The Value Of A Soul 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 ================ >-->OoooWEeeee!! oo 8 "} > @ < .8 .-._/| .'_'`')`_.' \| ) / (>'/ |_,_ | (,| .' ,'\| `._/ ) \| '`- -- ''-- --- VK/ejm I'm doing a 'Happy Angel' dance! Why? Because Shangrala has been blessed with another donation from our long time Shangrala Angel, Cloie from NH! May God Bless her richly! She is a loyal supporter contributing to help Keep Shangrala Alive! We sure do thank God for her and all our past most sweet and wonderful angels! If you'd like to help too and be counted as a Shangrala Angel, please visit the site and click on the donate button. A Secure PAYPAL page comes up. NOTE: Paypal will generate a 'Quantity 1' and 'Price per item' form. Just ignore the price per item and put whatever it is you desire to give in there. With Paypal, you will have your normal receipt for your 'payment' donation in USD (United States Dollars). You can put a memo in there if you'd like. EVERY LITTLE BIT WILL HELP! Any amount is greatly appreciated and needed! PLEASE Visit Shangrala to Help: http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/index.html OR If you'd rather send us a donation, Please MAIL it here: Elrhea Bigham 502 S. Harrison Van Wert, OH 45891 *~* THANK YOU! MAY GOD BLESS YOU MOST ABUNDANTLY FOR YOUR GIFT! ================ *~* A REMINDER: PLEASE Send me sweet, interesting, funny, inspiring, family type forwards ANY TIME here... bcrsystems@earthlink.net I Need them, Love them, Use them, and Share them! THANK YOU!! AND For Facebook Users: Please Friend Me / Like Me here... http://tinyurl.com/cma6all AND For Google Plus Users: You can find me here... Shangy Bigham https://plus.google.com/106648555948034085752/posts AND Please Share This email with All Your Friends And Family! ^~^ May God SUPER BLESS You As You Do! THANK YOU! :) -<>- * NOTE: An easy way to adjust the size of print in email or any page is to hold down the Ctrl tab while moving the scroll button on the mouse. You can also use the keyboard to change the font size in your web browser or emails. Hold down the Ctrl key while pressing the + key for larger text or the - key for smaller text! ================ >-->HOT Off The 'Shangy' Press :) This flaming hot new page is from our friend LouiseAu. It takes you to a land of beauty and historical intrigue. If you are like me and find castles to be most awesome, then you may want to mark this as your next holiday location. This small country had about 600 castles, of which over 100 are still standing, either as ruins or as restored buildings. Be sure to check out the video here too: _ _ _ //` `\ _,-"\% // /``\`\ ~^~ >__^ |% // / } `\`\ ) )%// / } } }`\`\ / (%/'/.\_/\_/\_/\`/ ( ' `-._` \ , ( \ _`-.__.-;%> /_`\ \ `\ \." `-..-'` ``` /_/`"-=-'`/_/ jgs ``` ``` Beautiful Wales! http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/wales.html --- ...Wow! Spectacular! Thanks LouiseAu! I had thought their dragon flag was due to all their castles but it too has it's own interesting history! =========================================================== >-->From Archives Heartwarmers: Imagine if every Thursday your shoes exploded if you tied them the usual way. This happens to us all the time with computers, and nobody thinks of complaining. -- Jeff Raskin /`. ( .\ \ |`\___ .--.)| \__`-. / .-.) .-=' /`./ < |/ d `-' ejm96 + a:f >SHOE OBSESSION DISORDER by Kathy Gibson Shoes. Contrary to popular belief, Cinderella's stepsisters were not desperate for Prince Charming -- they were desperate for her glass slipper. Unlike shopping for jeans (which is about as much fun as going to the gynecologist), shopping for shoes is an exhilarating experience. Feet don't have hips, feet don't have thighs. After all, feet are "our friends." And what's better than shopping for shoes? Shopping for shoes on sale! Nothing can compare to crossing the threshold of a shoe store or the shoe section of a department store and seeing signs of 20, 30, 40 or 50 percent off original price. It's useless to fight it. Once inside the compound, women wander aimlessly. Loyal husbands and boyfriends sit like gargoyles and loyally guard coveted pyramids of shoeboxes piled high in their laps. The call to shop is even more powerful when you see a shoe department that looks like the aftermath of a war -- mismatched shoes, smashed shoeboxes and crumpled disposable foot stockings abandoned in empty chairs and strewn over the floor. For an area to look like this, the sale has to be extraordinary. It wouldn't be surprising to learn store employees actually fly through the store knocking down boxes and hiding the mates of shoes because they know the effect it has on serious shoe shoppers. All the shoes look perfect when they're on sale. Even psychedelic-patterned, neon-colored, five-inch stack heel misfits look promising when they're 50 percent off. "Hey, I bet I could wear these with black!" Or worse, you decide to buy an outfit just to go with some bargain you can't pass up, which cancels any benefit of the shoes being so cheap. Just open any woman's closet, and you'll find a shoe "Hall of Fame" -- an entire Smithsonian of shoes only worn once in a while, or only once. Occasionally, however, you spot it. Perched on a pedestal, high above the others, is the perfect shoe, illuminating the whole area like the North Star. Making your way toward the "shoe promised land" you hear a choir of angels and euphorically glide to the nearest sales person, shoe in hand. Snap out of it! The chance of the store having the perfect shoes at the perfect price in the perfect size is about as likely as Amelda Marcos donating her shoes to Goodwill. What were you thinking? In cases like this, women have been known to buy the "perfect" shoes a complete size smaller than needed. Like Cinderella's stepsisters when they tried on the glass slipper, women with distorted looks on their faces hobble back and forth in front of mirrors, but nine times out of 10 they'll compromise comfort for cute. Other than having to tolerate a few cramps, swelling and the sensation of prickling needles from the lack of blood flow, having the envy of every woman you know because the shoes are "so cute!" overshadows any excruciating pain. But women do have limits. No woman would buy shoes a whole size too large. No matter the shoes, women are not willing to sacrifice style for everyone thinking she has big feet -- unless she's a size 5. However, there's good news. Whether you wear a size 5 or a size 10, it's guaranteed that at least one supermodel or other famous diva wears the same shoe size as you. In fact, the odds are overwhelming that many drop-dead gorgeous, "Women love to hate me," celebrities share your exact shoe size. You can say that you wear the same size as Cindy Crawford, and you would actually be telling the truth. And if the store has the perfect shoe at the perfect price as well as in the perfect size, women are willing to knock over senior citizens and defenseless children to get them. Furthermore, senior citizens are just as likely to knock over defenseless children or anyone else in their path for the same reason. Shoe obsession disorder is no respecter of age or infirmity. Even the Wicked Witch from The Wizard of Oz was probably a loving, beautiful woman until her obsession with Dorothy's shoes took its toll. The glistening ruby red pumps were the envy of Oz and the last pair in town! No doubt the Witch was simply sick over those shoes and positively green with envy. Even little girls are struck by this obsession over shoes in Kindergarten or before. Just think about their Barbie doll accessories. She has more shoes than any other article of clothing. And how many "practical" pairs of shoes does Barbie own? None! She only owns wild colors and styles because, they too, were probably on sale. -- Kathy Gibson ___________________________________________ Kathy lives in Kingwood, Texas. She is a freelance journalist and covers community news for the "ThisWeek" section of the Houston Chronicle. She is married to Kevin, and mother of two wonderful sons, Wesley, 14, and Kyle, 12. You can reach her here: mailto:kathygibson@kingwoodcable.com =========================================================== ,-`"-=') =/////// ,== _,_(((((-`6\ ==.| /,,...\\\C _| .--. ((((\\\\\` _, /;_| )9 )))))./ `. / } _\,_ ,-'))) \ / /=-. ,-./ \/ '))) . /\_/ / \ (,-.%\ / /-' ') \/\ / ( \ (/ \ ' /( ' `-/ \( \ ,- / ( `-' \ . / / \ \ &_) /\ \ | ( /--.- \ \----,------=;% | _/ _); `. ` `-. .`\ ) +++/ \ ,," %&-. ; \\| `-` `-=.;_,.__.__\_,/ )_/___+_/_________\,"(_//_(__)______:-._) gpyy >-->Story Time From Our Friend Fran :) My elementary and junior high school years were difficult. My parents divorced when I was ten years old, my brother was nine, and my sister was five. Home life was not easy. Although school could have been a place to get away from the unhappiness at home, it was often worse. I had some friends, but I also had enemies for no apparent reason. Starting in fourth grade, they chased me after school and tried to beat me up. I had to run home almost daily. In our last year at that school, I was relieved — until I learned that all of us would go to the same junior high school. Seventh grade was farther from home, yet not far enough for me to take the bus. I ran the mile or so home every day. Often, I'm sure there weren't any bullies waiting for me, but I didn't want to take any chances. In the cafeteria, I chose tables with only a few kids. We didn't talk much to each other; they probably had the same problems I did. Everyone at the table seemed a little scared. I was worried every day, even sitting in the cafeteria where some of my foes were. One day, one person changed the rest of my life. He was very popular, with lots of friends at school. He hung out with other kids I knew by name, who knew me, but we didn't socialize much. They just hadn't paid any attention to me. "Bill" came up to me and said, "John, why don't you come over and sit with us at our table? I couldn't believe my ears. There was no reason for Bill to risk his popularity by inviting me to join his friends. I was nervous, even scared, but I said OK and went to sit down at his table. It was packed end to end, with about fifteen kids. Those kids quickly became some of my best friends. I don't remember if I had fun the first day, the third, or the thirtieth — but it was finally OK. I started walking home with some of my new friends and no longer had to run. From then through high school, I was able to gain some self-respect. I became outgoing and confident, and made friends myself. I now own a home and business, and have a fulfilling social life. That all began when Bill asked me to join his table, where I met friends I still have 23 years later. I have never forgotten Bill's kindness. He wasn't obligated to include me, and may not even realize what an impact he had. I now watch out for other people who might be the same as I was that day. They might be alone, nervous or scared. I learned that simple acts can have large impacts, and I know what one person can change in one day. by John --- ...Wonderful! Thanks Fran! =========================================================== >-->From Archives InspiredBuffalo: ,ggg, gg ,ggg, d8P""8b ,d88b, d8""Y8b Y8b,__,,aadd88888bbaaa,888888,aaadd88888bbaa,,__,d8P "88888888888888888888I888888I88888888888888888888" /|\`""YY8888888PP""""`888888'""""YY8888888PP""'/|\ / | \ `WWWW' / | \ / | \ ,dMMb, / | \ / | \ I8888I / | \ / | \ `Y88P' / | \ / | \ `YP' / | \ / | \ 88 / | \ / | \ i88i / | \ / | \ 8888 / | \ "Y88888888888888888888888P" i8888i "Y88888888888888888888888P" `""Y888888888888888P""' ,888888, `""Y888888888888888P""' I888888I Y888888P `Y8888P' `WWWW' dMMb _,ad8888ba,_ __,,aaaadd888888888888888bbaaaa,,__ d8888888888888888888888888888888888888b Normand Veilleux >Special Grocery List Louise Redden, a poorly dressed lady with a look of defeat on her face, walked into a grocery store. She approached the owner of the store in a most humble manner and asked if he would let her charge a few groceries. She softly explained that her husband was very ill and unable to work, they had seven children and they needed food. John Longhouse, the grocer, scoffed at her and requested that she leave his store at once. Visualizing the family needs, she said: 'Please, sir! I will bring you the money just as soon as I can.' John told her he could not give her credit, since she did not have a charge account at his store. Standing beside the counter was a customer who overheard the conversation between the two. The customer walked forward and told the grocer that he would stand good for whatever she needed for her family. The grocer said in a very reluctant voice, 'Do you have a grocery list?' Louise replied, 'Yes sir.' 'O.K' he said, 'put your grocery list on the scales and whatever your grocery list weighs, I will give you that amount in groceries.' Louise hesitated a moment with a bowed head, then she reached into her purse and took out a piece of paper and scribbled something on it. She then laid the piece of paper on the scale carefully with her head still bowed. The eyes of the grocer and the customer showed amazement when the scales went down and stayed down. The grocer, staring at the scales, turned slowly to the customer and said begrudgingly, 'I can't believe it.' The customer smiled and the grocer started putting the groceries on the other side of the scales. The scale did not balance so he continued to put more and more groceries on them until the scales would hold no more. The grocer stood there in utter disgust. Finally, he grabbed the piece of paper from the scales and looked at it with greater amazement. It was not a grocery list, it was a prayer, which said: 'Dear Lord, you know my needs and I am leaving this in your hands.' The grocer gave her the groceries that he had gathered and stood in stunned silence. Louise thanked him and left the store. The other customer handed a fifty-dollar bill to the grocer and said; 'It was worth every penny of it. Only God Knows how much a prayer weighs.' -<>- ( )___( ) /__oo \ ( \/ ) | `=/ | / \ / / \ \ / ( \ \ ( ,_/_ \ \ \_ '= \ ) ""' / / ; / /'? : (((( / ctr `._ \ _ ( __| | /_ ("__,.."'_._.) >An Atheist in the woods An atheist was walking through the woods. "What majestic trees!" "What powerful rivers!" "What beautiful animals!" He said to himself. As he was walking alongside the river, he heard a rustling in the bushes behind him. He turned to look - a 7-foot grizzly bear charging towards him. The man ran as fast as he could up the path. He looked over his shoulder and saw that the bear was closing in on him. He looked over his shoulder again, and the bear was even closer. He tripped and fell on the ground. He rolled over to pick himself up but saw that the bear was right on top of him, reaching for him with his left and raising his right paw to strike him. At that instant the Atheist cried out, "Oh my God!". Time Stopped. The bear froze. The forest was silent. As a bright light shone upon the man, a voice came out of the sky. "You deny my existence for all these years, teach others I don't exist, and even credit creation to a cosmic accident. Do you expect me to help you out of this predicament? Am I to count you as a believer?" The atheist looked directly into the light and said, "It would be hypocritical of me to suddenly ask you to treat me as a Christian now, but perhaps you could make the BEAR a Christian?" "Very Well", said the voice. The light went out. The sounds of the forest resumed. And the bear dropped his right paw, brought both paws together, bowed his head & spoke: "Lord bless this food, which I am about to receive from thy bounty through Christ our Lord, Amen." -<>- The next time you believe one person can't (or won't) make a difference... remember this story! .-------. _|~~ ~~ |_ =(_|_______|_)= |:::::::::| |:::::::[]| |o=======.| jgs `"""""""""` >COOPXRATION (Author Unknown) Evxn though my typxwritxr is an old modxl, it works quitx wxll xxcxpt for onx of the kxys. I havx many timxs wishxd that is workxd pxrfxctly. It is trux that thxrx arx forty-onx kxys that function wxll xnough, but just onx kxy not working makxs thx diffxrxncx. Somxtimxs it sxxms to mx that our church is somxthing likx my typxwritxr --- not all thx kxy pxoplx arx working propxrly. As onx of thxm, you may say to yoursxlf, "Wxll, I am only onx pxrson, I don't makx or brxak thx church." But it doxs makx a big diffxrxncx, bxcausx a church, to bx xffxctivx, nxxds thx activx participation of xvxry pxrson. So, thx nxxt timx your xfforts arx not nxxdxd vxry much, rxmxmbxr my typxwritxr and say to yoursxlf, "I am a kxy pxrson in thx congrxgation and I am nxxdxd vxry much." This is what happxns to thx wholx church, and multiply this by many timxs --- thx whole thing just doxs not makx sxnsx! So, don't be a broken key --- be a useful one. -<>- ..::''''::.. .:::. .;'' ``;. .... ::::: :: :: :: :: ,;' .;: () ..: `:::' :: :: :: :: ::. ..:,:;.,:;. . :: .::::. `:' :: .:' :: :: `:. :: '''::, :: :: :: `:: :: ;: .:: : :: : : :: ,:'; ::; :: :: :: :: :: ::,::''. . :: `:. .:' :: `:,,,,;;' ,;; ,;;, ;;, ,;;, ,;;, `:,,,,:' :;: `;..``::::''..;' ``::,,,,::'' >Smile and Spread Love When you feel friendly toward others, which may be due to your easygoing mood and sense that the world is a warm and welcoming place, it could seem that in your immediate environment there is nothing that threatens you, and you may have a greater sense of trust in yourself and in others. Perhaps you could use this feeling of warmth and centeredness to spread love to everyone you come across. As you go about your day you can try to give everyone—people you know and strangers—a smile that comes from your heart. You could imagine that from deep within your heart a warm light emanates that expands with each smile you offer. You may notice that this keeps you in an affable mood throughout the day no matter who or what you may encounter. Giving a smile to everyone around us allows us to extend our feelings of love to others. Sometimes when we feel amiable, it is easy to only be kind to the people we know and care about and avoid people that we have neutral or unpleasant feelings toward. But learning the art of the unconditional smile lets us train ourselves to see everyone in the same light. We begin to understand the meaning of true love by not excluding others, which helps us see that within this layer of love we can trust everyone. By being friendly to the all people you meet, you will be able to express affection unconditionally. -<>- >Links for Your Enjoyment: Thankful For You! http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/thankful.html Three Old Men! http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/oldmen.html Best Buddies! http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/bestbuds.html Mother Squirrel's Love! http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/motherslove.html Unique Designer Shoes! http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/shoes.html Advice For Living! http://www.ShangralaFamilyFun.com/advice.html Friends And Health! http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/friendhealth.html Real Three Bears http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/bears.html Thank You Lord! http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/thanks.html Graffiti Art! http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/graffiti.html Corner Of Paradise! http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/corner.html Extreme Homes! http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/exhomes.html Just Have Faith! http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/faith.html Fire Rainbow Cloud! http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/firerainbow.html Road Train Trucks! http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/roadtrain.html Until We Write Again! http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/write.html Bible Study Menu http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/BibleStudy/BibleStudy.html -<>- >From OperationRescue: Tell President Trump: Stop the Federal Purchase of Baby Parts! I need your help right away to get President Trump’s attention and demand that he end the taxpayer-funded purchase of the bodies of murdered children! You see, a shocking news story just revealed a contract between the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and a baby body parts broker for the purchase of fetal brains. That means our tax dollars aren’t just going in Planned Parenthood’s front door to subsidize their abortion mills... ... they’re also being funneled through the back door to purchase the mutilated remains of the precious children they kill every day! Planned Parenthood lures women into their “clinics,” pressures them to have abortions, and then chops up the bodies of their murdered children and sells them for cold, hard cash. And who are the buyers? As it turns out, the American taxpayers are! We can’t allow this madness to continue. We must demand that President Trump stop this travesty immediately. He has full executive power over the FDA, and he MUST use it right away. Please sign the petition right now. https://tinyurl.com/yarraras -<>- Trump's RESOUNDING Wins Yesterday No One's Talking About https://1600daily.com/2018/08/08/president-trumps-electoral-successes/ Poverty Is Dropping: Here’s Why https://1600daily.com/2018/08/08/poverty-is-dropping-heres-why/ US and Afghan Forces Go After Al-Qaeda Command Structure in Eastern Afghanistan -- Support their Mission! http://archive.skem1.com/csb/Public/show/b9gj-rr7de--hxjy9-2kqpjqf2 -<>- >From Our Friend Linda :) I love this clip, cute & brilliant! Hope it makes your day as much as it made mine! - Happy Day! Coming in to court is voluntary, in most cases. The majority of defendants come in to fight their ticket because they felt they were wrongly ticketed, or they have an excuse they'd like the judge to consider. People do have the option to mail in their payment. These are real people, not actors. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ClhuRYjci-g --- ...This is so perfect! The judge is tough! Love this! Thanks Linda! -<>- >From Our Friend LouiseAu :) A trip back in time to high school and the Class of 1959 Memories should bring back many fond memories for anyone that grew up in the 1950’s. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yxgH-jtPQu0 Master magician Dan Harlan took a trick that he knew Penn and Teller had seen performed hundreds of times and fooled them with it. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WODeEUuEj7A If you’d like to see something really cool check out this massive tornado in Wyoming. This tornado was filmed eight miles north of Laramie, Wyoming by Brett Adair with Live Storms Media. The video quality is so good it almost looks like it was computer generated but it wasn’t. While storms of this size are mesmerizing to watch I would hate to be in the path of one. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mxwJxvf90vk --- ...Wowsers! Scary and Awesome! Thanks LouiseAu! Speaking of Awesome... 'Angel' cloud spreads her wings in Texas sky https://tinyurl.com/yctdu23z -<>- >From Our Friend Fran :) The Concert for Valor: STEVEN SPIELBERG / Cmdr. BILL KRISSOFF https://www.youtube.com/embed/7tyT4glkvBs --- ...Sweet! Thanks Fran! 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 ========================================================== >-->From Our Friend Johanna :) _ _|_|_ ,|_| |_|_ || | | |_| || | | | | || | | | | _|| | | | | ||)\ ^ ^ ^ | || | | || | | || | | \\ | \\ / ejm )\ ( / \ \ / \ \ \ \ >BLESSED Do you cower in the darkness, For the ones you tried, impress, Or do you smile to yourself, For you're too blessed to stress. The things once thought important, Just ripples in your lake, And as you watch them fade away, More chances you will take. You'll simply make decisions, That once made you aware, That who you are and what you are, Is what you wish to share. What does it mean to be Blessed, does it mean that everything you have ever wanted is yours? Or does it mean that everything you'd found contentment with in life has already been given you. Does wealth, health, security, love mean you have attained all there is in life or does it mean your goals are limited in your search for what is truly important. Blessing can be as simple as a look of thanks, a smile of gratefulness, a touch appreciation. Blessing can be found in a beautiful sunset or sunrise, the grin of a newborn, as your mind allows you for a moment to wonder its cause. The contented sounds of a loved on peacefully sleeping in the middle of the night, or a frightened hug because of a loud thunder clap during a storm. Blessing can be all or none of these, but sometimes the little ones can end up being the biggest. Cherish them, each and every one? If silently you wonder, This thought you must address, No matter what the circumstance, You're just too Blessed to stress. --- ...Sweet thoughts! Thanks Johanna! ========================================================== ._ | | |L___, .' '. T unknown : * :_| '._.' L >The County Fair Lesson Story Editor: by Darryll Sherman Joyce Schowalter Washington, USA My son, Christopher, is disabled. Although 21, he's about the size of a 6-year-old, with the functioning mind of a toddler. He can only walk with assistance, his main ride is a wheelchair, and he doesn't feed himself. Thankfully he eats regular food, but we feed him everything. While he uses the toilet well, scheduling is important, so he wears diapers full-time. He doesn't talk, but makes enough noises that we can tell if he's happy, hungry or not feeling well. We're fortunate that for the most part, he is healthy. Happiness in life for him is simple. He loves to eat, laugh, and play with toys. He loves to swim (kicking around hanging on a "noodle" while being attended to), watch bright lights (perhaps fuzzy for him), and watch fireworks. Being the parent of a disabled child causes me to see life differently. I've had to accept that people react inappropriately when they see him since he's different. They make assumptions based on what they see and think. In 2009 we took Christopher to a local County Fair. He likes the animals, loves to watch the lights and rides, and likes the bright, fun environment. Near the evening's end my wife and I were pushing him through the games area to the exit. We tried hard to avoid eye contact with all the carnies challenging us to knock over lead-laden pins or throw darts at balloons. As we kept our pace up and ignored them, we heard one guy calling after us. He continued to yell, "Hey! Wait a minute!" Glancing back, we saw he was actually coming after us with something in his hands. He caught up to us. Grinning widely, he said, "Here, I think your son dropped this." He held out a silly stuffed animal we'd never owned. We explained that another child must've dropped it. With twinkling eyes, he winked and said, "Here, I'm sure this belongs to your son," and pressed it into our son's lap. Still smiling, he walked away to our joint "Thank you." Time stood still as my eyes filled with tears and I realized what had just happened. I'd been as guilty as anyone at stereotyping people who work carnivals, "the carnies," as unclean, sleazy, chain-smoking, etc. Perhaps there are elements of truth to those stereotypes, however, hundreds of people that evening had gawked at or ignored our son or tried to avoid us. Yet this guy chased us down to give Christopher a gift. He didn't have to. I'd never suspected "someone like him" would do such a thing. The simplest of gestures from one person showed me the error of my ways and reminded me to judge not, lest I be judged. That ugly little stuffed orange orangutan sits in a prominent place in my son's room. It poignantly reminds me to not judge someone from their outward appearance, and to not make assumptions based on who they are and what they do. =======HeroicStories======= >-->From LaughAndLift: People will take your example far more seriously than they will your advice. The Lift .---------------. / oLo \ O/_____/________/____\O /__________+__________\ / (#############) \ |[**](#############)[**]| \_______________________/ |_""__|_,-----,_|__""_| | | '-----' | | APC'97 '-' '-' >What Does Your Car Horn Say? (Author Unknown) Do you remember when the whole lower half of a car's steering wheel used to constitute the car's horn? A car horn that was half the size of the steering wheel made it so much easier and fun to find and hit than locating today's microscopic, camouflaged little buttons. How are you ever supposed to find and use your horn in the nanosecond you have in case of a pending accident? But it was a daughter's comment that made me ponder the changing role of yet another thing I thought would never change. She said something to the effect that a horn was mainly for communicating to another driver that you are angry with them. I was a little shocked. When had a car horn become mostly an instrument to express road rage? How were we communicating that to her? I didn't think of a car horn that way at all! So I started to tell her all about all the old-fashioned uses of the trusty car horn. Isn't a horn primarily for accident prevention? To warn another driver that they are straying into your path, or in danger of hitting you? For such uses, the little buttons are woefully inadequate. Unless you drive with your thumb or finger poised over the button, forget it. You can never find the horn that fast. How else are horns used? Well, of course there is the friendly little "hello" honk. Then there is the romantic or flirting honk. Then there is the sentimental goodbye honk: one woman taps her horn lightly whenever she leaves her mother's home - a cute little ritual that somehow signals all is well between them. A goodbye honk is like a goodnight kiss: hard to do if you are mad at someone. It is an unfortunate sign of the times if my kids have come to think of the horn as a thing you use to sound off at another driver. So what are we teaching our kids by example and what they absorb from the rest of society if they look at car horns primarily as a tool of aggression? The increase in road-rage and the erosion of the old-fashioned accident-preventing car horn to the point where the horn is mainly an accent mark for flaring tempers is undoubtedly due to many factors. But can we stem this trend by taking a look again at how we see other people? When we respect other people as God's creation, as people that God also loves, we move even our road etiquette up a little higher on the civility scale. "Show a gentle attitude toward everyone," says the Bible in Philippians 4:5. Does that apply to my road behavior, too? -<>- __ ____ ________ ,',.`. \`''-.`-._..--...-''' ```--':_ ) ) `-.._` ' -.. ' / ,'`..__..'' -. _ `._ \ ('';` _ ,'' .-' ,' : `-._ `*/ , ' . | _.:._ `-'`-' ; \ ,' ; .':::::'` ,' \,' : ; / `-..__ ,'/ | ,' ,' ``---;'` \ ` ;.____..-'`. ,'\ / / \: : : (\ `\ ,' .' \ : ;' / ) ) /,_,.;::. `. \ / ,',',_(:::. `. `. ,' ;' /,_,'::. `-'`':SSt:. >The Value of a Soul (True Missionary Story based on an account by Troy Carl, "Faith Comes By Hearing" (FCBH) ministry) The Konkomba people of Ghana were listening to a ministry broadcast relating to Mark 5:1-20. It revealed the story where the demons that Jesus cast out of a man asked to enter a herd of pigs. Upon hearing that the pigs ran off a cliff and died, one person suddenly asked, "Wait a minute! Did Jesus know that the demons were going to go into the pigs?" Someone responded, "Well, yes." A woman wondered, "Did Jesus reimburse the village for the pigs?" Then for half an hour, they discussed, "Why would Jesus do this?" and "If we invite Jesus into our village, is He going to make us lose all of our property?" After much debate, the elders silenced the group and said, "We think we know what Jesus was teaching us. You know we also have a man in our village that's demon-possessed. He's crazy, and he's worthless. We'd rather he die than even one of our animals." Everyone agreed. "Well we believe that Jesus was trying to teach us that the value of one man's soul is worth more than the economy of the whole village." And the entire group said, "OH!" With the Holy Spirit's guidance, great wisdom came out of this exchange. Just because these villagers were illiterate doesn't mean they were stupid. This whole tribe came to Christ as a result of hearing this. 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 ========================================================== __ /_/\/\ \_\ / /_/ \ \_\/\ \ \_\/ unknown >-->Are You Making a Difference? By Jerry Blount Posted on July 29, 2018 Are you making a difference in the lives of those around you? Each one of us has people in our lives that we can influence. People that we can make a positive difference in their lives. A difference that can have eternal consequences. It doesn’t matter who we are, we all have our sphere of influence. That sphere of influence may be only a few people or it may be thousands of individuals. What matters is that we make a positive influence in the lives that we touch. Are you making a difference for Jesus? Are you using the gifts and abilities God has given you? This is what the parable of the talents is about. By using the gifts God has entrusted us with here on earth will determine what we will be entrusted with in Heaven. (Matthew 25:14-30) (Luke 19:12-27) If we are living for God, he will put people in our lives that we can help. Everyone will someday spend eternity either in Heaven or Hell. We should be concerned that those we know and love spend eternity in Heaven with us. How sad that anyone should be lost because we were afraid to reach out to them or don’t want to make the effort. If we can make a difference in just one life. If we introduce just one person to Jesus Christ and eternal life. That person may lead their family and others to Christ, and then those lead others. We have no idea where it could lead. Anyone can count the seeds in an apple, but only God can count the apples in a seed. It is the same here on earth when we sow seeds of salvation. ========================================================== _______ / /_ / -/- / / / / / / /_______/ / jgs ((______| / `"""""""` >-->Poems By James >Guiding Sight We grown-ups think we know so much, While living day-by-day. We all making choices constantly, Sometimes, we think to pray. We make decisions logically, Then justify our choice, By saying how we’ve thought it through, While listening to our voice. Sometimes our little children ask, Was that the thing to do? Then we adults so often say, Of course, I’ve thought it through! Perhaps we have become too proud, To think we’re always right, But who is there that we can trust, Who’ll give improved insight? Then as I read the other day, I saw what Moses taught. We should teach children spiritually, Conveying better thought. Then as I read more from the book, The Savior’s words explained, That from the mouths of babes, His truth, Would clearly be proclaimed. And then t’was said, we must become Just like a little child, With faith in our Redeemer, And our spirits, meek and mild. And so with humbled heart I see, The children in new light. For they may have a clearer view, With spirit guiding sight. © James O'Brien July 2009 -<>- , _/ \_ _,--. < , > .-'.' /(/.\ .' .' .""". `/ ` / / / \ /) ; ; ,_.;._ _;-'}/ | | '. )( /' | | /'-._/\_.-' ; ; \_.' \ , \ \ / | _.'/ '. `'-\ /.-/.;,\ '-._ `"""""`_.|`"""`| jgs `"("\/")` |# | \(_/ `-...-' >Good Cents I have a jar up on my shelf It’s full as full can be. It sits beside some other jars, When counted, number three. These jars are filled with pennies and I doubt I’ll cash them in. I think I’ll start another jar; To stop, would be a sin. You see the value in the jars Is not their cash amount; Though pennies can be used to buy, When they are counted out. But when you know each penny’s worth And what they represent, You’ll know the value in each jar, And why it can’t be spent. You see each penny in the jars I’ve saved up on the shelf, Is there because I had a thought I value more than wealth. Each penny represents a thought, Each thought is clear and true. The pennies are the symbols of, The times I’ve thought of you. © James O’Brien June 2006 (¯`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? 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 ************************************************************************