May 24, 2010

Welcome to

WOW-ZINE

Guess what? It's been two weeks since I last posted on this weekly blog! Sorry, but when the stomach flu runs through one's family, well ... it kinda takes it out of you!

My last blog was pretty long as I explained my vision for this blog. Today I'll try to keep it short. I don't want these so involved that you feel they take too much time to read.

Our summer calendar is beginning to shape up. I still don't have anyone that has offered to host us on Wednesday, June 2nd. It could be just a simple get-together at your house, with time to snack and chat. If no one steps forward for that night, we'll just wait and begin on June 9th.


Coming Events:

June 9th--Hot tub party at Ashberry Lane. This is for women only, so please don't worry about what you look like in a swim suit. I promise you, none of us care. I'll provide snacks. Feel free to arrive anytime after 6 pm.

June 16th--Picnic with the children. Time and place to be announced. (Man, I hope it's warm by then!)

June 23rd--Chick flick movie night at Ashberry Lane. We'll view Father of the Bride in honor of summer weddings.

June 30th--Spa night at Nathalie's. A chance for us to relax and rejuvenate together. More info to come.

From your Women's Ministry Director:

I'll be out of town most of next week. My folks and I are leaving this Saturday to meet friends in Southern Oregon for several days. I'll get home on June 2nd and leave again on the 4th to spend the weekend at the coast with John, celebrating my 58th birthday. I plan on having my computer with me, at least for the first part of the week, so please feel free to write! And you can always give me a call, especially in case of an emergency.

As you've noticed, this blog has changed its address. Thanks for bearing with me in that switch. All of you who were already followers at the first blog will need to switch over and follow here. (My goal as Women's Ministry Director is to make your life complicated, you know! Am I succeeding??)

Please be sure to tell friends who might be interested in what we're doing about this blog. I've appreciated all the comments that came in on the first blog, and regret that I wasn't able to move them over here.

When I get back from my travels, I'd like to high-light one woman as our Wapato Woman of the Week. You would be interviewed by me and I'd write an article about you to feature on the Wow-zine so others can get to know you better. Any volunteers?

Sherrie Ashcraft (971-285-6699) sherrieashcraft@yahoo.com

Monday, May 10, 2010
Welcome to
WOW-ZINE
(Edition 1)

Women of Wapato, are you ready for some fun? Ready to get out of boring ruts and change things up a bit? Ready to meet new friends and deepen relationships with "old" ones? Then have I got a deal for you!

During the summer, my goal as Women's Ministry Director is to have something going on for women every Wednesday. There's the possibility for a lot of different things:

Meeting at park for a noon picnic with our kids

Taking a hike (and I mean that in the nicest possible way!)

Working on crafts together (scrap booking, making jewelry or soap, etc.)

Taking the kiddos and meeting at a swimming pool (don't have a bikini body?-Great!)

Going to the beach for the day

Having a star-gazing party during a meteor shower (if we barbecue first, it could be a "meatier" shower!)

Hanging out at each others house

Going to 5Rock for a day of splashing in the the creek with our kids/grandkids

I realize your summer schedule is already busy (so is mine) but you've all expressed how much you enjoy spending time with each other. I don't expect any person to be able to attend every event, but that's okay. This will give us a chance to get together whenever you're in town and can make the time. Not everyone will be able to attend everything. But there should be something for each person's schedule and interest.

I hope to send out a WOW-zine every week so you can keep up-to-date on what our plans are. But this is to become more than just a way to post announcements. I can see this turning into a place where we let each other know about prayer requests and praises, spotlight one of the women to get to know her better, share creative things like poems or songs, give a word of encouragement or a devotional, and maybe even have a place to post things we're looking for, or things we'd like to sell. We can have an explosion of interactions on this page. Ka-boom!

HOW YOU CAN BE INVOLVED: Don't have a house big enough to host the group? No worries--just tell us to bring our own lawn chair and we can sit outside. Don't want to provide food for a large crowd? No worries--just supply drinks and ask us to all bring snacks or potluck food. Don't know how to provide entertainment and scintillating conversation? No worries--this group seems to do fine in that department without any help!

I'm looking ahead to providing special-interest classes, such as knitting, quilting, parenting, budgeting, etc. Do you have a skill you'd be willing to share with the rest of us? If you'd like to teach a short-term class on a specific subject, please let me know. We probably won't start any classes until the fall.

NEXT EVENT: Our final meeting of Common Grounds will be on Wednesday, May 19th. We're meeting earlier than usual so we will have the opportunity to eat together. (Always a good thing, right?) We're having a potluck at 6:30, followed by a quick wrap-up of Mocha on the Mount, and then an evening of some special things. (They're special, because I haven't figured everything out yet!) This is for every woman, including those who have had good intentions about coming to Common Grounds, but never got around to doing so. (Note: no childcare is provided.)

COMING EVENTS:

June 2nd--Open for the taking. Just give me a call.

June 9th--Hot tub night (women only) at Ashberry Lane

June 16th--Celebrate the first day of summer vacation with a women/children picnic. Location to be announced.

June 23rd--Movie night at Ashberry Lane Theater. Since June is the month of brides, let's watch "Father of the Bride".

June 30th--Provide an evening of relaxation at your home, especially for those hard-workin' VBS women!

FROM YOUR WOMEN'S MINISTRY DIRECTOR: I am so excited about what God has in the future for us Women Of Wapato. He has already laid a strong foundation as the result of the time we've spent together at Common Grounds, our openness at the retreat in March, and the many friendships between all of us. Now it's time to deepen those relationships with each other and the Lord. Let's show the community around us what it means to be a Godly woman. Feel free to invite your friends to our activities. Let them see how much fun a group of Christian women can have!

FEEDBACK: I need to know what you're thinking. Leave comments about anything you read on this blog. Share your ideas and insights. Send in your poem or devotional. My goal is to get to spend one-on-one time with each woman of our church in the course of the year. Let's get together for coffee or whatever. I've been known to invite myself over. (Right, Christine?!) Please call me whenever you need me. I want to walk with you through both the good and bad times of life. No woman should ever feel alone. Share prayer requests with me, as I want to know how to specifically pray for you. And if you ask me to keep things confidential, I most definitely will.

CONTACT INFO: Sherrie Ashcraft 971-285-6699 sherrieashcraft@yahoo.com