Tuesday, December 31, 2013 WOW-Zine

Happy last day of 2013 to all of you! It's hard to believe, isn't it? You know, I don't think we  need to be wasting our breath debating whether global warming is real or not or how fast the polar ice caps are disappearing. Instead, we need to begin an investigation into how the days, weeks, and months are slipping away so quickly! How do they evaporate right before our eyes?When I get put in charge of running the world, that's what I'll spend my energy on. Seriously, I hope you've all had a special time, in one way or another, during this holiday season and that you're ready to jump into a new year.

Just a few reminders in this WOW-Zine. This Friday at 6 PM is our Undeck the Halls event at church. Bring along $5 for pizza and help us store our lovely Christmas decorations for another year. (Please let me know you're coming so that I get enough pizza.) Then, beginning around 7 PM, we'll have our first Game Night of the year. Bring a game and a snack with you, and let's have fun together!

We are providing some meals for Christine and Aran Hoffmann to welcome the arrival of little Isaac to their family. There is only one day left to fill, and that's next Monday. You can all race to 
http://www.TakeThemAMeal.com/meals.php?t=BKUG0811 and sign up for that evening. Christine is asking that meals be delivered between 4-5 PM. Thanks for helping out, ladies!

Our first baby shower of the year will be for Hollie Stamps on Saturday, January 18th, at 10 AM at the church. This is your personal invitation to join us in celebrating this little blessing. More details will be forthcoming, but put this on your calendar now.

We're still on break from our Bible studies, but they will resume NEXT WEEK, January 8th and 9th. As we continue through our study of the Book of James, we'll be discussing James 4:1-6. Mark your new calendars now to remind you to come join us on either Wednesday evenings at 6:30 for Common Grounds, or Thursday morning at 9:30 for The Perk. 

Until next year,
Sherrie Ashcraft, Women's Ministry Director
sherrieashcraft@gmail.com    971-285-6699

Tuesday, December 17, 2013 WOW-Zine

Are you a little bit busy, ladies? Yep, that's what I thought. So this will be short and to the point.

Both Bible studies meet this week, and we'll be finishing up James chapter 3. We are halfway through the study now, but it's never too late to jump in. Common Grounds is Wednesday at 6:30 PM, and The Perk is at 9:30 Thursday morning. Adrienne and Pam are bringing snacks on Wednesday, and Kristen S. is on for The Perk, with Anastasia the MIC. 

After we meet this week, there will be no women's Bible studies until the first full week of January--the 8th and 9th.

A big thanks to Amy for hostessing such a wonderful WOW Christmas Party last Saturday night! Wasn't that fun?? If you missed it, well, you missed it! So much good food and laughter. I just love our ladies!

I need to hear from you regarding the Undeck the Church party on Friday, January 3rd. This is when we take down all the beautiful decorations, and to make that job a bit more palatable, we toss in some pizza and soda. But, that means I need to know how much pizza to purchase, so I need you to contact me. It costs $5 a person for that. We'll meet at the church at 6 for de-decorating and eating. Then at 7 we hope even more ladies will show up for our first Game Night of the year. 

Our first baby shower of the year will be for Hollie Stamps on Saturday, January 18th, at 10 AM at the church. This is your personal invitation to join us in celebrating this little blessing. More details will be forthcoming, but put this on your calendar now. 

Those of you who keep good tabs on our Women's Ministry schedule will realize that a Sew 'n Sew event was planned for that day. Because of some health issues Shellee is dealing with, that has been put off indefinitely. 

Since next Tuesday is Christmas Eve, I won't be sending a WOW-Zine out that day. So let me just take this opportunity to wish all of you a very merry Christmas. I'm so blessed to have all of you in my life!

Until next time,
Sherrie Ashcraft, Women's Ministry Director
sherrieashcraft@gmail.com     971-285-6699

Tuesday, December 10, 2013 WOW-Zine

It's your week to SHINE, ladies!

WHAT: WOW's SPARKLY SWEET & SAVORY PARTY
WHEN: Saturday, 6 PM
WHERE: Amy's, 7755 SW Bracken Dr., Cornelius
BRING: A sweet or savory dish to share for dinner, PLUS a wrapped sweet or savory item for our gift exchange.
ADDITIONAL DETAILS:
~ Wear something sparkly
~ Bring slippers or carry your sparkly shoes to change into once      
you're inside, so we don't track mud in.
~ If you'd like to carpool, meet behind the church at 5:30 PM. We'll leave from there at 5:40, so don't be late!

Our Women's Bible Studies meet this week and next, and then we're off until January 8th and 9th. So don't miss out on our last two times together this year! We'll be looking at James 3:3-12 this week. I'll see you at Common Grounds Wednesday night at 6:30 (Rita is providing snacks) and at The Perk Thursday morning at 9:30. (Carol R. is bringing snacks, and Keisha is our MIC.) Both groups meet at the church.

On Friday, January 3, 2014, we'll be taking down the church Christmas decorations for another year. This is not an activity for only the Women's Ministry Team, but something we'd like you to help with. We'll meet at 6 PM for pizza and soda as we un-decorate, and follow it up with a Game Night! If you can't make it there until 7 for games, that's perfectly fine. We just thought it would be great fun to start the year off having fun together! Please let me know if you're coming for pizza and soda so I can get enough. Cost is $5. (Women and teen girls only.)

April may sound like a long way off, but it will arrive sooner than you expect! It's not too early to start planning ahead for our annual Women's Retreat at "our" house in Lincoln City. That happens the weekend of April 11th through 13th. Cost will remain at only $80 once again. Just a reminder that this is a child-free event, meaning that even nursing babies are not able to come. We know that many of you nursing mothers miss the retreat, so I'll be doing something special in May for those not able to come to retreat. 

As you continue in the busyness of this time of year, here's a great thought for you from our friend, Holley Gerth:

Grace for Your Unmerry MomentsHolley, 2013-12-09 13:00 photo by steve p200 Confession: Sometimes I have a bad attitude at the holidays{please tell me I’m not the only one}. I want peace on earth but then I wind up feeling tempted to run over people with my shopping cart when they’re rude. I want to spread cheer but then I get PMS and just want to spread chocolate on every surface I can find. I want to shine brightly like the lights on a Christmas tree but then I get too busy and just want to say “lights out” so I can get some sleep. I used to feel guilty about this quite a bit. What kind of person was I if I got all grumpy at the most wonderful time of year? And besides that, it’s the birthday of Jesus. Surely I must be a heathen and not know it. Dang. But then I realized this: Even if the holidays are here I’m still human. And there’s not some super-spirituality switch I can flip on like the lights on the Griswold’s house at Christmas. No, ma’am. Struggling at the holidays is just proof that what Christmas is all about is true: I need a Savior. And the same grace that covers me the rest of the year is there for me in my unmerry moments, too. Does this mean I just do and say whatever I want? Nope. But it does mean that when I mess up and fall short of the expectations of myself and others, it’s okay. It’s not a time for guilt and condemnation. It’s a time for celebration because the moments when I fall are when the message of Christmas means most of all. Crazy? Yep. But so is sending the Son of God to be born in a manger. The whole gospel is full of surprises and upside-down thinking. That’s the wonder of it all. So if you’ve been threatening to give yourself a lump of coal for Christmas because you just can’t seem to get it together, take it a bit easier on yourself today. Remember that you’re loved, accepted and that God doesn’t want perfection from you. Instead he wants to give you whatever it is you need–perhaps a bit more patience, some laughter and a lot of extra grace. And you can share all of those good gifts with your friends, family and even the person you thought about running over with your shopping cart, too. Until next week, Sherrie Ashcraft, Women's Ministry Director sherrieashcraft@gmail.com   971-285-6699

Tuesday, December 3, 2013 WOW-Zine

It’s the first Tuesday of December, and if you’re like me, you’ve already dug out those bins of Christmas decorations and have started to make your house look festive. As we hang lights and ornaments on trees, let us also remember to hang them in our heart. The Bible says God’s Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. It’s so easy for us to head down the wrong path at this time of year by falling prey to the advertising blitz that bombs us so hard. What if we would try to keep the celebration of our Savior’s birth within the confines of our circumstances? In other words, to spend within our means and lead our children by example. To focus on the needs of others rather than to overindulge in more things that we don’t need. 

And those ornaments that grace our Christmas tree? As we hang them, or sit back and enjoy the finished product, let’s take time to think about the things we’re displaying in our lives. What attitudes are we putting out for the world to see? Are we showing peace and patience and mercy, or are we reacting out of our tiredness and becoming short-tempered and irritable? Imagine a Christmas tree covered in ugly, broken ornaments. That’s what we sometimes offer the world when we don’t keep ourselves focused and walking in the light of God’s word.

So there you have it—just a few thoughts from my heart to yours!

It’s time to take up where we left off in our Bible studies. This week we’ll be studying James 3:1-5 as well as finishing the Beth Moore video that we started at our last study. All women are invited to jump in at any time. Common Grounds meets Wednesday evening at 6:30 (Viv is bringing treats) and The Perk does the same lesson on Thursday morning at 9:30 (Sharon is bringing our snack, and Kristen S. will be the MIC.) We just meet for two more weeks after this before taking a long Christmas break.

A reminder that our WOW Sparkly Sweet and Savory Christmas Party is on Saturday, December 14th, at 6 PM at Amy’s. (7755 Bracken Dr., Cornelius). We can car pool from behind the church, so will meet there at 5:30 and leave at 5:40. Please bring a sweet or savory dish to share for our dinner, as well as a wrapped sweet or savory item for our fun gift exchange. Remember some of the fun stealing that occurred last year? Get ready for it to happen again! Since it’s a sparkly party, don some of your best bling. As I said during announcements on Sunday, it doesn’t even have to be tasteful bling! If you’re comfortable in slippers, bring them along so we can help keep the Great Northwest outside Amy’s house rather than dragging it in. If shoes are part of your bling, just bring them along to change in to after getting inside. Just a reminder that this event is for women (defined as upper-high school age or older) and friends. Husbands and children must be left at home or in the trunk!

Doesn’t the church look beautiful as a result of the hard work a crew of ladies put in last Saturday? Savor it as much as you can, as you know the saying about all good things must come to an end. That time for our Christmas decorations will be on Friday, January 3rd. You’re invited to meet at the church at 6 PM for an Undeck the Halls Party. If you’re coming, please let me know ahead of time, as for $5 you’ll get to enjoy pizza and soda while we work, and I need to know how much to get. Then at 7 we’re going to have our first Game Night of the year. We had a great one last month, and it’s time to do it again. Feel free to bring a snack along to share during that time. We’ll just make an evening of it!

Thanks for spending this time with me today.
Until next time,

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