Welcome to MOPS Lake Grove Presbyterian Church

We are  happy to welcome you, a mother of a preschooler (infant through kindergarten), to MOPS at Lake Grove Presbyterian Church. During your time here you will find encouragement, support, relevant teaching, and opportunities to develop relationships with other women who are in your same season of life. We are confident that if you become more involved in our MOPS group you will be better equipped to face the challenges that motherhood has to offer.

Our website is packed with all sorts of great information and links to other sites to help us all be the Moms that God created us to be.  

To learn about who we are, where we meet, registration fees and our host church, visit our ABOUT section. 

Want to get in on the action?  Visit our CALENDAR to see our list of meeting topics.

Stuck at home with a sick kiddo and still want to stay connected? Click on CONNECT and visit one of our very own MOPS mom’s Mommy blogs or log-in to the MEMBERS ONLY section (for ’09-’10 registered moms only) and look around. 

What every it is you need, there is something here for everyone.

As your MOPS Steering Team, it is our goal to facilitate and create a MOPS experience that meets your unique needs. If at any time you have comments, suggestions, or concerns, please talk with one of us. We are here to help you!  You can also e-mail us at MOPS@lakegrovepres.com

Sarah, Joyce, Rena, Heather, Veronica, Jenny, Leanne, Cindy&  Diane!

Dreaming a Path to Healing By Leanne Sype

After suffering a childhood full of abuse, neglect, sexual assault, and family betrayal, Nikki Deckon found herself doubting that God had the ability or even the desire to heal her. Nikki spent her high school and college years determined to fight the current that should have pushed her into the same swirling cycle of misery she faced as a little girl. She succeeded. Nikki graduated high school with top marks and entered into college with academic scholarships, grants and a promising future. God even blessed her with the love of her life with whom she’s been married for almost 10 years. While striving for personal accomplishment, Nikki also sought counsel and treatment to overcome the pain of her horrific childhood. For a time, it seemed like the emotional turmoil had been healed. But, after Nikki’s first son was born, all the pain and fear of her past came rushing to the surface. Furthermore, as with many first-time moms, she faced an identity crisis as she transitioned from independent woman to mother.  This new season of life left her wondering if God was ever going to heal her wounded soul.

It was at a women’s conference where Nikki discovered the concept of creating a dream book. Over time she created two dream books full of almost 400 dreams. Some have come true and some are still waiting.  Many of her desires relate or connect to the need to be healed from the trauma she suffered as a girl. This summer Nikki had a revelation. “It is through these dreams,” Nikki says, “that God has been slowly and tenderly healing me.” She highlighted the fact that everyone has experienced pain in some form. “You don’t have to go through a traumatizing childhood like me to need healing. Every single person has been touched by pain at some point.”

 Dreams as hope for healing:

Nikki reminded us that our dreams are as unique as our fingerprints and taste buds. God programmed our aspirations, desires and dreams into our DNA; therefore, there is a reason we have them. It is important not to let them get lost.

~Write down your dreams. They are already in your head; you’ve probably even said them out loud in casual conversation. What’s the harm in writing them down? You can write them, type them, or even scrapbook them. But get them out of your head on to paper where you can see them. Did you know your dreams are 80% more likely to come true if you write them down?

~Don’t censor yourself. Set aside restrictions such as money, time, and feasibility. These things don’t matter when you are dreaming. All dreams whether they small or large, superficial or deep, humorous or serious should be recorded.

~Find a dream partner. This is someone who will hold you accountable for dreaming; not to check off or complete your dream list! Find someone who will encourage you to keep dreaming and to pursue those dreams as opportunities present themselves.

How to get started:

1. Ask God for help. Ask questions such as: What kind of information did you put in my DNA? What dreams did you knit together inside of me? “Pay attention to the whispers in your heart,” Nikki instructs.
2. Think of areas where you may need healing.
3. Think about what you wanted to be at ages 6, 12, and 18.
4. Consider all aspects of you: your self, physical, emotional, spiritual, and mental aspects.
5. Try to remember things you wanted to do for others and yourself.
6. Think about things you want to do again.

Don’t be afraid of dreaming. A dream list is not a to-do list. They are not meant to be checked off over the next week, month, or even year. Dreaming is a lifetime of thinking about and delighting in what the Lord has put inside your soul.

“Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.” Psalm 37:4

Lost Woman’s Bridge By Leanne Sype

As moms it’s common for us to hear, “Be sure to put yourself first.” Or “Don’t forget to take care of yourself.” Though it seems simple in theory, we really do forget to put our needs first. Why wouldn’t we when we’re constantly responding to the demands of those who need diaper changes, snacks, something to drink, a referee, a trip to the doctor, a toy from under the couch, a bath, and a clothing change due to the aforementioned snacks and drink spilling all over? With the entire hullabaloo surrounding us in motherhood, we are lucky to even know or put a name to what are needs actually are.

In our October 1 meeting we heard a wonderful talk from MOPS mom Kendall Parkhurst called “Bridging Planet Me and Planet Mom”. She explained to us the importance of recognizing the changes that happen when we arrive into motherhood. We get a new identity, a new focus, and a new spin on the relationships we have, including the one we have with our self. It is common to feel the pull of guilt when we want to bounce back over to Planet Me; Parkhurst says, “To ignore the longing for the things you used to do and be on Planet Me is not healthy. It affects every area of your life and relationships.” So the trick is to build a bridge between Planet Mom and Planet Me and bring our “me” into mommy.

To build a bridge we must first identify and acknowledge where there is tension. A dual of needs creates tension. For example, perhaps on Planet Me weekends were the time you could sleep in and catch up on the rest you sacrificed during the long work week. On Planet Mom, however, you are lucky to get your eight hours of zzz’s for the entire week let alone a chance to sleep in on the weekends because your baby or young family needs you. Over time this imbalance will cause you to be cranky, irritable, depressed, or all of the above. Notice the tension, acknowledge that it’s there, and find the balance.

How do we find the balance? Parkhurst instructs, “Accept help to restore balance. Husbands, family, and friends can’t read your mind.” In the case of our sleep example, work out a deal with your husband where each of you get a weekend day to sleep in. Or trade days with a willing friend and watch each other’s child(ren) for a few hours; you can use your time to nap. Parkhurst stressed the fact that, “You are not selfish when you acknowledge your own needs. You are self-aware and that’s important.”

Tension equals the need for a bridge. Think about who you were before motherhood. Where did your affirmation come from? What was your identity? What things did you like to do? What was satisfying for you?  The answers to these questions will help identify where your tension is rooted and thus where you should acknowledge the need for balance. We function at our best when we can join our two worlds as mom and “me”.

 

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