Wednesday, July 29, 2015

THE LOSS OF POWER ~ TIMES TWO

By Danna Shirley

#1 ~ WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU LOSE POWER…
and you’re stranded in a department store?
The lights go out and the register is silent…
The only glow comes through the front windows…
The doors won’t open…
You stand gazing outside with your hands on the glass…
Children begin to whine and cry…
Parents try to calm them and soothe their fears…

#2 ~ WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU LOSE POWER…
and you have no control over your circumstances?
The ground shakes…and swells upward…then plunges downward…
Everything is thrown off of shelves and into the aisles…
It is a holiday…Good Friday…March 27, 1964…
and at 5:36 p.m. in Prince William Sound, Anchorage, Alaska…
the largest earthquake in United States history has registered 9.2.
The duration of the rupture lasts approximately 4 minutes (240 seconds).
The end result was the movement of the Pacific plate
under the North American plate by an average of nine meters or 29.5 feet.

My friend, Dorothy Russ, stood inside that department store
and looked out the window as the world rocked and rolled before her eyes.
There was no escape for her…inside or outside!

    Image result for earthquake alaska 1964  Image result for earthquake alaska 1964

Image result for earthquake alaska 1964

Tsunami also hit California and Oregon

Saturday, July 25, 2015

PHILOSOPHICAL MEANDERINGS

by Danna Shirley


PHILOSOPHICAL, to me, means scientific and deep-thinking, wise and learned, and I don’t believe I qualify in any of these areas. I have never been one to engage in anything philosophical for I fear I have not the education or vocabulary to debate things of such importance but I do own my personal opinions and beliefs, of which some may or may not agree.

MEANDERINGS, however, I do claim as I address serious issues that float in and out of my mind depending on the news report of the day.

Christianity
I was listening to someone recently who was speaking very critically of Christians and their faith. It was obvious that he was not only NOT a believer but was pushing the envelope dreadfully close to blasphemy—a very dangerous position. He was so set in his beliefs that witnessing to him would have probably been futile; like casting pearls before swine. I thought, How would I respond to this man if I had the opportunity? Then this morning I heard an excellent analogy on the radio.
Image result for fishers of men clipartThe host made the following comparison:
If you are fishing in the ocean and don’t catch anything, do you conclude that there are no fish in the ocean? No! Just because you have had no experience with God does not mean there is no God!
My question to the Skeptic is, “What if you’re wrong?
What will you do with Jesus Christ then?


Abortion
With all the advanced technology that allows us to see into the womb today, it is no longer a guessing game whether a preborn is a glob of tissue or a baby. Freedom of choice is not the option to consider anymore . . responsibility begins before conception.
          


Sonograms now provide a high-resolution picture of the unborn 
child in the womb.         
Samuel Armas Aug19 1999.jpg




Samuel Armas (21-week unborn) grasping surgeon’s hand while in the womb.

My question to the Pro Choice advocate is, “What if you’re wrong?
What will you do with your aborted baby then?”



Evolution
Image result for old rusty car in an overgrown field           The human body, however, is quite another subject. Any doctor or dentist can explain the breakdown of our physique due to lack of nutrition and hygiene. Age is our enemy. As we grow older, we become less and less hearty and vigorous. We begin a regimen of daily pills and exercise to maintain our youth and resilience. But alas, time marches on and d-o-w-n and soon we are attending funerals of our childhood friends and acquaintances. Nothing gets better or improves with time. So how can evolution explain the progression UP from amoebas to man?          
     It is a well-known fact that anything left to itself, deteriorates over time. Look at the abandoned car out in a field. Maintenance keeps inanimate objects up and running and replacing worn out parts is a must. A little paint and polish preserves its beauty. If not done, it is overtaken by rust and rot.
     To quote Charles Darwin himself,"To suppose that the eye, with all its inimitable contrivances for adjusting the focus to different distances, for admitting different amounts of light, and for the correction of spherical and chromatic aberration, could have been formed by natural selection, seems, I freely confess, absurd in the highest possible degree." http://evolutionwiki.org/wiki/Darwin_on_evolution_of_the_eye
So we rest our heart, not in “The Origin of Species,” but in Genesis 1:1 . . .
“IN THE BEGINNING, GOD CREATED . . .”

My question to the Atheist is, “What if you’re wrong?
What will you do with your false faith and unbelief then?

Homosexuality
Heart of the gay flag Royalty Free Stock Photography           The gay agenda is being pushed down our throats at every turn. Now the Supreme Court has weighed in on the subject. It’s ironic to me that abortion is called pro-choice but with homosexuality we are without choice. Bakeries MUST make wedding cakes and florists MUST decorate for same-sex marriages. Where is their choice on this subject? Even restaurants can hang a sign that says, “No Shirt, No Shoes, No Service,” and they won’t be taken to court.
            There is a heaviness in my heart that is almost unimaginable. I can address this subject legitimately since I have family members of my own on this side of the issue. God loves everyone and everyone is free to live the life they choose but it has almost become fashionable to be gay and intolerable not to embrace it. Television programs have gay characters and Christians are portrayed as bigots and idiots.
Our values have been turned topsy turvy but the Bible still says, “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil…” (Isaiah 5:20).

My question to the Gay community is, “What if you’re wrong? 
What will you do with your lifestyle and agenda then?”
OR

 More importantly, what will Jesus Christ do with you?”


Friday, June 26, 2015

CHARACTER TRAITS

1.      ALERTNESS vs UNAWARENESS ~ Become aware of the physical and spiritual events taking place around you so that you can make the right response to them.
2.      ATTENTIVENESS vs UNCONCERN ~ Show the worth of a person by giving your undivided attention to their words and emotions.
3.      AVAILABILITY vs SELF-CENTEREDNESS ~ Adjust your personal responsibilities around the needs of those you are serving.
4.      BOLDNESS vs FEARFULNESS ~ Have confidence that what you have to say or do is true and right and just in the sight of God.
5.   CAUTIOUSNESS vs RASHNESS ~ Know the importance of right timing to accomplish right actions.
6.   COMPASSION vs INDIFFERENCE ~ Invest whatever is necessary to heal other’s hurts.
7.   CONTENTMENT vs COVETOUSNESS ~ Realize God has provided everything you need for your present happiness.
8.   CREATIVITY vs UNDER-ACHIEVEMENT ~ Apply God’s wisdom & practical insights to need or task.
9.   DECISIVNESS vs DOUBLE-MINDEDNESS ~ Use ability to finalize difficult decisions based on the will and ways of God.
10. DEFERENCE vs RUDENSS ~ Limit your freedom to speak/act in order not to offend the tastes of others.
11. DEPENDABILITY vs INCONSISTENCY ~ Fulfill what you consent even if means unexpected sacrifice.
12. DETERMINATION vs FAINT-HEARTEDNESS ~ Purpose to accomplish God’s goals in God’s time regardless of the opposition.
13.DILIGENCE vs SLOTHFULNESS ~ Visualize each task as a special assignment from the Lord and use all your energies to accomplish it.
14.DISCERNMENT vs JUDGMENT ~ Use your God-given ability to understand why things happen to others and to you. 
15.DISCRETION vs SIMPLE-MINDEDNESS ~ Use your ability to avoid words, actions, and attitudes which could result in undesirable consequences.
16. ENDURANCE vs GIVING UP ~ Develop inward strength to withstand stress to accomplish God’s best.
17. ENTHUSIASM vs APATHY ~ Express with your spirit the joy of your soul.
18. FAITH vs PRESUMPTION ~ Visualize what God intends in a given situation and act in harmony with it.
19. FLEXIBILITY vs RESISTANCE ~Don’t set your affections on ideas or plans which could be changed by God or others.  
20. FORGIVENESS vs REJECTION ~ Clear the record of those who have wronged you and allow God to love them through you.
21. GENEROSITY vs STINGINESS ~ Realize that all you have belongs to God and use it for His purposes. 
22. GENTLENESS vs HARSHNESS ~ Show personal care and concern in meeting the needs of others. 
23. GRATEFULNESS vs UNTHANKFULNESS ~ Make known to God and others in what ways they have benefited your life. 
24. HOSPITALITY vs LONELINESS ~ Cheerfully share food, shelter, and spiritual refreshment with those whom God brings into your life.
25. HUMILITY vs PRIDE ~ See the contrast between God’s holiness and your sinfulness.
26. INITIATIVE vs UNRESPONSIVENESS ~ Recognize and do what needs to be done before asked to do it.
27. JOYFULNESS vs SELF-PITY ~ Know that God is perfecting His life in others through you.
28. JUSTICE vs FAIRNESS ~ Display personal responsibility to God’s unchanging laws.
29. LOVE vs SELFISHNESS ~ Give to others basic needs without having personal reward as your motive.
30. LOYALTY vs UNFAITHFULNESS ~ Use difficult times to demonstrate loyalty to God and to those whom He has called you to serve.
31. MEEKNESS vs ANGER ~ Yield your personal rights and expectations to God.
32. OBEDIENCE vs WILLFULNESS ~ Fulfill instructions so that God and the one you are serving will be fully satisfied. 
33. ORDERLINESS vs DISORGANIZATION ~ Arrange your life and surroundings so that God has maximum freedom to achieve His goals through you.
34. PATIENCE vs RESTLESSNESS ~ Accept a difficult situation w/o giving God a deadline to remove it.
35. PERSUASIVENESS vs CONTENTIOUSNESS ~ Use words to confirm to the listener’s spirit that he is hearing the truth.
36. PUNCTUALITY vs TARDINESS ~ Show respect to others by using wisely the limited time God has given to them.
37. RESOURCEFULNESS vs WASTEFULNESS ~ Use wisely that which others would normally overlook or discard.
38. RESPONSIBILITY vs UNRELIABILITY ~ Know/do what both God and others are expecting of you.
39. REVERENCE vs DISRESPECT ~ Be aware of how God is working through the people and events in your lie to produce the character of Christ in you.
40. SECURITY vs ANXIETY ~ Structure your life around the eternal that cannot be destroyed or taken away.
41. SELF-CONTROL vs SELF-INDULGENCE ~ Obey instantly the initial promptings of the Holy Spirit. 
42. SENSITIVITY vs CALLOUSNESS ~ Know by the prompting of God’s Spirit what words and actions will benefit the lives of others.
43. SINCERITY vs HYPOCRISY ~ Be eager to do what is right without transparent motives.
44. THRIFTINESS vs EXTRAVAGANCE ~ Do not let yourself or others spend that which is not necessary.
45. THOROUGHNESS vs INCOMPLETENESS ~ Realize that each of your tasks will be reviewed and rewarded by God.
46. TOLERANCE vs PREJUDICE ~ View every person as a valuable individual whom God created & loves.
47. TRUST vs HOPELESSNESS ~ Have conviction and confidence that God has you in the palm of His hand.
48. TRUTHFULNESS vs DECEPTION ~ Earn future trust by accurately reporting past facts.
49. VIRTUE vs IMPURITY ~ Know that God is having an influence on others through your life regardless of your past failures.
50. WISDOM vs NATURAL INCLINATIONS ~ See and respond to your life from God’s frame of reference.