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Checking out Mobile, Alabama

Bags are packed and as of 6:50 a.m. Monday I will be on my way to Mobile, Alabama, site of our 2019 LWML Convention. It will be our 38th Biennial Convention and the second time a national convention has been held in Mobile. The last one was in 1973. I did not attend but my mother did and I have some photos from her visit there.

June 20-23, 2019—put it on your calendar and start saving up to come praise the Lord with your LWML family. The theme is from 1 Chronicles 16:23-24a, Sing to the Lord, all the earth! Tell of his salvation from day to day. Declare his glory among the nations.

This week the Convention Programming Committee (CPC) and the LWML Executive Committee (EC) will be meeting in Mobile. In addition to our regular business meeting we will be able to tour the convention center, visit the hotels, look at possible field trip locations, and tourist areas to recommend and meet some of the convention center personnel. This is always an exciting initial glimpse and vision of how the convention may look.

The Convention Programming Committee plans the business, worship, entertainment, speakers, audio-visual, activities, and what needs to happen. The Host Committee, which is made up of members of the Louisiana-Mississippi, Gulf States and Florida-Georgia LWML districts, plans the transportation, decorations, ushers, servers, gets the musicians, handles the banners, offerings, works in the exhibit hall, and many other duties. It takes several hundred volunteers from now until next June to create a friendly and efficient environment to make your convention experience as pleasant as possible.

Thanks be to God for these wonderful volunteer workers! Please include them in your prayers and give them encouragement between now and next June. And come check out their handiwork in Mobile next year!

Love, Patti

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Mother Like Mine

There’s a song by one of my favorite bands, The Band Perry, that I love and that makes me think of my mother and, perhaps, the way I’d hope my children thought about me someday. I’ll share the lyrics with you. Try to pull the song up on your phone and listen to it. My Mother’s Day greeting to you!

Mother Like Mine

She’s the sky that holds the clouds
She’s the lady of the house
A blind believer in all I dare to be
There’s no safer place I’ve found
Than the shoulder of her white night gown
Oh I’ve got the best and the worst of her in me
And I’d share her if I could

So the wars would all be over
‘Cause she’d raise us all as friends
And no one would ever wonder if somebody wanted them
We’d walk on grass that’s greener
And our cares would all be freer
If the world had a mother like mine

She’s our father’s one great love
She’s the one he wanted most
She’s the light in the window of the house I grew up in
She takes the midnight call
She’s the bravest of us all
Still she sings in the garden she lets her hair down in

Oh the wars would all be over
‘Cause she’d raise us all as friends
And no one would ever wonder if somebody wanted them
Tonight would be easier
And our dreams would all be deeper
If the world had a mother like mine

Don’t go away
Don’t go away from me
Oh I understand
She is a helping hand
Still I have to say

She’s the sky that holds the clouds
She’s the lady of our house
We all need her
But no one more than me

Oh the wars would all be over
‘Cause she’d raise us all as friends
And no one would ever wonder if somebody wanted them
We’d walk on grass that’s greener
And the dishes would all be cleaner
If the world had a mother like mine

 

I hope you get to spend Mother’s Day with someone you love!     Patti

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Reign in My Heart

I spent Friday, Saturday and Sunday attending the LWML Gulf States District Convention in Birmingham, Alabama. This is one of the most enjoyable things I do as an LWML President. I get to attend several of our district conventions that meet between April and October.

Outgoing District President, Judy Lessmann, chaired the convention. Judy and I go way back. She and I were on the LWML Board of Directors as presidents of our districts and our time overlapped during two of those years. She was president 2002-2006 and I was president of LWML Oklahoma 2004-2008. We then served together during my time as Vice President of Christian Life. She served on our Christian Resource Editors committee and our Christian Life Committee. It was great to be at her district convention. I got to meet her two granddaughters who served as pages during convention!

Their theme was “Reign in My Heart” from Colossians 3:15, 17. By the end of convention we were all rejoicing that the peace of Christ reigns in our hearts.

This district is one of the hosting districts for the Mobile convention next summer, June 20-23, 2019. They are excited and are starting to work on their parts of convention. They are looking forward to showing us all some great southern hospitality. Start saving and planning now so you can attend!

They elected a new LWML District President. Gwen Marshall is from Mobile. She has already been a key helper when we have had questions about Mobile. She will be there to welcome us all. In May the Convention Programming Committee and the Executive Committee of LWML will be meeting in Mobile to get the lay of the land and make some connections with the convention center.

It’s hard to believe it’s the month of May already! My goodness, where does the time go! I hope you are not as far behind in getting things ready for summer as I am! I have a sign in my office that says, “The sooner you fall behind, the more time you have to catch up.”

Vice President Kaye Wolff, Junior Counselor Rev. Mitchel Schuessler and I get to attend the Multiethnic Symposium at Concordia Seminary St. Louis this week. I’m really looking forward to it.

Please attend your district convention and spend some time with women who love mission outreach! It’s very encouraging!

Patti

 

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Grandma’s China

This Easter I set the table for dinner with my grandmother’s china. It’s not particularly stylish or an expensive set but it is rich in associations. My grandmother like many of yours lived through the Depression and moved from place to place with my grandfather and father as they sought out jobs to put food on the table and a roof over their heads.

When we got it, it was still kept in a wooden, slatted, crate with sawdust for packing. It was in really good shape. I like to use it in the spring because it has so much pink and pastel colors in it. I’m pretty sure most of you have something like this that you cherish.

Just think of the depression and the shortages of WWII. There may not have been a lot to put on these plates but I know they were used for Sunday dinners and celebratory occasions. There was a little extra effort put out whether the feast was big or meager. I look at photos of my grandparents and father during those years and note how remarkably thin they were. Did you know that one of the main reasons for rejection to serve in the Armed Forces in WWII was poor dentition? Bad teeth? Most likely from poor nutrition during the Depression.

I think of some of these things when I use these dishes. About how my grandparents endured much more than I have had to. How they didn’t blame God or give up going to church. Also, how they practiced hospitality, enjoyed beautiful things, and had family meals every day.

I hope you, too, have something that evokes memories of inspirational people who have gone before you. Let’s thank God that He gives us examples of living and loving both here, now, and in His book, the Bible.

So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three, but the greatest of these is love. 1 Corinthians 13:13

-Patti

China Dishes

Patti’s Easter table

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Sorry to Interrupt!

This past Friday and Saturday I spent a wonderful two days with my LWML Oklahoma District friends celebrating our 90th Anniversary of LWML organized in Oklahoma. We had past LWML presidents Virginia Von Seggern and Linda Reiser there who presented on LWML history. We had 17 descendants of the original women organizers come to be recognized. Cindi Steinbeck led Bible study on our theme, “Great is Thy Faithfulness” and Rev. Dr. Brent Smith spoke on missions and missionaries.

The first Lutheran Women’s League (LWL) society was established at St. Peter’s Lutheran Church, Apache, under the direction of Ida Hrbacek, President on January 17, 1923. This led to the establishment of the first district, the Oklahoma District LWL to be organized on February 8, 1928, at Zion Lutheran Church, Oklahoma City. 

In honor of the LWML Oklahoma District’s 90th Anniversary, our members were invited to assemble a replica of the first OK District Mite Box and fill it with a special 90th Anniversary offering to be divided between five different missions. Their goal was to unite to further mission work, particularly in Oklahoma. In 1942 they became one of the 15 original charter members of the national Lutheran Women’s Missionary League. Since that time Oklahoma LWML has grown to include women of 74 congregations and a membership approaching 1450. 

I attended an interest session with Rev. Dr. Brent Smith from Mission Central. He was speaking about several missionaries and missions. We got to laughing in the room because I raised my hand about five times to interrupt and relate how LWML grants had significantly helped the missions he was talking about!

 He graciously acknowledged the key role LWML plays in mission work and said he should have done more homework before he came!

Don’t hesitate to interrupt! Let your district and national speakers know when they are talking about something that your LWML mission offerings have helped finance! God has been faithful to the Oklahoma LWML for 90 years, providing women who want to serve the Lord. He is faithful to our national organization for 75 years! Give thanks for His faithfulness, mercy, and love.

Christ is risen, He is risen indeed! Patti

 

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Great is Thy Faithfulness!

Oklahoma Convention logo LWML Oklahoma District Convention is this weekend! My district! We are celebrating God’s faithfulness in the lives of Oklahoma Lutheran Women in Mission for 90 years! Our LWML district president, Dianna Just, will preside over this anniversary convention. We have around 20 descendants of the original organizers attending! It’s even taking place in the area of the first organizing churches, the Lawton Zone.  

The Lutheran Women’s League of Oklahoma, organized in March of 1928. Women from six cities—Apache, Chickasha, Norman, Shawnee, Lawton and Oklahoma City—gathered at Zion Lutheran Church in Oklahoma City to start a district organization to further mission work, particularly in Oklahoma. In 1929 they held their first convention. First mission projects included money to purchase bed linens for St. John’s College, Winfield, Kansas and a canning project for the Lutheran Home Finding Society, an orphanage at Winfield, Kansas.

Those attending have a wonderful group of speakers and Bible study leaders to get to know. Many of you will recognize the names of past LWML Presidents Virginia Von Seggern and Linda Reiser. Bible study will be lead by Cindy Steinbeck, who also led our study at our 80th Anniversary convention. Brent Smith from Mission Central will also bring news from the mission field.

Also taking place this coming weekend is the LWML New England District convention in Enfield, Connecticut. President Barbara Lis will be leading her district women with the theme of “God’s Jewels”.

I hope you will go to your LWML district convention if at all possible. God gives us these opportunities to be equipped and encouraged— to worship, work, listen and learn along with your sisters in Christ!

Please remember these district conventions in your prayers this week.

Patti

Lutheran Women in Mission

An After-Easter Card

Happy Easter! Christ is Risen! Alleluia!

At Christ the Redeemer, Tulsa, Oklahoma we had a beautiful, inspirational day of worship and a fun day of family activities. We got to see children and grandchildren of our friends who came to town to visit. So many cute babies and kids dressed in their best! Lots of visitors and members who can’t come every Sunday. I pray you had a great day, as well.

I got to thinking. Maybe I should pick one of the visitors and write a note to them telling them that their attendance added to the joy of my worship. Nothing long or theological, just a “glad you came and worshiped” kind of note. I think I will do that!

What if all of us, Lutheran Women in Mission, took it as our mission this week to write a note to a visitor from Easter services? That would be thousands of people contacted even if we all wrote just one. You could ask your church office for the name and address of someone who came. If you saw someone you know, but who has been coming infrequently, you could write them.

If you have some Mustard Seed Devotions, put one in the note. Let’s see if we can contact thousands of people who were in our churches visiting this Easter Sunday!

We are heading out to Los Angeles tomorrow for the week to visit our son. I’m going to write my note now! Don’t wait, write yours as soon as you read this!

Now, shall I write with purple ink?

Patti

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Powerful Prayer

It’s been difficult returning from Guatemala to find the right things to write. I’ll include more information and photos next week. Because this is Holy Week, most of us will attend church more and contemplate Jesus Christ and His sacrifice for us.

Putting together the two – returning from Guatemala and Holy Week – I think it’s fitting when we attend church to use our time in focused prayer. Our mission efforts need prayer. Our missionaries request it. They are up against things most of us don’t realize or have to deal with. Prayer is a powerful tool and weapon for them in their struggle against evil and their efforts to spread the Gospel message. They depend on it as we all should.

Jesus depended on prayer. He asked his friends to “watch” with Him but they fell asleep. He was in great distress and asked them to come with Him and they fell asleep. Now is not the time for us to be sleepy! We should pray, and pray continually.  We can pray for the Holy Spirit, the Comforter, to open many hearts to the saving message of Jesus Christ. We can also pray for the safety our missionaries and their psychological needs. We can also pray that we will continue to support our churches all over the world.

I share this painting with you. The picture accompanying this blog is titled, “Christ in Gethsemane” from an altarpiece, St. Hans Church, Odense, Denmark by artist Carl Bloch. It’s one of my favorites.

And he came out and went, as was his custom, to the Mount of Olives and the disciples followed him. And when he came to the place, he said to them, “Pray that you may not enter into temptation.” And he withdrew from them about a stone’s throw, and knelt down and prayed, saying, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.” And there appeared to him an angel from heaven, strengthening him. And being in an agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground. And when he rose from prayer, he came to the disciples and found them sleeping for sorrow, and he said to them, “Why are you sleeping? Rise and pray that you may not enter into temptation (Luke 22:39-46).

There is much praying to be done. Take advantage of Holy Week and be focused in prayer.

Patti

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Winsome Witness


Am I and are you a winsome witness?
Well, first of all, what exactly is a “winsome witness.” Can it be defined exactly? Is it something we want to be?

I went online (of course, because I’m writing this in a hurry. I leave for Guatemala tomorrow morning) and found some qualities or actions of a winsome witness.

  • A winsome witness is unshockable and unflappable.
  • It is accepting and gives people breathing space in which to grow.
  • It comes from a positive attitude and expresses itself in positive words.
  • It is shared in as attractive a manner as possible.
  • It is expressed in a positive life lived with integrity.
  • It can be fun and involve laughter.

Author Lee Strobel says, “If you’re living a boring, lukewarm Christian life of drudgery and rule-keeping, you may be doing more damage to your friends than all the scandals involving the televangelists. You’re sending a message that Christianity is ‘a stiff, uptight, inflexible way of life, colorless and unbending,’ and it certainly was never intended to be that.”

I’ll tell you one way this month that you can give a winsome witness about the love of Christ. Our Lutheran Woman’s Quarterly, Spring edition, has just come out. You should have yours in your church by now. Editor, Nancy Graf Peters and her staff have put together a great issue. Take an extra copy and share it with your neighbor, the woman you walk with, or someone at work. You can do that with a smile on your face and an excitement in your mannerism. This is a super witnessing tool from LWML! There will be at least one thing in there of interest to your non-Lutheran or non-Christian friend. It is a non-threatening approach. You can bring it up later in conversation and discuss certain articles.

The Bible passage I found (online, again) that’s referred to when talking about winsome witnessing is Philippians 2:14-16a (NIV). Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.” Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky as you hold firmly to the word of life.

Winsomely and with a smile, share a Quarterly with someone Jesus loves.

Patti

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Taking a Break from “Stuff”

This week I leave for a trip to Guatemala. Some of my LWML Oklahoma friends and I are heading out on a MOST Ministries Eyeglass Clinic trip. LWML Oklahoma President, Dianna Just is going. She’s been on many mission trips. She is an educator and has a real love for people which shows up in her many trips she has gone on all over the world. Lori, Sharon, Ruth and I have been on mission trips together before. Ruth was a missionary nurse in Nigeria. Kathy is a new traveler and we look forward to having her along.

One of the many reasons I love to go on these trips is the break from “stuff”. You see, most of God’s people that you serve on these trips don’t have much “stuff”. There’s that much less to get in the way of having God lead them into depending on Him for everything and seeing God in control of it all as He provides everything they need.   

Do you think that the United States is the only country in the world where people have so much stuff they have to pay for storage units to keep it in?  I do. I’ve never heard of other countries having storage units for rent. Does our stuff sometimes get in the way of our devotion to God? I think so.

Another thing I’ve experienced on these trips is the reliance on prayer and the answers God gives. Years ago, when Servant’s Heart was active near the Guatemala City dump, we would walk through the compound and pray in each room with our hosts. Prayer was foremost in their efforts to keep the ministry going, for protecting their workers and for providing food for their lunches served at the dump.

And finally, relationships. Last trip I went on I took one photo of my grandchildren along to the clinics. This sparked many conversations (my broken Spanish and lots of hand gestures), smiles, and hugs as we related to our common human emotions. No relating to common stuff, but to common feelings and emotions. Those times I carry in my heart and smile.

One of our 2017-2019 mission grants is for MOST Ministry family scholarships. I urge you to support that grant and also to consider taking your family on a mission trip and applying for one of those scholarships. You’ll see firsthand that prayer, dependence on God, and relationships trump “stuff” every time!

Talk to you when I get back!

Patti