"Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of heavenly lights." James 1:19
If I were to ask you what was one of your favorite Christmas gifts, how would you answer? Maybe it was your first bike, or a favorite doll, or the classic Red Ryder BB gun?
Looking back, I have received so many wonderful presents, but last year, I was given an extremely special gift when I unwrapped this one from my son and daughter- in -law:
"Whatever you do for the least of these, you've done unto Me." Matthew 25:40
Bella Raffin is an eight year old little girl and dear family friend of the Rancour family. In July, her parents took her to the doctor for what they thought was a lower back injury from gymnastics. On July 28, 2017, Bella was diagnosed with neuroblastoma, Stage 4 cancer. Since then, Bella and her family have been in an aggressive battle with this disease, trusting and knowing that the Lord is always with them.
Last week, Bella had surgery to remove the tumor and will continue with her sixth cycle of chemotherapy. This week,
"Whatever you do, work at it with your whole heart as working for the Lord and not for men." Colossians 3:23
Many young boys have dreams of playing for their hometown team in the National Hockey League. Well, for David Booth, grandson of one of our St. Matthew congregational members, Mr. John Booth, after a journey of hard work, perseverance, and waiting, the Lord blessed this dream and made it a reality this year!
Growing up, David attended Peace Shelby Twp. Lutheran School from Kindergarten through Grade 8 and started playing hockey at a young age. After four successful seasons at Michigan State, the Lord continued to open numerous doors for David in the NHL and Russia Hockey League. Yet in one interview, David confessed that ever since he was able to lace up his skates, his dream was to play for the Detroit Red Wings.
"Whatever you do for the least of these, you've done unto Me!" Matthew 25:40
"Mrs. Palka... Look at my new shoes!"
This is a very popular request among my younger students... especially when their new shoes have popular cartoon characters on them, or are bedazzled in rhinestones, or the ultimate show stopper... light up with each step!
As a mom, I have also witnessed my own children express great excitement about new shoes. Convinced that his new shoes had the ability to make him run faster and jump higher, one of my boys even slept with his new shoes during his first night of ownership.
Sadly, there are many children in our world who have not experienced the joy of owning a new pair of shoes. Soles4Souls is a nonprofit organization that is passionate about putting shoes on impoverished children's feet, allowing them to be safe from contracting diseases, while also permitting them to attend school.
November 17th - Turkey Trot 2017
Help Others Step Closer to Jesus
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!"
St. Matthew Lutheran School
7th Annual Turkey Trot
November 17, 2017
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."
An immediate investigation revealed the embarrassment of an eviction due to a series of unfortunate financial circumstances. Instantly, I watched the body of Christ work together to help this family get back into a suitable living environment and ensure that basic needs were met. Scripture states in Matthew 25:40, "Whatever you do for the least of these, you do onto Me" and it was so exciting watching congregational members be the hands and feet of Jesus in action during this situation. Sometimes, God uses us to help those in other states or countries, and sometimes, those He presents us with opportunities to help people in our very own community.
"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
One of the most fascinating aspects regarding working with children is watching God grow and cultivate their individual gifts, talents, and personality traits throughout their lives. Often, teachers will notice certain qualities and wonder how God is going to develop and use that characteristic in the future. For example, we've watched students fascinated with science and space grow up, attend MIT, and work for NASA. We've watched children who were fabulous at fixing broken items around the school grow up, and become engineers or accomplished mechanics. We've had students, who were wonderful tutors, attend the Concordia colleges and now are high school math teachers. We've had kids that were fascinated with dissection become surgeons, while one student who was famous for doodling is now employed as an animator for Sony and Play Station.
"Whatever you do for the least of these, you do unto Me." Matthew 25:40
Recipe for a Matthew 25:40 Day:
Yesterday, our sixth through eighth grade had the awesome opportunity to...
"Whatever you do for the least of these, you do unto Me!" Matthew 25:40
You've heard of the Indy 500, and the Daytona 500, but are you ready for Lutherfest 500??
This Friday, St. Matthew Lutheran School will wave the checkered flags for the start of Lutherfest 500, a special anniversary celebration commemorating the 500th Anniversary of the Reformation. In 1517, Martin Luther led the Reformation in Germany. The Reformation was based on the Biblical truths of Jesus and the gift of forgiveness that comes freely through grace by faith in Him.
"God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble." Psalm 46:1
Once, I was walking behind a group of Kindergarteners as they were passing by one of the fire alarms located in the 200 wing when I overheard one little boy say to another, "No one is allowed to pull that handle!" Immediately, the other little boy quickly rebutted, "No one except Mrs. Palka!" As I heard this, I just smiled hearing this was one of my claims to fame as the principal. However, the truth of the matter is that every time that we rehearse this drill throughout the seven annually scheduled practice sessions, pulling the alarm is actually one of my jobs!
So imagine my shock a few years ago when I was in a meeting with another staff member inside my office and the fire alarm went off!