Just Sing And My Friends... :) 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 ================ *~* Whoops - I Accidentally sent the 'thank you' message to Cloie to the whole group - sorry - please disregard. I guess my cold is affecting me more than I thought! Again. So so sorry. ---- >-->OoooWEeeee!! oo 8 "} > @ < .8 .-._/| .'_'`')`_.' \| ) / (>'/ |_,_ | (,| .' ,'\| `._/ ) \| '`- -- ''-- --- VK/ejm I'm doing a 'Happy Angel' dance! Why? Because Shangrala has been blessed with another donation from our Shangrala Angel, Cloie from NH! May God Bless her heart richly! She is a loyal supporter contributing to help Keep Shangrala Alive! We sure do thank God for her and all our past sweet, wonderful angels! If you'd like to help too and be counted as a Shangrala Angel, please visit the site and click on the donate button. A Secure PAYPAL page comes up. NOTE: Paypal will generate a 'Quantity 1' and 'Price per item' form. Just ignore the price per item and put whatever it is you desire to give in there. With Paypal, you will have your normal receipt for your 'payment' donation in USD (United States Dollars). You can put a memo in there if you'd like. EVERY LITTLE BIT WILL HELP! Any amount is greatly appreciated and needed! PLEASE Visit Shangrala to Help: http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/index.html OR If you'd rather send us a donation, Please MAIL it here: Elrhea Bigham 502 S. Harrison Van Wert, OH 45891 *~* THANK YOU! MAY GOD BLESS YOU MOST ABUNDANTLY FOR YOUR GIFT! ================ *~* 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! ================ >-->HOT Off The 'Shangy' Press :) This too hot to touch new page is from our friends Bunni and Geniann. The photographer does an amazing job of capturing these waves just at the right moment to give us a feeling of nature's sheer power and might. Be sure to check this one out here... _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ )`'-.,_)`'-.,_)`'-.,_)`'-.,_)`'-.,_)`'-.,_)`'-.,_)`'-.,_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ )`'-.,)`'-.,)`'-.,)`'-.,)`'-.,)`'-.,)`'-.,)`'-., _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ )'-.,)'-.,)'-.,)'-.,)'-.,)'-.,)'-.,)'-.,)'-., The Force Of Lake Erie! http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/lakeerie.html --- ...Wow! Looks more like the ocean! Who Knew? Thanks Ladies! =========================================================== >-->From Heartwarmers: ____ / \ /______\ ___/___[_]__\___ (_/ _. ._\_) (_/ _\ \_) (_( .___. ) \_ _/ __/_\____/_\__ .' \ / `. | \__/ | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |___| | |___| >THE WEEK AFTER THANKSGIVING by Diane Dean White Thanksgiving is over and it has often been a tradition, over the past 20 years at least, to make tracks to the malls and all the stores with their wonderful sales. I've noticed that the stores keep opening earlier and earlier. People even pitch tents outside to be the first in line! This year, stores are competing all over the place to out do one another with their pricing. I recall a shopping experience when I waited until the week after Thanksgiving. I wanted to feel the ambience of a snowy evening and excitement that I used to feel as a youngster, and to select from the wish list that our children had made, choosing exactly the right items for each one. The first problem was the parking at the mall -- there weren't any spaces left! I thought it would be a wiz to go through the stores and enjoy a hot chocolate break at one of the many little food courts. I wanted to hear the Christmas music that is so popular and playing as shoppers go their way but as Steve and I walked through the crowds there wasn't a "Merry Christmas" heard. Everyone was shoving so hard to make it to this store or that, and there were lines -- long lines. Instead of feeling like we were enjoying the most wonderful time of the year, we were trying like crazy to navigate through the people to get to the right stores. We had bundled up because of the cold night, but the mall was hot and so we carried our coats along with the gifts. I thought I heard a few words from the song "Silver Bells," but there were so many people all talking, nobody cared about the music. As we walked to the exit we wandered by Santa's display and children lined up to sit on his lap. A train ran around the secluded area was beautifully decorated, and we just paused and remembered the earlier years when this was such an important time with our kids. I finished up what we had set out to do, and with some time alone before school was out, I took an afternoon and put on my Christmas songs, and enjoyed a peaceful time of wrapping gifts for everyone. I know the malls can't compare to the downtown stores I enjoyed as a youngster growing up. For all the advances and the conveniences of shopping at stores that are close together and inside one building, I truly miss the experience of walking in the snow, listening to the bells ringing on the corners with Santas and donation kettles. The smell of the Peanut Shop and the little man giving out samples, and the fun of running into someone from school! The beauty of each store front, and inside as it was decorated to the hilt for the customers was spectacular. I regret that I don't have that anymore, because downtown stores can't compete with the malls. Many are no longer around. Catalog shopping and purchasing things over the Internet have become popular. The memory of those times during the Christmas season so long ago still tug at me during this special time of the year, but life goes on, and I'll keep those memories forever as I try to adjust to the new ways of shopping. -- Diane Dean White __________________________________________________ Diane is a freelance writer, author and columnist. She and her husband have three grown children and three grand gals. They make their home on the Gulf Coast of Florida. You can read more of Diane's stories at her website at: http://www.dianedeanwhite.com =========================================================== >-->From Our Friend LouiseAu :) ______________________________ \._:_:__:_:_:__:____:_ _ _\\PG| :\`.;-._: : : :_,-/ . \ \\\| `_\'`. '`-._:.-' \ \_(#)_/ /\\| ;_\ ,`./ / >==/|\==< \| "`. \ ,'`./ -' /(-+-)\ \ __`,~\ .' \ \|/ | `_.-\'_ _,,,---"""""' .-'`.,' ,' ,' >God and the Spider (Author Unknown) During World War II, a US marine was separated from his unit on a Pacific island. The fighting had been intense, and in the smoke and the crossfire he had lost touch with his comrades. Alone in the jungle, he could hear enemy soldiers coming in his direction. Scrambling for cover, he found his way up a high ridge to several small caves in the rock. Quickly he crawled inside one of the caves. Although safe for the moment, he realized that once the enemy soldiers looking for him swept up the ridge, they would quickly search all the caves and he would be killed. As he waited, he prayed, "Lord, please protect me. Whatever your will though, I love you and trust you. Amen." After praying, he lay quietly listening to the enemy begin to draw close. He thought, "Well, I guess the Lord isn't going to help me out of this one." Then he saw a spider begin to build a web over the front of his cave. As he watched, listening to the enemy searching for him all the while, the spider layered strand after strand of web across the opening of the cave. "Hah," he thought. "What I need is a brick wall and what the Lord has sent me is a spider web. God does have a sense of humor." As the enemy drew closer he watched from the darkness of his hideout and could see them searching one cave after another. As they came to his, he got ready to make his last stand. To his amazement, however, after glancing in the direction of his cave, they moved on. Suddenly, he realized that with the spider web over the entrance, his cave looked as if no one had entered for quite a while. "Lord, forgive me," prayed the young man. "I had forgotten that in you a spider's web is stronger than a brick wall." We all face times of great trouble. When we do, it is so easy to forget what God can work in our lives, sometimes in the most surprising ways. And remember with God, a mere spider's web becomes a brick wall of protection. --- ...Absolutely! a Great Classic! Thanks LouiseAu! =========================================================== >-->From Our Friend Linda :) _.--._ _.-'(//|(\'-._ _.-'(\)))(\\\\((|\'-._ _.-')/)/)\((|\))/(/\()\\(/'-._ .-'/))/))(\\))\)//)\\)))(/))\)(\\'-. /')/)\(/\)\))/\(/|)\))/((||\/)\)\)\\'\ \((\\(/((\///)))/(\\(/)\\\\\)\)\))\))/ V )/.-.__(/|_/|' ' ' |\_|)/__.-. ))V | | | |_/| ' ' '|\_| | | | | | | |_/|' ' '|\_| | | | | '-.__| |_/| ' ' '|\_| |__.-' | | |_/|' ' '|\_| | |_ |_/| ' ' '|\_| _| ||'-._ |_/|______|\_| _.-'|| || '-.|_/< >\_|.-' || || ||\__________/|| || || || \________/ || || || || \______/ || || LGB || || |______| || || || |______| || || |______| || >When Your 'Hut's On Fire' The only survivor of a shipwreck was washed up on a small, uninhabited island. He prayed feverishly for God to rescue him. Every day he scanned the horizon for help, but none seemed forthcoming. Exhausted, he eventually managed to build a little hut out of driftwood to protect himself from the elements, and to store his few possessions. One day, after scavenging for food, he arrived home to find his little hut in flames, with smoke rolling up to the sky. He felt the worst had happened, and everything was lost. He was stunned with disbelief, grief, and anger. He cried out, "God! How could you do this to me?" Early the next day, he was awakened by the sound of a ship approaching the island! It had come to rescue him! "How did you know I was here?" asked the weary man of his rescuers. "We saw your smoke signal," they replied. The Moral of This Story: It's easy to get discouraged when things are going bad, but we shouldn't lose heart, because God is at work in our lives, even in the midst of our pain and suffering. Remember that the next time your little hut seems to be burning to the ground. It just may be a smoke signal that summons the Grace of God. --- ...So true! Thanks Linda! Prov.3: [5] Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. [6] In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. ================================================================== >-->From Archives InspiredBuffalo: ,ae, ,88888e ,a888b.9888888i 888888888888888 88888888888888Y '8888888888888' "S888888888" unknown "7888888Y "e88j "Y >WHAT R U Your Heart is your Love, Your love is your Family, Your family is your Future, Your future is your Destiny, Your destiny is your Ambition, Your ambition is your Aspiration, Your aspiration is your Motivation, Your motivation is your Belief, Your belief is your Peace, Your peace is your Target, Your target is Heaven, -<>- . + . . . . _ . . , /;-._,-.____ ,-----.__ (( . (_:#::_.:::. `-._ /:, /-._, `._, ` \ _|`"=:_::.`.); \ __/ / , `./ \:. `. )==-' . . ., ,-=-. ,\, +#./` \:. / / . . \/:/`-' , ,\ '` ` ` ): , /_ -o . /:+- - + +- : :- + + -:' /(o-) \) . . ,=': \ ` `/` ' , , ,:' `'--".--"---._/`7 `. ( \: \,-._` ` + '\, ," _,--._,---":.__/ \: ` X` _| _,\/' .-' . ":._:`\____ /:' / . . \::. :\/:' / + . `.:. /:' } . . ):_(:; \ . /:. _/ , | . (|::. ,` . . |::. {\ |::.\ \ `. |:::(\ | O |:::/{ } | (o ) ___/#\::`/ (O "==._____ O, (O /` ~~~w/w~"~~,\` `:/,-(~`"~~~~~~~~"~o~\~/~w|/~ dew ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~\\W~~~~~~~~~~~~\|/~~ >There Is a Tree Chicken Soup for the Soul: All in the Family BY: Kimberly Anne Reedy If you feel called to share a message, it's because there are people in the world who are waiting to hear it. ~Michael Port On the plane headed to Detroit for my grandparents' sixtieth wedding anniversary, I gazed out the small cabin window. My mind wandered as I reviewed the past year. I had moved to Phuket, Thailand, where I had become a scuba dive master and taught children at a local school. I didn't have a good answer as to why I left home. I just needed to escape from my life as it was. After living in Thailand for seven months, I got a call from my brother. "I just got back from Iraq again. A lot has changed in my life, and I have so much to tell you!" "Well, when can you come out here to visit me?" "I don't get out of the Marine Corps until next March. When are you coming home?" That was all I needed to hear. I decided right then and there to return home to see my brother and family as soon as I could wrap things up in Phuket. First, my mom flew out to see what life had been like for me in Thailand. We spent seven weeks exploring Southeast Asia and parts of Europe before returning home. We then drove through the southwestern United States and along the West Coast to visit my brother and two sisters. It struck me that I had traveled to ten countries and, now on my way to Michigan, ten states within the course of a year. I pulled out my travel journal, weathered by months of tropical sea air and endless carry-on chafing. And I began to write.... Months later, my family gathered in Arizona for our first Christmas together in three years. My brother was home from Iraq, and I was back from years of international adventure. My mom wanted it to be the best Christmas ever. We had all decided to have a "Come as You Will Be" party to celebrate our dreams as a family and our commitment to getting along and growing together. When it was my turn to talk about my dreams, I revealed my intention to be a writer. I even had my first work with me, a short parable I had recently written. Although I wanted to read it to them, an overwhelming sense of vulnerability emerged, and I changed the subject. Then, suddenly, I was interrupted with, "Let's hear it!" Somewhat surprised that everyone seemed genuinely interested, I read what I had written on the plane two months before. There Is a Tree There is a tree whose roots sink deeply into the very core of the earth. Its branches soar up through the sky and out into the universe. Its trunk is so wide, no one really knows where one side begins or the other one ends. On that tree, there are so many leaves that, from far away, they seem to blend together as one. But, up close, each leaf looks completely separate. Because of this, most leaves overlook the fact that their stems are attached to small branches, which give way to all the other branches and ultimately connect to every other leaf on the tree. Most leaves forget this connection and feel separate and alone. When it rains, the leaves think they must accumulate more drops on them than the others, or they might die of thirst. So they compete with each other for the limited raindrops, forgetting that they all share the same roots, which absorb the water when it moistens the earth. When the sun comes out, the leaves are again worried, this time because they may not get enough light. When they see other leaves getting more sunlight than themselves, they feel resentful and envious, forgetting that when the sun shines on any one of them, the warmth and energy strengthens them all. Some leaves don't remember that they are part of a tree until they fall to the ground. But from the ground looking up, they can plainly see that all the leaves are growing from the same tree. Once they remember, they transform into nourishing soil and continue on as a different part of the tree. Some leaves, on the other hand, remember before they fall from the tree. When it rains, these leaves relax and trust, knowing that the water will moisten the soil below, and the roots of the great tree will absorb it, providing plenty of water for each leaf. When the sun comes out, the leaves bask in its warmth. When they see other leaves getting more sunlight, they are delighted, knowing that they all benefit from each other's success. But the most amazing thing is that when one leaf remembers, sometimes other leaves notice. And then, slowly, they begin to remember, too. And before you know it, on a tree whose roots sink deeply into the core of the earth with branches that reach all the way out into the universe, there are leaves that, even up close, don't seem so separate. I looked around. Everyone was quiet. Today, if you were to say me, "Thailand?! What made you want to move there?" I would have an answer. Only after all the people I met, after all the places I saw, after all the experiences I had, and only after being with my family, as if for the first time, can I say in earnest, "I just needed to find my way home." -<>- >Links for Your Enjoyment: Christmas With Pets http://www.ShangralaFamilyFun.com/christmaspets.html Amazing Grace http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/amazinggrace.html Angels Are Watching http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/angelswatching.html Come Adore Him http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/bailey.html Bailey's Jesus http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/bailey.html Miniature Wonderland http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/modeltrain.html God Is Like... http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/godislike.html Just Thinking... http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/thinking.html Matchstick Art http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/matchstick.html Miniature Baby Art http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/baby.html World Of Big Cats http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/bigcats.html Christ's Life http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/jesuslife.html Who Is This Jesus http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/jesus.html Angels, Churches, Crosses, Doves Animations http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/agifs.html Christmas Animations: http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/agifs_u-z.html Full CHRISTMAS INDEX! http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/christmasindex.html -<>- >From Our Friend Victor :) Ancient glue offers new insight into what may be Jesus’ tomb https://tinyurl.com/y99k3p32 --- ...Wowsers! Pretty cool! Thanks Victor! -<>- >From Our Friend LouiseAu :) Tennessee Ernie Ford performs his hit recording Sixteen Tons. This is the Go-Go Version of this classic song from Hollywood Palace which originally aired May 22, 1965. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92arUrGVt6k&feature=player_embedded Vocal band Home Free performs “How Great Thou Art” in this beautiful music video. Enjoy the beautiful scenery of some mountains in Austria as you listen to Home Free sing this song. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tXQpDDcrN-w Watch the little boy in this video next to Ernie Ford as he sings Children Go Where I Send Thee. I'm not sure how Ernie managed to finish the song without bursting out laughing at this kid's musical antics. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V_eWR2hT_YM&feature=player_embedded --- ...TeeHee! So sweet! Thanks LouiseAu! Facebook has drones now, and it's actually a good thing. Instead of using them to spy on your backyard, Facebook wants to use them to send free Internet into rural, underprivileged areas. But you have to see this thing: it's HUGE. It's the size of 737, but weighs the same as a small car. Facebook's massive drone... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=96qtTwip_1s The Inspire One drone looks cool flying and offers a ton of new features, including a 360 degree camera that records in 4K. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XdlmoLAbbiQ --- ...Amazing! Thanks LouiseAu! -<>- >From Our Friend Melody :) Unto Thee I Pray - Anchored In Him http://www.anchoredinhim.com/unto/pray.html --- ...Beautiful! Thanks Melody! If you are like me and can't hear the wav music here, here is the song on a youtube video for you... Dottie West- Lord is it I https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VLLpDUFirXI 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 ========================================================== >-->Story Time From Our Friend Bunni :) ,(()). ,;;;;. __ ________ _____ ___ ((_ _));'_`'_( _| __ __ __ _| _| _| __ __ () \ /)\ ) / (_|__ _|-_| _(_|(_|(_|__ _|-- ((\ O(() \ O / _____(_|(_|_____________(_|_ SSt >Just Sing Excerpt from the book ANGELS WE HAVE HEARD ON HIGH by Joan Wester Anderson She should never have waited so long to tackle the Christmas shopping, Kimberley Little reminded herself as she shifted her bundles from one aching arm to the other. She hated shopping, hated having to brave the crowds, and sift through endless piles of merchandise. But there was only so much holiday gift-buying one could do through catalogues, and, of course, the children needed their annual photo taken with Santa Claus. So here she was, imprisoned in a slow-moving "Visit Santa" line, wondering if she might spend the entire holidays in this Albuquerque mall. Of course, she had to admit she was never "up" at this time of year, no matter how smoothly things went. Her father had died tragically in a plane crash just a few days before Christmas when Kimberley was fourteen, and although many years had passed, she never faced December without feeling echoes of that familiar shock, sorrow and loneliness. As her faith matured, Kimberley had gotten involved in her church, singing in the choir, and teaching her young sons to pray. She didn't doubt that her father was in heaven with Jesus, and she would see him again. But every year as Christmas approached, the same nagging question emerged: "This is all supposed to be so wonderful. So why isn't it?" Kimberley shifted packages again, and looked at her three young sons. Their moods seemed no cheerier than hers. One was demanding a ride on the train further down the mall. Another was hungry. "I hate Christmas!" muttered the eldest, his lip thrust out in frustration. Kimberley felt guilty. "Moms have so much influence on the spirit of the family," she says. "If we're just a little bit cranky, everyone picks up on it." She didn't want to spoil this season for the children. They shouldn't carry the same vague sadness that she did. And yet... She glanced around at the other families in line. They were all like hers, she realized, the kids were irritable, tired, fighting with one another, the parents grimly Determined to Endure. Why are we like this? Kimberley wondered. Where was the real Christmas, the spirit of love and peace, the joyful awareness that a Savior had come into the world? How did one cut through the confusion, the fatigue, the pressure, yes, even the sorrowful memories, to find it? Suddenly, God nudged her. "It couldn't have been anything else," Kimberley says, "because all at once I felt a little tingle, as if something new was happening. And I realized that if I wanted to feel better about myself, I had to take the first step. I had to be brave." But how? Sing a carol… The suggestion was already in her heart. She had recently performed a solo in church. She knew how to sing. But this noisy shopping center was not church. "Oh, no, God, not me," she told Him silently. "You remember how shy I am ... People will stare." Bring Christmas to the mall. Sing. Kimberley sighed. It was no use. She knew that Voice. And hadn't she asked Him where Christmas was? Softly she began to sing. "Silent night, holy night ..." The couple in front of her, who had been filling out a photography order form, paused and turned around. "All is calm, all is bright ..." Kimberley reached for her youngest son and picked him up. What if they threw her out of the mall, for disturbing the peace? You're bringing the peace, the answer came. Sing. The children behind her had stopped arguing. "Listen," one whispered to the other. "That lady's singing." The tips of Kimberley's ears turned red. "Round yon virgin, mother and child..." she went on. Her sons would never speak to her again. But...Was it her imagination, or did she hear another voice? And another? Yes, the couple in front of her was singing, their order form forgotten. Now the children behind her, and their parents, and the family next to them. Dazed, Kimberley realized that the entire section of the Santa Claus line had joined her. Even her own offspring. It was true! Little risks could lead to wonderful things. And she was feeling better, her spirit soothed, her mind quieted. Maybe Christmas, and its eternal message, was simply as close as anyone allowed it to be. Voices faded as the song ended. "Let's do 'Angels We Have Heard on High'" Kimberley suggested to the people around her. It was her eldest's favorite carol, and her dad had always liked it too. It was going to be a wonderful Christmas. Joan Wester Anderson angelwak@earthlink.net --- ...Awww, such a heartwarming one! Thanks Bunni! Here's some great examples of singers Flash Mob Christmas Carol at Mall - MUST SEE! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f7baFMmSv4k Christmas Food Court Flash Mob, Hallelujah Chorus - Must See! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SXh7JR9oKVE O Come All Ye Faithful - Epic Flash Mob Carol #LIGHTtheWORLD https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XI2c9yptr4U A Little Girl Gives Coins To A Street Musician And Gets The Best Surprise In Return https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fj6r3-sQr58 Over A Thousand People Came Together To Break a Record And Bring This Moving Christmas Hymn To Life https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PrLoWt2tfqg Christmas Flash Mob 2014: Thomas Aquinas College https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EXRO6kOS_D8 Many more listed after the above :) Still one of my favorites! Do You Hear What I Hear? (Home Free) (Christmas A Cappella) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wIQQDYaoWpc ============================================================== __ _,-' \ o_ /\ _\ C| SMA /__\_,-' ,; *x* >Secret Generosity Story Editor: by P. Fletcher Eric Justian Washington, USA Oh the times our young family returned to New York City from vacation with just enough gas and no money for tolls! In 1971 our tight budget nearly ended our family vacation early. We were 30 years old, and had saved up just enough to go camping for two weeks with our young boys, ages 7 and 3. Heading north from the city around midnight, the car suddenly died. We coasted to the side of the New York State Thruway. My NYC born and raised husband was new to driving and had no clue what might cause an engine to die. I dug a flashlight out of the camping gear and we looked under the hood together, blankly. Just then a trooper stopped. He radioed a tow truck and kindly stayed with us while we waited for it. After talking to us he gently broke the news that it was probably an alternator problem. We could expect to pay about $70. I'm certain my face must have mirrored my husband's stricken expression. We'd planned to spend not more than $100 for the whole camping trip. The repairs would end our family vacation. The kind trooper left when the tow truck arrived. The 50-ish driver towed us to the gas station he owned. He prepared to work on our car, "since your kids are asleep and I'm awake." We moved the kids into their sleeping bags and they and I slept on two tired sofas in the station. I needed to be well rested to drive us back to the city. My husband joined the owner in the garage to learn something about cars and engines. When my husband woke me I reached for my purse. But the station owner insisted my husband had done most of the work. He would accept only $10 "for parts". I drove north from there, both of us happy our vacation could continue, though we'd have to pinch pennies for two weeks. For the next seven years we stopped at that station whenever we were near: to get gas, to get a taillight fixed, whatever. The owner always remembered us and exclaimed over how much our sons had grown. The last time we were at the station, just before we moved away to the Midwest, I insisted on paying the old alternator bill. The owner laughed and said it'd been paid many times over from our years of stops. Then he told us the story of the kind trooper who had waited with us in the night. When the tow truck had arrived, the trooper had paid half the bill without our knowledge, and alerted the station owner to our dilemma. Our $10 contribution had been a token. We all laughed as the owner told us how hard it was to invent the white lie about my husband's help that night. I still fondly remember these two people, who helped my family when they didn't have to. =======HeroicStories======= >-->From LaughAndLift: "There's no such thing as being nonjudgmental. Refusing to judge is itself a judgment that values don't matter. It prevents us from appreciating the moral distinction between Mother Teresa and Saddam Hussein." - Michael Josephson The Lift D. Hopwood ________ _jgN########Ngg_ _N##N@@"" ""9NN##Np_ d###P N####p "^^" T#### d###P _g###@F _gN##@P gN###F" d###F 0###F 0###F 0###F "NN@' ___ q###r "" >A Quiz (Author Unknown) Take the following quiz: 1. Name the five wealthiest people in the world 2. Name the last five Heisman trophy winners. 3. Name the last five winners of the Miss America contest. 4. Name ten people who have won the Nobel or Pulitzer prize. 5. Name the last half dozen Academy Award winners for best actor and actress. 6. Name the last decade's worth of World Series winners. How did you do? The point is, none of us remember the headliners of yesterday. These are no second-rate achievers. They are the best in their fields. But the applause dies. Awards tarnish. Achievements are forgotten. Accolades and certificates are buried with their owners. Here's another quiz. See how you do on this one: 1. List a few teachers who aided your journey through school. 2. Name three friends who have helped you through a difficult time. 3. Name five people who have taught you something worthwhile. 4. Think of a few people who have made you feel appreciated and special. 5. Think of five people you enjoy spending time with. 6. Name half a dozen heroes whose stories have inspired you. Easier? The lesson? The people who make a difference in life are not the ones with the most credentials, the most money, or the most awards. They are the ones that care. -<>- _____ (((\\\\\ )_ \\\| / \\|\/ \\( ), & \) ( (( |` \\ ))) _ | \` __| ` | , \ ` , \ | \ ,\ , \ ' \/ \_ \/ \ `_,`-._ ` \ ejm / `-. _ \ ` / ,`. \ === / '== =`. | ==== / | === ` / /========= / | / , /______| / , ======== __-' | = === / ,======= ' - -- ( \ \ \ ` \ ` \ ` \_____ \ / ` _/ / '-- ' >A Poem for a Friend (By Pastor Kerry S. Doyal, Grace Evangelical Free Church) He knows How you hurt He knows Why you hurt He knows You He knows Hurt He hurt Too Family hurt Him Friends hurt Him Society hurt Him Life hurt Him He Hurt He Hurt Deeply He Died From Hurt He Recovered From Hurt He Lives He Heals Hurt He Gives Life He Knows how you hurt He Knows why you hurt He Knows YOU He Hurts too He Loves YOU -<>- ,(()). ,;;;;. __ ________ _____ ___ ((_ _));'_`'_( _| __ __ __ _| _| _| __ __ () \ /)\ ) / (_|__ _|-_| _(_|(_|(_|__ _|-- ((\ O(() \ O / _____(_|(_|_____________(_|_ SSt >The Power of the Midnight Song! (By Maynard H. Belt, Baptist Mid-Missions) [Edited] "But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them." Acts 16:25 George Morrison (1866-1928) was a Presbyterian pastor and preacher who was born in Scotland. The pastor of Wellington Church, Glasgow, for twenty-six years, his ministry primarily consisted of personal visits, postcards and letters for all those in his care who were sick or in sorrow or in trouble. He chose not to serve on committees, preferring to spend his time in what he considered the most important responsibilities to his church - mornings in study and afternoons in visiting his congregation. Many of his sermons and devotional thoughts have been put in print. In his volume entitled, "Wind on the Heath", he has a sermon entitled, "Unconscious Ministries," wherein he states that all of us exercise unconscious ministries. He references Paul and Silas, who sang at midnight while under adverse circumstances, not particularly paying attention that the prisoners were listening to them. When I read that, it put a whole new light on the meaning of Acts 16:25. I often speak with pastors and missionaries who feel that their ministry is ineffective and their presence unfelt. They see so little fruit and become discouraged. I have felt that way myself many, many times. But we never know when someone might be listening, or watching, or critiquing how we respond to the trials and troubles of life. As Morrison goes on to state, "Be quite sure that the very humblest life is full of unconscious ministries. There is not a note of song we ever rise but the ear of some other prisoner will catch it." The power of the midnight song! As Paul and Silas sang - the prisoners listened! Oh, how that should drive us to our knees in repentance when we respond to the difficulties of life and ministry without a song in our hearts. Paul and Silas sang in prison. The only time in Scripture Jesus is ever recorded as singing is when He left the upper room at night and headed towards Calvary (Matthew 26:30). David often sang when his heart was troubled. If I recall, Christian, in John Bunyan's "Pilgrim's Progress," sang while going through the Valley of the Shadow heading to the Celestial City. We never know when others might be listening to our conversations, our prayers, our sermons, or even our actions. Have not most of us in ministry, somewhere along the line, had expressed to us how we had been a blessing to someone without even knowing it? All of us, no doubt on a daily basis, exercise unconscious ministries. That is why it is so important to keep a song in our hearts, a smile on our face and a twinkle in our eye. This can happen, even during the "midnight" hours of life, when we saturate our souls with the Scriptures and scale heaven with our prayers of praise. Paul and Silas sang, and the prisoners listened! Today, as we go about business for God, people are listening. Something with God is always happening even though we may not think so. Our labors are not in vain. There are prisoners of some sort all around us. And they are listening. 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 ========================================================== __ __ ,-' `' \ _---``-- / _ _ ; __ `. / / `' \; /`----- ) / .-/ ,( ), \-. ; | \( \ / )/; | - _5 `7 -; / ( ___-' `-____ | ( ___`-_ \ ____| \ / `,/ \ _(\__ / \ \ ; \ .' /' `i. / | | \ _-'( _\__-/ `- | | ` ,` `_ | BP >-->My Friends I have a list of folks I know All written in a book, And every now and then I go and take a look. That is when I realize These names they are a part, Not of the book they're written in, But taken from the heart. For each Name stands for someone Who has crossed my path sometime, And in that meeting they have become The reason and the rhyme. Although it sounds fantastic For me to make this claim, I really am composed Of each remembered name. Although you're not aware Of any special link, Just knowing you, has shaped my life More than you could think. So please don't think my greeting As just a mere routine, Your name was not Forgotten in between. For when I send a greeting That is addressed to you, It is because you're on the list Of folks I'm indebted to. So whether I have known you. For many days or few, In some ways you have a part In shaping things I do. I am but a total Of many folks I've met, You are a friend I would prefer Never to forget. -Author Unknown --- ...My thoughts... This is the way I feel about all of my contributors! I keep each of you close to my heart by sharing on my website your name along with what you have shared with me and the group. You are ones I indeed prefer to never forget! I can look through the years of pages on my website and see your name listed on the bottom of the page you helped make possible with your forwarded email to me and I am reminded of your kindness, caring, thoughtfulness and giving heart. I do so thank God for each one of you and pray God blesses you as you have blessed me and others over these past 20 years. Thank You My Friends! (¯`v´¯) `*.¸.*´ ¸.•´¸.•*¨) ¸.•*¨) (¸.•´ (¸.•´ .•´ ¸¸.•¨¯`•. Huggums!... :) Shangy! >Updated FUN STUFF URLS - Oh Yeah Shangy! ------------------------------------------------------------------------ http://www.ShangralaFamilyFun.com/urls.html FUN URLS ------------------------------------------------------------------------ -->FULL LENGTH - FREE On line AUDIO MP3 Christian Foundational Class http://www.truthortradition.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=61 NEW LIFE IN CHRIST! ------------------------------------------------------------------------ -->This is for all you who love food and DARE to make it at home Yep. You guessed it - Recipes. These are Tried and True, Yummy to the Tummy, good old fashioned home cooking recipes that are EASY to do Visit Shangy's Easy-Does-It Home Recipes: http://www.ShangralaFamilyFun.com/easy.html Home Recipes >Got A good Recipe? 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