Happy birthday wishes to Dominic Garris, Jan.10, Richmond; Jariva Pugh, Jan.12, Texas; Matthew Glasscock, Jan.12, Saxe; Juanita Davis Midgett, Jan. 12, Maryland; William Thompson, Jan.12, Drakes Branch; Shelia Reed Watson, Jan.15, Richmond; Eric Trent, Jan.16, Farmville; Jacob Moore, Jan.16, Randolph. I wish each of you many more happy birthdays. Happy birthday!

Get well wishes to all of the sick and shut in. I hope all of you are well soon, up and about. You are in our prayers for a speedy recovery.

Sympathy to all of the families who lost a loved one recently. Our heartfelt prayers and good wishes go out to all of you in your time of need. May God comfort each of you and bring you peace. You have our deepest sympathy.

Thought for the week: Don’t miss out on the right things worrying about all the wrong things.

FUTURE

My interest is in the future because I am going to spend the rest of my life there. When all else is lost, the future still remains. Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God. The future is much like the present, only longer. Predicting the future is easy, it’s trying to figure out what’s going on now that’s hard.

The past cannot be changed. The future is yet in your power. The trouble with our times is that the future is not what it used to be. What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us. Enjoy present pleasures in such a way as not to injure future ones. Create your future from your future not your past.

The future is as bright as this is, promise of God. It is not in the stars to hold our destiny, but in ourselves. Only you can control your future. The best thing about the future is that it comes one day at a time. The future rewards those who press on. I don’t have time to feel sorry. Let us learn myself. I don’t have time to complain, I’m going to press on and look forward to a brighter future.

Life is divided into three terms, that which was, which is, and which will be. Let us learn from the past to profit by the present and from the present to live better in the future. The future starts today, not tomorrow.

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Virginia Freeman is a community columnist for The Charlotte Gazette. She can be reached at vstars@ pure.net.