11.27.25 Opening a door for Christian foster parents, praying for persecuted believers, and running the Turkey Trot

Summary

Podcast Summary: The World and Everything In It

Episode: "11.27.25 Opening a door for Christian foster parents, praying for persecuted believers, and running the Turkey Trot"
Date: November 27, 2025

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Episode Overview

This Thanksgiving episode brings together three key segments:

• The implications of a new executive order on Christian foster parents,
• A focus on the global persecuted church and a call to prayer,
• A celebration of the Turkey Trot, America’s oldest Thanksgiving Day race.

Throughout, the hosts and guests reflect on themes of gratitude, faithful service, and compassion for the vulnerable.

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Main Segments & Key Discussion Points

1. News Update and Headline Coverage

Timestamps: 01:07–06:28

• National Security Incident: Two National Guardsmen shot near the White House; suspect apprehended ([01:10–02:03]).
• Ukraine Crisis Update: Diplomatic efforts remain stalemated as Russia ramps up military actions ([02:03–02:49]).
• Israel & Counterterrorism Efforts: Israeli forces conduct anti-terror raids in Samaria/West Bank region ([03:21–03:58]).
• Hong Kong Fire Disaster: Ongoing high-rise fire leaves at least 44 dead, 280 missing ([04:16–04:35]).
• Georgia Election Case Dropped: Case against Trump and others not pursued at state level ([05:01–05:34]).
• Economy: Jobless claims down, indicating slow but steady labor market ([05:34–06:28]).

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2. Opening a Door for Christian Foster Parents

Timestamps: 06:37–13:36
Guests:

• Herbie Newell, President of Lifeline Children’s Services

Key Points:

• Scope of Foster Care Need: Over 400,000 children on average in the U.S. foster care system, most under age 10 ([07:39–07:51]).
  • Herbie Newell: “Over the last several years, we've seen on average 400,000 kids in our foster care system.” ([07:51])
• Shortage of Qualified Families: Many prospective foster parents want infants, but there’s a greater need for care for older children ([08:04]).
  • Herbie Newell: “It really takes a special family…to say, ‘I’m going to take an 8 or 10 year old into my home…in a temporary standpoint where I don’t know how long this child will be in my home.’” ([08:04])
• New Executive Order: Directs support for religious liberty in foster care, curbing discrimination against Christian foster families—especially in states with hostile policies ([08:51]).
  • Herbie Newell: “The federal system is going to protect religious liberty…the federal system is going to allow families to be able to practice their own faith and beliefs in their home.” ([08:51])
• Trend of Platonic Co-Parenthood: Rising alternative family arrangements challenge biblical family design ([09:39–10:46]).
  • Herbie Newell: “Fatherhood nor motherhood are disposable roles in the life of a child.” ([10:46])
• Call for Christian Engagement: Christians are encouraged to act, independent of political circumstances.
  • Herbie Newell: “We really don’t need this permission slip to get engaged and get involved…God’s call is greater than politics, God’s call is greater than executive orders.” ([12:09])
• Partnership with Faith-Based Orgs: The executive order invites more active collaboration with Christian agencies ([10:46–11:47]).
  • Herbie Newell: “Most of our foster families in the United States are people of faith…who believe in the word of God and hold the word of God as…their calling to get into this work.” ([11:47])

Notable Quote:

• Herbie Newell ([12:09]):

  “We really don’t need this permission slip to get engaged and get involved…God’s call is greater than politics, God’s call is greater than executive orders.”

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3. Praying for the Persecuted Church

Timestamps: 14:30–22:28
Reporters/Guests:

• Jenny Lynn Schmidt (reporter), Andrew Richards (Open Doors US), Todd Nettleton (Voice of the Martyrs)

Key Points:

• November—Month of Prayer: All Saints Day marks a global focus on praying for persecuted Christians ([14:59–15:27]).
• Global Scope: 380 million Christians experience persecution worldwide ([15:27]).
  • Andrew Richards: “The number one thing that our sisters and brothers ask for is that we would be praying with them.” ([15:27])
• World Watch List: Open Doors compiles the top 50 countries where it’s most dangerous to follow Jesus ([16:20]).
• Persecution Types: Differentiated between “restricted”, “hostile”, and “monitored” nations ([16:50]).
  • Todd Nettleton: “Restricted nation is the government is the persecutor. Hostile area…is some group within that country…” ([16:50])
• India as a Restricted Nation: Shift from community to government-driven persecution ([17:11]).
  • Todd Nettleton: “The government…is driving persecution in India. And so…we classify it as a restricted nation.” ([17:11])
• Violence in the Sahel: Sub-Saharan Africa is now the world’s most violent region for Christians ([17:57]).
  • Andrew Richards: “Sub-Saharan Africa is actually the most violent place to be a Christian right now.” ([17:57])
• Eritrea’s Imprisoned Christians: 550 Christians imprisoned without trial, some for over 21 years ([18:42–19:09]).
  • Todd Nettleton: “They don’t have a sentence that they're counting down…maybe it's 21 years later and they're still there.” ([19:09])
• The Power of Prayer:
  • Todd Nettleton: “One of the lies of Satan to persecuted Christians is, you're all by yourself…let them know they're not forgotten, they are remembered.” ([19:32])
• Concluding Prayers:
  • Andrew Richards: “So God, right now across the Sahel, would you fill your people with what they need? Would you bring them the needed resources? Would you bring them the reminders that they are not alone?” ([20:06])
  • Todd Nettleton: “We pray supernaturally, even right now, that you’ll let them know that they're being prayed for. And…that you told us to pray for the persecutors as well...” ([20:58])

Notable Moment:

• The segment concludes with two heartfelt prayers for persecuted believers and their persecutors (20:06–22:28).

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4. Thanksgiving Traditions: Running the Turkey Trot

Timestamps: 23:37–27:47
Reporter/Guests:

• Jenny Ruff (reporter), Paul Stockman (YMCA Buffalo), Madison Granger Taggart (personal trainer), Dana Ruff (Rotary Club Tysons)

Key Points:

• 134-Year Tradition: The Buffalo Turkey Trot is America’s oldest consecutively run footrace, dating to 1896 ([24:00–24:27]).
  • Paul Stockman: “People want to come and run this particular race because it is the oldest consecutively run foot race in the US.” ([24:08])
• Accessible to All: Open to runners, walkers, and all ages ([25:50]).
  • Paul Stockman: “They walk the race, they run the race…Folks just power walk their way to the finish line and they don’t care if they come in last. It’s not about that.” ([25:50])
• Community and Charity: Many Turkey Trots double as fundraisers for local organizations ([26:47–27:11]).
  • Dana Ruff: “Basically, this is all about community and trying to help build the community and support the community.” ([26:57])
• Memorable Race Stories: From winning pies and turkeys ([26:16]), to five-year-olds and octogenarians participating—“We figured, hey, we might be in our 80s, but we can still do it.” ([27:47])

Notable Quote:

• Paul Stockman ([24:27]):

  “It’s officially just become this thing where if you don’t do it, then you know you’re missing out.”

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5. Commentary: A Thanksgiving Tradition Worth Keeping

Timestamps: 28:11–30:55
Commentator: Cal Thomas

Key Points:

• Thankfulness vs. Commercialism: Thanksgiving’s intent is at risk due to earlier Christmas focus and consumerism ([28:22]).
• Historical Context: Abraham Lincoln officially established Thanksgiving amidst Civil War ([28:22–29:10]).
  • Lincoln Quoted: “To these bounties which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come…”
• Call for Penitence and Reflection: The spirit of repentance, as emphasized by Lincoln’s proclamation, is rarely heard among contemporary leaders ([29:20]).
  • Cal Thomas: “Now when was the last time you heard a national leader recommend penitence? The Scriptures are pretty clear. Nothing gets God’s attention quite like repentance. It is then his mercy flows.” ([29:20])
• Renewed Thanksgiving Spirit: Suggests adding “humble pie” to today’s menu as a symbol of national repentance and gratitude ([30:40–30:55]).

Notable Quote:

• Cal Thomas ([29:20]):

  “Now when was the last time you heard a national leader recommend penitence? The Scriptures are pretty clear. Nothing gets God’s attention quite like repentance. It is then his mercy flows.”

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Herbie Newell ([12:09]):

  “God’s call is greater than politics, God’s call is greater than executive orders.”

• Andrew Richards (Open Doors) ([15:27]):

  “The number one thing that our sisters and brothers ask for is that we would be praying with them.”

• Paul Stockman ([24:27]):

  “It’s officially just become this thing where if you don’t do it, then you know you’re missing out.”

• Cal Thomas ([29:20]):

  “Nothing gets God’s attention quite like repentance. It is then his mercy flows.”

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• 01:07–06:28 — News Roundup
• 06:37–13:36 — Foster Care, Faith, and Executive Order (Herbie Newell interview)
• 14:30–22:28 — Praying for the Persecuted Church (Jenny Lynn Schmidt report)
• 23:37–27:47 — Turkey Trot Tradition (Jenny Ruff report)
• 28:11–30:55 — Thanksgiving Commentary (Cal Thomas)

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Conclusion

This Thanksgiving edition of The World and Everything In It highlights how gratitude, advocacy, faith, and community service are intertwined. From policies affecting the most vulnerable, to the power of prayer in global crises, to quirky traditions like the Turkey Trot, the episode is a call to faithful engagement—reminding listeners to serve, reflect, pray, and give thanks.

Transcript

[Mary Reichard]

Good morning. Thousands of children in the U.S. foster care system are wards of the state and a recent executive order calls for reform.

[Cal Thomas]

The Bible tells us that one of the measures of any society is how it cares for vulnerable children and orphans.

[Myrna Brown]

Also, as we celebrate religious freedom today, we take a moment to pray for the persecuted church around the world and how a six man race in 1896 turned into America's longest held Thanksgiving tradition.

[Paul Stockman]

It's officially just become this thing where if you don't do it, then you're missing out.

[Myrna Brown]

And world commentator Cal Thomas highlights a Thanksgiving tradition that deserves a place at the table today.

[Mary Reichard]

Happy Thanksgiving. It's Thursday, November 27th. This is the world and everything in it from listener supported World Radio. I'm Mary Reichard.

[Myrna Brown]

And I'm Erna. Good morning.

[Mary Reichard]

Up next, Kent Covington with today's news.

[Kent Covington]

Two National Guardsmen were fighting for their lives in a hospital this morning after being shot just two blocks from the White House. Jeffrey Carroll with D.C. metropolitan Police.

[Jeffrey Carroll]

A suspect came around the corner, raised his arm with a firearm and discharged.

[Kent Covington]

It at the National Guard members.

[Jeffrey Carroll]

The National Guard members there were other.

[Kent Covington]

Members that were in the area.

[Jeffrey Carroll]

They were able to subdue the individual and bring them into custody.

[Kent Covington]

Officers from federal and local agencies swarmed the area and cordoned off the scene. As helicopters flew overhead and National Guard troops stood watch. Emergency crews rushed the victims to a hospital where they were listed in critical condition. The suspect was also transported for medical treatment. Pentagon Chief Pete Hegseth said last night that in response to the attack, President Trump has asked me and I will.

[Todd Nettleton]

Ask the secretary of the army to.

[Cal Thomas]

The national guard to add 500 additional troops.

[Kent Covington]

National Guardsmen to Washington, D.C. authorities are calling it a targeted attack. And FBI Director Kash Patel has vowed to bring the attacker to justice. A senior Kremlin official confirms that US Special envoy Steve Witkoff is set to visit Moscow next week. Efforts are picking up steam to finally broker an end to Russia's nearly four year invasion of Ukraine. US Officials say things are moving in the right direction, but EU foreign policy chief Kaya Kallis is not as optimistic.

[Myrna Brown]

An immediate and unconditional ceasefire must be the first step to ending the war. But right now we see zero indication that Russia is ready for a ceasefire. Russia is not winding down. It's a military machine, but ramping it up.

[Kent Covington]

The southern Ukrainian city of Zaporizhzhia came under a large Russian drone attack Wednesday with at least 19 people wounded. We still need to get from a situation where Russia pretends to negotiate to a situation where they need to negotiate. The Kremlin said Wednesday that Russian officials still had not officially received the initial US Peace proposal. Israeli officials say they will go after any militants who threaten or harm Israelis and that they are doing just that. Government spokeswoman Shosh Pedrojan, the idf, Shin.

[Mary Reichard]

Bet and border police launched a large scale counterterrorism operation in northern Samaria.

[Kent Covington]

Samaria is an area many other governments refer to as the West Bank. Israeli military vehicles and personnel closed in around the town of Tubas earlier this week. Officials are not saying exactly why the military action was necessary, but Pedrozhin said there will be no safe haven for terrorists and that Israeli forces continue to.

[Mary Reichard]

Act forcefully to thwart terror activity and will reach anyone who harms or threatens our citizens, our soldiers and our security forces as well.

[Kent Covington]

The governor of Tubas said the Israeli military has effectively cut off the city from the outside world. Hong Kong's deadliest fire in years was still burning this morning. Firefighters continued to battle the flames engulfing several high rise apartment buildings. Derek Armstrong Chan with the Hong Kong.

[Myrna Brown]

Fire Service we encounter particular difficulties in several areas like the fire is spreading quickly to nearby buildings and scaffolding of the fettered buildings are falling down so pose additional danger to our frontline personnel.

[Kent Covington]

At least 44 people were confirmed dead Wednesday and roughly 280 others were reported missing as rescuers have continued to pull residents from the buildings. Police arrested three men on suspicion of manslaughter in connection with the fire, which began Wednesday afternoon. A Georgia judge has thrown out the election interference case against President Trump and more than a dozen co defendants. World's Benjamin Eicher has more.

[Myrna Brown]

The move follows a decision by special prosecutor Pete Scandalakis to not move forward with the case.

[Todd Nettleton]

He stepped in recently after former Fulton.

[Myrna Brown]

County District Attorney Fani Willis was removed over an ethics controversy. The investigation dates back nearly five years. Fani Willis charged that Trump illegally tried.

[Herbie Newell]

To sway the 2020 election results in Georgia.

[Myrna Brown]

Scandalakis said the allegations were serious but belonged in a federal court, not at the state level. For World I'm Benjamin Eicher.

[Kent Covington]

Weekly Jobless claims fell again last week, dropping to 216,000. That is the lowest level since mid April. Fewer people filed for unemployment benefits than expected, even as hiring has slowed in recent months. It's another sign that while the labor market may have cooled, it is holding steady. Economists say the data points to a job market that is neither booming nor cracking as the year winds down. I'm Kent Covington and straight ahead protecting vulnerable children in The US Foster system. Plus praying for the persecuted church. This is the World and everything in It.

[Myrna Brown]

It's Thursday, 27th November. Glad to have you along for today's edition of the World and Everything In It. Good morning. I'm Myrna Brown.

[Mary Reichard]

And I'm Mary Reichard. First up, President Trump, foster care and the Bible.

[Cal Thomas]

The Bible tells us that one of the measures of any society is how it cares for vulnerable children and orphans. So important and it's so big in the Bible. So as we make America great again, we are going to protect American children in foster care, and we're going to ensure that they will never, ever be forgotten. These children will never be forgotten, and they're going to grow up to be unbelievable, strong, smart, wealthy, productive citizens.

[Mary Reichard]

President Trump two weeks ago issuing an executive order supporting children and families in the foster care system.

[Myrna Brown]

Well, joining us now to talk about it is Herbie Newell, president of Lifeline Children's Services, one of the largest evangelical adoption agencies in the U.S. good morning, Herbie.

[Herbie Newell]

Good morning. Thanks for having me.

[Myrna Brown]

Thanks for being here. Let's start with the need and the number how many children are currently in the foster care system right now.

[Herbie Newell]

Obviously, every year you have some that are aging out or that are being reunited or adopted, and then you have many more that are coming in. But over the last several years, we've seen on average 400,000 kids in our foster care system.

[Myrna Brown]

And the average age, I understand, is under 10, right?

[Herbie Newell]

That's correct.

[Myrna Brown]

Tell us about the shortage of qualified families willing to care and nurture these children in their homes.

[Herbie Newell]

I think a lot of families that step forward to take care of children are typically thinking about having infants in their home. So it really takes a special family and a special place not only to be willing to say, I'm going to take an 8 or 10 year old into my home who's never been in my home previously, but also I'm going to do it in a temporary standpoint where I don't know how long this child will be in my home, and I really don't know what the future prospects look like.

[Myrna Brown]

That's a commitment, for sure. I know you are grateful for the executive order, but what kind of influence will this order have on, for instance, states like California and Colorado that are hostile to Christian foster parents who refuse to affirm the LGBTQ agenda?

[Herbie Newell]

Yeah, I think really what it's saying is that can no longer be the case. We can no longer hold two classes of foster families, one that is Christian, that have a Bible belief of the way that family is orchestrated, of the way that gender is orchestrated, and the other that's much more of a progressive, family altering mindset. And so now it's really telling states like California, and even lately we've seen a family in Massachusetts that had their foster children removed because of their Christian belief. It's this executive order saying, you can no longer do that. The federal system is going to protect religious liberty. The federal system is going to allow families to be able to practice their own faith and beliefs in their home. As long, of course, as that doesn't physically harm a child by any means.

[Myrna Brown]

Right, right. Well, then there's another disturbing trend that is infiltrating the foster care system, something called platonic co. Parenthood. Tell us about that and how it undermines God's design of family.

[Herbie Newell]

Absolutely. You know, platonic parenting reflects just this deeper cultural shift that we see in these attacks against God's design for the family. And really, as believers who are steeped in God's word, we shouldn't be surprised. There was an article recently in the New York Post that actually gave the situation of two female friends, again, not in an LGBTQIA plus type of relationship, just two friends who were going to bring their children into a home believing that they didn't need a father. And what we believe is obviously God's design was for a man and a woman to be able to supply all the different needs of a child. And so when someone says, I can't imagine raising a child with a man, that tells us that something is broken. Because fatherhood nor motherhood are disposable roles in the life of a child.

[Myrna Brown]

The President has directed the Health and Human Services Secretary to increase partnerships with faith based organizations like yours. Are you hopeful?

[Herbie Newell]

I'm very hopeful. From the last Trump administration, I can tell you we were invited to three roundtables with the Domestic Policy Council as well as HHS to talk about how to have faith. And not just faith leaders, but faith leaders and secular leaders coming together to say, how do we join forces and really help as many children as possible? And just in that, I think it's important to know that of the families we have that are currently fostering, two to three times as many are Christian, Bible believing people. And so it really is important when most of our foster families in the United States are people of faith and people of Christian faith that believe in the word of God and hold the word of God as not only their standard, but also as their calling to get into this work.

[Myrna Brown]

Speaking of the word of God. President Trump reiterates the biblical mandate to care for orphans and so by extension, children in foster care. How does his order help Christians do a better job of showing the love of Jesus to these children who have no parents or whose parents have failed them?

[Herbie Newell]

Yeah, that's a great question. I think it definitely, like I said, it gives an invitation to the table on many policy matters that are impacting children in foster care all around our country. I think what I would tell believers that are listening to this, though, is as exciting as this executive order is as exciting as it is to be invited to the table. We really don't need this permission mission slip to get engaged and get involved. And I think the call for Christians is to celebrate that the federal government is recognizing our place. At the same time, realize that God's call is greater than politics, God's call is greater than executive orders. And our mandate is to care for those in our neighborhoods, to care for those in our community. And it's to be the salt and the light. And so I pray that Christians will take advantage of this opportunity to be heard, to get engaged, to get engaged with our system. But I pray that we wouldn't shrink back in other times, but that we would continue to press forward by showing the love of Christ to a vulnerable mom who may be at risk of losing her kids, that we would show the love of Christ to broken families. We would show the love of Christ to kids that are vulnerable. Yes, grateful for the executive order, but we don't necessarily need an executive order to still get engaged as we can get engaged in our local areas and in our states.

[Myrna Brown]

Being faithful to the call. Yes. Well, Herbie Newell, president of Lifeline Children Services, thank you so much for joining us, being with us today.

[Herbie Newell]

Thank you so much for having me.

[Kent Covington]

Additional support comes from Cedarville University equipping students for professional excellence and gospel impact. Cedarville. Edu World From Dort University, where pre med students gain knowledge through undergraduate research and hone skills through hands on simulations. Dort. Edu and from Free Lutheran Bible College, grounding students in the word of God for life in Jesus Christ on campus and in person in Plymouth, Minnesota. FLBC Eduardo.

[Mary Reichard]

Well, it is Thanksgiving Day, a holiday to remember the pilgrims who came to the new world in search of freedom of worship. And we give thanks to God today for that ongoing freedom.

[Myrna Brown]

But around the world, freedom of worship is still a grave concern for millions of Christians. Every year, several organizations are mark November as a time to pray for the persecuted church around the world. World's global Death Chief Jenny Lynn Schmidt has our report.

[Jenny Lynn Schmidt]

In the liturgical church calendar, All Saints Day marks the beginning of November. For Protestants, the word saint applies to all Christians who claim Jesus as their savior. So it makes sense that November has become a month dedicated particularly to prayer for all the saints around the world. According to Open Doors international, more than 380 million Christians experience persecution in some manner.

[Jeffrey Carroll]

The number one thing that our sisters and brothers ask for is that we would be praying with them.

[Jenny Lynn Schmidt]

Andrew Richards is senior director for partnerships for Open Doors us. He says the persecuted Christians he meets know their suffering is the cost of following Jesus.

[Jeffrey Carroll]

They know that that's not necessarily a problem to solve, but something to be strengthened within.

[Jenny Lynn Schmidt]

In the letter to the Ephesians, the Apostle Paul exhorts the church to be alert and always keep on praying for all the Lord's people. And the Book of Hebrews urges us to remember those in prison as though in prison with them. To do that, advocates say we should educate ourselves about the plight of persecuted Christians in other countries. Open Doors publishes an annual world watch list that ranks the 50 countries where Christians face the most persecution for their faith.

[Jeffrey Carroll]

It's the top 50 places where it's hardest to follow Jesus, and it allows us a little snapshot on the country, what Christians are experiencing in the context of that country, and then prayer resources. It's 50 countries, so kind of taking one per week, if you will.

[Jenny Lynn Schmidt]

Voice of the Martyrs has a similar ranking system on its website that lists nations as either restricted, hostile or monitored. VOM spokesman Todd Nettleton explains.

[Todd Nettleton]

Restricted nation is the government, is the persecutor. Hostile area is more. It is a some group within that country that is persecuting Christians. And sometimes, frankly, that group is your family.

[Jenny Lynn Schmidt]

Countries where persecution is a challenge but hasn't risen to heightened levels are listed as monitored. Last year, India changed categories.

[Todd Nettleton]

Before last year, India was considered a hostile area. Yes, yes, there were Hindu nationalist groups. There were people that would persecute Christians. But by and large, the government was not the persecutor. If you ended up in court, eventually you would be set free. That has changed. It is the government that is driving persecution in India. And so it is now we classify it as a restricted nation.

[Jenny Lynn Schmidt]

Nearly everyone who's been paying attention knows it's extremely difficult to profess Christ in North Korea or Afghanistan. But Western Christians are often less familiar with other areas where the church faces persecution. Islamic rebel groups like Isis, Sahel and Boko Haram are currently wreaking havoc across the Sahel, the East, West, Strip of countries just below the Sahara Desert.

[Jeffrey Carroll]

Sub Saharan Africa is actually the most violent place to be a Christian right now. So Cote d', Ivoire, Togo, Burkina Faso, Nigeria, I mean, all across the Sahel, 16.2 million Christians, that's about four of the largest cities in the US have been displaced because of militant violence.

[Jenny Lynn Schmidt]

Islamists have brutally slaughtered thousands of Christians in their churches and homes in the region. U.S. president Donald Trump recently named Nigeria as a State Department country of particular concern because of the violence towards Christians in the nation's north. Nettleton says the small country of Eritrea is also of special concern.

[Todd Nettleton]

It is a country in Africa, next door to Ethiopia, and right now the numbers are somewhere right around 550 Christians in prison in Eritrea. In fact, as we're recording, this today marks 21 years in prison. Prison for two of the pastors that are in prison in Eritrea.

[Jenny Lynn Schmidt]

None of the 550 Eritrean Christians in prison have actually been charged with a crime or had a trial.

[Todd Nettleton]

They don't have a sentence that they're counting down the days until it's over. They just get arrested, they disappear into the prison system. And maybe they come out in a month, maybe they come out in a year, maybe it's 21 years later and they're still there.

[Jenny Lynn Schmidt]

But both Nettleton and Richards tell stories of imprisoned Christians who knew that others were praying for them, even though they had no contact with the outside world.

[Todd Nettleton]

One of the lies of Satan to persecuted Christians is, you're all by yourself. And so one of my prayers often for persecuted Christians is, lord, let them know that they're being prayed for. Let them know they're not forgotten, they are remembered.

[Jenny Lynn Schmidt]

Today as we give thanks for our many blessings, please consider committing to praying for Christians in hard areas, not just one day a year, but all year long. And right now, we invite you to pray along with Andrew Richards and Todd Nettleton for our persecuted brothers and sisters.

[Jeffrey Carroll]

Let's pray. God, we take your word at face value. Psalm 24, where you say, the earth is the Lord's and everything in it. So right now, through your spirit and because of what your son has done for us, we ask that that you would stand with you, would strengthen, you, would uphold those who are undergoing and persevering through contexts that many of us cannot understand. So God, right now across the Sahel, would you fill your people with what they need? Would you bring them the needed resources? Would you bring them the reminders that they are not alone? And we pray that and ask that we would be emboldened to walk with our global family and Jesus in ways that remind them of what is true, what's true about you, what's true about what you've asked them to be and do in this world, and what's true about us as we participate as part of your family.

[Todd Nettleton]

Father, we're so thankful for the privilege of being part of your family around the world. We're thankful for our brothers and sisters in Iran and China and North Korea and Nigeria and all of the places where we have family. Lord, we know many of them right now are suffering. We pray that you would sustain them. We pray that you would encourage them. We pray that you would empower them. We pray supernaturally, even right now, that you'll let them know that they're being prayed for. And Lord, we know that you told us to pray for the persecutors as well. And so we do that in obedience to what you have asked us to do, especially in this Thanksgiving season. Lord, we have so much to be thankful for. We pray for our country. We pray that we as American Christians will stand strong for you, regardless of what it may cost us. Thank you for your love. Thank you for your family, your body around the world. Bless each one of us today. In Jesus name, amen.

[Mary Reichard]

Middle school students in England are swept up in a high altitude search and rescue mission. As part of a science experiment, they'd launched a teddy bear into the stratosphere on a weather balloon. Myrna, you've got to watch the video. It shows the stuffed toy floating along. Up, up and away, higher and higher, 16 miles up, all is going along just great when.

[Myrna Brown]

Ugh. Ugh.

[Mary Reichard]

There's a sudden jolt and the bear detaches from the balloon and falls to the earth.

[Myrna Brown]

But where did he land?

[Mary Reichard]

Well, that's the mystery. And now the school asks the public to be on the lookout for a smart looking bear in a check shirt, navy blue shorts and matching tie. And we are assured that that bear is very brave and resourceful. So he ought to be okay until.

[Myrna Brown]

He'S found well dressed, too.

[Mary Reichard]

It's the world and everything in it. Today is Thursday, November 27th. Thank you for turning to world radio to help start your day. Good morning, I'm Mary Reichert.

[Myrna Brown]

And I'm Myrna Brown. Coming next on the World and everything in it, an emerging Thanksgiving day tradition. Not parades or football or even a big turkey dinner with friends and family, but it is a tradition that involves the Thanksgiving themes of gathering and giving. World's Ginny Ruff brings us the Story.

[Jenny Ruff]

This morning on the streets of Buffalo, New York, Paul Stockman expects a gathering of 14,000 people for a community celebration.

[Paul Stockman]

People from all over, people from 42 different states in the U.S. people from other countries coming to run this race. Canada, Great Britain, Colombia, Chile, France. And people want to come and run this particular race because it is the oldest consecutively run foot race in the.

[Jenny Ruff]

US he's talking about the Turkey Trot, a race held on Thanksgiving Day or the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving, like this one in Tysons, Virginia. Google your hometown and there's a good chance someone has organized one, although perhaps by a different name. The gobble wobble, Feathered feet, Pie pursuit, stuffing the pantry. But Buffalo is home to the first ever Turkey Trot. That one happened 130 years ago. It's older than the Boston Marathon by one year.

[Paul Stockman]

Well, the first Turkey Trot was 1896 and it was basically six people decided that they were going to run in this competitive five mile race on Thanksgiving Day.

[Jenny Ruff]

Nobody knows why the six gentlemen decided to race that day, but records show a man named Henry Allison won.

[Paul Stockman]

I think it kind of grew into this huge thing over time and now it's officially just become this thing where if you don't do it, then you know you're missing out. It's a good kind of a holiday kickoff almost a little bit.

[Jenny Ruff]

Today the YMCA where Stockman works sanctions the Buffalo race. But road races in general, especially 5Ks, a slightly shorter distance than the original 5 mile, have exploded in popularity and none more so than the Turkey Trot, Perhaps because they're designed for runners and non runners alike.

[Paul Stockman]

They walk the race, they run the race, they run and walk. Folks just power walk their way to the finish line and they don't care if they come in last. It's not about that. You don't have to qualify. You can just sign up and you're a turkey Trotter.

[Myrna Brown]

It's just an awesome way to spend Thanksgiving Morning.

[Jenny Ruff]

Madison Granger Taggart began running in high school and discovered she was fast. Super fast. She almost won her first Turkey Trot. That one.

[Myrna Brown]

I think the winner got like a pie. And I was like, I really want that pie. And I did not get it. But my older sister who was also a runner, she won like a whole butterball turkey. And I think we ate that turkey today.

[Jenny Ruff]

Taggart is a personal trainer. She recommends that new runners or those picking it up after a long time off find a training plan and accountability group. Upward running and Run with Christ are two faith based ones.

[Myrna Brown]

If you can make it something you do with others and with loved ones, it's more likely to stick.

[Jenny Ruff]

Many turkey trots raise money for a good cause, like the Tysons Turkey Trot held a few weeks ago in Virginia and put on by the local Rotary Club, here's former president Dana Ruff.

[Myrna Brown]

So what we do is we support local organizations in the area like Insight Memory Care, Second story for wayward children. Basically, this is all about community and trying to help build the community and support the community.

[Jenny Ruff]

A typical turkey trot can cost anywhere from 20 to $60 per person. Some people register and don't even run. They simply want to give the donation. But for those who do come out.

[Paul Stockman]

We'Re all just out here to have some fun. We're all here to earn our turkey dinner, so to speak. So that you know, because if you run five miles, I think you can get an extra.

[Jenny Ruff]

And that's true no matter your age. From those like five year old miles.

[Herbie Newell]

You ready to run or are you gonna walk?

[Jenny Ruff]

To those in the senior division, how old are you?

[Todd Nettleton]

81, 82.

[Myrna Brown]

We figured, hey, we might be at our 80s, but we can still do it.

[Jenny Ruff]

Reporting for world I'm Jenny Ruff.

[Myrna Brown]

Today is Thursday, November 27th. Good morning, this is the world and everything in it from listener supported world Radio. I'm Myrna Brown.

[Mary Reichard]

And I'm Mary Reichard. Up next, on this Thanksgiving Day, world commentator Cal Thomas suggests setting aside some time to reflect.

[Cal Thomas]

There once was a time, and I still remember it, when most of the Christmas rush began after Thanksgiving. Now we have Black Friday beginning in some TV ads before Halloween. Thanksgiving has taken a backseat to the commercialism of Christmas. It is now mostly a day of stuffing ourselves with high calorie food. While the early settlers and pilgrims were known for thanking God for his blessings, it wasn't until Abraham Lincoln became president that the day became an officially recognized occasion. In his proclamation declaring the last Thursday in November a day of Thanksgiving, Lincoln said this about the blessings Americans had received. Quote, to these bounties which are so constantly enjoyed that we are prone to forget the source from which they come, others have been added which are of so extraordinary a nature that they cannot fail to penetrate and even soften the heart, which is habitually insensible to the ever watchful providence of Almighty God. The proclamation was issued after the battle of Gettysburg, a bloody conflict in the Civil War, a war which was still far from over. If a nation in the midst of such a great internal struggle could find things to be thankful for. What about us in our rush to consume, do we any longer regard God as the source of our undeserved blessings? Something even more profound came later in Lincoln's proclamation. Speaking to his fellow citizens, Lincoln wrote, I recommend to them that while offering up the ascriptions justly due to him for such singular deliverances and blessings, they do also with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience. Now when was the last time you heard a national leader recommend penitence? The Scriptures are pretty clear. Nothing gets God's attention quite like repentance. It is then his mercy flows. God once said, for the sake of 10 righteous people, he would not destroy Sodom and Gomorrah like the people in those ancient cities. We have many sins for which we should repent. I'm not exactly sure how God will respond as his people pray seeking his forgiveness for our national sins, but I do know that it is an appropriate attitude as we gather and a long standing tradition to reintroduce around our table. Perhaps a heaping serving of humble pie should be on today's Thanksgiving menu. I'm Cal Thomas.

[Mary Reichard]

Tomorrow Culture Friday with John stonestreet. Also music reviewer Arsenio Orteza with some Christmas music suggestions and an artisan who honors others by carving the their stories into stone. That and more tomorrow. I'm Mary Reichert.

[Myrna Brown]

And I'm Myrna Brown. The world and everything in it comes to you from World Radio. World's mission is biblically objective journalism that informs, educates and inspires, the psalmist writes. Consider how I love your precepts. Give me life, O Lord, according to your steadfast love. The the psalm of your word is truth, and every one of your righteous rules endures forever. Verses 159 and 160 of Psalm 119 go now in grace and peace.