I remember back in December when Dustin and I were beginning to really talk through our next step and how hard that would be…that night as I lay in bed crying and having a sense of heaviness lay upon me I thought of my friend Jen. That same day Jen had reunited her son J-man with his bio mom, an incredibly joyful day. As I laid there crying I thought of her and how sometimes when we feel called to do BIG GOD things there is a sense of excitement and heaviness of what we might be called to, I cried thinking “time out”, is this what I signed up for with Jesus…
I remember my “Vow” to my heavenly bridegroom, a much bigger vow, a vow that is not in any way even…our heavenly bridegroom gave His life, His all…so I laid there overwelmed by the importance of my obedience in listening and then obeying, whatever that might look like. I know Jen would say the same thing, no matter the cost.
So that might not make sense until I tell you where the Jones family “Feet” are going to next. On Feb. 15th we will be making our home and beginning our new journey Austin, Tx…
Many of you that read this blog know D and I’s hearts…
Two years ago Dustin and I began to discuss church planting, we knew we weren’t ready but we still prayed, even journeyed to Austin to hang with my parents and just be in Austin for a while. We returned knowing that Austin was a strong maybe but it was def. not right now. That summer we entered into a new time of student ministry, there were a group of older boys and girls that got really pumped about God’s truth and wanted to make some changes in their lives and we got to be a part of that. Then we had Chloe, I quit my teaching job to stay home a few years and we began to ask more questions…
Then last Feb. a year ago we began to pray and ask questions about what our next step would be…Cool River had always been apart of our student ministry, Dustin loved the people, the place. So we asked questions, visited, and decided that we wanted to be apart of this Cool River Church. So we moved in Aug and began our new lives.
When we came to Cool River we were set, ready to meet new people, embrace a new culture, continue to raise our children and we knew still that we wanted to church plant…we thought it will happen later.
We have learned so much being here, the types of relationships it takes to build a church, how to be more honest, ask big questions and how to do life with others. There are many stories…some you have seen on my blog/ website, some that have just been told over cups of coffee. I have learned what it looks like to Love your neighbors… I never had those kind of relationships before, thanks Teresa and Tricia…I love those families and their little ones.
Before we moved here I prayed for friends for Brock…He provided Soren, Jack and Ryan…Ryan is Ash and Ben’s little girl, I love watching their friendship through frustrations and just pure happiness…Soren and Jack are just like Brock in many ways, we have done and experienced much with them.
There are so many personal friends at Cool River…some that are so much like family that we do holidays, cut trees just have a good time. Then there are relationships that I never got to cultivate, this makes me sad…
When we began to ask ourselves big questions about being at Cool River, thinking about how much we missed Texas,the importance of being closer to our families, we began to talk about when and where our next step of church planting needed to be. After talking with the leadership at Cool River we decided that it would be in the best interest of Cool River to find someone completely focused on Cool River, on the culture, on the loved ones here.
This is the big picture…
We are getting ready to do life back in Texas, get to know the Austin area and begin to engage our neighbors there…to see what church planting and our next step as a family looks like.
My friend Kari put on her blog a song I love…a song I needed to here…
Be Thou my Wisdom, and Thou my true Word;
I ever with Thee and Thou with me, Lord;
Thou my great Father, I Thy true son;
Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one
As we sit, pray, sit and pray we want to dwell in Him the true word, we need wisdom…He is all of these and as we live in humanity, make human decisions, feel human…we dwell in Him.
Let’s just say that I was right there I guess I was just not rude enough to cut in front of other people like the others were; so we did not get any autographs. So to all you who cut me off, your a jerk. I feel better now!
