Rise to every occasion

There is no way the young, fresh-faced, enthusiastic, Apprentice Baker/Pastrycook, in 1990, could ever have imagined her life would turn out as it did.

Really, she was blissfully unaware – perhaps naïve – as to just how tough navigating life could be. Things were simple then and she was fortunate: a loving family, plenty of close friends, a healthy Church life and a bagful of rapidly developing baking skills. As she drove off to work while the rest of the city dreamed peacefully, it seemed the hardest things she had to deal with were hiding the occasional tray of burnt cornflake cookies from the boss, and whether she’d finish work in time to join her friends clubbing on Friday night.

Read Belinda’s moving story of resilience and recognition of God’s strength helping her through some really tough times.

Saying Grace

A grace is a short prayer or thankful phrase said before or after eating. The term most commonly refers to Christian traditions. Some traditions hold that grace and thanksgiving impart a blessing which sanctifies the meal. In English, reciting such a prayer is sometimes referred to as “saying grace”. The term comes from the Ecclesiastical Latin phrase gratiarum actio, “act of thanks”. Theologically, the act of saying grace is derived from the Bible, where Jesus …

On the cover – June/July 2022

Give us today our daily bread What this means for us God gives daily bread to all people, whether they are good or bad, even if we don’t ask for this to happen. But in this prayer we are asking: “Father, help us to see our daily bread as your gift, and to be thankful for it”. What does “daily bread” mean? Daily bread means everything that we need for our life – things like …

Your Kingdom Come

My go-to prayer in life is “Your kingdom come, your will be done.” I pray the first phrase as I breathe in, and the second phrase as I breath out. In doing so, I re-centre my thoughts on God, and away from myself, giving whatever is weighing me down back into the hands of God. God’s kingdom is a much better authority in life than my little queendom. God’s will is a far better plan than what I will come up with. By praying this prayer, I am inviting God to come into my life and into a situation, for the Spirit to work through me and in the context, and that God may be glorified.

But what is God’s kingdom? … Hear how Hanna Schulz lives out these words in her work with the Kope translation team in PNG

God’s Will in my Career Choice

“When it comes to big decisions in life, I can be a bit timid, but I believe it was the Holy Spirit that led me to my boss’s office to inform him that I was to pursue music and leave my full-time, secure job.”

See how God moved Mary Leske to make a life change and pursue music.

Encouragement for Lutheran Women magazine readers

You now have in your hands, or are reading on-line, the second edition for 2022 of this wonderful magazine, lovingly put together by the editorial committee. I trust you enjoyed the first edition, which now comes to you in full colour, from front to back cover. Bible studies to share, in time, together and renew us for our daily living; the inspiring stories; and it’s going to be great to see photos (in colour) of …

Observing Lent and Easter

In “A Handbook for the Discipline of Lent” the Lutheran author, The Rev. Thomas L. Weitzel, tells us the word “Lent” comes from the old English word “lencten”, meaning “lengthen”, referring to the lengthening of days in the northern hemisphere towards the spring equinox. In the southern hemisphere it is our period leading to autumn, so we need to remember that Israel, where the first Easter occurred, is in the northern hemisphere. The season of …

Droughts and Flooding Rains

Please pray for all those people in eastern Australia whose lives have been tragically affected by the severe flooding they are experiencing. Pray … for protection of people as they struggle to survive: for God’s comfort for those who have lost loved ones: for courage in adversity, and health and strength for those who are working to rescue, support and minister to the suffering and lost; that God will continue to provide for his people …

On the cover – April/May 2022

PRAYING THROUGH THE YEAR Your kingdom come God comes to rule as king even if we don’t ask for this to happen. But in this prayer, we are asking: “Father, come and rule over us”. Your will be done on earth as in heaven God does the kind and good things he wants for people even if we don’t ask for this to happen. But in this prayer, we are asking: “Father, do these kind …

Lotte’s Story

Lotte Hoopmann is a spritely 96-year-old (at the time of publication) with a wonderful sense of humour, who enjoys living in her serviced apartment at Fullarton in suburban Adelaide. This is her story of war, flight, emigration, internment and service.

Thoughts on our Father and his precious name

I wonder if Jesus was teaching us, when he started off the prayer with, “Our Father who art in heaven” that, “God is here. God is there. God is everywhere. Pray – so that YOU can reconnect with Abba, our Father, our Parent, our Creator, the One who was and is and is to come, Lord of Heaven and Earth”. It’s not the purpose of our call to bring God closer to us, but to bring our attention back to God.

Life in the Goldfields and how God has blessed me

I came to Kalgoorlie in 1983 with my husband and two young children aged four and two. My husband had a two-year contract with the then Probation and Parole (Justice) System. Before leaving Perth, people asked, “What are you going there for? Everything is rusty and there are no trees … you will be back in no time”.

Read the full article – an adaptation of a talk given by Kerry Atkinson at the 2021 LWWA Convention, Kalgoorlie, WA.