Meeting Recap - March 8th, 2012

Beautiful rainbow cake made by Lauren B.
on our birthday idea table.

Our MOPS meeting today focused on birthday celebrations!  But let's start with some important announcements.

1. First Baptist Church will be having a "Girls Night Out" on Thursday, March 15th at 6:15pm.  The cost is $6 and they will be playing charades!  For more information and to register, click here.
2. The Newsboys are coming to the John Paul Jones Arena in April.  We have a unique opportunity to promote this event and raise some money for MOPS.  If we sell at least 50 tickets it will raise $250 for MOPS!  Tickets are $30 per person.  By promoting this event and selling tickets in our churches, small groups, another places we are helping to ensure that other well-known Christian acts will be able to come to our area.  Email Kelly P. for more information.
3. Our next MOPS meeting will feature the hilarious Janet Mancini!  We will also be having a girls night out that evening where we will get to hang out with Janet and enjoy some good food.  Look for an e-vite soon for more details.
4. Happy Birthday to Lizz H., Anna P., Allison B., and Jenn C.!
5. Congratulations to Dana U. on the birth of little Margaret!
6. We are starting registration for next year's MOPS. The cost is $90 for those that don't need childcare, and $100 for those that do.  Click here to download the MOPS registration form for you. Click here to download the MOPPETS form for childcare. You will need a separate form for each child. Please complete and bring the forms to the next MOPS meeting along with your registration fee.  Fees are due no later than the last MOPS meeting (May 24th).  Checks are payable to First Baptist Church; please put "MOPS" on the memo line.

Next we heard testimonies from Anna F. and Jenn L.  Anna shared with us how she came to know the Lord at a young age, and then how she recommitted her life Christ and started on a journey of living for Him and living in a way that others are drawn to Jesus through you.  She shared a thought provoking quote, "The single greatest cause of atheism in the world today is Christians, who acknowledge Jesus with their lips, then walk out the door, and deny Him by their lifestyle. That is what an unbelieving world simply finds unbelievable."  Thank you Anna for sharing with us.

Jenn L. shared with us the amazing testimony of how God brought her through an extremely difficult time in her life following a heart-breaking miscarriage. It was inspiring to hear how even when she was in the darkest valley, God was there, surrounding her with not only His love, but also just the right people at the right times.  Thank you Jenn for sharing your testimony.

Our door prizes today were a cute bag, a $10 gift card to Micheal's, a set of professional gel food colors, and a "birthday in a bag" with everything you need to make a cute cupcakes in ice cream cones. Congrats to the lucky winners!

Next we had our featured speaker, our very own Anna P.!  Anna shared with us some great advice for planning your child's birthday celebration, and a funny story of a mom and how she handled her son's first five birthdays in the midst of her own high expectations.  Often as moms we can get very caught up in what we want for these milestones, forgetting that it's really about our child.

To download the handouts from this presentation, click here.  They are full of awesome ideas for traditions, cakes, and party planning.  Thanks so much to Anna P. for the birthday inspiration!