Trusting In God... :) 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 ~ __ _.-~ ) _..--~~~~,' ,-/ _ .-'. . . .' ,-',' ,' ) ,'. . . _ ,--~,-'__..-' ,' ,'. . . (@)' ---~~~~ ,' /. . . . '~~ ,-' /. . . . . ,-' ; . . . . - . ,' : . . . . _ / . . . . . `-.: . . . ./ - . ) . . . | _____..---.._/ ____ Seal _ ~---~~~~----~~~~ ~~ *~* 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! ================ >-->2 HOT Off The 'Shangy' Press :) Our first flaming hot new page is from our friend Linda. This one just may give you the willies! It has some amazing extreme photography sure to wow you. Check it out here... /T /I / |/ | .-~/ T\ Y I |/ / _ /T | \I | I Y.-~/ I l /I T\ | | l | T / T\ | \ Y l /T | \I l \ ` l Y __ | \l \l \I l __l l \ ` _. | \ ~-l `\ `\ \ \\ ~\ \ `. .-~ | \ ~-. "-. ` \ ^._ ^. "-. / \ | .--~-._ ~- ` _ ~-_.-"-." ._ /._ ." ./ >--. ~-. ._ ~>-" "\\ 7 7 ] ^.___~"--._ ~-{ .-~ . `\ Y . / | <__ ~"-. ~ /_/ \ \I Y : | ^-.__ ~(_/ \ >._: | l______ ^--.,___.-~" /_/ ! `-.~"--l_ / ~"-. (_/ . ~( /' "~"--,Y -=b-. _) (_/ . \ : / l c"~o \ \ / `. . .^ \_.-~"~--. ) (_/ . ` / / ! )/ / / _. '. .': / ' ~(_/ . / _ ` .-<_ /_/ . ' .-~" `. / \ \ ,z=. ~( / ' : | K "-.~-.______// "-,. l I/ \_ __{--->._(==. //( \ < ~"~" // /' /\ \ \ ,v=. (( .^. / /\ " }__ //===- ` / / ' ' "-.,__ {---(==- .^ ' : T ~" ll -Row / . . . : | :! \\ (_/ / | | j-" ~^ ~-<_(_.^-~" Through Daredevil Eyes! http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/daredevil.html --- ...Places I'd never go but love seeing here! Thanks Linda! Our next too hot to handle new page is also from our friend Linda. This one will give you some gaping mouth moments and is sure to stun you! I never saw most of these before. Check it out here... oo \___ /~ \ / \ | || _|\__ """;;;;;;;;\ ///"""""""";;;;;;;\ ___////+++++""""""""""""";;;;@@\ __________///////++++++++++++++""""""""@@@@%%| ....__/0)///0)//0)//0)/++////////++++++++++"""@@@%%%%%/ ..---0)/--------////////////////+++++++/////+++++@@%%%%%%%/ ..///---0)---0)///0)//0)///0)/////////+++++====@%%%%%%/ ...0)....//----///------////////////+++++///= \\ \\/ //../0)--0)///0)///0)///0)//++++///// \| \| --///--------///////////+++///// _/ | .-//..0).-/0)--0)--0)--0)--.. | .......--/////////. _| .0)..0).. Jaw-Dropping Things! http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/rarethings.html --- ...Wow! Some pretty awesome things! Thanks Linda! =========================================================== >-->From Heartwarmers: __ ( !--. .=-. \_\/_,' / | --("))))))= __|__ | / < > > \ .=-. .-' `-:._.-. | \ / \' / | .\_. | | | ,- `(\|.--. .' \ . / \ / `'| ),' `-\__/ |` ` (\ `-'| / \ ' ; .' \ , /\ .' \ '`-.___.-< \ .< \ /\\ `---'| `. -' || `..-' hjw .=`-....___ || / _.-`--=._ `----.___// \.' _.-'-.`-. `----' \ ;' \ ; '`-. .' / ___ `. / / ,' , `-._ _.-| / /.--\ \ `._ __.---' `./ | \' \ `. `._.-' `. ``. | | `. d8oooo._\_ `. \ /\ / 988888888b. `. \ /::`-.__.'\ 688888888888b : | ___ |::::::::::\ "d8b""888888, ; |`-. .' _`. |::::::::::::. 8888888 | `. / .::::\ |::::::::::::::. /888888' / / /:::::| \:::::::::::::::.._ .' d88888 ___ .' | |:::::| `:::::::::::::::::"--.' `88888`. .-' _`._ |:::::| `::::::::::::::::-' d8889 `/ ,.::.\`-.__ |:::::/ `::::::::::;'`-._ `"' / /:::::| `-._\:::;' ``''''' `-._ /::::::| `"' `-._ |:::::::/ `-._ |::::::/ `.__\:::;' `"' >THOSE PARENTS GOT IT RIGHT by Corrina Jayne Hyde I have gone from being a child care consultant who trained child care workers, to becoming a child care worker myself. It's been a number of years since I've been in a classroom, and believe me, I've caught myself, more than once, reminding myself of my own advice. In some ways the most difficult part has not been the classroom, the curriculum, or the co-workers, but the children themselves. They are so angry! Every classroom seems to have more than one angry child, and the whole thing is heartbreaking. It's difficult in trying to pinpoint what it is that causes such anger, because they all come from such diverse situations. What we know about child development changes daily. Different times call for different tactics, and we are living in difficult times. Parents are all over the place with their children, some are involved, some are not. Some are raising their children, some are not! Some are getting it right, some are not! After one particularly bad day, I came home and decided the change that needed to be made was with me. I needed to "mold" not "pound." I had to show respect to get respect. I could not change the homes they came from, but I did have the power to change their self- images and self-worth. The next day as they came in, I made sure to speak to each child, and tell them how happy I was that they were there! And I meant it! I hugged, I held, and I listened. It was an amazing day. I was walking home later that day after work, with a few groceries I had picked up, and noticed some children in an empty lot close to my home. They ranged in ages from about 4 to 10, and the first thing I noticed is they had a shovel. I remember thinking that whatever they were doing they were probably up to no good. I shook my head and walked towards home. I was about to pass them when I heard one of the little girls start to sing Amazing Grace. And I am talking this child sang Amazing Grace, like she was at the feet of the Master. The other children joined in. I stopped and turned around. I took it all in -- the fresh dug grave, the wriggling puppies in their arms and realized I was witnessing a burial. No adult was around, and they did not miss a word of that song. I wanted to pull out my camera and set it to video and record it. It was beautiful, haunting! It will forever be etched in my mind. So will the lesson. As I walked away I smiled and thought, "Now those parents got it right!" -- Corrina Jayne Hyde __________________________________________________ Corrina lives in Atoka, Oklahoma and been a Heartwarmers member and writer for over 10 years. =========================================================== >-->From Our Friend LouiseAu :) .-.-"````"-.-. ,-._._ \ / _._.-, '. '-. \ / .-' .' \ \ \ / / / \ \ \ / / / \ | | | | / | \_/ \_/ | | | ; ; jgs \ / '.__ _ _ __.' ``` \ / ``` / \ d b \/ >PRAISE IS A BRIDGE TO THE PROMISE "Even though the fig trees have no blossoms, and there are no grapes on the vines; even though the olive crop fails, and the fields lie empty and barren; even though the flocks die in the fields, and the cattle barns are empty, yet I will rejoice in the Lord! I will be joyful in the God of my salvation!" (Habakkuk 3:17-18 NLT) Habakkuk knew what to do when things seemed completely hopeless. His world was literally falling apart around Him. There was destruction everywhere he looked. But Habakkuk knew that God was bigger than his circumstances! So what did he do? He invited God into his circumstances by rejoicing and praising Him. He made the choice to be joyful knowing that it would connect him to the One who would deliver him! Are you facing a situation that seems dark or hopeless? No matter how difficult things may seem, God has a plan to bring you out into a place of victory. Your praise is the bridge that will carry you into your land of promise. The Bible tells us that God inhabits the praises of His people, and when the presence of God manifests, the enemy has to flee! The Bible also tells us that there is fullness of joy in His presence. His joy empowers us to walk through any difficulty we may be facing. No matter how things may seem in the natural, you can rejoice today because God is working behind the scenes on your behalf. As you praise Him, He will fill you with His joy and pour out His abundant blessing in every area of your life. --- ...A wonderful one! Thanks LouiseAu! , , , , , # # # # # _#_#_#_#_#_ {_` ` ` ` `_} _{_._._._._._}_ {_ H A P P Y _} _{_._._._._._._._}_ {_ B I R T H D A Y _} .---{_._._._._._._._._._}---. ( `"""""""""""""""""""""` ) jgs `~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~` Reminds me of my brother. Today is his birthday. I called him and he was out golfing with his son. You may be wondering how my brother celebrating his 69th birthday out on the golf course has anything to do with being thankful and praising God during our trials, so let me explain. This so blessed me, that I was praising God and most thankful again to God thinking about it today. A couple years ago, I could barely see to type. I needed special high magnification glasses so I could. My brothers and I suffer from an hereditary cornea disease. My one brother whose birthday is today had already had multiple eye surgeries and had a full cornea replacement but still could not see well enough to play golf even with his glasses. I finally broke down and my daughter took me to an eye doctor. I could barely see well enough to walk into his office. They referred me to a specialist who as you may or may not know, took care of my eye problems. I've had three partial cornea eye surgeries and I am happily praising God for this doctor. My oldest brother, about the same time as me, also required eye surgery and got both his eyes done from a different eye doctor who gave him partial cornea surgery. The difference between a partial cornea replacement surgery verses a full one is the full one can take up to or over a year to heal and is most intrusive compared to just a few weeks healing time with a partial. The reason I am so thankful today on my next to oldest brother's birthday is because he had told me that he was resigned to the fact that the only time he'd be playing golf again was after he died and was in heaven. He was very sad as he said it was one of his loves in life that he hated loosing. That made me so upset that my oldest brother and I convinced him to go see my eye doctor and get an evaluation. His current eye doctor had told him his eyes were too bad off for a partial cornea eye replacement and his one eye was too bad off for another full one. He was afraid if he got the full one on his better eye that if it went as bad as his other one had then he'd be completely blind so he was holding off doing it. We both had partials and felt he needed to see my eye doctor who had helped me. Well, you see the result. He is praising God as we are that he didn't have to wait until Christ returned. God gave wisdom and technology to my eye doctor and my brother has eyesight way better now. He made his worse eye a little better and his other eye a whole lot better. So much so he doesn't have to even wear glasses! (I don't need glasses to read or type now either.) My eye doctor said he prides himself on keeping up with the newest technology so as to do the best he can for his patients. I thank God for him and others like him! God is able to help us when he has people who are willing to go the extra mile and seek wisdom. Prov.2: [6] For the LORD giveth wisdom: out of his mouth cometh knowledge and understanding. Moral of my story? Don't give up and God won't give up for you! Even if you felt there isn't any hope, maybe there is or will be soon. Keep being thankful and trust God. NEVER GIVE UP ON GOD! -<>- _ {_} .---. ( /~\ / \---. * ) + /~*~\ |# | \ ( /~*~*~\ \_ _/# | o888888888o (^ \_ _/ ) + {{{{{}}}}}}}. ) (^ ( {{{{ }}}}}}}}} ( ) }}}}} _ _ {{{{{ ) ( * }}}} 6 6 {{{{ {{{{{ ^ }}}}} * Praise GOD! * {{{{{{\ '-=-' /}}}}}} {{{{{{{;.___.;}}}}}}} {{{{{{{) (}}}}}}}' `""'"': :'"'"'` jgs `@` >Contract [edited] Have you ever bought something, and ended up feeling suckered? Yeah, you had a contract, but promises of service and repair now seemed pretty empty. Maybe you want to shout, "What about truth in advertising?" Fortunately, a contract with God is not like mankind's contracts! No slick sales or attorneys or disclaimers. No need, because it's more than a contract -- it's a covenant, between the Lord Jesus Christ, God and you and me. In it the Creator promises to be my King, my Teacher, my Comforter, and Protector. I get to be His child with Jesus Christ as my Lord and big brother! What a deal! --- ...Thanks LouiseAu. With God, we get more than even a covenant with Him like the Old Testament people got - God's promise of Salvation and hope. Because of Jesus Christ and His sacrifice for our sins, we get eternal life with Him and God through his gift of holy spirit in us. This makes us God's children - Rom.8: [17] And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. Gal.3: [29] And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise. We have much to Praise God and Be Thankful for! =========================================================== >-->From Archives InspiredBuffalo: _ _ /` \/ `\_ _ \ /` \/ `\ '. .\ / \/ '. .' jgs \/ >My Heart One day a young man was standing in the middle of the town proclaiming that he had the most beautiful heart in the whole valley. A large crowd gathered and they all admired his heart for it was perfect. There was not a mark or a flaw in it. Yes, they all agreed it truly was the most beautiful heart they had ever seen. The young man was very proud and boasted more loudly about his beautiful heart. Suddenly, an old man appeared at the front of the crowd and said "Why your heart is not nearly as beautiful as mine." The crowd and the young man looked at the old man's heart. It was beating strongly, but full of scars, it had places where pieces had been removed and other pieces put in, but they didn't fit quite right and there were several jagged edges. In fact, in some places there were deep gouges where whole pieces were missing. The people stared -- how can he say his heart is more beautiful, they thought? The young man looked at the old man's heart and saw its state and laughed. "You must be joking," he said. "Compare your heart with mine, mine is perfect and yours is a mess of scars and tears." "Yes," said the old man, "Yours is perfect looking but I would never trade with you. You see, every scar represents a person to whom I have given my love - I tear out a piece of my heart and give it to them, and often they give me a piece of their heart which fits into the empty place in my heart, but because the pieces aren't exact, I have some rough edges, which I cherish, because they remind me of the love we shared. Sometimes I have given pieces of my heart away, and the other person hasn't returned a piece of his heart to me. These are the empty gouges -- giving love is taking a chance. Although these gouges are painful, they stay open, reminding me of the love I have for these people too, and I hope someday they may return and fill the space I have waiting. So now do you see what true beauty is?" The young man stood silently with tears running down his cheeks. He walked up to the old man, reached into his perfect young and beautiful heart, and ripped a piece out. He offered it to the old man with trembling hands. The old man took his offering, placed it in his heart and then took a piece from his old scarred heart and placed it in the wound in the young man's heart. It fit, but not perfectly, as there were some jagged edges. The young man looked at his heart, not perfect anymore but more beautiful than ever, since love from the old man's heart flowed into his. They embraced and walked away side by side. -<>- \\\\\\// \\\ \ \\ The Sneeze They walked in tandem, each of the ninety-three students filing into the already crowded auditorium. With rich maroon gowns flowing and the traditional caps, they looked almost as grown up as they felt. Dads swallowed hard behind broad smiles, and moms freely brushed away tears. This class would not pray during the commencements----- not by choice but because of court rulings prohibiting it. The principal and several students were careful to stay within the guidelines allowed by the ruling. They gave inspirational and challenging speeches, but no one mentioned divine guidance and no one asked for blessings on the graduates or their families. The speeches were nice, but they were routine.......until the final speech received a standing ovation. A solitary student walked proudly to the microphone. He stood still and silent for just a moment, and then he delivered his speech ...an astounding SNEEZE! The rest of the students rose immediately to their feet, and in unison they said, "GOD BLESS YOU." The audience exploded into applause. The graduating class found a unique way to invoke God's blessing on their future with or without the court's approval. GOD BLESS AMERICA -<>- == <^\()/^> \/::\/ jgs /::\ `''` >"NOT HOME YET" An old missionary couple had been working in Africa for years and were returning to New York to retire. They had no pension; their health was broken; they were defeated, discouraged, and afraid. They discovered they were booked on the same ship as President Teddy Roosevelt, who was returning from one of his big-game hunting expeditions. No one paid any attention to them. They watched the fanfare that accompanied the President's entourage, with passengers trying to catch a glimpse of the great man. As the ship moved across the ocean, the old missionary said to his wife, "Something is wrong. Why should we have given our lives in faithful service for God in Africa all these many years and have no one care a thing about us? Here this man comes back from a hunting trip and everybody makes much over him, but nobody gives two hoots about us." "Dear, you shouldn't feel that way," his wife said. "I can't help it; it doesn't seem right." When the ship docked in New York, a band was waiting to greet the President. The mayor and other dignitaries were there. The papers were full of the President's arrival. No one noticed this missionary couple. They slipped off the ship and found a cheap flat on the East Side, hoping the next day to see what they could do to make a living in the city. That night the man's spirit broke. He said to his wife, "I can't take this; God is not treating us fairly." His wife replied, "Why don't you go in the bedroom and tell that to the Lord?" A short time later he came out from the bedroom, but now his face was completely different. His wife asked, "Dear, what happened?" "The Lord settled it with me," he said. "I told him how bitter I was that the President should receive this tremendous homecoming, when no one met us as we returned home. And when I finished, it was like the Lord put his hand on my shoulder and simply said, 'But you're not home yet!" --- _.-/`) // / / ) .=// / / / ) //`/ / / / / // / ` / || / \\ / )) .' jgs // / / ...A Good reminder - If you get jealous seeing how the rich and famous live or how much praise your neighbor or others get while you are diligently doing your best for God and the Lord Jesus Christ and not getting near as much as they do, just keep in mind, Your reward is in Heaven not here on earth! If you take your reward here verses in heaven, just think how little time you'll have to enjoy it here verses in heaven? Our rewards shall be so much greater then, than any we could hope to get now! 1 Cor.9: [25] And every man that striveth for the mastery is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible. 1Pet.5: [4] And when the chief Shepherd shall appear, ye shall receive a crown of glory that fadeth not away. -<>- >Links for Your Enjoyment: 3D Chalk Art 8 http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/chalkart8.html Wedding Fails http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/weddingfails.html Went Fishing - Caught 4 Deer http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/deerrescue.html Baby's First Time http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/babyfirsts.html Old Trains And Cars http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/trainsandcars.html Panda's After The Earthquake http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/pandae.html Orangutan Hospital http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/orang.html Real Eagle Story!- http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/eagle.html Under His Wings!- http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/wings.html Why God Gave Us Pets!- http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/gpets.html Iceland's Volcano http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/volcano.html Hippo And Tortoise http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/hippo.html Best Playmate http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/playmate.html High Tech Toys 2 http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/techtoys2.html Chainsaw Woodcarving 2 http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/woodcarving2.html Cuddle BeBe Ragdolls http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/ragdolls.html Amazing Blind Artist http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/blindartist.html Tornado And Rainbow http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/tornadoandrainbow.html A Salute To Texas http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/salutetexas.html Ray's Freedom Rock 2 http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/freedomrock2.html -<>- >In The News: U.S. Troops Overseas Will Still Celebrate Easter https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jJwbAzdXpNU Fox News Confirms Bill O'Reilly Gone http://video.foxnews.com/v/5404110096001/?#sp=show-clips BREAKING: Bill O’Reilly Responds To Firing, ‘Tremendously Disheartening’ http://tinyurl.com/m7tbmlf --- ...Sad. I was enjoying watching O'Reilly again after he decided to quit having who he called loons to debate with on the show. Fox may well regret this. I am still missing Greta. I do believe the left wanted him gone and Fox caved to them like they did over the the Judge. They brought Judge Napolitano after pulling him over him saying the Brits spied on Trump for Obama. He was found correct so they rehired him. Fox will loose a lot of money without Bill at their helm. POLL: Should Bill O’Reilly Start His Own News Streaming Service? Many are angry and upset over the firing of Bill O’Reilly from the Fox News Channel. This happened so fast the Bill didn’t even have time to say goodbye to his friends at Fox or his loyal viewers... http://tinyurl.com/kzc6dga Liberty Writers Latest: https://libertywriters.com/category/news/ RED ALERT: FBI Director Comey Just Got REAL BAD NEWS Regarding Trump [VIDEO] http://tinyurl.com/lm2f7fd GUILTY! Former Democrat Mayor Confessed http://tinyurl.com/kfw7tbd About time! Hateful destructive people on the left need to be held accountable for their actions just like everyone else! http://tinyurl.com/mojml9a How A Sniper Took Out 6 Afghan Insurgents With ONE Bullet [VIDEO] http://tinyurl.com/n75vs7q President Donald Trump has spent his first days using his executive authority to rewrite American policy and undo a string of decisions made by former president Barack Obama. Here’s a running list of the new president’s executive actions: http://tinyurl.com/zx52zgs Presidential Executive Order on Buy American and Hire American http://tinyurl.com/kygg3bs --- ...This one shocked me. I looked up H-1B facts - they may shock you too! http://tinyurl.com/lrsvfcp Emergency RECALL - Alert: Important Product Safety Update http://tinyurl.com/ket6dve -<>- >From Our Friend Bunni :) And this one is so sad yet it really puts a bright light on how someone can get when they start to forget. So sad. 14 minutes of a night with my Grandmother who has dementia. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GFDHic9ZO6M --- ...Yes, it is very sad. Paul's mom suffers from this. Thanks Bunni! The Johnson Brothers Sing "The Impossible Dream" at Britain’s Got Talent https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zTmhDyxBybU --- ...Awesome! Thanks Bunni! -<>- >From Our Friend Melody :) Season's first tropical storm forms in Atlantic http://tinyurl.com/m8ela7d --- ...Informative! 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 ========================================================== >-->From Our Friend Bunni :) >The Winds That Blow The real estate salesman said, "This house has both its good points and its bad points. To show you I'm honest, I'm going to tell you about both. The disadvantages are that there is a chemical plant one block south and a slaughterhouse a block north." "What are the advantages?" inquired the prospective buyer. "The advantage is that you can always tell which way the wind is blowing." It is important to know "which way the wind is blowing". But it is also possible to allow that knowledge to affect us more than it ought to. I heard of a well-know hobo during the Great Depression of the 1930's who was asked how he decided which direction he would go every morning. He said, "It's easy. I find the way the wind is blowing, face away from it, and just let it blow me along." And it's easy for us all to live our lives in just that way. Politicians are famous for doing it. Before taking a position, they'll take a poll and see how many people in the country believe one way or the other. But we're all guilty at times of allowing the "majority opinion" around us to shape who we are and what we do. It's so easy to look around to see which direction everybody else is headed and just turn our backs to the wind and drift along and rather than make an effort to change the world (which is very difficult), we follow the easier path of letting the world determine the direction we take. May these words serve to remind us of what our task as Christians is: "Do not be conformed to this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God." (Romans 12:2) --- ...So true Bunni! Another good one comes to mind for this: Eph.4: [14] That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive; [15] But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ: ================================================================= >"You Can Do It!" Story Editor: by Ted Edinger Joyce Schowalter Louisiana, USA I grew up on a small North Dakota town back in the 50s and 60s. My brother-in-law was a farmer, so we kids were taught at an early age to drive tractors and other vehicles. I started driving tractor for my brother-in-law during the summer of my 11th birthday. One summer day near that time my dad's pickup needed to be moved, so he told me to back it up. Unfortunately, I backed into our swing set, bending the A-frame but not damaging the pickup. I was scared because I wasn't sure how Dad would react. Dad wasn't mad, but came over and moved the pickup himself. Then as a teenager I worked for Jim Seitz during the summer on his farm. Jim had a self-propelled windrower that we used for cutting hay during the summer and grain during fall harvest. I loved to drive the windrower that cut the grain and laid it in rows so the combine could come along to pick it up and harvest the grain. One day, I drove the windrower to get gas from the big farmyard fuel tank. The fuel tank was mounted on a big metal frame 12 feet high. I ran into the frame, breaking one of the machine's wooden slats. I stopped the machine and got off. I assumed Jim would back it up for me, as my father had. To my surprise, Jim said, "Get back up on that machine -- you can do it." And I did! Talk about a confidence builder -- my self-confidence went sky high that day. During harvest, Jim had me do custom windrowing with that same machine, which pushed my confidence level up several more notches. I would take off the drive chains, bolt on a special hitch, then hitch it to a pickup truck and pull the windrower backward down country roads to whatever fields needed to be cut that day. Many other little gestures of confidence -- plus the "can do" attitude Jim had toward me -- carried me through some hard times. In particular, he helped me get through my army basic training. One day my actions weren't to our Drill Sergeant's satisfaction. He made me stand next to a wall and beat my head against it while repeating, "I'm a dud, I'm a dud, I'm a dud." While I was doing this, the image of that summer day on the farm and Jim telling me "Get back up there, you can do it!" came flooding back to my mind. I knew the words the sergeant was making me say weren't true; he didn't break my spirit! Jim's "can do" attitude helped me through basic training, advanced individual training, and jump school. From that training, I became an airborne military policeman with the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. It just goes to show what a huge impact can be created by small gestures of faith and confidence in a person. =======HeroicStories======= >-->From Our Friend Fran :) <> .-"""-. ||::::::========== /= ___ \ ||::::::========== |- /~~~\ | ||::::::========== |=( '.' ) | ||================ \__\_=_/__/ ||================ {_______} ||================ /` * `'--._|| /= . [] . { > / /|ooo |`'--'|| ( )\_______/ || \``\/ \ || `-| == \_| || / | || |= >\ __/ || \ \ |- --| || \ __| \___/ || jgs _{__} _{__} || ( )( ) || ^^~ `""" `""" ~^^^~^^~~~^^^~^^^~^^^~^^~^ >What was the first liquid and food consumed on the moon? I’m betting that most are unaware of this story. Forty-three years ago two human beings changed history by walking on the surface of the moon. But what happened before Buzz Aldrin and Neil Armstrong exited the Lunar Module is perhaps even more amazing, if only because so few people know about it. "I'm talking about the fact that Buzz Aldrin took communion on the surface of the moon. Some months after his return, he wrote about it in Guideposts magazine. The background to the story is that Aldrin was an elder at his Presbyterian Church in Texas during this period in his life and knowing that he would soon be doing something unprecedented in human history, he felt he should mark the occasion somehow. He asked his minister to help him. And so the minister consecrated a communion wafer and a small vial of communion wine. Buzz Aldrin took them with him out of the Earth's orbit and on to the surface of the moon. He and Armstrong had only been on the lunar surface for a few minutes when Aldrin dis the following... Read the full of this here: http://www.hoax-slayer.com/communion-on-the-moon.shtml Buzz Aldrin's Communion on the Moon - Watch this heartwarmer here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5zEZvPg1itw How many of you knew this? Too bad this type news doesn't travel as fast as the bad does. Share it if you've felt God's love. , , /////| ///// | ///// | |~~~| | | |===| |/| | B |/| | | I | | | | B | | | | L | / | E | / |===|/ jgs '---' Jesus said, "If you are ashamed of me, I will be ashamed of you before My Father on Judgment Day." God Bless America !!! --- ...A inspiration to us all! Thanks Fran! ============================================================== >-->From LaughAndLift: _______ / /_ / -/- / / / / / / /_______/ / jgs ((______| / `"""""""` God's Word - Thou truest Friend man ever knew, Thy constancy I have tried, When all else was false I found Thee true, My Counselor & Guide. The minds of earth no treasure give, That can this Volume buy. In teaching me the way to live, It taught me how to die." - Dr. Austin L. Sorenson (found written on his Bible) >"A Pack of Seeds" (Written by Charles G. Ramsey) I bought myself a pack of seeds, To grace my garden fair, And stuck them in my pocket. For months they waited there. And when the time had come to see The flower's lovely face, I thought it strange that only weeds Were growing in their place. How foolish then, oh Christian man, God's Word, you have indeed. You carry it or hide it But do not plant the seed. No fruit there grows in garden fair, Unless the seed you sow. For you the Word of God must plant, Then God will make it grow. -<>- .===. / _/\ \ \/e.e\/ _ ( _ ) / \ _)---(_ \ | / `~` \ /`/ /\/ \/\ / / /| |\_/ \ \\_____/ \ \, L | \_| | | | _|_ | | | | jgs |__|__| (___|___) >Motivation Brings Results (By Dawn ?) Our twelve-year-old son D.J., was wanting a brand new bike to ride around on with his friends. One day my husband, son and I were looking at some in a well-known chain store. The more we looked the more eager my son became and this was evident by the look on his face. Wanting to please him I offered to pay for it. My husband suggested we look around in other stores, so off we went. The other store didn't have what he was looking for and running out of time we headed home without a bike. After getting home and thinking about the bike, other thoughts of all the spring 'clean up' around our house also persisted. Putting the two together I made my son an offer, "I'll buy you the bike, but I want you to come up with half the money. There's lots of work to be done so I will pay you $5.00/hr with your help towards the 'spring clean up' to help you work for your half of the money". Whenever our children want something we usually just buy it for them and with this I wanted to teach my son to take some responsibility towards the purchase to make it more meaningful. I always find the things I have worked for tend to be more precious than something just given to me because of the time and effort it has cost me to gain the ownership. Maybe that is why as Christians we sometimes tend to over time get so easily caught up in taking salvation for granted - the initial cost for us is nothing. Romans 6:23 "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our LORD." (KJV) Salvation is a free gift and the gift is eternal life. The cost for us begins over time as we STAND to be loyal to our dear LORD. The more effort we put into the relationship - the more valuable it becomes. Unfortunately we often mix this up with 'doing' things for Christ that are of little value if not founded in the desire to serve Him and bring glory to His name. Matthew 16:24,27 "Then said Jesus unto His disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me." "For the Son of man shall come in the glory of His Father with His angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works." (KJV) As time went on my son became more intent on his work. On a Saturday helping my husband with the outside chores, my husband opted for a break indoors but my son refused; he wanted his bike and the reward was getting closer. Before our son had completely earned his half, the bike he wanted came on sale. Not wanting to miss out on the savings I offered to buy it, but he couldn't ride it until he had his half paid for. He then worked harder. The following Friday evening it was raining and he asked to go to a friend's house; agreeing to bring him there I was surprised a short while later when he began to look for inside chores to pay his 'debt'. For three hours he washed the bathroom floor, the entranceway, stairs, tidied the basement and did the supper dishes. He wanted his bike! I said to my husband "We had a hard time to get him motivated before, but now he's going to work us out of house and home!" The end results of his efforts kept his motivation strong. In fact it changed the evenings activities. What is it that motivates us? Do we become lax and burdened by the work before us, diminishing our efforts like my son did when there seemed to be nothing to work for and unable to see the end results; or, do we see Jesus Christ and our eternity waiting for us when our work on earth is done? Are we allowing God's promise of eternity to motivate us to keep our minds focused on the reward of following Him? , and does this reward progressively change our habits and how we consume our time? Not only are we promised no more tears, sickness, and sorrow, but Satan will be no more. All those times in life including the irritability, attitude, everyday temptations to sin will be no more. The distractions that Satan uses us to consume our time, taking our minds, prayerful hearts off our God and our LORD Jesus Christ will be no more. We will live in total worship, this thirsting for spiritual filling will be no more - this is the promise that we will be allowed to live! Revelation 7:16(a),17 "They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more." "For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living fountains of water and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes." Our being motivated by God's promise of eternity brings good working results! 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 --- ...My two cents... Incentives are important for anyone. We wanted our grandkids to work harder on improving their grades so we opted to pay them for A and B papers. Not a lot of money, but enough so that their over all grades improved dramatically. Our one grandson was on the honor roll last year! It does make a difference! Why not use a reward system instead of a punishment one? My mom would only pay a dollar for an A on a grade card but she used grounding us until the next grade card as a punishment if I got an F on my grade card. Consequently, I didn't care enough to work hard on my grades except to NOT get an F on my grade card. I had a lot of C's. ========================================================== >-->From Kidwarmers: _,.---,_ ,-" '. / \ | , | | / '-..____.; \_ | /a/a( (` _) `\ ,__. / `;-.___.' _.| | .' `-._\-. / .--. `\ / '_ ))). | jgs \_ /_//__\\_ | |.------.| || || ||______|| '--------' >THE FUNNIEST THINGS KIDS SAY Jacob, 4, was having breakfast with his family one morning when he announced to his mom, Julie, that he had had a dream the night before. "And you were in it," he declared. "What happened in your dream?" Julie asked. Jacob responded, "Don't you remember? You were in it!" -- Julie Nusbaum of Hamilton, Indiana Here is another one from Julie. When Jacob was 3 he was very possessive of his mom. His teenage brothers, Mike and Zak, used to enjoy taunting him by hugging Julie and saying, "I love my mom." Jacob would get angry and tell them, "She's not your mom, she's my mom. You don't have a mom." Scott would get in on the act and say, "Well, she may be your mom, but she's MY wife." Jacob would reply, "No she's not, she's my LIFE!" The Nusbaums were cleaning out closets to get ready for the church rummage sale when Jacob came across a little ring box with a couple of his dad's baby rings. Julie let Jacob try them on and play with them. She told him to put them back in the box when he was done. Later in the day while she was at her desk, Jacob brought the box downstairs and climbed up on Julie's desk humming the wedding march. He put on one of the rings and said, "Now I can marry you." "But what about Daddy?" Julie asked. Jacob responded "He can marry some other mom." .---. /_____\__ `\/6.6\/--` ( _ ) ,'---', / _ \ /\/ (_) \/\ \ | (_) | / \| |/ |_____| | | | | | | \__|__/ |_|_| jgs _|_|_|_ (___|___) Evan, 6, came over to his grandmother's apartment one morning. She had a new hairdo and was waiting for her normally observant grandson to comment. After some time passed and she had received no opinion, she said, "I thought you would have something to say about my hair." Evan said, "It wouldn't have been kind!" -- Angie Klarke (grandmother of Evan Arnold) of Bluffton, Indiana When Kas was pregnant with her daughter she got more than her share of stretch marks. She is just over 5 feet tall and her daughter weighed over 9 pounds and was 22 inches long! One day when Kas' daughter was 2, Kas was standing in the bathroom in her undies. Her daughter asked what the purple marks were and Kas told her. Her daughter was quiet for a few seconds and then said, "Wow! They sure are beautiful!" She has her own stretch marks and her opinion of them is a lot different now! -- Kas Quimby of Elma, Washington Barb's 3-year-old nephew was telling her about: "Handsome and Gretel," "Little Red Wagon Hood" and "Humpty Dunky." -- Barb of Warrington, Pennsylvania .===. / _/\ \ \/6.6\/ ( _ ) _.::. _)---(_ ((|||' / `~` \ /`||| /\/ \/\ /`"` \ | |\_/ \\_____/ | L | | | | | _|_ | | | | jgs |__|__| (___|___) Shirley's 7-year-old grandson told her they had chicken-fish for lunch at school. Shirley told him that chickens are feathered birds and fish live in the water, but he insisted he had chicken-fish for dinner. Later on his brother said, "Grandma, he means he had 'chicken of the sea' (tuna)!" -- Shirley from Wisconsin Sebastian, 4, attends preschool while his mother Becky works. One day Becky got a call at work that Sebastian was sick and running a fever and needed to be picked up from preschool. When Becky picked Sebastian up from preschool she asked the usual question, "How do you feel?" He exclaimed, "Mommy, I feel so bad that even my brain hurts!" -- Grandma Linda in Lake Forest, California This conversation really caught Patricia off guard. About a month ago she and her husband and their two daughters, Katelyn, 13, and Melanie, 10, were at a restaurant eating dinner. There were a couple of babies at another table. Patricia commented on how she would like to take them home with her. Melanie asked why her mother didn't have another baby. At 44, Shirley told her she is too old to have another baby. Then Melanie said, "So if you get pregnant, will you give it up for adoption?" -- Patricia Gallant of Orangeville, Ontario, Canada .---. /_____\__ .===. _ _ `\/6.6\/--` / _/\ \ / )%.===.%( \ ( _ ) \/6.6\/ | // ,,, \\ | ,'---', ( _ ) \/ \/6.6\/ \/ .===. / _ \ _)---(_ /\ ( _ ) /\ / ,,, \ /\/ (_) \/\ / `~` \ ^^ /()-()\ ^^ ( /6.6\ ) .=@=. \ | (_) | / /\/ \/\ / /o o\ \ )( _ )( / \ \| |/ \ | | / (._\ Y /_.) (_/;---;\_) \ 6.6 / |_____| \|_____|/ (O_`&`_O) / `"*"` \ ( _ ) | | | | L | / / \ \ ( (_.@._) ) .-'---'-. | | | |__|__| / ()/^\() \ /'._\|/_.'\ / . . \ \__|__/ | | | /. . . . . . .\ /. . . . . .\ _/ /| . |\ \_ |_|_| |_|_| `"`"`|`|`|`"`"` `"`"|"|"|"`"`(__/{`"==="`}\__) jgs _|_|_|_ _|_|_|_ _|_|_|_ _|_|_|_ /\_ _/\ (___|___) (___|___) (___|___) (___|___) _| /`"`\ |_ ( \ / \ / ) \_/ \_/ Matthew, 5, was thrilled when his mother, Alicia, had a baby boy named Bo. However, Bo did not like being strapped in a carseat. Bo cried whenever they went anywhere. One day Alicia was taking Matthew and Bo somewhere in the car. Bo was crying nonstop. Alicia was driving in heavy traffic and could not stop. Matthew tried to calm Bo down by rubbing on his chest and saying, "Don't cry, Baby, it's okay." But Bot kept crying. After a few minutes Matthew wearily said, "I just can't be a big brother anymore, it's too hard." -- Earla Hollon (grandmother) of Pasadena, California Danielle, was taking her doll's temperature. She said, "This baby has a 76 percent headache." -- Sally Morris (mother of Danielle) of Wellington, Florida Koen, 2, had a sneezing fit. Each time he sneezed, his Nanna said, "Bless you!" When he finished sneezing, Koen said, "I have a lot of "bless you's!" -- Dennis Smith (PawPaw) of Oak Ridge, North Carolina _ _ / )%.===.%( \ | // ,,, \\ | \/ \/6.6\/ \/ /\ ( _ ) /\ ^^ /()-()\ ^^ / /o o\ \ (._\ Y /_.) (O_`&`_O) / / \ \ / ()/^\() \ /. . . . . . .\ `"`"`|`|`|`"`"` jgs _|_|_|_ (___|___) Meridith, 4, whent to the doctor with her parents to see the ultra sound of her twin brothers. They were showing her their feet and hands. The boys were kicking and the adults pointed this out to Meridith. Meridith looked at her father and said, "They need to be in timout. They aren't supposed to kick!" -- Utanah Williams of Pocahontas, Arkansas Note: You are welcomed to use, copy and share these stories, but please reference http://www.funnykids.com as the source. ========================================================== God made us sisters, Hearts made us friends. .--. /`\| / .;;.;;;;. '-.""""-./;;;;;;;;;\ / / \ \;;;;;;;;;;| / | \;;-;;;;;/`\ .' / | \ '| \()| ;. __'._/ | \__.\ _/;;`--/ } / '.-'`"""`'-._ \;;;-'\.' \ __\'-.__-' /`-' _.' \ ;\-_- //`''-'-._.-' | __|_'---'`-..______,.____.../__ |_.._.._.._.._.._.._.._.._.._.._| __| || || || || || || || || || || | |\ | || || || || || || || || || || | \\ | || || || || || || || || || || | |\\|_||_||_||_||_||_||_||_||_||_||_| ||\|.---..---.--.---.--..--.---..-.| || ||jgs \ / / | || | || || || || \/_ / _|==||==| || || || | |`\ ( `-| '-| || || \ _\_/ '.__/\__/ || >-->I Am Learning, Lord My life has taken many falls And tumbles 'long the way. The many trials have left me In a sure state of dismay. For with each trial, I tried alone To tend, and soothe, and mend, Instead of giving them to God - And on Him just depend ... But, I am learning, Lord. It seems I was determined To carry all the load. I longed for smoother pathways. Yet, I walked a rocky road. Little did I understand, God waited patiently To pave a new beginning With a better life for me. But, I am learning, Lord. It took a real disaster To bring me to my knees; To finally call upon the Lord And say, "God help me, please." He came with no delaying, With strong arms that could hold - The weight of all my burdens; He gladly took the load. And, I am learning, Lord. What a needless cross I carried, All because I could not see - What a friend I have in Jesus, And the love He has for me. Peace I find when troubles hover, Though' the outcome is unknown. For if yet the road is rocky, I won't walk it all alone. For, I am learning, Lord. ~ D. Sue Horton ~ Copyright © 1995 >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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