It was a treat to see Nancy Harmon, from Oklahoma and her group, Mighty Warriors, who were there as well. They opened the program with a powerful song. Nancy has a dynamic mentoring program for youth who want to enter the ministry.

We will now quickly change and scurry back to East St Louis (about 2 ½ hours from here), get the coach running and head off to Cumberland, Maryland, which is about 700 miles from here.

On October 16^th, Larry and I will celebrate our journey into our 41^st year of marriage and ministry. We are usually literally like the old song that says, "We are a thousand miles from home." Normally, we are a far distance away from our children physically so it is impossible to spend that special day with them, but Larry and I always make it a priority to go on a special date, even if it isn't on the exact anniversary date. As long as we celebrate, it works!

It is always fun to meet  friends while on the road.  When in Branson, we saw Ryland and his wife, Erma, Roetland.  We originally met them in the late 60's and some of their children came to the Lord under Lundstrom Ministries.  It is always a joy to hear those testimonies.    They shared this testimony with us:

"What a blessing and joy it was to visit with you again.  For thirty years, you have spiritually uplifted our family with your love for the Lord and with your continuous enthusiasm in leading others to know Him."

Last week, Larry asked if he could take me to a special comedy show while we were in Branson. Of course, I jumped at the offer! I did tease him a bit and told him that the comedy show might help him get some new jokes, too! HA! He just chuckled. (Everyone prods Larry to put out his own joke book....dear Lord, help us all!)

It was fun to sit back, relax and be entertained all the while laughing . We had a great time! At intermission, the singers, musicians and comedians came out and sat at the end of the stage so you could meet them and get their autographs. All through this show, Larry and I were drawn to one particular comedian. You would just look at him and laugh! He had a winsome way about him. I coaxed Larry to go meet him so I could take a photo of the two of them.

After the concert, we were in the lobby looking at a photo gallery of all the singers, musicians and comedians that performed. In the center of about 40 portraits, I noticed there was a large portrait of a good-looking young man. I proceeded to walk closer so I could read the inscription that was on a gold memorial plaque. The plaque stated his name, age (21), and that he died July 2006. My heart sunk. To the left of this portrait was another large portrait which I discovered was of this young man's father-it was the comedian who had made us laugh so hard all night. Curious to know what had happened, I walked over to one of the staff members and inquired about the photograph. They informed me that the young man had died a very tragic death. When I returned back to our room, I was so heavy-hearted as I tried to imagine how the comedian or anyone could deal with the loss of a child. I pondered how this clown was able to get up and entertain others when he had buried his son only seven weeks earlier. His son was in the prime of his life and was also a comedian following in his father's footsteps. For the next few hours, I struggled with a feeling of regret for missing the opportunity to encourage or console this heartbroken father. He must have been laughing buckets of tears. His heart must have been in shambles.

Little did I know that when I took the picture of Larry and the comedian, there was a tragic story that loomed beneath his big grin. Since that night, the Lord has been convicting me again to never assume that just because someone is smiling doesn't mean that they aren't hurting inside or have a need just beneath the surface. I do my best to assume that every time I meet someone, there is a ministry opportunity in which I can encourage and pray with them. There have been times in my life when I have hurt so deeply and have questioned God, "Why me???" When those times come, 2 Corinthians 1:4-5 comes to mind, "Who comforteth us in all our tribulations that we may be able to comfort them that are in any trouble." In other words, God doesn't want us to waste our pain. He wants us to turn our pain into a pulpit so that we may help someone else. I love the verse in Psalm 34:18 that says, "The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart."

Maybe you know someone today who has or is currently going through a deep valley of cancer, divorce, or the loss of a loved one. Please take the time to send a card, call or visit them. Many times they don't need words, they just need a loving hug or embrace. Don't miss the opportunity as you may need encouragement next! Do it today!

Gloria

Greetings from the beautiful state of Missouri! It's an absolutely breathtaking autumn day. This is my favorite time of year. The leaves are changing their adornments and the flowers are brilliant with color. I know that won't last long with the onset of the roller-coaster weather changes coming, so I'll savor each of these moments.

On Thursday, we stopped at St. Louis, Missouri, to visit the world-famous Arch. Several tour-goers ventured to the top. They could see all of St. Louis, the river, and the beautiful surrounding country. Needless to say, they were mesmerized. On Friday, we visited the delightful Joe Huber Family Farm in Star Light, Indiana. It reminded Larry and I of Lancaster, Pennsylvania. A family has turned the farm into a "Gathering Place". There are acres filled with fresh vegetables and fruits. They have farm markets with homemade goodies, baked goods, jellies, gifts, plants, and much more. Oh my...the mum plants and pumpkin displays were beautiful! I would have loved to have taken what they call a bushel basket mum plant with me. We ended the farm experience with a scrumptious dinner they served our group consisting of delicious home-cooked southern fried chicken with all the southern side dishes. To top it off, they served us fresh berry cobbler with ice cream. Oh, was Larry ever happy!

After all that, we rushed into Louisville to the big expo center for the National Quartet Convention. Nearly 40,000 people attended. With the massive number of people, there were not any up-close seats available except for the VIP's and singing groups. Each night at the convention they had people sign up for an opportunity to sit in the Winner's Circle which consisted of special chairs located only 5-10 feet from the stage. Gene and Pat Ellis from Lenexa, KS, walked up to me just before we were seated for the evening concert. He told me that he had put their names in the drawing for the Winner's Circle and added, "With thousands of people here our chances are slim, but I signed up anyway."

We all got seated about 6:00PM in the convention center and about an hour later a VIP came up to our section, motioned to Gene and Pat, and informed them they had won a spot for two in the Winner's Circle. Ecstatically, they bounded down the steps and were seated literally a stone's throw from the stage where all the artists performed. We were so thrilled to think that out of thousands of entries, their name was pulled out of the box. I love it when God gives people extra blessings and bonuses. Gene and Pat were so deserving of it.

We all sat spellbound as dozens of quartets and groups including Gold City, Florida Boys, Legacy, Hoppers, Crabb Family, and so many more just about sang us up to heaven. HA! The concert went from 6:00PM to almost 1:00AM. Several of our guests were seniors. Who ever said seniors are too old to party? Our entire group was so energy-filled they acted like people fueled with high octane. HA! We finally got back to the hotel about 2:00AM. I was like a dead duck, but some of them were still going strong. Wow!

Saturday, we began our day by visiting the Little Sluggers Museum and Factory where they produce baseball bats for all of the world famous leagues. It was very interesting. From there, we sped over to the Glassworks Studio for a tour of three studios where we observed artists bringing fluid pieces of glass to life as art. After that insightful adventure, we scurried off to the Belle of Louisville steamboat for a cruise down the beautiful Ohio River. We were served another southern dinner of chicken and steak with all the trimmings. The weather was almost 90 degrees and picture perfect making the cruise spectacular. By this time, it was already time to rush back to the Expo Center once again for the Quartet Convention. As was the case the night before, we listened to many hours of Gospel music and were heaven bound. It was so refreshing to be able to sit back and let someone minister to us through music and testimony. Everyone in our group was thrilled with the Quartet Convention.

                      

Oh yes...I have to tell you one more thing. The Expo Center had an entire wing filled with booths giving you an opportunity to meet the Gospel artists and buy their music. There were also various display advertising Christian events, music, etc. Several of the booths gave you the opportunity to sign up for a free gift. One of our guests, Carolyn Johnson, from Castlewood, SD signed up for a free music festival cruise to the Bahamas. Guess what?! Her name was drawn! Is that great or what? Out of thousands and thousands of people, three of our own guests were blessed in extra-special ways during the convention!

On Sunday morning, we began our long journey back. All day Sunday and Monday we talked, sang, and our guests gave their testimonies of how they came to Christ. We laughed, we cried, we prayed, and we encouraged each other. Like one of our guests said, "I loved the whole tour, but my favorite time was in the coach when you and Larry shared and everyone gave their testimonies." Larry and I felt like this tour was just a taste of what heaven will be like.

We arrived home late Monday evening...worn out...but totally blessed by this tour and our group of friends who joined us for this unforgettable Fun and Fellowship Tour. Well, I hope you have enjoyed this journey with us, and we hope you'll be able to join us sometime.

Gloria

It's a beautiful fall day! Last Thursday, it was 86 degrees. It was one of those gorgeous days you'd like to put in a capsule and pull out on one of those sub-zero, snow-blowing South Dakota January days. It was so refreshing I opened all the windows. Unbeknownst to us the temperature dropped to 33 degrees during the night. Reluctantly, I crawled out of bed, shut the windows, turned on the heat and lamented, "No, it can't be this cold already." Thankfully it has warmed back up to the mid 70's. This time of year I savor each of these beautiful days.

On Friday, we traveled 330 miles to Owatonna, MN, by way of Minneapolis. We spent the evening with our daughter, LaDawn, and our grandchildren. It was kind of like a last hurrah party as we won't see them again until December. Oh that seems so long.....I guess that it is! They had us open our Grandparents Day card and gift. The gift was the game of Scrabble. The grandkids said, "Now you can play this game at night on the road," and then they added "It will help keep your brains alive and busy." I chuckled, hugged them and thought to myself, "As busy as life is, I'm getting to the stage where I don't want to keep my brain busy. I want to rest my brain and body." While the kids were with us this summer we played games every night, and of course, they beat Grandma many times, but I caught up and beat them. I think they felt compelled to help old Grandma and Grandpa sharpen up!

On Saturday we drove over to Owatonna, MN, which is about an hour from Minneapolis and set up our equipment at the Cornerstone Evangelical Free church. It was a such a joy to be with our special friends, Pastor Doug & Deb Jones. We've known them since they were teenagers. We saw them get married, raise their three sons and pastor churches in several states. We've been honored to be with them at each of those pastorates. It's been a personal thrill to watch this couple grow in Christ and to see how God has blessed their ministry. Pastor Doug is on our Board of Directors, and Debbie is on our Advisory Board.  They had the following to share about our ministry:

"Having Larry and Gloria come and minister here at Cornerstone was a God-appointment for everyone.  Their anointed singing, along with ther gifted speaking and preaching were powerful, yet tender, reaching each heart from young to old.  God was in our midst doing His work until at the altar stood a group of people representing precious souls coming to Christ for the very first time.  Others also were recommiting their lives to Christ.  In a nutshell, when Larry and Gloria come and minister, you can be assured of a few things: a couple who is friendly and concerned for all, a ministry that is totally anointed of God, and a harvest of souls for the Kingdom of God.  Thank you so much for your continued faithfulness to Christ and for coming to minister!" 

On Sunday, we had an awesome service at Cornerstone with many making decisions for Christ. Several came up to us afterwards and thanked us for being faithful in ministry. They assured us, "Because of your faithfulness we are serving the Lord today." I wish I could have had time to get all their photos and testimonies of what God has done in their lives since they were saved.

Patti Ivance and her 2 children, Katie and Rachel, bounced up to me and bubbled, "Gloria, I was one of those young kids who came to Christ at your Lundstrom Crusade that you held here in Owatonna in the mid 70's. My parents took me every night. I loved it. And now that I'm a parent, it was a joy bringing my children here this morning. They loved it. You really blessed us with your ministry this morning. Thanks for coming."

A few moments later two couples who have followed our ministry for years asked, "How do you keep going and staying on the road after all these years?" I simply responded, "You saw all those people at the altar who received Christ....that's what gives us the strength to keep going." They nodded and smiled in agreement, "Yes, I'm sure."

Oh yes, I was going to tell you something...let me step back to last Friday. When we arrived in Minneapolis, we sped over to St. Paul to Gardenview Medical where Larry had an appointment at an ear, nose and throat clinic. The past couple of years, he's had a hard time hearing the turning signals on our coach and car. Needless to say that is dangerous with all the driving we do. It's also hard for him to hear people speaking in a noisy restaurant, etc. For years I've teased him about having "selective hearing". From the hundreds of women I talk to it must be a national problem by choice. Ha! I can talk to him, and he appears to be deaf....at least in one ear, but if I'm three rooms away and quietly inquire, "Want a cup of coffee and some ice cream?", without hesitation he answers back, "I'll be right there!" I hollar back, "See! You can hear when you want to!" Yep...that's my man! Anyway, his one ear is fine, but he has lost the high frequency in the other one. Guess I'll have to change my voice and start talking deep like Johnny Cash. After our devotions this morning, I asked him to do something and assumed he didn't hear me. So, as I often do, I chuckled and said, "If you understand the question stomp your foot three times." Of course, he just looked at me and cracked up, but I got my point across.

As I proceeded with my office work, a powerful thought hit me. I thank God that He doesn't have selective hearing, although there have been times I've cried out in desperation and whined, "God do you hear me? I need an answer." At times it appears the heavens are sound proof. Sometimes God says "Yes," sometimes He says "No," sometimes He says "Wait," and at other times He is silent. I feel like I'm stranded in a sound proof room. It's those times I remind myself of the scripture in Jeremiah 33:3 that says, "Call unto me and I will answer." Just a thought....He doesn't say when or how, but He will answer. Often, it's not the answer I wanted. Many times I'll pray and pray and pray for the answer and whimper, "God I've believed for it, but I haven't seen anything happen." Then I realize that something actually did happen which is that I drew closer to Him. Through prayer and drawing closer to Him, God gave me strength to endure and hope to hold on until the answer comes. Remember, no prayers are in vain. They are stepping stones into the presence of God. Be encouraged, keep praying and believe.

It was a long trip up to Cook, MN, which is located less than 100 miles from the Minnesota/Canadian border, but oh, it was so worth the trip! We were greeted by a loving pastor and wife, Pastor and Mrs. Randy Swenson, along with an exciting group of parishioners. They made us feel so loved and welcome! The first gentleman who met us grinned and said, "Oh, we are so happy to have you back. Our church just loves you! We were happy to see so many people come to Christ when you were here two years ago....we have been praying and are expecting another great altar call."

We ministered at an 8:45 AM and 10:30 AM service. When we gave the invitation at the First Baptist Church, their prayers were answered. Many came to Christ and it was thrilling to say the least! Among those that made commitments, many were teenagers and their parents were elated with joy!


Since Cook is nestled in a resort area, we had several visitors who were on vacation attend the service. A precious lady from the Sydney, Australia, area hugged me and said, "Oh this was so wonderful! I loved the music, the message and especially the altar call to see so many saved! Please come to Australia!"

Pastor Swenson and his lovely wife were a delight to work with. It was our first time to meet them and we sincerely hope it won't be the last. They are so kind. Pastor Swenson shared the following with us:

"We saw the beauty of the body of Christ displayed in Larry and Gloria's visit. In Scripture we are told that some plant, some water and some harvest. How exciting to see several people, who had been prayed for and witnessed to, become part of the spiritual harvest through the Lundstrom's ministry."

After the exciting morning of soulwinning, we began our 400 mile trek back to South Dakota. After two services and tearing down and packing in our gear, we were already tired and wondered how we were going to make the long trip home. En route, we drove through Hibbing, MN, again which is located on the Iron Range. Larry suggested, "Honey, we have traveled through here for over 35 years, and I have always wanted to run over to the Mesabi Iron Range. Let's just take a half hour." I responded, "As long as you are driving, it's fine with me." Hibbing, MN, is the sight of the world's largest open pit iron-ore mine. It is known as the Hull Rust Mahoning mine. The Hibbing taconite open pit covers 3, 075 acres with the maximum length being 3.5 miles. More than 800 million tons of iron-ore have been shipped from this location. Of course, Larry wasn't nearly as interested in the big hole as he was in the monster truck, better known as the King of the Lode. This haul truck was the world's largest 240 ton diesel electric haul truck. Larry was mesmerized! He scampered down the path and when he stood by it, he looked like a toddler instead of a full grown man. I think he felt petite standing by it. He loved every inch of that monster truck.

While we were walking the path, returning to the car, we began a conversation with Dean and Deb Brase from Fairbanks, IA. They had attended a rally of ours that we held in a Lutheran church in Fairbanks in the early 80's. They wanted to get a photo of the four of us so they asked the next tourists coming down the sidewalk if they would please take the photo. This couple chirped, "Sure. Hi Lundstrom's! We have followed you for years. We are from Madison, SD." At that moment, another couple walked up to all of us and exclaimed, "The Lundstroms...what are you doing way up here in Hibbing? We are from Prairie Lakes, SD." By this time, there was a group of eight of us visiting. It was a sweet time. They thanked us for staying in ministry all of these years. Wow! As tired as we were with 400 miles yet to go, their kindness and testimonies infused us with energy. Of course...it took several coffee stops along the way to keep us both awake. After meeting all of those precious people, I realized God allowed them to be there to encourage a weary couple...Larry and I! Isn't it wonderful that no matter where you go, God has some of His people there. When you meet, an immediate bond takes place. You are no longer strangers but friends.

Before a person comes to Christ, you are strangers. But...when you come to Christ, you become joint-heirs with the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. I love the verse in John 15:15 where Jesus states, "I no longer call you servants...instead, I have called you friends.." That breaks down the barriers and immediately, we have an intimate relationship with Christ.

Aren't you thankful you are a friend of Jesus if you have given Him your heart. If you haven't, take a moment and ask Him right now to be the Lord of your life. Ask Him to forgive you of your sins and to come live in your heart.

Blessings be upon you and have a great week!

On the brighter side, we have had wonderful soulwinning rallies on our Northern Minnesota tour. We had a service at Mora Assembly of God in Mora, MN, with Pastor James and Linda Paydon. It is always a joy to minister at their church. They are so sweet! We had a precious service and altar call where many prodigals found their way back home.

Pastor James shared this with us: "Thank you for your wonderful ministry at Mora Assembly of God. Once again, God used you to touch the hearts of people, giving them the opportunity for changed lives. What a joy to see people answering the altar call to turn their lives over to Jesus."

Another testimony shared was from Richard & Eileen Harrison who attended the Mora rally---We have known you for over 25 years and we are continually blessed by your ministry. We enjoyed your service in Mora, MN, and we were thrilled to see people come to Christ.

Last Saturday, we drove to Hibbing, MN, which is located on the Iron Range. We have been ministering in that area off and on for over 35 years. Yikes! It gives me arthritic pains just thinking how quickly time is passing and we are aging. HA!

We were warmly greeted by Pastor David and Melissa Oler and their precious infant son, Jaythan. They just moved from Florida to Minnesota! Yes, you heard me right. It would have to be God calling anyone from the sunny beaches of Florida to the chilly winters of Minnesota. I chuckled and told the pastor, "Well, Pastor, we will be praying for you! You can exchange your year-round summer clothes for arctic survival wear." This young couple has a deep burden for the lost and hurting. Their zeal for ministry literally spills out of them. This church and community will be blessed by their ministry.

We had an 8:00 AM and 10:00 AM service. The altar was packed with people making decisions for Christ. Afterwards, I was bombarded and hugged by many family members telling me how delighted they were to see their loved ones come to Christ. There were also many who shared testimonies of coming to Christ under our ministry in past years. Here are some testimonies that touched our hearts!

Lon and Denise Nobs, Hibbing, MN, came to Christ in a Lundstrom rally in Jordan, MT, in the early 80's.

Jim and Cher Benson, Hibbing, MN---Thank you both so very much for your ministry in Hibbing. My stepfather gave his heart to Christ today for the first time. Praise God! Your words reached his heart and he received it. Thanks, again, and God bless you!

Shari Monson, Virginia, MN---My life has been touched through the Lundstroms. I gave my heart to Christ back in 1973 when all of you Lundstroms were together in Hibbing.

David & Ida Machart of Hibbing, MN-We thank you for coming to Hibbing to minister in our area. We appreciated the clear word of salvation from Larry. It was a unique way of bringing the message of salvation. Thanks for your dedication. We also loved your music.

We have had our office based out of our friends' home in Minnesota for the past two weeks. Each morning, when I walk out the patio door, I can see a small woodpecker deliriously pecking away on a huge birch tree. It sounds like a miniature jackhammer. I can't imagine what his little head must endure. He is consistently pecking from sunrise to sunset. From a distance, I watch him persevere and for what I don't seem to understand. I can see a little hole forming as he pecks away which appears like a beaded necklace laced around the birch tree. What I find most bizarre, however, is that he has chosen to peck in the same spot as a beehive. His pecking stirs up the bees; they get angry; they swarm and then finally try to attack him. The woodpecker defends himself by pecking at them to try to drive them off but to no avail. The more the bees swarm, the more determined he is not to be deterred from his self assigned task. Day by day, I keep thinking this woodpecker will finally catch on and choose a different spot to peck on the birch tree, but NO. He's not about to move or be deviated from his goal.

Observing all of this, I couldn't help but admire the courage and tenacity of the bird. Last week, I felt a bit like that woodpecker. While trying to accomplish all the tasks facing me and attempting to do my best, it seemed like a stirred up a spiritual bee's nest. The harder I prayed over a particular situation, the more the devil attacked trying to discourage me. After 4-5 sleepless nights, physically and emotionally weary, I pleaded, "God, please take this pain and this burden away." I felt Him encouraging me to persevere-and that in due time-our prayers would be answered.

The next morning, out of the clear blue, our granddaughter, Myanna, not knowing anything about my struggle, walked up to me and said, "Grandma, Mark 11:24 says, 'God answers prayer'." My mouth dropped open as she added, "Grandma, it says that when you pray, believe." I wilted and asked where she came up with that. She chirped, "Out of the Bible!" and then she repeated it.

I grabbed my Bible and looked up the scripture in the Dakes Annotated Reference Bible and sure enough, there it was....the answer, "What things so ever you desire, when ye pray, believe that you receive them, and you shall have them." As I reread that verse, God poured a beautiful peace and comfort over my troubled spirit.

How many times have we heard the statement, "Out of the mouth of babes"? God used my granddaughter to reach my head and then my heart. Praise God!

Maybe your faith is under fire this week....maybe you, too, need encouragement....let that verse also encourage you. It is our prayer that you will have a blessed week and may the presence of God envelop you!

Gloria

We had a wonderful weekend service at Grand Rapids, MN, with Pastor Brian McGuire, his wife and family. As always, they treated us like family and we had a wonderful time of ministry and fellowship. They are such a warm loving family!

When Larry gave the altar call during the service, many responded to make decisions for Christ. After the counseling, I gave Pastor Brian the decision cards of those that made decisions for Christ who would need to be followed up on. Pastor stood there reviewing the cards and exclaimed, "Wow...I know a lot of these people. I just didn't know where they stood spiritually, but now I do!" He continued, "I met one gentlemen in the hallway after the service who responded to the altar call. He said to me, 'Pastor, now if I die, I know where I'm going.'" There is no greater joy in this life than to know without a doubt where you will spend eternity.

He also shared the following about the rally:

"Once again, it was an honor to see God use Larry and Gloria Lundstrom in their calling as evangelists. Their ability to encourage people to take that critical step of faith was apparent as 13 people responded to the altar call."

A few moments later, Linda Schumacher rejoiced with tears, "Gloria, first of all, I want to tell you how much your book, Free At Last, has ministered to my life. In fact, I have read it three times. It has helped me so much!" Then her face lit up as she continued to share, "Gloria, my father went forward this morning to receive Christ for the very first time. I have been praying for him and this morning God answered my prayer. Dad is 71 years old and has terminal cancer. Will you please pray with him?" A few moments later she brought her father and step-mother, along with the pastor's wife, for me to pray with him. I first asked him, "Now that you have made a decision for Christ, where will you go when you die?" He smiled, "I know I will go to heaven and I'm not afraid to die." We prayed for God to heal him...as God is still the God of miracles.

Shortly after, Seth and Jenny Erway, an adorable young couple married just one week and one day, approached me and said, "Thank you so much for this morning's service. We loved it! It was so refreshing. It was great to feel the presence of God through your music and ministry. Thanks, again, for coming."

Testimonies like the ones above are like fuel to our bodies and spiritual engines. It is what keeps us going.

We were delighted to be able to have our daughter, LaDawn, and our two grandchildren, Dante' and Myanna, spend a few days with us last week at our friends' lake home. We have set up our office here for 2 ½ weeks and we drive out from this location to conduct our rallies. I was so glad that LaDawn was able to get a few days off---single parent moms need that! The kids swam, climbed trees, played games and just had good old-fashioned fun. It is good for them to get out of what I call "cement city"-the Minneapolis area. Dante' said, "Grandma, I love coming out to the cabin in the woods, away from the big city. It is so relaxing and serene." Larry and I worked most of the day but we would spend late afternoon and the evenings just having a great time with them.

One night after sunset, several games of Uno and Sorry later, we all watched the video entitled, Left Behind. This was the second time we had watched it together. The grandkids sat spellbound. It is a story of the rapture and it emphasizes of what the Scripture says in Matthew 24:20, "Two men will be in a field, one will be taken and the other left." It showed scenes where people disappeared and their clothing was left on chairs, in beds, in cars, etc. The next morning, as we were having devotions around the table, we discussed the seriousness of being ready at anytime to meet the Lord as we never know when the rapture will happen. It was a precious time of sharing. The next morning, the grandchildren walked by the lower level bathroom and saw Grandpa's clothes lying on the floor by the washing machine and kiddingly shouted, "Did the rapture happen? Where's Grandpa? All we see are his clothes on the floor." They giggled. Quickly I assured them, "That's not the rapture...that's a failure to put the clothes in the dirty clothes basket." The kids just chuckled.

Isn't life great that we can have fun moments along with the serious ones. Jesus says in the Word, "I have come that you might have life (joy) and that your life (joy) might be full." Christ wants us to have joy, even amidst the tough times. His joy gives us the strength to push on and hope to sustain us.

Well, it is my prayer that you will experience moments of joy this coming week. Let it encourage you and strengthen you. God Bless!

Gloria