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By the time Ray and I got to the Indiana convention the last weekend in March, we had already been out of town for more than a week. We spent the first part of our trip with John, Audra, and Henry and at the Greater St. Louis Area Home Educators convention. Sandwiched in between the St. Louis and Indiana conventions was a trip to our beloved congregation in Urbana, Illinois, where Ray served as minister from 1985 to 1993. The whole time we were there I was bubbling over with things to tell you.

As soon as we loaded up our booth from the St. Louis convention, we headed to Urbana, arriving after 10 p.m. at the home of good friends whom I will call Tom and Dot. Both were waiting up for us and we chatted until midnight.

Sam and Flo
Tom and Dot in their Living Room

Love of family pours from the hearts and lips of Tom and Dot, and evidence of their family’s love for them is all over the place. During our three days of visiting, we shared stories about many subjects. Scattered among them were tales of their mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, children, in-laws, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. We even came home with a book by Tom’s sister. The first words in the introduction were words of appreciation to — you guessed it — her brother Tom.

Family love was in one of the first sentences I heard that night as we walked into the living room for the first of our many chats. As I sat down in this beautiful rocking chair, Dot told me that their daughter had asked Dot’s brother to make it for her in honor of her 80th birthday.

Flo's Rocker
Dot’s Rocker, Made Just for Her by Her Brother

In an upstairs bedroom was this collection of photographs honoring Dot’s grandfather who served in the Civil War, her father who served in World War I, and two of her brothers who served in World War II.

Flo's Ancestors
Honoring the Veterans in Dot’s Family

The blessings of being with Tom and Dot were constant while we were there. We were amazed at how they exuded hospitality — and extended it. We didn’t want to be burdensome guests so we planned to stay with them for two nights and then go to the home of other friends for our last two nights in town. However, Tom and Dot invited us back for another afternoon and then joined us for an outing on yet another afternoon — both after we had planned to leave their house! That is what I call “being hospitable without complaint” (see 1 Peter 4:9).

I am looking forward to sharing with you a family portrait of our friends, Tom and Dot. While we were there, Ray told them, “You are interested and interesting.” I know you will agree.

So we Your people and the sheep of Your pasture
Will give thanks to You forever;
To all generations we will tell of Your praise.
Psalm 79:13

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