The Greatest Of These... :) 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 or Web Site: http://www.ShangralaFamilyFun.com/ShangyFunList.html Group email address: ShangyFunList@yahoogroups.com or email me here: bcrsystems@earthlink.net ================ >-->OoooWEeeee!! oo 8 "} > @ < .8 .-._/| .'_'`')`_.' \| ) / (>'/ |_,_ | (,| .' ,'\| `._/ ) \| '`- -- ''-- --- VK/ejm I'm doing a 'Happy Angel' dance! Why? Because Shangrala has been blessed with another donation from our long time Shangrala Angel, Cloie from NH! May God Bless her richly! She is a loyal supporter contributing to help Keep Shangrala Alive! We sure do thank God for her and all our past most sweet and wonderful angels! If you'd like to help too and be counted as a Shangrala Angel, please visit the site and click on the donate button. A Secure PAYPAL page comes up. NOTE: Paypal will generate a 'Quantity 1' and 'Price per item' form. Just ignore the price per item and put whatever it is you desire to give in there. With Paypal, you will have your normal receipt for your 'payment' donation in USD (United States Dollars). You can put a memo in there if you'd like. EVERY LITTLE BIT WILL HELP! Any amount is greatly appreciated and needed! PLEASE Visit Shangrala to Help: http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/index.html OR If you'd rather send us a donation, Please MAIL it here: Elrhea Bigham 502 S. Harrison Van Wert, OH 45891 *~* THANK YOU! MAY GOD BLESS YOU MOST ABUNDANTLY FOR YOUR GIFT! ================ *~* 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 AND For Google Plus Users: You can find me here... Shangy Bigham https://plus.google.com/106648555948034085752/posts AND Please Share This email with All Your Friends And Family! ^~^ May God SUPER BLESS You As You Do! THANK YOU! :) -<>- * NOTE: An easy way to adjust the size of print in email or any page is to hold down the Ctrl tab while moving the scroll button on the mouse. You can also use the keyboard to change the font size in your web browser or emails. Hold down the Ctrl key while pressing the + key for larger text or the - key for smaller text! ================ >-->HOT Off The 'Shangy' Press :) This too hot to handle new page is from our friend Linda. It has some historical events that sound more like make believe than something that had actually happened, but they are all true little known facts. So sit back, relax and enjoy a little fun trivia! .`:;ij;f,;, .`;sk568G6itz,-", .\a\x68888888886r/,-' -._sV888P^98^"^9888k,-_" `.-\Q889" " `888/,-', .-_J88f 188KJ-_. ,-;388| o o |888[=- _".>88l j88E:._" _"Z3886._ ,J.__.488R=;. .'/288888888888888S^._" '"j^7Z988888885R^L`-. ,'./jQV9TYVR\[\`". '|'|! |'|`. " ./ l | \ .'_ _.\ j, `._,. (_)_)._) (_.__,._) itz Amazing Trivia Facts 4! http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/triviafacts4.html --- ...Wow! These amazed me - especially the dust cloud! Thanks Linda! =========================================================== >-->From Heartwarmers: .:::. ':::' .: .:*~*:._.:*~*:.*.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:. .:*~*:.*.:*~*:._.:*~*:.*.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:. .:*~*:._.:*~*:.*.:*~*:._.: :. .:*~*:.*.:*~*:._.:*~*:.*.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:. .:*~*:._.:*~*:.*.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:. .:*~*:.*.:*~*:._.:*~*:.*.: :. .:*~*:._.:*~*:.*.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:. .:*~*:.*.:*~*:._.:*~*:.*.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:. .:*~*:._.:*~*:.*.:*~*:._.: :. .:*~*:.*.:*~*:._.:*~*:.*.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:. .:*~*:._.:*~*:.*.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:. .: :. .:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:. .:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:. .: :. .:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:. .:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:. .: :. .:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:. .:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:. .: jgs .: .: .: >STAND UP STRAIGHT I wrote this poem long before 9/11 happened. I had come to believe that people didn't have enough respect for the American flag and I am the most patriotic person you would ever want to meet. I am the American Flag And I have something to say, Please take time to listen As I speak to my country today, I was in the hands of my first President At Valley Forge in blood and snow, I was there when my nation was born, And I have watched her grow, With wilderness at her back And seas at her sides, And not one friendly nation To help her save her pride, This struggling infant orphan Survived through it all, And always the victor, Now she stands straight and tall, I have earned the right to speak And though most of you forget, Men have fought and died for me, In memory I see them yet, At Normandy, Iwo Jima, Pearl Harbor and Pork Chop Hill, Bravely these men fought for me, Until they fell and then lay still, I draped my honor over their caskets When they died for me, And wrapped them in my love, In deserts, tropics, and on the seas, I went with them to Korea, In Vietnam I flew, Always I came home again, And always I fly over you, Look proudly at my stars and stripes As over this land I wave, This land of hope and freedom, This land of the strong and brave, Salute me when you see me, Stand up straight and tall, I'm the one who saved your freedom, I answered when you called. -- Anita Burney __________________________________________ Anita says, "I am a retired printing and publishing consultant living in Topeka, Kansas. My hobbies are reading, writing poetry, and crocheting. I love living in America and have a great appreciation for our flag and the military people who defend it with their lives." -<>- _ (_) |_________________________________________ |* * * * * |##########################| | * * * * *| | |* * * * * |##########################| | * * * * *| | |* * * * * |##########################| | * * * * *| | |* * * * * |##########################| |~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ | |#########################################| | | |#########################################| | | |###################################JGS###| |~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ | | | | | | | >REMEMBER ME! I am your flag. Remember me? They still use me to start ballgames. They still use me to sign-off television stations. They still use me to drape caskets of American martyrs. I am your flag. Remember me? My endurance under fire inspired Francis Scott Key to scribe a new nation's anthem to an old British tune. I am your flag. Remember me? I was tearfully surrendered at Bataan and Corregidor. I share an ocean grave with brave sailors on the U.S.S. Arizona. I was raised to emotional heights at Iwo Jima. I am your flag. Remember me? Children pledge me their allegiance in school rooms. Immigrants still view me as the answer to their prayers; their dreams of freedom. I am home to the expatriate. I am your flag. Remember me? Patriots still rally by my colors. Rascals still hide behind my glory. Parades still start with me ... though they're fewer in number -- and not so well attended. I am your flag. Remember me? Betsy Ross tailored me from a dream. And in his Viet Cong cell, an Air Force Colonel named Dramesi stitched me in secret -- from parts of a white blanket, pieces of a blue jacket and strips from red underwear. I am your flag. Remember me? I fly proudly -- full time -- under God... from Pike's Peak and atop memorials in Massachusetts and Virginia. And from the U.S. Capitol -- and from the moon. I am your flag. Remember me? I am a fixture in our nation's embassies. And a concept in the hearts of freedom-loving people throughout the world. I am your flag. Remember me? I still create awesome shivers. I still inspire artists. And Olympic athletes. And great acts of heroism. I am your flag. Remember me? I am the picture of America. And I deserve to be remembered. I am your flag. Remember me! Today. Tomorrow. And forever. -- Ron Gold, Heartwarmer Gem =========================================================== ( (( . : ( .) ) : ) ( ( : . : : ) )) ( ( ( ( . : . . ) ) ( ( : : : ) ) ) ( :( . . ) .' '. :( : ) ( : . ) ) ') : #@## #',### " #@ #@ #/ @'#~@#~/\ # ## @@# @##@ `..@, @#/ #@# _## `\ @##; `#~._.' ##@ \_ .-#/ @#@#@--,_,--\ / `@#@.., .~###' `~. _/ `-.-' #@####@ \ __/ &^^ ^#^##~##&&& % \_ / && ^^ @#^##@#%%#@&&&& ^ \ ~/ &&& ^^^ ^^ &&& %%% ^^^ `~._ .-' ^^ %%%. && ___^ && && && ^^ \ >-->Volcanoes - by emb The other day I went to my page 'Why Trump?' to see if I should take it down. I don't like taking pages down as most times that just means other pages that link to it will return a 404 page not found error to the user. I wanted to see too if the videoa were still OK. A lot of times they silently go down and you don't know it until you load the page. You know what I found? It surprised me. I was kind of embarrassed at leaving this old page up, but I found it was mostly relevant. I was pleased and surprised to see one of the images had Trump's promises and saw that for the most part, he has been keeping to his word. Check out the image of Trump with his promises next to him here: http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/whytrump.html That's rare for a politician - this old phrase came to mind... 'He says what he means and means what he says!' So true for our President. Sure he'll give a little this way or that but that is just him - 'the art of the deal' as he calls it. He is a businessman so he knows that success depends on being able to keep your word with those you deal with and be flexible with your negotiations. That's our President. He works with people to get the best he can for us - America! This in Feb.2018: 'With unprecedented speed, the Trump administration has already implemented nearly two-thirds of the 334 agenda items called for by the Heritage Foundation, a pace faster than former President Reagan who embraced the conservative think tank’s legendary “Mandate for Leadership” blueprint.' “We’re blown away,” Binion said in an interview. Trump, he said, “is very active, very conservative, and very effective.” What’s more, he said, Trump hasn’t just focused on one agenda area, but he and his team has pushed through administrative moves on foreign policy, deregulation, immigration, tax reform and health care, moves often ignored by the media. “It is a huge volume that his administration has worked on and it is a huge spectrum of issues,” said Binion. https://tinyurl.com/y75qv9jm President Donald Trump mentioned The Heritage Foundation in a tweet, citing an analysis completed by Heritage that determined 64 percent of the policy recommendations from the think tank’s “Mandate for Leadership” were embraced by the Trump administration in its first year. https://tinyurl.com/yd4pvr3c Have you noticed the anger and hate coming from the left? It is amazing to me. They are losing. They can't stand that this President is fulfilling his promises and not falling on his face. They want him and America to loose. It angers them that He has God on his side and is winning for America. This from our friends at Students for Life today - Pro-abortion advocates have lost their minds: Yesterday, with Justice Kennedy’s retirement announcement, everyone in Washington was talking about it. In fact, a CNN analyst lamented on air yesterday the, now, very real possibility saying: “You are going to see 20 states pass laws banning abortion outright. Just banning abortion. Because they know that there are now going to be five votes on the Supreme Court to overturn Roe v. Wade. And abortion will be illegal in a significant part of the United States in 18 months. There is just no doubt about that.” What gets me is that 1/3rd of aborted babies in the US are black while they make up only 12.7 percent of all Americans. So shouldn't that be considered racist? https://tinyurl.com/y98ybdl4 So why are Democrats so much FOR Planned Parenthood when it mostly is killing off their primary voter? I always say - if it is illogical, then follow the money. Lots of money behind this group and their lobbyists. Abortionists murder 1,820 babies every day. We must change this statistic. So how many babies are being aborted each year? http://abort73.com/abortion_facts/us_abortion_statistics/ Yesterday I watched the Trump Rally in North Dakota. Lots of fun energy! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zhZfX-OGOWo With all the negative news and the left going nuts, I found this again refreshing... “I hate it, I meet these people, they call it the elite,” Trump said Wednesday night. “We got more money, we got more brains, we got better houses and apartments, we got nicer boats, we’re smarter than they are and they say they’re the elite,” the president said. “You’re the elite, we’re the elite.” Trump went on to call them “stone cold losers.” “Let’s call ourselves, from now on, the super elite,” he said. Trump ended the rally with a motion I've not seen him do before - he made a group hug motion and called for us to 'Love' - come unite together and lets 'Win' for America! https://tinyurl.com/y82x3ypc I figured out pretty much why the left is so full of hate. Many of them like Maxine Walters follow anti-Semite Louis Farrakhan: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2djFVEumPPo He reminds me of the opposite of the KKK - for those of color - since he spews hate against all white people and Jews. So if a bunch of Republicans were KKK members, wouldn't they be booted? Amazes me how we can keep racist haters in Congress and not boot them. The left will say that Trump is a racist hater but they are wrong. If you hate blacks and browns, you don't advocate for pro-life you don't go and mingle with those at non-white churches you don't invite non-whites for special events at the White House you don't hire non-white people to work close with you you don't work hard to roll back oppressive regulations that kill mostly minority non-white jobs you don't succeed in making record lows in non-white unemployment Trump in his first 500 days has done all the above! If you hate immigrants, you don't marry one like Trump did you don't have good repore with most all Asian countries like Trump has If you are a fascist, white-supremacist or Nazi, you don't go back against Cuba you don't go back against Iran you don't go back against Russia you don't officially recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel your son-in-law wouldn't be working for you as he is a Jew you don't negotiate and give nothing to North Korea All of Which President Trump has done. This was not easy to find since our search engines like to hide anything pro-Trump - but I found this on the second page of searches to my inquiry - Here's the list of his first year accomplishments: Trump’s First Year Accomplishments Compiled In Shockingly Long List A Commentary By Richard Baris - Friday, December 29, 2017 Here’s a long but still incomplete list of accomplishments during his first year in office. For those who believe the list isn’t at all long, we challenge you to read the whole article in one sitting. Some you will recognize and some you will not. But these are just some of the actions we believe will impact Americans’ lives and, in some cases, the human race. Rasmussen Reports: https://tinyurl.com/y6ur3gky So they can lie and spew hate all they want. As they say, the proof is in the pudding! Our 'Trump' pudding is full of promises made and promises kept! It's to bad we can't just turn off all their nasty vile behavior. They erupt like a volcano spewing their hate and discontent any time our President Trump manages to have a victory for America despite their attempts to squash him. ( (( . : ( .) ) : ) ( ( : . : : ) )) ( ( ( ( . : . . ) ) ( ( : : : ) ) ) ( :( . . ) .' '. :( : ) ( : . ) ) ') : #@## #',### " #@ #@ #/ @'#~@#~/\ # ## @@# @##@ `..@, @#/ #@# _## `\ @##; `#~._.' ##@ \_ .-#/ @#@#@--,_,--\ / `@#@.., .~###' `~. _/ `-.-' #@####@ \ __/ &^^ ^#^##~##&&& % \_ / && ^^ @#^##@#%%#@&&&& ^ \ ~/ &&& ^^^ ^^ &&& %%% ^^^ `~._ .-' ^^ %%%. && ___^ && && && ^^ \ It really gets them angry! Obama used to call us second amendment rights people 'gun toting, bible thumpers'. So, I think we need to call them 'volcanoes'. We never know what is going to set them off - but you can be sure it will be after Trump wins something good for us Americans! Also See these... Sean Hannity 6/26/2018 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGka2asm0dg The Ingraham Angle 6/26/18 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EI0uXM68XM0 =========================================================== >-->From Archives InspiredBuffalo: MMMMm MMMMMMMMMMM mMMMMMMMMMMMm MMMMMMM mMMMMMMMMMm MMMMMMMMMMM MMMMMMMMm MMMMMMMMM mMMMMMMMMMm MMMMMMMMM mMMMMMMMm MMMMMMMMM mMMMMMMMMm MMMMMMM mMMMMMMMMm MMMMMMMM mMMMMMm MMMMMMMM 0 mMMMMMm MMMMM mMMMMMm o@@@o MMMMM mMMMm MMMMM o@@@@@@o mmmmm mMMMm MMM mMMMm o@@@@@@@@@oMMMMMMMM @oo MMM mMm MMM o@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ooMMMM @@@@o mMm M mMm o@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@oo @@@@@@@@o MhhhHHHHHHHHhhhM o@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ @@@@@@@@@o hhHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHhh oo@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ @@@@@@@@@@@oo hHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHh oo@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ @@@@@@@@@@@@@@ooHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHoo@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ooHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHoo@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ooHHHHHHHHHoo@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@ @@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@Chad Lemon@@@ >Into Canaan Land Once again waters were parted by God's hand, so Joshua could lead the people into the promised land. The Ark, with God's Law, stopped the water's flow, so onto the dry land God's people could go. After the people passed and there were no more, the river's water flowed as swift as before. The people were happy in their new home, now the wilderness they would no longer roam. One day Joshua called the people to him again, to remind them they should stay away from sin. He reminded them of everything God had done, how they should always obey this Holy One. He said God had watched over them all the same, to worship another now, would be a shame. He said God was who his family would serve, because their love and loyalty God did deserve. The people shouted they would serve God too, since it was the right thing for them to do. Then Joshua took a stone and put it under a tree, a reminder of their promise for all to see. Pamela Gayle Smith © 1998 -<>- \_/ --(_)-- . / \ /_\ |Q| .-----' '-----. __ /____[SCHOOL]___\ ())) | [] .-.-. [] | (((()) ..|____|_|_|____|..................................)(... ldb >The Teacher She was one of my second grade teachers. She taught me math, and at that time I thought she was teaching me everything that I would ever need to know about math, and for that matter about life itself. Well, not really, but Mrs. Pillar was a great teacher and I learned so much from her when I was eight years old. However, I will always remain indebted to her for what she did for me more than a decade later. As a sophomore in college, I was involved in a near fatal "accident" when I walked into a robbery at a convenience store. One of the thieves shot me in the head -- "pumping a bullet into my brain." The thieves, as well as most people, thought that I was dead or would soon be dead. Obviously, they were wrong. However, it was a severe and difficult battle getting back into the mainstream of life. I had to drop out of college to be hospitalized. Even after I was discharged from the hospital I endured many hours of intensive therapy. I had to relearn practically everything, including walking, talking, and yes, even math. To help me with that task, Mrs. Pillar volunteered to come to the hospital and later to my house once a week, to work with me. At first, the material that she presented appeared, to most people, to be very basic math skills. Then, as time progressed, and I made progress, my "homework" became progressively more difficult. I remember very vividly how she would come to my home on Sundays, sit with me at the kitchen table, and throw various coins on the table. She would ask me to show her 38 cents, 17 cents, 63 cents …. It was challenging -- but she also made it fun. After one-and-a-half years had passed, I had progressed sufficiently both physically and mentally to return to college. Once there, I continued therapy regularly, but I was enrolled in college. I was back at the University of Texas. Four years after I returned to college I graduated from the University at the top of my class. Following that, I went on to Graduate School. As the years went by, I always kept in touch with Mrs. Pillar. However, unfortunately, one day my parents informed me that Mrs. Pillar had been hospitalized because she had suffered a stroke after having undergone open-heart surgery. Now it was my turn to help her. When I walked into the ICU at the hospital, Mrs. Pillar was in a hospital bed and could not speak. I thought that the situation was extremely ironic. Nothing had changed except for who was in the bed and who was standing beside it. I told Mrs. Pillar that I would be back and that I would work with her just as she had worked with me years earlier. As the days went by, I saw Mrs. Pillar progress each time I would visit her. One day, when I was visiting her, I pulled some coins out of my pocket, dropped them on her bed, and asked her to show me 12 cents. The nurse thought that my action was extremely strange until Mrs. Pillar smiled briefly as I began working with her just as she had worked with me years before. I would point to the dimes and the pennies and she would put them together when I would ask her to give me the proper amount of money. Mrs. Pillar was eventually transferred from the ICU to a private room and then to a Rehab room. As she moved from room to room, there was no doubt in my mind that she was improving. When I would visit her I would always ask her to tell me something good. At first, her family, who would generally be standing around her bed, would quickly jump in and say, "Mama is doing so well;" or "My sister is doing great." However, I would quickly raise my hand and say, "Mrs. Pillar, you tell me something good." She would then slowly and hesitantly answer my question. As the days would go by, her responses would be quicker and more fluent. Mrs. Pillar made wonderful progress and was eventually discharged from the hospital with a prescription to continue with speech therapy as an outpatient. One day I called her to wish her a happy New Year. She spoke into the phone quite fluently and said, "Happy New Year to you and your family, Michael. Thank you for everything you've done for me." I quickly remarked, "Thank you for everything you've done for me." Mrs. Pillar was one of my second grade teachers, but she taught me so much more about life than mere mathematics. - Michael Segal, MSW ©2003 -<>- hugs&kisses&hugs&kisses&hugs&kisses&hugs&kisses&hugs&kisses& & hugs&kisses&hugs&kisses&hu &hugs&kisses s&h es&hugs&kisses&hugs&kiss gs&kisse es&h sses&hugs&kisses&hugs&k s&kiss ses& isses&hugs&kisses&hugs &kiss s&kis sses kisses&hugs&kisses&hu ugs&kiss s&ki isse &kisses&hugs&kisses&h &hugs&kiss gs&k kiss s&kisses&hugs&kisses& es&hugs&kis ugs& &kis gs&kisses&hugs&kisses sses&hugs&k hugs s&ki ugs&kisses&hugs&kisse kisses&hugs &hug gs&k hugs&kisses&hugs&kiss s&kisses&hu s&hu ugs& &hugs&kisses&hugs&kis ugs&kisses& es&h hugs s&hugs&kisses&hugs& i hugs&kisse ses& &hug es&hugs&kisses&hug k hugs&kis sses s&hu ses&hugs&kisses&h & hugs& isse es&h sses&hugs&kisse s& &kiss s gs&ki hugs&kis s ugs&kisse sses&hugs&ki i ses&h k k sses& & &kis gs&kisses&hug isses&hugs s&hugs&kisse s s&kis gs&kisses&h &kisses&hug es&hugs&kisses g gs&ki ugs&kisses& s&kisses&hu ses&hugs&kisses u ugs&ki ugs&kisse ugs&kisses&h sses&hugs&kisses h hugs&k hugs&kiss hugs&kisses& isses&h gs&kisses& &hugs&k hugs&ki s&hugs&kisses kisses ugs&kisses s&hugs& &hugs&k es&hugs&kisse hugs&kisse es&hugs& &hugs sses&hugs&kiss s&kiss &hugs&kiss ses&hugs s&hug isses&hugs&kis gs&kiss s&hugs&kis sses&hugs s&h &kisses&hugs&ki ugs&kisses&hugs& i isses&hug es& s&kisses&hugs&k hugs&kisses&hug k kisses&hug e ugs&kisses&hugs& &hugs&kisses&h & &kisses&hu hugs&kisses&hugs s&hugs&kisse s s&kisses&hu s&hugs&kisses g gs&kisses&h es&hugs&kisse u ugs&kisses&hugs&kisses&hugs&kisses&hugs&kisses&hugs&kisses&h -- Matt Ryan >The Greatest of These By Nanette Thorsen-Snipes My day began on a decidedly sour note when I saw my six-year-old wrestling with a limb of my azalea bush. By the time I got outside, he'd broken it. "Can I take this to school today?" he asked. With a wave of my hand, I sent him off. I turned my back so he wouldn't see the tears gathering in my eyes. I loved that azalea bush. I touched the broken limb as if to say silently, "I'm sorry." I wished I could have said that to my husband earlier, but I'd been angry. The washing machine had leaked on my brand-new linoleum. If he'd just taken the time to fix it the night before when I asked him instead of playing checkers with Jonathan. 'What are his priorities anyway?' I wondered. I was still mopping up the mess when Jonathan walked into the kitchen. "What's for breakfast, Mom?" I opened the empty refrigerator. "Not cereal," I said, watching the sides of his mouth drop. "How about toast and jelly?" I smeared the toast with jelly and set it in front of him. 'Why was I so angry?' I tossed my husband's dishes into the sudsy water. It was days like this that made me want to quit. I just wanted to drive up to the mountains, hide in a cave, and never come out. Somehow I managed to lug the wet clothes to the Laundromat. I spent most of the day washing and drying clothes and thinking how love had disappeared from my life. Staring at the graffiti on the walls, I felt as wrung-out as the clothes left in the washers. As I finished hanging up the last of my husband's shirts, I looked at the clock. 2:30. I was late. Jonathan's class let out at 2:15. I dumped the clothes in the back seat and hurriedly drove to the school. I was out of breath by the time I knocked on the teacher's door and peered through the glass. With one finger, she motioned for me to wait. She said something to Jonathan and handed him and two other children crayons and a sheet of paper. 'What now?' I thought, as she rustled through the door and took me aside. "I want to talk to you about Jonathan," she said. I prepared myself for the worst. Nothing would have surprised me. "Did you know Jonathan brought flowers to school today?" she asked. I nodded, thinking about my favorite bush and trying to hide the hurt in my eyes. I glanced at my son busily coloring a picture. His wavy hair was too long and flopped just beneath his brow. He brushed it away with the back of his hand. His eyes burst with blue as he admired his handy-work. "Let me tell you about yesterday," the teacher insisted. "See that little girl?" I watched the bright-eyed child laugh and point to a colorful picture taped to the wall. I nodded. "Well, yesterday she was almost hysterical. Her mother and father are going through a nasty divorce. She told me she didn't want to live, she wished she could die. I watched that little girl bury her face in her hands and say loud enough for the class to hear, 'Nobody loves me.' I did all I could to console her, but it only seemed to make matters worse." "I thought you wanted to talk to me about Jonathan," I said. "I do," she said, touching the sleeve of my blouse. "Today your son walked straight over to that child. I watched him hand her some pretty pink flowers and whisper, 'I love you.'" I felt my heart swell with pride for what my son had done. I smiled at the teacher. "Thank you," I said, reaching for Jonathan's hand, "you've made my day." Later that evening, I began pulling weeds from around my lopsided azalea bush. As my mind wandered back to the love Jonathan showed the little girl, a biblical verse came to me: "...now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love." While my son had put love into practice, I had only felt anger. I heard the familiar squeak of my husband's brakes as he pulled into the drive. I snapped a small limb bristling with hot pink azaleas off the bush. I felt the seed of love that God planted in my family beginning to bloom once again in me. My husband's eyes widened in surprise as I handed him the flowers. "I love you," I said. -<>- _ (_) <___> | |______ | |* * * ) | | * * (_________ | |* * * |* *|####) | | * * *| * | (________________ | |* * * |* *|####|##############| | | * * *| * | | | | |* * * |* *|####|##############| | |~~~~~~| * | | | | |######|* *|####|##############| | | |~~~' | | | |######|########|##############| | | | | | | |######|########|##############| | |~~~~~~| | | | | |########|##############| | | '~~~~~~~~| | | | |##########JGS#| | | '~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ | | | | | | >The American Flag - a true story For our visitors from outside the USA please permit us a moment for us to remember our national heritage as we prepare to celebrate our national holiday of our Independence Day. You've probably seen the bumper sticker somewhere along the road. It depicts an American Flag, accompanied by the words "These colors don't run". I'm always glad to see this, because it reminds me of an incident from my confinement in North Vietnam at the Hao Lo POW Camp, or the "Hanoi Hilton," as it became known. Then a Major in the U.S. Air Force, I had been captured and imprisoned from 1967-1973. Our treatment had been frequently brutal. After three years, however, the beatings and torture became less frequent. During the last year, we were allowed outside most days for a couple of minutes to bathe. We showered by drawing water from a concrete tank with a homemade bucket. One day as we all stood by the tank, stripped of our clothes, a young Naval pilot named Mike Christian found the remnants of a handkerchief in a gutter that ran under the prison wall. Mike managed to sneak the grimy rag into our cell and began fashioning it into a flag. Over time we all loaned him a little soap, and he spent days cleaning the material. We helped by scrounging and stealing bits and pieces of anything he could use. At night, under his mosquito net, Mike worked on the flag. He made red and blue from ground-up roof tiles and tiny amounts of ink and painted the colors onto the cloth with watery rice glue. Using thread from his own blanket and a homemade bamboo needle, he sewed on stars. Early in the morning a few days later, when the guards were not alert, he whispered loudly from the back of our cell, "Hey gang, look here". He proudly held up this tattered piece of cloth, waving it as if in a breeze. If you used your imagination, you could tell it was supposed to be an American flag. When he raised that smudgy fabric, we automatically stood straight and saluted, our chests puffing out, and more than a few eyes had tears. About once a week the guards would strip us, run us outside and go through our clothing. During one of those shakedowns, they found Mike's flag. We all knew what would happen. That night they came for him. Night interrogations were always the worst. They opened the cell door and pulled Mike out. We could hear the beginning of the torture before they even had him in the torture cell. They beat him most of the night. About daylight they pushed what was left of him back through the cell door. He was badly broken; even his voice was gone. Within two weeks, despite the danger, Mike scrounged another piece of cloth and began another flag. The Stars and Stripes, our national symbol, was worth the sacrifice to him. Now whenever I see the flag, I think of Mike and the morning he first waved that tattered emblem of a nation. It was then, thousands of miles from home in a lonely prison cell, that he showed us what it is to be truly free. Condensed from a speech by Leo K. Thorsness, recipient of The Congressional Medal of Honor. -<>- >Links for Your Enjoyment: Love Stories http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/lovestories.html Who Is This Jesus? http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/jesus.html Proud Of Our Troops 8 http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/troops8.html Love Speaks http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/lovespeaks.html We Three Friends http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/threefriends.html Humor In Politics 17 http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/politics17.html Wild Kisses And Snuggles http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/wildkisses.html Gods Most Beautiful http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/mostbeautiful.html Amazing Photos http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/amazingphotos.html Bible: Our Valuable Anchor http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/BibleStudy/ouranchor.html Kilroy Was Here http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/kilroywashere.html Chevy: American Pride http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/chevypride.html USA 9/11 AND TROOPS INDEX!- http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/911andtroopsindex.html -<>- >Please Visit/Follow Me On StumbleUpon: https://tinyurl.com/y8ea6zsv -<>- What does the bible say about Cohabitation? https://tinyurl.com/ybqpzu23 Having a Real Relationship with our Heavenly Father https://tinyurl.com/y8qfur9w -<>- WhiteHouseNews: https://www.whitehouse.gov/1600daily/ Latest From AFA: http://tinyurl.com/j7lakqw Latest From RightAlerts: http://rightalerts.com Latest At FoxNews: http://www.foxnews.com/ Latest From MRC News: https://tinyurl.com/ya6uruck Latest From TrueDailyNews: http://truedaily.news/category/news/ Students For Life https://tinyurl.com/yd5nxmu6 Latest From OperationRescue: http://www.operationrescue.org/ Move America Forward http://www.moveamericaforward.org/ -<>- >From Our Friend LouiseAu :) Lost Words From Our Childhood https://tinyurl.com/y8awuu4y --- ...These Are Great! Thanks LouiseAu! 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 ========================================================== ,-----------------. | One used gym | | sock : | | : | | : : | | ,-----. : | | %%%%%%% : | | ####### : : | | %%%%%%% ) | | | | ( ( ( | | | | ) . ) | | |& | ( ( : : | | (&$ `-. ) | | `. $&& `. : | | __`. * `. : | | / ""`-. ** \ | | \_______`-.___) | `-----------------' Krogg >The Better Gift Story Editor: by Lynn Maynard Joyce Schowalter Arizona, USA On Thursday, November 19, 2009, I took a six-hour embroidery class. When the class ended at 3:30 p.m., I drove my car to a nearby fast food drive through. I then returned to the sewing shop for my next class, which would last four hours. I parked in front of the store and ate my meal. It was a nice day, with temperatures in the mid 70s, although our fall Phoenix nights the temperature falls to the low 40s. As I ate, I noticed a man sitting on the curb. He was about six foot tall, with a thin build, weathered face and a couple days beard growth. He reached into a backpack, pulled out a razor, and began to shave. When finished, he proceeded to change his holey gross-looking socks, which were caked with dried blood, and replaced them with a new pair. He seems to have pride in taking care of himself, I thought. When I buy something at the drive thru, I throw my change in the pocket of the driver's side door. Watching this man I decided to hand him what was there: four bucks. As I approached him he said, "You have a nice car." "I'm still paying for it," I said. "Here's a few dollars. When you're finished maybe you can get something at the drive-in nearby. They have a nice selection on their dollar menu and you can get refills." He thanked me, saying, "God Bless you." I then went back in for my next class. My class finished at 7 p.m. and I loaded all my equipment into the back of my car. After 10 hours of classes I was tired. Then I saw it. WHAT is that NOTE, I thought, don't tell me someone scratched my car. I got in the car and turned on the light to read the note. To my surprise, here was a note thanking me for the $4.00. Dan told me that he is doing all right, but many homeless people need socks, so maybe I could carry a few pairs in my car. He said that he gets gift cards for $10.00 and socks at the nearby church. In his note Dan said, "If you want to, you could donate socks to the church, then the homeless men would be very grateful." WOW! It was only four bucks. Dan's thank you gave me the better gift -- of feeling that I can make a difference, with socks! Dan taught me even when you are homeless you can make someone's life better. Now I want to do more for our homeless friends in need. Thank you, Dan, socks are on the way! =======HeroicStories======= >-->Laugh&Lift: "...We are a society poised on the brink of self-destruction. What is the problem? The real problem is within ourselves. It is our heart. Why is the human heart this way? The reason is because we are alienated from our Maker. We have lost sight of the moral and spiritual principles on which this nation was established - principles drawn largely from the Judeo-Christian tradition, as found in the Bible. What is the cure? Is there hope? Ruth and I have devoted our lives to the deep conviction that the answer is yes. There is hope! Our lives can be changed, and our world can be changed. The Scripture says: 'You must be born again.' You can have spiritual rebirth today. First, we must repent. Repentance means to change our thinking and our way of living. It means to turn from our sins, and to commit ourselves to God and His will. Second, we must commit our lives to God. Think how different our nation would be if we sought to follow the simple yet profound injunctions of the Ten Commandments and the Sermon on the Mount. Third, our commitment must be translated into action - in our homes, in our neighborhoods, and in our society...I believe America has gone a long way down the wrong road. If we ever needed God's help, it is now." - Billy Graham, upon receiving the Congressional Gold Medal in 1996 , , /////| ///// | ///// | |~~~| | | |===| |/| | B |/| | | I | | | | B | | | | L | / | E | / |===|/ jgs '---' >Then God Would Bless America Again (by Sheila Gosney) It's a phrase we all hear from time to time like an echo that never goes away. "God Bless America" is often spoken out loud or whispered in the moments we pray. Oh, it doesn't take much of a look around to see that America is in need of the Lord. We've drifted so far...so much has been broken and so much is needing restored. But I wonder if the core of the problem could be in the wording of the very simple phrase. What if we started saying, "America, Bless God" and started seeking God in ALL of our ways! What if we returned to our solid, Christian roots because this country had a Godly foundation! What if God's people stood up against injustice to bring the HONOR of God back to our nation! What if we spoke the TRUTH about sin in God's eyes with courage and fire in our voices! Then we, as a country would return to God's standards and not call sin our personal choices. And what if God's people truly humbled themselves to repent of our complacency and sin. Then our brokenness would be answered with the fire of REVIVAL and God would bless America again!!! "Righteousness exalts a nation, But sin is a reproach to any people." (Proverbs 14:34 NKJV) SUBSCRIBE INFO Want to receive a Christian inspirational item AND great clean humor in an email to you each day of the week? It's easy and FREE! Read all about Laugh & Lift at http://www.laughandlift.com --- _ _|_|_ ,|_| |_|_ || | | |_| || | | | | || | | | | _|| | | | | ||)\ ^ ^ ^ | || | | || | | || | | \\ | \\ / ejm )\ ( / \ \ / \ \ \ \ ...This is why President Trump seeks prayers from our Christian leaders. Part of 'Making America Great Again' is bringing God back into America! Donald Trump Meets with Religious Leaders, Including Robert Jeffress https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uk4c2uoOF3o Trump Gets Impromptu Prayer Huddle from Alabama Football Team It was a moment of peace for President Trump during a very rough week. Young men from the University of Alabama were invited to the White House to celebrate their national college football championship win. With bad news pounding Trump from all sides, the president mingled with the players, who gathered around him, putting their hands on his shoulders and bowed their heads in prayer - April 2018 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=42nK8wo_fwE ========================================================== , , /////| ///// | ///// | |~~~| | | |===| |/| | B |/| | | I | | | | B | | | | L | / | E | / |===|/ jgs '---' >-->God's Promise God didn't promise days without pain, laughter without sorrow or sun without rain. But God did promise strength for the day, comfort for the tears and a light for the way. And for all who believe in His kingdom above, He answers their faith with everlasting love. -<>- !|| !|||| ,/|||| !|'''| `\ | )\ \ ejm / \ \ \ >Wings Of Prayer When you're feeling low and lonely And no one seems to care, Reach out to God who loves you And unfold your wings of prayer. Rise above the daily heartaches So common to us all. Just spread your wings and fly away Before the teardrops fall. Don't let trials and temptations Like anchors weigh you down. Reach out to God...He loves you And will not let you drown. You can rise above your problems; You can soar most anywhere. Just put your faith into action And unfold your wings of prayer! >Updated FUN STUFF URLS - Oh Yeah Shangy! ------------------------------------------------------------------------ http://www.ShangralaFamilyFun.com/urls.html FUN URLS ------------------------------------------------------------------------ -->FULL LENGTH - FREE On line AUDIO MP3 Christian Foundational Class http://www.truthortradition.com/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=61 NEW LIFE IN CHRIST! ------------------------------------------------------------------------ -->This is for all you who love food and DARE 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 ************************************************************************