The Neely Team

We arrived home from Maryland in time for three days at home, and then we were off to Virginia for our cousin’s wedding. Marshall was the first “Conn Cousin” to be married – and out of 26 cousins, 24 were present for the special occasion! What a joy to be all together again!!

Rehearsal dinner:

Wedding!!!

After the wedding, the family met at Fuddruckers for dinner and more time together.

Just 2 1/2 weeks ago…

We were on our way to Maryland to witness the glorious union of our dear friends Joshua and Lisa!

Here are a few pictures to give you the story……

They’ll do a better job than words….

Well, once again we have hit the road, and life just never seems to stop. We praise the Lord for the safety He has given as we “wear out” the highways. From home, to Maryland, to Virginia, back home, back to Virginia, to South Carolina, and finally home…. all of this in twelve days, the Lord’s mercy has been evident. But, it is not over yet. We have more places to go, more people to see, more things to do. The Lord has prepared the way before us, and has given us many wonderful hours of road time to catch up on sleep, to do some reading, and just to enjoy being close together as a family (literally).

After being in the van for several hours, we find it necessary to release some energy and get some exercise. Frisbee and football are great ways to get these two things accomplished. We love traveling, and look forward to the next trip… which happens to be real soon.  

“The horse is prepared against the day of battle, but safety is of the Lord.”

In all of the busyness life has been bringing us for the past several months, it becomes easy to perpetually live in what we Neely’s term “survival mode” – just doing the necessities and leaving out all the “extras.” Tea parties usually, at least for us, fall into the category of “extra.” But we’ve discovered that everyone has time for a tea party! Just have one instead of dinner some evening… and you are bound to love it! We have found them great for teaching manners, quieting our lively bunch, pulling out the silver and china that are normally tucked away unused, making delightful memories together, and taking time to rejoice in the blessings of the Lord.

“Give unto the Lord, O ye kindreds of the people, give unto the Lord glory and strength. Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name: bring an offering, and come into his courts… Let the heavens rejoice, and let the earth be glad; let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof. Let the field be joyful, and all that is therein: then shall all the trees of the wood rejoice before the Lord…” Psalm 96

As our country remembers the events of September 11, 2001, we as a nation have forgotten the foundations on which our country was founded. As we remember the heroics of people who sacrificed for others, we have forgotten the God who gives us grace to remain a great nation. As we contemplate our desire for peace in the world, we have forgotten the God of peace.

In 1897, as a commemoration to Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee, Rudyard Kipling wrote “Recessional” (“God of Our Fathers”) not only as a tribute to the might and power of the British Empire, but as a stark reminder that we had best heed the warnings of Scripture or suffer the fate of all nations who fall victim to their own success and fail to walk in humility before Almighty God.

Deuteronomy 8:11-14 gives another warning to the perils of prosperity: “Beware that thou forget not the LORD thy God, in not keeping his commandments, and his judgments, and his statutes, which I command thee this day: Lest when thou hast eaten and art full, and hast built goodly houses, and dwelt therein; And when thy herds and thy flocks multiply, and thy silver and thy gold is multiplied, and all that thou hast is multiplied; Then thine heart be lifted up, and thou forget the LORD thy God.”

As the blessings of God lead to repentance, once again we cry out, “God bless America!”

Click here to hear samples of other songs from our patriotic recording.

If there is one need that all families have in this day and age, it is encouragement. All around us we see attacks on the family. Questions run through our minds: “Is there anyone headed the same direction?” “How do we pass the baton to the next generation?” “Is the battle really worth it?” “What should our response be?” “How do we equip our sons and daughters to fight?”

The purpose of the Family Encouragement Weekends is to encourage and exhort, and to bring families together in an atmosphere of fellowship. We had the joy of serving along-side the Wilkes and Staddon families last month and hosting the 4th Annual VA FEW Conference. What a blessing we received as we fellowshipped with other like-minded people, sought the Lord through prayer, and were exhorted to pass the baton to coming generations!!

We had the privilege of having a friend of ours for dinner last night. Jennifer always brings lots of fun and laughter, and this visit was no different. After supper, we gathered around the table for a rousing time of playing with… empty cups???

We enjoyed this game particularly because it included all ages, encouraged attentiveness between players, and required teamwork to run smoothly. Thank you, Jennifer, for “filling our cups” with your joy and love once again!