Graduation… a time to reflect on the abundant goodness of the Lord in the past. A time to evaluate your direction in life in the light of Scripture. A time to set goals and make decisions. A time to commit everything anew to the Lord, knowing that in His perfect sovereignty, He will work it all together for His own glory, and your best good.

By God’s grace, I walked through this door this past Saturday as we celebrated my high school graduation. Many dear friends and family members came to join the festivities, and the Lord gave us a joyful, tremendously encouraging afternoon and evening together.

An oh-so-extra-special blessing was having both grandmothers there, as well as a dear cousin who came all the way from NY at the age of 94 to see her namesake graduate! 

Family shots

Music presentation

Fellowship…  glorious fellowship!

Willing helpers

An emerging tradition – that of doing some shooting after the graduation — turned into a painful, educational, and actually quite hilarious experience. (That 50-caliber beast – an elephant gun for safari hunting that was loaned to us for the occasion – had the audacity to “scope” us!) Needless to say, for the rest of the evening, we sported beautiful cuts and goose eggs.

To God be the glory!

This past weekend, we were again honored and blessed to be able to sing with our dear friends the Kendall family at a few Memorial Services. Along the way, we were encouraged by family devotions, humor and joy around the piano, dinner table, and corn-toss boards, as well as the wonderful and uplifting conversation in the van to and from Columbia. Of course, there was much more to our time there, but for some things, pictures communicate so much better than the alphabet.

This weekend will definitely be among the many “highlighted” weekends in our imaginary “record books”…

Highlighted for the

Terrific,

Inspiring, and

Motivating

Encouragement

That was given and received.

Praise be to God!

You know, there are times in life when you imagine something beautiful… something perfect… something romantic…… to commemorate, bless, or honor someone or something or some occasion… you just want to make things extra special. You imagine a peaceful atmosphere, complete with candles, a well-thought-out note of love, maybe even roses or daisies…

And (sorry to tell you this), there are times in life when your dreams of fun, fluff, and fantasy just don’t happen!

That’s when you get a prime opportunity to trust in our Sovereign, loving God and blossom right where He places you!

We let you all know about Sibling Appreciation Day, all the while mentally preparing for our own celebration (a lovely picnic by the river). Then……………

There was mulch to spread!

(A HUGE, double-load.)

We faced a choice. Not exactly whether or not to spread the mulch, but whether or not to spread it with joyful hearts, accomplishing the duty set before us with smiles and laughter.

By God’s grace, the Team collectively chose to do right.

Though the evening’s events were completely different than we had anticipated, we were all reminded again just how much we really appreciate our siblings (just you imagine trying to spread that trailer heaped with mulch all by your lonesome! ) and we really did enjoy the project. It was work… hard work… hot work… exhausting work… but it was rewarding work and quite fun as we did it together.

So, be encouraged next time your plans for something wonderful are altered… or maybe even blown away completely. There are treasures in the darkness… hidden riches in secret places… a delicious-grilled-salmon-rice-sauteed-asparagas-sweet-peaches-dinner-made-by-Jessi-at-9:30 pm (with chocolate-mint brownies for dessert!) awaiting you when your work is finished –  if you will simply trust the hand of God as He takes you through the process of life.

(aka 12 happy Neelys)

Let some of the most important people in your life know just how special they are.

“By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.” John 13:35

First moments – - spent in catching up

The fellowship continued!

Dad had to work, but we were able to meet him for a picnic lunch at a nearby rest area.

A couple rounds of “Bible Runners” – - and we must give congratulations, reluctant though they be, to the “secret police”! (who almost never win, but through an unusual amount of sneaky perseverance made this game one-of-a-kind!)

One of the biggest highlights of the time together was a late-night cousin prayer meeting in the woods. An excellent suggestion on the part of a certain individual led to a sweet hour of sharing requests with each other around the campfire and then presenting those needs to the Lord. What a privilege to not only have a close bond as family, but also as fellow believers! Praise the Lord! 

Thank you, Nana and Conns, for including us in your trip! May the Lord bless you as you continue to seek Him first, bringing Him glory in every endeavor. We love you!

Recently we were on our way home from a day trip away, and stopped along the road for a picnic as a family. It was a beautiful day, so we decided to take some family pictures before hitting the road again.

Take the time to enjoy the family that God has given you. Embrace the season of life you are in — once this season is gone, it won’t be back. Treasure the moments you have with your family. Don’t get caught up in thinking about the “ideal family.” Your family is the most ideal family, because it’s the one God placed you in. Cherish the times spent together with your parents and your siblings – one, some, or all — whether the activity is unloading a dishwasher or roasting marshmallows around a campfire. Sing a song together, read a book aloud, or find some other way to spend quality time together. We never know how long we’ll have to enjoy this treasure we have!! So make the most of it!

The North Carolina FEW was the first of four planned conferences this year. We look forward with great excitement to the next FEW and the continued work of the Lord! May Jesus Christ be praised!

If you are interested in receiving information on upcoming FEW Conferences, leave us a comment and we’ll add you to the contact list.

Aunt Miriam is definitely a giver!, so when we were in Greenville again this last weekend for a homeschool convention, she surprised us with St. Patrick’s Day goodies to enjoy at our hotel. Too much fun!

So, look around you, and see who needs an extra touch of kindness today. Sow an act of kindness, and reap a harvest of joy!

Thank you, Aunt Miriam!!

“Can a doctrine be ‘horrible’ and ‘dangerous’ that gives God His true place, that maintains His rights, that magnifies His grace, that ascribes all glory to Him and removes every ground of boasting from the creature? Can a doctrine be ‘horrible’ and ‘dangerous’ which affords the saints a sense of security in danger, that supplies them comfort in sorrow, that begets patience within them in adversity, that evokes from them praise at all times? Can a doctrine be ‘horrible’ and ‘dangerous’ which ascribes us of the certain triumph of good over evil, and which provides a sure resting-place for our hearts… that place [being the] the perfections of the Sovereign Himself? No; a thousand times, no. Instead of being ‘horrible’ and ‘dangerous’ this doctrine of the Sovereignty of God is glorious and edifying, and a due apprehension of it will but serve to make us exclaim with Moses, ‘Who is like unto thee, O Lord, among the gods? who is like Thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?’ (Ex. 15:11).” 

“The doctrine of God’s sovereignty then is no mere metaphysical dogma which is devoid of practical value, but is one that is calculated to produce a powerful effect upon Christian character and the daily walk. The doctrine of God’s sovereignty lies at the foundation of Christian theology, and in importance is perhaps second only to the Divine inspiration of the Scriptures. It is the center of gravity in the system of Christian truth; the sun around which all the lesser orbs are grouped; the cord upon which all other doctrines are strung like so many pearls, holding them in place and giving them unity. It is the plumb line by which every creed needs to be tested; the balance in which every human dogma must be weighed. It is designed as the sheet-anchor for our souls amid the storms of life. The doctrine of God’s sovereignty is a divine cordial to refresh our spirits. It is designed and adapted to mold the affections of the heart, and to give a right direction to conduct. It produces gratitude in prosperity and patience in adversity. It affords comfort for the present and a sense of security regarding the unknown future. It is, and it does, all and much more than we have just said, because it ascribes to God – the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit – the glory which is His due, and places the creature in his proper place before Him – in the dust.”

The Sovereignty of God by A.W. Pink

pg. 151-152, 139

At Dad’s request, I recently finished reading The Sovereignty of God, the book from which the above passages were cited. For anyone who desires to know the biblical truth about this highly-controversial issue, or who is seeking to become better equipped to defend it, we recommend this book. Every belief must be weighed against the infallible truths of Scripture, and Pink has done a remarkable job in this small text.

** As with all books, this volume should be read with “open eyes.” Just because we recommend the book does not mean that we necessarily endorse every “jot and tittle” contained therein.

With great anticipation we looked forward to a visit with them for several months, and finally, it happened! The hospitality of the Sorensen Lodge was incredible. We came away immensely blessed and refreshed.

Playing Airsoft and walking the perimeter of their property:

Fun with the swing:

The Sorensen’s treated us like royalty. On Saturday, we took a trip to a local bowling alley for an afternoon loaded with strikes and spares… well, not exactly. A sparing few were so blessed, but the rest of us just realized how strikingly rusty our bowling techniques are. At any rate…

Then… they took us to a Japanese Steakhouse for a special birthday celebration. Most of us had never visited one before, and what an interesting, delightful meal awaited us!

On Sunday, we attended church with them and were privileged to be there on a week when Mr. Sorensen was preaching. He spoke from the life of Peter; we saw the perfect timing of the Lord played out again as the message seemed tailored to the current events of our lives. Praise the Lord! Thank you, Mr. Sorensen, for letting the Word dwell in you richly, and for standing boldly to make an impact for the Kingdom of God.

Thank you, Sorensens!