The Neely Team

Have you ever experienced it when the Lord takes a relationship that you have had and gradually deepens it? You may have known this family or individual for years, and yet suddenly you realize there is a strength in the relationship that you never had before. What causes this?  This blessing is the inevitable result of both sides actively seeking and growing closer to the Lord, because as we draw nearer to Him and are more conformed into His likeness, He unifies our hearts with others within His Body, the Church. Our family has seen this happen over the years… among ourselves, esp. in sibling relationships, for one thing. We have also begun to see it worked out in relationships with other families. What a joy it is!!!

A few weekends ago we were blessed to experience this again with a visit from our friends, the Barnes family. We had a load of fun, played hilarious games, made music, put together jigsaw puzzles, blew up our gingerbread houses, and laughed a ton in the process, of course, but the highlight for most of us was the discussions and times of fellowship that were shared. Things the Lord is teaching us, what we are learning from our devotions, favorite passages of Scripture, meaningful insights, prevalent and troublesome issues of today that must be combated with Scripture, and more were shared and discussed. It was a time of exhortation and encouragement, and we came away tremendously refreshed.

And, by the way, our discussions were far too interesting to take the time to jump up and get the camera – - thus the lack of pictures of the afore-mentioned activity!

So, be encouraged if you desire to see a certain relationship in your life brought to a new level. Seek Christ through His Word, pray with diligence – - and watch and see what the Lord will do.

“But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another…” 1 John 1:7

Recently Victoria and I got some new hardware!

Sounds exciting, doesn’t it?? Maybe you should try it too. Having it really is a blast!

Well, I guess before you make any decisions, as in all things, you should be well informed. This hardware is small… shiny (most of the time )…very productive… has many parts and important terminology… are attached to those supposed-to-be-white-and-pearly thingys in your mouth… but can cause quite a bit of pain and are usually expensive.

Anyway… we are really enjoying having braces together! Some people dread them, but we were both terrifically excited and have not been disappointed. It’s been so fun!

The morning after I got them put on, though, I was spending my time with the Lord and a thought struck me. I was still getting used to them, as you can imagine. Every time I moved my mouth, ate, drank, brushed my teeth, said anything… I was reminded of these pieces of metal now semi-permanently glued to my teeth. At that moment I thought: “These are a pretty important to me. But how can God get glory from braces????”

1 Corinthians 10:31: Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.

“Everything in my life is supposed to bring God glory. Eating and drinking can… braces are a lot bigger deal than eating a meal… I know they can too…… but how??”

I started thinking and came up with several different ways that the Lord could potentially get glory from braces! It sounds strange, almost goofy, but if you really stop and ponder it, Scripture teaches that we were created for God’s glory. It follows, then, that everything we do should fulfill that purpose, including the little things!

The first reason I discovered is found in the analogies that can be drawn. Braces cause pain, but that pain produces positive results. It is the same in our hearts. In His gracious sovereignty, the Lord will take us through painful circumstances and trials to draw us closer to Himself and conform us more into His likeness.

Second, having braces together has strengthened Victoria’s and my relationship as we can discover helpful tips, go through similar feelings, and can just relate better because of having yet another thing in common. A special sort of comradery is fostered. (We recommend dual-braces within a family – Amanda and Jessica did it too!)

Third, braces can help to develop patience. You must wait. It takes time to get your teeth straight after years and years of crooked-tivity! (new word ) 

Fourth, braces made me realize how easy it is to get annoyed at little, insignificant things when I’m in constant pain and helped me find the right response. I realized I had to identify the root of the annoyance and seek the Lord in an “SOS” call to receive His help to respond in love and gentleness.

Fifth, we should desire the gaze of others to be drawn to our face, which should glow with the joy of the Lord. Braces help the appearance of the face to be more appealing!

Sixth, braces don’t happen by yourself. You have to come in contact with people … thus presenting another opportunity to shine the Light of Christ into the life of another!

I’m sure you could think of others; those are just the ones that came to mind. But… if we really were created for God’s glory, then why don’t we think more often about how to accomplish that end in the little things? Mr. Dan Horn once described the glory of God as “the indispensible center” of our lives. Do our thoughts, words, motives, and actions communicate that it is such?

Last Friday we had a major project day! Mom, Victoria, and Susanna worked on some of our fall sewing, Amanda and Titus tackled our ever-growing pile in the magazine basket, Jessi, Lauren, Bethany, Hannah, and I processed 5 1/2 bushels of apples, and Herman bounced between us and some jobs outside Dad had given him to do. God’s blessing on it all was evident… we had the best time of laughter, fun, and incredible production!

Then…

Well, before I tell you what it is, let me say that we have a steadily growing tradition in our house.

It is a ton of fun.

We all really like it.

It might sound a little unusual…

Here goes: After we make applesauce, we sleep outside!  Normally it is on the front porch, in freezing – or below – weather (I’m not kidding!), but we did our applesauce early so our sleep outside was delightfully cool, not frigid. After a day in the steamy kitchen working with hot apples in boiling water over blue-hot flame… I think you get the picture. We all feel ever-so-slightly warm!!!! So, a night in the wonderful fall outdoors is just perfect to cool us down and, of course, make great memories! This year, though, instead of using the front porch, we tried out our 12-man tent that we’ve had for three years and never used. What a blast!

So, the moral of the story is this:

Enjoy the projects you do together! Make them fun and memorable!

Laugh over little mistakes and bumps in the production – - everything will be fine.

Keep a positive outlook even when you’re tired. Help each other finish strong!

And… after you make applesauce, sleep outside!

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!

To celebrate today, Kathryn and I made this yummy recipe (from a sweet lady at our church). We had lots of fun doing it together! It is easy and doesn’t take very long. Enjoy!

Creamy Almond Cheesecake

Crust:

1 3/4 c. graham cracker crumbs

2 Tbsp. sugar

6 Tbsp. melted butter

Filling:

2 (8 oz. each) pkg. cream cheese

2/3 c. sugar

1 Tbsp. all-purpose flour

2 eggs

2 tsp. lemon juice

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1/2 tsp. almond extract

Press cracker crumbs, butter, and sugar into a pie pan (or a spring-form pan) and bake at 325 F for 10 min.

Meanwhile, process cream cheese, sugar, and flour in food processor for 30 sec. or until smooth. Add eggs and process 30 sec. Add lemon juice and extracts and process 15 sec. or until blended. Pour into hot crust. Return to oven – bake 30-35 min. Refrigerate uncovered 5 hrs. or overnight.

Optional  berry topping:

2 c. strawberries, washed, stemmed, and halved

1 1/2 c. blueberries

1/4 c. raspberry or blackberry jelly, melted

After cheesecake is cold, arrange strawberries in 2 rows around outside of edge. Place blueberries in center. Gently brush berries with melted jelly. Store in refrigerator.

Notes from Chef Hannah: To make graham cracker crumbs, put the crackers in a plastic bag and beat them with a hammer (but put the bag on a cutting board first so you don’t mess up your counter top!). Be sure to lick the food processor bowl and spatulas. The filling is very yummy! If you use a spring-form pan instead of a pie pan, it takes a little longer to bake.

Guess what we’re having for lunch today!?!?

Gather the family and your favorite toppings… and enjoy!!!