| Vernon T. Jones MTS, Spiritual Consultant, Author |
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For those coming to the 2018 North/West Lower Michigan Synod Assembly, in Lansing, from May 20-23, I will be signing and selling my books during part of the event. The Living Fire Ministries Team of the Synod has graciously provided me space at their booth to allow me to do this. If you are attending the Assembly stop by their booth and see what they have to offer, and buy one of my books if you would like to as well. Hope to see you there. Vernon T.
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"Out of the depths I cry to you, O Lord. Lord hear my voice! Let your ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications! . . . I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I hope: . . ." Psalm 130: 1-2, 5   "They are not afraid of evil tidings; their hearts are firm, secure in the Lord. Their hearts are steady, they will not be afraid . . ." Psalm 112: 7-8a
One of the most difficult decisions that my family and I had to make was when we decided to put my late wife, Judy, under Hospice care. She had two operations to remove tumors from her brain, and already had radiation and couldn’t have any more. Chemotherapy would only slow this new tumor down and would have side effects. We also had endured several years of hospitals, nursing homes, treatments, doctor appointments, and having to do more care for Judy. The decision we make was both easy and hard. We loved her and didn’t want to see her suffer any more then she needed to. On the other hand by going under Hospice care we were saying that we wouldn’t try anything else to prolong her life. Our thought was to just keep her comfortable. We weren’t afraid of making the choice that we made, but it was still gut-wrenching. When you take part in your spiritual pilgrimage, may you be secure in the Lord when life challenges come your way! Vernon T. Copyright © 2018 Vernon T. Jones, All Rights Reserved "For God’s foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God’s weakness is stronger than human strength." I Corinthians 1: 25
Sometimes when we are on this spiritual pilgrimage, we are asked to take steps that may seem odd to others around us. A good example for me was after I earned my undergraduate degree. I had been working full time at a steel mill and going to college part time. After eight years I finally had enough hours to get my degree. I started looking for jobs outside of the steel industry. I remember my father-in-law, Vito, really questioning if that was a good idea. You see, he had worked on the docks in Ashtabula, Ohio and he knew what seniority meant in a company. I had nearly nine years in the mill and he thought I should stay there, because of how important that was. He wasn’t the only one, many of my mill co-workers thought I would just stay because the pay and benefits were good. Well, again God had other plans and I was offered a job in the insurance industry (for less money) out of state, and thank goodness, my late wife, Judy, was willing to move, which we did. One never knows what God may have in store for us. It may seem foolish to the world, but can make perfect sense to us in due time. Blessings on your spiritual journey! Vernon T. Copyright © 2018 Vernon T. Jones, All Rights Reserved  "Our steps are made firm by the Lord, when he delights in our way; though we stumble, we shall not fall headlong, for the Lord holds us by the hand." Psalm 37: 23-24
When Shirley and I got married in 2002, Psalm 37 was one of the readings that were chosen for the worship service. This Psalm holds a lot of meaning for both of us, and we knew that we needed the Lord to be with us on this new adventure. We both started Trinity Lutheran Seminary in the fall of 2000, and didn’t know each before that. We had many things in common, like both losing spouses due to death, and we both had a son and daughter with our late spouses. Of course we had a few other issues such as not knowing what was going to happen when Shirley finished Seminary in 2004. In addition we were starting over in a new relationship after being single and after having long and very good marriages with our late spouses. Thus, we knew that to begin this new adventure the Lord had to uphold us when we stumbled, for we surely would have our challenges. May this passage help you if you are about to enter a new stage in your life! Vernon T. Copyright © 2018 Vernon T. Jones, All Rights Reserved  "As (Jesus) went from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John, in the boat with their father Zebedee, mending their nets and he called them. Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him." Matthew 4: 21-22
This passage is used to show that if Jesus calls someone to follow him, sometimes it should be done quickly and not in months or years later. When I was thinking about going to the Seminary I had thought about going part time for a year, and continue to work in the insurance industry, before going full time. I had gone to undergraduate school part time while working full time in the steel mill. I thought that was the practical thing to do again. However, God had other plans. I talked to my pastor about my thoughts, and from things he did, and other signs I was given the clear message for me was to go full time and not to wait for a year. That ended being a really good thing for me, because if I had gone part time versus full time, I wouldn’t have met and got to know Shirley Ross, and wouldn’t have gotten married to her. Sometimes being practical is not what God is calling to do, but rather taking a leap of faith immediately to follow Jesus! Vernon T. Copyright © 2018 Vernon T. Jones, All Rights Reserved  "How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord of hosts! . . . Happy are those who live in your house, ever singing your praise." Psalm 84: 1, 4
In our society today there are many challenges/barriers to attending worship with a specific community. There are also many options for one to choose from rather than attending a worship service. From sporting events, to coffeehouse type places, to people being too stressed out, to having been hurt in the past by a church community, many things keep us from community worship. However, the writer of this Psalm rejoices in being able to be in the house of the Lord. The writer goes so far is to indicate that a person is happy by being able to be in the Lord’s house and to be able to sing God’s praises. Many spiritual mothers and fathers have expressed the concept that if one is on this pilgrimage that worshiping in community and in God’s house was an important aspect of this journey. On your spiritual walk may you find the time and right community to worship and praise the Lord in! Vernon T. Copyright © 2018 Vernon T. Jones, All Rights Reserved  "Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act. . . . Our steps are made firm by the Lord, when he delights in our way." Psalm 37: 3, 23
One of the challenging aspects of this faith walk, is taking daily steps when we are not sure how things will turn out. When I was in the business world, most of my time there was in the marketing department. We spent a lot of time doing short and long range planning. It was an expected practice to make plans, and to work very hard to make those plans a reality. That, however, is not always the case with our faith journey. In our spiritual pilgrimage we can be directed to take steps that do not fit into our personal-long-range goals. These steps can also take us to new places, once unknown to us. I left a career of more than twenty-seven years and went to the Seminary, not fully knowing why I was going, only that I was meant to go, and I did. On your journey may you commit your way to the Lord, take the daily steps as directed, and trust that the Lord will make you steps firm! Vernon T. Copyright © 2018 Vernon T. Jones, All Rights Reserved  "Then the Lord answered me and said: Write the vision; make it plain on tablets, so that a runner may read it. For there is still a vision for the appointed time; it speaks of the end and does not lie. If it seems to tarry, wait for it; it will surely come, it will not delay." Habakkuk 2: 2-3
I generally hate to wait! Sometimes I can deal with it, but I mostly want to get moving, get on with the task, get it done! Of course our society doesn’t help with this issue, as we want and have instant everything, and when we (yes also Vernon T.) can’t have it, we wonder why. However, spiritual writers and the scriptures tell us that following the spiritual pilgrimage comes without a clock or stop watch. We are told to wait for God’s vision, even when we can’t see what we are waiting for. In my own journey that has been one of the more challenging aspects of this process. When you have moments of doubt, that things are not going fast enough, try to remember that God’s time frame isn’t ours and the vision comes at the Lord’s appointed time. Blessings on your waiting periods! Vernon T. Copyright © 2018 Vernon T. Jones, All Rights Reserved |
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