Sunday, November 25, 2012

Thankful for you...


Thankful for you...

So I have been gone for awhile.  I went adrift with Halloween and Thanksgiving. I am still trying to find my bearings. Now, it is really Fall it is crisp outside. Now until January I will be concerning myself with the next event, meeting, activity, what gifts to get, where to get them, how much to spend, where we are spending the holiday and what we will do. It can be so stressful and I never think it should be.

 For Thanksgiving or rather the month of November I have been keeping track of what I am thankful for. It seems like a small thing, but it has helped me to be less stressed. When I think of what I am thankful for it makes me realize how blessed I am. Which is something that we don't focus enough on. We  live in a society that we focus comparing our haves with others.

I have been trying to focus on non-material possession, but rather attributes or things we take for granted. What makes who are we and how we see the world. This excerise has make the me realize the things I take for granted like indoor plumbing, hot water, clean drinking water, and modern medicine. Boy, life would be so different if we didn't have these things. Look around the world there are people who survive without these and their lives can be and are much more difficult.

I have come to appreciate my family even more. While growing up there were many times I didn't want to be where I was. As time moves on and I see my children grow I realize how great my childhood was and wonder if my children will feel the same or how different. I laugh about how silly my parents were like when my mom would make silly faces as she dropped my at the babysitter.  My sibling that seemed to make my life so hard when I was younger but now it's so much fun just to hang out with them.

Then there are those things that you notice about yourself being comfortable in your own skin, how your life choices have made you who you are, or the confidence in believing and having faith.  This is what I need to focus on; how to be me. It is so easy for me to find the best in others, but I don't take the time to look at myself. With everyday life  I allow myself to take a backseat in almost everyone because I think they are more important.

This is not how it should be. We are important in so many ways and to many people. Be important to yourself. Take time to do devotional, pray, and have conversations with God to help you discover who you are and the path you should be on to grow.  We never stop learning and growing unless we allow ourselves to.

Be thankful for you.

 

Monday, October 15, 2012

Favorite Things


Take a minute to think about your favorite thing(s).  Imagine what it is like to enjoy a treat without sharing, your favorite book, taking time for a special beauty trick, or putting on your comfy clothes.  Just imagining it makes you feel better doesn't it. It gives you warm fuzzies and great memories.

We all need these moments and things to helps us recharge, remember who we are, who we were, and focus on the best things and events in our lives.  We spend so much time making sure other people (big and small) are happy that we tend to forget about ourselves. Sometimes it is the smallest things that bring us back from the edge of craziness.  It does not have to be  a day at the spa, a personal vacation or a new wardrobe to make us feel special. We are special and we deserve moments to treat ourselves to something even if it seems small to someone else.  We know that the smallest thing can bring the biggest joy, just look at our children.

Recently, I was lucky enough to hear about other mothers favorite things and the best part they were all under $5.00.  Let me just tell you, you are worth more than that, but it is an easy amount to fit into our budgets.  The things ranged from treats just for us, cupcakes/cakes to share, beauty trick for soft hands, clean hands, books, card games,   healthy easy treats for kids, stain removers, photo albums, and comfy cozy clothing. 

So what is your favorite thing(s)? Is it is budget friendly? Do you think a friend of yours would enjoy it?

Take some time to find your favorite thing, write a note to share why it is your it is special or makes you feel special then give it  to a friend. There is no need to wait for a special occasion to celebrate your friendship. This is a chance to share your joy with someone else and a chance to show someone  that they are special and deserve to take a moment to enjoy their favorite thing.  

Friday, September 21, 2012


Rhythm!

 I have lost it more often than I like to admit.  I always have the best plans for the day. I visualize how the day will be before I get out of bed. Believe me it will perfect everything is finished, the kids are happy, and I feel like Super Mom!  Then reality hits me like a 4 year old who wants breakfast.  

We start with a slow beat of getting breakfast, cleaning up, getting dressed. We walk through the plan together as we list all the things we(I)  want to get done.  Everyone is on board and almost ready to go if someone would just put their shoes  on.  After a brief intermission we are on our way...at which point  I reevaluate my list of "To Dos",  going from 20 to the top 5 knowing that we will only get 2 or 3 of them done. By the end of stop 2  we are ready to head home.  It may not seem like it but that is a rhythm . I know how the beat goes even if it  means I don't get to accomplish everything I planned.

Some keep the rhythm by having meals planned, chore lists, family fun time, or Mommy time.  You need to find what works best for you and your family everyone is different.  We can get caught up with how other people live their lives that we lose focus on our own. There is no reason to compete with other mothers, unless there is a super fantastic prize that someone didn't tell me about.

When we allow ourselves to compete with the unknown "perfect" mom we can start to feel down and alone. We can feel like no one understands our struggles of feeling like we never get anything done, we don't have prefect kids, and how did we ever become a mom.  Do we deserve it?  Can we do it?   Right now, there is a mom who is going though this. She just needs someone to reach out to her.

Let's  connect  with other Moms and not compete. We all lose our rhythm and need a restart. We can find support not only for ourselves, but our families.  It gives everyone a chance to take a break from the  daily routines and focus on finding their own rhythm. It can give you an opportunity to start new friendships.  You can talk to someone and have them talk back. Wow, an adult conversation -in the middle of the day. Seize the opportunity if you see a Mom and connect with her.
 
 

Monday, September 17, 2012


Special Event!!!

September 21, 2012  (This Friday Night!!)


Come join us at Tri-City Speedway for a concert from Steve Richard, fun for the kids with a bounce house, face painting. a slot car race and fun games Then stay and watch some great car racing! .

All of this is a part of Parkway Baptist Church's Global Impact Celebration and children under 12 ARE FREE!

Concert starts at 5:30 (gates open at 5:00pm)

Tickets are $10 and must be purchased in advance through the church office.
Call 314-434-2310

Come for the concert and stay for the races (6:30pm)  it will be an exciting night for everyone in the family.
 
 
 

Friday, September 14, 2012

Come in. The water is great!



We had our first meeting of the year.
Finding new and fun ways to help Moms. Popcorn Questions.
We  meet new moms, returning moms, new babies, and caught up with everyone. 
Thanks to everyone that attended. 
We got to know our leaders for the year and each other through a BINGO Ice Breaker.
Everyone was out of their seats talking, laughing, and having  a super time. Then we made smoothies, which was a great opportunity to try something new.


You did what!??!!?!    Everyone has a few surprises!
 

 
 
Smoothie Time!
 
 
 
 
 




 We meet again next week!!!

 If you didn't make to the first meeting don't worry we would love to meet you next week.  Give us a call at 314-434-2310  if you are planning to attend so we can have childcare ready. 
Yes, it is a kid free time!
Time for Mommies to recharge and get focused on what makes them great women.
 
 
Come see how MOPS and MOMSNext can change you for the better.

Wednesday Evening Meeting                        Friday Morning Meeting
September 19 at 6:30 pm                                September 21 at 9:00am

Sunday, September 2, 2012

Summer is over time to take the Plunge into MOPS and MOPSnext.

Hope everyone had a great summer !
 
Ready for a picnic.

Resting at the Butterfly House.
Enjoying a great day at Creve Coeur.
 
We had some MOPS outings this summer to the Botanical Gardens, Creve Coeur Splash pad, Aquaport, Butterfly House, and a few Moms Night Outs.
 
 
 It was a great time and we are looking forward to even more fun this year.


Fun with furry Friends.
Our first meeting of the year is Friday September 7  at 9am. If you haven't let anyone know you are planning to attend please call 314-434-2310.


Bugs anyone?!?!?!
 

Then get ready to Plunge into a new MOPS and MOPS Next year.

Get ready to explore your relationships in a faith and community. We are ready to see old friends and meet new ones.

As all Moms know you can’t do this alone and we are here to help and support each other.
Botanical Gardens day.

The more the merrier invite more moms to join MOPS. If you have someone who is interested invite them to come to a couple meetings.



TAKE THE PLUNGE !!!

Don't worry we won't let you sink.

Sunday, March 25, 2012

Easter Recipes

Many of you have probably heard of both resurrection cookies and rolls. But in case you haven't here are links to recipes for both.

The resurrection cookies are really meringue cookies which are naturally hollow after baking, so they are like the empty tomb! Note that they will need to stay in the oven overnight, so plan accordingly.  Click here for the recipe and related scriptures.

Resurrection rolls are similar, but can me baked and eaten the same day. It's fast and simple enough that I do it every Easter Sunday in class with my kindergarten Sunday School students. Do you know what happens when you bake a marshmallow inside a crescent roll? You are right if you said that the marshmallow "disappears", creating another empty tomb of sorts. The recipe can be found here. 

I found this on the Rhode's Dough site "...Marshmallow - the body of Jesus Melted Butter - the oils for embalming Cinnamon/Sugar mixture - spices used to anoint the body Roll- the wrapping of Jesus' body Oven - the tomb Cavity in roll - the empty tomb after Jesus has rise." 

Remember, there will be no meeting this week  March 30 (5th Friday) or on April 6 due to Good Friday. I'll miss you guys, so someone plan a playdate/outing, OK? That's too long to go without seeing one another!

Friday, March 16, 2012

Spring Fever

It seems like the winter that wasn't may have passed and now it's time to really get outside and enjoy God's creation. (Or as one member put it "Operation Exhaust Child So He/She Will Nap!") Our group and Parkway Baptist both have lots of great things coming up on the calendar. Take a moment now to write them down so you won't forget!

Welcome to new members Molly, Melissa, and Patricia. We are excited to have you join our group.

For those who missed today, Becky Lazalier of KS Counseling shared some ideas to help us practice more Godly parenting. A few big take-away ideas:
  • Your child's behavior isn't a reflection of your self-worth. They are their own people and contrary to what we may feel, most of the time they don't do what they do to embarrass or frustrate us.
  • Every parent brings emotional baggage to the family. Do you see your not-so flattering behaviors reflected in your child? Take care changing you first, then work on your child.
  • Love is more than just kindness. It is also desiring and helping to bring out the best in someone.
  • It's not our job to protect our children from every hardship. Difficult experiences help them learn to rely on God.
  • Above all, do your children know you love God? How does He apply in your daily life? Remember, this is more than church attendance, Awana, Bible studies......
  • Check out the following passages: Proverbs 3:1-8; Ecclesiastics 3:1-8; Deuteronomy 11: 18-21; Ephesians 6:1-4.
Additional reading recommended by Becky: Love and Logic by Foster Cline & Jim Fay and Personal Growth: Inside Out by Larry Crab.

One off topic reminder - if you left a dish at the Latall's home recently, check the MOPS closet. For those of with children home this coming week, enjoy the time off! Looking forward to seeing many of you next Thursday and Friday. I'll bring my camera, but someone remind me to actually take some photos!

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

A New Year at MOPS

Here we are at the end of January already!  We have had some fun times in MOPS this month, as well as some serious discussion about our heart health.   In our first meeting of the new year we heard from Ellen Abramson about heart health.  She shared her personal story of turning a heart attack into an opportunity to help others and gave us some very good information on heart health and warning signs of concern.  She has written a book titled "Live to Dance".  
In our second meeting for January we heard from Delana Mazdra about photography.  She gave us some great tips to help us take great photos at home of our sweet little ones!  She gave us much to remember, but if you missed it, the biggest lesson I can pass along is, turn off your flash and use as much natural light as possible!  
Our next meeting will be about Love Languages. (What else could be better for the month of Love!) 
I will leave you with this last thought... As we talked about photography in our last meeting, we talked about leaving pictures for your children that they could look back on with sweet memories of their childhood.  Each picture tells a story, evokes an emotion, a memory.  As we think about how our children will remember their childhood, let's remember that God tells us in Deuteronomy 4:8-10 to teach our children His word, that they may learn to fear Him and then they will teach their children as well.  The things we teach our children now will have an affect on generations to come after us, and what better could we leave to them than God's love!?!  

Thursday, January 5, 2012

Finding Direction

This morning as I was coming home from dropping the kids off at preschool, the traffic report came on the radio.  As I listened to the person rattling off locations, I thought about where they were, and I could picture most of the places in my mind.  I thought back to a year ago, when my family first moved to St. Louis, and I remembered how terrible it felt to have NO CLUE where I was at most of the time.  I never knew if I was going east or west,  north or south, and I hated that feeling.  I like to have a sense of direction.  I like to know if I'm looking north, south, east or west.  I don't know why; it just really bugs me if I don't know.  And today as I was driving I felt peaceful knowing that I knew my direction.
I started thinking about my direction in life, and a year ago, I was not only frustrated that I had no sense of direction in terms of physical location, but I was also very unsettled with my direction spiritually.  My life as I knew it was turning upside down with so many changes, and things I thought God had planned for me and my family were not His plan at all.  I'm sure many of you have experienced this in life as well.  Maybe you are going through this right now.
This lack of spiritual direction was not as easily fixed as my problem of not knowing where I was physically.  There were a lot of tears, a lot of struggles with God, and a lot of hours spent reading His word.  But I finally found my direction in this new journey He has sent me on, and there is a lot more peace now that I am trusting in God to guide my days ahead.  The road has not been perfect, and I have not been without fault, but knowing my direction makes life so much more peaceful.  It makes the little hiccups less dramatic, and it grounds me in those hard times.
Being a wife and a mother brings so much joy, but it is not an easy task.  If you've ever read Proverbs 31, you know that the virtuous woman God calls us to be requires a lot of time and energy, and it's easy to get lost in the laundry and the lullaby's, but realizing that God has a direction for our live's as a women of God will go a long way in making us better at that highest calling He has placed on our life.  
If you haven't already, I hope that in this new year, you will seek God's direction for your own life.  He tells us in Isaiah 55:6 to "Seek the Lord while He may be found. Call upon Him while He is near."  He has a purpose and direction for each of us... All we have to do is seek Him. If you know God's direction for your life, don't stop being faithful.  The devil is always right there, waiting to pull you off course, get you down.  Be encouraged that others around you want to see God succeed in your life, and find friends that you can pray with, read scripture with, share with in the good, the bad, and the ugly.
And let's as a MOPS group, remember to encourage one another, be there for one another, and help each other on this journey of motherhood and life!