Please follow these guidelines when mailing a card to ensure that your card will quickly reach service members, veterans and their families. Every card received will first be screened for hazardous materials by Pitney Bowes and then reviewed by Red Cross volunteers working in one of 16 sorting stations around the country.All cards must be postmarked no later than Wednesday, December 10, 2008. Cards sent after this date will be returned to sender. Participants are encouraged to limit the number of cards they submit to 25 from any one person or 50 from any one class or group. If you are mailing a larger quantity, please bundle the cards and place them in large mailing envelopes. Each card does not need its own envelope or postage. Please ensure that all cards are signed. Please use generic salutations such as “Dear Service Member.” Cards addressed to specific individuals can not be delivered through this program. Please send cards as opposed to long letters which delay a quick review process. Please do not include email or home addresses on the cards, as the program is not meant to foster pen pal relationships. Please do not include inserts of any kind, including photos, as these items will be removed during the reviewing process. All cards received may be used in program publicity efforts, including appearing in broadcast, print or online mediums.
He who is void of virtuous attachments in private life is, or very soon will be, void of all regard for his country. There is seldom an instance of a man guilty of betraying his country, who had not before lost the feeling of moral obligations in his private connections.
It does not require a majority to prevail, but rather an irate, tireless minority keen to set brush fires in people's minds.
The Constitution shall never be construed... to prevent the people of the United States who are peaceable citizens from keeping their own arms.
 | Samuel Adams |
 Faces in the Crowd 208 pgs. Publisher: New Hope Publishers ISBN-10:159669257 ISBN-13: 9781596692053 Retail: $12.99 |
 Veteran Missionary and Author, Donna Thomas |
What Others Are Saying:
--Paul Borthwick, senior consultant, author: |
I want them see how easy it is to get rid of fear, to accept their calling to obey the Great Commission and to enjoy every bit of it.
Yes, just today I was in the Apple phone store with a problem on my phone. The young man that was helping me had a badge with the name Matt. I said, "I'll remember you Matt because that is the first book in the New Testament." He replied that his parents used that name because it is a Bible name. We went on to talk about his purpose in life, what he wants to do in the next 60 years (since he is 22 years old) and since he is a Christian, how he wants to make a difference in this world for the Lord.
Here's an example of a conversation starter I had with an international. I saw this fellow's name badge and it was Alpha. So I asked him, "where is Omega?" That made him want to talk with me and we have become friends because of further conversations. Now he has been to my house and I've been to his home several times. He is a Muslim from Guinea but is interested in Christian teachings, etc.
We are taught in our culture not to talk about religion or politics. We are also taught to just mind your own business and leave others alone. When we tell them how Peter lost his fear and share how they can lose theirs, they are open. Give them the story of Phillip and the Eunuch and show them how the Lord used him. Also instill in them that we don't have to be successful, but we do have to be obedient. Jesus wasn't always "successful" with those he talked with. Many turned and walked away but he gave them an opportunity to know him. We give the gift of opportunities.
Start looking to see how many internationals you can see. Ask for the Lord to let you see the multitude of people through his eyes. Just start looking for them. Allow your curiosity to discover what country they are from. The interesting thing is that they would certainly like to have an American friend. When you give them a little attention they immediately give you all of theirs. They are lonesome...a foreigner in a foreign land. You can offer friendship.
They would love to tell you about their family and they want you to tell them about yours too. They would love to tell you about their homeland. They would love to tell you about their religion and you can tell them about yours too. It is a two way conversation. Just be open to begin a friendship. It can later enable you to talk about what Jesus means to you.
You don't preach to them, you tell them what Jesus means to you. You tell them about some of your difficult times and how the Lord has helped you. You ask them about any difficult times they have right now so you both can pray to the Lord for him to help you in this circumstance. Address their needs. When we show them the Lord can help them, they want to meet that Lord.
Oh my, I see these people and I wonder if they know Jesus, what their purpose is in life, and where they will spend eternity. Why should I have the joy of going to heaven when they don't know the way to get there? I feel sorry for them and I also feel sorry for Christians that don't care for others. Some Christians only see a physical need but don't recognize spiritual needs.
Every morning I ask "Okay Father, what do you have in store for me today?" Then in all I do, I look to see the people I think Jesus wants me to see, whether they are a server in a restaurant, a repair man at my house, a lonely looking person at another table or in a waiting area. If Jesus was with me, who would he see, what would he say, what would he do, what does he want me to do? Tonight I am going back to Abuelos restaurant because of the relationships I have there with several of the waiters. I walk a mile or two in my neighborhood for exercise and now I have friends to walk with that don't really know the Lord. I get emails from around the globe asking me for prayer, for advice, and assurance. From Peru, Honduras, Mexico, Laos, China, India, Russia, etc. I am working with 12 internationals right now and I hope to find mentors for them as I cannot be with them as much as they need. So do I quit finding more internationals to talk to or do I find Christians that will come along side them and help them grow? I know a former Hindu from India who is now a Christian, who needs a mentor. It isn't easy to find mentors because many people just say they don't have time. Where are the Christians, the disciples in this day and age?
Also I have a wonderful family, 3 sons and 10 grandkids and all are Christian. Last night I got great grandson #2. Yea! I am also the American grandmother to the children of many of these internationals. Some that I have met in my obedience to the Lord and some that are overseas and I have worked with their parents for 20 plus years. What an honor. I am the American grandmother to 7 India children, 2 Chinese, 3 Mexican, 2 Nicaraguan, and these are adults now. Here in the U.S. to a student from Saudi Arabia, a child whose parents are from Guinea, and a child whose parents are from Senegal. I retired 10 years ago from my position as president of a missions organization and am now writing books, speaking around the country, and am a consultant. But I am as busy as ever, even at 80 years old. Someday I hope to slow down but so far the Lord has me very busy. Oh yes, on my 80th birthday my kids gave a party and there were 150 people that showed up from 17 countries and California, Alabama, Texas, Colorado, Ohio, Kansas, and more. Before it ended there were 8 birthday parties. Now that was a celebration. Wow!
Always dream and shoot higher than you know you can do. Don't bother just to be better than your contemporaries or predecessors. Try to be better than yourself.
 | William Faulkner |
If opportunity doesn't knock, build a door.
 | Milton Berle |
Every political good carried to the extreme must be productive of evil.
 | Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley |
 Starting From Scratch When You're Single Again 23 women share stories, encouragement, and lessons learned when starting over was all they could do
Release date: Publicist:
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 Authors Sharon M. Knudson and Mary Fran Heitzman |
I’m neither divorced nor widowed, but I, too, have a heart for those who are starting from scratch. My father died when I was 16, and although she was never aware of the impression she made, my mother was an inspiration to me. While my faith in God faltered, hers remained intact. I watched how she made decisions—how she continued to put one foot in front of the other—how she guided my younger brother and me.
Today I work with my husband in the financial services business. We meet many women who, because of the loss or absence of their spouse, are faced with decisions that were once shared.
I wanted to offer all of these women hope and encouragement so they wouldn’t feel alone or overwhelmed. I want them to know that others have survived and that they will, too. I also want them to know—if they are young mothers—that their children are learning how to cope through the example they set. Children are not harsh judges, but will admire them for their willingness to learn new skills, and for listening to, talking with, and leading them even when the road is strewn with uncertainty.
When my marriage failed after thirty years, I was filled with tremendous guilt and shame. I had been a devout believer in Christ, an active leader in my church, the parent of two beautiful daughters, and the kind of person who loved both my own and my husband’s extended family. It was as if I had received a ten-foot tall letter “F” on my imaginary “Report Card of Life.”
Widows don’t carry that kind of shame around, although they are consumed with grief, as was I. Friends and relatives know what to say to a widow—they offer counsel and comfort.
Many of the women we visited with often spoke of turning to Scripture. While some had a strong faith that allowed them to draw comfort from great passages in the Bible, others questioned God at first, or had feisty conversations with Him.
All were needy of, and appreciated, kind words and gestures from friends and family. But I was struck at how they all found comfort when their supporters were not available. Many of the women we visited with mentioned a devotional, a workbook, or some special story that encouraged them. Some started blogs or began a ministry. Many swallowed their pride and accepted help from others, including the government, recognizing that this was just for a season.
For most of these women, dependency on God Himself seemed to be the key ingredient when tragedy first struck. After that they allowed others to minister to them. And then eventually they took that one small step necessary to move forward and accept change.
When I suddenly got divorced, no one knew what to think or say. It was a complete shock to everyone (including me), and it felt like a bomb had gone off in the night. People want an explanation, and if one is not readily apparent, they make their own guesses as to what probably happened. Some gossip and take sides. Some get very angry and feel betrayed: in a way, their own security is threatened and they wonder, “If that could happen to her, could it happen to me?”
“Telling”came right out of my journal. It was written as I grappled with how to tell people what had happened just a few months after the divorce. We have included this as a book excerpt on our blog.
Mary and I designed beautiful bookmarks to give away, and they express what the stories in this book convey. The bookmark says, “Be thankful for whatever God is doing in and through your suffering. TRUST that eventually He will make everything right” (from page 212). God is in the business of redeeming and restoring lives, and this holds true for those who believe in Him no matter what.
Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.Isaiah 1:18 KJVR
In hatred as in love, we grow like the thing we brood upon. What we loathe, we graft into our very soul.
 | Mary Renault |
 Fall Into Reading 2008 |
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 18 Oct 2008 12 Noon GMT |
And then read a little more.
And then read a lot more.
As one of those parents who do not celebrate Halloween, I believe it should be kept out of the school - just like Christmas and Easter should be kept out of the school.
It is each family's right and privilege to believe and celebrate in whatever way is best for them, and it is NOT the right or privilege of the public school system to allow the children "to be kids at school-regardless of what their parents believe." That approach takes parental respect and rights away from parents, and teaches the children that "anything is okay, as long as it's at school."
It is subtleties like this that help make our children today less respectful of parents and allows the government to gain more and more control over citizens. As our children are taught that the origins of holidays don't really matter and that they can celebrate anyway despite their parents' teaching, they are also taught that what their parents have taught them doesn't matter and that can do whatever the government says despite the rights and privileges granted to them by the Constitution. It is already taking place with the Patriot Act.
Our country and government were established to create freedom for our citizens to believe, worship and celebrate how they wish, and to protect those that believe differently from being proselytized by them. The public school system is a place of academic learning. The separation of church and state provides religious learning in the home, church, or church schools. The public school should be devoid of ANY religion, whether Christian, Pagan, Wiccan, Buddhist or Muslim.
I am a 32-year-old Christian that believes our Wiccan, Buddhist and Muslim citizens have just as much right to NOT be exposed to the Nativity as we have the right not to be exposed to Halloween, Buddha or Mohamed.
What has destroyed every previous civilization has been the tendency to the unequal distribution of wealth and power.
He who sees the truth, let him proclaim it, without asking who is for it or who is against it.
That which is unjust can really profit no one; that which is just can really harm no one.
Let no man imagine that he has no influence. Whoever he may be, and wherever he may be placed, the man who thinks becomes a light and a power.
How can a man be said to have a country when he has not right of a square inch of it.
Compare society to a boat. Her progress through the water will not depend upon the exertion of her crew, but upon the exertion devoted to propelling her. This will be lessened by any expenditure of force in fighting among themselves, or in pulling in different directions.
Poorly paid labor is inefficient labor, the world over.
How vainly shall we endeavor to repress crime by our barbarous punishment of the poorer class of criminals so long as children are reared in the brutalizing influences of poverty, so long as the bite of want drives men to crime.
 | Henry George |
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Besides singing and teaching a class for kids birth-5 at church, I make noise by standing up for my beliefs and not being afraid to be vocal when someone questions me about my beliefs and values. As Christians, we need to be just as comfortable discussing God and His place in our lives with non-believers as we are with believers. I never hesitate to share what God has done for me or my family, no matter who they are or what they may (or may not) believe.
I live in a Bible-belt community where halloween carnivals are "sanctified" as fall festivals, trunk-or-treats, and other "Christian" names for celebrating a pagan holiday. My family will not participate in these events because of our beliefs, and I'm never afraid to share what God has shown our family when confronted about it. Sometimes it's more eye-rolling and accusation than conversation, but by being loving, tactful and non-judging I can make some noise for God, whispering His "I love you!" to their hearts.I also try to live compassion and teach it to my kids. Every year, we participate in Samaritan's Purse Operation Christmas Child through our local Mothers of Preschoolers program. We send boxes to children the same ages and genders of my three kids so they learn that they can help someone just like them. My family gets to yell "God loves you!" clear across the world to needy children - how cool is that?!
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They say silence is golden. Sometimes the loudest noise is made by the gentlest whisper... or no words at all.
| For more information and to help further, visit: |  |  Susan G. Komen for the Cure |
 A Forgotten Gospel ISBN 13: 978-0-9790362-0-0 ISBN 10: 0 9790362-0-8 Author: Mark McGrath with Pat Russo Fields Pond Publishing Retail Price: $12.95 / 80 pages Available at: www.aforgottengospel.com |
 Author Mark McGrath |
In A Forgotten Gospel, Mark McGrath has taken the truth of the Gospel that "everything hinges on the resurrection of Jesus Christ" and made it simple for today's contemporary world. Many others died on a cross, but none of them are alive today! Jesus Christ is the king, and he wants our friends to know Him and let Him lead their lives. McGrath gives a new, fresh and yet scriptural approach to the Gospel that makes it easy to share our faith in Christ with our friends and family and then still have meaningful conversations afterwards. Presenting his material has started to encourage my students that they too can share Jesus with the people they live with while still calling them close friends.
Tony Yuhas
Campus Staff for
InterVarsity Christian Fellowship
at Rutgers University
Over twenty years ago we embraced the radical change Mark describes here in A Forgotten Gospel and it has completely altered both the approach to and the effect of our outreach. Because this approach coaches people to know how to engage in meaningful conversations with unbelievers, and how to keep the door open for future dialogue, the number of meaningful conversations with non-believers has increased, the level of our relationships with them has deepened, and the church is extremely confident when interacting with those outside the family of God. On top of that, the people who are now beginning to follow Jesus are coming with a genuine faith and real commitment! Whether you have a heart for evangelism or a fear of evangelism, this book is a must read.
John Singleton
Director of LifeLine Network International
I like this! And I'll tell you why.
It's clear and simple. It's positive, like the gospel. It's full of hope. It's free of religious jargon.
McGrath's desire to make the resurrection of Jesus the central aspect of our communication of the gospel to those who need it is right on! Sounds a lot like the book of Acts.
I especially appreciate his emphasis on learning to listen to others and showing real concern for them and their thoughts. His insistence on being sensitive to the voice of God is extremely important. His whole approach is well-balanced and he writes from a broad experience. Very encouraging, indeed!
Orville Swindoll
Missionary in Argentina for 32 years.
Psalm 42:1 KJV
13 Uses for Pillow Cases
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