Sometimes we just need to sit back and consider how many things we don't know.

For example... did you know that an ostrich's eye is bigger than its brain? Or, have you ever considered that no word in the English language rhymes with month, orange, silver, or purple? After you try to rhyme (like I did) keep reading!

Here are a few more facts that you may not be aware of...

• Our eyes stay the same size from birth, but our nose and ears never stop growing.
• Rubber bands last longer when refrigerated.
• A cat has 32 muscles in each ear.
• A goldfish has a memory span of three seconds.
• A snail can sleep for three years.
• Almonds are a member of the peach family.
• Leonardo DaVinci invented the scissors!

There is a lot out there that we just don't know, isn't there?! The great thing about finding out about these interesting facts is that it brings us a greater appreciation for how much goes on that we aren't aware of.

So, here are two final facts for you to consider today.

Women blink nearly twice as much as men. Since that is a fact, girls... keep your eyes open.

Don't blink!

You are about to read something you don't know that is very important! It's a fact that I really want to make you aware of.

Robyne Beaubien has been the editor of this WomensMinistry.NET newsletter for FIVE years! That's five years of skillful service, five years of faithful and diligent commitment, and five years of sacrificing her time to bring you timely and helpful information.

The final fact is that for five years my husband Phil and I have been grateful for Robyne and we want you to know the facts... WomensMinistry.NET newsletter is better because of her involvement!

Thanks Robyne for five great years, we all appreciate you!

Now friends, would you consider emailing Robyne to let her know how grateful you are for her. Click here.

Beloved, you are faithful in what you are doing for the brothers, even though they are strangers to you.
III John 1:5

Blessings and Joy,
Jennifer Rothschild
Author of Lessons I Learned in the Dark (and Light), and Founder of WomensMinistry.NET

This idea is from Kathy Haskins, the Adult Ministries Director at Wesley United Methodist Church. We loved this great idea she sent us and there is plenty of time between now and Christmas for you to consider using this theme in your women's ministry!

"I love getting ideas and hints from your email newsletter. Thought I would send this one along to you..."

When I became Adult Ministries Director at my church, one of my first plans was to create a women's retreat because there had not been a retreat held for years.

We built a wonderful Christmas retreat around Brenda Waggoner's book "The Velveteen Woman" which I had just read.

Speaker: Five women from the congregation were asked to be speakers. Each one was assigned a chapter from the book to paraphrase and add their own life experiences to.

Decor: The décor in the retreat gathering place was entirely homey, like Grandma's house at Christmas - with a tree and a faux fireplace. When they arrived, each woman found a small Christmas present on her bed.

Program: In the evening after everyone had settled in, we all gathered together and one woman read "The Velveteen Rabbit" to us as if we were all children at mom's knee. Several women had never heard the story! Then we heard the first speaker.

The next day, speakers were alternated with music time and meals, etc. Each woman had a devotional journal I'd designed and they wrote in them, taking notes, prayers, etc.

We ended the retreat with a very special worship service, taking communion together and singing the songs we love from that season. It was a powerful experience for all of us. The whole retreat being based on the idea that God loves us and that makes us "real."

Goodie Bags: Santa Claus came in the night and each woman found a little Christmas-themed canvas bag full of goodies at her doorway when she got up in the morning.

I gave a copy of the Waggoner book to each of my speakers as a thank- you gift.

 

Other ideas: A church member made small stuffed calico bunnies with Christmas fabric and each woman received one of those, too. Oriental Trading company has lots of fun little nick-nacks which I bought to put in the gift bags, but they also have votive candle holders that can be personalized. Each woman got a Christmas glass votive holder that says "The Velveteen Woman Retreat" on it.

We call our or event the "Velveteen Woman Holiday Retreat" and have held it for several years. Each year it grows and we are thrilled to minister to the women in our church through this fun event.

Visit the WomensMinistry.Net Online Bookstore for great books, music and gift ideas!

Take a minute to visit this recent sponsor...

• There Is A Season, a Bible study by Laurie Cole

Ministry resources abound. Many of us are overflowing with books, tapes, articles, and too much information invading our work areas. Handle these materials by following these suggestions:

Have a place for everything. Avoid clutter by finding a home for everything. Keep a master list of where you keep your resources so you can find them more easily later.

Group your books by subject. It's easier to find what you need if you place them according to subject, rather than alphabetically or randomly. That's what they do in libraries!

Develop a tracking system for your articles. Find a system that works for you. Some people like to archive their articles in a database or on a computer. Others use 3x5 cards. Filing articles in folders according to topics also works.

Keep your catalogs in hanging file folders in a file cabinet. Catalogs have a tendency to fall over on a bookshelf. A file cabinet is a great place to keep them. Hanging files make them easy-to-find and prevent a messy shelf.

Scan articles and keep them on a computer or CD. Save filing or shelf space by scanning documents and burning a CD. Be sure to have a way to list the articles by topic and author also.

©2003 Angela Yee, author and speaker on "Organizing for Ministry." www.summitstarpress.com

Java with Jennifer is an informal monthly ministry update specifically for friends who want to keep up-to-date on what is happening with Jennifer Rothschild's ministry of writing, speaking, and singing.

Obviously, because you are receiving this eNewsletter, you are signed up for the Jennifer's "weekly" WomensMinistry.NET eNewsletter. However, if you want to get up close, and personal with Jennifer, just click on the Update Profile link at the bottom of this email, and select the Java with Jennifer interest group when asked to update your profile.

Still not sure?

See the Latest Issue here.

Objectives: Get women interacting and enjoying fellowship... not to mention encouraging some creativity and laughter

Materials: Odd assortment of clothing and accessories, the wilder the better.

Procedure: Before the event, put together brown paper bags full of potential items for an "outfit". Fill it with mis-fitting items such as a tuto with swim fins or army boots, a boa, and a camoflage jacket... any combination from poodle skirts to grass skirts to helmets, goggles, and all kids of fru-fru in between. Provide one bag of "clothes" for every team, and plan on 4-6 women on each team.

Each team works together to pick a model, create the outfit, dress the model, and write the runway script.

Give them about 10 minutes to do this.

Then one woman from each team comes up to read their script, and the fashion show begins.

I have never seen so many women laughing so hard and having so much fun in my life.

Submitted by: Teri Cottle of Kalipsell, Montana

Someone Has to Win... Why Not You!

When you visit our Featured Sponsor link, you will automatically be entered to win a free book, cd, or other resource from WomensMinistry.NET.

 

We randomly select the winner from those that click through the featured sponsor links in last week's issue.
This week's winner is...shipea@gcs...
 

reaching more than 20,000 influential women's ministry leaders across the world. Click here for Advertising Rates

Here's what some of our recent Ad Sponsors are saying:

"We have never been disappointed in how advertising in the WomensMinistry.NET newsletter has put us in touch with women of prayer all across the world. Thank you, Phil and Jennifer, for this AWESOME newsletter. The MDOP ministry will be forever blessed because of it." Kathy Coleman, Founder, Mom's Days of Prayer

Here's how it works... send us your great ideas and if we use them in a newsletter you will be automatically entered to win the book bundle for the quarter. The more great ideas you submit, the more chances to win. At the end of the quarter we will announce the winner and the books she has won!

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