On The Road & More ... :) Shangy! >Here are the details on our Yahoo ShangyFunList: To Subscribe send a blank email to ShangyFunList-subscribe@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 =========================== * IF YOU HAVE Cool free to use Animated Graphics for the Animated Gallery, please send them my way! I figure if I put them up, then they won't get lost with sites going down so often as they do. ** PLEASE SEND ANY COOL FORWARDS MY WAY TOO - I Love them, I need them! I use them as extras to the group or turn them into pages for the web site for all to enjoy for years to come! *~* Thank You So Much! :) =========================== >-->In The 'Shangy" News :) >HOT Off The 'Shangy' Press :) This comes from our friend PatH - she sent us some funny cartoons that I couldn't resist turning into a humor page! Check it out here... .-""""-. |== ==|-. |~~ ~~~|`\\ |LILILI| || | |// | |/ | | jgs __|______|__ [____________] Gas Price Humor http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/gasoline.html --- ...This was Fun - Thank You Pat! -<>- >Our Friend Bob Sent us a funny photo I was happy to add to group photos here: Redneck Seafood Dinner http://ph.groups.yahoo.com/group/ShangyFunList/photos/browse/1f2a?b=29&m=t&o=0 -<>- I finally got around to doing up the Poetry Page - A sweet poem and picture from our frieend Lorraine got me to do up an equally sweet Poetry Page for it. See what you think... __ /_/\/\ \_\ / /_/ \ \_\/\ \ \_\/ unknown Lean On Me http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/poems/leanonme.html Please Note: My Poetry Pages generally have beautiful Lake Java Graphics - Please be patient for the page to load. If you don't see the water, you will need to refresh your browser until you can see it correctly. --- ...Thank You Bunches Lorraine for sharing this with us! -<>- >Speaking of 'correctly'... I corrected our new page from PatH... Feather Painting Art http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/feather.html Normally I don't have any problem between Netscape and IE browsers. If it works with my Netscape browser, then it will work with IE browsers. But this page required an extra code as it lost it's centering - only in the IE browser. I saw that when I was playing around on my new blog page here... Check it out/join here: Join My Year Book http://www.myyearbook.com/join.php?ref=1161421965 NOTE: I'll get lunch money if you use my link above to Join! Visit Shangy on My Year Book http://www.myyearbook.com/shangy/ ** WELCOME TO ALL WHO ARE MY NEW FRIENDS ON MyYearBook! ** It is surprisingly fun, once you get used to the many different things you can do on it, that is! I Also saw that my page here... HERO http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/hero.html Was doing the same thing. So I corrected it. You may have to refresh your browser to see the new files. If you find any other pages that are messed up, please let me know so I can see what I can do to correct them. I'll give it my best shot anyway! ;) *~* THANK YOU - - And Do PLEASE Share These Pages! =============================================================== >-->From HeartWarmers: THE BIG RIG by Debi Bartow .--------------. |~ ~| |H____________H| |.------------.| ||::.. __ || |'--------'--''| | '. ______ .' | | _ |======| _ | |(_)|======|(_)| |___|======|___| [______________] |##| |##| jrei '""' '"" My husband Tom, is a truck driver. He usually leaves on Sundays and returns home on Thursdays or Fridays. Of course, that leaves me to be mom and dad for five days a week. We have 5 children. Dee and Rob are raising families of their own. That leaves three boys -- ages 17, 10 and 7 at home with me. I have great kids. Even a good teenager! I know I am very lucky but there is always something to either referee, bandage, taxi, cook, clean or hand out money for. Tom feels guilty because he misses so much. I think, "Wow! To be away from all the turmoil at home..." So, for some unknown reason, he decided to take pity on me and have me "go on the road" with him. Five days away from the kids knowing they are safe and sound with my mother and sister sounded great to me! We started out on Sunday morning. I was missing the kids before we traveled through three counties! Tom was already second-guessing having me with him. But we were going to have five days to spend some real quality time together -- some really deep conversation without being interrupted by any children. Geeze, I couldn't remember the last time we were THIS alone! The air conditioning was freezing me to the point that I was wearing a sweatshirt when it was 90 some degrees outside. I started to become worried. I wondered if my mother and Aunt Bobbi were watching the kids while they were swimming. Did they eat lunch? I had to call them. "We've only been gone three hours. We haven't even left Ohio yet," he growls at me. After the phone call, I was assured that my children were having a wonderful time, especially since they were doing things I would never allow. My husband is an excellent driver and I know I'm safe with him. But then it happened. A car with a nice looking man in a suit decides he's going to cut right in front of our semi. I brake on my side and Tom laughs. Now I realize I have to pay attention because people are not being very courteous. I am shocked at how people are driving. Tom explains to me that this is rush hour. Not a big deal. Well, it may very well be no big deal to him but I'm about to have a fit. "Look at that woman! What is she thinking? They have kids in that van!" Or, "That guy must be drunk! What is he thinking?" I seemed to be keeping Tom amused. We drove for ten hours before we stopped at a hotel where the nice elderly lady waiting to check us in knew Tom when he opened the door. By 6am, we were back on the road. It was really nice being in the rig that early. By the end of our second day of "togetherness" I had no idea how Tom could do this week in and week out. Not the togetherness -- the driving! How could he do this when there are so many crazy people being issued a drivers license? I was stressed out and biting my nails. Tom and I traveled through Ohio, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama before we started to head back to Ohio. I saw some of the most beautiful states. Some of the most beautiful skies. Some of the most beautiful homes. Even a few lightening storms. If I had not been married to a truck driver, I would never have had the pleasure of visiting those places. I am thankful we returned home to my boys safely. I had no idea how we did that considering the way some people were treating his big rig as if it were a matchbox car. People are gutsy. I swear people have no notion of what a flip of the bumper could do to one of those cars! It takes a bit more time for a Semi tractor-trailer to slow then it does for a Toyota. I wish people would realize that. Yes, I know there are some rude semi drivers but after spending those few days "on the road", I believe there a far more rude automobile drivers then there are semi drivers. So the next time you're out driving and you decide to pass that semi, make sure you have room to pull back in. In feet, not inches. Show a little courtesy for the trucks and their drivers. They are someone's mom or dad, sister or brother. They'd like them to return home safely to them. Meanwhile, I think being at home with the boys is the PERFECT place for me to be! -- Debi Bartow ___________________________________________ Debi says, "My baby sister Bobbi is home from Germany for the birth of her first child. She, along with my mother, are now living with us. It seems as soon as one grows up and moves out someone else moves in. Now that's another story!" ====================================================================== >-->From InspiredBuffalo: >Teenagers Today ,-`"-=') =/////// ,== _,_(((((-`6\ ==.| /,,...\\\C _| .--. ((((\\\\\` _, /;_| )9 )))))./ `. / } _\,_ ,-'))) \ / /=-. ,-./ \/ '))) . /\_/ / \ (,-.%\ / /-' ') \/\ / ( \ (/ \ ' /( ' `-/ \( \ ,- / ( `-' \ . / / \ \ &_) /\ \ | ( /--.- \ \----,------=;% | _/ _); `. ` `-. .`\ ) +++/ \ ,," %&-. ; \\| `-` `-=.;_,.__.__\_,/ )_/___+_/_________\,"(_//_(__)______:-._) gp I can't count how many times people have uttered, while shaking their heads in obvious disappointment, "just don't know what is with teenagers today." The other day I was in my car on my way to the farmers market with my friend Jan, when we passed two teens standing by the side of the road with a car wash sign. My car was filthy and my heart was full, so I pulled over. There were teenagers everywhere. There was a group directing the cars and another group spraying them down. As sponges were wiped over every square inch of my dirty car, I sat enjoying the little water battles and the many silent scenarios that were so obviously taking place. I couldn't help but wonder how many crushes, how many new friendships and how many little insecurities were in the air on this beautiful Saturday afternoon. I was amazed at how forty to fifty teenagers had devoted their Saturday to washing cars, and I was curious what their motivation might be. At the end of the assembly line I handed them a twenty-dollar bill and asked what they were raising money for. They explained to me that a friend of their's, C. T. Schmitz, had recently died of cancer. He was only fifteen years old and six-feet-two. He had gone to school with a lot of the teenagers who were there that day and each of them had memories of a boy sweeter than any they had known. His friend Kevin had decided to put this car wash together because he wanted to honor his friend and also bring together his classmates with his boy scout troop. He told me that they wanted to plant a tree in front of their school, and if they raised enough money they would put a plaque there too. Both would be in memory of their friend C. T. They handed me a bag of homemade cookies with my receipt and we drove away. I asked Jan to read to me what the tag that was tied to the bag said. It said simply, "Thanks for helping us plant a tree for C. T." Yeah! I don't know what's with teenagers today! -- Author Unknown -<>- >"My Savior" He is to me a Savior Redeeming me from sin He is the blessed hope I have The light that dwells within He's my Savior for eternity He saves me every day He redeems me from destruction By teaching me His way He saves me from my past sins And the ones I've yet to do He saves me from great powers He changes old to new He's the Savior come from Heaven To earth to save mankind He opens up the minds and hearts Of men who are so blind He's the Savior that I live for He's the only one I know Who can guide me safely homeward By conquering my foe Precious Jesus, You're my Savior Whom I worship and adore Because of all You've done for me I ask, 'Please use me more' © Cindy Blackamore -<>- >BROKEN HEARTS By: Joseph J. Mazzella My new neighbors gave me a nice gift the other day. It was a set of beautiful, white, patio stones. They had been using them to create a walk-way to their back door but decided a natural lawn would be easier to maintain. I was happy to take them and thought of using them to create a walk-way to my own front porch. My hill was a bit too steep and the plaster stones were a bit too slick for it to work, though. I soon found a home for them, however, around the flower box in my front yard. They were the perfect replacement for the rotting timber beams and their heart shapes made the flower box stand out even better. I was able to use every single one of them and even pieced a few broken ones together instead of throwing them out. As I look out on them now, I think that the broken ones are the most beautiful of them all. They may have a few cracks in them, but they reflect the sunlight just as brightly as the others. I love those cracked hearts because I know that in this life no heart ends up undamaged. This world is full of hearts that have been bruised, battered, beaten, and broken. There isn’t a single heart in this world that hasn’t been cracked at least once from pain, suffering, and loss. Still, with all of their cracks our hearts continue to love. They continue to share love and to reflect the sunlight of God’s love just as brightly as ever. They don’t let a few missing pieces or tiny cracks stand in their way. They keep beating and they keep loving for all that they are worth. If your own heart has been bruised and broken then don’t despair. God loves you and is always ready to heal it with His love. All you have to do is let Him. You may have a few cracks left over, but they will just let His light shine more deeply inside you. They will help you as well to touch other broken hearts with your own love. We all may have a few cracks in our hearts, after all, but they only help the love to flow in and out. -<>- >Dreams Do Come True ________ \______ \ _______ ____ _____ _____ ______ | | \ \_ __ \ _/ __ \ \__ \ / \ / ___/ | ` \ | | \/ \ ___/ / __ \_ | | \ \ \___ \ /_______ / |__| \___ > (____ / |__|_| / /____ > \/ \/ \/ \/ \/ My son's nightmare saved my life—and revived his soul. By Doris J. Grace Doris Grace with her son, Tom. I will never forget that March morning in 1996. Just as I was preparing to drive to the Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) to pick up my husband, who was coming in on a flight from South Korea after a long missions trip, the phone rang. It was from my son, Tom, who was then 34. "Mom," he said, "please be extra careful on the freeway this morning. It's still dark, and there are fog patches." I assured him that I'm always careful when driving the freeways. "I know you are," said Tom. "It's just that I had a nightmare. I dreamt that when you were driving to pick up Dad, something hit your windshield and you lost control of the car and crashed into other cars around you." "Oh, Tom, what a terrible dream," I said. "But don't worry about me. I'll be all right." "But Mom, promise me you'll leave a little earlier and drive very carefully." "I will, but don't worry. I am sure you just had a bad dream." As I backed out of the driveway, I said a quick prayer for myself—and for Tom. He clearly had been shaken by that dream, since he had called me when he normally would have been asleep. I suspected those kinds of dreams came from an overheated imagination, and perhaps unconscious expressions of personal fears. But, to assure my son, I promised him I would call him when I returned home with his dad. Crisis on the freeway About 45 minutes after leaving home, I was preparing to transition onto another freeway when suddenly, out of nowhere, I heard a horrendous noise that sounded like a gunshot going off beside my head. An unidentified object had slammed into my windshield. And then I felt it. Splintered pieces of shattered glass were flying into my face, hair, and mouth. Trembling like a leaf and spitting glass pellets out of my mouth, I clung desperately to the steering wheel in an effort to keep the car under control and slowly guided the vehicle to the side of the road. Peering out of my side window I looked for some sign of abnormality. Cars of all shapes and sizes were speeding past me. I could see nothing unusual, and no one seemed to be paying much attention to me with my blown-out windshield. It was like any "normal" morning on a southern California freeway. Cautiously, I made my way back onto the road and continued on to the airport. When I arrived at LAX and examined my car more closely, I discovered that besides the shattered glass, the windshield frame was bent and there was a six-inch slice in the roof that looked like a can opener had ripped into it. But more disturbing was the large hole in the windshield. It was just above the level of my forehead. Up until the minute my husband, Dick, cleared customs and met me, I had been able to keep my emotions under control. But the moment we embraced, I began to shake uncontrollably. Dick assumed it was because I was so happy to see him. As we walked toward the parking garage, I told him about the accident. He was horrified to see the condition of the car and the little piles of shattered glass by the driver's door that had fallen off my lap when I had exited the car. As soon as we arrived home, I phoned Tom. "Son, you'll never believe what happened to me on the way to the airport … " As I related my story, all I could hear was a grand silence. Tom was literally speechless. "Tom, I believe you were God's messenger today," I told him. "The Lord most certainly sent me a warning through your dream." More than luck The next day, when the auto-shop repairman looked at the car, his jaw dropped in disbelief. "Lady, you were very lucky," he said. "From the look of this impact, you should have lost control of this car." He explained that whatever hit my car had slammed into the windshield frame first, bounced off the windshield just above my forehead, and then hit the roof. "If it had hit the windshield first," he added, "it would have penetrated directly into your head and you wouldn't be here today." I smiled and said, "Luck had nothing to do with it." In my heart I knew it was all about a loving, gracious Lord. God protected me. But I believe He also wanted to strengthen the faith of my son, who at that time saw no need for God in his life. The irony was that, in order to wake him up from his own self-sufficiency, God gave him a nightmare. A nightmare that not only helped save my life, but that gave my son a new vision of reality and brought him back to the Lord. Sometimes dreams do come true. Doris J. Grace is a writer living in California. Copyright © 2005 by the author or Christianity Today International/Today's Christian magazine. Click here for reprint information. May/June 2005, Vol. 43, No. 3, 50 -<>- >Links for Your Enjoyment Footswing http://www.buffalosjokes.com/21318.htm Big Slam http://www.buffalosjokes.com/21710.htm Black and Gus http://www.buffalosjokes.com/21711.htm CC http://www.buffalosjokes.com/21608.htm Malcolm in the Middle http://buffalosjokes.com/01180503.htm From Shangy God Moves When You Move! http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/BibleStudy/godmoves.html Amazing Car Runs on AIR http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/aircars.html The Mini TIGER http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/minitiger.html Taking A Catnap http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/catnap.html Giant Catfish http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/giantcfish.html Cat Facts http://www.cats.alpha.pl/facts.htm 12 Sided Calendar http://www.ii.uib.no/~arntzen/kalender/ Convert Files http://www.zamzar.com/ peanutbutter popcorn http://frantichomecook.com/recipes/peanut-butter-popcorn-is-sweet-salty-goodness/ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Convert Your Car To Burn Water + Gasoline = Double Your Mileage! Couple of weeks ago, this company was on Coast to Coast radio show talking about their product for three hours. I liked their idea of using your battery to generate hydrogen and oxygen from water to increase your gas mileage up to 50 %. They weren't just selling a concept, but a proven plan with parts lists, sources and suppliers, and videos. You can use their plan to reap savings from the family car, a fleet of vehicles, or open a profitable business in this time of high gas prices. buffalo http://buffaloschips.com/hho ================================================================ >-->From SermondFodder: Sins of Omission A Sunday School teacher asked her class, "Does anyone here know what we mean by sins of omission?" One of the girls replied: "Aren't those the sins that we should have committed, but didn't?" To subscribe go to http://www.sermonfodder.com or drop an email note to Sermon_Fodder-subscribe@yahoogroups.com. Please leave this attached if you forward this to friends. -<>- ,, `""*$b.. ""*$o. "$$o. "*$$o. "$$$o. "$$$$bo... ..o: "$$$$$$$$booocS$$$ .. ,. ". "*$$$$SP V$o..o$$. .$$$b "$$o. .$$$$$o. ...A$$$$$$$$$$$$$$b ""bo. "*$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$P*$$$$$$$$: "$$. V$$$$$$$$$P"**""*"' VP * "l "$$$o.4$$$$$$$$X "*$$$$$$$$$$$$$AoA$o..oooooo.. .b .X$$$$$$$$$$$P"" ""*oo,, ,$P $$P""V$$$$$$$: . ""*****" .*" A$$$$$$$$o.4; . .oP"" "$$$$$$b. .$; A$$$$$$$$$$P " "$$$$$P" $$P*" mls .$" >Losing By Intimidation 1 John 4:4 by Steve May Some 80 years ago, as Notre Dame was preparing to play USC in college football, Fighting Irish coach Knute Rockne was aware that his opponent had a far better team, so he devised a plan to intimidate the Trojan players. Rockne scoured the city of South Bend and hand-picked 100 of the largest men he could find--each at least six-foot-five and three hundred pounds. He put them in Fighting Irish uniforms and at game time marched them onto the field ahead of the real team. (Obviously, this was before the days of limited rosters and eligibility restrictions.) As USC watched these giants line up on the sidelines, they forgot about their talent and their undefeated record, and they began mentally preparing themselves for a beating. Though none of the specially recruited men played during the game, their presence on the sidelines was enough to knock Southern Cal's game off balance. Knute Rockne's trick had worked; he had intimidated the Trojan players into giving up before the game even started, and Notre Dame won. Our 'opponent' tries a similar trick. He tries to intimidate us by appearing larger than life-- but we must remember that he, too, has been sidelined. John said... "Greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world." - 1 John 4:4 Don't let your problems intimidate you. No matter how big the enemy may seem to be, remember that you have God's power on your side. And he is greater. ------------ (c) Copyright 2002 Sermon Notes. All Rights Reserved. http://www.sermonnotes.com By way of ccec. To subscribe go to CCECstorylist-subscribe@MyInJesus.com ===================================================================== >-->From AndyChaps: ____ /\ __\_ / \/ \___\ \ /___/ /\_/ \ \ / \____\ ___/\ _ / / / \/ \ /_\/____/ \ / \___\ / \_/\ / / / \/___/ \ _ / / \/_| /___/ / \___\ \ /\_/___/ \/___/ ** GOD"S BIG PICTURE ** My life is like a puzzle with tiny pieces to numberous to count But I know each piece has meaning but right now the pieces are scattered about The hues of all the colors are displayed in many ways And little by little I see the pieces coming together As each puzzle piece is fitted everyday I am part of GOD's Big Picture that only HE can see And right from the very begining of time GOD had plans for me Right now I don't understand all life's meaning Why some things have to be But I can't see GOD's Big Picture I can only see the tiny pieces of you and me But one day we will all see GOD's Big Picture Complete and in perfect form And then we will understand the reasons we were faced with life's storms Janice Stancil Oct. 7, 02 -<>- _ .-' '-. / \ |,-,-,-,-,| ___ | _)_(_ | (/ \) | _\_/_ /) / \_/ \// |( )\/ ||)_( |/ \ n| | / \ | |_|___| \|/ jgs _/L\_ ** Dust If You Must ** I can't tell you how many countless hours that I have spent CLEANING! I used to spend at least 8-12 hours EVERY weekend making sure things were just perfect - "in case someone came over". Then I realized one day that no one came over - they were all out living life - having fun! Now, when people visit - I find no need to explain the "condition" of my home - they are more interested in hearing abbout the things I've been doing while I was away living life and having fun! If you haven't figured this out yet - please heed this advice. Life is short - enjoy it! Dust if you must but wouldn't it be better, To paint a picture or write a letter, Bake a cake or plant a seed, Ponder the difference between want and need? Dust if you must but there's not much time, With rivers to swim and mountains to climb, Music to hear and books to read, Friends to cherish and life to lead. Dust if you must but the world's out there With the sun in your eyes, the wind in your hair, A flutter of snow, a shower of rain. This day will not come around again. Dust if you must but bear in mind, Old age will come and it's not kind. And when you go and go you must, You, yourself, will make more dust. Remember, a house becomes a home when you can write "I love you" on the furniture.... -<>- __,-O< ,-- --. \. -=' -' \ __\\O- ,--- --. `^ / ). __,-O< \ __,-O< ,-- ----' `. `\) __)\O-__ )/ ,--( ,;:. _) / `^ _)\O< / (_ .:;:;. | | `^ :;';.;:' |_ |_ | ';\||' ______/=\\______/=\\_______| JML ap :| '-'-'-[=]/'-'-'-[=]/'-'-'-/'.=:=:=:=:=:=:=:=:=:=:=:=:=:=:=:=:=:=:=:=:= -'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-/ '. | '-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-/ .-' .--.--. |/| -'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-'-/ _.-'.-: .; .;|;. ;. |/|/ ___ ___ |' _.'\ :|--|--|- .;_;' ';_;. --|--|--|/|/ |] [|_|_|] [|_|_|] | |\ | \:|--|--| ; ;' '; ; -|--|--|/ |] [|_|_|] [|_|_|] | | \|--' ;; .--.___.--. ;; _______________________| |.-' ;-[ O )=( O ]-; |/| ( `--' | `--' ) ____.-". |/|/ \| ( |/ ;( ,__.)/=' |/|/ . .:::::. . ; |/ \| |/|/ . '---' . \ | |/|/ |`. .'| ` `|/|/ ,-------/| `...' |\-------, |--|--|--|/|/ ,' | `. ,' | `, |--|--|--|/ / \ /'. ,'\ / \ ; |/ \ / \| ; ; ; / ' |. ' \ \; ; ; `-' | `-' MJP ** Planting and Reaping ** If you plant honesty, You will reap trust. If you plant goodness, You will reap friends. If you plant humility, You will reap greatness. If you plant perseverance, You will reap victory. If you plant consideration, You will reap harmony. If you plant hard work, You will reap success. If you plant forgiveness, You will reap reconciliation. If you plant openness, You will reap intimacy. If you plant patience, You will reap improvements. If you plant faith, You will reap miracles If you plant dishonesty, You will reap distrust. If you plant selfishness, You will reap loneliness If you plant pride, You will reap destruction. If you plant envy, You will reap trouble. If you plant laziness, You will reap stagnation. If you plant bitterness, You will reap isolation. If you plant greed, You will reap loss. If you plant gossip, You will reap enemies. If you plant worries, You will reap wrinkles. If you plant sin, You will reap guilt. So be careful what you plant now, it will determine what you will reap tomorrow The seeds you now scatter, will make life worse or better for you or the ones who will come after. Yes, someday, you will enjoy the fruits, or you will pay for the choices you plant today. -<>- _ ( \nnnn / / (` \ / `-. \/ `, ) `` BP ** What Do Your Feet Reveal About You? ** There are certain depictions in the Scriptures which illustrate where we are at in our walk with the Lord. Where are you today according to the position of your feet? 1. On A Rock Of Stability Psalm 40:2 - "He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings." Perhaps you have just walked through a time of despondency or despair. You seemingly lived in a dungeon, prison, or a pit of noise where calamity, trouble, desolation, and destruction surrounded you. You may have experienced a "lake of misery," filled with horrors, with no hope of ever being rescued. Or you may have felt as though you were at the bottom of a pit - a pit of perdition, surrounded by corruption and moral filth where there was no sure footing. But God saw your need and heard your plea and delivered you from this "horrible pit." Now, your feet are planted on solid ground. 2. In A Place Of Liberty Psalm 31:8 - "And hath not shut me up into the hand of the enemy: Thou hast set my feet in a large room." The enemy was determined to steal, kill, and destroy you. But Jesus "set your feet in a large room." He made you free. He set you at liberty. He enlarged your coast. 3. In A Place Of Great Temptation Psalm 38:16 - "For I said, Hear me, lest otherwise they should rejoice over me: when my foot slippeth, they magnify themselves against me." Psalm 94:18 - "When I said, My foot slippeth; Thy mercy, O LORD, held me up." You may feel very weak spiritually. At the moment, you may be wrestling with the temptation to a besetting sin. Your enemies, who are deadly and strong, are watching for you to be caught off guard and fall so that they can exult over your failure. They would love to rejoice over the ruin of your character or testimony. God's Mercy is holding you up and has thus far kept your feet from slipping or falling into sin. 4. In A Place Of Adversity Job 12:5 - "He that is ready to slip with his feet is as a lamp despised in the thought of him that is at ease." The man in prosperity - the man "at ease" - looks scornfully upon you because you are facing adversity at this time. He is standing firm, but you find yourself wavering or falling in your faith. In times past, when things were going well for you, you were as a "lamp" unto others. You were in a place of honor and considered a voice of wisdom and counsel. But now you are treated as though worthless like an extinguishing torch. 5. In A Place Of Provocation Psalm 17:5 - "Hold up my goings in Thy paths, that my footsteps slip not." You have been injured and wronged by others. You feel helpless and spiritually impaired from the constant blows that have come your way. Your goings are very slippery. You find yourself praying fervently for God's grace and strength so that you will be restrained from taking matters into your own hands and reacting in a spiteful or revengeful way. 6. In a Place of Abundance Deuteronomy 33:24 - "And of Asher he said, Let Asher be blessed with children; let him be acceptable to his brethren, and let him dip his foot in oil." Job 29:6 - "When I washed my steps with butter, and the rock poured me out rivers of oil." The figure of dipping your foot in oil depicts plenty and abundance, having an ample supply of comfort and luxury. The image of washing your steps with butter also denotes great abundance. You may be experiencing a time in your life where you are prospering financially. Every need is abundantly supplied for you and your family, and you are also able to be a generous support for those in need. 7. In a Place Of Victory Psalm 68:23 - "That thy foot may be dipped in the blood of thine enemies..." Psalm 58:10 - "The righteous shall rejoice when he seeth the vengeance: he shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked." The image of your foot being dipped in the blood of your enemies depicts total conquest. The leading thought is that through God's mighty power and grace, you have crushed your enemy under your feet and won the victory. The righteous rejoice when wickedness does not triumph, and the law is maintained. To wash your feet in the blood of your enemies pictures a battlefield where you as the victor tread in the blood of those who are slain. It is very strong language, illustrating the total overthrow of the ungodly in a situation. Wickedness is subdued and vanquished while righteousness triumphs. 8. In a Place Of Chastisement Or Judgment Lamentations 1:15 - "The Lord hath trodden under foot all my mighty men in the midst of me: He hath called an assembly against me to crush my young men: the Lord hath trodden the virgin, the daughter of Judah, as in a winepress." Because of sin and disobedience, you find yourself in a place of contempt where you are unable to stand. You feel as though you are in a winepress, being trampled upon by the enemy. It seems as though one judgment follows another with no letting up. It is utterly amazing how our own feet can speak volumes about our lives and our walk with the Lord. Where are you today? What is the position of your feet? If you are in place of stability, liberty, victory, and abundance, then give God all of the praise. If you are in a place of temptation, adversity, or provocation, then pray. God will uphold you with His mighty grace and strength. He can and will change your way. On the other hand, if you find yourself in a place of chastisement or judgment because of sin, you and you alone can change that position by repenting and turning your life completely over to the Lord. In Psalm 119:59, the Psalmist said - "I thought on my ways, and turned my feet unto Thy testimonies." Have you thought on your ways lately? What do your feet reveal about you? They will tell the true story. May God Bless His Word. Connie Connie Giordano Copyright 2002 by Connie Giordano P. O. Box 383016 Duncanville, TX. 75138-3016 --- ... , , /////| ///// | ///// | |~~~| | | |===| |/| | B |/| | | I | | | | B | | | | L | / | E | / |===|/ jgs '---' The Christian's Position In Christ http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/BibleStudy/christianposition.html The Christian Stand http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/BibleStudy/christianstand.html The Christian Walk http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/BibleStudy/christianwalk.html -<>- The word 'orientalism' refers to passages in the Bible that are descriptive of Eastern culture. Those of us from Western cultures (Europe and the Americas), may not understand these passages, or even misinterpret them because we don't understand the culture of the times in the Bible. These teachings give us some examples of orientalisms used in the bible: ORIENTALISMS OF THE BIBLE ** Part 1 http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/BibleStudy/orientalisms1.html ORIENTALISMS OF THE BIBLE ** Part 2 http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/BibleStudy/orientalisms2.html ORIENTALISMS OF THE BIBLE ** Part 3 http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/BibleStudy/orientalisms3.html =================================================================== __ /\/'-, ,--''''' /" ____,'. ) \___ '"""""------'"""`-----' pb >-->From PetWarmers: INCREDIBLY SPECIAL by Heather Graham Chellette I am a loyal Petwarmers reader, but I've never thought about sharing a story until now. I don't want to nominate anyone for the Best Vet Award, but I want to relate a story about a truly remarkable vet. He's the "caring and competent professional... more concerned about animal well-being than money" that Teresa so correctly identified a great vet to be. Furthermore, he's as loving and tenderhearted as can be when it comes to animals. When I was 17, I found my 1-1/2 year-old German Shepherd puppy fatally shot and bleeding to death on my parents' back porch. I was alone and scared, and could think of nothing else but to call my vet, not really knowing if anything could be done. I wasn't even aware of emergency calls, until I heard the recording on the machine that night. I left a terrified message, and within a few minutes the vet (whom I would like to remain nameless) called back. He had a helper come assess the damage, which was declared critical. So, he quickly drove out, picked up my baby, and took him straight into surgery. Twelve days later, my mother checked me out of school, unexpectedly. I was told that Bowser, who had been in and out of surgery ever since that night, was not doing well. No matter how many times the vet and his partner tried to save him, he was still bleeding and in pain. The hardest decision I never wanted to make, had to be made. As I cried, this kind vet assured me that Bowser would be happy and free of pain, if I decided to let him go, but that it was my decision. Whatever I decided, though, he would do anything he could for Bowser. Normally, when an animal was put to sleep, it was done quietly with only staff in the room. After making my decision, though, I became a bit uncontrollable, and refused to let my baby's last moments on this earth be with strangers. The vet nodded, and without hesitation, led me to Bowser. My loving companion was laid in my lap. I held him, listening to his heartbeat, stroking his head, kissing him repeatedly, whispering how much I loved him and how sorry I was, over and over again. He looked up at me, with those big beautiful brown eyes, as if saying, "I love you too, and this is ok." I knew he was weak, tired, and ready to go, but I just wasn't ready. All too soon, he closed his eyes as he left, and part of me died with him. Later, I learned that I wasn't the only one so affected by Bowser's death. An associate informed my mother that, after losing Bowser, the vet was nowhere to be found. Finally, they discovered him in his own office, his head in his arms, crying. He left the office to his partner that day, and went home. Hearing that touched my heart. If that's not unconditional love for animals, I don't know what is. As far as I'm concerned, I've always known that this particular vet is the best, award or not. His loving dedication to Bowser still has an impact on me five years later. He must be something incredibly special. It took my parents several years to pay off the numerous surgeries, medications, and kennel charges that accumulated. However, no amount of money has ever been spent in a better way than it was when that bill was paid. It was so well deserved, as are ALL vet services. So when faced with that next bill, think of your vet, before accepting a "pro bono" offer from him or her. Because, when they heal an animal, they feel joy -- and when they lose one, they feel heartache. They chose their profession for a reason -- for the love of animals, not money. Still, no matter what service a vet may do for your furry babies, it is ALWAYS worth some sort of repayment. In loving memory of Bowser, a life-long friend, whom I will never forget. -- Heather Graham Chellette ____________________________________________ Heather is 22, and a a graduating senior at Louisiana Tech University. Several years after the death of the canine love of her life, she adopted two beautiful kittens, which brighten her every day. She also cares for a variety of marine life in both her 100 gallon freshwater and 45 gallon saltwater aquariums. ======================================================================= "Almost persuaded to be a Christian is like the man who was almost pardoned, but he was hanged, like the man who was almost rescued, but he was burned in the house. A man that is almost saved is damned." - Charles Haddon Spurgeon >Updated FUN STUFF URLS - Oh Yeah :) Shangy! ------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.ShangralaFamilyFun.com/urls.html FUN URLS ------------------------------------------------------------------------- -->Bigham's Computer Rescue - PC Sales && Service You can trust us to provide you with quality computer sales and repair. We've been servicing the Van Wert area since 1981 and can help you with all your computer needs. 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