Dale Shaffer Celebration of Life

Diane carries ashes to front table

(where flower arrangement is) to start the service

North Georgia Honor Guard

Soldier’s salute

Chaplain speaks

21-gun salute – Outside church

Bugler

Dale Shaffer

We have recognized Brother Dale’s military service.

Let’s recognize his service to Jesus and to his family

Opening Scripture and Prayer

Dale Shaffer is in the presence of his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ where he has heard the words of that Jesus told us in ...

Matthew 25:21 (TPT) “Commending his servant, the master replied, ‘You have done well, and proven yourself to be my loyal and trustworthy servant. Because you have been a faithful steward to manage a small sum, now I will put you in charge of much, much more. You will experience the delight of your master, who will say to you, “Come celebrate with me!” ’

I believe Dale is celebrating the presence of the Lord like he talked about earlier this year.

Prayer

Obituary

Mr. Dale Vernon Shaffer, Jr. age 75, of  Hwy 325 Blairsville went to be with Jesus on Friday, September 10, 2021 in the Union General Hospital following a battle with covid.

Dale was born on January 25, 1946 in Cumberland, MD, the son of the late Dale Vernon Shaffer Sr. and the late Virginia Oates Shaffer.

Dale was a veteran of the US Army National Guard.

He was a loving husband, father, Poppy and friend.

His passions included building, gardening, drawing and reading - especially his favorite book, The Bible.

Dale was a member of New Life Family Church, where he served as a board member for the last three years.

Surviving Dale are his loving wife and best friend of more than fifty years, Diane Shaffer of Blairsville,

one daughter, Jody Lynn Walker of Blairsville,

one son and daughter in law, Reese and Loribeth Shaffer of Sherman, TX;

four grandchildren, Rebalynn Shaffer, Sgt Mackenzie Van Walker, CarsonDale Walker and Colby Walker Ives.

Many other relatives and friends also survive.

As we think about the family Brother Dale leaves behind the song the trio is about to sing is very appropriate:

Trio – Song: Wish You Were Here

Family Speaks

Diane, Children & Pat speak:

Diane

Jody

Reece

Pat

Pastor’s Message

Before he died Brother Dale was saying, “I want to see Jesus.”

And now He is seeing Him.

He is with Him.

He is worshipping Him with no limitations of physical strength.

The limitations of the human form are no longer and impediment to Brother Dale’s constant worship of Jesus.

Most of Dale’s life was lived with the desire to experience the fullness of God’s glory.

To worship Jesus.

To that end he didn’t waste the dash in between 1946 and 2021 .

He lived it to the full.

He knew what King David was talking about in:

Psalms 39:4-5 My heart burned with a fire within me, and my thoughts eventually boiled over until they finally came rolling out of my mouth. “Lord, help me to know how fleeting my time on earth is. Help me to know how limited is my life and that I’m only here but for a moment more. 5 What a brief time you’ve given me to live! Compared to you my lifetime is nothing at all! Nothing more than a puff of air, I’m gone so swiftly. So too are the grandest of men; they are nothing but a fleeting shadow!” Selah - Pause in his presence

Dale knew how brief life is and he used it to serve God.

Brother Dale lived his brief, finite number of days for Jesus.

There is no better use of our days on earth than to live them for Jesus.

Because he lived for Jesus Brother Dale is now with Him — he waits for us to join him.

As his pastor I deeply appreciate that he was not only a faithful member, but a faithful and very involved Board member.

He was very involved in our Board meetings.

Our Board meetings are about more than finances — although being a good steward of God’s finances is important.

It’s about the church being diligent to see people come into intimate relationship with Jesus.

It’s about those who enter into that relationship growing deeper in the Word of God.

Deeper in worship, deeper in prayer.

That was Brother Dale’s heart!

Brother Dale was very passionate about seeing the church minister to people — and he did something about it — he prayed.

As King David also said in:

Psalms 39:12 Lord, listen to all my tender cries. Read my every tear, like liquid words that plead for your help. ...

Whenever he would be in our prayer services you would hear Dale cry out in fervor and passion to be allowed into the presence of God.

He was very passionate about God’s presence and seeing another great move of the Holy Spirit.

He cried out for others to experience God’s fullness and His glory.

Here we receive only a taste of what Brother Dale is now experiencing.

Psalm 34:8 NASB 2020

8 Taste and see that the Lord is good; How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him!

But that taste is enough to whet our appetite for more.

It did for Brother Dale.

He didn’t just taste — he drank deeply of the presence of God at every opportunity.

If you haven’t tasted the things of God, please speak to me after the service.

I want you to know the Jesus that Dale knew.

To know God in the fullness that he did.

As that old chorus says:

More of You, more of You!

I’ve had all, but what I need is more of You.

Of things I’ve had my fill

And yet I hunger still.

Empty and bare, Lord hear my prayer for more of You.

Dale wanted all he could get of God.

And now the shackles of this earth have fallen away and he has complete liberty in the Spirit to worship God.

When like Brother Dale, our faith has become sight, what a wonder we will experience.

Words are insufficient to tell of God’s glory and majesty.

All we will be able to do is fall on our knees before Him and join with the mighty seraphim who unceasingly cry:

Isaiah 6:2–4 NASB95

2 Seraphim stood above Him, each having six wings: with two he covered his face, and with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. 3 And one called out to another and said, “Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord of hosts, The whole earth is full of His glory.” 4 And the foundations of the thresholds trembled at the voice of him who called out, while the temple was filling with smoke.

Trio – Song: I Bowed on My Knees and Cried Holy

Prayer

Meal

Simple

Very few family (Reece, Pat, …)

Friends