by khurst2@gmail.com | Nov 2, 2023 | Chaplain, News
“…in quietness and in trust shall be your strength.”
Isaiah 30:15
Sometimes, the hardest thing to do is to be quiet when you feel you have been wronged. It is human nature to defend our honor, especially when our reputation and credibility have been attacked. We don’t want these false accusations going out into the atmosphere. Lies are like millions of feathers in the wind. We cannot control their direction or recollect them.
In truth, our desire to defend ourselves is wrapped up in ego. We’re worried about how others perceive us. We don’t want people to think we’re weak or they can walk all over us. So, we immediately go to war when someone defames us because this cannot stand! This is a sign of weakness, and it gets exhausting after a while. We can’t fight everybody. And the truth is, the higher you go in leadership, the more it will happen. You become an easier target. No leader in history has walked this earth with an impeccable reputation. People are going to think what they want.
New level, new devil. Accept it. It’s not going to change.
So, what can we do?
Remain silent.
The ability to remain silent in the face of persecution shows immense strength. I did not understand the power of silence until my final year of grad school, when I had worn myself out from trying to fight and defend everything and everybody. I realized I was fighting a war I could not win. If people don’t like you, then they are not going to believe you. Conversely, those who like you are going to support you regardless. So why bother trying to defend yourself? People are going to believe whatever they want to believe.
There is such power and freedom when we release our ego. When we stop caring one way or another about the opinions of others and walk in our truth, we have freed ourselves from a self-imposed prison. Most of the situations we stress about end up working out for our good when we are in a calm and rational state of mind. When we are reactive, then we tend to make matters worse. When we are proactive, the solution comes more quickly, and we save ourselves much energy.
Free yourself.
Remain silent in the face of difficulty and trust that the truth will come out and you will be vindicated.
by khurst2@gmail.com | Oct 16, 2023 | Announcements, News
Rear Admiral and Mrs. Sinclair Harris US Navy Retired invite those in the DMV to join us for a Veteran’s Day NNOA Church Visit to the First Baptist Church of Vienna, VA, Senior Pastor Reverend Doctor Vernon C. Walton Our Pastor – First Baptist Church of Vienna, VA (fbcv.org). First Baptist Church of Vienna is the oldest church in the town of Vienna Virginia having been established in 1867 by African Americans Our History – First Baptist Church of Vienna, VA (fbcv.org). They have a vibrant and spiritually strong congregation that includes many retirees and their families. One of our former DCNNOA scholarship winners is also a member of the church.
Details
When: Sunday, November 5th at 10am
Where: 450 Orchard St. NW, Vienna, VA 22180
Who: Members of the NNOA and their families.
Dress: Please come in Service Dress Blues (or Equivalent) if possible but retirees can decide.
Please let me know if you will be able to join us by emailing me at: sinccora1988@me.com.
Very respectfully,
Sinclair Harris
RADM USN Retired
Immediate Past President, NNOA
by khurst2@gmail.com | Oct 12, 2023 | News, Presidents Msg
On 13 October 1775, the Continental Congress established what would become the United States Navy with a resolution, “that a swift sailing vessel, to carry ten carriage guns, and a proportionable number of swivels, with eighty men, be fitted, with all possible dispatch, for a cruise of three months, and that the commander be instructed to cruise eastward, for intercepting such transports as may be laden with warlike stores and other supplies for our enemies, and for such other purposes as the Congress shall direct.”
Beginning with one sailing ship, to the present fleet of approximately 470 active and reserve fleet ships, our Navy continues to control the sea lanes and provide that deterrent and quick response force world-wide. However, the real strength of our Navy remains the diverse group of highly intelligent and professional individuals who come together to make our Navy the most lethal it’s ever been.
The National Naval Officers Association proudly toasts our Sailors, past and present, who are the foundation upon which our nation has built and sustained the preeminent sea-faring force and secured our nation’s many victories in the pursuit of life, liberty and the American way.
Happy 248th Birthday, Shipmates!
by khurst2@gmail.com | Oct 2, 2023 | Chaplain, News
“What do you people mean by quoting this proverb about the land of Israel:
“‘The parents eat sour grapes,
and the children’s teeth are set on edge’?
3 “As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, you will no longer quote this proverb in Israel.
Ezekiel 18:2-3
When the prophet Ezekiel uttered these words, he and his people were in Babylonian exile. The people believed they were suffering for the sins of the former generation. But what is interesting is that they were comfortable blaming their present predicament on their predecessors rather than taking responsibility for their current condition.
According to Ezekiel 18, God is just and punishes us according to our actions and does not hold us accountable for the actions of others. Therefore, the exiles cannot blame their circumstances on their predecessors. They must take responsibility for their actions. That is a bitter pill to swallow after wallowing in self-pity for years.
The phrase generational curse comes to mind. How often do we blame our parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents for how our lives turned out? Ezekiel 18 teaches us that we are judged according to our works, not the failures of those who came before us. We can break the negative cycles of the past by renewing our hearts and minds.
As a counselor, I have noticed two types of people: those who want to change their circumstances and those who wish to complain and not do the hard work to change. It is easy to blame others rather than hold ourselves accountable. But this text teaches us we have a choice: continue to play the blame-game or pick up our mats and walk away from excuses.
The choice is yours. Will you continue eating sour grapes and blaming others, or renew your heart and mind and walk into a better future? I suggest you walk it out.
by khurst2@gmail.com | Sep 19, 2023 | Memoriam, Navy, News
With deep sadness, we inform you of the passing of NNOA founding member Captain Julia O. Barnes. Capt. Julia Barnes was the first black woman nurse corps officer to command a naval hospital when she took command of Naval Hospital Great Lakes, Illinois, in 1986. She was also among the visionaries who founded the National Naval Officers Association in 1972, actively supporting the Sea Services in recruiting, retaining, and developing a diverse officer corps. She passed away on September 14, 2023.
Funeral Information:
Wednesday, September 20, 2023
Paoli Presbyterian Church
225 S. Valley Rd.
Paoli, PA 19312
Visitation: 1000
Service: 1100
