Welcome to Heart & Home April 17, 2020 This resource has been designed for families of all sizes including grandparents, aunts and uncles who can share this with extended family via Facebook or by forwarding this email.

A Note From Cathy School at home - Exhausting - prayers, support and a special time for you!  Dear ones, I received this note from a friend of mine and it really brought "home" to me what a challenge families are facing while trying to juggle so many things. "This week was the official first week of online education requirements for our county schools. At first, 1.5 hours per student online learning with multiple links, videos, tutorials, and electronic app assignments seemed manageable. But with multiple kids that need my attention 100% of the time, when I need to sit with them to do the assignments and my technical skills needed to type in the correct fields and sequence ordering required to follow multiple step processes, it is exhausting."   You are in our prayers and with that we want to share with you a wonderful opportunity to get some excellent support Wednesday, April 22nd from 7-8 pm.

FORTitude for Parents We're excited to be hosting a NEW series of online panel discussions on parenting and mental health over the coming weeks to help us all stay connected and sane as we navigate these times together, helping us all discover behavioral tips and commonalities in this new normal.   Every other week we will have a mental health expert and their guests join us for some insightful and great conversations where your questions can get answers.  Wed, April 22nd 7-8pm Inhale. Exhale. Repeat. Taming Anxiety During Trying Times. We are all a little anxious these days. Join Dr Suzanne Nixon, Licensed Psychotherapist and Integrative Wellness Coach and community guest Katie Barchas Wilson from the Market Group, as they discuss healthy ways for you and your family to deal with anxiety right now and invite you to join in with your questions. REGISTER HERE.

Del and I are doing a very relaxing nightly Meditation for Rest and Resilience from 9:30-9:45 pm which you can join any time you feel it would be helpful.  REGISTER HERE.  Please feel free to email me Jill or me with any questions or concerns you might have. We are also looking for ways to be helpful to you so we want your feedback too. Blessings and love, Cathy Norman and the Family Team cnorman@crossroadsnova.org

Greetings from Jill This week was the first official online learning for Loudoun County schools. The symbolism of that is good, it is a step toward normalcy and moving forward. However, it also added stress and another level of parenting duties to our full plate. It is easy to feel overwhelmed or out of sorts. We need to pause, take a breath, and prioritize our families needs versus wants. It's okay if not everything will get done. My priorities include my children's health, feeding my family, general happiness including fun family activities, and a balance of work, school, and household chores. We can persevere and we are good enough. I personally need a motivation, (like Stuart Smalley skit from SNL) looking in the mirror, "I am good enough, smart enough, and people like me".

One opportunity to get your family involved in a helpful serve project this week, is to write an encouraging letter or draw a picture to an elderly person that is not able to socialize in person. This could be their grandparents, a neighbor, or the eldest member of our congregation, Mary Helen Nickelberry. Here is her address to mail your note: 19375 Cypress Ridge Ter Unit 620, Lansdowne, VA 20176-5187

A young family in our congregation, the Cramer's, are active in our children's and family ministry. They shared how they have found positive ways to spend quality time together, such as going on walks and bike rides. They also collect rocks to paint and put out for others to find. Their family hunts for new rocks when outside in their community. Here is a wonderful video they made of their time together over the past month of quarantine. Please watch here. Thank you to Brittany, Brian, Oliver, Jack, and Lucy. We love seeing your smiling faces.

This Week's Highlighted Resources

Crossroads Kids Bible Story Puppet Show  - watch here This week's puppet show with Pastor Dave as Joey and Ms. Cathy as June Bug and Ms. Jill lead our bible story about letters from Timothy. Even though we are isolated in our homes for now, we can still stay connected to our friends and family with letters.

Crossroads' Church at Home - watch here If you missed Sunday's online gathering, you can watch it anytime! You can also watch it anytime on the GOTGo app .

Belly Breathing with Nancy McGovern - watch here This is a great exercise to help calm down. Catch Ms. Nancy every Monday at 10am on her Corner of the Sky Facebook Live show as she brings you Movement, Music and Mindfulness.

Student Ministry Resources Meet Kylie Kosko, our Student Ministry coordinator. Read more about her and student ministries in the latest newsletter. It also contains a special Intersect at Home guide and some great resources for teens and their families. This week's Student Ministry newsletter can be found  here .

Cards and Notes of Encouragement We are asking our community members for handwritten cards and notes to be sent to Heritage Hall staff. We can show our support and appreciation for healthcare staff to let them know we care. Click here for a sample note and instructions . For other ways to serve our community, see our Hope & Action website here .

Check out the following links (click on heading to go to a website link) for family activities and resources. Eating healthy with local farm produce Time capsule family activity Healthy at Home Resource from WHO

Support for Parents

Growing Leaders at Home  Here is a great activity designed for parents to do with your kids during these challenging days. Follow the link for a Hosts and Guests discussion and activity for the family. It is designed by Tim Elmore from Growing Leaders for this extended time of being alone. We will feature a Growing Leaders at Home activity every week.

Imagine Well Being Resources Imagine Well Being gatherings are available via Zoom so that you can be sure to take care of yourself during this stressful time. Each gathering is stand alone and designed to bring you more inner peace and healing in mind, body and soul. A full list of gatherings can be found  here.

Zoom Circles of Care Resources Zoom Circles of Care are small groups where you can find support, care and community. A full list of these groups can be found  here .