November is a month for us to be thankful … thankful for friends and family around us; thankful for a comfortable home and a reliable means of transportation; thankful (hopefully) for a good working environment and a meaningful wage; thankful for good health … we have many things to be thankful for. But, probably the most important thing we have to be thankful for is our freedom … freedom to make choices including where we want to live, work, or attend school; what we want to say or what clothes we want to wear; where and how we want to worship … freedom that many have sacrificed for us.

At the end of this month, when you sit at the Thanksgiving table, in your warm house, enjoying a delicious meal of turkey and pumpkin pie before you plop into your easy chair to catch the football game or dash out the door to start your Christmas shopping, we ask you to remember the commitment our soldiers made and be prayerfully thankful they have continued to protect us, keep us safe and, insure our freedom.

And so, everyone at Cross The World requests you join us in saluting the men and women of the US Armed Forces and thanking them for their service … not just on Veterans Day but, at least, for the entire month of November.

We say ‘Thank You! We are forever in your debt!!’

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You might be a TRUE AMERICAN if:
It never occurred to you to be offended by the phrase, ‘One nation, under GOD.’

You might be a TRUE AMERICAN if:
You’ve never protested about seeing the 10 Commandments posted in public places.

You might be a TRUE AMERICAN if:
You still say ‘Christmas’ instead of ‘Winter Festival.’

You might be a TRUE AMERICAN if:
You bow your head when someone prays.

You might be a TRUE AMERICAN if:
You stand and place your hand over your heart when they play the National Anthem.

You might be a TRUE AMERICAN if:
You treat ALL Veterans with great respect, and always have.

You might be a TRUE AMERICAN if:
You’ve never burned an American flag.

You might be a TRUE AMERICAN if:
You know what you believe and you aren’t afraid to say so, no matter who is listening.

You might be a TRUE AMERICAN if:
You respect your elders and expect your kids to do the same.

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Recently, I was given the opportunity to introduce Cross The World to attendees of Our Savior’s Lutheran Church (Outing, MN) Women’s Retreat. In the course of the discussion, I told them we have given away 85,000+ crosses since we started (a huge thank you to all of you for being our partner in this mission!). To let them know the magnitude of the span of those 85,000 crosses, I wanted to give them some quantities of stuff they could relate to (I’ve done this ‘measuring scenario’ in a much earlier post so this will be an update) and, so, I’m sharing it with you as well.

85,000 crosses (starting from a 6 ½” piece of wood) equals

15,347 yards of fabric (for you quilters)

42 skeins of 7 oz. Red Heart yarn (for you knitters)

58,158 size 8 womens’ sneakers, placed heel to toe

6906 queen sized mattresses, laid end to end

And, for you men:   2763 Dodge Caravans, parked bumper to bumper

154 football fields, length to length

Lastly, and most impressive:

85,000 CROSSES, LAID END TO END, MEASURES A WHOPPING 8.68 MILES!!

Glory be to God!!!

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We are thankful to the following Friends in Christ for sharing the cross with others this past month:

Susan – AZ

Narrow’s Community Church – Outing, MN

Immanuel Lutheran Church – Boyd, MN

Connie – MN

Brian – MN

Our Savior’s Lutheran Church – Outing, MN

My Father’s Home – Minneapolis, MN

Diane – AZ

C. Hayward – SC

LaJeanne – SD

Mary – MN

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Let us be silent that we may hear the whisper of God.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

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