2011.2.28 Monday Morning!

Greetings and best wishes from Pilgrim Presbyterian Church, in Vinita, Oklahoma. Thank you for your "visit" today. We hope you'll come again and that you'll share our address with friends.

Miss Lyons, my 4th grade teacher at Winslow School, in Racine, Wisconsin, loved poetry and instilled her passion for it in the lives of her students. This line jumped into my mind last week: 

"I shot an arrow into the air, it fell to the ground
I know not where."
Too often our "arrows" take the form of ugly, hurtful words. We "shoot off our mouths" without thinking, and our words cannot be retrieved.

Far better than anything I can say about the use of words is to be found in the short epistle of James; yes, it is in the New Testament. Try to read James, chapter 3, sometime this week.

With blessings and in friendship,

Richard

A PEARL OF VALUE

"The tongue can witness to the

truth and can spread falsehood."

2011.2.21 Monday Morning!

Greetings and best wishes from Pilgrim Presbyterian Church in Vinita, Oklahoma. 

In recent conversations, I've found some people have diffiiculty speaking with confidence about the worth of prayer.

To pray is serious business.  Prayer is conversation with God.  To say "I believe in God" and not to pray is, I believe, a denial of God.  It is to live as if God does not exist.

Jesus gave us two modes of prayer.  After an exhausing day he found a place to give himself to communion with God.  We might call this a "prayer of withdrawal."  (Mark 1:35).  It is good to set aside a time to withdraw from the activity of daily life and spend "quiet time" in prayer and meditation.

The second mode of prayer is to practice being in the presence of God while involved in the varying circumstances of life.  This type of prayer is like shooting out a dart whenever one sees a need.  This is a brief prayer, a sentence, a few words.  (Luke 23:34)

Discipleship calls for both unhurried quiet time in prayer and meditation, and short prayers, most often offered in silence, in particular circumstances that prompt it.

Christ has given us patterns for prayer.  Not to pray is a serious condition for all who say that God does exist.

With blessings, and an assurance that I pray for all of you who read these MONDAY MORNING messages.

Richard

Pictures of our Valentine's Dinner!

Hello to Everyone!

I have gotten the Valentine's Dinner Pictures up courtesy of Jewell Morgan, our Official Church Photographer!  Thanks again, Jewell.   Anyone else who has photos of Church functions or photos that you feel everyone would like to see about our church, its history, etc.  We would love to have them.  Please send them to me and I will get them up.  Contact eMail below.

-Brian

Snowed In! Wow

Hello to Everyone.

I very seldom put any comments of my own here since this is a blog for the Church, but this time I cannot resist!  I can tell you now, after living for twenty years in Hokkaido, you have finally gotten a very SMALL taste of what I see on a daily basis from November until Mid-April.  My only wish would be that I could see it go a bit more quickly!  We very often get anywhere from one to three feet in a night.  Makes for a wonderful wakeup, knowing that in order to get to work, one must first clear the snow!

I feel for you all!

Thanks for all the Pictures, Jewell !

Cheers and Best Wishes,
Brian Dishman

2011.2.14 Monday Morning!

Valentine greetings!  Thank you for visiting our Pilgrim Presbyterian BLOG.  While buried in snow in Vinita, Oklahoma, our Valentine wishes for you are warm and sincere.

 

A young friend was quite upset when I saw her at a card shop in a Tulsa mall.  She didn't like the idea of having to buy a Valentine for her boss to send to his wife.

 

That is hardly a picture of the true meaning of this lovely, sentimental day.  I think it is important for children and adults to know and understand that love is something to count on within families and close circles of friends.  There is something amiss when one has to "farm out" genuine sentiment and love.

 

To forget to share, to communicate, individual love is a failure to express the deepest feelings of one's life.

 

It's Valentine's Day!  I hope you'll receive and give a true expression of individual love.

 

Richard

 

A PEARL OF VALUE

 

While we have loved ones, we ought

to tell them of our love and gratitude.

 

2011.2.07 Monday Morning!

Greetings and best wishes from Pilgrim Presbyterian Church in snowbound Vinita, Oklahoma.

 

When I was a kid, growing up in Racine, Wisconsin, it was fun building a snowman, a snow fort, and having snow ball 'fights' with friends.  I loved sledding, tobagganing and ice skating.

 

At the first snow fall, signs  advising motorists to "Check Your Chains" popped up in front of service stations all over town.  I thought of those signs last week, when Oklahoma had a record breaking snow fall.  Today, no one clasps chains around their tires to drive through snow.  After all, we've got front wheel drive or 4-wheel drive.  People under 60 probably don't have a clue as to the meaning of those long gone signs, "Check Your Chains", which still have a valid message.

 

There are chains of prejudice, of an unforgiving spirit, chains of greed and phony values, chains that bind and enslave us.  Maybe it takes a massive snow storm to remind us of our need to "Check Our Chains".

 

Keep safe,

 

Richard