The Old Paths ... :) 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 ================ "We are each of us angels with but one wing, and can only fly by embracing each other" -Luciano Decrescenzo ~ CALLING ALL CARING ANGELS ~ ___ _.-' ```'--.._ .' `-._ / `. / `. / `. : ( \ | ( \_ ) `. | \__/ '. / ) ; | (___: \ _/__/ ; : | _ ; .' |__) : : |` \ | / / / \ |_ ;| /`\ / / \ ; ) :| ;_ ; / / \_ .-''-. | ) :/ / .- ` .--.' / : _.----._ ` < : -'........'- `. `. `''''` ; `'-.__ ,' ``--. :'-------' jgs : : .' '. *~* HELP! We NEED 2009 Angels for the Web Site! >Do You Want To Be A Shangrala Angel? If you'd like to help and be counted as a 2009 Shangrala Angel, please visit the site and click on the donate button. A Secure PAYPAL page comes up. Any amount is appreciated - even just 5 dollars! 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! GOD'S MOST ABUNDANT BLESSINGS TO YOU! ================ >-->In The 'Shangy' News :) >Hot Off The 'Shangy' Press... This one is still sizzling! It comes from a forward from our friend Richard. I couldn't resist doing up a page for it so all could enjoy! , .-'"'=;_ , |\.'-~`-.`-`;/| \.` '.'~-.` './ (\`,__=-'__,'/) _.-'-.( d\_/b ).-'-._ /'.-' ' .---. ' '-.`\ /' .' (= (_) =) '. `\ /' .', `-.__.-.__.-' ,'. `\ ( .'. V V ; '. ) ( |:: `-,__.-.__,-' ::| ) | /|`:. .:'|\ | | / | `:. Uncle Sam :' |`\ | | | ( :. .: ) | | | | ( `:. Wants :' ) | | | | \ :. .: / | | | | \`:. YOU .:'/ | | ) ( `\`:. .:'/' ) ( ( `)_ ) `:._.:' ( _(` ) \ ' _) .' `. (_ ` / \ '_) / .'"```"'. \ (_` / `'"` \ ( ) / `"'` ___ jgs `.`. .'.' ___ .` ``"""'''--`_) (_'--'''"""`` `. (_(_(___...--'"'` `'"'--...___)_)_) Military Motivational Posters http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/military.html --- ...I agree Richard - an Excellent one! Thank You! =================================================== >-->From Heartwarmers: .-----. .' - - '. / .-. .-. \ | | | | | | \ \o/ \o/ / What were they thinking? _/ ^ \_ | \ '---' / | / /`--. .--`\ \ / /'---` `---'\ \ '.__. .__.' `| |` | \ \ '--. '. `\ `'---. | jgs ,__) / `..' >BLESSINGS IN REVERSE by Kathe Campbell Her children and grandchildren rolled her into the day room just before the Super Bowl party commenced. She appeared puzzled over all the fuss as she slumped awkardly in her wheelchair. The scene reminded me of a bunch of selfish and uncaring kids relegated to the weekly hospital visit while football out-scored family responsibility. The hospital staff and volunteers had prepared a delectable table. Melons, meats and salads, along with punch and a fancy football cake for all patients and guests in the transitional area to enjoy. My husband, Ken, had asked me to come early for the party that day. He was recovering from complications as a result of an elk careening through his windshield last fall. Our daughter, Molly, and her husband had also joined the festivities to help celebrate pop's 75th birthday. We ate like gluttons that afternoon, the party cuisine far superior than the usual hospital fare. Suddenly I noted the lady in the wheelchair was quite alone. She had no party snacks and it appeared her family had left her high and dry. The nurse confirmed my suspicions stating they had little patience with their mother's stroke and had left. My jaw dropped. "Those big kids should be spanked," I blurted out with disdain! Ken had found an interesting fellow to talk gold panning with, so I pulled a chair out at the lady's table and boldly sat down. Her stroke had rendered her quite helpless. Her head drooped down on her chest, and her right arm hung limp at the side of her wheelchair. She seemed incapable of uttering even a grunt while knots and snarls sadly bedecked her tousled hair. I introduced myself as Ken's wife and asked if she would care for a plate of food. She nodded despairingly as her surprised and tearful eyes met mine. I longed to hug her tight while secretly pondering her fate. It was difficult stifling my feelings of disgust with this woman's family, but I swallowed hard and attempted communications with Pauline. I tied a cowboy kerchief style towel about her neck, placed her plate on the table, and she dove in, picking up each morsel with her left hand like a baby in a highchair. She was even able to lift her cup of lemonade emitting a big "ahhh" after each sip. Pauline was having a good afternoon. I asked the nurse concerning Pauline's rag-tag hairdo and she brought a cup of water, some snarl-eze and a small brush. Just why no one had seen to this dear lady's coiffure was an inhumane mystery to me. Molly and I took turns combing and brushing the tangles ever so carefully until her hair was damp and shiny and free of snarls. While patting her head gently with a towel and scrunching strands with our fingers, her old perm began to take shape. What a joyous sight watching Pauline peering gleefully into a hand mirror as though she was ready for a prom. I again sat beside her, slowly enunciating about grandkids and helping her with her cake. Suddenly she grabbed at my right arm and began a series of tugs and frowns. It didn't take an Einstein to realize she had become aware of my conversation piece. With a big grin, I raised my right hook onto the table just as she let out a wail. Thankfully football was so loud on the big screen, barely a soul paid mind to the commotion. I insisted I was fine, that it was an old injury and the hook worked better than my good arm anyway. She looked devastated, so I hugged her again and whispered in her ear to please not feel badly for me. While adeptly demonstrating my prosthetic contraption, pure amazement flooded over her face, and she slowly began to smile while the last of her tears tumbled off her cheeks. "Dear God in heaven," I mused, "this dear soul, in all of her physical frustrations and mental anguish, feels an abiding love and compassion for me in spite of herself." Who makes people like this? Are they born this way? God, in his infinite wisdom, didn't play favorites. He lovingly created hearts of gold in the lame, the wretched, and the downtrodden believers of the world. This had truly been a blessing in reverse, and I thank my lucky stars I was afforded the opportunity to meet this gracious and loving human being. May God be with her 'til we meet again. -- Kathe Campbell ___________________________________________ Kathe says, "Once again, this damnable and heavy ol' hook of mine has led me straight into the arms of the unfortunate and ailing of this world. They have taught me more about my love for God and empathy for others than all the books and teachings ever could. Please help yourself to more doses of prosthetic and ranch happenings in the www.2theheart.com archives, Chicken Soup for the Grandparent's Soul, and don't forget to enjoy my Montana paintings at http://www.outlookstationery.com ." ___________________________________________ Do you enjoy Heartwarmers? Maybe your friends would too. They can join for free by sending an email to: join@heartwarmers.com ============================================================ >-->Are You tempting God? by emb , , , , , <(__)> | | | | \/ | \_|_/ \^ ^/ | /\--/\ /| jgs / \/ \/ | I've been thinking of when Jesus was in the desert and about this particular temptation.... Matthew 4: 5-7 "Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple, And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone. Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God." Believe it or not, it was due to a little argument over throwing away plastic containers that have been compromised. The men of my household thought I was being wasteful and was kidding me about it. I learned several years ago that they discovered that plastic leaches and can be harmful especially to pregnant woman and little ones. Since then, it has been under debate but the story I read was a real life case of a lab finding high levels of cancer in their mice that they discovered was from their plastic cages being roughed up by their cleaners. You can read some about it here http://tinyurl.com/dxratb I realize that some hoax sites say it is unfounded, but I actually first read it in the news and that is a fact. So why take the chance? That was my side of the debate with the men. They figured I was being wasteful, but really, who wants to eat out of a bowl that is all scratched and yucky looking anyway? I get them for about 60 cents each with lid so it isn't like I am throwing away a bunch of money. My son said I should simply believe God not to get cancer and not worry about it. Well, that's true, but I had to point out to him that I am not perfect. I totally believe in God but I also know that the smallest of doubt can undo my believing on a personal level. I mean I can believe 100% for someone else, but when it comes to my own self, the devil can get me with those little stupid doubts of his. Jesus temptation did not come to mind at this debate but later when I was thinking about people who are against doctors and medicine because they put all their trust in God. Believing is an important key in Christianity. I do not mean to say otherwise. What I do say is that once you have wisdom on something, you do not tempt God by saying God will protect me so I will go ahead and do the thing I know is bad or could be bad for me anyway. We are not to tempt God like that. Just as Jesus has taught us here. Others will play with poisonist snakes, do deadly or dangerous things and say that if God wants them to get hurt it will happen but if he don't, they won't get hurt. See how wrong that is? That is like throwing yourself over the top like the devil wanted Jesus to do. Did Jesus do it? No. Should we do things we know is dangerous and expect God to take care of us? No. Should we avoid the doctor or the medicine when we know God has given us the knowledge to help our bodies heal and get better through doctors and medicine? No. Why tempt God? It is not what Jesus taught us to do. God wants us to take care of ourselves. God provided us with good doctors and nurses and good medicine to help us. The devil doesn't give us anything good to help our bodies. He doesn't want our bodies to heal. God does. So sometimes that means seeing a doctor or taking the medicine for our good health that God has provided for us. It is up to us to weed out the bad doctors, nurses and medicines that the devil puts in the system to hurt us. , |\ ____ \ \.-./ .-' T \ _ _( /| | |\ ) | .)(./ | | | | \( \_|_/ ( | \ | I double dog dare you... ) | \VvV | ( | |\,,\ | ) | | ^^^ | ) ( | |__ | ( ) / `-. _| ) ( / / `\ / ///_ | /jgs (((-|' ```| People who play with deadly snakes often quote this verse: Mark 16:18 "They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover." But they fail to see the if factor. The bible is being explicit here. Shall was used so we know this is 'absolutely without a shadow of a doubt'. No punctuation in the original text so 'and if' joins the two together - taking up a serpent or drinking any deadly thing - this is by accident -'if it happens' - it shall 'absolutely without a shadow of a doubt' not hurt them. God watches out for you when you watch after you! YOU have to take care of yourself, but he is there for those times when you need him! Remember, Believing Equals Receving http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/BibleStudy/lawofbelieving1.html Giving Equals Receiving http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/BibleStudy/givingreceiving.html God Moves When You Move http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/BibleStudy/godmoves.html ================================================================ >-->From InspiredBuffalo: ,_('--, (.--; ,--')_, | ;--.) .-. |.| .-. \|\|/ .-. .-.`\|/|/`_ `\|/|/` ' `^jgs`^^`^``^``^``^``^`` >The Endless List by Patricia Brewster, Hornell, New York Mrs. Gray, the church women’s-club president, called at the worst possible moment. I was getting over the flu; three of my seven children were still sick; my husband, John, had just added a part-time evening job to his full work schedule; and I was already doing more than my share of volunteering. "Would you mind being in charge of the rummage sale?" she asked. "We need to raise money for the soup kitchen. We’re really in a bind." "Okay," I said, blowing my nose. "I guess so." "Thanks, Pat. I knew I could count on you." People generally did. Like when the PTA president phoned with a last-minute request for a dozen cupcakes. Even though it meant an extra trip to the store for flour after picking up the boys at Scouts, I said yes. There was the time the school copier broke down the day before my daughter’s kindergarten play. No programs? No problem. I stayed up until 2:00 A.M., writing out and hand-coloring 70 programs complete with floral borders. The next day the teacher exclaimed over them, but after the performance I could only stare numbly as half the parents threw their programs away. Some even ended up on the floor. No one can say I haven’t followed Jesus command to love my neighbor, I told myself as I hung up with Mrs. Gray. My to-do list never shrank. As soon as I crossed off one project another was added. I hadn’t touched my embroidery for years. I longed to walk into town instead of race in behind the wheel of my car, but there was never enough time. John sometimes called me into the living room to watch something on the evening news with him. "Can’t," I would say, barely looking up from a newsletter I was assembling. I remembered the day when the boys wanted to stop off for ice cream cones with their team after a Little League game. "Sorry," I had said. "I’ve got to get home." Over the next few weeks, as I immersed myself in running the rummage sale, I found myself increasingly irritated with my neighbors. "Sorry, I can’t help," said one. "We’ll be away on a cruise." "We have matinee tickets," said another. Lucky you, I grumbled to myself. Our garage filled as people dropped off bundles. One morning at dawn our bell rang. I stumbled down the stairs and opened the door. A man in a business suit thrust two large bags at me. "My wife told me to drop these off," he said. "Where do they go?" How about on your head? I thought. On the day of the sale, when the long-promised truck failed to appear, I made a quick call. "Joe tried to reach you last night," the driver’s wife explained, "but your line was busy. He had to work today. Could you find someone else instead?" On the morning of the sale? John was at work, so the children and I lugged load after load in our station wagon to the church parking lot. Every bag and box made me boil inside. "We brought in almost a thousand dollars!" Mrs. Gray exclaimed at the end of the day. I was incapable of sharing her excitement. All I knew was that every part of me ached. Worse, I felt taken advantage of. Cleaning up the leftovers from the sale, I picked up a cheap factory-embroidered sampler with the phrase, "Love your neighbor as yourself." Dirty and frayed, a dark stain covered the words, "as yourself." No wonder it didn’t sell, I thought, tossing it in the trash. Yet as I drove home, that phrase "as yourself" kept pushing into my thoughts. Love myself? I had been ignoring my own needs for rest and relaxation. And I had been doing a pretty bad job of loving my neighbors. But if I didn’t do all the things people asked of me, who would? I didn’t have to wait long to find out. Within a few days a friend in charge of the altar linens at church called. "Pat, could you handle washing and ironing one weekend each month?" she asked. "I’m sorry," I said. "I don’t think I can." The words sounded strange coming from my mouth. "Okay," she said. "I’ll ask Sheila Connell. She said to give her a buzz if I couldn’t find anyone." So that’s how it works, I thought. Two weeks later Mrs. Gray called to ask me to run another rummage sale. After a moment’s hesitation I said softly, "I’m sorry, but I can’t." "All right. I’ll check with some others. In fact, Mary Swenson mentioned that she’s done rummage sales before." After I got off the phone I smiled. There were other people willing to help. And Lord knew I needed a breather. In fact, in my slavish desire to be of service, I had been denying others the opportunity. What I had to accept was that God loves me as I am, not because of a list of achievements. I am valued by him if I stay at home doing embroidery or take a walk into town or watch the news with John. I need to balance spending time with my family with my other commitments. That night we went out for ice cream after the Little League game. The kids were celebrating a victory, and so, in a way, was I. This article originally appeared in Guideposts magazine. Visit the recently updated guideposts.com today. -<>- _..._ .~ `~. / } \ _.'`~~/ {_,} -( ,'-,___.' .-. / |_ /| __| |__ / ` |_/ [__ __] / \ / | | / '--;_ | | _\ `\ | | / |`-.___. / | | ^^^jgs^^^`--`------'`--`^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ >FAITH By: Joseph J. Mazzella "What does faith feel like?" That was the question a friend sent me in a letter the other day. As I was thinking about how to answer him a single memory kept coming back into my mind. I was 5 years old and very sick. The doctors told my Mom that my tonsils were swollen, infected, and needed to come out. Surgery was scheduled for the next day and I spent the night in the hospital with my Mom sitting at my bedside. She told me gently not to be scared, that she was there for me and would be right here when I woke up after the operation. The next morning the nurses gave me something to sleep before surgery and the last thing I remembered before going under was seeing my Mom’s smiling face. That is until I suddenly woke up to find myself surrounded by strange adults wearing masks. I had come to just before the operation was to begin. My young heart was filled with terror and I sat straight up and screamed "Mommy!" as loud as my painful throat possibly could. The next thing I remembered was seeing my Mom’s loving smile again in the recovery room. She held my hand, whispered words of comfort, and brought me a bowl of ice cream. Even though my throat still hurt I wasn’t scared anymore. I felt loved and everything seemed right with the world again. That is what faith feels like to me. It is feeling loved, cared for, and watched over. It is knowing that no matter how painful or scary life gets you need only to call out to God and He will be there for you. It is having the gentle touch of His hand on your spirit and the loving whisper of His voice in your heart. It is even enjoying the delicious, ice cream filled days of happiness that He gives you here. Most of all, though, it is knowing that you are His Child. Your Heavenly Father loves you joyously, powerfully, and perfectly. Have faith in His love then. Rejoice in your birthright. And share your love with the world. -<>- _____ .'.---.'. // , \\ || `| || || | || || -'- || .-"`'-.,_ _,.-'`"-. / .'--,___`"""`___,--'. \ | /:////_'---'_\\\\:\ | \|:|// `_ _` \\|:|/ '-/| (6/ \6) |\-' \\ | | // `| (._.) |` | _ _ | jgs \ '---' / '--.___.--' >The Cat Who Needed a Night Light On a warm August day, a dainty little cat named Dolores was receiving a special award: the American Humane Association's William O. Stillman award for bravery. The association gives the award to people who risk their lives to save animals from danger, and to animals who face down danger to save the lives of people. Either way, the winners are heroes, whether they're take-charge, fearless sorts of people, or extroverted, devoted pets like Dolores. Dolores hadn't always been an extrovert. And she hadn't seemed very devoted to anyone, either. In fact, she'd been what most people call the quiet type. When she first came to live with her owner, Kyle, Dolores rarely had anything to say. And most of the time, she didn't like being touched. Kyle didn't know why Dolores was so standoffish. And he didn't understand something else about her: why she always became upset whenever the lights were turned out. But Kyle didn't care. Something about the cat's quiet, unassuming manner appealed to him. So, at night, he just left all the lights on in the apartment where he and Dolores lived, even when it was time to go to sleep. And if Dolores wanted to keep her distance - well, he could respect that. Maybe, if he was patient, Dolores would someday decide to come to him, to talk to him, to be friends. So for the next year, Kyle loved Dolores for exactly who she was. He let her keep her distance, and he didn't ask for more than she could give. Then, one May evening, everything changed. The night started like any other. And, at evening's end, Kyle checked - as usual - to make sure all the lights in his apartment were on. Then, he went to sleep. Sometime later he woke with a start. Something was jumping on his head! Paws were scratching his face! And, when he opened his eyes, his apartment was no longer brightly lit; instead it was filled with black smoke. But he could see who was doing the jumping and scratching: Dolores. The little cat was all Kyle could see. But she was enough. Together, the two made their way to the only available exit from the apartment - the back door. Kyle felt his way along the walls. At the same time, he felt for Dolores with his feet and followed her. Finally, the pair reached the back door. Kyle pulled on the knob to open the door, only to have the knob fall off into his hand. The door remained firmly shut. Making his way to the door had taken every bit of strength and oxygen Kyle had, and he collapsed to the floor. But, once again, he felt those insistent paws scratching his face. Kyle mustered his last bit of strength to hurl himself against the door, break it down and run outside to fresh air and safety. Once there, he looked around for the cat who'd saved his life. She wasn't there. With sickening clarity, Kyle realized that Dolores was still inside the apartment. He ran to one of the firefighters. "My cat's still inside my apartment!" he exclaimed. "Can you find her?" The firefighter promised to try. Now all Kyle could do was wait. He knew Dolores's chances weren't good, but still - maybe, just maybe, she would be found alive. An hour or so later, the firefighters brought the blaze under control. And one firefighter brought Kyle a bundle wrapped in a towel. Kyle held his breath. Inside the bundle was Dolores - eyes seared shut, hair singed, but alive. The firefighter explained that Dolores had collapsed just inside the door and that a fireman had stumbled on her when he entered the apartment. After removing her from the apartment, paramedics gave the cat CPR and oxygen before bringing her to Kyle. The fire changed Kyle's life dramatically. He'd lost all his clothes, furniture and other possessions, and had to go live with his mother for a while. His cat had changed, too. The once-quiet Dolores was now a talker who meowed and purred almost constantly. Even more surprising was her new desire to be touched and cuddled - preferably while she was lying on Kyle's lap. Now, just four months later, Dolores was being recognized for her bravery. But Kyle knew he'd gotten a bigger prize. He'd never asked for more than Dolores could give - and then found she was willing to give him everything she had. By Susan McCullough (c) -<>- Movie 1 http://www.buffaloschips.com/acccd.htm Posedis http://www.buffaloschips.com/71002.htm Wake Up http://www.buffaloschips.com/71003.htm Wal-Mart Baby http://www.buffaloschips.com/71004.htm WatDoeJeNou http://www.buffaloschips.com/71005.htm Waterbed http://www.buffaloschips.com/71006.htm Subscribe send a blank email to: the-inspired-buffalo-subscribe@yahoogroups.com =============================================================== >-->From Our Friend Viv :) >God's Wife ,____________, .' '. /~~~~^~~~^~^~~~\ / _ /|| \ ; ( } \||D ; | | /\__,=[_] | ; ( |_\_ |---| ; \ )| |/ | | / jgs'. | /_ | |.' '------------' LOOK OUT FOR THE LAST STORY.... IT WILL KNOCK YOUR SOCKS OFF. Author and lecturer Leo Buscaglia once talked about a contest he was asked to judge. The purpose of the contest was to find the most caring child. The winner was: A four-year-old child, whose next door neighbor was an elderly gentleman, who had recently lost his wife. Upon seeing the man cry, the little boy went into the old gentleman's yard, climbed onto his lap, and just sat there. When his mother asked him what he had said to the neighbor, the little boy just said, 'Nothing, I just helped him cry......' ********************************************* Teacher Debbie Moon's first graders were discussing a picture of a family. One little boy in the picture had a different hair 20 color than the other members. One of her students suggested that he was adopted. A little girl said, 'I know all about adoption, I was adopted..' 'What does it mean to be adopted?', asked another child. 'It means', said the girl, 'that you grew in your mommy's heart instead of her tummy!' ********************************************* On my way ho me one day, I stopped to watch a Little League base ball game that was being played in a park near my home. As I sat down behind the bench on the first- base line, I asked one of the boys what the score was 'We're behind 14 to nothing,' he answered with a smile. 'Really,' I said. 'I have to say you don't look very discouraged.' 'Discouraged?', the boy asked with a puzzled look on his face... 'Why should we be discouraged? We haven't been up to bat yet.' ********************************************* Whenever I'm disappointed with my spot in life, I stop and think about little Jamie Scott. Jamie was trying out for a part in the school play. His mother told me that he'd set his heart on being in it, though she feared he would not be chosen. On the day the parts were awarded, I went with her to collect him after school. Jamie rushed up to her, eyes shining with pride and excitement. 'Guess what, Mom,' he shouted, and then said those words that will remain a lesson to me....'I've been chosen to clap and cheer.' ********************************************* An eye witness account from New =2 0 York City , on a cold day in December, some years ago: A little boy, about 10-years-old, was standing before a shoe store on the roadway, barefooted, peering through the window, and shivering with cold. A lady approached the young boy and said, 'My, but you're in such deep thought staring in that window!' 'I was asking God to give me a pair of shoes,'was the 20 boy's reply. The lady took him by the hand, went into the store, and asked the clerk to get half a dozen pairs of socks for the boy. She then asked if he could give her a basin of water and a towel. He quickly brought them to her. She took the little fellow to the back part of the store and, removing her gloves, knelt down, washed his little feet, and dried them with the towel. By this time, the clerk had returned with the socks. Placing a pair upon the boy's feet, she purchased him a pair of shoes.. She tied up the remaining pairs of socks and gave them to him.. She patted him on the head and said, 'No doubt, you will be more comfortable now.' As she turned to go, the astonished kid caught her by the hand, and looking up into her face, with tears in his eyes, asked her. 'Are you God's wife?' ********************************************* SEND TO ALL WHO LOVE AND CARE FOR CHILDREN. Hope this put a smile on your face it sure did mine. --- ...I'm Smiling! Thanks Viv! ================================================== >-->From CupO'Cheer: .======================================. | ___ ___ ___ _ _ _ | | \_/ \_/ \_/ C|||C|||C||| |-| |-| |-| | | _|_ _|_ _|_ ||| ||| ||| |_| |_| |_| | '===================================== ,sSSSs DUFFY'S WATERING HOLE SSSS "( .:. SSS@ =/ \~/ C|||' SSSS_(_ _Y_ ___|||______________________________SS/ _)_) /.- [____________________________________] \ /\// | ____ ____ ____ ____ | \|==(\_/ | (____) (____) (____) (____) | (/ ; | | | | | | | | | | |____| | | | | | | | | | | \ |\ | | | | | | | | | | ) ) ) | |____| |____| |____| |____| | ( |/ | I====I I====I I====I I====I | /\ | jgs | | | | | | | | | /.(=\ Y\_\ >WATCHING WHAT YOU DRINK By: Joseph J. Mazzella When I began my first semester of college I am sorry to say that I didn't get off to a good start. My friends and I excited with our new found freedom from parental supervision spent far too many hours in the campus pub and far too few in the campus library. Thankfully, three things helped to shock me off the drunken path I was taking and back onto the right one. The first of these was having people telling me about all of the stupid things I had done while drinking that I didn't even remember doing. The second was seeing my first semester grades and realizing just how low my beer powered brain had made them. The straw that broke the camel's back, though, happened on an evening when I decided to stay in my dorm room and go to bed early. I had only been asleep a few hours when my roommate came in from a night at a local bar. Heartbroken over a breakup with a girlfriend he had drowned his sorrows in 13 shots of whiskey. Stumbling over to our bunk beds he stepped on me as he struggled his way up to his top one. Then laying down he let out a sad moan and proceeded to throw up. After stripping off his dripping, vomit soaked sheets and helping him back into bed I decided that it would probably be best if I didn't drink alcohol anymore. I still carry the wisdom of that lesson with me even now. I know that whatever we drink into our hearts and minds will sooner or later come back out of us. If we are always drinking down shots of anger, frustration, jealousy, envy, fear, and hate then sooner or later that is what is going to come spewing out of us as well. If we watch what we drink, however, and gulp down glasses of love, peace, prayer, kindness, goodness, and closeness with God everyday then that is what will pour out of our souls and bless all those around us. May all of your drinks then be divine ones that bring you only joy and wonderful oneness with God. Cheers. as seen in TimeWithGod You can get your own free subscription by sending a blank email to: TimeWithGod-subscribe@topica.com -<>- >GOD’S SURPRISES Occasionally God surprises us by letting us find out how He used some word we spoke or action that we took years ago and perhaps forgot all about. About a century ago Stephen Grellat was led one day to go out to a heavily forested area of America to preach. It was a strong inward compulsion of the Holy Spirit. When he arrived at the loggers' camp, he found they had moved to another location, and their shanties were deserted. However, he was so sure he was sent by God that he went into an empty shanty and preached to the bare walls the sermon God had placed upon his heart. He then returned to his home, He could never understand why God would send him to preach to an empty shanty. Many years later, as he walked across a bridge, a man grasped his arm, "I found you at last," the man said. "I think you are mistaken," said Mr. Grellat. "No, Didn't you preach in an empty shanty in the woods years ago?" "Yes," Mr. Grellat admitted, "but no one was there." "I was the foreman in charge of the loggers," the stranger explained. "We had moved to a new location, before long I realized I'd left one of my tools behind. I returned to get it and heard a voice in one of the shanties, I peered through a crack between the logs and saw you. You never saw me, but I listened to the rest of the sermon, God touched my heart that day and I became so convicted of my sins, that after some time I purchased a Bible, repented of my sins, and became a Christian, then I began to win my men to Christ. Your sermon has led over a thousand people to Christ, and three of them have gone on to become missionaries!" © Wesley L Duewel, as seen at www.fathershands.com -<>- To SUBSCRIBE: Send an e-mail with SUBSCRIBE CUP O'CHEER in the subject line to cheer316@sc.rr.com ======================================================== _ \`. ,-'"--.\ \ _.-"---. "` \ ________________<._.- \_________________ | .-'.-".--+._ i \:::::::%:::| | _ <.-'.-' \ .'[ |%::::::%:::| | (_) `-' __ [ ' f |%%::::%::::| | _ _.__,---,-( ) _ | j |%%%::VVV:::| | /:\ (__. _ |__ ' ) `i t, |%%%:::\%:::| ||:L%| |%||:|`--'---' | .'f |%%:::::|%::| |::%%%| |%|::] j '/ /%%::::::|:::| _.--.,-%%%%| |%%|:::[ | ,f /%%::::;-;::;;| ( ")%| |%%|::::] ['/ /%%::::f `' | .'" BEEP `%%| /%%%|:::::i .--j /_./%%%;'`'_ | `. BEEP !! )%| /%%%|::::::] <-""-<:==;%%j c-( ") .-. | ( _.-%%|/%%%%|::|%|::i_ / >._.Y-<|%%(-(____,: (_) | `----(_ (%%%%%\ /%| /.' -| f\ >-========--) | `-\ _. |%::\ // f/ |j|%(-' ) _ ) | | ` .-" `. __ .'/ //==//=='==) )===='- | | j ,_.-.'/"\ .;-' //""//"|%(""")'".- '")| |___],f|___(V[ ]=='_____ //_ //__|%%(`-'`" _____)| | VV 9`\/,zz="=--;/==//=;=;=;=(__,_ ,.__.)| | ='_/ ""z-;_===""" `";-, "" | | .%. " "z__.--"""--"""=;=;=;=;=;=;=;= -| | ..:::%%... __ | |________________,..___________/%\:-._____________| |_____________.%%%%:::-.______/%%%\::\_________LS_| >-->THE OLD PATHS I liked the old paths, when Moms were at home. Dads were at work. Brothers went into the army. And sisters got married BEFORE having children! Crime did not pay; Hard work did; And people knew the difference. Moms could cook; Dads would work; Children would behave. Husbands were loving; Wives were supportive; And children were polite. Women wore the jewelry; And Men wore the pants. Women looked like ladies; Men looked like gentlemen; And children looked decent. People loved the truth, And hated a lie; They came to church to get IN, Not to get OUT! Hymns sounded Godly; Sermons sounded helpful; Rejoicing sounded normal; And crying sounded sincere. Cursing was wicked; Drugs were for illness; And divorce was unthinkable. The flag was honored; America was beautiful; And God was welcome! We read the Bible in public; Prayed in school; And preached from house to house To be called an American was worth dying for; To be called a Christian was worth living for; To be called a traitor was a shame! Preachers preached because they had a message; And Christians rejoiced because they had the VICTORY! Preachers preached from the Bible; Singers sang from the heart; And sinners turned to the Lord to be SAVED! A new birth meant a new life; Salvation meant a changed life; Following Christ led to eternal life. Being a preacher meant you proclaimed the word of God; Being a deacon meant you would serve the Lord; Being a Christian meant you would live for Jesus; And being a sinner meant someone was praying for you! Laws were based on the Bible; Homes read the Bible; And churches taught the Bible. God was worshiped; Christ was exalted; And the Holy Spirit was respected.. Church was where you found Christians On the Lord's day, rather than in the garden, On the creek bank, on the golf course, Or being entertained somewhere else. I still like the old paths the best! /^L_ ,."\ /~\ __ /~ \ ./ \ / _\ _/ \ /T~\|~\_\ / \_ /~| _^ / \ /W \ / V^\/X /~ T . \/ \ ,v-./ ,'`-. /~ ^ H , . \/ ; . \ `. \-' / M ~ | . ; / , _ : . ~\_,-' / ~ . \ / : ' \ ,/` I o. ^ oP '98b - _ 9.` `\9b. 8oO888. oO888P d888b9bo. .8o 888o. 8bo. o 988o. 88888888888888888888888888bo.98888888bo. 98888bo. .d888P 88888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888 88888888888888P" "" " """9888P" P" "8P" ""*9888888888 --Old Paths was written by a retired ministter who lives in Tennessee ---> Visit my CyberHome - ALWAYS OPEN HOUSEE :) Shangy! ------------------------------------------------------------------------ http://www.ShangralaFamilyFun.com/index.html Shangrala ------------------------------------------------------------------------ -->Bigham's Computer Rescue - PC Sales & Seervice You can trust us to provide you with quality computer sales and repair. We've been servicing the Van Wert area since 1981 and can help you with all your computer needs. Please phone us at 419-238-5806 ************************************************************************ -->This is for all you who love food and DAARE to make it at home Yep. You guessed it - Recipes. These are Tried and True, Yummy to the Tummy, good old fashioned home cooking recipes that are EASY to do :) Visit Shangy's Easy-Does-It Home Recipes: http://www.ShangralaFamilyFun.com/easy.html Home Recipes >Got A good Recipe? SHARE IT HERE: Share A Recipe ************************************************************************ >TO SUBSCRIBE: This Weeks regular Shangy emails OR Send a BLANK email to ShangyFunList-subscribe@yahoogroups.com ************************************************************************