1. Announcements
MOPS MOMENTS
April 30 – MOPS Potluck Dinner 24 April 2008
The MOPS bible study is
hosting a potluck dinner at 7pm Seventy Times Seven, by Dena Salazar
at Suzi Hull’s house. Everyone
is welcome to join us for some Have you ever felt like you've forgiven someone, quot;gotten overquot; some offense, only
good food and lots of laughs! to have some reminder open the floodgates of emotion all over again? It
happened to me recently when my stepmother posted a whole slew of old family
May 8 – Spa Day @ MOPS pictures on MySpace from which I was glaringly absent. See, my biological father
Join us for our annual spa day abandoned me as a baby after encouraging my mother to get an abortion... Ouch.
(in place of our regular MOPS We were reunited in 2001 after he had expressed deep regret and sorrow for
meeting). Enjoy free shoulder what happened. I had forgiven him, and we began to work on building some form
massages, chocolate fondue, of relationship from that point forward. But after I saw all those pictures, I
hand and feet care, and a “spa” wept, and I questioned whether my forgiveness was genuine.
craft. Hope you can make it!
The Bible is pretty clear that we are to forgive our debtors - those who have
quot;done us wrong”. It's not a request or a suggestion, it's a command. It should be
June 14 - Women’s Breakfast
taken seriously.
Please join all the women of New
Hope here on Saturday morning,
In Ephesians 4:32 Paul says, quot;Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one
June 14 from 9am – 12pm. The
another, even as God in Christ forgave you.quot; In the gospel of Matthew, Peter
theme will be springy and light;
thought he was being generous when he suggested to Jesus that he should forgive
we will do a gardening craft, and
his brother seven times. But Jesus responded by stating that he shouldn't just
Rachel Dumont will be giving the
forgive him seven times, but seventy times seven. Mark 11:25 reads quot;When you
message. Tickets are $5 and
stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father
childcare is provided.
in heaven may forgive you your sins.”
MOPS Registrations for Fall In biblical terms, we could define forgiveness as quot;the loving, voluntary cancellation
2008 will be mailed out mid- of a debt.quot; In other words, it's over, and we’re no longer seeking restitution for
August, so be looking out for the damages done. We aren’t hung up on it anymore. It has no power over us any
them. In addition, if you have longer, and we certainly don't hold it over the head of the offender. The slate is
a friend you’d like us to send a wiped clean. It doesn’t mean that we condone the sin or justify the wrongdoing,
registration to, please e-mail but that we move forward toward reconciliation and restoration.
Jen Vieira with the details.
When I compare my struggles with those of Joseph in the book of Genesis, I am
Gifts for MOPPETTS Helpers instantly humbled. His brothers hated him so much that they considered killing
We are very blessed to have a him. But instead, they just left him in a pit. Either way, they abandoned him, and
wonderful group of women that reported back to their father Jacob that he had been brutally killed…and feigned
volunteer their time to care grief. Joseph was then sold as a slave, accused of fornication with his master’s
for our children during our wife, and left to rot in jail. And yet, when the time had come and he was reunited
MOPS meetings. We would like with his brothers, he forgave them completely. It didn’t happen instantaneously.
to show our heartfelt It was a process, and it took time. Joseph was deeply hurt by their betrayal, but
appreciation by giving them a he knew that what they meant for evil, God meant for good, and he forgave them.
small token of our thanks at
our last meeting in May. Please Forgiveness isn’t always a one-time deal. It certainly wasn’t for me in this
consider contributing situation. I had to forgive my father again, and I doubt it will be the last time.
monetarily to these women who
God, You are my true Father, my Abba, my Daddy, and You will never forsake me.
have blessed all of us so much
Thank you for Your perfect love. You are the only One Who meets all my needs.
this year. An envelope will be
Lord, I rejoice in Your grace and provision. Thank you for forgiving me seventy
passed in our next couple
times seven, and giving me the strength to do the same. Amen.
meetings. Thanks so much!

2. Announcements, Cont. How Do We Have Biblical Forgiveness? By Rachel Dumont
Looking for a Christian Storytime? 1. Forgiveness is not forgetting. Forgiveness does not mean that you need to have warm,
Morning Star hosts a 1-hour story fuzzy feelings towards that person if you forgive them. It doesn't mean that you are
time on Tuesdays. Their Seekonk excusing their actions if you forgive them. Forgiving will not make what was done against
store begins at 10:30am, and their N. you quot;all rightquot;. And it doesn't mean that you have to have them as an intimate part of your
Attleboro store begins at 1pm. It’s life, either. Your need to forgive is not between you and your offender; it is between you
and God.
great for the kids, as well as a great
place to meet other Christian women!
2. Forgiveness is a choice. Forgiveness is often difficult because it fights against our
concept of justice. You may think, quot;It's not fair what this person did to me! I have a right
Mom’s Birthdays in April
to be angry, and I have a right to take revenge!quot; It says in Romans 12:19, quot;Beloved, do not
Wendy Herren – 4/7 avenge yourselves, but rather give place to wrath; for it is written, quot;Vengeance is Mine, I
Kim Langis – 4/18 will repay,quot; says the Lord.quot; We must let these people who hurt us off our hook. However,
remember that they are now on God's hook. Let Him do the vindicating.
3. Forgiveness is costly. Forgiving someone means that you are agreeing to live with the
consequences of their sin against you. You're going to live with these consequences whether
MOPS Steering Committee you like it or not, however, you have a choice to live in bitterness, or live in the freedom that
comes from forgiveness.
Fall 2007 – Spring 2008
4. Deal with your emotions head-on. You cannot sweep your emotions under a rug in the
Coordinator
living room of your heart and expect to truly experience forgiveness from you heart of
Jen Vieira
hearts. God needs to bring your pain to the surface so that He can deal with it. And Girls,
t. 508-567-1292 you need to allow Him to do this. This is foundational. Only when we have dealt with our
e. djv82@verizon.net emotions can healing start to take place.
Discussion Group Leader / 5. Don't wait until you feel like forgiving; otherwise you'll never get there. Forgiveness is
Prayer Box not about how we feel; it's about what we know. True freedom is the goal, not our feelings.
Rachel Dumont Feelings take time to change, and God can heal this area too, but it's a by-product of
t. 401-289-0369 freedom, not freedom itself.
e. rachelgdumont@gmail.com
6. We must forgive, because God's Word calls us to forgive. In Matt 6:14-15, it says, “For
Creative Activities if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do
Jessica Cook not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.”
t. 508-674-2969
The Lord has a purpose behind the pain you've suffered, or He never would have allowed it.
e. jmf111575@hotmail.com
To have true freedom in this area, you must surrender to His purposes; otherwise He can't
work it for your good. And truth be known, when you harbor unforgiveness, you are the one
Suzi Hull
that suffers much more than your offender. God calls us to forgive for our own good. For
t. 508-673-3858 our own spiritual health. For our freedom.
e. whull99@comcast.net
7. We must forgive others so that the Enemy won't take advantage of us. It says in 2
Finance Corinthians 2:10-11, “Now whom you forgive anything, I also forgive. For if indeed I have
Sarah Duboyce forgiven anything, I have forgiven that one for your sakes in the presence of Christ, lest
t. 508-994-2075 Satan should take advantage of us; for we are not ignorant of his devices.”
e. sardub@yahoo.com
Unforgiveness gives the Enemy an immediate stronghold in our lives. And notice that usually
Secretary when we don't forgive one person, it bleeds over to another person. Then another, then
Winnie Lee another. Pretty soon, we have a whole carload of baggage on our backs. Where is the
freedom in that!? It hurts to forgive, but God has already enabled the believer to do it… I
t. 401-624-8624
can do all things through Christ who strengthens me… If God can save you from the pit of
e. leewinniepooh@yahoo.com
Hell, He can save you from the pit of unforgiveness, too. Make the choice to forgive, Girls.
MOPS Mentor *Several sources of these bullet points are from Neil Anderson’s book, The Bondage
Cathy Bringhurst Breaker; and Beth Moore’s Bible study, Exploring the Fruit of the Spirit.
t. 508-324-4500
e. cbringhurst@nhcc.ws