We chose today to visit all our neighbors. It's our annual tradition here at Shiloh.  Doris carried the bag of individually wrapped homemade banana bread.  Princes Angle, age three, carried the bag of gospel tracts.  And Mama Alice carried herself.  

We started this tradition around ten years ago as a way of getting into the homes of our neighbors with the gospel.  And it works.  People who would never darken the door of any church welcome us when we show up.  They know we are the white neighbors that live in the "flower house", so named because of colorful bougainvillea that spill over our wall.  Some neighbors are stable.  They've been living in the neighborhood longer than we have.  Some are transient.  They rent the small studio apartments and little duplexes that are sprinkled everywhere in-between the large houses.  The old timers tell the new-bees who we are.  

We coached Princes Angle on the fine art of being polite prior to leaving Shiloh.  She practiced saying "Good morning!  Happy New Year!" and shaking our hands.  She took her job very seriously.  We found a gaggle of teenage girls (whom we have watched grow up over the years) sitting outside the first house, laughing, talking, giggling, and being very teenage-ish. Prince Angle broke away from us, strode up to the first teen, put out her hand and said "Good morning!  Happy New Year!" as big as you please.  After shaking the first hand, she quickly moved around the group, repeating her lines.  Everyone loved her!  She opened doors and hearts to our message of hope for the New Year.  Hope, peace, love, joy that is only found in a personal relationship with our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Happy New Year from Shiloh to you and yours.  May your new year be filled with an ever deepening relationship with the Altogether Lovely One.