Contact us at: http://www.redeemer.net/mops/mopsatredeemer@gmail.com

What does Fall mean to you?Growing up in the northwest, I experienced 4 seasons. So fall was a time of back to

school, harvest, colored leaves, preparations for Halloween and Thanksgiving, and pulling outthe colder weather wardrobe. Here in Texas, we dont see the drastic change of weather orcolors but it still can have the same meaning.

I was surprised by how many fall festival type activities that we participated in lastyear. Everything from pumpkin patches, to church festivals, to trick or treating. It was a lot offun to find a new activity to do as a family every weekend. I have to admit, Im looking forwardto that again.

For me, fall is truly a time to slow down and think about the year. Its a great time toprocess all that has gone on in the former months and decide what has to get done beforeDecember 31st. Its a time to think about all of your blessings and thank God for the provisionsthat He has given you all year long. Its a time to pick out pumpkins, jump in leaves, start acrock pot of soup in the cool morning, watch football in the afternoons and possibly find thelargest buck on the countryside.

This year, Id like to challenge you to celebrate fall lavishly. Find the fun activities thatremind you of your childhood and share them with your own family. Find time to rest. Its okto stop and take an afternoon nap while youve been prepping for that big turkey dinner! Also,notice goodness wherever you are and share it with those around you. Perhaps you can doleout just a little more candy, donate to the local food pantry, or drop off a blanket or two withthe homeless couple on the side of the road. Whatever you decide, be bold in your decisionsand thank God for giving you this time every single year!

MOPPETSThe Lions, Tigers, and Bears (oh my!) are all getting settled into their new classrooms learningabout Jesus, each other, and Boz, the big green bear! A great way for the kids to get togetherand play outside of the classroom is at our playdates that meet on the first and third Mondayof the month. This gives them a chance to get to know one another better and for you to seewho it is that your child is talking about!

The theme for October is celebrating Gods gift of imagination. They will be exploringthe idea of creative thought and distinguish between things that are real and pretend. You canhelp your child make these connections by discussing this in your every day conversation andit may come in handy with all of the hype around Halloween!

In November, the Tigers and Bears will be learning about the golden rule and beingkind to one another. You can best help them with this by modeling kind behavior and also praising them when you see them in action.

Upcoming EventsHarvest Fest- Saturday, October 3rd from 10 am to3 pm at RedeemerPlaydate- Monday October 5th from 10 am to 12pm at Northwest District ParkMoms Night Out- Tuesday, October 6th from6:30-9 pm at The Roaring Fork on Stonelake Blvd.Meeting- Monday, October 12th from 9-11:30 am atRedeemerFamily Fun Day- Saturday, October 17th from 9 amto 1 pm at Sweet Berry FarmsPlaydate- Monday, October 19th at 11 am at CrowesNest FarmMeeting- Monday, October 26th from 9-11:30 am atRedeemerTrunk or Treat- Saturday, October 31st from 4 to 6pm at RedeemerMoms Night Out- Tuesday, November 4th from6:30-9 pm at Chuys on North LamarMeeting- Monday, November 9th from 9-11:30 amat RedeemerPlaydate- Monday, November 16th from 10 am to12 pm at Redeemer for Packing PartyMeeting- Monday, November 30th from 9-11:30am at Redeemer

Redeemer MOPS ReporterOctober & November 2015

Meet Our MOPS MamasWe have some very talented mamas who like to expressthemselves through writing. Please take a moment to read theirbios and check out their blogs. This is such a fun way to get toknow these ladies just a tad bit better!Briana Burns

Briana is mama to Ava, 5, and Jack, who isalmost 2! She has lived in Austin for 15 years andenjoys reading and binge watching Netflix. If shecould have a day to herself, shed go to the spaand find a coffee shop to sit and read at. In orderto find time to rest, she tries to have time toherself after the kids have gone to bed or in the

morning before everyone else is up and on the go. She finds themost goodness in her children who allow her to see things withnew eyes. Her favorite holiday to celebrate is Easter because of thejoy of spring and all of the traditions. A fun fact is that Brianaskipped first grade and graduated from college with two degreesbefore she could legally drink!http://unexpectedlyexpectingbaby.blogspot.com/Rachel Nevergall

Rachel moved to Austin from Chicago 2years ago. She has a 3 year old daughter,Caroline, and a 7 month old son, Elliot.She loves to spend her time creating-cooking, crafting, decorating, or readingabout other creative people and theirideas. Although she seems to find the

most goodness in her children, she still would enjoy a day toherself. That time would include sleeping in, drinking coffee andeating croissants while reading magazines that get neglected,taking a nice long walk, having high tea at the Four Seasons, andshopping. Shed finish the day with a glass of wine, some ice creamand a trashy housewife show, but shed also love to kiss her kidsgoodnight before they head off to bed. Her favorite holiday tocelebrate is Christmas and decorates every inch of her home. Timeto rest often looks like alone time so that she can recharge and beavailable for the ones who need her. If she can convince her body,shed love to run another marathon some day!http://raiseandshine.squarespace.com/

Bria PowellBria loved taking her 13 month old daughter,Ava Lynn to the pool this summer. If shecould have a day to herself, shed goshopping and organize something. She seeksrest by taking a moment to sit with a cup oftea in her rocker and re-focus on the day.Bria finds that this helps her to reevaluateher to-do list and find what is really

important. She knows that it is more important to sit and play withher daughter than worry about the pile of laundry because we allknow that laundry is never going to end! She loves to celebrateChristmas because it brings out the joy in everyone. She also findsjoy and goodness in Ava, especially her laugh. One thing that youmay not have guessed, Bria was in a sorority in college!http://www.southernpearlsandpacifiers.com/

Fall Events You Dont want toMiss

Harvest FestRedeemer will be hosting its annual Fall Fest on Saturday, October3rd from 10 am to 3 pm. Kids will be more than excited to slidedown inflatable slides, spin in our spinning tea cups, jump on thevelcro-wall, battle in a joust, pet a variety of animals, get facepaintings, eat popcorn, cotton candy, treats from our SweetShoppe, and more. There will also be music, vendors, food, and alive auction.Everyone is invited! Bring your family and enjoy meeting others inyour local community.

Sweet Berry FarmsOur fall family event will be held at Sweet BerryFarms, a pumpkin patch, outside of MarbleFalls. We will be meeting on Saturday, October17th. You can arrive at any time to partake in thefarms festivities: pick your own pumpkins, hay ride, barrel train,petting goats, face painting, horse rides, mazes and so much more.Pack your own picnic lunch and meet up at the picnic tables nearthe horse stables at 12 noon for a MOPS family lunch!Admission is free but some activities cost a small fee. Plan aheadand check out: http://www.sweetberryfarm.com/Crowes Nest FarmYou can expect to have a great time atCrowes Nest Farm near Manor on Monday,October 19th. We will meet together in thepavilion around 11 for snacks/lunch before ourgroup tour at 11:30. We will go on a hayride,see a cow-milking demo, take a look at farmanimals, reptiles, and insects, and so much more.Admission is $6 per person, age 3 and up. 2 year olds are $3.

Trunk or TreatOur first annual MOPS sponsored community event, Trunk or Treatwill be on Saturday, October 31tst from 4 to 6 pm as a pre-trick ortreating event. This is a great way for your kiddos to dress up andgo around collecting candy and playing games in a safe way. Invitefriends and share with those you know.

Packing Party for Operation Christmas ChildJoin us for a MOPS Packing Party benefiting Operation ChristmasChild (OCC) on November 16th! Pack what you ask? A shoeboxfilled with goodies that a child, who may not otherwise receive agift this Christmas, can enjoy. A small shoebox can have a bigimpact. What goes into the box is fun, but what comes out of it iseternal. Be a part of changing children's lives all over the world inJesus' Name through the power of a simple gift with OperationChristmas Child.

Book CornerDesperate: Hope for the Mom Who Needs to Breathe

by Sarah Mae and Sally ClarksonReview by Michele Samuelson

In the first few months of my daughters life, I often felt out of mydepth. Here I was, a college-educated woman with a career, and Iwas being reduced to tears by a tiny crying baby at 2am nightafter night. It was overwhelming to say the least. Eventually Ibegan to feel like I had it figured out; we were both smiling andlaughing, wed gotten past the up-all-night feeding frenzies, lifewas awesome! By the time she turned two, of course, it all wentout the window once more, and my new moody toddler and Ineeded to figure things out all over again.

The book Desperate: Hope for the MomWho Needs to Breathe camerecommended by many different friends,all with different experiences than mine.Some had special-needs kids, some werepregnant and about to have two or threekids under the age of 5. What did we allhave in common? We felt desperate.Maybe not all the time, but too often. Wewere always trying to live up to otherpeoples ideals and standards, and falling

short. In an age when our journeys through motherhood aresplashed on our social media pages, it could get dicey. We felt likequitting, and we didnt talk about it. This book was a revelation.The authors are real mothers, at different life stages, having aconversation about motherhood and how to navigate it, how tofind time to rest and celebrate. In other words, this book was likeMOPS, for all those times we couldnt get away to be with othermoms.

This is a book for moms trying to figure out how to inviteGod on their journey through motherhood. Its a Scripture-basedchapter book with questions and journaling prompts that you cando at your own pace. The chapters are short and the prose islyrical youll feel relaxed just reading it.

No parenting book will give you every tool you need tobecome Wonder Woman overnight, but a good parenting bookshould help you remember that even Wonder Woman didntalways like her job, and thats okay. As we start off our year of AFierce Flourishing in MOPS, Desperate is a book that will help youfigure out what flourishing looks like for you, even in sweatpants

and a t-shirt in a dusty living room. I highly recommend it andhope you find it as reassuring as I did.

Autumn BlessingsAutumn brings to the soul relief,As hot summer days, slip to and endGod sent the season for weary heartsTo restore, repair and mendUnlike the Autumn trees,That shed their changing leavesGod sent the season for failing heartsTo adhere, embrace and cleave.Just as with the Autumn winds,There comes a new refreshing rainGod sent the season for fraying heartsTo increase, grow and gain.The Autumn sun is low to climb,And dips much earlier into the nightGod sent the season for sleepy heartsTo rise, shine and awake in His light.God gave to us the Autumn season,So we could have a respite and restFor it is the season for our beset soulsTo see how much we are blessed!Psalm 16:9Kings James VersionTherefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth:My flesh also shall rest in hope.Copyright 2012 by Deborah Ann Belka

We are so thankful for the support of our Redeemer staff!If you are looking for a church home, we would love to have you join us!

Thursday 6:30 pm Sunday: Traditional 8 am Blended 9:30 am Contemporary 10:45 am

Websites to Wander ThroughHere are some websites worth checking out:www.babble.comThis is a great website to read for some parenting support.www.livemom.comThis is a great site to use as a resource for things going on inAustin.http://austin.citymomsblog.com/2015/09/21/austin-pumpkin-patches/?utm_campaign=shareaholic&utm_medium=facebook&utm_source=socialnetworkCant make it to Sweet Berry Farms? Check out this list ofpumpkin patches in Central Texas.http://freefuninaustin.com/2015/09/fall-daytrips-austin-texas/Looking for other fall activities? This looks like a great list ofideas that will get you out of the city and able to explore thegreat state of Texas!

RecipesFrench Onion Soup cup butter3 medium white onions (sliced)3 (14 oz) cans beef broth1 tsp salt tsp garlic powder3 Tbsp Kraft grated parmesancheese6-12 slices French bread6 slices of Swiss cheese6 slices of Mozzarella Cheese6 Tbsp shredded parmesan1. Saut onions in melted butter for 15-20 minutes until onionsbegin to brown2. Add beef broth, salt, garlic powder3. Boil then reduce heat to simmer uncovered for 1 hour4. Add parmesan cheese for last 10 minutes5. Toast bread at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes6. Put bread in oven safe bowl, pour soup on top, and then addSwiss cheese, Mozzarella, and 1 Tbsp of shredded parmesan on top7. Place bowl in oven and broil for 5-6 minutes

Pumpkin Cheesecake2 packages cream cheese(8 oz. each) softened1/2 cup canned pumpkin1/2 cup sugar1/2 tsp. vanilla1/2 tsp. ground cinnamondash ground clovesdash ground nutmeg2 eggs1 graham cracker pie crust (6 oz.)Preheat oven to 350. Beat cream cheese, pumpkin, sugar, vanillaand spices in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed untilwell blended. Add eggs; beat just until blended.Pour into crust. Bake 40 minutes or until center is almost set. Cool.Refrigerate 3 hours or overnight.

Top with whip cream if desired.

MOPS MOMMA BIRTHDAYS!Kristen Wagner- October 19

Mackenzie Clifford- November 14Erika Shanks- November 15

Abby Cochran- November 30

Throw out some confetti and CELBRATE LAVISHLY!