By Major Lynn Stewart Kapolei Kroc, HI – Hawaiian and Pacific Islands Division
This Easter craft is not only a beautiful centerpiece, but it’s also a perfect visual for devotional purposes. It’s great to know that you don’t necessarily need a Cricut machine, as lantern templates can be found online. To make the enchanting Easter Lantern, you’ll need to gather the following supplies:
Supplies List
You will need a Cricut Explore or Cricut Maker machine to cut the intricate designs.
Use a 12×24 Cricut mat with a Standard Grip to secure the materials in place during cutting.
It’s best to use high-quality 12×24 Olive paper, available on Amazon for the best results.
Purchase 12×12 Vellum sheets to create a delicate, translucent effect. (Amazon)
You will need a scoring tool and fine-cut blade for precise and clean cuts.
Instructions
Open Cricut Design Space online and search for the “Easter Lantern” project.
Gather all the necessary materials and prepare the cutting mats.
Use the scoring tool to mark the designated lines on the paper. Cricut Design Space will prompt you to insert the scoring tool at the right time.
Assemble the lantern by gluing the sides together and adding the optional bottom to complete the project. For easy and secure attachment of the pieces, I recommend having a glue gun or clear glue dots on hand. It’s also a good idea to pre-cut all lanterns prior to your women’s ministries program so that the ladies can simply assemble them.
By Captain Raghel Santiago Kauluwela Mission, HI Corps – Hawaiian and Pacific Islands Division
Scriptures: Ephesians 1:7-8, Psalm 103:8-12
In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us. Ephesians 1:7-8
Question: What does it mean to you to be redeemed?
According to the Merriam Webster Dictionary, the word redeemed/redemption means to buy back; repurchase or win back. Another definition from Merriam Webster Dictionary says, “To be free from what distresses or harms, such as to free from captivity by payment of ransom.”
Today’s Bible study emphasis is on the word redeemed. As a believer in Christ, we need to embrace what it means to be redeemed by Jesus, our Lord and Savior.
Question: Do you remember what life was like before you put your faith in Jesus and received forgiveness from your sins?
Maybe your life was full of chaos before knowing Jesus. Maybe you felt a void in your life. Whatever your experience, may you rejoice in the knowledge of who Jesus is, and grasp the knowledge of God’s love for you. Here are two Bible verses that remind us of just how much God loves us:
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. John 3:16-17 But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8
Please read Ephesians 1:7-8 again.
Focus on the two words, redemption, and forgiveness mentioned in verse 7. These two words go together like a hand and a glove. Through Jesus’s blood shed for us, our sins are forgiven.
Question: Have you ever experienced being upset and hurt by somebody who has wronged you? What did you feel towards that person after they wronged you? Has that person asked for your forgiveness? If so, was it hard to forgive that person?
Forgiving someone who has hurt us, especially if that person is a family member, a friend, co-worker, or a church member can be difficult, because it is a person that was close to us. However, the Bible teaches us that if we are to follow Jesus, we need to live our lives like Him, and that includes forgiving those who wrong us. Here are some Bible verses that teach us about forgiveness:
Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. Ephesians 4:31-32 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. Colossians 3:13
These Bible verses have the same message: forgive just as the Lord forgave us. These Bible verses also apply when we need to seek forgiveness from someone we have hurt or wronged. When we repent of our sins and ask Jesus to be our savior from our sins, we can embrace being redeemed, because not only are we then freed from the bondage of our sins, but we are reminded how our redemption came at a costly price, which is our Lord’s blood that shed for us at Calvary.
Question: What do the words “in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us” mean to you?
When I think of the word lavished, I think of surplus. God is full of grace, and he gives it to us in abundance. When it comes to forgiving us, His grace is not skimpy. God is faithful to hear us when we confess our sins to him, and he is gracious enough to forget our transgression when we seek Him and repent with a whole heart.
When we are forgiven, we are redeemed, and God wants us to experience redemption, which is freedom of burden too. How? By freeing yourself from the burden of holding grudges, the weight of bitterness, and healing from the scars others may have caused. Christ has redeemed you from your sins, and now it is time for you to embrace redemption by forgiving others. To achieve this, we need to be more like the Lord.
To be more like the Lord, let us read Psalm 103: 8-12.
“The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever.” Psalm 103:8-9
To be more like Jesus, we need to be compassionate, gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love, not always accuse, and harbor anger. If this is how we want the Lord to respond to us, we need to do this to others, especially those who upset us and seek our forgiveness.
He does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. Psalm 103:10
This Bible verse is the perfect example of what God’s grace looks like. He loves us so much that He sent Jesus to offer His life as a living sacrifice for us and take our sins away.
We are learning that God loves us and will forgive us no matter what the measure of our sin may be. If we confess our sins wholeheartedly and fully repent to God, He is faithful to forgive us.
Question: What does the world teach us about sin?
We see this being displayed on television, in movies, and on social media. If somebody does something wrong to you, taking revenge or getting even is how the world teaches us to react. This will not allow us to experience redemption, because revenge and anger will not free us, but keep us in captivity. Only when we can forgive the person who wronged us can we experience real freedom.
Question: What should we do after we have forgiven someone?
When we confess our sins and wholeheartedly repent to God, He will forgive us, which redeems us from the bondage of our sins. The next step is to live in His redemption. The way to do that is by trusting God’s love and believing that God has truly forgiven us and will not remind us of our past mistakes.
For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him. Psalm 103:11
The depth of God’s love for us is as high as the heavens!
Question: What does verse 11 mean when it says, “for those who fear him”?
The fear of the Lord means that we love him deeply, and because we love him deeply, we will honor him, trust him, obey him, and respect him.
As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. Psalm 103:12
When we ask God to forgive us, he will remove our sins and will forgive us. He will not remind us of that sin anymore, because God does not want us to move and live backwards, but he prefers for us to move and live forward. This is when we can say, “I am redeemed and forgiven by the grace and love of Jesus.” In this same manner, we must do the same for those who seek forgiveness from us. When you forgive someone, do not remind that person of their past mistake. By doing this, you will fully understand and experience redemption.
By Lt. Andrielli Gonzalez Hanapepe, HI Corps Hawaiian and Pacific Islands Division
In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us. Ephesians 1:7-8
Paul, the writer of the book of Ephesians, tells us that Jesus redeems us. The Greek word for “redemption” refers to the ransom paid to free slaves; it is paying for an object or person so that it is not sold again; this payment frees a defenseless person from slavery. Jesus paid the price with His blood, giving Himself as a ransom for our forgiveness and freedom. This was made possible by God being “so rich in grace.” In Christ’s sacrifice on the cross, we witness God’s generous and selfless love for us. Who can understand the infinite wisdom and endless mercy of God?
Paul says that Jesus paid our debt, Christ paid our debts, cancelling any guilt we would feel for our sins. Jesus came to earth in human form, he was tempted in all things just as we are, but he was without sin (Hebrews 4:15). By offering the perfect sacrifice, Jesus freed us from the condemnation of Hell, rescued us from the curse of death, and freed us from the prison of sin. His blood shed on the cross so long ago guaranteed our redemption today.
Because of Christ, we are clean before God, justified in his presence. When God looks at us, he sees the perfect, beautiful sacrifice of his son. Because of Christ’s sacrifice on the cross, we have new life, without the weight of guilt, fear, and judgment, as we have been freed, we have passed from death to life and will no longer enter into condemnation. For we are saved by Christ’s love for us.
Paul argues that Jesus also freed us. Jesus broke the shackles of sin and freed us to be able to live for the glory of God when He died for our sins. Sin no longer has dominion over those who are in Christ. We can only marvel at the extent of what Jesus did to redeem us. Because of him, we are saved from our sins, resurrected to be seated with Christ, given grace with free access to the Father, and counted as fellow citizens of God’s holy people.
John 1:29 tells us that Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Jesus is the perfect lamb! In addition to saving us and also being redeemed by his beautiful sacrifice, from that moment on, sacrifices involving lambs, herbs, and bread would no longer be necessary. With the perfect sacrifice of Jesus, the Lamb of the Lord, there was no longer any need for other types of sacrifices. The replacement of the meat of the lamb, the herbs, and the bread, Jesus instituted His body, His blood, in memory of this sacrifice.
Before knowing Christ and also accepting Him as my savior, it was impossible not to sin. After conversion, it is possible not to sin. We are not talking about perfection but being able to live and experience liberation from the enslaving routine of sin. The person who stole is now able to work and help people in need. The person once enslaved to slander now possesses the power of the Holy Spirit to use his lips as instruments of grace and healing. He who was enslaved to sins of a sexual nature can now live in purity and conformity to God’s will.
Christ has the power to change our lives, but we need to want and accept the change. Most of the time the change will be radical. We can live in rest and freedom from worries that hijack our peace and want to drive us to despair. Jesus made us an inheritance from his Father. We have the guarantee of God’s presence sustaining us daily and freeing us from the evil one. Furthermore, God has guaranteed that he will bring our salvation to the end and that he has granted all of us the merits of Jesus’ work. We also have the promise that we will dwell in the new heaven and the new earth and that we will be shepherded by God for all eternity. All this if we continue following his path.
Prayer: Father, thank you for your love for me, undeserving of the incredible work of Jesus Christ on my behalf. Thank you for Jesus’ sacrifice. Thank you, Jesus, for your perfect life and for your bloodshed to pay my debt, free me, and guarantee eternal life for me.
I praise the Lord, oh God, because sin no longer has the power to imprison me or condemn me. Today I can live to fulfill his will and live for your glory in me. Exalted be your name Lord, for Jesus guaranteed for me daily sustenance, the presence of his Holy Spirit, and deliverance in the fight against the evil one.
May my life be to the praise of your name and may the people around me see in me the virtues of a citizen of the Kingdom of God. In Christ, Amen
Enjoy this reminder from Big Daddy Weave, “I Am Redeemed:”
https://usw-womensministries.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/hugues-de-buyer-mimeure-wT0iS-TSZM-unsplash-1-scaled.jpg17072560Beth Desplanckehttps://usw-womensministries.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/uswLogo-300x75-300x75.pngBeth Desplancke2025-03-20 10:49:192025-03-20 10:49:38April 2025 Devotional: Redemption - What is It?
You are Priceless! You are Redeemed! That is the theme of this month’s newsletter.
Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has come to his people and redeemed them. Luke 1:68
Included in this month’s newsletter is a devotion, prayer idea, conversation starters, and a Bible reading plan that focuses on our redemption story from the Gospel of Luke. Also included are “Identity Statements,” verses that proclaim who you are in Christ for you to memorize, meditate on, and claim in your life.
Also included in this month’s issue are highlights from our Second Annual “Women Preach Sunday” which was held on March 2nd of this year.
In honor of International Women’s Day (which was March 8, 2025), the USA Western Territory held its second annual “Woman Preach Day” on Sunday, March 2.
The goal was to have as many pulpits as possible filled by women on that specific Sunday. This year, the event went National, as all four USA Territories celebrated Women Preach Sunday. Doing this nationally is a great opportunity to bring emphasis on women preachers and The Salvation Army’s special mandate and prophetic voice to women’s roles in ministries.
In our territory, 141 Corps and 3 Adult Rehabilitation Centers participated in this event. Both active and retired officers as well as lay leaders spoke throughout the Territory. Lt. Kristin Boyd from the Chico, CA Corps stated, “Women covered all elements of the holiness meeting. Our Home league Secretary of many years, Linda Valdez, preached for the first time! It was a beautiful day celebrating our freedom to preach as women!”
Several corps included women and girls in all aspects of the worship service, besides the preaching. In Federal Way, WA teen girls led worship for the first time. Sophia Reed, daughter of Lt. Emily Reed (Prescott, AZ Corps) was featured in a video promotion the sermon for the week.
Ivy Swain, daughter of Captain Jennifer Swain, helped her mom preach at the San Diego Adult Rehabilitation Center, and then Captain Jennifer preached a second sermon at the El Cajon, CA Corps.
Captain Belle Green, from the Wrangell, AK Corps said this regarding Women Preach Sunday, “I don’t preach regularly. My heart desires to and I know that God has given me a voice He wants heard…This Sunday pushed me to preach and brought to the forefront of my mind the importance of me preaching more. Especially as I looked out at the teenage girls in the congregation. We are blessed to be in an egalitarian movement, and I think days like this helps remind us of that blessing, and encourage us not to take it for granted. I know after this Sunday I plan on being behind the pulpit much more.”
Next year, Women Preach Sunday will be on Sunday, March 1, 2026.
There are certain words that evoke pleasant thoughts as they are spoken. One such word for me is the word “Redeemed.” Spoken, in reference to everyday things like redeeming your ticket for a ride at Disney, may be special but it is not life changing. The word redeemed spoken from a biblical perspective, however, is special indeed!
Whenever I hear the word redeemed, I think of the story of Hosea and Gomer. It’s a tragic story as Gomer chases after her lovers, continuing in her unfaithfulness to her husband. Her husband Hosea buys her back – redeems her because he loves her. Hosea does this in obedience to God to show Israel how she has sinned against God and how God in his love longs to redeem her, to buy her back from pagan nations she has prostituted herself with. What a beautiful picture of the love and mercy of God.
Cory Asbury has written a song called “The Reckless Love of God.” I have refrained from using this song in a worship time because I believe that the love of God is anything but reckless. God’s love is intentional and never ending. A closer look at this song, however, helps paint a different picture. If you think of the word reckless here as God’s love being abundant and never cautious, the song has great meaning. We think of the word reckless in a negative sense but when you think of it in terms of God’s love knowing no bounds and chasing after us to redeem us, it is rather beautiful.
So, if you are one who has not used this song for the same reasons I did, will you please oblige me and read the words of the song through a slightly different lens? Look at the words in terms of the price Christ paid for us on the cross-loving us and dying for us when we were still sinners.
When I was your foe, still your love fought for me You have been so, so good to me When I felt no worth, you paid it all for me You have been so, so kind to me
Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God Oh, it chases me down, fights till I’m found, leaves the ninety-nine I couldn’t earn it, and I don’t deserve it, still you give yourself away Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God.
It is this kind of love that redeems! None of us is deserving of the love and grace of God but he lavishes his love upon us because of who he is and not because of who we are. Peter reminds us in 1 Peter 1:18-19, “For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver and gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your forefathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect.”
If you read 1 Peter 1:13-2:3, it is a call to holiness. Once we’ve been redeemed and bought back to God through the sacrifice of Christ on the cross, our redemption doesn’t become our ticket to heaven with nothing to do in the meantime. From the time we are redeemed to the time God calls us home, we are to live for Christ and live like Christ.
A few years ago, I heard a story of an atheist who was speaking to a group of Christians. In this talk the speaker referred to the redemption that Christians talk about. The speaker continued, “If you say you are redeemed, then you’d better start acting redeemed!” Ouch! What a challenge and yet what a truth. We truly flourish in our identity in Christ as his redeemed children when we not only say we are redeemed but we live like redeemed people.
I am truly grateful that I am not left on my own to live for God as his redeemed child. That would be disastrous. We do not do this journey with God alone. We have the Holy Spirit within us-comforting, challenging, guiding and correcting when necessary. With his help, I know I can flourish as one who has been redeemed!
Listen to Cory Asbury’s song:
https://usw-womensministries.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/rod-long-TxOkvECLQ4M-unsplash-scaled.jpg17072560Beth Desplanckehttps://usw-womensministries.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/uswLogo-300x75-300x75.pngBeth Desplancke2025-03-19 15:59:422025-03-19 16:01:17Flourishing in Our Identity: You are Redeemed
You are Priceless! You are a Masterpiece! That is the theme of this month’s newsletter.
For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. Ephesians 2:10 NLT
Included in this month’s newsletter is a devotion, prayer idea, conversation starters, and a Bible reading plan that focuses on our Creator God. Also included are “Identity Statements,” verses that proclaim who you are in Christ for you to memorize, meditate on, and claim in your life.
By Major Cheryl Kistan Divisional Director of Women’s Ministries – Intermountain Division
Read Ephesians 2:1-10 1. Have you ever thought of yourself as a masterpiece?
Ephesians 2:10 tells us that we are a masterpiece!
2. In verse 4 read, “But God,” what do you think that means?
“But” is one of the most important words in the Bible. Paul is using the word here to contrast our former dead way of life (trapped in sin) with our new life in Christ. God is merciful and did not want to leave us in a life that will lead to death, so he sent his Son Jesus to save us. By grace Jesus saved us and gave us the ability to say no to sin and live a life that is righteous.
3. What is one area of your life that God has helped you to change since you accepted Him as Lord of your life? Allow for personal sharing
4. What is God’s motivation for saving us?
God saved us because He loves us. Love is His character and His nature – He loves us and wants us to be part of His family.
5. what does it mean to be saved by grace?
Grace means that God gives us something which we do not deserve – salvation. It cannot be earned and it cannot be paid back. Our sins mean wee deserve judgement, but God gave us something much better – eternal life! It is a gift from God.
6. What does it mean to be “made alive?”
Before we accepted Jesus, we were on a road that leads to death but because of God’s gift in Jesus, we have eternal life. We are headed home to heaven and so we are truly alive.
7. If good deeds cannot save us because salvation is a gift from God, why should we do them?
God created us with unique gifts and talents, and he wants us to use them build his kingdom. These gifts we have show who God is and when we use them for Him, they point to Him.
8. What does it mean to be God’s masterpiece?
So often people talk about making themselves better by working hard and improving themselves. Without God, this will not make us more spiritual, in fact it can make things worse. The love of God not only saves us but also changes us.
God saves us not only from his judgement that we deserve but also to make something beautiful of us. We are his workmanship a masterpiece. We are God’s “work of art.”
9. Reflect on Psalm 139:7-18. What is one thing that God is saying to you as you read it and think about being His masterpiece? Allow for personal sharing.
For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. Ephesians 2:10
Goal: Using Alcohol inks you will create a beautiful work of art. then you can take your artwork and turn it into a card that you can give to someone that you would like to remind that they are a masterpiece created by God.
Supplies:
Note: All items can be found on Amazon, at a craft store such as Michaels or Hobby Lobby, while some items can be found at Dollar Tree. The alcohol inks can be a messy project so do this in a space that you don’t mind getting a bit messy.
Time frame expected: 1 – 2 hours.
Alcohol Inks
Rubbing Alcohol
Smaller Squirting bottles
Alcohol Ink paper
Straws
Scissors
Typed up and cut out Bible Verse
Gloves
Table Coverings
Paper towels
Glue sticks
Step 1
Prepare the space
Cover all the tables with a plastic tablecloth.
Put down paper towels as a place mat for each person with some extra paper towels for each person to absorb any extra mess.
Put plastic gloves out for each person.
Open all bottles of alcohol inks in advance if they are brand new.
Place alcohol inks in center and place one piece of alcohol ink paper on top of their paper towel place mat.
Put one small squirt bottle, filled with alcohol ink at each place.
Place one straw at each place.
Step 2
a. Put a few drops of alcohol ink on the paper.
b. Add a few drops of rubbing alcohol on top of the drops of ink.
c. Use straw to blow the liquid about until you are satisfied with the art.
d. Repeat, as desired, using different colors.
e. Put sheet of artwork aside to draw and create another one. Artwork will dry by itself in approximately 20 minutes. If you would like to move it along more quickly use a hairdryer on low.
Step 3:
a. After the artwork has dried, take the sheet that you like the most and fold in half to create a card shape.
b. Cut sheet in half so that you can make two cards.
c. Open up and glue the printed-up Bible verse into the card
d. Write a message to a friend to remind them that they are God’s masterpiece. (Be aware that the more you handle the ink the more it spreads to your hands and all over the white paper. Also, it will leak around the edges when you are initially doing the ink work).
Other ideas: Take a cookie cutter and cut out a shape from your alcohol ink masterpiece. Then glue it to a white piece of construction paper folded in half to make a card. Finally glue your masterpiece note inside and write a personal note to a friend.
By Captain Ryan Boyd Denver Red Shield, CO Corps – Intermountain Division
“For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Ephesians 2:10
My mother-in-law is a gifted quilter. She has all kinds of quilts in her house that she has made over the years, and I love to look at them and admire her handiwork. Each time a grandchild was born, she made them a quilt. And while she sewed, she prayed for that child. Looking at each stitch reminds me how hard she has prayed for these kids all their lives.
One year, I decided that I was going to make her a quilt because she deserved something homemade. Did I know how to quilt? Nope. Did I let that deter me? Not for one second. I went to the fabric store, signed up for a quilting class, spent a ridiculous amount of money on a hobby I had no skill in, and started looking at patterns.
When I took the quilting class, I was the only student. Which was great, because I had also never used a sewing machine. The instructor patiently guided me through Sewing 101 and then quilting 101, and I left that store with an undeserved confidence that I was going to make the best quilt known to humanity.
It didn’t quite work out that way. Chalk it up to blissful ignorance or youthful hubris, but I chose a queen size quilt for my first go around. I spent weeks trying to create this quilt. And by the end, I was just happy to get it done. Would it last through the first wash? That was yet to be seen.
When I gave the quilt to my mother-in-law, she lovingly pointed out the stitches I got right and gracefully ignored the many I got wrong. And when we visit, she makes sure that it’s out to show her appreciation. I don’t tell this story to show off how great my mother-in-law is – although I could easily go on and on – I tell it because that quilt represented all the handiwork I could muster for almost six months of my life. Was it the prettiest quilt? No. But it was a labor of love that I know my mother-in-law felt.
We are God’s handiwork. God intricately made each one of us and formed us in our mother’s womb (Psalm 139:13). We may not feel like the prettiest quilt, we may have some imperfections, but God has created us for good things!
If we focus on the things that are “wrong” about us, we will miss all the things that are “right”. While we focus on the outward appearance, God is looking at what is in our hearts. He created us to be exactly as we are, knowing that the path he set out for us will require the exact talents and personality He has given us.
Often, I am quick to criticize the way that God made me. Like most women, I am rarely satisfied with the outside appearance I have. However, what I criticize most is what’s on the inside. Why am I so loud and mouthy? Why must I ask so many questions?
And when I get to be too critical of myself, I look back on Ephesians 2:10 and say, “God made me this way, there must be a reason.” Maybe I am loud and mouthy so that I can speak up for those who have had their voices silenced or for those who are too scared to speak for themselves. Maybe I am loud so that others can hear me tell them about Jesus. Perhaps I ask so many questions because God has given me this thirst for knowledge so that I can learn how to love others better through His word or so that I can be a better example of him to others.
When I reframe my view of myself from imperfect woman to God’s handiwork, my entire demeanor changes. What I view as weaknesses, God instilled in me to further His kingdom. I can’t spend my whole life looking at what I have gotten wrong, I have to look at what He has done right.
God has made each of us in His image and according to His purposes. While we may not be fully appreciative of the particular way He has crafted us, we can take comfort in knowing that there is a reason we are the way that we are. We can be confident in knowing that God loves us and wants us to use our unique abilities and personalities to love every other Image bearer we meet.
Major Cathi Boyd displaying the quilt made by her daughter-in-law, Captain Ryan Boyd
