Fix Your Eyes On Jesus!
October 24, 2025
"Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.” Hebrews 1 & 2
Have you ever found yourself being extremely cognizant of the weather before a very important event? Last weekend, there were so many significant occasions on the calendar; such as local high school homecomings, weddings, Trunk or Treat, etc. However, for the 26,000 people who registered to participate in the 2025 Detroit Free Press Half and Full marathons, many of us could probably earn degrees in meteorology after the intense study of weather patterns that occurred over the past seven days!
Once again, I am so grateful that God blessed with me the ability to participate on Team World Vision and walk the International Half Marathon to raise funds for children who are in desperate need of clean water. My husband had intended to walk with me, but for the second year in a row, an injury prevented him from completing that desire, so my daughter-in-law was kind enough to jump in and serve as “tribute” this year as my walking partner in His place. Little did she know at the time she signed up of the torrential weather conditions she was about to endure!
On Sunday morning, when the alarm went off at 5:00 a.m., I could already hear the rain pounding on the window as I tried to convince myself that is was just the HVAC system of the hotel.
As we walked into the room where 234 Detroit Team World Vision members gathered before the race, there definitely was an assortment of styles of rain ponchos, but an intense unified passion to still complete the task that waited ahead. Motivated by Scripture verses, the song “I Trust In God”, and a concluding group prayer for the Lord to be with us during each step of the approaching journey, the entire team walked together to the starting line.
As we stood in the dark of the early morning waiting for our turn to approach the starting line, the city’s street lights illuminated the sheets of rain that were falling from the sky, and I felt a constant need to keep thanking Courtney for doing this with me!
When we finally approached the starting line, we also lost the protection of the city buildings, and the intensity of the wind quickly became apparent as well. Although the conditions were far from ideal, when the announcer commanded “GO”, we followed the sea of people toward the Ambassador Bridge, each of us determined to complete the task we came to achieve.
Scripture states, “Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith.” Hebrews 1 & 2
There will be times when life will feel like a beautiful summer day when the sun is shining, the birds are singing, and everything is going exactly as we had hoped.
In addition, Scripture warns that each of us will also experience days like last Sunday! There will be occasional life storms that will occur in our lives when we feel pelleted by constant problems and blown around by the intense winds of challenges.
However, in all situations, what is the best solution to move forward? By keeping our eyes on Jesus! Peter was able to walk on water when he kept his eyes on Jesus, but as soon as his attention focused on the winds and the waves of the storm, he began to sink. In desperation, he cried out to the Lord, and the Lord saved him.
How can each of us get through stormy days? By keeping our eyes on Jesus! Have peace knowing that He is always with you, and He will bring peace to any storm that you may be experiencing.
Have peace this week knowing that storms may roar, but our Savior reigns!
Mrs. Palka
A Disappointing Conclusion!
October 17, 2025
"Cast all your anxieties on Him, because He cares for you." 1 Peter 5:7
I truly believe that the most common question asked last Saturday morning was, ”Did you stay awake for all 15 innings?”
Friday night was such an intense evening for Detroit sports fans as our beloved Detroit Tigers battled for almost five hours with the Seattle Mariners during the final Game 5 of the American League Division Series.
Somewhere between Inning 13 and 14, I closed my eyes for what I intended to be just a quick minute, only to be awaken by cheering. Startled from a deep sleep, I rubbed my eyes, only to see the Mariners spraying each other with champagne; I quickly concluded that the Tigers were not the victors.
In the words of A. J. Hinch, “It was an incredible win for Seattle, which means it was an incredible loss for us!” Needless to say, the conclusion to that game was a tremendous disappointment for every Detroit Tigers fan!
Disappointments are so… disappointing!
However, in this sinful world, disappointments are inevitable. The heartbreaking reality is that things will not always go our way. A. J. Hinch was not bashful about hiding his tears of disappointment. Disappointments can generate strong emotions, but what we do with those emotions is critical for helping us process those feelings in a productive way.
Disappointments also help us grow! Some of the Detroit Tigers players have been quoted that they will remember this pain of losing Game 5 and use it to focus on making improvements for next year. In a similar sense, God will use challenges to grow us by teaching us lessons regarding trust, resilience, and dependency on Him.
But most important the good news is that God will never disappoint us! Because of Jesus, He is our faithful helper in any and every disappointment.
Have a wonderful week knowing that you can always depend on your Heavenly Father to help you through any circumstance or situation!
In His Love,
Mrs. Palka
Big and Small, God Can Use Us All!
October 13, 2025
Last Tuesday was an extremely exciting day in the 100 Wing hallway!
"Mrs. Palka, Did you meet our new student?" was the resounding squeal from a group of ecstatic second graders! "Come and meet Squints!"
Once I entered into the classroom and looked in the new cage that now occupies the counter, there was the sweetest set of little dark eyes staring back at me. Squints is just on loan from the Stoddard family while his official owner attends college, but it was very apparent that in a matter of just a few short minutes, Squints had already managed to melt the hearts of the entire 2nd grade classroom!
In addition, Squints has quickly given us the perfect opportunity to watch this month's Friendzy (our Christian character building curriculum) lesson of "We Are One" naturally evolve in front of our very eyes as:
1. Each child now has an important role in taking care of Squints and tending to her needs. Each job might seem small, but they’re all important—just like every member in our school and church family has a unique part to play to work together to further the Kingdom.
2. When everyone contributes their part, Squints will be well cared for and remain healthy. Similarly, when believers work together, using their spiritual gifts and serving in unity, the church is strengthened and God's love is shown to the world.
3. Everyone is important! There is no small role in taking care of Squints! Even the quietest student who gently refills the water bottle or the one who cleans the bedding is doing something valuable. In the Body of Christ, there are no "unimportant" members. God sees and values every act of service, especially when it’s done with love.
This month, one way that our school family has worked together in a powerful way is by assembling hygiene kits for Lutheran World Relief. These kits are distributed to those in need when LWR deploys teams into areas hit by disaster. Each grade level had one item to contribute, but when we all worked together, amazing things happened! As of today, our school and church family has assembled 171 kits, which is almost one kit per student! In addition, we have enough materials to assemble 30 more kits if we could locate 30 more towels! So if you would like to make one last donation, towels would be greatly appreciated!
We Are One, and when we work together, we can do great things in His name!
Have a wonderful week allowing the Lord to use you to further His Kingdom!
Mrs. Palka
What's Your Legacy?
October 02, 2025
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"So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God". 1 Corinthians 10:31
Do you have a case of Tiger fever? Symptoms may include heart palpitations during a close game, yelling at the TV when things get intense, roaring for no apparent reason, and/or wearing all of your favorite Detroit Tiger T-shirts every opportunity that you can.
In our house, we have an assortment of Detroit Tiger memorabilia. However, one of the most valuable articles of Tiger apparel is an authentic Detroit Tiger jersey that was worn in 1948 when my uncle pitched for the Detroit Tigers.
His name was Billy Pierce, and he was drafted by the Detroit Tigers months before graduating from Highland Park High School. My dad was elated when his sister started dating my Uncle Bill! Not only was Billy Pierce a wonderful person, but this also allowed my dad to get free premium tickets to every home game!
In 1949, my uncle was traded to the Chicago White Sox; that's when his career really began to ignite. During his career, he was selected to participate in seven All Star Games and was the starting pitcher in three of them. He retired after 18 seasons of baseball with a strike out record of 1,999. After his baseball career ended, he moved into becoming a spokesperson for the Chicago White Sox. His figure is on the wall of US Rate Field, and he even has a statue in front of the stadium that was placed in his honor.
However, despite his successful baseball career, the most amazing legacy that my uncle left behind was that he was such a humble man who loved people and loved the Lord. After complete retirement, he filled his time serving as the President for "Baseball Cancer Charities", where he assisted numerous fund raisers for cancer victims. He was an extremely loving husband, father, and grandfather, but most importantly, he had a strong relationship with the Lord and the love of Jesus radiated through him.
One of my favorite memories of my uncle was when he attended my dad's funeral. It is amazing how humble he was in public; he always tried to keep his presence quiet. To the nieces and nephews, he was just "Uncle Bill". We never understood his popularity. However, during the funeral luncheon, it quickly got around who he was, and people started talking to him and asking for autographs. Because he did so many charity events, he took all of the kids that were in attendance out to his car so he wouldn't draw attention away from the luncheon. He popped open the trunk where countless baseballs and hats were stored. He signed and gave every kid (as well as an abundant number of adults) a baseball and hat, and as I watched, I kept thinking how much my dad would have loved this!
My uncle taught me a very important lesson... "What kind of legacy do you want to leave behind?" "What do you want people to remember you for?" Despite his fame and success, it warms my heart when I read articles about him; even in his early years, he had a reputation of being the "squeaky clean" player.
One of the main values of our school is to nurture your child's spiritual walk so that he/she leaves that same legacy of radiating the love of Christ in all situations. Satan is crafty and knows our weaknesses and vulnerabilities. However, with the help of the Holy Spirit, we will strive to follow Jesus in all that we do.
Have a wonderful week shining brightly for Him.
In Jesus Love,
Mrs. Palka
Mission Impossible! National Lutheran School Accreditation Process in Action!
September 25, 2025
One of my numerous passions is participating as a member of Team World Vision. Motivated by the fact that my steps can help a needy child obtain clean water, I find great joy in walking 13.2 miles during the Detroit Free Press Marathon to help those little ones in need.
However, even though I am only walking, it is still necessary to follow the training schedule in order to be properly prepared. Last Saturday, it was recommended that half marathoners walk 8 miles to be prepared for the October 19th event.
Morning appointments delayed the start of my journey until the late afternoon when it was 80 degrees (bad idea), and that day, I had eaten Chipotle for lunch (worse idea!). In addition, the occasional ache in my knee was reminding me that it was time for a cortisone shot! As a result, during the last two miles of that journey, there was a mental battle going on in my mind as my brain was trying to convince my heart to just quit. It was quite the duel, but I finally finished all eight miles.
In a similar fashion, our staff, School Board members, and parent volunteers have been diligently working for the past year on necessary documents to complete the National Lutheran School Accreditation process. Throughout this past year, they have been analyzing the effectiveness of our school ministry by examining and assessing data, as well as providing the necessary documentation that the NLSA process requires. Much like running/walking in a race, this process has required endurance, perseverance, and determination as numerous times arose that many of us felt like I did during last Saturday’s walk! However, our desire to honor God in our school ministry is the motivation to complete all of the necessary requirements.
With great joy I can announce that the first major step has been completed as the rough draft was finished last Monday! Our hope is that this document will swiftly sail through final edits, and a polished document will be submitted within the next two weeks! A Visiting Team of six qualified members is scheduled to arrive on our campus during November 9 through 12 to determine if we meet all of the necessary standards. They will make this determination by reading our reports, walking through classrooms, checking our documentation, and seeing firsthand how God is working at St. Matthew Lutheran School.
As we near the completion of this process, we pray that the Lord will use this process to enhance our ministry and guide us as we strive to give Him our best, as He always gives us His best!
In Jesus’ Love,
Mrs. Palka