Life's Mathematics... :) 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!! ================ >-->In The 'Shangy' News :) ___ ,-"" `. ,' _ e )`-._ / ,' `-._<.===-' / / / ; _ / ; (`._ _.-"" ""--..__,' | <_ `-"" \ <`- : (__ <__. ; `-. '-.__. _.' / \ `-.__,-' _,' `._ , /__,-' ""._\__,'< <____ | | `----.`. | | \ `. ; |___ \-`` \ --< `.`.< hjw `-' I recently learned that my little grandson didn't understand about ducks. Much to my dismay, I learned that when he saw some, he started chasing them and yelling at them. I had been told by my daughter that one time while at the park she saw children chase ducks and throw stones at them so bad that .-"""-. _.---..-; :.) ;"" \/ __..--'\ ;-"""-. ;._ `-.___.^.___.'-.____J__/-._J bug this one poor little duck laid down with it's belly and beak flat on the ground totally exhausted and stressed. We love feeding the ducks and my brother Del, in Texas, has ducks that will come up to his door and knock on it to encourage him to come out and give them some bread. He loves them. So this upset me that my little 5 year old grand son had done this. When he visited, I set him right down on my lap and showed him the page on Maria the goose and showed him the video. He said the ducks hiss at him. I told him it was because he was scaring them. He is a lot bigger than they are. I reminded him that kittens hiss when they are scared too. Now he is not afraid of them and i think he understands. They are part of God's wonderful creation and not to be treated bad. Anyway, I thought if any of you might have the same trouble with your little ones, show them this page, it may help them too. Maria The Goose http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/goose.html -<>- >HOT Off The 'Shangy' Press :) Today's scorcher is from our friend Brenda. One of those that will bring visions of a fantasy world to your mind! Give it time to load and check it out here... _ _ ( Y ) \ / \ / \ /^\ _ ) //^\\ -= (_) =- ( // \\ ) // \\ / \ __ // \\ |=^| // _ \\ __|= |__// (+) \\ /LLLLLLL// ~ \\ /LLLLLLL// \\ /LLLLLLL// \\ /LLLLLLL// |~[|]~| |~[|]~| \\ ^| [|] // | [|] | | [|] | \\ | [|] ^| |_[|]_| |_[|]_| |^ ___|______| | /LLLLLLLLLL|_____________________| /LLLLLLLLLLL/LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL\ /LLLLLLLLLLL/LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL\ ^||^^^^^^^^/LLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL\ || |~[|]~|^^||^^^^^^^^^^||^|~[|]~|^||^^ || | [|] | || |~~~~| || | [|] | || || |_[|]_| || | [] | || |_[|]_| || ||__________|| | o| ||_________|| .'||][][][][][|| | [] | ||[][][][][||.'. ."'||[][][][][]||_-`----'-_||][][][][]||"." .(')^(.)(').( )'^@/-- -- - --\@( )'( ).(( )^(.) '( )^(`)'.(').( )@/-- -- - -- -\@ (.)'(.),( ).('). ".'.'." ." '.". @/- - --- -- - -\@ '.".'.".'.".'." jgs'' ".".".'.'@/ - -- -- -- -- -\@".'..'".'."'.'.' '.".".''.".''."@/ -- --- --- -- - -\@.".''.".''.".'". Amazing Homes Around The World! http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/ahouse.html --- ...Awesome - So very Unique! Thanks Brenda! =========================================================== >-->From Heartwarmers: ,'-', :-----: (''' , - , ''') \ ' . , ` / \ ' ^ ? / \ ` - ,' `j_ _,' ,- -`\ \ /f ,- \_\/_/'- , `, , , /\ \ | / \ ', , f : :`, , <...\ , : ,- ' \,,,,\ ; : j ' \ \ :/^^^^' \ \ ; ''': \ -, -`.../ ' - -,`,--` \_._'-- '---: Storm >COWBOY HEART by Roger Dean Kiser "Silt, Colorado!" hollered the Greyhound bus driver, as he pulled off to the side of the road. I grabbed my small bag and climbed off the bus. Sitting beside the road was a large man who was standing beside an old Army jeep. "Are you Roger Kiser?" he asked me. "Yes, Sir," I replied. "My name is Owen Boulton. I own the Rainbow K Ranch," he said as he stuck out his hand to shake mine. I had been sent to Colorado by the Juvenile Judge in Florida so that I could work on a ranch. It was a program that had been set up to help troubled teenagers. Within a week, I had been turned into a full fledge cowboy. I had been assigned a large horse named "Brownie" and had been given a full outfit of western wear, as well as a list of never ending duties which started at around 4 o'clock each morning. Things went rather well for the first couple of months. We worked from 4am until 6pm, seven days a week. We bailed hay, branded cattle, collected chicken eggs, mended fences and shoveled cow manure. It was a never ending job. The best part was my horse, Brownie. I guess she had been given that name because she was brown in color. In addition to my other chores, it was my job to care for her. I fed her, bathed her and brushed her down on a daily basis. Every morning when I would come out to collect the eggs from the chicken coop, she was always waiting for me by the gate. I would walk over and pet her on her side. She would toss her head backwards and make a strange sound like she was blowing through her lips. Slobber would fly everywhere. "I bet you could sure whistle loud if you had some hands," I would tell her. She would stomp her feet and turn around in a circle. There were not very many things that I loved on the face of this earth when I was a young boy. But that horse was one thing that I would have died for. After we ranch hands had eaten our breakfast, I was told that I would have to go with several of the older men and repair fences up on the northern range. We loaded the jeep with fencing materials and tools and off we went. It was almost 7pm when we got back to the ranch. As we drove up to the barn, I saw about twenty ranch hands all sitting around in a circle. I got out of the jeep and walked toward the large crowd. "What's going on?" I asked. "It's your horse, Brownie. She's dead," said one of the men. Slowly I walked up to where Brownie was laying in the corral. I bent down and petted her on her side. It took everything I had to keep from crying in front of all those men. All at once, the corral gate opened and Mr. Boulton came riding in on an old tractor. He began scooping out a large hole right next to Brownie. "What's he gonna do?" I yelled out. "We always bury the horses right where they drop," said one of the ranch hands. I stood to the side while he dug the hole for Brownie. I would wipe the tears from my eyes as they rolled down my cheeks. I will never forget that feeling of sadness for as long as I live. When the hole had been dug, the men all stood back so that Brownie could be moved into the large hole. Mr Boulton lowered the large tractor scoop and moved toward Brownie. "PLEASE MR. OWEN SIR! Please don't move Brownie with that tractor bucket. You'll cut her and mess her up!" I yelled out at him. I ran out in front of the tractor, waiving my hands and arms up into the air. "Look here boy," said Mr. Boulton. "We have no choice but to do this when a horse dies. She is just too heavy to move by hand." "I'll get her in the hole. I swear I will Mr Owen, sir." I screamed as loud as I could. I ran over to Brownie and I pushed on her head as hard as I could, but she barely moved. I pushed and pushed but her body was just too heavy. Nothing I tried to do would move her any closer toward the hole. Finally, I stopped pushing and I just lay there in the dirt with my head resting against Brownie's side. "Please don't use that bucket scoop on Brownie," I kept saying, over and over. One at a time, the ranch hands began to get down off their horses. Each positioned himself around the large brown horse and they began to push and pull with all their might. Inch by inch, Brownie moved toward the large hole in the ground. All at once she began to slide downhill. I raised her head, as best I could, so that her face would not be scarred. The next thing I knew, I was being pulled down into the hole. Suddenly, everything went totally silent. I just sat there at the bottom of the hole with Brownie's head resting on my lap. Dust and dirt was settling all around me. Slowly, I got to my feet and I placed her head flat on the ground. Then I positioned each of her legs so that they were straight. I removed my western shirt and I placed it over her face so that dirt would not get into her eyes. I stood there crying as my best friend was being covered with dirt. Most of that night I stayed in the barn cleaning Brownie's stall. I cried until I could cry no more. I guess I was just too embarrassed to go back to the bunkhouse with the rest of the ranch hands. Early the next morning, I walked back to the bunkhouse to shower and change clothes before going out to collect the chicken eggs. As I entered the small wooden house, the ranch hands were up and getting dressed. Laying on my bunk was eight dollars and some change. On a match book cover was written, "Buy yourself a new western shirt." When I looked up, all the men were smiling at me. One of them said, "You may be a city boy R.D. (that's what they always called me) but you definitely have the heart that it takes to be a real honest to goodness cowboy." I wiped my swollen red eyes and I smiled real proud like. -- Roger Dean Kiser, Sr. ___________________________________________ The following story occurred several years after Roger wrote the story above. ___________________________________________ >THE ANGEL THING? by Roger Dean Kiser I was not feeling very well when I got out of bed. I sat down in front of the television and I began watching the morning news. After finishing my coffee I walked into the bedroom and I put on my cut-off jeans and a polo shirt -- jeans that my wife had threatened to throw away because the legs had strings hanging down almost to my knees. I put on my baseball cap, walked out to my truck, and I headed to the local book store. "I'm looking for Chicken Soup for the Caregiver's Soul and Chicken Soup for the Friend's Soul. Can you tell me if they have they been released yet?" I asked the clerk at Books-A-Million. "August and September are the release dates. That is what it shows here on the computer," he told me. I thanked the gentleman and then I walked over to see if I could find any hard-cover editions of the Chicken Soup books which I already had stories in. As I approached the Chicken Soup section, there stood several young girls reading a story from one of the books. "That has to be the saddest story that I have ever read," she told her friend. I looked at the front of the book and noticed that it was Chicken Soup for the Horse Lover's Soul. I picked up a book and I began to look through the pages. As the two young women walked in front of me, I could see that the story they were discussing was one that I had written. I wanted to tell them that I had written the story but for some strange reason I just couldn't. For some reason I felt completely embarrassed. I placed my book back onto the shelf and I walked over to the Joe Muggs counter to get a cup of coffee. After ordering a coffee, I made my way out to the terrace. Several minutes later, the two girls came out onto the terrace, with an older woman, who I presumed was their mother. They sat down at one of the tables and the young girl began to read my story to the woman. When she finished reading, the three of them sat there silently, for about a minute. "I wish I could write stories like that," said the young girl, as she wiped her eyes with a napkin. "Katy, just put your mind to it and you can do anything that you want," the woman told her. "You gotta be real smart to write like that," said the girl, as she closed the book. I smiled when I heard those words, knowing all along I was not a very smart person. I had only finished the sixth grade before being sent off to the reform school by the orphanage. I got up from my seat and I walked back into the bookstore to get another cup of coffee. While I was at the counter, the three ladies walked back into the store and asked the clerk for directions to the restroom. As they were about to enter the bathroom the young girl rested the book on one of the tables. I walked over and I opened the book and I wrote: "COWBOY HEART by Roger Dean Kiser. Katy, you can do anything that you want if you put your mind to it." And then I signed it, "Your friend, Roger 6-17-04." When they came out of the bathroom the young girl picked up the book and the three of them proceeded to the checkout counter. The mother paid for the book and they left the store. I'm not sure how the girl will react when she reads what I had written inside the front cover. Will she look upon this as one of those strange miracles? Was this my chance to do an "angel" thing? -- Roger Dean Kiser, Sr. ___________________________________________ You can read more about Roger's fascinating life and times at http://www.rogerdeankiser.com You can contact him at: mailto:trampolineone@webtv.net ========================================================== >->From Our Friend Bunni :) , , /////| ///// | ///// | |~~~| | | |===| |/| | B |/| | | I | | | | B | | | | L | / | E | / |===|/ jgs '---' >SCRIPTURES If I had known what trouble you were bearing What griefs were in the silence of your face I would have been more gentle and more caring And tried to give you gladness for a space. Inside each oyster is the potential for a pearl. Read Psalm 116:5 (The Lord is gracious and righteous. Our God is full of compassion.) Giving yourself time to rest will help you be your very best. Read Matthew 11:28 (Jesus said, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." As the heart of the cyclone tearing the sky And flinging the clouds and the towers by Is a place of central calm So here in the roar of mortal things I have a place where my spirit sings In the hollow of God's palm. Read Mark 6:39 (Jesus arose, and rebuked the wind and said unto the sea, "Peace, be still." And the wind ceased and there was a great calm) The only people who never make mistakes are those that do nothing. Admit mistakes, forgive mistakes and move on. Read Isaiah 44:22 (I have swept away your offenses like a cloud.) The help you need is only a prayer away. Read Hebrew 4:16 (Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.) -<>- (\ /) \/ W.Madison \/ (\ /) (X) o00- _ _ -00o (X) (/|\) (')< >(') (/|\) | (@ ) ( @) | \|/|||||||||| ^^ |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||| ^^ ||||wsm|||\|/ ~~~~ ~~~~ >GARDENS OF YOUR LIFE: Those seeds that receive water and nourishment are the seeds that will grow. What seeds in your life are you watering right now? Life is constantly sprouting new possibilities. During each day, many and various influences will fall upon the fertile ground of your consciousness. The quality of your life depends on which of those influences you allow to take hold and grow. It pays to select them wisely. If you nourish the seeds of anger, violence, envy and resentment, then thorny, tangled stalks will soon spring up all around you. If instead you nurture the seeds of love, hope, kindness, creativity and joy, a lush and lovely garden will begin to flower in your life. Choose in each moment to nourish those seeds that will in turn grow to nourish and support you. Hold on to and build those influences that will bring value, meaning, richness and fulfillment to your life. Follow those possibilities that are the most positive and meaningful. And make the garden of your life a beautiful, peaceful and productive place. --- ...Good ones! Thanks Bunni! =========================================================== >-->From Archives InspiredBuffalo: In the Aug. 22, 2008, edition of his UpWords devotional, Max Lucado writes: “Nathaniel Hawthorne came home heartbroken. He’d just been fired from his job in the customhouse. His wife, rather than responding with anxiety, surprised him with joy. ‘Now you can write your book!’ “He wasn’t so positive. ‘And what shall we live on while I’m writing it?’ “To his amazement she opened a drawer and revealed a wad of money she’d saved out of her housekeeping budget. ‘I always knew you were a man of genius,’ she told him. ‘I always knew you’d write a masterpiece.’ “She believed in her husband. Because she did, he wrote. Because he wrote, every library in America has a copy of The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne. “You have the power to change someone’s life simply by the words you speak. ‘Death and life are in the power of the tongue.’” From Preaching Now -<>- __.-.__ _.-' ' ` `-._ .' ' ' ` ` `. ( ' ' ` ` ) |`-,..,.____..,.,--;| |: | :| : | : |: || |: | :| (9>| : |: || |: | :|(\) | : |: || |: | :|/\\ | : |: || |: | /| II | : |: || |: |///| II | : |: || |; | :| II | : |: || /`-!...|____|...!--'\ / \ `--...._________....--' Felix Lee >God's Great Grace There once was a man named George Thomas, pastor in a small New England town. One Easter Sunday morning he came to the Church carrying a rusty, bent, old bird cage, and set it by the pulpit. Eyebrows were raised and, as if in response, Pastor Thomas began to speak... "I was walking through town yesterday when I saw a young boy coming toward me swinging this bird cage. On the bottom of the cage were three little wild birds, shivering with cold and fright. I stopped the lad and asked, "What you got there, son?" "Just some old birds," came the reply. "What are you gonna do with them?" I asked. "Take 'em home and have fun with 'em," he answered. "I'm gonna tease 'em and pull out their! feathers to make 'em fight. I'm gonna have a real good time." "But you'll get tired of those birds sooner or >later. What will you do?" "Oh, I got some cats," said the little boy. "They like birds. I'll take 'em to them." The pastor was silent for a moment. "How much do you want for those birds, son?" "Huh?? !!! Why, you don't want them birds, mister. They're just plain old field birds. They don't sing. They ain't even pretty!" "How much?" the pastor asked again. The boy sized up the pastor as if he were crazy and said, "$10?" The pastor reached in his pocket and took out a ten-dollar bill. He placed it in the boy's hand. In a flash, the boy was gone. The pastor picked up the cage and gently carried it to the end of the alley where there was a tree and a grassy spot. Setting the cage down, he opened the door, and by softly tapping the bars persuaded the birds out, setting them free. Well, that explained the empty birdcage on the pulpit, and then the pastor began to tell this story: One day Satan and God were having a conversation. Satan had just come from the Garden of Eden, and he was gloating and boasting. "Yes, sir, I just caught the world full of people down there. Set me a trap, used bait I knew they couldn't resist. Got 'em all!" "What are you going to do with them?" God asked. Satan replied, "Oh, I'm gonna have fun! I'm gonna teach them how to marry and divorce each other, how to hate and abuse each other, how to drink and smoke and curse. I'm gonna teach them how to invent guns and bombs and kill each other. I'm really gonna have fun!" "And what will you do when you get done with them?" God asked. "Oh, I'll kill 'em," Satan glared proudly. "How much do you want for them?" God asked. "Oh, you don't want those people. They ain't no good. Why, you'll take them and they'll just hate you. They'll spit on you, curse you and kill you. You don't want those people!!" "How much? God asked again. Satan looked at God and sneered, "All your son's blood, tears and his life." God said, "DONE!" Then he stretched out his arms and let his son die for all mankind. He let his only begotten son pay the price with his precious blood. But God won over that old Devil and raised His son from the dead to be with Him forever and save any more people Satan would trick and snare in his evil traps. The pastor picked up the cage he opened the door and he walked from the pulpit. -<>- . . | , \ ' / ` ,-. ' --- ( ) --- \ / _|=|_ |_____| kat The great inventor Thomas Alva Edison used to take special pleasure in showing his guests around the grounds of his New Jersey home. On the way back to the house, there was a fence with a narrow opening and a turnstile that his visitors had to pass through, one at a time. "Why the turnstile?" people often asked. "Each time you pass through," Edison would explain, "you pump eight gallons of water into a tank. We use that water for bathing and drinking." Edison was a towering genius. How like him not to overlook the natural energy that God has stored up in every human being, energy too often untapped. Whenever I think of Edison now I am reminded of the divine potential within myself. The ideas in a corner of my mind I have yet to explore. The unlimited power of love that lies unused within my heart. — Manual Almada -<>- >Links for Your Enjoyment Our Valuable anchor http://www.ShangralaFamilyFun.com/BibleStudy/ouranchor.html For The Joy That Was Set Before Him http://www.ShangralaFamilyFun.com/BibleStudy/joy.html Never Give Up! http://www.ShangralaFamilyFun.com/BibleStudy/nevergiveup.html Akiane Chile Prodigy http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/prodigy.html Real Fantasy Trees 2 http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/trees2.html Aww Animals 4! http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/animals4.html Boeing 787 Dreamliner! http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/b787.html Disney Character Bushes! http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/disneybush.html Giant Catfish! http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/giantcfish.html Humor In Religion 3 http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/hreligion3.html Lion Cub Rescue! http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/lionrescue.html Maxine Humor http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/maxinehumor.html Sweet Wooden Car http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/woodcar.html Willis (Sears) Tower http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/willist.html -<>- >From Our Friend Jo Ann :) Info Please! Year by Year worthwhile events. What was happening in your birth year? http://www.infoplease.com/yearbyyear.html --- ...Great! Thanks Jo Ann! -<>- >From Our Friend Bunni :) Scary Amusement Park Ride - YouTube GULP! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ezxTJmEsP4I --- ...AAaaaa! Never saw one like this! Thanks Bunni! -<>- >From Our Friend Wesley :) Generate Patterns http://generatepattern.com/ Motion Math - Game! http://motionmathgames.com/motion-math-hungry-fish/ --- ...FUN ones! Thanks Wesley! 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 If You haven't joined LynnLynn's mailing List yet, send a blank e-mail to LynnLynns-links-subscribe@Yahoogroups.com ========================================================== >-->From LaughAndLift: .--._..--. ___ ( _'-_ -_.' _.-' `-._| - :- | _.-' `--...__| .-' '--..___ / `._ \ `. `._ | `. `._ / '. `._ :__________....-----' `..`---' |-_ _- |___...----..._ |_....--' `.`. _...--' `.`. _..-' _.'.' .-' _.'.' | _.'.' | __....------'-' | __...------''' _| '--''' |- - _ | _.-''''''''''''''''''-._ _.' |\ .' _.' | `._ |:.' `._ _.' | `..__ | | `---.._.--. _| | | _ - | `-.._|_.' .--...__ | - _| .'_ `--.....__ | .'_ `--..__ .'_ `. .'_ `-. `--..____ _`. ```--...____ _..--' ;;;:::. (\| - _ ```---.._.' .. ;::| - _ |/) ;;;:::. (o) ;;::., |_ - - |;;;: (\'/) ::;; (o) | -_ -_L ``::;;;. .;;' (\ '/) | -_ _ G (o) ..;; ''' ;:;;.,|(o) _-B(\'/) ;;;;::: ;::(\'/);;:|;:; ;' >God's Way, Or Yours (By Bob Gass) [Edited] "He gave them their request, but sent leanness into their soul". - Psalm 106:15 NKJV When you insist on wanting something that God in His wisdom is withholding, sometimes He steps back and says, 'Okay, have it your way.' After God brought His people through the Red Sea and delivered them from the hand of Pharaoh, we read, 'They believed His words; they sang His praise' (Psalm 106:12 NKJV). That sounds good. But notice what happened next, for it happens to us: 'They soon forgot His works; they did not wait for His counsel, but lusted exceedingly in the wilderness and tested God in the desert. And He gave them their request, but sent leanness into their soul' (vs.13-15). Wanting our own way can lead to spiritual emptiness. God called Moses to deliver His people from Egypt, [but first] Moses decided to do it his own way. He saw an Egyptian beating a Hebrew slave, but instead of consulting God he took matters into his own hands. The Bible says, 'He looked this way and that way, and when he saw no one, he killed the Egyptian and hid him in the sand' (Exodus 2:12 NKJV). Obviously Moses was more concerned with the opinions of people than how God felt about it. So God had to teach Moses that his orders came from Him. After Moses dug a hole and tried to hide the work of his flesh, God allowed it to be exposed. He showed Moses that by doing things his own way he couldn't keep a single soldier buried in the sand. Whereas, by doing things God's way, a whole army could be buried in the depths of the Red Sea. So today, make up your mind to do it God's way. -<>- Miami Heat . ,-; . , ________i_,',// _odHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHbo_ dP^' ;.| ||,; `^?b |H ))`'||/'; H| ?bo. .=;' |||.' ,odP `?oo.-',' ||'oodP' /' / / |/ | | _-' || || | ,' J| | \ | | / | |_\ L L .-' | \.)`-.;-;__./ "-._;_.-" || || || ||| || || || |||||| || || || |||||| || ,| || | || || || `|| || | || || `| J || || ||== ||| ==||=' ||=|| ||== || || || || || ||== || `|| || bodom >It Can Be Done (By Peder Eide, www.pedereide.com) Last Friday night I stood outside on our sport court with my nine-year-old daughter, Allison, as she shot free throws in our basketball hoop. For her to even get the ball to the rim consistently is hard enough, but to actually make the shot is a crowning and rare achievement. She must have shot 70-80 free throws. She rebounded most of them herself. She just couldn't quite find the timing or the strength with her legs, arms and hands to get the ball far enough to have a chance to make the shot. Hardly any balls made it over the top of the rim. Most of them missed completely or banged the front of the basket with no hope of going into the cylinder. You would think my Allison would have gotten tired and discouraged, even to the point of saying she hates basketball or "who cares?" Not this girl. Defeated? Hardly. She not only stayed with it, she was passionate about getting that ball to go through the net. She would laugh or shout, "It's so close! The next one is going in!" I even offered to her that she was welcome to take a break and start again in the morning (I was getting tired just watching her). I was quickly rebuffed with "I'm not quitting dad, I'm going to make it even if it takes me a million hours." She likes to use the word million a lot. Most mortals of any age would have laid down the ball, walked away with a feeling of good effort and headed inside for an evening snack. Actually, it would have been applauded because it is commonly taught to just try your best and that's good enough. Not Allison. This was more than trying her best; this was about making the shot. So, what made these free throws different? What made this girl so unbelievably determined and truly focused? Was it that she just believed? Was it just her personality and determination? Maybe. But I can tell you her main drive for shooting and shooting and shooting... ...because she had made a free throw earlier in the day. She knew it could be done, and she wanted to do it again. In I Corinthians 9:24-27 it says; "Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others; I myself will not be disqualified for the prize." Paul writes this with a lot of determination, confidence, and even a bit of an "I dare you" feel to it. His focus is about serving Jesus, sharing Jesus, being like Jesus no matter what it takes. No matter how many shots. This is a guy who counted suffering as joy. Why was Paul so focused and determined? His personality? Charisma? Just a type A person? I don't think so. It's because he already knows that Jesus has won, He's made the shot. Paul knows he is not "beating the air" or "running" without purpose. Paul knows it counts, and it can be done because Christ has already done it. Look my friends, maybe it sounds simple, but we need to remember that Jesus has won! God never loses. Never. Even when it seems tiring, pointless, hopeless, and you want to just walk away with a good effort. We need to press on, run, shoot, love, serve, evangelize, pray, and worship no matter what. Seriously. No matter what. God has made you for something amazing and it might take 70-80 shots to make one; but it is worth it. We just need to shoot. By the way, Allison made her free throw again. She cheered and screamed and gave me a big high five and knew I was very excited for her. It was a fun moment. She grabbed the ball and lined up on the free throw line. She started shooting again, trying to make another free throw because she knew she could. Peace and love my friends, Peder 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 ==================================================================== ,------| [] | !! | ! , | _,~,\ | \)))/ | ((((, | ) ( | (( \ | |/` \ | (| (/ | ejm98 -_ -_ _|_ >The "California Girl" Sales Girls Story Editor: by The Customer Joyce Schowalter USA In early 2012 I saw a giant lump on my body after taking a shower. "Oh gosh," I thought (euphemistically speaking). "If it's that big, it must be everywhere inside me by now. There'll be no way to combat it." You see, people in my family get cancer. Then they die. Often quickly. I mean, I'm not so old, so "two more years" seems like I'd be really cheated on lifespan. And I love my job, non-profit work, really changing things and helping people. But I don't have insurance. I work hard. But insurance costs in the USA have skyrocketed... I can't afford it. I figured, "I won't have any treatment." I was despondent, thinking I'd die a painful, awful death, soon. I wasn't in denial. I stopped into a Goodwill store soon after finding the lump, for spare gardening shoes. Sometimes they have $100 shoes there for $8.00 -- it's amazing. Standing on the aisle, I thought, "Wait! I might not need any more shoes than I have. I should leave." I left, reeling. Then I noticed that instead of dying, I was living. And REALLY wanted to live. Then a neighbor said, "Go to this clinic. They'll refer you to another clinic, which does lots of charity cancer treatment." I went. A seemingly endless series of appointments began. During the initial appointments, before knowing if I'd qualify for charity treatment, still scared I'd soon die, I went to the mall. To celebrate the possibility of LIVING, I'd buy something decent to wear. Specifically, jeans that weren't "mom jeans". First up, a decent women's store. Two salesgirls on the floor... you might say "California girls". Cute, young, seemingly preoccupied with their appearance. One girl began helping me find jeans. She showed me several store sections. After picking out several pairs, I tried them on. She popped back and gave me feedback... she didn't think they fit well enough. Sigh. She was right, as well as honest. Yes, they looked ten times better than mine, but for the price, not good enough. I tried it on a sweater, but it was too big. She got another for me. I liked it, and headed to purchase it, still lacking decent jeans. When the total rang up, I was shocked. It was on sale, half off! They laughed with me when I was excited about it, and suggested I look at that sale rack. I did. Didn't find another, but they were kind to suggest it. What those girls did for me that day, they'll never know. They treated me like any other customer. They were helpful, talked to me and genuinely laughed at my jokes -- though I was older and wearing "mom jeans". They allowed me to feel like I was still normal, too. I think of them as "my California girls", gratefully, and find I pick that sweater to wear often. You never know when -- just by being a normally nice person to someone -- you may be having a profoundly wonderful effect on them. =======HeroicStories======= >-->From Kidwarmers: /`. /\ _/ `..'_ J._-*"; +*" ( X ) | `. " " :._ .' , , / .' \ _L L_/ / `. -..' `.' `.-' `+ ; * :__* : / `.__.' ).' :__. _ " ) ; (c .*"*, ,_ _ '"'T / o`: ) l_.--. _ : : [bug] ,-`.__.\_\ `..*__..--'; .*' ( "*-' ;**--..__.;_ ""')"" :_. *-+, ("*- ._| __..-\ +-* "*+ ;..__ ;**"" `\ \ +*'_.* ""**+ : `* `*" / \ . . ; : ; : ` ' \ / .`- \ : ; . ; : : : ; ' \ / _..-*"`- `-. ( ) `*-..__..---..___.'`*-*" >THE FUNNY THINGS KIDS SAY When James, 4, heard that there was going to be a new baby in the house, he insisted that he was going to have a baby sister. He wouldn't even consider the idea that it might be a brother. He was right. His sister is now a year old, and he adores her. A few days ago he was cuddling her, and his grandmother heard him say, "Oh, Janae, I just missed you so much when you were still in Mommy's tummy." -- Betty Jean Parker (grandmother of James and Janae) of Cheyenne, Wyoming When Nancy's 18-year-old grandson was a toddler he wanted Nancy to cut his toenails. She was trying very hard to be careful, but he was concerned. "Mawmaw," he said, "be careful. Don't cut me. You'll let all the air out of me!" -- "Mawmaw" Nancy of Laverne, Oklahoma It was a couple of days before Mother's Day and Colleen, 3, and Colleen's mommy were picking out outfits. Colleen was asked what dress she would like to wear for Mother's Day and she said, "Something for the rain." When asked what she meant, she replied, "Rain, rain go away come again Mother's Day (another day)." -- June Reister (mother of Colleen) of Gary, Indiana .-------------------.__ /` ( I don't get paid ) O/ __ ( enough for this #@#$!% ) / / / `---O-------------------' O/ O/O/ o o _ . ,---. oOO___;-`-._,.,-. _.._,' __ `. ______| |_|| | (___ ;' `. ; /' / .' `'`-' ``\\ / ; ; / / ,,))\ ,' ,' _,'`\/ `---' ; ; ; `. `. __,-' ,------`--`---. ((( _ _ __) .',' ' `. -------. |\\//\\//\\//\\//\| `. |//\\//\\//\\//\\/| | |\\//\\//\\//\\//\| ________/ \\\_\___________/ jv Pat has seven grandchildren, five of whom live close by. During the warm months, they try to have a BBQ and swimming on Sundays. Grandson Justin, 3, has an older brother who he tries to emulate. Justin was having fun trying to do jump cannonballs into the "little pool" (spa). Just before making another jump, he said, "Watch! When I was little, I couldn't do this." -- Pat Smith of southern California When Debbie was little, she was travelling cross-country with her family. As sunset neared, the sun sent individual rays down through the clouds. "Look!" Debbie said with great excitement. "It's God's blessings coming down on sliding boards!" -- Deb of Chicago When Rhonda's children were helping their grandma wash the dishes, Grandma started bragging about them. At one point she said, "It's not just that you're pretty outside; you are pretty inside, too." Breanna, 5, said, "Grandma, I'm pretty when I go outside." Grandma laughed and tried to explain what she meant. After the explanation, Breanna said, "OK, my bones are pretty... but they don't have any hair!" -- Rhonda Bodeker of Ash Flat, Arkansas .=., ;c =\ __| _/ .'-'-._/-'-._ /.. ____ \ /' _ [<_->] ) \ ( / \--\_>/-/'._ ) \-;_/\__;__/ _/ _/ '._}|==o==\{_\/ / /-._.--\ \_ // / /| \ \ \ / | | | \; | \ \ / / | :/ \: \ \_\ / | /.'| /: | \ \ | | |--| . |--| \_\ / _/ \ | : | /___--._) \ |_(---'-| >-'-| | '-' snd /_/ \_\ Aaron, 6, and his sister Stephanie, 9, went to the dentist for check-ups and then to their grandmother's house. She gave them each a soft drink. Aaron said, "Oh, I don't know Granny if we can drink them or not because we just got back from the Tooth Fairy!" -- Jenny (grandmother of Aaron and Stephanie) of Mayfield, Kentucky Aaron, 3, wanted to tell his grandmother in Wisconsin what he had for breakfast that morning, so he said, "I had monkey legs!" Aaron is now 12, but he still likes "Smoky Links" for breakfast! -- Aaron's grandmother in Shipshewana, Indiana When Sandee's mother was in her nineties they would pick her up each week to take her shopping and out to eat. They would have her great-grandson, Joey, at the same time. When they would arrive at her house she would always turn around, and say to Joey, "Bye, Doll." After several weeks Joey, who was about 18 months, started saying, "Bye, Doll" to her before she could say it to him. Sandee's mother called all her grandchildren and great-grandchildren her "precious cargo." She passed away several months ago, and they made sure "Doll" was on one of her ribbons. -- Sandee Dougherty of Ohio / , /\ \|/ /\ |\\_;=._//| \." "./ //^\ /^\\ .'``",/ |0| |0| \,"``'. / , `'\.---./'` , \ /` /`\,."( )".,/`\ `\ /` ( '.'-.-'.' ) `\ /"` "._ : _." `"\ `/.'`"=.,_``=``_,.="`'.\` jgs ) ( Aulora, 6, was with her grandparents and mother Mysti at a local pizza place. She asked her grandpa for a dollar to go play video games with, so of course he gave her one. She neglected to thank him, so Mysti prompted with, "Aulora, what do we say?" Aulora looked at her grandpa and said, "Granddad, give me ALL your dollars!" -- Mysti Garrett (mother of Aulora) of Lubbock, Texas ========================================================== >-->Life's Mathematics ooo OOO OOO ooo oOO OOo oOO OOo oOO OOo oOO OOo oOO OOo oOO OOo oOO Add your friends OOo oOO Subtract your enemies OOo oOO Multiply your joys OOo oOO Divide your sorrows OOo oOO Draw a circle around you OOo oOO with God in the center OOo oOO and love as the radius OOo oOO OOo oOO OOo oOO OOo oO OOo oOO OOo oOO OOo ooo OOO OOO ooo -Byron DeLaBarre- >Updated FUN STUFF URLS - Oh Yeah :) Shangy! ------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.ShangralaFamilyFun.com/urls.html FUN URLS ------------------------------------------------------------------------- -->BECOMING A CHRISTIAN HOW TO BE A CHRISTIAN! ------------------------------------------------------------------------- -->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 andd 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 ************************************************************************