november 2014
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The Brave Collective In the Fall 2014 issue of Hello, Darling MOPS introduced The Brave Collective with the belief that when we share our courage with others - it multiplies. The Brave Collective is a shared meal around a table of women committed to choosing one brave thing and to caring for one another while pursuing it. The Brave Collective is a table movement. An acknowledgment that some of the best, most life-giving moments happen around a table. For some reason the act of pulling up chairs around a mesa of wood becomes a sacred endeavor. It is in sharing a meal that hearts are nourished and soul-sisters are born. The Brave Collective is a rallying cry to live in proximity, to widen our circles and be brave together. Maybe your Collective is about being brave enough to invite people over, or maybe it is about making new friends. Perhaps you need to talk about the things God is whispering in your ear and invite others to do the same. Bravery comes in as many varieties as there are humans to give it life. There is bravery to live more fully. To do less and be more. To face an avoided obstacle. To reconcile. To hold valiantly to hope. To give voice to those who are diminished. To wear proudly a version of ourselves previously hidden. To be kind to ourselves. To listen to our own heart. The Brave Collective is a greater movement of women from across the globe choosing to live into their best. It’s also the women in our own circles we are choosing to journey alongside. There are many ways to give meaning to The Brave
Announcements The next Steering Team meeting is on Thursday, November 20. Our next meeting will be on Friday, December 12. Have a happy Thanksgiving with your family! Playdate at Bouncin’ Craze at Noon on Friday, December 19.
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Collective, but our ultimate hope is that it will be about creating a deeper sense of being known and cheering each other on toward our next brave thing. The Brave Collective is a community of brave women who are determined to show up for one another.
How to Host a Brave Collective
1. Find a table Any table will do, as long as you can gather some friends around it. The goal is to create a safe space that welcomes women to gather in honest and vulnerable ways. 2. Invite people to get together This step is a wildcard because The Brave Collective is for every woman. Perhaps you are going to invite some women who live in your neighborhood or maybe some lifelong friends. Maybe your Brave Collective will consist of friends from MOPS or you’re feeling like inviting some moms you just met at the park. The invite list is yours to own. So pick a date and send an invite. Share some food and conversation. Order takeout, make an elaborate meal, heat up some leftovers … it all counts. However you choose to curate a meal, the point is eating together is medicinal. 3. Choose a brave Ask everyone at your table to choose one brave thing stirring in their souls. It might be having a hard conversation, taking a reasonable risk or tackling a goal laying dormant. Bravery is brave, no matter how it is sliced, so every step into bravery is valued and respected. Have each person write their brave on the super cute cards created for just such an occasion (at http://www.mops.org/blog/brave-collective). Take a photo to share on Instagram or Facebook with the hashtag #bravecollective. Then, remind each friend to take their sheet home and hang it somewhere as a reminder of your Brave Collective. 4. Wash dishes and repeat in a few weeks Gather three more times over the next six months to talk about your brave decisions. Celebrate each other’s successes, toast to trying and remind one another failure comes with risk. The beauty of the Collective is we get to care for one another, cheering each other on toward our most brave choices.
S low Cooker Spinach Artichoke Dip INGREDIENTS
2 (14-ounce) cans artichoke hearts, drained and chopped 1 (10-ounce) package frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed dry 8 ounces sour cream 1 small onion, diced 2 cloves garlic, crushed 3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese 3/4 cup milk 1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese 1/3 cup mayonnaise 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 8 ounces cream cheese, cubed
INSTRUCTIONS
Place artichoke hearts, spinach, sour cream, onion, garlic, Parmesan, milk, feta, mayonnaise, vinegar and pepper into a slow cooker. Stir until well combined. Top with cream cheese. Cover and cook on low heat for 2 hours. Uncover and stir until cream cheese is well combined. Cover and cook on high heat for an additional 15 minutes.
Sale Site S hopping As a busy mom, Christmas shopping can sometimes be a challenge. Here are a few flash sale sites where you can nab some deals for gifts this year. • • • • • • •
Zulily.com Gilt.com RueLaLa.com HauteLook.com JossAndMain.com Modnique.com OneKingsLane.com
• • • • • • •
Ideel.com Jane.com MyHabit.com BeyondTheRack.com Fab.com SassySteals.com BelleAndClive.com
Alisa Nelson Studio
Paintings * Lettering * Children’s Art * Art Lessons * And More! alisanelsonstudio.com alisa@alisanelsonstudio.com facebook.com/alisanelsonstudio 405-921-1883
Newsletter Submissions If you have any ideas of articles, recipes or tips you would like to include in upcoming newsletters, please submit your ideas to mopsedmondfpc@gmail.com.
Cut out this verse and memorize it with your kids this month! http://thepleatedpoppy.com/2013/11/thankful-printable-and-something-for-our-military/
Raising Grateful Kids in an Entitled World Adapted from http://wearethatfamily.com/2013/03/raising-grateful-kids-in-an-entitled-world/
We live in an entitled world and whether we like it or not, children in our culture are consumers. It has become a global issue because they are a captive audience and the average kid views up to 40,000 commercials a year, and businesses pour up to 17 billion into that advertising. If you still doubt, just walk down the Easter aisles in your local store. Because only a consumer-driven society could take a Savior on a cross and turn it into a four aisles at the grocery store. Just look at what our culture has done with holidays. They’ve turned it all into hoopla and not only is it confusing to our kids to live in a world of made-up celebrations, it muddies the waters of the Holy ones and their true intent is lost. If “true godliness with contentment is great wealth” (1 Timothy 6:6), then discontentment leaves us spiritually bankrupt and completely empty. Honestly, I don’t blame the kids. As parents, we often foster this mentality with our own actions. We compare ourselves (and our homes, cars, etc) to what others have, we let media (and ultimately, advertising) influence our home by not limiting screen time and we have a hard time deciphering between needs and wants. Fighting the entitlement battle in our home is hard, but here are some things we are doing to try and live counterculturally in this area: 1. We are Asking for Hard Work Many kids in our culture don’t know much about hard work. I grew up in a house that worked. We cleaned and did yard work every weekend and everyone helped clean up the kitchen every night. A few weeks ago, we spent most of the day in the yard. And the more my kids complained, the more I realized how much we had neglected giving them hard, dirty work. My kids get their own laundry basket and take over washing, folding and putting away their clothes when they turn 8, they take turns helping clean up in the kitchen and their rooms, but it was clear to me that a little hard work was needed. Oh parenting, you do come in handy. (Phil 2:14-15) 2. We aren’t Making Unrealistic Promises We regularly tell our kids not to expect us to pay for college. While we hope to help in some way, we don’t have plans to pay for their college education in its entirety. We expect them to work hard now, focus on their gifted areas, get scholarships, part time jobs, etc, to contribute. We try not to make them promises that only enhance the entitlement attitude in our culture or promises we don’t know if we can keep. 3. We are Sticking to Consequences If we suggest a consequence, we commit to seeing it thru as often as we can. Something clicks in our kid when they understand we are serious about some things. 4. We are Limiting Media Hushing the voices of our culture that is telling our kids all the stuff they need comes in part by tuning it out. Media specifically targets our children to want a lot of stuff they don’t need. We have a TV and computers and devices, but besides filtering them, we turn them off. My kids still complain about it, which reinforces exactly why it’s important.
5. We are Exposing Them to the World I’m a firm believer that an entitlement attitude is in direct correlation to perspective. When you’re only looking and thinking about yourself, you can only see what you want. But when you remove the blinders and see needs around you and in the world, it alters your perspective. Exposing our kids to other cultures and how most of the world really lives, stirs up gratitude like nothing else. 6. We are Extending Grace Living by a bunch of strict rules and do’s and don’ts isn’t the answer. Being flexible with your own rules is not only necessary, it’s healthy for your family. And let’s face it, who doesn’t need extra grace? We are on the same team. 7. We are Examples in our Mistakes Ouch. This is the hardest. When I compare and complain, I’m leading by example. When I am thankful and gracious, they are watching. As I make mistakes, I’m offering them the greatest lesson. It’s important to admit when we are wrong and ask for forgiveness when we hurt our kids. 8. We are Raising them to Be Different (I Peter 2:11) Our society has low expectations of kids. We expect toddlers to get what they want and teens to be rebellious. Instead of helping our kids fit in every area of their lives (an impossibility, really), we are encouraging them to go against the flow, reminding them we’re supposed to be different than the world. They are normal kids and have longings to fit in-we all do. We just aren’t going to compromise our beliefs or lives to do so in every circumstance. 9. We are Relying on God By far, parenting is the hardest job. And honestly, there are so many days, we don’t know what to do. Our kids belong to God. He loves them more than we do. He wants to guide us down the hard roads. Some days we feel like we’ve lost the battle against entitlement in our home; we are still in the trenches, trying to figure this all out. But as we reflect on Jesus’ sacrifice and turn our attention to The Cross, it’s thankfulness for His sacrifice and our chance at New Life that I want them to grasp the most.
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“Sometimes you will never know
Call a loved one to say “Thank you for being you”
Encourage a gratitude attitude at home
Celebrate Housewives Day
the value of a
Get crafty with your kids
moment until it
Brunch, anyone?
Cook Something Bold Day
Plan a stay-at-home date night
Clean Your Refridgerator Day
becomes a memory.” DR. SEUSS
Plan a kid date
Veteran’s Day
Lie down on the job
World Kindness Day
Schedule a mommy break this week
National
OPERATION CHRISTMAS CHILD Box Collection Week
Make a wreath of Thanksgiving
Plan a coffee date with a friend
Start a husband gratitude list
m n. S ile. R or
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National Adoption Day
Don’t forget to breathe
Your kids are grateful for you. Let that sink in.
Ha p
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eat. ep Spend time with family (instead of the mall)
Take an autumn nature walk
! ng
Crockpot mashed potatoes will change your life
anksgiv Th i French Toast Day
Talkin’ turkey leftovers
Don’t forget to
breathe
Community Events November 14 // Movie Night at the Park 7-9 PM // Mitch Park
Head to Edmond for a FREE movie under the stars. This perfect night of family fun features the classic film The Wizard of Oz for a night your family will never forget. The film is shown in the outdoor amphitheater at Mitch Park. Bring blankets and chairs. Concessions will be sold for $1 each.
November 15 // Statehood Day Festival 10 AM - 5 PM // Oklahoma Heritage Museum
Join us as we celebrate Oklahoma’s 107th birthday with a Statehood Day Festival complete with a full day of family friendly activities, including food trucks, an inflatable, interactive crafts, performances by The Sugar Free All-Stars and FREE admission.
Nov 22-Dec 31 // Yukon Christmas in the Park 6-11 PM // 2200 S. Holly Ave. (Yukon, OK)
Yukon’s “Christmas in the Park” offers a drive through Christmas light experience for the whole family to enjoy! Drive, walk, or ride the train through three park complexes with over 125 fantastic visual displays, 100 acres of illuminated magic, and more than 4 million twinkling lights. Entrance is FREE, but donations are merrily accepted.
November 28 // Christmas Tree Lighting Festival 5-7 PM // Bricktown
Bricktown comes alive for the holiday spirit at the SandRidge Tree Lighting Festival at Chickasaw Bricktown Ballpark. This event features live music, complimentary popcorn, cookies and face painting. Mayor Cornett will light the Bricktown Christmas tree for the season.