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Cover Article
“About Thanksgiving"
To thank God is a great thing; thanksgiving is commended and com-manded in
the Bible, our sole rule for faith and living.
Listening to the saints in prayer, thanking God for the great variety of things
they appreciate, is a blessing. The little saints thank Him for simple things
like a pet, a toy, a friend, and sometimes a parent. Saints living in middle
life express gratitude for what we might call “bigger” things - like jobs,
families, a home in which to live, the freedoms of our country, and such. We who
are moving into the “golden years” add to this list our own set of blessings for
which we are thankful. We appreciate a good night’s sleep, a week without a
doctor’s visit, enough income to meet expenses, reasonable health, and people
around us to love.
Those who have met Jesus Christ as Savior can produce still more reasons to
thank God. We are thrilled to be forgiven our sins, to have eternal life, to
enjoy the Word of God in reading and teaching, to have a family of faith with
which to fellowship. It brings us joy to be able to share in the work of the
Lord by giving, praying, volunteering, and serving in other ways. Can there be a
greater joy than to see that someone you have prayed for, and perhaps witnessed
to, come to personal faith in the Lord Jesus?
In the last few weeks here at PRM, it has been my pleasure to share Christ
with a number of men. Three of them (that I know of) have received Him as their
Savior. On September 11, it was Matt. He just stepped into my office a moment
ago, and we had a chat. A new Christian, saved eternally, washed in the blood of
the Lamb! On September 25, Bryant trusted Jesus. Released from prison on the
23rd, his new faith in Christ meant that he was freed twice in one week! No
longer bound by the shackles of sin - what joy! On October 6, Marvin met me in
my office. Widowed for several years, he had received his bachelor’s degree this
Spring at age 54 - what an accomplishment! And now, at the same age he had his
name written down in the Lamb’s Book of Life in heaven. On the next day he
gladly received a new Bible one of our supporters had given us to share. Suffice
it to say that I am thankful to God for the opportunity to lead men where
someone once led me - to the foot of the cross, and salvation through Christ.
Finally, thank you for caring, sharing, praying, helping in so many ways to
allow us to be here and carry on God’s work with these dear men. God uses you to
bless us more than you know, more than we can say. God bless you right back!
Superintendent's
Corner
Holiday Help Needed
It’s that time of year again, when the Rescue Mission gears up to reach out to
community families with holiday help. Please take note of the items and the
dates by which they are needed. Thank you in advance for helping us be a light
to our neighbors!
Thanksgiving Box Give-Away
Items are needed at PRM by Friday, November 20. Items delivered after this date
will still be used, but November 20 is the preferred date.
175 frozen turkeys
175 5 lb. bags of flour
175 5 lb. bags of sugar
175 lbs. of margarine
100 cans of sweet potatoes (yams)
100 boxes of stuffing mix
100 cans of cranberry jelly
350 cans of fruit (peaches, pears, fruit cocktail)
350 cans of misc beans
175 cans of pie filling
Note: Green Beans and Corn seem to be the most commonly donated canned food
item. Because of this, we currently have an over-abundance of them. Please
purchase from the list above. Thank you!!!
Christmas Gift Bag Give-Away
The following list describes who will receive Christmas Bags and the items
needed for each:
For our residents (items needed by Wednesday, Dec. 9)
Socks Belts
Work gloves Baseball Caps
Stocking caps Deodorant
Handkerchiefs Disposable Razors
Underwear Candy
For children of struggling families (items needed by Sunday, Dec. 20)
Clothes
Toys (educational & fun)
Sporting goods
Mp3 players
Handheld electronic games
Candy, Bibles
If your office, church, Sunday School class, small group, or any other group
would like to help with either of these projects and you need more information,
feel free to give us a call.
A Note From Alan
I Am Thankful For...
In years past I have gotten help from various folks to write my Thanksgiving
article. This year I decided to get help from some of the men on our Overcomers
Program. I asked them to write down 3 things that they are thankful for. As I
read over them there were certainly some common themes, but also some very
unique comments as well. I hope these are a blessing to you:
I am thankful for…
…shelter – a safe, clean place to sleep.
…food – not being hungry.
…my health.
…salvation.
…the many churches that donate to the Mission.
…being around more Christian people than I’ve been in the past.
…the chance to get to know God better.
…just being happy again.
…having a family here.
…turning my life over to Christ.
…a close relationship with my son.
…the chance to get healthcare… so I can be whole again.
…that I’m still alive. For years I’ve battled depression and yearned for death.
Twice, I went as far as attempting suicide – yet here I remain.
…God’s protection – too many times I have put myself in dangerous scenarios,
recklessly risking my well-being and yet, I came away unharmed…kept safe.
As you can see, the Mission is a dear place to many of these men. It meets needs
that are physical, emotional, and, most importantly, spiritual. You play a large
part in enabling us to carry on that work. For your part in our ministry, I am
personally thankful. God Bless You and Happy Thanksgiving!!!
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