Ruth Ryan took this picture of me and her Mother Cissy Reynolds! Cissy told me she soon will be 97! Cissy spoke words of encouragement into me about 8 or 9 years ago when I came to preach one Sunday at FBC in Magdalena. I love to preach in Magdalena! Cissy said that I always preach the truth and for me to keep doing so, we need more like you, she said. This picture was taken this past Tuesday at FBC in Magdalena! Pastor Paul and Josie Holt’s son Phillip got married to Cheyenne, a beautiful angel! (Pictured below) I love Cissy and all the folks at FBC in Magdalena! They are so very nice to me!
I want to stress to you all, the Godly value of wisdom and encouragement from our elders. Those words of Cissy, spoken to me years ago have stuck with me as I have preached. I carry them with me. What might appear to be simple words, can turn out to be lifetime words of Godly encouragement. Love you Cissy.
I love the work that God has assigned me.
I travel to FBC in Reserve this weekend.
I want to share this with you posted earlier this week by Dr. Jim Denison:
Consider Elner Edman.
Mr. Edman, the brother of Wheaton College’s then-president V. Raymond Edman, was vacationing with a friend in Florida. There they met Billy Graham, who was a student at the Florida Bible Institute (today Trinity College in the Tampa Bay area).
They heard Graham preach, then he caddied for them while they played golf. They were impressed with him and encouraged him to attend Wheaton. Graham told them his mother had always wanted him to attend the school, but he could not afford to do so.
Elner then offered to pay the first year of Graham’s tuition at Wheaton. This was a turning point in the young evangelist’s life and ministry. Every soul touched by God through Billy Graham is an extension of Elner Edman’s benevolence.
“Try to become a man of value”
We can measure success by how many people attend church services on Sunday. Or we can measure success by how many people serve God and others on Monday.
Shortly before his death in 1955, Albert Einstein told a Life magazine reporter: “Try not to become a man of success but rather try to become a man of value. He is considered successful in our day who gets more out of life than he puts in. But a man of value will give more than he receives.”
Will you be a person of value today?