Mt. Olive Lutheran Church

06/25/2026

Hey family! Looking forward to seeing you for BBQ and Bubbles this week. ❤️ Have you reached out to Elisse yet to RSVP? ✅☎️💻It’s not too late. Not sure how to reach Elisse, leave a comment here.😉

06/25/2026

Standing over a bin of fruit, carefully sorting the good from the bad.... It’s not glamorous work, and few people see it, but it matters. Just like a grocery store, we inspect produce to ensure the food we share with our guests is fresh, safe, and ready for the table.

Of course, there’s still room for a little fun along the way. What's not pictured is our volunteer, Paul, turning a few of the not-so-edible pieces into juggling props before they reached their final destination. 🍎😂

Behind every smile is someone willing to do the unseen work that helps nourish our community with dignity. And somehow, even while sorting fruit, our volunteers find ways to spread a little joy too. 💛

06/25/2026

The Rev. Dr. Matthew C. Harrison, having received more than 50% percent of the votes cast in the third ballot for the election of the president of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod (LCMS), is the president-elect for the 2026–2029 triennium. It will be his sixth term in office.

May the Lord richly endue him with strength for continued service and make him a blessing to the Synod and to the church.

Read more: https://www.lcms.org/convention/national/elections

06/25/2026

I would love to hear your thoughts on this episode. Please send me a text... When Salwa Kasabian transferred her children to a school many families were actively tr…

06/24/2026

Lord, I believe. Help my unbelief. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

06/24/2026

I wake up to light finding the edges of the room.

My body is a turtle,
my mind is a cheetah.

I take a deep breath,
letting it tell my mind
what my body already knows:
we are in no hurry.

Before my feet touch the ground,
I offer a quiet prayer.
Thanking God for this ordinary miracle:
another day placed gently before me.

I am here.
Alive.

And though the world is wide,
I want to slow down and notice,
as I step forward with an honest heart,
trusting that a slow, small life
is a full life,
and that I am in no hurry.

06/24/2026

Today is the feast of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist. As we read in the Old Testament reading appointed for this festival, John prepared the way for the coming Messiah, in order that God's ultimate comfort could be declared to us all by Christ Jesus.

The painting below is Flemish painter Rogier van der Weyden's depiction of the naming of John—see Zechariah, right-hand foreground, holding a pen and parchment (Luke 1:63: "And he asked for a writing tablet and wrote, 'His name is John.' And they all wondered"). The woman at left holding the infant John, with her blue raiment and halo, is the Virgin Mary, while Elizabeth lies in bed recuperating in the background.

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Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.
Speak tenderly to Jerusalem,
and cry to her
that her warfare is ended,
that her iniquity is pardoned,
that she has received from the Lord's hand
double for all her sins.

A voice cries:
“In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord;
make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
Every valley shall be lifted up,
and every mountain and hill be made low;
the uneven ground shall become level,
and the rough places a plain.
And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed,
and all flesh shall see it together,
for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”
(Isaiah 40: 1–5)

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Rogier van der Weyden, "The Naming of John the Baptist," c. 1455–1560, oil on panel. Source:
https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:The-birth-of-st-john-the-baptist.jpg

For further information on the painting, check out the following websites:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St_John_Altarpiece
https://www.wga.hu/html_m/w/weyden/rogier/12stjohn/0john.html

06/24/2026

06/24/2026

A box of cereal in hand. A smile on their face. A van ready to roll.

It may not seem like much, but this is how hope often looks at Twin Lakes Food Bank. Behind every delivery is a volunteer who chose to spend their day serving someone else. Someone who understands that food nourishes the body, but kindness nourishes the soul.

We see those smiles every day, and they remind us how blessed we are to be part of a community that shows up for one another. 💛

06/23/2026