Parenting Workshop

clothing swap!

• 
• Do you have a closet full of clothes but can't ever seem to find anything to wear? Before you hit the mall and spend a lot of money, join us for a clothes/accessories swap party. You and your friends can exchange used clothing and adopt great new looks without opening a wallet!!
  Go through your own closet to pull out the clothes you no longer wear. Include only clothing that someone can still wear in your clothes swap pile. Feel free to throw in accessories like jewelry, purses, shoes, belts, scarves, etc. Please be sure that the items are still in good condition and are still "in style."
  You can take as many items as you bring to the swishing party. I.e., if you bring 10 items, you can go home with 10 new items.
  BRING A FRIEND! The more people swishing, the more fun it will be for everyone!
  See you there!
• 955 45th Ave Sweet Home
• Friday March 8th 7-9pm

  

New Series Starting

This Thursday night we will be talking about marriage with Mark and Marcie McCartin. Childcare is available at the church, Awanas meets at the same time as well. As usual we will be meeting at 6:30 in the Barn.

Christmas Workshop

Join us December 6th from 6:30-8pm 

for a fun night of creativity and cookies.

We will be designing Christmas centerpieces and ornaments as well as getting tips on holiday baking. If you would like to participate in the cookie exchange bring one dozen cookies. All supplies will be included and it's free of charge! This event is open to the community, please bring a friend! We would like to make sure there are plenty of supplies so let us know you are planning on attending, you can RSVP on our fb page page or email me.

Help us give local children a coat by participating in our coat drive, bring any child size coat Thursday night.

parenting is hard

A must read for every tired, discouraged mommy!

 

 



While I used to despair over my children's imperfect sleep patterns, rambunctious behavior, and failure to say please and thank you, I now realize there is a greater purpose---my refinement. Each struggle, each exhausting day, each behavioral problem, is an opportunity for me to grow in my faith. God uses my children as mirrors to reflect to me the sin I didn't realize resides in my heart. He is in fact using my own kids to refine and transform me.

Parenthood is tilling the soil in my heart, weeding out the sins that keep me from growing in faith. Some of the roots run deep and have entangled themselves around my heart. Before having children, I didn't realize how deeply rooted sins like impatience, selfishness, and irritability grew in the sin-fertilized soil of my heart. It took the challenges of raising children to reveal them to me.

But even as God reveals my sins of impatience, irritability, and selfishness, he also reveals his grace. When my children are easily distracted and I respond with impatience, not only does the Spirit reveal that sin to me, he also points out to me all the ways God is patient with my own distracted heart. When struggles in parenting reveal my sin of irritability, it also shows me God's endless forbearance. When the weeds of selfishness become apparent in my heart, I also see how selfless Christ was for me at the cross.

Time and again, the gospel of grace covers my sin, bringing me back to the cross of Christ. Jesus knew I could never be a perfect mom. He knew I couldn't respond to my children with love and grace at every moment. He knew I'd have days where I would fail. And that's why he came. At the cross he suffered for every time I am impatient, for every time I fail to teach and train my children, and for every time I don't love them as he loves them.

Read the complete blog post here
http://thegospelcoalition.org/blogs/tgc/2012/11/08/parenting-is-hard-for-a-reason/

What to expect when you show up at Club Mom

I am not one to show up to something unless I know exactly what I am getting myself into. So I thought I would share with you what a typical night out at Club Mom may look like.

 

Videoography ;) by Preston Darwood 10 years old

A little on the amateur side ;) but I sacrificed my pride for you ladies! This was way out of my comfort zone. Don't be counting how many times I said um either, or blinked, or made weird faces.

A few details I left out...

1-CHILDCARE- Awanas meets at the church at the same time and a nursery provider will be available for babies.  http://www.communitychapel.net/ for more info

2- If you miss a meeting..nobody is keeping track! Show up when you can..trust me you will be glad you did.

3- We want to encourage you, inspire you and get to know you!

4- You do not have to attend the Chapel or any church to come. Club Mom is for all mommas, all over our community. 

42250 Ames Creek Rd. Sweet Home, Oregon

541-367-5106

unglued .....

Beginning Oct 4th we will be meeting on the first and third Thursday of the month from 6:30-8pm. We will be reading and discussing this book, Unglued. As well as bringing you a favorite.... pinterest project ;) Awanas meets that night as well so were hoping you can drop your kids off at the church then head up to the barn for some coffee, dessert and fun.

word to the wise

From the Mission of Motherhood by Sally Clarkson

"When it comes to motherhood, I like the idea of being a mom who inspires my children to great accomplishments in medicine (developing the cure for cancer) or statesmanship (a future president of the United States) or the arts (a Christian movie producer). The everyday realities of running a household just don't have the same appeal.
But such humdrum activities, of course, comprise the majority of a mother's experience. Before I had children, I never realized this. I really had no clue that admiring a Beanie Baby's pen, taking a picture, finding a T-shirt, and helping to unlock a gas cap would be the kinds of sacrificial acts required of me most often while I attempted to fulfill the mission of motherhood.
As I have grown through the past eighteen years of motherhood, however, I've come to appreciate the importance of the many thousands of routine moments in a mother's life, for it is in these moments that real greatness tends to be taught and caught. It is certainly important to grasp the great calling of motherhood and respond to a vision for what a family can be.
But it's the way I respond to my children in everyday moments that gives me the best chance of winning their hearts… and if I approach them with a servant's heart, then I have a far better chance of influencing them in the larger and more critical issues of life." 

The Mission of Motherhood, pg. 62-63

Join us at the park!

We will be at Sankey Park today from 11am-1230ish :) hope to see you there!

summer fun

I took the kids to Waterloo Park today and we played in the sand and the river, so much fun. I love that they are still young enough to enjoy building rivers, dams, and catching bugs. We came home had some 'quiet time' then made dinner and Cherry Crisp for dessert. It was amazing! You can find the recipe here cherry crisp.

Hope you all are enjoying the sunshine, long days, bbq's and the opportunity to make memories with your kiddos.

Each day of our lives we make deposits in the memory banks of our children.

Charles (Chuck) Swindoll

Hike is rescheduled

Hey mommas, no McDowell creek today, besides rain I was up with Marshall all night. Poor kid is running a fever and has a tummy bug. Let's reschedule for next week. I will let you know the date and time, sorry!

rules for marriage

11 Rules You Won’t Learn in School About Marriage

Rule 1: Marriage isn’t about your happiness.  It’s not about you getting all your needs met through another person.  Practicing self-denial and self-sacrifice, patience, understanding, and forgiveness are the fundamentals of a great marriage.  If you want to be the center of the universe, then there’s a much better chance of that happening if you stay single.

Rule 2: Getting married gives a man a chance to step up and finish growing up.  The best preparation for marriage for a single man is to man up now and keep on becoming the man God created him to be.

Rule 3: It’s okay to have one rookie season, but it’s not okay to repeat your rookie season.  You will make rookie mistakes in your first year of marriage; the key is that you don’t continue making those same mistakes in year five, year 10, or year 20 of your marriage.

Rule 4: It takes a real man to be satisfied with and love one woman for a lifetime.  And it takes a real woman to be content with and respect one man for a lifetime.

Rule 5: Love isn’t a feeling.  Love is commitment.  It’s time to replace the “D word”—divorce—with the “C word”—commitment.  Divorce may feel like a happy solution, but it results in long-term toxic baggage.  You can’t begin a marriage without commitment.  You can’t sustain one without it either.  A marriage that goes the distance is really hard work.  If you want something that is easy and has immediate gratification, then go shopping or play a video game.

Rule 6: Online relationships with old high school or college flames, emotional affairs, sexual affairs, and cohabiting are shallow and illegitimate substitutes for the real thing.  Emotional and sexual fidelity in marriage is the real thing.

Rule 7: Women spell romance R-E-L-A-T-I-O-N-S-H-I-P.  Men spell romance S-E-X.  If you want to speak romance to your spouse, become a student of your spouse, enroll in a lifelong “Romantic Language School,” and become fluent in your spouse’s language.

Rule 8: During courtship, opposites attract.  After marriage, opposites can repel each another.  You married your spouse because he/she is different.  Differences are God’s gift to you to create new capacities in your life.  Different isn’t wrong, it’s just different.

Rule 9: Pornography robs men of a real relationship with a real person and poisons real masculinity, replacing it with the toxic killers of shame, deceit, and isolation.  Pornography siphons off a man’s drive for intimacy with his wife.  Marriage is not for wimps.  Accept no substitutes.

Rule 10: As a home is built, it will reflect the builder.  Most couples fail to consult the Master Architect and His blueprints for building a home.  Instead a man and woman marry with two sets of blueprints (his and hers).  As they begin building, they discover that a home can’t be built from two very different sets of blueprints.

Rule 11: How you will be remembered has less to do with how much money you make or how much you accomplish and more with how you have loved and lived
By Dennis Rainey

Found this on Family Life and wanted to encourage you all to hang in there! Marriage is stinking hard sometimes but so worth sticking it out. Hugs my friends!

Hiking at McDowell Creek

Instead of meeting at the park this coming Tuesday we will be hiking up at McDowell Creek Park. The plan is to meet at my place at 10:30 and carpool up to the park, do some "hiking," eat lunch together and return at about 12:30 in time for naps :). When I say hike I am using the term very loosely, I am a parent of a 2year old and realize it will probably be more like a very slow walking/exploring trip. So I hope you can make it bring your kiddos and lunch. If you need my address email me at jbdarwood@mail.com.

My Place 

June 12th 

10:30-12:30

Parenting Conference at Community Chapel This Sunday

Rick Johnson Speaking at Community Chapel

April 15^th 8:30 and 10:30 services and

Raising Kids of Character Workshop and Dessert 6-8pm 

 (applicable for parents of elementary – high school aged students)

Open to public free of charge, children’s classes available with pre-registration.

Contact the church office at (541) 367-5106

Raising Kids of Character

Ahhh…the joys of raising children! Who knew it was such a difficult task? And with all the negative influences out there, how can parents raise kids with character? You want your son to become a man of courage and integrity, with a good work ethic and a healthy understanding of love and responsibility. You want your daughter to be an empowered, self-sufficient, fulfilled, loving woman of character who makes wise choices in her relationships. Rick Johnson, founder of Better Dads and bestselling author, will help you discover how to raise kids of character by developing a specific plan that will help you navigate the challenges in your way.

About Rick Johnson and Better Dads

Author and speaker Rick Johnson founded Better Dads, a fathering skills program, based on the urgent need to empower men to lead and serve in their families and communities. Rick's books have expanded his ministry to include influencing the whole family, with life-changing insights for men and women on parenting, marriage, and personal growth.
Inspiring and equipping through innovative multimedia presentations and seminars, Rick's resources, methods and personal approach have been transforming men, women, and their families for over nine years.

April 10th .........Childhood Sexual Development ??? and Chimichangas :)

Have your kids ever asked you awkward questions about their body parts? Not sure how much information to give and at what age it's appropriate? 

This next Tuesday April 10th Pete Kauffman, father of four boys and pastor at Sweet Home Mennonite, will be talking about Childhood Sexual Development. At our last Club Mom meeting a bunch of us moms were sharing stories about our kids and the tough questions they ask us about their "privates." Discussing body parts and what you do with them to 4 and 5 year olds can be a daunting task and so we hope this next meeting to offer you some advice and share a Christian perspective on teaching our kids a healthy understanding of their body and sex. Bring your questions!! If you don't have kids old enough to ask those kinds of questions yet trust me they will. Hope to see you there.

We will also be making some Chimichangas for you to take home for dinner!

As always we will be there at 9am and a hand full of lovely ladies will be there to watch your kiddos.  Come hangout with us!

loving the little years

A Child’s Ten Commandments to Parents

Just found this on another blog it's from Kevin Leman. I need to post this on my fridge!

1. My hands are small; please don’t expect perfection whenever I make a bed, draw a picture, or throw a ball. My legs are short; please slow down so that I can keep up with you.

2. My eyes have not seen the world as yours have; please let me explore safely: don’t restrict me unnecessarily.

3. Housework will always be there. I’m only little such a short time—please take time to explain things to me about this wonderful world, and do so willingly.

4. My feelings are tender; please be sensitive to my needs; don’t nag me all day long. (You wouldn’t want to be nagged for your inquisitiveness.) Treat me as you would like to be treated.

5. I am a special gift from God; please treasure me as God intended you to do, holding me accountable for my actions, giving me guidelines to live by, and disciplining me in a loving manner.

6. I need your encouragement, but not your praise, to grow. Please go easy on the criticism; remember you can criticize the things I do without criticizing me.

7. Please give me the freedom to make decisions concerning myself. Permit me to fail, so that I can learn from my mistakes. Then someday I’ll be prepared to make the kind of decisions life requires of me.

8. Please don’t do things over for me. Somehow that makes me feel that my efforts didn’t quite measure up to your expectations. I know it’s hard, but please don’t try to compare me with my brother or my sister.

9. Please don’t be afraid to leave for a weekend together.  Kids need vacations from parents, just as parents need vacations from kids. Besides, it’s a great way to show us kids that your marriage is very special.

10. Please take me to Sunday school and church regularly, setting a good example for me to follow. I enjoy learning more about God.

club mom tomorrow

I don't know about you guys but I sometimes wonder if I'm screwing my kids up.

As moms there are so many things to think about.........safety, education, health, character, am I disciplining them correctly, what kind of people will they grow up to be, will they love Jesus and serve Him? 

 I have often wished I could look into the future to see how they turn out.......just a glimpse ??? :)

Do you ever have those thoughts?

Join us tomorrow as we discuss this stuff and find some encouragement in God's Word. 

 

We will also be making some bird feeders. :)

Nikky Long Fundraiser

Nikky is a 17 year old Sweet Home kid who needs our help. He has endured ten surgeries and a year long stay at Doernbechers Hospital at the age of 9. He was originally diagnosed with Ulcerative Colitis and now has Crohn’s Disease. Medicines are not working, and he has developed arthritis from them. He is currently in LA at Cedars Sinai Medical Center, where in the last 3 weeks he has had 3 surgeries and is fighting for his life.

5K RUN/WALK
All proceeds will go to aid Nikky, and his recovery.
Cost: $20
Date: Saturday March 10 at 10 AM
Register at 9:30 at Sweet Home High School. The run/walk will begin at the high school cafeteria. After the run, stay for live music, a pie sale, and a raffle.
Financial contributions also accepted.
Prayers are always welcome

If you would like to help by donating an item to be raffled, or bake something for our bake sale, or perform some music,please contact me asap. 

Josh and I will be running the 5k, would love some company!

mommyhood

I received an email from my sis saying I had to read a certain blog post from a blog. So I did. I thought I would pass it on to you lovelies and pray it encourages you as well. Here is just a smidge of it, go here sharplife to read the full post. :)

The older I've gotten, the more relaxed I've gotten. There's a reason for that: I am not defined by the state of my house or how nice my kids are to me. My kids are sinners just like me. They don't mean to be unkind to me. They don't try to hurt my feelings. They are just like me. I don't try to be selfish or say mean things to people. But I get caught up in my own little world and before I know it, I've hurt someone. That's what they did to me. Poor things. They had no idea why I was so angry with them all the time.

I mentioned this to them tonight and asked them if they remembered it. Nope. Not even a little. They have no recollection of a messy house or a screaming mother. They remembered the walks we took in the woods and the trips to my mother's house. And today, my two oldest, at different times without knowledge of the other, came to me, hugged me and told me thank you for all the ways I helped them today.

I wish I could tell my younger self to hang in there. One day, they get older and become aware of you as a person. One day, all that housework becomes second nature. One day, they clean up after themselves. One day, they look down upon you and say "Thank you."

God's grace is sufficient. For my sin, for my children's memories, and for my heart. He is making even this right. Redemption is a beautiful thing.

 

Parenting Conference

Just wanted to pass along some info. Dr. Tim Kimmel author of Grace Based Parenting, will be in Portland April 20th and 21st at Good Shepherd Church. I highly recommend his book if your anything like me and feel OVERWHELMED with parenting at times I would definitely check it out. Here is the link for more info Raising Great Kids.

A few quotes from the book.  " Our children are a gift we send to a time that we will not see. We need to send them into that time so secure that even if we have long since passed away, they will rest in the confidence that they are loved."  "Love is the commitment of my will to my children's needs and best interests, regardless of the cost." "Wisdom is seldom available to the young, but it's made available sooner rather than later when we see that part of our role as parents is to teach our children how to turn knowledge into practical truth and insight. That's all wisdom is -knowledge with the ability to utilize it effectively."  http://followingtolead.com/family/parenting-questions-with-dr-tim-kimmel/