Big stuff goin on at the Jones house. God is a mover and a shaker and He is movin and shakin all of us right now.
After a loooonnnngggg time of prayer and consideration, and agonizing really, we made the move to a different church. Not because we don't love our home church. We really do, and it served us very well. We loved the people there and still do. However, the time had come to seek out more for our teenagers. My purpose in this life is to raise my boys to be good, faithful, and true god-fearing men, who will go on to raise good, faithful and true god-fearing families. Something the world is seriously lacking. I prayed so long and so hard for the wisdom to know what to do. I prayed for just the right situation to put the boys into. I prayed for a place that they would grow and grow and grow as Christians... and I prayed it for over a year. My ya ya's prayed and prayed for it also. And as usual, and in his own time, God came through.
Almost immediately, Austin got a call and was asked to play his guitar in the praise band. Can you even imagine how excited he was. Yesterday was his big debut. Not only did he do an awesome job, he was actually the one playing all the intros! It brought tears to my eyes to see my baby up there praising God with the talent he has so obviously been given. Can't wait to see where it takes him. The man who leads the praise band said he was discouraged and was turning in his keys to quit the band the very day that Austin first came to church. He said Austin was an answer to his prayers. How cool is that.
Ethan has become very active in the youth group. Two nights a week, which is alot in teen time. He looks so forward to it. Last night was the first night of revival. Turns out, during youth group right before revival began, each and everyone of those kids took turns laying their hands on and praying for Pastor Dan. Pastor Dan himself told about the experience at the end of the night with such excitement and he said "folks, that's what you got goin on here in this church." It was my confirmation that my boys are exactly where they are suppose to be.
The service itself was incredible. One of the most awesome experiences I have had. It was an "on the edge of your seat" type of thing that you really didn't want to end. But it did have to end and in closing, he asked the congregation to gather around the youth to pray for them and their daily struggles in this world. Struggles that we had to deal with when we were young, and struggles we would have never even dreamed were possible. It was incredibly moving.
I'm blogging about this experience today because I truly NEVER CEASE to be AMAZED at what GOD can do and how he uses so many different people and different situations to accomplish His work. And how His plans for us are so much more than we could even begin to imagine for ourselves. And I am BLOWN AWAY by how he heard my cry and my prayers for my boys and has turned them into something more than I EVER would have thought possible.
God is HUGE people... and he works overtime!
