A Lesson From Bees... :) Shangy! >Here are the details on our Yahoo ShangyFunList: To Subscribe send a blank email to ShangyFunList-subscribe@yahoogroups.com To UnSubscribe send a blank email to ShangyFunList-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com Group home page: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ShangyFunList or Web Site: http://www.ShangralaFamilyFun.com/ShangyFunList.html Group email address: ShangyFunList@yahoogroups.com or email me here: bcrsystems@earthlink.net ================ *~* Please Consider Giving To ShangralaFamilyFun.com The cost of the website has gone up dramatically due to the ever increasingly wonderful pages and photos being added each week to entertain you and our fellow Christian families. While the ads on the website do help, I don't want to drag the site down with tons of them to pay for it. I need your help! "We are each of us angels with but one wing, and can only fly by embracing each other" -Luciano Decrescenzo ~ CALLING ALL CARING ANGELS ~ _ _(_)_ wWWWw _ @@@@ (_)@(_) vVVVv _ @@@@ (___) _(_)_ @@()@@ wWWWw (_)\ (___) _(_)_ @@()@@ Y (_)@(_) @@@@ (___) `|/ Y (_)@(_) @@@@ \|/ (_)\ / Y \| \|/ /(_) \| |/ | \ | \ |/ | / \ | / \|/ |/ \| \|/ jgs|// \\|/// \\\|//\\\|/// \|/// \\\|// \\|// \\\|// ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ *~* WE NEED CARING And SHARING Angels *~* >Do You Want To Be A Shangrala Angel? If you'd like to help and be counted as a Shangrala Angel, the easiest way to do that is through online giving. It is easy to use, and most of all, it is secure. Please visit the site, scroll down and click on the donate button. A Secure PAYPAL form page comes up. NOTE: Paypal will generate a 'Quantity 1' and 'Price per item' form. Just ignore the price per item and put whatever it is you desire to give in there. With Paypal, you will have your normal receipt for your 'payment' donation in USD (United States Dollars). You can put a memo in there if you'd like. Any amount is greatly appreciated and needed! PLEASE Visit Shangrala to Help: http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/index.html OR If you'd rather send us a donation, Please MAIL it here: Elrhea Bigham 502 S. Harrison Van Wert, OH 45891 *~* THANK YOU! MAY GOD BLESS YOU MOST ABUNDANTLY FOR YOUR GIFT! ================ *~* A REMINDER: PLEASE Send me sweet, interesting, funny, inspiring, family type forwards ANY TIME here... bcrsystems@earthlink.net I Need them, Love them, Use them, and Share them! THANK YOU!! AND For Facebook Users: Please Friend Me / Like Me here... http://tinyurl.com/cma6all AND For Google Plus Users: You can find me here... Shangy Bigham https://plus.google.com/106648555948034085752/posts AND Please Share This email with All Your Friends And Family! ^~^ May God SUPER BLESS You As You Do! THANK YOU! :) -<>- * NOTE: An easy way to adjust the size of print in email or any page is to hold down the Ctrl tab while moving the scroll button on the mouse. You can also use the keyboard to change the font size in your web browser or emails. Hold down the Ctrl key while pressing the + key for larger text or the - key for smaller text! ================ >-->HOT Off The 'Shangy' Press :) This super scorcher is from our friend LouiseAu. I do love a virtual vacation or a sneak peak as to what one might experience if visiting a certain location. Our Holiday spot for today is rich with God's great natural beauty and an abundance of wildlife. Be sure to check it and the video for it here: ,%&& %&& % ,%&%& %&%& %& %& %&% &%&% % &% % &%% %&% &% %&%&, &%&% %&%& %& &%& % %%& %&%& %&%&% %&%%& &%&% %&% % %& &% %%& && %&% %&%& %&% %&%' '%&% %&% %&&%&%%'% % %& %& %&% &%% `\%%.' /`%&' | | /`-._ _\\/ |, |_ / `-._ ..--~`_ |; |_`\_ / ,\\.~` `-._ - ^ |;: |/^}__..-,@ .~` ~ `o ~ |;: |(____.-' '. ~ - ` ~ |;: | \ / `\ //. - ^ ~ |;: |\ /' /\_\_ ~. _ ~ - //- jgs\\/;: \'--' `---` `\\//-\\/// Grand Teton Natural Park! http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/grandteton.html --- ...Wow! No wonder it's so popular! A beautiful park! Thanks LouiseAu! Love to go camping and fishing there! -<>- *~* We Had A Super Tremendous Month Of Caring And Sharing Last Month! _._ .' '. / \ ___ _.. _.--. | / |.' `'. ;-._ .' `\ .' `\ \| / \ .' `\/ ; / _ \.=..=./ _.' / | `\.---._| '. .-'-.}`.<>.`{-'-. / .--; . ( .' '. \ .---.{ <>()<> }.--..-' / _ \_ './ _. `-./ _},'<>`.{_ `\ ( = \ )`""'\;--. .' .-'/ )=..=;`\`- \ {= (| ) /`. ( / /| \ ) ( =_/ )__..-\ .'-..___.' : '.___..-' \ }/ / ;.____.-;/\ | ` | '--' | .' | \ \ /'. _.' \ ' / |\.\ ; /`--.-' ) .'`-. / \ \ |`| /__.-' \_.'jgs \ \ |-| >Please Share All These With Your Friends And Family! Wally The Rabbit http://www.ShangralaFamilyFun.com/wallytherabbit.html Face Of Christ http://www.ShangralaFamilyFun.com/faceofchrist.html Water Rescue Dogs http://www.ShangralaFamilyFun.com/waterrescuedogs.html Right Angle Photography 5 http://www.ShangralaFamilyFun.com/anglephoto5.html Abandoned Chihuahua Boo http://www.ShangralaFamilyFun.com/boo.html Humor In Religion 6 http://www.ShangralaFamilyFun.com/hreligion6.html Incredible Wildlife Photos 4 http://www.ShangralaFamilyFun.com/wildlife4.html World's Spectacular Places 7 http://www.ShangralaFamilyFun.com/spectacularplaces7.html"> A Flower A Day http://www.ShangralaFamilyFun.com/flowerday.html *~* God's Most Abundant Blessings Through Christ Jesus Our Beloved Lord And Savior To All Our Awesome Contributors! Thank You! :) =========================================================== >-->From Heartwarmers: ________ / ______ \ || _ _ || ||| || ||| |||_||_||| || _ _o|| (o) ||| || ||| |||_||_||| ^~^ , ||______|| ('Y') ) /__________\ / \/ ________|__________|__ (\|||/) _________ hjw /____________\ `97 |____________| >LOCKED OUT by Barbara Hergenroder It was a wonderful early spring day -- perfect to air out the house and go outside for a little yard work. I raised a couple of windows, left the back door open and headed outside. I gave my four-year-old, Wayne, a tiny rake and shovel to play with while I started on the scattered remnants of old winter vegetation. It was nice feeling the warm sun on my bare arms. I had several free hours to work in the backyard. You know how one thing leads to another? The cleared flowerbeds and the grass looked so good that I started tidying the uneven edges of the walkway. Much better! But since the walkway was made of brick, there were lots of places where the new grass poked up between them. I pulled a few clumps by hand. It was harder than it looked. There wasn't enough room to get anything larger than a screwdriver between the bricks to pry out the grass. I managed to do only a couple of feet of walkway. Lightbulb moment! I got the hose, and by adjusting it to the pinpoint setting, loosened the grass clumps enough that they came out much easier. This worked great until I sprayed a spot and the cold water and mud bounced back into my face! Wayne thought that was hilarious! I continued on with the hose and screwdriver. Every once in a while, I'd get a little more bounce-back. That was ok. I was making really good progress. Nobody but my little boy could see me here in the backyard. I'd grab a quick shower afterwards and toss my muddy clothes in the washer. Wayne continued to play here and there while I worked on the walkway. Our dog, who had delivered puppies a couple of weeks before, was right beside him. After a while, Wayne went inside to use the bathroom. He wandered out later, picked up his shovel and started digging in a flowerbed. I finished the walkway, put away the tools and stepped back to gaze with satisfaction at the greatly improved view before me. I called Wayne to gather his toys so we could get cleaned up before Daddy arrived home from work. It was noticeably cooler since I stopped working. My wet clothes felt uncomfortable, especially my soggy pants, which had stretched way longer than my legs. I reached for the doorknob. It wouldn't open! I belatedly recalled my lectures to Wayne on door rules -- keep it shut, locked, etc. The little guy remembered this time, as evidenced by the tightly locked door. There was no way I'd go next door for help. I was too filthy, and Wayne didn't look much better. The open windows were too high for us to reach. "Mama, I'm cold!" Wayne looked up at me with questioning eyes. "OK. Let's go in the garage," I said. I hoped we would find an old sweater or something for him in there. The garage, about thirty feet back from the house, was divided into three rooms. One of them held the washer and dryer. At the back of the room was a large cardboard box housing the mama dog and her pups. We looked everywhere, but the only thing I could find was an old piece of pink plastic curtain. I said, "Wayne, how would you like to take a nap with the puppies?" He was delighted at the suggestion. He crawled in with the pups and I called the mama dog to get in with them. In a few minutes, the box of squirming life settled down and they were all asleep. I wrapped the plastic curtain around me like a big shawl and sat down on the floor to wait. The curtain looked ridiculous, but it was surprisingly warm. My husband, Ron, would be home in less than an hour. No problem. Soon, I heard his car in the driveway. I started outside to meet him when I caught sight of another car right behind his, so I ducked back into the garage. I'd just keep quiet until the person left. Then I heard voices coming closer. Oh, No! They were headed for the garage! What was I going to do now? The dog box was too small or, I swear, I'd burrow under the pups and cover up with the stupid curtain! I could see the confusion in Ron's eyes as he caught sight of me standing there in all my glory. At least I'd had the forethought to discard the curtain -- for all the good it did me. My well-dressed husband turned to the equally well-dressed man behind him and said, "I'd like to introduce you to my wife." I was uncharacteristically speechless for a moment, thinking things COULDN'T get any worse, when Wayne's head popped up out of the cluster of pups and he gaily shouted, "Hi Daddy! Me and Mama got locked out!" -- Barbara Hergenroder ___________________________________________ Barbara lives in central Florida. About five months after the pink curtain and pups incident, they were blessed with another son, John. Both boys are adults now. Barbara currently has a door that requires a key to lock it from the outside, so she won't be locked outside keyless again. =========================================================== >-->From Our Friend Fran :) .-. __ / \ __ ( `'.\ /.'` ) '-._.(;;;)._.-' .-' ,`"`, '-. (__.-'/ \'-.__)/)_ \ /\ / / ) '-' | \/.-') , | .'/\'..) |\ |/ | \_) \ | | \_/ | \ / \|/ _, jgs / __/ / | _/ _.' |/__/ \ >Quotes Enthusiasm is the mother of effort, and without it nothing great was ever achieved. Ralph Waldo Emerson Mistakes are always forgivable, if one has the courage to admit them. Bruce Lee We are rich only through what we give, and poor only through what we refuse. Ralph Waldo Emerson -<>- _____ / \/_ //\__(\_\ |\ ^ ^ | .//_O \O_ \ \_ (_) / \ \_/ / __/\ /\__ / \ \ / / \ / \/\/\/ \ / | . | \ / | . | \ JRO >BEST When you practice: B - Building E - Excellence and S - Success through T - Training YOU will be the best Frances Booth (aka:Carol Clarke Grama's Book - 1980's -<>- /:""| .@@@@@, (\/) |:`66|_ @@@@@@@@, \/ C` _)aa`@@@@@@ \ ._| (_ ?@@@@ ) / =' @@@@" /`\\ \(``` || |Y| //`\ || |.| / | || (\/) || |.| \ | || \/ || |.| \| || :| |=: |_|\ ||_|,| |_| \ \)))|| ((( | (\/) | || |____| \/ | || |____| > )) | || | || | || | || | || |_||__ /~)) jgs (____)) /_/YY Ginny and I decided to go out for dinner one evening. As we made small talk and ate, the hostess at Texas Roadhouse, where we dined, led an older couple to the table across the aisle from us. I guess, I shouldn't call them an older couple. They were probably our age. We're an older couple too. This couple didn't sit across the table from each other, like Ginny and I. They sat beside each other on the same side of the booth. I like to be able to look into Ginny's eyes as we talk, but they wanted to be physically close. I watched them settle in and witnessed something special. The lady smiled at her husband, reached out, hugged him, and placed a tender kiss on his cheek. I was so touched by her tender act of love for her spouse, I had to get up. "Excuse me, I don't mean to interrupt your evening, but I am touched by the way you just hugged and kissed your husband." She looked up, "Thank you!" "It's rare to see a couple express love like you just did. You made my day." After Ginny and I finished our meal and prepared to leave, we stopped by their table and learned they had been married for thirty-five years. Ginny and I would have been married to our first spouses for about that long, had they lived. In 2016, we'll celebrate our twelfth anniversary. We have the love this couple expressed. However, it is rare to see someone express so much passion after thirty-five years of marriage. It was a wonderful thing to witness. - Michael T. Smith --- ...Great Story! Thanks Fran! =========================================================== >-->From Archives InspiredBuffalo: `>.___ o-.--.-o ___,<' / `. / ,, \ .' \ { `.; ,__, ;.' } `._ }`.__.'{ _.' `,=."' `".=,' .' /`-.____.-'_ `, \_.';`-.______.-':`._/ `+-.______.-'' `-.____.-' / || \ ; ;; ; `-./ \.-' fsc >A Lesson from Bees by Arthur Gordon I was surprised when our friend Charlie joined our prayer group. Charlie wasn't a joiner. So the next time I saw him I asked him about it. "Well," said Charlie, "I had problems and I was praying about them, but I didn't seem to be getting anywhere. Then one day I read an article about bees. When it gets too hot in a hive, a group of worker bees all face in one direction, anchor themselves to the floor, and fan their wings rapidly. One bee alone wouldn't make much of a difference, but a lot of bees can produce an air current strong enough to draw fresh, cool air into the hive and blow the stale air out. "So, I said to myself,'If a group of bees working together can activate a healing current that changes everything for the better, maybe a group of people can do the same thing.'" -<>- .-"''-. _ .' `( \ @/ ') ,--,__,-" / / \ / / _/ __| , |/ / .~ `\ / \ , | / .~ `\ ` / _/ _/ .~ `\ ~~`__/ / ~ `--'/ / / / / /' /jgs >Moms don't always get a good night's sleep By Greg Miller Only a few short weeks had passed since the angel Gabriel had told Mary that she was going to become a mother. After the angel's announcement, Mary could think of nothing but God`s message to her. She sang to the Lord songs of joy and thankfulness. Mary remembered Gabriel`s words, "Hail, thou that art highly favored, the Lord is with thee: blessed art thou among women." The angel told her that she had "found favor with God." Gabriel said that Jesus, Mary's Son, "shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end. "The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God." Early in Mary's pregnancy, she began talking with one of her closest friends, Lydia, who also was going to have a baby. While Mary and Lydia were on their daily walks, they talked about being a good mother. "Do you want a boy or a girl?," Mary asked. "Either is fine with me," Lydia said. "I just want the baby to be healthy. Do you want a boy or a girl?" "God's angel appeared to me and told me I'm going to have a son!," Mary beamed. "That's great!," Lydia exclaimed. "What else did the angel say?" "That is all I'll say for right now," Mary grinned. "But I will tell you that I plan to be a good mother. I will pray for Him every day. I will share God's Word with Him and teach Him the ways of God. I want to make sure that my Son is very close to the Father." "I`m going to be a good mother, too," Lydia said. "I'm going to bathe my baby every day, and give him or her all the opportunities for a great life that I can. My child will be special." "My son will be special, too," Mary replied with a smile. "Very special!" "Being a good mother is important," Lydia said. "And I feel a mother should get enough sleep every night. I hope my baby always sleeps through the night, so I can get the rest I need in order to provide proper care." "I realize the need of getting a good night's sleep in order to properly care for my son," Mary said. "But babies don't always sleep through the night, so I realize that there will be some days that just won't be possible. On those days, I'll probably be fulfilling my motherly duties while half asleep!" -<>- _,, (/..\ \ -/ _\`.|_ /`H I'\ ( (H I- ) \/==O=\/ > , \ / / \ /\ \ / \ / _ ," `-.`'/ --. \P Ojo. `"" >You can sell tickets to it ... "You can sell tickets to it ...," is a phrase used to assure someone that a certain thing is going to happen or will get done. Here's a bit of trivia for you as to where the phrase came from. The early days prophet Jonah was told by God to prophesy that the great city of Nineveh would be overthrown in 40 days. So, after Jonah prophesied to the king of Nineveh, the king ordered all of his people to give up their sins. Jonah had gone to the "outside" of the city, set up a booth, and so-to-speak, began selling tickets to the event of Niniveh being destroyed. Jonah's prophecy of destruction in forty days never came to pass as the people of Ninevah had repented. However, a few years later, Nineveh once again turned from God, and it was then totally destroyed. The story that Jonah actually sold tickets to the event had never actually taken place. This part of Jonah's prophecy was simply fabricated by modern day preachers so as to make the Book of Jonah more interesting. Modern preachers created the false teaching that, "If a person even appears to make a mistake in their prophecies, they are a false prophet," to discredit modern day prophets, so as to allow preachers to escape God's scrutiny. The Book of Jonah however proves that God does not always do as He tells His prophets to prophesy. This fact makes it quite clear that modern day preachers, knowing full well that is the case, simply fabricated the false teaching that "prophets can never be wrong, otherwise they are false prophets." Whereas, God's purpose for having prophets has always been to teach, or to otherwise correct the church. That is, to edify it, as an editor corrects the copy in his newspaper. So, with today's "God loves you, He will never do you harm, in fact, He wants you to be rich" teachings in churches; pastors, preachers and teachers really can't AFFORD to have their congregations listening to prophets, for fear of being exposed for their own church's teaching of lies and false doctrines. Moreover, the fact that you hear a prophecy, then it doesn't come to pass "on time," does NOT mean it won't come to pass... In fact, that usually means nothing more than that your nation and its people have been both warned, and advised, to get their act together, and to KEEP it together, or suffer the consequences. --- ...See Also: , , /////| ///// | ///// | |~~~| | | |===| |/| | B |/| | | I | | | | B | | | | L | / | E | / |===|/ jgs '---' What is a Prophet / Prophetess? http://www.truthortradition.com/articles/what-is-a-prophet-prophetess -<>- >Links for Your Enjoyment: Amazing Human Progress! http://ww.shangralafamilyfun.com/humanprogress.html Life Train! http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/lifetrain.html Hand Painting Art http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/hpaint.html My Precious Child http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/mychild.html Playing With Words http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/wordplay.html The Blue Ribbon http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/blueribbon.html Making A difference http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/makingdifference.html Akiane Child Prodigy http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/prodigy.html God's Little Love Notes http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/notes.html Church Mouse Wisdom http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/churchmouse.html You Are The Only You God Has http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/BibleStudy/onlyyougodhas.html Best Parents http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/bestparents.html Giraffe Manor http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/giraffemanor.html Margaret The Giraffe http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/giraffe.html Awww Animals http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/animals.html Chalk Art 2 http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/chalkart2.html Never Give up http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/BibleStudy/nevergiveup.html ANIMATIONS: Roses for Mom and Prayer for NDP http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/agifs_p-t.html Mother Animated Images http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/agifs_k-o.html Mom And Dads INDEX http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/momsanddadsindex.html -<>- >Please Visit/Follow Me On StumbleUpon: https://tinyurl.com/y7cu2x97 Some of Shangrala's Best Pages http://www.amazfamily.com/index.html -<>- National Day Of Prayer - Thursday May 3rd http://www.nationaldayofprayer.org/theme_and_verse WhiteHouseNews: https://www.whitehouse.gov/1600daily/ Latest From AFA: http://tinyurl.com/j7lakqw Latest From RightAlerts: http://rightalerts.com Latest At FoxNews: http://www.foxnews.com/ Latest From MRC News: https://tinyurl.com/ya6uruck Latest From TrueDailyNews: http://truedaily.news/category/news/ The Hunger Site - Free click to give - use the Greater Good banner for more items to 'free click to give to': https://tinyurl.com/y8qwjas8 "I'll Fly Away by Jars Of Clay" http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7QyKWGvqEA8&feature=email Jars Of Clay - Crazy Times https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VXzMNCkduy4 What A Beautiful Name - Hillsong Worship https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nQWFzMvCfLE 100 Best Lost Moments http://tv.msn.com/100-great-lost-moments/story/?gt1=28130 SkyLine https://tinyurl.com/3ta4zp What does the Bible say about God being in control of everything? https://tinyurl.com/ybqn8s3w What does the Bible say about Salvation? https://tinyurl.com/ya2cs8ep Best from TruthOrTradition.com on PODCAST https://player.fm/podcasts/Truthortradition%252Ecom Table Of Contents - Absolute Bible Study Index: http://www.absolutebiblestudy.com/Contents.htm -<>- >From Our Friend LouiseAu :) She sent us one we have here... Notes To God http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/cnotes.html --- ...So sweet! Thanks LouiseAu! Absolutely stunning views of Germany from above. What a beautiful country! (Best viewed in Full Screen) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w5nVLCzxydk --- ...Quite Beautiful! Thanks LouiseAu! Visit Melissa's Online Store You can get anything you want (except for Melissa ) at the online store http://pdhomes.net/mall/babylissa/mySTORES/ISELL4.html ========================================================== .c. .d$$e$. .e$P" ^*% .e$P" z$$$" z$$$$$F .d$$$$$$$F .d$$$$$$$$$$F .3$$$$$$$$$$$$F $$$$$" ""$*$" P $" $ $ d d" $ $ $ * $ $ ) ' $ $ % ' $ $ % " $ $ - ) * * unknown >-->TO ACHIEVE SUCCESS YOU MUST RISK SOME FAILURE by Dan Miller What we could see as punishment may actually be a necessary step toward success. Within a few seconds after birth, a baby giraffe struggles to its feet. Shortly afterward, however, the mother will knock it over from that first wobbly stance. This process is repeated each time the baby struggles to its feet until the young giraffe has the strength to stand in a firm and unwavering position. What seems like an unkind and cruel act is in fact of vital importance to the survival of the young animal. It is, in fact, an act of love by the mother for its child. For the baby giraffe, the world is a dangerous place and it must quickly learn how to respond to unexpected challenges and get back up on its feet. Now I don’t imagine that the baby giraffe welcomes being knocked around or particularly thanks Mom for the experience. I doubt that the little guy understands that there is an important lesson being learned. Is there perhaps a life principle here that we try to avoid as well? What does “failure” teach us? Should we avoid it at all costs? Does failure chip away at our fragile egos and lessen our chances of ultimate success? Is it Satan who causes our failures and God who wants us to always win? Research shows us that entrepreneurs fail an average of 3.8 times before they finally make it in a business venture. They recognize that three steps forward and two steps backward still have a net result of one step of progress. If you can decide to see your own “failures” as a necessary part of your progress, you will separate yourself from the average person and put yourself into the category of potential high achiever. “Many of life's failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.” - Thomas Edison Most people try to avoid failure like a bad disease. They cringe at the prospect and may stay in a safe but unchallenging position, an unfulfilling job, a familiar but boring career, at the bottom of the hill as others master the peak. “Failure is the opportunity to begin again more intelligently.” - Henry Ford Embrace failure as a legitimate step in the right direction. See it as a stepping stone toward the success you want. From the Bible “If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small.” - Proverbs 24:10 (KJV) Describe a time when you felt you were being “knocked down” only to realize later that the experience saved you or made you wiser. ========================================================== ,-`"-=') =/////// ,== _,_(((((-`6\ ==.| /,,...\\\C _| .--. ((((\\\\\` _, /;_| )9 )))))./ `. / } _\,_ ,-'))) \ / /=-. ,-./ \/ '))) . /\_/ / \ (,-.%\ / /-' ') \/\ / ( \ (/ \ ' /( ' `-/ \( \ ,- / ( `-' \ . / / \ \ &_) /\ \ | ( /--.- \ \----,------=;% | _/ _); `. ` `-. .`\ ) +++/ \ ,," %&-. ; \\| `-` `-=.;_,.__.__\_,/ )_/___+_/_________\,"(_//_(__)______:-._) gpyy >The Power of One Note Story Editor: by The Teacher Joyce Schowalter New Jersey, USA Another year as a junior high teacher in New Jersey was coming to an end. The morning ceremony for the eighth grade graduates was about to begin. There's always a feeling of accomplishment at this time. You also hope that the students will look back and realize how much they learned and that they'll be successful in high school. Having taught for 15 years, I had come to realize that teaching was a profession where you receive very few "thank you's" and where the impact you have will never be known. This empty feeling is especially acute on graduation day. I headed towards the gymnasium ceremony and decided to stop by the room where I teach American history to pick up a few items I wanted to bring home. When I glanced at the podium in the room, I saw a sheet of paper and began reading. It was a note from an eighth grader addressed to me about 500 words long. I could not believe what I was reading. This quiet young lady had written to express her gratitude for the positive affect I had on her life, both emotionally and academically. She wrote about the tough time she initially had in class and how I was able to make learning enjoyable, make her laugh, and give her confidence that she would do well in high school. As I read the letter, tears streamed down my cheeks. When I had finished, I quickly went to the gymnasium. Quite honestly, I do not remember anything regarding the ceremony; my thoughts kept going back to the letter. I do remember thinking that I'd better not make eye contact with her during the ceremony, because I would not be able to hold back my tears, and my colleagues would wonder what was happening to such a stoic member of the faculty. This student changed my life forever by her act of appreciation and kindness. I still don't receive many notes of thanks from parents and students, but I don't need to. In June of 2002, I received a note of gratitude from a young lady telling me that I had made a difference. Since this former student works at a local eatery when she is home from college, I see her from time to time. I always make a point of saying hello and inquire about her college experience. I hope she realizes the impact she has had on me. Whenever I have misgivings about teaching, or question whether I make a difference, I read her note, and the tears appear once again -- tears of gratitude for having the opportunity to meet this one angelic student. =======HeroicStories======= >-->From Laugh&Lift: "God loves to decorate. God HAS to decorate. Let Him live long enough in a heart, and that heart will begin to change. Portraits of hurt will be replaced by landscapes of grace. Walls of anger will be demolished and shaky foundations restored. God can no more leave a life unchanged than a mother can leave her child's tear untouched. It's not enough for Him to own you; He wants to change you." - Max Lucado , , /////| ///// | ///// | |~~~| | | |===| |/| | B |/| | | I | | | | B | | | | L | / | E | / |===|/ jgs '---' >An Attitude of Humility (By Kerry S. Doyal edited) Humility is easy when you already feel inferior to others. But what about those times when - let's be honest - you are superior, smarter, stronger, more mature...? Its not as easy to serve "underlings". Is it? See that theme played out here in Paul's letter from jail to a church: Philippians 2: [5] Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: [6] Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: [7] But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: [8] And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. [9] Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: [10] That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; [11] And that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. No one has ever stooped down as far as Jesus did. He was God's son, yet became a servant - one willing to die as a condemned criminal for our sins. He humbled Himself to serve others and honor God. He calls on us to do the same - humbly reach down. In reality, this is not usually very far down for us, & probably more of a horizontal reach. So, what's your attitude? Haughty, or humbly, helping those in need? Arrogant, or assisting, those around you? We do recall - do we not - that we are certainly not better than Jesus, God's suffering Servant? --- ...How Humble was Jesus? Jesus Gave ALL The Glory To God - saying 'I do nothing of myself' John.8: [28] Then said Jesus unto them, When ye have lifted up the Son of man, then shall ye know that I am he, and that I do nothing of myself; but as my Father hath taught me, I speak these things. -<>- >The Orchard of Your Life (Original author unknown, additional text by Chris Long) [Edited] A grapevine is a most productive plant. Spreading out its branches, each is intended to bring forth fruit. No vine grower is foolish enough to invest his time and effort in cultivating vines merely for the foliage on its branches. He looks for results. Fruits! As the branches of Christ in the Kingdom of God, we are expected to produce the fruits of spiritual life. And no, we're not speaking of spiritual apples, grapes, pears, or peaches. We're talking of what's going on in the orchard of your life. What are you producing? Saint Paul once enumerated in his writings what those fruits of the spirit were. He said, "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control." (Galatians 5:22-23a NIV) How's that for a fruit basket? A good list for the cultivation of life's orchard. With these fruits in mind, what's going on in your orchard? C.S. Lewis wrote, "God has designed the human machine to run on Himself. He Himself is the fuel our spirits were designed to burn, or the food our spirits were designed to feed on. There is no other. That is why it is just no good asking God to make us happy without bothering about religion. God cannot give us happiness and peace apart from Himself, because it is not there. There is no such thing." You and I live in the period of history where we have access to more information than ever before. We have so much information that it produces what has been called the "Paralysis of Analysis." It was the poet T. S. Eliot who wrote: "Where is the wisdom--we have lost in knowledge. Where is the knowledge--we have lost in information." The beauty of our faith is that God gave us more than information--He gave us Himself. He gave us more than rules and outward appearances. He gave us a relationship with Him. Colossians 2:10, "In Him you have been made complete." Only He can satisfy your deepest longing and bring order to your innermost being. In Jesus Christ, God's word became flesh. He is alive! Knowing the entire Bible by heart, and understanding it so well that you can explain every single verse, is of little use to you, unless the Biblical Word penetrates your inmost being, as the rain penetrates the tiniest roots of a tree in order to rise and to fill the whole tree and to bring forth leaves and fruit. So, what fruit are your bearing? Is Christ's love evident in your life? Are you filled with joy? Are you at peace, even when things are melting down around you? Do others see you as a peaceful person? Are you patient with others? Patient in adversity? How's that kindness stacking up? Do people look at you and say, "Now here's a kind person!" Is the fabric of your life intertwined with both being good and doing good? Do people see you as faithful - faithful to God? Would people look at you and say, "Boy, you sure do have such a gentle spirit!" And, then there's that self-control - is your life showcasing a life that is not controlled by anything but the Spirit of God? Now, if you're honest with yourself and with God, perhaps you realize that your fruit, well, it's not so good. And if you don't realize it, might I suggest you go back and re-evaluate because pride can be awful subtle...The truth is, we're all in a growing process, and none of us have arrived. But we need to want to have increasing fruit in our lives! Too many are content with their slim fruit pickings (or worse, no fruit at all). We don't want that to be said of us. The way towards increasing fruit is through submission to the Spirit. But the problem is that our flesh, rather than submit, wants to fight...fight God. As the Rich Mullins song "Hold Me Jesus" says: "Surrender don't come natural to me. I'd rather fight You for something I don't really want, than to take what You give that I need." I don't know about you, but like Rich Mullins, I sure have found that true in my own life. Our flesh REALLY doesn't like to die. The very next line in that song is: "And I've beat my head against so many walls, Now I'm falling down, I'm falling on my knees." Oh friend, have you reached this point, where you are sick of the sin, sick of the lack of fruit, sick of fighting God? Then fall down before Almighty God on your knees and surrender yourself completely to Him. By dying to our flesh and choosing to live by the Spirit, life abounds - fruit abounds! But we must choose - daily I might add. We can fight the Spirit's work in our life, and our fruit basket will be awful bare...Or we can submit to His work in us - agree with God and His Word - and submit unto Him, and the fruit that will come forth can be beyond our wildest imaginations! Do you WANT more of the Spirit in your life? Are you willing to surrender your will, your emotions, your desires unto God so that more of Him can be evidenced in your life? Are you willing to surrender: - your spouse? - your children? - your parents? - your singleness? - your job? - your ministry? - your health? - your body? - your "addictions"? - your thoughts? - your hurt and pain? - your bitterness? - your unforgiveness? - your past? - your present? - your future? - your sin? - your all? Are you willing to die to yourself - to give up every area of your life to Christ's control? Jesus said: "I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds. The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life." (John 12:24-25 NIV) To experience a "fruit explosion" in our lives, in addition to dying to ourselves and submitting unto the Spirit, we also need to abide in Christ. Let's close today by giving careful consideration to these words from Jesus found in John 15: 1 "I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. 3 You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. 4 Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. 5 "I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. 7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. 8 By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples. 9 "As the Father loved Me, I also have loved you; abide in My love. 10 If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love. 11 "These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full. 12 This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one's life for his friends. 14 You are My friends if you do whatever I command you. 15 No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you. 17 These things I command you, that you love one another. (NKJV) SUBSCRIBE INFO Want to receive a Christian inspirational item AND great clean humor in an email to you each day of the week? It's easy and FREE! Read all about Laugh & Lift at http://www.laughandlift.com --- ...See also this teaching: , , /////| ///// | ///// | |~~~| | | |===| |/| | B |/| | | I | | | | B | | | | L | / | E | / |===|/ jgs '---' The Fruit of the Spirit Galatians 5: 22, 23 -- But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. http://www.absolutebiblestudy.com/Promises/The_Fruit_of_the_Spirit.htm ========================================================== _ /_) _.-===-._ / .; `_-.'- .'. _ __ _/ /.'\ ._ '. , \ (_\ /\_( \ |.`.-._'- . '| \ |_) / |/` `'--'`\| _\__ \_)_| /` ._. ._. `\ / )(_\ )/ ( \_ _ _/ \' (_| / / \ / _) (_/ | `',_ _'._'---'_.'_ _,.' | \ \ / \ \ `"""` / / / / \ \_.' \ \ / / | .' `--., \ \ / / _;-'` `| \ \ / / | .;--""```````""--;. /( )\ \_`'-------------'`_/ | `';-----;-----;'` | | / : \ / : \ / : \ | |V.','.V.','.V.','.V| \`./_\.;./_\.;./_\.`/ ';..___________..;' jgs | _ | ; | ; >-->The Drum (by Francine Christiane Marsh) There is a drum that's beating Deep within my soul It calls to me, it is constant, A beat I don't control! It speaks to me in rhythm Like a heartbeat, ALWAYS there It guides me and it comforts, and it tells me what to share! All the WONDERS that it shows me, All the BLESSINGS that it sends All the messages it whispers Like a TRUE and constant friend! When I'm lonely, or I'm frightened, It reminds me, it's STILL there With its subtle beat it takes me, from the world, to AWESOME prayer! There's a dream that I keep having In my Spirit and my mind and if I close my eyes and listen, I hear sounds of other times! Like the steady hammer pounding driving nails that screamed of pain or the thunder and the lightening, and the ever pounding rain. I can hear the wailing women and the sobs of heartsick men In the distance, sounds of marching, then the weeping sounds again. As those sounds begin to grieve me, other sounds come, with a beat Like the marching of the soldiers and the rhythm of their feet. Sounds of AWE at something wondrous, Something there, that should not be A voice as soft as angel wings Oh How I wish that I could see! And the JOY in all the voices, as they praise His Holy Name I hear crying men and women, but their cries are not the same! And my dream takes on new meaning, as the drumming starts again To the steady, soothing rhythm, Of my Godly, CONSTANT Friend~ There's a drum that beats WITHIN me, It's the SPIRIT of the SON JESUS wrote the precious music The HOLY SPIRIT PLAYS the drum!!! >Updated FUN STUFF URLS - Oh Yeah Shangy! ------------------------------------------------------------------------ http://www.ShangralaFamilyFun.com/urls.html FUN URLS ------------------------------------------------------------------------ -->FULL LENGTH - FREE On line AUDIO MP3 Christian Foundational Class http://www.truthortradition.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=61 NEW LIFE IN CHRIST! ------------------------------------------------------------------------ -->This is for all you who love food and DARE to make it at home Yep. You guessed it - Recipes. These are Tried and True, Yummy to the Tummy, good old fashioned home cooking recipes that are EASY to do Visit Shangy's Easy-Does-It Home Recipes: http://www.ShangralaFamilyFun.com/easy.html Home Recipes >Got A good Recipe? SHARE IT HERE: Share A Recipe ************************************************************************ >TO SUBSCRIBE:Visit Here This Weeks regular Shangy emails OR For the Yahoo ShangyFunList: To Subscribe send a blank email to ShangyFunList-subscribe@yahoogroups.com ************************************************************************