Join us!!!

Please come on out to our fabulous fundraiser breakfast!  You can buy tickets from any MOPS mom or at the door.  Bring your family and friends!  Treat a teacher!  Take your neighbor out to breakfast!  The prices are good and the all-you-can-eat food will be even better!  And all proceeds go to MOPS!!!

We'll also be selling raffle tickets, so bring a few extra dollars for your chance to win an item donated by Ryobi.  (Last year it was a gas grill!)

October Meeting Recap: Embracing Rest

Embracing Rest... sounds good in theory, right?  We all know we need it but actually "embracing rest" seems like a daunting task in the face of the demands of motherhood (and life).  Is it possible for mamas to embrace rest?  In October we explored that possibility...

devotional

Pamela shared a devotion with us reminding us to take care of ourselves... i.e. put on your oxygen mask before attempting to assist others!  She reminded us that you can't pour out of an empty cup and that there are many practical ways that you can care for yourself.  You can read her devotional here.  

speaker

We had the privilege to hear from our Mentor Mom Jan Gropp on the topic of Embracing Rest.  Jan pointed us to the example of Jesus who would purposefully disengage to rest, telling his disciples to come away with him from the crowds and busyness to rest and be refreshed.

Jan also shared two principles from John Ortberg's book "The Life You've Always Wanted' that have transformed her thinking about rest.  One is the concept of The Unhurried Life (a.k.a. "the practice of slowing")... We live in a time and culture that is suffering from "Hurry Sickness" and we are often swept up in rushing around, constantly hurrying from here to there.  An example that Jan shared was how annoyed we become if a check-out line at the grocery store is moving faster than the one we are in.  Most all of us are probably guilty of that!  Ortberg encourages us to ruthlessly eliminate hurry from our lives.  Jesus was often busy but never hurried. 

The second principle Jan expounded upon is that of "Training vs. Trying".  In 1 Timothy 4:7 each of us is instructed to "train yourself for godliness" and Ortberg contends that there is a difference between trying harder and training wisely.  Jan used the example of an athlete and also experiences from her own life to illustrate that to train wisely one must make a decision and have a plan, not just try harder. 

(click here to learn more about Ortberg's book)

craft

What better way to embrace rest than to steal away for a few quiet moments with a hot cup of coffee (or tea or cocoa)?  To that end, we created cute and personalized mugs using oil based Sharpie paint pens for this month's craft.  Check back soon for the full tutorial! 

service project

For our service project we collected bras and bucks (dollars) for an organization called Free The Girls, a non-profit organization that provides job opportunities for survivors of sex trafficking in developing countries.  

You can learn more about Free The Girls by clicking here.  

Thank you to all who participated!!! 

Our next MOPS meeting is Thursday, November 12th!  Hope to see you there!!! 

Tasty Tuesday: Hot Cocoa Mix

I don't know about y'all, but as soon as the weather gets a little chilly I'm ready for hot cocoa!  The recipe below is tried and true and makes A LOT.  Like you should make it with plans to give some away...  It's great to package and give as a gift, or you and your family can drink cocoa daily until next summer.  Either option works! 

The Ingredients

• 14 quarts dry milk (this is a powder for those of us not used to buying this sort of thing)
• 2 pounds Nestle chocolate mix (aka Nesquick)
• 1 pound powdered sugar
• 2 pounds instant creamer (aka Cremora)

The Directions

Combine ingredients.  To serve, stir 1/3 cup cocoa mix into 1 cup hot water.   Top with marshmallows, whipped cream, or any other yumminess of your choice.  Enjoy! 

Packaging & Presentation Ideas

Create a hot cocoa bar at your next get-together... 

(photo source)

(Apparently this is a thing.  There's like 18 billion of them on Pinterest, and some of them are insane. I think I gained 5 pounds just by looking at them.  Consider yourself warned.) 


Make little cocoa reindeer...

(photo source)

Super cute to give away to neighbors or kids' classmates, and your kids can "help" put them together.  


Use mason jars to package great gifts...

(photo source)

There are lots of other ideas out there, but no matter how you wrap it this cocoa is DELISH! 

Tasty Tuesday: Slow Cooker Chicken Tacos

 I don't know about y'all, but Taco Tuesday is VERY popular at our house, which I must admit is due in large part to The Lego Movie.  But hey, who doesn't love tacos??  So let's taco 'bout how awesomely easy this slow cooker taco chicken recipe is! 

The Ingredients

• boneless, skinless chicken breasts (or tenderloins)
• taco seasoning
• salsa
• tortillas and toppings of your choice (cheese, lettuce, tomato, sour cream, guacamole, corn)

The Directions

Place chicken in slow cooker and sprinkle with taco seasoning and then plop a few spoonfuls of salsa on top.  (I use frozen chicken cause ain't nobody got time for defrosting but you can do as you please.)  Cook on low to medium for 4-6 hours and shred with forks approximately one hour before serving.  The chicken tends to be very juicy so I serve with a slotted spoon.  I like to put the chicken, tortillas and toppings on the table and let everyone assemble their own tacos.  Fun for all and less work for me! 
Viva Taco Tuesday!   

(taco tuesday photo source)
(lego man photo source)
(chicken tacos photo source)

October's Devotional

Pamela shared the following devotional with us at our last meeting and has some really helpful and practical advice for taking of ourselves and embracing rest...

Good morning! I’m Pamela.  I have two children, Abby, 4 and Benjamin, 2.  I am also a part-time nurse at Anmed. In my job I assess my patients so that the anesthesiologist can decide if the patient is a good candidate for the proposed surgery.  I listen to their stories, and look at their numbers, and by the end of my interview I have a clear picture of their health.  I see many people who have not taken very good care of themselves through the years.

A little bit about my personal story:

I know there are ways that I can do a better job of taking care of myself: I need to exercise more, consume less sugar, eat more veggies, drink more water, etc, but I have come a long way in the last few years.  After having both of my babies, I suffered from extreme anxiety and postpartum depression, to the point that I became unable to care for my babies.  The mental health counselors recommended inpatient treatment, so I was hospitalized after having both of my babies.  I had to rely completely on my family to take care of my children.  So I unfortunately know from experience what can happen when I do not get enough sleep and take care of myself first, before caring for others.  The best analogy I can think of is, “you must put the oxygen mask on yourself first, before you can be any good to anyone else.”  And also, this week, I saw a picture on facebook stating: “you can’t pour from an empty cup.”  This is so true.  

As moms of young children, who depend on us for everything, we must take care of ourselves, in order to be any good to our children, our husbands, or anyone else.  We must find ways to rest, each day, each week.  Even God shows us the need for rest, when he created the universe, and then rested on the 7^th day.  Do we as moms find enough hours through the week to simply rest?  Absolutely not.  Because the demands on us as mothers of young children are so high right now.  But we must listen to our bodies, and when we are sick and/or tired, we must ask God for His strength.  We should stop what we are doing, and just sit down on the sofa between the toys, and the laundry, and just be.  Do whatever helps you rest: praying, yoga, journaling, reading, even watching TV.  One day this week I was really tired around 2 pm and I just laid down on the floor in my son’s room for 30 min, not asleep because my kids don’t nap anymore, but at least I rested.  We must do this from time to time.

So What does the Bible say?

Isaiah 40:28-31

Do you not know?

Have you not heard?

The Lord is the everlasting God,

The Creator of the ends of the earth.

He will not grow tired or weary,

And his understanding no one can fathom.

He gives strength to the weary

And increases the power of the weak.

Even youths grow tired and weary,

And young men stumble and fall;

But those who hope in the Lord

Will renew their strength.

They will soar on wings like eagles;

They will run and not grow weary,

They will walk and not be faint.

And in Matthew 11:28, Jesus said,

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

We must not operate on our own strength, but ask for God’s strength to fill us, and ask for him to take away our heavy burdens. And we must take care of ourselves.

As a nurse and mom, I encourage you to do those things that we often put off: 

• See your OB/GYN for a yearly pap smear and breast exam. 
• Know your numbers: your BP, cholesterol, BMI
• If you have been dealing with something that you know is not right, see your doctor, and don’t delay.
• Modify your diet, get more exercise, and aim for 8 hrs of sleep at night.
• If you are having trouble with your mood, anxiety, or depression see a doctor right away. Don’t live day after day, month after month with it. This is Satan stealing your time and you can’t get that precious time back.
• And if you are already too busy, learn to say No to people, and consider giving up something that takes up too much time or energy right now.  (Look for Lysa Terkheurst’s book The Best Yes for help with saying No.)

There are so many little things we can do to ensure that we are able to be the best moms we can be. Embrace Rest. Don’t pour from an empty cup.

MOPS On The Town @ the Pumpkin Patch

This week a bunch of our mamas took their little pumpkins to Trinity UMC's Pumpkin Patch!  It's great fun and all proceeds go to charity.  For more info, click here.  

Prepare yourself for some cuteness as you scroll through the following pics!  

Our little Moppets were able to play games, listen to a pumpkin story, and pick out a pumpkin of their very own to take home... 

Granted, pumpkins can bring out all sorts of emotions... 

 But kids always love to play in the haystack and we're pretty sure a fun time was had by all!  

Be sure to join us next month for MOPS On The Town at Electric City Gymnastics!    

Tasty Tuesday - Taco Soup

Taco soup is perfect in the fall as the weather starts to cool off... Why not make a pot and invite some friends over to enjoy it together?  Worried your kids might not dig it?  Serve some cheese quesadillas with it... just pop folded flour tortillas filled with shredded cheese in the microwave for a few seconds and voila!  You've got chewy, cheesy goodness to accompany this hearty soup.  Now on to the recipe! 

(We found this recipe on a blog called "journey of a substitute teacher" and you can click here to go to there.)   

Ingredients 

---

• 1 lb. ground turkey or lean beef
• 1 large onion, chopped
• 1 (1 oz.) package hidden valley ranch dressing mix
• 1 (1 oz) package taco seasoning Mix
• 1 (16 oz.) can pinto beans
• 1 (16 oz) can chili beans (either hot or regular)
• 1 (16 oz) can whole kernel corn
• 1 (8 oz) can Mexican-style tomatoes
• 1 (8 oz) can diced tomatoes (any flavor)

Directions 

Brown meat & onions and drain.  Mix Ranch & Taco seasonings into meat, and then add the rest of the ingredients (undrained) to the mixture.  Simmer for 1 hour. For extra deliciousness, top with sour cream, shredded cheese and crumbled tortilla chips!