Poetry Time & More! ... :) Shangy! >Just Plane Helpful Story Editor: by Gentry Hogan Joyce Schowalter North Carolina, USA It was May, 1988. I'd just completed basic training in Great Lakes, Illinois and was taking my first-ever off-base weekend leave. We didn't get much notice about the duty schedule, maybe a week if lucky. This was a rare event: no duty for an entire weekend and I could go anywhere I wanted. For a 19-year-old sailor who was very, very homesick, there was only one place to go. I went to the on-base travel agency to get a plane ticket home to Raleigh, North Carolina. Cost didn't matter because I might not get this chance again for months. I got my ticket and headed for the barracks to pack my big green sea bag. I would leave the next day. I had never traveled out of O'Hare airport in Chicago before. As a result I was sorely mistaken about the amount of time it would take to get to the airport and through the massive terminal to my plane. As the taxi drove I got more and more nervous. I was going to miss my plane. We arrived and I jumped out with my sea bag on my back and ran. A full-out run took me to ticketing quickly. But what a sight I must have been: a 6-foot-5-inch man in full dress blues, highly polished shoes, and a big green bag on his back running through the airport at breakneck speed. It seemed like the gate was a full mile away! I ran, arriving at the gate only to see my plane pulling away. Then it started. The gate agent asked if that was my plane. I breathlessly told her yes. As I stood red faced, with disbelief in my eyes, she picked up the phone. Somehow she spoke with the captain of my plane. She told him I needed to BE on that plane. Then she smiled and my heart leapt. The plane was being pulled back into the gate! The attendant rushed me down the gangway where the airplane door opened and I boarded. Next a flight attendant put me in first class (my first time ever). She treated me like royalty -- like I always flew first class, even though I clearly did not. When she heard I was going home for Mother's Day weekend, she gave me two bottles of champagne to give my mom as a gift. I got great food and fancy drinks the whole time. The short flight ended much too quickly, and as I deplaned I got to thank the captain, who pulled the plane back so a kid could go home to see mom on Mother's Day. Now, nearly 20 years older, I realize I really owed a thank you to the entire plane, to all the people who allowed me to delay their arrival just because I'd never experienced O'Hare before. It was their combined kindness which allowed me to get to my first hero, my mom Vicki. ========HeroicStories======= >-->Remembering 9/11 >"One" As the soot and dirt and ash rained down, We became one color. As we carried each other down the stairs of the burning building We became one class. As we lit candles of waiting and hope We became one generation. As the firefighters and police officers fought their way into the inferno We became one gender. As we fell to our knees in prayer for strength, We became one faith. As we whispered or shouted words of encouragement, We spoke one language. As we gave our blood in lines a mile long, We became one body. As we mourned together the great loss We became one family. As we cried tears of grief and loss We became one soul. As we retell with pride of the sacrifice of heros We become one people. We are One color One class One generation One gender One faith One language One body One family One soul One people We are The Power of One. We are United. We are America. ================================================================== >-->From AndyChaps: ** Paid In Full ** One day, a poor boy who was selling goods from door to door to pay his way through school, found he had only one thin dime left, and he was hungry. He decided he would ask for a meal at the next house. However, he lost his nerve when a lovely young woman opened the door. Instead of a meal he asked for a drink of water. She thought he looked hungry so brought him a large glass of milk. He drank it slowly, and then asked, "How much do I owe you?" "You don't owe me anything," she replied. "Mother has taught us never to accept pay for a kindness." He said..... "Then I thank you from my heart." As Howard Kelly left that house, he not only felt stronger physically, but his faith in God and man was strong also. He had been ready to give up and quit. Year's later that young woman became critically ill. The local doctors were baffled. They finally sent her to the big city, where they called in specialists to study her rare disease. Dr. Howard Kelly was called in for the consultation. When he heard the name of the town she came from, a strange light filled his eyes. Immediately he rose and went down the hall of the hospital to her room. Dressed in his doctor's gown he went in to see her. He recognized her at once. He went back to the consultation room determined to do his best to save her life. From that day he gave special attention to the case. After a long struggle, the battle was won. Dr. Kelly requested the business office to pass the final bill to him for approval. He looked at it, then wrote something on the edge and the bill was sent to her room. She feared to open it, for she was sure it would take the rest of her life to pay for it all. Finally she looked, and something caught her attention on the side of the bill. She read these words..... _____ j_____j /_____/_\ |_(~)_| | | )"( | | |(@_@)| | hjw |_____|,' "Paid in full with one glass of milk" (Signed) Dr. Howard Kelly. Tears of joy flooded her eyes as her happy heart prayed: "Thank You, God, that Your love has spread abroad through .---. .---. ,';' `.';' `.. f :Bo. ` d88: `\ /d88P' `\ ; /d888P' `. ',d8&8P' : ;d8&7' | :8: | qx human hearts and hands." ===================================================================== >-->"May You Have .." Enough happiness to keep you sweet; Enough trials to keep you strong; Enough sorrow to keep you human; Enough hope to keep you happy; Enough failure to keep you humble; Enough success to keep you eager; Enough friends to give you comfort; Enough wealth to meet your needs; Enough faith in yourself to inspire you to do your best, and Enough determination to make each day better than yesterday ============================================================== >-->From Our friend Tony in Australia :) >Gods Grace(is ‘in continuum) Part One ----------------------------------------------------------- UUUUUUUUU| HHHHHHHHHH | |AAAAAAAA |UUUU UUUUUU C |HHHHHHHHHHHHH | LLLL |AAAAAAAAAAA |UUUUU UUUUU /\_________ HHHHHH |LLLLLLLLLL |AAAAAAAAAAAAA|UUUUU ==== / |######| ======================================= QQQQ |\ |#####/ PPPPP | UU | IIIIIIIL | TT QQQ / | |<_____ PPPPPP | UUUUUUUU | IIIIIIILLLLL| TTTT === ` ` o o ======================================= VK Some months ago now, I was walking through the Mall of our local shopping centre and all of a sudden I heard a young child screaming and running through the crowded space and he attracted the attention of dozens of shoppers who, like me were stunned at the noise this unruly little boy was making. Somehow, I seemed to recognize the squealing and when I looked to see the boy running around squealing, kicking out at people trying to gain control of him and I realized…..it was my Grandson we haven’t been allowed to see for quite some time. This is the third occasion now that we as grandparents are being ‘punished’by my own son and daughter in-law for being ‘concerned grandparents” My son and I had a disagreement about him throwing our beloved grand daughter into the air and catching her. This all happened in OUR home and over a hard tiled area. One mistake and that child could have been injured badly, Hardly the thing to have happen in our home to our own grandchild. My son took exception to being told that the child, although was squealing laughter, was being ‘abused’. Yes it DOES happen to make a child laugh to be tossed into the air like a football but that doesn’t make it right. Things can happen, bad things! Ropes aren’t meant to break when rock climbers are out ‘having fun”, boats aren’t meant to sink when people go out for a quiet days fishing. Unloaded guns aren’t meant to go off and kill or maim someone, but they do. Why would anyone put a child’s well being at risk? For ‘fun’… I couldn’t quite understand that. I have to wonder where my grandson got his ‘wild streak’ from but I am left with no answer. I have to notice though, that when my son becomes upset or agitated, he also ‘reacts’ in a noticeable way all intended to ‘get his own back’ and not realizing the damage he causes. I also have to admit that he probably got that from the ‘earlier’ me. I used to say to my kids, “I am what people make me”and I was. People could make me angry and so I acted ‘angry’. Sometimes I still do, I hate to be cut off by some ‘speeding idiot’ in traffic! But I don’t set out to hurt anyone for any particular reason assuming that it will make ‘me’ to better… because it never does. How anyone can get satisfaction by going out of their way to hurt someone purposely, is beyond me.Even worse, when it’s ‘by accident’ Some years ago now,I found some of the things I would ‘say ‘offending’even to myself,so one day after usin a word I never used to use, I stopped, sat down and began to take stock of myself and I realise now, I was very much like those children who at times get out of control and I felt “I had to change!” But how? I had no ‘mentor’ in life. My dad was gone years ago and I had no example to follow. I worked for myself so I had no ‘boss’ to look up to and respect. And My father in-law and I learned to ‘tolerate’ each other and that was the extent of that relationship! So….. where to from there? I tried to look for books or articles on the internet about ‘relationships’ and I couldn’t believe it when I found that it takes two to tango! Two to make an argument! Two to make a child! And I began to see that “ Hey! This is NOT just ME! It’s not JUST me that’s wrong! It’s the people the ‘company’ I keep also!.and ‘some’ of my own family. I rarely argued with my wife, so why was it that I argued with others? Why did I set out to upset them and allowed them to upset me? Was it really the ‘norm’.Are all families like that? I can not remember ONE time, when I have gone out of my way to ‘start a fight’! But I cannot remember also, one time when I could have avoided one and didn’t. I was a typical Yorkshire man, “you could tell me lots of things, but you cant tell me much” I do believe I changed,…. and I also believe ‘people’ don’t understand nor accept the changes in me. I could easily say “ that’s their problem’ but that’s not quite true, its also MY problem and if there is ANYTHING that can be done, I should at least try, and then if my efforts are rebuffed? Try again. Well…. I have tried, three times at least and so far to no avail. As for my children? I believe I have done what I can… and now, I give them up to God. I cant change them, but not that long ago I am sure my parents would say that they couldn’t change me, but something did…something did. >Gods Grace(is ‘in continuum) Part Two @ _--_-._ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _.@ `(@)(@)(@)(@)(@)(@)(@)(@)(@)(@)(@)(@)(@)(@)(@)(@)(@)(@)(@)(@)(@)(@) " " |" " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " " ".'"| | | `. .' | | |o `. .' o| | |`(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)| | | `. .' | | | `. .' | | | | | | | | |__. .__| | | | `OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO' | | | | | `. .' | | | | | {{ |**************************| | | | |*<|} _/\ | |_. ._| | | | | | / \ /' ) | """"""""""(*)""" | | | | ||__ )'|)) \\_ | | | ....../ \| | | |`-. .-._ | | | | | _.' _.-'|| | | | 7*~|[_`-. _| | |`-._____| | | \ \.'_.-' .-| | | | /* \ |`-.[_| |`-.| | | |___.-' .-' | |_|' 7 *~_||`- | |(+)|`--.____| | | | .-'* | | | / * \|| | *| |/^\| .--.| | |___|.-' |* *| | .' 7_ _* ~ `.| | |/^\| / | | | |( F|'| | | .' '/ '_)-"` `. | |/^\|_ |@.@ | | | | `'| |*|__|' | /.\ `|__|/^\|\|_( - )| | |().-| | | | | (.' { | \| B__`v' | | |/\| | | | |.' .-'`-.' `. |/ \/ | | |/\| | | |.' / \ `.| |-._ | | |/\| | |.' --. __ / | | |._-`. | | |/\| |.' `.`< /} | || | | | `-.___| | |/\|.' `.'-. | || | | | | | | .' | `._|_/`-. | | `._ | |____|' |__|`---' F | | `-._VK| | / ) | |-| | _| '\ \ | `-' .' `-' `.) |___.-`` .' ' || | .' ||__|_ ((_.__) I know I will make some of you turn up your eyebrows at me when I say I bet some of us, inspite of not being exactly ‘kids’ act a little like we are at times don’t you think? Do we ever realise that at times, we are like those spoiled little brats we brought up? I suppose it depends on what our personal thoughts of the word ‘spoiled’ means. Some parents watch their kids throw tantrums and say they are spoiled( or maybe its only ‘others’ who say that?)Some spoiled kids just go into their ‘shells’ and pout. Others? Water off a ducks back…not to many like that though! Let me see if you are ‘spoiled’… Was there ever a time when we ‘know’ that God is doing His best work in us but its not something we want for ourselves, so what do we do? We ‘rebel’! we just don’t go the way He wants us and we resist and do what Jonah did, He tried to run away. Well, that’s being ‘spoiled’ and acting ‘spoiled’ Just like your kids when they thought you was being unfair or mean, we ‘jack up” and want to do things ‘our ‘way’. Well you think back when your Dad said, “ Son don’t go climbing that tree yonder you will…….CRASH!” And you wish you had listened to him. He was only trying to protect you from yourself but you knew better, you thought he was just trying to spoil your fun uh? Sometimes God does allow a situation to happen if He thinks there is a lesson to be learned, we see that when God sends a famine to ‘enlighten’ a family of brothers when they had been exceptionally wicked and tried to get rid of their little brother! God saw them locked up! Imprisoned! Scared that they may never see light of day again, they began to ‘change’ themselves. God made them see the error of their ways and yes, His punishment could have been far worse than it was, but they reached a point where they were sorry for what they had tried to do but still, they hadn’t at that point, truly experienced the Grace of God when He forgives them for their sins. Still, they remained stubborn and everyone around them would have felt the brunt of their deeds and attitudes. I remember the look on my daughter in laws face when my grandsons put on his tantrum in front of hundreds of shoppers, and I truly felt sorry for her knowing, that it may take years of tempers and tantrums till my grandson ‘grows out of it’ as they say he will. I think he will need more than three score and twenty to achieve that. Where does he get it from? Who knows but my son doesn’t have a temper, he just sulks and allows himself no pleasure in forgiving or being forgiven, so until He ‘changes’ he will not feel the Grace of God. Right now if he did, he wouldn’t even ‘know’ it!. With Josephs brothers, Gods work wasn’t finished and I doubt that His work is finished in my kids, in fact it hasn’t even started, but it will…They haven’t yet learned that digging their heals in just saps their ‘positive energy’ and nothing comes of it, nothing, but ‘negativity’. Stubborness, anger, deciept, jealousy, all of these things Satan uses and eventually , if we don’t fight back with ‘positive’ rather than negative actions, we will lose. I am going on to try to show you that even ‘we’ Christians have certain ‘barriers’ roadblocks in our lives. Lets take a look at Josephs brothers, see if there is anything we recognise. Joseph has ‘growed up some’since his brothers had last seen him, but he recognised them! And it all came back to him! The things they did to rid themselves of the ‘spoiled brat’ of a brother. They come into his presence grovelling for grain and still not recognising him and Joseph attends to their petition, gives them some grain to take home and sends them on their way but…..Joseph takes a hostage! The brothers are to return home without their little brother Simeon He stays behind! Joseph gets his men to fill the sacks with the grain but he also tells the men to put the money they had bought the grain with back in their sacks! They take off for their homeland and they stop at dark and are getting ready to bed down for the night and one is checking his sack of grain is ok and he finds his money! Stashed in the sack of grain! Right away! He thinks that he has been duped! And he shouts to his brothers, “ Look at this! My money is here in the sack! And of course, they all panic! And for the first time in the book, they mention God! “What has God done?” they ask each other in alarm! ( Gen 42:25-28) Strange don’t you think,? That the brothers immediately thought it was GOD! Who was punishing them! Well heres something to think about. Immediately their thoughts of God were negative! They couldn’t have know the truth do their minds run rampant and they panic because it appeared that things weren’t going to go their way! So what had really happened? Had Joseph set his brothers up for a big downfall? Did they have reason to think that they would get caught taking grain without paying for it? And were they about to be punished severely? Well in fact their account had been paid in full! Maybe Joseph himself paid for it I don’t really know, but I do know that God had a hand in it! They got what they needed and possibly more and they didn’t have to pay for it! But guess what? The first thought they had of God was negative! WHY? Did he do this to us? We see that Josephs brothers were wrong in what they did and what they thought…..is there a parallel here somewhere? Are some of us like that? --- ...Nice - Thanks Tony! - Parts 3 and 4 next week! ====================================================================== >-->"Don't Go To Bed" Don't Go To Bed.... I've heard it said don't go to bed while hanging on to sorrow, you may not have the chance to laugh with those you love tomorrow. You may not mean the words you speak when anger takes its toll, you may regret your actions once you've lost your self control. When you've lost your temper and you've said some hurtful things, think about the heartache that your actions sometime bring. You'll never get those moments back, such precious time to waste, and all because of things you said in anger and in haste. So if you're loving someone and your pride has settled in, you may not ever have the chance to say to them again... "I love you and I miss you and although we don't agree, I'll try to see your point of view, please do the same for me." ---Author Unknown ============================================================= "It's the repetition of affirmations that leads to belief. And once that belief becomes a deep conviction, things begin to happen." --Claude M. Bristol (1891-1951),American Author of 'The Magic of Believing' /\ / \ | | --:'''':-- :'_' : _:"":\___ ' ' ____.' ::: '._ . *=====<<=) \ : . ' '-'-'\_ /'._.' \====:_ "" .' \\ : : / : \ : . '. ,. _ snd : : : : '-' ). :__:-:__.;--' ( ' ) '-' '-' ( - .00. - _ ( .' _ ) ) '- ()_.\,\, - >"The Magic of Believing" Why is it that some people always succeed in whatever they do and others continue to fail? How come some people drift through life trying to find the energy to go on, and others have abounding energy? Is there some magic potion that the successful have access to that the rest don’t have? The answer is yes. The magic potion is faith. Successful people have learned to believe in themselves. They know that everyone has God given talents and that they will be successful if they find what they are. How do you find your talent? Examine the things you love to do, and do well. To make life worth living you must do what brings you joy. To fulfill a dream, you must have a plan; it’s called a goal. Those without goals have no direction for their life and little energy. The ones struggling to fulfill a dream, have abounding energy because inspired living is energy giving. J..C. Penny once said, “Show me a stock clerk with a goal and I will show you the future head of the company. Show me a person without a goal and I will show you a stock clerk.” The majority earn a living by relying on what they can see, the check coming in from their employer when they work a regular job. There is nothing wrong with that except the limitations. There are only twenty-four hours in a day and trading hours for dollars can only earn a limited amount. Visit here for the rest: http://ezinearticles.com/?The-Magic-in-Believing&id=4641 Magic of believing ========================================================================= >-->From SermondFodder: Triviata There are over 58 million dogs in the U.S! Dogs and cats consume over $11 billion worth of pet food a year! Fingernails grow nearly 4 times faster than toenails! Humans blink over 10,000,000 times a year! In the year 2000, Pope John Paul II was named an "Honorary Harlem Globetrotter."! Every second, Americans collectively eat one hundred pounds of chocolate A fetus develops fingerprints at eighteen weeks! The fear of vegetables is called Lachanophobia!.. More fears... There are approximately fifty Bibles sold each minute across the world! Every year, kids in North America spend close to half a billion dollars on chewing gum! An earthquake on Dec. 16, 1811 caused parts of the Mississippi River to flow backwards! A person uses approximately fifty-seven sheets of toilet paper each day! Honolulu is the only place in the United States that has a royal palace! One gallon of used motor oil can ruin approximately one million gallons of fresh water! More money is spent on gardening than on any other hobby! In 32 years. there are about 1 billion seconds! Rice paper does not have any rice in it! -<>- >For FLAG DAY - JUNE 14, 2007 Muzzy's Minuteman Moments Enjoy the following and don't forget to thank a Veteran you may know for help preserving your right to be able to still live in a free country, the right to worship, the right to free speech, and the right to elect the man or woman you want for any office. We take so much for granted but if it weren't for our Veterans, you probably wouldn't be reading this! If you are a Veteran reading this, here is a big THANK YOU, your country owes you a debt of gratitude. GOD BLESS YOU. THE LAST WORD "It is the soldier, not the reporter, Who has given us freedom of the press. "It is the soldier, not the poet, Who has given us freedom of speech. "It is the soldier, not the campus organizer, Who has given us the freedom to demonstrate. "It is the soldier, who salutes the flag, Who serves beneath the flag, And whose coffin is draped by the flag, Who allows the protester to burn the flag." -- Father Dennis Edward O'Brian, USMC (10 November 1775, a Corps of Marines was created by a resolution of Continental Congress -- Semper Fi!) FLAG ETIQUETTE ============;===========;() # # # #:::::: # # # #:::::: # # # #:::::: # # # #:::::: # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # jgs # # # # # # # Here are some tips to make sure your tribute is a respectful one: Display the flag only between sunrise and sunset on buildings and stationary flagstaffs. The flag may be displayed for twenty-four hours if illuminated in darkness. Do not display the flag in inclement weather. Whether displaying the flag vertically or horizontally, make sure the canton of stars is visible on the upper left-hand side. Do not let the flag touch the ground. An unusable flag that is damaged and worn and can no longer be displayed should be destroyed in a dignified way by burning. When not on display, the flag should be respectfully folded into a triangle, symbolizing the tricorn hats worn by colonial soldiers in the Revolutionary War. ================================================================== >-->From InspiredBuffalo: >The Gotcha Game It all started one autumn afternoon when the children came home from school. They were carrying paper sacks with all the goodies they'd collected from their Halloween parties that afternoon. "Look what I've got, Mom!" said my young son. He put his hand in his sack and rustled his fingers around in the candy wrappers and papers. With a huge grin on his face, he pulled out his prize. A rubber mouse! "Eek!" I said, pretending to be scared of the little mouse. It really was ugly with its gray skin and painted red eyes. The long rubber tail wiggled like the real thing. Somebody's mother had probably bought a bag full of toy mice and let her child pass them around at the classroom party. Now what better fun was there than to surprise Mom with a lifelike rodent? "Take it to your room," I told him. He giggled as he ran up the stairs. Little boys, I sighed to myself. Hopefully in a few days he would tire of this new toy and it would slowly sift to the bottom of his toy box. Then I wouldn't have to look at it. That night before turning in, I ran warm water in the sink. I washed my face, then reached into my makeup drawer for my moisturizer. I felt something soft and rubbery, and jerked my hand back! There, amid the eyeliner and foundation, lay the gray mouse. Its bright red eyes stared up at me. "Austin!" I yelled down the hallway. Muffled laughter came from my son's darkened room. He had probably been lying awake in bed, waiting for his mother to discover the surprise hidden in the drawer. All right, I thought with a smile, two can play this game. The next morning, Austin came down the stairs and climbed up onto the barstool at the kitchen counter. He rubbed his eyes sleepily. Suddenly, they opened wide with surprise. Peeking around the edge of his cereal bowl was a little gray nose with black whiskers. "Hey, my mouse!" he chuckled. "You got me that time!" He picked up the toy and stuffed it into his jean pocket. He was grinning widely at me, anticipating his next move in this new game. I didn't have to wait long. As soon as I slipped into the driver's seat of my pickup, I knew that once again I'd become a victim of the Gotcha game. Perched on the steering wheel was the mouse, looking right back at me. The next few weeks were filled with moments of surprise for both of us. Sometimes I would set the mouse on Austin's pillow just before bedtime, or send it to school in his lunch bag. A couple of times I hid the critter in his boots or shoes. On the other hand, I often found those painted red eyes peering at me from my crochet basket, or from deep within in my purse. Once I noticed it sitting on top of the telephone like it was waiting for an important call. Then one day I realized that it had been a while since I'd seen our little gray friend. Somehow it had become misplaced, or simply lost in the hectic flow of our daily lives. I found myself looking for it anyway, expecting to see it in the oddest places. This morning I was picking up a few things on my shopping list. The store had a table full of leftover Halloween items on sale. I looked through the boxes of decorations and found a bag of gray rubber mice with bright red eyes. Memories came flooding back, full of laughter, giggles and calls of "Gotcha, Mom!" I remembered the smiles and the anticipation of discovery. I began to miss the game my son and I shared. I couldn't resist. I bought two bags. by Pamela Jenkins bunnies-n-birds@juno.com -<,,>- >THE POWER OF CHOICE By: Joseph J. Mazzella When each of us is born in this world we are given a very special gift from God. This gift is more beautiful and priceless than you can imagine. It has the power to transform your life and the world around you. It has the strength to face any problems that may come your way and overcome them. It has the energy and ability to make you the person you always dreamed you could be. It has the miracles and magic to fill your body with health, your mind with peace, your heart with love, and your soul with joy. What is this glorious gift from God? It is simply the power of choice. One of the greatest days of my life was the day when I realized that with my every choice I could choose love, joy, and oneness with God, and then share them with the world. It was then that I saw the infinite possibilities for peace, happiness, delight, growth, and learning that existed in this life. It was then that I saw too how I could be a powerful force for good in this world. Don't ignore your own power of choice then. Use it, cherish it, and allow it to help you be a powerful force for love, joy, and God in this life. Use it to smile at your neighbors, hug your children, and tell your family just how much you love them. Use it to watch the sunrise, plant some flowers, and thank God for your life. Use it to give to a charity, help a friend in need, or donate a pint of blood. Use it to sing joyously, dance delightedly, and laugh happily everyday. Use it to share the wisdom of your mind, the goodness of your heart, and the strength of your soul with all who need them. Use it to make yourself a better person, your neighborhood a better community, and the world a better place. Use it to share your talents with the world, your love with everyone everywhere, and your joy with the entire universe. Use it to grow in oneness with life, in oneness with others, and in oneness with God for all eternity. -<>- >Gotta LOVE Highway 109! ~~ A Poem To Give You Goose Bumps ~~ -=====- -=====- _..._ _..._ .~ `~. .~` ~. ,_ / } { \ _, ,_\'--, \ _.'`~~/ Highway \~~`'._ / ,--'/_, \'--,_`{_,} -( 109 )- {,_}`_,--'/ '.`-.`\;--,___.'_ _'.___,--;/`.-`.' '._`/ |_ _{@} {@}_ _| \`_.' / ` |-';/ _ \;'-| ` \ / \ / | _ {@}_ | \ / \ / '--;_ _ {@} _Y{@} _;--' \ _\ `\ {@}\Y/_{@} Y/ /` /_ / |`-.___. / \Y/\|{@}Y/\|// \ .___,-'| \ ^^jgs^^`--`------'`--`^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^`--`'------`--`^^^^^^^ A drunk man in an Oldsmobile They said had run the light That caused the six-car pileup On 109 that night. When broken bodies lay about And blood was everywhere, The sirens screamed out eulogies, For death was in the air. A mother, trapped inside her car, Was heard above the noise; Her plaintive plea near split the air: "Oh, God, please spare my boys!" She fought to loose her pinned hands; She struggled to get free, But mangled metal held her fast In grim captivity. Her frightened eyes then focuse On where the back seat once had been, But all she saw was broken glass and Two children's seats crushed in. Her twins were nowhere to be seen; She did not hear them cry, And then she prayed they'd been thrown free, "Oh, God, don't let them die!" Then firemen came and cut her loose, But when they searched the back, They found therein no little boys, But the seat belts were intact. They thought the woman had gone mad And was traveling alone, But when they turned to question her, They discovered she was gone. Policemen saw her running wild And screaming above the noise In beseeching supplication, "Please help me find my boys! They're four years old and wear blue shirts; Their jeans are blue to match." One cop spoke up, "They're in my car, And they don't have a scratch. They said their daddy put them there And gave them each a cone, Then told them both to wait for Mom To come and take them home. I've searched the area high and low, But I can't find their dad. He must have fled the scene, I guess, and that is very bad." The mother hugged the twins and said, While wiping at a tear, "He could not flee the scene, you see, For he's been dead a year." The cop just looked confused and asked, "Now, how can that be true?" The boys said, "Mommy, Daddy came And left a kiss for you." He told us not to worry And that you would be all right, And then he put us in this car with The pretty, flashing light. We wanted him to stay with us, Because we miss him so, But Mommy, he just hugged us tight And said he had to go. He said someday we'd understand And told us not to fuss, And he said to tell you, Mommy, He's watching over us." The mother knew without a doubt That what they spoke was true, For she recalled their dad's last words, "I will watch over you." The firemen's notes could not explain The twisted, mangled car, And how the three of them escaped Without a single scar. But on the cop's report was scribed, In print so very fine, An angel walked the beat tonight on Highway 109. {--author unknown} To Subscribe send a blank email to: the-inspired-buffalo-subscribe@yahoogroups.com ======================================================================== >The Best Mistake Story Editor: by Vicki De Kay Joyce Schowalter California, USA Because I have always heard that women are bad tippers, I like to be generous with my tips to offset that assumption. I especially like to be generous with women servers, knowing that many of them are single mothers raising families. I make a modest salary, but earn enough to take my family out for breakfast after payday to celebrate. One of our favorite places to have a morning meal together is the local waffle house. We went there recently and had a nice breakfast for $30. In the process of using my ATM card to pay the bill, I realized I didn't have any cash for a tip. I asked the cashier if it was possible to get cash back as part of the ATM transaction; she said it was fine. I asked for an extra $10, and was going to give the waitress a generous part of that amount for her tip. The cashier misunderstood me -- or I misunderstood her -- and rather than give me $10 in cash, she added it on to my bill as a tip for the waitress. Then, when I asked for the cash, she realized what I had wanted to do, and saw it as her mistake. At that instant, it was obvious I'd been given a chance to make a small difference in someone else's life. In our area, tipping fifteen percent is acceptable; tipping twenty percent or higher is de rigueur in upscale restaurants. Without meaning to at first, I had just handed my waffle house waitress a thirty percent tip! As the cashier began to void the transaction and undo her mistake, I said, "No, please leave it as it is." She tried to insist but I wouldn't let her. Even my waitress came over and said, "I understand there was an error with your bill." I appreciated their efforts to make it right with me, but I had decided that this mistake was an opportunity in disguise. How often do we really get to make a difference in someone else's life? I looked at my healthy, happy, and well-fed family, and gave a prayer of thanks. I was sure that my young waitress would put the tip to good use. "How many kids do you have?" I asked her. "Three under five," she said, "and one has a birthday today! Thank you so much." On hearing this, I knew that my $10 tip was the best mistake I could have made, and only wished it had been more. =======HeroicStories======= >-->From Heartwarmers: >ALWAYS THERE by James "Poppy" Kisner What can I say about you dad that qualifies as praise? The way you show your love for me in many different ways. The words may not be spoken to express that love for me, But I know dad you love me, it's in everything I see. I see how hard you work to earn a living everyday, And I know where the money goes when you receive your pay. You take care of the family as you work to earn a living, But more than monetarily you just can't stop from giving. Unselfishly you sacrifice your time and energy, And always when I need your help you still have time for me. There's nothing you won't do for me if it is for my best, Even times when it may seem that I am just a pest. You've made me realize that I can always count on you, That I will have your full support in anything that I do. To know I have your backing when I have tried different things, Gives me so much courage as I try to spread my wings. Never have you wavered in responsibility, Always being just exactly what a dad should be. You have always been there for me and you know it's true, That is why I say these words with pride "Dad I love you." -- James "Poppy" Kisner ___________________________________________ James is a Heartwarmers Gem. You can visit his website here: http://www.skywriting.net/JamesKisner.html ___________________________________________ -<>- CHILDHOOD by Francis P. Cotter The dusty cards we held so tight. The lightning storms throughout the night. The special place beneath our beds. The comforting words our father's said. The rules and laws that kept us safe. The warm elixir that cured our aches. The sleigh rides down an icy hill. The empty stomachs our mother's filled. We always felt so safe and warm. The sweet serenity that was the norm. The Sunday rides to a shady lane. Life was simple, warm and plain. We knew the reason and our place. We knew that look in our dad's face. Turn back the clock and let us go, Back to the lives that we loved so. -- Francis P. Cotter ================================================================== >-->~~~~ Be a Friend ~~~~ BE a friend. You don't need money; Just a disposition sunny; Just the wish to help another Get along some way or other; Just a kindly hand extended Out to one who's unbefriended; Just the will to give or lend, This will make you someone's friend. Be a friend. You don't need glory. Friendship is a simple story. Pass by trifling errors blindly, Gaze on honest effort kindly, Cheer the youth who's bravely trying, Pity him who's sadly sighing; Just a little labor spend On the duties of a friend. Be a friend. The pay is bigger (Though not written by a figure) Than is earned by people clever In what's merely self-endeavor. You'll have friends instead of neighbors For the profits of your labors; You'll be richer in the end Than a prince, if you're a friend. ~ Edgar Guest >Updated FUN STUFF URLS - Wow Baby :)Shangy! ------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.ShangralaFamilyFun.com/urls.html FUN URLS ------------------------------------------------------------------------- -->Bigham's Computer Rescue - PC Sales & Seervice You can trust us to provide you with quality computer sales and repair. We've been servicing the Van Wert area since 1981 and can help you with all your computer needs. Please phone us at 419-238-5806 ************************************************************************ -->This is for all you who love food and DAARE to make it at home Yep. You guessed it - Recipes. 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