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Christian Family

Bless Your Heart by Cindy Colley

Perpetually Late this Weekend

It’s Sunday afternoon. What a blessed weekend!  Every single flight was delayed. As a result, I got a very late night ride for an hour with Lindsy Bailey, mother of six who has come through the fire and knows who holds her future. I got to sit up in the clouds in a holding pattern and remember how my nine-year-old grandson had, earlier in the day, told me of which weather pattern each type of cloud was predictive. I praised God for the beauty of the sky when the sun is setting and I am above the beautiful clouds. That doesn’t happen every day. 

But I was late. As a result, I was extra thankful when a connecting flight was also delayed. And, as a result, I had someone fun pick me up at the airport in her pajamas. She reminded me of earlier times in our lives when the Word of God had guided us through a dark time in life. I love her.

The only thing  for which I was a little early the whole weekend was the ladies day, itself.  And I was so glad there was a minute for Brooke and Lori and Bekah and Scarlet and Becky and Remi and Coy and Leah and Willow and Katja and sweet special ed teachers and so many more. How can one tardy woman be so blessed?

Another flight was delayed and it gave me this wonderful chance to sit down in a rocker in the home of a dear old friend and reminisce and talk and talk until I felt like I’d been to a therapy session. We all need one now and then.

She dropped me at the airport to come back home, and faster than I could adjust, in my mind and itinerary, to another delayed flight, I was watching that flight schedule board change and change again, until there was no hope of making my connection to the home airport. Realizing I was going to be spending the night in either Springfield or Charlotte on Saturday night, I was rescued by Jim and Debbie Meinsen, who in spite of the fact that they were returning from an out-of-town trip, and Jim was teaching a Bible class today and Deb was leaving just after worship today to travel to be with her daughter and grandchildren (who are also my grandchildren) while their dad, Caleb, was away preaching in a gospel meeting…in spite of all that, they said “Yes. Come on! Sleep at our house. Go to worship with us tomorrow. It’s potluck…then a two o’clock service. We’ll be there in 30 minutes to pick you up. Then we will bring you back to the airport after church tomorrow and you can try again. 

SO I had a great room and bed and pancakes and sausage and eggs for breakfast. I heard three great lessons today and had a meal of barbecue and chicken and ham and potato casserole and broccoli salad…and I’m embarrassed to keep going! Then I had two hours there at the building to just visit with the Highlandville family. And I haven’t laughed so hard in a while. The family there includes a bull-riding judge who knows a lot about the Pentecostal religious conferences in the area that include sword swallowing, high swan-diving into ten inches of water, monster trucks and army tanks rolling over cars…and it was so funny, except it’s really not funny when people get that spiritually confused.  It was interesting. All that conversation was prior to getting to talk to a young girl who completed an earlier Digging Deep study as a brand new convert. Her encouragement will be in my heart for a long time. She’s faithful and determined and trying to reach others in her family.

 I would not have been able to meet her if it were not for the fact that my life was running late! While lamenting that I was not home with my family on Sunday, I realized that I was right there in a building into which I’d never been before with HIS family—MY family in Him. And it was an unexpected blessing. 

I’m hoping these next two flights will get me home. If they are on time, I will walk in my kitchen door around midnight. I’ve already gotten a call from home saying there’s a three-year-old who is begging to spend the night with me when I get there. But, there may not be any night left to spend. Praying I get off the ground this time. But if not, who knows what blessings are ahead?

Maybe the best thing, though, is what I hear I may be missing at home. One of my sisters, who needs to come home to the Lord, is planning to do that today. I’m praying so hard that today is her day. Who cares if I am there?  If she will just be right with the Lord, we will have forever together!  Forever! He is so good.

He is SO good! 

12:20 am update:

  1. I am home!
  2. The three-year-old is fast asleep in the little bed in our window dormer.
  3. Best of all, the sister who was astray is home, too, with the Lord.

It is late. But God does great things in His own good time!

Bless Your Heart by Cindy Colley

A Family

I had not been home in over a week. I’d traveled to Arkansas and then to Mississippi and a couple of different locations in that state. I had spoken four times and attended eleven services. I was so very thankful Saturday night to be getting in my own bed. I was going to look at the pictures of my grandchildren on the laptop on my own pile of clean pillows in my own room with my favorite person beside me.

I did look at my computer, but it was on my phone screen that I finally saw it when I searched for it using the  I-cloud find my app. I hate that feeling. But there it was in that little map, in Olive Branch Mississippi and it just makes me so mad that the Find My technology is so much smarter than I. I knew a seven hour trip was in my immediate  future. It was long. It was repetitive (especially Corinth.) For various reasons, I’ve been in Corinth. Mississippi five times in 9 days. It was one inconvenient trip, to say the least. I decided to leave straight from worship on Sunday morning. I knew I could be home by bedtime if I could stay awake to drive. I listened to singing and Bible lessons and only stopped for one fish sandwich and one  scoop of ice cream on the way there. I got to worship with my nephew, Job, on the way home. I kept my eyes open. But sometimes just barely.

But I will take away the lesson that my family (in Him) is the best family. This list!

Rebecca said “Oh, let me go get it for you. I do not mind at all. Landon and I will do something fun in Memphis. Isn’t that where Elvis’ house is?”

Sue said “My husband works at Fed-Ex. We can overnight that to you.”

Glenn said “If you can wait till Monday, I can go with you and we can walk through the antique store.” 

Tyler called and left a message “Oh no! I heard you left your laptop. We can come and meet you with it. Let us know where you are!”

Brittani said “Oh, I wish we had known. Robin and I love road trips. We coulda’ met you half way!” 

Cindy (someone I had never met before in the friendly Strickland church in Glen, MS, where I stopped in for evening services), said “Do you want to spend the night here? I know you are tired and I have this apartment. I would LOVE for you to stay!”

Not one of these people made offers that were not genuine. It’s a family. I take the family for granted sometimes. And then, sometimes, the fellowship is so real and its rewards are very palpable. On my way home, in the car, I was listening to a brother on a PTP thumb drive tell about how, during his son’s unexpected hospital stay and ultimate death, his grass was mysteriously mowed,  his bills were mysteriously paid,  and he was moved from an expensive cramped hotel room to an immaculate suite with every need being met. It even had a connected garage. God’s people are the Matthew 25 “inasmuch” people. For me, the prayers of sisters are the sweetest balm in all of my world. In view of my worthiness, I am the least of these.

I’m so thankful to be serving alongside the best servants on this planet! Your generosity and self-sacrifice are a huge comfort to this road-weary old woman!

And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the goats on the left. Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? — When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? — Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me (Matthew 25:33-40).

 

 

 

 

Bless Your Heart by Cindy Colley

HOPE set featured in Christian Family Magazine

This is exciting news for the new HOPE set from The Colley House. Christian Family magazine featured the set in its winter issue. Thanks to editors, Moises Pinedo and Paul Holland, for capturing the purpose and plan for this family or congregational Bible study program for all ages. We’ve been excited for a while about this five part set. It’s a study guide, a game, a timeline, flash cards and an application card set. It’s at least a year of learning for your family (I’d say more like two years worth if you’re thorough with your kids.) It’s character-based and explores people and their place in history—from Adam on– through the pages of the Bible. It’s a blessing that others are seeing it now and being excited with us!

We’re grateful for the beautiful piece in Christian Family about these products.  And if you haven’t looked at Christian Family, you will want to subscribe. The best thing about it is, it’a great and very helpful tool for your family as you grow in Him. The second-best thing about it is that it’s written in English and Spanish and, thus, it’s a fantastic evangelism tool as you meet your Spanish speaking neighbors.  It’s a non-threatening, effective way to deliver the most important news of this lifetime to those who cannot yet just pick up any book or tract and comprehend the message. 

We are blessed to be a little part of this month’s issue of this good publication! You can read about Christian Family here: 

https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5148b380e4b0106646129f8e/t/5fa460ca18199e491da36034/1604608207540/CF5-3.pdf

You can order the Hope set for your Family or Congregational study here: https://www.thecolleyhouse.org/store

Happy 2024! We pray it is a year of growth in the Word for your family!