God's Promises And More... :) Shangy! >Here are the details on our Yahoo ShangyFunList: To Subscribe send a blank email to ShangyFunList-subscribe@yahoogroups.com To UnSubscribe send a blank email to ShangyFunList-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com Group home page: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ShangyFunList or Web Site: http://www.ShangralaFamilyFun.com/ShangyFunList.html Group email address: ShangyFunList@yahoogroups.com or email me here: bcrsystems@earthlink.net ================ *~* Please Consider Giving To ShangralaFamilyFun.com The cost of the website has gone up dramatically due to the ever increasingly wonderful pages and photos being added each week to entertain you and our fellow Christian families. While the ads on the website do help, I don't want to drag the site down with tons of them to pay for it. I need your help! "We are each of us angels with but one wing, and can only fly by embracing each other" -Luciano Decrescenzo ~ CALLING ALL CARING ANGELS ~ :\ ;\\ ; ;; __ :/ :-",dP _.ggp. : (*).-"" :$$$$; ; T$$$; : _,- `TP ; `. _ ; ; "" \ / ; `-+' : .-' ; \; ; : `--+'-. .---. ; ;` :_ `. : ; "-, ; / "-. : ; : .p""-. ""--..: ; : .-T$$P ""--..___l-, ; : .-" "" :\()l ; ; _________.-" $$ ;`-' ; ; bug .--""$$$$$$$P : ; '._____.-"_. 'T$$P^' : : .-" \ : '.___...-" ; : / ; ; : . / / / ; .J__ : / .' ; .; "-. ; j.-" : .'/ "-. ; : : ; .' / "---: ; ; : .-" / : : : ; .-" .-" ; ; ; / .' .-" : : : / .' .' : | ; : /\ : : ;: ; : ; ; : : ; : ; : :__ ; | : ; _L__J -`, : : '--. : l l l____l \ _`-,-: ( l ;_:-' / l |`; """ :_l :_;_l " *~* WE NEED CARING And SHARING Angels *~* >Do You Want To Be A Shangrala Angel? If you'd like to help and be counted as a Shangrala Angel, the easiest way to do that is through online giving. It is easy to use, and most of all, it is secure. Please visit the site, scroll down and click on the donate button. A Secure PAYPAL form page comes up. NOTE: Paypal will generate a 'Quantity 1' and 'Price per item' form. Just ignore the price per item and put whatever it is you desire to give in there. With Paypal, you will have your normal receipt for your 'payment' donation in USD (United States Dollars). You can put a memo in there if you'd like. 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 YOU MOST ABUNDANTLY FOR YOUR GIFT! ================ *~* A REMINDER: PLEASE Send me sweet, interesting, funny, inspiring, family type forwards ANY TIME here... bcrsystems@earthlink.net I Need them, Love them, Use them, and Share them! THANK YOU!! AND For Facebook Users: Please Friend Me / Like Me here... http://tinyurl.com/cma6all AND For Google Plus Users: You can find me here... Shangy Bigham https://plus.google.com/106648555948034085752/posts AND Please Share This email with All Your Friends And Family! ^~^ May God SUPER BLESS You As You Do! THANK YOU! :) -<>- * NOTE: An easy way to adjust the size of print in email or any page is to hold down the Ctrl tab while moving the scroll button on the mouse. You can also use the keyboard to change the font size in your web browser or emails. Hold down the Ctrl key while pressing the + key for larger text or the - key for smaller text! ================ >-->HOT Off The 'Shangy' Press :) This flaming hot new page is from our friends LouiseAu and Geniann. With today's US majority having to have both parents working to make ends meet, we check in on how the Dads are doing with taking care of the little ones. This will tickle your funny bone. Check it out here... /())) //( oo (/|| _ \__ /||||/ '._-' / \ |\ / \ \ \_____ | \ \.___ /==, | ='.___/=. | ) '.______ | (______( | || snd |_|| _/ | |_\ '---'--' Kids With Dads 2 http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/kidswithdads2.html --- ...LOL! Some Dads are pretty ingenious! Thanks Ladies! -<>- *~* We Had A Tremendous Month Of Sharing And Caring Last Month! *\o_ _c/* / * * \ <\ *\o/* /> ) c/* / > *\o <\ /> __o */\ /\* c__ * /> <\ * /\* __o_ _c__ */\ * / * * \ * <\ /> *\c/* ejm97 __)__ >Please Be Sure To Share These... Comedy In Nature! http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/comedyinnature.html Amazing Animal Facts! http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/animalfacts.html Trump And The Queen! http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/trumpasqueen.html Things Defining The 1950's! http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/1950things.html Stone Painting Art! http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/stonepainting.html Humor In Politics 15! http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/politics15.html Pets And Food! http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/petsandfood.html Police Dogs 2! http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/policedogs2.html Amazing McDonald's Trivia! http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/mcdonaldsfacts.html World's Largest Mirror 2! http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/saltlake2.html God's Water Paintings 2! http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/water2.html Sand Sculpture Art 6! http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/sandart6.html Fun With Statues 2! http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/funstatues2.html World's Largest Turtle Population! http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/turtles.html Thoughts Into Action 10! http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/action10.html Amazing Photos 5! http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/amazingphotos5.html , ----. - - ` ,__.,' \ .' *` / | | / **\ . / ****. | mm | ****| \ | ****| ` ._______ \ ****/ \ /`---' \___( /~~~~\ / \ / | \ | | \ , ~~ . |, ~~ . | |\ ( |||| ) ( |||| )(,,,)` ( |||||| )-( |||||| ) | ^ ( |||||| ) ( |||||| ) |'/ ( |||||| )-( |||||| )___,'- ( |||| ) ( |||| ) ` ~~ ' ` ~~ ' ~ May God Super Bless All Our Sweet Contributors Who Add Spice To Our Lives With Their Thoughtful Sharing Email Forwards! :) =========================================================== >-->From Heartwarmers: -| -' | -' | __ ==wkm=====|'\/ () /| `O /` : /\ \ \ ` ` ____________________________________ ///\\\///\\\///\\\///\\\///\\\///\\\ >DUNK NOT by Joseph B. Walker It was a slam dunk. At least, it should have been. Everyone in the arena knew it as the tall, graceful athlete glided toward the basket. There was no one within 20 feet of him, no obstacle to prevent him from scoring as he had so many times before. The only question was: what kind of dunk would it be? A thundering, two-handed power dunk, complete with the obligatory chin-up on the rim? Or a more aesthetically pleasing one-handed dunk, perhaps with a little windmill action, or some over-the-shoulder bravado? In any case, it was going to be two points for the good guys (read: My Team) at a critical juncture of a close, competitive NBA playoff game. And that was really all that mattered. Mentally, I added two points to our score as I watched the player -- My Player -- move into position for a shot that 99 percent of NBA players would slam home 99 percent of the time. And then the unimaginable happened. He missed. Torn between dunking and simply laying the ball in the basket, My Player clanged the ball off the rim. I couldn’t believe it. Never mind that he was running at full speed during a pressure-packed game, with thousands of opposing fans screaming at him to miss. As far as I was concerned there was no excuse for missing such an easy, automatic shot. "How do you miss that shot?" I moaned to my son-in-law, who was watching the game with me. "A professional does NOT miss that shot, not in a game like this!" For the rest of the game, I was all over My Player. I groaned at every missed shot, every blown defensive assignment, and every bad pass. There’s no question that he didn’t play a perfect game. In fact, he played poorly -- especially after the missed dunk. But in my mind, every mistake was magnified by the memory of the ball clanging off the rim. By the end of the game, I was prepared to blame the three-point loss on the slam dunk that should have been. "You’re a pro," I scolded him through the television screen as he walked to the locker room, his head bowed in defeat. "A pro doesn’t make mistakes like that!" Later that evening I was doing some filing when I paused to re-read a column from several weeks earlier. I winced when I came upon a typo -- at least, I’m pretty sure it was a typo. Did someone slip the word “tje” into the English vocabulary when I wasn’t looking? I didn’t think so. So I messed up. Instead of "the" I had written "tje." But it was an understandable error. After all, the letters “h” and “j” are right next to each other on the keyboard. Anyone could slip and hit the wrong key. And as for missing the error in the editing process... well, I had been in a great hurry that week. Besides, anyone reading the column would know that I meant to write "the," not "tje." And I was sure the editors to whom I send the column -- outstanding professionals one and all -- would catch the mistake and fix it before it went into publication. I had just about rationalized the mistake into oblivion when a local sportscaster began showing highlights from the game. Sure enough, the first clip he showed was My Player missing that easy basket. My stomach started churning all over again until I glanced down at the column in my hands. My eyes went directly to "tje." And somewhere in the back of my mind I heard a familiar, scolding voice: "You’re a pro. A pro doesn’t make mistakes like that!" Especially not on "the," which should have been... you know... a slam dunk. I guess it’s true –- we don’t really have a right to expect perfection in others until we’re prepared to expect it in ourselves. And not just professionally. This also holds true on the highway, in the grocery store, at the movies and most especially in the home. Unless we can offer ourselves as a perfect example, we ought to be willing to cut each other a lot of slack. In other words, judge not... even if you dunk not. -- Joseph Walker __________________________________________________ To read more by Joseph B. Walker, go to http://www.josephbwalker.com =========================================================== >-->From Our Friend LouiseAu :) (\ \'\ \'\ __________ / '| ()_________) \ '/ \ ~~~~~~~~ \ \ \ ~~~~~~ \ ==). \__________\ (__) ()__________) unknown >God's Promises - A Contract [edited] Have you ever bought something, and ended up feeling suckered? Yeah, you had a contract, but promises of service and repair now seemed pretty empty. Maybe you want to shout, "What about truth in advertising?" Fortunately, a contract with God is not like mankind's contracts! No slick sales or attorneys or disclaimers. No need, because it's more than a contract -- it's a covenant, between the Lord Jesus Christ, God and His creation. That means you and me. In it the Jesus Christ promises to be my Lord and King, my Teacher, my Comforter, and Protector. I get to be God's child. What a deal! --- ...Indeed! Thanks LouiseAu! , , /////| ///// | ///// | |~~~| | | |===| |/| | B |/| | | I | | | | B | | | | L | / | E | / |===|/ jgs '---' Reminds me of this... Matt.18: [16] But if he will not hear thee, then take with thee one or two more, that in the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established. Jesus used this saying... John 8: [18] I am one that bear witness of myself, and the Father that sent me beareth witness of me. Two witnesses makes it established. Dictionary Meaning of established: to show to be valid or true; prove: We have this confidence with God's promises to us... Rom.8: [16] The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, [two bear witness of us] that we are the children of God: [17] And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. =========================================================== >-->From Archives InspiredBuffalo: .---. .---. ,';' `.';' `.. f :Bo. ` d88: `\ /d88P' `\ ; /d888P' `. ',d8&8P' : ;d8&7' | :8: | qx >Have I Told You Lately I Love You? Have I told you lately I love you? Well, lately I love you! Even though I’ve said it before, I wanted to say it now once again, So you would know that you are on my mind, too And before anything happened for we never know where or when. No matter how burdened or busy I may have been Not a day passed that I didn’t think of you, And how much I love you and how grateful that you’re my friend We were not always in agreement but one another true. Don’t let the day come when you feel regret That you didn’t tell those you love how you feel, Waiting until the right time which you may never get So make it a point to let them know your love is real. Seize the moment, “Carpe Diem”, good advice I’d say I wonder if we asked someone who recently lost someone dear, Would they have made it a priority to say “I love you” each day Or have waited to tell them sometime the following year. No guarantee of tomorrow, not even finishing an hour or two Don’t let the time escape and to never have the opportunity To all your friends and loved ones, “I love you” be sure and say Have I told you lately I love you? Well, lately, I love you! By Mark R. Hagood -<>- .---. ___ /_____\ /\.-`( '.' ) / / \_-_/_ \ `-.-"`'V'//-. `.__, |// , \ |Ll //Ll|\ \ |__// | \_\ /---|[]==| / / \__/ | \/\/ /_ | Ll_\| |`^"""^`| | | | | | | | | | | | | L___l___J jgs |_ | _| (___|___) ^^^ ^^^ >Fallen Soldier I was that which others did not want to be. I went where others feared to go and did what others failed to do. I asked for nothing from those who offer nothing and reluctantly accepted the burden of loneliness. I have seen the face of terror; felt the stinging cold of fear - and enjoyed the sweet taste of a moment's true love. I have cried, felt pain and sorrow But most of all. . . I have lived times that others would say were best forgotten. After it all, I will be all. I will be able to say that I am proud of who I am. . . A Soldier. Written By: BJ Morbitzer 1964 -<>- ,-`"-=') =/////// ,== _,_(((((-`6\ ==.| /,,...\\\C _| .--. ((((\\\\\` _, /;_| )9 )))))./ `. / } _\,_ ,-'))) \ / /=-. ,-./ \/ '))) . /\_/ / \ (,-.%\ / /-' ') \/\ / ( \ (/ \ ' /( ' `-/ \( \ ,- / ( `-' \ . / / \ \ &_) /\ \ | ( /--.- \ \----,------=;% | _/ _); `. ` `-. .`\ ) +++/ \ ,," %&-. ; \\| `-` `-=.;_,.__.__\_,/ )_/___+_/_________\,"(_//_(__)______:-._) gpyy >~~~ Everybody Knows ~~~ You can't be all things to all people. You can't do all things at once. You can't do all things equally well. You can't do all things better than everyone else. Your humanity is showing just like everyone else's. So... You have to find out who you are, and be that. You have to decide what comes first and do that. You have to discover your strengths, and use them. You have to learn not to compete with others, Because no one else is in the contest of "being you". Then... You will have learned to accept your own uniqueness. You will have learned to set priorities and make decisions. You will have learned to live with your limitations. You will have learned to give yourself the respect that is due, And you'll be a being that's vitally alive. Dare To Believe... That you are a wonderful unique person. That you are a once-in-all-history event. That it's more than a right, it's your duty, to be who you are. That life is not a problem to solve, but a gift to cherish, and you'll be able to stay one up on what used to get you down. - Author Unknown -<>- _ ///-._ ////////-._ /////////////-. ////////////////`. //////////////// .'`. //////////////// . '.'`. '|`'//////////// . .'.::|` : `'/////// . '.':| | . . `'// ' _|- ::| |. .-._ . | . | .':: | |:|:| | ' ' '.::| | |:|:| :. . .'.':| | . |:|:| . | .._.::: : `':| | ' ////-:| |. . | '/////////-._ | . . : .//////////////-._ : : ///////////////////-._ |. |////////////////////////-._ | . . :`'//////////////////////////-._ | . _.-\\\\``'//////////////////////////-._ | /\\\\\\\\..``'//////////////////////////". : . . /. \\\\\\\\\. .``'///////////////////// .'`. : / _ \\\\\\\\\. ``'//////////////// . .'`. | . / (@) \\\\\\\\\. . . ``'/////////// . '.'::|. {`)._ '| _` .\\\\\\\-`:|#| . . ``'////// '. .'.:| `-{_/`| ||::. \\'`.:|:.|#| |#| . ``'/ ' .##:'::: `-| ||||| |`.'::|::|#| |#| |#| . . '| . .|##|'.:| pils | ||||| : .'::|:.'#| |#| |#| |#| | |##|'::| | ||||| .| .'.:|::.'' '#| |#| |#| . : ' |##|'.:| {`\:|||| : .'::|:_.:. . '#| |#| | .|##|'::: `-{_/'|_ |_.-'/}_/'-._ '#| :. |##:'.:| `'{._('}_)-' `-}_}(-._ . . | ' '` .'::| `-' `-.} /-._ . : .'.'_:-'\ `-}_}(-._ | . _.-')_(-' `-/_)`-.:.-{ \{-' `-{_'_)-'' ^ >I WON'T EVER I saw him in the church building for the first time on Wednesday. He was in his mid-70's, with thinning silver hair and a neat brown suit. Many times in the past I had invited him to come. Several other Christian friends had talked to him about the Lord and had tried to share the good news with him. He was a well-respected, honest man with so many characteristics a Christian should have, but he had never put on Christ, nor entered the doors of the church. "Have you ever been to a church service in your life?" I had asked him a few years ago. We had just finished a pleasant day of visiting and talking. He hesitated. Then with a bitter smile he told me of his childhood experience some fifty years ago. He was one of many children in a large impoverished family. His parents had struggled to provide food, with little left for housing and clothing. When he was about ten, some neighbors invited him to worship with them. The Sunday School class had been very exciting! He had never heard such songs and stories before! He had never heard anyone read from the Bible! After class was over, the teacher took him aside and said, "Son, please don't come again dressed as you are now. We want to look our best when we come into God's house." He stood in his ragged, unpatched overalls. Then looking at his dirty bare feet, he answered softly, "No, ma'am, I won't ever." "And I never did," he said, abruptly ending our conversation. There must have been other factors to have hardened him so, but this experience formed a significant part of the bitterness in his heart. I'm sure that Sunday School teacher meant well. But did she really understand the love of Christ? Had she studied and accepted the teachings found in the second chapter of James? What if she had put her arms around the dirty, ragged little boy and said, "Son, I am so glad you are here, and I hope you will come every chance you get to hear more about Jesus." I reflected on the awesome responsibility a teacher or pastor or a parent has to welcome little ones in His name. How far reaching her influence was! I prayed that I might be ever open to the tenderness of a child's heart, and that I might never fail to see beyond the appearance and behavior of a child to the eternal possibilities within. Yes, I saw him in the church house for the first time on Wednesday. As I looked at that immaculately dressed old gentleman lying in his casket, I thought of the little boy of long ago. I could almost hear him say, "No, ma'am, I won't ever." And I wept. -- Author Unknown -<>- >Links for Your Enjoyment: Nikola Culjic 3D Art http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/3dart.html Pets Left Home Alone 2! http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/petshome2.html Recycled Watch Vehicles! http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/watchart.html Dog Days Of Summer 2! http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/dogdays2.html Goose Calls For Cops! http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/mothergoose.html Snowflake The Duck! http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/snowflaketheduck.html Beaker The Duck! http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/beakertheduck.html Discoveries By Accident! http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/discoveries.html Fawn Rescue 2! http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/fawnrescue2.html Animals And Windows! http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/animalsandwindows.html London At Night! http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/london.html Think Positive!- http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/positive.html Semper Fidelis!- http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/semperfi.html Thank You Lord!- http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/thanks.html Are Angels Real?- http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/BibleStudy/angelsreal.html Akiane Child Prodigy!- http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/prodigy.html Value What You Have!- http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/valuewyh.html Attitude Is Everything!- http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/attitude.html You Are The Only You God Has!- http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/BibleStudy/onlyyougodhas.html -<>- >Please Visit/Follow Me On StumbleUpon: http://tinyurl.com/y9xze3jw -<>- >Latest From Manhattan Digest: http://tinyurl.com/ybnzeudz -<>- >In The News: Today, American Dream Week continues at the White House. President Donald J. Trump is focused on empowering every American to achieve their dreams. Under the President's leadership, optimism is skyrocketing, jobs are coming back, and the economy is revving up. The Washington Times reports on the positive economic news since President Trump took office, saying the stock market is continuing to hit “all-time record” highs, corporate earnings are “beating forecasts at the highest rate in at least nine years,” unemployment is “near historical lows,” “wages are rising,” and U.S. GDP has improved to “a solid 2.6 percent.” http://tinyurl.com/ycbu8ztj The White House's Stephen Miller Destroys CNN: ‘Cosmopolitan,’ ‘Outrageous,’ ‘Ignorant,’ ‘Biased’ http://em.mrc.org/TmLRp0q0g0006B300Y8dKS0 What the media should be reporting on - PERFECT CLARITY! Huckabee Sanders Shreads ‘Russia’ Fake News Reporters Right To Their Faces http://tinyurl.com/yaxggtbd A President to ALL Americans - HOW WONDERFUL! President Trump Accepts 10 Year Old Entrepreneur’s Offer To Mow White House Lawns http://tinyurl.com/y7ggar3g President Trump Adores The White House: Denies Calling It ‘A Dump’ Just More FAKE NEWS http://tinyurl.com/y9zxuddc New Declassified Memo Details Extreme Police State Tactics Used By Obama Administration http://tinyurl.com/yaq3xmr7 Venezuela: A Devastating Warning To Lefist Bernie Supporters Craving Socialism – Be Careful What You Wish For [VIDEO] http://tinyurl.com/ydxsvo5q These people must have a couple of screws loose - CNN’s Fareed Zakaria Declares Trump Won Because His Voters are Stupid, Racist, Misogynist, Gay-Hating Bigots - Democrats continue their campaign to win back the working class – By insulting them constantly: http://tinyurl.com/y9coryca Of course - their CEO is Muslim - PROOF! Google Manipulates Search Results to Conceal Criticism of Islam and Jihad http://tinyurl.com/ybblbg3m Many were shocked by La Civita Cattolica publishing an article by Jesuit Father Spadaro that compares Christian American conservatives with the ISIS. Among other things, it linked America's "One Nation Under God" ideology with terroristic "theocracy." I write in response to this in: Is the American Catholic Right Like ISIS? http://tinyurl.com/ybd4w3o8 -<>- >From Our Friend LouiseAu :) Many people visit Yellowstone National Park each year to see the beautiful scenery and wildlife but very few people get to witness one of the more amazing aspects of the park. Each year in the park some amazing animal migrations take place as herds of Elk and Pronghorn move to new locations. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NkraQEK5buA An interesting look at the changes that have occurred since wolves were reintroduced into the ecosystem in Yellowstone National Park in 1995. The trophic cascade that has occurred since then is truly fascinating and makes sense when you understand the role that the wolves play in Yellowstone. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ysa5OBhXz-Q --- ...Wonderful! Thanks LouiseAu! 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 ========================================================== \..,.- .\ | __ .| .- / .; _ _| \__/.. \ \ ...\| X Hamburg :_ | \ / / -. | \ X Rheine Berlin X \ __/ | | / | \ / | \ X Cologne Dresden X . , \ ._-. . / __.-/ | X Frankfurt \ \ \ \ \ ...,. \ / \. / ,. / ./ | Munich X | \,......,__ __, __.-. . \/ -/ .. -dj1yfk >Finding the Words Story Editor: by Keith Dale Joyce Schowalter Texas, USA In 1985 I lived near Stuttgart, West Germany. I had taken a semester of German in college, and the standard Department of Defense introductory language course, but wasn't fluent in German. We lived in an apartment in a quaint village. I could navigate towns, find the Bahnhof (train station), and order from simple menus. But a "real" conversation was beyond my abilities. Days I cared for my 4-year-old son while my wife worked as an Army officer. Then I worked as a DoD contractor on "swing shift", 4:00 p.m. until midnight. By midnight, driving home was a tired chore. I fought sleep by looking for objects beside the road. One night I spied a tennis shoe and sleepily thought, "A shoe!" Next I noted, "Some paper." I observed a body in the middle of the road. "A body." I saw the other shoe. "Aha, a pair!" Then I shouted out loud, "A BODY!?!" I swerved right and screeched to a halt. I sprinted up the road to the person lying prone. Suddenly I realized: this could be a setup. Terrorist activity against U.S. personnel was increasing in Germany then. Feeling misplaced invulnerability, I kept running. The "body" was very much alive, German, in his early 40s, and clutching his chest fearfully. Walking beside the road he had experienced chest pains. He purposefully fell down in the road where he would be spotted. I reacted to the terror in this man's eyes by wanting to comfort him. With fingers on his pulse, I used a calm voice. Had he had heart problems before? Any existing medical conditions? Was he taking medication? Had he been drinking or taking drugs? Did he live nearby? I told him that he would be just fine. His pulse calmed from 180 to 120 beats per minute. I told him that I'd been a lifeguard for five years and just finished a CPR refresher course. In answer to his heart-wrenching question, I told him that he would NOT die while I was there! Then I heard a bus coming down the hill. I needed to flag it down, so I tore away, ran up the hill and stood in the road waving. The startled bus driver agreed to drive ahead 300 meters to the Polizei (Police) station for help. In three minutes a German police officer arrived and took control. He took my information, then released me. I was glad to step back! I told my newest best friend that he'd be fine. He repeated, "I love Americans. Thank you!" Back in the safety of my car, my body shook as I relived the last 10 minutes. Everyone had spoken fluent English ...but no, I realized that the conversations were in German! Sudden German fluency had emerged to comfort a person in terrible need. I still don't know how. I've thought long and hard about it. Perhaps the lesson is that the language of compassion and caring is all that's necessary to be understood. Editor's Note: Keith Dale is also the author of "The Man Who Cares", about talks how host Montel Williams. That story is in the first HS book: http://www.HeroicStories.com/books.html =======HeroicStories======= >-->From Laugh And Lift: ( . ) ) ( ) . ' . ' . ' . ( , ) (. ) ( ', ) .' ) ( . ) , ( , ) ( . ). , ( . ( ) ( , ') .' ( , ) (_,) . ), ) _) _,') (, ) '. ) ,. (' ) jgs^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ >Uncontrolled Fire (by Ron Hutchcraft) It seems as if every summer there are raging fires in the American West that destroy hundreds of thousands of acres of timberland, and sometimes homes, businesses, and sadly, even lives. When a major fire broke out near an Indian reservation that our Native team had ministered on only a few months ago, I paid pretty special attention. Sadly, that fire spread to parts of the reservation, consuming the timber that is a major part of their already impoverished economy; along with homes and property outside the reservation. It is going to take a long time to recover. The cause of that very costly fire made the whole thing even sadder. It was started by a government firefighter who was hoping there would be a small fire that would give him some work. I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Uncontrolled Fire." A man let a fire start to help meet a personal need he had. It raged out of control; it did more damage than he could have imagined in his worst nightmares. Well, that is a mistake many a man has made - and even some women - with a deadly fire that the Bible calls lust. In a passage that warns against the costly mistakes we can make when we follow our passions, God vividly describes what lust is really like. It's in Proverbs 6:25-28, our word for today from the Word of God. Here's what He says about misguided passion, "Do not desire her beauty in your heart...Can a man take fire in his bosom and his clothes not be burned? Or can a man walk on hot coals and his feet not be scorched.?" Lust is fire...it's hot coals. In the previous chapter, God described the way s#xual passion was created to be. He says, "Rejoice with the wife of your youth...be ravished with her love" (Proverbs 5:18-19 ). In other words, save it for your wife, buddy! It could be, though, that you are playing with the fire of lust; maybe thinking, like that firefighter, that you can keep it under control. For a little while, maybe. But lust is a fire that will suddenly take you over and engulf you, and things and people that you care about as well. You may just be trying to meet a personal need, but you have no idea what a blazing inferno this can become and the damage it will do. You may be playing with fire on the Internet, in magazines you look at or movies you watch, or just in the way you look at the opposite s#x, or the way you push all the boundaries in what you're doing physically with someone. If you'll be honest with yourself, you will see increasing evidence that you're not controlling your passions. They're beginning to control you. The fire is spreading. The first thing they do to stop a fire is burn the ground ahead of it so it will run out of fuel. You've been feeding the fire of lust. Now, while there's still time, you've got to start to starve that fire. No more fuel. Get rid of it all! And get some help to put out the fire. Confide in a spiritually mature person you trust; tell them you want to beat this and meet with them regularly as an accountability partner. And every new day, give this battle to your all-holy, all-powerful Lord to help you win it one day at a time. You have His promise in Romans 6:14 , "Sin shall no longer be your master!" Before the fire spreads, before it does any more damage, please turn and fight it with everything you've got. The landscape is scorched and scarred with the desolation of those who didn't. [Permission to distribute this material via email, or individual copies, is automatically granted on the condition it will be used for non-commercial purposes, and will not be sold. To reproduce "A Word With You" transcripts in any other format, including Internet websites, written permission is needed.] -<>- ____________ |`. `. | `._____________`. | | .-----------.| | | | .-------.|| | | | | ||| | | |`.| ==== ||| |`. | |`.|_______||| | `|_|===========|| | | | .-------.|| | | | | ||| | | |`.| ==== ||| |`. | |`.|_______||| | `|_|===========|| | | | .-------.|| | | | | ||| | | |`.| ==== ||| `. | |`.|_______||| `|_|========LGB|| >The Room (Written by Joshua Harris) In that place between wakefulness and dreams, I found myself in the room. There were no distinguishing features save for the one wall covered with small index card files. They were like the ones in libraries that list titles by author or subject in alphabetical order. But these files, which stretched from floor to ceiling and seemingly endlessly in either direction, had very different headings. As I drew near the wall of files, the first to catch my attention was the one that read "Girls I Have Liked." I opened it and began flipping through the cards. I quickly shut it, shocked to realize that I recognized the names written on each one. And then without being told, I knew exactly where I was. This lifeless room with its small files was a crude catalog system for my life. Here were written the actions of my every moment, big and small, in a detail my memory wouldn't match. A sense of wonder and curiosity, coupled with horror, stirred within me as I began randomly opening files and exploring their content. Some brought joy and sweet memories; others a sense of shame and regret so intense that I would look over my shoulder to see if anyone was watching. A file named "Friends" was next to the one marked "Friends I Have Betrayed." The titles ranged from the mundane to the outright weird. "Books I Have Read," "Lies I Have Told," "Comfort I Have Given," "Jokes I Have Laughed At." Some were almost hilarious in their exactness: "Things I've Yelled At My Brothers." Others I couldn't laugh at: "Things I Have Done In My Anger," "Things I Have Muttered Under My Breath At My Parents." I never ceased to be surprised by the contents. Often there were many more cards than I had expected. Sometimes fewer than I hoped. I was overwhelmed by the sheer volume of the life I had lived. Could it be possible that I had the time in my 20 years to write each of these thousands or even millions of cards? But each card confirmed this truth. Each was written in my own hand writing. Each signed with my signature. When I pulled out the file marked "Songs I Have Listened To," I realized the files grew to contain their contents. The cards were packed tightly, and yet after two or three yards, I hadn't found the end of the file. I shut it, shamed, not so much by the quantity of music, but more by the vast amount of time I knew that file represented. When I came to a file marked "Lustful Thoughts," I felt a chill run through my body. I pulled the file out only an inch, not willing to test it's size, and drew out a card. I shuddered at it's detailed content. I felt sick to think that such a moment had been recorded. An almost animal rage broke on me. One thought dominated my mind: "No one must ever see these cards!!" In an intense frenzy I yanked the file out. Its size didn't matter now. I had to empty it and burn the cards. But as I took it at one end and began pounding it on the floor, I could not dislodge a single card. I became desperate and pulled out a card, only to find it as strong as steel when I tried to tear it. Defeated and utterly helpless, I returned the file to its slot. I leaned my forehead against the wall, and let out a long, self-pitying sigh. And then I saw it. The title bore "People I Have Shared The Gospel With." The handle was brighter than those around it, newer, almost unused. I pulled the handle and a small box not more than three inches long fell into my hands. I could count the cards it contained on one hand. And then the tears came. I began to weep. Sobs so deep that the hurt started in my stomach and shook through me. I fell on my knees and cried. I cried out of shame, from the overwhelming shame of it all. The rows of file shelves swirl