Ordination Anniversary

37^th Anniversary of Ordination

June 30, 1974 – June 30, 2011

Wayne Emil Graumann

A Haiku Poem to Honor the Occasion

Anniversary:

Thirty-seven years ago

Ordained to serve God.

Love for God’s people,

Passion to lead folks to Christ,

Commitment to serve,

Leadership sought out,

Skills recognized by others,

Character noted . . .

The Spirit called you,

God prompted you to respond –

The church has been blessed.

Thank you for serving

As ambassador for Christ;

May you now be blessed.

Guest Author

I am delighted to share my blog with my friend, Sharla Fritz, to whom I was introduced by our mutual friend, Gail Ficken. Please join me in welcoming Sharla's writings to my blog.

Sharla Fritz loves to communicate the transforming power of Christ's love and grace. Her own spiritual makeover began when she was very young and she rejoices that because of Jesus, her heart is always in style. She is passionate about helping other women enhance the beauty of their souls.

Sharla is a Christian speaker and author of Divine Design: 40 Days of Spiritual Makeover. The book is a “What Not to Wear” manual for the soul, encouraging women to get rid of unattractive mind-sets like the handbag of worry and the prom dress of pride and to embrace God-pleasing attitudes. Check out her website at www.sharlafritz.comand her blog at http://sharlafritz.blogspot.com

Instead of Boasting—Praise!

Instead of boasting, I am learning to praise! 

And especially--to praise God.

This is not something I am naturally good at. I love to read the Bible, but my prayer life is not always all it should be. And then when I do pray, my prayers often morph into a wish list for myself and my loved ones.

This week I want to concentrate on praising God. So I asked myself a few questions:

• Why should we praise God? He already knows everything and so He also knows that He is loving, strong, just, merciful, patient... Then I thought of how I feel when I receive a compliment. Suddenly my mood lifts, the world seems brighter, the sky seems bluer. Maybe praising God also makes His day!
• How do we praise? Praise is to express admiration of God's character and glory. It is not thanking Him for things He has done for us, although that is also a good thing to do. Praise statements begin with, "Lord, you are..."
• What should we praise God for? When we are reading God's Word, we can look for references to God attributes and praise Him for those.

Here are a few to get you started:

• Lord, I praise You because You are faithful.

"Know therefore that the LORD your God is God; he is the faithful God, keeping his covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love him and keep his commands". Deuteronomy 7:9

• Lord, I praise you because You are loving.

"And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him." 1 John 4:16

• Lord, I praise You because You are merciful.

"But in your great mercy you did not put an end to them or abandon them, for you are a gracious and merciful God." Nehemiah 9:31

• Lord, I praise You because You are my Burden Bearer.

"Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens." Psalm 68:19 

Praise the Lord today!

"Mimi's*" Day

June 29, 2011, Devotion:

My summer day as a grandmother is filled with a multitude of activities that includes providing piano instruction for my grandchildren, knitting lessons, baking yeast breads and making banana pudding with them, library time, swimming, diaper changes, and teaching them household management. Life is full, and "my cup overflows (Psalm 23:5)."

In the quietness of the morning, before my grandchildren awake, I take time to commune with the Lord and pray for His blessing upon my day:

Live a life worthy

Of the calling you've received;

Be humble, gentle.

Christ dwells in your heart;

Demonstrate to grandchildren

His amazing love.

Illumine your mind --

The Spirit lives within you --

Live victoriously.

May the unfailing

Love of Christ rest upon us

As we hope in Him.

Bible Readings:

1 Corinthians 3:16; Ephesians 3:16-21; Romans 8:9-11; Psalm 33:22

Prayer:

Dear Father, as I begin this  new day, may the power of Your Spirit living within me strengthen and equip me to be a noble reflection of Christ to all whom I meet today, especially as I live out this day with my grandchildren as their "Mimi." In Jesus' Name I pray. Amen.

*My first grandchild, Mikayla, began calling me "Mimi" from the beginning; "Mimi" continues to be the name bequeathed to me by every grandchild since.

A Tribute to My Husband

WAYNE GRAUMANN
(A Haiku Poem)

Precious child of God
The Spirit dwells within Him
Lives by faith in Christ

Loves the Lord his God
Blessed much to be a blessing
Loves his neighbor well

Anointed to serve
Accepts high calling bestowed
Ministers boldly

A visionary
A man after God’s own heart
Sees the big picture

Compassionate heart
A servant to God’s people
Respectful and kind

A life marked by God
Whose grace gives joy, hope, purpose
Love defines his life

Wise, skilled, courageous
God chose him for ministry
To make a diff’rence

Imperfect, yet changed
By God’s grace to change the world
A life used by God

Father's Day Thoughts

Bible Readings:
Psalm 78:1-7; Ephesians 6:1-4; Galatians 5:22

Written especially for my precious son and son-in-law,
the fathers of my grandchildren:

As we celebrate
Fathers on this Father's Day,
We thank God for you.

You have been chosen
As the spiritual leaders
Of your family.

Dads, be role models,
Following the best Father
Whom we know through Christ.

Imitate Jesus:
He was merciful, patient,
Kind, compassionate,

Offered forgiveness,
Was filled with goodness toward all,
Disciplined in love.

Invest in the lives
Of the next generation;
Train in righteousness.

May God bless all Dads
As they lead their families
To walk with Jesus.

Kathy Graumann
June 18, 2011

My Ministry

How comforted I am today by the Lord’s promise to me in Psalm 121:8 – “The Lord will guard your going out and your coming in from this time forth and forever.” As I pour myself into God’s Word during this quiet moment in my morning, I thank Him for His words of encouragement. I am reassured that, throughout my season of life in which I am immersed in the full-time role of grandmothering, God is accompanying me and leading me even in the “small” tasks. As I brush my grand-daughter’s hair, I remind her that God has given her beauty, and I softly exhort her to honor God all her life with the beautiful body He has given her. Opportunities to touch eternity are abundant throughout the day as I care for the needs of my grandchildren and demonstrate the love of Jesus to them through my words, actions, and the attitude I convey. This is my ministry in this season of life.

Bible References: Psalm 121:8; I Corinthians 16:14,15; Psalm 78:4-7

As grandmother, I'll
Tell the next generation
The great works of God.

Do all things in love;
Devote myself to service;
Stand firm in the faith.

Invest in their lives;
Teach them how to walk with Christ;
Share the Word of God.


Kathy Graumann
June 17, 2011

My Summer Shuttle Service

SUMMER SHUTTLE SERVICE

Devotion
As I continue
My summer shuttle service,
I am reminded:

The Lord watches me –
My coming and my going –
He watches my life.

My help comes from Him;
The Lord will keep me from harm
Now and forever.

As a grandmother of six grandchildren who are living with me this summer, I operate a full and exciting schedule, especially during this week of Vacation Bible School. My “summer shuttle service” hums busily throughout the day beginning at 7:30 A.M. when my teens arrive at V.B.S. to provide child care for the young children of V.B.S. volunteers. At 8:00 A.M. my pastor husband arrives at church. Shortly after, I deliver my three younger grandchildren who are participants in Vacation Bible School’s W.I.L.D. Week, i.e. Winning in Life with Jesus. I return home to devote singular attention to my little two-year-old grandson before returning to church to pick up the younger grandchildren at the conclusion of V.B.S. When responsibilities have concluded for my teen grand-daughters, I return to church to pick them up and return them home for lunch. The library becomes our afternoon destination. Through all the activity of the busy season, God provides all I need to serve Him with gladness. Each day my “summer shuttle service” offers me the opportunity to serve God by serving others with joy.

Bible Reading
“I lift up my eyes to the hills – where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth…The Lord watches over you – The Lord will keep you from all harm – He will watch over your life; the Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore. Psalm 121”

Challenge
Perform an act of service today for someone and demonstrate joy in serving another.

Read
Matthew 28:20; Ephesians 6:7

Prayer
Dear Father, thank You for giving me all that I need to be a loving servant to others. Help me serve You by serving others with gladness. In Jesus’ Name. Amen.
Kathy Graumann
June 14, 2011