Happy New Year! ... :) Shangy! >Here are the details on our Yahoo ShangyFunList: To Subscribe send a blank email to ShangyFunList-subscribe@yahoogroups.com To UnSubscribe send a blank email to ShangyFunList-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com Group home page: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ShangyFunList or Web Site: http://www.ShangralaFamilyFun.com/ShangyFunList.html Group email address: ShangyFunList@yahoogroups.com or email me here: bcrsystems@earthlink.net ================ *~* A Very SAFE, HAPPY, PROSPEROUS AND BLESSED NEW YEAR To YOU! _ _ _ _ _ _ _ | | /| |\ |\ |\ / |\ |_| |___| _ _ _ | \ | _ / | _ _ ,_ _ | | / | | \ | \ / | | \ | /_\ / / | \___|//_\ / | | ` / \ \| |/\_|/|_/_/|_/_/\_| \| \| \__/\_\_| /| \__/\_|/| \_/ ' | | /| ` ( | | | \| \| . `: : : . : . [""] | | | | | | : .'--`. _..-~-.._ : .: /`.__.'\ .' `. : . / \ .' .-'''''-. `. ,-'``'-. ; ; / ,' XII `. \ |`-..-'| | ,--. | / / /|\ \ \ | . :| |_.','`.`._| | ; | ; | | . : | |--'2010`--| | |IX o III| | |`-..-'| || | | | | | ; ; | \::::::/ ||)|/|)|)|\| | \ / | `::::' |._ ~**~ _.| ------| `. V I ,' |----)(----| `-..-' |------- _____j `-.....-' | )( | |,--. ____/ / /\\ ,-._.--------.-.-' ,-')('-. | |\`;/ .-()___ : |`.!,-'`'/`-._ (___) ( ' ` )`-._ _.-'|;,| `-, \_\__\`,-'>-.,-._ `-....-' ```` `--' hjw `-._ (`- `-._`-.` My New Year Prayer: Please pray with me... Thank You God and Jesus Christ for my Many Blessings this past year! Thank You God for our troops for keeping the enemy from our land so that we may freely worship and Praise you. May this New Year bring me even closer to you so that I like my sweet Lord can say 'I always do the will of The Father'. Thank You Father God Almighty for your Will being done on earth as it is in heaven, I ask in the name of Jesus Christ The Lord. Amen! A Big Thank You to all our dear Vets! God Bless You! May God Bless Each And Every One Of You Reading This! May This New Year Prove To Be Your Best! MANY, MANY, MANY Blessings Through Christ Jesus To YOU!! I Thank God Daily For Each and Every One Of You! You Are My Blessing! Thank You all for a Great Year! In Christ's Service, :) Shangy! -<>- >-->If You haven't Already, Be Sure To Check These Out: Yearly Friendship Renewal http://www.ShangralaFamilyFun.com/renewal.html Drink Responsibly http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/drink.html Real Playboy Bunny Calendar http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/calendar.html Our Gifts And Callings http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/BibleStudy/giftscallings.html God's Water Paintings http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/water.html Lets Dance! http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/dance.html What Friends Are For http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/poems/whatfriends.html ============================================================== >We'll Operate Today! Story Editor: by Jackie Walton Joyce Schowalter Romania "Who can I send to the hospital with you?" asked my worried housemate, "Dorni". I needed to consult a surgeon to see if I needed surgery for appendicitis. I'm in Romania working for Romanian orphans, with Heart to Heart International Ministries (H2H). We work in a hospital for abandoned babies, playing with, feeding, and changing them. And we have a transition house teaching trades to boys and girls too old for the orphanage. Dorni wouldn't send an American to the hospital alone. Navigating language in a foreign hospital is daunting -- but she'd promised to babysit her sick niece. I suggested my 24-year-old, brown-haired, blue-eyed friend "Stefania", who'd translated for H2H for three years, and was working part-time while finishing nursing school. She knew the hospitals, and had a flexible schedule. Stephania immediately agreed to meet me. My visit didn't turn out as expected! The doctor felt my stomach, asked questions, and declared, "This is acute appendicitis; we'll operate today!" I was taken aback, having expected nothing more than tests and at worst, scheduling surgery "eventually". Numb, shaken, and a bit scared, I leaned on Stefania to help figure out what to do. She made phone calls, informed my family, resolved money issues, and talked with nurses. She returned to her nearby home and brought overnight things for us both. She held my hand when I came back from surgery while I tried to recover. That was only the beginning. The next two days Stefania was almost constantly at my side. That first night all I had to do was make eye contact and she came running to see what I needed. She held my head as I threw up (sometimes all over the bed or on her), gave me sips of water and tea -- she was always there. She called the nurses for painkillers, and held my hand while I moaned in pain waiting for them to kick in. She helped pick me up so the nurse could change my sheet, pulled my hair back and kissed my forehead. When they said the next day that I could get up and walk, she supported me in my hobbling, held my IV, and smoothed my blankets when I returned. Stefania also jumped right in to help my roommates. She helped them get to the bathroom or to sit up, called nurses for them, and rearranged their pillows. She praised their attempts to walk, poured tea and water, ran errands, and encouraged everyone. The nurses called her for help moving patients, etc. Many people made this experience the best it could be. The doctors and nurses took good care of me and tried to help me feel not so far away from home. During my convalescence my Romanian friends and co-workers called, cooked, visited, and otherwise cared for me, and I am so thankful to them. However, Stefania was in the right place at the right time, and gave in abundance. =======HearoicStoires======= >-->From InpsiredBuffalo: ~~~ THE PAST ~~~ She came tonight as I sat alone.. The girl I used to be.... And she gazed at me with her earnest eye And questioned reproachfully: Have you forgotten the many plans And hopes I had for you? The great career, the splendid fame, all the wonderful things to do? Where is the mansion of stately height With all its gardens rare? The silken robes that I dreamed for you And the jewels in your hair? And as she spoke, I was very sad For I wanted her pleased with me... This slender girl from the shadowy past The girl that I used to be. So gently rising, I took her hand And guided her up the stairs Where peacefully sleeping, my babies lay Innocent, sweet, and fair. And I told her that these are my only gems, And precious they are to me; That silken robes is my motherhood Of costly simplicity. And my mansion of stately height is love, And the only career I know Is serving each day in these sheltered walls For the dear ones who come and go And as I spoke to my shadowy guest, She smiled through her tears at me. And I saw the woman that I am now Pleased the girl I used to be. -Author unknown -<>- >BUILDING YOUR LIFE By: Joseph J. Mazzella My wife and her brother recently built a new deck on the back of our house. It really looks fantastic, and one of the reasons for this is probably because I had nothing to do with it. The truth is that while I have gotten better at fixing things over the years I am still far more skilled at breaking them than putting them back together. It is a running joke here that my wife is both the better cook and the better handyman in this house. As little as I know about building things with nails, screws, and lumber, however, I am happy to say that I know far more about building a life. While I still make mistakes in that area too, I think that I am becoming more skilled as I get older at knowing how to construct and live a life full of love, joy, good ness, and giving. I have come to know for instance that a great way to start the day is with a joyous: "Good morning God. Thank you for my life." I have come to know that few things feel better than giving a warm hug and few things sound quite so Heavenly as saying, "I love you." I have come to know that few things are as peaceful as a walk in the woods and that few things are as inspiring as watching a sunset. I have come to know that petting a dog or a cat is not only good for your health, but also good for your soul. I have come to know that any joy you get from your work or your life will be in direct proportion to the joy that you bring to them. I have come to know that it is the good things you do for your community, the kind acts you do for your friends, the compassion you show for strangers, and the love you give this world that bring meaning and richness to life. I have come to know most of all ,though, that it is with every choice we make that we build our lives, create our joy, share our love, and grow in our oneness with God. May you build your own life well then. And may God always smile upon your handiwork. -<>- >CONTENT A funny thing happened in Sunday school a few weeks ago. The teacher asked how many of us were contented in our lives. In a class of about 40 middle aged people, I was the only one who raised my hand. I wondered, did I misunderstand the question. Everyone was looking at me and I found myself defending why I am content. How silly that I have to defend that. They should be defending why they are not. Content, according to the dictionary means: satisfied Content does not mean that I have no problems and that I am rich and live in the lap of luxury, no, no no. I do have problems, many of them, just like everyone else, some small and some large and burdening. I am by no means rich and I work very hard. My life is by far from perfect, however I feel content. I am content with who I am and what I have. I have a wonderful husband, 3 great kids, 3 funny dogs, and a terrific group of good friends. I love my home, it is not a big mansion, just a simple comfortable home. My husband has a good job and I work part time at an alternative high school. I keep very busy with many hobbies like quilting, cross stitch, decorating, and embroidery. It may sound dull to you, but it is shear heaven for me. Life is what you make of it, if one is constantly looking for something bigger and better to come along, then you will never be content. It is all how you look at things. Maybe you should look at things through my eyes. Content, yes satisfied. That is not to be confused with settling, I am not settling, I am very happy and extremely contented, and yes satisfied. Carol Brosowske --- ...Philippians 4:11 "Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content." Talk about renewed mind! Notice he says 'learned' - that means he renewed his mind! In Paul the Apostle's own words... 2 Corinthians 11: [24] Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one. [25] Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep; [26] In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; [27] In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness. [28] Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches. [29] Who is weak, and I am not weak? who is offended, and I burn not? [30] If I must needs glory, I will glory of the things which concern mine infirmities. [31] The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which is blessed for evermore, knoweth that I lie not. Yet he says - "I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content." What an awesome witness for God! Such an inspiration to us all! Another Awesome witness for God... http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/smellofrain.html -<>- A / \ | | | | | | '.' |'. | ' d|b ' ||| '. ||| . /|\ G ,' | `. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | `---DM' RECIPE FOR A HAPPY NEW YEAR Take twelve whole months, Clean them thoroughly of all bitterness, hate, and jealousy, Make them just as fresh and clean as possible. Now cut each month into twenty-eight, thirty, or thirty-one different parts, but don't make up the whole batch at once. Prepare it one day at a time out of these ingredients. Mix well into each day one part of faith, one part of patience, one part of courage, and one part of work. Add to each day one part of hope, faithfulness, generosity, and kindness. Blend with one part prayer, one part meditation, and one good deed. Season the whole with a dash of good spirits, a sprinkle of fun, a pinch of play, and a cupful of good humor. Pour all of this into a vessel of love. Cook thoroughly over radiant joy, garnish with a smile, and serve with quietness, unselfishness, and cheerfulness. You're bound to have a happy new year. --- Author Unknown -<>- Links for Your Enjoyment Why I Go To Weddings http://www.buffaloschips.com/71609.htm Why Buy Expensive Toys http://www.buffaloschips.com/71610.htm Why Girls Shouldn't Fire Handguns http://www.buffaloschips.com/72101.htm Why I Didn't Make The Olymics http://www.buffaloschips.com/72102.htm Why I Don't Fish http://www.buffaloschips.com/72103.htm Why I Was Never Late For School http://www.buffaloschips.com/72104.htm Visit our site at http://www.inspiredbuffalo.com =================================================================== A / \ | | | | | | '.' |'. | ' d|b ' ||| '. ||| . /|\ G ,' | `. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | `---DM' >-->From Our Friend HannaP :) And Then It Was Winter... http://members.shaw.ca/faithshannon/and-then-its-winter.html --- ...Very well written! Thank You HannaP! =================================================================== >-->From Our Friend Jo Ann :) . . , o. .o/ | .---. / /| \~~~/'---+ \ / \ | PING! \-. | |/ /_\ Happy New Year! -<>- >TO REALIZE To realize The value of a sister Ask someone Who doesn't have one. To realize The value of ten years: Ask a newly Divorced couple. To realize The value of four years: Ask a graduate. To realize The value of one year: Ask a student who Has failed a final exam. To realize The value of nine months: Ask a mother who gave birth to a still born. To realize The value of one month: Ask a mother who has given birth to a premature baby. To realize The value of one week: Ask an editor of a weekly newspaper. To realize The value of one hour: Ask the lovers who are waiting to Meet. To realize The value of one minute: Ask a person Who has missed the train, bus or plane. To realize The value of one-second: Ask a person Who has survived an accident. To realize The value of one millisecond: Ask the person who has won a silver medal in the Olympics. To realize the value of a friend: Lose one. Time waits For no one. Treasure every moment you have. You will treasure it even more when you can share it with someone special. --- ...Awww, So True - Thanks Jo Ann :) ================================================================ >-->From Our Friend Denise :) Some Good Things about 2009 http://www.prophecynewswatch.com/December23/2385.html . . , o. .o/ | .---. / /| \~~~/'---+ \ / \ | PING! \-. | |/ /_\ Have a safe and Happy New Year! --- ...Awww, Good For SMILES! Thank You Denise! -<>- >A Message From Irvin Baxter Important words from Pastor Irvin Baxter regarding these prophetic times we live in "now"..and what's ahead of us (all who are of the church of Christ)... http://www.endtimelibrary.com/email_blasts/bbeoyg/bbeoyg.html --- ...Thank You Denise! Impressive video. I feel like I have a little man in my monitor that I can just pluck out of the screen! - good graphics! While people often like to get Christians up in arms about the coming 'End Time', I say - BRING IT! I am ready! Praise God through Christ Jesus our Lord! Why you may ask? Because I am not going to be here during all this weeping and wailing and horrible time of the Anti-Christ that the book of Revelation refers to. And if you are a Christian, neither will you! So to all Christians, the 'End Time' is something to be aware of but certainly not something to dread. Work hard and bring as many as possible to Christ before He Returns! That should be your only concern! God who loves his children so deeply never would subject them to the tribulations spoken of in Revelations! So again I say - BRING IT Oh Lord God Almighty! I am ready! Check out these great study teachings from Truth Or Tradition: 23 Reasons to Believe in a Rapture BEFORE the Great Tribulation http://www.truthortradition.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=123 Because the book of Revelation is “the last chapter” in God's Word, it is central in all such dialogue. But, as with each “book” in the Word of God, the first question to be answered, as per 1 Corinthians 10:32, must be: “Is this written to Jews, to Gentiles, or to the Christian Church?” Properly understanding the Administrations (Dispensations) in Scripture is prerequisite to deriving from it the Author's originally intended meaning. Without that understanding, a study of the book of Revelation will at best be confusing, and at worst lead to emotional distress and/or a diminished quality of life. The Book Of Revelation http://www.truthortradition.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=60 ================================================================== >Unexpected Stop Story Editor: by Myke Merrill C.O. Fines Hilton, New York, USA This past winter my family decided to take a quick vacation from western New York to Florida. We left during the holidays after a family dinner, and headed southward in our van through the cold and snow. We were cruising along in rural South Carolina when suddenly I felt ... nothing! We had lost our transmission in an instant and limped to the next exit in second gear. I asked a bread delivery man if he knew anyplace that could help us and he recommended we try Orangeburg, 20 miles away. The local dealer could not help us for several days and said the work would cost $2400. While there we spoke with a couple who had also broken down on the road, but they had solved their problem by trading in their car on a new one. The husband commented that their car, normally traded every two years, was overdue for trading in. They had saved over $3000 by having to trade with this particular dealer during this specific week. He opened his wallet and gave us several hundred dollars to help with our crisis. He refused to take it back, saying they wanted to simply pass it forward. With the help of several people we made an appointment for the next morning at a highly recommended local transmission shop owned by Johnny Bell. We could only check into a local motel, then go out for dinner and shopping in the mall. A local person directed us to the Festival of Lights in an Orangeburg park for some free beautiful sightseeing. The motel gave us a half-price rate. A car rental place gave us their weekly rate for just one day for a full-size van instead of a car. Even the manager at a nearby restaurant gave us a coupon for lunch that would cover all seven of us at a discount. Mr. Bell met me first thing in the morning, and put two of his men to work on our van for the day. They bumped us ahead of the other local work, since, as he said, people there would certainly understand travelers needing a break. Our van was done, costing less than $1400, by 4:15 that afternoon. We made it to Florida by midnight! We were only delayed about 24 hours by a complete transmission failure in the middle of nowhere, with no options and no knowledge of reputable service people. A chance bread delivery man, a traveling couple with their own problems, a transmission shop owner who would never see us again, plus another dozen Orangeburg people -- all were excessively honest, caring, compassionate and generous. I am immensely proud to know such people exist in these times. Whenever I encounter someone else in their own tough situation, I only hope I can pass it forward as well. =======HeroicStories======= >-->From HeartWarmers: >GRAMMIE'S GERANIUMS by Kay Seefeldt Geraniums and marigolds were two flowers my mother couldn't tolerate. As a kid, I tended to agree with her. They were a far cry from roses. As the years past like sand through the hour glass, I didn't give geraniums more than a passing thought. While I was in France with my Army husband, I planted flowers by our front door step. No geraniums or marigolds -- only sweet scented flowers. While pulling weeds from my small garden one day in June, my husband arrived home just before noon to tell me my grandmother was ill and in the hospital. Of course, my first thought was getting home to see her, but I was way "too pregnant" for the airlines to allow my emergency flight to the states. When we got word that my grandmother had passed away, I went into false labor. Later that week, I delivered my precious daughter. When Lorena was a year old, we were finally shipped back to American soil. It was a bitter sweet home coming because my beloved grandmother wouldn't be there to welcome us back. My two younger children would never know her or be held and hugged by her. While showing off my three children to my favorite uncle, he asked me if I'd like a "trinket" from Grammie's jewelry box. I was thrilled to be able to visit Grammie's house once again. I'd spent many happy childhood hours there -- playing the piano, playing Monopoly with Uncle Reggie, or exploring the magical upstairs of Grammie's sea captain type house and marveling over the beautiful hand pieced quilts and crocheted bedspreads, the oak dresser with oval mirror, and bath tub with feet. I loved looking from the alcove window in Grammie's downstairs bedroom to watch fishermen as they came to sell their lobsters at my uncle's wharf. I loved sitting at the window seat in the dining room and looking out at the ever changing ocean as sea gulls glided overhead making their gull noises for Grammie to toss them a tidbit. To me, her house was truly an elegant place to be. The first time I slept over in the guest bedroom, I felt like a princess right out of a fairy tale. Her house was always filled with intriguing smells -- cookies, pies and cakes, Evening in Paris cologne in deep blue bottles, Spic and Span, and her ever present house plants. I coveted the Easter lilies, geraniums, and a huge, gorgeous Christmas cactus. Grammie had had the cactus for eons, and she'd given me many slips from it to start. Every time one succumbed, she'd give me another and warn me again not to over water it. When, at last, the door to Grammie's house was swung opened, though my mind knew better, my heart expected her welcoming arms to reach out to us and pull us into her inviting kitchen. "Sit a spell and have a piece of pie," I could hear her say. What I didn't expect, after her home had been closed up for over a year, was to be greeted by the spicy scent of geraniums. It seemed as if the house had been holding its breath all that time, and when the door was opened, it exhaled. The powerful scent of geranium washed over my very soul like a crashing wave from the Atlantic at the height of a storm. The night before Grammie's passing, a strong wind shook the cement walled house we lived in and caused me a restless night. The morning was peaceful, sunny and bright. When I noticed our Spanish neighbor across the street, I commented about the howling wind of the night before. He looked at me rather strangely and told me he'd been up several times during the night and added in broken English, "No Honey, calm... No wind last night." When the news of Grammie's passing came, I wasn't surprised. I felt the wind had been forewarning me of the sad news to come. Had the geranium scent really lingered in Grammie's house all that time? Or had it been tucked into the recesses of my memory waiting for the right moment to emerge? Whether the geranium scent was real or imagined, it spoke volumes to me. Grammie's physical presence may be missing from my life, but the essence of her love, like perfume from a beautiful rose, would remain in my heart forever. -- Kay Seefeldt ___________________________________________ Kay lives in Maine and is a 26 year veteran middle school teacher. This tribute to her grandmother was inspired from coming across a marvelous painting of a geranium while surfing the web. Kay, who usually prefers landscapes or abstract, painted a single pink rose and titled it "Grammie Rose" in honor of her wonderfully, encouraging and loving grandmother Rose Woodward. Kay enjoys teaching adults and believes anyone can learn the techniques of watercolor who has the desire. She wants her students, not to strive for perfection, but enjoy the freedom of creative expression. ======================================================================= . . , o. .o/ | .---. / /| \~~~/'---+ \ / \ | PING! \-. | |/ /_\ >-->From Our Friend Wesley: Free 2010 Printable Calendars - Pick Yours ! http://tinyurl.com/yayhxab http://tinyurl.com/54cdkj http://tinyurl.com/yb9zv7t http://tinyurl.com/y85bdy3 http://tinyurl.com/y8t7g49 Times Square: Then and Now - Timeline http://www.timessquarenyc.org/then_now/then_now_timeline.html Times Square Alliance - New Year's Eve - History http://www.timessquarenyc.org/nye/nye_history.html --- ...Great Ones! Thanks Wesley! ================================================================== >-->Don't Quit When things go wrong, as they sometimes will, when the road your trudging seems all uphill, when the funds are low and the debts are high, and you want to smile, but you have to sigh, when care is pressing you down a bit- rest if you must, but don't you quit. Life is queer with its twists and its turns, as everyone of us sometimes learns, and many a failure turns about when they might have won, had they stuck it out. Don't give up though the pace seems slow, You may succeed with another blow. Often the struggler has given up when he might have captured the victors cup; and he learned too late when the night came down, how close he was to the golden crown. Success is failure turned inside out- The silver tint of the clouds of doubt- And you never can tell how close you are, It may be near when it seems so far; So stick to the fight when your hardest hit,- It's when things seem worst that you mustn't quit --- ...Check out: Never Give Up! http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/BibleStudy/nevergiveup.html -<>- Flowers are the sweetest things God ever made and forgot to put a soul into. -- Henry Ward Beecher ( * ) * ) * ( ) ( ( ( ) ( ) ) * ) ) ( ( ( ( * ) H ) ) [ ] ( ( * |-| * ) ( * ) |_| . ) ( | | . ) / \ . ' . * ( |_____| ' . . ) | ___ | \~~~/ ' . ( * | \ / | \_/ \~~~/ ) | _Y_ | | \_/ ( * jgs |-----| __|__ | * `-----` __|__ __, ,__) __, ,__) __, ,__) (--|__| _ ,_ ,_ (--|\ | _ (--\ | _ _ ,_ _| |(_||_)|_)(_| _| \|(/_(_|_) \|(/_(_|| ( | | ,_| ( (__| >Updated FUN STUFF URLS - Oh Yeah :) Shangy! --------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.ShangralaFamilyFun.com/urls.html FUN URLS --------------------------------------------------------------------- -->This is for all you who love food and DARRE 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? SHARE IT HERE: Share A Recipe ************************************************************************ >TO SUBSCRIBE: Visit Here This Weeks regular Shangy emails OR For the Yahoo ShangyFunList: To Subscribe send a blank email to ShangyFunList-subscribe@yahoogroups.com ************************************************************************