Area Coordinator's (AC's) Corner

Area Coordinator's (AC's) Corner
Nichole Bethel, Zone 22 AC

CONVENTION UPDATE

Ta da! A Convention announcement!
We just signed the papers and we thank you for your prayers as we worked on moving, well, a whole lotta details in just a few days.

Drum roll #1: The Gaylord Palms in Kissimmee, FL (Orlando area) was able to welcome us (in the midst of many conventions needing to move).

Drum roll #2: We're able to keep the registration fees the same, so some of you might decide to come early or stay late, and enjoy the Orlando amenities with your friends (or family).

And thanks for all the great ideas of cities! You helped our future dreaming. 'Twould be fun!
And again, it will be great because of Who we'll be with: "Where(ver) two or three (thousand) are gathered in my name, there am I with them." (Mt. 18:20, our year's theme verse with my additions).

Naomi Cramer Overton

Convention Details:
The MOPS International Convention will be at the Gaylord Palms, Kissimmee, FL (Orlando area). Dates will be the same, August 5-7, 2010. Speakers and artists will be the same great lineup — Julie Barnhill, Margaret Feinberg, Donald Miller, Naomi Cramer Overton, Shelly Radic, Go Fish, Mandisa, The Katinas and Richie McDonald.

Convention registration will re-open on Monday, May 17.
The early bird registration deadline will be extended to June 7.
We are working with the Gaylord Opryland for an official letter we can provide to anyone who has already purchased airline tickets to use with airlines to avoid rebooking fees. This letter should assist you in rebooking airline tickets — it will be posted online at www.MOPS.org/convention.
We continue to pray for families and businesses affected by the flooding and we have sent MOPS materials to local MOPS leaders who are distributing supplies in the Nashville area.



MOPS International Convention 2010

August 5-7, 2010
Gaylord Palms, Orlando FL



Check back often for more information!



Your MOPS International Convention Checklist:

Register for Convention (re-opens May 17)
Reserve a room at the hotel (register first!)
Schedule shuttle transportation



MOPS Convention ~ August 5-7, 2010

MOPS Convention ~ August 5-7, 2010
Registration for Convention is open on Monday, May 17th! Click on the picture.

Saturday, October 31, 2009

Events Going on in Our Zone

The holidays are quickly approaching! Below are some exciting events that are guaranteed to make you sing, " It's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas..."

The Go Fish Guys are coming to our Zone in 2 weeks!

Go Fish Christmas Concert

Venue: Hawthorne Gospel Church, Hawthorne, NJ
Date: Saturday, November 14, 2009
Time: 2pm
For more information, call the church at 973-427-6960 or go to the following websites: www.hawthornegospel.com , www.gofishguys.com , www.itickets.com

Sara Gorves is coming to our Zone this December at two locations!

Sara will present her "O Holy Night" Christmas Concert:

Venue: Evangel Church, Scotch Plains, NJ
Date: Thursday, December 3, 2009
Time: 8pm (doors open at 7:30pm)

For more information, go to www.evangel.com

Venue: Hershey Free Church, Hershey, PA
Date: Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Time: 7:30pm (doors open at 6:30pm)

For more information, go to www.hersheyfree.com

If you know of other exciting events around our Zone, please share them here.

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

reflections on beads, bracelets, and imperfection

When my MOPS group last met, we had a craft that involved making a bracelet using beads of a variety of colors and sizes and wire. Our Creative Activities Lead, Jill, told us the different colors of beads represented different things: pink/purple represents friends, green represents family, blue represents community, red represents self, and white represents God. One of the moms, Leah Weikel, sent this email to our Discussion Group later that day about the craft and I thought it inspirational. I got her ok to share it on the blog.

I have to admit that the perfectionist in me wanted to keep me from attempting the craft today--saying, "If you start to strand the beads now, you won't get it perfect. You need to categorize the beads first, according to size and shape and then find the pattern. It's really quite simple." However, the practical side of me said, "If you don't start now, it will never get done." So I began stranding beads together, trying to make an eclectic-but-elegant pattern. I didn't seem to find my groove, as I watched other moms quickly and talentedly express themselves through beadwork. Then I stopped thinking about it, and I just began to strand the beads, one by one, not paying too much attention to color and size, just kind of winging it. Then it happened. I found my pattern-- or my psuedo-pattern. It was more of a general theme than an actual pattern, and I managed to tell my inner perfectionist to, in nice terms, "be quiet." I wasn't able to finish my creation in that comfy, blue table-clothed room, so I had to take it home with me, hoping that all of my work thus far wouldn't come apart, unravel and flood my purse with tiny, shiny raindrops of glass.

I was lucky. I managed to make it to my parents' house, with both kids asleep in their car seats. As soon as I took my tiny tots to their beds at Nana's house, I was back at it-- back in the flow of the rhythm of the beads. It didn't take me long to finish. And, I was actually happy with my creation. Then I began to reflect on the meaning and purpose behind the craft. I looked at the juxtaposed beads, and then looked at their perspective meanings. Every so often I saw a large, red bead. This reminded me of last week's lesson, that in the middle of all of these important relationships I have, there is me. And it's ok-- even good--to take some time for me, in order to be a better mom, a better wife, a better friend. There is also a great big green bead on my bracelet, swirled with gold, reminding me of how precious my family is. The enormity of this bead also reminded me of how much time it takes to be a mommy, too! And every so often there are these simple, white beads, reminding me of how important it is to be refreshed by the Lord. And the fact that all of these beads are connected reminded me that we are all connected to each other, mom to friend, friend to family, family to community, community to God.

Hopefully you were able to enjoy the craft and were able to learn from a pile of beads and a piece of wire.

May blessings fall upon you like raindrops,
leah

Miss the Go Fish Guys this year?


Go Fish Christmas Concert!
Saturday, November 14, 2009
2p.m.
Hawthorne Gospel Church
2000 Route 208 Hawthorne, NJ 07506
973-427-6960
www.hawthornegospel.com
www.gofishguys.com
www.itickets.com
$10 each for groups of 10 or more
$12 in advance/$15 at the door
General Admission/No Refunds!

We are also having an event after the concert called "Christmas with a capital C". The guys will be signing autographs, there will be baked goodies to eat, crafts for the kids, face painting, hot cocoa, snow cones, sleigh rides, carolers. It will definitely get us all ready to enjoy this Christmas season.

Monday, October 26, 2009

MOPS Speaker

Hi Everyone!
I received this speaker recommendation from Karyn, Coordinator of Messiah MOPS in Downingtown PA.

Together Moms Can Help the Planet Speech – ‘I’m just one Mom? Can I really make a difference?’

Karen Fletcher has a BS in Environmental Science and tries to help the environment each day, which can be tough some days with 2 toddlers in tow. She gives small, practical, easy-to-apply ideas to help your MOPS moms make more environmentally friendly choices for their family! Her presentation includes examples of appropriate recyclable materials, examples of all natural products and a hand-out summarizing all the ideas presented. If given enough notice, she will research the specific recycling programs in your area. She presented her speech for the MOPS moms at Messiah Lutheran Church (Downingtown, PA) in September 2009. Please feel free to contact her at knfletchlives@verizon.net with any questions.

Reminder: If you have a great speaker that you would like to recommend to the MOPS groups in our Zone, please send the speaker's bio and information to me, pamopscm@aol.com to post to our blog.

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

The Multi-Use Product You NEED

WOW! I got this as the title of an email the other day. It gave me pause because I have been trying to focus myself on the differences between the things that I truly need and the things that I want. So, before I opened the email (here's a hint for you it was from totalBeauty.com) I reflected on a Bible passage that has been prevalent to me this past year. These verses may seem familiar to you if you listened to my talk in May on Choosing Leaders for Next Year. Matthew 6:19-34. This time I am using my Message Bible.

Don't hoard treasures down here where it gets eaten by moths and corroded by rust or - worse! - stolen by burglars. Stockpile treasure in heaven, where it's safe from moth and rust and burglars. It's obvious, isn't it? The place where your treasure is, is the place you will most want to be, and end up being.
Your eyes are windows into your body. If you open your eyes wide in wonder and belief, your body fills with light. If you live squinty-eyed in greed and distrust, your body is a dank cellar. If you pull the blinds on your windows, what a dark life you will have!
You can't worship two gods at once. Loving one god, you'll end up hating the other. Adoration of one feeds contempt for the other. You can't worship God and Money both.
If you decide for God, living a life of God-worship, it follows that you don't fuss about what's on the table at mealtimes or whether the clothes in your closet are in fashion. There is far more to your life than the food you put in your stomach, more to your outer appearance than the clothes you hang on your body. Look at the birds, free and unfettered, not tied down to a job description, careless in the care of God. And you count far more to him than birds.
Has anyone by fussing in front of the mirror ever gotten taller by so much as an inch? All this time and money wasted on fashion - do you think it makes that much difference? Instead of looking at the fashions, walk out into the fields and look at the wildflowers. They never primp or shop, but have you ever seen color and design quite like it? The ten best-dressed men and women in the country look shabby alongside them.
If God gives such attention to the appearance of wildflowers - most of which are never even seen - don't you think he'll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you? What I'm trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God's giving. People who don't know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don't worry about missing out. You'll find all your everyday human concerns will be met.
Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.


Ok, so that is a lot to digest.

The verse that speaks to me the most says "What I'm trying to do here is to get you to relax, not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God's giving."

Hmmm...so is there really a multi-product that I NEED. NO...maybe there is one that I WANT. There certainly are plenty that I use. I admit these verses tug on my heart more and more as I grow older. There are so many anti-aging products and foundations, blushes, eye shadows, lip glosses (see, I am thinking I NEED my lip gloss), eye pencils, hair color, and, well, I could go on and on.

So, I get this email and I am curious. What do I NEED now??? Oh, a Tinted Moisturizer. Of course, how have I lived so long without a tinted moisturizer???? Sigh, maybe, just maybe, I should TRY to live without that tinted moisturizer and turn my focus to God. What a step of faith!

Oh, Father God, to be like the birds and to be "careless in the care of God". As a mere human that is my goal...it is my struggle.

Ultimately, there is only one thing that I NEED and that is God. I NEED to "steep my life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions" and then I am free.

Whew, luckily I was able to delete that email, but will I delete the next temptation?

What do you struggle with as far as things you NEED versus things you WANT? Do you turn to God for discernment? Please share your thoughts with us.

Thanks,
Christy

Thursday, October 15, 2009

Hmmm...which are you? Carrots, Eggs, or Coffee Beans?

Ok, everyone is so quiet on our blog. I do hope that someone is stopping by and reading my ramblings or I may start to hear an echo in here.

I was asked by the Coordinator of my MOPS group to do the Devotion for our meeting and I found that story on the Internet (actually if you do a search you will find it everywhere.) and then I found a pastor's sermon with the story integrated in it with scripture references and used that as my main source. Anyway, when I went to the site to provide a link I realized that they update the sermons each week and it is no longer there. Here is the church's website http://www.centralunitedmethodist.org/templates/System/default.asp?id=25216 and the sermon was written for Sunday, September 20, 2009 by Dr. Mark Key from Central United Methodist Church in Asheboro NC.
(Please keep in mind I changed some of it to fit in with my MOPS meeting.)

A young new mom went to her mom and told her that her life now was so difficult with the constant demands of a newborn and the lack of sleep and she went on and on about how hard things in her life were for her. She did not know how she was going to make it and wanted to just give up. She was tired and she was tired of struggling and fighting. It seemed as one problem was solved, a new one arose.

Her mom took her to the kitchen. She filled three pots with water and place each one on a burner on high. Soon the pots started to boil. In the first pot she placed carrots, in the second pot she place eggs and in the last pot she place ground coffee beans. She let them sit and boil without saying anything.

In a few minutes she turned off the burners. She fished the carrots out and placed them in a bowl. She pulled the eggs out and placed them in a bowl. Then she ladled the coffee beans out and poured it in a cup. And then she asked her daughter, "What do you see?"

"Carrots, eggs and coffee." She replied.

Her mom brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She noted that they were soft. Her mom told her to take the egg and break it. She observed a hard-boiled egg. Finally, she instructed her to sip the coffee. The daughter smiled as she tasted its rich aroma. "What does all this mean?" asked the daughter.

Her mom explained that each of these objects had faced the same adversity: boiling water. Each reacted differently. The carrot went in strong, hard and unrelenting. However, after being subjected to the boiling water, it softened and became weak. The egg had been fragile. It thin outer shell had protected its liquid interior; but after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened. The ground coffee beans were unique; however, after they were in the boiling water, they had changed the water.

"Which are you?" she asked her daughter. "When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond?" As a carrot, an egg, or a coffee bean?

Sometimes we are like the carrot, aren't we? We become weak or soft. And sometimes we have been like the egg and become hardened in response to situations around us. We may still have a shell around us that looks normal, but inside we are bitter or stiff or have hardened hearts.

God invites us to a new way of living. God invites us to respond to all the situations around us with kindness and love. And when we do, he uses us to actually change the world around us. Just like the bean changed the hot water, God, in Christ living in us changes others through us.

So, I have been very conscience of my reactions to situations in my life. I do tend to be more like the carrot or the egg, but I really want to be a consistent coffee bean. Then I find this story in Neil Cole's book, Organic Leadership: Leading Naturally Right Where You Are on pages 142-143:
"Nancy Reagan once said women are like tea bags, you find out what they are made of when they are placed in hot water. This is true for all of us. The hot water of life will draw out whatever is within us, good or bad.
If Jesus has placed his love in you, that love will come out in the decisions you make. It will also be evident in the regrets you have for poorly made decisions. His love redeems all of our good choices as well as our bad."

Hmmmmm......

So much to reflect. Take a moment. Next "hot water" situation you find yourself in, pause, and decide if you are going to be the carrot, the egg, or the coffee bean.

God Bless,
Christy

Thursday, October 08, 2009

REMINDER Conference Call Tonight at 8:30

Our Dual Conference Call is scheduled for TONIGHT October 8, 2009 from 8:30 - 9:15 pm.
Topic: Convention Highlights
Led by: Denise Kother, CC
Conference Call in #: 218-339-2500
Access Code: 122231#

Please plan to call in and have any questions ready for discussion!

Thanks,
Christy

Monday, October 05, 2009

Dual Zone Training Conference Call Date Set

Please mark your calendars and send a reminder email to ALL your Steering Team Members.

Our next call is scheduled for Thursday, October 8, 2009 from 8:30 - 9:15 pm.
Topic: Convention Highlights
Led by: Denise Kother, CC
Conference Call in #: 218-339-2500
Access Code: 122231#


Have any questions or topics you want answered or addressed, please let us know.

Thanks,
Christy

Sunday, October 04, 2009

MOPS Convention 411 God

Finding that some days you don't have time to sit down and read your Bible? Check out one of the sponsors from this year's MOPS Convention ~ 411 God. They will send a one-minute Bible verse to your phone or email at the time of day you specify. Try it!

Here's a video that gives you details:
Quick Time

Here's the website for 411 God:

http://www.411god.net/



God Bless,
Christy