Rick K. Jones
I was born Richard Kevin Jones on Dec.30, 1957, to Billy J, & Patricia T. Jones, in Shelbyville, Indiana. Our family was multi denomination family, what I mean by that is, we attended the local Salvation Army Church; my older siblings attended Catholic School, some times we would attended a Lutheran Church. All my life I have heard about God from several different views, He was a loving God, he was punishing God, and sometimes He wasn’t God at all. As a teenager I got into drinking by hanging out with my older Uncles, which lead to smoking dope, that lead to much stronger drugs. At eighteen before I had graduated High School, I joined the Army, thinking I would have a good paying job and see the world, and party all the time, boy were my eyes opened soon after getting to boot camp. I spent 10 years in the Army, and to be truthful, I liked it. I had gotten by for 10 years with out getting booted out. That all changed while I was stationed in North Virginia. I bought a Harley Davidson while in Germany, and picked it up at the dealership when I arrived back in the US, while stationed a Fort Belvoir, VA, I started hanging out at biker bars and riding with some pagans (motorcycle club). One evening while driving back from a bar in my pickup, drunk of course, I ran into a family in a van, Thanks to God, no one was hurt. I was taken to the county jail and spent 45 days there before I was able to make bail. I had a lot of time to think about my life. After I was released I was discharged from the military for being AWOL, that’s absent without leave. During one of my many weekend trips, during my stat at Belvior. I came to Hillsville to see a buddy I served with in Germany that is when I met my wife. We had gone out to the bar and she caught my eye, she was beautiful. We continued contact while I was in jail and instead of going home to Indiana; I came to Hillsville, where 10 days later we were married, we have been married for 19 years come April 2004. We had only been married a couple years, when we decided to foster a child, they told us that to be able to adopt a child we would have to be foster parents first. So we took on this great task. What was supposed to be only a couple weeks stay for the little girl turned out to be 18 years we were able to adopt her after 2 years as her foster parents in 1989. One day in 1988 I had gone to my place of employment to pick my pay check and was told that I wasn’t needed any more, this was the 4th job in about 3 months, I went home and told my wife what had happened and we had a “discussion” about it. I knew that if the Department of Social Services found out they would remove our little girl form our home. I decided to take a walk out behind the house to think. I had known there was a God, but I didn’t know him personally, so I decided to see if he would hear me if I was to talk to him. I explained that I knew he was there but I didn’t know why my life was falling apart. I asked God to help me I believed to this day God answered me with a gentle touch on my shoulder and a cool breeze across my face. I returned to the house and apologized to my wife, and said that come Sunday I would like for us to find a church and start going. In the back of my mind I figured that if we went to church then God would bless us, you see I always figured like millions of other people that my good deeds would one day out weigh my bad and I’d get to heaven. so much for the Catholic faith. During the week we found a Baptist church that just look good, so we decided to go to church on Sunday, well my wife got sick and we couldn’t go. But come the next Sunday, Jan 31 1988, I don’t remember what Pastor spoke on, but I can clearly feel and hear the Holy Spirit pulling at my heart, I got up and went forward as soon as the invitation was given, I had no idea what was happening, I just knew I needed God in my life, That was the day I met Jesus for the first time and I’ve had a personal relationship with him ever since. On Feb. 7 1988 I was baptized, the Lord blessed and gave me a job, and life has hot been the same. I was created and am still a new creature in Christ Jesus. A few months later I started Liberty University Home Bible Course, a two year course in Bible Studies, I have served my home church as trustee, and ran the sound booth for the past 3 years; my wife and I also operate the Library. In 2001 my wife and I joined the Christian Motorcyclist Association after a Chapter from North Carolina visited our church; I hadn’t been riding since 1986 when I had to sell my HD to pay some bills. I also realized that for the past few years I had been playing a “part” in church, I thought I had to be the well dressed, clean shave, not involved in anything that was form my former life. I have learned that God is looking at me through the Blood of Christ, and that my life as a biker can be a special tool to serve Him. God has given me a vision for a Chapter in our area and has blessed it in the past 12 Months. My walk with Jesus has been an adventure and a blessed journey, and I will continue to walk as the Holy Spirit guided me. I now know that the things that happen to me when I was a lost sinner was meant for God’s Glory now. Rick K. Jones BACK HOME |