Happy Labor Day Weekend! ... :) 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!! AND For Facebook Users: Please Friend Me / Like Me here... http://tinyurl.com/cma6all AND Please Share This email with All Your Friends And Family! ^~^ May God SUPER BLESS You As You Do! THANK YOU! :) -<>- * NOTE: An easy way to adjust the size of print in email or any page is to hold down the Ctrl tab while moving the scroll button on the mouse. You can also use the keyboard to change the font size in your web browser or emails. Hold down the Ctrl key while pressing the + key for larger text or the - key for smaller text! ================ *~* Have A Happy, Blessed And Safe Labor Day Weekend! :) >-->In The 'Shangy' News :) __________________________ /| Index Page | / | ____ ____ ____ | / | |o | | , | | _ | | / | | O | |. | |(@) | | / | |_,k,| |_,-,| |\|p | | / /| | | h | | ,; | | | | | / / | | |_z__| |____| |____| | / /@;| | z z | / |Y | z|_{)_______________________| / | / /z /H / /| |/ /z Y / / | / {) d / / %| / /| | |&"| / Y | | / / d | |/ / | / | / | / | / | / |/ David Riley Yesterday I decided to make another category on the home index page. It's been getting difficult for me to decide where to put pages that are both heartwarming stories and have lots of great pictures with them. This new category helps with that as I've put all the animal, bird and fish pages in it except for the art ones. Just a way to make it easier for me and for you to find what you like. Check out the home page here... Shangrala Family Fun http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/ -<>- >-->HOT Off The 'Shangy' Press :) This too hot to handle page comes from our friend Bunni. This one will stir up lots of emotion - so sad and heartwarming at the same time. Be sure to check it out here... .---. .--. ___/ \ / `.-"" `-, ; ; / O O \ / `. \ /-' _ J-.__; _.' (" / `. -=: `: `, -=| | F\ i, ; -| | | | || \_J fsc mmm! `mmM Mmm' Elephant Rescue 2 http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/elephant2.html --- ...What a horrific story! Thanks God for the happy ending! Thanks Bunni! =========================================================== >-->From Heartwarmers: |\| |\| ,_.-('--. |\| .( '-.'.\'\_, |\| / `-.`_;;==/(/=, |\| |.-.-'.'#, #`=.`.\ |\| { .-.' `##O##\\,| |\|/-'./ '._ # <| \) |\{ -./ |\ # | ,__ |\|{_/ \ |# | .--'( `""=--:;.;'+; |(# o/ .' `";";"#`` `# '. | `"` / .'.' #, ,# '.'. / _.-'| .'.'_ ##, ,## _'.'. `-._ .' .'/| '.__. `'.#####.-'.--'` _ `\ / .-'| \ , `'-._|#|_.'` ;-.__.' | / |( / | | / `'._ |#| _.-' \ \/ / \ ) \ / /`._ `"";"| /`-./ / |.' / )', \._ `\ |\| \___ / / .'_.; \ \ `) | |\| / /` '._;.-,) `\ \/ | |\| .-' / ( ) |_/ |\| |_.' jgs .-' / |\| \_.' |\| |\| |\| |\| |\| >LABOR DAY MEMORIES by Ken Pierpont The older I get the swifter time passes, especially between Memorial Day and Labor Day. One Labor Day stands out. It was the last Labor Day we were all together as a family under one roof. The next summer our first-born son Kyle would leave for a year of missionary service and then college a continent away. On that Labor Day evening, we drove to Grand Haven on the West Coast of Michigan. In a resort town like Grand Haven the whole atmosphere changes after Labor Day. When we arrived it was cool and fall-like. The sun was dropping steadily into the lake. We strode quickly trying to reach the lighthouse at the end of the pier before the sunset. As we walked, the sun touched the horizon and then steadily sank from sight. Everyone had gathered and waited to see the last sunset of summer and they were talking about how quickly the sun had set. Walking along I heard more than one person say, "That was over so fast." All I could think about, walking out toward the sunset with my precious first-born son, was about how quickly the sunset on our last summer together had come. The whole family gathered at the foot of the lighthouse on the end of the pier and watched the sky turn golden-orange. A few boats growled into the harbor for the evening. A ship sat out on the horizon moving imperceptibly slow going who-knows-where. Gentle waves lapped the rocks. Occasionally a bigger wave spouted up in spray and mist. We all stood close to keep each other warm. There was a sweetness in the air. My heart grew tender and alive to the world around me. My mind went back through the years with my son. They passed swiftly. We went to a few ball games together. We camped out together a few times. Together we gazed into a few campfires. Together we floated a few rivers. We went fishing a few times. We washed the car together a few times. I taught him to tie a tie, shake hands, and drink his coffee black. I taught him the books of the Bible. I taught him to ride a bike and a few days later I taught him to drive. Together we laughed and cried. We loved a couple of dogs together, buried them together, and together we hurt. A few times we walked together under a full moon in awe at the wonder of God's world. Together we sang and prayed and worshipped God. And soon, for the first time, we would go on -- but not together. The reality of it settled in on me that night on the pier. As the purple of night pushed in on the pale blue and orange twilight we turned and made our way back. Kyle was holding his little sister Hope. She was giggling over his shoulder at her mother when suddenly she said "Momma" for the first time. Lois was delighted and her eyes glowed. Hope looked back with the same lively brown eyes... One child ready to go make his way in the world was carrying another just learning to talk. When we reached the boardwalk we all turned and saw the lighthouse and pier lights blinking red against the dusk. A string of white harbor lights lined the catwalk. The afterglow of the sun cast the lighthouse and the pier light in a sharp black silhouette. Stars appeared in the growing darkness overhead. Lovers held one another or walked hand-in-hand. Fishermen sauntered in with their gear along the lighted walkway. In an hour we had watched the sun set on summer and turned toward autumn with a life-long memory in our hearts. I felt the pain that always comes with love and my soul whispered, "Breathe deep, walk slow, hold tight to those you love, the sun is setting and it will be over so fast." -- Ken Pierpont ___________________________________________ Ken Pierpont speaks and writes to inspire others. He mentors people and organizes things and does what needs to me done to support his story-telling habit. You can read his stories and subscribe to his free weekly newsletter at: http://www.kenpierpont.com ========================================================== >-->From Our Friend LouiseA :) _ _( } -= _ << \ `.\__/`/\\ -= '--'\\ ` -= // jgs \) >Finish the Race By Steve Troxel Paul was returning to Jerusalem at the end of his third and final missionary journey. By this time in his ministry, Paul had been a Christian for nearly twenty years. Twenty years since Jesus called Paul, "My chosen instrument to carry My name before the Gentiles and their kings and before the people of Israel" (see Acts 9:15). Twenty years of faithful service, and now... "in every city the holy spirit warns me that prison and hardships are facing me" (see Acts 20:23). Paul was returning home, but his life was not going to be easy. He knew there were many trials ahead, but his life had a purpose far beyond his immediate surroundings. Acts 20:24 "However, I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me - the task of testifying to the gospel of God's grace." It was several more years before Paul wrote; "I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation" (see Philippians 4:12); yet here, when facing certain hardship, Paul showed he had already learned the secret. The particular circumstances in Paul's life had become of minor importance. He knew his contentment was not based on current events, but on bringing glory and honor to God. His life had a wonderful purpose even in the face of great adversity and harsh conditions. We were all created for the same purpose as Paul - we were created to bring glory and honor to God! Our specific tasks may differ and change from time to time, but we each have the same unchanging purpose. Everything we do, say, and think should bring glory and honor to our Heavenly Father! God's race is run in the deepest part of our heart, not in the flurry of activity. Running well is not defined by doing more; rather, we run a "successful" race as we do every little task we are given with the complete and absolute devotion of our heart. This race is long and often difficult. There are many distractions which seek to slow us down and even pull us from the track; and at times we may even wonder why we're running. But being a participant in God's eternal race is infinitely more rewarding than standing on the sidelines and simply watching! He has called us to run - and to run well!! We must run the path God places before us with all the strength He provides, and within the sure and calming protection of His grace. Let's run with the motivation of bringing Him glory and honor by loving Him with ALL our heart, soul, mind, and strength. Let's continue to run well, and with a burning desire to finish the race. --- ...Great inspiration! Thanks LouiseA! , , /////| ///// | ///// | |~~~| | | |===| |/| | B |/| | | I | | | | B | | | | L | / | E | / |===|/ jgs '---' I tell people, I'm not a runner. Yet I know I am in a race. I think of myself like the 'tortoise and the hare' - I'm the tortoise - I am slow and deliberate pacing myself for the long hard run. Determined to complete all that God asks of me as best as I can leaning on my Lord Jesus Christ whenever I need to. He is always close at hand. Why? Why do we run this race? Why should we care? Because Jesus said we are supposed to... Mark 12: [30] And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment. Loving God means we do what pleases God. Simple. And by doing so, God will reward us as Paul the Apostle teaches us: 1 Cor.9: [24] Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain. Phil.3: [14] I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. So what is so great about this prize? Consider this - Who knows you better than anyone - even your own self? Why God does of course! He knows your most inner thoughts and hearts desire! So this 'prize' will be the ultimate, most awesome prize chosen just for you by the one and only one who knows you the best and has the power and the ability to grant you such an awesome price! Eph.3: [20] Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, Let this sink in - God is able to do exceeding abundantly ABOVE all that you can even ask or think through Christ Jesus your Lord! I think this prize is worth running for - what do you think? ===============================================================\ >-->From Archives InspiredBuffalo: _ _ ( Y ) \ / \ / \ /^\ _ ) //^\\ -= (_) =- ( // \\ ) // \\ / \ __ // \\ |=^| // _ \\ __|= |__// (+) \\ /LLLLLLL// ~ \\ /LLLLLLL// \\ /LLLLLLL// \\ /LLLLLLL// |~[|]~| |~[|]~| \\ ^| [|] // | [|] | | [|] | \\ | [|] ^| |_[|]_| |_[|]_| |^ ___|______| | /LLLLLLLLLL|_____________________| /LLLLLLLLLLL/LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL\ /LLLLLLLLLLL/LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL\ ^||^^^^^^^^/LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL\ || |~[|]~|^^||^^^^^^^^^^||^|~[|]~|^||^^ || | [|] | || |~~~~| || | [|] | || || |_[|]_| || | [] | || |_[|]_| || ||__________|| | o| ||_________|| .'||][][][][][|| | [] | ||[][][][][||.'. ."'||[][][][][]||_-`----'-_||][][][][]||"." .(')^(.)(').( )'^@/-- -- - --\@( )'( ).(( )^(.) '( )^(`)'.(').( )@/-- -- - -- -\@ (.)'(.),( ).('). ".'.'." ." '.". @/- - --- -- - -\@ '.".'.".'.".'." jgs'' ".".".'.'@/ - -- -- -- -- -\@".'..'".'."'.'.' '.".".''.".''."@/ -- --- --- -- - -\@.".''.".''.".'". Tom and Betsy lived in a modest 2 bedroom home that they had bought and paid for. They had one child who was grown, and had moved to a near by city for work. Betsy never did work on a public job. Tom had been retired for 4 years, and took up several different hobbies to occupy his free time. One of those hobbies was each fall, growing pumpkins and entering the communities 'Pumpkin growing contest' to see who could grow the largest pumpkin. For the last two years in a row, Tom had won the first place ribbon for the largest pumpkin. Tom was a devout Christian, and everyday asked God's Blessings on everything he set out to do. But this fall was quite different. Most of his pumpkins were stunted and rotted. Only two grew to a size normal for a pumpkin, and they were healthy. Tom questioned God. "Lord, I ask your Blessings everyday. I have Praised you for all you have done for me. I trusted in you, Father, and my crop is no good. I will not be able to enter the contest this year." Just as Tom was turning to leave his patch, he noticed an old man with a cane walking down the road. He had such a sad look on his face. It was unusual to see someone walking down the long country road in front of the house. Tom went toward him, and in a kind voice, said hello to the older man, and asked how he was doing. Tears swelled in the man's eyes. He replied to Tom, "I had to take a walk and talk to the Lord. I don't know how far I have walked, maybe 5 miles, from home. Tomorrow is my wife's Birthday, and we have been married for 57 years. She is such a wonderful woman. And for 57 years, every year on her Birthday, I have made her homemade pumpkin pie. She Loved it and that's what she always wanted. But she's in the hospital right now, and I don't expect she'll be coming home. The doctors say she has but a few days to live. I don't have a drivers license anymore, I've spent everything on medicine for my wife, cab money...I'm Trusting the good Lord to help me. I can't even buy food, or make my wife a pie, or visit her at the hospital." Tom asked if he could drive him back home, and give him a few groceries. Tom gave his word to come pick him up the next morning and give him a lift to the hospital. The old man thanked Tom, and told him it must of been Gods will He sent him out walking. Tom drove the man almost 6 miles back to his house, dropped him off. It was a very old little house. Tom thought it strange he had never noticed it before. He went straight back home, got a pumpkin off the vine and said to his wife..."we have to make a pumpkin pie for a special lady", and he proceeded to explain. Betsy thought and said, "Tom, you go out and get that other pumpkin. I'll make them both in pies." The next morning, Tom and Betsy went to the grocery store, and bought a buggy full of groceries to take to the older gentleman. Betsy had a big box of 4 homemade pumpkin pies in her car. They went to the older mans house, and carried the groceries in, and 2 of the pies. The old man was so grateful. They gave him a ride to the hospital, and dropped Him off with the other two pies to take to his wife on the day of her birthday. Tears rolled down his cheeks, as he got out of the car and looked at Tom and Betsy. Tom yelled "Wait! I never asked your name... Or your wife's name". "Oh, I'm sorry", the old man said... "I'm John and my wife's name is Diane." Tom asked if he could come back later, and give him a ride home, and the old man thanked him for the offer but said, he would go stay now with his wife. The next day...Tom and Betsy had wondered about John and Diane, And decided to drive to his house, but there was no sign of no one, and no one answered the door. So they drove to the hospital and went to the admitting office. "Mam," Tom said to the receptionist, "I'm sorry to bother you, but a nearby neighbor was admitted in here and we were wondering how she is. Her Birthday was yesterday, and we dropped her husband off here, could you tell us what room she is in? I'm sorry I don't know her last name but her name is Diane and her husbands name is John." She looked at Tom with a blank stare, and said "Hold on a minute." The receptionist picked up the phone and asked someone on the other end to come down; that a couple were here asking about Diane and John. A few minutes later, a nurse came down and sat with them, and said "You know, Yesterday was Diane's Birthday...she has been here in the hospital for 3 weeks. Diane died early yesterday morning. Her husband came in with two pumpkin Pies right after she died, he asked if he could sit with her a while, and he did. We left him in the room with her for an hour before we went back in. Both pumpkin pies had been totally eaten and poor John...well, we found him lying over his wife, and he had died too. In his hand was a piece of paper. She pulled it out of her pocket and handed it to Tom. He read it aloud to Betsy. "Dear God, thank you for your Blessings. Thank you for sending me the angels with the pumpkin pies. Love you Lord. John and Diane." Tom decided at that moment that he would grow pumpkins every year and donate them to the local soup kitchen that feeds the hungry. And repented for his selfish desires to win a ribbon for the biggest pumpkin, when he had gained so far greater than a ribbon could ever bring- from 2 small pumpkins. And then he understood. -Written by~Carolyn McIntosh (Mountainwoman) 9/06 -<>- _____ / \/_ //\__(\_\ |\ ^ ^ | .//_O \O_ \ \_ (_) / \ \_/ / __/\ /\__ / \ \ / / \ / \/\/\/ \ / | . | \ / | . | \ JRO >Stop Waiting Author Unknown We convince ourselves that life will be better after we get married, have a baby, then another. Then we are frustrated that the kids aren't old enough and we'll be more content when they are. After that we're frustrated that we have teenagers to deal with. We will certainly be happy when they are out of that stage. We tell ourselves that our life will be complete when our spouse gets his or her act together, when we get a nicer car, are able to go on a nice vacation, when we retire. The truth is, there's no better time to be happy than right now. Your life will always be filled with challenges. It's best to admit this to yourself and decide to be happy anyway. One of my favorite quotes comes from Alfred D Souza. He said, "For a long time it had seemed to me that life was about to begin - real life. But there was always some obstacle in the way, something to be gotten through first, some unfinished business, time still to be served, a debt to be paid. Then life would begin. At last it dawned on me that these obstacles were my life." This perspective has helped me to see that there is no way to happiness. Happiness is the way. So, treasure every moment that you have. Stop waiting until you finish school, until you go back to school, until you lose ten pounds, until you gain ten pounds, until you have kids, until your kids leave the house, until you start work, until you retire, until you get married, until you get divorced, until Friday night, until Sunday morning, until you get a new car or home, until your car or home is paid off, until spring, until summer, until fall, until winter, until you are off welfare, until the first or fifteenth, until your song comes on, until you've had a drink, until you've sobered up, until you die, until you are born again to decide that there is no better time than right now to be happy. -<>- >Links for Your Enjoyment: New York At Night! http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/newyork.html Volkner Mobile RV! http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/rv.html Breathtaking Photos! http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/breathtaking.html World's Fastest Cars! http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/fastcars.html Expensive Hotel Rooms! http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/ehotels.html World's Most Extreme House! http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/ehouse.html World's Most Extreme Stairs! http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/extremestairs.html Amazing Street-Legal Airplane! http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/transition.html World's Largest Model Railway! http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/modelrailway.html World's Most Expensive Things!- http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/expensive.html -<>- >From Our Friend Bunni :) She sent us one we have here... The world's most expensive mobile home: The eleMMent Palazzo Mobile RV! http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/rv2.html --- ...Ooo, Love to be tooling around in this one! Thanks Bunni! -<>- >From Our Friend Melody :) New Zealand in High Definition - A Kaleidoscope of Natural Beauty https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y6-2mQjHE4s&feature=related --- ...Sweet! Thanks Melody! -<>- >From Our Friend LouiseA :) The Nanjing 2014 Youth Olympic Games aim to boost self-discovery, active participation and creativity among young people, promote understanding of different cultures, build friendships, increase awareness for a healthy lifestyle and boost young people's self-confidence. https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=8oqPR5-GLuA There's no way this boy should've survived after getting lost in the woods on a snowy night. Watch this video to learn more about the amazing story of how two caring animals saved his life. http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=8vxHPTzgOqw --- ,,,awww, So heartwarming! Thanks LouiseA! Visit Melissa's Online Store You can get anything you want (except for Melissa ) at the online store http://pdhomes.net/mall/babylissa/mySTORES/ISELL4.html ========================================================== >-->From LiftAndLift: ,:',:`,:' __||_||_||_||___ ____[""""""""""""""""]___ \ " '''''''''''''''''''' \ ~~jgs~^~^~^^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~~^~^~^~^~~^~^ >Thought for Today The Christian finds safety, not in the absence of danger, but in the presence of God. >The Lift THE BRITTLE AND THE UNBREAKABLE (By Dr. Joe McKeever, First Baptist Church of Kenner, Louisiana) [Minor editing] Mark Eberhart earned a Ph.D. from MIT, proving he is smart. He wrote a fascinating book on science that is accessible to everyone, proving he is intelligent. In "Why Things Break," Eberhart helps us understand our world by the way things come apart. Who would have thought this was a field of scientific study? After reading this book---and actually understanding a good bit of it, a tribute to the author---I find myself talking about it to everyone I meet. I even brought a sermon to our people based on some of the book's insights. Here is one of them. Most people will tell you the Titanic sank in the waters of the North Atlantic because it hit an iceberg. But the ship was designed to handle such a collision without sinking. To be sure, the Titanic's situation was compounded by too few lifeboats, no binoculars for lookouts, and a captain who persisted in racing through dangerous waters when other ships had anchored for the night. But it was the brittle metal in the ship's hull which proved the ship's undoing. The steel in the Titanic was produced in acid-lined, open-hearth furnaces in Glasgow, Scotland. This type of furnace did not remove the sulfur and phosphorus in the steel, both of which are impurities and weaken the metal. Had manganese been added, it would have formed manganese-sulfide and blocked the weakening effects of the sulfur. When samples of the recovered ship were examined, it was discovered that the steel in the Titanic contained twice the safe amount of sulfur and four times the phosphorus, but only half the recommended amount of manganese. As a result, the metal was brittle---not so much that ship-builders in Belfast, Ireland, noticed, but still brittle. Eberhart explains, "(A)ll steels are brittle. The question is, at what temperature. Pure iron is ductile at room temperature, but cool it to cryogenic temperatures and it becomes as brittle as glass." The water temperature in the North Atlantic that night in 1912 was -2 degrees C. When the ship and iceberg collided, the metal of the hull should have absorbed the energy by rupturing perhaps two watertight compartments. However, in the icy water the brittle metal did not consume the energy "until the fractures had propagated along one hundred meters of hull." Fifteen hundred people perished that night due to the brittle metal that formed the hull of the Titanic. I know people who are brittle. In sunshine and prosperity, they stand tall and look like a million. They radiate confidence and talk a great game. Let disaster strike and they shatter into a thousand pieces. With John, it was a business bankruptcy. With Marlon, it was her husband's affair and the divorce. With Betty, it was her mother's illness and death. With Webb, it was the pastor's sin and the subsequent church split that drove him from God and the church. When Paul's retirement income disappeared due to the downturn in the economy a few years back, his faith also vanished. Brittleness happens. Why? In the steel of the Titanic, brittleness resulted from the presence of impurities and the absence of strengthening metals. Brittleness in people can often be traced to impurities in their lives coupled with the absence of fortifying agents. "Why did you fear? Where is your faith?" said the Lord Jesus to the 12 disciples. They had awakened Him from a nap in the back of their little boat, certain that they were about to be swamped in the storm on the Galilee. Jesus stood to His feet, rebuked the storm, watched the wind and waves settle down, and then turned to steady the shaken disciples. Faith and fear cannot co-exist. One is our strength, the other makes us brittle. Where fear reigns, faith leaves. When faith occupies the driver's seat, fear takes a hike. The night Jesus was arrested, Simon Peter's fears took over. Before morning he had denied three times he even knew Jesus. His brittle faith could not stand the stress. Through the Scriptures, we are introduced to a select group of believers of the unbreakable variety. Think of Joseph--- brutalized by his brothers, sold into slavery, deceived and thrown into prison, and forgotten. In time, he emerged as the champion of Egypt and the hero of his family. There's Moses--- betrayed, exiled, forgotten, hounded, opposed, and harassed. Yet, no one in Kingdom history rises above him in stature. There's the Apostle Paul. We have his own words to describe the stresses he endured in serving Jesus. "I've...been jailed more often, beaten up more times than I can count, and at death's door time after time. I've been flogged five times with the Jews' thirty-nine lashes, beaten by Roman rods three times, pummeled with rocks once. I've been shipwrecked three times, and immersed in the open sea for a night and a day. In hard traveling year in and year out, I've had to ford rivers, fend off robbers, struggle with friends, struggle with foes. I've been at risk in the city, at risk in the country, endangered by desert sun and sea storm, and betrayed by those I thought were my brothers. I've known drudgery and hard labor, many a long and lonely night without sleep, many a missed meal, blasted by the cold, naked to the weather." (II Corinthians 11; The Message) And how did Paul react to all this? "We've been surrounded and battered by troubles, but we're not demoralized; we're not sure what to do, but we know that God knows what to do; we've been spiritually terrorized, but God hasn't left our side; we've been thrown down, but we haven't broken. What they did to Jesus, they do to us---trial and torture, mockery and murder; what Jesus did among them, He does in us---He lives! Our lives are at constant risk for Jesus' sake, which makes Jesus' life all the more evident in us. While we're going through the worst, you're getting in on the best!" (II Corinthians 4; The Message) What is the secret of God's unbreakable ones? What made Paul unbreakable? Whatever it was, it worked also for Joseph and Moses and the others. What's the formula for the steel in God's unbreakable saints? 1. Less and less of me. I am the impurity. 2. More and more of Him. Christ is my strength. John the Baptist, another of God's unbreakables, voiced the formula this way: "He must increase; I must decrease." (John 3:30) In the early days of television, John Cameron Swayze demonstrated the durability of the Timex wristwatch by subjecting it to all kinds of stresses. At the end, he would pull out the timepiece, hold it up so viewers could see the secondhand at work, and announce, "Takes a lickin' and keeps on tickin'!" "God, make me unbreakable---able to absorb a hurt and keep going; able to fall down and get back up, to deal with doubt and fear and temptation and grow stronger every day. Stand me on my feet, O Lord, and use me once more." 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 ========================================================== ._-'-_ . . ' /_-_-_\ ` . .' |-_-_-_-| `. ejm ( `.-_-_-.' ) !`. .'! ! ` . . ' ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! / / \ \ _-| \___ ___/ /-_ (_ )__\_)\(_/__( _) ))))\X\ (((( \/ \/ >One More for Milan! Story Editor: by Josh Valcarcel Joyce Schowalter North Carolina, USA I was raised in Spain, with Spanish father and American mother, so have double citizenship and two passports. I've flown many international flights. While in college in the USA, I planned to go home to Spain for Christmas. My fiancee lived there, and I hadn't seen her for 5 months. I was 21 at the time. I flew to Newark, New Jersey, then took the connecting bus to JFK. My flight was on Alitalia to Milan, then Barcelona. I was well prepared, tickets in place, passports on hand, good book to read. I got to JFK six hours ahead of my departure, and joined the Alitalia line. Catastrophe struck when I went reached the counter and realized I had no tickets. I was dumbfounded. I'd shown them to the connection bus driver, yet I had my Spanish passport, but not my American one. Finally I realized I'd left them on the bus seat. A deep sick feeling came over me; without those tickets, I was stuck. I had 5 hours. I struggled back to the buses with two large suitcases and a large carry-on. I hailed buses, but few stopped. The first three said to go to Newark to the Lost and Found; they couldn't help without the bus number. The fourth person finally used the radio, to no avail. The fifth said, "Step back onto the curb, and I'll be right with you." He then closed his doors and sped off. Returning to Alitalia, I asked for help, such as a reprint, since I still had my Spanish passport. The lady firmly said she saw my ticket on the screen, but a reprint wasn't possible. Another ticket at $485 would be necessary. I had $27.75. As hours ticked by, I became more aggressive. I followed the Alitalia supervisor, pleading for a reprint exception. He said to buy another ticket. Finally, standing by the service desk, I heard a representative say: "No more people for the Milan flight! The door is closed!" I realized I wasn't going home, covered my face with my hands and started to cry in despair. Then a lady asked: "Young man, why are you crying?" I sobbed through the main facts, and immediately she said: "You're not staying here, you are going home." She marched me back to customer service and gave the lady my passport, saying "Print his ticket right now," and on the radio "Hold Milan, I've got one more!" It seemed a dream, but there was my ticket! At the screening area 120 people waited in line to be searched. Then an officer shouted, "Who's the guy going to Milan?" I raised my hand, and people stepped aside. Safely in my seat I suddenly realized I hadn't thanked this person who, in a moment, changed my tear-filled face... to a tear-filled face with a smile. So to the Alitalia employee, whoever you are: Thank you! I am now happily married and have a little girl. =======HeroicStories======= >-->From Kidwarmers: ____________________ | | | PSYCHIATRIC | | HELP | |____________________| || ,-..'``. || || (,-..'`. ) || || )-c - `)\ || ,.,._.-.,_,.,-||,.(`.-- ,`',.-,_,||.-.,.,-,._. ___||____,`,'--._______|| |`._||______`'__________|| | || __ || | || |.-' ,|- || _,_,,..-,_| || ._)) `|- ||,.,_,_.-.,_ . `._||__________________|| ____ . . . . . <.____`> .SSt . . . . . _.()`'()`' . >THE FUNNY THINGS KIDS SAY When Carmen was 3 she asked how babies were made. Because she was so young (and to try to keep things simple) her mother Kristen told her that Daddy "planted a seed" in Mommy's tummy and that seed grew into a baby." About a year later as they were driving down the road, Carmen asked her mother if she had seen the seed before Daddy put it in her tummy. Slightly embarrassed, Kristen said, "No, I didn't." Carmen replied, "Too bad, because I really wanted to know what color it was... I'm pretty sure my seed was all the colors of the rainbow!" -- Kristen Johnson of Kendallville, Indiana On a particularly good day of play with her grandmother, Bobbie's granddaughter told her mother, "Mommy, I wish everyone in the world was Gramma and I was me!" -- Bobbie Miller ("Gramma") of Honeoye Lake, New York Danyelle stepped out of the shower and said, "Smell my soft hair. I used air conditioning." -- Sally Morris (grandmother of Denyelle) of Wellington, Florida Marsha's neighbor recently babysat for her 3-year-old granddaughter while her parents took a short vacation. Because she hadn't seen her grandmother for a while, the 3-year-old tested her. Her responses to her grandmother's requests were, "No, I won't eat my dinner. No I won't get dressed! No, I won't do that!" Grandma had enough of that and informed her who was boss and said she WOULD mind and do what Grandma asked. The little girl stood with hands on hips and said, "Well, then I'm just going to have to call 911!" -- Marsha of Longmont, Colorado __--_ //~-----\|/ _----__ . / /-~~---~\\\ /______, | / `c ` . ||| | | | (.. _ ..|||| _O----| | \ _ _ | || `- |___| /~` `\ `__ _/ |||/||~~| .' '~\ |||||||--| | |_| |||||||( | |____| | |______``` |____``` | | | |_|_| .'\\,\\_) /_/___| W< In October Karen had knee replacement surgery. She had a long recovery and her grandchildren came to visit. Josh, 5, saw her foot on the footstool and noticed how her incision was stapled. While playing he would return periodically to study Karen's knee. Finally, he got down on a couch beside her. He put his chin in his hands as if he were a great thinker. Then he announced his solution to Karen's health problem: "Grandma, you got metal in your leg!" he said. -- Karen Wilcox of Angola, Indiana Karen still laughs when she remembers something her son, who was 3 at the time, said. "I'm hungry. Mom, I need to eat. I'm stying of darvation!" ("I'm stying of darvation" became an oft-repeated phrase over the years!) Nolan, 3, likes to say his bedtime prayers as "God bless, Mommy. God bless Daddy," and on and on through the rest of his family and friends. Recently he asked to say grace at the table before dinner. His mother had prepared a casserole, green beans and carrots. Nolan bowed his head and started, "God bless my green beans. God bless my carrots. And God bless... this stuff!" -- Jan Bloodworth (friend of Nolan's dad) of Owens Cross Roads, Alabama _____ .---...-. ,' -. `. ,' _____...' / - _ - \ : .' _ _ \\ : ' _)' : | :-(_).(_):: (_ ;) | | -' || \ _ / ; | _ || `..___..' `-'..____.'`' ;._: _; :_ / \ SSt ,' `' `. SSt Rose's sister's twin granddaughters were recently being corrected by their mother on a matter involving choosing something the other one wanted. It left one girl pouting -- so she tried to settle the matter by asking her mother, "Well, which one of us was born first?" -- Rose of southeastern Michigan Debbi is teaching fourth grade. Last week she was doing a lesson on perception. The students had to look at pictures and write down what they saw in the picture, and then they shared their impressions. In one picture many of the children saw a man with his arm around a woman. But one girl saw the man and woman on a bus, another saw them in a car. Sebastian saw them at the movies. When it was Kevin's turn to share he said he saw a man with a mop. Sebastian piped up, "But why would he take a mop to the movies?" -- Debbi Armstrong of Orlando, Florida _ ______ / `'. ,-"` '. / /'-.'. ___ .' \ \/ '.\.' ' | .| .'`\ | /`"'--., / \ , _.--'` \/_ | ,----.| _ `_--;` ``` `\-. | | \ | -- C -- _/ \ \ | \ 0 0 / . | | \| ) | '. _.' |.__/ ; \ `'---` / / __ '. .' | (__) /'-._____,-` \ /---'.-""-.\ '. / ||,- \\ ;---`;-._||-= |\ , ."""-. \ ) `|'.___.' \ ___ \'. / '-. \ /`-`-; / \ ,/ `) \ \| \ `` | | \|| / /'.| )_ / || | | \/ .' \ \ .-'/ ` |` |.-' .-~ ~-~-._ |.'` \ ` '-. \___/,__/ ~` _ `~~-., `-.,_\_)`-.,_\) `~-,___ ~___~,,..-~~/ jgs \___/`\____/'._.' When Nancy's grandson Jacob was 4, he was sitting in the lobby of his doctor's office. Another little boy was there along with his grandmother and mother. When the little boy started to be rambunctious, his grandmother pulled him onto her lap and said, "Listen here, you are not going to act like that in public." Jacob never missed a beat. He looked up from playing and said, "I got a Nana just like that at home!" -- Nancy Pressley ("Nana") of Knoxville, Tennessee ========================================================== >-->From Our Friend Jacinto :) _ /_) (8_))}- . \_) '. .--. . , .-.-,_, : '. .' )`-.>'` ( '---'`; / `\ | . | | | _.' \ / / .' `=(\ /.=` ' `-;`.-' '._ `)| , ` ' ' ' ' ' || .-'| ,_|| \_,/ , \|| .' |\|\ , ||/ ,_\` |/| |Y_, '-.'-._\||/ >_.-`Y| ` ,_|| \|| || jgs || |/ >A Rose A lovely rose with petals soft A scent so sweet and light So beautiful a flower With colors shining bright. But something not so savory About the fragrant rose - The thorns, so sharp upon the stem, That sharpen as it grows. Yet still lovely is the flower Despite the thorns that prick Just as life and love are sweet They too have thorns that stick. But do not fear to live or love, Life's not exempt from pain - So pick a rose, you may get hurt, But you will also gain! Have a Great Day!! --- ...awww, Thanks Jass! >Updated FUN STUFF URLS - Oh Yeah Shangy! ------------------------------------------------------------------------ http://www.ShangralaFamilyFun.com/urls.html FUN URLS ------------------------------------------------------------------------ -->FULL LENGTH - FREE On line AUDIO MP3 Christian Foundational Class http://www.truthortradition.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=61 NEW LIFE IN CHRIST! ------------------------------------------------------------------------ -->This is for all you who love food and DARE to make it at home Yep. You guessed it - Recipes. These are Tried and True, Yummy to the Tummy, good old fashioned home cooking recipes that are EASY to do Visit Shangy's Easy-Does-It Home Recipes: http://www.ShangralaFamilyFun.com/easy.html Home Recipes >Got A good Recipe? 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