Becoming the Beloved: November 28 meeting

At our last meeting, we watched a video from MOPS, Intl. about "Becoming the Beloved." Mike Foster, of People of the Second Chance, discussed how freedom comes when we operate from a framework of love rather than a framework of anxiety, stress and fear. This message is particularly relevant as we navigate the holidays and all of the responsibilities and stress that often accompany this time of year. We spent much of the meeting in discussion time about what things cause us anxiety and how we can hand those things over to God and let go of the stress and fear in our lives. 

If you missed this great message or would like to watch it again, please find the link in our email newsletter. 

We also held our first Christmas Toy & Decoration Swap! This was a fun opportunity to pass along some of the items no longer needed in our own homes and to pick out a few things that can be appreciated again! All items that were left were donated to the Missions Thrift Store.

It's the time of year... when we bless our childcare workers with Christmas gift bags! We'll be collecting small gifts (under $5) or handwritten letters for the workers in your child's class. Please bring to our December MOPS meeting and we will compile the gifts into labeled bags for each childcare worker. Here's a list of workers in each room: (Please see below image if you are unsure which room your child is in, or feel free to email us if you have any questions.)

• Helen: childcare director
• Cuddler (rm 331): Kristena, Shirley, Kaye, Luciana, Suzi
• Walker (rm 334): Katya, Jan
• Runner: Natalie, Phyllis, Maria
• Twos A (rm 208): Martha, Margarete, Rebecca
• Twos B (rm 206): Laura, Makayla
• Twos C (rm 201): Glenda, Anna
• Younger 3s (rm 205): Sami, Lydia
• Older 3s (rm 207): Barbel, Hillary
• 4s+ (rm 360): Stephanie, Rebecca, Brenda, David

ANNOUNCEMENTS

• Fundraiser deliveries will be handed out at our December meeting. If you will not be able to attend, please make arrangements to have someone else pick up your items. The Butter Braids, in particular, need to be kept frozen. 
• In order to accommodate all of the ladies who join us each week, we will be switching up the brunch schedule and adding a third group each week. The new schedule will be posted soon! For our December meeting, Ann, Karin & Becky's groups are scheduled to bring dishes. Here's how you can sign up. 
• Our final meeting of 2017 will be December 12. Leanor Hodge will speak on “Boundaries for Kids: Helping Kids Interact Well With the World." We are excited to hear what Leonor has to say about this topic!

Freedom to love your actual Christmas - November 14

The holiday season is upon us, and Cindy Orange spoke with us about "Loving your actual Christmas." We all know how overwhelming the holidays can be, but Cindy encouraged us to take time to take note of what you really want out of the holidays and to take some small steps to make sure that what's really important is given priority. Highlights of her talk are below. 

• What do I want? --> To honor Christ and why we have Christmas. To honor my family.
• Be intentional and secretive. You don't have to say "yes" to everything.
• Adjust your attitude and your expectations. 
• Choose to not blame others for you being stressed. All you can do i work on your attitude. 
• Let LOVE be the loudest voice! Choose to voice and hear love. 
• Intentionally spend tie with people who energize you. 
• Focus on forgiveness: Don't let forgiveness steal your Joy. 
• Spend time with God. 
• Everything doesn't have to be perfect. 
• Determine which tra'ditions you and your family want to keep and let go of the rest. 
• Get some sleep!
• Take time to exercise. 
• Get organized and write down the important things.
• Know your stress triggers and avoid them.
• Cast your cares on the Lord. Find quiet time to spend with Him. 
• Find time to stop and relish the moment. 
• What's One Thing you can do today to stay in the moment?

To help get in the holiday spirit, we put together potpourri bundles to fill our homes with a festive fragrance. If you were unable to make a bundle, here are the instructions to make your own at home.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

• DON'T FORGET: Our Christmas Toy & Decoration Exchange is going on tomorrow, so gather up anything that you'd like to pass along to another family!
• In light of recent events, Crossroads is making security changes and will be locking the childcare hall doors during our meetings. Previously they were closed but now will be locked. This is a good thing to protect our kids! If you arrive to MOPS late or need to pick up early, please come to back corner table near the brunch line for coordinator Kara, Crossroads staff member Cindy, or MOPS Kids Coordinator Lauren (in Lacinda's Small Group) to open for you. 

Freedom in your marriage: October 24 meeting

CenterPeace hosted a marriage panel this past week, with couples sharing some of their experiences and advice for building a strong relationship with your spouse and parenting together. Here are some highlights of the panel.

• Intentionally connecting with one another
• Find time when the kids are in bed or not around. 
• Be face to face (no phones). 
• Ask intentional questions, not just generic "how was your day?" questions, but follow up on previous conversations.
• IDEA: Daily email serves as jumping off point. Mention things that happened previous day, things you are looking forward to, ask questions about what he/she wants. Talk about highs and lows of the day. Gives an opportunity to share about what’s going on in your life and provides topics to discuss later. 
• Find shared activities – family walks, going for a run, hobbies.
• Touch when together. Hold hands.
• Before bed, talk back over the day and what’s coming up the next day. Go to bed together.
• Connect phone calendars to be aware of what’s going on in your spouse's day.
• Having quality conversations
• Set aside breakfast or another time together. Go over what’s going on in your lives. 
• Schedule date nights. Talking with a table in front of you can help lead to real conversation.
• Conflict leads to quality conversations. Addressing conflict quickly, so it doesn’t get worse and become something they’re not addressing. Work together to determine what is the underlying cause.
• Stop what you’re doing, look at each other, and be open to what the other has to say. Make it a habit to focus on each other.
• Be intentional about staying away from phone when spending time together.
• Feelings are not RIGHT or WRONG. They are OUR feelings. It’s important to hear the other person out.
• IDEA: Schedule communication when needed. Go over 4 W’s: Wows, Worries, Wounds, Wishes.
• Dealing with being “over-touched”
• Go over expectations for sex. Spouse may not know what you NEED or WANT. 
• Don’t let resentment creep in. Have a talk about what that looks like for your relationship.
• Consider going to a seminar or counseling. A once-a-year check up is a good opportunity to discuss what's going on in your relationship.
• Scheduling intimacy can help. Understand the different needs and being able to discuss it openly.
• Know that God can heal marriage and unfaithfulness.
• Reminding your husband to do something you've previously asked.
• Be kind and provide a gentle reminder, rather than accusing of not doing something. 
• Ask: "What 1 thing can I do for you today?" and reciprocate for each other.
• Unity in discipline
• Read/discuss parenting books together. 
• If you disagree with a strategy, then lovingly correct each other at a later time, not in front of the kids. 
• Communicate expectations and check in about whether or not it's working for each child.
• Setting In-law boundaries
• Communicate expectations with each other, and then communicate those expectations with the in-laws
• Your spouse must come first. 

ANNOUNCEMENTS

• DON'T FORGET: Tomorrow, November 7, is a small group play date. Our next MOPS meeting is November 14.
• We are so thankful for those who have helped with clean up after the meetings! This is a continuing need, so please consider joining our Hospitality team!
• Help us stay on budget by paying your dues. Please check with your small group leader if you are unsure what you owe. You can pay here by clicking "Register."
• We have 5 more spots open for our Share the Pie baking day on November 17 between 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. Childcare is provided, but please pack peanut-free lunch. These pies will go to benefit StepUp ministry / Alliance medical ministry. Sign up here.
• Fundraiser orders for Butter Braid & Yankee Candle are due at our next meeting. These orders will be delivered on December 12. 
• November 28 is our Christmas Toy & Decoration exchange. Recycle your current toys and take home some new ones for your kids!
• Our next meeting will be November 14. Our own Cindy Orange will be speaking about "Finding my ideal Christmas." Lacinda & Megan's groups will be bringing brunch. Here's how you can sign up. 

Freedom from Worry: October 10 meeting

We enjoyed another week of getting to know each of you and finding focused time to spend together. At our meeting, we watched a video from MOPS, Intl. about worry, both its impact on our lives and how we can take control and face life head-on. We heard from Molly Urso, who is a mom, a MOPS coordinator and a seminary student. In her message, she encouraged us to find what is at the root of our worry, to name the things that cause stress, and to invite others to come alongside us. We should not allow worry to paralyze us and to keep us from enjoying life and from being there for the people who matter to us! 

If you missed this great message or would like to watch it again, please find the link in our email newsletter. 

We also went over where the money from our yearly dues, both to MOPS, Intl. and to our specific group, is spent. Here is a breakdown of how that money is used.

How much to join?

• MOPS International Fee: $31.95 - Goes towards Welcome Packet of materials, access to online resources and magazine.
• Crossroads MOPS Fee: $60 per semester

Your $60 covers...

• Stipends for MOPS Kids childcare workers - Crossroads Fellowship also subsidizes approximately 60% of total cost!
• MOPS Kids' materials
• Craft materials
• Brunch - coffee, napkins, plates, utensils
• Table centerpieces
• Celebration gifts for babies
• Speaker gifts
• Scholarships for other moms in need

ANNOUNCEMENTS

• We have 2 fundraisers underway to raise money for our group, which will go towards scholarships and childcare expenses. We are selling Butter Braids and Yankee Candle. Our deadline to turn in orders is November 14 and all products will be delivered to our December 12 meeting. This post has all of the details on both fundraisers. 
• Thank you for the helpers who stayed behind to clean up last week! We continue to have a need for people to give 5-10 minutes of their time to help after each meeting. Join our hospitality group to stay connected. 
• Halloween this year falls on a 5th Tuesday, so we'll plan to get together for a whole group playdate. Details TBD.
• We still have T-shirts available! You can order using this form. 
• Thinking ahead: We will be holding a Christmas Toy Exchange at our November 28th meeting. Recycle some of the toys you'd like to donate, and take home some new ones for your kids to enjoy.  

NEXT TIME AT MOPS

• We will have our annual marriage panel! This has been a favorite meeting of many in the past. We will have a panel of couples from different backgrounds and stages in life to answer questions and give advice about marriage and parenting. We hope you'll be there.
• Kristen & Rachel's groups are bringing brunch. Sign up here. 

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2017 Fundraisers

 Tuesday we started our 2017-2018 Fundraisers with Butter Braids and Yankee Candle sale to help cover our scholarships and childcare expenses.  This is a great opportunity for us to raise some extra funds and stay on budget as Crossroads MOPS will make 40% profit from both organizations!  

Changes from last year...

• New "Four Cheese and Herb" Butterbraid - Our rep said think Red Lobster biscuits with cheese!  It comes with marinara sauce.
• Yankee Candle has dropped their jar candle price.  They have also doubled online inventory to over 600 products so even more available there!

Our deadline is November 14th. 
Late orders will not be able to be accepted as we are cutting it very close for the Christmas deadline.

All money is collected NOW.
Checks are made to Crossroads Fellowship MOPS
If someone is ordering both Yankee Candle and Butterbraids, he/she can just write one check for both. 

Items ordered from Butter Braids and the Yankee Candle catalog will be delivered at our December 12th meeting.  

If you are not going to be here on that day to receive your order, please let your small group leader or Kara know at CrossroadsRaleighMOPS@gmail.com so we can make arrangements.

 Butter Braids pastries come frozen; allow them to thaw for 8 to 10 hours then bake!  

There are 8 flavors to choose from:  apple, caramel, cinnamon, cream cheese, blueberry cream cheese, bavarian creme, double chocolate, and strawberry cream cheese.

Need another order form?  Visit:

http://www.legacy-fundraising.com/Media/Default/2017/Fundraiser%20Flier.docx

 Yankee Candle products can be sold through the catalog or online.
There is no shipping charge if you order through the catalog. 

For ordering through the Yankee Candle catalog...

On your order form, fill in the form number, your name, phone number, organization (CrossroadsMOPS, and chairperson's name (McLendon).

 You do not need to include sales tax as we are a tax exempt group.

For ordering through the YC website...

You can also sell to friends and family all over the country through the Yankee Candle group fundraising page! 
You can provide e-mail addresses to our own group fundraising page.

The profits are applied to your selling total and our group's grand total.

The only difference than ordering on the order form is online ordering is direct shipping; it will not come to the church with our order form deliveries.  There is a shipping charge.

To set this up for your friends and family, go to

https://www.yankeecandlefundraising.com

Click on seller login.

 

 Complete "Sign Up To Be A Seller."
Our group number is 990056842.

For ordering through the YC app...

 Yankee Candle has a Mobile App! The App makes contacting family and friends even easier by sending messages through your contacts and social media posts!  It lets you load all your contacts from your phone, select who gets notified about supporting our group, and sends out one common message to all of them with instructions for how to order online. 

Online ordering (through website/app) is available until mid January.

If you were not at our meeting on October 10th, packets will be available at our next meeting.

You can go ahead and set up online ordering using the information above.   

Happy selling!

Freedom from clutter: September 26 meeting

This week we had our first opportunity to sit down and enjoy some time with the other moms in our small groups. We love play dates with the kids, but we all know that conversations often are interrupted during that time, so it is nice to have the opportunity for some uninterrupted time spent with the other moms in our group. 

We heard from Donna Roman who spoke about "Living a Clutter-free Life." Donna is a mom of three teenage girls and a former MOPS mom herself. She explained that living a clutter-free life is not simply about removing physical objects from the space around us, but it's about opening ourselves up to our family and to those we welcome into that space. Below are some of the highlights of her talk.

• When decluttering, start with your heart!
• Completing chores are not the goal of homemaking or of decluttering. When you treat motherhood and housekeeping as a cross to bear, the rest of your family will view it the same way. When your heart is in the right place, everything else will follow suit. 
• Ask: What is important to my family? What makes it a happy home to them? And then focus on those things!
• Doing things for your family will teach them to do things for others. 
• When entertaining, enjoy the people, rather than being focused on the "gathering." Be motivated by humility, rather than by pride. Don't clean to impress, clean to bless!
• The HOME matters, not the HOUSE.
• When you visit another person's home, take yourself out of the equation and admire the house, but don't look with envy or feel bad about yourself or your own home.
• If the state of your home is distracting, then find a spot where you can turn away from the clutter and focus on the people in front of you. What might you be missing by spending your time worrying about cleaning?

Practical tips for decluttering your home

• Start with 1 thing, rather than overwhelming yourself by trying to do too much.
• Limit what you do: Set a timer and accomplish what you can in that set amount of time. 
• Three rules to follow
• One home for everything - Every item has its place. Return to that spot when done using it. 
• Like with life - Keep all similar items in one place so they are easy to find and keep track of.  
• One thing in; one thing out - For every new item you bring into your home, give or throw away an item already in your home.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

• We have a big need for help with hospitality clean-up after our meeting. There are so many little details that happen every month to make MOPS happen for you, and we could use a hand with clean-up so we can all be heading home quickly. Rather than leaving the work to a few individuals who have to stay late, if we could get a few more volunteers to spare just 5-10 minutes after the meeting, we could get the work done much faster! If you have a heart to serve, we need you to help wipe down tables, collect childcare signs from the hallways, vacuum, & return table materials to our closet. Plus, it's a great way to get involved and meet some other moms in the group. Please join our Hospitality Facebook group to get more info. 
• Our next meeting is October 10. Becky & Jamie-Lee's groups will be bringing brunch. You can sign up for what you'd like to bring here.
• If you haven't already and would like to pay your dues, you can do so here by clicking on Register. (You do not need to fill out the whole first page again if you already registered through this site—just include your name at the top.)
• Also, like our public Facebook page & join our private group. We'll post announcements & enjoy some good conversation between meetings.
• If you'd like to purchase a T-shirt for yourself or for your kids, you can do so by filling out this form. It includes info on what shirts are available.

Kickoff for 2017-18 year of MOPS & MOMSnext

Welcome to a new year of MOPS. We hope those who were able to attend this week enjoyed the kick off meeting, and for those who may have missed it, we hope you'll consider joining us at our next meeting on September 26.

After each meeting, we'll email out a newsletter with any announcements and links that were mentioned, as well as a recap of what went on at that meeting. 

We kicked off this year of MOPS & MOMSnext with a stellar brunch, a few games and icebreakers, and a look at our theme for this year—Free Indeed. As an illustration of this theme, we displayed some "cardboard testimonies" of what challenges / lies / fears we have been freed or are being freed from in our lives.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

• Small groups have been assigned. You may have already heard from your group leader, but if you have not heard from her by Sunday, please send us an email to let us know. 
• Like our public Facebook page & join our private group. We'll post announcements & enjoy some good conversation between meetings.
• If you would like to pay your dues, you can do so here by clicking on Register. (You do not need to fill out the whole first page again if you already registered through this site—just include your name at the top.)
• Want to get more involved in our MOPS group? Join our hospitality team to help with set up and tear down before/after our meetings.
• If you'd like to purchase a T-shirt for yourself or for your kids, you can do so by filling out this form. It includes info on what shirts are available.
• Each small group is assigned a week to bring brunch (a total of 3 times). Ann & Karin's groups will be the first to provide food at our next meeting on September 26. You can go ahead and bookmark this link where you can sign up for what you'd like to bring. The full schedule for brunch is below. 

BRUNCH SCHEDULE

• September 26 - Ann & Karin
• October 10 - Becky & Jamie-Lee
• October 24 - Kristen & Rachel
• November 14 - Lacinda & Megan
• November 28 - Mindy / Amanda & Rosemary
• December 12 - Ann & Karin
• January 9 - Becky & Jamie-Lee
• January 23 - Kristen & Rachel
• February 13 - Lacinda & Megan
• February 27 - Mindy / Amanda & Rosemary
• March 13 - Ann & Karin
• March 27 - Becky & Jamie-Lee
• April 10 - Kristen & Rachel
• April 24 - Lacinda & Megan
• May 8 - Mindy / Amanda & Rosemary

We hope you'll join us on September 26 to hear Donna Roman speak about living a clutter-free life. If you have any questions before then, please don't hesitate to reach out. 

Popsicles in the Park Rescheduled

Due to rain from the tropical system expected tonight and tomorrow, our Popsicles in the Park event is rescheduled for Thursday!
Hope we'll see you the but if not we'll see you on September 12th!

 

Nature Play at Annie Wilkerson is cancelled because of storms tomorrow, May 23rd. However, come by a Tot Time at Laurel Hills or Green Road for some rainy day play!

Final MOPS of 2016-17: May 9

To all of you who joined us at MOPS during the 2016-17 year, we have loved having you as a part of our group. This year we embarked on a journey to Becoming Starry Eyed. We hope you found inspiration, community, acceptance, laughter and encouragement throughout this year. Please consider joining us for a new year of MOPS beginning in September where we will explore the theme of being Free Indeed. Check out MOPS International's description of what this theme will entail.

Currently, early registration for next year's MOPS is underway. If you register before May 25, you'll receive a discounted price on your MOPS membership, as well as be entered to win $25 off your local dues. Also, for every 10 moms who sign up in May, our group will receive a scholarship to help out a local mom who wants to join our group. You can register here! (Just click "Register.") The first meeting of the new year will be September 12, 2017.

Although we have a few months before the new year of MOPS starts, we'll still be getting together over the summer for some fun playdates. Every 2nd and 4th Tuesday we have planned a group-wide playdate. Our first one will be May 23 at Annie Wilkerson Nature Preserve. Take a look at our Facebook page to RSVP for the playdates so you'll be sure to get reminders about what is coming up.

Our final meeting this month was a great time of fellowship and wrapping up the year. One of our own moms, Amber Cullum, shared a testimony about having a heart of gratitude. What are 5 things you're thankful for today?

SPONSOR

Nanette Holt with AdvoCare sponsored our last meeting. You can visit her website to learn more about increasing energy and mental focus, weight loss, curbing sweets cravings and restarting a healthy lifestyle. 
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MOPS meeting: April 25

This week we watched a video from Lisa-Jo Baker called Aware of Anger.  Big points from the video on dealing with our big emotions and our kids' big emotions:

• Sometimes when I think I'm mad, I'm really just sad.
• My child is not the boss of MY emotions.
• We are like ticking time bombs that we need to work to diffuse.  Sleep, extra time, rest, and prayer are some things that can help us diffuse the bomb before it goes off.
• We need to protect our children, even if that means from ourselves and our own anger.

If you missed the video or want to see it again, you can find it on MOPS' Vimeo channel:

https://vimeo.com/162159232
password “starry eyed”

IMPORTANT - Please DO NOT share this video publicly; it is part of our Starry Eyed curriculum for chartering groups and is against MOPS International's copyright rules and speaker agreements to share.  

I know everyone is ready to see their child’s smiling face at pick-up, and the kids are even more excited to see us return! For safety purposes we are asking that you please wait at the entrance to your child(ren)’s classroom at pick-up, and let the teacher let child(ren) out to one mom at a time.  It might take a couple extra minutes, but we want to keep all our little people safe!

Also, the doors to the nursery and preschool hallways are closed during our meetings then reopened for pick-up. From now on those doors will remain closed after 9:45 and remain that way through pick-up.

If you have any questions or concerns, please e-mail me at CrossroadsRaleighMOPS@gmail.com.
-Kara

ANNOUNCEMENTS

• Our final meeting of the year will be May 9.  We will have a time of testimonies if you would like to share how God has been working in your life this year at MOPS.  Karin, Lacinda & Ann, and Mindy's groups will be bringing brunch. Here's how you can sign up.

•  Even though we only have one MOPS meetings left for this semester, we will have groupwide playdates all summer on the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays.

• We hope you are as excited about another year of MOPS as we are!  Reserve you and your child's spot with our group for 2017-2018 by paying your MOPS International dues.  You can pay online HERE or with cash/check at the meeting.
  
  
  
   

 SPONSOR

• Our sponsor was Pet Sitting by Barbara.  She serves the Raleigh area.  Contact her at 516-658-8076 or bbrymer53@yahoo.com.

MOPPETS

• This week, our kids learned about Jesus' time on Earth. They learned about the disciples and some of the things Jesus did during His ministry. 

MOPS Service Project - LuoPads: April 11

Each year, our MOPS group takes part in a service project to benefit the local or global community. This year, along with Crossroads Fellowship's women's ministry, we helped trace and cut materials to make LuoPads and supply women with feminine hygiene problems in areas of the world where they often do not have access to these materials. (You can get more information on the organization GAiN (Global Aid Network) USA and their work to address the special needs of women by supplying them with items often overlooked or left undiscussed.) 

If you're interested in continuing to help with this project, Crossroads' women's ministry will be working to finish putting the LuoPads together on June 17. All are welcome, not just women, but kids will need to be accompanied by an adult. 

ANNOUNCEMENTS

• We hope you are as excited about another year of MOPS as we are! Preregistration for the 2017-18 year of MOPS will begin at our next meeting on April 25. 
• Even though we only have two MOPS meetings left for this semester, we will be planning playdates over the summer on the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays. More information will be coming soon with details about the playdates.

SPONSORS

Our first sponsor this week was one of our own moms, Bethany, with SimplyFun, which offers award winning games that teach useful, real-world skills. Designed to be played in 30 minutes or less, these games help family connect and bring back the power of play. Check out Bethany's Facebook page for information on how to order. 

We also had Fox Will Fix It: Handyman and Landscape Services as a sponsor this week. You can find them on Facebook to see all of the services they offer and to contact them.

Thank you to both of our sponsors for the great raffle prizes you donated this week!


MOPPETS

The kids this week learned about John the Baptist and how he baptized Jesus. When he did, the spirit of God appeared like a dove and a voice from heaven said, "You are my beloved Son." 

Parenting with kindness: March 28

This week we heard an inspiring message from Kelly Bradford about parenting with kindness. Kelly is a mother of two, a foster parent, and a former public school teacher. Here are some of the highlights of Kelly's message. 

• There are 3 components to parenting: Correction, training and praise. We often put them in that order, but praise should be the main component we use. 
• When our kids are sad or upset, it's important to remember they are people and their experiences are important.
• We have to connect with our children emotionally. We need to listen to them and allow them to be heard.
• Treat your kids the way you would want to be treated. Be kind. Encourage them. Remind them you love them.
• Preschool children need 2 hours a day outside playing.
• It takes a child 2,000 times to learn a new social skill.
• Create opportunities to train your children.
• Help your children understand what type of "sharing" you expect from them. Be specific and set the right expectation.
• Teach your child to come for good things and praise. Rewards and repetition are important. Saying "come" is only effective it it's seen as a good thing.
• Teach them the scripts you want them to know. If you get stuck in anger, ask for help.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

At our April 11 meeting, we will be cutting fabric for LuoPads, which provide women in developing countries access to feminine hygiene products. Please bring sharp scissors, if you have them. You can also donate any flannel fabric to be used for making the pads. Be sure to check out the website and watch the below video to see how LuoPads are making a difference!

SPONSOR

Katie Weeks with Barefoot Books was our sponsor this week.  Children need diverse, inclusive and inspiring books: This is what Barefoot Books is all about. From the very beginning, their books have opened windows to other cultures and perspectives, while also providing children of all backgrounds and abilities with a much-needed mirror of their own experiences. Check out their website to see all of what they offer!

How Great is our God & MOPS Swap: March 14th meeting

We had such a great time during our annual MOPS Swap and we hope you did, too! Hopefully everyone was able to do a little spring cleaning, as well as find a few things they might have been looking for. Regardless, we were able to take a ton of clothes and household items over to Crossroads' Missions Thrift Store, where proceeds from sales go towards the church's short-term mission trips and benefit Deaf Opportunity OutReach. If you haven't already, you should definitely check out the thrift store! They open at 9:00 AM on Tuesdays, so you could always swing by after our meetings!

Prior to all of the shopping, we heard an amazing video message from Louis Giglio, discussing "How Great is our God." He beautifully put into perspective just how awesome the God we serve is and how, even though we are so small in comparison, He still cares for us and is always there when we call. You can watch the full message again here:


ANNOUNCEMENTS

• We have a change in the brunch schedule for the next two meetings. March 28 will be Mindy & Annette's groups; April 11 will be Becky's & MOMSnext. If you ever wonder when your next scheduled date is, or want to go ahead and sign up for a dish, you can do so here. 
• If you haven't already, please fill out this form to let us know if you will have additional children with you at our April 11th meeting (WCPSS Spring Break) or if you have plans to be out of town that week. This will help us ensure we have childcare covered for this week!

SPONSOR

One of our very own moms, Lindsay Dagerhardt, was our sponsor this week with her line of Norwex cleaning products. Norwex is a company dedicated to providing Safe Havens by dramatically reducing the number of chemicals in our homes. Norwex provides an alternative method for cleaning your home by offering microfibers that use only water to completely rid your home of dirt, grime and bacteria. Norwex products are eco-friendly and will save you time and money in your cleaning routine.

Please join her Facebook group, and visit her site to learn more about Norwex products.

28 Day Challenge Wrap-up: February 28th meeting

We wrapped up the 28 Day Challenge by hearing from our area MOPS coach, Paula Baker. She shared some of what is going on at MOPS, Intl. (and their goal of reaching 1,000,000 moms worldwide!) and her own experience at MOPS and with the 28 Day Challenge. 

It's not too late to decide on your One Big Thing. The point of this exercise is to challenge us to be intentional with our lives and step outside of our comfort zones. We hope everyone enjoyed the prompts each day and that it encouraged you to take a big step that you might not otherwise have taken.

ANNOUNCEMENTS

• MOPS Swap is our next meeting, March 14! Start your spring cleaning early and bring any items you are looking to pass along to someone else who might enjoy it. You can bring anything you want: Children's or women's clothing, toys, household items, etc. Anything that is not claimed by another mom will be donated to Crossroad's Mission Thrift Store, so nothing will go to waste!
• Our April 11th meeting falls over WCPSS Spring Break. If you will have additional children with you on that day, please fill out this form to let us know their names and ages so we can coordinate child care. Likewise, if you know you will be out of town that week, please let us know. 
• Save the date: Thursday, March 16 for the Good 2 Grow Kids Consignment sale. At our March meeting we will give out early entry passes to get you in that evening from 7-9 PM, before the public sale begins on March 17, plus a $5 off coupon!

SPONSOR

Our sponsor this week is AlliBeth Interior Design, which is a new concept that offers residential and commercial design for one flat fee. They offer 4 affordable packages with the intention of making professional interior design affordable for just about any budget. They help clients with anything from accessories to full-scale renovations. They are owned by two sisters, Allison Kniedler and Bethany Kuhnau. Allison is a certified professional home stager (and former MOPS mom). Bethany is finishing her architecture and design degree and will graduate in May.

Please check out their website and their Facebook page. Thank you, AlliBeth Interior Design, for the beautiful raffle prizes you offered to our group!

MOPPETS

Our kids this week learned about Esther and how she trusted in God and He used her to save His people. The older kids also made crowns out of pipe cleaners!

CRAFT

We did our own craft this week and made little notebooks to carry paper and crayons in our bag for our kids to color. Look how cute!

 

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