At the invitation of Rev. Greg Ronning, Marika gave a chapel talk to give tribute to  Women’s History Month.  The title of the presentation is “The Quiet Strength”.

Click here to see Texas Lutheran University’s YouTube video of the presentation: The Quiet Strength
Click here to hear the presentation: 

Excerpt from presentation:

The title of my presentation is:

The Quiet Strength

The life of a woman is like a Carousel

This is a truth that follows a woman

from childhood, through puberty, to womanhood.

The sculpture you see here is “Carousel of Women’s Life.”

Twelve years ago, after a period of reflection, I set out with mallet, chisel, and wood to tell a story.  The nature of wood is to guide the sculptor’s hands that hold the mallet and chisel.  Thus it left six women on a raft floating on the uncertain seas of life searching to discover:

•   What is the life of a woman?
•   Is there a meaning to our struggle?
•   What do we bring to humanity?

From babyhood, to motherhood, to the dusk of life, this sculpture portrays the strengths and struggles of women to overcome the shackles of Madison Avenue appetites, the distractions of the flotsam and jetsam of this world, and the blasphemies of false prophets.  They rise to the call to nurture, guide, and move humanity through uncharted waters.

Marika and Evelyn Streng

Marika and Rev. Greg Ronning