Lillian Jane

We welcomed our sweet girl, Lillian Jane, into the world on the evening of Tuesday, February 12, 2019.

This was just three short days after big brother turned two years old.

And not that I'm complaining (except I totally am), but it was four long weeks after my body did all that early labor stuff and then stalled before going into active labor. My daughter is living proof that those babies can't just fall out. And she's also living proof that despite every OB and nurse I saw in those four weeks was certain I wouldn't make it to my next appointment, only God knew when she'd make her entrance.

But when she made her entrance, boy oh boy, did she make her entrance.

My husband and I joke that she already has his personality. Thinking about thinking about it, thinking about it, thinking about preparing the preparations, thinking about the preparations...but the moment anybody is like "Alright. I'm doing this for you, you're taking too long." He/she is like "NOPE! I'll do it myself. Right now. And real fast."

Photo by Emily Nix Photography

See? Two peas in a pod, those two.

She got her personality from her daddy, but her name comes from her Momma's side.

Lillian is my maternal great grandma's name whom we affectionately called Grandma Lil. It's also my paternal grandma's name whose name was Lillian Aileen but went by Aileen. My middle name is Lillian, named after these two. And now our sweet girl carries on the beautiful, feminine name.

Her middle name is Jane, named after my mom, Cynthia Jane.

Left to right: Grandma Loeber (whose mom was Grandma Lil), Grandma Cynthia Jane, Lillian Jane, Sarah Lillian

Basically this little girl had a whole lot of love and a whole lot of heritage before she was even born.

And because we love our little girl, and because we believe God's Word does what it says it does - Lillian was baptized 12 hours after she was born by her grandpa Pastor Kaldahl.

What is it that God's Word promises in Baptism?

• Works forgiveness of sins
• Acts 2:38 "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins."
• Rescues from death and the devil
• Romans 6:3, 5 "Don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? . . . If we have been united with Him like this in His death, we will certainly also be united with Him in His resurrection."
• Gives eternal salvation
• Titus 3:5 "He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit."

Several weeks later, our church affirmed her Baptism during the service.

And to come full circle, the baptismal gown she wore both for her Baptism and for her Baptismal affirmation was hand sewn by her Great Grandma Loeber and was worn by her grandma Cynthia Jane and her siblings, by her mom Sarah Lillian and one sibling (who is also one of her sponsors), and by her brother Peter.

I have no recipes to share this time around. Just here to say that HyVee makes great donuts. And that you should baptize your babies. And have a lot of them. Both, that is -- lots of babies and lots of Baptisms.

1st Trimester Woes

I've been slightly miserable the past two months. I've been full of self pity, wishing these days away, and saying to myself every morning, "One of these days, I will have neither the stomach bug, nor a 3-week cold, nor morning (read: all day) sickness."

A poll question recently asked, "Which is harder: 1st Trimester or 38-40 weeks pregnant?" I wholeheartedly answered, "1st Trimester."

I recently started Ben Sasse's book The Vanishing American Adult, and these words hit home:

"Consumption is not the key to happiness; production is."

And this is why the 1st Trimester just about breaks me - All I do is consume: I consume food, I nap, I watch Netflix, I sit on the couch. I'm not cooking, I'm not exercising, I'm not crafting. I'm not producing. Well, I guess I'm producing a child...but you get my point. Idleness makes me feel like a giant pile of poo. Productivity, creativity, and busyness fuel me. (I'm finally in the 2nd Trimester and I'm ready for that Superwoman to show up aaaaaany time now.)

We're pregnant. Did I mention that?

Here's Peter's reaction to being a big brother. It's excitement, okay? I promise.

The other day I was driving by myself, and the rare occurrence that this is, I cranked up the radio. Naturally.

"I wish somebody would have told me that these will be the good ole days. All the love you won't forget. All these reckless nights you won't regret. Someday soon your whole life's gonna change. You'll miss the magic of these good ole days."

Now, I'm pretty sure Macklemore and Kesha are talking about lovers and partying, BUT it's pretty applicable to motherhood too. Especially in the midst of the 1st Trimester, when you're wallowing about your child who sleeps beautifully at home but refuses to sleep anywhere else, especially when there's corn silage to be chopped and cousins to play with and tractors to ride. My SIL's blog of the week is much more informative and sounds slightly less dramatic than mine.

And then you get hit up with some simple truths that screw your head back on straight.

1. You have been blessed with new life. Put on your big girl panties and stop complaining about a little sickness. Be thankful for modern medicine that takes the edge off. But even more so that you have been blessed with this new life.
2. You are in the good ole days. Expectations need to be changed from time to time. If you vacuum once per week instead of three times per week for a couple months, IT'LL BE OKAY. This doesn't mean you're slug or it will always be this way.
3. The rest of your family is working a heck of a lot harder than you. Like your dad, brothers, husband, and the rest of the corn silage crew working sun up to way past sun down to chop silage.

So the least you can do is chill out. You don't just have to "make it through this." You can actually enjoy it. You can thrive. You can put on your big girl panties, take your medicine, vacuum the blasted carpet, make your toddler belly laugh, cook a hot meal for your husband, and make protein bites for the hard-working men in your life. And then, you can go to bed at 7:01 p.m., right after your toddler goes to bed at 7:00 p.m.  (when you're home, anyway).

Most things in life aren't easy. Or at least the things that are worth your time. Those things that produce, those things that fulfill your vocation, those things that we are called to do. Life isn't supposed to be easy, and it's about time we (I) stop expecting it to be. It can be beautiful, to be sure, but a beautiful garden isn't beautiful from neglect; it's beautiful from time, effort, work, and the blessings the good Lord gives us.

Anyway, I'll get off my soap box here because really I just needed to share this protein bite recipe. Recipe is a loose term here....

Craisin, Walnut, Chia Seed, and whatever else Protein Bites

Ingredients:

• 1 cup rolled oats
• 1 cup quick oats (or you can use your food processor to turn your rolled oats into quick oats)
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1 cup peanut butter
• 2 scoops vanilla protein powder (I just bought 2 individual packets because I don't use it otherwise)
• 1/4-1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• 1/4-1/2 cup craisins
• 1/4 cup chia seeds

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients. The recipe is pretty fluid - If it's not sticking together, add more honey and/or peanut butter. If it's too sticky or dense, add more mix-ins of walnuts and/or craisins.
2. Roll into balls. I use my 1 Tbsp. cookie scoop, scoop them onto a cookie sheet, and put in the fridge for a bit. Then, because I'm stupidly Type A, I roll them into perfectly shaped balls.
3. Freeze or refrigerate. These last a loooong time in the freezer. For sure 3 months, but I'd have no problem eating them up to 6 months. If not freezing, store in the fridge; they get pretty messy at room temp.
4. Note: To save time, you could press these into a pan, and then cut into little squares. Or, you could just keep it as a big lump in the fridge and spoonful it out whenever needed.
5. Variations: Variations are totally endless. Instead of the walnuts and craisins, you could do mini M&M's and chocolate chips, dried blueberries and chopped almonds, diced banana chips and pecans...so many options.

Also - what's your guess? Boy or Girl??

Motherhood Essentials

I will never forget one evening when I was about 8 months pregnant, crying to my husband because we had no baby socks. How can we have a baby without socks? Will they let us home from the hospital if we don't have socks? I can't possibly go to Target to buy socks after the baby is born, let alone Amazon Prime it. Everything must be bought before, washed before, folded before, put away and organized before.

My sweet husband endured this, and so much more. We laugh about it now, but my prep for the baby was a mix between cleaning like the Queen of England was visiting (I took over an hour to deep clean our Keurig of all things) and like the biggest snow apocalypse ever (I had no less than 12 boxes of cereal, crackers, granola bars...each).

My sweet, sweet husband. Today is Mother' Day, but let's raise a glass to our husbands who father our children and take care of us to be mothers. Whether that's tempering us down for crying over no socks or just biting his tongue over another cartful of granola bars.

In my whopping 15 months of motherhood, I've learned that teeny tiny baby socks are useless (even though cuuuuuute). First of all, everything they wear is footed. Second of all, the socks don't stay on any way. Third of all, even when they are older and walking, they slip and fall on the hard wood floors when wearing socks (or mine does anyway). So the only time socks come in handy is playing outside. Which, we do for a couple hours every day. So they do have a time and place...just not very often.

Here's my top 5 list of items I couldn't function without, and top 5 items that marketing companies prey on our 8 month pregnant hormones.

Top 5: Love It, Couldn't Live Without It, Sign Me Up for Subscribe & Save on It:

1. White Noise Sound Machine
• If you have creaky floors like us or if your sneezes two rooms away wake up baby, a white noise machine is saving grace.
2. Swaddle Me Swaddles

• For a while I tried swaddling my little guy in blankets (left). And he'd break free, every time. And he'd wake up, every time. Along came Velcro or zipper swaddles. The kid may be strong enough to exit the womb, but ain't nobody strong enough to get out of these bad boys.
• When he was tiny, he used the Pod (not pictured).
• When he didn't fit in that, he used the Velcro swaddles (middle), which come in different sizes.
• And then around 12 weeks, he started using the Halo Sleep Sacks (right), which also come in different sizes.
• *He is still wearing a sleep sack, and I think it's the only reason he doesn't attempt to climb out of his crib. It may also be the reason he hits his head on the crib when he tries walking in it after his nap...but hey, you win some, you lose some.
3. Not Your Mother's Dry Shampoo 
• I thought that because I have straight, fine, shiny hair I could never not wash my hair every day. Along came my son and along came my favorite dry shampoo, and voilà!
4. Books

• Parenting Books
• One piece of advice I read was to pick ONE (or two) parenting books or philosophies, and go with it. I guarantee you can find credible books on parenting why you shouldn't use the word no, why you should spank, why you shouldn't use time-outs, why you should have sleep routines, why you should, why you shouldn't...You will drive yourself crazy if you try to implement all of them. Pick a couple, and be consistent.
• My top two parenting books are the BabyWise Series (everyone in this house is much happier when well-rested with a predictable routine) and Dr. Dobson's parenting books (like Dare to Discipline and Bringing up Boys).
• Board Books
• From the Duck and Goose series to Dr. Seuss classics to every open-the-flap book, we spend about an hour reading per day, usually about 15 minutes 4X per day. It's a great way for us to unwind before bed, be quiet(ish) in church, and learning to point out ducks (read: anything yellow).
5. Family and Friends 

• With grandparents just a FaceTime away, with uncles and aunts itching to get a nephew giggle, with cousins who happily receive head pats and freely give snacks, with Mama friends who sip coffee with me while we stroll through the park, with Pastors who happily shake a thumb-sucker's wet hand every Sunday, with Daddy's co-workers who give hand-made quilts - Our home is filled with gracious love.

Top 5: Forget It, Why Did I Buy This?

1. Baby socks
• See above.
2. Baby Monitor
• Unless you're house is gigantic (not like ours), you don't need a monitor to hear your kiddo wake up...He'll let you know.
• BUT, I have found it to be helpful when we're outside. And I did discover its radius reaches around the block. (Joel was home, so please don't call CPS on me.)
3. Tote Diaper Bag
• I'm struggling with having just two hands. Don't take one away to hold the diaper bag.
• Get yourself a backpack. With pockets. Lots of pockets. I just got a Skip Hop one, but I love this one by Park Baby Co.
4. Outlet Covers
• Okay, maybe this isn't a great example because they're $2 and can prevent your child from shocking themselves, but I am a big fan of house-proofing your baby, not baby-proofing your house.
5. Under the Arm Thermometer
• If you have figured out how to hold a baby arm still for 7 seconds, then this would be a great option for you. If not, forehead thermometer all the way.

Now, what are you top 5?

Toddler Food

With the emergence of teeth, my little guy's meals look much different than his puree days.

***And let me take this moment to say: IF you don't care what a toddler eats or IF you don't want to see a picture of him downing a milkshake - Exit the blog now.***

Don't get me wrong, the floor underneath the meals looks exactly the same - A MESS. Thankfully, he's earning his keep.

But the meal plate itself is looking much more palatable. Mainly because it's the same thing we eat.

I was just talking with a friend about how figuring out what solids to feed your baby can be confusing. You research baby-led weaning, purees, cereals, no cereals, green vegetables vs. orange vegetables...

And then, they get teeth.

There ARE teeth in there. I promise.

And not everything has to be pureed anymore. Oh, the possibilities!

But oh, the possibilities...

And while my son could ABSOLUTELY live off peanut butter oatmeal for breakfast, PB&J and applesauce for lunch, goldfish for snack, and meatballs and broccoli for supper every ding-dong day, a little variety is good for a) his nutrition, b) his flexibility, and c) anytime we're anywhere other than home and the hosts (shockingly) aren't serving PB&Js for supper.

Oh, and rainbow jello. Obviously.

Anyway, getting back to toddler food. I've Pinterested ideas, followed ladies on IG, and tried to get creative with his meals, but I kept coming up with recipes like couscous turkey meatballs with spinach protein bites and raspberry chia seeds whole wheat muffins and I decided 1) I'm not going to spend precious nap time baking that, 2) Nobody else in this house is going to eat that, 3) You'll eat what's on your plate (theoretically).

So, here's my top 5 list of what I consider to be "normal" food that is nutritious, delicious, simple, and most importantly - edible for both toddler and mom and dad (and aunts, uncles, grandmas, grandpas, cousins, neighbors, friends...okay, I'll stop). And this is also my top 5 list of meals that keeps us from eating Cinnamon Toast Crunch when I forget to meal plan.

***I wrote this when he was about 14 or 15 months old. And then it sat in my drafts for about 4 months because I totally spaced.***

Breakfast:

• Peanut Butter Oatmeal - This is his absolute favorite breakfast. And it's ginormous. Like 450 calories ginormous. Like more than I can eat ginormous. 
• Here's how I make it: Boil 1 cup water on the stove. Add 1/2 cup rolled oats. Cook until done. Stir in 2 Tbsp. peanut butter, 1/4 cup whole milk Greek yogurt (I like Greek Gods Honey Vanilla), and 1-2 Tbsp. maple syrup.
• On the rare occasion he doesn't eat the whole thing, I stick it in the fridge and reheat it the next day with a little milk. OR, I add mini chocolate chips and finish it myself.
• 1 Scrambled Egg with Cheese, Whole Wheat Toast, and Raspberries - What I love about this breakfast is it hits so many food groups - grains, protein, dairy, and fruit. 
• PSA - When our toddler can enunciate his words just a liiiiiiittle bit better and asks why everybody else calls them raspberries and he calls them snozzberries...I plead the fifth.
• Whole Wheat Eggo Waffle with Peanut Butter and Sliced Banana - Did you know they make a whole wheat variety?
• A friend recently introduced me to these Eggo Waffles. I know they've been around forever, but since I don't buy frozen food other than vegetables and pizza, I was clueless.
• Can you tell he loves peanut butter?
• Nutrigrain Bar with Yogurt and Strawberries - This is our on-the-go breakfast.
• It never fails that the ONE time a month we have to leave by 7:30am is the ONE time a month he sleeps later than 7am. So, breakfast is rushed, and this breakfast takes no prep time and can be ready to go to eat quickly or on-the-go.
• Cinnamon Toast Crunch with Milk
• Okay, real talk. After breakfast is over, our guy steals a few bites of Dad's cereal every morning. It's their special thing, and it makes my heart happy.

Lunches:

• Meatballs with Broccoli and Cheese - Hands down, favorite meal
• I always have a bag of frozen meatballs on hand. I love how versatile they are - Add marinara sauce and serve on those hot dog buns you've been trying to get rid of and top with mozzarella cheese for a meatball sub. Or, add some BBQ sauce for a simple entrée. Cook them on the stove when you're forgetful, or in the crockpot when you're thinking ahead.
• I also always have about a dozen bags of frozen steamable vegetables in my freezer. We eat them about once per day. I like them because they are just the vegetables: no broth, syrup, salt, etc. I also like them because they take a whopping 5 minutes to make. I also like them because when they go on sale for $1 you can load up your cart and have vegetables for the whole month. And your checker-out-er looks at you like you're nuts (because really, you are).
• Egg Salad with Applesauce and Peas - I thought you had to be at least 70 years old and a member of Ladies' Aid to eat egg salad, but my child, once again, has proven me wrong.
• To make a small batch, I chop up two hard-boiled eggs and add 2 Tbsp. mayo, 2 Tbsp. plain Greek yogurt, 1 tsp. mustard, and some salt and pepper. I serve it on a slice of whole wheat bread.
• Black Bean and Corn Cheese Quesadilla with a side of Craisins - Okay, so my son doesn't eat dried fruit. I blame the lack of molars. But one day I will get him to like Craisins!
• I'm always game for an entrée that packs in so many food groups - vegetable (corn counts, ok??), protein, dairy, and grains (I opt for whole wheat tortillas).
• Taco with Carrots and Apple Slices - I like to make at least 3 pounds of taco meat at a time and freeze it so it's always handy.
• For the little guy, I put his taco meat on a whole wheat tortilla with shredded cheese and plain Greek yogurt (in place of sour cream). And although he doesn't do a great job in eating apples, he sure loves to gnaw on them.
• PB&J with Applesauce and String Cheese (my go-to packed lunch) - I have a really hard time spending $5 on a kids meal.
• Don't get me wrong, he loves mini corn dogs and French fries from Runza. With a milkshake.
• Peter would not drink any milk for about 2 months. I tried every sippy cup. I tried it through a straw. I tried it out of a regular glass. I tried it warmed up, room temperature, and cold. I tried strawberry milk, chocolate milk, and combos. I tried it with breastmilk. WOULDN'T HAPPEN. Then, we gave him a $1 Runza milkshake, he fell in love, and has been drinking milk ever since.

He loves them so much when he's finished, he asks for a refill.

For the love.

Lastly, I don't remember when I started the gradual switch from purees to table food, but I do remember that by Thanksgiving (9 1/2 months) he was stuffing down mashed potatoes and jello from the cornucopia feast.

And now, you can wait for a blog post in 12 years from now when he's a teenager and eating the whole fridge as his pre-breakfast.

But in the meantime, I'd love to hear your favorite toddler meals!

Happy Pi Day!

You know that overwhelmed feeling?

That one when you walk into Hobby Lobby for inspiration on a new craft, and then you walk away empty-handed because there are just too many options?

Or that one when you're looking for a new dinner recipe on Pinterest, and end up making Kraft macaroni and cheese instead because your Pinterest board is full of recipes you'd never actually cook anyway?

Or when you flip through your new favorite cookbook and feel compelled to bake every single cookie on your new baking mats but haven't made a single one because how can you decide between Peanut Butter Stuffed Chocolate Cookies and No-Bake Nutella Cookies?!

And then you realize today is Pi Day so you really should be baking a pie.

But you don't have a pie crust and goodness knows your homemade pie crust tastes like flour cardboard.

Plus, your husband is on the school board and since the board made a motion to make you the Honorary Cookie Provider, you should bake cookies. With a recipe from your cookie cookbook. On your baking mats.

But then again, you could make a graham cracker pie crust for strawberry pie.

No, cookies.

Pie.

What about chocolate covered strawberry muffins?

Or zucchini muffins? Because you still have frozen shredded zucchini from your brother and sister-in-law's zucchini bounty last fall.

"Mom. Just pick something."

Right, right, right.

And if you're still reading this - and you're not my mom - thank you. You are proof that miracles do still happen today.

I put on my big girl panties, vowed to open up my cookbook to a random page, and bake the first cookie I found that I had all the ingredients on hand.

I only cheated three times until I found a cookie I liked.

And then we walked to ShopKo to pick up some potato chips for the cookies since I didn't have any. So really, I didn't follow through on that vow at all.

I'm a big fan of Sally's recipes. My husband is a big fan of my baking of Sally's recipes. And my son is a big fan of food.

What I appreciate most about Sally's recipes is her make-ahead tips. All of her cookies provide the option to bake the same day after refrigeration, to bake within 4 days with refrigeration, or to freeze the dough and bake within 2-3 months. And as a mom, the ability to prep, make-ahead, and have warm cookies in a moment's notice is invaluable.

Naptime is precious time in this house. So if I can mix up a big batch of cookie dough during Tuesday morning nap time, and bake 1/3 of it during afternoon nap for my husband's school board meeting, refrigerate 1/3 of it to bake on Thursday for my college brother-in-law to have warm cookies after supper, and freeze 1/3 of it to give to a new mama so she can have homemade cookies - I'm all in.

Plus, I appreciate that Sally always provides measurements in cups and in grams. I mean, who really wants to pack brown sugar or level off flour when you can just weigh it instead?

And the hum of the KitchenAid is perfect background noise to reheating my coffee for the umpteenth time.

So I now challenge you - Grab a cookbook. Flip it open. Bake the first recipe you come across that you have all the ingredients.

Or, the third. After you make a trip to pick up an ingredient.

What are you baking?

Happy 1st Birthday to my Sweet Boy!

My sweet baby boy will never remember his 1st birthday.

But I will.

I will remember his shriek of sheer delight chasing around the balloons.

I will remember Pinning anything and everything that was balloon-related or remotely round in shape.

I will remember decorating several days before his party only to realize he may love [pulling down] buntings even more than I do.

I will remember his beeline to the streamers the first time he saw them.

I will remember his giggle, grin, and glance at me as his guests put on party hats.

I will remember the look of wonder on his face as his parents, aunts, uncles, cousins, grandmas, and grandpas sang him Happy Birthday.

I will remember my mom sneaking him bites of real frosting instead of the whipped cream frosting I made for his cake.

I will also remember the look of disgust on his face when he had frosting on his hands.

I will remember looking for the correct blocks to spell "Happy Birthday" only for him to repeatedly sneak off with my blocks with that little mischievous smile of his.

I will remember him walking up to the pictures of himself and waving hi like he'd never seen this baby before.

I will remember the long nap he took that gave me ample time to chalk.

I will remember the sweet memories his family has with him.

 But most of all, I will remember that this little boy made me a mommy and has my whole heart.

It's Still All About Jesus

 See that height difference there? That's a whopping 12 inch difference.

I'd like to blame the 12 (okay, 11) inches in height, the double my stride length, and the male vs. female running for my slow poke pace, the cause of a slower time, and the reason for being the weakest link.

But it's really just because I overestimated myself and underestimated my brother.

Hey, just because I'm a Personal Trainer and know how, why, what, where, and how much to train doesn't mean I'll actually do it. Okay??

This all started because last year one of my brothers signed up to run with me and then bailed, causing my other brother to run with me.

Yes, it was illegal. Yes, they both should have been disqualified for running. Yes, we did it anyway. Yes, I was 6 months pregnant.

PSA #1: Don't run a half marathon when you're 6 months pregnant.
PSA #2: Don't run a half marathon when you haven't trained.

But if you do either of those, it's best to do it with your brothers. Who always have and who always will stick by your side, pick you up, push you, and love you - all while giving you a hard time about it.

See how we're all in step, too??

So this year, we made a weekend out of it, celebrated the Reformation, and filled our post-race bellies with carbs and beer like any good German Lutheran would.

On the Menu:

• Crockpot Beer Brats
• I will be make these again, even when it's not Reformation. They were easy and delicious! I cooked them with a bottle of Leinenkugel's Oktoberfest beer. And don't even think about skimping on the onions and garlic cloves.
• Saurkraut
• Haha. Just kidding. Definitely bought canned.
• Pretzels and Beer Cheese Dip
• I fully intended to make my own pretzels. Then, I thought better and bought soft pretzels from Hy-Vee's bakery and pretzel thins.
• Bonus! This dip can be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge until ready to bake.
• Roasted Veggies
• My pan was too small, so I ended up using mushrooms, zucchini from my SIL's overflowing zucchini garden, yellow squash, and red onion. I also didn't really have the recipe's seasonings, so I just poured on olive oil, apple cider vinegar, salt, pepper, Italian seasoning, and parsley flakes. 
• Potato Pancakes
• I bought a frozen bag of hashbrowns instead of shredding my own potatoes.
• Apple Kuchen
• I used Greek yogurt instead of sour cream and only 2 apples. And by "I," I actually mean "my mom." Because she let me go rest and take a long hot shower while she made this and my SIL made the beer cheese dip. (THANK YOU!)
• Beer.

Did I mention we stuffed ourselves?

We followed up dinner with more beer and a rousing game of Reformation Jeopardy (thanks to the Lutheran Reformation site) where we used baby rattles as buzzers and the winning prize was 5 chocolate gold coins to buy your indulgences.

Oh, wait. Was that not Luther's point?

It's still all about Jesus. We are saved by grace alone, faith alone, Scripture alone (no indulgences needed...or wanted!).

I believe that I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to Him; but the Holy Spirit has called me by the Gospel, enlightened me with His gifts, sanctified and kept me in the true faith. In the same way He calls, gathers, enlightens, and sanctifies the whole Christian church on earth, and keeps it with Jesus Christ in the one true faith. In this Christian church He daily and richly forgives all my sins and the sins of all believers. On the Last Day He will raise me and all the dead, and give eternal life to me and all believers in Christ.  

 This is most certainly true.

  -Martin Luther, explanation to the 3rd Article in the Apostle's Creed