Monday, November 28, 2011 WOW-Zine

Hi, ladies! It's Cyber Monday, so I figured I HAD to get this WOW-Zine out to you today. It's all things cyber, all day long. Did you know there are rules involved for Cyber Monday? You're not allowed to talk to people face-to-face, but only on the computer through email, Facebook, or Skype. No actual hugs may be given today--only ones that look like (((hugs))). No cold hard cash may be tendered for any business transaction, but only credit cards may be used.

Okay, enough of that goofy stuff--it's time to get serious. And nothing is more serious than exercise. It's as serious as a heart attack (which it may keep you from having). It's a serious as those talks your mom had with you when you were a teenager and got home after curfew. Exercise is as serious as you make it! And we don't make it very serious at our Zumba classes. Nope, we just come to have the discipline of exercising with friends at least twice a week. So get ready to ZUMBA on Monday and Wednesday at 4:15 PM, and Tuesday and Thursday at 6:30 PM.  I really need you Tues./Thurs. gals to show up. You'd been doing great for a while, but last session no one showed up but me! And that's just no fun at all. I'm very boring when I'm all by myself!

COMMON GROUNDS meets this Wednesday at 6:30 PM at the church. Remember that old childhood taunt, "Liar, liar, pants on fire"? Well, we're going to take a look at a woman who was wearing hot pants even back in Biblical times. Sapphira has a beautiful name, but her heart turned ugly for just a little while and it ended up being the death of her. Check the story out in Acts 5:1-11. We'll have a great time of sweet eats, sweet fellowship, and a look at the dark side of a good woman. Do you think you can figure out a way to wear or bring something that ties in with the story?

THE THURSDAY PERK meets next week, December 8th, at 9:30 AM at the church. We, too, will be studying Pinocchio and how his nose grew every time he told a lie. Wait, I think I got a bit mixed up! We'll actually be looking at Sapphira also, so be sure to read Acts 5:1-11.

A big thank-you is in order to you women who showed up Saturday morning to help deck the halls of the church. I guess we really concentrated much more on the sanctuary than the halls, but my, it sure looks festive at Wapato now. We'll have our annual de-decking party on Friday, December 30th, at 6 PM. Bring $5 to cover your pizza and soda, and help us put the decorations away until next year. I know it's hard to even think about taking things down when most of us haven't put things up at our house yet, but just stick it on your calendar. 

WOW CHRISTMAS PARTIES are coming soon to a Bible study near you! Wednesday, December 14th will be the celebration for Common Grounds, and the following morning, the 15th will be The Thurday Perk's time to party. We'll have a cookie exchange, a video devotional, lots of time to visit and sing carols, and a $5 gift card exchange. (I know some of you have been plotting a special White Elephant gift all year long, but save it for next year. Women's Ministry likes to shake things up a little and not do the same thing year after year.) Be watching for an Evite (another great cyber tool) to show up in your mail sometime this week. 

Schedule for Common Grounds:

November  30th
December 14th
January 4th and 18th
February 1st, 15th, and 29th
March 14th
April 4th and 18th
May 2nd and 16th
 

Schedule for The Thursday Perk:
December 8th and 15th (yes, two weeks in a row)
January 12th and 26th
February 9th and 23rd                                         
March 8th and 22nd
April 5th and 26th
May 10th and 17th (yes, two weeks in a row)

Let me leave you with this thought from iBloom, a cyber magazine with great ideas for Christian women:

Get Mentally Prepared for the Holiday Season

The holiday season is spreading its wings before us. Maybe you have a childlike excitement about the upcoming holidays. Maybe you picture fun family times, laughter with friends, delectable smells, and memorable activities. Or maybe what’s on your radar is an overwhelming to-do list, expectations that are much more than you can handle, or memories that haunt you.

However you perceive the upcoming season, we encourage you to take a little time to prepare. Here are just a few steps to help you:

1. Know God’s presence. Stop throughout your day to sense God with you. Pray simple prayers throughout the day, “Thank you Jesus,” “I know you are with me, Lord,” “Grant me wisdom in this moment,” “My heart overflows with gratefulness.”
2. Think ahead about how you want this season to be memorable. Think ahead to January 1, 2012 – what will make you smile when you think back over the holiday season? Then focus on just 1-3 of those things to make your holidays memorable rather than busy and overstuffed.
3. Choose one person, family or project you can support (just one); plan one event that you would really like to go to (just one); and think of one activity that you want to focus on and look forward to (just one).  By choosing and limiting what we do, we can savor and truly experience the satisfying moments of the holiday season.

iBloom has a couple resources to help you make the upcoming season memorable. We have a new product called “Making Family Time Fun: Savoring Holiday Moments and EVERYDAY Experiences with Your Family” and our November iBloom Membership call, “iChoose2 Thrive During the Holidays: Making the Holidays Memorable.” We hope these opportunities will help make the holiday season more relaxed and joyful for you!

Sherrie Ashcraft, Women's Ministry Director

sherrieashcraft@yahoo.com   971-285-6699 

 

Monday, November 21, 2011 Wapato WOW-Zine

Welcome to Thanksgiving Week, ladies. It's the start of an especially busy time of the year for most of us. I hope we're all able to slow down enough to take time to really think about the many, many blessings the Lord has showered on us this past year. We have so much to be thankful for, don't we? Sometimes it's just hard to see it! If you're a Facebook user you've probably seen all the people that are listing something every day that they're thankful for. Whether you do that, or have a piece of paper beside your bed that you can jot something down that you're grateful for every night before you go to sleep, or whether you just keep a running list in your heart and mind, be sure to take time to thank our Heavenly Father for all He has done for you, to you, and through you this year.

Because this is Thanksgiving week, our activities will be pared down a bit. ZUMBA meets today only. (4:15) You'll have to work your Thanksgiving dinner off on your own, but join us next week for our usual Zumba schedule of Monday/Wednesday at 4:15 and Tuesday/Thursday at 6:30. 

This Saturday at 10 AM is our annual WOW Christmas decorating event . If you love to hang the ornaments just so, or drape the swags in just the right way, you're just who we're looking for! Or if you're like me and simply able to move a box of decorations from one room to another, just show up to help. We'll have some Christmas music playing, and maybe you'll want to drive through Scoggins Coffee and pick up a mocha to get you going. We'd love to see you there.

The next Common Grounds is November 30th, and The Thursday Perk will meet the following week, December 8th. We're going to jump over to a story in the New Testament (yes, there are Bad Girls there too!) and take a gander at a woman named Sapphira. You may not be quite so familiar with this story as some of the other ones we've covered, but it's a very interesting one. Read Acts 5:1-11 to prepare for this story. What to wear? Well, I don't really know on this one. Read it through and use your vivid imagination to come up with something that somehow ties in to this story. I know you can do it!

Schedule for Common Grounds: November  30th
December 14th
January 4th and 18th
February 1st, 15th, and 29th
March 14th
April 4th and 18th
May 2nd and 16th

Schedule for The Thursday Perk:
December 8th and 15th    
January 12th and 26th
February 9th and 23rd                                         
March 8th and 22nd
April 5th and 26th
May 10th and 17th


Don't forget our Christmas parties coming up soon! Common Grounds will be on December 14th, and The Thursday Perk on December 15th. We'll have a great time celebrating Christ's birth together. At both events we'll have a cookie exchange, $5 gift card exchange, and a video devotional. Plus lots of laughter and love. So put it on your calendar and don't miss out!


And don't forget, if you're interested in participating in an on-going coupon exchange, give Nicole Paz a call. She'd like to start this to help stretch your dollars.

I wish you all a most wonderful Thanksgiving. May you cherish your time with family and friends, and bask in the Lord's goodness to you.

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

Tuesday, November 15, 2011 Wapato WOW-Zine

Welcome, ladies, to an abbreviated WOW-Zine for this week. I don't mean I'm not going to spell all the words out, BTW, (oops, just abbreviated!) but that this will be short and to the point. I'm feeling under the weather today, but I should be fine by tomorrow.

If you're worried about Zumba today, don't be. Though I don't feel good enough to attend, my husband will open up the church and get the video set up, then leave and come back again when the class is over. That's at 6:30 today and Thursday. And don't forget Mondays and Wednesdays at 4:15. Next week, which is Thanksgiving week, Zumba will only be held on Monday.


Common Grounds meets tomorrow night, Wednesday, at 6:30 at the church. Remember what Bad Girl we're studying this time? You're right--Lot's Wife. There's a lot of good puns that can be made about her--think one up and share it with us Wednesday. Read through her terrible story in Genesis 19 and bring/wear something that has to do with salt.

Because Thanksgiving is next Thursday, I'm moving The Thursday Perk up to this week. So Common Grounds and The Thursday Perk will be back-to-back. I hope I don't run into myself coming and going! We enjoy coffee and snacks beginning at 9:30 AM. Your assignment is the same as noted in the paragraph above.

Keep in mind the Christmas parties coming up for both these groups. The one for Common Grounds will be on Wednesday, December 14th at our usual time of 6:30 PM. We'll have a cookie exchange (bring 4 dozen cookies and an extra platter to take cookies home) as well as a $5 gift card to give away in a gift card exchange. The Thursday Perk will celebrate the following morning, December 15th, at 9:30, also having a cookie and gift card exchange.

Speaking of exchanges, Nicole Paz has come up with a wonderful idea for all of you who would like to save a bit of money--a coupon exchange. She's not going to take it to the length some of those people do on Extreme Couponing on television, but she's got a good idea of how to get together and exchange coupons you don't use for those someone else might have that you want! This group would probably meet once a month. If you're interested in doing a little clipping and a lot of saving, contact Nicole at pazprincess@gmail.com or call her at 503-703-0069.

 Schedule for Common Grounds:
November 2nd ,16th , and 30th
December 14th
January 4th and 18th
February 1st, 15th, and 29th
March 14th
April 4th and 18th
May 2nd and 16th

Schedule for The Thursday Perk:
November 10th and 17th
December 8th and 15th    
January 12th and 26th
February 9th and 23rd                                         
March 8th and 22nd
April 5th and 26th
May 10th and 17th

I hope to see all of you at one or the other of the studies this week. I promise I'll be feeling fine!

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

Tuesday, November 8, 2011 Wapato WOW-Zine

So, what do you think of the end of Daylight Savings Time so far? Is it easier to get the kids down to bed because it gets dark earlier? Or are they waking up at 6 AM because it's already light outside? This change, like most others, has both pros and cons, but hopefully you find a way to make it work for you. 

THE THURSDAY PERK meets this week at 9:30 AM. I'd tell you which day of the week we meet, but it's so obvious I'm afraid you might pelt me with rotten tomatoes or something! Use scissors or hair in whatever you wear that morning as we take a look at that Bad Girl, Delilah. Read Judges 16 in preparation for our study. I can promise you a good time. (Just ask anyone who was at Common Grounds last week!) Upcoming Perks are November 17th,(because our usual day would land on Thanksgiving, and somehow I think we all already have plans) and December 1st and 15th. On that morning (the 15th) we'll have a special Christmas brunch, cookie exchange, and Christmas video.) Because of the Christmas holiday season, we won't meet again until January 12th. Oh, the Gaston School District does not have classes this Thursday, so if you need to bring older children along with you, feel free. Just have them bring a book or games or something to keep them occupied in a side room during our study.

COMMON GROUNDS meets next Wednesday, the 16th, at 6:30 PM. Which Bad Girl will we take a look at then? How about that upstanding pillar of the community, Mrs. Lot? You'll find  a "Lot" of things to think about as you read through Genesis 19:1-29. It's a sordid story with "Lots" (sorry, I couldn't help myself!) of troubling aspects to it. Not a feel-good Hallmark movie by any means. But you know what? There's some interesting lessons for us in there. So, try to figure out a way to work "salt" into your wardrobe for that evening. Or just bring your favorite set of salt and pepper shakers! Upcoming Common Grounds are November 16th and 30th, and December 14th. We'll take a break during the Christmas season and meet again on January 4th.

Were you thinking of starting ZUMBA this Wednesday? If so, think again, because the Wednesday class is cancelled this week due to scheduling difficulties. But you do have the option of attending tonight, TUESDAY, or THURSDAY at 6:30 PM. Last week four new gals showed up on Thursday and though they didn't know the steps, they still had fun. And I let them borrow the beginner's CD so they could practice at home. When they show up tonight they'll have more of an idea of what to expect. So see, you can join in at any time whether you have previous Zumba experience or not!

Thankfulness for Thanksgiving

Sarah Hamaker, Crosswalk.com Contributing Writer

A walk through a JC Penney department store in late October proclaimed the Christmas holiday in full swing. Garlands with red and green balls dangled from the ceiling and Santa references adorned walls and displays. One would think December 25 mere days away instead of eight-plus weeks in the future. 

With more retailers pushing Christmas by putting up decorations and advertising holiday items before Halloween, the November holiday of Thanksgiving has been pushed to the margins of our busy lives. “I think what has happened is that we have put the ‘holidays’ into one big blob,” says Judy Christie, author of Hurry Less, Worry Less at Christmas: Having the Holiday Season You Long For. “ We tend to always be looking ahead — we don’t enjoy each moment the way we could. … It’s really part of our culture to rush ahead.”

First Thanksgiving
Over the years, the original religious meaning of Thanksgiving has been vanishing from the day, along with its place as a separate holiday. Today’s Thanksgiving feasts now usually consists of lots of food, fellowship and football. Less emphasis is on thanking God for his good providence in the lives of the participants. This is a marked departure from the early celebrations, which were tied to gratitude of God’s mercy and provision.

Indeed, the whole purpose of the first Thanksgiving was to give thanks to God for a successful corn harvest. On a November day in 1621, Pilgrims from Plymouth Colony in Massachusetts invited the Wampanoag Indians to share a feast. That celebration, which became known as America’s first Thanksgiving, was followed by a second celebration two years later to give thanks to God after the end of a long drought. Throughout the New England colonies from that time onward, days of thanksgiving and fasting to God were held annually or occasionally.

In 1789, President George Washington established the new nation’s first Thanksgiving. Twenty-eight years later, New York was the first state to officially mark an annual Thanksgiving holiday. In 1863, during the midst of the Civil War, President Abraham Lincoln established Thanksgiving as a national holiday the last Thursday in November.

That practice continued until 1939 when President Franklin D. Roosevelt switched Thanksgiving to a week earlier in an effort to jumpstart retail sales for the Christmas holidays during the Great Depression. However, backlash against the change had Roosevelt signing a bill in 1941 to move the holiday back to the fourth Thursday in November, where it resides to this day.

“Thanksgiving is one of the purest holidays,” says William Thrasher, a graduate professor of Bible and theology at Moody Bible Institute and author of Putting God Back in the Holidays. “Thanksgiving doesn’t have the clutter that other holidays have.”
The day set aside to give thanks has no presents or much in the way of decorations associated with the holiday. “We should consider Thanksgiving as the beginning of the season of celebrating God’s abundance. We should treat Thanksgiving as a day of conversation and family time,” says Christie.

A Thankful Heart
Lately, people have begun viewing Thanksgiving as the beginning of the Christmas holidays. Thanksgiving doesn’t have to be a “negative trigger” for the approaching Christmas season, says Christie. “I like to think of it as the perfect day to change your outlook.”

With a little planning and thought, we can turn Thanksgiving into an attitude check for the rest of the year. “Thanksgiving heralds a really special time of the year,” says Christie. “We can use preparations for Thanksgiving as a way to identify what our priorities are and make decisions that align with our priorities.”

She suggests making a list now about how you want Thanksgiving and Christmas to look and feel like. “Think about how you want your year to end,” says Christie. “Thanksgiving is the start of a season full of joy and peace, so jot down some words to describe the season and write down what you’re thankful for.”

Here are some more ways to recapture the true meaning of Thanksgiving.

Focus on praise. Giving God praise can take the spotlight off of ourselves. “Scripture says we should praise God,” says Thrasher. He recommends using Bible verses, such as those from Romans 5 and 8, and Ephesians 1, to “prime the pump” of praise.

Expect things to go right. How many times do we approach Thanksgiving and Christmas thinking about all the things that could go wrong? Reorienting our thinking can make the season less stressful and more meaningful. “I’m a big believer in getting rid of Murphy’s Law that says ‘anything that can go wrong, will go wrong,’” says Christie. “How many of us focus on that instead of teaching our families to focus on anything that can go right, will go right?”

Write thank-you notes. Use November to write letters of thanks to those who have done something for you that you appreciated. Even children can find this activity rewarding, and you may be pleasantly surprised at what they are thankful for.

Have a prayer of thanksgiving before meals. Asking God to bless our food and families might seem like a no-brainer, but can be one of the things lost in our busy days. “That’s very simple, but in our rushed lives, it’s very easy to overlook,” says Christie.

Hold off on Christmas decorations. Don’t put up Christmas decorations until after Thanksgiving. “Doing Christmas decorating earlier doesn’t allow you time to savor Thanksgiving,” says Christie.

Count your blessings. Even if things are less-than-ideal now, most of us have things—both big and small—for which we can give thanks. “Two years ago on the day before Thanksgiving, my daughter was in an accident that nearly took her life,” says Cherilyn Fienen of Independence, Kan. “So the following year, I made a very big deal about Thanksgiving to celebrate the anniversary and to give thanks for her life.”

Give of yourself. Whether it’s helping out a neighbor or fellow church member in need or volunteering at a soup kitchen, serving others “makes our time more fulfilling and meaningful,” says Christie. Even if you can’t give monetarily, giving of your time can be a blessing to others during the holiday season.

Putting Thanksgiving in its proper place can help us to enter the Christmas season with a more joyful and relaxed attitude. “Thanksgiving is something we have to embrace ourselves,” says Fienen. “We have to make it as big and special as Christmas with our own Thanksgiving traditions and fun.”

“Even on our worst days, most of us have been given more than many people in the world,” reminds Christie. “I think Thanksgiving is an important day because it allows us to say ‘thank you’ to God for all we have been given.”

Sarah Hamaker is a freelance writer and editor, and author of Hired @ Home: The Christian Mother's Guide to Working From Home. She lives in Fairfax, Va., with her husband and four children, and is looking forward to savoring Thanksgiving with her family. Visit her at www.sarahhamaker.com.

Okay, ladies, that's it for this week!

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

Tuesday, November 1, 2011 WOW-Zine

Ladies, have you taken a few moments to enjoy the view today? No, I'm not talking about the TV show, but of God's wondrous gift of beauty to us. I drove into McMinnville this morning, thoroughly appreciating the way the trees have turned various hues as they've been kissed by the breath of Fall. Days like this make my spirit soar, and I hope you're having that kind of experience too.

ZUMBA ALERT! We will have class tonight at 6:30, but there is no class on Thursday, as we have a Women's Ministry Team meeting that night and there's no one to run the DVD for class. So come tonight, and then again next week. Plus you always have the option of coming on Monday or Wednesday at 4:15. Some of us were comparing notes yesterday and several were mentioning the weight loss they've experienced since starting Zumba. So if you're looking to lose a few, or just tone up, this is a wonderful way to make it happen.

COMMON GROUNDS--Yep, it's already been two weeks since our last time together. This Wednesday at 6:30 we'll be delving into Delilah. Read Judges chapter 16 ahead of time, and then come for an evening of shear enjoyment. I'll try not to be too much of a cut up as we try to figure this lady out. But hairs the deal--you're encouraged to make hair or scissors part of your ensemble for the evening. Be creative and have fun with it. And perhaps someone can give free haircuts at the end of the night!

CHRISTMAS IS COMING! I'm not trying to freak you out, but today's the first of November, which means next month is Christmas. It's not too early to be thinking about gifts for your loved ones. A fun way to find some out-of-the-ordinary gifts is by attending the Holiday Food and Gift Festival at the Portland Convention Center this Saturday, November 5th. Unless you bought tickets on-line last week through livingsocial.com, they are $16 at the door. If you're interested in going, please let me know. I'll have a signup sheet available at Common Grounds tomorrow night, and if you're not there, just send me an email or a phone call if you want to go. Neva, I already have you down!
  
THE THURSDAY PERK meets next week at 9:30 AM. We've got a wonderful group of ladies showing up for that study. (To prepare for next week, read Judges 16 and use scissors or hair in what you wear.) I love how we are growing closer to each other as we open up and share what God is teaching us as we go through these Bible studies. 

UPCOMING EVENTS--It's not too soon be thinking about our WOW Christmas Party on Wednesday, December 14th and The Thursday Perk Christmas Brunch on December 15th. These will both be special times as each group of ladies gets together for food, a cookie exchange (for those who would like to participate), and a fresh look at the meaning of Christmas.

And start planning for our Spring Retreat the weekend of April 13th-15th in Lincoln City. We'll be back at that wonderful beach house we stayed in last year. All women will be staying at the house (no motels this year) and our attendees will be capped at 40. Keep watching for more information.  

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