New MOPS year starting September 13th!

Well, it's that time of the year again! School is starting up and MOPS will be resuming meetings on the second Tuesday of September. Don't forget you can pre-register for MOPS by sending an email to jacksonvillemops@yahoo.com just letting us know you are coming and how many kids we can expect you to bring. We will have limited room this year so sign up soon!
We are excited about a new year with some great guest speakers and hope you join us!

Onslow Pregnancy Resource Center

Thank you to everyone for giving Shelia Judon a warm MOPS welcome today! Your questions were great and the picture frames look beautiful.

For those of you who weren't able to make it to today's meeting, Shelia is the executive director of the Onslow Pregnancy Resource Center, a pro-life Christian ministry that reaches out to girls and women in unplanned pregnancies. The center offers free services that include pregnancy tests, options counseling, abstinence education, material needs, and post-abortion counseling. It is a nonprofit organization that is funded by churches, businesses and individual donors. Although their mission is to prevent abortion, their first priority is to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with their clients.

Clients who come into the center meet with one-on-one with a trained counselor who shares information about fetal development and the abortion procedure. Many clients do not know that the baby's sex is determined from day one of conception and that the baby has a heartbeat on day 20. Counselors also explain the physical, emotional, and spiritual effects of abortion. They often will share these passages from Psalms:

For you created my inmost being;
you knit me together in my mother’s womb.
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,
I know that full well.
My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made in the secret place,
when I was woven together in the depths of the earth.
Your eyes saw my unformed body;
all the days ordained for me were written in your book
before one of them came to be.

The counselors care for each client, and they pray they make a decision for life.

Onslow Pregnancy Resource Center is always seeking volunteers and prayer warriors, and also have several fundraising opportunities. For more information, call 910-938-7000, email at oprc4hope@yahoo.com or go to

www.oprcfriends.com

Let's Play!

Think for a moment about your favorite memories as a kid. Inevitably some of them involve play or a special activity with someone you love. I remember turning off all the lights in the living room and crawling around with my dad in anticipation of him grabbing my arm and saying "ah ha!" at which point I would scream and then laugh until my belly hurt. Or making a tent in my sisters room while they were away at college and when they came home we would all three sleep under it. Or looking in the mirror with my mom and laughing when she made faces. (She can do some pretty funny ones!) More important than the activity was the bonding time that was made doing these things.

This week at MOPS we are talking about playing with your kids and hope we can give you some new ideas on how to spend special time together.

What's your favorite way to play with your kids?

She's got personality...

Ever wondered why it doesn't bother your husband to leave his socks on the floor? Or why your sister is so bossy? Or how your four year old can carry on a conversation with a stranger like they are old friends...and you get nervous saying hi to your neighbors? All those things may have to do with their personalities and it's your personality that helps shape who you are as a mom. Join us tomorrow as we talk about this tricky, yet entertaining subject!

First MOPS Meeting!

Please join us for our first MOPS meeting, Tuesday Sept 14. Come drop your kids off at 9:45 then head to the MOPS room for coffee, food and an introduction to this years theme "Momology: The Art and Science of Mothering." We are looking forward to seeing you!

2010-2011 Theme: Momology at MOPSU!!

This year we will be learning the Art and Science of Mothering or Momology. So get ready to crack open your textbooks and sharpen your pencils, we will be taking you through a year at MOPS University where you will get your very own degree in Momology. Prepare yourself for some hands on learning experiences and real time work on the job. Courses include: Chemistry, Cosmetology, History, Criminal Justice and much more! Make sure you register for classes today. Contact Ms. Susan Neiss at the Registar's Office for details.

Welcome to our new blog!

Hello everyone! We decided to start this blog in an effort to create a central place for announcements, article, links, jokes, recipes, and whatever else we feel like you guys might need. (Hey, everyone can use a good joke once in a while, right?) This won't take the place of our regular newsletter, but will add to it. However, to save on stamps, money and trees, we have decided to keep the paper newsletters to once a quarter. In between those, articles and what nots will be posted here. So please, check back often!