Follow The Template... :) 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!! ================ "We are each of us angels with but one wing, and can only fly by embracing each other" -Luciano Decrescenzo ~ CALLING ALL CARING ANGELS ~ ****** __ /`__`\ .=.| ('') |.=. /.-.\ _)(_ /.-.\ |: / ~~ \ :| \ : | (__) | : / | : \_/\_/ : | |: /| |\ :| \_/` | | `\_/ | | | | jgs |~~~~| '----' *~* WE NEED CARING And SHARING Angels For 2011 *~* >Do You Want To Be A Shangrala Angel? If you'd like to help and be counted as a 2011 Shangrala Angel, please visit the site and click on the donate button. A Secure PAYPAL page comes up. Any amount is greatly appreciated and needed! PLEASE Visit Shangrala to Help: http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/index.html OR If you'd rather send us a donation, Please MAIL it here: Elrhea Bigham 502 S. Harrison Van Wert, OH 45891 *~* THANK YOU! MAY GOD BLESS ALL OUR ANGELS MOST ABUNDANTLY! ================ >-->Hot Off The 'Shangy' Press :) This sizzler comes from a forward from out friend Linda. It is sure to tickle your funny bone. Check it out here... ,-. Life keeps rolling along...... ( O )` ~ - . _ . - ~ ` ~ - . _ . - ~ ` ~ - |`-'| : : : : : : : : | | : : : : : : : : `-'` ~ - . _'. - ~ ` ~ - .'_ . - ~ ` ~ - cww Designer Toilet Paper! http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/designertp.html --- ...An Amazing One! LOL! Thanks Linda! ============================================================ >-->From Heartwarmers: .-..-. (-o/\o-) /`""``""`\ \ /.__.\ / \ `--` / `) (' , /::::\ , |'.\::::/.'| _| ';::;' |_ (::) || (::) _. "| || |" _(:) '. || .' /::\ '._||_.' \::/ /::::\ /:::\ \::::/ _\:::/ /::::\_.._ _.._ _.._ _.._/::::\ \::::/::::\/::::\/::::\/::::\::::/ jgs `""`\::::/\::::/\::::/\::::/`""` `""` `""` `""` `""` >CALLING ME HOME by Kristine Lowder I was born in a library. Naw. Not really. But I could've been. Books prominently populate my earliest memories. Lots and lots of books. Enough to fill a library several times over. I remember snuggling into Dad's lap as he read aloud about a brown monkey and a man in a yellow hat. I remember Mom reading and re-reading a perennial favorite, Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel. Also stories about a runaway bunny, Ferdinand the Bull. Green Eggs and Ham. A Secret Garden. A spider weaving webbed words, Peter Pan, Mary Poppins, Cinderella, Aesop and Dorothy Gale. So many others. As far as "learning to read" goes, it seems I was born reading. I suppose I received academic instruction at some point. I just don't recall being "taught" to read. In fact, I can't remember ever not reading. It's like not breathing. Weekly visits to the library with Mom added fuel to my bookish fire. I've long thought of the library as my "home away from home." Many are the cozy hours and golden afternoons spent browsing the library stacks, meandering in and out of Dickens, Bronte, Eliot, Dumas, Dinesen and Evans. Finding new books or a new author is like unearthing buried treasure. To this day I prefer a good book -- or even a mediocre one -- to any other media. I am never as well content as when behind the pages of a good book. Whenever I'm sitting down, I feel compelled to be reading something. Anything. Even the back of a cereal box. I bring books to baseball games, to the chagrin of my kids. I tell them I read between innings. And I do. I bring a book to the dentist's office, board meetings, ballet rehearsals. If I anticipate a line at the post office, grocery store or bank, I bring a book. Shoot, I usually bring a book even if I don't anticipate a line. I've also been known to read between acts at the opera and until the house lights dim at the theater. An apt epitaph might be: "So many books, so little time." I recently embarked upon a grand reading adventure that, while unplanned, has proven a vast delight. I'm re-reading some of my favorite titles from childhood. I haven't traveled between the covers of some of my grade school favorites for forty years or more. They are somehow welcoming. Even after all these years, plots and characters rise to greet me like long lost friends. A chapter or two and I'm home. I've long maintained that some of the finest writing in all literature is children's literature. Any writer who can grab and keep a child's attention for an entire story is doing something right. And so "home" these days includes wild ponies and round-ups of Misty of Chincoteague. Prairie fires, rampaging grasshoppers, scarlet fever, and Christmas candy in the Little House books. Walter Farley's Black Stallion series. Aslan and Narnia. Black Beauty. Peter and Wendy. I've gathered them around me now, favorite books from years past. You'd think the stories would all be fuzzy, gray. They're not! They're as rich and vibrant and glowing as they were when I first creased their pages. Still captivating. Still delicious. I feel that while I may have forgotten these books, their stories have not forgotten me. When I open the cover and dive into their patient pages, I find they've been waiting for me. Dear friends welcoming me back -- calling me home. -- Kristine Lowder __________________________________________________ Kristine is a multi-published author and makes her home on the Olympic Peninsula of Washington State. You can visit her at: http://www.kristinelowder.wordpress.com ============================================================ >-->From SermondFodder: .----------. / .-. .-. \ / | | | | \ \ `-' `-' _/ /\ .--. / | \ | / / / / / | `--' /\ \ /`-------' \ \ Jym Dyer >Squeamish Sermon In his early years of ministry, Pastor Don got a sermon from an unexpected source. One Sunday he followed a fun children's program with a sermon that even he admitted was a "hellfire and brimstone fire-breathing scorcher of a sermon." One the way home he was discussing the sermon with is wife when his young granddaughter offered a sermon observation of her own. "PeePaw," She asked, "Why did you squeam at us this morning?" As told by Pastor Don Young on "Young At Heart." === This post is brought your way by Sermon Fodder and Joke A Day Ministries. To subscribe go to http://www.sermonfodder.com or drop an email note to Sermon_Fodder-subscribe@yahoogroups.com. Please leave this attached if you forward this to friends or post on the net. =================================== \\\\ .===. | c '' | | | , U | | ______________________ E, _=__ | | .----------------------.' \\ / __\_______ | | ,----, |/ \\// | | | |/ /|--------------------' |\ \/ \| E-Mail | | .-----' | / / ' . | \___________ |______m___| `==| | | / / .: ' \ | |(_ //\\ | | | \_\--------/ \|___________| // \\ _ | | | | )=--=( | .: , , // \\// | |/ | )=--=( | :.,/ PN , ;', . /___, \/ '-----' /--------\ , > . : >Whose Emails Do You Read? You're reading this and I'm honored, because you delete far more emails than you open. Which others do you open? I know, of course, that you read emails from your closest friends and family. But are there any newsletters, blog posts or subscriptions that you open more often than not? Can you pick a single favorite you'd be willing to share? I was crafting an altogether different item for my Monday Morning Memo when "ding" my computer let me know an email had arrived. I glanced at the time and said, "That will be Exley." And it was. I've known Richard Exley for 30 years. We met when he was a struggling preacher holding church in a school gymnasium and I was a bright-eyed advertising salesman trying to make a living on straight commission. I never attended his church but we often had lunch together. Although Richard and I have spoken only about 5 times in the past 25 years, we continue to be important to one another. You have friends like that, don't you? Take comfort. Frequency of communication does not equal depth of relationship. Richard began sending out a daily One-Minute Devotional about a year ago. Like any good writer, Richard nudges my mind into green fields where it might not otherwise have wandered. "I don't like to think of myself as a materialistic person but driving away from the Highway 12 East storage complex I could hardly come to any other conclusion. For nine years I paid almost $40 a month to store things I haven't used in nearly a decade. Add it up - nine years at $444 a year comes to $3,996." Richard's thoughts interest me because he notices all kinds of things that most people don't. This was his greeting last Christmas: "There is not a shred of evidence to indicate that the shepherds were in any way special; nothing to suggest that there was anything in their spirit, or nature, or lifestyle that predisposed them to receive the angelic announcement of the savior's birth. Which means that God doesn't just come to religious people in church but to undeserving people the world over, be it lepers or lunatics, shepherds or Samaritans, or even women taken in adultery." Sometimes Richard offers grandfatherly advice. "If you have the courage to follow your heart's desire you will usually gravitate to your area of giftedness. You may not end up in the most prestigious position, or land the best-paying job, but you will have a more fulfilling life." I give Richard Exley 60 seconds each day and I consider it a good investment. "Don't mistake recklessness for boldness. Boldness is a calculated risk based on the best possible information." "Forgiving those who have wronged us is often a process rather than a single event." I asked my friend Richard to record these quotes in his own voice because I wanted to ask your opinion: Is it just me, or does he sound a little bit like Sean Connery? Every time I hear Richard I expect him to say, "Bond. James Bond." Now it's your turn. I want you to tell the rest of us about a daily or weekly email you always open. But just one. Give us a link to it. Tell us what you get from it that causes you to always open it. I've told Indiana Beagle to post all submissions in next week's rabbit hole. But this is the rule: you must select just ONE subscription to share with us. If you send more than one, you will be disqualified. I'm imposing this strange rule for just one reason: you hear hundreds of e-voices every day. I want you to know which one you value most. When you are forced to choose just one, you will learn something about yourself. Socrates said, "The unexamined life is not worth living." I am tempted to agree. Come. It is examination day. Send your favorite blog or e-subscription to Jackie@WizardAcademy.org How many people will do this? We shall see. Roy H. Williams www.rhw.com A lifelong student of humanity, Roy H. Williams has spent a quarter-century asking, "What makes people do the things they do?" His first book, The Wizard of Ads, was voted Business Book of the Year in 1998. His second book, Secret Formulas of the Wizard of Ads, was named the Wall Street Journal's number one Business Book in America in 1999 and became a New York Times bestseller. For more about Roy check out www.wizardofads.com. =================================================================== >-->From CupO'Cheer: ,-. ( \()Oo `-,---. .-. \ | oO()/ ) \ \ ,--- ,-' |_/ | / ,-. / _/ |_/ \_/ ,-. \_/ s-v >FOLLOW THE TEMPLATE We tell others about Christ, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all the wisdom God has given us. We want to present them to God, perfect in their relationship to Christ. ~ Colossians 1:28 My objective never has been to have a large church; it always has been to have a biblical church and a strong church. The growth is up to God. Not every church is going to be a large church, but every church should be a growing church. On that final day, Jesus is not going to say, "Well done, good and successful servant. By the way, how many numbers were you running?" Rather, He will say, "Well done, good and faithful servant." I believe the church exists for three reasons: the exaltation of God, the edification of believers, and the evangelization of the world. Another way to think of it is upward, inward, and outward. Upward. The church exists for the exaltation of God. This idea may come as a revelation to some people who think they exist to find personal happiness. The Bible says, "Don't you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself" (1 Corinthians 6:19). Inward. The church exists for the edification of other believers. The apostle Paul said his goal was not merely to evangelize, but to warn believers, teach them the wisdom God had given him, and present them to God mature in their relationship with Christ (see Colossians 1:28). Outward. The church is called to evangelize the world, which is the natural outgrowth of exalting God and edifying other believers. Healthy sheep will reproduce themselves. The church is not to emphasize one of these at the expense of the other or take them out of order. You see, we are not to customize the church. We are to follow the original template Jesus gave us. Copyright ©2009 by Harvest Ministries. All Rights Reserved. Tom Henderson -<>- _ _|_|_ ,|_| |_|_ || | | |_| || | | | | || | | | | _|| | | | | ||)\ ^ ^ ^ | || | | || | | || | | \\ | \\ / ejm )\ ( / \ \ / \ \ \ \ >THE POWER OF PRAYER I stand in awe each and every day, When I see the power of prayer. My heart is so full of love, To know that God is there. Hearts are mended and the sick are healed, Troubles disappear. Smiles now appear where once. There was a tear. I see the joy of one that witnessed, And in those that prayed. As a little child found Jesus, When His life was portrayed. I see crutches and canes put aside, Wheelchairs no longer needed. All because God answered prayer, When someone was pleading In His hands we can trust, Whatever the future may bring, Just knowing this should give us all, A song in our heart to sing. Let's rest within His hands, And know He hears our prayer; Remember to pray for others, As we linger there. Oh yes! Our God is an awesome God, And He's with US every day. How great is the power of prayer, When we believe and pray --Author Unknown -<>- ,,,,, ////""\ . (((/ m m -|- __ )))c = ) | (__) ////-./~` . [] (((( `.`\ :: [] )))`\ \)).-;.' .------, [] (() `._.-'` _( )[] )/ `. | .'`^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^))\`.----'`[] jgs ( \' { ~ - ~~ _ ~ - ~~ - ~ - (( | | [] .-.--\ \ { )) | | [] |_;_._`\ |{ ((__|_|-----[] | ; ``` ;{ )) [] | /``-.____/ `~~~[]~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~'-' [] `' (__) (__) >KNOW HIM God is calling. Are you answering or are you letting voice mail get it? I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints. (Ephesians 1:18 (NIV)) If each of us could only come to this knowledge in our own lives, what an impact we, as the Body of Christ, could make in our world! We have a superficial knowledge, but do we truly have an in-depth understanding of what God has called us to? We know that He has called us to eternal life through the shed blood of His Son, Jesus, but what do we do with that knowledge? Do we live each moment acknowledging the grace and mercy that has been given to us? Do we praise God for what He has been able to give us in spite of ourselves? Do we live with that knowledge as an ever-present reminder of God, or do we lock it away, only letting it out on Sundays? God has given us a tremendous gift. A gift that He did not have to give. He gave us salvation. he gave us a way out of our sin! What have we done with that gift? God wants to bless us, but, we have to be faithful with what we have been given before He will trust us with more! His master replied, `Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’ (Matthew 25:23(NIV)) Faithfulness means more than keeping God’s commands. It also means that we need to be faithful to the calling that God has on each of our lives. He has something for each of us that is as different as each of us are. Yet, there is one thing that is common in these tasks. We are to tell others of God’s grace and mercy. We must be faithful to that central calling that we all share. To the faithful you show yourself faithful, to the blameless you show yourself blameless, to the pure you show yourself pure, but to the crooked you show yourself shrewd. (Psalms 18:25-26(NIV)) For the LORD loves the just and will not forsake his faithful ones. (Psalms 37:28(NIV)) Are you responding to your calling? Will you be rewarded for your faithfulness? Copyright 1998 – 2010 Dennis J. Smock Daily Living Ministries, Inc. http://www.dailylivingministries.org To SUBSCRIBE: Send an e-mail with SUBSCRIBE CUP O'CHEER in the subject line to cheer316@sc.rr.com. ============================================================= , , `. | `. ` `. \___ \ ,---._ ,' -`./ ,-" "-/ / o `._ `. | o ,-. _ ` `. , , `-' ,' ` `-----"| '`----" | \ / | \ " `. /_ `._ _/| \ ( ". ' \ \ `.`. . |` \" |\ | `. `.,' . | `. \ | | ,` | | | `-`-" , ` , `. _,' `.--" | | || | .-. | |, `,' ) ___,' \ , / /------" \____," KaK >Choosing Kindness Over Profit Story Editor: by Tom Magliery Joyce Schowalter British Columbia, Canada Wow! "Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace" was out! Shortly after it launched, five of us guys decided to drive an hour north of Champaign, Illinois, to see the movie in Hoopeston, population 6000ish. Why drive so far? The Lorraine Theatres had a widespread reputation as having the best sound system anywhere in central Illinois. We caravanned in two cars, headed to a 4:30 p.m. showing. It was a beautiful day in May, 1999, with clear blue skies -- a great day for a drive. We found the theatre, a stand-alone building on a small-town main street. Arriving at 4:20 p.m., we pulled up and parked in the angle parking across the street from the theatre. We wondered, hey, shouldn't there be some other cars parked here on the street already? There weren't any, but we thought maybe the matinee business was slowing down since the movie had been out for a couple weeks. Crossing the street, we found the ticket window empty and the front doors locked. Uh-oh. Just as we finished trying the doors, out came the owner of the theatre, a fellow in his 40s with light brown hair, glasses and a beard. He told us that the theatre had stopped their 4:30 showing three days before. Someone mumbled something about the web page, and he said that he hadn't had a chance to update it yet, because his laptop was in for repairs. He asked us where we had come from, and we told him. After another minute or two of small talk I said (half joking, half hopeful), "So you wanna show it anyway?" He looked at his watch, thought a bit... then said, "OK, sure," and showed the movie to just the five of us! We paid him the regular price, and he even let us buy pop and snacks from the concession stand, although it was lucky that we managed to find correct change for everything because he couldn't get into the cash register. It struck me that the theatre owner could just as well have said "Tough luck, fellas", wished us a pleasant drive, and sent us on our way back home. It would have been perfectly reasonable for him to do that. Instead he chose to open his business, start up his equipment, and show us the film we'd driven so far to see. I've no idea of the operating costs of running a projector and a full-scale movie theatre for a showing of a film. But I'd be surprised if the profit margin of five tickets and a few candy bars and sodas would be enough to cover it. I've always remembered this experience because we were treated so kindly by a total stranger. =======HeroicStories======= >-->From Our Friend TONY In Australia :) >The Anointing Part 7 John 3:34 For He whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God, for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him…. When we have been given the Spirit, the measure of it grows as our ability to use it increases…. I want to talk about David for a moment…..David s anointing “grew” on three different occasions.. The first time was when he was anointed by the prophet Samuel witnessed by his family.. As Samuel applied the oil of anointing, David’s mind became filled with visions, visions of his future….He was given an ability through his music to sooth King Saul’s tormented thoughts, to take away his depression and David broke the power of the demon who was causing Saul’s misery…Now we all know the story of David, of how Saul made him a general of a whole army, and how eventually, Saul resented the popularity that David seemed to draw wherever he went, and how Saul plotted David’s death and how David had the opportunity whilst he was exiled to kill Saul but he resisted, because he knew, through his own anointing… that Saul had also been anointed…by GOD…and so David trusted his destiny to God, rather than try to make his own destiny, this is the anointing ‘working’ on in Davids’ life.. Eventually, Saul and his sons are killed in war and David then is anointed yet again as King… over Judah…. So, we can see that if the anointing comes from God(and where else?) then it can grow, its measure can be increased as we grow in the Lord and as our Christian character, our walk with God grows and develops, and as long as we ‘maintain’ the touch of God on our lives, there are many who after having received an anointing, have failed to carry through their lives…One of the biggest robbers of the anointing is pride, followed by greed, elements which all too often go hand in hand… David brought destruction to the Philistines on many occasions, he whopped em soundly! And his people, the tribe of Judah, wanted David as their King. They anointed him and he served them for almost 8 more years after his anointing at Hebron and at that time, the rest of the tribes of Israel recognized David as their ruler, over the whole nation. So we can see here that David’s measure of anointing was increased on at least three occasions…. The Spirit ‘revives ‘us Acts 3:19…….Repent therefore and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, so that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord………. In the old times, when people received visitors in their homes,they were on arrival, offered a basin full of water to refresh themselves and then they were anointed with fresh aromatic oils to ‘revitalize’ themselves, now we can compare this to the action of the Spirit on us! The spirit refreshes and revives us….Amen for that!… Remember the story of how when Elisha went to visit a woman, she couldn’t allow him to say because of lack of room? Poor Elisha had to move on…! Well Elisha carried with him the presence of God, and yet there was no room for him…!My point is this…..often God visits us! In our homes, in our churches and in our hearts….and often He has to move on like Elisha….because there is NO room!… NO room! Be it physically, spiritually or emotionally, sometimes there are so many other things going on in our lives, we live little room for God to move there…..my question is……do you leave enough room for God in your life??? Church services can sometimes be full of other things than allowing the Spirit of God to move, WE are the church……as with the woman in 2 Kings, WE need to make room for God! After she did so, Elisha came to stay a while, he brought with him the spirit of God! The woman was blessed with a child after being barren and we all know the story of how in later times this baby, this lad is struck down by heat working his fathers land and he dies, but Elisha comes and lays on the child and breaths life back into him..and the boy survived! Oh what an anointing! To be able to bring back ‘physical’ life!! But what about spiritual life???…. Do you some times feel at the end of your tether working for God? Do you tire easily? Well, maybe its time for another refreshing! Another revival, maybe you have to”make more room” for God in your life….. Let the anointing, the Presence of God…..Revive you…… PRAYER: Father, we thank You and bless You for the gift of our anointing, we give You all the Glory and honour fully, for the privilege of having Your anointing on our lives… We ask Lord that You guide us in every way, that we become deserving and our measure increases as our walk with you becomes closer and closer..We ask Lord, that should there be times when we need a refreshing or a revival in our Spirit, that You reminds us Lord, in Your special way, that we need to make more room for You in our lives… In Jesus Name we thank You…..Amen --- ...Amen! Thank You Tony! ============================================================== >-->From Archives InspiredBuffalo: %%%% %%%%-( _%%%%%_/ \ ' / _%%%%%%%% - (_) - _%%%%%%%/ \% / , \ %%%%%%%%%\\ \_ %%%%%% \ \\ ) /\_/ /(___. \ '----' ( / ) ---....____/ (_____ __ _ ___ ___ __ _ _ _____ _ _ ___ / )---...___ =-= = -_= -=_= _-=_-_ -=- =-_ ,' ( ```--.._= -_= -_= _-=- -_= _=- ,-' ) ``--._=-_ =-=_-= _-= _ '-._ '-..___( ``-._=_-=_- =_-= ``---....__) `-._-=_-_=- )|)| `-._=-_ gnv '-'-.\_ `-. >Peace In His Presence (By Linda Wolovich) [Edited] In this world of uncertainty Where tomorrow may never be We have a HOPE that we can cling to That we find only, Lord, in Thee! With You, we need not fear No worries to consume our minds For each moment lies in Your hands With You, PEACE is what we'll find! We may lose our worldly possessions Relationships may come and go BUT Your Presence is ever abiding Your blessings will ALWAYS flow! As we stay obedient to Your Word With dedicated hearts and lives to You We know NOTHING will ever be too great, Lord - You will FOREVER see us through! So we'll cast ALL of our cares upon You We'll fret not what tomorrow will bring For our God watches over His children With You we KNOW we can face ANYTHING! -<>- /9 6\ // | | \\ // | | \\ // | | \\ // __|__ | \\ // |__X__| __|__ \\ ______//___________________________________|__X__|________\\_______ _|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|#####|_____|_____|_____ ____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|__ _|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____ ____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|__ _|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____ ____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|_____|__ Dave Flanagan >The Wall Of Resentment A story tells of a merchant in a small town who had identical twin sons. The boys worked for their father in the department store he owned and, when he died, they took over the store. Everything went well until the day a twenty-dollar bill disappeared. One of the brothers had left the bill on the cash register and walked outside with a customer. When he returned, the money was gone. He asked his brother, "Did you see that twenty-dollar bill on the cash register?" His brother replied that he had not. But the young man kept probing and questioning. He would not let it alone. "Twenty-dollar bills just don't get up and walk away! Surely you must have seen it!" There was subtle accusation In his voice. Tempers began to rise. Resentment set in. Before long, a deep and bitter chasm divided the young men. They refused to speak. They finally decided they could no longer work together and a dividing wall was built down the center of the store. For twenty years hostility and bitterness grew, spreading to their families and to the community. Then one day a man in an automobile licensed in another state stopped in front of the store. He walked in and asked the clerk, "How long have you been here?" The clerk replied that he'd been there all his life. The customer said, "I must share something with you. Twenty years ago I was 'riding the rails' and came into this town in a boxcar. I hadn't eaten for three days. I came into this store from the back door and saw a twenty-dollar bill on the cash register. I put it in my pocket and walked out. All these years I haven't been able to forget that. I know it wasn't much money, but I had to come back and ask your forgiveness." The stranger was amazed to see tears well up in the eyes of this middle-aged man. "Would you please go next door and tell that same story to the man in the store?" he said. Then the man was even more amazed to see two middle-aged men, who looked very much alike, embracing each other and weeping together in the front of the store. After twenty years, the brokenness was mended. The wall of resentment that divided them came down. It is so often the little things - like resentments - that finally divide people. And the solution, of course, is to let them go. There is really nothing Particularly profound about it. But for fulfilling and lasting relationships, letting them go is a must. Refuse to carry around bitterness and you may Be surprised at how much energy you have left for building bonds with those you love -<>- If A is success in life, then A equals X plus Y Z. Work is X, Y is play and Z is keeping your mouth shut. -Albert Einstein -<>- ======;===========;() #######:::::: #######:::::: #######:::::: jgs #######:::::: ############# ############# ############# ############# ############# ############# >The Price of Freedom "Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD, the people he chose for his inheritance. From heaven the LORD looks down and sees all mankind.[and] considers everything they do. No king is saved by the size of his army; no warrior escapes by his great strength."1 In Congress on July 4, 1776, fifty-six men signed the Declaration of Independence declaring the then Thirteen Colonies (now states) in North America independent from Great Britain. Central to the Declaration of Independence are the following words: "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness." While there are conflicting stories2 as to what happened to all of the fifty-six original signers, we can be certain that when they signed this declaration, they knew full well that they were putting their lives at risk. Furthermore, many men gave their lives in the War of Independence to gain independence from the then oppressive rule of Great Britain. As history has clearly shown, there has always been a high price to pay for freedom, for there never seems to be a lack of despots who want to subjugate a people to their total control for their own evil and/or self-centered purposes. Those of us who live in free lands have incredible blessings for which to be thankful. And let us be thankful today not only for these blessings, but also for all those who have given their lives to make us free, and for all those today who are risking their lives to keep us free. As Christians, let us never forget that while freedom is a God-given right (which the Declaration of Independence affirmed), freedom has never come without a price--and will never be maintained without the high price of eternal vigilance. As Wendell Phillips (1811-1884) in restating the words of John Philpot Curran, said, "Eternal vigilance is the price of liberty." As powerful as the military might of the U.S. armed forces is, let us remember that, "Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD…. No king is saved by the size of his army; no warrior escapes by his great strength."3 And that "Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people."4 And that, when we turn from God and fail to follow his ways, we divorce ourselves from the "unalienable Rights [of] Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness." Suggested prayer: "Dear God, thank you for the wonderful privilege and unfathomable blessings you have given to those of us who live in free countries. Today we pray for our brothers and sisters who are suffering under the tyranny and persecution of evil men. And grant that we in free countries will be reminded that 'Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people.' Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus' name, amen." <:))))>< Copyright (c) 2009 by ACTS International. When copying or forwarding include the following: "Daily Encounter by Richard (Dick) Innes (c) 2009 ACTS International. -<>- >Links for Your Enjoyment Dad Blanket http://www.buffaloschips.com/12gh.htm Cleveland http://www.buffaloschips.com/sdsd.htm Close a Bag without using a baggie tie http://www.buffaloschips.com/lkjhg.htm Dean Martin & John Wayne http://www.buffaloschips.com/kdjd.htm Dean martin & George Gobel http://www.buffaloschips.com/jdhg.htm Bowling Bloopers http://www.buffaloschips.com/9267.htm Boy & Labrador http://www.buffaloschips.com/9268.htm Brass Pole http://www.buffaloschips.com/9269.htm Bud Light Wheel http://www.buffaloschips.com/92610.htm Brownie http://www.buffaloschips.com/92699.htm Proud Of Our Troops 6 http://www.ShangralaFamilyFun.com/troops6.html Lighthouses Of The World http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/lighthouses.html Holy Alphabet http://www.ShangralaFamilyFun.com/holyalpha.html Who Is This Jesus http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/jesus.html Love Thoughts http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/love.html God's Water Paintings http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/water.html Overseer http://www.ShangralaFamilyFun.com/BibleStudy/overseer.html God's Paintings 2 http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/gpaints2.html Northern Lights Over Teepees http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/teepees.html Junkyard Art http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/junkart.html Best Parents http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/bestparents.html Says It All http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/saysitall.html Visit our site at http://www.inspiredbuffalo.com If you are looking to join any of our other fine e-zines visit www.buffaloschips.com ============================================================= >-->From LaughAndLift: . \ _ / .-='-. _db_ .--==-, -= (_) =- (_ ( _IIII_ _( ) `. / \ ( |" " |-.( ` ,_ ` ) ' '-._HHHHHH `)---' `'--' =.= |. |--` =.= | | =.= _H___,=====;___| =.= n_/____/____/``\__\ /__|:: :|. .|:::|::| =.= _%&|__&%_"_|_"_|_ H|__|__ jgs`";;;;`";;;;'";;'"';;;;``;;-. . ' `";;' `;;; `;' `; .`' `\ . ' . `' . `';. ' . . |^-`^~_^^~``-^^_~^^-`^~ ' ` ` ' ` ' ;_~ - _-~ _` ~ -_ ` >Lead Me On (Author Unknown, Provided by Student Discipleship Ministries, TX) In her book, A Slow and Certain Light, former missionary to South America, Elizabeth Elliot, tells of a time when she was approached by two young, inexperienced adventurers. The two were loaded down with expensive equipment and a zeal for the future. However, rather than ask for advice from Mrs. Elliot, who knew the jungle well, the adventurers simply wanted to know a couple of phrases to converse with the Indians. Mrs. Elliot writes, "Sometimes we come to God as the two adventurers came to me - confident and, we think, well-informed and well-equipped. But has it occurred to us that with all our accumulation of stuff, something is missing?" What we really need on our "adventures" in life is the Guide, Himself. All our "stuff" will not get us very far through the maze of life's jungle. Take a minute to read and meditate on Psalm 143:8-10 (NIV): "Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love, for I have put my trust in you. Show me the way I should go, for to you I lift up my soul. Rescue me from my enemies, O LORD, for I hide myself in you. Teach me to do your will, for you are my God; may your good Spirit lead me on level ground." What are two areas in which you are going to need the Lord's leading in the next month? Now ask Him for direction and help in those two areas. SUBSCRIBE INFO Want to receive a Christian inspirational item AND great clean humor in an email to you each day of the week? It's easy and FREE! Read all about Laugh & Lift at http://www.laughandlift.com ==================================================================== >-->From Kidwarmers: >THE FUNNY THINGS KIDS SAY .-'"""'-. ,____|_______|____, '._____________.' REACH FOR |.-- --.| THE SKY! |(o) (o)| (| |) | U | __ | .___. | YOU'RE MY /||| | | FAVORITE |||| : : DEPUTY! | |/) `.___.' \ / __) (__ \/\ /\ \ / /\ \ \ /\ \ ^ / /\ THERE'S A \ \ / | |0_/\_ \ SNAKE IN \ \/ /| | \ /\ \ MY BOOT! \ / | |0//\\ \ \ \/ | / \ | \ \ |/ .-. \| / / .-'|-( ~ )-| / / HI! \ |--`-'--|/ / MY NAME'S WOODY! \ | | / \| | |/ | | | | | | HOWDY PARDNER! | | | | | | | | | |___|___| YEEEHAH COWBOY! `|---|---|' *| | |* |_._|_._| /' /|\ '\ SOMEONE POISONED jgs / /^ ^\ \ THE WATERHOLE! /__.' `.__\ Brandon, 5, said, "Mom, can we do a lemonade stand tomorrow to make money to send to the people for the hurricane?" His mother said, "Well, first of all not tomorrow, but on the weekend -- sure! Do you know how to make lemonade?" Brandon replied, "Well, no, but we don't have to make it. We can just get it out of the refrigerator!" -- Paulene Reed (mother of Brandon) of Los Angeles, California June started hearing a dragging sound under her car, and she asked her sister if she heard it, too. They pulled over to the side of the road to look under the car to see if they could find anything that would be making the dragging sound. They couldn't find anything, but then they noticed the muffler was all bent out of shape. They started talking about it when they got back in the car. Listening to the conversation, June's daughter, Trinity, 4, piped up, "Mommy, maybe the DRAGON did it!" -- Shirley Butler (aunt of Trinity) of Choctaw, Oklahoma _._ _._ |||| |||| ||||_ ___ _|||| | || .-'___`-. || | \ / .' .'_ _'. '. \ / /~~| | (| b d |) | |~~\ /' | | | ' | | | `\ , /__.-: ,| | `-' | |, :-.__\ , |'-------( \-''""/.| /\___/\ |.\""''-/ )------'| | \_.-'\ / '-._____.-' \ /'-._/ | |.---------\ /'._| _ .---. === |_.'\ /--------.| ' \ / | |\_\ _ \=v=/ _ | | \ / ' `. | | \_\_\ ~~~ (_) | | .' `'"'|`'--.__.^.__.--'`|'"'` \ / `,..---'"'---..,' :--..___..--: TO INFINITY... \ / |`. .'| AND BEYOND! | :___: | | | | | | | | | |.-.| |.-.| |`-'| |`-'| | | | | / | | \ |_____| |_____| ':---:-'-:---:' / | | \ jgs /.---.| |.---.\ `.____; :____.' Nickolas was telling his mother about his new "kinder-buddy." Being a fifth grader, he thought it was the ultimate in uncool to have a kindergartener assigned to be his buddy. He explained his duties to his mother and then exclaimed, "And we will probably have to car pool with them!" -- Michelle (mother of Nickolas) of Southern California Donna and her husband Jeff were driving to Eastern Washington to visit relatives. Lukas, 3, and his two sisters were in the back of the van, enjoying the scenery. They had been driving through many areas of farmland and pasture land that morning. All of a sudden, when they were driving by a huge dairy farm, Lukas hollered with great excitement, "Look over there! GALLONS of COWS!" -- Donna of Seabeck, Washington .-"'"-. | | (`-._____.-') .. `-._____.-' .. .', :./'.== ==.`\.: ,`. : ( : ___ ___ : ) ; '._.: |0| |0| :._.' / `-'_`-' \ _.| / \ |._ .'.-| ( ) |-.`. //' | .-"`"`-'"`"-. | `\\ || | `~":-...-:"~` | || || \. `---' ./ || || '-._ _.-' || / \ _/ `~:~` \_ / \ ||||\) .-' / \ `-. (/|||| \||| (`.___.')-(`.___.') |||/ '"' jgs `-----' `-----' '"' Here's another story from Donna and Jeff. Their daughter Taryn, 6, was picking daisies out of the planter. Plucking a petal and setting it into her lap, she recited, "He loves me... he loves me not... he loves me..." until she reached the center of the flower. Then she said, "Daddy! He loves me!" Jeff didn't know what she was talking about as they had not encouraged boyfriend/girlfriend relationships at such a tender age. So Jeff asked, "Who loves you, Honey?" -- She looked up at him and said, "GOD loves me!" Michael, 8, was listening attentively as his teacher introduced a lesson on the plants that make seeds from cones. He had learned all that last year, plus he had been on a trip to the national parks this summer and learned about "conifer" plants. So when his teacher asked the class, "What are plants called that make seeds from cones?" Michael really wanted to answer that question. He was wiggling his hand in the air so hard, and yes the teacher did call on him. So Michael excitedly recited, "A plant that makes seeds from cones is called a.... carnivore!" -- Patty DeFazio (mother of Michael) of Orefield, Pennsylvania _.-. / 99\ ( `\ |\\ , ,| __ | \\____/ ,.--"`-.". / `---' _.-' '-/ | _.-" | '-. |_/_ ,__.-' _,.--\ \ (( /-\ ',_..--' `\ \ \\_ / `-, ) |\' | |-.,,-" ( | | `\ `',_ ) \ \,(\(\-' jgs \ `-,_ \_(\-(\`-` " " Major, a very articulate 5 year old, wants to be either a veterinarian or an "Army guy like his uncle Neal." Neal gave Major a medal that he had received in Iraq. Major pinned it on his shirt and told his grandmother, "I hate to tell you but I was in Iraq and this is one of the medals I got. And Uncle Neal got one too." -- Laura McCrary (girlfriend of Neal) of Greeneville, Tennessee Bailey, 6, was given a school assignment to make a sign that represented something you would do when you are carrying a sign to show your support. So on poster board he made a sign attached to a stick and acted like he was "picketing." Kids are so literal. They spell the way they say it. His sign read, "NO LIDREN." He meant, "No Littering." -- Utanah Williams (grandmother of Bailey) of Pocahontas, Arkansas ____ //---\\ || || // ,// ` //' || .-"""-. || / .---. \ || | (///\\) | || \( '.' )/ || \ e / || .,_) (_,. (=\ (_) (_),/) ||\\//(`---`)\\// || \/ \ / \/ || __\=/__ ||.-'` .-"-. `'-. ||`"-'` `'-"``'. jgs /||) () (\ / || () () \ ;) || () () ; | || () () | | || () () (| |()|| () | | || () () | | (|| () () | '--||'---'---'---'---'---' Faith, 7, recently received a halter top that her grandmother in Arkansas made for her. She had never seen one before and she told people that Grandma must have run out of material! Several weeks later her grandmother asked her mother on the phone if Faith would like pockets on the dress that she was sewing for her. Her mother turned to Faith and asked her, and her grandmother overheard the answer, "Yes, and a back!" -- Judy Moore (grandmother of Faith) of Booneville, Arkansas Debbie was visiting her sister in North Carolina and they drove by a restaurant called Aunt Bea's. Debbie's children knew that the restaurant was named for Aunt Bea from the Andy Griffith show. Later Kellie, 7, said, "Oh my goodness, there's Barney Fife!" The man overheard her, but just smiled. (He did look like Barney!) -- Debbie of Tuscaloosa, Alabama (mother of Kellie who is 24 now) ============================================================ -=====- _..._ .~ `~. ,_ / } ,_\'--, \ _.'`~~/ \'--,_`{_,} -( '.`-.`\;--,___.'_ '._`/ |_ _{@} / ` |-';/ _ / \ / | _ {@}_ / '--;_ _ {@} _Y{@} _\ `\ {@}\Y/_{@} Y/ / |`-.___. / \Y/\|{@}Y/\|// ^^^jgs^^^`--`------'`--`^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ >-->The Lord is My Shepherd By Grace E. Easley The Lord is my shepherd, And I am His lamb, Who loves me in spite Of the way that I am. Who sees something in me, That other folks miss, And I sometimes think maybe, Because of this I've never felt bitter, Unloved or alone, Though sometimes I grieve for My loved ones now gone. For I've always believed in The words He has said, That the spirit lives on, Though the body be dead. And I feel closer to Him, Because of His care, And I know when I call Him, That He will be there. So I fear not the shadows, So dark and so dim, For my shepherd will carry me Safely through them. ==================== .--,.-, /.-',\:.\ .===. ,;;,;;, /; \\:.\/ _) ;;;;;;;;; |' \\:( _,`'> ';;;;;' |; \\(_/ ._= ';' |; ;/ /`|\ /, _/ |-' `\ /; __//( \_,;;,;;, |; __/ / \ /);;;;;;) | _/|/ / \/`';;;;;' ,;;,;;, |/ / ( ';' ;;;;;;;;; ( .-, \ ';;;;;' ) /`\ ) \ ';' '._/|/| |.' jgs _// \| | / || |/ / | `\| ' "It's not 'God loves you if you're good.' It's not 'God loves you if He's having a good day.' It's 'God loves you!' Desperately. Passionately." - Rich Mullins, the "Awesome God" guy >Updated FUN STUFF URLS - Oh Yeah :) Shangy! ------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.ShangralaFamilyFun.com/urls.html FUN URLS ------------------------------------------------------------------------- -->BECOMING A CHRISTIAN HOW TO BE A CHRISTIAN! ------------------------------------------------------------------------- -->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 andd 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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