Quote: "...When I Could, I Gave It My All."

Kayla Montgomery's story is featured in the ESPN video below. She's a high school distance runner with Multiple Sclerosis (MS), who loses all feeling in her legs when she runs, but nevertheless is one of the best runners in the state.

It is an inspiring story, but her very last comment in the video is what really hammered me:
"When, or if, I'm not able to run at some point down the road, then at least I can look back and know that, when I could, I gave it my all."

This morning, I just re-read my daily Bible reading that took me through the Epistle to the Colossians. And when I heard that statement from Kayla, this scripture echoed in my soul:

Colossians 3:23 

And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; 

Oh brothers! That statement burns in my heart and soul!

Almighty God, please make it so...that I would live out my Christian life this way; that I would run my race to the glory of God (1 Corinthians 9:24-27; Hebrews 12:1-4), taking every opportunity to proclaim the gospel & share the love of Christ with any and all. And with my dying breath, as my heart beats it's final stanza, to look back on the days the Lord has given me and say,

 "When I could, I gave it my all."

The Ferguson Watch

Ferguson...America...World: our only hope is the Lord Jesus Christ.

The Official Counts of the Gideon Fall Distributions

As a member of Gideons International, I had just received my Gideon Newsletter, "The Torch of the Iowa Gideons".  Inside were the official counts of the Farm Progress Show and College Bible distributions.  Here are the numbers:

Farm Progress Show
- 1,076 Bibles
- 22 members attended

University of Northern Iowa
- 3,159 Bibles
- 28 members attended

University of Iowa
- 5,057 Bibles
- 46 members attended

Iowa State University
- 6,750 Bibles (NEW RECORD!)
- 41 members attended

Drake University
- 648 Bibles (Numbers down because of rain)
- 13 members attended

Simpson College
- 501 Bibles
- 10 members attended

This brings us to a total of 17,191 BIBLES GIVEN OUT THIS FALL!!! 

Praise God.  Please pray and consider giving to the Gideons.  It is only by God's grace we can make this possible.  It was such a blessing to be able to go to college campuses and distribute God's word.  Pray that many of these bibles will be read by students and staff and that they will give their lives to serve the Lord.

New Bible Study Available: The Word of God

We've added another Bible study to our website. The Word of God takes you through the Gospel of John in 12 lessons, and is located on a new page up above. This comes from our friends at Resources For Missions (www.resourcesformissions.org) Check out their website - they have evangelism & Bible study helps in many, many languages, and it is all free!