NOVEMBER 2011 LETTER - LIVING WELL

“We aren’t happy anymore.” How many times have we heard that statement?

Happiness is a popular subject in today’s world. People seek it, read about it, demand it. A quick search of books on happiness turns up over 10,000 options. Near the top of the best-seller list is a book by a  popular, Christian pastor that includes this phrase in its title, “How to be Happier 7 Days a Week.”

We use idioms such as “a happy camper”, “happy-go-lucky”, “happy as a clam”, “fat and happy.” Marketers capitalized on our desire for happiness by creating “happy hour” and “Happy Meals.” 

The Declaration of Independence states “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” Americans have made “the pursuit of Happiness” a priority. Many have moved to the next step of believing and demanding that they have happiness.

The expectation of happiness in this life on earth is a fairly new phenomenon in the history of mankind. Once believed to be something that one attained after leaving this world, the Enlightenment proposed that happiness was “a natural human endowment attainable in theory by every man, woman, and child.” (Happiness, a history by Darrin M. McMahon) In fact, if a person is unhappy, something is wrong.

We now have elevated it to a sense of well-being that we each try to attain and maintain, usually by trying to change something in our circumstances, either people, geography, our looks, or our possessions. Research has shown that only 10% of our “happiness” comes from our circumstances, and those circumstances only bring a temporary change. About 50% of our happiness quotient comes from our genetic make-up, factors that we cannot change. That means that 50% of our sense of well-being can be changed but only 10% has to do with our circumstances. However, we spend most of our life pursuing that 10% change, virtually ignoring the other factors that influence our happiness. 

What are those other factors? One of the top factors is being grateful! Scientific research affirms this solution to our sense of well being. This fact is not new news! God told us in His Word thousands of years ago to give thanks and to be grateful. This directive is not just for the optimistic or for the positive thinkers or for leaders or Sunday school teachers - it is for all of us! Expressing gratitude and thankfulness is not only part of what God says is a practice of His children but it is also what brings us to a better place emotionally in our lives. Whatever God shows us to do is the very best for us!

I will give thanks to the LORD because of His righteousness and will sing praise to the name of the LORD Most High…. Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; His love endures forever. 

Instead of looking at your mate or your circumstances and dwelling on what is wrong, practice gratitude and thankfulness. Begin a gratitude journal or a prayer list to God about all that is good in your life and in the people around you. As we approach Thanksgiving, we challenge you to express one item of appreciation or thanks to your spouse every day and to eliminate complaints or criticisms for one week and see what happens. Give God a chance to work miracles in your marriage!

We are very thankful that God has provided funds for a new computer for the ministry. We are thankful for the continued prayers and donations of many people. We are asking you to join with us and ask the Lord to raise the shortfall in our monthly budget. As a nonprofit, we operate similar to an incorporated business, except our income is all from donations; we do not sell a product. We receive salaries as employees of the organization. Our salary amount is set by our board of directors. If we do not have enough income to provide for all of our monthly expenses, the only place that we have to cut back is in our salaries. During these times, we do not receive our full salary. We want to continue in the ministry as God has called us; He has promised that He will provide for us.

You are an valuable part of our ministry! We love and appreciate you and your support of what God is doing at Living Well! 

Our love in Christ,
Donna and Ed Edwards

Thanksgiving Proclamations by Wm Bradford & George Washington

Governor Bradford of Massachusetts made this first Thanksgiving Proclamation, 1623
"Inasmuch as the great Father has given us this year an abundant harvest of Indian corn, wheat, peas, beans, squashes, and garden vegetables, and has made the forests to abound with game and the sea with fish and clams, and inasmuch as He has protected us from the ravages of the savages, has spared us from pestilence and disease, has granted us freedom to worship God according to the dictates of our own conscience.

Now I, your magistrate, do proclaim that all ye Pilgrims, with your wives and ye little ones, do gather at ye meeting house, on ye hill, between the hours of 9 and 12 in the daytime, on Thursday, November 29th, of the year of our Lord one thousand six hundred and twenty three and the third year since ye Pilgrims landed on ye Pilgrim Rock, there to listen to ye pastor and render thanksgiving to ye Almighty God for all His blessings."

William Bradford
Ye Governor of Ye Colony
____________________________________________________________

First Presidential Proclamation for Thanksgiving


THANKSGIVING DAY 1789
BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor - and Whereas both Houses of Congress have by their joint Committee requested me "to recommend to the People of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness."

Now therefore I do recommend and assign Thursday the 26th day of November next to be devoted by the People of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being, who is the beneficent Author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be – That we may then all unite in rendering unto him our sincere and humble thanks – for his kind care and protection of the People of this country previous to their becoming a Nation – for the signal and manifold mercies, and the favorable interpositions of his providence, which we experienced in the course and conclusion of the late war –for the great degree of tranquillity, union, and plenty, which we have since enjoyed – for the peaceable and rational manner in which we have been enabled to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national One now lately instituted, for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed, and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and in general for all the great and various favors which he hath been pleased to confer upon us.

And also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech him to pardon our national and other transgressions – to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually – to render our national government a blessing to all the People, by constantly being a government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed – to protect and guide all Sovereigns and Nations (especially such as have shewn kindness unto us) and to bless them with good government, peace, and concord – To promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the increase of science among them and Us – and generally to grant unto all mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as he alone knows to be best.

Given under my hand at the City of New York the third day of October in the year of our Lord 1789.

GEORGE WASHINGTON.

LIVING WELL, November, 2010

Giving Thanks - Thanksgiving

Sounds the same, looks the same. Are they the same?

Thanksgiving is one of our most loved holidays in America. But is Thanksgiving still about “giving thanks?” And if we are giving thanks, to whom are we giving it?

As I (Donna) look back on the last year, it has been one of the hardest years of my life.

• A year ago, I had emergency surgery for a ruptured colon, in the hospital for a week and home for six more weeks recuperating.
• Because of the shortfall in donations, we have not been able to take full salaries, even while paying for hospital costs.
• My mother has faced many severe health issues; she is in ICU right now.
• One of our young couples, to whom we are close, have a son who came down with leukemia a year ago, has been in the hospital many weeks, and has had many complications.
• Ed had significant hearing loss in one ear.
• Our pastor died.
• Two months later our associate pastor of 43 years died; he was a friend and a mentor.
• While in Africa, I came down with an intestinal bug and was ill for several days before and after we got home.
• As we arrived home from Africa, we learned that another one of our young couples had their baby, but he had problems and died two days later.
• My niece had her first child 14 weeks prematurely and he is still in the hospital…
• .. And last week, we learned that Ed’s sister has stage 4 lung cancer (a nonsmoker).
• All of that does not include the challenges of parenting adult children who have stressful situations of their own.

And then we listen to the people’s problems all day. How do we do that? We have learned the Power of ONE.

There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope when you were called—one Lord, one faith, one baptism; one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.
                                                                                    (Ephesians 4:4-6)

We can have personal tragedy in our own life and in the lives of those we love but still encourage others in the ways of the Lord because we know The ONE who is “over all and through all and in all.” He has given us His Power, His Strength, and His Presence.

How does this idea relate to Thanksgiving?

We can focus on the bad experiences of the last year or we can see God’s hand in the good.

We can give thanks because ….

• I survived the emergency surgery, the African bug and am back to normal now.
• we are able to pay our bills at home and at the ministry.
• mother is still with us and has hopes of recovery.
• our two young couples each experienced their tragedy with God’s grace, ministered to each other, and are beacons of faith and hope to our other young couples.
• Ed can still hear without hearing aids.
• after serving five months on the pastor search team, we have a pastor coming “in view of a call” next Sunday.
• my niece’s son is still making progress, hopes to go home soon.
• Ed’s sister still feels well and is at MD Anderson for further diagnosis this week.
• and both our kids still love us, love the Lord, and are working towards solutions in their lives.

We choose to give thanks to The ONE!

At our dinner, we were able to share the Power of ONE through many different areas of ministry.

One young couple, Zach and Jennifer, shared the Power of ONE to change their legacy of divorce, which they inherited, to a legacy of a strong marriage for their future, starting with a premarital class. Zach's parents were divorced and he travelled from one home to the other, often across the country, even across the ocean. Jennifer's parents divorced when she was 18, when her dad left her mom unexpectedly. They are commited to each other for a lifetime, seeking to strengthen their marriage before the vows and continuing throughout their marriage.

We shared one couple’s experience of coming to Living Well for the first time. [see the video]

We shared the results one year later of the Power of ONE conference in Bagamoyo, Tanzania. Hear the testimonies of pastors about how God has used what they learned last year to bring reconciliation in marriages, even after 10 years of separation, and to teach other pastors and lay people. [see the video]

We shared the Power of ONE conference in Morogoro, Tanzania, to convict pastors of sins against their wives, to bring the truth of God's design for marriage to pastors for the first time, and to encourage pastors/wives in their ministry. [see the video]

One person can make a difference!

Think of the power of one dollar to change lives, consider this …. one dollar a day.

If all the people who read this letter would donate for the first time or increase their donations by a dollar a day, we would make our budget, which means training and guiding more people.

Our love in Christ,

Donna and Ed Edwards

P.S. Please thank our Lord with us for what He has done this year!