VBS - July 27-31 & Sunday, Aug 2

FINALLY! A new post. The blog has taken a backseat of late. But here I am again - on the ball once more.

VBS! Our next event. PRAY. PRAY. PRAY. God loves the children. And he is still a prayer answering God. So many have come to know Christ through VBS. We are passing out 2400 fliers prior to the event. Let's join together and ask the Lord to give us a full house that last week of July!

If anyone wants to pass out fliers and you cannot do so during regular visitation hours or you would like to pass them out in addition to those times, please let me know. We can coordinate schedules and find a partner for you. If you want some for your own neighborhood, let Pastor or me know. We will get you a stack of fliers.

We still need more school supplies. We have plenty of notebooks and paper. Kleenex would be a great addition to our collection as would glue sticks. We probably can't have too many pencils and crayons, so bring them on. A fairly complete list of items is in a previous post:

http://wobcladies.blogspot.com/2009/02/vbs-2009.html

Also, we need snacks. If everyone can bring 3 or 4 bags/boxes (or more if you can), we should be able to provide all that we need. That list:

Teddy Grahams

Ritz Crackers

Townhouse Crackers

Goldfish

We are trying to keep the more messy snacks at bay :-)

On Friday, we will need lots of manpower for the carnival setup! If you can help, give Pastor or me the hours you are available. Probably the earier in the day, the better.

And don't forget - if you have kids coming, start changing your dollars and coins into pennies!! The penny offering is always a BIG hit with the kiddos.

I will be sending out an e-mail today with all of the things we discussed at ladies' meeting on Tuesday night to recap. Thanks for all of your help and hours sacrificed to make this, our first VBS, a great event! Let's really bath it in prayer. We want to see God do great things through this wonderful outreach.

retreat.reminiscings.

Eight ladies enjoyed a wonderful retreat in St. Jo, MO this Friday and Saturday! There was something from God's Word and the testimonies of the speakers for everyone. We enjoyed great weather on Friday, a bit of rain Saturday morning, but the Lord even stopped the rain before the drive home in the afternoon. There was not much sleep to be had on Friday night, but hopefully most of us recovered Saturday night. It was a wonderful time of fellowship and friendship. Hopefully I can get my camera battery to live long enough to upload pictures soon.

Springing into Spring!

Or making a mad dash into spring is more like it :) I personally am a little shocked (and somewhat disappointed) that we are in the second week of April already! I have a feeling the spring of 09 is going to be a thing of the past before I even have time to enjoy it. Hopefully we will all have a few moments to stop and smell the roses and watch the colors return to the landscape. Spring is my very favorite time of year!

To the business at hand...

Amber Araujo's baby shower is Monday night, April 13th at the church at 6:30 p.m. There is a wish list in the entry at church, but I can also e-mail you a copy if you need it before Sunday. Amber and Leandro are having a girl! Congrats, Araujos!

The ladies' retreat in St. Jo is next Friday (April 17, 18)! A forewarning- get a good night of sleep Thursday night. It would not be a true ladies' meeting if you enjoyed a night full of zzzz's on Friday night. Not that it can't happen - it's just highly unlikely. Feel free to bring along some snacks for the trip down, back, and the hotel room. Pam and I will be driving our vehicles. We will pick up most of you just before 2 and rendezvous at my house. We plan to be home around 5 on Saturday. Let me know if you have any questions!

Our Mother-Daughter brunch is almost upon us (May 2nd). It seems like we just announced the theme and speaker for this year! Give Me a Clean Heart is our theme. If you would like to help with the brunch but were not at ladies meeting to sign up, our task teams and their leaders are as follows:

Wendy Duran - Decor

Debbie Chamberlain - Games, prizes

Lindsay Parks - Food

See one of these ladies if you would like to help with any of the above. Or you can see me if you have any questions. Fliers will be available on Sunday for your to hand out to your friends, family, and co-workers. I can also e-mail a pdf of the flier for you to distribute via e-mail if you prefer. This is more than a mother-daughter event. It is open to all ladies and girls. Unless someone volunteers to watch the nursery, there will not be a nursery worker for this event. However, the nursery is always available for a mom to use if the need arises.

Lindsay Parks' baby shower is during ladies' meeting in May (May 5th). I will be e-mailing her wish list and also making it available to you on the table at church soon. Derek and Lindsay will be ushering little Noah into the world in June! Congrats Parks Family!!

Our missions conference is only a few weeks away (May 20-24). At present, the plan is to have the ladies' luncheon at my home on Saturday around 10:30 or 11. The time will be announced soon and also listed in the bulletin. We should have a babysitter available if you need one. The missionary wives will be sharing their testimonies with us. We look forward to hearing about the Lord's working in their lives. If the families want to visit the zoo, children's museum, etc., we will let you know what day they plan to have their excursion so you can join them if you would like to.

Spring Consignment Sales

Below is a list of all of the spring consignment sales I could find in Omaha. I have found that the consignment stores are cheaper than the seasonal sales. However, the sales offer much more variety. I have found it very helpful to shop the stores first (Bigwheels to Butterflys - yes they spelled it wrong - and Once Upon a Child) and then find my leftover needs at the sales. They typically have lots of shoes (especially Reruns) and toys. Of course they have more clothes than you can shake a stick at as well. Reruns gets new items in all week, so just hitting that sale once isn't enough and they are opened for the longest duration, and they have the largest selection. But they probably have just about the highest prices, though their prices are still much lower than department stores. I have scored many name brand items (some of them new with tags) for next to nothing.

The clothing sizes range from newborn to about 14. Some of the consignment sales also have a good selection of maternity clothes.

If anyone has information on more children's consignment stores (or any consignment stores for that matter), please forward the information to me. I will post a link to their site and add their name to the above mentioned stores.

Munchkin Junction (Visa, Mastercard, Discover)
Bethany-Lutheran Church
4200 N. 204th Street
http://www.munchkinjunctionsale.com/
Elkhorn, NE
March 18-20, 9am – 8pm
March 21, 9am – 12pm (half price day)

Take 2 (Visa, Mastercard, Discover, AmEx)
90th & Maple (Village Shopping Plaza)
http://www.take2.com/
March 18-20, 10am – 7pm
March 21, 10am – 5pm

All About Kids (Visa, Mastercard)
Kush Plaza, 72nd L Street
www.allaboutkidsomaha.com/
March 21, 10am – 6pm
March 22, 12pm – 5pm
March 23-27, 10am – 8pm
March 28, 10am – 6pm
March 29, 12pm – 5pm (half price day)

Twice As Nice (cash only)
Omaha Police Union, Local 101
13445 Cryer Avenue, Omaha, NE 68144
www.twiceasniceomaha.com/
March 25-27, 10am – 8pm
March 28, 9am – 1pm

Reruns R Fun (Visa, Mastercard)

8501 Granville Parkway (84th St & Brentwood)LaVista, Nebraska
http://www.rerunsrfun.net/
Mar 27-Apr 3, 11am – 7pm
April 4, 11am – 5pm

The Clothesline (cash only)
Southwest Church of Christ
2600 S 124th St
http://members.cox.net/the.clothesline/
April 1-2, 9am – 8pm
April 3, 9am – 4pm
April 4, 8am – 1pm (half price day)

WeePeats for WeeOnes (Cash Only)
Fremont City Auditorium

929 N. Broad St., Fremont
(9th Street & Hwy. 77)
http://www.weeonesfremont.com/index.htm
April 8 – 10, 9am – 7pm
April 11, 8am – 3pm (half price day)

Kidz Shoppe (Visa and Mastercard)
147th & Giles (Omaha Sports Complex)
http://www.kidzshoppeomaha.com/
April 22 – 24, 9:30am – 7pm
April 25, 9:30am – 4pm (half price day)

VBS 2009

July 2009 will be the first ever Vacation Bible School in the history of West Omaha Baptist Church. We are very excited to host our first VBS. Many more details will be given as the time draws closer. Right now, we need to start collecting school supplies. Below is a list of items that we need. Each of these items are very inexpensive and if you are able to pick up a piece or two at a time, we would certainly have all we need by the time the end of July rolls around. A box will be under the table in the entry at church. You can collect your items there. Below is a list of things we need.

• Crayons
• Pencils
• Pens
• Erasers
• Glue
• Scissors
• Markers
• Paper
• Stickers
• Construction paper
• Rulers
• Pencil sharpeners
• Colored pencils
• Binders
• Index cards
• Lunch Boxes
• Pencil bags

Devotion - Staying Sweet in a Kitty Litter World

Many of you have asked for the Kitty Litter Cake recipe and the Candy Basket devotion. You will find the list of items you need for the devotion in bold as you read the devotion. You will want to glue or tape some kind of stick to the back of your candy bars ahead of time. Just a thought - popsicle sticks are not long enough. You can always add (or subtract) any other type of candy you find to fit varioius Scriptural characteristics. Have fun and be creative!

Here you go...

Staying Sweet in a Kitty Litter World

Isaiah 5:20

Woe unto them that call evil good, and good evil; that put darkness for light, and light for darkness; that put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter!

Circumstances in life are not always as they seem. Example - Vanilla smells sweet, tastes bitter.

Proverbs 20:17

Bread of deceit is sweet to a man; but afterwards his mouth shall be filled with gravel.

Let's talk kitty litter:

• It stinks
• It's messy
• It's full of disease
• It is valuable to nothing and no one

Our lives can seem like kitty litter, stinky, messy, full of heartache and disease, and seemingly worthless. But God can make our kitty litter lives sweet.

His protection is sweet - Song of Solomon 2:31-3

His call to me is sweet - Song of Solomon 2:14

His rest is sweet - Song of Solomon 5:5

His relationship to me is sweet - Song of Solomon 5:16

He is the Savior that taketh away the sin of the world - John 1:29

So how can we have this sweetness in the midst of our kitty litter?

(At this point, begin filling the basket)

1. Clean your vessel - Matt 23:25, 2 Tim 2:21 (bring out the empty basket to represent your cleaned vessel for the master's use)


2. When you clean your vessel, you must replace the sin with something good and usable/pliable for the master, a good foundation - I Tim 6:19 (fill the basket with foam for the candy arrangement)


3. God must be at the center of your life - Deut 6:5. THREE MUSKATEERS - God the Father, Son, Holy Ghost


4. Don't let sin into your life. Keep your heart pure. And be obedient and do right. The boomerang is going to come back whether your deeds are sinful or pure - Gal 6:7-10. Remember, there is a Payday some day. Remember, there is a payday someday for both evil and good.


5. Keep your heart soft - Hosea 10:12. Keep the ICEBREAKERS handy. Don't let bitterness and hatred control your heart. Heb 12:15


6. Choose your words wisely - Prov 25:11. Keep your mouth KISSABLEs. Don't complain, gossip, criticize, or slander. Good, encouraging words are priceless. Jame 3:9-11


7. Study God's Word and understand it - 2 Tim 2:15. Don't be an AIRHEAD. Know why you believe what you believe. Learn God's Word and his desire for the Christian life. Know how to fight off the temptation of the devil. Eph 6:10-18


8. Handle your life wisely- Matt 10:16. Be wise as serpants and harmless of DOVES. God will give you wisdom in every situation, but you have to ask him for it. James 1:5


9. Be careful of the music you allow into your ears, your heart, and your mind. Ungodly music will rob you of your sweetness - Col 3:16. Pops don't necessirily rock (POPS ROCK). Eph 5:19


10. Read God's Word and pray - Psalm 119:97, I Thes 5:17. We need to commune with God NOW AND LATER.


11. Watch your walk - Eph 5:1. Straighten up and STRIDE right! (gum)


12. It's a fact of life - there are going to be unkind, ugly, hateful people who cross your path. Rom 12:17-19. But dont go into ORBIT about it. Psalm 119:165


13. Win souls to Christ. There are hurting, lost people all around us - John 15:13. Be a LIFESAVER. Matt 28:18-20


14. Don't be a respector of persons - Acts 10:34. In our daily lives, we will meet up with and minister to all kinds of people. But never forget that Mike needs the Lord just as much as Ike (MIKE N IKE). Don't favor one over the other!


15. Some people are just NERDS. But we must reach out to them, too.


16. It is easy to be close to the HOT TAMALES and the SUGAR DADDYS. But leaving Mike N Ike and the Nerds behind, making fun, mocking them, will rob you of your blessing and your testimony. Remember - we are to go into the highways and hedges and compel them to come in.


17. Whether they are ROLOS or SLIM JIMS, all sinners and need a Savior.


18. Do good for others. A little show of kindness goes a long ways - Prov 3:27. Go on a shopping SPREE for others. Most people will respond with a melted heart to your kindness.


19. However, there are those who are EXTREME (gum). It will take EXTRA kindness on your part to win them over and demonstrate the love of Christ. Eph 4:32

CONCLUSSION:

It is possible to be sweet in a kitty litter world. Things don't have to be as they seem. (take a bite of the kitty litter cake). God can turn bitter into sweet if we let the Word of Christ dwell in us richly in all wisdom. Start with your life - build your house upon a firm foundation, and God will change your life to sweetness and the lives of others through you - one bitter life at a time. (During the conclussion, you can add some fillers between candy like shiny tissue paper glued to a stick or curly ribbon on a stick)

Kitty Litter Cake Recipe:

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Kitty-Litter-Cake/Detail.aspx

INGREDIENTS (Nutrition)
1 (18.25 ounce) package German chocolate cake mix
1 (18.25 ounce) package white cake mix
2 (3.5 ounce) packages instant vanilla pudding mix
1 (12 ounce) package vanilla sandwich cookies
3 drops green food coloring
1 (12 ounce) package tootsie rolls

DIRECTIONS
Prepare cake mixes and bake according to package directions (any size pan).
Prepare pudding according to package directions and chill until ready to assemble.
Crumble sandwich cookies in small batches in a food processor, scraping often. Set aside all but 1/4 cup. To the 1/4 cup add a few drops of green food coloring and mix.
When cakes are cooled to room temperature, crumble them into a large bowl. Toss with 1/2 of the remaining cookie crumbs, and the chilled pudding. You probably won't need all of the pudding, you want the cake to be just moist, not soggy.
Line kitty litter box with the kitty litter liner. Put cake mixture into box.
Put half of the unwrapped tootsie rolls in a microwave safe dish and heat until softened. Shape the ends so that they are no longer blunt, and curve the tootsie rolls slightly. Bury tootsie rolls randomly in the cake and sprinkle with half of the remaining cookie crumbs. Sprinkle a small amount of the green colored cookie crumbs lightly over the top.
Heat 3 or 4 of the tootsie rolls in the microwave until almost melted. Scrape them on top of the cake and sprinkle lightly with some of the green cookie crumbs. Heat the remaining tootsie rolls until pliable and shape as before. Spread all but one randomly over top of cake mixture. Sprinkle with any remaining cookie crumbs. Hang the remaining tootsie roll over side of litter box and sprinkle with a few green cookie crumbs. Serve with the pooper scooper.

Ladies' Retreat

Bloom Where You're Planted

Bible Baptist Temple
St. Joseph, MO
April 17-18

$25 registration fee

(Due by March 15th)
Please make checks payable to WOBC.

We will write one check to Bible Baptist Temple

The specs -
We will probably be leaving the church on Friday around 2. We will have an absolute time by the first of March.

Registration will begin at 5:30 and will include sub sandwiches. Services begin at 7. Following the service, we will either grab a bite to eat or go back to the hotel to begin the slumber party!

There will be 5 sessions on Saturday. Four of the speakers will share their testimonies of how God allowed circumstances in their lives, how they trusted Him, and through His grace, "Bloomed Where They Were Planted." Anita Couser lost her husband unexpectedly. Carlene Smith had planned to follow her husband to the mission field, but he left her with 5 children to raise. Sindy Brown had a child who was born healthy, but now suffers from complications from tic fever. Glenda Williams is a godly lady who followed her husband to plant a church in St. Joseph, MO, and then into evangelism. Pastor Bill Marshall will be the final speaker.

Due to limited seating, we need to get registrations in as soon as possible. Please let me know as soon as you are positive you can attend. Refunds will only be provided if a 2-week notice is given. Late registration is $30 and it is possible you will not be able to sit with the rest of our group, although they will do all they can to keep us together.

If you have a child, there is no nursery for this event. However, some of the ladies have decided that they will take their infant with them and those ladies will take turns watching the children at the hotel so that they can participate in the majority of the services. If you are one of those with a child, please let me know so we can coordinate this effort better.

We will make arrangements for the hotels at our March ladies meeting. If you are not able to attend, please let me know if you want to share a room with 1 other lady or 4 to a room. The cost for the hotels is around $79 (not including tax) and includes a full, complimentary breakfast. More information on the hotel to follow.

Lunch will also be provided on Saturday at the church.

If you have any questions, don't hesitate to call or e-mail me. Be in prayer for this great meeting! God used last year's meeting to meet the spiritual needs of all 6 of us who attended. I look forward to a great attendance this year and a wonderful time of fellowship with one another!

Missions Conference Basket Blings

These gifts can be brought at any time. Check back as we update the information.
The Ritchies

• Nuts


• Trail Mix


• Beef Jerky


• Banana Chips/Dried Fruit


• Fruit Snacks


• Wipes


• Hand Sanitizer


• Gum/Mints


• Slipper Socks


• Pretty Berets/Clips for Mary and for 4-year-old daughter

Missions Conference 2009

May 20-24, 2009
WOBCs First Annual Missions Conference
See and Hear Their Cry


We are excitedly anticipating the first ever missions conference at West Omaha Baptist Church, and we want to give our missionaries RED CARPET treatment! Here are a few of the plans we've got up our sleeve...

We want to shower them with gifts! If we start bringing items now, we can do a little at a time and have a great collection by May. I have a post with some gift card ideas entitled "Missions Conference Gift Cards." There you will find a monthly list of gift cards to bring throughout each month. Large and small quantities are equally appreciated.

I will soon have a post entitled "Basket Blings." Each missionary family will be presented a basket of treasures. Within those baskets will be special items particular to each family's needs. Some of those items will be small, inexpensive gifts while others will be more costly. Again, all sacrficies are appreciated!

Keep in mind that our missionaries are sacrificing their lives for the Lord. Any small amount of sacrifice on our part is really for the cause of furthering the Gospel of Jesus Christ and fulfilling the Great Commission as a church. When we care for our missionaries as the New Testament churches cared for the Apostle Paul, we are taking part in the ministry of our missionaries, and souls for Christ are added to our account in heaven. Don't miss out on your opportunity!

If you have any questions or suggestions, please don't hesitate to e-mail me or give me a ring! Let's honor hour missionaries like royalty.

We will also have a Ladies Luncheon on Saturday, May 23rd after morning Soulwinning. You won't want to miss this great time of fellowship and hearing from our missionary wives, so try to set aside the time to join us. More details TBA.

Missions Conference Gift Cards

February - Electronic Dining
This month, bring gift cards to universal restaurants. You can bring them to me any time throughout the month of February. Here are some suggestions:

• Subway


• McDonalds


• Cracker Barrel


• Burger King


• Wendy's


• IHOP


• Pizza Hut


• Taco Bell


• Olive Garden

March - WalMart & Target Gift Cards

April - Money for the wives. Mary likes to shop at JCPenney's. I will find out what Mrs. Halsey's favorite department store is. Once the money is designated, I will purchase the gift cards with the total sum.

• Mrs. Ritchie - JCPenney's


• Mrs. Halsey - TBD

May - Missionary Wives Spending Spree Gift Cards

• Bath & Body Works


• Yankee Candle


• Amazon.com


• Starbucks gift cards

February 2009 LFM

Tuesday, February 3rd was the 1-year anniversary of our Ladies Fellowship Meetings! In this first ever meeting pictured to the left, Mrs. Ruegg, a pastor's wife from Seward, NE (just northwest of Lincoln) and her 3 daughters joines us for the meeting. Mrs. Ruegg presented a devotion from God's Word and encouraged us to draw closer to God. There were also five ladies from WOBC at the meeting.


Now one year later, we continue to hold our monthly LFM on the first Tuesday of each month. This Tuesday we had 13 ladies in attendance and had a wonderful Valentine's-style meeting. Thanks Wendy for the great decorations! And thanks to all of the creative chefs for the terrific food. We had lots of red and pink foods and even heart-shaped quesadillas.

Next month's meeting theme is "Springing into Spring." I can't wait to see what kind of foods you conjure up for March. Bring cameras. I think we'll want visual proof of the ideas - however far reaching they might be.


Debbie Chamberlain shared a wonderful devotion with us - "Being Sweet in a Kitty Litter World." Tomorrow I will have pictures uploaded and the notes from the devotion.



If you have not been able to join us for our LFMs, we hope you can attend the March meeting! Until then...