Thankful for great teaching!

So, when I started this blog I said that I wasn't really sure what this would turn in to. I definitely want to use it to keep friends and family up to date on what's going on with our family, the kids in particular. But this morning, something really spoke to me and I feel like I need to share it. (Just a disclaimer, a lot of what I'm going to talk about is paraphrased from Dr. Mark Moore's sermon this morning. If you want to hear the whole sermon, which I highly recommend that you do, click here!)

For the last several weeks, we have been going through a series called "Inspired". Each week, one of our teaching pastors teaches on a section of the Sermon on the Mount. Every week I have learned just a little bit more from Jesus' words. I am so grateful for the teaching staff here at CCV and the way they present Scripture in a way that everyone can relate to it, no matter where you are in your walk with Christ. I could go on about all the tidbits of new insights I've gained from the past several weeks, but right now I want to focus on Mark Moore's message this morning, "Recovering Relationships". 

We have reached Matthew 7, which kicks off with a very powerful verse that is most likely one of the top verses that people take out of context...

"Do not judge others, and you will not be judged." - Matthew 7:1

Mark mentioned how this is probably a non-Christian's favorite verse to quote. They want to take this verse and use it to justify their actions and tell Christians, "You can't judge me, the Bible says so!" I think we are all very quick to judge others. Mark gave us 3 Principles, the first being "We judge ourselves by our motives; we judge others by their actions." He encouraged us to flip flop that. We should always try to find out what people's motives are for their actions, instead of jumping to conclusions and assuming the worst in people. One of my favorite quotes from his sermons, and one that I think we all, as Christians, need to remember is, "There is a world of difference between critiquing your culture and condemning a person." For example, and I know this is a topic that is very controversial, and this isn't the point I'm trying to make, but homosexuality...It is not our job to condemn the LGBT community or the individuals; our job is to show them the love of Jesus and welcome them with open arms so that we can teach them about God's grace. We should, however, be examining society today to figure out what we can do to change our culture to reflect the teachings of Jesus and be more like Christ. All too often, Christians are labeled as judgmental and hypocritical because we tell others that we don't agree with their actions or their beliefs. But, as Mark said, 

"We, as a church, can't impose our rules on someone who does not follow our leader."

We can't expect people to follow the teachings of Jesus, when they don't even know Jesus. That is why it is our job to introduce them to Him.

This is still not what I'm wanting to focus on today. The thing that really stuck with me is what Jesus says in Matthew 7:12...

"Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you." (NLT)

We've all heard this, Christians and non-Christians alike. The Golden Rule. Everyone knows this. In Judaism, as well as many other religions, you will find a similar principle, often referred to as "The Silver Rule". This states "Do not do unto others what you do not want them doing unto you." Mark showed us how The Silver Rule is very passive (i.e. if you don't want people cutting you off in traffic, don't cut other people off. If you don't want people to lie to you, don't lie to them. Etc.) This, honestly, is pretty easy, if you ask me. It doesn't take any action. Yes, there are some circumstances that it is harder to NOT do something than to do something (like when someone makes a comment about you or someone close to you and all you want to do is either come back at them with a snide remark or, in some cases, punch them in the face!). But The Golden Rule, as Jesus teaches, always requires action. It is active. We are required to do something. We should be actively seeking out opportunities to do things for others. If you are down on your luck and struggling financially, you would be so grateful for that anonymous person who sent you some cash in the mail. If you are having a bad day and could simply use a little pick-me-up, that friend who just brings over a fresh batch of cookies will really lift your spirits. When you're dealing with one of life's many trials, the fellow Believer who takes the time to listen to you and pray for you, can give you hope that you will get through that difficult time. These are all things that I know that I would greatly appreciate and hope that others would do for me. But sometimes, we get so caught up in what's going on in our lives and how we hope that someone will come to our aid, that we forget to be that person for someone else. We need to be seeking out opportunities to do for others what we would want them to do for us. I can't even tell you the number of people who have done this for us in our lives...people who have generously given to us, and we hope to someday be able to be in a position to return their generosity and do unto others what others have done unto us. But for now, I have just been challenged to seek out opportunities to actively live out the Golden Rule. 

Another principle Mark gave us was "Great relationships are built not on great sacrifice, but on a great number of small sacrifices." We don't have to die for someone to build a strong relationship with them, but we do need to be willing to do all of the small, daily things that will develop and nurture our relationships. 

Sorry if this is really helter-skelter and random, but if you got anything out of my crazy thoughts spewed onto your screen, I really encourage you to take half an hour to listen to Mark's message today and see what God can teach you through his words (which are way more coherent than mine).

So for those of you who were here to see adorable pictures of the #crazyjoneskids...these are for you!

NEW ADVENTURES!

NEW ADVENTURES! 

I am absolutely horrible at keeping up with this blog. When I started it over a year ago I thought I would do a lot better, but clearly this is not something that I've really gotten in the habit of doing yet. 

So much has happened since I last posted, which I'm guessing that if you are reading this you are most likely a friend or family member, so you have seen on Facebook what has been going on in our lives. But, just in case you haven't been Facebook stalking me and you actually have a life outside of social media (which I hope you all do!), we have moved to Arizona! Crazy, right!?! We have moved again...and will be moving once again in about 6-7 months. Why, you ask? Let's go back a few months...

Back in January or February, Doron received a message from Mark Moore, one of his former professors from Ozark. Mark was asking Doron if he was familiar with the Leadership Institute at Christ's Church of the Valley (CCV) in Phoenix, AZ, where Mark is now a Teaching Pastor. He wanted to know if Doron, or anyone that he knew, would be interested in attending the Institute. We had never heard of it before, so we kind of shrugged it off at first, but then Doron started thinking and looking into it more. The Leadership Institute was started 3 years ago. The pastors at CCV heard a staggering statistic that 85% of all pastors leave the ministry within the first 5 years of ministry. 85%! That's insane! So the CCV leaders started talking to Christian colleges and asked, "How can we partner with you guys to get that number lower?" Through a lot of hardwork and prayer, the Leadership Institute was born. In just one short year, students can come and be trained by the leadership here at CCV, and be well-prepared for the ministry career ahead of them. There are 3 different tracks available: undergrad, Masters, or professional. The Undergraduate track allows for students to come and spend their last year in undergrad here in order to finish up their Bachelors degree. Masters is just that - earning a Masters Degree in Strategic Ministry (in just one year!). And the professional track simply allows for people to take a year to come and study and be mentored as a professional, receiving no degree at the end of the program. Doron will be mentored by 8 or more different leaders. There are 9 different areas that he can choose to study, of which he will choose 2: Pastoral, Students, Children and Family, Worship/Production, Church Administration, Multi-Sites, Sports Ministry, Inter-Cultural Studies, Special Needs. This semester Doron is working with the Pastoral staff. It has not been decided what area he will be studying in next semester. In April 2016, Doron and all of the other residents will be taking a 2 week trip to Israel to learn and study right there where Jesus walked. (I'm really quite jealous of this!) 

This has been quite a leap of faith for us. Doron is a full-time student again, therefore he is not being paid. We have a great team of supporters who have stepped up to help us through these 9 months and we are SO INCREDIBLY GRATEFUL for all of you who have helped us financially (If you would be interested in helping out with our financial needs, please shoot me a message; we will get you info on how you can do that). We do ask that you add us to your prayer list. Please just ask God to continue to provide for our needs and pray that He will lead us to an amazing Church family after this program where we can settle and serve for many years to come!

OK...now for the reason the majority of you are here...the #CRAZYJONESKIDS!!!!

Micah, Lila and Henry are loving Arizona. The trip down here was nuts (involving a 2 week stay in Joplin, MO after we blew a head gasket on the car). But once we finally made it here, the kids were so excited to see the mountains, the desert and all of the "pickles", as Lila calls the cacti. 

We, unfortunately, got here too late for us to be able to get Micah into the local preschools (well, at least too late for the ones that wouldn't require me to sell off all of my non-essential organs in order for him to attend). So, I will be homeschooling Micah for this year for preschool. That is going to be quite an adventure. I will also be watching 2 little girls for another couple in the residency program. Their mom is a nurse and so we were excited when we were able to work something out that would help both of our families. Micah was so excited to start school at home. We did really well with keeping up with it the first 4-5 weeks, but then several things happened and I started watching the girls, so it has been hard to keep up with. We will get caught up soon! He LOVES CCV KIDS! He is constantly asking, "Mommy, is today a Church day?" because he just wants to go to church and learn about Jesus. (CCV does an amazing job with the kids, so who wouldn't want to go back everyday!?!) He is growing like crazy and everyday just amazes me at how smart he is and how grown up he is becoming. On the morning of Halloween, he got to run in his very first race! It was a Monster Mash & Dash, so he got to wear his Halloween costume, which was Dash from The Incredibles...very fitting! He was super excited that he earned a medal and can't wait to do another race! 

Lila - oh sweet Lila. We've always known she is the most amazing little girl in the world, but she is growing into quite the little...I can't even come up with a word to describe her. She is sassy as all get out...bossy...wild...funny...sweet...beautiful...and just all around incredible! Every time we get in the van she says, "Look Mommy! White clouds!" or "Look Mommy! PICKLES!" 

 Lila provided us with our first (and hopefully only) trip to the local ER. She busted her lip on a small waterslide at church one night, detaching her frenulum (yeah...I didn't know what that was either - it's the flap of skin that attaches from your inner upper lip to your gumline). It looked pretty deep so we were wondering if she was going to need stitches. The doctor told us that she actually did us a favor, as the frenulum being attached too low can cause a gap in her teeth. So, maybe she just saved us from paying for braces? (A mom can hope, right?) She has been quite clumsy and accident prone since we've been here, as you can see from the picture ----------------------> Falling and hitting her head in the bathtub, falling and scraping her back on a dresser, the ER visit...she's been through the ringer, but she's definitely one tough cookie.

And Henry - sweet, spoiled-rotten, Henry. This little guy brings so much joy to our house. All of our kids do, but this kid is just something else. I'm pretty sure he is convinced that he is 99% monster and 1% human. The kid growls...all the time. He loves following his brother and sister around and trying to be big like them. He also apparently finds great joy in following Mommy around...everywhere...every second of the day...in the kitchen...in my bed...in the bathroom...EVERYWHERE. He hangs onto my pants and tries to walk in between my legs. It kind of drives me crazy at times. But I know that I will eventually miss stepping on little people all the time, so I will try to cherish it for now (however there might be a few minor freak out moments from being way too overstimulated by the grabby hands). Anyway...he also gave us a bit of a "stitches scare" the other day. He fell (I wasn't in the room, so there is a good chance he may have been assisted in this fall), and cut his eyebrow on Lila's bed. They probably would've given him a stitch or two if we had taken him in, but we just decided to let it heal on its own. It's looking good after a few days, so we will just have to train him on how to come up with a really cool story if he ends up with a scar! :) 

The kids had a great Halloween this year! They were all so excited about their costumes this year. Micah-Dash "The Incredibles", Lila-Elsa from "Frozen", and Henry-Carl from "Up". 


Doron and I had an opportunity to help with a fundraiser poker night to help raise money for a local family whose 12 year old boy who contracted an infection that should have taken his life, but he has miraculously fought through and is doing very well. It was an amazing night! It was an 80's themed night, so Doron and I of course had to get all decked out in our 80s fashion! 

To top off the night, we won the grand prize in the raffle drawing...$500 Gift Card to DISNEYLAND!! We are so excited to take the kids! That is what we will be doing for Christmas this year! We cannot wait until Christmas morning when we get to tell them we are going. Micah has been talking about how he would really love to go to Disneyland sometime. I can't wait to share their reaction with you all! It is going to be so much fun!



Micah wasn't the only one to enter his first race recently. I also had the chance to run my first 5k race. I have been running quite a bit trying to get ready for it, and I'm excited to say that I took 3rd place in my age group, 25-29. Not bad for my first race! So here we are in our race t-shirts!








The last big news here at the Jones house is that Lila Mae turned 3 YEARS OLD this week! That is absolutely crazy to me! I can't believe she is 3 and is already growing into an absolutely incredible little girl. I wish you all knew her the way we know her so that you could truly see how amazing she really is!



Well, that's what's been going on down here in Arizona. Life is really good and God is blessing us beyond our wildest dreams. We are so grateful for your prayers and support as we continue on this amazing adventure. Please continue to pray that God will keep meeting our needs, as we know and trust that He will, and be praying for our future ministry, wherever that may be. We will soon be entering the time of sending out resumes and seeking God's will for where we should go next. So, please join us as we pray for His guidance in that search. Thank you so much! We hope to be more consistent in keeping up with our blogs, so be sure to check back again soon to see what else is going on with the Crazy Jones Kids!

Family Bike Ride!

Well, I am clearly slacking on keeping up with my blog. I'll try to do better. 

Today was Family Bike Ride Day! Cousin Avery passed his bike with training wheels down to Micah, so we got him a helmet and he was ready to ride!! He's been asking for a few days now to go in a Family Bike Ride, so we were finally able to do that today. 

 

This is him riding up and down the sidewalk last night...

Here are a few shots from today...

Lila and Henry enjoyed their ride too.

We rode to McDonald's for lunch and Lila was, of course, being goofy.

And Henry had a diaper blow out so he got to make the ride back in just his diaper, but I don't think he cared.

Our little lady didn't make it all the way home.

Micah ran threw the sprinkler when we got home to cool off a little bit before going in for a nap. So Mommy got to hang out with the boys while Daddy took Lila in to lay her down.

It has been a fun day! Now to get to all of the dishes and laundry that have piled up. I live by this quote: "Pardon the mess, my children are making memories."

Burnt Grilled Cheese

Some of you may have seen my Facebook post the other day involving a burnt grilled cheese sandwich. If you didn't, this post is for you. But if you did, please continue reading. I'm going to share more of my thoughts about that particular moment. 

Yesterday, I was making lunch for the kiddos. We had decided on grilled cheese sandwiches. So, I got to work. I had made one for Lila, which actually turned into Micah's sandwich since Lila has pretty regularly fallen asleep before we make it to lunch time. Anyway, back it up a little. A week or so ago, I got a call from my sister-in-law and she asked me if I would sing "Because You Loved Me" by Celine Dion for the video they are playing in her upcoming wedding. I agreed and have been listening to it quite a bit lately to familiarize myself with it (even more than I already am, because let's be honest...who doesn't have "Because You Loved Me" on their "Guilty Pleasures" list!). So, back to yesterday. I'm listening to the song while making lunch and in comes Micah. He says to me, "Mommy, I wike dis song! Mommy? Will you dance wif me?" Uh...duh! Did you really have to ask? Of course! He sweetly grabbed my hands and just shifted his weight back and forth. He'd occasionally spin. I would get on my knees and he would hop on my lap and just wrap his little arms around my neck and we'd sway side to side. It was the sweetest moment. When the song was over, he just looked at me with those big blue eyes and said, "Mommy, wanna sing dat song again? I wike you singin' dat song!" Well, I, of course, obliged. By the third time through, he was trying to sing along with me. I will never forget the look in his eyes when I knelt down and sang the line, "I was blessed because I was loved by you." Pretty sure I choked up every time. It is definitely in my Top 5 Favorite Mommy Moments so far...and three of those moments were when the kids were each born! I will cherish that moment forever. But can you picture it? As we were dancing, I was thinking, "Man! I really wish there was a photographer that just followed me around to catch these moments. The moments that are so special. The moments that I'm in and can't capture in a photo myself. If this moment was in a movie, I'm pretty sure this is what it would look like, so this is how I will forever remember it...

So we shared this moment for probably 10-12 minutes or so. When he had decided that 3 times was enough, I was brought back to reality and I realized that while I was making this amazing memory with my sweet little boy...the grilled cheese was burning. Yup...it was black...

 But you know what? I didn't care. It was the best burnt grilled cheese sandwich I've ever had!

So that's my sweet story. But as I have thought back on that memory over the past 36 hours or so, I have asked myself, "How many times have I missed these 'burnt grilled cheese moments'?" How many times have I just dismissed one of Micah's requests that could have turned into another precious memory like this one? You've heard it said a million times..."Cherish the time you have with them, because they grow up so fast." I never understood this until I had kids. I always thought, "Yeah, yeah, yeah. They grow up fast...time is so short...blah blah blah!" But it is so true! I'm pretty sure it was just yesterday that I was holding Micah for the first time, and now he is 3-1/2! How does that happen in just one day? How did he get so big, so fast? I want to treasure every moment I have with him. Sure, he will live with me until he's 18 and goes off to college, but what about those years between now and then that he wants nothing to do with me? When he won't let me make sweet memories like this one? What then? Ahhh! I don't even want to think about it! I just want time to slow down so I can keep him in this phase of life where he thinks I am the most amazing person ever for a little bit longer; this phase where he thinks he is the only one who can love me, and I am the only one who can love him; this phase where I am the only one who can help him put his shoes on; where he wants me to take him to bed and read to him and sing songs to him. It is moments like this that make all those times that I just want to lock myself in a closet just to get away from all of the whining and nagging and the "Mommy! Mommy! Mommy! Mom! Mom! Mom!" worth it!

Back to the song..."Because You Loved Me". Doron's sister wants it played at her wedding. It's a love song. Everyone knows that. I don't know who Celine Dion was thinking about when she sang this song, but I did a little research (if Wikipedia counts as "research") and I found that the songwriter, Diane Warren, wrote this song as a tribute to her father, which just confirms all of my feelings. I know it is typically looked at as a song for two people who are in love, but when you really listen to the words, it just becomes obvious that this song was written from a child to his or her parent. Check it out...'

For all those times you stood by me
For all the truth that you made me see
For all the joy you brought to my life
For all the wrong that you made right
For every dream you made come true
For all the love I found in you
I'll be forever thankful baby
You're the one who held me up
Never let me fall
You're the one who saw me through through it all

You were my strength when I was weak
You were my voice when I couldn't speak
You were my eyes when I couldn't see
You saw the best there was in me
Lifted me up when I couldn't reach
You gave me faith 'cause you believed
I'm everything I am
Because you loved me

You gave me wings and made me fly
You touched my hand I could touch the sky
I lost my faith, you gave it back to me
You said no star was out of reach
You stood by me and I stood tall
I had your love I had it all
I'm grateful for each day you gave me
Maybe I don't know that much
But I know this much is true
I was blessed because I was loved by you

You were my strength when I was weak
You were my voice when I couldn't speak
You were my eyes when I couldn't see
You saw the best there was in me
Lifted me up when I couldn't reach
You gave me faith 'cause you believed
I'm everything I am
Because you loved me

You were always there for me
The tender wind that carried me
A light in the dark shining your love into my life
You've been my inspiration
Through the lies you were the truth
My world is a better place because of you

You were my strength when I was weak
You were my voice when I couldn't speak
You were my eyes when I couldn't see
You saw the best there was in me
Lifted me up when I couldn't reach
You gave me faith 'cause you believed
I'm everything I am
Because you loved me

As I read through those lyrics, I am taken back to moments that my mom and dad did these exact things for me. My parents stood by me in everything I did. They were always there to support me and to make my dreams come true. They got me through my awkward, hormonal, emotional years and they are still guiding me through life and this crazy thing called "parenthood". I wouldn't be the mom or wife that I am today without them. I have never once...NEVER ONCE... doubted whether my parents loved me or not. I know without a shadow of a doubt that they do. They would do anything for me. If I needed them, they would be here at the drop of a hat. My absolute favorite line of this song is one that I quoted earlier, "I was blessed because I was loved by you." I truly feel this way. My life has been so blessed by the love of my parents. I have memories that will last a lifetime. And that is my prayer for my kids. That they will remember that I took the time to dance with them, to sing crazy songs with them, to build toilet paper towers with them, to read just one more story to them, or to simply spend 2 more minutes snuggling with them before they drift off to sleep.

...and that it didn't matter to me that the grilled cheese was burning. 

So that is my prayer for you all as well; that you will take the time to love your kids and make these special memories with them. Let dinner burn. They won't remember that the lasagna was overdone, or that the kitchen sink was full of dishes, or that the water boiled over on the stove (yet again!). All they will remember are the precious memories you gave them and they will realize that all we need is hugs and kisses and burnt grilled cheese!

Let me introduce myself...

Well...here it is. My very first blog! Are you all as excited as I am? Ok, probably not. I've been told by several friends of mine, "Melissa, you should start a blog." Well, I'm finally doing it. I'm not quite sure what this is going to turn into, but I'll give it a shot. Who knows? Maybe I'll be a big, famous Mommy-blogger someday! Alright, probably not. At this point, being a stay-at-home Mommy (which I love...most days), my adult interaction is very limited. So I will be using this as an opportunity to feel like I am talking to all of my adult friends, both near and far, and I hope to maybe make some new adult friends along the way. So welcome to the life of the Crazy Jones Kids (and their parents). 

Just in case I do eventually gain some readers who I don't know, let me introduce myself and my family. For those of you who already know me, just in case we haven't seen each other in years and you've lost track of where I am, who I married, and how many kids I now have...here's an update! I'm Melissa. I have been married to the love of my life, Doron Jones, for about 7-1/2 years. He is a youth minister and also coaches Varsity track. He is my best friend and I can't imagine life without him.

I know...cute pic, right? Well, my handsome hubby currently looks like this...

I'm hoping the beard won't be lasting TOO much longer. Anyway...

We have moved about 7 times in those 7-1/2 years. Not always to different cities, but nonetheless, our belongings have changed locations 7 times. We were both raised in Illinois but since getting married we have lived in Missouri, Indiana and now call Illinois home again. Hang on...the baby's crying...

Ok, I'm back. That leads me into the rest of this crazy clan. Our kids. Back in December of 2010, we were blessed with our first child, Micah. He is the most amazing little 3-1/2 year old boy you will ever meet, unless of course you have your own 3-1/2 year old boy...then Micah is an extremely close second. 

He loves to play outside and run through the sprinkler, ride his bike, dig in the dirt, climb trees, you know...all that typical boy stuff. And can I just tell you how ornery this little man is? Ugh...the defiance, sneakiness and naughtiness that this child possesses will someday push me over the edge. Yet, somehow, he is the sweetest, most kind-hearted little guy, as I'm sure you will come to see as you read my blogs.  

Then there is Lila, who was born in November of 2012 and just turned 18 months. She is Daddy's little princess! Our little Sweetpea. She is the funniest, sweetest, most sensitive little girl and she makes us smile and laugh so much every single day. We couldn't have ever imagined how much joy she would add to our already incredibly blessed and happy family on the day she was born.

Her favorite things to do include doing everything her big brother is doing (she adores him), swinging, watching Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and dancing. This girl has moves you've never seen! The instant she hears music, she gets those hips swaying and those arms pumping. She is absolutely amazing!

And last, but certainly not least, is our newest addition, Henry. He was born just this past January, and he is an incredible baby. He is so laid back and easy going, which is kind of a requirement to be the baby brother of our first two hooligans. He is just sweet and is already super friendly; he doesn't know a stranger. I could sit and just stare at his precious little smile all day long!

In his short four months of life, he has developed a few favorite activities, including eating, sleeping, pooping and bringing joy to every single old lady who glances his way at church. I am convinced that God has put it in the nature of a baby (at least in Henry's nature anyway) to smile when old ladies look at them. His smile brightens the day of so many, and it is such a blessing to me to be able to see my baby bring a smile to someone else's face. Now, as soon as those ladies walk away from Henry they maybe thinking, "Now if only her other two weren't running around the church building like mischievous little goons!" 

So there you have it. That's my family. Will our family be growing? Quite possibly. Will our family be growing SOON? Absolutely not! If you do the math, you will realize that we had a baby in 2010, 2012 & 2014...Micah & Lila-22 months apart. Lila & Henry-14 months apart. I have done the math and I've been pregnant 27 out of the past 50 months. So, the plan is for my body and I to take a break...a very long break! Of course, God has an incredible sense of humor, so if you see a post in the near future announcing that #4 is on the way, just have yourself a good laugh and then picture God up in Heaven looking down on us, laughing and saying, "HAHAHA! YOU'RE plan?!?! GOOD ONE!" 

But seriously, I LOVE my life. There are days that I feel like I am going to end up bald by the end of the day because I have ripped every last hair out of my head, but in the end, I wouldn't trade my life for anything. I hope to share this life with you. Like I said, I don't know exactly what this is going to turn into; maybe I'll share recipes, crafts, helpful tips, devotional thoughts, rants about my latest frustrations with society, raves about new favorite products or TV shows, special moments with my kids, parenting failures, or encouragement to all my fellow mommies out there. But either way, no matter what this turns into, my prayer is that you will be blessed by my words, stories, pictures and whatever else my fingers spew onto your screen through my keyboard. Speaking of spewing...nevermind, I'll save that for another post! Well, this is me signing off for the first, and definitely not the last, time. Enjoy your day!