Jones Family Circus, long time no see.....

It has been a while since I have blogged.  Life and facebook have cut into my time.  It is amazing to me how things change in life.  It is so easy to wake up and realize that you have taken the routine for granted.  This has been the most surreal year.  

First, Matthew left for MC and really hasn't been home because of football games, etc.  For years we were together with no thought at all of things ever being different, and then he left.  I am so happy that he is having a great time at school, but it is still strange with him not being home.  We miss his face.  It will be so great to see him Tuesday.   

We were in a transition with jobs, churches, etc. and then God led us to a wonderful group of people at Taylor BC.  It has been such a blessing to work with the youth and see our old friends. 

This school year has been so much better than last year, but still so tough.  I know God has put me there for a reason, but it is so hard for my personality to be tough enough to be a strong teacher.  Even with the best intentions, it is still not good enough.  If anyone ever needed Thanksgiving break, it was me, now.  So very frustrating.  I get overwhelmed and then disappoint myself when I lose my temper and don't behave like I want to. 

So, today is the first day of Thanksgiving holidays.  I am going to soak up every bit of  this break.  2010 is about over.  I know God has a plan for our family for Matt finding a full-time job and us settling down.  I am going to remember my trust in Him as we go through this time.  He is going to take care of us.  

I guess I need to remember that all things do work together for good for those who love God and are called according to His purpose.  That is such a comforting thing.  Even in our failures, He loves us completely and no less.  Thank goodness we can't earn His love.  We already have it. 


Now Matt is in here playing jazz guitar Christmas music. Ahhhh..................
Great end to the evening.  Take care, everybody.  I pray that you will know that comfort of knowing God and walking with Him. 


Have a great Thanksgiving!!

  

Benny's latest

I am loving Benjamin's latest artwork. He has always loved sharks and sharks being not so nice to people.

Interesting times.....

This has been just about the strangest year of my life.  It is like God is just saying wait a while on.....something.  I know that He is in total control and I trust Him, but am ready to find where we are supposed to be and get busy.  Maybe that is what is going on.  Maybe He is just letting me get so excited about serving Him....wherever.  I see and hear about so many of my brothers and sisters in Christ being busy serving God in different places and in different ways.  It feels good in a way to know that I didn't go to church or try to serve God because Matt was on staff as worship leader, but because I really do love God and really do want to lead others to Him.  That, God has made very clear to me. 

Along these lines....it is tough finding the right place to serve God right now.  This is a huge compliment to the churches in Oxford.  There are so many great churches that are loving people and are preaching His word.  We could go to just about any of these churches.  Right now, Matthew has really gotten plugged in at North Oxford BC.  We have visited there and it is great.  We also have gone to the Orchard, and have loved it.  They are different, but are both great.  We also visited Grace and First Baptist.  All great. 

We have great friends at all of these churches and could just about see ourselves at any.  We are ready to get involved, though, so please pray for us as we seek God in this.  Please pray for us, also, about career directions.  Matt has a real heart for leading worship, but he also loves teaching.  He had always had the dream to lead worship full-time.  He has opportunities in teaching, but God hasn't opened any doors as far as worship leading full-time.  It may just not be the right season.  We have loved going to home fellowship with a group of folks from FB and Grace.  It has been great worshipping and studying the Bible in this small setting.  

April and May are going to be full for our family starting off with Jacob's birthday on April 2.  Then Matt is going to be busy getting his guitar and choir concerts together.  After all of those, I have concerts, etc. at my school, and then Matthew has all of his graduation activities.  He and Benjamin will also have their band concerts.  Whew! 

I am excited about what God is doing in our lives and what I see Him doing in our friends' lives around the world.  He is so awesome!  My job has been a huge blessing and I am looking forward to see what is coming in the future.  God bless.

Update 2/1/10

So much has happened since my last post.  I think last time it was almost November and we were getting ready for the Thanksgiving feast at North Oxford.  Well, that all went great, as did Christmas.  The Christmas musical at New Prospect went great.  So many working together.  Christmas was such a blessing, too.  As always.  God reveals Himself in a new way each year, it seems.  The story of Him being born in a manger may seem redundant, etc., but when you think about what it all really means and you have a relationship with Him, it is awesome! 

New Year's was great, too.  So much good family time.  Over Christmas holidays I also made a change.  God just dropped a new job in my lap.  I found out about Batesville Junior High needing a new choral director.  I made a call and met the principal.  It worked out great and I have been there a month now.  It was tough leaving my little people.  It tore me up calling my boss and telling her, but I knew there was a reason God was moving me.  I would soon find out.

We don't always understand it, but God also closes doors.  We are no longer at New Prospect BC where we had been for 3 years.  Leaving there was unlike anything I had experienced.  It was, sadly, messy and I don't think it pleased God too much, but I just have to trust that it was all in His plan.  Even though it hurt incredibly, and the church just thinks that our family "left", I know it will all be OK.  I do have a certain peace about it.  I just can't think about the church right now without getting pretty bitter.  Especially when we were there for 3 years and have barely talked to the people there except a select few.  I guess it is just too awkward for most to approach us.  Maybe they just don't care.  ???

I know this will ease in time.  We have been able to go to my mom's in Jackson and go to church with her, though. (something we couldn't do while on staff) We have also visited North Oxford and are going to FB on Wednesday nights to take the kids to Awana.  Who knows where we will end up.  We are planning on visiting our friend's church, The Orchard, really soon, too.  We'll see. 

I am so thankful that God has given me a family that I love and loves me and the ability to love the people I come in contact.  He has given me a job that lets me work with kids and share His love with them.  It's all good! 

Well, that's all for now.  Hope you are all doing well. 

First official night of Awana

Tonight is the first night of Awana at my church in Oxford. I am pretty amazed at how much work has been done to bring this all together. My pastor and his wife have bent over backwards to see this happen. This is something that our church really needed and that I am already seeing being a huge tool to reach out to the other kids in our area.

My computer was being crazy last night, so I have to finish my powerpoint for tonight, now. I know it will come together, but I am a little anxious.

Please keep us in your prayers as we attempt this tonight. It is all for God's glory. Phil. 4:13

What a gorgeous day!

The sun looks so gorgeous outside and coming in through our windows. It has rained so much lately that I almost forgot what bright sun looked like. We needed the rain, I am not complaining, but we got a lot of it.

This week has been wild, but really good. We began revival services at our church on Sunday morning. The preacher, P.J. Scott, has been great. I have learned so much from him, already. Tonight is our last night. He has preached on so much that has been on my heart for awhile. How our churches need to change to actually be a place where outsiders would even want to come and join. That our churches have become a closed society. My heart has been breaking for feeling like I didn't have the resources to reach the people around me. There has also been a staggering fear that it would just be too overwhelming to try to invest enough time into the lost people around me when I have a family of 6 who need me. I have let myself be complacent. Even though I was disappointed with myself, I just kept going and passing people and praying that maybe they would meet someone else that could reach them.

I have been praying about how God could use me and being disgusted that I felt like my using my gifts at church alone was a cop out and not what I needed to be doing. Ministering to Christians who, I know, need lots of ministering to, but at the same time feeling like I was meant to reach this dying world. Well, not all me, but I hope you know what I mean. At least the part that I am supposed to reach. I get down so easily. It is my temperament. I really have to fight not getting depressed about this all. One thing I really realized is that I have been trying to do all of this in my own strength. I think I have been afraid of asking God for His strength because I know He would give it to me and then I would have to get out of my comfort zone.

I have to remember that the entire Christian walk is with Christ's strength. That is the only way it is possible to please God. That is one thing that seperates us from other religions. We depend on Christ. Depend. We are desperate for Him. I know that my "self" is so weak and pitiful on my own. I have to be filled with the Spirit to do anything that He is calling me to do. Yes, it may sound like He is one big crutch. Well, He is and He is supposed to be.

My goal for the rest of this year is to start by at least contacting my neighbors. Inviting them to church. Inviting them into our home. Getting outside our comfort zone.

I have to be honest. Asking God to totally take over my life is very scary. He may want me to give up some things that I have made myself dependent on. He is so worth it all. It is about walking with Him and fellowshipping with Him. Being a part of what He is doing. He will bless us with letting us actually be a part of His work.

Take care,
Laurie

I am trying something new

OK, I have just started calculating how much I am paying ebay to sell my items and discovered that there is another up-and-coming business that is similar to ebay, but whose fees are much lower, etc. It is not an auction site, but instead a storefront, or "booth" like they call it. I only pay if I sell anything. Here is the link if you are interested. Maybe it could help you out, too. Now, I have to get a life and do some house work. :)

Have a great day!