I've Learned... :) Shangy! >Here are the details on our Yahoo ShangyFunList: To Subscribe send a blank email to ShangyFunList-subscribe@yahoogroups.com To UnSubscribe send a blank email to ShangyFunList-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com Group home page: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ShangyFunList Through no fault of my own we suddenly became an adult club in the love and romance directory so you will have to confirm that you are an adult when you go here. I still have no idea how to change this back as it sends me around in a circle when I try! or Web Site: http://www.ShangralaFamilyFun.com/ShangyFunList.html Group email address: ShangyFunList@yahoogroups.com or email me here: bcrsystems@earthlink.net ================ **~* 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 Please Share This email with All Your Friends And Family! ^~^ May God SUPER BLESS You As You Do! THANK YOU! :) ================ >-->HOT Off The 'Shangy' Press :) This piping hot one is from our friends Linda Nd LouiseA. It shows what fortitude and determination can do even when one is struck down early on with Polio. Amazing! Check out this one here... /|\ [] |"""""""""""--__ /| |\ / | \ || |____________--"" ( |__| ) | ( ) | || | | \ / | .-. | || | | |12| ]( 0 )[ || | | | | / `-' \ || | | | | / /' `\ \ || | | | | | | | | |%%| | | | | | | | | ,'`, | | | | | | | | |||| | | |14| | | | | |||| | | / __ \ \ \ / / |||| | | ( | | ) `-' `-' `--' `-' \| |/ Wrench Art http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/wrenchart.html --- ...Simply awesome works! Thanks Ladies! ======================================================= >-->From Heartwarmers: ,-.-. / ,-. \ ,-. ( |a a| ) ,-. : `( : o ; )' : ____|____(_.>-<._)____|____ (_| / \ |_) || : `.|,' : || '|___..--|_\_|_/_|-...___|' ; | /SSt\ | : / ; ;| ,'|`. |: : \ / /| /|;._____.:|\ |\ \ / ,' `' / ;| |: \ `' `. \ `' / / | | \ \ `' / / ; : \ \ / / /| |\ \ \ / / / | | \ \ \ / / / ; : \ \ \ / / / /| |\ \ \ \ ( / / / | | \ \ \ ) `(_ / / ; : \ \ _)' `'.(_./___\._).`' >ORDINARY PEOPLE by Nancy B. Gibbs As the Christmas season of 1996 was quickly approaching, I wasn't listening to Christmas carols, decorating the house or baking Christmas cookies. As a matter of fact, I dreaded Christmas. Two months earlier, my father's doctor informed us that Daddy probably wouldn't live another twelve months. If the doctor was right, this would be Daddy's last Christmas. While I wanted to make the best of the holiday, the dread of the coming event filled my soul. Because Daddy needed around the clock medical care, he resided in a long term care facility. "Everybody needs to be able to go home for Christmas," I told my husband, Roy. We evaluated how much money it would take for Daddy to spend the day at home. We would have to rent a hospital bed. Daddy would have to be transported by ambulance, since he couldn't ride in a car. We would have to hire a nurse to come to stay with him. After the figures were totaled, I realized I didn't have nearly enough money to bring Daddy home for Christmas. One morning, as I drove the sixty plus miles to visit with Daddy in his nursing home room, I heard an important announcement on the radio. The deejay mentioned that the station would be making twelve wishes come true that Christmas. "My dream is simply too big," I said aloud in my car. Then the Bible verse in Luke 1:37 came to my mind: "For nothing is impossible with God." As I drove the remainder of the way to the nursing home, I prayed. "Please God, help me to take Daddy home for Christmas." That night after I returned home from my trip, I wrote a letter to the radio station. I explained my father's terminal illness, how we had always spent Christmas Eve together in his home, and how my greatest wish was to bring Daddy home one more time. I listed what it would take to make my wish come true. The next day, I said a prayer and dropped my letter in the mailbox. Several days passed. I received a telephone call at work. "Your wish is coming true," the deejay announced. For a few seconds I was speechless. All the plans to bring Daddy home for Christmas were already made! A medical supply company would donate a hospital bed. A medical transportation company had agreed to take Daddy home that morning and then back to the nursing home that night. A nurse, who was also a young mother, agreed to spend Christmas Eve with us that year. A few things happened health-wise with Daddy that caused us to worry that he wouldn't be able to make the trip. Daddy spent several days the week before Christmas in the hospital. But two days before Christmas Eve, God performed a miracle. He made Daddy well enough to come home. On Christmas Eve morning, I met the ambulance at the nursing home. I rode along humming Christmas carols. My heart felt like it would explode with joy. My greatest wish was coming true. My mom had gotten busy and decorated the house. When we arrived, I walked beside the stretcher as the technicians carried Daddy inside. When Daddy saw his home, tears filled his eyes. There wasn't a dry eye in the house, including the eyes of the nurse and the medical technicians. That Christmas Eve was a day that I will never forget. I saw an awesome amount of love as it poured from the hearts of many people. The deejays, a young nurse, two medical technicians, and the owners of a medical supply company, gave freely of their hearts to make my greatest Christmas wish come true. I was then, and forever will be, grateful for their generosity. I experienced what I already knew in my heart -- that God uses ordinary people like you and me to make heartfelt Christmas wishes come true. Maybe this is the year that God would like to use YOU to make someone's greatest Christmas wish come true. Are you willing to freely give of yourself to bring joy to another person's life? -- Nancy B. Gibbs ___________________________________________ Nancy is a mother, a grandmother and a writer living in Georgia. Her stories have appeared in over 50 anthologies, including Chicken Soup for the Soul, Guideposts Books and Stories for the Heart. She is the author of four books, a regular writer for TWINS Magazine and has been featured in numerous national magazines. You are welcomed to visit her website at: http:/www.nancybgibbs.com or email her at mailto:daiseydood@aol.com ========================================================== >-->From Our Friend Bunni :) . " -. ' . . ( . () .' `. `|,. |"| ( | |\| | ) ( | |\| _ .\|, _ | ) _.->J ->J|/, . \""-""/Vl/z '-tX|b|\|\~\k\~yJr/' '^-j/PZ=\R>p/T|' ._-sFK)/|'" _-zH|/| --%/| | itz '/| | _M_ ,'"_ "`. / (_) \ ; .: | .| : .:; \ `._ .:/ `._ ..:;' """ Take the present moment and find something to laugh at. People who laugh, last. ''When you live in the present moment, time stands still. Accept your circumstances and live them. If there is an experience ahead of you, have it! But if worries stand in your way, put them off until tomorrow. Give yourself a day off from worry. You deserve it. Some people live with a low-grade anxiety tugging at their spirit all day long. They go to sleep with it, wake up with it, carry it around at home, in town, to church, and with friends. Here’s a remedy: Take the present moment and find something to laugh at. People who laugh, last. '' -- unknown -<>- No one else can guarantee that you will be successful or fulfilled in your life. And that’s what makes success and fulfillment so desirable. If you wish to experience life’s true richness, you must make your own way toward it. Others can lead you and guide you and encourage you, yet no one can do it for you. You are blessed with the magnificent opportunity to express what it means to be alive in your own unique way. The fulfillment of that opportunity, by very definition, must come from you. The real meaning of accomplishment is not what you get. Accomplishment has value because of what you put into it. Though no one else can guarantee your success, you can guarantee it by making the commitment to do whatever you must do. You can guarantee it with your intention, your focus, your action and your persistence. Today, tomorrow, in any place, whatever the situation, you can make a difference, for your own life, and for your world. Grab that opportunity, make the most of it every chance you get, and you’ll guarantee your own success. - Ralph Marston -<>- >Thoughts Wouldn't you rather live your life as if there is a God, and die to find out there isn't, than live your life as if there isn't, and die then find out there is? How well I have learned that there is no fence to sit on between heaven and hell. There is a deep, wide gulf, a chasm, and in that chasm is no place for any man. - Johnny Cash America's greatest strength, and its greatest weakness, is our belief in second chances, our belief that we can always start over, that things can be made better. - Anthony Walton Don't limit a child to your own learning, for he was born in another time. - Wise Saying --- ...Great Ones! Thanks Bunni! =========================================================== >-->From Archives InspiredBuffalo: ____ ___ _.--"""-, / ) / \ .' `\ / _\ / \/ \ / .-' / _ | /.-.--.-.-.)/ / ( )\_ .\|(_._.__._._) / \,' \/ \ \ / : , | 0 _ 0 |/ : \ _/ (_) |`\ ,' `; "\ \ / / | | | /'. '._.' .' / \_,' .( '-----'` .'-. '-._ .-'\ '. [ `''''') ) `\ { ( ( ,\ / /\ '-..-'/ ; .-' ( '. / | .' ) `;---'` | /' /__.-' } / / O ' '----' ; / ! ___ { ! }/ \ ( _--- / | ___----'(__ .-' !\___/ .---' / .-.--' '------'------ --( ____)/ _-' (;(;;---'' (_(_(;; miraculis /jgs >New Year's Resolution By: Katherine Kehler [edited] "Because the Lord God helps me, I will not be dismayed; therefore, I have set my face like flint to do his will, and I know I will triumph" (Isaiah 50:7). Affirmations: Marvin and I were driving home from a wedding just west of Olympia, Washington. As is our habit when we drive, we began to talk about things that are important to us. This day we were discussing the New Year - goals, resolutions and plans. Because the previous year had been a year of transition for us, we decided to discuss and re-affirm the commitments we had made to God many years ago. What was it we would continue to do with all our hearts and minds and souls? What would we pour our lives into this year? Here are some of the affirmations we made to God and to each other for the year: 1. We will continue to love the Lord our God with all of our heart, soul and strength. 2. We will continue serving Him - our aim is to please Him in all of our ways. 3. We will continue to use (read and obey) the Bible as the standard for our lives. 4. We will continue to love and be faithful to each other. 5. We will continue to love and be faithful to our children and grandchildren. 6. We will continue to give our tithes and offerings to the Lord. 7. We will continue to work hard and do the best we can to win people to Christ and help the unfortunate around the world. There were more, but these were the most important to us. How about you? Do you write out your commitments to God? If not, I Encourage you to do so. Keep them in your Bible, so they are always before you. Father, we love to do Your will! We love to serve You! Thank You for giving us the grace, the will and power to follow Your Son's ways. In our hearts we say, "Yes Lord, yes!" In Jesus Christ's Name, Amen -<>- ,'-', :-----: (''' , - , ''') \ ' . , ` / \ ' ^ ? / \ ` - ,' `j_ _,' ,- -`\ \ /f ,- \_\/_/'- , `, , , /\ \ | / \ ', , f : :`, , <...\ , : ,- ' \,,,,\ ; : j ' \ \ :/^^^^' \ \ ; ''': \ -, -`.../ ' - -,`,--` \_._'-- '---: Storm >Cowboy in Church One Sunday morning an old cowboy entered a church just before services were to begin. Although the old man and his clothes were spotlessly clean, he wore jeans, a denim shirt and boots that were very worn and ragged. In his hand he carried a worn out old hat and an equally worn out Bible. The church he entered was in a very upscale and exclusive part of the city. It was the largest and most beautiful church the old cowboy had ever seen. The people of the congregation were all dressed with expensive clothes and accessories. As the cowboy took a seat, the others moved away from him. No one greeted, spoke to, or welcomed him. They were all appalled at his appearance and did not attempt to hide it. As the old cowboy was leaving the church, the preacher approached him and asked the cowboy to do him a favor. "Before you come back in here again, have a talk with God and ask him what he thinks would be appropriate attire for worship." The old cowboy assured the preacher he would. The next Sunday, he showed back up for the services wearing the same ragged jeans, shirt, boots, and hat. Once again he was completely shunned and ignored. The preacher approached the man and said, "I thought I asked you to speak to God before you came back to our church." "I did," replied the old cowboy. "If you spoke to God, what did he tell you the proper attire should be for worshiping in here?" asked the preacher. "Well, sir, God told me that he didn't have a clue what I should wear. He said He'd never been in this church." -<>- _/_ \_ __ \\_ / \_/ ,< ==-o _| * \ __, /_) \_\__// * / ^\-' //\ \ \\ \ ') /_) ),-. // \\ (( )) * _\\ //_ . ..((__)(__))..b'ger >I've Learned I've learned that the best classroom in the world is at the feet of an elderly person. I've learned that when you're in love, it shows. I've learned that just one person saying to me, "You've made my day!" makes my day. I've learned that having a child fall asleep in your arms is one of the most peaceful feelings in the world. I've learned that being kind is more important than being right. I've learned that you should never say no to a gift from a child. I've learned that I can always pray for someone when I don't have the strength to help him in some other way. I've learned that no matter how serious your life requires you to be, everyone needs a friend to act goofy with. I've learned that sometimes all a person needs is a hand to hold and a heart to understand. I've learned that simple walks with my father around the block on summer nights when I was a child did wonders for me as an adult. I've learned that life is like a roll of toilet paper, the closer it gets to the end, the faster it goes. I've learned that we should be glad God doesn't give us everything we ask for. I've learned that money doesn't buy class. I've learned that it's those small daily happenings that make life so spectacular. I've learned that under everyone's hard shell is someone who wants to be appreciated and loved. I've learned that the Lord didn't do it all in one day, what makes me think I can? I've learned that to ignore the facts does not change the facts. I've learned that when you plan to get even with someone, you are only letting that person continue to hurt you. I've learned that love, not time, heals all wounds. I've learned that the easiest way for me to grow as a person, is to surround myself with people smarter than I am. I've learned that everyone you meet deserves to be greeted with a smile. I've learned that there's nothing sweeter than sleeping with your babies and feeling their breath on your cheeks. I've learned that no one is perfect until you fall in love with them. I've learned that life is tough, but I'm tougher. I've learned that opportunities are never lost; someone will take the ones you miss. I've learned that when you harbor bitterness, happiness will dock elsewhere. I've learned that I wish I could have told my Mom that I love her, one more time, before she passed away. I've learned that one should keep his words both soft and tender, because tomorrow he may have to eat them. I've learned that a smile is an inexpensive way to improve your looks. I've learned that I can't choose how I feel, but I can choose what I do about it. I've learned that when your newly born grandchild holds your little finger in his little fist, that you're hooked for life. I've learned that everyone wants to live on top of the mountain, but all the happiness and growth occurs while you're climbing it. I've learned that it is best to give advice in only two circumstances; when it is requested and when it is a life-threatening situation. I've learned that the less time I have to work with, the more things I get done. -<>- >Links for Your Enjoyment: Advice For The New Year http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/newyear.html Friends Together http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/poems/together.html It Takes Two http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/poems/two.html Chosen Children? http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/BibleStudy/choosehischildren.html Let's Dance http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/dance.html Day And Night http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/dayandnight.html Keep On Smiling http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/smiling.html Maria The Goose http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/goose.html Toothpick Art http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/toothpick.html Naval Fleet Art http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/navalart.html Value What You Have http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/value.html -<>- >From Our Friend LouiseA :) She sent us one we have here... Dogs As Best Friends http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/bestfriend.html --- ...A sweet Reminder! Thanks LouiseA! Forgot about some of these. Some I don't remember seeing. A great collection of favorite Budweiser commercials. http://www.youtube.com/embed/g77TQx2ZvE0?feature=player_detailpage Meet the Tyrannosaurus Rex that will stare deeply into your soul from any angle of the room! This cardboard T-Rex illusion is simply amazing. You won't believe it's not computer-animated 3-D graphics! http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=A4QcyW-qTUg If every picture is worth a thousand words, you'll need days to get through each story told in this rapid-fire video! But that's OK! Pause and peruse to your heart's content. These are the top news photos from Reuters in 2013. They range from inspirational to devastating, but all are emotional. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K_wXWIjTFf8&feature=player_embedded --- ...Good ones! Thanks LouiseA! -<>- >From Our Friend Linda :) She sent us one we have here... Christ's Bell http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/bell.html --- ...A beautiful one! Thanks Linda! This takes less than 2 minutes, and I bet you won't guess what this man is painting! I had to watch it a second time to see how he developed it. Thought it was nothing until the last few seconds. http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=829_1360099797 --- ...Wonderful! Thanks Linda! 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 ========================================================== + * + + + `.!.' * + + -=x=- + .'!`. * + + ! * + + + + + * + * + ,-. * //"\\ + * + * // \\ * // = \\ + w w w + + //___o O \\ \O O O ||\_/|\|\ || + |\ `|\ '|\ _ ___||_Y_| \_\||_________|_\_|_\__|_\ hjw >-->From LaughAndLift: Anne Graham Lotz, daughter of Billy and Ruth Graham, speaking of her parents said: "They set the tone for our lives by the way they lived theirs. Their depending on God was obvious - Mother's light would be on late at night and early in the morning as she studied her Bible and prayed. And Daddy, even though the world acclaimed him as a great man, and so many sought him for advice, would still get on his knees and humbly ask the Lord for His guidance. Through all of this we learned that seeking God was not a sign of weakness but a sign of strength." The Lift >Keeping Up Appearances (Author Unknown) I was sitting at a stop light this morning. The lady in front of me was going through papers on the seat of her car, and when the light changed to green she did not obey its command -- a green light is a commandment - NOT a suggestion. When the light turned to red, and she had still not moved, I began (with my windows up) screaming epithets and beating on my steering wheel. My expressions of distress were interrupted by a policeman, gun drawn, tapping on my window. Against my protestations of, "You can't arrest me for hollering in my car," he ordered me into the back seat of his. After about two hours in a holding cell, the arresting officer advised me I was free to go. I said, "I knew you couldn't arrest me for what I was yelling in my own car. You haven't heard the last of this." The officer replied, "I didn't arrest you for shouting in your car. I was directly behind you at the light. I saw you screaming and beating your steering wheel, and I said to myself, "What a jerk. But there is nothing I can do to him for throwing a fit in his own car. Then I noticed the 'Cross' hanging from your rear view mirror, the bright yellow 'Choose Life' license tag, the 'Jesus is Coming Soon' bumper sticker, and the Fish symbol, and I thought you must have stolen the car." ---- How do YOUR actions match up with what YOU profess and proclaim? -<>- Ask yourself if what you are doing today is getting you closer to where you want to be tomorrow. The Lift There's Trouble in Paradise (Story adapted by Louis Lapides from: Mouse Tales, Bonaventure Press, by David Koenig, pp. 104) Disney characters are the most "popular" attraction in Disneyland. Young and old flock to the costumed performers to pose for pictures with such personalities as Donald Duck, Snow White, Goofy and Winnie the Pooh. Usually wide-eyed, energetic college kids apply to play these beloved cartoon celebrities who stroll around the park. In contrast, Paul Castle was an older show business veteran when he joined the Disney cast to play Mickey Mouse. As Chief Host of Disneyland, Mickey's task is to set the stage for an amusement park that is clean, trouble-free and fun. One afternoon a young girl kicked the Disney legend in the shin and Castle, in his Mickey outfit, took off after the bewildered child. Down the cobblestones of Main Street, the twosome raced as they dodged the Clydesdale horses drawing the stagecoaches filled with surprised tourists. The benign rodent pursued the frantic girl to the Main Gate near the Mickey Mouse flower portrait. He caught up with her and attempted to drag her out of view, into a ticket booth, to chew her out for her unladylike behavior. They tousled with each other, and fell on the grass. Mickey Mouse landed on the child and refused to get up until she apologized for kicking him. Hundreds of amazed witnesses coming into the Main Street entrance couldn't believe their eyes. Had Mickey gone crazy? Walt Disney's dream was to create a wholesome amusement park free from the perplexities of the world. Sometimes reality can smash that illusion. When visitors treat Disneyland characters in a distasteful manner, they count on the costumed entertainers to spring back into action unharmed as in a cartoon. The true Fantasyland becomes the false expectation people have of hurting others without facing any consequences. If we kick Mickey in the shins, be warned the pain we inflict is real and our lack of respect for others is just as authentic. Putting on a costume or creating a perfect environment does not change who we are on the inside. Only God can provide us the transparency to face who we are and make the necessary changes that are real and lasting. The Psalmist prays, "Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting" (Psalm 139:23-24 NIV). The Lord calls us to stop relying on false masks and artificial surroundings to find happiness. Rather, allow God to guide us into inner honesty and to transform our heart from within. We might be surprised when the "Happiest Place on Earth" becomes a little happier. SUBSCRIBE INFO Want to receive a Christian inspirational item AND great clean humor in an email to you each day of the week? It's easy and FREE! Read all about Laugh & Lift at http://www.laughandlift.com ============================================================== .--------------. |~ ~| |H____________H| |.------------.| ||::.. __ || |'--------'--''| | '. ______ .' | | _ |======| _ | |(_)|======|(_)| |___|======|___| [______________] |##| |##| jrei '""' '"" >Without Saying a Word Story Editor: by Valerie Halder Clayton Bennett Michigan, USA Since my early teens my parents have been avid RVers, touring the country in their motor home. After I grew up and left home, they spent even more time on the road, sometimes traveling for months at a time. My father, who has a flawless driving record, was the driver, and my mother was his co-pilot and navigator. I never worried about them because they're two of the healthiest people I know, and take excellent care of their vehicle. I never thought about what could happen due to the negligence of other people -- or what would happen if they suddenly needed help. In late October 1988, my parents were heading home after touring the southern United States. My father was in the left lane, where the ride was smoother. He noticed an oncoming car across the median that was swerving and speeding up. Suddenly, the car crossed the median, launched into the air, and struck my parents' motor home in the side. The motor home tipped onto the passenger side and skidded down the highway, directly toward an overpass. Luckily, the motor home stopped before reaching the overpass, but the two passenger side doors were against the ground and the only other door was crushed on impact. My parents had been wearing seat belts, so they were badly bruised but alive. My mother's hand was smashed up because her window was down when they crashed, but the injury wasn't life-threatening. My parents heard people stop their cars and run toward them. My dad couldn't get the driver's door open, so they decided to wait for help to get out. Then they heard people holler that the motor home was on fire! They had on board a full load of propane for cooking and heating. My father tried to kick the windshield out; it wouldn't budge. My parents and the onlookers were growing frantic. Suddenly my parents heard people cheer and yell, "The fire is out and help is on the way!" Someone tore out the overhead sleeping compartment window and helped my parents escape. When outside and breathing fresh air again, they asked what had happened. A semi-truck driver had stopped to help. The driver jumped down, got a fire extinguisher from his rig, and fearlessly went about putting out the blaze that could have exploded at any second. When the flames were out, he simply climbed back in his truck and drove away. No one thought to get the license number or even notice what company the truck was from. This selfless trucker without a doubt allowed my parents to survive that accident. We never got to thank him for his actions, but we'll always be grateful. If you know this man please thank him for us. If you don't, please thank another trucker for us: for being out there, being prepared, and being willing to come to the aid of motorists in need, no matter what the circumstances. =======HeroicStories======= >-->From Kidwarmers: _____ .---...-. ,' -. `. ,' _____...' / - _ - \ : .' _ _ \\ : ' _)' : | :-(_).(_):: (_ ;) | | -' || \ _ / ; | _ || `..___..' `-'..____.'`' ;._: _; :_ / \ SSt ,' `' `. SSt >THE FUNNY THINGS KIDS SAY When Leah was little, her mother kept her hair cut very short. When she was 4 or 5, Leah went to see Santa and he asked, "Have you been a good little boy this year?" Leah said, "No!" Santa was shocked. "Why not?" he asked. Leah replied, "I've been a good little GIRL this year!" He must have given her a dozen candy canes and twice as many apologies. "Needless to say, my daughter's hair has been quite long for most of her 11 years!" comments Leah. -- Leah Clark of Tampa, Florida ,-"""-. / - -'. db, 0 0 '---. 88b, \ 8888 0 | 8888, '.____,'/ Y88P \ .------' jgs `` |=( / ', | \ | \ | | ; | | | ,_(__/ / `--\ .-' | ||__ / '--.` '------` Kathleen's neighbor has two grandchildren who are five years apart in age. The older doubts the existence of Santa and his mother told him not to ruin his little sister's fun. She heard him whispering, and she called him aside to remind him not to say anything to his little sister. She told him to remember how much fun it is to believe in Santa and the Easter Bunny. He exclaimed, "What! No Easter Bunny either!" -- Kathleen of Avonmore, Pennsylvania Kathryn had to make an overnight visit to Indianapolis in early December. It was the first time she had been away from home for an overnight stay without her 5-year-old triplets, David, James and Grace. As she was packing her suitcase, Kathryn enthusiastically explained to the children that she would be spending the night away, and that she had not had a chance to do that since their birth. David considered this for a moment, then with a somewhat perplexed expression on his face, asked, "But Mom, how will you remember us?" -- Kathryn Bassett of Auburn, Indiana __,=,__ .~`` .` `.``~. | . . |____ `-;=============;""""` ( (. _).) \ | | \ `-.___.' / '._ _.' /`''''\ / \ | |/\/\/\/|.-. |-|/\/\/\/|;' ) (__/_______| _) #########'._) jgs |==|=|__ ,,,(______)_),,,, Jean's daughter Shea teaches 2 and 3-year-olds in Austin, Texas. "She shares the most delightful stories," Jean writes. These two are about Christmas. One of the 3-year-old groups was learning about "Las Posadas," the Mexican Christmas tradition where children reenact the trials of Mary and Joseph by going to a house and asking for shelter. At the first two homes, Mary and Joseph are turned away. At the third house they are offered a stable to sleep in. Once they accept, the party begins at the third house with worship, warm drinks and pinatas. Their teacher brought them to Shea's classroom. Shea had previously explained to her 3-year-olds that there were supposed to say, "We have no room." Instead, little Katie announced firmly, with her hands on her hips, "You can't come in. This place is a mess!" One of Shea's 3-year-olds inspected a Nativity set and explained, "There's Mary and Joseph... and Baby Jesus in his car seat!" -- Jean Short of Flint, Texas Glenn, 5, from Florida, was visiting his Michigan relatives at Christmas. It was his first winter visit there. Unhappily, the ground was bare the day he arrived. The next morning, it was snowing. His reaction was: "Oh, look! It's snowing -- even on the road!" -- Sally Morris of Wellington, Florida On the first day of school, Anthony's mother asked his brother and sister if their stomach felt like butterflies. It was Amanda's first day of kindergarten and she didn't know what it meant to have "butterflies" in your stomach. So on the third day of school, Amanda told her mother, "The school nurse checked our hair today for butterflies!" -- Anthony Hochstetler of Shipshewana, Indiana Dear Readers, _,,_ __ ." ".' '. / ) | /`-.__.' \ _| (, \_ ,_\ ( ) \ `\ __\ '-'.__/ (_ jgs | .---' Here are some of my favorite Christmas stories from the past 16 years (gleaned from the true stories published in our Funny Kids books). I hope you enjoy these holiday stories as much as I do! Bobby, 7, told Santa that all he wanted for Christmas was an elf. "Why do you want an elf?" Santa asked with surprise. "Because I have lots of broken toys," Bobby said. "And my brother needs an elf, too, because he has more broken toys than I do!" Tiffany, 7, was helping her grandmother put the lights on the Christmas tree. "I don't think I like the way the tree looks," Nancy said, stepping back to check her work. "Don't worry, Grandma," Tiffany said. "It will look better after we put on the garlic (garland)." ,--""""-., .'` ', / | | _ / __,'(,-'/ `\ _. / .=="=| '-. | .'===,=|-. | / /===\==\| \ \ _;' | |====\==\ '.___,u' \__/ |===.##,=\ |==/####\='-.__ \#|#####|`/^|_))._________________ #######/`| |_.-'""""""=' ] #####/\/ /__,________;------.---' jgs `###' |_/ V V Elizabeth, 6, was writing a Christmas list. She wanted to ask for a video. "How do you spell VCR?" she asked. Megan told her library teacher, "Santa says 'Ho, ho, ho!' Mama says, 'No, no, no!'" Danny, 8, told his dad some boys at school had told him that Santa was really his parents. So Danny's dad decided it was time to tell him the truth. And he told him about the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy while he was at it. Danny took it all in stride, but seemed kind of sad. Then he looked at his dad and said, "Yeah, and there ain't no turkey, either." _,,_ __ d888888bd888b d88888888888888B 8888888P`Y8888P Y888888 (, \_ ,_Y88( ) Y888888b __\ '8"888P (_ jgs | .---' ~;~~\~ .=. \ (_ _) \ |=| \ _ /| | \ /_\/ | | | .-'--/_/------'-. `-.,___________,.-' | || |___|| |___|| .'""'';.__ (_________)) It was about a week before Christmas and Danielle, 3, was helping her mother decorate Christmas cookies. The radio was belting out holiday tunes and they sang and danced as they frosted. Suddenly, Danielle started pouting, and tears fell from her eyes. "Honey, what's wrong?" her mother asked. "They said Santa Claus is coming to town," Danielle said. "But we live in the country!" Sherri, 10, told her mother she did not believe in Santa, and asked if she could open all her presents on Christmas Eve. It was obvious on Christmas morning that she was really disappointed that there was nothing else under the tree from "Santa," but she didn't say anything. A couple of months later she was shopping with her mother when she said, very seriously, "I may not believe in Santa, but I sure believe in that Easter Bunny!" Nakita's preschool teacher asked the children about all the people in the manger scene. All the children knew baby Jesus and most knew Mary and Joseph. But they were stumped about who the three men grouped together were. Then, with a smile on her angelic face, Nakita announced, "The Three Wise Guys!" ,--.,-"";-"-. .-;-/ / / .- `\ .-. ` ( ' ' ` ; `\/ \ \ / \ / (. C . ) | .-. | | _ / (` / | \ /}| | )(\ | `-> (____.| / ||| / \=====| | |\| | |====| \ _/ ` \__/=====| |` `-'======| \ |=======/ | |=======| | .--, ########\ |/ / jgs |_|__|| ` `--. ,---;-'--'\ `--. `---`-------'-.___,___.---' Allen, 6, was on his way with his mother to see Santa Claus at school. They were talking about what they wanted for Christmas. When Allen asked his mother what she wanted, she said, "Peace and harmony." "Mom, what's a piece of harmony?" Allen asked. After the Christmas party at church, Ruth's six year old foster son said he hadn't seen Santa Claus yet that year. When Ruth asked him who he had seen at the Christmas party on Sunday, he replied, "Oh him! I figured since we were at church it was just God dressed up!" ========================================================== >-->From Our Friend Linda :) _ ______ / `'. ,-"` '. / /'-.'. ___ .' \ \/ '.\.' ' | .| .'`\ | /`"'--., / \ , _.--'` \/_ | ,----.| _ `_--;` ``` `\-. | | \ | -- C -- _/ \ \ | \ 0 0 / . | | \| ) | '. _.' |.__/ ; \ `'---` / / __ '. .' | (__) /'-._____,-` \ /---'.-""-.\ '. / ||,- \\ ;---`;-._||-= |\ , ."""-. \ ) `|'.___.' \ ___ \'. / '-. \ /`-`-; / \ ,/ `) \ \| \ `` | | \|| / /'.| )_ / || | | \/ .' \ \ .-'/ ` |` |.-' .-~ ~-~-._ |.'` \ ` '-. \___/,__/ ~` _ `~~-., `-.,_\_)`-.,_\) `~-,___ ~___~,,..-~~/ jgs \___/`\____/'._.' >Lest we forget…. A Different Christmas Poem" The embers glowed softly, and in their dim light, I gazed round the room and I cherished the sight. My wife was asleep, her head on my chest, My daughter beside me, angelic in rest. Outside the snow fell, a blanket of white, Transforming the yard to a winter delight. The sparkling lights in the tree I believe, Completed the magic that was Christmas Eve. My eyelids were heavy, my breathing was deep, Secure and surrounded by love I would sleep. In perfect contentment, or so it would seem, So I slumbered, perhaps I started to dream. The sound wasn't loud, and it wasn't too near, But I opened my eyes when it tickled my ear. Perhaps just a cough, I didn't quite know, Then the sure sound of footsteps outside in the snow. My soul gave a tremble, I struggled to hear, And I crept to the door just to see who was near. Standing out in the cold and the dark of the night, A lone figure stood, his face weary and tight. A soldier, I puzzled, some twenty years old, Perhaps a Marine, huddled here in the cold. Alone in the dark, he looked up and smiled, Standing watch over me, and my wife and my child. "What are you doing?" I asked without fear, "Come in this moment, it's freezing out here! Put down your pack, brush the snow from your sleeve, You should be at home on a cold Christmas Eve!" For barely a moment I saw his eyes shift, Away from the cold and the snow blown in drifts... To the window that danced with a warm fire's light Then he sighed and he said "It¹s really all right. I'm out here by choice. I'm here every night. " "It's my duty to stand at the front of the line, That separates you from the darkest of times. No one had to ask or beg or implore me, I'm proud to stand here like my fathers before me. My Gramps died at ' Pearl on a day in December," Then he sighed, "That's a Christmas 'Gram always remembers. " My dad stood his watch in the jungles of ' Nam ', And now it is my turn and so, here I am. I've not seen my own son in more than a while, But my wife sends me pictures, he's sure got her smile. Then he bent and he carefully pulled from his bag, The red, white, and blue... an American flag. I can live through the cold and the being alone, Away from my family, my house and my home. I can stand at my post through the rain and the sleet, I can sleep in a foxhole with little to eat. I can carry the weight of killing another, Or lay down my life with my sister and brother. Who stand at the front against any and all, To ensure for all time that this flag will not fall." " So go back inside," he said, "harbor no fright, Your family is waiting and I'll be all right. " "But isn't there something I can do, at the least, "Give you money," I asked, "or prepare you a feast? It seems all too little for all that you've done, For being away from your wife and your son. " Then his eye welled a tear that held no regret, "Just tell us you love us, and never forget. To fight for our rights back at home while we're gone, To stand your own watch, no matter how long. For when we come home, either standing or dead, To know you remember we fought and we bled. Is payment enough, and with that we will trust, That we mattered to you as you mattered to us. " PLEASE, would you do me the kind favor of sending this to as many people as you can? Christmas will be coming soon and some credit is due to our U. S. service men and women for our being able to celebrate these festivities. Let's try in this small way to pay a tiny bit of what we owe. Make people stop and think of our heroes, living and dead, who sacrificed themselves for us. --- ...Amen! 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