To MOPS and back!

Hi All!

Just letting you know that I'm still alive and well, just a bit tired. I returned yesterday from a 4 day trip to the MOPS Convention in Orlando, where I managed to sneak in a few hours of sleep here & there :) I think we spent more time having fun, though, which was sort of the point, I guess. As a group, the MOPS Convention offers a great time for steering teams to bond and get to know one another, as well as allot of learning opportunities for everyone in attendance.

This year, participants were offered 3 separate workshop opportunities, so here is a brief synopsis of those that I chose to attend:

1) Fun & Exciting Family Time, with Kirk Weaver. This workshop offered some great ideas, meant to bring families together. One of the biggest points that really stuck out to me was the statement that "spiritual training was never meant to be provided by only the church, but that it should start within the home". This is something that I know very well, and I was surprised by the fact that it stood out me like it did, but the reality of my life is this...my kiddos don't get enough of me & Michael. They get some of us, but not all of us! Teaching our children spiritual values should begin when they are very young, not when they are older and it's too late to train them. One example he gave to us was this: Give your 3 or 4 year old child a magazine (he suggested something like "People") and ask them to pick out 3 or 4 examples of 'modest' clothing, then 3 or 4 examples of 'immodest' clothing. Once they complete that task, then discuss their choices with them. He said that by discussing modesty to them at this age, the discussion about purity will be a natural step as they get older, then abstinence, etc. He said that waiting until the teen years to begin discussions of modesty will only become a tug-of-war and a battle-of-wills that no one will win. Good points!!! Check out their website at www.famtime.com.

2) Creating an Intimate Marriage, with Dr. Jim Burns: Really, I don't have allot to say about this one because the title speaks for itself, but I did manage to walk away with some good points from this workshop that had little to do with intimacy, and more to do with marriage and husbands :) First, he gave 3 really good points that I thought I should share: (1) Have a non-negotiable date night, even if it includes the kiddos! It doesn't have to cost money to be a date night, so child-care isn't always required. (2) Only be out of the house, away from the family, 3 nights a week - less is better! Don't let life, careers, commitments, etc., take you away from home. (3) Give your spouse VETO power. Let them say NO to something that you want to do and respect their decision. But, that VETO can should go both ways, so that you can say NO as well. He also spoke about the "Pain of Discipline" versus the "Pain of Regret". This, in a nutshell, means that you can either suffer through the good decisions that aren't always easy, or make the easy choices now and suffer through the consequences later. Pretty simple! He will have several books available soon that discussed these things in more detail, so visit his website at www.homeword.com.

3) Creating a Great Dad-Great Mom Partnership, with Dr. Robert Hamrin & Dr. Jack Elwood: Wow is about all I can say about this one. These 2 men have a ministry to dads and offer "Great Dad" workshops. Our MOPS group is going to see about setting one up for the men in our lives this year!!! I cannot imagine that any man in attendance wouldn't walk away with something positive. I took lots of notes on this one, but the biggest section is titled "The 3 Know NO's": (1) No complaining, (2) No Comparison, and (3) No Criticizing. Such good, basic principles, and so hard to follow. I know what I'll be working on...

So, there you have it. My MOPS Convention workshops in a nutshell. I cannot even begin to describe the blessing that MOPS has been to my life! The blessings just roll-over into my family, my marriage, and my friendships - which is the point! The women that God has placed in my life, at this moment in my life, are all heaven-sent and I love each & every one of them very much. Getting to go to convention with them? Well, that's just bonus!!!