Monday, December 12, 2011 WOW-Zine

THIS IS PARTY WEEK, LADIES, so get your party on! You have two festive opportunities to choose from. Or if you really like to have fun upon fun, you can attend both! (That's what I'm doing!)

WEDNESDAY AT 6 PM is our Common Grounds celebration. By now you know the drill-- bring finger food, 4 dozen cookies and an extra tray if you would like to participate in the cookie exchange, and a $5 gift card. We'll have a wonderful evening together.

THURSDAY AT 9:30 AM is The Thursday Perk party time. Your job (should you care to accept it) is to bring 2 dozen cookies (extra tray), and a $5 gift card. Some women signed up to bring brunch items so we can enjoy a lovely breakfast together. My advise? Don't eat before you come! If you didn't sign up to bring food, we already have plenty, so don't worry about it. 

These two events will be the last time we officially get together until after the first of the year. The next Common Grounds is Wednesday, January 4th, and The Thursday Perk will meet the following week on the 12th. Mark your new calendars with those dates.

All these parties should really make us think about Zumba, right? Our Zumba schedule will be a bit different during the Christmas break. ZUMBA WILL MEET AS USUAL THIS WEEK. Next week only the Tuesday and Thursday 6:30 PM classes will meet. We won't meet again until the first week of January.

And now I'll leave you with a little Christmas quiz that you may want to use as a conversation starter around your dinner table this week. See how well you do! 



How well do you know the Christmas story?
Most of us know the general outline because we’ve heard or sung it or watched it being enacted in the Christmas programs that most churches offer during December. We know about the shepherds, the angels, the “Wise Men,” the star, the innkeeper, the long journey of Mary and Joseph, the baby in the manger, and we know about the gold, frankincense and myrrh. But how much of what we know is tradition and how much comes from the Bible?
For the last several years David Langerfeld, associate pastor of Harrisburg Baptist Church in Tupelo, has given a Christmas IQ test to his Sunday School class. I should warn you that this is a tough quiz. When I took it, I missed several questions. Try taking it first without checking the Bible to see how well you know the real Christmas story.
Click here to read the answers (along with a few additional comments from me).
1. Joseph was originally from... (Luke 2:3)
    A. Bethlehem
    B. Nazareth
    C. Hebron
    D. Jerusalem
    E. None of the above

2. What does the Bible say that the innkeeper said to Mary and Joseph? (Luke 2:7)
    A. “There is no room in the inn.”
    B. “I have a stable you can use.”
    C. “Come back later and I should have some vacancies.”
    D. Both A and B
    E. None of the above

3. A manger is a...
    A. Stable for domestic animals
    B. Wooden hay storage bin
    C. Feeding trough
    D. Barn

4. Which animals does the Bible say were present at Jesus’ birth?
    A. Cows, sheep, goats
    B. Cows, donkeys, goats
    C. Sheep and goats only
    D. Miscellaneous barnyard animals
    E. None of the above

5. Who saw the star in the east?
    A. Shepherds
    B. Mary and Joseph
    C. Three kings
    D. Both A and C
    E. None of the above

6. According to the Bible, how did Mary and Joseph get to Bethlehem?
    A. Camel
    B. Donkey
    C. Walked
    D. Joseph walked, Mary rode a donkey
    E. Horse-drawn chariot
    F. Who knows?

7. How many angels spoke to the shepherds? (Luke 2:10)
    A. One
    B. Three
    C. Multitude
    D. None of the above

8. What did the angels say/sing? (Luke 2:14)
    A. “Glory to God in the highest, etc.”
    B. “Alleluia”
    C. “Unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given”
    D. “Joy the world, the Lord is come”
    E. “Glory to the newborn King”

9. What is a heavenly host?
    A. The angel at the gate of heaven
    B. The angel who serves refreshments in heaven
    C. An angel choir
    D. An angel army
    E. None of the above

10. There was snow that first Christmas...
    A. Only in Bethlehem
    B. All over Israel
    C. Nowhere in Israel
    D. Somewhere in Israel

11. What is frankincense?
    A. A precious metal
    B. A precious fabric
    C. A precious perfume
    D. None of the above

12. In Matthew, what does “wise men” or “Magi” refer to?
    A. Men of the educated class
    B. Eastern kings
    C. Men who studied the stars
    D. Sages

13. What is myrrh?
    A. Middle Eastern money
    B. A drink
    C. An easily shaped metal
    D. A spice used for burying people
    E. None of the above

14. How many wise men came to see Jesus?
   A. 3
   B. 6
   C. 9
   D. 12
   E. We don’t know.
15. Where did the wise men find Jesus? (Matthew 2:11)
    A. In a manger
    B. In a stable
    C. In Nazareth
    D. In Saudi Arabia
    E. In a house
    F. None of the above

16. When the wise men found Jesus he was... (Matthew 2:11)
    A. A babe wrapped in swaddling clothes
    B. A young child
    C. A boy in the temple
    D. A grown man

17. The “star in the east” that the wise men followed... (Matthew 2:9)
    A. Stayed in the same place their entire journey
    B. Disappeared and reappeared
    C. Moved ahead of them and stopped over the place where Jesus was
    D. Was just a mirage
    E. None of the above

18. The wise men stopped in Jerusalem... (Matthew 2:2)
    A. To inform Herod about Jesus
    B. To find out where Jesus was
    C. To ask about the star
    D. To buy presents
    E. None of the above

19. Where do we find the Christmas story?
    A. Matthew
    B. Mark
    C. Luke
    D. John
    E. All of the above
    F. Only A and B
    G. Only A and C
    H. Only A, B and C

20. When Joseph found Mary was pregnant, what happened?
    A. They got married
    B. Joseph wanted to break the engagement
    C. Mary left town for three months
    D. A and B
    E. B and C

21. Who told (made) Mary and Joseph go to Bethlehem? (Luke 2:1-5)
    A. The angel chorus
    B. Mary’s mother
    C. Herod
    D. The shepherds
    E. Caesar Augustus
Don’t forget to check the online answer page to see how well you did. Your comments are always welcome. 
You can reach the author at ray@keepbelieving.com. Click here to sign up for the free weekly email sermon.

Monday, December 5, 2011 Wapato Wow-Zine

I'm sitting here listening to Christmas music courtesy of Pandora while writing to you. It's hard to feel Christmas-y when I look out the window and see the sun shining so brightly, but once I step outside and take a deep breath of that chilly air it changes everything. The Christmas tree (artificial this year) is up and decorated and the living room is festooned with box after box of decorations. Getting Christmas "put up" is always a messy proposition for me. Every year I think I'll find an easier way to do it, but so far that hasn't happened. But once everything is in the right place and darkness peers in the windows to see the Christmas lights and glowing candles, it's all worthwhile.

THIS WEEK'S EVENTS:
ZUMBA Monday and Wednesday at 4:15 Pm; Tuesday and Thursday at 6:30 PM

THE THURSDAY PERK at 9:30 AM Thursday at church. We'll have a great discussion about what we can learn from Sapphira, from Acts 5:1-11. 

Christmas is coming to Women of Wapato!  You have two parties to choose from next week--Common Grounds on Wednesday night, and The Thursday Perk on Thursday morning. Both will have a lot of similarities--food, a video devotional, singing, cookie exchange and $5 gift card exchange, plus time spent with good friends. But there are some differences. COMMON GROUNDS will meet at the earlier-than-usual time of 6 PM. That means we get to eat dinner together! So bring some type of finger food to share potluck style. Bring 4 dozen cookies and an extra platter for the cookie exchange.

THE THURSDAY PERK will meet next week at its usual time of 9:30, but in addition to our cookie and gift card exchange we will also share brunch together.(We'll discuss brunch items this week.) You'll also need to bring your gift card, but only 2 dozen cookies and an extra platter. 

I'd like to leave you with a good article that found its way into my inbox this morning. 

  RECEIVE - I REPEAT - RECEIVE

by: iBloom Associate, Betsy Ringer Betsy Ringer is our speaking expert and teaches entrepreneurs and women in ministry how to develop a signature talk; she also teaches on and provides products for The Personalities as well as other vital topics. She has recently spread our iBloom touch in the west as she is making San Diego, CA her new home. Last Christmas I experienced my 24th Christmas in Kentucky. That is where we raised our family and developed our Christmas traditions. Joys, heartaches, challenges, and great love filled those years of my life. A year ago, moving to California was not on our radar. And here I am, about to experience my first Christmas in California. I’m looking at an artificial tree we just bought. For 24 years our family went to an Orchard/Winery and rode in a wagon to cut down our own fresh tree – in snow, cold, rain, sunshine. It was our tradition. Now I have a tree with lights already on it. There will only be three of us here this Christmas. In the past I had up to 15 people around for Christmas. This year I am looking at palm trees wrapped in lights and wearing short-sleeved shirts. What is this season for you? Is it carrying on with familiar events and traditions? Are your kids growing up? Is there grief you are facing? Are you just plain tired? This holiday season several friends come to mind. For one friend, this is her last Christmas. She is dying of liver cancer. Another friend is experiencing the season suddenly single after her husband of many years ended the marriage. And another friend is facing the season after bankruptcy. I know you have friends too who are experiencing a very different Christmas this year. Or maybe YOU are experiencing a season that is a little less than jolly. If this is the season you embrace a friend, loved one or stranger to help their holiday be cheerier, may the following words help you.  Or if you are the one who needs the cheer I pray you be encouraged with this simple message. Receive. Receive. Open yourself up to receive God’s grace and abundant love. When we are experiencing pain, grief, illness, change, or disappointment we tend to look back and yearn for what once was. Sometimes fear overcomes us and paralyzes us. And an invisible barrier goes up as our effort to protect ourselves but we are really just keeping out what just might bring us comfort and joy. Receive. Open yourself to receive. Receive God’s blessing – in a different form. Receive His peace and let it wash over you and through you. Receive hope for the bright tomorrow. Receive – notice – take in – the little, everyday gifts of Christmas. Allow yourself to truly experience the simple joys of the season. Let this list remind you to be open to RECEIVE:  A touch from a friend The sun breaking through the clouds A favorite song – hear the words, feel the music inside you A brightly wrapped gift – look at it, listen to the crinkle of the paper, imagine what’s inside God’s words that He is indeed with you; that hope is being born in you today; that He cares about your life eternally An unexpected blessing - a smile, a parking spot up front, a warm day, a card, a new recipe, an invitation Open yourself to receive and also to experience the moments. Let your barrier come down so you can: Taste, really allow yourself to taste, a Christmas cookie Hear the sounds around you – a crackling fire, bells, a piano, and even paper being cut, folded and taped. Watch a beloved movie like White Christmas, or Little Women and take in the scenes with wonder Enjoy a child’s excitement Sense a friend’s smile delivering love to you Look, really look, at the decorations in stores, restaurants, on houses. Receive the delight they convey. And open yourself to RECEIVE the joy of giving. Give to a friend who is grieving. Give to people who are in need. Give a hug to a dear one. Give a word of hope to someone else. And when you do, instead of crossing it off your to-do list, RECEIVE the joy of blessing someone else. The iBloom Team cares and desires to help every woman on the planet experience life to the fullest. We pray for a blessed holiday season for you no matter what stage of life you are in. We pray you will choose to receive the joys that God lays before you. We have written a book out of our own experiences of joy, grief, hardships, blessings, struggles, triumphs, and love. iChoose2 Love My Life helps people make life-giving choices in everyday life to move forward rather than be paralyzed by fear, looking back, or wishful thinking. There are 52 examples of choosing life and coaching steps to help this concept of choosing to be part of your everyday life. What a difference we have found this simple tool to make in the quality of our lives. We are convinced it will help you too!  Bless yourself and/or someone else with this brand new book!! Click here if you’d like more info or to order iChoose2 Love my Life by the iBloom Team.