Happy Blessed Thanksgiving! ... :) 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. If every one would chip in $25 or more, we'd be good for the whole year! So Please - I need your help today! "We are each of us angels with but one wing, and can only fly by embracing each other" -Luciano Decrescenzo ~ CALLING ALL CARING ANGELS ~ *~* 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 ABUNDANTLY FOR YOUR GIFT! ================ __, ,____) _______) (--| | (--| _, (_, |__| _, _ _ | |_ _ ._ |__) , _ ' ',_ _ _| |(_||_)|_)(_| _| | |(_|| || \ /_)(_||\/|| |(_| ( | | ,_| ( |_, \_, ,_| ,_| *~* A Very Happy Blessed Thanksgiving To You And Yours! :) I am most thankful this year for all of you. You keep me motivated and bless my mind and heart with your prayers and knowing I am some how making a difference for the better in your lives. Without you, there'd be no reason for my website or this group list. The many of you who through the years have supported the website I am most thankful to. You've keep the site going and are a huge blessing with all your sharing and caring! I do so Thank you all! I am also most blessed and thankful for our law enforcement, EMS, fire fighters and military. They help keep us safe. To each and every one of them, I say thank you! I, too, am Always thankful for God and Jesus Christ. What a great spiritual family to be a part of! Totally awesome! Thank you, God! Of course, I am very thankful for our President Trump and all his supporters. It is such a blessing to see people getting back to work and God coming back into the country and back into American's lives. I say a prayer each night for wisdom and blessings for President Trump and all his supporters so each will know and do according to God's Will for them. I do so thank God for Trump and all who voted for him and are now supporting him! Thank You! >Vice President Pence delivers a Thanksgiving message to our troops Vice President Mike Pence and Second Lady Karen Pence made a surprise trip overseas this past weekend, visiting brave American soldiers who are stationed in Iraq over this Thanksgiving holiday. “The President wanted us to be here at the start of this holiday week to make sure you all know how thankful we are and every American is for your courageous service here in Iraq,” the Vice President told service members at Al Asad Air Base. During the holiday season, we are reminded again of the sacrifice our military men and women make—especially those who serve far away from their families back home. As the Vice President and Second Lady visited two air bases over the weekend, they offered appreciation on behalf of a grateful nation and handed out Thanksgiving meals. “In gatherings large and small all across the country, I know there’ll be a place saved at Thanksgiving tables for each and every one of you,” the Vice President said. “But I also know that millions of Americans—when they pause to reflect on what they’re thankful for—they’re going to breathe a prayer of thanksgiving for each and every one of you and all of the men and women of the Armed Forces of the United States deployed around the world. I promise you that.” Watch: Vice President and Second Lady serve a Thanksgiving meal to our troops https://tinyurl.com/umh3qqq VA NEWSLETTER: Free Scuba Certs, Veteran Health Library, Veterans Back on the Firing Line https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/USVA/bulletins/26c074e President Donald J. Trump, joined by First Lady Melania Trump, delivers remarks during the National Thanksgiving Turkey Pardoning Ceremony in the Rose Garden. “On behalf of the entire Trump family, I wish each and every one of you a very happy Thanksgiving.” | November 26, 2019 https://tinyurl.com/ugt3eyp For those of you like me who are cooking for Thanksgiving... How to Cook a Turkey: Recipes from Butterball https://tinyurl.com/qmxytnh Easy-Does-It Recipes! http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/easy.html Wishing you all a very warm and wonderful Thanksgiving Celebration! -<>- _,, _.-'` ',\ \ .-;`'(,____ \.-'\ _\-` __.-; \_.-'_.-'0 \/ / .'0 __ | /_.' .'o \ / .-. ,;--._\___/--. __./ | .-/ \ ^_> |\ /\ \ / <;/ \ \_/ |___/__\__|` <; | |) \ o ( <; |__.\ |o \ <; \ \ / o _\ <\.)-'`| =====""` \ /\__/__/^\____.-; | | | | | / \____|\____/ |===||===| jgs __/[](_||__l[]_ / || '. \ '-----'-''-'-.__/ >-->2 HOT Off The 'Shangy' Press :) This red hot new page is from our friend Linda. It is either one that will tickle your funny bone or give you some new ideas for your holiday parties. Be sure to give it a moment and check it out here... Extreme Haircuts http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/haircuts.html --- ...TeeHee! Crazy! Thanks Linda! Our next sizzling hot new page is from our friend KarenF. One thing I admire is ornate architecture and this temple sure does fit that description. I don't especially care for the religious aspects of this, but the intricate craftsmanship of it intrigues and amazes me. Certainly a place to want to see up close and personal! Be sure to check this and the video of it out here... BAPS Mandir Chino Hills! http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/mandirchinohills.html --- ...The place is astounding! Thank You KarenF! =========================================================== >-->From Heartwarmers: Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all others. -- Marcus Tullius Cicero It doesn't seem possible, but Thanksgiving is upon us. For our international friends, Thanksgiving is an American holiday that is celebrated to give thanks and count our many blessings. It's today, Thursday, November 28. _.-/`) // / / ) .=// / / / ) //`/ / / / / // / ` / || / \\ / )) .' jgs // / / >GRACE ON THE TRACKS by Roger Dean Kiser Once again, at the age of twelve, I had run away from the orphanage. It had not even entered my head that tomorrow was going to be Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving Day just happened to be one of the few days that we kids got to eat all that we wanted. I was headed out of Jacksonville, Florida, and I think I was westward bound -- whatever that direction was. All I knew was that someone had told me that I was born somewhere in California, and I had a mother and father out there somewhere. It was November so it was getting a little cold as the sun went down. I knew from past experience that I could not stay on the main road as the police would be looking for me. They would return me to the Duval County Juvenile Hall or worse, back to "The Orphanage". As I walked along, I came across some railroad tracks which I thought I would follow in hopes they might lead me to my mother somewhere in California. After about an hour or two of walking the tracks, I came across a large bonfire. There were several men standing around in a circle trying to stay warm. "Where you headed kid?" yelled one of the men. "Going to California to find my mom and dad," I hollered back at him. "Going the wrong way kid," he said, cupping his hands over his mouth like a bull-horn. Slowly I walked over to where the men were standing and I asked if I might get warm by the fire. "Get that empty can over there and I'll give you a cup of hot beans," said one of the men who was sitting on an old stack of tires. They sure were good beans too! I think I ate two whole cans. Sure was nice of them to give me some of their food. "Might as well stay here for the night," said the man with the sling on his arm. I know my eyes got real big and I got a little scared when he put his good arm around me. "It's gonna be ok kid. I'll look after you," said the man who had given me the beans. I slept pretty good considering how cold it was out there by the tracks. There were a few old army blankets that smelled real bad, but they sure were warm and itchy. The next morning we had beans once again for breakfast. That was the first time I ever had coffee and it was real good tasting. Made you feel real warm inside. After breakfast we cleaned up our mess and burned it all in the fire and then we poured water over the fire and made it go out. For most of the day we walked down the railroad tracks. Once in a while, we would sneak over a fence and steal some fruit to eat. I didn't like stealing but that fruit sure tasted awfully good. Right before dark one of the men went into a small store and asked if he could do some work for a loaf of white bread and some meat, but the store man told him "No." Later on, I went back into the store and when the man wasn't looking I stole that loaf of bread and two packs of meat which had bad tasting pickles in it. That night we had fruit, pickle meat sandwiches, and beans for Thanksgiving Dinner. I called it "Supper". I never knew that poor people like hobos ever said grace before they ate, especially after stealing food. But they did, and they really meant it too, because I could tell it in their voices when they all said "Amen". "How come you people always say grace when you eat. You're like me. You ain't got nothing to be thankful for," I said. "Ain't you got two arms and two legs kid?" asked one of the men. "Course I got two arms and two legs," I told him. "Then you got something to be thankful for," said the man, as he raised his pants leg and showed me his fake leg. "Did the big war do that to you?" I asked him. The man did not answer me. He just got up from his seat on the ground and walked away off into the darkness. "It's OK kid. He just takes the war harder than the rest of us. We were all in the war," said his friend. "You was in the war too?" I asked. He looked down at the ground without answering my question. Then he broke into tears and covered his face. I sat there not knowing what to say. I just sipped on my warm coffee and tried to stay warm. The next thing I remember it was morning time. The four men all told me goodbye, except the one who could not talk -- he spoke with his hands and fingers. Then they jumped on the slow moving train and left me standing all alone beside the railroad tracks. I took my two good arms and my two good legs and I walked back to the orphanage. When I saw the head matron, Mrs. Winters, I told her, with my mouth that could speak words, that I was very sorry I had run away and that I was very ashamed for not being thankful for all that God had given me. -- Roger Dean Kiser ___________________________________________ Roger is a Heartwarmer Gem and the founder of the Sad Orphan Foundation. You can subscribe to his free mailing list to get updates on the Angel Pal Project by clicking here: mailto:warmers-on@mail-list.com =========================================================== >-->From HandyHints: .-""""-._.'| / '.| | / | / | -= | /| ( | |/`< ) ) ( ; -=| _| ) \ \ / ____ /) '._ _.-""-.< .' `\/) / / \ / _ .'`/| _ / | '-._( __\ (__/_/=, ( \| \ -=/ /--;==========` ._,;'\==='-,..__/__/__.' `'--/,/ || ' \ / | / || ' \ \/ . || ; jgs / / || | | . || | / '=------| / ' ; ; ;| `-.___.___.___.___._/ >Thanksgiving Tips... No room in your fridge? Not enough pots and pans? I got you covered! No matter how well you plan your Thanksgiving, you know problems are going to pop up. Following are a few helpful tips and tricks to help you tackle some of the most common problems every family faces on Thanksgiving, from no fridge space to not enough pots and pans. Who knows? You might even discover a trick you can use all-year-round! * Ice Chest As a Fridge In the lead-up to the big feast, refrigerator real estate is precious. Clear out those space-hogging bottles of dressing and pickles, and stow them in a cooler filled with ice packs. It's also great if you want to brine your turkey overnight (make sure to add plenty of ice). * Aluminum Foil As a Roasting Rack The point of a rack is to hold your bird above the pan so heat can circulate evenly. Who says it has to be made of wire or cost a lot of money? If you don't have the store-bought variety, crumple some sheets of foil into thick ropes and wrap them in coils on the bottom of your pan. Or go biodegradable and place the bird on a bed of halved onions, carrots and celery. * Slow Cooker As Mashed Potato Keeper The only thing worse than lumpy mashed potatoes on Thanksgiving is cold, gluey ones. To keep your spuds warm when every burner of your stovetop is in use, butter your slow-cooker insert, add a little heavy cream and spoon in the potatoes. Set the temp to low and stir every hour or so to keep your potatoes smooth and silky. * Measuring Cup As a Fat Separator The secret to great gravy is skimmed - not greasy - pan drippings. If you're without a fat separator, pour your drippings into a large heatproof measuring cup and pop it in the freezer. As the drippings cool, the fat will rise to the top and solidify, making it easy to skim off with a spoon. * Salad Bar As a Sous Chef Shave hours off your prep time by picking up ingredients from the supermarket salad bar that are already cleaned and ready to go - think chopped onions, trimmed beans, sliced bell peppers, hard-boiled eggs and even crumbled bacon. * Chicken Broth As a Turkey Reviver Overcooked the bird? Before you bring that platter of dried-out meat to the table, drizzle it with a little warm chicken broth. It'll help moisten the meat and add flavor. This is also a good trick for perking up slices that have gone from room temp to cold. -<>- >Go Green' Hint: Turn down the heat. With a turkey roasting away in the oven for 4 or 5 hours and potatoes and veggies bubbling away on the stove top, Thanksgiving day is the perfect opportunity to turn your thermostat down 5 or 6 degrees. A crowd of people gathered around the dinner table will be puttng off enough heat of their own, so don't forget to save your- self a few bucks on the gas bill. Make sure you use reuseables. With a big crowd of people it is tempting to go disposable, but Thanksgiving is a special occasion after all. So pull out the cloth table- cloths and napkins, and the 'real' silverware and plates, and save all the waste from disposable plates, cups and utensils. =========================================================== >-->From Archives InspiredBuffalo: .---. |_X_| ___ [_____] / _ \ // \\ | / \ | | " | || " || __\___/__ __\\_//__ /\_______/\ / | U | \/ _ : _ \ ( (|___|) )/ \ : / \ \ \_ / \ _/ \ /=====\ / / /| |\ './___:___\.' ; | | ; | | | | | | | | | | | \_____/ | |--|--| '._______.' |LI|LI| jgs \/ \/ \_/ \_/ >SHE IS YOUR NEIGHBOR She is your neighbor. She lives in that house down the street where the grass gets a little tall in the summer. The sidewalks remain covered in snow a little longer than most of the homes in your area. During your early morning drive you'll see her outside in her housecoat and slippers sweeping the porch. Even on a warm summer day she wears a heavy sweater. Every so often you see her walking down the street with her fold-up push cart heading toward the grocery store. For the most part she is invisible to the world. She has become a part of the scenery. She goes about her daily routines asking for nothing from the world. And the world responds by doing nothing for her. The truth is she could die tomorrow and you most likely wouldn't even miss her. "They're selling that old house down the street. You know, where that old lady lived. I saw a sign at the grocery store. They're having a tag sale. I bet there's some great old stuff in there. Let's make a point to go Saturday. We'll get there early for some real bargains." By the end of that Saturday, when the last piece of her life has been sold, she will be but a memory for someone. Her worth to whatever family members laid claim to her property, will be in dollars and cents. She was just passing through this life, biding her time. "How sad," you say to yourself. How sad indeed. Sad that you never got to know her. If you had taken the time to say "hello" one day you would have been blessed. Perhaps walking down the street one early summer's eve you would have seen her sitting on the old oak rocking chair you got at a bargain price the day they auctioned off her life. That chair was hand made by her Father. He came to America with the skill of a craftsman and raised her and her seven siblings with his bare hands. Her Momma sat in that chair and breast fed every one of them. She made their clothes, baked bread everyday and tended to a large garden that they depended on for fresh vegetables. This mysterious old lady was married once for what would have been a lifetime for most of us. Her husband died years ago, but not before he paid the last payment on the home you rummaged through on Saturday. Children? They had seven kids and raised them on hand-me-downs and fresh garden vegetables. Two died at an early age, one in a car accident when he was just a teen. The others went on to college and scattered across the U.S. in search of big dollars, big homes and little respect for who gave them life and everything they had today. Except for a few photographs that they split among themselves as tokens of the "good old days" they each received their portion of the estate and went on with their lives. Some where in her possessions they found an envelope filled with cash. On it was written the words, "I couldn't spend your money." For they would send her checks to pay someone to cut the grass and shovel the sidewalk. She did it herself. She had no other living relatives and very few friends to visit her. The ones still around were tucked away in nursing homes she couldn't get to visit. Yes, how sad it is that you didn't take the time to say hello. You would have met an honest to goodness Angel here on earth. I am guilty, too. You see, I wouldn't have met her either except one day while driving past her house I blew a tire and pulled by the side of the road. While struggling with the spare, she came out and offered me a fresh glass of homemade iced tea. I sat on her steps as she rocked in that chair and told me a lifetime of stories. She talked so long she apologized for she rarely got visitors. I assured her that she need not apologize at all. I was the one who was sorry that I had never stopped by sooner. "You are an angel," I told her. In her sweet, gentle voice she said, "We are each other's angels. We meet when it is time." She died the other day and I sat on her front porch and watched her life fall apart. The neighbors got some real bargains that day. But I found a treasure. -<>- ____ / __ \ __/==LI==\__ `"///""""\\\"` ( . . ) \ __ / ;.__.; /` /\ `\ | /::\ | /\ / :: \ /\ / \/ :: \/ \ /\/`>==::==<`\/\ (_/ / :: \ \_) /__________\ | || | |- || -| jgs \.-||-./ /LI/\LI\ (__/ \__) >The Rejection Letter Though I graduated from university with a Bachelors in psychology and a grade point average of 3.58 which meant that I had graduated with honours (cum laud) I still did not make the grade required for clinical psychology. For the clinical psychology programs in all the best universities in North America, only the top 5% of students need ever apply. A grade point average of 4.00 and the dreaded G.R.E, (graduate record exam) were the two most important requirements of the selection process. I had already missed the mark for the grade point average because of my statistics and research methods marks. I had A's in every other subject in the program. I also failed badly on the G.R.E, when I did so poorly in the math and logic sections. To help me plot my career choices, I made an appointment to see the director of psychology for the undergraduate program, at Concordia University. He strongly advised me to choose an alternative route for graduate school. According to Dr. Gray, I just was not going to make it in clinical psychology unless I choose a very small university somewhere. I needed to stay in Montreal and therefore go to one of the bigger universities. Being a single parent and poor to boot, I was not about to relocate. I needed the support system that I had right here in my own city. I therefore decided to go the route of Plan B. Plan B was to apply for the masters program for Counselling Psychology at McGill University; right here in my city. I was relieved to find out that the grade point average was not as strict, only a 3.00 was needed, and I had 3.58. In addition, though the G.R.E was mandatory to sit, it was the last criteria looked upon during the selection process. Volunteer work or actual work in the field was much more important for the selection process in this program. I had prepared myself well during my undergraduate degree by doing volunteer work. I knew that I had everything necessary to enter this program and I was so hopeful. I was elated when I was granted the interview. Though I was nervous, the interview went well as far as I was concerned and the possibility of being accepted to this program looked very promising from my standpoint. Then the letter came back, I did not get in. I was shocked and disappointed. I knew I had everything it took for the program. Again, Dee was there at my side with her roommate Pat. They agreed with me that I had everything it took for that program but perhaps the other applicants had more. Where I had volunteer work perhaps others had actual clinical work etc. There may be a myriad of reasons why I did not get in and none of them had to do with my ability they told me. They were also quick to get out the graduate program booklet and get me on track to choose a different course of action - Plan C. I really believe I would have fallen apart if it were not for Dee and Pat who kept my morale high. After a bit of exploration we found a program that I could apply to that was similar to the Counselling Psychology program that I wanted so badly. What we found was a diploma degree in Family Life Education. I could do the degree and re-apply the following year for Counselling. Although I was not convinced that I should re-apply to Counselling since I was rejected once, they told me that I must re- apply. Many people are refused the first time around but eventually are accepted to graduate programs after re-applying. At least in the meantime I had a program in Family Life Education that I would be doing. This program in turn would look good on my resume when I re- applied the following year. In other words the university would know that I just did not curl up and die. I was determined to get the education that I wanted come what may. I applied for the Family Life Education Diploma and I was accepted. The first term was a cinch. It actually was very easy. My undergraduate degree was a lot harder than this program. So in the winter term I transferred over to the Masters degree for the same program. By the time that the deadline for re-applying for the counselling program came around again I was not sure if I was going to re- apply. I now lacked the confidence needed. Again Dee and Pat sat me down for a good chat. What did I have to lose? I was in a masters program that I found was okay but not really what I was looking for so what harm would it do to re-apply to the program that I really wanted? I really couldn't disagree with that logic and I went for it. This time I made it. I was accepted for the Counselling Psychology Program! I asked the secretary what had made the difference this time as opposed to the last time and she told me that one of my professors in the Family Life Education Program, Dr. Bill had recommended me. It just so happened he was the director of the Counselling Psychology program at the time. I had no way of knowing who the professor would be when I selected that Family Life Education course. I did not even know who the director of the Counselling Department was at the time. There is no doubt in my mind that this was indeed heavenly intervention set in motion to help me realize my dream. About me: I have a Masters in Counselling Psychology. I have written for several newsletter including this one. I run my own newsletter and I will soon be publishing my book ? Picking Up the Pieces: A woman's Journey. If you would like to comment about this story feel free to contact me at: winterose@... -<>- ####### ##[_]## ,;###########;, <<:{{\|@___@|/}}:>> <<:{{| ( /___\\) \}}:>> <<:{{/\ \\___/( /\}}:>> <<<<:{{| \ _.| |(_\/ |}}:>>>> <<<:{{|`\,'| '-' |'./`|}}:>>> <<<:{{|`\/ \___/ \/`|}}:>>> <<<:{{ \// ) ~ ~ ( \\/ }}:>>> <<:{{`{///' ~ ^ ~ '\\\}`}}:>>> <<:{{,=`. ~ ^.~.^ ~ .`=,}}:>> `-,__.__,-' \ | / jgs // \\ .---'( )'---. `---'-` `-'---` >(Welcome Back) A Bond of Thanksgiving It was five years ago when I met Wylie, a day that changed my life forever. As the weatherman had predicted, it was a cold, blustery day. The wind howled between the buildings, penetrating all layers of clothing I'd put on that morning. Chilled to the bone, I dug my gloves out of my coat pocket and slipped them on. I pulled my collar up, covering my neck and headed for the building three blocks away from my work. As I struggled to walk against the wind, I glanced down one of the alleys. A man lay on the ground in fetal position. At first, I thought he was dead, but noticed his body shivering. A little voice in my head told me to just walk on by and hurry to my meeting, but my heart told me to stop to see if this man was all right. I moved toward him. His face was pale, his lips blue. I shook him, and he opened his eyes. "Come on. Get up," I said, tugging at his frozen hands. He looked to be in his mid-seventies. Gray hairs stuck up from his head in all directions. As I examined him, I saw that his clothes didn't look like they belonged on a homeless man. His shoes were leather and polished. This man did not belong in an alley. He stood up, and I looked into his eyes. They were pale blue and reminded me of the waters off the coast of Barcelona, Spain, but those eyes were full of hurt and of pain. "Come with me. We're going to get you warmed up," I said. I took his hands and rubbed them, trying to get the circulation flowing. He followed me without saying a word; he just stared ahead. I wondered if, perhaps, he'd had a stroke, or if he had Alzheimer's. I pushed the door open to a café, and we went inside. Instantly we were both enveloped in the aroma of roasted coffee and sizzling burgers with onions. I sat the man down in a booth and slipped into the seat across from him. He looked at me. "What's your name?" I asked. "Wylie." No more said. "Well, Wylie, would you like to tell me why you were lying in the alley?" "No." The waitress came to our table. "Give us two cups of tea and the daily special, whatever it is." She nodded and left. Wylie's face was the epitome of despair and loneliness. Our tea came, and I pushed Wylie's cup toward him. He dropped in his tea bag and looked out the window. He seemed to be in good enough health. He was able to speak, walk and sip tea. "Wylie, has something tragic happened in your life recently?" He turned and faced me. Tears trickled from the corners of his eyes, rolled down his cheeks and dripped onto the red and white checked tablecloth. "My wife," he whispered. "Your wife? Is she okay? Did she leave you?" I wanted so desperately to find out what was wrong. "She died last week. We were married fifty-two years, and she died. Now I am alone. I'd rather die in an alley than live one more day without her," he mumbled. I didn't know what to say. "I'm so sorry, Wylie. Do you have children?" "Four of them, but they don't live here. They never had time for Helen or me. I'm alone, completely alone," Wylie said. He wiped the tears away with his napkin. "Sip your tea, and warm your hands," I urged, and he did. I listened while Wylie told me about his wife's sudden death, their early years and the love they shared. My heart went out to this man, and I was touched to the depths of my soul by his sadness. The waitress brought us our food. "So, this is the daily special?" he asked, trying to smile. Our plates were covered with onion rings, French fries, fried clams and calamari. A slice of garlic bread lay across the side of the plate. She plopped down a bottle of ketchup and two glasses of water, then disappeared to help other customers. I tried not to laugh, but couldn't help it. "Well Wylie, eat up." He must have been starving because the plate of food was gone in less than five minutes. "Have you eaten lately?" I asked. He told me he'd not eaten in three days. I had the waitress bring him another plateful, then we topped off our meal with a big piece of pumpkin pie. "Let me take you home," I said, waiting in line to pay the bill. Wylie slipped twenty dollars into my hand. "It's on me," he said. I felt his hands, and they were normal temperature once again. His lips were pink and rosy, and his cheeks had color in them again. "My car is about a block away. I'll drive you home," I said. When we opened the door to go out, we were pelted with sleet and arctic winds. We dashed toward the parking lot, passing the alley where I'd first seen Wylie. He stopped and stared. "Come on, Wylie. We'll reminisce in the car, where it's warm and dry." It turned out that Wylie lived only a mile or two from my house. When we pulled into his driveway, he did not want to go inside. "I'll go with you," I told him. He opened the door. The first thing I noticed was that the house smelled like lavender. For the next two hours, I sat on Wylie's couch. He showed me pictures of Helen and took me into each room, which definitely had signs of a woman's touch. After a lot of arguing, Wylie gave me his daughter's phone number. I called her while Wylie made us some more tea. She told me she'd be there by nine o'clock that night and asked me to watch out for her dad till she got there. "Wylie, you're coming to my house. Tomorrow's Thanksgiving. I need some help getting things ready. It's the least you can do to pay me back for the drive home," I smiled. He didn't argue, and I drove the few blocks home. After making a couple of phone calls to my job and husband, I sat Wylie down at the counter with a knife and several stalks of celery. "Chop!" I commanded. My husband, Scott, came right home. He didn't ask any questions about who Wylie was or why he was there. He welcomed him to our home and sat next to him, chopping onions and carrot sticks. He even joked with Wylie and got him to smile. Wylie had supper with us that night. We stayed busy in the kitchen until late in the evening. When the doorbell rang, Scott opened the door. "Dad!" a middle-aged woman said. She rushed to her father and threw her arms around him. He started crying and held her tight. After a few minutes, she pulled herself away. Scott took Wylie into the living room, so we girls could talk. "I'm Beth. Thank you so much for helping Dad." She hugged me and I started crying myself. "When you called, I was so distressed. I had no idea Dad was taking it so hard. Where did you find him?" I sat Beth down on a barstool and told her the story. She was horrified, and I could tell she was genuinely crushed to think of her father being so distraught that he felt that his family didn't love him or want to be near him. "Beth, you and your dad come here for Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow. I insist!" She nodded and thanked me. "I'm taking Dad home to live with us. The kids will love having him around. I don't want him to be alone. Thoughts of him collapsing from cold and hunger in an alley is just too...just too..." She couldn't finish her sentence. Beth was exhausted after her long drive. Wylie hadn't slept in days. Beth took him to his home and promised to be back the next day. That Thanksgiving Day was the best I've ever had. We sang songs. We ate roasted chestnuts. Wylie cut the turkey and ate three pieces of pumpkin pie. After our feast, we sat in the living room patting our well-fed tummies. "We need to get going. It's a long drive home," Beth said. Wylie walked over to me. Tears puddled in his eyes. "Thank you." He pulled me to him and held me close. "You saved my life. I'm going to be fine now. I'll always miss my Helen, but Beth, Steve and the kids want me there with them. Thank you with all my heart." I wiped the tears away, as Scott and I stood at the door, waving goodbye. When we shut the door behind them, I could no longer keep the tears from flowing. I cried until there were no more tears to cry. "You did a good thing, honey," Scott said. "You saved that man's life." "You'd have done it too," I assured him. "I don't know if I would have or not, but you did. Now Wylie won't be lonely ever again." He kissed me tenderly, and we went into the kitchen to clean up. Wylie and his family have driven to our house every Thanksgiving since then, or we have gone to theirs. A bond was formed in that dark, cold alley; a bond of eternal friendship and love -- a bond of Thanksgiving. Margo Fallis -<>- >Links for Your Enjoyment: Financial Stewardship http://www.ShangralaFamilyFun.com/BibleStudy/financialstewardship.html Just Have Faith http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/faith.html Expensive Hotel rooms http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/ehotels.html Humor In Politics 11 http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/politics10.html MacGyver - How To Do It 4 http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/macgyver4.html Rarely Seen Babies http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/babyanimals.html Taking A Catnap 2 http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/catnap2.html Niagara Falls Frozen! http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/niagarafalls.html Proud Of Our Troops 2 http://www.ShangralaFamilyFun.com/troops2.html Gifts and Callings http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/BibleStudy/giftscallings.html Holiday Mail For Heroes http://redcrosschat.org/2009/10/27/holiday-mail-for-heroes-2/ Value What You Have! http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/valuewyh.html Rich Vs Poor http://www.ShangralaFamilyFun.com/richvspoor.html Ohio Indians http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/ohioindians.html Thanksgiving Story! http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/alices.html Fall/Vets/Thanksgiving Index! https://tinyurl.com/y4xyz2w8 -<>- Be Ye Thankful http://www.absolutebiblestudy.com/Basics/Be_Ye_Thankful.htm The Basics http://www.absolutebiblestudy.com/Basics/Basics.htm Understanding “Heart” https://tinyurl.com/sqsjk2r Spiritual Warfare – The Battle Within https://tinyurl.com/sphcn3a Manhattan Declaration Digest https://tinyurl.com/rmchk3h Thanksgiving Inspiration https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=24GoN_m3Qj8 -<>- >In The News: Westwing News: https://www.whitehouse.gov/westwingreads/ WhiteHouseNews: https://www.whitehouse.gov/1600daily/ Latest From AFA: http://tinyurl.com/j7lakqw Students For Life https://tinyurl.com/yd5nxmu6 Latest From OperationRescue: http://www.operationrescue.org/ Latest Product Alert: http://www.emergencyemail.org/products/?fmt=text Latest Health Alert: http://www.emergencyemail.org/health/?fmt=text Click to Give Free https://tinyurl.com/y2abb8d2 -<>- >From Our Friend LouieAu :) A cool wildlife video of a couple of big brown bears having a confrontation over territory in Kuhmo, Finland. https://youtu.be/qmMBN8bpyzE A random collection of old black and white as well as some color photos that span the 19th and 20th Centuries. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HxSIjWxc74Y Thanksgiving is a day for many to reflect on what they are thankful for but Giving Thanks is something happy people do on a daily basis. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G7j07SsBhTk --- ...Aww, so sweet! Thank You 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 ========================================================== |_| _, _ _ ___ | |(_||_)|_)\_| .'=:-\ ___ | | ._| /.='( ` | |_ _ ,_ |/ , _ . .,_ _ /. ^=.'-._..---. | | |(_|| ||\/_)(_|||/|| |(_| | =^.'=.'^//"(_`\\)8, ._| ._| |^.'=' .=||/' `\||;8.-' \'.^,=^'.||; ; ||8/:_,_ give thanks... './-`\= \\\.-./;//,_/`- \ jgs \__/-/'-\888::((()),_ /:. .O__/ (_88:::(())):. `8':. ' >I Want to Come Home Story Editor: by C Bakke Brian Forte California, USA When your child turns 18, it doesn't mean they're automatically ready to face the world. Alicia thought she was, however, so near the end of her 19th year she announced she was flying to the East Coast to meet and live with her Internet boyfriend. After all, they'd corresponded for three years, spoken via telephone hundreds of times, and even had web-cam conversations. Ticket in hand, she flew 3,000 miles to Newark, New Jersey. The relationship lasted three months, about 85 days longer than I guessed it would, and then blew up. One day in September 2006, she got a ride to the Newark Penn Station from a kind-hearted neighbor and then called California. She had two suitcases, $5.00 and a phone card. "Mom, I want to come home." I told her to sit in the main waiting area, read a magazine and call back in an hour -- giving me time to find a last minute plane ticket back to the West Coast. Many one-way, last minute "deals" were over a thousand dollars, but I found a more reasonable ticket out of JFK International Airport in New York City. But how to get her from downtown Newark to JFK? Especially on $5.00? "Go to the Amtrak Information counter," I told her, "and ask if there's a way I can pay for a train ticket over the phone with my credit card. Then call me back." Ten minutes later I got a telephone call from another young woman, an employee of Amtrak. Her name was Tyra and she didn't sound a whole lot older than Alicia. She told me the Amtrak trip would involve a transfer at Grand Central Station in Manhattan. Given the late hour and with Alicia traveling alone, however, the Long Island Railroad would be both faster and safer. Time to the last train was short and Tyra also said she would walk Alicia over to the counter, try to help her get the right information, and call me back right from there. Ten minutes after that Tyra called again. "I didn't want her to miss that last train, so I paid cash for the ticket and got her onboard," she told me. "I also talked to the conductor to make sure he'd help her make her connection. Then I called the people at Jamaica Station to tell them to be on the lookout for her so they could help her get onto the JFK skytrain." I thanked her profusely, but it was like pulling teeth to get her to tell me her name and address so I could send a check to cover the cash she'd taken out of her own purse to assist my child. There was also another thing I needed to thank Tyra for: giving Alicia a crash course in "Random Acts of Kindness 101." Because that kind of lesson is worth any number of train tickets. =======HeroicStories======= >-->From LaughAndLift: "Thanksgiving was never meant to be shut up in a single day." - Robert Caspar Lintner @@ Thanksgiving @@ 11/96 .:. .:. \|/ .:. _ \\,/// \|/ | \|/ _/_\_ ___ \\|/// <#> | \|<#> | (") /.-.\ (")\\ \|<#>|/ \| / _ //U\\ |(")| //-\\\ | \| /<#>/ ( ) _ \|_|/ /)v(\ <#>_/|_|/\\ \ |/ |/ \| (_` )_('> | | \/~\/ |||\\\ \| | |/ (__,~_)8 ||| //_\\ ||| \\ |/ \| / \| / jgs _YY_ _[|]_ /_____\ _[|]_ \| |/ |/ """"""""'""'""'"""""'""""'""'"""'"""""''"'"""^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ >When Good Christians Act Like Atheists and Idolaters A Thanksgiving Day Reminder (By Rev. Kerry S. Doyal - Grace Bible Church - www.GetGraced.org) [Edited] Want to act and look like an unbeliever? Care to have core traits that make you indistinguishable from atheists or agnostics? Good news! It doesn't take becoming a serial killer, a suicide terrorist or a child abuser. According to Romans 1:21-23 all it takes is... well, read it for yourself: "For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened." "Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles" (NIV). It is one small step for man yet one giant leap for mankind from not honoring and thanking God to becoming foolish and functional idolaters. To know about God and not give Him due credit (glory) or properly thank Him is to be no different than your run of the mill atheist or blatant idolater. Ouch! Arguably, the fearful pagan sacrificing chickens to appease an unknown Creator is closer to true worship of God than we educated, technology driven, pure materialists who live without properly praising or thanking Him. To ascribe credit for one person's work to another is to be guilty of lying. In this case, it is bearing false witness about our Ultimate Neighbor. It is to misrepresent the one (or impersonal forces) who did not do the work - giving them undue credit. To not laud the Lord is to strip away His deserved praise and thanks - the One who did the work. Me taking credit for the Mona Lisa or the Magna Carta is beyond funny. It is insulting to all involved. One of the dangers of pure atheistic evolution (life came from time, chance and non-living matter) is to ascribe some of God's best work to nothing but cosmic luck. To assert that our beautiful mountains, that awesome sky and those humbling oceans "just happened" is to mute their testimony of their Creator. In rejecting the work of the Creator, we become deaf to the heavens when they declare the glory of God (see Psalms 19 & 8). Nature's songs of praise cannot be heard because there is no One to whom it would sing. Even if it were left up to the rocks to cry out, we could not hear them if they did. Beyond sad and tragic, that is blasphemous - if not by design then by default. It is not the loss of Adam and Eve to evolution that is most tragic - though the biblical / theological magnitude of that cannot be overstated. It is that God is banished from the garden of our weedy hearts, leaving us less than fig-leaf clad. And we are left to turn the created into the Creator. Seeing God for Who He is - His awesome character - is the basis of praise. We give or "ascribe to the LORD the glory due his name" (Ps. 29:2). To understate His greatness in any realm naturally limits and minimizes the rightful praise we offer Him. Thanksgiving focuses on what God has given or provided us. It flows from our acknowledging that every good and perfect gift has indeed come down from our heavenly Father (James 1:17). We thank Him for gifts He bestows because of Who He is, for what He has done for us, or mercifully, not done or allowed to happen to us. Is gratitude a struggle for you? Could some of it be dealt with by remembering Who is Whom and whom is not? Do you need in any way to re- enthrone the Creator, knowing our rightfully jealous God will not share His glory with anyone? Careful meditation on passages like John 1:3 and Colossians 1:16, 17 might help refocus your heart. A focus on God - rather than mere gratitude or guilt for all our stuff, health and "blessings" - will best restore us to being people who are truly thankful in ways that give Him more glory. It is then we will do as the psalmists says: "Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done. Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts. Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice." (Psalm 105:1-3 - NIV) "Ascribe to the LORD, O mighty ones, ascribe to the LORD glory and strength." (Psalm 29:1) Portions of the Original Thanksgiving Day Proclamation from Abraham Lincoln: "In the midst of a civil war of unequaled magnitude and severity, which has sometimes seemed to foreign states to invite and to provoke their aggression, peace has been preserved with all nations, order has been maintained, the laws have been respected and obeyed, and harmony has prevailed everywhere, except in the theater of military conflict, while that theater has been greatly contracted by the advancing armies and navies of the Union. Needful diversions of wealth and of strength from the field of peaceful industry to the national defense have not arrested the plow, the shuttle, or the ship; the ax has enlarged the borders of our settlements, and the mines, as well of iron and coal as of the precious metals, have yielded even more abundantly than theretofore. Population has steadily increased notwithstanding the waste that has been made in the camp, the siege, and the battlefield, and the country, rejoicing in the consciousness of augmented strength and vigor, is permitted to expect continuance of years with large increase of freedom. No human counsel hath devised nor hath any mortal hand worked out these great things. They are the gracious gifts of the Most High God, who, while dealing with us in anger for our sins, hath nevertheless remembered mercy. It has seemed to me fit and proper that they should be solemnly, reverently, and gratefully acknowledged, as with one heart and one voice, by the whole American people. I do therefore invite my fellow- citizens in every part of the United States, and also those who are at sea and those who are sojourning in foreign lands, to set apart and observe the last Thursday of November next as a day of thanksgiving and praise to our beneficent Father who dwelleth in the heavens. And I recommend to them that while offering up the ascriptions justly due to Him for such singular deliverances and blessings they do also, with humble penitence for our national perverseness and disobedience, commend to His tender care all those who have become widows, orphans, mourners, or sufferers in the lamentable civil strife in which we are unavoidably engaged, and fervently implore the interposition of the Almighty Hand to heal the wounds of the nation and to restore it, as soon as may be consistent with the Divine purposes, to the full enjoyment of peace, harmony, tranquility, and union. In testimony wherof I have herunto set my hand and caused the seal of the United States to be affixed." [Signed] A. Lincoln No wonder that Mr. Lincoln was so greatly used of God in a critical time in American history. SUBSCRIBE INFO Want to receive a Christian inspirational item AND great clean humor in an email to you each day of the week? It's easy and FREE! Read all about Laugh & Lift at http://www.laughandlift.com ========================================================== ___ .'=:-\ /.='( ` /. ^=.'-._..---. | =^.'=.'^//"(_`\\)8, |^.'=' .=||/' `\||;8.-' \'.^,=^'.||; ; ||8/:_,_ './-`\= \\\.-./;//,_/`- \ jgs \__/-/'-\888::((()),_ /:. .O__/ (_88:::(())):. `8':. ' >-->I Wish You Enough Recently I overheard a mother and daughter in their last moments together at the airport. They had announced the departure. Standing near the security gate, they hugged and the mother said, 'I love you and I wish you enough'. The daughter replied, 'Mom, our life together has been more than enough. Your love is all I ever needed. I wish you enough, too, Mom'. They kissed and the daughter left. The mother walked over to the window where I was seated. Standing there I could see she wanted and needed to cry. I tried not to intrude on her privacy but she welcomed me in by asking, 'Did you ever say good-bye to someone knowing it would be forever?'. "Yes, I have,' I replied. 'Forgive me for asking, but why is this a forever good-bye?'. 'I am old and she lives so far away. I have challenges ahead and the reality is the next trip back will be for my funeral,' she said. 'When you were saying good-bye, I heard you say, 'I wish you enough'. May I ask what that means?'. She began to smile. 'That's a wish that has been handed down from other generations. My parents used to say it to everyone'. She paused a moment and looked up as if trying to remember it in detail and she smiled even more. 'When we said, 'I wish you enough', we were wanting the other person to have a life filled with just enough good things to sustain them'. Then turning toward me, she shared the following as if she were reciting it from memory. I wish you enough sun to keep your attitude bright no matter how gray the day may appear. I wish you enough rain to appreciate the sun even more. I wish you enough happiness to keep your spirit alive and everlasting. I wish you enough pain so that even the smallest of joys in life may appear bigger. I wish you enough gain to satisfy your wanting. I wish you enough loss to appreciate all that you possess. I wish you e enough hellos to get you through the final good-bye. She then began to cry and walked away. They say it takes a minute to find a special person, an hour to appreciate them, a day to love them but then an entire life to forget them. I WISH YOU ENOUGH... (¯`v´¯) `*.¸.*´ ¸.•´¸.•*¨) ¸.•*¨) (¸.•´ (¸.•´ .•´ ¸¸.•¨¯`•. Huggums!... :) Shangy! __ / \ _/=Ll=\_ [________] ___ ||/""\|| .'___`. ( 6. 6 ) / /"""\ \ __, ,__, \_--_/ |( 6 6 )| (--| | .-[\~--~/]-. ~\_-_/~ |--| _ _ _ / \ / \ .-' '-. _| | (_||_)|_)\_| / _, `----' ,_ \ /\_____/\ ( |_, | | ,_| \ \| |/ / / ,_/^\_, \ \ >==[]==< / \_(_|-|_)_/ _______, \/__.''.__\/ //=====\\ (--| _, (_, | TT | // \\ | |_ _ ._ |__, , _ ' ',_ _ | || | // \\ _| | |(_|| || \ /_)(_||\/|| |(_| | || | /'---,___,---'\ ( |_, \_, ,_| ,_| |__||__| / / \ \ [__][__] '--,_________,--' jgs |_ || _| |_ | _| (__)(__) (__)__) >Updated FUN STUFF URLS - Oh Yeah Shangy! ---------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.ShangralaFamilyFun.com/urls.html FUN URLS ---------------------------------------------------------------------- -->ShangyFunList AD RATES: $20 will get your a message (of up to 40 words) out to all self-subscribed readers and $5 more will give you the same message also put up for all web site readers. Email me to secure dates. 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