A Prayer for the corners of my mind
by Carol Penner

Here's a prayer for the corners of my mind
littered with unfinished business-
hopes squashed decades ago,
orphan words that never had a listening ear,
yearnings unhinged, glances missed,
potential unrealized,
torn maps of roads not taken.
In lonely moments, if you listen closely,
you can hear regret gnawing away there
sharpening its teeth on yesterday's sorrows.
I need a prayer like a woman cleaning in May,
opening windows, pulling down dusty drapes,
furniture dragged out onto the lawn.
Every surface open and revealed
scoured by soap and spring winds.
Create in me clean corners, Lord,
ordered, uncluttered, functional.
A mind clarified, set to rights
making way for your Spirit.



Carol Penner lives in Vineland, Ontario with her husband Eugene in a house surrounded by apricot trees. She teaches practical theology at Conrad Grebel University College. She has been a pastor and a freelance writer. 
        
Our Summer Event

Mennonite Women USA and Dove's Nest are thrilled to announce the upcoming event Empowering Women: Claiming Healthy Personal Boundaries. This event will take place on July 26-27, 2018 at the Community Engagement Center at the University of Nebraska at Omaha in Omaha, Nebraska. This event is designed for girls ages 13-18 and adult women.

Please register by July 16!
Gifts to Honor and Remember

Mennonite Women USA thrives with your financial support.  Individuals are invited to share a gift  in honor of or in memory of significant people in their lives. Read the list of those honored or remembered since December, 2017 below or view the list on our website.

Interested in giving a gift in honor or memory of someone? Click here!




  • Wilma Center in memory of Sadie Ressler.
  • Fanni Birky in memory of Verna Birky.
  • Ann Hershberger in memory of Karen Swartz Graber.
  • Louise Claassen in honor of Deb Byler.
  • Shirley Showalter in honor of Barbara Ann Hershey.
  • Mary Alice Ressler in honor of Alice M. Yutzy.
  • Mary Lee Chittick in memory of Carolyn N. Weidman.
  • Drenning Weidman in memory of Carolyn N. Weidman.
  • Jo Miller in memory of Cathy Bonham  Brenneman and Erin Brenneman.
  • Deborah Sprunger in memory of Ella Mae Sprunger.
  • Beth Martin Birky in memory of Verna Birky and Ruth Kaufmann.
  • Louise Gingerich in honor of Beulah Fretz.
  • Joann Weaver Lehman in honor of Marlene Brenneman.
  • Pearl Hartman in honor of Ruth A Lehman.
  • Justina Neufeld in memory of Anna S Neufeld.
  • Shirley Brenneman in memory of Erin Brenneman.
  • Janet Kroeker in memory of Elsie Ann Kroeker.
  • Joanne B Speigle in honor of Grace Brenneman.
  • Justina Neufeld in honor of Tante Gretchen.
  • Eileen Shenk in memory of Betty M Kniss.
  • Esther B Heatwole in memory of Arlene Grieser.
  • Barbel Goertz in honor of Renate Hartmann and in memory of Margo Schade.
  • Lucinda White in honor of Dorothy Zehr.
  • Louise Newswanger in memory of Eunice King.
  • Lois Yoder in honor of Ana Alicia Hinojosa.
  • Anna Marie Peterson in memory of Muriel Stackley.
  • Naomi Bontrager in memory of Ruth Hartman.
  • Leota Mann in honor of Karen Harbach, Gail Shetler, Janine Hawkinson.
Mother's Day Sale!

To celebrate Mother's Day, Mennonite Women USA is offering our centennial book, Circles of Sisterhood, for only $20! Take advantage of this deal from now until May 20 and honor the lineage of strong Anabaptist women this spring.



New Bible Study Guide coming soon!

Discover the rhythm of worship. Every day, every week, every year, there are ways to worship God. Every Day Worship inspires women to be worshipful people, not just people who worship. Using the elements of a worship service, author Carol Penner guides women invites women to dive deep into Scripture and faith through worship experiences.
 
Excellent for personal study, women's groups, retreat settings, and individual study and inspiration, this Bible study encourages women to worship every day.

Every Day Worship will be available to purchase in our shop in June!

Summer Timbrel!

It's not too late to subscribe to Timbrel and receive the summer issue. Our theme for this issue will pair with our summer event, Empowering Women: Claiming Healthy Personal Boundaries.
Hear from our event speakers and staff in this special issue of Timbrel!

Sister Care International

"Thank you for your prayers as we led two Sister Care seminars in Asia in the month of April. A total of 70 women participated in the three-day trainings. The Sister Care manual has now been translated into 12 languages We are thankful for the opportunity to share God's grace and healing with our sisters in Christ around the world."     -Rhoda Keener and Carolyn Heggen
Every Day Worship: Energizing in Every Way

Carol Penner is the author of Every Day Worship, the Mennonite Women USA 2018 Bible Study Guide. In this post, Carol shares why she chose the theme of worship for the 2018 MW USA Bible Study Guide.

March For Our Lives: Youth Lead 

Madeline Smith Kaufman participated in the March For Our Lives, a march protesting school shootings, in Chicago, Illinois on March 24, 2018.


Mennonite Women USA | o[email protected] | 316.281.4396  | mwusa.org
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