Coincidence ... :) 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 ================ "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 '._ ';./ `;` *~* HELP! We NEED 2009 Angels for the Web Site! >Do You Want To Be A Shangrala Angel? If you'd like to help and be counted as a 2009 Shangrala Angel, please visit the site and click on the donate button. A Secure PAYPAL page comes up. Any amount is appreciated - even just 5 dollars! 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! GOD'S MOST ABUNDANT BLESSINGS TO YOU! ================ ____________ / _.'\ \ / _.' \ \ /_.-' \___\ |\_\ `` .- \ _/| | _\___________. | P | / \ | r |/ \| 5 |__________________| 9 GOT A Cool Forward? Easy Yummy Recipe? Miracle Story? SHARE IT - We like it, We Love It, We Can't Get enough! Send it to me here: bcrsystems@earthlink.net I'll Share It and Gladly Give YOU Credit For It! :) ================ >-->Hot Off The 'Shangy' News :) This one from Our Friend Viv is sweet. Photography is getting so good these days! Catching things right as they happen! This photographer sure did get lucky and we reap the benefit of it! Check it out here... ,;;:;, ;;;;; ,:;;:; ,'=. ;:;:;' .=" ,'_\ ':;:;,/ ,__:=@ ';;:; =./)_ jgs `"=\_ )_"` ``'"` A Mother Squirrel's Love http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/motherslove.html --- ...Excellent one! Thank You Viv! ============================================================== >Move to Montana Story Editor: by Arlo Paulsen Clayton Bennett Utah, USA In September 1973, I was a 20-year-old enlisted man in the U.S. Air Force, and had just completed training at Chanute Air Force Base in Rantoul, Illinois. I'd been reassigned to Malmstrom A.F.B. in Great Falls, Montana. I planned to drive there with my wife Debbie, our 6-month-old daughter Shauna, and our dog and cat. Finances were continually tight; we could get there if we spent no money on motels. We had counted on our deposit refund from our apartment to help. But it rained the day of the inspection; they kept our deposit for spots on the window. We were devastated, as we couldn't stay even long enough to clean the windows again. The landlord's inhumanity filled my mind as I hooked a rented trailer to our small car and we took off. I drove, Debbie kept Shauna on the back seat in a car bed (car seats were rare then), and the dog and cat rode in a cargo area behind. After driving all day the sun was setting over the South Dakota landscape. Suddenly one side of the bumper, to which the temporary trailer hitch was fastened, tore away from the car frame and began dragging on the ground. There was a horrible metallic scream, sparks flew over the top of the trailer, and our dog jumped into the car bed with Shauna, but I managed to stop the car and trailer without further damage. We were stranded in the Badlands. I examined the bumper and hitch in the light from the back of the car. Things didn't look too bad, except we couldn't go anywhere until the bumper was repaired. I unhooked the trailer, bent the bumper upward, and we drove to the next town. On the outskirts of town was a lonely gas station, with a man sitting in front as if he was waiting. We showed him the damage and explained our situation. He confirmed he'd been waiting, as he knew he would have one more customer that night. He welded the bumper back to the car and charged us $20, which I thought was about half what we owed him. I was thankful -- as that left us with $5 to finish the trip. We drove back, retrieved the trailer, and took off again. The rest of the trip was uneventful and we arrived at Malmstrom A.F.B. as the morning sun was rising. We spent the last of our money on transient housing for one day on base. That afternoon, we looked for a place to rent, but without much hope. Imagine our surprise when a real estate agent agreed to rent a two-bedroom house off base to us. He took just a promissory note, without interest, for the first month, last month, and deposit. This trip proved to us that man's inhumanity to man may be a common theme in life, but even more common is man's compassion for man. =======HeroicStories======= >-->From InspiredBuffalo: ( ) ) ( ) ) |o o| |o o) . . |o o| .'. |o o| __\_____ |_O_| |" " ''' | -*---**- Shardac >COINCIDENCE By: Joseph J. Mazzella When I was a boy I was always amazed by what a heavy sleeper my Grandma was. I knew this mainly because her bedroom was right next to the one my brother and I shared. When I would wake up in the morning I would hear her steady snoring echoing through the thin walls. She rarely if ever got up during the night and when she napped in her chair the television and record player never woke her up. It seemed a strange coincidence then that during the middle of one night she would suddenly awake the moment that frayed wiring in her room caught fire. Her screams awoke my brother who then rushed through the house waking up the rest of the family. The house was made of old, dry timbers and the fire raced through it in a matter of minutes. Smoke filled every room. None of us could see anything. We were all filled with fear and confusion. Still, thanks to my Grandma waking up at just that moment we all made it out safely. My Mom even found our small dog cowering at her feet and picked him up just as we ran out the front door. Doris Lessing once said that "Coincidences are God’s way of remaining anonymous." I fully believe that to be true. Without the coincidence of my Grandma waking up at just the right second that fire would have cost us our lives as well as our home. Without that coincidence my Grandma, Mom, and Dad would never have touched the lives they did over the years that followed. Without it my brother would never have become a teacher and I would never have written a word. Without it my brothers and I would never have raised seven wonderful children. Without it all the love, learning, and joy my family has shared with others would have been lost. The next time a coincidence blesses your life then embrace it for the gift from God that it is. We are all watched over with so much love. May we make our lives a gift of love as well. -<>- ,--./,-. / # \ | | \ / hjw `._,._,' >The Teacher She was one of my second grade teachers. She taught me math, and at that time I thought she was teaching me everything that I would ever need to know about math, and for that matter about life itself. Well, not really, but Mrs. Pillar was a great teacher and I learned so much from her when I was eight years old. However, I will always remain indebted to her for what she did for me more than a decade later. As a sophomore in college, I was involved in a near fatal "accident" when I walked into a robbery at a convenience store. One of the thieves shot me in the head -- "pumping a bullet into my brain." The thieves, as well as most people, thought that I was dead or would soon be dead. Obviously, they were wrong. However, it was a severe and difficult battle getting back into the mainstream of life. I had to drop out of college to be hospitalized. Even after I was discharged from the hospital I endured many hours of intensive therapy. I had to relearn practically everything, including walking, talking, and yes, even math. To help me with that task, Mrs. Pillar volunteered to come to the hospital and later to my house once a week, to work with me. At first, the material that she presented appeared, to most people, to be very basic math skills. Then, as time progressed, and I made progress, my "homework" became progressively more difficult. I remember very vividly how she would come to my home on Sundays, sit with me at the kitchen table, and throw various coins on the table. She would ask me to show her 38 cents, 17 cents, 63 cents …. It was challenging -- but she also made it fun. After one-and-a-half years had passed, I had progressed sufficiently both physically and mentally to return to college. Once there, I continued therapy regularly, but I was enrolled in college. I was back at the University of Texas. Four years after I returned to college I graduated from the University at the top of my class. Following that, I went on to Graduate School. As the years went by, I always kept in touch with Mrs. Pillar. However, unfortunately, one day my parents informed me that Mrs. Pillar had been hospitalized because she had suffered a stroke after having undergone open-heart surgery. Now it was my turn to help her. When I walked into the ICU at the hospital, Mrs. Pillar was in a hospital bed and could not speak. I thought that the situation was extremely ironic. Nothing had changed except for who was in the bed and who was standing beside it. I told Mrs. Pillar that I would be back and that I would work with her just as she had worked with me years earlier. As the days went by, I saw Mrs. Pillar progress each time I would visit her. One day, when I was visiting her, I pulled some coins out of my pocket, dropped them on her bed, and asked her to show me 12 cents. The nurse thought that my action was extremely strange until Mrs. Pillar smiled briefly as I began working with her just as she had worked with me years before. I would point to the dimes and the pennies and she would put them together when I would ask her to give me the proper amount of money. Mrs. Pillar was eventually transferred from the ICU to a private room and then to a Rehab room. As she moved from room to room, there was no doubt in my mind that she was improving. When I would visit her I would always ask her to tell me something good. At first, her family, who would generally be standing around her bed, would quickly jump in and say, "Mama is doing so well;" or "My sister is doing great." However, I would quickly raise my hand and say, "Mrs. Pillar, you tell me something good." She would then slowly and hesitantly answer my question. As the days would go by, her responses would be quicker and more fluent Mrs. Pillar made wonderful progress and was eventually discharged from the hospital with a prescription to continue with speech therapy as an outpatient. One day I called her to wish her a happy New Year. She spoke into the phone quite fluently and said, "Happy New Year to you and your family, Michael. Thank you for everything you've done for me." I quickly remarked, "Thank you for everything you've done for me." Mrs. Pillar was one of my second grade teachers, but she taught me so much more about life than mere mathematics. Michael Segal, MSW ©2003 -<>- _|_ | _|_ //_/\ __| ||____ ////////////\ /////////////\\ |^^^^^^^^^^||+| | # # # |||| .... ....". ||||||||||||||||| unknown >A Relationship Changed by Baptism Let us pretend that you are a young lieutenant, part of the military, part of a presidential honor guard. Every day the President walks into his office, and you snap to attention, click your heals and salute the President. The President nods. Every day, this same procedure occurs. The President walks in; you snap to attention, click your heals and salute. The relationship is stiff, formal, technical, with eyes never looking the President in the eye but eyes always straight ahead, frozen like a stiff wooden soldier. But…in this story…one day, the President stops in front of you, the young lieutenant, and says to you. “Please follow me into my office.” You do so and the door is closed. The President orders you to be seated and then looks you in the eye and says, “I want you to become one of my children. I want you to become part of our family. I want you to come to our family outings, our family picnics, the family birthday parties, the family Christmases. I want you to become part of our family.” What a moment. What a miracle. And in that moment, the relationship between the President and the young lieutenant is totally transformed. The relationship is no longer formal, stiff, distant and legal but is now close and loving. That is precisely what happens to us in our baptism. It is God who takes the initiative. The relationship is totally transformed. Baptism is the fantastic invitation from God to know us intimately and closely, so closely that we are called son or daughter, that we become family. Edward F. Markquart, Baptism? What Do We Teach? -<>- >Links for Your Enjoyment Get out of my bed cat http://www.buffaloschips.com/0106.htm GGG music video http://www.buffaloschips.com/0107.htm Finalized MTG Minutes http://www.buffaloschips.com/ghjkikl.htm First Day At The Rifle Range http://www.buffaloschips.com/ghjkillo.htm First IT Consultant http://www.buffaloschips.com/gdfde.htm Fishing Boat http://www.buffaloschips.com/gdrese.htm Subscribe send a blank email to: the-inspired-buffalo-subscribe@yahoogroups.com ================================================================ >-->From Heartwarmers: | \ _ / -= (_) =- / \ _\/_ | //o\ _\/_ _____ _ __ __ ____ _ | __/o\\ _ =-=-_-__=_-= _=_=-=_,-'|"'""-|-,_ =- _=-=- -_=-=_,-" | jgs =- =- -=.--" >THE SHORE by Kelly A. Mieszek "Hey guys, wanna go to the beach tomorrow?" Before the words had faded from the air, my 8 and 6 year olds returned with their boogie boards and swim suits. Next came the cooler and a bag of snacks. The two year old toddled out, dragging beach towels and heading for the door. The next day we'd spend a few hours riding the waves and looking for unique sea shells to stuff into the beach bag. There's never really a bad day at the beach in Florida. Now, when I was a kid in Jersey, there were bad days at the beach, or at least on the way to it. First, it's not the beach, it's the shore, which is pronounced like you meant to say "sure", but it got stuck somewhere around in your gums before dribbling out. It's called the shore because that's where my grandmother made me stay. "No further than your knees, kids," which was fine with me since my lips were trembling from cold, even in July or August. What a sight I was splashing in the knee-high water with a flower covered bathing cap, a shoestring tied across my back to keep my bathing suit straps from falling off my shoulders, and blue lips. Five minutes in the water was plenty of time for any of us and we, my sister, aunt (who was my mom's younger sister and the same age as my own sister), and cousins, became expert sand castle builders on the shores the likes of Atlantic City (before casinos), Sea Side Heights, and Cape May. What a sight our merry band made those summers with my grandmother. Anyone watching had to get a chuckle watching her trying to deal with all of us in the sand and buying ice cream cones on the boardwalk. They would have truly had a belly laugh though, had they seen us in transport to and from our weekly fun filled day. We'd all pile in with her, squirming worms burrowing into the back cabin. We couldn't wait to get there and, for the first few minutes, asked every ten seconds if we were there yet. Nan always drove old station wagons with windows down and air conditioning that didn't work right. We'd be lined up in the far back, facing each other, knees laced together. Grandma was a heavy smoker, and her habit came along in the car. On the dash of every vehicle she drove there always sat a bean bag bottom ashtray. Next to it, stuck on with duct tape, was a small dog with a spring for a neck. Even before the the key was in the ignition, Nan had lit up and set her cigarette in that ashtray. As the engine chugged to life, the head of the dog started to bounce around. The back window was always down, and fumes from the exhaust immediately came into our tiny cabin. The faster we went the less we smelled it, but it returned each time we came to a stop. And there we sat, knees smacking each other as the car chugged forward, smoke wafting back from the cigarettes, and dog head bobbing. Puff, puff, bob around with each bump, come to a stop and smack go the knees against each other. Up come the fumes from the back window. Lurch forward, smack knees, bob, bob, drag on the cigarette. The squirming stopped, and our heads began to bob around as well. Please, Nan, are we there yet? We were too sick to ask, and she was too busy singing with Elvis to notice if we had. Sometimes I think she took the long way home just to have a little peace. I don't smoke, but when I come to a stop in my airconditioned van, I sometimes think of my Nan and the shore, and I bob my head around and laugh at myself. Hey kids, don't forget to pack the water proof sunscreen. Tomorrow I plan to go in the water above my knees. -- Kelly A. Mieszek ___________________________________________ Kelly enjoys actually going in the water at the beach in Jacksonville, Florida. She does not drive a station wagon, smoke, or have a bobbing dog head in her van. All of this makes her kids happy, coming and going. =================================================================== >-->From SermondFodder: ,-~***~-._.-~***~-. / \ / .--~~~--..--~~~--. \ ,' /._,/\._,/\._,/\._,\ `. ~-. \.-~ .-~ // ,-~ \/ ,* / ,* // / the R O L L I N G S T O N E S / ,**' / ,*'// / /,***' / ,**'// / /,***' / ,**'// / / ***' / ,***'// / : ~** ` ,***'/.-~ | **' / \ .' ~-.. ..-~ -Artist Unknown ~~~~~ >Power of the Tongue "The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit." --Proverbs 18:21 Words have the power to motivate or destroy, energize or deflate, inspire or create despair. Many successful executives can remember the time their father failed to give affirmation to them as a child. The result was either over achievement to prove their worth, or under achievement to prove he was right. Many a wife had lost her ability to love because of a critical husband. Many a husband has left a marriage because of words of disrespect and ungratefulness. Stories abound regarding the power of words. There are just as many stories of those who have been encouraged, challenged, and comforted with words that made a difference in their lives. Jesus knew the power of words. He used parables to convey His principles of the Kingdom of God. He used words of forgiveness and mercy. He used words to challenge. He used words to inspire His disciples to miraculous faith. Do your words give life? Do they inspire and challenge others to greatness? Who does God want you to encourage through your words today? Affirm someone close to you today. Today God Is First by Os Hillman; 3/6/2003 ___________________________________________________ +Living Life God's Way+ http://livinglifegodsway.com -<>- ,-`"-=') =/////// ,== _,_(((((-`6\ ==.| /,,...\\\C _| .--. ((((\\\\\` _, /;_| )9 )))))./ `. / } _\,_ ,-'))) \ / /=-. ,-./ \/ '))) . /\_/ / \ (,-.%\ / /-' ') \/\ / ( \ (/ \ ' /( ' `-/ \( \ ,- / ( `-' \ . / / \ \ &_) /\ \ | ( /--.- \ \----,------=;% | _/ _); `. ` `-. .`\ ) +++/ \ ,," %&-. ; \\| `-` `-=.;_,.__.__\_,/ )_/___+_/_________\,"(_//_(__)______:-._) gpyy >God and His Church I can't remember a time when I didn't believe in God. I grew up in a Christian home and have known the feel of a church pew from my earliest recollection. I became aware that there were two kinds of people in the world: those who loved God and embraced His church, and those who did not. And I knew that it was with the Christian group that I belonged. I can't compartmentalize the person I am. I can't hang my religion on the hat rack as I leave the church on Sunday and pick it up again when I return a week later. In no part of my life can I make major decisions or take positions that are not compatible with my discipleship. I grew into it, however. I joined a church after coming home from World War II and was fairly typical in going to worship services, paying my fair share of the church's support, but never making my discipleship a major part of my life. My wife, Helen, and I many years ago "moved off dead center," to use her words. It's been an exciting experience to follow God's lead as He has helped us to grow in Him. It's unfortunate when churches reach the point of no longer moving off dead center, when they lose their "first love" and abandon the task of spreading the Gospel and winning converts. It's sad to see a church become a social club with members going through the motions for the sake of tradition or a vague sense that it's the right thing to do. For many years my wife and I fit that description pretty closely. There's nothing wrong with social involvement, it's just not the most important aspect of the church's work, which is to tell the Gospel as effectively and to as many people as possible. A worthy goal for each of us as well. For churches and members who've lost their way, I'd suggest going back to square one. Organizations go through four stages: the creative stage, the organizational stage, the defending stage, and the stage of "blame placing." Stage one is when someone starts out with a dream, an idea, a burning motivation. It could be parents raising their first child, a business with a unique idea, or a group of new Christians. In any case, it's an exciting venture, a challenging time of building something. Churches in need of breathing new life into their missions should go back to stage one. It would be fantastic if every church could have that kind of single-mindedness about its role in the world. If we could turn back to that basic goal of bringing new people into the Kingdom and into the church, all the other things -- raising the budget, educating the people, helping the poor -- would flow naturally from the enormous surge of vitality that would be triggered by all those new, excited Christians in the church. == Rich DeVos is chairman of Gospel Communications. He is also the author of "Hope From My Heart: Ten Lessons for Life," co-founder of Amway Corp., and owner and chairman of the NBA's Orlando Magic. ================================================================ >-->From CupOfCheer: , /), (( -.((_)) _,) ,\`.'_ _`-',' `.> <> <> (,- ,', | `._,) (( ) |, (`--' `'( ) _--_,-.\ SSt /,' \( ) `' (( `\ ` >WHAT A RIDE! (by Peder Eide, www.pedereide.com) (taken from part of Peder's 7/24/03 Journal Entry) I like to listen to bible teachings and speakers on CD when I am out on the road. It works well for me and as I listened to a CD of a local pastor's teaching in my truck while traveling to a concert. My heart was awakened by a question he posed at the beginning his talk. To paraphrase it, he told of news he had received that 2 single women from his church who were serving as missionaries in Cameroon had died. Failed brake on a mountain road, over the cliff, both dead. One was a nurse; one was doctor, both from the Twin Cities. Both women were both 80 plus years old!!! Then the pastor spoke of an article in Readers Digest where it talked about a couple who made key investments and now get to spend their early retirement years in Florida collecting sea shells, shuffle board, and spending afternoons on their new boat. Then came the question...which one of these is a tragedy? I almost needed to pull the truck over to the side of the road. What a truth. It's not that it's wrong to retire or make wise investments but to honestly ask myself what is my life for and when will I be done serving the Lord Jesus Christ? The answer was pretty clear... my life is for what ever God wants it to be and I will never be done trying to serve, please, glorify, and take delight in Him. I was not made to take a seat and do nothing one day. What that picture looks like, I don't know but I do know that I was created for good works and what God has started in me God will take to its completion. Even as I write this, I have been met with some big challenges that can feel personal or defeating, yet part of the call that God gives is to do what ever, go wherever, and give it everything, every time. Mike Yaconelli says this life with Jesus is to sit down, buckle up, hang on and at the end to look back at where the Savior has taken you and say "What a Ride!" That's what I want. "Only one life twill soon be past. Only what's done for Christ will last!" My dear friends, let us make this life count, not just last. Peace and love, Peder as seen in Laugh & Lift Read all about Laugh & Lift at http://www.laughandlift.com/list.html -<>- , ----. - - ` ,__.,' \ MOMENT BY MOMENT .' *` / | | / **\ . / ****. | mm | ****| WITH HIM \ | ****| ` ._______ \ ****/ \ /`---' \___( /~~~~\ / \ / | \ | | \ , ~~ . |, ~~ . | |\ ( |||| ) ( |||| )(,,,)` ( |||||| )-( |||||| ) | ^ ( |||||| ) ( |||||| ) |'/ ( |||||| )-( |||||| )___,'- ( |||| ) ( |||| ) ` ~~ ' ` ~~ ' Sometimes we so easily forget How unpredictable our lives may be We make plans for our tomorrows and our futures Not realizing they could change instantly! Then one day, you wake up, and it happens Something occurs that's not at all like you've planned Your life has now taken a new direction And it may be difficult for you to understand! God never promised that we'd never have struggles That there would always be sunshine and not rain BUT He said He'd NEVER LEAVE NOR FORSAKE us And WITH HIS PRESENCE we will FOREVER be sustained! When God takes us from the height of the mountain And then places us in the valley of despair IT'S HERE WE CAN LEARN TOTAL DEPENDENCE Upon the One Who will ALWAYS be there! Oftentimes it's only through the midst of the trials We see God work in ways we'd never have dreamed He accomplishes SO MUCH BEYOND our understanding And NOW things may not be at all what they'd seemed! We may not know why God allowed such a hardship We MUST LEARN TO TRUST in the One Who knows best For our future is seen BY HIM ONLY And in Him we can confidently REST! So when the unexpected arises in our lifetime And the way God is leading seems dim May we face it not ONE DAY at a time BUT instead, MOMENT BY MOMENT with Him! <>< By Linda Lee Wolovich -<>- .------. .------. |A . | |A_ _ | .------; / \ | |( \/ )|-----. _ |(_,_) | | \ / | /\ |( ) | I A| | \/ A|/ \ |_x_) |------' `-----+'\ / | Y A| | \/ A|-----' hjw `------' >Sometimes "It is how I was raised. Now that I look back I see how limiting that was and wonder how much more I could have accomplished," he said. "What's stopping you now?" I asked. It was a simple word but in his childhood it was more of a philosophy. Sometimes. I watched that day as two men played cards in a nearby park. It was a warm, sunny day blessed with an occasional breeze just when you needed it. I saw it as the kind of day I would rather be resting in a lounge chair in my yard with a cool drink within reach. Eyes closed, baseball cap tilted slightly over my eyes to shade them from the sun. Here I was, walking in the park perhaps in search of the perfect tree to sit under while watching the world go by. It is another one of my favorite things to do; watch the world go by. Two men caught my eye when I arrived. Because they were playing cards, I thought it was best not to interrupt them. Instead, they called to me. "Hey, fella!" one man shouted. "Come over here and settle this." This might not be a good thing. "Are you asking me to take sides on a bet?" I asked as I walked toward them. "Not a bet," he said. "Keep in mind, sometimes you win and sometimes you lose," I added. The other man began laughing hysterically. "There you go. I told you. That's exactly what I said," the man shouted. I was a bit confused at this point. I thought they were going to ask me about the card game. I don't play cards, so I thought I'd be safe in this conversation. "What's this all about?" I asked. "Sometimes," the man said. "Sometimes what?" "The word. I just told my friend that sometimes is a philosophy. He brought it up when I lost the last hand. He said exactly what you said, "Sometimes you win..." "How's that a philosophy?" "My parents, my father in particular, always used that word when I asked about things growing up," he said. Pausing for a moment as though he was remembering some particular conversations, he continued. "It is how I was raised. Now that I look back I see how limiting that was and wonder how much more I could have accomplished," he said. "Give me an example," I asked. "We were poor. If I asked him if poor people ever get rich, he'd say sometimes. If I asked if I was smart enough, he'd say sometimes. If I asked if he loved me, he'd say sometimes." The sunlight that warmed the day suddenly sparkled in the corner of his eye. That last thought brought a tear. "So, hearing your friend say, "Sometimes you win," made you think about that?" "Yes," he said in a whisper. "So, what's stopping you now?" I asked. He looked surprised. "Men our age don't get second chances," his friend said. "Sometimes," I said. He smiled. "But here are three ways to change that." First...Every ending is a new beginning. If retirement brings an ending, freedom to dream big doesn't end there. Second...they say attitude is everything so choose a better one than that. Third...take on the challenge to change the perception of being old. It's nice playing cards in the park. Why not be proactive in your community. If you have children, prove to them it's never too late to begin again. The truth is sometimes you win but you always learn from losing. That's a win, too." The man stood up to shake my hand. "Sometimes," he said with emphasis, "you have a second chance and you don't know it," he said. "When God can't get you to see it, "Sometimes" he sends a "Friend you never met" to remind you, I added. "I believe in you!" If you would like to receive Bob's Inspirational stories, please visit http://www.IWishYouEnough.com -<>- To SUBSCRIBE: Send an e-mail with SUBSCRIBE CUP O'CHEER in the subject line to cheer316@sc.rr.com ============================================================ >-->Fun Places To Net Visit :) Feather Painting Art 1 http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/feather.html Feather Painting Art 2 http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/feather2.html God Moves When You Move http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/BibleStudy/godmoves.html Best Friends http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/poems/bestfriends.html Would You Care? http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/care.html What Is Love? http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/wlove1.html Margay Tiger Cat http://snuzzy.com/margay/ How To Love http://www.thebridgemaker.com/how-to-love-consciously/ Then And Now http://fashion.elle.com/blog/2009/01/hollywood-hair.html Scripts http://corky.net/scripts/ ============================================================ God may calm the storm around you, but more often He'll calm the storm within you. -- unknown "If life were fair, the amount of calories required to chew food would equal the amount within the food being chewed." - Tom Sims Matt.7:11 If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall your Father which is in heaven give good things to them that ask him? >Updated FUN STUFF URLS - Oh Yeah :) Shangy! ------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.ShangralaFamilyFun.com/urls.html FUN URLS ------------------------------------------------------------------------- -->Bigham's Computer Rescue - PC Sales & Service You can trust us to provide you with quality computer sales and repair. 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