This blog is dedicated to the Moms of Influence group at Northbrook Church in Richfield, WI.
Great Opportunity!!
Here is a great opportunity for all of you.....you can subscribe to Focus on the Family's Thriving Family Magazine for FREE!! I currently subscribe to this magazine and LOVE it! There are so many great articles about faith, parenting (all different ages/stages), and family issues. If you are interested in learning more or signing up to receive this magazine for free, click HERE. Enjoy!!
May 17: Chlorine: The Sweet Smell of Summer Ideas
Hard to believe, but today was our last MOPS meeting of the 2010-2011 "season". It was a fun-filled and busy morning! We honored our "graduates" with a short ceremony and small gifts (a mop, poem, and Kit-Kat bar). It is always so bittersweet to see our friends "graduate" from our group and move into this next phase (school-aged kids) of motherhood. We also took time to thank our wonderful leadership/steering team and MOPPETS workers. These amazing women are a vital part of our program and our meetings just wouldn't happen without all of their hard work!
Our speaker, one of our fellow MOPS moms, shared some great ideas for things to do with our children this summer. She broke her talk into four sections: Things To Expect, Things To Do, Things To Play, and Things To Be.
1) Things to Expect:
messy home, more laundry, bathing bonanza (summer time = MORE baths), changing plans, weather, fatigue, and differences (interests/abilities) from year to year
2)Things to Do:
4 Free - library, parades, parks, concerts, read, cook, craft, hike, picnic, paint,k journal, campfire
4 Fee - Summer School, Rec classes, swim, movies @ theater, zoo, Breakfast on the Farm, museums, fairs/festivals, Vacation Bible School
3)Things to Play:
old school playground games, relay races, treasure hunts, tabletop Olympics, marble raceways (build and then play with), paper play (hats, boats, airplanes, origami)
4) Things to Be:
organized, flexible, routine, random, fun, creative, instructive, balanced, holy
Have a fabulous summer, enjoy some time with your kiddos/family, and see you in September for the Moms of Influence kick-off!! Bring a friend too!
Our speaker, one of our fellow MOPS moms, shared some great ideas for things to do with our children this summer. She broke her talk into four sections: Things To Expect, Things To Do, Things To Play, and Things To Be.
1) Things to Expect:
messy home, more laundry, bathing bonanza (summer time = MORE baths), changing plans, weather, fatigue, and differences (interests/abilities) from year to year
2)Things to Do:
4 Free - library, parades, parks, concerts, read, cook, craft, hike, picnic, paint,k journal, campfire
4 Fee - Summer School, Rec classes, swim, movies @ theater, zoo, Breakfast on the Farm, museums, fairs/festivals, Vacation Bible School
3)Things to Play:
old school playground games, relay races, treasure hunts, tabletop Olympics, marble raceways (build and then play with), paper play (hats, boats, airplanes, origami)
4) Things to Be:
organized, flexible, routine, random, fun, creative, instructive, balanced, holy
Have a fabulous summer, enjoy some time with your kiddos/family, and see you in September for the Moms of Influence kick-off!! Bring a friend too!
May 3: Krypton: Supermom: Let Me Hold You Longer
Today was our Mother's Day Brunch/Invite-Your-Mom meeting. We had a wonderful morning together reflecting on the awesome privilege and responsibility of motherhood! It was nice to have so many of our moms/mother-in laws join us this morning as well. In addition to some extra door prizes and special gifts for our guests, we also had a craft sale (to clear out some of the old craft supplies in our cabinets) and mixed up some homemade body scrubs using Epsom salts, olive oil, and essential oils (which were then poured into decorated baby food jars).
The topic of our talk this morning was "Let Me Hold You Longer" and our speaker used some excerpts from that book mixed with personal stories and photos to inspire and encourage us all. She started by reminding us that motherhood is a priceless gift as well as an unrelenting responsibility. At times we may get too caught up in the 3 D's of mothering: Dishes, Diapers, and Dust. We need to remember that this season of our lives will go by too quickly and before we know it the kids will be grown.
In the moments when we are stressed out, exhausted, and frustrated, we need to rest in God and cast our cares upon Him. We should be alert to the many lessons that our children can teach us.
Also, we should try not to lose sight of what is real and what is important:
1) Everyday celebrate at least 1 thing; don't just wait for big events. Celebrate the wonder of your family.....have a special meal, sing a silly song, dance around the house, etc.
2) Maintain Perspective: in the quiet moments of the day (like when the kids are asleep), we are reminded of our priorities and purpose as a mom. Our job, leading our kids to God, is an eternal one!
3) Remember and capture the moments - take LOTS of pictures, keep a journal
4) Pray: Here is a wonderful prayer that our speaker shared with us today...
Lord, give me the patience when wee hands
Tug at me with their small demands
Give me gentle and smiling eyes;
Keep my lips from hasty replies.
Let not weariness, confusion, or noise
Obscure my vision of life's fleeting joys.
So, when in years to come, my house is still
No bitter memories its rooms may fill.
Mothering is a journey; every "last" is leading to another "first". As our kids grow, and eventually move on to other things, parenting DOESN'T STOP...it just looks different.
On those days, when you are overwhelmed with your responsibilities as a mother, keep this verse in mind:
Isaiah 41:13
For I hold you by your right hand—
I, the Lord your God.
And I say to you,
‘Don’t be afraid. I am here to help you.
The topic of our talk this morning was "Let Me Hold You Longer" and our speaker used some excerpts from that book mixed with personal stories and photos to inspire and encourage us all. She started by reminding us that motherhood is a priceless gift as well as an unrelenting responsibility. At times we may get too caught up in the 3 D's of mothering: Dishes, Diapers, and Dust. We need to remember that this season of our lives will go by too quickly and before we know it the kids will be grown.
In the moments when we are stressed out, exhausted, and frustrated, we need to rest in God and cast our cares upon Him. We should be alert to the many lessons that our children can teach us.
Also, we should try not to lose sight of what is real and what is important:
1) Everyday celebrate at least 1 thing; don't just wait for big events. Celebrate the wonder of your family.....have a special meal, sing a silly song, dance around the house, etc.
2) Maintain Perspective: in the quiet moments of the day (like when the kids are asleep), we are reminded of our priorities and purpose as a mom. Our job, leading our kids to God, is an eternal one!
3) Remember and capture the moments - take LOTS of pictures, keep a journal
4) Pray: Here is a wonderful prayer that our speaker shared with us today...
Lord, give me the patience when wee hands
Tug at me with their small demands
Give me gentle and smiling eyes;
Keep my lips from hasty replies.
Let not weariness, confusion, or noise
Obscure my vision of life's fleeting joys.
So, when in years to come, my house is still
No bitter memories its rooms may fill.
Mothering is a journey; every "last" is leading to another "first". As our kids grow, and eventually move on to other things, parenting DOESN'T STOP...it just looks different.
On those days, when you are overwhelmed with your responsibilities as a mother, keep this verse in mind:
Isaiah 41:13
For I hold you by your right hand—
I, the Lord your God.
And I say to you,
‘Don’t be afraid. I am here to help you.
April 19: Oxygen: Need to Live - He is Risen!
While preparing our hearts for Easter, Pastor Mike Bellanti, lead pastor at Northbrook Church and father of two, spoke this week to encourage, inspire, and validate all moms. He reminded us that there was someone in Jesus' life who was always with him - from conception to resurrection - Mary, the mother of Jesus. Mary gave birth to the Hope of the World, a man who was fully God, but she was responsible for raising Him, a son who was also fully human. We are not raising children who are the Hope of the World, but Pastor Mike did remind us that in Genesis 1:27 we are told that we are created in the image of God. We are not "just" a mom, we are caring for the image of God on Earth! While our current culture may have diminished, devalued and disrespected the role of mothers, what greater job is there than to be caretakers of the image of God?
Pastor Mike lifted us up, reminding us that we are valued, appreciated and respected. He also encouraged us to remember that motherhood (and life) is made up of different seasons. Many mothers of preschoolers might agree that we are in the "I'm so tired I can't even think any more" season, but it will eventually come to an end. And perhaps knowing the season will not last, we can learn to embrace the season we are in and navigate it successfully. As it is written in Isaiah 41:10:
Pastor Mike lifted us up, reminding us that we are valued, appreciated and respected. He also encouraged us to remember that motherhood (and life) is made up of different seasons. Many mothers of preschoolers might agree that we are in the "I'm so tired I can't even think any more" season, but it will eventually come to an end. And perhaps knowing the season will not last, we can learn to embrace the season we are in and navigate it successfully. As it is written in Isaiah 41:10:
So do not fear, for I am with you;What do we need during this season of life to feel renewed?
do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
- Appreciation,
- A break from life and its responsibilities,
- Rest and
- Validation.
Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;This Easter season while we celebrate the newness of life we have through Christ Jesus, let us also remember that there was a mom at the foot of that cross who had been entrusted with raising the Son of God on Earth. Let us value our role as the caretakers of the image of God, and find our strength, renewal, rest and validation in the arms of our Father.
but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.
Honor her for all that her hands have done,
and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.
April 5: Lithium Battery: Leaders Keep Going and Going and Going....
Today's meeting was our annual Leadership Tea, a morning where we celebrate and recognize the importance of the moms in our group. This year's tea was all about those inspiring and influential moments and people in our lives. We also celebrated the influence that we have in our families, with our children, and with other friends/moms we come in contact with.
Another important and exciting moment was the announcement that Northbrook is launching a NEW ministry for preschool moms. Starting in September, we will be........
For more information about this new ministry, please click HERE. We are currently accepting registration forms for next year (starting September 2011).
The bulk of our morning consisted of powerful testimonies from a number of our steering team members. These women shared about influential people and moments in their lives. We finished up our morning with a slide show set to the song "Who You Are" by Hilary Weeks and the presentation of a "Moms of Influence" cake!
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