A big thank you to the wonderful women who came out for the Undeck the Halls party at church Friday night. It was sad to see all the beautiful decorations taken down, but that will make us appreciate them all the more when they get revamped next year! Kathy, Debbie, Amy, Cindy, and myself enjoyed eating pizza, talking, and working together.
All is quiet on the WOW front this week, but next week we'll start back with our usual schedule of Common Grounds and The Perk. I really hope many of you are able to make it to our times of Bible study. It truly is a wonderful time when we get together and study God's word and share our victories and challenges with each other.
On the horizon is the bowling party for women and girls (ages 8 and above) on Saturday, January 19th, 10:30 AM at Four Season's in Hillsboro. If you want to carpool, meet behind the church at 10. We'll bowl a couple of games, then eat lunch at the good restaurant right there. We had a lot of fun last year when we did this, so we hope you can join us this time.
photo by woodleywonderworks
{The post below is an excerpt from my new ebook, The Do What You Can Plan: 21 Days to Making Any Area of Your Life Better. It officially launches at midnight on New Year’s Eve but you can get yours now.}
I clearly remember driving down a
familiar road in my car. As trees whizzed by my thoughts were a blur
too. I mentally ran through my the list that always followed this
phrase, “When things are normal then I’ll….(fill in the blank with
“exercise, eat better, have a longer quiet time.” Suddenly I mentally
slammed on the brakes as I realized I had been having the same
conversation with myself on this same road for five years.
I whispered to myself, “Normal isn’t coming.”
That actually became the beginning of the “Do What You Can Plan”
because I resolved in that moment to begin making small changes now
rather than waiting for the perfect time later. Guess what? The perfect
time doesn’t exist. There will always be a complication, crisis, or what
looks like a legitimate reason to wait.
Start now or you may not ever start.
Whoever watches the wind will not plant; whoever looks at the clouds will not reap. Ecclesiastes 11:4
Oh, what you do may not fit the vision you’ve had in mind.
My ideal exercise plan consisted
of an hour at the gym every day. The reality? One some days it was
nothing more than doing a few squats while I blow dried my hair (yes,
that made the dog look at me funny.) But over time those little changes
added up and I began to gain momentum until a year later I realized in
shock that I had met my goals.
I’ve heard runners remark that
the hardest steps are the ones between your front door and the mailbox.
It’s so easy to say, “It’s too hot” or “I’m too tired.” Learning to
pound the pavement through all the seasons of life is one of the most
important aspects of becoming a runner. The same is true in all other
areas of our lives as well.
When we limit change or even
enjoyment in our lives to the times when everything falls into place
just as we want, it’s a bit like refusing to drive unless every
stoplight we come across is green. There will always be discomfort to
push through, setbacks to endure, mistakes to overcome. Yet in looking
back, those often become the most meaningful parts of our journey. That
resistance along the way shapes who we are in ways we often don’t expect
and we’re stronger for it in the end.
Life isn’t ever normal. Timing isn’t ever perfect. Conditions are never really right.
If you know this is something God wants you to do, move forward anyway.
Dare to do what you can because you serve a God who can do more than you can even imagine.
Blessings, my dear friends.
Sherrie Ashcraft, Women's Ministry Director
sherrieashcraft@yahoo.com 971-285-6699
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