Monday, January 23, 2006

Great sayings for your business.

01/23/2006

Great sayings for your business.

Quitters Never Win - Winners Never Quit!

Only those who risk going too far will ever know how far they can go.

The best thing to do behind a friend’s back is pat it!

There are two types of people – those who come into a room and say, Well, Here I am,” and those who come in and say, “Ah, there you are.”

The best way to forget your problems is to help someone else solve theirs.

If there’s no wind, row!

Do not follow where the path may lead.  Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail.

You may forget with whom you laughed, but you will never forget with whom you wept.

Fall seven times, stand up eight.

Success seems to be largely a matter of hanging on after others have let go. 

Sunday, January 22, 2006

BETHLEHEM WELCA REPORT

01/22/2006

BETHLEHEM WELCA REPORT by Jennie K. Hanson

As president of Bethlehem WELCA, I was chosen to attend the 18th Annual Convention of Northeastern Minnesota Synodical Woman’s Organization at UMD in Duluth on June 12th - 14th.  I reluctantly went to this convention even if my life’s schedule was so very busy.  It took some major rescheduling to attend, but after spending three days with these beautiful, energetic ladies, I know God had called me to attend.

When I walked into the Kirby Ballroom for the first session, and saw over 200 “Old Ladies”, I knew this must have been a mistake.  But, after only a few hours, these very same ladies got younger and younger.  Their outward appearance was deceiving.  They were so full of the Spirit of the Lord that their true personalities showed through.  WOW, what a wonderful bunch of “Young-at-heart Gals”!  I even got to attend with my 82-year young Aunt Irene Bolstad from Hope Lutheran in Floodwood.  This, too, was an added blessing.

As I said the convention started on Sunday evening, June 12th with a worship service and guest speaker.  The theme for this year’s convention was from Isaiah 6:8: “Then I heard the Lord say: Whom shall I send?  Who will be my messenger?  I answered, I will go, send me.” “ACT BOLDLY - Make a Difference!”

I never knew our Woman’s Organization did so many things to help the world’s poor and needy.  It’s not only the quilts, but the fresh well water projects, rolled bandages, layettes, school kits, tee-shirt diapers, seafarers, health kits, sewing kits, pounds of soap, lap robes, wheel chair bags, mid-wife kits, LSS Street Youth Outreach (items needed are shampoo, soap, toothbrushes and toothpaste, deodorant, etc), and the list goes on and on.  Some projects are worldwide and others take place right in our own small communities.  Get involved.  If there is something on this list you can help with, please do so.

After a wonderful opening worship service on Sunday night, we were blessed to hear from Dr. Elenn’ Elness, a missionary doctor serving in Pakistan. She told of the countless times that prayer and faith in God healed the many that come to her hospital.  Her main message was for more people to come to Pakistan to help in the hospital.  Prayers and money help, but it’s the people who come that really make the difference in the lives of the Pakistani’s.

Saturday was spent with several Plenary Sessions.  Since I was a delegate, I could vote on the many issues at hand.  While the delegates met in sessions, the guests and day visitors had the opportunity to attend the many workshops that were available.

There was an average of 68 delegates each day with a total of about 230 ladies attending in all.  We were treated to wonderful meals in the Kirby Diningroom and the accommodations were very neat and clean.  Although, if I attend again, I would bring a radio or small TV as the rooms were quite bare.

Most of the main business was taken care of on Monday, June 13th.  We also heard messages from Pastor Ann Christin Elvemo and Bishop Peter Strommen. Ann Christin is Pastor of Hope Lutheran in Embarrass and Pike, MN.  She grew up in Northern Norway and was ordained in 1999.  She was young and energetic and told of her own “Call to serve”.  When asked to be a keynote Speaker at Convention, she responded by saying, “I was surprised and honored to be asked to be a keynote speaker at the Annual Convention of the Women of the ELCA in Northeastern Minnesota.  This year’s theme is exciting to me. ‘I will go, send me!’ Oh, I wonder how many of us would really answer that and mean it.  I will share some of my own experience of call and my hesitant answer.  Bold answers and bold actions take a lot of courage and trust.” After the sessions for delegates, we were also able to attend some of the workshops.  The first one I attended was on Grandparents raising Grandchildren.  I found out that there are many of us who are doing this. There is help for us and with God’s help and the help of friends and relatives; we will raise these kids to love the Lord.

The other workshop I attended was called “Pray Without Ceasing” put on by Pastor Ann Christin Elvemo.  She stressed that prayer is one of the most important means God uses to connect with us, and that there are many ways of praying.

One of the Resolutions brought up at convention was that all Gay, Lesbian, and bisexual and transgender people to be welcomed into the church. It passed.

Another important part of convention was the offerings.  I didn’t get all the details, but the penny offerings added up to a total of $7,348.06 from the Northeastern Conference.  Lake Superior gave the most, and our Kettle River gave the least at $859.85.  So, I challenge you to work on the penny donations for this coming year.  There should be a detailed report on all the gifts and offerings in the next issue of the Northeastern Lights. For those of you that don’t know, the “Northeastern Lights” is a newsletter published 4 times a year by the Board of the NE MN Synodical Women’s Organization and it only costs $5.00 a year.

There were many more wonderful things about convention that I really enjoyed, and I look forward to attending again.  Hopefully, more ladies from our church will come with me.  Thank you so much ladies for sending me. Your money was well spent!  Now I pray that God will “send me” to do whatever I can to help in the efforts of our Women of the ELCA!