Oh Give Thanks!

A prayer workshop was held this 

Fall at St. Paul's Mecahnicsville, VA.

One of the women attending planned an extension

 of the Visual Prayer experience for 

Thanksgiving.

This note was in the Bulletin:

Bulletin Announcement: In this season of thanks, we at St. Paul have much to thank God for. To express our thanks, the LWML is sponsoring a graphic way for every member of the congregation to acknowledge what they are most thankful for. Inspired by the recent Prayer 101 workshop, there is a sheet of paper with outlines of the words "We Give Thanks" in the Narthex. You'll find some colored pens with it. We invite everyone to take a moment to write inside the letter outlines what you are thankful for this year.  As there is no limit to gratitude, there is no limit to how many things you can write. You can sign it or not, as preferred. Let's make our spirit of gratefulness visible to all who enter.

Visual Documentation 

of prayer time,

 Blessings, 

and the ongoing 

Faithfulness of our Lord.

Story submitted by Judy Pask.

Thanksgiving Weather Report

I follow the blog 

of a wonderful writer

 and wanted to share the 

Thanksgiving post here:

Thanksgiving weather report

Extreme gratitude.
Outward conditions will vary throughout the day
as an intense high pressure zone moves through,
bringing with it a dense, cold air
of deadlines, household preparations,
long lines and frozen traffic;
news of unpleasantness will cloud the horizon.
However—
an inner receptiveness will meet every moment
with awareness of an unseen Presence
and awe and gratitude for the gift of life
mixed with marvel at all existence, including its pain,
producing a flood of wonder, patience,
forgiveness and generosity
unaffected by external conditions.
So in the end it will be a glorious day. 

__________________
Steve Garnaas-Holmes
Unfolding Light
www.unfoldinglight.net

Cindy Deatherage- Central Region

Prince of Peace Lutheran School’s annual retreat for the Faculty and Staff was on October 23 and 24 at Buttonwood Lodge at Signal Hill Knob ~ A Lutheran Retreat Center in Strasburg VA. 

 Preparation for our time together began last summer.  

Reservations were made and the administrative staff started planning around this year’s theme of “Circles.”

Some creative time together.

God blessed us with a glorious weekend.  The weather was perfect and God’s world was ablaze with autumn colors. Teachers begin arriving late Friday afternoon to the welcoming smells of a home cooked meal of chili, corn bread, salad, hot apple cider and apple crisp. Before dinner, we had time to explore the lodge and time to take a hike across the pasture along the North Fork of the Shenandoah River to an open meadow, where we formed a circle to pray and sang together.

Friday evening started with the Bible Story God Calls Abram, Genesis 12. God called Abram to go. Abram must have met many people on his journey.  God calls us to love one another and to go and make disciples. Using the shape of a spiral and writing tools, we had quiet time to think back over our lives and the people and places that have influenced us on our journey. After sharing our stories, we made fall candles and sang together.  Later we built a fire, played games and took a walk outside to see the shining stars.

Saturday morning we woke to the smell of oatmeal, bacon and scrambled eggs. Cooking always brings people together.  Our morning session started with The Goose Story ~ Thylacine’s Lair.  Working together for the Kingdom of God, supporting each other at school and personally, forgiving, and helping each other is what makes for a strong team. For our staff development we focused on an article Finding Questions Worth Asking, by Ann Pelo ~ differences between teaching to learn and teaching to think. As with young children, one of the most effective learning models for adults is active participation and engagement. Throughout the morning, we encouraged each other to investigate, ask questions and gain knowledge through conversations and interactions with each other.  Just like children, teachers are learners too. Before lunch, we had time to take another walk and to enjoy the beauty and peacefulness of God’s beautiful world.  

Bonnie Hughes, a Three Year Old teacher and our Kindergarten Art teacher at Prince of Peace brought all the materials and supplies needed for each of us to create our own faith collage canvas.  Painting our canvas, tearing pictures and words from old magazines, adding lace or buttons and favorite Bible verses kept us busy until it was time to pack up and head home.  Before we started the journey home we sang. . . “Go now in peace, go now in peace.  May the love of God surround you. Everywhere, everywhere, you may go.” It is a blessing to be in this community of God’s children.

Cindy Deatherage serves as the Principal

of Prince of Peace Lutheran School in Springfield, VA.

We give thanks for her reporting the story of this staff retreat.

Megan Daub- Southern Region

 Megan Daub- 

Havelock, North Carolina

I recently was able to visit with

 Megan at the Southern Gathering

 of Professional Church Workers.

Megan came for the day 

with her husband- Jim.

Catching up a bit in all that happened

 since we were last together.

Jim and Megan were recently married-

May 2015

Job changes for Megan-

with more responsibility and 

challenges.

The death of Jim's mother in Wisconsin.

A call to Wisconsin for Pastor Jim.

That is a lot to wade through

 at any time of marriage-

 but especially as newlyweds.

Megan shared that this first call 

from another congregation other

than where they currently serve 

was difficult to figure out.
Lots of praying and some stress there too.

Just how to deal with such a BIG decision?

Husband's decision-

that affects Megan too.

One day while Jim was taking 

a nap following a hectic day,

Megan went and sat under a tree

 with this printed sheet for visual prayer.

I had sent her this print out in a packet

 of Prayer and Bible Journaling starters.

Coloring and praying. 
Focused prayer. 

Resting in Him prayer.

Megan said she sat under 

that tree for quite a bit.

Then her

 husband, Jim, 

came to the door and said,
"We're staying."

That is a quick answer to prayer time.

Megan is also participating in an 

online Bible Study of Philippians 4.

She had with her the 

prayer sheet for the word True.

I had drawn this prayer sheet

 for the Bible Study.

Mine is still waiting to be colored in.

Whatever is True.

Whatever in Noble.

Whatever is Right.

Whatever is Pure.

Whatever is Admirable.
Staying focused.
Dealing with distractions.

Megan also using visual prayer
 to pray for members of her congregation.

Visual Prayer Tools-

in the prayer tool box.

For everyday life.

Megan and her husband, Jim, serve at

 St. Paul Lutheran Church,

Havelock, North Carolina.

Megan works as a 
911 Dispatch Supervisor

 for the City of Havelock.