Brownie Crumbs And More... :) 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 ~ _..---.._ .' .-'''-. '. / .' _..._'. \ __ : : /`;' ) : : _,="`\ ,--''` ``'.; : |; ,-; : ; __..==""==.,_| `-, `; .\; / ^\ _,.="// '-,_.--._ '.(;_.'__/`_.-'`\ ,.--''`` _..=. `'--.// `` \ `--, '` `- |_\ '-. | `-._ _.;--`-..___,.-'` `'-...-_:',;`==,| \ _.--',=" / /"=;="=, _.' ,=".-'` .' /| ,=" _.--' .-' "=, : .' | ", `;._ .--'.' .-' .' . ; ,;;\_ . '._.'--'` -' / ,;;;._ '-._ .''.__.' `\_ .' '._ / '._ .(` 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 smoking hot new page is from our friend Linda. People who spend countless hours perfecting and achieving their goals never cease to amaze me. This is one such artist who makes stunning art with just paper and a surgical knife. Be sure to check this out here and think of all the cuts she had to make to achieve such wonderful detail... ________ ___,,,,,,, jgs [________>__________\ Cut Paper Art http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/paperart3.html --- ...Most beautiful! Thanks Linda! =========================================================== >-->From Heartwarmers: ,sdPBbs. ,d$$$$$$$$b. d$P'`Y'`Y'`?$b d' ` ' \ `b / | \ \ / / \ | \ _,--' | \ | /' _/ \ | \ _/' /' | \ `-.__ __/' ,-' / | | \ `--...__ /' / | / \ \ `-. `\ / /;;,,__-' / / \ \ `-. / |;;;;;;;\ \ >I WANT TO BE A MOUNTAIN by Michael Smith I looked up at the mountains in the distance. They were white now. Not long ago, they were brown. In the time I've lived in Idaho, I've had the opportunity to watch the cycle of seasons make their change on those mountains I never tire of seeing. My first sight of them came in September of 2008. The sides of the mountains were painted green with the leaves of sage brush. Near the top were pines. The days moved on. The weather cooled and the rain didn't fall. The leaves browned. The mountain changed. Fall gave way to winter. I stood in the rain and watched the top of the mountains turn a blinding white. Each week the snow crept further down the slopes and long before the first snows fell in the valley, the mountains were covered with fresh powder. The sun set, the lights on the ski slopes lit the side of the mountains a dazzling white. I'm not a skier, but I imagined the excitement of speeding down the side of those mountains -- free, fast, and thrilled. Winter turned to spring. The snow in the valley disappeared and made its retreat up the slopes until it was gone once again. The weeks passed, the green in the valley flowed steadily up the slopes like a reversed waterfall. The mountains were as I first saw them, green and lush. On New Years Eve, the mountains were white again. On New Years Day they were peppered with the dark dots of the distance skiers as they daringly fall down their slopes. I saw so many changes, but were they changes? The mountains are never changing. Like people, they only changed coats to fit the weather. They didn't allow outside influences to alter what lie beneath their coats of changing colors. They were always the same. You can have faith in them. I'm in my third season of life. A little snow has gathered at my peak. Some of the sage brush is gone all together. My clothing has changed to fit my seasons. Next year and all my years to follow, I want to be as constant as a mountain. Although my looks change, I want to be reliable. My body will change coats many times, but when my day is done, I want people to say, "No matter what the seasons of life brought, he never changed inside. He never allowed the pressures of the seasons or the weathers of life to change what he was underneath. He was a mountain you could rely on to watch over those who looked up to him." For this New Year and all the New Years that I have left, whether it is at my job, at home, or with friends and family, I want to be a mountain -- reliable. -- Michael T. Smith -<>- _____ / \/_ //\__(\_\ |\ ^ ^ | .//_O \O_ \ \_ (_) / \ \_/ / __/\ /\__ / \ \ / / \ / \/\/\/ \ / | . | \ / | . | \ JRO >Pass it Back Marie, hungry after a busy morning, pulled into a fast food restaurant to get a quick lunch. The drive- through was busy. Cars were backed up ten deep at each window She placed her order: an apple-pecan chicken salad. She looked in her rearview mirror and saw a good friend was behind her and decided to pay for her lunch too. Marie pulled up to the window to make her payment. The lady, a good friend of Marie’s and one of the managers said, “No charge. The person behind you paid for your meal.” “OK, then I’ll pay for her lunch.” Marie and her friend started a chain reaction of giving. The manager called Marie later, “Marie, it was amazing. After twenty-six cars, someone finally paid for their lunch. People kept passing the good deed back.” Marie and her friend thought they were doing each other a favor. They didn’t know God had a bigger plan. Those who could afford the gift passed it back to the next person. It was a chain of giving. The twenty-sixth person in line needed a break She was a single mother with two cranky and hungry kids in the back seat. She was hungry, but only ordered French Fries for her children. At home she had peanut butter and jelly. That would hold her over until their meager dinner of Ramen Noodles. Since her husband died, life was a struggle. Her fixed income barely covered the bills. Food was a luxury. The gift of a free lunch from a stranger was a blessing. Marie and her friend just wanted to pass the gift to the next person. They didn’t know there was a woman in need twenty-six cars behind them, but God did. His plans are unknown to us. If you feel the call in your heart; answer it; He will take care of the rest. - Michael T. Smith =========================================================== >-->From Our Friend Johanna :) ** ** UAAAAAAAj UAAAAAAAAj *.......* A HAPPY AND HEALTHY NEW YEAR *........* UAAAAAAAAAAAAj_____________________________________UAAAAAAAAAAAj *////////////* *///////////* *////UAj/////* L'SHANA /\ TOVA *////UAj////* *////*T*/////* / \ *////*T*////* *////* */////* ____/____\____ *////* *////* *////*O*/////* \ / \ / *////*O*////* *////* */////* \/ \/ *////* *////* *////*R*/////* /\ /\ *////*R*////* *////* */////* /__\______/__\ *////* *////* *////*A*/////* \ / *////*A*////* *////* */////* \ / *////* *////* *////*H*/////* \/ *////*H*////* *////AAU/////* *////* *////* *////////////* 5759 *////* *////* *////////////* *////AAU////* AAAAAAAAAAAAAUAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAU *.......* May you be inscribed in the *........* AAAAAAAAU BOOK OF LIFE AAAAAAAAAU ** For another year ** Leshana Tovah Tikatevu >Middle East History By Andrew Tucker Even those who aren't particularly sympathetic to Israel's Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu could get a good measure of satisfaction from this interview aired on the BBC during the Gaza crisis: The interviewer asked him: "How come so many more Palestinians have been killed in this conflict than Israelis?" Netanyahu: "Are you sure that you want to start asking in that direction?" Interviewer: Why not? Netanyahu: "Because in World War II more Germans were killed than British and Americans combined, but there is no doubt in anyone's mind that the war was caused by Germany's aggression. And in response to the German blitz on London, the British wiped out the entire city of Dresden, burning to death more German civilians than the number of people killed in Hiroshima. Moreover, I could remind you that in 1944, when the R.A.F. tried to bomb the Gestapo Headquarters in Copenhagen, some of the bombs missed their target and fell on a Danish children's hospital, killing 83 little children. Perhaps you have another question?" Apparently, Benjamin Netanyahu gave another interview and was asked about Israel's occupation of Arab lands. His response was, "It's our land." The reporter was stunned. Journalist simply don't know the history. The problem is that many journalists simply do not know the history of this piece of land, and are propagating a distorted view on the Middle East conflict. Here are overlooked facts in the current and past Middle East situation. These were compiled by a Christian university professor: * * * * * * * Some Brief Facts on the Israeli Conflict Today 1. Nationhood and Jerusalem: Israel became a nation in 1312 BC, two thousand (2000) years before the rise of Islam. 2. Arab refugees in Israel began identifying themselves as part of a Palestinian people in 1967, two decades after the establishment of the modern State of Israel (in 1948). 3. Since the Jewish conquest in 1272 BC, the Jews had dominion over the land for one thousand (1000) years, and have had a continuous presence in the land for the past 3,300 years. 4. The only Arab dominion over the land since the conquest in 635 lasted no more than 22 years. 5. For over 3,300 years, Jerusalem has been the Jewish capital. Jerusalem has never been the capital of any Arab or Muslim entity. Even when the Jordanians occupied Jerusalem, they never sought to make it their capital, and Arab leaders did not come to visit Jerusalem. 6. Jerusalem is mentioned over 700 times in Tanach, the Jewish Holy Scriptures. Jerusalem is not mentioned even once in the Koran. 7. King David founded the city of Jerusalem. Mohammed never even came to Jerusalem. 8. Jews pray facing Jerusalem. Muslims pray with their backs toward Jerusalem. 9. Arab and Jewish Refugees: in 1948 the Arab refugees were encouraged to leave Israel by Arab leaders promising to purge the land of Jews. No doubt the Jews, and individual Jewish soldiers, made mistakes during the war of Independence, and some Arab Palestinians suffered hardships. But it was war, and the fact is sixty-eight percent of the Arab refugees left (many in fear of retaliation by their own brethren, the Arabs), without ever seeing an Israeli soldier. The Arabs who stayed were afforded the same peace, civil rights and citizenship in the new State of Israel as everyone else. 10. The Jewish refugees were forced to flee from Arab countries (Jordan, Syria, Egypt ...) due to Arab brutality, persecution and pogroms. 11. The number of Arab refugees who left Israel in 1948 is estimated to be around 630,000. The number of Jewish refugees from Arab lands is estimated to be the same or only slightly higher. 12. Arab refugees were INTENTIONALLY not absorbed or integrated into the Arab countries to which they fled (Lebanon, Jordan, Egypt), despite the vast Arab territory. Out of the 100,000,000 refugees since World War II, theirs is the only refugee group in the world that has never been absorbed or integrated into their own people's lands. The Jewish refugees, on the contrary, were completely absorbed into Israel, a country no larger than the state of New Jersey. 13. The Arab-Israeli Conflict: the Arabs are represented by eight separate nations in the Middle East, not including the Palestinians. There is only one Jewish nation. 14. The Arab nations initiated all five wars and lost. Israel defended itself each time and won. 15. The PLO and Hamas Charters still calls for the destruction of the State of Israel. Israel has given the Palestinians most of the West Bank land, autonomy under the Palestinian Authority, and has supplied them. 16. Under Jordanian rule, Jewish holy sites were desecrated and the Jews were denied access to places of worship. Under Israeli rule, all Muslim and Christian sites have been preserved and made accessible to people of all faiths. 17. The UN Record on Israel and the Arabs: of the 175 Security Council resolutions passed before 1990, 97 were directed against Israel. 18. Of the 690 General Assembly resolutions voted on before 1990, 429 were directed against Israel. 19. The UN was silent while 58 Jerusalem synagogues were destroyed by the Jordanians in the period 1948-1967. 20. The UN was silent while the Jordanians systematically desecrated the ancient Jewish cemetery on the Mount of Olives, and while the Jordanians enforced an apartheid-like a policy of preventing Jews from visiting the Temple Mount and the Western Wall. These are incredible times. St. Paul warned that the end times would be a time of deceit and lies (see eg. 2 Thessalonians 2). Who can deny that we are living in those days? We don't have to agree with or condone everything that Jews or Israel do. And we do have to recognize the miserable plight of the Palestinian refugees. But our attitude towards both the Jews and Arabs MUST at all costs be based on the truth. Without the truth, our supposed love will be misplaced. What will we tell our grandchildren about what we did when there was a turning point in Jewish destiny, and we had an opportunity to make a difference? Ed. Note: God promised the ancient Israelites to give them the land of Israel in perpetuity. As the Bible says, "Remember your servants Abraham, Isaac and Israel, to whom you swore by your own self: 'I will make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and I will give your descendants all this land I promised them, and it will be their inheritance forever'" (Exodus 32:13, NIV). In speaking about the land of Israel, God said to Abraham, the father of the Israelites: "I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and I will curse him who curses you; and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed" (Genesis 12:2-3, NKJV). And again, "Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: 'May those who love you be secure. May there be peace within your walls and security within your citadels'" (Psalm 122:6-7, NIV). Let us make sure we hear this Word of God. ********************************* Peace of mind is the most important character trait because it is the root of every positive virtue. About Andrew Tucker http://www.c4israel.us/c4i-us/about_us/andrew_tucker --- ...Most interesting! Thanks Johanna! Thank God for Trump doing what should have been done years ago: Christians for Israel welcomes the decision of President Trump to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's Capital! http://www.c4israel.us/c4i-us/ =========================================================== >-->From Archives InspiredBuffalo: ._o8o8o8Oo_. >BROWNIE CRUMBS Mrs.Baughman was my 6th grade Sunday School teacher. One morning, she brought a pan of brownies to our class. As the goodies sat over by her chair, she gave each child a slip of paper marked with a household expense: house payment, utility bill, phone bill, entertainment, etc. My slip had a car payment. Before long, Mrs. Baughman picked up the tray of brownies and began naming the expenses written on the papers. As we gave her our expenses, she redeemed each one for a brownie. "Car payment" she announced. I jumped up to get my brownie from the pan. Finally the last brownie had disappeared. But one boy named Donald still held his unredeemed slip. "God!" called Mrs.Baughman. Donald came forward hoping the teacher had one more brownie hidden some where. With a knife Mrs.Baughman scraped the crumbs from the bottom of the pan into Donald's napkin. He got a pretty raw deal, I thought just crumbs. "The brownies represent your money", the teacher explained to us. "If you don't give God his share right away, He probably won't get anything except maybe the crumbs." I never forgot that illustration. The day my friend Donald got only the brownie crumbs, even as a child I learned that God should have the first right to everything I have. In the years since Mrs.Baughman class I have struggled with giving and priorities, but whenever I recall the "Crummy Sunday School Lesson", I know who should and must always come first in my life! --Author Unknown -<>- /'=----= ______ (( || "--.__." " @>||_____________// _______ /^\"""""""""""//\========) _--"""--/-. "\ // _\-:::-/_-. ." .-"""-/ "_\ "\ == // ;::\:::/::".\ ; / _/ " \\ "\-+//--..._\_/:::::\\ . ; o . || ( ()/)======(o)::::::. . \ ; .| -|.;____...."b:::::; . -._ _ - ; == :::::::::::; "-..____.' ls ":::::::' >From Bob Raines ... after he read about "The Pastor's Cat" in Buffalo Chips Hi Nancy, I just read "The Pastor's Cat in the humor section. I believe it is humorous BUT at the same time it is an inspirational. I remember the time that my youngest son ask me if I he could have a bicycle. I told him that if God would provide it that he could have it. I said, Son, we do not have money enough to buy you a bicycle, but God can answer your prayers as quickly as He will answer mine. He prayed then as we sat in our church pew Sunday a lady tapped him on the shoulder and asked him if he would like to have a bicycle. Her son out grew it and it was just right for him. God hears all the prayers that come from His Children regardless of their ages. (\ /) (( "-" )) \ @ @ / ( "Y" ) pils ".^." `-. _/( _) ( ) (((.\(((./( ( /.((("\ ) (((" " THE PASTOR'S CAT This particular story just made me laugh. Every time I think about it, the vision of that poor cat just amuses me. Hope the story leaves a bright spot in your day. Whoever said the Creator doesn't have a sense of humor? Dwight Nelson recently told a true story about the pastor of his church. He had a kitten that climbed up a tree in his backyard and then was afraid to come down. The pastor coaxed, offered warm milk, etc. The kitty would not come down. The tree was not sturdy enough to climb, so the pastor decided that if he tied a rope to his car and drove away so that the tree bent down, he could then reach up and get the kitten. That's what he did, all the while checking his progress in the car. He then figured if he went just a little bit further, the tree would be bent sufficiently for him to reach the kitten. But as he moved the car a little further forward, the rope broke. The tree went "bong!" and the kitten instantly sailed through the air-out of sight. The pastor felt terrible. He walked all over the neighborhood asking people if they'd seen a little kitten. No. Nobody had seen a stray kitten. So he prayed, "Lord, I just commit this kitten to your keeping," and went on about his business. A few days later he was at the grocery store, and met one of his church members. He happened to look into her shopping cart and was amazed to see cat food. This woman was a cat hater and everyone knew it, so he asked her, "Why are you buying cat food when you hate cats so much?" She replied, "You won't believe this," and then told him how her little girl had been begging her for a cat, but she kept refusing. Then a few days before, the child had begged again, so the Mom finally told her little girl, "Well, if God gives you a cat, I'll let you keep it." She told the pastor, "I watched my child go out in the yard, get on her knees, and ask God for a cat. And really, Pastor, you won't believe this, but I saw it with my own eyes. A kitten suddenly came flying out of the blue sky, with its paws outspread, and landed right in front of her." Never underestimate the Power of God and His unique sense of humor. -<>- ,_ . ._. _. . _ , . , _-\','|~\~~ ~~ ~~/ ;-'-' ~-', ,;_;_, ~~- /~~-\_/-'~'--' \~~| \,/' _-| Scand/ / |_/~-/-/~~ ~~--~~~~'---_ / AK ,/'-/~ '\./ ' , '|,'|~ ' ._/-, /~~ ~/-'~\_, Canada'-,| '|. ' UK,\ /'~ Russia / /_ /~ .-~ '| '',\~|\ _\~Euro ,_ . . /| '\ /'~ |_/~\\,-,~' \ " ,_,/ | | USA / . _-~'\_ _~|Mideast China\ ) /Japan \ __-\ ./ ~ |\ \_ India / ~ ., Mex'\ |, ~-_ . | \\_' ~| /~\SE\~ , Hawaii ~-_' ;Carib \ Africa '-, \,' /\/ | '\_,~'\_ \_ _, /' ' |, /|' Oceania / \_ ~ | / \ ~'; -,_. | South ~\ | | , '-_, ,; ~ ~\ \, Amer / \ / /| ,-, , -, | ,/ | |' |/ ,- ~ \ '. ,| ,/ \ ,/ \Austral| / | ~ -~~-, / _ | ,-' ~ / / ,' ~ ',| ~ ~' -jorn >WORLD MAP A father started to read a magazine but was being bothered by his little girl, Jessica. Finally, he tore a sheet out of his magazine on which was printed the map of the world. Tearing it into small pieces, he gave it to Jessica, and said, "Go into the other room and see if you can put this together." He thought that would keep her busy for quite awhile. After a few minutes, Jessica returned and handed him the map correctly fitted together. The father was surprised and asked how she had finished so quickly. "Oh," she said, "on the other side of the paper is a picture of Jesus. When I got all of Jesus back where He belonged, then the world came together." -<>- ,=====,---. /=====/=====\ |=====|\=====; _j---j_|=====| /,-"""-.\=====| // \\====| || 12:00 |D===| \\ //====| \`-...-'/=====| `j---j'|=====| |=====|/=====; \=====\=====/ `-----`---' hjw >MY OLD WATCH By: Joseph J. Mazzella I have had the same watch now for twenty four years. It was a gift from an uncle that I got when I was just fourteen. It was one of the first digital watches ever made and it weighs about two pounds. I have gone through about five watchbands with it so far. Some of the numbers on the display are getting hard to read as well. Still, I keep buying new batteries for it and refuse to get a new one as long as this one works. My wrist feels strange without its familiar weight on it and my heart still feels a touch of warmth from my late uncle's love when I look at it. A part of me too is reassured when I look down at this old timepiece still working away after all these years. It gives me hope for myself in the years ahead of me. This body of mine just turned thirty eight years old recently which means that if I live an average life span on this world then half my life is already over. Since a large part of the first half of my life was spent figuring out what life is all about, this only leaves me the last half to really live my life the way it was meant to be lived: in choosing and sharing love, joy, and oneness with God. I take hope then in seeing my old watch still working away after most watches are thrown away. It reminds me that I can keep working away too and bring a little Heaven to Earth, no matter how old I get. Whether you are a new clock, an old watch, or an ancient timepiece remember that you still have time to make a wonderful difference in this world. You still have time to warm some hearts with your love, touch some souls with your joy, and heal a few lives with your light. You still have the time to live like you were meant to, to love like you were born to, and to be one with God like you were designed to be. You still have the time to bring a little Heaven down to Earth and to ready your soul to fly from Earth back to Heaven. -<>- >Links for Your Enjoyment: Amazing Human Progress http://www.ShangralaFamilyFun.com/humanprogress.html Cat Motivational Poster http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/catposters.html Face Of Christ http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/faceofchrist.html Important Life Truths http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/lifetruths.html Big Happy Pet Family http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/petfamily.html Kids On God http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/kidsonGod.html Making A Difference http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/makingdifference.html Pay It Forward http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/payitforward.html Only In Israel http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/israel.html Most Unique Trees http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/moststunning1.html Dubai Miracle Garden http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/miraclegarden.html Loveable Pooches http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/loveablepooches.html Beautiful England http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/england2.html Old US Cities Photos http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/uscities.html God's Most Beautiful 3 http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/mostbeautiful3.html -<>- Your ringside seat to history - from the Ancient World to the present. History through the eyes of those who lived it, presented by Ibis Communications, Inc. a digital publisher of educational programming. http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/ Angel Cards http://www.riversongs.com/angel_cards.html -<>- >From Our Friend KarenF :) VIEW THE VAST WORLD AROUND YOU - 360 Degree Virtual Tours: Amsterdam, Holland http://www.airpano.com/360Degree-VirtualTour.php?3D=Holland Angel falls, Venezuela https://tinyurl.com/caqy474 Ay-Petri, Ukraine http://www.airpano.com/360Degree-VirtualTour.php?3D=Ay-Petri Bangkok, Thailand http://www.airpano.com/360Degree-VirtualTour.php?3D=Angel Buenos Aires, Argentina https://tinyurl.com/6lwfko6 Cape Good Hope, South Africa http://www.airpano.com/360Degree-VirtualTour.php?3D=Cape-Good-Hope-RSA Cape-Town, South Africa https://tinyurl.com/73npkzs Chicago, Illinois, USA http://www.airpano.com/360Degree-VirtualTour.php?3D=Chicago-Illinois-USA Dubai, Islands, UAE https://tinyurl.com/6tx4a74 Dubai, UAE https://tinyurl.com/7bszqx2 --- ...Wowsers! Great! Thanks KarenF! 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 ========================================================== >Blowout on Kirkstone Pass Story Editor: Kristie Thompson Joyce Schowalter North Carolina, USA It was the trip of a lifetime. Despite the loudly-voiced concerns of friends and family, I was actually in England, after an impulsive decision to embark on a solo trip around Great Britain for fifteen days. I had rented a blue Renault and had already been on the road for four days with no problems. I was in a country known for its liquid sunshine, and it hadn't even rained! The trip was going wonderfully, and I was excited to be visiting England and its breathtaking scenery. I was in the Lake District on tiny Kirkstone Pass, somewhere between Ullswater and Windemere, when something else breathtaking happened. A loud bang followed by the wheel jerking to the left jolted me from my reverie. I glanced back in my rearview mirror just in time to watch my hubcap go bouncing behind me. A blowout! It was caused by the low rock wall along the road designed to prevent people from pulling off onto the shoulder. Now, it was preventing me from moving out of the way of traffic as well. There I was, in the hot July sun, trapped on the tiny road, traffic heavy behind me, and no way to move the car. Cars began slowly passing me, and I got sympathetic looks from many of the drivers. One couple offered to take me to the nearest phone, but I was afraid to leave the rental car abandoned in the middle of the road. I stood there, dejected, amidst the glorious yellow and brown hues of the pass, barely noticing because I was too busy worrying how the rest of my vacation would turn out when a van pulled up behind me. The van had bright yellow kayaks on top. Two men jumped out. "What seems to be the problem?" the older man asked. I told him. He immediately took charge. He opened the trunk, unloaded my massive load of luggage, grabbed my spare tire, and despite the risks inherent in changing a tire on a narrow road at an angle, managed to change my tire in just a few minutes. I offered to pay them, but the older man told me to have a great vacation and drove off. I managed to get to the Ullswater lake, where my steamer was waiting. As I pulled off the dock, I saw the same two men, kayaking on the lake. They had taken time out of their vacation to help me in a moment of need. The older man saw me and waved. "You won't get a flat tire on that!" he yelled, laughing. I smiled and waved back. Although I never got their names, I'll be forever grateful to them for saving my vacation. =======HeroicStories======= >-->From LaughAndLift: |"-,_ I--(_ ,I?8, d|`888. d8| 8888b ,88| ?8888b ,888| `88888b ,8888| 8888g8b ,88888| 888PX?8b ,888888| 8888bd88, o8888888| ,888888888 d8888888P| d888888888b _.d888gggg8'| 8gg88888888, '\==-,,,,,,,,|/;,,,,,-==;7 _ \__...____...__ __/ _ seal _ ~ ~~~~ ~~ >Burn The Ships (By M. Moneypenny) [Edited] Over the years, I have found that there are two "never fail" places where I can have an uninterrupted conversation with the Lord - on the treadmill and in the shower. Why the treadmill is anyone's guess but I have always thought the shower was a natural (no pun intended) place to let my thoughts wander. For me, it's a great place to unwind and allow myself to think about things beyond schedules, appointments, etc. And as for the treadmill, I guess that walking on the treadmill is so monotonous that my mind is available in ways that it isn't during the rest of the day!?!?!? So with that said, picture this. Treadmill torture at the gym - hair pulled back in a ponytail, water bottle within reaching distance and headphones turned up far beyond a safe listening level as I play a Steven Curtis Chapman tape. All at once, my ears do a double take - "What did he just say?" - feet off the treadmill, grab the safety bar with one hand and rewind the tape with the other... "Did he say burn the ships? What in the world does that mean?" I must have stood at that silly treadmill machine for ten minutes rewinding that tape back and forth trying to catch a glimpse of what he was really saying. I finally gave up, turned off my headphones and went to the locker room in frustration. Burn the ships...burn the ships... A portion of "Burn the Ships" by Steven Curtis Chapman - Written by Steven Curtis Chapman and James Isaac Elliott. Copyright 1994 Sparrow Song. "In the spring of 1519 a Spanish fleet set sail Cortez told his sailors this mission must not fail On the eastern shore of Mexico they landed with great dreams But the hardships of the new world made them restless and weak Quietly they whispered, "Let's sail back to the life we knew" But the one who led them there was saying: Burn the ships, we're here to stay There's no way we could go back Now that we've come this far by faith Burn the ships, we've passed the point of no return Our life is here So let the ships burn..." Ah ha! "So let the ships burn..." In other words, deny the impulse to go back to what we depended on before...I get it! As Christians we are not supposed to depend on our flesh (our thoughts, ways, desires, methods, etc.) anymore. We have Christ. But the impulse, the desire to depend upon our flesh to meet our needs rather than depending on Christ is a very real and strong urge. We are not alone. Think about the sons of Israel. In the second chapter of Exodus, we see that the sons of Israel have cried out to God for deliverance from their bondage in Egypt (Exodus 2:23). They are clearly looking to God for His provision. Well, you know the story - God answers their cries through His servant, Moses. But you know what? If we look throughout the book of Exodus and even over into Numbers, we will find that when the children of Israel found themselves in difficult circumstances, their immediate reaction was relatively predictable. Even when they were sitting on the edge of the Promised Land, they responded this way. Numbers 14:3 tells us, "And why is the Lord bringing us into this land to fall by the sword? Our wives and our little ones will become plunder; would it not be better for us to return to Egypt?'" They had forgotten again how desperate they had been to leave Egypt and how miserable their lives had been there. So, could we say that their first impulse or reaction was similar to Cortez's men as depicted in Stephen Curtis Chapman's song..."let's sail back to the life we once knew"? Can we also say that very often our first reaction to difficult times or unfamiliar territory is to turn back to what was familiar to us? In Christ, we have been given the very resource for living and He lives inside each one of us. We now have a choice that we never had before we became Children of the Living God. We can choose to walk after the flesh or we can live by the Spirit. In other words, we can either "sail back to the life we once knew" or we can "burn the ships"! So, I have just one question. Anyone got a match? -<>- __ /_/\/\ \_\ / /_/ \ \_\/\ \ \_\/ unknown >One Soul At a Time (By Rev. Eric McGrath) [Edited] Believers have a mission, And it's very clear to see, That we don't have to look that far, Or travel over land and sea. There's a mission field outside our door, Just waiting to hear from you and me. We're called to take our land back, One soul at a time. Some people think that government, It's their responsibility. Or else it belongs to the school, To set our morality. But the Lord has another plan, And it involves you and me. We're called to take our land back, One soul at a time. Only Jesus can provide the hope, That this land needs so bad. At one time there were lots of folks, Deep faith in God they had. But times sure are different now, They call for all of us to stand. We're called to take our land back, One soul at a time. One soul at a time, Is the plan that Jesus gave. He called us when He left our world, Gave us victory o'er the grave. It wasn't neon lights and glitter, But the good old gospel saves. We're to take our land back, One soul at a time. -<>- ,--. //^\\\ ,;;;, . ((-_-))) (-_- ; /_\ )))((( >..'. .:. .--. |SSt| ((_._ ) /. .| :-_-; /-_-)) _))A ((_//| S || ,`-'. ))-(( `( )`' |___|),;, C \\_/,`I )) \ / | | |`' |___(/-'|___() ,-. )( | | | | | | | | | (-_-) _____ /__\ |_|_| |_|_| |_|_| (\I/\.__|A|R|T| `'' `-'-' `-'-' `-'-' `'-`' `o' `o' Your mission field begins at home. >The Voice of Family (By Peder Eide, www.pedereide.com) [Edited] I love to coach my kids in the sports they play. I have been blessed coach all my children at different stages and in different sports. It's a treat for me and fills my cup. I love the atmosphere of practice and, of course, game days. Win or lose (though winning is more fun) the amount of life lessons on a game field or court with a group of people called a team are endless. One thing I have realized is the importance of the sound of my voice. Whether I'm a coach or in the stands when my kids hear my voice, they respond. They play harder, look for me, find new energy, pick up their tempo. The words I shout to them are all affirmation, at least that's what I try to do. Things like "Keep going, move your feet, go hard!" It blesses me when they respond to the voice of their dad. Did you know how powerful your words are to anyone around you? The thing is that you and I, because of Jesus, carry the Kingdom. When we express words of affirmation and blessing to anyone, we do more than just say something nice. We actually bring a spiritual blessing that is beyond our understanding because of God's Kingdom in us. It's a beautiful way to love someone whether they are easy or hard to love. Here is an idea for you. Take a sheet of paper and write across the top "I Love (name of someone here) because..." and then write 20-25 reasons why you love that person. Write it for Mom, Dad, a friend, brother, sister, Grandma, etc. Then give it to them in person or via a letter and let God use your words to do what He wants. It's what family does. The voice of a family member is important. 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 ========================================================== .-~*~--,. .-. .-~-. ./OOOOOOOOO\.'OOO`9~~-. .`OOOOOO.OOM.OLSONOOOOO@@OOOOOO\ /OOOO@@@OO@@@OO@@@OOO@@@@@@@@OOOO`. |OO@@@WWWW@@@@OOWWW@WWWW@@@@@@@OOOO). .-'OO@@@@WW@@@W@WWWWWWWWOOWW@@@@@OOOOOO} /OOO@@O@@@@W@@@@@OOWWWWWOOWOO@@@OOO@@@OO| lOOO@@@OO@@@WWWWWWW\OWWWO\WWWOOOOOO@@@O.' \OOO@@@OOO@@@@@@OOW\ \WWWW@@@@@@@O'. `,OO@@@OOOOOOOOOOWW\ \WWWW@@@@@@OOO) \,O@@@@@OOOOOOWWWWW\ \WW@@@@@OOOO.' `~c~8~@@@@WWW@@W\ \WOO|\UO-~' (OWWWWWW@/\W\ ___\WO) `~-~'' \ \WW=*' __\ \ \ \ \ __\ \ \ \ \ \ \ \\ \\ \ \ >-->THROUGH THE STORMS I did not know His love before, the way I know it now. I could not see my need for Him, my pride would not allow. I had it all, without a care, the "Self-sufficient" lie. My path was smooth, my sea was still, not a cloud was in my sky. I thought I knew His love for me, I thought I'd seen His grace, I thought I did not need to grow, I thought I'd found my place. But then the way grew rough and dark, the storm clouds quickly rolled; The waves began to rock my ship, my anchor would not hold. The ship that I had built myself was made of foolish pride. It fell apart and left me bare, with nowhere else to hide. I had no strength or faith to face the trials that lay ahead, And so I simply prayed to Him and bowed my weary head. His loving arms enveloped me, and then He helped me stand. He said, "You still must face this storm, but I will hold your hand." So through the dark and lonely night He guided me through pain. I could not see the light of day or when the storm might wane. Yet through the aches and endless tears, my faith began to grow. I could not see it at the time, but my light began to glow. I saw God's love in brand new light, His grace and mercy, too. For only when all self was gone could Jesus' love shine through. It was not easy in the storm, I sometimes wondered, "Why?" At times I thought, "I can't go on." I'd hurt, and doubt, and cry. But Jesus never left my side, He guided me each day. Through pain and strife, fire and flood, He helped me all the way. And now I see as never before how great His love can be. How in my weakness He is strong, how Jesus cares for me! He worked it all out for my good, although the way was rough. He only sent what I could bear, and then He cried, "Enough!" He raised His hand and said, "Be still!" He made the storm clouds cease. He opened up the gates of joy and flooded me with peace. I saw His face now clearer still, I felt His presence strong, I found anew His faithfulness, He never did me wrong. Now I know more storms will come, but only for my good, For pain and tears have helped me grow as naught else ever could. I still have so much more to learn as Jesus works in me; If in the storm I'll love Him more, that's where I want to be! --Author Unknown >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? 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