Stewardship and More ... :) Shangy!
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>-->In The 'Shangy' News :)
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ejm97 (/|\)
It has been a busy Month so Far! If you haven't already,
Please be sure to visit all our new pages for the month:
Wyoming Cowgirl
http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/poems/cowgirl.html
Flower Art
http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/flowerart.html
Matchstick Art
http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/matchstick.html
The Bible
http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/thebible.html
Creation Mountain
http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/creationmuseum.html
Identity Theft
http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/identitytheft.html
Awww Animals 3
http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/animals3.html
Code Of Ethics
http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/ethics.html
We generally only have one new page a week, so this shows
how busy this month has been AND how great our friends have
been to help us out by sending forwards to me. I can't do
new pages without forwards or contributions.
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ejm97 __)__
Contributors are the bomb! {{{HUGS}}} To ALL OF YOU!
God's Most Abundant Blessings to You And All Of you
on this Group! Know that I pray for you all daily!
-<>-
Wow! We've had a bunch of cool photos sent to us! I've
gotten these great pics together and added them to our
group photos so everyone can enjoy them! You can view
these ...
>From Our friends Jo Ann, PatH, and Viv Here:
http://ph.groups.yahoo.com/group/ShangyFunList/photos/browse/1f2a?b=37&m=t&o=0
We have a funny animated gif from our friend PatH here:
Kansas
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ShangyFunList/files/
AND I put a sweet pic from her on our group home page
See it Here:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ShangyFunList/
With this picture she says 'LOVE YA!! TAG - You are It!!!'
I just had to get ALL OF YOU! Consider yourself Tagged! :)
AND Our Friend John-Paul sent us some great scenic pictures!
See his photos here:
http://ph.groups.yahoo.com/group/ShangyFunList/photos/browse/a3bb
He says...
When you have a moment,
Please visit my web site~
It has now been updated, and soon new poems will be added ~~~~~
http://www.geocities.com/jpw1936/index.html
WE Sure Will! Thank You John-Paul, Jo Ann, PatH, And Viv!
You enrich our lives with your gifts of kind thoughtfulness!
==================================
>-->From Our Friend Tony In Australia :)
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>Feeling down??
I just finished writing a letter to my moderators and a couple of
friends, excusing myself for my lack of ‘input’ due to work and business
and other family concerns….I sent it off and after I had done that, I
read back through it and wished I hadn’t pressed ‘send’….I hate being a
‘complainer’ about anything.
My Bible is always near me and its margins are full of my own ‘comments’
and I just saw something written and highlighted right there where my
eyes fell. It was a scripture from “Lamentations” 3: 7,9
And the Prophet Jeremiah is having a moan about his situation at that
time, and he is saying that God has him all ‘hedged in to a point where
he felt he had no escape, and the harder he tried the heavier the chains
he felt holding him there became. He was ‘lamenting’ that God had
forsaken him and made any chance of progress from his dilemma difficult
to say the least.
Now there have been songs written about this man Jeremiah! And even in
the New Testament you will find Jesus referring to Jeremiah as an ‘over
comer’, a ‘strong’ man who had shown the way to many others, and
Jeremiah had bathed in some amazingly ‘anointed’ periods in his lifetime
and now? Here he was ‘whinging’!
In the past God had spoken to Jeremiah on many occasions and Jeremiah
had experienced that God had been there! Directing his path! And now he
was saying that God was making his way ‘crooked’.
And yes….Jeremiah was feeling ‘cast down and trodden on’ and his ‘chains
were getting heavier and heavier and here is perhaps where we get the
saying” banging ones head against a brick wall”….Thats what Jeremiah was
experiencing.
What was Jeremiahs real problem? And I had another comment in the
margin of my Bible and its simply said…
“ Call on the name of the Lord Jerry!” and a referral to another
scripture that basically said…
“ the Lord came to Jeremiah after 10 days” The ‘word’ of the Lord the
Bible says.
And Jeremiah called on the Military leaders and said “ The Lord
says”(How did he know what the Lord had to say?)
Well, the answer is simple…….Jeremiah had spent time in his closet and
it was there that God spoke to him and gave him ‘the Word” Ten days that
took!
And here’s us thinking that a few minutes here and there and God will
rush to help us!
You see people, Jeremiah had not really sought God’s help! he had just
taken it for granted….
And when nothing was going right for him, Jeremiah blamed God! He said
that God was making life difficult and he was making himself feel worse,
God had nothing to do with it!
And Jeremiah thought all the light he had previously experienced, was
now just darkness……
Well…….I happen to know that there are people I know, personally…who are
in worse straights than I am… And… I feel I have neglected them to just
concern myself with my own problems and I have also neglected My Lord….
I can’t go as far as to say as Jeremiah did that the Lord has filled me
with bitterness, but I have felt more bitterness of late than I have in
many years.
I have 2 hrs before I have to face Tribunal of the Social Services about
them ‘cutting us off’ because of the way they interpret a rule for
payment under certain conditions.
Several of the people I have spoken to from SS admit that the rule
prejudices certain situations and my situation is one of them.
But NO Government is as strong or as fair as MY God and I am calling on
His name right now!
To be, not just with me NO! But to be with all of us who face any sort
of adversity!
Be it from outside our ‘courts’ or inside our chambers…..
Lord there IS sickness , pain and suffering amongst us! There IS a
temptation to lose our cool with others. There ARE situations that are
beyond our control so….
WE CALL ON YOU LORD!
You overcame death for US….
We call upon Your power and wisdom to again be ‘overcomers’…..Let the
seas part Lord and the mountains spit out their ash and cover those who
do NOT honor you but themselves.
Take off the chains Father and release us from bondage! Make us FREE
again Dear Jesus to give YOU! the Honor and Glory in ALL things…..
I wonder how many here feel what I am feeling right now as I write?
How many wonder if there will again be a day without strife and torment?
Now, not all that read this are Church going Christians I know..I also
know that Christ didn't come for the 'saved' He came for the sinners and
that means ALL of us...so I am just hoping today, that I have encouraged
'someone' here and that 'someone' recognises themself and I say to them
Don’t stop dreaming!….Don’t stop hoping and praying.
Jeremiah reached that point when he felt all was lost….including himself
and its my guess youe are close to that point as I was/am. But……..But
GOD! Yes GOD Has the answer! Right there in His Word
I believe God has a message just for you……and him and her…all of us! I
KNOW this about God!
Jerry reached the bottom and it was there where he started looking
upward and not down ward! God was right there waiting for him
at the bottom of his ‘hole’ You see, Jeremiah knew in his heart, that
God hadn’t forsaken him…It was when he had exhausted all HIS efforts
that he felt God again because he realized that God wasn’t just sitting
on some throne up in some sky! God was right there in the gloom! And he
had been there all the time and Jeremiah finally realized it! He knew
that God was compassionate! And Jeremiah tells us that HIS God…..is OUR
God! His compassions for us cannot fail, they are brand new…every
morning….
Great! Is HIS faithfulness……how about ‘ours’?
Tony
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...Aww, yes. It is thoughtfulness of our lives that bring about a
greater understanding of the most important ones in our lives!
Thank you Tony!
"Stewardship, all that I am, all that I have,
I use in dedicated - devotion to God."
I just added Financial Stewardship to our BibleStudy teachings.
This teaching is so important. I just had to drop all I was doing
to get this one prepared, edited, and safely uploaded to the site.
I urge all of you to read and study this one. Get into your heart
since, of course, today's world is so money and 'thing' based. This
will free you of such burdens and help you know and understand how
great and good and wonderful God really is when we actually bring Him
to the top of our 'think and do' list. Keeping God 1st is easier to
do, when we know what His WILL for us is.
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Financial Stewardship
http://www.ShangralaFamilyFun.com/BibleStudy/financialstewardship.html
Of course this is from Our Friends at Christian Education Services -
God Bless Them richly for their devotion and generosity to us.
=====================================================================
>-->A Sweet Classic from our friend Becky :)
>~DEATH~
WHAT A WONDERFUL WAY TO EXPLAIN IT!!!!!
A sick man turned to his doctor, as he was preparing to leave the
examination room and said, 'Doctor, I am afraid to die. Tell me what
lies on the other side.'
Very quietly, the doctor said, 'I don't know.'
'You don't know? You, a Christian man, do not know what is on the other
side?'
The doctor was holding the handle of the door; on the other side came a
sound of scratching and whining, and as he opened the door, a dog sprang
into the room and leaped on him with an eager show of gladness.
)..(
(.o)
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"`'"
Turning to the patient, the doctor said, 'Did you notice my dog? He's
never been in this room before. He didn't know what was inside. He
knew nothing except that his master was here, and when the door opened,
he sprang in without fear. I know little of what is on the other side
of death, but I do know one thing....
I know my Master is there and that is enough.'
READ AND RETURN
(sorry - cannot break this)
May today there be peace within you. May you trust God that
you are exactly where you are meant to be.
I believe that friends are quiet angels who lift us to our
feet when our wings have trouble remembering how to fly.
Just pass this on...
Do not break this, PLEASE!!!!!
-<,,>-
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>Sisters:
A young wife sat on a sofa on a hot humid day,
drinking iced tea and visiting with her Mother. As
they talked about life, about marriage, about the
responsibilities of life and the obligations of
adulthood, the mother clinked the ice cubes in her
glass thoughtfully and turned a clear, sober glance
upon her daughter
'Don't forget your Sisters,' she advised, swirling
the tea leaves to the bottom of her glass. 'They'll
be more important as you get older. No matter how
much you love your husband, no matter how much you
love the children you may have, you are still going
to need Sisters. Remember to go places with them now
and then; do things with them.'
'Remember that 'Sisters' means ALL the women...
your girlfriends, your daughters, and all your other
women relatives too. 'You'll need other women. Women
always do.'
What a funny piece of advice!' the young woman
thought. Haven't I just gotten married?
Haven't I just joined the couple-world? I'm now a
married woman, for goodness sake! A grownup! Surely
my husband and the family we may start will be all I
need to make my life worthwhile!'
But she listened to her Mother. She kept contact
with her Sisters and made more women friends each
year. As the years tumbled by, one after another,
she gradually came to understand that her Mom really
knew what she was talking about. As time and nature
work their changes and their mysteries upon a woman,
Sisters are the mainstays of her life.
After more than 50 years of living in this world, (well, nearly!!!!)
here is what I've learned:
THIS SAYS IT ALL:
Time passes.
Life happens.
Distance separates.
Children grow up.
Jobs come and go.
Love waxes and wanes.
Men don't do what they're supposed to do.
Hearts break.
Parents die.
Colleagues forget favours.
Careers end.
BUT.........
Sisters are there, no matter how much time and how
many miles are between you. A girl friend is never
farther away than needing her can reach.
When you have to walk that lonesome valley and you
have to walk it by yourself, the women in your life
will be on the valley's rim, cheering you on,
praying for you, pulling for you, intervening on
your behalf, and waiting with open arms at the
valley's end.
Sometimes, they will even break the rules and walk
beside you...Or come in and carry you out.
Girlfriends, daughters, granddaughters,
daughters-in-law, sisters, sisters-in-law, Mothers,
Grandmothers, aunties, nieces, cousins, and extended
family, all bless our life!
The world wouldn't be the same without women, and
neither would I. When we began this adventure called
womanhood, we had no idea of the incredible joys or
sorrows that lay ahead. Nor did we know how much we
would need each other.
Every day, we need each other still. Pass this on
to all the women who help make your life meaningful.
I just did. Short and very sweet:
There are more than twenty angels in this world.
Ten are peacefully sleeping on clouds. Nine are
playing. And one is reading her email at this
moment.
Send this message to ten of your friends including
me. If you get 5 replies, someone you love will
surprise you.
Happy days!
----
...Thanks Becky. This is cool if it were true, but I gotta tell
ya before some 'sister' breaks your heart, woman are people too.
They'll let you down just as easily or quickly as a man will do.
The woman in my life? Well, they haven't been as bad as most
of the men in my life, but not something to brag about either.
The point I'm trying to make is, the only ones there for me for my
entire life have been God and my Lord Jesus Christ. I may have done
things that forced them away from me but they were always close and
always there for me when I reached out for them. I can't say that
of my sister or any of my old girlfriends or my grandmothers or
even my own mom! None of them were there for me when I needed them
- only God and my Lord. Must be why I love tthem so much :)
So, if you want to give your best to anyone, give your best to God
and Jesus Christ. They are the ones who are worthy of your total
love, devotion, care and service to. Everyone else will get the
benefit of you too as God will make sure to bless them through you :)
"Stewardship, all that I am, all that I have,
I use in dedicated - devotion to God."
====================================================================
>-->From Our Friend Jo Ann :)
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>The Mouse Trap Story
A mouse looked through the crack in the wall to see the farmer and
his wife open a package.
What food might this contain? The mouse wondered - he was devastated
to discover it was a mousetrap.
Retreating to the farmyard, the mouse proclaimed the warning :
There is a mousetrap in the house! There is a mousetrap in the house!
The chicken clucked and scratched, raised her head and said, '
Mr.Mouse, I can tell this is a grave concern to you, but it is of no
consequence to me. ' ' I cannot be bothered by it.'
The mouse turned to the pig and told him, 'There is a mousetrap in
the house! There is a mousetrap in the house!'
The pig sympathized, but said, I am so very sorry, Mr. Mouse, but
there is nothing I can do about it but pray. 'Be assured you are in
my prayers.'
The mouse turned to the cow and said 'There is a mousetrap in the
house! There is a mousetrap in the house!'
The cow said, 'Wow, Mr. Mouse. I'm sorry for you, but it's no skin
off my nose.'
So, the mouse returned to the house, head down and de jected, to face
the farmer's mousetrap alone.
That very night a sound was heard throughout the house -- like the
sound of a mousetrap catching its prey.
The farmer's wife rushed to see what was caught. In the darkness, she
did not see it was a venomous snake whose tail the trap had caught.
The snake bit the farmer's wife. The farmer rushed her to the
hospital , and she returned home with a fever.
Everyone knows you treat a fever with fresh chicken soup, so the
farmer took his hatchet to the farmyard for the soup's main
ingredient.
But his wife's sickness continued, so friends and neighbors came to
sit with her around the clock.
To feed them, the farmer butchered the pig.
The farmer's wife did not get well; she died.
So many people came for her funeral, the farmer had the cow
slaughtered to provide enough meat for all of them.
The mouse looked upon it all from his crack in the wall with great
sadness.
So, the next time you hear someone is facing a problem and think it
doesn't concern you, remember -- when one of us is threatened, we are
all at risk.
We are all involved in this journey called life. We must keep an eye
out for one another and make an extra effort to encourage one another.
REMEMBER,,,,
EACH OF US IS A VITAL THREAD IN ANOTHER PERSON'S TAPESTRY;
OUR LIVES ARE WOVEN TOGETHER FOR A REASON.
-<..>-
>Shoes in church
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( ` __ )= ""----'Ahas
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I showered and shaved............. I adjusted my tie.
I got there and sat.............. In a pew just in time.
Bowing my head in prayer......... As I closed my eyes.
I saw the shoe of the man next to me..... Touching my own. I sighed.
With plenty of room on either side...... I thought, "Why must our soles
touch?"
It bothered me, his shoe touching mine... But it didn't bother him much.
A prayer began: "Our Father"............. I thought, "This man with the
shoes.. has no pride.
They're dusty, worn, and scratched. Even worse, there are holes on the
side!"
"Thank You for blessings," the prayer went on.
The shoe man said............... a quiet " Amen."
I tried to focus on the prayer....... But my thoughts were on his shoes
again.
Aren't we supposed to look our best.. When walking through that door?
"Well, this certainly isn't it," I thought, Glancing toward the floor.
Then the prayer was ended............ And the songs of praise began.
The shoe man was certainly loud...... Sounding proud as he sang.
His voice lifted the rafters......... His hands were raised high.
The Lord could surely hear.. The shoe man's voice from the sky.
It was time for the offering....... And what I threw in was steep.
I watched as the shoe man reached.... Into his pockets so deep.
I saw what was pulled out.......... What the shoe man put in.
Then I heard a soft "clink", as when silver hits tin.
The sermon really bored me.......... To tears, and that's no lie.
It was the same for the shoe man... For tears fell from his eyes.
At the end of the service...... As is the custom here.
We must greet new visitors.. And show them all good cheer.
But I felt moved somehow............. And wanted to meet the shoe man.
So after the closing prayer........ I reached over and shook his hand.
He was old and his skin was dark..... And his hair was truly a mess.
But I thanked him for coming......... For being our guest.
He said, "My names' Charlie.......... I'm glad to meet you, my friend."
There were tears in his eyes....... But he had a large, wide grin.
"Let me explain," he said......... Wiping tears from his eyes.
"I've been coming here for months.... And you're the first to say 'Hi.'"
"I know that my appearance........."Is not like all the rest.
"But I really do try................."To always look my best."
"I always clean and polish my shoes.."Before my very long walk.
"But by the time I get here........."They're dirty and dusty, like
chalk."
My heart filled with pain............ and I swallowed to hide my tears.
As he continued to apologize......... For daring to sit so near.
He said, "When I get here..........."I know I must look a sight.
"But I thought if I could touch you.."Then maybe our souls might unite."
I was silent for a moment............ Knowing whatever was said
Would pale in comparison... I spoke from my heart, not my head.
"Oh, you've touched me," I said......"And taught me, in part;
"That the best of any man............"Is what is found in his heart."
The rest, I thought,................ This shoe man will never know.
Like just how thankful I really am... That his dirty old shoe touched my
soul
You are special to me and you have made a difference in my life.
I respect you, and truly cherish you.
Send this to your friends,
No matter how often you talk,
Or how close you are, And send it to the person who sent it to you.
Let old friends know you haven't forgotten them, and tell new friends
you never will.
Remember, everyone needs a friend.
Someday you might feel like you have no friends at all.
Just remember this e-mail and take comfort in knowing that
someone out there cares about you..... and always will.
-<,,>-
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>Too Often
Too often we don't realize
What we have until it is gone
Too often we wait too late to say
"I'm sorry - I was wrong."
Sometimes it seems we hurt the ones
We hold dearest to our hearts
And we allow foolish things
To tear our lives apart.
Far too many times we let
Unimportant things into our minds
And then it's usually too late
To see what made us blind.
So be sure that you let people know
How much they mean to you
Take that time to say the words
Before your time is through.
Be sure that you appreciate
Everything you've got
And be thankful for the little things
in life that mean a lot.
-<-->-
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jgs \ `-._ _`/ ' '.
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>PRESCRIPTION FOR HAPPINESS
Make up your mind to be happy.
Learn to find pleasure in simple things.
Make the best of your circumstances.
No one has everything and
everyone has something of sorrow
intermingled with the gladness of life.
The trick is to make the laughter
outweigh the tears.
Don't take yourself too seriously.
You can't please everybody;
Don't let criticism worry you.
Don't let your neighbor
set your standards.
Do the things you enjoy doing,
But stay out of debt.
Don't borrow trouble.
Imaginary things are harder to bear
than the actual ones.
Since hate poisons the soul,
do not cherish enmities and grudges.
Don't hold post-mortems.
Don't spend your life
brooding over sorrows and mistakes.
Don't be one who
never gets over things.
Do what you can for those
less fortunate than yourself.
Keep busy at something.
A very busy person never
has time to be unhappy.
For maximum effectiveness,
This prescription should be taken
as often as needed.
Unlimited refills available.
This prescription for happiness
bears remembering and repeating...
OFTEN!
~~unknown
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...So True Jo Ann, Thank You!
Switching it to the 'orangy side' is all about attitude! :)
-<..>-
This Is Wonderful - Flash card
http://tinyurl.com/ywelx
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...Aww, so beautiful, thanks Jo Ann!
==================================================================
>-->From InspiredBuffalo:
treasure chest:
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ejm97 %%%%
>A KEEPER
Their marriage was good, their dreams focused. Their best friends lived
barely a wave away. I can see them now, Dad in trousers, tee shirt and a
hat and Mom in a house dress, lawn mower in one hand, and dish-towel in
the other. It was the time for fixing things. A curtain rod, the kitchen
radio, screen door, the oven door, the hem in a dress. Things we keep.
It was a way of life, and sometimes it made me crazy. All that
re-fixing, eating, renewing, I wanted just once to be wasteful. Waste
meant affluence. Throwing things away meant you knew there'd always be
more.
But then my mother died, and on that clear summer's night, in the warmth
of the hospital room, I was struck with the pain of learning that
sometimes there isn't any more. Sometimes, what we care about most gets
all used up and goes away...never to return. So...While we have it...
it's best we love it... And care for it.... And fix it when it's
broken..... And heal it when it's sick.
This is true...of brothers and sisters that rub us the wrong way... And
old cars.... And children with bad report cards..... Dogs and cats with
bad hips.... And aging parents.... And grandparents. We keep them
because they are worth it, because we are worth it. Some things we keep.
Like a best friend that moved away or a classmate we grew up with. There
are just some things that make life important, like people we know who
are special.... And so, we keep them close !
-<>-
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\,) | | Tom Harvey + David Riley
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>PEACE By: Joseph J. Mazzella
A teenager gave me the peace sign the other day. I waved to him as
I was walking past his home and he held up the two fingered salute made
famous in the 1960's. I hadn’t realized that it had survived the last 40
years to find its way into the hearts of a new generation. The last time
I saw it widely used was when I was a young boy. Seeing those two
fingers did make me smile, though, because they reminded me of the two
truths that can bring peace to us all. I only pray that one day we all
can welcome them into our hearts, souls, minds, and lives.
The first of these simple truths is that God loves us. God loves us
when we do good and He loves us even when we mess up. God loves us
enough to forgive us, guide us, and help us through all the mistakes me
make, choices we face, and difficulties we must overcome. God loves us
from the second of our birth to our very last breath. His love is
eternal like our souls not temporary like these bodies that carry them
around. He loves us all through this life and His love carries us into
the next.
ooooooooooo
ooooooooooooooooooo
oooooooo oooo oooooooo
ooooooo oooo ooooooo
oooooo oooo oooooo
oooooo oooo oooooo
ooooo oooo ooooo
oooooo oooooo oooooo
oooooo oooooooo oooooo
ooooo oooooooooooo ooooo
oooooo oooo oooo oooo oooooo
oooooooooo oooo oooooooooo
oooooooo oooo oooooooo
oooooooo oooo oooooooo
oooooooooooooooooooo
oooooooooooo
Bob Allison
The second truth I know that fills my life with peace is the fact
that we all can choose and share love as well. We may not always be able
to love each other as God loves us, but we can have the time of our
lives trying. There is nothing that brings you more happiness, greater
joy, and more peace of heart than sharing your love with everyone. Love
is the hardest thing in the world to give away, though, because it keeps
coming back to you as well. Loving others is what we are meant for. It
is the Way of Life that Jesus showed us all. It is the only thing that
matters.
."". ."",
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The next time you feel troubled then hold up those two fingers and
remind yourself of what can truly bring you peace. God loves you and is
with you always. Take peace in His love and then go out and share your
own love, joy, and peace with the world.
-<>-
>THE WAY WE SEE IT
The eye doctor instructed her patient to read a chart on the wall. He
looked at it and read, "A, B, F, N, L and G."
The doctor turned the light back on and wrote in her notebook.
"How'd I do, Doc?" the patient wondered.
She replied, "Let's put it this way -- they're numbers."
"But Doc," he argued, "this is the way I see it!"
Much of my happiness or unhappiness is a result of my perception.
"This is the way I see it," I tell myself.
I see some problems as challenges that energize me to action and
others as obstacles that stop further progress. It's just the way I
see it.
And sometimes I see new situations as fun, and other times I see them
as fearful.
The busyness of my life can be OK if I see it that way, or it can be
a major source of stress. And an unexpected intrusion in my schedule
can be an irritant or, if I see it that way, possibly the most
important thing I could do that day.
Even an embarrassing mistake can be the beginning of a new learning
or an occasion to berate myself. It's in the way I see it.
One of the greatest blocks to my happiness is forgetting that it is
not always about what is happening to me -- it's more about the way I
see it.
Like Marcel Proust said, "The real voyage of discovery lies not in
seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes." It's in the way we
see it.
-- Steve Goodier
Now you can add your own comments to Life Support.
http://stevegoodier.blogspot.com/
-<>-
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>God's Grace
Once in a while he extends it to us for no apparent reason.
By Ruth Senter
Sometimes there is no way to explain an event, except to say, "It was
grace, pure and simple. Nothing deserved. Just something God delighted
to do for me." Once in awhile, it happens that way.
I have that feeling today as I stand outside our apartment complex in
Kihung, South Korea, with a bleeding finger.
It happened almost an hour ago as I was opening a can of Mandarin
oranges. I try to stop the bleeding but to no avail. The only person I
know who speaks English is one of the guards at the front gatehouse.
When I show him my finger, he shakes his head gravely and says,
"Hospital."
But the guard lives an hour away; he has no idea where to find a local
hospital. The only person who does know is an elevator repair man who
happens to be working on our elevator this very afternoon. He tells the
guard (in Korean) he will direct me to the hospital if we provide
transportation. There isn't a car or truck in sight. So, the guard
phones for a taxi.
Suddenly, I realize I'm about to get in a car with an unknown driver and
an elevator repair man and go to an unknown hospital to have my finger
sewn back together. At this point, I utter the longings of my heart: If
only Mark (my husband) would come.
Within minutes, Mark is here with our dinner guests, one of whom happens
to be a nurse.
Several hours later, after visiting the hospital and with my finger
neatly stitched, we sit down to dinner with our guests. Mark says grace.
And this time, it is truly grace.
Once in awhile in our stumblings at life, God reaches down, just at the
time we need him most, and extends grace to us, for no apparent reason.
Except that he is God. And every now and then he delights to remind us.
Maybe so that the next time things don't go as smoothly, we'll still
remember he is God.
Ruth Senter has written 11 books, has two grown kids, and travels with
her husband, a seminary educator.
---
...See? Now that is the type of miracles I was talking about. Things
that happen in your life that you know God has a hand in doing.
So, come on people... Tell me your story -
send it to me here:
bcrsystems@earthlink.net
Miracle stories or angel stories.
It is good to tell of God's grace toward you or those you love.
Share with us and Bless us too! Thanks!!
-<>-
Links:
Willie You Don't Think I'm Funny Anymore
http://www.buffaloschips.com/72202.htm
Women Drivers
http://www.buffaloschips.com/72201.htm
Women's Instructional Video
http://www.buffaloschips.com/72203.htm
Dog video
http://www.buffalosjokes.com/072712.htm
Dogs
http://www.buffalosjokes.com/072713.htm
DOMISLJIJA
http://www.buffalosjokes.com/072714.htm
Do not wash
http://www.buffalosjokes.com/072715.htm
Guardian Angel
http://www.geocities.com/jpw1936/guardian-angel/GuardianAngel.html
Fasting - Spiritually Beneficial or Not?
http://www.truthortradition.com/fasting/
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>-->From SermondFodder:
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>Americans Who Are Religious Are Happier
Only 35 Percent of Americans are Very Happy According to a New
National "Happiness" Index
The Harris Poll® has asked 2,513 Americans about nine areas in their
lives that contribute to their overall happiness. They used it to
create a National Happiness Index with the intention of tracking
changes in happiness in the United States over time. This year's
index stands at 35 (out of a possible 100).
People who describe themselves as "very religious" are among the
happiest of people. Those who say they are "very religious" come in
ten points higher than America as a whole on the Happiness Index (45%
compared to 35% are considered "very happy"). In contrast, just over
one-quarter (28%) of people who describe themselves as "not
religious" were measured at that level of happiness.
A similar difference is noted among people who say they "pray or
study religion at home" on a daily basis compared to less often. Over
four in ten people (43%) who engage in "daily" prayer or religious
study are very happy. In comparison, just over one-quarter (28%) of
people who "never" pray or study religion at home have a comparable
happiness level.
Due to copyright issues we cannot share the entire poll here. Use
this link to access the rest of the report from Harris Polls.
http://www.harrisinteractive.com/harris_poll/index.asp?PID=900.
Additional info on this poll can also be found here.
http://www.harrisinteractive.com/harris_poll/index.asp?PID=901
=================================================================
>-->From AndyChaps:
* MY COMMITMENT AS A CHRISTIAN **
I'm part of the fellowship of the unashamed. I have stepped over the
line.The decision has been made. I'm a disciple of Jesus Christ.
I won't look back, let up, slow down, back away, or be still. My past
is redeemed, my present makes sense, and my future is secure. I'm
finished and done with low living, sight walking, small planning,
smooth knees, colorless dreams, tamed visions, mundane talking, cheap
living, and dwarfed goals.
I no longer need preeminence, prosperity, position, promotions,
plaudits, or popularity. I don't have to be right, first, tops,
recognized, praised, regarded, or rewarded.
I now live by faith, lean on His presence, walk by patience, lift
by prayer, and labor by power. My face is set, my gait is fast, my goal
is heaven, my road is narrow, my way rough, my companions few, my Guide
reliable, my mission clear.
I cannot be bought, deluded, or delayed. I will not flinch in the face
of sacrifice, hesitate in the presence of the adversary, negotiate at
the table of the enemy, or meander in the maze of mediocrity.
I won't give up, shut up, let up, until I have stayed up, stored
up, prayed up, paid up, and preached up for the cause of Christ.
I am a disciple of Jesus. I must go till He comes, give till I drop,
preach till all know, and work till He stops me. And when He comes for
His own, He will have no problem recognizing me because my banner will
be clear!
-<>-
** NO FUTURE IN THE PAST **
The man looked a little worried when the doctor came in to
administer his annual physical, so the first thing the doctor did
was to ask whether anything was troubling him.
"Well, to tell the truth, Doc, yes," answered the patient. "You
see, I seem to be getting forgetful. No, it's actually worse than
that. I can never remember where I park my car, where I'm going,
or what it is I'm going to do once I get there -- if I get there.
So, I really need your help. What can I do?"
The doctor mused for a moment, then answered kindly, "Pay me in
advance."
Actually, forgetfulness isn't all bad...especially when we decide
to forget all that pain from the past that threatens to ruin the
present. Like one song says, "There ain't no future in the past."
The past is to be remembered -- how else will we learn from it
and keep from repeating it? But why would I want to remember
every time I felt hurt because of my spouse, my children or my
friends? Why would I want to fill my mind with a detailed
catalogue of past pain? Better to remember the times they brought
me joy or love or feelings of warmth. Unfortunately, even those
wonderful and magical moments too easily fade away.
A friend of Clara Barton, founder of the American Red Cross,
asked her about a particular traumatic event in her life. Miss
Barton seemed perplexed.
"Can't you remember?" the friend prodded.
Clara Barton replied, "I distinctly remember forgetting it."
Dwell on the past -- but not the negative past, not the pain of
the past nor the sadness. Dwell on the good. Be consumed by past
joys and obsessed with gratitude. Dwell upon the moments that
uplifted you, the times you laughed and the memories of love
shown to you by friends and family.
Not everything should be remembered, and those who live well know
what to forget and what to cherish. Like the song says, "There
ain't no future in the past." But there IS joy there. And love.
And kindness...if we choose to remember.
© 2001 Steve Goodier
-<>-
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** SELF CONTROL **
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."
~ Unknown
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