Easter, Spring And Rebirth... :) 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 ================ *~* 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 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! =========================================================== ...THE FIRST EASTER BUNNY... by Francine M. O'Connor (ASCII Art by joan stark) __ /^\ .' \ / :.\ This is the story of a long-eared rabbit / \ | :: \ who couldn't learn to do the bunny hop. / /. \ / ::: | His ears were floppy, his feet were sloppy, | |::. \ / :::'/ he'd hippity hop, then he'd trip and plop. | / \::. | / :::'/ `--` \' `~~~ ':'/` / ( So this little rabbit developed the habit / 0 _ 0 \ of staying awake when the sun went down. \/ \_/ \/ He'd stay up all night, -== '.' | '.' ==- till the morning light, and /\ '-^-' /\ practice his hopping just outside of town. \ _ _ / .-`-((\o/))-`-. _ / //^\\ \ _ On the first Easter morn, ."o".( , .:::. , )."o". just before dawn, |o o\\ \:::::/ //o o| He was startled by a bright \ \\ |:::::| // / and blinding light. \ \\__/:::::\__// / And Jesus was there in the \ .:.\ `':::'` /.:. / shimmering glare, \':: |_ _| ::'/ smiling at that funny bunny's plight. jgs `---` `"""""` `---` Don't worry, little lad, and don't be so sad, .-"-. for humankind will celebrate this special day. .'=^=^='. You must bring the word to every beast and bird /=^=^=^=^=\ that I have risen and am in the world to stay. :^= HAPPY =^; |^ EASTER! ^| You should've seen that cottontail hop away, :^=^=^=^=^=^: feeling mighty proud to be the chosen one. \=^=^=^=^=/ Though this story is quite old, it can now be retold `.=^=^=.' to make little children smile on Easter morn. `~~~` >-->From Heartwarmers: >EASTER, SPRING AND REBIRTH by Nancy Julien Kopp I've been thinking about Easter celebrations of my childhood years in the Chicago area during the 1940s. When Easter fell in March or early April, we donned spring dresses and coats to walk to church in sharp north winds, even a little snow on occasion. On one of those bitter cold Easter mornings, I had a new aqua-blue spring coat and matching hat that I'd looked forward to wearing. Mother told me it was much too cold to wear it. "You have too far to walk to church. You'll freeze," she said. I begged and begged. "Please let me wear it. I'll wear a sweater underneath." Tears slipped from my eyes as I waited for her to give in. They were genuine, not a ploy. Wearing that new coat was a monumental need at that moment at age eight. Mother relented, but I did have to wear the sweater I'd proposed underneath my lightweight, pastel colored coat. I think I was very glad to have it as my brother and I headed to church to hear the Easter story once again. My parents never attended church with us. Theirs was a mixed marriage -- Dad was Catholic and Mother Methodist, and neither ever gave in to the other. But we kids all attended the Methodist church and Sunday School. Dad polished our shoes every Saturday night so we'd look our best on Sunday mornings. The day before Easter, we dyed eggs in glorious colors. Coffee cups filled with hot water, a dye tablet and a splash of vinegar covered the kitchen table. We arranged the eggs on a big platter lying on artificial grass. The Easter Bunny would hide them while we slept that night. The Easter Bunny usually brought us a few chocolates, jelly beans and a new comic book. He also hid the brightly colored eggs in our living and dining rooms. What fun it was to discover the decorated eggs, one or two of which we always found in Dad's shoes left out overnight. Later in the day, aunts, uncles and cousins joined us for a special dinner. Mother usually fixed a leg of lamb or a big ham, glazed with brown sugar and mustard, cloves inserted in the scored top. Many side dishes weighed down the dining room table -- scalloped or mashed potatoes, two or three vegetables, a jello salad, homemade rolls, pickles, olives and pickled beets, and a springtime dessert of some kind, cream pies, berry pies, or a cake with whipped cream frosting. The aroma of all these good things filled our small apartment. When we were all too full to move, it was time to do dishes. No dishwashers, but all the women pitched in and they were finished in no time. The kitchen filled with the clatter of dishes and the chatter of women. My cousin, Carol, and I were drafted at an early age to dry the silverware, a job neither of us liked. We hurried through so we could walk to the park to play the rest of the afternoon. We played outdoors or occasionally went to a movie to finish the Easter Sunday celebration. The rebirth of springtime flowers, trees and bushes still symbolizes the meaning of Easter for me. Christ's resurrection created a rebirth for all Christians, and as He taught us to love one another, I also think of the love of family as part of our Easter celebrations. We will be spending this Easter holiday with our daughter's family, going to church, having a celebration dinner, and being together. Not so very different than all those years ago. -- Nancy Julien Kopp __________________________________________________ Nancy grew up in the Chicago area but has lived many years in Manhattan, Kansas in the Flint Hills. Her work is in eleven Chicken Soup for the Soul books and many other anthologies, ezines, magazines and newspapers. A former teacher, she still enjoys teaching through the written word. You can see her website at: http://www.writergrannysworld.blogspot.com ========================================================== >-->From Our Friend LouiseA :) _______ / /_ / -/- / / / / / / /_______/ / jgs ((______| / `"""""""` >His Devoted Slave (By Steve Troxel) Let's forever become His devoted slave. We often consider our need to more fully submit our life to God and the leading of His Spirit - to place our life in His hands and release our "self" control. We desire to be in His perfect will and serve Him with all our heart. But does our desire to serve go so far as to consider ourselves a slave? Romans 6:20-22 "When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness. What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death! But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life." Slavery has many negative connotations; but, in truth, we are all born into slavery...born a slave to sin. The only way to be set free from the mastery of sin and death is to ask for a transfer of ownership and become a slave to God. Our new Master then has the grace and power to shatter the bonds of sin and give us the gift of true freedom. We are never free unto ourselves, never our own master. Many live under the illusion of freedom, but we are either a slave to sin or a slave to God. If we refuse to be directed by God, we will absolutely be directed and controlled by the sinful pulls of the world. If we are struggling to break the bondage of sin, we must first stop fighting and submit our life to God. Sin is not a battle we can win with our own strength! The only way to be set free is to receive forgiveness through faith in Jesus...and submit. Submission is not just an optional step for the "mature" Christian; rather, it is the essence of a saving faith. A saving faith first understands we cannot save ourselves but must submit to the grace of God. It then continues in submission by daily trusting in His grace to live according to the ways of His Spirit. Romans 8:5-6 "Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace;" God is sending out His call around the world today. In the stillness of our heart we've heard Him call us to a closer and more intimate relationship - a more consistently submitted life of true devotion and praise. But He is requiring us to make a choice: "Choose this day whom you will serve" (Joshua 24:15). We have been offered freedom from the power of sin and death. Let's fully embrace His gift, submit to the leading of His Spirit, continue to submit at every opportunity, worship Him with all our heart, and forever become...His devoted slave. --- ...Interesting. Thanks LouiseA! I hadn't thought of being a slave to God. The KJV of Romans 6:20-22 says we are 'servants' of God. Servant means: a person who performs duties for others, especially a person employed in a house on domestic duties or as a personal attendant. a person employed in the service of a government. a devoted and helpful follower or supporter. "a tireless servant of God" synonyms: helper, supporter, follower "a servant of the people" While 'slave' means 1. a person who is the legal property of another and is forced to obey them. synonyms: historicalserf, vassal, thrall; More archaicbondsman, bondswoman "the work was done by slaves" antonyms: freeman, master a person who works very hard without proper remuneration or appreciation. , , /////| ///// | ///// | |~~~| | | |===| |/| | B |/| | | I | | | | B | | | | L | / | E | / |===|/ jgs '---' I think the KJV is more correct. As Christians, we are children of God. Followers of Him. Jesus Christ is our Lord whom we serve. We are not forced to obey or do anything for God or Jesus Christ. We do so out of love, devotion and commitment to them because they first loved us. Because of their extreme sacrifice, we now have eternal life. There is nothing we can possibly do to repay that. Serving them is our way of showing our gratitude for all they have done and continue to do for us and our loved ones. Forever in their debt. Love has bond us together for all eternity. =========================================================== >-->From Archives InspiredBuffalo: ___ .' '. ## ## # _ _ # ( e e ) | > | \ - / .-/`---'\-. >"Midlife Crisis" I've not been myself lately; my wife says I've been grumpy and snappy for the past few weeks and I must confess that she's probably right. I have been rather introverted and melancholic, and some might call it symptomatic of "depression". The littlest things seem to set me off. I have often caught myself staring into space, focusing on nothing, even amidst all the commotion during dinner time. Here's what I've determined to be the underlying issue: I'm turning forty tomorrow. I know for some it was no big deal, just another tick on the lifespan odometer. But for me it's a milestone, a major indicator along the list of life accomplishments. Such as turning sixteen and being able to drive, or turning twenty-one and being considered old enough to go to bars. Turning forty signifies to me that I can no longer consider myself to be a "young adult". In fact, I remember when my dad turned forty and thinking (as a kid) that he was "SO OLD!". I don't even think I own anything that's as old as I am - if I do it's preserved, parched with age, or broken. My sister is throwing me a "Milestone 40th" birthday party with some friends and family, and I'm paranoid that someone will stand up and give a sort of eulogy. I guess another reason why I've been so wistful is that I'm feeling the weight of my mortality on my shoulders. Certainly I know we will all die some day, but to feel truly "mortal" is such a sobering thought. That more and more of my time, money, and effort needs to be focused on not what I am going to accomplish, but on how I am going to provide for when I am gone or retired. Discussions with my wife on the issues of life insurance, my will, and disability coverage are of much more gravity now than the lofty philosophical "what-if" scenarios they used to be. It seems like such a foreign and awkward topic to talk about "not being around". Something that plagues my mind is that I find myself comparing where I am to other men at my age. These were men I had virtually idolized for their accomplishments. I look at where they were by this stage in life and I feel so insignificant. I wonder if I've let life simply slip by, if I just didn't try hard enough. Maybe I didn't choose the right path at some major juncture in my life. Maybe I was too boneheaded and missed an opportunity to "save the world" when God laid it right before my eyes. Maybe I should have tackled life more diligently, less apathetically, and with brazen God-given faith in the face of obstacles. I know that if I sit and contemplate all the possible times I should have chosen a better course of action, I'll probably spiral deep into an unrecoverable mode of self-pity. So where do I go from here? It's easy for some to shrug it off and say "Get over it and move on with life!" Others would say that I should just appreciate all the things I do have: a loving wife, three beautiful children, a decent job, and faithful friends. I cannot argue with that fact - God certainly has blessed me in that respect. One friend thinks running off to some remote location to reflect on all the things that brought them to that point in their life is a good thing. This too sounds good to me. The other day I divulged to my wife all of this (what I call) "mental constipation" that's been boiling in my mind the past few weeks. In her concern, she dug up a newspaper article (by Marilyn Vos Savant, one of the highest I.Q. tested persons in the world) wherein a son who had five degrees making $300,000 told his father who had seven degrees making less money that he could have done better. The point made in the article was that success is a frame of mind. "Regardless of your position on the economic or social scale, if you don't feel successful, you surely aren't. And if you do feel successful, you surely are" Thanks Honey- Sorry I've been a "Grumpy Old Man"; by God's grace, I think I'll be OK. (Side note: having "crossed the barrier" several months ago now, I can honestly say "Yes, there is life after forty": Nothing's fallen off, everything is still functional- that is, except for my failing memory. Life is what you make of it so, in my mind, I'm still in my twenties!) Jonathan Tun copyright 2003 jwtun@tva.gov -<>- .---. /` ___|`\ |_/ \| ( -/- ) \_ - _/ .-'|_|'-. / \ / O \ / _____!_____ \ /.-------------.\ \| ,;, |/ | ;;; | | ;;;;;;;;; | | `';;;'` | | ;;; | | ;;; | | ::: | | ';' | | | _| _ __ __ _|_ jgs_/ _ __ ___ __ _\_ _/ __ ___ _ ___ __ _ \_ >In Jesus' Name Turn away slowly as you leave I'll keep these moments inside For while I am with you this to share The time flows like quiet ebb tide As over the mountain the snow should fall To cover with brightness of white Your presence now has fallen on me And turned my dark days to light Bring me again that I might know A thing you did once before In touching my life with a stroke of your hand And this one thing I implore Turn not away as I said in a line It's more of the same I desire Not once, not twice but times untold At your throne I enquire Up to your face and down on my knees Let Your Blood cover my shame For this sure thing I know and believe All this comes in Jesus' name RONNIE LEVINER COPYRIGHT 2002 -<>- .---. /-====) | / '( / / _/ | |-( _ / | \ //| / \ \/\/ | |\ / `-;./ ;-' | \ | \ _/ | jgs .--/ / `''---`-----` >Today Today I smiled, and all at once Things didn't look so bad. Today I shared with someone else, A bit of hope I had. Today I sang a little song, And felt my heart grow light, And walked a happy little mile, With not a cloud in sight. Today I worked with what I had And longed for nothing more, And what had seemed like only weeds, Were flowers at my door. Today I loved a little more And complained a little less, And in the giving of myself, I forgot my weariness. ~unknown~ -<>- >Links for Your Enjoyment: Easter Index http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/easterindex.html Venice Winter Flood http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/venice.html Moses Bridge!- http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/mosesbridge.html Floating Hotel!- http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/fhotel.html Home Security!- http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/security.html Canyon Skywalk!- http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/skywalk.html Corner Of Paradise!- http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/corner.html Rotating Skyscrapers!- http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/skyscraper.html Empire State Building!- http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/empire.html Expensive Hotel Rooms!- http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/ehotels.html Enter At Your Own Risk!- http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/risky.html Great White Shark!- http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/greatwhite.html Grizzly Bear Killed!- http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/grizzly.html Building Advertising Art!- http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/buildingads.html -<>- >From Our Friend LouiseA :) Legendary actor John Wayne in a clip from 1970 on the TV variety show he hosted celebrating America's history. Many famous actors and actresses are featured in this video singing God Bless America including Ann Margaret, Lucille Ball, Jack Benny,George Burns, Johnny Cash, Roy Clark, Bing Crosby, Phyllis Diller, Lorne Greene,Bob Hope, Forrest Lewis,Dean Martin, William Shatner, Tom Smothers, and many more. What a classic video this is. https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=UFv-fqQ9D_Y Spanish magician Younke performs his amazing disappearing tricks at the French TV show 'The world's greatest Cabaret' hosted by Patrick Sebastien. https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=wuuTUg27zMo Normally when you think of ocean predators, sharks come to mind. But, not all sharks are at the top of the food chain. There's something in the ocean that's hunting them, too. https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=uqimOYOQjJ8 Most dogs scratch and claw to get inside when the back door is closed. But, this little guy waits patiently for his owners to open the door. What he doesn't know is the door was open the whole time! https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=udbMNZDQS48 Want to start your day with some fun? Watch both....After the first plays, click on the next one on the same screen. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=316AzLYfAzw#t=31 --- ...Continue and watch the T-Rex one too :) Sweet! Oh My! Thanks LouiseA! -<>- >From Our Friend Melody :) 18 Jaw-Dropping Ocean Photos You Have To See Right This Second http://tinyurl.com/owmolz3 Crimea Landscapes: Natural Wonders & Ancient Ruins [38 PICS] http://tinyurl.com/n7z764y Saving Dinner http://tinyurl.com/qcyjgrh How Weather Predicts Your Health, http://tinyurl.com/om49lt9 'You're better than that,' Simpsons creator told http://tinyurl.com/nmoorp5 Army Under Fire For Forcing Out Conservative Christian Solide http://www.prophecynewswatch.com/2014/August13/132.html --- ..Good reads! Thanks Melody! -<>- >From Our Friend Geniann :) Trick http://tinyurl.com/k4so9s3 --- ...Cool! Thanks Geniann! Visit Melissa's Online Store You can get anything you want (except for Melissa ) at the online store http://pdhomes.net/mall/babylissa/mySTORES/ISELL4.html ========================================================== >-->From Our Friend PatDeE :) _.-/`) // / / ) .=// / / / ) //`/ / / / / // / ` / || / \\ / )) .' jgs // / / >If I Had My Life to Live Over... Erma Bombeck was an American humorist who achieved great popularity for her newspaper column that described suburban home life from the mid-1960s until the late 1990s This written after she found out she was dying of cancer. "I would have gone to bed when I was sick instead of pretending the earth would go into a holding pattern if I weren’t there for the day. I would have burned the pink candle sculpted like a rose before it melted in storage. I would have talked less and listened more.I would have invited friends over to dinner even if the carpet was stained, or the sofa faded. I would have eaten the popcorn in the ‘good’ living room and worried much less about the dirt when someone wanted to light a fire in the fireplace. I would have taken the time to listen to my grandfather ramble about his youth. I would have shared more of the responsibility carried by my husband.I would never have insisted the car windows be rolled up on a summer day because my hair had just been teased and sprayed. I would have cried and laughed less while watching television and more while watching life. I would have sat on the lawn with my grass stains. I would never have bought anything just because it was practical, wouldn’t show soil, or was guaranteed to last a lifetime. Instead of wishing away nine months of pregnancy, I’d have cherished every moment and realized that the wonderment growing inside me was the only chance in life to assist God in a miracle. When my kids kissed me impetuously, I would never have said, “Later. Now go get washed up for dinner.” There would have been more “I love you’s.” More “I’m sorry’s.”; But mostly, given another shot at life, I would seize every minute…look at it and really see it .. live it .and never give it back. Stop sweating the small stuff. Don’t worry about who doesn’t like you, who has more, or who’s doing what.Instead, let’s cherish the relationships we have with those who do love us. Let’s think about what we've been blessed with. And what we are doing each day to promote ourselves mentally, physically, emotionally. I hope you all have a blessed day..." --- ...A good one! Thanks PatDeE! =============================================================== ,,,,, ////""\ . (((/ m m -|- __ )))c = ) | (__) ////-./~` . [] (((( `.`\ :: [] )))`\ \)).-;.' .------, [] (() `._.-'` _( )[] )/ `. | .'`^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^))\`.----'`[] jgs ( \' { ~ - ~~ _ ~ - ~~ - ~ - (( | | [] .-.--\ \ { )) | | [] |_;_._`\ |{ ((__|_|-----[] | ; ``` ;{ )) [] | /``-.____/ `~~~[]~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~'-' [] `' (__) (__) >You Are Not Alone Story Editor: by Lucy Hanouille Joyce Schowalter Texas, USA My father died when I was twenty years old. Up until his death, I had never told anyone of his illness or the suffering that our family had endured for the past fifteen years. It was the family secret -- we learned well not to discuss it. Death sometimes has a way of revealing secrets. I was encouraged to take the news of my loss to the Assistant Dean of my art school, Doris Kinsella. Doris was, in my opinion, one of the world's best listeners. I found myself pouring my heart out to her. She listened, gave advice and encouraged me to stay in school and in counseling. As I left her office, she pointed down the hall at another girl I knew and liked and said, "See that girl? She lost her father this weekend. Heart attack. Very sudden, very unexpected." That was all she said. But from that moment, I looked for that other girl. If she was working in the studio, I worked. If she was going to classes, I went. I couldn't imagine how it felt to lose someone so quickly; I admired her courage. Having known my father was dying... if she could keep going, I could, too. At the school year's end, the other student, "Alice" and I were talking. We shared our deep respect for Doris and the comfort she had brought to our lives in this difficult year. Alice then told me her story. She also had been encouraged to see Doris when her father died. She also found a deep, thoughtful, compassionate listener in Doris. Doris had suggested grief counseling and encouraged her to stay in school. When they walked out of her office together, Doris pointed towards me and said, "See that girl? Her father just died after 15 long years of illness. No one really knows what made him ill." After that, Alice looked for me every day. If I was working in the studio, she worked in the studio. If she saw me going to classes, she went to classes. Alice said she couldn't imagine how it must have felt to live with the inevitability of death for so long. We both agreed that it didn't matter how the loss occurred -- it still hurt deeply. In that way, without even speaking, we kept each other in school. We kept each other going. With one simple sentence, Doris kept us both in school. We lost Doris to cancer almost 20 years ago, but her kindness and her love for me as a student and person have stayed with me to this day. I realize now that the lesson she taught me, by her simple statements, has been a guiding light keeping me going through the hard times in my life. No matter how alone depression or PTSD made me feel, I knew I was not alone after all. Her words made all the difference in my life. =======HeroicStories======= >-->From CupO'Cheer: .---. _....._ / p `\ .-""`: :`"-. |__ - | ,' . ' ', ._> \ /: : ; :, '-. '\`. . : ' \ `. | .'._.' '._.' '._.'. | `;-\. : : ' '/,__, .-'`'._ ' . : _.'.__.' ((((-'/ `";--..:..--;"` \ .' / \ \ jgs ((((-' ((((-' >NOT A TURTLE Jamie picked Mikey up from preschool. On the drive home, Jamie asked Mikey what he learned that day. After thinking for a minute, Mikey asked Jamie if she knew an owl was not a turtle? And Mikey added, "Raccoons are not a turtle either." Jamie asked him why he thought that. Mikey replied they sleep during the day and hunt for food at night. Then Jamie realized the teacher must have said that owls and raccoons are nocturnal! -- Cheryl Barker (grandmother of Mikey) of Kendallville, Indiana as seen in This 'n That Again -<>- ,--. `.`_.`\ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ `-''^^^^^''-. \ `-._ >> > < <__ ^'-----...,,_ jgs //__/`---'\__\\`'""""'"'"'"'''''`` `"`"" `""`" >ARE YOU TOO OLD? by Dan Miller I often have people tell me they think they are "too old" to: Learn another language Go back to school Rebuild broken relationships Follow their passions Start a business And the list goes on and on. Have you ever used that excuse for not doing something worthwhile? Here's a site where you can plug in any age and see some notable things done by others that same age: Things Other People Accomplished When They Were Your Age http://tinyurl.com/nut4arr. Just go here, put in your age and prepare to be encouraged - you can do more than you think! At age 99, Teiichi Igarashi climbed Mt. Fuji At age 62, J.R.R. Tolkien published the first volume of his fantasy series, The Lord of the Rings. At age 46, Golfer Jack Nicklaus became the oldest man ever to win the Masters At age 32, penniless and unemployed, Buckminster Fuller decided against suicide, resolving instead to live out the rest of his life as an experiment to see what one person could do to help humanity. At age 19, Henry David Thoreau delivered a Harvard commence- ment address. Expanding on Emerson's 1836 essay on "Nature", he proposed that man should work one day a week and leave six free for the "sublime revelations of nature." At age 27, Fred Smith founded Federal Express. At age 12, Filmmaker Steven Spielberg got his first movie camera and spent hours writing scripts, drawing storyboards and making movies of subjects such as head-on miniature train crashes and an exploding pressure cooker full of cherries jubilee. At age 17, Artificial heart developer Robert Jarvik began working on his first invention, a surgical stapler. At 26, Napoleon Bonaparte conquered Italy Okay, so maybe you won't conquer any country this year, but I'll bet you could do more than you have planned at this point. as seen in Love Your Work -<>- ,**, .\/. // \\-. \\_///`\\ '-\\__// /\ _ __ '--' \\| /_/ _ / | (\/) /~\'=--. `\/ | \ \/_/ \/ {{{~}\ \(______,_____,__\__,____ \_\| / __ {{~{{ '-'/,---,-----,--.--,-----,- \/_/__\ .--='/~\ \{/.=--' ______/ ____,__/__,_____,______)/ /{~}}} \__/ /\__ -,-----,--.--,-----,---,\'-' {{~}} __/ |\ \ jgs __/\_ '--=.\}/ (\/) / /\ \_| /_/ |\\ \/ |__/ \/ >TREASURE It is important for husband and wife to have fun together... What do you do for "play time"? Do you spend your recreational time together or doing your own thing? There is nothing wrong with having some activities that you do separately; however, there is something wrong with doing nothing fun together. You need to develop a list of activities that both of you would enjoy doing together. Once this is completed, sit down (knee-to-knee) and go over the lists. Then develop a final list of the things both of you have agreed to try together. Date ideas: 1. Put on some of your favorite music and work a jigsaw puzzle together. 2. Rent a movie and pop popcorn. 3. Take a walk hand-in-hand. 4. Recreate your first date or when your proposed. 5. Go to a local high school sporting event. Romantic ideas: 1. Pull out old love letters and read them to each other. 2. Sit by the fire. 3. Leave a chocolate kiss on his or her pillow. 4. Kiss for a full minute. 5. Give her a hug, and don't let go. (For more ideas, look for Debbie L. Cherry's book, "Discovering the Treasure of Marriage"). KneEmail: "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." Luke 12:34 Bible reading for 02.22.10: Mark 4:1-20; Numbers 5,6 as seen in KneEmail -<>- .-. __| |__ [__ __] | | | | jgs | | '-' >SAVE ME Save me from myself, Lord; Save me from my need To always run my life, Lord, To control my every deed. Save me from my pride, Lord, My focus on just me; Help me learn to serve, Lord; Show me how to be. Save me from the world, Lord, When tempting things entice; Remind me of eternity With You, in paradise. I give my life to you, Lord My every need you fill; I’m resting in my faith, Lord; You saved me, and you always will. By Joanna Fuchs www.poemsource.com -<>- | \ / .---. '-. | | .-' ___| |___ -= [ ] =- `---. .---' __||__ | | __||__ '-..-' | | '-..-' || | | || ||_.-| |-,_|| .-"` `"`'` `"-. jgs .' '. >Easter's Wreath By Elizabeth Sherrill I stood in the chill March wind staring up at a sculpture carved 600 years ago into the keystone above a doorway. The carving in high relief depicted two angels with great folded wings holding between them a wreath of roses surrounding a pair of architect’s compasses. I was visiting the ruins of Heidelberg Castle high above the Neckar River in Germany. Sightseeing is hard on the feet and I badly wanted to sit down. I kept thinking of a café I’d passed climbing up to the castle: the signboard on the sidewalk showed a mug of hot chocolate topped with a glorious pyramid of whipped cream. And still I lingered puzzling over that carving. There was nothing unusual about the depiction of the compasses medieval stone masons often chiseled symbols of their trade as a kind of signature in stone. Nothing unusual either about a decorative wreath of roses. What surprised me were the faces of the angels. Instead of the solemn and majestic features conventional for portrayals of these mighty messengers of God these were children. The slender brochure I’d picked up at the castle identified this building as “Ruprecht’s Palace”—all that remained of it—“built in 1400 for Prince Ruprecht III to celebrate his election as King of Germany.” Nothing about the carving above the entrance. Footsore and shivering I stayed there but was unable to walk away as though those silent angels had something to tell me. All afternoon I’d felt a strange affinity for this destroyed fortress within its crumbling ramparts maybe because in my own small way I too faced the loss of a “castle.” After Easter my husband and I were to leave our beloved home of 50 years and move to a small apartment. Might there be a message here for me? I set out in search of someone who could tell me the meaning of the sculpture. I found her an American tourist like myself but armed with a hefty guidebook in German. This is the history she translated for me… Ruprecht’s master builder nameless as were most artisans in 1400 had two little sons twins who enjoyed watching their father at work. The pulleys and hoists the hammering the coming and going of mules and cart horses held an endless fascination. Day after summer day as the palace for King Ruprecht rose the little boys climbed higher on the scaffolding to watch the lively scene. The building was nearing completion when the tragedy occurred. The wooden platform on which the twins stood collapsed killing both children. Their devastated father laid down his compasses and other tools and shut himself away. Without his supervision work on the new palace ceased. For weeks as summer turned to fall the construction site lay silent and deserted. The only thing the grieving father felt able to do was to cut a dozen roses each day from the castle garden—picking only white roses white for the dead—and weave them into a wreath for the twins’ grave. No one knows how much time passed this way just that one night the father had an extraordinary dream. As he slept it seemed to him that two huge angels entered the room. They were his sons’ guardian angel she believed those angels assigned to every child at birth. They brought news of his little boys. The angels told him that the twins were well and happy and eager for him to finish the building they had watched going up with such excitement. When the father woke next morning it was told that he found a wreath of roses—red roses for the living—at the foot of his bed. What is certain is that the master builder returned to his labors and Ruprecht’s palace was completed. In memory of his dream the father carved on the keystone the two angels the rose wreath and the two compasses. Regarding the angels’ child-like faces…perhaps in his dream the visages of the angels had been too bright to see or too unearthly to depict. In their place he carved the faces of his two little boys alive he now knew forever. What a message for Easter—and for me right now! I thought as I thanked my informant. When something precious is taken away as ordinary as the loss of a well-loved house or as overwhelming as a death is, is the season when angels meet us at the tomb with the glorious shout of life undefeated. as seen in Inspiration Plus -<>- To SUBSCRIBE: Send an e-mail with SUBSCRIBE CUP O'CHEER in the subject line to cheer316@sc.rr.com. ========================================================== >-->From Our Friend LouiseA :) _ xxxx _ /_;-.__ / _\ _.-;_\ `-._`'`_/'`.-' `\ /` | / /-.( \_._\ \ \`; > |/ / // |// jgs \(\ `` >If Jesus Came Back Today... Would you have to change your clothes Before you let Him in? Or hide some magazines, and put The Bible where they'd been? Would you hide your worldly music And put some hymn books out? Could you let Jesus walk right in, Or would you rush about? And I wonder...if the Savior Spent a day or two with you, Would you go right on doing The things you always do? Would you go right on saying The things you always say? Or would life for you continue As it does from day to day? Would you take Jesus with you Everywhere you go? Or would you maybe change your Plans for just a day or so? Would you be glad to have Him Meet your closest friends? Or would you hope they stay away Until His visit ends? Would you be glad to have Him Stay forever on and on? Or would you sigh with great relief When he at last was gone? It might be interesting to know, The things that you would do, If Jesus came in person, To spend some time with you. --- ...I love this one! Oh What a joy! Thanks LouiseA! >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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