Kristina Lunde, Author at Kristina Lunde

November 7, 2025 by Kristina Lunde Leave a Comment

Five Year Sadiversary: A Letter to Encourage You

Dear E,
This year I didn’t send you a sympathy card for the five year sadiversary of your husband’s death. I know you are all too aware of this date and your searing loss, but this is what I pray for you today.

I. Remember

Remember where you started five years ago today and what God did for you at that moment. Think back to that horrific day, when you saw T’s lifeless body and had to say goodbye. Ask yourself, where was God in the middle of that trauma? May God remind you of how He held you up. And that He gave you strength to absorb the truth and tell your four precious children. As you have learned, the mental journey backward is painful, but a necessary part of grief processing.

I love the LORD, for he heard my voice; he heard my cry for mercy. Because he turned his ear to me, I will call on him as long as I live. The cords of death entangled me, the anguish of the grave came over me; I was overcome by distress and sorrow. Then I called on the name of the LORD: “LORD, save me!” Psalm 116:1-4

II. Recognize

Recognize God’s comfort in your life, from that first shocking moment until today. Time and time again, God has met your mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual needs. May you see His hand on your life, as well as on your children’s lives. In the Old Testament, God repeatedly reminded the Israelites of how He had helped them. Similarly, may He help you recognize His interventions, comfort, and provision for you and your children these past five years.

The LORD is gracious and righteous; our God is full of compassion. The LORD protects the unwary; when I was brought low, he saved me. Return to your rest, my soul, for the LORD has been good to you. For you, LORD, have delivered me from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling, that I may walk before the LORD in the land of the living. Psalm 116:5-9

III. Refresh

I am asking God to refresh you. Only He can comfort, heal, and refresh you in the way that you need. He created you and knows exactly how to encourage and guide you into your future. May the love of Jesus wrap you in His comfort and protection as you keep on living.

What shall I return to the LORD for all his goodness to me? I will lift up the cup of salvation and call on the name of the LORD. I will fulfill my vows to the LORD in the presence of all his people. Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his faithful servants. Truly I am your servant, LORD; I serve you just as my mother did; you have freed me from my chains. I will sacrifice a thank offering to you and call on the name of the LORD. Psalm 116:12-17

Hugs to you, dear E. We are friends who never would have met, if not for our experiences of grief and widowhood. I will never tell you to get over it or move on. Instead, I will keep praying and pointing you to Jesus, who loves you even more than T did. And that is a lot.

October 31, 2025 by Kristina Lunde Leave a Comment

Sunday School Strategy: Channel the Energy

“Please stop jumping on the wall!” That request makes no sense—unless you taught Sunday school where I did. What artist would paint a mural of a life-sized punching bag in a classroom for first-grade boys?! Other items were painted on the wall, but I only remember that punching bag. Every Sunday, the boys jumped sideways onto the punching bag, as if they thought the mural would bounce backwards. No, that did not channel the energy constructively. Instead of burning up energy, their sidekicks revved up their competitive juices.

During a particularly rambunctious Sunday school class, I sighed and looked through the narrow window on our door. I always chose to teach classes my children were not attending. But this time I wondered if my daughter’s first grade class would have been an easier choice. When I glanced across the hall, I saw my daughter and her friend jumping on the table. With a shudder, I turned back to the energetic but obedient boys who responded when asked to stop kicking.

Since that side-kicking year, I have tried to channel the energy and exuberance of kids in my classes. God gifts children with talents and attributes to deal with the life he designed for them. Faced with high-energy kids, one Sunday school teacher reminded herself of that by thinking, “Future youth pastor.” We don’t know God’s plan for these kids—that is why we need God’s help and guidance to teach them. As a Sunday School teacher, I try not to squelch kids’ exuberance, but nurture them and channel the energy instead. My job is to teach kids about Jesus, present God’s Word, and guide them in developing learning habits. Even if their energy overwhelms me.

“B, do a learning circle!” From one side of the small room, B ran around the table to identify the Bible book on a poster. The “learning circle,” as I called it, helped B connect the memory verse reference to the list of Bible books. When B felt particularly restless, I had him run two or three circles per lesson point. My goals included B’s comprehension across different information sources, plus burning off some energy. And not necessarily in that order of importance. B learned quickly, but spending some energy along the way seemed essential to help him focus.

Songs with hand motions are helpful to transition from distractions back to the lesson. Whether basic gestures for preschoolers or actual American Sign Language, hand motions help kids expend energy and learn songs. I am grateful for online resources where I can easily search for “Sunday school songs” or “hand motions.” Kids are quick to learn hand motions—often I am the slow one to catch on.

Other than songs, energy-siphoning lesson-focused activities include jumping jacks, marching, walking, and jump-roping. Jumping jacks can be challenging for kindergardeners, but by age 6 or 7, kids have mastered the skill. I like the simplistic directions to make an X, clap, and then make an I for a jumping jack. Along with marching, jump-roping provides an easy-to-follow, regular rhythm for reciting learned concepts or memorized Bible verses. This is especially true for repetitive verses like Luke 10:27 and Philippians 4:8. I practice the rhythm of the verse or concept on my own before we work on it as a group.

Don’t teach in a room with a punching bag mural. Although unique, I know that’s not much of a teaching strategy. Thankfully, God is an endless source for classroom help as I pray and follow His guidance. My ongoing challenge is to avoid squelching children’s God-given energy as I teach about Jesus. May God give us insight on helping children channel their energy into learning His Word.

September 30, 2025 by Kristina Lunde Leave a Comment

Praise before Please in Prayer

My prayers often start with my requests. Please, Lord, I need this. Lord, help me with this task. Please, God, do this for me. Yes, I usually add a please to my pleas, but I do not often praise before please. My needs prompt me to ask God first, pleading with Him for answers. But do I acknowledge the Lord of all creation who welcomes and hears my prayers?

Pray for my needs

My requests are often self-centered and self-serving. I ask God for what I have determined that I need and want. I balance my own equation of needs versus wants. But am I running that by my Lord and Savior, placing all requests in submission to His will? Am I letting God guide me so completely that I recognize His path and follow His purposes for me? Those are accountability questions that I need to answer if I am pursuing Jesus and His will for me.

Change my perspective

First of all, I need to determine who I am going to follow. If my top priority is Jesus, then my heart’s intent and life goals need to follow His will, not mine. Who determines my wants versus needs equation? Do I take charge of my needs or do I surrender them to God’s plan? Nothing wrong with presenting my needs to God, but my perspective must align with God’s Word and His will. If I pray for a new car out of jealousy over my friend’s car, I disobey the tenth commandment. Instead, God may have other purposes for the older cars we drive. For example, my husband and I enjoy a reputation as the “Engine Light Lundes” at our local automobile repair shop. We became friends with the owners and pray for them to know Jesus.

When my perspective aligns with God’s will, then I can realistically evaluate my wants and needs in consideration of the roles God has for me in this season. Sometimes, that means I need to respect and obey God when He gives a “no” answer to my prayer, especially when I do not understand the reasons. My vantage point then changes from a selfish outlook to God’s sovereign purposes.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7 NIV

Start with praise

Philippians 4:6-7 presents how to receive God’s peace as a solution for anxiety. Notice that thanksgiving goes along with bringing requests to God in prayer. Sometimes I focus on the supplication, petition (KJV), or “the ask.” The pain, need, or problem drives my prayer. But I can’t forget to thank my God, the omnipotent Lord of all creation, for blessings already given. Instead of starting with the please and pleading for my wants, I should start with praise for the One who hears. Put the praise before please. When I acknowledge His love for me, the salvation He provided, and what He means to me, that sets the tone for my prayer. I prayerfully reflect on God’s character, which helps me appreciate what He has already accomplished for me.

The ask should come after the realignment of my heart and mind. Praise first; then present my pleas. The wants seems so pressing at first. But when I examine them through the lens of God’s Word, He shows me His priorities. The Holy Spirit convicts me that some of my needs are actually sinful pursuits or selfish wants. When God’s lens zooms my attention in, I can set my sights on His plans. He knows the journey He walks me through, the places I need to be, and the work He has for me do.

For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him. Philippians 2:13 NIV

Dear God, thank you for being my Savior and Lord. Teach me to pray with praise before please. Let me be so filled with praise for you, that honoring you comes first when I pray. Wipe out my selfish wants, so that my requests align with your will. Jesus, I want my heart, life, and actions to follow your plan, even if I don’t understand it. Let your Holy Spirit convict and strengthen me. Help me surrender to you—that is what I need. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

August 20, 2025 by Kristina Lunde Leave a Comment

A Peach Pie and an Ambulance: Missed Connections for God’s Purpose

My husband Craig and I recently experienced God’s missed connections between an ambulance, a text message, and a peach pie. We planned to deliver a pie, but God changed the purpose of our visit.

Every year I buy a crate of perfectly ripe and amazingly sweet peaches. Trucked in fresh from Georgia, the peaches are sold to raise funds for Youth for Christ. As usual, this year’s crop tasted as incredible as their perfect red, orange, and yellow colors looked. After giving out bags of peaches to friends and neighbors, I baked pies.

One pie was for N, my husband’s dear friend who has spent years fighting multiple cancer battles. When my husband Craig visits N, I don’t join them out of respect for their “man time.” But I usually send treats for N and his wife E. Recently, they hosted their kids and families for a week, and Craig had a fishing trip the following week. So we arranged to drop off the pie on a Sunday night—very different timing from Craig’s usual weekday visits.

Slow to get ready, we left fifteen minutes later than what Craig texted E. Pie in hand, we were in no rush as we left our house. We drove, ready to stop by the town where they lived before driving to another town for our dinner reservations. Craig’s phone remained on silent for the drive, so we missed E’s text telling us not to come.

When we arrived, E came to the door asking if we had passed N’s ambulance. Our confused looks told her we hadn’t seen an ambulance or received her text. I handed E the peach pie, which felt irrelevant given the situation. She invited us in and explained how N’s long day of pain led to his uncharacteristic request for an ambulance. N’s absence from the house seemed strange, like a foreshadowing of what was to come.

E remained calm and coherent, but it must have been unsettling to send N to the emergency room. Despite N’s many cancer challenges, he had only taken an ambulance to the hospital once before. This time, N needed emergency help for the unrelenting pain. We offered to take E, but she wanted to drive to the hospital alone. Instead, we prayed for her and N.

Our arrival displayed God’s precise timing: right after the ambulance’s departure but before E left for the emergency room. God also ensured that we didn’t see E’s text, which would have canceled our visit. Only God could orchestrate all these factors to allow us a precious window of prayer time.

The next day, N came home from the hospital. The heart attack he feared never happened, and he went home without chest pain. God truly intervened that day, in N’s life and in ours. We witnessed God’s interventions that defied human planning and explanation. God miraculously used a peach pie, an overlooked text, and a missed ambulance to deliver prayer support. What an amazing God we serve.

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28 NIV

July 31, 2025 by Kristina Lunde Leave a Comment

A Vacation Bible School Prayer

Lord God, please work in the hearts of these precious vacation Bible school (VBS) kids. May every concept of this detailed, Christ-centered curriculum draw the children to you. Let nothing we do distract them from you. Please imprint these Bible verses on the minds of both kids and volunteers. Teach all of us to apply your truths to all of our activities: exercise, learning, crafts, lessons, singing, and snacks.

Lord, make me aware of what these kids need. Give me time to spend one-on-one as well as in teaching the group. Holy Spirit, guide me to be flexible. Like when one group comes in halfway through their lesson time and I have to scramble to condense the content. Show me how to present the crucial points of the lesson clearly.

Please give me patience with potty breaks, interruptions, and distracted kids, as I’m sure you helped my teachers decades ago. Guide me when I get strange questions from searching kids. Help me to reflect Christ’s love as I encourage, teach, and challenge these kids. Lord, let these children come to you and let the Word of God take root in their hearts. Use us to help train these children so that each one builds their life’s foundation on you, Lord Jesus. Hold them closely through whatever life brings them in the future.

In one of their lessons, the VBS grade schoolers wrote out their prayer request, “Jesus, I need your help to . . .” (See photo.)

Dear Jesus, you know the details of each child’s burden. Keep me praying for their prayer requests. Lord God, we give our entire VBS curriculum, program, activities, and follow-up to you, for your glory and honor. In Jesus’ name. Amen.