Happy Easter Celebration ... :) Shangy! >Here are the details on our Yahoo ShangyFunList: To Subscribe send a blank email to ShangyFunList-subscribe@yahoogroups.com To UnSubscribe send a blank email to ShangyFunList-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com Group home page: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ShangyFunList Through no fault of my own we suddenly became an adult club in the love and romance directory so you will have to confirm that you are an adult when you go here. I still have no idea how to change this back as it sends me around in a circle when I try! or Web Site: http://www.ShangralaFamilyFun.com/ShangyFunList.html Group email address: ShangyFunList@yahoogroups.com or email me here: bcrsystems@earthlink.net ================ *~* A REMINDER: PLEASE Send me sweet, interesting, funny, inspiring, family type forwards ANY TIME here... bcrsystems@earthlink.net I Need them, Love them, Use them, and Share them! THANK YOU!! ================ "We are each of us angels with but one wing, and can only fly by embracing each other" -Luciano Decrescenzo ~ CALLING ALL CARING ANGELS ~ , ,_ )\ \". / ) ) \ / / / / | | / / \ | / / \|-""-//` / _ _ \ _| / \/ \ |_ / `-\0||0/-' \ =\.: ,_()_ :./= jgs `-._\II/_.-' `""` *~* WE NEED CARING And SHARING Angels For 2011 *~* >Do You Want To Be A Shangrala Angel? If you'd like to help and be counted as a 2011 Shangrala Angel, please visit the site and click on the donate button. A Secure PAYPAL page comes up. Any amount is greatly appreciated and needed! PLEASE Visit Shangrala to Help: http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/index.html OR If you'd rather send us a donation, Please MAIL it here: Elrhea Bigham 502 S. Harrison Van Wert, OH 45891 *~* THANK YOU! MAY GOD BLESS ALL OUR ANGELS MOST ABUNDANTLY! ================ *~* MAY YOU HAVE A HAPPY BLESSED EASTER CELEBRATION! ===> Easter And Jesus Pages <=== .======. | INRI | | | | | .========' '========. | _ xxxx _ | | /_;-.__ / _\ _.-;_\ | | `-._`'`_/'`.-' | '========.`\ /`========' | | / | |/-.( | |\_._\ | | \ \`;| | > |/| | / // | | |// | | \(\ | | `` | \\jgs _ _\\| \// |//_ _ \// _ ^ `^`^ ^`` `^ ^` ``^^` `^^` `^ `^ Bailey's Jesus http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/bailey.html Last Day! http://www.ShangralaFamilyFun.com/lastday.html Easter Joy! http://www.ShangralaFamilyFun.com/poems/easterjoy.html Jesus Clinic! http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/clinic.html Christ's Life! http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/jesuslife.html Good Easter! http://www.ShangralaFamilyFun.com/easter.html Who Is Jesus Christ? http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/BibleStudy/whoisjesus.html Christ's Bell http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/bell.html Emergency Numbers http://www.ShangralaFamilyFun.com/poems/help.html Lean On Me http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/poems/leanonme.html Bible: Our Valuable Anchor! http://www.ShangralaFamilyFun.com/BibleStudy/ouranchor.html Bible: Four Crucified With Christ! http://tinyurl.com/3w8ftsv FULL Bible Study Menu http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/BibleStudy/BibleStudy.html Jesus Laughing Art http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/Jesusart.html Easy-Does-It Home Recipes: Desserts http://www.ShangralaFamilyFun.com/easy.html Animated Angel, Bible, Church, Cross, Easter http://www.ShangralaFamilyFun.com/agifs.html -<>- >-->2 HOT Off The 'Shangy' Press! :) This One Is red hot! It's one I've been thinking of lately that God has brought to my heart several times! I figured it was about time to add it to our sweet teachings - God only has to hit me over the head a couple of times before I get it. ;) _ xxxx _ /_;-.__ / _\ _.-;_\ `-._`'`_/'`.-' `\ /` | / /-.( \_._\ \ \`; > |/ / // |// jgs \(\ `` For The Joy That Was Set Before Him http://www.ShangralaFamilyFun.com/BibleStudy/joy.html Our Next hottie comes from our friends Becky And Linda. It is a heartwarming and beautiful one for all those who love Jesus Christ! As always give it time to load and be sure to check out the video - very lovely! | \ ' / '-. | .-' --= --|-- =-- _. | ._ ' __|__ ' d88888b Thank You Lord! http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/thanks.html --- ...Very touching! A Fun one to do up! Thank You Ladies! ============================================================ ...THE FIRST EASTER BUNNY... by Francine M. O'Connor (ASCII Art by joan stark) __ /^\ .' \ / :.\ This is the story of a long-eared rabbit / \ | :: \ who couldn't learn to do the bunny hop. / /. \ / ::: | His ears were floppy, his feet were sloppy, | |::. \ / :::'/ he'd hippity hop, then he'd trip and plop. | / \::. | / :::'/ `--` \' `~~~ ':'/` / ( So this little rabbit developed the habit / 0 _ 0 \ of staying awake when the sun went down. \/ \_/ \/ He'd stay up all night, -== '.' | '.' ==- till the morning light, and /\ '-^-' /\ practice his hopping just outside of town. \ _ _ / .-`-((\o/))-`-. _ / //^\\ \ _ On the first Easter morn, ."o".( , .:::. , )."o". just before dawn, |o o\\ \:::::/ //o o| He was startled by a bright \ \\ |:::::| // / and blinding light. \ \\__/:::::\__// / And Jesus was there in the \ .:.\ `':::'` /.:. / shimmering glare, \':: |_ _| ::'/ smiling at that funny bunny's plight. jgs `---` `"""""` `---` Don't worry, little lad, and don't be so sad, .-"-. for humankind will celebrate this special day. .'=^=^='. You must bring the word to every beast and bird /=^=^=^=^=\ that I have risen and am in the world to stay. :^= HAPPY =^; |^ EASTER! ^| You should've seen that cottontail hop away, :^=^=^=^=^=^: feeling mighty proud to be the chosen one. \=^=^=^=^=/ Though this story is quite old, it can now be retold `.=^=^=.' to make little children smile on Easter morn. `~~~` ==================================================================== >-->From Heartwarmers: , _ {`--. { \/`o;====- {:}'-.}>, .----'-/`-/ {.--' )) _ `'-..-| / __ // /_/ jgs /\/\ \_\_((_/___ `--` )) \_\ >NEW LIFE AT EASTER TIME by Diane Dean White Years ago at a car show, surrounded with all kinds of booths offering an array of items for sale, my eyes fell upon a variety of unique birdhouses. They were actually too cute to use, and I suspected they were more for decoration purposes. The house was made out of a fine polished wood with a license plate that fit over the top as a roof. I sought out the year of my high school graduation and the fact that it was a Michigan plate made it perfect! We hung it in sheltered areas where we could enjoy it and visitors would see the unique craftsmanship of this decorative birdhouse. A few years later when we moved from Michigan to South Carolina, we hung it outside our front door where guests would notice it. The birds, however, just flew by it! Recently, I heard some chirping outside the window near the area where I work on my computer, and I noticed a bird, possibly a finch that kept flying around the decorative bird house with the Michigan license plate. I listened as she sang and fluttered, and I continue to do my computer work. A little over a week later I was again working at my computer and my hubby and I heard another sound. We heard little peeps and the sounds of baby birds! I was amazed to think that this decorative birdhouse was actually being used for that purpose. I tried to get a good picture of the mother at feeding time, but the hole into the house was no bigger than my thumb, and I could not imagine ever seeing more than the feathers. One afternoon we heard a number of little birds calling for their dinner. My husband stood at the front door, with camera in hand and through the glass inside was able to capture the Mother guarding her babies. I'm going to be watching for the day that the Mother bird takes her continued role, and pushes them out to learn to fly, in order to allow them to go on their own. As the sounds of Spring are in the air and this precious guest and her babes are outside our window, I started thinking about another Mother and her role in life, and how as a young woman she was told she would give birth to the King of Kings. She was obedient to God and Christ was born of a virgin in a meager cave surrounded by animals. When He was a young man, his Mother Mary, had to allow him to do his own thing, and let go. Thinking that He was lost in a crowd one day she found him teaching at a temple and when she questioned what he was doing, he told her he was doing his Father's business. Although quite young, she had to let go. His 33 years of life on earth was consumed with teaching, preaching and miracles. On a dark Friday, the babe born to Mary gave the world His greatest gift. He was taken by Roman soldiers to a wooden cross, where he was nailed and tortured, spit upon and left to die; and yet spoke these words, "Father, forgive them, they know not what they do." Friday was a dark day, a day of weeping for Christ's followers, but on Sunday morning, the sun shone and the tomb that was sealed was open and His body was gone. Christ ascended into heaven and all who doubted would believe. Just like the Mother bird who looks after her babies allowing them to be on their own, Mary had to allow Jesus to do what God ordained, letting Him go. We celebrate His resurrection and new life on Easter Sunday. Come to think of it, it was just about that time that those little birds left the nest! Happy Easter! -- Diane Dean White __________________________________________________ Diane is a published author of two books and many short stories and articles in various magazines and books. She and her husband are the parents of three grown children and three grand gals. They make their home in the sunshine state of Florida where Diane continues her writing. You may visit her website at: http://www.dianedeanwhite.com ======================= __...---..._ /) .-' .'^;._ .' .' . '. /.-'-._ .' ' '. '. .' ' `\ .-""-. \/_.._ : \ / \ //-. ' | _.-'\ o | // \/.----. | ;-. '._._)__, | // ` _;.,_`\/ ,_\_ `'._.-. / ; // .--""`` __/_ \ ` \/ \// / -.___/ `--,' / './ `'-,_/ \` .' , | -' , `-;._/ `"``'-'-\ '-._/--' '. \ , '. \ )`.-, // //\ `-. ( ||_// '._ / '--' _ ;`;----.. _.--'` (( `/ /. .-\ \--. jgs |`==./_)) ((__\_\_)) .-'`-=..__/ .-;______,| ((______ // ((_______ // '=======` `========' >EASTER JOKES FOR YOUR FAMILY Why does the Easter bunny have a shiny nose? His powder puff is on the wrong end. Is it true that bunnies have good eyesight? Well you never see a bunny wearing glasses, do you? What is the difference between a crazy bunny and a counterfeit $20 bill? One is bad money and the other is a mad bunny! Why did the Easter egg hide? He was a little chicken! Why did a fellow rabbit say that the Easter Bunny was self-centered? Because he was eggo-centric! Why is a bunny the luckiest animal in the world? It has four rabbits' feet. What do you get when you cross a bunny with an onion? A bunion. What did the bunny want to do when he grew up? Join the Hare Force. What do you call a bunny with a large brain? Egghead! What does a bunny use when it goes swimming? A hare-net. What did the grey rabbit say to the blue rabbit? Cheer up! How does the Easter Bunny say Happy Easter? Hoppy Easter ================================================================== >-->From Our Friend Tony In Australia :) .-.-"````"-.-. ,-._._ \ / _._.-, '. '-. \ / .-' .' \ \ \ / / / \ \ \ / / / \ | | | | / | \_/ \_/ | | | ; ; jgs \ / '.__ _ _ __.' ``` \ / ``` / \ d b \/ >My definition of Faith Part One People have asked me “ why is the Bible is written in ‘Olde English?” It’s hard to read and even harder to understand. I guess there have been many times in my own walk where I would have had to agree with them. I read a passage and know there’s a message in there but don’t quite grasp what it is so I put it out of my mind and find myself ‘re-ashing’ something I already do understand, …..makes for an easier Bible study wouldn’t you say? Well, believe it or not, at the time when the Bible was written up, the style would have been about ‘7 the Grade” reading as we know it today…. 12 or 13 year old stuff. They didn’t have to be rocket scientists because the didn’t have rockets! The whole principal in the Bible, is to enable us to have a better understanding of God and His spirituality. For the most part, almost all of us who can read the written language can do just that… we can ‘sound’ the words quite well but when it comes to understanding? Well that’s a different kettle of fish. For instance, my subject today is ‘Faith”….so, just ‘what is ‘ Faith? The answer is very plain in the Bible. It’s found in Hebrews Chapter 11, verse 1. “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen”. The text is easy to read and easy to understand for the ‘believer’ but for the ‘unbeliever’? Well, the word and the meaning of faith demands a ‘spiritual’ understanding rather than a physical or worldly understanding, so although so its easy to say that almost everyone can read the words but not all can ‘spiritually’ discern them. The mind that has it’s foundation ‘in the flesh’ cannot get past just the words. The inner ‘spirituality’ is the key to the understanding and that cannot be attained by a fleshly approach, it is the ‘acquisition’of a spiritual mind that leads us to a greater and more tangible understanding of God. Not too many of us have seen God…and generally what we can’t see or touch doesn’t exist..The classic way to prove that electricity doesn’t exist is to stick your finger in a light socket. The result? We who are left observing get to ‘see’ the result. The one who was the adventurous one? Well that might be what no longer lives to tell the story. Don’t do that at home! So there is a good example of false teaching….. “what we don’t see, don’t exist!” Having faith, is an essential for our spirituality to grow and to develop into what God wants us to be enabling us to have what God wants us to have and that is ‘eternal’ life….with Him. Until we study Him, we will not get to know Him and if we don’t get to know Him we will not ‘hear’ Him speak to us. Oh yes! He does speak to us! He speaks through our heart and our conscience! [and spirit] And only unbelievers will tell you He cant speak to us! But then again….they are people who have no proof either ‘for’ or against God…they just have a bunch of words ready when someone else shows that ‘they’ are believers! Usually sarcastic and often ‘nasty’ words. It’s the indwelling Spirit of God that opens our eyes when we have opened our hearts to Him in Faith and until we do just that, our spiritual ‘knowledge’ will not develop as it should. The Bible actually tells us that the ‘word of God’ is foolishness until we gain spiritual ‘eyesight’ and this in the past, has served only to encourage ‘false teaching’ allowing us to try to perceive God not in a spiritual way, but in a ‘fleshly’ way. Wasn’t there are time when you thought God walked around or even ‘flew’ around’ with His long white garments flowing behind in the wind followed by His long white beard?Well, the Bible tells us to 'put away' childish things! You see what I mean? We have been taught to preconceive what he looks like! Therefore…..the ‘fleshly’ things have invaded many of our doctrines and made ‘nonsense’ rather than ‘sense’ of the scriptures. End of Part One... -<>- ____ / /\ \ / / \ \ _ /_/_ \." a. __ ___ / / ; ;"`\ \ ."` `"./ ." ; \_\_ ." `;' ; \ \ ." .` ',; \ \ ." ; ; ;, `=. \_\_ .-", ; ; ;, ; , `'=, \ \ `""'"=-.;.;" ";; , ; \ \ _ ." _.; ; ; ; / / `;,`-.=" _.=" ; ; ; ,' / / ;=; _."` `;; ; ; \_\__ , ;-"_;=" '=; ; ; \ \ jgs `"." `=;( / / ." `' / / `"` >Part Two of My definition of faith The Spirit and the Flesh Since day one of creation, there has been an ongoing battle between the Spirit and the flesh. The battle between the mind and the body. The mind tries to overcome the ‘bodily’ needs and are often at odds. None if us are exempt, believe me. Much of this stems from ‘teachers’ attempting to explain the Bible through the flesh and this is where many different doctrines have emerged creating an ever more ‘confusing’ and ‘frustrating’ pattern that is sometimes impossible to follow, and this is why the Bible speaks to us to teach with simplicity and is a classic example of “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”. The Church in the early days was warned constantly to guard against those who attempted to complicate of even ‘hide’ the truth that is written for all to seek and find and not to change one ‘jot or tittle’ and yet we find a zillion different ‘bibles’….which can and do,change the context of the original teachings by simply ‘shuffling’ a word here and there. Strangely enough, I have sent that oftentimes, when something ‘complicates’ the truth in scripture its more often through deception and is actually intended to corrupt our minds and lead us away from the true doctrine of Christ Jesus. Again…“Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen”. That cannot be any more simpler put than that. Abraham struggled as much as we do today but he always ‘obeyed’ the God he loved even when his doubts and fears threatened to engulf him. Abrahams belief was such that he believed that his faith was accounted to him ,because of his faithfulness and Abraham remained faithful in spite of his struggles with his flesh, and we can look at Abraham has an example of how we should be in our own lives. The main aspect is that as Abraham was called, so are we in some shape or form. It may not be as teachers and preachers, it may be as ‘groundsman’ to ‘till’ and plough ground where none have been before. It may be as a Sunday School teacher or a Bible study leader, there are many ways to serve God. We are His ‘pilgrims’ and we are to proclaim him through the Gospels wherever, and whenever. Sure….we will traverse hard ground and we will have to on occasions, sharpen our plough( knowledge and wisdom to use that knowledge). We have to be mindful that this world….is NOT our world, it is but temporary and out testings may never cease,but remember, Abraham was tested and tempted..He was asked to climb a mountain with his son, his only son Isaac ,whom he loved as God said and we can see the lesson that Abraham was being justified through his faith without works… just as we are. That testing that Abraham endured, was a prediction of the Cross… Abraham had persevered thus far in cruel terrain and was being asked to ‘give his only son’.( Genesis 22:1-5) How would you and I fare? End of part 2 -<>- _, __.=""=._/'/`-,' `"=.__, ( ,"==" ; `=, `^`^`^"`', ; jgs '; ( >Faith 3 Do you ever let your temper show itself? Do you ever get really angry in the eyes of others? Well I think there would have been times when we have all felt like that. It’s not that we are always angry now is it? It may be that right at that very moment you needed to let off steam so to speak, but did you ever think that when we ‘lose control’ often it’s because we are at that point, low in “ Faith”…. Temper can’t fix anything! Faith ! Can. When we are at a low in our Faith, the devil steps in and he whispers things to us that place doubts in our minds and we don’t even realize it’s happening. Paul knew this and Paul taught his ambassadors to teach the Word of God in a manner that would ‘lift’ the faith of others continually! That’s what God wants of HIS ambassadors! FAITH lifters and in order to be able to do that, our OWN Faith MUST be strong! There are many men in the Bible who had their Faith tested…. Abram comes to mind firstly, God came to Abram and told him he was going to be leader of a great nation, he would become the “father’ of all who believe.. He wasn’t a Soldier in the way we know soldiers to be, he was in fact a farmer. He was also fairly ‘well off’ man who had livestock, property and servants who was by no means poor. Why did God choose Abram? Not because he was wealthy! Not in ‘currency’ anyway, but he was in Faith! He was one of the most wealthiest men alive! You see, Abram lived on God’s promises and God NEVER let him down! God will never let any of us down who follow him! And ‘tune’ in to that ‘small voice’.! Abram didn’t ask God for a road map when God told him to pull up stakes… and God didn’t give Abram a whole lot of instructions either! He simply said “ Leave” and God then gave Abram a list of promises! God would make a Great Nation! From Abrams departure! He would ‘bless’ Abram and that nation! He would make his name ‘great’ and enable Abram to be a blessing himself to Gods people! God said He would bless those who blessed Abram and He would curse those who cursed him and God finally told him that ALL people would be blessed through him! HOW awesome! Old Abram had to pack up and basically take only that which he could carry! He had to just leave all that he had worked for behind! His country, his friends , his relatives! Everything he held dear! And Abram pulled up the stakes why would he do that? This was the first time God had ‘spoken’ to him! And he ‘obeyed’ without question! From that time on, Abram left what we would call today as his ‘comfort zone’ never to settle permanently again till the day he was buried! Did Abram complain?? NO! My wife and my children and I have moved home 23 times in 46 years and we have lived in some homes for up to 8 years, so Barb is an expert on packing! Now shes not with me, so my next move will be solo. She more likely, will remain in a nursing home. Only once did God speak to me about moving house and we did, that was about 8 years ago now and we moved from a lovely 2 story home with coastal views to be into a more ‘ordinary’ home in the suburbs closer to our church, and closer to our families. Up until that time, we hardly ever missed a service in the 15 years we have been members of that particular church, Our family ‘discouraged’ us greatly in our attendance but we held fast. Since we moved, God has put me in a place where we was a registered safety house, and many things happen in the area where we lived and often we find ourselves missing services to ‘serve’ other purposes. We have had wives and children knock on our door just as we are about to leave for Church! The phone rings, someone has something they want spiritual help with and have no where to turn..God KNOWS! All of this..and I believe that’s why He had us move! I cannot serve 2 masters! So, often in obedience to God, I miss a service or two… But God makes up for that! He gives me more time to sit and read His word! He gives me more time to write and more importantly ‘share’ His word and right now , he has me in a position where I can help and encourage others in ‘their’ work for Him and I consider that a great blessing! It’s my ‘faith’ in God and what he wants of me, that keeps me going and yet I am ‘human’ and sometimes even my faith seems to wain, but in my heart I KNOW! That that’s not GOD leaving me! That’s ME putting a distance between God and myself! I am the one that moved…not He! So….what IS faith? Well it’s not just something we talk about, it IS something we have to ‘exercise’ to keep it ‘healthy’. That lady with the issue of blood didn’t realize that as soon as she aid to herself “ All I have to do, is touch the hem of His garment” she was already healed! All she had to do was ‘claim ‘ it!...she ‘exercised’ and spoke her own healing into being! If you want something that is within God’s will for you, all you have to do is talk to Him about it! And remember, God ALWAYS knows your needs! And HE WILL Minister to those needs like no one else can! I challenge you to test Him! Don’t ‘taunt’ Him and don’t mock Him..but ask yourself….do I really ‘need’ ……..( fill in your own words) and if you do, tell Him all about it… Br Tony --- ...Very thought invoking! Thank You Tony! /`\/`\ \ / /`\/`\ `\/` .-"""-. \ / ____.--./ __ `\ __ `\/` .'` __`\ | o/__\o | / /| / o /__\o|\ \\// /_ // / ._ _| \\// / '.____.-; `; / / \ .' \-.____.'`'. / \/ `._ '-/ \ \ '.___./ . '-.\_.-' _.;__/ _ / .`""===(||).____.(||)(||)---'(||)===...__ `"jgs"`""=====""""========"""====...__ `""==._ `"=. `"=. `"=. Faith is Trust Prov.3: [5] Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. [6] In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. ===================================================================== ~ T H E J E L L Y B E A N P R A Y E R ~ __ RED is for the blood he gave. .;;. /;;;. GREEN is for the grass he made. /;;;;\ ,..., |;;;;;\ YELLOW is for the sun so bright. |;;;;|/;;;;;;;::.;;| ORANGE is for the edge of night. \;;;;/\;;;;;/::::\;' __ BLACK is for the sins we made. `''` `''''|::::| .;;;\ WHITE is for the grace he gave. jgs .;;;\ \::::/ ,;;;,:;;;;;| PURPLE is for his hour of sorrow. /;;;;;| `''` /::::::\;;;/ PINK is for our new tomorrow. |;;;;/ .-""-.:::::/''` `''` / \'''` A bag full of jelly beans \ / colorful and sweet, HAPPY EASTER '----' is a PRAYER, is a PROMISE, is a SPECIAL TREAT. ===================================================================== >-->From Laugh And Lift: .-=====-. | .""". | | | | | | | | | | '---' | | | | | .-================-' '-================-. j| _ | g|.'o\ __ | s| '-.'. .'o.` | '-==='.'.=========-. .-========.'.-'===-' '.`'._ .===, | _.-' / '._ '-./ ,//\ _| _.-' _.' '-.| ,//' \-' ` .-' `//'_`--; ;.-' `\._ ;| | \`-' . | |_.-'-._| \ _'_ / |; -:- | || -.- \ |; .\ / `'\'`\-; ;` '. `_/ |,`-._; .; `;\ `.-'-; | \ \ | | `\ \ | | ) | | | / /` / | | /| | | | / | / | / |/ /| | \ / / | | /o | | | |_/ | | | | | '-=====-' >The View from the Cross (By Dan Case) [Minor Editing] I remember talking once with a fellow actor about the challenge of performing the part of Jesus in a production. He said that preparing the character the first time changed his life forever. He came to see the world through much different eyes, and grew much deeper in his own relationship with Christ, as he learned to see things as Jesus saw them. I was thinking about that last night. I found myself wondering what it was like for Jesus to hang on a Roman cross and look out on His disciples, His family, and His countrymen. What did Jesus see from His unique vantage point on the cross? Physically speaking, Jesus had a good view of the crowd that had gathered at Golgotha. They were a strange and unusual mix of people, a diverse crowd that, through Jesus' eyes, wasn't really a crowd at all, but rather a collection of individuals, each with their own background and viewpoint. Roman soldiers were rolling the dice just beneath Him, dividing His clothing among them. A group of women were weeping, mourning the death of the one that they had loved and followed. Jewish elders were hurling insults at Him, challenging Him to prove His claim to be the Christ: "He saved others, but he cannot save himself." Jesus' disciples were there, as was His mother. Just as in today's church, there was also a sea of spectators -- the same fickle crowd that hailed Him as King of the Jews just a week before this dark day of Jesus' death. The eyes of Jesus' soul saw all these people with a much different perspective. As He looked at His mother Mary, Jesus felt her pain at watching her son dying such a slow, miserable death. He compassionately commissioned the disciple John to care for Mary after the crucifixion, calling him to care for her as his own mother. The mob of bloodthirsty onlookers must have caused an ache in Jesus' tender heart -- they didn't even begin to understand what was unfolding before them. As Jesus looked down at them, rather than anger and bitterness, He felt compassion. He prayed for them, "Father, forgive them, for they don't know what they're doing." Jesus' disciples -- the men with whom He had traveled and lived with for three years -- had no more insight than the ignorant mob. He looked down at them, seeing the confusion and ache of their hearts, knowing that He was the only one on the hilltop who truly understood what was taking place. He knew that their tears would, in time, be turned into shouts of joy, and that fact wasn't dependent upon their understanding, but upon God's faithfulness. In the eyes of His Spirit, Jesus' viewpoint was one that He alone could really comprehend. For the first time in all eternity, Jesus experienced the sensation of being isolated from the Father. He saw the demons dancing with delight, celebrating their supposed victory -- but He also could look forward and see the view just three days later, when those same demons would cower in the darkness. He saw an eternal bridge that was about to be commissioned, a bridge that would allow mankind the same sort of intimate, personal relationship with God that Adam and Eve had enjoyed in Eden, before the fall. As the dying Messiah looked beyond the pain of the moment, He saw 3000 people receiving His salvation on the day of Pentecost, as Peter, who had denied Him three times, boldly preached under the empowerment of the Holy Spirit for the first time. He saw Saul of Tarsus, vicious enemy of the Gospel, accepting the free gift of grace that Jesus' sacrifice would make possible. He saw an Ethiopian eunuch being baptized by Phillip in a pool beside a roadway. He saw countless generations of mankind, for whom His sacrifice would make possible salvation by grace through faith, for those who would only receive that free gift. He saw Al Capone, D.L. Moody, Adolf Hitler, and Billy Graham, each making their own, personal, eternal choices. And, as He hung there on that cross, close to death, He saw YOU, and He knew your name. And then, although He still had the authority to call a legion of angels to set Him free, He cried out, "Father, into your hands I commit my Spirit." Then, He bowed His head -- and He died. Because He thought YOU were worth it. --- ...Be sure to see today's hot teaching http://www.ShangralaFamilyFun.com/BibleStudy/joy.html ================================================================== >-->From CupO'Cheer: __________________________ |.-----------..-----------.| || || || || || || || || || || || || ||_ || || || '. || || |||\ \ || || ||;_\_;______||___________|| ||--,-.------..-----------.| || \| | _.||"'--. || ||\ | | _." .||-"_) `) || ||_) `" .-.|| __.-' || || ( ||` || || ' . | || || || () \ || .-. || ||\/_ | _||' _;\ || ||_`_____/_'_||____/______|| '---------------------jgs--' >WHY DOES DEATH BRING US TOGETHER? The gloomy room filled with family members dressed in their best clothes. The men wore their suits. The women wore their finest. No one smiled. It was a solemn day. I shook hands with a great uncle. "Good to see you again, Ivan. I'm sorry it's under these circumstances." "Nice to see you again, Mike." He held my hand. "When was the last time we met?" "I think it was at Sim's funeral." I held back tears. Sim as my granddad. I loved him. Ivan was Sim's brother. "It's been that long?" Ivan asked. "Yes, it's been that long. I'm sorry! I should have stayed in touch." I apologized.I walked around the room, held hands and hugged people I haven't seen in many years. We gathered for the death of a loved one. "When was the last time we saw each other?" another relative asked. Once again, I mentioned another funeral. Why? Why did I wait? Why did they? Why did we wait so long? Why didn't we stay in touch? We were family. Through the open doors to the chapel, I saw the casket with another member of our family resting. The last time I saw him was at another's funeral. It was too late to stay in touch with this person now. I hugged my mum, shook hands with my brothers and uncles, and held grieving aunts. Everyone was there to show their respects to a life lost. The whole family in one place at a bad time. We gathered for happy times - weddings - but it was under the clouds of grief at funerals the majority appeared. It saddened me. Families should get together more often. I'm thousands of miles away from my family now. If something happens, I won't be there when the remaining members gather. I'll just have Ginny to share my grief, but she's never met my family. She'll know my pain but not them The other day, I learned of the passing of an internet friend - Fred Moore. Fred and I met on the internet chat for the forty-plus generation. I found the group back in the late 1990's and spent a lot of time making friends there. Over the years, I had to opportunity to meet a few. I met a few members in Toronto. Another year it was in Montreal. A group of us even met in Saint John, New Brunswick. Life moved on. We changed and found other interests. A few of us still email. The old chat room dwindled down to just a few members signing in on irregular schedules. On the day of Fred's passing, I signed on for the first time in many months There like my family, were all the old gang. They'd come to express their thoughts and feelings and offer condolences to Fred's daughter. Her mother died a few years ago. Fred is with his wife again. The rest of us will move on, but I hope we meet again under happy circumstances. A death brings people together, just as disasters do. I wish happiness brought us together more. Why does death bring us together? - Michael T. Smith as seen in Hearts and Humor -<>- __________________________ |.-----------..-----------.| || _ _ _ _|| ___ _ _ || || | | |/ \| \ \ \/ / || || | | ' | '_/ '_/\ / || || |_|_|_|_|_|||_| /_/ || ||___ _ ___||___ __ ___ || || _|/ \/ _/_ _| _| \|| || _| ' |__ \| || _| ' /|| ||___|_|_/___/|_||___|_|_\|| || || || ||-._________||___________|| ||--,--------..-----------.| |||\ \ || || ||; \ ; ||_ || || \| | _.|| ``''-. || ||\ | | _." .||-""-_) `) || ||_) `" .-.||`` _.-' || || ( ||--'` || || ' . | || || || () \ || .-. || ||\/_ | ||' _;\ || ||_`_____/_.'||____/______|| '---------------------jgs--' >THE VISIT My dad, Angelo, was in the hospital in Tacoma, Washington. A former Marine and veteran of the Korean War, he was having his third knee replacement surgery. A long and very painful operation was going to be made even worse, because dad was going through it alone. There was no one to hold his hand, no familiar soft voices to reassure him. His wife was ill and unable to accompany him or even visit during his weeklong stay. My sisters and brother lived in California, and I lived even farther away in Indiana. There wasn't even anyone to drive him to the hospital, so he had arrived that morning by cab. The thought of my dad lying there alone was more than I could stand. But what could I do from here? I picked up the phone and called information for the Puyallup, Washington Marine Corps recruiting station, where I joined the Marines ten years before. I thought if I could talk to a Marine and explain the situation, maybe one of them would visit my dad. I called the number. A man answered the phone and in a very confident voice said, "United States Marines, Sergeant Vanes. May I help you?" Feeling just as certain, I replied, "Sergeant Vanes, you may find this request a little strange, but this is why I'm calling." I proceeded to tell him who I was and that my father was also a former Marine and 100 percent disabled from the Korean War. I explained that he was in the hospital, alone, without anyone to visit and asked if Sergeant Vanes would please go and see him. Without hesitation, he answered, "Absolutely." Then I asked, "If I send flowers to the recruiting station, would you deliver them to my dad when you go to the hospital?" "Ma'am, I will be happy to take the flowers to your dad. I'll give you my address. You send them, and I will make sure he receives them," he replied. The next morning, I sent the flowers to Sergeant Vane's office just as we had planned. I went to work, and that evening, I returned home and phoned my dad to inquire about his surprise visitor. If you have ever talked with a small child after that child has just seen Santa Claus, you will understand the glee I heard in my dad's voice. "I was just waking up when I thought I saw two Marines in their dress blue uniforms standing at the foot of my bed," he told me excitedly. "I thought I had died and gone to Heaven. But they were eally there!" I began to laugh, partly at his excitement, but also because he didn't even mention his operation. He felt so honored. Two Marines he had never met took time out to visit an old Marine like him. He told me again and again how sharp they looked and how all the nurses thought he was so important. "But how did you ever get them to do that?" he asked me. "It was easy. We are all Marines, Dad, past and present. It's the bond." After hanging up with my dad, I called Sergeant Vanes to thank him for visiting my dad. And to thank him for the extra things he did to make it special: wearing his dress blue uniform and bringing another Marine along. He even took a digital camera with him. He had pictures taken of the two Marines with my dad right beside his bed. That evening, he e-mailed them to me so that I could see for myself that my dad was not alone and he was going to be okay. As for the flowers, they hardly mattered, but I was glad for the opportunity to express my feelings. The card read, "Daddy, I didn't want just anyone bringing you flowers, so I sent the world's finest. Semper Fi." --Tre' M. Barron As seen in ccecstorylist -<>- ,_ ,_ _, _, | '. '. .' .' | \ \ \ / / / '.__\_|_ _|_/__.' /` '. .' `\ / ^ ) ( ^ \ / __.' '.__ \ .' (_ _) '. .' \'-._.===========._.-'/ '. / '.__) HAPPY (__.' \ ; .-. '.| EASTER! |.' .-. ; /`| / '._)===========(_.' \ |`\ | \ /--. .--\ / | '--'\ '-.__) (__.-' /'--' jgs )_____) (______( >PUDDLES A patient knocked over a cup of water, which spilled on the floor beside his bed... The patient was afraid he might slip on the water if he got out of bed, so he asked a nurse's aide to mop it up. He didn't know it, but the hospital policy said that small spills were the responsibility of the nurse's aides, while large spills were to be mopped up by the hospital's housekeeping staff. The nurse's aide decided the spill was large, so she called housekeeping. A housekeeper arrived and declared the spill small. An argument ensued. "It's not my responsibility," said the nurse's aid, "because it's a large puddle." The housekeeper didn't agree. "Well, it's not mine," she said, "the puddle is too small." The exasperated patient listened for a time, then took a pitcher of water from his night table and poured all of its contents on the floor. "Is that a big enough puddle now for the two of you to decide?" THOUGHT: We all have certain responsibilities in life. Some of them are small puddles, while others are large puddles. We can fret over their size, or we can get busy mopping. KneEmail: "That you also aspire to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we command you." 1 Thessalonians 4.11 Bible reading for 03.24.11: Luke 2.1-24; Joshua 16-18 as seen in KneEmail -<>- ,_ ,_ (\/) _, _, | '. '. \/ .' .' | \ \ \ / / / '.__\_|_ _|_/__.' /` '. .' `\ / ^ ) ( ^ \ / __.' '.__ \ .' (_ _) '. .' \'-._ _.-'/ '. / '.__)(__.' \ ; .-. '. .' .-. ; /`| / '._)(_.' \ |`\ | \ /--. .--\ / | '--'\ '-.__) (__.-' /'--' jgs )_____) (______( >I'M HOME (By Chuck Graham, www.ciloa.org, Used by permission) I am sick. Very bad cold. Sinuses all clogged up. Coughing. Sneezing. Fever. More aches and pain than normal, which is saying a lot. Going from hot to cold and back again. And worst of all, watching far more daytime TV than anyone ever should. (Have I got you feeling sorry for me yet?) Today I was able to drag myself out of bed, stagger wearily down the hall, and collapse onto a sofa in our den. Then I reached out to the coffee table and grabbed "it"...that wonderfully, delightful invention...the amazingly, marvelous desire of men everywhere... the remote control. I looked at it lovingly. No longer was I confined to the realm of TV stations. No more was I forced to watch hour after hour of what some strange people had decided (incorrectly) I needed to see. Now I had access to my video tapes and DVDs. So I leaned back, smiled happily, and hit the play button, wondering what treasure might soon appear on the darkened screen before me. And suddenly, there it was in all its glory. Finding Nemo . A computer animated movie about a father's search for his lost son. Of course, they're all fish, but hey, it's an animated movie. And though it's one I've seen about a thousand times, tears welled up in my eyes. Was it the heart warming story? Was it the fact that at long last it wasn't Oprah, Dr. Phil or SpongeBob SquarePants? Or was it the medicine finally kicking in? We may never know. As the movie drew to its climax, there was a scene in which Dory asked Marlin not to leave her. She'd come to realize that she needed his friendship and help, she wasn't complete without him and wanted him to stay. Finally, Dory looked at Marlin and said, "I look at you...and I'm home." I love that line. That's the way it should be among God's people. Whether it's in church, in the neighborhood or at the grocery store, there should be something different when we run into each other. We should feel different, sense something different in those we call our brothers and sisters in Christ. Once when Peter "reminded" Jesus that the Disciples had left everything to follow Him, Jesus replied, No one who has left home or wife or brothers or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God will fail to receive many times as much in this age and, in the age to come, eternal life. (Luke 18:29-30) We usually focus on the "age to come", but notice He also said, "in this age." He wasn't talking about home as in where we live. He was telling us about something different. A man's brother and wife are killed in an accident out of state. As his family prepares to leave, a man from his church shows up at the front door to shine their shoes. A lady has a head-on collision, leaving her in a wheelchair during rehab, unable to care for herself. A friend shows up and gives her a neck and arm massage. An elderly couple become ill and their Sunday School class shows up to cut their lawn. Taking a friend to his chemo treatments, preparing meals, spending time with someone who's just lost a spouse...these are just some of the ways we can take care of each other. Ways we show that we're a family. We love each other by "doing" something...by sharing our lives...by showing up. Jesus once said, "If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him." (John 14:23) We will make our home with him. That's it! That's the difference. It's Immanuel, God with us . We may share our fellowship, hopes, dreams, sorrows, and pain...we may do many things for many people, encouraging and supporting them. But the difference in us is and should always lead others to say: "When I look at you, I see my Heavenly Father, Lord and Friend in your life...and I'm home." [Ciloa provides weekly messages such as this called "A Note of Encouragement". A Note of Encouragement is a copyright publication of Ciloa, Inc. All rights reserved. For more information on Ciloa or this publication, please see www.Ciloa.org] -<>- .-. .-. / \ / \ | _ \ / _ | ; | \ \ / / | ; \ \ \ \_.._/ / / / '. '.;' ';,' .' './ _ _ \.' .' a __ a '. '--./ _, \/ ,_ \.--' ----| \ /\ / |---- .--'\ '-' '-' /'--. _>.__ -- _.- `; .' _ __/ _/ / '.,:".-\ /:, | \.' `""`'.\\ '-,.__/ _ .-. ;|_ /` `|| _/ `\/_ \_|| `\ | ||/ \-./` \ / || | \ ||__/__|___|__|| / \_ |_Happy Easter_| / jgs .' \ = _= _ = _= /`\ / `-;----=--;--' \ \ _.-' '. / `""` `""` >BLESSED IN AGING Blessed are they who understand My faltering step and shaking hand Blessed, who know my ears today Must strain to hear the things they say. Blessed are those who seem to know My eyes are dim and my mind is slow Blessed are those who look away When I spilled tea that weary day. Blessed are they who, with cheery smile Stopped to chat for a little while Blessed are they who know the way To bring back memories of yesterday. Blessed are those who never say "You've told that story twice today" Blessed are they who make it known That I am loved, respected and not alone. And blessed are they who will ease the days Of my journey home, in loving ways. ~ ~ Esther Mary Walker ~ -<>- | \ / .---. '-. | | .-' ___| |___ -= [ ] =- `---. .---' __||__ | | __||__ '-..-' | | '-..-' || | | || ||_.-| |-,_|| .-"` `"`'` `"-. jgs .' '. >DON'T WAIT! (By Ed Wrather) [Minor Editing] "Behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation." (2 Corinthians 6:1c) Dwight L. Moody was perhaps the greatest evangelist of the latter part of the 19th Century. On October 8, 1871, Moody was preaching in Chicago a message entitled, "What will you do with Jesus?" He ended his sermon by stating, "I wish you would seriously consider this subject, for next Sunday we'll speak about the cross. Then I'll ask you, 'What will you do with Jesus?'" The service was ended with a hymn; however, before the completion of the hymn, the roar of fire engines could be heard. The terrible 1871 Chicago fire swept through the city that night and nearly destroyed the city. Moody's sermon on the cross was never preached - at least not to those who were present on the day of the fire. Moody would often say in the years to follow, "I have never since dared to give an audience a week to think of their salvation." Moody often thought of those who were present during the October 8 service who may have died in the fire and never had another opportunity for salvation. The fact is that when the Holy Spirit speaks to our hearts about a decision we need to make - that is the time, that is the moment we should say, "Yes". If you know that God is speaking to you about receiving Christ as your Savior; now, today, is the time to receive Him. If you know that God is speaking to you about recommitting your life to Him; now, today is the time for recommitment. If you know that God is speaking to you, calling you to preach His Word, or to special service, or full time Christian vocational service; now, today, is the time to respond to His call. People do wait too long and do go out into eternity without Christ. We think that we have years of time to make these spiritual decisions but we do not even know if we have the rest of today. You may know that God wants you to serve Him in some way and you think, "What is the harm in waiting until next week, or until I finish college, or until I'm more financially secure, or..." - you can fill in the blank. The harm and the problem with this is that the more and longer you resist the Holy Spirit's call; the dimmer, the less audible that call becomes. Finally, you can no longer hear that call and you no longer have a desire to respond to the call. One of my great-uncles always thought that He had missed God's call to preach. I believe he probably did. Not only can people fail to respond to the Holy Spirit's call to salvation, but also we can fail to go and share Christ with those who are lost. How many have gone out into eternity without Christ because someone did not respond to the still, small voice of God? How many have I helped play a part in by my lack of action? How many have you played a part in by your lack of action? I would urge you even now that if God has spoken to you that you would respond today! [Copyright 2004 Ed Wrather. Permission is given for use of the devotionals on a non-profit basis with source credited.] as seen at Laugh and Lift -<>- To SUBSCRIBE: Send an e-mail with SUBSCRIBE CUP O'CHEER in the subject line to cheer316@sc.rr.com. ============================================================== >-->From Archive InspiredBuffalo: _____ _..--'''@ @'''--.._ .' @_/-//-\/>/>'/ @ '. ( @ /_The First Cake Mix (By Roy Irwin) I would like to share with you an interesting story about the first Cake Mix that was developed. After much market research in the 1940's, the company felt that there was a need for a mix that would make it easy to bake a cake - one that would make a cake that was both moist and delicious. Now, a typical 'made-from-scratch' cake requires many ingredients and multiple steps of measuring and mixing these ingredients. Following years of trials with various formulas, the company produced what they believed was the perfect cake mix. Their pre-made cake mix, when combined with 1 cup of water produced a wonderfully delicious and moist cake! The responses from their taste tests were overwhelmingly positive! It was time to take their product to market! Soon, the shelves of supermarkets all over the country were filled with this perfect cake mix. Yet, despite all of their advertising and market research, the cake mix did not sell very well. The company quickly formed new focus groups to find out why the product wasn't selling. To their surprise, the same reason was given again and again: "It was too good to be true! NOTHING GOOD could be THAT easy!" So, the company pulled the entire product inventory from the supermarket shelves. They went back and reworked their cake formula. Now the formula requires their cake mix, 1 cup of water AND 1 egg. Simply by adding 1 egg to the formula, people felt like there was more work to making the cake so it MUST taste better. And the changed formula caused the cake mix to be an instant success and is still to this day one of the best-selling cake mixes on the market! Just for a moment I would like for you to think about how people reacted to this first cake mix and how people today often respond the Gospel Message of Jesus Christ. When people hear that they can have eternal life and forgiveness of their sins because of Jesus' death on the cross - they can't believe it. It is simply too good to be true! Isn't there more to it than that??? Don't I have to give money, or be nice, or do good deeds, or... The attitude that "There has to be more to it than that" has been around for ages. In the Bible there is a story about Moses leading the Israelites through the desert. The people became impatient and spoke out against God. As punishment, the Lord sent poisonous snakes among the people, which bit them, causing many to die. The people acknowledged that they had sinned against God and asked Moses to pray that God would take away the snakes. In Numbers 21:8 we read: "The Lord said to Moses, 'Make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live.' So Moses made a bronze snake and put it up on a pole. Then when anyone was bitten by a snake and looked at the bronze snake, he lived." (NIV) I can not think of many things that require less effort than just LOOKING at something - yet that was what they were told to do. Could it really have been that easy? Just having to LOOK at the snake on the pole to be healed? Yes! IT WAS THAT EASY! But I also believe that there were those people who would NOT look at the snake - simply because they believed that it was too easy - and died as a result. What ties this together for me is the verses found in John 3:14-15: "Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life." (NIV) The snake represented the sin of the people and was lifted up on a pole - pointing the way to be healed and live. Likewise, Jesus Christ accepted all of our sins, and was lifted up on the cross to die - pointing the way for each of us to be forgiven and healed of our sins, and to have eternal life with Him in heaven! The Bible describes eternal life in Romans 6:23: "...the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." (NIV) Like any gift - it isn't earned or deserved. There is absolutely NOTHING that we can do on our own to earn or merit the gift of eternal life. Ephesians 2:9 explains further that "This does not depend on anything you have achieved, it is the free gift of God; and because it is not earned no man can boast about it." (Phillips Translation) So could it really be that easy? Asking Jesus Christ to forgive us of our sins and trusting in His death on the cross [AND that God Raised Him From The Dead] as the ONLY payment for the forgiveness of our sins? It really is that easy. "For God loved the world so much that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him should not be lost, but should have eternal life." John 3:16 (Phillips Translation) Prayer: "Lord Jesus, we live in a world where nothing is free and where we have to work to get anything. Yet You have provided us with the greatest gift we could ever want. Like any gift, it is free. Only the person who purchases a gift can give it. Help us to remember that though it is a free gift, it was purchased at a very high price - through Your death on the cross. Amen." (Copyright 1998 Argyle Giraffe Productions. This may not be resold or used for the enhancement of any product sold without the written permission of Argyle Giraffe Productions.) -<>- ___ ___ /::_\._./_::\ _={::(_>[_]<_)::}=_ _~ ^--~/:i:\~--^ ~_ .d^ /:/ \:\ ^b. .d^ (;/ \;) ^b. i| ,___ |i ii / /^\ ,___ q&&&p ii ii \__), ^^ _, \ *+*+*+* ii |i / @ @ \\_/ x=X=X=X=x i| || { -.x.- } pXoXoXoXq || /=============================\ { \\\\\\\\\\\\\\i////////////// } \ - x - x - x - x - x - x - x / | / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / | |x - x - x - x - x - x - x -| | \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ | |- x - x - x - x - x - x - x| | / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / \ / | -keely- \ - x - x - x - x - x - x / ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ >Tommy's Life Father John Powell, a professor at Loyola University in Chicago, writes about a student in his Theology of Faith class named Tommy: Some twelve years ago, I stood watching my university students file into the classroom for our first session in the Theology of Faith. That was the day I first saw Tommy. My eyes and my mind both blinked. He was combing his long flaxen hair, which hung six inches below his shoulders. It was the first time I had ever seen a boy with hair that long. I guess it was just coming into fashion then. I know in my mind that it isn't what's on your head but what's in it that counts; but on that day I was unprepared and my emotions flipped. I immediately filed Tommy under "S" for strange... Very strange. Tommy turned out to be the "atheist in residence" in my Theology of Faith course. He constantly objected to, smirked at, or whined about the possibility of an unconditionally loving Father/God. We lived with each other in relative peace for one semester, although I admit he was for me at times a serious pain in the back pew. When he came up at the end of the course to turn in his final exam, he asked in a cynical tone, "Do you think I'll ever find God?" I decided instantly on a little shock therapy. "No!" I said very emphatically. "Why not," he responded, "I thought that was the product you were pushing." I let him get five steps from the classroom door and then called out, "Tommy! I don't think you'll ever find Him, but I am absolutely certain that He will find you!" He shrugged a little and left my class and my life. I felt slightly disappointed at the thought that he had missed my clever line -- He will find you! At least I thought it was clever Later I heard that Tommy had graduated, and I was duly grateful. Then a sad report came. I heard that Tommy had terminal cancer. Before I could search him out, he came to see me. When he walked into my office, his body was very badly wasted and the long hair had all fallen out as a result of chemotherapy. But his eyes were bright and his voice was firm, for the first time, I believe. "Tommy, I've thought about you so often; I hear you are sick," I blurted out. "Oh, yes, very sick. I have cancer in both lungs. It's a matter of weeks." "Can you talk about it, Tom?" I asked. "Sure, what would you like to know?" he replied "What's it like to be only twenty-four and dying? "Well, it could be worse. "Like what? "Well, like being fifty and having no values or ideals, like being fifty and thinking that booze, seducing women, and making money are the real biggies in life.. I began to look through my mental file cabinet under "S" where I had filed Tommy as strange. (It seems as though everybody I try to reject by classification, God sends back into my life to educate me.) "But what I really came to see you about," Tom said, "is something you said to me on the last day of class." (He remembered!) He continued, "I asked you if you thought I would ever find God and you said, 'No!' which surprised me Then you said, 'But He will find you.' I thought about that a lot, even though my search for God was hardly intense at that time. (My clever line. He thought about that a lot!) "But when the doctors removed a lump from my groin and told me that it was malignant, that's when I got serious about locating God.. And when the malignancy spread into my vital organs, I really began banging bloody fists against the bronze doors of heaven. But God did not come out. In fact, nothing happened. Did you ever try anything for a long time with great effort and with no success? You get psychologically glutted, fed up with trying. And then you quit "Well, one day I woke up, and instead of throwing a few more futile appeals over that high brick wall to a God who may be or may not be there, I just quit. I decided that I didn't really care about God, about an after life, or anything like that. I decided to spend what time I had left doing something more profitable. I thought about you and your class and I remembered something else you had said: 'The essential sadness is to go through life without loving. But it would be almost equally sad to go through life and leave this world without ever telling those you loved that you had loved them.'" "So, I began with the hardest one, my Dad. He was reading the newspaper when I approached him. "Dad. "Yes, what?" he asked without lowering the newspaper. "Dad, I would like to talk with you." "Well, talk. "I mean . It's really important." The newspaper came down three slow inches. "What is it?" "Dad, I love you, I just wanted you to know that." Tom smiled at me and said it with obvious satisfaction, as though he felt a warm and secret joy flowing inside of him. "The newspaper fluttered to the floor. Then my father did two things I could never remember him ever doing before. He cried and he hugged me. We talked all night, even though he had to go to work the next morning. It felt so good to be close to my father, to see his tears, to feel his hug, to hear him say that he loved me." "It was easier with my mother and little brother. They cried with me, too, and we hugged each other, and started saying real nice things to each other. We shared the things we had been keeping secret for so many years. "I was only sorry about one thing --- that I had waited so long. Here I was, just beginning to open up to all the people I had actually been close to. "Then, one day I turned around and God was there. He didn't come to me when I pleaded with Him. I guess I was like an animal trainer holding out a hoop, 'C'mon, jump through. C'mon, I'll give you three days, three weeks.'" "Apparently God does things in His own way and at His own hour. But the important thing is that He was there. He found me! You were right. He found me even after I stopped looking for Him." "Tommy," I practically gasped, "I think you are saying something very important and much more universal than you realize. To me, at least, you are saying that the surest way to find God is not to make Him a private possession, a problem solver, or an instant consolation in time of need, but rather by opening to love. You know, the Apostle John said that. He said: 'God is love, and anyone who lives in love is living with God and God is living in him.' Tom, could I ask you a favor? You know, when I had you in class you were a real pain. But (laughingly) you can make it all up to me now. Would you come into my present Theology of Faith course and tell them what you have just told me? If I told them the same thing it wouldn't be half as effective as if you were to tell it. "Oooh.. I was ready for you, but I don't know if I'm ready for your class." "Tom, think about it. If and when you are ready, give me a call." In a few days Tom called, said he was ready for the class, that he wanted to do that for God and for me. So we scheduled a date. However, he never made it. He had another appointment, far more important than the one with me and my class. Of course, his life was not really ended by his death, only changed. He made the great step from faith into vision. He found a life far more beautiful than the eye of man has ever seen or the ear of man has ever heard or the mind of man has ever imagined. Before he died, we talked one last time. "I'm not going to make it to your class," he said. "I know, Tom." "Will you tell them for me? Will you ... tell the whole world for me?" I will, Tom. I'll tell them. I'll do my best." So, to all of you who have been kind enough to read this simple story about God's love, thank you for listening. And to you , Tommy, somewhere in the sunlit, verdant hills of heaven --- I told them, Tommy, as best I could. If this story means anything to you, please pass it on to a friend or two. It is a true story and is not enhanced for publicity purposes. With thanks, Rev. 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