Happy holidays and seasons greetings! The Jones Family has A LOT to share this year. In fact, this might be the first seasonal letter we have ever sent, except those to Santa of course. So prepare for some moments to laugh and cry, pray and feel joy, because we hope you feel as blessed as we did as this year comes to an end.
The beginning of 2010 started out as many do, Cold. Brian works outside everyday, and there was no lack of work as he was preparing for a big life change, that is a promotion and a raise! Only 3 people worked all of December 09' and all signs pointed to Fencing Manager in 2010. He believed in his heart God was preparing a significant change for him in his 33rd year, but this was just the beginning.
Jenny began the year sleeping a little more each night. With our one year old son (finally) sleeping through the night, she began to settle in as full time mommy again. She still works 1 day a week for a dentist who I would recommend the world too, and she still finds time for friends, church and the many other events she uses her talents for. She is very busy for the good of everyone else and as I once said on Facebook, "My wife rarely indulges in anything, except a well deserved Sunday afternoon nap."
Emma Alivia was growing fast as she continued through kindergarten, learning to recognize words and add numbers. She would ask what 100 and 100 make, so when she understood I taught her what a 'google' was. She would be a real big sister when she turned 6 in June and was counting the days until we went to Disneyland in April. She lost a few teeth or should I say wiggled them out herself. More money from the tooth fairy for Dentel School, I hope.
Lincoln Daniel is growing like a pumpkin. Fast and solid. It really took him a year and a half to sleep all night, but I every night was worth it just to hold my baby boy. We also adopted Buzz Lightyear into the family. I think Buzz was his first word. Lincoln spent a lot of time outside on his little scooter racing sissy safely on our private street. He loves cars, guys, choo-choos and getting into sissy room sometimes.
Life as we know it has been good this year, but we have had more than our share of heartache. Early this year on a Friday I was building a fence when I got a call that my Grandma went in for surgery and she was not waking up. My mom was already there with family but with her Parkinson's her health caused her do check in to the ER. I got on a plane the next day for a weekend family reunion no one planned for. Grandma passed away the night I got there and after a week in the waiting room, the family could begin greiving.
She lived a life no one would forget, but even in death God was not done with her.
In April, Jenny's parents took all of us for a family trip to Disneyland. I took Emma on Space Mountain first, big mistake! She only wanted to meet the Princesses after that.
Brian finally saw the benefits of his managment position in May. One of which, he did Not get stuck on this Summer long project of 7 miles of the same fence (about $200,000) Residential was more profitable anyways.
May 8th and June 30th were two days of joy and suffering. First on Jenny's birthday, we attended the "Walk for a Cure" for Cystic Fibrosis. My 7 year old nephew Conner was diagnosed when he was 1 and was fighting for every breath. Second, on our anniversary, we remembered Conner as he took his last breath on earth and his first in heaven with his Great grandma waiting.
Life as we know it will never be the same. We hold onto "The Hope" of the promise of our God who graciously received those who called on His name, Jesus.
Among life altering events here are a few quick memories.
We saw new life x2 in Jenny's family. We went to 2 weddings, one where Lincoln bolted down the asile in his tuxedo, then sprinted back to mommy. Emma pulled her top 2 teeth, and Lincoln nearly lost his early while jumping on the couch. Brian worked 2400+ hours so far and while managment is kicking in, the economy is still kicking back. Jenny helped with the childrens Christmas play and knows what she is getting for Christmas already.
2010 was an unforgettable year for obvious reasons, but the Love of family and friends keep us going through hard times. Life may be hard, but it is short too. We choose to let nothing get us to far down. The LORD is our Great Shepard, need I say more?

Be perfect

Ever have one of those days when you just don't want to get out of bed? The covers are warm, the house quiet and you can't image a more wonderful place? Then your alarm explodes, the baby starts crying and the whirlpool of life begans to suck you in. There are 86,400 seconds in a day and sometimes you wonder why you can't have just a few for yourself. Some time to take off the pressure of life, and be free of all expectations. To not worry about performance or obligation, but to just be? What ever happened to living the perfect life, and why does everyone need me to be perfect for them?

We get so caught up in these obligations to our fellow man that we fail to meet God's own expectation. Are you ready for this because I'm going to lay it on pretty thick.
"Be Perfect as your Heavenly Father is Perfect."
But....He said what????....He can't mean....there must be another explanation.
Check it out for yourself, Matthew 5:48, red words, Jesus speaking.
Ok, lets get right to it because you won't believe how this is possible.

The word perfect (translated from teleios) relates to the words goal, purpose or completion. While God's perfection is absolute; man's is relative reaching the goal set for him by God with each individual different according to one's God given ability. Now read Romans 12:1-3
Simply said to be perfect is to complete the purpose or goal.
There is another word (anamartetos) which is without sin or sinless. If that is what you think being perfect is, that's nice but that is not what is being referred to in Matt 5:48 or Romans 12:2
Do you think you have a purpose in life? Does God care that you have a goal in mind? Absolutely.
The perfect man is one who has attained his moral end, the goal for which he has intended, namely, to be a man Obedient in Christ.
So if perfection is living for God, Loving Jesus and being a disciple, obeying the Words of Christ then is it to far out of reach? Isn't that the best part about being a Christian, Loving God? Having a purpose?
It's nothing to brag about, being perfect, because its relying purely on His Grace to use the talents He gave you. So be happy that something in your life is perfect. Then you can rest with perfect peace in His perfect will.

Why do bad things happen to good people?

Have you ever watched that new t.v. action-comedy "the Good Guys?" The one where the two mismatched cops who follow up on petty crime get caught up in high profile gun fights and car chases as the older cop leads the younger by-the-book cop into reliving his glory days. So why do these bad things keep happening to the Good guys? Are they just looking for trouble or does it keep following them? Wouldn't they rather have some conflict to keep things exciting? Are they really the Good guys, or just better than the bad guys they encounter?

This t.v. show reminds me of a young adult who once made a lot of money and who had lot of influence but was not satisfied inside. So one day he paused for a moment from spending his money and telling people what to do and asked a humble carpenter "Good teacher, what must I do to inheret eternal life?" The answer he was looking for must have had a pricetag, so Jesus first responded with a question. "Why do you call me good? No one is good but God alone."

The rich young ruler must have stumbled over a few words as you may be right now thinking "did Jesus just deny being good?" Wasn't He the Son of God, the perfect Son of God? Like here's a murderer, here's a thief, here's a white lie, here's me who got saved, there's Jesus and God? But I thought me and Jesus and God were good, but now your saying only God?

Read Luke 18:18-34 Matthew 19:16-29 and Mark 10:17-30
Now ask yourself one more time Who is Good?

God! It's in the Bible! Jesus said it! Period.

So what does this have to do with bad things happening to good people?

Here's the breakdown. Jesus was the spotless lamb, the perfect sacrifice, but not even He would be blameless as He took upon the sins of the world. If Jesus was Not Good, then are we truly Good People? And what is bad? Sin. Then why don't bad things happend to bad people? Because no matter how "Christian" we think we are we are still on this earth in this time and we are stuck with the consequences of sin (evil and sickness). The sin of Adam and Eve, the sin we still live in.

THAT IS WHY WE ARE CALLED TO REPENT.

What is Christianity without repentance? Its like a good looking person on the outside with a real dark secret on the inside, and unfortunatly we all have it.

So what do we do? Read, reread, memorize and meditate on Romans 6-8 for starters, then do what John the Baptist said, Repent. Make a radical change in your entire life. Admit you are Not good, never will be good and will always be bad, but with entire dependence on God's saving grace. Then simply follow Christ.

So why do bad things happen to good people? I think you get the point by now. What about good things happening to bad people then? It happens, yes, God is merciful, and I for one am greatful. Just keep your eyes on the prize, keep the faith, finish the race. That's it.

It's just my opinion!

Have you heard someone recently tell you their opinion? They tell you something about someone that makes them sound very defensive or authoritative? Everyone has an opinion, its the right and freedom of every American, but there is something missing. With the right to form an opinion there must be a responsibility after the opinion is cast. The opinions of people today are also unfounded on anything other than personal feelings and emotional highs and lows. This blog is starting to sound opinionated, but I am actually suggesting something else.

First I want to talk about just what an opinion is and why it can cause so much disturbance. The lexical aid to the NAS Bible says "to give or form an opinion is to divide, separate, make a distinction or come to a decision. First of all, which part of an opinion helps someone, brings wholeness and healing? Which part shows kindness, mercy and compassion? Just my observation. To have an opinion is to think, esteem or decide. They being with thought, become esteemed as important, and bring about decisions that seem finalized in the heart of the opinioned.

There is one more thing an opinion is related to. In the Bible the word opinion is not used (are you ready for this?), instead the word judgement is. To cast an opinion is to cast a judgement on or about something or someone. To say I have an opinion feels more like I am judging you. Now how many times have you heard someone say "don't judge me?" Again I am trying to observe rather than subjuct to my feelings. So what do we do with our opinions? How shall we cast our judgments?

Jesus says in Matthew 7 "Do not judge.....(form opinions?) Wait, He can't say that! But read the rest....."lest you be judged. For in the way you judge; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you." So what he is saying is there will be consequences, but is that all? Should we avoid forming opinions because of consequences? Read more....."WHY do you look at the speck of dust in your brother's eye but do not notice the log in your own eye?" Safty First I always say. "You hypocrite! First take the log out.....then you will see clearly to HELP your brother!" Is that clear enough? Is your personal opinion so precious that you throw others under the bus? HOW will you now harness the power of the opinions that you form? How will you use them for good and not evil? How will you surrender you pride for the mercy of Christ? This is my hope, that we All find it in our hearts to keep some opinions in our stomachs as we swallow our pride. Enough for now......

The End

This year started off so slow and then all of a sudden the summer's warmth had come to it's End. Work dropped off rapidly and it seems the season of fence building has come to an End. I sustained an injury 2 weeks ago which slowed me down but gave me a chance to catch up too. Two season long jobs came to their End. This weekend is pleasant but it too will End. For some reading this today the End is in sight. For others the End is so far away. And for even more the End has finally come. So what is your End? And what are the means to Your End.

Listen to these words and ask yourself these questions.

"There is a Way that seems right to a man, but in the End it leads to death." Proverbs 14:12 What is your Way? "An inheritance quickly gained at the beginning will not be blessed at the End." How will you be blessed? "What you have seen with your eyes do no rush into court, for what will you do in the End if he puts you to shame?" Proverbs 25:8 How quick are you to judge? "He who rebukes a man will in the End gain more favor than he who has a flattering tongue." Proverbs 28:23 Will you take correction?
Man cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to End. Eccl. 3:11 So what will our End be?

What should we hope for, what should we fear?

"The End will not come right away." Luke 21 Until that time how shall we believe? "Christ is the End of the Law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes." Romans 10:4 There is a Way.....Jesus.....the Alpha and Omega.....the beginning and the End.

Put an End to your darkest fears because Hope is the End "in sight."

Day 2

Today I declared the 24th of each month Red for Conner Day. To keep his memory alive we can wear red and remember to give as if we knew our own days were numbered. You can quote me when I say "tragety will never be able to define my life, but it will give me a once in a lifetime opportunity to redefine my soul.

My Phirst Blog

For some time now I have been wondering if I should start a blog to write and share in. Some of you know my nephew lost his battle to C.f. this June and my family wants nothing more than to keep his memory alive. I have not shared many words, but many words are welling up in my heart to share since then. For the readers who follow my personal sometimes candid blogs, these are for you. From my heart through these words I have hope, peace and love to share. There is One Word I have to share and many others to follow because of one Son who gave all. And one son who was received into heaven. To God alone be the glory for these words. More to follow.....