Fifty years ordination celebration, blizzards and Easter!

Hello! What a whirlwind week Larry and I have had. We boarded a flight from Nashville to Rapid City, South Dakota on April 5th and it was sunshine, green grass and flowers when we left.

 

It was also beautiful in Rapid City where we were welcomed by 50 degree weather and sunshine for TWO DAYS. 

 

Our reason for going to Rapid City was that Larry was recognized and honored for 50 years of ordination with the Assemblies of God at Rapid City First Assembly of God.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pastor Steven Schaible (District Superintendent of South Dakota A/G) prayed the blessing over him, and then us together. It's mind-blowing to know that we were there 50 years ago for Larry's ordination and never even dreamt we'd be back 50 years later to the same place – but there we were. What a special joy and privilege to be called to reach the Lost. It's truly humbling.

 

 

After the celebration that evening on the 9th, the dreaded blizzard, slipped in and dumped nearly 20 inches of snow, plus wind, ice and temps down to just above zero. The interstate was closed and our original flight was cancelled so we rescheduled for Friday. That was cancelled and we tried to re-book again and due to the still raging blizzard, no flights were going in or out. Then they hit us with the news that the first flight out of Rapid City would be on Sunday due to the back up of hundreds of flights that were cancelled coming in and out. We were just told "no seats available going anywhere until Sunday." Ugh. So, we found a reasonable hotel, set up our office and decided we were going to rest and work. It worked out good!

 

Thank God, we flew back into Nashville yesterday and are happily safe back home again. We call our home our "happy place".

 

 

As Good Friday and Easter are approaching, I'm reminded of our newsletter article:

 

 

I am just sitting here thinking back…way back…to the mid 70s when Larry and I hosted the first of our 18 tours to Israel. At that time, Israel still was somewhat primitive and conventional, but it has now been modernized with towering hotels, fancy restaurants, superhighways, exclusive gift shops and state of the art technology. What a change!

 

I remember our first trip walking through the Old City. It was like going back 2,000 years to the ancient times of the Bible. All of the Bible stories that we read as children came alive as we visited Bethlehem, Nazareth, Jericho, the Dead Sea, and the Sea of Galilee just to name a few of the destinations. What an experience! Day by day, each place we visited, the Bible came alive, the songs we grew up singing came alive, my faith came alive.

 

For me the most captivating experience was visiting the presumed Garden Tomb where Jesus was thought to have been buried. I will never forget walking through that little doorway, looking to the right to peer into the cold dark tomb and seeing it empty. I was literally moved to tears.

 

It was again, another confirmation, "He is not here. He has risen." Seeing it with my very own eyes, the realization hit me again. The tomb was empty!

 

This very fact brought hope, exciting hope, to all believers that Jesus left, He rose from the dead, but more thrilling is the knowledge that He is coming back to take us home to be with Him. The empty tomb brought triumph! The empty tomb meant no longer does the stench or sting of death dominate, but rather promises life and hope beyond these days in which we live. It was almost like someone had put a note on the tomb that read, "I'll be back soon."

 

My friend, I cannot fully put into words what seeing the tomb empty secured in my soul, but after seeing it, I felt the weight of the promise and the genuine excitement that He is coming back for those who love Him, repent of their sins, and receive Him into his/her life. We then receive the greatest gift of spending all eternity with Him. 

 

Through the years, I have talked to many people who have had near death experiences. I love to hear the stories that tell what happened before their earthly departure. My oldest brother, Jake, was dying of cancer and we were able to be at the hospital the last few days of his life. During these times, his wife requested that we sing the old hymns to him as he loved the old happy Gospel songs that he remembered as a young man. Jake was drifting in and out of consciousness. I prayed that before he died, he would hear the angels singing and inviting him home. Nearing death, we were standing by his bed. I was rubbing his shoulders and forehead as he lay there unresponsive when all of a sudden, he jolted, opened his eyes bright, turned his head towards me and with a look of awe in his eyes plainly said, "Do you hear it? Do you hear it?" I leaned down to him and asked him, "What do you hear, Jake?" He smiled and answered, "Music…heavenly music…can you hear it?" He then closed his eyes in peace. He didn't pass away for another day or two but God had answered my prayer.

 

A few days ago, I was visiting with a woman that I had met at a clinic. Our conversation led us to the subject of our mothers and how blessed we were to have them in our lives for so long with my mom living to be over 100 and her mom living to 89 years old. She then shared with me that her mom was a Christian and had been legally and completely blind for many years; consequently, she never had the privilege of seeing the faces of her grandchildren and great grandchildren, but she would take her hands and gently feel their faces. The lady continued with an incredible story, "Six hours before my mom died, God gave her sight. She was able to see every grandchild and greatgrandchild for the first time. The room exploded with joy!" She further explained, "After my mom saw everyone, greeted them and hugged them, she smiled, closed her eyes and went home to heaven." Tearfully, her daughter finished, "Those were the most miraculous six hours I have ever experienced."

 

Just talking about this makes me homesick for heaven. This is the true meaning of Easter and the resurrection… HOPE BEYOND THE GRAVE! We, too, can have that hope if we receive Him as our Lord and Savior. What an incredible, indescribable, inexpressible gift!

 

"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!  According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ." 1 Peter 1:3-6

 

 

Gloria

 

RECIPE

 

Graham Cracker Cookies

2 cups sugar

2 squares chocolate

1 cup cream

3 cups crushed graham crackers

22 marshmallows

Nuts (optional)

 

Boil sugar, chocolate and cream  to soft ball stage and cool 1 minute. Add graham crackers, marshmallows and a few nuts. Mix and spoon out on wax paper.

 

Snowy update and on the road memories...

March has arrived! Our home office in Sisseton, SD has been bombarded with nearly 70" of snow this winter season. Just the other day, they were experiencing -41 degree wind chill. 

 

Here in Tennessee, we are experiencing flooding. The devastation is unbelievable and recently, tornadoes have hit the South.

 

Our hearts are heavy for those that are facing hardship. Our home, as well as the homes of our children are located in higher areas for which we are grateful.

 

 

 

 

One of the children of one of our office staff - enjoying the almost 70" of snow!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Truly, in these days of crisis and chaos, it is so important to keep our focus on all we have to be thankful for an on the One to whom we give thanks!

 

 

My article in our March newsletter echoes this same sentiment:

 

 

Throughout the years and many miles travelled over the roadways, I've been asked how I ventured into writing. Well, here it goes and only one word is required to answer this question completely— OBEDIENCE!

 

Back in 1976, God began nudging me to write. You have to understand, I didn't care to write, even one bit, so I didn't want that idea to gain any traction and nestle in. I tried with great passion to convince God that I'm not a writer nor do I enjoy it nor do I want to!

 

Let me go back a little further to the beginning. It was February/ March of 1976 that God began to put pressure on me, "I want you to write." As you can tell, there were a couple of years of me dragging my heels. It is now 1978, and we were in Colorado taping a Lundstrom TV Christmas Special. The exhaustion, fatigue, wear and tear were taking their toll, as for several days, we were up at 5 AM or earlier and working until midnight in frigid subzero temperatures. LaShawn and LaDawn were nine and five at that time; I had to get them up, dress them in their TV clothes, style their hair and attempt to keep them upbeat throughout the grueling hours of taping.

 

The most challenging part though was at the same time caring for our son, Donovan,

who was 11 months at the time, and he began to have a series of seizures. The pressure of the road progressed and the concern for our son along with everything else left me distressed and fearful of the "what if 's." I would sit by his crib all night to make sure he was still breathing and okay. One night a seizure became so violent, the hospital in Colorado said we needed to fly him to Denver ASAP. Due to a horrible blizzard in the mountains, commercial flights were not going and our ministry plane wouldn't be able to navigate either. Talk about hitting the throne room in prayer!

 

Praise the Lord—God brought him out of it again for a couple of days. In the midst of this, during my nightly vigil watching over Donovan, in the quiet, I heard a clear voice say, "I want you to write." I snapped, "You want me to write? I can barely breathe to survive all of this and now you say…write? No! You have the wrong person! I don't write and I don't want to write…end of conversation!"

 

Fast forward a couple of days, and we were now taping a segment in the Durango, Colorado, mountains. Waiting in between scenes, I found what I thought was a safe refuge on the balcony of a ski chalet. I wanted quiet. I wanted to be alone. I wanted to catch my breath. While I sat there alone, savoring the majestic scenes of the snowcapped mountains with people skiing peppered against the brilliant white enjoying my hallowed space, I heard a voice so loud and clear commanding, "I want you to write." I literally turned to see who had invaded my privacy and who would say such a thing. There was no one around me within 200 feet. A bit spooked and disturbed and even a bit angry, I audibly lashed out, "God, stop it. No, I can't and I won't!" His voice thundered back, "Gloria, obedience is what I want."

 

I began to weep begging God… "No…no…no." Then I tried to convince Him, "God, you want me to write? At this point, I have nothing good to write about." Again the response, "Obedience is what I command." By this time, I was assured it was truly God getting my attention. I broke, "All I have to write about at this time is pain and disappointments and survival. That is definitely not glorifying You!" Then the boomerang, "Gloria, share your struggles. Be honest and open. More people are suffering than rejoicing. Share how I am with you in the midst of your struggles and how I have brought you through one by one."

 

Those words were quite a load to assimilate and swallow. A couple of nights later, I wrote my first article for the "Message for America" Lundstrom magazine. I wrote it with fear and trembling, certain it would be rejected by people.

 

To my shock and utter surprise, letters began to pour in with the almost verbatim message, "Gloria, we thought you were living a storybook life being on TV with all the glitz and glamour, but when you shared your struggles and how God brought you through, you gave me HOPE to keep going."

 

The rest is history!

 

No, I have not had the made-for-a-movie storybook life, but I have had God's very best for me. We love God, family and ministry. I stand firm that God has been faithful, He is faithful and I know He will remain faithful! It is always my desire to be a HOPE-GIVER in a world so desperate for HOPE!

 

"The Lord will guide you continually, And satisfy your soul in drought, And strengthen your bones; You shall be like a watered garden, And like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail." Isaiah 58:11, NKJV

 

Gloria

REFLECTION

 

 

RECIPE

 

Sour Cream Swiss Steak

2 lb. round steak

1 medium onion

1 can mushrooms

½ cup shredded cheese

½ cup sour cream

 

Flour and season meat to brown it. Put meat in casserole; top with onion slices and mushrooms. Make gravy in fry pan. Add cheese and cream. Pour over meat. Bake for 1 hour at 350 degrees.

 

New Year, New Victories! A trip down memory lane for Valentine's Day...

Hello from Nashville!  By the looks of the weather back in South Dakota, I am so glad we are here at this time.  Our hearts go out to those back in the Midwest that have been dealing with the snow, winds and dangerous subzero temperatures. We've had a good start to 2019 here and are thankful to be close to our children and able to prioritize our health check-ups for now. But you know Larry, always ready and excited to share the Good News with anyone, anywhere!

 

It's hard to believe that Valentine's Day is almost here.  Larry brought me flowers yesterday.  He told me that he was gave them to me early so he wouldn't forget.  I told him he could bring them every week of the year as far as I'm concerned!

 

Reflecting back…I wanted to send our latest article!

 

This is Marriage?

 

Of course, everyone has the expectation, "Ours will be the perfect marriage." I'm no exception—I knew mine would be, too. I started talking, dreaming and scheming about marriage from the time I was five years old, playing with bride and groom paper dolls. As a teenager, every time I looked through bridal magazines or attended a wedding, I pictured myself in a beautiful wedding gown, walking down the aisle. I could see myself repeating the vows, being kissed by the groom, throwing my bouquet, opening gifts and being swept away in a decorated car into the sunset to live happily forever after in a storybook land. My dreams were intricate with every detail filled in, but somehow my reality didn't quite go along with my dreams. Let me reminisce a little.

 

Larry and I were married on October 16, 1965, in Sisseton, South Dakota. It was a beautiful autumn day. Everything about my wedding day was going as planned as I had spent a lot of time and energy carefully dotting the "I's" and crossing the "T's". I was determined I wasn't going to run around on my wedding day like a chicken with its head cut off. My wedding day was perfect—calm, smooth, and organized just as I had always imagined. That is…until one hour before the wedding. I was at home, getting ready to go to the church, when I heard my father bellow, "I'm NOT going to wear this clown suit anywhere!"

 

He was serious. "But, Dad," I protested, "you have to wear that tuxedo. Everybody is supposed to match."

 

 "I'm NOT wearing this tux, and that's that!" he thundered back. Practically in tears, I ran upstairs to plead with him to wear it. But when I saw him, I began to laugh. The tuxedo rental company had mismatched the jacket and slacks. The slacks were 4-5 sizes too big, and he looked like a clown. Thankfully, Dad had just purchased a handsome black suit, and I agreed that it would look much better than the tux. Catastrophe avoided: off to the church we went.

 

Five hundred fifty guests were seated in the big, beautiful church. The music and ceremony went just as planned. Larry's brother, Lowell, presented a touching marriage sermon. Larry and I sang a song to each other, exchanged rings, and were pronounced Mr. and Mrs. Larry Lundstrom. It was beautiful! After the wedding reception and gift opening, we slipped out and headed off to North Dakota for our honeymoon.

 

 

 

But it seemed that the minute we got into the car, my dream began to unravel little by little. On the road, a car of drunken men noticed the decorations on our car and attempted to sideswipe us. By the grace of God, we weren't killed. The following morning, Larry woke up, sat on the edge of the bed and began to sneeze and blow his nose… for nearly three hours. I got a sick feeling in my stomach and said, "Good grief, Larry, you're probably allergic to me!" (Thankfully it was just pollen and not me!)

 

Five days after we were married, Larry and I moved into a back room of an old Flexible bus. After living in that old beater, with no air conditioning or bathroom, we learned we were pretty "flexible" to survive in it! There we were, newlyweds, living in an old bus with Lowell and Connie Lundstrom and their two children, Londa and Lisa. Privacy was at a minimum—we had curtains for doors.

 

After six days on the road, the bus engine blew up, forcing us to move into an old, borrowed car. The back right door was bashed in and a broken window had been temporarily repaired with cardboard and plastic. The snow and cold blew in through the door and window. There we were, the six of us plus clothes, guitars, diaper bags and bottles, all packed into an old car and pulling a small instrument trailer. We continued on to our tour in Kansas with limited finances and all of us piling into a motel room. As we crawled into bed, the past two weeks of our "perfect" marriage flashed in front of my mind. Then I thought of a conversation that Mom and I had before the wedding. Mom told me seriously, "Missy, you know you'll be moving into a new lifestyle. You'll be giving up your single life where you make your own decisions and will begin making decisions together with your husband. You'll be moving into a bus with four others with little or no privacy. Remember, with that come challenges and different personalities. Everyone will have days of discouragement and things will go wrong. Let me give you some good advice: Think before you talk and learn to keep your mouth shut."

 

Almost 20 years later, during a visit with my mother, I said to her, "Mother, you never told me how many 'one of those days' I'd have!" She laughed. "Well, Missy, that's just part of life. You've made it this far, and you'll continue to make it." If there has ever been a time in our lives—yours as well—that we need to hear the words, "You can make it," it's now. All of us need the confidence of God's help in our marriages, homes, jobs and relationships.

 

Yes, now, after 53 ½ years of marriage, I can say that my marriage definitely did not look like my dreams. But, I wouldn't change a thing! What I have learned about my relationship with God through my marriage has been worth every hardship. What I have learned about Larry and my children, has been worth every stretching and challenging moment. What I have learned about me…I am not the same person I was when I got married those many years ago…has been worth every opportunity for growth. My reality (though not perfect) has become much better than my dreams ever were because I stuck with it, grew through it and am thankful for every day I have to share with my man.

 

 

 "Therefore do not cast away your confidence, which has great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise." Hebrews 10: 35-26

 

YOU CAN MAKE IT AND IT'S WORTH IT!

 

Gloria

REFLECTION

 

 

RECIPE

 

Crazy Cake

3 cups flour

2 cups sugar

2  1/2 tsp. soda

4 T. cocoa

3/4 cup oil

2 T. vinegar

2 cups cold water

2 tsp. vanilla

 

Mix flour, sugar, soda, salt and cocoa together right in the pan. Add oil, vinegar, water and vanilla; mix well. Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes in a 9x13 pan.

 

 

Christmas memories from the past and present!

Merry Christmas from Tennessee!

I find it almost humorous to think back to when our children were little, our daughters, LaShawn and LaDawn would lay on the floor by our old record player and their very favorite song was "Tennessee Christmas."  In fact, it was so special that when we would come home in JULY, with near 100 degree temps, they would still lay down on the floor by the player and put on "Tennessee Christmas." Who would've thought… all these years later that we are living here and truly experiencing a real Tennessee Christmas! We are so thrilled to be back here with the kids after so many years apart on the road. What a delight when they call with a "Hey mom, stopping over for a cup of coffee." or "Dad, let's watch a football game together." That truly is music to our ears.

Here are a few more Christmas family memories and photos from our newsletter!

 

The Gift of Family

In your wildest dreams, you couldn't imagine what Christmas was like growing up in a family with five older and five younger brothers, my dad, mom and my favorite dog Tippy. Our home was a cross between Grand Central Station and the San Diego Zoo! The anticipation, excitement and noise would make a space shuttle blasting off sound like a nursery full of sleeping babies in comparison.

 

We didn't have much monetarily, but we always had a way of making Christmas an unforgettable event. Treats, goodies, presents and of course our own homemade Christmas program made it an "evening to remember!" The big old house reverberated with fun and laughter. My brothers' toys definitely got their test of durability challenged by Christmas morning. I think it was my five younger brothers that ultimately prompted "Tonka" to invent what was then known as "indestructible" toys and trucks. The one good thing about being the only girl in the family was that none of my brothers ever fought to play with my doll and dishes!

Years passed and before long, Christmas began to change. In 1965, Larry and I were newlyweds and with over 320 rallies a year as we toured with the Lundstroms, we were more than happy to just even get back home for a week to spend with our parents and families on the Lundstrom farm.

L to R: Lowell & Connie, Larry & Gloria, Leon & Ronda

Christmas really changed when our children were born. We had our own home, and we went all out for Christmas. Oh yes, it was a huge even as we will it with our own favorite traditions! One thing I know, I was never accused of being the "Grinch who stole Christmas." I love Christmas! I was always teased about decorating everything in the house but the bathroom commode.

Larry & Gloria with young LaDawn, LaShawn and Donovan

Donovan at Christmastime

Christmas changed again when the children grew up and left the nest. It was an all-out, action packed party when they arrived home for a couple of days. We'd fill it with games, sibling stories, loads of junk food and laughter.

And once again, we experience our newest change as we now live in a suburb of Nashville, Tennessee. We are within 30-40 miles from our three children. How great it is to have them pop over to the house anytime. The changes I anticipate are we will decorate a lot less, we will concentrate on things that really matter, we will practice simplicity (and even us paper plates), and we will appreciate that we are all together! But, we know that…yes, there will still be lots of sibling stories, fun and laughter. Now they definitely entertain us! Most of all, this year, we will celebrate the birth of Jesus, the true meaning of John 14:6, "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." He IS our reason to celebrate.

May you have a blessed Christmas knowing that one night, when Jesus was born, our lives changed for all eternity.

 

Gloria

REFLECTION

 

RECIPE

 

Fern's Fluffy Angel Dessert

¼ cup lemon juice

1 pint cream, whipped

1 can Eagle brand sweetened condensed milk

1 can cherry pie filling

1 angel food cake

 

Add lemon juice and milk to whipped cream. Mix well. Tear angel food cake into pieces. Place ¼ of cake in bottom of trifle bowl. Then ¼ cream mixture. Repeat these layers. Spoon cherry pie filling (1/2 can) after the 2nd layer. Repeat layers. Top with the other half can of cherry pie filling.

Happy Thanksgiving! We pray this time set aside to remember the bountiful graciousness of our Heavenly Father is filled with cherished moments with those you love and hold dear.

THANKSGIVING:  Thanks & (For) Giving

I recently came across this quote and it really challenged me as we enter into this  season.   "Thanksgiving has two parts: gratitude and generosity. Gratitude for the blessings of God and generosity for others—that is the way it was on the first Thanksgiving Day.  Thanksgiving is a holy day as well when properly celebrated. Thanks…and giving. Thanks to God…giving to others."


I loved the way Thanksgiving was explained as two-fold. Our first responsibility is to stop and recognize the goodness of our God. I am not sure if it is as the years go by, that I am learning more or if God is just teaching me more, but I am learning to stop and give thanks.  1 Thessalonians 5:18 states, "In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you." It is a command in scripture and I believe it is vitally important because when we truly choose to stop and really see all the blessings that surround us, our hearts cannot help but overflow with gratitude.  


I think in the crazy pace of society, we can rush here and rush there easily taking for granted the abundance the Lord has given us. When we stop being thankful, we can easily start comparing, complaining and concentrating on what we don't have. I encourage you to take just 3 minutes a day to STOP and recognize three blessings from the Lord. Get a thankful notebook and begin to write them down each day. You will be surprised at how as you STOP, you will begin to SEE more than you ever did before!


The next part of the statement is focused on giving to others. We know that generosity is certainly a blessing to many, and we love being able to give to help those that are in need. We often think of this in material matters, but this Thanksgiving, I would like to challenge you that
there is a gift that only you can give which can have greater ramifications
than food or clothing…it is the gift of forgiveness.  


We know that the holidays can be so very painful as families gather together. I think of an article I once wrote that addressed how we can be walking wounded. It recalls a time when I was determined to get a potato fork into the ground even though it was frozen. After moments of struggling, I decided to give it my hardest shove. A split second later, my foot slipped and the fork buried into my foot. What resulted next was a trip to the hospital, several stitches and a very large bandage on
my foot. I was instructed to wear the bandage for a month. When it was time for the bandage to be removed, I found I was reluctant because it felt safe and secure, but the doctor informed me that in order for the wound to fully heal, it needed to be exposed to the air. Some of us are like that wound, it is covered up because it feels safe, but deep down we know the wound is still there and if it would get pricked, we respond out of pain and memories. It is keeping us from fully living life.


So, what exactly is the gift of forgiveness? The dictionary explains it like this, "Forgiveness is the giving up of resentment or claim to requital on account of an offense. Forgiveness is conditioned on repentance and the willingness to make reparation or atonement.  The effect of forgiveness is the restoration of both parties to the former state of relationship." I love this quote that explains it so eloquently, "To forgive is costly. To forgive is to carry one's own wrath on the sin of another. The guilty one is released, the offended one frees him, by bearing his own indignation and resolving it in love. God forgives by carrying His own wrath on the sin we've expressed against Him. He absorbs our guilt and makes us free. Forgiveness goes through sin to freedom."


As I was writing my book "Free At Last," I felt God say, "Gloria tell people to take the bandage off their wounds. Let Me breathe the power of healing into their lives. Let Me cleanse the wound. Then it will heal." And you may ask, "Why should I? I've been so hurt. It is so unfair."  Ultimately there was never a person more deeply wounded by cutting remarks, false accusations or rejection than Jesus Christ. Christ suffered for us as an example that we should follow in His steps. Man owed a debt he could not repay, so God paid a debt He did not owe. Jesus Christ substituted Himself for us to pay the cost of forgiving. Because we have been given such a great gift of forgiveness, we, too, then can share this same gift with others.  


As you sit around the Thanksgiving table, it is my prayer that you will most certainly give "Thanks to God", but also you will "give to others" the priceless gift of forgiveness releasing hope, healing and restoration into your family.

 

Happy Thanksgiving!

 

Gloria

Happy Thanksgiving! Some updates....some progress....some fun.....much to be thankful for!

 

Happy Thanksgiving  from Tennessee! 

 

It's a beautiful sunny 65 degree day here.  The gold leaves adorning the trees are breathtaking.  I especially can appreciate this weather and scenery after my family in South Dakota sent pictures a couple days ago of 6" of drifting and blowing snow and a stinging 3 degrees above zero.  Yikes!  I don't miss that!

 

 

 

 

 

Kimberley, my physical therapist, has been so good!

 

 

 

 

My life for the past several weeks has consisted of doctor appointments and intense physical therapy at a rehab center which is only two miles from our home thankfully.  I am so pleased to be working with good doctors and physical therapists.  Kimberly (physical therapist) makes me hurt to get better!  I am learning to walk and to do steps again---feel like I am an old toddler right now, but the good news is, I am potty trained!  HA! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It has been so good to spend some time with Leon!

 

 

A few days ago, Larry's brother, Leon, and his daughter, Larissa, who is a song writer and singer, drove a truckload of her belongings here as she bought a home.  Can you believe it is only 4 miles from us?  It wasn't planned but God knew how nice it would be to have some more family here.  Now Larry's brother, Leon, will hopefully come often to visit so the brothers can spend more time together.

 

 

 

 

 

 

While here, Larissa was invited to be a guest at the Nashville Cowboy Church that is just a stone's throw from Opryland, so Larry, Leon and I were able to attend.  There was a deja vu moment when the pastor announced that he remembered us when Lowell, Connie, Larry and I ministered and sang at Pastor Jimmy Snow's (Hank Snow's son) church in Nashville.  Wow!  That was 50 years ago and here we are meeting again!

 

Pastor Yates, Larissa Lundstrom and Joanne(Larissa sharing her gifts at the Cowboy Church

                   

 

  Pastor Yates, Joanne, and Larissa Lundstrom

Pastor Yates' wife, Joanne, is Johnny Cash's sister who is still singing and recording at 80 years of age!  (There's hope for us!) 

 

Thinking back, Larry and I, along with Lowell and Connie recorded at the RCA studios here in Nashville in the 1960's.  I vividly remember as we drove our old Flex bus into the city the roads were all tore up with road construction.  The traffic, even back then, was terrible.  Of course, Nashville, at the time was known as the mecca of authentic country music.  I remember after we had hit several potholes causing us to be tossed back and forth in the bus, I affirmed, "I would NEVER want to live here!"  AHA----and here we are!  As they say, "NEVER say NEVER!"  We live 22 miles from downtown Nashville and yes, the road construction is worse than what it was then, the traffic is 100 times worse, and the area is bursting with new homes being built as 100 people are moving in every day.  After saying all of that, we are still thrilled to be near our family, and we are loving it, thankful for this opportunity.  We waited years for this time to come and for us to be together.

 

Larry is Larry---and he is active witnessing ---at the clinic, to doctors, while on the phone, at the grocery store---wherever he is!  He has had the privilege of praying with many, many people.  I appreciate Larry being so patient with me as I have been in need physically and graciously stepping up to help me. 

 

This Thanksgiving, we are so thankful for the gift of salvation that we answered when the Holy Spirit wooed us and we gave our hearts to Christ.  We are so thankful that He called us into ministry and blessed us with a wonderful family, office staff, extended family, friends and partners.  Larry and I have learned that "If you are always grateful and thankful, you will always have something to be grateful and thankful for." 

 

 

 

 "In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you."  1 Thessalonians 5:18  (KJV)

 

Gloria

REFLECTION

 

RECIPE

 

Pumpkin Mallow Dessert

 

32 marshmallows

1 cup pumpkin

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1 cup whipped topping

14 graham crackers, crushed

melted butter

 

Melt marshmallows, pumkin and spices in a double boiler and let cool.  Add the whipped topping, folding it in, set aside.  

Crush 14 graham crackers and add a little melted butter.  Sprinkle in bottom of 9x9 pan.  Pour in pumpkin mixture and sprinkle some crumbs on top.  Chill several hours.  Dot whipped cream on top to serve.

Greetings from Nashville! 

 

It's hard to believe it's the middle of October already. Tomorrow, October 16th, Larry and I will be celebrating 53 years of marriage. What a blessing it has been to live out this calling together. It's fun to reminisce, and our recent move gave us plenty of opportunity for that.

 

This article from the monthly newsletter shares just how fun that was. Ha!

 

 

"Honey," Larry impishly chirped, "Look what I found in the office. " I didn't know whether to chirp, gripe or groan. I was "over" this moving process. Nothing looked worthwhile anymore. I didn't want to open any more surprise boxes filled with stuff and junk that had been carefully packed away and preserved in the attic while we were busy on the road over 300 days a year for many of the past 53 years. Another box…I was honestly dreading another box! At the very thought of another box, I am thinking to myself: "What is it? Why did I keep it? Do I throw, keep or giveaway?"  My thought process was quickly interrupted by Larry's insistence, "Honey, I think you really want to see this." Grudgingly I groaned, "Okay, pass it down." He began to hand down a box at a time. They were covered with dust and cobwebs from being set up in the attic 39 years ago when we moved into our home.

 Oh yes, and from what I remember way back then, due to our busy schedule, we had an entire 5-7 days to pack and move out of one house and then move to the next house and unpack. We set up the necessities and hit the road again which had become the story for the following 39 years. Someone said, "What's not seen is forgotten" …but 39 years of being forgotten? (groan) I set the boxes on the floor all the while dreading to see another box of unknowns. On the other hand, Larry seemed excited so my curiosity was peaked, and I thought I better open them now. I literally blew the dust off the first box, and when I opened the lid, there was to my surprise wedding gifts given to us on our wedding night, October 16, 1965! As we peered into the difference boxes, we discovered two glass pedestal cake plates, a glass serving plate, hand crocheted decorated pillowcases with "Mr. & Mrs." embroidered on them, a multi colored vase, pots and pans, a hand mixer and a few more items. I began to chuckle as I recognized the little gold stickers each with a number on them stuck to each gift in order to identify them so many years ago. What an emotional moment as the memories came flooding back in all at once!

For a moment, it seemed just like yesterday that these gifts were opened on our wedding night and three days later packed into boxes, placed in Larry's parents' attic (as we lived there for seven years) and we headed on to begin our new journey together. Larry stood there wide-eyed and I told Larry, "I think it is about time to open up our wedding gifts and use them!" We chuckled, "Now they are new antiques!" But this was just the beginning of the treasures to be unearthed. Larry then brought down a little brown trunk filled with letters that we wrote to each other while we were single and engaged. We didn't have money to make phone calls back then. We made one 5 minute phone call every Saturday night. As I opened the box of letters, there was the six foot long letter Larry wrote to me just before we were married. It was all type written and rolled out before me. I thought that letter had been forever lost but reading it made me fall in love with him all over again. Yes, I have to admit that "first love" still gives me butterflies!

A while back, I was giving thanks to God for how He had brought us together. A "what if" conversation came up in my mind: What if my family never moved to Sisseton from western South Dakota? What if Larry's parents never moved from Minneapolis, Minnesota, to a farm near me in Peever, South Dakota? What if our family hadn't gotten saved at the little Gospel Tabernacle in Sisseton in 1953? What if Larry's family hadn't visited the same little church and had given their lives to Christ? What if we had never met in Sunday School and participated in the same youth group? What if neither one of us had been called into ministry? Ultimately through all my questions, I realized there were no "what if 's, " God had it all planned ahead of time. He designed the whole picture of our lives, carefully and intricately, fitting all the pieces together, and wow…what a ride!

It's been a great run—(please note I did not say perfect, flawless, tireless or tearless)—a marvelous and exciting privilege to serve the Lord together. Larry and I are so blessed to have all of you, our extended family and friends to love and support this ministry. You have made it possible to lead thousands to Christ.

Yes…what a run…and we are still running!

 

 

Gloria

 

 

 

REFLECTION

 


 

 

 

RECIPE

 

Peach Crisp

2 (30 oz) can sliced peaches, drained

1 cup sifted flour

½ cup butter

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 ½ cup brown sugar

 

Arrange peaches in the bottom of a 9x13 inch buttered pan. Blend sugar, flour and cinnamon. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Sprinkle over peaches and bake in a 375 degree oven for 25 minutes or until done. Serves 6.

 

 

Greetings from Sisseton!

 

We are busy unloading our motorhome and packing and getting ready to leave for Nashville again. We're in the process of putting our motorhome at an RV consignment location in Minnesota. It's simply getting to be too much work for Larry to load and unload, hook up and un-hook up, etc. 

 

We have had this motorhome for 11 years and have loved every moment in it. It has served us well as we've travelled from coast to coast. It has been our home away from home for about 8-9 months out of every year, and has been our office "on the road." It's hard to believe that we've been living in busses since 1965!

 

Larry said the other day, "Honey, this is getting to be too much after 55 years of working on busses to keep them going." So… "It's time!"

 

The music and sound equipment we have will fit in the back of our Yukon for our events moving forward. It will be interesting to break new ground in Tennessee and the surrounding states, especially when so many are interested in "entertainment" and we are "informers" of the Gospel. Anyway, God is good, and it will all work out!

 

I never have to worry about Larry with ministry, as he shares Christ with someone every day. When I was in the hospital, one of the nurses, Anna, took care of me for 5 days and on about the fourth day, after Larry had joked and talked with her and just had fun, he asked Anna if he could have 5 minutes of uninterrupted time sometime when she has a break. He told her he had something very important to share with her. She closed my hospital room door, jerked the privacy curtain across, looked at Larry and said, "Let's do it now!" He shared the simple message of the gospel to her and after a few minutes he asked her if she'd like to pray the sinner's prayer and invite Jesus in to her hart and she replied, "Oh yes, I really do." As he prayed the tears came down. Out the door she went, and 20 minutes later she came in the room, threw the privacy curtain back and triumphantly proclaimed with a smile, "I'm free! I'm free!  Thank you."

 

A couple of days ago, Larry was talking to a business person on the phone, and it got to be a lengthy call, but he made a connection with this person and 45 minutes after a few jokes and connecting, he asked if he could share something very important that would only take about 5 minutes. She readily agreed and Larry shared the simple gospel and asked if they'd be willing to pray a simple prayer and ask Christ into her life. She said, "Yes, I have been wondering and thinking about spiritual things for days. For you to get me on this phone with all of the people who work with this company, it had to be God to know what I needed today." After she prayed, she just said, "Thank you, thank you, thank you…I really needed that." So, ministry goes on. Praise the Lord!

 

 

We had a great rally in Willmar, Minnesota on September 13. There were so many friends and former partners that came out. It was like a homecoming week!

 

It was thrilling to see what God did and afterwards we met with about 20 of our former employees at a Perkins and shared stories of when we were all on the road together. What a fun time!

 

Thanks Bruce and Polly for bringing us into Willmar A/G Campus Theatre for a wonderful evening of fellowship and ministry.

 

 

Larry and Gloria,

 

Thank you for the great night in Willmar! So many wonderful songs, soul winning preaching, and hilarious fellowship with lots of people that helped make the Lundstrom Ministry possible for decades was like a taste of heaven.

God bless you!

 

Rev. Bruce and Polly Schoeman

Willmar Assembly of God

Willmar, MN

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ministry in Willmar, MN

 

 

 

A week ago Sunday, we held a "Movin' On" rally in our home church in Sisseton, South Dakota. What a great time we had of music, ministry, humor, telling stories and touching lives. We had friends from North Dakota, Minnesota, South Dakota, Iowa, and Las Vegas, which made it so very special.

 

 

 

 

Thumb's up!  

Movin' on!

 

Thanks Marne for being our office manager for 20 years.

We are blessed with wonderful office staff so we can continue on!

 

 

 

We are heading back to Nashville for doctor appointments – we appreciate your continued prayers as we are still struggling immensely with the complications of the heart ablation.  We are believing God for a miracle touch.

Thanks again – we love all of you!

 

 

Gloria

 

 

 

REFLECTION

 

Image result for trust god images


 

 

 

RECIPE

 

Steak and Potato Casserole

Round steak

Flour

3-4 medium potatoes, diced

Salt and pepper

2 T. fat

1 medium onion, chopped

 

Cut steak into serving pieces, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Dredge in flour; brown in fat. Alternate layers of steak, potatoes and onion in covered casserole. Bake at 325 degrees for 45 minutes.

"You must have an angel on your shoulder to be bleeding that long and not have had a disaster.   You must be living right." Of course, we knew it was God's hand of protection all the way. Read about God's hand on Gloria's health!

Greetings from Tennessee!  The Bible says "Rejoice in the Lord, and again I say rejoice!"  We truly have much to rejoice over. Isn't it wonderful that when we go through the trials and valleys of life, that God's Word has comfort, hope and strength for us.  

 

Isaiah 58:9 says, "Then you will call, and the Lord will answer; you will cry for help, and He will say: HERE AM I."

 

I certainly can testify to that as I look back at the last three weeks.  So many of you have written, emailed, or texted asking about the heart ablation I had on August 14th.  Being the strong Norwegian I am, I thought I would go in for the procedure one day and be out of the hospital the next morning.  I certainly was unprepared for the unknowns that would lie ahead. The surgeon came into my room just before surgery, smiled and assured me, "You are in good hands, and it will go great!"  That tripled my confidence in knowing everything was going to be okay.

 

3 ½-4 hours later, I came out of surgery and within in a little bit noticed that there were signs I was bleeding internally.  They took me to have an ultrasound at which time they found that an artery had been nicked causing a blood leak where they had been working on the vein.  Right away they put a ten pound weight on the incision to halt the bleeding….so we thought. During those two days, I was experiencing unbearable pain and from my hip to my thigh, I was turning black and blue.  I was assured that it would continue to discolor but that everything was okay, and I was released to go home to recuperate.

 

Four days after surgery, my health seemed to continue to deteriorate.  Larry and I were concerned as we were scheduled to fly back to South Dakota, but I couldn't shake that inward check which was alarming me that something wasn't right,  and we shouldn't fly. We decided to cancel our flights.

 

On August 24th, ten days after the surgery, I was now black and blue to five inches below my knee and unable to walk.  Larry took me to ER in Murfreesboro, TN. As soon as they saw my leg, they took me into get an ultrasound and as they viewed the results, panic started to set in.  They revealed to me that at that moment I was at very high risk for a massive stroke or heart attack and to not move an inch because it could happen at any moment.  They felt they were unable to perform surgery on the artery because of the possibility of the artery bursting. This time, they put a 20 pound weight on me to stop the bleeding.  The doctors warned the family that if they tried to do anything beyond that, it would be life threatening. This was the only option. My heart sank as the doctor reiterated, "You realize and understand, we don't have any options.  If we do try to do surgery, there is a great chance of stroke and heart attack." We asked how long I had been bleeding, and they said ten days since the surgery. The nurse laid her hand on my shoulder and said, "You must have an angel on your shoulder to be bleeding that long and not have had a disaster.   You must be living right." Of course, we knew it was God's hand of protection all the way.

 

It was at this point that my family began calling for prayer.  The prayers went up and the answer came down----17 hours later the bleeding stopped.  There was definitely rejoicing in that hospital room! I was released to go home four days later.  Our niece, Londa Lundstrom Ramsey, flew down to be with us and the family during the critical time---what an encouragement she was!

 

The doctor said it will still take a while for all of this to clear up, but we are thankful to be heading in the right direction.  We want to thank you all for your prayers, emails, and texts from coast to coast, as well as, Hawaii, Africa, and Canada. The power of prayer moved heaven and a miracle came!

 

As planned, we are scheduled to be in Sisseton and Willmar for rallies in a little over a week.  We are believing all will be well so we can see you there!

 

September 13 @ 6:30 PM Willmar Assembly of God, 3821 Abbott Dr, Willmar, MN 56201

Call 320-235-2529 for more information.


September 16 @ 5:30  PM Family Life Center, Hwy 10, Sisseton SD  57262

Call 605-698-7631 for more information.

 

Again, we just cannot thank you enough for being there, and we cannot praise God enough for His marvelous work!

 

Gloria

 

REFLECTION

 

Related image


 

QUOTE

 

"Our prayers may be awkward. Our attempts may be feeble. But since the power of prayer is in the one who hears it and not in the one who says it, our prayers do make a difference." - Max Lucado

 

 

RECIPE

 

Cinnamon Crunch Apple Cake

1 1/2 cups brown sugar

1/3 cup oil

1 egg

1 cup buttermilk 

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 1/2 cups flour

1 1/2 cups chopped apples 

1/3 cup sugar

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 tablespoon butter

 

Preheat oven to 325.  Mix ingredients in order given (except the last 3 ingredients).  Pour batter into a 9×13 greased pan.  Combine last 3 ingredients to make a topping and sprinkle it evenly over the batter.  Bake for 45 minutes.  

Selling our home in Sisseton, South Dakota and updates on the summer rallies in Minnesota!

Greetings from LaVergne, TN!  The last week has been a whirlwind! 

 

Praise the Lord…..we sold our home in Sisseton, SD, and feel very favored to do so as in our small town there are 23 homes for sale (some of which have been waiting 2-3 years to be sold).  We placed our sign up in June and two weeks later, we had a buyer which meant "I must get about the business of cleaning out everything"!  That word "everything" when you really start that process is overwhelming!  We prayed and asked God to give us favor that it could be sold, and we could be out of it by the end of August.  When He answered that prayer, it meant we needed to ZOOM, ZOOM, ZOOM and get busy. 

 

At the time we got word, we were in Nashville for doctor appointments and zipped home to Sisseton to begin the dreaded process of going through everything we have moved from place to place for 53 years.  I told Larry that he had more stuff than I had, but as we went through the process, I discovered I had just as much stuff as he had!  Oops!  Of course, I felt all of my stuff was more important than his!  HA!  Our daughter, LaDawn, came home for a week and helped, as well as, dear family and friends as well.  After five weeks of 13-14 hours days sifting, sorting and determining what was junk, we met our deadline of being out of the house on August 10th.  We were so grateful that our son, Donovan, came home the last week and pushed us through to the finish line ultimately loading the moving truck to the brim and driving the truck from South Dakota to Tennessee while we flew to meet him in Tennessee.    Donovan left on the 7th and we left on the 10th….the same day the truck got unloaded. 

 

My brothers, Rick and Bill, who helped along with other family were joking, "I'm glad you got it all in the truck because the landfill here is full!"  They got a good laugh out of that!  Our garage in Tennessee is filled with boxes.  We will sort through them as we are able and get rid of more stuff! 

 

We thank God for the safe journey, the ability to meet our deadline having everything out , and  for the sale of the house to a family who have  a lot of children and grandchildren to enjoy it.  We are so grateful for your prayers for us!

 

As I am writing this, I am waiting for a phone call from the Vanderbilt Medical Center to give me my last minute instructions for my heart ablation scheduled for tomorrow (Tuesday  the 14th).  The medication for the A-fib for my heart isn't quite doing what it should so we are taking the next step.  We appreciate your prayers for the procedure and recovery. 

 

On to more joyful things….we had a great weekend of ministry last weekend in Elbow Lake, MN, where we did a morning service of music and ministry for their annual Flekkefest!  It was fun and we were so thrilled to see a couple of people make first time decisions….that never grows old!  It was also a delight to see many of our friends and partners throughout the years join us for the service, as well as, one of our priceless staff members and her husband.

 

 

 

 

 

From Barb:  It was so wonderful to be able to attend the service in Elbow Lake.  I have worked for Larry & Gloria since 2001 which seems like a dream.  I went forward at a Lundstrom Crusade in Rosholt, South Dakota when I was 8 years old and gave my life to Jesus.  I never dreamed I would be working for them some day!  Always so wonderful to hear the great singing and the sharing of the Gospel Message!  God truly is so good!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

From Pastor Mike:  It was so wonderful to have Larry & Gloria at our Flekkefest once again.  Our church supports Larry & Gloria monthly because we truly believe in what they do.  It's hard to find "real" evangelists anymore, but these two are the real deal!  Thank you again, Larry & Gloria!  We love you!

 

 

 

 

Some of the precious lives changed at the altar call in Elbow Lake, MN

 

 

We will be in Tennessee until the 23rd and then we will return back to Sisseton for some more rallies.  We will be in Sisseton for a special farewell concert on Sunday, September 16th at 5:30 PM.  Later that week, we will be ministering at Willmar Assembly of God in Willmar, MN, on Thursday, September 13th at 6:30 PM!

 

Thanks, again, for your prayers for us!  We NEVER TAKE THEM FOR GRANTED!

 

 

Gloria

 

REFLECTION

 

Related image


 

 

RECIPE

 

Bean Salad

2 or 3 (15 oz) cans dark kidney beans, drained

½ to 1 c. onions, diced

¾ to 1 c. sweet pickles, diced

3 to 4 hard-boiled eggs, diced

2 T. cider vinegar

2 to 3 T. sugar

 

Combine all ingredients. Keep refrigerated.

 

 

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