Happy Thanksgiving!

 Hi ladies,

I truly wish you and your families have a wonderful, safe, and healthy Thanksgiving. While we may have faced hardship this year, some more than others, there is always something to be thankful for. Your families may be discussing this at the dinner table, or may be asked at school "What are you thankful for?" It may seem like a hard question this year, but as I listen to my children give their answers and I look around at what we have, not what we've lost, we have so much. 

My son (a 2nd grader) so confidently responded to this very question in school and said, "I'm thankful for God." And it didn't stop there. He had his reasons and he explained it to the class. "I'm thankful for God because he created everything. I'm thankful for my family and He made all of that." I could have easily gotten into a holiday funk, thinking of the family and friends we would miss at our Thanksgiving table, the warm hugs, and cozy camaraderie, but these simple words from a 2nd grader's mouth reminds me that no matter what we sacrifice this holiday season to be safe and to protect others, it was Jesus that made the ultimate sacrifice for all of us. And that is something that brings me great joy and peace in my heart. 

What are you thankful for? 

I am thankful for my family's health and the health and of our family and friends. I'm thankful and very excited for the wonderful feast we will be enjoying tonight, our steady jobs in this unstable economy that allow us to keep food on the table and a roof over our head, and the warm and unconditional love of God and the people He put in our path to demonstrate this devoted love. 

So I ask again, what are you, your kids, or extended family thankful for? If you're feeling up to sharing, please comment on this post in the blog or comment on our Facebook group.

Thanksgiving in COVID

Obviously, this is a struggle for all of us for many reasons, but without cousins to play with, a parade to watch, or grandparents to snuggle with, what are my kids going to do all day so I can still cook! 

Well, I have a couple things up my sleeve, but I could use some other great ideas from all you moms out there. One is this craft I found a few years ago (https://www.bloglovin.com/blogs/moffatt-girls-2404096/easy-i-am-thankful-pumpkin-craft-1828081007). No matter how old my kids get, I love to have them do this exercise and see all the things they come up with to be thankful for that we then share at our Thanksgiving table. And it can also act as a great table decoration. :-)

A new one I found this year is that I'm having my kids make their own dessert I(https://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/thanksgiving-turkeys-2102465?soc=sharepin). They are not usually big on apple pie or pumpkin cheesecake, or any of the other more traditional desserts my family loves. So this year, they will get to make their own. I figured it could also be a project they could do to keep them busy and they get to eat their own creation. 

I'm sure we all have some good ideas we will do this year, whether its a new or old tradition. I would love to hear about yours....

 

Devotional

As I was prepping food for Thanksgiving and listening to a podcast, I was struck by something one of the hosts said. While I can't remember word for word, the sentiment was that we will be faced with challenges inn our lives, without a doubt. And while we will strive to do the right thing, we may still fail. But the hope I found in this message is that no matter what God is in control. He is on His throne and He's got this for us if we let Him. That thought gave me chills. No matter what I do, God will still love me. I will make mistakes and have made so many already, but I can find peace in my past knowing I"m forgiven and I look froward to so much joy in my future if I can let go of the control and give it all to a greater power who knows better than I do. I know His will is good, therefore, I know I'm in good hands. I tried to find a passage that helped me to bring these feelings to words, and God in His most perfect timing drew me to this passage. I pray it can find you comfort in this unusual holiday season.

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways,” declares the LORD.  “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts” (ESV). 

~Isaiah 55:8-9

OTHER ANNOUNCEMENTS

Comeback Tour Wrap Up Mark you calendars for Friday, Dec. 4th at 9:30am. Hopefully you all saw the email and Evite Courtney sent out earlier this week. We would love to wrap up this series and meet up as whole group a be able to have some time to see each other, share some highlights or take aways and have some FUN!

We also have a great new study upcoming for the New Year, so come and hear what's to come and share what you have learned the last few months. (More details on the study coming soon to the blog and Facebook group

Please RSVP to the evite so we know who is coming and can can look forward to seeing you. Here's the link to the Evite in case you missed it. https://www.evite.com/event/0255ZMAQ5FFPTEAWAEPLFYIIWAW7RI/rsvp?gid=03F5GF46OFQSXUC2CEPLFYI7XM7QOM

And the Zoom info for our whole group meeting: Friday Dec 4th @9:30am Join Zoom Meeting https://venture-cc.zoom.us/j/83320004418?pwd=YVBKWmNyZVd6dlhoSGdad3VzeW4vQT09 Meeting ID: 833 2000 4418 Passcode: 766929

MOMSnext 2020-2021 Meetings

MOMSnext meetings are a little different this year. Hopefully, you have heard from your table leaders and have been able to connect with all the ladies at your table. If you haven't heard from your table leader, please reach out to us as soon as possible by emailing Lisa Sung at lisa.sung@gmail.com, and we will make sure you are connected with your small group. If you don't have one, we will assign you one. Our small groups, or tables, will be meeting every other week to provide fellowship, prayer, comfort to one another and to discuss the digital series put on by MOPS International.

Sign up for MOMSnext!

We understand the hardship that 2020 has brought to all of us. We hope to continue to light our MOMSnext candle in hopes we can give strength and support to all those moms out there. You are not alone. If you'd like to join our study in the spring, please make sure you register on MOPS International for the 2020-2021 year, so we can place you in your small group. We hope to see your lovely faces this year as we all encourage each other to face these challenges ahead with grace, mercy, kindness and love. Our goal is to make sure you feel supported, important, seen, heard, and loved!

To Register: Simply, go to www.mops.org/join and type in the code: D16B. You will go through the registration process for MOPS International. The fee is now $31.95, which you will pay online at the end of your registration. There are currently no additional local chapter fees.

Once you are registered, please make sure to email register4momsnext@vccmops.org if you are new and need to be placed in a small group. We will get you all set up.

For additional information or any membership and registration questions, please contact Lisa Sung at register4momsnext@vccmops.org.