Our Hope... :) 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! ================ ,'.' ',' _.,._ _,.-+`'+-._ .|. _.+'` `.' \ (___) ,' \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ \ _.-~`'~-._ _\_.-+'`'`+-._\ ag `,' `---` >-->In The 'Shangy' News :) I've noticed a delay from Yahoo in sending our last two emails. Since they no longer store the group emails on their website, the only way I can tell if an email I am sending to the group has been sent out is if I get a copy back myself. With my eyesight problem, it has been taking me longer to complete my regular emails. It is not easy squinting at my screen to type, edit and compose them. Thursday's inspirations didn't get done until very close to my normal quitting time of 5:00 PM. I see myself like Fred Flintstone working on his dinosaur in the rock quarry when the work Whistle blows at the end of the day. He YaBaDaBaDooos it sliding down the beast to his car sprinting away in it. I waited several more minutes for a copy then shut things down. I forgot to check for it later and didn't remember until Monday morning. I didn't see a copy so I sent another copy to the group of Thursday's Inspiration. Then I got a copy. I'm bringing this all up now because I sent our Smiles out Monday and didn't get a copy back so I waited until Tuesday tp send out another one to the group. Today I still didn't have a copy of the Monday's Smiles email so I sent out yet another copy. Within 10 minutes, I finally did got a the copy of it. My point is, if you are getting extra copies of our group emails, now you know why. I am sorry, I'm simply trying to make sure you at least get one copy! If you haven't received a normal regular copy of the week's Smiles or Inspiration group email, check my website for it, I always save a copy of them there right after sending them out to the group... Shangy Fun List Week! http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/ShangyFunList.html * UPDATE * I sent the EXTRA out Yesterday at 12:55 my time. By 1:30 I still hadn't gotten a copy so I sent out another copy. I waited. Again by 3:48 still nothing. Low and behold, today I have two copies sitting in my inbox. Amazing! Sorry for the repeats. I hope you understand, I've learned with Yahoo that generally if there is no copy within minutes and there is no copy within an hour, then they'll be no copy period! Just hard to figure who is getting their copy and who isn't. I don't want anyone left out! :) -<>- >2 HOT Off The 'Shangy' Press :) This super flaming hot new page is from our friends Linda and Geniann. It is amazing how beautiful things made with flowers is. Be sure sure to check this one out here... __ __/ \__ / \__/ \ \__/..\__/ / \__/ \ \__/ \__/ \__/ || || || .'/.'\.'. ..'.'..'..'.'. Imran Flower Art 3! http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/flowerart4.html --- ...Wow! I could look at these all day! So stunning! Thanks Ladies! -<>- This red hot new page is from our friends LouiseAu And Sharon. It is sure to spike your aww meter and give you your quota for the day along with plenty of smiles. Be sure to check it out here... z z Z .--. Z Z / _(c\ .-. __ | / / '-; \'-'` `\______ \_\/'/ __/ ) / ) | \--, | \`""`__-/ .'--/ /--------\ \ \\` ///-\/ / /---;-. '-' jgs (________\ \ '-' When Sandman Attacks 3 http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/sandman3.html --- ...I love this series! Thanks Ladies! =========================================================== >-->From Heartwarmers: "Too often we choose not to get involved, assuming that others will come along to offer the kindness we keep to ourselves." -- Joseph Walker ,-`"-=') =/////// ,== _,_(((((-`6\ ==.| /,,...\\\C _| .--. ((((\\\\\` _, /;_| )9 )))))./ `. / } _\,_ ,-'))) \ / /=-. ,-./ \/ '))) . /\_/ / \ (,-.%\ / /-' ') \/\ / ( \ (/ \ ' /( ' `-/ \( \ ,- / ( `-' \ . / / \ \ &_) /\ \ | ( /--.- \ \----,------=;% | _/ _); `. ` `-. .`\ ) +++/ \ ,," %&-. ; \\| `-` `-=.;_,.__.__\_,/ )_/___+_/_________\,"(_//_(__)______:-._) gpyy >SIMPLE HEROICS by Joseph Walker It was the simplest of gestures, really. But something about it was terribly poignant and profound -- and instructive to anyone looking for solutions in today's complex world. Sixteen-year-old Brian had been asked to participate in a program at church. Never much one for public speaking, he accepted the invitation apprehensively. His younger sister, Gretchen, knew of his anxiety, and tried to soothe him with some good-natured teasing. "Don't worry about it, Brian," she reminded him more than once. "You can't really disappoint anyone because nobody is expecting much." You know -- the sort of thing you'd expect from a little sister. On the appointed day Brian was in his place wearing his best clothes, a fresh haircut and the most strained smile this side of Miss First Runner-Up. Blame part of that on pre-speech jitters. Blame a little more on the car accident Brian was involved in on the way to church -- not to mention the broken rib he sustained in the collision. "Look at it this way," I whispered to him as the meeting got underway. "The worst thing that could possibly happen has already happened. It's clear sailing from here on in." Well, not quite. When Brian rose to speak, the pocket on his jacket somehow became tangled with the armrest of his chair. The unmistakable ripping sound elicited an audible gasp from the congregation, and brought a pained expression to Brian's mother's face. As Brian turned to see what the ripping was, he lost control of the book he was holding, and it fell on the foot of the woman sitting next to him. The congregation was beginning to titter, and he hadn't said a word. I saw him glance at the door. I'm sure he considered running, and I doubt any would have blamed him. But he bravely made his way to the podium and began to present his message. He was doing a pretty good job, all things considered, when I noticed something unusual -- blood. Dripping from Brian's nose. And not just a little. At first Brian was unaware of what was happening, even though it was painfully obvious to those in the congregation. Then he absently rubbed his nose, and stopped speaking in mid-sentence when he saw the bright crimson fluid that stained his hand. To his credit, he plunged ahead with his remarks, as if he hoped no one would notice the blood running down his face. He tried to disguise his feeble attempts at wiping the blood with his hand, but unfortunately, he only succeeded at making the mess worse. Most in the congregation were transfixed. It was sort of like driving by an accident on the freeway. You didn't want to see it, but you couldn't keep yourself from looking. Then one person decided to stop being a spectator. It wasn't until she had almost made her way to the front of the chapel that I noticed Gretchen. You might expect that a little sister would be taking secret delight in her brother's humiliation, but not this 12-year-old. As Brian continued speaking she walked purposefully up the aisle and directly to his side, a look of sincere concern on her face. She handed him the handkerchief she was carrying and stood there with him, her arm around his waist as he quickly mopped his nose, mouth and chin. When he finished he handed the hankie back to her. She smiled at him, gave him a quick squeeze and returned to her seat. Brian finished his talk, and I'm not the only one in the congregation who thought his performance after the incident was more confident than before. Nor was I alone in feeling that the day's greatest sermon had been preached -- wordlessly -- by his sister. Like I said, Gretchen's gesture wasn't exactly overwhelming. Still, it was heroic in my view, in part because of its simplicity. Gretchen didn't worry about whether or not taking a hankie to her brother in the middle of a church service was appropriate. She didn't form a committee to study her options. She just saw someone who needed help, and she provided it. You don't have to look hard to find everyday parallels, do you? We stumble upon similar situations all the time -- the disoriented tourist on the street, the elderly woman struggling to reach that first step on the bus, the lost child in the department store. Usually it doesn't take much to ease the trauma of the moment -- some pocket change, an outstretched hand, a few kind words or a couple of minutes of time. But too often we choose not to get involved, assuming that others will come along to offer the kindness we keep to ourselves. And usually, others do. It seems there's always a Gretchen around who is willing to step outside herself and do what needs to be done. But the world can always use a few more. Yeah, I know -- there's the risk that our helpful zeal will lead us to say or do the wrong thing at the wrong time. But the way I see it, that risk is worth it -- especially when you consider the prospect of someday being the one who is up there with a bloody nose. And without a Gretchen in sight. -- Joseph Walker =========================================================== >-->From Our Friend John-Paul :) my song to you... o .==. (\`".\| _>` (_--. _=/d ,^\ ~~ \)-' ' - a:f - / | ' ' >I'm Going To Go Walking On The Clouds With Jesus It got quiet in Heaven Then Jesus looked around He caught the eye of HIS Heavenly Father About the time He heard the Trumpet sound. With a nod of His head Jesus said I know exactly what YOU want me to do I'm going to go down to Earth below, and bring back those belonging to YOU. Then Jesus mounted HIS GREAT WHITE HORSE, and THUNDERED through the Sky TEN THOUSAND Angels spread their wings As they begin to fly With a GREAT and POWERFUL MIGHTY NOISE HE will appear in the Eastern Sky . | . / \ I / \ ,g88R_ d888(` ). _ - --== 888( ).=-- .+(` )`. ) Y8P( '`. :( . ) .+(`( . ) .-- `. ( ) ) (( (..__.:'-' .=( ) ` _` ) ) `. `( ) ) ( . ) ( ) ._ ) ` __.:' ) ( ( )) `-'.:(` ) ) ) ( ) --' `- __.' :( )) .-' (_.' .') `( ) )) (_ ) ` __.:' --..,___.--,--'`,---..-.--+--.,,-,,..._.--..-._.-a:f--. I'M GOING TO GO WALKING ON THE CLOUDS WITH JESUS In the Great bye and bye YES!, I'M GOING TO GO WALKING ON THE CLOUDS WITH JESUS, in the Great by and by I`m on the way to meet my Savior up yonder in the sky I'M GOING TO GO WALKING ON THE CLOUDS WITH JESUS Would YOU like to come along with me? we`ll be on our way to Our HOME in GLORY Where Our Souls Longs To Be Now, OUR SOULS will be quickened by the HOLY GHOST, And the Dead in CHRIST WILL RISE, Every knee SHALL BOW, Ever tongue CONFESS, As we look into our SAVIOR'S EYES. This old corruptible body will be made brand new, In The Twinkling of An Eye And GLORY HALLELUJAH, We'll meet Jesus In the Sky . | . / \ I / \ ,g88R_ d888(` ). _ - --== 888( ).=-- .+(` )`. ) Y8P( '`. :( . ) .+(`( . ) .-- `. ( ) ) (( (..__.:'-' .=( ) ` _` ) ) `. `( ) ) ( . ) ( ) ._ ) ` __.:' ) ( ( )) `-'.:(` ) ) ) ( ) --' `- __.' :( )) .-' (_.' .') `( ) )) (_ ) ` __.:' --..,___.--,--'`,---..-.--+--.,,-,,..._.--..-._.-a:f--. YES!, I'M GOING TO GO WALKING ON THE CLOUDS WITH JESUS, in the Great by and by I`m on the way to meet my Savior up yonder in the sky I'M GOING TO GO WALKING ON THE CLOUDS WITH JESUS Would YOU like to come along with me? we`ll be on our way to Our HOME in GLORY Where Our Souls Longs To Be Well, We been on our knees, and we've prayed through, And received The HOLY GHOST We'll be singing with new Heavenly TONGUES, As we walk along, Among the Heavenly Host. my feet are dancing, my body is light, This old World can't hold me down, SO EVEN COME NOW LORD JESUS, AND WE'LL BE HOMEWARD BOUND. . | . / \ I / \ ,g88R_ d888(` ). _ - --== 888( ).=-- .+(` )`. ) Y8P( '`. :( . ) .+(`( . ) .-- `. ( ) ) (( (..__.:'-' .=( ) ` _` ) ) `. `( ) ) ( . ) ( ) ._ ) ` __.:' ) ( ( )) `-'.:(` ) ) ) ( ) --' `- __.' :( )) .-' (_.' .') `( ) )) (_ ) ` __.:' --..,___.--,--'`,---..-.--+--.,,-,,..._.--..-._.-a:f--. YES, I'M GOING TO GO WALKING ON THE CLOUDS WITH JESUS in the Great by and by I`m on the way to meet my Savior up yonder in the sky I'M GOING TO GO WALKING ON THE CLOUDS WITH JESUS Would YOU like to come along with me? we`ll be on our way to Our HOME in GLORY Where Our Souls Longs To Be -John-Paul --- ...I Love this! Gives me Shivers! Thanks John-Paul! Here's the closest song I could find - not as good as yours! :) The Hoppers - Stepping On the Clouds [Live] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=90sKNny9aZ4 Our Hope! - See these Great teachings... T h e F i n a l V i c t o r y - 1 http://www.absolutebiblestudy.com/Advanced/The_Final_Victory.htm T h e F i n a l V i c t o r y - 2 http://www.absolutebiblestudy.com/Advanced/The_Final_Victory--Part_2.htm T h e F i n a l V i c t o r y - 3 http://www.absolutebiblestudy.com/Advanced/The_Final_Victory--Part_3.htm T h e F i n a l V i c t o r y - 4 http://www.absolutebiblestudy.com/Advanced/The_Final_Victory--Part_4.htm Also See: Promises of God Index page http://www.absolutebiblestudy.com/Promises/Promises.htm =========================================================== >-->From Archives InspiredBuffalo: .---. .---. ,';' `.';' `.. f :Bo. ` d88: `\ /d88P' `\ ; /d888P' `. ',d8&8P' : ;d8&7' | :8: | qx >WHAT IS LOVE? Diane Ackerman said, "Everyone admits that love is wonderful and necessary, yet no one agrees on just what it is." Over the years, I have been learning what it is. When I first got married, I wanted to show my love to my new wife. I was drawn to romantic stories like one from the time of Oliver Cromwell in England where a young soldier had been tried in military court and sentenced to death. He was to be shot at the "ringing of the curfew bell." His fiancée climbed up into the bell tower. Several hours before curfew time and tied herself to bell's huge clapper. At curfew time, when only muted sounds came out of the bell tower, Cromwell demanded to know why the bell was not ringing. His soldiers went to investigate and found the young woman cut and bleeding from being knocked back and forth against the great bell. They brought her down, and, the story goes, Cromwell was so impressed with her willingness to suffer in this way on behalf of someone she loved that he dismissed the soldier saying, "Curfew shall not ring tonight." That must be love, I thought! That was the kind of commitment I needed to make! I wanted to give my all. To tie myself to the bell for her. To die, if necessary, for her. To sacrifice myself on the altar of true love! I wanted her to know that I'd give it all up for her. But she never wanted me to die for her. Never! Clean the toilets, maybe, but never die. My commitment was to be shown in household chores! (I read that an exhaustive study showed that no woman ever shot her husband while he was doing dishes. What a relief. Washing dishes may lack inspiration, but it says "I love you" better than roses...) I was never called upon to tie myself to the bell. But I was still called upon to show my love - in little ways, mostly. I was needed to comfort her before we were married when the doctor told her she could never have children; to hold her hand and tell her I wanted her more than I wanted a family. I was called upon to sit by her hospital bed after surgery and encourage her. I was called upon to hold her after her father died and let her cry. I was also called upon to carve out alone time with her as often as possible and to make sure my plans included her as well as me. I was never needed to prove my undying love through a glorious act of self-sacrifice. It was something I was required to do in little ways, through one small act of kindness at a time. And that, I've learned, is love. - Steve Goodier -<>- .---. .---. ,';' `.';' `.. f :Bo. ` d88: `\ /d88P' `\ ; /d888P' `. ',d8&8P' : ;d8&7' | :8: | qx >Love Love is difficult to define yet easy to recognize. The more of it you give away, the more of it you have. The less you demand of love, the more it will bring to you. The fewer conditions you place on love, the more perfectly it will suit you, and the more meaningful it will become. Love can make a powerful, positive difference whenever it is present. And love can work its magic in every corner of your life. Give love to another and you forge a connection that empowers you both. Love the world around you and it will become more beautiful as a result. Love what you do and you become considerably more effective. Add love to knowledge and you'll have wisdom. Love life itself and you'll always find ways to give real meaning to every moment. - Ralph Marston -<>- >To Value Such a Simple Thing We take for granted such simple tasks. To eat, to walk, talk and to read. I joined project Read. To teach adults to read and write. I thought they might be foreigners but no, my student was a thirty something male. He used to be a biker. His family background was tough. He got kicked out by his parents when he was twelve. He never learned to read and write. He was a gentle man. He tearfully explained to me his emotions and how he wanted to express to his son and his wife his love on paper. He was intelligent and wanted to learn so the task was not overly difficult. By Valentines day, he wrote out a simple, but loving Valentines card in his own words to his son and to his wife. He wrote his words through tears, love and after finishing.. gave me a hug. This is as far as he went with his skills. He soon quit coming. He could read the newspaper, and write. He could communicate with his loved ones. A hole was filled in his life. - BJ Cassady -<>- , .-.-,_, )`-.>'` ( / `\ | | | | \ / / `=(\ /.=` `-;`.-' `)| , || .-'| ,_|| \_,/ , \|| .' |\|\ , ||/ ,_\` |/| |Y_, '-.'-._\||/ >_.-`Y| ` .-"||"-. >The Doll and the Rose {Tissue Alert} I was walking around in a store. I saw a Cashier hand this little boy his money back saying "I'm sorry, but you don't have enough money to buy this doll." Then the little boy turned to the old woman Next to him: ''Granny, are you sure I don't have enough money?'' The old lady replied: ''You know that you don’t have enough money to buy this doll, my dear.'' Then she asked him to stay there for 5 Minutes while she went to look around. She left quickly. The little boy was still holding the doll in His hand. Finally, I walked toward him and I asked him who he wished to give this doll to. "It's the doll that my sister loved most and wanted so much for this Christmas. She was so sure that Santa Claus would bring it to her." I replied to him that maybe Santa Claus will bring it to her after all, and not to worry. But he replied to me sadly. "No, Santa Claus can’t bring it to her where she is now. I have to give the doll to my mommy so that she can give it to my sister when she goes there." His eyes were so sad while saying this. "My Sister has gone to be with God. Daddy says that Mommy is going to see God very soon too, so I Thought that she could take the doll with her to Give it to my sister.'' My heart nearly stopped. The little boy looked up at me and said: "I Told daddy to tell mommy not to go yet. I need her to wait until I come back from the mall." Then he showed me a very nice photo of him where he was laughing. He then told me "I want mommy to take my picture with her so she won't forget me." "I love my mommy and I wish she doesn't have to leave me, but daddy says that she has to go to be with my little sister." Then he looked again at the doll with sad eyes, very quietly. I quickly reached for my wallet and said to the boy. "What if we checked again, just in case you do have enough money?'' "OK" he said "I hope that I have enough." I added some of my money to his without him seeing and we started to count it. There was enough for the Doll and even some spare money. The little boy said: "Thank you God for giving me enough money!" Then he looked at me and added "I asked Yesterday before I slept for God to make sure I have enough money to buy this doll so that mommy can give it to my sister. He heard me!'' "I also wanted to have enough money to buy a White rose for my mommy, but I didn't dare to ask God for too much. But He gave me enough to buy the Doll and a white rose.'' "My mommy loves white roses." A few minutes later, the old lady came again and I left with my basket. I finished my shopping in a totally different state from when I started. I couldn't get the little boy Out of my mind. Then I remembered a local newspaper article 2 days ago, which mentioned of a drunk man in a truck, who hit A car, where there was one young lady and a little Girl. The little girl died right away, and the Mother was left in a critical state. The family had to decide whether to pull the plug on the Life-assisting machine, because the young lady would not be able to recover from the coma. Was this the family of the little boy? Two days after this encounter with the little boy, I read in the newspaper that the young Lady had passed away. I couldn't stop myself as I bought a bunch of white roses and I went to the funeral home where the body of the young woman was exposed for people to see and make last wishes before burial. She was there, in her coffin, holding a Beautiful white rose in her hand with the photo of the little boy and the doll placed over her chest. I left the place, teary-eyed, feeling that my life had been changed forever. The love that this little boy had for his mother and his sister is still, to this day, hard to imagine. And in a Fraction of a second, a drunk driver had taken all This away from him. The quote of the month is by Jay Leno: "With hurricanes, tornados, fires out of control, mud slides, flooding, severe thunderstorms tearing up the country from one end to another, and with the threat of bird flu and terrorist attacks, "Are we sure this is a good time to take God out of the Pledge of Allegiance?" -<>- >Links for Your Enjoyment :) Random Acts Of Kindness http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/actsofkindness.html Tips For Dog Owners http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/dogfacts.html Story Behind The Photo http://www.ShangralaFamilyFun.com/photostories.html What I've Learned In Life http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/learnedinlife.html Wood Chip Art http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/woodart.html Wisdom Of Peanuts http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/wisdomofpeanuts.html Kyle The Goose http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/kylegoose.html Cute Little Antelope http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/antelope.html Unforgettable Photos http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/unforgettable.html Tale Of Two Swallows http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/swallows.html Aww Animals 14 http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/animals14.html Ricochet And Kids With SMA! http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/ricochetsmakids.html Nanny Animals 4 http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/nannyanimals4.html Value What You Have http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/valuewyh.html Thank You God http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/thankgod.html Our Valuable Anchor http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/BibleStudy/ouranchor.html -<>- >In The News: From Trump Women Daily: The Trump's India Visit https://tinyurl.com/s66cwag Second Lady Karen Pence Joins Campaign Trail https://tinyurl.com/tr88kuk 'Women of Distinction' Awarded to First Lady https://tinyurl.com/quqzmmu Lara Fights to Eliminate Greyhound Racing in West Virginia https://tinyurl.com/udcxquv -<>- WhiteHouseNews: President Trump is wheels up from historic India visit “Melania and I have been awed by the majesty of India and the exceptional kindness and generosity of the Indian people,” President Trump said. “We’ll always remember the magnificent welcome the citizens of your home state showed us upon arrival.” As part of President Trump’s talks with Prime Minister Modi this week, India is set to buy more than $3 billion of advanced American military equipment for its troops. A stronger India will boost U.S. efforts to defeat terrorism and drug trafficking worldwide. https://www.whitehouse.gov/1600daily/ DHS Deputy Chief Won’t Rule Out Theory That Coronavirus Was Created In A Chinese Lab\ https://tinyurl.com/v64ep8m FBI Agent Faulted In FISA Report For ‘Significant’ Errors Has Finally Been Identified https://tinyurl.com/tesvxau Ninth Circuit Court Rules Trump Admin Stripping Funding From Abortion Clinics Is Constitutional https://tinyurl.com/sb2gqyq DC Sniper May Get Parole After Virginia Governor Northam Signs Juvenile Sentencing Law https://tinyurl.com/qkwxmvb Trump’s Public Charge Rule For Immigrants Officially Goes Into Effect Following Supreme Court Victories https://tinyurl.com/vpp3plc Top Cop Warns Families To Not Support NYPD In Public For Their Safety https://tinyurl.com/w5faswk Teen Girl Sues High School For Not Being Allowed To Use The Boys’ Restroom https://tinyurl.com/vfssv45 WeThePeople Daily: With the Stroke of His Pen Trump Just Helped 13 Million Americans https://tinyurl.com/tjce3v2 Westwing News: Trump Says Coronavirus Response is Working, Taps Pence to Lead Fight https://www.whitehouse.gov/westwingreads/ WhiteHouseNews: https://www.whitehouse.gov/1600daily/ Latest From AFA: http://tinyurl.com/j7lakqw Students For Life https://tinyurl.com/yd5nxmu6 Latest From OperationRescue: http://www.operationrescue.org/ Latest Product Alert: http://www.emergencyemail.org/products/?fmt=text Latest Health Alert: http://www.emergencyemail.org/health/?fmt=text Click to Give Free https://tinyurl.com/y2abb8d2 -<>- >From Our Friend LouiseAu :) We live on a wonderful planet with majestic scenes of natural beauty. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xo0WmngEmnM --- ...Awesome! Thanks LouiseAu! Visit Melissa's Online Store You can get anything you want (except for Melissa ) at the online store http://pdhomes.net/mall/babylissa/mySTORES/ISELL4.html ========================================================== _ , (_\______/________ \-|-|/|-|-|-|-|/ \==/-|-|-|-|-/ \/|-|-|-|,-' \--|-''' \_j________ (_) (_) hjw >Coupon Chain Reaction Story Editor: by Vickie Clark Joyce Schowalter Texas, USA My friend Joe is in the early middle stages of dementia. After his last car accident, his children decided it was no longer safe for him to drive, and didn't replace his car. Since then Joe's friends and church family have helped with his transportation needs. In December 2010 I drove him to the grocery store to buy a bag of sugar for 99 cents. The store is small and the atmosphere is reminiscent of a time when most people at a store knew each other. While my friend shopped, I did too; we met at the cash register. On second thought I asked Joe to get me a bag of sugar. I took Joe's sugar to purchase, and he went to get another for himself. I kept watching for him and finally spotted him in line at the register next to me. As I paid my bill, the clerk for the next line told a customer, "I'm sorry, but you can only buy four boxes of cake mix for 99 cents. You'll have to pay the regular price of $2 each for the other six boxes." I heard the customer reply, "I was only trying to help my kids save a little money." The clerk appeared to be an assistant manager. He was tall, thin, young, and although he kept repeating store policy, seemed a bit unsure of himself. He repeated, "I understand, Ma'am, but you can only buy four at the sale price." After years of reading HeroicStories, I've started looking for opportunities to help others. Joe was in line behind this kind-faced woman, so I said, "My friend can buy four boxes of cake mix for you." After checking out I joined Joe in line, and the lady handed us four boxes of cake mix and $5. As Joe checked out, he was told his bag of sugar would only be 99¢ with a $10 purchase. Being easily confused, Joe argued with the clerk. "But the sign says 99¢." "I know, sir, but the fine print says with $10 purchase." "No, the sign says 99 cents. Come look, I'll show you." I intervened, "I understand, but Joe will have a hard time understanding." The clerk looked confused and repeated that the small print said Joe had to buy $10 worth of groceries. The next woman in line was well dressed with beautiful gray hair and a full grocery basket. She stepped up, "I'll buy the sugar for him." I told Joe to give the lady behind us $1 and the sugar. He did. We purchased the cake mixes, and gave them with the dollar change to the woman who was waiting for them. This prompted a discussion among us ladies about how nice it is to be neighborly to strangers. We thanked the lady for the sugar and left... and I spent the drive to his home trying to explain the whole chain of kindness to Joe. =======HeroicStories======= >-->From CupOfCheer: __ /_/\/\ \_\ / /_/ \ \_\/\ \ \_\/ unknown >QUOTES No matter how often you hear the story or think about Christ's death, you cannot get over the fact that were it not for Jesus' sacrifice, your life would be pointless. --Paul Chappell Our hope is not hung upon such untwisted thread as “I imagine so,” or “it is likely”; but the cable, the strong rope of our fastened anchor, is the oath and promise of Him who is eternal verity. Our salvation is fastened with God’s own hand and Christ’s own strength to the strong stake of God’s unchanging nature. --William Rutherford Nine-tenths of the difficulty is overcome when our hearts are ready to do the Lord's will, whatever it may be. The difficulty arises when we ask God to reveal His will before we are ready to do it unreservedly. --George Mueller -<>- , , /////| ///// | ///// | |~~~| | | |===| |/| | B |/| | | I | | | | B | | | | L | / | E | / |===|/ jgs '---' >SMALL WONDER We have done only that which we ought to have done. - LUKE 17:10 When you think about the great humanitarian efforts achieved by the advance of Christianity over the years, you possibly think of hospitals and rescue missions and hunger relief. But perhaps the power of Christianity is proven best every day in homes and families and marriages like yours—when people who are self- centered by nature put their spouse's needs before their own. It's something He only accomplishes in us when we do the following: 1. Put Christ first in all things. When Barbara and I signed the "Title Deed" of our lives over to Christ as a young married couple, we officially gave Him everything that was ours—all rights to our lives, dreams and possessions. Have we ever failed to remember the One who really owns our hopes, dreams and possessions? Sure. But whenever we've been tempted to live for ourselves, we've always been able to look each other in the eye and remember a time when we submitted everything of ours into His keeping and signed that title deed. 2. Give up all rights and entitlements. Paul said, "For though I am free from all men, I have made myself a slave to all" (1 Corinthians 9:19). Not a slave to some, but to all. And just as a slave relinquishes all rights to personal time and desires, we as Christ's followers are commanded to put others above ourselves. It's the only way to be the kind of wife or husband God intends us to be. 3. Be selfless in the little things. Sometimes I don't want to get out of my favorite chair to help Barbara carry in the groceries, sweep the kitchen or clean a toilet bowl. But it's in these minor, everyday moments that we teach our selfish selves who is boss. This is part of what the Bible means when it tells us to "learn to do good" (Isaiah 1:17)—to constantly choose death to self, to always choose sacrificial love until it becomes our first response. DISCUSS Who owns your life? Your dreams? Your possessions? Consider formally signing a title deed of your life, and give God 100 percent ownership. There's great freedom that will result from this transaction! PRAY Pray that submissiveness to God's will and the needs of others will be your true desire. as seen in Moments Together For Couples -<>- {) c==//\ _-~~/-._|_| /'_,/, //'~~~\;;, `~ _( _||_..\ | ';; /'~|/ ~' `\<\> ; " | / | " " " -Tua Xiong :CHOOSING TO BE INTENTIONAL by Lee Buford It is often said that a major key to success and accomplishment in life is largely related to the intentionality with which one pursues a goal or purpose. It seems a rather obvious notion, however, we seem to struggle with the concept in many areas. I know I do. I know I need to be more intentional in many areas of my life, and I bet you do as well! I had a great discussion this week with some friends around the idea of being more intentional in our faith…more specifically as it relates to growth, maturity, and discipleship within our own lives and communities. And as we ultimately kept coming back to, our being intentional in these areas always comes down to an individual commitment to take action - to DO something on the front end. A few key areas where I need to be more intentional in this regard are: Loving Others – I need to make a better effort to let others know how much I care. I need to make a few phone calls on a more frequent basis to family and friends. I need to be intentional about my actions. Building Relationships – I need to set aside time to truly get to know people on a deeper level. I need to invest in others, and seek those who will invest in me. I need to be more intentional about creating or encouraging situations that allow the common interests of others to initiate a more intimate bonding. Game-planning – I need to prioritize things that matter in the overall growth and maturity of myself and those around me. I need to be more strategic in identifying, acknowledging, and addressing areas that are holding me back. The list goes on and on. We all have similar needs, challenges, and opportunities, but not all of us will do something about it. We should! We should be “intentional” with our intentions…specific with our goals and plans. As is the case with me, it is entirely up to you. Intentionality is voluntary. It’s a choice we make. What are some areas in which you need to be more intentional? What choices will you make? as seen at www.leebuford.com -<>- __ /_/\/\ \_\ / /_/ \ \_\/\ \ \_\/ unknown >HAVE FAITH Those dark storm clouds pass, Life's trial fires will not last, Heavens will soon bright to blue When Jesus rescues you. Hold strong the faith every day, Believe in God's divine way, Jesus is your redeeming friend, On his mercy you can depend. Christ will shelter you through When all else forsakes you, When trying troubles overbear Kneel to The Savior in prayer. Let Christ be your saving light, A beacon fire in the black night, A bridge over wild tempest seas, He will soothe and give you ease. While life's seas toss and churn God's holy light forever burns Steering the flock to safe shore Where there is sorrows no more. Give your worries over in prayer All your frets, trials and cares, You're a child of the King of Kings With the grace and glory it brings. Have faith that God's love is there And His love is beyond compare, His arms are waiting too embrace, To put a smile on that scowling face. God's light of hope eternally flames When in prayer you speak His name, Your heartaches will soon disappear When you ask God to hold you near. - Kenneth J. Ellison 01-25-04 as seen at Lindas Place in Cyberspace -<>- (\ \'\ \'\ __________ / '| ()_________) \ '/ \ ~~~~~~~~ \ \ \ ~~~~~~ \ ==). \__________\ (__) ()__________) unknown >OBSERVATION AT DYSART'S By Suzanne Taylor A writer's talent isn't only in painting pictures in your mind with colorful words and phrases. It's also in the ability to observe. Inspiration is found everywhere we go. Recently my inspiration came from watching fellow munchers at the local truck stop my husband, Larry, and I frequent. Dysart's has great food and wonderful servers. Larry says the coffee is thick, able to wake anyone for hours—just what long haulers need. On this particular day my focus was on a young man in a medium blue shirt with white stripes. He was sitting with several people, his right elbow resting on the corner of the table as his body leaned forward over his arm. I could tell he was listening intently to something one of his lunch mates was saying. In my imagination, his ears folded forward like a funnel capturing every word. The funniest thing was that he never made a move, showed an emotion, or even raised an eyebrow. His concentration was deep. Suddenly the young man sat up straight with such a quick motion it caused me to sit back in my chair. He now seemed distracted, not caring what was being said. He looked around the room at the other diners. Some were finished and leaving their seats. Others were entering and filling the tables. It was like a wave of humanity in slow motion...in and out. That's when it hit me. We do this same thing to God. Our first years with Jesus are often a love affair. We long for time alone with Him. We rush through chores to spend time commun- ing with Him. We watch the clock at work, looking forward to a break or lunch time when we can open our Bibles. We give Him our rapt attention, leaning in to hear every word He says, and we pray. We can't wait for the church doors to open so we can worship. There is joy in singing and anticipation for what we will learn from the day's message. There is a deep peace in our hearts knowing we are safe with the Lord. Then, life happens. Instead of anticipating our worship with the Lord, we find excuses why we don't have the time. We may think our prayers are not answered, so sure that either we didn't pray correctly or God just wasn't paying attention. We decide prayer isn't for us; successful praying must be for others. In essence, we sit up quickly and lose interest in what God is saying to us. Our spiritual ears close and our spiritual eyes no longer see life and love in the Word of God. We lose our joy. Movement at the other table captured my attention, and what I observed the young man doing next gave me hope for all of us. After finishing his cursory examination of the people around him, he slowly regained his attentive position. Once again his elbow was on the table and he was looking at and listening to his lunch mates. His eyes were focused, his ears tuned in. We are never really out of touch with the Lord. We must simply return our attention to Him. As we refocus and pay close heed to God's Word, He restores communion with us. And we will grow warmer daily until we are hot with anticipation for what He will teach us next. Instead of anticipating our worship with the Lord, we find excuses why we don't have the time. We may think our prayers are not answered, so sure that either we didn't pray correctly or God just wasn't paying attention. We decide prayer isn't for us; successful praying must be for others. In essence, we sit up quickly and lose interest in what God is saying to us. Our spiritual ears close and our spiritual eyes no longer see life and love in the Word of God. We lose our joy. It doesn't matter if we have been away from Jesus for years or days. He will respond to our first word of prayer seeking forgiveness and restore us to fellowship with Himself. Writers may have the gift of words, but Christians have the gifts of the Holy Spirit and it's His job to nudge us when we go astray. He guards the calling on each of our lives. We can believe this because, God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of His Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. (I Corinthians 1:9) - Suzanne Suzanne Taylor is Pastor of New Beginnings Ministry (www.newbeginmin1.org), an online ministry dedicated to bringing together those who want to learn, share and experience more about Jesus. She is also the author of Rev's Notes. Suzanne lives in Maine, USA with her husband of 40 years, Larry. as seen in A Note of Encouragement To SUBSCRIBE: Send an e-mail with SUBSCRIBE CUP O'CHEER in the subject line to cheer316@sc.rr.com. --- _ _|_|_ ,|_| |_|_ || | | |_| || | | | | || | | | | _|| | | | | ||)\ ^ ^ ^ | || | | || | | || | | \\ | \\ / ejm )\ ( / \ \ / \ \ ...Reminds me of a few teachings... But first - Think about this: Often we get in a rut of saying our prayers and leaving it at that telling ourselves we did good to do that much. We neglect to spend a little more of our time thinking of the ways that God blessed us throughout the day - big ones and little ones - and actually THANK God through Jesus Christ for those blessings. We get ritualistic in our prayers and instead of talking with our Father we talk at Him. Like we are talking to the wall. We forget about love and being personal with our God and Father like we would be with a parent that we dearly love. We'd not simply talk to them and recite a memorized message and go to sleep at the end of the day or just walk away from them. That would be rude and unthinkable. So why do we think that it is OK to do that with the One who loves us even more than our earthly parents do or ever could? , , /////| ///// | ///// | |~~~| | | |===| |/| | B |/| | | I | | | | B | | | | L | / | E | / |===|/ jgs '---' Check out these Teachings... Are You Limiting God? http://www.absolutebiblestudy.com/Basics/Are_You_Limiting_God.htm THE RENEWED MIND http://www.absolutebiblestudy.com/Basics/THE_RENEWED_MIND.htm It’s a Two-Way Street http://www.absolutebiblestudy.com/Basics/It's_a_Two-Way_Street.htm FIRST THOUGHT http://www.absolutebiblestudy.com/Basics/FIRST_THOUGHT.htm ========================================================== _ _|_|_ ,|_| |_|_ || | | |_| || | | | | || | | | | _|| | | | | ||)\ ^ ^ ^ | || | | || | | || | | \\ | \\ / ejm )\ ( / \ \ / \ \ >-->Let Go and Let God Let go of all your worries, Let God see you through; Just turn it over to Him, Then they will be so few. He's there just for the asking, As we pray to Him each day; To help us climb the mountains, That might get in our way. So when troubles fall upon us, Get down upon your knees; He'll lift your spirits upward, If only you'll say, "Please." "Help me, God, I need you now, Don't ever go away; Your precious Son, my Jesus, His life for me did pay." So, today, I will let go, And let God have it all; Then tomorrow I'll look back, And say, "It seemed so small." Faith is not believing that God can, It is knowing that He will...... © Shirley Jean Pickens - 2002 >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. Email me to secure dates. 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