The Butterfly effect and More ... :) Shangy! >-->The butterfly effect . .-~\ / `-'\.' `- : | / `._ | | .-. { \ | `-' `. \ | / ~-.`. \| .-~_ .\-.\ .-~ \ `-'/~~ -.~ / .-~/|`-._ /~~-.~ -- ~ / | \ ~- . _\ Lately I've been seeing more and more butterflies. Mostly the white or cabbage butterflies are out here. They remind me of a wonderful full Christian teaching from Truth Or Tradition: ,-. | ,-. \ `-.(+),-' / \:-) (+) (-:/ .'`-._(+)_.-'`. ,'__/\_ (+) _/\__`. / / _/_)(+)(_\_ \ \ / (__/ _(+)_ \__) \ / _,-'" (") "`-._ \ (_,-'" / \ "`-._) Krogg >Do not Conform to the Pattern of this World By John Schoenheit For each of us, becoming like Christ takes knowledge, wisdom, and not a little effort. One of the pivotal verses we must take to heart is Romans 12:2, which tells us that we are not to conform to the pattern of the world any longer, but rather we are to be transformed by the renewing of our minds. Romans 12:2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. This verse has great truth buried within it. For one thing, the words “conform…to the pattern” are one Greek word, suschematizo, which means, “to form according to a pattern or mold.” [1] Furthermore, the word “world” is not kosmos, the created world, but rather aion, or “age.” Why is that important for us to know? The word aion does not just mean “age” in the sense that it is a finite period of time. The linguist Richard Trench gives a good idea of its meaning. “Aion came to mean all that exists in the world under conditions of time.... Aion includes all the thoughts, opinions, maxims, speculations, impulses, and aspirations present in the world at any given time, which may be impossible to accurately define but which still constitute a real and effective power—the moral or immoral atmosphere we breathe.” [2] Christians must face the fact that the Devil has created an “atmosphere” in this world that is ungodly, and which leads people away from God and into sin. That “atmosphere” of ungodliness is as real as the country-western atmosphere in a country-western bar, or the Asian atmosphere in an oriental restaurant. Furthermore, the Devil’s intent in creating an ungodly atmosphere is to have people conform to it just as if they were conforming to a mold. That is why God tells us that we must not be conformed to the pattern, the mold, of the world. As Christians, we must become spiritual meteorologists. We must become sensitive to the spiritual atmosphere around us, and able to recognize how we are being influenced, and whether that influence is godly or ungodly. Interestingly, Eugene Peterson, in his popular version of the Bible, The Message, [3] translates Romans 12:2a as: “Don’t become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit in to it without even thinking.” Christians need to think about what they are doing and why they are doing it, not just do what everyone else is doing. \_/-.--.--.--.--.--. (")__)__)__)__)__)__) jgs ^ "" "" "" "" "" "" The spiritual atmosphere we live in influences almost everything we think or do. For example, how do we speak to each other? Caustically and sarcastically, like the people in the television comedies speak to each other, or do our words convey love, encouragement, and compassion? Do we dress to impress (often sexually), or do we dress with a view to letting the Christ in us shine through our lives? Do we go into debt to have a car that will “Wow” our neighbors and make us feel powerful, or are we concerned about “Wowing” the Lord Jesus Christ? What is important to us? Is it things that have a firm root in Scripture, such as helping and blessing others, or is it isolating ourselves for hours at a time watching television or playing video games, in the end contributing nothing meaningful to ourselves or our society? If we do not become spiritual meteorologists, we will be led, usually without even realizing it, into a life of ungodliness, sorrow, and pain. We must become aware of the atmospheric mold the Devil is trying to squeeze us into, and then have enough love for God and ourselves that we refuse to live in the ungodly lifestyle he lays before us daily, but instead recognize who we are in Christ and what we can do for ourselves and our society, and then get about doing it. One way the Adversary steals blessings from us is to play on our desire to have a better life. When we get quiet and think about it, a truly better life comes from having love, peace, joy, good health, and good friends, not just more “toys” and “things” in life. Furthermore, having a blessed life does not come from doing what we want to do all the time, giving in to our desires. Having a wonderful life is a heart issue, not a “things” issue, and it involves obedience and discipline. We should know this from our study of the cultures of the world. Many people who have little in the way of material things are very happy, and people of old wrote of having a blessed life long before there were video games, MP3 players, name-brand clothing, and hot and cold running water in homes. Of course we would not know that from watching television or talking to many of the worldly people we know. But when a Christian gets quiet and listens to his heart and the spirit of God, he knows that having more things does not bring happiness. Scripture makes that very clear. Ecclesiastes 5:13 I have seen a grievous evil under the sun: wealth hoarded to the harm of its owner, Sometimes our material possessions make our lives more complicated and difficult than they should be, and hamper us from becoming like Christ. What should we do if that is the case? It may take great courage (fighting the flow of culture usually does), but we can rid ourselves of those things that are weighing us down and holding us back, and move toward a more simple lifestyle that allows us more time and energy for the things that really give us joy and peace. The tension between trying to have peace in life and wanting more things, usually spurred on by advertisers, is recognized in Scripture: Proverbs 14:30 A heart at peace gives life to the body, but envy rots the bones. Proverbs 17:1 Better a dry crust with peace and quiet than a house full of feasting, with strife. Sometimes people are led by the atmosphere of the age into having physical possessions not for the sake of owning them but for the prestige they bring (“prestige” means “reputation, influence, distinction”). Other people seek prestige by how they look, who they hang out with, etc. Interestingly, our English word “prestige” comes from the Middle French prestige, which means “an illusion” (World Book Dictionary). From God’s perspective, having prestige among men is just an illusion. There is nothing about it that has real substance or worth, and prestige with men is fleeting at best. Nevertheless, prestige among men has been, and continues to be, a powerful cultural influence, and it has deterred many people from taking a bold stand for Christ and to be Christ-like. This was as true thousands of years ago as it is today. John 12:42 and 43 (42) Yet at the same time many even among the leaders believed in him. But because of the Pharisees they would not confess their faith for fear they would be put out of the synagogue; (43) for they loved praise from men more than praise from God. In the verses above, “many” of the religious leaders believed in Jesus, that is, they believed he was the Messiah. However, they loved the recognition and praise they got from men, and so would not confess their faith. It takes great strength of character to do what our hearts, the spirit of God, and the Word of God, direct us to do if it means that we will lose the prestige we have with people. Nevertheless, that is the model Jesus Christ lived, and although it may not seem like it when we are facing a difficult decision, we will be more blessed in life if we demonstrate our loyalty to God rather than try to befriend the world. Christians need to accept the fact that the world will never value being like Christ, and will not accept it, no matter how “nicely” Christ-likeness is presented. If we Christians want to become like Christ, we must become aware of the “pattern of this world,” the “atmosphere” of the age we live in, the cultural influences that hinder us from becoming like Christ, and then make a conscious effort not to conform to them and thus allow the Adversary to steal the blessings of God from us. More than just telling us not to conform to the pattern of the world, Romans 12:2 commands us to “…be transformed by the renewing of your mind....” The Greek word translated “be transformed” is metamorpho?, and is in the imperative mood, so it is a command. We are commanded to be transformed, it is not an option for Christians. It seems to be part of the “atmosphere” of our age that if a person has a particular personality and does not want to change, he or she says, “That’s just the way I am.” Well, “just the way” our old nature is, is not good enough for God, who wants us to be like Christ. Do we know better than God? Is doing things “our way” really going to make us more blessed than if we believed God and worked to be like Christ? God commands us to transform, and the good news is that we can, and our lives will be more blessed for it. When a person becomes a Christian, he or she makes Christ “Lord,” that is, the boss, the one in charge. Christ said, “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?” (Luke 6:46). We Christians do not want to be in the category of those who have called Christ “Lord” but who do not do what he says. He commands us to be transformed—not outwardly, but inwardly—and, via his spirit within us, he will help us change. _--_ _--_ /#()# #\ 0 0 /# #()#\ |()## \#\_ \ / _/#/ ##()| |#()##-=###\_ \ / _/###=-##()#| \#()#-=## #\_ \ / _/# ##=-#()#/ |#()#--==### \_ \ / _/ ###==--#()#| |#()##--=# #\_ \!!!/ _/# #=--##()#| \#()##---===####\ O|O /####===---##()#/ |#()#____==#####\ / Y \ /#####==____#()#| \###______######|\/#\/|######______###/ ()#O#/ ##\_#_/## \#O#() ()#O#(__-===###/ _ \###===-__)#O#() ()#O#( # ###_(_|_)_### # )#O#() ()#O(---#__###/ (_|_) \###__#---)O#() ()#O#( / / ##/ (_|_) \## \ \ )#O#() ()##O#\_/ #/ (_|_) \# \_/#O##() \)##OO#\ -) (_|_) (- /#OO##(/ )//##OOO*| / | \ |*OOO##\\( |/_####_/ ( /X\ ) \_####_\| /X/ \__/ \___/ \__/ \X\ (#/ \#) unknown The word metamorpho? can mean either to change in a manner that is visible to others, or it can mean to change inwardly, in one’s character. An outward, visible change happened to Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration when Peter, James, and John saw him transformed into how he will look in his future glory. Romans 12:2, on the other hand, is referring to a change on the inside, a change in character, which will then, of course, be reflected on the outside, in how we live. Each of us was born dominated by our sinful nature, the relentless internal proclivity toward self-centeredness. After we are born again and have the new nature of Christ within us, God commands us to put off the old nature and put on the new. This does not come naturally, as parents know. For example, we have to teach children to share with each other because their sin nature influences them to be selfish. When natural, unsaved, people grow up following the leadings of their sin nature, all the while breathing the Devil’s “atmosphere” of ungodliness, sensuality, and selfishness, it is no wonder that they become “material girls” or “material boys.” Go to almost any college campus and you will see the following in abundance: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions, and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. That list is the list of “the works of the flesh” from Galatians 5:19-21, and we would be naïve not to expect to see those things, since many of the young men and women students have followed the desires of their “flesh” (sometimes a biblical synonym for the sin nature) all their lives, and on the campus are quite free to live out their desires. _ _ (o\ /o) /::\ o o /::\ /:'':\ \___/ /:'':\ /:' ':\/6 . 6\/:' ':\ (o:. '( ._. )' .:o) _.-'''-. `\:. \ / .:/` .' '. `\:. /`---'\ .:/` : : `)://`===`\\:(` '. .' /:(/\-===-/\):\ '. .' /:'.,/ /^\ \,.':\ '..' jgs /:.:/(_/ \_)\:.:\ .''._ (::/` : `\::) .' `-....-'` \o) '. (o/ .' ^ '. ^ .' `'''''''''` It is great news, however, to learn that we do not have to carry out the desires of our flesh. We can change our character and our actions, and live like the children of God we are. God has sealed each Christian with the gift of holy spirit (Eph. 1:13), [4] which is the very seed and nature of God (1 Pet. 1:23; 2 Pet. 1:4). As our holy nature, it influences us toward godliness, just as our sin nature influences us toward selfishness. The two natures are at war within us, as Galatians says: Galatians 5:17a (Kenneth Wuest) [5] For the flesh constantly has a strong desire to suppress the Spirit, and the Spirit constantly has a strong desire to suppress to flesh, and these are entrenched in an attitude of mutual opposition to one another…. The holy spirit nature God gives us enables us to defeat the influences of the world around us, as well as the “world” that lives inside us, even as Scripture testifies: 1 John 4:4 You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. The one who is in us, via holy spirit, is “Christ,” as Colossians 1:27 says, and the Christ in us is greater than the world. Upon realizing that we have the spiritual power to not succumb to the atmosphere of the world, and the power to change any part of our character that has become ungodly, we now have to make up our minds to change. To change we must first get honest with ourselves about what needs to be changed. Making excuses for ungodly behavior will not help, nor will minimizing any character trait we do not want to have to deal with. Saying, “It’s not that bad,” will not help us become more like Christ. The Word of God gives us specific directions about the kind of behaviors that are, and are not, appropriate. For example, consider the following excerpts from Ephesians: “But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Do not get drunk…. (From Ephesians 4 and 5). God not only tells us what not to do, He tells us the kind of behavior we should be exhibiting in our lives. For example, we find the following excerpts in Galatians: “Serve one another in love. Love your neighbor as yourself. Live by the Spirit. The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Keep in step with the Spirit. If someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. Carry each other’s burdens. Let us not become weary in doing good…as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers” (From Galatians 5 and 6). Many of us have struggled hard to obey Scripture and not follow our sin nature. It is not easy to obey God and become like Christ, and although we will never arrive at perfection, we can become far more godly than we might think we can, because our heavenly Father will help us as we do our part. We saw earlier that the word metamorpho? means to change inwardly, in one’s character. Medical science is just recently able to tell how profound a change is possible when someone really works at it. In the last couple of decades, scientists have developed the technology to be able to photograph the brain as it is thinking, and see what parts of the brain are active in certain situations. This has enabled us to see that when God says “transformed,” He really means “transformed.” [For further study read Thankfulness: A Blessing For Your Life.] _ /`o\ | |/_ _> ,#' /` ,#' jgs \o.#' ` For example, studies done on people who have learned to control their anger show that the brain actually responds differently to the same stimulus before and after the person made a concerted effort for several months to be less angry. Thus the transformation that a person goes through on his journey to become like Christ is not just a disciplining of the flesh, but a rewiring of the brain. That is why, though old habits and tendencies still pop up in each of us, the more we work to become like Christ, the easier it becomes. We will never totally rid ourselves of the desires of our flesh and our fleshly nature, they are part of us, but as we are transformed more and more into the image of Christ, some of the battles we have had to fight will end in victory, while other battles will be easier to win each time. .-=-. .-=-. ( 0 \V/ 0 ) \ O / `.__ # __.' .' # '. jgs (o /#\ o) )/' '\( ( ) In His grace and mercy, God not only commands us to be transformed, but also tells us how to go about accomplishing the task. Romans 12:2 commands us to be transformed “by the renewing of your mind.” It is by changing our thoughts that we are transformed. It does not come from wishing, hoping, or commanding, but rather by “renewing.” “Renewing” is the Greek word, anakain?sis, which is made up of the prefix ana and the noun kainos. The prefix ana can mean “up” or “again,” and although the specific form of the word found in the New Testament is not found in ancient Greek literature, other forms are used, and mean “renew.” However, it is important to note that the primary meaning of ana is “up” or “upon,” and that emphasis certainly comes into play here in Romans 12. It is not just that God asks us to “renew” our minds, but rather to bring our minds “up” to a new level of thinking. Nevertheless, the idea of “renewing” is also very much in view, and the point is that, due to our sin nature and the atmosphere of ungodliness that we live in and breathe every day, we can never rest in any “new” that we attain, but must be in the process of “renewing” every day. The noun kainos is also important, because there are two primary Greek words for “new.” One is neos, which means “new in time,” and the other is kainos, which means “new in quality.” [6] Every thought we have is “new” at that time, so God is not asking us to just have “new” thoughts. Rather, God is commanding us to bring our thinking up to a new quality, His quality. Whereas before we may have had fleshly, worldly, and selfish, thoughts, God is commanding us to bring our thoughts up in quality, so that they are holy, pure, selfless, giving, thankful, etc. Not amazingly, when psychologists and counselors work with people to overcome problems such as anger, envy, lust, etc., they find that what God has been prescribing for centuries is what works. No one overcomes anger by venting it on the one with whom he is angry. Venting one’s anger has been shown to only make the person even more angry. Similarly, no one overcomes lust by satisfying his lust via rape, prostitutes, or pornography. That kind of behavior only makes the lust more deeply engrained. On the other hand, few people can overcome their sinful desires just by saying to themselves, “I won’t think that way any more,” or “I won’t get angry like that ever again.” Many have tried that approach and it usually does not work, and thankfully the Bible does not say, “Just say ‘no.’” It says that we need to learn to adjust our thinking, redirect it, so that it has a new quality. That we are to redirect our thinking is one of the great lessons of this section in Romans. Counselors and therapists have known this for years, but it has been in the Bible for centuries. In many ways our minds are like two-year old children. If we just say “No,” or “Stop that,” to a two-year old, we get a big tantrum and poor results. If, on the other hand, we redirect the attention of the child, they move on to the new thing without a fuss. Similarly, if we just try to tell ourselves, “Don’t be angry,” we usually get poor results, but if we redirect our thoughts and ask ourselves how we can be loving in the situation, or be curious about the person, or make light of the situation, or think of how we can have a positive influence in the situation, we get much better results. God does not want us to have sorrow, mental pain, loneliness, or anxiety, living as unwary victims of the ungodly spiritual atmosphere we breathe every day. He wants us to be blessed, and He knows that for us to do that most effectively we need to be aware of the spiritual atmosphere of our age and not live by its standards. Further, He knows that our flesh produces desires and thoughts that are unhealthy for us, and which lead to distress and dismay. Therefore He commands us to be transformed by constantly bringing our thoughts up to a new quality. At that point, it is up to us to obey. We are the ones who have control over what we think, and we must exercise that control. God knows that as we do this, we will be blessed in our day-to-day lives. It is not easy to become like Christ, but with some knowledge and effort, we can get closer each day. _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ (.\\//.) (.\\//.) (.\\//.) (.\\//.) (.\\//.) (.\\//.) \ () / \ () / \ () / \ () / \ () / \ () / (_/\_) (_/\_) (_/\_) (_/\_) (_/\_) (_/\_) JRO This teaching is from: http://www.truthortradition.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=759 Visit here for more Fine Teachings: http://truthortradition.com/ -<>- The Butterfly Effect... The phrase refers to the idea that a butterfly's wings might create tiny changes in the atmosphere that ultimately cause a tornado to appear (or prevent a tornado from appearing). The flapping wing represents a small change in the initial condition of the system, which causes a chain of events leading to large-scale phenomena. Had the butterfly not flapped its wings, the trajectory of the system might have been vastly different. To learn more about 'the butterfly effect' Visit Here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Butterfly_effect ======================================================================= >-->From Our Friend Steve :) \ / \ / .--.().--. {\_o( )o_/} {/_/\/\_\} \/ \/ dana ,/ \, (/ \) >Life Lessons From A Butterfly Let Go Of The Past... Trust the future... Enbrace Change... Come Out Of The Cocoon... Unfurl Your Wings... Dare to get off the ground... Ride the breezes... Savor the flowers... Put on your brightest colors... let your beauty show... --- AND BE SURE TO Put all your trust in God... The Monach butterfly puts all its trust in the milkweed plant. It goes from milkweed plant to milkweed plant making sure to follow it on its long journey from Canada to Mexico. The butterflies totally rely on it for their nourishment and protection not only for themselves but for their offspring as well. Visit here for full details: http://www.kidzone.ws/animals/monarch_butterfly.htm -<,,>- >The Red Marbles This is a beautiful story that helps put into perspective what should be important in our short life! I was at the corner grocery store buying some early potatoes. I noticed a small boy, delicate of bone and feature, ragged but clean, hungrily apprising a basket of freshly picked green peas. I paid for my potatoes but was also drawn to the display of fresh green peas. I am a pushover for creamed peas and new potatoes. Pondering the peas, I couldn't help overhearing the conversation between Mr. Miller (the store owner) and the ragged boy next to me. "Hello Barry, how are you to day?" "H'lo, Mr. Miller. Fine, thank ya. Jus' admirin' them peas. They sure look good." "They are good, Barry. How's your Ma?" "Fine. Gittin' stronger alla' time." "Good. Anything I can help you with?" "No, Sir. Jus' admirin' them peas." "Would you like to take some home?" asked Mr.Miller. "No, Sir. Got nuthin' to pay for 'em with." "Well, what have you to trade me for some of those peas?" "All I got's my prize marble here." "Is that right? Let me see it" said Miller. "Here 'tis. She's a dandy." "I can see that. Hmmmmm, only thing is this one is blue and I sort of go for red. Do you have a red one like this at home?" the store owner asked. "Not zackley but almost." "Tell you what. Take this sack of peas home with you and next trip this way let me look at that red marble". Mr. Miller told the boy. "Sure will. Thanks Mr. Miller." Mrs. Miller, who had been standing nearby, came over to help me. With a smile she said, "There are two other boys like him in our community, all three are in very poor circumstances. Jim just loves to bargain with them for peas, apples, tomatoes, or whatever. When they come back with their red marbles, and they always do, he decides he doesn't like red after all and he sends them home with a bag of produce for a green marble or an orange one, when they come on their next trip to the store." I left the store smiling to myself, impressed with this man. A short time later I moved to Colorado , but I never forgot the story of this man, the boys, and their bartering for marbles. Several years went by, each more rapid than the previous one. Just recently I had occasion to visit some old friends in that Idaho community and while I was there learned that Mr. Miller had died. They were having his visitation that evening and knowing my friends wanted to go, I agreed to accompany them. Upon arrival at the mortuary we fell into line to meet the relatives of the deceased and to offer whatever words of comfort we could. Ahead of us in line were three young men. One was in an army uniform and the other two wore nice haircuts, dark suits and white shirts...all very professional looking. They approached Mrs. Miller, standing composed and smiling by her husband's casket. Each of the young men hugged her, kissed her on the cheek, spoke briefly with her and moved on to the casket. Her misty light blue eyes followed them as, one by one, each young man stopped briefly and placed his own warm hand over the cold pale hand in the casket. Each left the mortuary awkwardly, wiping his eyes. Our turn came to meet Mrs. Miller. I told her who I was and reminded her of the story from those many years ago and what she had told me about her husband's bartering for marbles. With her eyes glistening, she took my hand and led me to the casket. "Those three young men who just left were the boys I told you about. They just told me how they appreciated the things Jim "traded" them. Now, at last, when Jim could not change his mind about color or size....they came to pay their debt." "We've never had a great deal of the wealth of this world," she confided, "but right now, Jim would consider himself the richest man in Idaho " With loving gentleness she lifted the lifeless fingers of her deceased husband. Resting underneath were three exquisitely shined red marbles. The Moral: We will not be remembered by our words, but by our kind deeds. Life is not measured by the breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath. Today I wish you a day of ordinary miracles ~ A fresh pot of coffee you didn't make you rself... An unexpected phone call from an old friend... Green stoplights on your way to work... The fastest line at the grocery store... A good sing-along song on the radio... Your keys found right where you left them. Send this to the people you'll never forget. I just Did... If you don't send it to anyone, it means you are in way too much of a hurry to even notice the ordinary miracles when they occur. --- ...Sweet! Thanks Steve! ====================================================================== >-->THE BUTTERFLY ___ / _ \\ ,, /=(_)=\\// \ =(_) (O} \_____\\ .--. Jonathon R. Oglesbee /=(_)\\\ .'_\/_'. \____/// '. /\ .' aka JRO ()) "||" || /\ /\ ||//\) (/\\||/ ____________\||/________________________________ A man found a cocoon of a butterfly. One day a small opening appeared. He sat and watched the butterfly for several hours as it struggled to force its body through that little hole. Then it seemed to stop making any progress. It appeared as if it had gotten as far as it could, and it could go no further. So the man decided to help the butterfly. He took a pair of scissors and snipped off the remaining bit of the cocoon. The butterfly then emerged easily. But it had a swollen body and small, shriveled wings. The man continued to watch the butterfly because he expected that, at any moment, the wings would enlarge and expand to be able to support the body, which would contract in time. Neither happened! In fact, the butterfly spent the rest of its life crawling around with a swollen body and shriveled wings. It never was able to fly. What the man, in his kindness and haste, did not understand was that the restricting cocoon and the struggle required for the butterfly to get through the tiny opening were God's way of forcing fluid from the body of the butterfly into its wings so that it would be ready for flight once it achieved its freedom from the cocoon. Sometimes struggles are exactly what we need in our lives. If God allowed us to go through our lives without any obstacles, it would cripple us. We would not be as strong as what we could have been. We could never fly! --Author Unknown =================================================================== >-->A Prayer Request From Our Friend John-Paul: This poem is written for a little girl who is mentally challenge, and has terminal Cancer. The Dr.s has given her till February at the most. I believe prayers changes things. Please join with me in prayer for this little precious girl.) With~The~love~Of~Jesus~John-Paul "A POEM FOR TRACY" I saw the most beautiful flowers, While strolling late one afternoon, In a pleasant cool little meadow, The flowers were in full bloom I thought to myself, In this late hour Truly i`m a very blessed little fellow, To find these Magic Flowers, As they were sporting brilliant shades of yellow, The colors of the evening Moon. As I walked along, They seem to be sing, The most sweetest of all songs, About a little girl, name Tracy, A pretty little girl to know, Who just happens to be, A very good friend, Of the beautiful, Miss Mary Snow As I set me down, On the grassy grown For I knew I was unable to go. Lighting bugs join in to sing,< As they begin to glow Then a Nighting Gale, A wise old owl, And Crickets, too many to count. The sweetest song, I`ve ever heard, And what beautiful sight, As it continued to trailed into the latest of night, It seemed like the whole World join in And sang, The sweetest reframe, The never ending praises to Tracy, Over and over again. "We Love You Miss Tracy". "We Love You Miss Tracy". All the creachers of the meadow sang out. Till finally, Even I , stood tall, Careful, so not to fall, I too sing out, with a harmonizing shout! "We Love You Miss Tracy," "We Love You Miss Tracy," But most of all, What the song is all about, "Jesus Love Miss Tracy", "Jesus Love you Miss Tracy," Reach out and take HIS hand. HE has a special place, For You and Me, and miss Mary too, In HIS Wondrous Home, In Heaven`s Land. This that I tell you is True! And this Poem Miss Tracy, Is special, for it is----- JUST FOR YOU!! Your~Friend~Forever~And~Forever John-Paul --- ...Dear God please Bless Tracy and heal her according to your great power and love. In Christ's Name, Amen. ============================================================ >-->From InspiredBuffalo: >Worry We often don't realize how heavy the weight of worry is and how much Energy it requires until we are able to let go of it. Lord, I place my Trust in You to clear my thinking, help me resolve my concerns and bring Me to a place of peace. If you look for the light side in all things, you will keep yourself Alive and healthy. Lord, may I be able to see the good in my Experiences, even in my most challenging moments. _..._ .~` ~. { \ \~~`'._ / )- {,_} '.___,-', |\ _| \ \_| ` \ \ / \ _;--' \ /` /_ \ .___.-'| \ ^^^jgs^^^^^^^^`--`'------`--`^^^^^^^ Father, I ask You to bless my friends, relatives and those that I care deeply for, who are reading this right now. Show them a new revelation of your love and power. I ask You to minister to their spirit at this very moment. Where there is pain, please give them your peace and mercy. Where there is self-doubt, please release a renewed confidence through your grace. Where there is need, I ask you please to fulfill their needs. Bless their homes, families, finances their goings and their comings in the name of Jesus Christ dear God almnighty, I thank you. Amen. -<>- >MOIST EYES By: Joseph J. Mazzella .::""-, .::""-. /:: \ /:: \ |:: | _..--""""--.._ |:: | '\:.__ / .' '. \:.__ / ||____|.' _..---"````'---. '.||____| ||:. |_.' `'.||:. | ||:.-'` .-----. ';:. | ||/ .' '. \. | || / '-. '. \\ |. | ||:. _| ' \_\_\\/( \ | ||:.\_.-' ) || m `\.--._.-""-; ||:.(_ . '\ __'// m ^_/ / '. _.`. ||:. \__^/` _)```'-...' _ .-'.' '-. ||:..-'__ .' '. . ' '. `'. ||:(_.' .`' _. '`'-. '. . ''-._ ||:. : '. .' '. . ' ' '.` '._ ||:. : '. .' .::""-: .''. ' . . ' ':::""-. ||:. .' ..' . /:: \ '. . '. /:: \ ||:.' '. .' '. |:: | _.:---""---.._' |:: | ||. .: '\:.__ / .' -. .- '. \:.__ / ||: : '. . ||____|_.' .--. .--. '._||____| ||:'.___: '. .' ||:. | ( \/ ) ||:. | ||:___| \ '. : ||:. | '-. .-' ||:. | [[____] '. '.-._||:. | __ '..' __ ||:. | '. : ||:. | (__\ (\/) /__) ||:. | '. : ||:. | ` \/ ` ||:. | '-: ||:. | () ||:. | '._||:. |________________________||:. | jgs ||:___|'-.-'-.-'-.-'-.-'-.-'-.-||:___| [[____] [[____] I find that my eyes are watering up more often lately. They were wet when I got my daughter ready for her prom recently. I felt my vision get a little blurry too just the other day when I watched an old home movie with my Mom in it. These days I even find them getting moist from certain songs I hear, stories I read, and thoughts I have. Some think I am getting sentimental in my middle years. I think I am just getting wiser and more in touch with God's love. Not all of my tears are loving and joyful ones, either. I have had tears of sadness while holding my own crying son, because there was nothing I could do to ease the frustration his Autism causes. I have had tears of grief when first my Mom and then my Grandma died. I have even had tears of empathy in seeing the suffering that so many people in this world are going through everyday. Even with the moist eyes and mixed feelings, however, I wouldn't change who I am today. I have more love in my heart and joy in my soul than ever before. I have found too that it is our own caring souls that God uses to help heal the world. It may open us up to more pain and suffering, but God always gives us the strength, love, and goodness to handle it. It may give us a few more tears, but God makes sure that most of them are ones of joy, compassion, and kindness. It is far better to have wet eyes and a warm, loving heart than dry eyes and be dead on the inside. Don't be scared to let your eyes go moist then. Those tears will clear your vision to see God's spirit in everyone you meet. Those tears will open your heart to all the love that God wants to bless you with. Those tears will strengthen your soul so that you can bring joy, compassion, and healing to all those around you. God gave you tears to ease your pain and tears to express your joy. Use them both to make this world a better place. Subscribe send a blank email to: the-inspired-buffalo-subscribe@yahoogroups.com =================================================================== >-->The Secret of Happiness _.---._ .' / '. / _/ \ / .-'` '. \ .' | ^ _ ^ | '. .' \ _ / \ / '.___.' '. | _.' '._ \ | .' `"---"` '. | \ | | / \ | | | | / \ | :--"""--: | /` ) | | | | ( / \.'-.....-'./ \ / .' / ;|:| \ '. | .-._ \_.-' .' / ' . : '. '. / | \``` .' ; \ `: \ \ ' '. .--'\ | ' ' . `-._ /`;--' /_.' . `-. | `--` / \ \ \ .' ' '-. | \ ' ' __\ | '. . _.-' `) / '-._ _.-' `| .-` _.' `'--....____.--'| (` _.-' jgs / | | \ `"` \__/ \__/ There is a wonderful fable about a young orphan girl who had no family and no one to love her. One day, feeling exceptionally sad and lonely, she was walking through a meadow when she noticed a small butterfly caught unmercifully in a thornbush. The more the butterfly struggled to free itself, the deeper the thorns cut into its fragile body. The young orphan girl carefully released the butterfly from its captivity. Instead of flying away, the little butterfly changed into a beautiful fairy. The young girl rubbed her eyes in disbelief. "For your wonderful kindness," the good fairy said to the girl, "I will grant you any wish you would like." The little girl thought for a moment and then replied, "I want to be happy!" The fairy said, "Very well," and leaned toward her and whispered in her ear. Then the good fairy vanished. As the little girl grew up, there was no one in the land as happy as she. Everyone asked her the secret of her happiness. She would only smile and answer, "The secret of my happiness is that I listened to a good fairy when I was a little girl." When she was very old and on her deathbed, the neighbors all rallied around her, afraid that the fabulous secret of happiness would die with her. "Tell us, please," they begged. "Tell us what the good fairy said." The lovely old woman simply smiled and said, "She told me that everyone, no matter how secure they seemed, no matter how old or young, how rich or poor, had need of me." >Craft: Butterfly Ball You need 12 perfect squares of paper. Square notepad paper works as well as expensive origami paper. I recommend three colors, 4units each. Fold one in half diagonally (making a triangle); open. Fold it on the other diagonal; open. Turn it over. Fold it in half crossways (making a rectangle). Open. You have a little tent-y thing with two large triangle sides, and two sides of 2 small triangles apiece. Make eleven more. They can be stored in a nested stack for compact, safe transportation. To assemble (this is the hard part to describe!!!): Take four units (for instance, 2 red and 2 blue) and interlace the large triangle sides under/over so that half of one triangle covers half of its neighbor's large triangle (tucked inside/under the covering half). The interlaced sides make a square diagonally divided into a r/b/r/b patchwork. The remaining portions of the units stick down making a sort of lumpy box. Turn it over so that it stands on its square patchwork side. With this square side in your palm, hold the units together with your fingers while, with your other hand: Add four units (vis 4 yellow), big triangles vertical, lacing one under/over between each r/b pair. Now you have a jagged-edged cup. Notice how the yellow units are starting to make new patchwork squares with their red or blue neighbors. Now comes the tricky part: closing the ball. Add a red or blue unit into each patchwork square. Watch out to keep the under/over order consistent; this is what holds the ball together, as well as making pleasing geometric patterns of color. T he first one is easy. Just stick it in between two yellow points. The second one must be interleaved with that one, as well as with two yellows. Likewise the third one. Careful: the fourth=last one, the keystone, threatens to push the whole ball apart until you wiggle it into place. (This gets easier each subsequent time you do it.) Gently push all the units as close together as they can go, and check for consistent overlapping/ interlacing. Now you've got a handsome patchworked ball which will hold together through one or two gentle tosses in the air, but then will come apart into a fluttering shower of units. >From Butterfly lists: http://www.story-lovers.com/listsbutterflystories.html ===================================================================== >-->Butterfly Butterfly, oh butterfly, why do you hide in the shadows? Spread wide your wings, let your heart sing And come dance with me in the meadow Butterfly, oh butterfly, why do you fear? You'll never stray, I'll lead the way Just follow the path, I'll be near Butterfly, oh butterfly, have you no hope? Drink of the sun, our life's just begun Thro time's hills and valleys we'll lope Butterfly, oh butterfly, dare you to dream? On our hearts we depend, shall we follow the wind And consign to the fates grander scheme? --Sheri Walters ---> Visit my CyberHome - ALWAYS OPEN HOUSE :)Shangy! ------------------------------------------------------------------------ http://www.ShangralaFamilyFun.com/index.html Shangrala ------------------------------------------------------------------------ -->Bigham's Computer Rescue - PC Sales & Serrvice 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 DARRE 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: a href="http://tinyurl.com/2vrfzv">This Weeks regular Shangy emails ************************************************************************ -->Want to ADVERTISE in The Shangy FUN List Publication? >To ADVERTISE: Advertise ************************************************************************ -->Missed Any of These Teachings? 'BABES IN CHRIST','IN The Beginning', 'Crossing The Line','NEVER Give Up', 'FEAR - Feeling Kind Of Buggy', 'HAUNTINGS', 'Christianity And The Renewed Mind', or 'Curse Of The Law' --BE SURE TO Tell me which one you want or yyou'll get them all :) >For a Lesson: Teaching ************************************************************************