Thanksgiving Message from TCLEF

Dear Fellow Officers, Families and Supporters:

I just wanted to take a moment to wish you all an awesome Thanksgiving holiday. There are a host of great biblical messages going around about the true meaning of Thanksgiving and I would encourage you to explore them. As for me, the meaning remains fresh every day of the year and became even clearer tonight as I visited and prayed with wounded Mahnomen Co. (MN) Dep. Chris Dewey, his wife Emily and her Dad. As I look at Chris and how strong and faithful Emily is, I thank God that we live in a country were, at least for now, we still enjoy a quality of life and freedom that the rest of the world can only dream of. We have, in general, a lifestyle that is far superior to that of the vast majority of the world's population. We are in fact an incredibly blessed nation, both by God and with freedoms won and preserved in the blood and sacrifices of our warriors (cops and military) both here and abroad. Most importantly, it is abundantly clear that God has indeed poured out his blessings on the United States of America -- a country founded on biblical principles that have since been generally cast aside in favor of secular values and sin. Bottom line here is that we need to thank God for all that we have, and then be on our knees asking Him to spare us from His justified wrath. Never before has II Chronicles 7:14 been so true for a nation as it is for us now: "If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land."

Grant Wolf of FCPO sent me the following and I felt it appropriate to pass it on.

The Bible offers suggestions on how we can be thankful, even during difficult times:

Show thankfulness through your work. Work is an important part of our lives and calling as members of humankind. Regardless of our abilities and talents, we each can make important contributions to the world around us through our work. "And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, giving thanks to God the Father" (Colossians 3:17).

Express thankfulness for your difficulties. In the midst of hardship and adversity, we often gain our greatest lessons. A truism of life is we usually learn more through failure than from success. "Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that sufferings produce perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope" (Romans 5:3-4).

Offer thankfulness - regardless of your circumstances. Believing in a God that is not distant, but personally interested and involved in each of us, requires trusting that He is in control of even small details of our lives - both the good and the not-so-good. "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose" (Romans 8:28). "...always giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ" (Ephesians 5:20).

Pastor Ed Taylor of Calvary Aurora (CO) sent out a bit of Thanksgiving history that, in part, I would like to pass on to you as well:

Lincoln's original 1863 Thanksgiving Proclamation came - spiritually speaking - at a pivotal point in his life. During the first week of July of that year, the Battle of Gettysburg occurred, resulting in the loss of some 60,000 American lives. Four months later in November, Lincoln delivered his famous "Gettsysburg Address." It was while Lincoln was walking among the thousands of graves there at Gettysburg that he committed his life to Christ. As he explained to a friend: "When I left Springfield [to assume the Presidency] I asked the people to pray for me. I was not a Christian. When I buried my son, the severest trial of my life, I was not a Christian. But when I went to Gettysburg and saw the graves of thousands of our soldiers, I then and there consecrated myself to Christ."

With that said, visiting Chris and Em tonight made me thankful that, even with the ravages of old injuries and advancing age, I can still walk on my own (Chris can't), stuff myself with turkey and venison (Chris can't), can still see and hear, still talk (Chris has to learn all over again), and can still serve and protect through our God-ordained profession. On this Thanksgiving, take the time to thank a vet, a fellow cop (especially those of us who will be working), and of course our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ who paid the ultimate price for us on the cross. There was never so great a sacrifice or so great a gift!

I wish you a safe and joyous celebration of the true meaning of the holiday. Let's keep our armor strapped on tight (Ephesians 6:10-18) and stay the course out there!


MEETING SCHEDULE UPDATE:

We had a great time of cop-fellowship and profession-relevant Bible study last Thursday and I'll include a recap in next week's newsletter. As a reminder, there will be NO MEETING this week (Thanksgiving). Please enjoy the time with your families and, if possible, invite a single cop to join you. Our next meeting will be Thursday, December 3rd, 1900 hours, Calvary South Denver in Littleton (classroom #7 unless our "regular" spot is free). I'll have more details in next week's newsletter and on this website.


PRAYER REQUESTS:

(1) The husband of one of our regulars is/has been experiencing what can only be described as an ongoing Job-like (as in the biblical Job) medical condition and is truly in need of our prayers. Michelle and their family also need prayer as they support their loved one.

(2) A CO Western Slope colleague is fighting a tough battle against cancer. Pray that God will grant her healing and strength.

(3) Pray for a colleague going through some tough times financially.

(4) Pray for a local Chief and his agency (God knows the need -- just pray).

(5) Pray that God will give us boldness to share the Gospel message with our friends and colleagues who do not know Him as Savior.

(6) For the spouse of a FCPO brother (medical/surgery issues).

(7) Pray for my family and I -- and my mother in particular -- as we spend our first Thanksgiving since my father's passing last June.

(8) Dep. Chris Dewey is back at Craig Hospital after a successful six-hour surgery to literally put his head back together after being shot in the line of duty some nine months ago. Chris still has a very tough road in front of him. Pray for Chris as well as his wife Emily. Also pray for Em's parents who are dealing with some very stressful and hurtful issues of their own. Follow Chris and Em's progress on their CaringBridge site: http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/chrisdewey.

(9) Continue to pray for Englewood (CO) PD Ofc. Shane Ellison's 5 y.o. daughter Tayler as she battles brain cancer. See http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/taylerellison. This beautiful little girl's courage is truly inspirational!

(10) Pray for Denver PD Ofc. Allison Casias (physical and spiritual issues) as she recovers at a rehab facility. See http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/allisoncasias for more.

(11) PRAISE REPORT for the Westminster officers who were shot in a gun battle with two bank robbers last week. Both officers are doing well and expected to make full recoveries. That said, they still need prayer as they deal with the aftermath of a fatal (x 2) officer-involved shooting. Check out the photo of the suspect vehicle in the Denver Post news story: http://www.denverpost.com/breakingnews/ci_13824965?source=rss.

(12) Continue to pray for wounded Chicago PD Officer Densey Cole -- spiritual and physical.

(13) Finally, our brothers/sisters in Las Vegas truly need our prayers as they have lost six officers in the last six months. There is also an important officer safety message in this -- stay vigilent and prepared -- even when at home! We are Sheepdogs -- not sheep, folks!

I'll have more next week. As always, send me your prayer requests and I'll post them here as appropriate. Let's stay in the fight and finish strong out there. Again, HAPPY THANKSGIVING!