Fast Five With BJ Jenkins

BJ Jenkins wears many hats including Gospel singer, songwriter, author and most importantly, child of God. With her many talents and variety of interests she is able to direct people to what she is most passionate about. Her love for Christ is reflected in all that she does and we are privileged to feature her on our Fast Five.
1. So tell us, Who is BJ Jenkins?

I am a child of God who is loved by Him, blessed by Him and equipped by Him to prepare the
way for His second coming.  I can say that I am married, and I have been for 36 years now, but if
something were to happen to my husband, that could change. I can say I am a mother
and grandmother, and I am. We have 2 daughters and 5 grandchildren, but (heaven
forbid) something could happen and THAT TOO could change. I could tell you I am a
gospel singer, songwriter, worship leader, speaker, and a published children’s author
living in the deep south of Mississippi… do you see where this is going?
Although these are very important things to me, and they do properly describe my life
today, the MOST important thing about BJ Jenkins, is that she is a Child of God. I alone,
will stand before God one day to account for how I spent my time here on this earth.
My goal is to please God and I want to strive EVERYDAY, to do exactly what He wants
and needs for me to do.

2. Not only are you a wonderful singer BJ, but we hear that you are also an author? Tell us about the book. How did this all come about?

Last summer, just over a year ago, I was reading Psalm 139:16 “all the days
ordained for me were written in your book, before they ever came to be.”
So, I was thinking, everything I am supposed to do in this life is written in this book in
heaven. I WANT TO READ IT? Wouldn’t you? So, I bowed my head right then and
said, “Father, show me what’s in the book, and reveal to me what I am supposed to
do during my lifetime on earth”. The very NEXT day, I had this great idea to write a
song for my grandkids about the fruit of the Spirit. I was not even a songwriter yet,
but the words were coming as fast as I could write them down. When I finished
writing, I quickly realized it was WAY too long to be a song. I laughed out loud and
told myself, it looked more like a book than a song! I pushed it aside and began
praying for another “shorter song” and I heard the Holy Spirit quickly speak to my
heart and say “I will not give you anything more until you do something with what I
have already given you”. How many of us continue to ask God for gifts and abilities,
when we are NOT even using the ones, He has already given to us?

Knowing nothing about the publishing industry, I told Him…If He wants this book
published, He will have to do it. But in faith, I began to search for a publisher. Within
a few days, I not only had a publisher, but I had an agent as well to help me.
When you trust God to do HIS WILL for you, it is absolutely guaranteed to happen.
He is GOD and He will do abundantly more than you can ever imagine. In one year,
I have written 9 books that are now being published and 5 songs we have already
recorded. (Apparently, I am having to quickly make up for the many years of NOT
correctly following His will for my life). I encourage everyone, pray for God to reveal
to you what He has written in “your” book in heaven.
I believe He will, if YOU believe He will!

3. Can you give us information on how to purchase the book and your music?

The “Fruit of the Spirit is Not a Coconut” is available on our website
www.bjjenkinsministries.com. It is also available on Amazon and Kindle. I did write a
shorter song to go along with the book, so with each purchase, there is a “free
download” of the audio book and song to sing along at the end of the book.
Every parent, grandparent, Sunday school teacher and church library

NEEDS this book, and here is why.

Most people, and most Christians, do now know how the fruit of the Spirit operates in
a person’s life. We are always thinking we need to have more patients, to stop
worrying, and try our best to love one another. Did you know that all those things are
the Holy Spirit’s job, NOT ours? Jesus said, “I am the vine and you are the branches,
abide in me and you will bear fruit”. This book teaches how the Holy Spirit comes
into your heart and how He grows HIS fruit in your life. It shows the children how
each fruit can be recognized in their daily life, as the Holy Spirit Himself, works

through them.

One neat thing about this book is, our two daughters, Katie and Molly are the
illustrators. (one is an artist and the other a photographer) and all our grandkids are
featured in the book. The book was staged in my hometown of Kosciusko,
Mississippi at one of our local elementary schools and features kids from our city,
church and family. The cost of the book is $10. We will post the other children’s
books and curriculum as soon as it becomes available.

You will also find on the website my 6 CD’s including our brand NEW project
“A Heart Like His” featuring some new songs written by Jeff Steele and also a few by
me. I also have a new Children’s CDs I think your kids will like!

4. What are some “bucket list” items on your list of things to do?

Going to Israel was always on my bucket list. I visited there 4 years ago, and it
inspired me write a song about it on my new album. Other than Israel, I know this
may sound crazy, but if I could do anything, I would want to visit Heaven.
You know, like Paul, in the body or out of the body, I do not know. Peter and John
were caught up to Heaven. Enoch went so many times, he just got to stay.
God said, He didn’t play favorites and that Elijah was just a regular person, like us.
The difference was, his faith! So, if all these folks in the Bible can visit Heaven, why
can’t I go too? So, that’s the bucket list. I know I am going there when I die, but
getting to visit…..now, that would be amazing!!!!

5. Share your testimony.

I grew up like many kids in the south, going to church with my family. My dad was
the chairman of the Deacons and my mom taught Sunday School. One day while I
was sitting in church, I was reading the songs in the Hymnal….

“He walks with me and He talks with me, and He tells me I am His own. And the joy
we share as we tarry there, none other has ever known.”
I turned the page…

“I have found a friend in Jesus, He’s everything to me. In sorrow He’s my comfort, in

trouble He’s my stay. I should roll all my cares over to Him, because He loves me.
Then….
“No one ever cared for me like Jesus, Since I found in Him a friend so strong

and true, and that He just wanted to put His arms around me and show me the way

to go.”
Then…
“Jesus is all the world to me, He gives me strength, and without Him I would

fall, that when I was sad to Him I’d go, and He would make me glad. He was MY
FRIEND! This is my story, this is my song, praising my Savior all the day long…”

And…
“Turn your eyes upon Jesus, and all the things of earth will grow dim.”

I Believed in God, I knew all the Bible stories. I even believed Jesus died on the
cross and rose again, but I didn’t know Him like THIS! I knew I was missing

something. I didn’t have the spirit of God living in my heart!

So, I was honest with God, I prayed and told Him I was sorry for thinking I was a
Christian because I was a good person and went to church, prayed before meals
and was baptized when I was a child. At the age of 15, I asked Him to forgive me for
everything I had done wrong. I told Him I was lost and really didn’t know Him.
I asked Him to come into my heart and fill up my cup up with the Holy Spirit, just like

the song said. And He did.

So, as you can see, I found God speaks to the heart through music and lyrics.
I should have seen a Music Ministry was soon to follow. I was a voice major in
college and was called to Music Evangelism at age 18. Before I married and moved
to Mississippi, my father and I hosted a monthly Gospel Music Sing in Oviedo
Florida, (near Orlando) at the local High School. It was there I was introduced to
Southern Gospel Music and sang with some of the gospel greats like The Masters

Five, The Blackwood Brothers, The Hinson Family, The Florida Boys, The

Cathedrals, and many more. This would kick start a music ministry that would last for

decades.
Thank you for joining us as we learned more about this multi-faceted and talented woman. And thank you to BJ Jenkins for sharing her story. To learn more about Jenkins and her ministry, visit her website at: www.bjjenkinsministries.com