These last four months have been pretty crazy.
-We moved into a new place.
-We now have a roommate. (Helps us save money)
-The semester started back up for both Richard and I.
-Richard is working, taking online classes, volunteering w/the Trintity Christian athletic program, coaching a youth basketball team, working out all the time, and working on his music in between all those things. (Yes, we do spend time w/ each other every once in a while ;))
-I started helping with the worship at church every once in a while.
-Richard's tooth got knocked out playing basketball.
-God provided a free root canal for him. PTL!!
-Richard car randomly caught on fire.
-God provided him w/ a FREE car. Again, PTL!!
-Richard has had two tryouts this past month that have gone really well!
-I stepped off campus in November to work on support and God has really provided!
That's just a little overview of what's going on in our world. We have seen God's faithfulness on display this semester. Even in the midst of our crazy life (which is beyond what I can briefly mention in this post), I feel like we have experienced God's peace more than ever. We've really grown to understand that God IS trustworthy, regardless of what our circumstances tell us.
Like I said, Richard has had two tryouts this month. The first one he was invited to popped up out of no where. We were so excited that God provided Richard with another opportunity to pursue what he loves. Because the first one went so well, he was invited to another one this past weekend in Chattanooga, TN. It was called the Best of the Best and only 30-40 guys were invited. He felt very positive about how it went. 3 scouts asked for contact information afterward, so we are hopeful, but now we just wait to see if anyone calls!
Stepping off campus in November to raise support was NOT how I wanted to spend the last few week of the Fall semester. I was so hesitant when Misty & Newp (the women's director & campus director) suggested I step off campus to work on support so that I can be full-time next semester as the Women's Coordinator (b/c Misty is moving to West Virginia to be with her new hubby). My experience with support raising in the past hasn't been the best, so the thought of taking time to work on it mid-year was not appealing. But I am so grateful to have people above me who push me to do what they know is best. The past few week of raising support have been the best experience of raising support I've had since being on staff. The Lord has been so gracious and has made this process relatively easy. It has been such a blessing to talk with people who genuinely support the ministry I have with Cru and want to be a part of it. The Lord has provided abundantly! I am very close to reaching my "low end" goal, but still have people to contact and really believe I will reach my actual goal!
This semester has been really great, but I am looking forward to the Christmas break. Richard and I will be traveling a bit over the holidays. Last weekend he was in TN, this weekend we will be in OK for Misty's wedding, the next weekend I will be in Midland for a shower, a few days after that we will head to Ft. Worth for Christmas at my dads, come back to LBK for Christmas here, head back to DFW for Winter Conference, then mid-January we'll go back to Midland for Kalie and Keenan's wedding! Hopefully we can afford the gas! Haha! It should be fun though!
Hope everyone is staying warm! Enjoy the holidays and maybe, just maybe, I'll re-post before the next four months pass!
Peace & Love,
Mrs. Jones
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Thursday, July 21, 2011
Contentment
"For I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. 12 I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. 13 I can do all this through him who gives me strength."
-Philippians 4:11-13
How did Paul do it?? He was content in the WORST of circumstances....what?? I wish I could honestly say this is true for me right now. But it is NOT. I want to be content in "any and every situation". I want to say that HE is enough for me. I want to say that I am completely satisfied with HIM alone. I know that ultimately nothing in this world will bring me the joy & peace that He can, but at times it's hard to remember that. Especially when the things that I want are genuinely "good" things. But if I want these "good" things more that I want my Savior, I've got it backwards and those things will never be "good" if I put them before Him. So, I'm praying. Praying for contentment. Praying that I seek the Lord for himself and not for his benefits. Praying that I'm satisfied in just knowing Him. Praying for a heart of gratitude for His MANY blessings & provisions. And believing that "I can do all this through him who gives me strength".
-Philippians 4:11-13
How did Paul do it?? He was content in the WORST of circumstances....what?? I wish I could honestly say this is true for me right now. But it is NOT. I want to be content in "any and every situation". I want to say that HE is enough for me. I want to say that I am completely satisfied with HIM alone. I know that ultimately nothing in this world will bring me the joy & peace that He can, but at times it's hard to remember that. Especially when the things that I want are genuinely "good" things. But if I want these "good" things more that I want my Savior, I've got it backwards and those things will never be "good" if I put them before Him. So, I'm praying. Praying for contentment. Praying that I seek the Lord for himself and not for his benefits. Praying that I'm satisfied in just knowing Him. Praying for a heart of gratitude for His MANY blessings & provisions. And believing that "I can do all this through him who gives me strength".
Monday, July 11, 2011
The Angels Rejoice
Tonight Richard and the SOG guys headed to a juvenile detention center here in Lubbock to put on a show for the kids out there and to share a message of hope to them. When it was over, Richard called me and was so excited to tell me how great it went. He just felt like the Holy Spirit led him and a couple of the SOG guys to use their time to share their testimonies rather than mainly songs. Two guys and one girl at the detention center made the decision to place their faith in Christ tonight b/c of Richard's and SOG's obedience to be ministers of the gospel. Is it ironic that today Richard was supposed to be in Hartford, Connecticut for his tryout? If this is why the Lord kept Richard here, then praise Him. We can celebrate the lives of 3 new creations today! God is good. His plan is better than ours. Everything is for HIS glory and HIS kingdom. Gotta keep that perspective. :)
Thursday, July 7, 2011
New Creations
For the past couple of months I have been going through a Bible Study called Experiencing Christ Within. It's been one of the most enlightening Bible Studies I've EVER gone through. One thing in particular that has really stuck out to me is that as believers under the new covenant we are ALL new creations in Christ. Therefore, we ALL have a new nature desire to glorify God...even if our lives don't reflect that. We ALL have the Holy Spirit and therefore have the power to fulfill the desire of our new nature but we don't always appropriate that power.
I know that I can't paraphrase all that I've taken from this study but I do want to share with you what I studied tonight.
From Experiencing Christ Within:
New Covenant ministry is based upon positive, God-given assumptions about every believer. A New Covenant approach to ministry views all believers through fundamentally optimistic lenses. "From now on," Paul said, "we regard no one according to the flesh....If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new" (2 Cor. 5:16,17). Or to put it another way, we no longer view believers primarily in light of their problems but in light of their potential because of the Holy Spirit dwelling within them.
What You Can Know For Certain
What are the positive assumptions you can be certain of for every believer?
First, every Christian you encounter is of immense value and importance. Not only did Christ die for them, but God also has uniquely designed them to be an exhibition of the supernatural - a reflection of His craftsmanship. This is true for every believer; there are no disposable saints. We're all "His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them" (Eph. 2:10).
With every believer you encounter, we can also assume this person will never be fully satisfied until his or her life is fully aligned with God's uniquely designed purposes. No matter how content he may look on the outside, there will be some measure of internal restlessness if this believer's life is out of alignment with God's purposes.
We can also assume that every believer we encounter has divinely implanted resources that are pressing outward for release. Jesus made this promise for every believer: "Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water" (John 7:38). The waters of the life of Christ relentlessly push forward for expression from within all of us. Some believers may not be aware of this, but they cannot thwart its reality. If the waters aren't making their way past the surface, it's not because they've stopped pressing, but because the believer has shut the floodgates of his life for one reason or another.
The Messages You Convey
Christlike love is the lifeblood of our ministry, for Christ's New Covenant command is to love one another as He loved us (John 13:34). As we seek to love other believers in this way, what messages will our love convey?
The first is this: I'm relentlessly and unconditionally for you. You can never extinguish my love for you.
Our love is to be like Christ, who loved His disciples "to the end" (John 13:1), even as they denied and deserted Him. It's a love that "bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things," a love that "never fails" (1 Cor. 13:7,8). This love communicates loudly and clearly, "You do not have to change in order to maintain my love for you."
At times it may need to be a tough love. It might even require, if absolutely necessary, breaking fellowship with the loved one, though this is always to be done out of love and never for lack of it. The key issue is that our ministry be bathed in a supernatural, relentless love for the ones God has privileged us to influence.
Another message our love should communicate is this: I see your potential for the kingdom of God and it excites me. I'll do all that I can to help see this purpose realized. New Covenant love is as purposeful as it is unconditional.
A final message our love should send is this: I'll do all I can to help inflame your new nature. I"ll also stand against your flesh when necessary. Again, both aspects are critical. True love requires that we be wise physicians, knowing when to nourish the healthy tissue and when to do battle against the cancer.
God: Present or Absent?
New Covenant ministry is, above all else, working with God - not working for God, but with Him. The distinction between these two is literally the difference between the presence or absence of God in our ministry.
New Covenant ministry is working with God to help others fulfill their whole potential in Christ (Col. 1:28,29). This is done in large measure by (1) nourishing and stimulating the new nature, (2) exposing the perversity and foolishness of living by the flesh, and (3) beckoning to a more God-honoring and personally satisfying plane of living.
A New Covenant Prayer
May the beauty of Christ be my focus...
the strength of Christ my dependency...
the approval of Christ my contentment...
the word of Christ my meditation...
the leading of Christ my agenda...
the presence of Christ my feast...
and the glory of Christ my mission.
We are all called to New Covenant ministry. I pray this is as enlightening for someone else as it was for me.
I know that I can't paraphrase all that I've taken from this study but I do want to share with you what I studied tonight.
From Experiencing Christ Within:
New Covenant ministry is based upon positive, God-given assumptions about every believer. A New Covenant approach to ministry views all believers through fundamentally optimistic lenses. "From now on," Paul said, "we regard no one according to the flesh....If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new" (2 Cor. 5:16,17). Or to put it another way, we no longer view believers primarily in light of their problems but in light of their potential because of the Holy Spirit dwelling within them.
What You Can Know For Certain
What are the positive assumptions you can be certain of for every believer?
First, every Christian you encounter is of immense value and importance. Not only did Christ die for them, but God also has uniquely designed them to be an exhibition of the supernatural - a reflection of His craftsmanship. This is true for every believer; there are no disposable saints. We're all "His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them" (Eph. 2:10).
With every believer you encounter, we can also assume this person will never be fully satisfied until his or her life is fully aligned with God's uniquely designed purposes. No matter how content he may look on the outside, there will be some measure of internal restlessness if this believer's life is out of alignment with God's purposes.
We can also assume that every believer we encounter has divinely implanted resources that are pressing outward for release. Jesus made this promise for every believer: "Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water" (John 7:38). The waters of the life of Christ relentlessly push forward for expression from within all of us. Some believers may not be aware of this, but they cannot thwart its reality. If the waters aren't making their way past the surface, it's not because they've stopped pressing, but because the believer has shut the floodgates of his life for one reason or another.
The Messages You Convey
Christlike love is the lifeblood of our ministry, for Christ's New Covenant command is to love one another as He loved us (John 13:34). As we seek to love other believers in this way, what messages will our love convey?
The first is this: I'm relentlessly and unconditionally for you. You can never extinguish my love for you.
Our love is to be like Christ, who loved His disciples "to the end" (John 13:1), even as they denied and deserted Him. It's a love that "bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things," a love that "never fails" (1 Cor. 13:7,8). This love communicates loudly and clearly, "You do not have to change in order to maintain my love for you."
At times it may need to be a tough love. It might even require, if absolutely necessary, breaking fellowship with the loved one, though this is always to be done out of love and never for lack of it. The key issue is that our ministry be bathed in a supernatural, relentless love for the ones God has privileged us to influence.
Another message our love should communicate is this: I see your potential for the kingdom of God and it excites me. I'll do all that I can to help see this purpose realized. New Covenant love is as purposeful as it is unconditional.
A final message our love should send is this: I'll do all I can to help inflame your new nature. I"ll also stand against your flesh when necessary. Again, both aspects are critical. True love requires that we be wise physicians, knowing when to nourish the healthy tissue and when to do battle against the cancer.
God: Present or Absent?
New Covenant ministry is, above all else, working with God - not working for God, but with Him. The distinction between these two is literally the difference between the presence or absence of God in our ministry.
New Covenant ministry is working with God to help others fulfill their whole potential in Christ (Col. 1:28,29). This is done in large measure by (1) nourishing and stimulating the new nature, (2) exposing the perversity and foolishness of living by the flesh, and (3) beckoning to a more God-honoring and personally satisfying plane of living.
A New Covenant Prayer
May the beauty of Christ be my focus...
the strength of Christ my dependency...
the approval of Christ my contentment...
the word of Christ my meditation...
the leading of Christ my agenda...
the presence of Christ my feast...
and the glory of Christ my mission.
We are all called to New Covenant ministry. I pray this is as enlightening for someone else as it was for me.
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
the month of tryouts
I figured it was time for an update. So here goes.
As most of you know, our plan was to head back to Canada in June for this upcoming season. Richard had a 2 year contract with the BC Lions, so we never questioned whether or not we'd be there for the 2nd year. But considering the nature of professional football, we should have know better than to assume anything.
In February, Richard got a phone call from the Lions. They were telling him how great they thought he would be for the new defense they would be using this season. They told him he would be starting this season. All sorts of good stuff. We were excited about that.
In March, however, Richard received a much different phone call from the Lions. They were releasing him from his contract. WHAT? Releasing him?? We were both in shock. We never saw that coming. They explained that they had brought in a vet and had already already paid him his signing bonus and therefore they wouldn't be bringing Richard back. Outrageous. So political. No longer a game...just a business.
Richard spoke to his agent who said he would begin getting in contact with other teams to see if anyone was interested in picking Richard up. After about 2 weeks we still hadn't heard anything. At that point we just didn't know what direction to go. Does he still pursue football? Does he pursue his music? We knew that if we ended up here in the fall, then he would of course finish classes and graduate. But what then?? Once again, our life is in limbo. I feel like it's a mirror image of last year at this same time.
So we started praying. We made a long list of things we thought were important to be praying for during this time. Things like wisdom, the ability to accept God's will, the strength to love & encourage each other well during this time.
Finally, in about mid-April, we decided that Richard would continue to pursue football by going to some tryouts. We started looking up dates and locations of tryouts. We were concerned about how we would afford getting him to the tryouts, especially if it meant the cost of flights to multiple tryouts. But we really feel like the Lord gave us favor. Two tryouts are in the DFW area and one is in Houston. How convenient is that?? No flights. Just gas to get there.
The first tryout was May 1st in Fort Worth at TCU for Montreal Allouettes. He felt like it went really well. He had a chance to speak with the coaches a bit and felt good about their reaction to his performance. We're not sure when we'll hear anything but we know we'll hear something at least by the end of the month.
The 2nd tryout is May 14th in Houston for the Hartford Colonials (a UFL team). One of the coaches there was a coach a Texas Tech this past year, so Richard feels good about knowing someone when he gets there.
And the 3rd tryout is May 21st in Bedford, TX for the BC Lions. You may be thinking, "what?? isn't that who just released him??" yes, it is. But when we found out that tryout is in the DFW area, we thought we should consider it. Richard decided that he would contact his coaches from BC and let them know he was considering coming to the tryout and would ask them if they would even reevaluate him if he did come. To both of our surprise, the coach was all for it! So we'll see what happens.
So that's what's going on here. We would LOVE to have you guys praying with us especially during this month! Pray that Richards will stay healthy and uninjured and that we would accept whatever God has for us!
In other news, Richards music is going really well! His CD is selling well and he has shows ALL the time. 1-3 a week! He's a busy guy. He has a show in Dallas on May 7th. It's a showcase, meaning there will be people there who are looking to sign new artists to their labels. Pray this goes well! :) If you haven't heard his music or you are interested in buying his CD, you can purchase his CD online or preview some of his music there.
http://www.reverbnation.com/store/index/artist_1476718
I will try to be better about updating as we hear back from teams. We are grateful for everyone's love & support during our crazy lives!
Peace :)
As most of you know, our plan was to head back to Canada in June for this upcoming season. Richard had a 2 year contract with the BC Lions, so we never questioned whether or not we'd be there for the 2nd year. But considering the nature of professional football, we should have know better than to assume anything.
In February, Richard got a phone call from the Lions. They were telling him how great they thought he would be for the new defense they would be using this season. They told him he would be starting this season. All sorts of good stuff. We were excited about that.
In March, however, Richard received a much different phone call from the Lions. They were releasing him from his contract. WHAT? Releasing him?? We were both in shock. We never saw that coming. They explained that they had brought in a vet and had already already paid him his signing bonus and therefore they wouldn't be bringing Richard back. Outrageous. So political. No longer a game...just a business.
Richard spoke to his agent who said he would begin getting in contact with other teams to see if anyone was interested in picking Richard up. After about 2 weeks we still hadn't heard anything. At that point we just didn't know what direction to go. Does he still pursue football? Does he pursue his music? We knew that if we ended up here in the fall, then he would of course finish classes and graduate. But what then?? Once again, our life is in limbo. I feel like it's a mirror image of last year at this same time.
So we started praying. We made a long list of things we thought were important to be praying for during this time. Things like wisdom, the ability to accept God's will, the strength to love & encourage each other well during this time.
Finally, in about mid-April, we decided that Richard would continue to pursue football by going to some tryouts. We started looking up dates and locations of tryouts. We were concerned about how we would afford getting him to the tryouts, especially if it meant the cost of flights to multiple tryouts. But we really feel like the Lord gave us favor. Two tryouts are in the DFW area and one is in Houston. How convenient is that?? No flights. Just gas to get there.
The first tryout was May 1st in Fort Worth at TCU for Montreal Allouettes. He felt like it went really well. He had a chance to speak with the coaches a bit and felt good about their reaction to his performance. We're not sure when we'll hear anything but we know we'll hear something at least by the end of the month.
The 2nd tryout is May 14th in Houston for the Hartford Colonials (a UFL team). One of the coaches there was a coach a Texas Tech this past year, so Richard feels good about knowing someone when he gets there.
And the 3rd tryout is May 21st in Bedford, TX for the BC Lions. You may be thinking, "what?? isn't that who just released him??" yes, it is. But when we found out that tryout is in the DFW area, we thought we should consider it. Richard decided that he would contact his coaches from BC and let them know he was considering coming to the tryout and would ask them if they would even reevaluate him if he did come. To both of our surprise, the coach was all for it! So we'll see what happens.
So that's what's going on here. We would LOVE to have you guys praying with us especially during this month! Pray that Richards will stay healthy and uninjured and that we would accept whatever God has for us!
In other news, Richards music is going really well! His CD is selling well and he has shows ALL the time. 1-3 a week! He's a busy guy. He has a show in Dallas on May 7th. It's a showcase, meaning there will be people there who are looking to sign new artists to their labels. Pray this goes well! :) If you haven't heard his music or you are interested in buying his CD, you can purchase his CD online or preview some of his music there.
http://www.reverbnation.com/store/index/artist_1476718
I will try to be better about updating as we hear back from teams. We are grateful for everyone's love & support during our crazy lives!
Peace :)
Sunday, February 27, 2011
God at Work
Clearly it is evident that I am NOT good at this blogging thing unless I have LOTS of free time, which is definitely not the case these days! But some really fun things are happening and I want to share!
When I came back to Lubbock for the Spring semester, I knew that my job would look different than it had the 2 years before. I knew it would. But being someone who is resistant to change, I didn't like the thought of that. I pushed back pretty hard. Internally, I didn't want to do things differently that I had before. I liked what my schedule was like. I enjoyed the students I regularly met with. Outwardly, though, I said OK to whatever changes had to come, because I knew I didn't have a choice. And ultimately, if I'm saying no to change, I'm saying I desire my comfort over serving God wherever He calls me.
So, the beginning of this semester was interesting, to say the least. I didn't know how to fill my schedule. I didn't know what students to meet with. I didn't know what in the world my ministry would look like at all this semester, and I wasn't hopeful. But goodness, how the Lord had something planned.
One part of my job this semester is helping out with a Bible Study in one of the all girl dorms on campus. This particular dorm has been difficult to really reach out to and maintain a Bible Study in the past because they were the only dorm on campus that didn't allow us to host our Bible Study in their dorm. But this year, the Lord granted us favor and we are finally allowed to meet for Bible Study in their study lounge! I know that may not seem like a big deal, but let me just tell you the impact it has had just this semester!
This semester, we have had around 25 girls attend the Bible Study. And each week we have an average of 10-15 girls show up. And whats even more fun is that 7 of these girls attended our annual Women's Retreat this weekend!
You may be wondering how we get the word out about the Bible Study. On the first day of this semester, in all the dorms, we gave out drawstring bags with a Bible & book in them. All we asked the students to do was fill out a short survey to give us their contact info and help us gauge where they are spiritually. 2 of the questions asked if they were interested in getting info about growing spiritually this semester & whether or not they wanted info about getting involved in a Bible Study.
Once we see who said "yes" to either of the last questions, we begin contacting them either by e-mailing them, calling/texting them, or even stopping by their dorm room. As I began contacting some of these girls, I have had the chance to meet some really fun girls who truly desire to grow in their walk with God and/or want to know God for the first time in their lives. I am so grateful to say that the Lord has given me the opportunity to share the gospel with 2 girls over the past 2 weeks who have never known Christ, and both indicated that they wanted to accept Jesus as their Lord & Savior! How cool is that?! 2 other girls that I met indicated that they are believers but weren't sure how to begin walking with God for a lifetime. So over this past month, I have had the chance to start Follow-Up with the 2 girls who just accepted Christ & the 2 girls who desire to grow in their faith!
What Follow-Up is, is 5 Bible Studies that go through the basics of our faith. It teaches them how to be confident in the salvation Jesus offers, how to accept the forgiveness that Jesus offers even though we still struggle with sin as Christians, how to begin walking in the Holy Spirit, how to be obedient to the Holy Spirit as we battle our flesh, and how to become mature in our faith.
It is so fun for me to see these girls start to "get it". I see God giving them understanding of the Scriptures and revealing Himself to them each time we open His Word. So even though I was resistant to change at the beginning of this semester, I am MORE than grateful for it now. Now I can see that God wanted to use me in a way that was going to MAKE me rely on Him instead of doing something I could have in my own strength.
I love seeing Him at work. I love that He is truly moving in this particular dorm on campus. I love that He chooses to use such an imperfect person like me so that He will get the glory. There are so many more stories that I could share about how God is using our ministry, but I would literally be writing for days. But just know that God is changing lives at Texas Tech! We have seen someone accept Christ EVERY week since we have been back on campus this semester! We have seen an Atheist come to our Women's Retreat who left saying, "This just seems right". 28 of the 40 girls who came to our Women's Retreat had NEVER been before. 3 of those 28 had just accepted Christ within this semester!
God is moving! And I LOVE it! :)
Be encouraged.
-mrs.jones
When I came back to Lubbock for the Spring semester, I knew that my job would look different than it had the 2 years before. I knew it would. But being someone who is resistant to change, I didn't like the thought of that. I pushed back pretty hard. Internally, I didn't want to do things differently that I had before. I liked what my schedule was like. I enjoyed the students I regularly met with. Outwardly, though, I said OK to whatever changes had to come, because I knew I didn't have a choice. And ultimately, if I'm saying no to change, I'm saying I desire my comfort over serving God wherever He calls me.
So, the beginning of this semester was interesting, to say the least. I didn't know how to fill my schedule. I didn't know what students to meet with. I didn't know what in the world my ministry would look like at all this semester, and I wasn't hopeful. But goodness, how the Lord had something planned.
One part of my job this semester is helping out with a Bible Study in one of the all girl dorms on campus. This particular dorm has been difficult to really reach out to and maintain a Bible Study in the past because they were the only dorm on campus that didn't allow us to host our Bible Study in their dorm. But this year, the Lord granted us favor and we are finally allowed to meet for Bible Study in their study lounge! I know that may not seem like a big deal, but let me just tell you the impact it has had just this semester!
This semester, we have had around 25 girls attend the Bible Study. And each week we have an average of 10-15 girls show up. And whats even more fun is that 7 of these girls attended our annual Women's Retreat this weekend!
You may be wondering how we get the word out about the Bible Study. On the first day of this semester, in all the dorms, we gave out drawstring bags with a Bible & book in them. All we asked the students to do was fill out a short survey to give us their contact info and help us gauge where they are spiritually. 2 of the questions asked if they were interested in getting info about growing spiritually this semester & whether or not they wanted info about getting involved in a Bible Study.
Once we see who said "yes" to either of the last questions, we begin contacting them either by e-mailing them, calling/texting them, or even stopping by their dorm room. As I began contacting some of these girls, I have had the chance to meet some really fun girls who truly desire to grow in their walk with God and/or want to know God for the first time in their lives. I am so grateful to say that the Lord has given me the opportunity to share the gospel with 2 girls over the past 2 weeks who have never known Christ, and both indicated that they wanted to accept Jesus as their Lord & Savior! How cool is that?! 2 other girls that I met indicated that they are believers but weren't sure how to begin walking with God for a lifetime. So over this past month, I have had the chance to start Follow-Up with the 2 girls who just accepted Christ & the 2 girls who desire to grow in their faith!
What Follow-Up is, is 5 Bible Studies that go through the basics of our faith. It teaches them how to be confident in the salvation Jesus offers, how to accept the forgiveness that Jesus offers even though we still struggle with sin as Christians, how to begin walking in the Holy Spirit, how to be obedient to the Holy Spirit as we battle our flesh, and how to become mature in our faith.
It is so fun for me to see these girls start to "get it". I see God giving them understanding of the Scriptures and revealing Himself to them each time we open His Word. So even though I was resistant to change at the beginning of this semester, I am MORE than grateful for it now. Now I can see that God wanted to use me in a way that was going to MAKE me rely on Him instead of doing something I could have in my own strength.
I love seeing Him at work. I love that He is truly moving in this particular dorm on campus. I love that He chooses to use such an imperfect person like me so that He will get the glory. There are so many more stories that I could share about how God is using our ministry, but I would literally be writing for days. But just know that God is changing lives at Texas Tech! We have seen someone accept Christ EVERY week since we have been back on campus this semester! We have seen an Atheist come to our Women's Retreat who left saying, "This just seems right". 28 of the 40 girls who came to our Women's Retreat had NEVER been before. 3 of those 28 had just accepted Christ within this semester!
God is moving! And I LOVE it! :)
Be encouraged.
-mrs.jones
Friday, January 7, 2011
back to the grind
It has been 8 whole months since I have worked full time. Really, 8 whole months since I've had any kind of routine. I must say, I'm ready for a routine. Come Monday, the routine will begin. It's going to be so strange to have a schedule again. But I'm ready. I'm ready to hang out with my staff team. And I'm so ready to start meeting with students again. But I know this semester will look different from my prior two years with Campus Crusade. Not different in a bad way, just different. Different responsibilities, changes to our team since I've been gone, working with different students...But I'm prepared for whatever God has in store. I just want to be used for His purpose.
As of right now, I still haven't raised all of my support for this semester. I randomly received a check in the mail yesterday, which was so wonderful. But it looks like I'll probably just be working part-time with Campus Crusade this semester. I'm not really sure what that will look like or what that means for rest of my time, but we'll figure it out. I'm pretty sure I want to get another part-time job, I'm just not sure what or where...
Richard starts classes on Wednesday. We are so blessed that he is back on scholarship this semester. That means not only are his classes paid for, but we will also receive a monthly scholarship check. He also qualified for a financial aid grant. We are so grateful for those because that means Richard can focus on school and training while he is here and not worry about having to work a part-time job.
I guess that's about it for now. I'll try to be better about updating more often.
with love,
mrs. jones
As of right now, I still haven't raised all of my support for this semester. I randomly received a check in the mail yesterday, which was so wonderful. But it looks like I'll probably just be working part-time with Campus Crusade this semester. I'm not really sure what that will look like or what that means for rest of my time, but we'll figure it out. I'm pretty sure I want to get another part-time job, I'm just not sure what or where...
Richard starts classes on Wednesday. We are so blessed that he is back on scholarship this semester. That means not only are his classes paid for, but we will also receive a monthly scholarship check. He also qualified for a financial aid grant. We are so grateful for those because that means Richard can focus on school and training while he is here and not worry about having to work a part-time job.
I guess that's about it for now. I'll try to be better about updating more often.
with love,
mrs. jones
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
