Once again, the Annual MOPS Tea was a great way for moms to celebrate the Christmas holiday.  Moms enjoyed a morning of fellowship and a great message from our guest speaker, Donna Chambers.  Let’s face it, this is a busy (and sometimes stressful) time of year, especially for moms.  But today, MOPS had an opportunity to refresh, take a deep breath, and focus on how God sent Jesus to live on earth as a human, to understand us, love us, and adopt us as His daughters so that we may have eternal life.  We send a special “thank you” to Donna for speaking and spending time with MOPS today. 

Recently, we heard a story about a pastor who asked some members of a small group this question: “What was your most memorable Christmas?”  For some, it was the special memory of a parent or grandparent, a baby’s first Christmas, or the sweet taste of a special family recipe.  Not one person mentioned a gift.  Gifts are great, and the shopping is exciting, but is it really about the gifts at all?  Turns out, our favorite things about Christmas aren’t really things.  They are experiences, wrapped in love, that give us the greatest gifts.  So, from MOPS, we wish you a Merry Christmas filled with all of the things that money can’t buy and doesn’t come in a box. 

Blessings,

Becca and Lauren

                                                Photographer Kim Angelo

          This week, MOPS had the pleasure of hosting one of our own moms, local family photographer Kim Angelo, as a guest speaker.  Kim spoke about simple ways to take better photos.  And we can use all the advice we can get when trying to capture photos of kids who are growing up fast and never stop moving.  Moms are always trying to capture special moments, because we understand how quickly babies grow up and maybe we are trying to hold onto a piece of motherhood that will soon pass by. 

                            MOPS moms experimenting with angles and lighting                                

As Kim mentioned, photography has a lot to do with catching the best angle and good lighting.  We want to be seen in the best light.  This is true in photography as it is in life in general.  But how often is it that our kids see us in our “not-so-good” light?  Babies are so sweet and preschoolers are adorable, but if you have spent more than an hour with them, your patience has probably been tested, at least once.  Mothers of preschoolers have their patience tested every hour (and sometimes every minute) of the day.  As imperfect people, it’s easy to loose our temper or say things we don’t mean.   Moms need patience to (calmly) correct a behavior, have stamina to follow through with consequences, and then have patience and stamina to repeat the process multiple times until your preschooler learns.  There are times that we might wonder, “How am I ever going to get through the pains of parenting?”  The truth is, when you rely on God for guidance, you are never doing it alone.  When we stand in His light, we can’t help but reflect that light on our kids.  The job of a mother will never be easy and will always be challenging.  But remain in Jesus’ light, and the image you reflect will never be unflattering.  We’d like to send a special “thank you” to Kim for sharing with us!

Love,

Becca and Lauren

The life of a busy mom can be completely overwhelming, balancing schedules, babies, meals, school, activities, house work, and trying to get enough sleep just to get through it all again the next day.  Sometimes, just getting through a Tuesday can seem like a monumental task.  But, sometimes, we forget that we’re never doing it alone.  Our Savior is with us every step of the way. He feels our pain when we see a child struggling, He feels our joy when a baby says his first word, and He wants us to go to Him for everything, even the small stuff.  The greatest way that God can speak to us is through the Bible.  Everything we ever need to know is in His perfect words.  Unfortunately, diapers, dinners, and dishes can distract us from spending time with God in His word. 

This jar looks plain, sitting on a kitchen counter, but its contents are beyond powerful.  A few weeks ago, our MOPS made these jars and placed Bible verses on small pieces of card stock inside of them.  At any moment, you can pick out a verse and spend special time with God.  It’s a perfect tool for a mom looking for some divine inspiration through the day.  Keep it on your kitchen counter.  Grab a verse.  Meditate on the words.  Read them to your child.  Put it in your pocket to read throughout the day.  Or, pass it on to a friend who needs it.  When planning this craft, we prayed that God would use this simple tool to speak powerful words to our special moms, in His perfect timing.  In times of trouble, stress, or complete chaos, His words are just what we need.  One of our favorite passages from the jar is from Deuteronomy 6:5-9, when God speaks to Moses about the commandments He gave the Israelites, and He says, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.  These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts.  Impress them on your children.  Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.  Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads.  Write them on the door frames on your houses and on your gates.”

This passage is a reminder of what God commands of us as moms:  Love the Lord in everything you do and teach your children of His amazing power and love.  Throughout the year, we will be giving more and more verses to add to the jar.  MOPS is a great place for friendship and fun, but our prayer is that moms leave each meeting feeling spiritually recharged and being filled with desire to serve God within our families.  The jar on the counter is just a jar.  But when it’s filled with God’s word, it is transformed into a powerful tool to make us better women, mothers, and wives.

Blessings,

Becca and Lauren

 These jars are available at any MOPS meeting.  Please see a MOPS Steering Team member to receive yours!

Happy Thanksgiving!  This is a special time of year where we have the opportunity to reflect on the past year and give thanks for all of the triumphs and challenges we’ve met along the way.  At MOPS, we’d like to share what we are giving thanks for this year.

*Our Savior, who loves us unconditionally, forgives us when we make mistakes, and always keeps His promises.

*Our husbands, the kids that make us mommies, and the families who support us through it all.

*MOPS moms, who believe “moms make a better world” and are committed to raising kids with character in a messed up world.

*Our MOPPET volunteers, who graciously serve by caring for our children at each MOPS meeting.

*The MOPS Steering Team, who selflessly give time and energy, helping each meeting run smoothly.

*MOPS International, who provides guidance, learning materials, and a program that allows moms to be supported and encouraged within our community.

*Pastors at Shore Fellowship Church, who physically, spiritually, and prayerfully support MOPS as a ministry all year long.

*We are especially thankful for the privilege of serving moms through the MOPS ministry at Shore Fellowship Church.  MOPS is a blessing to us each and every day!

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving, celebrating all of God’s amazing blessings! 

Love,

Becca and Lauren