Tuesday, April 1, 2014 WOW-Zine

Happy April Fool's Day! Don't be afraid to read this, as I promise not to pull any pranks on you while writing this WOW-Zine. Well, I might throw a comma in where it doesn't belong, or add an extra exclamation point, but that's as wild as I'll get!!

I hope you all enjoyed having last week off for Spring Break. Things are back to normal this week, and then next week we'll have a different schedule because of our retreat. There will be no Common Grounds or The Perk next week. After that, we will resume our regular programming!

We've just started a new study called Cultivating Contentment, and it seems to have struck a chord with many women. Contentment doesn't come naturally to most of us--we have to learn it. We'll be spending the next couple of months digging deeper into this subject. Some of you asked me for all the Bible references we looked at in our first lesson, so here they are: Phil. 4:11; Job 10:1; Prov. 30:15; Ecc. 6:3-7; Rom. 8:19-21; Is. 55:2; Ps. 63:5;Ps. 90:14; Jer. 31:3,4; Rom. 5:5; Ps. 145:16; Prov. 23:4,5; Prov. 30:7-9; and Ecc. 5:10. Our assignment for this week was to ask God to search our heart for signs of discontent. To ask the Holy Spirit to bring to light the kinds of disappointment that allow bitterness and anger to take root. And lastly, to ask God to show us what we've been turning to in order to satisfy the restlessness in our heart. 

We have no one signed up for bringing goodies to Common Grounds tomorrow night (6:30), so be sure to eat before you come, or bring food with you! For The Perk (9:30 Thursday morning), Stephanie is bringing snacks, and Anastasia will be our MIC.

All you ladies who are attending retreat will be getting another letter from me today or tomorrow. So keep your eyes peeled for that! 

If you aren't able to attend retreat this year, remember I offer the mini-retreat at my house the first weekend of May. Cost is only $10 and you'll be able to experience part of what the rest of the ladies do at Lincoln City. Of course there's no ocean, no outlet mall, no four-story house with elevator, but other than that, it's just the same!! Just let me know if you want to attend.

Just two weeks after that, on Saturday, May 17th, we'll hold our annual Feminini-Tea. Our theme this year is The Purse-suit of Happiness. (Yes, that's the kind of thing my mind comes up with in the wee hours of the morning when I can't sleep!) Bring a favorite or special purse as part of your outfit. This is a chance for you and your daughters and friends to dress up a little or a lot and enjoy the morning together. We begin at 10 A.M. and will be finished by noon, so you'll still have a lot of the day available. I'll soon start asking for ladies to volunteer to host a table, which involves bringing tableware, silverware, etc. Everyone attending will bring tea food to share buffet-style. Start inviting your friends now.

Let me end with a word of encouragement from our blogger friend, Holley Gerth.

Remember Who You Really Are {Coffee for Your Heart}Holley, 2014-03-26 14:00 Dear You, When life crowds in on us and pushes us hard, we can forget who we are. We start to look around us and think, “Is this me? Is this who I am now?” Our perspective gets blurred, and the enemy tries to persuade us that we are not the woman God has told us we are—the woman he’s promised we always will be. Life has ups and downs for all of us. So whether you’re at the end of a hard day, in the middle of celebrating, or somewhere in between, there’s some truth you need to hear. And it’s this: you are not your circumstances. In all the moments of your life, you are a woman of grace and strength. Even when you feel weak, you have divine power within you that is able to get you through anything. And you are loved far more than you can even imagine. How you feel today, what you’re facing, even what others may say doesn’t change that—and never can. Who you are is secure forever. And you are a daughter of God, a holy princess, a woman who is chosen and cherished. Nothing and no one can take that away from you. You have within you a God who is bigger than your bad days and stronger than your circumstances, and he will never let you go. He has promised that nothing will defeat you and no one can stand against you. So keep pressing forward, friend. Hold your head up high and know that you are loved. Yesterday. Today. Tomorrow. Whatever has happened or is yet to be can’t change that even a little bit. And it can’t change who you really are—a beloved child of God who belongs to and with him forever. Until next week, Sherrie Ashcraft, Women's Ministry Director sherrieashcraft@gmail.com    971-285-6699