in Nanakuli with Pastor and Mrs. Farley. Pastor Farley is "turned on" for Jesus and his congregation follows his enthusiasm. The altar service was precious. It was thrilling to see so many families come forward to pray together.
the precious prayer time at the altars. Larry and Gloria prayed for each individual family. To God be the glory great things 
church several people hollered out, "Welcome Home!" That sure made us feel good. Ewa Beach was one of 
the first churches we ministered in when we came to Oahu, HI in 1990. When we walked in the church it seemed as though we were never gone. We were welcomed back with so much love. Their wonderful worship team joyfully sang songs that gave us a little bit of that feeling of what heaven will be like. Pastor Bob and Kathy have such loving hearts its easy to see why the congregation loves them so much. The altar was packed with those who 
responded that wanted a deeper walk with the Lord and also some first time decisions. Sunday night I spoke on prayer, answers to prayer and guilt-free praying. At the end of the service we called families to come forward so we could pray over them. It was a touching time.
come to the Hawaiian Islands to speak at a women's retreat for the Assemblies of God. As the director of women's ministries she invited me back several times throughout the years. God has richly blessed her ministry and our friendship. I've often wished I could do something special to bless her personally...and never really got it done. Then last Sunday, God took "my desire" and went far beyond anything I could have done! After we sang and ministered at the morning service and Larry gave the invitation to come to Christ, Kathy's mother and sister
stood up to give their hearts to Christ for the very first time. I looked over at Kathy and saw her wiping tears of joy and I realized that God had given her the true desire of her heart...the salvation of both her mother, 82 years old, and her sister. She had prayed for years and years and years for her mother. What a joy! Thank you Jesus...you gave what I couldn't...the gift of eternal life to her precious mother. "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above..." - James 1:17
On Tuesday, Feb. 5, it was our "Family Prayer Day". Friends from all over the U. S. sent in their prayer requests for their unsaved loved ones. Larry and I prayed over hundreds of names and families and we are now waiting for the victory reports of answers to our prayers. We also made many phone calls to pray for families. That was really a touching time.
I'm sure you will agree that the home, marriage and family are under attack. As you already know we have designated 2008 as the year of the return of the family. We're taking back our loved ones through prayer.
Let's keep the prayers going up and expect the answers to come down. If you can find a day to fast for a couple of meals for your loved ones I know that God will honor your sacrifice and prayers.
With Valentines Day around the corner I thought you would enjoy this...What love means to children 4-8 years old:
Rebecca age 8-When my grandmother got arthritis, she couldn't bend over and paint her toenails anymore. So my grandfather does it for her all the time, even when his hands got arthritis too. That's love!
Carl-age 5-Love is when a girl puts on perfume and a boy puts on shaving cologne and they go out and smell each other.
Chrissy-age6-Love is when you go out to eat and give somebody most of your french fries without making you give them any of theirs.
Terri-age 4-Love is what makes you smile when you're tired.
Danny-age 7-Love is when my mommy makes coffee for my daddy and she takes a sip before giving it to him to make sure the taste is okay.
Emily-age 8-Love is when you kiss all the time. Then you get tired of kissing, you still want to be together and talk more. My mommy and daddy are like that. They look gross when they kiss!
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Some Suggestions for Lenten fasting for you and me:
1. Fast from anger and hatred. Give your family an extra dose of love each day.
2. Fast from judging others. Before making any judgement, recall how Jesus overlooks our faults.
3. Fast from discouragement. Hold onto God's promise of a perfect plan for our lives. (Jeremiah 29:11)
4. Fast from complaining. When you find yourself about to complain, close your eyes and recall some of the little moments of joy Jesus has given you.
5. Fast from resentment or bitterness. Work on forgiving those who may have hurt you.
6. Fast from spending too much money. Try to reduce your spending by 10% and give these savings to the poor.
Cream of Broccoli Soup
1-10 oz. pkg. frozen broccoli 1tsp. Salt
3/4 chopped onion ½ tsp. pepper
1/3 cup butter ½ cup flour
2 cups milk 8 oz. mild Cheddar cheese
2 chicken bouillon cubes
Cook broccoli 10 minutes in 1 quart water, do not drain. Make white sauce with milk, flour and butter. Add onion, salt and pepper and stir into broccoli. Add cheese and bouillon cubes. Heat until cheese is well melted.
MN, at 9:00 AM. It was one of those mornings I did not want to get out of bed as it was 4 below zero outside, and there were two below cozy blankets (this would be Larry and me). We were at our daughter, LaDawn's, home when the alarm went off at about 6:00 AM. I peeked out the windows and the outside world appeared frozen...and it was! The thought of leaving a warm bed, and cozy house to go outdoors was at that moment undesirable.
This past Saturday we drove to the other side of the island to Rev. Janet Cordeiro's church in Waimanalo. We were greeted by Marilyn Ah Zat who assisted us in our set up for the upcoming Sunday service. Marilyn hugged me and said "Gloria, do you remember me? I was at the conference in 1990 in Kona and I asked you to pray with me for my unsaved husband. Then, in February 1994, you and Larry came to Waimanalo and sang and preached at our church. When Larry gave the invitation for those who would like to receive Christ into their hearts, my husband, Ernest responded. I was so thrilled, and I'm still thrilled!"
rdeiro and her congregation. She is such a precious woman of God. This past year she and a few members of her congregation have started a prison ministry and over 160 inmates have made commitments to Christ. They go back each week and do Bible studies with those who gave their hearts to C
hrist. That's what I call, "Getting ministry out of the four walls." Sometimes we are willingly confined within the churches four walls. We are content to come, receive, eat and go home to go about our own lives for another week. I believe what God really desires is for us to come to church, worship Him, get set spiritually, be discipled, and then mentored for the entire purpose of taking His Light to the workplace, prison, hospitals, or whatever doors God opens for us.
Greetings from Minneapolis, Minnesota! This month already reminds me of a speedometer on a car---each day is clicking away at an amazing speed. Nine days have already vanished! 
taking care of office needs in Sisseton. We are now feverishly preparing and packing for our next on the road tour. It has been great to be home, allowing us the opportunity to work out of our home office wading through the various piles of paperwork that seem to accumulate in our absence. But now...both of us are ready to hit the road! We are anxious to sing, preach, and see lives changed through the grace and power of God. 
before we knew it. It was action-packed and so much fun! Our daughter, LaShawn, and her husband, Liam, along with our son, Donovan, drove i
n from Nashville, TN. LaDawn and her children, Dante' and Myanna, drove in from Minneapolis. The house was alive with laughter, story-telling, game playing and of course, much eating! We were blessed to all be together for four days. The grandkids loved making Christmas cookies, and playing Monopoly, Sorry and Catch Phrase. Of course, they so enjoyed having Uncle Donovan, new Uncle 
Liam and Auntie LaShawn here. The weather was bitterly cold so as 
they say, "We hunkered down"... staying cozy inside our warm home and sharing memorable times together. I tried to cook everyone's favorite dishes and we enjoyed consuming every single calorie! HA! 
Grandma Julie, and three of my brothers and their families. It is always a joy to have Grandma (92 years old) with us. She is such a pillar of joy and strength to all. There were four generations represented at that Christmas celebration. 
fast. I just wanted to rewind the clock and relive those four glorious days, BUT...life goes on and as the old saying goes, "I owe, I owe so off to work I go!" Thus is the reality of life, we must all go back to work. We will savor all the hours and precious minutes of this Christmas through moments stamped in our memories and photos until we all meet again.
In a few short minutes, the ceremony began. Our son Donovan walked me up first and then Liam's father was ushered down to the sound of the bagpipes being played. Liam's family is from Irish decent. The bridesmaids and Myanna walked down to meet the groomsmen.
Everything was just so beautiful and memorable. We are so happy to have a son-in-law and we dearly love him.
message is that there is hope for a ruined humanity- hope of pardon, hope of peace with God, hope of glory- because at the Father's will Jesus Christ became poor, and was born in a stable so that thirty years later He might hang on the cross." 
to leave so Larry insisted I stay home and rest up as our daughter's wedding is December 9th, and we didn't want to jeopardize this event we have been anxiously awaiting. Larry and I have hosted tours for over 42 years and this is the first one I missed...so I guess my running record is still okay! HA! I sure hated being left behind however. 
morning and headed off. Guests joined us from Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas and Arizona. For many of them, this was a reunion tour as over 35 of them have gone with us before. After you have gone once, family bonds form and many desire to make it a tradition or annual event. 
The first stop was at the Bass Pro Shop in Springfield, Missouri, and they then journeyed on to Silver Dollar City in Branson. The next three days were filled with nonstop action and excitement consisting of attending Christmas shows including Baldknobbers, Pierce Arrow, Celebrate America, Daniel O'Donnell, and the tour climaxed with Dino's Christmas Extravaganza, America's premier pianist and showman. Sunday morning, the group met
in the hotel for a special church service with an hour of music, testimonies and a message by Larry. Sunday afternoon, the group motored to Carthage, MO, and visited the world-known Precious Moments Chapel. 
several cousins and other family members and friends. Of course, Connie had a delicious turkey and ham dinner with all the trimmings...and all the calories! That reminds me of a cartoon I saw a few days ago...Grandma is standing in the kitchen with her apron on preparing dishes for the big Thanksgiving meal and she says, "I love Thanksgiving, all the relatives come over-- we have four generations getting indigestion together." How true. Someone else said, "Thanksgiving is the home version of the 'all-you-can-eat buffet'." With Christmas coming up quickly, I'm sure it will be another repeat of that "all-you-can-eat buffet".
The Friday after Thanksgiving, the Christmas fun- or should I call it frenzy- shopping began. In Minneapolis, a few of the stores opened at 1 am Friday morning. Our daughter LaDawn had to be at work at 4 am, so she had to get up at 2:30 am to get ready to go. Needless to say that was an early morning start!
The season now is in full swing as everyone is preparing for Christmas. All of our calendars will be filled with parties, family gatherings, Christmas programs, shopping, etc. Each of us will come in contact with many, many people--saved and unsaved. It is our season, as Christians, to shine and let the world know where we stand. One simple way is by using two words - "Merry Christmas". Dozens of business and establishments forbid their employees to say these words, and inform them to greet customers by saying, "Happy Holidays" or "Season's Greetings". We all know the true meaning of Christmas- the birth of the Christ child. With those who are fighting to remove Christ out of Christmas, remove the manger scene and the tree, we need to take every advantage we have to keep Christ in Christmas. I would encourage you this season that when you meet others greet them, "Merry Christmas", and if they greet you with "Happy Holidays" quickly and kindly respond, "Oh, it's Merry Christmas- the season of celebrating Christ's birth...isn't that wonderful?" Be a light in this dimmed world- it needs it. Let's not lose Christmas.
The highlight of this past week was celebrating my mother's 92nd birthday. What a gift it has been to have her a part of my life for all of my 63 years. Monday night, about 25 family members gathered at "Mom's" for her birthday. We had planned on having a potluck meal but she loves pizza so we had a pizza party instead. Larry commented to me the next morning, "Gloria, your mom is the happiest when the family comes home. I watched the expression on her face when she heard the siblings, cousins and mates laughing and interacting. Her greatest joy is having the family together." Another observation he made was, "Your mom is so loved by everyone in the
family!" (There are now nearly 110 of us in the immediate family scattered from coast to coast.) My mom has a unique gift of loving each of us personally and equally. Also, she prays every day for each one individually. We all know her deep love for God and we all agree, "When Grandma Brooks prays, all heaven is at attention!" Her great faith in God has been instilled in each one of us and has left a great impact on our lives. 
After our meal, Larry pulled out the ol' family slide projector along with slides that Mom and he had taken over 40 plus years ago of all of us kids. You should have heard the laughter filling the house when those old photos hit the screen. Of course, each sibling took their opportunity to tease one another about their hairstyles, clothes, expressions, etc. It was a very rich time spent together...there is just nothing like family! 
Greetings from South Dakota! Last Thursday we were in Phoenix, Arizona where there were temperatures in the 90s! As we were sitting outside eating lunch with a friend who was going to take us to the airport, Larry and I, simultaneously looked at each other and whimpered, "Do we really want to leave this beautiful weather and head back to the Midwest?" Even if we had a choice, we still would've left. You see, we had three good reasons to fly to Minneapolis...our daughter LaDawn, our grandson Dante, and our granddaughter Myanna. Those three were enough incentive to get us on the move back to the Midwest. 
arrived at the Minneapolis International Airport. We shuffled through the ever long halls from one terminal to another. Larry chided, "Well you like to walk...this will definitely fit your quota for the day." It did, especially when we were loaded down with laptop computers and carry-on suitcases. We claimed our luggage - four HUGE suitcases- at the baggage claim and headed off to the curb. What a wake-up call when that 32 degree air hit our face! But what a joy to see that little white car of LaDawn's pull up to the curb. There's nothing sweeter than to be greeted by loved ones at the airport. 
Many responded to the altar call and made decisions for Christ. That's energy to Larry and me! When someone comes to Christ it's like a blood transfusion to us; it just gives us new life
and determination. We love seeing couples like Kelly and Becky McCoy who recomitted their lives to Christ at the Gothenburg rally. We thank God for pastor friends like Rev. Randy and Deb Dilts that have a burning desire to see their community reached with the Gospel. Rev. Randy Dilts commented, 
said unto me. "Let us go into the house of the Lord." Psalm 
Before we left North Platte, NE Larry insisted on going and seeing the train yards. LeRoy Black was so kind to take him out and see them as he is employed by Bailey Yards. It's the biggest train yard in the U.S. and the second largest train yard in the world. It has over 400 tracks by which approximately 175 tracks are for sorting and they travel to destinations all over the U.S. There are freight cars, box cars, tank cars, refrigeration cars, flat cars, auto rack cars, plus many more! Bailey employs about 3,500 people. Needless to say, Larry was mezmerized by the endless web of tracks that headed every direction. 
bliss" as they say. But, Jesus says in John 14:6, "I am the Way the Truth and the Life, no man cometh unto the Father, but by Me." You can't depend on the goodness car, the baptismal car, the confirmation car, the catechism car, church attendance car, tithing car, or the just believe car to get you to the right place. Jesus said that no man can come to the Father but through Him. We all have to aknowledge that we've sinned, confess our sins and believe in Jesus Christ. When you get connected to him by repentance and conversion and grow and mature in Him you can be assured you're on the right track going the right direction and ending up at the right destination, which is Heaven. 
Prayerfully, you are on the right track. If you're not sure you can pray right now and ask Jesus to come into your heart. He will meet you and He will give you the ticket to eternal life. That, my friend, is exciting! Have a great week!