Thankful For A Purpose.... :) Shangy! >Here are the details on our Yahoo ShangyFunList: To Subscribe send a blank email to ShangyFunList-subscribe@yahoogroups.com To UnSubscribe send a blank email to ShangyFunList-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com Group home page: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ShangyFunList Through no fault of my own we suddenly became an adult club in the love and romance directory so you will have to confirm that you are an adult when you go here. I still have no idea how to change this back as it sends me around in a circle when I try! or Web Site: http://www.ShangralaFamilyFun.com/ShangyFunList.html Group email address: ShangyFunList@yahoogroups.com or email me here: bcrsystems@earthlink.net ================ *~* A REMINDER: PLEASE Send me sweet, interesting, funny, inspiring, family type forwards ANY TIME here... bcrsystems@earthlink.net I Need them, Love them, Use them, and Share them! THANK YOU!! AND For Facebook Users: Please Friend Me / Like Me here... http://tinyurl.com/cma6all ^~^ May God SUPER BLESS You As You Do! THANK YOU! ================ >-->HOT Off The 'Shangy' Press :) This scorcher is from our friends Richard and Melody. Its a wonderful collection of fall photos with quotes sure to give you some thoughtful smiles. Check it out here... | -x- | v . ._, |_ ., `-._\/ . \ / |/_ \\ _\, y | \// _\_.___\\, \\/ -.\|| `7-,--.`._|| / / , /' `-. `./ / |/_.' | |// |_ / |- | | =| | | --------------------/ , . \--------._ jg Animals In Fall! http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/animalsinfall.html --- ...So beautiful! Thank You Richard and Melody! =========================================================== >-->From Heartwarmers: .---. /_____\__ .===. _ _ `\/6.6\/--` / _/\ \ / )%.===.%( \ ( _ ) \/6.6\/ | // ,,, \\ | ,'---', ( _ ) \/ \/6.6\/ \/ .===. / _ \ _)---(_ /\ ( _ ) /\ / ,,, \ /\/ (_) \/\ / `~` \ ^^ /()-()\ ^^ ( /6.6\ ) .=@=. \ | (_) | / /\/ \/\ / /o o\ \ )( _ )( / \ \| |/ \ | | / (._\ Y /_.) (_/;---;\_) \ 6.6 / |_____| \|_____|/ (O_`&`_O) / `"*"` \ ( _ ) | | | | L | / / \ \ ( (_.@._) ) .-'---'-. | | | |__|__| / ()/^\() \ /'._\|/_.'\ / . . \ \__|__/ | | | /. . . . . . .\ /. . . . . .\ _/ /| , |\ \_ |_|_| |_|_| `"`"`|`|`|`"`"` `"`"|"|"|"`"` (__/{`"==="`}\__) jgs _|_|_|_ _|_|_|_ _|_|_|_ _|_|_|_ /\_ _/\ (___|___) (___|___) (___|___) (___|___) _| /`"`\ |_ ( \ / \ / ) \_/ \_/ >THANKFUL FOR A PURPOSE by Heidi Lynn Poakeart I was eighteen years old, fresh out of high school with a bright future to look forward to, when I received the devastating news of a cancer diagnosis. This was a big deal for someone my age to endure. However I chose to fight the battle instead of wallowing in self pity. After major surgery and four months of radiation treatments, I overcame my obstacle and emerged a new person -- someone who took nothing for granted and a person who learned to appreciate everything and everyone around me. Years passed and I received my certification in medical assisting, met a wonderful man, moved to New York and got married. Truly, life couldn't have been any better -- however, I still felt something missing and longed to find my purpose. Having donated to St. Jude Children's Hospital in Memphis, TN, for years, I had always felt a connection and empathy toward the children living with cancer who were being treated there. What a truly magnificent place, especially knowing that no patient was ever turned away regardless of ability to pay. The hospital exuded living, and that is what I was all about. As my 20-year anniversary of being a cancer survivor approached, I wanted to do something special and unforgettable. I organized a fund raiser, calling it "A Mission of Love," and thanks to my generous family and friends, raised $4,000 for St. Jude's, planning to deliver it myself. Three quarters of the money would be given as a monetary donation to the hospital, and what was left would go toward purchasing toys for the children. I also had arranged with the hospital a t-shirt painting activity for any child who felt well enough to participate. Thanksgiving Day seemed the most appropriate day of the year for the mission, and so it was all arranged. My husband and I flew to Memphis with 50 t-shirts and a huge bag of fabric paint in tow the day before Thanksgiving. We went to the toy store and filled three shopping carts with all kinds of toys piled high to the sky. It was as though we were small celebrities when the employees and other shoppers became aware of what we were doing. On Thanksgiving Day, as we pulled into the front gates of St. Jude, it was quite literally my dream come true. I became extremely emotional, as my eyes welled with tears of happiness. After dropping the toys off, we went to a lounge area where there were six children waiting anxiously to begin painting. They picked out their shirts and my husband and I helped them get started. To me, it was as though they weren't even sick, and to see them smile was one of the greatest gifts I could have ever received. When the activity was over and we wished the children well, we dropped off the monetary donation to an extremely grateful staff, and then our visit came to an end. Leaving there that day, I knew I had finally found my purpose. Going to St. Jude filled a feeling of emptiness inside of me that had existed for as long as I could remember, and it genuinely changed my life. I was thanked for giving a donation to a charity that saves lives, but being able to give thanks for my experience was priceless. "All of us are born for a reason, but all of us don't discover why. Success in life has nothing to do with what you gain in life or accomplish for yourself. It's what you do for others." -- Danny Thomas -- Heidi Lynn Poakeart __________________________________________________ Heidi says, "I am 39 years old and a 20-year cancer survivor. I live in Westchester County, NY, with my husband and cat. I am currently writing my autobiography and have several short stories published on a few different sites on the Internet, including Heartwarmers. I love Heartwarmers and always look forward to my weekly story." ========================================================== >-->Good News From our Friends At TruthOrTradition.com: , , /////| ///// | ///// | |~~~| | | |===| |/| | B |/| | | I | | | | B | | | | L | / | E | / |===|/ jgs '---' >New Resources from Spirit & Truth Fellowship Each month we will be sending out a monthly email letting you know about all the resources we are working on. This will include our latest Video Teachings, Audio Books, REV Bible updates, new Audio Teachings, App updates and more. We have many new products in the works and are excited to keep you informed in the weeks & months to come! REV Bible coming soon in Hardback Soon you will be able to use the REV Bible as your every day reading Bible! Watch this video! http://tinyurl.com/n3sx824 Audio Books for Free Our books are now available as audiobooks for your phone, tablet or computer. All for free! http://tinyurl.com/ltt7wwe Israel Tour 2014 http://tinyurl.com/kpnp7fh The Renewed Mind - Eliminate Toxic Thinking Dan Gallagher gives some tips on how to renew your mind and eliminate toxic thinking. http://tinyurl.com/l67kazz New eBooks now Available Read our books on your phone, tablet, computer, anywhere. Kindle | iBooks | Nook | Sony eReader Buy in Paperback | Read key sections online http://tinyurl.com/mo3mm43 Thanksgiving Video Series Learn about the benefits of thankfulness and thanks-living! Perfect for the holidays! http://tinyurl.com/mp3t786 =========================================================== >-->From Our Friend Bunni :) .---. .---. ,';' `.';' `.. f :Bo. ` d88: `\ /d88P' `\ ; /d888P' `. ',d8&8P' : ;d8&7' | :8: | qx >MY LOVE POEM FOR JESUS I'm writing this love poem My precious Lord just for You This is my way to show You Just how much I love You! Sometimes when I'm praising Your sweet holy name Your wonderful presence and love Washes over me like rain As my tears begin to flow Such a sweet joy floods my soul As I stand in Your presence Just whispering your name Jesus I Love You!!! Oh how I love You, my Jesus For saving my poor sinful soul I was racing toward Hell Full Speed Ahead But You with so much love Gently pulled me into the fold Now I'm safe in Your gentle embrace Feeling your love so gently enfolding me I'm led by Your Spirit I'm full of new wine There's a feast on Your table I will partake of for all time There's such joy being in Your presence Your love is divine I can barely wait for Your appearing How bright You will shine My Jesus I love You so much How I yearn for Your sweet, gentle touch For the day You come back for me Then in Your sweet presence forever I'll be Just to stand in Your presence Is all I desire Your death on Calvary so horrible I stop to think then tremble and weep You loved me so much You died on that cross Long before the date of my birth Long before the day I was created YOU thought I had worth How could I not love You Adore You, My Sweet Lord?? You freely went to that old rugged cross Your life's blood for me You freely shed My Jesus, I know I can NEVER repay The terrible price You paid for me on that day So each day I have I'll live for You, Lord To prove my love for You MY SAVIOUR AND MY LORD Phyllis Smith (Bunni) Copyright October 10,1993 Revised November, 2013 All Rights Reserved --- ...Lovely! Thank You Bunni! Mixed emotions on this one. I am saddened also as it brings to mind what I heard O'Reilly say about Johnny Carson. He said in his private life he didn't have spiritual direction or a belief system to help him with his own happiness. He brought us so much happiness - it is sad that the Gospel wan never strong in him so he might have inner smiles too. We must always keep in mind that we are God's mouth piece. 2 Tim.4: [2] Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. I thought of him while praying this morning and my thoughts went to many are called but few are chosen. - Matt.22: 14 Praise God We Are Amongst The Chosen Few! Woe for those who are not. =============================================================== >-->From Archives InspiredBuffalo: \\\\, / \\ '<' ) \- / _)_(_ .'\___/'. /.-.___.-.\ [_________] | | ( | , | (\/) ) _\)_ | -|- | <_@__> _(/_ || | | | (/\)(\/) || || | | (\/) <_@_> || || | | <_@_>'(/\) || || | | (/\|/|-. || || .---------. _|_|_ || ||_,-'---------'-,__ |WWWWW| ___jgs|_|____________________|_\_____/__ __ .-. / \ //)\\ | | ||(|| .-. (\__/) .//\\\. //|\\ _)__(_ / `"""` \ )|||( /` `\ .jgs===================================. | | | | | | >Nothing Else Source: From a sermon by Alan Smith, "The Lord is My Shepherd." In his book, I Shall Not Want, Robert Ketchum tells about a Sunday school teacher who asked her group of children if any of them could quote the entire twenty-third psalm. A little four-and-a-half-year-old girl was among those who raised their hands. A bit skeptical, the teacher asked if she could really quote the entire psalm. The little girl came to the podium, faced the class, made a little bow, and said: "The Lord is my shepherd, that's all I want." She then bowed again and sat down. She may have overlooked a few verses, but I think that little girl captured David's heart in Psalm 23. The idea throughout the psalm is that we are utterly contented in the shepherd's care and there is nothing else that we desire. -<>- .===. / _/\ \ \/e.e\/ _ ( _ ) / \ _)---(_ \ | / `~` \ /`/ /\/ \/\ / / /| |\_/ \ \\_____/ \ \, L | \_| | | | _|_ | | | | jgs |__|__| (___|___) >Two Choices What would you do?....you make the choice. Don't look for a punch line, there isn't one. Read it anyway. My question is: Would you have made the same choice? At a fundraising dinner for a school that serves children with learning disabilities, the father of one of the students delivered a speech that would never be forgotten by all who attended. After extolling the school and its dedicated staff, he offered a question: 'When not interfered with by outside influences, everything nature does, is done with perfection. Yet my son, Shay, cannot learn things as other children do. He cannot understand things as other children do. Where is the natural order of things in my son?' The audience was stilled by the query. The father continued. 'I believe that when a child like Shay, who was mentally and physically disabled comes into the world, an opportunity to realize true human nature presents itself, and it comes in the way other people treat that child.' Then he told the following story: Shay and I had walked past a park where some boys Shay knew were playing baseball. Shay asked, 'Do you think they'll let me play?' I knew that most of the boys would not want someone like Shay on their team, but as a father I also understood that if my son were allowed to play, it would give him a much-needed sense of belonging and some confidence to be accepted by others in spite of his handicaps. I approached one of the boys on the field and asked (not expecting much) if Shay could play. The boy looked around for guidance and said, 'We're losing by six runs and the game is in the eighth inning. I guess he can be on our team and we'll try to put him in to bat in the ninth inning.' Shay struggled over to the team's bench and, with a broad smile, put on a team shirt. I watched with a small tear in my eye and warmth in my heart. The boys saw my joy at my son being accepted. In the bottom of the eighth inning, Shay's team scored a few runs but was still behind by three. In the top of the ninth inning, Shay put on a glove and played in the right field. Even though no hits came his way, he was obviously ecstatic just to be in the game and on the field, grinning from ear to ear as I wav ed to him from the stands. In the bottom of the ninth inning, Shay's team scored again. Now, with two outs and the bases loaded, the potential winning run was on base and Shay was scheduled to be next at bat. At this juncture, do they let Shay bat and give away their chance to win the game? Surprisingly, Shay was given the bat. Everyone knew that a hit was all but impossible because Shay didn't even know how to hold the bat properly, much less connect with the ball. However, as Shay stepped up to the plate, the pitcher, recognizing that the other team was putting winning aside for this moment in Shay's life, moved in a few steps to lob the ball in softly so Shay could at least make contact. The first pitch came and Shay swung clumsily and missed. The pitcher again took a few steps forward to toss the ball softly towards Shay. As the pitch came in, Shay swung at the ball and hit a slow ground ball right back to the pitcher. The game would now be over. The pitcher picked up the soft grounder and could have easily thrown the ball to the first baseman. Shay would have been out and that would have been the end of the game. Instead, the pitcher threw the ball right over the first baseman's head, out of reach of all team mates. Everyone from the stands and both teams started yelling, 'Shay, run to first! Run to first!' Never in his life had Shay ever run that far, but he made it to first base. He scampered down the baseline, wide-eyed and startled. Everyone yelled, 'Run to second, run to second!' Catching his breath, Shay awkwardly ran towards second, gleaming and struggling to make it to the base. By the time Shay rounded towards second base, the right fielder had the ball .. the smallest guy on their team who now had his first chance to be the hero for his team. He could have thrown the ball to the second-baseman for the tag, but he understood the pitcher's intentions so he, too, intentionally threw the ball high and far over the third-baseman's head. Shay ran toward third base deliriously as the runners ahead of him circled the bases toward home. .---. /_____\__ `\/6.6\/--` ( _ ) ,'---', / _ \ /\/ (_) \/\ \ | (_) | / \| |/ |_____| | | | | | | \__|__/ |_|_| jgs _|_|_|_ (___|___) All were screaming, 'Shay, Shay, Shay, all the Way Shay' Shay reached third base because the opposing shortstop ran to help him by turning him in the direction of third base, and shouted, 'Run to third! Shay, run to third!' As Shay rounded third, the boys from both teams, and the spectators, were on their feet screaming, 'Shay, run home! Run home!' Shay ran to home, stepped on the plate, and was cheered as the hero who hit the grand slam and won the game for his team. 'That day', said the father softly with tears now rolling down his face, 'the boys from both teams helped bring a piece of true love and humanity into this world' Shay didn't make it to another summer. He died that winter, having never forgotten being the hero and making me so happy, and coming home and seeing his Mother tearfully embrace her little hero of the day! -<>- >STEWARDSHIP, TREASURE During the Civil War, a man with a large amount of money in gold coins lived near Murfreesboro, Tennessee. When Union forces entered the area in 1862, he was afraid they'd take his money, so he buried it in a field near his farm. He made notes of the exact location of the treasure, using trees and rocks as markers. But the occupying Union soldiers cut down trees for firewood and gathered rocks to form chimneys for their barracks and fire pits. When the war ended, the man returned; but everything was different, and he was unable to locate his fortune. He spent the rest of his life trying to find the lost coins. David Jeremiah writes: "We're to be wise stewards, laying up for the future and providing for the needs of our families. But if we bury our treasures and invest ourselves too heavily in the things of earth, we end up losing everything. All we have belongs to the Savior; and when we invest our resources and energy in His Kingdom, we're making investments with eternal dividends." (Turning Point Daily Devotional, 1-16-09) SIN, TEMPTATION In his book, Death by Love: Letters from the Cross (Crossway), Marc Driscoll writes: "You can learn a basic principle of how your enemy works. The great Puritan Thomas Brooks wrote one of my favorite books on spiritual warfare, Precious Remedies against Satan's Devices. Brooks uses a wonderful illustration that explains why Jesus rejected Satan's simple offer of bread. "Brooks says our Enemy will bait our hook with anything we find desirable. This means he will gladly give us sex, money, power, pleasure, fame, fortune and relationships. Satan's goal is for us to take the bait without seeing the hook, and once the hook is in our mouth he then reels us in to take us captive. His gifts are often very good things offered for sinful uses. He'll challenge us to examine the gift to ensure its quality. That is the essence of the trap. The gift may be good, but the giver is evil. In this way, Satan and demons are akin to a pedophile who seeks to entice children into trust with gifts of candy and toys, only to destroy them. "When we take the gifts Satan and demons give, we are in essence biting down on the bait. As a result, the hook of sin is in our mouth, and Satan reels us in as his captive so that, as Jesus says in John 8:34, we become slaves to our sin." -<>- >Links for Your Enjoyment: Financial Stewardship http://www.ShangralaFamilyFun.com/BibleStudy/financialstewardship.html Just Have Faith http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/faith.html Expensive Hotel rooms http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/ehotels.html Humor In Politics 11 http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/politics10.html MacGyver - How To Do It 4 http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/macgyver4.html Rarely Seen Babies http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/babyanimals.html Taking A Catnap 2 http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/catnap2.html Niagara Falls Frozen! http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/niagarafalls.html Proud Of Our Troops 2 http://www.ShangralaFamilyFun.com/troops2.html Gifts and Callings http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/BibleStudy/giftscallings.html Holiday Mail For Heroes http://redcrosschat.org/2009/10/27/holiday-mail-for-heroes-2/ Value What You Have! http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/valuewyh.html Rich Vs Poor http://www.ShangralaFamilyFun.com/richvspoor.html Ohio Indians http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/ohioindians.html Visit Melissa's Online Store You can get anything you want (except for Melissa ) at the online store http://pdhomes.net/mall/babylissa/mySTORES/ISELL4.html ========================================================== >-->From CupO'Cheer: .' .-'''-. '. / .' _..._'. \ __ : : /`;' ) : : _,="`\ ,--''` ``'.; : |; ,-; : ; __..==""==.,_| `-, `; .\; / ^\ _,.="// '-,_.--._ '.(;_.'__/`_.-'`\ ,.--''`` _..=. `'--.// `` \ `--, '` `- |_\ '-. | `-._ _.;--`-..___,.-'` `'-...-_:',;`==,| \ _.--',=" / /"=;="=, _.' ,=".-'` .' /| ,=" _.--' .-' "=, : .' | ", `;._ .--'.' .-' .' . ; ,;;\_ . '._.'--'` -' / ,;;;._ '-._ .''.__.' `\_ .' '._ / '._ .(` jgs '._ ';./ `;` >WE SHALL BE LIKE HIM Jesus’ plan is to “gather together in one all things in Christ” (Eph. 1:10 NKJV). “All things” includes your body. Your eyes that read this book. Your hands that hold it. Your blood-pumping heart, arm-hinging elbow, weight-supporting torso. God will reunite your body with your soul and create something unlike anything you have seen: an eternal body. You will finally be healthy. You never have been. Even on the days you felt fine, you weren’t. You were a sitting duck for disease, infections, airborne bacteria, and microbes. And what about you on your worst days? I hate disease. I’m sick of it. So is Christ. Consider his response to the suffering of a deaf mute. “He took him aside from the multitude, and put His fingers in his ears, and He spat and touched his tongue. Then, looking up to heaven, He sighed, and said to him, ‘Ephphatha,’ that is, ‘Be opened’ ” (Mark 7:33–34 NKJV). Everything about this healing stands out. The way Jesus separates the man from the crowd. The tongue and ear touching. The presence of Aramaic in the Greek account. But it’s the sigh that we notice. Jesus looked up to heaven and sighed. This is a sigh of sadness, a deep breath, and a heavenly glance that resolves, “It won’t be this way for long.” Jesus Story, Your Story Jesus will heal all who seek healing in him. There are no exceptions to this promise—no nuances, fine-print conditions, or caveats. To say some will be healed beyond the grave by no means diminishes the promise. The truth is this: “When he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is” (1 John 3:2, emphasis mine). “We shall be like him.” Let every parent of a Down syndrome or wheelchair-bound child write these words on the bedroom wall. Let the disabled, infected, bedridden, and anemic put themselves to sleep with the promise “We shall be like him.” Let amputees and the atrophied take this promise to heart: “We shall be like him.” by Max Lucado -<>- _______ / /_ / -/- / / / / / / /_______/ / jgs ((______| / `"""""""` >THE PARTS WE MISS I recently wrote an article dealing with the fact that our Christian life is a life of continual learning. We literally never stop finding new stuff in the scripture. I really don't know how many times I have read through the whole bible, but have been doing it every year for the past 15 to 20 years. What may surprise you is that I am always seeing new stuff. It happened again just this past week. You probably are familiar with the story of Jesus stilling the storm on the Sea of Galilee. You remember, Jesus had been teaching the people and got into a boat to go to the other side of the lake. He promptly lay down and fell asleep. While Jesus was sleeping, "Without warning, a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat." (NIV Matthew 8:24) The disciples were so afraid that they woke Jesus and with a word he stilled the storm. OK, so you know the story, but here is a question. Was there anyone else with them? Were there other folks in other boats accompanying them? Come on, don't shy away from the question or assume that just because I asked there must be a secret to the story. The bible really gives us a little more information, but it's one of those little parts we sometime miss. You may be a better scholar than I and know the answer, but for me it was the first time it registered that maybe there was something I missed in the telling of this story. Do we ever learn it all? Of course not! Well how much is enough? I don't know, but I do know that God expects us to be searching the scripture daily and showing ourselves approved workmen for Him. Paul writes: "Study to show yourself approved unto God, a workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." KJV 2 Timothy 2:15) or "Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." (NKJV) Oh, just in case you are wondering, the answer to the question is found in the parallel record of the story in Mark 4:36. May God bless you in your ongoing search of His word! Russ Lawson, Messages From The Heart -<>- .-.._ (_.- )) )' ) )) \_( (( _ )) ) ) |\\ /'-( ( \/\/ / ) ) \ / ( ( '-; ) ) / ( ( / ) ) | ( ( jgs \ ( ) `----`----` >SILENT WITNESS (by Krista Ryals, 12 years old) [Edited] We say that we are Christians and that we are walking in God's ways, but do we really walk in them every single day? When we go to parties and people pressure us to drink, do we ever take that time to really stop and think? The Lord is always watching everything we do, and when we tell people we are saved He knows if it is really true. We think it does not matter what we do when no one is around, but God is always standing there even if He does not make a sound. He walks with us through good times and carries us through bad, and when we let Him down He forgives us even if what we did makes Him really sad. We tell our friends we love Him and that heaven is where we'll go, but if God asked us today would we really know? When we stand before God on our judgment day, Will we be embarrassed by things He might say? Just remember when you go out the Lord is always standing there, He is our silent witness with whom our lives we share. as seen in Laugh and Lift -<>- _.-/`) // / / ) .=// / / / ) //`/ / / / / // / ` / || / \\ / )) .' jgs // / / >PEACE BEGINS INSIDE US [edited] Romans 12:21 - Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. (NIV) Just a few months after my arrival at my first posting on a native reservation out on the prairies of Canada in 1987, I was informed that I was to lead the three nights' wake service of a young man who was killed in a gang fight. Then on the third night, while the family and I were discussing the funeral the next day, one of the elder brothers of the deceased person, a rising native movie star in Hollywood, arrived late and asked his parents, "Who's officiating at the funeral?" His mother pointed at me with a smile and said, "He is -- our new pastor." He looked at me and said, "No, I don't want him. I want Rev. "X" [my predecessor] to do it." I had never been humiliated like that in my entire life. His parents were quite shocked by his rude behaviour, but it was too little, too late, for them to undo the embarrassment. I just gave them an "I understand" look with a courtesy smile and left silently. But I went home that night feeling deeply wounded. Well, I am young and inexperienced, and, after all, it's a big funeral anyway, and I'm not even sure if I can handle it. I tried to comfort myself, but down deep inside I was furious with misery and hatred. During my struggle, however, I was more afflicted with disappointment about my pride, than about the insult. As I prayed to God for strength to overcome my pride, suddenly I began to visualize the scene of the Lord Jesus on Good Friday vividly. I saw the Roman soldiers mocking at Him, spitting at Him on His face, kicking Him, hitting Him with straps, and then nailing Him on the cross to die slowly, horribly, and painfully. How terrible the way He had to suffer that day, and what was my pain in comparison with His? Really, it was nothing but a mosquito's bite. What amazed me most was the fact that Jesus neither showed anger nor cursed those who hurt and humiliated Him. Instead, He said to God, "Father, forgive them, for they don't know what they are doing." (Luke 23:34 NIV) That's why He is called the Prince of Peace. The world was hostile to God, but God wanted to make peace by hanging His Son on the cross. He overcame evil with good, and that is what true peace is all about. Peace is not from destroying our enemies but conquering them with good. I thanked God for showing me how to deal with humiliation and hurt. Peace in my case must begin with me by forgiving the person who wronged me. So I prayed to God for strength to support the family with all my heart, regardless of what happened to me, and I asked God to comfort the mourners. Two hours later, I received a phone call from the family saying that Rev. "X" could not come, and asked me if I could do the funeral. "Certainly," I replied, "I'll be deeply honoured to do it." I stayed up late that night and promised God that I would do it excellently and do it all for His sake. Consequently, the family was deeply touched and grateful for my kind response, and although the elder brother never did apologize to me verbally, he exhibited it in his actions. He thanked me and proudly introduced me to every one of his friends as his favourite new pastor and buddy. I had been so close to losing my composure and thus my peace during the experience. Had I followed my sense of resentment, I would have done the funeral with little care or even unlovingly, and the family would have understood it and moved on, but I would never have received that kind of respect, gratefulness, and love from them. James 4:10 - Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up. (KJV) Prayer: Dear Jesu, while the world was hostile to You, by right, You could have just wiped them off the face of the earth, but instead, You chose to make peace with them by allowing yourself to be hurt, humiliated, and then die horribly on the cross. The cross is the price You paid for peace, and that's often difficult for us to follow, but grant us enough of the beauty and power of humility that You may lift us up. May we learn by your example that peace indeed begins inside each of us. Thank You my Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. Andrew Apack Song Elora, Ontario, Canada as seen in the PCCWEB Davily Devotional -<>- To SUBSCRIBE: Send an e-mail with SUBSCRIBE CUP O'CHEER in the subject line to cheer316@sc.rr.com. ================================================================= _ ___ (_) _/XXX\ _ /XXXXXX\_ __ X\__ __ /X XXXX XX\ _ /XX\__ ___ \__/ \_/__ \ \ _/X\__ /XX XXX\____/XXX\ \ ___ \/ \_ \ \ __ _/ \_/ _/ - __ - \ ___/ \__/ \ \__ \\__ / \_// _ _ \ \ __ / \____/ / __ \ / \ \_ _//_\___ __/ // \___/ \/ __/ __/_______\________\__\_/________\__/_/____/_____________/_______\____/____ ___ /L|0\ / | \ / \ / | \ / \ / __ | __ \ / __/ \__ \ / /__ | __\ \ /___________________\ / | \ / _|_ \ / ____/___\____ \ ___________[o0o]___________ O O O Paul Tomblin >Meltdown At The Airport Story Editor: by Brian R. King Joyce Schowalter Illinois, USA I am an adult with Autism and my consulting work requires a lot of out-of-state airline travel. Airports and air travel are very overwhelming for me. One day this October I woke at 4:30 a.m. to travel out of state, traveling and working until 10:30 p.m. that night. As I flew home the next day, after two hours wait at a layover airport my flight home was canceled 20 minutes before boarding. I called customer service, and by the time I reached someone I was told to go to the customer service desk. The line was at least 100 people deep -- and not moving. Then they announced that there were no more flights that night; we'd have to stay overnight after booking another flight. I began to shake and my eyes began to tear up as I contemplated standing in this 100-person line for a prolonged time. Due to my Autism I was overloaded and beginning to shut down, which made it hard to think and hard to speak. I called my wife Cathy for help. She heard how much difficulty I was having even thinking. She remained calm and guided me step by step. Cathy told me to look for a person who transports special needs people around the airport. I found someone and said, "I have Autism, they canceled my flight and don't have any more flights and I need to get home." The woman, Shawn, gently took my bags, told me to sit down in her tramcar, and said she knew someone who could help. Shawn drove me to another part of the airport, then left me briefly to talk to someone about helping me. My wife kept talking to me the whole time. Shawn came back with a gentleman, Dale, who held a boarding pass with my name on it for a flight an hour and a half after my original flight. I am grateful and humbled to my core by how generously and tenderly I was taken care of by my soul mate and two complete strangers that day. Thank you doesn't even describe it but I'll say it. Thank you, Shawn and Dale at the Philadelphia Airport, you did your employer, U.S. Airways a tremendous honor by how you conducted yourselves. There is absolutely no value in going through your life stubbornly refusing to ask others for help. I was seconds away from a full-blown meltdown at the airport so I called my wife Cathy who helped me find Shawn. Shawn led me to her supervisor, Dale, who found a seat for me. Needing other people isn't a sign of weakness, it never was and it never will be. It is, and always will be, the precious gift of service that human beings give to each other. EDITOR'S NOTE: The author's site is: http://SpectrumMentor.com =======HeroicStories======= >-->From Kidwarmers: _..._ ,;;;;;;;;;, / _,' _ \ | \ - - / | \_> - <_/ ,__.-"""-.-`. .'-.-"""-.__, '-. /_.'-.-'._\ .-' \_ / .-.-. \ _/ './ \/|/ \|\/ \-' | | | | \__.' '.__/ | | | | | | | | | | jgs \__,_,__/ >FUNNY THINGS KIDS SAY This first story is from our church, Immanuel Lutheran of Avilla, Indiana. Recently the Rev. Thomas Dunbar focused on the word "amazing" during his children's sermon (because Jesus "amazed" onlookers with his miracles). When he asked the children if they knew what "amazing" means there was silence. Then one child offered: "A maze is when you get lost in the corn." (In this area corn mazes are popular at this time of year.) So Pastor Dunbar told the children how an "amazing" event was when men landed on the moon. One child then asked, "Why?" John's daughter was about 4 (she is now 36) when he and his late wife, who was an interior decorator, took her for a walk. A woman came from the opposite direction walking a beautiful Irish Setter. "Oh, Mommy, look at the pretty dog!" John's daughter said. "But do they only come in rust?" -- John Collins of Riverside, Rhode Island Julia, 3, sits and plays with her sticker book or her church dolls while the congregation stands and sings hymns. At the conclusion of the hymn, the pastor says, "Please be seated." Julia's immediate stage whisper response is "I AM seated." -- DonnaMoller (Grammy) of Katy, Texas -=====- -=====- _..._ _..._ .~ `~. .~` ~. ,_ / } { \ _, ,_\'--, \ _.'`~~/ \~~`'._ / ,--'/_, \'--,_`{_,} -( )- {,_}`_,--'/ '.`-.`\;--,___.'_ _'.___,--;/`.-`.' '._`/ |_ _{@} {@}_ _| \`_.' / ` |-';/ _ \;'-| ` \ / \ / | _ {@}_ | \ / \ / '--;_ _ {@} _Y{@} _;--' \ _\ `\ {@}\Y/_{@} Y/ /` /_ / |`-.___. / \Y/\|{@}Y/\|// \ .___,-'| \ ^^jgs^^`--`------'`--`^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^`--`'------`--`^^^^^^^ Here are more stories from Donna. Julia, 3, was watching HGTV with Grammy when an advertisement came on for a new show. Grammy was surprised to hear Julia say the burly man had a tutu. Then Julia grinned and corrected herself, "I mean he has ataaa-too." (She meant tattoo.) Julia, 3, and her sister Alyssa, 5, were talking to their mother before bedtime when the topic turned to marriage. Both girls said they wanted to marry Daddy when they grew up. Kathryn, their mother, told them they couldn't marry Daddy because he was already married to her. The girls began crying and repeated their wish to marry Daddy. Through their sobs Kathryn said, "God already has a husband picked out for each of you." Alyssa replied firmly, "I hope he's not that red-headed boy from Vacation Bible School!" When Donna's daughter Kathryn (Alyssa's and Julia's mother) was in kindergarten, much to Donna's surprise her entire class was paired up into boyfriends and girlfriends. Kathryn's boyfriend was blond-haired Adam. One day Kathryn announced, "Adam kissed me today." Donna wondered how serious this was (a kiss on the lips or a peck on the cheek?) so she said, "Where did Adam kiss you?" Kathryn smiled shyly and said, "Behind the television set." Amy's sister, Holly, was lamenting on getting old as she faces her 20th class reunion. Her 5-year old, Rosie, didn't help when she asked her mom, "What did you use before toothbrushes were invented?" -- Aunt Amy of Butler, Pennsylvania .-""-. _______ .-""-. .'_.-. | ,*********, | .-._'. / _/ / **` `** \ \_ \ /.--.' | | **,;;;;;,** | | '.--.\ / .-`-| | ;//;/;/;\\; | |-`-. \ ;.--': | | /;/;/;//\\;\\ | | :'--.; | _\.'-| | ((;(/;/; \;\);) | |-'./_ | ;_.-'/: | | );)) _ _ (;(( | | :\'-._; | | _:-'\ \(((( \ );))/ /'-:_ | | ; .:` '._ \ );))\ " /(((( / _.' `:. ; |-` '-.;_ `-\(;(;((\ = /););))/-` _;.-' `-| ; / .'\ |`'\ );));)/`---`\((;(((./`'| /'. \ ; | .' / `'.\-((((((\ /))));) \.'` \ '. | ;/ /\_/-`-/ ););)| , |;(;(( \` -\_/\ \; |.' .| `;/ (;(|'==/|\=='|);) \;` |. '.| | / \.'/ / _.` | `._ \ \'./ \ | \| ; |; _,.-` \_/Y\_/ `-.,_ ;| ; |/ \ | ;| ` | | | ` |. | / `\ || | | | || /` jgs `:_\ _\/ \/_ /_:' `"----""` `""----"` D.J. was getting Noah, 4, ready for bed one night. It was about a week after they had visited D.J.'s grandfather in Ohio who was on oxygen, and had the rubber tubes around his face and up his nose. D.J. told Noah that he needed to blow his nose before going to bed because he had some sniffles. He refused. When D.J. asked him how he would clear his nose he replied, "I'll just get one of those snot sucker things like Grandpa has!" -- D.J. Fett of Fort Wayne, Indiana Timmy, 3, met his Aunt Debbie from Texas for the first time. She handed him a gift and Timmy said, "Thank you." Aunt Debbie replied, "My pleasure." Timmy looked up at his grandmother and asked, "Why did her say blood pressure?" -- Timmy's "Gram" Artie Tyrrell of Colonial Beach, Virginia Natalie, 6, was being tucked into bed and had just said her traditional nighttime prayers when her daddy asked her if she'd learned any new prayers in kindergarten at St. Mary's School in Avilla. "Only the flag prayer," she said. "You know, I pledge allegiance, to the flag..." -- Matt Getts of Kendallville, Indiana When Chris and Sean were 3 and 2 they visited their grandparents in San Francisco. One day their grandfather took them for a drive to see the city. Chris asked his grandfather where they were going and he said, "We're going to see the sights, Chris." Chris was quiet for a minute and then asked very seriously, "Pa, do sights bite?" --Maggie Cron (mother of Chris and Sean who are now 40 and 39) of Auburn, Indiana == == "we are each of us angels <^\()/\()/^> with but one wing, \/ \/ \/ and can only fly by / \/ \ embracing each other" jgs `""``""` Here is another story from Maggie. When the boys were about the same age they went to a seafood restaurant that was known for its delicious hush puppies. On the way to the restaurant Maggie was telling the boys about the hush puppies and how much they would like them. Suddenly Sean gently patted Maggie's arm and whispered, "Mommy, are hush puppies made from dead puppies?" One day on the way home from St. John Lutheran School Victoria was talking about what she had learned in third grade that day. She was talking about being drug free and reading the pamphlets that were sent home with her. Then she said, "Mom, I'm going to give you a word and I want you to tell me 'X' if it's bad for you or 'circle' if it's good for you." Her mom thought that would be easy, no problem. Victoria's first words were "cigarettes, smoke" and her mom replied "X." Then she said "milk" and her mom said "circle." The next one was "basketball" and her mom said "circle." Then Victoria said "wine made with alcohol" to which her mom quickly replied "X." There was a long pause and Victoria's mother was waiting for another word, however, Victoria replied, "Mom, Jesus made wine and he drank it." Her mother was speechless. She hadn't seen that one coming! --Heather Antal (mother of Victoria) of Topeka, Indiana When Ave went shopping with Melina, 4, she asked if she could have the shopping list to help cross things off. Ave said, "Mommy's list is in her head." Melina replied, "What did you do, eat it?" --Amy (friend of Ave) in Butler, Pennsylvania When Ruby, 3, finally achieved being potty trained, her Daddy said to her, "Wow, Ruby, are you a big girl now?" She replied, "Yeah, but I don't know how to climb ladders yet!" "I love those weird random things kids say and thought you could use this," writes Kathi Fulk (grandmother of Ruby) of Portland, Oregon. __ {\ <__> {\ \ _)( _ { ~\ \ _______ //|! _.-'| {* \ \ <:<:<:>:> //||! | | { ~ * \ \(((//^^\ //|||! | () {* ~ \((((/ e e //||||! () { * ~ * |))))c o ) //|||||! {* * ////'_/~` //||||||! {~ * (((( `.`\ //|||||||! _ `{.~ ~ )))`\ \))_.-||||||! |`-._ _. `{ ~ *(() `\_.-'`|||||||! | | |=' `{.__.* `-*. ||||||||||! () | | .* ~ *.||||||||||! () () .*. * ~ *.|||||||||! .* . . *.||||||||! .* ~ * *.|||||||! .* * ~ *.\|||||! jgs .* ~ . *. `\|||! .* * . ~ * ~ *. :~~: ..* ~ * ~ *. .::::::. ~~* ~~* ~~* ~~* ~~* ~~* .::::::::::. Brenda has three children. When her sons, now 35 and 37, were 4 and 6, Danny was learning compound words at school. Danny came home one day and shared with Andy some of his new words like firetruck and bathtub, and what they meant. Then Andy said, "Oh yeah? Then what does brainwashed mean?" They both thought about that for a few minutes and then one of them said, "I guess that is when they hold your head under water for a long, long time." --Brenda Beeman of Meadow, Texas When Brenda's daughter Talitha was very young some asked her what she wanted to be when she grew up. She answered, "I'm a doctor." When asked how she knew that, she stated that Mommy told her. It took her mother some time to figure she'd heard her mother say, "She's adopted." Talitha has now gone to heaven. She would be 26 this year. She died at 16. Josh, 5, was devastated that he missed the cut off date for attending kindergarten. He told his grandmother, Gale, "Don't they know that I want to be smarter than anyone in the universe? I already know how to count to 13 -- now I have to start all over. Do you think if I stand on my tiptoes I'll be big enough?" "No, you have to be old enough," his grandmother said. Josh continued, "If I stand on my tiptoes will I be big enough to go hunting with Daddy?" -- Gale Spence of Angola, Indiana When "Mamie" boarded the plane with Reed, 6, the pilots invited Reed into the cockpit to look around. Mamie thought he understood the pilots were "driving" the plane, but he had no idea. When they got to their seats Reed said, "Mamie, those guys got here very early and got the best seats!" -- KC Schneider ("Mamie") ofLewisville, Texas .--------. <<<<*>>>> .--------. / .-----. \ ,#####, / .-----. \ / /{{{{{{{`. \ #_ _# / .`}}} }}}\ \ / /{{ {{{ {{ ".\|6` `6|/."}} }}}} }}\ \ { {{ {{{ {{{{ {{;| u |;} }} }} }} }}} } { {{{{ {{{{ {{{{ \ = /}}} }} }} }}} } } { { {{{ {{{{{ {{{|\___/|} }} }} }}}} }} } { {{{ {{{ {{____/: :\____}}}}}} }}} } { {{{{.'"""`.-===-\ /-===-.`"""'.}} } } { {{{/ ""-.-"" \}}} } jgs \ \/' '\/ / Here is another one from KC, from a number of years ago. After hearing "Mommy, Mommy, Mommy" all day long from her five little boys, KC said, "I am changing my name from Mommy and I'm not telling anyone my new name." Hours later, when KC tucked her sons into bed, "R.C." (age 4) was crying in his bed. KC said, "Honey, what's wrong?" He said, "I don't know what to call you. Please tell me your new name. I promise not to tell my brothers." R.C. is now 29. And another one from KC. One day while they were shopping for a wedding card at Target, her son Blake, 6, was frantically opening up cards and putting them back in the wrong place. KC rushed over and said, "Stop that. What are you doing?" He said, "I'm looking for the birthday cards with the money in them, like Grandma sends me!" Blake is now 27. And another from KC. Brent, 5, came running into the room screaming, "Help, I got electrocuted." He had gotten a shock when he tried to turn on a lamp. KC said, "You'll be OK. If you had gotten electrocuted you would have died." He thought for a second and said, "Well, I got a Littlecuted." Alex, 7, has a best friend named Will. Alex spent the night with MamaRuthie and Daddy Bob a few weeks ago and while he was there he told them that he and Will have decided to go to the same college. When asked where they were going he told them they were going to Ole Miss. MamaRuthie asked him if he was going there because it is a family tradition and she had gone there and his daddy, John, had, too. He said, "No, we are going there because we heard it is a PARTY SCHOOL!" -- Ruthie Garvin of Humboldt, Tennessee * __ *________________________* * .oO/**/oo. * / _____________________\ * * OOO/**/OOOOo. * / / = - = - = = } OOO/**/OOOOOOO_ / /- = -- == === - - -- } * OOO/**/OOOOOP`( \ / / == - == -= -= -= - =- -= -} * OOO/**/OOP ') ,--,__,-"- =-= -== -=- =- -=} OO/**/OP / \ / / _/`---. =-= - -= } * __Y/**/OP , |/ / `"-_~~~~~~~~`__ ( \*/OP / \ , | / _/ (.`"""-. )__ * ( ^"'`\ ` / _/ _/ / `"'-. .)__ ' (. ') `\ ~~`__/ / ; ) ( ' `---' . . / ___) . " - (__) ( . (____ ----' ____) (__________) . ( .' ) ) ( . ( . ) ______) ----'_____) __) ) '-(____(__)___________) (________). (___________)jgs Max, 2, kept taking toys away from his older cousin, Mitchell, 4. Each time Max would grab a toy, Mitchell would whine. Mitchell's mom kept saying to him, "Mitchell, let Max play with that, he is a baby." Upon hearing that a few times, Max took another toy away from Mitchell. Mitchell started to whine. Max replied "Mine! Me baby." -- Carrie Harris of Portage, Michigan ========================================================== >-->From Our Friend Fran :) ,_ , /^\\ //\ | \\ // \ | || ,==. // | \ ||.=~////"=,|| / /(\ /////////\\\\\ /) (/(((///`~\\\\\)))\\///\ (//)))/_.-"")))\\((//((()) (((((((_.-"///"")).`')\\(\\ )))())' ((( ( './//))) (////~/ )) (((/(/ /)///` ( ))\(( `//(/_ '._ _.' _\\\ ((((/^\ '. .' /^\))) (\)\\__\ ' ' /__/(( )))\ ' ' /))) )//)/| ' ' |((( //))))/\ : : / )) (((((\\| : : | ( \\)\\\| : : | )))))| _.--'''--._ | /(/// \.' _____ './ (JGS( / .-': :'-. \ ))) \.' . . './ (( | . . | ) |/ '. .' \| //( )\\ \\/ \// `\ ''' /` '.__.__.' `"""` >Forever Free Of all the things I've ever seen, Of all the dreams I've ever dreamed, The finest sight that's come to me, White horses wild beside the sea They ran across the trackless sand In that remote, forgotten land, And in their running they were free Beside the boundless, unchained sea. They raced the first light of the day And surged across a shallow bay To feed at ease in grassy plains With wind alone to groom their manes. No barn or stable was their home. No one could govern where they roamed. They galloped on the fenceless tracts With no ones burden on their backs. And each swift horse was nature's child At home on land forever wild, And each wild horse was meant to be At home on land forever free - Unknown --- ...So sweet! 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