Oh Momma.....When You Miss Those Conversations

14 years....

 14 years ago today I

 lost my sweet little momma.

I always called her my "little momma," 

because she was well, little.

I always felt like an Amazon women 

standing next to her.

And this had nothing to do with 

ordering and shipping.

I have probably posted this very photo 

before,

 because it is my favorite photo of us together.

She was visiting in our home in Virginia-

in a time of my life of busy motherhood

 and care-giving.

Though she was tiny in stature,

 she was giant in her spiritual life.

I was always puzzled

 by her choice of reading material-

St. Augustine,

Luther's Works-(yes, she had read all of them),

Thomas A Kempis,

old master's poetry,

and anything about Katie Luther.

After her death,

 we sorted and sorted books. 

We wondered what to do with her books.

We couldn't part with them, 

but all of her children rolled their eyes,

 knowing we would never read them.

So we packed them in boxes.

Then the Kingdom moved.

The Lord opened up in me a deep hunger

 for a different kind of reading.

A different kind of nurture.

Other things fell away.

Though it may not, as yet,

 be her exact list of authors,

her gentle encouragement 

spans across the here and after.

Discipling is usually WITH the ones we walk, 

spend time and share.

But, do NOT discount the legacy 

of a Faith-filled life that spans across time.

The visual cues that sprinkled our time together

 or blessed our conversations runs deep.

She left a legacy that we could find and follow.

The Holy Spirit has much to work 

with in this mentoring of momma and daughter.

And even though I dearly miss our chats and laughs,

  gentle words of whispered encouragement or written letters-

speak truth and bring hope.

And I thank God for this gift of grace in my life-

dear, little momma.

Reformation 500- Katie Von Bora

 There are a lot of resources and new books

 available to commemorate

 the 500th Anniversary of the Reformation.  

Not many are written for children.  

Not many new resources about Katie Luther.

 I have read both of these- 

published by Concordia Publishing House.

Both are wonderful starting points 

for knowing a bit of Katie's story.

And maybe even for adults-

this Hero of Faith story 

is both a quick introduction

 or an interesting review.

Saint Patrick's Day

We often forget that today is a celebration, 

that is really about a Saint.
"When he was about 16, he was captured by Irish pirates 
from his home in Britain, and taken as a slave to Ireland,
 looking after animals, where he lived for six years
 before escaping and returning to his family.
 After becoming a cleric,
 he returned to northern and western Ireland.
 In later life, he served as a bishop,
 but little is known about the places where he worked. 
By the seventh century, 
he had already come to be revered 
as the patron saint of Ireland." (Wikipedia)

The real St. Patrick may get a bit lost

 in the celebrations of the day.

Reading the connection of the green clover

 and the Trinity-

 helps us to pick out which of the symbols

 he would have used-  (three not four leaf clovers)

I visited Ireland in March 2000,

and kissed the Blarney Stone.

 One of my favorite places was Killarney-

serene and beautiful by the lake.

Thinking it is time to go back.

Rosa Young- Hero of Faith

Rosa Young-

The woman who brought Lutheranism 

to the black, rural Alabama countryside.

A bit about the story on the LCMS- 
Lutheran Church Missouri Synod site-

thefirstrosa

I first wrote about Rosa in Feb 2014,
 telling a bit of her story here:
rosa-young-hero-of-faith

There were plans for a documentary
 to be developed telling Rosa's story.
That  movie is finished 
and a copy of the film
 has been sent to all LCMS congregations.
Talk to someone in leadership 
to find out about hosting a movie viewing 
and sharing the story of Rosa Young.
There are also some wonderful tools for 
Leadership development here:
4-leadership-lessons-from-rosa-young-
on-leaving-a-lasting-impact
 This site gives some details 
about the debut at Concordia Selma-
rosa-young-film-debuts

Rosa was a tenacious, energetic woman
who dearly loved her Lord.
 She worked  to bring better education
to the rural Alabama communities.
She built a legacy of faith
 that has impacted generations.


From Christine Scheele Weerts 
who wrote the Rosa Young Biography 
for the Heroes of Faith series:
"Living in Alabama gives me a 
greater appreciation for her ministry --
her vision and her absolute focus
on educating her people.
As I meet people who attended her schools, 
I am amazed how Lutherans 
worked with Rosa to offer 
this great education and Gospel. 
It was so lacking during the Jim Crow era,
especially considering the poverty
in rural Alabama. 
She gave her time, 
her heart and almost all 
her money to the cause."

Rosa Young- Hero of Faith

An absence here online lately with a trip to Israel.
I will tell that story during Lent this year.

But, now, back to the series of Hero of Faith stories. 

When you say Hero and Rosa - together,
perhaps you think of Rosa Parks. 

 But, there is another noteworthy Rosa story. 

Rosa Young.

This Hero of Faith book was written
 by Christine S. Weerts in 2011. 

Rosa Young lived from 1890-1971

and knew first hand the struggles of civil rights. 

She was born into a family that lived in rural Alabama.

Her early years were spent helping
tending the fields and the crops of cotton.

 Both parents had been slaves
and set free by President Lincoln.

 Her parents had lived a hard life.

 Her father survived cruel beatings

 and Rosa heard about slaves who were forbidden
to learn to read and write.

At an early age, Rosa decided she wanted to be a teacher.

She worked to teach her siblings, but with little supplies or help.

 Her spelling book and Bible were the main textbooks.

Though her parents owned their own land, 

her neighbors had little and went without shoes,
proper clothes and nourishing food.

There was such a great need all around.

 Then Rosa got sick and the Dr. called it "rheumatism"
and declared she would never walk again.

 This condition became her constant cause of pain.

But, with a prayerful heart she sought the Lord's healing
 and soon was up and walking, and even returned to the cotton fields.

Rosa loved singing Spirituals and it brought her great JOY.

With the encouragement of the landowner,
she decided to make the most of her talents.

Her community soon rallied behind her
and sent her to Payne University in Selma.

The country girl was challenged to make
her way among the "city" students.

Finally, she began to make friends,

 but  she had to leave before the
school year ended to work in the fields.

An unkind landlady added to her strife,
but it did not dampen Rosa's spirit.

 She became the editor of the school newspaper, 

won speaking contests and was elected senior class President.

She graduated in June 1909, as class valedictorian,

 and urged her classmates to do something for mankind.

Rosa passed her state teaching exams
and began teaching in vacant schools.

She was always the sole teacher and had from 45-100 in her classes.

She prayed for the children in her care.

Her home town of Rosebud, asked her to return and teach.

She saved her money and filly built her own school for over 200 students.

Then, the boll weevil arrived in Alabama in 1914, destroying field after field.

As farmers were forced to flee to the North to find work, her funds dropped.

Rosa continued to teach that:  Life+Christ =Success.

She sought help form her own Methodist church for funds,
but they could help.

 She then wrote to Booker T. Washington-
the President of Tuskegee Institute. 

He also did not have any resources but told her- "Try the Lutherans, 

they are providing education for white and back people." 

Rev. C.F. Drewes received her letter,

 and he responded by sending Rev. Nils Bakke to Alabama,

 arriving in December, 1915.

With crippling health issues, this over 60, 

Norwegian Lutheran did not appear to be the answer to prayers. 

But, this hardworking preacher organized teaching
and soon a congregation formed.

 Just four months after his arrival,

 he baptized 58 men, women and children and confirmed 70. 

 Rosa became the first black woman confirmed in Alabama.

This mission start served to form 35 congregations

 and 30 Lutheran schools served over 1200 children.

At the age of 52, Rosa saw the forming of Alabama Lutheran Academy, 

a  high school and junior college focused on training teachers and pastors.

Many in her life were touched by the teachings of the Lutherans in the area, 

 and Rosa gave thanks for the partnership in the Gospel she had with them.
The Academy later became Concordia College.

Rosa Jinsey Young
was awarded an honorary doctorate
 from Concordia Seminary, St. Louis,

 in 1961for her dedicated service. 

She was the first woman to receive such an award.

She died after a lengthy illness and died June 30, 1971

 and is buried on the grounds of her church in Rosebud, Alabama.

Want to read more of this amazing story?

Rosa's biography was published in 1930-

 Light in the Dark Belt: The Story of Rosa Young as Told by Herself.
and was purchased on Amazon.

Light in the Dark Belt is the inspiring story of Rosa Young, 
who labored tirelessly in service to Christ, 
to establish Lutheran schools among the African-American
 communities throughout the Deep South.
Dr. Young accomplished much in a time of great discrimination,
 but she ran a faithful race,
 and left a valuable legacy.

How might she inspire you to dream big
 and live a life that reaches many for Christ?

Dr. Bessie Rehwinkel- Hero of Faith

This young adult biography published by Concordia Publishing House in 2012 

was written by A. Trevor Sutton. It tells the faith story of Bessie Efner (1873-1962)

 a young women who lived out her dream in a time of limited opportunities. 

She was born in Galesburg, Iowas on March 28, 1873.

Her father was a Doctor and Bessie grew up by his side 

and watched and learned all along and lived in Pierson, Iowa. 

She was the kerosene lamp holder for her father to see in a time in the late 1880's

 when they worked without electricity.

Though her parents wanted her to marry the son of the town banker

 and be a wife and mother,

Bessie could not deny her dream of medicine. 

Even in a time when no one knew a female Doctor, she held to her idea.  

A long time friend- Mrs. Benson encouraged her to go to college and study medicine. 

Eventually, she decided to attend the Sioux City School of Medicine in Sioux City, Iowa. 

She was delighted to find there was one other female in her class- Clara McManus. 

Clara could memorize anything and Bessie had to work very hard with the schoolwork.

 But, they studied together and Psalm 139 were her favorite verses in the Bible.

After graduation she moved to Hinton, Iowa and started her practice.

She quickly won the confidence of the people she served. 

Tragedy struck in her first year of her practice and her older bother and his wife died- 

and they left three young girls.

 After much prayer and a dose of courage she committed to take on their care. 

She brought them to live with her. 

 Then the Panic of 1907 hit and banks closed and it was very difficult time for all. 

People moved, no patients and no money. 

A family friend told her about moving West and farmsteading there.

 He even gave her the money to make the move.

 So they packed up and went to Carpenter, Wyoming.

Life was hard there, but Bessie's practice grew. 

One patient was a kind pastor- Rev. Alfred Rehwinkel.

They began conversations and became friends.

 Then Alfred had to move back to St. Louis and continued to write to Bessie.

 Finally they were married in September 1912. 

They then moved to northwestern Canada to serve several frontier churches.

  Life kept changing. She time was kept mostly in parish life 

and she didn't work full time as a doctor. 

 They then moved to Edmonton, Alberta where they served for 14 years. 

They also aded to their family with three children of their own. 

Later, they moved to St. John's College in Winfield, Kansas

 where Alfred served as President. 

Bessie returned to medicine and helped out doctors wherever she lived. 

After 8 years they moved to St. Louis, Missouri, 

where he became a professor at Concordia Seminary.

Bessie always thanked God for the ways He took care of her

 and she always saw His hand in guiding her decisions.

 She died on May 26, 1962.

Sometimes we plan out our lives and God

 sends detours and sometimes it may feel like roadblocks.

He is always working out the best for those who trust in Him.

What a wonderful blessing to live this way as a believer in Christ.

If you liked the story of Dr. Bessie, 

you can also find a more detailed recounting of this woman in the book -

 Dr. Bessie- written by her husband- Alfred M. Rehwinkel.  It can be purchased on Amazon.

Dorothea Craemer- Hero of Faith

Part 2 in the series of Women of Faith by Concordia Publishing House.

This young adult book was written by Julie Stiegemeyer in 2012.
It tells the story of this woman of faith who lived from 1818-1884.

The story starts as Dorothy Benthien crossed the Atlantic on the ship- Caroline-
 with her five year old son, Henry.
A Challenging trip that was rocked with illness and then smallpox.
 She was traveling with a group of Lutherans from Germany to Ft. Wayne, Indiana.
Between 1845 and 1860 millions of immigrants had landed in America to find a better life.

Traveling with a group of adults was a single pastor- Rev. August Craemer,
 who was headed to Michigan to begin ministry to the Chippewa Indians.

By the end of the journey,
 Dorothea was befriended by Pastor Craemer and they were pledged to be married.
On day 51 of the journey, June 8, 1845, they landed in New York City.
On June 10, 1845 at St. Matthew Lutheran Church, August and Dorothea were married.

They took a train to Albany and then to Buffalo.
They began their trip to southern Michigan.
The train trip was delayed with a crash, but they escaped unharmed.
Finally on July 10, 1845 they arrived in Saginaw, Michigan.
The men went ahead to clear land and build shelter
and then send for the women and children two months later.
With faith and prayer they moved into the unknown.

The settlement was near the Cass River in eastern Michigan.
There was much to do in surviving the wilderness.
Christmas 1845 was celebrated in a newly built little church.
The Craemers ministered to the Chippewa in the region,
making friends with many of the children and telling them about Jesus.
Pastor Craemer traveled about bringing the Good News of Jesus
 to many villages, traveling mostly by foot.

After a few years the Craemers left Michigan and moved to Fort Wayne,
 where Pastor Craemer became the president of the seminary
 located there and trained students to become pastors.

Dorothea kept busy caring for students and her own children.
August and Dorothea had eight children of their own.

 The work of the Craemers flourished in Michigan
 and the settlement became  the town of Frankenmuth.
It became one of the founding congregations
 of The Lutheran Church- Missouri Synod.

Dorothea died on November 11, 1884,
 while knelling by her bed saying her prayers.
A humble life of courageous service to her loving God.

Other readings show much information about her husband August,
and just small bits here and there of her story.

Wouldn't it be wonderful to have some of her thoughts
 and the stories as an early missionary in Michigan?

Most of this story comes form the telling of August's life.
These other writings tell that Rev. Craemer was a primary person
 in the history of St. Louis Seminaary and also at Springfield, Illinois
There is Kramer Chapel in Ft. Wayne- spelled differently-
I am working to discover if this was named after Rev. Craemer with a new spelling.

Perhaps, the stories you write today of neighborhood ministry
 and God's faithfulness in YOUR life
 will be shared in 150 years to the faithful serving in God's Kingdom.

Next in the series-   Dr. Bessie Rehwinkel

Katharina von Bora- Hero of Faith

 About five years ago I read the book

  The Top 100 Women of the Christian Faith by Jewell Johnson.

 The stories of wonderful faith-filled women of all denominations

 and thoughout hundreds years of history. 

Katharina von Bora was among the women included in the stories. 

One Lutheran woman. 

I began to think about the names of other Lutheran women

that I could name in our heritage of faith.

Almost 500 years of history.

I know a lot of women of faith that are contemporaries of mine.

But, what about the faith stories of other Lutheran women ?

50 years ago?

100 years ago?

300 years ago?

It made me think.

This summer at the LCMS Synodical convention in St. Louis,
 I found a series of books called Hero of Faith.
The Hero of Faith biography series for young readers
 features the stories of 4 men and 4 women.

One of the books is Katharina von Bora
by Jane L. Fryar and illustrated by Deborah White.

Written in 2011, and published by Concordia Publishing House.

Katharina was born on January 29, 1499 in Germany near Hirschfeld,
and grew up in a Benedictine convent in Brehna.
Later, her father paid a fee to have her
transferred to a Cistercian cloister in Nimbschen.
It was rough and strict in this "silent" cloister.
After her postulate, (a trial period) her took her vows at age 16.

Even in this secluded life,
 news of the outside seeped in
 and they began to hear of the writings of a man named Martin Luther.

They read the smuggled in writings about a God of grace and freedom.
A group of 12 nuns came up with a bold plan
and wrote to Martin Luther for help in escaping the convent-
a serious act punishable by death.

Martin prayed about this situation and finally on Easter Sunday-1523, and
 with the help of his friend Leonhard Koppe, they escaped into the new world.
  Some of the nuns returned to family and some married friends of Martin Luther.
Only Katharina remained in Wittenberg.
Luther proposed and they were married in 1525 and moved into the Black Cloister.
Katie- as Luther called her, worked hard to cook, clean and manage Lutherhaus.
Katie ran everything as Martin focused on his work- teaching and writing.
The Luthers had six children of their own and raised 4 orphaned children.
Martin and Katie had the sad loss of two of their children-
Elizabeth at 8 months and Magdalene at age 13.

Katie was a capable and creative wife, mother and caregiver.
She was welcomed at the Table Talk conversations
 in her home and her opinion was valued and appreciated by Martin and others.

Martin died in 1546, and she was left with no income or provision.
 Wars swept the country,
 some friends helped out,
 and then they fled because of the Black Plague.
In a cart accident, Katie was hurt and became worse in the months to follow.
Katie died on Dec 20, 1552, at the age of 53.
Her legacy?
Katie allowed the Holy Spirit to shape her life to serve Him.
Her life and marriage became the model
 for many people seeking to live faith-filled lives of service.

Katharina's life was an example of loving Jesus
 and serving Him.
A story that inspires us yet today- 500 years later.

This easy to read story is great for your family faith library.

The next Lutheran woman - Hero of Faith: Dorothea Benthien Craemer

The book referred to at the beginning of this post.