No class tonight, January 14th due to weather.

Class is cancelled tonight do to the icy weather. We are worried we will have problems slipping on the outside steps and that the roads might be worse when we would end at 7:30 tonight. Please help spread the word. NO CLASS TONIGHT, January 13th. Sorry for the short notice. Better to be safe than sorry! See y'all Thursday!

Class Cancelled due to weather 1/14. See you Thursday

Class will be cancelled tonight do to the icy weather. We are worried we will have problems slipping on the outside steps and that the roads might be worse when we would end at 7:30 tonight. Please help spread the word. NO CLASS TONIGHT, January 13th. Sorry for the short notice. Better to be safe than sorry! See y'all Thursday!

New Year, New Attitude?

Happy New Year, ladies!! We hope you had a great Christmas and New Year with your family and friends. We had a great holiday and are completely ready to start back to the healthy lifestyle we had before Christmas...anyone else out there with us? As we think about the new year and making those resolutions, we are hoping that we can resolve to be better in the eyes of God! Our verse this month reflects our hopes of 2013 entirely! Psalm 19:14 May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to you, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer. How often do we get mad or have a bad attitude? For me it is more times than I can count. My resolution this year is to take time to breathe and recall this verse each time I'm at the end of my rope. It's time for me to remember that all my actions and words need to reflect the Savior who is living in me. That's how the world can see me being different! I want to be different, therefore I need to act differently. There is nothing on this earth that is worth it to me to cause someone else to look at my witness and not see the Father! Y'all with me? I need your help to hold myself accountable on this! I would like for us for the next year to really memorize the verse of the month. Maybe even quoting at the beginning or end of class would be great for me (sorry I'm being selfish, but I learn by repeating). I don't want to take God's word lightly! I want to live and breathe it! I want to share it! Your thoughts? Let's start this month! Say this with me (out loud) Psalm 19:14 May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing to you, O LORD, my rock and my redeemer. Write it on a card. Carry it in your wallet, put it on your mirror or in your car. Let's be the salt and light! Can't wait to see y'all soon!!

Ugly Sweater class is Monday, Dec. 17th!! Class cancelled Dec. 20th!

Due to circumstances beyond our control, we are canceling class on Thursday, December 20 (due to a funeral). We will be having our ugly Christmas sweater class tonight, Monday, December 17th. Thank you for your understanding!

Let's not forget the reason for the season: Luke 2:1-20 New International Version (NIV) The Birth of Jesus 2 In those days Caesar Augustus issued a decree that a census should be taken of the entire Roman world. 2 (This was the first census that took place while[a] Quirinius was governor of Syria.) 3 And everyone went to their own town to register. 4 So Joseph also went up from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem the town of David, because he belonged to the house and line of David. 5 He went there to register with Mary, who was pledged to be married to him and was expecting a child. 6 While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, 7 and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no guest room available for them. 8 And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9 An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10 But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord. 12 This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, 14 “Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.” 15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” 16 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17 When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told. Thank you, ladies for a great 2012! We just wanted you to know that we love you and appreciate you! Operation Christmas Child collected 525 boxes from TSC (you were a part of this) and over 2200 boxes from Spring Hill/Thompson's Station. Thank you for participating!! Continue to be light in this world!!

Operation Christmas Child...We need your help!

TSC is participating in Operation Christmas Child (for more information go here: http://www.samaritanspurse.org/index.php/OCC/) and we thought this would be a great opportunity for us to help out. We are asking that you help us fill 15 boxes to send to children all around the world who are in need. These children are needing basic necessities (new underwear, socks, toothbrushes, soap, etc) and you can also give them some small toys. We thought with the holiday season getting close, this could be a great way to help give back. Now, don't feel like you have to prepare a box all by yourself. If you want to that's great! We were planning on you working with another lady or two to get this finished (plus each box needs $7 to pay for shipping). We are supplying the boxes and more information at the sign in table. Boxes must be finished by November 12th. Just bring your box to class and we will take it from there!! Go to Samaritans Purse website and you can find many more stories like this one, we found: March 27, 2012 SHARING CHRIST WITH THE KAYAMBI Shoe box gifts bring joy, celebration to an indigenous village in Ecuador The young dancers marched in step, twirled, and then came together to form a circle in a dazzling spectacle of motion and color. They broke the rhythm of the music only long enough to invite onlookers seated in chairs around the schoolyard to join the promenade. One grade after another took turns on a drizzly February morning, entertaining the guests from the United States. Although the visitors had come to bring Operation Christmas Child shoe box gifts to the students at San Pedro school in the village of Pijal, it was the children who were stealing the show with their gift of dance and music. Their festive clothes and felt hats are those traditionally worn by the Kayambi, an indigenous people whose ancestors inhabited the land comprising present-day Ecuador before the arrival of the Incas. The girls are dressed in white embroidered blouses and brightly hued skirts. The boys wear white shirts and knickers with dark blue ponchos. After the dance routines, the much anticipated moment arrived as boys and girls lined up according to age groups to receive shoe boxes filled with gifts. “Uno, dos, tres!” At the count of three, the children popped open the lids. Shouts of joy followed. Five-year-old Emily cradled a teddy bear in one hand and a pink Barbie water bottle almost as bright as her dress in the other. Christopher, 4, showed his mother the red ball and toy dinosaur from his box. His younger sister Jonsu sat beside him, pulling out a stuffed animal from among the gifts she received. The celebration was repeated in other schools and churches last month, as thousands of children in northern Ecuador received shoe box gifts during a three-day span. A Kayambi woman named Gloria was overcome with emotion as she watched her three children, ages 2 ½, 5, and 9, proudly show her the toys and coloring books in their boxes. “We are grateful for these gifts for our children,” she said. “These are things my husband and I aren’t able to give to them.” Gloria and her husband own two acres of land in Pijal, an agricultural community about a two-hour drive north of the capital city of Quito. They enjoy the quiet, simple life of the countryside. The black volcanic soil yields a bountiful crop of corn and potatoes. They also raise hogs and guinea pigs to sell. The estimated 3,000 Kayambi who inhabit this region are known for their traditional dances, colorful clothing, and handicrafts. They live in one of the most picturesque areas of the country. Tourists flock to the area to sail across San Pablo Lake or to hike the slopes of Imbabura, an inactive volcano. A closer look reveals a darker portrait of the struggles of the Kayambi. With few jobs in the area, many husbands and fathers must drive to Quito to find employment. Some work even further away in the jungle oilfields. Women are left with the responsibility to take care of the children, the home, and the farm. Sadly, it is the children who usually end up being neglected. An estimated 40 percent do not finish high school. Teen pregnancy is common. So is the continuing cycle of poverty and desperation. That’s why Operation Christmas Child is sharing the Good News of Jesus Christ with children in the Kayambi communities and throughout Ecuador. Pastor Carmen Castaneda moved from Quito to Pijal four months ago. She estimated there are about 700 families here, and she hopes to eventually minister to every one. “It has been a challenge for me,” she said. “Only 15 families come to my church now. The children come to activities but their parents don’t. We are working on that.” Through a partnership with another ministry, her church offers programs for the children on Monday and Tuesday evenings that include a meal, devotional time, and singing. They also receive help with their homework. Over 200 children participate in the program, but far fewer attend Sunday worship services. The Operation Christmas Child celebration at San Pedro may be just the spark needed to bring more boys and girls to church, along with their parents. The youth group from Carmen’s church presented the Gospel through skits and a puppet show before the children received their shoe box gifts. “Please pray for these youth,” she implored. “They are working hard to evangelize the area through the children. It is through the children that families will come to know Christ. We need to be patient and keep working.” In addition to shoe box distributions, Operation Christmas Child partners with local churches like Carmen’s to offer the follow-up discipleship program, The Greatest Journey. Over the past few years, nearly 10,000 children in this province have graduated from the 12-lesson Bible study. This year the curriculum will be available to churches in 10 provinces in Ecuador, with plans to reach 30,000 children throughout the country. “We have to take care of the little ones because they are very vulnerable,” Carmen said. “You came and not only gave them presents today, you gave them love. You made them feel important. Thank you.” We love you, ladies and want to thank you for being an encouragement to us! Help us spread God's love to others!! Remember the deadline for this to be completed is November 12th!!

Fall is in the air...

The leaves are changing, the hot weather is calming down, Honey Crisp apples are in the stores!! We love fall!! One thing we want to encourage you to continue to do is take care of yourself during this season change! With fall, comes darker nights, cooler weather, and the desire to stay home where you can stay warm. We all feel that way some days. We would love to persuade you to continue to come to class and have some time for just you!! Also, we wanted to encourage you to spend some quality time with Jesus this season. Our verse for the month encourages us to remember to sing praises to Him and to live a life that is pleasing to Him. Have you been doing this? We know that it is a lot easier said than done, but we really need to obey the Lord in all our actions and with a thankful heart!! Sometimes that is hard to swallow!! Try to start each day with just a simple prayer telling God how great He is and how you love Him. Then ask Him to help you have the correct attitude and actions for the day. We need to have lives that reflect Him in us!!