{"id":302026,"date":"2010-05-03T11:00:00","date_gmt":"2010-05-03T15:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/%series%\/reaching-your-neighbors-through-hospital\/"},"modified":"2010-05-03T11:00:00","modified_gmt":"2010-05-03T15:00:00","slug":"reaching-your-neighbors-through-hospital","status":"publish","type":"podcast","link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/familylife-today\/reaching-your-neighbors-through-hospital\/","title":{"rendered":"Reaching Your Neighbors Through Hospital"},"content":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Perhaps evangelism is as easy as inviting your neighbor over for coffee.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":91,"featured_media":294104,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","inline_featured_image":false,"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","episode_type":"","audio_file":"https:\/\/web.familylifetoday.com\/fl2010-05-03.mp3","podmotor_file_id":"","podmotor_episode_id":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"00:","filesize":"22.56M","filesize_raw":"23660035","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":""},"categories":[2821],"tags":[4722,4818,4159],"podcast_series":[7724],"cwp_profile":[3423],"series":[2101],"class_list":["post-302026","podcast","type-podcast","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-reaching-out","tag-christianity","tag-evangelism","tag-gospel","podcast_series-entertaining-for-eternity","cwp_profile-nan-mccullough","series-familylife-today"],"acf":[],"episode_featured_image":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1001\/2024\/09\/FLT-Podcast-Cover-2-508x508-3.jpg?w=508","episode_player_image":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/1001\/2023\/02\/image-scaled.jpg","download_link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast-download\/302026\/reaching-your-neighbors-through-hospital","player_link":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast-player\/302026\/reaching-your-neighbors-through-hospital","audio_player":null,"episode_data":{"playerMode":"light","subscribeUrls":{"apple_podcasts":{"key":"apple_podcasts","url":"https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/familylife-today\/id212174303?mt=2&app=podcast","label":"Apple Podcasts","class":"apple_podcasts","icon":"apple-podcasts.png"},"google_podcasts":{"key":"google_podcasts","url":"","label":"Google Podcasts","class":"google_podcasts","icon":"google-podcasts.png"},"spotify":{"key":"spotify","url":"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/0j5UaKdQOHQCuo1bt0ebEm","label":"Spotify","class":"spotify","icon":"spotify.png"},"youtube":{"key":"youtube","url":"","label":"YouTube","class":"youtube","icon":"youtube.png"}},"rssFeedUrl":"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/feed\/podcast\/familylife-today","embedCode":"<blockquote class=\"wp-embedded-content\" data-secret=\"5loZKb1iTW\"><a href=\"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/familylife-today\/reaching-your-neighbors-through-hospital\/\">Reaching Your Neighbors Through Hospital<\/a><\/blockquote><iframe sandbox=\"allow-scripts\" security=\"restricted\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/podcast\/familylife-today\/reaching-your-neighbors-through-hospital\/embed\/#?secret=5loZKb1iTW\" width=\"500\" height=\"350\" title=\"&#8220;Reaching Your Neighbors Through Hospital&#8221; &#8212; FamilyLife\u00ae - A Cru Ministry\" data-secret=\"5loZKb1iTW\" frameborder=\"0\" marginwidth=\"0\" marginheight=\"0\" scrolling=\"no\" class=\"wp-embedded-content\"><\/iframe><script>\n\/*! This file is auto-generated *\/\n!function(d,l){\"use strict\";l.querySelector&&d.addEventListener&&\"undefined\"!=typeof URL&&(d.wp=d.wp||{},d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage||(d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage=function(e){var t=e.data;if((t||t.secret||t.message||t.value)&&!\/[^a-zA-Z0-9]\/.test(t.secret)){for(var s,r,n,a=l.querySelectorAll('iframe[data-secret=\"'+t.secret+'\"]'),o=l.querySelectorAll('blockquote[data-secret=\"'+t.secret+'\"]'),c=new RegExp(\"^https?:$\",\"i\"),i=0;i<o.length;i++)o[i].style.display=\"none\";for(i=0;i<a.length;i++)s=a[i],e.source===s.contentWindow&&(s.removeAttribute(\"style\"),\"height\"===t.message?(1e3<(r=parseInt(t.value,10))?r=1e3:~~r<200&&(r=200),s.height=r):\"link\"===t.message&&(r=new URL(s.getAttribute(\"src\")),n=new URL(t.value),c.test(n.protocol))&&n.host===r.host&&l.activeElement===s&&(d.top.location.href=t.value))}},d.addEventListener(\"message\",d.wp.receiveEmbedMessage,!1),l.addEventListener(\"DOMContentLoaded\",function(){for(var 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coffee.","meta_box":{"show_notes":"","transcript_url":"https:\/\/transcript.familylifetoday.com\/fl2010-05-03.pdf","transcript_content":"<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Nan:<\/strong><strong>\u00a0 <\/strong>It\u2019s not about what you have.\u00a0 It\u2019s more about being available to share what little you have no matter how simple it is.\u00a0 But, it\u2019s the heart attitude you have to want to, you have to want to be available to be used of the Lord, and I\u2019m telling you you\u2019re going to be blessed way more by the people that come into your home than they\u2019re even going to be blessed by you.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong>\u00a0 This is <em>FamilyLife Today<\/em> for Monday, May 3<sup>rd<\/sup>.\u00a0 Our host is the President of FamilyLife Dennis Rainey and I\u2019m Bob Lepine.\u00a0 We\u2019re going to talk today about the profound power of hospitality, and how God wants to use you to reach others.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tWelcome to <em>FamilyLife Today<\/em> thanks for joining us on the Monday edition.\u00a0 We\u2019re going to spend some time talking this week about how God can use you and your home\u2014whatever your home is:\u00a0 Whether it\u2019s an apartment, or a house or whatever.\u00a0 We\u2019re going to talk about how God can use that to have an impact in the lives of people you know, people who live around you, people from your work.\u00a0 We\u2019re going to talk about the whole subject of hospitality but you\u2019re over there waving a flag like you want to call a time out before we start today\u2019s program.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong>\u00a0 Well, I\u2019ll tell you what I\u2019m kind of like here.\u00a0 You know if you travel along the beltway they\u2019re always going through some construction there on the beltway, and you\u2019ve probably seen a worker holding up a sign that says slow down, or maybe there\u2019s construction work ahead?\u00a0 Well, I\u2019m holding up a sign, but my sign says I need your help!\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tYou know since 1992 we\u2019ve been here on <em>FamilyLife Today<\/em> helping you win in life\u2019s most important commitments:\u00a0 Your relationship with God, your spouse, and your family.\u00a0 We do that from a biblical perspective, and try to give you practical advice that comes solidly from scripture.\u00a0 But, to do that we need folks who donate to this ministry, and who stand alongside us so I\u2019m coming to you today because I need your help.\u00a0 Will you stand with us?\u00a0 When you give your gift is going to be matched dollar for dollar, and if you can give I want you to know I really appreciate you.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong>\u00a0 You can go to FamilyLifeToday.com to make your donation online or you can call 1-800-FL-TODAY to make a donation.\u00a0 As you mentioned this matching gift opportunity that has been made available to us during the month of May \u2013 it\u2019s a dollar for dollar match up to a little more than 300,000 dollars that\u2019s been given to us for the matching gift.\u00a0 You can go to FamilyLifeToday.com to donate, or call 1-800-FLTODAY and we do appreciate your support of this ministry and helping to keep us on the air on this station and the network of stations we\u2019re on all across the country.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tNow, I am actually pretty excited about what we\u2019re going to be talking about today because we\u2019re going to be combining spiritual stuff and food right?\u00a0 I mean does it get better than that?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t(laughter)\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>\u00a0<\/strong>\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong>\u00a0 You know I have to tell our listeners we had a staff meeting, and Bob got up and I asked him to share about what had happened at the conference that he\u2019d been speaking at.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong>\u00a0 This was back when I\u2019d spoken at Hershey, Pennsylvania back in the spring right?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong>\u00a0 Right!\u00a0 All Bob could talk about was the tour he got of Hersheys \u2013 how they make the chocolate chips, and kisses, and chunks.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong>\u00a0 Pretty interesting \u2013 I went to chocolate world, and I thought our staff would want to hear about my trip to chocolate world.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong>\u00a0 I had to stop him!\u00a0 I said, \u201cBob are you on the payroll for Hersheys\u2026\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong><strong>\u00a0 <\/strong>Or FamilyLife right?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong><strong>\u00a0 <\/strong>Yes, exactly!\u00a0 But, he finally got around to it, and you know what there was a lot of great things that happened at the Weekend to Remember \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong><strong>\u00a0 <\/strong>Once again you combine food and ministry and I\u2019m there.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong><strong>\u00a0 <\/strong>And, you attracted people!\u00a0 I mean it was magnetic.\u00a0 It didn\u2019t matter that it was Valentine\u2019s Day \u2013 that probably helped, but, anyway enough of this nonsense.\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tWe are going to talk about spiritual matters and food.\u00a0 We have well a very gifted professional to help us do that.\u00a0 Nan McCullough joins us on <em>FamilyLife Today<\/em>.\u00a0 Nan welcome to our broadcast.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Nan:<\/strong><strong>\u00a0 <\/strong>Well, thank you \u2013 I\u2019m glad to be here!\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong><strong>\u00a0 <\/strong>Nan is a fellow Campus Crusade for Christ staffer.\u00a0 It\u2019s not often I have the chance of interviewing someone who\u2019s been on staff longer than I have, but she joined in 1968 \u2013 am I right?\u00a0 She was only two years old when she joined but she\u2019s been on staff now for wow 42 years.\u00a0 Pretty cool \u2013 started out in the college campus in the northeast, and then moved to Washington, D.C. along with your husband Sam where you work in the Christian Embassy.\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI want you to share with our listeners a little about The Christian Embassy because this is really encouraging that this kind of ministry is occurring kind of underneath the radar.\u00a0 You really don\u2019t want to tell anybody so this is kind of big deal that we\u2019re talking about here on the radio.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Nan:<\/strong><strong>\u00a0 <\/strong>We like to stay under the radar.\u00a0 We don\u2019t usually do radio interviews about our ministry.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong><strong>\u00a0 <\/strong>You really do!\u00a0 Yes, but tell our listeners what\u2019s happening with The Christian Embassy in Washington, D.C.?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Nan:<\/strong><strong>\u00a0 <\/strong>Well, it\u2019s a ministry to the leaders of our nation, and we like to say it\u2019s a spiritual resource in the private lives of very public people.\u00a0 So, that\u2019s why we try to stay under the radar.\u00a0 But, our goal is to reach men and women who are significant leaders in our world today.\u00a0 If you change a leader you\u2019ll change the world.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong><strong>\u00a0 <\/strong>I had the opportunity a number of years ago \u2013 Nan called and asked if I\u2019d come up and speak to the Congressional wives on Capital Hill for a Bible study that you were hosting at the time.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong><strong>\u00a0 <\/strong>You know I\u2019d forgotten that you did that Bob!\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong><strong>\u00a0 <\/strong>Flew in, and had a delightful time talking to a room full of women that you had gathered there.\u00a0 It really is a significant ministry to folks who are in \u2013 you talk about a pressure cooker.\u00a0 This is a pressure cooker world these folks live in isn\u2019t it?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Nan:<\/strong><strong>\u00a0 <\/strong>Yes, it is.\u00a0 It really is!\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong><strong>\u00a0 <\/strong>And, I had the chance to speak well right off the Capital rotunda to a Bible study that was held with Congressional leaders, and also at The Pentagon.\u00a0 So, your ministry really is all over the hill, and again it\u2019s a very private matter but Nan we\u2019re just talking around friends right now.\u00a0 Give us some of the inside of what\u2019s happening behind the scenes:\u00a0 You can trust me fully.\u00a0 Go ahead share with me what\u2019s going on!\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t(laughter)\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Nan:<\/strong><strong>\u00a0 <\/strong>The Lord\u2019s at work Dennis.\u00a0 I assure you!\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t(laughter)\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong><strong>\u00a0 <\/strong>I knew that would be your answer.\u00a0 That\u2019s really been the key to their ministry \u2013 they don\u2019t talk about it.\u00a0 I just want you to know that you need to pray for ministries like The Christian Embassy because these are strategically placed ministries and people who are coming alongside those who need spiritual advice \u2013 need Godly counsel and it is happening.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong><strong>\u00a0 <\/strong>Well, and it occurs to me I just referred to it as a pressure cooker.\u00a0 I don\u2019t know why I have food so much on the brain but there I am talking about a cooking utensil as well.\u00a0 Maybe it\u2019s because of this book that you\u2019ve written called:\u00a0 <em>Entertaining for Eternity<\/em> which is not all about food but let\u2019s face it if you entertain and there\u2019s no food you haven\u2019t really entertained right?\u00a0 I mean am I right about that?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Nan:<\/strong><strong>\u00a0 <\/strong>Well, there\u2019s something about food that makes people relax and let their hair down and feel comfortable.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong><strong>\u00a0 <\/strong>Tell us about your own gift of hospitality.\u00a0 Did you grow up in a home that had a lot of hospitality?\u00a0 Where did you pick this up Nan?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Nan:<\/strong><strong>\u00a0 <\/strong>No, I don\u2019t have the gift of hospitality, and that\u2019s one message I want to get out is that you don\u2019t have to have the gift; you just have to be available.\u00a0 The home I grew up in was what I would call a nominal Christian home.\u00a0 You went to church because good people did \u2013 my Dad was a retired Army Colonel, and so my parents knew how to entertain, and to have people in, and to do it with style.\u00a0 Their goal was to impress.\u00a0 Come over and let me show you what a nice party I can put on.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tBut, then I met my husband whose parent\u2019s were what I call real life mud hut missionaries.\u00a0 His mother was a rural girl growing up with itinerant pastor for a father and you know in South Carolina.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong><strong>\u00a0 <\/strong>Now, wait a second they didn\u2019t live in a mud hut in South Carolina.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Nan:<\/strong><strong>\u00a0 <\/strong>No, that was in Bolivia!\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong><strong>\u00a0 <\/strong>But, they practiced hospitality as a couple?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Nan:<\/strong><strong>\u00a0 <\/strong>Wherever they were.\u00a0 And, when I first became aware of my mother-in-law and my father-in-law\u2019s hospitality \u2013 of course the first time I met them you know I came in and she dropped everything she was doing and rushed to the door like I was an old lost friend and hugged on me and said, \u201cOh my dear, I declare\u201d and started just loving on me and then we would go to raise our support in Crusade we go to churches and we speak, and I would run into people at conferences that knew Sam\u2019s mom and dad, and wherever I went they just raved about Joe and Elizabeth McCullough.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI thought well, what is it about this couple that wherever I go people rave about them?\u00a0 So, I began to observe them, and I began to observe her and how she operated in her home, and how her gracious southern hospitality was truly a ministry.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong><strong>\u00a0 <\/strong>So, what is hospitality?\u00a0 I mean we talk a lot about it, but what did you observe in her and what makes it so powerful?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Nan:<\/strong><strong>\u00a0 <\/strong>Well, too many times, and this is true in Washington people entertain, and when you come over everything\u2019s perfect and you feel a little on edge even.\u00a0 You wonder what fork to use and all of that.\u00a0 But, hospitality is where you walk into a home and you feel like part of the family right away \u2013 you feel loved on!\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong><strong>\u00a0 <\/strong>You\u2019re saying that when we had some friends over the other night for dinner with us and we watched a television program that we watch together as couples.\u00a0 I was cleaning out the ashes out of the fireplace when they were coming in the front door.\u00a0 So not having everything perfect is okay, and just to invite people in and say, \u201cYou\u2019re a part of our home for this evening \u2013 welcome.\u201d\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Nan:<\/strong><strong>\u00a0 <\/strong>It\u2019s like back last winter when Washington was socked in with a blizzard and three houses worth of neighbors were out digging themselves out and I turned to everybody and I said, \u201cWhat are you guys doing for dinner\u201d?\u00a0 They looked at me kind of blank, and I said, \u201cWell, I have a frozen lasagna in the freezer why don\u2019t you all come over for dinner\u201d?\u00a0 Again, they looked shocked but pretty quickly accepted the invitation and I left my shovel, and went in turned on the oven, and we had a snowed in party.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong><strong>\u00a0 <\/strong>Now, didn\u2019t you have to spend the rest of the afternoon getting the house straightened up and in order for the\u2026\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Nan:<\/strong><strong>\u00a0 <\/strong>No, I told them it was a come as you are party.\u00a0 Leave your boots at the door and just come with your snow clothes.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong><strong>\u00a0 <\/strong>But, you know there are some women who are listening who are thinking I could not just at the drop of a hat invite the neighbors over because our house is a mess.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong><strong>\u00a0 <\/strong>Well, there are some guys who are more nit picky about how the house looks.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong><strong>\u00a0 <\/strong>That may be \u2013 that\u2019s right!\u00a0 So, do we just need to get over that, or need to keep our houses ready on a moments notice?\u00a0 What do we do if we live comfortably but we\u2019re not comfortable with everybody else coming and see how comfortably we live?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Nan:<\/strong><strong>\u00a0 <\/strong>Well, it\u2019s a little bit of both.\u00a0 In my book I give a lot of practical hints on how you can you know live in a little more organized way and be ready for walk-in guests.\u00a0 But, no when you go running around like a chicken with your head cut off before your guests arrive they can tell that \u2013 you\u2019re uptight you know, you\u2019re not relaxed and they come in\u2026\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong><strong>\u00a0 <\/strong>Are you telling me that my neighbors who came over on another occasion knew that I had been vacuuming frantically?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong><strong>\u00a0 <\/strong>They could see it on your face!\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Nan:<\/strong><strong>\u00a0 <\/strong>They probably saw the vacuum marks in the carpet Dennis.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong><strong>\u00a0 <\/strong>Well, they actually saw me putting the vacuum cleaner away because this was right up to the brink of the whole deal.\u00a0 Now, I\u2019m giving our listeners kind of a bad opinion of my wife Barbara, she keeps a good house okay?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Nan:<\/strong><strong>\u00a0 <\/strong>No, but you\u2019re touching on something that\u2019s really important.\u00a0 Hospitality is not just for the woman to do, men need to be involved, and I couldn\u2019t do half of what I do if it weren\u2019t for my husband\u2019s help.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong><strong>\u00a0 <\/strong>We ought to make it clear here at the outset that when we\u2019re talking about entertaining and hospitality your whole objective here is to really embrace what the Bible sets up as a spiritual calling, and to help people understand this is a part of our evangelizing and discipling of the people God\u2019s put in our path right?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Nan:<\/strong><strong>\u00a0 <\/strong>Exactly.\u00a0 We wonder how this little band of Christian\u2019s turned The Roman Empire upside down.\u00a0 It was in small groups in homes.\u00a0 They were kicked out of the synagogue, they didn\u2019t have the mega church with all of its programs and slick things to invite your friends to \u2013 they only had their homes, and they used them.\u00a0 People marveled at their love for one another, and how they shared and cared, and that\u2019s what turned Rome upside down.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong><strong>\u00a0 <\/strong>You know you said that it was your mother-in-law who really modeled this for you, that it wasn\u2019t something you saw in your own home but again I\u2019m just thinking you just seem like one of those kind of people \u2013 one of those hospitable, outgoing, engaging, relational kinds of people.\u00a0 Yet, when you first got married you didn\u2019t have a house to invite people over to did you?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Nan:<\/strong><strong>\u00a0 <\/strong>Oh no, I didn\u2019t.\u00a0 No we came on staff with Campus Crusade for Christ and lived in a little one bedroom apartment over near The University of Maryland and we would drive to campus past what I would call these little cracker box houses.\u00a0 They\u2019re little starter houses.\u00a0 I said to my husband, \u201cI don\u2019t want to raise my kids in an apartment, I want a home \u2013 I want to be able to have a swing set, and a puppy, and whatnot.\u201d\u00a0 And, I can still see him driving to The University of Maryland \u2013 he says, \u201cAs long as we\u2019re in Christian work we\u2019ll never own a home.\u201d\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI was learning about answered prayer, and one of the qualities of answered prayer is faith, and that we have to believe God for something.\u00a0 So, I said, \u201cWell, I\u2019m going to start praying and asking God to give me a home.\u201d\u00a0 And he had that look on his face \u201cWell, I don\u2019t think it will ever happen as long as we\u2019re on staff\u201d \u2013 you know!\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tSo, I just did a shut up and pray deal with the Lord, and I told Him if you give me a home I\u2019ll give it back to you, and I\u2019ll fill it with your people and I\u2019ll use it for you.\u00a0 So about three years later we were at The University of Buffalo at that time God miraculously provided that first little home.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tWe had college students in it the day we moved in, and I found out later the neighbors thought it was a hippie commune.\u00a0 I\u2019ve kept my part of the deal and God\u2019s kept His part of the deal.\u00a0 Every time He ups the ante I have more people in.\u00a0 Now the kids are gone \u2013 we\u2019re empty nesters and I tell my friends \u2013 I told the gals last night at FamilyLife we keep the sheets on the bed just give us a call, and you can spend the night.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong><strong>\u00a0 <\/strong>So, if I were to come by your house and just drop in on any given evening is it likely there\u2019d be somebody over there?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Nan:<\/strong><strong>\u00a0 <\/strong>Probably!\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t(laughter)\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong><strong>\u00a0 <\/strong>Really you do that much entertaining?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Nan:<\/strong><strong>\u00a0 <\/strong>We have our nights off.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong><strong>\u00a0 <\/strong>But, most of the time you\u2019re on duty you are engaging folks.\u00a0 By the way we\u2019ll be offering the McCullough\u2019s phone number and address at the end of today\u2019s program\u2026\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t(laughter)\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong><strong>\u00a0 <\/strong>That\u2019s right you know there\u2019s some really\u2026 Smithsonian, Air and Space Museum, I mean\u2026\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong><strong>\u00a0 <\/strong>We can get you fixed up \u2013 you\u2019ll have all the hospitality\u2026\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Nan:<\/strong><strong>\u00a0 <\/strong>I\u2019m doing fine on my own \u2013 thanks Bob!\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong><strong>\u00a0 <\/strong>It truly is a Bed and Breakfast.\u00a0 It\u2019s a great location.\u00a0 Haven\u2019t been there myself but I\u2019m sure it\u2019s quality accommodations.\u00a0 You know I\u2019m just picturing a listener right now maybe a young mom who\u2019s starting out her married life together or a couple as they\u2019re thinking about hospitality \u2013 they\u2019ve been burdened by this, they want to do more of it.\u00a0 Give us just one, two, three tips just about where you should start, how you should engage around this if you want to get started in becoming a little more self-motivated around hospitality?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Nan:<\/strong><strong>\u00a0 <\/strong>Well, it\u2019s mainly your attitude, and your approach to the home.\u00a0 Is it a trophy or is it a tool?\u00a0 Are you available to be used by the Lord?\u00a0 I\u2019ll tell you a story about riding over here with one of the gal\u2019s that works at FamilyLife.\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tShe said, \u201cNan I didn\u2019t tell you this but when I first came to Little Rock I came because my boyfriend wanted me to come here.\u00a0 I got here he broke up with me and I had no job.\u00a0 I was rooming in some rooming house, and I didn\u2019t have any money.\u00a0 I was walking around the mall, and I ran into somebody I\u2019d met through a friend of a friend from another state, and I said, \u201cHi, do you remember me\u201d?\u00a0 The gal said, \u201cI\u2019m not so sure.\u201dThen they talked a minute and she said, \u201cOh yes, I remember you.\u201d\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tThe woman invited her over for dinner.\u00a0 Now, this gal did not know the Lord.\u00a0 This was a totally secular person and this Christian in the mall who had only met her once casually through a friend of a friend invited her over for dinner.\u00a0 Well, that spoke volumes.\u00a0 She went over and she said, \u201cIt was a young couple with a little baby.\u00a0 They were just getting started.\u00a0 The house was a mess and they did not have a lot of things but they just loved on her.\u201d\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tThen at the end of the evening they said, \u201cWould you go to church with us\u201d?\u00a0 She went to church with them, and the long story made short gave her life to the Lord, and is now in full-time Christian work with FamilyLife, and it started with you know\u2026\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong><strong>\u00a0 <\/strong>With hospitality!\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Nan:<\/strong><strong>\u00a0 <\/strong>Yes, and a simple hospitality.\u00a0 Now, the book has a lot of how-to\u2019s for young women to help them get their ducks in a row but it\u2019s the heart attitude \u2013 you have to want to!\u00a0\u00a0 You have to want to be available to be used of the Lord.\u00a0 I\u2019m telling you, you\u2019re going to be blessed way more by the people that come into your home than they\u2019re even going to be blessed by you. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong><strong>\u00a0 <\/strong>I want to go back to my neighbors that we invited over for dinner.\u00a0 I decided not just because I interview people for a living here on <em>FamilyLife Today <\/em>but I decided we\u2019d find out their story over dinner.\u00a0 So, I fixed them my famous blackened salmon, had a little asparagus off to the side, nice little French bread.\u00a0 Bob\u2019s nodding his head because we\u2019re talking his turkey now.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong><strong>\u00a0 <\/strong>It\u2019s good stuff!\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong><strong>\u00a0 <\/strong>It\u2019s good stuff!\u00a0 I have a couple of meals \u2013 not many but I have a couple that I can do that, and so I prepared that for our neighbors.\u00a0 Then I began to ask them to unpack the story of their lives, and you know they have a really interesting background.\u00a0 By the time we finished the evening it was like a lot of things are explained here.\u00a0 They are who they are because of where they\u2019ve come from, what they\u2019ve experienced, who they are as individuals today.\u00a0 It really helped us to develop a relationship with them.\u00a0 I\u2019ve sensed a real fresh warmness in terms from a neighboring standpoint just saying hi to them.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Nan:<\/strong><strong>\u00a0 <\/strong>Because you listened \u2013 you cared!\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Dennis:<\/strong><strong>\u00a0 <\/strong>Yes, and I mean we didn\u2019t tell our story but we heard theirs.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Nan:<\/strong><strong>\u00a0 <\/strong>No, you don\u2019t want to tell your story to start with \u2013 you want to listen, listen, listen, and they\u2019re going to say\u2014the people around your dinner table or whatever - you\u2019re doing a cup of tea at the kitchen counter \u2013 they\u2019re going to say some outrageous things they believe.\u00a0 Don\u2019t correct them.\u00a0 Listen, just let them dump it all out, and go home, and pray about it and then you know what\u2019s happening as they\u2019re driving home they\u2019re thinking gee that was weird what I said to her but she really cared.\u00a0 Then they start thinking why I did all the talking I don\u2019t know what she believes?\u00a0 The next time she\u2019s over for a cup of coffee she\u2019s going to say now what about you, what do you believe?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong><strong>\u00a0 <\/strong>So, don\u2019t fix them the first night! \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Nan:<\/strong><strong>\u00a0 <\/strong>No, no, no!\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<strong>Bob:<\/strong><strong>\u00a0 <\/strong>Yes \u2013 yes!\u00a0 You know I think for a lot of folks there\u2019s just an intimidation factor.\u00a0 We just lack confidence when it comes to what we\u2019ve been talking about here.\u00a0 That\u2019s why I think what you\u2019ve done in your book is to provide some real confidence boosting for a lot of women.\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tThe book is called:\u00a0 <em>Entertaining for Eternity With Heavenly Hospitality, <\/em>and it\u2019s a beautiful book.\u00a0 It\u2019s four color on every page, there are recipes in the back of the book that you can throw together quickly if you have folks coming over, and I noticed that you received an endorsement for your book from the former first lady of Arkansas Janet Huckabee who said that she\u2019s watched you guide first ladies through the wonderful world of entertaining at some of the events that you\u2019ve done for the Governor\u2019s wives in Washington, D.C.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tIf our listeners are interested in seeing a copy of the book they can go online at FamilyLifeToday.com and you can order the book from us on-line too.\u00a0 Again the website FamilyLifeToday.com \u2013 you can also call 1-800-FLTODAY.\u00a0 \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tThis is a book that will give you some creative ideas and some positive encouragement for engaging in this spiritual mission.\u00a0 I think you\u2019ll find it\u2019s a whole lot of fun in the process.\u00a0 Again the title of the book <em>Entertaining for Eternity With Heavenly Hospitality<\/em>.\u00a0 Go to FamilyLifeToday.com for more information about how to order or call us at 1-800-FL-TODAY.\u00a0 That\u2019s 1-800-358-6329 \u2013 1-800 F as in \u201cfamily\u201d L as in \u201clife\u201d, and then the word TODAY.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tAnd quickly let me remind you what Dennis shared at the beginning of today\u2019s program.\u00a0 We have a matching gift opportunity that has been made available to us here during the month of May, and we are hoping that if you\u2019re a regular <em>FamilyLife Today <\/em>listener \u2013 if you tune in two or three times a week, or maybe it\u2019s just two or three times a month we\u2019re hoping that if the program is making a difference in your life, and in your marriage you will consider making a donation this month to help support the ministry of <em>FamilyLife Today.<\/em>\u00a0 If you do, that donation is going to be doubled on a dollar for dollar basis up to a total of now more than $300,000 dollars that has been given to our matching gift fund from friends of the ministry.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tSo, can we ask you to go to FamilyLifeToday.com and make a donation on-line or to call 1-800-FL-TODAY.\u00a0 When you do your donation is going to be matched dollar for dollar.\u00a0 We hope to take full advantage of this special matching gift fund we\u2019ve received this month \u2013 to do that we need to hear from you.\u00a0 Again our website is FamilyLifeToday.com.\u00a0 You can also call 1-800-FLTODAY to make a donation, and to help us take advantage of this matching gift.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tNow, we hope you\u2019ll be back with us tomorrow when Nan McCullough\u2019s going to join us again, and we\u2019re going to talk more about how we can open our hearts, and our homes with hospitality, and see how God uses that in people\u2019s lives.\u00a0 I hope you\u2019ll be here for that!\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tI want to thank our engineer today Keith Lynch and our entire broadcast production team on behalf of our host Dennis Rainey I\u2019m Bob Lepine.\u00a0 We will see you back next time for another edition of <em>FamilyLife Today<\/em>.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\t<em>FamilyLife Today<\/em> is a production of FamilyLife of Little Rock, Arkansas. \n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tHelp for today.\u00a0 Hope for tomorrow.\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tWe are so happy to provide these transcripts for you. However, there is a cost to transcribe, create, and produce them for our website. If you've benefited from the broadcast transcripts, would you consider <a href=\"http:\/\/wp-stage.familylife.com\/www\/donate\">donating today<\/a> to help defray the costs?\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t<p>\n\t\t\t\tCopyright \u00a9 FamilyLife. 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