Dear Alumni,
Brr . . . it’s cold outside! Winter has finally arrived for most of us, and it has been fierce! Bitter temperatures have plagued the Midwest. Snow has impacted many parts of our country, including places that rarely receive this precipitation.
For many, winter can lead to feelings of depression and just plain exhaustion. The excitement and joy we had with our celebrations of the Christmas season and our Savior’s birth have taken a backseat as we face the doldrums of the winter months.
Winter can often mirror our love for one another too! Our passion for our work, colleagues, church, and families can sometimes be quite icy. We’re overwhelmed by to-do lists. Everything in our lives seems to squeeze out our love’s last warmth. We feel cold to ourselves and others. Isn’t winter great?
You are not alone! Winter may be in full force, but the love of our Savior is constant and more powerful. He promised that he would always be with us. He has promised to never leave us nor forsake us. He has felt the way you have felt. He took the iciness of our hearts and warmed them with his great love for us. His love is what gets us through these winter months. His undeserved love for us makes these long and tough days manageable.
“How great is the love the Father has lavished on us that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are” (1 John 3:1). How amazing this truth is! One of my pastors shares this amazing passage as a reminder for our congregation in nearly every sermon. You are not only an alum from one of the high schools or colleges that now call New Ulm home! You are God’s children! Your heavenly Father loves you!
As alumni, you are special instruments to share this unbelievable love:
- Remind your colleagues facing iciness that God loves them dearly.
- Encourage young men and women in your homes, schools, and churches to use their gifts to share the warmth of God’s love with others.
- Connect with Martin Luther College to see how you might be able to share your love for our God with special projects to advance its mission.
- Finally, pray for those in our world whose love has grown cold and who have fallen away from our Lord.
So, bundle up with God’s love! May it not only keep you warm in your daily lives but also spark the warmth of God’s love in others.
Serving God’s children (young and old),
Jeremiah Drews MLC ’08
MLCAA President
About New MLCAA President Jeremiah Drews
Jeremiah Drews was recently elected to serve as president of the Martin Luther College Alumni Association. Jeremiah is a mid-year graduate of Martin Luther College (December 2008) and has served in three different ministries: previously as principal and upper-grade teacher at St. Mark-Lincoln NE and as principal and grade 7-8 instructor at St. John-Lewiston MN, and now as a middle school instructor at St. Paul-Rapid City SD. Jeremiah is also enrolled in the Mentoring and Coaching Certification program through Martin Luther College.
Jeremiah married his wife, Laura (Wessel, MLC ’08), in December 2009 and is blessed with three amazing children: Lydia (8th grade), Thomas (5th grade), and Ezra (2nd grade). He loves hiking, camping, birdwatching, grilling, and playing strategic board games whenever time allows.
He is humbled by the opportunity to serve as president of the MLC Alumni Association. The MLCAA is in a period of transition, but he is thankful for what God has in store for its future. May our Lord help Martin Luther College continue to focus on its mission and ministry.
