CRYING LOST

by Danna Shirley

Japan, 1992...
You've never been lost until you've been lost in a foreign country and can't speak the language.

We had only been in Japan a short time when my son, Aaron's friend, Bubba (Derrick Pruitt), told us about an indoor water park. With my family of five, plus Bubba, we had to take two cars to get us all there.

Unfortunately I forgot to remind my husband, Ron, not to lose me behind him. As we weaved in and out of traffic with me panicking to keep up, we got separated by a big truck. Ron was totally out of sight when he, of course, took an exit. He told me later he watched from the overpass and waved as I drove under and beyond where I should have turned. Bubba was in the back seat not paying any attention to where I was driving.

Now I was on a toll road and was determined I would not pay because I had made the mistake of being there. All I wanted to do was turn around. Would they let me...BUT NO! They had me park and all of us piled out of the car and into the toll office while they called someone who could speak English.

Kristen said, "Mom, please just pay the toll," but I was the Ugly American and argued on the phone with the interpreter. They would not budge so I paid, but under protest.

Bubba finally got us to the water park. The rest of our party was already there...except Ron. He had gone back to the exit looking for me. When he finally came back to the park, he found me lounging in a chair watching the kids have fun in the wave pool.

With the frustrated look on his face, all I could say was, "You shouldn't have lost me behind you!"

MY VIEW ON THE ELECTION 2016

I do not apologize for being a Conservative Christian Republican. That said, I've heard of other Conservative Christians saying they'll not vote because they don't like either candidate. For shame, for shame!

I also am looking at the dilemma of not being comfortable with Trump but I'm definitely scared to death of Hillary. So if I don't vote, it's an automatic vote for Hillary. The race is too close not to vote at all.

My first and foremost scrutiny of the candidates is the question of PRO-LIFE and that means I'm for Trump. He may put his foot in his mouth alot (he's not a slick-tongued politican and maybe that's what we need right now) but he's definitely pro-life. I would also like to address his comments about women...we need to remind ourselves of our own comments about men when we're in our private conversations. We are just as guilty!

The Supreme Court gave us legal abortion in 1973 and the result has been millions of children murdered and our future lost. The next President will be able to appoint at least one and maybe up to three Justices to the SUPREME COURT. Who do you think Hillary will appoint? Those for life or those for death? Obama is remaining in Washington, D.C. and he is a Constitutional lawyer. Could Hillary appoint him to the Supreme Court. It's a possibility!
http://www.cnn.com/2016/03/03/politics/obama-washington-staying-d-c-after-presidency/

That's just two issues of extreme importance in my estimation. But here's more...To quote one of my well-respected ministries, the ACLJ (American Center for Law and Justice): "Collusion, corruption, and cronyism - the more we find out, the worse it gets. The Executive overreach and lawlessness reaches new heights. The Obama Administration's FBI Director Comey led a faux investigation, violating the law and his oath of office."

With this election I am now reminded of hearing that a lot of Conservative Christians would not vote for Romney because he was Morman...that's how we ended up with Obama in 2012 for four more years...thanks for that!

I'm also reminded of the three-way race between Bill Clinton, George Bush (the father), and Ross Perot in 1992. There was no way Perot could win but he took votes away from George Bush and that is how we got Bill Clinton (who didn't even have the majority of votes), an impeached president who refused to leave office. For shame again!

Now we are facing another Clinton in office. Hillary will look sweet and innocent (lie) to the public and voice her real feelings in private. There is just too much against her...the emails but especially the Benghazi massacre. I suggest you watch the movie "13 Hours" which tells the true story by someone who was actually there.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/13_Hours:_The_Secret_Soldiers_of_Benghazi 
I've made a decision not to watch R-rated movies but I wanted to know the real story so I braved the visual and language. Knowing the truth was worth the watch.

I appeal to all Christians to please vote. We can't afford four to eight more years of a Clinton presidency which would just be a continuation of the Obama presidency.

Thanks for reading and heeding my message to PLEASE VOTE!

TO PARTY . . . OR PREPARE?

The following is a message I gave to my son's Fellowship of Christian Athletes meeting when he was in tenth grade, Vancleave, MS:

CHOICES...To Party or Prepare?
Some of you may be thinking, "Hey, my whole life is ahead of me. There's plenty of time to play the catch up game after I have a little fun."

Yes, that may be possible, but the further behind you fall, the harder it is to undo already set attitudes and habits. Once you've fallen into that trap of always putting it off 'til later, the more you deceive yourself.

Putting forth the little extra effort it takes to do well, makes your goals far more attainable now than trying to play catch up later in life. If you don't let yourself keep ahead of the game, then your circumstances can overwhelm you and eventually overtake you yielding an attitude of, "There's no way I'll ever get out of this one so why even try?" . . . then you give up instead of catch up!

There will always be a time of having fun and enjoying yourself but it should never be at the expense of effecting your future. I'm sure you can paint your own picture with the following key words:
           Ds and Fs = failure
           Drugs = addiction
           Drinking = alcoholism
           Smoking = lung and/or mouth cancer
           Sex = pregnancy or abortion or AIDS

Why hope to play catch up from these when you are already ahead of the game now?

To Party

or Prepare?

It's 

Your

Choice

THERE WAS A LITTLE GIRL...

This was an assignment to rewrite a nursery rhyme:

By Danna Shirley 

In consult with Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

There was a little girl

Who had a little curl,
that hung down right across her nose.

 

She would flip it and flop it,

snip it and crop it,

But it never seemed away it would go.

Now sometimes she was frustrated

And sometimes she was aggravated

And sometimes she was really provoked.

But whether good or bad,

Tamed or blamed,

She would never, never, never give up.

She visited the beauty shop.

She visited the barber shop.

And as a last resort she went to her Mama.

The beauty shop gave no results.

The barber shop was a huge insult.

But Mama was the absolute right adult.

Mama whipped it and twisted it,

She twirled it and curled it,

And her first look in the mirror was a dream.

Now the little girl

Had a bedazzled little curl

Right in the middle of her forehead.