Loving Bravely

By Karen Crawford

When I was about 15 years old my parents told me that my oldest brother, about 22 years old, had informed them he was gay.  To me, this was very bad news.  I was raised in the church and the only thing that had ever been discussed about this issue was that you couldn't go to heaven if you were homosexual.  So I was sure what that meant for his eternal salvation and it broke my heart. 

With this new information our family began to study and discuss the issue in more depth.  My parents were compelled to explain in every detail and from every angle why his lifestyle was wrong according to the Bible.  Letters were sent back and forth between all of us.  There were many tears shed through some hard conversations.  At the end of all that we had come to the conclusion we had to agree to disagree.  The more challenging part was still to come.  My parents struggled with how to continue to love and share life with their son, and I had to figure out the same in my relationship with him as a sister.  My parents were concerned about making sure their interaction with him and his life partner in no way condoned the lifestyle, but they didn't want to push him away.   

As I became a young adult I wrestled with what I believed the Bible really had to say about the issue. How would I not become a “homophobe” without throwing out what I believed and therefore abandoning my faith? To me it was very clear what the Bible said about that kind of lifestyle and I couldn't justify throwing those parts of scripture out without throwing the whole thing.  Thankfully, my relationship with God was well established by that time.  I trusted the Bible and I put my faith in what Jesus had come to do for all people.  I desperately needed to understand the purpose of God’s Word on a much deeper level.  I began to realize that sin is sin.  Any life that is lived apposing God’s perfect plan is a life lived apart from a relationship with God, and a relationship with God is what it’s all about.  I still felt a responsibility to bring him back to God, to “save” him.  He’s my brother and I wanted all good things for him, but the Holy Spirit kept   reminding me that it was not my job to save him, nor did I have the ability to do so anyway.  God freed me to live as his sister instead of his savior.  After being released of that burden, it allowed me to begin enjoying my time with him instead of feeling nervous and awkward around him.  I was able to start getting to know his life partner and begin to love him too.

There was an extra dynamic to figure out when my husband and I starting having kids of our own.  Our kids have two uncles instead of an uncle and aunt.  We decided that we would refer to my brother’s life partner as “uncle” because that was the place in the family that he was in, regardless of his and my brother’s relationship with God.  We viewed it the same as if my brother had turned away from God and married a non-Christian woman.  Would that woman not be my kids’ aunt because she wasn’t saved and for that matter would my brother cease to be their uncle?  Of course not.  We had to break down the cultural stigma opposed to that lifestyle as well as the agenda of those in favor of it.      

Now I feel blessed to have had this experience because now I can explain to my kids the truth about the Bible and a deeper understanding of this difficult issue.  This situation has also helped me see people a little closer to the way God does.  We are all broken and unworthy no matter what path we take away from God.  And the only way to become whole is recognizing how broken we really are and surrendering all of us to what Jesus did so that the Spirit can transform us.  None of our goodness is our own doing but the work of Him in us.      

God’s Twisted Journey to Motherhood

By Kate Stucker

Today is a date I will always cherish in my heart.  A day that changed my life forever.  A day that ushered into my life a

women whom with I share a kinship and bond that cannot be duplicated.  Exactly two years ago Ryan and I sat across from this young woman, eating pizza, sharing our lives, and discussing what was going to happen in two days’ time.  We received a call just a mere four days before that she had decided we would be the adoptive parents to her son.  She and hit it off immediately… that is as well as two shy women in an awkward situation could ever hit it off.  We had common job experience, hopes, dreams, and a desire to give one special boy the best life he could possibly have.

My journey to motherhood is one that the planner in me would have never in a million years designed.  In fact my plans were completely different.  Having a heart for adoption far before my husband and I met I pursued the adoption of a young girl, a girl I haven’t seen in almost 10 years, but I still often find on my heart to pray for.  That adoption didn’t happen for a few reasons, but it did open the door for me to foster parent and confirmed to me that one day I would be an adoptive mom.  During our courtship I communicated clearly to Ryan my desire to adopt and he shared the hope as well.  Our plan was to have biological children and then adopt via fostercare once our biological children were older… God’s plan was completely different. 

A short two months after our wedding I was diagnosed with a serious lung condition.  The treatment of the condition, not to mention the condition itself, prohibited us from even trying to conceive.  It was a devastating blow to me followed by a cycle of flare-ups, illness, depression, and a realization that I may never be a mom.  During a time of prayer and seeking direction for what I was supposed to do with this reality my heart was once again turned towards adoption and after talking with Ryan we decided to move forward. 

The adoption agency listened to the reasons we wanted to be parents and why we couldn’t have biological children of our own.   They were amazing, great at their jobs, and devastatingly honest… due to my health we may have difficulty finding a placement. 

One afternoon I got a call from my pulmonologist who asked me to sit down and then told me he as working on the physician approval for our homestudy.  He quickly recapped my history and confirmed he was unsure of what the future held for me.  I was stable at the moment, but continued flares would mean I would require a lung transplant and due to the uncertainty of my medical future he could not declare on the adoption paperwork that I had a normal life expectancy.  It was another gut wrenching reality that we forged ahead through with the belief that we were moving in God’s will. 

When it came time for us to designate what we would and would not accept in a placement we had been through a series of thorough trainings about everything from medical conditions, genetic history information, open vs. closed adoption etc.  We had things we decided we just couldn’t handle medically, socially, or family history-wise, but they were few and far between. We also decided we wanted an open adoption… after what I had gone through medically we wanted to be able to have continued contact for health and genetic history information as needed as well as providing our child with a face, name, and information about where he or she came from. 

The longer the adoption process went on, the more doubt would bubble up inside me.  “If God really wanted me to be a mother wouldn’t he have made that a possibility?”  “Am I trying to defy God by using adoption as a work around to become a parent?”  “Maybe I really am not healthy enough to be a mom and need to just wait until God opens the door.” 

During the wait we received information about who was seeing our profiles, told when we were passed over for another family, and given little tid bits of information about birth mothers who were seeking placement.  In early September an email arrived describing a birth mom and the child she was carrying, a mom working with a different agency and not finding placement options, would we like to seek placement with her.  There were some medical concerns with the baby, but after reading about the diagnosis and praying we decided “yes”.  I thought about this baby constantly, waiting for emails saying what placement option the birthmother chose, and I can admit now what I never would have admitted then, I felt like this baby was my child.  A month went by with no information and in a bubble over of doubt and emotion during Bible study one morning I asked the women to pray for me because I felt like our adoption process was at a standstill and maybe we were seeking adoption against God’s will.  Not ten minutes went by after Bible study dismissal and I received the call that would change my life forever.  She picked us!  She didn’t want to meet us and decided, she didn’t need a phone interview, she knew we were it and wanted to meet us on Monday (It was Thursday)… oh and by the way, her C-section is scheduled for Wednesday. 

My journey into motherhood became richer and more blessed from the day of that call onward.  In two days my hero of a boy will be two.  Two years of life that have been through more medically than most adults will ever see.  Two years that have confirmed the ordeals of my lung disease and illness were part of God’s plan.  A plan to prepare me to be able to medically advocate for a helpless baby, to empathize with some of his procedural pain, and force me to quit a job I loved so I would be free and available to be the mommy he needed.  God’s plan ended up being fairly twisted when looked at from my humanly perspective sometimes I wonder if I caused some of the bends in my road or if what I consider a bend in the road is just a little heavenly nudge in the right direction.  If my journey thus far has taught me anything it is to pray God’s will and just keep moving forward… if it isn’t His will He will close the door and if it is it may take time, some growth, and possibly some pain, but it will be worth it in the end.

To read more about Kate, her family, and their story check out her blog at http://www.kateandcaboodle.com/

MOPS October Newsletter

Brave Mom Monthly Feature

To celebrate all the brave things the moms of Eagle MOPS have, are, and will do I want to open up the opportunity for you to share through writing.  One of my goals as publicity coordinator is to have a blog post go out each week we are not meeting as a MOPS group to help keep us connected and get to know each other.  I will also publish them in our newsletter as space allows.  Please consider contributing towards this effort by writing a blog entry and submitting it, along with picture(s) if you’d like, with the subject line MOPS Monthly Feature to kateandcaboodle@gmail.com.  Here are some ideas to write about:

• “Speak” out-loud what your “brave” is by sharing a challenge you are facing
• Go through a chapter in the A Be you, Bravely Guidebook and share what you learned
• Share a picture of the bravest thing you’ve ever done and write a caption or short paragraph to accompany it.
• Share a humorous, encouraging or though-provoking personal story.
• Share your road to motherhood or a personal journey you’ve been on.
• Try a new challenging (to you) DIY or recipe and write about the experience.
• Share a tip or advice to help make a mom’s life easier (organization, planning, scheduling, parenting, relationships, traveling and budgeting, etc.)

Note:  If you’d like to share a story, but prefer it not be published on the blog and only be put in our print/email newsletter or on the private Facebook group we can definitely make that happen as well, just communicate that with your submission.

MOMSnext meeting

 

September meeting will Thursday September 11th at 7:15 pm at Lucky Perk Coffee Shop 8925 Overland Rd., Boise             

 

As moms, we sometimes lose ourselves in our kids. Then the kids head off to school and we are left to find ourselves again. We all have a deep desire to connect with others, so this week we will be discussing how to be brave and connect with new people and start up conversations.

Plus:

Let's put an end to boring lunches: Please bring a kid's lunchbox recipe with enough food for 15 people to sample. If you would be willing, you can also bring 15 copies of the recipe/directions for others. We will be creating a document with all the ideas to put on our facebook page.

Click here to join our MOMSnext facebook group

Be You, Bravely MOPS Year

Join us September 4th from 9:15 - 11:30 am at Eagle Nazarene Church for our first meeting of our brave new year.

At any given moment in our lives each of us has...

• Conversations we've been putting off.
• Reasonable risks we've been avoiding.
• Goals we want to achieve.

Yet often times the more significant an action feels the easier it is to put it off.  We get distracted from the big decisions by the immediate needs of the day. What all of us seem to have in common is that we need a nudge, a nudge to help us get out of our ruts and routines so that we can begin risking bravely.

At MOPS we believe that you were meant to live deeply and so we have created this year’s theme to inspire you to choose the extraordinary.

Be you, Bravely is designed to help us focus on making the choices that could create the most good in our lives, help us to step into healthy risk and to do it in the context of community where we can cheer one another on.

Eagle MOMSnext Group is Beginning

 

Save the date...August 28th marks the beginning of our new MOMSnext group starting in the Treasure Valley. 6:30 pm meeting at Icon Credit Union Bank, 485 W. Overland Rd., in the community room.

 

What is MOMSnext? A group for mothers of school-age kids. At MOPS International we believe Better Moms Make a Better World. This is true during the preschool years and beyond. As mothers enter the school years, new challenges and issues arise, but the need for community and hope remains. For this reason we offer MOMSnext, a ministry to mothers of school-age kids. A MOMSnext group is an open, accepting place for all mothers of school-age kids to experience authentic community, personal growth, practical help and spiritual hope. 

 

To join our facebook group click here. 

Moppet Togs

What is Moppet Togs?

Since 2005, Moppet Togs has been the Treasure Valley’s Premier Children’s Consignment event.  Held twice per year, once in the spring and once in the fall, Moppet Togs provides a venue for Treasure Valley families to buy and sell their gently used children’s clothes, toys, furniture and other associated children’s items.

They have set the dates for their fall sale! The sale will be open to the public on September 18-20. The system is open if you want to register and get started.  They are still working out the details on the location.  Their previous spot has been leased as a distribution center for a Halloween store.

Beyond Ordinary Marriage Study

Join us this summer as we look at our marriages and encourage one another to move beyond ordinary. Ordinary is the biggest enemy to a great marriage. Ordinary is characterized by dissatisfaction, misunderstanding, and stale love. Ordinary is the birthplace of adultery. Ordinary is a place where divorce looks better than staying together. Ordinary is the subtle trap that convinces you that your marriage is as good as it will ever get. Ordinary marriages lose hope. Ordinary marriages lose vision. Ordinary marriages give in to compromise. Listen to what Justin and Trisha have to say...

We will start meeting Tuesday June 10th at 7 pm. If you would like to join email us at eaglemops@hotmail.com and purchase your book on Amazon here:

Summer Calendar

June

5th – Zoo Boise 10 am – 12 pm, 355 Julia Davis Dr., Boise
Host: Karen Pollard meet her at the front gate

19^th – Guerber Park 10:30-12:30, 2200 E. Hill Rd., Eagle.
Wear swimsuits for the splash pad. Host: Bri Livingston

July

3^rd – Eagle Island Park 11 am – 2 pm 4000 W. Hatchery Rd., Eagle.
Bring a sack lunch, $5 for park fee, $1-12 for waterslide fees.
Host: Crystal Holdredge meet at middle of the beach

17^th – Tully Park 9:30-11:30 2500 N. Linder Rd., Meridian Host: Kelly Bueno

August

7th – Pool Play date 10 am – 12 pm, meet at Brookwood Community Pool off of Brookwood in Eagle. Host: Diana Patel

23^rd – Saturday Couple’s Night BBQ 5 pm @ the Hartnett home. Look for sign up to be emailed.

**Welcome Back Eagle MOPS Meeting – September 4^th**

 

Vacation Bible School in the Treasure Valley

Here are some VBS around the Treasure Valley...

Eagle Christian Church
100 Short Rd Eagle, ID 83616

June 9-13 from 9 am - 12 pm/4 yrs by June 1st to 6th grade

$10 per child

Theme: International Spy Academy
Go here to register

FBC Boise
607 N. 13th St., Boise
July 9 - 13 from 9 am - 12 pm/3 yrs- 4th gr.
Theme: Safari Jungle
Click here to register

Evergreen Heights Mennonite Church

701 N Indiana Street, Caldwell, ID 83605
Mon- Thurs, June 9-12 - 6:30 to 9:00 pm/age 4 - 8th grade

Phone:2084674815 

Eagle Nazarene Church:
1001 W State St., Eagle, ID, 83616

June 16-19-7 from 6 pm – 8:15 pm/4 yrs - 6th grade

Theme: Holy Land Adventure: Wilderness Escape

Click Here to register

Ten Mile Community Church
4440 E. Columbia Rd., Meridian
June 9 - 13 from  10-12 pm/Kinder to 6th
Theme: Spy Academy-Agents for the One True God
Click Here to register

Grace Lutheran Church

2700 S Kimball, Caldwell, ID 83605
June 23-27   9 AM-Noon
Registration is open for PK3-6th grade students and is totally FREE!
Theme: SonTreasure Island
Click here to register
 

Ten Mile Christian Church

3500 W. Franklin Road Meridian, ID 83646
4 yrs old - Fifth grade are invited.

June 23-27 from 9:00 AM-12:30 PM

Theme: Jungle Safari

Click Here to register

 

River Valley Community Church

1115 N. Garden St., Boise, ID 83706
June 23 - 27 from 9 am - 12 pm
Theme: Weird Animals

Nampa Seventh-day Adventist Church

307 W Iowa Ave, Nampa, ID 83687
June 23-27 from 6 pm - 8:30 pm/K-12 years
Theme: International Sky Academy
Register Here 

Meridian First Baptist Church

428 W. Pine St., Meridian ID 83642

June 23rd-27th from 9:30-12 pm/4 yrs to 5th gr.

Theme: Jungle safari
Click here to register

Cross of Christ Lutheran Church

11655 W. McMillan Road, Boise, ID 83713
July7th-9th from 9am-12pm/ 3yrs old to incoming 6th
Theme: Dive In!
Click here to register

Hope Luthern Church
331 N. Linder Rd., Eagle
July 21-25 from 9 am - 12 pm
Click here to register

 

Ustick Baptist Church

14301 W. McMillian Rd., Meridian

July 30-Aug. 3 from 9 am - 12 pm/4 yrs.-5th gr.
Theme: Shine-Designed to give children a biblical understanding of what to be a Christian and walk with God.

Click Here to register

 

Embrace Easter

This Thursday, April 10th, will be our Easter Themed MOPS Meeting. We will be having special speaker plus an Easter Egg Hunt. Make sure to bring Easter baskets for the kiddos. We meet at Eagle Nazarene Church, 1001 W. State St., Eagle And don't forget to join Eagle Nazarene's Eggstravaganza Saturday April 19th!

Mom's Night Out

Here at Eagle MOPS we believe moms need a night out with other moms. Here is a great movie and giveaway for all you moms. Go Here to enter: http://momsnightoutmovie.com/contest

How do you meal plan?

Much like composing a will, composing a grocery list requires the foresight to know what your kids will want. Outsource an unpleasant task with this Groupon. $49 for 12 months of weekly online breakfast, lunch, and dinner plans (a $142 value).

Grocery lists customized by household size, food preferences, and favorite stores ease the hassle of cooking daily meals. There are more than 50 meal plans to choose from, including classic, clean eating, simple gourmet, paleo, low carb, low fat, portion control, natural and organic, gluten free, and vegetarian. Meal plans are published online weekly, though plans may be accessed for up to two weeks after being posted.

Endorsed by financial author Dave Ramsey, eMeals charts out a week's worth of dollar- and health-savvy dinner recipes to relieve the burden of kitchen-related stress. Each week, organized grocery lists—categorized by family size, dietary desires, and store preferences—showcase flavorful culinary creations for discerning palates. Plans developed by working parents capitalize on sale items at stores such as Walmart, Publix, and Kroger, and an "any store" list can be used to navigate the aisles of other favored grocers. Family meal plans serve seven meals for three to six people.

To purchase the groupon go here and get started: https://www.groupon.com/deals/e-meals-1-boise

February Meetings

Come out and join us this month for some mommy time, encouragement and food!!

 

Childcare check-in begins at 9:15 am.

Meetings are 9:30 - 11:30 am

 

February 13th - "Mess in the Kitchen" Meal Planning

 

February 27th - Exercise Class - Wear comfortable cloths,

bring a towel or yoga mat and a water bottle

Chick-fil-A Fundraiser

Join Eagle MOPS and so many more as we support one of our moms and her husband. Tuesday January 28th from 5 pm - 8 pm Chick-fil-A at The Village in Meridian will be giving 15% of all Dine In, To-Go orders and Drive Thru will go back to the Ingersolls.

Zach Ingersoll was diagnosed with stage 4 adenocarcinoma esophageal cancer earlier this month. He will be taking off work for the next 3 months as he battles cancer. He is a Sophomore US History teacher for Eagle High School. He also coaches football for Eagle HS and basketball for Rocky Mountain High School. He has given so much to our community let us give a little bit back.

Thank you for your support!!

Groupon Deals for those Date Nights!

Did everyone have fun participating in MOPS International's Date Night Challenge? Don't let the date nights stop now. Ever thought of a progressive dinner night out? This can be romantic date, business date or even a nostalgic date. Check out these great Groupon Deals:

First start off at The Blue Moose Café for drinks and appetizers. You can purchase from Groupon 2 flights, 2 glasses of wine and one appetizer for $19. http://www.groupon.com/deals/the-blue-moose-cafe-1

Then for dinner how about Italian? Groupon is offering a $20 deal for $10 for Johnny Carino's,http://www.groupon.com/deals/johnny-carino-s-3-boise, or $20 deal for $11 for Bono's Beef,http://www.groupon.com/deals/bono-s-beef.

Then last but not least, Dessert! Groupon has $20 for $11 deal at Yogurtz,
http://www.groupon.com/deals/yogurtz-1 or indulge with Jamba Juice with a Groupon deal, punch card for 6-16 oz smoothies for $14, http://www.groupon.com/deals/jamba-juice-3.

And don't forget the Adventure Date. There are so many 50% Groupon deals you could use for this.
Cosmic Ropes Course at Bodies in Motion
Go Kart Racing at Fast Lane Indoor Kart Racing
Nerf Tag at Dart Zone
Sleigh Rides in Garden City
Roller Skating at the Nampa Rollerdrome
Hot Air Balloon Rides

Click on link below to see all the deals and Eagle MOPS will receive a % of your purchases.

Have you tried Amazon Prime?

What is Amazon Prime? It is a membership program through Amazon that costs $79 a year. What are the benefits of an Amazon Prime membership?

• FREE two-day shipping on eligible items
• FREE standard shipping on eligible items
• FREE No-rush delivery
• FREE Prime Instant Video access for paid or free trial members in the U.S. and Puerto Rico. Note: Instant Video isn't available to customers receiving Amazon Prime free shipping benefits through Amazon Student, Amazon Mom, or as guests of another membership.
• Kindle Owners' Lending Library access to members in the U.S. Note: Customers in a paid membership, free trial or receiving a free month of Prime benefits with a Kindle Fire activation are eligible. The Kindle device must be associated with the Amazon Prime account that's eligible for the benefit.

Start your FREE 30-day Trial today with Amazon Prime

Winter Activities: Get out of the house ideas

Need to get out of the house and let your children run loose and not worry about who is going to clean up the mess. Here are 10 ideas to get out of the house all over the Treasure Valley:

1. Just Kid'N Around (http://www.justkidnaround.net/)

2. Jabbers (http://www.jabbersplaydate.com/)

3. Jump Time (http://jumptimeidaho.com/)

4. Dart Zone (http://www.dartzonemeridian.com/) There is a 50% off groupon deal going on right now:http://www.groupon.com/deals/dart-zone-5

5. Planet Kid (http://www.wingscenter.com/entertainment/planet-kid-indoor-soft-playground/)

6. WarHawk Air Musuem (http://www.warhawkairmuseum.org/) There is a 50% off groupon deal right now:http://www.groupon.com/deals/warhawk-air-museum

7. Wahooz Fun Zone. Their Unlimited Kiddie Cove is $3.25 (http://www.wahoozfunzone.com/)

8. Little Friends Indoor Park. Opens January 9th, 2014 (http://boisefriends.wordpress.com/indoor-park-2/)

9. Discovery Center of Idaho (http://www.dcidaho.org/)

10. Fast food restaurant with a play-land

Where's your favorite place to go with the kids?

Indoor Winter Activities

When you’re living in a winter wonderland, like we are here in Idaho, there are few things that a parent can do to keep their toddler active and happy. Without plopping them down in front of the screen or handing them the iPad, Leap Pad or whatever other form of technological amazingness we have built up in our ‘must keep toddlers happy/distracted’ arsenal, that is.
Hey now, don’t get me wrong…I’m all for that stuff. In moderation. I also like playing freely with my little ones and/or introducing them to developmental activities. Here are five ideas, one for each day of the week.

1. Fort Building. Who doesn't love to build an amazing fort. Check out 22 of the most amazing forts and play tents. http://www.babble.com/toddler/toddler-parent-built-the-most-amazing-forts-play-tents/

2. Who got Monsters University in their stocking this year? Make a day of it with these crafts and recipes. http://spoonful.com/disney-monsters-inc

3. Are you bored of making Snowmen and snow Angels? How about a Snow Chateau? Go here to find out how: http://spoonful.com/crafts/snow-chateau

4. Have a sail boat race in the bath tub with Ice Boats. http://www.elhadadepapel.com/2011/08/barcos-de-hielo.html

5. Construct an indoor obstacle. http://fun.familyeducation.com/exercise/activity/37126.html