NEW JERUSALEM

by Danna Shirley
            As a passenger on a flight one New Year’s Eve day, I glanced out of the airplane’s cabin window and noticed the brightness of the clouds. It was as if I was looking at a scene on earth with the clouds having their own range of peaks and valleys.  It seemed I could literally walk across heaven. They were white and billowing; some looked mountainous and some looked desert-like; some looked like the tide rolling into shore. Off on the horizon (if clouds can have a horizon), I saw what looked like the skyline of a beautiful city—and I thought of New Jerusalem.

            As we flew on, the clouds parted and I could peer down to see that it was dusk on the earth below—even though we were still in the daylight above. Then, as dusk crept in upon us in the clouds, a ruby glow appeared on the far side of the sky and then it was dark.

            I saw a glimpse of God’s creation never seen before the advent of flight. It stirred something in me; a special gift from God.  I felt very blessed to have been there.

“I saw the Holy City, the NEW JERUSALEM,

coming down out of heaven from God,

prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.”  
(Revelation 21:2 NIV)

MY CIRCUS DREAM

By Danna Shirley

Writing assignment was to use the below words in a story: 

Elephant     Tent     Secret     Music     Mysterious     Old Man     Megaphone     Vanity

My local newspaper had a one-page, color ad that a circus was coming to town in two weeks. Since I loved being under The Big Tent and seeing all the animals, I put the date on my calendar. It was no secret that I was in awe of the lions, and tigers, and bears, oh my.

I had not only dreamed of seeing the circus but of being IN the circus. I was the Ring Master announcing all the performers through the megaphone; I was the high wire act, bouncing and swaying above the crowd; I was one of the clowns in the little car honking my horn and spitting sprays of water through my lapel flower keeping time to the music; I was even the lowliest of the low scooping up elephant droppings. I didn’t care. My vanity was on high-drive believing I could do anything in this strange and mysterious profession.

Alas, time goes on…way too fast…and my childhood dreams faded into the background as I matured into a more acceptable profession. The patriarch of the family, my old man as I called him behind his back, kept a close watch while waiting for me to find myself. Well, I was close, but still had faint wanderings of circus life, especially when I learned The Greatest Show on Earth was going by the wayside after 146 years.

The day arrived and I drove the three hours to enjoy the Final Hurrah of my childhood fantasy. Even though I sat alone, I was not alone. The lights were bright and gleeful. The costumes sparkly. The room was electric with excitement, everyone realizing they were part of the last audience to experience this last, great performance. It was a sad day but for me, one I will cherish forever.  

A Message from Kenneth Feld

https://www.ringling.com/

On Sunday, May 21 [2017] Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey^® said its final farewell to a sold-out crowd of incredibly enthusiastic fans. The response they gave to everyone who made the show possible – performers, staff and crew – was heartwarming. Though it was difficult to say goodbye, my family and I were heartened to send off The Greatest Show On Earth^® in the celebratory and positive fashion that this American treasure deserves.

We want to thank all of our fans for supporting Ringling Bros. over the years. In the fifty years that my family has been producing Ringling Bros., more than one quarter of a billion people have come to see the show, and we’ve been privileged to have been able to share the joy of Ringling Bros. with you.

AARON'S DOUBLE PLAY

by Danna Shirley

We moved to Vancleave, MS in 1986 when Aaron was six years old. It was a lovely, family-oriented, church-going community. When T-ball was advertised, we signed him up and bought his first glove. Practices kept us at the field a few nights a week and games were well-attended with everyone rooting and encouraging ALL the children on both teams. Of special mention was the fact that nothing was scheduled on Wednesday nights because it was a church night; no practices, no games, no homework by the teachers.

As Aaron began to play baseball, it was obvious he had a knack for the game. He had a good arm for throwing and an eye for catching the ball. Although there was a pitcher in position at this age, the children batted off of a T stand that held the ball.

The coach rotated the children in the field so everyone had a chance to experience each position. Aaron still didn’t quite have total understanding of the game but he knew how to hit the ball, drop the bat, and run the bases.

In one of the earlier games of his career 😊, he was in the pitcher’s box when a player hit a fly ball and Aaron caught it. There was a runner on third base going for home. As sweet as you please, he ran over and tagged him out on the baseline and made a double play. The crowd went wild and his coach, as only a female can do in the excitement of the moment, ran out, grabbed him up in her arms, and started jumping up and down and turning in a circle. Aaron was clueless. He didn’t even realize what he had done.

With each new season, his skill increased and he made All-Stars every year. T-Ball graduated into pitch ball and he rotated positions from shortstop to pitcher. There were a few injuries along the way, like the line drive that broke his nose. Ouch! He was fast and accurate with his pitching and was well on his way to becoming a great player. And then…

We moved to Japan in 1992 when Aaron was eleven. Although baseball is very popular in Japan, we didn’t realize there would be no baseball team in the DOD school in Sasebo. Why? Because land is a premium in Japan and the school was landlocked by buildings. There was a gym for basketball but no baseball field. The Japanese didn’t allow Gaijins (foreigners) on their teams either. What a disappointment.

The housing area for the Navy families had a baseball field but nothing was organized and there were not enough kids to make up two teams for a real game. Aaron made friends quickly and just as quickly learned that most of them had never played ball because they had grown up in the cycle of moving from place to place, usually on foreign soil, and did not have an opportunity to play the game or develop any skill at it. The kids would get out on the field and play at batting and throwing the ball around but there were no serious players to give Aaron competition to keep up his skill or develop beyond what he already knew.

He came home one afternoon very disappointed that he couldn’t get anyone to stand in front of his pitched ball because they were afraid of being hit. His ball was too fast and too hard. That was the end of trying to keep going with baseball.

We returned to Vancleave in 1997 when he was seventeen. After being dormant with this sport for five years, all of his teammates had advanced forward and developed beyond where he had been at age eleven. He never went back to baseball again.

Hindsight is 20/20 but I don’t know how we could have changed anything because my husband’s job took us where he could earn a living. Five years in Japan paid for college for our children and a house when we returned.

There is one positive in this story; Aaron’s daughter, Mackenzie, has picked up the gauntlet/ bat 😊 and has carried on with the great talent passed on through Aaron’s genes. She plays softball and has made All-Stars every year playing for Vancleave Middle School and then Vancleave High School. She is also a good soccer player and runs cross country. Everything she sets her hand to, she’s good at and has a sportsman’s heart…just like her dad.  

Even though Aaron did not follow through with his baseball, his future has been in God’s hands and God has set his feet on a lighted path for a good future.

AUNTIE ROSE

By Danna Shirley

Writing assignment: take an old photograph and write a story...

When I learned I had an Aunt Rose in my bloodline, and that she smoked and drank, and lived through the ‘Gay 90s’…that’s the 1890s, not the 1990s… I just had to learn more about her. There were only a few relatives still living who had even heard her story passed down through the years so I set out on my quest before they, too, would be gone.

Great-Uncle Roscoe told me Auntie Rose, was quite a scamp. Of course, growing up in San Francisco was a lot different than growing up in a little house on the prairie. She was born into a prominent family living on Nob Hill, one of the wealthiest areas of the city, and didn’t like it one little bit to be under her father’s thumb or confined to the culture of the day. Her tomboy attitude and inclinations sent her on horseback rides instead of carriage rides and she frequented dancehalls instead of parlors.

The most exciting piece of history I learned about Great-Great-Great-Auntie Rose was her love of music. Oh, not the classical, but the lively, tap-your-toe kind, thus the dancehall instead of the concert hall. She would shut her eyes and sway to the rhythm, fanning herself in time to the music. There was nothing scandalous or off-color in her eyes to be present in such establishments but it was considered shameful to the family patriarchs and matriarchs.

Because Auntie Rose looked so out of place in these surroundings, she was a target for every no account that came along. Nevertheless, one of them stood out in the crowd. Although Auntie Rose was present for the music only, Mister Jeremy Butler, a handsome and dashing young man, swept her off her feet, onto the dance floor, and into his arms; and there she stayed night after night.  

When the family learned of this infatuation, she was whisked off to stay with relatives on the east coast and learn etiquette and good manners fitting for a lady of her position and stature. She may have been physically absent from the City but her inner clock kept time to the swing and sway of her memories. Neither time nor distance could dissuade her from returning to the love she left behind.

Upon her return, Mister Butler had moved on and she never saw him again. No matter how the family cajoled and enticed her with trips and parties and suitable suiters to choose and move on with her life, she always returned to her favorite table in hopes of finding him waiting for her there.

Auntie Rose became a permanent fixture at The Royal Dancehall for many, many years. She never reunited with Mister Butler and she never married anyone else. I believe she was ahead of her time for she would have fit right in with the 1990s…one hundred years later.

Sexual Harassment

by Danna Shirley

The subject of sexual harassment has been in the forefront lately and is receiving a lot of exposure (literally and figuratively). We know through studies that youth don't have the sexual maturity (not speaking of equipment) until they're in their 20s. 

Of course guys should not push themselves on girls but what I've seen in some of our TV programs and on reality shows (which I don't watch but channel surfing gives me an eyeful), is that girls are just as guilty with their actions by enticing, tempting, and baiting the guys (unless you're watching the Disney or Hallmark channels). Some actions are suggestive, indecent, and even downright vulgar. 

The way TV programs have everyone falling in bed at their first meeting, no wonder these young kids (both sexes) don't know what to do or how to behave. Some of these awards shows have acts that are almost pornographic, as in these two clips from the 2018 Grammy Awards just a few nights ago.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6OcOO1k-vGE&list=RD6OcOO1k-vGE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fY8iLUkZ5kI&index=4&list=RD6OcOO1k-vGE

So, how do we combat this when Hollywood gives awards for such actions?

As adults I hope women will have learned to handle themselves when put in these situations. However, I also think it would be beneficial to have classes for our teens (boys and girls) to learn courtesy, decency, and modesty, and how to fend off advances...but how would they even want to when its popular to be and do the opposite. The conflict is real and when you try to teach good morals, you're looked at as if you've got two heads. 

I don't think the word "enticement" is even strong enough to describe some of these programs on TV, and this is what our kids feed on. They are out there in the world with others of that mindset. This generation, just like my generation and all those to follow, think, "What does mom know anyway, she's not with it, she doesn't understand."

To explain myself as a 70-year-old grandmother, I pray for my grandchildren to stay chaste and pure before God...AND...for their spouses to be chaste and pure for them.

Thanks for listening...

ROSE’S BISTRO

by Danna Shirley
Writing assignment: a noisy, crowded restaurant

 Geri dialed her semi-significant other who also worked in her building.

            “Good afternoon. Shepard, Conklin, and McClure. How may I direct your call?”

            “Nicholas Vasser, please.”

“Hello,” came Nick’s deep, masculine voice a moment later. Geri always pictured him leaning back in his chair with his feet on the desk whenever he spoke to her.

            “Hi, how’s your day going?” she asked.

            “Fine, fine. Nothing pressing.”

            “How about a quick cup of coffee? We need to talk.”

            “Sure, I can break away. I’ll meet you at the elevator in ten minutes.”

            Nick was a typical attorney, thirty-five, intelligent, successful, on the fast track with his firm, and he was an absolutely gorgeous six-foot-tall hunk of man with olive skin and long, black lashes that canopied over beautiful dark eyes. He was irresistible. The trouble was he knew it, too. When Geri first met him in a business meeting, he sparked her interest; not for just his looks but also his professional ambiance, which matched her own. Yes, he was a charmer who could flirt with every woman in the room and still focus on her.

            After their first coffee date at Rose’s Bistro, she was swiftly warned by several broken hearts in the building that he was known as L-E-A-L-E-N (Love ‘Em And Leave ‘Em Nick). Well, she had been duly warned and decided she would not become one of his castaways. The thing that kept Nick interested was the freedom he still had while dating her. She made no demands and expected no promises.  

Geri pushed the button on the eleventh floor and entered a vacant elevator, then pushed the button for the fifth floor where Nick would be waiting. When the doors opened, he stepped inside and came close, bent down, and nestled his face in her neck and breathed deeply. 

            “What was that for?” she asked.

            “Because I need to get a good whiff of your perfume,” he smiled down at her, “so the memory of your fragrance will sustain me throughout the day.”

            Nonsense! she thought and eyed him skeptically having no doubt this was a Nick-ism he probably used on many others. She did like the attention, though, so took advantage of their privacy and responded with a caress and a quick kiss. Moments later the doors opened to a lobby filled with people. They exited the building and walked two blocks to sit at a table inside Rose’s. The lunch crowd was still going strong with much clattering of dishes, the roar of customer conversations, waitresses taking orders, and bus boys juggling dirty dishes.           Geri wasn’t at all concerned about bringing up this new development in her life; however, the noise level at Rose’s was probably not the most conducive to make this announcement.

They found a small table in the corner and Nick gave the waitress an order for two coffees. “What’s up?” he asked casually when they were seated, then held her hand in both of his and flashed one of those smiles that could melt chocolate.

I just wanted to tell you I’m flying to Montgomery tomorrow.”

            “Montgomery? . . . ALABAMA?”

            “Yes, Alabama! Why so surprised?”

            “It’s just that its way down south, that’s all! Why Alabama? Do you have a new client down there?”

            Geri waited patiently as the waitress placed two cups, cream, sugar, and napkins in front of them. She glanced at her exit and realized something she had never noticed before—the chaos and bedlam at Rose’s? Now, when she wanted peace and quiet, it was irritatingly obvious.

            She returned to the task at hand. “No, my great aunt died.” Geri didn’t elect to share anything further; especially that she was to inherit her aunt’s estate.  

            “When will you be back?”

            “I should be back by Tuesday but I’m not sure I can conclude my business by then.”

            “Aren’t you just going down for the funeral? What kind of business do you have to conclude?”

            Uh, oh. She’d done it now. He was all lawyer and she had given him the morsel that any bloodhound could sniff. “I don’t know what kind of business exactly; there might be nothing at all to conclude!”

            “You know I can give you free legal advice,” he said, waiting for her to jump at his offer and fill in all the details.

“That’s kind of you, Nick, but that won’t be necessary. I’ll call you when I get back.”

            They took one last sip of their coffee and stood, each paying their own checks. Even with all of Nick’s charms, he was still no gentleman in the pocketbook. They walked back through Rose’s with the roar of the clientele still ringing in her ears.   

            The elevator took them up to their prospective floors; Nick oblivious to Geri’s inkling of a possible move to Alabama. She would wait and see if this inheritance was something worth her time and trouble. If so, could she really say goodbye to everything she’d known all her life in this city? Could she really move to Alabama and welcome a slower pace and the quietness she so desperately desired? A quietness the opposite of Rose’s Bistro? Yes, she could do that. She welcomed a new life in her Sweet Home Alabama!”

TO TEACH

by Danna Shirley

Teacher: also called educator, tutor, instructor, coach, trainer, lecturer, guide, mentor, counselor, pedagogue . . . and I would like to add to this list mother, father, and pastor. When you have a calling as a teacher by any definition, you can find a student anywhere and at any age. Everyone should recognize that learning is a life-long process and our eyes and ears should be open and attuned accordingly. 

The learning process reaches far and wide stretching across all social boundaries and professions; however, our individual interests may be limited to just one or two areas.

It’s the teacher who seeks to bring out the gift and creativity of any person. Someone with a talent for dance or entertainment shouldn’t be forced into sports. Someone with a talent for computers shouldn’t be forced into playing an instrument. I am not athletic so you will not find me jogging or even power-walking; however, I love to read and therefore I love to write. I sit and compose stories at my computer like a pianist composes songs at a piano. I play my music with words.

God’s Word tells us to “Train up a child in the way he should go,

and when he is old he will not depart from it.” (Proverbs 22:6)

In other words, train a child up in a careful study of his individual character and capacity, and with a thoughtful regard to his future course of life; the direction in which he is bent (his inclination, tendency, and disposition). 

The biggest challenge for any teacher, then, is to discover the talent of their students and bring those abilities to the forefront; helping them to identify and pursue their future course of life to success, the very thing for which they should already be passionate. Individual gifts should be developed and encouraged for everyone; if you’re five or fifty-five (plus), man or woman, boy or girl.

When a teacher sees the glimmer of understanding and the idea of a fresh thought shine in the eyes of their student, they join in the delight of this great discovery and something new is born. Something new takes off and grows and advances and matures until the world has the--

Camera ~ 1814                        Refrigerator ~ 1913               Email ~ 1972 
Telephone ~ 1876                   Television ~ 1927                   Artificial heart ~ 1982

Electric light bulb ~ 1879        Computer ~ 1936                   World Wide Web ~ 1990

Automobile ~ 1886                  Polio vaccine ~ 1955              and on and on I could go...

“Necessity is the mother of invention.”

I would love to believe every new invention, discovery, or development produces a positive outcome for humanity but unfortunately, human nature comes into play and devious minds advance destructive consequences . . . which produce dictators, wars, murder/suicide, racial unrest, divorce, abortion, and many more; so many damaging causes that frustrate any community to be able to see hope and a future.

We, indeed, must look to our teachers (and pastors) to instill in our children the desire to promote peace and find a way to put destruction and unforgiveness under our feet. 

Will you be that teacher, mentor, role model?