Tuesday, June 24, 2014 WOW-Zine

Hello, friends! This is going to be super-short this week, as in addition to my church work and publishing work with Ashberry Lane, I'm also  preparing for hosting nearly 40 family members here this weekend to celebrate my parents' 65th wedding anniversary. What a wonderful legacy I've been blessed with! 

Both Bible studies will meet as usual, but we only have three more until we take a partial summer break. The study we're doing (Fingerprints of God) was specially chosen to be something that you can join at any point along the way. Meaning this week's lesson isn't dependent upon last week's. It's a lesson unto itself! So even if you haven't been with us, come for these last few weeks.

Sally is bringing treats Common Grounds, Wednesday at 6:30 PM. No one signed up for Thursday morning (The Perk) treats, so be sure to eat breakfast before you come, or your rumbling tummy may compete with my voice! Stephanie has graciously agreed to be our MIC for this week.

It's summertime, which means it's a great time to do something active as a group. So, Wednesday, July 9th, we're hiking to Lee Falls.  We'll meet at Neva's in Cherry Grove at 10:30. Bring a picnic lunch for you and your kids. She says the hike to the lower fall is pretty easy. Christine's young boys have made the trek. But I wouldn't expect a toddler to do so! The hike is only about a mile  or so long. The water is accessible from the bank, so bring towels, etc.
If you want to do a longer, more strenuous hike, some can go on to Upper Lee Falls. Even though it's just a casual day, please let me know if you're coming so I have an idea of how many will be participating. Feel free to invite friends too. 

The heat of summer days is approaching, and you may be of an age where you're wondering:

10 Ways to Know You’re Having a Hot Flash

CommentShare

516

Tweet

printemail

I’ve had friends ask me, “How do you know you’re having a hot flash?” Well, it’s the kind of thing that if you have to ask, you are probably not having one. But, we all get hot, sweaty, flushed and can wonder…”is this it?!” “Am I having a hot flash?!” So, from my vast, sweaty experience of the last 2 years, I will share my insights…

Here are 10 ways to know you are having a hot flash…

1. When your eyelids and earlobes sweat, you are having a hot flash.

2. When your family has icicles forming on their gloved hands while shivering in your home as you stand before the open freezer naked, you are having a hot flash.

3. When you feel like the entire continent of Africa is housed in your perspiring and flabby body, you are having a hot flash.

4. When you hallucinate about being strapped to a floating popsicle lost in the Artic Ocean in mid-January, you are having a hot flash.

5. When you say, “Is it hot in here or is it just me?” more than 12 times a day, you know you are having a hot flash.

6. When you can wring out enough sweat from your undergarments to flood the Sahara, you are having a hot flash.

7. When you walk outside in an ice storm and say, “Oh, it feels so good out here”, you are having a hot flash.

8. When you have to resist the urge to fill your pillowcase with ice before you go to bed, you know you are having a hot flash.

9. When you have to drink some hot chocolate just to cool off, you are having a hot flash.

10. When you have more than three fans in your bedroom blowing cool air on you while your husband shivers in flannel pajamas, you are having a hot flash.

So there you have it!

Until next week,

Sherrie Ashcraft, Women's Ministry Director

sherrieashcraft@gmail.com    971-285-6699

Tuesday, June 17.2014 WOW-ZineW

Welcome, ladies, to the first week of summer vacation and the usual cool weather that accompanies it! I seem to remember it being hot in California at the beginning of summer break when I was a child. But I guess not here in the beautiful Pacific Northwest! I think we're all being blessed by our new Bible study, Fingerprints of God. It's reassuring to know, and be reminded of, God's involvement in our daily lives. Last week we discussed how He is our refuge, just like the Cities of Refuge that were set up in the Old Testament for accused people to run to for protection. In the same way, we run to Christ when the accuser starts slinging lies about us. We also talked about Christ being The Rock, and how we're mere pebbles compared to Him. The we tied the two concepts together by realizing that the Cities of Refuge were surrounded by stone walls that people had to enter through in order to be safe. Just like people have to enter through Christ, The Rock, to be able to find spiritual refuge. We've got another good study on tap for this week, so please come join us. Our last study before summer break will be July 16th and 17th. And I'd like to give a special invitation to you women who work in the school system during the year to join us now that you're on break. Common Grounds meets Wednesday night at 6:30, and Rita has signed up for snacks. At The Perk on Thursday at 9:30, Nicole is on for snacks and Kristen is our Mother in Charge.  Circle the date of Wednesday, July 9th, on your calendar, as we've got a fun event planned for that day. We'll be meeting in Cherry Grove in the morning and hiking to Lee Falls. I've never been there and am waiting for more information from my source, but plan on bringing your kids that like to hike, as well as a picnic lunch. I'll have more specifics for you next week.

You Don’t Have to Try So Hard Today Holley, 2014-06-11 10:30 {all images are gifts for you to use and share however you’d like} Dear You, You don’t have to try so hard. I know sometimes you think you do. There’s a place inside that worries that if you let up for even just a little while, it may all fall apart—you may fall apart. But here’s the secret: you don’t have to hold yourself, your life, this world together. That’s far too much for any of us. Instead of holding it all together, can you let yourself be held by the One who loves you? He’s the One who told the weary to come to him. He’s the One who tells us it’s okay to lay our burdens down. He’s the One who invites us to a life not of perfectionism but of peace. He doesn’t require as much of you as you believe. It feels like he does because so many people have told you it’s true. But our God is not a taskmaster. Instead he’s a loving Father, and he wants his children to rest. Children are not meant to worry and work all the time. They’re meant to receive. What do you need from God right now? Slow down for a moment and tell him. Whisper the tiredness you feel. Tell him about your frustration. Put words to your suspicion that it’s all too much and you’re not enough. Then listen for God’s voice in return. Let him reassure you that he’s got you and he’s never letting go. Let him share with you that you are not responsible for results, only obedience. Let him free you from what weighs you down and instead lift you up with love. You don’t have to try so hard, get so far, run so fast. You only have to reach up to the One who promises to carry you like a daughter in his arms. All the way home. (inspired by Deut. 1:31; Matt. 11:29–30; 1 John 3:1) Until next week, Sherrie Ashcraft, Women's Ministry Director sherrieashcraft@gmail.com    971-285-6699

Tuesday, June 10, WOW-Zine

After last week's rough health-time for me, I'm almost back to normal. Be afraid; be very afraid! So both Bible studies are up and running as usual this week.

We don't have anyone signed up to bring treats for Common Grounds on Wednesday night at 6:30. I think all of you ladies have forgotten how to sign your name! So if you'd like to bring something tomorrow night, feel free. Usually when that happens we end up with several people showing up with goodies. Maybe that's why you haven't been signing up lately! The Thursday morning (9:30) Perk ladies have filled in many of the slots until we take a break the end of July. This week Carol R. is on for goodies, and Nicole is our MIC.

There's a HUGE event coming up for the youth of our communities July 18th-20th, and the team putting together this retreat could really use your help. Please read the following paragraph written by Laura Fordyce, and then the following one with updated information by Carole Clark, who is in charge of the food for this ministry. Please help if you can, even if just for one meal.

 We are collaborating with about 10 other churches from the Portland and SW Washington area to form one big youth camp...at NO cost to the kids.  This means if you know of anyone going into grades 6-12, please have them & all their friends contact Bryan to find out how to sign up.  It also means we need a lot of help, as we could get up to 300 youth attending.  The area I'd specifically like to invite you to help in is food.  Carole Clark, at Sonrise, and I are heading up this section of camp and are looking for people to come help prep/serve/clean up for a meal or two.  You don't have to commit to the whole weekend, just the meal that would work out for you.  Most of the prep will be done at Sonrise FG and the camp is just out in Gales Creek.  It's a very easy way for you to serve this summer, but we won't be able to do this without lots of volunteers! Please send me an email, text or give me a ring if you are interested in helping out in this area (or maybe something else) at camp.
Thank you!
Laura (971-244-2134)

I will be holding two informational meetings for how our summer camp 
meals will roll out.For those of you who have expressed interest in cooking/prepping food, we will be discussing the menu and cooking schedule.  For those of you who are interested in transporting/serving, I will be discussing the facilities we have at the camp and how we plan 
to go about serving meals.  These meetings will not take longer than one hour.

I have scheduled Saturday, June 14th, at 1 pm.The other meeting will be Tuesday, June 17th, 
at 7 pm for those of you who can't make Saturday.    These meetings will 
be in the church auditorium.(Forest Grove)
Please RSVP to me as soon as possible about attending.  And many thanks 
again for your willingness to serve our youth!

~Carole Clark 503-357-1854

This is Sherrie again. I know we have a lot of really good cooks with servant hearts in our congregation, so hopefully we'll have so many volunteers they won't be able to use everyone!

Until next week,

Sherrie Ashcraft, Women's Ministry Director

sherrieashcraft@gmail.com    971-285-6699

Tuesday, June 3, 2014 WOW-Zine

This week's WOW-Zine is going to be very brief, as I don't feel well at all. I'm in my third day of laryngitis, sore throat, and congested chest. Not the way I wanted to spend my 62nd birthday!\

Because of being sick, both Bible studies are canceled this week. So those of you who had signed up to do child care or bring treats are off the hook! I'll miss you all, especially since I didn't get to see anyone on Sunday because of being sick. But let's plan on getting back on track next week, okay?

Let me close with an important announcement/great service opportunity from Laura Fordyce. She wrote yesterday and said:
J" We are collaborating with about 10 other churches from the Portland and SW Washington area to form one big youth camp...at NO cost to the kids.  This means if you know of anyone going into grades 6-12, please have them & all their friends contact Bryan to find out how to sign up.  It also means we need a lot of help, as we could get up to 300 youth attending.  The area I'd specifically like to invite you to help in is food.  Carole Clark, at Sonrise, and I are heading up this section of camp and are looking for people to come help prep/serve/clean up for a meal or two.  You don't have to commit to the whole weekend, just the meal that would work out for you.  Most of the prep will be done at Sonrise FG and the camp is just out in Gales Creek.  It's a very easy way for you to serve this summer, but we won't be able to do this without lots of volunteers! Please send me an email, text or give me a ring if you are interested in helping out in this area (or maybe something else) at camp.
Thank you!
Laura (971-244-2134)

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