"Truly I tell you, whatever you do for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of Mine, you did for Me." Matthew 25:40 For the past four years, St. Matthew Lutheran School has hosted a family servant event, where those in attendance had the responsibility to make over 400 bagged lunches for the NOAH Project, a homeless shelter located in Detroit.
"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11 If you have ever needed corrective lenses, you know the blessing of clear sight. My vision started to deteriorate when I was in the third grade, and by the time my nearsightedness plateaued, my prescription was a -8 in one eye and a -7 in the other. My glasses were so incredibly thick that you could barely see my eyes. Contact lenses were a welcomed blessing when I turned sixteen.
"For to us a child is born,
to us a Son is given,
and the government will be on His shoulders.
And He will be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." Isaiah 9:6
What are some of your most precious family Christmas memories?
Donuts With Pastors This Saturday! When I was a kid, one of my favorite childhood memories was visiting the Franklin Cider Mill. Not only could you watch the apple press produce the delicious cider, but their hot donuts were also absolutely amazing! Usually, the grease soaking through the bag was an accurate indicator regarding the flavor, as well as the warmth and freshness of the donuts. However, if by chance you could not finish the entire dozen in one day (which rarely happened!) and one of those donuts would sit out for a day or two...
"Oh give thanks to the Lord, for He is good, for His steadfast love endures forever!" Psalm 107:1 Ken and I had been friends for many years before we started "dating". After a period of time, the topic of marriage started to be discussed more frequently, and we both felt that it was God's plan for us to be married to each other.
Help Others "Step" Closer To Jesus by Partnering with Soles4Souls
"Whatever you do for the least of these, you do unto Me." Matthew 25:40
How often do you list shoes when you count your blessings? If I asked you to count how many pairs of shoes you own, how many could you count? For many of us, shoes are a common blessing that we tend to forget about. However, for those experiencing substantial financial need, new shoes are a luxury.
My dad was the youngest of nine children. After hearing stories of his childhood antics, I am sure his behavior helped my grandparents come to the conclusion that nine was enough and "Billy" was meant to be the grand finale! Often, he would entertain my sisters and me with stories about his childhood. However, of all of his stories that used to shock and/or amuse us, his story about his new shoes was always the one that we would often beg to "Tell us again!"
10th Annual St. Matthew Turkey Trot!
Early in my ministry, I was standing in the hallway greeting students good morning when I received a response that shook me to my core... "Mrs. Palka, I'm not supposed to tell you, but we had to sleep in our car last night, and I was so scared!"
"Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." John 14:6
For years, we told my oldest son, Josh, that we would celebrate the conclusion of his five years of residency with a family trip during the summer of 2020. Although the COVID-19 pandemic altered many of our plans, we were still able to all gather in one destination, but it required numerous car rentals to get each member of the family from the state that they currently reside to our vacation location.
"He who watches over you will neither slumber nor sleep." Psalm 121:4 Many years ago, I received a text from my husband that stated, "Wait until you see what I bought you! It is absolutely amazing, and you are going to LOVE it!" Messages like this do not happen very often, so I was kind of excited when I saw the headlights of his car pull up into our driveway. Bursting into the house and calling my name with great intensity, I met him in the kitchen where he was very proudly holding up a new vacuum cleaner! "Isn't it a beauty?" he asked with tremendous endearment in his eyes.