Friday, July 25, 2014 WOW-Zine

I know, it's not my usual Tuesday. I have a feeling I'm going to be a little more relaxed on getting these WOW-Zines out to you during our Bible study hiatus. So they will be appearing in your inbox at random times over the next several weeks.

This coming Thursday, July 31st, we're having a pool party at Aimee L's for women and children. It will begin at 11:30 with lunch together. Aimee is providing drinks and meat, but the rest of us need to "step up to the plate"--ha ha) and bring condiments, side dishes, and desserts. Feel free to invite your friends to join us. In order for Aimee to know how much meat to have on hand, please let her know if you're coming, how many in your group, and what you'll be providing.  Aimee's address is 2320 26th Ave. in Forest Grove. Her phone number, if you want to text or call your response to her is 971-256-2844, and her email is Chahunmak@hotmail.com. We're hoping to have a good turn out for this relaxing event. Try to let her know no later than next Tuesday. 

The Sizzle, which is Wapato's big outreach to the community, is coming Sunday, August 17th, with worship service, lunch, and fun booths (everything's free!) at Brown Park. Women's Ministry always runs the Cupcake Walk, which last year morphed into the Cookie Walk, which makes it much easier to handle. l will be out of town that day, so need to have things organized as soon ahead of time as possible. 

I'd like to have twelve of you bring 2 dozen cookies for that. I currently have Laura C., Debbie, Janet, Stephanie, Cindy, Kristen S., and Susan signed up for that. Would five more of you let me know you could make cookies and bring them that morning?

I also need two women to run the booth, and have that set up in 30-minute slots. The Cookie Walk will run from 11 AM to 2 PM. I have a few ladies who have signed up, but still need an additional worker at the following times: 11-11:30; 11:30-12; 12-12:30; and 1:30-2. I need two workers for the 12:30-1 slot. Please let me know if you can fill any of those.

Here's a good thought from Jennifer Rothschild's blog today:

You Messed Up Today? Good!

You messed up today? Good! Me too! Too often those slips up and “wish-I-didn’t-do-that” moments can send us down a spiral of thinking that makes us wonder if we’re enough. Am I cute enough? Am I thin enough? Am I successful enough? It’s all in a quest to know if I’m… enough.

Those questions are way too familiar to me. How about you? I have too much pride to ask them out loud, but believe me… I ask them silently to myself all the time.

Why is that?

According to the General Social Survey, which has tracked Americans’ mood since 1972, women are becoming increasingly less happy.

Though there are several variables, I think one big reason is women’s self-imposed drive to be good enough, cute enough, thin enough, and the list goes on and on. As woman, we crave not only to be enough… we place expectations on ourselves to be perfect. 

Decades ago, women kept house, reared kids, shopped, cooked, volunteered and juggled lots of other tasks.  Today, women keep house, rear kids, shop, cook, work full time, work out (or feel guilty for not working out),  run car pools,  run a small business, run marathons, volunteer and lots of women do all this plus a buzzillion other invisible things as single moms!

But, instead of women lowering their standards with the increased demands, we’ve actually raised the standard.

We’ve defined success not as just getting things done. We’ve defined success as getting things done perfectly.

You messed up today? Good! Me too. 
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We feel the pressure to look perfect, do our work perfectly, and have the perfect home and perfect family. Consequently, we tend to beat ourselves up when things aren’t “perfect” in our relationships.  If we gain ten pounds we think we are ugly and unkempt.  If we don’t perform perfectly at work, we can feel like failures.

We can feel like we’re just not good enough and it can make us just want to give up!

So, what’s a girl to do?

Give up on perfect.

Don’t give up on responsibilities, reasonable effort and having realistic standards; just give up on perfect.

Extend the same mercy to yourself that you give to others. You don’t expect them to be perfect, do you?

If your friend asked you if she was good enough, cute enough, thin enough… enough… you would throw your arms around her and say, “You bettcha!” Of course you would.  Have reasonable expectations of yourself also.

Faith in Christ invites us to renounce perfection because faith let’s us receive God’s strength and rest in His opinion of us. God created You. He is perfect, not you!  Because His grace is sufficient, you are enough.

When you rest in Him and in who He made you to be, it’s easier to loosen your grip of perfectionism.  When you let go of your need to be perfect you receive far more satisfaction than you’re striving can offer anyway—you receive the perfect love of God

So rest today. Watch God be perfect. You be you and feel His perfect grace carry you. And you will find that you’ve beaten those statistics—you’ll be a much happier woman!

“… Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” (2 Cor 12:9b ESV)

Until next time,

Sherrie Ashcraft, Women's Ministry Director

sherrieashcraft@gmail.com    971-285-6699

Tuesday, July 15, 2014 WOW-Zine

Talk about the lazy, hazy, crazy days of summer--I think they're here! If I allow myself to go outside in the afternoon to sit on the porch swing, before you know if I'm nodding off. And I'm not a nap person! But there's something about this warm weather that makes a gal ... ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ!

Nearly 20 women and children had a fantastic time last Wednesday on our hike to Lee Falls. What a beautiful place to enjoy a picnic lunch accompanied by the laughter of kids wading in the water. We'll have to do that again next year.

This week we have our final Bible studies until resuming sometime in September. As Barb puts it, "We'll have the last hurrah of lamenting the end of Bible study for this year." I'll bring a treat to Common Grounds Wednesday night, and Carol R. is bringing something yummy on Thursday. We've got quite a few people out  of town/busy this week, so we'll play it by ear for childcare on Thursday morning. No mom signed up to be the MIC and all our usual teen girls that help will be leaving for 1 Youth Camp that morning. We may end up walking down to the park to let the kids play while we have our study--who knows?!

Remember me talking last week about Aimee L. opening her home for us to get together for a pool party with our kids? We've had a slight change of date, as I suddenly realized it was scheduled for next Thursday, which is the final day of VBS. We were afraid that would add too much stress to your lives. So the new day for the Pool Party is Thursday, August 31st in Forest Grove. I'll have all the details for you next week, but I can tell you this much now--Aimee will provide meat and drinks, and the rest of us can bring buns, fixin's, and sides. Should be scads of fun!

Until next week,

Sherrie Ashcraft, Women's Ministry Director

sherrieashcraft@gmail.com     971-285-6699

Tuesday, July 8, 2014 WOW-Zine

Well, if you've been holding your breath waiting for today's WOW-Zine to arrive, you can finally start breathing again. I had a busy morning and early afternoon spending some special time with my mom, but now it's time to turn my attention to you.

Do you remember what you've got on your calendar for tomorrow at 10:30?? No, not a dental appointment. And if you said your yearly mammogram you're probably wrong. Does the name Lee Falls ring a bell? Yes, tomorrow is when we're meeting at Neva's in Cherry Grove (55088 Cherry Grove Drive) at 10:30 to do our hike to Lower Lee Falls. It looks like we've got a good bunch planning to attend and get a bit of exercise together. And it's not too late to just show up and surprise us. Remember to bring a lunch and drinks for you and your kiddos, along with SUNSCREEN and towels. Some may want to hike further to Upper Lee Falls, which is entirely up to you. 

Tomorrow night at 6:30 we'll have our next-to-the-last Common Grounds until September. Thanks, Darci, for signing up for treats for that. Those of us who have gone on the hike earlier in the day may be a little bedraggled, but we'll try to remember to at least put on fresh deodorant before showing up to Bible study!

Thursday morning at 9:30 is also our next-to-the-last Perk until fall. Cindy, you're down for snacks then, and Keisha, you're the MIC for the morning. (We still need someone to signup to be the Mother in Charge for our last meeting on the 17th.)

Because Aimee L. realizes that we don't need to not see each other during the summer simply because Bible studies will be on hiatus, she has invited us over to her house on Thursday, July 24th for a potluck lunch. You can bring your kids to enjoy their pool, and we ladies can just hang out and visit and get to know each other better. I'll have more details for you in next week's blog. Her address is 2320 26th Ave, Forest Grove. 

I think it would be great for us to get together like that throughout the summer, so if there's a certain day you'd like to invite people over to spend some time at your home, just let me know! If you're tight on space you may want to host something at a park, or may ask that ladies not bring their children. It's up to you! Let's use our "Bible study summer vacation" as an opportunity to grow closer in a very casual setting. Sound like a plan?

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

Tuesday, July 1, 2014

Happy First of July, which means it's only three more days until the most explosive day of the year! And it looks like the weather is warming up (especially today), so I think summer is actually here! Let's enjoy it!

One of the fun ways to do that is to join other women and children on a hike to Lee Falls on Wednesday, July 9th. Bring a picnic lunch and meet at Neva's house in Cherry Grove at 10:30 to go on the mile-long hike. You'll probably want towels to sit on while eating, and to dry on after kids (and you) play in the water. If you need Neva's address, just contact me. So far, Christina Tarabochia is the only one who has let me know they plan on coming. I'd love to hear from YOU!

Our Bible study year is winding down, but it's never too late to join us as we finish Fingerprints of God. This week we'll be discussing how we're shaped by His hand, in oh, so many ways. Common Grounds meets Wednesday night at 6:30, and Helen is signed up for treats. On Thursday morning at 9:30 Stephanie is bringing treats for The Perk, and Karen will be our MIC. Thank you, ladies, for helping to make these times together run smoothly!

We will meet next week (the 9th and 10th) and our final session (until fall) will be the following week, July 16th and 17th.

I will be on vacation during the Sizzle this year, so I'm going to need some extra help from some of you. I know August 17th sounds like it's a long ways off, but when trying to get something organized I like to get an early start.(For those of you who may be new, the Sizzle is Wapato's yearly summer outreach to our whole community. Our worship service is held at the park that day, followed by a free lunch, carnival-type booths, and fun giveaways. The worship band plays most of the afternoon. School children receive free school supplies.) WOW runs a Cookie Walk Booth from 11-2 that Sunday at the Gaston park. I would LOVE to have one of you volunteer to be in charge/oversee things that day for our booth. My plan is to have everything lined up ahead of time, as far as people to man the booth and people to provide cookies. We typically take 30-minute shifts, with two people working together. I have the numbered pieces of wood that kids will walk on. It's just a matter of someone manning a CD player and drawing a number when the music stops, and someone handing the child whatever cookie they choose. This is always a pretty popular place for the kids to hang out! I'll be bringing sign-up sheets to the studies so you can have first dibs at how you'd like to help. 

Other ways you can help at the Sizzle:

General sign-ups for working in booths will start in late July. Areas of greatest need are:

-Emceeing the afternoon's events

-Food Purchasing and Serving (Lori and Randy Reed usually do this, and may still want to again this year.)

-Overseeing Set-up night on Saturday, August 16th, and coordinating people and tasks

-Coordinating procurement of donations for giveaways

-Leading and/or participating in neighborhood canvassing night (week prior)

-Overseeing game booths and coordinating work schedules for them

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

Tuesday, June 24, 2014 WOW-Zine

Hello, friends! This is going to be super-short this week, as in addition to my church work and publishing work with Ashberry Lane, I'm also  preparing for hosting nearly 40 family members here this weekend to celebrate my parents' 65th wedding anniversary. What a wonderful legacy I've been blessed with! 

Both Bible studies will meet as usual, but we only have three more until we take a partial summer break. The study we're doing (Fingerprints of God) was specially chosen to be something that you can join at any point along the way. Meaning this week's lesson isn't dependent upon last week's. It's a lesson unto itself! So even if you haven't been with us, come for these last few weeks.

Sally is bringing treats Common Grounds, Wednesday at 6:30 PM. No one signed up for Thursday morning (The Perk) treats, so be sure to eat breakfast before you come, or your rumbling tummy may compete with my voice! Stephanie has graciously agreed to be our MIC for this week.

It's summertime, which means it's a great time to do something active as a group. So, Wednesday, July 9th, we're hiking to Lee Falls.  We'll meet at Neva's in Cherry Grove at 10:30. Bring a picnic lunch for you and your kids. She says the hike to the lower fall is pretty easy. Christine's young boys have made the trek. But I wouldn't expect a toddler to do so! The hike is only about a mile  or so long. The water is accessible from the bank, so bring towels, etc.
If you want to do a longer, more strenuous hike, some can go on to Upper Lee Falls. Even though it's just a casual day, please let me know if you're coming so I have an idea of how many will be participating. Feel free to invite friends too. 

The heat of summer days is approaching, and you may be of an age where you're wondering:

10 Ways to Know You’re Having a Hot Flash

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I’ve had friends ask me, “How do you know you’re having a hot flash?” Well, it’s the kind of thing that if you have to ask, you are probably not having one. But, we all get hot, sweaty, flushed and can wonder…”is this it?!” “Am I having a hot flash?!” So, from my vast, sweaty experience of the last 2 years, I will share my insights…

Here are 10 ways to know you are having a hot flash…

1. When your eyelids and earlobes sweat, you are having a hot flash.

2. When your family has icicles forming on their gloved hands while shivering in your home as you stand before the open freezer naked, you are having a hot flash.

3. When you feel like the entire continent of Africa is housed in your perspiring and flabby body, you are having a hot flash.

4. When you hallucinate about being strapped to a floating popsicle lost in the Artic Ocean in mid-January, you are having a hot flash.

5. When you say, “Is it hot in here or is it just me?” more than 12 times a day, you know you are having a hot flash.

6. When you can wring out enough sweat from your undergarments to flood the Sahara, you are having a hot flash.

7. When you walk outside in an ice storm and say, “Oh, it feels so good out here”, you are having a hot flash.

8. When you have to resist the urge to fill your pillowcase with ice before you go to bed, you know you are having a hot flash.

9. When you have to drink some hot chocolate just to cool off, you are having a hot flash.

10. When you have more than three fans in your bedroom blowing cool air on you while your husband shivers in flannel pajamas, you are having a hot flash.

So there you have it!

Until next week,

Sherrie Ashcraft, Women's Ministry Director

sherrieashcraft@gmail.com    971-285-6699

Tuesday, June 17.2014 WOW-ZineW

Welcome, ladies, to the first week of summer vacation and the usual cool weather that accompanies it! I seem to remember it being hot in California at the beginning of summer break when I was a child. But I guess not here in the beautiful Pacific Northwest! I think we're all being blessed by our new Bible study, Fingerprints of God. It's reassuring to know, and be reminded of, God's involvement in our daily lives. Last week we discussed how He is our refuge, just like the Cities of Refuge that were set up in the Old Testament for accused people to run to for protection. In the same way, we run to Christ when the accuser starts slinging lies about us. We also talked about Christ being The Rock, and how we're mere pebbles compared to Him. The we tied the two concepts together by realizing that the Cities of Refuge were surrounded by stone walls that people had to enter through in order to be safe. Just like people have to enter through Christ, The Rock, to be able to find spiritual refuge. We've got another good study on tap for this week, so please come join us. Our last study before summer break will be July 16th and 17th. And I'd like to give a special invitation to you women who work in the school system during the year to join us now that you're on break. Common Grounds meets Wednesday night at 6:30, and Rita has signed up for snacks. At The Perk on Thursday at 9:30, Nicole is on for snacks and Kristen is our Mother in Charge.  Circle the date of Wednesday, July 9th, on your calendar, as we've got a fun event planned for that day. We'll be meeting in Cherry Grove in the morning and hiking to Lee Falls. I've never been there and am waiting for more information from my source, but plan on bringing your kids that like to hike, as well as a picnic lunch. I'll have more specifics for you next week.

You Don’t Have to Try So Hard Today Holley, 2014-06-11 10:30 {all images are gifts for you to use and share however you’d like} Dear You, You don’t have to try so hard. I know sometimes you think you do. There’s a place inside that worries that if you let up for even just a little while, it may all fall apart—you may fall apart. But here’s the secret: you don’t have to hold yourself, your life, this world together. That’s far too much for any of us. Instead of holding it all together, can you let yourself be held by the One who loves you? He’s the One who told the weary to come to him. He’s the One who tells us it’s okay to lay our burdens down. He’s the One who invites us to a life not of perfectionism but of peace. He doesn’t require as much of you as you believe. It feels like he does because so many people have told you it’s true. But our God is not a taskmaster. Instead he’s a loving Father, and he wants his children to rest. Children are not meant to worry and work all the time. They’re meant to receive. What do you need from God right now? Slow down for a moment and tell him. Whisper the tiredness you feel. Tell him about your frustration. Put words to your suspicion that it’s all too much and you’re not enough. Then listen for God’s voice in return. Let him reassure you that he’s got you and he’s never letting go. Let him share with you that you are not responsible for results, only obedience. Let him free you from what weighs you down and instead lift you up with love. You don’t have to try so hard, get so far, run so fast. You only have to reach up to the One who promises to carry you like a daughter in his arms. All the way home. (inspired by Deut. 1:31; Matt. 11:29–30; 1 John 3:1) Until next week, Sherrie Ashcraft, Women's Ministry Director sherrieashcraft@gmail.com    971-285-6699

Tuesday, June 10, WOW-Zine

After last week's rough health-time for me, I'm almost back to normal. Be afraid; be very afraid! So both Bible studies are up and running as usual this week.

We don't have anyone signed up to bring treats for Common Grounds on Wednesday night at 6:30. I think all of you ladies have forgotten how to sign your name! So if you'd like to bring something tomorrow night, feel free. Usually when that happens we end up with several people showing up with goodies. Maybe that's why you haven't been signing up lately! The Thursday morning (9:30) Perk ladies have filled in many of the slots until we take a break the end of July. This week Carol R. is on for goodies, and Nicole is our MIC.

There's a HUGE event coming up for the youth of our communities July 18th-20th, and the team putting together this retreat could really use your help. Please read the following paragraph written by Laura Fordyce, and then the following one with updated information by Carole Clark, who is in charge of the food for this ministry. Please help if you can, even if just for one meal.

 We are collaborating with about 10 other churches from the Portland and SW Washington area to form one big youth camp...at NO cost to the kids.  This means if you know of anyone going into grades 6-12, please have them & all their friends contact Bryan to find out how to sign up.  It also means we need a lot of help, as we could get up to 300 youth attending.  The area I'd specifically like to invite you to help in is food.  Carole Clark, at Sonrise, and I are heading up this section of camp and are looking for people to come help prep/serve/clean up for a meal or two.  You don't have to commit to the whole weekend, just the meal that would work out for you.  Most of the prep will be done at Sonrise FG and the camp is just out in Gales Creek.  It's a very easy way for you to serve this summer, but we won't be able to do this without lots of volunteers! Please send me an email, text or give me a ring if you are interested in helping out in this area (or maybe something else) at camp.
Thank you!
Laura (971-244-2134)

I will be holding two informational meetings for how our summer camp 
meals will roll out.For those of you who have expressed interest in cooking/prepping food, we will be discussing the menu and cooking schedule.  For those of you who are interested in transporting/serving, I will be discussing the facilities we have at the camp and how we plan 
to go about serving meals.  These meetings will not take longer than one hour.

I have scheduled Saturday, June 14th, at 1 pm.The other meeting will be Tuesday, June 17th, 
at 7 pm for those of you who can't make Saturday.    These meetings will 
be in the church auditorium.(Forest Grove)
Please RSVP to me as soon as possible about attending.  And many thanks 
again for your willingness to serve our youth!

~Carole Clark 503-357-1854

This is Sherrie again. I know we have a lot of really good cooks with servant hearts in our congregation, so hopefully we'll have so many volunteers they won't be able to use everyone!

Until next week,

Sherrie Ashcraft, Women's Ministry Director

sherrieashcraft@gmail.com    971-285-6699