Thankful People

During  our  trip to a country where human rights and freedoms are denied by an oppressive regime, we were invited to lunch  by  expats who had lived there for some time. We were dining in a public place and when the food was served , our host said ,"We  will say grace by answering a question. If you bow your head and pray outwardly, those I work with and to whom I minister the gospel of Christ will come under suspicion and possible persecution. The worst to happen to me would be deportation  with the risk of never being able to return."

Then looking at each, he asked, "Are you thankful?" "Yes, " each replied, "I am thankful." How wonderfully God has blessed America. We are free to express thankfulness to God without fear, because we  have received by grace the faith of God handed down from generation to generations of Americans ;  believing faith that receives  the true  liberty found only in
Jesus Christ.

Thankful people fought for and founded America's independence, constitution, law, and  government on God's law, the Ten Commandments, in order to give and protect liberty for all  people, even those who have not the faith of Christ, nor agree with that faith. We pray that as a nation we express to each  generation and all the world our thankfulness  to God for the fullness in which we are able to  exercise our freedom  and the richness of the liberty  by which America governs; whose root is Christ. The inaugural edition of  United States Senate Trade and Play cards and those following are dedicated  to all the thankful people in the world of  past, present, and future generations; who, while suffering great persecution, give thanks to God for His unspeakable gift and love their enemies in the freedom that only Christ can give.

Jack and Mary Miller

Illustrations by Josh Keating

Josh Keating is a Junior at the Art Institute of Phoenix, is majoring in Media Arts and Animation . "My goal is to make people feel good about themselves with my caricatures. I still tell people to bring their sense of humor because it is just a caricature and even though I'll do my best to make you look and feel good, you'd better have a good sense of humor. I've been sketching people since third grade and doing caricatures since high school. It was a real honor illustrating the Senator cards. I will always be a comical artist at heart; pencil or no pencil. Drawing is my true passion and that's why I had so much fun illustrating them."
Keating13@aol.com