My Dear Dear friend Donna Aunchman
In God‘s word, names are very significant, and often reveal the character of a person. I have had the Name Book by Dorothea Austin, (1,200 names – their meaning and significance.)
In it, Donna‘s name means cultured and refined. The spiritual connotation is gracious and honorable.
The supporting scripture is Matthew 4:4 “It is written man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. Our dear dear friend, Donna surely did not live by “natural bread” alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.
She most surely loved, and lived by the word of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Titus 2: 11-15
“For the Grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. Teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lust, we should live soberly, righteously, and Godly in this present world. Looking for that glorious appearing of The Great God, and our Savior, Jesus Christ:
Who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity, and purify unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. These things speak and exhort and rebuke with all authority. Let no man despise you.”
Proverbs 27:9 says “ointment and perfume rejoice the heart, so does the sweetness of a man’s friend by hearty counsel.
Thank you, my dear dear friend, Donna, for your life carried the sweetness of our Lord‘s presence into our lives. As the song goes, “friends are friends forever, when the Lord is the Lord of them.”
My heart is lonely already for your gentle, precious presence among us. These words in 1 Samuel 18: 1, remind me of our special friendship.
“The soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David; and Jonathan loved David as his own soul.”
My soul and Donna’s soul were knit together around our mutual love of the Glorious Gospel of the Grace of God. That glorious gospel centers around The finished work of Jesus on the altar of the cross. Hebrews 9:26.
“There he put sin away by the sacrifice of himself”
Donna and I had plans to teach the glorious gospel together. We shall do it in heaven one day.
A friend loves at all times. That describes my dear dear friend, Donna, Aunchman. We talked often via the telephone; and she always answered when I called, “hello my dear dear friend”. A great void is in my heart at this moment, as I think of life on earth, without her sweet, gentle presence.
King David said about the Lord, “your gentleness has made me great.”
I can say that about my beloved husband, Smets, as well as about my treasured, and beloved friend, Donna. She carried that same sweet gentleness; and we both knew the gentleness of our Savior Jesus Christ. We enjoyed many precious moments in his presence this summer.
Several days she drove over to our condo, when we were in Saint Augustine, and we would go back to the lovely Aunchman home. Our plan was just to sit together in the presence of our Lord Jesus, and talk about the gospel and his goodness.
A friend loves at all times. My family and I experienced that kind of love from our dear dear friend, Donna.
Over the many years, we had the blessing and pleasure of knowing, and experiencing her love for our family. Today there is a great sorrow in my heart, knowing how much I will miss hearing Donna‘s voice, saying, “hello, my dear dear friend”; and I would always say back to her, “hello my dear dear friend.”
First Thessalonians 4:16: In closing this letter, my dear dear friend, these words, just arose in my heart… “For this, we say unto you, by the word of the Lord, that we which are alive, and remain, until the coming of the Lord, shall not prevent them, which are asleep. For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the Trump of God; and the dead in Christ shall rise first. Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air, and so shall we ever be with the Lord.”
“Wherefore, comfort one, another with these words. Until then “Shalom, my dear dear friend”.
From your dear dear friend, Joanna.
I love you! I treasure you. I shall hold the sweet memory of you in my heart always!