Monday, January 30, 2012 WOW-Zine

Happy Monday! For some of you, it's kids off to school as usual. For those who attend Gaston schools, your kids have a couple days off, which means you have an extra opportunity to spend quality time with those kiddos. For those of us who don't have children, it may just be a typical Monday morning of work and regularly scheduled programing. And for at least a couple of you (whom I imagine won't take time to read this blog this week),  you're "busy" relaxing on the sands of Hawaii. Wherever you are and whatever you're doing today, I pray you are aligning yourself with God's purpose for your life and that you are aware of His presence. That's one way to make it a good Monday, no matter what your life is looking like.

If you didn't see me at church yesterday, it's because I wasn't there to be seen! John and I got to celebrate a first-ever occurrence in our lives--the dedication of a great grandchild! Our two-month-old little Madison was dedicated to the Lord by our granddaughter Cassie. It was such a joy to be a part of standing behind Cassie as she promised to raise Madison in God's ways. 

THIS WEEK'S ACTIVITIES:

Monday and Wednesday at 4:15 PM--Zumba
Tuesday and Thursday at 5 PM--Zumba

Wednesday at 6:30 PM--Common Grounds
Ladies, a lot of you have been missing since we started up again after the Christmas break. I need to see your smiling faces this Wednesday evening! You know what a good time you have. Just make yourself get back in the habit of coming. After all, it's only twice a month that you have this opportunity to hang out with good friends and study God's word together. Oh, and did I mention the food?? This week we'll delve into The Woman at the Well in John 4: 1-47. This is a lady with a past and a present that is filled with sin, yet her future completely changes when she meets Jesus. It's a story that gives hope to all of us. 

UPCOMING EVENTS:

Wapato's Valentine's Dinner and Dance on Saturday, February 11th.
This delightful evening is something you absolutely don't want to miss. If you don't have a date, that's fine--just come stag. (Or would that be doe?) Everyone is encouraged to come share a special time together over good food, fun giveaways, and romantic music. Tickets are $10 a person, and childcare is provided at the low cost of $2 per child. What a deal! See Becky or any other of the youth workers to get your tickets. 

The Art of Marriage, presented by FamilyLife Today, Friday and Saturday March 16th and 17th at Wapato Valley Church.
Yes, you read that right. We get to have this wonderful event at our very own church! One of the most important things we can do as a church is to encourage our people to have strong marriages. Sometimes that's our personal goal, but we're not sure how to make it happen. Or perhaps we've just given up. The opportunity to have this video series at our church just popped up last week, and we've decided to take advantage of it. Details will be worked out soon, but for now you need to put it on your calendar. Make this a priority and anticipate the changes that you'll experience. (Note: This is the same Saturday that Selah is held on, which I've been advertising for the past few weeks. But I believe this marriage-building opportunity is of even more importance, so I'm encouraging all of us to be a part of this activity instead. It can be a weekend to remember!)

FURTHER OUT UPCOMING EVENTS:

Our Retreat

  By now, you should all know that our SeaSide Escape retreat is coming up April 13-15th at our beautiful beach house in Lincoln City. (The VRBO # is 309670--check out its fantasticnis!) (Yes, it's a new word, but one the world has been waiting for!) Cost is only $80, which includes two night's lodging and dinner on Friday and Saturday as well as breakfast on Saturday and Sunday. Just a reminder that registration will open on March 1st for women who regularly attend Wapato. Two weeks later we will expand registration for those who attend one of our Bible studies, and then if we still have room after that, we'll open it up for you to bring other friends. We are limited to a total of 40 women, and all ladies will be staying at the house and not going to motels. So be planning ahead, as you must pay in full to hold your spot. Through the story of Sarah and Hagar from Genesis, we will discover how God is active in our own lives. At each session we'll use an item you'd find at the beach to make this connection. It's a different style of retreat than what we've done in the past, and your Women's Ministry Team is looking forward to what God is going to do while we're there. 

Our Second Annual FemininiTEA-- Saturday, May 5th.  

Yes, I know that's waaaaay out in the future, but the future will be coming at us with the speed of sound, you know. Time to put this on your calendar and look forward to a special time with you friends and your daughters. (Hopefully some of them are one and the same!) We had a fantastic time together last year, and I can almost guarantee it will be even better this year. I know some of your kids will be involved with sports at that time, but you can still miss one game and come for some special female bonding time, okay?

So, that's the WOW news for this week. Let me leave you with these words of encouragement from Paul in Ephesians 4 in The Message: I want you to get out there and walk--better yet, run--on the road God called you to travel. I don't want any of you sitting around on your hands. I don't want anyone strolling off, down some path that goes nowhere. And mark that you do this with humility and discipline--not in fits and starts, but steadily, pouring yourselves out for each other in acts of love, alert at noticing differences and quick at mending fences. You were all called to travel on the same road and in the same direction, so stay together, both outwardly and inwardly.

Sherrie Ashcraft, Women's Ministry Director

sherrieashcraft@yahoo.com   971-285-6699

 
  

   

 

Monday, January 23, 2012 WOW-Zine

It's another Monday--time to remind you of what's ahead for the Women Of Wapato. Those of you who missed out on our bowling party Saturday should be kicking yourselves! We had so much fun, learned some new dance moves "guaranteed" to bring about a strike, got a little exercise, and ate a wonderful lunch. We'll have to do it again!

This week we've got ZUMBA at 4:15 today and Wednesday, and at 5 PM on Tuesday.  We won't meet on Thursday evening, as I will be gone for the afternoon and not back home in time.


THE THURSDAY PERK will meet this week at 9:30 AM. At Common Grounds last week we had a very interesting discussion about a lady named Herodias, and her daughter Salome, as found in Mark 6:14-29. It's fun to look at these stories with fresh eyes and not through the camera of a Hollywood movie director. 

COMMON GROUNDS meets next Wednesday, February 1, at 6:30. Ladies, you really need to get your game on. The Thursday Perk gals are beating you, attendance-wise. Something happened when we took off several weeks for Christmas break, and some of you have still not recuperated from it! Time to get back into your routine. We'll be studying a familiar story--The Woman at the Well. But as I hope you've seen through all these women we've looked at this year, there are always new things to be gleaned from these stories. So read John 4:1-38 and be ready to dig into the truths God has for you that you can learn from this woman. 

Wapato's Valentine's Dinner and Dance is slated for the evening of Saturday, February 11th. That's just around the corner! Tickets can be purchased from Becky or any other youth worker and cost $10 a person. It's the best deal in town! (And I'm not just talking Gaston, but the surrounding areas!) You'll enjoy a scrumptious dinner, special music and dancing, as well as great conversations around the table. This is always one of the high points of the year, as far as I'm concerned. You can get all dolled up in heels and a fancy dress, or just wear nice slacks and a top--whatever you'd like to do. Childcare is provided for a suggested price of $2 per child, and that includes their dinner over in the annex. All money made from this events goes to help fund youth events. So come out and support it and have a romantic evening in the process!

By now, you should all know that our SeaSide Escape retreat is coming up April 13-15th at our beautiful beach house in Lincoln City. (I posted the VRBO # in last week's WOW-Zine so you could check it out if you've not been there before.) Cost is only $80, which includes two night's lodging and dinner on Friday and Saturday as well as breakfast on Saturday and Sunday. Just a reminder that registration will open on March 1st for women who regularly attend Wapato. Two weeks later we will expand registration for those who attend one of our Bible studies, and then if we still have room after that, we'll open it up for you to bring other friends. We are limited to a total of 40 women, and all ladies will be staying at the house and not going to motels. So be planning ahead, as you must pay in full to hold your spot. Through the story of Sarah and Hagar from Genesis, we will discover how God is active in our own lives. At each session we'll use an item you'd find at the beach to make this connection. It's a different style of retreat than what we've done in the past, and your Women's Ministry Team is looking forward to what God is going to do while we're there. 

We also have another event available to you that is closer to home. In fact it's almost in your own back yard. The annual Selah conference is at George Fox University in Newberg on Saturday, March 17th. If we can get together a group of ten or more ladies, the cost is $33 for the day, including a sack lunch. We've gone for several years in the past and it's always been worthwhile. This year's topic is Getting Unstuck and speakers will address that from many different angles. If you would like to go, please let me know as soon as possible. 

So, I think that does it for this week. By the way, I'd love to get together with each of you on a one-to-one basis. Interested in going out for coffee? Just give me a call and I'll make it happen. Or you may find me calling you! I'd love to pick your brain about other things you're needing from Women's Ministries. Perhaps a Bible study in addition to those already offered? One that involves homework? Or a time for women to get together specifically to pray for each other? Or ...? Let me know what you're thinkin'. I want to help provide things that will help meet the needs of you women, but I need your help in knowing exactly what that is. Let's talk!

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

Monday, January 16, 2012 WOW-Zine

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Good morning, ladies! Isn't it nice that the kids have the day off from school and you were able to stay in bed and get a little extra sleep? Although I know some of you had to go to work yourself, so it really hasn't felt like a holiday for you. But hopefully you'll have a chance to chill tonight. (I KNOW you will if you happen to leave a window open in your bedroom!) Zoom down to Zumba this week. Janet leads a group on Monday and Wednesday at 4:15 PM, and I lead on Tuesday and Thursday at 5 PM. I've got some other dance-type exercise CD's that my group may be starting soon, just to change things up a bit.  Common Grounds meets this Wednesday at 6:30 at the church. We've got an interesting story we'll be looking at closely as we delve into a woman named Herodius. You can read about her in Mark 6:14-29. Wait 'til you see what can happen when a party gets out of hand! (Er ... I mean head!) I know none of us would ever be this kind of hostess, but there are still lessons we can learn from this shocking story.  Bowling Party at Four Seasons in Hillsboro this Saturday. We'll meet at the bowling alley at 10:30 and bowl a game or two, then treat ourselves to lunch at their restaurant. Feel free to bring your daughters who are age 12 or older. The cost is $4 per game, and $3.25 for shoes. I need to know how many lanes to reserve, so please let me know you're coming by Wednesday. So far I've had "yes-es" from Tami, her sister-in-law, Ellie, Susan, Heidi H., Janet, and myself. Don't let us have all the fun! In fact, we'll have a lot more fun if you join us! For those of you in the Gaston area, if you'd like to car pool, we'll meet behind the church at 10 AM.  Coming up Saturday, March 17, is Selah at George Fox in Newberg. I'm not talking about the singing group by that name, but of the one-day women's conference that they host every year. This year's theme is Getting Unstuck. The keynote speaker is Elisa Morgan, whom some of you may know from MOPS. The breakout sessions will explore such topics as: ~Getting Unstuck from an Abusive Relationship: Present or Past ~The Kids Are Packed, I'm Stuck Here with This Man ... Who Is He and What in the World Do I do Now? ~Getting Unstuck Spiritually   The conference begins at 9 AM and goes through 4:15. Lunch is included in the price, which is $33/woman if we get a group of ten or more. Otherwise it costs between $38-$48, depending upon the time you register. If anyone is interested in going, please let me know right away. Those of us on the Women's Ministry Team realize this is an additional expense when you're already trying to save up money for our spring retreat. Selah used to be in the fall, which worked out better with our schedule. But this is something right in our back yard, and we want you to know about it. SeaSide Escape is the theme for our Lincoln City retreat April 13th-15th. Cost is $80. We've got that huge, beautiful house that all of us will be staying at again this year. (Why mess with perfection? You can check it out at VRBO #309670) The thought of hanging out with a bunch of women can be intimidating if you've never gone to something like this before, but let me tell you, it can also be life-changing. Plus, our women really care about each other and want everyone included. This is your opportunity to build some life-long friendships, plus get a much needed break from your responsibilities at home. And it's a great chance for father-child bonding time! Registration opens March 1st, and you must be paid in full to be considered registered. So start putting that money aside now. Wapato's not-to-be-missed Valentine's Dinner and Dance is Saturday, Febraury 11th. If you've been before, you know what a fantastic evening that is! If you've never attended, you'll just have to take our word for it and try it for yourself this year. Becky will have more info out about it very soon, so be looking for that. And now I'll leave you with an encouraging word I got on-line the other day. I thought more people than just me may benefit from this gal's insight. You can subscribe to her daily email at Heart to Heart with Holley. When it feels like you might never be done... Hello Friend! We all have our quirks. So in the spirit of confession, here’s one of mine: I’m a bit of a stickler when it comes to getting things done. If I have a to-do left on my list at the end of the day it’s like a pebble in my shoe.  Anyone else ever feel that way? The thing is, it never gets all done. There’s always another dish to wash, another email to answer, another project to wrap up. That used to drive me just about wild. And wear me out. Then one day it seemed God whispered to my heart, “You are never going to be done.” At first I thought it must be the devil. And this southern girl was about to tell him where to go, y’all. But no, the whisper kept coming quietly and gently until I fully recognized the Voice of One Who Loves Me. And he confirmed it with Scripture too: He who began a good work in your will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. Two truths stuck in my soul from that one little sentence. First, while I’m good at “carryin’ on” (as we say in the South) that’s not what God means in this verse. He means that he’ll take on the weight, bear the burden, make sure that what needs doin’ will get done. Our part is simply obedience. Also, that good work in our lives is going to keep on keepin’ on until it’s complete in the day of Christ Jesus. In case you didn’t catch it, that’s code for “until heaven.” So as much as I may want to check off everything I possibly can, God is going to have more for me until the day I’m with him forever. Whew. That means I can lay day my completion compulsion and trade it for grace. I don’t know about you, but the new year tends to put my “get it done” self into overdrive. But we don’t have to do it that way this time around. God has it covered, friend. We don’t have to strive. Instead we can LIVE. With joy even.  Woo-hoo! Now that’s reason for some good “carryin’ on”—the kind complete with whoopin’ and hollerin’ and a little jig thrown in just because. What helps you trust God with your to-do list? Do tell. So that's all the news for this week. Hope you can join us at the various activities! Sherrie Ashcraft, Women's Ministry Director sherrieashcraft@yahoo.com   971-285-6699

Monday, January 9, 2012 WOW-Zine

Good morning, my friends! I always look forward to spending a bit of my Monday morning with you. I hope your first week of the new year went very well and that you're making good progress on goals you've set for yourself. I'm doing well on some, but still struggling with others. Life is certainly a process, isn't it? I think of that famous Philippians 4:13 verse that says, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." We all know that in our head, but sometimes struggle to get it into our heart. What I'm going to do this week is personalize the verse--take out the "all things" and put in what I'm working on. (Healthy food choices.) So my rendition of that verse reads like this: "I can make healthy food choices through Christ who strengthens me." What does your personalized verse look like?

THIS WEEK'S EVENTS:

Monday--Zumba, 4:15

Tuesday--Zumba, 5:00

Wednesday--Zumba, 4:15

Thursday--Zumba, 5:00

Thursday morning, 9:30--The Thursday Perk.

It's time to get back on schedule studying the Bad Girls of the Bible. This week's "lady" is Potiphar's wife. Read her story in Genesis 39 and look forward to a great reminder of the importance of purity in our lives. 

UPCOMING EVENTS:

Wednesday, January 18th--Common Grounds at 6:30.

I know a lot of you forgot about it last week, so put it on your calendar for next week. We'll be jumping over to the New Testament to study Herodias in Mark 6:14-29. You think your family is dysfunctional?? This lady takes the the fun out of dysfunctional!!

BOWLING PARTY--Saturday, January 21st. 

Place: Four Seasons in Hillsboro

Time: 10:30 AM (Meet behind the church at 10 if you'd like to carpool.)

Cost: $4 per game; $3.25 shoe rental

Guest list: You and your daughter (if they're 12 or older)

Fun eats: They have a restaurant where we can enjoy lunch afterward.

Please let me know if you're coming so I'll know how many lanes to reserve.   

WAPATO'S ANNUAL VALENTINE DINNER--Saturday, February 11th.

 More information will be available soon, but add this to your calendar now. It's always a wonderful time of being able to dress up (if you'd like) and have a tasty dinner and great entertainment and dancing. Child care is provided. Tickets will be available soon. 

A SeaSide Escape awaits you April 13th-15th at our wonderful retreat house in Lincoln City. This is the high-point of our year as we women gather for a wonderful weekend away from our daily responsibilities. We've been able to keep the cost down to $80 again this year. I know that can still sound like a lot, but you have time to start putting money aside in your underwear drawer so you don't spend it on lattes or something else! And you also have a chance to get your taxes back before then. Registration will begin on March 1st, and is limited to 40 women. For more details, see last week's WOW-Zine. 

For those of you who like to plan ahead, here is the schedule for our Bible studies for the rest of the year: 

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

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

 

  

   

Monday, January 2, 2012

Happy New Year, Ladies! Are you as ready as I am to get back into the routine? It's always fun to have days off of work, or the kids home on vacation, and have a chance to relax and not be under the demands of the clock and calendar as much as usual, isn't it? But after a week or two don't you long for a more normal rhythm to your life? I know I do, and I don't even have kids at home. (Though you'd never know it by the amount of grandkids who have passed through my door these past couple of weeks.) 


I want to let you know about a good organizational tool I found via Ann Voskamp, the writer of One Thousand Gifts. This lady is an author, a mother of a passel of kids whom she home schools, and she writes a daily blog. If anyone needs to be organized, it's her! She has a free download you can print out for each day and keep track of everything you need to do. Check it out at http://www.aholyexperience.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/dayplanner.pdf

Ann says, "If it matters, you make the time.

If it doesn’t, you make excuses.

Standing in an imperfect place is just the perfect place to begin, and everyday offers the hope of Day 1. His mercies are new every morning and this is a gift.

And then, at the end of the day, be done with the day because you’ve done what you could do. The accomplishment of a day isn’t so much about accomplishing goals but abiding in God, and this is the thing that needs remembering. True, the day may have stumbled and fallen, but in Christ we are the saved.

Tomorrow, it will descend like a fresh dew, a fresh snow, and it will come again —  Fresh grace all over again."

Are you feeling a bit sluggish this week? Have the party foods and family dinners caught up with you? It's time to get that vitality back into your life again, and one of the great ways to do that is through exercise. Therefore, ZUMBA RETURNS THIS WEEK! The Monday/ Wednesday group will continue meeting at 4:15, but there is a time change for the Tuesday/Thursday group. We're going to see how 5 PM works for us. We've had it later in the evening so that working women would have the chance to join us, but no one has! So we're changing it to the 5PM hour and will see how that works. That way you can put a casserole in the oven before you come to work out, and it will be ready for you to eat with your family as soon as you get home at 6. You won't have to leave the house after dinner to come exercise. 

Also resuming this week is Common Grounds at 6:30 Wednesday at the church. Our study of Bad Girls of the Bible continues with the story of Potiphar's Wife. Read Genesis chapter 39 to refresh your memory of the choices this woman made and how it affected the lives of others. The Thursday Perk will meet next week and take a look at the same passage. 

Hey, do you ever feel like you'd just like to knock some things over? If so, (and even if not) join us for a WOW Bowling Party on Saturday, January 21st. Plans will be finalized this week, so be looking for more details next week, but meanwhile put this date on your calendar. We're going to try to do it in the morning, followed by lunch, so you won't have to take the whole day away from your family. This will be an opportunity to "strike" up some new friendships, work on your "spare" tire, and maybe have a "turkey" sandwich! You are welcome to bring daughters twelve years of age and older with you.

Remember what's special about the weekend of April 13-15th? If you said it's my birthday, you'd be wrong. If you said it's the days you'll win the lottery, you're probably wrong. But, if you said, "It's the time of the awesome WOW retreat!" you would be right on!! Those of us on the Women's Ministry Team are planning a special time for all of us. Our theme is A SeaSide Escape, which is perfect since we go to Lincoln City. It looks like we'll be able to hold the cost down to $80 per woman again this year, which is a really good deal. Start putting your money aside now, as your spot isn't reserved until you pay in full. Registration opens March 1st  We have a strict limit of 40 women, and no one will be staying in a motel this year. Registration will be open the first two weeks to those women who regularly attend Wapato Valley Church. March 15th registration will expand to include those of you who come to Common Grounds or The Thursday Perk but attend church elsewhere. The last week of March we will open it up to anyone else. Don't worry if you're in the second group of registrants, as we're sure we'll have room for everyone that wants to go. We just need an orderly plan to make it fair. 

I hope some of you will leave comments on this newly-formatted blog so that I'll know I'm not talking to myself! I pray you all have a wonderful year walking with the Lord. Let me leave you with a New Year benediction written by Roy Lessin, the co-founder of Day Spring. His prayer is:

May the coming year be one of increased riches of grace—hearing His voice more clearly, knowing His heart more deeply, resting in His love more fully, trusting His care more completely, walking His pathway more peacefully, knowing His presence more intimately, blessed by His goodness more abundantly.

And in all things, may you know the shalom peace of God—encouraging you to move forward, empowering you to boldly take each step, greeting you as you turn a new corner, calming your heartbeat as you walk through dark valleys, softening each footstep as you climb rugged mountains, and increasing your courage as you follow your Shepherd wherever He leads.

You crown the year with a bountiful harvest; even the hard pathways overflow with abundance. The grasslands of the wilderness become a lush pasture, and the hillsides blossom with joy. Psalm 65:11-12 NLT

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