Monday,September 26, 2011--Wapato's WOW-Zine

Wow, it looks like Fall has blown in to our neighborhood! It's a grey, windy day around here, though according to the paper we're supposed to have some more days in the mid 70's later in the week. Make sure you savor every lovely day we get, as who knows when they'll end. In fact, I'm going to provide you with a few good ideas I got from Crosswalk.com on things to do to celebrate Fall. The author of the article is a woman named Bonnie Gray:

10 Fall Outdoor Activities to Grow Closer to God and Each Other

To whet your appetite, I'd like to share my list of Fall Outdoor Activities to Grow Closer to God and to Each Other.

This list can kick start some ideas for families with young children, but I'm counting on you to adapt it for your family's personality, local climate, as well as for the single person.

1.  Biggest Pine Cone Walk (Save the pine cones for home fall decoration that last through to Christmas). Take a walk around your neighborhood and collect pine cones and leaves.  Your bag can fill up quickly, so tell the kids to find the three biggest pine cones or the ones that aren't as cracked/broken.  It is fun to put them in a bowl and the kids love pointing out whose is whose.

2.  Colorful Leaves Collection Walk  Take another walk on a different day to have them collect different colored leaves.  Return home and pick a handful to put up. I am craft challenged, so this is just my simple version showcasing their leaves. I'm sure others of you more crafty have more artistic ideas.

3.  Fly a kite. It's breezy enough. Warning: this requires more running than actual flying.

4. Pack a lunch and go play at a park. It's often very empty and quiet Saturday mornings.  Make sure you put in some treats you usually don't have during the week.  It makes it extra fun.

5. Invite one other family to meet up with your family at the park. Keep it small to encourage "real life" conversations which children will overhear and soak in relational conversations.

Don't those sound like fun ideas? We all realize the rain will be dripping down the back of our necks before we know it, so take advantage of Fall days to spend time outside with family and friends.

This week our new Bible study, The Thursday Perk will meet on (can you guess which day?) Thursday at 9:30 AM for our Bad Girls of the Bible study.  This week we're going to scrutinize the famous Bathing Beauty, Bathsheba. Remember that I said I'd be suggesting something fun to bring or wear to each class, that would tie in with our theme for the night? Well, this week I'd like you to incorporate a bath towel and/or shower accessories into your ensemble for the day. You can use them however you'd like (all in good taste, of course) but let's amp up the fun and see how creative you can get. If you forget, or if you're allergic to having fun, come anyway. A lot of the Common Grounds ladies dressed in towels, robes, shower caps, etc. for our meeting last week. Don't let them show you Perky gals up!

I also said I'd be giving you the Bible passage to read ahead of time, as I want to spend the majority of our time together in discussion and application. So, take ten or fifteen minutes to pull out your Bible between now and Wednesday and read all of II Samuel chapter 11, and chapter 12:1-25. Don't complain about it, just do it!   When you come Thursday morning just bring your Bible and a notebook and pen. That's all you need. There's no book to buy or homework to do, other than reading the story ahead of time. 

 

Those of you in Common Grounds wanted more than a couple days notice of what woman our study would be on and what scripture you need to read. If you're anything like me you'll probably still wait 'til the last minute to read it, but just in case you're one of those ladies who really does want to spread the reading out over several days, I'll give you the information for our study for next Wednesday, October 5th. We will study Eve. Please read the scripture about her found in Genesis 2:15 through all of Chapter 3.

Our free Zumba classes continue to meet four days a week--Mondays and Wednesdays at 4:15, and Tuesdays and Thursdays at 6:30. This is a great service to the community, as no one offers free exercise classes. So invite your friends, whether they attend Wapato or not, and join us for one or more of the classes.

 

In order to make better use of my time, I've decided to send out this WOW-Zine on Tuesdays, rather than Mondays, beginning next week. Both Common Grounds and The Thursday Perk will be aware of what Bible passage to read more than a week before their respective study, so writing this on Tuesday should not interfere with your ability to be prepared. So when it gets late next Monday night and you haven't heard from me, don't think I've forgotten about you! Look for me the next day. :)

 

Sherrie Ashcraft, Wapato's Women's Ministry Director

sherrieashcraft@yahoo.com   971-285-6699  

 

 

Wapato WOW-Zine Monday, September 19, 2011

Are you ready for some fun?? If so, you've come to the right place. Women's Ministry has lots of activities for you to choose from. Or you can make it easy on yourself and just attend everything we offer!

FREE ZUMBA CLASSES on Mondays and Wednesdays at 4:15 PM and Tuesdays and Thursdays at 6:30 PM. It doesn't matter if you've never done Latin dance moves, nor does it matter if you're co-ordinated or not. (I'm talking about how you move your body, not if your clothes match!) Invite your friends to join you as you wiggle and jiggle (and yes, giggle) your way through the DVD class. Janet leads the classes on Monday and Wednesday, and I do the Tuesday/Thursday classes. 

COMMON GROUNDS THIS WEDNESDAY AT 6:30 PM. Okay ladies, this is the moment you've all been waiting for--the beginning of our Bad Girls of the Bible study. We had a great kick-off potluck two weeks ago, with twenty-four women attending. I presented an overview of what we'll be studying this year, but now it's time to jump in and take a look at some individual Bad Girls. This week we're going to scrutinize the famous Bathing Beauty, Bathsheba. Remember that I said I'd be suggesting something fun to bring or wear to each class, that would tie in with our theme for the night? Well, this week I'd like you to incorporate a bath towel and/or shower accessories into your ensemble for the evening. You can use them however you'd like (all in good taste, of course) but let's amp up the fun and see how creative you can get. If you forget, or if having fun is simply not your style, come anyway. 

I also said I'd be giving you the Bible passage to read ahead of time, as I want to spend the majority of our time together in discussion and application. So, take ten or fifteen minutes to pull out your Bible between now and Wednesday and read all of II Samuel chapter 11, and chapter 12:1-25. Don't complain about it, just do it!  When you come on Wednesday bring your Bible and a notebook and pen. That's all you need. There's no book to buy or homework to do, other than reading the story ahead of time. Remember that we have our social time, with coffee and dessert, from 6:30-6:50, followed by our study. We'll wrap things up by 8 and you'll be free to go, though many of us enjoy hanging around visiting some more. If you don't know many women, this is a great opportunity to come make new friends. I hope to see you this week.

LAST CALL FOR WOMEN OF FAITH! Because we've had more than ten women sign up to attend this event on Friday and Saturday, October 7th and 8th, the cost of the conference has dropped ten dollars and is now down to $89 a person. I've been able to reserve rooms at the Pepper Tree Inn off Highway 217 for $20/person for Friday night, which includes breakfast on Saturday. Some of the women who are working are having to miss the morning and afternoon sessions on Friday, and just join us for dinner and the evening session. So that is a possibility if you're still trying to decide whether or not to go. Several of you have already paid me, but for those of you who still need to "show me the money", please pay the $89 (cash or check) to the church, and the $20 to me. We're using the church credit card to order our tickets, but the motel reservation is on my personal card. Please give all the money to me so that I'll be aware of who has paid, and I'll be sure it goes to the right spot! Contact me today by phone or email if you're planning on coming but haven't told me yet. I will order tickets on Tuesday.

NAME CHANGE ALERT! NAME CHANGE ALERT!
Thursday morning was our first meeting of what was then called The Daily Grind. But those bad girls decided they really didn't like the name. One, we don't meet daily, and two, it shouldn't be a grind! Okay, I'm flexible. So we came up with THE THURSDAY PERK.  I've had to go through my day planner and change the abbreviations for every-other Thursday from DG to TP. There are so many things that can be said about that, but I'll leave them all behind! The Thursday Perk will next meet at 9:30 AM on September 29th. We will cover the same material at that time that I'll be teaching at Common Grounds this week. If you need childcare let me know, as I know of a wonderful young lady (Annika Rusaw) who would love to watch your little children during that time. But I will need to know ahead of time if we need her services.

UPCOMING DATES OF STUDIES:
Common Grounds: Sept 21, Oct.5, Oct. 19, and Nov. 2
The Thursday Perk: Sept. 29, Oct. 13, Oct. 27, and Nov. 10

This blog is also available online at http://www.womenofwapato.blogspot.com.
Stop by to leave a comment. 

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

Monday, September 12, 2011 WOW-Zine

Happy Monday, ladies! I hope you can take a few minutes to sit down with a fresh cup of coffee or a glass of iced tea (sweetened, of course!), along with your calendar. We've got a busy week ahead of us. In fact, the whole month has a lot of activities for you to participate in.

EXCERCISE YOUR RIGHT side, and then your left at Zumba! In order to make it easier for you to attend, we are offering a DVD class on Mondays and Wednesdays at 4:15 PM, as well as on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 6:30 PM. It doesn't matter if you've never done this exercise routine before, just jump in with both feet and start moving. Bring water to keep you hydrated during the 50 minute sessions, and wear comfortable clothes.

Common Grounds got off the ground last week, with twenty-four women attending our kick-off potluck. This week is the inaugural meeting of The Daily Grind at 9:30 on Thursday morning. Coffee and a snack will be provided. This will be a great way to start your day--gathering with a group of women to visit and get to know each other better, centering our thoughts on God's message to us, and laughing a lot. Believe me, whenever we get together, we laugh a lot!

This next item needs a nearly instant response, as it concerns the upcoming Women of Faith conference at the Portland Rose Garden on Friday and Saturday, October 7th and 8th. If we're able to get a group of 10 or more women committed to going, the cost will be $89 for the event, which includes boxed lunches for Friday and Saturday. If we don't get that many committed (the definition being "show me the money") ladies, it will cost $99 per person. In addition, you'd need money for dinner on Friday night, a motel, and dinner Saturday night on the way home. Motels with vacancies in Portland are non-existant at this time, as in addition to the WOF, there is also a marathon that weekend and rooms are full. I've reserved two rooms (4 people in each room) at the Pepper Tree Motel in Beaverton for Friday night. We can get another room if we need it. The cost for the room would be $19.25 per person, and breakfast is included.

So ladies, I need a headcount just as soon as possible. I want to reserve our seats this week. Reply to this email if you plan on going. Or contact me some other way. (Contact info is always at the end of these blogs.) The conference runs all day and evening on Friday, and until late afternoon on Saturday. You could keep costs down by waiting until you get home on Saturday to eat dinner, but we like to stop on our way and have one last meal together to wrap up the weekend.

I told you there were a lot of things to add to your calendar! Zumba, The Daily Grind, and Women of Faith--lots of opportunities to get involved. In next week's WOW-Zine I'll tell you what woman we'll be studying in Common Grounds that week, and what passage(s) to read ahead of time, so be looking for that important information.

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

Labor Day Monday, September 5, 2011 WOW-Zine

Happy Labor Day, especially to all you mothers out there. Were any of you in labor on a Labor Day? Any of us who have given birth, no matter what day of the year, know that it is indeed hard work. But like all good work, it is worth the effort. Proverbs 14:23 says, "In all labor there is profit." In Matthew11:28 Jesus counsels us to "Come unto Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." And there's that great verse found in I Corinthians 15:58 that states, "Therefore, my beloved sistern, (Okay, it really says "brethren" but I'm quoting it to you ladies, and you know how well we can retain water at certain times of the month!) be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord." All joking aside, this is a great verse to commit to memory. Kids start back to school this week, and there's a lot of labor in getting them out the door on time in the morning, overseeing homework in the afternoon, and getting them tucked in at night. It can begin to seem like a chore rather than a joy. But God reminds us that the work we do unto Him, even something as basic as taking good care of our children, is not in vain. Look for those teachable moments that come along as you spend so much time with your kiddos. And be thankful that every day can be a day of labor for the Lord.

Because this is a holiday, I'm not writing a very long blog today, but will just focus on this week's event which is ... Ta Da ...the resuming of Common Grounds. We'll meet at a special time of 6 PM Wednesday evening for one of our famous WOW potlucks. You won't want to miss getting together with other women from the church and community to share a great meal, catch up with each other, hear about events in store for WOW this year, and get an overview of our Bible study for the year--The Bad Girls of the Bible. (And remember that for those of you who can't make an evening study, I will be offering the same material on the following Thursday mornings at 9 AM at The Daily Grind.) So on Wednesday, show up at the church around 6 with a food item of your choice to share, and anticipation of our new year together.

Some of you have probably noticed that these past couple of weeks I've been sending the WOW-Zine out as an email rather than a link to the blog. But for those of you who like to leave comments about anything you read here, feel free to bop over to htpp://www.womenofwapato.blogspot.com

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

Monday, Auguast 29, 2011 WOW-Zine

It's Monday, so you know what that means, don't you? Yep, it's WOW-Zine time. (Which is completely different from Howdy-Doody Time, for those of you who can remember way back when.) We've picked up some new ladies on the mailing list these past few weeks, so just wanted to remind you that that the WOW part of WOW-Zine stands for Women Of Wapato. And we know how to put the "Wow" into our activities!

This week is our final week of Zumba on Tuesday and Thursday mornings at 8 at the church. It's been a good summer of losing a bit of weight and getting toned up. But with school starting next week, most of our ladies won't be able to make our usual time. So, we're looking into other possibilities. Hoping to be able to set up an evening exercise class to meet twice a week, and perhaps offer something in the afternoon as well. We'll discuss this the next time we all get together ...

... which will be a week from this Wednesday, at a special time of 6 PM. That's the kick-off for Common Grounds, our Bible study that normally meets every-other Wednesday from 6:30-8 PM. We're meeting a little earlier on Wednesday, the 7th, as we're going to have a potluck to start our year out right. You all know what great cooks we are (which is why I've worked hard to lose 10 pounds this summer so I can scarf down at our potluck!), so you won't want to miss that evening. We'll have a great time of meeting new ladies, catching up with friends you may not have seen over the summer, and getting an overview of our study for this year--Bad Girls of the Bible. This will be interesting, fun, and maybe even a bit convicting as we take a look at these women's lives. You might even find a bit of yourself in some of them! That evening we'll also exercise our right to exercise and hopefully come up with a time that can work for the majority of people who are interested. So come with your preference, but also your ability to flex as needed.

The following week, on Thursday, September 15th at 9 AM, you can be part of the original cast of The Daily Grind. This new Bible study will echo what is taught at Common Grounds the week before. This is a perfect opportunity for those of you who have difficulty making it out to an evening study. We'll meet for goodies and tea or coffee, connecting with each other, and  the study of Bad Girls of the Bible. We'll be through by 10:30, so if you need to get lunches to kids at school, or deal with picking up or taking a kindergartener to or from school, you'll be able to fit it in. Just like its sister study, this one will also meet every-other week. You'll want to keep track of the schedule by reading the WOW-Zine each week and checking the bulletin each Sunday.

Not only do we have these fun events in your own back yard, but we also have the opportunity to gather with thousands of other women from the Pacific Northwest at Women of Faith (WOF) at the Portland Rose Garden on Friday and Saturday, October 7th and 8th. Your Women's Ministry Team is working at getting a few motels rooms so we could bunk together on Friday night. Tickets for the event are $89, which I know is a lot of money. But if you've ever been to a WOF, you'll know it's worth it. And just think of the fun you'll have if you put WOW together with WOF. (WOWWOF) It's unimaginable!! Be sure to let me know as soon as possible if you think you can go. It would be a great thing to tide us over until the Spring retreat in April.

That's it for this week, ladies. I hope your week is full of joy and good times, but if it's not, and you need somebody to meet with you just to talk or pray, give me a call. I want you to use me!

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

Monday, August 22, 2011 WOW-Zine

Hi there, ladies! Hopefully this will be my last post dealing with my personal problems, but so many of you have been praying for us that I feel you deserve an update. When I wrote last week, we were awaiting the outcome of our son's sentencing. It did not go well at all. Mark was sentenced to 9-1/2 years in prison and was moved to Coffee Creek in Wilsonville to begin the intake process. It's hard to have him so close yet not be allowed to see him, as no visitors are allowed during the intake time. Within six weeks to two months we should know where he's being sent to serve his time, and then have more of an idea of what we'll be facing. Thanks again for the prayers and concerns. You have demonstrated how to walk alongside a hurting sister.

Now on to some fun stuff!! Common Grounds will resume every other Wednesday beginning September 7th. For those of you who have not participated in the past, Common Grounds is our women's Bible study time. We normally meet at 6:30 for coffee and dessert at the church, and have our study from 6:50 until 8:00. I'm very aware of the time and the need many of you have to get home and get kids to bed, so I make sure to not go past 8:00 by more than just a few minutes. We'll have a special start to our year on September 7th, so be looking for more details about that evening in future WOW-Zines.

Ever heard of The Daily Grind? Well, you have now! That's a new class I'm offering. It will echo Common Grounds, but be held every other Thursday morning from 9 to 10:30. Our first session will be on September 15th. The Women's Ministry Team realizes it is difficult for some of you to get out of the house in the evening, so this time is especially for you! We will cover the same material that I teach at Common Grounds, but will be a week behind. I'm excited that we're able to provide these options for you.

More exciting events and opportunities are planned for this coming year, but I won't give them to you all at once. Just know that the WMT has worked hard to meet the different needs represented among our women. I'm glad several of you took advantage of the swim party at Karen's last week. I didn't get to attend since I was on Grandma Duty, but heard it was fun and relaxing.

Speaking of something fun and relaxing, don't forget about Zumba on Tuesday and Thursdays at 8 AM. What? you don't think of Zumba as relaxing?? Okay, so maybe it's not, but it is fun. Hope to see you this week in your workout clothes, a bottle of water in hand, ready to sweat away some of those pesky calories!

For something fun, make plans now to join a group of us at Women of Faith at the Portland Rose Garden all day Friday and Saturday October 7th and 8th. It's a bit spendy, so start putting some money aside now. The event itself is around $90, and we want to get several motel rooms and spend the night on Friday, so that would involve more moola. We'll be talking about this more, but I just want to get it on your radar at this point so you can see if you can make it happen.

So there you have it--the up to the minute news for Women of Wapato (WOW). Enjoy these last couple of weeks with your kids before the busy school year starts again. I had fun hanging out with my daughter and grandkids today doing school shopping. It was especially fun since I didn't have to spend the money!

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

Monday, August 15, 2011 WOW-Zine

This was supposed to automatically post yesterday, but didn't for some reason:
By the time you read this, I will probably be on my way over to Pendleton for our son's sentencing this afternoon. It's going to be a very hard day. There's the slight possibility the judge might show some mercy and leniency, but it's more likely that things will go hard with him, which means it will be hard on us as well as his children. This has been a very long, heart-wrenching journey these past 26 months, and I know there's a part of me that is looking forward to knowing the end result. But there's the other part of me that doesn't want to hear it if it's bad news. These past three weeks since his trial have been like someone being told they have cancer, but having to wait for weeks to find out how deadly it is and what the treatment will entail. I can't express how much the words of sorrow, understanding, and encouragement that so many of you have said to me have meant. How I would hate to be going through this on my own! I know God is using all this in my life and that I will better be able to feel your pain as you go through difficult times in your life. This is what the Lord calls us to be--a community of women who walk alongside each other in the good and bad times of life.

Wasn't the Summer Sizzle fun yesterday? Looked like we had great attendance and hopefully some new relationships were begun. The weather was very cooperative too, though when I looked in the mirror a few minutes ago I realized I should have put more sunscreen on. Thanks to each of you who provided cupcakes for the Cupcake Walk. I think we had just the right amount, and the kids (and some adults) really enjoyed the sweet treats. It takes an immense amount of effort to put on such a big party for the community, and it's always fun to see how it comes together.

Don't forget about Zumba on Tuesday and Thursday morning at 8. I think we'll continue on that schedule until the end of the month. Be sure to let me know your preferred time for any exercise class we might offer, so we can try to have something that will work for the most people. (Thanks for your input from last week, Jennifer! We'll have to see what we can work out.)

This Thursday from 11:30 to 2 PM is the WOW swim party at Karen's. Bring your sack lunch and spend a few hours relaxing with ladies you might not have seen much of over the summer. Even if you don't want to swim, feel free to show up to eat and visit. It's our last planned event of the summer. Before you know it, we'll be telling you about fun activities coming up throughout the new school year. I can hardly wait to get back into a routine!

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