Going Deeper

Last year I came across a fellow mother/writer/blogger through one of my favorite Christian communities, and I felt moved to share with you this inspiring bit of poetry by a creative storyteller I have come to love, trust, and admire.

May 2013

This is the last newsletter I am writing/editing after two years as Publicity for our Owatonna MOPS. I am so thankful for the opportunities I have had to share thoughts and motherhood with all of you. Our community of moms has been for me a place of learning, listening, and living through relationships founded on a mutual love for God and one another. Love as if your life depended on it, (paraphrase of 1 Peter 4:8) was our motto this year, which, incidentally, was what led each of us to become mothers in the first place! I praise our Father for all His precious love children and I desire to follow after Jesus, who loved His sons and daughters so much that His life DID depend on it. To be honest, loving has not always been easy for me. When I was a teenager and my parents' marriage was broken I remember the reciting same prayer request at bible study every week, God please help me to love my family. Now, in the inexplicable straights of secondary infertility, I face battles with jealousy and bitterness whenever I encounter siblings, and since I am one, that means all the time. We all have a form of suffering in our lives, don't we? Even Jobwhose hard-earned livelihood, ten children, and health were stolen from him in an attempt to make him reject God's lovehad done nothing to deserve his pain. Accepting grief and brokenness is an arduous journey; I cannot travel on it alone. The paradox is in learning to be content with all the good gifts I have while simultaneously longing for the good gifts God has in store. Being happy now, and being hopeful for what is to come. Every day I have to wake up and trust God to get me through the day. He is faithful even when I am faithless, for nothing, not even death can separate us from the love of God (Romans 8:3839). He wants us to dive into the depths of His promises for us, and I have taken the plunge! -Reagan Dregge
Can you believe this May Day snow resulted in a recordbreaking 15"?!

Here is Rebecca Reynolds'

Mother's Day
I remember what it was like to want a baby. I remember how it felt to walk through the grocery store watching others dispose so recklessly everything I ached to be. I remember mothers, (or so-called mothers), snapping off ugly words to curly-haired toddlers. I remember mothers, (or so-called mothers), sighing in exasperation, ignoring bundles of angel on earth, telling them to hush. I remember seeing from a distance the wonder of ten little curved fingers, dimpled knuckles, wrapped sweetly around a shopping cart handle. I remember small voices saying, "Momma, Momma," and wondering what unforgivable thing I had done to become unworthy of that name.

(...poem continued on page 2)

Pineapple Delight 1 banana 2 cups fresh pineapple 2 cups ice to a blender *Add water as a needed for consistency What's your favorite smoothie flavor/combination?

(Continued from front page)

It has been sixteen years, but I will never forget Mother's Day empty-armed, trying to smile politely, running to the church bathroom, weeping the long, hard, labor of grief a locked door. Because of this, I define motherhood a little differently than some. I define motherhood as the womb of creativity and breasts of recreativity made full. Motherhood is an idea fluttering and kicking, compassion fluttering and kicking, music birthed, books nursed, social healing held upright on wobble knees until it walks, wounds of the heart and body dressed and bandaged.

Motherhood is entrance into dark rooms where fright cries out from sleep, and motherhood is chasing away the monsters. Motherhood is the renaming of the rejected, it is the embrace of the lonely, it is a Saturday picnic packed for the hungry, it is the rocking of the forgotten in the lap of an old, sweet song. Motherhood is the soft, feminine hand of love on the cheek of the world's need. For children are born and tended in a million different sorts of ways. The earth cries out and here you are to answer. You are maternity, and you are beautiful.

Rebecca Reynolds writes more on her blog, littlebootsliturgies.blogspot.com, and is also an occasional guest writer at The Rabbit Room (www.rabbitroom.com). http://littlebootsliturgies.blogspot.com/2012/05/on-motherhood.html

Kid's Kraft Korner

Paper Rockets
They will zooom in front of your nose, chase you around the house and ultimately get lost behind furniture.
Supplies Needed: paper To Make: 1. Decorate the paper. 2. Put glue on one of the longer edges. Then role the paper around a pencil starting from the opposite side. 3. Close the top of the rocket with scotch tape. 4. Insert a plastic straw and you are ready to go.
From http://curiouskangaroos.blogspot.com/2011/07/paper-rocket.html

glue

scotch tape

a plastic straw

Steering Sponsors Schedule

2012-2013 Steering Team Ashley Resler, Coordinator ahanson123@hotmail.com 507-213-6033 Julie Schultz, Coordinator juliemarieschultz@gmail.com 507-213-1421 Amy Macius, Finance amymacius@gmail.com 507-214-2797 Christy DeSaulniers, Discussion Groups & Mentor Moms christy@cnonline.net 507-413-0628 Reagan Dregge, Publicity aboveallshadows@gmail.com 507-414-2088 Jodi Ovrebo, Creative Activities jodi.ovrebo@gmail.com 952-994-3643 Anne Walsh, Service Team Leader annewalsh109@centurylink.net 507-475-1406 Joan Dotson, Moppets joanbleck@yahoo.com 507-363-6977 Allie Halverson, Moppets alyson04@hotmail.com 612-237-2453 Jessica Lightly, Hospitality jesshammitt@hotmail.com 414-241-7910 Thank You to our Sponsors! Platinum Sponsors NewLife Community Resler Construction Gold Sponsors Central Valley Cooperative Federated Insurance Mayo Clinic Health System Dotson Woodworking Inc. Main Street Dental Clinics Coyour Construction Bethel Church Cornerstone Church Silver Sponsors Access Tonna Lock Service Hometown Motors Costas Candies & Restaurant Owatonna Gymnastics Club Namarya Soap Legacy Signs Balzer Builders Inc Bronze Sponsors Owatonna Dental Care John Havelka - Edward Jones Dresser Family Dentistry Gnemi Appraisal Service

May Birthdays Kelli Gentz 5/3, Amy Macius 5/8 Holly Guenther 5/11, Bonnie Webster 5/11 Diane Ristau 5/14, Kara Seiler 5/30 Amanda Fisher 5/22, Johanna Quam 5/24 Janel Kess 5/25, Katie Williamson 5/28

Reminders 5/7 Breakfast: Pacific Ocean, Norwegian Sea MOPPETS Snacks/OnCall: Arctic Ocean 5/21 Breakfast: Southern Ocean, Scotia Sea MOPPETS Snacks/OnCall: Atlantic Ocean