2011.7.4 Monday Morning!

Greetings to you and your loved ones on this 4th of July.  Let your celebration be joyful and safe.  And, thanks for visiting our "off site - on line" ... center ... of our Church Family, Pilgrim Presbyterian, in Vinita, Oklahoma.

My heart aches at every war casualty reported in your daily press.  I know the grief families are experiencing, and my prayer for each sorrowing person and family is not to lose hope and give up.  No power on earth can take from you the love you have experienced.  Difficult as it is, ask yourself what life is still expecting from you.  With an aim, with goals, you'll find reasons to carry on.

I have found that in the most difficult moments of my life a look to the future gives me courage and hope.  New challenges, new opportunities give me reasons to live in spite of my sorrows and sufferings.

There is purpose to our existence.  If you nuture your inner life you'll find the light of Christ will shine into your deepest darkness.

With love and in friendship,

Richard

2011.1.24 Monday Morning!

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

Have you ever considered that the instinct "to fight" is strong within the human race? Children play "White Hats/Black Hats" and current TV programs, with the same 'fighting' spirit are popular.

When we get older the instinct "to fight" is carried into sports events. My alma mater has a well known "fight song": "On Wisconsin, on Wisconsin, fight on for its fame; fight fellows, fight, fight to win this game."

The instinct "to fight" is carried into the business world, where it is called "competition."

You cannot breed the fighting, competitive spirit out of the human race. What is important is that we "fight" for the right reason - to fight, to struggle against injustice, poverty and want. These are things we ought to fight.

It will be a bad day when we cease to differ from one another. It will be a great day when we can differ and still love.

Richard