Snowy Days...

I'm still here in Minnesota and its been snowing since yesterday! Not too much is sticking, but it sure does look beautiful. I'm currently sitting looking out the window of my aunt and uncle's log cabin house, which is out in the country. I see a huge, frozen, white snow-covered lake, big, giant snowflakes spitting down through the crisp air, and a pin and wooded forest along the edges of the harvested corn fields. It's beautiful!

We celebrated Thanksgiving yesterday (Wed.), since my Uncle Dave had to fly today (he's a pilot with Northwest airlines). We sure ate our share. They say the average Thanksgiving meal, o'duerves all the way through to dessert, totals 8,000 calories. I sure hope I was below average. All this good home cooking and I'm going to come back to Mexico rather plump. We went to a Thanksgiving service last night at the Stillwater Evangelical Free church, where my Aunt, Uncle, cousins, and grandparents attend. It was really a neat service. I got to talk to a few Wheaton grads afterwards, who both are fluent in SPanish and one of which lived in Guatamala. We found out the one guy's girlfriend's mother went to Wheaton with my mom. I hope to stop through Wheaton this Saturday to see my best friend Jessica and her new husband Enrique.

Ben and Shelley got up here yesterday midday, so we've all been having a great time playing new board games Ben brought and just having fun. Bravo for Shelley who lost 25 lbs and is going strong! Wow, I've been reinspired to get back into line with my diet and exercise.

Tomorrow is Black Friday and we wanted to go to the Mall of America, with my cousins, which is the biggest mall in all the entire USA. However, we decided its going to be a madhouse; I'll be satisfied with hitting up some of the smaller department stores that are promising amazing deals.

Well I hope you are all having a wonderful thanksgiving, wherever you are. On Sunday my home church pastor, Pastor Dave Johnson, challenged us with a message to give thanks to God in ALL things. I thought about a message spoken a while back by Pastor and fellow missionary Nelson Morales as well. Are we thankful in all things? In every situation, circumstance, and moment, can we trust God that he is in control and has only the very best for us? Let's try to remember to give thanks in everything this Thanksgiving, and every day. For me, its so easy to look onto a long list of things I am not thankful for in my life--all of the unexpected problems and hardships that come into our lives. But even those things are part of God's best plan for us.

David's Psalm of Thanks 1 Chronicles 16:7-34

7 That day David first committed to Asaph and his associates this psalm of thanks to the LORD :
8 Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name;
make known among the nations what he has done.

9 Sing to him, sing praise to him;
tell of all his wonderful acts.

10 Glory in his holy name;
let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice.

11 Look to the LORD and his strength;
seek his face always.

12 Remember the wonders he has done,
his miracles, and the judgments he pronounced,

13 O descendants of Israel his servant,
O sons of Jacob, his chosen ones.

14 He is the LORD our God;
his judgments are in all the earth.

15 He remembers his covenant forever,
the word he commanded, for a thousand generations,

16 the covenant he made with Abraham,
the oath he swore to Isaac.

17 He confirmed it to Jacob as a decree,
to Israel as an everlasting covenant ...

23 Sing to the LORD, all the earth;
proclaim his salvation day after day.

24 Declare his glory among the nations,
his marvelous deeds among all peoples.

25 For great is the LORD and most worthy of praise;
he is to be feared above all gods.

26 For all the gods of the nations are idols,
but the LORD made the heavens.

27 Splendor and majesty are before him;
strength and joy in his dwelling place...

30 Tremble before him, all the earth!
The world is firmly established; it cannot be moved.

31 Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad;
let them say among the nations, "The LORD reigns!"

32 Let the sea resound, and all that is in it;
let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them!

33 Then the trees of the forest will sing,
they will sing for joy before the LORD,
for he comes to judge the earth.

34 Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;
his love endures forever.