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Joys and Worries of a Grandparent When I became a grandparent, Psalm 139:16 quickly came to mind: "In Your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them." I was ter- rified about how my granddaughter's life would unfold—Meryl Rose was born with cystic fibrosis. But then I thought, Jesus is the author of Meryl's book. My heart was soon flooded with great peace. —Rev. Dr. Reed Lessing, Trinity Lone Oak Lutheran Church, Eagan, MN When Illness Lingers Life on this side of heaven is wonderful, but it's not perfect! As someone who has lived with chronic illness for many years, I have been taught many things by God. He grieves as I grieve. Because of the faith God blesses me with, I can look ahead to an eternal glory that will be beyond my imagination! I have Good News to share, and I can reach people I might not have been able to without the life experiences God allows for me. God gives me strength for each day and works through me to His glory! —Tawn Bueltmann, Trinity Lutheran Church, Kalispell, MT Discerning the Call into Ministry My inward call into the ministry was when my then future wife, Traci, boldly told me that if I didn't go to seminary, I would not be serving God in the best way I could. I knew she was right. My outward call came in that sacred service on the seminary campus. When I heard my name along with the congregation I would be serving, I knew the Lord was in complete control as I praised His holy name! —Rev. Dr. Alfonso Espinosa, St. Paul's Lutheran Church of Irvine, CA A Friend's Invitation Transitioning from a middle school where I knew everyone and was plugged into extracurriculars to a high school where I only knew a handful of people was tough for me. But I'm sure glad it happened that way because I met my best friend, Carolyn—someone who just happened to be Lutheran and looking for new friends to invite to her youth group. My friendship with Carolyn started with an invita- tion to the 2007 LCMS Youth Gathering, which then turned into her family picking me up every Sunday for church, converting from Catholicism to the Lutheran faith as an adult, becoming a volunteer youth leader for our youth group, and then being encouraged on the path to Concordia Irvine to become a DCE! Looking back now, it is so easy to see the many small and large stepping-stones God was creating for my journey and relationship with Him, a thought that definitely gives me reassurance and hope for the future, knowing that He is not done writing my story yet! —Brenda Segovia, DCE, St. Timothy Lutheran Church, Edmonds, WA Lutheran Life 21

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