Merry Christmas!! Today's meeting really helped us focus on the true meaning of Christmas.
Following announcements and door prizes, we had time to make an awesome craft - a "handmade" Christmas ornament to give as a gift or proudly display on our tree at home!! Our craft team lead us through the steps - filling a glass ornament with water and ink, swirling that around, and then adding some glitter. After the inside of the ornament was "painted", we got to choose coordinating rub-on stickers, a ribbon for hanging, and an adorable gift box to put the completed ornament in. I saw so many beautiful and creative ornaments!! I'm sure they will look great on everyone's trees this Christmas!
After craft and some small group discussion time, Julie Krause hosted a Birthday Party for Jesus. First, she spoke about how to teach our children that Jesus' birth should be the focus of our Christmas celebrations. She spoke on four key components of a "birthday party" and how they relate to Christmas - invitations, gifts, cake, and "thank you"!!
You can't have a party without the guest of honor...so please don't forget to invite Jesus into the celebration of his birth. You can start by reading the story of his birth, Luke 2, to your children from a children's Bible. Or perhaps look for a book, such as "The First Christmas". Tell your children the facts - Jesus is the Son of God, he was born in a stable/barn, angels came down from heaven to announce the good news to the shepherds, etc. You could try acting out the story with your kids by dressing up or buying them a nativity set that they are allowed to play with. Maybe you would like to attend the Bethlehem Marketplace at Elmbrook Church this year (see Elmbrook's website for details and to order tickets) for a truly "hands on" experience! Finally, learn about and celebrate Advent by using an Advent calendar or lighting Advent candles in your home.
Next, Julie spoke on gifts. As we all know, the 3 Wise Men brought gifts for the baby Jesus. This year, try making or buying gifts with your children that can be given away or donated to those in need. Maybe, visit or serve at a shelter or nursing home. Have your children pick out a charity, such as World Vision or Samaritan's Purse, to donate to at Christmas time. Teach them that it is just as fun to give as it is to receive!
Of course, you can't have a birthday party without a CAKE (and other food). Julie suggested leaving an empty place setting at your dinner table this year to represent that Jesus is there with you at the celebration. You could also make a cake and sing "Happy Birthday" to Jesus.
Finally, don't forget to say "Thank You" - for all of the gifts you receive this year, but most importantly, for God's greatest gift of all - Jesus Christ!
Following Julie's presentation, the children from the Red Room put on a little show for all of us. They held up pictures of symbols associated with Christmas.
Candles - a symbol for Jesus, the light of the world
Manger - represents the humility of Christ
Angels - a symbol of God's message to his people
Poinsettia - represents the nativity
Shepherds - symbolizing Jesus' care for us, his "flock"
Cattle - present @ Jesus' birth to represent strength and Christ's strength to carry our burdens
Star - symbolizing God's revelation to his people, and that Christ is the "Morning Star"
Wise Men's Gifts: Gold = Purity, Frankincense/Myrrh = holiness (expensive, ceremonial gifts)
Christmas Tree - represents eternal life and God's eternal love for us
We ended the morning by singing "Jingle Bells" and "Away in a Manger" with the children. The kids all gathered around the manger, while "Joseph" and "Mary" rocked baby Jesus. What a beautiful scene!
Merry Christmas to you all from your MOPS Steering Team!! Look forward to seeing you in the New Year (next meeting is Jan 5, 2010).
This blog is dedicated to the Moms of Influence group at Northbrook Church in Richfield, WI.
MOPS and POPS NIGHT OUT
Tim Hawkins Comedy Show
February 13th, 2010 at 7:00 pm
Crosspoint Community Church
Oconomowoc, WI
Tim Hawkins Comedy Show
February 13th, 2010 at 7:00 pm
Crosspoint Community Church
Oconomowoc, WI
Join us for an awesome evening full of fun, fellowship, and laughter. We are planning to meet somewhere for dinner (more details to follow) and then head to the show at Crosspoint Church. You can join us for dinner or just meet up with us for the show.
Tim Hawkins is a hilarious Christian stand-up comic. To learn more about Tim and view video clips of his comedy, visit www.timhawkins.net. There are also a ton of clips (from his DVDs and previous shows) on You Tube. Tickets for this event are $15 each.
This would make a great Valentine’s “gift” for you and your spouse. So, mark your calendar, book a babysitter, and join your fellow MOPS moms (and their hubbies) for a fun night! Hope to see you there!
Tickets went on sale on December 14th and we did order a total of 20 tickets (which are already spoken for). If you are still interested in attending the show, you can order your tickets directly from the church by calling 262-567-5311. Contact April if you have any questions or concerns. Thanks!
Crosspoint Community Church
W380 N6931 N. Lake Road
Oconomowoc, WI 53066
http://www.crosspoint-community.org/
Phone: 262-567-5311
Toll Free: 888-889-2989
From Milwaukee:
· I-94 W to Hwy 67/Oconomowoc (Exit. # 282)
· North (right) on Hwy 67
· Continue on Hwy 67 Bypass (just after you see the Culvers on the left side, stay in the right hand lane. The road will veer right). Go 6.2 miles.
· Take the Hwy 67 North to the Oconomowoc /Mayville exit.
· At the end of the exit ramp, turn left onto N. Lake Road
· Go about 0.2 mile, on N. Lake Road. Just south of Park Drive. Church is on the right.
December 1 - It's A Small World: Joy House/Giving Back
The meeting for today's theme was "Giving Back". What a wonderful topic to cover, especially at the start of the Christmas season. We opened our meeting with a brief history of the real Saint Nicholas. A generous, humble bishop who truly obeyed Jesus' command to "sell what you own and give the money to the poor", he used his whole inheritance (from the death of his parents) to assist the needy, the sick, and the suffering. Later in life, he was imprisoned and tortured for his faith. The date of his death, December 6th, was commemorated with an annual feast, which came to mark the beginning of the Christmas season. On St. Nicholas' Eve, children would set out food for the saint and straw for his horses. The next morning, obedient children would awake to find their gifts replaced with sweets and toys. St. Nicholas' Day is still observed in many countries, and gifts are exchanged in honor of the spirit of charity that he embodied.
We followed this up with a short game to help us get into the Christmas spirit. Some of the questions asked were, "Who can say Merry Christmas in the most different languages", "Who will travel the most miles for Christmas dinner (the "winner" will be traveling 1300 miles to Florida!!)", and "Who put up their Christmas tree the earliest (the "winner" of this one had their tree up on November 1st already...really planning ahead!!)". We all had fun sharing our answers and traditions and learning more about the other moms in our group! And the lucky "winners" even got to take home a small prize!
Our speaker today was Barb Vanderburgh, the director of the Joy House (part of the Milwaukee Rescue Mission). For the past couple of years, Northbrook's Women's Ministries have been donating items and serving (by volunteering, making lunches, etc) at the Joy House. To show Barb our support for Joy House, we took up a collection of items that we could send back with her. These items included diaper cream, baby wipes, toilet paper, deodorant, toothbrushes, and other daily necessities. Thank you to all who donated....we were able to send a very full box of needed items along with Barb!! I'm sure your generosity will be much appreciated by the women, children, and staff of Joy House! For those of you that are not aware, there is a donation box in the basement/fellowship hall at Northbrook. Each month, there is a list of specific items being collected, but you are free to donate anything at anytime.
Barb's talk focused on 3 stories in the bible involving Mary and Martha. She used these stories to illustrate that we need to have our priorities in order. One profound statement was, "In order to have JOY, you need to have your priorities in line: Jesus, Others, and then You". What a reality check! She talked about how in each of the stories, one of the women seemed to have the right focus, Jesus, while the other seemed to be more focused on self and her own problems. Barb wrapped it all up by telling us to "be encouraged". She reminded us that God has given us unique gifts and that these gifts are to be used for his purpose. As Christians, we are all called to serve!
We finished our meeting with a short video about Joy House and a Q/A time. We learned about the mission of Joy House, that they are funded solely on donations, what other programs are housed at the MRM, and what items are most often needed. Barb said that some frequent needs are larger sized diapers (NOT newborn size) and pull-ups, socks, warm items such as mittens, coats, and hats during the winter months, diaper cream, Orajel, and any "basics" you can imagine a mom/young children needing throughout the day. They do accept new or used clothing, coats, etc. She requested that we do NOT donate used stuffed animals as they are hard to clean and can be dangerous to those with allergies/asthma.
We followed this up with a short game to help us get into the Christmas spirit. Some of the questions asked were, "Who can say Merry Christmas in the most different languages", "Who will travel the most miles for Christmas dinner (the "winner" will be traveling 1300 miles to Florida!!)", and "Who put up their Christmas tree the earliest (the "winner" of this one had their tree up on November 1st already...really planning ahead!!)". We all had fun sharing our answers and traditions and learning more about the other moms in our group! And the lucky "winners" even got to take home a small prize!
Our speaker today was Barb Vanderburgh, the director of the Joy House (part of the Milwaukee Rescue Mission). For the past couple of years, Northbrook's Women's Ministries have been donating items and serving (by volunteering, making lunches, etc) at the Joy House. To show Barb our support for Joy House, we took up a collection of items that we could send back with her. These items included diaper cream, baby wipes, toilet paper, deodorant, toothbrushes, and other daily necessities. Thank you to all who donated....we were able to send a very full box of needed items along with Barb!! I'm sure your generosity will be much appreciated by the women, children, and staff of Joy House! For those of you that are not aware, there is a donation box in the basement/fellowship hall at Northbrook. Each month, there is a list of specific items being collected, but you are free to donate anything at anytime.
Barb's talk focused on 3 stories in the bible involving Mary and Martha. She used these stories to illustrate that we need to have our priorities in order. One profound statement was, "In order to have JOY, you need to have your priorities in line: Jesus, Others, and then You". What a reality check! She talked about how in each of the stories, one of the women seemed to have the right focus, Jesus, while the other seemed to be more focused on self and her own problems. Barb wrapped it all up by telling us to "be encouraged". She reminded us that God has given us unique gifts and that these gifts are to be used for his purpose. As Christians, we are all called to serve!
We finished our meeting with a short video about Joy House and a Q/A time. We learned about the mission of Joy House, that they are funded solely on donations, what other programs are housed at the MRM, and what items are most often needed. Barb said that some frequent needs are larger sized diapers (NOT newborn size) and pull-ups, socks, warm items such as mittens, coats, and hats during the winter months, diaper cream, Orajel, and any "basics" you can imagine a mom/young children needing throughout the day. They do accept new or used clothing, coats, etc. She requested that we do NOT donate used stuffed animals as they are hard to clean and can be dangerous to those with allergies/asthma.
November 17 - Zero Gravity: Women's Health Issues
Today, Dr. Gloria Halverson, shared some helpful information regarding women's health issues. She began her presentation with these words from the book of Luke...."For onto us, a child is born". She then preceded to talk about the amazing journey from conception to birth. Did you realize that a child's DNA and genetic characteristics were determined 4 months before his/her mother was born. Yes, that's right, I said mother. What an incredible miracle! She also shared that she believes life begins at the moment of fertilization and that there is scientifically no question about that. After fertilization, the embryo has to travel 3 inches (to implant in the uterus) in a week. In the first month alone, the fetus grows 10,000 times its size from the time of conception. By the 3rd month of pregnancy, the baby weighs only an ounce, but is already fully formed with fingers, toes, teeth buds, organs, etc. WOW!!
Dr. Halverson also spoke about some of the emotional changes women can experience during pregnancy. Not all women are "ecstatic" for the whole 9 months of their pregnancies. There are many physical and emotional changes to process and deal with. During pregnancy, many moms are worried about miscarriage, their health, the baby's health, birth defects, labor pain, etc. Even after your baby is born, you may find that people no longer want to talk to you about "world affairs", but rather diapers and feedings! She reminded us that God is in control and he will go through everything with you.....You are NOT alone!
Another insight was that the "true labor" comes after the baby is born, when you immediately encounter a whole new set of problems, like how to raise the child.
Following her presentation, she allowed for some Question and Answer time. Topics covered included the importance of Vitamin D, the HPV vaccine, and breast cancer. We discovered that just about all women (especially those living in cold-weather states...like Wisconsin) are Vitamin D deficient. Her recommendation for women was 1000 mg of Vitamin D per day. The best source is sunlight, but you can also get Vitamin D from milk and in a pill/vitamin form.
HPV causes cervical and many other cancers and 80% of women will contract it within the fist 3 years of sexual activity. Some things discussed regarding the HPV vaccine were that it is a preventive vaccine (it will prevent, but not cure HPV), it is recommended for women between the ages of 11-26, and that it is safe and can be life-saving. The controversy over the vaccine comes because we are vaccinating young women and some groups believe this advocates early sexual activity.
We also learned that breast cancer has genetic, as well as environmental links. The medical field does not know all of the causes of breast cancer yet, but it is believed that diet, exercise, and maintaining a healthy weight can reduce your risk.
Dr. Halverson also spoke about some of the emotional changes women can experience during pregnancy. Not all women are "ecstatic" for the whole 9 months of their pregnancies. There are many physical and emotional changes to process and deal with. During pregnancy, many moms are worried about miscarriage, their health, the baby's health, birth defects, labor pain, etc. Even after your baby is born, you may find that people no longer want to talk to you about "world affairs", but rather diapers and feedings! She reminded us that God is in control and he will go through everything with you.....You are NOT alone!
Another insight was that the "true labor" comes after the baby is born, when you immediately encounter a whole new set of problems, like how to raise the child.
Following her presentation, she allowed for some Question and Answer time. Topics covered included the importance of Vitamin D, the HPV vaccine, and breast cancer. We discovered that just about all women (especially those living in cold-weather states...like Wisconsin) are Vitamin D deficient. Her recommendation for women was 1000 mg of Vitamin D per day. The best source is sunlight, but you can also get Vitamin D from milk and in a pill/vitamin form.
HPV causes cervical and many other cancers and 80% of women will contract it within the fist 3 years of sexual activity. Some things discussed regarding the HPV vaccine were that it is a preventive vaccine (it will prevent, but not cure HPV), it is recommended for women between the ages of 11-26, and that it is safe and can be life-saving. The controversy over the vaccine comes because we are vaccinating young women and some groups believe this advocates early sexual activity.
We also learned that breast cancer has genetic, as well as environmental links. The medical field does not know all of the causes of breast cancer yet, but it is believed that diet, exercise, and maintaining a healthy weight can reduce your risk.
2009-2010 Northbrook MOPS Schedule
Our theme this year is "Together on Planet Mom", which is appropriate since motherhood is like a whole new world of wonder and unknowns. Also, as a mom you may have found that your relationships have changed so much that it seems like you are now on a different planet! We have an "out of this world" year planned for you as we journey across Planet Mom. We will be exploring new mommy frontiers, building friendships, and learning how to navigate our relationships. Our desire this year is to boldly embrace the changes in our lives making us more joyful and confident as we grow as women.
Listed below is our meeting and topic schedule for the year. So buckle up! Together we are blasting off to explore "Planet Mom" - we hope to see you there!
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