My Life Issues

Unwanted pregnancy

aklemp — Fri, 20 Jan 2012 22:59:49 +0000

"Let's take care of it." What does this phrase mean to you? Does it mean nurturing and loving, or does it mean disregarding and trashing. For more than 50 million lives during the last 39 years, "take care of it" means death. It means never having a chance in this world.

January 22 marks the 39th anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the monumental Supreme Court case legalizing abortion.

Pregnancy counseling

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Just for you

Supporting pro-life efforts

Illness

aklemp — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 20:47:06 +0000

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Just before Thanksgiving in 2008, at the age of 26, I was diagnosed with a kind of cancer called glioblastoma multiforme. I had a tumor about the size of a tangerine in my brain behind my left eye. My nurses told me not to look for information on the Internet. They were trying to protect me, I think. Well, I did the search anyway.

DAILY DEVOTION

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PRAYER FOR STRENGTH

Guilt

aklemp — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 21:10:48 +0000

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Question: I pray for forgiveness every day and feel guilty if I do something wrong. What I don't understand is if we are born with original sin, why should we feel guilty about sinning since we can't help it?

<img style="float: left; margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px;" src="http://www.wels.net/sites/wels/files/mli013111_guilt.png" alt="" width="459" height="159"> Question: I pray for forgiveness every day and feel guilty if I do something wrong. What I don't understand is if we are born with original sin, why should we feel guilty about sinning since we can't help it? Answer: Thank you for your question. You are right that it may not seem fair that we are guilty if we can't help but sin.

Just for you

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DAILY DEVOTION

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Mental health

aklemp — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 21:10:31 +0000

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Question: I was recently diagnosed with a general anxiety disorder. My doctor says I have a chemical imbalance in my brain and prescribed anxiety drugs, but so far I have refused to take them. I feel that my faith is very weak for giving into these fears and anxieties. What does God say about the use of these drugs?

Answer:

Christian counseling

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PRAYER FOR STRENGTH

Seniors

aklemp — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 21:09:58 +0000

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Question: I am almost 80 years old and lately I've been wondering, what purpose do I have in life? Why does God keep me here on this earth?

Answer: Thanks for sharing your question. You wonder what purpose God has for your life here on earth. Since you are almost 80 years old, I am sensing that you are retired and are not able to do a lot of things you used to enjoy.

Aging

Love grows deeper

Crossing Generations

VOLUNTEER

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Parenting

aklemp — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 21:09:22 +0000

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A little over a year ago the small community in which I live was stunned. Four teenage boys ages 17 to 19 plotted to rob a home, and they agreed beforehand that if anyone was home they would murder them. They randomly chose a home only because it was on a dirt road away from other houses.

Online parenting courses

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Teens

aklemp — Mon, 31 Jan 2011 21:08:52 +0000

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Depression. We all go through it. You feel so sad about something that you think you can never be happy again. Then maybe a half hour later, you're laughing and happy again. That's what most teens see as being "depressed."

But really depression is so much more. You go through days at a time being sad. Sometimes it can last for weeks and maybe even months.

Free me from worry

Articles for teens

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College students

aklemp — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 22:04:04 +0000

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College students, what are your New Year's resolutions? To exercise more? To make new friends? To get involved in more activities at school? To raise your GPA?

It's normal to reflect on the past semester and to make goals in order to improve the next.

Feeding your faith

Find a church near you

Campus Cornerstone

Loneliness

aklemp — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 16:34:00 +0000

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A teen writes her pastor to let him know that his sermon touched her heartâ€”and her soul.

Pastor, I just wanted you to know that I really liked your sermon last Sunday, "Help for the brokenhearted." I'm sure you noticed me crying through the whole thing and even now thinking about the message God had that day makes me bawl. It's just that it was exactly what I needed to hear.

Devotion - You Are Not Alone in Your Faith - July 9, 2010

DAILY DEVOTION

PRAYER FOR STRENGTH

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Birth

aklemp — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 19:03:01 +0000

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As I sit here and watch our new son sleeping, I marvel at how blessed my wife Linda and I are. We are full of joy and thanksgiving as we look back on the last year and reflect on how the Lord has touched our lives when he chose us to become Corey's parents through adoption.

We started out five years ago, a newly married couple looking forward to our life together and starting a family.

Blessings of baptism

Parenting

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Addictions

aklemp — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 20:57:04 +0000

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My wife was gone. My kids were gone. My ministry was gone. The problem was mineâ€”all mine.

The first time I got drunk was July 3. The last time I got drunk was December 31. Unfortunately, there were 20 years, not six months, between those two dates.

The first time was the summer after ninth grade. A friend and I sampled booze that night until I threw up and passed out.

The addictive cycle

Christian counseling

Need help?

Military personnel

aklemp — Fri, 21 May 2010 21:40:00 +0000

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Question and answer with Dawn Orta, a captain in the U.S. Army stationed at Fort Hood, Texas. When Orta's unit was called up to deploy to southwest Asia, preparations for their departure had them working 14-hour days and weekends. The following interview gave this busy wife and mother a rare chance to sit down and reflect on what military life entails.

The mounting distress

<img src="http://www.wels.net/sites/wels/files/mli092910_military.png" alt="" width="459" height="150"> Question and answer with Dawn Orta, a captain in the U.S. Army stationed at Fort Hood, Texas. When Orta's unit was called up to deploy to southwest Asia, preparations for their departure had them working 14-hour days and weekends. The following interview gave this busy wife and mother a rare chance to sit down and reflect on what military life entails. The mounting distress Question:

Download MP3 devotions

For families and friends

Civilian chaplain in Europe

Military Services

Women

aklemp — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 23:01:41 +0000

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I had recently received a new Bibleâ€”the newly published Lutheran Study Bible. I was so excited to have this new Bible because it was a version that I didnâ€™t yet have and because there was such a wealth of resources and notes included in this book. I also received a journal to use along with it and had all sorts of plans as to how I was going to format my quiet time with this wonderful Bible.

Just for women

DAILY DEVOTION

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Singles

aklemp — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 22:56:06 +0000

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I flew to Antigua for a weekend. Why? Because I wanted to.

I used to play volleyball four nights a week. Why? Because I wanted to.

I can read books on Saturday morningsâ€”and take naps in the afternoons. I can rile up people's children, then go home. I can run to the store without a second thought. Why? Because I want to. Because I'm single.

Freedom

It's true.

Why am I single?

Devotion - Talking with God in Prayer - 10/03/07

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Special needs

aklemp — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 22:52:30 +0000

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Talking with other moms whose children have special needs and reading their essays, books, and blogs, I've noticed they often mention that well-meaning friends and acquaintances tend to say certain things to them.

Special needs

PRAYER FOR STRENGTH

Special Needs - Special Love

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