Just Visiting!

Hey Everybody,

How is your summer going?

I have really loved having some time to just get back to simple, you know? Just simply being with friends and family and enjoying time for talking, or visiting as we say around here!

Rich just returned from a ten-day mission trip to Kenya. (I will post some pictures soon. The beauty of that land is truly incredible.) Of course, I really missed him, but God was so kind in that a friend of mine, who has been a missionary in Jerusalem for two years, was coming to Nashville to spend some time, and God arranged for her trip to coincide with Rich's! Having a houseguest along with my kids' friends hanging out made for a just a fun week of visiting, and it served as a great reminder to me of what is truly important to the Lord: relationships!

On that note, I invite you to celebrate with me that over 350 dear
souls came to know the Lord in a personal relationship through Jesus
Christ as a result of the Kenyan mission trip! Praise the Lord!

Please say a prayer that those new Christians would dig deep into God's Word. Pray that the Kenyan pastors would have renewed strength and joy that will fuel them for discipling these new converts. And pray for these folks to boldly share their Christian faith with the people in their lives--family members, friends, anyone with whom they are in a relationship.

Relationships are where we share Christ. When we are in a relationship with someone, sharing a home, sharing a workplace, sharing a church--the rubber hits the road of Christianity. You have to be real. And people are looking for real: A real faith that really means something in real life. The enemy often tries to distract me from those personal relationships that are so important. Do you find that happening in your life? I don't mean my relationship with the Lord--of course the enemy tries to distract and deter me from living that top priority. What I am talking about are those relationships with friends and family that often fall by the wayside of busy-ness.

Is there someone in your life with whom you need to re-connect?

Pick up the phone and visit with them!

Or drop by and sit out on the porch and visit!

Summer is all about visiting and catching up, and sometimes you don't need to go any further than your next door neighbor to invest in a relationship that could lead to the ultimate relationship: knowing Christ.

Do it!