Life Advocacy
Posted on January 18, 2024
EVERY life is precious! Please join the Iowa Coalition of Pro-Life Leaders at the Iowa State Capitol to help save babies, help mothers and Iowa families in crisis, mourn the little ones lost to abortion, celebrate the future, and become a LIFE advocate at the 2024 Iowa Prayer Rally for Life on Monday, January 22 at 11:00AM.
Adoption
Posted on January 8, 2024
by Mitch & Angela Carey
This story, “Our Journey To An Open Adoption,” was written by Mitch & Angela Carey, an adoptive couple sharing the personal account of their open adoption experience through Lutheran Family Service. Mitch & Angela’s account serves as a strong testimony in the discussion of an open vs. closed adoption.
Lutheran Family Service News
Posted on January 4, 2024
As we close the door on another great year of God’s blessings here at Lutheran Family Service, we thought it would be fun to look back at some of our top blog articles from 2023. These are articles you clicked on, liked, and shared the most during the past 12 months, all of which were written by Lutheran Family Service team members. Did your favorites articles make the cut?
Mental Health
Posted on January 2, 2024
by Meghan Baldridge, LISW
As we begin a new year, many of us may be participating in the tradition of setting New Year’s resolutions with the hopes of rejuvenation, self-improvement or personal growth. While these goals can offer a sense of purpose and motivation, we may question the potential mental health pros and cons.
Godly Living
Posted on December 28, 2023
by Rev. Jonathan Conner
Headstones are sobering. I know some of the stories represented by the dash between the dates. But, many I do not. In a generation or two, fewer and fewer will know the stories that lie behind those dashes. If we had not a loving God, this could be incredibly discouraging. Lives lived, love shared, triumph, defeat, celebrations, laments – all reduced to the dash between the dates.
Mental Health
Posted on December 11, 2023
by Mark Vande Braak, Ph.D, FT, MT-BC
You have permission to grieve. Do not let anyone tell you something different. However, it is essential to be gentle with yourself. The anxiety and build-up to the holiday is very stressful and real. It is alright to spend time remembering your loved one and the gifts that they gave you in life.
Mental Health
Posted on December 5, 2023
by Rev. Jonathan Conner
The final installment in a three-part series, some of us have experienced disappointment with God, but this probably isn’t really the foundational thought. The foundational thought is probably harder. It’s probably something like this: God let me down. That’s hard to say out loud, isn’t it?
Lutheran Family Service News
Posted on December 5, 2023
Lutheran leaders across the nation are urgently called to attend the Lutheran Adoption Conference, April 10-11, 2024 in Houston, Texas. At this conference, Lutheran pro-life leaders, policy makers, adoption experts, and life advocates will collaborate and explore ways to impact the national adoption crisis through the increasing of biblically-based Christian adoptions.
Adoption
Posted on December 3, 2023
Meet Blair! She is overwhelmingly loved by her adoptive family and big brother, Reece. “Blair is the answer to many prayers. She is fearfully and wonderfully made. We are grateful to God that He brought her into our life by adoption through Lutheran Family Service. We appreciate their dedication and compassion shown to our family and Blair’s birth family.”
Mental Health
Posted on December 1, 2023
by Virginia Strubbe, CSW-PIP, OSW-C
The classic hymn O Holy Night speaks to both the heaviness in this world and the joy we have with our Savior’s birth. The holiday season can easily turn into a prescribed hustle and bustle. It’s easy to feel a bit weary. How can we experience joy amidst weariness this holiday season?
