Month: July 2018

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LWML Office is Moving

The LWML office is moving to the Concordia Seminary St. Louis campus (CSL) this fall! After years of renting at Concordia Publishing House (CPH) 3558 S. Jefferson we are moving to CSL campus. CPH has been a super landlord for us and we thank them for that business relationship, friendship, and Gospel partnership. They will continue to warehouse our resources and products for us and take care of our order fulfillment.

This first came about as a result of the Rose Parade in Pasadena, 2017. I had the honor of representing LWML riding on the Lutheran Hour Ministries Rose Parade float. I got to ride next to Rev. Dr. Dale Meyer, President of CSL. It was very much on my heart as to how we can make our pastors coming out of seminary more knowledgeable about and supportive of the mission of LWML. I asked him how we could have a bigger presence on campus and he responded, “Why don’t you move your offices to the seminary campus?” Well, I thought, why not?

I don’t know if you know the campus at all. There is a building directly across to the south from the Chapel called Loeber Hall. We are building out half of the lower level for our new office space. We estimate to move sometime late September, early October. Even as we have gone through the process of negotiations and building planning we have already been in contact with seminary students working in various roles on campus. They will get to know LWML as an integral part of our LCMS church with more contact. We are hoping to have some functions with the seminary wives, as well. Hopefully, when your new vicar, deaconess intern, or new pastor or deaconess from CSL arrives at your church next year or after, he or she will be better-acquainted with LWML!

More on this story next week!

Love, Patti

And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him (Colossians 3:17).

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Summer Night Sky

Summer in my family means a lot of time spent at Lake Ft. Gibson, Oklahoma, about 50 minutes from our house. My husband, Bill, is an astronomy buff and one of our favorite things to do is to go out in the boat after dark, park it in the middle of the lake and look at the sky. This weekend was really fantastic.

The ecliptic is an imaginary line on the sky that marks the annual path of the sun. It is the projection of
Earth’s orbit onto the celestial sphere. It defines the plane along which the moon, planets and asteroids wander. In other words, all eight planets essentially lie in the same flat plane and follow the same familiar ecliptic path.

This weekend along this imaginary line in the sky from the east horizon to the west you were able to see Mars, Saturn, Jupiter and Venus all at the same time along with the moon. What am amazing sight to see! Mars actually does look red! In the book of Job, God questions Job, “can you bind the chains of the Pleiades or loose the cords of Orion? Can you lead forth the Mazzaroth in their season, or can you guide the Bear with its children? Can you establish their rule on earth?” (Job 38:31-33)

Scientists say there are thought to be 50 billion galaxies! How tiny does that make you feel? Yet, looking at those stars in our galaxy we know and rejoice in a God who knows us down to the number of hairs on our head! One who loves us enough to die on the cross so that we can spend eternity with Him! It’s almost unimaginable, isn’t it!

Check out the footnotes to the Job passage about the constellations mentioned. Also, read Genesis 1:16-17. Spend some time gazing at the night sky and contemplate the greatness of God and His love for you.

Love, Patti

If you want to, download the App called “Sky Guide” to your phone to enhance your viewing!

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Where Love Abides!

“Where Love Abides” is now available for purchase and use to study God’s Word!

One of the emphases in LWML— is being in God’s Word. LWML provides many avenues to enable you to be in God’s Word. On our website there is a tab labeled “Word” and under that tab you can find different subject studies, different lengths, different formats, and see descriptions of what we have available.

This week is a big week as we debut the new DVD Bible study by Donna Pyle titled, “Where Love Abides”, based on the vineyard passages in John 15. This is an 8 part study with a lovely workbook that can actually be used for the study without the DVD. However, you are going to want to have the DVD.

Filming took place in Silver Creek, New York, in the vineyards at Gage Farms, just east of Lake Erie. The video work is beautiful as it shows the vineyard during different seasons of the year. Linda Gage is our LWML Gift Planner for our Gifts of Love Ministry that LWML provides for you. She and her husband, Don, grow concord grapes for the Welch company. They also have apples, peaches, gourds, pumpkins, and other seasonal crops. They most generously hosted the film crew and members of the Gifts of Love associates and Legacy Circle members who attended as the audience. I was also privileged to attend and although we shivered through a couple of days of filming, when the sun broke through and shown on the ripe grapes, the smell was heavenly! You will, like I did, learn thing about viticulture, as well as, taking a fresh look at a familiar part of Scripture.

 

Donna Pyle has been writing for LWML many years now. She is a member of LWML at her church, Salem Lutheran, Tomball, Texas. We thank her for her generous and enthusiastic support of LWML in all that she does. She is a beautiful singer, vivacious personality, and totally devoted to God’s Word and making it available in many formats so everyone can enjoy and learn from it.

Order your copy now and enjoy studying God’s Word as you appreciate the beautiful provisions He has given us for our nourishment and enjoyment and the gift of eternal life.

[Jesus said], “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser” (John 15:1).

Love, Patti

 

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God Bless America!

When I’m behind a car with a bumper sticker on it that says, “God Bless America” I always say, God HAS blessed America so what are we doing about it? Are we praising Him and thanking Him for those blessings? Are we acknowledging that it is only through His blessing that we are living in the United States?

My thoughts go towards, yes, God has blessed America and we want Him to continue to bless us but what are we doing with those blessings? Are we squandering them? Are we using them to help other people in other countries not so “blessed”? Are we helping those in our own towns?

Frequent LWML speaker, Jan Struck, gave the keynote address at LWML North Wisconsin District convention last week. She compared LWML to the early Christian church as described in the book of Acts, chapter 2. And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers (v. 42). And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people (45-47).

Perhaps when we say, “God Bless America”, we should acknowledge those blessings as the early church did with Bible study, prayers of thanksgiving and praise, partaking of the sacraments, attending church in fellowship with our congregation members, providing for those in need, being hospitable to all, and saying loudly, “God has blessed America! Thanks be to God!”

Let’s pass the blessings along! LWML has a long history of doing just that. As you attend your district conventions, fall fests, retreats, and Christian Life Retreats your Gifts From the Heart will help pass along blessings and your participation in Word and Sacrament with your LWML family will see that the blessings are shared!

Happy Birthday, USA!

Patti

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