This is a picture of Santa Randy Thom of Lakefield, Minnesota and Darlene Quiring of Mt. Lake, Minnesota 
Merry Christmas from Minnesota! I have also included pictures of Randy having a fun time with a Law Enforcement Officer in Windom and a picture of me and Darlene taken 2 years ago in Windom at the County Fair. I have also included a plaque that my Dear friend Sonja Haldeman, who now lives in Surprise, Arizona, Sonja and I graduated together in Windom in 1974! Sonja sent me a picture of the Windom plaque that is on display at the Sogge Samaritan home, brings back a lot of memories, I am in tears. By the way, you can click the photo’s to enlarge them. Randy and Darlene our good friends. They have the heart of Jesus. Darlene hosted a craft show for children this past Saturday at the Carpenter Shop in Mt. lake and had Randy played Santa. They both desire to reach and touch others with the love of Jesus. You have got to read the story submitted by Darlene just days before Thanksgiving. So many, many people have been blessed by this post: Thorn’s of Thanksgiving, maybe we should now change the title to, “The Thorns of Christmas”: https://fggam.org/powerful-thanksgiving-message-thanksgiving-thorns/
I am so thankful for Darlene and Randy as they bring me back to my hometown area of Windom, Minnesota where my Christian foundation was built, where Darlene and Randy to this day help others build a foundation of Jesus Christ into their lives.
Darlene and Randy are both supporters of FGGAM! We thank the Lord!!!
I asked Randy to put into his own word’s how he got to be playing Santa for Jesus! He started when he was 13!!
Here’s Randy……
Many times in life as we start out being young, we do not realize that something we do as a teenager will be something that we will still be doing almost 40 years later.
When I was 13 year old, I put on a Santa suit for the very first time and to this day, I look forward to the Christ mas season. I have been so blessed throughout the years playing Santa at family events, at retirement homes, hospitals and company Christmas parties.
Thinking back to that very first year and remembering the Santa suit that our family had, was quite comical and today the suit I put on and wear is a very large improvement. I guess another change over the years is that early on in my Santa career, I had to always stuff pillows in my suit to bulk up as Santa,, and this year I was thinking, hmmm Santa dont need a pillow so much no more. lol
My Christmas eve is usually spent going to family events where they have pre arranged my appearance, but along with those pre agrranged appearances, it has also been a bit of a habit for Santa to do random stops and it is at those stops which is usually quite funny, for everyone is trying to figure out who Santa is and who arranged Santa to stop. I leave those stops with a big o grin of happiness knowing that I had just helped pump up their Christmas with joy.
Sometimes tho, these random stops can cause people to think that maybe Santa is up to no good, and yes, one time after I had crashed a families party, they got nervous and called in a report that they had someone dressed as Santa but felt he was scooping the house out to rob them. Well long story short, the cops pulled over my Santa sleigh, and came up to my window, only to bust out laughing and telling me that they had a report that maybe I was planning to rob the family. This particular cop recognized me and he called back to his dispatcher and said, we have stopped Santa, and it is the real Santa, please contact the family and let them know that they have no worries cause it is really Santa Claus..
Some people ask me if I make alot of money doing this, and my answer is i get more rich with the blessings of blessing others. I usually end my Christmas eve with thoughts of kids squealing Santa and the memories of seeing excitement of the kids running to sit on Santa lap. I also enjoy reminding the children that it is not just about those presents they get, but the real reason for the season is that our baby Jesus was born. That my friends is truly the REASON FOR THE SEASON for if it was not for baby Jesus to be born in that lowly manger on that cold starry nite, we would not have the hope to live in grace and mercy.
HO HO HO Merry Christmas and may the reason for the season be with you and yours fully daily. Today, I challenge each person, to go do something for someone that you do not know, bless them with something, and you will discover what a joyful feeling it is, and then watch your blessing fall on to you.
Hallejuah to the Lamb of God Amen
Randal
I am so thankful for Darlene and Randy, being vessels for Jesus Christ, bringing the light of Jesus to one person at a time!
Merry Christmas!!!!
This is a picture of Santa Randy Thom of Lakefield, Minnesota and Darlene Quiring of Mt. Lake, Minnesota 
