Last weekend, we were blessed with the privilege of hosting a Family Encouragement Weekend Conference (FEW Conference) here in our area. A FEW  Conference is a time for imperfect families to  come together to be encouraged and inspired in their walk with the Lord and their relationships each other. In August of 2008, and then again in 2009, we were able to attend the first two conferences in  northern VA, and ever  since the first one, we had been praying about having one here in North Carolina. Finally, the right time came, we picked the date, and planning and preparations  began in late January.

As the date of the conference drew closer, it was simply remarkable to watch as the Lord lined up the details. First, when we  picked the date (March 27-28), He allowed the Wilkes and  Staddon families – our dear friends who helped us host it – to both have that weekend available! Then He miraculously provided the perfect facilities for it.  Throughout the entire process, we saw numerous  “little” miracles  as the Lord led and blessed the project: everything from guiding us to  the right theme song, to orchestrating exactly who He wanted us to invite, to providing the heart preparation that we

needed, to stretching the amount of tape that we used to roll the silverware! As we watched His plans unfold, we were amazed and excited to see how He brought the families together and worked in everyone’s hearts.

“God’s will, done  God’s way, will never lack God’s supply.”

The weekend finally arrived, and after much  enthusiastic preparation, everything was in order and the conference began. During the course of the weekend, we heard sessions on Why Encouragement is Vital, Marriage  Harmony, A Form of Godliness, Blessing Your Children, and Developing Character in Your Children. There  were also many testimonies from many young  people about how the Lord has been working in their lives, and in between times, we had encouraging fellowship with the attending families, group prayer  times, music, outside activities, and a few scrumptious meals. [Click here to listen to the messages and testimonies from the weekend.]

One of the most encouraging parts of the  conference  was simply hearing the hearts of the attending families and seeing  how God is working within them. Though we live in a society that is destitute of  the knowledge and fear of God, our  Heavenly Father is  still in control and continues to work amongst His people. “Behold, the LORD’S hand is not  shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear…” (Isaiah 59:1) How inspiring it was to  realize again that we are not alone in this battle; there are many who are still fighting and living faithfully for  the Lord. Because we all need to be reminded of this, we must be constantly encouraging each other in  the Lord our God (1 Samuel 30:6), being confident that “he which hath begun a good work in [us] will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.” (Philippians 1:6).

May we all continue in the things that we have learned, knowing that it will be worth it all when we see Jesus!!

 

*For more reviews and some great photos, visit the Hynes’, Wilkes’ (Part 1 & Part 2), and  Staddons’ blogs!