In our society that so prizes independence, one does

well to hang onto friends. We've been hanging onto the Watsons for 19 years now. When we lived in West Palm Beach 13 years ago, we got to know them through a small group that met weekly, played together and vacationed together. Since moving to Georgia, we've started doing Thanksgiving as families.

Not only the adults, but the kids are best friends. It's been fun to watch Daniel turn into a worship leader like his mom. And the twins, Aaron and Alisha, who I used to take on mission trips, are now champion debaters.

We wake up to coffee and conversations in various corners of the house that extend into the afternoon and late into the night. Long-time friends like the Watsons give us a sense of perspective on who we are and who we're becoming. They help us remember what God has done in our lives.

And after all these years, when the guitars come out, it's as though our families were back in our West Palm Beach living room experiencing the unity we felt when we first began worshiping together.