AN OBSTACLE COURSE ON FORGIVENESS

 By Danna Shirley ~ October 2022 

      I say “An Obstacle Course” because that is what it is; one step forward, two back, sidestep the enemy’s tactics, go around and come at it another way!

     I've been a Christian for 42 years now. As a new Christian, the thing that helped me grow (and blessed me) was hearing testimonies of how God worked in His children's lives to bring them through difficult situations, trials, etc. and into blessings, or at least to the answers that helped them through those events in their lives. 

     To lay a brief foundation, my mother died in June 2021. The Trust she and my father had originated was changed after he died. No details here other than the fact that the Trust was now disproportionate. The inequity of the distribution was secondary to the hurt and betrayal to one of our family members who deserved the best and received the worst.

     So why must we go through relationship/family issues that create such problems? Why? Is it because God always has a lesson for us to learn so we can grow and mature to be a worthy vessel used by Him? Here is one of my favorite scriptures in times like these: 

     "Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God. For just as we share abundantly in the sufferings of Christ, so also our comfort abounds through Christ." (2 Cor 1:3-5)

     Do we go through these ‘trials’ so we can comfort others with the same comfort we have received from God? Yes, but it is also to mature us in our walk from drinking the milk of the Word to digesting the spiritual meat of the Word.

     Testimonies are what God uses to share lessons learned, to teach others from those lessons learned, and to help all of us who receive the message to grow in grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ (2 Peter 3:18). What I share here is the path God has helped me to travel from unforgiveness and all the emotions associated with it to forgiveness and all the benefits added to my spiritual walk. God has helped me reach my breakthrough and arrive into healing. 

     I would like to add here, though, when discussing forgiveness during Bible study one week, my teacher made this statement: “We can walk in unconditional love without having unconditional approval.” Even God gives His unconditional love but not His unconditional approval. That’s why He works on us to change us into His image (Rom 8:29). Amen!

     I don’t want to paint a pretty picture of just one side of this issue. Although I did not speak or have arguments with the other side concerning the Trust, I was still not innocent in my thoughts and words. I went to my pastor and poured out my anger and hurt and even said I had hate in my heart over this betrayal. I told him I DID NOT want these emotions in my spirit anymore. He let me vent and held my hand as I cried and cried. I can’t remember all that he prayed, but it was powerful. It was like the Holy Spirit poked a pin in my hate-filled balloon and let all the air out, the gunk, the muck, the bitterness, the unforgiveness, etc. It was the beginning of my healing…but not the end. I still had to walk through, day by day, time by time, into a cleansing that only God can complete in us.

     I stated the ‘offense’ would be brief but this testimony is not. Please hang in here with me...

     So, it's been 1½ years now that I've dealt with this issue. For me, forgiveness has been a process. The point is, we can resist God's appeal or we can allow it to enter our heart. I eventually got to the point to allow Him to move His Spirit into my spirit.

     Saturday, October 15^th ~ Satan’s last-ditch effort to continue with this unforgiveness issue occurred when I attended a family reunion in Van Buren, AR. Having to face the offending party just stirred up all the emotions again. I lived through a whole week of reliving the details in my mind. Egad! Why do we punish ourselves in this way?  

     Sunday, October 23^rd ~ I attended my worship service at Legacy Church in Bartlett, TN. When I got home later, I wrote out all that happened while it was fresh in my mind and heart:

     We had a guest missionary who preached but I couldn’t tell you what it was about. My thoughts have constantly dwelt, pondered, rehashed, revisited all the hurts, rejection, disloyalty, etc. that has taken place over the last few years. The family, the Trust, the betrayal…my physical heart within my chest has been gripped with a strong vice…thoughts have continually run rampant through my mind. Satan has had fun coming to “kill, steal, and destroy” (John 10:10) my peace, my joy, my rest.

     The problem is that I’ve allowed him to wreak havoc in my heart, mind, and spirit by constantly reviewing it all. So, the message went over my head but the Holy Spirit was still speaking to me. Oh, He wasn’t saying how to resolve any of it, His presence was just very strong on my heart.

     After the message, an altar call was given for physical healing for a few in the congregation. They went up and others went up and stood behind them and prayed. In the past I would have gone up to support in prayer but I haven’t felt like I could do that for a long while. I guess my spirit has felt very unworthy to move in that ministry position.

     As I viewed the altar, my friend Linda McDonald was praying behind those who needed prayer. I kept watching Linda. She has been on our prayer list at Bible study for a hereditary condition called Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease, a muscle weakness in her feet and legs. As I watched her, the Holy Spirit kept urging me to go pray for her. I finally obeyed.

     I took her hand off the shoulder of the man in front of her and turned her around to me. Then the Holy Spirit was in total control. I really didn't know ahead of time what would happen next but I hugged her so strongly. I hope I didn’t hurt her. I prayed in her ear for her healing, I prayed and prayed and prayed and didn’t let her go. I finally started crying and sobbing and prayed in the Spirit. We stood there both crying until I felt the hands of others on my back (probably on her back too). I did not realize that praying for Linda would release ME of all my hurts and wounds of these past few years. God knew I needed spiritual healing so He had me begin with Linda until His Spirit poured healing and release out on my spirit as well.

I received a cleansing that morning. It was a start!  

 Later, I got a phone call from my prayer partner, Carolyn, who lives in Missouri. We talk every few days and pray for our country, our families, and anything and everything that God lays on our heart.

      I was crying when I answered the phone and of course, she asked what was wrong. “I’m still dealing with the last few years of betrayal,” I answered.

     I asked how she was able to forgive her siblings who wrongly accused her of an issue with her parents. She said it was a process that took a few years but with God’s help, prayer, and obedience to the Word, she was now at peace. Their relationship has somewhat been restored but it had to begin with her. She said she had to reach down deep to find emotional healing from the wounds, torment, and accusations by her siblings. She had to make the choice to release them from the consequences of their sin; an act of her will to be obedient to God’s command to forgive. Jesus set the example on the cross when He said, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.” (Lk 23:34)

     She continually reminded herself of Romans 12:19-21: “Dear friends, never take revenge. Leave that to the righteous anger of God. For the Scriptures say, I will take revenge; I will pay them back,” says the LORD. Instead, if your enemies are hungry, feed them. If they are thirsty, give them something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals of shame on their heads. Don’t let evil conquer you, but conquer evil by doing good.”

     God gave her the grace to repent of her bitterness and she began to pray four things for them…

“But to you who are willing to listen, I say, LOVE your enemies! DO GOOD to those who hate you. BLESS those who curse you. PRAY for those who hurt you.” (Luke 6:27-28 NLT)

     My prayer time with Carolyn was an additional healing process for me, but there was still more to come. 

Friday, October 28th a.m. ~ my friend Connie called and asked me to read the meditation that appeared in the book, Jesus Calling, by Sarah Young. She said it was meant just for me.

     Do not expect to be treated fairly in this life. People will say and do hurtful things to you, things that you don't deserve. When someone mistreats you, try to view it as an opportunity to grow in grace. See how quickly you can forgive the one who has wounded you. Don't be concerned about setting the record straight. Instead of obsessing about other people's opinions of you, keep your focus on ME. Ultimately, it is MY view of you that counts.

     As you concentrate on relating to ME, remember that I have clothed you in My righteousness and holiness. I see you attired in these radiant garments, which I bought for you with MY blood. This also is not fair; it is a pure gift. When others treat you unfairly, remember that MY ways with you are much better than fair. MY ways are Peace and Love, which I have poured out into your heart by MY Spirit.

     Sarah Young gave the following scripture references to this daily devotion:

Col 3:13 ~ "Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others." 

Is 61:10 ~ "I am overwhelmed with joy in the LORD my God! For He has dressed me with the clothing of salvation and draped me in a robe of righteousness. I am like a bridegroom dressed for his wedding or a bride with her jewels." 

Eph 1:7-8 ~ "He is so rich in kindness and grace that He purchased our freedom with the blood of His Son and forgave our sins. He has showered His kindness on us, along with all wisdom and understanding." 

Rom 5:5 ~ "And this hope will not lead to disappointment. For we know how dearly God loves us, because He has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with His love." 

Friday, October 28^th p.m. ~ The tipping point arrived when Carolyn and I prayed together that evening.

     We prayed through our usual requests for country, family, honest elections, etc. She always begins and I end. As I was finishing my prayer, the Holy Spirit compelled me pray for my family members who have been on the other side of this issue. I asked God to bless them and do good to them. Then He reminded me of the scripture, “For we are not fighting against flesh-and-blood enemies, but against evil rulers and authorities of the unseen world, against mighty powers in this dark world, and against evil spirits in the heavenly places.” (Eph 6:12)

     It was a very emotional time because I knew I had finally reached the end of unforgiveness and had arrived at my destination. Hallelujah!

     Like I said, it's been a process but when we surrender to God, He works everything out for our good. If we resist, we remain in satan's camp of letting him steal, kill, and destroy (Jn 10:10a) our peace, joy, and rest. When we submit, we move into God's camp ~ life more abundantly above and beyond all that we can ever, ask, think, or imagine (Jn 10:10b).

     "And I am certain that God, who began the good work within [me], will continue His work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns." (Philippians 1:6)

     Even after reaching this peace, God continued to pour out more and more confirmation on me:

RELATIONSHIP ~ THE PRINCIPLE OF LOVE

The Path to Murder:

1.     Grace precedes Forgiveness. If you have a problem giving forgiveness, then you have a problem receiving forgiveness (Mt 10:8). Once you accept grace, you'll forgive others who don't deserve to be forgiven. Forgiveness means release. When God forgives us, He releases us from the punishment/judgment of our sin. When we truly forgive others, we release them from the hurt/offense they've caused.

2.     Forgiveness precedes Love. (Mt 5:43-44) Hate leads to murder. (Gen 27:41)     Forgiveness leads to love. (Gen 33:1, 4)  4. 

3.     Unfulfilled Expectations precede Offenses. (Lk 7:18-19) Jesus will either be a stone you stumble over, or a rock you build your house on! "As it is written: 'Behold, I lay in Zion a stumbling stone and rock of offense, and whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.'" (Rom 9:33)

4.     An Offense precedes Anger. (Mt 24:10) (Mark 6:2-3) Astonished means to strike someone, to expel by a blow, to drive out someone. (Lk 4:28-29)

5.     Anger precedes Hate. (Gen 4:3-5, 8) Anger is an emotion. Anger is not a sin but what you do with anger is a sin. 

6.     Hate precedes Murder. (Gen 37:4-5, 18) (Deut 19:11-12) (Josh 20:5)

     When you hate, you fall into a trap and you are caught in a snare. If you allow hate and anger to consume you, then your unforgiveness leads to not be forgiven by the One Who loves you.

PASSING THE PARDON TEST—FORGIVENESS

     If you have an issue of unforgiveness that you just can't let go of and if you desire to forgive but just can't get there, I would like to make this point to help you. I've been there. I understand. You cannot do this by your own will. You cannot! It is only through God's help that HE gives you the will to surrender into His hands. The key element is to release your hold on that thing through prayer and allow the Holy Spirit to begin His great work in you, in the other party, in the situation, etc. Nothing may change ... but the change will come in YOU. It will be your blessing to let it go and maybe, just maybe, God will work the rest of it out for good. If not, you've still been released (set free) from the prison of unforgiveness. 

     I hesitate to believe I’ve come to a completion of this subject because it is a “test” that we continually take and continually have to pass. If we don’t pass it, then we fail it, and God has us take it over again and again. I pray and ask God to keep forgiveness on the forefront of my mind and heart.

“But one whom you forgive anything, I [Paul] also forgive; for indeed what I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, I did so for your sakes in the presence of Christ, so that no advantage would be taken of us by Satan, for we are not ignorant of his schemes.” (2 Cor 2:10-11 NAS)

Basically, Paul is saying that satan takes advantage of us if we keep unforgiveness in our heart and mind. What is his advantage? By us always dwelling on the offense, stirring up hatred, etc. he keeps our thoughts away from God and His healing, forgiving power. Be not ignorant of his schemes!

Love to all, Danna Shirley dannaRshirley@gmail.com 

Who, What, Where, When, Why, and How to Live in Honor and Integrity ~ 2022

by Danna Shirley

When did it all begin? Can we pinpoint the direct Time and Cause when reason went off the rails and chaos became the norm hurtling down the tracks out of control? Must we go back decades or generations to identify the first culprit of ideas that moved us onto this springboard of bedlam and anarchy? It’s difficult for me to assume the voice of reason on this topic because I was raised during the generation of heroic fathers like my own father, my husband, and television fathers like Andy Griffith, Father Knows Best, Leave It to Beaver, Dick van Dyke, and Roy Rogers.

Roy Rogers Riders Club Rules

1.   Be neat and clean.                                  6.   Study hard and learn all you can.    

2.   Be courteous and polite.                        7.   Be kind to animals and take care of them.       
3.   Always obey your parents.                    8.   Eat all your food and never waste any.           
4.   Protect the weak and help them.          9.   Love God and go to Sunday school regularly.
5.   Be brave but never take chances.        10. Always respect our flag and our country.      

So, how do I diagnose the root cause of this chaos and arrive at the answer that will appeal to constructive actions? I could spend hours, days, and weeks poring over research data trying to compose and compile it in some sort of presentation; however, I would just like to report this grandmother’s observations over a lifetime. Instead of directing our thoughts on the negatives, which are already evident, which are thrown in our face on a daily basis, and reported on the news hourly, I would like to focus on HONOR and INTEGRITY, those things lacking in our society today.

 WHO?       So, who is responsible to teach honor and integrity? It must begin first at home with parents and other family members. Parents are obligated to “train up a child in the way he/she should go” (Proverbs 22:6). There was a day when it was not only the parents, but the whole community who would feel the responsibility to raise up a generation of children who would be good citizens and add benefit to the whole.

            If a child was caught doing wrong, they were punished according to the degree of their infraction. This was “outside discipline” from the parent. Weren’t we all tempted at some point in our childhood to snatch a pack of gum or a candy bar from the grocery store? If caught, we were reprimanded and taken back to the store to confess our fault and pay for the item. The lesson was to be honest and honorable; to have a good name and not be ashamed of our actions. We usually learned it very well.

WHAT?     So, what is honor and integrity? There are many qualities to obtain in growing up and maturing. Time, age, experience, and even a few failures teach us how to walk through our lives with these virtues.

Honor: to be civil, gracious, decent, moral, righteous, valuable, and upright.

Integrity: to be honest, truthful, trustworthy, reliable, genuine, dependable, faithful, and respectful.

Learning to walk in honor and integrity may have begun from parental teaching but as we mature, we move from “outside discipline” to “inner motivation” . . . following what we know is right and obeying our own conscience and heart values. We honor our parent’s training by being good citizens in our community.

WHERE?  So, where else did we learn honor and integrity? We now move into our school setting with our teachers. I remember standing, facing the flag with my right hand over my heart, and reciting the Pledge of Allegiance every morning before class. How many of our children, let alone our adult citizens, even know the Pledge today? There have been three versions over the years:

"I pledge allegiance to my Flag and the Republic for which it stands,

one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all." --1892

 

"I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."  --1923

 

“I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.” –1954

 I PLEDGE ALLEGIANCE TO THE FLAG

We are promising our Allegiance to be Faithful and Committed

to the ideals, standards, morals, and ethics of our country.

 OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

The flag symbolizes our Fifty States joined in a common bond

to fulfill those ideals, standards, morals, and ethics.

 AND TO THE REPUBLIC FOR WHICH IT STANDS

As a Republic, we elect representatives who are accountable to us

for the decisions they make for the total good of America.

ONE NATION UNDER GOD

Our Founders understood our freedom ultimately comes from God.

Our government was established to secure that God-Given freedom.

 INDIVISIBLE

We pledge ourselves to stay together as a country,

incapable of being divided, even when we disagree.

WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.

Liberty means freedom, as the freedom to worship, freedom to assemble, 

and freedom to speak.

We also commit ourselves to Justice, being fair and right in our judgment of people.

--copied

             Next, we learned honor and integrity from attending Sunday School and Church. It would take a lifetime to absorb and follow all that Christ teaches in His Word. First and foremost, we surrender our heart, mind, soul, and spirit to God and the Holy Spirit guides and directs us into the full knowledge of God and His desires for our life. Secondly, we should attend a good Bible-believing, Bible-teaching church with a Pastor who preaches the uncompromised Word of God.   

WHEN?     So, when is honor and integrity developed in our life? I would say from the cradle to the grave! We learn from our first words and first steps to our dying breath. All that is in our heart, mind, soul, and spirit should reflect civil, gracious, decent, moral, righteous, valuable, and upright living. It should reflect the virtues of honesty, truth, trust, reliability, dependability, faithfulness, respect, and the genuine quality of a Child of God.

WHY?        So, why should honor and integrity be sought after? Why not? Don’t we want to be a benefit and an asset to society? Don’t we want to respect ourselves, our actions, our contributions to this world? Don’t we want to pass them along to our descendants so they, too, can give strength and quality to the lives of their children?

HOW?        So, how do we live with honor and integrity? Let me ask it this way, how can we live without it? Do we want to continue being fearful of the bedlam, anarchy, crime, violence, and all manner of rebellion and corruption that is taking place all around us today? Our family should be proud of the life we live and not ashamed of our actions? We may not be able to undo the damage that has been done to past generations, but we can turn the corner and bring our country back to the honor and integrity we once held so dear. We need to breathe life back into America.

            How? Vote for honest, upright people of integrity who want to restore our country to its founding roots. World history reveals what works and what doesn’t work. Look to other countries who have failed by adopting the wrong policies and platforms that took their country into chaos. Pray for honest elections, honest candidates, and honest results. Ask God to return us to be One Nation Under God again!

RON SHIRLEY ~ USN Letters

Letters I received when my husband, Ron Shirley, passed away from pneumonia on February 20, 2003:

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Ron’s boss, Bill Musa, had this to say at his funeral (edited) . . .

The last few days have been tragic. I spoke to Danna Friday about wanting to say something here so I went through Ron’s personnel file, which was about a foot high with all kinds of papers and commendations. Wherever Ron went was total excellence. He’s been the backbone of any operation. He is the most mild-tempered, even-tempered person I’ve ever known. Good friend. Outstanding employee.

In the company he was held in the highest regard; anywhere throughout the company, at the President level down, even up to the Admirals, including the Japanese Navy, when he spent time there.

His achievements have been very high. He kept a lot of these things to himself. As far as Computer Sciences Corporation (CSC), he started out as Principal Engineer, then Senior Principal Engineer, from there the highest technical position of Principal Computer Scientist, which is at the Director level or one level below the Vice President. These achievements are something to be proud of but Ron didn’t want me to let anyone know when his last promotion happened. That’s the kind of a guy Ron was.

He has left a tremendous hole in the operation world-wide in the Aegis program—both in our ships and other ships from other nations.

I would say that everyone, as far as a goal for work or achievements, would be to look up and say, “If I could just get half of Ron’s passion and work ethic.”

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One of Ron’s co-workers, Bill Robinson, could not get a flight out of Michigan to come to the memorial service but he sent me the following e-mail a few days later. I treasure these words of admiration about my husband . . .

 

      To put things into perspective, Ron and I had worked very near each other at the Aegis Test Team in Pascagoula for a couple of years. We were both the head-down, trying to solve problems type, so we really never had much interaction until we got swept up into the Japanese AEGIS program.

      Ron’s demeanor and attitude are what made him immediately stand out. He was pure solution without trying to promote himself or “get off easy” by spending energy politicking and benefiting from other people’s work. Sir Isaac Newton, in speaking of his own great accomplishments had said, “If I can see so far, it is because I am standing on the shoulders of giants” . . . He was speaking of intelligence giants like Ron.

      Ron just oozed with integrity. His word and motives were far beyond question.  If a man is only as good as his word, I know of no one who comes close to Ron. People would just instinctively know that Ron was a person of such caliber. On many occasions I grinned in amazement to watch people of high importance just hang on every word Ron spoke, as he gave his opinion or analysis on some

multi-million dollar, hundreds-of-people problem. Never would it be necessary to mull over Ron’s words, wondering if he was embellishing in search of the limelight. Ron was the symbol of unselfish excellence within the AEGIS world.  His motives were beyond reproach. I know of no other in such a highly competitive arena that had the same credibility.

      We spent lots of time together in the dark corners of warships. Staying out of the way, yet just waiting to be overrun with panicked managers, engineers, officers, and sailors who wanted an explanation for some major event that was unfolding in the highly complex AEGIS world . . . Mach 3 missiles flying (or not flying), guns tracking, aircraft screaming, radios and radars buzzing.  We would work 24 hours straight (Saturday, Sunday), no matter what it took to provide the answer; everyone depended on our work and we would never fail. When the panic subsided, we would go back to a dark corner, talk about our families, and our great plans for fishing. This last observation I would say is the mark of a true yet simple family man. He loved meeting the challenge of a highly technical occupation, yet family and the simple things in life are where his thoughts and heart were centered.

      While away from home, non-working hours were just as simple. Never a flashy rental car or luxury hotel; Ron would seek the simple places. Time was spent reading books about fishing or the stock market (no one was standing in line for our opinions here). When we had to get out, we would spend the day at one of those multi-movie theaters just going from movie to movie, mostly just marking time until we got home.

      On many of these adventures we suffered together; dragging luggage through airports and on/off helicopters, horrible food, horrible conditions, no sleep, no showers, cramped, cold, sick, and tired. On several occasions we put our high-powered analytical skills together to ponder our decisions to be there. We always concluded everyone was wrong about us . . . we were not intelligent men! Somehow, we always got each other through it, usually with a smile and a great sense of satisfaction. I looked up to Ron like a big brother. As men go, he was a truly great one. I will deeply miss him.

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Ron was 21 at the time of this medal.

THE LORD'S HAND OF PROTECTION...AGAIN

by Danna Shirley

I totaled my Chevy Equinox on Saturday, July 2, 2022! It had only 15,000 miles on it and I had just gotten an oil change $30 and a full tank of gas $38.

As I was turning left on a yellow light, an oncoming car was trying to beat the yellow light and hit my back passenger door with her right front fender. All my side air bags deployed. The Lord’s hand of protection was upon me. I walked away without a scratch but very shaken up.

I received the ticket because the police said the other driver had the right-of-way. I believe she was speeding to catch the yellow light and definitely not watching for she did not hit her brakes; there were no skid marks on the road nor did she turn her wheel to avoid hitting me. When the fire department arrived, my vitals were acceptable for my age and for having just been in an accident. 

I had to brake to stop from rolling backwards. Mozzie, my grand-doggie who was in the back seat, was in my lap before I could even think straight. I had been watching him for a week while his family was at Disney world and I was on my way to take him home.

            Two brothers came to my rescue to help get me out of the car. The air bags didn’t budge so they had to lift them for me to crawl out. One was named Joseph and I didn’t get the name of the other. Thank You, Lord for sending them to me. They were coming from her direction and were going to make a right turn at this intersection as I was making the left turn but waited for me to finish my turn. They didn’t see her until she hit me so she was behind them approaching the intersection trying to run the yellow light.

My son, Russell, arrived to be my support, literally and figuratively. He got everything out of my car and took pictures of the accident.

            Since I’ve been a widow for almost 20 years now, I’ve had this thought often, “Lord, I’m ready to go Home and be with You and the love of my life, Ron, and my Pa.”

After this accident I had this thought, “God, You had a good chance to take me out of this world and be with You in heaven . . . but I’m still here...without even a scratch! Why? Only God knows why and He will lead and direct my footsteps for His purposes.

This morning I watched Steve Gaines, pastor of Bellevue Baptist, touch on this scripture: “… I will add fifteen years to your life.” (Isaiah 38:5) Was this a timely message for me? In fifteen years, I’ll be 89 and my mother lived to be 101.

I accept this path I’m still walking, Lord, for as long as You will keep me here but I’m STILL ready to go Home!

AMEN!

by Danna Shirley

We all know the literal meaning of AMEN but I wanted to know what AMEN meant personally to God’s children, so I took a survey of many of my friends and family and this is what I learned:

Nils Olson (missionary to Japan): "It’s very interesting that Amen is the same in every known language on earth except for its pronunciation, as is the word “Hallelujah.” Imagine, “Hallelujah, Amen” are possibly the only two words of the original language God gave to man that were left intact after the confusion of language at the Tower of Babel! What a testimony of God’s power! Hallelujah! Amen! 

Cathy Garrott (missionary to Japan): "At the end of the Lord's Prayer, it would be like saying, 'Let it be exactly as the Father wills it to be' because of "on earth as it is in heaven." 

Cathy Waters (childhood friend): "I learned from a linguistics course long ago that Amen means an oral acceptance of the spoken truth. A modern translation might be "Amen to that, Sister" or “I believe the truth has been spoken.” The origin of the word comes from Hebrew and was then adopted into Greek, Latin, and Arabic. So the Lord's Prayer, or any prayer among the faithful, is agreed upon and accepted as being the truth. Amen!"

Laura Pavao (writing class): Amen is not a word I take lightly, but it is one I use often . . . “Here I stand” (as though I have a Bible under my hand) “I swear this to be true” or “No truer words were ever spoken.” 

Dawna Langley (my cousin): “I put the rest in Your hands.” Dawna lost her sister Tami on Oct 1st, 2015 after a heart transplant a few months earlier. Only through God’s comfort can Dawna, or any of us say, “I put the rest in Your hands.” 

Anne Campbell (my husband’s cousin): “I am finished and leaving it all up to the Lord Jesus for His mighty work to be done.” 

Linda Cleverley (friend from Ohio): "I never forget how I’m to pray and thank and glorify HIM, my Lord and my God!"

Jean Crawford (Napa Valley Baptist Church): "I lift up my praises to Him as a thank You for what He has done and the blessing He has given me. I lift up my requests for His guidance and direction in my wants but He knows better than me so I want His will to be done, not mine; I want His strength to be able to accept it."

Warren Huddleston (niece’s husband): "In the Lord's Prayer Jesus’ purpose was to teach us how to pray and in adding “Amen” He stressed the importance and power to our every prayer."

Sarah Scott-Nelson (my great-niece, age 16): "So be it, just as You have said, choose wisely.” 

Danna Shirley: “Amen” comes out of me so easily that it’s part of my everyday vocabulary. I am in agreement with God for whatever I am facing that day, in whatever situation I find myself, and whatever path on which God has me set my foot. For me, “all the promises of God in Him are YEA, and in Him AMEN, unto the glory of God by us.” (2 Cor 1:20) 

In repeating something twice the Bible is emphasizing the importance of what is being said, as in these three verses below:

“Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting. Amen and Amen.” (Psalm 41:13)

“Praise be to His glorious name forever; may the whole earth be filled with His glory. Amen and Amen.” (Psalm 72:19)

“Praise be to the Lord forever! Amen and Amen.” (Psalm 89:52)

The Balm of Gilead

 by Danna Shirley

Balm: an aromatic preparation, such as a healing ointment, applied to a wound. It is more like a liquid resin and flows from certain trees of its own accord to dissolve hardness or to clear and close up wounds.

Balm of Gilead: a rare perfume used medicinally, that was mentioned in the Hebrew Bible and named for the region of Gilead where it was produced. The expression stems from the 1611 King James Version Bible and has come to signify a universal cure.

I have found myself praying for the Balm of Gilead to flow down over people who are in pain. These hurts can be mental, emotional, physical, relational; only God knows our wounds and how to comfort them, to soothe and comfort and coat their agonizing distress with healing ointment. 

Divine Appointment-Wal Mart

 by Danna Shirley

I was at Wal Mart buying groceries and had forgotten my phone in the top basket by the handle. I didn't notice it fell out of the basket when I loaded by groceries. I drove all the way home and when I looked for my phone in my purse, I went into a panic.

I asked my son, Russ, to call my phone to see if it may have fallen somewhere in my car. Nothing! He called it a second time and a sweet young lady answered. She had found it in the parking lot and was afraid a car would drive over it.

I drove back to Wal Mart and met her to retrieve my phone. I hugged her neck and thanked her profusely. I gave her two of my "HAVE A GOD DAY" plaques and asked if I could pray for her. She was a single mother and was crying about the baby daddy who was absent from her life. I pulled her to me and prayed God's blessings upon her and for Him to meet all her needs. 

What satan had meant for evil by me losing my phone, God turned for good in that I got my phone back and was able to pray for her. 

God is so good with Divine Appointments!

GETTING OLDER ~ Delight or Fear

 by Danna Shirley

In conversation with a friend recently, the words "Delight or Fear" were spoken and I immediately saw the future of getting older.

If you're a child of God, you view getting older as a DELIGHT...for you are moving closer and closer to being in the loving arms of your Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

If you have not surrendered to God or asked Jesus into your heart, getting older may strike you with FEAR...for your destination may not be so sure to go upward as it might be to go downward.

BUT it is not too late. As long as you have breath, you can make that split second decision to become a Christian...even if in a coma, or on life support, or on your death bed. The Holy Spirit can speak and reach you in your subconscious state and you can surrender your will at that last moment of life.

BUT how much better to surrender to God before the end of life. You can have such a rich, rewarding, peaceful, joyous existence for many days, months, or years before your final destination.

HOPEFULLY that destination will be to go upward into the DELIGHT of His loving arms and not into FEAR of outer darkness for all eternity.

WHAT GOD DIDN'T DO...but did for me anyway!

 by Danna Rae (Goines) Shirley

My parents moved from Arkansas to California in 1946. I was born in 1948 in Richmond, California and we moved into the home my parents built in Pinole, California when I was five. I graduated from Richmond Union High School in 1966 and got a job at the Atomic Energy Commission. With this financial independence I moved into my first apartment in San Pablo, California with a roommate.

Ronald Kline Shirley was from Montgomery, Alabama and joined the Navy as a teenager. He had been to Viet Nam twice when his ship, the USS Merrick, came into dry dock in San Pablo, California for only a three-month period.

Ron rented an apartment with several other sailors across the courtyard from mine. We met and dated until he went back to Viet Nam for the third time. Before leaving, he proposed and I waited.

When he returned nine months later, we eloped to Reno, Nevada and were married on December 19, 1968. He was almost 22 and I was 20½. I had never flown on an airplane until marrying Ron. Now began my globe-trotting life by flying to Alabama to meet his family. 

Our first year of marriage kept us in the Bay Area of California. I worked in Berkeley, he attended a school at Treasure Island, San Francisco, and we lived in Oakland. After his graduation from Electronics Technician (ET) school, he received orders for two years in Bermuda. 

His orders changed when he was accepted into the NESEP program, which sent us back to the states after only six weeks. We lived in Perryville, Maryland while he attended Prep School for college. He was then accepted into Ole Miss in Oxford, Mississippi, where our first child, Kristen, was born (1971). We were there four years and he graduated with an Engineering Degree.

His next duty station took us to flight school in Pensacola, Florida. Unfortunately, medical reasons (cluster headaches) forced him to give up that course and he was sent to duty on the U.S.S. Constellation stationed in San Diego, California.

Our next orders were shore duty in Bremerton, Washington for one year, then back to just three months in Imperial Beach, California before receiving orders to another shore duty in Subic Bay, Philippines, where our second child, Russell, was born (1977). We were there only eight months when those same health conditions gave him a medical discharge from the Navy.

This development altered his whole career goals and squashed a Navy retirement. At this point he only had twelve years active duty. We returned to his family’s hometown of Montgomery, Alabama to re-evaluate our future. After several months of not knowing our next steps for the future, Ron decided résumés should be sent to several organizations. He received employment with Alabama Power in Demopolis, Alabama. We were just there 18 months when Ron decided to go back to school for his Master’s degree.

We returned to Montgomery, Alabama and Surprise! Surprise! our third child, Aaron, was born (1980).

WE BOTH RECEIVED JESUS AS OUR LORD AND SAVIOR

in Montgomery, Alabama in 1980!

A third pregnancy facilitated more résumés. His experience, however, was with the military and our U.S. defense programs. This sent us to Mt. Laurel, New Jersey for eight months to familiarize him with the defense program he would be working on at the Ingalls Shipyard in Pascagoula, Mississippi.

Without too much explanation, we lived in Ocean Springs, Mississippi, back to Montgomery, Alabama, return to live in Gautier, Mississippi, move to Vancleave, Mississippi, and then…

After several years of working on the Aegis Test Team at Ingalls, Ron was interviewed for groundbreaking work in Nagasaki, Japan. We were there for five years (1992-1997) before returning to the states and built our house in Vancleave, Mississippi and back to his same position at Ingalls in Pascagoula, Mississippi.

The attack on the World Trade Center in 2001 geared up the U.S.’s defense program. Ron was in the thick of preparing for our reprisal against Iraq. His work ethic, unfortunately, kept him from seeking medical help when he began to have breathing problems. He was diagnosed with pneumonia and refused to go into the hospital. He died in his sleep February 20, 2003. The U.S. attacked Iraq just one month later. I also consider Ron a casualty of 9-11.

When Ron died, Kristen was married with her first child, Emma, and lived in Memphis, Tennessee. Russell and Aaron were working in construction in Gainesville, Georgia. As a widow, I stayed in Vancleave, Mississippi alone for 16 months until Kristen said it was time to move up near her.

I bought a house in Bartlett, Tennessee and worked at the Bartlett Senior Center. I retired in 2006 because I wasn’t going to work while Kristen stayed home with her second child, Isabella, for three months maternity leave. At this time, I learned of another grandchild, Mackenzie (Aaron’s daughter), living with her mother in Vancleave.

The “crash” of 2008 brought Russell and Aaron to stay with me until the economy recovered and they could get on their feet again. 

My father died in 2010 leaving my sister to care for my 90-year-old mother, as well as her husband who was suffering with Parkinson’s. In 2013 I rented my house and moved in with my sister in Napa, California to help take care of them both. After my brother-in-law passed away, my sister had knee surgery which added to my caregiving duties with my mother. By May 2015 I was burned out. I had been in Napa two years and three months. Caregiving can take a toll on you mentally and physically. My sister hired a live-in caregiver for my mother until she passed away in 2021 at the age of 101.

When I returned to Memphis, I stayed with my daughter until I bought a house in Cordova, Tennessee, where I’ve lived from October 2015 to the present, April 2022.

Even though I’ve had plenty of ups and downs, I have no regrets, which hasn’t changed the blessings I’ve had with Ron, the children, the grandchildren, and my Lord.

As I look back on my life and ponder What God Didn’t Do…

·        He didn’t leave my parents in Arkansas to eke out a living in the south but brought them to California for a successful and supportive life for their children.

·        He didn’t leave me in California as a liberal Democrat (which I probably would have been) but let me meet and marry a wonderful, intelligent Southern man.

·        He didn’t give me roots to remain in one place for a lifetime but gave me wings to follow my husband around the world as a Navy wife.

·        He didn’t leave me as a lost and unsaved child but He pursued me until I GOT SAVED AND BECAME HIS CHILD AND CONFIRMED MY HEAVENLY DESTINATION.

·        He didn’t leave me in California to raise liberal children but gave me three wonderful children and grandchildren to be raised as southern Republican conservatives.

·        He didn’t leave Ron on this earth to suffer with fibromyalgia but took him home to be with Him forever—without pain.

·        He didn’t leave me in grief at the loss of my love but has given me a rich full life nonetheless.

 THANK YOU, LORD, FOR WHAT YOU DID DO!