Big Problems, Little Miracles... :) 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. If every one would chip in $25 or more, we'd be good for the whole year! So Please - I need your help today! "We are each of us angels with but one wing, and can only fly by embracing each other" -Luciano Decrescenzo ~ CALLING ALL CARING ANGELS ~ === (`\,;+++;,/`) (- (((^.^))) -) (- ))\-/(( -) (- (() ()) -) \ `/`@`\` / \ / \ / \/ \/ / \ /_/_/_|_\_\_\ ldb *~* 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! ================ >-->HOT Off The 'Shangy' Press :) This flaming hot new page is from our friends Linda and LouiseAu. These photographers have an amazing talent of capturing the most perfect and sometimes most hilarious shots. Be sure to take a few moments and check it out here... ___ / _ \ | / \ | | \_/ | \___/ ___ _|_|_/[_]\__==_ [---------------] | O /---\ | | | | | | \___/ | [---------------] [___] | |\\ | | \\ [ ] \\_ /|_|\ ( \ //| |\\ \ \ // | | \\ \ \ // |_| \\ \_\ // | | \\ //\ | | /\\ // \ | | / \\ // \ | | / \\ // \|_|/ \\ // [_] \\ // H \\ // H \\ // H \\ // H \\ // H \\ // \\Elissa Potier // \\ Right Angle Photography 6 http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/anglephoto6.html --- ...TeeHee! Love this series! Thanks Ladies! =========================================================== >-->From Heartwarmers: ,--. \ _\_ _\/_|_\____.'\ -(___.--._____( \ \ \ \ `--' jg >>MAKE UP YOUR MIND by Stephen J. Hopson Ever since I was 4, I dreamed of becoming a pilot. As a boy, I immersed myself in a world of fantasy and flew a battery-operated 747 with a life-like rotating beacon over makeshift villages complete with plastic houses, green roofs and white picket fences. I drove imaginary villagers crazy with all kinds of things that a real 747 couldn't do including spins, loops, barrel rolls and flying inverted. When I was a teen, I often drove myself to the local airport and watched commercial planes take off and land for hours at a time. I would sit on the hood of the car and rest my back against the windshield and watch them roar directly overhead. Oh, how I loved the way the car vibrated every time! My parents never encouraged me to pursue my dream, saying, "You're better off focusing on something more realistic." Thinking they were right, I buried my dream and forgot all about it. I went on to college and got a job on Wall Street as a banker and stockbroker, eventually earning a fabulous six-figure income. One day, my administrative assistant told me he was taking flying lessons. It was as if God was reminding me of something very important. After all, I was earning good money and could easily have afforded flight training. But no, I chose to ignore His message, too preoccupied with my successful career. I thought no more of it. After nearly fifteen years on Wall Street, I gave it all up to become an inspirational speaker and author and moved to Detroit. While struggling to make it as a speaker/author, I stumbled upon some information that stopped me cold. I was surfing the Internet and stared long and hard at my screen. There was a link to a site for a very small minority of unique pilots. It said, "International Deaf Pilots Association." God was trying to get my attention again. I followed the link, wondering aloud, "There are deaf pilots out there!?!?" While looking through the website, I whooped and hollered to no one in particular, "I'M GOING TO SHOW THEM!" But there was one problem. How could I afford it? I was no longer earning a six-figure income and I was barely keeping my head above water as it was. Nevertheless, I grew obsessed with my new mission and decided that I was somehow going to be a pilot. I looked all over for a flight school that would take me on. One warm, breezy sunny day I was introduced to a flight instructor. After talking for hours, he suddenly turned serious and said, "By the way, I would be honored to be your flight instructor. We'll work out a special deal -- it will be free of charge." The clock seemed to stop. He saw the shock on my face and said, "When do we start?" "Um, uh, um, how about tomorrow?" With huge sparkling eyes, the flight instructor pointed at me and roared, "You're on!" From that day forward, a series of miracles began to show up. I was offered a part-time job at the very same airport where this instructor was based. I later learned they gave substantial aircraft rental discounts to their employees. Just as I was running low on money, a lucrative speaking engagement or two would come through just in time. It was like that all the way through flight training. Several months later, I became a licensed pilot one day short of my birthday (May 18, 2001). I have since flown several thousand miles all over Michigan, Kansas City and recently New York for the Christmas holidays. The cross-country flight to visit family in New York was a dream come true. My once doubtful parents tipped off the local press and I found myself surrounded by reporters upon landing in New York. It was as if my parents were saying, "We're sorry we didn't believe in you before. We're proud of you and we want the world to know." I was touched. The morale of this story? When you make up your mind about something, you set the universe in motion regardless of what other people think. Forces beyond your ability to comprehend are engaged in a complex process, the dynamics of which the human race is only beginning to understand! Yes, dreams do come true! Go for what everyone else says is impossible! -- Stephen J. Hopson ___________________________________________ Stephen is an inspirational speaker and author. He is currently taking advanced flight lessons for the commercial pilot certificate, God willing. His website is: http://www.sjhopson.com You can reach him by clicking here: mailto:sjhopson@attglobal.net =========================================================== >-->From InpiredWords: _____ / \/_ //\__(\_\ |\ ^ ^ | .//_O \O_ \ \_ (_) / \ \_/ / __/\ /\__ / \ \ / / \ / \/\/\/ \ / | . | \ / | . | \ JRO >What Forgiveness Will Buy -By Ralph Marson Think of the time and energy a little forgiveness could buy you. Being frustrated, annoyed or angry uses up your precious time, energy, thoughts and actions. Certainly there are situations worth getting angry about, but do you truly wish to give over even a little bit of yourself to the petty little things which really don't matter? When someone does something to annoy you, consider how much of your valuable time you could save by forgiving that person, in your own mind, right then. When you forgive before you've even shown any anger, the matter will die and you can quickly move on. Expect the best from those around you, and you'll very likely get it. Yet when someone falls short of your expectations, don't aggravate the problem by letting it sap your time and energy. Look for a way to quickly forgive and forget. The more little things you can forgive, the more big things you can accomplish. -- Ralph Marston =========================================================== >-->From Archives InspiredBuffalo: __ /_/\/\ \_\ / /_/ \ \_\/\ \ \_\/ unknown >Short Pieces O Christ, in Thee my soul hath found, And found in Thee alone, The peace, the joy I sought so long, The bliss till now unknown. I sighed for rest and happiness, I yearned for them, not Thee; But while I passed my Saviour by, His love laid hold on me. Now none but Christ can satisfy, None other name for me; There's love, and life, and lasting joy, Lord Jesus, found in Thee. --Author unknown. -<>- . | . \ | / `. \ ' / .' `. .-*""*-. .' "*-._ /.*" "*.\ _.-*" : ; ____ """"': .. ; _.-*" \ `.__.' / "*-._ .' `-.__.-' `. bug .' / . \ `. / | \ ' | ` >Big Problems, Little Miracles My pastor called it my "midlife crisis." Personally, I think it was just a string of rotten luck, including horrendous income changes, my son's poor health winging its way into its sixteenth straight month, medical bills that could choke a buffalo, bewilderment following cross words with two of my grown children, the empty-nest syndrome looming just months away when my youngest would be leaving for college eighteen hundred miles away, daily lower back pain due to lack of exercise, arguments with a woman in Texas over a book we were coauthoring and the fact that I'd only seen the sun for about twenty-six hours all winter. Call it any old psychobabble thing you want - midlife crisis, midwinter funk, too many lifestyle changes at once, mild depression, premenopausal angst, seasonal affective disorder or simply being sick of being a single parent after twelve years. Whatever it was, the fact remained that I was not my usual cheerful self from the end of January until mid-March that year. By then my friends and family had caught on that the big-time blues had invaded my home, heart and health. For a time, it was all I could do to barely take care of the three basics around the house: food, clothing and shelter. For about a week, during the bleakest days of all, the smallest things could reduce me to tears. I bit my lip a lot, trying to hold back tears. One day after a job interview, I stopped at my friend Sharon's house for a cup of tea. She knew something was wrong, even though I didn't go into all the details. She hugged me, poured a second cup and tried to make me laugh. As I was leaving, Sharon noticed one of the two buttons that hold the decorative belt on the back of my winter coat was missing, causing the belt to dangle ridiculously in the back. At that moment, during that extremely low point in my life, I honestly could not comprehend how or when I would manage to sew that button back on. Mortified, I felt hot tears sneaking into my lower lashes as I headed for the front door. Sharon pulled open my coat at the bottom. "Hey, look here. There's an extra button sewn inside. Take your coat off and I'll sew it on for you right now." At that moment, I felt more love and more compassion from a friend than ever before in my life. Granted, over the years, my friends have been wonderful to me, with me and for me. But this gesture, when I was at such a state emotionally, dragging so low that a missing button was about to send me over the edge, the gift of Sharon's time, her caring and intuitive knowing that I could not muster the energy to sew that button on myself, meant more to me than if someone had come to my door with a sweepstakes check. When I got home that afternoon, I found a silly greeting card in the mail from another friend, Kay. Inside, it simply said, "I've got a hug here with your name on it." Every time I looked at that card for the next couple of weeks, I felt loved and buoyed by the light of Kay's friendship. A few days later, on what was probably the darkest day of all, a day I seriously considered begging my doctor for a Prozac prescription, my Texas coauthor, the one I'd had arguments with as we worked on our book, sent me a "sunshine box." Little miracles of love spilled out of that box: chocolates, red silk tulips, sunflower candles, ginger-lily bath gel and three little juice boxes of pure Florida gold. My heart melted as I noticed for the first time that day that the sun was actually shining. I took one of the juice boxes and the candy out to the deck and sat in my favorite yellow rocker in the forty-degree weather, sipping juice and basking in the glorious sunshine and in the wonderful miracle of friendship. That sewed-on button, the hug card and the sunshine box got me through those dark days without drugs or further mental deterioration. And when I began taking brisk half-hour walks every morning the following week, I did a lot of thinking about those friends of mine and their gifts of love. Before I knew it, I understood one of the most amazing, most profound aspects of life: God has designed the world and his people in such a way that no matter how big our problems, the smallest gesture given in love from a friend can become the biggest miracle of all. - By Patricia Lorenz (c) -<>- .--..-""""-..--. ///`/////////\`\\\ ||/ |///""\\\| \|| ## ( 6. 6 ) ## /_\ \ _. / /_\ _`) (`_ /` '--' `\ / _,,_ \ / /` `\ \ /\_/ / 6 6\ \_/\ \ \/\ Y /\/ / \ \/ `'U` \/ / \( \ / )/ |\_/ \_/| / ____ \ \ ( || ) / (__)||(__) | || | |__||__| jgs |==||==| /~`//~`/ / // / `""` `"` >7 REASONS NOT TO MESS WITH CHILDREN. #1: A little girl was talking to her teacher about whales. The teacher said it was physically impossible for a whale to swallow a human because even though it was a very large mammal its throat was very small. The little girl stated that Jonah was swallowed by a whale. Irritated, the teacher reiterated that a whale could not swallow a human; it was physically impossible. The little girl said, "When I get to heaven I will ask Jonah". The teacher asked, "What if Jonah went to hell?" The little girl replied, "Then you ask him ". #2: A Kindergarten teacher was observing her classroom of children while they were drawing. She would occasionally walk around to see each child's work. As she got to one little girl who was working diligently, she asked what the drawing was. The girl replied, "I'm drawing God." The teacher paused and said, "But no one knows what God looks like." Without missing a beat, or looking up from her drawing, the girl replied, "They will in a minute." #3: A Sunday school teacher was discussing the Ten Commandments with her five and six year olds. After explaining the commandment to "honor" thy Father and thy Mother, she asked, "Is there a commandment that teaches us how to treat our brothers and sisters?" Without missing a beat one little boy (the oldest of a family) answered, "Thou shall not kill." #4: One day a little girl was sitting and watching her mother do the dishes at the kitchen sink. She suddenly noticed that her mother had several strands of white hair sticking out in contrast on her brunette head. She looked at her mother and inquisitively asked, "Why are some of your hairs white, Mom?" Her mother replied, "Well, every time that you do something wrong and make me cry or unhappy, one of my hairs turns white." The little girl thought about this revelation for a while and then said, "Momma, how come ALL of grandma's hairs are white?" #5: The children had all been photographed, and the teacher was trying to persuade them each to buy a copy of the group picture. "Just think how nice it will be to look at it when you are all grown up and say, 'There's Jennifer, she's a lawyer,' or 'That's Michael, He's a doctor.' A small voice at the back of the room rang out, "And there's the teacher, she's dead." #6: A teacher was giving a lesson on the circulation of the blood. Trying to make the matter clearer, she said, "Now, class, if I stood on my head, the blood, as you know, would run into it, and I would turn red in the face." "Yes," the class said. "Then why is it that while I am standing upright in the ordinary position the blood doesn't run into my feet?" A little fellow shouted, "Cause your feet ain't empty." #7: The children were lined up in the cafeteria of a Catholic elementary school for lunch. At the head of the table was a large pile of apples. The nun made a note, and posted on the apple tray: "Take only ONE. God is watching." Moving further along the lunch line, at the other end of the table was a large pile of chocolate chip cookies. A child had written a note, "Take all you want. God is watching the apples. -<>- ... {@} * {@} {@} * {@} * {@} : * {@} * {@} * .; {@} * {@} * {@} * {@} * ; * ; {@} * ; * : ;\ \ \ \| / / /; \\ \ Y/ / / `_\ |/ _' / \\Y// \ ( ,-}={-, ) \_//((\_/ //))(\ (/ )) (( valkyrie \) >"Especially the Blue" I ran into a stranger as he passed by. "Oh, excuse me please" was my reply. He said, "Please excuse me too; I wasn't even watching for you." We were very polite, this stranger and I. We went on our way and we said good-bye. But at home a different story is told, How we treat our loved ones, young and old. Later that day, cooking the evening meal, My daughter stood beside me very still. When I turned, I nearly knocked her down. "Move out of the way," I said with a frown. She walked away, her little heart broken. I didn't realize how harshly I'd spoken. While I lay awake in bed, God's still small voice came to me and said, "While dealing with a stranger, common courtesy you use, But the children you love, you seem to abuse. Look on the kitchen floor, You'll find some flowers there by the door. Those are the flowers she brought for you. She picked them herself, pink, yellow and blue. She stood quietly not to spoil the surprise, And you never saw the tears in her eyes." By this time, I felt very small And now my tears began to fall. I quietly went and knelt by her bed; "Wake up, little girl, wake up," I said. "Are these the flowers you picked for me?" She smiled, "I found 'em, out by the tree. I picked 'em because they're pretty like you. I knew you'd like 'em, especially the blue." I said, "Daughter, I'm sorry for the way I acted today; I shouldn't have yelled at you that way." She said, "Oh, Mom, that's okay. I love you anyway." I said, "Daughter, I love you too, and I do like the flowers, especially the blue." Are you aware that: If we die tomorrow, the company that we are working for could easily replace us in a matter of days. But the family we left behind will feel the loss for the rest of their lives. And come to think of it, we pour ourselves more into work than to our family - an unwise investment indeed. --Author Unknown -<>- >Links for Your Enjoyment: The Bible http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/thebible.html Our Valuable Anchor http://www.ShangralaFamilyFun.com/BibleStudy/ouranchor.html Never Give Up http://www.ShangralaFamilyFun.com/BibleStudy/nevergiveup.html Walking in Power http://www.ShangralaFamilyFun.com/BibleStudy/walkingpower.html Love Thoughts http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/love.html Bo Words Needed http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/nowords.html Proud Of Our Troops 6 http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/troops6.html I Believe In You http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/ibelieveinyou.html Friends: Lion Tiger Bear http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/liontigerbear.html REAL Fantasy Trees 2! http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/trees2.html Feather Painting http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/feather.html Making A difference http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/makingdifference.html Butchart Gardens http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/bgardens.html Sweet Humanity http://www.ShangralaFamilyFun.com/sweethumanity.html Wild Bear Release http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/bearrelease.html Cat Spot Tips http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/catspots.html Full Winter Index! https://tinyurl.com/y4xyz2w8 -<>- TruthOrTradition? https://www.truthortradition.com/author/renee The Kingsmen - Glory Road https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HRI_FlK3ip8 Ernie Haase & SSQ - I'm Telling The World About His Love https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_v6XC6hQ-hk Echoes From The Burning Bush https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0gmI1F_RgGw -<>- >In The News: About time! - Historic Deal Heads to Trump's Desk for Signature https://tinyurl.com/vbe9hdf ‘Biden Has Lost His Mind’: Former ICE Chief Reacts To Biden Saying He Wouldn’t Deport Drunk Driving Illegal Aliens https://tinyurl.com/usnur5v Trump Proclaims Sanctity Of Human Life Day On Anniversary Of Roe V Wade https://tinyurl.com/r4ac58c Westwing News: Newt Gingrich: Trump Triumphs at World Economic Forum While Democrats Pursue Baseless Impeachment https://www.whitehouse.gov/westwingreads/ WhiteHouseNews: 5 times Adam Schiff just totally made it up today https://www.whitehouse.gov/1600daily/ Latest From AFA: http://tinyurl.com/j7lakqw Students For Life https://tinyurl.com/yd5nxmu6 Latest From OperationRescue: http://www.operationrescue.org/ Latest Product Alert: Sandwiches, Cars, Supplements http://www.emergencyemail.org/products/?fmt=text Latest Health Alert: http://www.emergencyemail.org/health/?fmt=text Click to Give Free https://tinyurl.com/y2abb8d2 -<>- >From Our Friend LouiseAu :) Acrobatic Sport World Champions Goncalo and Kinga impress the judges and audience of America's Got Talent 2020. https://youtu.be/BA4cdC9NdJc --- ...Awesome! Thanks LouiseAu! -<>- >From our friend Linda :) REMEMBER WHEN?? Now this is dancing; not what they do today. He's 17 and she's only 15. But together, they won the 2012 Junior Division National Carolina Shag Dancing Championships. They're dancing to Joe Turner's "Flip, Flop and Fly." http://videos2view.net/shag-dance.htm --- ...A fun one! Thanks Linda! Start Eating a Cucumber a Day, See What Happens to Your Body https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nW78YV1JVEg&feature=youtu.be --- ...Thanks for the info Linda! 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 ========================================================== >-->From AndyChaps: .0. / \ ; \_/ ; | | | | | | _______; ;_______ `======='\ /`=======` \ / _ | | _ _( \____|=|____/ )_ ( .---. .---. ) `-' / \ '-' / HUG \ ; ; | .---.|__, jgs : / :--' .--\ \ | `" `"".-' < =""` `"== `""""""` =""` `"""===="""` =""` `""==="""` >Seed of Love My day began on a decidedly sour note when I saw my six-year-old wrestling with a branch of my azalea bush. By the time I got outside, he'd broken it. "Can I take this to school today?" he asked. With a wave of my hand, I sent him on. I turned my back so he wouldn't see the tears gathering in my eyes. I loved that azalea bush. I touched the broken limb to silently say, "I'm sorry." I wished I could have said that to my husband when he left earlier, but I'd been angry. The washing machine had leaked on my brand-new linoleum. "Why hadn't he just taken the time to fix it the night before instead of playing checkers with Jonathan?" I wondered. I was still mopping up the mess on the floor when Jonathan followed me into the kitchen. "What's for breakfast, Mom?" I opened the refrigerator. "No cereal," I said, watching the sides of his mouth drop. "How about toast and jelly?" I smeared the toast with jelly and set it in front of him. Why was I so angry? I tossed my husband's dishes into the sudsy water. It was days like that that made me want to quit. I just wanted to drive my car up to the mountains, hide myself in a crevice, and never come down. Somehow I managed to lug the wet clothes to the Laundromat. I spent most of the day washing and drying clothes and thinking how love had disappeared from my life. Staring at the graffiti on the walls, I felt as wrung-out as the clothes left in the washers. As I finished hanging up the last of my husband's shirts, I looked at the clock on the wall. 2:30. I was late. Jonathan's class let out at 2:15. I dumped my clothes in the backseat and hurriedly drove to the school. I was out of breath by the time I knocked on the teacher's door. I peered in through the glass. With one finger, she motioned for me to wait. She said something to Jonathan and handed him and the other children crayons and a sheet of paper. "What now?" I thought as she rustled through the door and took me aside. "I want to talk to you about Jonathan," she said. I prepared myself for the worst. Nothing would have surprised me. I'd had a fight with my husband and we weren't speaking, my son had broken a limb off my favorite tree, and now this. "Did you know Jonathan brought flowers to school today?" she asked. I nodded, trying to keep the hurt in my eyes from showing. I glanced at my son busily coloring a picture. His wavy hair was too long and flopped just beneath is brow. He pushed it away with the back of his hand. His eyes burst with blue as he admired his handiwork. "Let me tell you about yesterday," the teacher insisted. "See that little girl?" I watched the rosy-cheeked child laugh and point to a colorful picture taped to the wall. I nodded. "Well, yesterday she was almost hysterical. Her mother and father are going through a nasty divorce. Tish said she didn't want to live; she wished she could die. I watched the child bury her face in her hands and say loud enough for the class to hear, 'Nobody loves me.' I did all I could to console her, but it only seemed to make things worse." "I thought you wanted to talk to me about Jonathan," I said. "I do," she said, touching the sleeve of my blouse. "This morning your son came straight to Tish. I watched him hand her the flowers and whisper, 'I love you, Tish.'" I felt my heart swell with pride for what my son had done. I smiled at the teacher. "Thank you," I said, reaching for Jonathan's hand. "You've made my day." Later that evening, I began pulling weeds from around my lopsided azalea bush. As I let my mind wander back to the love Jonathan showed the little girl, I was reminded of a verse from the Bible, "And now these three remain: faith, hope and charity, but the greatest of these is charity." (I Corinthians 13:13). My son knew how to show love, but all the day I had only showed anger. I dropped my head and whispered, "Forgive me, Lord." I heard the familiar squeak of my husband's truck brakes as he pulled into the drive. I snapped a small limb bristling with hot pink azaleas off the bush. I felt the seed of love begin to bloom again in me. My husband's eyes widened in surprise as I handed him the flowers. "I love you," I whispered. ....Nanette Thorsen-Snipes ========================================================== .-=":-=") |_.'|_.' /" /" : / / / .' .' : .-'-.---. / .--"""""--.. : .((((__ .\ ___.:-//\\\\\\-._ -. __..--'"` [.]-[.] \\_. ` `""--..__ ..---\ ___(/_ | /___ /---.. """",-/_...---'"`` \,_ /.- ``"'---..__\-,"""" " /"""'"'""""/ " \`'-.__.-' \___ aa/wkm "._________".' >Just Vacation People Story Editor: By Diana Karol Nagy C.O. Fines Gainesville, Florida, USA This past holiday season did not turn out as expected for our family. We had relatives from Germany visiting our Florida home; our plans were to take all the kids to Disney World and Universal Studios in Orlando. However, a few days before Christmas I developed excruciating pain in my neck, left shoulder, arm, and hand. After an agonizing wait, an emergency MRI scan disclosed that I needed immediate neck surgery for two herniated disks. After much discussion, we agreed that my German sister-in-law would take her two daughters on the Orlando trip, and my husband's brother would take my two sons. After all, there really wasn't much they could do sitting around our home. My adult daughter and my husband stayed so they could be with me. The surgery went well, thankfully, but the Orlando crew met with a mishap. My 14-year-old son took some of his Christmas gift money with him on the trip, and while there lost his wallet. They did look in the lost and found for it, but it was never turned in. In early January I received a small brown package in the mail postmarked Trenton. Vaguely thinking it might be a get-well gift from an acquaintance in nearby Trenton, Florida, I opened it to find my son's wallet. I was so shocked! Everything was in it, including his school ID (which had no address), a check I wrote that he was supposed to have turned in at school, and even the cash (minus what he finally admitted he spent). I looked at the postmark again and discovered it said Trenton, MICHIGAN, perhaps a thousand miles north of us. There was an anonymous note enclosed which said that the people sending it had found it while on vacation. They were concerned it might not find its way back to a young student if they turned it in, so they kept it and mailed it to me at the address on my check from their home in Michigan. The note ended "Hopefully you are his mother or aunt or some other relation to him, to see to it that he receives it. I hope that your vacation was as fun and relaxing as ours." It was signed "Just vacation people". My son has learned a lesson, maybe more than one. We are going to frame the note and put it up on the wall in his room as a reminder. We have always taught our children: when you find something that is not yours, please try to put yourself in the position of the person who lost it, and return it. This incident put the shoe on the other foot and really sent the lesson home. I hope these very kind people read this and realize how wonderful it was for us to learn there are honest people left in this world. From my family to theirs: many, many thanks! =======HeroicStories======= >-->From LaughAndLift: "Forgiveness is man's deepest need and God's highest achievement." - Horace Bushnell , , /////| ///// | ///// | |~~~| | | |===| |/| | B |/| | | I | | | | B | | | | L | / | E | / |===|/ jgs '---' >The Samaritan Leper (By Steve Brand) [Edited and partially written by Chris Long] "...and he was a Samaritan." (Luke 17:15) Have you taken time to consider the Samaritans in Scripture lately? There are three stories in the gospels that focus mainly on Samaritan individuals. Of course, in Luke, we have the story of the Good Samaritan who is such an apt picture of Christ. And who can forget the classic Sunday School lesson from John's gospel about the Samaritan Woman who went to Sychar's Well where she found the Saviour Waiting? She had Sinned Wickedly, yet the Lord loved her. He told her about satisfying Living Water that He could give her so she would never thirst again. He taught her about the Father's great desire for Spiritual Worshippers. She believed him and, leaving behind her Stone Waterpot, ran into the city. There she became a Sincere Witness to her friends and family, telling them what great things Christ had told her. I'm sure that these first two Samaritans are some of the most familiar figures in Scripture for most of you, but what about the third Samaritan? We find him in Luke 17, and for simplicity's sake, let's call him the Samaritan leper. The Lord found this dear man one day with nine other lepers. Scripture doesn't say much about the other nine, but I suspect that the other lepers may have been Jews since the Holy Spirit makes a special point of noting that this man was both a Samaritan (17:15) and a stranger (17:18). The interest that the Lord Jesus Christ took in him was remarkable for two reasons. First, because our Lord was a Jew and this man was a Samaritan. Remember that "the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans," as the woman at the well once told Christ. But secondly, and more remarkably, this man was a leper - condemned by an awful disease that we can hardly fathom today.. Most Jews of that day would've had nothing to do with this man and his companions, but Christ isn't like most people! His heart was moved by their cry, "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us." The Lord Jesus' response to them was such a simple command. "Go show yourselves unto the priests." They all went their way and were cleansed of the leprosy, but the Samaritan was the only one of the 10 to come back to Jesus. As soon as he saw that he was healed, he turned back and fell on his face in thanksgiving before the one who had healed him - the great, eternal High Priest whose ministry knows no national boundary - our Lord Jesus Christ. And there, on the dusty village road, the "Great High Priest for ever" (Hebrews 4:14; 6:20) pronounced him cleaner than any earthly priest ever could. Luke writes, that Jesus "said unto him, Go thy way, thy faith hath made thee whole" (17:19). Can you see yourself in this story? ...Like a Samaritan, you were outside of God's covenant with Israel. Like a leper you were completely corrupted by sin. Yet, the Lord Jesus Christ by His death, has opened up a great eternal Priesthood whereby you have free access. There is not a sin he cannot cleanse. There is not a sinner that he cannot pronounce clean. His heart is full of mercy and compassion. He is "touched with the feeling of our infirmities." He understands all, for He "was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin." His desire for us i s that we "come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need" (Hebrews 4:15, 16). The first question is: Will we come? The second is: Will we thank Him? Thank Jesus today for all He has done in your life! 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 ========================================================== ___ .dSSSS$$pp.. .dSSSS$$$$$$$$; .dSSSS$$$$$$$$$$$ :SSP^" T$$$$$$$$$$b_ dSSP $$$S$$$$$$$b` dSS$;_. .:$$$SS$$$$$$b dSS$$$_ ; __."^TSS$$$$$b dSS$$P;" ""' :lSS$$$$$b :SS$$$ ; ::SS$$$$$$b_. 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"-._ ---""" /; ; : : \ "-._....____; : : \ :\ `. \ ; ; \ \\ \ \ ; : : `. \\ \ \ : ; ; ;"-t\ `. \ : : : : `; \ ; ; ; ; : \ / : : / ; \-..__ .'; : ; / : ; """T ; : / / ; \ : ; ; ;/ : : \ ; ; ; ; ; ; ; : ; ; / : : : ; ; ; / ; :; : ; ; / : :: ; ; ;_ `""--..__; :_; __ ;____;.-;'; ;.__.: :..t-"" j" ; ; : ; ; ;--"" \ [bug] ; ; ; : ; : \ ; ; : \ ; ; ;. ; ; \ \ ; : / ; ; ; \ \ ; : ; ; ; \ `-. ; ; .' ; ; \ \ ;___/ /______;.-' \ ---; / / ;______: .-' / '-------' >-->Never Leave Behind Regrets - Author Unknown Too often we don't realize what we have until it is gone; Too often we wait too late to say "I'm sorry - I was wrong." Sometimes it seems we hurt the ones we hold dearest to our hearts; And we allow foolish things to tear our lives apart. Far too many times we let unimportant things into our minds; And then it's usually too late to see what made us blind. So be sure that you let people know how much they mean to you; Take that time to say the words before your time is through. Be sure that you appreciate everything you've got' And be thankful for the Little Things in Life that mean a lot. Growing old is a privilege denied to many... Never leave behind regrets >Updated FUN STUFF URLS - Oh Yeah Shangy! ---------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.ShangralaFamilyFun.com/urls.html FUN URLS ---------------------------------------------------------------------- -->ShangyFunList AD RATES: $20 will get your a message (of up to 40 words) out to all self-subscribed readers and $5 more will give you the same message also put up for all web site readers. Email me to secure dates. 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