S U M M E R 2 0 1 4

THE J ONES MI NI STRY UPDATE

A Quarterly Update On Christs Life Expressed Through Our Partnership With Christian Families Today
Talking with a youth group about
Why do I do what I do?
God is good!
God is not only good in the mountain
top experiences of our lives when
situations are pleasant, but He is also
just as good in the valley moments
when life is challenging. The Word of
God shares that He is the same
yesterday, today, and forevermore
(Hebrews 13:8). Therefore, His
goodness is not based upon the
circumstances that surround our lives.
The Bible says in Psalm 37:23-24:
"The Lord directs the steps of the godly.
He delights in every detail of their lives.
Though they stumble, they will never
fall, for the Lord holds them by the
hand. God is our solid rock. As we
journey through the valley and on the
mountain top, He is our firm foundation
that keeps us from falling. Often times,
resting in Gods goodness and
foundation is easier during our
mountain top experiences, rather than in
the experiences in the valley. Why? The
answer to this question lies in what we
choose to set our mind on.
Throughout our experiences, we have
two choices and each choice has its own
distinct consequences. To describe our
choices, I use an illustration in the
counseling process of a steam engine.
To begin with, I have them draw a
steam engine that is pulling a coal
wagon and a caboose. The steam engine
represents the truth, whereas the coal
wagon represents our fuel, faith. Lastly,
the caboose signifies our feelings and
our dependence in our own strength.
Using the example of the steam engine,
we can put our faith in how we feel
about our circumstance and our own
strength, just like we can put coal (fuel)
into a caboose. If we do, however, we
will not go anywhere, but instead
experience worry, anxiety, doubt, fear,
and anger. On the other hand, we have
the choice to put our faith (our fuel as
believers) in the steam engine, the truth.
The truth is that the Lord is good, He is
our hope, He is our firm foundation, and
the only One who is able to meet our
needs. When we do this, we will move
forward in the destiny the Lord has
planned for us, experiencing much rest,
love, joy, peace, and patience,
regardless of the circumstances we may
face in life.
Together, may we rest our mind on the
truth and rejoice of His goodness!
With love,
Lori and Chris
O taste and see that the Lord is good;
How blessed is the man who takes
refuge in Him! Psalm 34:8
Sharing about CFT at a career fair
for middle school students.
This was created by a 10 year-old
to describe the mask she wears in
front of others.
A TESTAMENT OF GOD S FAI THFULNESS
THROUGH OUR PARTNERSHI P
God is so faithful! In our ministry at Christian Families
Today, our job is to plant the seeds of truth within the heart
of each individual that comes into our office. As partners,
you and I sow seeds of truth into the hearts of children and
their parents. Sometimes while we share the journey with
families, I am able to first-hand witness the fruit from our
seeds. Other times, however, I must remind myself to stand
firm in the promise the Lord has given us that when we
share His Word, our efforts will not return void.
Over the past year, I had the honor of working with an 8th
grader that I will call Emily. Emily was struggling with an
eating disorder. Being in the medical field, her dad struggled
with the idea of the issue being a spiritual battle. During my
time with Emily each week, I had the opportunity to witness
the fruit of our partnership blossom within her. Below you
will find an encouraging note from her father (on the left)
and from Emily (on the right). Thank you for partnering
with me financially and in prayer to plant the seeds of truth
into these families! Together, we are making a difference in
the Kingdom of God. Praise the Lord!
Lori,
We wanted to take a moment to express our heartfelt
thanks for your ministry. It can be hard to quantify what
you do with it being confidential, but as time has passed,
and as the Spirit has continued to do His work in Emilys
life, it has become obvious how much influence your
teaching has had on her life. To be truthful, it was a step
of faith when we decided to address her anorexia as a
spiritual issue and not a medical/psychological one, but
our diagnosis of a spiritual malady has been correct.
To date, it has not been necessary to treat Emily medically.
The proof is in the results we see in her life. The changes
are obvious and are clearly the result of the Holy Spirit
working in her life transforming her, making her more like
Himself, more like Christ.
Are we done? Nope. We have no illusions that we can now
ignore these issues. But your ministry has laid a
foundation which gives us mutual understanding of how to
continue to address Laurens spiritual needs. But the
changes are unmistakable, and unmistakably the Spirit,
and you had a lot to do with it, allowing the Spirit to work
through you.
In a word, we are grateful. Thank you. God bless you.
In His love,
Emilys parents
Dear Lori,
I cannot put thank you into words for all that you have
done for me. Because of you, I am now living a happier,
joyful life with God and my family. I have learned to
love myself again, and that is probably the greatest gift
anyone could ever give me. Thank you so much.
Love,
Emily
THANKS FOR BEI NG ON
OUR TEAM
!
Prayer is a powerful tool we have to connect to the Father. If we can join you in prayer for anything, please let us know!
Email: LoriJones@cftministry.org Phone: (770) 502-8050
Ministry Prayer Requests:
The children and parents I meet with will grow in knowing and experiencing who they are in Christ.
The Lord will continue to provide creativity for new concrete ways of sharing the truth with children.
Personal Prayer Requests:
We are starting a group for young adults on Thursday nights where we come together, fellowship, and encourage one another in
the Lord. Pray for Chris, myself, and another couple as we are launching this group.
* Praise the Lord for providing a job for Chris and a vehicle for Lori! Thank you for joining us in prayer over these needs!