D-Evils 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 Through no fault of my own we suddenly became an adult club in the love and romance directory so you will have to confirm that you are an adult when you go here. I still have no idea how to change this back as it sends me around in a circle when I try! or Web Site: http://www.ShangralaFamilyFun.com/ShangyFunList.html Group email address: ShangyFunList@yahoogroups.com or email me here: bcrsystems@earthlink.net ================ -|-_ | _ <|/\ | |, |-|-o |<|. _,..._,m, |, ,/' '""; | |, / ". ,'mmmMMMMmm. \ -|-_" _/-"^^^^^"""%#%mm, ; | _ o ,m,_,' "###) ;, (###% \#/ ;##mm. ^#/ __ ___ ; (######) ; //.\\ //.\\ ; \####/ _; (#\"// \\"/#) ; ,/ @##\ \##/ = `"=" ,;mm/ `\##>.____,...,____,<####@ ""' m1a *~* 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!! ================ >-->3 Hot Off The 'Shangy' Press! In celebration of yet another decision of the US government to go against the will of the majority of the people in America by suing one of our own states in favor of Mexico and its own political agenda, I give you this super hot page. It comes from two of our friends - Johanna and B.D. If you are a fan of Obama, please ignore this page! The rest of you come along with me and have some smiles! _____ / \ Hmmm...where did I see (____/\ ) that toilet roll? ...... |___ U?(____ _\L. | \ ___ / /"""\ /.-' | |\ | ( / _/u | \___|_)_| \| \\ / / \_(___ __) | \\ / / | | | | ) _/ / ) | | _\__/.-' /___( | | _/ __________/ \ | | // / ( ) | | ( \__|___\ \______ /__|____| \ (___\ |______)_/ \ |\ \ \ / \ | \__ ) )___/ \ \ )/ /__( ___ | /_//___| \_________ _/ ( / OUuuu \ `----'(____________) Michael Reeung Thinkers And Their Desks http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/desks.html --- ...A fun one! Thanks Johanna and B.D.! -<>- This hot one is from our friend Jo Ann. I have always loved horses. Perhaps it is because I grew up during a time where almost all TV shows were westerns or perhaps it is because my Mom grew up in and around rodeos. Whatever the reason, this one just made me tear up. It shows the big difference between a trainer that uses a whip and a trainer that uses love. Be sure to watch the video! _|\ _/|_, ,((\\``-\\\\_ ,(()) `))\ ,(())) ,_ \ ((())' | \ ))))) >.__ \ (((' / `-. .c| hjw / `-`' Amazing Horse Trainer http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/horsetrainer.html --- ...So Beautiful! Thank You Jo Ann! -<>- This one I promised you Sunday. It is a teaching from our good friend John. I just love it! It is one of those that ever since I first read it, I just keep thinking about it so I wanted to make sure to share it with all of you. It is a little long, but I am sure it will bless you too! A 'kairos' moment is better than a 'Kodak' moment. Find out why here... , , /////| ///// | ///// | |~~~| | | |===| |/| | B |/| | | I | | | | B | | | | L | / | E | / |===|/ jgs '---' A Kairos Moment http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/BibleStudy/kairosmoment.html ============================================================== >-->From Heartwarmers: _ .-' '-. / \ |,-,-,-,-,| ___ | _)_(_ | (/ \) | _\_/_ /) / \_/ \// |( )\/ ||)_( |/ \ n| | / \ | |_|___| \|/ jgs _/L\_ >BRINGING STELLA HOME by Corrina Hyde As a young child I would watch Mary Poppins and pretend that she was my mom. They had the same voice and the same English accent I would hear throughout my childhood on the phone. My English roots, like English ivy, grew deep and wound around me in a way that always made we wonder what I had missed. My memories of my mom were vague and sometimes I wondered if they were real or imagined. Still I would yearn for all things English and continue to want to know my mother and her family, only to be stopped time and time again. As I grew into an adult my home began to fill with silver tea sets and china tea cups. I was the only one of my friends who drank hot tea, and I drank it as though it were my birthright with my little pinkie crooked. I learned to make scones and shortbreads. I read up on the history of England and its kings and queens as though I were researching my family tree -- only to discover that I did indeed come from royalty! You see Stella Airey was my grandmother, and she was crowned as England's first Glamorous Grandmother in 1955. Stella set the bar very high for this competition because as all of her granddaughters now know she was the epitome of elegance and sophistication. I only met Stella a few times in my life. She would never be for me the grandmother she was for my Canadian, English and Irish cousins. She was cocktail dresses and fur coats in my world of denim and flannel. We were from two very different worlds. Stella was a diamond that glittered and glowed and the more she was polished the brighter she shone. She has been photographed with some of the biggest names in American and European entertainment, because they were drawn to her! It wasn't unusual for people to assume that she was a celebrity, because that is how she lived her life. She died at the age of 90, with her daughter Angela, who is my mother, and her only son Tim at her side. They would have her cremated and made plans to spread her ashes over Lake Tahoe, Nevada, where she had lived for many years. Stella's family in England, Ireland and Canada would assume that was exactly what happened. It will be 10 years this January since Stella has passed away, and over 45 years since she lived in her beloved England. It would be over 48 years since I had left England at the age of four months old, and I never would have dreamed that she and I would make the trip back together. I had very limited knowledge and practically no contact with my mom's family. As I grew older, my desire to know more took me to the Internet and there I found a web site created by my Uncle Tim who lived in Canada that chronicled my English ancestry. This website would lead me to his children, and unknown to me at the time, they would eventually put me in contact with the English and Irish cousins! Prior to all of this, I would find myself lost in McAlester, Oklahoma, sitting on the side of the road in front of this lovely Victorian home, gaping at the most beautiful English garden I have ever seen, and feeling the emotion spill out of me. I would sit there and say out loud to myself, "One day I'm going to go back to England." Within two weeks I would get the first of many messages from my cousins and the words I had spoken out loud would go from dream to reality. A year passed while we chatted online and I started to make plans for a visit. I would call my own mother after many years of silence and find just weeks before my trip that she still had Stella's ashes. She never felt it was right to scatter them in Nevada. Instead, she wanted Stella to be returned to England. Within a week, the ashes were safely with me, and we both boarded a plane bound for my birthplace and her childhood home. Stella travelled first class as was her right, and I was humbled to play the part of courier. Her ashes were laid to rest in Highgate Cemetery in London, where her eldest daughter Judy is buried. The ceremony would be both, emotional and humorous, sensitive and sincere. The scattering was brief -- the residue left on our hands glittered iin the sunlight. Sons and daughters of Stella's daughters met for the first time and recognized each other immediately. After all, a family does recognize their own! Stella would then become for me the "Nana" that brought me home. -- Corrina Hyde __________________________________________________ Corrina lives in Atoka, Oklahoma, but is moving to England in May or June of next year. She says, "I have another lifetime to live and want to live it there." ==================================================================== >-->From Archived InspiredBuffalo: ... {@} * {@} {@} * {@} * {@} : * {@} * {@} * .; {@} * {@} * {@} * {@} * ; * ; {@} * ; * : ;\ \ \ \| / / /; \\ \ Y/ / / `_\ |/ _' / \\Y// \ ( ,-}={-, ) \_//((\_/ //))(\ (/ )) (( valkyrie \) >THE MIDDLE C OF LIFE You and I need a middle C. Haven't you had enough change in your life? Relationships change. Health changes. The weather changes. But the Yahweh who ruled the earth last night is the same Yahweh who rules it today. Same convictions. Same plan. Same mood. Same love. He never changes. You can no more alter God than a pebble can alter the rhythm of the Pacific. Yahweh is our middle C. A still point in a turning world. Don't we need a still point? Don't we need an un-changing shepherd? We equally need an uncaused shepherd. No one breathed life into Yahweh. No one sired him. No one gave birth to him. No one caused him. No act brought him forth. And since no act brought him forth, no act can take him out. Does he fear an earthquake? Does he tremble at a tornado? Hardly. Yahweh sleeps through storms and calms the winds with a word. Cancer does not trouble him, and cemeteries do not disturb him. He was here before they came. He'll be here after they are gone. He is uncaused. And he is ungoverned. Counselors can comfort you in the storm, but you need a God who can still the storm. Friends can hold your hand at your deathbed, but you need a Yahweh who has defeated the grave. Philosophers can debate the meaning of life, but you need a Lord who can declare the meaning of life. You need a Yahweh. You don't need what Dorothy found. Remember her discovery in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz? She and her trio followed the yellow-brick road only to discover that the wizard was a wimp! Nothing but smoke and mirrors and tin-drum thunder. Is that the kind of god you need? No, you need a God who can place 100 billion stars in our galaxy and 100 billion galaxies in the universe. And you need a God who, while so mind-numbingly mighty, can come in the soft of night and touch you with the tenderness of an April snow. You need a Yahweh. And, according to David, you have one. He is your shepherd. ______________________________ >From Traveling Light Copyright 2001, Max Lucado -<>- __ __/ \__ / \__/ \ \__/..\__/ / \__/ \ \__/ \__/ \__/ || || || .'/.'\.'. ..'.'..'..'.'. Imran Beautiful Flowers in Broken Pots !!! Something to warm your hearts: In my lifetime I've seen many beautiful flowers blooming from "broken pots"! Even in the "Autumn" of life is the lingering precious hope of renewal cloaked in the splendor of a kaleidoscope of color! Step into the beauty of life! >Flower in a Broken Pot Our house was directly across the street from the clinic entrance of Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore. We lived downstairs and rented the upstairs rooms to out patients at the clinic. One summer evening as I was fixing supper, there was a knock at the door. I opened it to see a truly awful looking man. "Why, he's hardly taller than my eight-year-old," I thought as I stared at the stooped,shriveled body. But the appalling thing was his face, lopsided from swelling, red and raw. Yet his voice was pleasant as he said, "Good evening.I've come to see if you've a room for just one night I came for a treatment this morning from the eastern shore, and there's no bus 'til morning." He told me he'd been hunting for a room since noon but with no success, no one seemed to have a room. "I guess it's my face.. I know it looks terrible, but my doctor says with a few more treatments..." For a moment I hesitated, but his next words convinced me: "I could sleep in this rocking chair on the porch. My bus leaves early in the morning." I told him we would find him a bed, but to rest on the porch. I went inside and finished getting supper. When we were ready, I asked the old man if he would join us. "No thank you. I have plenty." And he held up a brown paper bag. When I had finished the dishes, I went out on the porch to talk with him a few minutes. It didn't take a long time to see that this old man had an oversized heart crowded into that tiny body. He told me he fished for a living to support his daughter, her five children, and her husband, who was hopelessly crippled from a back injury. He didn't tell it by way of complaint; in fact, every other sentence was preface with a thanks to God for a blessing. He was grateful that no pain accompanied his disease, which was apparently a form of skin cancer. He thanked God for giving him the strength to keep going. At bedtime, we put a camp cot in the children's room for him. When I got up in the morning, the bed linens were neatly folded and the little man was out on the porch. He refused breakfast, but just before he left for his bus, haltingly, as if asking a great favor, he said, Could I please come back and stay the next time I have a treatment? I won't put you out a bit. I can sleep fine in a chair." He paused a moment and then added, "Your children made me feel at home Grownups are bothered by my face, but children don't seem to mind." I told him he was welcome to come again. And on his next trip he arrived a little after seven in the morning. As a gift, he brought a big fish and a quart of the largest oysters I had ever seen. He said he had shucked them that morning before he left so that they'd be nice and fresh. I knew his bus left at 4:00 a.m. and I wondered what time he had to get up in order to do this for us. In the years he came to stay overnight with us there was never a time that he did not bring us fish or oysters or vegetables from his garden. Other times we received packages in the mail, always by special delivery; fish and oysters packed in a box of fresh young spinach or kale, every leaf carefully washed. Knowing that he must walk three miles to mail these, and knowing how little money he had made the gifts doubly precious. When I received these little remembrances, I often thought of a comment our next-door neighbor made after he left that first morning. "Did you keep that awful looking man last night? I turned him away! You can lose roomers by putting up such people!" Maybe we did lose roomers once or twice. But oh! If only they could have known him, perhaps their illnesses would have been easier to bear. I know our family always will be grateful to have known him; from him we learned what it was to accept the bad without complaint and the good with gratitude to God. Recently I was visiting a friend, who has a greenhouse, as she showed me her flowers, we came to the most beautiful one of all, a golden chrysanthemum, bursting with blooms. But to my great surprise, it was growing in an old dented, rusty bucket. I thought to myself, "If this were my plant, I'd put it in the loveliest container I had!" My friend changed my mind. "I ran short of pots," she explained, and knowing how beautiful this one would be, I thought it wouldn't mind starting out in this old pail. It's just for a little while, till I can put it out in the garden." She must have wondered why I laughed so delightedly, but I was imagining just such a scene in heaven. "Here's an especially beautiful one," God might have said when he came to the soul of the sweet old fisherman. "He won't mind starting in this small body." All this happened long ago -- and now, in God's garden, how tall this lovely soul must stand The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." (1 Samuel 16:7b) -<>- ,-`"-=') =/////// ,== _,_(((((-`6\ ==.| /,,...\\\C _| .--. ((((\\\\\` _, /;_| )9 )))))./ `. / } _\,_ ,-'))) \ / /=-. ,-./ \/ '))) . /\_/ / \ (,-.%\ / /-' ') \/\ / ( \ (/ \ ' /( ' `-/ \( \ ,- / ( `-' \ . / / \ \ &_) /\ \ | ( /--.- \ \----,------=;% | _/ _); `. ` `-. .`\ ) +++/ \ ,," %&-. ; \\| `-` `-=.;_,.__.__\_,/ )_/___+_/_________\,"(_//_(__)______:-._) gpyy "PARENTS' TEN COMMANDMENTS" --1. Teach them using God's word. (Deuteroonomy 6:4-9) --2. Tell them what's right and wrong. (1 Kings 1:6) --3. See them as gifts from God. (Psalms 1127:3) --4. Guide them in Godly ways. (Proverbs 222:6) --5. Discipline them. (Proverbs 29:17) --6. Love them unconditionally. (Luke 15:111-32) --7. Do not provoke them to wrath. (Ephesiians 6:4) --8. Earn their respect by example. (1 Timmothy 3:4) --9. Provide for their physical needs. (1 Timothy 5:8) --10. Pass your faith along to them. (2 Timmothy 1:5) -<>- >Links for Your Enjoyment Snow Plow http://www.buffalosjokes.com/011154.htm Oh No! http://www.buffalosjokes.com/011155.htm Alarm http://www.buffalosjokes.com/011156.htm Cool Parrot http://www.buffalosjokes.com/011157.htm Amnesty Bills Worst Provision http://www.buffaloschips.com/gfrd.htm Funnel Prank http://www.buffaloschips.com/grtr.htm Funniest Video Of The Year http://www.buffaloschips.com/gjuhj.htm Funny http://www.buffaloschips.com/gbvbn.htm Horse Costumes http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/horsecostumes.html True Duck Tale http://www.ShangralaFamilyFun.com/duck.html Casa Batllo - House Of Bones http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/hbones.html Feather Painting 2 http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/feather2.html Leaf Art Paintings http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/art.html Extreme Poodle Makeover http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/poodlemakeover.html Great White Shark http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/greatwhite.html What is Going on in Heaven? http://www.TruthOrTradition.com/audio Visit our site at http://www.inspiredbuffalo.com If you are looking to join any of our other fine e-zines visit www.buffalosjokes.com ================================================================== .---------. _ |:: [-=-] | | | |_________| |~| |_| ,;;;;, I\ ,__ ,;;;, __, ///\\\\\ I |{ / . . \ } / " \\|| I | ) ( _ ) ( \_= _/// I |{___'-. .-'___}\___ )_\ I ||~/,'~~~~~,\~~|'---(( \ I \ // \\ | \ \ \ I \/ // | | /-/ I (/ (/ | |/||\ I | | | | I | | |____/ I :-----_o_-----: || | I | /~~|===|~~\ | (( | jgs I || |===| || ||_/ /^\ "~ '^^^' "" ((__| >We'll Operate Today! Story Editor: by Jackie Walton Joyce Schowalter Romania "Who can I send to the hospital with you?" asked my worried housemate, "Dorni". I needed to consult a surgeon to see if I needed surgery for appendicitis. I'm in Romania working for Romanian orphans, with Heart to Heart International Ministries (H2H). We work in a hospital for abandoned babies, playing with, feeding, and changing them. And we have a transition house teaching trades to boys and girls too old for the orphanage. Dorni wouldn't send an American to the hospital alone. Navigating language in a foreign hospital is daunting -- but she'd promised to babysit her sick niece. I suggested my 24-year-old, brown-haired, blue-eyed friend "Stefania", who'd translated for H2H for three years, and was working part-time while finishing nursing school. She knew the hospitals, and had a flexible schedule. Stephania immediately agreed to meet me. My visit didn't turn out as expected! The doctor felt my stomach, asked questions, and declared, "This is acute appendicitis; we'll operate today!" I was taken aback, having expected nothing more than tests and at worst, scheduling surgery "eventually". Numb, shaken, and a bit scared, I leaned on Stefania to help figure out what to do. She made phone calls, informed my family, resolved money issues, and talked with nurses. She returned to her nearby home and brought overnight things for us both. She held my hand when I came back from surgery while I tried to recover. That was only the beginning. The next two days Stefania was almost constantly at my side. That first night all I had to do was make eye contact and she came running to see what I needed. She held my head as I threw up (sometimes all over the bed or on her), gave me sips of water and tea -- she was always there. She called the nurses for painkillers, and held my hand while I moaned in pain waiting for them to kick in. She helped pick me up so the nurse could change my sheet, pulled my hair back and kissed my forehead. When they said the next day that I could get up and walk, she supported me in my hobbling, held my IV, and smoothed my blankets when I returned. Stefania also jumped right in to help my roommates. She helped them get to the bathroom or to sit up, called nurses for them, and rearranged their pillows. She praised their attempts to walk, poured tea and water, ran errands, and encouraged everyone. The nurses called her for help moving patients, etc. Many people made this experience the best it could be. The doctors and nurses took good care of me and tried to help me feel not so far away from home. During my convalescence my Romanian friends and co-workers called, cooked, visited, and otherwise cared for me, and I am so thankful to them. However, Stefania was in the right place at the right time, and gave in abundance. =======HeroicStories======= >-->From Our Friend James :) , , /////| ///// | ///// | |~~~| | | |===| |/| | B |/| | | I | | | | B | | | | L | / | E | / |===|/ jgs '---' >I turned 44 this month. I've noticed something: The older I get, the more I believe in miracles. In fact, I believe I'm surrounded by an ocean of miracles. Everyday, I see God-Coincidences. Divine Appointments. Supernatural Connections. Mysterious Surprises. Spontaneous Healings. More and more, I believe in the unexplainable, beautiful, mystical work of God in our lives. That no matter how impossible the situation, I believe that God will make a way where there seems to be no way. Yes, I believe in magic. I live in a magical universe! I believe that in every moment, God is performing miracles. In every moment, He is blessing you, healing you, touching you, and guiding you. The 3 Stages Of My Spiritual Life Let me tell you how I came to this belief. Because it's my birthday month, allow me to be autobiographical. Hope you don't mind. Let me talk about my 30+ year journey with God. (No, this won't be 30 pages long! Perhaps 29… Just kidding.) I believe I went through three distinct stages in my spiritual life: · First Stage: Super Spiritual · Second Stage: Highly Practical · Third Stage: Peacefully Mystical Which stage are you in? Find out. Let me describe each stage to you… First Stage: Super Spiritual (Age 12 to 28) I got to know God at age 12. Since that time, all the way until I was around 28 years old, I was super spiritual. I had hyper-faith. I wanted God to do everything for me. If I did something, it meant that I didn't trust God. If I was hungry, all I had to do was open my mouth. Because I expected God to plant a seed, water it, fertilize it, grow it, pick the fruit, slice it, fork it, and feed it to me. I even wanted God to chew the fruit and spit it in my mouth. I shunned the world. I didn't like secular music, secular books, and secular movies. I didn't like insurance or saving money, or the stock market. I believed that the purpose of life was to go to Heaven. My faith was inhuman. Bottomline, I didn't like my humanness. I believed my flesh was tainted with evil. I was a spiritual being trapped in a human body, and my goal was to escape my earthly tent as much as I could. Example? How I Dressed Up I wore the crummiest clothes. Old sandals. Old jogging pants. Old shirt. The more holes, the more faded, the better. I felt that if I wore a clean shirt and nice shoes, it was vanity—a sin against the Almighty. I didn't comb my hair lest the Holy Spirit would be displeased. Reason? To try to look handsome is about "self". And self is bad. I'd be filled with pride and endanger my eternal soul. I wanted to focus not on being presentable to men, but presentable to God. Thus, I didn't put on deodorant too. I reasoned that if I smelled bad, there was a sacred purpose behind it. Was it to save on bug repellant? Because of my unique odor, insects dropped dead within a two-meter radius around me. Saints had what people called the odor of sanctity. Whenever they entered the room, people would smell the scent of fresh flowers. That made people fall on their knees and pray. I too had that same effect. When I entered the room, people didn't just only fall on their knees. They'd have a near-death experience and pray for their salvation. My whole persona—how I dressed, looked, and smelled was my AAD. My Anti-Attraction Device. So girls won't fall in love with me—lest I fall into lust. (Haha.) This over-spiritual attitude spilled over to how I preached… How I Gave My Talks Whenever I preached, I didn't want to prepare too much. I wanted to be led by the Spirit. I would preach in this way… "Brothers and Sisters, good morning…." In the middle of my talk, I'd close my eyes, pause for a few seconds, while murmuring, "thank you Jesus, speak to me Jesus, thank you Jesus…". Then I'd open my mouth and say, "Today, God told me to tell you that He loves you very much…" And then I'd close my eyes, and murmur my prayers again, "thank you Jesus, speak to me Jesus, shalalalala…" This super spirituality spilled over my decision-making too… How I Made Decisions Every choice had to be prayed for. Every decision! What I should do on a particular day. Who I should talk to. What I should say. What I should eat. Where I was going. What I would wear. (Crummy shirt #1 or Crummy shirt #2?) No decision was too minor. If I didn't hear anything from God, I'd cut the Bible. If you don't know what "cutting the Bible" means, let me describe it to you. One day, my friend was in an Eat-All-You-Can Buffet. Being super spiritual like me, he prayed, "Lord, what do you want me to eat?" He closed his eyes and opened the Bible. He pointed his finger on a page, and read, "Jesus fasted for 40 days and nights." His face turned pale in terror. He said, "Lord, this is a mistake. Do you really want me to fast?" With shaking hands, he cut the Bible again. The verse he opened to? "And Jesus said, `Go and do likewise.'" Disturbed With My Super Spiritual Approach Because I was super spiritual, I didn't want to finish high school anymore. I felt schooling was useless because Jesus was coming again. Perhaps he would come next year. So why bother with Trigonometry and Chemistry? How can I use those in Heaven? But my parents insisted I finish high school. And they also pushed me to go to college. But after two years of college, I dropped out and became a fulltime missionary. But as the years progressed, I began to grow uncomfortable with my extreme spirituality. Something was wrong. As I grew older, I saw that being human wasn't so bad after all. In fact, a quote from St. Irenaeus jolted me to the bone. He said, The glory of God is a human being fully alive. Slowly, I began to move to the next stage of my spiritual life… Stage Two: Highly Practical (Age 29 to 43) In my late twenties, I began to appreciate my humanness. I realized God created me to be an incredible human being that can dream, plan, design, think, and act. Why did He give me all these fantastic abilities if He didn't want me to use them? If He wanted me to simply depend on Him and do nothing, He should have made me a stone or a plant or an amoeba. But no. He gave me a phenomenal brain that was more powerful than all the computers of this world put together. And ever so slowly, I morphed. I began to be more down-to-earth. More pragmatic. More realistic. More open… How I Saw The World I started reading secular books. I got to know secular people. I learned that atheists, agnostics, irreligious, and immoral people were children of God and they had much to teach me. Stage 2 gave me a very precious gift: It took away my self-righteousness and spiritual arrogance. I began to love people genuinely. I got to know the secular world that I thought was totally condemned by God. (It wasn't. I saw God's fingerprints all over.) It was a terrifying yet liberating experience. I realized my spiritual world was very small. Puny! And my version of God was tiny too. I realized He was bigger than my narrow definitions. How I Saw Romance When I was 30, I decided to get married. That helped a lot in moving me fully into Stage 2. Stage 1 kept me in limbo—Celibacy or marriage? I couldn't decide. For years, I was trying to find God's Will and was terribly confused. But in Stage 2, I realized that His Will was my deepest desires. That through the scalpel of discernment, I can strip the layers of shallow desires until I touched base with the core desires that God has placed in my heart. And in Stage 2, I finally chose my lovely wife—after so much dilly-dallying in Stage 1. That was when I wrote my controversial book, How To Find Your One True Love. I wrote it for single people who were super spiritual, waiting for their future husband (or wife) to fall out of the sky on a silver platter. In that book, I taught mature singles how to pray, yes. But I also taught them how to write a checklist of what they want in a spouse, how to change their daily itinerary to meet more singles, and how to have more friendly dates. That book was a huge bestseller because for the first time, a spiritual book gave singles permission to do something in finding a spouse aside from just praying and waiting. How I Saw Money In Stage 1, I remained poor. I watched this same phenomenon among super spiritual people. Though close to God, they were far from God's material blessings because they believed poverty came with the territory. They're in debt. They don't have savings. They live hand to mouth. Because they depend on God totally. They don't like talking about money. They don't want to learn how money works. I was so frustrated not having money when I had all these great projects that I wanted to do for God. So at the age of 32, I became an entrepreneur. I became an investor. Today, God has prospered the work of my hands. A few years later, I wrote my book, 8 Secrets Of The Truly Rich. It rocked the world of many spiritual people. For the first time, a spiritual book gave them the permission to become wealthy in the right way. How I Saw Dreams In Stage 1, I didn't allow myself to have dreams. I considered that selfishness. But in Stage 2, I wrote my dreams, read them daily, and saw them being fulfilled one by one. I was mesmerized by the power that God gave us to make our dreams come true. So I taught people to dream and pursue their dreams. I taught them that their actions shaped their future. I told them, "God has placed your destiny in your hands!" It was an exhilarating experience. But deep within, something was brewing in my soul. Disturbed With My Highly Practical Approach The past year, I saw a certain movement in my spirit. It was a gentle call from God to a deeper kind of trust. I saw myself walking to a new stage in my spiritual life. Stage 3: Peacefully Mystical (Age 44 To Eternity) Today, I'm a mystic. Again. I'm back believing in miracles. Obviously, I never lost faith in miracles. But in a more profound way, I'm realizing that everything that I do is dependent on miracles. Yes, I'm returning to an enlightened version of Stage 1. But it's really Stage 3: Peacefully Mystical. It's my second naïveté. How did this happen? I really have no choice: It's the only way to keep my sanity. As overall leader of Light of Jesus and our other ministries, I'm faced with gigantic problems every single day. I do all I can. With the best of my abilities. But the problems are still there. So I reach this point where only God can solve the problems. I have only two options: To be stressed or to be blessed. Stress and trust cannot co-exist. If I'm stressed, then it means I don't trust. If I trust, then I won't be stressed. So I decide to trust. And I like a child, I tell Him, "I've reached a point of incompetence. Lord, this is your problem. Give me a miracle." And He gives me a miracle! He actually comes in and performs a beautiful miracle right before my eyes. Why I'm Relaxed My wife says I'm always cool. No matter what happens. Let me tell you why. I believe that I live in a friendly universe. I live in a gracious galaxy. I live in a universe that is conspiring to bless me. Every atom of God's creation is strategizing how to prosper me, solve my problems, open new doors of opportunity, give me divine connections, supernatural appointments, send miracles on my path, heal me, make me stronger, increase my peace, increase my money, tighten my relationships with my family, give me more wisdom…. And problems? I believe that when a problem comes, it brings within it a beautiful solution. When a trial comes, it brings within it a treasure waiting to be unearthed. I just need to be open to it—and the miracle will come. Let me tell you how magical my life is… Someone Stole Our Vault Last Sunday night, our ministry office was burglarized. It was no ordinary robbery: The thieves carried out our entire vault. I say "thieves"—plural—because I know the weight of that vault. Two or three guys are needed to carry that thing. But here's the miracle. Every Sunday, after the Feast (our large prayer gathering), our staff would count the offering, bring it back to the office, and put it in the vault. So that they could bring it to the bank the next day. But last Sunday, for some magical reason, our chief accountant decided not to put the money in the vault. She placed the money beside the vault. So here's what happened. The robbers got the vault. But left behind the big money beside the vault! How can you explain that? Only one reason. We live in a magical universe. I'm surrounded by an ocean of miracles. Yes, there was a little money in the vault—and we lost that. But we'll be wiser now. But I've now learned that sometimes, God allows small problems to protect us from bigger problems. He allows us to lose a small amount, so that in the future, we won't lose a bigger amount. Even In Your Biggest Problems, God Is Performing Miracles A few years ago, my friend was fooled by her business partner. This partner ran away with their products—and my friend was left holding the empty bag. Result? My friend was now P20 million in debt. Everyday, she cried out to God. Everyday, she was filled with so much stress. She couldn't eat. She couldn't sleep. Her heart was filled with worry, fear, sadness, and anger. Her soul was filled with questions. Why God? Why did you allow this to happen? But she kept her faith. She kept attending the Feast (our weekly gathering), believing that God will rescue her from her trials. Today, five years later, my friend has paid all her debts. Her business is better than ever before. And her trust in God is so deep! She never brought her ex-business partner to court. She didn't want to waste her time or money in bringing her to justice. She decided to focus on rebuilding her business. In fact, the P20 million debt turned out to be a blessing. Why? That huge debt hanging on her head forced her to become a better entrepreneur and make more money than ever before. Today, her business is bigger, stronger, and more prosperous! Something that may not have happened without the tragedy she went through. What happened to her ex-business partner? She found out that she's now in jail—because of another crime that she committed. What did my friend do? She visited her in jail and forgave her. Why? Because her God is a big God. Bigger than a P20 million debt. Bigger than her anger towards her business partner. Here's what I learned in life: God's size is flexible. Some worship a big God. Some worship a small God. It depends on your faith. Do you want to know the size of your God? Look at the size of your fears. If your fears are big, then it means your God is small. But if your fears are small, then it means your God is big. Today, my fears are getting smaller and smaller, because my God is getting bigger and bigger. Even In Your Biggest Problems, God Is Performing Miracles Another friend had a problem with her eldest son. She came up to me one day and said, "Oh Bo, please help me. My son likes to drink and smoke. He's not doing too well in school. He's a rebellious kid and hates authority…" She would call me up, crying on the phone. And we'd pray together. The months turned to years, and she'd tell me that her son is still the same—rebellious and addicted to vices. For six years, it was as though nothing was happening. But one day, a miracle happened. Her son was invited to a youth ministry—and a spiritual conversion took place. Today, her son is now leading that youth ministry. He's preaching, bringing a lot of young people to God. I can imagine what was happening during those six years of waiting, whenever she prayed to God with a lot of tears. I bet God was saying to her, "This storm will end. Your miracle will come. What you wish for will be granted." You're Surrounded By An Ocean Of Miracles Perhaps right now, you too have experienced a loss. Perhaps you're going through a heavy trial right now. And it seems like it's an impossible situation. But in God's vocabulary, there's no such word as impossible. In God's dictionary, the word "impossible" isn't found. I have a simple message for you: Trust Him. God will make a way where there seems to be no way. You're surrounded by an ocean of miracles. May your dreams come true, Bo Sanchez --- ...Amen. Thank You James! , , /////| ///// | ///// | |~~~| | | |===| |/| | B |/| | | I | | | | B | | | | L | / | E | / |===|/ jgs '---' My Two Cents on this one... Bo has mastered the art of what I call 'being Orangy' - flipping it to the orangy side - being positive in the face of adversity. I don't agree with this though... "But I've now learned that sometimes, God allows small problems to protect us from bigger problems. He allows us to lose a small amount, so that in the future, we won't lose a bigger amount." I believe that God talked to the woman so she didn't put that money in the bank to protect the ministry. However, I believe too if the woman had her 'spiritual ears all the way open' God would of been able to guide her to keep the safe from being stolen too. Those things aren't cheap! I don't believe He 'let' the safe be stolen to teach them some sort of lesson. God gave them the safe and all the money. The devil sure didn't! Put yourself in God's place. As a parent, you give your child an allowance. You whisper in their ear to put their money in a different place this week because you know another child is going to steal their piggy bank. Why not just tell your child to better safeguard their piggy bank? You let your child's piggy bank get stolen. For what reason? To teach him that it was good to listen to you when you whispered in his ear? It would just teach the child to wonder why their parent wanted their piggy bank stolen. Makes no sense. What makes sense to me is that it was easier for God to get the woman to listen and not put the money in the bank then it would of been to have her change the locks in the place. At least He was able to save the bulk of the money. God is our parent and he has to work around freedom of will. Not only ours but the will of others. He wouldn't make the thief not steal. That is their freedom of choice. Unlike Bo, also, I don't believe in what he says when he says - "I believe that I live in a friendly universe. I live in a gracious galaxy. I live in a universe that is conspiring to bless me." Yeah, right. And I believe in pink unicorns and rainbows every where and flowers and piped in church music that plays every where I go with angels surrounding my every move! Sorry. That is a fantasy world. However, I do believe the bible when God tells me -- Eph.6 [12] For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. 1 Pet.5: [8] Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: I don't live in a 'friendly universe' if I must watch out for a hungry lion that may devour me at any moment! Jesus warned too... Matt.5: [25] Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison. Throw me in prison? That doesn't sound like a 'gracious galaxy' to me! 2 Cor.4: [4] In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them. "I live in a universe that is conspiring to bless me."? Come on! The bible says - the god of this world - Satan - blinds the minds of them that don't believe so they won't know the real God and be saved! That's not very much of a blessing! Satan blinds them so they may not have Life Through Christ Jesus but be condemned to death like he is! Eternal death isn't a blessing! Let us not believe in a fantasy world! Keep alert and in touch but be positive and ALWAYS put your Trust in God through Jesus Christ for the best. If the god of this world throws you a curve ball and knocks you down, then flip it to the 'orangy side' and Trust God to right the wrong because... Rom.8: [31] What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? God is on OUR Side! And remember too... 1 John.4: [4] Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world. Praise God! ================================================================== >-->From Our Friend PatDeE :) , , /////| ///// | ///// | |~~~| | | |===| |/| | B |/| | | I | | | | B | | | | L | / | E | / |===|/ jgs '---' >Thought for the day... If we are "a work in progress" where are we getting the raw materials? From the world? OR From God? -<>- Here is a list that I made up in seminary (at the prompting of the Holy Spirit?) and have been adding to over the years. I thought your readers might find it interesting and/or useful. Pat , , /////| ///// | ///// | |~~~| | | |===| |/| | B |/| | | I | | | | B | | | | L | / | E | / |===|/ jgs '---' >D-EVILS (,,,) W d'o'b | <(_)--c _( )_ | PhS Devil = Evil with a capital "D" Following are the three most subtle devils. These first three are sent in to do the groundwork for the rest... Disappointment Doubt Discouragement These are not gifts of God. For a quick antidote, call upon the Holy Spirit. Also in Satan's armory are the negative devils of: Disputation Distraction Derangement Desecration Destruction Defamation Divination Discord Detachment Diversion Dereliction Desertion Detestation Deception Death Delay Depression Despair Disbelief Disenchantment Deprivation Derision Desolation Dementia Deterioration Dizziness Dread Divorce Disease Disconnection Destitution Derogation Dissatisfaction Disillusionment Defeat Doom Disconcertion (One of the wags in seminary told me that I left one D-Devil out. When I asked which one, he chuckled and said, "De Esposito"!) Blessings on your day, Pat --- ...HaHa on the joke! I love This One! Thanks Pat for sharing it with us. Here is another D-Evil for you. 'Dormant' It is the Devil that makes people do nothing instead of be active for God! Here is it's definition... 1. (of an animal) Having normal physical functions suspended or slowed down for a period of time; in or as if in a deep sleep. 2. (of a plant or bud) Alive but not actively growing. -<>- __..-' _.--'' _...__..-' .' .' .' .' .------._ ; .-"""`-.<') `-._ .' (.--. _ `._ `'---.__.-' ` `;'-.-' '- ._ .--'`` '._ - ' . `""'-. `---' , ''--..__ `\ ``''---'`\ .' jgs `'. ' `'. >Ducks Quack & Eagles Soar~!!!!! No one can make you serve customers well....that's because great service is a choice. My friend, Harvey Mackay, tells a wonderful story about a cab driver that proved this point. Harvey was waiting in line for a ride at the airport. When a cab pulled up, the first thing Harvey noticed was that the taxi was polished to a bright shine. Smartly dressed in a white shirt, black tie, and freshly pressed black slacks, the cab driver jumped out and rounded the car to open the back passenger door for Harvey . He handed my friend a laminated card and said: 'I'm Wally, your driver. While I'm loading your bags in the trunk I'd like you to read my mission statement.' Taken aback, Harvey read the card. It read: Wally's Mission Statement: To get my customers to their destination in the quickest, safest and cheapest way possible in a friendly environment. This blew Harvey away. Especially when he noticed that the inside of the cab matched the outside. Spotlessly clean! As he slid behind the wheel, Wally said, 'Would you like a cup of coffee? I have a thermos of regular and one of decaf.' My friend said jokingly, 'No thankyou, I'd prefer a soft drink.' Wally smiled and said, 'No problem. I have a cooler up front with regular and Diet Coke, water and orange juice..' Almost stuttering, Harvey said, 'I'll take a Diet Coke.' Handing him his drink, Wally said, 'If you'd like something to read, I have The Wall Street Journal, Time, Sports Illustrated and USA Today.' As they were pulling away, Wally handed my friend another laminated card, 'These are the stations I get and the music they play, if you'd like to listen to the radio.' And as if that weren't enough, Wally told Harvey that he had the air conditioning on and asked if the temperature was comfortable for him. Then he advised Harvey of the best route to his destination for that time of day. He also let him know that he'd be happy to chat and tell him about some of the sights along the way or, if Harvey preferred, to leave him with his own thoughts. 'Tell me, Wally,' my amazed friend asked the driver, 'have you always served customers like this?' Wally smiled into the rear view mirror. 'No, not always. In fact, it's only been in the last two years. My first five years driving, I spent most of my time complaining like all the rest of the cabbies do. Then I heard the personal growth guru, Wayne Dyer, on the radio one day. He had just written a book called You'll See It When You Believe It. Dyer said that if you get up in the morning expecting to have a bad day, you'll rarely disappoint yourself. He said, 'Stop complaining! Differentiate yourself from your competition. Don't be a duck. Be an eagle. Ducks quack and complain. Eagles soar above the crowd.' 'That hit me right between the eyes,' said Wally. 'Dyer was really talking about me. I was always quacking and complaining, so I decided to change my attitude and become an eagle. I looked around at the other cabs and their drivers. The cabs were dirty, the drivers were unfriendly, and the customers were unhappy. So I decided to make some changes. I put in a few at a time and when I saw that my customers responded well, I did more.' 'I take it that has paid off for you,' Harvey said. 'It sure has,' Wally replied. 'My first year as an eagle, I doubled my income from the previous year. This year I'll probably quadruple it. You were lucky to get me today. I don't sit at cabstands anymore. My customers call me for appointments on my cell phone or leave a message on my answering machine. If I can't pick them up myself, I get a reliable cabbie friend to do it and I take a piece of the action.' Wally was phenomenal. He was running a limo service out of a Yellow Cab. I've probably told that story to more than fifty cab drivers over the years, and only two took the idea and ran with it. Whenever I go to their cities, I give them a call. The rest of the drivers quacked like ducks and told me all the reasons they couldn't do any of what I was suggesting. Wally the Cab Driver made a different choice. He decided to stop quacking like ducks and start soaring like eagles. How about us? Smile, and the whole world smiles with you. The ball is in our hands ...... ALWAYS! A man reaps what he sows. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up ... let us make things a little better each day and do good to all people. Ducks Quack, Eagles Soar. Have a nice day ......... unless you already have other plans. "Life isn't about waiting for the storms to pass ............... .................... It's about learning to dance in the rain." --- ...A Sweet Classic! Thanks Pat! ================================================================== >-->From Our Friend PatW :) I don't know what made me think of this, but by some chance, do you like Southern Gospel music? I happen to be a huge fan of Southern Gospel..the Gaithers. Just thought maybe you might be as well. Peace and Blessings, Pat --- ...Thank You PatW! ,(()). ,;;;;. __ ________ _____ ___ ((_ _));'_`'_( _| __ __ __ _| _| _| __ __ () \ /)\ ) / (_|__ _|-_| _(_|(_|(_|__ _|-- ((\ O(() \ O / _____(_|(_|_____________(_|_ SSt I did a Google Search for you - since you are at home you might as well have fun visiting some sites! Southern Gospel Artists and Groups - links If you like Southern Gospel then you'll love this page. Find great artists like The One Man Quartet, Karen Froude and more. http://tinyurl.com/2fgjcku Southern Gospel Music Online Covers Southern Gospel, Country Gospel, CCM .... EMI CMG DISTRIBUTION AND GAITHER MUSIC GROUP EXTEND RELATIONSHIP http://sogospel.com/ Here are YouTube videos - http://tinyurl.com/3yre8xt I especially like this one... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JBPaa9ycuUw Most Beautiful! ~*~ Please pray for PatW to have a speedy recovery in the name of Jesus Christ and that this sickness does NOT return to her. She is stuck at home right now instead of being able to do as she loves doing - being at work helping people. >Updated FUN STUFF URLS - Oh Yeah :) Shangy! ------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.ShangralaFamilyFun.com/urls.html FUN URLS ------------------------------------------------------------------------- -->FULL LENGTH - FREE On line AUDIO MP3 Chriistian Foundational Class http://www.truthortradition.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=61 NEW LIFE IN CHRIST! ------------------------------------------------------------------------- -->Pass this on as it should be of interest to all who served. The study was carried out in Austrialia on their Vietnam Veterans. ABC Nat. Radio Health Report Autralian Vietnam Vets: http://www.ShangralaFamilyFun.com/HealthReportVV.mp3 VV ------------------------------------------------------------------------- -->This is for all you who love food and DARRE to make it at home Yep. You guessed it - Recipes. These are Tried and True, Yummy to the Tummy, good old fashioned home cooking recipes that are EASY to do :) Visit Shangy's Easy-Does-It Home Recipes: http://www.ShangralaFamilyFun.com/easy.html Home Recipes >Got A good Recipe? SHARE IT HERE: Share A Recipe ************************************************************************ >TO SUBSCRIBE: Visit Here This Weeks regular Shangy emails OR For the Yahoo ShangyFunList: To Subscribe send a blank email to ShangyFunList-subscribe@yahoogroups.com ************************************************************************