The Neely Team

Leave a comment and tell us what you think Titus is saying in this picture. We will judge the comments in about two weeks, and the winner will receive a free copy of our newest CD, Let the Joy Begin: Christmas with the Neely Team.

*Special thanks to Tim Hynes for taking the picture!!

A few weeks ago we were blessed by a visit from the Hynes family – what a joy to get to know this dear family in a deeper way! After their arrival on Friday night, we spent the evening talking, laughing, and playing some exciting games. On Saturday, after a late and scrumptious breakfast, we did a few prep things and then all loaded up and headed south – our destination: Brasstown Bald, Georgia’s highest mountain peak. We drove about half way up, and then enjoyed a wonderful picnic lunch. With energy restored, we began the hike. What a blessing to spend time talking, encouraging each other in the Lord, and learning more about each other while we climbed higher and higher! At last at the top, we were greeted by a gentle breeze and the breathtaking views of the surrounding mountain ranges and valleys. After a visit to the museum and many pictures, we descended and made our way back home.

On Sunday, the Hynes allowed us to “put them on the spot” in church, and they sang “Did You Think to Pray?” – an excellent reminder to take everything to God in prayer, knowing that He cares and will answer in His perfect timing! One particular highlight of their visit was Sunday night when the kids played Team Bible Charades! We divided into two teams and then separated to form our plans. We each decided on a Bible story to act out, dressed up, gathered props, etc., and then both teams met together for a Sword Drill to determine which team went first. After arriving at a conclusion, the first team made final preparations and then presented a thrilling, though silent, tale of Samson, when he set fire to the Philistines corn. The second team did an excellent job with the story of Hannah and her prayer for a son, and then we split up again to prepare a second round. Phase two presented the stories of Paul preaching, being stoned, and thrust out of the city, and finally we ended the night with a hilarious  show of the Philistines returning the Ark of the Covenant to Israel after God cast down their image of Dagon. The creativity that was displayed was unbelievable, and most of the stories ended  with a burst of laughter!

Suzy added many giggles to the weekend by, one night at supper, putting her  spoon up to her eye, holding it there, and then staring at all of us through it. Well, the power in influence was quickly realized, because once one or two people followed her example, almost the whole group was doing it! Absolutely hilarious!! (Maybe a little weird, too??? )

One particular blessing we received from the Hynes was their spirit of initiative. Whether is was in clearing the table, washing dishes, slicing fruit, carrying things from place to place, or Mr. Hynes decision to help us out tremendously by weed-eating our creek banks, there was always many willing hands extended to help share the load, which did indeed make light work!

Thank you, Hynes family! May God bless you as you continue to live for Him and shine His light to the world!

A few days ago, feeling the “need” for something sweet, I picked up a milk chocolate candy and proceeded to open it. The candy itself was good; however, the message printed inside the foil wrapper was even better and struck me with it’s truth. The message was this: “The most enjoyable experiences are often free.” Think about it. What do you enjoy? I don’t mean the big, exciting, adrenaline-rushers of life, but the simple pleasures and joys that make life meaningful and enrich our days. What about the brilliant color of a flower,  the smooth feel of a baby’s soft skin, the sound of the birds in their early-morning joy, or the encouraging smile of a friend or family member? Some people delight in witnessing the magnificent glories of a sunset  or experiencing the stunning power of a thunderstorm. Others enjoy different things, such as the smell of a freshly-baked apple pie, the sound of a well-played instrument, the taste of a juicy peach, or the sight of a child doing their best to complete a task. And everyone can appreciate the caress of a cool breeze on a hot day, the satisfaction of a job well done, the relief of a clear conscience, and the gentle touch of a child’s hand placed confidingly in yours. All of these the things that I just mentioned are fairly common,  everyday-type experiences, and you can enjoy them just as much as, and sometimes more than the bigger, more glamorous experiences. You do not have to go somewhere special or pay a lot of money to enjoy these things, and yet  they are the things that God can use to lift your spirit, turn your thoughts to Him,  and make life beautiful. Regardless of what you do or see every day, you can find things to be thankful for. God places beautiful sensations and experiences all around us, and if we will only take the time to see them, they will enhance our days and help us to appreciate each moment that He has given us to live. When your day seems to be going wrong and it seems difficult to “rejoice in the Lord” or to “give thanks in  all things”, make it a point to look for something to rejoice in. God is the Creator of beauty, and we have only to look around us to see the pleasures that He has lovingly given us to enjoy. Take the time to notice and thank Him for some of those things today!

For all of you that read my previous post, Of Birds and Their Baby’s…Maybe, here is the result. After three weeks of waiting, the eggs didn’t hatch. Talk about anti-climatic! We still don’t know if we have two females or a mated pair, but we will have to wait and see. We have read that sometimes the first brood doesn’t hatch, but the rest do. Even right now the doves are starting to prepare the nest …

Recently in our area, there have been some robberies and one lady has disappeared. It has put us “on edge” and has caused us to take some extra precautions.

Yesterday, we had the privilege of going to Greenville, SC (about three hours one way) for violin lessons. While we were there, we also stopped by Brightwater Digital, the studio where we have recorded two CD’s, to check on the progress of our Christmas CD. We had a couple things we wanted to change, so we decided we’d go ahead and do it while we were there instead of having to do it over the phone. Gary Emory, our engineer, also known as “Uncle Gary” to us, worked very hard to get the project finished. We were there for about two and a half hours, so some members of the team that weren’t involved in the “mixing and fixing” rested on one of the three particularly comfortable couches.

We got done with what we needed to do, told everyone goodbye, loaded up, and were just about ready to leave when we realized that Kathryn wasn’t in the van. We thought for a minute, and realized that no one had seen her for quite a while. Amanda and I jumped out of the van and ran in to get her. We couldn’t find her, so we asked Uncle Gary and Mr. Glen Christianson (another man at the studio) if they had seen her. They hadn’t. They joined  in the search and we frantically hunted everywhere – even in the area surrounding the studio. All the while, we were calling (actually, we were yelling). Thoughts were going through our heads a hundred miles a second, wondering where in the world Kitty could be and what could’ve happened to her! She was missing!! Everyone was frantic. Praying that she would be O.K. and that we would find her, we ran back into the building and started opening doors and searching again. Finally, after what seemed like forever, we heard Uncle Gary yell, “She’s in here!” We all ran to see where she was. I was met in the hallway by a drowsy, still half asleep Kitty, who had gone to one of the back rooms to lay down and had only been awakened by that last call when he caught sight of her. Uncle Gary had already called in that room once, and the door had even been open during the whole procedure, but she didn’t “revive” until the second time! The relief we felt at the sight of her was unbelievable! Her face was flushed and she was extremely shocked at the manner in which she had just been awakened. (Not to mention, a little embarrassed, as she confessed to me later on. ) Since she normally isn’t a hard sleeper, she was either just really tired and very sound asleep, or had possibly been unconscious. We don’t know. But it’s amazing that she slept right through three of us girls and two men (none of which are known for being extremely quiet!) yelling for her!  

We said goodbye once again and then we escorted Kathryn to the van to make sure that nothing would happen to her on the way there. We breathed a sigh of relief and stopped to praise and thank the Lord for His protection and goodness. It probably took fifteen minutes for our blood pressure and heart rate to get back to normal and for us to stop shaking.

We are still rejoicing and praising God for His protection over us. He uses situations like these to turn our eyes back to Him and to build our faith and trust. Oh, that we would learn to trust Him more as we go through our lives! Take a moment today to thank God for the situations He brings to our lives to draw us closer to Him. And don’t forget to cherish every moment with your family! You never know what the next minute will bring!