Letter From Father And More... :) Shangy! >Here are the details on our Yahoo ShangyFunList: To Subscribe send a blank email to ShangyFunList-subscribe@yahoogroups.com To UnSubscribe send a blank email to ShangyFunList-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com Group home page: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ShangyFunList or Web Site: http://www.ShangralaFamilyFun.com/ShangyFunList.html Group email address: ShangyFunList@yahoogroups.com or email me here: bcrsystems@earthlink.net ================ *~* Please Consider Giving To ShangralaFamilyFun.com The cost of the website has gone up dramatically due to the ever increasingly wonderful pages and photos being added each week to entertain you and our fellow Christian families. While the ads on the website do help, I don't want to drag the site down with tons of them to pay for it. I need your help! "We are each of us angels with but one wing, and can only fly by embracing each other" -Luciano Decrescenzo ~ CALLING ALL CARING ANGELS ~ ,;::\::\ ,'/' `/'`/ _\,: '.,-'.-':. -./"' : : :\/, ::. ,:____;__; :- :" ( .`-*'o*',); \.. ` `---'`' / `:._..- _.' ,; . `. /"'| | \ ::. ) : : |" ( \ | :.(_, : ; \'`-'_/ / `... , _,' |,| : | |`| | | |,| | | ,--.;`| | '..--. /;' "' ; '..--. )) \:.___(___ ) ))' SSt`-'-'' *~* WE NEED CARING And SHARING Angels *~* >Do You Want To Be A Shangrala Angel? If you'd like to help and be counted as a Shangrala Angel, the easiest way to do that is through online giving. It is easy to use, and most of all, it is secure. Please visit the site, scroll down and click on the donate button. A Secure PAYPAL form page comes up. NOTE: Paypal will generate a 'Quantity 1' and 'Price per item' form. Just ignore the price per item and put whatever it is you desire to give in there. With Paypal, you will have your normal receipt for your 'payment' donation in USD (United States Dollars). You can put a memo in there if you'd like. Any amount is greatly appreciated and needed! PLEASE Visit Shangrala to Help: http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/index.html OR If you'd rather send us a donation, Please MAIL it here: Elrhea Bigham 502 S. Harrison Van Wert, OH 45891 *~* THANK YOU! MAY GOD BLESS YOU MOST ABUNDANTLY FOR YOUR GIFT! ================ *~* A REMINDER: PLEASE Send me sweet, interesting, funny, inspiring, family type forwards ANY TIME here... bcrsystems@earthlink.net I Need them, Love them, Use them, and Share them! THANK YOU!! AND For Facebook Users: Please Friend Me / Like Me here... http://tinyurl.com/cma6all AND For Google Plus Users: You can find me here... Shangy Bigham https://plus.google.com/106648555948034085752/posts AND Please Share This email with All Your Friends And Family! ^~^ May God SUPER BLESS You As You Do! THANK YOU! :) -<>- * NOTE: An easy way to adjust the size of print in email or any page is to hold down the Ctrl tab while moving the scroll button on the mouse. You can also use the keyboard to change the font size in your web browser or emails. Hold down the Ctrl key while pressing the + key for larger text or the - key for smaller text! ================ >-->HOT Off The 'Shangy' Press :) This smoking hot new page is from our friends Karen and Geniann. It is a reminder why National Geographic Has been around for over 130 years! Spectacular photography that captures our imagination and hearts. Be sure to check out this wonderful collection here: /^L_ ,."\ /~\ __ /~ \ ./ \ / _\ _/ \ /T~\|~\_\ / \_ /~| _^ / \ /W \ / V^\/X /~ T . \/ \ ,v-./ ,'`-. /~ ^ H , . \/ ; . \ `. \-' / M ~ | . ; / , _ : . ~\_,-' / ~ . \ / : ' \ ,/` I o. ^ oP '98b - _ 9.` `\9b. 8oO888. oO888P d888b9bo. .8o 888o. 8bo. o 988o. 88888888888888888888888888bo.98888888bo. 98888bo. .d888P 88888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888 88888888888888P" "" " """9888P" P" "8P" ""*9888888888 Veer Kothari + Ojosh!ro Best Of National Geographic 4 http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/bestnatgeo4.html --- ...Totally Mesmerizing! Thanks Ladies! =========================================================== >-->From Heartwarmers: There are only two kinds of people on earth today Two kinds of people, no more I say. Not the rich and the poor, for to know a man's wealth You must first know the state of his conscience and health, Not the happy and sad, for in life's passing years, Each has his laughter and each has his tears. No, the two kinds of people on earth I mean Are the people who lift and the people who lean. -- Ella Wheeler Wilcox ---\=,__,>,_`-. | : | `"""V#######,,_ `- ""##################' --z--;" /_/ `. `. | | `/"""".`|`|| } }|.""""""""|""""" --'//`/' ` \ '. | : : |: || | | : : | : ,_\---_\._ : `.\ |/ : / : | | || : : : //--'> ___ ``-,_ \ \ `"^ : ` || || | : : '=-`',' / `-, __`-. | : : : : : | | || : --- //7;<\ / ,--._ ` | ., : : | ||| || ' : -/;\'/` -='/|( \ \ %#' : `| ||| | : : : // '\ // | ` | | : : `' : : || # | ||| : ` . : | : | ||#|#| | ': : : : ` '#" : : : | ||,|, || : / : |: || ""' : \\|\ X XX///` :| : | : : | | : : / >\\> <\/\< KEEPER OF THE SPRING The late Peter Marshall was an eloquent speaker and for several years served as the chaplain of the US Senate. He used to love to tell the story of the "Keeper of the Spring," a quiet forest dweller who lived high above an Austrian village along the eastern slope of the Alps. The old gentleman had been hired many years earlier by a young town councilman to clear away the debris from the pools of water up in the mountain crevices that fed the lovely spring flowing through their town. With faithful, silent regularity, he patrolled the hills, removed the leaves and branches, and wiped away the silt that would otherwise have choked and contaminated the fresh flow of water. The village soon became a popular attraction for vacationers. Graceful swans floated along the crystal clear spring, the mill wheels of various businesses located near the water turned day and night, farmlands were naturally irrigated, and the view from restaurants was picturesque beyond description. Years passed. One evening the town council met for its semiannual meeting. As they reviewed the budget, one man's eye caught the salary figure being paid the obscure keeper of the spring. Said the keeper of the purse, "Who is the old man? Why do we keep him on year after year? No one ever sees him. For all we know, the strange ranger of the hills is doing us no good. He isn't necessary any longer." By a unanimous vote, they dispensed with the old man's services. For several weeks, nothing changed. By early autumn, the trees began to shed their leaves. Small branches snapped of and fell into the pools, hindering the rushing flow of sparkling water. One afternoon someone noticed a slight yellowish- brown tint in the spring. A few days later, the water was much darker. Within another week, a slimy film covered sections of the water along the banks, and a foul odor was soon detected. The mill wheels moved more slowly, some finally ground to a halt. Swans left, as did the tourists. Clammy fingers of disease and sickness reached deeply into the village. Quickly, the embarrassed council called a special meeting. Realizing their gross error in judgment, they rehired the old keeper of the spring, and within a few weeks, the veritable river of life began to clear up. The wheels started to turn, and new life returned to the hamlet in the Alps. Never become discouraged with the seeming smallness of your task, job, or life. Cling fast to the words of Edward Everett Hale, "I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something. I will not refuse to do something I can do." The key to accomplishment is believing that what you can do will make a difference. ------- ,:',:`,:' __||_||_||_||__ ____["""""""""""""""]____ \ " '''''''''''''''''''' | ~~jgs~^~^~^^~^~^~^~^~^~^~^~~^~^~^^~~^~^ >TRAGEDY OR BLESSING? Years ago in Scotland, the Clark family had a dream. Clark and his wife worked and saved, making plans for their nine children and themselves to travel to the United States. It had taken years, but they had finally saved enough money and had gotten passports and reservations for the whole family on a new liner to the United States. The entire family was filled with anticipation and excitement about their new life. However, seven days before their departure, the youngest son was bitten by a dog. The doctor sewed up the boy but hung a yellow sheet on the Clarks' front door. Because of the possibility of rabies, they were being quarantined for fourteen days. The family's dreams were dashed. They would not be able to make the trip to America as they had planned. The father, filled with disappointment and anger, stomped to the dock to watch the ship leave -- without the Clark family. The father shed tears of disappointment and cursed both his son and God for their misfortune. Five days later, the tragic news spread throughout Scotland. The mighty Titanic had sunk. The unsinkable ship had sunk, taking hundreds of lives with it. The Clark family was to have been on that ship, but because the son had been bitten by a dog, they were left behind in Scotland. When Mr. Clark heard the news, he hugged his son and thanked him for saving the family. He thanked God for saving their lives and turning what he had felt was a tragedy into a blessing. =========================================================== >-->From Our Friend LouiseAu :) +&- _.-^-._ .--. .-' _ '-. |__| / |_| \| | / \ | /| _____ |\ | | |==|==| | | |---|---|---|---|---| |--|--| | | |---|---|---|---|---| |==|==| | | ^jgs^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ >Prop Us Up Every time I am asked to pray, I think of the old fellow who always prayed, "Lord, prop us up on our leanin' side." After hearing him pray that prayer many times, someone asked him why he prayed that prayer so fervently. He answered, "Well sir, you see, it's like this...I got an old barn out back. It's been there a long time; it's withstood a lot of weather; it's gone through a lot of storms, and it's stood for many years. It's still standing. But one day I noticed it was leaning to one side a bit. So I went and got some pine poles and propped it up on its leaning side so it wouldn't fall. Then I got to thinking about that and how much I was like that old barn. I've been around a long time. I've withstood a lot of life's storms. I've withstood a lot of bad weather in life, I've withstood a lot of hard times, and I'm still standing too. But I find myself leaning to one side from time to time, so I like to ask the Lord to prop us up on our leaning side, 'cause I figure a lot of us get to leaning at times. Sometimes we get to leaning toward anger, leaning toward bitterness, leaning toward hatred, leaning toward cussing, leaning toward a lot of things that we shouldn't . So we need to pray, "Lord, prop us up on our leanin' side,' so we will stand straight and tall again, to glorify the Lord." --- ...Amen! So true! Thanks LouiseAu! It of course reminds me of this one we have here... Old Barns, Old People, Old Friends http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/barns.htm =========================================================== >-->From Archives InspiredBuffalo: / / _/ (_) / / | | | | | | | (_) (_) (_) (_) (_) (_) (_) (_) (_) (_) (_) (_) (_) (_) (_) _ _ (_)_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ (_))(_) (_)(_)(_)(_)(_)(_)(_)(_)(_)(_)(_)(_)(_)(_)(_)@< VK >The Most Perfect of Pearls Pacing along outside the barbed wire fence in front of the cell her daughter was locked within, day after day, a mother kept vigil. Hour after hour, from the time the sun rose, until long after dark the mother was there. Why this lonely, supreme effort? When I read of her, my own heart empathized with her anguish, and with the love for a child that made it so. Those among us with a mother's heart well know that a child can be a mother's greatest love, but also has the power to inflict her greatest heartbreak. This woman's nineteen-year-old daughter had been incarcerated and stood trial for a crime she had committed. Her daughter was so distraught over what she had done, so filled with remorse and self-hate, that she wanted to take her own life. From the depths of her grief, she told her mother during a visit, "It would be so much easier if I ended my life. I can't accept what I have done! There is no way I can ever forgive myself ...I can find no reason to go on ...I don't want to live any longer." "No!" her mother protested, wanting desperately to reach through the visiting room glass that divided them and hold her daughter close. Her own heart could forgive, and she was unable to fathom even the thought of her daughter taking her own life. "You must choose life," she pleaded. "As hopeless as things seem, you must not take your life. No matter what you have done, you are my child. I love you. And need you." "But Mom," the woman-child cried, "I've done this terrible, unthinkable thing; I've been an accomplish to robbing a store--at gun point! I threatened an innocent person, and realized I was capable of pulling the trigger. I can't stop thinking about it, and what a terrible thing I've been a party to. I can't take being alone in with my thoughts and I don't have the strength to live in this environment, this cell...I feel so alone. I am alone." Her mother's heart instantly connected and felt with and for this child of hers. "You are not alone," the mother insisted, knowing it was so. Even though her child had done a terrible thing, she would remain faithful to seeing that her daughter swim through the turbulent waters, and reach the shore of better times. That her baby learn to walk a righteous path in life, that her child squarely face the lessons of life and their consequences, that her now adult daughter turn her face to the sun and choose hope--and life--was simply her never-ending role as a mother. She would not judge her daughter or reject her. She most especially would not give up hope that her child's soul would win the battle in its fight for light over shadows. She would buoy her daughter somehow. "Promise me that you will not take your life," the nineteen-year-old's mother appealed. "If only I had your courage and strength," the daughter lamented. "Then you will," the mother vowed. "Promise me that as long as I am near, you will draw on my courage and strength until you find your own again." And so each and every day, without fail, the mother came to the prison, and stood outside the fence near her daughter's cell. Her daughter could look out her small window and know she was not alone, and could thus find the courage to go on, to choose life over death, hope over despair. The mother came at daybreak and stayed until a guard informed her that her daughter was asleep for the night. On many occasions, that wasn't until well after midnight. This the mother did day-in and day-out, week after week, until her daughter had come to terms with her despair and self-loathing, and was ready to face the consequences of her actions. Oh, for the courage and strength of a mother's heart, one ever- willing to come to the aid of its possessor--her child. Perhaps no greater heart-strings can bind one soul to another than those of a mother and child--cords, that if all be told, are stronger than those of other deep ties of love. As I watched the unfailing loyalty and courage of this mother, I thought of how often my own mother had tirelessly loaned me her support and courage as I paced before the fence of some heartache that imprisoned my own daughter's precious heart. Just last month I called my mother "to talk." This talk quickly opened up to a discussion about a matter which involved my daughter. My mother and daughter have a special relationship that belongs to them alone. When the three of us get together, I instantly recognize their union and feel so grateful for it--as grateful as I feel for the love my mother and I share, one in which we lovingly protect and guard each other's heart. Listening as I poured my troubles out, my mother consoled me, while offering support for a grand-daughter who is an absolute soul-mate to her. But then, when my mother detected that my heart was heavy and so obviously burdened, her support shifted away from her grand-daughter--and even away from her usual rooting for both my daughter and I--and staunchly came to rest on my side alone. This was comforting to me--until I sensed that my mother had strayed a little too far off the side of empathy for my daughter. Then, I began to rally for my daughter and was soon defending her. My mother continued to defend me against my daughter. There was a moment of tension between us, followed by its customary silence, and then, simultaneously we both broke into laughter. We each understood what we were doing. We were each defending our own child! My mother loves and adores her grand-daughter, so she could be objective--but only until she heard the pining within her own child's heart. Instinctively, she began guarding me against my own child. And I was then defending my daughter against my mother's straying from her defense. It was an insightful moment--and a common one for a mother's heart. Is this instinct? The work of angels? Or simply a legacy of a heart seasoned by pain, enriched by love and bound by an innate soul- intelligence? Inextricably tied to her child--and acting from a higher, wiser, more luminous part of herself--a mother willingly ventures into the land so many flippantly call co-dependence. Armed with a fiercely loyal love and aching protectiveness, a mother's heart tirelessly reaches out to courageously protect and defend her beloved child. Those who possess a mother's heart can understand why a mother stands by her child--even when a child doesn't always deserve such loyalty. Accepting her all-consuming bond with her child, a mother's heart keeps her vigilance. Day by day. Year after year. Forever. It is through the eyes of a mother's heart that we best see a spirit that so often remains undaunted in the face of personal or worldly failures or shortcomings, a courageous spirit that has both unfaltering belief that any heart can thaw the cruelty of its self- destructive ways, and an unwavering faith that "we can get through this." A mother's compassionate spirit is an angel's whisper coaxing us to take the high road, assuring us that doing so is the highest form of humanness. A mother's heart, quite possibly, is the most perfect pearl of all. -Bettie B. Youngs, Ph.D. -<>- .---. ___ /_____\ /\.-`( '.' ) / / \_-_/_ \ `-.-"`'V'//-. `.__, |// , \ |Ll //Ll|\ \ |__// | \_\ /---|[]==| / / \__/ | \/\/ /_ | Ll_\| |`^"""^`| | | | | | | | | | | | | L___l___J jgs |_ | _| (___|___) ^^^ ^^^ >Christmas 1964 Stationed in Ernest Harmon Air Force Base in Newfoundland, Canada guaranteed a white Christmas. This winter would see 286 inches of snow fall on the base. But on a personal note, I was spending my third Christmas in the Air Force, my first far away from home and felt alone. Staff Sgt Skinner came to my rescue. He was a large man, and a bit overbearing at times. Hmmm imagine a sgt being like that? But he invited me to his off-base housing to spend Christmas with him and his family. Most of you vets know the housing has always been poor for the enlisted man, especially off base and his home was pretty darn pitiful. But it had what a home needed, a family. Warmth in the home generated by love and true feelings. I sat at their table and really appreciated what they did for me, pretty much a stranger to them. They shared their home, their time with me. Well I cannot pay them back. Over the years, I have entertained friends who were destined to be alone for the holidays. Staff Sgt Skinner I learned the lesson of passing it on. B.J. Cassady Guthrie, Okla -<>- , , /////| ///// | ///// | |~~~| | | |===| |/| | B |/| | | I | | | | B | | | | L | / | E | / |===|/ jgs '---' >Letter From Father The words you are about to read are true. They will change your life if you let them. For they come from the heart of God. God loves you. And He is the Father you have been looking for all your life. This is His Love Letter to you! My Child, You may not know me, but I know everything about you. Psalm 139:1 I know when you sit down and when you rise up. Psalm 139:2 I am familiar with all your ways. Psalm 139:3 Even the very hairs on your head are numbered. Matthew 10:29-30 For you were made in my image. Genesis 1:27 In me you live and move and have your being. Acts 17:28 For you are my offspring. Acts 17:28 I knew you even before you were conceived. Jeremiah 1:4-5 I chose you when I planned creation. Ephesians 1:11-2 You were not a mistake, for all your days are written in my book. Psalm 139:15-16 I determined the exact time of your birth and where you would live. Acts 17:26 You are fearfully and wonderfully made. Psalm 139:14 I knit you together in your mother's womb. Psalm 139:13 And brought you forth on the day you were born. Psalm 71:6 I have been misrepresented by those who don't know me. John 8:41-44 I am not distant and angry, but am the complete expression of love. I John 4:16 And it is my desire to lavish my love on you. I John 3:1 Simply because you are my child and I am your Father. I John 3:7 I offer you more than your earthly father ever could. Matthew 7:11 For I am the perfect Father. Matthew 5:48 Every good gift you receive comes from my hand. James 1:17 For I am your provider and I meet your needs. Matthew 6:31-33 My plan for your future has always been filled with hope. Jeremiah 29:11 Because I love you with an everlasting love. Jeremiah 31:3 My thoughts toward you are countless as the sand on the seashore. Psalm 139:17-18 And I rejoice over you with singing. Zephaniah 3:17 I will never stop doing good to you. Jeremiah 32:40 For you are my treasured possession. Exodus 19:5 I desire to establish you with all my heart and all my soul. Jeremiah 32:41 And I want to show you great and marvelous things. Jeremiah 33:3 If you seek me with all your heart, you will find me. Deuteronomy 4:29 Delight in me and I will give you the desires of your heart. Psalm 37:4 For it is I who gave you those desires. Philippians 2:13 I am able to do more for you than you could possibly imagine. Ephesians 3:20 For I am your greatest encourager. 2 Thessalonians 2:16-17 I am also the Father who comforts you in all your troubles. 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 When you are brokenhearted, I am close to you. Psalm 34:18 As a shepherd carries a lamb, I have carried you close to my heart. Isaiah 40:11 One day I will wipe away every tear from your eyes. Revelation 21:3-4 And I will take away all the pain you have suffered on this earth. Revelation 21:3-4 I am your Father, and I love you even as I love my son, Jesus. John 17:23 For in Jesus, my love for you is revealed. John 17:26 He is the exact representation of my being. Hebrews 1:3 And to tell you that I am not counting your sins. 2 Corinthians 5:18-19 Jesus died so that you and I could be reconciled. 2 Corinthians 5:18-19 His death was the ultimate expression of my love for you. I John 4:10 I gave up everything I loved that I might gain your love. Romans 8:31-32 If you receive the gift of my son Jesus, you receive me. I John 2:23 And nothing will ever separate you from my love again. Romans 8:38-29 Come home and I'll throw the biggest party heaven has ever seen. Luke 15:7 I have always been Father, and will always be Father. Ephesians 3:14-15 My question is....Will you be my child? John 1:12-13 I am waiting for you. Luke 15:11-32 Romans 10:9,10 Love, your Father, Almighty God -<>- >Links for Your Enjoyment: My Precious Child http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/mychild.html Famous Inspiring Women http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/womenquotes.html Funny, Isn't It? http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/funny.html Who Is Jesus Christ? http://www.ShangralaFamilyFun.com/BibleStudy/whoisjesus.html Christ's Life http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/jesuslife.html Important Life Truths http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/lifetruths.html Pay It Forward http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/payitforward.html Rose Petals http://www.ShangralaFamilyFun.com/poems/rose.html Value What You Have http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/valuewyh.html Amazing McDonalds Trivia http://www.ShangralaFamilyFun.com/mcdonaldsfacts.html Amazing Blind Artist http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/blindartist.html Embroidery Art http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/embroideryart.html Kinkade - Painter Of Light http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/kinkade.html Salvation Mountain http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/salvation.html Feeding The Eagles http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/eaglefeeding.html Newsworthy Animals http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/newsanimals.html -<>- >From TruthOrTradition.com: Why Focus is important https://tinyurl.com/y7wnpe6m What does the Bible say about Fasting? https://tinyurl.com/yb5zuzzt Eyes on the Horizon https://tinyurl.com/yar5qsan Where is your focus https://tinyurl.com/yd2fphyo -<>- >In The News: WhiteHouseNews: https://www.whitehouse.gov/1600daily/ Latest From AFA: http://tinyurl.com/j7lakqw Students For Life https://tinyurl.com/yd5nxmu6 Latest From OperationRescue: http://www.operationrescue.org/ Today's Best Conservative Humor! https://theusawire.com/2018/03/8092-todays-best-conservative-humor/ RECALLS: Protein Bars, Chile Peppers And More http://www.emergencyemail.org/products/?fmt=text Health Alert: This Kills More Americans than Car Crashes https://tinyurl.com/y8oshakm -<>- >From Our Friend LouiseAu :) She sent us one we have here... Wisdom Of Peanuts http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/wisdomofpeanuts.html --- ...A good fun one! Thanks LouiseAu! -<>- >From Our Friend Karen :) More 360 Degree Word View Tours... Iguassu Falls, Brazil http://www.airpano.com/360Degree-VirtualTour.php?3D=brasil/iguasu Kalyan Minaret, Bukhara, Uzbekistan http://www.airpano.com/360Degree-VirtualTour.php?3D=bukhara Kiev, Ukrain http://www.airpano.com/360Degree-VirtualTour.php?3D=Kiev Kremlin, Moscow, Russia http://www.airpano.com/360Degree-VirtualTour.php?3D=kremlin_360 Krokus Expo Center, Moscow, Russia https://tinyurl.com/73d5gxg Kuala-Lumpur, Malaysia https://tinyurl.com/7y8e7l2 Lake Powell, USA http://www.airpano.com/360Degree-VirtualTour.php?3D=Lake-Powell-Utah-USA Las Vegas, Nevada, USA http://www.airpano.com/360Degree-VirtualTour.php?3D=Las-Vegas-USA Las Vegas, USA at night https://tinyurl.com/73usyk3 Los Angeles, California, USA https://tinyurl.com/6qsdyrn --- ...Wow! Pretty awesome! Thanks Karen! 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 ========================================================== __-----__ ..;;;--'~~~`--;;;.. /;-~IN GOD WE TRUST~-.\ // ,;;;;;;;; \\ .// ;;;;; \ \\ || ;;;;( /.| || || ;;;;;;; _\ || || ';; ;;;;= || ||LIBERTY | ''\;;;;;; || \\ ,| '\ '|><| 1995 // \\ | | \ A // `;.,|. | '\.-'/ ~~;;;,._|___.,-;;;~' ''=--' - Daniel C Au - >Departure Tax Deficit Story Editor: Jodi Hendon Thomas Wheeler Texas, USA Twenty years ago seems like ancient history to my 21-year-old son, of course, but seems such a short time ago for me. In 1986 I made a quick weekend trip from Texas to Cuernavaca, Mexico to attend a friend's wedding. I took only about $50 in cash, since the trip was so short and I was staying at my friend's house. When I got back to the airport, I had about $15 left. My husband would pick me up at the airport in Texas, and I wouldn't need money while flying, so I decided to buy a couple of bottles of Mexican Kahlua to bring home. This left me about $4. At the boarding area the attendant told me I needed to pay a $10 departure tax. I was unaware of this tax, and when I told her I only had $4 she wasn't too sympathetic. I did have my American Express card, so I decided to see if I could get some money that way. I figured, if worse came to worse, maybe I could return the Kahlua and get the cash back. In those days, we had nothing like today's check cards. While in line at the "banco," the woman in front of me in line was a little taller than me, with blonde or light-brown hair, probably in her middle 30's. She was dressed well, and seemed business-like. I asked her if she knew whether I could get some money on my credit card. There was still time to make my flight, but I was starting to panic a little. She asked what the problem was and I told her. She pulled $6 out of her purse and insisted I take it. I started to refuse, but then decided she was the answer to a prayer I hadn't prayed yet. I took her card, discovered her name was Carolyn, and told her I'd return the money when I got home. It turned out she was originally from Australia, worked for an advertising firm in New Zealand, and was traveling to South America. When I got home, I immediately sent Carolyn the money back with a thank-you card and a self-addressed stamped postcard so I'd know when she got the money. About a month later, I got the postcard back. She said she'd forgotten all about it and my card was a nice surprise. I'm sure she thought she'd never see the money again. I've never forgotten the kindness of Carolyn from New Zealand, and whenever I can I try to pay her favor forward to someone else. =======HeroicStories======= >-->From LaughAndLift: "I am a Christian because I have seen the love of God lived out in the lives of people who know Him. The word has become flesh and I have encountered God in the people who have manifested (in many "unreasonable" ways) His presence - a presence that is more than convincing - it is a presence that is compelling. I am a Christian, not because someone explained the nuts and bolts of Christianity to me, but because there were people who were willing to be nuts and bolts." - Rich Mullins, the "Awesome God" guy https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2w2b033DXCw | |/ | ,,,,, ,+ /| / \ () | || \ C '\ /|_() || ) _| .'___/,,,// || .'=. (____E.' / / \ || | \)`-\ _F_.' \ c `\ || \ \ !'__/ ) _| || \ \,' / /`._( || |`. .' / \ \ || \ `-' | .-. | | \ E || >====[] | \ |__| | O OE || / |_/ | |___)| `.__j____ \|E || \_ | || __`.________ `. |""|\| \ |\ ||| \///_ _|__|_| \ __ | \ ||`""\\""""//"' \`. \ | |[__]| \ ||.---\\__//---. | | \____| ||__|/ / \|____________|\ |/ | | | / || || /| | | -----| |/------------||-||-/`| |----------| /| | || ||/`-|___| | /\| | || \\._ [____] h| /`.|____| || \\ `-/ '`._ j| `=.\____/ || \\__`-.____) w| ) '`--. _.-||-._ `""""""" | `='====' ,-' ' ` `-. | `-.________.-' | >The Accidental Barber (By Bill Cook, Lagro, IN) [Edited and additional text by Chris Long] My grandfather was an accidental barber. He had worked in a shoe factory and was working in a grocery store when his brother-in-law said, "Cookie, why don't you work with me in my barber shop?" So, off to barber school he went, for two weeks or so, and came back with his license. After just a couple of years together, his brother-in-law suddenly dropped dead, and the local landmark known as "Cookie's Barber Shop" was launched. That I knew, but this part I didn't know until this week. During the great depression jobs were extremely hard to find and my grandfather kept an area in the back of his barber shop for the shoe shine boys. Young men could shine shoes and Cookie would pay them a quarter a day (the price of a full-blown haircut back then) to sweep out his shop at the end of the day. By doing that many young men made some money until they could get a good job. In the early 1970's, my grandfather got his final promotion and went home to be with God at the ripe old age of 85. I didn't get to attend his funeral which is why I didn't know this story until this week. You see, at his funeral there was a row of chairs taken up by some wonderful men who had once been shoe shine boys in Cookie's barber shop. Quite a tribute to a wonderful Christian man who never completed the third grade. It is also quite a challenge to us that are still here. Degrees and titles mean nothing in the end. Yet, the simple love of Christ, demonstrated and lived - even by an "accidental barber" in a barbershop - can produce fruit that lasts for all eternity. A simple faith, loving Jesus, loving others....that's what matters. -<>- Feed your faith and your doubts will starve to death. , , /////| ///// | ///// | |~~~| | | |===| |/| | B |/| | | I | | | | B | | | | L | / | E | / |===|/ jgs '---' >Perfect and Complete (By Bayless Conley) Your faith in God has incredible potential to make your life complete. To take you from the place of deficiency, to the place of being perfect and complete, lacking nothing. James puts it this way in James 1:2-4: "My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing." Faith in God can make you complete, but your faith will be contested. It will be opposed, even as we read here. Your faith will go through the fire of trial. If you lack spiritually in your life, you can get to the place of holiness. If you are lacking materially, you can get to a place where your needs are met. Whatever your lack, your faith in God has the potential to take you from where you are, and where you are lacking, to this place that the Bible speaks of...being perfect and complete, lacking nothing. But, the path to that completeness is one of trial. Your faith will not get you there until it first goes through testing. You do have an adversary. You will be opposed. The Bible says, Your adversary, the devil, walks about as a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour. The devil knows what is at stake, and he will do all he can to keep you from trusting God. So as your faith encounters the turbulence of trials, do what James says, and count it all joy. You are on your way to becoming perfect and complete in Christ. 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 ========================================================== __ /_/\/\ \_\ / /_/ \ \_\/\ \ \_\/ unknown >-->Let me not live a life that's free Let me not live a life that's free From the things that draw me close to Thee, For how can I ever hope to heal The wounds of others I do not feel? If my eyes are dry and I never weep, If my heart is cold and it never bleeds, How can I tell what my brother needs, For when ears are deaf to the beggar's pleas And we close our eyes and refuse to see, And we steel our hearts and harden our mind, And we count it a weakness whenever we're kind, We are no longer following the Father's way, Or seeking His guidance from day to day. For without crosses to carry and burdens to bear, We dance through a life that is frothy and fair, And "chasing the rainbow" we have no desire For roads that are rough and realms that are higher. So spare me no heartache or sorrow, dear Lord, For the heart that is hurt reaps the richest reward, And God enters the heart that is broken in sorrow As He opens the door to a brighter tomorrow, For only through tears can we recognize The suffering that lies in another's eyes. by Helen Steiner Rice >Updated FUN STUFF URLS - Oh Yeah Shangy! ------------------------------------------------------------------------ http://www.ShangralaFamilyFun.com/urls.html FUN URLS ------------------------------------------------------------------------ -->FULL LENGTH - FREE On line AUDIO MP3 Christian Foundational Class http://www.truthortradition.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=61 NEW LIFE IN CHRIST! ------------------------------------------------------------------------ -->This is for all you who love food and DARE to make it at home Yep. You guessed it - Recipes. These are Tried and True, Yummy to the Tummy, good old fashioned home cooking recipes that are EASY to do Visit Shangy's Easy-Does-It Home Recipes: http://www.ShangralaFamilyFun.com/easy.html Home Recipes >Got A good Recipe? SHARE IT HERE: Share A Recipe ************************************************************************ >TO SUBSCRIBE:Visit Here This Weeks regular Shangy emails OR For the Yahoo ShangyFunList: To Subscribe send a blank email to ShangyFunList-subscribe@yahoogroups.com ************************************************************************