John 17:17

John 17:17 Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. Truth is Truth, will always be there it never changes. I will confess to you right now that I have not always been as truthful as I should have been. On this day and everyday we need to take stock of activity of course. As sure as it came out in the news about my gift to UMO to The Glory of God and my FWB ancestors, they all and I am convinced they love God and their church. In this plight that started nine months ago in all the interruption I pray that you will help me to remember that God is still in charge of everything. Blessings Tom

Psalms 119:105

Psalms 119:105 Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path His Grace is sufficient his all consuming love who keeps us when everything else has failed. These past 9 months we need his assurance, this catastrophic in spite of the world is brnging it to our door steps. We can still depend on him. Praise God from whom all Blessings flow help these creatures here below. Keep us close to your loving care. I praise God for each and everyone of you who know my father- my saviour-my strength in this time of need. Blessing on you this day Tom

Inspirational Prayer

Inspirational Prayer As we present ourselves before the throne of Thy power, O Lord, we come to praise Thy name and to bring with us a large petition. We ask, nay even with boldness we claim the inheritance left us by our Elder Brother, His peace—the peace which the world cannot give, and which the world cannot take away. We dare not ask for wealth, with all its allurement to worldliness; we dare not ask for length of days, with prospect of aged weakness and dependence; we dare not ask for preferment among our brethren, realizing that if we honor ourselves, our honor is nothing; we dare not ask for freedom from sorrow, remembering that they who are not of this world shall in the world have tribulation; but we do ask our Father, that in perfect peace we may rest in Thee, knowing that He that spared not His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, shall with Him also freely give us all things. Grant, Lord, that the peace of God which passeth all understanding, may keep our hearts and minds through abundance of grace in Christ our Redeemer. This our prayer we make in the name of Him Who loveth us and gave Himself for us, even Jesus Christ our Righteousness. Amen. Prayer by John W. Friend, Petersburg, VA.

I John 2:15-16

I John 2:15-16 On Not Loving the World Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world. On this Veterans Day, this old-blind-total disable Veteran reminds all Veterans caught up in the vicariousness of military service brings us closer and closer to him. The one who gave us the joy of military or any other service job for others. On this Veterans Day I want those who saw the recent article about me and my military service to know that I was there then and here now because of my Love of country, my wonderful family, friends, and all who know the meaning of the word service, because we truly love one another When grateful to give self. There was nothing special about me then or now and I will admit that I love the things of the world but I love so much more of the father who gave me life. Life is what we make of it. At the crossroads of the world we come into contact with the Real values of the world: Life, Liberty, and The Pursuit of Happiness. Thank You Jesus for helping me to love completely. Blessings on You This Day Tom

Thanks For Your Service

Thanks for your service Good morning, Just a quick note to wish you a good Veterans Day and to thank you for your service to our country. Serving others is something you continue to do to this day, and UMO and others remain grateful. Thank You. My prayers continue for your health and well being. Blessings, Teresa Dr. Morris, I want to thank you for your service on this Veterans Day and every day. I appreciate you serving our country. My dad served 20 years in the Marine Corp and I have special place in my heart for all who have been in the Armed Forces. The United States is the greatest country because of you, my dad, and all who served to protect our freedom. Thanks and I pray you have a great day. Sincerely, Dwayne McKay Director of External Affairs for Athletics 586 Henderson Street|Mount Olive, NC 28365 (919) 658-7757 – Direct| (919) 658-1753 – Fax (800) 653-0854 ext. 1361| dmckay@umo.edu

Job 37:5-6

Job 37:5-6 God’s voice thunders in marvelous ways; he does great things beyond our understanding. He says to the snow, ‘Fall on the earth,’ and to the rain shower, ‘Be a mighty downpour. Gods goodness is beyond our understanding, He is ours and we are his. We rejoice in just a nodular of his present in our lives. Help us precious Lord to live as close to thee has we can possible get. Help us to be everything you want us to be. Blessings on all of you this day and always Tom

Joshua 24:15

Johusa 24:15 But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.” My Christians friends, Let us rejoice in the joy of serving God. Time is to short, time is drawing near. We rejoice in his presents, we take great pleasure and pride in serving him. Let us never forget The Saviour of our world. The reason for our salvation we are his and he is ours, never forget the greatest plight of Christian servitude. Blessings Tom

UMO receives 1million dollars

UMO Receives $1 Million Gift November 2, 2020 Contact: Rhonda Jessup, Director of Public Relations The University of Mount Olive (UMO) has received a $1 million gift from one of its longtime friends and benefactors, Dr. Thomas R. Morris of Wilmington, NC. The contribution from Morris was inspired by his desire to invest in building opportunities for the University’s new innovative programs. He had initially planned for the money to be dispersed through his last will and testament, but at 90 years old, he decided to make the contribution while he was still living. “This gift is to glorify God and honor my Free Will Baptist ancestors,” Morris said. “On behalf of the Board of Trustees and the entire University, we are deeply grateful for this generous gift,” said UMO President Dr. H. Edward Croom. “Dr. Morris is a true friend of the University of Mount Olive. He understands the University’s roots in the Original Free Will Baptist Church and appreciates its Christian mission. This investment demonstrates a trust and confidence in the future of this institution. We commit to be good stewards of these resources as we provide new facilities and programs that will expand opportunities to equip our graduates for leadership and service.” Morris was born and reared in Wayne County with strong Free Will Baptist roots from Union Grove FWB Church where his parents and grandparents were all very active. He often reminisces about his great grandfather, the Elder P. T. Lucas, a leading FWB minister of his time. Morris graduated from high school in Nahunta and financed his way through UNC-Chapel Hill and the School of Optometry in Memphis, TN by working at night and selling books, cookware, and cemetery plots door-to-door during the summers. “I covered every pig path in eastern North Carolina,” he joked. After college, Morris returned to Wayne County and became not only a successful optometrist, but also a noted educational, civic, and church speaker, often sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Commissioned a medical officer in the U. S. Army during the Korean Conflict, Morris retired as a Lt. Colonel, but still remained active in the Army Reserves and National Guard. He has dictated over 2,000 posts about his life, travel, military experiences, and journey of faith in his personal blogs, which can be found at http://carolinahedgehog.blogspot.com. When diagnosed with glaucoma, a condition that resulted from his military experience and resulted in 100% disability, Morris was determined to see as much of the world as he could. On eight around-the-world trips, he traveled to every continent and both the North and South Poles, having his passport stamped in 157 countries. After becoming totally blind, Morris turned to real estate and other investments in the Wilmington and Wrightsville Beach areas in both commercial and residential properties. In addition to his shrewd business acumen, Morris, to this day, possesses a thrifty nature. He is well-known for his self-deprivation, often noting that throughout his lifetime he did his own cooking, cleaning, and only purchased his clothes from thrift stores. In reflecting over his investments and savings, Morris said, “God has abundantly blessed me even through my 40-years of total blindness and 14-year battle with prostate cancer.” Living out the Biblical passage Luke 12:48, “To whom much is given, much will be required,” Morris’ frugalness has enabled him to faithfully support the University for decades. He has given multiple and sizeable gifts that have funded various awards designed to encourage and reward excellence for student academic achievement, faculty teaching, and pastoral work and lay services to the FWB denomination. He has also generously contributed to other UMO projects including a $100,000 gift for the Free Will Baptist Heritage Room, which bears a portrait and plaque dedicated to Morris. Knowing, from personal experience, the hardship of financing a college education, Morris and his siblings established an endowed scholarship fund at UMO in memory of his parents, Joseph T. and Sallie Pittman Morris. “Dr. Morris’ life has been filled with both adversity and abundance,” said University Advancement Representative Teresa Hines. “Yet, he remains a humble and selfless man intent on sharing his wealth and his wisdom with causes that align with his beliefs. We are grateful beyond measure that he considers the University of Mount Olive to be one of those organizations.” Vice President for Institutional Advancement Jason Gipe said, “Dr. Morris’ unwavering support and generous financial backing over the years has and will make a profound impact not only on the University, but also on current and future students who benefit greatly from the programs, projects, and facilities made possible by his kindness and compassion.” Morris is the father of one son, Dr. John Michael Morris, the grandfather of two grandsons, Andrew Phillip Morris and Paul Robert Morris, all of whom have advanced degrees. Dr. Andrew Morris, along with his wife and daughter, are missionaries in South Korea. Dr. John Michael Morris is a professor at Southwestern Seminary and the pastor of a Southern Baptist church in Fort Worth, Texas. The University of Mount Olive is a private institution rooted in the liberal arts tradition with defining Christian values. The University is sponsored by the Convention of Original Free Will Baptists. For more information, visit www.umo.edu.

Amen

I Peter-5:8-9 Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings. We know the Love of God the fellowship of believers We know the way Christians should behave. God help us to understand and further anticipation your glacious love, tender mercies, and beautiful Holy Spirit. I pray that God will help all of us to be what he wants us to be. We rejoice in the knowledge of his nature that he does not want us to back up not one inch that we should never turn our backs to satan. God Bless you and keep you under his everlasting perfect arms. Blessings Tom

Ephesians 2:8-9

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith and this is not from yourself, it is the gift of God-not by works, so that no one can boast. Please Do Not Forget to Read the Message of The Gift. Tom Morris

For The Word Of God

Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edge sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow: it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. Great comfort in these trying days, more important than any pandemic, the love of God for us. He only wants two things, Faith and Trust. Let us trust him to see us through these times. The knowledge of his Mercy-Grace-Love is enough to keep us going. God keep us close to your heart of love and underneath your hand of protective care for we pray in your Holy Name, Forever and ever. Tom Morris

A Person Finds Joy In Giving

A person finds joy in giving an apt-reply- and how good is timely word: Poverbs 15:23 The attitude and attributes of Christian life. Nothing shows Christianity than one joyous attitude, joy in knowing your Saviour. The great beauty of Christian life - relationships in your life is not your own it's brought with a wonderful price. Your life should be a joy and not a burden. We get cast down and we should be taught that Christ and his wonderful Son Jesus was always there. We all find joy in a beautiful relationship with one another. Let us rejoice in the knowledge that we are capable of love one for another. Jesus tells us to love one another as we love him. What a challenge when we even consider how much he loves us. Blessings Tom

May These Words of My Mouth

May these words of my mouth and this meditation of my heart be pleasing in your sight Lord, my rock and my redeemer. Psalms 19:14 This is a marvelous word from Gods word is a Challenge-Call-Mercy filling of the of the Grace and love manifest from the God of Glory. Everyday of my life, I must depend on my Blessed Lord, must depend on those who assist me to live a somewhat normal life. Please answer this question, Why is it that those ones who I trust, whom I must depend on: those who keep a watchful eye on my financial accounts get so negligence when they well know I do business with them because I depend on them? Someone in my condition should not and will not depend on these people for help. If you don't have some confidence in your doctor you need to make a change, this morning, I am aggravated to the core in placing my faith in someone to handle my business, he has shown me he is not interested in keeping my buisness. All of my friends, business associates enjoy what they assume is flattering of me being able to accumulate funds to show my love. I find that most family, friends, and business acquaintance never comprehend what it has taken to accumulate and stay in charge of my affairs a total blind person, total disable person I honestly believe that most people I know just think that things take care of themselves. Please pray that there is an awakening everywhere not just in my life. On this day I was feeling pretty good until knocked down by incompetency. I had to decide to make a gift now instead of in my death to UMO which I asked for it to remain quiet but to my amazement it has been told everywhere. I pray for all of you on this day and ask that the wall of protection from our Blessed Lord be extended to me. Please pray that our God of Love is sufficient for all our needs, Today, Tomorrow, and always Blessings Tom

The Start of An Era

North Carolina Minute FIRST MOVING PICTURE The first motion picture movie show in North Carolina took place in Wilmington in 1897, when Thomas Edison's projector known as the "Projectscope" showed several revolving moving pictures. Edison had purchased a projector invented by Thomas Armat in 1895 and improved its operation. Wilmington was selected because it was at that time the largest town in the state and t hey had a beautiful Opera House. Among the pictures that were shown were; a lone fisherman who gets dumped into the water, a hurdle race, a girl and a child feeding a flock of pigeons and the Buffalo Express running at 60 miles per hour. When the Express appeared on the canvas, it was headed straight into the Opera House audience. Most of them either got up and ran or tried to duck under their chairs. FIRST MOVIE THEATRE The first Movie Theatre was also established in Wilmington in 1906. The theatre was named the "Bijou Theatre" located at 225 North Front Street. The two owners James Howard and P. W. Wells met by chance and decided to settle down in Wilmington. One of the men owned a tent and the other owned a projector. This was the start of the Howard & Wells Amusement Company. A screen was set up and sawdust was sprinkled heavily on the ground and about 300 folding chairs were placed in the new facility. Later a framed front was constructed in order to stabilize the arrangement. Wells ran the projector and Howard was the "Barker.” You could hear Howard all day long, "Never out, never over, always going on. Only high class moving pictures shown. Nothing cheap but the price, only five cents.”

Blessings

New International Version For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Read at Bible Gateway Read all of Jeremiah 29 Blessings Tom

Thanks To Everyone For Coming Out and Helping Me Celebrate My 90th Birthday. Gods Blessings on each of you. Michelle Roberts is with Thomas Morris. 20h · I am privileged to call this man my friend. Happy 90th Birthday, Dr. Morris!

7 Things You Need To Know About the Postal Service

Placebo of The Soul In the cauldron if history, man's relationship with other men, and from the beginning, the need for a relationship and worship of a Higher Authority. There has been a ceaseless rebellion... it is nothing new... an attempt at a placebo or catholicon for the soul, a replacement for Almighty God. Of course, this writer well understands that there are those atheists, postmodernists, meta-narratives (story about a story) who in their own wisdom worship the creature not the Creator. There is no category or grouping for this type mentality. Academics, scientists, elitists are found in this demographic but so are the most ignorant among us. It is not necessary to sing like Sinatra to believe “I did it my way.” It is time to face the reality of what is happening to the soul of mankind. It started with the first of us, Garden of Eden, when man could have lived forever, free of all human foibles... work, disease, etc. He could not keep one commandment, so tempted by the fallen morning star, prince of the air, who could not obey from creation. Lucifer is only mentioned one time in the Bible. (Isaiah 14:12) From our first parents until this moment, Satan and his cohorts have manipulated our lives limited only by God. Weak, erring, human beings, have not been controlled by conscience, laws and commandments of the Bible, prophesies or promises leading both to the cross, the central point of history, and away from the cross. “God is love” (1 john 4:16) and because God wants goodness for us shows mercy toward us, the atheist cannot comprehend sin, evil, bad things happening to good people. He never questions why good things happen to bad people. Those who are most angry with God, who consider God immoral because He allows suffering, disasters, do not want to see hypocrisy or even shortcuts. The rules of the game do not allow the Olympic runner to cut across the end zone. The least informed among us understands Hitler’s promise that he would deliver the world from the oppression of Mount Sinai. Even the pirates of the 17th century and today's Somalian pirates have rules. Blackbeard did not allow his pirates to bring women aboard ship, they had strict routines, bedtime, wake up time. The early church knew absolutes, right and wrong. The Apostle Paul, chief of sinners (1 Timothy 1:15) to whom we owe most of church scripture, knew that the time would come that men would no longer believe in the atonement of Christ, no longer believe in the Gospel of the church, sin's ruin and Christ's redemption, would only want a tasty cocktail for itching ears. (2 Timothy 4:3) It is not just the new age agnostics, Oprah and her crowd, but mainline churches, particularly Episcopalians who tell us that the historical gospels no longer apply (Heterodoxia Jan. 28, 2007) and so, young people raised in the church. Those recent graduates in pulpits from Bible colleges and seminaries, those on pews entangled with the attractiveness of the world, now seek a placebo instead of the spirit of grace, faith, provided by God not only to die with but live by. Even Christ said, “When I return will there be any faith on earth.?” I feel sure there are clones around us but, more important, in nations where Western Civilization has been blessed by the knowledge of the Sovereignty of God. Many are now involved in computer worship, having humanized the computer, in many places, robots, becoming humanized. There is a frightening attempt to minimize Christianity, to maximize sin (abortion, romanticism of homosexuality, same-sex marriage, etc.) We see the slaying of evangelical Christians in Nigeria and other Muslim countries, the disenfranchisement of the disabled, those who do not fit our ideal of acceptable. I will never forget my aunt, genetic problem, obese her entire life. She cried as she told me how she had been treated by her fellow human beings, particularly her family. (people who play church) only the disabled, such as this writer, a 100% disabled veteran, knows the tumult of disability. Unless you have been called a “nut”, “fanatic” by your own family, you are not a real Christian. No sane, inquisitive mind can doubt the historicity, reliability, of God's Word. The parents of King Cyrus of Persia, conqueror of the Middle East thought they had named their son but, years before, the prophet Isaiah had named and prophesied about their son, ruler of Persia. God named John the Baptist, spoke directly with Moses and Abraham. The son of God, Jesus Christ was prophesied 700 years before His birth. On the fringes of time, punctuated most by geography, there are many religions, people seeking to fill a “whole” in the human heart. For the last 50 years, heart disease has been the number 1 killer in the world. The only cure for heart disease, no placebo is needed for the soul, a relationship with the Creator of the universe.

Forest and Trees “In some ways suffering ceases to be suffering at the moment it finds a meaning, such as the meaning of a sacrifice.” ― Viktor E. Frankl, Man's Search for Meaning: Gift Edition For this writer's entire life, in thinking of excellence, I have heard the expression, "You cannot see the trees for the forest..." other times, "You cannot see the forest for the trees." For the sightless person, you cannot see the forest or the trees, but, the sounds and smells tells you the woodlands are there. I still remember the day my father's oldest, I was a teenager, when he took me through hundreds of acres of woodlands to show me the boundary lines. I'm sure his father had done the same for him. This was before the time of spray paint, often it was just a large post driven into the ground. In fact, reading the descriptions on land deeds, the surveyor would refer to posts-rocks-certain trees etc... as boundary lines or corners. Landowners were very careful about their own land, he did not want an adjacent landowner coming across the line and selling some of his fine trees. Much of my father's woodlands had come down through many generations and much of it was virgin timber. He knew the value of certain wood, certain trees, oak, poplar, pine etc. Woodlands were sold and appraised by the value of individual trees. I can still see, from my childhood, oxen pulling the logs from the forest. Warning flares always indicate danger. Albert Einstein, perhaps the world's greatest mind, said, "Only two things are infinite, the Universe and man's ability to be stupid." The twentieth century saw mankind put his trust in men rather than God. We just refused to believe that there are exceptional people... that some trees stand out even in a forest. It sometimes takes a while to recognize these people. Of the eighty greatest personalities in the bible, most discussed, just a few were religious leaders. Such men as Abraham, Joseph, most of the disciples, like Luke the physician, would not be considered religious leaders. Moses, perhaps the educated man of his time, "And Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and in deeds."- Act 7:22 (Herded dumb sheep for 40 years before God saw fit to use him.) But God knew where he was the entire time. God knew where this child of Amram and Jochebad was, even when he was in a small basket in the Nile as his sister Miriam watched from a distance. At Myraba, Moses knew what it was like to deal with the three million "stiffnecked" former slaves whom he had led out of Egypt, led through the Red Sea, water piled up on two sides. Really, not one of them deserved to drink of the water. Salvation that neither he nor the children of Israel had done one thing about. For the entire history of the Jewish people, it was always God. When anyone tells you to prove the bible, just say there is a three letter word to prove the bible, J-e-w. We live in a time of stupid voters, genuflecting before politicians who ride around on private jets... eat from gold plates and laugh at you. Most of today's opinion molders-power brokers, no longer look for the exceptional mind, the exceptional morality, the exceptional integrity, rather, the lowest denominator of man who will bow to any decadent incredulity. They just want a "yes man". That "blah" individual that will never stand out in a crowd, those who would put forth the effort and faith to achieve. 90% of the christian faith is just raw courage. It takes courage to stand out, to be the exceptional person, to always present the best version of yourself whether in the classroom, on the sports field, their place of worship, in your chosen vocation. I live in the town in which Michael Jordan, one of the world's greatest basketball players, was raised. He had a passion for sports. In high school, college, even during his NBA career, he continued to practice every day. He paid the price for excellence. This writer knows discouragement, to never have been encouraged about anything, anytime. Many years ago, at a small baptist college, now a university, I established financial awards for excellence... two senior excellence awards of $3000 each, each year, faculty and staff financial awards for excellence of $4000 each, other financial awards for outstanding students. I feel that money is something which proves ones worth. My giving was continued for many years until liberal administrators did not want awards of excellence... let everyone "get a trophy just for playing." Likewise, and this is not to impress anyone, God knows my heart, I gave financial awards for outstanding pastors, Sunday School personnel, superintendents and teachers. I have letters from sunday school personnel that tell me they taught for thirty years and never received any recognition. If it is nothing but a gold star beside a child's name in a public school or sunday school, any child appreciates recognition... standing out from the crowd. With most personal fortunes, everything is gained with a wink or something diabolical. Former president L. B. Johnson, never made much money in his lifetime but retired as president with a $53 Million fortune. Other presidents, and you know who they are, compromising-conniving, have retired with great fortunes... so have the goldbrickers of industry-education-political intrigue. Many did not gain wealth or notoriety because of their ability but because of their notoriety. Never confuse accomplishment with celebrity. Remember Helen Keller and Madonna. "There are no such things as divine, immutable or inalienable rights. Rights are things we get when we are strong enough to make good our claim to them." -Helen Keller My friend, Dr. John East, ECU professor, U.S. Senator, spent most of his life in a wheelchair. He said to me one time, "The disabled life is hardly worth living." He later killed himself. You are not stuck where you start, or stuck in any suffering that befalls you. Give the best version of yourself and recognize the exceptionalism of others.

Friends, and all others that's concern about my welfare, I am well, we lived through the storm with little difficulties. We are concern about our friends and everyone else facing the same problem, power off, we was without power for a little while all my employees was able to get to work with no difficulties. We praise God for his goodness to us here in Wilmington. We rejoice in the knowledge that he is always going to take care of his own, just a matter of trust and faith. Continue to keep our world in your prayers many places were not so fortunate. We pray that God will keep us all close to his heart of love not just in times like these but all the time. This comes from a heart of gratitude and gratitude for his love. I pray Gods blessings on all of you especially those in our area affected by everything that causes one to cling to the household of faith, not just this day but everyday. I am always happy to hear from you and to know that you are concern. Blessings Tom