The Neely Team

… while Dad and Mom were away!!!! Ha ha ha! :):)

Anyway…

This weekend Dad and Mom were gone to the Wilds for their Overnight Sweetheart Getaway! If we had been there, we would be telling you about what a fantastic time we had, the powerful messages we heard, the delicious food, all the stairs we climbed, the thrilling ride on the famous Giant Swing… and much, much more… But since we weren’t there, you’ll have to hear about that some other time, and for now, be content with an overview of the activities that took place on the home front.

To say the least… we had a delightful time!! It seems I am continually being reminded that time with my family is immensely precious… something not to be taken for granted because it will not last forever! The message we heard on Sunday following all of the adventures (which I will recount for you in a moment) called us to remember relationships: first of all, with Jesus Christ, and second, with our families. Relationships are of upmost importance. If you think about it, that is the one thing that separates Christianity from all other “religions.” Christianity is based upon a personal relationship with the God of the universe, rather than how we can try in our own strength to be “good enough” to measure up to His righteous standards. Thus, the focus is on Him, not on us. The parallels to be drawn from this regarding the family are amazing, for the only way to have a truly good relationship with someone is to be constantly thinking of them, not ourselves. This is a conviction to me even as I write it, but may we always have this “others focus,” and look for ways to bless those the Lord has placed around us! 

With those thoughts in mind, one of the highlights of our time together was heading outdoors to be wild savages, or at least, to do our utmost to reach that lofty status. With painted faces, braided hair, ponies, a “pale face prisoner,” and some good-ole Injun grub, we made our way to our secret hideout in the woods and succeeded in building a wigwam – of sorts! Talk about memories!

Some other memory-making activities that took place were experimenting with our own version of Mocha Freeze drinks, reading The Island Queen by R.M. Ballentyne, making dozens and dozens and dozens and… LOTS of cookies to freeze for the upcoming FEW Conference, and sleeping in late.

“Behold, how good and pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!”

So, I would challenge you to get out with your family and make some memories together… lasting ones. You won’t be sorry!

On the day after Thanksgiving, we had the chance to go on a family hunting trip in Georgia on some of our relatives’ land. When we got there, we sat in our 12-person, brown hunting-blind in the middle of the hay field. Daddy had a gun, and the rest of us watched for deer.  During the afternoon, we killed two deer and a pig!! When Daddy shot the gun, he was out of the van,  and for the second deer and the pig he propped his gun on one of the hay bales in the field. With the deer, he didn’t take any extra ammo, though, so he ran out! He signaled to Mommy and she went softly scooting toward him with more. The rest of us were still sitting in the van watching the whole thing, and we thought that she looked like a pioneer woman from years ago, helping her husband kill food for the family.  The deer ran away when he shot it, and it was almost dark, so we had to track it with flashlights. We had so much fun! Daddy, Mommy, and the little ones gutted it, while Amanda, Jessica, Kathryn, Victoria,and I walked in the dark back to where the pig was. We took a strap and tied it to the feet. Amanda, Kathryn, and Victoria had fun dragging it while Jessi took pictures and I guided them with the light.  When we got it there, we wrapped it in a plastic raincoat and put it in the back of the van. We had to put the two deer on top of the van!

I am glad Daddy had this wonderful idea! We enjoyed the trip getting there, and LOVED hunting together. (Gutting the deer and having a science experiment was fun too! ) I can’t wait to get to do it again!

My shoulder felt like someone was sticking a knife into it. The temperature was only in the 40’s or 50’s, but sweat beaded in my hairline and ran down my back. As we neared the edge of the woods, my breath came heavily and I stumbled a few times. Ahead of me, Dad moved easily and quickly, carrying the other end of the 10-foot pole from which hung my latest kill. I grinned in triumph and excitement. Several times, Dad asked me how I was doing, but I couldn’t complain. We had a deal: I would haul anything we killed as far as we needed to get it, if he would do the gutting for me. I had the easy part. So we marched on in the near dark, carrying our prize between us, like victorious hunters of olden days. The doe was small, not much larger than our Labrador retriever (although her dead weight (literally!) made her seem a little larger ). We laughed as we walked: of the five deer that I’ve been able to bring down, the biggest probably didn’t weigh more than 100 pounds. But this had been a perfect shot, and we were content, in spite of the small size. This was fun!

This is just one story from my first visit to one of Dad’s all-time favorite hunting spots. Dad invited me to go along with him this trip, and I loved it! He even generously let me hunt his “honey hole!” When we walked into the woods before dawn that Friday morning, we had a plan: stay in the tree until you shoot something or until it gets too dark to see anything. That day was very interesting; as I sat in my tree stand thirty feet high, I was able to observe God’s creation in a way that I had never seen it before. Some of the most memorable things were watching a hawk tantalize and then draw a whole flock of crows after it in a hubbub of hoarse squawks and shrill screams, watching another hawk light in a tree a little bit in front of me and then drop a squirrel into the creek below before taking off again, and sitting spellbound as a little deer bed down about thirty yards in front of me!! (For those of you who might be wondering, yes, I did shoot it a little later… after he stood up again. ) I also encountered what I considered to be somewhat of a small phenomenon. Whenever we walked through the woods in the dark with only our flashlights, I could see hundreds of little green “sparks” all over the ground, but they disappeared beneath leaves and brush when we got too close. Curious about what this might be, I watched quickly, and to my amazement, I saw that the “sparks” were actually spiders’ eyes reflecting light in the dark, just like deer, cats, and dogs do! I know that probably gives some people the willies (i.e. some of my family members thought I was crazy to enjoy that), but I think it was a pretty cool discovery… as long as the spiders stay on the ground. In the day and a half that we hunted, I probably saw 15-20 deer – beautiful! – as well as redheaded woodpeckers, hawks, squirrels, and other miscellaneous critters. Someday I want to go back – out of season, maybe when it’s a little warmer – climb the tree, and observe just for the fun of it.

Friday brought in my two small deer, and Dad’s 150-pound feral boar. Although we didn’t actually get anything on Saturday, we had a good time – outside, enjoying the stillness of the woods and the beauty of God’s creatures. I had a lot of fun with the hunting aspect of the trip (after all, one of my favorite seats is a tree stand!), but I especially loved being with Dad! We had a wonderful time, and I’m ready to go again next time my turn rolls around; although with all the stories we brought back, I now have several siblings lobbying to go!! Hmmm… too many hunters to go at once… what a great problem to have, huh?

This weekend we enjoyed the blessing of having the Stelzl family here once again!! With every visit from friends, I am discovering anew the manifold beauty, richness, and delight of fellowship in Christ!

A couple highlights: practicing music as a ten-person (and three-part) ensemble and then singing two arrangements together in church on Sunday, hiking a beautiful, sometimes thorny trail up a mountain at Fires’ Creek, taking a tour of the gun stock plant where Dad works, listening to harmonizing pennywhistle duets and trios, and playing Football Freeze Tag. Wherever we were, though, edifying conversation flowed freely, and it was GLORIOUS! When the weekend was over, we sat down as a family and discussed the ways we had been encouraged by this dear family. A few things that particularly stood out to me were the Stelzl’s passion to share Christ with the world, their heart for discipling others, their servants hearts, and the joy that was manifested in SO many ways. Whether they were clearing the table, about to tag you for the third time in freeze tag, teaching younger ones how to draw, eating chocolate caramel ice cream cake, or relating a story of how God is at work in their church and community, smiles lit the faces everywhere. Joseph Addison was right when he stated: “What sunshine is to flowers, smiles are to humanity. They are but trifles, to be sure, but scattered along life’s pathway, the good they do is inconceivable.” You just can’t help but come away encouraged when you are around someone who faithfully practices this fine art!

Thank you, Stelzl family!

Let me introduce you to some very special friends. The Lord brought us together for a particular purpose: so that we might glorify Him as we build our relationships with each other and seek to fulfill His purposes as a uniquely-designed team. These friends are encouraging; they inspire me. They love the Lord and make His Word a priority. I am thankful for each and every one of them! We make a lot of unusual, precious, fun, and touching memories together. They are each an incredible blessing on my life from the Lord.

To all my wonderful siblings: I LOVE YOU!!!

**Picture taken April 2010 by the Neely Team.

This last weekend we had the privilege of spending a couple days with the Sorensen family! The organizational parties on both sides had talked a few months previously, and we had all been greatly looking forward to it! The morning before they arrived, though, Amanda and Jessica left for Indianapolis for a week-long graphic design course. This left quite a new situation for me – who am comfortable and content in my role as third-born. Suddenly, I had the opportunities and responsibilities of being the first, second, and third sibling for the younger ones! As the leader for all that took place that morning, I must sing the praises of all my little helpers as we quickly got a dirty house into an organized, sparkly clean, and fragrant haven! They cheerfully helped with anything and everything that needed doing – including mopping (dirtamascrubbiewithwaterandsoaping! ) all the tile. I am so blessed!

Around mid-afternoon, everything was ready and the Sorensen’s arrived!! They brought an additional amount of fun, brilliance, and enthusiasm to our home, as, over the next 2 days, their seven children just radiated the joy of Jesus Christ added to abundant energy! During dinner, the dining room buzzed with cheerful chatter. During a tour of Accurate Innovations, they listened attentively. I was also particularly blessed by witnessing how they interacted with each other, and with our little ones – responses were kind and loving!

Another highlight of their visit for me was listening to and talking with the adults. The various topics discussed throughout the weekend were edifying, uplifting, and educational. I enjoyed hearing the new, exciting perspectives they had on different issues facing the Church today.

Thank you, Sorensen’s, for being faithful to carry the Light of Christ to all! He truly shines brightly through you!!

We were touched and encouraged, and can’t wait until next time!   

“Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light to all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in Heaven.” Matthew 5:14-16

“Wow! I can’t believe this is really happening!!” I thought as I fastened the last buckle of my parachute and climbed onto the wing of the navy blue Stearman biplane. Tingles of nervous anticipation raced through me as Cousin Dave helped me buckle the  seatbelts and calmly explained emergency procedures. In front of us, in his blue and yellow plane, Cousin Rick guided Dad through the same  process as we prepared to make the flight from the hangar to the showgrounds of the Flying Circus. With my ear plugs in, sunglasses and flying cap on, buckles securely fastened, and the last adjustments made, I sat back to enjoy my surroundings and wave goodbye to Cousin Bill and the rest of the family on the ground while we waited for our pilots to finish their preparations. Moments later, another thrill shot through me as the engine sputtered, then came to life with a roar.  We taxied over to the runway and I remember thinking, “We’re off!!”, as the planes took off in formation. At first, we just flew in big circles, gaining altitude in preparation for the aerobatics. We made a couple passes over the hangar while we were doing this and waved to those watching from below. (One time, I actually reached outside of the cockpit to wave… and about got my arm ripped off because I wasn’t prepared for the force of the wind!) My nerves continued to tingle, and suddenly the feeling intensified when we split from formation – the real fun was about to begin! Glancing in the mirror (the only method of communication in the open-topped plane), I saw Cousin Dave motion to ask me if I was ready for a loop. Shivering with a mixture of nervous suspense and intense excitement, I signaled back “thumbs up!” Suddenly, my stomach jumped as the plane dove down for a second, then began climbing up, up, up. I grabbed the rails as we reached the top of the circle, and then we were upside down! For a few seconds, I savored the exhilarating sensation of hanging upside down in the harness, and then my heart leaped into my throat as we dove back down the other side……

“A man’s heart deviseth his way: but the LORD directeth his steps.” (Proverbs 16:9) How true we found this verse to be while we were in Virginia last weekend! We had been planning to go to the Family Encouragement Weekend for quite a while, looking forward to it with much anticipation as one of the  biggest highlights of our year. This year we wanted to get there a day early to help with the preparations, so we left on Wednesday night, split the trip, and went the rest of the way on Thursday. Little did we know that the Lord would use the extra time we had planned in a way we would’ve never imagined…

While we were traveling up the Interstate on Thursday, we received a call from my aunt. When she found out where we were headed, she exclaimed, “Oh! We have cousins that live there!” As it turned out, my grandfather’s first cousin, Bill, and his wife, Marty, live just around the corner from our friends! But I’m getting ahead of myself… After another phone call or two, we got the contact  information for them and tried to call, but had to leave a message. Not knowing whether they would be home or not, we decided to stop by anyway, hoping to get to meet/reconnect with them. Imagine what they must have been thinking when their house was peaceful and quiet one  minute, and invaded with 12 practical strangers the next!! However, they were very gracious and invited us in, and we sat and talked for about an hour and a half. It was a great visit! Cousin Bill is a retired commercial airline pilot, and flying runs heavily in the family; in fact, Cousin Marty  has written a book about flying. Their two sons are also commercial pilots, and fly on the weekends at a local airshow called the Flying Circus. Throughout the course of the visit, especially after they found out that Dad has his private pilot’s license, they repeatedly urged us to come back on Sunday to meet their boys and go to the show. We wanted to, but were unsure of whether it would work out, since Dad was supposed to be back at work in Monday, and we had a 9 hour drive between Virginia and home…

We just kept praying about it through the whole weekend, asking the Lord to work it all out if it was His will. Our friends offered their home for another night, and Dad made a few phone calls, trying to get Monday off. We were absolutely thrilled when everything worked out, but our joy then was only a prelude to blessing of that Sunday afternoon and evening. Immediately after  church, we slipped away and raced back to Cousin Bill and Cousin Marty’s house. We met their “boys”, Rick and Dave, while they were getting their airplanes out and preparing to leave for the Circus. Much to our surprise, they told us that “anyone who wanted to ride was going to ride!” (I wonder if they had any idea what they were getting into before they offered that…) Dad and I were the first volunteers… the story above tells about that. The ride over was fantastic! I’ve wanted to ride in a stunt plane for almost as long as I can remember, and I know Dad was absolutely delighted to be in the air again (Cousin Rick let him fly most of the way there)! After we had done a loop and a roll, we headed straight for the showgrounds, and as we flew over the beautiful countryside, I sat back in awe: the only thing I could think was “God is SO good!!”

When we arrived, our cousins took us to the pilot’s briefing. Cousin Dave introduced us, and mentioned that our family sings, and the moderator shocked me by asking if we would sing the “Star Spangled Banner” at the beginning of the  show! Dad agreed, although I have to admit, I got far more nervous about that than I did about the plane ride! The rest of the family arrived a few minutes later, and we had a great time watching the show – it was  amazing! I don’t have time to go into detail about the rest of the afternoon, but between the show, airplane and ATV rides, and visiting, we had a fantastic time! Cousin Dave’s wife, Terry, and their two girls, Rory and Elly, also came – what a delight to meet them! (We’re still waiting to meet Cousin Rick’s family… hopefully next time!) When we finished up everything at the showgrounds, we went back to the hangar, where we picked up Cousin Marty (she hadn’t been with us at the show) and went out to eat.

By the time we said our final goodbyes at 10:30 that night, we’d had an incredible day. The Lord’s hand of providence was so evident in everything that happened; we marveled at the way He worked it all out in a way that far exceeded our wildest imaginations!! But the biggest blessing we received didn’t come from the material generosity of our new-found family. As Dad said it, yes,  the airplanes were cool and everything, and we had a fantastic  time, but what really impressed us the most was the genuine love and tenderness that whole family showed toward one another. Honestly, we have never seen anything like it! There was never a correction or argument, a joke at another’s expense, or even the slightest suggestion of  anything other than kindness and friendship. The couples acted as if they were still on their honeymoon; the brothers were obviously best friends. The loving looks, the care, and concern of parents, children, and siblings for one another was amazing to watch! We came away feeling rebuked for our own lack of affection and tenderness, and yet encouraged to show our love to each other more! “And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:” (Hebrews 10:24) “Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;” (Romans 12:10) “Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.” (1 John 4:11)

We praise God for so clearly directing our steps; truly, “…Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.” (1 Corinthians 2:9)