I am sitting at my computer watching the rain fall on all the beautiful spring flowers and trees and thanking God for the earth’s resurrection this spring!  After such a long, cold and unusually dreary winter, we have been blessed with a truly spectacular spring.  We have so many things to be thankful for, in addition to a gorgeous spring, the promise of renewed life that Easter brings.

By the time you receive your Holstonian, Women’s Assembly in St. Louis will have concluded.  I wish all of you could attend an Assembly at least once.  It is such an honor to be with so many other United Methodist Women who are working for the same goals that you are—the betterment of women, children and youth all over this country and the world.  It is a great gathering of women from every place imaginable—big cities, small towns, little communities, reservations—from all over the world!  There are no elections at Assembly, no bills to be passed, no budgets that have to be scrutinized. To quote from the Women’s Division website: 

‘The Assembly theme, “Faith, Hope, Love in Action,” embodies the spirit of United Methodist Women, and helps to center our minds and hearts as we prepare to gather in 2010. As the vision statement for Assembly 2010 states, “United Methodist Women are disciples of Jesus Christ called to share our belief in the promise of a new heaven and a new earth; our expectation of needs met for all; our sisterhood of grace and our embodiment of justice. It is through action that we find fulfillment of our faith, hope and love in the name of  Jesus Christ.

Assembly 2010 will be a time for United Methodist Women members to celebrate, energize, educate and equip themselves for God’s mission in God’s world. The economic downturn continues to impact people in our communities and all over the world. These times call for grace and good judgment, caring and creative thinking, hope and helping hands. The worship, programs, workshops and panels being planned for Assembly are designed to help United Methodist Women members better serve each other, their communities and those around the world.”

In mid-May we will have had our first concurrent pairing of Spiritual Enrichment Experience and Young Women’s Retreat at Lake Junaluska.  This has been a work in progress for Holston Conference United Methodist Women and I hope that all of you who participated in either event came away full of joy. Each event in United Methodist Women, national, jurisdictional, conference, district or local, is created with three opportunities in mind—spiritual growth, creative, supportive fellowship and mission education to expand our concepts of what mission is and what it can be.

However you choose to spend your Spring days, I hope that it is fulfilling for you.  I wish you a magnificent Spring and a fruitful and joyful Summer!!”