Go Brown! ... :) Shangy! >Here are the details on our Yahoo ShangyFunList: To Subscribe send a blank email to ShangyFunList-subscribe@yahoogroups.com To UnSubscribe send a blank email to ShangyFunList-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com Group home page: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ShangyFunList or Web Site: http://www.ShangralaFamilyFun.com/ShangyFunList.html Group email address: ShangyFunList@yahoogroups.com or email me here: bcrsystems@earthlink.net ================ "We are each of us angels with but one wing, and can only fly by embracing each other" -Luciano Decrescenzo ~ CALLING ALL CARING ANGELS ~ =_ (\ _ (\ _ ||\ (\ _ (\ _ ( \ c (\ _ ( \ c |||\ _ /) ( \ c ( \ c (/(\/ ( \ c (\ _ (/(\/ ||||\O/ ) (/(\/ (/(\/ /| (/(\/ ( \ c /| ||||\/\ ) /| /| / | /| (/(\/ / | ||||// \ ) / | / | /__| / | /| /__| |||/ __\| /__| /__| " /__| / | " |__: //| | " " (\ _ " /__| - (\ _ ( \ c ! " ( ) ( \ c (\ _ (/(\/ \ _ /) -\ _ /) (/(\/ ( \ c /| ___ \O / ) - \O / ) /| (/(\/ / | / \/|) ) ( & )/)\) / | /| /__| | ./||\ ) _____ -\/|\ /__| / | " \___/ | \ /\ | (_) | \ " /__| /|\ |__\ -- | |__\ (\ _ " " /|\ " ( \O ______________ (\ _ /) ( /\/ (\_-_____________) ( \O/@ ) (\_ /) ( / \_( \O /___________| ( _|/_ ) \ _ /) ( O @ ) |/__ ( /_oo-#= | (/( )_\ \-O/ ) _ /) ( \|_ ) | |\\ :|(/| \/ _ /) ;/_)_(_ \_\ ) O/ ) ( / |_\ (\ _ ||__ |O/ ) _( ) \|\) /| ) / ( ) ( \O / | |\\ =#-@@| ) / / / __\ / |\ ) ;/__)_( ( /_oo-#= \/ |\ ) _ /) //| | __||V ( ) (/| \/ __||V ___O / ) //| | _ /) /_|_| ||__ ejm97 //| | \ \/ ) _ /) )>==O / ) ' ' | |\\ |\ ) O/ ) \/)\) _ /) __||V /| ) | .-O/ ) -#----- //| | / |\ ) __|| (=) ) ) \ _ /) __||V //| | \(/|\) _ _\O / ) //| | ___|| =#-(_X_)/)\) // | | \/ |\ | \ |__\ " *~* WE NEED CARING And SHARING Angels For 2010 *~* >Do You Want To Be A Shangrala Angel? If you'd like to help and be counted as a 2010 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! ================ >-->In The 'Shangy' News :) .-..-. (-o/\o-) /`""``""`\ \ /.__.\ / \ `--` / `) (' , /::::\ , |'.\::::/.'| _| ';::;' |_ (::) || (::) _. "| || |" _(:) '. || .' /::\ '._||_.' \::/ /::::\ /:::\ \::::/ _\:::/ /::::\_.._ _.._ _.._ _.._/::::\ \::::/::::\/::::\/::::\/::::\::::/ jgs `""`\::::/\::::/\::::/\::::/`""` `""` `""` `""` `""` Recent events has got me to thinking... Haiti sucks and is why my first thoughts were thank God the US is not so bad off and may we never be as bad off as they are! Their Gov is corrupt to the point they rob the people of all the money sent to help them by us and others. It is sad when your own government works against you instead of for you but theirs is that way. 80% poverty level. Like I said in the extra last Sunday, I am happy the bright light is on them and most help now will get to the people through the grace of God and our many prayers with the hard work of so many volunteers! Their government has to stand back and let it happen. The people are in real dire straights though. Others give only a little to help. Last I heard, there are almost 2 million people right now homeless with little to no food or water. That is unthinkable! To get food and water to them not to mention needed medical supplies, doctors, etc. is one horrendous project! Almost no way to get to them and the only air port is one that had maybe three planes a day using it! Small compared o the supplies needed. Just imagine pulling up with a truck and 5,000 very hungry and thirsty men, woman, and children are there hoping you have some food and water for them! It is a tragic thing. I have too much humanitarian in me to say we should desert them and take care of our own suffering people here in the states. I had to fight back feelings of why did Obama jump to help these people when he didn't seem to care about stuff happening here to us? But I had to kick myself knowing that Haiti is far more tragic then anything we have going on right now. It is heart wrenching. I watched as the Haitian government decided to deal with their dead in a cold callus way. Here we go to great lengths to recover the bodies of our dead to give their families closure and allow them to grieve properly with their loss. I've seen people comb the bottom of lakes and even dive shipwrecks for the dead to retrieve them, yet what does the Haitian government decide to do about the dead in the streets? They don't wait for body bags. They throw the bodies into dump trucks one on top of another and load them up until the trucks are full of the dead and take them out to a dump site. There in a holes they have dug 30 feet deep, they dump the bodies. There are no names taken, no pictures taken of the dead, no paperwork done, no count. Just mass graves with trunks dumping load after load all day long. 3 holes dug and non-stop dumping. 70,000 dead was the last estimate I heard. This is so sad. These are not rats or animals - these are people. People who have lost their closest loved ones in a matter of minutes. Mothers loosing children, children loosing moms and dads, sisters and brothers, aunts uncles and grandparents. All very sad. Please keep Haiti in your prayers for blessings to the victims and blessings to all who donate their time and money through Christ Jesus. List Of Confirmed Good Places to Donate To Haiti: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,582902,00.html From our friend Wesley:Mobile Donations http://tinyurl.com/ygmhmgo --- ...Not sure if all these are good but Thanks Wesley! *\o_ _c/* / * * \ <\ *\o/* /> ) c/* / > *\o <\ /> __o */\ /\* c__ * /> <\ * /\* __o_ _c__ */\ * / * * \ * <\ /> *\c/* ejm97 __)__ Go Brown! I was saying that and lifting that to God all day Tuesday! Scott Brown is a good sign for us! Thank God some dems are saying no to the health care bill now! May they also reconsider Cap and Trade and all their other big spending agenda that will not help the American people! A huge wake up for them! About time they see the light! They were and are totaling upsetting people. Please keep it in your prayers for a bright, white, light of conscience wake up call to all our public servants! It is time our Government starts putting godly morality and we the people first! The sooner the better! -<>- >-->If You Haven't Already, Be Sure To Check Out Our Newest Pages: Three Old Men http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/oldmen.html Macgyver - How To Do It #2 http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/macgyver2.html Chevy Selling It! http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/chevysi.html -<>- >-->From Our Friends At Truth Or Tradition: Hello and God bless you! Here is the link to our highlights video from last month's annual Live Out Loud youth conference: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h5RUg522b2o Also, check out the photo album of the event at: http://stfonline.org/network/photos/STF/Photo_Albums/Photo_Albums.html We will be adding a lot more Live Out Loud 2009 pictures to the photo album by the end of the week. We sure love you and thank God for you! The staff of Spirit & Truth Fellowship International STFonline.org ~ Together, we are sowing the Gospel all over the globe ~ ============================================================= >-->From Heartwarming: Your morning thought for the day: Grandmas are moms with lots of frosting. >DIAPER SPELLED BACKWARDS by Darlene A. Buechel Last August I was feeling somewhat bummed by the thought of turning 49. After all, with the big 5-0 breathing down my neck like a demented dragon, I was starting to feel tired, achy, and old. Then I opened a gift from our daughter, Dani, and her husband Mark -- an empty silver picture frame with "OOur First Grandchild" engraved on the bottom! I gasped and grinned until Dani finally said, "Read it out loud." Then my husband gasped and grinned too. "Congratulations," I said. "Did you tell Mark's parents yet?" Mark said they just came from there (his parents live about a mile from our house) and he gave his Mom a similar picture frame engraved "Happy 26th Grandchild." Can you imagine? Of course, Mark is the youngest of nine kids, but that still seems like a huge pile of grandkids to dote over. The great news is Mark's mom Mary was equally thrilled. We can't wait for March to spoil the sweet new addition. I was surprised to learn Dani had found out she was pregnant many weeks before the announcement. It seems you can pee on a stick these days and find out you're pregnant even before a missed period! She said, "We thought we'd better tell before you guessed 'cause of my bump and all." Truth be told, I hadn't noticed a baby bump yet, but I was glad she shared the good news. "Soon we'll be buying diapers, onesies, and all that fun stuff," Dani said with a huge grin. "Yes, and did you know diaper spelled backwards is repaid?" I added helpfully. "That should give you plenty to think about." Actually, Dani doesn't need to be repaid for bad baby behavior. Since both of my kids were over nine pounds at birth, they ate good, slept good, and did a good job filling diapers. Of course, 24 and 22 years later, I'm probably forgetting a few hundred crying jags and tantrums (some of them generated by the babies), but I enjoyed pregnancy and the babyhood of my kids. It seems to me it was the tween and teen years that added growls, gray hair, and sleepless nights to my repertoire. An old Yiddish proverb said it best -- "Small children disturb your sleep, big children your life." Still, every "big child" starts out a cute, cuddly cutie-pie. The more I get used to this whole Grandma idea, the more I like it. Yes, I'm still working full-time, but I think I'll have more time and patience for a Grandkid than I did when my two were little. As a young mom, I was torn in 99 different directions after work, while my husband did his farm chores and strolled into the house when it was almost bed time for the rug rats. This time around I'll get to watch the little tyke when I want to, and I'll appreciate every hour we spend together. Did I mention March can't come soon enough? I can't wait to meet and greet the new little tyke that's already in my heart. I'm sure he or she will be the best baby in the world. As the late writer and humorist Teresa Bloomingdale said, "If your baby's beautiful and perfect, never cries or fusses, sleeps on schedule, burps on demand, and is an angel all the time -- then you must be the grandma." -- Darlene A. Buechel __________________________________________________ Darlene is a Wisconsin Cheese Head and excited Grandma-to-be. She spends her time reading, writing, and enjoying life in the country. __________________________________________________ >MODERN DAY SAMARITAN There is sometimes a cloud over people who work for the City. Outsiders may think we are just sitting around on our duffs, not doing much, drawing outrageous salaries, and trying our best to get something over on the taxpayers to make their life miserable. Let me share something which is the flip side of the image. One of our staff found a debit card on the floor of a restaurant. She picked it up, and called the bank that issued the card. Knowing that personal information was not going to be given out to someone on the phone, she gave the bank employee the name and account number, and asked her to contact the cardholder. Our employee offered to hold the card until the owner could be contacted, and then gave her name and number to be given to the owner of the card. The lady who lost her card just left our office. She was almost in tears over what COULD have happened if somebody with ill intent had found it. She left with tears of gratitude not only from retrieving her card with no additional charges on it, but that someone thought so quickly about the "right" thing to do, i.e., contacting her bank and reporting the card had been found. It was a little act of kindness, a little act of honesty, a little act of doing the right thing in a timely way. This is the glue that holds the City staff and management together. This is what one member of the public had a chance to experience this week. These acts of concern and kindness more correctly convey the attitude of the majority of our staff and other offices of the City, and it makes me proud to work here. -- Ava Herron, City of Jacksonville =================================================================== >-->From Our Friend John-Paul :) .---. /_____\__ .===. _ _ `\/6.6\/--` / _/\ \ / )%.===.%( \ ( _ ) \/6.6\/ | // ,,, \\ | ,'---', ( _ ) \/ \/6.6\/ \/ .===. / _ \ _)---(_ /\ ( _ ) /\ / ,,, \ /\/ (_) \/\ / `~` \ ^^ /()-()\ ^^ ( /6.6\ ) .=@=. \ | (_) | / /\/ \/\ / /o o\ \ )( _ )( / \ \| |/ \ | | / (._\ Y /_.) (_/;---;\_) \ 6.6 / |_____| \|_____|/ (O_`&`_O) / `"*"` \ ( _ ) | | | | L | / / \ \ ( (_.@._) ) .-'---'-. | | | |__|__| / ()/^\() \ /'._\|/_.'\ / . . \ \__|__/ | | | /. . . . . . .\ /. . . . . .\ _/ /| , |\ \_ |_|_| |_|_| `"`"`|`|`|`"`"` `"`"|"|"|"`"` (__/{`"==="`}\__) jgs _|_|_|_ _|_|_|_ _|_|_|_ _|_|_|_ /\_ _/\ (___|___) (___|___) (___|___) (___|___) _| /`"`\ |_ ( \ / \ / ) \_/ \_/ >~THE VALUE OF~ ~ O, but ~`To Realize`~ The Value of ~a Sister or a Brother~, Ask someone who doesn't have one. To realize the Value of ~Ten Years~: Ask a newly Divorced couple. To realize the Value of ~Four Years~: Ask a graduate. To realize the Value of ~One Year~: Ask a student who has failed a Final Exam. To realize the Value of ~Nine Months~: Ask a mother who gave birth to a stillborn. To realize the Value of ~One Month~: Ask a mother who has given birth to a Premature Baby. To realize the Value of ~One Week~: Ask an Editor of a weekly newspaper. To realize the Value of ~One Minute~: Ask a person who has missed the train, bus or plane. To realize the Value of ~One-Second~: Ask a person who has Survived an accident. To realize the Value of a ~Love One or a member of your Family~: Loose One Time Waits For No One. So let us realize the Value of ~`Eternity`~ And Consider the One that just ~Passed Away~, Not knowing GOD and HIS SON, JESUS O`,Please let us Treasure every Moment we have, to seek the promises of Salvation, While They can still be Found. IT IS ONLY A HEART BEAT AWAY! Always~~~~~~John-Paul --- _|_ | / \ //_\\ //(_)\\ |/^\| ,%%%% // \\ ,@@@@@@@, ,%%%%/%%% // \\ ,@@@\@@@@/@@, @@@%%%\%%//%%%// === \\ @@\@@@/@@@@@ @@@@%%%%\%%%%%// =-=-= \\@@@@\@@@@@@;%#####, @@@@%%%\%%/%%// === \\@@@@@@/@@@%%%######, @@@@@%%%%/%%//| |\\@\\//@@%%%%%%#/#### '@@@@@%%\\/%~ | | ~ @|| %\\//%%%#####; @@\\//@|| | __ __ | || %%||%%'###### '@|| || | | | | | || ||##\//#### || || | | -|- | | || ||'#||###' || || |_|__|__|_| || || || || ||_/` ======= `\__||_._|| || jgs__||_/` ======= `\_||___ ...Thank You John-Paul! That is our hope - our reality - we can think of our loved one and know if we will all be together again one day once they die or if we will never see them again. Then if you are like me, you can still hope that maybe they did get saved only the years took their faith away. Then you'll know that faith may be gone but the seed from God is eternal. We have that hope to again be with them later when Christ Returns. For those who WANT to know if they are saved ask yourself these questions... #1. Is Jesus Christ your Lord? If 'Yes' have you said so Out Loud? Saying out loud 'Jesus Christ is my Lord' makes it real. #2. Do you believe without a shadow of a doubt that God raised Jesus Christ from the dead? If your answer is Yes to both the above you have done what the bible says is required of you to be saved... Romans 10: [9] That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. [10] For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. God made salvation easy for us. Jesus Christ did all the work with God backing Him all the way. Jesus is our Lord and our Savior. We are saved by the grace of God... Eph.2 [8] For by grace are ye saved through faith [believing]; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Check Out: Who Is Jesus Christ http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/BibleStudy/whoisjesus.html 25 Reasons Why Salvation Is Permanent For Christians http://www.truthortradition.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=126 More info on Getting Saved: http://www.truthortradition.com/modules.php?name=News&new_topic=35 ================================================================= >-->From InspiredBuffalo: ) ,%, ) _(___[]_ %%%,&&&, ,%%, (;` /\ %Y/%&&&& %%%% ___/_____)__/ _\__ ,%%, ^^^||^&\Y&^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^%Y/%^^/ (_() ( | /____/\^^^%%%%^^ ` || _,..=xxxxxxxxxxxx, || |(' |LI (.)I| | LI || %\Y% -= /L_Y.-"""""""""`,-n-. ` @'---|__||___|_|____||_ || ___-=___.--'[========]|L]J: []\ __________@//@___________) )______ -= _ _ _ |/ _ ''_ " " ||[ -_ 4 | _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ '-(_)-(_)----'v'-(_)--' jgs----------------------------------------------------------------- >The Rescue Author Unknown An orphaned boy was living with his grandmother when their house caught fire. The grandmother, trying to get upstairs to rescue the boy, perished in the flames. The boy's cries for help were finally answered by a man who climbed an iron drainpipe and came back down with the boy hanging tightly to his neck. Several weeks later, a public hearing was held to determine who would receive custody of the child. A farmer, a teacher, and the town's wealthiest citizen all gave the reasons they felt they should be chosen to give the boy a home. But as they talked, the lad's eyes remained focused on the floor. Then a stranger walked to the front and slowly took his hand from his pockets, revealing severe scars on them. As the crowd gasped, the boy cried out in recognition. This was the man who had saved his life. His hands had been burned when he climbed the hot pipe. With a leap the boy threw his arms around the man's neck and held on for dear life. The other men silently walked away, leaving the boy and his rescuer alone. Those marred hands had settled the issue. And so it is with Jesus. His nail-pierced hands remind us that he has rescued us from sin and its deadly consequences. "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me." (Galatians 2:20) -<>- A Tear Jerker from Roger >MAY GOD BLESS THIS AIRLINE CAPTAIN He writes: My lead flight attendant came to me and said, "We have an H.R. on this flight." (H.R. stands for human remains.) "Are they military?" I asked. 'Yes', she said. 'Is there an escort?' I asked. 'Yes, I already assigned him a seat'. 'Would you please tell him to come to the flight deck. You can board him early," I said.. A short while later, a young army sergeant entered the flight deck. He was the image of the perfectly dressed soldier. He introduced himself and I asked him about his soldier. The escorts of these fallen soldiers talk about them as if they are still alive and still with us. 'My soldier is on his way back to Virginia ', he said. He proceeded to answer my questions, but offered no words on his own.. I asked him if there was anything I could do for him and he said no. I told him that he had the toughest job in the military and that I appreciated the work that he does for the families of our fallen soldiers. The first officer and I got up out of our seats to shake his hand. He left the flight deck to find his seat. We completed our preflight checks, pushed back and performed an uneventful departure. About 30 minutes into our flight I received a call from the lead flight attendant in the cabin. 'I just found out the family of the soldier we are carrying, is on board', he said. He then proceeded to tell me that the father, mother, wife and 2-year old daughter were escorting their son, husband, and father home. The family was upset because they were unable to see the container that the soldier was in before we left. We were on our way to a major hub at which the family was going to wait four hours for the connecting flight home to Virginia . The father of the soldier told the flight attendant that knowing his son was below him in the cargo compartment and being unable to see him was too much for him and the family to bear. He had asked the flight attendant if there was anything that could be done to allow them to see him upon our arrival. The family wanted to be outside by the cargo door to watch the soldier being taken off the airplane.. I could hear the desperation in the flight attendants voice when he asked me if there was anything I could do.. 'I'm on it', I said. I told him that I would get back to him. Airborne communication with my company normally occurs in the form of e-mail like messages. I decided to bypass this system and contact my flight dispatcher directly on a secondary radio. There is a radio operator in the operations control center who connects you to the telephone of the dispatcher. I was in direct contact with the dispatcher. I explained the situation I had on board with the family and what it was the family wanted. He said he understood and that he would get back to me. Two hours went by and I had not heard from the dispatcher. We were going to get busy soon and I needed to know what to tell the family. I sent a text message asking for an update. I saved the return message from the dispatcher and this following is the text: 'Captain, sorry it has taken so long to get back to you. There is policy on this now and I had to check on a few things. Upon your arrival a dedicated escort team will meet the aircraft. The team will escort the family to the ramp and plane side. A van will be used to load the remains with a secondary van for the family. The family will be taken to their departure area and escorted into the terminal where the remains can be seen on the ramp. It is a private area for the family only. When the connecting aircraft arrives, the family will be escorted onto the ramp and plane side to watch the remains being loaded for the final leg home. Captain, most of us here in flight control are veterans. Please pass our condolences on to the family. Thanks.' I sent a message back telling flight control thanks for a good job. I printed out the message and gave it to the lead flight attendant to pass on to the father. The lead flight attendant was very thankful and told me, 'You have no idea how much this will mean to them.' Things started getting busy for the descent, approach and landing. After landing, we cleared the runway and taxied to the ramp area. The ramp is huge with 15 gates on either side of the alleyway. It is always a busy area with aircraft maneuvering every which way to enter and exit. When we entered the ramp and checked in with the ramp controller, we were told that all traffic was being held for us.. 'There is a team in place to meet the aircraft', we were told. It looked like it was all coming together, then I realized that once we turned the seat belt sign off, everyone would stand up at once and delay the family from getting off the airplane. As we approached our gate, I asked the copilot to tell the ramp controller we were going to stop short of the gate to make an announcement to the passengers. He did that and the ramp controller said, 'Take your time.' I stopped the aircraft and set the parking brake. I pushed the public address button and said, 'Ladies and gentleman, this is your Captain speaking I have stopped short of our gate to make a special announcement. We have a passenger on board who deserves our honor and respect. His Name is Private XXXXXX, a soldier who recently lost his life. Private XXXXXX is under your feet in the cargo hold. Escorting him today is Army Sergeant XXXXXXX. Also, on board are his father, mother, wife, and daughter. Your entire flight crew is asking for all passengers to remain in their seats to allow the family to exit the aircraft first. Thank you.' We continued the turn to the gate, came to a stop and started our shutdown procedures. A couple of minutes later I opened the cockpit door. I found the two forward flight attendants crying, something you just do not see. I was told that after we came to a stop, every passenger on the aircraft stayed in their seats, waiting for the family to exit the aircraft. When the family got up and gathered their things, a passenger slowly started to clap his hands. Moments later more passengers joined in and soon the entire aircraft was clapping. Words of 'God Bless You', I'm sorry, thank you, be proud, and other kind words were uttered to the family as they made their way down the aisle and out of the airplane. They were escorted down to the ramp to finally be with their loved one. Many of the passengers disembarking thanked me for the announcement I had made. They were just words, I told them, I could say them over and over again, but nothing I say will bring back that brave soldier. I respectfully ask that all of you reflect on this event and the sacrifices that millions of our men and women have made to ensure our freedom and safety in these United States of America . -<>- >Bagpiper As a bagpiper I play many gigs. Recently I was asked by a funeral director to play at a graveside service for a homeless man. He had no family or friends, so the service was to be at a pauper's cemetery in the Kentucky back-country. As I was not familiar with the backwoods, I got lost; and being a typical man I didn't stop for directions. I finally arrived an hour late and saw the funeral guy had evidently gone and the hearse was nowhere in sight. There were only the diggers and crew left and they were eating lunch. I felt badly and apologized to the men for being late. I went to the side of the grave and looked down and the vault lid was already in place. I didn't know what else to do, so I started to play. The workers put down their lunches and began to gather around. I played out my heart and soul for this man with no family and friends. I played like I've never played before for this homeless man. And as I played 'Amazing Grace,' the workers began to weep. They wept, I wept, and we all wept together. When I finished I packed up my bagpipes and started for my car. Though my head hung low, my heart was full. As I was opening the door to my car, I heard one of the worker say, "Sweet Mother of Jesus, I never seen nothing like that before and I've been putting in septic tanks for twenty years." -<>- _ .--,-"" ""-. ( ) j- __. | | ' -'| |`--._____,+-. .';`--.___.' `. .' / _ | / ,-' _.-'o;__\ ( .' o.-' \)`. `j--..___.' ' / ) (/ _ `-._ `-/`--' ,----. (.' `--. `. `-._.'`._,-The Burden of Discontent Come to me to the most populated prison in the world. The facility has more inmates than bunks. More prisoners than plates. More residents than resources. Come to me to the world's most oppressive prison. Just ask the inmates; they will tell you. They are overworked and underfed. Their walls are bare and bunks are hard. No prison is so populated, no prison so oppressive, and, what's more, no prison is so permanent. Most inmates never leave. They never escape. They never get released. They serve a life sentence in this overcrowded, underprovisioned facility. The name of the prison? You'll see it over the entrance. Rainbowed over the gate are four cast-iron letters that spell out its name: W - A - N - T The prison of want. You've seen her prisoners. They are "in want." They want something.They want something bigger. Nicer. Faster. Thinner. They want. They don't want much, mind you. They want just one thing. One new job. One new car. One new house. One new spouse. They don't want much. They want just one. And when they have "one," they will be happy. And they are right -- they will be happy. When they have "one," they will leave the prison. But then it happens. The new car smell passes. The new job gets old. The neighbors buy a larger television set. The new spouse has bad habits. The sizzle fizzles, and before you know it, another ex-con breaks parole and returns to jail. Are you in prison? You are if you feel better when you have more and worse when you have less. You are if joy is one delivery away, one transfer away, one award away, or one make-over away. If your happiness comes from something you deposit, drive, drink, or digest, then face it -- you are in prison, the prison of wantt. ... for I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength. Philip. 4:11-13 By Max Lucado, excerted from "Experiencing the Heart of Jesus" www.maxlucado.com --- ...Paul the apostle wrote on the importance of being content... Phil.4: [11] Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. [12] I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. [13] I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me. Here are some of the trials by which he learned to stay content: 2 Cor.11: [24] Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one. [25] Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep; [26] In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; [27] In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness. [28] Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches. [29] Who is weak, and I am not weak? who is offended, and I burn not? [30] If I must needs glory, I will glory of the things which concern mine infirmities. [31] The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which is blessed for evermore, knoweth that I lie not. How spectacular is that? He shows us what WE CAN DO! -<>- >Links for Your Enjoyment Gun Control Witness http://www.buffaloschips.com/gbvcvf.htm Gunslinger http://www.buffaloschips.com/gdsdfe.htm Half Time Show http://www.buffaloschips.com/gvbfdf.htm Hammer Guy http://www.buffaloschips.com/gcfdff.htm Happy Penguin http://www.buffaloschips.com/gdreree.htm AHoppalas Turnen http://www.buffaloschips.com/gcfdrde.htm In God We Trust http://www.buffaloschips.com/azsxs.htm Interessant Eierschlange http://www.buffaloschips.com/awereew.htm You Know That Has To Hurt http://www.buffaloschips.com/aswsw.htm Javelin Live Fire VS T72 http://www.buffaloschips.com/axdxs.htm Awesome Tree Houses http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/treehouses.html Look Who's Talking Too http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/talking2.html Peek-A-Boo Panda http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/ ============================================================== >-->From CupO'Cheer: ___ ___ || | ___ ___ || | || _|__/ _\_______/ _\_______|| _| ||(___( (________( (_________||((_) || | \___/ \___/ || | || | ___ || | || _|________/ _\_____________|| _| ||(_________( (_______________||((_) || | \___/ || | || | || | || | || | lf || | || | >BIG EVENTS BEFORE CHRIST 3050 B.C. A Sumerian invents the wheel. Within a week, the idea is stolen and duplicated by other Sumerians, thus inventing the first business code of ethics. 2900 B.C. Egyptians create the Sphinx and several other modern construction miracles. Pundits christen it all one big pyramid scheme. 1850 B.C. Britons announce Operation Stonehenge a success after randomly placing stone slabs into a sufficiently meaningless pattern, thus securing centuries of employment for European historians. 1785 B.C. First calendar introduced by Babylonian scientists. 1784 B.C. Calendar concept tweaked after Babylonians experience winter in July. 776 B.C. World's first known use of money occurs in Persia. The following day sees the world's first known use of counterfeit money. 525 B.C. The first Olympics are held in Greece. Turkey enters a six footer with a moustache in women's shot put event. 410 B.C. Rome ends the practice of enslaving debtors, removing single biggest obstacle to development of the credit card. 404 B.C. The Peloponnesian War enters its 27th year because neither side can find a treaty writer who can spell "Peloponnesian." 214 B.C. Tens of thousands of Chinese people complete the 1,500- mile long Great Wall. Neighbor's dog gets through. 1 B.C. Calendar manufacturers argue over what to call the next year. [Wit and Wisdom; edits and additional material by Mark Raymond] as seen in Mark’s Musings -<>- _ _|_|_ ,|_| |_|_ || | | |_| || | | | | || | | | | _|| | | | | ||)\ ^ ^ ^ | || | | || | | || | | \\ | \\ / ejm )\ ( / \ \ / \ \ \ \ A PRAYER AFTER THE EARTHQUAKE IN HAITI Lord, at times such as this, when we realize that the ground beneath our feet is not as solid as we had imagined, we plead for your mercy. As the things we have built crumble about us, we know too well how small we truly are on this ever-changing, ever-moving, fragile planet we call home. Yet you have promised never to forget us. Do not forget us now. Today, so many people are afraid. They wait in fear of the next tremor. They hear the cries of the injured amid the rubble. They roam the streets in shock at what they see. And they fill the dusty air with wails of grief and the names of missing dead. Comfort them, Lord, in this disaster. Be their rock when the earth refuses to stand still, and shelter them under your wings when homes no longer exist. Embrace in your arms those who died so suddenly this day. Console the hearts of those who mourn, and ease the pain of bodies on the brink of death. Pierce, too, our hearts with compassion, we who watch from afar, as the poorest on this side of the earth find only misery upon misery. Move us to act swiftly this day, to give generously every day, to work for justice always, and to pray unceasingly for those without hope. And once the shaking has ceased, the images of destruction have stopped filling the news, and our thoughts return to life’s daily rumblings, let us not forget that we are all your children and they, our brothers and sisters. We are all the work of your hands. For though the mountains leave their place and the hills be tossed to the ground, your love shall never leave us, and your promise of peace will never be shaken. Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth. Blessed be the name of the Lord, now and forever. Amen. Copyright © 2010, Diana Macalintal. Permission is given to reprint for non-commercial use. as seen in Food For Thought -<>- ,,,,, ////""\ . (((/ m m -|- __ )))c = ) | (__) ////-./~` . [] (((( `.`\ :: [] )))`\ \)).-;.' .------, [] (() `._.-'` _( )[] )/ `. | .'`^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^))\`.----'`[] jgs ( \' { ~ - ~~ _ ~ - ~~ - ~ - (( | | [] .-.--\ \ { )) | | [] |_;_._`\ |{ ((__|_|-----[] | ; ``` ;{ )) [] | /``-.____/ `~~~[]~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~'-' [] `' (__) (__) HOW LONG HAS THIS BEEN TROUBLING YOU? "Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always" (Psalm 105:4NIV). Friend To Friend My husband, Steve, graduated from dental school in 1981. For the first two years, I was his only employee: his dental hygienist, dental assistant, receptionist, and insurance clerk. On the days that I was not helping him, I worked for another dentist in town. I was so exhausted most of the time that our joke became, "Sharon works six days a week and cries on the seventh." One thing that amazed me, in starting a new practice, was all the emergency phone calls that Steve received on nights and weekends. I usually answered the phone and asked the caller several questions, one of which was, "Mrs. Jones, how long have you been having this problem?" Invariably the patient would say, "three days," "two weeks," "a month." I always thought, "So why did you wait until Saturday to call?" Of course, being the sweet person that I am, I never said that. One night the phone rang at about 2:00 a.m. I groggily picked up the phone and managed a weak, "Hello." "Hello," the woman on the other end stated. "My son is having a terrible toothache. Is the doctor in?" Where did she think he would be, other than "in" at 2:00 in the morning? "Yes ma'am, he is. How long has this tooth been bothering your son?" "Oh, I'd say for about two weeks," she answered. So why did you wait until now to call (thought, not said, of course). I spoke with this mother for a few more minutes. Something about this call signaled a red flag in my mind. Then I asked, "Ma'am, how old is your son?" "Twenty-seven," She answered. "My son is twenty-seven- years- old." I was so shocked that I quickly sat up in the bed, accidentally jerking the phone cord out of the wall, and disconnecting the caller. She did not call back. I had envisioned a distraught mother with a crying five year old. But twenty-seven? Oh my. I laid back down complaining and grumbling. "Lord, why is it that people won't go to the doctor regularly but only want help on demand when they have an emergency?" When I got quiet enough to listen, I heard God's still small voice whisper to my heart - "Now you know how I feel." Let's Pray Dear Father, I am so sorry that I tend to come to You only when I have an emergency. I know that You long for me to come to You every day simply to tell you how much I love You and how thankful I am for all You do for me. Today, I want to say just that...I love You. Thank You for Your loving kindness toward me, Your little child. In Jesus' Name, Amen. Now It's Your Turn I hope you laughed at today's devotion...at least cracked a smile. Doesn't God have a wonderful sense of humor? Now let's think about the lessons learned. Do you tend to pray more often when you are in need? If you are a parent, how would you feel if your child only talked to you when he or she needed something? As a parent, what sort of conversations do you long for? What does your heart good? Now, what do you think Your Heavenly Father longs to hear from you? as seen in Girlfriends in God Compiled by: Kimberly B. Quiggle. Available Free by E-mail every other day. To SUBSCRIBE: Send an e-mail with SUBSCRIBE CUP O'CHEER in the subject line to cheer316@sc.rr.com. ========================================================== >The Gotham Gentleman Story Editor: by Rise Keller Joyce Schowalter Colorado, USA In early July of 1976, on a six-week road trip around the northeastern U.S. with my father, stepmother, and little sister, we stayed with my stepmother's relatives in Pennsylvania. I went roller-skating with the kids at their local rink. Someone crashed in front of me, I tripped over them, and my ankle hurt like crazy. The X-ray revealed a broken leg. I got a cast and crutches. The next leg of our trip: New York City. At that time NYC had a rough reputation, and we feared rudeness and difficulty. A friend's mom hosted us at her tidy, bright Brooklyn apartment for three days and nights. "Call me Aunt Mary," she insisted, though she'd never seen us before. Aunt Mary worked in a publishing house and went to work early every morning, leaving us with directions, tips for public transportation and which routes to avoid. We cooked dinners, ate and laughed together in the evenings after she got home. My parents had the brilliant idea that sightseeing in the Big Apple would be far easier if we had a wheelchair. They rented one, and at subway stations, if anyone was around, they always came to help my father maneuver my wheelchair up or down the steps. One of my dreams for our Manhattan visit had been to see Fifth Avenue's shops with my own eyes, and maybe go to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. But we had three strikes against us, we learned as we got into the city: The museum was closed on Mondays, most shops and businesses were closed for the Fourth of July holiday, and it was raining. By now we were drenched, so we ducked under the awning of the Gotham Hotel to decide what to do next. A man had emerged from the hotel and was about to get into a cab. He saw us and stopped. "Wait right here!" he said to us. Curious, we waited under the awning, watching the taxis come and go, picking up and dropping off men in raincoats with their briefcases and umbrellas. Two minutes later, he reemerged from the hotel carrying an exotic item: a collapsible umbrella. He showed my father how to operate it, and handed it to him. "For you. Enjoy your visit!" he said, as he hailed a cab. "We can send it back to you...." "No, just keep it!" We thanked the man as he stepped into his taxi and rode off with a wave. We never saw him again, but his elegance and generosity ended any remaining fears that we wouldn't be treated gently in New York City. Even now, every time I see a collapsible umbrella, I think of that glamorous fellow outside the Gotham Hotel who took the time to do a small favor -- that made a big difference to us. I'm reminded how the compassion of people can surprise you, no matter where you are. =======HeroicStories======= >-->From Our Friend Jo Ann :) |.-----------.| A Prayer to my || _ || COMPUTER ANGEL: || (\o/) || || /_\ || Guide my keystrokes, ||___________|| Keep my programs alive, `-)-------(-' Protect me from viruses, [=== -- o ]--. Back up my drive. __'---------'__ \ [::::::::::: :::] ) Amen. `""'"""""'""""`/T\ jgs \_/ You were chosen to receive this novena. The moment you receive it, say : Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven, give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.. GOD WANTED ME TO TELL YOU, It shall be well with you this coming year... No matter how much your enemies try this year, they will not succeed. You have been destined to make it and you shall surely achieve all your goals this year. For all of 2010, all your agonies will be diverted and victory and prosperity will be incoming in abundance. Today God has confirmed the end of your sufferings sorrows and pain because HE that sits on the throne has remembered you. He has taken away the hardships and given you JOY. He will never let you down. I knocked at heaven's door this morning, God asked me, My child! What can I do for you? And I said, 'Father, please protect and bless the person reading this message. This is a Novena from Mother Theresa that started in 1952. It has never been broken. Within 48 hours send 20 copies (Or as many as you can - God does know if you don't have 20 people to send it to.. It's the effort and intent that counts.) To family and friends. This is a powerful Novena. Couldn't hurt. Can only help. Please don't break it. -<>- _ .-' '-. / \ |,-,-,-,-,| ___ | _)_(_ | (/ \) | _\_/_ /) / \_/ \// |( )\/ ||)_( |/ \ n| | / \ | |_|___| \|/ jgs _/L\_ >1000 Saturdays. . . The older I get, the more I enjoy Saturday mornings. Perhaps it's the quiet solitude that comes With being the first to rise, or maybe it's the unbounded joy of not having to be at work. Either way, the first few hours of a Saturday morning are most enjoyable. A few weeks ago, I was shuffling toward the kitchen with a steaming cup of coffee in one hand and the morning paper in the other. What began as a typical Saturday morning turned into one of those lessons that life seems to hand you from time to time. Let me tell you about it. I turned the volume up on my radio in order to listen to a Saturday morning talk show. I heard an older sounding chap with a golden voice. You know the kind, he sounded like he should be in the broadcasting business himself. He was talking about "a thousand marbles" to someone named "Tom." I was intrigued and sat down to listen to what he had to say. "Well, Tom, it sure sounds like you're busy with your job. I'm sure they pay you well but it's a shame you have to be away from home and your Family so much. Hard to believe a young fellow should have to work sixty or seventy hours a week to make ends meet. Too bad you missed your daughter's dance recital." He continued, "Let me tell you something Tom, something that has helped me keep a good perspective on my own priorities." And that's when he began to explain his theory of a "thousand marbles." "You see, I sat down one day and did a little arithmetic. The average person lives about seventy-five years. I know, some live more and some live less, but on average, folks live about seventy-five years." "Now then, I multiplied 75 times 52 and I came up with 3900 which is the number of Saturdays that the average person has in their entire lifetime. Now stick with me Tom, I'm getting to the important part." "It took me until I was fifty-five years old to think about all this in any detail," he went on, "and by that time I had lived through over twenty-eight hundred Saturdays. I got to thinking that if I lived to be seventy-five, I only had about a thousand of them left to enjoy." "So I went to a toy store and bought every single marble they had. I ended up having to visit three toy stores to roundup 1000 marbles. I took them home and put them inside of a large, clear plastic container right here in my workshop next to the radio. Every Saturday since then, I have taken one marble out and thrown it away." "I found that by watching the marbles diminish, I focused more on the really important things in life. There is nothing like watching your time here on this earth run out to help get your priorities straight." "Now let me tell you one last thing before I sign-off with you and take my lovely wife out for breakfast. This morning, I took the very last marble out of the container. I figure if I make it until next Saturday then God has blessed me with a little extra time to be with my loved ones...... "It was nice to talk to you Tom, I hope you spend more time with your loved ones, and I hope to meet you again someday. Have a good morning!" You could have heard a pin drop when he finished. Even the show's moderator didn't have anything to say for a few moments. I guess he gave us all a lot to think about. I had planned to do some work that morning, then go to the gym. Instead, I went upstairs and woke my wife up with a kiss. "C'mon honey, I'm taking you and the kids to breakfast." "What brought this on?" she asked with a smile. "Oh, nothing special," I said. " It has just been a long time since we spent a Saturday together with the kids. Hey, can we stop at a toy store while we're out? I need to buy some marbles." May all your Saturdays be special and may you have many happy years after you lose all your marbles. :) May God bless you in all you do. --- ...Very Sweet! Thanks Jo Ann! >Updated FUN STUFF URLS - Oh Yeah :) Shangy! --------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.ShangralaFamilyFun.com/urls.html FUN URLS --------------------------------------------------------------------- -->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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