Heath and Karen Neal
I first met Heath while I was doing something at the church. I had come downstairs and he was in the lobby of the old church office over at the chicken farm (which is what we at Southern Hills call our old building, since it was right beside a chicken farm, therefore, smelled like a chicken farm. Ha). He had a really nice sports coat on and he was getting ready to meet with the elders about a job. I looked at him and I remember saying, “Dude, you are way over-dressed for this position.” He just laughed and said, “Well I didn’t want to be underdressed.”
He got the job and because I had been involved in helping with Biblical counseling, I was immediately introduced to him. He and I started working really closely together and meeting regularly. I had heard good things about him and his family— about his past ministries on the mission field and with Christian Campus Fellowship at Auburn. Our discussions about the Lord and about helping people were just really good and really engaging and it’s been cool to watch what he has been able to do with the Biblical counseling at Southern Hills. It has just been a blessing to me to get to know him and his wife and to get to know their hearts. I learned that Karen’s family has quite the strawberry operation up in Tennessee. (Tasty side note: Their strawberry preserves are to die for.)
Just last year, I was trying to help his parents as they were relocating from Fayetteville, GA to Bremen, GA. Some really tough things happened and I saw Heath step up and be an amazing son to serve his parents. Just watching Heath lead his family blessed my heart. I won’t soon forget that. I feel like that is a God-honoring thing to do.
Heath and Karen, along with their three sweet, beautiful daughters, are just a really sweet family and I am honored to know them and be friends with them!
For these reasons and many more I would like to honor Heath and Karen Neal as my “Clients of the Month”!