Happy Tuesday MOPS Moms!

It's been a while! For those of you who don't know me, I am Ashley Long. I have a 3 year old son Lucas and another baby on the way, due in March. We have been members of Calvary for 4 years now and part of MOPs since Lucas was 3 weeks old! It is my privilege and honor to write and monitor the blog for our MOPs group. I also love featuring guest bloggers so let me know if you ever feel a calling to write a piece for us!

Our last meeting was on October 11th and our guest speaker was Dianne Daniels. This woman is one of my personal favorite speakers and this time she spoke to us about patient parenting. Here are some highlights if you missed it:

One of the keys to being a patient parent is learning how to control our stress because stress and patience are like two sides of a teeter totter...when one is up the other is down. 

These are Dianne's 5 Strategies for Stress

1) Make time for God

• He wants to parent with us
• This time doesn't have to be perfect you just have to be willing to spend time with God

2) Find some quiet time

• When there is clutter on our minds we need time to think through it that we can't do with kids around
• Best time is when kids are sleeping (so either before they wake up or after they go to bed)
• Know that when you are home, your toddlers just want to be with you and this is ok, just give them a quiet, independent, activity near you while you have quiet time

3) Take care of your physical body

• When we don't feel good we can't give our best to our children
• When leaving the house make sure to pack water, drinks, snacks etc... for yourself as well!
• Utilize the phrase "It's time for some mommy songs now" in the car sometimes

4) Use the tools that help us manage our time (electronic or not)

• Calendar 
• To do list 
• Grocery list (also meal plan because the most stressful part of the day with kids is between 4-6pm)

5) Know what is important

• "what is urgent is seldom important and what is important is seldom urgent" 
• Pick your core 6 values and try to achieve one of them a day

"Therefore the Lord waits to be gracious to you,

    and therefore he exalts himself to show mercy to you.

For the Lord is a God of justice;

    blessed are all those who wait for him." Isaiah 30:18

For more information and resources, check out Dianne's website at: 

http://www.motheringlikethefather.com/ 

Announcements: 

Thank You Notes
This month for our service project we are creating thank you cards for the teachers and staff of Erie Elementary and Erie Middle School. Please take a moment to share your appreciation and bless them with an encouraging note and/or prayer. Cards will be available for you to fill out at our next meeting. 

Call for Recipes!
Do you have a go-to dinner recipe that's fast and easy? How about a great crock-pot recipe? Tried-and-true freezer meal? Jessica Silver is compiling a cookbook of our MOPS group's favorite family recipes and she needs you to send her your very best meal ideas to include in the book! Please send your recipes to jsilver1234@gmail.com

Christmas Shoeboxes
Once again we are partnering with Samaritan's Purse to provide Christmas gifts for children in developing countries through Operation Christmas Child. Not only is this a great way to bless a needy child, but it is also a tremendous opportunity to teach our little ones about giving and compassion. To learn more please visit: www.samaritanspurse.ord/occ 

Upcoming Events

That one Halloween we decided this would be
a good idea with our 3 month old oh boy!

MOPS Meeting (we will be discussing Meal Planning and Meal Prep)
Tuesday, October 25th, 9-11:30am
@Calvary Bible Church
After MOPS Lunch: Bring a sack lunch

Trick-or-Treat at Legacy
Friday, October 28th, 2:30pm
@ Legacy Assisted Living
225 Waneka Pkwy, Lafayette, CO
Bring: Cute costumed kiddos and empty treat bags

Bunco Girls' Night Out
Friday, November 4th, 7-9pm
@ Calvary Bible Church
Bring: a snack or dessert to share, drinks 
will be provided

MOPS Meeting
Tuesday, November 8th, 9-11:30am
@Calvary Bible Church
After MOPS Lunch: Bring a sack lunch

Rec Center Playdate

Tuesday, November 15th, 9-11:30am       
@Paul Derda Rec Center                             
13201 Lowell Blvd. Broomfield, CO 
                                        

NO 4th Tuesday Meeting Thanksgiving week!

MOPS Meeting
Tuesday, November 29th, 9-11:30am
@Calvary Bible Church

http://www.rd.com/home/decorating/pretty-pumpkin-decorating
-ideas-for-halloween/

Welcome Back!!

Hey MOPs Moms! If you are new, Welcome, we are excited for you to join us! If you are a returning Mom, Welcome Back! This year is all about "We are the Starry Eyed," and we on the steering team are all super excited to dive in at our first meeting, Tuesday August 23rd at 9:00am!

*If you are curious about the theme take a look at the previous blog post for more information*

To start off the year, we have one of our mentor moms on the blog today, Christie Dee. Christie is the mother of 4 children, all of whom she successfully kept alive to adulthood =) She has been in our shoes and is full of wisdom about our current stage of life! 

Guest Speaker: Christie Dee

TRANSITIONS  -TOUGH and TENDER!

The word for the month of August is TRANSITION.  If you are a mom, you are probably going through a transition of one sort or another this month – a child starting preschool, a new daycare or school situation, a child in the process of giving up their pacifier or if you are like me, you are saying goodbye to a child who has headed off to college (yep at 19 I still consider him a child). Everyone in the Sisterhood of Moms knows that if our children are making a transition, then we are too!  Life is chalk full of these transitions but that doesn’t make them any less challenging.  Here are a few tips to hopefully help lessen the pain of August Transitions:

*EXPECT IT TO BE ROUGH – If it’s not, then you will be pleasantly surprised.  As your child transitions to a new situation, it’s almost guaranteed that they will be extra tired and extra emotional.  This will require extra patience and extra hugs from you (even though you are probably extra tired and extra emotional too).  When my kids were young, I remember just getting down on their level (ie playing on the floor with them or crawling into bed with them) was a good strategy to provide comfort.  Recently, my teenage daughter was super emotional about the upcoming school year.  As I busily worked in the kitchen and offered advice and ways to change her attitude, her emotions increased.  Then the Holy Spirit said, “Get down on her level.”  So I stopped my tasks, sat down next to her, put my arm around her, told her how hard some of my high school years were and cried along with her.  Her emotions subsided and she felt heard and understood by me.  Oftentimes, kids will seem fine in their new situation only to fall apart at home.  Be a place of comfort and relief!

*RESIST MAKING ANY KNEE-JERK REACTIONS – When kids are having difficulties with change, our instinct is to want to fix the problem or make a change.  For example, if your child doesn’t initially like his or her new teacher, your instinct might be to request a change.  God may have something great to teach you or your child if you are patient and walk through this challenge with your child.  When one of my daughters was starting a new school in 4^th grade, she was assigned to a sarcastic, no nonsense teacher.  All of her previous teachers had been motherly and caring.  Everything in me wanted to request a new teacher, but instead we decided to pray for the teacher and try to make the best of it.  While it was tough on both me and my daughter, we stuck it out and learned to appreciate her by the end of the year.  God knew my daughter needed a thicker skin and this teacher was the path to get there. To remove all the rough spots in our kids’ road should not be our goal as moms.  To walk with them through the bumps is.

*PRACTICE SELF CARE - for yourself and for your child.  A cup of tea with a friend, a hot bath in the Jacuzzi tub, an extra chocolate chip cookie, an extra book at bedtime, or extra early bedtime – whatever it takes to make you or your child feel ready to conquer the challenge is acceptable during the transition phase.

*POINT YOUR KIDS TO GOD - As moms we like to think we can be right beside our kiddos every minute of the day but in reality, God is the only one that can.  From an early age, we can start pointing them to their life-long best friend.  Remind that when they are away from us, God is right beside them.  He will never leave them or forsake them!  As I helped my 19 year old son get settled into his dorm a few days ago, it was such a blessing to see that his Bible and devotionals were front and center on his dorm desk.  He is fine without me there (for the most part); God is with him!

There are many times throughout our children’s lives where we have to let go and trust the plan of the Father.  The world is a tough place sometimes and as moms we have many fears and worries.  But we must remember that we have to let go so that God can accomplish His purposes in and through our kids.  Remember they are really His kids. He has given them to us as a gift!

Despite God’s presence with them, truth is, your kiddos will always need a mom to turn to no matter what age or stage they are in.  This is evidenced by the 1.5 hour drive I made this week to my son’s college (he had only been there two days) to rescue that 19 year old child who had “lost” the keys to his truck.  Since it was his birthday, I just smiled and gave him a birthday hug when he greeted me with, “I found my keys!”

The essence of motherhood really is walking beside your kids as they face one transition after another.  Enjoy the journey!

Thank you Christie! We look forward to more of your wisdom as the year goes on! 

Upcoming events: 

First MOPs meeting of the year- August 23rd, 9:00am @ Calvary Bible Church in Erie

Park and Popsicle Playdate- August 30th, 10am @  Lehigh Park

After MOPs lunch- September 13th (following the meeting) *bring lunch and kiddos*

Welcome BBQ- September 17th, 4-7pm @ Lehigh Park

Registration for Next Fall

Another amazing MOPs year in the books! This year we learned how to flourish where we are planted in our marriages, roles, motherhood, friendships, etc.. Do you feel like you flourished this year? If so I would love to hear how! 

Well, it is that time again to look towards next year (Click  here to sign up!) and the theme coming up is pretty special! Drum roll please....It is.... "We are the starry eyed." Now if you're like me, I heard that and was thinking "huh? I'm not sure that makes sense..." =D But take a look at the description of the theme from MOPs International: 

Starry Eyed is…

Seeing the light in the darkness and choosing to live courageously in both.
It is opening our eyes to wonder and choosing hope over fear.
Starry Eyed is significant acts of kindness that send ripples of light into the world.
It is a choice to live fully and wholly and to breathe our way back to life.
If you feel anxious and don’t know why …
If you are busy and distracted from the things you truly care about …
If you are restless for an unexpected encounter with God …
If you long to feel alive, to regain a sense of wonder, to hope a little freer and to be a powerful force of kindness in the world, then we’d love for you to join us in becoming Starry Eyed.

This year we will run wildly toward wonder, hope and kindness because We Are the Starry Eyed and we choose to see the light.

Well that sounds exciting!! Full of wonder, kindness, and hope. Are you all as excited as I am!? Something about this theme makes me want to go camping under the stars and just soak in all of God's goodness! 

"Thus says the Lord who made the earth, the Lord who formed it to establish it… Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know." – Jeremiah 33:2-3

Are you ready!? 

Well if that isn't exciting enough already, here are some of the special gifts that come with registration this year! 

A Welcome Kit that includes:

• Becoming Starry Eyed: Practices to Cultivate Wonder, Hope and Kindness Guidebook
• An adorable print to beautify any space you choose
• A handmade (yes, handmade!) copper bracelet
• An invitation to the 28-Day Challenge
• A Guide to the Night Sky
• And, of course, some surprises that you’ll absolutely fall in love with!

Annual subscription to Hello, Dearest magazine
Exclusive discount offering
Weekly emails to fill you with inspiration

AND THEN each meeting includes:

• Brunch
• A Speaker 
• Table discussions regarding topics relevant to motherhood 
• Support from your table mates and DGL
• Childcare from 9-11:30 (woohoo, kid free momma time!)
• Most meetings also have a craft or fun activity

Are you ready? We are almost half way full on registration already so we encourage you to sign up soon!!

Click here to sign up!

*There is a brief survey after signing up, be careful not to miss it (I did, oops!)*

Comment below: 

How did you flourish this year? In what ways did God show you how you can continue to flourish? 

What are you most excited about for next year? Are you registered yet? 

Real Choices Pregnancy Center Providing

 Real Solutions for New Moms

By Lisa Olson

“Each year pro-life pregnancy centers save thousands of lives. Women in their most desperate time of need, searching for answers and just a simple helping hand, have been ministered to. Countless future doctors, nurses, engineers, inventors, and moms and dads of the next generation have been saved because their moms made the choice to let them live. Those unborn children were given a chance because someone gave their mom a chance, a chance for hope, a chance for success”

(Real Choices Partners Website)

Last summer I became involved with Real Choices Pregnancy Center after years of God patiently pushing my heart.  I would drive by the center on South Boulder Road and pray for them and the women they helped.  God constantly reminded me of this during my day-to-day life.  After completing my Masters in Nonprofit Management at Regis University, my son Alistair was born and I was looking for a way to use my time and gifts to further share Christ’s love and keep my brain active while being a stay at home mom. So I decided to stop by and see what kind of help they needed. I really never intended to become a pro-life advocate but sometimes God has other plans for our lives.  Maybe I'm just pro-motherhood, supportive of every woman who makes the tremendously scary choice to bring a life into this world. I want to encourage this type of courage and bravery. I quickly realized they need moms in the local community to partner with them. As mothers, we have unique abilities to relate to and help other moms who are dealing with the same daily struggles that we are. For me, helping at Real Choices became a personal and rewarding way to serve meaningfully in our community; providing both tangible and intangible benefits for both ourselves and the women we serve.

One of the most important lessons that I've learned through this experience is to share my passions with my children, by demonstrating Christ’s love to others I can embody my faith and lead by example. I hope to instill a heart of compassion and empathy in my children and I believe community service is one of the most powerful ways we can do that. I love bringing my kids with me to serve because it shows them that although I don't work outside the home that I am doing a good work; what I do is both valuable and important.

“Let us not lose heart in doing good, for in due time we will reap if we do not grow weary.”
 Galatians 6:9

Real Choices is an organization dedicated to providing a support system for those who might otherwise be walking though one of life’s most stressful periods without help. The mentorship program is incredible because it provides one on one teaching about pregnancy, newborns and parenting. It’s a pretty easy time commitment of one hour a week but the investment has a lifelong impact.

“O Lord, you alone are my hope. I’ve trusted you, O LORD, from childhood. Yes, you have been with me from birth; from my mother’s womb you have cared for me. 

No wonder I am always praising you!”

Psalms 71:5-6

I started serving as a volunteer mentor but noticed my strategic planning skills were better put to use on the advisory board. One of the things that drew me to this organization was that how no matter what our gifts or talents are, they had needs for moms to help other new moms, figure it all out. I remember thinking as my son struggled through a year of colic how hard it would have been if I had to do that alone, and it broke my heart to think other moms were doing just that.

We are currently growing the number of our centers and the services we offer through a partnership with Catholic Charities and Bella Clinics (http://www.bellanwc.org). This enables us to provide a full continuum of care to all women who need aid. Women come from all backgrounds and walks of life. Thanks to generous financial support of our donors and volunteers we are able to offer the following services: pregnancy testing, obstetrical ultrasounds, pregnancy options education (parenting, adoption, vs. abortion), parent education, relationship coaching, material resources (diapers, wipes, etc.), community resource referrals (food banks), and after abortion care & counseling. All services are provided free of charge and are available to women & men regardless of income. Expanding into Bella style clinics will provide us with the opportunity to offer even more OBGYN services, abortion pill reversal, hormone therapy, infertility treatment, STD tests and treatment. Enabling us to reach a wider range of women with a message that they are valued and loved by our creator.

One of our big annual fundraisers is on April 9^th, the Ladies Tea. If you’d like to attend, volunteer or donate a silent auction item for the High Tea please contact Connie at connie@realchoicesboulder.org. We are trying to put together a table or two from MOPS so please let her know if you’d like to join us! If you are curious to learn more about ways you could become involved please contact me at lisakolson@gmail.com or volunteer coordinator Jen Boryla at jen@realchoicesboulder.org. You can also get involved as a volunteer or mentor!

Real Choices Mission, Vision, Values

“Real Choices is a Christian organization providing free services and education enabling clients to make real choices concerning pregnancy, sexual health, and healing from past choices in a safe, non-judgmental environment.

At Real Choices, we meet people where they are at, and address their immediate needs relating to sexual health and wholeness.  We help people with unexpected pregnancies, sexual or reproductive health issues, and relationships in a safe environment.  We use the opportunity with each person to plant “seeds of Christ’s joy and love,” to steer them toward healthy choices about themselves and their relationships, based on God’s design, while respecting and empowering and supporting them in making their own choices.

We let each client know that there is a community supporting them – a community acting as the body of Christ – that cares about them – through prayer, through financial support, and through volunteer time, with the desire to see the client live and experience a life of joy because they experience and are guided by the love of Christ.

We work with other organizations to “surround each client with love” – to support them, and to enable them to be the “best version of themselves” – to achieve the full potential that God intended for them” (Real Choices Partners Website: http://realchoicespartners.org).

Photo by Danielle Bigham. Lisa, Hadley & Alistair Olson bring diapers to donate to Mary’s Closet. Jen Boryla, volunteer coordinator, manages the supplies and helps to ensure all new moms in the mentoring program receive what they need for their families.

THIS Tuesday is MOPS Tuesday! =)

Hello Again Friends! 

How did Valentine's Day go? I hope our intimacy panel last time was helpful, I know I always love hearing from our wonderful mentor moms!

As I was thinking about last MOPs Tuesday and the mentor panel and just marriage in general, I started to realize how the process really is like a roller coaster...now stay with me here...

Yes yes it has its ups and downs and fast times and slow times and unexpected curves and stomach turning drops but that's actually not the metaphor I am going for...

Marriage is a roller coaster. First, we spend time standing in the line watching others go on the ride before us, (parents, grandparents, friends, siblings, etc...) and as we watch we have moments of feeling excited and moments of feeling scared, for it to be our turn. There are many that decide to turn back and never ride the roller coaster, there are others that jump on to it without adequate planning or even get on board with someone they barely know. And there is a good chunk of us who thought we knew who we were gonna get on board with only to discover they didn't fit in line with us so well.

When we did find our perfect seat mate, we boarded the coaster (some of us elegantly and prepared, some of us skipped to the coaster happy it was finally our turn, and some of us just kinda tripped on edge and fell on to the ride) but regardless how, once we got on, we eventually (some of us faster than others) realized that being on the coaster wasn't exactly what it looked like from the line...This may not be the perfect ride we paid for...wait a minute!

Fortunately, the advantage to this roller coaster is that the entire time you are on it, you can see the people in the cars in front of you (the ones who know what kinds of drops and turns are coming) and you can even communicate with them about what to expect. You can also see the cars behind you, the new couples excited to start their journey but unsure what to expect.

We are all heading to the end of the ride but no one on the track knows when or how we will get there, and sadly some get off the ride before they get to see how it will end... I have moments of wanting to get off the roller coaster....I also have a lot more often moments of wishing I could just stop the ride and soak in the goodness of it all! In the short (nearly 5 years) my husband and I have been married we have had some crazy drops and unexpected turns but that is when I look up from my seat and look ahead to the couples who have been there and experienced this part of the ride.

At MOPs we have such a wonderful resources of mentor moms at our tables and as you saw last week they are so full of good practical wisdom because they have been in our shoes, fought to stay on the ride, and know how to hold on! I want to extend an extra special thank you to our mentor moms for being so brave last week and sharing a bit of their wisdom with us! I also want to encourage any of you who are struggling on your ride right now or need some extra guidance or want some extra prayer, to reach out. Reach out to your mentor mom, reach out to your table/DGL for support, and if you want even reach out to the group by filling out one of our prayer request cards so those on steering can pray for you!

We have mommas in all stages of the ride in our community and there is so much we can learn from each other and support each other through. Lets strive to be Proverbs 31 women and wives, and help each other through the process so that none of us get sick on the ride =D

ANNOUNCEMENTS: 

Please join us tomorrow as we discuss safety with our kids and hear from one of our very own Mops Mommas.

Guest Blogger: Christie Dee

Happy Valentine's Day MOPs Mommas!!

 I hope you all had a day filled with fun and quality time with the one you love =) 

I am going to try to be posting more blogs on here for us with recaps from the meetings, resources, and guest speakers. I am super excited to announce that we have Mentor Moms willing to do some guest blogs for us! Our mentor moms have been there in the trenches we are in and are full of wisdom for how to survive the journey. So without further ado, Christie Dee has written this week's guest blog and it is an awesome reminder of Christ's love for us, appropriate for Valentine's Day right? ;-)

A Piece of My Blankie

By Christie Dee, MOPS Mentor Mom

Note:  I wrote this story 11 years ago when I was still a mother of a preschooler.  It’s still one of my favorite memories of my kids’ younger years.  It’s so beautiful how God speaks to us through our children’s actions.  I know we are working on training our children in the Lord but God also uses our children to speak to us.  Keep your eyes open to what He is saying to you through your kiddos. 

Recently, there was a happening in our household that I find worthy of sharing.  Four-year-old Emily, the youngest of our four, was quite distraught because her “blankie” was missing.  It had been gone for several days.  She had survived without it because she was still sleeping in her own bed, with her own pillow – all the other comforts of home were still there.  Her increased level of concern this day came because our family of six was going two separate ways for the weekend.  She would be joining her dad and brother for a ski trip in the mountains, while her two older sisters would be with me at a Bible Quizzing competition.  The whole family searched high and low for the treasure – a small, faded-yellow cotton rectangle with plaid trim, holes and stains.

Emily’s nine-year-old sister Hannah, also a “blankie lover,” joined in the hunt.  Over the course of her childhood she too had had missing blankies, destroyed blankies, and other blankie traumas.  In short, she could identify with her sister’s affliction.  As it became clear that Emily would have to spend the weekend (and maybe the rest of her life) without her yellow friend, Hannah did something that will forever remain in my memory.  She began rummaging through her already-packed suitcase, pulled out her beloved blankie – a larger rectangle made out of a similar cotton fabric, this one white with animals covering it.  She then grabbed a pair of scissors and began cutting of a piece of her cherished blankie and handed it to her little sister.  “I’m giving you a piece of my blankie,” she said matter of factly.  Emily cuddled the scrap of fabric to her cheek, said her obligatory “thank you” and off she went as if nothing had ever been wrong. 

To my two daughters, this happening was just one of many in the fabric of their lives.  But as for me, it touched my heart so deeply that I have pondering it and its significance for days.  We all have things in our lives that provide us comfort and security.  Tangible or intangible, they are precious to us – a part of who we are.  At times in our lives, others need what we have just as much as we do.  Our job is to be willing to give – whether it’s a word of encouragement because we’ve been through something similar, a sum of money, our time, our house, our talents and even our “blankie.”  Hannah saw a need that she could identify with.  She had the resources to fill that need, so she did.  It is simple, yet profound – an example of sacrificial giving at its best.  Hannah probably noticed the “smallness” of her three-quarter blankie for a few days, but pretty soon it was sufficient. 

Sometimes other peoples’ needs are an inconvenience for us.   Hannah didn’t wake up that morning desiring to cut off a piece of her beloved blankie.  But when the situation presented itself, she was there. Emily’s need provided an opportunity for Hannah to do a beautiful act of kindness.  It was someone else’s’ need that brought out something good in her. 

God of course has set the ultimate example of sacrificial giving.  He literally gave a piece of himself to us through his son Jesus so that we might have life, comfort, and security.  We can never repay this gift.  But through our “pieces” of giving, we honor the Lord and show ourselves to be becoming more like Him.  Emily’s yellow faded blanket was found a week later, hiding in the kitchen candy drawer.  Its reappearance paled in comparison to the precious act of giving that had taken place a few days earlier.  Now Emily has a yellow faded blanket and a piece of her sister’s white animal blankie to cuddle.  And I have a precious example of how I should live my life.

                 

Thank you Christie!!!

Reminders: 

THIS Tuesday 2/17/16- MOPs Movie Playdate  9:30-11:30 @ Calvary Bible Church Erie

THIS Thursday 2/18/16- Freezer meal workshop 7pm @ Allie's house

Tuesday 2/23/26- MOPs Tuesday!! **We will be talking about keeping our kids safe. This may be a hard topic for some so please be praying over this meeting**