Monday, September 27, 2010

Welcome to a beautiful Monday afternoon. The sun is shining, the bees are buzzing, and it's hard to believe that fall is just around the corner. Enjoy this week to the fullest, as it may be the last of our really nice weather.


This past Saturday ten of us went to George Fox University for the Selah conference. This is a yearly conference for women and there were nearly 900 of us in attendance. It's kind of like a mini Women of Faith. The worship team was fantastic, and the keynote speakers were full of fun, energy, and wisdom. I think we were all challenged to find ways to simplify our lives. The sun was out by the time lunch break came around, so we enjoyed a casual picnic by the clock tower.

In the coming weeks I'm going to share some of the tidbits of wisdom we heard at the conference. So if those of you who attended would please send me things from your notes that really stood out to you, I'll publish those in the future. I'd like the other women to be able to be exposed to what we gleaned. And wasn't it funny that so much of what was said really fits in with our new Common Grounds study concerning self talk?

Speaking of Common Grounds, we had a great time together last week with 26 women present. But you know what? If you weren't able to make it, there's still room for you! Wouldn't it be something if most of the women of the church were learning about the same thing at the same time?

Our next meeting will be Wednesday, Sept. 29th, at 6:30 PM. We'll be looking at renewing our throught closet.

Selah Sharing: From Vicki Norris, one of the keynote speakers, I learned that it is possible to go from overwhelmed to order. We need to let our lives be aligned with God's order for things. The truth about order is it's about the process and not the final look. When we're living out of order we feel out of control, or like we're just hanging in there. We feel stuck, limited, and hopeless. This would be a great topic for discussion, so please feel free to leave comments and respond back and forth to each other.

Well, I think that's it for this week. Ladies, please know that I am here for you. If you have a prayer concern please give me a call or send me an email to let me know. And I'm always available to get together for coffee!!

Have a great week!

Sherrie Ashcraft, Women's Ministry Director  971-285-6699
sherrieashcraft@yahoo.com

Monday, September 20, 2010

My deepest apologies (I wonder how deep that is?) for not getting this post up earlier in the day. But it's Monday--what can I say? I've been in charge of the three grandkids since Thursday night. Last night it took one of them an extra long time to fall asleep as he was in pain. We all overslept this morning, but Josh didn't feel well enough to go to school. So my day has turned out differently from what I planned.


I'm sure that's never happened to any of you, right?! Days like this simply remind us that we are not in control of our lives, even though we may have a schedule all planned out. I hope you're learning, as I am, not to let chaotic days throw you, but to entrust them to the Lord's schedule. I glad He know's what He's doing!

This Wednesday at 6:30 is the beginning of our Common Grounds study entitled Self Talk, Soul Talk. Scroll down to last week's blog to get more info about the subject matter. There is no cost for this study, nor is there any homework. I believe in a guilt-free environment for Bible study. Now, if the Holy Spirit wants to provide a little conviction, that's one thing. But no guilt.
Just bring your Bible and a notebook, along with an open heart.

This is your last call to be able to attend Selah, this Saturday, September 25th, for the low price of $32, including lunch. I've sold the ten tickets I bought, but can order more through Thursday morning. So, if you'd like to go but haven't purchased tickets, give me a call and I can place an order for you. (971-285-6699). You can pay me by check at Common Grounds. Please make checks out to WVC.

Is anyone interested in attending the Women of Faith conference in Portland on October 8 & 9th? I haven't ordered the $89 tickets for that event, as first I need to know who wants them. Please let me know just as soon as possible, as I'll buy one just for myself if need be! :-(

We had a lot of interest shown for WOW providing classes to learn how to knit, crochet, and quilt. If any of you are well-versed enough to be able to teach any of those classes, please let me know.

By the way, there is now a WOW group on Facebook. Several of you have already signed up for it. Please let your friends know about it. Hope to see many of you on Wednesday night at 6:30.

Blessings,
Sherrie

Sherrie Ashcraft, Women's Ministry Director  971-285-6699
sherrieashcraft@yahoo.com

Monday, September 13, 2010 WOW-ZINE

Welcome to another Monday. The kids are all back in school and hopefully you'll have time during the week to sit down with a cup of coffee or tea and see what's ahead for WOW.


We had a wonderful time at our WOW kickoff potluck last Wednesday. New faces showed up (no, no one got a face lift--you know what I mean!) as well as some of us older wrinkled ones. The food was bountiful as well as delicious. Maybe we should have potlucks more often! Scroll down to the bottom of this entry to see pictures from the evening.

Next Wednesday, September 22nd at 6:30-8 at the church will be our first actual study for Common Grounds this year. I'm really excited about the book I'll be teaching from--Self Talk, Soul Talk. If you've ever found yourself talking to yourself, this study is for you. Not because of the simple fact that you talk to yourself, but because of what you're saying. Usually, we're not telling ourselves the truth. The words we say shape the way we think about ourselves. They influence our emotions, thoughts, and decisions. In this study we'll discover how God has made a way for us to make sure the words we say to ourselves are the words He would say to us!

Saturday, September 25th is the Selah conference at George Fox University in Newberg. The theme this year is It's Time to Simplify. You simply must make the time to come to this event! I only have five tickets left ($32, which includes lunch) but can get more for the same low price if we run out. Please let me know as soon as possible if you can go. We can arrange carpools. The sessions go from 9-4:15. Those of us who attended last year had a great time. You won't want to miss this.

All day Friday and Saturday, October 8 & 9, is the Women of Faith conference in Portland. Let's get a group together and invade the place! If you've never been, it's an absolutely fantastic time. If you've been before, you'll still have an absolutely fantastic time. Blocks of seats are still available, but I'll need to order the tickets soon. If we get a group of ten or more tickets, they're only $89. I say "only" with tongue in cheek, as I know that's a lot of money. I can only tell you that it's well worth it!  It will of course cost extra if we're able to get a couple of motel rooms for Friday night. So, again, please let me know as soon as you can if you're able to go.

And now, for those promised photos!

Sherrie Ashcraft, Women's Ministry Director sherrieashcraft@yahoo.com 971-285-6699

Monday, September 6, 2010 WOW-ZINE

Happy Labor Day!!
Did any of you actually give birth on Labor Day? If so, I'll give you a special prize for taking this national holiday so seriously!

I apologize for not getting a blog posted last Monday, but we were on a 12-hour trip back from California. Chrissy is really upset that I didn't keep my word and post one every week, but that's the only one I missed all summer, so I'm not going to let her guilt me to death. This one's for you, Chrissy!! :-)

We've got a lot of fantastic things going on, beginning with this Wednesday, September 8, at 6:15 PM at the church. Common Grounds, our womens' Bible study, will resume with a potluck and overview of the coming year. Bring a friend and a favorite dish to share. It will be fun to connect after our long summer apart. And I think you'll love the Bible study I have planned for this year, but you'll have to come on Wednesday to find out about it!

A few days later, on Saturday night at 6 PM we will share another evening together. All women are invited to Janet's for a salad potluck and movie night. We'll enjoy an old Cary Grant, Katerine Hepburn, and James Stewart movie called The Philadelphia Story.  Nathalie about got her face slapped when she told me she'd never heard of Cary Grant and this movie would be a history lesson!! Come check it out for yourself!

Saturday, September 25th at George Fox University in Newberg is this year's Selah Conference. The topic? It's Time to Simplify--Discover the Biblical truth that less is more. Sounds like a timely issue to get some new insights on, doesn't it? I have tickets available for $32, which includes lunch. The conference goes from 9-4:15. We'll meet in front of the auditorium at 8:30. Bring your Bible and notebook with you. You can buy tickets from me Wednesday night. I have eight left, and can get more if we need them. Checks should be made out to Wapato Valley Church. If you wait and buy tickets at the door, it will cost you $47, so plan ahead and get them now!!

Coming October 8 & 9 is the Women of Faith conference in Portland. It's much easier to attend if we spend the night at a motel in Portland, but that means we'll really need to plan ahead. I will get group tickets for that even also. I should have more info for you by next week's blog.

Whew! I told you we had a lot going on! I sincerely hope you can participate in each of these events. Women need to connect with other women, and these are great ways to do that.

Sherrie Ashcraft, Women's Ministry Director  sherrieashcraft@yahoo.com  971-285-6699