The Invisible Woman

Have you ever felt like you do a million things a day yet no one acknowledges or appreciates you for your the day's accomplishments? Have you ever sat down at the end of a day and wondered, "Who am I? What is my purpose? All I ever seem to do is laundry, diapers and pour sippy cups of juice?" As moms and especially stay-at-home moms, we get lost in trying to meet the needs of our families and others. We forget who we once were and who we are now: Women who enjoy reading mysteries, scrapbooking, knitting, running, painting, traveling, - you fill in the blank. We have interests and needs, too. We often just need to be reminded that we matter- that we are valued and appreciated.
In Psalms 139, David writes that God watched over us as we were formed in the womb. God knows everything- Did you get that?- He knows EVERYTHING about us. He knows our desires, our anxious thoughts, our hopes and dreams, our weaknesses and our strengths. He sees us when we lose our temper and snap at the kids and He sees us when we put the Dora Band-aid on scraped knees and rock and cuddle the crying baby at 3 am. And despite it all our shortcomings, He loves us and He desires us.
Moms, we need reminders that our work is important. We were given these precious little ones. Take heart in knowing that God watched over them in the womb and knows them better than we ever could imagine and He desires them. We have an important job - one that may be taken for granted here on earth and never acknowledged as being as valuable as being a CEO. But our end desire is for our little ones to have a personal relationship with God one day- How great of an accomplishment is that!
Visit this link and Enjoy Nicole Johnson- she is a great speaker/storyteller- Pour yourself a cup of coffee but grab a tissue. Blessings to you, Mommies!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9YU0aNAHXP0

Coffee and Chat

Coffee-- It is one smell from my childhood that reminds me of weekend and summer mornings at my grandparents' house. It was my Nanny that gave me my first cup of coffee - probably around the age of 4! Of course, it was mostly milk, but it was so comforting sitting at the big kitchen table drinking that warm sweet drink with my grandparents and just chatting about things that were important to a little girl.
As I grew up, coffee was a welcoming smell in a restaurant or someone's home. It triggered those feelings of welcome and acceptance, even if I didn't drink a cup. It was just a wonderful smell. When I traveled to Europe and The Republic of Georgia, coffee was the one drink you could count on consistently being available. Being so far from home, the warm cup and that aroma made me feel like I was in a place where I was welcomed. It was during one of these trips that I became a true coffee drinker. Now I can't function properly without at least 2 cups in the morning.
Coffee has become the "dates" my husband and I enjoy most often. Sipping a cup outside on the swing while looking at the stars and talking about the day or the kids or whatever. Again it is that comfort of knowing I am welcomed and accepted.
It doesn't matter where the coffee is served, abroad or in someone's home across the street, it always says the same thing: friendship and warmth. You are welcome here.
I enjoy the mornings when the mommies can get together for our coffee and chats. It doesn't matter if it is at one of our homes or at a local fast food restaurant with a playground for the kids. It is a nice time to slow down and just linger over a cup of warm drink that with its aroma simply says, "Welcome, friend."

I hope you enjoy the following recipe:

Coffee Mallow Parfait
24 regular-sized marshmallows (about 3 cups)
1 cup double-strength coffee
1 cup whipping cream, whipped
1/2 cup chocolate cookie crumbs

In a medium pan, combine the marshmallows, and the coffee. Cook and stir over medium heat until the marshmallows melt. Chill until partially set. Fold the whipped cream into the marshmallow mixture. Chill again until partially reset. In parfait glasses, start with the coffee/marshmallow mixture and layer the mixture with the cookie crumbs so that there are at least 3 layers of cookie crumbs. Top with the coffee/marshmallow mixture. Chill again till serving. Just before serving, add a dollop of whipped cream. Garnish, if desired, with a drizzle of chocolate syrup, and top with a large shave of chocolate or an Andes Mint candy.

The Ticket Booth-Welcome!

Our first meeting was held earlier this week at Northridge Christian Church. We were excited to meet some new moms and have them join us in this Adventure! We met at the Ticket Booth to get our tickets and all of the information you get from a Park. It is always fun to meet other moms and share stories about kids and being a mom.

It is not too late to join our Adventure! We are just starting and moms can join us anytime during the year. This is going to be a fun and exciting year at MOPS!

The Adventure of Motherhood

Being a mom is definitely an adventure! For some of us the adventure began before we ever held that sweet baby in our arms. The adventures of adoption, infertility or a difficult delivery left some of us breathless. But once that baby arrives and we hold him/her, another adventure begins! From trying to figure out how to nurse the baby to trying to figure out how to get the baby to sleep for more than 3 hours at a time to keeping the house toddler proofed to getting the potty training down to off to preschool or PreK without mom-YIKES! There is no doubt that this ride is full of loop-the loops, climbs to the top and drops where your stomach is in your throat. We feel like screaming for joy and from the panic of not knowing what is going to happen next. Sometimes we may even want to throw our arms up in frustration. But when we get through with one milestone, we can't wait to climb on again for another ride.- How could we not be on this ride? It is the ride of a lifetime! Mothering, the one ride that leaves us breathless from the knowing that we have the greatest gifts from God to cuddle and love and to enjoy the adventure with each day. Praise God for our adventures!

The Adventure Begins

Hurry! Hurry! Hurry! Step right up for the Adventures of the Northridge Christian Church MOPS! The first show begins on Tuesday, September 9 at 9 am. No advance tickets are required but VIP (Very Important Parent) Passes will be handed out at the ticket window in the Early Childhood Dept. - Kiddie Rides are operating for visitors under 5 feet. Gates close at 11 am.
Come join us for the fun!