I love Christmas

I personally love Christmas! I love Christmas music, Christmas cookies, reading Christmas letters, watching Christmas movies and the list goes on. I don't even mind the Christmas crowds, but my favorite celebration of Christmas has to be hands down, going to the Christmas Eve service. I can pretty much mark every year of my life by Christmas Eve Services. I remember very humble services in tiny churches as well as beautiful glorious services in larger churches, all celebrating the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

My very first visit to Johnson Ferry was to attend the Christmas Eve service in 2002. George Wright happened to preach that night and he brought in live animals!  That was a first and I haven't seen them since.  I can only imagine why. It was our first time to the church and we came in the wrong entrance to encounter a very crowded service. We sat in the very last row in the balcony but each one of us lighting a candle while singing Silent Night and I was hooked. We have come every year since. The following year we sat on the last row on the main floor behind a big burly man who I'm positive was a bounty hunter! I couldn't help but notice his huge arms and huge neck, but he had come to worship Jesus Christ.

Another memorable  Christmas Eve service at Johnson Ferry was the first year we had our little kids. Our youngest wasn't feeling well so I came close to missing one. I remember praying for her to feel better so she could stay in childcare and we could stay in the service and she did. They sent her home with a craft, a sweet treat and feeling very loved. I also remember our now middle school aged child sitting right beside Bryant that night as he recounted the Children's story. Bryant would never know the road that she had traveled to be there, but God knew, amazing. The following summer she made the decision to trust Christ as her savior at Vacation Bible School and was baptized in the Children's Footsteps program.

No wonder we celebrate Him at Christmas! He is amazing and wonderful and He sent his son into the world for you and me to have a relationship with Him. Like I said, I love Christmas!

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6

Nov 18, 2012 - Some thought provoking questions

Led by Bob Carroll

It Doesn't Have to Be Pretty

Here at Johnson Ferry we recently had an "Invite your Neighbor to church" emphasis. We included beautiful perforated Inviter cards in the bulletin, were given cards to hand out with candy on Halloween and yard signs to put in our yards to give us a spring board to invite people to church. Studies indicate that people are more likely to come to church when given a personal invitation. Did I invite one person to church? It crossed my mind and actually came so far as mentioning that I attend Johnson Ferry to someone who just purchased a house in my neighborhood. I do plan to invite them when they move in after Christmas, really!

 Meanwhile in the GA (Girls In Action) classroom, my youngest daughter who is 8 yrs. old told me that she wanted to invite one of her classmates to the Girls In Action party the following week. She had written out an invitation to her friend Miles who is a boy. I suggested that a girl might feel more comfortable at a Girls In Action party and she promptly crossed out his name and wrote her friend Maya's name above it. Too tired and distracted to do anything about her less than lovely invitation, it completely left my mind.

 It was Wednesday night and my daughter and I were waiting for her choir practice to start when she said that she hoped her friend Maya would come to the party. You know where this is going. No sooner had the words come out of her mouth when Maya and her mother came walking in the door of the church! Her mother's face was beaming and so happy that Maya had been invited to GA's and my daughter went right over to her and gave her a big hug. The church address wasn't even on the invitation! It was a Christmas miracle that she even got there!  Apparently, she had called our house and my 7th grader had given her directions. This child was clearly second choice on the invitation and she still came and couldn't have been happier.

 Humbled again by an 8 yr. old.  It's not the first time and won't be the last. It's simple really, love your neighbor or your classmate and it doesn't have to be pretty.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Nov 11, 2012 - Legacy - Of the Home

Discussion of election results, and Legacy. Led by Bill Gambrell

In Honor of our Veterans

Nov 4, 2012 - Commissioned - What is Your Story?

Led by Bob Carroll