogs and beverages will be provided. Please bring a salad and dessert to share. We are also inquiring if the folks from Star of Bethlehem would in interested in joining us. Please watch for more information. Also share your thoughts with the Outreach Committee.
Festival of Friendship—September 7th It is not too early to start thinking about this special outdoor service and tri-tip barbeque. Remember the service starts at 10:30 am. Just plan to bring a friend and a dessert, and a hearty appetite.
Goleta Lemon Festival - October 17th-19th Once again we will have our booth. Plans are already under way for give-aways, and filling the booth.
Volume 6, Issue 6
Schedule for June Handbell Choir Practice is coming to a close for the summer. We thank all who gave of their time every Monday evening through the course of 2007 / 8. We also thank all those who filled in on short notice. Without your service, we would not have been able to undertake this special service to the Lord and Our Redeemer. We are also especially thankful for the time and effort given by Debbie A. Not only has she given her time to direct the bell choir, she also orders, marks and prepares the music long in advance of the choir ever seeing or playing it. Later this year, the handbell choir will resume its practice schedule. If you are interested in playing, or learning, just come. You will have a great time!
Choir Like the Handbell Choir, the Choir is finishing another full year. We tried some more challenging arrangement, as well as simple ones. Some were more traditional, others where more contemporary. All in all, the members provided song in many services throughout the year. Thank you to everyone who gave of their time to practice and to sing. In August, practice will begin again for September 2008 through June 2009. If you would like more information, or would like to sing, please speak with Pastor Proeber.
Wednesday Bible Study At 7:00 pm we gather to study Paul’s Second Letter to the Corinthians. This is a rich epistle that has Paul recalling his ministry in Corinth, and offering the Christians encouragement in their challenges. Please check the calendar for the class schedule through the summer.
Sunday Morning The focus of the Sunday class remains the Lord’s Prayer as it is explained in Luther’s Large Catechism. Remaining topics are: Forgive us our sins, as we forgive those who sin against us; Lead us not into temptation; But deliver us from evil; and For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours now and forever. Amen,
Volume 6, Issue 6
The Reporter
Page 10
DEVOTIONAL
CORNER Matthew 9:36 When he [Jesus] saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.
“Jesus is Compassionate” Jesus loves me. It is an incredible and inspiring truth. It brings joy to my heart and peace to my soul. But, why does Jesus love me? The answer is supplied by Matthew. During Jesus’ ministry in Galilee he went through all the towns and villages. He taught, preached and healed. His observation during this time was striking. He saw the people harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. It was Jesus love for these people that moved him to have compassion on them. This is also why Jesus loves me. He doesn’t love me because I am strong. He doesn’t love me because I am self-sufficient. He doesn’t love me because I have my life in perfect order. He loves me when I am hurting. He loves me when I am unable to solve my problems. He loves me when I am hopelessly lost. Jesus has compassion on me because I desperately need his help. In compassion he comes to my rescue. In compassion he offers perfect solutions. In compassion he retrieves and restores me. In that compassion he held nothing back. He even sacrificed his own life to claim me as his own. This is why the truth, Jesus loves me, is so incredible. It is an undeserved and self-sacrificing love. It is a love that reaches out to me and embraces me. It is a love that is revealed in great compassion and complete commitment to me. Because Jesus loves me, he has compassion on me. As a result of his loving compassion I will follow him without rival. I will trust him completely. I will depend on him and rejoice in his love.
Prayer Thoughts O dearest Jesus, you have loved me in your great compassion. Embrace me in your care. Protect me by your presence. Comfort me with your never-failing help. Amen!
Daily devotions can be accessed through www.whataboutjesus.com or www.wels.net. Please follow the instructions to view daily devotions and to subscribe to them. They are also available as “podcasts.”
