Tuesday, April 22, 2014 WOW-Zine

I hope you all had a wonderful Easter celebrating the resurrection of our Lord. It was great to be able to attend both the Good Friday service and the Sunday service with so many of our church family. We need to remember to celebrate our new life in Christ every day, not just once a year. 

At the end of church I noticed that little Braxton Tuning was making his Wapato debut. What a cutie he is! Don't forget we're providing meals for the Tunings this week, and we still have a few days available for you to sign up at
http://www.takethemameal.com/meals.php?t=HXUI3580&welcome=1. Chrissy's dad is visiting them, so that's why it says there are three adults and three children to provide for.

We're continuing a very practical Bible study entitled Cultivating Contentment. Have you ever tried to go 24-hours without complaining one eensy weensy bit? It's harder than it sounds, yet something we all need to work on. Come join us at Common Grounds on Wednesdays at 6:30 P.M. or at The Perk on Thursdays at 9:30 A.M.  No one has signed up for treats on Wednesday, so let me know if you'd like to bring something, or if we should all diet!! Carol R. is bringing the snack on Thursday morning, and Karen F. is the MIC. Thanks, ladies!

The mini retreat is nearly here--the first weekend of May. So far I just have four ladies who have told me they're coming, though I easily may have missed someone. I have Lori A., Keisha, Christine, and Charlotte. l have room for more, so please let me know if you'd like to attend. I'll be sending special letters out to you attendees later in the week, with the schedule and the information you'll want to know. This will be very relaxed and laid back. There's no way we can do all the extra things that were incorporated in the main retreat, but we'll have fun and get to watch the video of the teaching sessions. Cost is just $10 and can be given to me at any time between now and then. Make checks payable to the church and just write "mini retreat" in the memo section. Remember, non-mobile babies are welcome!

Just a little heads up--our Bible studies will continue throughout most of the summer. We'll probably go through July, then take the month of August as a breather before starting back up by mid-September. 

And now, some encouragement from my favorite blogger:

Finding Hope in Unexpected PlacesHolley, 2014-04-16 14:00 Suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. Romans 5:3-4 When I first read the verse above, I wondered if my Bible had a typo. Wasn’t hope supposed to be at the beginning of the list? That’s certainly where I wanted it to be. I didn’t like the idea of going through suffering, perseverance, and character to get to hope. My thoughts reflect our culture today. We view hope as an emotion rather than an outcome of choices we make. We also think hope should be automatic. Then when we don’t find it right away, we despair. But this passage makes it clear that hope is a process. The first step in that process is suffering. Loss is a part of life. We’ll all endure hardship and heartache on this side of heaven. When we suffer, we have two choices: press on or give up. Jim Rohn once said, “We all must suffer from one of two pains: the pain of discipline or the pain of regret.” If we choose discipline and perseverance, then this pattern gradually becomes part of who we are—our character. Character doesn’t change based on circumstances or who is watching at the moment. As Dwight L. Moody said, “Character is what you are in the dark.” Character also becomes a light in the dark because it eventually results in hope. This kind of hope is not a vague feeling or wish. Instead it’s a deep knowledge that you and God can get through anything together. That’s the heart of hope: choosing to walk with God through the valleys of life and finding that He will never leave you–and that you will never leave Him either. We all wonder how our faith will fare when challenges come our way. If you’re still reading this, my guess is you’re choosing perseverance and character. You’ve faced what you never wanted, and your faith is surviving, perhaps even thriving. Even if you have doubts, fears, and many difficult moments, you’re pressing on and moving forward. And I’m cheering you on with every step…no matter how small or slow. Take heart, friend, you are doing better than you know. Jesus is with you. Your sisters are for you. And hope is on its way. Until next week, Sherrie Ashcraft, Women's Ministry Director sherrieashcraft@gmail.com    971-285-6699

Tuesday, April 15, 2014

I know it's late in the day to hear from me, but a lot of you probably don't check your e-mail until the evening anyway. It's taking me a couple of days to recuperate from the wonderful retreat many of us got to experience this past weekend. If you weren't there ... we missed you! And you'll have another opportunity next April.

We're back to our regular schedule for Bible study now. One group (Common Grounds) meets on Wednesday from 6:30 PM to 8. Then on Thursday mornings from 9:30 to 11 The Perk meets. Both groups are studying how to cultivate contentment. This week at The Perk, Karen is bringing something yummy, and Stephanie will be the Mother In Charge (MIC) of childcare. 

CHANGE OF PLANS! CHANGE OF PLANS!!
The tea that I've been telling you about is not going to happen next month after all. Turns out that day was not working for a lot of people. We're going to wait and do something probably in early September, whether it's a tea, or a luncheon, or .... 

Be watching for a sign-up to provide meals for Chrissy and Bobby Tuning and their family as they welcome their newest member, Braxton. Congratulations, you guys! Meals will begin next week.

Wedding bells rang on a cold, snowy Saturday back in February for our newest bride, Linda Palacios. Now we have an opportunity to give her an April shower this Saturday at 3 PM at the church. Let Laura F. know if you're coming. David and Linda are registered at Target. 

Don't forget about the mini retreat I'm offering at my house on May 2nd and 3rd. We recorded the speaker at our retreat this past weekend, and I'll be sharing that video with you on Friday night and Saturday. Cost is only $10 and non-mobile babies are welcome. Just let me know if you'd like to come. 

And now, like I often do, I'll leave you with a devotional thought by blogger Holley Gerth. I know a lot of you are going through some difficult times right now. I hope you find encouragement in this:

You’re Doing Better than You Know {Coffee for Your Heart}Holley, 2014-04-02 14:00 Dear You, You’ve been in the middle of so much lately. It’s probably hard to pause for even a moment, but I’m inviting you to now because there are some words you need to hear—words of affirmation and encouragement. You’re a wonder. You’ve persevered when it would have been easier to quit. You’ve kept going when you felt weary. You’ve pushed through to what God has for you. And that, my friend, is extraordinary. It may seem like no one sees, no one notices, no one even knows. But let me reassure you that the loving eyes of God have watched every step. And he has not just watched—he has walked beside you all the way. Sometimes when we’re on a journey, we’re so focused on what’s ahead that we can’t see what or who’s behind us. So let me tell you what the view would be if you took a moment to look over your shoulder. You’d see hearts that have been encouraged by your bravery. Lives that have been inspired by your faithful love. People who will never be the same because of the faith you quietly showed along the way. It can be easy to believe that if the road has been rough, we must have taken a wrong turn. We worry that somehow we’ve missed the path that would have let God use us. Let me set those fears at ease: you are making a difference right where you are today. While you get nervous that you may wander, the rest of us are in wonder at the journey you and God are sharing together. So keep going, friend. You’re walking steadily. You’re moving forward each day. You’re leaving footsteps of faith for many to follow. Your life is a journey that’s more beautiful and powerful than you can fully see right now. (Is. 43:2; II Tim. 4:7; Heb. 12:1-3) Until next week, Sherrie Ashcraft, Women's Ministry Director sherrieashcraft@gmail.com    971-285-6699

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

If I can get this written and sent within the next fifteen minutes, I'm allowed to tell you "Good morning!" But I'm really cutting it close. Those of you who have signed up for retreat should have received a letter from me this morning, so that's what has taken up my time and made the WOW-Zine a bit later than usual. That's my story, and I'm stickin' to it!

Thanks to those of you who showed up for our bowling party last Saturday. That was really fun, wasn't it? It's hard to develop our bowling skills when we just do it once a year, but I loved how supportive we were of each other's attempts. And some of you were pretty good!

Our Bible study schedule is going to be a bit wonky over the next few weeks, so be sure to pay attention. We do meet this week, but won't meet next week, because of spring break. Then we meet the following week (the first week of April), but don't meet the second week of April, due to retreat. So it's an on again, off again, on again, off again schedule. 
Meet--March 19th and 20th; April 2nd and 3rd
Don't meet--March 26th and 27th; April 9th and 10th
After that, we'll be back on our regular schedule!

Remember that Common Grounds meets on Wednesdays at 6:30 PM, and The Perk (child care provided) meets Thursday mornings at 9:30. This week Kristin L. is bringing treats for Wednesday, and Amy is covering that on Thursday morning, with no one signed up to be the MIC. Do I have a volunteer??

This Friday night at 7 is the belated baby shower for Tiffany Johnson and her sweet little Isabella. Contact Laura F. if you need any more information.

Upcoming Events: 

May 2nd and 3rd--Mini Retreat at Ashberry Lane. For women who are unable to attend our beach retreat. Cost is $10. Non-mobile babies are welcome. You get to return home to sleep in your own bed on Friday night. This will be What Not to Wear on a smaller scale. Please let me know if you're coming.

May 17th--Feminini-Tea. This annual event for women and girls is at 10 AM at the church. We'll have an enjoyable time around the tables as we share tea and food, good conversation, and other fun things. I'll be asking soon for ladies who would like to decorate/host a table. Everyone will be bringing some tea-type food to share. This is a fun event to invite friends to attend. I'll be asking for R.S.V.P.s soon. 

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

Tuesday, March 11, 2013

Good morning, friends! It looks like it will be a beautiful day, and I'm ready for it. I hope you are too. 

This Saturday, March 15th, is our annual WOW Bowling Party at Four Seasons in Hillsboro.  http://www.4seasonsbowling.com/contact.html
We'll meet there at 10:30 AM, bowl a couple games, and finish off with lunch in their nice dining room. If you'd like to carpool, meet behind the church at 10 AM. Please let me know if you're planning to attend. You may bring your grade school girls if you'd like.

We will finish our study of James this week in our women's Bible studies. If you've attended in the past, I'd love for you to come prepared to share a verse that has really spoken to you during our study, or a concept or challenge you've dealt with as a result of our in-depth study of the Book of James over these past six months. How has this study impacted your life? (And if you don't have something to share, please come anyway!) Barbara will be providing a snack for Common Grounds (6:30 Wednesday evening) and Cassie will bring something to stave off our hunger at The Perk (9:30 Thursday morning). Kristen will be our MIC that day, so a big thanks to her!

It's raining babies, so it's time for some showers! Tiffany Johnson's shower had to be rescheduled due to the snowstorm last month, but here is the link to your personal invitation for her baby shower next week. http://www.evite.com/event/00FFBH32B36DCEZZGEPDU3PVTH6NZI. I love that it's being billed as a Gawk and Graze Shower! This will be your chance to meet sweet little Isabella if you haven't already had the opportunity. 

And another little girl joined the Wapato Family on March 1st. Jesseca gave birth to healthy Lilly, and we will be celebrating her birth soon. So be looking for announcements about that. 

Of course you all know that our WOW retreat is coming up in about a month, and that all the spots have been filled. We are so excited about that weekend (April 11th-13th) and our time together with our speaker, Laurie Sheffield. 

For those of you unable to attend that, remember that I'll host a mini-retreat here at my house on Ashberry Lane on the first Friday and Saturday of May. The cost is only $10 and we will be watching a video of our April retreat speaker, plus have a lot of fun and good food. We'll start with dinner on Friday night and after our session together you'll be able to go home and get a good night's sleep in your own bed before coming back for Saturday. Nursing babies are welcome. Please let me know if you plan on coming.

Something else to be sure you've entered on your calendar is our annual Feminini-Tea, coming up Saturday, May 17th, at 10 AM at the church. More details will be coming within a few weeks, but plan ahead to bring your daughters (must be at least 5 years old and able to sit quietly during a presentation) and your friends. As usual, we'll be looking for women who would like to host a table by decorating it and providing dishware. Everyone will be bringing food to share. We always have a wonderful time!

I've enjoyed chatting with all of you this morning. I hope you've found something here that piques your interest and you decide to join us in our activities. You won't regret it!

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

Tuesday, March 4, 2014 WOW=Zine

Good morning to each of you! I know we're experiencing a lot of rain these days, but haven't you noticed the bulbs popping up and blooming, and the trees budding? Spring is on the way!And so is Daylight Savings Time. Don't forget to set your clock ahead one hour before you go to bed on Saturday night. That also means you need to be proactive and get the kids to bed a little earlier than usual that night, or deal with the consequences the next morning! The hardest part is making yourself go to bed at a decent time. I wonder if setting the clocks ahead an hour first thing Saturday morning would help with the transition?

It's hard to believe, but all our retreat spots have already been taken! Gone are the days when you could wait until a day or two before retreat to decide to go. Your Women's Ministry Team is so excited about what the Lord is planning for us the weekend of April 11th-13th. I will be sending out information in the coming weeks to those of you who are attending. Be watching for that in the next week or two. If you're really wanting to attend but didn't sign up in time, I can put you on a waiting list. That way, if someone gets sick at the last minute, or wins an all-expenses-paid trip to Paris for that particular weekend, I can put you in their spot!

We will be video taping each session with our speaker, Laurie Sheffield, for use at the mini-retreat at my house on Friday and Saturday, May 2nd and 3rd. So those of you who attend that will still get in on the same great teaching, just in a smaller venue. The cost will be $10, and I'll give you more details about it in upcoming weeks. But you can start letting me know now if you would like to come. Since babies are not able to be accommodated at our retreat house in Lincoln City, the mini-retreat is a place you can bring young nursing babies and participate. Babies who are walking need to be cared for at home, but babes in arms are certainly welcome at the mini-retreat. 

Our Bible study in the Book of James is rapidly coming to a close. I'll soon let you know what we'll be tackling next, but we will finish James this week and next. I lead two studies each week, though it's the same material presented at each. Just pick the day that works best for your schedule! Common Grounds meets Wednesday night at 6:30. This week Janet is providing something for us to snack on. Then on Thursday morning at 9:30 The Perk meets, with child care provided. This week Anastasia signed up to bring treats, and Stephanie will be our MIC (Mother In Charge) for child care, along with the able help of Linnaea. 

It's time to knock 'em dead at our annual WOW Bowling Party on Saturday, March 15th. We'll meet at The Four Seasons Bowling Alley in Hillsboro at 10:30 AM. (If you'd like to car pool from the Gaston area, please meet behind the church at 10.) Bring money for your shoes and a couple games, as well as for lunch together in their restaurant afterward. And as for any of our events, feel free to invite your friends.

Being in a bowling alley doesn't generate a lot of peace and quiet, does it? But sometimes we need that calmness in our lives. How can we find it? Here's some insight from blogger Holley Gerth:

When You Need Peace and QuietHolley, 2014-02-25 13:00 Maybe you’ve had a conversation like this one: “I’m tired,” I confessed to friends over lunch one day.  What’s going on?” they asked. I shrugged my shoulders and sighed, “I don’t really know.” They hugged me and promised to pray I’d be filled up again. That night I pulled out my art journal, plugged headphones into my ears and grabbed a sharpie. I wanted to think through my life and especially my work. I began to put “Writer” at the top of the page because that’s my title. But as I leaned toward the paper I felt a bit of hesitation and I silently asked God, “What do you want me to write in that spot?” And it seemed I heard one word in response: Worshipper.  And suddenly I knew why I was so exhausted. I’d switched from being a worshipper to a worker. This isn’t the first time it’s happened. Throughout my life when I feel pressure mounting and expectations building I tend do have one response: try harder. It’s a heart reflex I’ve had since high school. Be more. Do more. Go more. I carry on like that until I get worn out and a bit rebellious. Yes, I should have caught on a bit quicker to that pattern by now. But I’m a bit of a slow learner in this area it seems. Maybe you have one of those areas in your life too? Thankfully we serve a God of grace. A God who chases us down right in the middle of all our wild and weary-making running. A God who speaks life and peace and rest into us. A God who wants our hearts more than our hands.  I spelled out the letters slowly “w-o-r-s-h-i-p-p-e-r.” I crossed out these letters “w-o-r-k-e-r.” And I thought of this verse: “One handful of peace and quiet is better than two handfuls of toil and of trying to catch the wind” {Eccl. 4:6}. Toil is work without joy. Work that drains your life instead of filling it. And trying to catch the wind is meaningless striving. The endless doing, clicking and trying harder just to feel more in control. I’d been living both. And God was asking me, “Can you be satisfied with one handful?”Because here’s how we’re meant to live, friends: with one handful holding tight to what God has given us–love, joy, peace, grace, goodness. And the other hand empty and open for whatever else he would have us receive. Two handfuls means we’re clenching our fists through life. We’re gritting out teeth. We’re hanging on with all our might. Two handfuls means we’re tired. Thankfully, God generously offers us what all tired people need–rest.Even if the world around us keeps unavoidably spinning–the toddlers keep throwing cheerios, the projects keep coming, the calendar keeps filling–we can wrap our fingers around peace in a way that truly does pass understanding. And we can let go of all we’ve grasped that was never meant for us. You can be saved by returning to me. You can have rest. You can be strong by being quiet and by trusting me. — God, {Is. 30:15} I filled the page with words and prayers. Then I laid my pen down. And when I laid my head down on the pillow that night too, I felt different. Not so weary and afraid. Quieter inside. More like a worshipper and less like a worker. I hope to end each day a little more like that for the rest of my life because I’m learning it’s the best, most beautiful way to live. And it’s oursfree. We can all reach out and take hold of the peace that has been promised us today. And we can let go of all our striving so we can receive what’s infinitely better: God’s unconditional love and grace.  Until next week, Sherrie Ashcraft, Women's Ministry Director sherrieashcraft@gmail.com    971-285-6699

Happy Tuesday, ladies. I wrote that line about three hours ago, and then life got in the way. Hopefully I'll be able to finish this now!

This Friday at 7 PM is our WOW Movie Night at Amy's. Show up in comfy clothes, bring a snack, and get ready to duke it out as to what movie we'll watch from a selection on hand. We always have a great time when we get together, so I hope to see you there!

Our time in the Book of James will soon come to an end. This week at both Common Grounds and The Perk we'll be looking at some final events in his life, plus watching the first half of Beth Moore's final video. Just a reminder that Viv signed up for snack on Wednesday night (6:30), and for Thursday morning at 9:30 Keisha is bringing goodies, and Stephanie will be the MIC.

Ta-da! Retreat registration is now open for anyone who would like to come! We have seven spots available. Remember the dates? April 11th-13th in Lincoln City. Our speaker is Laurie Sheffield, and she'll be addressing the topic of What Not to Wear. It only costs $80 for the weekend, and I'll gladly take money from you at any time! (Checks made out to WVC but given to me.) In about a month we'll get the car pooling figured out, as we have a limited amount of cars that can be on the property. Speaking of the property, here is the link to The Dawn Treader.  http://www.homeaway.com/vacation-rental/p290753

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