Holy Cross MOPS

Breakfast was a wonderful assortment of bagels & cream cheese, fruit and strawberry smoothies.

Wendy is going to be sharing great information from the Five Star Families book by Caroll Kuykendall  for the second semester.  The five key aspects include LOVE, FUN, LOYALTY, GROWTH and FAITH.  For this meeting, Wendy focused on FUN!  For families, mom usually sets the tone…how is your funny bone?  The more fun you have as a family, the more you will want to be together.  Fun is the frosting on the cake-it sweetens things and takes everyday life from ordinary to EXTRAordinary.  Fun is the common ground for families-it lets you enter into each other’s worlds.  Having fun is a playful way for you to express your love to one another.  Things like nicknames and teasing make you belong and give you importance.  The nature of your family’s fun is hereditary and creates a legacy…are there funny things you come to expect at family gatherings?  Wendy shared some great, funny things her grandpa would do whenever they got together.  Family fun requires interaction between all family members, not passive participation.

Lighten up on yourself!  We all have the choice on how to spend our time and it looks different for all of us.  Make it a point to play in the midst of unfinished work…take a ‘recess’…play IN the moment!  Put fun higher on your list of priorities and allow yourself to exercise your funny bone.  Take advantage of your kids innate playfulness.  Remember that C+ works and embrace it!  Not everything has to be perfect all of the time.  Lighten up on what your idea of what play is supposed to be.  Use resources and ideas from others to help you.  Most of all, make sure your tank is full and give yourself the opportunity to laugh!  Attitude is everything…Fake it till you make it!  Psalm 16:11 says You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand. 

Lori Ostreko was our guest speaker and shared her cancer diagnosis and the journey she took to fight against it.  A positive attitude is what got her through.  She encouraged us to find a silver lining whenever things might be going wrong.  Her most important advice is to know what’s normal for you and if you see something, get it checked out right away!

We had some extra time to share more family fun ideas.  I apologize for not giving credit to each individual mom that mentioned these fun ideas but thought I would share them here in case you didn’t write it down or if you missed the meeting.

-Use fingerpaint or colored shaving cream in the bathtub

-Have a pinto bean or rice tub for the kids to dig and play in

-Toy Bin Charades, especially great for kids that can’t read yet.  Pull an animal or figurine from a toy bin and have the child/parent act it out and the other family members guess what it is.

-Add some food coloring to a spray waterbottle and go out and decorate the snow!

-Put some dark/black paper in the freezer then take it outside when it’s snowing so the snowflakes land on it.  You can enjoy the beauty of the individual snowflakes before they melt!

-Add some glow sticks to the bathtub and turn out the lights

-“Skate” around on carpet with waxed paper squares

-Put snow in the bathtub if it’s too cold to go outside

Thanks for sharing all of your fun ideas!  We look forward to seeing you at a playdate this Thursday the 26^th in the Holy Cross nursery.  It’s open to all tables!

At our next meeting, the Family Life Center will be coming to share what they do.  We can help them by bringing any of these donations:

For Children/Babies:

Diapers (size 1-2 is in most demand but would take any.  Full packages or partial is fine)

Wipes, Baby Shampoo, Baby Wash, Lotion, Desitin etc., Crib Sheets, Boppy Pillows

For the Mothers:

Twin bedding, Twin Sheets, Bibles, Journals, Devotional Books, Monthly Planners

Bring whatever you have on hand or pick up when you are out shopping.

We look forward to seeing you at our next meeting on February 2!  Come hungry for breakfast burritos!  Also, if you have not paid 2^nd semester dues, be sure to bring your checkbook!

Coming Events:

Craft/Scrapbook Night:  February 10  6:00-11:00 p.m. at Holy Cross.  Bring a snack to pass!

Spring/Summer Consignment Sale:  March 23-24.  Register to be a seller now while there is still room!

Be Blessed & have a FUN week!

Romans 15:13 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. 

Happy New Year!!  Our hospitality team offered such a nice selection of quiches, fruit & toast with homemade jam.  It was all delicious!  Stephanie welcomed us and gave us a recommendation for a devotional that her girls really enjoy.  If you would like to check it out, it is called God & Me Devotionals for Girls and there are some available in the resource room to check out.  There are several different options based on the age range of your child.  For the boys, there is a series called Gotta Have God: Fun Devotionals For Boys.  Click on the links to view the variety of options at amazon.com.

Wendy talked to us today about confidence and the negative confessions we tell ourselves. These negative confessions take root in your soul, bring you down and you start to believe they are true.  We take on guilt and we are always second guessing on ourselves.  Instead of comparing yourself to others, begin to tell yourself things that are true.  ”I’m going to reach my goals”, “I’m going to fight to finish this”, “I’m the only right mom for my kids”.  Phillipians 4:13 says I can do all this through him who gives me strength.  Do you believe it?  Phillipians 1:6 says… being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.  You have everything in your being to become the person God wants you to be.  You lack NOTHING.  You can do whatever it is that God has called you to do and you are fully enabled by God to be exactly where you are.

Jeremiah 29:11 says For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.  Show your children how to be confident by being confident yourself.    Just like you tell them, begin to tell yourself  ”Yes You Can….Calm Down…Take a Deep Breath…Try Again.”

Wendy referenced a podcast she listened to by Charles Stanley called “Confidence that Conquers”.  You can listen to it for free by clicking this link and listening through iTunes. http://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/intouch-tv-broadcast-featuring/id135158768.  If for some reason the link doesn’t work for you, search the iTunes store for InTouch TV Broadcast featuring Dr. Charles Stanley “Confidence that Conquers”.    She also showed us an Advent Bell that gives verses for who we are in Christ.  You can find that by clicking here.

Thank you, Wendy for always giving us a fresh perspective on topics that apply to all of us!

We were able to continue our discussion at our tables while we completed a super cute and easy craft.  Thank you Kelley for always giving us something to do that is both pretty and practical!

We missed those of you who were not able to be with us today.  Here is a copy of the announcements.  If you would like an electronic version of the newsletter, please email holycrossmopspublicity[AT]yahoo.com to request a copy.  We look forward to seeing you at our next meeting on January 19th.  As a reminder, 2nd semester dues of $48 will be due at that meeting.

We enjoyed an incredibly beautiful Christmas meeting and were blessed by extra volunteers so all of our moms could enjoy the meeting.  A big THANK YOU to Renee, our wonderful MOPPETS coordinator who made this all possible-what a blessing!  Our morning started with a few announcements followed by breakfast served at our tables.  The Praline Pecan French Toast, fruit & sausage was amazing!  After we enjoyed our breakfast, Wendy led us in a moving candle lighting ceremony.  While “Mary Did You Know” played in the background, the light was passed on from the steering team, to the table leaders then to our wonderful moms.  The light we hold each day is passed on to our children in everything we do.  Keep your light shining, moms!!

We had the pleasure of having Cindy Bultema come and share her ‘sparkle’ with us at this meeting, sharing her tips on Thriving on Your Motherhood Adventure.  Here are 7 things you need to be sure to pack on your mothering adventure.  First of all, you want to be sure to leave behind both worry (2 Timothy 1:7) and fear(Matthew 6:25)-two things that weigh us down.  You DO need to pack the following:

1.  TRUTH…Don’t believe the lies we tell ourselves.

2.  IV BAG…Ask God for an infusion of his strength, patience and grace.

3.  MAGNIFYING GLASS…Psalm 34:3 O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together.

4.  JOY…find what brings YOU joy!

5.  MAGNADOODLE…We all make mistakes.  In Christ, we are forgiven, the slate is wiped clean.

6.  CARIBBINER…Helps you stay linked up with other moms, stay encouraged.  When you are part of a community, you KNOW and are KNOWN, you SERVE and are SERVED, you LOVE and are LOVED and you CELEBRATE and are CELEBRATED.

7.  PLAN…So we can live intentionally.

Be sure to check out Cindy’s Blog at www.cindybultema.blogspot.com.  We really enjoyed having her!

Happy New Year, Moms!!  We look forward to seeing you this Thursday the 5th!

My apologies to those of you who may have missed meetings and have been waiting to be updated on meeting ‘happenings’.  The Christmas season was incredibly enjoyable, yet I seemed to fall behind on a few responsibilities.  Thankfully, the New Year is a perfect time to try to turn that around and resolve to be more timely in my blog posts!

At our first meeting in December, we were served Egg McMuffin style sandwiches, hasbrowns and tangerines…healthy and delicious!  Christa & her team are doing a wonderful job of serving us a nice variety of breakfasts, which seem to taste even better without being interrupted or having to share bites!

The 3-5 year olds enjoyed Horizons Gymnastics while Wendy gave us some great ideas on toys…while this might have been a little more helpful to you BEFORE Christmas, hopefully you can check back here as a resource as you think towards upcoming birthdays or other gift-giving events.  Shall we start with what a BAD toy is?  A bad toy is overstimulating and doesn’t foster imagination.  You probably have a pretty good idea of what these are, and you probably have some hanging out in your toy bins.  Good toys are educational, manipulative, imaginative, dramatic (dress up/playsets), puzzles, blocks and stuffed animals.  I have to admit I am usually annoyed by the swarms of stuffed animals taking over my house but thanks to Wendy’s good tips, they will be sticking around here for awhile.  To help prevent and/or remove dust mites, put them in a basket in the freezing cold this winter, or give them a toss in the dryer.  Somehow that makes them seem a little more appealing to me. Giving educational toys is smart because when a child plays and learns, they will be gaining knowledge, and that will last longer than any toy with bells & whistles.

Another great idea-for you or your child’s grandparents- is to give an experience like a movie night with mom or dad, a gym bag with a certificate for a class or a zoo membership.  Take the opportunity to expand your child’s horizons.  Help them imagine so they understand the reason for the season.

Proverbs 22:6  Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.

We spent the rest of our meeting decorating sugar cookies for the wonderful Moppets workers and volunteers.  It was such a ‘sweet’ activity!  Thank you, Kelley, for helping us to Craft it Forward by using our time to help brighten someone else’s day!

We enjoyed a warm and filling breakfast of Fruit & Nut Oatmeal, baked oatmeal and an assortment of breads.  It was perfect for a chilly fall morning!

Stephanie shared Ten Stress Strategies Every Women Needs from Jill Savage, one of the speakers at the MOPS Convention this year.  Stay tuned-we will post this ever important list on the blog in the coming weeks.

In light of the upcoming holiday season, Wendy’s talk was about traditions.  They are what your family knows, they bind your family together and they serve as great memory markers.  She encouraged us to find a way for each family member to find what their individual role in the tradition is.  This provides a sense of security, self confidence and importance.  When families share traditions-even sharing a meal every day-it can prevent common problems such as depression, drug use, eating disorders and more.  Think about what is different about your child(ren) this year and what they can do compared to last year.  What traditions can you start to bind your family together this Christmas season?  Wendy listed a few books that she has found helpful to share with her girls at Christmas time (click the book titles to find them on Amazon.com):

Jotham’s Journey

The ADVENTure of Christmas

The Cripled Lamb

Mortimer’s Christmas Manger

Our speaker for this meeting was Veronica Pechumer.  She is the PAT (Parents as Teachers) and Early Childhood Coordinator at the Life Services Parent Center in Holland, MI. Life Services Parent Center (LSPC) exists to give young kids in the West Michigan area the absolute best start possible.

LSPC is centered on the parent. Parents are the single greatest influence on their young children, thus, helping to strengthen and hone their skills is critical. LSPC acts as hub where parents can get equipped, inspired and energized to be their kids’ best teachers, instructors and encouragers.

Veronica shared about the available resources at LSPC and asked for feedback on what we would like to see in a Parent Center.  You can find more information by going to their website www.lifeservicessystem.org or call them at 800.577.7661.

We hope you have a relaxing and blessed Thanksgiving and look forward to seeing you December 1st!