(Pictured: My niece Kristen and husband Dylan and my granddaughter Melanie.)

Am I getting old, or what?

Last weekend Bill and I drove to Pray, Montana with daughter Rachel, son Jonathan, daughter-in-love Ashley, and granddaughter Melanie (2 1/2 years old) for my niece Kristen's wedding. We left Tulsa at 5:30 pm and arrived in Imperial, Nebraska (our home before Tulsa) at 3:00 am (our time), slept a few hours, spent the day with old friends, and left at 10:30 pm to drive all night to Montana (13 hours). Saturday was busy with family, rehearsal, and swimming. Sunday was more of the same with the wedding  at 6:00 Sunday evening in a beautiful grassy field below snow-capped mountains. We left at 10:30 pm, drove all night and arrived in Tulsa at 9:30 pm Monday evening - 22 hours straight! Today is Friday and I'm still tired!

I share those sordid details because the craziness of the weekend is important to my post today. After that marathon, exhausting (sometimes exhilarating) trip, we five adults are still speaking to each other and genuinely love each other. Jesus said, "This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you." (John 15:12) How did we do it? We prayed together before the trip began and we decided in advance that we would love each other during the trip and at it's end. We didn't always agree on where or when to stop; we were all unquestionably exhausted; three of us were sick at some portion of the trip. But we predetermined that we would love each other.

Is there someone in your life to whom you need to show the love of Jesus today? When you make that decision ahead of time you have won more than half the battle!

"I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you!"

I recently said those words to renowned speaker/author Cec Murphey (http://themanbehindthewords.com/) at the Advanced Writers and Speakers Association (AWSA) conference in Atlanta, Georgia. Cec unceasingly shares his blessings with others asking nothing in return, and graciously provided scholarships for me and several other AWSA members who would not have been able to attend without financial aid.

As soon as the words were out of my mouth, I thought of the impact you and can I have for eternity. How many people will say to us one day in heaven, "I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you. You told me about the free gift of eternal life through faith in Christ"?