Stelzl Family

Back in March of this year, Hannah and I left for our 3rd Journey to the Heart…and to be sure, we came home with more than a few “sisters” to keep up with! The bonding that takes place between like-minded believers at a place like Journey, over the length of 10 adventure-packed days, is an incredible experience that you don’t just throw away the day after you come home

On Saturday, we were blessed to be able to drive about an hour and a half to Columbia, SC, where we met up with the the Adams family from Evans, GA. Hannah and I met Madelyn and Abigail at Journey and visited their home shortly after, for the celebration of Madelyn’s birthday. This time we met up at the Cracker Barrel for Abigail’s birthday, about halfway between our homes! We had NO idea what an exciting time lay in store for our celebration together.

How do you describe the sweetness of fellowshipping with like-minded believers in the Lord? How do you write about the memories that were made, the smiles that passed between us, and the little moments that made our short time together a VERY special time? While we laughed and talked, and shared updates about our Journey friends, we couldn’t help but notice the thunder and rain outside the windows. (Probably because the lights flickered a few times). Just as our meal arrived, the power went out. When we waited for it to come back on and it didn’t, we all started laughing. Our waitress ran around lighting the lanterns on every table, and soon the entire restaurant was filled with flickering lights from every corner. It was a rather awkward experience, because I couldn’t tell one thing from another on my plate…or rather, should I say, I was having difficulty seeing my food! People cleared out pretty fast and soon we were practically the only ones left there!  A few waiters were playing checkers nearby, and others were standing around talking… a very unusual situation It felt strange to sing happy birthday, eat cake, and watch Abigail open her presents…all in the dark!

It’s strange how the little things that happen in life can mean so much! Sometimes they are the difference between having a good time and having a GREAT time together! It was hard to say goodbye…but that means that next time will be even better! We are so thankful for the Adams family, and their faithfulness to God! They have been such an incredible blessing to our family, and we await with great expectation the time when our paths will cross again!

On the way home we passed a billboard for the Cracker Barrel…it said, “Dinner by Candle light.” :-) (Do you suppose they meant that the way it sometimes happens?)

Tags: Birthday Parties, Cracker Barrel, Rain, The Adams Family

This entry was posted on Monday, June 28th, 2010 at 10:05 am and is filed under Family Fun, Friends & Fellowship. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.