Welcome to MOPS and MOPS NEXT at First Federated Church!

MOPS/MOPS NEXT stands for Mothers of Preschoolers and into the next step -- Elementary school. We exist to meet the needs of every mom -- moms with different lifestyles who all share a similar desire to be the very best moms they can be! MOPS/MOPS NEXT recognizes that the years of infancy through kindergarten are foundational in a mother-child relationship and are filled with unique needs. MOPS/MOPS NEXT helps moms through relationships estabilished in the context of local groups that provide a caring atmosphere for today's mother of young children. Come join us at Federated to begin your quest to be the mom God intended you to be!

Friday, July 30, 2010

Iowa State Fair

The fair is coming up really quickly! Do you have plans to go?

What activities are a MUST for the kids in the family?


What foods CANNOT be missed for your family?


Share your thoughts by posting a comment below!

Check out http://www.iowastatefair.com/ for more information... but info from moms is always the best, right?

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Nurse speaker...NEED YOUR HELP!

Hi, Moms! We are in the process of scheduling the speakers for this coming year and have just scheduled our church nurse to speak to us.

She is asking for a list of topics that you want to hear about.

SO....

Please put your idea in the comment section and let's give her some great topics!

Thank You for the Windows

by Katherine Craddock

A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit saps a person’s strength. (Proverbs 17:22, NLT)

Gloomily hunched over my bowl of cheerios, I fully intended to start my day with a full-scale pity party. “Thank you God for this food,” I sighed half-heartedly. Boo hoo. My life was soo bad.

“And thank you for the windows!” my 2 ½ year-old daughter Katie shouted. The windows? Hmm. I guess we did just get new windows.

“Yes, God. Thank you for the windows.” I echoed.

“And thank you for the doors!” she continued. I thought of the small, door-less shacks I had witnessed during a Jamaican thunderstorm. Entire families huddled in living quarters smaller than my back-yard shed, while I vacationed in luxury. Doors are good. We need those.

“Thank you for the doors.” My response was a little louder this time. A slow smile spread across my face.

Katie was on a roll. “And thank you for the walls!” She’s right. Walls are important. Where would we be without walls?

Within seconds, we were laughing and shouting thanksgiving to the Lord at the top of our lungs. Arms raised to heaven, we thanked God for our beautiful house, our pets, and even our shiny new dishwasher.

My toddler’s enthusiasm had turned pity into praise. Truly, I had much to be thankful for. Yes, God. Thank you for the windows.

Having a blue day? Gratitude to the Lord is the best medicine for a broken heart.

Katherine Craddock is a professional writer and pastor’s wife who is the oldest of nine children and mother to one Kindergartner and two preschoolers of her own. She lives in Northern Virginia and is part of The King’s Chapel MOPS. Taken from www.MOPS.org

Wednesday, July 14, 2010

SPLASH PARTY

You're Invited to the First Federated Church's Annual
SPLASH PARTY!
THIS Sunday, July 18, 2010
6:15-8:15pm
Clive Aquatic Center
1801 NW 114th St.
FREE ADMISSION
Check our website for cancellation information if it is raining!

Splish Splash!

If you couldn't make it to our play date yesterday, you missed a fun time with friends! The children got soaked as they enjoyed each others company and the water! It was a gorgeous day so being in the water was a refreshment as was seeing our MOPS friends again!


Monday, July 12, 2010

Splish, Splash Play date

Don't forget.... We have a special play date set for TOMORROW, July 13 at 10 AM (or right after naps!) at Ashby Park! Bring your kids, swim suits, towels, and a lunch. We have reserved the shelter for the whole day so come back in the evening and enjoy dinner at the Park with dad!

We can't wait to see you again!

Yummy Summer Dessert

Do you have a special family BBQ planned and need to bring dessert but don’t want to labor in the hot kitchen for an hour? Well, here is a great idea for you that is sure to please the whole crowd – young and old – and you won’t even have to turn on the oven!

Ice Cream Sandwich Cake

2 boxes of ice cream sandwiches

1 tub of Cool Whip

1 jar of Peanuts or other nuts

Chocolate, caramel, or strawberry syrup

Other toppings to taste

Take a 9x13 cake pan and cover the bottom with unwrapped ice cream sandwiches. You may have to cut them to get a perfect layer of ice cream. Smooth half of the tub of Cool Whip over the sandwiches then add toppings: peanuts, chocolate, caramel, strawberry etc. Once that is complete, add another layer of ice cream sandwiches and finish the cake with another layer of Cool Whip and your favorite toppings.

Put it into the freezer for a few hours until the cake gets harder (the sandwiches tend to melt a little from being out of the freezer). Once it is firm, cut it into pieces and serve! YUMMY!

Tuesday, July 6, 2010

A thought for the day....

"Is prayer your steering wheel or your spare tire?"
~ Corrie ten Boom

Giants of our faith have viewed prayer as a main source of direction in their lives. They wouldn't have thought to let a day go by without a long, energizing time with the Father. Martin Luther even said, "I have so much business I cannot get on without spending three hours daily in prayer."

We need to spend time with the Lord in prayer so He can direct and steer us through our crazy lives. We certainly do need Him daily for wisdom, for energy, for direction, for instruction, for encouragement, for patience... And He is ready, willing and able to help!