Looking around my mother’s kitchen, she tells me with pride about the Amaryllis that her friend, Natalia gave her. My mom, in her words, “chopped” it after the blooms had died a few months after Christmas. Later, when Natalia, saw her gift with its buzz cut, my mom sensed that she was hurt. After that, when Natalia came to my mom’s house, she would water and carefully tend to the plant. Fast-forward to Easter, the seemingly unflowered stump shot up into an enormous stalk and exploded with three vibrant blooms! Easter indeed! Today is Earth Day, a time to appreciate God’s amazing creation and m ..read more

by Ely Smith Today, April 15, is Tax Day. Working for H&R Block, I have helped hundreds of Americans render unto Caesar what is Caesar’s. I have never had a client who wasn’t happy to get a refund. But occasionally, I see someone who complains nonstop and feels that taxes are a burden that shouldn’t be placed on them. It is then that I silently wish that they could travel to another county to see just how their life would be elsewhere. Perhaps they would prefer to live in the colonias of Mexico with no electricity, water or sanitation. Perhaps they should go to one of the remote areas of A ..read more

by Women of the ELCA staff Linda Post Bushkofsky, executive director of Women of the ELCA, announced that she will retire June 30, 2024, after 22 years of leading Women of the ELCA churchwide organization. The executive search process has begun, with Women of the ELCA churchwide executive board president Myrna Wells-Ulland working with ELCA People Solutions (human resources) to ensure a seamless transition. For Bushkofsky, whose first career was as an attorney, those 22 years with Women of the ELCA have been “an unforgettable journey of service and leadership,” she said. “When this position w ..read more

“Christ is risen!  He is risen indeed!  Alleluia!” Familiar words this time of year, but sometimes I wonder if we’ve heard the Easter story so many times that it makes it easier to forget that radical message . . . to forget the “shock and awe” of the resurrection. Think about it . . .  as we journeyed through the 40 days of Lent, there is a build-up of tension that finds glorious triumph in the empty tomb on Easter Day.  But then what do we do with that? Certainly, we have the opportunity of knowing the end of the story, so to speak, as we hear the teachings of Jesus throu ..read more

Editor’s note: for Women’s History Month, this post celebrates bold women of faith and the importance of multi-generational relationships. by Sara Olson-Smith I made my first quilt when I was in college. I learned about quilting mostly from books and the Internet. When I got stuck I would turn on my computer to try to figure it out. For generations, women would have watched and learned from their aunts or grandmothers when they had these sorts of questions. But when I started quilting I turned instead to YouTube to solve my quilting dilemmas. This worked until I tried to make mitered corners ..read more

By Kimberly Knowle-Zeller [S]o we, who are many, are one body in Christ, and individually we are members one of another. We have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us: prophecy, in proportion to faith; ministry, in ministering; the teacher, in teaching; the encourager, in encouragement; the giver, in sincerity; the leader, in diligence; the compassionate, in cheerfulness (Romans 12:5-8).  It started with my front porch. While sitting one morning with my coffee, overlooking the town park, I had the idea to gather women together before the start of the school year. I posted a ..read more

By Sue Schneider Editor’s note: for Women’s History Month, we’re sharing reflections on bold women found in the Bible. From the very start, the book of Acts describes the baby church growing by leaps and bounds in every direction. So, it is intriguing that in Acts 16:6-7, we’re told that when Paul and his missionary friends wanted to visit Asia, they were prevented from doing so by the Holy Spirit! We are not told what that looked like or why, just that they pivot, as good mission developers do. Based on a dream, they head instead toward Macedonia, which—in case your global geography is as wea ..read more

By Sue Schneider Editor’s note: for Women’s History Month, we’re sharing reflections on bold women found in the Bible. Read 1 Kings 17 When the prophet Elijah is on the run from the law, having called down a drought to punish corrupt rulers, God sends Elijah to the land of Sidon. This is notable because Sidon is Gentile territory—specifically, it’s the homeland of Elijah’s enemy, Queen Jezebel. God assures the prophet that he will be okay there because a bold woman in the region will take care of him. Sadly, there is no record of the conversation God may have had with the widow of Zaraphath ab ..read more

“Working backward from the deadline” is a phrase we use when we’re establishing a production schedule or timeline to finish a project. When followed, it establishes an appropriate amount of time to achieve each step of accomplishing a goal. Yesterday, while I was attending the funeral service for Jim Mannion, the father of one of my oldest and closest friends, that phrase came to my mind. And it seemed timely, because Lent is a good time to examine these things. At this celebration of Mr. Mannion’s life, friends and family shared and remembered all of the ways that he touched our lives. We ref ..read more

by Kimberly Knowle-Zeller Lord, let my heart be good soil, open to the seed of your word. Lord, let my heart be good soil, where love can grow and peace is understood. When my heart is hard, break the stone away. When my heart is cold, warm it with the day. When my heart is lost, lead me on your way. Lord, let my heart, Lord, let my heart be good soil (Evangelical Lutheran Worship 512). Cupping hot coffee in my hands, I gaze outside and watch snow flurries swirling to the ground. My four-year old Isaac and I are at the dining room table. Papers, crayons, and markers lay scattered before us. Cl ..read more