'21-22 MOPS Registration | All for Love

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After a year spent hunkering down, living smaller, and experiencing a little more fear and anxiety than usual, we are declaring this is the year of going big. It’s a year of fresh starts and turning ordinary experiences into extraordinary ones. Enthusiasm will replace worry. Friendship will replace loneliness. No longer will we wait to “get back to normal”; instead, we will start making space for the new things God has for us. We will become less guarded and more daring because this is our year to live All For Love.

Love is the most powerful force on the planet, and yet the concept almost seems cliché. We tell somebody we love them, and in the same breath we talk about how much we love a new podcast. Perhaps we’ve become so accustomed to the word that we’ve forgotten how revolutionary it is, how God’s love changes everything. It is life-altering, curse-lifting and, as shown in Christ’s resurrection, quite literally death-conquering.

This year we embrace the transformative power of love, to the point where it starts to affect everything we do — the way we talk to our kids, interact with strangers, handle disappointments, celebrate victories, make decisions. When love floods into our lives, it all shifts. It results in less doom-scrolling, more conversation. Less comparison, more community. Less fear, more confidence. More over-the-top displays of compassion. More patience. More life in our souls. This year, love will save us. In fact, it already has, because love’s name is Jesus.

Living All For Love means we will:

WALK IN POWER.

 For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control. — 2 Timothy 1:7

The opposite of love is fear. Fear drives so many of our thoughts and decisions. It is a potent emotion that causes us to do and say things that are out of alignment with who we want to be. It causes us to act in anger. Fear can make us timid and preoccupied; it might control our thoughts and keep us up at night or hold us back from forming deep friendships because we are afraid of being vulnerable. Fear keeps us stuck, but perfect love casts out fear. Here is the truth: There is nothing that can stand between you and what God has planned for you. God has given you a spirit of power, love, and self-control, and it is time to walk in this power that comes from the Holy Spirit. Love gives us the courage to exchange the intimidation of fear for an extraordinary life, full of passion and confidence to solve any problem that comes our way.

LOVE ONE ANOTHER.

Love your neighbor as yourself. — Matthew 22:39

Author Brennan Manning brilliantly wrote, “The litmus test of our love for God is our love for our neighbor.” Love is sobering because it asks us to care for all people; even our enemies are made in the image of God and are worthy of dignity and respect. Loving our enemies is not an endorsement of what they do, it is an affirmation of who they are — God’s beloved. And mercy triumphs over judgment. This year we will practice loving people who annoy us, offend us, or overlook us. We’ll not take ourselves so seriously but instead go out of our way to do kind things for other people, especially if they don’t know it was us. Even when it takes some extra energy, we will celebrate each other’s victories and carry one another’s burdens. We will engage other people with open hearts and go to extremes to love well because we have a God who shows us how it’s done.  

 LOVE YOUR LEGACY.

 Let all that you do be done in love. — 1 Corinthians 16:14

Your legacy is what people remember when you leave a place. Whether that place is your kid’s room at bedtime, your house each morning, or this earth. It’s the stories your great-great grandkids will hear about you. Here is why this is so important: Love is contagious not just from person-to-person but also from generation to generation. It might be maddening to think about “leaving a legacy” when the little ones around you demand every ounce of your energy, but sometimes it is essential to look a little farther out, decide how you want to be remembered and what matters most to you, and take small intentional steps to make it happen. It’s asking the question, “If I want love to be my legacy, how do I want to live today?” It doesn’t have to be anything big; in fact, it usually starts in small ways. Clean up your home in love. Prepare dinner in love. Do your work in love. Play with LEGOs in love. Doing everything in love becomes a little more challenging with the harder aspects of daily life: Move through a traffic jam in love. Strongly disagree with someone in love. Discipline your kids in love, resolve conflict in love, engage in social media in love. These small moments … This is where legacy is born.

This is the year of big things. Love is starting to fling open doors, and when love comes into the room, no one is safe.

Comfort zones crumble,

Relationships are born,

Fear is cast out,

Whimsy is restored,

Perspectives shift,

Ready or not, here it comes …

Watch "All for Love" theme announcement video HERE.

This year, we want to tell you two things that will change your life if you believe them.

First, you are fearfully and wonderfully made.    I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. Psalm 139:14   Second, because you are fearfully and wonderfully made, you have work to do; meaningful work that was built into your DNA before you were born. Work that you were made for. Sometimes, we believe that our motherhood is a constraint that limits what we can do in this life. We want to remind you that motherhood isn’t a constraint – it’s a catalyst. In fact, God appointed a woman named Deborah to be a judge over the nation of Israel. She was a leader, warrior and prophetess who ultimately helped an entire nation rediscover its identity and destiny as the people of God. And she declared that she accomplished it because she AROSE AS A MOTHER.

The villagers ceased in Israel; they ceased to be until I arose; I, Deborah, arose as a mother in Israel. Judges 5:7 (ESV)

Before God appointed Deborah, the inhabitants of Israel were distressed and had no fight left in them. Does this sound familiar? Is it possible that through this MOPS community of ours, each of us could reignite a sense of strength, joy and courage back into ourselves, our homes and our culture?

This is the year we arise as mothers to awaken a weary and sleeping world. The year to accept and believe that God will fulfill his promises to you, and to embrace your motherhood as a catalyst to his plans and promises for you.

Here are the three things we will do to remind ourselves of who God made us to be:  

BE STRONG:

Arise as a mother. This is your year to get strong physically and mentally. To own the body you’ve been given and build muscle and stamina so you can do all the things that God is calling you to do; important things like chase your kids around the backyard, carry groceries for your elderly neighbor, or even build a mud house for a family in Rwanda. To embrace your own body’s abilities and build it up – whatever your physical ability may be. It also means being strong mentally. Sometimes our thought life needs a little tightening up. It might mean seeing a therapist who can give you tools for dealing with anxiety, or maybe developing mental stamina so you can endure the daily toddler meltdowns. Often we wait for all the right details to come into place before we act, but maybe this is the year God is saying, “Stop waiting and get to it.” Body and mind – this is the year we embrace the self that God gave us.

DO YOUR WORK:

Doing your work happens in big and small, but always significant ways. It’s about persevering through the daily grind of essential but mundane tasks; and it’s also about making brave choices to do new things. Doing your work looks different for each of us, but everyone’s work will require some grit and courage. Maybe it’s choosing forgiveness, healing from past trauma, or making amends to those you’ve hurt. Maybe it’s sharing the secret you’ve been carrying for years, or unlearning harmful patterns of behavior. And when it comes to mothering … God gave those kids to you, Mama! You’ve been appointed and no one else can mother them like you. You are made of brave spirit. You’ll figure it out because you always have, and you have God and your MOPS sisters by your side.

CHASE JOY:

Actively seeking out joy is how we fight discouragement and fear. It’s how we fight our tendency to complain, accuse or be offended. Joy is a decision, a really brave one, about how you will respond to life in all its circumstances. Joy is the most magnetic and contagious force in the universe, the type that people around you can’t help but notice – especially those looking up toward their mom. It is a gladness that’s not just reserved for happy moments, but particularly during the hardest days that come your way. Joy is the deep knowing that you were made for more than anxiety, depression and fear. This is your year to reclaim joy and share it with others!

Together, may we all courageously Decide To Rise.

We would love to have you join us next year at Cape Bible Chapel. Please follow the links below to register. Childcare is filled on a first come first served basis. 

Cover letter: Click Here
Mom Registration form: Click Here
Kid Registration form (Please submit one for each child): Click Here

Living, life itself, is a WONDER.  

WONDER, wide-eyed, smile inducing WONDER.

WONDER discovering both the new and the old.

Life is WONDERful.

When I am busy, like as of late, it is easy to be all focused on stuff, instead of Life, the WONDER of simply living.  You know what I mean.  

Reading words of another artist brings me home again, home to the WONDER.  The days, the moments, I’ve been living and the WONDER of them all.  Let us read, listen or watch those artists that inspire us.

For me, It’s a WONDER I get to be cozy, slow, this morning in my bed, reading the warm words of my Father.  And sometimes it is even a WONDER to read His same words in between the requests of my children, when I do not wake up early.  His words are still WONDERful.

It’s a WONDER I have a home, yes, not a perfect one at all, but a home to be able to tend to,  care for and make it my kind of beautiful.

It’s a WONDER I get to teach my kids at home or I get to send my kids to school.

It’s a WONDER I get to be around other families, other mamas and their children, to be in fellowship.

It’s a WONDER I get to look into the eyes of my children, to answer their question(s), give a hug after their cry or to simply listen to THEM.

It’s even a WONDER to wash dishes with rainbow soap bubbles, the WONDER of feeding the souls under my roof, nourishing both the stomach and the mind.

WONDER upon WONDER.  Our days are filled to them when we notice.  May our gaze always be pulled from the work, the hassle or the burden of a situation to the WONDER of it.  It’s a beautiful thing.

Won’t you now take a moment and write or think  from a different perspective, the perspective of WONDER?  I pray that WONDER will be your lovely partner walking with you through the minutes of your days.  Father, help us to pause long enough from our grumbles to be able to see the WONDER.  Amen.

Stacy Smith-Fulia

Kindness is one of our MOPS 2016-2017 theme words for this coming year. Kindness is defined as the quality of being friendly, generous and considerate.  Synonyms include warm-heartedness, affection, gentleness, concern and care.  Our Word of God defines kindness as a fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22. The Greek word Kindness translates to “the divine kindness out of which God acts toward humankind”. God wants us to be like Him.  He equips us as believers with the Fruits of the Spirit, one of those being Kindness. God desires us to reflect the fruits as Christians and with the Holy Spirit’s help it is possible. As a sinner I am reminded all too often that I desperately need His help!

I bought a shirt at a one of my weekend Junkin/craft show adventures.  On the front it has in big, beautiful font “BE KIND”, on the back it quotes Luke 6:36 “Our Father is kind, you be kind”.  I’m a sucker for t-shirts with one liners and bonus points for scripture I can wear.  The message sounds simple enough:  be kind. The irony of this t-shirt is that God used it to convict me during one of my “sinner, in the flesh” moments and for that I feel the money on it was well spent.

I have been happily married to Michael for 13yrs this coming October.  In those 13yrs we have had some “hum dinger” arguments.  Looking back however I rarely remember the issues and “whys” of our fights.  They usually end with us both realizing they were over silly, selfish things and that making up is much more fun.  We were in the middle of one of these arguments recently, and in our typical argument style I was spewing out hatefulness (at a loud volume) and he was quietly not responding back to me (annoying), thus provoking me to keep on until I got some sort of reaction or response.  Well, I got one. In the middle of our argument he glanced down at my “Be Kind” shirt and his eyes met mine and he simply reminded me out loud “be kind”.  Ouch.  Convicted.  Here I was wearing a Be Kind shirt for the message to the world and inside the doors of our very home I was being far opposite of that.  God used my husband’s simple response to convict my heart and caused me to consider how many times I portray kindness to the world, advocate for kindness, and ask strangers reading my shirt to be kind, however I often poorly represent it in my home to the ones I love the most.

As wives and mothers we have a mighty job.  A friend of mine once described motherhood as our ministry.  Inside the walls of our home we have a ministry field to represent Christ.  That starts with modeling Christ’s behavior with the help of the Holy Spirit to the ones God has placed in our homes.  So many times we put on smiles for the world and come home tired and tapped out and are unkind to our very own.  Thankfully in God’s good grace and mercy He gives us family who love us through our not so finest moments.  To me this is so representative of how Our Father loves us.  He sees us in our ugly, selfish, unkind selves and loves us still.  He allows us to make up with Him. HE FORGIVES US.  He reminds us to Be Kind in a gentle way and He even gives us His Holy Spirit to help us. 

I always love to hear practical ways we can implement what the Word tells us.  Let me suggest to you fellow mommas and wives some ways we can show kindness in our very home with the ones who could use our best the most.  First I feel that we need to start with prayer.  This is our cry out call to the One who can give us what we need the most.  If you feel like you’re about to lose it with your spouse, cry out to Him in prayer to give you a gentle and humble response and to hold your tongue so you do not sin in anger.  When not in heated arguments, and when life is going smooth, ask God in prayer how you can demonstrate kindness to your family this day.  What can you do that will show warm-heartedness, gentleness, care and concern to your spouse and children.  God will help show you what makes their hearts light up best.  Do something each day that will serve them in love. Make them a favorite meal, leave a note, look deeply into their eyes and tell them something you love about them.  Selflessly and unexpected acts of kindness are the best.  We know how good it feels when someone shows us kindness.  Just consider what those intentional acts of kindness can do within the walls of your home for the Kingdom of God. 

Sometimes when my plate gets too full, Michael will remind me to save my best for our family and not offer them the leftovers.  He is so wise to know me well enough to tell me this.  While we certainly need to show and give kindness to the world it needs to be an overflow of what it going on in our family.  Get your cup filled from your relationship with Our God.  Be kind to yourself, remember you are His and if you are a believer in Christ you are equipped with the power of His Spirit.  Pray to Him for His Holy Spirit to fill your heart with the Fruits and wait for Him to give you sweet opportunities to bless your family with the gifts of kindness.  Then go out and wear that “Be Kind” shirt humbly!

We are the Starry-Eyed: CBC MOPS 2016-2017

We are the Starry-eyed: Wonder. Hope. Kindness.  The MOPS theme for 2016-17 evokes images of a twinkling, starry night sky. It reminds me of the surprise of a shooting star and the warm glow of the setting sun as the first stars come out.  As I reflected on the theme this summer, I thought of what connects us as mothers of preschoolers.  When was your first moment of mom wonder?  It might have been the first moment you saw a little blue line on a pregnancy test or maybe at the first flutter of movement you felt, realizing it was a life inside you.  For some, it is the moment when your baby is first placed in our arms.  Maybe your pregnancy was filled with anxiety due to previous loss. Maybe you didn’t hear angels sing as that baby was placed in your arms but it was the slow growing burn like that setting sun.  Somehow, this journey is wonderful despite the heartaches and because of the joys that unite us.  Wonder is the root of wonderful and to be filled with wonder on this journey, we have to pause long enough to notice the little things.  This year, my hope is that MOPS at CBC helps you pause and absorb the wonderful.  We will feed you, watch your children in a safe environment and invite speakers that teach and encourage us in our walk as mothers.  My hope is that you will take the practice of pausing home with you and utilize it when life gets wild.  It may take lighting a candle, playing some encouraging music, going for a drive or even locking yourself in the bathroom for a minute to take a deep breath.   Those stolen moments of quiet time are needed to help the wonder win in the battle for balance in the preschool years.

Maybe you don’t feel very full of wonder most days.  Maybe you would not title your life “It’s a Wonderful Life”.  Maybe you have days like me that fit better into “My No-Good, Very Bad Day” story.  A month ago, I had a day that started out with my two toddlers crying outside the shower and ended with my being late to the MOPS steering team meeting.  In the middle was a handoff to my husband at the soccer field in which I explained there was spilled food on the baby in the carseat, one child didn’t have shoes on, another child was late to a practice and I didn’t even know which field it was at, and the other was at his game but didn’t have a water bottle with him.

The truth is, I wasn’t going to share the chaos of that day, until a friend reminded me that MOPS is a place where we are real.  We may not have the same birth story, family structure and child feeding adventures. We may have different opinions on babywearing, child discipline and schooling.  But in the end, we all have little children and can unify around the things that all moms of preschoolers understand….like messes and lost items and poop.  From the first moment you attempt to decipher the colors and consistencies of newborn poop while comparing to a chart, we “get” you (more than understanding how a poop can be fluorescent yellow and look like rice when all the baby has eaten is milk).  We know that when your toddler wants to show you he pooped on his own, he will lead you to the kitchen floor instead of the bathroom and that there has likely been poop in many places you never dreamed it could go (the walls, your hair, baby’s socks).  We  know the hope your new kindergartner will refrain from demonstrating to the teacher he can turn any answer or conversation into one with the words “poop” and “underwear” will not save you from discussing just that at parent-teacher night.

Basically, at MOPS we believe we are better when we mom together.  This is your tribe.  You belong here and I pray it gives you hope to know you are not alone on this journey. There is a mentor mom at your table that can assure you these years can be survived.  Make the effort to connect with your group and you will be blessed with shared wonder, hope and extended kindness.

May MOPS Meeting

Our last meeting of the year and it was a fun, relaxed morning to kick off summer break! A few lucky ladies snagged some awesome prizes including a $50 gift card for a mani/pedi!! So many great prizes given out this year--thanks to our fabulous Hospitality Steering Team Leaders Laura Bess and Heather Busch!

I loved the little goodies at each meeting this year! What a cute and welcoming treat!

We recognized two moms who are graduating out of MOPS this year! We will miss you Sara Baker and Jamila Dorris!

MOPS of Cape Bible Chapel purchased a tile from Discovery Playhouse for Phoebe's Art Studio. Phoebe's Art Studio is a designated art space within Discovery Playhouse Children's Museum in honor of Phoebe Brooks. You will be able to check it out when the new upstairs exhibits are completed and open!

Today our speakers were from the Master Gardeners! It was so nice of them to bring plants, soil, and some instruction for us to make a nice potted arrangement to take home!

What a wonderful way to wrap up our 2015-2016 MOPS year! As always, we are so appreciative to our MOPS Steering Team and all of our MOPPETS Workers who make each meeting possible! It's been a blessed year!

Preparations for the 2016-2017 are already underway! Meet the new Steering Team who will plan yet another great year of MOPS of Cape Bible Chapel:

Mentor Moms: Deb Davey
Publicity: Nikki Randol
Finance: Julie Marcum
Hospitality: Megan LaBruyere and Michelle Teeter
Creative Activities: Laura Bess and Heather Busch
Coordinator: Charlene McWilliams

We are looking forward to seeing all you ladies again in September! Get your registration forms in and mark your calendars for September 9, 2016 for the first meeting!

March MOPS Meeting

We are already inching toward the end of our 2015-2016 MOPS year and it's been such an awesome one! Today we were blessed to have Kim Swartz speak on "Unnatural Gifts--Joy and Contentment." I don't know about everyone else, but this topic was divinely timed for my heart!

Kim opened with Acts 17:26, which is one of my favorites: "From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands." A reminder that God ordained exactly the time and place we'd live! It's not by chance, my friends! His providence is over exactly where we are at in our lives! Such a comforting reminder.

She shared with us Seven Ways to Enjoy More Joy and Contentment in Your Life: 

1. Spend time with others who are like-minded in the Lord. And spend time with those more mature in faith that you might be held accountable and learn from them.

(My favorite quote she shared with this point was, "Sorrow shared is divided, but joy shared is doubled." LOVE this!)

2. See your circumstances through His eyes.

3. Throw off all jealousy and covetousness and lust.

4. Promote unity (lay down your rights and opinions for unity; refuse to be offended).

5. Trust in the Lord.

6. Be grateful in all circumstances.

7. Forgive.

I hope everyone will find a special place for their trinket Kim gave us as a reminder of the verses she shared in Isaiah: 61: 1-3: "...So they will be called OAKS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS, the planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified."

Kim is so gifted in speaking and sharing God's truth! And she's HILARIOUS! So glad she blessed us again this year at MOPS! She always has so many nuggets of wisdom to glean from!

I have to mention the food. We always have the yummiest food. And today I was partial because it was provided by my group, the Lavender gals. :)

Our Creative Activities Steering Team Leader, Jessica Olson, prepared yet another wonderful craft. Here she is giving us the instructions, because we all know how much help we need conquering our crafts!

They turned out so cute! And I will say some of us (not naming any names) were pros at this....and some took a little bit longer to figure it out. I'm sure the pics don't give it away at all. :)

But the final results were adorable! These Ribbon Washer Necklaces/Bracelets are an inexpensive and adorable DIY project!

As always we had some lovely give-a-ways and prizes! Always such a blessing to our moms. (I'm still holding out hope to win the gas card *hint*hint*!!!)

And just like that, we only have two meetings left this year!! I'm sure many of you, like me, are enjoying the new friendships you're gaining this year. Every meeting provides such a refreshing time of "adult" conversation and encouragement! If only it weren't just once a month!! ;)

See you ladies in April!!