A Little Help From Our Friends ... :) Shangy! >Here are the details on our Yahoo ShangyFunList: To Subscribe send a blank email to ShangyFunList-subscribe@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 ================ I do want to get something clear here. I know some of you may be getting upset with all the political items in my ezines, but I have to share what is shared with me. PLEASE feel free to SKIP any of the political items in these ezines. I'll try to clearly mark them for you. It is not my intention to offend anyone, simply sharing what is on the hearts and minds of many of my readers and myself. Thanks For Your Understanding. So, with that said, On With Our Inspiration Ezine :) ================ >-->In The 'Shangy' News :) -=- (\ _ /) (`\(")/') (`/\') \\/^\// / \ hjw / \ `-._.-' We were blessed to have another Shangrala Angel!! Christopher Harvel made a donation to help keep the Shangrala web site free and alive during our high traffic times! This is so important and helps us out a bunch! Paul and I try to do it all, but you know we all need a little help from angels and our sweet friends! Thank You So Much Christopher! If you'd like to help and be counted as a Shangrala Angel, visit the site and click on the donate button. A Secure PAYPAL page comes up. Any amount is helpful - even just a couple dollars! Visit Shangrala to Help: http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/index.html -<>- >HOT OFF THE 'SHANGY' PRESS :) Speaking of a little help from our friends... We have a new bible teaching thanks to our friend John from Christian Educational Services. I read this one and knew it was one I wanted to share and not loose so I added it to the Bible Teachings I have on-line. Check It Out Here: the computer has been drinking... not me... \ _.,_ \ ,-'.' .`-, ;; '. ' `. ;` - _ _,-; ' ; `. ,% .-, - *click* ,_.,-'` ';; ; : ;%' | | \ ___ _._,-`'\ `'-`' _.,' `. ) __,--`-,,`' ,._,.-`-., _.,-.--.-,`''` | _| |__ `---'////\ / .-, `-`-^--`'^`-...,,| | |.,/ //\)(/ `-\.-. | `-' ( .-; | | ,. `-~ ~~-. `._.' ,/ / `~ ~~~ ~~ /,.`) // / /_ `/ ( `/ `-' mic What Does the Bible Say about Alcohol And Drug Use? http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/BibleStudy/alcoholanddrugs.html Jo Ann sent us a couple forwards that I just knew I had to do up as a page. They immediately reminded me of a friend I will see later when Christ returns for us. This one was mind boggling to me! See what you think: _______/_____ D'-. | / ) '(o)'-.....'(O)' ind Classic Chevy Collection http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/chevy.html Our Friend Lorraine also sent us a couple forwards that I loved and turned into a sweet page for us. Check it out here: ,' , , ' ' ,' _ , ', , o\`. , ' ',' +/\| , ', , |\ ,'' , hjm One Of Those Days http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/days.html --- ...Awesome ones! Huggums Jo Ann And Lorraine! Thank You!! -<>- , }`-. , , \ \ '-' \ .-'{ _} . | ,`\ / ' ; .-;\ { \ | | / `/ '-.,/ ; | { -- -. ' '`-, .--._.' ; \__ \ \ | ' / |`. ; _,`\ '. '- ' `_- '.`; ; ,-`_.-' ,--. \ ` /` '--' `;.` (` _ .--.\ '._) '-. \ \ `-. ; `-';| '. -. ' __ '. ; ; _,-' / { __'.\ ' '-,/; `-' ';`.- ` .-' '-. `-._' | `; ;`' .-'` <_ -' ` .\ `; ; (_.'`\ _.;-"``"'-._'. `:; ___, _.-' | .-'\'. '.` \ \_,_`\ ;##` `'; _.' /_'._\ \ \__;#####./###. \` \.' .'`/"`/ (#######)###::.. _.' '.' .' ; , |:. `|()##`"""` jgs `'-../__/_\:: /O()()o ()'._.'`()()' Well, here it is October - FALL TIME! Last Month we had some Great FUN pages - Be Sure To Check Them All Out: Typewriter Art http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/typeart.html Egg Stacking Art http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/eggart.html Lest We Forget http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/lestweforget.html Lest We Forget 2 http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/lestweforget2.html Dog Houses http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/doghouses.html Humor In Religion 2 http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/hreligion2.html ~ Special Thanks And Huggums To All Our Contributors! ~ *~* Please Share These With All Those You Care About! THANKS! ================================================================= >-->From Heartwarmers: >BLESSINGS WE LEAST EXPECT by Mary Conner It had been just an average day at work. Not the best of days but not the worst either, or so I thought. My husband and I closed our shop and left sharply at 5pm. I would soon realize that this had indeed become the worst day of our lives. Our 16 year old daughter was at home. She rode the school bus and usually she would give me a call around 4pm to let me know she had made it home safely. Sometimes though, she and a friend would visit in the yard, or she might play with her dog instead of going inside immediately, and forget to call. So when I did not receive her usual call and she did not answer mine, I was not overly concerned. But for some reason, I had a strange feeling inside. As we entered the front door of our home I noticed her books were not on the table where she always put them and I could see her feet in the doorway where she was lying on the floor. As we rushed to her room we found the horrible truth that changed our lives forever. Through the years I replayed that day over and over in my mind. I lived in guilt because I did not see her depression and was unable to help. In my thoughts and dreams, I would change the events before that tragic day. We would have long talks about her problems. Then we would work them out and everything would be ok. Ten years later, life was better but those thoughts still haunted me. I was working with a marketing company and met another lady who worked in the same organization. Since we lived near each other, we planned a big event to bring new customers out to purchase our products. Two days before the big event, I received a call from my new friend. I didn't know her well but I knew something was wrong. I could hear many emotions in her voice -- sorrow, desperation and remorse. She told me how sorry she was that she would not be able to help complete our project. Normally I would have just said "that's OK" and got off of the phone. But instead I continued talking, purposely keeping her on the line. She had said she could not make the event because she would be somewhere else. So, I asked. "Where are you going?" She said, "I am going somewhere where no one will have to worry about me again." With a little prodding she told me of other burdens that seemed too great for her to continue living. So, I asked if she had children and she answered, "No." I asked her if her parents were alive and she said her mother was still living and that she had a sister and her mother would be ok. Then, I told her how wrong she was. I told her I knew how much her mother would suffer because I had lost a child and I know it's the worst kind of pain a parent can ever feel. Children just don't see the bond that a parent feels for them. You give them life, they are an extension of your own life, and you feel responsible to them as long as you live. You never expect to see your children die before you. I also told her that no matter what she was facing, it would pass and life would get better with time. But, if she died, her mother would wake up every day for the rest of her life and know that she would never see her child again. Then I asked, "Can you really do that to your mother?" Quietly she answered, "No." I noticed a change in her voice. I did not hear those emotions any more. She promised that she would not do anything that would cause someone else pain. Knowing she would be all right, I let her get off the phone. Then I sat quietly for a long time taking in what had just happened. God had arranged for our paths to cross. We both needed something from each other. My friend needed someone to show her that things could be worse than what she was experiencing, and I needed to give someone what I could not give my child -- a reason to live. Our marketing event was a big failure but it didn't matter. I felt better that weekend than I had felt in many years. God gives us blessings when we least expect them. -- Mary Conner ____________________________________________ Mary says, "I know it is still a sad story but I think it tells about how God helps us to overcome grief. It is heartwarming for me to think about the gift He gave me -- the chance to help someone else." ==================================================================== >-->From Our Friend Buffalo :) Buffalo [of www.buffalosjokes.com] says, "I think this is a beautiful memorial to this man's son and hope you participate P.S Welcome Home Nancy" [of www.Inpsiredbuffalo.com] bye bye ---------- __o _ ~ ,_ ==c/ -------- _ \<,_ (*)\/(*) (\/\ ------- (*)/ (*) >A Father's Prayer... "My Son was killed in a terror attack, I launched this memorial campaign in his memory, I ask you to help me with "Blondi around the world" campaign" See this You Tube clip: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lzS3G2pZ7MI See the campaign home page: http://www.blondi.co.il/bwt2008/index.html --- ...A sweet one! Thank You Buffalo! I too hope many help this grieving parent take his son on the world tour he never got to go on! ================================================================= >-->From Our Friend Tony In Australia :) | _ _ | Y.\ ( ) _ |/./Q) (/(^ UUU )_ ) >,)-=//-/ \\ | \0 O | O Thomas Lindemuth >Life's a Merry Go Round I have been making mental notes of conversations I have been a part of in the last week or so, and I am not surprised really to see that most people are looking for the’good’ life: I wonder if you would agree? Thing is, the’good life’ seems to need a constant flow of ‘surplus’ funding! And for some of us who are out there busy trying to earn enough, even if we do earn enough, we have little time left to spend it! …Life…is a merry go round! Not only does enjoying the good life require financing it requires good health, so we go to work, work ourselves to a frazzle trying to earn the money, and for what?? Life's a Merry go round! If you really want to enjoy that merry go round, then you don’t have time to be sick! Take a look at the Jones’s! they are not sick! Mind you they won their money in a sweepstake or a lottery! Not by sheer hard work! They didn’t have to work the hours we do to make our ends meet!.... I heard a story about a family who had so little time, they changed churches because the Minister always ran into “overtime”!” sometimes by 30 minutes they said!,,,wow! So they pick and choose a church now on the length or should I say ‘shortness’ of the sermon? Why bother going at all I wonder?... Through out most of Paul’s letters to the Churches, he ‘encourages’ He doesn’t say we should not enjoy a good life, but he does tell us we should enjoy a “Godly life”.( 1Thess 4:3) When you put your mind to thinking about it, truly only a ‘godly’ life could be a ‘good life”..Because GOD! Is involved… He is the beginning and the continuum of ALL Goodness! Amen? Being ‘godly’ leads us to being ‘wholesome’ and being wholesome leads us to being Holy and being Holy allows us to be closer to God! Theres the REAL Merry go round for you!...The Christian Faith, involves recognizing the call to God, which is based on our knowledge of God, not just ‘of’ God but being close to God…and how do we do that? By studying His Word! By prayer and by fasting! By witnessing! By fellowshipping with others! And being Christ centered always.! You want to get fit ? You go the gym and you walk or jog! You exercise muscles to make yourself fit and healthy right? Well what about ‘spiritual fitness”? Do you exercise your mental fitness? Do you keep your thoughts in tune with Gods wishes for you? We all need, no matter what stage of development our maturity in Christ is, to give our spiritual’ muscles’ a workout…. Keeping your body godly and our minds on Christ, is a responsibility we should all take more seriously….. --Br Tony --- ...Excellent - Thank You Tony! Again, it is a mind renewal! The New Birth http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/BibleStudy/newbirth.html The Renewed Mind http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/BibleStudy/renewedmind.html ================================================================= >-->A Quick Note From AFA: >[Politics] Before You Vote: Quick ISSUE Guide Here: http://www.afa.net/08VG/index.html -<>- ) ) __ ( __ (~( __ (~( \O\ )~) )O) )_) (O( (_(__ ( )_) ) )~)__ __ /O/ )~) ) (~( (_( (O( __ \O\ ) )_)(~( \_\ __ )O) ( __________ _ (~( __(_( __ _-' `-_ ,-----' | _ \O\<'~_`) ) )~) / *SNORT!* \ | // : | -' )_))^ \\ __(O( ___| Where'd!!! | | // : | --- >__;` (~( )_) `-. All The Money!! | | // : | -._ /\_\ \O\ \ GO!!! / `-----._| __ /__( \| )_) `--__________--' _/___\_ //)_`/( (| ||] _____[_______]_[~~-_ (.L)O) || [____________________]' (_(,/(~( ||| / )~) ,___,'./\O\ ||| \ (O(|,'______|( )_) ||| / )_) I==|| __ ||| \ __/_|| __||__)~) -----||-/------`-._/||-o-_o__(O(-- __ ~~~~~' ____ __ /_O_/.\_\ \~\ \_O_\ /~/__/_/O`.o. \O\ ____ /O/_\_O/_/ `.' . \_\ /_O_/ /_/\_O_\ \O\ ,o,' \_\ `.' Ool >Financial Mess... A 1999 New York Times article explains how we got in the financial mess we are in. Want to know why we are in the financial mess we are in? Read this article which appeared in the NEW YORK TIMES ON SEPTEMBER 30, 1999. It answers the question. http://tinyurl.com/3fpk37 Sincerely, Don Donald E. Wildmon, Founder and Chairman American Family Association ---- ...It Figures! Here's Some Wisdom on the subject from the bible: III John 2 -- Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth. I Peter 2: 24 -- Who his own self bear our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. These are two (2) of the main Scriptures that tells us from God's Word that He not only wants us to prosper, but also to be in health. Prosperity And Health http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/BibleStudy/prosperityhealth.html As stewards we should recognize that our things are not ours; they are God's. We use them as God directs our hearts. We identify where God wants us to place our goods and possessions. We help those as God directs us to do. I have seen that stewardship can be summed up in the following phrase: "Stewardship, all that I am, all that I have, I use in dedicated - devotion to God." I encourage you to check your heart and check your life; are you being a good steward? Finacial Stewardship http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/BibleStudy/financialstewardship.html With these teachings in mind, our best recourse in this financial crisis is to lift this to God through Christ Jesus... Proverbs 19: 21 -- There are many devices in a man's heart; nevertheless the counsel of the Lord, that shall stand. The counsel of the Lord is what we should seek every day, yet many do not. We devise our own plans, our own ideas of what we must do. Yet the Word tells us that it is the counsel of the Lord that will stand. Our own devices will fail. Counsel Of The Lord http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/BibleStudy/counselofthelord.html ====================================================================== >-->From Our Friend Viv :) >[Politics] Want to hear/see a great sermon by a black man? This is NOT a joke. It is a VERY serious sermon by a black preacher speaking about how the mainstream media is treating Sarah and her daughter. It is over eight minutes long, and, personally, I think the last two minutes or so is the most powerful part of a very powerful sermon. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U4-TZspqlOs --- ...Thanks Viv! Wow! A Hard hitter! Of course, I guess that is what some folks need - hard knocks of reality. That's Life! =================================================================== >-->From Our Friends Lorraine AND Viv :) >[Politics] Bet Ya didn't hear about this on NBC RUSH: Kurt in Pittsburgh, hello, sir. Nice to have you on the EIB Network, and how about the Steelers defense? CALLER: How about those Steelers, huh? RUSH: How about that? CALLER: Hey, listen, Rush, longtime listener, first-time caller, one of those Bible, family, gun clingers from western Pennsylvania. RUSH: Thank you. CALLER: And I wanted to share a story with you. A week ago last Saturday we went to the Palin-McCain rally in Washington, Pennsylvania, was the day after he announced her, and we have a five-year-old daughter with Down syndrome, and we made a sign that said: "We Love Kids with Down Syndrome." So when they pulled in in their bus the sign did catch their, McCain and Palin and the rest of their family, it caught their eye, we could tell, they gave us a thumbs-up from the bus, so we were all excited just by that -- RUSH: Wait, wait, wait. Who gave you the thumbs up, McCain and Palin? CALLER: McCain, Palin, Cindy McCain, we could see them from the bus. We were in a position where we had eye contact with them -- RUSH: Oh, cool! CALLER: My wife was holding our daughter. RUSH: Very, very, very cool CALLER: It was really cool, Rush. I was like, "Wow, that's awesome," because I love Governor Palin and so I thought that's really neat. So then we moved around as the bus was getting ready to pull out, we kind of positioned ourselves so we could just wave them on and a Secret Service agent came up to us and said, "Hey, can you come with us?" I was like, "Do we have a choice?" RUSH: (laughing) You shouldn't have worried. It's not the Clinton administration. CALLER: Right. So we accompanied them up the hill, we went right to the bus, where it was, and Governor Palin, Senator McCain, Cindy, Todd Palin, they're all standing there. We're in this inner circle with just us and them, and the Secret Service agent, and they came right up to us and thanked us for coming out, said they loved our sign, and Governor Palin immediately said, "May I hold your daughter?" and our daughter Chloe, who's five, went right to her, and I have some pictures I'd love to send you maybe when I'm done here, but Governor Palin was hugging Chloe, and then her little daughter brought their baby Trig who has Down syndrome from the bus, he was napping, and Chloe went right over and kissed him on the cheek, and my son Nolan who's nine, he thanked her. RUSH: This is amazing. CALLER: I will send you all the stuff, Senator McCain was talking to my son, and we thanked him for his service, and he asked my son if he wanted to see the bus, and we were hanging out and it was very surreal. I felt like we could have had a pizza and a beer with them, they were so warm. RUSH: You know what? I want to put you on hold I want Snerdley to give you our super-secret, known-only-to-three-people here, e-mail address. CALLER: I will send you everything, Rush. RUSH: And then could you send us these pictures? Would you mind if we put them on the website? CALLER: I would be honored, and my main thing is they are warm, kind, genuine people, and they represent the best of this country. RUSH: That's right. And when you send these pictures, make sure you identify them I mean, we'll know Palin and McCain, of course. Identify yourselves. CALLER: I will, I will identify everybody in the picture, Rush, and God bless you for being a beacon of hope and truth in this country. RUSH: Oh, no, no. It's nothing, it's nothing. You're doing the Lord's work. CALLER: Well, we're very blessed and I want people to know what a blessing it is to have a child with Down syndrome. These kids, they're angels. RUSH: That's the thing. There's always good to be found in everything that happens. It may be a while before it reveals itself. CALLER: Absolutely. RUSH: Right, and when she hugged my daughter I said, here's the difference, this candidate embraces life and all its limitless possibilities. RUSH: All right. CALLER: That's what she is. RUSH: Terrific, okay, I gotta run here, but I'm going to put you on hold. CALLER: Thank you, Rush. RUSH: Thank you, Kurt. I really appreciate it. END TRANSCRIPT --- ...Excellent! I loved This Lorraine And Viv Thanks! McCain is PRO LIFE - OBAMA Would of aborted these Down Kids! Do You Want To See These Adorable Sweet Photos? I Thought so, so I uploaded them to our group! You can see them here: http://ph.groups.yahoo.com/group/ShangyFunList/photos/browse/1f2a?b=54&m=t&o=0 ================================================================== >-->From Our Friend Jo Ann :) &&& && && &&&&. &&& .&&&&& && &&& &&&&&&&&& &&&&&&&&& & &` && && .&&&&& &&&; &8 .&&&: && &` & && 8&& & `& && && .&_ oO_&.-.-. && ( __ -/--' &&~ .'-__-'& &&&~`'\`& &&&~` _& &&&&` && &&8&&&& &&&&&&& & &&&&&&& &&;&&&&&&& &&&&&&&&&& ~~~ .~~~~~ `&&&&&&&&& ~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~;!&&&&&&&&&&~/~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~\~~~~&/` \`~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~ `~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~~ >Have a fabulous STRESS-FREE Day!!!! PLEASE DO YOUR PART Today is one of the many National Mental Health Days throughout the year. You can do your bit by remembering to send an e-mail to at least one unstable person. My job is done! Life is too short for drama & petty things. So laugh insanely, love truly and forgive quickly! From one unstable person to another .. I hope everyone is happy in your head ~ we're all doin' pretty good in mine!!! -<>- >Free Online Hair Care Recipes.. You Can Make At Home http://www.longlocks.com/hair-care-recipes-cookbook.htm -<>- _ _V.-o / |`-' >Prayer Of A Stray (7_\\ jg Dear God, Oh please send me somebody who'll care! I'm tired of running, I'm sick with despair. My body is aching, it's so racked with pain, dear God this I pray, as I run in the rain. That someone will love me and give me a home, with a warm cozy bed and a big juicy bone. My last owner tied me all day in the yard Sometimes with no water, and God, that was hard. So I chewed my leash, and God, I ran away. To rummage in garbage and live as a stray. But now God, I'm tired and hungry and cold, and I'm so afraid that I'll never grow old. They've chased me with sticks and hit me with stones, while I run the streets just looking for bones! I'm not really bad, God, please help if you can, or I have become just a "Victim of Man!" I'm wormy dear God and I'm ridden with fleas, and all that I want is an Owner to please! If you find one for me God, I'll try to be good, and I won't chew their shoes, and I'll do as I should. I'll love them, protect them and try to obey.... when they tell me to sit, to lie down or to stay! I don't think I'll make it too long on my own, cause I'm getting so weak and I'm so all alone. Each night as I sleep in the bushes I cry, cause I'm so afraid God, that I'm gonna die. And I've got so much love and devotion to give, that I should be given a new chance to Live! So dear God, will you please answer my prayer, and send me someone who really will care.. -author unknown --- ...Thanks Jo Ann. They say you can tell the character of a person by how well they treat animals in their youth and as adults. Often those that abuse animals don't treat people too well either. So if you are looking for Mr. Right or Mrs. Right - keep that in mind. If animals don't much like them, neither should you! If YOU want to Help - I Love This Site - Just CLICK For FREE To Give Donations to all the causes on the top line here... Click To Give to Animals http://tinyurl.com/4xp7nu This Is A Cool Site Too - NFL And Chunky Soup: Give FREE Can of soup to the Hungry with a click a day! Be Sure to Enter for a chance to win a trip to Superbowl http://www.chunky.com/default.aspx For MORE Cool Donation sites Visit our FUN URL Page and Scroll to the END of the HELPFUL Category List... FUN URLS http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/urls.html MOST CLICK TO GIVE Allow You To Donate EVERY DAY - So BE SURE TO VISIT THEM AND DO YOUR PART TO HELP ONCE A DAY =============================================================== >-->From InspiredBuffalo: .==,_ .===,_`\ .====,_ ` \ .====,__ --- .==-,`~. \ `:`.__, --- `~~=-. \ /^^^ ...always on the go! --- `~~=. \ / `~. \ / ~. \____./ jgs `.=====) ___.--~~~--.__ ___\.--~~~ ~~~---.._|/ ~~~" / >KINDNESS OF THE BACK ROADS By: Joseph J. Mazzella Near my home there is a winding back road. It was built many years ago along the banks of a local river and it follows the river’s path as it twists and turns down the mountain to a town 16 miles away. I often take this old road because it is the fastest way to make it to the closest interstate highway. The trip down it is beautiful with its trees, pastures, and the flowing river brightening your soul. Still, it also has long stretches of rough road that can be tough on an old car. More than once I have stopped to help a motorist whose car didn’t quite make it all the way. The latest time I did so was for a grandmother and her granddaughter. A visiting pastor had already pulled over to help and together we were able to push her old car to a wide spot off the road. She thanked us both and then thanked me again after I dropped her and her young granddaughter off at her daughter’s house. That simple "thank you" brought a warmth of joy to my heart. It felt good being able to help another soul. It felt great being able to share a little kindness in this world. I drove away feeling like the richest man in the universe. I was remembering this time again while the news was talking of the latest financial scandal. It made me think of what the great journalist Charles Kuralt once said: "The everyday kindness of the back roads more than makes up for the acts of greed in the headlines." I pray that one day we all will be able to put being kind, helping people, and loving each other over making money. When we do, this world will be a giant step closer to the paradise that God meant for it to be. Jesus said, "My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you." May we always love each other in our hearts, in our souls, and in our lives then. May we share our love and kindness with others everyday along whatever back roads our lives may take us. May we build a lasting wealth of loving-kindness for this life and for the next. -<>- >Ministry to People in Need There's a wonderful legend about Saint Francis, the kindly thirteenth century monk, who one day informed his brethren that he planned to go into the nearby village on a preaching mission. He invited a novice to go along. On their way, they passed an injured man and Francis promptly stopped, saw to the poor fellow's needs and arranged medical care for him. They went on and soon passed a homeless man who was near starvation. Again, Francis stopped his journey and ministered to the hungry, homeless man. So it went, through the day: people in need, Francis lovingly caring for them as best he could until the sun was low in the sky. He told his novice friend it was time for them to return, now, to the monastery for evening prayers. But the young man said, "Father, you said we were coming to town to preach to the people." Francis smiled. Then he said, "My friend, that's what we've been doing all day." That's evangelism at its most faithful. Ministry to people in their need. Not worrying about numerical growth, or adding to one's own conversion record, or winning acclaim within the denomination. Evangelism is sharing the love of God in concrete form among God's people. E. Carver McGriff, Times of Refreshing, CSS Publishing Company. -<> >TAKING CARE OF MY FUTURE The story is familiar that when Harry Truman and Tom Dewey faced off in the 1948 presidential elections, Dewey went to bed convinced he was the next president of the United States. But when he awoke, he learned that Harry Truman had won. What may not be as well known is that Dewey said to his wife on election day, "Dear, tonight you'll be sleeping with the President of the United States." When they learned that Harry Truman actually won, Mrs. Dewey said to her husband, "Tom, will I be going to Washington or is Mr. Truman coming here?" It is difficult to predict the future. But one group that has had some success with gazing at the "crystal ball" is the World Future Society. In 1987 the society met in Cambridge, Massachusetts and predicted that the 21st century will include: 1. A transition from an industrial to an information and service society. 2. A terrific increase in the rate of change. 3. Globalizations in every area of business and life. 4. Re-spiritualization of society (reversing the secularization trend of recent centuries), tying knowledge to vision and direction. Early in the 21st century we have already seen these trends evolving. I find all four fascinating, but the last one particularly intrigues me. My friend Oak Soo from Korea sent me this quote from anthropologist Jane Goodall (REASON FOR HOPE, Warner Books, 2000). Goodall, a scientist, said this about spirituality: "Thinking back over my life, it seems to me that there are different ways of looking out and trying to understand the world around us. There's a very clear scientific window. And it does enable us to understand an awful lot about what's out there. There's another window; it's the window through which the wise men, the holy men, the masters of the different and great religions look as they try to understand the meaning in the world. My own preference is the window of the mystic." I may not reliably predict my future, but I ask myself if my future will give adequate attention to my spiritual life? I gaze at my world through the window of my mind, but I wonder, will I also gaze through the window of my soul? And will I nurture my soul along the way? I had better take good care of my future now -- I'll be spending the rest of my life there. -- Steve Goodier -<>- Links for Your Enjoyment x352 http://www.buffaloschips.com/72212.htm Yeah Right http://www.buffaloschips.com/72213.htm Your Side Of The family http://www.buffaloschips.com/72214.htm Lake Delton Break To WI River http://www.buffaloschips.com/72215.htm Baby Panda Sneeze http://www.buffaloschips.com/72216.htm Baby Dog Duet http://www.buffaloschips.com/72217.htm Bad Ass Police Dog http://www.buffaloschips.com/72218.htm Bad Ass Texas Rabbit http://www.buffaloschips.com/72219.htm Balloon Dog http://www.buffaloschips.com/72220.htm Baptizing Kid http://www.buffaloschips.com/72221.htm ==================================================================== >A Journey Home Story Editor: by Tom Snell Joyce Schowalter California, USA More than thirty years ago my first wife and I went through a year's struggle with cancer in our youngest child, five year old Timothy. Finally, in February 1975, the disease, which had spread to his lungs, reached the point where we had to tell Tim, "There's nothing more the doctors can do. Do you want to stay here in the hospital with all your nurse and doctor friends, or would you like to come home?" "I want to come home." We didn't know if we would even make it there, but we bundled him up against the cold and drove 65 miles from Mass General to the small Quaker school in New Hampshire where we taught and which we called home. That's when marvelous things began to happen. First, the high school student from Maryland who had baby-sat our other children the previous summer arrived on our doorstep. The next day another student who had graduated flew in from Michigan. Our next-door neighbor spent every day with us, and my wife's sister and parents flew in from Montana. Faculty members from the school came in shifts, while other faculty babysat their children. Some came and stayed only a while, filling in where they could. Others came but got freaked out and left. But nearly all contributed something. It was a real community effort. In a couple of days, we had a rotation schedule with pairs of people on eight-hour shifts. Their only job was to be with Tim and to support each other. These pairs were never alone... there was a whole crew cooking, running errands, listening to each other and helping out in a million ways. We didn't have a lot of beds, so most of us hot-bunked: When people needed to sleep, they slept in any bunk that was empty. When someone went off-duty, they woke the next crew and crawled into their warm bed. People slept in rotation all over the house. One neighbor arrived to tell us we should send Tim back to the hospital. After spending a half hour in the house she left, saying, "Now I know why I came. Not for what I thought, but to be transformed by the love and generosity present in this house." Others were affected in similar ways. Finally, after two weeks, Tim died peacefully with two wonderful people sitting beside him, holding his hands and talking him through his passage. Tim, as commonly happens, chose the one time in the two weeks when both my wife and I were out of the house. Today, thirty years later, I hold each of those wonderful people in my heart, still grateful for their amazing kindheartedness and generosity. They helped us survive the most devastating thing that can happen to a parent, and transformed a nightmare into a community of love. =======HeroicStories======= >-->From HeartWarmers: . . . \ / \ / \ / _\/_ _\/_ _\/_ | | | | | | |____| |____| |____| _||_ _||_ _||_ jg TV repeats. >WONDERFUL MEMORIES by Mary Conner Remember those old televisions? When a TV repairman came out to fix a problem, he most likely would have to take the picture tube out, which amounted to the entire television minus the cabinet in which it is bolted. I remember a time when that happened in our house. The picture tube was to be repaired at the repairman's shop and brought back on a later date. Mother spent the next two days making a special effort to keep my siblings and me away from the cabinet where the wires were hanging and the bolts were lying around. You know how destructive seven little children can be. A couple of days later, mother needed to make a trip to town to buy groceries, so dad came in from his farm work to watch us. What a treat that was for us, we always had lots of fun when dad was in charge. After a little horseplay and joking around, dad said he wanted to watch TV. We proceeded to remind him "the TV is broke." Dad said he didn't see why that should keep him from watching TV. He then allowed us to each take a turn getting into the cabinet and entertaining him. James was our best comedian and entertained us with his jokes and his self-made songs. Then, we had a news report followed by a weather report. I loved the Big Hit Parade that we watched weekly, so I sang a new song for my part of the entertainment. Three of the boys crowded into the cabinet and made a very good stand-in for the Three Stooges. We continued for quite some time, acting out our favorite programs and cartoons. As daylight faded, the house became dark and we did not turn on the lights, nor did we notice that mother had arrived. Dad had a flashlight shining on the television cabinet and we were all having a great time when she came in wondering why no lights had been turned on. Needless to say, mother was not too happy that dad allowed us in the area where she had forbidden us to play. But, after a quick remark about how she had spent so much time keeping us away from the television, she bit her tongue, shook her head and tried not to laugh at our silliness. I remember many happy events of my childhood and the happiest of those memories include my dad. Both of my parents have passed on and I miss them dearly. Growing up, we did not have riches, mostly the bare necessities and a television. But, we had lots of love and laughter. My parents did not leave us a great inheritance of material things that would be spent or would fade away. Instead they left us great riches that will never leave us -- many, many wonderful memories. -- Mary Conner ____________________________________________ Mary says, "Growing up in a large family had its ups and downs. There were hard times and we couldn't wait to grow up. But now looking back, I know it was a good life and I am grateful for all of it." --- ...Yeah, some of you may remember good old black and white TV. If you do, Go back with me to the 60's when NASA decided to go to the moon. Remember? I was just a kid then. We had 4 Channels. Every single channel was pre-empted covering what seemed like every single second of the astronauts journey in space. I told Paul that if it was a hoax and we really didn't land on the moon, then all of us kids that had to suffer missing our favorite TV programs (remember there was NO Computers and NO Internet - just 4 stations on the TV - one was often a repeat of what was on another channel - ANYWAY, we) should get together and kick their behinds! _,,,, \\ \ ____/c = o= \|// * _/ | /\__C/ -/_ / ,-. * _/ \ \__ ___ _\\_ | \ * __/ \ -/ O\/'_ \ \_ \ x | * / \____,\______\/ ' /\_,/// > ) \_ \ # _/_\/ / ,/ +\ / / _/ )_/ \ \ \ \__|+ O ) \/ _/ \/ \_ \ \ /\__D/ \ _/ ) _> ,) ) / _ o \ _/, _/ _/ / \ / / ,_/ __/ /_ . _/ \_ _\ / / \ o// _/ /_\__/ \_/ \ /__o/ \___| _/ / x( \/ '-,__ _// \__ __/\ \ x\ |______\ \ \> \ \ \ | // | \__ \ '-' / / \___( /_/ / O \ '- \__ \_____) b'ger ANYWAY, That's Why I DON'T THINK IT WAS HOAX - Nobody would of done that to us for so long if it were just a made up Hoax! They'd know we'd Kick Their Behinds - TV Was THAT Important! ==================================================================== >-->From SermondFodder: >Magnet A teacher gave her class of second graders a lesson on the magnet and what it does. The next day in a written test, she included this question: "My full name has six letters. The first one is M. I am strong and attractive. I pick up things. What am I?" When the test papers were turned in, the teacher was astonished to find that almost 50 percent of the students answered the question with the word "Mother." - from Mikey's Funnies === This post is brought your way by Sermon Fodder and Joke A Day Ministries. To get a regular dose of Christian humor and a modern-day parable drop a note to Sermon_Fodder- subscribe@yahoogroups.com. Please leave this attached if you forward this to friends or post it on the net. ===================================== Personal Note.... If you happen to be a US Citizen I urge you to go vote. In many states the deadline to register to vote is fast approaching. In Kentucky the registration window closes 30 days prior to the election day. I don't care who you vote for, but please take time to register, to study the issues, and vote for the person you believe is best for the job. The bible is very clear that all government, both good and bad, is put in place by God for a reason. Get registered and go vote. The Sermon Fodder Guy ===================================== >Off Kilter Fan , , /////| ///// | ///// | |~~~| | | |===| |/| | B |/| | Jer.8:22 | I | | | | B | | | | L | / | E | / |===|/ jgs '---' The ceiling fan in the guest room was off kilter. Each time the blades made a rotation, I cringed. In the beginning, it wasn't too annoying, but as time progressed I was afraid the entire fan would drop to the floor, bent and broken into bits. I called the handyman to repair the fan, and he promptly arrived to our house with tools in hand. He tinkered and toyed with the fan, and it seemed, for a while at least, to be repaired. Before long it made its lopsided rotation again. The repairs were short lived and the fan once again appeared to be on the verge of toppling. Something had to be done, or we would lose it. I called the electrician, (the professional)which is what I should have done in the first place. He repaired the fan for us, and cleared up a couple of other trouble spots. God is just like that electrician. He is the professional we should turn to when our life is off kilter. When we wobble and groan with difficult turns of life, and it appears our lives will crash and shatter, God will comfort and sustain us, and repair our hearts . Then we can face our problems and be equipped to handle them. Unfortunately, we often search for solutions in other places, just as I had done when I called the handyman . These other solutions might be immersing ourselves in alcohol or drug, going on a spending spree, or perhaps just withdrawing from reality. They may suffice for a short time, but they have no long term healing power. Only God can pour the healing balm on our hearts, and help us through difficult times. We must ask for His help, though, just as I called the electrician and asked for his. The good news is God is available 24 hours a day. There will be no answering machine or call forwarding to Him. The line of communications is open and direct.. we reach Him through the wonderful and awesome power of prayer. If your life is off kilter and possibly on the verge of falling and crashing, call out to God. He is waiting to hear from you. He is the master repairman, with the correct tools to handle your very own personal problem. Marion Smith noles65@aol.com ===================================================================== He who gives you the day will also give you the things necessary for the day. -- Gregory of Nyssa ---> Visit my CyberHome - ALWAYS OPEN HOUSE :) Shangy! ------------------------------------------------------------------------ http://www.ShangralaFamilyFun.com/index.html Shangrala ------------------------------------------------------------------------ -->Bigham's Computer Rescue - PC Sales & Serrvice You can trust us to provide you with quality computer sales and repair. We've been servicing the Van Wert area since 1981 and can help you with all your computer needs. Please phone us at 419-238-5806 ************************************************************************ -->This is for all you who love food and DARRE 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: This Weeks regular Shangy emails OR Send a BLANK email to ShangyFunList-subscribe@yahoogroups.com ************************************************************************