Christmas Play

A few posts down I forgot to post pictures of our Christmas play. We had our play two weeks ago on a Sunday night. Everything went smoothly. I had problems writing this one this year. It wasn't really one big play but rather three small skits with verses, singing, and narrations in between. The theme, however, was all the same. "Everybody Ought To Know." Throughout the year and, especially at Christmas, it is important to know and share Jesus Christ with others.

In the first skit was a couple with their newborn baby. They realized the importance of raising their son in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. They pray over that child that God would save him at an early age, showing him saving grace and a desire to share Christ with others.

The second skit shows that baby as a teenager, called to preach. He's on his way to bus ministry to preach to the children before their Christmas party when he runs into some other teens from school. They've just gotten out for Christmas break and want him to go to the City Park with them to play some ball. But he declines because he wants to preach to the children. His desire is to share with them, not only God's saving grace, but his sovereign grace also. The teens call him a fanatic and go on about their way.

The third skit is a grandmother that calls the director of their church play to see what time the play will be. The director tells the grandmother what time and says how thankful she is that the lady's grandchildren have been raised to love the Lord and love to serve the Lord and not just sit on a pew and do nothing. The grandmother mentions the importance of seeing her grandchildren serve the Lord. That they had received his saving grace, his sovereign grace, and because of that, they will experience his sustaining grace through life.

The last part of the play, I think, was the most powerful. The narrator said, "The world needs Jesus. We can begin evangelizing our homes, which will extend to our neighbors, and all those we come into contact with. The world needs men, women, boys, and girls, to take a stand for Jesus and NOT be ashamed to tell others the glorious gospel of Jesus Christ! The world needs Christians to tell them the true meaning of Christmas. That Christ came to this earth to die for THEIR sins. The world needs Christians to be soldiers of the cross. The world needs YOU and ME to accept the challenge. Will you go and tell others? Will YOU stand up for Jesus?" When he said "Will YOU stand up for Jesus?" several people got up from the congregation and lined up across the platform holding signs of what they did in the church or what they did for a living. The first few people/families sang the first few lines of Stand for Jesus.

Stand for Jesus
Don't be ashamed
Stand for Jesus
Praise His name
For He loved you on a rugged cross
With arms held open wide
Stand for Jesus
He's standing by your side....

At the last minute (the morning of the play) we asked Tammy to hold a sign in memory of her mother, who was saved in the bus ministry as a little girl and worked the nursery at the bus ministry at church before she passed away suddenly just four days before this play. Tammy is her daughter. Brother Ted, Tammy's brother, sang one of the verses of Stand for Jesus while his wife, Rebecca, held a sign in memory of Mrs. Barbara Weathers.
It was very moving!!




The songs Mrs. Carolyn chose were wonderful:

• Everybody Ought To Know ~ Youth Choir
• What Can I Give Him ~ Pee Wees
• Into My Heart ~ Pee Wees
• Help Me To Walk ~ Youth Choir
• Win the Lost at Any Cost ~ Sons of Faith
• Amazing Love ~ Justin, Hannah, and Kelsey
• It's All in the Name of Jesus ~ Youth Choir
• Stand for Jesus ~ Youth Choir

Everything went great. The youth choir and Patch children, Mrs. Carolyn and musicians, all did a wonderful job. I love my church family!

Click here for pictures from the play.

This video was not taken during the play, but it's Sons of Faith with our Youth Choir singing Win the Lost at Any Cost.

The Wilderness Within

Mrs. Ava has been doing a series of a Bible study from The Wilderness Within, a book by Mrs. Beneth Peters Jones. It has been a wonderful series and it was an honor to have her with us. When she spoke to us it was something my heart needed to hear. I appreciated what she said about us as women and our wilderness within.

Here we are playing an ice breaker game. Each lady was given a small phrase from a hymn. They were suppose to find other women who also had phrases from that same song. The first group of women to get together and sing their song, won. We picked this game up at Mrs. Amy's church in West Virginia the other week.


It was good seeing Lisa and her daughter, Katie. Holly is a student at Bob Jones University and was home preparing a presentation for a class so she missed it. And we sure missed her!



Tammy gave her testimony at the meeting. I tell ya, you just never know what another person's wilderness is like. Her testimony will be with me for a very long time.

Mrs. Carolyn sang, All I Need, and did a beautiful job as always.

Then Mrs. Jones spoke. If you haven't heard of her book or you've heard of it and have not read it, you really need to get it. It brings things out about yourself that will take you by surprise and humble you to the very core. On a side note, she REALLY knows how to twitch her nose like a mouse. I have never seen anyone do that the way she can. Funny!

In case you did not know, October is National Dessert Month. Mrs. Ava had us bring in homemade desserts. There were some yummy desserts on that table too. Our ladies know their way around the kitchen!

We had several visitors and enjoyed having each one of them!

Our Pastor's son, Andy, just got married back in May. This is his Mother-in-law, Mrs. Jacobs. She is such a sweet lady. We enjoyed having her with us and hope she will join us again one day.

Me :)

Ladies were in several different rooms of the church supplying a fix for their sweet tooth. I won't dare tell you what Linda and Sandra were discussing. Sandra might hang me up by my toes. Sandra, if you're reading this, I'll be watching you Sunday if you kneel at the alter.

Two of my favorite ladies here. I love these women. They are so precious!!

This was a visitor, the caretaker to the Emory twins. She was so nice. I enjoyed meeting her.

Discussing stuff....

And Mrs. Parish! She is so fun to talk to. She has a wonderful sense of humor and smiles like that all the time!

Mrs. Hazel (left) and her cousin were there together. It's always fun seeing these two ladies.

Mrs. Marlett had some visitors with her. They were very sweet.

Tammy was telling a story about Abigale. I won't repeat the story on here, but I'm sure she'll tell you if you ask her about it. LOL

Mrs. Catfish didn't want me to take her picture but I did anyway. She's a precious Senior Saint in our church. A faithful prayer warrior. A sweet and genuine lady with some very interesting stories from her childhood.

Lisa and her beautiful daughter, Katie!

Lisa's beautiful daughter, Katie, and me!

My dear friend, Teresa, also did not want me to take her picture. But everyone knows I take my camera everywhere I go and that it is to be expected they will have their picture taken and end up on the blog! HI TERESA! :D

My darling and beautiful daughter, Hannah, Kelsey, and Teresa. Quite the three stooges here, I tell ya!

Here is Jennifer and her baby bump. Isn't she lovely? Her birthday was yesterday. Happy Birthday, Jennifer. We love you so much and appreciate everything you and Brother Jonathan do at church!

Mander's sweet Mother-in-law, Sylvia, was there. I just love her personality and enjoy seeing her when we can get together. She and I share the same birthday too. July 1st, in case you want to put that on your calendar. Just saying....

Hannah and Kendra stopped long enough to cheese for the camera. Thank you, girls! Y'all are beautiful!!

Here's the skit from the meeting. Enjoy!

DRAMA...From the Stars!

I recently wrote our Christmas play and this past Sunday night I asked Brother RJ and Mrs. Liz if they would consider being in the play as the "mom and dad." I was pleasantly surprised to see how excited Mrs. Liz was and how quickly they both agreed. That made me happy, 'cause, you know...I worry about stuff like that. ANYWAY! I asked if they wanted two scripts or if they wanted to share. "No, two scripts aren't necessary" they said, "We can share." Later that night, I received a phone call from Brother RJ...oh, excuse me...his manager *ahem*, that Brother RJ thought it was quite ironic that I would ask if they wanted two scripts when Brother RJ had only three lines in the play. Not to mention.........he dies.

Apparently, this has bothered Brother RJ for the last several days, so he decided to write his Play Resume` and personally hand it to me last night. No doubt in hopes that he would be given a larger, more important part in this year's Christmas play. I will share his resume` with you now.

Play Resume`

RJ P-----

Youth Pastor, Faith Baptist Church

*Pee Wee Pirate

*Abraham Lincoln

*Patch Pirate....3 years

*Lazarus

*Sock Boy....college skit

*Narrator

*Dad - in some play

*Roomate of top star at BJU

*Electra Cution

*Cher

*VBS - "BUBBA"

*Speech minor in college

*Master of Impromtu

Bruce and I liked the last one best. We may start calling him MASTER RJ, instead of Brother RJ from now on.

Quite an impressive resume`, wouldn't you say? However, after going through his list of qualifications, I have come to the very difficult decision to keep his part in the play....as "Dad".... who dies....with only three lines.

Sometimes the Lord uses things like this to keep us humble.