Story Time!! And More ... :) Shangy!! >Here are the details on our Yahoo ShangyFunList: To Subscribe send a blank email to ShangyFunList-subscribe@yahoogroups.com Group home page: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ShangyFunList or Web Site: http://www.ShangralaFamilyFun.com/ShangyFunList.html Group email address: ShangyFunList@yahoogroups.com or email me here: bcrsystems@earthlink.net ================== >-->In The 'Shangy' News :) Wednesday I got the staples removed and my doctor said I was doing good. He said I could return to work on Monday. Finally I will be able to return to my normal schedule! That will be great! But until then I will be good and do as he says. I will cheat and use one from our past for our inspirations today. Wednesday was also the day we celebrated Paul's birthday! I cheated and made him a Swanson diced beef tips and gravy meal with homemade potatoes, mac and cheese and vegetables. He said the Swanson beef and gravy was almost as good as my round steak dinner. Recipe found here: Round Steak http://www.ShangralaFamilyFun.com/easy.html Using the Swanson meal cost over double but saved much time I wasn't able to endure in the making. I got it all done in about 45 mins. start to finish compared to the 1.5 hours for all home cooked time required. Note: The round steak meal above is my most fav for special occasions and treating guests as it easy to make and not too expensive - yet tastes like it cost a fortune! Swanson does - it costs like $22.00 for the beef and gravy meal compared to about $5 to $8 home cooked depending on if you can get the round steak meat on sale or not. -<>- >This Whole Obama - McCain thing... This is upsetting isn't it? Those in favor of Obama are strong on putting down McCain and those that are in favor of McCain are strong putting down Obama. Just the way it is. If you are pro abortion, pro gay marriage with wanting to educate our kids in school that being gay is OK and gay couples should have all the rights of regular married couples, and you are against americans owning guns for sport or protection, and you against America spending any more time or money on our troops and you want them home now, then you are for Obama and you can delete this forward Extra that I'll be sending today from our friend Jerry to our group. Like I told Paul it wouldn't be so bad if Obama had simply come out and said what he thought honestly and intelligently about how he can best serve our country, but when he comes forward and says he is a Christian with strong Christian upbringing, then he is setting himself up for Christians to say - oh yeah? He was wanting Christians on his side so he lied about it is all that it boils down to. However, Christians are not as stupid as he thinks we are. We are not as some sheep headed to slaughter and just trust in anybody. We have a shepherd. We know our shepherd and we trust our shepherd and anybody that says that they do too we are suspicious of and quickly learn the truth. You will see it for yourself with the Extra I am sending out today. We need to lift this to Father and thank him in the name of our shepherd, Jesus Christ that the American people will have the wisdom and understanding to vote according to God's Will for the best for our country and our people. -<>- >Did You see the Pres. Financial address? Paul and I watched it. I was surprised and happy that mostly what he said was the problem was exactly what I had heard a ccouple of days earlier from a finacial expert Oprah had on her show. Had he said anything different I would of been really wondering. I really don't know about what is the best solution for the US. This is way over my head. The best we can do I think is give it to God and thank Him in the name of Jesus Christ for the best. -<>- >-->From Our Friend Becky :) >92 YEAR OLD PREACHER Gives on a new outlook on "YES JESUS LOVES ME"!!!!!!!!!!! 92 YEAR OLD PREACHER............. While watching a little TV on Sunday instead of going to church, I watched a Church in Atlanta honoring one of its senior pastors who had been retired many years. He was 92 at that time and I wondered why the Church even bothered to ask the old gentleman to preach at that age. After a warm welcome, introduction of this speaker, and as the a pplause quieted down he rose from his high back chair and walked slowly, with great effort and a sliding gait, to the podium. Without a note or written paper of any kind he placed both hands on the pulpit to steady himself and then quietly and slowly he began to speak... 'When I was asked to come here today and talk to you, your pastor asked me to tell you what was the greatest lesson ever learned in my 50 odd years of preaching. I thought about it for a few days and boiled it down to just one thing that made the most difference in my life and sustained me through all my trials. The one thing that I could always rely on when tears and heartbreak and pain and fear and sorrow paraly zed me... the only thing that would comfort was this verse......... 'Jesus loves me this I know. For the Bible tells me so. Little ones to Him belong, we are weak but He is strong..... Yes, Jesus loves me... The Bible tells me so.' When he finished, the church was quiet. You actually could hear his foot steps as he shuffled back to his chair. I don't believe I will ever forget it. A pastor once stated, 'I always noticed that it was the adults who chose the children's hymn 'Jesus Loves Me' (for the children of course) during a hymn sing, and it was the adults who sang the loudest because I could see they knew it the best.' 'Senior version of Jesus Loves Me' Here is a new version just for us who have white hair or no hair at all. For us over middle age (or even those almost there) and all you others check out this newest version of Jesus Loves Me. JESUS LOVES ME Jesus loves me, this I know, Though my hair is white as snow Though my sight is growing dim, Still He bids me trust in Him. (CHORUS) YES, JESUS LOVES ME.. YES, JESUS LOVES ME.. YES, JESUS LOVES ME FOR THE BIBLE TELLS ME SO. Though my steps are oh, so slow, With my hand in His I'll go On through life, let come what may, He'll be there to lead the way. (CHORUS) When the nights are dark and long, In my heart He puts a song. Telling me in words so clear, 'Have no fear, for I am near.' (CHORUS) When my work on earth is done, And life's victories have been won. He will take me home above, Then I'll understand His love (CHORUS) I love Jesus, does He know? Have I ever told Him so? Jesus loves to hear me say, That I love Him every day. (CHORUS) If you think this is neat, please pass it on to your friends. If you do not pass it on, nothing bad will happen, but you will have missed an opportunity to 'Reach out and Touch' a friend or a loved one. God Bless Us All !!! --- ...Aww, such a sweet one! Thank You Becky! ================= >-->From Our Friend Viv :) >AMBER ALERT IF YOUR CHILD WAS MISSING WOULDN'T YOU PRAY THAT EVERYONE PASSED THIS EMAIL ON! DO THE RIGHT THING AND LOOK AND FORWARD! Missing Girl from North Dakota ! You never know where this email could end up and I'm not going to stop passing this one around if it means a little girl can be found!!! Please spread this picture far and wide.... You just never know. Reachelle Marie Smith, Birthdate: 9/10/02 Answers to Peanut. BEFORE YOU SKIP THIS, LOOK AT THE CHILD. DO IT AGAIN. NOW SEND IT TO ALL IN YOUR ADDRESS BOOK. IT TAKES 10 SECONDS PEOPLE ARE MISSING HER AND SHE WANTS TO BE HOME. DO SOMETHING GOOD. - Sue & Barry Wilcox (406) 961-4064 FBI site: http://www.fbi.gov/wanted/kidnap/smith_r.htm Snopes.com site: http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/missing/reachelle.asp --- ...Very sad one Viv. We will pray for her family that they get some sort of closure here. It is terrible not knowing. This reminds me of our page here and why I am pro life: Smell Of Rain http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/smellofrain.html -<>- >A SAFETY TIP I never would have thought of this; PUT YOUR CAR KEYS BESIDE YOUR BED AT NIGHT. Tell your spouse, your children, your neighbors, your parents, your Dr.'s Office, the check out girl at the market, everyone you run across. Put your car keys beside your bed at night. If you hear a noise outside your home or someone trying to get in your house, just press the panic button for your car. The alarm will be set off, and the horn will continue to sound until either you turn it off or the car battery dies. This tip came from a neighborhood watch coordinator. Next time you come home for the night and you start to put your keys away, think of this: It's a security alarm system that you probably already have and requires no installation. Test it. It will go off from most everywhere inside your house and will keep honking until your battery runs down or until you reset it with the button on the key fob chain. It works if you park in your driveway or garage. If your car alarm goes off when someone is trying to break in your house, odds are the burglar/rapist won't stick around... After a few seconds all the neighbors will be looking out their windows to see who is out there and sure enough the criminal won't want that! And remember to carry your keys while walking to your car in a parking lot. The alarm can work the same way there. This is something that should really be shared with everyone. Maybe it could save a life or prevent a sexual assault. My Mom has suggested to my Dad that he carry his car keys with him in case he falls outside and she doesn't hear him. He can activate the car alarm and then she'll know there's a problem. P.S. I am sending this to everyone I know because I think it is fantastic. It would also be useful for any emergency, such as a heart attack, where you can't reach a phone. What a GREAT idea! --- ...Thank You Viv! Car alarms are so embarrassing! Most times when one goes off, we don't think trouble we think accident. We will however try to help the owner stop the annoying alarm if the car keeps squawking for any length of time. I just figured the car alarm was a Chinese get Americans back sort of thing. It is nice to see someone think of a positive use for it! I like the idea :) ============ >-->A Classic from our Friend Lorraine :) YOU HAVE 20 MINUTES TO TELL 10 FRIENDS THAT YOU LOVE THEM (INCLUDING ME) Because TOMORROW'S NOT PROMISED. SO I LOVE YOU! GO! I believe in prayer. It's the best way to draw strength from heaven. I thank you for being you! --- ...Yes! Thank you for being you Lorraine! This reminds me of our page here: What Friends Are For http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/poems/whatfriends.html -<>- >THIS SAYS IT ALL: [To the Ladies] 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 favors. 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 lives! 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. --- ...Thanks Lorraine! [Huggums to all our Ladies!] This reminds me of our page here: Best Friends! http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/poems/bestfriends.html =================== >-->From our Friend Jo Ann :) >Inspiring Thoughts: Anger is a condition in which the tongue works faster than the mind. You can't change the past, but you can ruin the present by worrying over the future. Love...and you shall be loved. God always gives His best to those who leave the choice with Him. All people smile in the same language. A hug is a great gift... one size fits all. It can be given for any occasion and it's easy to exchange. Everyone needs to be loved... especially when they do not deserve it. The real measure of a man's wealth is what he has invested in eternity. Laughter is God's sunshine. Everyone has beauty but not everyone sees it. It's important for parents to live the same things they teach. Thank God for what you have, TRUST GOD for what you need. If you fill your heart with regrets of yesterday and the worries of tomorrow, you have no today to be thankful for. Man looks at outward appearance but the Lord looks within. The choice you make today will usually affect tomorrow. Take time to laugh, for it is the music of the soul. If anyone speaks badly of you, live so none will believe it. Patience is the ability to idle your motor when you feel like stripping your gears. Love is strengthened by working through conflicts together. The best thing parents can do for their children is to love each other. Harsh words break no bones but they do break hearts. To get out of a difficulty, one usually must go through it. We take for granted the things that we should be giving thanks for. Love is the only thing that can be divided without being diminished. Happiness is enhanced by others but does not depend upon others. For every minute you are angry with someone, you lose 60 seconds of happiness that you can never get back. Do what you can, for who you can, with what you have, and where you are. ~Author Unknown~ --- ...Beautiful! Thank You Bunches Jo Ann! This reminded me of our page here: Dreamy Ladies http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/dreamy.html ====================================================================== >-->From The 'Shangy' Past - 09/22/2000 The Finishing Touch Story Editor: by Donna P. Joyce Schowalter Houston, Texas, USA At 27 years old, I began getting angry, then my anger turned into rage. Issues of my past had been dealt with, or so I thought. Yet, maybe I was angry at my father because I perceived him as an angry person who verbally battered me. To discover the reason for the anger, therapy was necessary. In January 1994, my journey began. Some of my rage came from my perceptions of my father. The primary cause seemed to be residual feelings from childhood sexual abuse. One of the healing projects offered as therapy was to make a collage, something to expel the hurt, pain and rage that I felt as a result of childhood sexual abuse by family members. I knew this project was for me, and I started saving magazines and newspapers. I bought special crayons, glue and special tape. During months of preparation I cut out pictures, letters and words from newspapers. I tried to replicate every childhood drawing I'd done. Every part of my being went into this. My husband was so patient and accepting during this time, especially when it came to the day that I made my collage. I had to do this by myself, but I couldn't be alone. My husband sat quietly in the room with me while I cut, glued, colored, pasted and cried. He sat so calmly, with such love. After hours of work, gallons of glue, and oceans of tears, I stood up, achy, but proud and tall. I showed my husband what I'd done, to share with him this healing that I had earned and deserved. He stared for what seemed an eternity. He asked if he could put something on it. I couldn't believe that he would be so intrusive to want to "mess up" my work. Then I stopped. "He needs this too," I thought. "He's listened to me, been there for me, and caught so many tears." I thought he'd draw a stick figure, or write something funny, but what he did changed my life forever. He walked to the bathroom medicine cabinet and came back carrying something small. I asked what it was; he just said to wait. Taking my posterboard to the table, he bent over for a minute and came back to me. I looked and stared in total disbelief. The profundity of what he'd done went immediately to my heart, and the healing tears flowed more than ever. I began another part of a wonderful journey in my life. What did he do? He took a small Band-Aid and placed it in a very small corner. With a red crayon, he wrote LOV, the O being a heart. My life truly was forever changed, in how I perceived myself and people, and what I believed people thought of me. One small Band-Aid, and I knew my past could never again prevent me from being loved. =======HeroicStories======= The Cab Ride "Twenty years ago, I drove a cab for a living. It was a cowboy's life, a life for someone who wanted no boss.What I didn't realize was that it was also a ministry. Because I drove the night shift, my cab became a moving confessional. Passengers climbed in, sat behind me in total anonymity, and told me about their lives. I encountered people whose lives amazed me, ennobled me, made me laugh and weep. But none touched me more than a woman I picked up late one August night. I was responding to a call from a small brick fourplex in a quiet part of town. I assumed I was being sent to pick up some partiers, or someone who had just had a fight with a lover, or a worker heading to an early shift at some factory for the industrial part of town. When I arrived at 2:30 a.m., the building was dark except for a single light in a ground floor window. Under such circumstances, many drivers would just honk once or twice, wait a minute, then drive away. But I had seen too many impoverished people who depended on taxis as their only means of transportation. Unless a situation smelled of danger, I always went to the door. This passenger might be someone who needs my assistance, I reasoned to myself. So I walked to the door and knocked. "Just a minute", answered a frail, elderly voice. I could hear something being dragged across the floor. After a long pause, the door opened. A small woman in her 80s stood before me. She was wearing a print dress and a pillbox hat with a veil pinned on it, like somebody out of a 1940s movie. By her side was a small nylon suitcase. The apartment looked as if no one had lived in it for years. All the furniture was covered with sheets. There were no clocks on the walls, no knickknacks or utensils on the counters. In the corner was a cardboard box filled with photos and glassware. "Would you carry my bag out to the car?" she said. I took the suitcase to the cab, then returned to assist the woman. She took my arm and we walked slowly toward the curb. She kept thanking me for my kindness. "It's nothing", I told her. "I just try to treat my passengers the way I would want my mother treated". "Oh, you're such a good boy", she said. When we got in the cab, she gave me an address, then asked, "Can you drive through downtown?" "It's not the shortest way," I answered quickly. "Oh, I don't mind," she said. "I'm in no hurry. I'm on my way to a hospice". I looked in the rear view mirror. Her eyes were glistening. "I don't have any family left," she continued. "The doctor says I don't have very long." I quietly reached over and shut off the meter. "What route would you like me to take?" I asked. For the next two hours, we drove through the city. She showed me the building where she had once worked as an elevator operator. We drove through the neighborhood where she and her husband had lived when they were newlyweds. She had me pull up in front of a furniture warehouse that had once been a ballroom where she had gone dancing as a girl. Sometimes she'd ask me to slow in front of a particular building or corner and would sit staring into the darkness, saying nothing. As the first hint of sun was creasing the horizon, she suddenly said, "I'm tired. Let's go now." We drove in silence to the address she had given me. It was a low building, like a small convalescent home, with a driveway that passed under a portico. Two orderlies came out to the cab as soon as we pulled up. They were solicitous and intent, watching her every move. They must have been expecting her. I opened the trunk and took the small suitcase to the door. The woman was already seated in a wheelchair. "How much do I owe you?" she asked, reaching into her purse. "Nothing," I said. "You have to make a living," she answered. "There are other passengers," I responded. Almost without thinking, I bent and gave her a hug. She held onto me tightly. "You gave an old woman a little moment of joy," she said. "Thank you." I squeezed her hand, then walked into the dim morning light. Behind me, a door shut. It was the sound of the closing of a life. I didn't pick up any more passengers that shift. I drove aimlessly, lost in thought. For the rest of that day, I could hardly talk. What if that woman had gotten an angry driver, or one who was impatient to end his shift? What if I had refused to take the run, or had honked once, then driven away? On a quick review, I don't think that I have done anything more important in my life. We're conditioned to think that our lives revolve around great moments. But great moments often catch us unaware - beautifully wrapped in what others may consider a "small one." From "Make me an instrument of your peace" ~~ Kent Nerburn ~~ ======HeartWarming======= MEMO FROM THE SECRETARY OF ENERGY To: All staff, Los Alamos National Laboratory From: Bill Richardson, Secretary of Energy Dear staff members: Due to an unfortunate overreaction by the Republican Congress to our minor difficulties in the security area, we're being forced to tighten up just a bit. Effective Monday: 1. The brown paper bag in which we store the computer disk drives that contain the nation's nuclear secrets will no longer be left on the picnic table at the staff commissary during lunch hour. It will be stored in "the vault." I know this is an inconvenience to many of you, but it's a sad sign of the times. 2. The three-letter security code for accessing "the vault" will no longer be "B-O-B." To confuse would-be spies, that security code will be reversed. Please don't tell anybody. 3. Visiting scientists and graduate students from Libya, North Korea and mainland China will no longer be allowed to wander the hallways without proper identification. Beginning Monday, they will be required to wear a stick-on lapel tag that clearly states, "Hello, My Name Is . . . ."The stickers will be available at the front desk. 4. The computer network used for scientific calculations will no longer be hyper linked via the Internet to such Web sites as www.moammar.com, www.swedechicks .com, or www.hackers-r-us.com. Links to all Disney sites will be maintained, however. 5. Researchers bearing a security clearance of Level 5 and higher will no longer be permitted to exchange updates on their work by posting advanced-physics formulas on the men's room walls. 6. On "Bowling Night," please check your briefcases and laptop computers at the front counter of the Bowl-a-Drome instead of leaving them in the cloakroom. Mr. Badonov, the front-counter supervisor, has promised to "keep un eye on zem" for us. 7. Staff members will no longer be allowed to take home small amounts of plutonium, iridium or uranium for use in those "little weekend projects around the house." That includes you parents who are helping the kids with their science fair projects. 8. Thermonuclear devices may no longer be checked out for "recreational use." We've not yet decided if exceptions will be made for Halloween, the Fourth of July or New Year's Eve. We'll keep you posted. 9. Employees may no longer "borrow" the AA batteries from the burglar alarm system to power their Game Boys and compact-disc players during working hours. 10. And, finally, when reporting for work each day, all employees must enter through the front door. Raoul, the janitor, will no longer admit employees who tap three times on the side door to avoid clocking in late. I know this crackdown might seem punitive and oppressive to many of you, but it is our sworn duty to protect the valuable national secrets that have been entrusted to our care. Remember: Security isn't a part-time job-it's an imperative, all 34 1/2 hours of the week! Sincerely, Bill =========================== A Warm Hand on a Cold Night Story Editor: by Jim Rutledge Steve Phelps Austin, Texas, USA I was young and on my own in the Navy in the fall of 1981, stationed in San Diego, California. I had a serious operation at Balboa Hospital there, where they had to put a steel rod in my chest about 12" in length. It made breathing and moving around very difficult. I was given two months to go home and recuperate from my surgery, so I headed to Illinois. Usually I made my visits home in the summer, so I did not think to dress for the fall weather that Illinois was having -- all I was wearing was a windbreaker. Arriving in Chicago just minutes after the last bus to my hometown of Peoria had left, I could either sleep in the cold, damp bus terminal or take a bus that would stop at a terminal just 30 miles from Peoria, in Bloomington. I decided to go on to Bloomington, thinking that it would be a short ride home in the morning. As the bus got closer to Bloomington it starting snowing and the temperature began to drop. Had I known the terminal in Bloomington was closed, I might have been more concerned. When the bus dropped me off, I thought for sure that there had been a mistake. The whole town was dark. Everything was closed. There I was, in pain at three in the morning, and it was snowing and well below freezing. My windbreaker didn't help against the elements at all. I huddled in the doorway of the terminal not having any idea what to do. The metal rod in my chest and the cold air was making it almost impossible to breathe. I was quickly losing consciousness. Finally, I passed out. Then I heard a voice and saw a hand pulling me up. He half-carried me, half-dragged me for what seemed like miles until we reached his house. He laid me down on the sofa, covered me up and sat there while I slept. When he woke me up that morning, he took me back to the bus terminal. I went to the restroom to freshen up and when I came back there was a cup of hot chocolate at the table and he was gone. After I got home, I borrowed my mother's car and drove back to Bloomington to find him and thank him for his act of kindness. But nothing seemed familiar. It was as if it was a dream. But I know it was real and he was real. I have never been able to find out his name but I will never forget him for as long as I live. I have shared this story with many people over the years and probably will continue to do so. It's been 21 years now. =======HeroicStories======= "What goes around..." © 2000 Bob Perks He was sitting there in a booth near the window. There was something about him that caught my attention. But there's something in every one I choose to do this for. I buy them their breakfast anonymously. It all started just after my Dad passed away. I was traveling and decided to stop for breakfast. Off to my right was a elderly man who had come in right after me. Oh, I know how lonely I was wishing my Dad was still here. But that man looked so much like him. Same height, build and stumbling walk. I decided then to ask for his check. "Just tell him he reminded me of my Dad!" I said to the cashier as she summoned his waitress. I paid for the meal and went on my way wondering what he thought of all of this. So every once in a while I hear this voice inside me and I listen to it. I'm usually directed to an individual quietly sitting alone in a booth. Age is never a factor for I have picked up the tab for young and old alike. Not every time I go to a restaurant. I don't always hear the voice. Now don't go thinking I'm going crazy hearing voices. The voice I speak of is one that also speaks to you. It's a soft, quiet voice that knows right from wrong, speaks of compassion, and caring. I argue with it sometimes. "Oh, no! You've got to be kidding. You want me to do what?" Most of the time the voice wins. I've come to trust it so I follow through knowing there is a reason for everything. Well, on this particular day, this man seemed down in his spirit and attitude. Almost like he was wondering why he was here. I found him day dreaming and staring out the window for long periods of time. At one point he caught me looking at him. He smiled and shook his head and said, "Incredible day!" "Yes, it is," I replied but felt no need to continue a conversation. That is so unlike me. This is where my stories are born, from a silence broken or a moment shared. But it seemed to me that he needed to be alone this day. So I picked up his check and told the waitress to say nothing. This is my usual breakfast stop. They know the routine. Today our paths crossed again. I vaguely remembered his face. He was a regular looking guy in his mid forties. But when I walked in he seemed to recognize me. Once again he smiled when I sat down. I ordered my breakfast and scanned the room to see if the "voice" was calling me. But, no. There was nothing to be accomplished this morning except for a hot cup of coffee and French Toast. Half way through my meal, as I was reading the paper, I looked up across from me and discovered I had company. "Please forgive me if I intrude on your meal. This is kinda awkward for me. My name is Jack," he said as he extended his hand. I introduced myself and said, "You certainly aren't intruding. You can join me if you'd like." He declined but continued speaking. " About a month ago I was in here and sat in that same booth near the window. I saw you at one point and smiled. I was a bit out of sorts that day and when I saw you looking at me I figured it showed. So I tried to say something witty to break the mood." "You did seem a bit lost that day if I remember correctly," I said. "I know the look. I've been there many times." "Well, I may be wrong here. But someone picked up my breakfast check for me. I assumed it was you. The place was nearly empty," he said waiting for a confirmation from me. "Gee, that's great. I bet the breakfast tasted even better then," I said jokingly. I really didn't want to tell him. I didn't want to go through a struggle. I feared he'd want to pay for mine and that would defeat the purpose. "Well, any way, it was the most incredible timing. You see, my son and I always went to breakfast on my birthday. It was tradition since he was a kid. When he was little he would insist on paying for the meal, but I'd have to 'lend' him the money. Then, once he hit his teens and was working he really did pay the bill," he said. Then turning his head back toward the window, he said, "We always sat there. Same booth, same meal, and wonderful father-son conversation." He paused for a moment. "This year, for the first time, we weren't together." "Growing up can be painful. Not for the child, the parent," I said. "I know. I'd give anything to relive moments like that with my sons." "Well, I'll never have that chance. My son died in an auto accident about six months ago out in California. He was visiting friends and checking out colleges." "I'm so sorry, my friend," I said. "It was so incredible. That was my birthday and as always, I came here for breakfast. My wife wanted to come along. But I told her this was our time together," he said quietly and without much emotion. He seemed to be at peace with it all. At least for the moment. "So when someone picked up the check, I was stunned. The waitress wouldn't tell me who it was. But whoever it was had a reason. I believe somehow my son had something to do with it. I still hear his voice," he said. "Maybe the person who picked up the check heard his voice, too, " I said smiling. We said our good-byes and finished my meal. Oh, you know how this ends don't you? You are right. The waitress said, "Well, what goes around comes around, Bob. See, all those checks you picked up finally paid off." "No, the pay back is much greater than that, Linda! I got to meet this one and I didn't know it at the time but I also met his son. All that for a $4.28! Can't beat it." ========================================================= >-->A Little Peaceful Time ... :) Did Jesus use a modem, At the Sermon on the Mount? Did He ever try a broadcast fax, To send His message out? Did the disciples carry beepers, As they went about their route? Did Jesus use a modem, At the Sermon on the Mount? Did Paul use a Laptop, With lots of RAM and ROM? Were his letters posted on a BBS, At Paul.Rome.Com? Did the man from Macedonia, Send an E-mail saying "Come?" Did Paul use a Laptop, With lots of RAM and ROM? Did Moses use a joystick, At the parting of the Sea? And a Satellite Guidance Tracking System, To show him where to be? Did he write the law on tablets, Or are they really on CD? Did Moses use a joystick, At the parting of the Sea? Did Jesus really die for us, One day upon a tree? Or was it just a Hologram, Or Technical Wizardry? Can you download the Live Action Video Clip, To play on your PC? Did Jesus really die for us, One day upon a tree? Have the wonders of this modern age, Made you question what is true? How a single man, in a simple time, Could offer life anew? How a sinless life, a cruel death, Then a glorious life again, Could offer more to a desperate world, Than all the inventions of man? If in your life, the voice of God, Is sometimes hard to hear. With other voices calling, His doesn't touch your ear. Then set aside your laptop and modem, And all your fancy gear. And open your Bible, open your heart, And let your Father draw near. Author Unknown =============================================== A True Look At Life! Life can seem ungrateful ~ and not always kind... Life can pull at your heartstrings ~ and play with your mind... Life can be blissful ~ and happy and free... Life can put beauty ~ in the things that you see ... Life can place challenges ~ right at your feet... Life can make good ~ of the hardships we meet... Life can overwhelm you ~ and make your head spin... Life can reward those ~ determined to win... Life can be hurtful ~ and not always fair... Life can surround you ~ with people who care ... Life clearly does offer ~ its Up and its Downs... Life's days can bring you ~ both smiles and frowns... Life teaches us to take ~ the good with the bad... Life is a mixture ~ of happy and sad... SO... Take the Life that you have ~ and give it your best... Think positive be happy ~ let God do the rest... Take the challenges that life ~ has laid at your feet... Take pride and be thankful ~ for each one you meet... To yourself give forgiveness ~ if you stumble and fall... Take each day that is dealt you ~ and give it your all... Take the love that you're given ~ and return it with care... Have faith that when needed ~ it will always be there... Take time to find the beauty ~ in the things that you see... Take life's simple pleasures ~ let them set your heart free... The idea here is simply ~ to even the score As you are met and faced with ~ Life's Tug of War. ~author unknown~ ============================ QUOTES: "When you're dating you're so insecure. My last relationship, I was always there for her and she dumped me. I told her about it. I said, 'Remember when your grandma died? I was there. Remember when you flunked out of school? I was there. Remember when you lost your job? I was there!' She said, 'I know - you're bad luck.'" - Tom Arnold "Alyssa Milano has formed a company called Cybertrackers that surfs the web for unauthorized nude photos of celebrities. "This is the second such group, the first being 'men'." - Jim Rosenberg "Happiness is a function of accepting what is." - Werner Erhard "There are two ways of meeting difficulties: you alter the difficulties, or you alter yourself to meet them." - Phyllis Bottome "Half the failures in life arise from pulling in one's horse as he is leaping." - Julius and Augustus Hare "The present is a point just passed." - David Russell "If you see a bandwagon, it's too late." - James Goldsmith "Life is the first gift, love is the second, and understanding the third." - Marge Piercy >>The "In Passing" Club collects snippets of conversations overhead by regular people in everyday life. Samples from this site now listed on the FUN URL'S PAGE under the FRIENDS & FUN Category: "At the very least, I think you should be concerned that she can immediately identify burnt human fingernails." --One guy to another, quite alarmed "Well, would you please wear the bulletproof vest?" --A woman talking on her cellphone on the bbus "I don't know if you could call it false advertising, but I agree, 'hearty' isn't a word I typically associate with sushi." --One woman to another on Oxford St >FUN STUFF URLS - Oh Yeah :) 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. These are Tried and True, Yummy to the Tummy, good old fashioned home cooking recipes that are EASY to do :) Visit Shangy's Easy-Does-It Home Recipes: http://www.ShangralaFamilyFun.com/easy.html Home Recipes >Got A good Recipe? SHARE IT HERE: Share A Recipe ************************************************************************ >TO SUBSCRIBE: Visit Here This Weeks regular Shangy emails OR For the Yahoo ShangyFunList: To Subscribe send a blank email to ShangyFunList-subscribe@yahoogroups.com ************************************************************************