I Love To Tell The Story... :) 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 ================ *~* Please Consider Giving To ShangralaFamilyFun.com The cost of the website has gone up dramatically due to the ever increasingly wonderful pages and photos being added each week to entertain you and our fellow Christian families. While the ads on the website do help, I don't want to drag the site down with tons of them to pay for it. I need your help! "We are each of us angels with but one wing, and can only fly by embracing each other" -Luciano Decrescenzo ~ CALLING ALL CARING ANGELS ~ _______ _.-'\ /'-._ _.-' _\ .-. /_ '-._ .-' _.-' |/.-.\| '-._ '-. .' .-' _|| ||_ '-. '. / .' .-' ||___|| '-. '. \ / .' .-' _.-'-----'-._ '-. '. \ / / .' .-' ~ ~ '-. '. \ \ / / / .' ~ * ~ ~ '. \ \ \ / / /.'........ * ~ * ~'.\ \ \ | / //:::::::::: ~ _____._____ \\ \ | | | |/::::::::::: * '-----------' \| | | .--.|__||_____________________________||__|.--. .' '----. .-----------------------. .----' '. '.________' |o|==|o|====:====|o|==|o| '________.' .'--------. |o|==|o|====:====|o|==|o| .--------'. '.________' |o|==|o|====:====|o|==|o| '________.' .'--------. |o|==|o|====:====|o|==|o| .--------'. '.________' |o|==|o|====:====|o|==|o| '________.' | | || ____ |:| | | | | |:| ____ || | | | | || | ||:| | | | | |:|| | || | | | | || |____||: Wurlitzer :||____| || | | | | || | /|:| | | | | |:|\ | || | | | | || |_.` |:| | | | | |:| `._| || | | | | || .---.-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-.---. || | | | | || | |\ /\ / \ /\ /| | || | | | | || | |~\/ \/ ~ \/ \/ | | || | | | | || | | /\ ~/\ ~ /\ ~/\ | | || | | | | || | |/ \/ \ / \/ ~\| | || | | | | || | |\~ /\~ / \~ /\ /| | || | | | | || | | \/ \/ ~ \/ \/ | | || | | | | || | | /\~ /\ ~ /\ ~/\ | | || | | | | || |===|/ \/ .-. \/ \|===| || | | | | || | | ~ /\ ( * ) /\ ~ | | || | | | | || | \ / \/'-'\/ \ / | || | | /-._|__|| \ \ ~ /\ ~ /\~ / / ||__|_.-\ |-._/__/| \ './ .-. \.' / |\__\_.-| | | | || '._ '-| |-' _.' || | | | | | | || '._ | | _.' || | | | | | | || '-._| |_.-' || | | | | | | || __ | | || | | | | | | || O__O |_| || | | | '.|_|__||_____________________________||__|_|.' | | |-----------------------------| | | | | [_____________________________] | | | | |/ LGB \| | | '._|__.' '.__|_.' *~* WE NEED CARING And SHARING Angels *~* >Do You Want To Be A Shangrala Angel? If you'd like to help and be counted as a Shangrala Angel, the easiest way to do that is through online giving. It is easy to use, and most of all, it is secure. Please visit the site, scroll down and click on the donate button. A Secure PAYPAL form 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. 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! ================ *~* A REMINDER: PLEASE Send me sweet, interesting, funny, inspiring, family type forwards ANY TIME here... bcrsystems@earthlink.net I Need them, Love them, Use them, and Share them! THANK YOU!! AND For Facebook Users: Please Friend Me / Like Me here... http://tinyurl.com/cma6all AND For Google Plus Users: You can find me here... Shangy Bigham https://plus.google.com/106648555948034085752/posts AND Please Share This email with All Your Friends And Family! ^~^ May God SUPER BLESS You As You Do! THANK YOU! :) -<>- * NOTE: An easy way to adjust the size of print in email or any page is to hold down the Ctrl tab while moving the scroll button on the mouse. You can also use the keyboard to change the font size in your web browser or emails. Hold down the Ctrl key while pressing the + key for larger text or the - key for smaller text! ================ _ _|_|_ ,|_| |_|_ || | | |_| || | | | | || | | | | _|| | | | | ||)\ ^ ^ ^ | || | | || | | || | | \\ | \\ / ejm )\ ( / \ \ / \ \ \ \ *~* Our Thoughts and Prayers Go Out To All Those Affected by Hurricane Maria and The Earthquakes In Mexico. May God Bless And Help Them During This Horrific Time In The Name Of Christ Jesus Our Living Lord And Savior. >-->HOT Off The 'Shangy' Press :) This flaming hot new page is from our friend LouiseAu. These artists sure have a knack for catching just the right timing and angle! It's sure to tickle your funny bone and give you plenty of smiles. Check it out here... o#######o o###########o o#############o ################# ###### \########o '#;^ _^,/---\#####! ,` /^_ .-~^~-.__\# / ^\/,,@@@,, ;| | \!!@@@@@!! ^, #. .\; '9@@@P' ^, ###./^ ----,_^^ /@-._ ^--._,o@@@@@@ ^;@@@@@@@@@ ^-;@@@@ Right Angle Photography 4 http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/anglephoto4.html --- ...Lots of funny ones here! Thanks LouiseAu! =========================================================== >-->From Heartwarmers: Your morning thought for the day: ___ ____ ___ ____( \ .-' `-. / )____ (____ \_____ / (O O) \ _____/ ____) (____ `-----( ) )-----' ____) (____ _____________\ .____. /_____________ ____) (______/ Joe Reiss `-.____.-' \______) 'Grandmas never run out of hugs or cookies.' Any day you had gym class was a weird school day. It started off normal. You had English, Social Studies, Geometry, then suddenly you're in Lord of the Flies for 40 minutes. You're hanging from a rope, you have hardly any clothes on, teachers are yelling at you, kids are throwing dodge balls at you and snapping towels -- you're trying to survive. And then it's Science, Language, and History. Now that is a weird day. -- Jerry Seinfeld >HITTING THE TOP by James Colasanti Jr. I have always had a passionate hatred for gym class. Whether it was the arm-pit stained T-shirts, the navy-blue gym shorts, or the sneakers with an odor that would put Pepe Le Peu to shame, I couldn't say, but I know I hated it. The twice-weekly ordeal by torture was devised to separate those who can from those who would like to but who could not. Every third period on Mondays and Wednesdays I would hesitantly enter the crowded locker room. The sweat-stained air would slap me in the face as the door swung open and I entered the row upon row of military-green metal lockers. There I would change into my unfashionable gym attire causing the fashion editors of GQ Magazine to go into coronary arrest. After lacing up my high-top sneakers I would go out into the "big room" facing the horrors of the class to come. But in actuality every week was the same because it always began the identical way with my worse nightmare there before me. In truth, my arch nemeses were the thick unknotted ropes that hung from the two-story ceiling, reaching all the way to Heaven for some, but not for me. Not only were they a blockade, but for me they were like an excursion to Hell. At the beginning of each class we were instructed by the coach to climb to the top, hit the rafter, and yell out our name. It never happened for me. Never! Not even in my wildest dreams. My arms would have no part in lifting me up from the floor on that imposing sisal. Then I would have to endure the mocking jeers of my fellow gymnasts for failing to climb the two-story obstacle. And every week was the same. I just wasn't strong enough to do it! Until one day, when everything changed... The tables were turned by the good intentions of one of my fellow classmates. The saints in Heaven would have been proud. Jimmy was an all-city bowler. His father owned the local bowling alley and Jimmy had bowled many a 300-game. We had both been casual acquaintances but both of us hung around in different circles. He, however, had a reputation as being an all-around nice guy. He came up to me where I had shied away on the sidelines trying to become the invisible man. "Jimmy," he began, (my name was Jimmy,too), "How about I show you how to climb those ropes with ease?" "Yes," I said, "Sure, I'd love it but my arms just aren't strong enough." In my mind I could hear Charles Atlas rolling over in his grave except at that time he wasn't even dead yet. "Never you mind," he said, "I'm gonna show you how and you won't even be using your arms, except to guide you up the rope." I looked at him bewildered -- fully knowing that his intent was sincere but not understanding how he would manage to get me up one of those ropes. He started his instructions by simply saying, "I want you to wrap the rope around the back of your left leg, where your thigh is, and then bring it around your calf to the front and then over the instep of your foot." No one had ever taken the time to show me or to help me. It was always just do it or fail trying. "You will need to pull yourself up off of the floor first while you do this and keep the rope loosely wrapped around your leg. Now I want you to step hard on the rope where it meets your instep and at the same time pull yourself up like you are walking up a flight of stairs. Let the rope slide down as you go up -- keeping it in place -- and step hard on it again -- and pull yourself up. Just do this exactly as I have told you and before you know it, you'll be at the top." My skepticism with Jimmy's plan disappeared as I really wanted to make this work. Not only for me but to show everyone in the class that if you put your mind to something it really can be done. After everyone else had climbed up and down, I went over to one of the ropes. The coach was about to make a snide remark but thought better of it and remained silent. I pulled myself up a few feet off of the floor and let the rope wind loosely around my left leg. Still fearful, I stepped hard on the rope and eased myself up. And ease it was! As Jimmy had said it was like climbing a flight of stairs. Step and ease up, step and ease up, little by little I went, not wanting to get in a hurry and not make it. The sweaty crowd watched in awe unable to comprehend what they were seeing. Then words of encouragement spewed forth from the onlookers -- now all were hoping that I would make it to the top. "Go on -- keep going," came the shouts. "You can make it -- come on." "Just a little more..." I can remember reaching and hitting the ceiling rafter so hard that it hurt my hand. The sound that emanated from that "hit" echoed throughout the gymnasium -- followed by the uproarious cheers of my fellow classmates. A Heavenly chorus of bells must have also rung out as well. And then I yelled out, "Jimmy Colasanti has made it to the top!" And I finally had. It was one of those momentous high school happenings that has remained in my thoughts and feelings to this day -- an accomplishment to remember. -- James Colasanti Jr. ______________________________________________ James is a lead clerk with Barnes & Noble Booksellers. A past president of the Animal Rescue & Foster Program of Greensboro, NC., James shares his home with a housemate and 11 dogs. His stories have appeared in New York Dog Magazine, Dog & Kennel Magazine, Best Friends Magazine, Pasta Magazine, Guilford Record, News/Record, and also in the archives at Petwarmers. =========================================================== >-->From Our Friend LouiseAu: __/\"""""""""""""\__ |\__/""""""""""""""\_\ \|__ [][][][][][][] __| -shimrod \______________/ >A Classic - Children of the 30s & 40s “The Last Ones” Born in the 1930s and early 40s, we exist as a very special age cohort. We are the “last ones.” We are the last, climbing out of the depression, who can remember the winds of war and the war itself with fathers and uncles going off. We are the last to remember ration books for everything from sugar to shoes to stoves. We saved tin foil and poured fat into tin cans. We saw cars up on blocks because tires weren’t available. My mother delivered milk in a horse drawn cart. We are the last to hear Roosevelt ’s radio assurances and to see gold stars in the front windows of our grieving neighbors. We can also remember the parades on August 15, 1945; VJ Day. We saw the ‘boys’ home from the war build their Cape Cod style houses, pouring the cellar, tar papering it over and living there until they could afford the time and money to build it out. We are the last who spent childhood without television; instead imagining what we heard on the radio. As we all like to brag, with no TV, we spent our childhood “playing outside until the street lights came on.” We did play outside and we did play on our own. There was no little league. The lack of television in our early years meant, for most of us, that we had little real understanding of what the world was like. Our Saturday afternoons, if at the movies, gave us newsreels of the war and the holocaust sandwiched in between westerns and cartoons. Newspapers and magazines were written for adults. We are the last who had to find out for ourselves. As we grew up, the country was exploding with growth. The G.I. Bill gave returning veterans the means to get an education and spurred colleges to grow. VA loans fanned a housing boom. Pent up demand coupled with new installment payment plans put factories to work. New highways would bring jobs and mobility. The veterans joined civic clubs and became active in politics. In the late 40s and early 50’s the country seemed to lie in the embrace of brisk but quiet order as it gave birth to its new middle class. Our parents understandably became absorbed with their own new lives. They were free from the confines of the depression and the war. They threw themselves into exploring opportunities they had never imagined. We weren’t neglected but we weren’t today’s all-consuming family focus. They were glad we played by ourselves ‘until the street lights came on.’ They were busy discovering the post war world. Most of us had no life plan, but with the unexpected virtue of ignorance and an economic rising tide we simply stepped into the world and went to find out. We entered a world of overflowing plenty and opportunity; a world where we were welcomed. Based on our naïve belief that there was more where this came from, we shaped life as we went. We enjoyed a luxury; we felt secure in our future. Of course, just as today, not all Americans shared in this experience. Depression poverty was deep rooted. Polio was still a crippler. The Korean War was a dark presage in the early 50s and by mid-decade school children were ducking under desks. China became Red China. Eisenhower sent the first ‘advisors’ to Vietnam . Castro set up camp in Cuba and Khrushchev came to power. We are the last to experience an interlude when there were no existential threats to our homeland. We came of age in the late 40s and early 50s. The war was over and the cold war, terrorism, climate change, technological upheaval and perpetual economic insecurity had yet to haunt life with insistent unease. Only we can remember both a time of apocalyptic war and a time when our world was secure and full of bright promise and plenty. We experienced both. We grew up at the best possible time, a time when the world was getting better not worse. We are the ‘last ones.’ --- ...Aww yes. Thanks LouiseAu! I've been told History repeats itself - maybe the 'last ones' won't be the 'last ones', but the 'next ones'. -<>- Night time is a very tempting time to eat. We often get little cravings and feel like having a little snack or a small meal between dinner and brushing out teeth. In essence, there is nothing wrong with eating a small something before going to bed, but in so doing, it pays to know what we should and what we shouldn't eat to get a good night's sleep. z z Z .--. Z Z / _(c\ .-. __ | / / '-; \'-'` `\______ \_\/'/ __/ ) / ) | \--, | \`""`__-/ .'--/ /--------\ \ \\` ///-\/ / /---;-. '-' jgs (________\ \ '-' >Foods That Help You Sleep: Cherries Cherries are some of the only foods naturally containing the chemical melatonin, which is responsible for configuring our 'internal clock'. A study has found that adults suffering from insomnia and drank cherry juice before bed reported a marked improvement in the quality and length of their sleep time. Jasmine Rice Although rice has a high glycemic value, the body slowly digests it, slowly releasing glucose into the bloodstream. This prevents a sugar spike that can destroy your sleep. Researchers have found that eating rice a few hours before going to bed lowered the amount of time it takes to fall asleep by half. Enriched Cereals As a rule, carbs are a pretty good food option before going to sleep, but a box of cookies before bed isn't recommended. Instead, try a bowl of cereal with complex carbohydrates. If you make a habit of eating cereal with milk, you're twice the winner, because milk is also considered a food that promotes good sleep. Quinoa, buckwheat and barley are also recommended carbs to eat before going to bed. Bananas Bananas are rich in magnesium and potassium, minerals known to be muscle relaxants. They are also a good source of carbs, which, as we've mentioned, promote a better quality of sleep. If you choose to eat a banana you also earn a few more healthy advantages, such as helping your heart and blood vessels, as well as your cognitive functioning. Turkey Turkey meat contains an essential amino acid called tryptophan, which is one of the most powerful materials your body uses to get you to sleep. That's why you always feel like napping after eating a good amount of turkey. Sweet Potato Like the banana, so does the sweet potato contains carbs combined with potassium that relaxes your muscles. As a food belonging to the orange family, sweet potatoes also contains carotenoids and powerful antioxidants that will promote your general health. Valerian Root Tea The root of the valerian plant has been proven by several studies to be a high-quality sleep promoter, shortening the length of time it takes to fall asleep. You can drink the mixture with chamomile, a plant known to relax the body as well. Important: Only drink chamomile or valerian root tea without caffeine. >Foods you should avoid before sleep: Hamburger The large amount of fat found in hamburgers is a known 'sleep killer'. The fat encourages the stomach to pump more acid out, which can cause heartburn. Of course, these heartburns may really get in the way of falling asleep, not to mention the stomach needs to work extra hours to digest this heavy meal, which will also harm the quality of your sleep. Alcohol Although it may put us to sleep faster, all types of alcohol go through a fast metabolic process in our digestive system, causing us to wake up several times during the night, even if we don't remember it the next day. A study has found that women who drank alcohol before going to sleep were up 15 minutes more (in little mini-breaks) in the middle of the night, as well as sleeping 20 minutes less than average. That may not sound like a lot, but the study found that the quality of the sleep is damaged. In addition, alcohol may cause snoring, causing disruptions in your sleep as well as your spouse's. Coffee I bet you knew this one already. Coffee is meant to wake us up in the morning. It doesn't actually make us more alert, it works as an antagonist to sleep hormones, and so is, of course, one of the worst things you can put in your body in the hours before you go to bed. Of course, people have a radically different reaction to caffeine, and so the length of time you should keep between drinking coffee and going to sleep may change from person to person. Chocolate Other than the vast amounts of sugar, causing your blood sugar levels to spike, chocolate also contains caffeine and is considered a food that keeps you awake. Chocolate also contains a substance called theobromine, which can elevate the heart rate and interfere with our sleep. Spice is not nice Any spicy food will detract from the quality of our sleep. A recent Australian study found that men who consumed tabasco sauce or mustard before sleep had trouble falling asleep as well as experiencing a low quality of sleep. Hot food can also cause heartburn, which, as we've explained, is terrible for a good night's sleep. --- ...Excellent Info! Thanks LouiseAu! =========================================================== >-->From Our Friend Bunni :) .=== / __) _ ( ||_.''. {_} ---- | =/ \ /' : /\_~/() \__.' ____ ---- |_ \ // |''''` |-'8, -- _ : |_ '-[]___/ '.....\--.O {_}'' .'\ // |':```` '...' /\\_/ `, //|\ '.._.' snd // // >Strength Made Perfect in Weakness I read a few years ago the story of a 10-year-old boy who decided to study judo despite the fact that he had lost his left arm in a devastating car accident. The boy began lessons with an old Japanese judo master. The boy was doing well, so he couldn't understand why, after three months of training, the master had taught him only one move. "Sensei," the boy finally said, "Shouldn't I be learning more moves?" "This is the only move you know, but this is the only move you'll ever need to know," the sensei replied. Not quite understanding, but believing in his teacher, the boy kept training. Several months later, the sensei took the boy to his first tournament. Surprising himself, the boy easily won his first two matches. The third match proved to be more difficult, but after some time, his opponent became impatient and charged; the boy deftly used his one move to win the match. Still amazed by his success, the boy was now in the finals. This time, his opponent was bigger, stronger, and more experienced. For a while, the boy appeared to be overmatched. Concerned that the boy might get hurt, the referee called a time-out. He was about to stop the match when the sensei intervened. "No," the sensei insisted, "Let him continue." Soon after the match resumed, his opponent made a critical mistake: he dropped his guard. Instantly, the boy used his move to pin him. The boy had won the match and the tournament. He was the champion. On the way home, the boy and the sensei reviewed every move in each and every match. Then the boy summoned the courage to ask what was really on his mind: "Sensei, how did I win the tournament with only one move?" "You won for two reasons," the sensei answered. "First, you've almost mastered one of the most difficult throws in all of judo. And second, the only known defense for that move is for your opponent to grab your left arm." The boy's biggest weakness had become his biggest strength. We don't often view our weaknesses in the same way, but we should. I am reminded of the time that Paul prayed fervently for God to remove some affliction unknown to us, what he called a "thorn in the flesh." Refusing to remove it, God said to Paul, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my strength is made perfect in weakness." (2 Cor. 12:9). That seems to make no sense, and yet we see throughout the Bible how God is able to work despite the weaknesses of men and women, showing forth his power -- David with his small stature against Goliath the giant, Gideon a man of no significant background leading a greatly outnumbered band of men, Jesus taking on humanity in the form of a helpless baby. In fact, the greatest demonstrations of God's power have come when men and women have felt the weakest. Remember that the next time you feel inadequate. "Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me....For when I am weak, then I am strong." (2 Cor. 12:9b-10) Have a great day! Alan Smith --- ...Wonderful Story! Thanks Bunni! Paul's 'thorn in the flesh' proved to be people that were causing him much grief. Christ refused to remove his thorn in the flesh as we all must learn to deal with people in our lives who cause us the most grief. We lean on Christ remembering that by Grace we have been saved and not of ourselves - we need to be thankful and realize we were like they are. Besides, God doesn't control people so he wouldn't make people stop pestering Paul. See this great teaching: Paul's Thorn In The Flesh http://tinyurl.com/h89vfel ============================================================== >-->From Archives InspiredBuffalo: 0_ \`. ___ \ \ / __>0 /\ / |/' / / \/ ` ,`'--. / /(___________)_ \ |/ //.-. .-.\\ \ \ 0 // :@ ___ @: \\ \/ ( o ^(___)^ o ) 0 \ \_______/ / /\ '._______.'--. \ /| |<_____> | \ \__|<_____>____/|__ \____<_____>_______/ |<_____> | |<_____> | :<_____>____: / <_____> /| / <_____> / | /___________/ | | | _|__ | | ---||_ | |L\/|/ | | [__] | \|||\|\ | / jgs | | / |___________|/ >Today I Taught My Child When I got mad today and hit my child "For his own good, " I reconciled, and then I realized my plight... Today, I taught my child to fight. When interrupted by the phone, I said, "tell them I'm not home." And then I thought, and had to sigh... Today I taught my child to lie. I told the tax man what I made, forgetting cash that was paid, And than I blushed at this sad feat... Today I taught my child to cheat. I smugly copied a cassette, To keep me from one more debt, But now the bells of shame must peal... Today I taught my child to steal. Today I cursed another race, Oh God, protect what I debase, for now, I fear it is too late... Today I taught my child to hate. By my example, children learn That I must lead in life's sojourn In such a way they are led By what is done and not what is said. Today I gave my child his due By praise for him instead of rue. And now I have begun to guide; Today I gave my child pride. I now have reconciled and paid to IRS all that I have made. And now I know that this dear youth, Today has learned from me the truth. The alms I give are not for show, And yet, this child must surely know That charity is worth the price: Today he saw my sacrifice. I clasp within a warm embrace My neighbor of another race. The great commandment from up above. Today I taught my child to love. Someday my child must face alone This fearsome undertone, But I have blazed a sure pathway: Today I taught my child to pray. - Author Unknown -<>- %%%% %%%%-( _%%%%%_/ \ ' / _%%%%%%%% - (_) - _%%%%%%%/ \% / , \ %%%%%%%%%\\ \_ %%%%%% \ \\ ) /\_/ /(___. \ '----' ( / ) ---....____/ (_____ __ _ ___ ___ __ _ _ _____ _ _ ___ / )---...___ =-= = -_= -=_= _-=_-_ -=- =-_ ,' ( ```--.._= -_= -_= _-=- -_= _=- ,-' ) ``--._=-_ =-=_-= _-= _ '-._ '-..___( ``-._=_-=_- =_-= ``---....__) `-._-=_-_=- )|)| `-._=-_ gnv '-'-.\_ `-. >Pay Attention God gave me another gentle reminder of what is essential this morning. I was rushing around trying to get too many things done at once and not doing any of them very well. As I was about to start my next chore, though, I caught a glimpse of brilliant light shining through my living room window. The sun had just risen over the mountains and was shining brightly down on the Earth. It’s glorious, golden beams were joyfully waking the world. Seeing this I walked out on my front porch to take a break from doing and spend some time living. The sky was the purest blue imaginable. The air was so fresh and cool that I breathed in deeply with delight. I listened to the birds singing happily in the nearby trees as they greeted the morning. I then stood for awhile paying attention to this wonderful world God has given us. Before I went back inside I told God just how much I loved Him and thanked Him again for my life. 'And their eyes were opened, and they knew him; and he vanished out of their sight. And they said one to another, Did not our heart burn within us, while he talked with us by the way, and while he opened to us the scriptures?' - Luke 24:31-32 Don’t go through life too busy to see that essential wonder and beauty around you then. Pay attention to it. Pay attention to that golden sunlight and brilliant blue sky. Pay attention to that first flower poking its head through the dirt in the Spring. Pay attention to that smiling child wanting to play and laugh with you. Pay attention to that beautiful, old soul sharing stories about his life with you. Pay attention to those people who are reaching out to you and offering to share their love and joy with you. Pay attention to the glorious love that God freely offers you every second of your life. Life is too short not to pay attention. -Joseph J. Mazzella -<>- * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * arm * >Never Alone Dear Friend, I just had to write to tell you how much I love you and care for you. Yesterday, I saw you walking and laughing with your friends. I hoped that soon you'd want me to walk along with you, too. So, I painted you a sunset to close your day and whispered a cool breeze to refresh you. I waited .... you never called. I just kept on loving you. As I watched you fall asleep last night, I wanted so much to touch you. I spilled moonlight onto your face, trickling down your cheeks as so many tears have. You didn't even think of me. I wanted so much to comfort you. The next day I exploded a brilliant sunrise into glorious morning for you. But you woke up late and rushed off to work. You didn't even notice. My sky became cloudy and my tears were the rain. I LOVE YOU!!! Oh, if you'd only listen. I really LOVE you. I try to say it in the quiet of the green meadow and in the vibrant blue sky. The wind whispers my love throughout the treetops and spills it into the vivid colors of all the flowers. I shout it to you in the thunder of the great waterfalls and compose love songs for birds to sing for you. I warm you with the clothing of my sunshine and perfume the air with nature's sweet scent. My love for you is deeper than any ocean and greater than any need in your heart. If you'd only realize how I care. My Father sends his love. I want you to meet him. He cares, too. Fathers are just that way. So, please, call on me soon. No matter how long it takes, I'll wait forever. Because I LOVE YOU. Your Friend, Jesus written by Yvonne S. Rathkey -<>- ___ (___) /` `\ / /"\ \ \_/o o\_/ ( _ ) `\ /` /\\V//\ / /_ _\ \ \ \___/ / \/===\/ || || || || ||___|| |_____| jgs ||| / Y \ `"`"` >Somebody’s Mother The woman was old, and ragged, and gray, And bent with the chill of a winter's day; The streets were white with a recent snow, And the woman's feet were aged and slow. At the crowded crossing she waited long, Jostled aside by the careless throng Of human beings who passed her by, Unheeding the glance of her anxious eye. Down the street, with laughter and shout, Glad in the freedom of "school is out," Came happy boys, like a flock of sheep, Hailing the snow piled white and deep, Past the woman, so old and gray, Hasten the children on their way. None offered a helping hand to her, So weak and timid, afraid to stir, Lest the carriage wheels or the horse's feet Should trample her down in the slippery street. At last came out of the merry troop The gayest boy of all the group; He paused beside her, and whispered low, "I'll help you across, if you wish to go." Her aged hand on his strong young arm She placed, and so without hurt or harm, He guided her trembling feet along, Proud that his own were firm and strong; Then back again to his friends he went, His young heart happy and well content. "She's somebody's Mother, boys, you know, For all she's aged, and poor, and slow, And some one, some time, may lend a hand, To help my mother--you understand? If ever she's poor, and old, and gray, And her own dear boy so far away." Somebody's mother bowed low her head, In her home that night, and the prayer she said Was: "God be kind to the noble boy, Who is somebody's son, and pride and joy." Faint was the voice, and worn and weak, But heaven lists when its chosen speak; Angels caught the faltering word, And "Somebody's Mother's" prayer was heard. ~ Mary Dow Brine ~ -<>- || || || ||/||___ || || /` )____________||_/| ||/___ //_/_/_/_/_/_/||/ | ||(___)/_/_/_/_/_/_/_|| | || |_|_|_|_|_|_|_|| /| || | | | | | | | ||/|| ||~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~|| jgs || || >Evening Prayer Every evening As I'm laying here in bed This tiny little prayer Keeps running through my head God bless my Mom and Dad And bless my little pup And look out for my brother When things aren't looking up And God, there's one more thing I wish that you could do Hope you don't mind me asking But please bless my computer too? Now I know that's not normal To bless a mother board But just listen a second While I explain to you 'My Lord' You see, that little metal box Holds more to me than odds & ends Inside those small compartments Rest a hundred of my 'BEST FRIENDS' Some it's true I've never seen And most I've never met We've never exchanged hugs Or shared a meal as yet.... I know for sure they like me By the kindness that they give And this little scrap of metal Is how I travel to where they live By faith is how I know them Much the same as you I share in what life brings them From that our friendship grew "PLEASE" Take an extra minute From your duties up above To bless this scrap of metal That's filled with so much love! - Author Unknown -<>- >Links for Your Enjoyment: Free Audio Bible Seminars http://www.truthortradition.com/audioseminars I Believe... http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/believe.html Jesus Clinic http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/clinic.html Kid Lessons http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/kidlessons.html Best Buddies http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/bestbuds.html Super Puppies http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/puppy.html Holy Alphabet http://www.ShangralaFamilyFun.com/holyalpha.html Hill Of Crosses http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/hillofcrosses.html Thank You Lord http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/thanks.html Animal Friends 5 http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/animalfriends5.html Awww Animals 10 http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/animals10.html My Precious Child http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/mychild.html Big Baby Big Dogs http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/bigdogs.html Breeze And Buttons http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/breezeandbuttons.html Come Smile With Me http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/smilewithme.html God's Little Love Notes http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/notes.html Adorable Baby Elephants http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/babyelephants.html Wild Kisses And Snuggles http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/wildkisses.html Our Valuable Anchor http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/BibleStudy/ouranchor.html Does God Choose His Children? http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/BibleStudy/choosehischildren.html Walking In Power http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/BibleStudy/walkingpower.html God's Royal And Holy Priests http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/BibleStudy/royalpriests.html A-Z Bible Study Menu http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/BibleStudy/BibleStudy.html The Bible http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/thebible.html -<>- >Please Follow/Visit Me On StumbleUpon: http://tinyurl.com/yd2seyyk -<>- >Revisiting - From Our Friend Karen :) The Complete Uncensored Private Snafu Commissioned by the military during World War II, this collection of propaganda cartoons has not been seen in over fifty years. Created by the famed animators at Warner Bros. From 1943-1946 and voiced by the legendary Mel Blanc, this DVD presents all twenty-eight Private Snafu cartoons ever released. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cChh8HuZrog --- ...WOW!! Thanks Karen! -<>- >Revisiting - From Our Friend Geniann :) This video shows a Microburst that hit Tucson August 8th. Notice the 'ripples' that come out of the storm similar to when you throw a stone in a lake https://vimeo.com/135811823 --- ...Amazing! Thanks Geniann! -<>- >Revisiting - From Our Friend LouiseAu :) An English Garden and done really nice and think you will enjoy this. Have your sound on. https://www.youtube.com/embed/9H9IojB9iYY David? Attenborough is a respected and well educated zoologist. He also has a rich voice that is a pleasure to listen to. Here he is, reciting the familiar song of Louis Armstrong, "What a wonderful world", as he shows us exactly why that is! https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=B8WHKRzkCOY This trick is an old one, but an effective one. If someone tries to pay you with a $50 bill, don't just glance at it. You might be getting a fake. Here's a pro tip: Ulysses S. Grant is on the fifty, not Alexander Hamilton. Watch someone uncover the fake in this interesting video. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RTVPNxPksM0&feature=player_embedded For the August 2015 Edition of People Are Awesome: Best Of The Month they have teamed up with trick shot legends How Ridiculous to show us mind blowing basketball, football, bowling and tennis trick shots. The skills that these awesome people have perfected are always amazing to watch. https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=1O3Fux5oQgc --- ...Very Nice! Thanks LouiseAu! 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 Our Friend Geniann :) |..| ? ? c >| ? \'/ /><\ unknown >FACTS YOU MAY NOT KNOW. It takes glass one million years to decompose, which means it never wears out and can be recycled an infinite amount of times! Gold is the only metal that doesn't rust, even if it's buried in the ground for thousands of years. Your tongue is the only muscle in your body that is attached at only one end. If you stop getting thirsty, you need to drink more water. When a human body is dehydrated, its thirst mechanism shuts off. Each year 2,000,000 smokers either quit smoking or die of tobacco- related diseases. Zero is the only number that cannot be represented by Roman numerals. Kites were used in the American Civil War to deliver letters and newspapers. The song, Auld Lang Syne, is sung at the stroke of midnight in almost every English-speaking country in the world to bring in the new year. Drinking water after eating reduces the acid in your mouth by 61 percent. Peanut oil is used for cooking in submarines because it doesn't smoke unless it's heated above 450F. The roar that we hear when we place a seashell next to our ear is not the ocean, but rather the sound of blood surging through the veins in the ear. Nine out of every 10 living things live in the ocean. Airports at higher altitudes require a longer airstrip due to lower air density. The University of Alaska spans four time zones. The tooth is the only part of the human body that cannot heal itself. In ancient Greece, tossing an apple to a girl was a traditional proposal of marriage. Catching it meant she accepted. Warner Communications paid $28 million for the copyright to the song Happy Birthday. Intelligent people have more zinc and copper in their hair. A comet's tail always points away from the sun. The Swine Flu vaccine in 1976 caused more death and illness than the disease it was intended to prevent. Caffeine increases the power of aspirin and other painkillers, that is why it is found in some medicines. The military salute is a motion that evolved from medieval times, when knights in armor raised their visors to reveal their identity. If you get into the bottom of a well or a tall chimney and look up, you can see stars, even in the middle of the day. When a person dies, hearing is the last sense to go. The first sense lost is sight. In ancient times strangers shook hands to show that they were unarmed. Strawberries are the only fruits whose seeds grow on the outside. Avocados have the highest calories of any fruit at 167 calories per hundred grams. The moon moves about two inches away from the Earth each year. Due to earth's gravity it is impossible for mountains to be higher than 15,000 meters. Mickey Mouse is known as "Topolino" in Italy. Soldiers do not march in step when going across bridges because they could set up a vibration which could be sufficient to knock the bridge down. Everything weighs one percent less at the equator. For every extra kilogram carried on a space flight, 530 kg of excess fuel are needed at lift-off. The letter J does not appear anywhere on the periodic table of the elements. --- ...Cool info! Thanks Geniann! -<>- \\ ///// | | (| _ _ |) |` | '| | __ | >>>___/\_^__/\___<<< / ||| \ Mike Hertz >The Real Afghanistan *A very interesting read, a Marine's View of what is really going on. This young man is articulate and has a flare for colorful language, and descriptive prose.....Scorpions, Chiggers & Sand Fleas/great letter, a must read of a very interesting article.* From a Recon Marine in Afghanistan From the Sand Pit: (Note: Colorful Language replaced with its first letter capitalized) 'It's freezing here. I'm sitting on hard cold dirt between rocks and shrubs at the base of the Hindu Kush Mountains, along the Dar'yoi Pamir River, watching a hole that leads to a tunnel that leads to a cave. Stake out, my friend, and no pizza delivery for thousands of miles. I also glance at the area around my A every ten to fifteen seconds to avoid another scorpion sting. I've actually given up battling the chiggers and sand fleas, but the scorpions give a jolt like a cattle prod. Hurts like a B. The antidote tastes like transmission fluid, but God bless the Marine Corps for the five vials of it in my pack. The one truth the Taliban cannot escape is that, believe it or not, they are human beings, which means they have to eat food and drink water. That requires couriers and that's where an old bounty hunter like me comes in handy. I track the couriers, locate the tunnel entrances and storage facilities, type the info into the handheld, and shoot the coordinates up to the satellite link that tells the air commanders where to drop the hardware. We bash some heads for a while, and then I track and record the new movement. It's all about intelligence. We haven't even brought in the snipers yet. These scurrying rats have no idea what they're in for. We are but days away from cutting off supply lines and allowing the eradication to begin. But you know me; I'm a romantic. I've said it before and I'll say it again: This country blows, man. It's not even a country. There are no roads, there's no infrastructure, there's no government. This is an inhospitable, rock pit S hole ruled by eleventh century warring tribes. There are no jobs here like we know jobs. Afghanistan offers two ways for a man to support his family, join the opium trade or join the army. That's it. Those are your options. Oh, I forgot, you can also live in a refugee camp and eat plum-sweetened, crushed beetle paste and squirt mud like a goose with stomach flu, if that's your idea of a party. But the smell alone of those 'tent cities of the walking dead' is enough to hurl you into the poppy fields to cheerfully scrape bulbs for eighteen hours a day. I've been living with these Tajiks and Uzbeks, and Turkmen and even a couple of Pashtu's, for over a month-and-a-half now, and this much I can say for sure: These guys, are Huns....actual, living Huns. They LIVE to fight. It's what they do. It's ALL they do. They have no respect for anything, not for their families, nor for each other, nor for themselves. They claw at one another as a way of life. They play polo with dead calves and force their five-year-old sons into human cockfights to defend the family honor. Huns, roaming packs of savage, heartless beasts who feed on each other's barbarism. Cavemen with AK-47's. Then again, maybe I'm just a cranky young B. I'm freezing my A off on this stupid hill because my lap warmer is running out of juice, and I can't recharge it until the sun comes up in a few hours. Oh yeah! You like to write letters, right? Do me a favor, Bizarre. Write a letter to CNN and tell Wolf and Anderson and that awful, sneering, pompous Aaron Brown to stop calling the Taliban 'smart.' They are not smart. I suggest CNN invest in a dictionary because the word they are looking for is 'cunning.' The Taliban are cunning, like jackals and hyenas and wolverines. They are sneaky and ruthless, and when confronted, cowardly. They are hateful, malevolent parasites who create nothing and destroy everything else. Smart! B S! Yeah, they're real smart, they've spent their entire lives reading only one book (and not a very good one, as books go) and consider hygiene and indoor plumbing to be products of the devil. They're still figuring out how to work a Bic lighter. Talking to a Taliban warrior about improving his quality of life is like trying to teach an ape how to hold a pen, eventually he just gets frustrated and sticks you in the eye with it. OK, enough. Snuffle will be up soon, so I have to get back to my hole. Covering my tracks in the snow takes a lot of practice, but I'm good at it. Please, I tell you and my fellow Americans to turn off the TV sets and move on with your lives. The story line you are getting from CNN and other news agencies is utter B S and designed not to deliver truth but rather to keep you glued to the screen so you will watch the commercials. We've got this one under control. The worst thing you guys can do right now is sit around analyzing what we're doing over here, because you have no idea what we're doing, and really, you don't want to know. We are your military, and we are only doing what you sent us here to do. *From a Jack Recon Marine in Afghanistan.* *Semper Fi*. "Freedom is not free, but the U.S. Marine Corps will pay most of your share". Send this to YOUR FRIENDS so that people there will really know what is going on over here. --- ...Wow! Great read! Thank God For Our Troops! Thanks Geniann! Keep in mind that Obama said all we needed to do was to give the Taliban people a job and our great Leftist Hollywood people said they think all that ISIS needs is a big hug and all will be hunky-dory! I think this Recon Marine would beg to differ with their assessment. What do you think? =========================================================== _.-'`'-._ .-' _ '-. `-.__ `\_.-' | `-``\| jgs `-.....-A # # >Positive Reverberations... For Decades Story Editor: by Mary Young Joyce Schowalter Georgia, USA My childhood was less than ideal -- in fact, I was the only girl in my immediate family who did not run away from home during adolescence. After high school I moved 300 miles away for college, but quickly had second thoughts about whether I belonged there. Coming from a blue-collar family and an easy rural high school to a white-collar university that gave a "C" for work that would be a "B" at another school, I felt like a misfit financially, culturally, and educationally. Somehow I made it through my freshman year, and headed back for year two. I'm so glad I went back, because that was the year I met Barb. Barb seemed the exact opposite of myself, and everything I wished I could be. She was popular, out-going, confident, talented, and artistic. One day I watched Barb doodle, making beautiful calligraphic swirls while waiting for class to start. I sighed, thinking how Barb could do anything she wanted to: draw, paint, sing, play guitar, even calligraphy. I was lucky to be able to read the notes I took in class -- forget about anyone else being able to read them. Barb heard me sigh, and asked what was wrong. "I wish I was artistic," I replied. "Mary," she said in amazement. "You ARE artistic!" "No, I'm not. I can't draw or do calligraphy. I can color inside the lines, but that's about it." "Well," she said. "I think you're artistic." I figured she was just being nice, but still, if Barb said it, there must be something to it. I knew I was creative -- I'd been writing poems and short stories since I was 12. But artistic? I could barely draw stick figures, and crafts I tried came out looking clunky. But if Barb thought I was artistic, there must be something to it, even if I thought my only artistic abilities were with words. It was 1980 when Barb said those words to me. Thanks to her, I learned to recognize my artistic abilities: the way I instinctively frame a field of wildflowers for the best possible photograph, and my ability to see beauty in unexpected places, like sun-dried sea oats hanging from their stem, backlit by the morning sun. The summer of 2009 I wrote Barb and reminded her of that conversation, and let her know her words are still working their magic. I had ripped out a closet in my bedroom for more space, and needed to choose colors, wall hangings and draperies. I felt totally inadequate -- interior decorating has never been my forte. Just as I was about to give up, I heard Barb's voice in my memory, "Mary, you ARE artistic!" With her words ringing in my head, I found the perfect color for the walls, the perfect pictures for the walls, and the perfect drapes to tie it all together. Thanks, Barb, for believing in me all those years ago. =======HeroicStories======= >-->From CupO'Cheer: , , /////| ///// | ///// | |~~~| | | |===| |/| | B |/| | | I | | | | B | | | | L | / | E | / |===|/ jgs '---' >TOP TEN REASONS TO BELIEVE IN THE CHRISTIAN FAITH -Author Unknown 1. The Credibility of Its Founder: Peter spoke for Jesus' closest followers when he said, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We believe and know that You are the Holy One of God." (John 6:68-69) 2. Reliability of Its Book: The integrity of this historical and geographical record is supported by archeology. The Bible continues to speak not only with spiritual power but with convincing prophetic accuracy. 3. Explanations for Life: It is the Christian faith that reflects a caring attention to detail so evident in the species and ecosystems of the natural world. It is Christ who clothed himself in our humanity to feel what we feel and then to suffer and die in our place. 4. Its Continuity with the Past: The Christian faith offers continuity with our deepest ancestral roots. Those who trust Christ are accepting the same Creator and Lord worshiped by Adam, Abraham, and Solomon. 5. Its Foundational Claim: The first Christians were witnesses. They risked their lives to tell the World that with their own eyes they had seen an innocent man die and then miraculously walk among them 3 days later. 6. Its Power to Change Lives: Not only were the first disciples dramatically changed but so were their worst enemies. Paul was transformed from a killer of Christians into one of their chief advocates (Galatians 1:11-24) 7. Its Analysis of Human Nature: The Bible says that society's real problems are problems of the heart. In an age of information and technology, failures of character have scandalized institutions of the family, religion, and the arts. 8. Its View of Human Achievement: Generation after generation has hoped for the best. We have conceived technologies that will deliver us from the oppressive slavery of work. Yet we are as close as ever to what the New Testament describes as the end times. (Matthew 24:5-31) 9. Its Impact on Society: From roof tops to necklaces to earrings, we see the sign of the cross, bearing visible witness to Christ's death. Social relief agencies have been fueled by the direct or residual values of The Bible. 10. Its Offer of Salvation: No other faith offers everlasting life as a gift to those who trust the One who has overcome death for them. No other system offers assurance of forgiveness and adoption into the family of God. as seen in Food For Thought -<>- , , /////| ///// | ///// | |~~~| | | |===| |/| | B |/| | | I | | | | B | | | | L | / | E | / |===|/ jgs '---' >HE'S PLEASED "When He had been baptized, Jesus...suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."" - (Matthew 3:16-17 NKJV) When Jesus was baptized by John in the Jordan River, God his Father suddenly announced: "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." This brief declaration contains three insights into the heart of our Father God. First, it shows that He's watching our lives. The Father had to be fully aware of the Son's life in order to say that it was pleasing to Him. He was ever attentive to all Jesus did, thought, and said. And the same is true with us, for God's eye always rests on those who hope in His mercy (Psalm 33:18). It also reveals that our Father has a standard. Pleasure is defined (in part) by displeasure. We appreciate the way ice-cream tastes because we also know the taste of raw onions. Being pleased implies an awareness of what doesn't please, which, in turn, implies the existence of a standard. Last of all, it demonstrates that our heavenly Father expresses His pleasure. A lot of children go through life frustrated because they never receive approval from their fathers. They spend their lives chasing affirmation that never comes. Our heavenly Father doesn't keep His pleasure hidden but communicates it to His children through the witness of His Word. Do something today that you know will please your Father! Have a great day! Rizeup.us -<>- . ... ....... .....:::..... ....:::::::::::::.... ....:::::::::::::::::.... ..:::::::::::: = ::::::::::.... ..:::::::::: === ::::::::::.... ..:::::::::::: ====== ::::::::::.... ..:::::::::: =========== ::::::::... ..:::::::::: ================ ::::::::.. ..:::::::::: ======= . ========= ::::::::... ..:::::::::: ======== |\ ======== :::::::::... ..:::::::::: ======== |#\ ======== :::::::::... .:::::::::: ======== /%#| ======= :::::::::.. .:::::::::: ======= /#%#| ======= :::::::::.. .:::::::::: ====== |#%#/ ======== :::::::::.. ..::::::::: ====== \%/ ======== :::::::::.. ..::::::::: ====== % ======= ::::::::::.. ..::::::::: ===___%____=== ::::::::::.. ..:::::::::: | .::. | ::::::::::... .:::::::::: | .::. | ::::::::::.. ..:::::::: | .::. | ::::::::... .:::::::: | .::. | ::::::::.. ...:::: | .::. | ::::.... ..:::: | .::. | ::::... .... | .::. | .... .. | .::. | .. loam >THE STINK OR THE STORM Written by Bob & Debby Gass 'Let my prayer be...as incense...' Psalm 141:2 NKJV Noah's ark is a picture of your church. It wasn't a luxury liner; can you imagine spending a year in that ark with all those animals, and just one window? But Noah had only two options - the stink or the storm. So what's the relevance here? That there are no perfect churches! Furthermore, if you found one and joined it, you'd ruin it! We all love to talk about the power of the New Testament church, but what about its problems? They had hypocrites. Remember Ananias and Sapphira? They had financial scandals (Acts 5). They had doctrinal differences that almost split the church down the middle (Acts 15). And they had moral problems. They actually had a man belonging to the Corinthian church who was sleeping with his stepmother (1 Corinthians 5). So what should you do when there's a big stink in your church? First, don't spread it. 'And above all things have fervent love for one another, for love will cover a multitude of sins' (1 Peter 4:8 NKJV). Second, work for reconciliation. '...if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual11 should restore22 him gently...' (Galatians 6:1 NIV). Third, burn incense. When the lamps in the tabernacle were snuffed out each evening they left a bad smell, so God commanded Moses to burn incense. Don't be discouraged when 'flesh acts like flesh'. And don't be part of the problem by being immature; instead, be part of the solution. The Psalmist said, 'Let my prayer be set before You as incense.' When problems arise in your church, you should pray, walk according to God's Word, and believe Him to bring good out of the situation. SoulFood: Ruth 1-4, Matt 15:15-28, Ps 119:41-48, Pro 17:17 as seen in The Word For Today -<>- !|| !|||| ,/|||| !|'''| `\ | )\ \ ejm / \ \ \ >PICTURES IN THE MAKING I've prayed about things that I know God has done, before all my praying had ever begun, But yet I kept praying in hopes of a clue of something or some thought of what's right to do. I found in a moment that Jesus was there just listening to me as I said my prayer. I prayed in a heartbeat and He then so fine showed me the things that I knew all the time. He made me to see how I really knew the journeys of which that I needed go to. I knew that I mustn't worry that way, but I still worried before I would pray. I prayed about things that God had set sail it's just that I did not see the detail. The pictures in the making in frames yet to see were the things that Lord Jesus had there just for me. ©By Bill Pearce Aug 12, 2006 -<>- ,,,,, ////""\ . (((/ m m -|- __ )))c = ) | (__) ////-./~` . [] (((( `.`\ :: [] )))`\ \)).-;.' .------, [] (() `._.-'` _( )[] )/ `. | .'`^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^))\`.----'`[] jgs ( \' { ~ - ~~ _ ~ - ~~ - ~ - (( | | [] .-.--\ \ { )) | | [] |_;_._`\ |{ ((__|_|-----[] | ; ``` ;{ )) [] | /``-.____/ `~~~[]~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~'-' [] `' (__) (__) >YOUR BATTLE IS THE LORD’S (2 Chronicles 30:15) by David Wilkerson The reason I am writing this is to remind you the battle you are facing is not yours, but God’s. If you are a child of his, you can be certain that Satan will “rage against you.” In 2 Chronicles 20, a great multitude came against God’s people. King Jehoshaphat and his people set their hearts to seek the Lord and to fast. The king cried out to God a prayer that most of us have prayed at times in our spiritual journey: “We have no might against these that come against us, neither do we know what to do; but our eyes are upon you” (20:12). “The Spirit of God came in the midst of the congregation...saying, Be not afraid nor dismayed...for the battle is not yours, but God’s (20:14-15). Isaiah gave this warning to all satanic forces: “Who have you reproached and blasphemed? And against whom have you exalted your voice?... Even against the Holy One of Israel” (Isaiah 37:23). God told his people Israel, and he tells us today: “The battle is not against you. It is Satan’s rage against me, the Lord who abides in you.” God said to Satan, “I know where you abide, and where you come and go, and your rage against me” (37:28). I ask you: where is your battle? In your marriage? Your business or job? Your finances? Your health? Does your battle get more intense day after day? If you have a heart for Jesus and a desire to cleave to him, you will face the rage of hell. But that is still not your battle. You can end your battle quickly if you choose – simply by quitting and giving in to your fears and doubts. Satan will not bother those who give up their confidence in the Lord. Yes, the battle is the Lord’s, but we have a part – and that is to trust and believe his promises in the face of hopelessness and what seem to be impossibilities. “Why sayest thou, O Jacob, and speakest, O Israel, My way is hid from the Lord, and my judgment is passed over from my God?” (Isaiah 40:27). Faith demands that I turn over all my problems – all my critical situations, all my fears, all my anxieties – into the hand of the Lord. When I have done all I can do, and I know my battle is beyond my power, I must submit all into his hands. Our Lord knows the raging of Satan, and we must truly believe he will act. He will bring us through floods and fires and put to chase all spiritual enemies. Here is God’s Word concerning what he will do: “Because of your rage against me…it has come into my ears, therefore I will put a hook in your nose, and my bridle in your lips, and I will turn you back by the way you came” (Isaiah 37:29). If you will hold fast to your faith – trusting him, resting in his promises, rejecting all lies of Satan coming into your mind – then expect God to come by his Spirit into your situation and bring an expected end to your particular battle. He will move heaven and earth to deliver you and make a way. The way out is to trust, trust, trust! “He makes wars to cease” (Psalm 46:9). To SUBSCRIBE: Send an e-mail with SUBSCRIBE CUP O'CHEER in the subject line to cheer316@sc.rr.com. ========================================================== >-->From Kidwarmers: __,_____ (( __.==--" - - - - - - -------- ==> /\(-' `-)))/))) (((((\( )/)\)\\ ,//(((((\\. ((( (! !) ))) "bAd hAIr dAy" _))) - |(_ ._//\ O /\\_. `-'_/`,-.'\-`- ,' \/===\/ `. hjw >THE FUNNIEST THINGS KIDS SAY Kristen, 5, is learning to wash her own hair. The other day she asked her mother, Amy, if she could "use some of that stuff," pointing to a bottle. Her mother said yes, explained that it was hair conditioner and told her how to use it. Later Kristen came downstairs, drying her hair with a towel. She went to Amy and said, "Mama, I used that hair conditioner stuff, and my hair feels a LITTLE BIT cooler, but not much!" (She confused hair conditioning with air conditioning!) -- Lynn Bowie (great aunt of Kristen) of Liberty, Mississippi Christine was having some friends over for a cookout and told Jonathan, 5, that they were having company. After a few minutes Jonathan asked, "When will our customers be coming over?" -- Christine Colombo of Syracuse, New York Here's another Jonathan story. After a weekend of camping, Jonathan came down with a bunch of spots, so they took him to the doctor and she said it was Poison Oak. Jonathan told the neighbors that he had poison yolk! Rene' is six months pregnant. Last week her 2-year-old, Joy, was laying against her tummy when the baby kicked. When Joy asked what that movement was, her mommy explained that it was her baby brother kicking the inside of her tummy. Joy wanted to know, "Does he have shoes on?" -- Debbi Armstrong (sister-in-law of Rene') of Orlando, Florida .,,,. ... .,,,. ((o o)) (`@ @`) ((6 6)) ___\ - /___ ___\ o /___ ___\ v /___ ($_ & _$) ($_ % _$) ($_ & _$) | % | | & | | % | | & | | % | | & | / % \ / & \ / % \ _/ / \ \_ _/ / \ \_ _/ / \ \_ ($__/ \__$) ($__/ \__$) ($__/ \__$) ldb All good gingerbreadmen go to heaven in my tummy. Michelle, 3, was discussing the benefits of drinking milk. She said, "Drink your milk -- it'll make your teeth grow long!" Little Kelsey while repeating the song "Stop, in the Name of Love," said, "Stop, in the Neighborhood..." -- Belinda (mother of Michelle and Kelsey) of Tyler, Texas While her mother was sitting at her computer, checking her e-mail, Destiney, 5, asked, "Mommy, can you teach me how to make love?" Rachel looked at her, trying not to laugh, and said, "What?" Destiney repeated, "Can you teach me how to make love?" Rachel asked, "What do you mean?" and Destiney replied, "Tell me how to spell love." She was writing a letter to all the members of the family. -- Rachel Barclay of Coventry, Connecticut Frank recently became a clown with the Shriners. One Sunday, Frank was getting ready for a parade and was halfway through putting on his clown makeup. Andre, 3, walked by the bedroom and saw him. As he watched, Andre got a big smile on his face and said, "Oh, Daddy, you look beautiful!" -- Silvana Poissant (mother of Andre) of Calgary, Alberta, Canada ,-. |,-.| ||O|| O __||H|| H / _ |H||~~~~O~~~~~~.dHb.~~~.dHb.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~H |(_)|H|| O cHHHHHoooHHHHHD H \|||/H|| o "HHHHHHHF' K H|| __ "HHHHHF R H|| o /o `-./ HHHHH ><> O H|| o 7__.-'\ HHHHH __ G H|| O HHHHH __ \.-' o\ G H|| o ><> HHHHH /o `-./ /`-.__F H H|| o __ HHHHH 7__.-'\ H H||o o /o `-./HH <>< H H``oO 7__.-'\HH __ H Ho o HHHHH \.-' o\ _ H H _ _.-._ .dHHHHHb./`-.__F _ _,-._(_)(H H,-(_)-(_)-(_),dH,-(_)H(_),-(_).,-(_)(_)-(_),-.H Krogg Kathleen and her 10-year-old son were waiting for their Chinese food order the other night when he and another boy, about 5, got into a discussion about the two very large Koi fish in a fish tank in the waiting area. The younger boy explained how the two fish liked allergies. Kathleen's son (who has an older brother with allergies) thought he meant the fish had allergies and asked if that was why the fish seemed to be breathing so hard. The other little boy said, "No, you can tell because they are eating the rocks at the bottom of the tank." This left Kathleen's son speechless. The other Mom spoke up and explained the fish were eating the algae off of the rocks. Her son said, "No, Mom, they have allergies -- see how they sneeze the rocks back out? But I guess they eat the allergies." He was quiet for a moment and then he asked his mom, "What is algae again?" -- Kathleen of Burke, Virginia Alex, 4, was playing baseball with his mother. She was pitching... and she hit him right in the forehead. Alex cried for a few minutes and then said, "You're not supposed to hit me in the head! That hurt! I have blood in there and you could hit me and blood could come out! And smoke, too!" -- Krista Bayer (Alex's aunt) of Sandston, Virginia Jessica, 8, and her mother were in a three-story bicycle parking garage in their neighborhood in Tokyo. Some black stray cats live there and are not easy to see in the dim lighting. A kitten suddenly ran away as Jessica's mother approached her bike and Jessica said urgently, "Mom, don't disterrupt it!" (disturb and interrupt) On another day, being curious about babies, Jessica asked, "If a mother has three babies, are they thrins?" (three + twins) -- Kelly Kimura (Jessica's mother) of Tokyo, Japan Note: You are welcomed to use, copy and share these stories, but please reference http://www.funnykids.com as the source. ========================================================== | '.|.' -= + =- ___ .'|'. ___ ******* | ******* /-====) | (_.- )) | / '( )' ) )) / / _/ \_( (( | |-( _ _ )) ) ) / | \ //| |\\ /'-( ( / \ \/\/ *** \/\/ / ) ) | |\ / .=. \ / ( ( `-;./ ;-' _\/(")\/_ '-; ) ) | \ |'---'| / ( ( | \ _| |_ / ) ) _/ | /\ /\ | ( ( jgs .-/ / '=' \ ( )-. `""---`-----` `----`----`""` >-->I Love To Tell The Story I love to tell the story of unseen things above, Of Jesus and His glory, of Jesus and His love. I love to tell the story, because I know ’tis true; It satisfies my longings as nothing else can do. I love to tell the story, ’twill be my theme in glory, To tell the old, old story of Jesus and His love. I love to tell the story; more wonderful it seems Than all the golden fancies of all our golden dreams. I love to tell the story, it did so much for me; And that is just the reason I tell it now to thee. I love to tell the story, ’twill be my theme in glory, To tell the old, old story of Jesus and His love. I love to tell the story; ’tis pleasant to repeat what seems, Each time I tell it, more wonderfully sweet. I love to tell the story, for some have never heard The message of salvation from God’s own holy Word. I love to tell the story, ’twill be my theme in glory, To tell the old, old story of Jesus and His love. I love to tell the story, for those who know it best Seem hungering and thirsting to hear it like the rest. And when, in scenes of glory, I sing the new, new song, ’Twill be the old, old story that I have loved so long. written by: Arabella Katherine Hankey, 1866 Sung by Alan Jackson https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wpfsZZ9X5n8 >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? 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 ************************************************************************