Today I had the opportunity to attend an event in my district; what the South Wisconsin District LWML calls a Share Shop; Enabling and Equipping Members of LWML, Sharing the Heart of LWML. For two consecutive Saturdays district presenters and personnel travel to two district locations to present the same share shop. (I always want to call it a workshop; it is hard to change and learn new terminology, but I am trying!)

Today was the second event and close to 70 people attended. The day was well organized under the direction of Barb, our district Leader Development Chairman. Three breakout sessions were given three times: District personnel presented resources available both in the district and through the LWML catalog/website; Carolyn gave an overview on Faith Talk, walking participants through the materials and sharing various ways to use this resource; Diane, our district webmaster, facilitated computer breakouts, basic, intermediate and advanced. All three sessions were very well done and informative.

Roberta shared her musical talents and led singing five different times; our pastoral counselor Pastor B. started our day off with Bible study based on Hebrews 13:20-21. Are you beginning to understand why I titled this blog Super Saturday?

Our hosts from the Sheboygan area provided snacks, beverages, and a great luncheon spread. At the end of the day we broke into four groups each led by a district officer to share ideas of what is working in societies and zones. I came away with several great “take-aways” from that time.

As we met together to have a closing, South Wisconsin District President Jan Dankwardt presented a check from the district toward the Mite Marathon, Race to the Finish. The district leadership decided to have a special offering at the two workshops in support of  “Flat Jan.”  Check the LWML website or our LWML Facebook page to see more about that whole thing. Since the “official” Flat Jan isn’t due to arrive in our district until May, the district wanted to participate before the end of the current biennium (March 31, 2011). Since “real” Jan was going to be at the second event, the decision was made to present the check to me today. Just under $1,100.00 was donated, with the possibility of more being added to that.

Thank you, South Wisconsin District, my home LWML District, for your support of our shared goal to fully fund the grants chosen at the convention in Portland in 2009.

Thank you, Lord, for Your great love for us and Your provision for all our needs. To You be the glory.

This morning I had the opportunity to attend my very own LWML zone spring rally. This is not to be taken lightly. Because of my travel schedule I have missed many zone gatherings, district retreats, and my own society meetings. What a joy it was to be with my sisters in Christ. Speaking the words of our LWML Pledge, “In fervent gratitude for the Saviors love…” always brings a chill up my spine. These words spoken throughout our organization unite us as Lutheran women, women on a mission to share the love of Jesus. After we spoke the words of the pledge, we joined in singing, Lutheran Women One and All. Look at the words of that song, let it encourage you in your walk and witness.

It was the perfect way for me to begin my Saturday. But, it gets better, read on….in the mail today I received lots of LWML related things; several district newsletters, and three special notes of encouragement to me. The Lord used three dear friends to enourage and bless me in a special way today.

The first note came from a college friend who has supported me in my position, praying for me, and sending cards and notes, just when I need them. K has been my friend for over 40 years. The next note was from A; we became good friends while I lived in Ohio. She has committed herself to send me notes of encouragement and joy throughout the four years I have been serving as president. The Lord has blessed me with her friendship for over 20 years. The third note was from a current member of the LWML Executive Committee, E. Her beautiful handcrafted note card brought words of gratitude for the opportunity to serve together on this level.

Three special notes, from three incredible women. Women the Lord brought into my life at just the right time; women who are atuned to the Spirit’s prompting and send “real” notes. Is there someone the Lord has placed on your heart that might be in need of an extra dose of encouragement and support? Take the time to let them know.

So, now its back to work for me. I had turned off the computer yesterday afternoon, just to have a little break. When I logged on today to write this blog, I was greeted by 75 new e-mails.

Thank You Lord, for the special words from dear friends, who, prompted by You, knew what I would need, for such a time as this.

Where do the days go? When I logged into the blog page on the website, I saw that my last entry was in December. Very long time with no blogging. One way to peek into my heart and life and hear about some of the things that the Lord is teaching me, is to listen to my weekly radio interviews. The information technology team does a wonderful job of posting the interviews after they appear on the KFUO website. Check it out on our website. You may also listen live on Tuesday mornings at 9:22 a.m. Central time via live streaming on the Internet.
Isn’t techology grand?

This past week I was preparing for the upcoming LWML Board of Directors meeting and my thoughts went to last winter’s meeting. The district presidents who were retiring at the 2010 district conventions (all 21 of them) had gotten together and gifted me with a leather copy of  the new Lutheran Study Bible, something that I use every day in my quiet time. One of the key women behind this was Mabel Schmidt, Iowa District East LWML president. I remember she was so happy that she had gotten the Bible in enough time to have my name engraved on the cover. It is a gift that I treasure.

This was the first in a series of things that would cross my path with Mabel’s path. In March she had invited me to be the keynote speaker for their district Assembly of Leaders. Mabel was a wonderful hostess; she had a folder for me at the board meeting with all the details about the upcoming weekend, my hotel information, meals, hostesses, etc. She had taken care of all the details to make my visit special. When I arrived at the hotel there was a welcome gift from Mabel and the district, and the hotel had provided a special snack plate. The next morning my hostesses arrived to drive me to the church where the event was held.

The event itself was well planned, a good mixture of worship, singing (those of you who knew Mabel are not surprised about that; she was a church musician), sketches, and presentations. Every little detail was coordinated; a delightful day. Mabel had arranged for me to have dinner that evening at the hotel with some of the leaders from the district; a great ending to a terrific day.

The next morning Mabel was at my hotel to pick me up and take me to church. We did not worship at Zion Lutheran Church in  Hiawatha where she was a member and played the organ; instead we went to St. John Lutheran in Newhall because her husband, Rev. Larry, was preaching there. Mabel’s three daughters, Lisa, Gretchen, and Julie were all there. After church we all went to the Amana Colonies for a family dinner. Yes, I felt like I was part of the Schmidt family for a day. A couple of the grandchildren were also there, having come along with their moms for the weekend.

Fast forward a few months, I received an excited e-mail from Mabel, inviting me to come to Mission Central in September for a gathering with Gary Thies and the two current presidents of the Iowa LWML districts (Janice and Adeline) and the two newly retired ones (Mabel and Marilyn). Mabel and Gary had planned this day to visit Mission Central; something I had wanted to do for many years. God worked out all the details; the date that would work for their schedules was right before the Nebraska South LWML convention. I flew into Omaha, a volunteer from Mission Central picked me up; I stayed overnight. The next morning the Iowa Stars (my nickname for these four DPs) arrived. We had a wonderful day of mission education. Mabel was beaming; she was so happy that we all were able to be there!

The week of December 6th  I was going through some things on my computer and came across some photos from that day; I e-mailed them to the DPs. Mabel was quick to reply.

On December 12th I received a phone call informing me that Mabel had fallen earlier in the day, was in critical condition in the ICU and was not expected to live. I was shocked and pleaded to God for a miracle. By the next evening, Mabel was home; the Lord had called her to her heavenly home.

Pastor Larry asked if I would speak at the end of her memorial service at Zion Lutheran Church in Hiawatha, Iowa, on December 17, 2010. So, there I was, back at the same hotel that Mabel had booked for me when I was in Cedar Rapids in March; I still had the Map Quest directions from my earlier trip. My husband was able to clear his schedule and we drove to Cedar Rapids arriving in time for the visitation on Thursday evening. It was good to be with Rev. Larry, Lisa, Gretchen, and Julie; people waited in line for hours to talk with them.

Mabel’s family had chosen her lavender LWML jacket for her to be buried in; her LWML pin was on the left side of the jacket, over the heart that was no longer beating. In her hands was a white hankie with purple LWML embroidered on it. At the services the next day her husband wore his LWML tie, and all three of the daughters wore shades of purple.

In the service on Friday her pastor shared that Mabel did not want to be district president, but did allow her name on the ballot and left it to the Lord. Well, the Lord wanted her to serve in this way, and she was elected. Mabel jumped in and did a great job as a DP, using her skills and talents to lead the district. She also tackled the job of getting more proficient on the computer, enlisting the help of many friends as I found out when I was at the memorial service. As the news of Mabel’s death spread over the LWML world, many were shocked and shared memories they had of Mabel. For me it was healing to read those e-mails and then forward them on to her family.

Mabel lived her life to the fullest. The day that she fell she was playing the organ in church and had tripped over something as she got up to go to communion. After she got up, she continued to go to the Lord’s table, received His body and blood, then walked back to the organ and finished the service. Later in the afternoon she had severe head pain and collapsed, never to regain consciousness.

Mabel spent her last day on earth in worship and using her gift of music. Thank you, Lord, for the gift of Mabel Schmidt in my life. Mabel was a Lutheran Woman in Mission who was in the Word, of the Word, and walked with the Word made flesh, her dear Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Mabel was the face of LWML.

Tuesday November 16 I ran into some travel challenges. I was flying to St. Louis for the day, on a 6 a.m. flight from Milwaukee. I had it all scheduled: after getting the rental car, I would drive to the LWML office and spend several hours there, do my KFUO radio interview with Paul Clayton at 9:22 a.m. then go to Concordia Seminary to address the Ethnic Immigrant Institute of Theology Reunion (my main reason for going to St. Louis).

I arrived at the airport, checked the monitors to find the gate, and proceeded through security to the gate. Since I was only going for the day, I was able to travel light with just my briefcase. I was going to grab some breakfast, but decided to go to the gate first. Upon arriving there I saw the message that the flight was cancelled! Yuck. The airline I was on is not partners with any other airlines, so all of us on the flight were on our own to try to get to St. Louis.

All of the morning direct flights on another airline were full, so I ended up flying to Chicago then to St. Louis. Arriving at 10:20 a.m. I hustled to get to the rental car place and then drove to the seminary. I got there right around the time I was to speak.

After a quick day, I hurried back to return the car, then got dropped off at the airport for my 3 p.m. flight…that was delayed over two hours. Same airline as in the morning, do tell! I used the time to make some phone calls and catch up on a few things. which leads to another woe from that day; since I had used my cell phone a lot, I wanted to check the minutes left on my plan for the month, which I did once the plane landed in Milwaukee. My phone jammed at the end of the call; I could not turn it off, or get away from that screen. Very frustrating, especially since I was leaving on a 7:20 a.m. flight the next morning, and needed my cell phone.

Now, those of you who know me know that I have had relatively few travel problems in the 3 1/2 years that I have been LWML President, something I have never taken for granted, thanks be to God. There are even great things to share in the midst of this experience: I have wonderful support from my husband. He was the one I called when my plans changed (it’s ok, he was up; I tried to be really quiet, but he was awake when I left the house at 4 a.m.) and he made calls to my scheduled appointments for that morning, letting them know about the change in plans. When I got home at 8 p.m. he was going to take my cell phone back to Radio Shack where I had purchased it last spring.  Before leaving, he tried calling my cell phone, and that was all it needed to jog it back to working correctly. Even though my plans changed, I was still able to fulfill my commitment to speak with the pastors who serve in ethnic ministries within the LCMS.

It wasn’t exactly the way I had planned it, but my day was no surprise to my loving Heavenly Father; the One who establishes my steps (Psalm 37:23)

Whenever I am representing the LWML I wear the President’s Pin. Often I receive compliments on it which gives me the opportunity to share the symbolism and brief information about LWML.

While at the Gaylord Opryland Hotel and Conference Center that has proven to the the case. One special encounter is worth sharing with you. At breakfast this morning I was at a restaurant off site. As I sat at the table, a woman came up to me and introduced herself. She thought that she knew who I was, but once she saw my pin, she knew who I was. So here is a shout-out to Nancy from the Carolinas District LWML. Nancy, with her friendly personality and beautiful smile, is the face of LWML.

Share how a piece of LWML jewelry or LWML wearing apparel has given you the opportunity to share about LWML, and more importantly, about Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.

And tell about someone you know who is the face of LWML.

Yesterday was my birthday, and a milestone one at that. Because of modern technology and social networking the word got out; possibly my most publicized birthday ever. My wonderful family and friends sent cards, gifts, e-mails, Facebook messages, called my home phone, my LWML line and my cell phone.
One of the things that I realized when I began to create scrapbooks was that my mother was an important part of so many of my birthdays; even after I married, she still found ways to make the day special. She loved to decorate the house, make (or buy) a fancy cake and make a big deal about birthdays.  My mother has been with the Lord since September 11, 2002, and I have marked nine birthdays since that time. It is always a bit nostalgic for me.
When fall comes I think about her favorite fragrance which had hint of amber and just smelled like fall. So today, as I have done other years, I treated myself to  some new amber fragrance. As I wear it I will remember my mother.
Is your mother still living? Why don’t you take the time to let her know how much you love her and appreciate her. Call her, visit her, send her a pretty card or letter, do something special for her. Most of all, thank God for her, and for all the wonderful women He has placed in your life.

When several things all happen on the same day, I take notice! In the basement where I have my treadmill, there is an (old) AAL perpetual calendar. Today’s entry was: “Learn, Look and Do! Read the Word, reflect on it and act.” Sounded very close to the vision statement I have been sharing throughout my presidency, “The LWML would be known as Lutheran Women in Mission who are in the Word, of the Word, and walking with the Lord.” Today’s mail brought a card from an LWML friend who added a personal note: “Because of your encouragement I have been reading my LWML Bible since last year’s ID meeting.” The third thing that happened came in an e-mail from a friend who helps me with some of my writing and presentations. She asked if I had gotten any feedback from my vision statement. God’s timing was perfect; I had just gotten something in the mail!
So, how is it going with you? Are you spending time in God’s Word, seeing what He has to say, reading the Word? Are you “of the Word,” reflecting on what you are reading, letting it permeate your inner being, changing you from the inside out, made over by the power of the Holy Spirit, forgiven and restored? Are you stepping forward, confident of Christ’s presence because of His promises to you? Are you walking with the Lord?
A postscript to this message: any of you who read these entries know that I am not the most faithful in doing them. Today I kept feeling that gentle nudge from the Lord to write about this…never sure if it is because someone needs to be encouraged to read God’s Word, or simply because I need to share how God is working in my life, and by doing that hopefully you, too, will see how He is working in your life. Anyhow, the nudge continued, write a blog entry. then I had some computer problem and had to shut the computer down, all the excuses. When I finally sat down to write this, I realized that I needed to gather the paper I had written the quote from this morning and locate the card that had come today. I found the paper with the quote right away, but looking in all the regular places, I was not able to locate the card until I checked in the recycling. Sure enough, there it was, in the middle of all the ads, newspapers, and other items I had taken from the table to recycle. If I had not been prodded to write this entry tonight, I may never havelocated that card. I like to keep all the cards and notes that are sent to me. Someday I will look at them again and remember the many people who encouraged me, prayed for me and upheld me as I served as LWML President. Thanks, Lord, for nudging me to to write this blog!

Traveling to visit some LCMS sites today in between meetings, LWML VP Patti brought along three tissue box holders that have photos of real women who are in the LWML and help convey The Face of LWML. We stopped at a drugstore on the way, purchased the boxes of tissues to use for the holders, then went on our way.

The first box went to Suzie, who is on staff at the LCMS and takes care of our arrangements with local hotels and other things that we need for our meetings in St. Louis. Thank you, Lord, that we crossed paths with Suzie.

The second box was given to Jennifer to place on her desk in the mission department. Jennifer is our connection with short-term mission trips.

The third box was given to Dianne Summers at KFUO to have in the room while she is broadcasting. She can just look at those smiling faces and “see” women to whom she is communicating.

Thanks to VP Patti for coming up with a great idea that hopefully blessed the lives of three wonderful women today.

Is there a way you, too, can share the face of LWML?

After spending time at the LCMS International Center and having lunch with Jennifer, our staff connection with the LWML short-term mission challenge that was issued by this president in January 2008, the three travelers took off for Concordia Seminary and the offices of KFUO.

Each Tuesday at 3:30 p.m. Central time, program host Dianne Summers calls the LWML president and we have a brief devotional type talk. These talks are archived on the KFUO website. One of the women traveling with me today is Nancy, a member of our LWML Information Technology Committee. Nancy is the one who is responsible for getting the link from the KFUO website and putting it on our LWML website so people are able to listen to these broadcasts at any time. It was fun for Nancy and Dianne to meet; Nancy is also a photographer, so you may see some photos of this stop in our day.

For Nancy, Dianne is now more that just a nice voice on the radio.