Greetings from Sisseton, South Dakota! Brrrr! With this early onset and blast of winter, I've been telling Larry every day that I'm so happy we are not fighting this weather on the road in some mountain area or other dangerous venture.  After a long year, it's nice to be in our cozy warm house and have the opportunity to work out of our Home Office.  Here is the article Larry wrote for this month, as well as a quick note of thanksgiving:

Let Me Be Thankful First….

What if there was not a Thanksgiving? What if a day of the year wasn't designated to it? For Americans, there is a tradition of observing Thanksgiving Day each November. It's promoted as a National Holiday and happily so - but it makes me wonder, if there wasn't a holiday, how much giving of thanks would there be?

Gloria often prays, "God, thank you for the bad things that never happened today that we'll never know about until we get to Heaven."

How often has God intervened at a moment to protect us from an accident, storm, fire, tornado, or some other crisis? I believe there were many times we were delayed for some reason, and only God knows what that reason was…and we benefit. The famous bible scholar Michael Henry was once accosted by thieves and robbed of his wallet. He wrote these words in his diary:

"Let me be thankful first because I was never robbed before; second, although they took my wallet, they did not take my life; third, because although they took my all, it was not much; and fourth, because it was I who was robbed, not I who robbed." 

What a great attitude of thanksgiving! We can always find something to be thankful for. Recently, Gloria and I encountered a couple taking a vacation by Amtrak train. Frustrated she complained, "When we left Nevada, the engine on the train caught fire. We had to go back and get another engine and were delayed a few hours. Heading off again for California, we almost hit a man walking on the train tracks, and we had to stop, so we were delayed again. We were so frustrated until we got the breaking news that the earthquake hit Napa Valley, which was our destination."  She smiled thoughtfully, "You know what, I guess if it hadn't been for the fire in the engine, and the man on the tracks that delayed us, we well could have been in that earthquake and only God knows if we would have wrecked. So I guess it turned out for good."

If we really would take the time to think and thank God for all He has protected us from, and all that He has given us, we'd all have a more grateful and thankful heart and appreciation for God. Our mailbox is filled with letters of gratefulness sharing what God had done - provided for them, protected them, healed them.  Even more touching, are the grateful hearts that are thanking God for bringing them through the tests and trials, loss of finances, loss of mate or child - they have found that God is truly sufficient and will be there for and with them. God inhabits the praises of thanks from His people.

Larry and I are always grateful, but during Thanksgiving week especially, we are reminded of God's faithfulness and blessings to us. We are so thankful that we were called to evangelism and have invested 49 years in ministry (we don't "spend it" on the road we invest it on the road).  We're thankful for all the lives that have been changed, and for all our friends, families and partners who have prayed for us and supported us, sending us to reach the lost. Thank you, thank you! 

We pray that you have a wonderful thanksgiving this week with your friends and family. Take the time to appreciate them. Life is uncertain and you never know when you will have the opportunity again.

Larry and I plan to spend Thanksgiving with my mom and family.  She turned 99 last week and we are so grateful to be spending another holiday together!  Have a great week - don't eat too much, ha! Go for it!

Gloria