One Day At A Time... :) 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. If every one would chip in $25 or more, we'd be good for the whole year! So Please - I need your help today! "We are each of us angels with but one wing, and can only fly by embracing each other" -Luciano Decrescenzo ~ CALLING ALL CARING ANGELS ~ *~* 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 Like Me here... http://tinyurl.com/cma6all 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! ================ >-->In The 'Shangy News' :) Visual Anterior axis pole Anterior \\ | chamber \..|.. / Conjunctiva .:``\\'|'```/'. | ,:''..'"\"|""/'..`<-----Cornea ..,:',;'____\\| ____`;.`:... Iris----->;-~~~~..-\+--..~~~~-;./'~~`Ciliary body ,;'.:;;;==(Lens X `)=|;;;;. `; `\ Medial ,;'' ;'|'''| `:.. |\ ..;' |`````:. `;|, rectus->' Ciliary | ```+\\' | `:./' `:. .;',;' .;muscle | | \ Posterior :. :;.`: ,',' ;; Lens | \\ chamber ;; ;.` ` ;' ;: ligament| \ ;; ; ; ;: | \\ ;; ; ; ;: Vitreous | \ ;<-------Retina ; ;:. | \\ ;; ; `; `:. | \ ;';<------Choroid `; `:. Optic | \\ ;',' ; `; `:`. disk | \ ;';' <------Sclera `; `: :./ | \\Fovea,';' ;' `, `.;..,, | \| .'',' .;' `;. .:::: ```...|...'''\/'.:' ;' Dura,' .:::::`,,,,..|..,,,,''' ,;'' ; /:::::: ''|'' ..;'' /Optic:| ;,....|....,,;''' nerve:| ; ``+'' | Posterior pole -Catalyst- Yesterday I went to the eye doctor because I've been experiencing declining vision since late last year. My doctor was rather frustrated with me as none of the lens she had tried did much to enable me to see better. She ended that part of my exam with saying that my eyesight was not very good. She then went to look inside my eyes. It was then that she laughed as she pushed back away from me on her stool and said 'That's why! You've got like 'saran wrap' over your eye lens!' Believe it or not, that explanation made me very relieved too. She went on to say that I had had cataract surgery when I had my cornea transplants surgery done. She said she sees it all the time with patients who have cataract surgery that over time a film develops over their lens. She said it requires a surgeon to remove it with a simple surgery procedure. Outpatient. So she called my eye surgeon for an appointment for me. I will go to see him on March 10th. I am very thankful too that my son helped with my keyboard problems. It kept messing up on the S and the space bar. Sometimes working, sometimes not working and sometimes doubling the S or space. That made it hard for me to see to correct at times. Hopefully he got it so it is all working good again now. I thought it best to let you know that until I have this surgery procedure, I may make some stupid typing errors. I am quite pleased that all other aspects of my eyes were good. My cornea transplants and everything else looked perfect she said. Thank you in advance for your patience during this time. I just have a hard time working and reading the screen - like she said - looking through 'saran wrap'. Great explanation of what is going on with my eyesight right now. Magnification doesn't help much with this either. -<>- >3 HOT Off The 'Shangy' Press :) Our most searing hot new page is from our friends LouiseAu and KarenF. This one may astound and challenge you. It uses artist talents of people coming together to make bright colorful flowers. See if you can identify the people in these creations! o M o oM""""""""ooo M M MM" M M" M MM o"""""M M M" M MM Mo M M oM"" "M MM "" M M ooM"" "M ""Moooo" M M"" "Moooooo oMM" M """"""" M M oooooooo Moo oM""""" oMMo MM"" oM ""Mo oooM"" oM """"""""" M" MM" oM"" o" Chris King ooo"" "" Beautiful Flower People! http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/flowerpeople.html --- ...Absolutely amazing! Like optical illusions. Thanks Ladies! Our next flaming hot new page is from our friend Linda. It's amazing what some folks can do with paper and this artist is no exception! He creates truly amazing paper sculptures with his hands, scissors, and imagination. Be sure to check out his beautiful work here... ###### ########## ###### _\_ ##===----[.].] #( , _\ # )\__| \ / `-._``-' >@ | | | | | | | dp/VK | | Carnival Paper sculptures http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/paperart4.html --- ...Wow! So bright and fun! Thanks Linda! This hot new page is from our friend LouiseAu. It contains images that were hand-picked to capture the un-comparable beauty of America's wilderness from thousand of submissions. Be sure to check it out and the video here too. __..-' _.--'' _...__..-' .' .' .' .' .------._ ; .-"""`-.<') `-._ .' (.--. _ `._ `'---.__.-' ` `;'-.-' '- ._ .--'`` '._ - ' . `""'-. `---' , ''--..__ `\ ``''---'`\ .' jgs `'. ' `'. American Wilderness http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/wilderness.html --- ...Most Stunning! Thanks LouiseAu! =========================================================== >-->From Heartwarmers: hugs&kisses&hugs&kisses&hugs&kisses&hugs&kisses&hugs&kisses& & hugs&kisses&hugs&kisses&hu &hugs&kisses s&h es&hugs&kisses&hugs&kiss gs&kisse es&h sses&hugs&kisses&hugs&k s&kiss ses& isses&hugs&kisses&hugs &kiss s&kis sses kisses&hugs&kisses&hu ugs&kiss s&ki isse &kisses&hugs&kisses&h &hugs&kiss gs&k kiss s&kisses&hugs&kisses& es&hugs&kis ugs& &kis gs&kisses&hugs&kisses sses&hugs&k hugs s&ki ugs&kisses&hugs&kisse kisses&hugs &hug gs&k hugs&kisses&hugs&kiss s&kisses&hu s&hu ugs& &hugs&kisses&hugs&kis ugs&kisses& es&h hugs s&hugs&kisses&hugs& i hugs&kisse ses& &hug es&hugs&kisses&hug k hugs&kis sses s&hu ses&hugs&kisses&h & hugs& isse es&h sses&hugs&kisse s& &kiss s gs&ki hugs&kis s ugs&kisse sses&hugs&ki i ses&h k k sses& & &kis gs&kisses&hug isses&hugs s&hugs&kisse s s&kis gs&kisses&h &kisses&hug es&hugs&kisses g gs&ki ugs&kisses& s&kisses&hu ses&hugs&kisses u ugs&ki ugs&kisse ugs&kisses&h sses&hugs&kisses h hugs&k hugs&kiss hugs&kisses& isses&h gs&kisses& &hugs&k hugs&ki s&hugs&kisses kisses ugs&kisses s&hugs& &hugs&k es&hugs&kisse hugs&kisse es&hugs& &hugs sses&hugs&kiss s&kiss &hugs&kiss ses&hugs s&hug isses&hugs&kis gs&kiss s&hugs&kis sses&hugs s&h &kisses&hugs&ki ugs&kisses&hugs& i isses&hug es& s&kisses&hugs&k hugs&kisses&hug k kisses&hug e ugs&kisses&hugs& &hugs&kisses&h & &kisses&hu hugs&kisses&hugs s&hugs&kisse s s&kisses&hu s&hugs&kisses g gs&kisses&h es&hugs&kisse u ugs&kisses&hugs&kisses&hugs&kisses&hugs&kisses&hugs&kisses&h -- Matt Ryan >MORE ROMANTIC THAN FLOWERS by Jaye Lewis Celebrating Valentine's Day as a patient in a major hospital is a unique experience. My husband, Louie, in 1988, was on active duty, in the U.S. Navy, and his ship was hundreds of miles out to sea. I was in a hospital recovering from a complete immune system collapse. Of one thing I was very certain -- there would be no flowers for me on that Valentine's Day. Nor would there be a phone call or one of Louie's tender smiles to light up his eyes and melt my heart. Usually I could stand the separation, but not today. All the patients had their own problems, and my goal was to get well, so that I could get on with my life. I suppose one could say that I'm an overly optimistic person. I view each downfall as a new beginning. I usually carry hope in my heart by the bushel full, but today hope felt like an elusive dream. Valentine's Day is a day to spend time with those you love, however, with my husband out to sea, and my children in school, I felt pretty much alone. By lunchtime, I had attended two physical therapy sessions. I had attended a craft class, where I'd been given sharp pointed objects to help inspire my "creative side," and I couldn't help wondering who needed the medication here. Then came a lunch that was guaranteed to add another five pounds. Those of us who were ambulatory gathered in a small dining area so we could stuff ourselves. Suddenly, the heavy steel door opened, and in walked my daughters, Jenny, age 16, and Helen, age 13, wearing excited grins. Seeing their blonde and red-gold loveliness brought joy to my heart and a smile to my lips. What a nice surprise! They explained quickly that they both had school permission to leave during lunch, and to make a special trip, with the hospital's permission, to see their mother outside of visiting hours. Incredulous, I looked over at the clustered nurses, who were wearing mysterious smiles on their faces. Then Jenny handed me the small, brown paper bag. What in the world was this? The last thing I needed was a donut. I opened the bag, my hands trembling, and inside I found my husband's small, pocket computer. Oh, it was nothing like what you'd see today. It was one of the first small computers which ran on an archaic "DOS" program. I hated the little thing. I didn't even know how to find the "on" button. I parked a smile on my face, before I looked back up at the girls. "What's this?" I asked, in a cheerful voice. "It's from Daddy!" They chorused, grinning broadly. Of course, my husband, the original techno-geek, wouldn't send flowers. "How sweet!" I lied, grinning broadly through my teeth. "Turn it on!" Helen instructed, her red curls bouncing merrily. "OK," I said, now truly annoyed. I began pressing one button after another, looking for the stupid "on" button. "It's the red button," Jenny explained. Of course. Red means "stop" in any language, so it had to be the "on" button. Tentatively, I pressed the red button. Then all kinds of whirring began, and the tiny view screen became busy, and then stopped. The words jumped out at me, and in my heart they were ten feet tall. "I LOVE YOU, JAYE...I LOVE YOU, JAYE...I LOVE YOU, JAYEŠ." Again and again the words scrolled across the tiny screen, as the tears streamed from my eyes. Louie had programmed his precious pocket computer to scroll his love for me, for as long as there was life in it, and that's when I discovered that a computer can be more romantic than flowers. -- Jaye Lewis __________________________________________________ Jaye is a proud Heartwarmer Gem and contributing author to Chicken Soup for the Soul. She also has stories published in Guidepost books, God Allows U-Turns, and many other popular anthologies. Jaye says, "The little computer scrolled my husband's love message for two years. After my recovery, I would often turn it on to remind myself just how blessed I was." For more about Jaye, you can visit her website at http://www.entertainingangels.org where you will also find links to her blogs. =========================================================== >-->From Our Friend Fran :) >Quotes: The best thing one can do when it's raining is to let it rain. - Henry Wadsworth Longfellow "There has been opposition to every innovation in the history of man, with the possible exception of the sword." - Benjamin Dana "Spring shows what God can do with a drab and dirty world." - Virgil A. Kraft -<>- ,"=-. / _),`'". ( /a( ), ) ) C = = ?/ ( )) (_ o-< ) ( `-' \; ( \_ ( | \ ) )| \_/} \ \ \(_;/-|_) )/) `._,--/ / / `!__!! ( (_o)) ---`-._, )--- ------( / |---- | ( | :__/|\_; \ |/ )(\_ /_)--` gpyy \_! >OH MAMA! Oh mama, oh mama the tears ran down his face I was playing baseball and slide into third base I need a band aid to cover my hurt Cause if I don't it will get covered by dirt. Oh Mama, oh mama, she stops what she is doing And helps her son so he will stop stewing She washes and kisses and bandages just right And hugs and pats him and sends him good night Fran Booth (aka Carol Clarke) from Grams Book - 1980's --- ...So cute! Thanks Fran! -<>- ___ (___) /` `\ / /"\ \ \_/o o\_/ ( _ ) `\ /` /\\V//\ / /_ _\ \ \ \___/ / \/===\/ || || || || ||___|| |_____| jgs ||| / Y \ `"`"` >The History of 'APRONS' ... I don't think our kids know what an apron is. The principle use of Grandma's apron was to protect the dress underneath because she only had a few. It was also because it was easier to wash aprons than dresses and aprons used less material. But along with that, it served as a potholder for removing hot pans from the oven.It was wonderful for drying children's tears, and on occasion was even used for cleaning out dirty ears. From the chicken coop, the apron was used for carrying eggs, fussy chicks, and sometimes half-hatched eggs to be finished in the warming oven. When company came, those aprons were ideal hiding places for shy kids.. And when the weather was cold, Grandma wrapped it around her arms. Those big old aprons wiped many a perspiring brow, bent over the hot wood stove. Chips and kindling wood were brought into the kitchen in that apron. From the garden, it carried all sorts of vegetables. After the peas had been shelled, it carried out the hulls. In the fall, the apron was used to bring in apples that had fallen from the trees. When unexpected company drove up the road, it was surprising how much furniture that old apron could dust in a matter of seconds. When dinner was ready, Grandma walked out onto the porch, waved her apron, and the men folk knew it was time to come in from the fields to dinner. It will be a long time before someone invents something that will replace that 'old-time apron' that served so many purposes. REMEMBER: Grandma used to set her hot baked apple pies on the window sill to cool. Her granddaughters set theirs on the window sill to thaw. They would go crazy now trying to figure out how many germs were on that apron. I don't think I ever caught anything from an apron - but love. Unknown --- ...Aww, so sweet! Thanks Fran! -<>- _,.......____ _.-' / `-._`-. ,' / / `. `. ,' ___ / _ / __`. `. / / \ / (_) / / / \ \ : / /) / / __ / / / L L | / __,' / / / / / / | | | / / / / / / / /___ | | : /_/ / /_/ / /_____/ F F \ / / / / `. / / ,' ,' `./ / _,'_,' cjr `-.__/______,.;:.-' >Tips: Aspirin For over 100 years, aspirin has been soothing aches and preventing heart attacks. But this common over the counter medication can make things happen all over your house too. Here are ways you can use aspirin that don't involve swallowing the pill. Most of these tips involve crushing up an uncoated aspirin. An easy way to do this is by folding them into a napkin and crushing them with a metal spoon. Deal with Dandruff: Dandruff isn't a good look on anybody. While there are plenty of shampoos specifically designed to prevent dandruff, this home remedy works well too and can save you a trip to the drug store. Pour about a capful of shampoo into a bowl. Then crush up 2-3 aspirin and add then to the bowl. Massage the shampoo into your scalp and let it sit for a full two minutes before rinsing it away's. The salicylic acid will help get rid of those white flakes. -<>- >Puter Tip: HOAX If you are using your computer and a notice pops up saying you are infected with a virus or something and instructs you to call a phone number, DON'T DO IT! IT IS A HOAX!! Or, if you get a phone call from someone who claims to be from Windows technical support, don't talk to them, hang up! Lately, I get phone calls almost every day (3 on Friday) from people who call the number, let the scammer take over their computer, and then try to charge them hundreds of dollars to "fix" it. When they refuse to pay, the scammer messes up their computer and leaves it that way. Here is a classic example of one of these scammers http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GVQoAlQrnSg You can read this article online, view & leave comments at: http://wp.me/pwwRq-1ZZ --- ...Great Info! Thankyou Fran! =========================================================== >-->From Archives InspiredBuffalo: I do not think much of a man who does not know more today than he did yesterday. - Abraham Lincoln -<>- __ /_/\/\ \_\ / /_/ \ \_\/\ \ \_\/ unknown >TEACH ME TO FORGIVE One day a while back, a man, his heart heavy with grief, was walking in the woods. As he thought about his life this day, he knew many things were not right. He thought about those who had lied about him back when he had a job. His thoughts turned to those who had stolen his things and cheated him. He remembered family that had passed on. His mind turned to the illness he had that no one could cure. His very soul was filled with anger, resentment and frustration. Standing there this day, searching for answers he could not find, \knowing all else had failed him, he knelt at the base of an old oak tree to seek the one he knew would always be there, and with tears in his eyes, he prayed. "Lord- You have done wonderful things for me in this life. You have told me to do many things for you, and I happily obeyed. Today, you have told me to forgive. I am sad, Lord, because I cannot. I don't know how. It is not fair Lord. I didn't deserve these wrongs that were done against me and I shouldn't have to forgive. As perfect as your way is Lord, this one thing I cannot do, for I don't know how to forgive. My anger is so deep Lord, I fear I may not hear you, but I pray that you teach me to do this one thing I cannot do --- teach me To Forgive. As he knelt there in the quiet shade of that old oak tree, he felt something fall onto his shoulder. He opened his eyes. Out of the corner of one eye, he saw something red on his shirt. He could not turn to see what it was because where the oak tree had been was a large square piece of wood in the ground. He raised his head and saw two feet held to the wood with a large spike through them. He raised his head more, and tears came to his eyes as he saw Jesus hanging on a cross. He saw spikes in His hands, a gash in His side, a torn and battered body, deep thorns sunk into His head. Finally he saw the suffering and pain on His precious face. As their eyes met, the man's tears turned to sobbing, and Jesus began to speak. Have you ever told a lie, he asked? The man answered – "yes Lord." Have you ever been given too much change and kept it? The man answered yes Lord. And the man sobbed more and more. Have you ever taken something from work that wasn't yours, Jesus asked? And the man answered, "yes Lord. Have you ever sworn, using my Father's name in vain? The man, crying now, answered," yes Lord." As Jesus asked many more times, "Have you ever"? The man's crying became uncontrollable, for he could only answer, "yes Lord." Then Jesus turned His head from one side to the other, and the man felt something fall on his other shoulder. He looked and saw that it was the blood of Jesus. When he looked back up, his eyes met those of Jesus, and there was a look of love the man had never seen or known before. Jesus said, I didn't deserve this either, but I forgive you. -<>- . .-+ ._/V\ / \/ \/ /__ ) "-+._ ." \ ( B R A S I L ) \ / \__ ( >_ ) \_. / < S.Paulo / \ * _/ > ş / / < / "^./ unknown >"Pao, Senhor?" He couldn't have been over six years old. Dirty face, barefooted, torn T-shirt, matted hair. He wasn't too different from the other hundred thousand or so street orphans that roam Rio de Janeiro. I was walking to get a cup of coffee at a nearby cafe when he came up behind me. With my thoughts somewhere between the task I had just finished and the class I was about to teach, I scarcely felt the tap, tap, tap on my hand. I stopped and turned. Seeing no one, I continued on my way. I'd only taken a few steps, however, when I felt another insistent tap, tap, tap. This time I stopped and looked downward. There he stood. His eyes were whiter because of his grubby cheeks and coal-black hair. "Pao, senhor?" (Bread, sir?) Living in Brazil, one has daily opportunities to buy a candy bar or sandwich for these little outcasts. It's the least one can do. I told him to come with me and we entered the sidewalk cafe. "Coffee for me and something tasty for my little friend." The boy ran to the pastry counter and made his choice. Normally, these youngsters take the food and scamper back out into the street without a word. But this little fellow surprised me. The cafe consisted of a long bar: one end for pastries and the other for coffee. As the boy was making his choice, I went to the other end of the bar and began drinking my coffee. Just as I was getting my derailed train of thought back on track, I saw him again. He was standing in the cafe entrance, on tiptoe, bread in hand, looking in at the people. "What's he doing?" I thought. Then he saw me and scurried in my direction. He came and stood in front of me about eye-level with my belt buckle. The little Brazilian orphan looked up at the big American missionary, smiled a smile that would have stolen your heart and said, "Obrigado." (Thank you.) Then, nervously scratching the back of his ankle with his big toe, he added, "Muito obrigado." (Thank you very much.) All of a sudden, I had a crazy craving to buy him the whole restaurant. But before I could say anything, he turned and scampered out the door. As I write this, I'm still standing at the coffee bar, my coffee is cold, and I'm late for my class. But I still feel the sensation that I felt half an hour ago. And I'm pondering this question: If I am so moved by a street orphan who says thank you for a piece of bread, how much more is God moved when I pause to thank him----really thank him----for saving my soul? --Max Lucado -<>- >Links for Your Enjoyment: Thank You God http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/thankgod.html Think Positive! http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/positive.html Niagara Falls In Neon http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/niagaraneon.html Microscopic Winners http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/micro2.html Garbage Truck Camper http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/garbage.html eleMMent Palazzo Mobile RV http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/rv2.html Classic Woodies http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/woodcars.html Life Train http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/lifetrain.html Real Three Bears http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/bears.html Newsworthy Animals 2 http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/newsanimals.html Tree Trunk Art 2 http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/trunkart2.html Crayola Art 2 http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/crayolaart2.html -<>- , , /////| ///// | ///// | |~~~| | | |===| |/| | B |/| | | I | | | | B | | | | L | / | E | / |===|/ jgs '---' >My Songs... One Day at A Time https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fBnZ8bmEOTM And my creed... Only Jesus (Official Lyric Video) - Casting Crowns https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VXIBP2BdYR8 Awesome God - Rich Mullins w/ Lyrics https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2w2b033DXCw -<>- The Basics http://www.absolutebiblestudy.com/Basics/Basics.htm The Promises Of God http://www.absolutebiblestudy.com/Promises/Promises.htm Sugar-Coating The Word http://www.absolutebiblestudy.com/Word/Sugar-Coating_The_Word.htm Max Lucado - Why are you Afraid ? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6c1FVpVFb8c Jim Caveizel's real story - almost died during shooting "The Passion" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bzH6w8rR1RA Rich Mullins Sometimes By Step https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fAMRacZ0zHE Rich Mullins "Let Mercy Lead" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SWx966pR9oc "Take My Hand, Precious Lord" - Carroll Roberson https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yjE6nn96mKY How Great Thou Art - Carroll Roberson https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-bHFSnQPQ0 -<>- >In The News: Get early access to Trump's Super Bowl ad: The Trump team has purchased 60 seconds of commercial time for a Super Bowl ad! You can be the very FIRST person to see our Super Bowl ad. https://tinyurl.com/tf2m36y Heartwarming - watch the video! Moment Between Texas Governor and Trump Goes Viral https://1600daily.com/2020/01/23/moment-texas-governor-trump-goes-viral/ President Donald Trump became the first president to attend the March for Life rally in its 47th year on the National Mall on Friday. “It is my profound honor to be the first president in history to attend the March for Life,” Trump proudly declared at the gathering on the National Mall preceding the march. “Unborn children have never had a stronger defender in the White House.” https://tinyurl.com/ttyhv6t Video - Trump Becomes The First President To Speak At The March For Life https://tinyurl.com/ulbjtu2 Newt Gingrich: Trump Triumphs at World Economic Forum While Democrats Pursue Baseless Impeachment https://tinyurl.com/sz38epe VP Mike Pence Meets Pope Francis in Private Audience at Vatican -Fox News https://tinyurl.com/wx7estx Trump Admin Releases New Rule to Restrict ‘Birth Tourism’ https://tinyurl.com/yx2vruyz Mark Levin: Dems' impeachment case has been an embarrassment https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ccvpNmB0cGU Jim Jordan: Bolton report doesn't alter the facts in impeachment trial https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iuG1tJbU0EY Westwing News: Trump's USMCA Is Not Just Biggest Deal Ever—It's an International Game Changer https://www.whitehouse.gov/westwingreads/ WhiteHouseNews: PROMISE KEPT: President Trump signs USMCA—NAFTA is gone! https://www.whitehouse.gov/1600daily/ Latest From AFA: http://tinyurl.com/j7lakqw Students For Life https://tinyurl.com/yd5nxmu6 Latest From OperationRescue: http://www.operationrescue.org/ Latest Product Alert: Pizza, Fish, Soup http://www.emergencyemail.org/products/?fmt=text Latest Health Alert: Virus death toll passes 100 as U.S., Canada issue travel warning http://www.emergencyemail.org/health/?fmt=text Click to Give Free https://tinyurl.com/y2abb8d2 -<>- >From Our Friend LouiseAu :) Professional race car drivers enjoy driving Porsche's so much they work the night shift at the Porsche museum in Stuttgart, Germany. Big game commercial 2020. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=92sXWVxRr0g The Twist' (1960) by the great Chubby Checker - including dance clips from the early 60's along with movie and television scenes. https://youtu.be/im9XuJJXylw --- ...Good Ones! Thanks LouiseAu! -<>- Revisiting... >From Our Friend Geniann :) And we think its a big deal when we see a black snake in the rough. http://www.chonday.com/Videos/animalspga2 --- ...LOL! Great to watch! Thanks Geniann! -<>- >From Our Friend Victor :) Don't Mess With This Cat! https://tinyurl.com/tjvvcf5 --- ...LOL! Yes Feral cats are mean! Thanks Victor! -<>- >From Our Friend LouiseAu :) I would imagine that it's incredibly hard to simply live in the same house with 11 other brothers and sisters, but these family members manage to do that, and a whole lot more. The Willis family members all have a great musical talent, and once they properly introduce themselves (which takes a bit of time) their combined family performance will delight you. https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=7h8J48UXoBc A lady is stunned to learn how much the Boston Red Stockings baseball card collection is worth that her Great Great Grandmother has kept in the family since 1871. The Antiques Roadshow appraiser even gets a little choked up at the end as she calls this baseball card archive the greatest archive she has ever had on the show. This is a grand slam collection of baseball cards for sure. https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=wACD_Nl8o4E Many people have visited Niagara Falls and enjoyed the view but when you see Niagara Falls from above you truly realize how spectacular it is. Filmed using DJI Phantom Quadcopter. Soiuntrack is "The In-Between" by A New Normal. If you have a drone and are considering filming Niagara Falls please remember that this video features an Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) operating in United States and Canadian Restricted Airspace and permission was required from the appropriate government agencies. https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=cfoLYTKObiU An interesting look at a helicopter tree trimmer with a massive saw that is used to cut tree limbs that are growing to close to power lines. As I watched this my first thought was I hope that pilot never runs the saw into the power lines cause that would probably knock out a huge section of the electrical grid and be disastrous for the pilot. Despite the risk this appears to be an efficient way to keep the power lines from having outages due to overgrown vegetation. https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=1yj5QtFu2RA --- ...Seems very dangerous! Thanks LouiseA! 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 ========================================================== ,====,,'''',,, _____________________________________ _______||__||_______ ''', /' | | ___|_|_____ | | | ; /' Name: ____Daniel_C._Au_____________ | | |HONG KONG| | | | ; / o Address: __dcau@nwu.edu____________ | | | | |_|___ | '''\ School: _Northwestern_University___ | | ___|_|_____ ||USA| | `\ ____Medical_School_________ | | |SINGAPORE| | | | `\.____________________________________| |____|_|______|_|____| >Just Have Your Luggage Ready Story Editor: by Cindy Bower Joyce Schowalter Wyoming, USA In 1974 we were married and for our honeymoon, flew to Spokane Washington's World's Fair. Reservations were made over the phone on a generic hotel hot line. The next open hotel spot was assigned to us. We landed at the Spokane airport, hailed a taxi, and after introductions my husband gave the driver an address for our lodgings. Realizing we were on our honeymoon, he wasn't happy to take us there. We rode a long time and finally arrived at a large, newly built condo complex that had been converted into a cash cow for the World's Fair. Each room of each condo had been turned into a makeshift hotel room. As we exited the taxi, the driver informed us he would return to pick us up in the morning. He wanted us to have our luggage ready as he was taking us to a better place. My husband, ever suspicious, hesitated but agreed. We went into our room. On an upper floor, it had formerly just been a bedroom. We had a tiny bathroom with plastic tub and sink. Our room contained a metal folding chair and a bed. The window opened to a gravel courtyard below, where every step by every person, as well as the crunching of the ice machine, echoed throughout the courtyard. The stifling 100 plus degree heat was horrible, and there was no air conditioning so our windows had to be left open. All conversations could be heard through the open windows as well as through the paper-thin walls of adjoining rooms. This was not the honeymoon we had imagined. The next morning the taxi driver arrived as promised. We loaded our things into his cab and he told us he had a very nice place for us. We drove for some time to the heart of the older part of the city where tall trees grew and mansions lined the peaceful streets. He stopped in front of a mansion and we went inside. He introduced us to a small Asian lady who took charge and showed us to our new room. We thanked him and never saw him again. Our "room" was the whole third floor of the beautiful mansion. We had a living room, dining room, bedroom, kitchen and large bathroom with an old claw legged tub. There was even a little balcony. The open windows allowed a cooling breeze to circulate in the hot summer air. Just a block away was a bus stop minutes from the World's Fair. The taxi driver told us that our new room (our mansion) was the same price as the condo, which it may have been. We paid the lady but since have wondered if he had made up the difference in price himself. We don't remember the name of that sweet gentleman. Yet now, over 32 years later, we still remember that his kind actions made all of the difference on those first days of our life together. =======HeroicStories======= >-->From LaughAndLift: "Christ is not one of many ways to approach God, nor is he the best of several ways; he is the only way." - A. W. Tozer , , /////| ///// | ///// | |~~~| | | |===| |/| | B |/| | | I | | | | B | | | | L | / | E | / |===|/ jgs '---' >How to Get to Hell (edited) (by Chris Long and Rich Mullins) Note from Chris: This article is admittedly lengthy, but I can guarantee that it may be one of the most important things you'll ever read. Not because I think it's so wonderful, but because the truths in this message today reach far beyond surface Christianity into the nuts-and-bolts, blood-and-guts Gospel truths that deal with the most important issues that you or I could ever address. It gets us into core issues that we all need to face. With that out of the way, I'd like to jump right into the catalyst for my writings today: an article by Rich Mullins I ran across many years ago. For those that don't know, Rich Mullins was the writer of several popular Christian songs including "Awesome God", "Step by Step" and "Sing Your Praise to the Lord." He went home to be with Jesus in 1997. Here it is: ----- I remember one time [my friend] Beaker and I were hiking on the Appalachian Trail, and he met some friends of his, so I walked into town. It was about a five-mile walk from the campsite down the trail and down into town. And when I got there I went into a restaurant and I was having a steak, and this guy started talking to me and we had this great conversation. We were having a good time, and he said, "Hey look, it's dark and it's five miles up the road to your campground. Why don't I drive you up there?" And I said, "Hey, great!" And so we got in his car, and just as we pulled out from under the last light in that town, the guy said, "You know what, I should probably tell you that I'm gay." And I said, "Oh! I should probably tell you that I am a Christian." And he said, "Well, if you want out of the car..." I said, "Why?" And he said, "Well, I'm gay and you're Christian." I said, "It's still five miles and it's still dark." Then he said, "I thought Christians hated gays." I said, "That's funny, I thought Christians were supposed to love. I thought that was our first command." He said, "Well I thought God hated gays." And I said, "That's really funny, because I thought God was love." And then he asked me the big one. He said, "Do you think I will go to hell for being gay?" Well I'm a good Hoosier, and I puckered up to say, "Yes, of course you'll go to hell for being gay." I got ready to say that, but when I opened up my mouth it came out, "No, of course you won't go to hell for being gay." And I thought to myself, 'Oh my goodness, I've only been in New Hampshire for one week and I've already turned into a liberal! What am I going to tell this guy now?' Then I said to him, "No, you won't go to hell for being gay, any more than I would go to hell for being a liar. Nobody goes to hell because of what they do. We go to hell because we reject the grace that God so longs to give to us, regardless of what we do [or have done]." ----- The Bible clearly teaches that the central issue is one of belief or unbelief. We either believe the Bible - all of it - including that we are sinners in need of saving and that Jesus provided that salvation and believing and responding to that revelation, or we do not believe. It is unbelief that keeps us from God. It is unbelief, steeped in our own pride, unable to believe and accept God's simple revealed truths that keeps us from heaven. God does send humans to hell, but not because He is being mean; rather it is because He is honoring our own wishes. The Bible even tells us that hell was not created for us humans, but rather for the devil and the rest of the demons. God's heart is one of wanting all to come to Him, but He has chosen to accept the choice of humans that, in prideful rebellion, reject Him by their unbelief. In essence, all those that will go to hell are those that themselves CHOSE to go to hell by not believing and humbling themselves before Almighty God, the God who made them and everything they see! If God didn't let them have their way, there would be no element of choice, nd we would all be mindless robots - not creatures that can CHOOSE God (LIFE!). The Bible introduces the concept of saving by faith right away in the Bible and continues that theme until the very end. In the first book of the Bible, for instance, we are told in Genesis 15:6 that Abraham "believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness." When reading the Gospels, you will find that Jesus almost always brought the physical healings and miracles that he performed back to the issue of faith one way or another. The other books of the New Testament make even more abundandtly clear that it is faith, and specifically faith in Jesus and what He did on our behalf, and not our works, that saves. Check out Romans 4 for an in-depth read that lays this out. The issue is not about any specific sin, including homosexuality. However, it amazes me the amount of people that instead of reading and believing what God himself has said about sin, including homosexuality, they instead try to candy-coat it or explain it away to fit their own agenda and belief-system. When God calls something an "abomination" to Him and "unnatural", and especially when it is an issue reitterated multiple times in Scripture (Romans 1 is a great read), you cannot just explain this away as "not what He meant" or "only for a specific time" or anything else. To do so, is to do so in complete ignorance and pride, rather than genuinely trying to seek the truth in humility. I have a very hard time with those who want to merge being homosexuals (or adulterers, or any other sin) and be Christians, all the while claiming that their sin is not sin when the Bible clearly says otherwise. I mean, you either believe the Bible or you don't. You either believe in and accept God's payment for sin on your behalf or you don't. If you are so blinded that you can't even admit that what you are doing is sinful, then you certainly don't see a need for a Savior for that sin. And if Jesus isn't covering that sin (by your own arrogant choice), then you will have to answer for that sin with absolutely no defense when you meet the Lord face to face. If in rebellion to God, one chooses to ignore what He says and "pick and choose" only the parts they like and want to hear out of His revealed Word, they are standing on a very shaky foundation. And on that Day, that foundation will be revealed for exactly what it is. See, it is one thing to struggle with sin as a believer, recognize that it is sin, and desire to stop that sin in your life with God's help. As Christians, there is a real war between the new nature (spirit) and the old nature (flesh). This happens with most all believers (myself included!). It is another thing entirely though to claim to be a believer and yet be steeped in sin that you won't even recognize as sin, and worse, even become "proud" of and convince yourself that God approves of. I always take the claims of anyone that says they are a believer seriously, because I don't know the heart and only God REALLY knows and so I need to be careful not to pass the judgement that only God can pass. But it is also true that the fruit of a person's life always eventually shows itself. If someone is claiming to be a follower of Jesus and yet they practice homosexuality or other sin where they won't acknowledge it as sin, are proud of their sin, and defend their sin, then how much of Jesus is really showing in their life? What's the fruit? A life of disobedience to God's Word? When someone is flaunting sin that God specifically says is wrong, well, it is fair to question just what their relationship really is with Him. Because more likely than not, what has happened is someone is really just using Christianity as a veil so they can still claim they are right with God while doing their sin. Many people that claim to be Christians in actuality have a "smorgasboard religion" of a little of this, a little of that - where they have chosen to embrace things they want to hear but discard things that actually set boundaries for their lives or tell them things they should not do. Many people like to hear flowery messages about how God loves them and wants them to be successful, fulfill their dreams, take them to Heaven, and so forth. And many of those same people don't want to hear the truth of God's Word in regards to sin, hell, and judgement - and even the Gospel truth that Jesus is the only way to Heaven! There are entire denominations and churches (including many large ones - and many you will find on the religious t.v. channel) that love to cater to these people. They won't ever tell you that you are doing anything wrong or that sin is serious and has serious consequences. They'll "uplift" you every week by just telling you how God is for you (sometimes they don't ever - or rarely - even mention Jesus!). Your ears can be tickled by any number of "pastors" that do this if you want. But you'll do so to your own detriment! Because the truth is that God loves you very very much. But He also hates sin very very much. He hates what it brings about in people's lives - which is death (spiritual, physical, eternal). In fact, it is partly BECAUSE He loves you that he hates so much that which would destroy you. And it is also because of His love for you and me that He provided a way whereby we can all be restored to Him and where LIFE will conquer death in all its forms. The main purpose of life here is for each person to choose Life for all eternity. Everything else is secondary to that. Originally the earth was created and humans were made to live in perfect fellowship with God. Due to the choices of the first two humans, who rejected God's way and chose satan's lies instead, sin was brought into the world. Thus the fellowship was broken and death entered the world, because a gap now existed between a holy, righteous God and sinful humans who rejected God and His ways. God could have just ignored it or just started over, but then our choices would be of no importance and thus we could not have any choice in whether we loved God and wanted to be with Him. God could also have just punished us forever with no hope. And yet, God's heart was to restore the broken fellowship. He wanted us to be with him forever. And so His plan went into motion. Since we could never pay the penalty for our sin and right the wrong because we were the sinners, and because He is a just God that couldn't just overlook the sin, the only way the wrong could be righted was if He Himself paid for the wrong. God spent a long time from the time of those first humans until the time of Jesus, showing us that we as humans would never be good enough and could never do enough to pay for our sins. We couldn't even keep 10 simple commandments from Him. Because God who is holy and pure also is a just and fair God, there had to be an act to satisfy God's justice. And yet, we could not satisfy it. So, in His love, He Himself satisfied His justice by sacrificing His Only Begotten Son on our behalf. Jesus, who is God's son. Jesus, who lived a perfect, sinless life on this earth, was put to death by sinful humans, which of course is not at all how we think it should have been. It should have been us on the cross. And yet, even if I had been put to death on the cross, and even if my death could satisfy God's justice, at best it could only satisfy His justice in regards to me because as a sinful human, I certainly could not atone for everyone else's sin. Only Jesus Himself, perfect in every way, could atone for all mankind. When you get down to it, Jesus dying on the cross was the most unjust thing ever! It shows us the depths of His love for you and for me. There is no greater love. (see Romans 5:6-11). Jesus died on the cross to pay the penalty for my sin and yours, so that we all can stand righteous before God by acknowledging our sinfulness and believing in and accepting His work to pay the penalty for our sin. See, Jesus died and satisfied the righteous requirements of God to atone for our sin. But there still is the element of choice in all of us. We must now choose to either accept His sacrifice on our behalf or not. It was a global human act and yet, it is very personal in application. If we do not WANT Jesus to pay for our sin, God will not force it. If we choose to try to come to Him in some other way, He will allow us to try. We can try, but we will fail. Jesus alone is the bridge that closes the gap between sinful man in rebellion to God and a holy, just, righteous God who loves everyone and wants ALL to come to full repentance (see 2 Peter 3:9, John 14:6). The choice to believe that, or not believe that, is ours. We can choose to believe in and accept the sacrifice of God on our behalf or reject it in our pride. You can stand in belief or in unbelief in regards to what the Bible teaches. One way leads to life (now and forever) and the other death (now and forever). Our choice. Rich Mullins was indeed absolutely correct when he wrote above that people that go to hell do so because they have rejected the grace that God so longs to give. The trick here is that many people haven't openly said: "I reject God's grace" or "I reject Jesus", but yet their life of unbelief and rebellion to God showcases it nonetheless. The best part of the Gospel story is that it doesn't end with Jesus bloody and naked, hanging dead on a cross. Jesus did die for our sins. But God also rose Him from the dead. Jesus Himself, speaking of His life, said "No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again." (John 10:18). Jesus proved He was God's Son by rising from the dead, because only the One who made the universe and had total authority over life and death itself could do it! He showed Himself to many after He was raised and many of those people eventually ended up being put to death themselves for their unwavering assertion of what had transpired (this is recorded in other historical records, not just the Bible - why would such people die for something they knew was a "lie"? They wouldn't. But they would if they knew for a fact it was true!) The Bible tells us that He now is again outside of our world in the Heavenly realm. He is forever interceding on the behalf of all those whose faith is in Him. And yet, the Bible does also teach that there will be a time when He will come back into this world. When He comes back, it will not be as a baby in a manger, but as the King of Kings coming to Himself pronounce judgement on an unbelieving world that would not believe on Him. Not all Christians agree on everything the Bible teaches about the future events to come in this regard, but there are some things that are agreed on: (1) Jesus is coming back, (2) those who have rejected Him will encounter judgement the likes of which they have never known, (3) those who have rejected Him will ultimately bow their knee and declare that Jesus is Lord to the Glory of God and acknowledge that He is just to cast them off into outer darkness (hell), (4) those that have NOT rejected Him but have believed in Him and what He did will live forever with Him for all eternity, (5) This earth will be destroyed and a new one will be created. Incidentally, just a brief sidenote: This last one is why it is so sadly ironic that many people are much more concerned with "global warming" and the saving of this earth, which the Bible SAYS will be destroyed (by God!), then in the saving of their own souls! This of course doesn't mean that we are not to be good stewards of the earth...I'm just pointing out the clear irony here. Some people don't like to hear all of these Biblical truths because they don't think it is fair or that God is unloving. They claim that a loving God would never send anyone to hell and that they cannot believe in a God who would. The fact is that God is most loving and loves us more than any human could ever love us. He proved His love for us. It is not God who is unloving, but WE as humans who are unloving. It is we who turned away from God and who broke His laws (which He established for our own good). It is we humans that crucified Love on the cross. It is we humans who have been rejecting Him ever since! Yes, God sends people to hell - but NOT because He wants to, but because WE want to. It is an absolute tragedy and it breaks God's heart. If someone goes to hell, it is because they have chosen to reject Him because they have rejected the way in which they could live with Him. See, the truth is that God is God, and we are not. We are the creation. God is the One who has always existed, who made the universe, who made us, and who established right and wrong. If God says that something is wrong or is not good for us, what right do we have to argue? Do we think we know better than Him??? And yet, many people foolishly make the mistake of not believing because they don't think they agree with Him or the type of God they think He is. Let me share something: It does not MATTER what you or I think is right. It does not MATTER whether we agree with God. It does not MATTER if we understand Him or understand all about Him (we can't anyway!!). We are not the Creator. We are the created. You can foolishly reject Him and refuse to submit to Him if you want. You can choose, in your pride, to live your life apart from Him in a life of unbelief if you want. But in the final analysis, God will prove Himself true. And it will be He, and not you, who WILL have the final say. This is all serious life and death, light and darkness stuff. It is literally the difference between heaven and hell for all eternity. And yet, sometimes as we look at these truths, Christians can, in their zeal and concern for their fellow humans, sometimes lose sight of the fact that the heart of God is still Love. This is another thing that Rich mentioned in his writing that he was absolutely right about. We are to love all people, regardless of their sin status. We are to have absolute love and compassion on all people because God has absolute love and compassion on all people. We should be especially mindful of this when dealing with those lost in their sin, for it is they who most need to see this love, and it is also they who least expect to receive this love from us! Many people, including this guy that Rich had contact with, like to use their idea that Christians are "so judgemental" and "unloving" and also that God is unloving as a means of rejecting the Christian's message and Christ himself. This is all fuel that they use to further the hardness of their heart and to remain far from God and His truth. They incorrectly, but understandably, use the love or non-love of Christians to judge Jesus. As we love on them and show them Christ's love as we are called to do in Scripture by Jesus Himself, we lessen their ability to have this as a perceived valid argument in their mind. Or at least it makes it harder for them to hold on to such excuses. At the same time, love does not mean a watered-down or compromised truth. Sin is still sin and the truth is still the truth. And the truth still needs to be unashamedly proclaimed. But it is important that truth is proclaimed in love (see Ephesians 4:14-15). And now I must pause. Because there are bound to be some that have been reading this that have never truly believed in Jesus and what He did for humanity. Perhaps after reading this today, your eyes and heart have been opened to the fact that you are a sinner and you have been rejecting Jesus. Perhaps you realize that you have been foolishly fighting God, using excuses about Him being unloving and such. And you now realize that it is the exact opposite. Jesus loves YOU so very much. All you need to do is BELIEVE in your heart these truths that have been proclaimed. Open your heart fully to Him right now. Your faith will save you and Jesus will meet you right now where you are at. He is always listening and will listen to you now. Right now, either silently or out loud, but from your heart, ask Jesus to forgive you of your sin - that you believe and accept what He did for you to forgive you of your sin. Ask Him to come into your life and make you a follower of His and to save you for all eternity. If you have sincerely done this, He will meet your faith and you will truly become a Child of God and you can be assured that you have been saved from destruction, and that if you were to die today, you would go to live with Him. Jesus will come into your life and help you to grow in your faith and turn from sin. You literally will become a "new creation" - 2 Corinthians 5:17 says: "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" The next step is to seek out a local church in your area that teaches the Bible and believes that all of it is the true Word of God. Check to make sure their teachings line up with what is in this letter (which is standard Christian doctrine). Tell them that you have just given your heart and life to Jesus and you would like their help to go forward. They will be glad to assist you. Also, please contact me and let me know of your decision as well so that I might pray for you! You can find me on the web at: http://www.laughandlift.com/contact.html Okay, finally I would like to take a moment to specifically address those of you who are believers reading this but know someone who is not a believer (which I imagine is many): Please know that God is not done with them and there is a process with each person. Only God knows the heart and so only God knows where each person is really at in that process. As long as a human being is still alive here in this world that does not know Jesus, there is HOPE for that individual. We must be careful to never give up hope for someone just because we don't see any changes. I could be wrong, but I have a theory that all those that die without the Lord, are taken from this earth at the perfect time where the Lord knows that there is nothing more He could do where they would come to Him. The Bible teaches that God is outside of time (not constrained by time) and therefore He knows the beginning from the end. He knows all those that will turn to Him. And yet, I believe He still tries to do everything possible to reach each person. This would be a part of the character trait of justice, of which God is the perfect representative of. As a person rejects Him and His truth and rejects and rejects, their heart continues to harden and eventually there comes a point whereby there is nothing more that could be attempted - the person is insisting on doing things their way without Him. Only God knows what that point is for each person. Now whether my assessment of that is completely correct or not, one thing IS certain: As long as someone is still alive here, there is hope, because since we do not know the heart, there is still the chance that they may turn no matter how it may look to us. I've got a few personal examples to share. My grandfather lived to be 98-years-old and as far as I know lived a life full of unbelief his entire life. My grandmother did turn to Jesus and accept Him as the Savior from her sins some years back. For a while I could clearly see in my Spirit how through the Lord taking my grandmother home to be with Him, it could also be a major last effort to reach my grandfather. He had done everything else and my grandfather did not respond. He did not respond when my dad (his son) passed away many months before. (this also incidentally could be seen as a showcase of increasing measures the Lord will take to reach someone!). Sure enough, my grandmother ended up being admitted to the hospital with serious heart trouble and suffered a stroke whereby she could no longer speak. For nearly 2 weeks, I read Scripture to her in the hospital while my grandfather was there as well. Little did he know that about half of my chosen Scriptures were actually directly geared for him!! And I saw how after I read the Scriptures many times he would be teary-eyed (VERY uncharacteristic!) - there was clearly an internal battle as the sharp-edged Word of God was piercing his heart. My grandmother passed away a few weeks later. Shortly thereafter I was able to have a good talk with him spelling out why she and my dad were both in Heaven. And he listened. Unfortunately, it saddens me to say that it appeared he rejected and hardened his heart even further. If there was ever someone for which hope appeared to be gone, it was him. He lived over 2 more years from the time his wife (my grandmother) went to the Lord. I saw my grandmother and dad, who WERE believers and did have hope and expectancy of eternal life, shortly before they left this earth, and there was a marked difference (and I mean night-and-day, or perhaps better to say life-and-death difference) from the state I saw my grandfather in hours before he died. I know that the Lord extended His hand out to my grandfather time-after-time (more than I even know) throughout his 98 years of life. I hope he took it at the end. As far as I know, as a result of his "hopeless" beliefs, he essentially gave up on life after my grandmother (his wife of 74 years!) left this earth - it was too much for him. As a result of choices he made that were fueled out of his "hopeless" worldview, he essentially was a 98-year-old man dying in a strange hospice setting where he basically died of starvation after his bodily processes started shutting down - with mostly nobody but a few neighbors around until the very last day....I can tell you it was a very sad scene indeed. Billy Graham once said: "I have talked to doctors and nurses who have held the hands of dying people, and they say that there is as much difference between the death of a Christian and a non-Christian as there is between heaven and hell." I held out hope for my grandfather as long as he was alive even though I didn't know what else Jesus could do to draw him. About 6 months before he died, I wrote him a letter declaring the Gospel clearly (spelling out much of what I've shared today) along with supporting Scripture. After he died and we were going through his belongings, I did find that letter next to his chair. The fact that it was there and he hadn't thrown it out suggests to me that he may have been giving it serious consideration, and yet his actions even up to his final days suggested he did not turn. But I do know that no matter what, Jesus's heart was for my grandfather to be with him for all eternity and He would do everything He could to make that a reality. And if my grandfather rejected Him and died in his sins, that was his choice - extremely sad, yes - an absolute tragedy, certainly - but his choice, and his alone, to make. To this day I still hold out hope that in his last moments or seconds of life he turned to the Lord in his heart. I don't really know. I do know that while he was still here on this earth, there was hope for him. Likewise, I encourage you to also hold on to that hope for those family members and friends that you know. Continue praying and continue loving on them as best you can (even if they outwardly reject you - which incidentally did somewhat happen to me by my grandfather). As long as they are breathing, there is hope for them and remember, God can work where none of us can! I prayed for my father for years and he did accept the Lord shortly before he passed away - God worked and he responded. I also had an elderly friend that had rejected Jesus as the way of salvation for years - We first started talking about Christianity in 1993 and she didn't respond in faith to receive Jesus until 2010 (and subsequently passed away about 3 months later), and that was only after numerous visits and sharing Scriptures with her both in word and in deed. There is always hope through Jesus! I know I have touched on many things in this rather lengthy letter, but they are some of the most important things any of us could ever consider. The funny thing is I still feel like there's so much more that could be said! But this will have to suffice for now (it is, after all, 3 a.m. and I'm starting to fade!! ;) It is my prayer that the truths proclaimed will permeate each of our hearts and minds. We all need to hear and be reminded of these things (myself included!). Love you all! :) Chris ----------------- This article is Copyright by Chris Long 2008-2012. You may use this article for free for any purpose, whether commercial or non-commercial, as long as you use the entire text and that all text, including this notice, is not modified or removed in any fashion. For any other usage, you must obtain written permission from the author. All scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved. This is version 1.2 of this document (January 28, 2012). Previous versions: 1.1 (July 2008), 1.0 (June 2008) This document is provided as a ministry outreach via Laugh & Lift. http://www.laughandlift.com 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 --- , , /////| ///// | ///// | |~~~| | | |===| |/| | B |/| | | I | | | | B | | | | L | / | E | / |===|/ jgs '---' ...See These Great teachings,., Without Natural Affection http://www.absolutebiblestudy.com/Advanced/WITHOUT_NATURAL_AFFECTION.htm The Gay Agenda http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/BibleStudy/gayagenda.html Crossed the Line http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/BibleStudy/crossedtheline.html Is Your Toddler Gay? http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/BibleStudy/toddler.html Who Is Jesus Christ? http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/BibleStudy/whoisjesus.html ========================================================== __ /_/\/\ \_\ / /_/ \ \_\/\ \ \_\/ unknown >-->My Deliverer - Rich Mullins https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0ANzUZ2Bhc Joseph took his wife and her child and they went to Africa To escape the rage of a deadly king There along the banks of the Nile, Jesus listened to the song That the captive children used to sing They were singin' My Deliverer is coming, my Deliverer is standing by My Deliverer is coming, my Deliverer is standing by Through a dry and thirsty land, water from the Kenyon heights Pours itself out of Lake Sangra's broken heart There in the Sahara winds Jesus heard the whole world cry For the healing that would flow from His own scars The world was singing My Deliverer is coming, my Deliverer is standing by My Deliverer is coming, my Deliverer is standing by He will never break His promise, He has written it upon the sky My Deliverer is coming,… -<>- , , /////| ///// | ///// | |~~~| | | |===| |/| | B |/| | | I | | | | B | | | | L | / | E | / |===|/ jgs '---' >Awesome God - Rich Mullins https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2w2b033DXCw [Verse 1] When He rolls up His sleeves He ain't just putting on the ritz (Our God is an awesome God) There's thunder in His footsteps And lightning in His fists (Our God is an awesome God) And the Lord wasn't joking When He kicked 'em out of Eden It wasn't for no reason That He shed His blood His return is very close And so you better be believing that Our God is an awesome God [Chorus] Our God is an awesome God He reigns from heaven above With wisdom, power, and love Our God is an awesome God Our God is an awesome God He reigns from heaven above With wisdom, power, and love Our God is an awesome God [Verse 2] And when the sky was starless In the void of the night (Our God is an awesome God) He spoke into the darkness And created the light (Our God is an awesome God) Judgement and wrath He poured out on Sodom Mercy and grace He gave us at the cross I hope that we have not Too quickly forgotten that Our God is an awesome Go [Chorus] Our God is an awesome God He reigns from heaven above With wisdom, power, and love Our God is an awesome God Our God is an awesome God He reigns from heaven above With wisdom, power, and love Our God is an awesome God [Outro] Our God is an awesome God (Our God is an awesome God) He reigns from heaven above (He reigns from heaven above) With wisdom, power, and love (With wisdom, power, and love) Our God is an awesome God Our God is an awesome God Our God is an awesome God >Updated FUN STUFF URLS - Oh Yeah Shangy! ---------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.ShangralaFamilyFun.com/urls.html FUN URLS ---------------------------------------------------------------------- -->ShangyFunList AD RATES: $20 will get your a message (of up to 40 words) out to all self-subscribed readers and $5 more will give you the same message also put up for all web site readers. 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