Happenings

March 2024
Be Thou My Vision
Be Thou my Vision, O Lord of my heart;
be all else but naught to me, save that Thou art;
be Thou my best thought in the day and the night,
both waking and sleeping, Thy presence my light.

Grace and peace,

You’ve heard the phrase “don’t look down” as someone who is terrified of heights is up in a tree,
on the top of a building or on the edge of the diving board about to jump in. “Don’t look down”
because if you do, it will surely scare you but if you don’t, it will be just fine.
Of course the problem is usually as soon as someone says “don’t look down” the other person
almost always looks down and is absolutely terrified.
That’s why the hymn “Be Thou My Vision” which I view as a prayer, matters so much because
in our lives we face all kinds of matters, obstacles and trials that surely terrify us and we are
tempted to “look down” and get swept up in the fear and trouble that inevitably comes with
“looking down.”
“Be Thou My Vision” is a hymn that counters those fears in a feasible and actual defense. This
first verse I shared above, speaks of having God as our vision, our best thought in the day and
night, waking and sleep, in all presence he is the light. In our lives if we simply wake up each
day and try to “not look down” to try and conceal and hide the fears we face we are stuck, unable
to do it and we get swept up in it all. But in this hymn, this prayer when we ground ourselves on
His vision, instead of our own, we are anchored in him, in the one far mightier than us who will
hold us fast through it all.
“Be all else but naught to me” means may everything else be null except you Lord, may I only
see with your vision because if I see with my own, surely I will “look down” and be filled with
nothing but fear.
As we continue this season of Lent, my prayer for each of you is that whatever you may be
facing, that you know you are not alone. You don’t have to fear whether or not to “look down”
because God has you in the palm of his hand, he is your vision, a sight to be trusted far more
than our own. As we turn our vision to Easter, we can cling to his vision alone as our anchor.

In Christ,
Pastor Lexy Carson
 Please continue
to pray for… When Pastor Lexy will be in
~Pastor Lexy & those in leadership in the church Parish…
~Our Missionaries & Ministries: Pastor Lexy will be in Parish on Tuesday
*Simon Muhota in Kenya & Crying Children of Africa morning/afternoon, Wednesday afternoon &
Orphanage Thursday morning/afternoon. She can also
*Don & Marge Cook of Hands on House, India be reached anytime by phone or email.
*Dave Greaver & Midwest Chaplaincy email: lexyacarson@gmail.com
*Love Inc Phone: 605.590.0140
*Hospitality Center for Chinese Please call or email any questions or
*Chris & Amanda Mikkelson concerns.
*Todd Co Foster Closet
*Augustana District’s Church Plant in Montevideo,
Uruguay
~United States, for our economy, leaders, protection Sunday Services
from disasters & terrorists If you can't make it to our Sunday Service
~Our Police, Military & Medical Professionals you can watch the Live Stream at 10:30 on
our Facebook page, Salem/Sauk Valley
Lutheran Churches or on our website,
salem-saukvalleychurches.com when it is
Our Parish Members posted after the service.
~Our elderly
~Hilda Johnson
~JoAnn Clay
~Dorte Hagen
~Delores Gillan Readers
~Jim Torstenson Readers for March:
~Neil Johnson
~Linda Hayes March 3: Paul Matthys
~Konnie Christopherson March 10: Ben Larson
March 17: Lorie Haider
March 24: Linda Hayes
Our Friends & Family March 31: Marcy Johnson
~Shelly Triebenbach
~Loriane Buzik
~Rochelle Peyton Cleaning Groups
~Denny & Anna Pastian
Cleaning Groups for
~Tanner Clay
~Deb Quistorff-Larsen March are:
~Linda Zins Salem: Group 3
~Rita Hiltner Sauk Valley: Ginny Earl
~Rev Nikolas Akwena
~Grace Johnson
~Sue Klukken
~Sandy Linder
~Faye Jager If you have anything for the newsletter
~Tracy Postic please e-mail Anne at:
~Kyle Lieser salemsaukvalley@gmail.com
~Heather Johnson or call or text at
320.760.4620
~John Thielen
Thanks!
~Sonja Sukup
-March 6th Worship at Salem (Jesse) Supper
at 6:00pm worship at 7:00 pm, Sauk Valley’s 2024 Council
-March 13th at Sauk Valley (Lexy) Supper at President: Trustees:
6:00pm worship at 7:00 pm Dan Hagen Nate Stelling
Vice President: Karl Larson
-March 17th The Gospel of Mark Presentation Tom Mikkelson Al Hanson
at Mt Carmel Supper at 6pm, presentation at Secretary: Ken Hayes
7pm Ginny Earl Parish Ed:
Treasurer: Bonnie Larson
-March 20th Worship at Salem (Jesse) Dorte Hagen
Bob Thielen
Supper at 6:00pm worship at 7:00 pm, Cemetery Board:
Deacons:
Sue McCaughan Tim Larson
-March 24th Second Half of Gospel of Mark Dan Hagen
Bob Thielen
Presentation at Mt Carmel, Supper at 6pm, Chuck Hector
Presentation at 7pm Bonnie Larson

-March 28th Maundy Thursday Worship at

Sauk Valley 7:00 pm
-March 29th Good Friday Worship at Salem
7:00 pm
-March 31st Easter Breakfast 9-10 am
Easter Service 10:30 at Salem

On Saturday, January 27th Sawyer &

Hudson Scott there baptized. Parents
are Brendon & Samantha Scott.
Grandparents are Jason & Denise Kleve
 On Sunday, February 11th we brought cans of
soup and put in the tote of the team we thought
would win the Super Bowl. The prediction was
for the KC Chiefs and they won.
All proceeds went to the Todd County Food
Pantry.
Thank you to everyone who donated.

On January 31 we helped bag bags for Backpack Mick putting Bible verse stickers on the cans
Attack. The bags are sent home on Fridays with of soup.
students who might not otherwise have food for the
weekend.
Thank you to all who helped!
 Happy Birthday
Jimmy Johnson

Sunday School & Lenten Service

Adult Bible Study 6 pm soup supper
9:15 7 pm Worship at
Worship w/Holy Salem
Communion 10:30
Salem Happy Anniversary Happy Birthday
Happy Birthday Paul & Anne Howard Haider Happy Birthday
Faith Larson Matthys Jason Kleve Neil Johnson

Sunday School & Lenten Service

Adult Bible Study 9:15 6 pm soup supper
Worship w/Holy 7 pm Worship at
Communion 10:30 Sauk Valley
Sauk Valley
Men’s Group
7 pm at Hagen’s Happy Birthday
Happy Birthday
Denelle Kirk Paul Matthys

Sunday School & Lenten Service

Adult Bible Study 6 pm soup supper
9:15 7 pm Worship at
Worship w/Holy Salem
Communion 10:30
Salem
Happy Birthday
Hudson Scott

Sunday School & Maundy Thursday Good Friday

Adult Bible Study Service Service 7 at
9:15 7 pm at Salem
Worship w/Holy Sauk Valley
Communion 10:30
Sauk Valley Happy Birthday Happy Birthday
Happy Birthday Marilynn Johnson
Happy Birthday Lonnie Iverson Happy Birthday
Ian Kirk MaryAnn Forbregd
Wanda Cooley Christopher Goodwin Pastor Lexy
Easter breakfast
9:00
Worship w/Holy
Communion 10:30
Salem
 Salem Lutheran Church
16134 170th Ave
Osakis, MN 56360
Congregational Board
President: Paul Matthys
Vice President: Joyce Buntje
Treasure: Ben Redning
Secretary: Ione Johnson

Pastor Lexy Carson

13977 150th Street
Osakis, MN 56360
605.590.0140

Sauk Valley Lutheran Church

13959 150th Street
Osakis, MN 56360
Congregational Board
President: Dan Hagen
Vice President: Tom Mikkelson
Treasure: Bob Thielen
Secretary: Ginny Earl