October has arrived! Now come on cool weather!! :) I am super excited for our meeting tomorrow! Hope you all come out and enjoy brunch and fellowship. We will discuss how to find the courage to face our mom fears! I certainly have plenty of those. How about you? Hope to see you tomorrow!

Be you, Bravely

Hey ladies! I think we had a great first meeting. A few hiccups and nerves to overcome but I think we succeeded. I greatly enjoyed making some new acquaintances that I hope grow into friendships. We are all instantly bonded with the common grounds of motherhood and we have so much more in common as we learned during our icebreaker. I pray each of you finds a lasting relationship over the course of this year. I'm including the video that we wanted to show that introduces this years theme. Enjoy. 

First MOPS Meeting for 2014-2015

Hey there! We are so excited for a new MOPS year here at First United Methodist Church in Temple! Our theme this year is Be You Bravely! We have a busy and full first meeting planned! Can't wait to see old friends and meet new ones! Come eat and fellowship with us and help kick off a great year! 

Bravely-
MOPS Leadership Team

Notes from our Awesome November Meeting!

We had another great meeting on November 9^th!  Welcome to our new moms.  We are so glad you joined us!  For those of you who missed, we missed you!  Here are some notes from the meeting.  Please feel free to post anything I may have missed, or add to the notes in the comment section.

Brenda started us off with a great devotional on Psalm 139.  She had us listen to her read it and think of ‘mom specific’ things that happen during the day.  Each verse reminds us that no matter what is going on in our mommy worlds, God is there with us every step of the way.  She encouraged us that even when we are feeling down about the job we are doing as moms or wives, to remember that God uses all things for His good and glory.  She referenced Romans 8:28, which says ‘And we know that God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.’ 

Brenda also mentioned the book Hope for a Woman’s Heart.  Sounds like it is worth the read!

Our speaker this month was local photographer, Julie Adkison.  She gave of some great information on taking great pictures.  Here are some of her tips:

There are two things that make a great picture.  Composition, and lighting.

1.       Composition – there are three rules

a.       Fill the frame

                                    i.      Zoom in – avoid negative space.

                                    ii.    Remember the eye reads left to right – make sure you have good flow through your photos.  Use leading lines that help guide people through your image.  When taking sports photos, make sure to leave room in the photo for your subject to fall into.

b.      Follow the Rule of Thirds

                                    i.      Imagine a tic tac toe board – you want something of interest in each third.

c.       Dare to break the rules

                                   i.      Get creative.  If you see something you like, get it!  Sometimes it works.

2.       Lighting

a.       The best lighting indoors is the light coming in through a window.

b.      Best time to take pictures outdoors is one hour after sunrise and one hour before sunset.  Avoid outdoor pictures between the hours of 11am-4pm, unless it is a cloudy day.

For great Christmas card pictures:

-          Get on subject’s eye level

-          Bring subject forward (separate from background)

-          Avoid flash when possible

-          Try a new angle

Storage and Printing

-          I use… (for Mac users)

-          Mpix.com – great quality and great prices

For information on Julie’s studio and classes, go to www.jadkpics.com

Shannon made us awesome Give Thanks bags.  Each bag contained rules and a few supplies for how to get the entire family involved in remembering how blessed we are.  I will add a post with instructions for those of you who were not there to get one.

Holly and Lindsey recognized all those celebrating birthdays, anniversaries, or new babies!  Congratulations to Tricia who celebrates her 6^th wedding anniversary this month!

Laci reminded us that we have a MOPS fundraiser on Thursday, November 18^th at Mazzio’s Pizza.  Please invite all of your friends and family to dine in, pick up or order delivery between 5-8pm.  It’s that easy!!  Please help our group raise some extra funds so we can continue to enjoy our great crafts, and speakers!

Mazzio’s Pizza – 1420 SW H K Dodgen Loop, Temple, TX 76504

Next month we will have our popular Christmas stations and enjoy some crafting and time to just hang out and relax.  The green table and the steering team will provide our brunch – Thank you!

Don’t forget to RSVP for childcare.  If you don’t need childcare, it would still be great to know if you are coming, but it is not required that you RSVP.  It is nice to know who will be at our meetings so we can plan appropriately!  If you invite a friend who needs childcare, please give them the templemops@gmail.com address so they can RSVP.  Thanks so much!

Happy Thanksgiving!

Great October Meeting!

Our October meeting was awesome!  We heard from a fabulous speaker, Kim Ransleben, who talked to us about "finesse in motherhood."  She said if we were to take one thing away from what she shared with us she would want it to be "know your kids, and I mean really know your kids."  The other piece of information I took away was her question "if you were to watch you care for your kids for a week, would you pay for you to watch your kids?"  If something Kim said made a big impression on you, please share it with us in the comment section!

Shannon always has a great craft to share with us!  Here is a picture of the craft we did.  If you were not there and want to try this at home click here.

Our MOPS group also committed to a service project called KidsLink Downrange.  Our small group of moms pledged to make 14 card kits for families at Foot Hood who have a parent deployed.  What an awesome way to serve others right here in our area!!  Click on the link above to read more about our project and to find links about how to put the card kits together.  Here are the pledge amounts for each table: Green - 5 kits, Blue - 2 kits, Purple - 2 kits, Pink - 5 kits.  These are not due until March, so if we each make a few cards a month we could end up well beyond our pledge!  Thanks, moms!  You ROCK!

Thanks to the Blue table for providing our delicious brunch items.  I want the pumpkin muffin recipe!

I've really enjoyed see everyone at our meetings.  You all are such a blessing and it is such a gift to be able to share our ministry as moms together!  See you next month!  Don't forget to RSVP for childcare to templemops@gmail.com

October MOPS Meeting!

Our next meeting is October 12th! Make sure to RSVP for you & your kiddos by Monday, October 4th. Email your RSVP to templemops@gmail.com

On October 12th we will be talking about Finess - finding comedy in the daily grind! Our speaker will be Kim Ransleben - back by popular demand! And you don't want to miss the great craft!

The Blue table will be providing our brunch items - thank you, blue table!

Feel free to invite other moms to join us, but make sure you tell them how to RSVP for childcare!

MOPS begins in 5 days!

We are just 5 days away from our first meeting of the semester!!! It is going to be a great year of MOPS at First UMC, Temple! Come join us as we take a closer look at our theme, Momology: the Art and Science of Motherhood - This Tuesday, Sept. 14th at 9:30am.  We will introduce our new Steering Team, see an awesome devotional from MOPS International, and work on a fun craft! If you have not RSVP'd for childcare, please email dianekiblinger@gmail.com to be added to the waiting list...Our childcare rooms are FULL - but you can still come to the meeting...you will just need to find a sitter or bring your kiddo(s) to the meeting with you.  There is always a chance that someone who RSVP'd will not show, so it's a good idea to get on the waiting list.  Hope to see everyone Tuesday!

Mom of the Month, Laura Bersoza

Madelyn, Laura, and Oscar Bersoza

What do you enjoy most about being a Mom?

I think the best thing was the instant love I felt when Madelyn was born. I have never experienced that kind of love. The love for your child is so intense. Of course I love my husband, but its a different kind of feeling and love. I also love making Madelyn laugh and seeing her happy!

Where did your husband propose?

We took a trip over Christmas break to Riudoso, New Mexico with another couple to go snow skiing. On Christmas Eve, Oscar and I were sitting by the fire and he proposed. He had been asking me some serious questions all night, so I was starting to get suspicious. The other couple got engaged too! We will be married 6 years in July.

What are your secret snacks?

Chocolate, Chocolate, and Chocolate!

What is your fondest memory of your grandmother?

My memaw was very loving. I always liked to sit on her lap and rock, even up to a few years ago before she passed away. She was the best cook! She always had lots of food and desserts! She made the best chocolate pie-my favorite

What is your most memorable family vacation?

When I was in 8th grade we went on our first cruise to the Bahamas. It was for my sisters graduation present from high school. Well first we went right after school was out in May and there were lots of kids that just turned 18 that were there to party. Some were our neighbors and they were loud all hours of the night.

My sister and I were at that stage where we fought alot and I wanted to do everything like her. We got into this huge fight one day b/c she was wearing a hat and I wanted to wear one too. It was so dramatic! Also, while we were docked at the Bahamas, my dad was exploring the town and all of a sudden this women comes out of an alley and pulls out her breast b/c she was a prostitute. My dad ran away as fast as he could! We still tease him about it. It was a really fun trip overall!

Best piece of parenting advice you have received?

My mom always tells me: This too shall pass! Short, but sweet!

What is your favorite home cooked meal?

My moms homemade chicken fried steak with mashed potatoes and gravy-yum!

When do you sense being most alive?

When I have consistently had my quiet time with the Lord and been in prayer. It makes such a huge difference!

4 Questions Reminder

Are you using the 4 questions for correction?

1. What did you do?
2. Was that right or wrong?
3. What should you have done?
4. What do you think we should do about this?

Guess who's pregnant?!

Check it out!

Easter traditions

St. Patrick's Day is over, now we are fully focusing on Easter. I loved this article about instilling Easter traditions.

March MOPS

March meeting will be next Thursday, March 12 from 9:30-11:30 am. Please join us! We'll hear a testimony from our good friend Marla about God's faithfulness to their family in blessing them with four children (two are in Heaven).

We'll also host a baby shower for Hope Pregnancy Centers, Inc. A gift is not required but if you want to bring a (tax-deductible) donation feel free!

Special items they especially need are:
- new washcloths and towels
- new booties and socks
- new pacifiers
- new onesies
- new sleepers
- new small baby toys
- new bulb syringes
- packages of newborn and size one diapers
- new or used outlet covers
- new or used baby bathtubs
- new or used maternity clothes
- new or used cribs, swings, bouncers, exersaucers, hi-chairs, etc.

February Fun

We had a great crowd and fun meeting in February. Thanks for coming! We made candy topiaries and Bev DeSalvo shared with us about three gifts. Gift one is sex, from God to us. Gift two is permission, from us to us! and Gift three is our bodies, from us to our husbands.

Back to Organizing...

I'm cleaning out my office and ran across this article we received last year in the organization talk. So good!

Promotional Postcard

Mom of the Month, Misty Morris

The best thing about being a parent is...

Being able to create memories with my daughter while she's young that she and I'll never forget. Spending time with her at the zoo, park, splash park, library story times, or just hanging out on the weekend watching a movie at home.

Choose a word that best describes your life up to this moment

A whirlwind because the last 3 yrs have flown by. I married into the Army, had a beautiful daughter, moved 3 times in those 3yrs, found a new church family, and have made great new friends.

What are life's most useful objects?

Baby wipes! I think even after my daughter is potty trained I'll still carry a box of wipes in my purse.

Do you think you inherited some of your mother's emotional qualities? Which ones?

I think I inherited being extremely sensitive from my mother. My feelings get hurt so easily.

What was the major news event of your life? How did you feel about it? What influence did it have on you?

Finding out my husband was deploying right after my daughter's birth. Being a new mom and having no family around I was terrified and nervous. I decided to move back home near my family while my husband was deployed. It influenced me in so many ways. I learned a lot about myself. I was stronger than I'd ever known and I build a close bond with my daughter.

Does your family have photo albums, scrapbooks, slides, home movies? Who created them?

I love taking photos so needless to say our family has several photo albums. I also scrapbook a little. My daughter now runs when I take out my camera. She is only 2 1/2 yrs old and already tired of being photographed.

Great sex this Thursday

Don't miss our February meeting this Thursday from 9:30 am -11:30 am. Bev DeSalvo (those of you from Temple Bible Church will recognize her as Pastor Gary's wife) will speak on issues of intimacy and how we can have a sensuous and sacred sex life! You'll love it. Plus we'll have a hot chocolate bar with all the fixings and make an adorable candy topiary. Leave me a comment and let me know you're coming!

Bring a glue gun if you have it! We only have a few to go around.

Marriage Builders

Here's an article with 6 simple ways to strengthen your marriage during the parenting years.

Body image

Since Valentine's Day is coming up, I'll link up a series of posts that relate to our relationship with our husbands. Here's the first one on "Do these jeans make me look fat?"

So simple, yet so huge!

This post has been my mantra today!