I’m STILL full from Sunday. Italian food has a way of doing that… and yet we always go back for more! If you were able to make it, you enjoyed all of the pastas, lasagnas, salads, meats, breads and desserts there were to offer! It seems that as our class grows, so does the variety of food!

But more importantly, Wellum’s Couples spent some quality time fellowshipping, laughing together, and investing in each others lives just a little bit more. And it’s all just a small part… a small, but integral part of God’s design for His church. If you’re new to the class, welcome! We do this a few times a year, and we’re looking forward to the next classwide Sunday lunch!

Twas just weeks before Christmas
And all through the house
Every person was stirring
About with their spouse

Each couple provided
Their favorite dishes
And many discovered
Next year’s menu-wishes

The Wellums, as always
Hospitable hosts
To them we all offered
The most thankful of toasts

In weeks, they’ll be flying
On a plane they will be
Piloted by our very
Own Robert P.!

“Dirty Santa” was filthy
(According to Ryan)
The gifts were original
‘Cept returned Benny Hinn!

Surrounded by friends
God’s blessed us beyond sight
Merry Christmas to all
And to all, a good night!

~ Travis the Abraham

[Double Click on slide show or go here for our google photo gallery]

Barbeque, Bocce (pronounced: “botch-ee”) Ball, Babies, and
Boywastheweathernice! (Something else had to start with “B”…) You
could find all of these - and more! - at our Class-wide lunch this
past Sunday.

Outside it was balmy and breezy, with blue skies (yes, more “b”s),
probably in the mid-70s, and we couldn’t have asked for better
weather! Thanks to Rebecca Mathis for pulling it all together! Lunch
was great, and we topped it off with a fun game of Bocce Ball, a game
originating all the way from Italy, introduced to us by Ryan Bishop.
Everyone wanted to play, so it was a good thing the Rues had an extra
set of bocce balls in the trunk of their car!

Enjoy the pictures. Most of them are courtesy of Jenay Willem, who
took over the camera early in the day. Excellent pictures, from a
fresh (or at least shorter) perspective! Stop by the wellumscouples Flickr page for digital copies of photos from the meal

Another school year has begun, and for the Wellum’s Couples class, it kicked off with a bang. “Monkeybar Golf” and “Four on the Couch” were a hit; so was the abundance of food. True to form, the class had a great time of fellowship with new faces mingling in with those who have been around a while. Take a moment to enjoy the pictures! (If you have any of your own to submit, email them to travisabraham@gmail.com.)

John Mark “Grilling Machine” Hutcheson cooks up a mean hamburger. And the best wurst ever. Actually, there was quite an amazing array of food provided by the hosts, their neighbors, and ravenously hungry attendees.

But the best part was the company. Our host and hostess, John Mark and Karen, did an amazing job. It just might be their calling in life. (In retrospect, they must have talked to God about the weather, because it was a sunny, breezy 75* outside.) Not only was the setup comfortable and inviting, allowing for all sorts of good, fun conversation, but the swimming pool was calling our name the whole time.

For those who were able to attend, the fellowship was sweet. There truly is nothing like friendships with fellow believers. Nowhere else can we find such encouragement, blessing, and sincere love for one another.

Every so often, one of the couples from our class shares their testimony. This week, Ryan and Emily Perz shared the story of where they’re from, how they met, a bit about their family, and their passion for doing the work of their Father. It was encouraging to hear them tell about the foundations upon which they built their marriage, and great for us to see them living out their calling with their son Elijah.

Like any self-respecting Southern Baptists, we know how to party! Check out the spread! There were sandwiches galore, a killer stew, salads and fruits, and of course, plenty of dessert! If you missed it… well… you missed it!

Not only was the food delicious, but the fellowship time was especially sweet, as you can see in the pictures. Unfortunately, pictures don’t do it justice. The room smelled great (partially due to the simmering stew), and sounds of laughter and animated conversation filled the room, accented by the periodic shrieks of joy by the kiddos running around the room.

For more, click on the pictures (and read the captions)… Better yet, come to the next meal!