Tuesday, April 28, 2015 WOW-Zine

Can you believe it's already the last Tuesday of April? Don't mean to scare you, but Christmas will be here before we know it! 

Before that, however, we've got a lot of good things we get to do together, including LIFE! The more time we spend with each other, the richer our lives become. Here are some possibilities for you to do that:

Late tomorrow morning (Wednesday) I'll be buying the tickets for the concert at Lake Bible Church on Saturday, May 9th, 7 PM. I've been thrilled at your interest in attending this concert focused on women's friendships, presented by the lead singer of Kutlass. Tickets are only $5, so if you want them at that price, contact me right away. If you don't get in on the group rate they're only $7, so it's not a huge difference. But with that $2 you'd save, you could put that toward going out to dessert afterward! This event is only for women and teen girls. I'll be contacting those of you who signed up sometime next week so we can figure out carpooling plans!

Our Feminini-Tea is Saturday morning, May 16th, 10 AM. Our theme, The Purse-uit of Happiness, will be enhanced by several of our women speaking on different "purse" words. Please let me know if you'll be attending, and how many guests you'll be bringing (age 5 and above.) Everyone other than table hostesses is asked to contribute a tea-type food to share, so have fun finding a fun recipe to fix. You're also encouraged to wear a dress and carry a purse (how could you not, with such a theme?!)

At our recent retreat several of you expressed interest in getting together with others to work on knitting or crochet projects, or to learn how to do those. Both Carol Gross and Sally Fivecoat are available to head up a time when ladies can meet to do that. If you're interested, please call or text Carol at 503-680-5542 or email her at rdgcagross@comcast.net.

It's been a while since I've shared a devotion from Holley Gerth with you, so want to leave you with this one:

Beauty Comes from Broken Places Holley, 2015-04-22 10:30 There’s an old story about two pots. One was perfect in every way. The other had cracks and broken places. Each day a woman filled the pots with rainwater she collected and then carried them down the path to her home. The first pot felt proud that she never leaked a single drop. The other felt ashamed because no matter how hard she tried, she spilled a lot along the way. One day the two pots overheard the woman talking with someone who lived nearby. The neighbor exclaimed, “The flowers along your path are so beautiful! What’s your secret?” The woman answered, “One of my pots is broken, and the water that spills out helps the flowers grow every day.” We think that we have to take what’s broken and make it perfect in order to be used by God and bless others. But God thinks in a completely different way. He took what was perfect, His Son, and made Him broken in order to bring us healing. So if you’re sitting there wondering if God can use you because your life is not as it should be, and your heart is aching—know that your greatest hurt will probably be your greatest ministry. Like the disciple Thomas who doubted until he touched the scars of Jesus, some people in your life need to see your broken places more than your victories. We’re all like the second pot in the story. God sees purpose in our brokenness even when we don’t, and He can use it to bring forth beauty that blesses those around us. Until next week, Sherrie Ashcraft, Women's Ministry Director sherrieashcraft@gmail.com    971-285-6699