Capp ReCap(p)

Well, it's done. Another Cappuccino Christmas has come and gone and many of us have now been officially "launched" into the Christmas season. For lots of us, this event serves to prepare us for the festivities to come throughout the rest of December. I love every part of the evening. Seeing the hostesses setting and decorating their tables with care and creativity, the men preparing the coffee, escorting the women to their tables and serving them throughout the evening, savoring an amazing dinner prepared by our own Kitchen team and then enjoying a program filled with wonder, imagination and laughter. Mike's talk on "Do I Matter?" after the "It's a Wonderful Life" Radio Play, was both inspirational and challenging. It's a good question on which to ruminate in your journey of faith, and for some, a journey toward faith for the first time.

I also loved milling around the room before dinner and getting to meet SO MANY guests. Many women had invited their neighbors, or coworkers, or football team friends, or school friends. And I felt so blessed that we could all come together to share this special evening. There were about 540 women there, 50 men serving us, 10 in the kitchen, 10 in the play and 5 in our tech booth. You do the math - that's a lot of people!

This year was extra-special for me. My daughter, who had been schooling and working out of state over the past 5 years, was able to attend for the first time. And as I sat down to eat, I just felt so grateful to be sitting between her and my mother-in-law. Three generations, enjoying this beautiful time together. Yep, yummy food, great service, beautiful tables and an inspiring program to share with people I love: PRICELESS. We've been doing Cappuccino Christmas for 17 years now, and it has changed a lot over the years. But one thing hasn't changed; my joyful anticipation for the next one!

Wishing you and yours a blessed Christmas and Advent season as we celebrate the extraordinary gift God has given us in His Son.

And They're Off!!

Woohoo! Our Tuesday morning and Wednesday evening studies are off and running as they started up for the Fall this week. Pictured here are the leaders for the Wednesday night study of Esther - Karen Ransom and Linda Roeszler. And I'm thrilled to report that between these two groups, 93 women are registered. How wonderful! I loved being there at the kick off for both the morning and evening studies to see the devotion of the five leaders who have so lovingly and diligently prepared for this, and the enthusiasm of all the women who came to embark on a journey of study for the next few months. It was a beautiful sight. Warms the cockles of my heart! I pray that God will richly bless these students with ears to hear and hearts to receive all that His has for each person through these studies. And that new relationships will be formed and old ones strengthened.


It's not too late to join if you haven't already. Just let me know if you'd like to come, and I'll get word out to the leaders. The morning studies provide no-cost childcare, but let us know if you're coming with children so we can make sure we have plenty of helpers.

In other news, just a reminder that the Joyce Meyer conference is at Arco next weekend, Sept 30 - Oct 2. Admission is free - bring a friend! www.joycemeyer.org/conference.

Cappuccino Christmas is coming closer! (December 6) This is a fabulous event - if you have attended, you know what I mean. If not, trust me, I think you'll love it! Hostess tickets will go on sale the end of October and general ticket sales will run throughout November. Please be praying now about who you can invite and have some purposeful conversations with about God. Watch the bulletin for details about ticket sales.

Grind Time: What a wonderful summer it has been! For the last 5 months, I've been at It's a Grind on Friday mornings for whoever wanted to come and visit over a cup of coffee. I got to visit with so many of you, along with some women from other churches and even strangers. I've really enjoyed this experience - thank you! And if you came, I hope you did, too. With the Fall having arrived and ministries back in full swing, I've wrapped up Grind Time for now. But, I'm always game for a cup of coffee or a lunch, so let me know if you want to meet sometime and we'll make it happen!

Devotional: A friend of mine shared this from the study she's doing on Tuesday mornings:

"When a potter bakes a pot, he checks its solidity by pulling it out of the oven and thumping it. If it "sings" it's ready. If it "thuds" it's placed back in the oven. The character of a person is also checked by thumping.

Been thumped lately?

Late night phone calls. Grouchy teacher. Grumpy moms. Burnt meals. Flat tires. "You've got to be kidding" deadlines. Those are thumps. Thumps are those irritating inconveniences that trigger the worst in us. They catch us off guard. Flat footed. They aren't big enough to be crises, but if you get enough of them, watch out! Traffic jams. Long lines. Empty mailboxes. Dirty clothes on the floor..... Thump. Thump. Thump. How do I respond? Do I sing? Or do I thud? Jesus said that out of the nature of the heart a man speaks (Luke 6:45). There's nothing like a good thump to reveal the nature of a heart. The true character of a person is seen not in momentary heroics, but in the thump-packed humdrum of day to day living." (From Shaped by God by Max Lucado)

I don't know about you, but I want to be changed into more of a person who "sings"!

Be blessed,

Lorraine

Fall Women's Bible Studies

The kick-off of the Fall season at Oak Hills is an exciting time, especially because it means new large group women's Bible studies will be starting. These larger group studies meet on Tuesday mornings and Wednesday evenings at the church, beginning September 21st and 22nd. The study options include:

Tuesday Mornings (9:30 - 11:30am):

Option 1: "The Book of James" (Max Lucado's Life Lessons) led by Betsy Huskey. In this study, we will embark on a fascinating study, examining our hearts in the light of God's word and discussing such topics as enduring temptation, taming the tongue, trusting God, preparing for difficulties and learning to come to Him for guidance. This will be a life lesson for anyone wanting to grow in their faith.

Option 2: "Psalms" led by Sue Young. This book of the Bible is a devotional guide, prayer book and hymnal for God's people. In this study, we'll meet a variety of people just like us that are seeing a closer relationship with Him: praising and worshipping, crying out in despair, confessing sins, seeking help and seeking guidance. This will be an interactive study with questions provided for you each week. If you desire to learn how to worship and seek God with your whole heart, this study is for you.

Option 3: "Love Revolution" (a Joyce Meyer DVD based study) led by Cheryl Benedict. As yourself this question - "What am I doing for others?" This study addresses the need for us to "overthrow selfish, self-centered living and practice aggressive acts of kindness". It is time for us to stop thinking about what we can't do and being to practice what God commands - LOVE ONE ANOTHER. In this video study, Joyce uses somewhat alarming statistics and situation to impress upon us the severity of the problems that plague our world and our society. The good news is that the solution can begin right here; in our homes, our church and our community. This study will give you the tools, desire and accountability. You will be challenged to perform simple acts of God's love and we will hear from people who are doing just that. If each of us will reach out to just one person, we can being a Love Revolution!

**No Cost Child-care is available for morning studies


Wednesday Evenings (7:00 - 8:30pm):

"It's Tough Being a Woman" (a Beth Moore DVD based study on Esther) led by Karen Ransom and Linda Roeszler. Join us for this study what will lead us through a journey of tragedy and triumph, teaching us how to trust in God's providence for the tough times and showing us the nature of His activity in human history. We will alternate each week between large group DVD sessions and small group discussion along with the workbook lesson.

Information and registration for all of these studies will be available at the Spotlight Booth in the church lobby after services on Sunday, September 12th and 19th. Stop by to find out more and/or to sign up. We hope to see you there!

Upcoming Women's Events

Well, here we are - summer is in full swing and so are the many fun summer activities: watermelon, swimming, s'mores, camping, sleeping in, boating, iced mochas, fresh corn on the cob, barbeques.....ahhhhh - don't you just love summer? I sure do, but by the time we're into mid-August, I'm usually looking forward to Fall - with cooler days, pumpkins, hot cider and changing leaves. I'm also looking forward to the many opportunities and events coming up for Oak Hills women. Here are some of the highlights:

* Bible studies = Tuesday morning and Wednesday evening large group studies - lots of great ones planned. Watch the church bulletin for details and registration information in mid-August.

* Small groups = if you'd like to join one or start one, let me know!

* Body & Soul Exercise = a great class for staying in shape - meets three times weekly. For more information, contact tharbert@sbcglobal.net

* Beth Moore Simulcast = September 18th at Fremont Presbyterian in Sacramento. www.fremontpres.org or www.lifeway.com/women to register.

* Joyce Meyer = free conference at Arco Arena September 30 - October 2. www.joycemeyer.org for more information

* Women of Faith = conference at Arco Arena November 12-13th. www.womenoffaith.com

* Alternatives Pregnancy Center Baby Shower - Date TBD. Watch for more information.

* Cappuccino Christmas - plan to join us December 6th. Tickets go on sale end of October.

* Women's Retreat - save the date! April 29 - May 1, 2011 - Plan to join us for this awesome weekend!

Have a great summer and wonderful Fall!
Lorraine
lorraine.rothenburg@oakhills.org

Afterglow

What a great weekend we had! Our retreat was an amazing time. It was such a blast to gather together in that glorious setting and spend that time together. We laughed, we cried, we ate and ate, and ate, laughed some more, cried some more, played, created, learned, shared....it was really wonderful. What a joy to see women of all ages there, from high school girls up through aged 60+. And it really did feel like we were ONE.

Our theme for the retreat was "Courageous Hearts", and this theme was a constant thread through the whole weekend, not just in what our speakers shared (awesome!), but also as it was displayed in women making new friends, plunging into the frigid waters of Lake Tahoe for baptism, trying out a new art form and more.

I'm so thankful for each woman who came and also for each of the 28 or so women who had some role in making the retreat what it was - from the planning team, to the prayer team, to the snack people, tech people, worship team, multimedia, art room people, registration team, photographer, speakers, drama team, ice breaker person and more...so many women helped out. Thank you, thank you!

I've already booked next year's retreat - put it on your calendar - same place, April 29-May 1. Hope you'll join us!

SOME PHOTOS FROM THE RETREAT......

Ride Sharing....

Hey All!
I'm so looking forward to our time together at the retreat. Just wanted to share that I will be driving 5 people in my car along with quite a few art supplies. If you have any extra room in your car for art supplies, can you let me know? I can just drop off the stuff Friday morning. I'm leaving at 12:00 to head up.

That's it! Please respond by clicking onto the comment link below. You might need to sign up for a Google account which is easy to do and you will be prompted. Call me if you have any problems with that.
Start at the profile box and sign up. 916-952-1724
Blessings, Randy

Why You Should Go To A Women's Retreat

I just found a new website that is really good. It is about Christian Women and they recently published an article about why women should go on women's retreats....
Go to the link and read on.....
http://www.thechristianwoman.com/christian-women-topics/why-womens-retreat.html

A Courageous Heart

Well, we're off and running! Registrations for our 2010 women's retreat opened last Sunday, 3/7, and we already have women signed up. Woohoo! And the ages of those women range from high school up through....well, up there. How awesome to come together as women from different generations under One God! We have much to learn and experience from and with each other. One such thing is learning to live from a curious and courageous heart. Thus, the theme of our retreat this year, "Courageous Hearts". I love the logo on our brochure that captures the feel of this kind of heart in a picture. You see it here on this blog post. It's multi-layered, with varied colors and shadows as well as movement. A snapshot of a heart that is moving, changing, risking, growing. That's a picture of us, under God, as He continues to shape us and we take the courageous steps to partner with Him in our transformative journey. Hope you'll join us for this weekend together as we reconnect with our courageous hearts and the God who made them. Stop by and see us at the Spotlight Booth this weekend.

A Whole New World!

Hey, there! This is my very first time as a blogger, let's see how it goes. We are indeed excited about our upcoming Women's Retreat and the way things are unfolding for us. We have a terrific planning team in place - if you'd like to help us, let me know! "Courageous Hearts" is our theme, realizing that no matter what age we are, where we come from, what our vocation is - we have a God-inspired adventure to live and an invitation to step out in courage and live it. It's one of the many things that we share across generations. Stayed tuned for more info to come - for now, save the dates - April 30 - May2 and plan to join us for the fun!

Our First Planning Meeting .....

Yesterday was our first meeting, a rather late start for planning this years retreat. Lori Clanton is our go to girl and we've gotten used to relying on her for a LOT of the organization. Lori won't be available this year and Lorraine put out a plea for help. Just 4 days before we could even get together God opened the door for her and an idea sprang forth. I'm hoping Lorraine will blog about the experience, but it was pretty exciting for me to see the ideas come forth at the meeting Sunday, as we all began to see God's plan for our retreat. I think this year will be new and different, with a focus on building the relationships between women generationally. We will look at the story of Ruth...
Our next meeting is February 28th, 11:00 am in the Library.