#5 - From one of my favorite chapters in the Bible, we can learn that Jesus was not loved because he was good looking. The Bible tells us that there "was nothing beautiful or majestic about his appearance, nothing to attract us to him." What attracts us to Him is His heart - His compassion, His love, and His power of healing (both spiritually and physically). Our family shares this desire - to attract others (for the sake of Jesus) because we show compassion and love. We pray that we not focus on the physical aspects of our appearance or the physical aspects of material things - through love and compassion, may we reach others and grow the Kingdom of God.
Isaiah 53:2-10
"My servant grew up in the Lord's presence like a tender green shoot, sprouting from a root in dry and sterile ground. There was nothing beautiful or majestic about his appearance, nothing to attract us to him. He was despised and rejected-a man of sorrows, acquainted with bitterest grief. We turned our backs on him and looked the other way when he went by. He was despised, and we did not care. Yet it was our weaknesses he carried; it was our sorrows that weighed him down. And we thought his troubles were a punishment for God for his own sins? But he was wounded and crushed for our sins. He was beaten that we might have peace. He was whipped, and we were healed! All of us have strayed away like sheep. We have left God's paths to follow our own. Yet the Lord laid on him the guilt and sins of us all. He was oppressed and treated harshly, yet he never said a word. He was led as a lamb to the slaughter. And as a sheep is silent before the shearers, he did not open his mouth. From prison and trial they led him away to his death. But who among the people realized that he was dying for their sins-that he was suffering their punishment? He had done no wrong, and he never deceived anyone. But he was buried like a crimnal: he was put in a rich man's grave. But it was the Lord's good plan to crush him and fill him with grief. Yet when his life is made an offering for sin, he will have a multitude of children, many heirs."
Thank you, Lord, for our salvation. May we always strive to do Your Will.
Toddy
Toddy? No, not the drink...instead, a nickname from long ago that led to my interest in sharing my thoughts with anyone who wanted to listen.
Thursday, November 29, 2012
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
Study of Jesus - Lessons 2, 3, & 4
As promised, our family continues to focus on studying/learning at least one characteristic of Jesus each day. Landis and I are studying the Scriptures ourselves and then teaching it to Luke through scripture and kid friendly language. Santa has become minimized in our household - to the point that I talked to Luke last night about how Santa is pretend and we give gifts to each other because we love each other not because Santa delivers them. Luke will still go visit Santa and do some fun Christmas activities but what we want to avoid is teaching him to idolize Santa. Christmas is about Jesus - not about Santa. Santa is pretend - just like Mickey Mouse. I pray that families all over the world remember to put the focus on Jesus this holiday season. Jesus is coming soon and he will be looking for those who are eagerly seeking Him - not those who are focused on the ways of the world.
As always, I would love to share the Gospel with anyone who wants to hear it and I am always willing to meet to discuss any questions that anyone has as new Christians or as someone who is unsaved. God loves you! Draw near to Him....
Here are lessons #2, #3, and #4 about Jesus....
#2 – Jesus was born in a manger. Jesus was born in a place where his surroundings were dark and dirty – just like our world. He was born into a world full of uncleanliness – SIN. From the very beginning, Jesus was brining light into dark places – He is the light of the world!
Luke 2:7 – “She gave birth to her first child, a son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the village inn.”
#3 – Jesus was sinless – perfect. He was tempted in everyway that we are but he relied on His Father for strength to resist the temptations. He never ONCE lost focus of His Father’s will for Him and ALWAYS looked to His Father for direction. Even though we are not perfect, our family prays daily for the strength to resist worldly temptations and to seek God’s direction in all we do.
Luke 4:1-8 – Then Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan River. He was led by the Spirit to go out into the wilderness, where the Devil tempted him for forty days. He ate nothing all that time and was very hungry. Then the Devil said, to him, “If you are the Son of God, change this stone into a loaf of bread.” But, Jesus told him, “No! The Scriptures say, “People need more than bread for their life.” Then the Devil took him up and revealed to him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. The Devil told him, “I will give you the glory of these kingdoms of the world in a moment of time-because they are mine to give anyone I please. I will give it all to you if you will bow down and worship me. Jesus replied, “The Scriptures say, ‘You must worship the Lord your God; serve only Him.’”
It is important to notice that Jesus counteracted the Devil each time with the Word of God. The Word of God and the Holy Spirit are our weapons against the enemy here on Earth.
#4 – Jesus was rejected in his boyhood home of Nazareth. Often times the people closest to us are the most resistant to hearing the Gospel. We must stay strong and steady and continue to seek Jesus. Then, pray in the Spirit and allow the Holy Spirit to soften the hearts of those around us.
Jesus teaching and rejection in Nazareth is found in Luke 4:14 – 30
Have a wonderful Wednesday.
Toddy
As always, I would love to share the Gospel with anyone who wants to hear it and I am always willing to meet to discuss any questions that anyone has as new Christians or as someone who is unsaved. God loves you! Draw near to Him....
Here are lessons #2, #3, and #4 about Jesus....
#2 – Jesus was born in a manger. Jesus was born in a place where his surroundings were dark and dirty – just like our world. He was born into a world full of uncleanliness – SIN. From the very beginning, Jesus was brining light into dark places – He is the light of the world!
Luke 2:7 – “She gave birth to her first child, a son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the village inn.”
#3 – Jesus was sinless – perfect. He was tempted in everyway that we are but he relied on His Father for strength to resist the temptations. He never ONCE lost focus of His Father’s will for Him and ALWAYS looked to His Father for direction. Even though we are not perfect, our family prays daily for the strength to resist worldly temptations and to seek God’s direction in all we do.
Luke 4:1-8 – Then Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, left the Jordan River. He was led by the Spirit to go out into the wilderness, where the Devil tempted him for forty days. He ate nothing all that time and was very hungry. Then the Devil said, to him, “If you are the Son of God, change this stone into a loaf of bread.” But, Jesus told him, “No! The Scriptures say, “People need more than bread for their life.” Then the Devil took him up and revealed to him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. The Devil told him, “I will give you the glory of these kingdoms of the world in a moment of time-because they are mine to give anyone I please. I will give it all to you if you will bow down and worship me. Jesus replied, “The Scriptures say, ‘You must worship the Lord your God; serve only Him.’”
It is important to notice that Jesus counteracted the Devil each time with the Word of God. The Word of God and the Holy Spirit are our weapons against the enemy here on Earth.
#4 – Jesus was rejected in his boyhood home of Nazareth. Often times the people closest to us are the most resistant to hearing the Gospel. We must stay strong and steady and continue to seek Jesus. Then, pray in the Spirit and allow the Holy Spirit to soften the hearts of those around us.
Jesus teaching and rejection in Nazareth is found in Luke 4:14 – 30
Have a wonderful Wednesday.
Toddy
Sunday, November 25, 2012
Thomasville Christmas Parade
A few weeks ago, Landis, Luke, and I went to the Thomasville Christmas Parade. We got there early enough to get a good spot but was disappointed when the people beside of us decided to step out into the road in front of us the whole time! Luke was still able to see most everything - he just couldn't see it until it got right in front of us. Luke enjoyed the bands, the music, the tractors, the horses, the remote control cars, and the big Mac trucks carrying the trailer. He also enjoyed trying to catch candy when it was thrown and he enjoyed eating some cotton candy before the parade started. To help pass the time while we waited, we brought Luke's Chuck and Friends trucks for him to push around on our blanket. It was a gorgeous Saturday afternoon so we enjoyed the family time together outdoors and it got us in the Christmas Spirit. Here are some pictures....
Toddy
Daddy's Hat, Elmo Shoes, & Cardboard Car Garage
One day last week, our neighbors brought over some super cute Elmo bedroom shoes that their little boy didn't need anymore. You would have thought they gave Luke a million dollars - he was so excited! He put them on and ran around the house in them. Then, he used them to stuff his Chuck and Friends trucks into. So amazing how the small things amaze kids! :) Here are some pictures.
Another morning last week, Luke and I made a car garage out of a cardboard box and played with it. Check it out...
Y'all - if you haven't visited in awhile, please keep reading! I have posted a lot today because I was so behind with my pictures!
Have a great rest of your evening!
Toddy
Fun, fun Saturday and Soot Boy!
Before I get to some very cute pictures, I want to journal about our fun day on Saturday. I took absolutely NO pictures or video of our awesome time!
Luke started his morning with a visit to the nursing home to see Granny. He loves to visit Granny on Saturday mornings. Papaw Donnie brings him tator tots and a drink and he runs around the halls greeting all the nursing home residents. Granny says that Luke is her "joy." :)
When Luke returned from his visit with Granny, he and I played hide and seek in Papaw's yard while Luke tried to find me on his lawn mower. We also delivered some firewood using his trailer and trimmed papaw's bushes with scissors. It was cold and breezy but so nice to feel the fresh air.
Then, for lunch, Memaw came over and Memaw, Papaw Donnie, Landis, Luke and myself ate at Elizabeth's Pizza together. It was some great family time. Then...finally....the moment Luke had been looking forward to for days....a visit to Memaw's house.
At Memaw's house, we had a blast! Luke, Memaw, and I hiked through the woods for almost an hour. We found two old tires and pushed them along (playing a game to see how long we could keep them rolling). Luke loved this! We climbed up the big dirt hill and slid down the big dirt hill. Luke has already learned how to slide on his bottom when he's on a big hill that is steep. He has no worries of getting dirty - LOVE IT! We walked through the woods looking for big limbs to pick up - Luke would find the biggest ones that he could and then make Memaw carry them! :) Luke found several loose limbs hanging from trees and he would stop and swing on them. We all had an awesome time just hanging out, laughing together, enjoying the cold winter breeze in the woods. It was a great memory for me and mom - just watching Luke be an excellent explorer!
After our hike in the woods, we played on Memaw's trampoline. Memaw would pop me and Luke up in the air and Luke thought this was great. Then, Memaw chased Luke around and around the edges of the trampoline and pretended to eat him. He laughed out loud for seriously 30 minutes straight - such pure, genuine, fun!
Of course, we never spend time at Memaw's house without riding the 4 wheeler so Luke rode his 4 wheeler for a little while - his favorite part has become riding off the edges of the curb. It scares me to death but he thinks its hilarious! :)
We ended our time at Memaw's with Luke using Memaw's dust buster to vacuum up dirt, leaves, and Collie hairs. The child loves to clean - it's crazy - I think he gets that from his Mammaw! :)
I thought Luke would fall asleep on the way home from Memaw's but he didn't so because it was already 3:00, I decided to let him skip his nap. About that time, Heather and Silas texted and wanted to play so we invited them over for a Saturday afternoon playdate. The boys were absolutely wonderful. They played together for almost 2 hours with only a few tiny toddler disputes. For the most part, those boys are kind to each other, take turns, and truly enjoy each other's company. It's awesome to watch this little tiny friendship form - they say they are "best buds." Heather and I talked and talked while the boys played inside a closet for almost 30 minutes with a flashlight - they made up their own games and scenarios - they both have quite the imagination and, I have to say, super language skills so their ability to play together becomes easier. Thank you Heather and Silas for an awesome afternoon. Thanks to you all - Luke handled his afternoon without a nap beautifully!
After Heather and Silas left, we ate dinner and then Luke was in bed by 6:30. He was EXHAUSTED!! :) The early bedtime allowed me to finish some school planning that I needed to do. I was done with it by 9:00 and ready to do some reading. It was an awesome day and a wonderful, relaxing evening! :)
Now, some super cute pictures and video of Luke getting into the soot in the backyard fire pit (days after the coals were hot - don't worry). :)
Luke was playing in our fenced in backyard and I ran into the house real quick to get something and when I came out - this is what I saw....
Luke started his morning with a visit to the nursing home to see Granny. He loves to visit Granny on Saturday mornings. Papaw Donnie brings him tator tots and a drink and he runs around the halls greeting all the nursing home residents. Granny says that Luke is her "joy." :)
When Luke returned from his visit with Granny, he and I played hide and seek in Papaw's yard while Luke tried to find me on his lawn mower. We also delivered some firewood using his trailer and trimmed papaw's bushes with scissors. It was cold and breezy but so nice to feel the fresh air.
Then, for lunch, Memaw came over and Memaw, Papaw Donnie, Landis, Luke and myself ate at Elizabeth's Pizza together. It was some great family time. Then...finally....the moment Luke had been looking forward to for days....a visit to Memaw's house.
At Memaw's house, we had a blast! Luke, Memaw, and I hiked through the woods for almost an hour. We found two old tires and pushed them along (playing a game to see how long we could keep them rolling). Luke loved this! We climbed up the big dirt hill and slid down the big dirt hill. Luke has already learned how to slide on his bottom when he's on a big hill that is steep. He has no worries of getting dirty - LOVE IT! We walked through the woods looking for big limbs to pick up - Luke would find the biggest ones that he could and then make Memaw carry them! :) Luke found several loose limbs hanging from trees and he would stop and swing on them. We all had an awesome time just hanging out, laughing together, enjoying the cold winter breeze in the woods. It was a great memory for me and mom - just watching Luke be an excellent explorer!
After our hike in the woods, we played on Memaw's trampoline. Memaw would pop me and Luke up in the air and Luke thought this was great. Then, Memaw chased Luke around and around the edges of the trampoline and pretended to eat him. He laughed out loud for seriously 30 minutes straight - such pure, genuine, fun!
Of course, we never spend time at Memaw's house without riding the 4 wheeler so Luke rode his 4 wheeler for a little while - his favorite part has become riding off the edges of the curb. It scares me to death but he thinks its hilarious! :)
We ended our time at Memaw's with Luke using Memaw's dust buster to vacuum up dirt, leaves, and Collie hairs. The child loves to clean - it's crazy - I think he gets that from his Mammaw! :)
I thought Luke would fall asleep on the way home from Memaw's but he didn't so because it was already 3:00, I decided to let him skip his nap. About that time, Heather and Silas texted and wanted to play so we invited them over for a Saturday afternoon playdate. The boys were absolutely wonderful. They played together for almost 2 hours with only a few tiny toddler disputes. For the most part, those boys are kind to each other, take turns, and truly enjoy each other's company. It's awesome to watch this little tiny friendship form - they say they are "best buds." Heather and I talked and talked while the boys played inside a closet for almost 30 minutes with a flashlight - they made up their own games and scenarios - they both have quite the imagination and, I have to say, super language skills so their ability to play together becomes easier. Thank you Heather and Silas for an awesome afternoon. Thanks to you all - Luke handled his afternoon without a nap beautifully!
After Heather and Silas left, we ate dinner and then Luke was in bed by 6:30. He was EXHAUSTED!! :) The early bedtime allowed me to finish some school planning that I needed to do. I was done with it by 9:00 and ready to do some reading. It was an awesome day and a wonderful, relaxing evening! :)
Now, some super cute pictures and video of Luke getting into the soot in the backyard fire pit (days after the coals were hot - don't worry). :)
Luke was playing in our fenced in backyard and I ran into the house real quick to get something and when I came out - this is what I saw....
And, the video of him showing off...check out his facial expressions! :)
Have a great week everyone!
Toddy
Keeping the Focus on Jesus
Here is a question that I asked myself - so far this Christmas season (which is just starting), how many times have I talked to Luke about Santa Claus compared to how many times have I talked to him about Jesus being born and what Jesus has done for us?
Being honest with myself, I admitted - Santa has been named more than Jesus and that is a pure shame! I have asked the Lord to forgive me and to also help me get back on track. God is merciful and His grace always amazes me. To help our family grow and learn together and to hold ourselves accountable, we have set a goal for ourselves this Christmas season.
During this busy season (that tends to get focused on shopping, eating, and gathering), our family has decided that we will focus on studying Jesus everyday. Landis and I will study together and then...
Each day/night, Landis and I will share something we have learned about Jesus with Luke. By doing this, we will maintain a focus on our savior here at Christmas time and throughout the year. I do plan on writing down much of what we learn and teach Luke (more than anything - so that we can all look back anytime we want to study what we've learned). My hopes are to also share what we learn with you - either through Facebook or the blog (or both). There may be days that I don't get to post but I will try my best! I am excited to go on this journey with my family and Jesus to learn more about Him. This is going to require us to read, study, and dig deep into God's word and I can't wait!
I want to say this before I begin...I'm NOT doing this to look like I'm participating in a canned program "25 days of Christmas, etc." - I'm not doing this to show off what I know about Jesus or brag about my family in any way. I'm doing this because I want to grow closer to Jesus, and, because during this time of the year, the Devil works hard to get our focus off of Him, I'm going counteract this attack by drawing closer than ever to the light of the world - Jesus - the REAL reason for the season.
Let me go ahead and get started...
Lesson #1
Being honest with myself, I admitted - Santa has been named more than Jesus and that is a pure shame! I have asked the Lord to forgive me and to also help me get back on track. God is merciful and His grace always amazes me. To help our family grow and learn together and to hold ourselves accountable, we have set a goal for ourselves this Christmas season.
During this busy season (that tends to get focused on shopping, eating, and gathering), our family has decided that we will focus on studying Jesus everyday. Landis and I will study together and then...
Each day/night, Landis and I will share something we have learned about Jesus with Luke. By doing this, we will maintain a focus on our savior here at Christmas time and throughout the year. I do plan on writing down much of what we learn and teach Luke (more than anything - so that we can all look back anytime we want to study what we've learned). My hopes are to also share what we learn with you - either through Facebook or the blog (or both). There may be days that I don't get to post but I will try my best! I am excited to go on this journey with my family and Jesus to learn more about Him. This is going to require us to read, study, and dig deep into God's word and I can't wait!
I want to say this before I begin...I'm NOT doing this to look like I'm participating in a canned program "25 days of Christmas, etc." - I'm not doing this to show off what I know about Jesus or brag about my family in any way. I'm doing this because I want to grow closer to Jesus, and, because during this time of the year, the Devil works hard to get our focus off of Him, I'm going counteract this attack by drawing closer than ever to the light of the world - Jesus - the REAL reason for the season.
Let me go ahead and get started...
Lesson #1
#1 – Jesus was born of a virgin.
Luke 1:30-35 – “’Don’t be frightened, Mary,’ the angel told
her, ‘for God has decided to bless you! You will become pregnant and have a
son, and you are to name him Jesus. He
will be very great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord
God will give him the throne of his ancestor David. And he will reign over Israel forever; his
Kingdom will never end!’ Mary asked the angel, ‘But how can I have a baby? I am
a virgin.’ The angel replied, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the
power of the Most High will overshadow you. So the baby born to you will be holy,
and he will be called the Son of God.”
Believing in the virgin birth is required to receive
salvation through Jesus. We have to understand that the virgin birth is what
made Jesus different from the rest of us.
Unlike us, Jesus was born without the sin that we have. He is God’s son so He was born perfect and
remained sinless his entire life.
Please remember you can always email me at bumgarnernatasha@gmail.com if you have questions or want to learn more about Jesus.
Merry Christmas!
Toddy
Friday, November 23, 2012
Chuck E Cheese Playdate & Museum Mommy Date
On Election Night, I couldn't bear sitting at home and watching the news all night so Heather, Silas, Luke, and I went to Chuck E Cheese. Heather and Silas have never been so Luke and I were super excited to show them around. :)
As usual, the boys had a blast. They rode some rides together, but, for the most part, wondered around and did their own thing. They rode the big jeep together, the tea cup together, and then they watched the roller coaster ride together - I think that was their favorite! They sat in a seat that moved as they watched an action movie on the screen - I have some cute pictures.
During dinner, the boys were great. They ate their pizza and stayed in their own little world while Heather and I were actually able to have an adult conversation. It was a wonderful night. We always have a great time with Heather and Silas, and, on this night, it was a great distraction from the terrible worldly event of Obama's re-election taking place.
Here are some pictures...
The big jeep...
A few weeks ago, Luke and I went to the Greensboro Children's Museum for one of our Mommy Dates. We have gone to this museum several times and we always enjoy ourself. It was not crowded so playing together was easy. We started off in the toddler room. Luke rode a few riding toys but was most interested in me building a fort around him in the block corner and then letting him "bust out." See...
Notice in these pictures that one time Luke put nothing but a ton of lemons and apples in his cart. The cute thing is that he insisted on putting them back when he was done and he got very upset when other "customers" tried to put them in the wrong place - for example, a little girl put an apple in the lemon stack and Luke told her that she needed to move that to the right place. My, oh my, he's an organized little fellow! :)
As always, thanks for checking in. Enjoy this gorgeous weather! :) Happy decorating!
Toddy
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