Monday, September 9, 2013 WOW-Zine

Good morning, ladies! Today's WOW-Zine is filled with lots of information, so let's just jump right in!

BIBLE STUDIES RESUME THIS WEEK!
Yes, after taking a break for the past six weeks, we're ready to gather together on a weekly basis to spend time in God's Word and in getting to know each other better. Our first topic for this year is going through the book of James via a Beth Moore study called Mercy Triumphs. And who of us doesn't need a little more mercy in our lives?
So, Common Grounds will meet every Wednesday evening from 6:30 to around 8. Can anyone bring snacks for this week? I'll have a sign-up sheet with me for following weeks, but it would be nice to have something tasty this week. Let me know if you'd like to provide it.

The Perk meets every Thursday morning from 9:30 to 11. We have childcare provided (you have the opportunity to contribute a dollar or two) by a MIC (Mother In Charge) as well as a youth helper. Ladies take turns helping in that capacity. This week Amy has stepped forward to do that, and Karen is bringing a yummy snack.

The Starlight Movie Night is this Saturday at 7 PM at Rita's house (48883 Patton Valley Road, Gaston.) Just head out toward Cherry Grove. You'll pass a dairy and then a nursery, which are both on the left. Rita's will be on the right, just past that. Look for balloons to mark her road! Bring warm clothing, your own seating (blanket, air mattress, or lawn chair) and a snack to share. Popcorn and hot cocoa will be provided. This event is just for women and will be a good time to just sit back and relax. We'll start the movie around 7:30, so that will give you time to visit before hand.

Women of Faith tickets are going quickly--I only have two left. (You can always purchase them on your own, but you wouldn't be seated with us and you'd have to pay a little more.) So if you plan on joining us at the Rose Garden the first weekend of October, you'd better get me your check right away. We will be staying in a motel that Friday night, and while I only have ten WOF tickets, I do have beds for twelve, which I would love to fill up, as that helps keep the cost down. The tickets from me are $81.

Have you ever been bothered by depression? Or have you wondered how to help a family member or friend who deals with it? We have a special event coming up on Saturday, October 19th, to help with that. Hope Floats ... Rising Above Depression is being offered as a resource to our women as well as to other women in our community. This free event will go from 10 AM to 3 PM that Saturday, with a guest speaker to share with us some of the types of depression, different causes, and ways to rise above it. We've got a wonderful team of women, each whom has dealt with this problem in one form or another, who is putting this together for you. We'll share more details as they fall into place, but I wanted to let you know about this now so you can save the date. We'd like to have a general idea of how many people to plan for, so please let me know if you're able to come.

If you've been at Wapato the past week or two, you know that Pastor Pete is doing a series on Work. The blog I read from our internet friend, Holley Gerth, spoke on that very subject today. I've included it here for you to contemplate.

How Your Work Can Make Your Life Better I know what it’s like to work in ways that drain you down to your bones. Ways that make you feel weary when you put your head on the pillow at night and fill your mind with restless thoughts. Ways that pull you away from the people you love most and make you think your worth is based on your performance. And I know what it’s like to work in ways that fill you up down to your soul. Ways that make you feel energized and alive even when it means getting up early and putting in a long day. Ways that make you feel more connected to God, those around you, and the core of who you are. All kinds of work are not created equal. Because one kind is man-made and the other is God-given God created the first human and placed him in Eden to “work it and take care of it.” But the fall happened. Afterward King Solomon described work in this world as, “toil and anxious striving.”  Then Jesus came. The changes he brought to our hearts are meant to the work of our hands. That means we can rediscover what work was originally intended to be. Work and taking care {Eden} are about being faithful with what God has entrusted to us and doing so with love. Toil and anxious striving {our own strength} are about trying to advance ourselves and being most concerned about what happens to us. Work and taking care mean ultimately trusting God for the results. Toil and anxious striving mean living like we must make everything happen ourselves. Work and taking care mean what we do is about relationships — with God, each other, ourselves, and whatever our hands touch in our work. Toil and anxious striving mean what we do is about using those around us and what’s in front of us for our own purposes. Work and taking care have an end and lead to rest. Toil and anxious striving leaving us feeling as if it’s never enough. Your work is not supposed to wear you out. Yes, you will get tired and sometimes frustrated. You will have battles to fight. You will sometimes need to do things you don’t want to do at all. But work is not supposed to feel like a hole in your heart that is draining away who you are one drop at a time. If it feels that way, something is wrong. Because God created work as a gift meant to fill us up and bring us satisfaction. And by work I don’t just mean a job–I mean whatever you do from day to day. I sat down this morning with a journal and made a list with two columns: What’s Working Well and What I’ve Learned From {I first wrote What’s Not Working Well for the second column but changed it because all experiences can teach us something}. I filled that page up and picked two things I wanted to do more of {just two not twelve}. I do this from time to time because I know my heart has a tendency to drift. You may be a focused, faithful worker. I’m more likely to be “toil and anxious striver.” And if I don’t intentionally choose not to live that way, I’ll go right back to old habits. I’ve learned I can do the very same task in two very different ways. Because it’s not about what you do, it’s about how and why you do it. I’ve got a feeling it’s gonna take a lifetime to really figure this out. I’m still working on it. Sherrie Ashcraft, Women's Ministry Director sherrieashcraft@gmail.com     971-285-6699