Tuesday, February 2, 2016 WOW-Zine

Hello friends! Wow, already one month under our belt. And I saw on Facebook that the ground hog predicts an early spring. I'm all for that, and I'll bet you are too. It will be nice when the ground dries out a bit and we can get outdoors and enjoy it without feeling like we're in a Warrior Mud Dash! Don't you think it would be fun to plan a couple hikes as a group?

This week at The Perk, as well as at Common Grounds, we'll be finishing up Colossians Chapter 2 and getting in to the first few verses of Chapter 3. This is where things really start to get practical, so I know we'll have great discussions. Carol G. is bringing snacks (I almost wrote "sneaks") to The Perk, which is our study that meets at the church from 9:30-11 on Thursday mornings. (Childcare is available.) Then I teach the same lesson on Thursday evenings at Common Grounds (6:30-8), where Lauren is bringing something to go along with our coffee or tea. It's been great to have new women showing up at these nearly every week. There's no book to buy or homework to do. Just come with an open heart and bring your Bible and a notebook. If you're looking for deep friendships, this is a great place to find them.

I'm excited to remind you that registration opens this Sunday for our retreat April 8-10th. Guest speaker, Joy Roberts, will be joining us at "our" house in Lincoln City to share on the theme Who's Your Daddy? I know many women have not grown up in a household where their dad was all he should have been, and that experience can color a woman's concept of God. So please join us as Joy helps us discover who our daddy really is. The cost is $90, which includes four meals cooked by our own Janet and her team. (Start dieting now so you can enjoy one of her famous cinnamon rolls!) When you register by paying the $90 (if a check, make it out to Wapato Valley Church, but give it to me) you'll be able to select your bed on a first-come, first-served basis. Here are a few of your choices:





I had the privilege of spending nearly two hours visiting with Joy last week. You gals are going to love her! Spunky, vivacious, curious, insightful, and deep.  And the best thing?? She already knew how to correctly pronounce Wapato!!



When I woke up this morning and saw the fog, it reminded me of something I'd written waaaay back in January of 2009. But the truth is still the truth, and I close with this: 

Around the Bend

I awoke to beautiful sunshine Friday morning. Such a nice change from the arctic blast and snow of the previous month. When I opened the blinds and took a closer look outside, I saw the trees and driveway were covered with frost.

A little later I jumped in the car and headed to town to do errands. As I pulled onto the highway I noted the countryside was covered with white, but it wasn't snow. It's what we call pogonip, a Native American word for the icy fog that sometimes forms and encases the trees and each individual blade of grass with a frozen grip. Two curves later I entered a fog bank. Where was the sun? It had been streaming in my eyes just moments before.

For the next 16 miles I drove through the thick cloud, unable to see more than a few yards ahead of me. I got to town and did some errands, then headed to the grocery store. About two blocks from the store the weather changed yet again, and snow covered the ground. It fell against my face as I walked into the store, covered my windshield by the time I returned to my car. I retraced my way home, my headlights straining against the dense fog. Suddenly I burst out into sunshine and blue sky, but with the pogonip still painting the countryside ice-crystal white. The contrast of the icy trees against the azure sky was phenomenal. 

My simple journey made me think of my life. I wake up in the morning having no clue (no, don't stop the sentence there!) of what will happen that day. Of what will be around the next bend in my life. I may be walking in sunshine one moment, then suddenly halted by dark circumstances that surround me, making it hard to see more than a few steps ahead. And when I think it can't get any worse, it does! Then there are those times when the pogonip and blue skies come together, the harsh realities of life mixed with the hope of more luminous days ahead.


I'm reminded of the verses from Isaiah 42 where the Lord says,"I will lead the blind along a way they never knew; I will guide them along paths they have not known. I will make the darkness become light for them, and the rough ground smooth. These are the things I will do; I will not leave my people." What a great promise to hold on to, no matter what the weather in my life.

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