Happy Birthday Jesus and a Giveaway

I can't pick a favorite table. I loved them all, 

but this one made me smile.

I'm so excited to look at Christmas once again 

through the eyes of my three year old grandson.

When he gets excited, it's like seeing Christmas for the first time.  

Jesus said that our faith should be like that of a child.

Children know how to celebrate birthdays

and so it is easy for them to sing 

"Happy Birthday" to Jesus. 

There's no way I would ever leave Jesus out of Christmas.

He IS Christmas!

I hate to see X-mas.  It even makes me mad.

However, I think Jesus enjoys our joy-

whether we are telling His story or Santa's story.

Can't we all remember when visions of sugar plums danced in our heads?

I know The Star "shined brightly" but I just imagine 

Jesus likes sparkles too. I kinda think the star sparkled.

Let me tell you, I believe Jesus lives even in the heart of Santa.

Read another less familiar Christmas story.

The sleigh was all packed,
The reindeer were fed,
But Santa still knelt
By the side of the bed.

"Dear Father," he prayed,
"Be with me tonight,
There's much work to do,
And my schedule is tight."

"I must jump in my sleigh
And streak through the sky,
Knowing full well
That a reindeer can't fly."

"I will visit each household,
Before the first light,
I'll cover the world,
And all in one night."

"With sleigh bells a-ringing,
I'll land on each roof,
Amid the soft clatter
Of each little hoof."

"To get in the house
Is the difficult part,
So I'll slide down the chimney
Of each child's heart."

"My sack will hold toys
To grant all their wishes,
The supply will be endless,
Like the loaves and the fishes."

"I will fill all the stockings
And not leave a track,
I'll eat every cookie
That is left for my snack."

"I can do all these things Lord,
Only through You,
I just need your blessing,
Then it's easy to do."

"All this is to honor
The birth of the One,
That was sent to redeem us ...
Your most Holy Son."

"So to all of my friends,
Least Your glory I rob,
Please Lord, remind them
Who gave me this job."

~ Warren D. Jennings ~

 Don't forget to leave a comment for the Giveaway,

follow and tell a friend.

Read here.

I'm looking forward to seeing Jesus and Santa.

I Believe, 

Bonnie:)

Jesus, the God of Second Chances

Last night I spoke to the College and Career Youth.

The title of my talk was 

Jesus: The God of Second Chances.

Aren't you glad?

One of my favorite Bible characters

(and I do say that he was quite a "character.")

is Peter.

Peter truly loved the Lord.

Although just a little bipolar,

Willing to follow Jesus to death

or denying that he even knew His Lord...

Walking or the water, 

or sinking in despair.

Back to the boat, 

or feeding His sheep.

He truly loved the Lord

even though 3 times he denied Him.

There are several messages here, 

but bottom line is this, 

Jesus loved Peter.

I think that when Jesus looked at Peter 

after the third expression of 

"I have no idea who you are talking about?"

he looked at him with hurt, sorrow, but compassion.

There was no condemnation.

It was that look of love that drew Peter to repentance.

Peter is not mentioned again until after the resurrection.

While the other disciples may have continued to follow

at a distance, I believe Peter was out somewhere

pouring his heart out to God, repenting.

Peter has gone back to the only thing he knows-

fishing and mending nets.

But Jesus has greater plans for Peter, 

redemption and restoration.

That's really what the message of Easter is all about,

the story of Redemption, Restoration, Reconciliation

and Love,

a love that will never let us go,

continues to seek us and draw us to Himself, 

the love of a God of second and third and fourth chances. 

Easter

eggs, the promise of New Life.

Baby Bunnies,

New Birth.

Jesus-

our cover, our protection 

from the enemy.

Jesus-

Spiritual food for a hungry heart.

Life that sustains us.

He desires for us to eat at His table, 

until was are satisfied.

Today I am in awe of Jesus,

the God of second chances, 

Bonnie:)

The photos are from last year's Easter photos. 

A Friend of Youth

It seems like yesterday,

almost 36 years ago, 

I started life with this crazy man.

Yes, he's a goof ball.
He still makes me laugh.

Thirty-five years of loving me,

loving youth, 

loving the church,

and 32 years of loving our children
and he's still funny.

From the first moment David laid eyes

on this little girl, he was "Daddy."

Christy enjoyed special time with her daddy on youth trips.

Whatever the role, 

A husband, a daddy...

(ooo.  He looked so young!)

A friend...

 a Grandy...

He is the best!

On his 50th birthday,
we surprised him with a reunion
with all the youth he had taught.

There was a full house.

Some of our former youth now have children of their own,
  second-generation youth.

Some of these guys stayed with us
more than they did at home.

We laughed.

And we cried.

It was this man's dream, my daddy's,
to have a building of outreach for the youth of our community
a place to belong, a safe place to have fun.

For a few years, we had a house, The Naz Shack.

This came after our children were grown.

The wall in the game room was the youth Wall of Fame.

And not one youth came through the doors
without leaving their mark-
on the wall,

and on his life.

Then it was time to tear it all down.

From the top to the bottom.

And raise a new building,
The J. Emory Lindsey Outreach Building,
in memory of my parents who started the
church 60 years earlier.

The ground-breaking was an emotional time.

It all began because one man
made an impact on another man.

(David on the left and my daddy on the right)

The building is now completed.
Daddy is gone and David is taking a lesser role.
However, the legacy continues.

(New Building and Photos to follow.)

Both men,
A Friend of Youth,

Bonnie:)

A Spring Porch

Thank you, Jesus for the SUNSHINE!

It finally feels like Spring.

I painted the frame this morning 

simply with acrylic paint.

A few brush strokes and a bit of sanding

and Voila!

Please don't look at the pot without flowers.
Not many flowers for sale yet.

I found the wrought iron patio chair

by the side of the road.

Backed right up there 

and grabbed a seat!

I bought a basket of geraniums

for my galvanized bucket.

There was very little to choose from yet

at The Flower Garden.

We're afraid that Spring is teasing us.

I found the pillow covers at 

Hobby Lobby for $7 each.

Sure beats $20 a pillow even at T.J.Maxx.

Some of the green is peaking through.

Will add a pot to the patio chair.

Add a new flag and some flowers to the pot.

Then we'll look like Spring.  

Welcome Spring, 

Bonnie:)

(This post was written yesterday.  Today it is raining and cool.
I did make it to church, even with vertigo.
Today will be a nap kind of day.)

Lessons from an Old Church Pew

I love an old pew.

There are stories
hidden within the wood
of an old pew.

One story goes like this...

Daddy was the preacher man and
Mama played the piano.

Mark Lowry said,
"Mama would be playing and singing,
' Oh, victory in Jesus,
my Savior forever,
then she'd spot me in the balcony'."

Like his mama,
Mama would clear her throat
and you could hear it above the singing.

One particular Sunday, Mama's
watchful eye caught me undressing.

Yes, right there on the
second row, piano side pew.

What can you expect
from a three-year old dressed
 in lace from head to toe?

First, the hat came off,
then the white gloves,
then the socks,
then the shoes.

Before I could finish,
she had snatched me up
and taken me to the dreaded
"back Sunday School room,"
and commenced to "wear me out."

I learned to be quiet in church...

OR

be pinched.

Whew!  Mama didn't just pinch;
she dug her nails in, twisted and pulled.

Can I get a witness???

I guess that was better than
the thump on the back of the head
that my brother got for going
to sleep on the front row pew.


It was under the church pew
that I "spit that gum out."

It was on a church pew that
I learned to talk without being heard,
The pre-cell phone, note-passing trick.

We only got caught once.

In his pulpit voice Daddy said,
"I know two teenagers who
are gonna get it when they get home."

We knew who "they" was
and "get it" we did!

But most importantly,
it was while sitting on a church pew
that I first felt the call of God.

It was from a pew like this that
I walked forward and gave my heart to Jesus.

This pew has eternal significance.

It was from a church pew and a preacher-man daddy

and a piano-playing mama

that I learned to be quiet, not chew gum or

pass notes in church.

More importantly, it was here that 

I accepted and learned to love Jesus.

Blessings in Abundance, 

Bonnie:)

Rebecca at A Gathering Place: A Tribute to Her Father and My Tribute to Mine

My heart is so full tonight.

I've been viewing 

Rebecca Nelson's Tribute to her father 

http://rebecca-gatheryeroses.blogspot.com/2014/03/a-note-of-thankstribute-video.html 

at A Gathering Place.

It is a heart-wrenching video

of the life of man who loved

His Father, His Faith and His Family.  

Reminded me so much of my dad.

A Fisherman

A Fisher of Men

He loved his family.

(Like Rebecca I have my hand on his shoulder)

His sweetheart for 59 years.

They lacked one month making 60.

Mama went first 

and Daddy was gone six months later.  

I can already see that far away look in his eyes. 

He loved his God.

He loved people.

He loved their babies.

He started out as just a young preacher boy of 17, 

and 60+ years later his legacy continues.

In the video Stronger, 

Angela Thomas tells a story of Charles Spurgeon 

and his preacher grandfather.

Charles who is to speak was a little late for the service

and his grandfather starts preaching.

Charles comes in and his grandfather insists that he preach.

As Charles is preaching his grandfather,

prods him on saying, 

"Tell 'em again, Charles, 

Tell 'em again, Charles, 

Tell 'em about God' grace."

With tears streaming down my face, 

I could hear my daddy saying, 

"Tell 'em again, Bonnie,

Tell 'em again, Bonnie, 

Tell 'em about God's grace.

Rebecca was a Nazarene PK.

There were four children

and she was the second girl.

We've shared our stories of growing up 

in a strict evangelical home,

but we also share the love of our father.

The anniversary of Daddy's death is this month

March 12, 2011

and my brother Brian

March 23, 1975.

Rebecca, my prayers are with you, my sweet friend.

Bonnie

Be good to yourself.

Allow yourself time to grieve.

Grief is different for us all.

God is faithful.