Forgotten Heroes... :) 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: For Facebook Users: Please Friend Me / Like Me here... http://tinyurl.com/cma6all ^~^ May God SUPER BLESS You As You Do! THANK YOU! ================ *~* Have A Blessed, Safe And Happy Veteran's Day Weekend! :) .-"""""""-. .' __ \_ / / \/ \ | \_0/\_0/______ |:. .' oo`\ |:. / \ |' ; | | |:.. . \_______ | |::.|' , \,_____\ / |:::.; ' | . '| ====)_/===;===========;() |::; | | ; ; | | # # # #:::::: /::::.|-| |_|-|, \ # # # #:::::: /'-=-'` '-' '--'\ # # # #:::::: jgs / \ # # # #:::::: # # # # # # # H A P P Y # # # # # # # # # # # # # # V E T E R A B ' S D A Y # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # ** 9-11/Troop/War/Veteran Pages: ** Angel Wing Decoys http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/angel.html Bleed American http://www.ShangralaFamilyFun.com/bleed.html Chevy: American Pride http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/chevypride.html Dog Warriors http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/dogwarriors.html Fighter Aircraft http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/fighteraircraft.html Freedom Isn't Free http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/freedom.html Friendly Fire http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/friendly.html From Russia With Love http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/teardrop.html Heroes Truck http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/herotruck.html K9 9/11 Heroes http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/k9-11.html Kilroy Was Here http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/kilroywashere.html Kodachrome Photos From 1942/43 http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/kodachrome1942.html Lambeau Field Tribute http://www.ShangralaFamilyFun.com/footballvet.html Lest We Forget http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/lestweforget.html Lest We Forget 2 http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/lestweforget2.html Liberty Air Show http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/liberty.html Military Motivational Posters http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/military.html Military WWII Posters http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/militarywwii.html No Words Needed http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/nowords.html Proud Of Our Troops http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/troops.html Proud Of Our Troops 2 http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/troops2.html Proud Of Our Troops 3 http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/troops3.html Proud Of Our Troops 4 http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/troops4.html Proud Of Our Troops 5 http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/troops5.html Proud Of Our Troops 6 http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/troops6.html Ray's Freedom Rock http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/freedomrock.html Rescued Squirrel http://www.ShangralaFamilyFun.com/rsquirrel.html Rolling Memorial http://www.ShangralaFamilyFun.com/trucking.html Semper Fidelis http://www.ShangralaFamilyFun.com/semperfi.html Sgt.Reckless War Horse Hero http://www.ShangralaFamilyFun.com/sgtreckless.html Sgt.Stubby War Dog Hero http://www.ShangralaFamilyFun.com/stubbywardog.html Tinian Island http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/tinian.html USS New York LPD-21 Tribute http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/ussny.html War Pics: Daily http://www.ShangralaFamilyFun.com/daily.htm War Pics: Daily 2 http://www.ShangralaFamilyFun.com/daily2.htm War Pics: Daily 3 http://www.ShangralaFamilyFun.com/daily3.htm War Pics: Sleepy? http://www.ShangralaFamilyFun.com/sleep.html War Pics: Humor http://www.ShangralaFamilyFun.com/humor.html War Pics: Humor 2 http://www.ShangralaFamilyFun.com/humor2.html War Pics: Humor 3 http://www.ShangralaFamilyFun.com/humor3.html Why My Son? http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/why.html Willie, Joe And Bill In WWII http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/mauldin.html WWI Human Art http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/humanart.html ~*~ A GREAT BIG THANK YOU AND GOD"S BEST BLESSINGS TO ALL OUR VETERANS! ======================================================== >-->HOT Off The 'Shangy' Press :) This super hot tottie is from our friend KarenF. It gives us a wonderful view of Fall time around the world. Give it time to load and check it out here... , }`-. , , \ \ '-' \ .-'{ _} . | ,`\ / ' ; .-;\ { \ | | / `/ '-.,/ ; | { -- -. ' '`-, .--._.' ; \__ \ \ | ' / |`. ; _,`\ '. '- ' `_- '.`; ; ,-`_.-' ,--. \ ` /` '--' `;.` (` _ .--.\ '._) '-. \ \ `-. ; `-';| '. -. ' __ '. ; ; _,-' / { __'.\ ' '-,/; `-' ';`.- ` .-' '-. `-._' | `; ;`' .-'` <_ -' ` .\ `; ; (_.'`\ _.;-"``"'-._'. `:; ___, _.-' | .-'\'. '.` \ \_,_`\ ;##` `'; _.' /_'._\ \ \__;#####./###. \` \.' .'`/"`/ (#######)###::.. _.' '.' .' ; , |:. `|()##`"""` jgs `'-../__/_\:: /O()()o ()'._.'`()()' Autumn Around The World! http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/autumn.html --- ...Most beautiful! Thanks KarenF! =========================================================== >-->From Heartwarmers: ============;===========;() # # # #:::::: # # # #:::::: # # # #:::::: # # # #:::::: # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # jgs # # # # # # # >A VETERANS DAY WISH by Stephen T. Banko More than a decade ago, I sat on high bluff in post-midnight darkness at a place called Chestnut Ridge. The lights of the city flickered in the distance, contrasted against the vast black space of Lake Erie. The moment was eerily reminiscent of so many nights I'd spent protecting the high ground in a place called Vietnam. It was more eerie than it might have been because behind me was the Moving Wall -- the traveling half-scale replica of the Vietnam Memorial in Washington DC. On its metal veneer, the names of more than 58,000 Americans spelled out the cost and the tragedy of our nation's longest war with strings of letters that formed the names that spoke to lives too little lived and dreams too soon dashed. There were other veterans with me that night, but I was more keenly aware of the spirits that moved around the hilltop. They moved in the cool calm that washed the high ground. They had been confined in the shiny steel walls of the Wall all day while visitors touched the names that represented their sacrifice. Occasionally, they seeped into an unprotected consciousness creating a tear or causing an unpleasant memory. In the quiet night air, though, they were out in force -- a real presence in our midst. I took some solace in the notion that by bringing the Wall to this spot, I had done something to better help people remember a time most would rather forget. After all, my war asked nothing of most but demanded everything from a few. The "most" were uncomfortable recalling the "few." But the larger issue for me was what would our service, our suffering, and the sacrifice of the dead mean in the national consciousness? What lesson could be drawn from what we did? What legacy would we leave? I had seen such indomitable courage. I had been party to such incredible carnage. I had seen the absolute best and the utter worst of man in those dark and bloody jungles. What would it all mean to a nation that embraced victory like a national birthright and rejected defeat as a disease? On that quiet hilltop, I determined that if our experience would serve as a reminder of the inordinate cost of war -- if our blood could purchase a measure of hatred for the waste of human life -- if these names on this Wall could make people understand the futility of combat as a method of resolving differences -- then we would leave a legacy in which both the living and the dead could take pride. My dream was not unlike that of those who sent tens of millions to slaughter in World War I -- the war to end all wars. More than a decade has passed between then and now, and the reality of my naivete still stuns me. Once I was confident that humanity would recognize the need to end war. Now, I have to fight against the pessimism that now pervades my thinking as I continue to hope that in our ability to remember we hold the desire to end war. Events and circumstances constantly conspire and collide, however, to make us recall the old wisdom that says, "only the dead have seen the end of war." I have rarely met a man or woman who doesn't say they are against war. What I see so few of, though, are those willing to be warriors for peace. We hold certain things to be worth living for, and thus, worth dying for Isn't it strange that peace is not among them? Veterans Day is set aside to celebrate those among us who have borne the burden of war and have lived. Theirs is a special legacy -- to carry on with their knowledge and the courage that which they have endured in the name of national purpose. Let us wish for them today that they be granted their own peace even as we wish for our own. -- Stephen T. Banko ___________________________________________ Stephen was wounded in combat during the 19 months he spent in Vietnam. He is the author of: Memories of War, Dreams of Peace: Echoes from the Vietnam War, and sixteen short stories. You can reach him at: mailto:Duffysboss@aol.com ----------- _ (_) <___> | |______ | |* * * ) | | * * (_________ | |* * * |* *|####) | | * * *| * | (________________ | |* * * |* *|####|##############| | | * * *| * | | | | |* * * |* *|####|##############| | |~~~~~~| * | | | | |######|* *|####|##############| | | |~~~' | | | |######|########|##############| | | | | | | |######|########|##############| | |~~~~~~| | | | | |########|##############| | | '~~~~~~~~| | | | |##########JGS#| | | '~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ | | | | | | THE VETERAN STANDS As I sit there on the bleachers, To watch the parade go by, I get a lump in my throat, To see our flag as it flies, Proudly I stand in tribute, But when I look around I see, The only ones standing, Is the man in the wheelchair and me, Painfully, slowly, determinedly, He has struggled to gain his feet, A man who bravely fought in battle, So that flag wouldn't fall in defeat, I can see the tears in his eyes, With the pride shining through, As he shows love for his flag, And for his country, too, He's one of our many veterans, One who answered when we called, He may be in a wheelchair, But he stands above us all. -- Anita Burney ========================================================== >-->From Archives InspiredBuffalo: ____.... a#####~:::::::, | a######P";:::::::::::, . --*-- a########:::::::::::::::::, | . ########P::::::::::::*::::::: . . ########P::::::::::::::::::.:::. ##### ##P:::::::::::::::::::::::;. * .#### O ##:::::*:::::::::::::::.::;. ###### #### ::::::::::::::::::.::::: ########@###,::::::::::::::::::::::; #########~~~:::::::::::::::*:::.:::; \ / . . ##### ##:::::::::::::::::::::::::; / \ . ####a__ay::::::::::::::::::::::; ########;::::::::::::::::::::; . . ########a::::::::::::::::::' . . * . ########.:::::::::*;:::' . . . `d######a.::::::::::' . . `~9#####.::::'' . . . unknown >The Man Behind The Moon Something warm touched my soul as I stood in the cold, early morning hours. The sun breaking the horizon's grip, poured over the tops of distant trees as a single beam of light glanced off my left shoulder. My white t-shirt seemed to glow suddenly and with it my heart sighed, "thank God." It was a time when darkness filled my days and evening hours were wasted on "what if's" and "if only." I hated the night. In doing so, my sleep deficit turned my days into a zombie-like existence. Eventually life seemed like a waste of time. So what got me through it all? Through the years I've spoken with, smiled at, and sung about my forever confidante making it the focus of many a lonely night. I've walked the shores of distant lands with its familiar face looking after me. I cried and laughed a hundred times over love lost and gained. I searched along the mountain side eagerly looking for a better, clearer view of its coming and going. Seeing it unexpectedly fuller, brighter and in more detail, I'd always rush to a phone to share it with someone, anyone who appreciated the afterglow of day. Growing up thinking it really was made of cheese, I decided after seeing it through a telescope, it had to be "Swiss." In love songs they call it by name, "Moon River," Fly me to the Moon," "Shine on Harvest Moon," "It's only a Paper Moon," "Blue Moon," "Moonlight Sonata" and more. But what has always stuck with me is when they speak about, "The man in the Moon." I just could never see it. Although the Moon and I go way back and even until this very day, I cannot go out at night without looking for my friend. I will not even begin to try to convince you that the moon got me through it all. No, like everything else in my life, it was the "Man behind the moon." The Creator of all things. When I stood on the shore, His waves danced at my feet washing away my cares. When I cried because young love was ripping my heart out He lifted my spirits by reminding me love will forever be a part of my life. When I swooned at the very thought of someone loving me in return, He gently said, "I told you so." And even when I cursed the night and wished the moon away He always seemed to make things right by giving me the day. The sun will shine, the birds will sing and I promise very soon You'll see the joy that He will bring "The Man behind the moon" "I believe in You!" ~ Bob Perks ~ 2 believe @ comcast .net Do you have a story to share? Submit it to Inspired@lighthouse.net -<>- \\\ ____ ________``` \ =|- [________] \ | =| | _ | | \ __ ejm |__=|- O--(_) `.______.' \ O=======(__) /|\ (/(|(\ >OUR OWN SAUCE By: Joseph J. Mazzella I have been trying for the last few weeks to reproduce our family’s homemade spaghetti sauce. It hasn’t been easy. My first attempt used far too much parsley. My second attempt had way too much sugar. After that I put the recipe aside and went over to my Dad’s house for some hands on instruction. After watching my Dad put it together I brought the pot home to try again. I didn’t slow cook it long enough, though, and it came out watery. I was about to give up after that, but then I remembered something my Dad had told me. He had said that there were a lot of different ways to make the sauce depending on how you wanted it. I remembered too how my Grandma’s and Dad’s homemade sauce was never exactly the same from one meal to the next. Sometimes it was slow cooked with sausages, meatballs, chicken, and potatoes simmering in it all day long. At other times it was cooked in few hours for a quick spaghetti dinner with a can of tomato paste thrown in to thicken it up. No matter how it was cooked, however, it was always made with love and it always tasted delicious. It may take me a while, but I am going to get that sauce just right for me and my family. It might not be exactly like my Dad’s, but it will be made with love and it will taste delicious. Maybe that is what God wants for each of us to do with our own lives as well. When it comes to the feast of life we can learn from the greatest chefs in the world, but in the end we all have to make our own sauce and cook our own meal. We are all different, after all. We are all unique. We are all special in our own way. We all bring our own one of a kind ingredients of experience, wisdom, and goodness to the cooking pot. Let’s not be afraid then to create a glorious meal all our own to share with the world. As long as we remember to cook it with love and serve it with joy God will make sure that it turns out just right. -<>- _____ j_____j /_____/_\ |_(~)_| | | )"( | | |(@_@)| | hjw |_____|,' >Glass Of Milk One day, a poor boy who was selling goods from door to door to pay his way through school, found he had only one thin dime left, and he was hungry. He decided he would ask for a meal at the next house. However, he lost his nerve when a lovely young woman opened the door. Instead of a meal he asked for a drink of water. She thought he looked hungry so she brought him a large glass of milk. He drank it slowly, and then asked, "How much do I owe you?" "You don't owe me anything," she replied. "Mother has taught us never to accept pay for a kindness." He said, "Then I thank you from my heart." As Howard Kelly left that house, he not only felt stronger physically, but his faith in God and man was strong also. He had been ready to give up and quit. Years later that young woman became critically ill. The local doctors were baffled. They finally sent her to the big city, where they called in specialists to study her rare disease. Dr. Howard Kelly was called in for the consultation. When he heard the name of the town she came from, a strange light filled his eyes. Immediately he rose and went down the hall of the hospital to her room. Dressed in his doctor's gown he went in to see her. He recognized her at once. He went back to the consultation room determined to do his best to save her life. From that day he gave special attention to the case. After a long struggle, the battle was won. Dr. Kelly requested the business office to pass the final bill to him for approval. He looked at it, then wrote something on the edge and the bill was sent to her room. She feared to open it, for she was sure it would take the rest of her life to pay for it all. Finally she looked, and something caught her attention on the side of the bill. She read these words: "Paid in full with one glass of milk". -Author Unknown -<>- >Links for Your Enjoyment: Are Angels Real? http://www.ShangralaFamilyFun.com/BibleStudy/angelsreal.html Financial Stewardship http://www.ShangralaFamilyFun.com/BibleStudy/financialstewardship.html A KAIROS Moment http://www.ShangralaFamilyFun.com/BibleStudy/kairosmoment.html Our Gifts and Callings http://www.ShangralaFamilyFun.com/BibleStudy/giftscallings.html Beautiful Cactus Blooms http://www.ShangralaFamilyFun.com/cactusblooms.html Creation Vs Coincidence http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/creationvscoincidence.html Straying From The Light http://www.ShangralaFamilyFun.com/BibleStudy/straying.html Fawn Rescue http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/fawnrescue.html -<>- >From Our Friend Geniann :) Flowers http://www.wimp.com/lifeflowers/ --- ...awww, most beautiful! 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 CupO'Cheer: _______ / ) /_____ | ______ ( ' ) / / __\ _____ |. '| / | \ | / )) |____|/ |`-----' /_____)) `-----' `------' cf >BY GOD’S HELP Our Daily Bread is hosted by Les Lamborn READ: 1 Samuel 7:2-12 Thus far the Lord has helped us. —1 Samuel 7:12 The word Ebenezer in the hymn “Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing” refers to a time when the people of Israel were trying to regain the close relationship they once had with God. Their spiritual leader, Samuel, told them that if they would abandon their foreign gods and return to the Lord wholeheartedly, He would deliver them from being oppressed by their enemy, the Philistines (1 Sam. 7:2-3). When the people turned from their sin, God gave them victory. In response, “Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mizpah and Shen, and called its name Ebenezer, saying, ‘Thus far the Lord has helped us’?” (v.12). When we sing, “Here I raise my Ebenezer; hither by Thy help I’ve come; and I hope, by Thy good pleasure, safely to arrive at home,” we are reminded that in our times of need we can always turn to God to find forgiveness and help. Whatever we have done, wherever we have wandered, He will receive and restore us by His grace. A small stone on a desk or shelf can be our own Ebenezer—a powerful, visible reminder that by God’s help we have come this far in life, and He will see us through to the end. —David McCasland Come, Thou Fount of every blessing Tune my heart to sing Thy grace; Streams of mercy, never ceasing, Call for songs of loudest praise. —Robinson Because God is with us, we need not fear what is ahead of us. as seen in Our Daily Bread -<>- __ (`/\ `=\/\ __...--~~~~~-._ _.-~~~~~--...__ `=\/\ \ / \\ `=\/ V \\ //_\___--~~~~~~-._ | _.-~~~~~~--...__\\ // ) (..----~~~~._\ | /_.~~~~----.....__\\ ===( INK )==========\\|//==================== __ejm\___/________dwb`---`____________________________________________ >THIS IS WISDOM? The September 2010 edition of Reader’s Digest included an interview with primatologist Jane Goodall. Goodall “is celebrating the 50th anniversary of her pioneering research among the wild chimpanzees in what is today Tanzania’s Gombe Stream National Park.” It is a very interesting interview, though as a follower of Christ I was saddened that someone so intelligent appears to have rejected the Biblical understanding of who God is. For whatever reason, interviewer Edward Klein asked her if she believed in God: “I don’t have any idea of who or what God is. But I do believe in some great spiritual power. I don’t know what to call it. I feel it particularly when I’m out in nature. It’s just something that’s bigger and stronger than what I am or what anybody is. I feel it. And it’s enough for me.” The next question was “Who was the greatest influence in your life?” Goodall replied that it was her mother. She described her as “a very wise woman.” But this is Goodall’s understanding of what constituted “wisdom”: “She would say, ‘You were born into this family, and your grandfather was a Christian, so you grew up as a Christian. But you might have been born somewhere in the Middle East, and then you would talk about Allah. Or you might have been born in a Jewish family…Or a Buddhist family…’ My mother always put things into perspective. She said there could be only one God, and what we call him depends on where we were brought up.” I don’t mean any disrespect to Jane Goodall or her mother, but it does seem to me that a “wisdom” that essentially says that Islam and Christianity and Judaism are basically the same isn’t wisdom at all. That line of thinking is one fed to us by a secular society that refuses to admit that Jesus Christ is Lord. Fellow believers, this is the world we live in. This is our culture, and it is affecting us, our children and our grandchildren more than we realize. It is not Biblical, it does not proclaim Christ as Lord, it does not honor God. We who follow the Lord Jesus Christ must be careful not to allow this poisonous philosophy to creep into our hearts and minds. Today more than ever we must know what the Scriptures teach and be bold in our witness and testimony. --Rocky Henriques, www.timothyreport.com -<>- .::\)`:`, .:;\/~`\``;) ,.~-----, ;;==`_ ~:;( ,,~{*}\~~--,.`. ;:== 6 6;;) ,(((((({*});~~. .\ ;;C } )' (('`)))~({*}) . \ .\ :;` `--'; >6 6`({*}))) . \~~ | `____/ ( { ))())) . .`, ____._| |_____. `--' (((())) . | / \ \__ _| | \ `-- )))))) . .| | ) \/\/\_{@} | ,-| ((((((( . | | \_ \ \ | / | / | / ))))))) .| | |\ : \ |/ | Y | (/*@@*( ' ` ) . | \ \ \_\/_/ | | / */ \ \'/ /. | \ \ |o | | \. \ |'@'| .| \ \ | ; ,'--,.,.,., \ ~*@*~. . | \ \_________._--`((,:{@}.:))_\ |~@~| . | \ ' | ((,{@}:{@}.))-----' ;/\ (, \._____________`-__((;,{@},:))_________/|{ | . ; | | | `';{@},) /`-----'\ |. | | .__/\__ | `{@};,; / / | \ \ \/ .| | / :; \ | `(@))\ / \. . | | /! | \| ';; ))_/`-'/`_`., \. | | | ! | | ';(( | | ! `_ \ .| | | ! | | )) | | ! |.\_| | |/ ! | | (/ | | ! | . | | ! | | | | ! |~~~~' | ! | | | | ! | >MARRIAGE RIGHTS 'Live joyfully with the wife whom you love...' Ecclesiastes 9:9 NKJV Sonja Ely writes, 'I was watching my five year old granddaughter play with her toys. At one point she staged a wedding, first playing the role of the mother who assigned specific duties, then suddenly becoming the bride with her 'teddy bear' groom. She picked him up and said to the 'minister' presiding, 'Now you can read us our rights.' Without missing a beat, she became the minister who said, 'You have the right to remain silent, anything you say may be held against you, you have the right to have an attorney present, you may kiss the bride.' To know what your marriage rights are, you must understand that, first, marriage is God's idea. In Eden He said, 'It is not good that man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him.' (Genesis 2:18 NKJV) The word 'comparable' means 'compatible with his (or her) needs'. When you marry someone, you marry everything they've been through. Each of you brings your own baggage. Unless you sort out what to keep and what to discard, things can quickly erode. You must also understand that when you leave God out, you have problems. Satan has made marriage one of his prime targets. He loves to promote strife. When it comes to marriage we must learn to forgive, 'lest Satan should take advantage of us; for we are not ignorant of his devices.' (2 Corinthians 2:11 NKJV) God's plan for your relationship is strength and harmony, not strife and confusion. He wants to help you build a strong, loving union that glorifies Him. To do that, you must show grace, and resolve to make Jesus Lord of your relationship. SoulFood Reading: 2 Cor 11:16 - 13:14, Luke 22:39-53, Ps 19, Pro 21:3 as seen in The Word For Today -<>- \ / \ / \.-./ (o\^/o) _ _ _ __ ./ \.\ ( )-( )-( ) .-' '-. {-} \(// || \\/ ( )) '-. //-__||__.-\\. .-' (/ () \)'-._.-' || || \\ MJP (' (' ') >ANTS ON THE BATTLEFIELD (By Chris Long) I just got back from battle. And boy am I exhausted! I have hope that maybe this time, I FINALLY have won...but I'm not so sure. What am I talking about, you say? ANTS! A few weeks ago, I noticed a couple of them in the bathroom, killed them and thought nothing more of them. A few days later, and a few more appeared - this time in the kitchen - which I again killed and thought little of them. Then they started showing up in the den. This time there were several, so I went out and saw where they were coming in and dutifully sprayed them. Problem solved, I thought. Boy I can sure be naive! Ants, I have discovered, are quite the tenacious little critters! For a few days, all was calm...and THEN, several were in the kitchen - not a lot mind you, but enough that they were becoming a problem. I killed all the ones I could see and then I went outside and found a whole trail of ants and sprayed them. Again, all seemed fine for a few days. \/ \\ ___ _@@ @@_ ___ (___)(_) (_)(___) //|| || || ||\\ unknown Then tonight, they were all over the kitchen, high up on the walls, above the pantry, at the sink - you get the picture. Subsequently I discovered that they were also in the living room. I even found one lone ranger in the den. It took me hours to clean up and do a full house perimeter check - spraying all around the house. For now, I'm thinking that maybe, just maybe, I've showed them who's the boss and they won't be dropping by for a visit again anytime soon. Then again, I may just be living in some fantasy land. I'm not quite sure. The Orkin Man may be my next call... :) But, you know, these pesky ants got me to thinking. About sin. And about spiritual warfare. You know, unlike most of my previous ant experiences, these ants were a tricky bunch. They didn't just all show up one day in one location and make it easy for me to eliminate them. No, they initially showed up a few at a time, making it easy for me to dismiss them as "not really a problem". How often this has this been my experience with sin! The devil knows that often times the easiest way to snare someone is not to rush at them all at once - to lay a giant temptation. No, he often starts with small, seemingly little things - things that lull us little by little away from God and His desires for us - all the while maintaining a false sense of security. Then the devil lays out the big one - the big trap. Weakened by so many of the little compromises we've already made, it is then much easier for us to give in. Had the devil tried to lay the big one from the outset, we probably would instantly recognize it as a problem and resist. But by drawing us little by little away from the things of the Lord, we become desensitized to the voice of the Lord and in our weakened state, we're just like a deer caught in the headlights waiting for the car to come and take us out... When I first saw those ants, what I SHOULD have thought was: "ANTS!!! They shouldn't be here! I'm going to kill them and then go make sure there are no others!" But, instead, I mostly ignored them, not realizing that a much larger ant problem was soon to be in my future. Because I took a passive posture, rather than an active one, I set myself up for so much more trouble than I might otherwise have had. And that's how it is with sin. Whether we like it or not, the reality is that we are involved in a war. We don't get a choice. There is major spiritual warfare going on all the time behind the scenes. When we accepted Christ as our Savior, we actively chose Jesus and moved from the kingdom of the devil into the kingdom of God. But the devil, he just ain't content with that. No, he will still try to woo us and he loves for us to live weak, sin-filled, ineffec- tive lives - where we aren't a good witness for Jesus Christ. There is spiritual warfare going on in the spiritual dimension over us. And it's not just a war between angelic beings. We are a participant in that war whether we want to be or not. It is a part of the cosmic struggle between the devil and God. We were once on the side of the devil (whether we knew it or not). When we chose Jesus, we transferred onto God's team. But we're still a part of the war. We don't get to just sit on the sidelines. And God doesn't intend for us to sit on the sidelines. , , /////| ///// | ///// | |~~~| | | |===| |/| | B |/| | | I | | | | B | | | | L | / | E | / |===|/ jgs '---' The Bible tells us to be active. We are told to "put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness." (Ephesians 4:22b-23) Did you catch it? "Put off", "Put on": These are action words. Same thing a bit later in the well known part of Ephesians 6 where we are told: "Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes." (Ephesians 6:11) We've got to actively put on that armor. We've got to stand our ground. We've got to take up our shield, put on our helmet, wield our sword (the Word of God!). We've got to be prepared for battle and maintain a healthy, vibrant prayer life. If we're not active, we're passive. And if we're passive, we're just asking for it because the devil and his cohorts are NOT passive: they are QUITE active and they WILL be paying you a visit (and like my ants, they'll keep coming back!). You can count on that. So as believers in Jesus Christ, we really only get one option if we want to live vibrant, joyful, powerful, abundant lives: We MUST actively fight. We're told in God's Word to "Be very careful, then, how you live - not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil." (Ephesians 5:15-16). We're told in Philippians 4:8, to think on (put into our minds) things that are "noble", "right", "pure", "lovely", "admirable", "excellent", and "praiseworthy." If a believer spends their days and nights listening to worldly music, watching worldly TV shows and movies, engaging in worldly entertainment, focusing on the world's gadgets and gizmos, etc. then it probably shouldn't come as a big surprise why they are not living the victorious, abundant life God wants them to live. I mean, if a movie has inappropriate language and/or situations (stirs up) and/or messages and themes contrary to Scripture (i.e. "revenge", "living together before marriage is ok", "homosexuality should be celebrated", etc.) then we really need to ask ourselves what part of that is "noble", "right", "pure", "lovely", "admirable", "excellent", and "praiseworthy." It's the little compromises that set us up for bigger failures. If we're not active in fighting the "good fight of faith" (1 Timothy 6:12a), then we're passively just awaiting the devil to come and tweak us out and rip us off. Jesus, alluding to the devil, said: "The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly." (John 10:10) If we will take the time to really read and study God's Word, talk to God in prayer, spend time with other believers, and put good and edifying things into our minds, we will reap a beautiful harvest. We will truly live the type of God-honoring lives where not only are we living the abundant life Jesus talked about (which is only found in Him), but it will be a tremendous witness to those around us as well. (side note: our witness with others is one of the key things the enemy is after!) In the end, God's Word tells us how this great longtime war between God and the devil (with the other fallen angels) turns out. They lose. God wins. End of story. But, in the meantime, we are involved in the here-and-now as a part of what is going on. And for our own sake and the sake of those around us, we cannot afford to be inactive. Back to those ants: You know, I don't know whether they're going to show their pesky little ant faces again. I'd like to think they are but a distant memory. But I know this: the next time I see one or two of them, I have no intention of ignoring them. Because, you know what? "=. "=. \ \ \ _,-=\/=._ _.-,_ / \ /=-._ "-. |=-./~\___/~\ / `-._\ | \o/ \o/ / / \_ `~~~;/ | | `~,._,-' / / | | =-._ / _,-=/ \=-._ /|`-._/ // \\ )\ /| |)_.'/ //| |\_." _.-\ (| \ / _.`= \ || ":_ _.;"_.-;" _.-=.: _-."/ / `-."\_." =-_.;\ `-_./ / _.-=. / \\ | =-_.;\ ." \\ \ \\/ \\ /\_ .'\\ \\ // `=_ _.-" \\ \\ // `~-.=`"`' || || LGB || _.-_/| || |\_.-_ _.-_/| /_.-._/ |\_.-_ \_.-._\ /_.-._/ \_.-._\ Those ants mean business! ------------------- This is version 1.0 of this document (September 30, 2010). This document is provided as a ministry outreach via Laugh & Lift. http://www.laughandlift.com This article is Copyright by Chris Long 2010. You may use this article for free for any purpose, whether commercial or non- commercial, as long as you use the entire text and that all text, including this notice, is not modified or removed in any fashion. For any other usage, you must obtain written permission from the author. All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved. -<>- To SUBSCRIBE: Send an e-mail with SUBSCRIBE CUP O'CHEER in the subject line to cheer316@sc.rr.com. ============================================================= >This is For Her Story Editor: by the Michigan Father Joyce Schowalter Michigan December. 2011. Michigan. Times are tough, especially in small areas. I drove to a blighted part of the city with boarded-up homes. We were five months behind on electric payments and I'd been calling to delay the shut-off for one more week. Twice they delayed payment. At the zeroth hour I pulled up to the building, preceded by a black woman driving a rusted, crumbling beater that shuddered to a stop. I walked in behind her, cash in hand, and waited in line. My children bounced on chairs nearby. Two women behind bulletproof acrylic windows took money. But only one line moved. Delaying the other was a long conversation from a young white mother with a baby on her hip. She wore pajamas and a sweater, was good-natured and laughing. "Well, so..." she said, "you know how it is. I mean, they just sit there in a pile, right? I don't know where they go. I don't know, I probably lost it." The woman behind the two-inch thick bulletproof Plexiglas nodded, unspeaking. Her nameplate said "Ella". The young patron continued," I mean, I GUESS the payment plan is good. But that's... how much again??" "Fifty dollars," the woman behind the Plexiglas prompted. The young mother said, "Yeah... fifty. Dollars, I mean. And if we miss that today then what? Fifty?" Ella confirmed, "Yes, fifty. The payment plan we arranged." "Boy, how could it be so much?" A long pause. "So what happens if we don't have the...?" Ella: "Fifty dollars. Well, that's when the account needs to be discontinued." The woman with the baby on her hip looked at the floor during the whole conversation. Talking in a low voice, but in a silent room of people waiting. She talked as though every second she talked was another second the power stayed on. As though somehow in this circular conversation the situation would resolve itself. Momentarily irritated one woman was taking so much time, I then felt some shame. I'd just wait calmly. Clearly the young woman with the baby was just buying time. Seconds. Moments. Avoiding the inevitable: her power would be shut off in the morning. Slowly the line crawled. My children became more animated and impatient. The woman with the baby kept talking. Then the woman in front of me went up to the counter -- the woman who drove the rusted beater. She handed the teller a check. "This is for her," and pointed at the young mother with the baby. The woman who wrote the check left. She bee-lined to her beater and drove off. The two tellers looked at one another confused. One said to the young mother, "Well, I guess, Merry Christmas." The woman with the baby looked at the floor, "I don't think she pointed at me. I don't know her." "She paid your electric bill," said a teller. "Next!" And the people in line who'd been staring blankly burst out in a joyous murmur. =======HeroicStories======= >-->From Kidwarmers: .-=-. / ! )\ __ \__/__/ / _<( ^.^ ) / / \ c /O \ \_.-./=\.-._ _ `-._ `~` `-,./_< `\' \'\`'----' * \ . \ * `-~~~\ . . `-._`-._ * * `~~~-, * () * ) <^^> * ( . .-""-. ) .---. ."-....-"-._ _...---''`/. ' ( (`\ \ .' ``-'' _.-"'` \ \ \ : :. .-' `\`.\: `:. _.' ( .'`.` _.' `` `-..______.-' ):. ( ."-....-". jgs .':. `. "-..______..-" >THE FUNNY THINGS KIDS SAY One evening, after having a small disagreement with her husband, Cyrethia walked into their room, mumbling under her breath. Ceylor, 3, was sitting on the floor, reading a book. A few minutes passed and Cyrethia heard her asking her Daddy questions. She said, "Daddy, are you OK? Does your head hurt? Daddy, do you need to go to the hospital?" After each question he replied, "No, I am fine. Why are you asking?" Finally Ceylor replied, "Because I heard Mommy say that you were sick in the head." -- Cyrethia Vines of Lynn Haven, Florida Leon was a stickler for details. He kept himself meticulously groomed. Shoes shined. Hair just right. One day he was crossing the street with little Cathy Lynn. A car was coming really close. Cathy Lynn cautioned, "Uncle Leon, you had better watch it. You are going to get your shoes run over!" -- Delores Mays (aunt of Cathy Lynn) of St. Louis, Missouri MiKenzie, 4, was very excited because her parents' new car has "sunglasses" (tinted windows)!" -- Anne (grandmother of MiKenzie) of Cherry Valley, Illinois .-. .-. (o.o) \\\W/// \\\V/// (o.o) |=| ####### ####### |=| Y //9 , 9\\ //6 , 6\\ Y | \ = / \ = / | 8'---:---:-. .-:---:---'B |'--, `&` \ ( / `@` ,--'| | |' '|> ) ) ) ( <|' '| | | \__.__/ / ______(____ \ \__.__/ | | />>>>>\` (___________) `/{{{{{\ | | (<<<<<<<) / \ (}}}}}}}) | | `"|"|"|"` / \ `"|"|"|"` | | | |_| | | |_| | | | | |_) ____\ /____ (_| | | jgs | .-' | '-.()____'.__ __.'____().-' | '-. | `"""`"""` .'` .'```'. `-. `"""`"""` ().'` `'.() Ever since Jamari has been 18 months old there have been regular times for his grandmother to take him on an outing and then they'd get an ice cream. One day his grandmother had to take him to the grocery store with her first. In the store he had to talk to everybody. Two elderly ladies were talking with him and out of the blue he said, "My Umma is senile. She told me so." His grandmother could have died.... yes, she is always saying that when she can't find something. But that's not the end of the story. In her rush to pick Jamari up, his grandmother had quickly put on her tennis shoes. She was in the store, looked down for something, and saw she had on two different tennis shoes. Without thinking, his grandmother said, "Jamari, I told you Umma was senile; she can't even put on a matching pair of shoes." They left the store and went to get ice cream. While their order was being filled Jamari told the people at the counter, "Umma's senile and she don't know how to match her shoes!" -- Sherry Blevins (Umma) of Borger, Texas Alex, 9, took his grandmother by the arm to help her. She was having difficulty that day as her arthritis was acting up. She thanked him for helping her and he answered, "You're welcome, Meme. You can be my practice mommy til my mommy gets old." -- Joan Aronberg (Meme) of New Bedford, Massachusetts Amberlyn was at Wal-Mart with her mother. She wanted a toy, but her mother said, "No, we are not buying toys today but maybe you can ask Santa to bring it to you." Amberlyn was indignant: "NO, Santa don't shop at WAL-MART!" -- Dart Rhoades (mother of Amberlyn) of San Diego ____________________________________ |.==================================,| || I WILL LISTEN TO THE TEACHER. || || I WILL LISTEN TO THE TEACHER. || || I WILL LISTEN TO THE TEACHER. || || I .----;ISTEN , || || /`\/ \/`\ / || || )_/| |\_(/\ || || \______/ /\/ || || _(____)__/ / || ||___/ ,_ _ ___/___________________|| '====\___\_) |=======================' |______| /______\ |_||_| jgs (__)(__) Elena tells about when her father took her 5-year-old sister shopping. On the way home they got pulled over by an officer. Elena's father drove an old 1977 Ford van so you couldn't tell if he was wearing a seat belt, it only went around his stomach. Well, when the officer approached him, he asked him if he was wearing his seat belt, and he answered, "Yes, Sir, I am." Elena's little sister heard the conversation and she yelled out, "Daddy, I wasn't wearing my seat belt!" -- Elena Rodriguez of Houston, Texas While driving on a rural road in Connecticut, 4-year-old Allyson observed a Deer Crossing sign and shouted, "Mommy! I just saw a sign with a picture of a deer on it! That must mean that we're very close to the North Pole and Santa Claus!" When Mommy informed her it was a way to warn drivers that deer lived in the woods nearby, Allyson exclaimed, "Wow! You mean that reindeer live here, too?" -- Allyson's mom of Easton, Connecticut As everyone knows after the hurricanes there were tornadoes in the South. Little Sara asked, "Did the tornado come here?" Her grandma, Janice, said, "Yes, in the early hours today." Sara replied, "Bad tornado... I'm going to spank it or shoot it with a BB gun!" -- Janice Finley of Arab, Alabama | . | "-._ || : '. `~~`~88`~~^`~~`~^88~^`~~`~~`~^~`. `> ' . 88' ". _ '-"88` . ` ' . | .' ,'~^~8^~^`^~~^`^~8`~~~^~~~^~`; ' .-' 8 8 \ ` : ` 8 8 | : | 8 8 || ' 8 8 | | : 8 8 `| . ' 8 8 | .' | 8 \ 8 | . \ 8 8 || : 8\, ___ ,/8 | \ 8 \\//"\\// 8 `| | .' 8 \('_')/ 8 | .' (8'---`-'---'8) | | ' " 8`"-. .-"`8 | : | 8###|===\###8 | .' jgs #####\ \ \### | \ \ \ | | : ' \()() | | . | ' " -'-"_'"-'_"'-_'"-_''_"-"-_"-\ \/' ' "-_ --"-"_'"-_""-_'"--"'_-"-'\\/.\\' / /". "'"-"-'_-"_-"-_"-"'_'-"-"_``"-`"_`'""-`''""' The year was 1961. Nubar and Ruth were about to be married in the Enon Methodist Church on June 24. There was a rehearsal the evening before at the church. Their ring bearer was Mark, 5, the son of their minister. When it was his turn to walk down the aisle at the rehearsal, he would not go without his Mommy. So Nubar asked Mark's mother if there was anything he would like to have. She said he had wanted a bow and arrow for some time. Nubar told Mark that if he would walk down the aisle without his Mommy at the wedding he would get him a bow and arrow. Sure enough the next day he walked the aisle like a trooper. At the reception, Mark came over and tugged on Nubar's jacket and asked, "Where is my bow and arrow?" Nubar left the reception to go to the car and retrieve the bow and arrow! (Note from Grace: When I first read this story from Ruth I immediately thought of Cupid!) -- Ruth Najarian of Fairborn, Ohio ========================================================== \\ ///// | | (| _ _ |) |` | '| | __ | >>>___/\_^__/\___<<< / ||| \ Mike Hertz >-->FORGOTTEN HEROES They return from every war Thanking God to be alive. They meld into society Feeling blessed to have survived. Some, with daily nightmares And memories hard to bear, Some, with physical reminders, Of limbs no longer there. Some, with great hopes for the future, Discover jobs are hard to find And they feel that this Country Is neither loyal or kind. Some of them return, To be confined to bed and chair And never have a visitor To offer thanks or a word of cheer. They are the forgotten heroes, Who have answered this nation's call, Our brave, American Veterans.... Who were willing to give their all! -- Freda Fullerton >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 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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