MOPS Theme 2013-14

A Beautiful Mess: Embrace Your Story Moms live in messes. The toys, crumbs, and spit-up are their natural surroundings. Moms often feel like a mess. They are exhausted, under-showered, and hormonal. Their past and present circumstances and decisions can leave them feeling inadequate for God’s love and purposes. A Beautiful Mess — reminds moms that beauty can come out of their difficult spots. The grime of mothering young children brings the beauty of motherhood. The bruises of life can bring God’s redemption.  Embrace Your Story — reminds moms that their past, present and future can be used for good. God knows where each of us has been, where we are today and has set in motion where we are headed. Theme Verse: Ephesians 2:10 (New Living Translation) For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus,  so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. Theme book: The Artist’s Daughter: A Memoir by Alexandra Kuykendall One woman’s story of understanding her mothering identity by exploring the layers of her life that shape who she is today. From childhood, to marriage and ultimately motherhood she discovers what, and who, defines her by looking to answers of three fundamental questions: Am I lovable? Am I loved? Am I loving?   Theme devotional: Known & Loved: 52 Devotions from the Psalms  by Caryn Rivandeira Fifty-two devotions drawn from the Psalms that show women how God sees them, what he created them to do, and how he created them to be. She takes women through ten major areas of identity, weaving in stories from her own life and from the lives of other moms, showing mothers that they are valued and valuable. It's going to be a great year! CLICK HERE to register for 2013-14 MOPS

Join us in June!!

Need to get out of the house?

Join us for a play date in June!

Park Play Date

June 7th

Frontier Park

10:00 AM

Bring a picnic lunch if you would like!

Pool Play Date

June 18th

Frontier Pool

12:30-3:00 PM

Dinner Club
June 2nd
Spin Pizza
6:00 PM

These events are open to MOPS and friends of MOPS.  You do not need to be a member of our MOPS group to join us and new members are always welcome.  

Hope to see you there!

Please email us at indiancreekmops@gmail.com with any questions.

Feaatured Article: Perspective

Article Archive: Perspective by Jean J. 
Original publish date of May 2011
Used by permission

Do you remember the first few weeks after your children were born?  It seems all you do is hold your child.  Whether you’re feeding them, rocking them, or talking to them, a huge amount of your time is spent focusing on something only 12 inches away from your face.

I remember when my son was born, it seemed all I did was hold him.  I didn’t leave the house much at all the first few weeks.  The first time I drove my car after childbirth, I got on I-35 and when I looked at the highway signs, they appeared blurry.  What?  How could my vision change that much in just a couple of weeks?  Then it hit me.  It wasn’t that my eyesight had changed.  It’s because my eyes had only been looking the length of my arm recently, with occasional glances to the other side of the room.  I could see clearly up close.  But when I looked out and viewed the rest of the world, it appeared distorted.  Once I started getting out of the house more often, my eyesight was restored to my normal vision. 

It’s the same way in life.  When we spend the majority of our time focusing only on our own life, it’s easy to only see our own problems.  It’s as if our eyesight gets skewed.  Our problems seem to grow bigger and bigger until they overwhelm us.

That’s one of the biggest blessings MOPS brings us.  Perspective.  When we get out and connect with others, at first it seems we’re the only one with challenges; that everyone else is living a life with fewer problems.  But once we begin connecting with others, it’s as if we really begin to see.  The problems I’ve been carrying around all of a sudden seem to get lighter because I begin to notice someone else who has it worse than I do.  Yet even if our problems really are that bad, they still become lighter because we make connections with others who are in the same season of life as we are who come along side us and help us carry our burdens. 

There have been countless times when I’ve been worn down by motherhood.  Then I show up to a MOPS meeting and hear a mom share something even more challenging than what I’ve been going through.  Suddenly I have perspective.  My shoulders rise a little taller.  My chest feels a little lighter.  My spirit is revived.  I can breathe deeply.  And if I’m lucky, I can go home, feed my child lunch, and he’ll take a nap – making it a total “Me Day”! 

I remember at the Opening Convocation my freshman year in college, the college president shared something that changed my life: “When you’re feeling overwhelmed and sorry for yourself, go do something kind for someone else.”  Isn’t it interesting that we’re encouraged when we reach out and encourage someone else?  We grow as we’re attached and connected – with others and with God.  Plants grow when they’re in soil.  Moms grow when they’re connected with other moms and with God.   

As our MOPS year draws to a close, don’t do mothering alone this summer.  Reach out and connect whether it’s through the many outings our group offers, pick up the phone and call another mom, or post a playdate place & time on Facebook and see who shows up.  Who do you know who needs to connect?  Why not invite her to a MOPS get-together this summer?  There’s no better gift you could give a friend (or yourself!) than encouragement.  Friends don’t let friends mother alone.  Connect with others and connect with God.  Just you?  Tough.  You and a friend?  Better.  You, a friend, and God?  Unbeatable.   A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken.  Ecclesiastes 4:12 (NLT)