"Two Powerful Quotations"

What a privilege it was to see so many of you coming forward in worship last Sunday to bring your financial commitments to the Lord. I saw many faces filled with joy, and I saw even more faces filled with determination to spend, save, and give money in a way that is truly pleasing to our God. I believe that Christ looked on your faces, too, and I know that He is able to help you keep the deep commitments that you made.

One way I can help you honor these commitments is to send a couple of powerful quotations your way. These passages describe the value of commitment and the determination to keep our promises. After hearing these in church last Sunday, a couple of you asked me to send you these quotations personally, and I agreed to do so, but I later realized they could be helpful to the whole church.

The first one comes from President Calvin Coolidge, who said:

Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will no; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan "press on" has solved, and always will solve, the problems of the human race. ["press on" comes from Philippians 3:14]

The second one comes from Alfred Lord Tennyson, whose famous poem about Ulysses concludes with these stirring words:

So come, my friends, 'tis not too late to seek a newer world. . . .
Tho' much is taken, much abides;
and tho' we are not now the strength which in old days moved earth and heaven,
that which we are, we are; one equal temper of heroic hearts,
made weak by time and fate, but strong in will
to strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.

My hope is that each of us concludes our journey through this world with the same sort of commitment and the same sort of resolve that "Ulysses" voiced. As I mentioned last Sunday, these commitments are not easy, but they are means God uses to shape us into disciples of Jesus Christ, and they form much of the legacy that we leave behind.

If you have not yet made your commitment to the work of Jesus Christ here at First Presbyterian Church in 2010, please pray about that decision this week. Then, place your sealed "estimate of giving" form in the collection plate this Sunday. The time of decision is passing quickly, but the benefits of that decision will extend for years to come.

I'll see you in church!

Neal

Calendar

Week of November 18, 2009

Thursday

11:30 am

Forever Young Luncheon
7:30 pm

Adult Discipleship meeting
7:30 pm

Chancel Choir
Friday

7:30 pm

Youth Hang-Out
Sunday

8:30 am

Adult Sunday School
9:30 am

Gospel Gang Singing
9:30 am

Worship with Baptism
Monday

6:30 pm

Youth Fellowship
7:00 pm

Women's Bible Study
Tuesday

8:00 am

Thanksgiving Basket Day
Wednesday

1:00 pm

NO Women's Bible Study
4:00 pm

NO AWANA today
4:30 pm

NO Children and Youth Choirs
6:30 pm

Boy Scouts
6:30 pm

NO JR High Fellowship
7:00 pm

Chapel Bells
7:00 pm

Prayer Group

Don't forget

December 7 at 7:00 pm

Women Tea Time at MacCormick Room

Editor's Corner

A Thousand Reasons To Smile

A blind boy sat on the steps of a building with a hat by his feet. He held up a sign which said: "I am blind, please help." There were only a few coins in the hat. A man was walking by. He took a few coins from his pocket and dropped them into the hat. He then took the sign, turned it around, and wrote some words. He put the sign back so that everyone who walked by would see the new words. Soon the hat began to fill up. A lot more people were giving money to the blind boy.

That afternoon the man who had changed the sign came to see how things were. The boy recognized his footsteps and asked, "Were you the one who changed my sign this morning? What did you write?"
The man said, "I only wrote the truth. I said what you said but in a different way."
I wrote: "Today is a beautiful day but I cannot see it."

Both signs told people that the boy was blind. But the first sign simply said the boy was blind. The second sign told people that they were so lucky that they were not blind. Should we be surprised that the second sign was more effective?

"Life has to be an incessant process of repair and reconstruction, of discarding evil and developing goodness.
Paddy grains have to be de-husked in order to become edible as rice.
Cotton has to be converted as yarn to become wearable cloth.
Gold nuggets have to be heated in the crucible to remove the impurities.
Man too, must purify his impulses, emotions and desires and cultivate good thoughts, words and deeds
so that he can progress spiritually." ~ Prasanthi Nilayam

MORAL OF THE STORY:
Invite others towards good with wisdom. Live life with no excuse and love with no regrets.
When life gives you a 100 reasons to cry, show life that you have 1000 reasons to smile.
Face your past without regret. Handle your present with confidence. Prepare for the future without fear.
Keep the faith and drop the fear. ~Author Unknown

Until next time!

Yesi

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=A92009 - First Presbyterian Church of San Pedro

The Messenger - November 18, 2009

"Two Powerful Quotations"

Calendar

Don't forget