How Do You Know And More.... :) 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 ================ >-->HOT Off The 'Shangy' Press :) This flaming red hot one is from our friend LouiseA. It is so heartwarming, it is sure to bring you some smiles. Give it time to load and check out this little happy child's unique life here... .-c. _ .., _ ( ")\ ['" 6'-' __\ / \ /_ snd `----' '-._\ The REAL Mowgli! http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/realmowgli.html --- ...Awww, Most beautiful! Thanks LouiseA! =========================================================== >-->From Heartwarmers: ____ _ /////|\\ ``````\\\ `/` ))) \`, ((( `--- ,\\\ ,---/ )),))) / , `(( ((( `--. ) `__)) ________ | | ,-./\ \ _,-' \ \__,-. \ \,-' /`.__,-'_,-\ `-. / \____`--'____________ | \ Starshine >PRINCESS ANNIE by Leigh Singh I was eight years old when I met the girl I would come to call Princess Annie. At the time, I didn't know she was royalty. I was too busy fighting back tears to pay attention to the wavy-haired girl who was my hospital roommate. Lucky for me, her friendliness outshined my misery. As I slumped on the hospital bed that would be mine for the next eight weeks, my roommate bounced over. "I'm Annie!" she proclaimed. "What's your name?" "Leigh," I whispered. "Hi, Leigh!" Annie grinned. "I'm here to have my heart checked. Why are you here?" "To have an operation on my legs," I answered over the lump in my throat. "Ooh!" Annie's eyes widened when she saw tears in my own. "I like your sweatshirt," I said, hoping to change the subject. Annie dropped her chin and studied the image of Popeye the Sailor Man smiling up at her. "I love Popeye!" she chortled. She shoved her hand into her pocket. "This is for you, Leigh!" she beamed, handing me a sesame candy. "Thanks." I managed to smile before slipping the treat into my mouth. That was the first of many candies my roommate shared with me. Annie and I spent most of our waking hours at opposite ends of the hospital, but several times a day I would hear someone call, "My Leigh- Leigh!" I'd look up to see Annie, her hands full of sesame treats. Whether hurrying down a hallway or peeking into the therapy room, Annie had a knack for finding me. And every time she did, I felt glad to be found. "My Leigh-Leigh!" The familiar greeting floated across a darkened hospital room. Nurses had tucked Annie and me into our beds hours ago. I lay on my back in traction. My legs felt like they were on fire. Tears soaked my pillow. "My Leigh-Leigh!" Annie's voice was insistent now. I brushed a tear from my face. "What?" "I can't sleep," Annie answered. "Tell me a story." "A story? Now? We should sleep." My roommate was undaunted. "I can't sleep. You're awake. Tell me a story. Please, please, please!" Something in Annie's tone kept me from arguing. "OK." I took a deep breath and began. "Once upon a time, there lived a Princess named Annie." "Yea!" Annie squealed delightedly. I smiled and continued, "Princess Annie ruled a happy kingdom, and everyone there loved her because of her kind heart." "Yea! That's good!" Annie cheered again. As the story of Princess Annie unfolded, my pain began to fade. My imagination soared. I gave Princess Annie many wonderful friends -- a polka dotted boy, a talking giraffe, and of course a royal storyteller. My tale was periodically interrupted by Annie's joyful exclamations. She even cheered when I introduced Draggie -- the mean, green, fire-breathing dragon who threatened the kingdom. "But don't worry," I added, not wanting to give my roommate nightmares. "Princess Annie had a friend called Prince..." I paused, searching for the perfect name to give a fairytale prince. "Popeye!" Annie shouted. Of course! Why should my roommate settle for a prince when she could have Popeye? I quickly amended the tale. "Princess Annie had a friend called Popeye. He was a wonderful sailor. Popeye knew how to handle that mean, fire-breathing Draggie!" "With spinach?" Annie asked. I giggled. "Hey, you've heard this before!" "No I haven't. Honest. But I know Popeye has lots of spinach. And he always saves the day!" Annie was right. Popeye did save the day. He hurled huge handfuls of spinach at the dragon and rescued Princess Annie and her subjects. But the hero didn't rest on his laurels. Popeye and Princess Annie and all their friends visited every night for the next eight weeks. They had many adventures together -- adventures grand enough to overcome pain and turn loneliness into laughter. As each nightly tale drew to a close, my roommate would call to me, "Popeye saved the day! Thank you, my Leigh-Leigh." Just before closing my eyes, I'd answer, "You're welcome, Princess Annie. Sweet dreams." Years have passed since I last saw the girl I called Princess Annie, but I still smile every time I taste a sesame candy or see an image of Popeye. I smile to remember the friend who taught me that it's possible to reach beyond challenges and pain when we reach beyond ourselves. I smile and I whisper, "Thank you, Princess Annie." -- Leigh Singh ___________________________________________ Leigh, from Virginia, is a writer, a motivational speaker, and an advocate for people with disabilities. She became a published author at the age of fifteen. Her writing has appeared in magazines and newsletters across the country. Her story, PopPop's Promise is also featured in Chicken Soup to Inspire the Body & Soul. ========================================================== >-->From Our Friend LouiseA :) .-=========-. \'-=======-'/ _| .=. |_ ((| {{1}} |)) \| /|\ |/ \__ '`' __/ _`) (`_ jgs _/_______\_ /___________\ Real faith is not only getting beyond our past: it’s recognizing that faith is an ongoing process. None of us “have arrived.” At best, we can say we’re “on the way.” A big mistake many make is the notion that at any given moment we’re going to be complete and thus relieved from the prospect of additional construction. That is not and will never be the case. While I’m not everything I want to be, I’m not all the things I once was. Our lives are filled with pressure and stress. This is not necessarily bad. Stress and tension, properly balanced, actually give us strength. Faith involves having something in the distance to motivate us and keep us moving, as the apostle Paul admonished in his Epistle to the Philippians. We should “press on toward the goal.” Faith gives us a focus for our future, helps us move in the direction of our destiny, and gives us the capacity to continue working toward a worthy legacy. --- ...Absolutely! Thanks LouiseA! ================================================================ >-->From Archives InspiredBuffalo: .g$$$Sbp. .d$$$$SSS$$Sp. dS$$$$SS$$$$$SSb. :S$$$$$SSSS$$$$$SSb $S$$$$$$SS$SSSSSS$S; :$$$S$$SS^"^^""^TSSS: $$$S$$SP T$SS; :$$$S$SP $$SS $$$S$$$ :$$S; :$$$S$$;=-. ,-=^.T$$Sb $$$SS$$.__.\ .__. $S$$$b .d$$SS$$; "" "" :SSS$$; d$$SSS$$$ :S$$S$$ :$$SS$$$$; ._. $$S$$$$ $$SS$$$$S$b .___. d$$$S$$; :SSS$$S$S$$b \.-./ d$$$$S$P`. `^S$S$$SS$$b. `-' .'\^T$P^' \ TS^T$SSSP `.___.' \ __\___ .: `. .'.--\ `. bug .' ; :./ / \ \ .-" __:__. .--;"\: ; ; .-""""" \ `--' : ; : : .' `. ; : ; ; / `. / ; : : : "-. / : \ ; ; `-.' ; \ : ; \ ( ) : \ : ; " ; \ ; : ; ; __..mm: \ : :/ __..NmMMMMMMMMM; ; : _..mmMMMMMMNNMMMMMMMMMM : MMMMMMMMMMMMMMNNMMMMMMMMMM; ; :NMMMMMMMMMMMMNMMMMMMMMMMMM : NNMMMMMMMMMMMMMNNNMMMMMMMM; ; :NNNMMMMMMMMNMMMNNNNNNNNNNN : MNNNNNNMMNNMMMMMMNNNNNNNMMb >Because Nice Matters Pam from New Orleans When I was 20 and still in college, I worked for a large chain store where jewelry was their main product. At Christmas time, it was understood that when the jewelry department got busy, and because that's where the greatest margin of profit was, that all available employees were to help with sales in the jewelry 'pit'. We were all trained to work the counters, but we got a minimum percentage of commission compared to the regular salespeople's salary and commissions. This one evening, the customers were three deep all around the four sides of the jewelry counters. One by one we served the customers and it finally got to a manageable group in about two hours. Some of my co-workers were tired and wanted to go back to their departments. Some were allowed to leave, but I was asked to stay and finish helping our customers find the jewelry that they were shopping for. As I was just about to walk my current customer to the registers so that she could checkout, I caught sight of a VERY large man in just filthy overalls. He was muddy and he smelled! When I returned to the sales counter, all of the other college students that were there working were whispering and giggling and not very discreetly. I asked them what they were whispering about. And they pointed to the man at my section of the counter. I told them not to be so mean. He might be able to hear them. I told them to have the Christmas spirit and be nice. Because Nice matters. They were still giggling as I went to see how I could help him. When I got to him, he really did smell. It was pretty bad, but I figured he really wanted something as he had waited a long time. He thanked me for coming to him and asked to see a $40,000 aquamarine and diamond ring in the case. Gasps and more giggles exploded from my co-workers when they heard what he had asked to see. The man and I BOTH heard the comments that they made. I was embarrassed for him and I wanted to just evaporate to escape this truly uncomfortable moment. He apologized to ME, saying he had heard what they said before I came to help him, and he had heard what I told them, and he was so sorry that he did indeed stink, and that he must look a sight. But he said he was really pressed for time, as he had been in the field all day turning soil, and that his wife of 20 years had mentioned a ring she had seen in our case that morning. He really wanted to surprise her with the ring because she had been the best thing that had ever happened to him. He wasn't quite sure which ring she had seen, but he wanted to get to the store as soon as he could in case the ring would be sold before he could buy it for her. I knew the ring was $40,000, but I'm not so sure he knew how much it was. By the description, I knew exactly what ring he wanted to see. I assured him that this was the only one that would match what he was repeating from his wife's description. I told him the price and he swallowed hard. When he finally spoke, he again apologized for his attire and aroma, and asked if I could gift wrap it for him. I told him that I could, but we would have to go to the register and pay for it first. He said OK. I asked if it would be cash or charge. More giggles from behind. Comments that I had wasted my time on this sale. Laughing. It was very embarrassing. Then as he put his hand in his pocket, he said, "CASH". Oh, you wouldn't believe the exclamations of disbelief from my co-workers. The whole floor by now had gotten wind of this very large, unkempt man trying to pretend he was going to buy a ring that he probably didn't realize that it was so expensive. The comments from EVERYONE around the area were so painfully embarrassing. That poor man! Well, he and I walked over to the register and had to wait until the patron ahead of us was through. He thanked me again for being so patient with him and that he was again sorry that he looked such a mess. When the cashier saw the amount to be rung up, her eyes got as big as golf balls. She asked me if it was a joke. I said no and that we would like to hurry as the man had a long drive back to the country and he wanted to get home as soon as possible. She rang up the sale, and with tax, the man presented her with 42 $1,000 bills and four $100 bills. Exact change, he said, to make it easier on the cashier. I was nervous that it really was happening. I was upset that it was happening. I was elated that he could make it happen. I was angry with my co-workers that they were so judgmental. This very thoughtful and thankful man was the brunt of their jokes. And he leaned over to me and said, "So, the jokes on them, huh?!!" And with that, he pressed into my hand two one- hundred dollar bills!! He said he wanted me to have it because I was the only one who had not made a snide comment, and I was very pleasant to him even though he knew he wasn't very presentable. And as he repeated my quote from earlier, he directed his eyes to the now-drop-jawed co-workers and boomed the comment, "BECAUSE NICE MATTERS" He winked and said, "Let's get this wrapped, so I can go home to my bride of 20 years." I was so happy! Not only did I get a 1% commission on this sale, but also he had sweetened the pot by another 50%. So, I made the biggest, prettiest gift-wrapped package that I could! He thanked me again, shook my hand, and left, and I never saw him again. This story has stayed with me for over 20 years. It's one of my favorite memories. Not because of the money, but because we formed a pact, a camaraderie, against what was bad, and we proved it to be good to do the right thing. We all learned a lesson from this night. My co-workers were VERY eager to help ALL customers after that night. Never judge a book by its cover, and remember that nice does matter. -<>- ,--.,-"";-"-. .-;-/ / / .- `\ .-. ` ( ' ' ` ; `\/ \ \ / \ / (. C . ) | .-. | | _ / (` / | \ /}| | )(\ | `-> (____.| / ||| / \=====| | |\| | |====| \ _/ ` \__/=====| |` `-'======| \ |=======/ | |=======| | .--, ########\ |/ / jgs |_|__|| ` `--. ,---;-'--'\ `--. `---`-------'-.___,___.---' >Inquire like a child Children are not at all afraid to ask questions or make inquiries. Recently I saw three little children lined up in front of me at the airport. The three siblings were asking a young lady standing behind them whether she spoke Spanish. Although the young lady in question was obviously from the Indian subcontinent, the children were asking this question in Spanish itself. They had no preconceived notions to limit their inquiries. They did not assume that the lady would be annoyed with their 'silly' questions, nor did they think, She doesn't look like she would know Spanish. No! They just asked. The young woman looked puzzled, not having understood what they were saying. So, what happened? I overheard and told the children that I did speak Spanish. Right away they started firing questions at me. Where are you going? India, I told them. They asked if there is a war going on in India, if there are weapons in India (at least that is what I understood) and whether India is beautiful. I told them no, yes and yes. The questions were fast and furious. What is the meaning of the mark on your forehead? Why is it different from the one on the other lady's forehead? They wanted to know the significance of the tilak I had applied to the forehead, and they found the answers fascinating. These children did not fear they would appear foolish due to the questions; they kept satisfying their curiosity and learned something they did not know earlier. Adults are forever saying, "I wanted to ask, but I was afraid I would sound like a fool." Children do not care whether they seem like fools; they just ask. You may say, "But all questions are not important." And you are right. They are not. But there are very important questions, such as WHO AM I, WHAT IS THE AIM OF LIFE? HOW WILL I FULFILL MY TRUE AIM? Such questions are truly worth inquiring about. Inquire like a child. radhamadhavsociety.org -<>- >Links for Your Enjoyment: Value Of Life http://www.ShangralaFamilyFun.com/poems/value.html Quit Smoking http://www.ShangralaFamilyFun.com/BibleStudy/quitsmoking.html Alcohol and Drug Abuse http://www.ShangralaFamilyFun.com/BibleStudy/alcoholanddrugs.html It Takes Two! http://www.ShangralaFamilyFun.com/poems/two.html Babes In Christ! http://www.ShangralaFamilyFun.com/BibleStudy/babesinchrist.html Angel Wing Decoys! http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/angel.html Directions Home http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/home.html Liberty Air Show http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/liberty.html Miniature Wonderland! http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/modeltrain.html Amazing Bus Stops! http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/bus.html Car Show 2! http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/carshow2.html Giethoorn - The Venice Of Holland! http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/gvillage.html Keukenhof Gardens http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/kgardens.html In The Pink! http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/inthepink.html Sweet Wooden Car! http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/woodcar.html -<>- >From Our Friend Geniann :) Warning for ladies - KEEP IT LOCKED! https://www.youtube.com/embed/A3txI0goxrI --- ...Wow! The Creeps! Great tip! Thanks Geniann! -<>- >From Our Friend Karen :) As the piece starts, the pictures of Ireland are amazing, but wait until you get to the spoken part. It's beautiful, and you don't have to be Irish to enjoy it! (Turn on the sound.) http://www.andiesisle.com/ThisBlessingIsForYou.html --- ...So beautiful and peaceful! Thanks Karen! -<>- >From our friend Victor :) Enlightment http://tinyurl.com/ndmb8fw English Translation: Enlightenment An unconditional heart brings great blessings with no boundary Without boundaries, our fragile lives are all connected through love Why do you turn a blind eye and let yourselves be restricted by the status quo? Willingly, I finally come to my senses to realize my character and my emptiness Let go of your inverted dreams, let go of the things which will one day fade away Let go of your leisure, desire, pleasure, and let go of suspense With one more thing in hand, more danger will follow With less things, greed will lessen as well If this is fate, no matter how bitter life can be you are always contented Yet if it isn’t, just bury this love in your heart In this live of ours, everything’s interconnected, and it takes only a split second to look back Let me plant a seed of good will and walk down this road of life together with you Only someone whose heart is not bounded can accomplish great things Only someone whose heart does not have a story is indigenous above all I’ve considered heaven and earth, and I’ve considered everything from my past Yet I still cannot make out the days of life and death Do not hate your eyes which deceive you Do not resent, for happiness is not far away As thoughts are built around your desires, it only takes a split second to decide between good and evil With a heart of repentance, let me walk down this road of life together with you No matter how firm your lies may be, they cannot escape the eyes of God Before dawn, your heart is being dragged further away As the clouds are able to blind our eyes in an instant, so do human hearts change Bitterness have been accumulated since long before, and is bound to keep coming An unconditional heart brings great blessings with no boundary Without boundaries, our fragile lives are all connected through love Yet human beings turn a blind eye and let themselves be restricted by the status quo Willingly, I finally come to my senses to realize my character and my emptiness In pure simplicity, let me walk down this road of life together with you --- ...So very beautiful! Too bad they don't incorporate Jesus Christ into their love of life mix. Thanks Victor! This mesmerized me. Those of us that speak in tongues (And others) will notice just how unique their language is. Just in case you might have been thinking your tongue isn't very diversified, make sure you notice how soft theirs is and that they use little words that sound almost the same but translates into so much in our words! Like the Apostle Paul said of tongues - 'though I speak with the tongues of men and angels...' - 1 Cor. 13:1a We cannot judge our own tongue that God has given us. It can even be a language mixed with that of angels! We just do as God says and have faith. This tells me that God sure is awesome! Paul the Apostle said in '1 Cor.14: [18] I thank my God, I speak with tongues more than ye all: Certainly tells me that it is a good thing to do! :) See this teaching for more: Introduction: The Gift of Holy Spirit: The Power to be Like Christ http://tinyurl.com/nrxogao 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 CupO'Cheer: _ ///-._ ////////-._ /////////////-. ////////////////`. //////////////// .'`. //////////////// . '.'`. '|`'//////////// . .'.::|` : `'/////// . '.':| | . . `'// ' _|- ::| |. .-._ . | . | .':: | |:|:| | ' ' '.::| | |:|:| :. . .'.':| | . |:|:| . | .._.::: : `':| | ' ////-:| |. . | '/////////-._ | . . : .//////////////-._ : : ///////////////////-._ |. |////////////////////////-._ | . . :`'//////////////////////////-._ | . _.-\\\\``'//////////////////////////-._ | /\\\\\\\\..``'//////////////////////////". : . . /. \\\\\\\\\. .``'///////////////////// .'`. : / _ \\\\\\\\\. ``'//////////////// . .'`. | . / (@) \\\\\\\\\. . . ``'/////////// . '.'::|. {`)._ '| _` .\\\\\\\-`:|#| . . ``'////// '. .'.:| `-{_/`| ||::. \\'`.:|:.|#| |#| . ``'/ ' .##:'::: `-| ||||| |`.'::|::|#| |#| |#| . . '| . .|##|'.:| pils | ||||| : .'::|:.'#| |#| |#| |#| | |##|'::| | ||||| .| .'.:|::.'' '#| |#| |#| . : ' |##|'.:| {`\:|||| : .'::|:_.:. . '#| |#| | .|##|'::: `-{_/'|_ |_.-'/}_/'-._ '#| :. |##:'.:| `'{._('}_)-' `-}_}(-._ . . | ' '` .'::| `-' `-.} /-._ . : .'.'_:-'\ `-}_}(-._ | . _.-')_(-' `-/_)`-.:.-{ \{-' `-{_'_)-'' ^ >THE GRACE TO HANDLE IT Written by Bob & Debby Gass 'He gives more grace.' James 4:6 NKJV Nancy and Ed Huizinga were at church rehearsing for the Christmas programme when their home burned down. It wasn't their first tragedy that year. Three months earlier when a friend, a widow with two children, died of cancer, the Huizingas took her children to live with them as part of the family. So when their house was destroyed it wasn't just their home they lost, it was home to two children who'd already lost their parents. The following week as they sifted through the ashes they found a slip of paper that survived the fire. On it they read these words: 'Contentment: Realising God has already provided everything we need for our present happiness.' God gives you 'more grace' when you walk through fiery trials. Charles Swindoll says: 'Our whole perspective changes when we catch a glimpse of the purpose of Christ. Take that away, and it's nothing more than a bitter, terrible experience. Suffering comes in many forms, but His grace is always there to carry us beyond it. I've endured a sufficient number of trials to say without hesitation that only Christ's perspective can replace resentment with rejoicing. Jesus is the central piece of suffering's puzzle. If we fit Him into place, the rest begins to make sense.' Donna VanLiere writes: 'When life blindsides us...abuse, foreclosure, disease, divorce, death, job loss or financial collapse brings us to our knees...grace says there's more love after infidelity, more joy after the diagnosis, and more life after financial ruin...grace is real...an indomitable gift with power to change your life. But it does come with one condition - like any gift, you have to hold out your hand and accept it.' SoulFood: Jam 3-5, Matt 13:24-35, Ps 125, Pr 4:3-4 as seen in The Word For Today -<>- >GREAT IS YOUR REWARD READ: Matthew 6:1-6, 16-18 Your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly. — Matthew 6:4 Many businesses have “points programs” that offer rewards to loyal customers. You can stack up these rewards by using their companies’ services, like eating at local restaurants, staying at certain hotels, or flying on particular airlines. Choosing to spend your money this way makes a lot of sense. God has a rewards program as well. Jesus often spoke of His desire to reward us for loyally serving Him. When we are persecuted for His sake, for example, He says to “rejoice . . . for great is your reward in heaven” (Matt. 5:12). In contrast to the Pharisees’ pious habit of giving, praying, and fasting in public, Jesus instructed us to do these things privately, because “your Father who sees in secret will Himself reward you openly” (6:4,6,18). When it comes to living for Jesus, faithfulness never ultimately puts your life in a deficit position, regardless of what it costs. But we don’t serve Jesus for the rewards. When He died for us on the cross, He did far more for us than we deserve. Loyalty to Him is an act of worship that expresses our loving gratitude for His love toward us. In return, He delights to encourage us with the assurance that ultimately His rewards will outweigh whatever we have given up for Him. Live for Jesus—regardless of the cost. —Joe Stowell Our service for the Lord will be Rewarded one day openly, By God who sees in secrecy All sacrifice for Him. —Sper What is done for Christ in this life will be rewarded in the life to come. as seen in Daily Bread -<>- >BE STILL . . . Devotionals for Daily Living© Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. (Ephesians 6:10-11 (NIV)) This is particularly important to me right now. I am positive that it is also very important to others as well. We must be strong in our faith no matter what the enemy tries to send our way. He will lose if we simply call upon the name of the Lord to fight our battles for us. I just realized something. Even if we allow God to fight our battles with Satan, we are still to put on the full armor of God. Think about that. In a battle, unfortunately, those not directly involved will still get hurt. God's armor will allow us to take that stand. It will allow us to bravely confront Satan and remind him that God will be our champion. Without that armor, would you confront Satan? Without a bulletproof vest, would you confront an armed robber? It is the same principle. God's armor is our defense, our safety, our shield, and our salvation. We are in a battle every day. Some days, it is just a little more obvious, but you never know when it will escalate. Always be prepared. Always put on the full armor of God. Stand firm in your faith because you have spent the time to know God and His promises. For no matter how many promises God has made, they are "Yes" in Christ. And so through him the "Amen" is spoken by us to the glory of God. (2 Corinthians 1:20 (NIV)) Don't forget your armor! Copyright 1998 - 2012 Dennis J. Smock Daily Living Ministries, Inc. -<>- "SOMETIMES I FEEL..." Sometimes I feel that the world is too much. God reminds me that I am a part of His world and He has much to offer. Sometimes I feel, that as hard as I try I am nowhere near where I wanted to be at this point in my life. God reminds me that the journey may be long but it will be worth it and I am right where He wants me to be. Sometimes I feel that there is too much for me to do. God reminds me that I am not doing it alone. Take each step wisely and put things in perspective. Sometimes I feel that there are too many mountains to climb. God reminds me that He made the mountains so that when we reach the top we are closer to Heaven, we can see where we've been and the beauty of where we are going. Sometimes I feel that when I am excited about life no one else around me is. God reminds me that is why He placed me there to bring excitement to those whose lives are weary. Sometimes I feel like God doesn't hear me. God reminds me that He does indeed listen and respond. It is I who blocks out His Voice when I don't like what He is saying. Sometimes I feel that no one understands me. God reminds me that He understands and that's all that matters. Sometimes I feel that the world is closing in on me. God reminds me that he is there even in the smallest spaces. Sometimes I feel I am failing, God reminds me with Him I cannot fail. Delays and denials are not failures. There are more choices, better ways to get me to where He wants me to be. Sometimes I feel at peace. God reminds me: Galatians 6:16 New Life Version (NLV) 16 Those who follow this way will have God's peace and loving-kindness. They are the people of God. "I wish you enough!" J Bob Perks http://www.bobperks.com/ -<>- >GOD'S ODD ROAD TO GREATNESS: BEING LAST, LEAST & LOVING THE LOWLY (By Rev. Kerry S. Doyal - Grace Ev. Free Ch. - www.GetGraced.org) Your decision: is the following question rhetorical or dumb. Have you ever had a conversation you were glad Jesus didn't ask you about later? Perchance you talked about someone in a way that was less than flattering or something that was hardly holy or edifying. Bonus question: ever had one of those chats right after church or a Bible study? How would you feel - rhetorically speaking, of course - if Jesus asked you and your chit-chat mates after such a juicy dialogue: "what were you just talking about?" And, what if - of all things - it were not gossip or garbage but a bragging session about who in your group was the greatest? Unthinkable? One would hope so. However, check out this slice- of-life from Jesus and His disciples as recorded by Mark in his gospel. "From there they went out and began to go through Galilee, and He did not want anyone to know about it. For He was teaching His disciples and telling them, "The Son of Man is to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill Him; and when He has been killed, He will rise three days later." But they did not understand this statement, and they were afraid to ask Him. They came to Capernaum; and when He was in the house, He began to question them, "What were you discussing on the way?" But they kept silent, for on the way they had discussed with one another which of them was the greatest. Sitting down, He called the twelve and said to them, "If anyone wants to be first, he shall be last of all and servant of all." Taking a child, He set him before them, and taking him in His arms, He said to them, "Whoever receives one child like this in My name receives Me; and whoever receives Me does not receive Me, but Him who sent Me." - Mark 9:30-37 NASV Did you catch that? Right after Jesus tells them He - the exalted Son of Man - is going to be killed, they debate their pecking order. Instead of being good disciples who seek to grasp their Master's meaning, they debate who was top dog. Twelve little Mohammed Ali's clamoring that "they are the greatest." Jesus modeled humble servanthood to His disciples. He also taught them His odd road to greatness: willingly being last, least & loving the lowly. After they fought to be first, He taught them to serve, honor others, even social nobodies. He had graciously made some prime private time with them to teach them about Himself and what was about to unfold: He was going to be given over to men to be killed and He would be raised. Yet, His school session seemed wasted on them. A side note of comfort to all you who endeavor to teach others' God's truth: Jesus - the Ultimate Teacher - was not always understood. At times He had psyched-out, slow learning students. Like we often do - they had assumptions and expectations that keep them from learning. They had God "in a box" and fears that flattened their learning curve. How tragic. How common. This story reminds us that Jesus is aware of far more than we realize. Being divine, He is omniscient (all knowing) & omni- present (ever present). He walks with us as well, seeing and hearing us. Jesus can make a question a tough rebuke. Can you say "busted!"? What should they have been talking about? Has Jesus ever asked you a question that was a rebuke or life shaping? His query to His companions was devastating. "What were you talking about?" Bad news, Jesus knows about our burning passion [in the natural] for personal greatness and glory. Have you admitted your desire to be great, to be served? Has it been submitted under His rule, kept in check by His Spirit? In splendidly backwards fashion, Jesus counts those great who seek to be last, and live as lowly servants. Let's be honest: Who wants to be last or least? Who wants to have the role and status of a common servant? I recall with pain a Professor in Bible college saying: we all want to be thought of as servants, but none of us want to be treated that way. Ouch! Making it personal, Jesus Himself is honored when we receive the least & lowly. Not just allow them in our midst, but embracing them, linking our identity with them, even at great personal social cost. Forget "going with the go-ers," this is dragging behind with the dregs, loving what the world considers losers in Jesus' name. Who are our socially insignificant, powerless people? Who has Jesus placed in your midst that He wants you to receive? Have you ever confessed your desire to run only with the "big dogs"? Do you need to thank anyone for risking their reputation to be with you? Do you have any relationships you need to re-evaluate? How about first and foremost, your relationship with HIM? Want to be first, great? Here's the secret: fight to be last, seek to serve (secretly, sacrificially) and extend your embrace of acceptance to someone you would rather avoid. as seen in Laugh and Lift To SUBSCRIBE: Send an e-mail with SUBSCRIBE CUP O'CHEER in the subject line to cheer316@sc.rr.com. ============================================================== >Escape Story Editor: by Anonymous Joyce Schowalter USA Our father left us when our mother first began showing signs of mental illness. In between psychotic episodes, my mother told my brother Bill that he was the man of the house. So he did his best to take care of her and his two little sisters. The problem with living with a crazy parent, especially if it is your only parent, is that you don't realize they are nuts when you are a kid. Their craziness is normal to you, because that's all you know. Mom liked to sleep late on weekends, and would always be mad when we woke her up. It's hard for little kids to be quiet. One day we did our best to let her sleep, and she slept until 4:00 in the afternoon. It was a great accomplishment for us, but she was mad that we let her sleep. When Mom attempted suicide the first time, Bill found her and called for help. She was committed and received electroshock therapy, and it frightened us to see her afterwards. She was "out of it," but she liked it, because she got lots of drugs. As we grew up, we were passed around to relatives and back to our mother during her lucid times. The moving around made it difficult to feel like you belonged anywhere. My brother's drug use started in earnest after Mom's second commitment. Certainly, it was an escape. The commitments always followed the suicide attempts. We felt that if we could just be "good enough" it wouldn't keep happening. Drugs not only permitted Bill to escape our home environment, they permitted him to escape from his feelings. He began using at 12. Mostly pot, but by 21, he had been on every drug you could name. He managed to stay in school and get good grades, but when he left home, he did more drugs. Still, he kept a job and appeared to function. He got married and had a family. He was a good husband and father -- surprising, since he really had no personal role models. Then he got into crank. Perhaps our sister's suicide started that. For this drug, Bill lied, stole, and hurt the ones who loved him most. When he reached bottom, he asked me to assist him to get help. I got him into a program, but he did the rest. A week went by, he was still sober; then it was a month, then a year. He began putting his life back together, in part by helping others who were also in trouble. He went back to school, got a nursing degree, and dedicated himself to helping others. The great thing is that Bill helps folks without putting them down. And I have my brother back. He has been sober for seven years. My brother is a drug addict -- and I am proud of his accomplishments. =======HeroicStories======= >-->From Kidwarmers: >THE FUNNY THINGS KIDS SAY , __ _.-"` `'-. /||\'._ __{}_( |||| |'--.__\ | L.( ^_\^ \ .-' | _ | | | )\___/ | \-'`:._] jgs \__/; '-. Rhonda's husband and little girl were watching "Kindergarten Cop." Rhonda was standing in the hallway when she overheard her daughter say to her father,"The reason we have undercover cops is because they can't afford the uniforms!" -- Rhonda Adams of Amarillo, Texas Adriana, 8, saw that her mother was not feeling well. She insisted on taking her mother's temperature. She took the thermometer out and said, "Mommy, are you going to work tomorrow? I don't think you should because you have a temperature and I don't know much about temperatures but you sure do have one." (The thermometer read 98.6.) -- Irma Cisneros (mother of Adriana) of Phoenix, Arizona Cindy had the unexpected opportunity of surprising her granddaughter Holly in Florida for Holly's 7-year-old birthday party. One night Holly told Cindy about her plans to be in show business someday. "I can't wait until I grow up," Holly told Cindy, "so that I can see what kind of limo I'm going to have!" When Cindy was leaving, Holly asked if she would be able to surprise her again on her 8th birthday. Cindy said she didn't know because of the cost of airfare. Holly told Cindy, "Grandmas (who ride on airplanes) should be free!" -- Cindy Bevington of Angola, Indiana When Zachary was about 4 (he's now 18), the family was planning to eat at a cafeteria that he had eaten at before. When he heard they were going there, he said he wanted that pie with the "splinters." They couldn't figure out what he was talking about until they got to the cafeteria and he pointed to the chocolate cream pie with chocolate "sprinkles" on the top! To this day, every time the family eats there, he still asks for the pie with the "splinters." -- Margaret (mother of Zachary) of Garner, North Carolina _ |\___/| \\ ) ( |\_/| || =\ /= )a a `,_.-""""-. // )===( =\Y_= / \// / \ `"`\ / / | | | \ | / / \ \ /- \ \ \ / || | // /` jgs_/\_/\_/\_ _/_/\_/\_/\_((_|\((_//\_/\_/\_/\_ Sara, 5, was visiting her grandmother who has two outdoor cats. The neighbors have about 10 horses. The horse owners were feeding the horses, and the cats attempted to join in. Sara tried to call the cats like one would call dogs, and her grandmother told her cats aren't called in the same way that dogs are called. Sara shrugged her shoulders and said, "But I don't know how to talk cat!" -- Janice Finley (grandmother of Sara) of Arab, Alabama Charity's son was home sick. He kept asking if he could go outside to play, and Charity kept saying no. So he came back with a drawing. He said it was body parts. There were little things drawn on the body parts. He explained, "God puts different color light bulbs in our bodies to make our skin be a different color. Some people have brown lightbulbs and some have white." Then he asked if he had improved enough to go outside! -- Charity Abernathy of Powell, Tennessee Angelina, 9, and Garett, 8, were outside playing at a friend's house where there were swings and a hammock. Suddenly Angelina came in and plopped down on the couch, with her arms folded across her chest. "What happened?" her mother asked. Angelina replied, "Garett tumped (their word for dumped) me out of the hamhock!" -- Sandra Hester (mother of Angelina and Garett) of Jackson, Mississippi When Maggie was not quite 3, she was busy in the bathtub playing a game that she loved - using many plastic cups, filling them with water and soap foam, and lining them up along the edge of the tub. Her father came in to say hi and asked what she was doing. Maggie was flustered about having to explain her game. "Papa, you go back to your computerworks," she said, "and let me finish my waterworks!" -- Connie (mother of Maggie who is now in college) of Vienna, Austria ||__|| |__||| ..______________________________________||__||___________ . | [Home sweet Home] |__||| .____. . | .________. ||__|| |/\ *| . | wwwwwwwww | .'| |__||| |____| . | |)__|__(| (Moo) | .' | __||__||__. . /| | |\ | /| \\|(__)| | /__|__||/_/| . /%| | '=======' |(oo)| | |_._____._|| . |@/ | | \/ |o | |_|/^^^\|_|| . |/ |_____________________|____| ,|____|_|*****|_|/________ . . | , ____________ . . ._. . __________. |. =/ o o /= . / /| . /_/-----/_/| __ =/ X . /= | / /|| . ( ( ' ' ( (| /'--'\ =/___________/= . | /_/|/| . (_( ' ' (_(|/. .\ | |||/|| / /=====/ /| '||' | ||/|/ /_//____/_/ | || _ ,/| . | |||/ (o|:.....|o) | || '\`o.O' _ | ||/ |_|:_____|_|/' _||_ =(_*_)= ( | . ' ' /____\ ) ( _) . | . / \( -Steve- |____________________________________________________(/`-'\)_____. -Stewart- Here's another one from Connie. When Maggie was about 5 they were visiting friends in the U.S. Connie told Maggie that there would be many people coming that day because they were having an open house. "What?" Maggie asked. "They going to take away all the walls?" Kas adores her grandkids. When her youngest grandson was celebrating his third birthday, Kas was sitting on the floor by the couch. Weston came over and flopped down beside her. He wrapped his arm around her and said, "Hi, Sweetheart. I'm so happy you're here!" -- Kas Quimby of Elma, Washington ========================================================== _:_ '-.-' () __.'.__ .-:--:-. |_______| () \____/ \=====/ /\ {====} )___( (\=, //\\ )__( /_____\ __ |'-'-'| // .\ ( ) /____\ | | / \ |_____| (( \_ \ )__( | | | | \__/ |===| )) `\_) /____\ | | | | /____\ | | (/ \ | | | | | | | | | | | _.-'| | | | | | | |__| )___( )___( /____\ /____\ /_____\ (====) (=====) (=====) (======) (======) (=======) }===={ }====={ }====={ }======{ }======{ }======={ jgs(______)(_______)(_______)(________)(________)(_________) >-->How Do You Know? Who ever said that you couldn't do Exactly the thing that you're planning to? Who ever thought that you couldn't climb Up with the sun to heights sublime? Who has advised you to check your pace, Give up your struggle and lose the race, Crawl off discouraged and hide your face? Nobody but you. You are the one who has done it all - Deserted your castles and let'em fall, Smothered the spark of ambition fire. Shut off the current and cut the wire. How do you know the die is cast? How do you know when the crowd goes past Who'll be the leader, and who'll be the last? How do you know? Life is not merely a game of chance, And you're not the victim of circumstance. Nothing too hard for a man to do, Wishes it more than a miser's wealth, More than an invalid longs for his health. Works for it, prays for it --- night and day, Feels that no price is too great to pay. How do you know till you strive that way. How do you know? --Author Unknown >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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