Wyoming Breezes

From my house to yours  Happy Easter! Even though many are celebrating the resurrection  by streaming a church service, it does not dampen the joy  He is Risen!  He is Risen, indeed.  Alleluia!

ceramic nativity set made by Brenda M (my niece) in 1977 This is one of the first Christmas decorations set out each year. I found the display box a few years ago.  I love how the mirror reflects those gathered in front of the manger and how the star on the door shines down on them all.

working on a Bible study January 2019 Soon after I moved to Laramie, I began looking for a place to worship and discovered a Lutheran church that was friendly and welcoming. I felt very comfortable with members of the congregation. The pastor stopped by my apartment one evening, and after visiting with him and asking some specific questions, I felt that the church would be a good fit. I asked for my membership to be transferred, and I officially became a member of the Laramie church in October. To be honest, I hadn't attended church the last four/five years I lived in Riverton. I missed the worship and fellowship and the opportunity to expand my faith, but I didn't feel like the congregation or the pastor shared my idea of a supportive Christian community. Now, in addition to Sunday worship, I participate in a weekly Woman's Bible Study. Having finished part one of Isaiah before Christmas, we started part two the beginning of the new year. I typically work on ...

It’s Day 21 of  Sprite Write’s Virtual Advent Tour  where bloggers from around the world share traditions they enjoy during the holiday season.  Advent wreath An Advent wreath sits in the center of my kitchen table from the end of November through the Epiphany which is Saturday, January 6, 2018.  The candles on the wreath symbolize the four weeks before Christmas - a time of preparation and anticipation. The first week of Advent, I read my morning devotion in the light of one candle. Now (the third week of Advent), my table is aglow with three candles. The third candle is pink (symbolizing "Joy" ), and the other candles are purple or blue. In the center of the wreath is a white pillar candle that will be lit on Christmas day.  I add the figurines when I first light that week's candle. You can see that the base to the right of the shepherd is missing the figurines of the Holy family.  The Holy family figurines are on the display on t...

Evelyn R. (Stearns) Mayland 1941 - 2016 My oldest sister (my family called her Sis) put up a long, brave fight against cancer, enduring three rounds of chemotherapy for her leukemia, and radiation for breast cancer over the last five years. Last week, it became too much for her body to handle, and she was removed from life-support on Wednesday, February 24, 2016. The podcast of the funeral service sermon on February 29, 2016 can be heard here . The text used by by Rev. Steve Schulz is John 3:16.  Through my faith, I know in God's time, I will see Sis again, but until then, I'll keep the good memories of her sealed in my heart.  sisters - Nancy, "Sis," and Marilyn Oregon coast approximately 1990 We had some great times together: Sis, Marilyn, and I went to Sisters, Oregon for the Outdoor Quilt Show, to Mackinac Island, Michigan, and to a quilt show in Duluth, Minnesota.  the last photo of me and my siblings (my brothers died soon afte...

source Offer to God a sacrifice of thanksgiving.   Psalm 50:14 It seems appropriate today to share a prayer from My Personal Daily Prayer Book by Christine A. Dallman & Margaret Anne Huffman November 26 "Lord, I know it's not enough just to say the words thank you when a blessing, a kindness, or a gift comes my way. Verbalizing my thanks is a good start, but words are not the essence of gratitude. What I really desire, heavenly Father, is to have a grateful heart - a heart that so relishes love, mercy, grace, and all good things that it glows with appreciation long after receiving your many blessings. Teach me this kind of thankfulness, Lord, and let it inspire those around me to a deeper sense of gratitude as well."

near walking path Riverton, WY December 2014 source click to enlarge I am deeply troubled by the state of the world because of the events that are consistently topics on the evening news, buzzing through the Internet and on social media, and even within my own community. People seem to have lost their moral filter(s) and say and do anything that feels good at the moment. It's time to stop the madness. Christmas is not something that should be celebrated only one month or day each year. Christmas is not the only time we should be charitable. Christmas is not the only time we should pray for peace. Christmas MUST be a priority throughout the year.