The Power Of Prayer ... :) 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 ================ >-->TWO Hot Off The 'Shangy' Press! This comes from our friend Jo Ann. I tried looking it up but I could't establish where exactly the pictures came from, but I am sure you will agree, they are absolutely lovely! Check it out here... _ " _ _ " _ (_\|/_) (_\|/_) _ " _ _ " _ (/|\) (/|\) (_\|/_) " _ (_\|/_) (/|\)_\|/_) (/|\) ejm97 (/|\) Montreal Gardens http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/montreal.html This is one that made me marvel at the difference between Spain and India. Just goes to show you, it is all in how you treat the animals that God has given us to keep us company on this earth! If you treat them bad then they will act bad and if you treat them nice, then they act nice. Of course, I didn't see any people wearing red in these pictures either ;) Check it out here... %%%% %%%%-( _%%%%%_/ \ ' / _%%%%%%%% - (_) - _%%%%%%%/ \% / , \ %%%%%%%%%\\ \_ %%%%%% \ \\ ) /\_/ /(___. \ '----' ( / ) ---....____/ (_____ __ _ ___ ___ __ _ _ _____ _ _ ___ / )---...___ =-= = -_= -=_= _-=_-_ -=- =-_ ,' ( ```--.._= -_= -_= _-=- -_= _=- ,-' ) ``--._=-_ =-=_-= _-= _ '-._ '-..___( ``-._=_-=_- =_-= ``---....__) `-._-=_-_=- )|)| `-._=-_ gnv '-'-.\_ `-. Beaches In India http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/beaches.html --- ...Really Nice ones! Thank You BUNCHES Ladies! ============================================================ >-->From Heartwarmers: ESCAPING THE STORM by Grace Housholder .-~*~--,. .-. .-~-. ./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=*' __\ \ \ \ \ __\ \ \ \ \ \ \ \\ \\ \ \ Earlier this summer when Dean and Brenda Rummel were traveling from Colorado to their home north of Kendallville, Indiana, they took a new route to avoid Chicago's traffic and potholes. Dean is a real estate agent and Brenda is principal of Prairie Heights Middle School. Their motorcycle trips have taken them to every state except Alaska and Hawaii. However, on this trip, their motorcycle broke down in the middle of nowhere -- but really they were in just the right place. The breakdown led to numerous new friendships. Terry and Pat Svetlecich brought them back home in their motor home and pulled the motorcycle on a trailer. They even dropped the bike off at a Honda shop. "That's just me," Terry told the Morris newspaper. "Isn't that what you're supposed to do?" In return, the Rummels insisted their new friends stay the night in Indiana and made them a home-cooked meal. The Morris, Illinois, newspaper wrote about the Rummels' experience because Brenda sent a thank you note to the community. People who read her letter to the editor asked the newspaper to tell the rest of the story. I found out about the story through a random Google e-mail alert. * * * * I called Dean and Brenda and told them I had read about them online in the Morris newspaper. They had not seen the article. Then Dean shared with me another story from the same remarkable journey. The day before their breakdown they were whizzing through Iowa on I-80. Surprisingly, the low fuel light went on. Dean knew he shouldn't be low on fuel, but he also knew he couldn't ignore it. There weren't many places to get fuel so he got off at the nearest exit and found a gas station. When he "filled up" he found out the tank would only take about three gallons. It confirmed what he thought and the gas level was not low. A shove on his shoulder made him turn around. It was a woman who seemed to have come out of nowhere. "There's a storm coming. Power lines will come down. High winds," she said. "Get off the road." Dean and Brenda were startled. The sky at the gas station was clear. There was no storm in sight. They did not understand the woman's concern and they decided to continue on I-80 to their destination 100 miles away. The woman's tone was urgent. "Folks, get off the road," she repeated. "Get off the road! There's a bad storm coming!" The woman's persistence and her urgent tone made Dean change his mind and head for Iowa City, 12 miles away. As they sped toward Iowa City, storm clouds suddenly popped up. They increased their speed, racing toward Iowa City. With every passing moment the sky became more threatening. They found a hotel and quickly checked in. The minute they shut the door behind them, the storm struck with fury. Raging winds threw tree limbs across the road. The storm was so strong that the electricity went out for 2-1/2 hours. Escaping the storm's fury seemed like a miracle. Looking back, Dean believes the woman who warned them and then disappeared must have been an angel. -- Grace Housholder ______________________________________________ Grace is the editor of our sister publication, Kidwarmers. She loves collecting short stories about the funny things kids say. We publish one of her stories at the end of every Heartwarmer. ============================================================== >-->From Cup'OCheer: >LEARNING NEW TRICKS $$$$$$$$$$$$R$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ $$$$$$$V "Y .""**##%%$$$$$$$$$ $$$$# `$$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 The end of a matter is better than its beginning, and patience is better than pride. --Ecclesiastes 7:8 There is a dance routine in the movie “Funny Face” in which Fred Astaire knocks a top hat off his head with a cane and catches it on his heel. That trick looks so easy as we watch Fed Astaire perform it on the screen. What we don’t realize is that before Fred Astaire stood before the camera for the filming, Fred had practiced knocking the hat off his head and catching it on his heel many, many times. And then, even after he had perfected the technique, it took him 30 tries in front of the camera before the feat was success- fully captured on film. When Astaire picked up his hat and cane for the 29th time, everyone on the set was urging him to give up on the idea. They told him the dance routine was good enough without that part. But Fred Astaire wasn’t about to give up! He knew that segment would change his dance routine from something ordinary to something extra- ordinary, and Astaire was a man dedicated to excellence. Fred Astaire knew that if he had done it before, he could do it again. It was just a matter of time, effort, patience and persistence. Practicing the spiritual discipline of self care also require learning new skills that take effort, time, patience and persistence. Perhaps that is why we so often become discouraged when we are in the process of learning new ticks. Adding to our frustration is the fact that we must eliminate old, self-destructive behavior before we can begin to learn how to do familiar things in a healthy, balanced fashion. We must eliminate the bad and incorporate the good as we begin to put the various elements of loving self care into our daily routine. We all have those times when the task before us seems overwhelming; times when we feel like giving up. However, the successful practice of loving self care begins when we finally realize that in order to transform our lives we must begin by making the small daily changes, sustained over time.. Sure, we could leave out the parts of loving self care that are most difficult for us and still experience some positive change. Others would look at our lives and think we were doing “good enough.” However, like Fred Astaire, we need to be dedicated to excellence. We are called to honor God with our bodies, and to do all we do for His honor, glory and praise. He gave His best for us. How can we give him less? Today I pray we will all expend the effort, take the time and practice the patience and persevere in our self care endeavors so that we can be successful in our commit- ment to give Christ Jesus first place in our lives. Many people have thrown up their hands at a time when a little more effort and a little more patience would have achieved success. ---Elbert Hubbard -<>- _, .--. ( / ( '-. jgs .-=-. ) -. / ( .' . \ \ ( ' ,_) ) \_/ (_ , /\ ,_/ '--\ `\--` _\ _\ `\ \ _\_\ `\\ \\ -.'.`\.'.- >THE BLESSINGS OF A STORM I did not know His love before, The way I know it now. I could not see my need for Him, My pride would not allow. I had it all, without a care, The "self-sufficient" lie. My path was smooth, my sea was still, Not a cloud was in my sky. I thought I knew His love for me, I thought I'd seen His grace, I thought I did not need to grow, I thought I'd found my place. But when the way grew rough and dark, The storm clouds quickly rolled; The waves began to rock my ship, My anchor would not hold. The ship that I had built myself Was made of foolish pride. It fell apart and left me bare, With nowhere else to hide. I had no strength or faith to face The trials that lay ahead, And so I simply prayed to Him And bowed my weary head. His loving arms enveloped me, And then He helped me stand. He said, "You still must face this storm, But I will hold your hand." So through the dark and lonely night He guided me through pain. I could not see the light of day Or when the storm might wane. Yet through the aches and endless tears, My faith began to grow. I could not see it at the time, But my light began to glow. I saw God's love in brand new light, His grace and mercy, too. For only when all self was gone Could Jesus' love shine through. It was not easy in the storm, I sometimes wondered, "Why?" At times I thought, "I can't go on." I'd hurt and doubt and cry. But Jesus never left my side, He guided me each day. Through pain and strife, Through fire and flood, He helped me all the way. And now I see as never before How great His love can be. How in my weakness He is strong, How Jesus cares for me! He worked it all out for my good, Although the way was rough. He only sent what I could bear, And then He cried, "Enough!" He raised His hand and said, "Be still!" He made the storm clouds cease. He opened up the gates of joy And flooded me with peace. I see His face now clearer still, I felt His presence strong. I found anew His faithfulness, He never did me wrong. Now I know more storms will come, But only for my good, For pain and tears have helped me grow As naught else ever could. I still have so much more to learn As Jesus works in me; If in the storm I'll love Him more, That's where I want to be. Written By: Wendy Greiner Lefko -<>- To SUBSCRIBE: Send an e-mail with SUBSCRIBE CUP O'CHEER in the subject line to cheer316@sc.rr.com. ========================================================= >-->From Our Friend Maxy's Pal :) ,-`"-=') =/////// ,== _,_(((((-`6\ ==.| /,,...\\\C _| .--. ((((\\\\\` _, /;_| )9 )))))./ `. / } _\,_ ,-'))) \ / /=-. ,-./ \/ '))) . /\_/ / \ (,-.%\ / /-' ') \/\ / ( \ (/ \ ' /( ' `-/ \( \ ,- / ( `-' \ . / / \ \ &_) /\ \ | ( /--.- \ \----,------=;% | _/ _); `. ` `-. .`\ ) +++/ \ ,," %&-. ; \\| `-` `-=.;_,.__.__\_,/ )_/___+_/_________\,"(_//_(__)______:-._) gpyy WHEN YOU THOUGHT I WASN'T LOOKING A message every adult should read because children are watching you and doing as you do, not as you say. When you thought I wasn't looking I saw you hang my first painting on the refrigerator, and I immediately wanted to paint another one. When you thought I wasn't looking I saw you feed a stray cat, and I learned that it was good to be kind to animals. When you thought I wasn't looking I saw you make my favorite cake for me, and I learned that the little things can be the special things in life. When you thought I wasn't looking I heard you say a prayer, and I knew that there is a God I could always talk to, and I learned to trust in Him. When you thought I wasn't looking I saw you make a meal and take it to a friend who was sick, and I learned that we all have to help take care of each other. When you thought I wasn't looking I saw you take care of our house and everyone in it, and I learned we have to take care of what we are given. When you thought I wasn't looking I saw how you handled your responsibilities, even when you didn't feel good, and I learned that I would have to be responsible when I grow up. When you thought I wasn't looking I saw tears come from your eyes, and I learned that sometimes things hurt, but it's all right to cry. When you thought I wasn't looking I saw that you cared, and I wanted to be everything that I could be. When you thought I wasn't looking I learned most of life's lessons that I need to know to be a good and productive person when I grow up. When you thought I wasn't looking I looked at you and wanted to say,'Thanks for all the things I saw when you thought I wasn't looking' I AM SENDING THIS TO ALL OF THE PEOPLE I KNOW WHO DO SO MUCH FOR OTHERS, BUT THINK THAT NO ONE EVER SEES. LITTLE EYES SEE A LOT. Each of us (parent, grandparent, aunt, uncle, teacher, friend) influences the life of a child. How will you touch the life of someone today? Just by sending this to someone else, you will probably make them at least think about their influence on others. Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly. Leave the rest to God. --- ...So True! Thank You Maxy's Pal! =============================================================== ____ .---. ,-----. _____ .' `,.': :'' : :.' `. | : : ' ' ' ' : : \ | ' ' ' ' \ | v \ | | v \ | | | v \ | |_ | () | \/ | (= | \ | | | | | \ | | | | | \ | | | | | \ | ===== | | | | ) \ --- /| ===== | | | / `---' \ --- /| ===== | ===== | / `---' \ ---- A ----- / / `----'.`-----' / / / '-._ / dp '. / `----' >Roadside Assistance Story Editor: by Mandy Joyce Schowalter Western Cape, South Africa The recession has hit us harshly, and my friend and I were on the road in early 2009 near Cape Town, South Africa, distributing flyers advertising our business. Then disaster struck! The car began to make strange noises, slowed down... slowed down some more... crawled... and died. We had been taking a short cut to the highway, and the place where we broke down was, to put it mildly, NOT the safest of areas. We sat there, my friend trying to start the car until we could hear the battery giving out. Cars behind us were hooting. I had to get out and try to push a heavy vehicle uphill and out of the way of traffic. I thought I was quite strong for a not-very-tall-40-something woman but, despite my best efforts, that car was going nowhere. People were swearing at us, my friend was in tears and I was losing the battle to prevent the car from sliding backwards into on-coming traffic. Just when I thought things couldn't get any worse, an elderly vagrant covered in jailhouse tattoos from fingertip to scalp staggered towards me. Without a word, he placed his hands next to mine on the trunk and started pushing. My friend, realizing she was moving, looked up into the rear-view mirror and was confronted with the blue-inked face of our assistant, and screamed in shock. When we were safely in a lay-by near the traffic lights, tattoo-man melted away into the thick bush at the side of the road -- or so we thought. After phoning the AAA and being told there would be an hour long wait, I got out of the car to stretch my legs. Instantly, the tattooed man appeared at my side. "Is someone coming to help ma'am?" he asked. My first thought was to say, "Yes, my husband the policeman, and his six friends in the armed response unit will be here in seconds!" But there was something in his expression that compelled me to tell him the truth. For the next hour, he sat with us on the side of the road. We chatted about his life, our business, his friends in the squatter-camp where he lived, our current financial problems and how difficult it is to stay positive while looking for work, what might be wrong with the car, his children.... The hour flashed by. When the AAA arrived, he stood to one side until he was satisfied that we really were mobile again, and then stepped forward to say goodbye. His parting words were "Ma'am mustn't worry, there are only so many times things can go bad before they go good again." As we drove off, I pondered how guardian angels turn up in the least likely of guises. =======HeroicStories======= >-->From InspiredBuffalo: __ __ .' `'._.'` '. | .--; ;--. | | ( / \ ) | \ ;` /^\ `; / :` .'._.'. `; jgs '-`'.___.'`-' >PRETZEL MEDICINE by Teri Goggin-Roberts The rumors had been swirling for months but it still came as a shock when the hospital board announced that our small community hospital would be closing on July 1st. The hospital had served this working class poor neighborhood of Philadelphia for nearly 100 years but it would soon become another casualty of the health care crisis. The day after the announcement co-workers walked around in a stunned state of disbelief. And if impending unemployment wasn't stressful enough, those looking for comfort in the form of their morning soft pretzel found out that pretzels had been eliminated from the cafeteria menu the same day the hospital announced its closure. For those of you outside the Philadelphia area, let me explain... Soft pretzels are the lifeblood of this city. They are sold in schools, sports arenas, delicatessens and at hundreds of street vendors across town. They are a snack, a meal and a revered tradition. So losing access to soft pretzels is no small matter. A week later, I decided to cheer up my co-workers by picking up some soft pretzels at a local store in Havertown called Pretzel Boys. I arrived just as it opened so I was the only customer. The tantalizing smells of warm dough, yeast and salt engulfed me. Rows and rows of freshly baked brown-crusted pretzels were packed into cardboard boxes, ready for the day. These are the sights and smells of nirvana for any Philadelphian. A sign posted on the cash register read, "Ten dollar minimum for credit cards." Just then it dawned on me that I only had $5 cash in my wallet. So much for planning ahead! I work inside a large office at the hospital and knew I'd need more than the half dozen pretzels my five dollars would buy. But did I really need 25 pretzels -- the only amount of pretzels I could get for $10. A man's voice interrupted my thoughts. "Can I help you?" Distracted and embarrassed by my hesitation, words tumbled out of my mouth, "Ah, yes. I only have $5 but I have a debit card. I'm not sure how many pretzels I need." The man nodded like what I just said made sense and so I continued to babble. "You see, I work at a hospital and it's closing and they stopped selling pretzels." As if this explained my previous rambling. The man's smile disappeared. "What hospital?" "Oh, um Northeastern Hospital." The pretzel guy looked deeply shocked. "I used to sell medical supplies and that was one of my hospitals. What a shame. They are good people." I started to respond but the pretzel guy held up his palm to stop me. Then he turned around and grabbed a box of 25 pretzels and slid them across the counter. I was stunned by his generosity and started to reach for my wallet, "Oh I can pay. Please let me..." The pretzel guy pushed the box another six inches across the counter and smiled. "Just tell them Joe Sullivan said to do something nice for someone else." And so that day everyone in medical records was treated to a soft pretzel. Word spread fast as people came up to my desk asking, "Is it really true? Did you bring in soft pretzels?" It was as if I'd carried in a box of gold. With each pretzel, I shared the story of Pretzel Boys generosity. Without exception each employee was moved by Joe Sullivan's words and kind deed. It mattered to them that a stranger cared. And with every bite of soft pretzel a little bit of healing took place. Thank you Joe! -- Teri Goggin-Roberts -<>- >The Power of Prayer ,,,,, ////""\ . (((/ m m -|- __ )))c = ) | (__) ////-./~` . [] (((( `.`\ :: [] )))`\ \)).-;.' .------, [] (() `._.-'` _( )[] )/ `. | .'`^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^))\`.----'`[] jgs ( \' { ~ - ~~ _ ~ - ~~ - ~ - (( | | [] .-.--\ \ { )) | | [] |_;_._`\ |{ ((__|_|-----[] | ; ``` ;{ )) [] | /``-.____/ `~~~[]~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~'-' [] `' (__) (__) We need to be on our knees more then talking about it; pray about it; prayer is what is going to see us thru The Power of Prayer It has been said that, "Seven days without prayer, makes one week." Sometimes you hear someone say, "We've done all we can. The only thing we can do now is pray." Prayer really should be our first resort rather than our last resort. Jesus gave us the Lord's Prayer, as a model prayer and Jesus himself often went off to pray, setting an example for us to do the same. In Matthew 14:23, it says, "And when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone." If Jesus needed to go off and pray, how much more do we need to pray? Praying should not be something we do out of duty and routine. Prayer is talking and listening to our loving, all knowing, heavenly Father. The book of James tells us to pray for wisdom when we don't know what to do (James 1:5). In Philippians 4:6,and 7 it states that prayer is connected with receiving God's peace. In Ephesians 6:18 it states that prayer is a very important part of battling the forces of evil. We are also told to pray for those in Authority over us. (I Timothy 2:1,2). Prayer shows our dependence on God, His power and His wisdom. Prayer is powerful and so important. Studies have been done in the medical field showing the power of prayers. They used two groups of people to observe the difference between the group that was being prayed for and the group that wasn't. There was a marked difference in the recovery of those who were being prayed for, and they weren't even told that they were being prayed for. Most hospitals realize the importance of prayer in the healing process for their patients, and welcome pastors and chaplains to be a part of the healing team. I have had that experience within the last 4 weeks. Having three major surgeries in 10 days could not have been successful if it had not been for my family and friends that prayed for me time and time again. It has been said that, "If you are too busy for God, you are too busy." In the midst of our busyness let's remember how much we need God and need prayer. Make prayer a daily practice and our first resort instead of our last. --- !|| !|||| ,/|||| !|'''| `\ | )\ \ ejm / \ \ \ ...This one left me shocked. I was reading it and if you'll remember it started out by saying "Seven days without prayer, makes one week." My first thought was - 'What? Yeah - duh' but then it occurred to me that they were bringing not praying into perspective for people. It shocked me as I cannot imagine any one who is into praying NOT praying for so long! Surely those who pray want to please the person they are praying to. Right? To please God, we therefore want to do what he wants us to. That's just logical. God says in James 4:7 'Submit [addict] yourselves therefore to God.' Now you can see why I was shocked. If you are addicted to something, it sure isn't going to be normal to not do it for a whole week! It would be like saying - 'Oh yeah I'm addicted to smoking! I am so bad that I smoke one cigarette a week!' Horrible eh? No. When I was addicted to smoking I had to have a cigarette just about every 15 minutes or I got down right cranky! I think if you prohibited me from praying for a week I'd get down right cranky too! I'd be miserable not being able to talk with God for so long. Now that would be unthinkable! Why? Check out this teaching... Doing ALL The Word http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/BibleStudy/doingallword.html -<>- ________ _jgN########Ngg_ _N##N@@"" ""9NN##Np_ d###P N####p "^^" T#### d###P _g###@F _gN##@P gN###F" d###F 0###F 0###F 0###F "NN@' ___ q###r "" >WHAT HAPPENS IN HEAVEN This is one of the nicest e-mails I have seen, and it really puts things into perspective.. I dreamt that I went to Heaven and an angel was showing me around. We walked side-by-side inside a large workroom filled with angels. My angel guide stopped in front of the first section and said, 'This is the Receiving Section. Here, all petitions to God said in prayer are received.' I looked around in this area, and it was terribly busy with so many angels sorting out petitions written on voluminous paper sheets and scraps from people all over the world. Then we moved on down a long corridor until we reached the second section.. The angel then said to me, 'This is the Packaging and Delivery Section. Here, the graces and blessings the people asked for are processed and delivered to the living persons who asked for them... 'I noticed again how busy it was there. There were many angels working hard at that station, since so many blessings had been requested and were being packaged for delivery to Earth. Finally at the farthest end of the long corridor we stopped at the door of a very small station. To my great surprise, only one angel was seated there, idly doing nothing. 'This is the Acknowledgment Section,' my angel friend quietly admitted to me. He seemed embarrassed 'How is it that there is no work going on here?' I asked. 'So sad,' the angel sighed. 'After people receive the blessings that they asked for, very few send back acknowledgments ..' 'How does one acknowledge God's blessings?' I asked. 'Simple,' the angel answered. Just say, 'Thank you, Lord.' 'What blessings should they acknowledge?' I asked. 'If you have food in the refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof overhead and a place to sleep you are richer than 75% of this world. If you have money in the bank, in your wallet, and spare change in a dish, you are among the top 8% of the world's wealthy .' 'And if you get this on your own computer, you are part of the 1% in the world who has that opportunity.' 'If you woke up this morning with more health than illness ... you are more blessed than the many who will not even survive this day .' 'If you have never experienced the fear in battle, the loneliness of imprisonment, the agony of torture, or the pangs of starvation .... you are ahead of 700 million people in the world.' 'If you can attend a church without the fear of harassment, arrest, torture or death you are envied by, and more blessed than, three billion people in the world. ' 'If your parents are still alive and still married ...you are very rare' 'If you can hold your head up and smile, you are not the norm, you're unique to all those in doubt and despair.' Ok, what now? How can I start? If you can read this message, you just received a double blessing in that someone was thinking of you as very special and you are more blessed than over two billion people in the world who cannot read at all. Have a good day, count your blessings, and if you want, pass this along to remind everyone else how blessed we all are. --- ...Check This Teaching... Be Ye Thankful http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/BibleStudy/beyethankful.html -<>- >Links for Your Enjoyment Max Porta Potty http://www.buffaloschips.com/gssshdj.htm McDogo http://www.buffaloschips.com/gasew.htm McElway Basketball http://www.buffaloschips.com/gahdjjs.htm Men Can't Multitask http://www.buffaloschips.com/gsashsjs.htm Men Invented Everything http://www.buffaloschips.com/gnjjhjk.htm Magician Act Followed By Explanation http://www.buffaloschips.com/gsdhsjsk.htm Malcom-Jue-Bebe http://www.buffaloschips.com/gshsjsk.htm Marine And Geese http://www.buffaloschips.com/gshsjsks.htm Mary Did You Know http://www.buffaloschips.com/gsddsshsjsk.htm Math 911 http://www.buffaloschips.com/gsdsdsll.htm "Summer Fun" http://www.poetryinfocus.com/Poetry/Poem116.html Friendship http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/friendship.html Our Valuable Anchor http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/BibleStudy/ouranchor.html Love Thoughts http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/love.html Believe In Your Dreams http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/poems/dream.html Cindy's Travels: Flooded Kingdom http://tinyurl.com/lmuo6u Rabbit Hunting http://tinyurl.com/kr95tb Squirrel Car Crash http://www.funpageexchange.com/out.php?u=3559&pid=39814&s=n No Treats From Obama http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XivhwO_zWWg Subscribe send a blank email to: the-inspired-buffalo-subscribe@yahoogroups.com ============================================================ >-->From SermondFodder: . , )). -===- ,(( ))). ,((( ))))). .:::. ,(((((( ))))))))). :. .: ,((((((((' `))))))))))). : - : ,(((((((((((( ))))))))))))))))_:' ':_(((((((((((((((' `)))))))))))).-' \___/ '-._((((((((((( `))))_._.-' __)( )(_ '-._._((((' `))'---)___)))'\_ _/'((((__(---'((' `))))))))))))|' '|((((((((((((' jim `)))))))))/' '\(((((((((' `)))))))| |(((((((' `))))))| |((((((' /' '\ /' '\ /' '\ /' '\ '---..___..---' >Katie Has a Guardian Angel By Michelle Wilson It was Tuesday, September 26, no different from any other day. During mid-afternoon, Karen Daily prayed with her youngest daughter Katie before her afternoon nap. This is something she did everyday. "I prayed with her and we sang a little song, 'Jesus Loves Me', said Karen. "We asked for forgiveness of sins and that God would send an angel to protect her. This is something that with having five children I just knew that I needed a little extra pair of eyes watching," said Karen. As Karen tended to Katie, her husband Bud was assigned to shuttle duty. His job was to take the other children to their various after-school activities. "We got all of the kids out in the car and one of them said, 'Dad, I forgot my cleats.' I said, "Well, we're too much of a rush, I'll come back and get you. And we started backing up the car," said Bud. Unbeknownst to Karen and Bud, two-year-old Katie awoke from her nap and slipped out the front door and ran towards the family's station wagon. "I felt the car run over something and I felt the bump as the car lifted up and ran over it and I thought, 'Oh, no, I ran over the cat.' That's when I saw Karen running out the front door in a panic. I didn't know what had happened at the moment," said Bud. What happened was every parent's worst nightmare. Bud had just run over his little girl Katie. She had run behind the driver's side of the 3,000-pound station wagon at the exact moment Bud began to back up. Katie was hit by the bumper and pinned underneath the left rear tire. "Seeing her was a horrible sight. I got to her and I tried to pull her out, but the car was sitting on her whole left side of her chest from her shoulders down to the top of her legs. I was thinking it has to get off her chest. That was the main thing, all of her vital organs are there,'' said Karen. "All I saw was the arm and the leg sticking out from underneath the tire. And I went into a panic. I had no idea what to do and I asked Karen, 'What do I do?'" said Bud. In a panic, Bud quickly backed up the station wagon. Karen watched as the car rolled off of Katie's fragile body. "Katie remained conscious the whole time. She was crying and I scooped her up. I told her, 'Everything's going to be all right. It was an accident'. But inside, I was thinking, 'Things aren't going to be all right,'" said Karen. "Katie said, 'Daddy, you runned over me.' And it was like what do I say? How do I deal with this?" said Bud. The only visible signs of injury on Katie were surface bruises. No one knew the extent of her internal injuries. While waiting on paramedics Bud and Karen cried out to God for help. "I remember just looking up at the ceiling and screaming, 'God we need you now.' We needed to get back in control, we needed God to just come and help us," said Karen. Distraught, Bud went inside to pray. "I walked in the house and into the bedroom where my oldest daughter was pacing back and forth, wringing her hands because she was so upset. I said, 'Well, we pray every night before we go to bed, and God answers our prayers, let's pray'. And we knelt down for a minute and we prayed," said Bud. Paramedics arrived and rushed Katie to the trauma center. Pediatric surgeon, Dr. Ronald Hill prepared for the worst. "This is the kind of thing that just makes you sick at your stomach and you're afraid of what you're going to find and so I left immediately and went to the emergency room," said Hill. After a thorough examination the doctors were astounded. "The CAT scans show that the left side of Katie's body is flattened down more that the right side where she had been run over. There's no evidence of any internal bleeding or other injury to the organs. The neck and chest x-ray and were surprisingly normal as well," said Hill. "Medically speaking there isn't any way to explain this. If you take a station wagon and run over a little two-year-old girl, and the results are a little bruising and some minor scratches, there is no way we can explain that. It was a miracle that Katie wasn't killed," said Hill. "The doctors came out and said, 'Katie, you must have a guardian angel, there's nothing wrong with you.' I was so grateful that everything was going to be all right. I really felt certain that we would be out of the woods then," said Karen. "A load was lifted off my shoulders because it meant she wasn't going to die," said Bud. Katie was on her way to recovery, but her father Bud was wracked with guilt over what had happened to his little girl. "I couldn't believe that I'd run over my girl. It was almost impossible to believe that it happened and for a long time afterwards I kept asking God, 'Why?' He gave me a scripture. He said, 'What Satan intends for evil, God will use for his glory.' And that's the scripture that I hung on for grace from him," said Bud. Today as the Daily family looks back over the events of what could have been tragic, they realize that God was in control. "Someone said to us, 'Why didn't you jack up the car?' Common sense leaves you in a time like that. You just react," said Karen. "Everything was wrong and yet the amazing part was how God worked it out. When I backed up I stood a chance of rolling over her head and at the time I didn't even think about that," said Bud. "If there's one lesson to learn, and there were a lot of them here, God is able to do anything. When every situation, every circumstance is out of control, know that there is the Lord who will intervene," said Karen. "He'd given me back my little girl whole and complete, she had a scrape on the back of her leg. She was whole and I was so grateful that I vowed to the Lord that I would tell of His wonders. I owed him everything. He had won my heart," said Karen. "There's hardly a day that doesn't go by that I see the grace of God. There were no extra prayers, there was no leading somebody to the Lord, and there was just the love of a Savior and the grace of a Savior. I see grace everyday I see Katie. I see the love of Christ in her eyes, in her life," said Karen. "The doctors think that it was a miracle that I didn't have any injuries just my left side was squished down. I say, 'thank you Jesus'. I love Jesus because he saved my life,' said Katie. http://cbn.org/living/amazingstories/healing-katiedaily.asp ================================================================ ,;;;;;, ,;;;;;;;;, ;;;'____ ; ;;;(\\\\\; `/'((||||| ___< C))|||| ,' \__(((||), | \ _)))))))\,_ /| |/"\`\`""""' |) ; \ \ ) \_____/_| | |\ \' _.,-' | | ' \ \.,-' _./ | ( _,-\ _.-'' | ; "'|___\__.-' ; ) |----| _.--,;' ; ,' , | ( __.,-' | ,' ,' `""'' `. | ; ) `, ( ) | ( ,' | | ( | | | | | | | |___________| | | | | Normand Veilleux based on work by Tua Xiong >The Strangers' Gift Story Editor: by Mark Robertson Clayton Bennett Texas, USA On June 4, 2002, my brother died a month before his 50th birthday. We buried him in the Missouri town where my younger brother and our parents live. I drove for two days from Texas, a long time to think and sort out my grief. The funeral was a torture, a blur of tears. The drive back home was tedious. I wanted to stay with family to grieve, but had to return to obligations in Texas. A few weeks later, I went to a local drugstore for medicine. A man in the parking lot was standing by a truck, talking with the driver. He appeared to be a homeless person begging. The driver yelled something and drove off. The man looked at me. His clothes were tattered and filthy, his hair a nest, his face wet with tears. He said nothing for a moment, catching his breath through sobs. I asked if I could help. He told me between wracking sobs that his mother was in the hospital in critical condition, but he didn't have money for gas to drive 15 miles to be with her. He had driven to the gas station across the street, then found he had no money. I said I would help, and we walked to the gas station. His car was full of people, men and women, in shock and crying. I told my new friend to fill his tank; I would pay. He could barely control himself through his grief. I put an arm around his shoulders and told him that my brother had passed away only a month earlier. "So you know how this feels," he said. We hugged for a moment, then the pump clicked off. I drew out all the money I had in my pocket -- about $40 -- and gave it to him. I told him that parking is expensive at that hospital, and suggested that he leave his car at a nearby park and walk to the hospital to save money. He thanked me profusely and left to pay the cashier. A woman leaped out of the car and ran to me, crushing me in a hug, sobbing uncontrollably. We hugged for ten minutes, letting her grief out. We spoke some final words as the man returned to the car and they slowly drove off. All faces looked at me through the windows until they disappeared around the corner. I stood a while thinking about my brother and the gift that grief can be, if we let it. In giving comfort to people I had met by chance, I had received in return the comfort I needed. I went back to the drugstore but it had closed. I went home, satisfied that I had already received the best medicine. =======HeroicStories======= _.--. _.-'_:-'|| _.-'_.-::::'|| _.-:'_.-::::::' || .'`-.-:::::::' || /.'`;|:::::::' ||_ || ||::::::' _.;._'-._ || ||:::::' _.-!oo @.!-._'-. \'. ||:::::.-!()oo @!()@.-'_.| '.'-;|:.-'.&$@.& ()$%-'o.'\U|| `>'-.!@%()@'@_%-'_.-o _.|'|| ||-._'-.@.-'_.-' _.-o |'|| ||=[ '-._.-\U/.-' o |'|| || '-.]=|| |'| o |'|| || || |'| _| '; || || |'| _.-'_.-' |'-._ || |'|_.-'_.-' jgs '-._'-.|| |' `_.-' '-.||_/.-' >-->A TREASURE BOX By: Joseph J. Mazzella Everyone of us in this world carries a little treasure box within our souls. This box is full to bursting with every good thing imaginable. All that we ever wanted from life lies within it. It has love, joy, peace, and happiness in it. It is also full of optimism, enthusiasm, cheerfulness, and merriment. There is faith, kindness, gentleness, and patience in it as well. There is room too in it for ecstasy, rapture, forgiveness, and trust. Energy, vitality, delight, and oneness with God are packed to the top of it. Even wonder, laughter, fun, and hope lie in this glorious box. All we have to do is open this box everyday and all of these things are ours for the choosing. Sadly, most of us barely even crack the lid in our lifetimes. I am not sure why this is so. Perhaps there is too strong a belief out there that good things like love, joy and happiness shouldn't come easy. Perhaps there are too many people who think good things must be earned from people and things outside of us and not simply chosen from within ourselves. This is so sad, because the box remains within us all: a precious gift from God just waiting to be opened, enjoyed, and shared with the world. Don't leave that glorious box, full of goodness, that lies within your own soul closed then. Open it up. Let its joy, love, and countless good things out. Enjoy them, revel in them, and then share them with everyone you meet. God didn't intend for the treasures of your soul to be locked away. God wants you to give them to the world and rejoice in the wondrous cycle of giving, receiving, and loving that will result from your gift. The treasures of the our souls are as eternal and limitless as God's love for us. It would be a shame to leave them locked away when we can instead live in them and share them always. =================================================================== "When you have got an elephant by the hind leg, and he is trying to run away, it's best to let him run." --Abraham Lincoln >Updated FUN STUFF URLS - Oh Yeah :) Shangy! ------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.ShangralaFamilyFun.com/urls.html FUN URLS ------------------------------------------------------------------------- -->This is for all you who love food andd 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 ************************************************************************