Thanks for Choosing Life

Thanks so much for your wonderful contributions for the Options for Women Pregnancy Center.

Focus on the Family recently aired the dramatic testimony of Abby Johnson, former director of an abortion clinic in Houston. She left her position after witnessing an abortion on ultrasound. To hear her story, told in two parts, go to Focus on the Family.

Also, be watching during the Super Bowl for the pro-life message, also produced by Focus on the Family, featuring University of Florida quarterback, Tim Tebow, and his mother, Pam. When Pam was pregnant with Tim, doctors advised her to have an abortion. Instead, she chose life for Tim!

New LifeLesson Series:
The Life You’ve Always Wanted

What keeps you from living the life you’ve always wanted? What can you do to pursue it? If you’re tired of the same old ho-hum living – if you suspect there’s more to Christianity than what you’ve experienced – this Life Lesson series (based upon the book by the same title by John Ortberg) points to a way of transformation and spiritual vitality that’s just right for you. One that leads to The Life You’ve Always Wanted

This Sunday: It’s Morphin' Time
The goal of spiritual discipline is life transformation of the best kind. Come be transformed this Sunday, January 31, at 10:45 a.m. 101 Pecan Drive, in Schertz [map and directions].

Building a Bigger Heaven in Brazil

In our prayers this week, we’re lifting up missionary pastor Otto Netto and the mission of Da Cruz as they reach out to people in Porto Alegre, Brazil and beyond. We support their work through the gift of 10% of our Sunday morning offerings to Brazil Mission Society. To find out more visit www.BrazilMissionSociety.com.

New!
God Sightings

Tired of relegating God to just one day a week? Want to learn how to experience God every day of your life? Then God Sightings is for you! Join MyGodSightings.com. This vibrant, online community makes it easy for you to experience the power of God’s Word. You’ll read God Sightings: The Complete One Year Bible, grapple with questions in the companion guide, be encouraged by posts in the online forum and share how God is working in your life. To join, go to www.MyGodSightings.com and click on “Sign up now.” Once you have created your profile, use the search box in the upper, right hand corner to search for the “Word of Life Fellowship” group. Click on the button to join our group! It’s free!

Relief for Haiti

As news of what is being called the largest earthquake to hit Haiti in more than 200 years reached LCMS World Relief and Human Care, the Synod's mercy arm began preparing to reach out in the Caribbean nation with much needed assistance and working in cooperation with Lutheran partners. Your donation will help the effort already ongoing in this devastated country. Please make your check payable to Word of Life and write “Haiti relief” in the memo field or place your cash donation in one of the “disaster relief” envelopes available by the offering box.

If you are a member of Thrivent Financial for Lutherans, Thrivent will match $1 for every $2 you donate, up to $1 million. To qualify for these matching funds, Thrivent members must make their donation at Thrivent.com/helpinghaiti or by calling 800-236-3736 between 7 a.m. and 6 p.m., Monday through Friday. When prompted, say "directory" and enter ext. 83003.

For updates on the work World Relief is doing, please go to the LCMS World Relief and Human Care website at: http://www.lcms.org/ca/worldrelief/.

More Matching Funds

Recently, the Word of Life Student Ministry received $820 in matching funds from Thrivent Financial for Lutherans. Thrivent Financial for Lutherans is a faith-based, not-for-profit membership organization nearly 2.6 million members strong. They're a Fortune 500 financial services organization with the strength of more than $61 billion in assets under management. They offer financial products and membership activities to Lutherans and provide resources such as the above matching funds to Lutheran organizations. For more information contact our very own Thrivent Representative, Bill Krueger, 734-8007 or go to www.thrivent.com/aboutus/.

Delicious Smoked Brisket Fund Raiser

The Youth will be taking orders this Sunday, January 31, for fully cooked 10-12 pound briskets. The mouth watering briskets are just $40.00 each! Orders will be accepted through Tuesday, February 2. Cooked briskets will be ready for pick-up on Saturday, February 6. Delivery arrangements can be made, if necessary.

Souper Bowl of Caring

This year, on Sunday, February 7, 140 million Americans will tune in to the Super Bowl football game. There will be parties with abundant food, friendship and fellowship. At the same time, there will be people worrying about staying warm, finding shelter and a warm meal. Please join young people around the US as they demonstrate God’s love by loving their neighbors through the Souper Bowl of Caring. Here’s how you can help:

• Bring donations of non-perishable food items to worship on Sundays. Donations can be placed in the RACAP box in the lobby.

• Our students will be at the door after worship on Sunday, February 7 to collect your monetary donations. Drop $1 (or more) in the soup pot as you leave. All monetary donations will also go to RACAP.

Total Money Makeover

Join noted financial advisor Dave Ramsey and thousands of others on Saturday, March 6 at the Freeman Coliseum, as you learn:

• What it takes to get out of debt

• How to spend your money with a purpose

• Keys to saving money like never before

• How to invest with confidence

The event runs from 1:00—6:00 p.m. Tickets are available online at www.DaveRamsey.com and start at $40. Can’t make it to the event? Be sure to pick up a copy of Dave’s book, “Total Money Makeover” from the Resource Table.

Earn Your College Degree

Concordia University Texas offers classes designed for adults who want to complete a college degree. Classes meet one night a week from 6—10 p.m. and last just 4—6 weeks! Classes are held at the San Antonio Center, 8626 Tesoro, Ste. 112 (just off 410 at the Nacogdoches exit). Degree programs include: Associate of Arts, and Bachelor of Arts program in Business, Health Care Administration and Human Resource Management.

To find out more, plan to attend an Open House on Wednesday, February 10, 6:00—8:00 p.m. The evening begins with a panel presentation featuring representatives discussing education benefits for military, scholarship opportunities for non-traditional adult students and financial aid/student loan information. You’ll have a chance to tour the facility, ask questions and talk to current students. The regular $25 application fee will be waived for those who apply this night. Need directions? Have questions? Call Patti Mitschke, 253-3255.

Worship at Word of Life

You can listen to audio streams of recent worship services at Word of Life through the internet or download a recording of the service to your mp3 player and listen whenever you'd like. Click here! and you'll be directed to our Worship at Word of Life page. Left-click on "Stream" to listen to a service right away or click on "Download" (some require a right-click) to download a service to your computer and/or connected mp3 player to listen to later. You can view, save or print a copy of the LifeLesson notes too.

You can also subscribe to our Podcast/RSS Feed of Worship at Word of Life. To subscribe to the podcasts and LifeLesson notes, click on  Subscribe. To take advantage of this feature you may need to update your web browser or get a free RSS reader. For more information about RSS subscriptions and readers go to www.WhatIsRSS.com.

Online Calendar

You've read through the WordofLife4u. You sense what God wants you to do, but how do you keep track of events to invite your friends and neighbors to, groups where you can grow and ministries where you can use your gifts to make a real difference? Check out our online calendar at: www.WordofLife4u.com/calendar.

"Better Life" Links

Prayer Requests and Thanksgivings

We Thank God…

• for forming, conforming and transforming us into the image of Christ and for showing us His love by sending his Son, Jesus Christ to be the payment for our sins

• for the birth of Jake Aben and the joy given to grandparents Wayne & Mary Flowers

• for Kelsie McDonald celebrating her 5th birthday

• for new employment for Kelly McDonald & Javier Koester

• for those who made the Installation Service and Meal a wonderful celebration and stepping stone into the future

• for our nation and our leaders

• for standing guard over our troops and their families

• for those who have sacrificed life and limb defending us

• for all the resources God has entrusted to our care

• for over $40,000 given by Word of Life in 2009 to help mission starts in Texas and Brazil

• for His promise to multiply our tithes and offerings to help build a bigger heaven and better lives.

We Ask God…

• to inspire and empower to have high expectations of what we can be and do with God’s help and to be transformed rather than only informed

• to bless missionary pastor Otto Netto and the mission of Da Cruz as they reach out to people in Porto Alegre, Brazil and beyond

• to direct the purchasing of a property to help us reach our community with the Gospel

• to comfort the victims of persecution, terrorism and disaster, especially the earthquake victims in Haiti

• to bless our leaders with godly wisdom and guidance that they would lead according to His will

• to bless David & Ana Koester, Jeff Conley, Joe Curry, Chuck Tolsma, Paulita (Koester) with employment

• to bless Andy Tolsma and family

• to bless and protect our troops abroad, especially Logan Christiansen in U.A.E., Tom Hermel, Erik Moore & Mr. Smith in Iraq, Juan Pizarro (Molina) in Indonesia and Jason Leible, Elizabeth Grossart & Jason Lieber in Afghanistan

• to comfort the family and friends of Nita Bowden, especially John Bowden and Nelda Curry as they mourn her death

• to heal John Bowden, Darren Osgood, Archie Wortham, Lisa Flowers, Carey (Tolsma) Sharon Aben (Flowers), Jolla Burch (I. White) and Ephram, and to heal those battling cancer: Pastor Jim Linderman, John Dury, Rachel Midgett, Kayla Nunnery, Sadie Norris, Matthew Provencio, Manuel Coloura, Zach Vangundy, Amanda Conniff, Pam Smith, Kurt Bickel, Susan Doering and to comfort and strengthen their families

• for financial and people resources to enable His vision to come into being through us

• to empower us to build a bigger heaven and better lives.

Join us in prayer wherever you are! You may leave prayer requests at 566-2237 or Ken@WordofLife4u.com.

Transformation Fun

An Amish boy and his father were visiting a mall. They were amazed by almost everything they saw, but especially by two shiny, silver walls that could move apart and back together again. The boy asked his father, "What is this, Father?" The father responded, "Son, I have never seen anything like this in my life, I don't know what it is." While the boy and his father were watching wide-eyed an old lady in a wheel chair rolled up to the moving walls and pressed a button. The walls opened and the lady rolled between them into a small room. The walls closed and the boy and his father watched small circles of lights w/numbers above the walls light up. They continued to watch the circles light up in the reverse direction. The walls opened up again and a beautiful 24 year old woman stepped out. The father said to his son, "Go get your Mother."

We're building a bigger heaven and better lives!