Hi ladies! Get ready for....BUNKO!! Join us this Thursday, September 20 for our very first 'MOPS Night Out'! We'll meet at COS (Church of the Shepherd) 1600 W. 13th Street from 7:30-9:30pm for some much needed fellowship time, without our children! Reminder: There is NO childcare for our evening meetings. There will be a $5 buy-in to play the game with cash prizes to win, and snacks/drinks will be provided, so bring a friend!
Friendly reminders....
- $55 annual membership fee due this THURS, SEPT 20, so please bring your checkbooks!
- Scholarship applications due this THURS, SEPT 20 (turn in to Rachel or Melissa).
- Please turn in registration forms for you and your child(ren) (even if you have applied for a scholarship).
- New Member packets along with registration forms/scholarship aplications are always available for pick-up at the Sign-In table.
Calendar items:
- WED, OCT 3 @ 9:30am @ COS - Couponing 101 with Rachel Harrison and Charla Matthews
- THURS, OCT 25 @ 7:30pm @ COS (due to fall break) *please note the date printed on the water drop magnet is incorrect - Cooking 101 with Jenean Perryman
If you have any questions or concerns about anything, please let us know! Looking forward to meeting all the new faces this week!
~Erica
Do you remember the story where Jesus fed the multitude with just 2 fish and 5 loaves of bread, then He sent the disciples across to the other side but they encountered a storm and in the midst of it saw Jesus walking on water? As I describe this familiar day in the life of Jesus, see if you might be able to relate to someone in the story.
Matthew 14:19-36 NIV
19 And he directed the people to sit down on the grass. Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. 20 They all ate and were satisfied, and the disciples picked up twelve basketfuls of broken pieces that were left over. 21 The number of those who ate was about five thousand men, besides women and children.
Jesus Walks on the Water
22 Immediately Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side, while he dismissed the crowd. 23 After he had dismissed them, he went up on a mountainside by himself to pray. Later that night, he was there alone, 24 and the boat was already a considerable distance from land, buffeted by the waves because the wind was against it. 25 Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. 26 When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. “It’s a ghost,” they said, and cried out in fear. 27 But Jesus immediately said to them: “Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.” 28 “Lord, if it’s you,” Peter replied, “tell me to come to you on the water.” 29 “Come,” he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. 30 But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, “Lord, save me!” 31 Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt?” 32 And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down. 33 Then those who were in the boat worshiped him, saying, “Truly you are the Son of God.” 34 When they had crossed over, they landed at Gennesaret. 35 And when the men of that place recognized Jesus, they sent word to all the surrounding country. People brought all their sick to him 36 and begged him to let the sick just touch the edge of his cloak, and all who touched it were healed.
Might you be one of the crowd, the many who gathered together, maybe out of curiosity, or perhaps necessity, but all were hungry and they were there to be fed by Jesus – both spiritually and physically, and everyone of them left full.
Maybe you’re the group Jesus and the disciples set out to minister to on the other side of the water. Where, when the men of that place recognized Jesus, they gathered all the sick and in their great faith they begged to simply touch the fringe of His garment, because they knew that they would be healed, and as many as touched it were perfectly restored.
Perhaps you’re one of the 12 men that were on the boat. You’ve had close, intimate time and a personal relationship with Jesus, and now He has sent you out, but you’ve encountered a storm that threatens to destroy you before you get to your destination.
Or, are you Peter? The one who, when he realizes it’s Jesus walking on the water, forgets the storm and steps out of the boat and starts to walk on the water to Jesus. But, suddenly his natural senses are overwhelmed with the reality that the wave that just hit him in the face is real, and that it’s impossible for him to really walk on water. Fear grips him, and immediately he sinks, he’s consumed by the water and in his struggle he hopelessly drowns and dies.
Why did he die? Because he sinned. He allowed fear and unbelief to consume him and separate him from the Lord. Let me say that again, he allowed fear and unbelief to consume him and separate him from the Lord. And isn’t that the ultimate death? To be separated from the Lord? All the time he had spent as a disciple, learning and preparing for his future, gone in an instant because he sinned.
Is there something in your heart, a sin that’s just too dark, too deep to be forgiven; a fear perhaps about finances, health, or a relationship, that’s just too big, too overwhelming; unbelief that leaves you hopeless and in itself declares that God is not big enough to save you?
Well, Peter didn’t die. Even though in that moment he believed that his life was over, what did he do? He cried out to Jesus to save him. Instantly, Jesus not only pulled him up, out of death and hopelessness, but held on to him. The Lord knew that even though Peter believed it was the end, Peter’s ministry had not even started. Peter’s destiny, for which he was created, had not even begun.
This is the truth, that there is no sin or circumstance that is too big for the Lord. That repentance is simply a call from God for us to turn around and return to the high place from which we have fallen, because He has great things for us.
And just a note: everybody was fed, everybody was healed, and
everybody was saved.
~Joy Hunt – a.m. meeting Mentor Mom
Hi ladies! Hope you all had a fabulous weekend with your families! It’s time to kick-off our 2012-2013 MOPS of Grove year!
Join us this WED, SEPT 5 @ 9:30am – 11:30am @ COS (Church of the Shepherd) 1600 W. 13th St. for fun, food, and fellowship! Breakfast and coffee will be served for the mamas, and childcare is available through MOPPETS (cost is covered in your annual membership fee, $55).
A few things to note regarding MOPPETS….
- Please make sure your child(ren) has already eaten breakfast, but rest assured they will be given a snack (i.e. animal crackers, gold fish).
- With the beautiful fall weather, the children (age 2+) will spend some of their time outside on the playground, so it would be a good idea to slather them with sunscreen and bring a hat if necessary.
- It’s always a good idea to provide an extra set of clothes for all children (accidents happen to everyone!) .
- Please make sure all bags/cups/etc. are clearly labeled (we will provide sticky labels at the sign-in table), especially the drink cups. (Bic markers work well and will actually come off in the dishwasher.)
- And lastly, please RSVP to mopsofgrove@gmail.com if you will need childcare, so that we can ensure enough workers for the day of the meeting.
For those of you new to MOPS of Grove…Just a friendly reminder, if you have not already, please make sure to read through the new member packet, fill out the registration forms (one for you and one for your child(ren)) and bring those along with your annual membership fee ($55) on Wednesday, and leave at the sign-in table. New member packets are always available for pick-up if you have not received yours.
DATES TO REMEMBER:
*THURS, SEPT 20th @ 7:30pm-9:30pm, ‘MOPS night out’ @ COS (Church of the Shepherd) 1600 W. 13th St. Invite a fellow mom (expecting or has a child age birth-Kindergarten) to BUNKO NIGHT! Snacks and drinks will be provided, but just for fun there will be a $5 buy in on the game. No childcare provided.
*WED, OCT 3 @ 9:30am-11:30am @ COS, MOPS of Grove meeting
Hope to see you all this week!
~Erica
