Isn't God Good ... :) Shangy! >Here are the details on our Yahoo ShangyFunList: To Subscribe send a blank email to ShangyFunList-subscribe@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 =========================== >-->In The 'Shangy' News :) + A_ /\-\ jgs _||"|_ ~^~^~^~^ The other day I went to our group spot on yahoo and noticed a question submitted by a person. They asked 'As a Christian should I go to a Gay wedding?' It was a cousin that wanted them to go to their wedding. This question must of had like 15 answers from people who all more or less told them they should go to the wedding using such logic as 'Love the sinner not the sin'. One even went so far as to advise that Jesus would not only go but would even be the best man! This thing has bothered me since I read it. I think people are missing the boat. Of course with more thought, I realize that these so called 'Christian forums' are an open invitation for any one to pipe in and give their two cents worth of advise whether it is from a Christian, atheist, WICCAN or devil worshipper. There is no way to know who is actually giving their advise. Anybody who knows and loves Jesus Christ would not be so brash as to say what Jesus would do unless they were absolutely sure with the Word of God backing them up. So what does the bible say about 'Love the sinner not the sin' sort of logic? Remember the time when Jesus caught them selling in the synagogue? Did Jesus apply the 'love the sinner not the sin' logic when dealing with them? If He did, then those that say this of Him would say he would ignore their sin and actually help them sell their wares so they could support their family. This would of course be the turn the other cheek, loving sort of response one would expect. But is this what Jesus did? Let us see... Mark, chapter 11 "15": And they come to Jerusalem: and Jesus went into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and the seats of them that sold doves; "16": And would not suffer that any man should carry any vessel through the temple. "17": And he taught, saying unto them, Is it not written, My house shall be called of all nations the house of prayer? but ye have made it a den of thieves. "18": And the scribes and chief priests heard it, and sought how they might destroy him: for they feared him, because all the people was astonished at his doctrine. "19": And when even was come, he went out of the city. So, it was not a popular thing for Jesus to do, but when it came to doing what is right according to God's Word, Jesus does not take the sinners side, He takes God's Side! That is the side we need to take as Christians. Please Remember, if YOU EVER Have a doubt as to whether you should participate in something, the Bible sums it up quite nicely for you: 2 Corinthians 6: 14 "14": Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? As soon as you turn on the light, darkness is expelled. They do not reside together in the same place. So you should not participate in anything that is not godly. You do not support the sinner by loving him and doing what he does. You support the sinner by lovingly helping him to see the error in his ways and repent. So they may do that which is right before God. The bible calls being Gay 'as having a vile Affection'. Romans, 1:26,27 So this tells us it is considered unrighteous and God doesn't want us to support or have anything to do with that sort of thing. _______ / /_ / -/- / / / / / / The Christian's Manual /_______/ / jgs ((______| / `"""""""` AND PLEASE, if you have a question concerning what you should do as a Christian, first check the Christians' manual which is the Bible. .---. /` ___|`\ |_/ \| ( -/- ) \_ - _/ .-'|_|'-. / \ / O \ / _____!_____ \ /.-------------.\ \| ,;, |/ | ;;; | | ;;;;;;;;; | | `';;;'` | | ;;; | | ;;; | | ::: | | ';' | | | _| _ __ __ _|_ jgs_/ _ __ ___ __ _\_ _/ __ ___ _ ___ __ _ \_ If you still are unsure, ask a Christian leader you know and trust that is rightly dividing God's Word to give you the correct answer. Don't throw it up so that anybody can throw their two cents at you and advise you hope to live godly when they themselves may not even be a believer! -<>- >AND Please Continue Praying for PATW's Mom :) _____________ |.-----------.| A Prayer for all || _ || my COMPUTER Pals: || (\o/) || || /_\ || Guide our keystrokes, ||___________|| Keep our programs alive, `-)-------(-' Protect us from viruses, [=== -- o ]--. Remind us to back up __'---------'__ \ Our drive. [::::::::::: :::] ) Amen. `""'"""""'""""`/T\ jgs \_/ Our Friend PatW sent me a note and wanted to make sure all of you know she truly appreciates your thoughts and prayers for her mother, sister and herself. And SO DO I - THANK YOU! Keep up the good work :) ==================================================================== >-->From Our Friend John-Paul :) + | /o\ |~| , | | , /\/ _ \/\ .-.-.-|| (_) ||-.-.-. | # # || _ || # # | jgs _| || ||| || |_ """""""""===""""""""" === ~ Don't Cry Little Soul ~ Don't cry, little soul. Though you've gone a stray, JESUS has come, To show you the way. HE gave up HIS life, On this earth's old sod, To make a way. To the very portals of GOD. Yes, "I am the Door," HIS mighty words proclaim. "Out of ME flows living water, >From MY FATHER`S domain." On the Cross, HE willingly gave, All HE possibly could give; Took on Our Sins, There, on GOLGOTHA'S hill. Ah, but, death could not hold Him; No stake, no chains, nor stone. Three days in the grave, then, HE Arose, reclaiming HIS Mighty Throne. Though, your little body is broken, And your eyes grow dim, HE is Your Guiding Light. Take HIS hand, and Trust HIM. A beautiful mansion HE offers, No more tears, nor pain, To be able to run and play, Like a child, once again. So, don't cry, little soul. You'll, soon, be free. All the wonders of heaven And FATHER GOD you shall see. With love and hope, One beautiful day, Our souls shall mount up, With wings like eagles, As we pray, Then, we all shall -- FLY AWAY." PRAISE GOD!! "Even come now LORD JESUS" Please pray with me. "Lord, I love you, and I need you. Come into my heart. Bless me, my family, my home, and my friends. In JESUS' name. Amen." In~GOD`S~Love~~~~~John-Paul ---- ...SWEET! Thank You John-Paul! ================================================================== >-->From AndyChaps: _|_ | / \ //_\\ //(_)\\ |/^\| ,%%%% // \\ ,@@@@@@@, ,%%%%/%%% // \\ ,@@@\@@@@/@@, @@@%%%\%%//%%%// === \\ @@\@@@/@@@@@ @@@@%%%%\%%%%%// =-=-= \\@@@@\@@@@@@;%#####, @@@@%%%\%%/%%// === \\@@@@@@/@@@%%%######, @@@@@%%%%/%%//| |\\@\\//@@%%%%%%#/#### '@@@@@%%\\/%~ | | ~ @|| %\\//%%%#####; @@\\//@|| | __ __ | || %%||%%'###### '@|| || | | | | | || ||##\//#### || || | | -|- | | || ||'#||###' || || |_|__|__|_| || || || || ||_/` ======= `\__||_._|| || jgs__||_/` ======= `\_||___ >Mountain Moving Faith by Thomas W Henderson Jul 11, 2002 A small congregation in the foothills of the Great Smokies built a new sanctuary on a piece of land willed to them by a church member. Ten days before the new church was to open, the local building inspector informed the pastor that the parking lot was inadequate for the size of the building. Until the church doubled the size of the parking lot, they would not be able to use the new sanctuary. Unfortunately, the church with its undersized lot had used every inch of their land except for the mountain against which it had been built. In order to build more parking spaces, they would have to move the mountain out of the back yard. Undaunted, the pastor announced the next Sunday morning that he would meet that evening with all members who had "mountain moving faith." They would hold a prayer session asking God to remove the mountain from the back yard and to somehow provide enough money to have it paved and painted before the scheduled opening dedication service the following week. At the appointed time, 24 of the congregation's 300 members assembled for prayer. They prayed for nearly three hours. At ten o'clock the pastor said the final "Amen." "We'll open next Sunday as scheduled," he assured everyone. "God has never let us down before, and I believe He will be faithful this time too." The next morning as he was working in his study there came a loud knock at his door. When he called "come in," a rough looking construction foreman appeared, removing his hard hat as he entered. "Excuse me, Reverend, I'm from Acme Construction Company over in the next county. We're building a huge new shopping mall over there and we need some fill dirt. Would you be willing to sell us a chunk of that mountain behind the church? We'll pay you for the dirt we remove and pave all the exposed area free of charge, if we can have it right away. We can't do anything else until we get the dirt in and allow it to settle properly." The little church was dedicated the next Sunday as originally planned and there were far more members with "mountain moving faith" on opening Sunday than there had been the previous week! Would you have shown up for that prayer meeting? -<>- \\\\, / \\ '<' ) ---C'mone folks,that plate aint full, \> / Pass it around again.... _)_(_ .'\___/'. /.-.___.-.\ [_________] | | ( | |) _ | (\/) ) _\)_ | | |- | <_@__> _(/_ || | |_ | (/\)(\/) || || | --.| (\/) <_@_> || || | / | <_@_>'(/\) || || | `--| (/\|/|-. || || .---------. _|_|_ || ||_,-'---------'-,__ |WWWWW| ___jgs|_|____________________|_\_____/__ __ .---------------------. .-. / \ o (Does that say "pez"....) //)\\ | | O `---------------------' ||(|| .-. (\__/) .//\\\. //|\\ _)__(_ / `"""` \ )|||( /` `\ .jgs===================================. | | | | | | >DEVELOP THE DO-IT-NOW HABIT by Tom Hopkins Self-Discipline really encompasses nearly everything in life. Do you remember in school when you were given 30 days to write a term paper? Did you start it that first night? Most of us didn't. Instead, we thought about it every night. "Got to get moving on that ratty project. But I've got almost a whole month left--it can wait." As time goes by, worry about getting a failing grade looms larger in our minds. At first the pain of starting the term paper is greater than our concern about the failing grade, so after a week we still haven't started. Two weeks go by. What are we doing every night before we go to sleep? Worrying about that F. "I better start. Tomorrow I'll get moving on it." A week before the term paper is due, the F is getting larger--but it's still not quite large enough to offset the pain of working at preventing it. All of a sudden there are only three days left before it's due, and at last the F looms larger than the pain of working on the term paper. So we start. As you lay it out you begin feeling some enthusiasm. "This isn't bad. I may get an A if I do this and do that." When you walk in with your paper you're happy, but you wasted 27 days worrying about starting. In other words, you operated at a deficit emotionally for 27 days when you could have been in the profit column the whole time. Move into the emotional profit column right now; starting today, get your priority tasks and actions handled promptly. Plan your actions, then act on your plans. Apply this determination to every area of your life and it will make an enormous difference in your income, growth rate in business as well as, your satisfaction and growth rate personally. The portrait of a man who was being called the Whiz Kid on Wall Street appeared on the cover of a national magazine a many years ago. He was one of the first to put a conglomerate together, and some of the federal laws affecting business in the early 70's came about because of the trends that his creativity set off. At the time he was 42; he was running one of the largest industrial combines in the country, the conglomerate he had built himself. So the magazine had assigned a journalist and a team of researchers to do an in-depth report on this entrepreneur. One of the researchers went to the small city the dynamic executive had left 15 years earlier. A few items turned up there about an alcoholic with the same name who had been sleeping on park benches at that time. The researcher passed this information along, and as the journalist was concluding his interview with the Wall Street powerhouse in his plush office, the journalist laughed and said, "Believe it or not, a man with your exact name was sleeping on park benches and getting ousted by the police when you lived in your home town. I guess the poor guy was a real wino. Isn't that something?" The president looked up and smiled. "That was me," he said. The reporter was flabbergasted. "This can't be. You're kidding." The president of the conglomerate leaned back in his leather chair and shook his head. "I'm not kidding. The wino sleeping off drinks on park benches was me." The journalist stared at him for a moment and realized that the man was telling the truth. He also realized that now he had a whole new story. When his apologies were waved aside, he said, "I have to ask, what made you change?" Listen to what he said because so many people fit this mold: "When I was sleeping under newspapers in the park 15 years ago, I knew that someday I would do what I'm doing now. I was just waiting until I was ready to start." Do you know how many people are like that? "Well, next year's my year. I'm going to get to work then. You just wait and see--right after the first of the year I'm gonna start shaping up." But of course the time to get going never quite comes for most people. They have good intentions, but are lacking the two most vital components of any good deed: the motivation to begin and a strategic plan to keep them moving forward. You see, by not beginning, you're not risking failure, but you're also confining yourself to the level of success you current have. If you're happy with that, fine. If not, make that plan and get fired up! If your potential for greater success is nagging at you, don't wait. Time is flying by so fast. Start today to achieve the greatness you know is within you. ================================================================== >-->From InspiredBuffalo: , _/ \_ _,--. < , > .-'.' /(/.\ .' .' .""". `/ ` / / / \ /) ; ; ,_.;._ _;-'}/ | | '. )( /' | | /'-._/\_.-' ; ; \_.' \ , \ \ / | _.'/ '. `'-\ /.-/.;,\ '-._ `"""""`_.|`"""`| jgs `"("\/")` |# | \(_/ `-...-' >Where Angels Walk Virgil Gibson, of Meeker, Oklahoma, was a special man. Everyone who knew him recognized his kindness, generosity and spiritual strength. "If anyone needed anything, they would call us," Kathleen Gibson says. "They knew Virgil would help." One of his hobbies was collecting stuffed animals. Every Christmas he would give them all away to needy children. Kathleen was his biggest fan. "I always believed that God had brought us together," she says, "because we married after knowing each other just two weeks, and Virgil loved me unconditionally for 31 years." Virgil was a truck driver, who had named his company, "A Wing and a Prayer." Kathleen drove with him as often as she could, and nearly always after their son grew up. "We were a team not only in trucking, but in life," Kathleen says. "Where you saw him, you would see me." In 2001, Virgil developed some health problems. But he didn't want to retire. Kathleen could drive, and he would go along. "He told me that he would rather be with me on the truck than any place else, especially if anything ever happened to him," Kathleen says. Early in January, 2002, the couple drove a load from Chicago to Jacksonville, Florida, and had to stay there over the weekend before they could pick up another load. This was not unusual. Kathleen and Virgil passed the time in their truck, watching television and enjoying each other's company as usual. On Monday morning, as they left the truckstop restaurant, Virgil stopped. "I'm dizzy," he told Kathleen. Suddenly, he fell to the ground. "Virgil!" Kathleen cried. Quickly she reached into his pocket for his nitro pills. People ran toward them. One trucker called an ambulance, while others surrounded the pair. Kathleen knelt on the pavement, with Virgil's head in her lap. The scene seemed surreal. How could this be happening? She couldn't lose Virgil, God, she just couldn't! Looking up, she noticed an older couple approaching. The woman was carrying a Bible, and the man held blankets, which he tucked around Virgil's still form. Quietly, the woman began to pray. The paramedics arrived, and as they applied electrodes to shock Virgil's heart, the woman drew Kathleen away from the scene. "Your husband is with God now," she said quietly. "God is going to put His arms around you, and help you through this grief." No, it wasn't true! But somehow Kathleen knew that it was. As Virgil was put into the ambulance, the woman led Kathleen back to it. During the long ride to Ed Fraser Hospital in Macclenny, Florida, Kathleen continued to pray: "Please God, save my husband..I love him..I need him." The doctors did all that they could, but the unknown lady at the truckstop had been right. Virgil entered Paradise that day. Kathleen was exhausted when she finally left the emergency room. There was so much to do, so much grief to bear, and she was alone in an unfamiliar city. How was she going to cope? But when she approached the waiting room, she saw the couple from the truck stop! "We're supposed to be here," the man explained, brushing aside Kathleen's surprised thanks. "We knew you'd need a ride back." She looked at them closely for the first time. Two ordinary, grey-haired grandparent-types perhaps in their mid-60's. she had never seen them before. But somehow, despite the shock and grief that was just beginning, she felt comfortable, safe, even, somehow, loved. The lady was still holding her Bible. "Come," she told Kathleen. "You need to eat. You have to keep up your strength." Kathleen could do nothing but obey. Her newfound friends barely left her side for the rest of the day. They took Kathleen to a local mortuary to make the final arrangements. (Virgil had wished to be cremated) With their help, Kathleen contacted her sister, who instructed her to stay in Jacksonville until they could come to her. The couple also moved their truck right next to Kathleen's. She noticed that they weren't pulling a trailer. "We don't need one right now," the man explained. Oh. That was strange. "Have you been driving long?" Kathleen persisted. The woman smiled. "Not long at all," she answered comfortably. None of it made sense. Surely they were supposed to be driving a load somewhere. But when Kathleen realized that they were going to stay all night right alongside her, she broke down. "I'm so sorry for being such a burden." she began. The couple wouldn't listen. "This is what people are supposed to do for each other," the man stated. "We're just getting you over this hump," his wife pointed out. "But as long as you keep God Number One in your life, you're going to be just fine." Kathleen knew that. Once again, despite her sorrow, she sensed an unexpected peace. When Kathleen awakened the following morning, the couple and their truck were gone. "I asked the waitress if they had come in to eat breakfast," Kathleen says, "but she hadn't seen them since the night before when they were with me." Perhaps they simply hadn't wanted to awaken Kathleen. She would miss them, she realized. Without their kindness and steady reassurance, she wondered how she would have coped. It wasn't until Kathleen was back in Meeker and life was beginning to settle down, that she began to wonder more specifically about the pair. Where had they come from? How had they seemed to know so much? Most important, had she adequately expressed her gratitude to them? Fortunately, she remembered the name on the truck they were driving. She would contact their boss, tell him how lucky he was to have workers who were so good, so caring of others.. But when she phoned Information, she received a surprise. There was no such listing for this company anywhere in the country. Nor, through any of her contacts, has she been able to locate the company or the drivers. "I'm still looking," she says today. "But I don't think I'll ever find them." Not in this life, perhaps. But on the highways of the world, it's good for all of us to know that angels are there. Copyrighted by Joan Wester Anderson 2002. For more stories of God's love, check the website at: http://www.joanwanderson.com --- == <^\()/^> \/ \/ jgs / \ I gotta put my two cents in here ... by emb `''` ...This story reminds me of one of my own. I was with many young believers and we were with one of our friends supporting her at the hospital. We were all praying for this woman that she would be OK. She was in Intensive Care. We were there for quite some time and silently praying and lifting her to Father when I suddenly got a message I knew was from God. There was a huge green plant in the waiting room. The message said "Just as that plant has life, so shall she." I was immediately relieved and smiled for the first time in my worrisome vigil. I was smiling at the others in our group and they must of thought I was daft. Right about then, the doctor came into the room and shook his head. He said, "We did all we could for her but it was like she just gave up and we couldn't do anything to save her. She was gone." I was stunned and heartbroken. I thought the message meant 'now' but realized the message was to reassure me that we would see her again in heaven. She would have life again - then. I learned later in life that we as people have a choice. We can choose to keep on fighting and live or we can give up and die. It was the choice she made. While all of us wanted her to keep on living, she chose to give up and stop fighting. It was her right. Freedom of choise is always ours with God. She had the final say. Isn't God Good?! :) -<>- _______ `*******' .---. ( --- ) ( /m m\ ) ___( = )___ .'----`\ /'----`. //' .-'': ;``-. `\\ // / Y \ \\ // / (|) \ \\ // : .-' | `-. ; \\ // `.__.-'^`-.__.' \\ ^. .^.^/ \^.^. .^ ^ / \ ^ / \ jgs _.' `._ '._ _.' `--..___ ___..--' >ALL OF OUR MOMENTS By: Joseph J. Mazzella When I was a boy we always spent a week every summer visiting my Grandmother in Tennessee. She lived with my Aunt and Uncle in a quiet little town near the Great Smokey mountains. Before the interstates were completed it often took 8 hours driving up and down curvy, mountainous roads to get there, but it was worth it. My Mom was always so happy to see her Mom, sister, and family again. The days there were always filled with visiting relatives, fun activities, and big suppers that made every stomach smile. The best times of all, though, were the evenings. It was then that everyone would gather on the front porch. The swing, glider, and steps would all be full of people sitting and talking. As neighbors dropped by more chairs would be brought out from the dining room. The stories, jokes, and laughter would continue on as the sun set and the stars rose. When it got late my Mom would send me to bed, but I would still stay awake listening to the sounds of happiness drifting in from the porch to my bedroom until their gentle music would put me to sleep like a lullaby. Looking back on those summer evenings from 35 years ago makes me wish that all of our moments here could be so sweet. I wish that all of our moments could be filled with such love, laughter, happiness, and togetherness. I know too that they all can’t be that way, but the truth is a lot more of them could be if we made the effort. God loves us and God has given each of us a wonderful and powerful gift called choice. We use this gift everyday of our lives. We use it moment by moment. Why not use it to create love and happiness? Why not use it to share laughter and togetherness as my family did on those summer evenings long ago? Leo Buscaglia wrote that: "Even for the longest lived of all, time of life is limited. Why not live it in joy?" That choice is ours to make in all of our moments. -<>- >Perseverance Pays "Let us not become weary in doing good: for in due season we will reap, if we don't faint." Had Thomas Edison not been a man of faith, perseverance and determination, we may still be working by gaslight or, at least, it may have been many years before the first electric light was seen. It has been reported that Edison failed over 6,000 times before perfecting the first electric light bulb. On one occasion a young journalist challenged Edison saying to him, "Mr. Edison, why do you keep trying to make light by using electricity when you have failed so many times? Don't you know that gas lights are with us to stay?" To this Edison replied, "Young man, don't you realize that I have not failed but have successfully discovered six thousand ways that won't work!" Because Edison believed an electric light was possible, he refused to give up. He tried countless types of material in his search for a filament that would work. He sent men to China, Japan, South America, Asia, Jamaica, Ceylon and Burma to search for fibers to test in his laboratory--all to no avail. On October 21, 1879, after thirteen months of repeated failures, Edison finally succeeded in finding a filament that would work. While experimenting, the thought came to him, "Why not try a carbonized cotton fiber?" After going through two spools of cotton, he eventually perfected a strand only to break it while trying to place it in a glass tube. He still persevered with this idea for two more days and nights without sleep. Finally he succeeded in placing a carbonized thread into a vacuum-sealed bulb! Eureka! It worked. -<>- Links for Your Enjoyment Anchors Away http://www.buffalosjokes.com/062712.htm Animal Planet Parrot http://www.buffalosjokes.com/062713.htm Animal Thieves http://www.buffalosjokes.com/062714.htm Weddings Aren't Always Perfect http://www.buffalosjokes.com/062715.htm To Subscribe send a blank email to: the-inspired-buffalo-subscribe@yahoogroups.com ================================================================== {\ {\ \ { ~\ \ _______ {* \ \ <:<:<:>:> { ~ * \ \(((//^^\ {* ~ \((((/ e e { * ~ * |))))c u ) {* * ////'_/~` {~ * (((( `.`\ GOD'S BLESSINGS! `{.~ ~ )))`\ \))_.-. `{ ~ *(() `\_.-'`` `{.__.* `-*. .* ~ *. .*. * ~ *. .* . . *. .* ~ * *. .* * ~ *. jgs .* ~ . *. .* * . ~ * ~ *. ..* ~ * ~ *. ~~* ~~* ~~* ~~* ~~* ~~* >-->From Heartwarmers: IF YOU SEE MY SON by Nancy B. Gibbs Through our ministry, my husband, Roy and I speak and sing at conferences, banquets, crusades, revivals, and we also take the time to present programs at long-term care facilities across our state. We are often told how we bring joy and a spark of life to the residents. We are happy we have the opportunity to share the talents God gave us in this way. I will never forget a particular day when we visited a nursing home to present one of our programs. Roy sang and I spoke to people sitting in wheelchairs and others who were seated beside walkers. As I stared into the crowd, I noticed some of the residents were sleeping. Others were smiling. Thankfully, most were listening. Some were even patting their feet. After the program all the residents returned to their room, except one lady. While we were gathering up our belongings, she came over to us to tell us how much she enjoyed the program. We hugged and then exchanged small talk. She talked about her son. Then she followed with words that literally broke my heart. "If you see my son will you tell him I miss him?" "Sure, I will," I answered. I hugged her. For a few brief seconds I felt the pain she seemed to be feeling. Now I don't know the situation. Her son could have been there just that morning. Time doesn't always register with elderly people. I am certain the days and hours have a way of running together when you seldom leave a place. But then on the other hand it could have been weeks or months since he had visited with his mother. Too many people drop their loved ones off at a nursing home, vow to return often, but get busy and rarely return. When my father was in a nursing home, I went to see him several times a week. My mother spent most of her waking hours there in his room with him. It wasn't easy, especially since it was sixty-five miles from my front door to his. But we were determined my father would know that we loved him, even after he forgot who we were. I had to turn away from this sweet lady and wipe away a few tears. Then I turned back around. "My son is coming back to get me. He is going to take me home," she announced. I smiled and gave her another hug, wishing it was true. She walked slowly away. But once again she turned around and faced me. "Will you tell my son that I love him when you see him?" she asked. I looked into her eyes and saw tears, beyond the smile, which automatically crossed her face just speaking of her son. I don't expect to ever see her son. Actually, if I did, I wouldn't even know him. Therefore, in an effort to grant a sweet elderly lady's heartfelt request I am writing this story to tell everyone who has loved ones in long-term care facilities that your mother, father, aunt or uncle misses you very much. They would like for you to come visit with them. Even though you may not be able to take them home with you, you can go to their meager home for a brief visit. Your presence would make their day. And don't forget -- your family member loves you with all of his or her heart. And I am certain, just like this lady, they want you to know just how much. -- Nancy B. Gibbs ____________________________________________ Nancy is a freelance writer, newspaper columnist and motivational speaker residing in the southern part of Georgia. Nancy and her husband have recently begun a new evangelistic ministry which is involved in men's and women's retreats and banquets. They lead relationship conferences, revivals and crusades, as well. If you are interested in learning more about their ministry, please visit their web site at: http://www.gibbsfamilyministries.com ==================================================================== It was once said that the moral test of government is how that government treats those who are in the dawn of life, the children; those who are in the twilight of life, the elderly; and those who are in the shadows of life, the sick, the needy and the handicapped. -- Hubert H. Humphrey >Updated FUN STUFF URLS - Oh Yeah :) Shangy! ------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.ShangralaFamilyFun.com/urls.html FUN URLS ------------------------------------------------------------------------- -->Bigham's Computer Rescue - PC Sales & Serrvice You can trust us to provide you with quality computer sales and repair. We've been servicing the Van Wert area since 1981 and can help you with all your computer needs. Please phone us at 419-238-5806 ************************************************************************ -->This is for all you who love food and DARRE to make it at home Yep. You guessed it - Recipes. These are Tried and True, Yummy to the Tummy, good old fashioned home cooking recipes that are EASY to do :) Visit Shangy's Easy-Does-It Home Recipes: http://www.ShangralaFamilyFun.com/easy.html Home Recipes >Got A good Recipe? SHARE IT HERE: Share A Recipe ************************************************************************ >TO SUBSCRIBE: Visit Here This Weeks regular Shangy emails OR For the Yahoo ShangyFunList: To Subscribe send a blank email to ShangyFunList-subscribe@yahoogroups.com ************************************************************************