Happy V-J Day... :) 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 ================ >-->OoooWEeeee!! oo 8 "} > @ < .8 .-._/| .'_'`')`_.' \| ) / (>'/ |_,_ | (,| .' ,'\| `._/ ) \| '`- -- ''-- --- VK/ejm I'm doing a 'Happy Angel' dance! Why? Because Shangrala has been blessed with a wonderful donation from DanB from NM! May God Bless him most abundantly for his kindness. His support will help Keep Shangrala Alive! We sure do thank God for him and all our past most sweet and thoughtful angels! If you'd like to help too and be counted as a Shangrala Angel, please visit the site and click on the donate button. A Secure PAYPAL page comes up. NOTE: Paypal will generate a 'Quantity 1' and 'Price per item' form. Just ignore the price per item and put whatever it is you desire to give in there. With Paypal, you will have your normal receipt for your 'payment' donation in USD (United States Dollars). You can put a memo in there if you'd like. EVERY LITTLE BIT WILL HELP! Any amount is greatly appreciated and needed! PLEASE Visit Shangrala to Help: http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/index.html OR If you'd rather send us a donation, Please MAIL it here: Elrhea Bigham 502 S. Harrison Van Wert, OH 45891 *~* THANK YOU! MAY GOD BLESS YOU MOST ABUNDANTLY FOR YOUR GIFT! ================ >-->2 HOT Off The 'Shangy' Press This scorching hot new page is from our friend KarenF. It is delightful one that gives you an inside look at some of God's smallest creatures dealing with nature. Be sure to check out this amazing one here... .-=--. .' .--. '. : : .-.'. : _ _ : : : .': : (o)o) : '. '-' .' //// fsc _'.__'--=' '-.//i' .-' / '---..____...---'' When It Rains! http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/whenitrains.html --- ...I love this photography! Thanks KarenF! This next hot new page is from my son Victor. If you are a bowling enthusiast or just looking for a unique place to visit, you might want to keep this in mind. Check this one out for some family fun and smiles... .-. \ / .-. |_| .-. \ / |=| \ / |_| / \ |_| |=| / (@) \|=|/ \ ____ | / \@) \ .' '. / (@) \ | / # \ | | | | o o |'='| | / \ o / \ /'=' jgs '.____.' '=' Undersea Bowling Alley http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/bowling.html --- ...Sure looks like fun! Thanks Victor! =========================================================== >-->From Heartwarmers: Nothing grieves a child more than to study the wrong lesson and learn something he wasn't suppose to. -- E.C. McKenzie School bells will be (or are) ringing again. (Is it mid-August already?) Toni shares a charming story about an annual outing she took with her dad that took the sting out of that first day of school. You'll see what happened as she got older. Thank you, Toni! What kind of stories do you have about the first day of school? |\| |\| ,_.-('--. |\| .( '-.'.\'\_, |\| / `-.`_;;==/(/=, |\| |.-.-'.'#, #`=.`.\ |\| { .-.' `##O##\\,| |\|/-'./ '._ # <| \) |\{ -./ |\ # | ,__ |\|{_/ \ |# | .--'( `""=--:;.;'+; |(# o/ .' `";";"#`` `# '. | `"` / .'.' #, ,# '.'. / _.-'| .'.'_ ##, ,## _'.'. `-._ .' .'/| '.__. `'.#####.-'.--'` _ `\ / .-'| \ , `'-._|#|_.'` ;-.__.' | / |( / | | / `'._ |#| _.-' \ \/ / \ ) \ / /`._ `"";"| /`-./ / |.' / )', \._ `\ |\| \___ / / .'_.; \ \ `) | |\| / /` '._;.-,) `\ \/ | |\| .-' / ( ) |_/ |\| |_.' jgs .-' / |\| \_.' |\| |\| |\| >A DATE FOR THE FAIR by Toni Vale Pebbles After a lazy summer of sleeping late, reading, and playing with friends all day, going back to school was never fun. The only thing that made that first day palatable was that it usually coincided with the opening of the Michigan State Fair. Every year my father would schedule a day off and we would drive straight from school registration to the fairgrounds. We both loved every inch of the fair. One of our first stops was always Agricultural Hall, where mosaic displays comprised of Michigan apples lined the walls. The smell was delicious! Michigan honey was on sale there, and we sampled them all, chatting with the beekeepers as we progressed along the row of tables. My personal favorite attraction was the huge air-conditioned glass case containing a life-sized sculpture of a dairy cow, milkmaid, and her bucket, all carved from Michigan butter. We continued through rooms of 4-H projects, strolled through barns filled with cows, horses and goats, and the adjoining buildings where smaller animals like chickens and rabbits were kept. As a city girl, this was the closest I came to animals other than dogs or cats, but that didn't stop me from joining my father in an earnest discussion of why a particular hen or certain bull won the blue ribbon. We ate our hot dog lunches seated in the coliseum, watching horses being judged, and again commenting on the results. And we spent a happy hour or so strolling through the Quonset huts housing vendors of inventions and gadgets that would be sold today on infomercials. I was entranced by demonstrations of vegetable slicers and dicers and bottle opener-glass-cutting combos. In the early evening, my mother arrived by bus from her office and joined us for a picnic dinner purchased from the myriad of vendors -- fried chicken, corn on the cob, and cotton candy or caramel apples for dessert. It was a welcome opportunity to rest after hours of walking. "My dogs are barking," my father would sigh, and remove his shoes for a few minutes as we watched young tap dancers from local dance schools compete for prizes on a small outdoor stage, or listened to accordionists play lively polkas. I remember my mother's expression of pained indulgence as I excitedly showed her our yearly jar of buckwheat honey, or the liquid embroidery kit that my dad thought she might like to try out. It was all part of the Fair. After we ate, we'd visit the home craft exhibits -- knitting, sewing, baking -- until the sun went down and the Midway lit up. Rides made my mother queasy, but my father and I were undaunted by the Tilt- a-whirl or the Round-Up. We loved them all. As I grew older, this was the time of day when I began to feel uncomfortable being with my parents. It seemed that everywhere I looked, boys and girls walked hand-in-hand. On every ride, girls snuggled in the circle of some handsome boy's arm, and I was embarrassed going on the Wild Mouse at night with my dad. I felt childish and unpopular. I wanted my own date for the fair. I was 19 when I met my husband-to-be and we had been going together for almost a year when state fair time rolled around. "Finally!" I thought to myself. I can go to the Fair with a boy! I don't recall if he had ever been to the fair before, but my boyfriend clearly did not share my love of traipsing through the various exhibits of pigs, pigeons and apple pies. Even the cow fashioned from butter or the Mackinac Island fudge didn't produce a smile. And to my dismay, I discovered that amusement rides made him sick. At one point I held out the map included in the fair program and asked him which he would rather see first, the Catholic foreign missionaries or the quilts. "Whatever you want," he sighed, with such lack of enthusiasm that I was crushed. I finally had my own date for the fair, and he wasn't any fun. The following year I left my boyfriend at home and went to the fair with my dad. -- Toni Vale Pebbles __________________________________________________ Toni is a native Detroiter who moved to San Francisco in the '70s. She loves the ocean and the fog. She divides most of her free time (what little there is!) between paper arts and creative writing, and is finally in the last stages of the first draft of a novel. She has been published in Massage, The Diarist's Journal, The Watch Report and at Tattoo Highway, an online journal. =========================================================== >-->From Our Friend Fran :) .---. ___ /_____\ /\.-`( '.' ) / / \_-_/_ \ `-.-"`'V'//-. `.__, |// , \ |Ll //Ll|\ \ |__// | \_\ /---|[]==| / / \__/ | \/\/ /_ | Ll_\| |`^"""^`| | | | | | | | | | | | | L___l___J jgs |_ | _| (___|___) ^^^ ^^^ >Happy V-J Day - End Of WWII Day! (On August 15, 1945, news of the surrender was announced to the world. This sparked spontaneous celebrations over the final ending of World War II.) One day in Japan, during the early days of the occupation following World War II, two of my friends and I boarded a train. After I sat down, I noticed that only the men were seated. All the women with all their baggage and babies on their backs were attempting to keep their balance by hanging onto the overhead straps. When an older woman boarded with several heavy packages, I started to give her my seat. But before she could move, a young man pushed his way in and took the seat. Without thinking, I just grabbed him by the collar and hoisted him to his feet. Then I took the woman's elbow and directed her to sit down. As we say, I was "on a roll" and I simply reached for the next man. I assisted him to his feet also and gave his seat to a woman. We three looked at each other, grinned, and all together started for number three. But he did not wait. He jumped to his feet, and I thought momentarily he might start a fight — in the heat of the moment I had probably gone too far. But I was only 20, and in those days servicemen could get away with almost anything. Suddenly another stood up, then another and another, until every man on the train was standing and every woman was seated. Everyone acted as if it were the most natural thing in the world. No one spoke. One very old man gave his seat to a little girl. Forty years later, after spending 15 years as a missionary in Japan and later working in the States for nearly 20 years as a computer programmer, I was back in Japan visiting with my son Stephen. By that time he had received a Masters in Missions, and was back in Japan himself as a missionary. The event on the train was far from my thoughts as we visited in the home of a Christian lady in the northern part of Tokyo. To pass the time I thought it might be interesting to tell some of our experiences from the great War. She explained that as the war was ending, the Japanese government, trying to sustain the will to fight, warned that if Americans invaded Japan they would rape all the women. "But one day", she said, "three Americans got on a train and made all the men stand up and let the women sit down. We knew then that we had nothing to fear from the Americans." I was dumbfounded. She had not even been born when that happened. She had heard it from a television anchorman who had been a boy on that train and told the story one day on the air. I felt certain we had been the perpetrators. Perhaps he was the one I had pulled to his feet. It had been almost a prank on our part. Yet it still affects people to this day. by Bill Carrell --- ...Wow! Such a lovely Story! Thank You Fran! =========================================================== >-->From Archives InspiredBuffalo: --_-- ( -_ _). ( ~ ) ) (( ) ( ) () ) (. )) ( ) ``.. ..`` | | (=| |=) | | jnh (../( )\.)) >A Life-time Experience In One Day I have been in the computer business for close to 40 years. During 1995, I was employed as the Systems Administrator, Network Administrator, Operations Manager for the Oklahoma Blood Institute in Oklahoma City. As a side note, I also worked for about a dozen companies in the region as a mainframe consultant to improve security, disaster backup/restores, and improve mainframe performance. Also, I was trained as a Stephen Minister, a lay counselor, and was assigned to start working as a facilitator for a bereavement group that Wednesday evening. So my plate was pretty full at that time. My wife had passed on from cancer and I was filling my schedule to keep me busy. It was early morning, a customer was on the phone with me about a mainframe problem he was having, at the same time I was looking at our three mainframes through the glass separating the computer room and my desk when I heard a loud BOOM, both on the phone and in the building. The force of the explosion was so massive that the mainframe actually lifted off the floor and landed back, still running. Dust and debris fell from the ceiling. I rushed outside to see what was going on. My first guess was a railroad car full of gasoline exploded, however when I went outside I saw smoke billowing out from downtown Oklahoma City. Immediately I thought of the downtown airport, used for small craft and thought a plane had crashed. I knew we would need blood and we only had two computer stations to process donors. I pulled together some of the staff and within 30 minutes had set up an additional three stations to receive donors. The news had stated a bomb had exploded in the Murrah building downtown. I was stunned! A bomb in Oklahoma City. Why? Who? Within one hour a line of donors filled the lobby and stretched outside for blocks. People were wanting to do something, anything. When I looked at the line of people, I couldn't hold back my tears. Yes, America is vulnerable, and yes, America is willing and able to do whatever is necessary. I checked on my family. One of my sons was washing windows downtown when a shower of glass hit him. He was one of the wounded, treated for glass cuts and released. My daughter-in-law's sister was supposed to work in the day care center in the building that day but had a doctor's appointment. She suffered the guilt of not dying with her co-workers. A man that I bowled with, his wife worked in the Social Security office in the building and she died. The actual body count should be one higher because she was pregnant with their first child, appropriately named Angel. Then came the meeting for the bereaved. I told the group that if fear was the objective, they failed because we are here. If the attackers wanted to divide us, they failed because we are united. I saw families cry and hysteria at the church where the families of the victims were treated by a community of counselors/ministers and such. I cannot imagine the level of New York's disaster. However I do not doubt the will of the American people. B.J. Cassady Guthrie, Oklahoma --- ...Reminds me of this - We are still united! In honor of El Paso victims, dozens line up to donate blood at Texas Capitol. Organizers had to bring in a second mobile station to deal with the high number of people wanting to donate blood. By the end of the drive, over 110 people had donated. https://www.texastribune.org/2019/08/05/el-paso-blood-drive/ -<>- Another one ... \\ ///// | | (| _ _ |) |` | '| | __ | >>>___/\_^__/\___<<< / ||| \ Mike Hertz >Oh Brother Where art Thou? His name is Bill, we double dated to our high school graduation back in 1962. He was my third baseman on my baseball team. We were friends. After graduation we went our separate ways. I joined the Air Force and he went into the Marines. I volunteered for Vietnam but was sent to Newfoundland, Canada. He went to Nam. His first tour brought him two bronze stars, his second tour he got a third bronzed star, a purple heart and a silver star. He was the last man to leave the infamous Hamburger Hill. While wounded he carried off all the men that were wounded before he left. How many lives did he save? He was involved in hand to hand combat while doing this heroic act. Bill never talked about it to me. His father read the letter that came with the Silver Star. Bill probably just missed getting the Medal of Honor by a tad. Bill never thought he was a hero, he was just a boy from Kansas. While visiting him at his house, I had an gran mal seizure. Bill's medical training helped me recover rapidly. Again we parted company, me to college, him another tour, his third. The third tour was a disaster for Bill, his mind had held too much, seen too much and he suffered a mental breakdown. Bill went through numerous hospitals. Finally he was discharged and went home to Kansas. I heard about his setback and made a point to visit him. What a change. When we talked, he saw things, heard things that were not there. He was still in Vietnam while in Kansas. My heart went out to him. His heart was locked in some place where I could not reach. While driving, Bill hit and killed a pedestrian. Before his trial, he jumped bond and skipped. Last I heard he was working on a ranch maybe in Montana or Wyoming. His parents have since passed away. I went to his father's funeral and made a point of being there for Bill. I hope I see Bill again. Our country owes much to the Bills of the world. Their suffering, their pain, their lives are forever changed. Freedom is just a word until we make the sacrifice to earn it. B.J. Cassady Guthrie, Oklahoma -<>- / / / / Coventry, England, 11 December 1998 __.__ / .-' `-. / _ / .' `. .' '._ / / / _.--._ \ ( )' .-'-. ; / \ | / '(._)--' (-'|'-) | | / | | / / / / O | | \_ _/ | / / . ' '=;-|-' | `--' / ______ . q|p | .' /' '\ .___. ( ) /| ._ `. | ,"""", | |"""| |""",.-"'"._ / | | `-. '. | | | | | | ,., '. | | `. \ '____' | | 3-| | | '. | | | / \ ' __ | | | | | | | | | ' ;| | | | 2-| | | | | | | / .@< ; ;| | | |~~~| | | | | >@ | | '(u) | || | | | 1-| | | | | (u)' / ~~~| |~~~~~~~~~| ||~~| |~| |~~| |~~~~| |~~~~~~~~ `--' '---'' '-' '-' '-' '-' )=;;') >';;=( ########################PjP#################################### - >The Rain A little girl had been shopping with her Mom in Wal-Mart. She must have been 6 years old, this beautiful red haired, freckle faced image of innocence. It was pouring outside. The kind of rain that gushes over the top of rain gutters, so much in a hurry to hit the earth it has no time to flow down the spout. We all stood there under the awning and just inside the door of the Wal-Mart. We waited, some patiently, others irritated because nature messed up their hurried day. I am always mesmerized by rainfall. I got lost in the sound and sight of the heavens washing away the dirt and dust of the world. Memories of running, splashing so carefree as a child came pouring in as a welcome reprieve from the worries of my day. The little voice was so sweet as it broke the hypnotic trance we were all caught in "Mom, let's run through the rain," she said. "What?" Mom asked. "Let 's run through the rain!" She repeated. "No, honey. We'll wait until it slows down a bit," Mom replied. This young child waited about another minute and repeated: "Mom, let's run through the rain," "We'll get soaked if we do," Mom said. "No, we won't, Mom. That's not what you said this morning," the young girl said as she tugged at her Mom's arm. This morning? When did I say we could run through the rain and not get wet? "Don't you remember? When you were talking to Daddy about his cancer, you said, 'If God can get us through this, he can get us through anything!" The entire crowd stopped dead silent. I swear you couldn't hear anything but the rain. We all stood silently. No one came or left in the next few minutes Mom paused and thought for a moment about what she would say. Now some would laugh it off and scold her for being silly. Some might even ignore what was said. But this was a moment of affirmation in a young child's life. A time when innocent trust can be nurtured so that it will bloom into faith. "Honey, you are absolutely right. Let's run through the rain. If GOD let's us get wet, well maybe we just needed washing," Mom said. Then off they ran. We all stood watching, smiling and laughing as they darted past the cars and yes, through the puddles. They held their shopping bags over their heads just in case. They got soaked. But they were followed by a few who screamed and laughed like children all the way to their cars. And yes, I did. I ran. I got wet. I needed washing. Circumstances or people can take away your material possessions, they can take away your money, and they can take away your health. But no one can ever take away your precious memories...So, don't forget to make time and take the opportunities to make memories everyday. To everything there is a season and a time to every purpose under heaven. A friend sent this to me to remind me of life. Hope you enjoy it. I HOPE YOU STILL TAKE THE TIME TO RUN THROUGH THE RAIN. ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~~*~*~*~*~*~*~ Hello, my friend. It's been awhile. The story "The Rain" was written by me. Actually it was called "They ran through the rain believing..." A friend of mine is on your list and recognized it, Told me about it. That story and a few others of mine are so difficult to keep up with. Keep up the great work, my friend. I wish you enough, "I Believe in YOU!" Bob Perks *Professional Speaker, Author, and vocalist, member National Writers Assoc. http://www.BobPerks.com Visit my new story site: http://www.iwishyouenough.com Sign up to receive three stories each week in Bob's message "I Believe in you!" To read the archives of past stories: http://www.topica.com/lists/Ibelieveinyou/read "I wish you enough" written by Bob Perks © 2001 "I wish you enough sun to keep your attitude bright. I wish you enough rain to appreciate the sun more. I wish you enough happiness to keep your spirit alive. I wish you enough pain so that the smallest joys in life appear much bigger. I wish you enough gain to satisfy your wanting. I wish you enough loss to appreciate all that you possess. I wish you enough "Hello's" to get you through the final "Goodbye." -<>- >Links for Your Enjoyment: Ricochet's Soul Vision! http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/ricochetvision.html Ricochet At The Pentagon! http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/ricochetpentagon.html Proud Of Our Troops 8! http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/troops8.html Normandy Then And Now! http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/normandy2.html Making A Difference! http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/makingdifference.html Here's Your Frog!- http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/frog.html I Believe In You! http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/ibelieveinyou.html Big Happy Pet Family! http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/petfamily.html Friendship Greetings! http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/greetings.html God Is Like!- http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/godislike.html Miracle Baby!- http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/smellofrain.html Thoughts For Today! http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/thoughts.html Jesus Laughing Art! http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/Jesusart.html God's Paintings! http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/gpaints.html Military Dogs! http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/militarydogs.html Hot Air Balloons 2!- http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/hotair2.html Water Rescue Dogs!- http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/waterrescuedogs.html Why We Love Dogs!- http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/whydog.html Police Dogs!- http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/policedogs.html Dog Warriors!- http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/dogwarriors.html USA 9/11 And TROOPS INDEX! http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/911andtroopsindex.html SUMMER INDEX! https://tinyurl.com/y4xyz2w8 -<>- >Bible: The Pit https://www.truthortradition.com/articles/the-pit What does the Bible say about Remarriage After Divorce? https://tinyurl.com/y2wj5jwc The Third Heaven And Earth https://tinyurl.com/yxoxgxq7 The Final Victory http://www.absolutebiblestudy.com/Advanced/The_Final_Victory.htm Advanced Studies Index http://www.absolutebiblestudy.com/Advanced/Advanced.htm Up Where We Belong + Joe Cocker/Jennifer Warnes + Lyrics/HQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e06iWT9vSlI Michael Bolton ~ When I'm Back On My Feet Again (with lyrics) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=114QK3SVqyk Casting Crowns “One Awkward Moment” https://www.godtube.com/watch/?v=YYYDPPNX Hallelujah - Aleluya - Michael W. Smith https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S0Ke8p93QRk -<>- Why printer ink cartridges are so expensive https://tinyurl.com/y3g4b9a4 Israel blocks Omar, Tlaib from entering country amid pressure from Trump https://tinyurl.com/y58ohbuq Westwing News: https://www.whitehouse.gov/westwingreads/ WhiteHouseNews: https://www.whitehouse.gov/1600daily/ Latest From AFA: http://tinyurl.com/j7lakqw Students For Life https://tinyurl.com/yd5nxmu6 Latest From OperationRescue: http://www.operationrescue.org/ Latest Product Alert: FAA Bans Laptops from Flights http://www.emergencyemail.org/products/?fmt=text Latest Health Alert: Salmonella Found in Fresh Vegetables http://www.emergencyemail.org/health/?fmt=text Click to Give Free https://tinyurl.com/y2abb8d2 -<>- Revisiting... >From Our Friend LouiseAu! :) After seeing a poor pup hiding out under cars in front of his work, Patrick Pittenger wanted to help the dog, but wasn't sure how to other than giving her food and water. Then, when Pittenger saw the pooch on Google Street View, he took it as a sign and contacted Hope for Paws, who helped rescue the dog. http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=ZqaNiv91ceE --- ...awwww, such a heartwarming story! Thanks LouiseAu! Raw cockpit footage taken with a Flip video camera during a Blue Angels Airshow. Best viewed in Full Screen http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2GhhyUtXbjA&feature=player_embedded --- ...Cool! Thanks LouiseAu! -<>- >From Our Friend GloriaB :) Here is some very rare footage of Frank "Sugar Chile" Robinson as a child, when he was just starting out in the music biz'... from an old B & W movie with Van Johnson... http://www.wimp.com/oldschool/ --- ...Wow! Love It! Thanks GloriaB! 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 ========================================================== ____________________ / {)][o>][_o][c_][o][| |-==)| | &_____________________L ejm 96 ( ) ( ) >The Right Place Story Editor by Nancy Quinonez Randy Cassingham Colorado, USA My family didn't have a very exciting New Year's Eve planned for the last day of 2001. I had the day off, but my husband, Will, a fill-in bus driver, had picked up a long route that night driving travelers back and forth 40 miles from Boulder to the Denver airport. There would be no parties or champagne this year. The kids and I rented videos, picked up some take-out chicken, and toasted the new year with sparkling cider. After midnight, Will's route ended and he headed home. On a nearly empty street, he noticed something odd. Two people, a man and a woman, appeared to be wrestling on the side of the road. He drove past but, thinking something might be wrong, turned around and headed back. As he reached the couple, he saw the man slam the woman's head down onto the pavement. She was struggling to get away, but he was on top of her. Will stopped the car and yelled at the man. Although he didn't carry a cell phone, he lied and told the man that he had already called the police, and that he was going to stay there until they arrived. The man yelled back, and approached Will's open car window. Will grabbed at the only thing he had to defend himself, the sharp end of a snow scraper, and swung it at him. That was enough to send the man walking away. The woman was still there. Her lip was split open badly, and she was bleeding and crying. There was a shopping center nearby, but all the stores were closed and dark for the holiday. Will offered her a ride home, or a ride to a phone. She seemed scared to get into the car with him. He gave her some tissues and paper towels. He didn't want to leave her there alone. He suggested that she take a cab home. She told him that she didn't have any money. He reached into his pocket for the tips he had made that night for hauling people's luggage in and out of the bus. He gave them to her. Just then, the police drove up. Someone had called them. They took the woman into their car. She wouldn't tell them who the man was, just that it was someone she knew. The police took Will's statement and radioed the description out to try and find the man. Then Will came home. We don't know what happened to the couple. I hope she is safe. If Will hadn't told me this story the next day, nobody would have known. When our son overheard part of it, Will brushed it off as "nothing". I suppose I didn't have such a bad New Year's Eve after all. I wanted my husband home with me, but I believe he was in the right place that night. =======HeroicStories======= >-->From LaughAndLift: "Samson with his strong body had a weak head or he would not have laid it in a harlot's lap." - Benjamin Franklin , , /////| ///// | ///// | |~~~| | | |===| |/| | B |/| | | I | | | | B | | | | L | / | E | / |===|/ jgs '---' >Not Your Own (by Kerry S. Doyal) [Edited] We treat borrowed things with great care & with some fear & trembling: - "Careful, don't scratch that!" - "Don't use it that way, it's not ours." Ratchet up this concept a bit by reading these three verses: "Flee from s%xual immorality. All other sins a man commits are outside his body, but he who sins s%xually sins against his own body. Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body." ~ 1 Corinthians 6:18-20 (NIV) ~ Buyers become owners, with rightful demands. God bought us with the highest of payments - the blood of His Son. Guess who has a new owner? Amazingly, He purchased us & then took up residence. He re-zoned our breaking-down bodies as "Temples" & moved in. Amazing. So, since we are not our own, but God's & since God is in the house - in you, Christian - we sure had better use His temple for His glory. You ain't yours. No more "I, me, mine." Him, His, He! Take care of His Temple. Sin stains it, abuse dishonors it, neglect disrespects it. "You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body." -<>- "The only way we can have personal victory in the midst of these flying arrows raining down on us is to call upon the Lord for help. It is His strength, supplied to us in our weakness, that makes victory after victory possible." - Edith Schaeffer .-. ((`-' \\ \\ .="""=._)) ; '=. "'" '==" PjP after/jgs >"The Smell . . ." (Written by Kris Willett) [Edited] A while back we had a surprise visitor in our house. I don't say guest because he WASN'T invited. So the story goes . . . Upon entering my house through the kitchen door I had been smelling something odd for several weeks. Didn't smell exactly like a dead mouse -- just not a good smell. The cat had been trying to get behind the fridge and the range so I thought it must be a mouse. However, I never did see evidence of one if you know what I mean. Then one day Maxx, the cat, was going berserk trying to get behind the splashboard on the cabinet by the window. He was meowing something awful and pawing behind the sink. We live in an old farmhouse where the kitchen has been remodeled so the cabinets don't exactly fit with the window. Anyway, one Friday evening after we got home from work, I was at my desk, husband was in the shower and Maxx was who knows where. I have a tall free-standing pantry that sits in my kitchen by the door to the bathroom. Just inside the bathroom is a linen closet. I heard something fall in the bathroom and went to investigate thinking Maxx was meddling again. I noticed, though, that Maxx was under the kitchen table staring up. Not paying all that much attention to this I went on into the bathroom and found a box of band aids on the floor. I looked up to see why they had fallen and what did I see? A SNAKE!!!!! Coming from the TOP of the pantry around the door into the top of the linen closet!!!! I guess I must have screamed bloody murder because hubby came out of the shower dripping wet saying, "What? What?" I said, "A s-s-s-nnnnaaaaaakkkke!" He quickly put on some pants and got the broom and proceeded to get the snake. It was a black snake and a good mouser, but doesn't belong in the house. Right? Amen? He took it outside and measured it at 4 1/2 feet long. How the thing got in our house and how long it had been in there we have no idea. Well, I got to thinking about this. That's how Satan is in our lives. He gets in the tiniest hole and we may smell something stinky, something not right. He grows and grows and eventually shows himself. But from now on at the first smell of something stinky I will search and search until I find the culprit and get rid of it. That's what I want to do with Satan, too. At the first sign of a stench I want to go to the Lord and in the name of Jesus Christ bind that evil from my life, my heart, my prayers, my thoughts, my home. So, brothers & sisters, perk up those spiritual nostrils like we do our spiritual eyes and ears and smell out that ole devil. Don't let him grow in your life then one day scare the wits out of you. "Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. Be imitators of God, therefore, as dearly loved children and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God." - (Ephesians 4:32-5:2 NIV) -<>- "You are valuable because you exist. Not because of what you do or what you have done, but simply because you are." - Max Lucado . , |`. ,'| \_`-._ _,-'_/ ./ \-._`-._ _,-'_,-/ \, \._/._ `._>`-.__ __,-'<_,' _,\_,/ /_ \_.`-._\_-._ `--__ __--' _,-_/_,-',_/ _\ /._`\_./ _`_./`.-._ `-. ,-' _,-,'\,_'_ \,_/'_,\ \._`/ _/ _`_./ _/`\_ `. ,' _/'\_ \,_'_ \_ \'_,/ /._`/ _/ _`_./` _/ `\_ `\_ _/' _/' \_ '\,_'_ \_ \'_,\ \._`/ _/ _`_./` __/ >. `-.,-' ,< \__ '\,_'_ \_ \'_,/ /_`/._/._`_./` __.`.-\_.-`'-._/-,',__ '\,_'_,\_,\'_\ `\._`_./`\._/_/' _ `\_\_,/'\,_'_,/' /_\ \./ __/(__ / `--' \ / _ _ \ \'| |`/ \|____|/ \/ -] \/ / | \ | | | | | \ / | \ \__,-`\___/ (_) |__) mic >LIFT ME FROM THE ASHES (By list member Debbie Preuss, June 9, 2006) Lift me from the ashes, heal this anger in my heart Holding on to it Lord, is tearing me apart I've embraced the injustice, that was done to me Now it's holding me back, not letting me be free I'm tired of sitting here, with my "righteous pride" I can't count the many tears, that my eyes have cried Lord reach down and pick me up, please show me what to do I now lift my arms, oh Father, unto You My heart is bruised and battered, what could I ever gain From staying where I am, holding on to this pain Lord, I know you love me, please take over this mess I can't do it on my own, this I now confess All these feelings that I'm having, are jumbled in my mind This is not the path for me, that You have designed So Father I now give to You, full, complete control For in doing this, I know You'll make me whole So lift me from the ashes, heal the feelings in my heart For holding on to them is tearing me apart 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 ========================================================== , , /////| ///// | ///// | |~~~| | | |===| |/| | B |/| | | I | | | | B | | | | L | / | E | / |===|/ jgs '---' >-->So Glad You Came How could I contemplate life without Him, Jesus, my Savior, my redeemer, my Lord; He brought me out of the darkness of sin, gave to me hope and my life He restored! His living water now flows all through me and His bread of life fills me when I'm tired and hungry! I worship and praise His precious name, so thankful that into my life He came! His marvelous blessings so rich and so free; He has in abundance poured them out upon me! I will worship and praise Him with every breath that I take; I will do all He asks of me for His dear sake! When this life is finished and my work here is done; I will stand in the presence of God's own dear Son. I will kneel there before Him and worship His name; And He'll tell me, "My child I am so glad you came! " ~Helen Johnson~ >Updated FUN STUFF URLS - Oh Yeah Shangy! ---------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.ShangralaFamilyFun.com/urls.html FUN URLS ---------------------------------------------------------------------- -->ShangyFunList AD RATES: $20 will get your a message (of up to 40 words) out to all self-subscribed readers and $5 more will give you the same message also put up for all web site readers. Email me to secure dates. Ad Request ---------------------------------------------------------------------- -->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? 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 **********************************************************************