The Picture Frame And More... :) 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 ================ *~* 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 flaming hot new page is from our friend MikeC. It is sure to dazzle you with it's awesome eye candy along with giving you plenty of oos and awws to mesmerize you with its array of artistic beauty. Be sure to watch the videos here for a more delightful immersive of sound and light: + (|) _____.___.|_|. | / \ |===| | / \ | o | |__/__v__\|, ,| | | | | | || || |/| . . . |','| ||| A A A | , | ||| M M M | | wtx --------------------- Montreal Aura Basilica http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/montrealaura.html --- ...Absolutely spectacular! Thanks MikeC! =========================================================== >-->From Heartwarmers: Guard well within yourself that treasure, kindness. Know how to give without hesitation, how to lose without regret, how to acquire without meanness. -- George Sand ____ ___|=--=/ \=--=| :(___.--. .--.___): { __ ' ) ( ` __ )= ""----'Ahas '----"" ====' >AN OLD SHOE BOX by Linda Smith In 1979, my father's father passed away at the age of 98. A few short weeks after the funeral, my father told me that he was going back to San Jose, California, where Granddad's home was, to be of assistance with the disposal of the contents of the house. He asked me if there was anything from Granddad's home that I would like to have, by way of a keepsake. I thought of all the wonderful smells and treasures in all the rooms of the home, that I had visited so often through the years, and everything brought back memories of family gatherings with aunts, uncles, cousins, and the adventures of hide-n'-seek. The kitchen and breakfast room were marvelous! The stove was an old, vintage gas stove, with a fancy little storage cubby for matches. Over the sink was a small "window" to the breakfast room, where we enjoyed so many delicious early morning meals of orange juice, flap jacks with homemade maple syrup, or eggs and biscuits with gravy. On the back porch was an old ringer washer. My grandmother used it until she passed away when I was 7, but Granddad bought a new automatic washer when he remarried a few years later. I missed the old ringer! There was the main floor bedroom where my grandmother spent so many months in bed before she left us, with her dresserful of treasures, and the room that always seemed to be saved for when my aunt was visiting. Upstairs were more bedrooms, each with their special smells and memories. But, in the dining room there was a narrow shelf that ran around the whole room, high above the reach of small children. On this shelf was a collection of teacups and saucers from my grandmother's travels. One in particular had caught my eye when I was very young. It was white, decorated with an embossed gray dragon that had a glittering turquoise jewel for an eye. This was the only thing in the house that I wanted. "It's yours!" my father told me. When he arrived, much of the work was already done. My aunt and her daughters had claimed nearly all the furniture, after having spent so many years caring for Granddad and his home. That was, well, ... OK. But when my father asked about the teacup, his sister told him, "Oh, one of my girls already has that and will not give it up." Disappointed, Dad walked around the house wondering what he could salvage from what was left to bring to me, that would be a remembrance of my grandparents. He ended up in the attic, which had already been emptied of antiques, such as the old cylinder record player and treadle sewing machine. All that was left were a few old shoe and boot boxes in the corners. Dad began looking, found one he thought worth his time, tucked it under his arm and walked out of the house, while asking if anyone was interested in any of the old shoe boxes from the attic. I am now in possession of the contents of that box. My cousins can have all the furniture and dishes, scarves and jewelry. I have the family! Contained in the old shoe box were photos of my ancestors dating back through the Civil War, with letters, journals, records with dates and places, post cards, and much in the way of personal histories. I was able to make a picture pedigree, which extends for 7 generations beginning with my children. In looking at all the pictures, I can see the resemblance I have to them. My 3rd great-grandmother's jaw-line is evident in every generation right to my picture. I don't particularly look like her, but she is part of me. I remember the teacup with its sparkling turquoise gem and all the memories that surround it. It is as bright in my mind today as the day I first saw it. But I no longer imagine who my ancestors are. They are real, and preserved in a beautifully arranged scrapbook (courtesy of my daughter, Rebecca) and I can now visit each of them every day. Thanks Dad! -- Linda Smith ___________________________________________ Linda has been married nearly 30 years, has 8 children, and 8 grandchildren. She earned her AA degree at the age of 49, and works in her local community college as a computer tutor. She says that the scrapbook, all the family histories, and now her own family photo albums have been scanned and put on CD for each of her children, so they can share the precious family treasure. =========================================================== >-->What's This All About? - by emb _ .-. / ) .-. ___ __ ( ) ( ( ( ) .'___) (__'-._) ( \ '._) (,'.' '. '-. '. / "\ ' -. '. ) / \ \ .-. ,'. ) ( ',_) _ .' ( \ \ ( \ . .' .' ) .-. ( \ ( .''. '. \ \| .' .' ,',--, / ( ) ) ) \ \ ', : \ .-' ( ( ( ( _) (,' / \ \ : : ) / _ ' . \ \ ,' / ,' ,' : ; / /,' '. /.' / / ( (\ ( '.' " ( .-'. \ '' \_)\ \ \ | \ \__ ) ) ___\ | \___; / , / / ___) ( ( ( PN '.' ) ;) ; (_/(_/ ---------------------------------------------------- From The White House: A celebration of America... Tuesday, President Trump addressed a crowd gathered on the White House South Lawn. "It is my great pleasure to welcome everyone to the White House for this patriotic celebration. A beautiful, beautiful day, and a beautiful celebration," the President said. "We love our country. We respect our flag. And we always proudly stand for the National Anthem. We always will stand for the National Anthem," he continued. "So we stand together for freedom. We stand together for patriotism. And we proudly stand for our glorious Nation under God." The ceremony included performances of the Star-Spangled Banner and God Bless America by the United States Marine Band and the United States Army Chorus. With the full Philadelphia Eagles football team unable to come to the White House for a commemoration of their Super Bowl championship, President Trump welcomed Eagles fans and others for a different kind of celebration. ,-. ,-. __ ( )) \ )\ ,"::". ) ( ,-. \ \|::::::( )/%%/ \ \::::::/) (/%%/ `__\:::,-"-. )%/ ,####`'/88888\-' |#### #|\88888/ \######/)`.8,' `####'(.-'7\ `7`-().,'/) /)/`y( ( ( ( )\ ` ' ` ` hjw >So, what's this all about? Why wasn't the NFL Eagles able to come to the White House to commemorate their Super Bowl championship? Why did President Trump have to welcome their fans and others with a different kind of celebration? Why indeed. It seems as if the NFL Eagles wanted to play 'revenge' on President Trump for his opposition to the NFL members taking a knee during the playing of the National Anthem at half time in their games. They told him on Monday that only around 3 team players and their mascot would be able to attend on Tuesday. So President Trump rightly 'uninvited' them. Knowing that around 1000 Eagle fans had RSVP that they were attending, he decided to host a party celebrating America so as not to disappoint them. When you are the President of the United States, you represent all 325.7 million of its people. As President Trump has said time and time again, we all bleed the same color of blood. We are one people, one nation, under God. That's what United means - joined together for a common purpose, or by common feelings. Our country has one flag to represent all of our country and we have one song which is our National Anthem. To not stand and show respect for that flag during that song here in this country is to show disrespect for every single citizen of the United States. Our veterans fought, bled and died under that flag for each one of us to have the freedoms we enjoy now in this country. The left and those who want to protest by taking a knee instead of giving proper respect say that President Trump doesn't understand what they are protesting. Of course he does. Look at what he ran on... Jobs, Jobs, Jobs! - That was and is his primary goal for America. To get our jobs and our economy back to where it is supposed to be so that we as Americans can live a more prosperous life. ALL AMERICANS! , , /////| ///// | ///// | |~~~| | | |===| |/| | B |/| | | I | | | | B | | | | L | / | E | / |===|/ jgs '---' Why? Because the bible clearly teaches us - Eph.4: [28] Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth. If there aren't enough jobs, that is a big problem! Less jobs = unemployment = idle hands = minorities being hurt worse Less jobs = less money for all people = more gang rivalry and violence Less jobs = more overall crime and killings __.------. (__ ___ ) .)e )\ / /_.------ _/_ _/ __.' / ' `-.__ / <.--' `\ / \ \c | / / ) GoT x \ | /\ |c / \.- \ \__/ ) /( ( \ <>'\ / _/ _\- `-. \/_|_ /<> / /--/,-\ _ \ <>.`. \/`--\_._) - / `-/\ `.\ / `. / ) `\ \ \ \___/----' | / `( ___________ \ ./\_ _ \ ______________ / | ) '| __________________ | / \ \ ___________a:f / | |____.) / \ a88a\___/88888a. \_ :)8888888888888888888a. /` `-----' `Y88888888888888888 \____| `88888888888P' The police have to deal with all this extra violence as well. To try and protect people from criminals, the police have to try and put the people in jail who are preying on innocent people. That is their job. At the same time they have to protect their own selves and that of their fellow officers so that they do not become victims of the criminals. More often than not, the criminal is a minority because of them being hurt the worse by the lack of available jobs. The police know this and are in heightened alert when having to deal with a person of color. The opposite would be true if the minority in the US were white people. Then the police would be extra cautious around white people. The fact is, the minorities are the ones with the highest unemployment and thus are more likely to be the criminals. That's also why more people of color are locked up. They are the ones most likely causing the crimes. https://tinyurl.com/y8hgzc2m , , /////| ///// | ///// | |~~~| | | |===| |/| | B |/| | | I | | | | B | | | | L | / | E | / |===|/ jgs '---' After all, if you are 'working with your hands the thing which is good' as the bible says, then you don't have time to be out preying on others. The people protesting by taking a knee say they are protesting police brutality and racism against blacks. How does police brutality have anything to do with our nation's flag and National Anthem? It is best not to disrespect those who are providing you with a job - and a very high paying job at that! The people who watch these football games are paying to be entertained, not to be disrespected. Many people have served in the military under that flag, lost limbs or have other disabilities or have lost their loved ones - All so these NFL players could have the freedom to protest. We get it. Trump gets it. We all don't like it, But we are all one nation, under God and as such we honor and respect our country and its people - doing our best to actually better it. Like what Trump is doing. He's not disrespecting our country and the people who gave their lives for it! He is working hard and actually making a difference lowering our unemployment numbers and bringing back jobs and prosperity to all our people. Trying to make America Great Again! The NFL is acting like a spoiled little brat who when they don't get their way act out and try to make everyone's life miserable. By not going to their own national celebration party at the nation's capital, (which should have been a great honor for them as a team - how many of us have ever gotten a celebration in our honor hosted by the President of the United States at the White House? - not to mention even going to the White House?), they instead throw a tantrum by figuratively sticking out their tongues at President Trump and all their fans who had planned and spent their hard earned money to be there to help congratulate them on their winning the Super Bowl. It's par for the course and like they have been doing all along. They don't seem to care how ungrateful and disrespectful they are to us Americans. Most shameful to themselves and pretty pathetic. __ .-'||'-. .' || '. / __||__ \ | /`- -`\ | | | 6 6 | | \/\____7___/\/ .--------:\:I:II:I:/;--------. / \`:I::I:`/ \ | `------' | | \____/ | | , __ ___ , | |======| / | / _ \ |======| |======| ^| | | | | | |======| |~~~~~| | | | |_| | |~~~~~| | |\ [___] \___/ /| | \ \| |/ / `\ \ _ _.-=""=-._ _ / /' `\ '`_)\\-++++-//(_`' /' jgs ; (__|| ||__) ; ; ___\ /___ ; '. ---/-=..=-\--- .' `""` `""` I guess we'll just have to enjoy our wonderful college football games! At least they, like our great basketball teams, honor and respect the United States and its people by standing for our flag and Anthem. After all, we only have one country. We need to proudly stand up and always support it. Love it or leave it! See these pages: An Open Letter http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/openletter.html These Colors http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/thesecolors.html Amazing Athlete Homes 2 http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/athletehomes2.html FULL Troop INDEX!- http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/911andtroopsindex.html =========================================================== >-->From Archives InspiredBuffalo: .-~*~--,. .-. .-~-. ./OOOOOOOOO\.'OOO`9~~-. .`OOOOOO.OOM.OLSONOOOOO@@OOOOOO\ /OOOO@@@OO@@@OO@@@OOO@@@@@@@@OOOO`. |OO@@@WWWW@@@@OOWWW@WWWW@@@@@@@OOOO). .-'OO@@@@WW@@@W@WWWWWWWWOOWW@@@@@OOOOOO} /OOO@@O@@@@W@@@@@OOWWWWWOOWOO@@@OOO@@@OO| lOOO@@@OO@@@WWWWWWW\OWWWO\WWWOOOOOO@@@O.' \OOO@@@OOO@@@@@@OOW\ \WWWW@@@@@@@O'. `,OO@@@OOOOOOOOOOWW\ \WWWW@@@@@@OOO) \,O@@@@@OOOOOOWWWWW\ \WW@@@@@OOOO.' `~c~8~@@@@WWW@@W\ \WOO|\UO-~' (OWWWWWW@/\W\ ___\WO) `~-~'' \ \WW=*' __\ \ \ \ \ __\ \ \ \ \ \ \ \\ \\ \ \ >Staying Power by Kim Sherer, in Today’s Christian Woman One night while my young son, Ryan, was sleeping, a storm began brewing outside. After a loud clap of thunder, I heard Ryan wake up so I headed toward his room to comfort him. He asked me to stay with him until he fell asleep. As I lay there I realized Ryan hadn’t asked me to make the storm go away, but to stay with him. How many times, I wondered, have I asked God to take away the storms of life, when instead I need to ask him to stay with me and help me weather them more peacefully? -<>- ___ /` _\ | / 0|--. - / \_|0`/ /.`'._/) - ~ -^_| /-_~ ^- ~_` - -~ _ - ~ -| | - ~ - ~ - jgs \ \, ~ - ~ \_| >MILLENNIUM DREAM The daughter of comedian Groucho Marx was once denied admittance to an exclusive country club swimming pool with her friends because she and her family were not members. Realizing what had happened, embarrassed officials sent the Marx family an apology and an application to join. Groucho declined the invitation with the comment, "I wouldn't want to belong to any club that would have me as a member." Someone still tried to smooth over the incident by persuading the comedian to allow an application to be submitted for membership. The country club was embarrassed further when the application was denied. The reason? The Marx family was Jewish and the club was "restricted. " True to form, Groucho wrote back: "My wife is not Jewish. Can she go swimming and let our daughter wade up to her waist?" I love his use of humor, but Groucho effectively shines a spotlight on the prevalence and absurdity of prejudice. He must have felt, as did Sir Isaac Newton so many years earlier, that we "build too many walls and not enough bridges." I yearn for a time when we courageously break down those walls that divide and build wide bridges between one another. I long for a super-highway of compassion and acceptance spanning our differences that will unite us as one. As we ease into a new millennium, I dream of an age when people will finally be connected heart to heart and mind to mind. My greatest desire is that we somehow learn what it means to be family. -- Steve Goodier -<>- >Be a Good Steward 12 small things you can do to improve the planet By Matthew Sleeth, M.D. Wilmore, Kentucky 4 Things You Can Do Today 1. Pick up and throw away any trash you see on the ground. 2. Turn off the faucet while brushing teeth and shaving. 3. Give something away. 4. Spend at least 10 minutes quietly in nature (it’s okay if that means your backyard or your town park). 4 Things You Can Do This Week 1. Take a day of rest—no shopping, no working, no driving. 2. Recycle everything you possibly can. 3. Change at least some of the light bulbs in your home from incandescent ones to compact fluorescents. 4. Air dry your laundry on a clothesline. 4 Things You Can Do This Month 1. Stock up on cloth shopping bags to kick the paper habit. 2. Talk to your school or workplace about using recycled paper in the printers. 3. Donate clothes you haven’t worn in the past year. 4. Install low-flow showerheads in your bathroom. Matthew Sleeth is the author of Serve God, Save the Planet. For more information, visit, servegodsavetheplanet.org. -<>- ///"\ |6 6| \ - / .@@@. __) (__ @6 6@/ \./ \ @ = @ : : : \ _) (_'| : |) ) /' \./ '\ : |_/ / /\ _ /\ \=o==|) \ \ ) (/ /%|%%' '7/ \7%%|%%' | |`%%|%%' | |`%%|%%' | | %%|%% |_.._| /_|_\ pjb >The Power of Kindness After having just lost his bride of 42 years, a reader named Bob wrote to tell me how deeply important it's been to him to be the beneficiary of grand and spontaneous acts of kindness of strangers. In one case, he was overcome with emotion and began to cry while making copies of all the notes of love and support he received. Seeing his pain, a young woman hugged him until he regained control. Weeks later, he was at a restaurant alone and began to cry when he thought about his wife. A waitress sat beside him and held his hand. As long as there are people like that in the world, Bob concluded, there's still hope. The great musician Pablo Casals said, "Each person has inside a basic decency and goodness. If he acts on it and listens to it, he is giving a great deal of what the world needs most. It is not complicated, but it takes courage. It takes courage for a person to listen to his own goodness and act upon it." Poet William Wordsworth put it another way, declaring that the best portions of a good person's life are "little, nameless, unremembered acts of kindness and love." And novelist Henry James said, "Three things in human life are important: The first is to be kind. The second is to be kind. And the third is to be kind." Think how much better the world would be, and how much more gratifying your life would be, if every day each of us set out to lighten the life or brighten the day of another with simple kindness. This is Michael Josephson reminding you that character counts. -<>- _ _ (.)_(.) _ ( _ ) _ / \/`-----'\/ \ __\ ( ( ) ) /__ ) /\ \._./ /\ ( jgs )_/ /|\ /|\ \_( >KEEP SWIMMING!! Two frogs fell into a deep cream bowl. One was an optimistic soul. But the other took the gloomy view. "We'll drown," he lamented without much ado, and with a last despairing cry, he flung up his legs and said "Goodbye." The other frog said with a steadfast grin, "I can't get out but I won't give in, I'll just swim around 'till my strength is spent, then I'll die the more content." Bravely he swam to work his scheme, and his struggles began to churn the cream. The more he swam, his legs a flutter, the more the cream turned into butter. On top of the butter at last he stopped, and out of the bowl he gaily hopped. What is the moral? It's easily found... If you can't hop out, keep swimming around! -<>- >Links for Your Enjoyment: Feather Painting Art http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/feather.html Military Motivational Posters http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/military.html FINANCIAL STEWARDSHIP http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/BibleStudy/financialstewardship.html Lean On Me http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/poems/leanonme.html Salvation Mountain http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/salvation.html Fantasy Trees http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/trees.html VOLKNER MOBIL RV http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/rv.html Hand Painting Art http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/hpaint.html Maxine On Jesus http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/maxineonjesus.html Rules For Raising Children http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/rulesforchildren.html Police Dogs http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/policedogs.html Woman Cops Around The World http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/womancops.html -<>- When It Might Not Look Like God Is At Work https://tinyurl.com/y95quhj9 Daddy's Hands http://dedeswalkwithgod.com/Daddys_Hands.html Dede's Home page http://dedeswalkwithgod.com/Home.html NASA: A Desert City Blooms http://www.nasa.gov/topics/earth/features/landsat25/landsat1984.html Study Guides http://www.studygs.net/ Mystery Net http://www.mysterynet.com/solveit/solveit007/ Wedding Hairstyles http://www.weddinghairstyles.org/ Spelling Bee http://www.spellingbee.com/ OldVersion.com http://www.oldversion.com/ 500 days of unapologetic American leadership on the world stage https://tinyurl.com/y933gtcb 500 days of making government for the people https://tinyurl.com/y83jt3un A historic moment for America's veterans https://tinyurl.com/ybsjf3pe In The Wall Street Journal, Eric Morath writes that “for the first time since such record-keeping began in 2000, the number of available positions exceeded the number of job seekers,” according to the Labor Department. https://tinyurl.com/y74rxgtx (Vice President Mike Pence turns 59 today. Happy birthday, Mr. Vice President!) -<>- >From Our Friend LouiseAu :) Someday this little girl will make some lucky man a very thoughtful wife. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nQhZVrCIHsE --- ...Oh Gee! 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 ========================================================== ( ) ) _.(--"("""--.._ /, _..-----).._,\ | `'''-----'''` | \ / '. .' jgs '--.....--' >Thanks for Your Inspiration Story Editor: by Ward Miller Joyce Schowalter New York, USA My mother was a remarkable woman. Born on a farm in Wisconsin in 1897, her high school graduation picture shows a beautiful young lady with long brown hair and blue eyes. She attended college in Milwaukee with Golda Meier (Israel's first premier). One of my earliest recollections, when I was about 3, is of a bitter cold day in 1932, the middle of the Great Depression. A man knocked on our back door, and asked my mother for something to eat, as he hadn't eaten in three days. Mom said she was cooking stew and would give him some. "But as my husband isn't here, you must eat on the back porch." She gave him a heaping plate of stew plus two slices of bread. Later he knocked again. Tears streamed down his cheeks as he handed Mom the fork and plate -- as clean as if washed -- saying, "God bless you, Madam." At that moment I learned what a compassionate person my mother was. At age 21, in 1918, my mother began employment with the Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA). She was assigned to a new facility in northern Georgia. She, a Yankee in the Deep South, was assigned alone to create YWCA programs for a doubting small community. She told stories about "those Y days", about wonderful people who welcomed her into the community. When my sister became a Girl Scout, Mom was the troop leader. Soon she was president of our school PTA. In her later years, my mother established Rossville, Georgia's Garden Club, the Professional Women's club, the town's first lending library (which she served for 50 years) and other "firsts". There was quite a turnout at her funeral in 1990, when she died at 93. At the wake my sister and I moved among her many friends, exchanging remembrances. At one point we saw a stranger turn away from the casket with tears on his face. We approached him and my sister asked, "Did you know my mother well?" He replied, "I guess so. I owe my life to her!" He told us that when he was a young child, in 1918, his family of seven all came down with the flu. The "new lady from the YWCA" heard about their illness and came to help. This 21-year-old shy girl, from almost a thousand miles away, stayed in their house with them, caring for each when they could not get out of bed or cook their own meals. He said, "We would never have made it without her loving care." Amazingly, the night before I had read a brief account of that very incident in one of my mother's diaries. Recently reading that a "bird" flu may have been responsible for the 40 to 50 million flu deaths worldwide in 1918 and 1919, I was reminded of my personal connection to that time. Today when I hear about the avian flu, I have a warm feeling about my wonderful mother. =======HeroicStories======= >-->From Laugh And Lift: "Christians don't work in order to go to heaven; they work because they are going to heaven. Arrogance and fear are replaced with gratitude and joy." - Max L. Lucado __________________________ /| | / | ____ ____ ____ | / | |o | | , | | _ | | / | | O | |. | |(@) | | / | |_,k,| |_,-,| |\|p | | / /| | | h | | ,; | | | | | / / | | |_z__| |____| |____| | / /@;| | z z | / |Y | z|_{)_______________________| / | / /z /H / /| |/ /z Y / / | / {) d / / %| / /| | |&"| / Y | | / / d | |/ / | / | / | / | / | / |/ David Riley >The Picture Frame (By Roy Irwin) [Edited] Not long ago I attended a printing industry trade show. In addition to seeing the latest technology, one of the great things about these shows is the beautiful printed samples that are given away as promotional pieces. One piece in particular that I received was so beautiful, I decided to have it framed. I took the print to a local framing shop. After discussing with the owner what I wanted, I was instructed to pick out the matte color and the type of wood to be used to make the frame. I was shown a wall that had dozens of wood samples from which to choose for the frame. There were different colors of wood, a variety of patterns, a number of thickness, shapes and cuts. After making my selection, I brought the wood sample to the store owner. We agreed on a price and he began work on my frame. What happened next caused my jaw to drop and is something that I will never, ever forget. The store owner took the wood sample from me and looked it over curiously. He then walked back to the area where the frames are cut and assembled and began looking through the scrap bin. ... Yes, ... the SCRAP BIN!!! You can imagine the look on my face as I watched the owner pull out several 'scraps' of wood that matched the sample that I had given him. One by one, he looked them over, inspecting for damage, making sure they were usable, and then began the process of constructing my frame. At first, I was angry that MY frame was being made from 'scraps'. After a short time, the store owner presented me with my framed print. My anger was quickly displaced however when I saw the finished product. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. It was absolutely beautiful. How could something that was made from discarded pieces of scrap come together to make something so perfect, beautiful and useful? Today my print is hung on a wall in our living room. When we have guests over, we often get nice compliments on it. If they only knew... Only in the hands of a master craftsman can such a transformation take place. Creating order from chaos. You see it when a painter creates a masterpiece from carefully mixed hues of ink; from a potter who shapes blocks of clay into beautiful pottery; from a florist who creates a lovely arrangement. My frame reminds me of the church body. The church is made up of people with different backgrounds, different talents and gifts - all coming together to glorify God. Much like the wood in my frame that was saved from destruction, we are all sinners who have been saved by Jesus Christ from eternal destruction. The Bible describes the church in I Corinthians 12:12 and 27: "The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ.(v12)...Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it.(v27)" (NIV) Roy Putnam, in his book "In It to Win It" said it this way: "We don't join the church and become a Christian. We join Christ and become the church." On our own, we are like scraps of wood and are useless. However, when we submit ourselves to the Lordship of Jesus Christ, we allow Him to be the final authority in our lives. He is the Master Craftsman. He takes our imperfections and molds us into His Church to His Glory. In His hands, we are..."made holy, useful to the Master and prepared for any good work." 2 Timothy 2:21 (NIV) "Dear Lord, you are the Master Craftsman. On our own we can do nothing, but in your hands, we are made into something beautiful and useful. Help us to remember that you have fashioned us into a great body called the Church in order to bring glory to You. Amen." (Copyright 1998 Argyle Giraffe Productions. This may not be resold or used for the enhancement of any product sold without the written permission of Argyle Giraffe Productions.) -<>- $$$$$$$$$$$$R$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $$$$$$$V "Y .""**##%%$$$$$$$$$ $$$$# `$$N$$$$$$$$$mmmuuu:.""# $$R $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $! @$$$$$""R$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $> '$$$$$F $$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $W $$$$: R$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $$ $$8$$R:x@$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $$$ $$$$x$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $$$ $N$ "$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $$ $$$$ @ $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $` u$$$$$ R$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ N$R$$$$ R$$$$$$$$$$$$$ *$$@$$$f .i. `$$$$$$$$$$$$ k 9$$$. $$$$$$$$$$$ R M$$$$$. $$$$$$$$$ $ 4$$$$$$$. $$$$$$$$ $ @$$$$$$$$$b-B>R$$$$ $ $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $ < $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $ $b $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $$$$i $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $$$$$c #$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $$$$$R ?$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $$$$$$ $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $$$$$$ $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $$$$$$ .i. #$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $$$$$R d$b M$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $$$$$r $$$$$$ 9$$$$$$$$$$$$ $$$$# X$$$$$$$od$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ Bob Allison >Guidance (Author Unknown) When I thought about the word guidance, I kept seeing "dance" at the end of the word. I remember reading that doing God's will is a lot like dancing. When two people try to lead, nothing feels right. The movement doesn't flow with the music, and everything is quite uncomfortable and jerky. When one person relaxes and lets the other lead, both bodies begin to flow with the music. One gives gentle cues, perhaps with a nudge to the back or by pressing lightly in one direction or another. It's as if two become one body, moving beautifully. The dance takes surrender, willingness, and attentiveness from one person and gentle guidance and skill from the other. My eyes drew back to the word guidance. When I saw "G," I thought of God, followed by "u" and "i." God, "u" and "I" dance. God, you and I dance. This statement is what guidance means to me. As I lowered my head, I became willing to trust that I would get guidance about my life. Once again, I became willing to let God lead. 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 ========================================================== >-->From LynnLynn's: , , /////| ///// | ///// | |~~~| | | |===| |/| | B |/| | | I | | | | B | | | | L | / | E | / |===|/ jgs '---' >The Living Bible This is such a great example of The Living Bible. His name is Bill. He has wild hair, wears a T-shirt with holes in it, jeans, and no shoes. This was literally his wardrobe for his entire four years of college. He is brilliant. Kind of profound and very, very bright. He became a Christian while attending college. Across the street from the campus is a well-dressed, very conservative church. They want to develop a ministry to the students but are not sure how to go about it. One day Bill decides to go there. He walks in with no shoes, jeans, his T-shirt, and wild hair. The service has already started and so Bill starts down the aisle looking for a seat. The church is completely packed and he can't find a seat. By now, people are really looking a bit uncomfortable, but no one says anything. Bill gets closer and closer and closer to the pulpit, and when he realizes there are no seats, he just squats down right on the carpet. By now the people are really uptight, and the tension in the air is thick. About this time, the minister realizes that from way at the back of the church, a deacon is slowly making his way toward Bill. Now the deacon is in his eighties, has silver-gray hair, and a three piece suit. A godly man, very elegant, very dignified, very courtly. He walks with a cane and, as he starts walking toward this boy, everyone is saying to themselves that you can't blame him for what he's going to do. How can you expect a man of his age and of his background to understand some college kid on the floor? It takes a long time for the man to reach the boy. The church is utterly silent except for the clicking of the man's cane. All eyes are focused on him. You can't even hear anyone breathing. The minister can't even preach the sermon until the deacon does what he has to do. And now they see this elderly man drop his cane on the floor. With great difficulty, he lowers himself and sits down next to Bill and worships with him so he won't be alone. Everyone chokes up with emotion. When the minister gains control, he says, "What I'm about to preach, you will never remember. What you have just seen, you will never forget." "Be careful how you live. You may be the only Bible some people will ever read". - Author Unknown I asked the Lord to bless you as I prayed for you today. To guide you and protect you as you go along your way.... His love is always with you, His promises are true, And when we give Him all our cares, You know He will see us through. Pass this to People you want God to Bless. I JUST DID -<>- _ /_) (8_))}- . \_) '. .--. . , .-.-,_, : '. .' )`-.>'` ( '---'`; / `\ | . | | | _.' \ / / .' `=(\ /.=` ' `-;`.-' '._ `)| , ` ' ' ' ' ' || .-'| ,_|| \_,/ , \|| .' |\|\ , ||/ ,_\` |/| |Y_, '-.'-._\||/ >_.-`Y| ` ,_|| \|| || jgs || |/ >The Rose Within A certain man planted a rose and watered it faithfully, and before it blossomed, he examined it. He saw the bud that would soon blossom-but also the thorns. And he thought, "How can any beautiful flower come from a plant burdened with so many sharp thorns?" Saddened by this thought, he neglected to water the rose, and before it was ready to bloom, it died. So it is with many people. Within every soul there is a rose. The God-like qualities planted in us at birth grow amid the thorns of our faults. Many of us look at ourselves and see only the thorns, the defects. We despair, thinking that nothing good can possibly come from us. We neglect to water the good within us, and eventually it dies. We never realize our potential. Some people do not see the rose within themselves; someone else must show it to them. One of the greatest gifts a person can possess is to be able to reach past the thorns and find the rose within others. This is the characteristic of love: to look at a person and, knowing his faults, recognize the nobility in his soul and help him realize that he can overcome his faults. If we show him the rose, he will conquer the thorns. Then will he blossom, blooming forth thirty, sixty, a hundred-fold as it is given to him. Our duty in this world is to help others by showing them their roses and not their thorns. Only then can we achieve the love we should feel for each other; only then can we bloom in our own garden. ========================================================== .-'`"'-. _.---. .' \ .' '. / \ / \ | __ Y __ | | .'` '-./ .-' `'. | \ / ',,' \ /-. \| .-"()"-. |/--.`\ | /` /||\ `\ | \ \ \ | | / ; ; '--`\ /`--' | | '-.__.-' ; ; __ / / .-'''-` '. .-. _ /`/` (_ .--..._ `-' \_| \ /`/` '.__. `---._ |/`/` `) _.. '-./`/` (__.-' _) /`/` jgs `--`/` >-->Dreams If I could dream The dream I wanted too, I would close my eyes, And dream a dream for you. I would give you all the world, That you are deserving of, And to you I would give My everlasting love. I would see to it, That you were never sad. And nothing in your life Would ever happen bad. I would wish for you, All things would go your way, And you would always be happy, Each and every day. In my dream You would stay Just as beautiful As you are today. Life for you would be as perfect As the blueness of the sky, And no one would ever hurt you, Or ever make you cry. I know it's just a dream, But if dreams could come true, I would close my eyes, And dream a dream for you. - Author Unknown >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? 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