Nathan Neighbors
Follower of Christ, Husband, Father, & Youth Pastor
It seems like just yesterday I was starting this blog. It was on May 8, 2006 by the light of a desk lamp in a hospital room at Spartanburg Regional that this blog began. It was the night Ellis was born. Before the days of Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and a host of other options for sharing information – there was the “blog.” It seems like just the other day I was having to explain to students and other church members what a blog even was. These days people blog less and post more. But honestly, I miss the format of the blog. It truly has been the journal of our lives as a family in ministry these last seventeen years. This entry makes the 716th post in 17 years. I’ve blogged less in recent years, but I think it’s time to renew the journey of this blog and see where the next 17 years lead.
Tonight this photo was captured by a wonderful F1S staff photographer (Steve Camlin). In many ways, this photo sums up the very heart of what I have tried to teach my sons. I’ve tried to teach them to love God, love others and work hard. Tonight this photo ended up as the cover photo for the School District Facebook page. I love that it is Ellis with his teammates bowing in prayer at the end of their first home scrimmage. He’s played this game for four years and this is the last season. Ellis has worked his tail off and Ashley and I are so very proud of him. He is in the top 3% of his class, lead trumpet player in the band, center of the football team, javelin thrower on Track and Field, drummer for church, and follower of Jesus. Seventeen years ago as I started this blog sitting with Ashley and “baby Ellis” in that hospital room, we never would have fathomed where we are today. God is so good! We pray Ellis keeps his eyes on Jesus and finishes well.
Today we celebrated the Ebenezer Graduates in the Class of 2023. Congratulations to all of you! We’re praying for you as you step into the next chapter of your lives. May you make much of Jesus as you go.
Today is a day we have been praying for and concerned about since they day we learned of Ashley’s breast cancer back in November. Today is the day of her bi-lateral mastectomy. Today, Dr. Michael Orseck and Dr. Richar Orr will work as a team to remove all of her breast tissue and reconstruct her breasts using the flaps of her abdominal area. It’s a surgery that is expected to last over eight hours. Ashley is ready. She has been confident of this procedure from the day Dr. Amy Murrell suggested it. This path helps prevent her from the need of chemo, radiation hormone therapy and rids her body of breast cancer forever. The surgery will be followed by many weeks of recovery, a second surgery for revisions and then some minor cosmetic procedures to finish the process… but the cancer will be gone today! The Lord has been so good to us through this entire journey and we are very grateful for family, church family and the entire Florence community who has supported us in this process. We never thought cancer would hit our family, but through it all we are deeply grateful for good medical care and the hope of our Lord, Jesus Christ.
Nathan Neighbors 