Friday, November 15, 2013

Introducing… (Mentor Highlight #1)

Remember, way back at the end of last week, Theresa and I wrote about mentors and their roles in MOPS? Well, today is the first of a series of introductions featuring our 2013-2014 Mentors. We hope that getting to know these gals a little bit more will help us all find deeper ways to connect and grow together.
Today it is my pleasure to introduce to you, Lori Craft.

Lori is the wife of John Craft, the pastor at First Baptist Church in Sheridan, WY. She and John have been married for 21 years and have two sons, Jackson and Cameron. They are also the proud parents of two dogs, Ash and Diggory. John and Lori have lived in Sheridan for four years.
Lori has helped our MOPS group for the last three years, serving as a Mentor Mom. She says her favorite thing about MOPS is getting to know all of you.
Lori’s favorite Bible verses are the benedictions (statements of blessing or good wishes, usually given at the end of a worship service – or letter). She likes them because “they are full of praise and power.” Here are a few examples (these are my examples, so they are not necessarily Lori’s specific favorites):
-- Romans 15:5-6 - May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
-- Romans 15:13 - May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.
-- 2 Corinthians 13:11 - Finally, brothers, rejoice. Aim for restoration, comfort one another, agree with one another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you.
-- 1 Thessalonians 3:12-13 - May the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, as we do for you, so that he may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.
Lori’s favorite dessert is either a gooey chocolate chip cookie or brownie with strong coffee. Her favorite color is champagne. To de-stress she likes to polish wood or water plants (I’m thinking maybe right here is an example of mentorship at work! I need to readjust my definition of de-stressing activity and make it align with housekeeping chores!). Lori loves to read, and thus has “too many” favorite books. But, she was willing to name a couple specifically for you: “Because of Winn Dixie” and “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever.”
When asked if she likes to be messy, Lori replied, “NO! ‘Lord, help me to be peaceful and productive’ is probably what I pray most for myself.” She offers great advice for dealing with messes: “Crank up the radio and get to it” and try to keep the clutter out.
Lori recommends Focus on the Family’s parenting materials and advice. She most highly recommends, however, finding a mentor (or two!). She said what helped her the most along the way was finding a couple of older moms who knew both her and her sons (and loved them all!) who could offer guidance and advice.
I asked Lori if she had any good, easy and quick ideas on how we can make our husbands feel special during these years when kiddos take so much time and attention. She recommended working hard to keep the chaos to a minimum – and let your husband know you’re doing it for him. She also mentioned keeping communication flowing by verbally acknowledging your husband’s meaningful contributions. And, don’t forget to laugh together! And… “be sweet.”
A few last words of wisdom: “Remember the days are long, the years are short and you have a high and holy calling.”


Thank you, Lori for your contribution to our group this year! We look forward to getting to know you even further. May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit (Philemon 25) and may his peace rule in your heart today and always (Colossians 3:15).

- Bethany Tippin, Publicity Leader

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