Little Lessons... :) 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 ~ . , )). -===- ,(( ))). ,((( ))))). .:::. ,(((((( ))))))))). :. .: ,((((((((' `))))))))))). : - : ,(((((((((((( ))))))))))))))))_:' ':_(((((((((((((((' `)))))))))))).-' \___/ '-._((((((((((( `))))_._.-' __)( )(_ '-._._((((' `))'---)___)))'\_ _/'((((__(---'((' `))))))))))))|' '|((((((((((((' jim `)))))))))/' '\(((((((((' `)))))))| |(((((((' `))))))| |((((((' /' '\ /' '\ /' '\ /' '\ '---..___..---' *~* 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 friend Linda. Birds can teach us a lot about perseverance. When we despair from our world's hardships, it can be of immense comfort to look outside of it for some answers. Hopefully this will help you with that. -------|-------------------------------------------------|--------- ___|___ ___|___ ////////\ _ _ /\\\\\\\\ //////// \ ('< >') / \\\\\\\\ | (_) | | (^) (^) | | (_) | |______|.===="== =="====.|______| ---------------------------------------------------------------ldb-- Bird Inspirations http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/birdinspirations.html --- ...Aww, most beautiful! Thanks Linda! =========================================================== >-->From Heartwarmers: /`-. / `-. O/ `-. | `-. /\ `-. \_\_ `-. ########~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`@(((<~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ unknown >THE CATCH OF THE DAY by Shelley Madden I'm a fisherman. No wait, a fisherwoman -- yes that's the correct term I believe. But not much of one, if I can be honest. During lunch, I like to sit on the boat dock, and, you guessed it, fish. I don't eat fish. When I do catch one, I just look at them a minute or two, swell up with pride, and toss 'em back in. Time ran short at lunch one day, so I left my pole in the water, in a rush to get back to work on time. After work, I rushed back to the river. I gazed into the water, and sure enough, my bobber was gone. I snatched up my fishin' pole, and reeled the line in, my heart pounding with anticipation. I thought it would be great to take that big fish up to the house in a bucket of water, showing my boy I can out-fish him any day of the week. And brag a little. That big fish had gotten himself snagged in the weeds on the opposite bank, and I could tell he was a big one, probably my biggest catch ever. I felt him pull, and twist, but no matter how I tried, I couldn't get him reeled in. Not wanting to hurt the big fella, I climbed into my paddleboat, pole and all. The boat sits low on the water, so I figured I'd be able to reach over and lift him into the boat. I paddled to the opposite bank of the river, while reeling my line in, and came up alongside the weeds he was snagged under. I could feel him tugging on my line. He was big and strong. I leaned forward in the boat, and began pulling weeds up from the river bottom, slowly untangling the line. My heart beat with excitement. I finally worked the line free of the weeds, and pulled the big boy up from the water, to come meet his momma. My blood ran cold at what came up out of that water. It was the biggest, meanest, ugliest snake I'd ever seen in my life. With my fishhook in his mouth he had the audacity to hiss at me! I screamed bloody murder, let go of that line as if I'd grabbed a prickly pear, fell back into the seat of the boat and paddled backwards as if my life depended on it. Which for all intents and purposes, it may have. The boat rocked and lurched from my backward dive to get away from that snake, threatening to throw me into that green mass of snake-infested water with the hissing Anaconda-sized reptile. As luck would have it (something I obviously have very little of) that fishing line found the perfect spot, the one spot, the only spot, and snagged across the front of the boat as I paddled like a madwoman in reverse. I was pulling the snake into the boat with each backwards stroke I took! I leaned forward, untangled the line, and freed the wriggling, spitting creature from the front of my boat. The moment I did, my boat hit the opposite shore from where my adventure began, throwing me forward, up alongside the reptilian bone crusher. We meet eye to eye. I don't remember how fast I got out of that boat, but it was real fast. My hands shaking, I called my boy to come down and help me out -- I'd finally caught the big one. "Is it a keeper mom?" he asked. "Well, no son," I muttered, "I caught a snake." He showed up real quick, jumped back into the boat and paddled over to free the fire-breathing dragon at the end of my line. "Hey mom," he asked, "why is the boat seat wet?" I blushed with embarrassment. "Never mind son, just get that thing off my fishin' pole!" A few minutes later, he had the giant constrictor freed from the line and held it up proudly to show me my catch of the day, still worthy of a picture, from a distance of course. My son assured me he was harmless, and put the legless lizard back alongside the river. "Hey," I asked too late, "why did you put it back in my river? Couldn't you put him in the neighbor's river?" We had a good chuckle and we headed back up to the house where I put on some fresh clothes. -- Shelley Madden =========================================================== >-->From Our Friend Geniann :) ..;;;;;;; ,;;;;;;;;;' M ,;;;;;;;\ U ,;;;;;;;; \ S ,;;;;;;;; \ I ,;;;;;;;; \ C ,;;;;;;;; ,,,, \ M ,;;;;;;;; ' ', \ A ,;;;;;;;; ' . ,\, K .,;;;;;;;;_______________ \ ', r /__________I I__________\ I__________I_____________I___________I [=MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM=] { } { } III { } { } { } III { } { } [__] III { } _{ } III { } [__] O C O [__] >Who Wrote "Precious Lord"? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qsiq87InDE8 Back in 1932 I was 32 years old and a fairly new husband. My wife, Nettie and I were living in a little apartment on Chicago’s Southside. One hot August afternoon I had to go to St. Louis, where I was to be the featured soloist at a large revival meeting. I didn’t want to go. Nettie was in the last month of pregnancy with our first child. But a lot of people were expecting me in St. Louis. I kissed Nettie good-bye, clattered downstairs to our Model A and, in a fresh Lake Michigan breeze, chugged out of Chicago on Route 66. However, outside the city, I discovered that in my anxiety at leaving, had forgotten my music case. I wheeled around and headed back. I found Nettie sleeping peacefully. I hesitated by her bed; something was strongly telling me to stay. But eager to get on my way, and not wanting to disturb Nettie, I shrugged off the feeling and quietly slipped out of the room with my music. The next night, in the steaming St. Louis heat, the crowd called on me to sing again and again. When I finally sat down, a messenger boy ran up with a Western Union telegram. I ripped open the envelope. Pasted on the yellow sheet were the words: YOUR WIFE JUST DIED. People were happily singing and clapping around me, but I could hardly keep from crying out. I rushed to a phone and called home. All I could hear on the other end was “Nettie is dead. Nettie is dead.” When I got back, I learned that Nettie had given birth to a boy. I swung between grief and joy. Yet that night, the baby died. I buried Nettie and our little boy together, in the same casket. Then I fell apart. For days I closeted myself. I felt that God had done me an injustice. I didn’t want to serve Him any more or write gospel songs. I just wanted to go back to that jazz world I once knew so well. But then, as I hunched alone in that dark apartment those first sad days, I thought back to the afternoon I went to St. Louis. Something kept telling me to stay with Nettie. Was that something God? Oh, if I had paid more attention to Him that day, I would have stayed and been with Nettie when she died. From that moment on I vowed to listen more closely to Him. But still I was lost in grief. Everyone was kind to me, especially a friend, Professor Fry, who seemed to know what I needed. On the following Saturday evening he took me up to Malone’s Poro College, a neighborhood music school. It was quiet; the late evening sun crept through the curtained windows. I sat down at the piano, and my hands began to browse over the keys. Something happened to me then I felt at peace. I feel as though I could reach out and touch God. I found myself playing a melody, one I’d never heard or played before, and the words into my head-they just seemed to fall into place: Precious Lord, take my hand, lead me on, let me stand! I am tired, I am weak, I am worn, Through the storm, through the night lead me on to the light, Take my hand, precious Lord, Lead me home. The Lord gave me these words and melody, He also healed my spirit. I learned that when we are in our deepest grief, when we feel farthest from God, this is when He is closest, and when we are most open to His restoring power. And so I go on living for God willingly and joyfully, until that day comes when He will take me and gently lead me home. -Tommy A. Dorsey Did you know that Tommy A. Dorsey wrote this song? I sure didn’t. What a wonderful story of how God CAN heal the brokenhearted. P.S. Beautiful, isn’t it? Note: Thomas Andrew Dorsey was born in Villa Rica, Georgia, on 1 July 1899. He was a blues bandleader for singers including Ma Rainey, but after becoming a Christian he turned to writing gospel music, reportedly after undergoing a spiritual experience while hearing the hymn “I Do, Don’t You?” at a Baptist convention. Across the course of his lifetime he penned more than a thousand gospel hymns, including “Say Amen,” “Somebody,” “Take My Hand” and “Peace in the Valley.” He died in Chicago on 23 January 1993 of complications arising from Alzheimer’s disease. NOT To Be Confused With... Tommy Dorsey, the acclaimed trombonist and dance-band leader, was born on 19 November 1905. After working for other bands, he and his brother Jimmy formed their own ensemble in 1920. The brothers had a falling out in 1935 and parted ways, Jimmy staying with The Dorsey Brother Orchestra but renaming it ‘Jimmy Dorsey and His Orchestra,’ and Tommy taking over what was left of another band to form his own group. In 1939 Tommy Dorsey hired Frank Sinatra away from rival bandleader Harry James. (While the various Dorsey bands recorded numerous songs that went to #1 on the charts of their day, a great many are unknown to music listeners of the modern era. Arguably, Sinatra’s “I’ll Never Smile Again” is one of the exceptions.) In 1953 Tommy Dorsey broke up his own band and returned to his brother’s, the pair eventually renaming that ensemble the Dorsey Brothers Orchestra. Sedated by sleeping pills following a heavy meal, Dorsey accidentally choked to death at the age of 51 on 26 November 1956. https://www.snopes.com/music/songs/precious.asp --- ...So heartwarming and touching! Thanks Geniann! =========================================================== >-->From Archives InspiredBuffalo: ________ .##@@&&&@@##. ,##@&::%&&%%::&@##. #@&:%%000000000%%:&@# #@&:%00' '00%:&@# #@&:%0' '0%:&@# #@&:%0 0%:&@# #@&:%0 0%:&@# #@&:%0 0%:&@# "" ' " " ' "" >LITTLE LESSONS By: Joseph J. Mazzella Everyday life has taught me a lot of things over the years. It has filled me with hundreds of little lessons that have brought so much laughter into my life, love into my heart, and joy into my soul. Here are just a few of the many wonderful bits of wisdom that life has given me. When raking leaves in the backyard always rake them into a big pile. This makes it easier for you and your children to jump and play in them. Shoveling snow off the driveway isn’t complete until you make a snow angel, build a snowman, and have at least one snowball fight. When mowing the lawn always leave a clump of dandelions or sweet clover standing for the butterflies to enjoy. You will get tired of playing fetch long before your dog does, but you should still play anyway. An empty lap is far less happy than one that has a cat, dog, or young child sitting on it. A clean house isn’t always a happy house. The best homes look lived in, laughed in, and loved in. It is hard to give away a smile. It almost always gets returned to you. Arms are meant for hugging, hands are meant for holding, and lives are meant for living. You can’t give too much love or share too much joy. The more love you give to others the more love you have in your heart. The more joy you share with others the more joy you have in your soul. If you are too busy to watch a sunset, play with your kids, read a book, listen to music, or gaze at the stars then you are just too busy period. We can create Heaven on Earth or we can create Hell on Earth. It is our choice. I much prefer Heaven on Earth myself. One last thing that I have learned is that God loves us more than we will ever know and that God wants us to be happy in our lives. Why else would we be down here learning these little lessons about life, love, and joy? I hope that you have a lifetime of happiness learning yours and sharing them with others. -<>- _\< ( > __)( _____/ // ___ / \\ / \\__ | _ // \ || | | \ \\ / _ || | | | \\/ | \ || | |_/ |/ | | || | | \ /| |_/ || | | \ \| | >_ ) | | \. _|\ | < _|= | /_.| . \/ * | * ** / * ** |\)/) ** \))ejm97/.,(//,,..,,\||(,wo,\ ).((// - \) >The Little Rock Bill Walker missourisage@yahoo.com Bill don't kick or move any rocks. I remember my mother saying that many many years ago. It was my first visit I remember of going to the cemetery where my Grandfather Sonner and Uncle Homer was at. I thought it was strange. There was lots of rocks. Some was small, but here or there was a somewhat larger rock. Which was I to kick or move? Which was I not to kick or move? Well I was told not to, so I did as told. I guess I might have said why? I think the answer was might be the marker for some grave. Grandfather and Homer has a old cheap looking marker, but it was a marker. Had the names and dates on them. I was thinking today of all the people that has walked on the face of this earth. The unknowns, the forgotten, the billions of people the number must be. Where is their marker? Even the ones we read about in history. The grave has been long forgotten. Where is Adam and Eve, Cain, and Able, just a few, where? There is God only knows how many. God seen fit to take care of Moses, no man knows where Moses was planted at, only God, and God took care of that task himself. I was back east some years ago. At the little town where one branch of the family tree should be. My mothers side. her father came from there. I asked a lady that is related to me where is the founder of our tree buried at. She showed me graves of some of the family, but not his, or the two women he was attached to. She took me out in the country about a mile or two. Said up on that hill, but the owner of the land allows no one to go up there. I got a letter from her while back. Guess I could if an ever that way again go visit the grave. Seems like the school bought the land where those would be resting. I could drive right up and maybe park my car on top of his grave. You see it is now a parking lot for the school. Graves lost now and forever. She said when the land was sold, a lot of old time grave markers was found in a heap. No one remembers any thing about just where the markers was at. What with all the earth moving that was done to build the new fancy school and parking lot. When thinking about it I guess this is the way it has been all through the history of this world. I remember living for a year or two in the little city of Hayes, Kansas. One of those wild west towns of the mid 1800s. Had a place called Boot Hill. Men and women died with their boots on you know. A person died by what ever means. Was stuffed into a box of some kind, maybe, and dropped into a hole. Might have a wooden marker. Marker would tell the date Joe got gunned down by Cody, or Wildbill. They both was town Marshall one time or other. Some time they both killed some poor slow on the draw, on both sides of the law. Didn't take much to get Wildbill to draw, call him Duckbill, he put you in a hole. He got that name from his big over sized nose. Just don't say it to his face. Well this was in the mid 1930s when I was there. Town people thought all had been dug up and moved out to the new cemetery. Was putting in new street, and water lines and so on. Guess what? Found bones, people unknown as to what, when and who these bones belonged to. Some day you and I will be under the sod some where. That is our bones, slowly going back to the dirt the body was made from. Some day the land may be needed to build a school or church on, even a road or street. I guess it makes no difference. This has been going on for how many years? I am sure in your travels, you too have walked over, or drove over many graves of people long gone and forgot about. Don't kick or move that rock Bill. Might be a marker of a grave. I still remember mother saying that. I noticed the last time I was there. Seems like the rocks has got moved, not as many as there used to be. Grandfather and Homer, and now Grandmother has nice new later stones. Don't think their graves will be in danger of being moved. Town never grows in size. Just more sleeping dogs in the road, you got to move to get to the grave yard, and the little Baptist church, that was there when Grandfather died, back in 1914. And he was dressed in his officers uniform of GRAY. Hoo Ray for Dixie. -<>- __ __ {_/ \_}\\ _ _\(_)_ (_)_)(_)_ (_)(_)_)(_) (_)(_))_) (_(_(_) (_)_) jgs (_) >A Bit of Humor There's a little old Christian lady living next door to an atheist. Every morning the lady comes out onto her front porch and shouts "Praise the Lord!". The atheist yells back, "There is no God". She does this every morning with the same result. As time goes on, the lady runs into financial difficulties and has trouble buying food. She goes out onto the porch and asks God for help with groceries, then says "Praise the Lord". The next morning she goes out onto the porch and there's the groceries she asked for, and of course, she shouts "Praise the Lord!". The atheist jumps out from behind a bush and says, "Ha, I bought those groceries - there is no God". The lady looks at him and smiles, she shouts "Praise the Lord, not only did you provide for me Lord, you made Satan pay for the groceries!!" -<>- >Links for Your Enjoyment: Sweet Baby Animals!- http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/babyanimals3.html Best Costumes!- http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/costumes.html Last Shot!- http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/lastshot.html Halloween Cakes!- http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/hcakes.html Extreme Noodling!- http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/noodling.html Dangerous Critters!- http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/dangerouscritters.html Sweet Baby Overload!- http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/sweetoverload.html Chapel With Bone Art!- http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/chapel.html Nyiragongo Lava Lake!- http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/lavalake.html The Best Pillows!- http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/pillows.html Chainsaw Wood Carving!- http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/woodcarving.html MacGyver - How To Do It!- http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/macgyver.html Old Barns, Old People, Old Friends!- http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/barns.html Angels Are Watching! http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/angelswatching.html Emergency Numbers: http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/poems/help.html Think Positive http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/positive.html Maxine On Fall! http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/maxineonfall.html Thank You Lord! http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/thanks.html Are Angels Real? http://www.ShangralaFamilyFun.com/BibleStudy/angelsreal.html Full Fall And Halloween Index Page!- http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/halloweenindex.html -<>- >Please Visit/Follow me on StumbleUpon http://tinyurl.com/yalmz6q8 -<>- >In The News: White House Daily http://tinyurl.com/y7hnh6jm Promoting America’s Prosperity http://tinyurl.com/yamx9bj8 Fox News Online http://www.foxnews.com/ $9M question as Clinton, Democrats deny, deflect on Fusion GPS scandal http://tinyurl.com/y8ckqjsu Hannity Breaking News https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZwaHVGBbE9o Bias: 1,000 Minutes for Trump/Russia 'Collusion' vs. 20 Seconds for Hillary/Russia Scandal http://em.mrc.org/b0000KBYjRx0SqkO000d68L ABC Gives Just Seconds to Clinton Funding Dossier, Spent Ten Minutes on Don Jr. Meeting http://em.mrc.org/NB00yRdK000kqjS0PL8060Y Nets Downplay Clinton/DNC Using Foreign Agents for Oppo. Research http://em.mrc.org/SB0S0K06Y080LRq0k00jdQz Federal Judge Rules on Obamacare A crucial case in the battle over healthcare http://tinyurl.com/y8sn2l5o Massive Voter Fraud Revealed This needs more investigating... http://truedaily.news/2017/10/25/massive-voter-fraud-revealed/ Latest at TrueDailyNews: http://truedaily.news/ -<>- >From Our Friend Geniann :) Scottie Pinwheel - YouTube https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/vDa0z0gEvI4?rel=0 --- ...So adorable! Thanks Geniann! -<>- >From Our Friend LouiseAu :) Magician Eric Jones Amazes the judges and audiences of America's Got Talent 2017 with his incredible coin tricks. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=igG_lOq-8w8 Blake Vogt amazes the judges and audience of America's Got Talent 2016 with his mind blowing skills! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2y34MDvUSIQ How the Rockies Were Made - History Channel Documentary Mountain Springs The Secrets Of Wild Canada Must See! Best Natural World Documentary https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VEk2SDGrUTs --- ...Wowsers! Thanks LouiseAu! 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 ========================================================== _|_ | _|_ //_/\ __| ||____ ////////////\ /////////////\\ |^^^^^^^^^^||+| | # # # |||| .... ....". ||||||||||||||||| unknown >The Courage to Tell the Truth Story Editor: by Karen Rudd Joyce Schowalter Washington, USA When I was seventeen in the late 1960s, my mother was stricken with colon cancer. She was given six months to live, so she asked my father for one thing, that we would all start going to church until the end. Shortly after her diagnosis, she asked our new pastor if she could be anointed with healing oil and prayer. She did not ask to be completely healed, only that she be given life long enough to see that all her children were safely on their own road to life. She became ill for the last time when my baby sister (who was eleven at the time mother was afflicted with cancer) graduated from high school. Seven *years* after her diagnosis. While she was hospitalized, I watched her mental condition deteriorate to the point that she began to get confused. Her kidneys were shutting down, so her blood chemistry was completely out of whack. Tumors had been found in her brain. Several days after she was admitted, I arrived for my daily visit only to have her question me angrily about not telling her the "real" reason she was in the hospital. She went on to explain that she was really in the hospital for her nerves, not because of her terminal condition. I didn't know what to do. I was twenty-four at the time, and had never dealt with someone dying of disease. I was paralyzed by indecision and fear. In the midst of all this turmoil, my brother arrived for a visit. I watched my mother start to tell him the same thing she had told me. My heart was pounding as I wondered how he would deal with her confusion. Calmly, he pulled a chair near her bed and took her hand. As he held it gently in his, he spoke softly, "Mother, you know you will not be leaving this hospital alive." Tears welled up in my eyes, nearly blinding me, as my mother covered his hands with her own, and in a moment of lucidity, she whispered, "I know." I stayed long enough to watch the two of them face her frightening future together. They spoke of death as an inevitability, instead of some far off enemy. He didn't know it at the time, but he was giving Mother permission to stop the war against her disease. She went into a coma that night, and two days later she died. I've never forgotten the courage I saw my brother summon that night. He had taken a difficult walk with my mother from her state of denial, to the peace of acceptance. That moment has been a life lesson for me. It has helped me to face my own mortality and the mortality of people I've known who've died since then. Perhaps my brother thinks what he did that day was nothing special. It was. Sometimes truth isn't pretty or pleasant, but it can set us free. =======HeroicStories======= >-->From CupO'Cheer: ) (_) .-'-. | | | | | | | | __| |__ .-. .-' | | `-: : : `---' :-' jgs `-._ _.-' '"""""" >DELIVERANCE FROM THE BLACK HOLE (edited) As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you" (Joshua 1:5b). A black hole is a place of total nothingness. It's a time in our life when our resources and supports that we normally rely on to feel secure - our careers, finances, friends, family, health and so forth are gone. It is a preparation time. When you find yourself in a black hole experience, don't just sit and brood. Take stock of your life. Take a look at your relationship with God. First, ask God if there are any sins, habits, or attitudes that He might be causing this in your life. It's important to discern whether the trial we face is the result of our sin, or if it is preparing us for a future leadership role. Second, when you enter a black hole, don't trust your feelings. Trust God. Your feelings will tell you, "God has rejected you. Abandon hope. He has left you utterly alone." Feelings change; God never changes. Feelings come and go; God is always with us. Third, remember that God will make your black hole experience a refining and defining time; He may also use it to influence and change the lives of hundreds or even thousands of other people. Our adversity is not always just ours, but may be for others in our sphere of influence. Fourth, don't try to hurry the black hole process along. Remember, when Joseph was in the depths of the pit, there was nothing he could do about it. He couldn't climb out, jump out, levitate out, or talk his way out. All he could do was pray and wait upon the Lord. Fifth, lean on God. Even when you don't feel like praying, pray. Even when you don't feel like reading His Word, read. Even when you don't feel like singing songs of faith, sing. When you pray, don't just talk; listen. Be silent before Him and listen for His still, quiet voice. Sixth, be alert to new truths and new perspectives. During a black hole experience, God often leads us to amazing new discoveries. A black hole can be a storehouse of unexpected riches for the soul. as seen in Today God is First -<>- , , /////| ///// | ///// | |~~~| | | |===| |/| | B |/| | | I | | | | B | | | | L | / | E | / |===|/ jgs '---' >USE YOUR AUTHORITY! by Bob & Debby Gass 'I have given you authority...to overcome...the enemy...' Luke 10:19 NIV Has satan singled you out for attack? Are you wondering, 'Why would he even bother with someone like me?' The answer is - influence. Job's influence was a constant irritant to satan. One day God said to satan, 'Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him' (Job 1:8 NKJV)? Shortly after that conversation Satan attacked Job's health, his children, his marriage and his business. You can't get God's attention without getting satan's too! Whatever glorifies God, enrages our enemy. But you have the power to overcome him. Jesus said, 'I saw Satan fall like lightning from Heaven. I have given you authority...to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you' (Luke 10:18-19 NIV). Notice, you haven't been called to defeat Satan; Jesus already did that 2000 years ago. You have been called to enforce His defeat each day. Jesus already disarmed and made a public spectacle of him at the cross (Colossians 2:15). When General MacArthur met the Supreme Commander of the Japanese forces at the end of World War II, he took the sword out of his hand, declared victory and enforced the terms of unconditional surrender. And that's what Jesus did for you at the cross. When He died and rose again He stripped the devil of his power and declared, '...All [power] in Heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Therefore go...' (Matthew 28:18-19 NIV). Go in His power. Go in His strength. Go in His name. He has given you authority over the enemy - use it. SoulFood: Num 29:1-6, Matt 24, Rev 11:15-19, 1 Cor 15:50-58 (Feast of Trumpets) as seen in The Word For Today -<>- _____ __ _ .-'| | | |``-. ,a888a, | | | __| | |__8888888___| | |____ --| | |----/|\-----| | |---- --| | |---/ | \----| | |---- __| | |__/ | \___| | |____ | | .' / | \ `. | | __|__|.'___/____|____\___`.|_____|____ 1-point perspective fL >PUTTING PEOPLE ON A PEDESTAL Allowing Our Loved Ones to Be Human When you put somebody on a pedestal it is giving away your power and saying you are not good enough. When we fall in love with someone or make a new friend, we sometimes see that person in a glowing light. Their good qualities dominate the foreground of our perception and their negative qualities. They just don't seem to have any. This temporary state of grace is commonly known as putting someone on a pedestal. Often times we put spiritual leaders and our gurus on pedestals. We have all done this to someone at one time or another, and as long as we remember that no one is actually "perfect," the pedestal phase of a relationship can be enjoyed for what it is—a phase. It's when we actually believe our own projection that troubles arise. Everyone has problems, flaws, and blind spots, just as we do. When we entertain the illusion that someone is perfect, we don't allow them room to be human, so when they make an error in judgment or act in contradiction to our idea of perfection, we become disillusioned. We may get angry or distance ourselves in response. In the end, they are not to blame for the fact that we idealized them. Granted, they may have enjoyed seeing themselves as perfect through our eyes, but we are the ones who chose to believe an illusion. If you go through this process enough times, you learn that no one is perfect. We are all a combination of divine and human qualities and we all struggle. When we treat the people we love with this awareness, we actually allow for a much greater intimacy than when we held them aloft on an airy throne. The moment you see through your idealized projection is the moment you begin to see your loved one as he or she truly is. We cannot truly connect with a person when we idealize them. In life, there are no pedestals—we are all walking on the same ground together. When we realize this, we can own our own divinity and our humanity. This is the key to balance and wholeness within ourselves and our relationships. as seen in Inspiration Plus -<>- __ /_/\/\ \_\ / /_/ \ \_\/\ \ \_\/ unknown >HOW CAN GOD NOT SEEM TO SEE? (By Debbie Preuss, April 6, 2008) How can God not seem to see This wicked World of depravity Stabbings, killings in this life A man beating his own wife What have we come to? I often ask On this earth so small, yet vast People turning their backs on God With a logic that is flawed They don't believe He is alive As they live their lives from nine to five Then they ask why God turns away As they ignore Him day after day God sees the sin and He has a cure That will forever more endure But those who still turn their back His salvation, they do lack For our Father had a plan To redeem the sinful man Give up the life they now live Everything now, to Him give He will cleanse and make us whole When we give to Him control His only Son died on a cross So that man need not be lost His blood covers all our sin So that believing, we would win Eternal life from heaven above Surrounded by His perfect love But those who don't accept the gift Will not be able to span the rift Between heaven and this mortal sod For they are not children of God They have no claim on heaven above For they don't know God's gift of love Soon will be the judgement day When God will turn His face away Then to hell, they will go When offered salvation, they said no God's children He will gather in Those forgiven of their sin The rest will go to satan's domain For they did not call God's name They're not His children, life is done They turned their backs on God's own Son Know now that God does see This wicked world of depravity He made the cure available to all If they would only answer His call Those who don't know Him on that day For the last time, God will turn away And with their mortal, dying breath They enter the hell after death Listen here and listen well God has NO children in hell as seen in Laugh and Lift -<>- , , /////| ///// | ///// | |~~~| | | |===| |/| | B |/| | | I | | | | B | | | | L | / | E | / |===|/ jgs '---' >PSALM 63 Morning Prayer A Psalm by David, when he was in the desert of Judah. God, you are my God. I will earnestly seek you. My soul thirsts for you. My flesh longs for you, in a dry and weary land, where there is no water. So I have seen you in the sanctuary, watching your power and your glory. Because your loving kindness is better than life, my lips shall praise you. So I will bless you while I live. I will lift up my hands in your name. My soul shall be satisfied as with the richest food. My mouth shall praise you with joyful lips, when I remember you on my bed, and think about you in the night watches. For you have been my help. I will rejoice in the shadow of your wings. My soul stays close to you. Your right hand holds me up. But those who seek my soul, to destroy it, shall go into the lower parts of the earth. They shall be given over to the power of the sword. They shall be jackal food. But the king shall rejoice in God. Everyone who swears by him will praise him, for the mouth of those who speak lies shall be silenced. -World English Bible What is your morning routine? How does prayer fit into that routine? Have you ever noticed that activities done first thing in the morning become easily acquired habits, while those activities done later become sporadic? Wise people “front load” their day, so those activities they deem important will be accomplished. Of course, a wise person limits the number of activities in the morning, so they don’t conflict with demanding time schedules. What does the wise Christian do first thing in the morning? The obvious answer is prayer. But is the prayer merely habitual reaction or is it a deeply felt yearning for God that day? Psalm 63 was a morning prayer that cried out for divine intimacy. The speaker in the psalm prayed for God to come close; he saw worship in the Temple as the highest activity in life. Throughout the night, the psalmist would bless God (63:5 described both the Jewish form of blessing and the Jewish stance of blessing with arms outstretched); blessing itself was an activity on par with eating the finest feast. Even in the pre-dawn when the spirit was the weakest, the psalmist took comfort in the Lord’s help. The psalm ended with a prayer for the king. Even though enemies pursued the king, they would fail, for the trust of the king was in the Lord. (Notice the voice of the one praying 63:10-12 and the king seem to be the same.) These last verses and the desert tone of the psalm itself (...my soul thirsts...like a lifeless, parched land without water) supported the spirit of the title: a psalm of David while he was in the wilderness. Despite the title, the psalm acted as a dawn prayer in Temple worship. The priest in the early morning hour would praise God, while he anticipated the coming sacrifice and communion meal. Prayer first thing in the morning is obviously a good idea, but that prayer should set the tone for the rest of the day. While such prayer is no guarantee for an anxiety free day, it can help put other activities and goals for the day in perspective. As you place your day before God, give him praise and reflect on your need to give him praise. Permission for use. All materials found in word-sunday.com are the property of Larry Broding (Copyright 1999 -2007). Viewers may copy any material found in these pages for their personal use or for use in any non-profit ministry. Materials may not be sold or used for personal financial gain. To SUBSCRIBE: Send an e-mail with SUBSCRIBE CUP O'CHEER in the subject line to cheer316@sc.rr.com. ========================================================== >-->From Kidwarmers: .--. .-, .-..-.__ .'(`.-` \_.-'-./` |\_(_"\__ __.>\ '; _;---,._| / __/`'--) /.--. : |/' _.--.<| / | | _..-' `\ /' /` /_/ _/_/ >_.-``-. `Y /' _;---.`|/)))) '` .-''. \|: \.' __, .-'"` .'--._ `-: \/: /' '.\ _|_ /.'`\ :; /' `- `-|-` -` | | | :.; : | .-'~^~`-. |: | .' _ _ `. |:. | | |_) | |_) | :. : | | | \ | | | .jgs. : ; | | -."-/\\\/:::. `\."-._'."-"_\\-| |///."- " -."-.\\"-."//.-".`-."_\\-.".-\\`=.........=`//-". >THE FUNNIEST THINGS KIDS SAY Esther was babysitting her grandchildren, Cameron, 4, and Madison, 2. They were at the kitchen table and able to look out the window and watch the bees fly around the Rose of Sharon bush. Madison was saying, "Bee, bee, bee..." Esther explained the difference between honey bees and bumble bees. Cameron said, "I seen honey birds." Esther corrected him, "No, it's BEES not birds." Cameron was insistent, "I seen honey BIRDS, Grandma. They can fly and stay still." And then Esther realized he was referring to a hummingbird that had appeared briefly. -- Esther Grawcock of rural Avilla, Indiana Gale was watching her grandson Josh, 4, enjoy a chocolate cookie. He offered her one. She said, "No, I can't have it. I'm allergic." Very seriously he replied, "Grandma, I promise I took the 'lergic' out of it!" -- Gale Spence of Angola, Indiana Here's another one from Gale. Josh, 4, overheard Gale making a call. The person didn't answer so Josh overheard Gale leaving this message: "It's Aunt Gale. Call me when you get this message." Josh said, "You're not Aunt Gale anymore. You are Grandma! Did you forget? What do I have to do to get you to remember?" .-. heehee /aa \_ __\- / ) .-. .-. (__/ / haha _/oo \ _/ ..\ / \ ( \v /__ ( \ u/__ / \__ \/ ___) \ \__) \_.-._._ ) .-. / \ / \ `-` / ee\_ / \_ __/ \ __\ o/ ) \_.-.__ ) ( _._.-._/ hoho (___ \/ '-' jgs '-' / \ _/ \ teehee ( __.-._/ '-' Here's another story from Gale. She was having a bad day and Josh said to her, "Grandma... it's always a GOOD day when we are together!" Connie's friend Roswitha was visiting her grandniece who had just given birth to her second child. The 4-year-old first born was watching his mother nurse the baby. "What is she doing?" he asked about his baby sister. "She's drinking milk; you also did when you were a baby," his mother said. The little boy followed up with, "How do you put the milk in there?" -- Connie of Austria Koen, 4, had just finished supper with his Nanna and PawPaw. He had dropped a chicken nugget on the floor during the meal, so he was told not to eat it, but to throw it in the sink with the disposal. Koen walked to the kitchen sink, dropped the inedible nugget in and asked, "Throw it in the eater?'" -- Dennis Smith (Koen's PawPaw) of Oak Ridge, North Carolina Brooklynn, 4, was playing with her cousins. Her mom was at home with her sick sister, so her Auntie Lori asked her when she came out of the bathroom if she'd washed her hands. She said she had. Lori asked if she'd flushed the toilet. She said yes she had. Then she tacked on, "I think I've done everything I was supposed to do in there!" -- Donna Johnson (grandmother of Brooklynn) of Ashby, Minnesota _ /\ )\ _ __) )__ .'`--`'. )\_ .-'._'-'_.'-. / ^ ^ \ .'`---`'. .'.' /o\'/o\ '.'. \ \/\/\/ / / <> <> \ : ._: 0 :_. : \ '------' _J_ | A |: \\/\_/\// : | _/)_ .'`---`'. \ <\_/> / : :\/\_/\/: : / .'`----`'./.'0\ 0\ \ _?_._`"`_.'`'-:__:__:__:__:-' /.'<\ /> \: o | .'`---`'.`` _/( /\ |:,___A___,|' V===V / /.'a . a \.'`---`'. __(_(__ \' \_____/ /'._____.' |: ___ /.'/\ /\ \ .-'._'-'_.'-:.______.' _?_ \' \_/ |: ^ | .'.' (o\'/o) '.'. .'`"""`'. '._____.'\' 'vvv' / / :_/_: A :_\_: \ / ^.^ \ '.__.__.' | : \'=...='/ : | \ `===` / jgs \ : :'.___.': : / `-------` '-:__:__:__:__:-' Cali, 5, was riding home with her Nana. She had gotten some skim milk to drink on the ride. She suddenly told her Nana, "I know why it is called 'skin milk.'" Nana asked her why and she said "'Cuz it is good for you skin!" -- Cathy (mother of Cali) of Dillard, Georgia Trevor, 5, needed to get up early for classes. He told his mother he was too tired, and she told him he could sleep in the van. He sternly told her, "Mommy, I hate sleeping in pieces." -- Trevor's Aunt Amy of Butler, Pennsylvania Here is another story from Amy, a teacher's helper. Jonni, 4, was learning about Joseph in Sunday School. The teacher asked her if she understood revenge and she didn't. So the teacher asked her what she would do if someone stole her crayon, and she sweetly answered, "Call the police." They all chuckled and went on with the lesson. When they got to the part where Joseph was thrown in jail, Jonni was asked, "Why was Joseph in jail?" And she looked straight at the teacher and matter-of-factly stated, "Because he stole my crayon!" (\___/) (\___/) (\___/) (\___/) (\___/) (\___/) /0\ /0\ /o\ /o\ /0\ /0\ /O\ /O\ /o\ /o\ /0\ /0\ \__V__/ \__V__/ \__V__/ \__V__/ \__V__/ \__V__/ /|:. .:|\ /|;, ,;|\ /|:. .:|\ /|;, ,;|\ /|;, ,;|\ /|:. .:|\ \\:::::// \\;;;;;// \\:::::// \\;;;;;// \\;;;;;// \\:::::// jgs--`"" ""`---`"" ""`---`"" ""`---`"" ""`---`"" ""`---`"" ""`--- ^~^^~^~^~^~^^~~^^^~^~~^~^~^~^^~~^^^~^~~^~^~^~^^~~^^^~^^~^~^~^^~~^^ Jane sometimes substitutes for pre-K. Recently two of the children had a birthday on the same day turning 5 years old. One little boy standing close by was looking sad, so Jane asked him if he was still 4 years old. He said, "My mama says I am." -- Jane from Louisiana Amy was talking with her mother-in-law, Donna, about where they should go to eat: Olive Garden or Red Lobster. A little while later, Emily, who was sitting at the table coloring, looked up and asked, "Are we going to Crabs to eat?" -- Donna Kensky (grandmother of Emily) of Fort Wayne, Indiana Here is another story from Donna. Emily saw Donna's Christmas tree up and lit with cherubs and angels all over it. She said, "I want to count the Fairy Tales on your tree, Grandma!" And Donna tells about her daughter's daughter. McKenzie Maiorano, almost 3, has a little sister Haley,18 months. Occasionally there is a biting issue. Donna's daughter Kristin saw McKenzie open her mouth and Kristin yelled, "MCKENZIE!" Fast thinker McKenzie said to her mother, "I'm not biting her, I'm smelling her!" ___ ___ .'` `""--.._..--""` `'. / .-""-"-""-. \ | / \ | \, | .--.-.--. | ,/ (_'- |` > `| -'_) / | < | \ | (__..---..__) | | (`|\o_/ \_o/|`) | | \( > )/ | | [>=| --- |=<] | | ,\__\ /__/, | |.____.|\==='-'===/|.____.| \_____;_\=======/_;_____/ | _)'.===.'(_ | ; \-._\_/_.-/ ; /\_\_\_\ () /_/_/_/\ '-.._____.-'-._____..-' | /`\ | |_ | | _| _.;____ | | ____;._ jgs /` `| |` `\ '------'--' '--'------' Val, 4, and his Aunt Amy were at Val's grandmother's house. Amy said, "I have to leave now to pick up your brothers and sisters." Val quickly retorted, "No, Aunt Amy -- I have TWO brothers and ONE sister. And that's too many sisters!" -- Amy Worthman of Bluffton, Indiana Here is another story from Amy. They were sitting at the dining table together, watching Grandma light a match. Then she blew it out. Val, 4, said, "Blow up another match and let ME blow it out!" Nolan, 4, was eating some crackers and said, "You know, Mom, I have a fun slide in my mouth and a hole for the crackers to go down." -- Lisa Billingsley of Scaly Mountain, North Carolina Myrna was visiting with Eric, the son of a friend. She asked him what he wanted to be when he grew up. He answered that he wanted to be both a professional football player and a professional basketball player. Myrna remarked that if he could do that he would really make a lot of money. His eyes got huge and he asked, "Those guys get paid?" -- Myrna Dooley of Pueblo, Colorado , , \'. .'/ ),\ /,( /__\'. .'/__\ \ `'.'-.__ __.-'.'` / `) `'-. \ / .-'` (' / _.--'\ '. , , .' /'--._ \ |-'` '. '-.__ / \ / \ __.-' .' `'-| \ _.`'-.,_'-.|/\ \ _,_ / /\|.-'_,.-'`._ / `\ .-' /'-.|| \ |.-" "-.| / ||.-'\ '-. /` )-'` .' :|| / -.\\ //.- \ ||: '. `'-( / .' / \\_ | /o`^'o\ | _// \ '. \ \ .-' .' `--| `"/ \"` |--` '. '-. / `) _.' .' .--.; |\__"__/| ;.--. '. '._ (' /_.' .-' _.-' \\ \/^\/ // `-._ '-. '._\ \ .'`_.--' \\ // `--._`'. / '-._' /` _ \\-.-// _ `\ '_.-' `< _,..--''`| \`"`/ |`''--..,_ >` _\ ``--..__ \ `'` / __..--`` /_ / '-.__ ``'-; / \ ;-'`` __.-' \ | _ ``''--.. \'-' | '-'/ ..--''`` _ | \ '-. / |/--|--\| \ .-' / '-._ '-._ / |---|---| \ _.-' _.-' `'-._ '/ / / /---|---\ \ \ \' _.-'` '-./ / / / \`---`/ \ \ \ \.-' `)` ` /'---'\ ` `(` jgs /` | | `\ / / | | | | \ \ .--' / | '. .' | \ '--. /_____/| / \._\ /_./ \ |\_____\ (/ (/' \) (/ `\) \) Kelley's pastor's wife Leslie works as a teacher from her home. One of the children she takes care of Layton, 3, came to church with her to be in the Christmas Play. He was playing in the nursery and asked if he could take the tow truck home. Miss Leslie told him kindly that the tow truck belonged to Jesus so he had to leave it there. Layton asked several times throughout the day and Miss Leslie would always kindly say that it belonged to Jesus. Finally Layton said, "I talked to Him and Him told me I could have it!" -- Kelley Needham of Somerville, Ohio Walter brought a friend home from kindergarten. His mother was in the kitchen preparing them some milk and cookies, when she heard them talking. His friend said, "Wally, your mom sure talks funny." Without batting an eye, Walter said, "Yes, I know she is not from this planet." (His mother is of foreign birth.) -- Frances Rawleigh (mother of Walter who is 40 now) of Granbury,Texas Note: You are welcomed to use, copy and share these stories, but please reference http://www.funnykids.com as the source. ========================================================== ______ '-._ ```"""---.._ ,-----.:___ `\ ,;;;, '-.._ ```"""--.._ |,%%%%%% _ , '. `\;;;; -\ _ _.'/\ .' `-.__ \ ,;;;;" .__{=====/_)==:_ || ,===/ ```";,,,,,,,;;;;;'`-./.____,'/ / '.\/ '---/ ';;;;;;;;' `--.._.' / ,===/ '-. `\/ '---/ ,'`. | ; __.-' \ ,' jgs \______,,.....------'''`` `---` >-->A Door Left Open -Author Unknown Dear God, First, my car broke down I was very late for work But I missed that awful accident Was that your handiwork? I found a house I loved But others got there first I was angry, then relieved When I heard the pipes had burst! I know you're watching over me And I'm feeling truly blessed For no matter what I pray for You always know what's best! I have this circle of E-mail friends, Who mean the world to me; Some days I "send" and "send," At other times, I let them be. I am so blessed to have these friends, With whom I've grown so close; So this little poem I dedicate to them, Because to me they are the "Most"! When I see each name download, And view the message they've sent; I know they've thought of me that day, And "well wishes" were their intent. So to you, my friends, I would like to say, Thank you for being a part; Of all my daily contacts, This comes right from my heart. God bless you all is my prayer today, I'm honored to call you "friend"; I pray the Lord will keep you safe, Until we write again. Happiness comes through doors you didn't know you left open. (¯`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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