Birthday wishes to Shenika Gee, March 24, Kataleen, Ga.; Charlie Smith, March 25, Roanoke; Ernest Jones, March 25, Drakes Branch; Marcus Friend, March 25, Drakes Branch; Tracy Spencer, March 26, Charlotte Court House; Sheila Barksdale, March 28, Williamsburg; Jackie Foster, March 29, Clover; Hagood Duffie, March 29, Saxe; Linda Hart, March 29, Keysville. May your day overflow with joy and success. Happy birthday!

Birthday winners for March are Alexis Wilmouth, of Drakes Branch, and Hagood Duffie, of Saxe. Winner can pick up their gifts on Wednesday. The deadline to pick up gifts is Wednesday, March 30.

Get well wishes to all of the sick and shut-in. I hope you are up and well soon.

You are in our prayers and thoughts for a speedy recovery.

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

Thought of the week: Surrender to what is, let go of what was and have faith in what will be.

Forgiveness

You will know forgiveness has begun when you recall those who hurt you and felt the power to wish them well. Without forgiveness, there is no future.

When you forgive, you in no way change the past, but you sure do change the future. To understand is to forgive, even oneself. There is no revenge so complete as forgiveness. There is no love without forgiveness, and there is no forgiveness without love.

The weak can never forgive. Forgiveness is the attribute of the strong. People can be more forgiving than you can imagine. But, you have to forgive yourself. Let go of what is bitter and move on. Never forget the three powerful resources you always have available to you: love, prayer and forgiveness.

How does one know if they have forgiven? You tend to feel sorrow over the circumstance, instead of rage. You tend to feel sorry for the person, rather than angry with him or her. You tend to have nothing left to say about it all.

Forgiveness is like faith. You have to keep reviving it. Forgiveness is a gift you give yourself.

News is due by 1 p.m. on Saturday. News can be submitted by calling Virginia Freeman at (434) 568-0596.

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