A special season of honor and remembrance begins with the month of May. We honor our mothers on Mother's Day, remember our fallen heroes on Memorial Day a few weeks later, and then honor our fathers soon thereafter on Father's Day. It is surely a good thing to remember and thank God for our parents and for those who gave their lives in defense of our nation's freedoms. Without them, we would not be here today, and thus it is right and important to commemorate their influence in a truly honoring way.

In similar respects, the work of the Institute for Creation Research has been greatly blessed by gifts given in honor or in memory of loved ones or friends. Gifts made in this manner are among the most personal expressions we receive, oftentimes accompanied by moving testimonies of the vital impact the people being honored made on the donors' lives. ICR is deeply humbled to receive these gifts, knowing that the donors devoted a great deal of thought, love, and care in deciding to make them.

Gifts given in memory of an individual can be designated in lieu of flowers for a departed loved one, or in remembrance on special dates and anniversaries long after the Lord has called them home. In contrast, gifts made in someone's honor seek to specially acknowledge a living person who has been an influence on the donor in some meaningful way. In either case, gifts such as these often provide a sense of giving that is tangible and lasting, since they support ICR ministry programs greatly treasured by the honoree.

We count it a sincere privilege to send a special letter of recognition and humble thanks on your behalf to the family members and friends of your choosing. Should the Lord bring ICR to your mind at a time when a gift in honor or memory of someone would be especially appropriate, please help us minister more effectively by providing the following information:

• The name of the person in whose honor or memory you are making the gift (please be sure to specify which!)
• His/her relationship to you
• The names and addresses of those whom you wish notified of your gift (amounts will not be mentioned unless you request it)
• The relationship of those notified to the person being honored
• Your name and address

For memorial gifts, ICR would be pleased to send an appropriate letter of encouragement to the family that focuses on the Lord's deep abiding love for us and His promise of comfort and strength in times of loss. For gifts made in recognition of a special person, we would be delighted to send a letter to your designee noting your gift in their honor. We will provide a copy of all letters prepared on your behalf, along with our thanks and a tax-deductible receipt.

It is a good thing to remember those who have gone on before us, or those whose living testimonies have touched us so deeply. And in so doing, we must remember to honor the One whose very Name established the greatest memorial of all. "Thy name, O LORD, endureth for ever; and thy memorial, O LORD, throughout all generations" (Psalm 135:13).

* Mr. Morris is Director of Donor Relations at the Institute for Creation Research.

Cite this article: Morris IV, H. 2010. In Memory and Honor. Acts & Facts. 39 (5): 21.