The Neely Team

Several years ago, on October 31, Daddy and Mommy surprised all of us kids with a special evening, where we bobbed for apples, ate  donuts off of strings (with no hands ) hanging from the ceiling, had a candy hunt, played “Pin the Tail on the Donkey,” and a few other fun things. Little did they know that they had thus began the yearly tradition of Family Fun Night! Slowly F.F.N. expanded until we had a few friends over, then several families, and then this year and last year, over sixty people! What a wonderful way to make hilarious,  special memories!!

This year our preparations began the week before, when we were trying to decide where to have most of the games, the food tables, etc. Last year, we had done  most of it in our garage, but as it was cramped  then, and we had invited over forty more people this year, we decided we wanted to be prepared for as many as the Lord would bring our way. At Mommy’s suggestion, we decided to try to get the unfinished upstairs of our detached  garage, which we call the “Carriage House,” ready and use that for the games. Just to fill you in on a few details, we have this awful habit of, when we don’t know where to put something, we say “Oh, just put it in the upstairs of the Carriage House!” Maybe this gives you an idea of the unnecessary junk that was piled up there. Finally, a few days before F.F.N., the whole Team arrived up there and  put it in order. (Sadly, we didn’t get any “before” pictures, so you’ll have to be content with the “after” pictures. ) We had a lot of fun, and finally got it all in “ship  shape.”

Next began the process of doing all of the planning.  After deciding on the games, we started planning what supplies we needed and in what way we would organize the evening. There was a lot of  “changing of plans,” but we finally got everything straightened out.

Before we knew it, it was 5:30 on Friday,  October 30, and everyone was arriving. What followed is very difficult to describe in the exact   details and excitement in which it occurred – maybe the pictures will help! The games included Pin the Leaf on the Pumpkin, a relay race, donuts hanging from the ceiling, “Leaf, Leaf, Pumpkin” (the same as “Duck, Duck, Goose” ) a candy hunt  in the dark, tractor rides, a time for munching on delicious snacks, and then, as the evening drew to a close, a bonfire, jumping on the  trampoline and playing on the swing set. As we all celebrated the joy of family life, there was a lot of laughter and talking that followed each activity. The evening ended close to midnight, but the memories of the evening will last for a long time!!

Thank you, Dad and Mom, for taking the time to  start such an exciting, family-centered tradition in our home!

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

We had just arrived at Grandmama’s house. Everything had been unloaded, and  people were getting ready for bed. We had spent the whole morning gathering, packing, and loading. Pillows, violins, music, suitcases… everything was in and we were ready to go… maybe.

It was almost midnight, and we were all tired from traveling the eight hours to get there. That’s when someone came out of the bathroom and looked at me. Something was said like, “Did you forget to pack something?” I looked at her, confused. What could I have missed in the packing process? She answered my question when she said, “Maybe the toothbrushes?!”

Well, despite forgetting everyone’s toothbrushes, we had a great trip. We had been planning this for quite a while and had spent many hours gathered around the piano, practicing. We were in Bainbridge, GA from Friday, October 23 through Monday, October 26.

On Saturday, we just “hung out” at the house. Dad and Mom worked on setting up the new tree stand. The younger ones played outside quite a bit, and Amanda and Kathryn were able to do some hunting. We got to see Allison, our cousin, while we were down there, too. She came over to the house and spent most of Saturday with us. Uncle Blaine and Aunt Melinda came for dinner that night. We also had the privilege of meeting Maria, a friend of theirs.

Sunday was the big day. We had spent many hours preparing. Our prayer was that God would get glory from what we did. We went to Grace Community  Baptist Church for the morning service, which went very well. We sang several songs and Herman quoted Psalm 101 during a thirty minute time span. Sunday night found us at First Baptist Church. We had the whole service to sing. We did a mixture of songs, including songs with the whole family, violin solos, piano solos and duets, and Kathryn even quoted the whole book of Titus!

After the service, there was a time of fellowship. Some of our extended family were there, too. We enjoyed talking to many people that had been impacted by either Grandmama or Grandpapa, who were both school teachers for several years. Who knows how many lives they influenced for the Lord. Several people came and told us how they enjoyed having them as teachers or what they had learned through them. It reminded us of how blessed we are to have such a godly heritage and  grandparents who stood for what was right and made choices that have affected many generations.

We left on Monday and drove all eight hours back home. We also stopped in the Atlanta, GA area to do some shopping. We didn’t get home ‘til 11:00 that night.

It was a wonderful trip. And (in case you were wondering), we didn’t have to go all weekend without brushing our teeth.

The Lord brings opportunities into our lives to encourage other believers and to point the unsaved to Him. Many times while serving the Lord He uses the people we minister to to encourage us to continue on in the path of life.

A few months ago, we were asked by a friend to set aside the evening of August 20 to sing at a fundraiser/appreciation dinner for pastors and individuals who have supported the ministry of Gideons International (an organization that places Bibles in hotels/motels, hospitals, doctors offices, schools, prisons, and in the hands of individuals around the world).

We prepared several songs which included instrumental pieces for the flute and violin and a couple songs that directly referred to the Bible. Much of our time on Thursday was spent finalizing the program and rehearsing one more time before performing. To be honest, the afternoon had been a little stressful and parts of the getting ready process could have been smoother.

As we continued getting ready and on the way there, God’s grace quieted our hearts and prepared us emotionally for the evening ahead. We had arrived at the church where the dinner was to be held. The overcast sky and scattered raindrops hurried us into the building with everything we would need – violins, flute, music and violin stands, music, etc. We paraded into the building, arms loaded with our belongings, and began to unpack, tune, set up, and get ready. Of course, many turned to look as we walked in, as we were the only ones with  any children there, and a family of twelve all dressed alike tends to draw the eyes of  people anyway. Finally, everything was ready, instruments were tuned, music was on the stands, microphones were positioned, and we sat down to catch our breath before starting the program.

We sang and played while everyone was eating. When the meal was over, we  heard inspiring testimonies of how God had worked miracles in the lives of many who had received a copy of God’s Word through the Gideon’s. Isaiah 55:10-11 says, “For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: so shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it.” There were so many stories that clearly demonstrated the truth in  these verses; it was very exciting to hear how the Lord is using ordinary people to carry His Word around the world! We were reminded that, no matter what happens in the world around us, or what we might have been through in the past, God and His Word never change, and He will work in and through us if we let Him.

When the program was over and people were leaving, many came and told us what a blessing the music was to them. We even had a couple pastors ask us if we would be available to sing at their churches. There is a sweet peace and joy that comes when we “turn our eyes upon Jesus” and trust Him to do His work through us. Who knows where God will lead us from here, or how and when He will use us. But we praise Him for His faithfulness and grace as we strive to “be an example” and to “press toward the mark!”