2012.05.14 Monday Morning Message

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

Bible wisdom asserts that people have powerful hungers that will not be satisfied by bread alone.  (Deuteronomy 8:3).  We, human beings have other hungers.  Be be aware of them, and to act upon them, makes life rich and splendid.

What are those hungers, you might ask?

Well, don't you have a hunger for love and affection?  Without them you"ll shrivel and die in spirit.

And, there are other hungers which make us fully human.  We hunger to be needed, to be useful and vital in some life other than our own  That hunger tells us that we need to perform some tasks that enrich our church, our community, our circle of friends.

I wish more people experienced a hunger for contributing a little kindness and goodness.  That would renew faith and go a long way toward increasing tolerance and civility.

While it is important to be aware of the millions of people who don't get enough to eat, it is important to nourish our souls with that which has imperishable meaning, and which gives us dignity and self-respect.

With blessings and in friendship,

Richard

Announcements:

Bingo at Burroughs Manor Sat. May 19 - 2:00 - 3:00

Helpers are needed.

Next Sunday is Birthday Sunday.  We celebrate Lawrence Noggle, Jan Clark, Mark Curnutte and Jim Ratcliff.

Session and Deacons meet after worship and birthday cake.

Fran Callaway, our Moderator will conduct the Morning Worship and Session meeting.

I will be out of the office Tues-Thurs and will return on Fri.

Jewell

2012.05.7 Monday Morning Message

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

Last week I recommended a book, Soul Prints*(See note Below), by Rabbi Marc Gafni and quoted his word about happiness. Today, I share a story from Soul Prints*. I hope you'll feel "the tug" of its meaning for your life as a disciple of Jesus Christ.

"It was Timothy's twelfth birthday. He had saved up enough money to buy himself a present...a big red kite. The happiest kid in the world, he went out and began to fly his new kite.

"There were great winds that day, and he let out some string, and a little more string, and a little more, until the kite was so high and far away you couldn't even see it anymore. When you looked at the boy, all you could see was a happy kid running with a string in his hand.

"A very respectable and rational looking man in a business suit came upon the boy and stopped him. 'Son, what are you doing?' he asked.

"What do you mean, sir?" Timothy asked. "I'm flying a kite!"

"Flying a kite? What do you mean? I don't see a kite. You don't see a kite. How do you know there's a kite?"

Timothy looked at the man very gravely. "I know there's a kite, sir - because I can feel the tug."

Do you feel the tug of Christ?

With blessings and in friendship.

Richard

Next Sunday, May 13 is Mother's Day. We will celebrate all Mothers and the graduation of Madison Kroll and Caitlyn Spurgeon with cake and punch in the church kitchen. Craig Kilgour will be here to conduct the morning worship service. He is the pastor from New Zealand. Please plan to attend and help us celebrate.

-------------------

Notes:

* If you are interested in more information on this book, please follow the link below. It is the personal web site of Rabbi Marc Gafni. It has a lot of information on Self Development!

Also as an avid fan of audio books, I have included a link to the Audio Book of Soul Prints below as well. It is read by the author and includes some of the songs he sings. This is something you can't get from the print edition! Enjoy both!


-Brian

Link To Soul Prints Web Site of Marc Gafni

Soul Prints available at Audible

2012.04.30 Monday Morning Message

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

In the 1990's, my wife, Helen and I lived in the Lake Chapala area of Mexico, where I served as a "volunteer in mission" at an English speaking congregation, "The Little Chapel".

One Sunday morning I met a couple from North Carolina, snowbirds" as winter visitors were called.  Two weeks later I received a book from the couple, Soul Prints, by Rabbi Marc Gafney, an American living in Jerusalem.

I don't expect that I'll ever see this couple, but I'll be thankful as long as I live for their gracious gift.  

Soul Prints is a book which I highly recommend.

If, as I believe, most people do what they do in hope of finding happiness, in finding some sense of well being described by the word happiness.

Rabbi Gafney struck a deep chord in me when he wrote "happiness cannot be pursued...happiness is only achievable as a by-product of the pursuit of important goals - goals other than happiness itself."

Reading this, I remembered a line from Robert Burns that goes something like this:

"Believe me, happiness is shy,  And comes not aye when sought, man."

There are two pearls of wisdom for you to think about today.

If all we do is done for ourselves and our own, life becomes increasingly empty.

With blessings and in friendship,

Richard

The Reverend Nancy Covington will be in the pulpit this Sunday, May 6.  Communion will be served.

Keith Cresap is Worship Assistant.    The following Sunday, May 13 we celebrate the high school graduations of Madison Kroll land Caitlyn Spurgeon.  Also, we celebrate Mother's Day.

2012.04.23 Monday Morning Message

Greetings and all good wishes from Pilgrim Presbyterian Church, located in the heart of Vinita, Oklahoma.

A young cynic was depressed by the evil and suffering in the world.  He complained, "Why did God make a world like this?  I could make a better world than this."

His wise teacher answered, "That's exactly the reason God put you into the world...to make a better world.  Now, go and do your part."

The Christian gospel is about changed lives, renewed faith.  Though dependent upon God, God gave us the gift of free will, and God depends on us to choose wisely.  God cannot make a peaceful nation and world unless we root out hatred from our hearts.  God cannot build healthy families unless we work with God to bring sharing love and mutual respect to our relationships.  God needs each one of us.

Now, go and do your part!

With blessings and in friendship,

Richard

Our minister this Sunday, April 29 will be the Reverend Jo Wright from St. John's Episcopal, Vinita.

2012.03.05 Monday Morning Message

Greetings and all good wishes from Pilgrim Presbyterian Church, Vinita, Oklahoma.

We have had a mild winter in Oklahoma, with only one day of snow so far, and that covered the ground like powdered sugar for less than a day.

I was born and raised in Racine, Wisconsin, on the shores of Lake Michigan, where we saw lots of snow and plenty of sub-zero temperatures.   At the first signs of snow, I remember seeing signs in front of gas stations which read "Check Your Chains!"  I am a loyal "Badger/Cheesehead", but I don't think I could survive another winter in my hometown.

There are other 'Chains' than those I once put over my tires to get through snow.  People in the mid-east and north Africa,  living under dictators and totalitarian governments have been fighting and dying to be free of despots.

And there are 'Chains' that prevent us, living in freedom, from living a whole, balanced, harmonious life, to which Jesus summons us.  Some are 'Chains' of blind prejudice and "Chains" of tyrannical habits.  Still others are bound by 'Chains' of fear and anxiety, by 'Chains' of greed and a distressing disregard for the well being of others.

What are you doing to dethrone any inner despots which may be holding you in 'Chains'?

With blessings and in friendship,

Richard

 

*********************************************************

The funeral of long time member Anna Belle Mitchell was held in the church Monday at 2 p.m.  Please keep the family in your prayers.

Dr. Don Roulet from Broken Arrow will preach Sunday.  We will have Communion on this Third Sunday in Lent.

Jim Ratcliff continues to do well after his recent fall.  

Sunday is Birthday Sunday - we celebrate:  Irene Conine, Suzie Cresap, Gage Kroll, Bob Hartley, Bobby Hartley, Janie York and Pat Sowers.

 

Daylight Savings Time Saturday night -  Spring Forward

2012.02.27 Monday Morning Message

Greetings and best wishes from Pilgrim Presbyterian Church, located in the heart of Vinita, Oklahoma.

The New York Giants took home the "Lombardi Trophy" after winning the Super Bowl.  It is a coveted trophy named after Vince Lombardi, who coached the Green Bay Packers years ago.  Coach Lombardi is a sort of a legend in my home state of Wisconsin.

Lombardi loved the game of football.  Even before he made a name for himself in football, he was offered lucrative jobs in firms not connected with the game, but he chose to stay with football.

He had a way of working with players!  He sought the best from his players, calling for personal
discipline, stressing the need of practice, practice, practice.

He was a great coach, but above all he was a man of God.  A Roman Catholic, he attended church daily.  He had his priorities right!  God was number one; obedience to God meant everything to him.  He preached to his players, God, family and the Green Bay Packers in that order.

When we think of the game of football, we can find many similarities to life.  Some teams are
content to rest on past performances, satisfied with the status quo.  Some teams allow set backs to break their spirit soon arguing with team mates and criticizing the play of others.  Some players expect more reward, more praise.

Football carries with it parallels to life.  Life is such that we shall always make "wrong plays".   When Lombardi reviewed "wrong plays" with his team, he worked hard to correct them, and to 
encourage his players to move ahead, facing new challenges without the baggage of past mistakes.

God does not stop loving us every time we do something wrong.  Neither should we stop loving ourselves and each other for being less than perfect.

Best Wishes, Cheers,
Richard

2012.02.13 Monday Morning Message

Greetings from Pilgrim Presbyterian Church, in the heart of Vinita, Oklahoma.


I hope the messages are a welcome start to the new week.  Several email friends have asked for prayers.  Be assured that any and all communication, including prayer requests, will get a personal reply.

With blessings and all good wishes,

Richard Evans

One of the convicted co-conspirators in the Watergate scandal made this remarkable confession:

"I have lived 50 years of my life without ever coming to grips with the very basic questions of what is and what is not important to me;  What is and what is not right and wrong; What is and what is not valuable and worthwhile."

We might ask ourselves in pursuit of taking a good, hard look at ourselves some useful questions.

Have I grown more caring or more callous?

Have I become more forgiving or more vengeful?

Have I become more tolerant or more critical?

Have I become more generous or more self-centered?

Have I tried to become better or only better off?

Have I change for the better or for the worse?

Have I grown as a person or have I become smaller?

TAKE A GOOD, HARD LOOK AT YOURSELF!

A NOTE FOR THE LOCALS:

St. John's Episcopal has invited Pilgrim Presbyterian to a salad luncheon following morning worship Sunday, February 19.  Their church is over about 11:30 and we have Session and Deacons meetings at 11:00 so it should work out great.  Please let the church know if you plan to attend.  It is a privilege to have them prepare a luncheon for us so please try to participate.  

Call the church office and leave a message 918-256-2258 or email pilgrimpresby@sbcglobal.net.  

THEY DO NEED AN APPROXIMATE COUNT.

SESSION AND DEACONS MEET FOLLOWING MORNING WORSHIP SUNDAY, FEB. 19

THE REV. RAY HICKMAN WILL CONDUCT MORNING WORSHIP AND MODERATE SESSION

2012.02.06 Monday Morning Message

　
Greetings and best wishes from all of us at Pilgrim Presbyterian Church, Vinita, Oklahoma.  

It may be a sign of old age, but I know that life's arithmetic means that for every new year we celebrate, we can subtract a year from our life.


That sounds pessimistic, but what I mean to say is don't wait too long to do what you want to do.


In too many simple things we wait too long to do them.

• Don't wait too long to show kindness.
• Don't wait too long to speak or write a word of encouragement.
• Don't wait too long to express your love and thanks to elderly relatives.
• Don't wait too long to love and enjoy your children and grandchildren.
• Don't wait too long to read the books and listen to the music that enlarges your mind.
• And of course, don't wait too long to practice a daily quiet time when you strengthen your inner spirits.

Life goes by quickly.   Don't wait too long to do the things you want to do!


With blessings and in friendship,
Richard

"The PAST is where you

learned the lesson

The FUTURE is where you

apply the lesson.

Don't give up the Middle!"

2012.01.23 Monday Morning Message

Message from the archives of Richard Evans:

2009.06.22 Monday Morning!

Greetings and best wishes from Pilgrim Presbyterian Church in Vinita, Oklahoma.
It's strange to me how intelligent people can believe our every moment is predestined by God. Such fatalism ought be wiped from the mind. God has established laws within creation, and one is the law of cause and effect. An airplane crash, in which more than 200 people are killed, is not the purposeful will of God.

We need only reread the book of Job, who asked: "Shall we receive good at the hand of God and bless him for that good...and then turn around and blame God for the bad things that come upon us?"

Job, who at times prospered and was blessed with a loving wife and children, at other times suffered more than anyone ought to endure, was prepared to live with unanswered questions.

There was one thing Job could affirm and that is that nothing can separate all creation, and that includes you and me, from the love of God.

Faith, hope and love, but the greatest of these is love.


Richard

 

2012.01.09 Monday Morning Message

Message from the archives of Richard Evans:

Top of the morning and best wishes from Pilgrim Presbyterian Church, located in the heart of Vinita, Oklahoma.

My sole message today may be summed up in four words: "DON'T DESPISE SMALL THINGS!" To be faithful in little things is a great qualification for great things!

Perhaps the greatest fault of our age is that we are in too big a hurry to pay attention to small things which might improve our life.

What are some of those small things?

1. convey congratulations to friends (especially young people) when some success or happiness comes to them.
2. extend a word of appreciation for the work of someone you know.
3. extend sympathy. Comfort comes when one knows that others are sharing their sorrow.
   

Perhaps being diligent in doing small things prompted Emerson's fable, "The Mountain and the Squirrel."

"The mountain and the squirrel had a quarrel. And the former called the latter 'Little Prig'; Bun replied, 'You are doubtless very big; but all sorts of things and weather must be taken in together, to make up a year and a sphere. And I think it no disgrace to occupy my place. If I'm not so large as you, you are not so small as I, and not half so spry. I'll not deny you make a very pretty squirrel track; talents differ; all is well and wisely put; if I cannot carry forests on my back, neither can you crack a nut.'"

"Talents differ!" Thank goodness we're not all alike!

Peace,
Richard

2012.01.03 Monday Morning Message

From the Archives of Richard Evans...

In this first Monday Morning message of the New Year, I offer you one of the greatest phrases in the Bible: "The spirit of man is the candle of the Lord." (Proverbs 20:27)

Within yourself there is a divine capacity which, when brought forth, can enrich your life and the lives of others. To discover that something within yourself, read and re-read Luke and Acts. You'll be amazed how these two books will bring forth hidden strength and enable you to see the full range of human possibilities.

You are a child of God and by kindling the flame of God within you others who may be spiritually barren and bankrupt can begin to see their own divine capacity.

I have found new meaning and reason for Christ's words, "you are the light of the world". (Matthew 5:14), as I reflect on that great, simple phrase - "The spirit of man is the candle of the Lord."

Resolve now, at the start of 2012, to discover what you may become! Don't set a limit on what you may be.

Richard

 

Richard is still ill.  Please keep him in your prayers. 

Also keep AnnaBelle Mitchell in your prayers.

Final Monday Morning for 2011...

Pilgrim Presbyterians in Vinita, Oklahoma send greetings and best wishes as you make your  journey to the New Year 2012.

I am cleaning out my overstuffed files and found this piece, One Solitary Life, by an unknown author.  It is appropriate for after Christmas, and at the threshold of a New Year.  I hope you like it.  Of course, it comes from Pilgrim Presbyterian Church, Vinita, Oklahoma.

 

ONE SOLITARY LIFE

 

Here is a man who was born of Jewish parents in an obscure village, the child of a peasant woman.  He grew up in another obscure village.  He worked in a carpenter's shop until he was thirty, and then for three  years he was an itinerant preacher.

 

He never wrote a book, he never held an office, he never owned a home.  He never had a family.  He never went to college.  He never put his foot inside a big city.  He never traveled two hundred miles from the place where he was born.  He never did one of these things that usually accompany greatness.  He had no credentials but himself.

 

He had nothing to do with this world, except the naked power of his manhood.  While still a young man the tide of popular opinion turned against him.  His friends ran away.  One of them denied him.  He was turned over to his enemies.  He went through a mock trial.

 

He was nailed to a cross, between two thieves.  His executioner gambled for the only piece of property he had on earth, while he was dying - and that was his coat.  When he was dead he was taken down and laid in  a borrowed grave, through the pity of a friend.

 

Nineteen wide ceturies have come and gone, and today he is the centerpiece of the human race, and the leader of the column of progress.  I am far within the mark when I say that all the armies that ever marched, and all the navies that were ever built, and all the parliaments that ever sat, and all the kings that ever reigned, put together, have not affected the life of man upon earth as powerfully as has that solitary life.

 

Thanks be to God for self-revelation in Jesus Christ.

 

With blessing and all good wishes for the New Year.

 

Richard

********************************

 

This is the last Monday Morning message I have received from Richard as he is still ill.

 

There will be no Morning Worship Service at Pilgrim Presbyterian this Sunday, January 1.

Services will resume the next Sunday, January 8 at 10:00 a.m.

I would ask that everyone keep Richard in their thoughts and prayers this Holiday Season.  

Peace and Love to him and us all!

Brian

2011.12.19 Monday Morning

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

Are you enjoying your Christmas mail?  Most of the news we get from friends is cheerful, some sad, and of course, some down right depressing.

I got one of those depressing letters last week.  One comes every year from David, a Seminary classmate.  David reminds me of John the Baptist, a good person, but great on denouncing sin and not strong on forgiveness.

John the Baptist was big on repentance, but not so big about what happened after repentance.  Long on condemnation, short on healing.  John could tell what was wrong with the world, but not what was right.  My friend David is like that.

It's true, we're not living in utopia, but we can be thankful, and supportive, of helpful, healing forces at work.  There are plenty of reasons to despair - deaths in war and in protest movements.  We still weep, we still cry.  But, we can still laugh and we can still have hope, kindness and love.

Our spirit reflects an understanding of the purposes of our life, of a deeper inner truth and connection that lies inside us.  Christmas is a good time to re-connect with our soul.  Christmas reassures us that God is with us...always.

Merry Christmas to you and your loved ones, near and far.

Richard

P. S.

At this time Richard is suffering from bronchitis.  Please keep him in your prayers.

2011.11.07 Monday Morning

Top of the morning and all good wishes from Pilgrim Presbyterian Church in Vinita, Oklahoma.  

Pilgrim Church is one of the oldest Presbyterian churches in the area, celebrating its 129th birthday on the Sunday nearest All Saints Day, which this year falls on Tuesday, November 1.  Thankful for its past, Pilgrim Church continues a faithful mission and outreach ministry.  Congratulations 'Pilgrims'.

Having received a wonderful heritage, my prayer for Pilgrim Church in the present and future is "to think outside the box", and set before you A VISION  of what God wants you to be.

The importance of having a vision comes from my dear Mother.  In her declining years, she went blind.  At first she was frustrated, angry, and reluctant to admit her limitations.  Strong and capable all of her life, her blindness forced her to seek help from family and friends.

She was a remarkable lady.  She did not engage in self-pity, but soon took charge of her life and began to turn her handicap into a blessing.  She had been an executive secretary at the J. I. Case Co., in Racine, Wisconsin.  Still able to type, she wrote countless letters of support and encouragement to people, encouraging them to develop new ways to be useful.  All of us have handicaps; some are just more visible than other.

Stevie Wonder once said, "Just because a person lacks the use of eyes doesn't mean a lack of vision."

"Be Thou my vision,

  O Lord of my heart...

        Though my best thought

By day or by night,

 Walking or sleeping,

     Thy presence my light"

With blessings and in friendship,

Richard

2011.10.17 Monday Morning!

Greetings and best wishes from Pilgrim Presbyterian Church, located in the heart of Vinita, Oklahoma. 

If you are in the area any Sunday morning at 10:00, come worship with us. If that's not possible, please say a prayer for us wherever you are. Thank you.

I want to tell you today about a good friend who was a professor of New Testament studies. He had escaped from his beloved Hungary during the uprising in the mid-1950's. More than a quarter million Hungarians left their homes at a time when Communists were oppressing dissidents, including Christians.

My friend, and a group of anti-Communists, captured the Communist headquarters in his home town. They held it for only a short time before being crushed. In that brief time he and his friends discovered a list of 'informers'. On the list was the name of my friend's best buddy.

When my friend confronted him, the man broke down and through his sobs asked, "What would you have done when the Communists threatened your wife and children?" The next day the informant committed suicide.

Life is complex. Evil is powerful. It is not easy to be a Christian in all circumstances.

When we become too smug in our faith and are tempted to find fault in how others respond to horrific situations, we will do well to hear the haunting question of that Hungarian informer: "What would you have done in my situation?"

With blessings and fond regards,

Richard

www.pilgrimpresbyterian.blogspot.com

Taken from the archives - Monday, September 6, 2010

Top of the morning and best wishes from Pilgrim Presbyterian Church in Vinita, Oklahoma.

Thanks for visiting our blog! We at Pilgrim Church hope that this "off-site/online" outreach is helpful to you. If it is, please pass our messages to others, and let us know if you enjoy them.

I may be naive, but I still believe that the overwhelming majority of Americans want to do what is right and decent. I know there are countless numbers of men and women who are breaking away from moral and ethical standards of the past with good reason. It is not easy to find answers to a question as to what is right.

Can we always be certain of what is right? Probably not, yet here is a suggestion which may help you to walk the right path:

Are you willing to make known your conduct to others?

A desire to keep ones actions secret, whether personal or public, is to be avoided. If one is doing what one instinctively wants to hide, it is probably wrong. On the other hand, if one can tell loved ones what one is doing, it is probably right.

Doing the wrong thing is usually hidden in the dark, while doing the right thing is usually seen in the light. That's a test as you seek answers to any question as to what is right.

Who said life is easy?


Peace,
Richard

2011.9.26 Monday Morning!

Top of the morning from Pilgrim Presbyterian Church, located in the heart of Vinita, Oklahoma.

Today, I want to share a story about God's embracing grace and my young college friend, Bill.

Bill and two good friends from his dorm pooled their resources so they could tour Europe "on the cheap." They traveled light, slept in youth hostels, and enjoyed the unique characteristics of every country and village they passed through.

The amazing part of Bill's story didn't happen during a visit to the cathedral; it happened in a pub in Ireland. The thee young travelers were enjoying a meal in a quaint Irish pub when they heard a loud groan. At a nearby table a man struggled to heave himself out of his chair. They saw immediately he had only one leg. He reached for his crutch, but lost his balance and began to fall. Instantly his companion at the table jumped up and caught him.

The man with one leg muttered, "Thanks! I'm as crippled as a blind man."

His friend steadied him while replying, "Well now...come to think of it, who of us here isn't crippled?" A hush fell over the pub as the friend continued, "to lend each other a hand when we're falling is maybe the one kind of work that really matters in the end."


With love, peace and affectionate regards,

Richard

2011.9.12 Monday Morning!

Top of the morning from Pilgrim Presbyterian Church in Vinita, Oklahoma.

After Jesus, perhaps the best known New Testament character is Peter.  We think of him as a gregarious, outgoing man of action.  He was out in front of the other disciples who accepted him as a leader. Yet, like all of us, Peter had his weaknesses.

The low point in his life came the night of Jesus' arrest when he denied knowing his Master.  We might have done the same thing in similar circumstances.  The instinct to survive is strong.   There is no telling how a person will react in a critical situation.

Peter was only one among many Bible heroes to default.  Moses became a fugitive on the run after he murdered an Egyptian and then fled the country.  David was an adulterer and also an accessory to murder.  The Apostle Paul, before his conversion, presided over a lynch mob.

We live in an imperfect world and no one is an angel.  We live battered lives and we are often sorry for things we do and say, and, like Peter, Moses, David and Paul, we are given a second chance - all by the grace of God.

With blessings and in friendship,
Richard

2011.8.29 Monday Morning!

Top of the morning from Pilgrim Presbyterian Church, located in the heart of Vinita, Oklahoma.

 

In one of Charles Schultz's cartoon strips, "Peanuts", Charlie Brown comes downstairs and into the kitchen in his pajamas.  Sleepily rubbing his eyes, he says to his mother, "I think maybe I've discovered my trouble in getting out of bed - I think I am allergic to morning."

 

This is the way a lot of us face a new day.  We are allergic to dawn!  Morning means one thing to a single mother who gets a child ready for nursery school before driving off to a stressful job.  To another person, morning means struggling into bed after working the graveyard shift in a food processing plant.  For some, morning means the toothache that throbbed at 1:00 a.m., is nothing more than a slight annoyance at 8:00 a.m.

 

In stories and myths,  dawn is viewed as significant in that light has its own way of overcoming darkness and fear.  Dawn re-awakens life!  However you experience the morning, the Bible tells us that we can experience "the mercies of God which are new every morning."

 

How do you experience the morning?  Be intentional about the wonder of life.  Be intentional about the way you speak and act.  God through your new day as a tourist, seeing everything as for the first time, and you will discover that mercies surround you- mercies are within you.  These mercies will offer you new opportunities.  You will be more joyful and cheerful!

 

Yes, 'top of the morning'  to you with  all good wishes,

 

Richard

2011.8.8 Monday Morning!

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

Today, I want to put in a good word for the gift of receiving.  It is commonly said that it is more blessed to give than to receive, but I've learned there is virtue in receiving as well as in giving.

We praise people for doing good things for others, but who refuse to take any credit, any gift, any reward, for doing so.  People like that should give others a chance to say thank you and show their gratitude.  It is a fine thing to give, but it can be a mark of pride to refuse to receive thanks for acts of kindness.

Jesus received a boy's picnic lunch, and with it worked a miracle.  (John 6:1-14).  And He received the offer of the use of a room by some anonymous friend in Jerusalem, and used that room to institute "The Last Supper".

There is a courtesy in receiving as well as in giving.  When the two meet, who knows what 'miracle' will follow?

With blessings and in friendship,
Richard

"A PEARL OF VALUE"
We're taught that it is more blessed
to give than to receive, but receiving
is also important in the development
of our soul.