Monday, September 6, 2010 WOW-ZINE

Happy Labor Day!!
Did any of you actually give birth on Labor Day? If so, I'll give you a special prize for taking this national holiday so seriously!

I apologize for not getting a blog posted last Monday, but we were on a 12-hour trip back from California. Chrissy is really upset that I didn't keep my word and post one every week, but that's the only one I missed all summer, so I'm not going to let her guilt me to death. This one's for you, Chrissy!! :-)

We've got a lot of fantastic things going on, beginning with this Wednesday, September 8, at 6:15 PM at the church. Common Grounds, our womens' Bible study, will resume with a potluck and overview of the coming year. Bring a friend and a favorite dish to share. It will be fun to connect after our long summer apart. And I think you'll love the Bible study I have planned for this year, but you'll have to come on Wednesday to find out about it!

A few days later, on Saturday night at 6 PM we will share another evening together. All women are invited to Janet's for a salad potluck and movie night. We'll enjoy an old Cary Grant, Katerine Hepburn, and James Stewart movie called The Philadelphia Story.  Nathalie about got her face slapped when she told me she'd never heard of Cary Grant and this movie would be a history lesson!! Come check it out for yourself!

Saturday, September 25th at George Fox University in Newberg is this year's Selah Conference. The topic? It's Time to Simplify--Discover the Biblical truth that less is more. Sounds like a timely issue to get some new insights on, doesn't it? I have tickets available for $32, which includes lunch. The conference goes from 9-4:15. We'll meet in front of the auditorium at 8:30. Bring your Bible and notebook with you. You can buy tickets from me Wednesday night. I have eight left, and can get more if we need them. Checks should be made out to Wapato Valley Church. If you wait and buy tickets at the door, it will cost you $47, so plan ahead and get them now!!

Coming October 8 & 9 is the Women of Faith conference in Portland. It's much easier to attend if we spend the night at a motel in Portland, but that means we'll really need to plan ahead. I will get group tickets for that even also. I should have more info for you by next week's blog.

Whew! I told you we had a lot going on! I sincerely hope you can participate in each of these events. Women need to connect with other women, and these are great ways to do that.

Sherrie Ashcraft, Women's Ministry Director  sherrieashcraft@yahoo.com  971-285-6699

Monday, August 23, 2010 WOW-ZINE

Hi, from beautiful Laramie, Wyoming! John and I are here so he can help his brother-in-law build a deck. His sister Judy and I are having fun just playing around. We'll leave here on Friday to drive to a family wedding in the San Jose area, then get back to the even more beautiful area of Gaston on Monday, the 30th.

This week's WOW event is literally a picnic in the park. And it's that easy, too. Helen LeFebvre is hosting a picnic lunch at the Yamhill park at 11 AM on Wednesday. She's even providing all the food!! It doesn't get much better than that, does it? So bring your kiddos, grandkids, blankets, chairs, etc and meet the gang there for a wonderful lunch and playtime together. I'll really miss being part of it.

Upcoming Events:
September 8th--Common Grounds Kick-off Dinner (6:15 PM at the church). This will be a potluck dinner, so bring a favorite dish to share. We'll talk about some of the events that will be taking place throughout the year. Invite a friend and come join us for a fun, casual evening.

September 25th- Selah Conference at George Fox University. Tickets will be available on Sept. 12th.

October 8,9--Women of Faith in Portland. Tickets available soon.

Guess what? I now have unlimited texting, so be sure to contact me whenever you'd like.

Sherrie Ashcraft, Women's Ministry Director  971-285-6699  sherrieashcraft@yahoo.com

Monday, August 16, 2010 WOW-ZINE

HAPPY MONDAY!

A new week is upon us, and it looks like it will be heat-filled! Take time with your kids and grandkids to hang out at the pool or sit under a big shade tree and read and nap in the afternoon breeze. These days will soon be gone and deep in the winter-drip we'll be longing for them!

There will be NO WOW ACTIVITY this week, but plan ahead for lots of fun NEXT week, the 25th. Helen LaFebvre is hosting a picnic at Beulah Park in Yamhill at 11:30. And when I say hosting, I mean hosting! She is providing the food and drink for everyone. All you have to do is show up!! (And they say there's no such thing as a free lunch!)

Common Grounds (the Bible study part of WOW) will be resuming in September. Join us for a kick-off potluck dinner on Wednesday, Sept. 9th, at 6:15 at the church. We'll spend the evening reconnecting and sharing the WOW plans for the coming year. We've got some great things on tap, including the Selah Conference at George Fox University on September 25 (I think it's $32 including lunch--I'll have tickets available soon) and Women of Faith in Portland on October 8&9th. I believe the cost is around $90, but well worth it. I plan on buying a "pack" of tickets and you can buy them from me so that we get the group rate.

I wanted to post pics from our WOW Wild Game Night, but I'm having trouble doing it here. So check them out on my Facebook page instead.

Sherrie Ashcraft, Women's Ministry Director  971-285-6699  sherrieashcraft@yahoo.com

August 9, 2010 WOW-ZINE

If it's Monday, it must be time for a new edition of the Women of Wapato WOW-ZINE! I hope you're beginning to anticipate it every Monday. (Though I didn't have any comments to last weeks' article, so I'm thinking no one even knew I was around! Don't leave me hanging!)

There's something new this week. I almost wonder if I should just let you figure out what it is, kind of like searching for a picture of a toothpick in one of those cooking magazines. But I don't have enough money to give you a $500 gift certificate if you find it, so I'll just tell you about it. In the upper right hand corner you'll see an icon that says Subscribe in Reader: Standard. If I've set it up right, you can click on that and choose how you'd like to be notified by email of any new postings. So for example, if I'd get really ambitious and post something mid-week, you'd be notified of that instead of just stumbling across it on you own.

THIS WEEK'S EVENT:
WOW'S Wild Game Night--If you've ever been to any of these in the past, you know how wild and wacky they can be! This is the perfect time to giggle like a girl, laugh 'til you cry, and eat until you can't hold another bite.
Time: 7 PM
Place: Kathy Fordyce's
Bring: A snack and a game
WARNING: In the past, some people have been known to spill their guts (literally!) or wet their pants. An emesis basin and box of Depends are highly recommended!!

Recipe of the Week: Instant Mocha
Several of you have asked how I make the mocha I have every morning. It's a simple recipe I found in Taste of Home years ago. You just mix together:
1/2 cup instant coffee
1/2 cup cocoa (not Nestle's)
1 cup sugar
1-1/2 cup dry creamer

I make a double batch at a time, and store it in a container. I place 3-1/2 soup spoons of mixture in a big cup and add nearly-boiling water. You can add extra flavored creamer to it also, like French Vanilla. It can also be usedt to make a blended mocha, by placing the ingredients in a blender, using cold water and ice. Does anyone else have a recipe they'd like to share? Send it to me and I'll be glad to post it in the coming weeks.

Sherrie Ashcraft, Women's Ministry Director,  sherrieashcraft@yahoo.com  971-285-6699

August 2, 2010 WOW-ZINE

Hi, ladies, and welcome to a different format for this week. I'm out of town at a writers' conference and have been busy preparing for it for the past week. There hasn't been much time to interview anyone. So ... a change of pace! I will just mention our up-coming event and post pictures of previous activities. I'm not really good at getting the pictures to line up on the page the right way, so you may have to use your imagination!

This week's event: I'd like to thank Christine Hoffmann for the idea of going to the Sweetest Thing Cupcakes. I just heard about this cute bakery in Newberg last week. They focus on cupcakes, and I have it on good authority that they are absolutely delicious! So, the plan is to meet at Scoggins Coffee parking lot at 5 PM Wednesday. Then you can condense cars and travel to Newberg for a snack of incredible, edible cupcakes. Yes, I know that's early for dessert, but they close at 7 PM, and it will take about 25 minutes to get there. So plan your eating schedule for the day around that! For those of you who work outside the home, just join the women in Newberg as soon as you're able. I sure wish I could attend this yummy event, so you guys will just have to tell me all about it. Check out their website and get directions at http://www.sweetestthingcupcakes.com/.

Tillamook Forest Center

5Rock Ranch

Forest Grove Farmer's Market

Monday, July 26, 2010 WOW-Zine

Look who's visiting us today! It's Tami Engle, all the way from Forest Grove. She stuck around Sunday after the baptism at Ashberry Lane and let me interview her. Luckily, she was wearing casual business attire and I decided to hire her on the spot! Actually, we sat under the shade of the patio umbrella and I asked her a few questions.

Sherrie: How long have you and Tom been married?
Tami: Next Sunday we'll celebrate our twelfth anniversary.
Sherrie: That's wonderful! Has he always been a techie kind of guy?
Tami: Yes. I think he was born with a computer in his hand! We moved here from Spokane about ten years ago so he could get on with Intel.

Sherrie: I know you're a stay-at-home mom of three kids. Have you ever worked outside the home?
Tami: Not really. This has pretty much been my life.
Sherrie:What do you like best about getting to stay home?
Tami: I like getting to catch every big moment in their life. I feel I have greater insights into the kids. And I've noticed the lectures I give to them return to me.
Sherrie: I know what you mean! John used to say that when he'd have to get after our son for something, he'd realize God was saying, "You know, you do the same thing to Me!" What challenges do you face in parenting?
Tami: That of stepping out of the situation and seeing the big picture when I'm in the midst of things with the kids. To be able to grant them their own side and not insist they see everything the way I do.

Sherrie: What are your hobbies?
Tami: I guess children.
Sherrie: No, that doesn't count! What would you do if you had the time and resources?
Tami: I'm a tomboy. I would really like to become a Master Falconer.
Sherrie: Really? That's amazing! Have you started the process at all?
Tami: Well, I met a couple of people who are falconers, but I haven't even read any books about it yet. It's just something that really interests me. As far as other hobbies, I'd have to say archery and camping. I told you I was a tomboy!

Sherrie: How did you come to know the Lord?
Tami: I grew up in a Christian home and we went to church nearly every Sunday. There were so many blessings in my life because of that. And I'd have to say that AWANA played a big part in my spiritual growth. I accepted Christ into my life when I was five, but it was a long journey after that for me to see that I needed Christ and not just a religion.
Sherrie: That's an area that trips up a lot of people. What is the best way you've found for growing in your Christian walk?
Tami: I'd have to say it's reading my Bible. That has revolutionized my life. When I really get the concept that God is living and active, that makes a huge difference. I like things very formulated and logical, and God isn't that way all the time! I'm always discovering more about trusting vs. control.

Sherrie: And now to the deeply personal question--what is your favorite candy?

Let the guessing begin! Leave your guess, along with your name, as a comment. If you're the first person to guess correctly, you'll win that candy. Since no one guessed Chrissy's from last week, I'm now at liberty to announce that it was Red Licorice!

This week's event: A redo of the Forest Grove Farmer's Market. Remember the last time we were going to meet there a few weeks ago? Well, it was so hot no one wanted to attend. So we're trying again this week. Meet at the ice cream shop on the corner of Main and Pacific at 5 PM. We'll browse through the array of fresh bounty as well as listen to our own Nicole Chan perform. Children (and husbands) are invited to join you.

Upcoming events: I need help, ladies! I'm running out of ideas, as well as I will be out of town for a week or two. Would someone like to volunteer to host a game night? Or just a night of getting together to hang out and visit? We've done a lot of things during the day lately, which means the women who work outside the home don't have an opportunity to attend. I'd like to have several "women only" events during August. Please help me out!! Contact me by phone or email at the address below.

Sherrie Ashcraft, Women's Ministry Director 971-285-6699 sherrieashcraft@yahoo.com

Monday, July 19, 2010 WOW-Zine

Welcome to another edition of WOW-Zine, the informative weekly newsletter for the Women of Wapato.

Each week I have the privilege of spot-lighting one of our women. (Don't worry, your turn is coming!) Sunday after church I spent time with the beautiful Chrissy Tuning. This is how it went down:

Sherrie: So let's sit down so I can interview you.

Chrissy: Do you know you have white stuff all over your black pants? Here, let me wipe your bottom off.

Sherrie, as I turn my backside toward her: Go for it. I've got Bosom Buddies, but I'm not sure I've ever had a Bottom Buddy before! Oh wait, Kathy Fordcye gave me some suppositories once!!

After I'm finally decent enough to be seen with her in public, Chrissy and I sit down for our visit.

Sherrie: I want to know what is your secret for having such a bubbly, outgoing personality.

Chrissy: I don't really know. I've just always been like this!

Sherrie: So you weren't shy as a kid? I'm real outgoing now, but I used to be very shy.

Chrissy: No, I've always been loud and outspoken, even as a child. In fact, I used to get in trouble a lot at school because other kids would come and tell me bad things that were happening, and I'd be the one who would be the spokesman and go tell. Then the kids who were doing the wrong things would get mad at me, even though all I'd done was report the facts!div>

Sherrie: Life can be tough, can't it? Tell me what your life is like now.

Chrissy: I've got three boys and a hot-bodied husband! I've been a Mary Kay representative for ten years.

Sherrie: What are your hobbies?

Chrissy: I guess I don't really have a lot. I love to get pedicures and do Mary Kay parties. Plus I love to talk with my girlfriends.

Sherrie: Is there anything you're passionate about?

Chrissy: I'm passionate about passion!!

Sherrie: And that's one of the things I love about you!

Sherrie: So tell me how you developed a relationship with Christ.

Chrissy: I used to go to church with my grandparents. It was really after high school that I decided to live for the Lord. But you know, I've never really heard Him speak to me.

Sherrie: That's okay. Not everyone does.

Chrissy: But so many people say they do. I'm almost embarassed to say I'm a Christian that doesn't hear God speak to me.

Sherrie: I think that's an important thing to bring up in this interview, Chrissy. God doesn't work the same way in each person's life. And I sure don't think there are many of us that hear the audible voice of God. How do you know how to make decisions in your life"

Chrissy: I check things out in the Bible. If it says don't do it, then I don't. I'm a pretty black and white person.

Sherrie: So in reality, that's the way you hear God's voice--through the Bible. There's certainly nothing wrong with that!

Sherrie: So how do you see your life twenty years from now?

Chrissy: I'll be driving a pink Mary Kay cadilac! And Bobby and I will be at the beach, with grandkids surrounding us. Grandgirls. I need some girls in my life!

Sherrie: And now to the question everyone's been waiting for ... what is your favorite kind of candy?

Chrissy: Everyone already knows it's Reese's.

Sherrie: So once again, we'll go with your second favorite. It's time for your weekly guess, ladies!

I hope you've enjoyed getting to know Chrissy a bit more. If you haven't met her yet, be sure to do so, as you'll have a wonderful new friend. Chrissy serves at church by being the Meal coordinator as well as teaching in Children's Church. Blessings on you and your family, Chrissy, and be sure to invite me to visit you on your private beach in twenty years. That hunky husband of yours can push my wheelchair across the sand!

THIS WEEK'S EVENT:

We'll rock at 5Rock Ranch beginning at noon on Wednesday. Bring your kids and a sack lunch and just hang out at the creek all afternoon. Low-key and informal, but fun! See you there.

NEXT WEEK: A re-do of the Forest Grove Farmer's Market. It was so hot when we last scheduled this that people weren't interested in being out in the heat. Let's hope for more moderate weather next Wednesday, July 28th. Our own Nicole Chan will be singing there. I'll find out what time and make sure we meet during a time we can support her with our presence. Stay tuned for further information!

Sherrie Ashcraft, Women's Ministry Director 971-285-6699 sherrieashcraft@yahoo.com