A Life Well Blessed

Good morning I am Bob Dixon son of Bonner Hugh Jones and Wilma Dixon Jones long time members of this congregation and the namesakes of the scholarship being awarded today.  I would like to note this scholarship is now an endowed scholarship having been funded by my wife and myself to be awarded forever.  Since it has now been almost 6 years since the passing of my father and I expect some new members of this congregation might confuse the names Jones and Dixon let me clarify that my birth mother passed on early in my life and I was raised by my aunt and uncle who became my mother and father in love and law. 

While corresponding with the pastor about this mornings proceedings he suggested a few comments might be in order.  Well he does comments almost weekly and they might come easy, but for a lay person such as I not so much.  So after some prayer and thought here are some comments.  They contain some history, some personal testimony, and finally hopefully some inspiration for the young people in this congregation. 

My comments today are entitled "A Life Well Blessed."   And I do mean blessed by God and not lucky as my wife constantly reminds me.  

The scholarship we are about to present is named the Bonner H. Jones and Wilma D. Jones Leadership Scholarship but frankly it might actually be better named The " I Am From Richlands Scholarship".  My father a lifelong Richlands resident and my mother who came here in 1936 exemplify what it means to be "from Richlands". He loved the town and this church and was proud to tell people he was from this place.  My mother was perhaps the first women entrepreneur in town as she started a beauty shop downtown here in the late 1930's.  Many in this congregation today are here because they went away and came back to the blessings of living in Richlands.  All these people lived or are living a life well blessed.  Sorta like the Marines who are our neighbors and unlike big cities such as Raleigh or even Jacksonville, we are "the few, the proud" and might I add "the blessed". 

Now I would like to speak directly to the young people in this congregation.

There is a song from 1983 that I carried in my mind for many years after it was recorded.  As a young 20 some year old person then I was thinking where my life might be going just like the young people in this audience today. The song by Irene Cara has a line in it that says "take your passion and make it happen".  It is about a young woman who believes in herself and her craft and knows if given half a chance she can do as well as anybody else.  She uses her passion and does make it happen. 

 Let's speak about your future and where it leads you.  More importantly let me speak to the opportunities you have before you because that vision you might have in your head right now IS possible and YOU can make it happen. 

I was raised in this little town of Richlands just like you. I went to church at this church just like you. I attended Richlands High School like most of you.  Today I stand before you with a life well blessed by my parents, my wife, my children,  this town, this church,  RHS, and most importantly by God.   Little did I know early on that over many years of work and life long learning I would come to the point I could offer a endowed gift to the FBCR like the one being handed out today.  But I did have the passion to work to make it so. Materially I have been blessed more than I deserve and as Mr. Bonner Hugh would say it is time to "Pass It On".  Frankly instead of the fact growing up in this little town of Richlands being a hindrance to me it was my making. 

The honest down to earth values instilled in me and now you in this small town and this wonderful church if you keep them for your entire life you will find they will help your visions come true as well.  Note I said Visions and not Dreams.  Dreams are for those who have dreams they hope can come true, Visions are for those who envision what they and God can make come true.  Anyway envision what you want out of your life and apply some of that passion and it will happen.  Be it a wonderful new family, be it a great job, be it a owner of a business, be it monetarily wealthy, be it just the happiness of living in Richlands,  or be it all of these and more.  Success in life is measured by God and what you make of the gifts that God gave you and not what you have at the end of life or how others measure that success. 

With your faith in God, your Richlands upbringing, your family, and some passion someday you might stand up here and talk about your life as a life well blessed.