We rarely get any snow it has been so much fun watching the kids play in it and just seeing it out my window. Here’s a quick vid from around 4:30 today. I’ll be uploading a few more today and tomorrow.
Updated Video
Updated 02.13.10
2009 ends today….and I’m glad to see it go. I’ve got to be honest. It’s been a Psalm 22 year. I was reading through the Psalm 20’s or so and came across the 22nd. For me personally and so many others that I know, it has been that type of year. Would definitely encourage you to check Psalm 22 on your own when you have time, but here are the first two verses that kind of give a glimpse into that chapter:
My God, my God, why have you abandoned me? Why are you so far away when I groan for help?
Every day I call to you, my God, but you do not answer. Every night you hear my voice, but I find no relief. (NLT)
Now, please don’t misunderstand, there have been a number of positive and good times, this past year, and there are so many things that I look at in my life and know that I am a blessed man. And when considering the plight of others and what they have been through/going through, my junk seems trivial at times.
If you know me, then you know that I am horrible at hiding what’s going on in the inside. In fact, that’s probably part of why I’m writing this post…that and it is somewhat therapeutic for me. Had a friend last night even comment to me “it’s good to see you smile” which is code for “what’s your problem been?” 
Life is like that during seasons of our life…that’s true for everyone. When those times are prolonged for months and years, it weighs on you. From unrealized dreams to illness and disease, life is tough.
Last January, I wrote down some goals and some dreams….in fact I wrote down 10 specific thoughts under the heading of where I saw us/myself within a year (that would be now). How many of those dreams were realized? …. 1
So, on to a new year. I probably will write down some more dreams and goals for the new year. Some will be the same as last year, some will be new I’m sure. I don’t have any new answers, insights, resolutions to make or 10 steps to a new and improved me….or you. I do have some thoughts for any that have had a Psalm 22 year. Some of these I’ve been processing, some that I’m still trying to “get there”. These won’t be terribly deep, just real:
Anyway, I really do hope that you have a very happy new year, a great and memorable new year. Perhaps a Psalm 20 year:
May he grant your heart’s desires and make all your plans succeed.
May we shout for joy when we hear of your victory and raise a victory banner in the name of our God.
May the Lord answer all your prayers. (vv. 5-6, NLT)
We had my parents over for dinner tonight and we were discussing how many people that we know that have been impacted by cancer. Kim had thyroid cancer back several years ago and now two incredible friends of ours (Tom and Angie) are waging their own battles. Would you take a minute to pray for both Tom and Angie right now and any others around you that are fighting to battle cancer? Here is a quick synopsis of their stories and links to check out:
Tom Lowry – Tom was my youth pastor growing up, gave me my first opportunity in ministry by letting me intern under him in student ministry (what was he thinking? ….) and has remained a great friend and encourager to me through the years. He discipled me and help see me through the “yeah, it’s okay God, I’ve got this on my own” years. He has always been like a second dad to me. He had mentioned several weeks ago to me that he would be going through some tests and then this week revealed that the tests would be to test for cancer. He shared the video below tonight at Curtis Baptist Church in Augusta where he is on staff still (church/place I grew up at). You can follow Tom on his blog as well as he will be giving updates there:
Tom’s Blog: http://tomsthoughtsonstuff.blogspot.com
Angie Sanders – I first met Bobby and Angie at Lighthouse Baptist Church here in Aiken where I was on staff as the youth pastor. I suckered them in asked them to become volunteers in our student ministry and later had the privilege to officiate at their wedding. It has been incredible for me to watch them grow in their faith and how they have become leaders at their church in ministry. They are a great example of Jesus with skin on: they just love Jesus and love people. Angie has recently been diagnosed with cancer and has had surgery to remove it and is about to undergo additional chemotherapy.
Been a while since I’ve blogged, with any consistancy anyway. Here’s the latest in the world of Jones:
Can’t wait to be HERE.I can remember saying that growing up to my parents. During summers when I was a kid, I would often pester my parents to take us somewhere to swim. I grew up in North Augusta and summers were the same as they are now in this area: brutally hot and humid. For us it was either one of four places: Misty Waters, Anderson’s, Ascauga Lake or Hammond Hills Pool (the first three are either shut down or non-existent now). I would remember my parents saying that they would take us “sometime” later on in the week or day, and I would just cling to that hope saying “but you promised” Now I’m sometimes on the receiving end of that with my own kids.
I’ve been reading through Romans in my time with God and just came across a passage that just nailed me. It is out of Romans 4 and is speaking about Abraham’s faith and it was his faith that made him right with God. God made a promise to Abraham (an old childless man with a barren wife) that he would be the father of “many nations”. This was a promise that he and Sara had to wait for years to come to pass…but it did.
Speaking of Abraham, in 4:20-21, the Bible says:
Yet he did not waver through unbelief regarding the promise of God, but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, being fully persuaded that God had power to do what he had promised.
Here are some thoughts and questions that really stuck out to me:
So it’s been a while since I posted as I’ve been out of town some. Here is the latest from the world of Jones:
Thanks Ken for passing this along. In revolt against every girl-jean-wearing guy out there (you know who you are), I submit this:
Here’s the latest from the world of Jones:
God’s good at that.I’ve heard a lot of good things about the Clifton Strengths Finder test and wanted to take it to see what it said about my strengths. I was a little nervous in taking the test..you know, the whole pointing the mirror at yourself introspection. As I was taking it, I was waiting at any moment for this pop up window (you take it online) to say “Dude, what are you smokin?” Anyway, here are the results, the good and the bad. These are what it said my strengths are. So, is it me? I think it is pretty close….scary close in some ways. Don’t be hatin!
“When can we start?” This is a recurring question in your life. You are impatient for action. You may concede that analysis has its uses or that debate and discussion can occasionally yield some valuable insights, but deep down you know that only action is real. Only action can make things happen. Only action leads to performance. Once a decision is made, you cannot not act. Others may worry that “there are still some things we don’t know,” but this doesn’t seem to slow you. If the decision has been made to go across town, you know that the fastest way to get there is to go stoplight to stoplight. You are not going to sit around waiting until all the lights have turned green. Besides, in your view, action and thinking are not opposites. In fact, guided by your Activator theme, you believe that action is the best device for learning. You make a decision, you take action, you look at the result, and you learn. This learning informs your next action and your next. How can you grow if you have nothing to react to? Well, you believe you can’t. You must put yourself out there. You must take the next step. It is the only way to keep your thinking fresh and informed. The bottom line is this: You know you will be judged not by what you say, not by what you think, but by what you get done. This does not frighten you. It pleases you.
You want to be very significant in the eyes of other people. In the truest sense of the word you want to be recognized. You want to be heard. You want to stand out. You want to be known. In particular, you want to be known and appreciated for the unique strengths you bring. You feel a need to be admired as credible, professional, and successful. Likewise, you want to associate with others who are credible, professional, and successful. And if they aren’t, you will push them to achieve until they are. Or you will move on. An independent spirit, you want your work to be a way of life rather than a job, and in that work you want to be given free rein, the leeway to do things your way. Your yearnings feel intense to you, and you honor those yearnings. And so your life is filled with goals, achievements, or qualifications that you crave. Whatever your focus—and each person is distinct—your Significance theme will keep pulling you upward, away from the mediocre toward the exceptional. It is the theme that keeps you reaching.
Command leads you to take charge. Unlike some people, you feel no discomfort with imposing your views on others. On the contrary, once your opinion is formed, you need to share it with others. Once your goal is set, you feel restless until you have aligned others with you. You are not frightened by confrontation; rather, you know that confrontation is the first step toward resolution. Whereas others may avoid facing up to life’s unpleasantness, you feel compelled to present the facts or the truth, no matter how unpleasant it may be. You need things to be clear between people and challenge them to be clear-eyed and honest. You push them to take risks. You may even intimidate them. And while some may resent this, labeling you opinionated, they often willingly hand you the reins. People are drawn toward those who take a stance and ask them to move in a certain direction. Therefore, people will be drawn to you. You have presence. You have Command.
“Wouldn’t it be great if . . .” You are the kind of person who loves to peer over the horizon. The future fascinates you. As if it were projected on the wall, you see in detail what the future might hold, and this detailed picture keeps pulling you forward, into tomorrow. While the exact content of the picture will depend on your other strengths and interests—a better product, a better team, a better life, or a better world—it will always be inspirational to you. You are a dreamer who sees visions of what could be and who cherishes those visions. When the present proves too frustrating and the people around you too pragmatic, you conjure up your visions of the future and they energize you. They can energize others, too. In fact, very often people look to you to describe your visions of the future. They want a picture that can raise their sights and thereby their spirits. You can paint it for them. Practice. Choose your words carefully. Make the picture as vivid as possible. People will want to latch on to the hope you bring.
If you possess a strong Belief theme, you have certain core values that are enduring. These values vary from one person to another, but ordinarily your Belief theme causes you to be family-oriented, altruistic, even spiritual, and to value responsibility and high ethics—both in yourself and others. These core values affect your behavior in many ways. They give your life meaning and satisfaction; in your view, success is more than money and prestige. They provide you with direction, guiding you through the temptations and distractions of life toward a consistent set of priorities. This consistency is the foundation for all your relationships. Your friends call you dependable. “I know where you stand,” they say. Your Belief makes you easy to trust. It also demands that you find work that meshes with your values. Your work must be meaningful; it must matter to you. And guided by your Belief theme it will matter only if it gives you a chance to live out your values.
 Alan Jones is the media pastor at Cedar Creek Church in Aiken, SC where he oversees most visual elements and communications. He is a husband, father, pastor, designer and entrepreneur. Click Here to learn more. |
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