Children Learn What They Live... :) 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 ================ *~* A REMINDER: PLEASE Send me sweet, interesting, funny, inspiring, family type forwards ANY TIME here... bcrsystems@earthlink.net I Need them, Love them, Use them, and Share them! THANK YOU!! AND For Facebook Users: Please Friend Me / Like Me here... http://tinyurl.com/cma6all AND For Google Plus Users: You can find me here... Shangy Bigham https://plus.google.com/106648555948034085752/posts AND Please Share This email with All Your Friends And Family! ^~^ May God SUPER BLESS You As You Do! THANK YOU! :) -<>- * NOTE: An easy way to adjust the size of print in email or any page is to hold down the Ctrl tab while moving the scroll button on the mouse. You can also use the keyboard to change the font size in your web browser or emails. Hold down the Ctrl key while pressing the + key for larger text or the - key for smaller text! ================ >-->HOT Off The 'Shangy' Press :) This super hot new page comes from our friend Judy. It is such an inspiring and heartwarming one that I am sure you won't want to miss it or the video on its page. Be sure to check it out here... ________________ '------._.------'\ \_______________\ .'| .'| .'_____________.' .| | | | | Scooby _.-. | . | | * (_.-' | | | Snacks | .| | * * | .' |______________|.' LGB Water Rescue Dogs http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/waterrescuedogs.html --- ...I love this! Thanks so much Judy! -<>- *~* We Had A Stupendous Month Last Month Of Caring And Sharing! _ _ _(,_/ \ \____________ |`. \_@_@ `. ,' |\ \ . `-,-' || | `-.____,-' || / / |/ | | `.. / \ \\ / | || | \ hh \\ /-. | ||/ /_ | \(_____)-'_) >Please Visit And Share All Of Our Newest Web Pages :) Eleanor Roosevelt Quotes! http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/eleanorquotes.html Beautiful Russian Churches! http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/russianchurches.html Why Did She Lose? http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/whyhillarylost.html Up Close And Personal 6! http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/personal6.html Who Wore It Better? http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/celebrities3.html Only In Canada! http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/onlyincanada.html Beautiful Flowers 2! http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/bflowers2.html Beautiful England! http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/england2.html Most Expensive Paintings! http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/expensivepaintings.html Wally The Rabbit! http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/wallytherabbit.html *~* May God Bless All Our Sweet Contributors! They Give Us A Taste Of The 'Spice Of Life' With Their Forwards And Links! :) =========================================================== >-->From Heartwarmers: ________ _jgN########Ngg_ _N##N@@"" ""9NN##Np_ d###P N####p "^^" T#### d###P _g###@F _gN##@P gN###F" d###F 0###F 0###F 0###F "NN@' ___ q###r "" >I WISH I KNEW by Kelly Mieszek I truly enjoy trivia. The topic is irrelevant, for I will read any off-beat, odd-ball set of facts or list assembled, be it arranged numerically, alphabetically, by frequency of occurance, time sequence of events, or people polled. I'm a trivia junkie. However, there are a few questions that seem to elude every list I've ever perused. These questions bug me, popping up in my thoughts with routine frequency. How I wish someone could provide the answers so that I can file these questions away and clear that space on my mental hard drive. Who can help me? 1. If someone puts on a pair of shoes there's a 50/50 chance of getting them on the correct feet. So why does my preschooler put them on the wrong feet 95% of the time? 2. How come I don't feel the hundreds of red ants crawling on my feet until they are all assembled and give the "all bite" signal? 3. Did the person who invented playdough have carpet? 4. If blinking only takes a fraction of a second, how are the majority of people able to capture someone doing it at least twice on a 24 picture roll of film? 5. Why do stores put in 25 check-out lanes, and then only open two? 6. How are children able to distinguish and distain the taste of liver and spinach, but have no problem consuming soap, crayons, paste and playdough? 7. If we can see the moon during the day, can the people in China see it, since it is nighttime there? 8. Why does my local library only have one copy of Raggedy Ann, which is always in use, but always has 45 copies of various Harry Potter books on the shelves? 9. Why is it so easy for me to fall asleep in front of the television with noise galore, but then be wide awake when I try to go to bed? 10. If my skin is constantly shedding, why won't my various scars and moles fall off? 11. If my windows and doors are closed, where does all the dust come from? 12. Why are men put in charge of ships in an ocean, satellites in outerspace, and tanks in the desert, but they can't seem to find the ketchup bottle in the refrigerator? 13. Have you noticed that a good haircut grows out twice as fast as a bad one? 14. If spiderwebs are made by spiders, what makes cobwebs -- cobs? 15. Why does the day have fewer hours since I became a mother? What did I do with all the free time I had before? If you can answer any of these questions, please let me know. -- Kelly Mieszek ___________________________________________ Kelly lives in Jacksonville, Florida, with her husband and three homsechooled children. They are constantly giving her new questions to add to her trivia list. You can reach her by clicking here: mailto:kelster63@edcomember.net =========================================================== >-->From TheWhiteHouse: _ _|_|_ ,|_| |_|_ || | | |_| || | | | | || | | | | _|| | | | | ||)\ ^ ^ ^ | || | | || | | || | | \\ | \\ / ejm )\ ( / \ \ / \ \ \ \ >Dr. King’s legacy, 50 years later April 4 marks the kind of anniversary America wishes it never had to endure. Fifty years ago today, the life of our Nation’s greatest civil rights icon was cut short by an assassin’s bullet at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee. Martin Luther King, Jr., understood that for people to see one another as equals, they had to feel the tugs of a bond stronger than race. For King, that bond was America. He knew that the struggle for civil rights was not about rejecting America’s Founding ideals. On the contrary, it was about living up to our shared values. “The Reverend’s devotion to fighting the injustice of segregation and discrimination ignited the American spirit of fraternity and reminded us of our higher purpose,” President Donald J. Trump wrote in his 2018 Proclamation celebrating Martin Luther King, Jr., Day earlier this year. Read more about why Martin Luther King, Jr., is the true model of an American patriot. https://tinyurl.com/y73g4etq More: President Trump proclaims the 50th anniversary of Dr. King’s assassination https://tinyurl.com/ybvntskl --- O , ----@' O /'\_r-, | , \ \ ')) \ .| / \ /.*` + ,+ , | (' .+` | '++ | -Anderson Mills- .L-'' . / ,.--'--------.. _' .+ '+. ( .' + '++ ' , + .. ....+' ,' + ', '+. '''''''''''''''''' ..+' ,+ +.. '''------------------''' ..+' ''++____________________+++'' ...Anybody watch Dr.Phil yesterday? The show started out about a dad pranking his 3 year old daughter while her mother videoed it. See it here... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-PfYWrSZYYo Her dad told her that all little girls when they turn 4 turn black. She'd be a little black girl instead of a white girl. She started getting upset and crying that she didn't want to be black. And he was telling her that she'd be the same little girl only she'd be their black little girl riding her bike. She was crying and saying no and then he said she'd not really be black that she'd be brown like chocolate. She started getting happy and saying it would be fun to be brown, but then he went back to saying, no, she'd be black like midnight. So she got mad and acted like she wanted to hit him, then went face down on the couch sobbing. He thought it was funny and posted it on youtube. This made a bunch of people upset with him and his 'racist' daughter. He didn't see anything wrong with it even after talking with Dr.Phil who told him the up and downs that he was taking her on was not good parenting. Now as far as I am concerned, I say 'what does the bible say' about such parenting... , , /////| ///// | ///// | |~~~| | | |===| |/| | B |/| | | I | | | | B | | | | L | / | E | / |===|/ jgs '---' Prov.22: [6] Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it. So I want to teach my child the right view. Is teasing her about changing skin color the right way to train her? Is lying to her and taking advantage of her because she is only 3 years old and doesn't know any better a good way to parent her? I get upset with parents joking or pranking their kids due to the fact that I feel all their children are going to learn is that they can't believe their parents will tell them the truth. He is teaching her not to trust him - that at times he will 'joke' or 'prank' her by lying and deceiving her. Kids instinctively trust their parents to be looking out for their best interests and not tricking or lying to them because they believe their parents love them more than any one else. So they think they can trust them. They are innocent and naive that way. Why would you want your child to be leery of you and/or your intentions? Trust is normally earned yet as parents we have the gift of trust from our little ones right from the beginning. You are their everything. Their very lives depend on you and they know it! They adore you! So why would you take advantage of them and train them NOT to trust you? Don't you want them to grow into trusting, loving, caring adults who are mindful of other people's feelings? If you tease and play practical jokes on them as they grow up, this will train them to be mean and uncaring to others just as you made them cry and thought it was funny while they were growing up. This poem says it perfectly... _.---,_ .' `'. \ __..-'\ }-"` \ /__,,..---.._| \ | |---..__ | / ``"-./ .'---...__ | .' ``"-./ ,--./...,,,__ / '--.'__ __```.-. /._ / ` ` ' `=/.-.|-._) | .-. .-. "\\ / || O| | O| ""=='_\ .-' '-'o '-' ""=\` `''--/- ""=-,\--._ .---|- ( ""=-. \` \ /`)"=."=|'-. '. _.-' ' "=|\| (`----` '="=|/ `-. "=/` '. =/ \ =| .-. |` "=| ( ~._ | "==| _.-~`\ \ ~. |'"="| _.-~ ) ; ~-.|.-._|_.-~ / / _-( /-.__ ( '._..--~~`/`/-'\-._ `~~- ; jgs /"=| |" =\~-...___.-~ /=" / | "==\ / = (_ \ "==\ ;="= `\_) =="\ >Children Learn What They Live By Dorothy Law Nolte, Ph.D. If children live with criticism, they learn to condemn. If children live with hostility, they learn to fight. If children live with fear, they learn to be apprehensive. If children live with pity, they learn to feel sorry for themselves. If children live with ridicule, they learn to feel shy. If children live with jealousy, they learn to feel envy. If children live with shame, they learn to feel guilty. If children live with encouragement, they learn confidence. If children live with tolerance, they learn patience. If children live with praise, they learn appreciation. If children live with acceptance, they learn to love. If children live with approval, they learn to like themselves. If children live with recognition, they learn it is good to have a goal. If children live with sharing, they learn generosity. If children live with honesty, they learn truthfulness. If children live with fairness, they learn justice. If children live with kindness and consideration, they learn respect. If children live with security, they learn to have faith in themselves and in those about them. If children live with friendliness, they learn the world is a nice place in which to live. I think it is cruel and bad parenting only because of that. I don't think it is racist as many of his youtube watchers thought. He could have told her she would turn blue like a smurf and she'd be upset and probably react the same way. Why? Small children, unless brainwashed by their parents, don't care about skin color in a racist way. He's another example... A dad writes: 'After watching the video of the little girl crying because she does not want to turn black and people bashing the little girl so much. I figured i would reverse the scenario and see how my niece who is biracial would react. And as you all see she does not want to turn white.. Not because she hates the "race" but because she does not want to change.... Look at the end she says "I am white" when we ask her what color she is. Children are innocent, they are not full of hate until they are taught it!' https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e52BTGVMhkk And here is another example: Lol: Little Boy Is In Tears After Finding Out He's Half Black! "I Want To Be All Black" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=okdBhwY8sh8 These children are so precious! Innocent for sure! Just bad parenting - Lying to your child as a joke or a prank is not funny or smart parenting! =========================================================== >-->From Archives InspiredBuffalo: .---. .---. ,';' `.';' `.. f :Bo. ` d88: `\ /d88P' `\ ; /d888P' `. ',d8&8P' : ;d8&7' | :8: | qx >Do Everything for the Love of God Contributor: Carla Powell Brother Lawrence was a French monk who lived from 1611 to 1691. You might think that a man who was born nearly 400 years ago would have very little to say to today's working people, but he had some great insights into our theme of ministry in daily life. Brother Lawrence (The Practice of the Presence of God, p. 81); wrote: "It is not necessary to have great things to do. I turn my little omelette in the pan for the love of God; when it is finished, if I have nothing to do, I prostrate myself on the ground and adore my God, who gave me the grace to make it, after which I arise, more content than a king. When I cannot do anything else, it is enough for me to have lifted a straw from the earth for the love of God. People seek for methods of learning to love God. They hope to arrive at it by I know not how many different practices; they take much trouble to remain in the presence of God in a quantity of ways. Is it not much shorter and more direct to do everything for the love of God, to make use of all the labors of one's state in life to show Him that love, and to maintain His presence within us by this communion of our hearts with His? There is no finesse about it; one has only to do it generously and simply." 1 Cor.10: [31] Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God. -<>- ,,,,, \ e e\ C _\/ |\\, )\_) \_ / _/|/_ _// ,'\ ~ /'-,_/ \ / \_/ / / , | \_._,-" ( < _' | \ \ ', -',-~.-' _/ ) | |// | ' ' ) | | | | ._., - |.,_ // _\-' )___|__|_ '-._ b'ger /____\__\ >92 Year Old Preacher While watching a little TV on Sunday instead of going to church, I watched a church in Atlanta honoring one of its senior pastors who had been retired many years. He was 92 at that time and I wondered why the church even bothered to ask the old gentleman to preach at that age. After a warm welcome, introduction of this speaker, and as the applause quieted down, he rose from his high back chair and walked slowly, with great effort and a sliding gait to the podium. Without a note or written paper of any kind he placed both hands on the pulpit to steady himself and then quietly and slowly he began to speak.... "When I was asked to come here today and talk to you, your pastor asked me to tell you what was the greatest lesson ever learned in my 50-odd years of preaching. I thought about it for a few days and boiled it down to just one thing that made the most difference in my life and sustained me through all my trials. The one thing that I could always rely on when tears and heartbreak and pain and fear and sorrow paralyzed me... the only thing that would comfort was this verse............ "Jesus loves me this I know. For the Bible tells me so. Little ones to Him belong, we are weak but He is strong..... Yes, Jesus loves me.... The Bible tells me so." When he finished, the church was quiet. You actually could hear his foot steps as he shuffled back to his chair. I don't believe I will ever forget it. A pastor once stated, "I always noticed that it was the adults who chose the children's hymn 'Jesus Loves Me' (for the children of course) during a hymn sing, and it was the adults who sang the loudest because I could see they knew it the best." "Senior version of Jesus Loves Me" Here is a new version just for us who have white hair or no hair at all. For us over middle age (or even those almost there) and all you others, check out this newest version of Jesus Loves Me. __ /_/\/\ \_\ / /_/ \ \_\/\ \ \_\/ unknown JESUS LOVES ME Jesus loves me, this I know, Though my hair is white as snow Though my sight is growing dim, Still He bids me trust in Him. (CHORUS) YES, JESUS LOVES ME.. YES, JESUS LOVES ME.. YES, JESUS LOVES ME, FOR THE BIBLE TELLS ME SO. Though my steps are oh, so slow, With my hand in His I'll go On through life, let come what may, He'll be there to lead the way. (CHORUS) When the nights are dark and long, In my heart He puts a song.. Telling me in words so clear, "Have no fear, for I am near." (CHORUS) When my work on earth is done, And life's victories have been won. He will take me home above, Then I'll understand His love. (CHORUS) I love Jesus, does He know? Have I ever told Him so? Jesus loves to hear me say, That I love Him every day. (CHORUS) -<>- Place yourself in God's hands first thing in the morning so that your Entire day will be in His care. Lord, may my prayer and my attitude be One so that my relationship with You never becomes casual. Everything we need to deal with life's problems lies within us. Our Trials are tests to see if we can discover the solution. Lord, I call Out Your name when I face my difficulties and together we will overcome Them. -<>- , , /////| ///// | ///// | |~~~| | | |===| |/| | B |/| | | I | | | | B | | | | L | / | E | / |===|/ jgs '---' >On Your Side (By Ted Torkelson, Monmouth, Oregon) Two Scottish schoolboys out for a hike one morning came to a cliff overlooking the sea. As they stood admiring the scenery and listening to the breakers below, they heard in the distance the blast of a hunter's horn, the baying of hounds, and the beat of horses' hooves. A hunting party on the trail of game, they thought. And they were right. Soon a deer rushed out of the underbrush panting with fear, obviously the object of the chase. The boys watched the terrified animal pause at the edge of the cliff as if debating what to do, whether to jump for its life into the sea below or run to the left or the right. How the boys wished they could help it! Suddenly, the deer turned sharply to one side and sped away along the edge of the cliff, quickly disappearing from sight. The boys knew that the hunters would soon arrive in hot pursuit. "What shall we say if they ask us which way the deer went?" the younger boy said. "Oh, we'll just say we don't know," replied the older one. "But that would be lying," the younger objected. "We don't want to do that." Then, just as the hunters arrived on the scene, an idea struck the older boy that solved the dilemma. When the hunters asked if the boys had seen the deer and which way it had gone, he said, "It's not fair to ask us. We're on his side." A simple story, but how profoundly suggestive of God's care for for His people through Christ here on earth! And how reassuring. He's on our side. The Bible says so, in just those words. Read Psalm 118:6, NKJV: "The Lord is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me?" -<>- >Links for Your Enjoyment: Amazing Trivia Facts http://www.ShangralaFamilyFun.com/triviafacts.html Amazing Trivia Facts UK http://www.ShangralaFamilyFun.com/triviafactsuk.html Advice For Living! http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/advice.html In Days Past! http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/dayspast.html Ford's First RV! http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/firstrv.html Ladies Unleashed! http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/ladies.html Feeding The Eagles http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/eaglefeeding.html New York At Night http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/newyork.html Keep On Smiling http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/smiling.html Top Reasons To Smile http://www.ShangralaFamilyFun.com/smile.html Dominic And Jobe http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/jobe.html Day And Night http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/dayandnight.html Chalk Art 4 http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/chalkart4.html Spring In The Netherlands http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/netherlands.html Attitude Is Everything! http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/attitude.html -<>- >In The News: Immigration loopholes that put everyone at risk Yesterday, President Donald J. Trump ordered the National Guard to assist Border Patrol in securing our Nation’s Southwest border with Mexico. The President’s decision reflects a lack of Congressional action to reform our broken immigration system and strengthen security at the U.S.-Mexico border. Grave loopholes in our immigration laws are hindering enforcement efforts. One of the most significant such loopholes relates to unaccompanied alien children (UACs). Many UACs are smuggled into the United States by criminal organizations, and once here, very few will be repatriated. Most UACs are older teens from Central America. Some are MS-13 gang members who use our immigration system to infiltrate the country, but many other UACs are also at great risk from gang activity. Releasing UACs to sponsors with often unstable living situations makes these teens prime targets for gang recruitment and violence. Read more about how loopholes in trafficking laws put victims—and American citizens—at risk. https://tinyurl.com/yajk8p98 More: The basics you need to know about UAC loopholes https://tinyurl.com/ya47ogas Border Patrol agents overwhelmingly support Trump’s wall in new survey Border Patrol agents say they can’t be much clearer: They want more walls along the U.S.-Mexico border. https://tinyurl.com/yd2ew9sy Tucker Carlson: Democrats want "demographic replacement," with a "flood of illegals" to create "a flood of voters for them" Carlson: "It's not a conspiracy theory" https://tinyurl.com/y8rpx35v The Fiscal Burden of Illegal Immigration on United States Taxpayers: At the federal, state, and local levels, taxpayers shell out approximately $134.9 billion to cover the costs incurred by the presence of more than 12.5 million illegal aliens, and about 4.2 million citizen children of illegal aliens. That amounts to a tax burden of approximately $8,075 per illegal alien family member... https://tinyurl.com/ycz7fvsk -<>- I’m always here for you, you’re just not looking – Dmitry Maximov (8 Photos) https://mymodernmet.com/im-always-here-for-you-youre/ Doggie Zone http://network.bestfriends.org/ Kitty Korner http://www.best-cat-art.com/cat-and-kitten-stories.html carolyn w/ Don't ~Elvis Presley http://carolynspreciousmemories.com/elvis/dont.html carolyn w/ Could I Fall In Love ~ Elvis Presley http://carolynspreciousmemories.com/elvis/couldifallinlove.html Marlene/Life's Railroad/New Gospel http://www.wtv-zone.com/summerhoosier3/html2/LifesRailway.html -<>- >From Our Friend Bunni :) Audio Bible http://www.audio-bible.com/bible/contents.html Teenager fights off shark with board http://tinyurl.com/cwu5xjd Nature - Absolutely Beautiful! https://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=WEl2IAIuj60&vq=medium --- ...Great links! Thanks Bunni! -<>- >From Our Friend LouiseAu :) 10-year-old Andrea Tucaliuc completely stuns the judges and audience of the Romanian talent show 'Next Star.' Andrea left them all without words with her extraordinary contortion performance! Her body seems to have no bones! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KNjrOtHMado --- ...Oh Gee! She makes it look so easy! Thanks LouiseAu! Visit Melissa's Online Store You can get anything you want (except for Melissa ) at the online store http://pdhomes.net/mall/babylissa/mySTORES/ISELL4.html ========================================================== >-->Story Time From Our Friend Fran :) |><|~|><| /(((9)))\ //) -_- (\\ (((( ._. )))) ))))---(((( ((((`---')))) (___|xXxXx|___) \ | | / / ^ ^ ^ \ / \ (_._._._._._) \ | / ( | ) | | | hjw |-|-| /`-^-'\ (__,^.__) >More than She Bargained For In August 2001, I bid on and won an online auction for a back-to-school outfit for my 12-year-old niece. The clothes were a pair of like-new girls' embroidered jeans and a matching top. Due to hard times in her family, my niece didn't have a lot of nice things. Also, she wore a hard-to-find size, so well-fitting clothes were usually beyond what her parents could afford. I was tickled to find a trendy, fashionable outfit — the kind all girls her age like — for a bargain! The total, including shipping, was under $15. I paid promptly, exchanged friendly e-mails with the seller telling her a little about my niece, and waited for the package to arrive. Two days later, an e-mail arrived. The seller, "Kris", said she had inadvertently mailed my package to the wrong address! I asked her to see if they'd send the clothes back — after all, they had to know they hadn't won that outfit. Kris replied that the mom said her little girl just loved that outfit, and Kris just couldn't disappoint her by making her mom return it. I was disappointed, but I figured I'd get a refund and that would be that. The same day Kris e-mailed she felt terrible for what had happened, and didn't want my niece to be disappointed. To make it up, she asked me to go to an online store where I could purchase the same or a similar outfit, new, at her expense. When I saw the prices at the online store, I knew I wouldn't take her up on her offer. The top alone cost more than I'd paid. The jeans were twice that. While I certainly appreciated the gesture, I wasn't about to ask Kris to pay more than three times my bid because of an honest mistake. Before I could respond, yet another e-mail arrived. This time Kris was apologetic, saying she shouldn't have put me in the uncomfortable position of getting new clothes to correct her mistake. She had already purchased the outfit and sent it to my address. When the package arrived there was yet another surprise, Kris had ordered my niece a bracelet for her new outfit! I just couldn't believe it. This person I'd never met had spent almost $60 on my niece so she'd have some nice school clothes. I subsequently found out that Kris spends her time and money on "less- fortunate" kids in the apartment complex she manages. Kris sells her daughters' clothes as they outgrow them, using the proceeds to do things for other kids. She took her daughter and another girl to an N'Sync concert. The little girl had a difficult home life and Kris wanted her to get out, be a kid, and have fun. I'm sure Kris' kindness has given many little girls who needed it a boost. I feel so lucky to have met such an incredibly generous person. by Lori Schwingshakl --- ...awww, what a heartwarming story! Thanks Fran! ============================================================= ___ .' _ '. / /` `\ \ | | [__] | | {{ | | }} _ | | _ {{ ___________<_>_| |_<_>}}________ .=======^=(___)=^={{====. / .----------------}}---. \ / / {{ \ \ / / }} \ \ ( '=========================' ) jgs '-----------------------------' >A Leaky Sink Story Editor: by Beth Siviter Joyce Schowalter United Kingdom As a nurse, I often have the privilege of seeing people at their best, coping and surviving when things seem so difficult. I also see people at their worst. The most amazing things may happen when people at both ends of this come together. My patient Michael was an angry man in 1995: life had been unfair and he wanted everyone to know about it. We could never do things right. The bandages were always too tight, too low, too loose, too high. He was young to have such serious leg ulcers -- but years before he had lived on the streets and those years had taken their toll. He was capable of being active, but he refused. He tried to convince us, for example, that he needed home visits because he was housebound. When we found him at the supermarket, we had proof he wasn't housebound and told him he would need to come to the clinic instead of getting a home visit. He told us where to go -- and said he wasn't coming. Finally, we convinced Michael to come to the leg ulcer clinic. He wasn't impressed, and grumbled all the way there about how we were abandoning him, mistreating him, the usual. At the clinic, he was surrounded by a bunch of older ladies waiting for treatment who shared stories, enjoying their day out. Michael complained that he didn't fit in. I agreed. Although I'd hoped Michael would just accept this, it wasn't going to work. When it came time for him to go home, I found him engaged with a very lonesome widow named Rosie. When I told Michael his taxi was there he said, "Tell them to take someone else, I'm busy". He and Rosie were the last to leave. Michael booked himself into the next clinic. At the next clinic, Michael brought Rosie a little wood shelf he had made. He became the star of the clinic, doing odd jobs, mowing lawns, repairing broken windows, and shopping for those who truly were housebound. Amazingly, his legs finally began to heal. He continued to attend, just to visit. One day he took me aside. He thanked me for allowing him to still come by. I couldn't hold back and asked him why he did. He said when he heard Rosie talk about how much she missed her husband, he felt guilty about being angry for being alive. That first day she told him he should come fix her sink because he was a man and men did things like that. Then she said, "Stop feeling sorry for yourself and be useful if you want to feel needed! No one wants something that isn't useful!" He attended regularly until his brother called to tell us that Michael had died during the night. "I don't know what you did to him, but he was a changed man". Amazing what a little lady with a leaky sink and some straight talking can accomplish! =======HeroicStories======= >-->From CupO'Cheer: ! .':'. .':::::'. .':::::::::'. .':::::::::::::'. || % || || .-. || || / \ || || /_____\ || || O || .'||_________||'. .' .'"^"^"^"^"^"'. '. .' .'"^"^"^"^"^"^"^"'. '. .' .'"^"^"^"^"^"^"^"^"^"'. '. .'_.'"^"^"^"^"^"."^"^"^"^"^"'._'. |===========/+\===========|________________________________________ | /-+-\ |"^"^"^"^"^"^"^"^"^"^"^"^"^"^"^"^"^"^"^"^\ | |-+-| |^"^"^"^"^"^"^"^"^"^"^"^"^"^"^"^"^"^"^"^"^\ | |-+-| |"^"^"^"^"^"^"^"^"^"^"^"^"^"^"^"^"^"^"^"^"^\ | |-+-| |===========================================' | |-.-| | .'. | | =.'.'.= | . .' '. . | .'. | .'.'.'.'. | /+\ .' '. /+\ | ' '. | .'.'.' '.'.'. | /-+-\'._.'._.'._.'/-+-\ | '. | .'.'.'_____'.'.'. | |-+-| .' '. |-+-| | '._.'._.' | .'.'_____________'.'. | |-+-.' '.-+-| | '. | `| ||[][][]|[][][]|| |` | |-+'._.'._.'._.'._.'+-| | '.| | || | || | | |-+-.' '.-+-| | _.'._.'._.' | || ,;;, | .;;. || | | ==.' '.== | '.| | ||;;{};;|;;{};;|| | | '._.'._.'._.'._.'._.' | '. | ||`<><>`|`<><>`|| | | .' '. | '._.'._.'._.'| || /\ [|] /\ || | |__________.' '._________| '. | || | || | | '._.'._.'._.'._.'._.'._.' '. || | || |__| _ - _.'._.'._.'._.'[]______|______[]_|_ - /_______________\ _ - _ - /_________________\ /___________________\ _ - _- >REDISCOVER THE CHURCH If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen. 1 Peter 4:11 We are living in a time in which some people are saying that we need to re-envision the church or reinvent the church. But I beg to differ. I think we need to rediscover the church. I don't think we need a new version of it as much as we need to get back to the original version that Jesus himself established. That is the church that changed the world. That is the church that turned its world upside down. I don't know about the church of today. It seems to me the world today is turning the church upside down. I think the answer is to get as close as we can to the original foundation and template for the church that Jesus himself established. This is God's original design for the church. My goal as a senior pastor is not to have a big church; it is to have a strong church—and even more to the point, a biblical church. Having said that, there should be church growth, and I think the best kind of growth is through the addition of new believers. A trend in a lot of churches today is to be relevant to the culture, so they are trying to do everything they can to connect. I am all for relevance. However, I do not believe in relevance at the expense of reverence. This is still the church. And when I stand up to speak, I am not there to entertain or to give my personal philosophy or political views. I am there to teach the Word of God and to call people to Jesus Christ. I think sometimes we are trying so hard to be cool that we have forgotten how to be biblical. Let's keep the integrity of our message intact. as seen in Daily Devotion with Greg Laurie -<>- ( ) ( ) |. `_^_' (|||)(| / |,\ ,| |- ' -| |. \_,_/ (|||)(| /___\ ,| ejm >TAKE THE TIME by Joseph J. Mazzella Rush, rush, rush, hurry, hurry, hurry, check your watch, check your schedule, and worry, worry, worry! Gulp down your coffee, wolf down your breakfast, and head out the door! Think of the thousand things you have to do today and forget about your joy! If any of you see yourself in those words then you have my sympathy. That was the way I lived for far too many days in my life. My eyes were always on what I had to do. My thoughts were always on not having enough time to do it. My feelings were always set on stress, fear, and frustration. At the time I thought I was living my life, but in truth there was very little living in All of that activity. Finally there came a point one day when I decided that it didn't matter if I got everything done. I realized that most of those things I had been striving to do didn't add one moment of happiness to my life. Instead they ate up my days and squeezed out moments I could have spent loving others. They left no time for prayer, no time for appreciation, no time for simple pleasures or heartfelt joys. It was then that I ripped up my schedule and tossed it in the trash. I remember that first day without it. I enjoyed my breakfast for the first time in months. I actually noticed the birds flying across the sky. I stopped my car, got out, and walked over to a cherry tree to smell the blossoms on it. Instead of rushing my children home from school I took them to the park and let them run and play. I stayed outside longer than usual when I walked my dogs in the evening. I watched the sunset and let the warm Spring breeze kiss my face. I thanked God for my life, felt love in my heart, and had more joy that day than I could ever remember. And the funny thing was I still got everything done that I needed to do. Life isn't some endless list of chores. Life is instead a chance to learn, grow, and love. Take the time to love then. Take the time to sing, smile, and have joy. Take the time to taste your meals, smell the flowers, and watch the sunrise in the morning. Take the time to hug your children, laugh with your friends, and help others in need. Take the time to do a good deed and share a kind word. Take the time to pray to God, to invite His love into your soul, and to share it with everyone around you. Take the time to become the best possible you, you can be. The wonderful writer and educator Leo Buscaglia once said: "Life is God's gift to you. How you live It is your gift to God." Take the time to live it well. -<>- __ /_/\/\ \_\ / /_/ \ \_\/\ \ \_\/ unknown >JESUS' LAST WORDS ON THE CROSS The hill is quiet now. Not still but quiet. For the first time all day there is no noise. The clamor began to subside when the darkness—that puzzling midday darkness—fell. Like water douses a fire, the shadows doused the ridicule. No more taunts. No more jokes. No more jesting. And, in time, no more mockers. One by one the onlookers turned and began the descent. That is, all the onlookers except you and me. We did not leave. We came to learn. And so we lingered in the semidarkness and listened. We listened to the soldiers cursing, the passersby questioning, and the women weeping. But most of all, we listened to the trio of dying men groaning. Hoarse, guttural, thirsty groans. They groaned with each rolling of the head and each pivot of the legs. But as the minutes became hours, these groans diminished. The three seemed dead. Were it not for the belabored breathing, you would have thought they were. Then he screamed. As if someone had yanked his hair, the back of his head slammed against the sign that bore his name, and he screamed. Like a dagger cuts the curtain, his scream cut the dark. Standing as straight as the nails would permit, he cried as one calling for a lost friend, “Eloi!” His voice was raspy, scratchy. Reflections of the torch flame danced in his wide eyes. “My God!” Ignoring the volcano of erupting pain, he pushed upward until his shoulders were higher than his nailed hands. “Why have you forsaken me?” The soldiers stared. The weeping of the women ceased. One of the Pharisees sneered sarcastically, “He’s calling Elijah.” No one laughed. He’d shouted a question to the heavens, and you half expected heaven to shout one in return. And apparently it did. For the face of Jesus softened, and an afternoon dawn broke as he spoke a final time. “It is finished. Father, into your hands I commit my spirit.” As he gave his final breath, the earth gave a sudden stir. A rock rolled, and a soldier stumbled. Then, as suddenly as the silence was broken, the silence returned. And now all is quiet. The mocking has ceased. There is no one to mock. The soldiers are busy with the business of cleaning up the dead. Two men have come. Dressed well and meaning well, they are given the body of Jesus. From He Chose the Nails: What God Did To Win Your Heart Copyright (Thomas Nelson, 2000) Max Lucado --- ...See this awesome teaching for better understanding: __ /_/\/\ \_\ / /_/ \ \_\/\ \ \_\/ unknown Did God Really Forsake Jesus Christ on the Cross? https://tinyurl.com/o89c2kj -<>- _._ .' '. / \ ___ _.. _.--. | / |.' `'. ;-._ .' `\ .' `\ \| / \ .' `\/ ; / _ \.=..=./ _.' / | `\.---._| '. .-'-.}`.<>.`{-'-. / .--; . ( .' '. \ .---.{ <>()<> }.--..-' / _ \_ './ _. `-./ _},'<>`.{_ `\ ( = \ )`""'\;--. .' .-'/ )=..=;`\`- \ {= (| ) /`. ( / /| \ ) ( =_/ )__..-\ .'-..___.' : '.___..-' \ }/ / ;.____.-;/\ | ` | '--' | .' | \ \ /'. _.' \ ' / |\.\ ; /`--.-' ) .'`-. / \ \ |`| /__.-' \_.'jgs \ \ |-| >THE GLORY OF SPRING by Kathy Whirity I opened up the door this morning and did a little jig. I smiled at the falling rain even though the drops were big. Those drops didn't discourage me as they fell on the window pane, before the dawn of sunshine I knew there'd be some rain For now the barren gardens are floating in muddy gloom, soon they'll house the buds from where the flowers bloom. We've looked forward to a grand awakening that is happily in the works, a burst of new life from where the bare tree limb lurks. The snow has all melted, Jack Frost has been sent on his way, though we thought we'd never see it we welcome Spring this day. I saw a robin perched on the roof, perhaps scouting out a nest, I placed shedded dog hair on the fence post, mama robin will do the rest. Soon tiny tots on swing sets will be reaching for the sky, filled with wonder and laughter, the magic won't pass them by. The glory of Spring and the awakening it brings, is the joy in the tune that the bluebird sings. It is a chance for us to improve on the days that lie ahead, to make sure the bounty of our blessings keep our hearts and souls well fed. Gardener's thumbs will once again regain their color green, while blooming shades of purple, pink, and red will reign supreme. Spring nights are for young lover's walking hand and hand in the park, beneath the starry skies, a chance to dance in the dark. Every Spring season we are rewarded with this glorious gift of rebirth, and reminded of our own new beginnings every Springtime on this earth. Young dreams will be carried along on warm soothing breezes, sweet recollections of life anew and all that pleases. So, I'm enjoying the rhythm of the gentle falling rain, it's nature's way of saying there is so much for us to gain. These wonderful days of Spring will be bursting out in song, a sweet melody of promise that carries our hopes along. AND THAT'S THE GLORY OF SPRING! -- Kathy Whirity Kathy Whirity is a syndicated newspaper columnist who shares her sentimental musings on family life. You may visit her web site at: http://www.kathywhirity.com -<>- RECIPE FOR A HIPPOPOTAMUS SANDWICH ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ -by Shel Silverstein A hippo sandwich is easy to make. All you do is simply take One slice of bread _.---.) One slice of cake, (^--^)_.-" `, Some mayonnaise, ) ee ( | One onion ring, (_.__._) / One hippopotamus, `----', ,' One piece of string, jgs )_|--')_| A dash of pepper-- ""' ""' That ought to do it, And now comes the problem... Biting into it! >IMAGINATION IS EVERYTHING Three-year-old Jonathon is gifted. And precocious. I'm told that when his parents took him to a restaurant, he ordered a grilled cheese sandwich. "Jonathon, I'm sorry, we don't serve grilled cheese sandwiches," the server replied. He asked playfully, "You have a grill, don't you?" She answered, "Yes." He continued, "You have cheese, don't you?" "Yes, we do." "You have bread, don't you?" "Yes. "Well," he said, "I'll have a grilled cheese sandwich." Three years old. (You may think his parents should have taught him better manners, but please don't let that keep you from seeing the marvel of this small child's imagination.) The smiling server returned after checking with the chef and told the boy they would be happy to fix him the sandwich. "But I forgot to ask you what you want to drink," she said. "I'll have a milkshake, please." "I'm sorry, Jonathon, but we don't serve milkshakes," she answered. But this time she was ready for him. "Now, it is true we have milk. And it is true we have ice cream. But we don't have syrup," she explained. He laughed. "You have a car, don't you?" There's always a solution. Whatever other intellectual gifts Jonathon seems to have, the trait that may serve him best is imagination. He has the valuable ability to imagine a solution to whatever problem comes his way. Albert Einstein famously said, "Imagination is everything. It is the preview of life's coming attractions." In other words, what we can see in our imagination today we may experience in life tomorrow. He also said, "Imagination is more important than knowledge." He knew that we humans are limited by how much we can learn, but we are never limited by how much we can imagine. I have come to realize that I am held back far more by my lack of imagination than by my circumstances. When I believe nothing can be done, I search for a way OUT of the difficulty when I OUGHT to be searching for solutions. How can I change anything when I'm looking for a way out? When I perceive my situation as impossible, I resign myself to that fate and give up. But WHAT IF I were to look at it differently? WHAT IF I approached it in a different way? WHAT IF a creative answer could actually be found? I often settle for less when I should be asking myself powerful questions that begin with the words "what if. . ." Some two hundred years ago a class of noisy boys in a German primary school was assigned a task to keep them busy. They were instructed to add up all the numbers from 1 to 100. The children settled down, scribbling busily on their slates -- all but one. This boy looked off into space for a few moments, then wrote something on his slate and turned it in. His was the only right answer. When the amazed teacher asked how he did it, he said he wondered if there might be some shortcut. He went on to say, "I found one: 100 plus one is 101; 99 plus two is 101; 98 plus three is 101, and, if I continued the series all the way to 51 plus 50, I have 101 fifty times, which is 5,050." The teacher decided then that this child needed special tutoring. The boy was Karl Friedrich Gauss, and he became a great mathematician of the 19th century. Gauss solved his problem when he asked himself the question, "What if there is a shortcut?" Two of the most powerful words I know are "what if." The solution to my problem, the way through a dilemma or the beginning of that next creative change in my life almost always starts when I decide that I am NOT locked in. "What if" questions release my imagination so I can better see what was hidden. Imagination is everything. And what if I were to use the words "what if" more often? I can only imagine what might happen. -- Steve Goodier as seen in Life Support To SUBSCRIBE: Send an e-mail with SUBSCRIBE CUP O'CHEER in the subject line to cheer316@sc.rr.com. ========================================================== , , /////| ///// | ///// | |~~~| | | |===| |/| | B |/| | | I | | | | B | | | | L | / | E | / |===|/ jgs '---' >-->OUR LORD WAS SPOTLESS Our Lord was spotless before the world Our life's is a painting created by Him, Awake me Lord and let me rise, Cause one day I'll meet You in the skies. Long ago at dark Calvary A fountain was opened deep and wide, From His hands and wounded side, Out poured a vast and gracious tide. God's love is like the mighty ocean He sends loving kindness like a flood, May we never cease to praise Him, Thank You Lord for Your precious blood. Thank You Lord for dying for me You've been my Life, my Guide, and Sheild, I love You more than words can say, I thank You Lord for another day. ©April 2010 Bernice Ward >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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