Valley Church Women's Ministry  

Offers

James: Mercy Triumphs

as our

Church-Wide Her Steps Winter Bible Study

This Beth Moore 

new 8 Week Study      

begins the week of  

January 16th.

Register Online, in the Valley Church Office or on Sundays at the Display in the Atrium.  

Cost: $16.00 for the Workbook

This is a DVD driven study with five days of Homework and

Small Group Discussion Time

To register online and

receive further information about locations,  

times and child care 

go to:

James: Mercy Triumphs Bible Study 

You busy?  

Of course you are!

Our lives are full of "to-do" lists, calendars jammed with appointments, responsibilities with kids, aging parents, managing our lives and home, work, volunteering...you name it! There have been times I've felt so stretched and overwhelmed - that it feels like there is nothing left in me. Busyness can be an idol that blocks my relationship with God, have you thought about that?   Recently I collapsed in my lavender chair overlooking our backyard longing for my joy to return from my frazzled life without constructive margins. I gazed at the beauty of rolling hills and trees feeling so very peaceful and quiet inside. Have you ever thought what it would it be like to live life with "margins" being built into your calendar?

What's a margin?

A margin is a place where there is no activity planned. It's a blank spot on your calendar, on lined stationary, and the purpose of a margin is to align words, paragraphs or statements so that they give us form, order and continuity. You can't write on a note card without margins, and frankly you can't live your life fully without them either!

So what did I do?

It was virtually unheard of - I blocked out margins on my calendar for the sheer purpose of restoring, refreshing - realigning my anchor in Christ. By living in the margins God has shown me how to better effectively minister to others when I'm restored and revived instead of being burnt out and weary. Imagine that...

Life doesn't stop, does it?

When I factor in margins throughout my day, it gives me focused strength, purpose and peace to do my work instead of allowing the constant shouts of the tyranny of the urgent to fill up my schedule, which steels from me the priceless gift of peace given by God to hone and to treasure. Choosing to block out margins keeps me on top of my game because I am surrendering my activities to God as I choose to live for Him as well! Have you ever thought of that?

Absolutely no one will encourage you to do this - especially those whose voices represent the tyranny of the urgent - you'll have to walk away from some "good" activities to make room to find the "greatness" of choosing to be in the presence of God. He alone gives the gift of peace in your spirit from making time to sharpen your focus on what God has called you to do.

What's the secret?

It's choosing to be good to yourself by taking some time to be quiet and restoring your weary soul. Do something good for your heart today by restraining on activity and indulging in prayer.

Jesus said, "Come unto me all who are weary and heavy burdened and I will give you rest (rest means re-created, refreshed, fortified in your spirit).Take my yoke upon you and learn from me for I am gentle and humble in heart and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden in light."

Choosing joy for my day!

Barb

Couples today are asking more than ever, "How can we be more successful in our marriage?" It takes a winning attitude combined with a can do game plan to experience a great marriage! You don't want to miss this powerful and positive 6 week series. Seasoned with years of practicing the fundamentals, the Rosbergs will show you how to thrive by putting your energy into action and not excuses, keeping your perspective sharp by overcoming obstacles together, focusing on bringing out the best in your spouse and much, much more! Don't miss out! Let Dr. Gary & Barb Rosberg, America's Family Coaches, be your marriage coaches.  

Visitwww.americasfamilycoaches.com for more information.      

Happy New Year Women of Valley! I love that the theme of this issue is "One Day at a Time." Not only is this a way to decrease stress in the new year, but it is also my new life line.

On November 29, 2011, we welcomed a new baby girl into our family. Allison Faith is the second child in our family, and life has changed again. We are back to waking up at night, changing diapers all day, and looking for the elusive pacifier during meal time. We are also back to cuddling on the couch and snuggling during naptime. Yes, life is different, but different in a fun, hard, exciting and exhausting way.

I do feel overwhelmed caring for a newborn while her older brother, Tyler, age 2, runs around crashing trains into one another or pulling yet another chocolate bar out of the pantry. (Did Santa really bring that much candy?!?) If I do not take it one day at a time, I would fail to be the mother I so strive to be. There would be more yelling and less playing, more snap reactions and less logical approaches to discipline, and more feelings of incompetence and less confidence.

I remember when my own mother used to tell me, "Take is slow. Just one day at a time." Life is manageable in smaller helpings, especially when it throws you a curve ball or just seems to be against you. Although my life has not thrown me a curve ball with my new baby girl, it has tested my ability to cope with a major change while nurturing relationships with my two children. I love watching Tyler and Allison lay on the floor together while they both get fresh diapers; I adore how Tyler reads to her in the crib. Most of all, I feel humbled by the blessing of two wonderful and healthy children God has bestowed upon me. I find it my duty to take this blessing with the most positive attitude, even though my sleep isn't what it used to be, nor are my hips for that matter!

One way for me to be positive during the day is to take life in daily helpings. To focus on the activity at hand. To not worry about what I cannot control in the future. And most definitely to let my husband do the hard stuff...like putting together Santa's train table and potty training Tyler. (Thank God for great Dads and Husbands!)

We all have different lives and circumstances, and God will certainly not give us something we cannot handle. But if He does give us a little test or hardship, it is best to take it one day at a time and remember to be thankful for His love.

At MOPS we take it one meeting at a time and would love to see returning and new moms for our spring semester. We meet the first and third Fridays from 9:30-11:15AM in Northpoint. Childcare and breakfast are provided. Dues are $3/meeting and friendships last a lifetime!

For any questions, please contact Meaghan at mops@valley-church.com Meaghan and her co-leader, Julie Lors look forward to meeting new moms, reconnecting with old moms, and discovering the joy of mothering with one another. See you soon!

 I love white Christmases, but I hate snow! Seems a bit ironic, doesn't it?! The wonder of snow wore off as soon as I was old enough to shovel it! And yet, with each first snowfall, the magic of it seems to come back fresh.  

There's something special about frost covered windows reflecting twinkling lights, and a blanket of glittering white, fresh fallen snow covering the ground outside. It's so quiet and calm. A real invitation to cozy up with a hot cup of cocoa and sit by the fire. And at Christmas time, the snow is so peaceful....perhaps a small taste of that Christmas long ago, when our Savior slipped quietly into the world to offer rest and peace to our weary souls.

I didn't have a white Christmas this year. We are almost twelve weeks into our new life here in Kenya, and even in January, there's still no sign of snow! In fact, it's green everywhere. Flowers cover the bushes and trees. Birds are singing outside my window as I type....some very loud and obnoxious!   There are creepy, crawling things everywhere. The mosquitoes still bite at night, and the hot sun beats down during the day. The only precipitation we've seen recently is rain...lots and lots of rain!

 I'm not really sad to be without snow this year. After almost 30 years of Midwest winters, I'm ready for a break! But as I sit here and think about those long, dreary winters that I've somehow managed to survive, I realize that snow can come in all shapes and forms. Snow isn't always white and fluffy. Snow can be hard and cruel. Snow can happen at any time.....not necessarily only in the winter season. It can be a sickness or a death....a broken relationship....a job loss.... an injury.....a big change...expected or unexpected. Life on this side of eternity isn't what it was meant to be. Because of this, the Bible even guarantees that there will be snow in our lives.    

While moving to Africa has certainly been an adventure, the snow has come from time to time. Sometimes light. Sometimes heavy. Saying goodbye to people we love--some we're likely not to see again--was a heavy snow for us.   Going without water and electricity for the last several days was a light snow. Even the anticipation of snow can be snow. In fact, that may likely be the heaviest snow of all.

In preparing for Africa, I was very aware of all the risks, and my fears at times got the best of me. There were times when my fears had me imagining every worse case scenario in my mind as if it had actually happened. Sickness. Injury. Death.   Wild animals. Violence. You name it. I feared it for my family.  

This overwhelming fear of "snow" forced me to my knees in desperate prayer before the LORD, and in those moments of realness with Him, He began to lay a powerful truth on my heart.

The theme verse for the recent Christmas Basket Bash was Proverbs 31:21-"When it snows, she has no fear for her household; for all of them are clothed in scarlet."

Those words echoed in my mind...."They're clothed in scarlet, Emily.....they're clothed in scarlet."

That simple verse that I've overlooked so many times before has become my motto as a mom and wife in Africa. I've found it loaded with truth--truth that has spoken like a piercing light into the darkness of my fears for my family.

Scarlet. The color of crimson blood. The symbol of cleansing....of purification...of HOPE.   Jesus came into the world at Christmas time for this very purpose-His blood poured out, covering over the hearts of all who will believe, to give us hope beyond the snow.

Hope for my family doesn't mean that I'm confident that the snow won't come. Hope for my family means confidence that even in the worst of snowstorms, He is covering over them. And even the worst of snowstorms is but a tiny, melting snowflake in the promise of eternity.

Let all fear melt away like the snow. For they are covered in scarlet!  Take the snow in your life the same way you shovel it...one scoop at a time. 

Happy New Year from Africa!  

With much love,

Emily

The Valley Quilting Group are working on some special projects for 2012.  They would like you to join them in making compassion lap quilts and pillows.  These quilts and pillows are given to women who are going through a difficult time or illness in their lives.   Won't you consider using your hands and heart to bless others.   

The Winter 2012 meeting dates are January 21, February 18 and March 24; times are 10:00am - 2:00pm. We will meet right here at Valley Church. If you're willing to press fabric, hand-sew pillow openings, rotary cut, sew, or pray over quilts, please join us. Supplies are provided.

For more info and to RSVP, contact Laurie Hews at lahews@gmail.com or 991-2204.

Peas and Prosperity

Many cultures have New Year's traditions involving foods that encourage a year rich with good luck. Of course for Christians, good fortune of any kind is not haphazard, coincidence, or a result of superstitiously consuming certain foods. Any so called "luck" is grace bestowed on us and blessings given to us in spite of, well...us. A Christian's ultimate peace and prosperity comes from loving Jesus Christ and walking in His will. That being said, we can still enjoy cultural and delicious traditions of New Year's cuisine to ring in the year with a celebratory spirit and a party hat!

The Scottish poet, Robert Burns, who wrote "Auld Lang Syne" would have surely chuckled at these humorous suggestions of foods to avoid when desiring good fortune. Eating lobster, for instance, is an apparent bad idea because they move backwards and could therefore lead to setbacks. Chicken is also discouraged because the bird scratches backwards which is said to cause regret or dwelling on the past. In fact, any winged fowl should be avoided because the good luck you might incur could up and fly away! I'm certain Burns would have gladly stuck to his Scottish heritage indulging in shortbread cake to initiate his new year.

On the other hand, there is global New Year's fare that might actually be worth a spin of your noise maker. In Spain they down 12 grapes at the stroke of midnight to symbolize success for each month of the coming year. Danes often eat delicious steamed kale sprinkled with cinnamon with the idea that leafy greens signify money. Pastries are eaten for luck by some of our Dutch friends. In Greece they prepare a yeast cake infused with lemon and a lucky gold coin. But, by far the loudest New Year food cheer goes out to legumes which are symbolic of good fortune because they swell when cooked and loosely resemble coins. Our southern states focus on the lucky black eyed pea legumes often served in a rice dish called Hoppin' John. Legumes are also consumed by the Germans in a split pea and sausage soup and by the Italians who eat lentils at midnight to ring in a prosperous year.

So, let's land this New Year's column of cuisine confetti on legumes because they have far more than luck and a cup of kindness to offer. Legumes are technically the edible seeds of plants and include beans, peas, soybeans and peanuts. In half a cup of black eyed peas there is about 14 grams of protein. Combining them with whole grains ranks them among the highest-quality proteins. Legumes in general are also a fabulous source of vitamin E and fiber which works wonders to help lower cholesterol. This New Year's, enjoy the following legume recipe that has a nutritious twist on the classic and begin this year multiplying the Good News -"peas" and prosperity indeed!

"For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world and forfeits his soul?" Matthew 16:26

Barley Hoppin' John

1 T olive oil

1 chopped medium onion

1 chopped red pepper

3 chopped stalks of celery

2 minced cloves of garlic

1 (14oz) can vegetable or chicken broth

1 cup quick-cooking barley

1 tsp thyme

2 tsp lemon juice

¼ tsp crushed red pepper

¼ -½ tsp salt

2 (15oz) cans black eyed peas, rinsed (black beans work, too)

Sautee vegetables and garlic in oil until just softened. Add broth, barley, thyme, lemon juice, crushed red pepper and salt; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer 10 minutes until barley is done. Remove from heat and stir in black eyed peas. Cover and let stand for 5 minutes. Serve hot.

Kindra has attended Valley Church for five years. Kindra feeds others from her heart as w ell as her hands. Kindra also serves on the Deaconess Committee.