Books for the Adoption Ministry Christ Community Church

A Month of Kindness!

Last Wednesday, the mommas of Sandhills MOPS kicked off their Random Acts of Kindness month!  We are encouraging each of our moms to talk with their children about being kind to others and set a goal to complete at least one random act of kindness with their kids each week during the month of November!  As we are entering the holiday season and are beginning to reflect on what we are each thankful for, the timing is perfect to pay our blessings forward with acts of kindness that we hope will instill lifelong lessons in our little ones.

 

We also had the pleasure of hearing from local Moore County author Kristen Beavers who recently released her new book "Calvin the Kindness Reindeer."  Calvin is a reindeer with a message of kindness for children of all ages all year long.  You can learn more about Calvin here and follow him on Facebook.  Kristen's book can be purchased through her website, on amazon.com and at Barnes&Noble.com.  One lucky momma was the recipient of her very own Calvin doll along with the book and a Calvin calendar to prompt acts of kindness all year round!  Thank you, Kristen, for coming to share your morning with us!

After a delicious brunch provided by the Green table, we spent the rest of the morning crafting and made cute chicken wire picture frames using just that - a picture frame and a bit of chicken wire!  These frames are great for clipping up pictures or notes or even hairbows for little girls!

We enjoyed our fun morning of socializing and getting to know each other better while having a little time to craft and make something fun for our homes! 

Next time we are taking a group field trip to visit one of our local Police and Fire Stations!

Beauty and Books for a Cause!

Join us on Wednesday, November 9th at Play Escape from 9:30-11am for our book fair to get free books for the Adoption Ministry at Christ Community Church!  We were able to get over $400 in free books in June and are hoping to surpass that amount this month!  50% of each sale goes to purchase books for this sweet ministry!

We will also have a special guest Wednesday morning- Jana with Beautycounter will be there as well and she has offered to donate a portion of her profits that morning to our book fair!  We are thankful for her and that she is joining in with us on Wednesday!

If you are unable to attend in person, there is still time to shop online in time for Christmas delivery!  Shop at www.usbornebooksreadingnook.com and select "Sandhills MOPS Book Fair" in the drop down menu for the event at checkout. :) 

A Heart for the Orphan

Did you know that there are an estimated 132 million orphans worldwide?  Last week, Sandhills MOPS hosted an Adoption and Foster Panel, and we received a glimpse into the lives of four incredible moms who were led to adopt and/or host one of these orphans. Every momma left last week's meeting with hope filled hearts after listening to the testimony from these inspiring moms. We heard from two of our own moms, Erin Cochran- who is molding the Adoption & Foster Care Ministry at Christ Community Church, while also nearing completion on an international adoption, and Holly Kaun- a stay at home mom of two who just started a domestic adoption.  We also welcomed Leia Capps,  the owner of Sage Harvest Gourmet Jerky in Southern Pines and mom to six children (4 were adopted internationally), and author/speaker/blogger Michelle Cuthrell who has three children (1 adopted internationally) and who is hosting an orphan for the second time this December.  These moms are a true testimony of Christ's love for the orphan, and while their stories varied, each of them shared the same underlying theme which is best summed up with a quote from Michelle Cuthrell "...it doesn't take perfect families to make perfect homes for superheroes-in-waiting, it takes the PERFECT LOVE of a PERFECT GOD poured out through the willing and available hands of imperfect people." This resonated within our group, because none of us are perfect, and there are days where caring for the children we have seems impossible; but, these ladies assured us that a willing heart and the love of GOD makes ANYTHING possible!

Pictured left to right:  Erin Cochran, Holly Kaun, Leia Capps, Michelle Cuthrell

 Holly holds up one of the 'Steadfast + Immovable' shirts sold by Sage Harvest- who donates 100% of the shirt profits to a featured family to help offset the costly adoption process. Holly's family is the featured family this month.

While not all families are situated to adopt or foster, we are all called to care for the orphan one way or another, and this can be as simple as supporting a local ministry or family, or by supporting a business that donates to orphan causes, like Sage Harvest. Sandhills MOPS is also contributing to the cause by hosting a year long book fair where a portion of your book purchases is given back to MOPS to buy books for Christ Community Church's Adoption and Foster Care Ministry families who are welcoming a child.   Share our page with your friends and family so they can shop for a cause all year long at www.usbornebooksreadingnook.com.  Add some wonderful Christmas gifts to your cart for your family and at checkout, choose "Sandhills MOPS Book Fair" to share books with children who are finding their forever home!

As we near November, which is National Adoption Awareness Month, we urge all of you who are feeling a nudge to adopt, foster, or host, to learn more and pursue the calling.  Sandhills MOPS thanks our Adoption and Foster Care Panel for speaking to us and we wish many blessings upon your beautiful hearts and families!

 It's craft day next time at MOPS, and a local children's author visits us to help kick off Random Acts of Kindness month!

Dental Derby, Play Escape, & Emergency Planning- Before Hurricane Matthew!

Led by one of our own mom experts in care management, Sandhills MOPS discussed in-depth how to craft an emergency care plan for their families at last week's meeting- just in time for hurricane Matthew!  In addition to discussing wills, trusts, healthcare directives, and powers of attorney, our moms were instructed on best practices for creating a simple instructional plan for potential caregivers in the event she and/or her husband become incapacitated.  Although a less pleasant subject, many moms left the meeting uplifted upon having learned something new about what to include in emergency documents and how to ease the duties of those who step-in to care for our loved ones during emergencies.

Every momma also left the meeting knowing exactly who'd they contact for help in a case of the unexpected.  So many of our mommas were willing to volunteer as emergency contacts for new moms to our group, showing just how supportive this organization is during times of need.  This support was evidenced further when moms opened their homes, made meals, and offered to help in numerous ways after hurricane Matthew rocked our area and left countless Sandhills MOPS families without power for days.  Thankfully no one had to to utilize their emergency care plans over the weekend, but everyone was offered loving support from our MOPS community!

Before the emergency planning discussion, Sandhills MOPS welcomed business owners of two local businesses- Dental Derby and Play Escape.  Doctor Jose Cangas and his wife Yashira own the unique, and appropriately fitting to our area, equestrian themed Dental Derby Pediatric Dentistry, where kiddos climb atop Stewball the racehorse for pictures and earn derby dollars to purchase cool prizes after each visit.  Nominated this year as one of the areas Best Dental Practices in Moore County's Best of the Pines, Dr. Cangas and his staff have an excellent rapport with children and the community. Dental Derby celebrated it's 2nd birthday last week, and Sandhills MOPS received the first preview of the video celebrating the business's success. This video is another example of the supportive community in which we live!

Dental Derby generously donated a one year membership to Play Escape, and it's owner Aslynn Rust joined us to present the membership card to our raffle winner!  Aslynn owns the area's only 4,200 square feet indoor play area, where kids can run, jump, climb, crawl, slide and bounce while parents easily watch their children from comfortable seats near the in-house coffee bar and cafe. Play Escape was voted 'Best Non-Sport Program for Kids' and 'Best Place to Take Kids on a Rainy Day' in Moore County's Best of the Pines awards.  Aslynn shared her inspirational story of how she took a chance on an idea that was not supported by industry experts, and in turn, proved those opinions wrong with a hugely successful business in less than a year of opening her doors. Both Aslynn and Dental Derby's generosity made one lucky momma very happy!

 

Lastly, we especially thank the orange table for providing us a delicious and festively fall brunch!

You aren't going to want to miss next meeting's Adoption and Foster Care Panel, where we will receive insight into the adoption and foster care process!

Thank you to Once Upon a fairy Tale NC and This Little Piggy Boutique for donating two tickets to the Daddy Daughter Royal Ball for October 23rd!  It is not too late to purchase tickets, and you have until midnight on October 13th to use code MATTHEW for 50% off adult tickets!

CALLING ALL PRINCESSES!!

Daddies will not want to miss this opportunity to dance the night away with their princesses! The Daddy Daughter Royal Ball is a family affair, so if Daddy isn't home, then make it a mommy and me moment- or bring the whole family! General admission includes food, drinks, dancing and mingling with many of your favorite fairy-tale princesses!

Tickets are on sale NOW at This Little Piggy Baby and Children's Boutique or online. A portion of the ticket proceeds benefit the Sandhills Children's Center.

September Sponsor Shout Out!

The last day of each month, Sandhills MOPS will recognize every business who supported our organization throughout the month.  We're calling it Sponsor Shout-Out, and we hope you'll spread the word about these great businesses too!  Sandhills MOPS mommas want to extend a HUGE thank you to all our sponsors for the month of September!