November 9, 2005

Hi!  It's been another busy and exciting week.  We've been planning our 40^th wedding anniversary celebration for eight months…and it's finally almost here!  Last week, I spent many hours sifting through 40 years of photos.  Talk about an emotional rollercoaster ride!  I realized again how quickly life flies by.  I started with our wedding photos, and then progressed through our honeymoon, first years on the road in ministry, first child, second and third children, graduations, vacations, and our 25^th and 35^th anniversary celebrations.  Millions of miles of memories flooded my mind.  I chuckled at the funny photos, cradled the baby photos, and choked back a tear or two when I saw how quickly the children have grown up.  I rejoiced at photos when I saw how God provided our first home and a coach for us.  I was sobered and also thankful when I saw photos that reminded me of all the trials we've come through.  Again, I was reminded of God's faithfulness through it all.

When I finished working on the five big photo boards, I lined them all up and said, "Larry, can you believe that these five boards represent forty years!?!"  The perspective of the length of our lives so far seemed shorter than I would have imagined. 

As I write, we are rolling down the interstate towards Minneapolis, Minnesota.  We'll have two days to finish all the pre-planning, and then Friday at 1 pm we will decorate the reception and program rooms.  Our daughter LaShawn and son Donovan will be arriving from Nashville, TN tomorrow.  Our daughter LaDawn, of course, lives in a suburb of Minneapolis, with our grandchildren.  All of them, along with other family members, and our faithful office staff and their husbands, will help get everything set up.  We have rehearsals to do in the meantime, so we won't have time to get bored before the big day! 

I'm so thrilled that several of my family members, and all of Larry's family, will be there to celebrate with us.  It will be a true memory-making weekend!  And…I'm extra-thrilled that my mom, Julie Brooks from Sisseton SD, will also be in attendance.  She has been my friend, counselor, mentor, prayer warrior, and encourager, just to name a few of the roles she has played in my life.  She will turn 90 years old next week, on November 16.  What a joy and honor to have had her all through my younger years, and 40 years of my marriage as well.  Every moment with her is a joy!  She's truly the most positive person I have ever met.  She is upbeat and full of fun and humor.  And, she can still bake the most delicious caramel rolls and complete home-cooked meals.  She is amazing! 

Well, be sure and join us next week on this update, as we will share some photos from our 40^th celebration.  If you have family or friends that know us, invite them to click on and view the photos as well. 

And since it is our anniversary celebration weekend, I am including below a sweet response from children when asked the question, "What is love?"  I hope it will touch your heart the way it did mine.  Enjoy!

Can you believe it's already November?  We've been so blessed with a beautiful fall, thus far.  When we came home from Wisconsin last week and pulled into our driveway, the vines on the chimney were a beautiful golden bronze.  It was so pretty!  It was good to get back to my house.  I love being home this time of year, when it's starting to get nippy outside.  I'm content to be on the road the rest of the time, but when it gets cold…I want to be home!  After we got in the house, Larry requested that I make a big kettle of beef stew.  So I did, and he gobbled that up in a hurry.  When I stop to think of it…he gobbles up anything that isn't nailed down in a hurry!  Our Filipino friends in Hawaii get so tickled at Larry; they stand up next to him, and they only come up to his chest.  They giggle, "Brother Larry, you are SO BEEG!"  I tell them, "Really?  Larry is really a light eater.  As soon as he gets light, he starts to eat." 

We just had a wonderful Sunday rally in Wahpeton, North Dakota, at Harvest Outreach Center.  Pastor Todd and Pam Gafkjen truly have a heart for the lost.  They're a young couple that love living on the edge. They're in the middle of everything, doing something to reach everybody.  It was thrilling to fellowship with this young couple and to completely sense their zeal for God. 

Pastor Todd commented, "What a joy it was to minister alongside of you this past weekend.  Several people that we have been praying for and ministering to responded to receive Christ as their Lord and Savior.  As evangelists, you complimented, reinforced, and were catalysts for what God has been orchestrating here.  Your sensitivity to the Holy Spirit, congeniality, and servanthood set you apart.  The Gospel is still Good News-thank you for keeping the message simple and uncompromising.  We look forward to having you here again."

We've been truly blessed to be with so many wonderful pastors this year whose hearts beat for the lost.  After the service in Wahpeton, a woman walked up to me with tear-stained eyes.  She smiled and said, "Gloria, this is my 38^th birthday, and it is the best one yet!  I went forward to rededicate my life to Christ."  Wanda continued, "My grandma is 80 years old, and has told me about the Lundstroms for many, many years.  She used to go to all your rallies in the 70s, 80s and 90s.  Grandma said, 'If they ever come to your community, you've got to go.'  I've never met you before, or been to any of your rallies, but I saw your poster and called Grandma and told her I was going.  She said, 'You've got to go!'  And I did.  I loved your music and down-to-earth ministry.  When Larry gave the altar call, I felt compelled to go forward and give my heart back to Christ."  She continued, "I can hardly wait to get to the telephone and tell Grandma the good news.  She will be so happy, as she has prayed for me for years and years."

Isn't that a sweet testimony?  Another woman grabbed my hand, held it tightly, and said, "We were so thrilled to see our three grandchildren go forward this morning to receive Christ."  It's testimonies like these that give us the energy to keep pushing to reach the lost. 

On October 28, I celebrated my eighth month of recovery from my broken leg.  Every day when I wake up, I say, "Thank you, Lord, for giving me my right foot back."  I've talked to many people who have had injuries that are not this serious, and yet they are still struggling with therapy and recovery.  They are amazed when they see me walking in our services.  One lady said to me on Sunday, "Gloria, you aren't even limping!"  I answered her, "I don't have time to limp."  Ha!  Several weeks back, when I was taking therapy in Rapid City, SD, my therapist noticed I was favoring my injured leg and that I was limping down the hall.  He called out, "Gloria-don't limp!  Every time you start that, stop it, or it will become a habit!"  I responded, "Yes, sir!!"  I've worked very hard trying not to limp.

There are times in everyday life when we are emotionally, physically, or spiritually limping.  It's then that God encourages us through His word.  About six months following the accident, I had several days in which my pain was so unbearable, especially when I tried to put weight on my injured leg.  The pain would literally buckle me over.  The devil would try to discourage me by telling me, "You can't do it.  You'll never walk again."  It was at that time that I would direct my thoughts to Isaiah 40:10, "Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness."  Every time I tried to stand and the pain would hit, I'd speak out loud, "God, you said you would hold me up with the right hand of your righteousness."  The more I prayed and stood on that verse, the more strength and grit God gave me!  Wow…I get excited when I think about God's faithfulness!  Isn't He good?

Speaking of exciting things…our grandchildren, Dante and Myanna, went with their mom to the pumpkin patch.  They got to pick out their own pumpkins this past weekend!  That night, they had a pumpkin and pizza party, just the three of them.  They all carved faces on their pumpkins.  Sounds like fun, doesn't it?

Have a wonderful weekend, and we'll catch up again shortly!

Gloria

Hi!  I hope you had a great week.   We did-we were very busy, but it was great!  We parked our coach at an RV park in Wisconsin, set up our mobile office, and worked, worked, worked all week.  It was so beautiful to look out the windows and see the huge pines towering over our coach.  The light breezes sent millions of brightly colored leaves sailing through the air, and the squirrels were scurrying to and fro, gathering acorns.  Do they know something about the upcoming weather that we don't know?  The way they are scampering, something's up. 

Larry and I took some mail to the post office this past weekend, and at the next storefront, the owner had a huge pumpkin leaning against a big oak tree.  He was raking leaves, and I asked if I could take a picture of the scene.  He responded, "Oh!  This is the small one." (The pumpkin weighed 200 pounds.)  He continued, "A friend gave me three pumpkin seeds.  This is the result of one of them, one of them fizzled out, and the third pumpkin grew to over 500 pounds!  Wow, was I ever surprised!  Just three little seeds, and look what I've got."  He said the circumference of the 500-pound pumpkin was 11 feet around.  He added, "I was trying to lift it with the loader to move it, and it fell and squashed into about one hundred pieces."  I would've enjoyed seeing that one!  I'm sure my grandkids would love to raise something that big.  That would definitely be a show-and-tell project, wouldn't it? 

That day was one of those perfect, picturesque fall days that you'd like to put in a capsule and bring out when it's a cold, blustery day in February.  On the way back to the campground, we stopped and took a few photos.  That was fun!  Then on Friday, we drove into Oak Creek, Wisconsin (a suburb of Milwaukee), and spent the evening with my brother Jerry, his wife Sherry, and their wonderful family.  Sherry fixed us ham, turkey, salads, and side dishes.  What a feast!  It was like an early Thanksgiving.  It was great seeing their family again.  There is nothing like family!  On Saturday, Larry worked all day on the coach, as there always seems to be something going wrong.  This coach is 16 years old now, so it's like people's bodies…after so many years of age, it's patch, patch, patch!  Yes, Larry is continually "patching" on our coach. 

Sunday morning, we had the privilege of taking in a service at my brother's church that he pastors, Oak Creek Assembly of God.  What a wonderful church!  They have about 2000 attendees on average, but it is such a warm, friendly environment.  The worship was awesome, and Jerry's sermon was so enriching.  Pastor Jerry preached on God-ordained leadership.  It was so refreshing to sit back and just "take it in."  His church is built on soul-winning, illustrative sermons, and every sort of outreach and program imaginable.  On Sunday night, Larry and I ministered in the church.  It's such a wonderful group of loving people!  We sang, spoke, and again, people that are hungry for God responded to the altar call.  God's people are reaching out for more of Him…and we are thrilled to be right in the middle of it! 

On Monday, Larry was back out at Ray's Towing Garage to work on the coach again.  The owner, Mark Block, helped out with the job.  We have a cracked rim that needs to be replaced.  Again, it's time to "patch" it up!  Ha!

We are headed to Minneapolis, where we will spend another day or so, working on our 40^th anniversary celebration plans.  The big day is coming up quickly!  The week after the celebration, (Thursday, November 17), we'll post photos from the reception and service on this website.  Even though you may not be able to join us there physically, you can enjoy the event through photos here online!  Be sure to mark that date on your calendar. 

Well, I must hit the road…we are hoping to see Dante' and Myanna for a few hours before heading back to Sisseton.  Again, it's always fun to share our "On the Road" travels and experiences with you.  If you enjoy this website with all its articles, and this "On the Road" travelogue, why don't you invite a friend to check us out? 

Have a wonderful weekend…

Gloria

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 Thought for the Week

With hurricanes, tornados, flooding, and severe thunderstorms (don't forget the fires in CA) tearing up the country from one end to another, the quote of the month is:

"Are we sure this is a good time to take God out of the Pledge of Allegiance?"

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A woman was asked by a coworker, "What is it like to be a Christian?"  The coworker replied, "It is like being a pumpkin." God picks you from the patch, brings you in, and washes all the dirt off of you.  Then He cuts off the top and scoops out all the yucky stuff. He removes the seeds of doubt, hate, and greed. Then He carves you a new smiling face and puts His light inside of you to shine for all the world to see."

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Household Tip

Pretty Candles

 

Recycle your old candles by grating them with your vegetable grater and using your favorite votive cups.  Save part of the wick to place in the middle of the votve cup.  You can layer different colors to make the new candle especially pretty!

What an action-packed week!  We left South Dakota last week, drove to Minneapolis, and worked on plans for our 40^th anniversary celebration.  We took a few hours to visit our grandkids and LaDawn, of course.  On Thursday, we drove to the breathtaking state of Wisconsin.  With the changing of the leaves, the whole drive looked like a picture postcard!  The leaves dazzled us as they danced in the light breeze.  I felt like I was on an authentic East Coast "leaf-peeking" tour.

Thursday evening, we were welcomed to a beautiful retreat center nestled among the towering pines by Spencer Lake, Wisconsin.  Then, the action started.  On Friday, close to 200 women gathered for a time of relaxation and spiritual growth.  These women came hungry for God to do something special in their lives.  God definitely met them at the point of their need.  On Friday night, I challenged the women to "hold on" no matter what comes along in life.  I guaranteed them that God will see them through!  When I gave the altar call for salvation, about a dozen women wept their way to Christ.  What a great way to start the retreat! 

The theme for this retreat was "Unlimited Vision."  What a great focus!  On Saturday, I challenged the women to reach out to the lost in their world.  We are all often tempted to become self-centered, and we sing the song "It's All About Me!"  But, there are people in our spheres of influence whose eternity is in jeopardy, and we must reach them. 

It was great to see all kinds of women in attendance: young brides, mothers with nursing babies, all the way to middle aged ladies and seniors.  These women definitely were full of life and fun!  It was a joy and honor to work with the District Director of the women's ministries of Wisconsin and Northern Michigan, Carol Christiansen, and her staff, Linda Scalish and Linda Edwards.   

I was thrilled to have one of my six sister-in-laws, Sherry Brooks, in attendance!  She and my brother Jerry pastor the Oak Creek Assembly of God Church.  Oak Creek is a suburb of Milwaukee, Wisconsin.  It's not very often I have the privilege of having a relative attend my speaking engagements, due to the long distances, so I was especially happy to see Sherry.  She's a sweetheart! 

 Here are some comments shared about the retreat:

 
Sunday, October 16 was a real milestone for Larry and me.  It marked our 40^th anniversary of marriage and ministry together.  Each of our families called us to congratulate us.  Our daughter LaShawn called from Canada and asked, "Mom, what did you and Dad do on your anniversary?"  I told her we had a Sunday morning service in Waupaca and that people came to Christ.  Incidentally, the church had been praying for certain people for years, and when Larry gave the altar call, they finally responded.  The pastor of the church was thrilled!  I added, "LaShawn, you can't beat that for celebrating."  The greatest thrill for Larry and I is to see people come to Christ.  I like what Donald Trump says: "Life is what you do while waiting to die."  In our case, Larry and I are spending ours lives leading people to Christ while we're "waiting to die."

The Waupaca pastor, Bob Bohn, commented, "We were so glad that it worked out for you to be with us in our church.  The blessings of the Lord so richly sounded out in your testimony, and the preaching enriched our lives individually and corporately as the body of Christ.  Thank you for the quality of ministry we received from you.  Again, thank you for helping to challenge our people with the power of God's Word.  The Holy Spirit is at work in reaching the lost in the world today, and is also encouraging those already redeemed.  Praise the Lord!" 

Well friends and partners, on a different topic…I have no way of knowing exactly what particular situation you find yourself in right now.  This past week, I talked with so many people whose lives have been interrupted by the "hiss" of cancer.

It grieves my heart so much to know these people are carrying a disease in their bodies that has totally changed their lifestyles and futures.  When they heard that dreaded word from their doctor, they went from normal day-to-day living to constant doctor appointments, chemotherapy, blood tests, and CT scans.  None of these interruptions were written in their calendar of life.  I know these folks' minds race at night, "Will I beat it?  Will I still be here to see my children grow up, my daughter get married, or hold my grandchildren?"  All of these thoughts chill the beauty out of a normal day.

I've been so encouraged, however, to see the faith God has given to most of these friends.  Hardly a one is living on "Woe-is-me Boulevard."  They are turning the negative into a positive.  They've dialed up Heaven 911 for daily help.  For many going through the cancer valley, God has turned the hearts of many children toward home.  One mom told me, "If this is what it takes to see my children plug into God-well, then it's worth it."  Each one has become totally dependent on God for strength for each minute of each day.

Another friend said, "I've discovered that my greatest enemy is not the disease, but the subtle, slippery feelings of despair and anxiety that try to overwhelm me.  But I shake myself, call out to God, get in the Word, and go to church to receive from God.  Then, I minister out of my own need and in return, I am encouraged and blessed."  Wow, what a testimony!

Years ago, an enthusiastic believer in Jesus Christ lost his battle with cancer.  The following was distributed at his memorial service:

Cancer is limited…

It cannot cripple love,

It cannot corrode faith,

It cannot eat away peace,

It cannot destroy confidence,

It cannot kill friendship,

It cannot shut out memories,

It cannot silence courage,

It cannot invade the soul,

It cannot reduce eternal life,

It cannot quench the Spirit,

It cannot lessen the power of the resurrection.

You may ultimately be healed.  You may not.  Whichever our Sovereign God wills will be your lot.  It definitely is a part of life's puzzle!

In an article, Charles Swindoll said, "You cannot deny that you have the disease, but you can deny despair from taking control."

You may know someone today who is fighting cancer.  Give them a call, encourage them, and pray with them.  They may just be waiting for that call from you!

Have a great week, everyone.  We will be catching up again soon!

Gloria

October 12, 2005

Another week is history!  It seems I just get through updating the website, and it's time to do it again.  Time flies, doesn't it? 

It's been a busy time this week getting ready for our fortieth anniversary celebration.  It will be held November 12 in Lakeville, Minnesota, which is a suburb of Minneapolis.  Our actual anniversary is this Sunday, October 16.  I can hardly believe it has been 40 years!  Larry and I grew up in the same church, attended the same youth group, and he went on the road in full-time ministry the day after he graduated from high school.  He joined his brother Lowell and his wife Connie on that May day in 1961.  Larry and I dated by mail and telephone, and saw each other only about two to three times a year.  Then one day in May of 1964, Larry called me and said, "Gloria, I love you so much…if you marry me, I'll take you out for lunch!"  Well, we were married on October 16, 1965, and I haven't been home much since then-that's a looooong lunch break!  Ha!  I thank God every day that he brought Larry and me together.  We were both called into ministry as pre-teens, and have the same "heartbeat" to win the lost.  We traveled with Lowell and Connie Lundstrom as part of the "Message for America" team for over 20 years.  And now, we've been in ministry on our own for nearly 24 years.  We have seen over 60,000 people make decisions for Christ under Larry Lundstrom Ministries since 1982.  We praise God for each one who has come to Christ!  If you would like to receive our special 40 year anniversary newsletter (and aren't already on our mailing list) filled with nearly 100 photos of our lives from grade school until now, write us at PO Box 300, Sisseton, SD 57262, or email us at llmin@venturecomm.net .  You can receive our special diary of photos "through the years."

Yesterday, I met with the catering service, ordered the cake, made plans of how to decorate the church fellowship hall, and so on.  It was a full day!  By the way, the celebration will be held at Larry's brother's church, which is also called Celebration, in Lakeville MN.

Last week, Larry and I had a great surprise.  Our son Donovan drove all the way from Nashville, TN to spend a day and a half with us.  He normally only gets home at Christmas, so this was wonderful, even though it was only for about 30 hours total.  We packed every minute full of fun and fellowship.  I made him his favorite beef stew, and his favorite hot fudge topping for ice cream.  He gobbled it all up!  Donovan has such a great sense of humor, so we laughed much.  It hurt to see him go again, but we'll see him in Minneapolis in November at our 40^th celebration.  He left Friday morning and drove all the way back to Nashville again. 

On Saturday morning, we packed into our coach, hitched up our suburban, and headed out for a two and a half week trip to Wisconsin.  We got about two miles out of town, and noticed that a couple in a van was desperately trying to get our attention.    Larry turned on to the interstate and pulled over to see what the problem was.  Our huge hitch that was towing our suburban had fallen off the coach!  It was dragging behind and throwing sparks ferociously.  We were pulling the suburban, or "dragging" it, by just a small safety chain.  Due to the weight of the car, it was a miracle the suburban didn't break off and freewheel its way into traffic or down into an embankment.  Again, we were thankful for God's protection.  Larry had to disconnect the car, go back to town, get some parts, and come back and repair it.  A few hours later, we were finally on our way again.  As usual, before we left the house, we had prayed God's protection over our travels and vehicles.  We asked God to keep us safe against any accidents.  Larry said, "Thank God for His protection.  This could have been a disaster!  The suburban could have veered into traffic."  The Bible says, "And He will give His angels charge over thee in all thy ways" (Psalm 91:11).  We stand on that scripture!  We have crisscrossed the United States for over 40 years, and God has been faithful to assign angels to protect us through all that time.

In the spiritual sense, when we come to Jesus Christ, we are "hitched" to Him.  As long as we're hitched, we are safe and secure.  But if we pull loose and turn from God-we can ride along for a short spell on our own "safety chain," but it's only a matter of time before we'll break loose.  We would be headed for sure eternal disaster!  Aren't you thankful that God is a loving God and that He holds us tight to Him?  If we do pull away through circumstances, He is loving and forgiving always.  He allows us to come back again to "hitch up."  All we have to do is acknowledge we've failed, and He'll welcome us back home to fellowship with Him.  Praise the Lord for that!

Last Sunday, we ministered at the River Valley Church in Moorhead, MN.  We had a great time with Pastor Greg Thee and his wife Deb.  They are another precious couple in the pastorate whose hearts beat for the lost.  Again, the altar was filled with those making commitments for Christ.  There were several first-time decisions.  One family had prayed for years and years for their father.  That morning, he came to Christ.  What a reunion at the altar!  It was a great weekend of ministry, all in all.  We look forward to returning to Moorhead to minister again one day.

While at the Moorhead church, we had the privilege of seeing Jennie Hoven, a former ministry team member who traveled with us for two years teaching our son Donovan on the road.  She was such a great blessing to us! 

Jennie shared this, "It was good to see you both again this past weekend.  I just wish we would have had more time to visit.  So much has happened in both of our lives and it would be encouraging and inspiring to see how God is using us all to further His Kingdom.  While sitting in the service, I was reminded again of God's faithfulness to us and how He will continue to be faithful in the future.  Like you said, He has a terrific track record.  Why do I doubt?  I want to also thank you for your faithfulness to His call upon your lives.  You have touched so many lives in so many different ways.  You have had to sacrifice many things, and I thank God for your perseverance and willingness to be used fully by Him.  Keep trusting and believing!  May God bless you through each valley and mountaintop experience!  You are a blessing!" 

Last night we got to see our grandkids and our daughter LaDawn for a few hours.  They were happy to see us, and we were happy to see them.  Myanna said, "How come you just come, and then you just go again?"  I guess that's true, but we'll see them again in two weeks when we come through the Cities.

Have a great week!  May God's blessings be upon you and your family.

Gloria

Welcome to October!  Oh my, it's a cold, nippy day!  They are predicting the possibility of snow in the area for tonight.  The temperature is dropping quickly.  Brrr-I'm not ready for this yet!  These tell-tale signs mean to a Midwesterner, "Buckle up-there's a long, cold winter coming ahead!"  Prayerfully, we'll get our much-anticipated "Indian Summer" for a few days.  I don't know if I've told you, but Sisseton, where we live, is in the Sisseton-Wahpeton Sioux Indian Reservation.  There's a cute story that Larry tells about a man asking a Native American, "How will this winter be?  Will it be very cold?"  The Native American shakes his head emphatically in response and answers, "Bad, bad, bad.  Cold, cold, cold."  The man says, "How do you know it's going to be cold?  How do you know it's going to be bad?"  To which the Native American answers, "White man across street piles wood up very high."  That's a sure sign-ha!  The way it feels today, if you live in the Midwest, you may want to start piling wood! 

We had a wonderful, action-packed week again.  Last Friday, Larry and I drove to Park Rapids, Minnesota, to a beautiful retreat center where I ministered at a women's fall retreat.  The first night, I spoke on "The Poison of Un-forgiveness" and asked those who wanted to be set free to stand and pray with me.  I watched God do miracles in the lives of dozens of women. 

Saturday morning, many women testified that they had carried such bondages of hurt, divorce, other broken relationships, sexual abuse, and so on, and had felt so imprisoned for years-but then came Jesus, and He set them free!  The tears of joy as they shared these testimonies were life-changing for all of us!

 Among the women that shared their stories was Carolyn Kile, who was visiting from Oregon.  She stepped up to me and said, "I know all about rejection.  When I was born, my mother wrapped me in paper, taped it, and threw me in a garbage dumpster.  Someone found me, and I was later adopted by a wealthy family, only to be hated and abused by my adopted mother.  My mother sold me into pornography slavery from the ages of two to six-and-a-half years old.  I was abused and raped through all that time.  For years, I cried out to God, 'Why?  Why me?'  I felt that if God really existed and cared about me, He wouldn't have allowed those things to happen to me.  At the age of 42, desperate and hurting, I cried out to Jesus and asked Him to come into my life.  My whole life changed.  Even though I knew Christ, I struggled with the spirit of rejection and couldn't get the questions of why He allowed those things out of my mind.  Last night when you spoke on forgiveness, God was speaking to my heart.  When you asked that those who wanted to be set free stand and pray, in desperation I stood with the other women.  I felt the presence of God literally touch my life and spirit.  God spoke to my heart and said, 'I allowed this to happen to you so you can help set others free who are hurting, rejected, and broken, like you have been.'  Since that prayer, I feel like my entire life has changed.  Now it is my prayer to help others be set free and live the life of joy that Christ has planned for each of us."

Isn't that awesome what God can do?  John 8:32 says, "Ye shall know the truth [Jesus] and the truth shall set you free." 

Trish Wood, the worship leader from Park Rapids, led worship for the retreat.  She commented, "Gloria, this retreat was so special.  As you know, it's not easy being a preacher's kid.  We all struggle at times with being accepted and can easily be plagued with rejection, because everyone expects so much of us.  In my younger years, I was hurt and I hung on to my hurts.  But last night, in your session on forgiveness, God began to speak to my heart and I realized that the hurts our family went through were also happening in other families.  After prayer time, I felt such a freedom, and today I feel a brand-new joy!  I was challenged by your session, and I realize now that people are watching me and my response to see what my faith and trust in God is.  You also challenged me about winning the lost.  As much as I love worship, I don't want to forget about reaching those lost without Christ.  I appreciated your openness and honesty.  You didn't come in like a lot of speakers do, leaving the impression that they are perfect and have no problems.  You openly admitted that you hurt, you've made mistakes, and have gone through many trials, but that with God's help, you are determined to conquer those areas and move ahead.  Your transparency helped us to identify and grow with you.  Thanks for coming-you've truly blessed us!"

Sandy Gjovik and JoyCe Woods were instrumental in inviting me to speak at this retreat.  Talk about outgoing, vivacious women!  Sandy commented, "What an awesome retreat!  From the very beginning to the end there was a real presence of the Lord there.  Thank you for sharing your heart with us and challenging us to be soulwinners as there is a great harvest to be brought in.  Praise God for the lives that were changed."

JoyCe Woods, the pastor's wife from Park Rapids Assembly of God, had this to share about the retreat, "I was just delighted to have Gloria speak at the retreat.  We loved the music and her messages were just perfect for the time.  She ministered to the ladies right where they were at.   Truly in every sense of the word, the retreat was a success!  We had three accept Christ as their Savior for the first time and many other ladies made recommitments to Christ.  Of those that made recommitments, we saw many of them in church the next Sunday.  Praise the Lord!   Also, the times at the altar were amazing as God changed lives for eternity!   We would love to have Gloria back to minister in a heartbeat!"

Marcia Kingsley from Swan River, MN also attended the Park Rapids retreat.  She said, "My cousin Carolyn [Kile] invited me to go to a women's retreat with her.  I'd heard of Larry and Gloria Lundstrom, but had never heard them speak and sing.  I was so excited to go!  It was truly a wonderful experience, and I'm sure I'll never be the same.  Listening to Gloria and hearing what she's been through-I could definitely relate to her.  The Lord really spoke to my cousin Carolyn and me through Gloria's messages.  We recommitted our lives to working for God and His ministry.  We want to touch lives, also!  Thanks again."

It was a joy for me to be able to get back to speaking at retreats.  God gave me the strength to stand for awhile, and then "nest" in my high stool.  Old Gimp hurt, but oh, to see those women respond to Christ made it all worthwhile!  Of course, I had my helpmate Larry with me.  He's such a blessing to me and he helps me so much.  I know I am blessed! 

This weekend, we'll be heading into Moorhead, Minnesota, and then on to the dairy state of Wisconsin.  Have a great weekend, and we will catch up with you next week from there! 

Gloria

September 28, 2005

What a gorgeous fall day!  The leaves are turning colors, the mornings are brisk, and there's a feeling in the air that summer is spent. 

Larry and I had a busy week preparing for my mom's 90^th birthday party.  What a milestone!  Her birthday is actually November 16, but we wanted to have the family party when the weather was nice and we wouldn't have to battle the "iffy-ness" of November skies. 

Mom requested a family only birthday party, because we have so few opportunities for our family to get together.  So we honored her request, and rented a community hall in Peever, South Dakota.  Nine of my brothers, their wives and children, the grandchildren, and great-grandchildren came from locations such as Seattle WA, Milwaukee WI, Minneapolis MN, North Dakota, and South Dakota.  We all congregated for an action-packed weekend.  Mom had 90 people attend her 90^th birthday party-how about that?  There were 16 family members that couldn't make it, but wouldn't you agree-it was still a nice-sized family party!  
                                                                                                   
What a great time we had.  I planned a program and the various family members did skits, sang songs, shared other musical numbers, gave tributes, told stories, had games, showed a slide show… you name it, we did it!  There wasn't a boring moment.  Mom sat in the front row, enjoying each and every moment.  She is so sweet, upbeat, and positive.  She never complains, and no matter when you ask her how she is, she always responds, "Great!"  Her fabulous sense of humor is still intact.  More than all of that, she has been (and still is) the hub and spiritual pillar of our family.  She's so filled with love for each one of us-she has a God-given gift of making each and every one of us feel so special. 

Mom's prayers continue to be the "wind beneath our wings."  Each day she prays personally for each member of the entire family!  A few days ago, when I visited her, I could tell she looked tired.  I asked her, "Mom-did you sleep okay last night?  You look kind of tired."  She chuckled, "Missy, by the time I got through praying for each member of the family, it was four in the morning.  So it was 5 am before I went to sleep."  No wonder she was tired!  She truly is a Proverbs 31 mother.  While I was growing up, she was my best friend, and she and I are still very close to this day.  What a heritage to have such a Godly mother!

These family photos you see are not a Sunday school class photo.  This is most of my immediate family, taken last Sunday!  After the party on Saturday, Mom chirped, "Wow-this was so much fun!  I can hardly wait till my 100^th birthday party!"  I just love her positive outlook on life.  And speaking of 100 birthdays-Mom's friend Clara Hanson (the lady who mentored her and did personal Bible studies with her after she received Christ in 1953) is still a close friend.  Clara will be 101 in November.  Now how many of you know someone who has a friend who is 101 years old and still sharp as a tack?  Isn't that great!

Boy, was it tough getting back to my office work on Monday, after that fun-filled weekend.  Amidst the office work, Larry and I are busy working on the plans for our 40^th anniversary celebration.  It's only about seven weeks away!  We'll be enjoying that time at Celebration Church, in Lakeville MN, where Larry's brother Lowell pastors.  It will be another fun-filled time with the Lundstrom and Brooks families, plus friends and partners of the ministry.

We leave tomorrow for Park Rapids, MN, where I will be speaking at a women's fall retreat on Friday and Saturday.  I love being part of those-it's a great time of fellowship and growing together in Christ.  We all benefit from it!  I'll tell you more all about it when I get back next week.

Have you ever had "one of those days?"  Yesterday my fatigue caught up with me, and I felt like a helium balloon that someone had let the air out of.  I was a bit fatigued from the big birthday party and all the happenings of the weekend.  I was trying to work on ministry mail, but my head refused to cooperate with me.  At about 4 pm, Larry announced, "I'm taking you out for a drive to let your head air out."  I hesitated, as I had so much work to do.  But thankfully, he insisted!  He swept me away for a 30-mile drive through the beautiful rolling hills and little lakes of this area.  We stopped at a little restaurant on Pickerel Lake for a hamburger.  We just sat and chatted, looking over the lake.  It was so peaceful and beautiful.

 I desperately needed that "two-hour vacation."  On the way back home, Larry stopped and took some photos.  He took a picture of this old farmhouse that evidently has been abandoned for many, many years.  As he was snapping photos, I pondered, trying to imagine who had lived there and what all happened in that farmhouse.  There it sat, out in the prairie-land, in the middle of nowhere.  If only that old house could talk!  I'm sure at one time it was filled with the laughter of children and the smell of homemade meals.  There undoubtedly were cattle and horses grazing nearby.  I could just envision the muddy boots at the front door after a long day of working in the fields.  The house, now falling apart, was covered with weathered boards that echoed "abandonment."  I was reminded of how quickly life passes by.  The Bible talks about life being "like a vapor."  James 4:14 says, "Whereas ye know not what shall be the morrow, for what is your life?  It is ever a vapor, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanishes away." 

The older I get, the shorter that vapor seems to be!  More than anything, after I'm gone, I want our house to echo the joy, laughter, and family closeness we enjoyed together.  I want it to reverberate with the fact that above all else, God was the center of our home.  I want those thousands of prayers we prayed, along with the answers, to still vibrate with the presence of God.  I want it known that Joshua 24:15 was our motto:  "…As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord."  And most of all, to know that we lived it out! 

I trust that this is also your prayer for your household.  Have a great week!  I will be anxious to connect with you again next Thursday.  May you feel the awesome presence of Christ each moment of every new day.

Gloria

September 21, 2005

The wheels have been rollin'!  Last Thursday, we trekked across Minnesota into Wisconsin for a weekend of services.  On Friday night, we were in the small community of Whitehall, WI.  Pastor Allen Skroch had invited us to come for a special outreach in his town that day.  He advertised a "Hog Roast" with all the trimmings…and people came from all over the area.  I walked into the fellowship hall where they were serving, and there was the hog's head on a big platter with an apple in its mouth-staring at me!  I was a bit taken aback at first, but then I chuckled.  After all the delicious pork, salads, side dishes, and desserts, I felt like that pig on the platter, excluding the apple in the mouth!  Ha!  The event reminded me of a Southern "dinner on the grounds."

Pastor Skroch shared, "Thanks so much for coming to Whitehall, WI to minister.  Many were there, and so many were touched, as evidenced by the response to the altar call.  Just imagine, one older gentleman making his way up to be saved…a twelve-year-old, a teenage girl, and a very young single mom getting saved…one couple getting saved.  Others got saved and at least 15 people recommitted their lives to Jesus!"

Pastor Skroch's wife, Wanda, recounted the following: "In the spring of 1984 you were in Eau Claire, Wisconsin.  We attended the meeting along with my mom and dad.  My mom, who had formerly had breast cancer, had a recurrence of cancer (this time in her brain) in the summer of 1983.  She'd had brain surgery and was on chemotherapy.  At your meeting, she answered the altar call and my dad followed.  This is a couple who had gone to church every Sunday their entire lives and love the Lord, but we all knew they were truly 'saved' that night.  In September of that year, my mom passed through those pearly gates and into the waiting arms of Jesus.  Thank you for being obedient to the Lord and for presenting the gospel in a way that all ages and types of people can respond to."

That evening, we had the service, and the thrilling part was that when Larry gave the altar call, the people coming to Christ flowed forward.  It was fun seeing friends we had made through the years.  Bob and Blake Hubert came to a service of ours over 15 years ago, when they gave their hearts to Christ.  It's always thrilling to see those continuing on after all these years.  Both Bob and Blake do a lot of witnessing and helping others. 

The Huberts shared, "It was great seeing you again in Whitehall, Wisconsin. It brought back good memories of my husband Bob coming to Christ at your service about 15 years ago.  We so enjoyed the service on Friday night.  We had figured there would only be a few coming forward for salvation and rededication because we thought most of them were already saved.  Wow!  Was that an awesome thing when at least half the crowd came forward.  God knows what people need, and when they need it.  He blessed the socks off a lot of people, including us!  Glory to God!  Don't keep the faith…give it away!"

From Whitehall, we drove to Onalaska, WI (a suburb of LaCrosse) for the Sunday morning service.  Larry and I were privileged to see the Lord draw many people to Him.  Again, there were many visiting that had given their hearts to Christ in our services years past.  There are no sweeter words to hear than, "We came to Christ under your ministry in the 70s, 80s, or 90s…."   Wow-that really energizes us!

The River of Life Church in Onalaska is in transition, as they are waiting for a new pastor.  So, the board brought us in.  It's a great church with great people!  Whomever they choose for a pastor will be blessed. 

Needless to say, it was a full weekend with eternal results.  900 miles later, we pulled into Sisseton on Sunday night after midnight.  We were tired!  It was hard to hit the office again at 8 am Monday morning.  Larry joked that he had to pull me around the room a few times to get me started.

This coming Saturday, my family is celebrating a milestone birthday for my mother, Julie Brooks.  She will turn 90 years old on November 16.  There are nearly 90 of my immediate family members (plus possibly more) that are planning to attend the party.  It will be a great time of fun!  Mom loves nothing better than to have her family all together.  I'll tell you more about it, as well as share some photos, next week.

I was sitting, writing this update in my living room chair, when I looked out at my deck to see my mum plants pleading for something to drink.  I took a 10 minute break to go out and pour water on them.  As I was watering the fourth plant, I glanced back at the first one.  Some of the stems were literally shaking.  I thought, "Am I hallucinating?"  No, I wasn't.  They were just so happy to have a drink, and it sent instant life into those stems.  I literally saw the plants perk up in front of my eyes.

I'm often like that plant.  I get dry and weak at times.  Then when Larry and I have our morning devotions, it's like getting a drink of water in the desert.  As soon as I connect with Jesus, the Living Water, my soul is nourished.  I immediately perk up with new strength and life! 

That's what God wants us to do.  John 7:37, Jesus says, "If any man thirsts, let him come unto Me and drink."  If we drink from God's well, we'll be satisfied.  If you're stressed out and feeling weak and weary, take time to be still and know He is God.  Drink in through His Word, and through your time of prayer with Him.  He's waiting to fill you and refresh you with His love.  You won't regret it!

Have another great week!

Gloria

There's a nip in the air!  Two days ago, it was 95 degrees, and this morning, it was 47 degrees.  I just looked out the window, and I can see the leaves are beginning to change colors.  Another new season of change is on its way. 

As usual, we had another busy week.  There was definitely no time for any grass to grow under our feet-ha!

This past weekend, we drove to Jamestown, North Dakota for a Sunday morning service.  Jamestown is only about three hours from Sisseton, which was handy for us.  Larry ministered on "The Ultimate Devastation and Destruction: Hell."  When he gave the altar call, many responded to make Christ the Lord of their lives.  It was thrilling to see college students, teens, couples, and seniors all respond to God.  We have worked with Pastor Losing and his wife Karen for many years, and they have done a great job of shepherding their flock.  They are another precious couple in ministry. 

Pastor Losing commented, "It was wonderful to have Larry and Gloria with us again.  We had a full church with a good response at the altar.  Thank you so much for coming our way!"

After the morning service, the church had a potluck dinner and ooooh, was it ever delicious!  Those North Dakotan Germans sure know how to cook!  The church also presented us with an early anniversary cake to share with the whole church family.  That was so sweet of them!  We have known many of the people in attendance for over 30 years, so it was kind of like a family reunion.

We have been trying to locate more of our pastor friends in the New Orleans area, but haven't (as of yet) been able to make contact with some of them.  At this point, all we can do is pray for them.  We were thrilled to make contact with Pastor Darrell Worley of Picayune, Mississippi, late last week.  We asked how he was doing, and as usual, he was so upbeat.  Then he got quiet, and he shared, "Brother Larry and Gloria, I was so consumed during that first week with the relief efforts of Convoy of Hope, that I was kind of running on autopilot.  We finally got to have church last week for those who were still in the community.  On Sunday afternoon, I drove around Picayune and the surrounding area to survey our parishioners' homes.  Trees have fallen on many of them, and there is a lot of damage.  The home of a single mom and her little girl had a tree dividing it right through the middle.  I felt so badly for them, and for all of our people.  I went home feeling so heavy of heart.  We also had no electricity, and therefore it was so hot and humid that you could hardly sleep.  I got up during the night and walked out to this little park a block away from where we live.  There was one picnic table left that hadn't been destroyed.  I perched up on it, and looked up into the starlit night.  The constellations were so brilliant and defined.  All of a sudden, the past week, with all the destruction, fatigue, and grief, caught up with me.  I totally fell apart.  I cried and cried, and said, 'God, why?  Why all this destruction?  What are we going to do?  Where do we start?  And how are we going to do it?'  I felt so spent and weary.  Everybody in the area needed help.  In fact, the whole state does.  As I sat there and cried out, God spoke to my heart so audibly, 'Darrell, nothing's changed up here.'  All of a sudden, I felt the presence of God comforting me.  I realized then that even though there is so much destruction down here, it didn't affect the power of God 'up there'."  Pastor Darrell continued, "My weeping turned into praise, and my faith and hope were strengthened again."

Each of us has to face a "hurricane" in our lives.  It may not be the type that hit New Orleans-but we are often devastated by bad health, broken hearts, broken homes and relationships, prodigal children, and financial crises.  When it seems we hurt too much to continue on, we too need to be reminded that "nothing up there is changed."  Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever!  He is our refuge to run to in the time of storm.  I read this verse again this morning in Psalm 46:1, and it encouraged me: "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in time of trouble."

The scripture doesn't say that He used to be, or that maybe He will consider being our help-it says, "He is our present help."  That means now.  We can call on him at any time.  He is always there, ready to hear our call.  Isn't that great?!

Well, praise the Lord!  I've just encouraged myself!  Ha!  That's a good thing.

Again, it is time for me to go.  We will be traveling into Wisconsin soon for Friday and Sunday ministry.  Thanks again for joining me "On the Road!" God bless and keep you-we'll connect again next week.

Gloria

September 7, 2005

My, what an emotional week!  The news started out with hurricane warnings for Louisiana and Mississippi.  We all had hoped and prayed it would fizzle out, but to everyone's shock, it violently bombarded the whole Gulf Coast!  Then the levees broke, the flooding occurred, and many were truly left homeless-they had nothing.  We grieve for all of those people who have lost their loved ones and all earthly possessions.  Their lives will never be the same again! 

In February and March of this year, we ministered in several churches in Mississippi and Louisiana.  We have tried repeatedly to locate the whereabouts of the pastors and families of those congregations.  As of a few minutes ago, we still can't get through to most of them, with all the communications breakdowns in that area. 

Last Thursday night, I kept praying, "God, please let me know how these pastors are doing."  At 7:30 on Friday morning, I received a call from Pastor Ken Worley, saying that they had evacuated to a location farther inland when they were warned about Hurricane Katrina.  He was staying with relatives.  Pastor Worley shepherds the Assembly of God church in Kiln, MS.  It was in his church parking lot, after we'd had a rally the previous day, that Larry fell off the coach and my leg was broken.  Pastor Ken and his wife Faye were so kind to keep us in their home for over two weeks so I could begin my recovery.  I was so thrilled that he called and said they were okay!  To my sadness, their church wasn't as fortunate.  The entire back side of the church was blown off-it's completely gone.  The church is a mess!  At this point, he knew the whereabouts of just three of his church's families.  They have no idea when they will be able to return to Kiln, or what they are going to do. 

Their son, Darrell Worley, pastors the Picayune, MS Assembly of God church, which is about an hour away from Kiln, MS.  We also ministered in that church in February.  Darrell's father told us that the Picayune church received only minor damage.  Within hours, their huge parking lot was being used by rescue and relief operations such as Convoy of Hope, Salvation Army, and James Robison's outreach ministry.  As of last Friday, they had already found 87 bodies from just that little area in Picayune.  Unfortunately, they have only just begun.  It is so sad!  We also ministered in the New Orleans area in March.  Sixteen of the 17 Assembly of God churches are gone in Louisiana-totally destroyed!  There are so many people that are hurting and it's so sad that they don't even have a church to go to for encouragement and support.  Let's all continue to pray for them.  When a disaster like this occurs, it sure makes our problems seem small, doesn't it?

On a brighter note, we had a wonderful soul winning rally in Wadena, Minnesota last Sunday.  Pastor Allen Refsland and Pastor Steve Hinson were a joy to work with.  We were a bit leery of what the attendance would be on a Labor Day holiday weekend, but the church was full, with lots of visitors present.  When Larry gave the invitation to come to Christ, the people flowed from the pews to the front altar to make those important, life-changing decisions.  We received emails from some of the folks in Wadena, and I'd like to share them with you:

"Greetings!  Thanks for sharing with us yesterday!  One point which I thought was particularly good was when Larry said that

God was returning for a church without wrinkle or blemish.  Coupled with your newsletter about how the church needs to be in the business of

soul-winning, the overall message was true to the Gospel.  Many people around the nation have grown complacent with their faith, especially sharing it, plus remembering the joy of our salvation.  Thank you for helping us to remember what we are saved from; I expect true life changes through the Spirit because of your message."

In Him,

Pastor Steve Hinson

"We were privileged to have Larry & Gloria at Wadena Assembly of God church this past Sunday.  Even though it was a holiday weekend, we had good attendance.  People love Larry & Gloria and the Spirit of the Lord that they bring with them.  People will come out where they know the Lord is blessing and people are being ministered to.  The music and testimonies were challenging and refreshing for all ages.  Larry gave a short message, calling people to make a commitment to Jesus.  Many responded in recommitment to the Lord.  There were also several who made first time commitments.  One recommitment was a young man who will be going to Iraq in just two weeks. He had wandered away from the Lord ever since graduating from high school.  Larry and Gloria's ministry was used of the Lord to break his hard heart and bring him back into fellowship with God.  Praise the Lord!   They are a real encouragement to the church and any pastoral family.  We highly recommend them to any church that is looking for a way to reach out and save the lost.  Shouldn't that be all of us?" 

Sincerely,

Pastor Allen Refsland

"It was really nice having Larry and Gloria come to our church and minister.  They have such an awesome presence around them.  God has blessed them with an effective ministry.  I like how they share their testimonies and intertwine it with their music ministry, it's really neat.  They are able to connect with the adults and teens and show true interest.  Having the Lundstroms minister is a great privilege."
With Love,

Robyn Refsland

On the lighter side, Larry and I had the joy of taking Dante, Myanna and LaDawn to the Minnesota State Fair for a few hours over the holiday weekend.  Of course, we started out at the "Corn Roast" and the fried cheese curd stand-definitely not diet food!  Ha!  Then we proceeded to enjoy all the rest of the fun that the fair has to offer.  I was very limited in my walking, but it was great getting out and being able to walk a couple blocks or so.  Praise the Lord!  We met Larry's brothers Lowell and Leon Lundstrom there.  It was nice for the three brothers to spend a few hours relaxing together. 

It is hard to believe that we're already into September and fall is almost here.  The year has truly flown by, more quickly than I could ever imagine.  The Bible reminds us to "count our days."  I'd like to rephrase it-Gloria's version would be "make your days count; and also make them account for something that is worthwhile."  I'm reminded of a plaque my pastor had in his office when I was a teenager.  It read, "Only one life will soon be past; only what's done for Christ will last."  Larry and I are spending our days doing what the Lord has called us to do-sharing the simple Gospel message, and leading people to Christ. 

Again, have a blessed week!

Gloria

 Thought for the Week