Mexico

We had great Jones family vacation in Mexico!

The kids loved playing with all their cousins, swimming, body surfing, snorkeling, giant sea turtles, and late nights.

The adults enjoyed lazy days filled with tanning, margaritas, chips and salsa, shopping at the marcado, playing 10,000 and speed scrabble.


Highlights from the trip
Watching the kiddos enjoy their cousins
Parasailing (uh huh, I flew!)
Cooking together -yummy garlic shrimp!
Counting freckles at bed time
Speed/travel Scrabble
Necklace shopping with Cindy and the girls
Giant Sea Turtles
Madonna makeovers
Being sung La Bumba at El Vira's
Dinner, a stroll, and ice cream with Michael (thanks to generous sitters- Nana and Aunt "Jennifuh")
Nana helping Emilie learn to dive
Gramps helping Josie swim
Noah's excitement boogie boarding

Via Con Dios!

My friend over at Family Jules invites you to post at "Mr. Linky" what you will be for Halloween. We are going to be Vacationers to Zihuatanejo, Mexico!
Michael's parents are taking the entire Jones clan (10 adults and 8 grandkids) on a family vacation.
I have been so busy preparing, packing, cleaning, and over thinking, that I forgot we are going on vacation. VACATION!! No laundry, no cleaning the casa, no telephones, no internet (I'll miss you, and Jennifer Partin there better be baby news when I get home :-), no taxi'n, no must dos- just vacation! Tanning, eating, swimming, eating, sandcastles, eating, reading, eating, laughing, and did I mention eating!

Balar, balar, labumba!

The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands. And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else. From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him, though he is not far from each one of us. For in him we live and move and have our being. As some poets have said, 'We are his offspring.'
Acts 17:24-28


Father God thank you that you are God, there is no other, you are God there is none like you. I want my life, breath and everything else to come from you. I'm sorry that I look for it in other places (people). You have and are everything I need. I do not understand why you set me in this place for this time, I feel I do not fit. Help me to seek you, to reach for you. Thank you that you are not far, I forget that. I want my life, and moving, and being to be found in you, and in nothing or no one else but you. Thank you that I am your offspring, your child, that my identity is in you. Help me to live out the hope I have in you.

And The Winner Is...

So, I just phoned my neighbor Steve and asked him to pick a number between 1 and 50, he chose # 49.
Congratulations Earen from Faith in the Journey.
Email me at jonesidosio@yahoo.com with your address, and Bebo will be on his way!

I Love Give Aways!

Give Away!

Michael and I got a much needed date on Tuesday evening. We had dinner at the California Pizza Kitchen (so yummy), and saw Bebo Norman and Shane & Shane in concert.

Shane & Shane said this , "It isn't the words or these songs that change the heart, it is only the Holy Spirit who can change a heart."
As a worship leader I needed to hear these words again. Nothing I sing can move or stir the heart of the listener, it is only the Holy Spirit who can move or stir the heart. Holy Spirit move, stir, grow, the body.
As a mommy I need to hear this. Everyday I pray, fight for these kids. Everyday we are teaching them truth, and walking beside them answering questions, watching the shaping and molding take place. I feel the pressure to stir and move them, but that pressure is not mine, it does not fall on me, but falls on the Holy Spirit- relief! Holy Spirit move, stir, grow my children.
As a believer I need to hear this. I am never enough- this is what I battle with. I am always attempting to cause the stirring (wing flapper). I want to read Gods word because "I delight in it." I want to be a worshiper in every area of my life because that is full life to me. I want to cloth the naked, feed the poor, love the orphan, and help the widow because it is my joy to give
back to God what he has so graciously given to me. I don't want to do any of it to gain man's approval. And I want more- more of the Word, more worship, more of Jesus poured out of my life. So Holy Spirit move, stir, grow this child.

AND YES! There is a give away- Bebo Norman's C.D. "Between the Dreaming and the Coming True."
Simply pick a number. Yes a number between 1-50. The winner will be announced on Sunday.

God Loves a Cheerful Giver

Last week in AWANA's the children were encouraged to help raise funds for Adopt-A-Club (the kids have adopted a club in Nicaragua. Funds are provided to help them start, and fund their own AWANA program). The kids were encouraged to collect cans and/or bring in their change to raise support.
When Noah heard of the need he thought there would be no way he could collect enough cans to raise support, he then thought about his large jar of coins he has been adding to for years, he firmly decided he would give all that was in it-$82.62 He came home, told us of the need, and of his decision.

I'm going to be honest, he'd been putting that money away for a while. He had even added birthday money to it. My first impulse was to say, "just give a portion" or "don't you want to keep some of it." I didn't say anything. My second impulse was to let him do what was in his heart to do, and to be overwhelmed that my boy is a "cheerful giver" on his very own. I did that.

Today he took the money to AWANA's.

In a conversation with his dad tonight Noah said, "If I spend my money on toys they don't last forever, but if a kid asks Jesus into his heart that will last forever. If that kid dies before I do, God may tell him that some little boy hundreds of miles away, no states away, no in another country, gave his money so that he would know God."

God loves a cheerful giver -and so does a mommy!

I want to be like Noah when I grow up!

Oh the Thinks You Can Think

Yes, 2 posts today!
I was visiting over at Earen's blog Faith in the Journey, where she shared about her son Caleb and the "thinks" God puts in his head.

For days I have been recalling sweet moments from when my children were younger. Sweet "thinks" God has placed in their heads, and conversations we have had because of them.
So if you will indulge me, I am going to rewind from time to time and share these. I will label
them
Oh the Thinks You Can Think! (Dr. Suess)

March 2001
Noah (2yrs old) "Mommy I have Jesus in my tummy."

July 25th 2001
Noah (3 yrs old)- Noah was running around the house, when he came to me and said, "Mommy I can hear Jesus in my heart!" I replied, "well, what is he saying?" Noah looks at me puzzled. I said, "is he saying, knock, knock knock, I stand at the door and knock, if anyone hears my voice and opens the door of his life I will come into him." Noah replied, "did he come in?" I said, "did you ask him?" Then Noah lifted his shirt, and shouted "Come in!!!"

May 13th 03
Noah (5 yrs old) In the car on the way home from t-ball. Noah says,
"Mommy turn on our songs" (not kid songs, but Third Day) a few moments later Noah yells,
"Mommy, Mommy!" I turn the music down to hear him. "Mommy Jesus is dancing in my heart."