The Right Reason 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 ================ *~* Please Consider Giving To ShangralaFamilyFun.com The cost of the website has gone up dramatically due to the ever increasingly wonderful pages and photos being added each week to entertain you and our fellow Christian families. While the ads on the website do help, I don't want to drag the site down with tons of them to pay for it. I need your help! "We are each of us angels with but one wing, and can only fly by embracing each other" -Luciano Decrescenzo ~ CALLING ALL CARING ANGELS ~ *~* WE NEED CARING And SHARING Angels *~* >Do You Want To Be A Shangrala Angel? If you'd like to help and be counted as a Shangrala Angel, the easiest way to do that is through online giving. It is easy to use, and most of all, it is secure. Please visit the site, scroll down and click on the donate button. A Secure PAYPAL form page comes up. NOTE: Paypal will generate a 'Quantity 1' and 'Price per item' form. Just ignore the price per item and put whatever it is you desire to give in there. With Paypal, you will have your normal receipt for your 'payment' donation in USD (United States Dollars). You can put a memo in there if you'd like. Any amount is greatly appreciated and needed! PLEASE Visit Shangrala to Help: http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/index.html OR If you'd rather send us a donation, Please MAIL it here: Elrhea Bigham 502 S. Harrison Van Wert, OH 45891 *~* THANK YOU! MAY GOD BLESS YOU MOST ABUNDANTLY FOR YOUR GIFT! ================ *~* A REMINDER: PLEASE Send me sweet, interesting, funny, inspiring, family type forwards ANY TIME here... bcrsystems@earthlink.net I Need them, Love them, Use them, and Share them! THANK YOU!! AND For Facebook Users: Please Friend Me / Like Me here... http://tinyurl.com/cma6all AND For Google Plus Users: You can find me here... Shangy Bigham https://plus.google.com/106648555948034085752/posts AND Please Share This email with All Your Friends And Family! ^~^ May God SUPER BLESS You As You Do! THANK YOU! :) -<>- * NOTE: An easy way to adjust the size of print in email or any page is to hold down the Ctrl tab while moving the scroll button on the mouse. You can also use the keyboard to change the font size in your web browser or emails. Hold down the Ctrl key while pressing the + key for larger text or the - key for smaller text! ================ H A P P Y T H A N K S G I V I N G T O Y O U A N D Y O U R S ! ____ : : ___ :____: ___ ---\ ~~ /---___ : []: \ \ ~ \~ /~~~/~~~/ ----,------- ,' \~~ \~~ \/ ~~/~~~/ `, ,' 0 0 __ -_~~ \ \,------, / ~ _` ; _____\ ; - _ \,'^^^^^^^ ""`,_- \ `, `--'; u ; ~~ ,'^^^^----------- / ,'`,,,' ;~ ---, ^^^,`__----, ..`,/ ,'..,' `, ~ ,^^ <_'__--__ `, .. `,/ .. ` `,---` ^<________-- `, .. .. ,' ___ [] ___ `,---` <__ -__ ___ ,' .. . ,` _/ \)(/ \_ `, --` <__ __ _ ,' ... _,` / / \ \ `--,___<___ ,'`-___,' ,' : | `, <___,'(||) : : : || || : : | ; __||_ _||_ \_ : _/ // ;;\\ ;;\\ \_ \ | / _/ ~~ ~~ ~~ \__________/ *~* HAVE A SAFE, HAPPY AND BLESSED WEEKEND AND THANKSGIVING! :) Many will have early Thanksgiving Celebrations so here we have some Great Thanks Living Bible Teachings From our friends at www.TruthOrTradition.com: 1 of 2 Thanks: The Joy of Thanksgiving https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lifogbJpowo 2 of 2 Thanks: The Benefits of Thanks Living https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XRJVZ3wN2FU A Key to Being Thankful: You Can Never Go Back, Don't Live in the Past, Be Present Minded https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJt78NfS69E --- ...I Thank God For ALL Of You! Blessings My Sweet Friends! :) -<>- >-->HOT Off The 'Shangy' Press :) This flaming hot new page is from our friend Linda. Those who love world record setters, big engines and or motorcycles will greatly appreciate this one! Be sure to check out the video of it here too... ___ / _\ | /\_| __-'' _' ----'-. |#\#)_,_ )##\__ _\__.-. - .- (###) '---. `. - __\____`.#\( ) L(| .'__//\ \#)`-._.' / \\==. /_/_//\_\_ /#/ ### / //\\ \ |(________(##)___/-' '| (_) | ____\___/_________________\___/_____ World's Heaviest Motorcycle! http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/heaviestmotorcycle.html --- ...I especially enjoyed hearing this big engine! Thanks Linda! =========================================================== >-->From Heartwarmers: God gave you a gift of 86,400 seconds today. Have you used one to say "thank you?" -- William A. Ward They say happiness is discovering your purpose in life. Today, Heidi shares her story and tells us how her life changed... Can you believe that Thanksgiving is next week -- already! , }`-. , , \ \ '-' \ .-'{ _} . | ,`\ / ' ; .-;\ { \ | | / `/ '-.,/ ; | { -- -. ' '`-, .--._.' ; \__ \ \ | ' / |`. ; _,`\ '. '- ' `_- '.`; ; ,-`_.-' ,--. \ ` /` '--' `;.` (` _ .--.\ '._) '-. \ \ `-. ; `-';| '. -. ' __ '. ; ; _,-' / { __'.\ ' '-,/; `-' ';`.- ` .-' '-. `-._' | `; ;`' .-'` <_ -' ` .\ `; ; (_.'`\ _.;-"``"'-._'. `:; ___, _.-' | .-'\'. '.` \ \_,_`\ ;##` `'; _.' /_'._\ \ \__;#####./###. \` \.' .'`/"`/ (#######)###::.. _.' '.' .' ; , |:. `|()##`"""` jgs `'-../__/_\:: /O()()o ()'._.'`()()' >THANKFUL FOR A PURPOSE by Heidi Lynn Poakeart I was eighteen years old, fresh out of high school with a bright future to look forward to, when I received the devastating news of a cancer diagnosis. This was a big deal for someone my age to endure. However I chose to fight the battle instead of wallowing in self pity. After major surgery and four months of radiation treatments, I overcame my obstacle and emerged a new person -- someone who took nothing for granted and a person who learned to appreciate everything and everyone around me. Years passed and I received my certification in medical assisting, met a wonderful man, moved to New York and got married. Truly, life couldn't have been any better -- however, I still felt something missing and longed to find my purpose. Having donated to St. Jude Children's Hospital in Memphis, TN, for years, I had always felt a connection and empathy toward the children living with cancer who were being treated there. What a truly magnificent place, especially knowing that no patient was ever turned away regardless of ability to pay. The hospital exuded living, and that is what I was all about. As my 20-year anniversary of being a cancer survivor approached, I wanted to do something special and unforgettable. I organized a fund raiser, calling it "A Mission of Love," and thanks to my generous family and friends, raised $4,000 for St. Jude's, planning to deliver it myself. Three quarters of the money would be given as a monetary donation to the hospital, and what was left would go toward purchasing toys for the children. I also had arranged with the hospital a t-shirt painting activity for any child who felt well enough to participate. Thanksgiving Day seemed the most appropriate day of the year for the mission, and so it was all arranged. My husband and I flew to Memphis with 50 t-shirts and a huge bag of fabric paint in tow the day before Thanksgiving. We went to the toy store and filled three shopping carts with all kinds of toys piled high to the sky. It was as though we were small celebrities when the employees and other shoppers became aware of what we were doing. On Thanksgiving Day, as we pulled into the front gates of St. Jude, it was quite literally my dream come true. I became extremely emotional, as my eyes welled with tears of happiness. After dropping the toys off, we went to a lounge area where there were six children waiting anxiously to begin painting. They picked out their shirts and my husband and I helped them get started. To me, it was as though they weren't even sick, and to see them smile was one of the greatest gifts I could have ever received. When the activity was over and we wished the children well, we dropped off the monetary donation to an extremely grateful staff, and then our visit came to an end. Leaving there that day, I knew I had finally found my purpose. Going to St. Jude filled a feeling of emptiness inside of me that had existed for as long as I could remember, and it genuinely changed my life. I was thanked for giving a donation to a charity that saves lives, but being able to give thanks for my experience was priceless. "All of us are born for a reason, but all of us don't discover why. Success in life has nothing to do with what you gain in life or accomplish for yourself. It's what you do for others." -- Danny Thomas -- Heidi Lynn Poakeart __________________________________________________ Heidi says, "I am 39 years old and a 20-year cancer survivor. I live in Westchester County, NY, with my husband and cat. I am currently writing my autobiography and have several short stories published on a few different sites on the Internet, including Heartwarmers. I love Heartwarmers and always look forward to my weekly story." =========================================================== >-->From Our Friend LouiseAu :) , , /////| ///// | ///// | |~~~| | | |===| |/| | B |/| | | I | | | | B | | | | L | / | E | / |===|/ jgs '---' >The Right Reason By Greg Laurie (edited) During His earthly ministry, Jesus faced the problem of people who would follow Him for the wrong reasons. He was constantly challenging them to count the cost and to make sure that their motives were right. He wants us all to follow Him, but He wants us to do it for the right reasons. To truly come to know God, I must come on His terms and not my own. I must do it His way and not mine. It is not for me to pick and choose the commandments in the Bible that personally appeal to me or the attributes that I personally find interesting or appealing. It is for me to live life God's way or not to follow Him at all. It is clear that there are many today who do not follow the Lord for the right reasons. Jesus taught that there would be those on judgment day who thought they were believers but really were not. In Matthew 7:21, Jesus makes this radical statement, "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven." If you are primarily interested in what is cool or what is hip or what is socially acceptable, I need to tell you right now that following Jesus Christ probably won't work into your plans. But if you are interested in what is right and what is the best way to spend your life, and if you are interested in the hope of heaven and a life with meaning, then there are no other options to choose from. --- ...Aww, a good reminder. Thanks LouiseAu! I hear people who decide to go against God's Word saying such things as 'I know God would want me to be happy, so I did 'blank''. Fill in the blank from cheating on their spouse, lying, stealing, you name it! They rationalize themselves into corrupt and evil behavior and justify it by saying they know God would want them to not live their life the way He told them to in the Bible because, He of course, wants them to be happy. A simple - 'God wants me to be happy.'. Is all they say with a smirky self-righteous smile. Then there are the 'other' people. Those who have decided the bible is old fashioned and out of date. They won't abide by it because God doesn't think the same about people now as He did then. Times have changed so when God said it back then, it doesn't apply to them right now. Even when you show them that the verse or verses that apply to their ungodly living is written for them today, they still refuse to believe it and only want to believe the parts that they want to believe. They pick and choose what suits them from the Bible. Oh, yes, then you have still another group of people who feel you can manipulate the bible taking any passage in it to make it say whatever you want it to say. So, even though you show them in the bible where God says this or that, they refuse to believe it because you just took it out of context to prove your point. Even when you show them the whole of the context that goes along with the full of it, they still refuse to believe it is God's Will for them. They know better and no matter what you say or show them from God's Word, they won't accept it as being the truth. What a load of bologna! These are all devilish means of getting people away from God's Word! I like to break things down to the simplest form to better understand it. So, when I think of 'why' the devil would bother to do this, I come up with one simple reason. We are in a war. If you disarm your enemy, then you have the advantage. Simple. , , /////| ///// | ///// | |~~~| | | |===| |/| | B |/| | | I | | | | B | | | | L | / | E | / |===|/ jgs '---' The bible says, Eph.6: [10] Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. [11] Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. [12] For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. [13] Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. [14] Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness; [15] And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; [16] Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. [17] And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God: [18] Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints; The bible is our sword - our weapon. Jesus taught us how to fight the devil here: Matt.4 [1] Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil. [2] And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred. [3] And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread. [4] But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God. [5] Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple, [6] 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. (Notice the devil quoted the bible to try and fool Jesus? But Jesus took the power back and hit him Hard!) [7] Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God. [8] Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; [9] And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me. [10] Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. [11] Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him. Jesus used the Word of God every single time - He Said: 'It is written' and quoted scripture. He knew His weapon well and used it with great accuracy against his enemy, the devil. Jesus knew this... Heb.4: [12] For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. That is why it is so important for us to... 2 Tim.2: [15] Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. If we change the Word of God to suit us, it is like using a paper knife against the devil - it will have little or no affect. The devil knows this so does all that he can to beguile us like he did Adam and Eve so that we are not REALLY sure of what God said. When we are well trained in our weapon, we are a fierce opponent that even the devil has no power over... 1 John.4 [4] Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world. , , /////| ///// | ///// | |~~~| | | |===| |/| | B |/| | | I | | | | B | | | | L | / | E | / |===|/ jgs '---' Bible Teaching Study References: STUDY: BE DILIGENT http://www.absolutebiblestudy.com/Study/STUDY_BE_DILIGENT.htm PRIVATE INTERPRETATION http://www.absolutebiblestudy.com/Study/PRIVATE_INTERPRETATION.htm RECEIVE - RETAIN - RELEASE [The 3 R's of God's Word] http://www.absolutebiblestudy.com/Study/RECEIVE_RETAIN_RELEASE.htm Context in Scripture - Understanding the Word of God https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jCRTHUV2uH8 Which Parts Of The Bible Are Written To You? http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/BibleStudy/whichparts.html Take the Sword http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/poems/sword.html =========================================================== >-->From Archives InspiredBuffalo: , |\ | `-._,="""=, \ //o.-)-.\ \ ||/:/:\:\-. `. \\\:\:/:/o_), jgs `->>>8888>;(_)o.-' >Nothing Else Source: From a sermon by Alan Smith, "The Lord is My Shepherd." In his book, I Shall Not Want, Robert Ketchum tells about a Sunday school teacher who asked her group of children if any of them could quote the entire twenty-third psalm. A little four-and-a-half-year- old girl was among those who raised their hands. A bit skeptical, the teacher asked if she could really quote the entire psalm. The little girl came to the podium, faced the class, made a little bow, and said: "The Lord is my shepherd, that's all I want." She then bowed again and sat down. She may have overlooked a few verses, but I think that little girl captured David's heart in Psalm 23. The idea throughout the psalm is that we are utterly contented in the shepherd's care and there is nothing else that we desire. -<>- .-'"`/\ // /' /\`\ ('//.-'/`-.; \ \ / /-. __.__.___..__._.___.\\ \\----,_ .:{@&#,&#@&,@&#&&,#&@#&@&\\` \-. .-'-. .:{@#@,#@&#,@#&&#,@&#&@&,&@#&&\\, -._,"- \ .{#@#&@#@#&#&@&#@#@&#,@#@#&@&&#@#\ \// = \`=\__ `{#@,@#&@&,@&#@,#@&#@#&@#&@,&#@,#/\/ =`-. -_=__ `:{@#&@&#@&#@&#@,#&&#@&,@#/.' / / "/.-', / `:{@#&,#&@#,@&#&@&,@&#/.-// //-'-_= ",/ jgs `~`~~`~~~`~`~`~~`~( / , /__,___.-" \ \\/ `\\\' >Two Choices What would you do?....you make the choice. Don't look for a punch line, there isn't one. Read it anyway. My question is: Would you have made the same choice? At a fundraising dinner for a school that serves children with learning disabilities, the father of one of the students delivered a speech that would never be forgotten by all who attended. After extolling the school and its dedicated staff, he offered a question: 'When not interfered with by outside influences, everything nature does, is done with perfection. Yet my son, Shay, cannot learn things as other children do. He cannot understand things as other children do. Where is the natural order of things in my son?' The audience was stilled by the query. The father continued. 'I believe that when a child like Shay, who was mentally and physically disabled comes into the world, an opportunity to realize true human nature presents itself, and it comes in the way other people treat that child.' Then he told the following story: Shay and I had walked past a park where some boys Shay knew were playing baseball. Shay asked, 'Do you think they'll let me play?' I knew that most of the boys would not want someone like Shay on their team, but as a father I also understood that if my son were allowed to play, it would give him a much-needed sense of belonging and some confidence to be accepted by others in spite of his handicaps. I approached one of the boys on the field and asked (not expecting much) if Shay could play. The boy looked around for guidance and said, 'We're losing by six runs and the game is in the eighth inning. I guess he can be on our team and we'll try to put him in to bat in the ninth inning.' Shay struggled over to the team's bench and, with a broad smile, put on a team shirt. I watched with a small tear in my eye and warmth in my heart. The boys saw my joy at my son being accepted. In the bottom of the eighth inning, Shay's team scored a few runs but was still behind by three. In the top of the ninth inning, Shay put on a glove and played in the right field. Even though no hits came his way, he was obviously ecstatic just to be in the game and on the field, grinning from ear to ear as I waved to him from the stands. In the bottom of the ninth inning, Shay's team scored again. Now, with two outs and the bases loaded, the potential winning run was on base and Shay was scheduled to be next at bat. At this juncture, do they let Shay bat and give away their chance to win the game? Surprisingly, Shay was given the bat. Everyone knew that a hit was all but impossible because Shay didn't even know how to hold the bat properly, much less connect with the ball. However, as Shay stepped up to the plate, the pitcher, recognizing that the other team was putting winning aside for this moment in Shay's life, moved in a few steps to lob the ball in softly so Shay could at least make contact. The first pitch came and Shay swung clumsily and missed. The pitcher again took a few steps forward to toss the ball softly towards Shay. As the pitch came in, Shay swung at the ball and hit a slow ground ball right back to the pitcher. The game would now be over. The pitcher picked up the soft grounder and could have easily thrown the ball to the first baseman. Shay would have been out and that would have been the end of the game. Instead, the pitcher threw the ball right over the first baseman's head, out of reach of all team mates. Everyone from the stands and both teams started yelling, 'Shay, run to first! Run to first!' Never in his life had Shay ever run that far, but he made it to first base. He scampered down the baseline, wide-eyed and startled. Everyone yelled, 'Run to second, run to second!' Catching his breath, Shay awkwardly ran towards second, gleaming and struggling to make it to the base. By the time Shay rounded towards second base, the right fielder had the ball .. the smallest guy on their team who now had his first chance to be the hero for his team. He could have thrown the ball to the second-baseman for the tag, but he understood the pitcher's intentions so he, too, intentionally threw the ball high and far over the third-baseman's head. Shay ran toward third base deliriously as the runners ahead of him circled the bases toward home. All were screaming, 'Shay, Shay, Shay, all the Way Shay' Shay reached third base because the opposing shortstop ran to help him by turning him in the direction of third base, and shouted, 'Run to third! Shay, run to third!' As Shay rounded third, the boys from both teams, and the spectators, were on their feet screaming, 'Shay, run home! Run home!' Shay ran to home, stepped on the plate, and was cheered as the hero who hit the grand slam and won the game for his team. 'That day', said the father softly with tears now rolling down his face, 'the boys from both teams helped bring a piece of true love and humanity into this world' Shay didn't make it to another summer. He died that winter, having never forgotten being the hero and making me so happy, and coming home and seeing his Mother tearfully embrace her little hero of the day! -<>- >STEWARDSHIP, TREASURE During the Civil War, a man with a large amount of money in gold coins lived near Murfreesboro, Tennessee. When Union forces entered the area in 1862, he was afraid they'd take his money, so he buried it in a field near his farm. He made notes of the exact location of the treasure, using trees and rocks as markers. But the occupying Union soldiers cut down trees for firewood and gathered rocks to form chimneys for their barracks and fire pits. When the war ended, the man returned; but everything was different, and he was unable to locate his fortune. He spent the rest of his life trying to find the lost coins. David Jeremiah writes: "We're to be wise stewards, laying up for the future and providing for the needs of our families. But if we bury our treasures and invest ourselves too heavily in the things of earth, we end up losing everything. All we have belongs to the Savior; and when we invest our resources and energy in His Kingdom, we're making investments with eternal dividends." (Turning Point Daily Devotional, 1-16-09) SIN, TEMPTATION In his book, Death by Love: Letters from the Cross (Crossway), Marc Driscoll writes: "You can learn a basic principle of how your enemy works. The great Puritan Thomas Brooks wrote one of my favorite books on spiritual warfare, Precious Remedies against Satan's Devices. Brooks uses a wonderful illustration that explains why Jesus rejected Satan's simple offer of bread. "Brooks says our Enemy will bait our hook with anything we find desirable. This means he will gladly give us s@x, money, power, pleasure, fame, fortune and relationships. Satan's goal is for us to take the bait without seeing the hook, and once the hook is in our mouth he then reels us in to take us captive. His gifts are often very good things offered for sinful uses. He'll challenge us to examine the gift to ensure its quality. That is the essence of the trap. The gift may be good, but the giver is evil. In this way, Satan and demons are akin to a pedophile who seeks to entice children into trust with gifts of candy and toys, only to destroy them. "When we take the gifts Satan and demons give, we are in essence biting down on the bait. As a result, the hook of sin is in our mouth, and Satan reels us in as his captive so that, as Jesus says in John 8:34, we become slaves to our sin." -<>- >Links for Your Enjoyment: Financial Stewardship http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/BibleStudy/financialstewardship.html Overseer http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/BibleStudy/overseer.html Dealing With The Adversary Index http://www.absolutebiblestudy.com/Adversary/Adversary.htm Give Praise! http://www.ShangralaFamilyFun.com/poems/praise.html Our Valuable Anchor http://www.ShangralaFamilyFun.com/BibleStudy/ouranchor.html The Giver And The Gift http://www.ShangralaFamilyFun.com/BibleStudy/givergift.html 90/10 Principle http://www.ShangralaFamilyFun.com/giving.html Attitude Is Everything 3 http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/attitude3.html Thanksgiving Story Time http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/alices.html No Words Needed!- http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/nowords.html Arrows Across America!- http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/arrows.html Making A Difference!- http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/makingdifference.html Short Life Stories!- http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/lifestories.html More Abundant Life!- http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/abundantlife.html Thanksgiving Through The Years http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/thanksgiving.html Thank You God!- http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/thankgod.html Proud Of Our Troops http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/troops.html Daily With Our Troops 2 http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/daily2.html Nostalgic Golden Memories!- http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/goldenoldie.html In Days Past!- http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/dayspast.html <>- >Please Follow/Visit Me on StumbleUpon: http://tinyurl.com/yc6buc6q -<>- >From TruthOrTradition: The Sower Magazine Online: http://thesowermagazine.com/ -<>- >In The News: Hannity diagrams it all out on a big board! Sean Hannity 11/14/17 - Hannity Fox News Today November 14, 2017 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dIr7RM9-LzY “TRUMP WRAPS UP ASIA TRIP FOCUSED ON PERSONAL TIES” -Michael Bender, The Wall Street Journal https://tinyurl.com/ybrd7qro White House - Building a Stronger America http://tinyurl.com/y7rgej7l In economic news, Andy Pudzer writes in The Hill the surging economy is due to President Trump having, “taken a machete to the Obama era’s rules and regulations that have been choking American businesses,” and the liberal “Trump gets no credit” approach shows, “how poorly progressive Democrats understand what drives economic growth.” https://tinyurl.com/y9bw6bdl Hollywood Whistleblower ARRESTED - Is this a coincidence? http://tinyurl.com/yc7sp4k7 Here’s How Many Terrorists Used “Diversity” Visas http://tinyurl.com/y8c9yco5 -<>- >From Our Friend Victor: GRRRR - We should Tell Everyone about this! Food waste: How much food do supermarkets throw away? (CBC Marketplace) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QLqkV8cP4xs Here's how much food Walmart throws away over 12 days http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/marketplace-walmart-food-waste-1.3814719 --- ...Thanks Victor! The trouble with big business waste is that they just pass the costs on to consumers. We pay for them to throw away GOOD Food! -<>- >From Our Friend Linda :) God Whispers https://www.youtube.com/embed/zf_0jzPQ8lo?rel=0 --- ...Sweet! Thanks Linda! -<>- Revisiting... >From Our Friend LouiseA :) We all know cats are strange. Sometimes it's really hard to understand why they act the way they do. But if we could look through their eyes, and see what they see, maybe then I could figure out why my cat loves hair bands so much. This video makes a hilarious attempt at taking a peek through a cat's eyes. What does a cat see... https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=HFfgvtrLQaQ --- ...LOL! Thanks LouiseA! -<>- >From Our Friend Melody :) Amazing Grace https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dy3h6--fMBA&feature=youtu.be --- ...Ooo, love the flute! So beautiful! Thanks Melody! 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 ========================================================== >You Are Not Alone Story Editor: by Lucy Hanouille Joyce Schowalter Texas, USA My father died when I was twenty years old. Up until his death, I had never told anyone of his illness or the suffering that our family had endured for the past fifteen years. It was the family secret -- we learned well not to discuss it. Death sometimes has a way of revealing secrets. I was encouraged to take the news of my loss to the Assistant Dean of my art school, Doris Kinsella. Doris was, in my opinion, one of the world's best listeners. I found myself pouring my heart out to her. She listened, gave advice and encouraged me to stay in school and in counseling. As I left her office, she pointed down the hall at another girl I knew and liked and said, "See that girl? She lost her father this weekend. Heart attack. Very sudden, very unexpected." That was all she said. But from that moment, I looked for that other girl. If she was working in the studio, I worked. If she was going to classes, I went. I couldn't imagine how it felt to lose someone so quickly; I admired her courage. Having known my father was dying... if she could keep going, I could, too. At the school year's end, the other student, "Alice" and I were talking. We shared our deep respect for Doris and the comfort she had brought to our lives in this difficult year. Alice then told me her story. She also had been encouraged to see Doris when her father died. She also found a deep, thoughtful, compassionate listener in Doris. Doris had suggested grief counseling and encouraged her to stay in school. When they walked out of her office together, Doris pointed towards me and said, "See that girl? Her father just died after 15 long years of illness. No one really knows what made him ill." After that, Alice looked for me every day. If I was working in the studio, she worked in the studio. If she saw me going to classes, she went to classes. Alice said she couldn't imagine how it must have felt to live with the inevitability of death for so long. We both agreed that it didn't matter how the loss occurred -- it still hurt deeply. In that way, without even speaking, we kept each other in school. We kept each other going. With one simple sentence, Doris kept us both in school. We lost Doris to cancer almost 20 years ago, but her kindness and her love for me as a student and person have stayed with me to this day. I realize now that the lesson she taught me, by her simple statements, has been a guiding light keeping me going through the hard times in my life. No matter how alone depression or PTSD made me feel, I knew I was not alone after all. Her words made all the difference in my life. =======HeroicStories======= >-->From Laugh&Lift: Remember that the right relationship is one where your love for each other is greater than your need for each other. The Lift _..----...__ .-" `"-. | | |__.==========.____| | | .======. | | ____ | | | | | | _.-' ""--.._ |__| '======' |___ | .' '-. _.-'`` '==========' ``""'--.._ / \' '. / ,,,,,,,,, |._.,,;;;''''''''';;;;;;;;;, | ; .;;;;;;;;;;;\ | ,;;;;;| .) .) `;;;;;;;;, / | /;;;;;;;;;;;;;;| ;;;;;/ (_ ';;;;;;;-'` | /;;;;;;;;;;;;;;|| ;;;;;| `;;;;;; | |;;;;''' '/| ';;;;\ '----' ;;;;;' | |;;;' (' (' \\ `''''`---.___.- __;;''` ; |;;' _) \`) |~\ .-' '---'` ``"-. \ |;;;, .___. |/ / \_/__ _/\ _..,/`\ '-._ \"` `-' .'--"----"; `; '-..-/ \| `;;,--`-._____...-' ; ; ; `; \| || / `\ ; ' . ; \ || / / .-""-.\ . ; ; . ; || /`-./ // \\ ; ' . ; | || ; | `'--./| \'. ; ; ' | || | | | \-' ' ; | || | \ \ \ _ ; ' . | |/ \ >--------'. ` `''-._ , ; ; ;'-. _/' \/ '-._ \`'--. / `, / `'---...___/ / ,/---. /\ / \ ; `"""` ; \`- / / \ / \ ; ,-' /-' \ / \'----'----{ .' \ / \ `""` __..-' / \'----..------'''`` / / \ | .-' / \ | | \ / / \ ) '. .'----; ;------; '-._ _.-'___ | |____ | `'--..._______...--'` //__//__| //__//__| jgs | _| _|_ .--'`---` .--'`---` \ |__.\|___.\\_\ ( ( | / / `""\_____..__'.______..___/ \___.-\___.-._____/ >Maintaining a Proper Balance (By Alan Smith) [Minor Editing] While driving down the road, the motorist saw a roadside stand which had a fortuneteller sitting under an umbrella. She was just sitting there smiling and laughing. The motorist passed on by and went a couple of miles on down the road. All of a sudden he spun his car around and sped back toward the fortuneteller. As he got closer to the still laughing fortuneteller, he began to slow down. He pulled up next to the woman and jumped out of his car and suddenly began slapping and beating her. A policeman passing by screeched to a stop and wrestled the man to the ground. After cuffing the man, he stood him up and asked him, "What do you think you're doing?" After a moment the man replied, ... "Well, I've always wanted to strike a happy medium." [insert groan here] One of the keys to successful Christian living is learning to strike a happy medium -- no, not hitting a fortuneteller, but moderation. Too much of one thing can leave us unbalanced. Too much work results in stress; too much rest results in laziness. Too much laughter leads to not taking life seriously; too many tears lead to depression. Too much time with "the world" causes us to lose our spirituality; too much time on the "mountaintop" with God causes us to lose sight of our mission in the world. We struggle with maintaining a proper balance in our lives, seeking to be like Jesus Christ who modeled that balance and had it "all together". "To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven." (Eccl. 3:1) -<>- Anyone can love the ideal church. The challenge is to love the real church. The Lift .---. |_X_| ___ [_____] / _ \ // \\ | / \ | | " | || " || __\___/__ __\\_//__ /\_______/\ / | U | \/ _ : _ \ ( (|___|) )/ \ : / \ \ \_ / \ _/ \ /=====\ / / /| |\ './___:___\.' ; | | ; | | | | | | | | | | | \_____/ | |--|--| '._______.' |LI|LI| jgs \/ \/ \_/ \_/ >Family Matters (by Rev. Kerry S. Doyal, www.getgraced.org) Family matters matter. No debate. Yes, blood family, but so too blood-bought family: brothers and sisters in Christ. Our relationship status with them is a test of our relationship with God. The Disciple whom Jesus loved wrote: "If anyone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother." - 1 John 4:20-21 (ESV) Saying you love God proves nothing. It is easy to profess passion for God. Lived-out love towards fellow-disciples shows a love for God. All who say they would die for God, should daily give of their lives for His kids. If you are not extending & expending on behalf of God's family, your love for the family's Father is questionable. Here are two passages that spell out what love looks like: 1 John 3:16-18 - "By this we know love, that he laid down his life for us, and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. But if anyone has the world's goods and sees his brother in need, yet closes his heart against him, how does God's love abide in him? Little children, let us not love in word or talk but in deed and in truth. (ESV) 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 - "Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things." (ESV) 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 GodsLittleAcre: _,, _.-'` ',\ \ .-;`'(,____ \.-'\ _\-` __.-; \_.-'_.-'0 \/ / .'0 __ | /_.' .'o \ / .-. ,;--._\___/--. __./ | .-/ \ ^_> |\ /\ \ / <;/ \ \_/ |___/__\__|` <; | |) \ o ( <; |__.\ |o \ <; \ \ / o _\ <\.)-'`| =====""` \ /\__/__/^\____.-; | | | | | / \____|\____/ |===||===| jgs __/[](_||__l[]_ / || '. \ '-----'-''-'-.__/ >THE FUNNIEST THINGS KIDS SAY When a mother saw a thunderstorm forming in mid-afternoon, she worried about her seven-year-old daughter who would be walking the three blocks from school to home. Deciding to meet her, the mother saw her daughter walking nonchalantly along, stopping to smile whenever lightning flashed. Seeing her mother, the little girl ran to her, explaining happily, "All the way home, God's been taking my picture!" A mother took her three-year-old daughter to church for the first time. The church lights were lowered, and then the choir came down the aisle, carrying lighted candles. All was quiet until the little one started to sing in a loud voice, "Happy Birthday to you, happy birthday to you...." A little boy walked down the beach, and as he did, he spied a matronly woman sitting under a beach umbrella on the sand. He walked up to her and asked, "Are you a Christian?" "Yes." "Do you read your Bible every day?" She nodded her head, "Yes." "Do you pray often?" the boy asked next, and again she answered, "Yes." With that he asked his final question. "Will you hold my quarter while I go swimming?" One day a space shuttle crashed to the ground in the yard of a preschool. When he finally struggled out of the wreckage, the astronaut shouted, "I'm free! I'm free!!!" At this point, one of the little children standing there shouted back, "Big deal, I'm four!" A Sunday School teacher asked her class, "Does anyone here know what we mean by sins of omission?" A small girl replied: "Aren't those the sins we should have committed, but didn't?" A bright 8-year-old child was being tested by the Speech Teacher and was given analogies and asked to describe the following differences: Speech Teacher: "What's the difference between an oak tree and a Christmas tree?" Child: "One has leaves and the other has needles." Teacher: "Very good! What's the difference between a saucer and a plate?" Child: "One files and the other doesn't." A father was reading Bible stories to his young son. He read, "The man named Lot was warned to take his wife and flee out of the city, but his wife looked back and was turned to salt." His son asked, "What happened to the flea?" Six-year-old Angie and her four-year-old brother Joel were sitting together in church. Joel giggled, sang, and talked out loud. Finally, his big sister had enough. "You're not supposed to talk out loud in church." "Why? Who's going to stop me?" Joel asked. Angie pointed to the back of the church and said, "See those two men standing by the door? They're hushers." Attending a wedding for the first time, a little girl whispered to her mother, "Why is the bride dressed in white?" "Because white is the color of happiness and today is the happiest day of her life," her mother tried to explain, keeping it simple. The child thought about this for a moment, then said, "So, why's the groom wearing black?" From http://godslittleacre.net/funnies/kids.html ========================================================== _.-/`) // / / ) .=// / / / ) //`/ / / / / // / ` / || / \\ / )) .' jgs // / / >-->AROUND THE CORNER I HAVE A FRIEND (By Andrej Primozic) Around the corner I have a friend In this great city that has no end, Yet the days go by and weeks rush on, And before I know it, a year is gone. And I never see my old friend's face, For life is a swift and terrible race, He knows I like him just as well. As in the days when I rang his bell, And he rang mine.... We were much younger then, And now we are busy, tired men... Tired of playing a foolish game, Tire of trying to make a name.... "Tomorrow," I say, "I will call on Jim" "Just to show that I'm thinking of him." But tomorrow comes and tomorrow goes, And distance between us grows and grows... Around the corner! - yet miles away, "Here's a telegram sir" - "Jim died today." And that's what we get and deserve in the end.... Around the corner, a vanished friend. If you love someone, tell them.... Remember always to say what you mean... Never be afraid to express yourself.... Take this opportunity to tell someone what they mean to you... (¯`v´¯) `*.¸.*´ ¸.•´¸.•*¨) ¸.•*¨) (¸.•´ (¸.•´ .•´ ¸¸.•¨¯`•. Huggums!... :) Shangy! >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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