Smile!

Check out the pictures from recent Word of Life events:

Life Sunday

Installation of Pastor Ken - More

Christmas Decorating at the Tolsma's

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: Training vs. Trying
We don’t grow spiritually fit from trying but by training to think, feel and act like Jesus. The training begins this Sunday, February 7, at 10:45 a.m. 101 Pecan Drive, in Schertz [map and directions].

Building a Bigger Heaven in Texas

In our prayers this week, we’re lifting up missionary pastor Brian Dupre and the mission of University Lutheran Center as they reach out to people at Texas Tech University, Lubbock and beyond. We support their work through the gift of 10% of our Sunday morning offerings to Texas Partners in Mission. To find out more, visit www.txdistlcms.org/tpim

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.

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/.

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 promising to reward us both in this life and the world to come with permanent blessings and for the Spirit who brings us the free gift of salvation and the power to become more like Jesus

• for healing Ephram Gonzales

• for new employment for Kelly McDonald & Javier Koester

• for Scott McDonald’s birthday

• 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 toward our Ministry Facility (Building) Fund so far

• 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 arrange our lives around becoming what He wants us to be and to live a life free of fleshy flab and pumped up with Spirit-given muscle

• to bless missionary pastor Brian Dupre and the mission of Lutheran Student Fellowship as they reach out to people in Lubbock 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

• 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, Michael Garza and Joyce J.

• 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 and to comfort the family and friends of Rev. Eugene Gruell, especially Anna Krueger as they mourn his death

• to heal John Bowden, Darren Osgood, Archie Wortham, Lisa Flowers, Monte Stewart (Stewart), Carey (Tolsma) and Jolla Burch (I. White) , Steve Garza and Keith 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.

Discipline Fun

"My father would not have been particularly interested in a book about fathering, although he did like to read. One day when he was reading in the living room, my brother and I decided we could play basketball without breaking anything. When I took a shot that redesigned the glass table, my mother came in with a stick and said, 'So help me, I'll bust you in half.' Without lifting his head from his book, my father said, 'Why would you want twice as many?'" - Bill Cosby

We're building a bigger heaven and better lives!