Monday, February 28, 2011 WOW-Zine

So, it's the last day of a short month, but I imagine all of us are glad to see it come. It means one more month of winter is behind us! Maybe we can start giving in to the spring fever that seems to strike around this time of year. Spring through fall is my favorite time of year, which I guess gives you a pretty good clue as to how I feel about winter. I don't mind the rain, but I really dislike the cold. Wish I could access my hot flashes on demand! They're never there when I need them!

Do you have some good ideas to share of how to make the most of the last month of winter? Do you have some soul talk you say to give yourself as much of a positive outlook as possible? Or do you find yourself spiraling into a this-cold-and-rain-will-never end frame of mind? Why don't you take a minute to give a friend a call and invite her over for coffee or tea? Better yet, think of someone you don't know well but would love to get to know better. Invite them over. It honestly doesn't matter if your house isn't perfect or you have no homemade goodies to go along with the coffee. What's important is that we make time for each other.

Many of us will get to spend a lot of quality time with each other this weekend. RETREAT IS FINALLY HERE! By Friday evening, a whole heartbeat of women will be gathered in Lincoln City to relax, rejuvenate, and renew our committment to love well. I've previewed Beth Moore's video called Loving Well and I'm excited for the rest of you to see it too. There will be wonderful little gifts awaiting you on your arrival, lots of good food, and best of all, each other! I'll be sending out a final retreat letter (Retreat Report #3) on Tuesday, with last-minute items. Driving directions will be included. Coming soon to an inbox near you!

Now to those of you who are unable to attend next weekend, stop crying! You have a chance to have a retreat of your own at Ashberry Lane the weekend of May 13th and 14th. While the house is not as luxurious as the retreat rental (there's no elevator at Ashberry Lane) there is still plenty of space to enjoy. I haven't figured out all the particulars yet, but we'll have one session on Friday night, and on Saturday a session in the morning and two in the afternoon. There will be time for viewing of the video in the home theater, as well as relaxing in the hot tub, surrounded by trees and no neighbors in sight. I've already heard from a couple ladies  who would like to attend, so I need to get an "I'll be there!" from a few more of you to be able to pull it off. I think I can do it for only $20 per person. So please check your calendar and get in touch with me. You know who you are!

We have a Women's Ministry Team meeting tonight, so by next week I'll be able to share more information with you about the Mother/Daughter event scheduled for Saturday, April 9th. In the meantime, keep that date open. You won't want to miss out.

This Wednesday we'll be meeting for Common Grounds at 6:30 at the church. It doesn't matter if you've never attended before--now is the perfect time to join us. I had already prepared the lesson on Saturday night, and when I sat under Pastor Pete's preaching this Sunday I was amazed at how well they connected. We've looked at how to tell our soul to Awake each morning. The last two times we delved into Look Up. This week we'll discuss Calm Down. It has to do with anger and peace and what place they have in our lives. We'll look at how to choose peace in the midst of difficult times. I think it's something we can all identify with, so I hope to see you there.

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