• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Home
  • About
  • My Books
    • True You
    • Katharina and Martin Luther
    • 50 Women Every Christian Should Know
    • Spiritual Misfit
  • Blog
  • On My Bookshelves
  • Contact
  • Privacy & Disclosure Policy

Michelle DeRusha

Every Day Faith. Faith Every Day.

Lent Devotional

A Free Lent Devotional Booklet for YOU {2017}

February 22, 2017 By Michelle

We are on the tail-end of spring fever here in Nebraska after enjoying more than a week of unseasonably warm weather. We fired up the grill for some steak kabobs, had a picnic at a local state park, and shed sweaters, jackets and boots for short sleeves and capris. It was lovely while it lasted…but it also made me forget what season we are right smack in the middle of right now, which is winter.

And with winter comes Lent, the six-week period of reflection and repentance that begins with Ash Wednesday, one week from today. For the last seven years I’ve worked with my church here in Lincoln to produce a daily Lenten devotional booklet, and this year (like last), I collaborated with two gifted writers — Evi Wusk and my husband, Brad – to create Faith in God’s Promises: Praying through Lent with Luther’s Small Catechism.

Martin Luther may be best-known for his revolutionary 95 Theses, but he also wrote a quieter volume geared toward helping parents teach their children the Bible and foundational principles of the Christian faith. It’s called Luther’s Small Catechism, and this year, the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation, is the perfect time (whether you are a parent or not – think of it as a refresher on the basics of our Christian faith) to reflect on what Luther had to say in this simple but powerful piece.

No worries – you don’t need to be a Lutheran to find the Small Catechism relevant. In fact, this little book is one of Luther’s most accessible and practical works. In it he offers concrete guidance for approaching foundational prayers such as The Lord’s Prayer and The Apostle’s Creed, as well as insights into The Ten Commandments, the sacraments of baptism and communion, and why blessings (such as those said prior to a meal) are an important part of a Christian’s faith.

Each of the devotions in Faith in God’s Promises can stand alone. But if you do wish to read the suggested corresponding text from Luther’s Small Catechism, you can do so easily by downloading the free Small Catechism app, available from Augsburg Fortress, onto your smart phone (for more information on the app, click here).

TO RECEIVE THE 2017 LENT DEVOTIONAL:

If you are already an email subscriber, you will find a link to the 2017 Lent devotional booklet at the very bottom of your email. Just click the link that says “CLICK HERE,” and it will bring you to a PDF of the devotional booklet, which you can then either save to your own computer or print.

If you do not already subscribe to my blog posts via email, I invite you to do so today. Just enter your email in the box below and click subscribe. When the “welcome” note pops up, fill in the quick information, and then when you receive the Subscription Confirmation email in your in-box, it will include a link to the free 2017 Lent devotional booklet (which you can either save to your computer or print out). When you receive the blog posts via email, you’ll also see a link to the 2017 Lent devotional booklet at the very bottom of the email.


If you have questions or run into any trouble accessing the Lent devotional booklet, feel free to email me at MichelleDeRusha1@gmail.com, and I will do my best to help.

Thank you, friends, for the gift of you. May God bless you richly as you walk through this Lenten season.

Filed Under: Lent, Lent Devotional Tagged With: Free 2017 Lenten Devotional, Lent

A Gift for You: The Spiritual Landscape of Lent {FREE Daily Devotional}

February 8, 2016 By Michelle

[If you subscribe to this blog via email, my apologies for the wonky post you received on Saturday. This is what happens when I go rogue and try to “fix” something on my blog without contacting my favorite tech person first! I learned my lesson, LW saved the day, and we are back to normalcy today.] 

It surprises me every year, especially the years it comes early, but it seems the season of Lent is upon us once again. This Wednesday is Ash Wednesday, the first day of six weeks of somber contemplation and reflection as we walk toward Easter Sunday.

For the past several years I have collaborated with my home church, Southwood Lutheran, here in Lincoln, Nebraska, to create a daily devotional for the six weeks of Lent. This year, as I have the last couple of years, I am delighted to offer this devotional to you as well, as a small way to say thank you for your encouragement and the gift of your presence here throughout the year. My husband Brad, my friend Evi Wusk and I all collaborated on the writing of this year’s devotional.

cover

The theme of the devotional this year is the Spiritual Landscape of Lent. Our physical landscape, with its mountains, valleys and deserts, often mirrors our spiritual landscape, and this devotional brings some of those commonalities to light.

Let’s journey together through Lent this year and discover the gifts God offers us every step of the way.

To Receive the 2016 Lent Devotional:

If you are already an email subscriber, you will find a link to the 2016 Lent Devotional at the very bottom of your email (scroll all the way down to the black box, below the images of my books). Just click the link that says “CLICK HERE,” and it will bring you to the devotional, which you can then either save to your own computer or print.

If you do not already subscribe to my blog posts via email, I invite you to do so today. Just enter your email in the box below and click subscribe. When the “welcome” note pops up, fill in the quick information, and then when you receive the Subscription Confirmation email in your in-box, it will include a link to the free 2016 Lent Devotional (which you can either save to your computer or print out). When you receive the blog posts via email, you’ll also see a link to the 2016 Lent Devotional at the very bottom of the email.


If you have questions or run into any trouble accessing the Lent Devotional, feel free to email me at MichelleDeRusha1@gmail.com, and I will do my best to help.

Thank you, friends, for the gift of you. May God bless you richly as you walk through this Lenten season.

Filed Under: Lent, Lent Devotional Tagged With: 2016 Lent Devotional

A Gift for You: A Biblical Journey through Lent {FREE Devotional}

February 10, 2015 By Michelle

2015 Lent Devotional CoverIt’s hard to believe that Lent begins in eight days — I feel like I am still recovering from the Christmas season!

I’ve always loved the season of Lent, actually. I love its somber quietness, its contemplative nature, the opportunity it offers to slow down, turn inward and grow a bit more introspective. I even like the fact that Lent forces me to look hard at myself, to examine where I am falling short in my relationship with God. I’m grateful for the opportunity to come clean with God and begin anew.

For the past several years I have collaborated with my home church, Southwood Lutheran, here in Lincoln, Nebraska, to create a daily devotional for the six weeks of Lent. This year, as I have the last couple of years, I am delighted to offer this devotional to you as well, as a small way to say thank you for your encouragement and the gift of your presence here throughout the year.

I particularly love the theme of this year’s devotional — A Biblical Journey through Lent — because it reflects my own journey these days as I navigate the uncertainty of the wilderness. If you think about it, the Bible contains one journey after the other, beginning with Adam and Eve’s journey out of Eden, continuing with the Israelites as they traveled out of Egypt and through the wilderness to the Promised Land, and ending, of course, with Christ’s journey to the cross. We, too, embark on many journeys during our lives—both physical travels from one place to another, as well as our spiritual journey as we grow in our relationship with God.

Let’s journey together through Lent this year and discover the gifts God offers us every step of the way.

To Receive the 2015 Lent Devotional:

If you are already an email subscriber, you will find a link to the 2015 Lent Devotional at the very bottom of your email. Just click that link, and it will bring you to the devotional, which you can then either save to your own computer or print.

If you do not already subscribe to my blog posts via email, I invite you to do so today. Just enter your email in the box below and click subscribe. When the “welcome” note pops up, you’ll see a link to the 2015 Lent Devotional, which you can click for access (and then either save the devotional to your compute or print it out). When you receive the blog posts via email, you’ll also see a link to the 2015 Lent Devotional at the very bottom of the email.



If you have questions or run into any trouble accessing the Lent Devotional, feel free to email me at MichelleDeRusha1@gmail.com, and I will do my best to help.

Thank you, friends, for the gift of you. May God bless you richly as you walk through this Lenten season.

Filed Under: Lent, Lent Devotional Tagged With: 2015 Lenten Devotional

Beneath the Tree of Life: A Free Lent Devotional for You {2014}

February 28, 2014 By Michelle

A confession: I feel unprepared for Lent this year. It crept up on me, and as I told a friend a couple of days ago, I feel like it’s suddenly breathing down my neck. Not exactly the image one ideally pairs with the season of repentance and quiet contemplation.

Maybe you’re feeling a bit of this too?

If that’s true, I have some good news for both of us.

As has been the case for the last three years or so, I have once again collaborated with my church to create a Lenten devotional this year. And as has been the case in the past, my church has graciously enabled me to make this devotional available to you as a downloadable e-booklet.

This may be the answer we both need to help quell this feeling of unrest that seems to be stretching its sticky tentacles into the corners of our lives. I invite you to join with me this Lenten season in reading, meditating and praying our way through these 47 devotions.

The e-booklet includes:

  • A short Bible reading and an accompanying devotional for each day of the six weeks of Lent, beginning on Ash Wednesday and concluding on Easter Sunday.
  • A prayer or action item for the day to help you live out God’s word in your everyday.
  • Seven family-centered devotions/activities – one for each week of Lent.
  • Seven weeks of small group discussion questions.
  • Beautiful original photography by Nebraska photographer Curt Brinkmann.

If you are already a subscriber to this blog (thank you!), you’ll see a little note at the very bottom of the post you receive in your email in-box with a link to the downloadable 2014 Lenten Devotional. Just click on that link – it will bring you to the downloadable e-devotional. You can download it to your computer, or you can print it out.

If you are not already a subscriber, I invite you to become one today! When you receive your first email, you’ll find the link to the 2014 Lenten e-Devotional at the very bottom of your first email.

If you wish to subscribe to my blog via email, simply type your email address into the box below and hit “Subscribe,” and 3-4 blog posts each week, as well as the link to the 2014 Lenten e-Devotional, will be delivered directly to your email in-box. It’s a beautiful thing!



Feel free to share the link to this post with your friends and loved ones and anyone else who might perhaps benefit from a daily Lenten devotional this year (or on Facebook, Twitter and elsewhere). The gift is ours to share, and I am just so happy to have this opportunity to do so.

And thank you, friends. It’s an absolute joy to walk this journey with you.

May God bless you and keep you. May He make His face shine down upon you in this Lenten season, and always. Amen.

Filed Under: Lent, Lent Devotional Tagged With: 2014 Lent Devotional, Lent

Primary Sidebar

Connect with me on social media

For as long as I can remember, I’ve been a Triple Type A, “make it happen” (my dad’s favorite mantra) striver and achiever (I’m a 3 on the Enneagram, which tells you everything you need to know), but these days my striving looks more like sitting in silence on a park bench, my dog at my feet, as I slowly learn to let go of the false selves that have formed my identity for decades and lean toward uncovering who God created me to be.

Read Full Bio

Sign Up for The Back Patio, My Monthly Newsletter

Available Now — My New Book!

Blog Post Archives

Footer

Copyright © 2022 Michelle DeRusha · Site by The Willingham Enterprise· Log in