Friend-filled Weekend!
So many social networks. So many gadgets and ways to keep up with friends. And yet we still find it hard to do sometimes. But I'm happy to say... not this week! Josh and I were blessed to spend some time with three couples we love. We realized just how blessed we were to have friends our age who love the Lord and are striving to live a life dedicated to Him! If you haven't noticed, it seems that in the 20-somethings age group... committed followers of Christ are hard to come across. Too many things to cause distractions - college, careers, dating, parties, sports games... the list is endless. To see people our age that have chosen to give up the pleasures of this world and surrender their lives to the Lord is inspiring. It gives me so much hope for the future of the church!
Thursday through Saturday, we were able to visit with a few of our college friends - Michael and Mindy (and their little girl, Emma). We haven't seen them in over two years - since we moved from Jacksonville, FL. They just recently took a ministry job at a church near Tallahassee and are much closer... this called for a visit! I was able to host a little Thirty-One party for Mindy as well. Cute stuff, check it out here!
Saturday night we hung out with some great friends of ours, Steve and Amanda. Amanda was a small group leader at Watermark for almost two years... and one of the best at that! They moved to Troy after they were married in March, so we have really missed spending time with them. We went to TGIF for dinner and then to see Captain America! I think I am actually starting to get "into" these super hero movies, lately. :)
Then, Sunday night we went to a late dinner at La Parilla with our friends Evan and Jessica. Evan and I grew up in youth group together. He's now the youth pastor at a church in Georgia and also leads a band called Skyview. Jessica, his sweet wife is a nurse and is pregnant with their first child, a little boy named Elliot. We spent most of our dinner talking about our love for missions and music. What a blessing to share the same passions with people. :)
The Lord has allowed us to cross paths with some great people, and we love getting to meet those who share the same passion and joy for the Lord and His ministry. Like I said, it is rare to meet people our age who are serving in the church... or even attending church at all, to be honest. But I am very thankful for where we are at right now. I looked out at the 2nd service congregation at Watermark Church yesterday morning... and was blown away at the lack of grey hair! Haha! No offense to my grey-haired friends, but this is not the cultural norm for churches nowadays. To see a room full of young, lively individuals was a blessing! I pray that there continues to be a revival amongst our generation... and that people will seek more than what this decaying world has to offer! There is so much joy found in Christ and sharing it with others is only part of the reward. :)
As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another. - Proverbs 27:17