Both Arvil and Carolyn was born and raised in the hills of Kentucky. They met when they were fifteen, and married at age seventeen. Arvil and Carolyn are now the proud parents of three children and the proud grandparents of seven grandchildren. Dr. Jones earned his first college degree from Temple Baptist College in Springdale Ohio, an Associate of Ministerial Studies. Then, in 2006, he went on to earn his Masters Degree in Theology, and Doctorate in Religion from Christian Bible College of Rocky Mount, NC.
While earning his degrees, Dr. Jones continued to work as a truck driver, served as a Pastor of a Baptist Church, and taught school as a Substitute Teacher for two years, during which time he also wrote a book entitled...The Faith, The Cross, The Gospel, and The Worship of God.
In April of 2012, Dr. Jones discovered that he had had "numerous" heart attacks. Then, after undergoing quadruple bypass surgery, and being unable to work at his truck driving job, he was invited to co-author a novel with his wife’s first cousin - Ernestine Smith-Collins. In less than three months, Mrs. Smith and Dr. Jones produced a novel entitled Heavenly Places.
While writing that novel, Dr. Jones also finished another book he had begun, but abandoned, years earlier, entitled - Giving the Devil His Due.
Also, while recovering from his surgery, Dr. Jones wrote fifty-five poems, including one which he wrote for Queen Elizabeth II, entitled The Whispering Rose.
Dr. Jones now has nearly sixty poems in a homemade book which he made at home and had published in a hardback edition.
Interview:
Where are you from originally and where do you reside now?
I was born and raised in Southeastern Kentucky, the closest town being the small town of Barbourbille, KY, about eight miles from the place I was born.
If you currently reside somewhere besides where you were born, what’s the story that lead from there to here?
I left Kentucky and moved to Ohio in 1984, simply because there were no jobs available in the depressed area where I lived. After struggling financially for twelve years, I decided to come to Ohio.
What made you decide to write and publish your first book?
My first book was written for the purpose of helping a Pastor in the Philippine Islands to build a church. I wrote the book – only ten short chapters, and gave all the proceeds to a missionary, who forwarded the money to the Filipino pastor.
How would you describe your books to first-time readers?
The genre of my books range from novels, poetry, theology, and religion and politics.
Pastors, artists of every genre, children, parents, and the general public.
What unexpected or surprising thing did you learn during the process of writing and publishing?
The greatest surprise to me was that folks actually liked what I wrote.
If you could, what advice would you give to past self yourself before embarking on this journey?
My advice to anyone who wants to write a book is to write that first line, no matter how it looks to you, then go back and edit later. Take that first step.
How many people would you ideally like to reach with your books?
I would love to reach as many folks as possible with my writing.
What has been the biggest challenge and frustration during the process to date?
The biggest challenge has been finding enough time to juggle my writing with everything else in my life.
What’re your biggest strengths when it comes to book a) writing, b) publishing and c) marketing?
My greatest strengths are determination, and really believing in what I am writing and publishing.
What’s your biggest weakness when it comes to book a) writing, b) publishing and c) marketing?
My biggest weakness is simply the lack of time to write as much as I’d love to.
When do you think you will you write your next book?
I am actually in the process of writing another book (series of books) now.
This is now the sixth published work from Dr. Jones. Arvil comes from the foothills of southeastern Kentucky. He is the youngest of fourteen children (seven boys and seven girls). He and his wife Carolyn have been happily married for forty-nine years. Other books by Dr. Jones include – Giving The Devil His Due, in which Dr. Jones exposes the devil for who he really is; a novel which is now in two books – Heavenly Places and The Townsend Legacy, (Heavenly Places II), both of which Dr. Jones co-authored with Ernestine Smith-Collins.It is with a grateful heart that I send this little book to whoever may read it. I am grateful for God’s grace and mercy in allowing me the time and energy to write it. It is also with a hopeful heart I send this book to you. My hope is that you may find something within its pages which will be of lasting value to you or someone you love. It is also with a prayerful heart I send this book. My prayer is that after reading this book, you, the reader will think more of Christ and His church than you did before reading this book, and that you will never again take that sacred entity we call Marriage for granted. FIND IT HERE CLICK IT
This is now the fifth published work from Dr. Jones. Arvil comes from the foothills of southeastern Kentucky. He is the youngest of fourteen children (seven boys and seven girls). He and his wife Carolyn have been happily married for forty-nine years. Other books by Dr. Jones include – Giving The Devil His Due, in which Dr. Jones exposes the devil for who he really is; a novel which is now in two books – Heavenly Places and The Townsend Legacy, (Heavenly Places II), both of which Dr. Jones co-authored with Ernestine Smith-Collins. This work includes three poems written by Carolyn Jordan-Jones, Arvil’s wife. About ninety percent of the poems are inspirational in nature, with a few humorous poems, and one or two being political satire.
This is the second book of poetry from the pen of Arvil Jones, the other being – Poems of Inspiration; Poetry, Praise, and Politics, and this book of poems – Straight from the Heart of The Preacher Man. Other books by Dr. Jones include: M.A.R.R.I.A.G.E. God’s way.
This little book is designed to expose the Devil by showing the reader who the Devil is, and what he is like. This author accepts the Holy Bible in its entirety, and that alone, as the only acceptable authority upon the subject of Lucifer, Satan, the Devil. The Devil is not an invention of any ancient author’s imagination. The Devil is not a myth, but he is a monster, but not in the sense that most folks think of a monster. He is not a deformed creature, with a pointed tail, a pitchfork, glowing eyes, and a red suit. He is a fallen angel- a wicked, evil, devious, deceitful, deceptive, cruel being. He is alive and active in the hearts and minds of men, women, organizations, institutions, governments, kingdoms, and any other entity into which he is allowed to slither.
This book is different from most other books of the same genre. It simply takes another approach at expounding upon these great Biblical themes. The author has taken the letters of each theme, and has built a chapter or chapters upon each letter. The author simply believes that there is something else to be said than what has been said so far about The Christian Faith.the faith which was once delivered unto the saints. May God bless each reader who reads these few pages. Dr. Jones was born in the small, Southeastern Kentucky community of Girdler. He is the youngest of fourteen children (seven boys and seven girls). He and his wife Carolyn now reside in Hamilton, OH. Dr. Jones has earned a Masters degree in Theology, and a Doctorate in Religion, having held five pastorates in over thirty years of ministry. This present work is his fourth book.
Dr. Arvil Jones is a native of Knox County Kentucky, A Minister of the Gospel and the youngest of a family of fourteen children. Including this work, which he has proudly co-authored with Ernestine Smith, he is the author of three published books, the other two being - The Faith, The Cross, The Gospel, and The Worship of God, and Up Unto The Hills. Ernestine Smith lives in the beautiful mountains of Southeastern Kentucky where she grew up. She is a singer/song writer. The Author of the book The Winding Road Home and she is honored to be able to co-author Heavenly Places with Dr. Arvil Jones. She is a Cancer survivor and is currently working on another book called A Shadow in My Path. Each day is a gift from God and she intends to live each moment to the fullest.
REVIEW - "This book was so informative and interesting that I read it a second time to make sure that I didn't miss anything the first time. Giving the Devil His Due is a very powerful book for any believer or non-believer. I personally only have one well-worn copy but am thinking about buying more and giving them as Christmas gifts. Dr. Jones is a very structured and no-holds-barred type of writer. Easy to read, but parts of it are hard to swallow. If you are seeking a book of truth, this is it. Enjoy!!"
This is now Dr. Arvil Jones' fifth published book, four of which have been published by Wasteland Press. This book of poetry has been a long time in coming to publication, some of the poems being written as early as 2002. Roughly 95% of the poems in this collection are inspirational in nature, with a few that could be designated as "political satire", and a few that are simply humorous. Three poems written by Carolyn Jordan-Jones, Dr. Jones' wife of 50 years, are also included.
MORE BOOKS
DOWN BELOW
To My Family
from Dad
“The Seasons of My Life”
Not every man in this old world is nearly as blessed as I,
And if you should ask how I make such a claim;
Well, I’ll tell you the reason why,
But before I can tell you why I’m so blessed;
I’ll have to go back a few years,
For before I became so richly blessed;
There were many heartaches and tears,
And for every heartache, and for every tear,
There is no one to blame but me;
And I often wonder why it takes so long,
For some men to finally see;
That the place in which we now find ourselves,
Is determined by the roads that we take;
And happiness, or the loss thereof, is by the choices we make,
And as I sit here now, writing these words
Reflecting on the years that have passed,
I ask myself as each season goes by; “will this season be my last?”
I recall the days when I was so young, and it seemed life would never end,
And it really didn’t matter at all, what waited around the next bend;
I never dreamed there might come a day, when life would come to a close;
But the Spring was all too quickly gone, like the fading of a beautiful Rose;
And the Spring was soon forgotten, as the warm Summer took it’s place;
And I realized that time was passing at an awfully rapid pace,
And before I could enjoy it all, the Summer was nearly gone;
And all the things I had planned to do had mostly gone undone,
And the few little things that I did accomplish, now seemed so very small;
And it seemed that in the blink of an eye, Summer gave way to Fall,
And Fall has a way of reminding the soul, “You have only one season more”;
Whatever you’re going to do, do it now,
Before Winter closes the door;
And now the cold blast of Winter has come, and I cannot turn it back,
And I feel the pain of it’s chilling wind, as it howls at my crumbling shack;
But through it all, the snow and the cold, the wind and freezing rain,
My heart still gazes upward, and I dare not to complain;
For though the harsh storm lingers long, and I feel it’s bitter sting,
I hear a sweet voice from Heaven say; “I’ll give you another Spring”;
Another Spring? My heart replied – another Season of joy?
To romp and play among the hills as when I was a boy?
Oh No, the still small voice replied, You’ll play on Earth no more,
You have far greater things to do, and better things in store;
I’ve granted you this precious time to go and make amends,
To spend more time, and share more love with family and friends;
To say the things you should have said, and to do what you left undone,
So use this Season wisely my child, for it will soon be gone;
And then a soft serenity came over my soul at last,
As I reflected once again on the Seasons that have passed;
And one by one I began to count the blessings I have known,
With all the tender mercies, and love that God has shown;
He gave me a loving family to cherish and adore,
And as I think of them each day, I can ask for nothing more;
So let us cherish every day, to laugh, to love, and sing,
‘Til the Father finally calls us Home, to the Land of Eternal Spring.
2011 Arvil Jones
from Dad
“The Seasons of My Life”
Not every man in this old world is nearly as blessed as I,
And if you should ask how I make such a claim;
Well, I’ll tell you the reason why,
But before I can tell you why I’m so blessed;
I’ll have to go back a few years,
For before I became so richly blessed;
There were many heartaches and tears,
And for every heartache, and for every tear,
There is no one to blame but me;
And I often wonder why it takes so long,
For some men to finally see;
That the place in which we now find ourselves,
Is determined by the roads that we take;
And happiness, or the loss thereof, is by the choices we make,
And as I sit here now, writing these words
Reflecting on the years that have passed,
I ask myself as each season goes by; “will this season be my last?”
I recall the days when I was so young, and it seemed life would never end,
And it really didn’t matter at all, what waited around the next bend;
I never dreamed there might come a day, when life would come to a close;
But the Spring was all too quickly gone, like the fading of a beautiful Rose;
And the Spring was soon forgotten, as the warm Summer took it’s place;
And I realized that time was passing at an awfully rapid pace,
And before I could enjoy it all, the Summer was nearly gone;
And all the things I had planned to do had mostly gone undone,
And the few little things that I did accomplish, now seemed so very small;
And it seemed that in the blink of an eye, Summer gave way to Fall,
And Fall has a way of reminding the soul, “You have only one season more”;
Whatever you’re going to do, do it now,
Before Winter closes the door;
And now the cold blast of Winter has come, and I cannot turn it back,
And I feel the pain of it’s chilling wind, as it howls at my crumbling shack;
But through it all, the snow and the cold, the wind and freezing rain,
My heart still gazes upward, and I dare not to complain;
For though the harsh storm lingers long, and I feel it’s bitter sting,
I hear a sweet voice from Heaven say; “I’ll give you another Spring”;
Another Spring? My heart replied – another Season of joy?
To romp and play among the hills as when I was a boy?
Oh No, the still small voice replied, You’ll play on Earth no more,
You have far greater things to do, and better things in store;
I’ve granted you this precious time to go and make amends,
To spend more time, and share more love with family and friends;
To say the things you should have said, and to do what you left undone,
So use this Season wisely my child, for it will soon be gone;
And then a soft serenity came over my soul at last,
As I reflected once again on the Seasons that have passed;
And one by one I began to count the blessings I have known,
With all the tender mercies, and love that God has shown;
He gave me a loving family to cherish and adore,
And as I think of them each day, I can ask for nothing more;
So let us cherish every day, to laugh, to love, and sing,
‘Til the Father finally calls us Home, to the Land of Eternal Spring.
2011 Arvil Jones
These creations are Dr. Arvil Jones & Carolyn's poetry imagery. Some may be difficult to read, though they used to be clearer on the old Blogger site. I clipped a few of those that are difficult to read and you can google his works and hers, perhaps at this link to read them better by clicking on each one:
B-e-w-a-r-e! In A World Gone Mad
In a World Gone Mad, by Arvil Jones, Ph.D.
In my more than sixty years of living, I like to think that I have learned a little,
About life and love, and right and wrong, and a thing called The Golden rule;
I am absolutely certain about some things, but not so much about some others,
But at the end of the day, I’m still nobody’s fool,
I know the difference between night and day, and how some folks don’t mean what they say;
And how most folks simply look out for old number one,
I’ve seen folks cheat and I’ve heard folks lie, and talk about Heaven and the by and by;
And excuse themselves for it all when the day is done,
Living in a land where the leaders are elected, supposedly to serve their fellow man,
I’ve seen my country sink to levels that break my heart;
I was taught to have faith and confidence in our great government,
And that as a taxpaying voter I shared a part;
But the longer I live and try to do the right thing, and pay the bills and all that,
It seems to me that only a few can have their say;
I’m told that us Bible believing Christians are just too narrowminded,
And that we should just shut up and get out of the way,
We’re being told that our brilliant leaders, some of whom are gay and lesbian,
Know more about what we need than we could possibly know;
That we should accept men kissing men, and women kissing women,
And that there’s nothing wrong with a pornographic show;
And when we object to such practices, based upon the Holy Bible,
We’re told that we should be quiet, and make no remark;
But some of us still call sin by its name, and we recognize filth when we see it,
And it’s a shame to even speak of what these folks do in the dark;
While hurricanes, tornadoes, wildfires, and all sorts of catastrophes,
Keep sweeping this land with unnatural intensity;
While the whole world braces itself for war, and famines and droughts and such;
And some still say - “whatever will be will be”,
Well, I for one, speaking strictly for myself, believe that judgment is imminent,
And that what we are seeing will only intensify;
For as long as our nation keeps killing little babies, and catering to the Devil’s crowd,
And convince themselves it’s alright to cheat and lie;
This nation is headed for a rendezvous with a horrible destiny,
If she doesn’t repent and return to faith in her God;
Our children and grandchildren are going to Hell with every passing day,
While we train Muslims to kill us on our own sod;
The politicians have no answers, scientists and teachers are baffled,
How such a great nation could come to such a sorry state;
But unless and until we return to Jesus Christ, and ask for His forgiveness,
We are doomed, that is, if it isn’t already too late;
I know that the evening of my life is now so swiftly approaching,
And I may have waited too long to say all these things;
But what I have written, I have written, and I make no apology,
I am ready to face whatever tomorrow brings;
I know that I am ready to go, and to stand before my Maker,
And I wish that all the world could say the same;
But if some of you who read this cannot make that same statement,
I beg of you, please call upon Jesus’ Name.
© 2013 Arvil Jones, Ph.D. http://sandandsisal.com/2011/
To My Family
from Dad
“The Seasons of My Life”
Not every man in this old world is nearly as blessed as I,
And if you should ask how I make such a claim;
Well, I’ll tell you the reason why,
But before I can tell you why I’m so blessed;
I’ll have to go back a few years,
For before I became so richly blessed;
There were many heartaches and tears,
And for every heartache, and for every tear,
There is no one to blame but me;
And I often wonder why it takes so long,
For some men to finally see;
That the place in which we now find ourselves,
Is determined by the roads that we take;
And happiness, or the loss thereof, is by the choices we make,
And as I sit here now, writing these words
Reflecting on the years that have passed,
I ask myself as each season goes by; “will this season be my last?”
I recall the days when I was so young, and it seemed life would never end,
And it really didn’t matter at all, what waited around the next bend;
I never dreamed there might come a day, when life would come to a close;
But the Spring was all too quickly gone, like the fading of a beautiful Rose;
And the Spring was soon forgotten, as the warm Summer took it’s place;
And I realized that time was passing at an awfully rapid pace,
And before I could enjoy it all, the Summer was nearly gone;
And all the things I had planned to do had mostly gone undone,
And the few little things that I did accomplish, now seemed so very small;
And it seemed that in the blink of an eye, Summer gave way to Fall,
And Fall has a way of reminding the soul, “You have only one season more”;
Whatever you’re going to do, do it now,
Before Winter closes the door;
And now the cold blast of Winter has come, and I cannot turn it back,
And I feel the pain of it’s chilling wind, as it howls at my crumbling shack;
But through it all, the snow and the cold, the wind and freezing rain,
My heart still gazes upward, and I dare not to complain;
For though the harsh storm lingers long, and I feel it’s bitter sting,
I hear a sweet voice from Heaven say; “I’ll give you another Spring”;
Another Spring? My heart replied – another Season of joy?
To romp and play among the hills as when I was a boy?
Oh No, the still small voice replied, You’ll play on Earth no more,
You have far greater things to do, and better things in store;
I’ve granted you this precious time to go and make amends,
To spend more time, and share more love with family and friends;
To say the things you should have said, and to do what you left undone,
So use this Season wisely my child, for it will soon be gone;
And then a soft serenity came over my soul at last,
As I reflected once again on the Seasons that have passed;
And one by one I began to count the blessings I have known,
With all the tender mercies, and love that God has shown;
He gave me a loving family to cherish and adore,
And as I think of them each day, I can ask for nothing more;
So let us cherish every day, to laugh, to love, and sing,
‘Til the Father finally calls us Home, to the Land of Eternal Spring.
2011 Arvil Jones
The Mother of My Children
I met her first when we were children
But didn’t even get her name
A little blonde-haired country girl
With blue eyes and a skinny frame
Then some years passed and we both grew
To that tender age of fifteen
And now she was the most beautiful girl
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“Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted.” -Galatians 6:1