Who I Am In Christ... :) 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 Through no fault of my own we suddenly became an adult club in the love and romance directory so you will have to confirm that you are an adult when you go here. I still have no idea how to change this back as it sends me around in a circle when I try! or Web Site: http://www.ShangralaFamilyFun.com/ShangyFunList.html Group email address: ShangyFunList@yahoogroups.com or email me here: bcrsystems@earthlink.net ================ *~* A REMINDER: PLEASE Send me sweet, interesting, funny, inspiring, family type forwards ANY TIME here... bcrsystems@earthlink.net I Need them, Love them, Use them, and Share them! THANK YOU!! ================ >-->In The 'Shangy' News :) Just a reminder for Facebook Users: Please Friend me / Like Me here... http://tinyurl.com/cma6all . . . ,-,--. __| //``-, \ \_`\ )\a-a-? \ \ \_`(_=_/_-`__ \__, , \| | _ _,' ___7 ) | (_)(_`__(_,---' | ( _( ) | / /_| |________| __/__/__|__|_________) _________(__,_|)/ (__)|/____\(_______________ mic ^~^ May God SUPER BLESS You As You Do! Thank You! :) -<>- >-->2 HOT Off The 'Shangy' Press :) . : : _..----..__ __..:'.-'''-.-'' . : .' , ''' ' : .' / ' ', ( -=o):(o=-) . : : , ''. ; .' __: : : : , '.0.''.-'.)) : __..-- : : ._.-'__| ':''. . : , .. :.-' __.' / ; . .' , : _.' '. '.'' / / ' .:. .'. :--:'_..--'''.)) . ' -' __.--' .''::' '-. .-''. '. . __.--' :...: __\ '. '..)) ' __.--' ::'':.--'' '.))) __.--' _..--:.::' . . __.--' :' .:. __.--' ' .::' : __.--' jrei __' .::' ..--'' ':::' These super hot totties comes from our friends Brenda And PatDeE. They are full of wintry beauty and wildlife sure to give you plenty of ooos and awws! Check them out here... Winter Wildlife! http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/winter.html Winter Wildlife 2! http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/winter2.html --- ....Very nice photography! Thank You Brenda and PatDeE! =========================================================== >-->From Heartwarmers: __..._ _...__ _..-" `Y` "-._ \ Once upon | / \\ a time..| // \\\ | /// \\\ _..---.|.---.._ /// jgs \\`_..---.Y.---.._`// '` `' >"STORIFYING" by Kristine Lowder Say the word "family" and what comes to mind? Most people think of folks they're related to by blood or adoption -- mom and dad, grandparents, brothers and sisters, aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces and nephews and so on. I realized that all of my most cherished memories involve family. Ditto the biggest challenges, most hair-raising adventures, greatest triumphs, deepest heartaches and happiest moments. Family is where life happens. Where we share our lives, our hearts, and our stories. No one was better at "storifying" -- telling or spinning stories -- than my uncle, Norman Naas. In fact,, there are no words for my Uncle Norm. He used them all. In spades. Uncle Norm smoked like a chimney, loved a roaring fireplace, good food, fine wine, and traveling. He loved feeding and entertaining friends, Romans and fellow countrymen by the bus load. The more, the merrier. Even in retirement Norm was a party waiting to happen. The thing I remember best about Norm was how much he loved books. Outside of dad, Norm was the best-read person and most voracious reader I've ever met. His rambling, bougainvillea and camellia-draped house groaned with books. They were everywhere, sprouting like weeds in a garden. You couldn't sit down without first removing a book from your planned perch. Books populated the kitchen, family room, living room, bathroom, bedrooms, coffee and kitchen tables and every available space. Even the garage housed shelf after shelf of books. When we visited Uncle Norm, I looked forward to afternoons when I'd climb into my uncle's ample lap with a book. "Well dear, what do we have today?" he'd ask, adjusting his glasses and oohing and ahing over my selection. "Ah, this is a good one!" he'd smile, even if it was the same "one" we'd read nineteen times in the last two days. Not surprisingly, Uncle Norm could quote entire scenes out of Shakespeare. He'd tell us about writers and literature for hours. Not lectures. These were more like command performances. Norm gobbled up books like a starving man, barely taking time to chew. After dinner Norm would regale us with his "storifying" expertise. Remember that Mel Gibson movie from 1993, Man Without a Face? Gibson plays Justin McLeod, a former teacher turned recluse after his face has been horribly disfigured in an auto accident. Known as "Hamburger Head" to the locals, McLeod is the subject of many rumors and wild stories. Chuck Norstadt (Nick Stahl) is a young boy determined to get into the same military school as his father. Desperate for a tutor, Chuck encounters the reclusive McLeod, and together they begin to help each other deal with a world that has shunned them both. There's a scene where teacher and student are reading Shakespeare (I think it's The Merchant of Venice). Except that they're not really reading it. At least, not in the usual sense. They're interpreting the text, acting it out with costumes and props. Teacher and student aren't reading the story. They ARE the story. That's what listening to Uncle Norm tell or read a story was like. Uncle Norm and I corresponded regularly when I was in high school and college. We did this the old fashioned way -- with paper and pen and postage. This was before email. A running dispute developed over an arcane theological point. I was as right as Norm was, as shy as a cyclone in making my own case on paper. I recall how disappointed I was when my uncle stopped writing. No, that's not it. Not exactly. His letters petered out slowly, over time. Like twin guttering candles. So did mine. It wasn't until my junior year in college that I noticed that I never heard from Uncle Norm anymore. I never asked why. An "oops" moment. I didn't detect any rancor between us -- we just got busy elsewhere and moved on. Another oops. Norm died a few years later. In one of my last missives to my uncle, I told Norm how much I liked to listen to him talk when I was a child. His rich, sonorous bass was as smooth as glass. That was nearly forty years ago. I sometimes wonder what else Norm might have said -- what else I might have said -- if just one of us hadn't allowed the other to drift. It's easy to take people for granted, isn't it? Especially family. How many things we would, could, should say and share and laugh about or argue over or lean back in our chairs and storify -- and never quite seem to get around to it? That uncle, that aunt, those parents, siblings, children or spouse seem as regular as the seasons. We mistake familiarity for permanence, which is a clever but deceptive chimera. That's why I choose to thank God for uncles. For books and letters and storyifying. And family. If we let Him, God somehow smoothes out the frayed edges of our oops-blotted lives, rewrites the smudges and slips in something new and fresh and beautiful. He can give us a fresh start. A blank page. A second chance. A new story. Like the one I'm writing now. Uncle Norm would've loved that. -- Kristine Lowder __________________________________________________ A multi-published author, Kristine Lowder resides in the Pacific Northwest with her husband, Chris, their four sons and one yellow Labrador Retriever. --- =_ ||\ C O C O |||\ C O c O (\/\/ C O (\/\/ ||||\O (\/\/ (\/\/ /| | (\/\/ c O /| | ||||\/\ /| | /| | / | /| /| | (\/\// | /| ||||// \ / | /| / | /|/__|/ | / | /| /| |__|/ | |||/ __\| /__|/ |/__|/ | " /__|/ | / | /| " |__: //| | " " " /__|/ | - c O ! " ( ) c O (\/\/ \ -\ (\/\/ c O /| | ___ \O - \O /| | (\/\// | /| / \/|) ( & )/) / | /| /| |__|/ || ./||\ _____ -\/|\ /__|/ | / | /| " \___/ | \ /\ | (_) | \ " /__|/ | /|\ |__\ -- | |__\ " " /|\ " O ______________ /\/ /________________) O @ / \_|___O /___________| _|/_ \ O @ |/__ /_oo-#= | /( )_\ \-O \|_ | |\\ :|(/| \/ ;/_)_(_ \_\ O / |_\ ||__ |O _( ) \| /| / ( ) O / | |\\ =#-@@| / / / __\| / | ;/__)_( /_oo-#= \/ | //| | __|| ( ) | \/ __|| ___O //| | /_|_| ||__ ejm97 //| | \ \/ )>==O ' ' | |\\ | O \/) __|| /| | .-O ----- //| | / | __|| (=) ) \ __|| //| | \(/| \O //| | ___|| __/%) // | | (%%%) \/\| *__| \__* >An Archive - ORCHESTRATED BY GOD by Sharmaine Hobbs In January 2009, my cousin Jean and her husband Tommy came down to Virginia to see the headstones that had been put up to honor and mark the graves of her parents who had passed away within just a few months of each other. Tommy had also lost his mother during that time as well. So within a matter of a few months, both her parents and his Mom were gone. It was a tough time period, but their love for one another and faith in God pulled them through. In our family, my paternal grandmother, affectionately known as Bigmoma was a praying woman. She was a widow at an age that was earlier than most women, so I knew what drove her to her knees and why she prayed all the time. I understand that now. So in a time when the man was truly the head of the household and the woman was more of the support person, Bigmoma was clearly at the helm of her family and prayer was passed down to all of us because of her example and deep faith in God. So the three of us decided that we would go to Blackstone and have a little ceremony to dedicate the headstones and have prayer. When we arrived at the cemetery, there was no one there on that weekday but us. It was quiet and serene. As we pulled into the parking lot, we all could feel the tears welling up as we quietly held them back. Even though we were going to visit the gravesite, it's a reminder that our loved ones are no longer with us and only a short while ago they had been. We walked to her father's grave and admired the headstone, held hands and Jean said the prayer. We all felt connected and though there is the loss, there is also the comfort of knowing that his spirit was at rest and in a perfect place. When we went to her mother's grave, we admired the headstone and she asked me to pray. Again we held hands in circle and I closed my eyes and the words came forth and went up. We thanked God for their lives and for their time with us and again released her, knowing that she is in that perfect place too. As I finished praying, I noticed an unfamiliar car, slowing down as it passed the cemetery. It made a left turn into a makeshift pathway at the lower portion of the cemetery where the funeral cars normally use to gain access. At first I thought it might be one of the ladies who lived on the road since our home church is in walking distance from my mom's house. But I couldn't make out who it was. She eased her car ever so slowly toward a grave closest to the road. It was marked by a double headstone. Maybe she lost her husband, I thought. Slowly the door opened and for a few seconds it appeared as though she might not be able to get out of the car. I didn't know whether it was from grief or from her mobility, but from a distance, I continued to watch quietly. She seemed unaware that we were there, even though our car was parked in the church parking lot and we were several rows over from where she was. She took her time positioning herself to get out of the car. She had parked right at the headstone. She stood up, the car door still ajar and took just three steps. She quickly went down on one knee and grabbed the headstone as if it were to break her fall. But she did not fall. She bowed her head and laid it upon the headstone as if she were embracing whomever it was she had lost. She clung to that piece of marble as though her very life depended on it. Her quiet sob was muffled. It is a picture I will always remember. I was so moved by her deep love and her sorrow I felt compelled to walk towards her. I didn't want to intrude on this private moment, but it just felt to me that her heart was crying out and I wondered if I, a stranger, could provide any consolation to her. Perhaps just a loving embrace might provide a bit of comfort to her. "I'm sorry" I said. "I don't mean to disturb you. I thought you were one of the ladies that lived on this road." "No, I'm Bertha Goode," she told me. "I've come to see my sister Doris today. I miss her so very much. We were so close." I read the headstone which said August 2007. Mrs. Goode told me that she had just celebrated her 79th birthday and she was the only sister left. Not only was she the last sister left, but she was now alone -- without a husband, missing her sister, and possibly wondering how much time she had left. "I'd love to give you a hug today, if that would be all right", I said. She reached her arms up to me, as she knelt at the headstone and I reached down to her. I thought about how much she loved her sister and tried to send that love back to her in my hug. I thought about her feeling alone and sent some love for that too. I thought about her turning 79 and sent some love for that as well. I asked God to please send whatever it was she needed that day, through my hug to her. I thought of how it might feel to lose a sister and sent some love for that too. What was Mrs. Goode feeling that day that made her drive down to the cemetery on a week day and almost collapse as she cradled the headstone of her sister? Whatever it was, I knew that God had us in the cemetery on that afternoon. And even though we went for one purpose, to dedicate the headstones of our family members, God orchestrated that someone would also be there for Mrs. Goode. I will keep that memory with me forever. In loss, God is the only person we can tell our true feelings to. He understands. And the comfort we need when we have lost a loved one, sometimes only God can fill that. But sometimes when you feel you are all alone, God will send his love to you through another. As I walked away from the cemetery, I realized that I had been a small part of a miracle. He had me in the right place at the right time. He gave me a little nudge to go over and see about her. And through my arms and my heart, God was able to give her the love and hug through a human being that she went to the headstone, made of marble to receive. Everyday there is a miracle! -- Sharmaine Hobbs --- , , /////| ///// | ///// | |~~~| | | |===| |/| | B |/| | | I | | | | B | | | | L | / | E | / |===|/ jgs '---' ...Orchestrated By God explains perfectly how God does things! Webster says Orchestrated means: to arrange or combine so as to achieve a desired or maximum effect That's what God does! He doesn't control - he doesn't make people do what He wants them to but he arranges and combines as best he can achieving His most perfect effect or result for those who are His children, are in good standing with him, and ask him to. The bible puts it this way ... Romans 8: [26] Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. [27] And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God. [28] And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. Check Out These... Walking In Power: http://www.ShangralaFamilyFun.com/BibleStudy/walkingpower.html Speaking In Tongues - teachings http://www.truthortradition.com/modules.php?name=News&new_topic=88 Our Valuable Anchor http://www.ShangralaFamilyFun.com/BibleStudy/ouranchor.html Self Talk http://www.ShangralaFamilyFun.com/BibleStudy/selftalk.html ========================================================== >-->From Our Friend LouiseA :) , , /////| ///// | ///// | |~~~| | | |===| |/| | B |/| | | I | | | | B | | | | L | / | E | / |===|/ jgs '---' >God's Travel Tours (Author Unknown) Take God's Travel tours today! Use the Bible as your travel guide. Consider the following available adventures: Cruise Ship: Room for pets - two of every kind, food and water supplied. Includes blueprints on how to build your ship. Duration: several months. Perfect for the adventurous family. Have Sheep Will Travel: Your nomadic adventure has many departure dates and many guides. Travel Tip: if leaving Sodom and Gomorrah, remember don't look back. Wandering Tours: Short notice departure, dry passage through the Red Sea. Clients will stay forty years touring the desert. All provisions taken care of. Shoes will not wear out. Manna served daily. Suitable for a very large group. Hometown Reunions: Need to travel back to your hometown for Census. Prices vary. Book today to get hotel accommodations. Galiliean Walking Tours: Travel around Galilee with a powerful inspirational guide. See all the sites, go fishing with expert fishermen (an exclusive to this tour). Short on Time: Looking for a day out? Hear a powerful and inspirational speaker. Join five-thousand others. Lunch included. Songsters Special: This tour involves spending time with one of the most famous writers of all times. Many side adventures - my favorite, "Want to see a Giant Fall" Tour Babylon: This tour includes a visit to a real Lion's Den and a Fiery Furnace. Can you stand the heat? Tour Egypt: See all the sites! Help build these magnificent structures. Perfect for those who prefer a working holiday. And finally, the Ultimate! The Ultimate: This tour will take all you have. It's the wildest adventure offered. This is the adventure God has planned for each of us. Let God through Jesus Christ be your Tour Guide and see where He leads you. Take God's Travel tours today! Use the Bible as your travel guide. --- ...TeeHee! A great one! Thanks LouiseA! -<>- .--..-""""-..--. ///`/////////\`\\\ ||/ |///""\\\| \|| ## ( 6. 6 ) ## /_\ \ _. / /_\ _`) (`_ /` '--' `\ / _,,_ \ / /` `\ \ /\_/ / 6 6\ \_/\ \ \/\ Y /\/ / \ \/ `'U` \/ / \( \ / )/ |\_/ \_/| / ____ \ \ ( || ) / (__)||(__) | || | |__||__| jgs |==||==| /~`//~`/ / // / `""` `"` >To my child: I gave you life but cannot live it for you I can teach you things but I cannot make you learn I can give you directions but I cannot always be there to lead you I can allow you freedom but cannot account for it I can take you to church but I cannot make you believe I can teach you right from wrong but I cannot always decide for you I can buy you beautiful clothes but I cannot make you lovely inside I can offer you advice but I cannot accept it for you I can give you love but I cannot force it upon you I can teach you to be a friend but I cannot make you one I can teach you to share but I cannot make you unselfish I can teach you respect but I cannot force you to show honor I can grieve about your report card but I cannot doubt your teachers I can advise you about friends but I cannot choose them for you I can teach you about sex but I cannot keep you pure I can tell you the facts of life but I cannot build your reputation I can tell you about drinking but I cannot say no for you I can warn you about drugs but I cannot prevent you from using them I can tell you about lofty goals but I cannot achieve them for you I can let you baby-sit but I cannot be responsible for your actions I can teach you kindness but I cannot force you to be gracious I can warn you about sin but I cannot make you moral I can love you as a son/daughter but I cannot place you in God's family I can pray for you but I cannot make you walk with God I can teach you about Jesus but I cannot make Him your Savior I can teach you to obey but I cannot make Jesus your Lord I can tell you how to live but I cannot give you Eternal Life --- You see, I can only do so much. Now it's your move. Thanks for listening, YOUR PARENTS --- ...aww, so true! Thanks Louisea! =========================================================== >-->From Archives InspiredBuffalo: >GOD is in control A man from Norfolk , VA called a local radio station to share this on Sept 11th, 2003 , TWO YEARS AFTER THE TRAGEDIES OF 9/11/2001 . His name was Robert Matthews. These are his words: A few weeks before Sept. 11th, my wife and I found out we were going to have our first child.. She planned a trip out to California to visit her sister. On our way to the airport, we prayed that God would grant my wife a safe trip and be with her. Shortly after I said 'amen,' we both heard a loud pop and the car shook violently. We had blown out a tire. I replaced the tire as quickly as I could, but we still missed her flight. both very upset, we drove home. ' ' I received a call from my father who was retired NYFD. He asked what my wife's flight number was, but I explained that we missed the flight. My father informed me that her flight was the one that crashed into the southern tower. I was too shocked to speak. My father also had more news for me; he was going to help. 'This is not something I can't just sit by for; I have to do something.' I was concerned for his safety, of course, but more because he had never given his life to Christ. After a brief debate, I knew his mind was made up. Before he got off of the phone, he said, 'take good care of my grandchild. Those were the last words I ever heard my father say; he died while helping in the rescue effort. My joy that my prayer of safety for my wife had been answered quickly became anger. I was angry at God, at my father, and at myself. I had gone for nearly two years blaming God for taking my father away. My son would never know his grandfather, my father had never accepted Christ, and I never got to say good-bye. Then something happened. About two months ago, I was sitting at home with my wife and my son, when there was a knock on the door. I looked at my wife, but I could tell she wasn't expecting anyone. I opened the door to a couple with a small child. The man looked at me and asked if my father's name was Jake Matthews. I told him it was. He quickly grabbed my hand and said, 'I never got the chance to meet your father, but it is an honor to meet his son.' He explained to me that his wife had worked in the World Trade Center and had been caught inside after the attack. She was pregnant and had been caught under debris. He then explained that my father had been the one to find his wife and free her. My eyes welled up with tears as I thought of my father giving his life for people like this. He then said, 'there is something else you need to know..' His wife then told me that as my father worked to free her, she talked to him and led him to Christ. I began sobbing at the news. Now I know that when I get to Heaven, my father will be standing beside Jesus to welcome me, and that this family would be able to thank him themselves . When their baby boy was born, they named him Jacob Matthew, in honor of the man who gave his life so that a mother and baby could live. This story should help us to realize this: God is always in control.. We may not see the reason behind things, and we may never know this side of heaven, but God is ALWAYS in control. Please take time to share this amazing story. You may never know the impact it may have on someone. God doesn't call the qualified, He qualifies the called. Give thanks to the Lord for He is good. His love endures Forever. - Psalm 136:1 --- , , /////| ///// | ///// | |~~~| | | |===| |/| | B |/| | | I | | | | B | | | | L | / | E | / |===|/ jgs '---' ...I have to add my two cents here. Yes - God is always in control when it comes to those he has chosen before the foundation of the world to be His - come hell or high water there is nothing that shall stop God from saving these people and making them His. However - if God was in control Jesus would not have taught this... Luke 11 [2] And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth. You don't have to pray for something that already is. If God were always in control - HIS WILL WOULD ALWAYS be done and we'd not have to ask for it to be so. Besides, that is why we have sickness, poverty, and death. God is NOT always in control. Because we know God's will concerning these things... 3 John 1: [2] Beloved, I wish above all things that thou mayest prosper and be in health, even as thy soul prospereth. If God were in control His children WOULD ALWAYS Be prosperous and in good health as long as they breath - This is His Wish ABOVE ALL THINGS - so if He were always in control it would be so! We already know death isn't in His control either else the bible would not say this... 1 Cor. 15 [26] The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death. God is not always in control. That is why horrible things happen to good and bad people alike. It is why we must be vigilant... 1 Pet.5: [8] Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: It is why we look forward to when Christ shall return so we can have God always in control through Christ Jesus our Lord and get rid of all this pain and suffering and death! -<>- _.--._ \ ** / (<>) . ) ( . )\_.._/ /\ \_.._/( (*_<>_ _<>_*) )/ '' \ \/ / '' \( ' ) ( ' ( ) ) ( (<>) / ** \ /.-..-.\ >WHO I AM IN CHRIST (Thanks to Vince DeMartino for this) [Edited] If you have accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior, this doesn't just mean that you are the same person but have just "accepted Jesus and going to Heaven". No, it means that you are a whole new creation - NOW and for all eternity. You are "born again" spiritually (see John 3) and have become a new creation in Christ. Even as believers for years, we often fail to see all that we are in Christ and/or just plain need some reminders. So here are some reminders straight from God's word - He tells us just who we are (whether we FEEL like it or not!!) Let's all soak in these truths today and remind ourselves of them often. :) I am a Child of God! "Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God" (John 1:12) I am not the Great 'I AM' but, I am what I am! "But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect." (1 Cor 15:10) I am the Salt of the Earth whereby others see Jesus! "You are the salt of the earth." (Mat 5:13) I am the light of the World whereby others see Jesus! "You are the light of the world." (Mat 5:14) I am a branch in Christ! I will bear much Fruit! "I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing." (John 15:5) I am Christ's Friend! "I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you." (John 15:15) I am Chosen by Christ! I will bear much Fruit! "You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit--fruit that will last." (John 15:16) I am free from Sin! I am a slave to Righteousness! "You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness." (Rom 6:18) I am a Slave to God! I have Eternal Life! "But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life." (Rom 6:22) I am a Son ( Daughter ) of God! God is MY Father!!! "For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, 'Abba, Father.'" (Rom 8:15) I am an Heir of GOD and a Co-Heir with Christ! "Now if we are children, then we are heirs--heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory." (Rom 8:17) I am the Temple of God! God's Spirit lives in ME! "Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you?" (1 Cor 3:16) I am part of the Body of Christ! "Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is a part of it." (1 Cor 12:27) I am a NEW Creation - the Old has gone the New has come! "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" (2 Cor 5:17) I am Christ's Ambassador! "We are therefore Christ's ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ's behalf:" (2 Cor 5:20) I AM A SAINT! ( i.e. Forgiven Sinner ) "To all the saints in Christ Jesus at Philippi, together with the overseers and deacons:" (Phil 1:1) I am God's workmanship! I have work to do that he planned! "For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." (Eph 2:10) I am a Member of God's household! I BELONG! "Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God's people and members of God's household," (Eph 2:19) I am Created to be Like God in Righteousness and Holiness! "You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds; and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness." (Eph 4:22-24) I am a Citizen of Heaven! "But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ," (Phil 3:20) I am Hidden in GOD! "For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God." (Col 3:3) I will be with Christ in Glory! "When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory." (Col 3:4) I am Chosen, Holy and Dearly LOVED! "Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience." (Col 3:12) I am of the Light! "You are all sons of the light and sons of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness." (1 Th. 5:5) I have a Heavenly Calling! "Therefore, holy brothers, who share in the heavenly calling, fix your thoughts on Jesus, the apostle and high priest whom we confess." (Heb 3:1) I am Chosen, Royal, a Priest, part of a Holy Nation and belong to GOD! "But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light." (1 Pet 2:9) I am an Alien to this World! "Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul." (1 Pet 2:11) I will be like Christ when He appears! "Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is." (1 John 3:2) I am SAFE in CHRIST! Nothing happens to me that doesn't pass through Christ! "We know that anyone born of God does not continue to sin; the one who was born of God keeps him safe, and the evil one cannot harm him." (1 John 5:18) I am able to do ANYTHING if it is Christ's will! I am totally dependent on Christ! "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." (Philipians 4:13) "...Apart from me, you can do nothing." (John 15:5) I am being changed each day to be more of who God intends for me to be! "...He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus." (Philippians 1:6) -<>- >Links for Your Enjoyment From Russia With Love http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/teardrop.html Proud Of Our Troops 3 http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/troops3.html The Red Hat http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/redhat.html Orang-Utan Hospital http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/orang.html God's Little Love Notes http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/notes.html Amazing Albino Animals http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/albino.html Free Audio Class - New Life In Christ! http://tinyurl.com/yk8q6rd -<>- >From Our Friend Bunni :) Using Easter Left Over's with Imagination http://busycooks.about.com/cs/seasonalcooking/a/Easterleft.htm --- ...a good one! Thanks Bunni! 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 SermondFodder: __ /_/\/\ \_\ / /_/ \ \_\/\ \ \_\/ unknown >The Easter Pageant Every Easter our church stages an elaborate pageant. Last year the man who played Pontius Pilate had to work on the night of the dress rehearsal, and a chorus member substituted for him. As we began rehearsing Pilate's solo, the conductor stopped the orchestra. "Pilate, I don't hear you," he called out. "You're not loud enough." "Pilate is at work," a voice from the rear of the stage shouted back. "Tonight we've got our co-Pilate." === >From our friends at Daily Humor. To Join: Daily-Humor-subscribe@yahoogroups.com === This comes your way via Sermon Fodder. Join us on Facebook or via email at sermonfodder.com. Please leave this attached if forward or post on the Web. ===== Special NOTE While we have added postings on Facebook, a lot of folks have asked that we continue posting here. Thank you for your love of this group. Apparently some of you have been sharing our more recent posts. We had a bunch of new members join in the last few weeks as I've tried to get things cranked back up to at least a weekly posting. One of the issues I've been battling is that my sermon_fodder- owner@yahoo.com address had become connected to an old-old email address. I had to hack around off and on for a couple of months to figure out how to get it back on my current address. I think we've succeeded in getting that corrected, so we're reconnected fully with the group. Unfortunately, we had about 2,000 members on the Topica lists service that have disappeared. Apparently, topica decided to discontinue their list service, so those members are gone. I'm hoping some of them will find our www.sermonfodder.com site listed in their older postings where they can re-link through Yahoo Groups. On another note, our chruch has 3 locations. The two main locations are generally maxed out on Easter Sunday. To help make room for all the new visitors on Sunday morning, we had a 6 p.m., Saturday night service at one of our locations. Beth and I went last night. It was a bit unusual, but we really got a blessing. Our groups is now connected with Life Church in Tulsa. If for some reason you can't make it to church today, there is a great sermon on "I Am Jesus" available at www.lifechurch.tv. Head on by and take a look. Have a blessed Easter. Keith The Sermon Fodder Guy ================================================================ >-->From our Friend Bunni :) ___ .dSSSS$$pp.. .dSSSS$$$$$$$$; .dSSSS$$$$$$$$$$$ :SSP^" T$$$$$$$$$$b_ dSSP $$$S$$$$$$$b` dSS$;_. .:$$$SS$$$$$$b dSS$$$_ ; __."^TSS$$$$$b dSS$$P;" ""' :lSS$$$$$b :SS$$$ ; ::SS$$$$$$b_. SSS$$$ : ` ;:SS$$$$$$$bp. :SS$$$$b \ -=- .-" SSS$$$$$$$$$$b SSS$$$$$b.`. / d$SS$$$$$$$$$$$b :SS$$$$$$$; ""T :$$$SS$$$$$$$$P^^t--' SSS$$$S$$$ : $$$$$SS$$$$$$$ : :SS$$$SS$; __; _$$$$$$SS$$$$$$ : SSS$SS l;: ; : $$$$SS$$$$$; ; :SS$SS $;: ; : $$$SS$$$$$$; /; TSSSS :$ \ ; ; :$S$$$$$$$$.-"/ `SP; :; ;: ; T$$$$$$$$; /; : ; ; : `.; /)T$$$$$P .' : ; : : ; .'/ :$$$P'.' .'\ ; \ :; / /$P^".' .-" ; : ;: .' .-" / \ `.____/_'.___:--""\ --' .' ) .-" .' "-._ "-._ ..--"")\ :-' : "-. "-._ ---""" /; ; : : \ "-._....____; : : \ :\ `. \ ; ; \ \\ \ \ ; : : `. \\ \ \ : ; ; ;"-t\ `. \ : : : : `; \ ; ; ; ; : \ / : : / ; \-..__ .'; : ; / : ; """T ; : / / ; \ : ; ; ;/ : : \ ; ; ; ; ; ; ; : ; ; / : : : ; ; ; / ; :; : ; ; / : :: ; ; ;_ `""--..__; :_; __ ;____;.-;'; ;.__.: :..t-"" j" ; ; : ; ; ;--"" \ [bug] ; ; ; : ; : \ ; ; : \ ; ; ;. ; ; \ \ ; : / ; ; ; \ \ ; : ; ; ; \ `-. ; ; .' ; ; \ \ ;___/ /______;.-' \ ---; / / ;______: .-' / '-------' >Feeling Lost Or Alone? While going through my office folders, I found a beautiful quote by Kent Nerburn from "Make Me an Instrument of Your Peace." I thought I'd share it with you this month: "We are not saints; we are not heroes. Our lives are lived in the quiet corners of the ordinary. We build tiny hearth fires, sometimes barely strong enough to give off warmth. But to the person lost in the darkness, our tiny flame may be the road to safety, the path to salvation. It is not given to us to know who is lost in the darkness that surrounds us or even if our light is seen. We can only know that against even the smallest of lights, darkness cannot stand. A sailor lost at sea can be guided home by a single candle. A person lost in a wood can be led to safety by a flickering flame. It is not an issue of quality or intensity or purity. It is simply an issue of the presence of light." Whether you are the light or in need of illumination, may you experience the comfort of knowing you are never alone. Take Action Challenge Let your attitude and your actions be the presence of light for someone in need this week. --Cheryl Richardson --- ...so true! Thanks Bunni! JUSt REMEMBER... We are never alone! We have Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and our Father God Almighty at our beckoning call. They are always present to protect, love, and guide us. We need only acknowledge God... Prov.3 [6] In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. If you've got God directing you, You Know You Are on the right path! And Like Jesus said... John.5: [30] I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me. Seek God's Will and you'll be walking in Jesus Christ's footsteps! :) ================================================================== >-->From Our Friend Linda :) _ ///-._ ////////-._ /////////////-. ////////////////`. //////////////// .'`. //////////////// . '.'`. '|`'//////////// . .'.::|` : `'/////// . '.':| | . . `'// ' _|- ::| |. .-._ . | . | .':: | |:|:| | ' ' '.::| | |:|:| :. . .'.':| | . |:|:| . | .._.::: : `':| | ' ////-:| |. . | '/////////-._ | . . : .//////////////-._ : : ///////////////////-._ |. |////////////////////////-._ | . . :`'//////////////////////////-._ | . _.-\\\\``'//////////////////////////-._ | /\\\\\\\\..``'//////////////////////////". : . . /. \\\\\\\\\. .``'///////////////////// .'`. : / _ \\\\\\\\\. ``'//////////////// . .'`. | . / (@) \\\\\\\\\. . . ``'/////////// . '.'::|. {`)._ '| _` .\\\\\\\-`:|#| . . ``'////// '. .'.:| `-{_/`| ||::. \\'`.:|:.|#| |#| . ``'/ ' .##:'::: `-| ||||| |`.'::|::|#| |#| |#| . . '| . .|##|'.:| pils | ||||| : .'::|:.'#| |#| |#| |#| | |##|'::| | ||||| .| .'.:|::.'' '#| |#| |#| . : ' |##|'.:| {`\:|||| : .'::|:_.:. . '#| |#| | .|##|'::: `-{_/'|_ |_.-'/}_/'-._ '#| :. |##:'.:| `'{._('}_)-' `-}_}(-._ . . | ' '` .'::| `-' `-.} /-._ . : .'.'_:-'\ `-}_}(-._ | . _.-')_(-' `-/_)`-.:.-{ \{-' `-{_'_)-'' ^ >Now this is the Living Bible: His name is Tom. He has wild hair, wears a T-shirt with holes in it, jeans, and no shoes. This was literally his wardrobe for his entire four years of college. He is brilliant. Kind of profound and very, very bright. He became a Christian while attending college. Across the street from the campus is a well-dressed, very conservative church. They want to develop a ministry to the students but are not sure how to go about it. One day Tom decides to go there. He walks in with no shoes, jeans, his T-shirt, and wild hair. The service has already started and so Tom starts down the aisle looking for a seat. The church is completely packed and he can't find a seat. By now, people are really looking a bit uncomfortable, but no one says anything. Tom gets closer and closer and closer to the pulpit, and when he realizes there are no seats, he just squats down right on the carpet. By now the people are really uptight, and the tension in the air is thick. About this time, the minister realizes that from way at the back of the church, a deacon is slowly making his way toward Tom. Now the deacon is in his eighties, has silver-gray hair, and a three-piece suit. A godly man, very elegant, very dignified, very courtly. He walks with a cane and, as he starts walking toward this boy, everyone is saying to themselves that you can't blame him for what he's going to do. How can you expect a man of his age and of his background to understand some college kid on the floor? It takes a long time for the man to reach the boy. The church is utterly silent except for the clicking of the man's cane. All eyes are focused on him. You can't even hear anyone breathing. The minister can't even preach the sermon until the deacon does what he has to do. And now they see this elderly man drop his cane on the floor. With great difficulty, he lowers himself and sits down next to Tom and worships with him so he won't be alone. Everyone chokes up with emotion. When the minister gains control, he says, 'What I'm about to preach, you will never remember. What you have just seen, you will never forget.' 'Be careful how you live. You may be the only Bible some people will ever read!' I asked the Lord to bless you As I prayed for you today. To guide you and protect you As you go along your way.... His love is always with you, His promises are true, And when we give Him all our cares, You know He will see us through. Pass this on to people you want God to Bless.. I just did -- "Life Is Short. Live It To The Fullest. It Has An Expiration Date" --- ...Awesome! Thank You Linda! =============================================================== /'\ / / , c-' / /'-._ ,____,' .-'''-. .-'.// \ '-;-========,"-,' ' ,` /, \_//\ ,/ ( '- *) ) ( ./ ) {,}========'===='- ' , , , \/ ', -muse. _____'-.-`_______________________'-..-'____ >Lost and Found Story Editor: by Miep O'Brien Joyce Schowalter New Mexico, USA Twenty-five years ago, I went traveling with my first boyfriend, "John", traveling light. His parents were kind enough to store some papers and photos for me, and off we went. Several years later we returned to Los Angeles, separately. We kept in touch, but our relationship was over. By the early 90s, John had left Los Angeles and was out of my life -- except for the boxes. I had asked aboout them, but he said he couldn't find them. I figured they'd keep, they would return to me sooner or later. Then I got a call. I'd just moved, suffered some losses, and here was John on the phone. He was having problems too, and would like to be rescued. It was bad timing; I was having enough trouble just trying to rescue myself. Sorry, I can't help, I said. That was the last time we ever spoke. Several months later I moved back to my parents' house, to try to get things together. I got another phone call, this time from a stranger, "Hector". Hector had been hired by the landlady to clean out the last house John had lived in. He'd been looking for me for a long time, tracking me down from notes and numbers. Among the mess inside the house, this man had found my papers and photos. When he found the photos, he thought; "Surely these are important? Surely whoever owned these didn't want them thrown away." He wished to send me back my irreplaceable family photographs, some going back for many decades. He wouldn't let me pay him back for anything. I got the photos back in the mail the next week. The week after that, I was bicycling down the street and saw a manila envelope lying in the middle of it. "Photos Enclosed!" it was marked. "Do Not Bend!" It was even already stamped. I was only too happy to get this package back on its way. I bicycle everywhere, and find things. Sometimes just pennies, sometimes stray hand tools. Sometimes a checkbook, driver's license, or something with an address. If there's a phone number I call it. If there's a local address, I go there. Otherwise I mail these stray things to the address on them and hope for the best. I get some gruff acknowledgments, some suspicious looks. One lady picked up her checkbook around Christmas, and merrily gave me five bucks and a bag full of sugar cookies. I delivered one ID to a head-shaking bartender, dropped down the street from the bar. Things get lost. People get lost. I can't bring back lost people, but at least I can bring back small things to strangers, like a stranger once did for me. =======HeroicStories======= >-->From Kidwarmers: ,----------. ( Kids!!!! ) `----------' O o ,-. .:\ '`-. |:| __ b `;-( ,' | ( \|||_ ,-----(.-''--``-------. /_______`'______________\ / SSt\ >FUNNY THINGS KIDS SAY Charlie, 4, and Sawyer, almost 2 and large for his age, came in from playing outside. As they walked in the door Charlie was holding his head and crying. His mother asked, "What happened?" He replied, "I got hit with a rock." His mother said, "Sawyer, did you hit him in the head with a rock?" Sawyer yelled, "I had to! We were playing David and Goliath!" (Charlie is fine.) - Amanda Tonagel (mother of Charlie and Sawyer) of Syracuse, Indiana Max, 7, was eating dinner at his grandmother's house. He was hungry and ate everything on his plate, so his grandmother remarked that he was a member of the "Clean Plate Club." Max looked at her without a comment. When it was time to go home, he asked, "Nana, what was the name of that club you told me I'm a member of?" - Sandi Pound (grandmother of Max) of Lehigh, Florida Dawn is visiting her aunt in Illinois. Her cousin's daughter Anna was eating chicken nuggets at home when she asked her mom for some "Q-Bar sauce" to put in her chicken. Anna got very indignant when people started laughing. - Dawn Keen of New Mexico ____________________ | | | PSYCHIATRIC | | HELP | |____________________| || ,-..'``. || || (,-..'`. ) || || )-c - `)\ || ,.,._.-.,_,.,-||,.(`.-- ,`',.-,_,||.-.,.,-,._. ___||____,`,'--._______|| |`._||______`'__________|| | || __ || | || |.-' ,|- || _,_,,..-,_| || ._)) `|- ||,.,_,_.-.,_ . `._||__________________|| ____ . . . . . <.____`> .SSt . . . . . _.()`'()`' . When Madison (Maddie), now 13 was about 3, she loved the bright yellow color of mustard. At lunch each day, she would insist on Nanna putting mustard on her sandwich. Every day, Nanna reminded Maddie that she didn't like mustard, and when Maddie took her first bite, she would make a face and say, "I don't like moos tard, Nanna." They repeated this ritual for several days before she finally became convinced that she gave up on mustard. - Dennis Smith (PawPaw) of Oak Ridge, North Carolina Here are some more stories from PawPaw. Lark Amelia VonSeggen turned 3 in February, and she is very conscious of her full legal name. Nanna asked her, "Do you know your mother's whole name?" Lark replied, "Sure, Mom VonSeggen." Koen, 5, must be addicted to pizza, but he eats only cheese pizza. Pepperoni pizza was in the oven when he said, "I don't like pepperoni on my pizza, because it makes me "nervous." Nanna removed the pepperonis and put them on PawPaw's pizza. Everyone was happy! Nanna and PawPaw were on the couch sharing a bag of popcorn and drinking diet sodas. After sampling their popcorn, Lark picked up PawPaw's canned diet soda and took a drink. She set it back in the holder and said, "I spilled it in my mouth!" __--_ //~-----\|/ _----__ . / /-~~---~\\\ /______, | / `c ` . ||| | | | (.. _ ..|||| _O----| | \ _ _ | || `- |___| /~` `\ `__ _/ |||/||~~| .' '~\ |||||||--| | |_| |||||||( | |____| | |______``` |____``` | | | |_|_| .'\\,\\_) /_/___| W< Amy took the kids for a smoothie. While waiting in line, a very tall young man walked in and was standing behind them. Wyatt, 6, asked the man, "How tall are you?" He replied, "Six feet, 10 inches." Wyatt then asked, "Are you in heaven?" Wyatt is on the autism spectrum and lives in a literal world. - Sent to Amy Harrison of Fort Wayne, Indiana, by her sister sister Sue Serrato, of Maumee, Ohio. Ella, 3, said, "Mom, you don't have to throw trash away. You can uncycle it!" She meant recycle. - Erin Doucette (mother of Ella and Eva) of Fort Wayne, Indiana _ ______ / `'. ,-"` '. / /'-.'. ___ .' \ \/ '.\.' ' | .| .'`\ | /`"'--., / \ , _.--'` \/_ | ,----.| _ `_--;` ``` `\-. | | \ | -- C -- _/ \ \ | \ 0 0 / . | | \| ) | '. _.' |.__/ ; \ `'---` / / __ '. .' | (__) /'-._____,-` \ /---'.-""-.\ '. / ||,- \\ ;---`;-._||-= |\ , ."""-. \ ) `|'.___.' \ ___ \'. / '-. \ /`-`-; / \ ,/ `) \ \| \ `` | | \|| / /'.| )_ / || | | \/ .' \ \ .-'/ ` |` |.-' .-~ ~-~-._ |.'` \ ` '-. \___/,__/ ~` _ `~~-., `-.,_\_)`-.,_\) `~-,___ ~___~,,..-~~/ jgs \___/`\____/'._.' Josh, 13, and Brian, 12, were getting ready to take a train ride to Illinois to visit their grandma and grandpa. To prepare for the ride, Brian was filling out the ID card in his wallet. When he got to blood type, he asked, "Should I put warm-blooded?" - James Tew of Kendallville, Indiana Josh had got in trouble for a minor altercation with his brother, and as punishment had to write a short essay on the appropriate way to deal with anger. He ended by saying that next time if he had an issue he would talk to Mom, because if he had handled it that way "then I would not be in trouble, and Brian would be writing this essay." / _ `_--/-/_ _ ~\/ / | . _ . |--\ _| # ( # ) / \ _ # / -_ _-~ -'--`-_ / . | | |~| |-----,,) -------- |_|_| _~__~__\ W< Jordan, 5, spent the night with Christina. She does a lot of crafts so they spent hours coloring, painting, playing with stickers, etc. Jordan was writing all over a piece of paper, and told Christina she was writing a letter. Christina looked at her paper and it was a bunch of squiggles. Jordan said, "You can't read it, I am writing in Chinese." -Christina Hicks (Jordan's aunt) of Paducah, Kentucky Colton, 8, was discussing with his grandmother the merits of buying a package of Star Wars toys in a two-pack versus a single pack for six dollars. Of course, being the senior citizen that Peggy is, she mentioned the fact that candy bars were a dollar now, and when she was his age they were only a nickel. Colton gave her a wide-eyed, innocent look and said, "How come, Grandma, didn't they make dollars then?" -Peggy Verburg of Angola, Indiana ,--.,-"";-"-. .-;-/ / / .- `\ .-. ` ( ' ' ` ; `\/ \ \ / \ / (. C . ) | .-. | | _ / (` / | \ /}| | )(\ | `-> (____.| / ||| / \=====| | |\| | |====| \ _/ ` \__/=====| |` `-'======| \ |=======/ | |=======| | .--, ########\ |/ / jgs |_|__|| ` `--. ,---;-'--'\ `--. `---`-------'-.___,___.---' Zelma was babysitting her neighbor Cheyenne, 2. Cheyenne was eating doughnuts. After two doughnuts, Cheyenne asked, "Can I have more doughnuts, Zelma?" Zelma replied, "No, you might get sick." Cheyenne said, "OK, Zelma," and walked away. About five minutes later she came back said, "I know, Zelma. You can get a doughnut and share with me, OK?" - Zelma Feltner of Kendallville, Indiana Here is another story from Zelma. Breann, 5, is the granddaughter of Zelma and Lloyd. Breann went with Zelma and her mom to get Grandpa a birthday present and a cake. She was so excited when she put candles on the cake, but Grandpa was walking around singing, not paying attention to her. Breann said to Zelma, "That Grandpa sure is a crazy little Birthday Boy!" ,-~~-.___. / | ' \ It was a dark and stormy night.... ( ) 0 \_/-, ,----' ==== // / \-'~; /~~~(O) / __/~| / | =( _____| (_________| W< On Christmas a few years ago Aliza was playing with Grandpa who was drinking a beer. When he had finished he asked Aliza to please take the bottle to the kitchen. She put her hands on her little hips and said, "Grandpa, that' is not my responsibility," and went back to playing. -Delbert and Mary Cortner (grandparents of Aliza) of Kendallville, Indiana Jean's granddaughters were spending the night after Jean and her husband celebrated their 58th anniversary. Jean remarked to Kaylea, 7, that she could never please her PawPaw no matter what she bought him. Jean's husband was standing behind Kaylea's chair, and she looked up at him and said, "Then don't get him anything else." -Grandmother Jean Felfe of Spicewood, Texas _,,_ __ d888888bd888b d88888888888888B 8888888P`Y8888P Y888888 (, \_ ,_Y88( ) Y888888b __\ '8"888P (_ jgs | .---' ~;~~\~ .=. \ (_ _) \ |=| \ _ /| | \ /_\/ | | | .-'--/_/------'-. `-.,___________,.-' | || |___|| |___|| .'""'';.__ (_________)) Beth's teenage grandson Devon took over babysitting his 8-year-old sister Lydia when all of the adults had to be elsewhere. He even said he'd make supper for her. Lydia later reported to Beth that he was a great babysitter. "He made me robin noodles!" Lydia said. (Beth bets they were much tastier than the Ramen noodles she usually has!) - Beth Fryer of Lebanon, Pennsylvania It was Nancy's birthday so her 15-year-old daughter Bridget fixed dinner for her. Bridget doesn't like to use the oven, but she did. She also used the microwave. She put candles (the re-lighting kind, which almost made Nancy hyperventilate) in mini-eclairs, because Nancy didn't want to be tempted to have a whole cake around. After dinner she cleaned up everything and put the dishes in the sink. Nancy walked out to the kitchen to clean up the dishes. Bridget asked where Nancy was going and Nancy told her. Her response was "no, no, no!" Nancy thought that meant she was going to clean up! Bridget said, "Wait until morning, then it won't be your birthday anymore!" - Nancy Stoll of Negaunee, Michigan ,___. |-----| ============ / | OO ~\ ( ) 0 ) \_/-, ,-//-\\ ==== ||| | || -_/| | ||_ (____)) W< Miri, 4, kept running up to Grandpa while he was watching TV and throwing herself at his body and hugging him. Grandpa would put his arms around her and hug her and say "I love you, Miri!" Miri would say, "I love you, too" then go and play for about 5 minutes and then run back to her Grandpa and hug him again, so Grandpa would hug her and tell her again, "I love you." After about the fourth or fifth time of hugging Grandpa and having him hug her back and say, "I love you," she stood up and said, "I wish you would quit saying that, I'm getting tired of hearing it." -Grandparents Linda and Larry Willis of Altus, Oklahoma Here is another Miri story. When Grandpa got a haircut, which he badly needed, Miri looked at him and just stared. He asked, "How do you like my haircut?" Miri stood there a minute and finally said, "It's just wrong, Grandpa, just wrong!" During a power outage of 11 days in Marlow, Okla., people were trying to keep warm however they could. The Hales were lucky enough to have a fireplace and wood, so Susan's husband, Matthew, started a fire. He asked their son Jacob, 7, if he was doing OK. Jacob's reply: "I have a cat and I am warm, and the fire makes me warm. Warm plus warm equals Totally Warm!" - Susan Hale Marlow, Oklahoma _____ .---...-. ,' -. `. ,' _____...' / - _ - \ : .' _ _ \\ : ' _)' : | :-(_).(_):: (_ ;) | | -' || \ _ / ; | _ || `..___..' `-'..____.'`' ;._: _; :_ / \ SSt ,' `' `. SSt Susan's daughter, Taylor, 2, came into the kitchen looking for a snack. She climbed on and off the table, then took off down the hall. A few minutes later, she returned, complaining, "That a YUCKY apple, Mama." Susan offered her a new snack, and she took it and went to the living room to watch TV. A short while later, as Susan went to check her e-mail, she found her "yucky apple." Sitting on the computer desk was an orange with a small bite missing from the peel! ========================================================== __,=,__ .~`` .` `.``~. | . . |____ `-;=============;""""` ( (. _).) \ | | \ `-.___.' / '._ _.' /`''''\ / \ | |/\/\/\/|.-. |-|/\/\/\/|;' ) (__/_______| _) #########'._) jgs |==|=|__ ,,,(______)_),,,, ,,,;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;,,,, ,,,;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;,,, ,;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;;, >-->Enjoy The Simple Pleasures Whenever you are weary And feeling a little down Stop and take a good look At the beauty all around. Enjoying the simple pleasures That surround you each day, It is a wonderful little gift That God has sent your way! Take time every day to Stop and smell the flowers! .0. / \ ; \_/ ; | | | | | | _______; ;_______ `======='\ /`=======` \ / _ | | _ _( \____|=|____/ )_ ( .---. .---. ) `-' / \ '-' / HUG \ ; ; | .---.|__, jgs : / :--' .--\ \ | `" `"".-' < =""` `"== `""""""` =""` `"""===="""` =""` `""==="""` >Updated FUN STUFF URLS - Oh Yeah :) Shangy! ------------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.ShangralaFamilyFun.com/urls.html FUN URLS ------------------------------------------------------------------------- -->BECOMING A CHRISTIAN HOW TO BE A CHRISTIAN! ------------------------------------------------------------------------- -->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 andd DARE to make it at home Yep. You guessed it - Recipes. These are Tried and True, Yummy to the Tummy, good old fashioned home cooking recipes that are EASY to do :) Visit Shangy's Easy-Does-It Home Recipes: http://www.ShangralaFamilyFun.com/easy.html Home Recipes >Got A good Recipe? SHARE IT HERE: Share A Recipe ************************************************************************ >TO SUBSCRIBE: Visit Here This Weeks regular Shangy emails OR For the Yahoo ShangyFunList: To Subscribe send a blank email to ShangyFunList-subscribe@yahoogroups.com ************************************************************************