Praying for Our Leaders

1 Timothy 2:1-2. “I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone – for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.”

I have tried not to say too much about the Obama address for tomorrow, but recent situations that I have been involved in have changed my mind. I believe that it is a disgrace the way many people are dealing with the Obama speech to the schools. Many people are in an uproar about this speech and are holding their kids out of school so that they will not have to listen to the message. Many have written their local schools and asked for it not to be shown. I believe all of this has been done out of fear and pure ignorance.

I have been among people who share the same faith background as me who think that his message is negative. They feel it is better for their kids not to have this negative influence in their life. They act as if it their 'Christian' duty to protect their kids from the "evils" of Obama, but the way they have gone about it is nothing Christ-like at all. What kind of message do we think we are sending our children when are encouraging them not to listen to the leader of our country. We are telling them inadvertently that we should only respect those who agree with us. That simply is not the message of Christ!

As a Christian I need to be praying for my leaders. As a Christian I need to teach my children about discernment. As a Christian I need to discuss with my children how to make good decisions and educate them on why other choices can be harmful to them. All of this can be accomplished without becoming hypocritical and displaying a negative attitude before our children.

I pray that each of us can actually listen to the message before passing judgment. If we can accomplish this then we can set an example for our children instead of filling their head with prejudice propaganda that does not lead to a life of holiness.

Take a minute and read the message http://www.whitehouse.gov/MediaResources/PreparedSchoolRemarks

You may be surprised that it is not so evil at all.

The Ministry of Teaching

On Monday I will start my second year teaching Bible and Counseling at Harding University. This is by far the greatest job in the world! I get the opportunity everyday to talk to people about their current and future marriages. I get to discuss how to communicate and deal with conflict better. I feel it a privilege to be in this position because I have some influence on marriages and families throughout this country.

It saddens me to hear about the divorces, neglect, and pain that many families go through. I believe that if most people had the opportunity to learn some basics about how to be in a relationship with someone else then our families would be so much stronger. I know that I am not perfect, but I enjoy being able to share from my own mistakes so that others will not have to experience similar situations.

I pray that I can be an example through my own family and show people the glorious plan that God has for each of our families.

Please pray for this ministry and the lives that I come in contact with everyday.

She is my everything

On Saturday Dana and I will celebrate 11 years of marriage. I am awestruck by this fact. This woman has been MORE than good to me. I am a pill to live with, moody, and a tad bit crazy, but she knows how to deal with me and my many flaws.

I do not deserve her at all. I feel it a privilege to be able to call her my best friend and wife. I know that God has blessed me with a special wife and I try everyday to be a good spiritual leader, husband, and friend to her.

It always kills me to hear other men talk bad about their wives. "She nags" "She's spoiled" "She spends all my money" The list goes on. I do not have anything negative to say about my wife because she is someone I look up to. She is spiritual, funny, intelligent, a great mother, AWESOME cook, a great encourager, patient...really patient and as beautiful as she can be. I am thankful that God has put her in my life.

I love her deeply and pray that our next 11 years together are even better than the first!

I Need To Slow Down

Wow what a week! The past 10 days have been nothing but a blur. Here are a few things we have been up to.

Last Friday Dana and I celebrated 10 years of marriage. The Lord has been more than good to me by giving her to me. We have had many good and bad times together and the Lord continues to bless. Dana has literally followed me around the world in support of me being in ministry. This has not always been easy. We have found ourselves in places and situations that have challenged our marriage. There have been times where it would have been easier to just give up, but we continued to fight on because our marriage was worth it. I do not know where I would be today without the love and support that Dana provides me. She is my friend, lover, and encourager. I thank God for her immensely. I only pray that those who are reading this will be blessed enough to find a spouse like her. I think I will keep her for another 50 years or so.

This past Sunday we attended Holmes Road Church of Christ in Memphis, TN. I previously worked there and we went back to see some good friends. Cameron Holland is the youth minister there and he preached Sunday morning. I must admit that he literally had me in tears as he taught about love and forgiveness in 1 Corinthians 13. It has been an extremely long time since I had a sermon move me emotionally like that. I must admit that I was prepared for “just another” sermon on love because the passage was so familiar, but I was floored by the way he preached from his heart. THANKS CAMERON! You blessed us all by your words and transparency.

This past Monday my baby girl, Mikayla, started preschool. She has been at home with Dana for the past 4 years. She could have stayed home again this year, but the child is a Jones and needs social interaction. It KILLED me to go to the open house because I knew that my little girl was now BIG. The influence that Dana and I have on her will now be challenged by the things she will pick up daily at preschool. I know that every child goes through this process eventually, but it does not make it any easier. I want her to be her protector and her only influence! I know this is not realistic or possible but it does not change my feelings. It is just really hard to trust someone else with the special gift we were given from God.

Well this is just a little peek into our lives this past week. Next time I will talk about my orientation and first week at Harding. God bless you.

Thank the Lord

We are now officially homeless! Our house went through settlement today and we no longer have a residence in PA. That was our first home sale and it went pretty smooth if you ask me. Thanks to all of you who have been praying about this. I will be posting an update on our family in the next couple of days.

Safe Arrival

We made it to Searcy, AR safely on Wednesday afternoon. We are still digging through boxes in an attempt to get settled here. Thanks to all of you who have been praying for us.

On The Road Again

We are in the middle of our move to Searcy, AR. We left on Sunday and hope to be there on Wednesday. Please be praying for us during this transition.

Just A Matter of Time

I just noticed that I have not blogged in about a month. I have had so many things to say, but have not had the time to stop and express my thoughts. We are about one month away from our move to Searcy, AR. I am excited about the many opportunities that lay ahead, but am so inundated with the details of our move that I have not been able to truly appreciate what we are headed into.

We have had a few hurdles to overcome the past couple of weeks. Dana has not yet been able to secure employment so far. I do not blame her at all because she is a smart woman with many talents to share. I grieve with her over the situation because she has dedicated herself to being at home with the girls the past few years, but this has not helped her resume. Employers do not always give you credit for putting your family first. I am a little concerned about how this will affect us down there, but definitely not worried because God has ALWAYS taken care of my family and I am confident that He will continue to do so.

We are in the process of selling our house and this is not fun at all. I had no idea how much work it would be to get our house ready to show, and show and show again. Even when you get through all of that drama you still have to play the negotiation game with the buyers. It is our prayer that this part of our life comes to an end quickly. I most definitely don't want to be on the selling end again for at least another 10 years or so.

Overall God continues to be good to us. He continues to remind us that we need to depend on Him even though we do not understand His plans for us. "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see" (Heb. 11:1, NIV). I am certain and confident that this move will be a blessing for my family. Although we do not have everything neatly organized the way we want it I know that God is working out great things for us even if it has not materialized. I pray that each of you trust God today as His will is being played out in your life.

Unexpected Blessing

I have been unable to update my blog for the past 2-3 weeks due to an overwhelmingly busy schedule. God has put before my family some awesome opportunities that have kept our minds occupied.

Roughly 2-3 weeks ago I was offered a position to teach on the Bible faculty at Harding University in Searcy, AR. Teaching on the college level has been a dream of mine for several years, but I figured I would be in my 40's and finished with my doctorate before that would be a possibility. Who knew that God had different plans for me?



This decision would not be easy to make because it would mean: 1) Dana would have to return full time work outside of the home and 2) Leaving our congregation that I have only been the minister for almost 2 years. She has really enjoyed being home with the girls and has been a great blessing to them by being at home. We also feel that we have seen some good spiritual growth in the congregation here. Why can't these type of decisions be easy?



We have prayed so much about this decision and have been seeking the counsel of many close friends. After MUCH prayer and direction we have decided to make the move in August. It is very exciting, but will require much change on our part in such a short time period.



Our summer will go as follows: 1) Dana finding a job teaching, 2) Finding childcare for our girls, 3) Preparing our house to sell, 4) Selling our house, 5) Finding a place to live, 6) Preparing for my fall classes, and 7) Actually moving down there. This should be easy right!?



I will be teaching two sections of 'Christian Home'. This class will focus on how to prepare for marriage, mate selection, raising children, and integrating spirituality into this process. I will also be teaching two sections of 'Christian Counseling'. This class will focus on teaching counseling skills to those individuals who will work in the church.



Words cannot express the overwhelming feeling of God at work in our lives. It is awesome to see how He blesses His children even though none of us deserve it. Please pray for our family, the congregation here, and for the work at Harding.

An Excellent Mother

Mother's Day is Sunday and I wanted to talk about my mother: Thelma Jones.

My mom has always been dedicated to her children. She would go YEARS without buying new things for herself just to make sure that her three crazy boys were taken care of. She was never harsh or mean, but we knew our boundaries with our mother. She never had to threaten us because we ALWAYS respected her. She was, and continues to this day, a hard worker. We never heard her complain or moan even when she had more than a right to do so.

My mother is a godly woman. There has never been a time that I have heard a foul word come from her mouth. She made sure we learned the Bible and kept on us to live out our faith. She gives to anyone who has a need even though she does not have a lot to give.

I must admit I have her sense of humor. I do not want to embarrass her by giving some examples so I will just say that she is a practical joker and a good one at that.

She is a great wife to my dad. She has always supported him and stood by his side. Her dedication to their marriage has always inspired me. She created an excellent template for a Christian woman and that is what I used when looking for my wife.

I love my mom very much because she is a good friend, loves to listen, and gives loving advice even when her kids do some crazy stuff.

I remember in Kindergarten we had an opportunity to make a gift for our mothers and we could make any craft we wanted. For some reason most of the kids in class made ashtrays out of clay for their moms. My mother didn't smoke, but I made her an ashtray anyway. She loved it and was proud of my work.

These are just a FEW of the many reasons I feel blessed to have my mother.

Growing Up Too Quick

This week we were blessed to have family come in from TN and Ohio to celebrate the girls' birthdays. We had a full house all week, but it was well worth it to be around our loved ones.
Emily turned 1 on the 18th and Mikayla turned 4 on the 19th.



My girls need to stop growing! It just seems like yesterday that we brought them home, and they just keep getting bigger.

Mikayla officially moved into a booster seat in the car. She got her first pair of rollerskates and fishing pole. She is ready to take on the sidewalk and any fish that comes into her path. This means she is officially a big girl, but she will always be my baby.



Emily has five teeth now and is walking all over the place. She is as stubborn as she can be and I wouldn't change it for the world. She devoured her cupcake on her birthday. She destroyed it like it was her enemy. It is so neat to see her experience new things and have her many "firsts."



I want to just freeze them in time because they change so much. I know that is wishful thinking, but it doesn't change my dream. I want them to be good girls when they grow up. I want them to love the Lord. I want them to dream big and live a happy life. I know that they will face disappointments and be let down, but what an adventure they have in store for them!

Labor of Love

On March 23rd Dana celebrated her 31st birthday.  I wanted to do something special for her and decided on making her a cake.  It was Dana's job to pick out the type of cake she wanted and the icing flavor.  She wanted a double-layer, red velvet, cake with cream cheese icing. 

There was a time in my life where I boasted about my cooking skills.  I would compete in contests and usually win.  I was even bold enough to cook for girls when I dated them so that they knew I was a winner.  Well I am saddened to say that my cooking skills have faded away over the past ten years of marriage because I don't do any of the cooking.  (I know I know I should probably cook more but you are missing the point.)

I baked the cake in two round pans, but noticed that the bottom of each was a little bit "overdone."  I was not going to let this stop me.  I used to watch a show called Ace of Cakes  where they would cut the bottom or top off of a cake for decorative purposes.  Well I attempted to do the same thing to salvage Project Birthday Cake.  Well this did not go so well.  I ended up using the icing as a type of cake putty to stick the two cakes together.  I wanted to show my creative side, but the cake ended up looking like an igloo.  Dana still enjoyed it and that is all that counts.

Oh the things we do when we are in love.

A Conversation With Emily

Today on The Cross Eyed Commentary will be speaking to Emily Jones. She is the child actress with the hit t.v. show 'Potty Time.' She is the daughter of Mike and Dana Jones and resides in Pennsylvania. Due to her age we had to bring in a special interpreter so that she could tell her story.

Mike: So Emily tell us about yourself.

Emily: Well I am about 2 feet 6 inches tall and weigh about 15 lbs. I am an Aries which means that I am independent, generous, optimistic, moody, and impulsive.

M: How old are you?

E: I am currently 10 months old, but will have my first birthday on April 18th.

M: Are you looking forward to your first birthday?

E: Not really. I think birthdays are overrated. I would rather party the other 364 days in the year instead of just one.

M: There are rumors out there that you don't change your own diaper is that true?

E: That is a personal topic and I will not answer that question.

M: Sorry about that. Will you please comment on the teeth you recently acquired?

E: Certainly! Most babies only wait a few months to get their teeth, but I wasn't ready till last week. So I decided to get three in at the same time.

M: Wow! Was that painful?

E: (sarcastically) What do you think?

M: Sorry I was just curious. Well tell me a little about your family.

E: Well my mom stays home with me everyday and watches my every move. She is pretty easy to entertain. All I have to say is 'Momma' and I have her attention. She has not caught on yet, but that will be our secret. I also have a crazy father who is a preacher and a mental health therapist. Many people do not know this, but my mother writes his sermons for him.

M: Really?!

E: Oh yes! She is usually done with them by Thursday afternoon and then he just practices them until Saturday night.

M: He must be lucky to have her as a wife.

E: You don't know the half of it man. Let me tell you about my big sister Mikayla. She is one class act. She plays with me all the time. She sings to me when I cry and loves to wake me up in the morning so that I will not oversleep. You cannot find a cooler sister than her.

M: Sounds like you have a great family. I have one last question before I finish. You're fans are just dying to know. Which do you prefer: the bottle or a sippy cup?

E: I'm offended you would even ask me that question. Sippy cup hands down. They are nicer on your gums and much more festive than a bottle.

M: Well thanks so much for spending some time with me today Emily answering these questions.

E: No problem. By the way where is my mom? She needs to come get me I still can't walk yet.

My Christmas Gifts

Here are a few pictures of the girls we took on Saturday.
We hope you enjoy them.

We hope you all have a Merry Christmas!

August Was Crazy

It has been a little while since I have had anything significant to say on here. Life has been hurried to say the least. During the month of August I had two people close to me pass away: Louise Jones and Betty McClough. Louise is my grandmother and Betty is a friend from Memphis, TN. I was afforded the opportunity to go to TN for my grandmother's funeral, but could not attend Betty's due to them being on the same day. The trip was extremely last minute, but I was glad that I was able to go. I got to reconnect with some family I have not seen in years. It was a nice to be home with family. The biggest problem with being away was that I had to leave Dana and the girls behind. I do not like doing that at all. To complicate things it was our anniversary weekend. (I am still trying to make up for that one!)

Two weeks ago I attended an orientation at a local college to hand out information about our congregation. It was a great experience seeing these freshmen begin their new life away from home. They looked so young! They were all full of dreams and excited about what lies ahead for them. It is hard to believe that it has been 13 years already since I was a college freshman. Man I am starting to get old.

Last weekend I took some vacation time to go to Virginia Beach with my family. Our good friends, the Kirvens, have been living there for almost 3 years now. We met them during our time in Canton, OH and have been keeping in touch ever since. They are a wonderful family and have experienced some happy and disappointing times with us during the past six years. We took the time to go to the beach to relax for awhile and just enjoy the weather. Benjamin is the Family Life Minister at the Bayside Church of Christ. He was gracious enough to have me speak the Sunday night we were there. It is always a neat experience when preaching at a new place. You never know what to expect, but it was exciting as always. We ended up doing a cookout on Monday down there and then traveled 9 hours back to Lebanon, PA. The traveling part was not fun at all.

Due to all of thie travel and activities, I have not been at my congregation for three Sunday's in a row. I must admit that having the time off was good mentally and spiritually. It gave me the opportunity to get recharged and refocused. I am sure you ministry people out there know what I mean. I am looking forward to getting back into the swing of things.

I hope that each of you have enjoyed your summer and cherish this warm weather before it is gone.

My How Time Flies

Nine years ago yesterday a very immature guy and a beautiful girl made a commitment before God to take care of each other. I know it is only by the grace of God that we have lasted so long. Dana is such a blessing to me in so many ways. She has taught me so much about God's grace. She has accepted me and my junk when others quickly ran away. She deals with my stubborness and loves me in spite of it. She is my friend and is honest with me about her feelings. She is my joy because she makes me laugh and brings peace to my life. She is my partner because she helps me raise two of the most beautiful girls in the world. I feel it a priviledge to have her in my life. I am looking forward to many more wonderful years ahead with her.
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Proverbs 31:10 (The Message)
A good woman is hard to find, and worth far more than diamonds. Her husband trusts her without reserve, and never has reason to regret it. Never spiteful, she treats him generously all her life long.

The Sounds of Parenthood

People who don't have children do not get to experience the darkside of parenthood. I am providing you an 11 second glimpse of bedtime every night. Sorry for the quality but I was using my cell phone. Be sure to turn your speakers on full blast to get a "realistic" feel.

Another Year Gone

I turned 31 years old yesterday and I realized how fast this last year has gone by. This past year has been a huge growing and adjustment period for my family and I. I find myself in Lebanon, PA with my beautiful wife and two awesome daughters. I still have no idea why God blessed me with each one, but I will not continue to question His wisdom and grace.

I found out the hard way yesterday that I am not 19 anymore. I came to church to take our kids to go play mini-golf. I approached the building and saw a few guys tossing around a football. In all of my wisdom I planned to run in and intercept the ball. This plan was well thought out in my mind, but my body was not ready. I dropped my bags, ran through the grass, dived through the air and intercepted the pass. I wish at this point I could say that it ended beautifully. As I was coming down out of the air my left foot was not ready for impact and I twisted my ankle pretty bad. The kids thought it was hilarious so I tried to pretend that I was not hurt. This attempt lasted for about the two minutes that it took me to get myself inside the church building. My ankle instantly swelled up like a balloon. I ended up playing mini-golf anyway, but immeadiately went home to ice it down. I walked around all evening with a cold pack duct taped to my ankle. I was definitely cute. My present to myself for my birthday is an ankle the size of a grapefruit. Way to go me!

Overall I enjoyed my birthday. Dana fixed me an excellent dinner of BBQ pork, cole slaw, sweet corn, sweet tea, and a pumpkin pie. For a few minutes I thought I was back in Memphis.

I continue to feel the blessings of God and am looking forward to all that He has planned for me in the future. I hope that you too can appreciate what God is doing in your life and respond to Him accordingly.

Mad House

It has been a hectic week here at the Jones house. With Emily coming a couple of days early we had to adjust our schedules quite a bit. Dana and Emily came home safely yesterday. Both are doing well and in good spirits.

As of yesterday there were 10 people in our house. There are the Cleona Jones family (Dana, Mikayla, Michael, and Emily), the Henderson Jones Family (Robert and Thelma), and Dana's mom, younger sister, niece, and nephew. We have all claimed our space in our three bedroom, one bath townhouse. It has not been pretty.

We feel very fortunate to have the support of our friends, family, and church family. Everyone has been so helpful in this major transistion. We continue to ask for your prayers and support.

Below are some random pictures from the past few days. I hope you enjoy them.

And Baby Makes Four

Baby Emily is here. She weighs 8 lbs 6 oz. 19 ½ inches long and tons of black hair. She was born at 9:47 a.m. Please continue to pray for us. More pictures will come soon.

Mike