Southside Baptist Church, Athens, AL

Wow, has it really been two months since I last posted to my blog?!  A lot has been going on in that time that has kept me pretty busy.  It's one of those catch-22's, you know.  When nothing's going on, you have plenty of time but nothing to blog; when lots is happening you have plenty to blog but no time.  I certainly can't catch you up on everything, but I'll take a minute to share something God has consistently been doing this past month.

It's been unexpected and interesting.  We have had opportunities to interact with many old friends throughout the month of May.  It started when an old friend from my Jr. High days contacted me about possibly doing his wedding.  It was totally unexpected.  Then, another friend from college, who I've not seen in at least ten years, called to let us know he was going to be in Birmingham.  We were able to get together for dinner, but to add to the number, we had dinner together at yet another old friend's house.  This friend I had not seen in at least 15 years, and we've continued communicating since that night; he's even stopped in for a Wednesday night discipleship class on his way home from Kentucky, and tomorrow his family will be having dinner with us at our home.  The reason we were in Birmingham that weekend was for my niece's wedding at which we were reacquainted with many including her grandfather who was the pastor who baptized me.  Plus, we went to Texas for a week where we saw many who we've not seen in 8 years.  We were able to spend time with people with whom I served on staff at Mt. Gilead; we saw students to whom we ministered;we saw children that were born about the same time as Andrew; we saw teachers with whom Brooke worked.  And of course, we spent the whole week with my best friend and his family who I've not seen in 2 years.  All of that in just one month!

What has been impressed upon me through this is the importance of relationships.  I can't describe the emotions I felt after spending the day in Keller, TX.  All I can say is that I think the Lord used that day as the climactic point in all of this to finally press home a message He's been trying to communicate.  I realized that I have a truly deep and abiding love and appreciation for all of these people.  Sadly, though, it is a love and appreciation I didn't fully realize while I lived among them.  It is as if the Lord has been saying all month, "Look around you; you are in those same relationships with people where you are now.  Love them more fully now, and appreciate them more appropriately now."