"Mommy Time" at Allison's

Last Thursday morning Allison hosted another wonderful playdate at her house, although we all agreed that it actually is more for the moms than the kids! We don't really have a ton of time at our MOPS meetings to catch up with each other, so a whole 2 hours of talking over coffee is great! The kids also have a great time running up and down the steps trying to figure out if they'd rather play or eat snacks:)

Debbie and Deb talking it up with little Daniel

Maggie trying her hardest to get to the plates of snacks!

Jake apparently would rather play in the toybox than with the toys themselves! But he looks pretty happy so that's really all that counts:)

Allison's Banana Bread

3 or 4 ripe (very ripe) bananas
1 cup sugar
1 egg

1 1/2 cups flour
1/4 cup melter butter or margarine

1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 350. Beat the bananas and add the rest of the ingredients. Pour into buttered loaf pan. (Can be done in a 9x13, too, if you want more of a snack cake). Bake for 1 hour. (If 9x13, 45 miutes)

***Helpful hint: if you have the ripe bananas but no time to bake, peel them and throw them in a baggie in the freezer. When you have time to bake, simply thaw a little and start baking.

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***Also, there will be another playdate at Allison's on Wed, May 13 from 9:30 - 11:30. If it is a nice day, plan to be outside. They have a creek and it is muddy sometimes, so wear play clothes! If anyone has a bike they want to bring, please do...Allison is in a cul de sac and the kids can safely ride around (she does have a few ride-on toys and bikes as well, plus lots of outside toys for kids so don't feel you have to bring anything).

The Station

At our meeting last Wednesday, the theme was The Station. Marg was our speaker and she shared with us that if we view our lives as a train ride it seems we spend most of our time looking out the window, trying to see how far it is to the next station. We look forward to arriving there, thinking it will be so much better than the ride we are on. In the same way with our daily lives, we want the excitement of what lies ahead (or we just want to get past the hard times in order to get to the better times), but in doing this we don't enjoy our current situation and circumstances like we should.

She pointed out that we need to even enjoy the bad times. James 1:2-3 says "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trails of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perserverance. Perserverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." God can use the difficult trial to mold us or mature us so that we will be more like Jesus Christ our Savior.

Marg ended her talk by reading an essay titled The Station by Robert J. Hastings. You can click here to view the essay.

Then for our craft, we designed and made earrings, using all sorts of different beads. Very fun!

Lilies of the Field

"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." Matt 6:28-34.

The above passage was the premise for our MOPS meeting yesterday morning as the steering committee put on a fashion show for the rest of the group. As women in the Lord, our inner beauty is truly what is most important and what will leave a lasting legacy behind us. However, as we reflect Christ to the world, there is truth to reflecting in a beautiful, yet modest, manner that we are true princesses of our King. That being said, some of the specific "tips" that were shared included:

~Perfect your posture

~Accentuate the positive

~Make acessories work for you

~Lengthen your silhouette

~Wear trends that flatter

~Choose clothes that fit

~Wear colors, prints, and fabrics that slim

As good as you may look, however, the truth of the matter is that...

"Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised." Prov. 31:30