Participants:
Series Code: TDY
Program Code: TDY200058A
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00:01 As you're well aware,
00:02 we're living in unprecedented times. 00:04 Join us now for Today's special program. 00:12 I want to spend my life 00:17 Mending broken people 00:23 I want to spend my life 00:28 Removing pain 00:33 Lord, let my words 00:39 Heal a heart that hurts 00:44 I want to spend my life 00:49 Mending broken people 00:54 I want to spend my life 01:00 Mending broken people 01:14 Hello and welcome to another 3ABN Today program. 01:17 Thank you for joining us as you do each and every day. 01:20 And today, we have, of course I have my wife Yvonne here. 01:24 And we have Sister Shelley Quinn, 01:25 and Greg and Jill Morikone. 01:27 And today, it's a special program 01:29 and this was the one that's gonna be really hard to do, 01:33 but on some ways, we want to do it. 01:36 But it's a tribute to Sister Mollie Steenson 01:39 that we lost, I guess, October 22. 01:43 And so what an incredible woman of God 01:46 and we've known Mollie for so many years, 01:49 you know, well over 40 years, I guess. 01:51 And so it's just today we wanted to talk about that 01:55 and because Mollie has influenced so many people 01:58 and I can say about her like I did Dr. Thompson 02:02 and May Chung and a few others 02:04 if I had to count the people 02:06 that had the biggest impact on me 02:08 and that I looked up to spiritually 02:11 that I've ever met in my life. 02:12 On the four fingers and two thumbs 02:15 Mollie beyond one of those and probably on hand one. 02:18 Wow. 02:19 Because that's what I've seen, 02:20 the consistency of a woman who loves God 02:24 and who has matured, 02:25 continued to mature spiritually. 02:27 I first met her and I said, 02:28 "Man, this woman, she's just..." 02:30 And you just watch her grow year after year 02:32 and you watch her in every kind of situation. 02:35 So today it's a kind of a special. 02:38 Today, we would tribute to Mollie but for Hal and, 02:42 you know, the children, for Dee Dee, I mean it's... 02:47 And Jeremy. 02:48 Yeah, Dee Dee and Jeremy, 02:49 this is something that we want them to have 02:51 and maybe to keep and give to their kids 02:53 and what have you should the Lord tarry. 02:56 But I think before we get too far involved, 02:59 we're going to play a song, 03:01 it's Hallelujah, We're Home At Last. 03:04 We believe and according to the Bible, 03:05 that Mollie's now sleeping in Jesus, she's resting, 03:09 waiting for the trumpet to sound. 03:11 And when the dead in Christ shall rise first 03:14 and we which are alive and remain, 03:16 it says she'll be caught up together in the air, 03:18 you know, with the Lord and here that's amazing thing. 03:21 So Mollie we know is sleeping. 03:23 She's safe in the arms of Jesus in that respect, 03:26 that God has protected her, there's a protective... 03:29 Devil can't do anything to her anymore. 03:31 Can't tempt her, can't cause her pain, 03:33 can't do anything, she's just resting. 03:35 And it's like a fleeting moment, 03:37 you shut your eyes in death, 03:39 there's no conception of time and death, 03:41 and you wake up, 03:42 and the second coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. 03:45 But this song that Yvonne and I wrote some time ago, 03:47 it's Hallelujah, We're Home At Last, 03:49 and it just talks a little bit from heaven's perspective. 03:52 I was thinking one night from heaven's perspective. 03:55 We always talk about Jesus come and looking up but I thought, 03:58 how about Him getting ready to come back to this earth, 04:01 heaven must be in a bustle, everything... 04:03 Well, it'd be exciting to see that end 04:06 and we'll have time to hear about it, 04:08 you know, in eternity. 04:09 So we kind of put this together 04:10 and I called Yvonne and she had written a chorus, 04:12 I had some verses 04:13 and literally we had to do away with one or two of the lines 04:16 because the same thing 04:17 and we didn't even know that the other was writing this, 04:20 so we put them together with the help of Lari Goss 04:23 and came out with this song, 04:25 Hallelujah, We're Home At Last. 04:28 Praise God. Hallelujah, Home at Last. 04:31 Reggie & Ladye? 04:45 Hallelujah to the Lamb! 04:49 Hallelujah to the Great I AM! 04:53 Hallelujah, all pain is past 04:57 Hallelujah, we're home at last 05:03 There's excitement in heaven 05:06 Like there's never been before 05:11 Jesus stands up 05:12 Heaven is changed forevermore and more 05:19 The angels surround and the Savior 05:23 To escort the Son of Man 05:27 He returns to earth victorious 05:31 To fulfill salvation's plan 05:38 Hallelujah to the Lamb 05:42 Hallelujah to the Great I AM! 05:46 Hallelujah, all pain is past 05:51 Hallelujah, we're home at last 06:02 At the sound of the last trump 06:06 The dead in Christ will rise 06:11 We're going home at last 06:14 We'll surround the sea of glass 06:19 No more empty mansions 06:22 No vacant seats around the throne 06:27 Heaven is finally heaven 06:30 When God's children are home 06:38 Hallelujah to the Lamb! 06:42 Hallelujah to the Great I AM! 06:46 Hallelujah, all pain is past 06:50 Hallelujah, we're home at last 06:58 Hallelujah, Hallelujah 07:02 Hallelujah, Hallelujah to the Lamb! 07:10 Hallelujah Hallelujah to the Lamb! 07:15 Hallelujah Hallelujah to the Great I AM! 07:19 Hallelujah Hallelujah, all pain is past! 07:23 Hallelujah Hallelujah, we're home at last! 07:28 Hallelujah, we're home at last! 07:36 Hallelujah 07:40 We're home We're home at last! 07:48 Home at last! 07:52 Praise the Lord. 07:54 Amen. 07:55 Thank you, Reggie. Thank you. 07:57 Absolutely, Reggie and Ladye Love Smith, 07:59 what an incredible duo they are together. 08:02 And I'm glad they are in the Lord's army. 08:06 It'd be tough if they were out in the world, 08:07 but they're such incredible Christian people 08:09 and they love Jesus so much. 08:11 And we were talking about of course, 08:13 this is a tribute to Mollie Sue Steenson 08:15 and never called her Mollie Sue 08:16 for until was a pup I guess, 08:19 a long time, that's her name, 08:20 but I always got in a habit of it. 08:22 But I saw a Mollie, she was there, 08:25 while we taped that, she was in there singing. 08:27 Now she always said she wasn't much of a singer. 08:30 We don't know for sure 08:31 'cause we didn't have her mic very loud. 08:33 That's her beckoning, 08:35 she said, 08:36 "Now don't turn my mic on. 08:38 And I'll just..." 08:40 But she was there as part of it. 08:42 We're going to kind of go around 08:43 and just talk a little bit. 08:45 Mollie, the impression you guys when you first, 08:47 Greg, you met her. 08:49 Your position here, Jill, you know, 08:51 and then how your relationship grew over the years. 08:54 I want to just go back and comment on the song. 08:56 Thank you for writing it 'cause what a powerful song, 08:58 you know, as we're sitting here on the set watching it 09:00 and I'm sure you at home, 09:01 I mean, wow, what a day that would be. 09:04 No more sickness, 09:05 no more death, no more suffering. 09:06 You know, I think about this year 09:08 with COVID and everything, Mr. Danny, 09:09 I mean, there's a lot of people 09:11 that have suffered in tremendous ways. 09:12 You know, I think of Mollie and, you know, 09:13 she was such a fighter. 09:15 Cancer, you know, she fought cancer 09:17 for a number of years. 09:18 And, wow, to think of her not being in pain anymore, 09:20 praise the Lord, 09:22 but still we've got that tremendous loss 09:23 that we're all dealing with. 09:25 And I think when I first came to 3ABN, 09:27 she kind of became my 3ABN mother. 09:30 You know, I was just here trying to find my way. 09:32 We had met of course, 09:34 but we weren't married, Jill and I, 09:36 so I came here as a single young man 09:37 and she kind of just took me in under her wing, 09:39 I worked in production when I first started. 09:42 But then I transitioned to the call center, 09:44 and I'll never forget Mollie and just her way, 09:48 she's kind of like, 09:49 this is hopefully taken the right way 09:51 like a southern belle, 09:52 she's so gracious and hospitable. 09:54 Just her hospitality and just like 09:56 I see her as a mother hen and all her little kids. 10:00 You know, and she was so protective of 3ABN, 10:02 you know, always and that was just fantastic. 10:04 But when I transitioned to the call center manager, 10:07 I remember Mollie, 10:08 she just called me up and says, 10:10 "Greg..." I love how 3ABN operates. 10:12 I know she'd been in contact with you. 10:14 But she said, "Greg," she said, 10:16 "Do you have the master key to the call center?" 10:18 I said, "Well, actually I do, Mollie." 10:19 She said, "Good." 10:21 She says, 10:22 "You're the one in charge there right now, 10:23 just make sure you lock up at the end of the day." 10:25 "Okay." 10:26 When she threw the little word in there, 10:28 she said, "Temporary." I said, "Okay." 10:29 You had been at the print shop. I've been in the print shop. 10:32 You were not the call center manager. 10:33 No, I wasn't call center manager. 10:34 I was a supervisor with our little print shop at the time. 10:36 And so then corporate worship comes around 10:38 'cause we have corporate worship, 10:39 you know, every week here at 3ABN. 10:41 And so the next... 10:43 I don't know if it was Monday or Tuesday, 10:44 however we did corporate worship. 10:46 And she announced 10:47 to the entire group there, she says, 10:49 "I want you to meet our new call center manager, 10:51 Greg Morikone." 10:52 And that was the first I heard of it. 10:56 But, you know, just Mollie, she was just so great. 10:58 And then she would call me and she says, 10:59 "Greg, just to let you know," 11:01 she said, "this is just temporary, 11:02 just needs someone to kind of fill in." 11:03 Temporary became like 10 years, 11:07 but during the call center years 11:08 is when I really got close to Mollie 11:10 because I was really trying to find my way. 11:11 You know, I'd never managed before, 11:13 and having the number of the call center staff, 11:15 which we had about 20 at the time, 11:17 it was great fun, 11:18 and so much wisdom, so much insight. 11:20 She would call me into her office and say, 11:22 "Now, honey, that was a mistake. 11:24 You've learned from it, just don't do it again." 11:27 I say, "Okay, Mollie. I got it, I got it. 11:28 I have got it." 11:29 You know, at the same time though, 11:31 she would just shoot straight. 11:33 You knew exactly where she stood, 11:35 and she would say, 11:36 "Greg, your tunnel vision to the call center, 11:38 which is good, 11:40 but, Greg, think big picture, 11:41 3ABN is much bigger than the call center. 11:43 So this decision here is big picture." 11:46 "Oh, okay, Mollie, I got it." 11:47 Just so much wisdom that she would just, 11:49 oh, pour into us. 11:51 We would mention she and pastor Hal. 11:53 Yes. And I'm talking a lot. 11:54 But I remember when we first got married then, 11:57 and pastor Hal and her would speak to us and say, 12:00 "Greg and Jill, protect your marriage, 12:03 protect your marriage. 12:04 Never get busy, too busy for each other." 12:07 You know, they would just pour in then 12:09 the couple stuff to us as well. 12:11 Just, oh, man, what a loss. 12:13 You know, Greg, 12:14 I don't know if I ever told you this or not. 12:16 But I don't know how long you'd been here, 12:18 if you've been a year or two years. 12:19 She was... Something came up, 12:21 I don't know what it was she said, 12:22 "Danny," you know, she looked at straight at me. 12:24 And if I don't listen sometimes, she'll go, 12:26 "Danny Shelton. Danny Shelton," 12:29 and I'd say, "Yes, ma'am." 12:31 You know, I'd say, sometimes 12:32 I'd even do this and say, "Yes, ma'am." 12:34 She said, "That Greg's got something." 12:37 I said, "Greg?" 12:38 She said, "Greg Morikone. He's got something." 12:41 She says, "Now what are you gonna do with him? 12:44 What are you gonna do with him?" 12:45 I said, "I don't know, that's up to you." 12:47 I said, "That's up to you." 12:48 And she says, "You know what I'm talking about?" 12:50 I said, "Yeah, I do." 12:51 And automatically, you know what? 12:53 She says, "He's sincere, he's honest, his day is long." 12:56 She said, "He loves Jesus." 12:58 She said, "We need to just let him," 13:01 she said, "We just need to love him 13:03 and just, you know..." 13:05 And I said, "Support him?" 13:06 She said, "Oh, well, we already support him but," 13:08 you know, and I'd forget her words, 13:09 but basically, "Let's grow him in this ministry." 13:12 I never knew that. Oh, yeah. 13:14 She said, "That Greg," 13:15 she said, "He's got something." 13:16 Wow. 13:18 Like that, you know, only the way Mollie could say. 13:19 I know, yeah. 13:21 She's say, "Do you know what I mean?" 13:22 I said, "Yeah, I know what you mean. 13:23 I got it." 13:25 "Well, what you want to do with him?" 13:26 I said, "I'll leave that up to you." 13:27 Well, she nurtured me. 13:29 I never knew that until now, but wow. 13:30 And when you said, well, I'm sure she asked you, 13:32 she may run it by me. 13:33 But I just said, "Do whatever you think is best." 13:36 She goes, "Okay." 13:38 She says, "Boy." 13:39 So then when it came time for the call center, 13:41 I said, "What are we going to do?" 13:43 She goes, "Well, it's obvious, you know, Greg." 13:45 So I said, "Sure, whatever you want." 13:48 So then she just broke it to you. 13:50 You know, Mr. Danny, I'm gonna mention this too 13:51 'cause I don't want to, 13:53 you know, anyone's horn on this, 13:54 but I'm just, you know, a couple... 13:56 Well, a year or so ago when we did the transition, 13:58 you know, first from you to me and she was there on the stage. 14:02 And afterwards, she had tears in her eyes, 14:04 and she gave me a great big hug. 14:05 And she said, "Greg, 14:07 I always wanted to be here for this day." 14:08 Yeah. She knew it was coming. 14:11 Yeah, from way back she could see that. 14:13 That's the thing about her. 14:14 She wasn't looking for the moment. 14:17 "Greg, he's got something," she said. 14:19 That meant, you know... 20 years. 14:21 Twenty years is a long term, let's work with him. 14:24 Well, she worked with me 20 years, you know? 14:27 Wow, that's precious. 14:28 Yeah, great. Yeah. 14:29 Great lady. Great lady. 14:31 Yeah. 14:32 I'm sorry, baby. 14:36 The scripture I just turned to reminds me of Mollie. 14:39 And then I'll share a few memories. 14:41 This is 2 Corinthians 3:2. 14:44 "You are our epistle written in our hearts 14:48 known and read of all men. 14:51 Clearly you are an epistle of Christ, 14:54 ministered by us written not with ink 14:57 but by the Spirit of the living God, 15:00 on tablets of stone 15:01 not but on tablets of flesh that is of the heart." 15:04 And when I think of Mollie, 15:06 Mollie's life, her character, her example was as a letter, 15:12 written, known, and read of all people 15:15 because it wasn't just what she said on the set, 15:18 it wasn't what she preached, it was how Mollie lived. 15:22 How Mollie lived was a Christian. 15:25 She was a woman of faith, she was a woman of prayer, 15:29 a woman of God. 15:30 She had great dignity and grace. 15:33 I remember watching her walk down the hall, 15:36 her back always very straight, just walk down the hall, 15:39 and I used to be very intimidated by Mollie. 15:41 When I first came, 15:43 she was one of those people who really intimidated me 15:45 because she had this aura of grace and dignity. 15:49 And she was very, a southern belle, 15:52 just very gracious. 15:54 And I remember just feeling a little... 15:56 But sometimes she could be a little short, 15:58 not short as in unkind, 16:01 but just clipped, direct, that's the word. 16:03 She can be direct. 16:05 Business she's sometimes. Business, sometimes. 16:07 And she'd say, 16:08 "Jill Morikone, I need to see you in my office," 16:10 and I'd go, 16:12 "What did I do? What did I do?" 16:13 Yeah, that was always scary. 16:15 Yes, you know? 16:16 But yet, she never meant anything, 16:18 she was just very direct. 16:19 And she said that to me. 16:22 "You come to my office, Danny Shelton. 16:23 I need to see you in my office." 16:25 And I'd say, "Yes, ma'am." 16:26 That's like, "What have I done." 16:28 So when we first got married, 16:29 I worked for Mollie for the first six months, 16:31 and then I transitioned to the school, 16:32 and then came back, 16:33 and I remember, in that time, when I was over at the school, 16:37 toward the end of that time, we had really prayed. 16:40 I just felt in my heart, you know, 16:42 supposed to be back at the ministry here, 16:44 I was just pulled to the vision and the, 16:46 you know, spreading the gospel to the world 16:48 and what was happening here, 16:50 Greg and I prayed about it and said, 16:52 "Well, if someone asks, 16:55 then I'll come back and work at 3ABN." 16:57 And so we prayed for two years. 17:00 And during those two years, I did the work at the school, 17:03 and I loved it, but I just kept feeling, 17:05 "I'm supposed to be at 3ABN, but I don't know why, 17:07 I'm supposed to be back at 3ABN, you know, working," 17:10 I was always volunteering, but working. 17:12 And then two years later, I was in Mollie's office, 17:14 and she kind of leaned across the desk, 17:15 you know, how she would 17:17 and she put her fingertips together. 17:18 And she'd say, 17:20 "Miss Jill, you know, 17:21 my dream for this ministry is that you sit in my chair." 17:27 And she said, 17:28 "But I know you're gonna tell me no." 17:29 And I said, "Actually, I'm gonna tell you yes." 17:33 'Cause she didn't know, I said, "We've been praying about it." 17:35 And we knew and she said, 17:36 "Okay, then you have a job at this ministry." 17:40 And I just think 17:45 about the cancer that she walked through. 17:51 And yet she would come in the office 17:54 and we'd never know. 17:56 She had been for treatment. 17:57 And she'd go in treatment, come back into the office. 18:01 And I think about the things that she endured, 18:04 and she encountered and yet every day, 18:07 she walked in grace, 18:09 and every day she poured out love to other people, 18:12 and every day, you never know what went on, 18:15 she was always the same. 18:17 Always kind, always grace, and always uplifting, 18:22 she was never up one day and down the next, 18:25 she was always consistent. 18:26 And you can never compliment her either 18:28 'cause she disliked it. 18:29 That, you know, she always would change the subject 18:32 or give God the praise, 18:33 you know, but she never wanted. 18:35 Some people like to hear, "Oh, really? Yeah. What else," 18:37 and, you know, not her. 18:39 She would just cut down, we say get to brass tacks, 18:42 you know, she'd just get right at it. 18:43 But I think of her so often 18:46 is she's one of the strongest people 18:48 I've ever met in my life. 18:49 I mean, strong in that you said she could go to treatments 18:53 and could be feeling terrible, she would come back to work. 18:57 "How you doing, Mollie?" "I am fine." 18:58 You know, "I'm fine." 19:00 You know, and I'd say, 19:01 "Mollie Sue, how are you doing?" 19:02 She said, "Mr. Shelton, I'm fine." 19:04 So that meant, "Okay, don't ask any more questions." 19:06 You know, of course with love. 19:08 It's not like she want to come across, 19:10 we see her strong but one of the most loving people 19:13 in the entire world. 19:15 And so I remember one time 19:17 when someone had owed us a lot of money, 19:20 we struggled to pay our satellite time 19:22 and all of this, it's number of years ago. 19:25 And they owed, they came here and did productions, 19:28 we did all the productions, 19:30 they were supposed to pay airtime 19:31 so we could pay the satellite companies, 19:34 but they just got behind and got farther behind, 19:37 and it ended up being about $35,000. 19:39 So accounting would bill them and say, 19:41 "You know, we really need this money 19:43 'cause we need to pay our bills too. 19:45 We're having to front this money 19:46 that we don't really have," 19:48 and the person just said, 19:49 "I'm sorry, I don't have it now and things are just really, 19:53 you know, I don't know what to do." 19:55 So one day as Mollie and I were talking about it, 19:58 so I said, "Mollie," I said, "Write them a letter," 20:00 I said, 'cause accounting said, "Well, maybe if you did," 20:02 I said, "Just write them a letter for me." 20:05 And she would always say, "What is that you want?" 20:07 So she would dictate my letter and she could do shorthand too, 20:10 which, as fast as she'd dictate my letter. 20:13 But a lot of times didn't sound hardly like me at all. 20:15 So I would say, "Mollie," 20:16 and she said, "Well, I know what you said. 20:18 But I know you wouldn't really write that. 20:20 So I just kind of corrected it for you." 20:22 So when I'd listen back, 20:23 I'd say, "Yeah, that's much more like me. 20:25 Much more kind." 20:27 So this day, I said, 20:28 "Well, go ahead and write them a letter." 20:30 And I said, "Just tell them we have to have the money." 20:32 So she said, "Okay." 20:35 So I left, as I knew I came in did a program, 20:38 for as I knew she was writing this letter, 20:41 I came back out. 20:42 I said, "Mollie, did you get that letter?" 20:44 "Yeah." 20:45 I said, "You want me to sign it?" 20:46 "Sure," she said, 20:48 and she handed me this big sheet of paper. 20:50 And it said one word, "Forgiven." 20:52 Oh, wow. 20:54 "Forgiven." Powerful. 20:56 And I looked at it and I said, "What?" 20:58 She goes, 21:00 "Well, that's what you want." 21:03 And I said, 21:04 "What do you mean that's what I want, Mollie?" 21:05 I said, "We need the money." 21:07 She said, "I know you do. 21:08 But when it comes right down to it, I know you." 21:11 She said, "And so I..." 21:13 She said, "You always tell me 21:14 just write what you think I would say." 21:17 So she said, "In your heart, 21:18 that's what you want to say, isn't it?" 21:20 I said, "Yes, ma'am. That's it." 21:21 So that's what we sent. 21:23 We sent one word, forgiven. 21:26 So about six weeks later, 21:29 a person called me from the south and said, 21:32 "Is it true that this person owed you, 21:35 you know, $35,000?" 21:37 Well, I wasn't going to tell him, 21:38 and I thought, "Who told?" and I said, 21:40 "Well, I really don't want to discuss this." 21:42 And they said, "Well, we can tell you who told us." 21:47 I said, "Who?" 21:49 And they said, "The person that owed you the money," 21:51 and said, "You forgave it." 21:53 And I said, 21:54 "Well, yeah, and in a sense, 21:55 our leadership team did 'cause, 21:58 you know, that was without Mollie, I wouldn't. 22:00 So they said, 22:01 "Well, we want to make sure that was true." 22:03 And I said, "It's true." 22:05 And they said, "Well, that was so nice. 22:07 So kind of you to do that. 22:08 I'm sending you a check today for 50,000 to cover it." 22:12 Wow. 22:13 So by forgiving $35,000... 22:15 You gained $50,000. 22:16 And I looked at Mollie and she goes, "Yeah." 22:20 I'd say, "Can you believe it?" 22:22 And she goes, "Yeah." You know, that's it. 22:25 What a lady. Yeah, absolutely. 22:27 Do we want to go to the video first 22:29 and then maybe, Shelley, 22:30 we were gonna come back and talk to you. 22:32 So we have a little video, tell us about the clip. 22:33 Oh, yeah. 22:35 So this is a neat little roll 22:36 that was put together again by Brad Walker, 22:38 which we appreciate very much. 22:39 And the script was written by Bobby Davis, 22:41 a longtime friend, of course of Mollie and Hal. 22:44 And this is just a tribute video 22:46 that we actually put together for Mollie, 22:48 we added a couple things to it 22:50 and actually sent it to Miss Mollie 22:51 and to Pastor Hal 22:53 a number of months before she actually passed 22:55 because a lot of times when people pass, 22:57 then at the funeral memorial, 22:59 we're always talking about all these things, 23:00 but we just wanted to share with Mollie 23:02 how much we appreciated her, how much she meant to us, 23:05 and to you at home, 23:07 so this is the roll that we gave to her. 23:12 Mollie, as we think back 23:14 on the many years we've known you and Hal, 23:17 we are amazed as we think about 23:19 how God brought you to Southern Illinois 23:21 and made sure that you came in contact 23:23 with Danny Shelton. 23:25 Before the beginning of time, 23:27 God planned for you and Hal 23:29 to be an important part 23:30 of 3 Angels Broadcasting Network's ministry 23:33 so much so 23:34 that it's hard to think of 3ABN starting up without you. 23:39 Search me, O God, and know my heart. 23:42 Try me, O God, and even know my thoughts. 23:45 And a lot of us have thoughts we don't want God to know. 23:48 And that word try 23:49 is the same word that's over in 1 Peter 23:51 where it says that 23:53 "Our faith is gonna be tried as gold, 23:55 tried by fire," 23:57 and has gold tried in fire, 23:58 the heat gets turned up hotter and hotter, 24:01 what comes to the surface? 24:02 The dross. 24:03 The dross in your heart, that's where the problem is. 24:07 It doesn't matter who did it, 24:08 it doesn't matter who's at fault, 24:09 it just doesn't matter. 24:11 What matters is your relationship 24:12 with Jesus Christ. 24:14 And if this thing is separating you from God, 24:16 which it is, 24:17 then you get rid of it 24:18 because God's looking at your heart, 24:20 and He's bringing the dross to the surface, 24:22 and then God is not the one that skims it off. 24:25 You know who has to do that? 24:27 The Word says, 24:28 "He that hath his hope purifieth himself." 24:32 So we have to do it our self. 24:34 And in this case, honey, you just may have to, by faith, 24:38 ask God to help you forgive 24:39 because that might really have been a hard thing 24:41 that happened to you, 24:43 but you walk in forgiveness for the sake of yourself. 24:47 From the moment, 24:49 God impressed you 24:50 to move to Southern Illinois, to house, 24:52 offer to donate your cameras to this ministry 24:55 all the way to when you both joined us in this work. 24:59 God's perfect will has unfolded 25:02 and you've endeared yourselves in our hearts. 25:05 How well some of us remember those early days, Mollie, 25:08 when you worked at a tiny desk in the corner of our mailroom. 25:13 How quickly your personality, your smile, 25:16 and your willingness to serve in any capacity 25:19 gained the respect and love of all of those 25:22 who worked with you. 25:23 As Danny has said, 25:24 "Hal and Mollie joining this ministry 25:27 is one of the greatest blessings 25:29 we've ever had." 25:30 And, Mollie, we cannot tell you 25:32 how much we've appreciated the love 25:35 and the good counsel that you've poured into us. 25:38 Your advice has always been based 25:40 on principles Christ taught His disciples, 25:43 and you've reflected His love to everyone who sees you. 25:47 How we've loved your wisdom and encouragement. 25:50 You've mothered and mentored so many 25:53 who now rise up to call you blessed. 25:56 We have many wonderful memories of you, 25:59 from leading us in corporate worship 26:01 to all those 3ABN Today programs 26:03 through the years. 26:05 There were the countless newsbreaks you did 26:08 that kept our worldwide audience informed. 26:11 And who could forget your wonderful insights 26:13 and clear teaching 26:15 on the 3ABN's Sabbath School Panel. 26:18 How precious those memories are to all of us. 26:22 In the best of times and the worst of times, 26:25 you've carried yourself 26:27 as a gracious and dignified lady 26:30 full of wisdom, integrity, and loyalty. 26:34 Your fairness in dealing with difficult situations 26:38 is legendary. 26:39 And you've been a powerful example 26:41 of what it's like to live for Jesus 26:44 and serve Him in any way you can. 26:47 God's grace shows through you. 26:49 And all those who have worked with you 26:51 will attest that 26:52 you have extended that grace to us. 26:55 Mollie, God has bonded our hearts together. 26:59 As we've laughed, and cried, 27:01 and fussed with each other as you like to put it. 27:04 You truly lifted up Danny's hands. 27:07 And as you were stretched 27:08 into new and difficult positions, 27:11 God always gave you the grace 27:13 to handle every situation with wisdom. 27:16 We love you. We miss you. 27:19 And we pray that God's mighty hand 27:21 will continue to sustain. 27:23 We cannot wait 27:25 to spend eternity with you and with Him. 27:28 So may God wrap 27:29 His powerful arms of love around you 27:32 and keep you until then. 27:36 Wow. 27:37 Amen. 27:39 You know, seeing all those pictures 27:40 and it just literally 27:41 brings back so many memories for so many years. 27:45 I remember, Yvonne, it was about 1978 maybe 1979, 27:51 Mike Adkins, I grew up with Mike in West Frankfort. 27:53 He was singing and traveling all over the country 27:56 and co-hosting with PTL at the time, club, 27:59 you know Jim and Tammy 28:00 and so he told me 28:03 he had hired a new secretary slash kind of his manager 28:08 but a lady to run his office. 28:10 So my brother and I, Kenny, we were contractors, 28:12 so we built a building, 28:14 he had concrete on but we put a roof, 28:16 all the trusses and roof... 28:21 I one day I went in the office and I met this Southern belle, 28:24 we've been talking about. 28:26 Mollie and then I met brother Hal. 28:28 Brother Hal was a pastor, 28:29 and so charismatic pastor and Mollie was also a pastor. 28:34 And so they came to Southern Illinois. 28:37 Well, Mollie told me the story later. 28:39 I said, "How did you end up here?" 28:41 They were in Florida at the time, actually, 28:44 at a big church there. 28:45 And he was I think, 28:47 a co-pastor or something at a large church, 28:48 I think it's Lake City or Lakeland, 28:50 maybe it's Lakeland. 28:52 So anyway, they came up here 28:53 and so Mollie said we interviewed with Mike 28:57 and when his wintertime 28:59 went through downtown West Frankfort 29:01 and of course they've been from Florida, 29:02 no flowers, everything's gone. 29:04 They said, "We're getting in. 29:06 We loved the ministry and loved the idea. 29:09 But as we left town," 29:11 we said, "It's kind of ugly, " 29:12 and Hal said, 29:14 "I smelled sulfur from those coal mines." 29:16 He said, 29:19 "I don't think we want to move here, do you?" 29:20 And Mollie said, "No, not really. 29:22 I mean, I like the ministry and everything but no." 29:24 So he said, "We get on Interstate 57." 29:27 We start heading south. 29:28 We don't even get to Johnson City. 29:30 And Mollie's sniffling over, 29:32 you know, like this and he is too, he said, 29:34 "We both got tears running down our eyes," 29:36 and we looked at each other and say, 29:38 "We have to move there, don't we?" 29:39 And he said at the same time we both said, 29:42 "Yeah, we do. 29:44 Go next exit and turn it back around 29:45 and tell him we want to move there." 29:48 And that was my first experience, 29:49 first meeting. 29:51 And Mollie was always so gracious 29:52 and, Hal, he and I, 29:54 so I would do work for them inside, 29:56 they were finished in the building. 29:58 Well, he always wanted to get me speak in tongues. 30:00 So he was always talking to me about speaking in tongues. 30:02 So I always talked to him about the Sabbath. 30:05 So we would have all these meetings 30:07 while we were building together, 30:08 and we loved each other, you know. 30:10 And so we had have all these conversations, 30:13 and we talked about the state of the day, 30:14 all that are in heaven, 30:15 when others sleeping in the grave. 30:17 You know, we talked about eating, 30:18 we talked about everything you can think of 30:21 and didn't agree on a lot. 30:23 We agreed on salvation, which was the most important, 30:25 but we had a lot of these 30:27 but, you know, it never came in between a friendship. 30:30 We loved each other, 30:31 we could talk openly and directly with brother Hal. 30:34 And so finally, at one point, after a number of years 30:37 Brother Hal said, 30:38 "Man, it hit me, 30:41 it hit me this Seventh-day Sabbath, 30:43 why haven't I seen it all this time? 30:46 We have to start keeping the Sabbath. 30:48 So he told me, 30:49 "If you come out Wednesday night, 30:50 I'm going to be preaching about it 30:52 to my congregation." 30:53 He had a big congregation. 30:55 "So I'm going to be preaching about it." 30:56 So May Chung was here. 30:57 Wednesday night, we showed up, 30:59 and there was hundreds of people 31:00 on a Wednesday night. 31:02 So she and I just sat in the back. 31:03 We didn't see her, 31:04 so Brother Hal started in about, you know, 31:06 "Why didn't Columbus come discover America in a 747?" 31:10 And everybody laughed, you know, 31:11 he said, "I'm not being funny. 31:13 Why didn't Columbus discover America in a 747?" 31:18 People quieter. 31:19 And he said, 31:20 "Well, the laws of aviation 31:22 were aerodynamics was in effect all of those years, 31:26 but they didn't take advantage of it." 31:28 He said the 10 commandments have been in fact, 31:29 since the beginning, 31:31 but we haven't taken advantage of them, just nine. 31:33 He said, "Why be cheated? 31:35 We're going to keep all 10 of them here." 31:37 So people didn't know what to think. 31:39 Well, after that, there were some problems. 31:40 So one day, Mollie said, "Can I talk to you?" 31:43 And, you know, how she can, "Can I talk to you?" 31:45 I said, "Yes." So she goes, 31:48 "I can see what you're saying about the Sabbath. 31:50 Now Hal is sold on it," 31:52 but she said, "I'm the one that's paying all the bills." 31:54 So she says, "I'm paying all the bills." 31:57 And she said, "We've lost a number of couples," 31:59 And she said, 32:01 "Don't you think it's okay 32:02 that maybe we should do it like putting on braces? 32:05 I tell, Hal, you put on just a little at a time. 32:08 Why don't you do that?" 32:09 And she said, "No, Hal won't do that." 32:11 So he said, "I can't, " 32:12 now that it's true, 32:13 well, Mollie, then within a matter of weeks, 32:15 she was up there preaching. 32:17 So we had her back as far as I think 32:18 we just saw that video a while ago, 32:20 '80s, '89, 32:22 she was on 3ABN 32:24 preaching about the Seventh-day Sabbath. 32:26 She still had the Charismatic Church 32:27 for a number of years. 32:29 Then we had some evangelistic series here in '99, 32:31 I think it was, around 2000, 32:33 she and Hal both were baptized 32:35 in the Seventh-day Adventist Church. 32:37 But incredible people. 32:39 And just, I mean, the world is not the same. 32:42 My life is totally different because of them. 32:45 So, Brother Hal, thank you 32:46 and, you know, Sister Mollie is just incredible. 32:49 Shelley, you both came from the kind of same background, 32:55 Charismatic background or Pentecostal or some, 32:59 whatever it was, but you got... 33:01 I won't consider myself of a Pentecostal background, 33:03 but I did come from a full gospel. 33:06 When I met Mollie it was 2002 at ASI. 33:11 And I was brand new adventist 33:15 and you had me up on the ASI stage that night 33:18 because I've talked with you. 33:20 But we talked a little bit 33:23 and then you all invited me up 33:24 for the New Year's Eve program. 33:29 And Mollie and I sat down and talked and, 33:32 you know, there are sometimes 33:36 that you just meet somebody that you bond with immediately. 33:40 And we bonded in such a special way. 33:44 And I know that I came up a few months later 33:47 when you had your camp meeting, I stayed at her home. 33:51 And Dean commented to me, 33:53 she said, 33:54 "I've never seen Mollie 33:56 get this close to anybody before." 33:58 So you all knew her as southern belle, 34:01 I knew her as southern sass. 34:06 I mean, Mollie was so much fun. 34:10 She had great humor. We had that in common. 34:12 I mean, we had similar, everything, 34:15 really we shared so much in common 34:17 except shopping. 34:18 She did not want to go shopping with me 34:20 'cause I'm like a laser beam. 34:22 I shop like a man, I'm in and out, 34:24 and Mollie loved to shop. 34:25 But, you know, 34:27 we took vacations together, 34:32 she was my sister in every sense of the word. 34:36 And I know that, you know, she'd tell me that... 34:38 She told me things 34:40 she'd never told anybody in her life. 34:42 And we had that kind of relationship. 34:45 But I think I had totally forgotten this, 34:49 you were talking about what she said to you. 34:52 You know, Mollie had a way of... 34:55 I remember when we came up here. 34:57 She called me and said, 35:02 "God told me JD is supposed 35:03 to be in the pastoral department." 35:05 And I said, 35:06 "You'll have to tell him that." 35:08 She said, "Well, have him call me." 35:09 And I called him. 35:11 And he said, "Well, I'm not really 35:12 an indoor person." 35:14 And I said, 35:15 "Honey, God won't have you 35:16 do anything that you don't want to do. 35:19 And so if you don't want to do this, fine," 35:21 and boy, just as I'm saying this it was in my mind, 35:25 who is this that darkens my counsel 35:27 with words without wisdom? 35:30 Man, I shut my mouth and I said, 35:32 "You better pray about this." 35:34 He prayed, he called. 35:37 Well, actually she called and asked JD 35:39 to work here first. 35:40 And I said, "Well, do you want me too?" 35:44 She said, "Of course." 35:45 But what she told me, you know, 35:48 I told her she had a good teaching gift. 35:52 And she told me something, one day, she said, 35:55 "Shelley, it's different." 35:56 She said, "Yeah, I've got the gift, teaching," 35:58 but she said, 35:59 "You've been called 36:01 as in the sevenfold ministry as a teacher 36:05 to the body of Christ." 36:06 She said, 36:08 "I teach what somebody else puts together." 36:11 And she said, "God shows you a lot of things." 36:13 But she had this way about her. 36:19 You know, the day that she was in a car accident 36:24 and that was 2013. 36:27 We'd had lunch together 36:30 and we'd met there 36:31 'cause JD and I were hosting a program. 36:36 So she and Hal went and we had lunch, 36:38 I was so blessed to get to work with my best friend every day. 36:42 You know, I mean, it was amazing. 36:44 We had lunch together every day. 36:46 But we were supposed to be in the car with them 36:49 because we were meeting there, 36:51 we're gonna go drive on to John Hauser, 36:53 he had had open heart surgery. 36:56 And so they were in the accident. 36:58 And we were just a few miles up the road 37:00 'cause what happened instead of going with them, 37:02 they called from 3ABN and said, 37:04 "Can you come host a program, so and so camp host?" 37:07 So we'd turned around. 37:09 And when we got the call... 37:15 it was Hal that called. 37:16 And he said, "We've been in an accident." 37:18 So we sit back 37:19 and they had everything closed off. 37:21 And JD just flashed his pastoral credentials, 37:26 and he said, "We're their pastors," 37:29 And we did, we pastored them. 37:32 So we got there and they were down in the, 37:37 I mean, a deep ravine. 37:39 I jumped out of the car, and I went running down there, 37:43 and these cops were saying, 37:44 "You can't go down there. You can't go down there." 37:46 And I mean, I was up to my ankles. 37:48 They were bringing Hal up 37:50 and I was up to my ankles in mud. 37:51 And I got down there and I kept saying, 37:53 "That's my sister. That's my sister." 37:56 And so they air flighted them... 38:01 up to St. Louis. 38:03 And I remember that. 38:08 We were there, we stayed, 38:09 we got Jeremy and took him up there, 38:11 and we stayed there several days. 38:13 But I was in the room when the doctor walked in. 38:15 And he said, 38:16 "There's no breaks in your neck." 38:19 But he said, 38:20 "There's lesions, 38:22 they look like existing lesions." 38:24 Well, everybody's, "Hallelujah." 38:27 And I had to leave the room. 38:28 I just knew what it was. 38:31 And so we went out to Loma Linda together. 38:35 And I've never seen, 38:37 as you said, anybody that had the grace and the grit, 38:42 but a lot of it was... 38:45 Mollie didn't want to be pitied, 38:47 Mollie didn't like pity, 38:50 and she just wanted 38:51 to put forward that strong face. 38:53 But I praise God that, 38:56 you know, Isaiah 57:1, 38:59 I think it is, 39:00 says that the righteous are taken from us. 39:04 And we don't ask why. 39:05 And it's because the Lord is taking them away from evil 39:10 to spare them from evil. 39:13 And grief is so disorienting, 39:19 it seems like forever, 39:23 now, I mean, at first, it was so unreal, 39:25 but now it seems like forever that she's been gone. 39:28 You know, at first it wasn't real. 39:30 From weeks to for forever, you know. 39:32 I know. It's just amazing. 39:34 But I do know... 39:35 We knew, I don't think 39:37 we've gotten through a program... 39:39 You had to go, so we had to prepare. 39:41 And, you know, 39:43 one of the reasons we put it off for a while. 39:45 You know, I just want to say one thing 39:46 and then I'll quit 39:47 'cause I don't know what I'm saying. 39:49 But I do know that 39:52 the last few weeks of her life were horrible, 39:54 and I was in that anticipatory stage of grace, 39:58 you know, knowing. 39:59 So I was grieving so much before she died 40:02 and when she died, 40:05 it was like 40:09 she had such a special room in my heart, 40:11 and when she died, 40:13 it was like the light went off in that room, 40:16 you know, and you just feel like, 40:19 there was such a darkness, there's such a heaviness, 40:22 but I know that already God is turning on the light. 40:27 And just to show us a gallery of wonderful memories, 40:30 you know, I think every day we have something cute 40:32 that we did together. 40:34 And I'm just a very blessed person 40:37 to have had her for such a good friend. 40:40 Absolutely. Yvonne. 40:42 Wow. 40:45 So I came here... 40:49 It's all right, Shelley. It's okay. 40:51 Yes. I'm sorry. 40:53 It's all right. Oh, no. 40:55 So I came here in 2010. 40:58 And I really didn't know what to expect 41:03 because I had not worked 41:06 in an all Christian environment. 41:10 I basically worked for myself for many years. 41:16 So I really didn't know what to expect. 41:18 And I met Mollie 41:20 and we were both kind of dry with each other. 41:24 I have to say... 41:26 I know she was. 41:28 And I was like, 41:29 "She's acting kind of dry with me. 41:30 So I just gave it back." 41:32 That's just, you know, that was the flesh, I admit. 41:35 So we just kind of... 41:37 We just didn't really, 41:39 I guess, know how to take each other. 41:41 We're cordial, 41:42 but there was this kind of a wall. 41:45 And I was thinking about this, I don't know when it turned, 41:50 but it went from us being like this 41:55 to being like this 41:57 because we... 41:59 She saw your heart. 42:00 Oh, yeah. 42:01 You know, something I remember the day 42:03 that where she called me into her office 42:05 and she said, 42:06 "I've seen her heart. She's a good woman." 42:08 She said, "She's a genuine Christian" 42:10 'cause she was just checking you out. 42:13 Yeah, yeah. 42:14 You guys have been very protective. 42:16 Yes. She was. 42:18 You know, 'cause she was in the time and, 42:20 you know, so she's making protective, 42:22 "Okay, if somebody's coming here, 42:23 I want to make sure it's for the right reason 42:25 that this is going to be..." 42:26 You know, so she was just eyeing you 42:29 and you were eyeing her. 42:31 And actually, I appreciated the fact 42:34 that she was real with me. 42:36 Like, she wasn't fake with me. 42:38 She was very real but kind. 42:40 But just like the wall, I felt the wall. 42:43 And I think I gave the wall back a bit 42:46 because I was getting that. 42:47 And so we were just kind of giving it back and forth. 42:49 But then I think we both saw each other 42:52 like the two words that 42:54 when I think of Mollie, 42:56 I think of elegance and I think of dignity. 43:02 And through her trials and through the pain 43:07 and through the health challenges, 43:11 she didn't want pity, 43:15 she would talk to me about some things and, 43:18 you know, I've made some suggestions or whatever. 43:20 And she just... 43:22 She was so strong in the Lord 43:26 that you just couldn't help but admire her 43:31 and yet, she was fun, and she was funny. 43:34 And I got to know her and she got to know me. 43:39 And I'm so thankful 43:40 that the Lord put us in each other's life path 43:44 because, you know, 43:47 the walls came tumbling down and we became sisters. 43:51 So it was a blessing. 43:52 She said to me at one point, 43:54 I don't know how long Yvonne had been here. 43:56 But she called me in, 43:58 and she'd do so I sat down and I'd always say, 44:00 "Am I in trouble? Am I in trouble?" 44:03 She said, "No. No," 44:04 she said, "Yvonne's the woman you need to marry." 44:08 She can do it so straight and just so serious. 44:10 Like, "What? 44:12 You're just gonna throw that out?" 44:13 She goes, "Yvonne's the woman you need to marry." 44:15 And I said, "I do?" 44:16 I said, "Why? How do you know?" 44:18 Of course, I already knew that in my mind, 44:20 but I wanted to hear what she said. 44:21 "How do you know?" 44:23 And she goes, "Well, because," 44:24 she said, "The Lord, this is meant." 44:26 She said, "This is meant for the both of you." 44:28 This is what I am saying. 44:31 She had discernment, she knew that you were... 44:35 She wanted you to be president, 44:36 she knew you should be sitting in her seat, 44:39 she knew you should be his wife. 44:41 Mollie had... 44:43 She knew JD should be in pastoral. 44:45 She had a very amazing gift of discernment. 44:51 She did. She did. 44:52 I'm going to make a confession right now. 44:54 I've had people over the years and still people will say, 44:59 "Man, it's amazing 45:00 that you can manage something like that. 45:02 And you started from nothing. 45:03 And 3ABN has been such a success and, 45:06 you know, you're able to keep going 45:07 and pay all the bills and do all of this." 45:10 And I always have to say, 45:11 "That's really just hiring the right people, 45:14 where you put yourself around people 45:16 who are more qualified than you are." 45:18 And so it's not really hard to do like me, 45:20 I'm not qualified to do all that stuff. 45:22 Mollie came, 45:23 I'm telling you the last 20 some years for Jill, 45:28 when Mollie was here, there's no telling, 45:30 this place would have been a mess 45:32 'cause she organized everything. 45:34 Everything is organized. 45:36 My schedule, if I wasn't in when right when I should, 45:39 "Mr. Shelton, you're supposed to be over here in five minutes 45:41 for a program." 45:42 I say, "Yes, ma'am." 45:44 So I'd hang up, get over here. 45:46 But she was so organized and incredible. 45:48 And you have that same gift, Jill, and so mentoring you, 45:53 Jill is the same, 45:55 I mean, everything there's nothing out of place. 45:57 Cut from the same cloth, aren't they? 45:58 They do. 46:00 And they're both velvet hammers, 46:01 they both can... 46:03 Yeah, that's right. 46:04 You know, that you can tell somebody 46:05 something but it's gracious. 46:07 Oh, yeah, I get nervous now when I go in Jill's office. 46:09 You go and see Jill 46:10 and talk to her and it's so sweet, 46:12 and then you come, you don't realize it, 46:14 you know, you've been like ripped all up. 46:16 No, not really. 46:17 Not really. 46:18 But no, you do a great... 46:20 It's the Christian, it really is, I mean, 46:23 it's done in a Christian way. 46:25 But that's why we should be, 46:26 we should be straightforward with people, 46:28 but that's why Mollie Sue, 46:31 I mean, honestly, 46:33 the hundreds and hundreds of workers over the years, 46:35 I don't know anybody who didn't like her. 46:37 You respected her, 46:38 you might not like some of the decisions you make, 46:41 but you couldn't help but love her. 46:43 And you had to respect her 46:45 even if she had to let somebody go, 46:46 they knew they needed to, you know, they needed to be. 46:50 Incredible woman. 46:51 So you and Mollie became very close 46:53 and great friends and love each other. 46:55 We did, we did. 46:56 And I'm so thankful for that because I got to know her. 47:00 And, you know, we talk like, 47:02 Shelley and I talk about clothes and all that, 47:04 hair and all that. 47:06 So no, it was a girl thing. 47:08 And, you know, we just did our girl thing. 47:11 And that was just such a blessing, 47:13 such a blessing. 47:14 You know, Mollie was such a planner 47:16 when we would go on vacations. 47:20 And she'd say, "Now, it doesn't have to be this way. 47:23 But I just don't want us to waste time 47:25 while we're here." 47:26 Well, and then she had it all planned out too. 47:30 She said, "Let's face it, I'm going to outlive Hal, 47:33 and you're going to outlive JD." 47:34 So she said, 47:36 "We're going to retire together." 47:38 She said, "We're gonna grow old together." 47:41 And I mean, she was still saying that 47:43 even up to six months ago, you know? 47:47 And it was fun to be with her 47:51 because Mollie didn't... 47:54 She didn't waste any time. 47:56 Mollie wasn't a person to... 47:58 Made the most of it. Yeah. 48:00 We only have a few minutes. I can't believe... 48:01 Maybe you have a few comments from viewers or something, 48:03 can we... We do. 48:05 Can we do a few of those? Yeah, I think, you know, we do. 48:07 Because just after she passed, 48:08 you know, we put something on social media, 48:10 you know, thank you for that. 48:11 And we put something up just quickly and from that roll 48:14 that we did and put up on social media, 48:17 wow, 48:18 talk about tens of thousands of you. 48:21 We just have a selection of just some of the comments 48:23 that have come through what Mollie's meant to you 48:25 and I think only in eternity will we realize 48:27 the full impact that Mollie had, 48:29 and I'm thinking about just that decision of them 48:31 heading back to Florida, 48:32 tears running down their cheeks, 48:34 we just stayed here, 48:36 that decision 48:37 what that would do for the world 48:39 because it was in the ministry there 48:40 but then they came to 3ABN, and you think about that. 48:43 I just got a few, you got some too, 48:45 we're just gonna go through some of these briefly. 48:46 This is from Christine she says, 48:47 "My condolences to the entire 3ABN family. 48:50 May Mollie rest in peace. Stay strong." 48:53 This is from Estelita, 48:55 "Sincere condolences. 48:56 This news has brought me deep sadness 48:58 but comforted at the thought that that would..." 49:02 and then they say some more. 49:03 Then they say, "I pray that her life continues 49:05 to witness to the world." 49:07 And that it is continuing to do. 49:09 One more, it says, "My deepest sympathy," 49:10 this is from Sheila, 49:12 "And to the family 49:13 and also to my brothers and sisters at 3ABN. 49:14 And I watch and listen to her all the time. 49:17 I love to hear her preach the Word of God. 49:19 She will be greatly missed. 49:20 Looking forward to the great resurrection day 49:22 when Jesus shall call His children to their reward. 49:25 I love you all." 49:27 Can I say something? 49:28 Do you remember, in the Sabbath School Panel, 49:29 we were sitting there doing the Sabbath School Panel. 49:31 And she's teaching along 49:33 and then all of a sudden she looks up and she says, 49:35 "You're pruned if you do 49:36 and you're pruned if you don't." 49:39 She's fabulous. 49:42 That's what Mollie isn't, you know, 49:43 when I think about what Mollie meant was here at 3ABN 49:46 which is incredible. 49:47 And you saw her as a sister 49:49 and I saw her as a mom, you know? 49:51 Yep, and you at home see her as part of the family. 49:53 As part of the family. 49:55 And that's the beautiful thing that we mourn her loss here, 49:57 but I know that 49:59 she has impacted your life at home as well. 50:01 This is from Australia. 50:03 "I'm so sorry to hear about Mollie 50:05 and I wish I could have met her. 50:07 But I watched her via satellite from Australia 50:09 and I'm going to see her in heaven." 50:11 This one is, 50:12 "I recently learned of Mollie's death. 50:14 And I'm so sorry 50:16 on behalf of our entire ministry, 50:18 I want to leave these words with you, 50:20 our hearts and prayers are with you." 50:22 This was from Canada. 50:23 And one more, this one was from Iowa 50:26 if I can find it. 50:28 Well, no, this one says, 50:29 "Our sincere condolences 50:30 on the passing of Mollie Steenson. 50:32 She's dear to our hearts. 50:33 And I'm sure 50:35 you all are missing her greatly." 50:36 That's from California. 50:37 So we have heard from all around the world. 50:39 The impact that Mollie has made, 50:42 and the people who have chosen to accept Jesus 50:44 as a result of what she's done. 50:46 I just think of all the stars in her crown 50:49 because she was faithful. 50:52 Mollie's favorite scripture, I guess, 50:54 because she used it in every program we did, 50:56 I think was John 1:9, that if you confess your sins, 51:00 He's faithful. 1 John, did I say John? 51:03 1 John 1:9, 51:04 "If you confess your sins, He's faithful and just, 51:06 forgive your sins 51:08 and cleanse you of all unrighteousness." 51:10 So turn to Him today. 51:13 She was a woman of principle 51:15 because I saw it in the actions, 51:17 whether it's the board meetings, 51:19 she always made not based on her feelings. 51:22 Working with employees is not who liked you 51:25 and who didn't like you and who you liked, 51:27 and she was a straightforward, 51:30 this is a principle, this is a decision. 51:33 I love you, and she'd say, 51:34 "I love you to death. 51:35 But, you know, you can't do this, 51:37 you can't..." 51:38 Whatever. And so that to me was so strong. 51:40 I knew when I was gone 51:42 or whatever and decisions were going to be made, 51:44 she wasn't just going to make them 51:46 'cause she's maybe having a bad day or a good day, 51:48 it's always the same. 51:50 This is what the Lord would have us do, 51:52 this is what we're going to stand up and do. 51:54 When there was a gray line, there is no gray line there. 51:57 It's either black or white, we're going to do... 51:59 It's either right or wrong, let's find out which one it is. 52:02 We got to pray about it, we'll do it. 52:04 Sometimes she'd say, 52:06 "If we to have pray about it, let's pray about it. 52:07 But we ought to know. 52:08 You know. So no, we love her. 52:11 It's a great, incredible loss. 52:13 Mollie's incredible loss, 52:15 we could do hours and hours of programs 52:17 and those of you that know her, 52:19 you could spend hours and hours also just talking about Mollie. 52:23 Now I know a lot of times we do this 52:25 when somebody is gone. 52:26 I'm so thankful that we did Greg, 52:28 you all had us do the video first 52:30 and then give it to her 52:32 so she could watch it and see it. 52:33 And she was so appreciative of it too. 52:36 And last time we talked to her, she said... 52:39 And literally 52:40 it was very short time after that. 52:42 She said my friend or my brother 52:46 or something like that, my sister. 52:47 Yvonne and I, it was kind of a goodbye. 52:50 And it was like, you know, 52:51 "Oh, my brother and my sister, 52:52 you know, I love you so much." 52:54 We're gonna have to go to the news break. 52:55 We'll take a short break 52:57 and we'll be back for closing thought. |
Revised 2021-01-22