Decade of Formation: The Year 2000
I remember that New Year's Eve as we crossed into the new millennium... who can forget the panic that was Y2K! :) Once the nail biting questions were put to rest, it became clear that we would be moving into the 2000s with joy and excitement. The year 2000! Within my own family this was already set to be a year of great change.
I was in the 8th grade at the time, and every bit of 14 years old. Change was in the air, and it was honestly very exciting. We moved into our new home in February (my very own room!) with the help of our Church Family, and less than 2 weeks later my Dad was ordained a Deacon by Bishop Terry Steib on March 4, 2000. I served that Mass, so it was like being up close and personal for a life-changing event.
Beyond the fact that moving into a new house and having a Deacon Daddy was pretty cool, the thing that really sticks out in my mind is the amount of support that came from our Catholic Family Focus (CFF) group. CFF had been a part of my life since the first grade, and by 2000 it had grown into a real Family. They were the ones who helped us get out of our old house and into the new one, they were the ones who were seated in the cathedral supporting my family, and they were the people who surrounded us with prayers and support as we headed into this new beginning.
I didn't realize it at the time, but this would be a family who would be a source of strength for us when times were not so joyful.
A few weeks after the ordination we began preparing for another big change and the reason behind our move to the new house: My Grammie was coming to live with us. She was a wonderful woman with a giving heart, but we all knew that this was going to be a BIG change for everyone.
I can't remember when exactly Grammie came to live with us, sometime in mid March, but I do remember that Spring was a whirlwind of pretty exciting events. It was around the beginning of April when another big change took me by surprise. My parents woke me up one evening and asked me to go to their room to talk. I was probably half asleep when I walked into the room; but as soon as I saw my Mom sitting at the foot of the bed with that little white stick, I knew exactly what was going on.
God's ordination gift: A new baby :)
Kialie received her first communion after Easter and I was confirmed on May 13th or 14th. My confirmation name was Faustina, after St. Faustina Kowalska- The Secretary of the Divine Mercy. She was canonized a saint on April 30, 2000... just a few short weeks before I was to be confirmed.
Our confirmation was unique to years past because we were a part of the Jubilee Class. Instead of being confirmed with my parish only, ALL of the confirmandi in the Diocese of Memphis were confirmed together in the Mid-South Coliseum. It really was incredible. I remember Bishop Steib reminding us over and over again how special this was.
My confirmation was something that I can look back on and consider to be one of THE most important days of my life. There was no white light or dove, no burning bush or booming voice from heaven.... but receiving that Sacrament, the gifts of the Holy Spirit… something happened. I know that because from that day forward, my life and my relationship with Christ would never be the same.
After that, my days at St. Ann School were quickly coming to an end. I graduated with people that I had known since the 1st grade and said goodbye to a place that had really helped build a strong foundation as I moved on to the exciting world of high school.
Summer of 2000 was nice. My Dad and I flew to West Point, NY to see my cousin Joseph graduate from the military academy. That was a fun “daddy-daughter trip” because it gave me the opportunity to see a place that had really helped form who my Dad was. I remember driving around the campus with him and hearing lots of stories of his days at West Point. I also remember thinking about just how important the next 4 years would be… and wondering who I was going to become.
The rest of the summer went well, but it was becoming more and more apparent that life in the Jones household was changing rapidly. Mom’s pregnancy was difficult but her determination and strength were inspiring. Having our Grammie living with us was another big change, but looking back I realize just how much of a blessing it was to have her with us during that time.
I think that that summer was also the time that I started journaling more fervently. There was so much to think about… High school… would it really be like how all the TV shows and movies made it out to be?
Where would I fit in?
Who would I meet?
What would I do?
Where would I go to college?
And then there was the goal… the dream… and that summer was a time of taking the first steps to making it a reality.
“The Dream”, as I refer to it now, was to become a college volleyball player and then go on to play for the National Women’s Team in the Olympics. All of my future goals and plans revolved around this. Winter and Spring of that year had been the first time that I played Jr. Olympic Volleyball (JOV) for the newly formed Memphis Metro Vollyeball Club.
Summer ’00 I began training and conditioning with the SBA volleyball team. And as any HS athlete will tell you, there’s a pretty big difference between middle school sports and high school sports. I remember the day we were at practice doing different drills and I stopped what I was doing to go and get a drink of water. Haha… wow, never again would I try something like that!
As humbling and challenging as practice with Coach Buchanan was, it really put a sense of determination in me to fight for what I wanted. The dream was alive and well, and I couldn’t wait to get on the court as a Junior Varsity player.
Summer came to an end, and the new adventure known as high school began. When I look at the picture of my first day at SBA, I can’t help but laugh. I had no idea what I heading into…. But I did know that the moment I stepped through the doors of SBA, I was in love with the place. There was something special about St. Benedict at Auburndale that was different than my grade school.
Like most high school freshmen, I went through the awkward stage of trying to figure out my place in this new environment (at least, I assume most people go through that phase). It took time, but I would eventually find the group that “fit”. It was frustrating at first to not be friends with the same people as the year before… but someone must have heard my prayers because it wasn’t too long before I had finally settled into the SBA family.
It didn’t come without some bumps in the road though… and some very embarrassing moments (that I’ll try not to dwell on at this particular moment). But through it all God was faithful… He had a plan, and suddenly I was very much intrigued by where that plan would lead me.
Because God’s plans are often bigger than anything we can imagine for ourselves, we usually need a bit of help along the way. My freshman year of high school, God set me on a path with a guide…a Spiritual Director, someone who would help nourish the seeds that were taking root, and someone who would help me understand my relationship with Christ and how to grow with God each day.
Becoming a student of Mr. Montana is probably one of the larger “blips” on the radar screen of my life. I think most people have at least one teacher that sticks out their mind from grade school or high school. Montana was more than just a favorite teacher; he became my spiritual director and has faithfully served in this role for the past decade. I feel incredibly blessed to have people like my parents and Montana in my life who have helped me as I strive to become the woman that God is calling me to be. I couldn’t do this without them in my life.
Another group of adults came into my life at that time as well, the St. Ann Youth Group Advisors. Although I wasn’t super active that first year, Dianne Dolan, Mama G, Sara G, and Jerry Werkhoven were going to become the people who really helped me discover the beauty of who I am as a person… and really brought me out of my shell.
….But that’s another year. :)
As we headed towards the end of the year, it was finally time for Baby Jones #4 to be born. On November 30th I met my baby sister, Brianna Therese and became a big sister once again. Even though there is about a 15 year gap between me and Bria, I have always felt a special connection with her. Maybe it’s because of the fact that I was old enough to really understand how much of a blessing she was….how miraculous her life was and is…. Whatever the “reason”, Brianna becoming a part of our family was very moving and beautiful, and I knew that our life as the Jones Family would never be the same
Thinking about where I was at the beginning of the year and where I was at the end of 2000, I definitely see a sense of change and growth taking place in and around me. I was only fourteen and I was like a small child learning how to walk all over again. The seeds were taking root slowly but surely, and my relationship with Christ was developing into something more beautiful than I thought possible.
This was the year that something inside of me came alive. Despite my inability to perfectly paint the year with words, I can look on the year that was 2000 and know without a doubt that God was doing something incredible.
He was doing then, and He is still doing today.
I may not understand it or see the full picture at the time, but God is constantly on the move in and around me… if only I would take the time to see Him with a patient heart.
That is a lesson that I can afford to take with me into this next part of the journey.
2000 was a beautiful year… but with all the changes that had occurred, I had no idea of just how much change and growth would take place in the years to come. There would be good times… there would sad times… and there would be darkness. But above all, there would light and the peace that comes when God is a part of the picture.
I’m so glad that God’s plans are greater than my own.
Be at peace
Walk on water
Be not afraid
d*
Jesus I Trust in You!