LOG"A MONrnLY NEWSLETTER FOR MEMBERS AND FRIENDS

OF OUR SAVIORJS LurnERAN C1!URCft BUNDYJ WI JlM\AMU)I,2013

3 CHARITIES BENEFIT FROM THE lADIESSOCIETY CHRISTMAS AUCTION

Our Ladies Society pnnual Christmas party and auc-tion was again a huge success. A total of $603.50 wasraised for charities from the 23 people that partici-pated. Pastor AI was once again our auctioneer anddid an outstanding job.

All enjoyed the gifts whether the gift came in a 3x5box or a huge bag. We also enjoyed the many varie-ties of cookies, hot and cold cider and coffee.

The charities that each received $200 were theHope Pregnancy Center in Antigo, Kindness for Kids inRhinelander and PeaceLutheran Campus,StevensPoint.

Ladies Society members are looking forward to the2013 Christmas party and auction and they hope tosee all who were unable to attend this year. Thanks toall who contributed the brightly wrapped gifts, food,money and those who so generously offered bids.

Bell Tower Residence of Merrill1500 O'Day Street

Chili Supper: ~--Thursday January 10th, _ .

.~:.4:30-6:30 p.m.$5.00adults and $3 children ten and underProceeds go to Merrill's Wa1k to End Alzheimer's

Fat Tuesday Gumbo SupperFebruary 12,4:30-4:30 p.m.

$7 for adults and $4 for children under 12Come celebrate with Merrill High School's Jazz bandfrom 5-6 p.m.

Menu includes Chicken and sausage gumbo orchicken and shrimp gumbo, French bread and dessert.

Carry outs are available. Proceeds will go towards theBell Tower Residence building fund debt.

January l1irtfufay25th Lily Pequet27th Jennifer Engstrom

Mitch Olson30th Ginny Stefonez

5th Travis Grant9th Tyler Fredrick16th Ashley Thompson17th Ruth Lammert21st Barb Aschebrock

If I have missed your birthday, or know of 6someone I have missed, give Bea a call at ~715-362-7605.

Sunday School ChildrenThanks for the great job you did at the ChristmasEve Program. Also to Tara Fredrick with the assis-tance of Tori Fredrick and Sierra Scarcelli for put-ting the program together. We are so blessed to havesuch talent in our small church.

=======11II fjfutnJi 'lJo.u for the cards and gifts that were

IIsent or given ~ous this Christmas. They are very IImuch appreciated,

II = = = PastorAl&Bea = jThank You notes have been received from therecipients for the donations given by the LadiesSociety.

Kindness for Kids with the help of our donationand the community, they were able to help over300 children!

From Hope Resource Center in Antigo-theywere so appreciative for the donation to their min-istry and helping people in need.

From Peace Lutheran Campus in StevensPoint-through our donation and other Christians,they were able to send two people to help withHurricane Sandy.

':- ...•,...

As I sit at my desk my mind drifts back in timeover the events in the last 365 days. What a yearit's been for Bea and I. We vacationed with ourchildren and grandchildren, and celebrated our so"wedding anniversary with many friends and family.We got to see and visit with people we haven't seenfor many years. Preparations seemed endless.Busy. Hectic. Frantic! We are glad to simply stay putfor a while. We hope the New Year brings somecalmness to our lives!

Looking outside at the wintry winds blowing bythe building I don't see any indications of changesheading our way. In fact, according to this season,nothing at all will change for at least three or fourmore months. You can thank our screwy calendarfor that. Our calendar is accurate; it keeps us in stepwith the motions of the heavenly bodies. But ourcalendar is defective in one major area. It doesn'tmake us feel as though a new year is beginning.The same winter cold and snow I stepped out intoyesterday is the same cold and snow I'll walk intoday. No dramatic temperature changes will comethis week.

Observing the season, I am tempted to say,"What new year?"

But it was not always this way. Ancient Israelwas given a special calendar, a religious calendar,by the Lord. It began in the spring, the time of yearthat the Passover and Exodus from Egypt tookplace (Exodus 12:1, 17). In fact, the Exodus was theprecipitating event for the new calendar; the firstPassover marked the beginning of a new era. Itmeant not only a relocation, but freedom fromslavery. It also signified the transition of the Jewsfrom a culture to a nation with land, laws andliberties of their own. Every year a Jew celebratesthe Passover, he thinks of more than just anotherglowing ball descending in Times Square, morethan purchasing a new planner. He recalls thehistory of his people, of the great event that begantheir nation, and gives thanks to God.

New Years act as a sort of wake up call tomany. They suddenly, if only mildly, are surprisedthat time has flown, and many chances to improvetheir life have been blown by the choices they'vemade. The New Year comes, and their life getsreviewed again, most of the time only superficially. Itis as if an alarm goes off, urging them to analyzethemselves. Many wake up, sleepily check to makesure they still have all their parts, and go back tosleep. This is the person whose children are on thepath of disobedience and disrespect. The father at

New Year's thinks to himself, "I need to spend moretime talking with my teen this year." Then uponreturning to work the next day gets the brain waveto switch them from a public school to a parochialschool to "fix" the problem-so, now he doesn't needto spend the time.

Or the alcoholic who sees himself slipping backto the bottle. He's been dry for three years, workedup the economic ladder, and experienced morepressure to perform well. Pressure to perform atwork, to perform miracles of providence with amortgage that could choke a python, and pressureto satisfy two teens and a wife who are into beingtrendy. So here comes the New Year. Nothing willchange economically, except the cost of living willincrease along with his odds of a forced earlyretirement. So he toys with going to the New Year'sparty and tying one on-

New Years. That subtle little reminder that one'slife is slipping away. The chances to rectify pastproblems have disappeared. A little older, a littlestiffer, a little less time.

I really wish we could celebrate New Years atEaster time. The invigorating spring weather, thenewness of life, the smell of flowers in the air, andthe message that Jesus broke free from the powerof death to a new life and new body would dowonders in aiding resolutions to new lifestyles.Since we don't have New Year's in the spring, allowme to share now one of life's best secrets.

Spiritual renewal leads to life changes in manyother areas of your life. A change made in the soulchanges what the body does.

Everyone wants positive changes, good thingsto happening to them; solid lifestyles, yet so manyare stymied. Why? Because they fail to recognizethe benefits of spiritual renewal. They want security,but won't rely on Jesus the Rock, who promises thatthough the storms of life blow, those grounded inHim will remain steadfast (Matthew 7:24-27). Theycrave peace of mind, yet ignore the principle ofcontentment, which leads to peace of mind(Matthew 6:25-34). They don't want responsibilitiesand" dependencies" regarding things eternal, sothey miss the help offered them by Christ, "Come tome, you who are weary and burdened, and I willgive you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learnfrom me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, andyou will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easyand my burden is light (Matt. 11:28-30)."

Don't make the mistake of beginning a new yearwithout God! Realize that receiving His presenceinto your life can only help to better your year. Try it.Spend the year walking with the Lord, and you'll seepositive changes in your life!

~In His Service, ~

':-,..,...

Pastor AI

The North Wisconsin District LWML Mission Grantsfor 2012-2014 that have been paid as of Dec. 14,2012

The $150,000 Mission Grant Goal was passed. The Missions that willbe receiving grant monies are:

NEW ROOFOur Savior's is in need of a new rooffor the church and shed which weplan on replacing next spring.If you would like to make an occa-sional offering to help off-set thecost, use your building fund enve-lope and mark on it "new roof'; or alarger thank offering is also appreci-ated.

Walking with Victory, Gwinn, Ml $20,000-PaidNWD Professional Church work Student Grant $25,000Concordia Theological Seminary, Ft. Wayne, IN $10,000-Paid

1.2.3.4. Every Kid to Camp (Camp Luther)5. Lutheran Blind Mission, Gresham, WI6. Deaf Ministry needs to North Wisconsin,

Minnesota North & North Dakota Districts7. Shipping Medical Supplies, Global Health

Ministries, Minneapolis, MN8. Special Times of Need Program-LCFS9. Orphan Grain Train10. N.E.W. Lutheran High School Tuition Assist.11. Bethesda Lutheran Hospital Nursing School12. Ambur, India13. TrinitylHome, Haitian Feeding Program for14. for School Children15. Dream Catcher Youth Group, Lutheran Indian

Ministries14. Reaching the Unreached Kazakhs of Mongolia

$1O,OOO-Paid$ 4,000-Paid

$15,000-Paid

$12,000-Paid$10,000-Paid$ 9,000$10,000$15,000

$ 5,000

Personal Essentials Pantry Distribution3:30 to 5:.30 p.m. at United Methodist Church, 724Arbutus St., in Rhinelander.

The Pantry provides personal and household hy-giene products. You are eligible to receive items ifyou have at least one of the following: Food sharecard, WIC card, Food Pantry card or a Pastor'sReferral.

For more information, call Barb Oestreicher at 715-282-5956 or Shirley Bettinger at 715-362-2988.

$ 2,500

$ 2,500

Please continue to pray for our mission grants andfor the missions they fund, and put your loosechange in the box in the back of the church.

LWML NATIONAL MISSION GRANTSfor 2012-2014

Disbursed BalanceGrant Recipient

$ 70,000.00 $ -$100,000.00 $ -$ 97,344.00 $ -$ 15,000.00 $ 4,000.00$100,000.00 $ -$ 34,999.64 $35,000.00$ 25,000.00 $25,000.00$ 36,127.50 $36,127.50$ 25,000.00 $50,000.00$ 54,500.00 $ -$ 50,000.00 $50,000.00$ 50,000.00 $ -

$ 75,000.00 $ -$ 50,000.00 $50,000.00$100,000.00 $ -$ 45,000.00 $20,000.00$ 55,000.00 $45,000.00

$ 27,500.00 $ -$ 27,970.36 L ':- ..••,...

$1,038,441.50 $351,127.50

1. Support for Lutheran Orphanages-Haiti2. Lutheran Braille Workers Plate Embossing Device3. Lutheran Bible Translators (LBT) Spread God's Word Through Print & Audio4. Outreach to At-Rick Children-Detroit, Michigan5. Cancer Care Package Ministry6. Crow Indian Ministry-Montana7. Exodus 2:6 Project: Spiritual Care in Disasters-Texas, Louisiana, Oklahoma8. Children's Nutrition and Care-Vietnam9. Grace Place for LCMS International Missionaries10. Pregnancy Center: Newborn Protection-Malaysia, Southeast Asia11. The Lutheran Malaria Initiative-Kenya, East Africa12. Two Graduate Scholarships for International/Minority Students-Concordia

Seminary, St. Louis, Missouri13. Project JOEL-Outreach to Youth-Central/South America14. Children's Developmental Disabilities Group Home and Rehabilitation Center-15. Missionary Family Care and Education16. Gospel Outreach Through Open Arms Child Care17. Haskell Indian Nations University Lutheran Campus Ministry Expansion -

Lawrence, Kansas18. Financial Support for LCMS Prison and Jail Ministry Conference19. Physical and Spiritual Nourishment for the Impoverished-United Statesl

Mexico Border (partially funded)

Mission Statement: To makeJesusknownwithinandbeyondthechurchthroughworship,study,fellowshipandservice.Vision Statement: To availthe kingdomof Godby developinga communityof Christianfaithandfellowshipthrougheducation,communica-tion,growthandunity.

FOUR WIVESOnce upon a time there was a rich King who had four wives.He loved the 4th wife the most and adorned her with richrobes and treated her to the finest of delicacies. He gaveher nothing but the best.

He also loved the 3rd wife very much and was always show-ing her off to neighboring kingdoms. However, he fearedthat one day she would leave him for another.

He also loved his 2nd wife. She was his confident and wasalways kind, considerate and patient with him. Wheneverthe King faced a problem, he could confide in her, and shewould help him get through the difficult times.

The King's 1st wife was a very loyal partner and had madegreat contributions in maintaining his wealth and kingdom.However, he did not love the first wife. Although she lovedhim deeply, he hardly took notice of her!

One day, the King fell ill and he knew his time was short.He thought of his luxurious life and wondered, I now havefour wives with me, but when I die, I'll be all alone.

Thus, he asked the 4th wife, "I have loved you the most,endowed you with the finest clothing and showered greatcare over you. Now that I'm dying, will you follow me andkeep me company?" "No way!" replied the 4th wife, andshe walked away without another word. he answer cut lifea sharp knife right into his heart.

The sad King then asked the 3rd wife, "I have loved you allm life. Now that I'm dying, will you follow me and keepcompany?" "No!" replied the 3rd wife. "Life is too good!When you die, I'm going to remarry!" His heart sank andturned cold.

He then asked the 2nd wife, "I have always turned to youfor help and you've always been there for me. When I die,will you follow me and keep me company?" "I'm sorry, Ican't help you out this time!", replied the 2nd wife. "At thevery most, I can only walk with you to your grave." Her an-swer struck him like a bolt of lightning, and the King wasdevastated.

Then a voice called out: "I'll go with you. I'll follow you nomatter where you go." The King looked up, and there washis first wife. She was very skinny as she suffered from mal-nutrition and neglect. Greatly grieved, the King said, "Ishould have taken much better care of you when I had thechance!"

In truth, we all have the 4 wives in our lives: Our 4th wife isour body. No matter how much time and effort we lavish inmaking it look good, it will leave us when we die.

Our 3rd wife is our possessions, status and wealth. Whenwe die, it will all go to others.

Our 2nd wife is our family and friends. No matter howmuch they have been there for us, the furthest they canstay by us is up to the grave.

And our 1st wife is our Soul. Often neglected in pursuit ofwealth, power and pleasures of the world. However, ourSoul is the only thing that will '---->

2013 LWML Mission TripsIt's hoped that 2013 will see an exciting multiplication ofhands-on Mission trip opportunities.

1. Canning Workshop: August 25-29,2013 a group ofLWML women will car-pool to Victory Lutheran Church inGwinn, MI. There they will offer a canning workshop forresidents of the former K.I. Sawyer Air Force Base,equipping individuals with food preservation skills both forhome consumption and possibly even small businessventures. The group will carry along canners, decorativejars, lids, and recipes for jams, jellies, and butters and tryto utilize locally produced and/or picked-from-the-wildfruit. Meals and lodging are yet to be determined. ContactRobin Madson at r.madson11@gmail.com if you're inter-ested in participating, or wish to donate canners, jarsand/or lids.

2. Flood Assistance: In June 2011, the Souris Riverreached record levels, flooding communities across 30miles of northwestern North Dakota, including a quarterof Minot, ND, and affecting 4,815 homes, churches,schools and businesses. The dates for this trip are June9 to 15, 2013. Volunteers will stay at Hope Village, wheremanagers match projects with individual skills, and pro-vide tools and equipment. Cost is $20 per day for roomand board. Transportation is the responsibility of thegroup.

Details are available at villagemgr@hopevillageend.org.Several members of St. John Lutheran Church in Edgarhave already committed to this outreach. If you're inter-ested, call Darlene Struck at 715-2577376 or email her atgmagpa60@frontier.com

An assortment of other 2013 Mission Tripsare being explored:

• A journey to "Mission Central" (Iowa) and the OrphanGrain Train Headquarters (Nebraska);

• A visit to MOST Ministries headquarters in Michiganto help sort glasses:

• Helping provide a camping experience for special-needs individuals at Bethesda Lutheran Home'sCamp Matz

• Ministry to Native Americans in Wisconsin or Vaca-tion Bible School with Aboriginal Community in Can-ada through LAMP

• A MOST Ministries Eyeglass Clinic in Africa

To receive further information on any of the above asdetails are developed, contact Bob & Penny Selle atselle@athenet.net or Lynn Johnson at lafa@uniontel.net

Remember to drop your spare change in ~the LWMLbox in the back of church. ~ ~...••,...follow us wherever we go. Cultivate, strengthen and cherishit now, for it is the only part of us that will follow us to thethrone of God and continue with us throughout Eternity.

Thought for the day: Remember, when the world pushesyou to your knees, you're in the perfect position to pray.