In Remembrance Of 9-11 And Jesus Loves Me... :) Shangy! >Here are the details on our ShangyFunList: Group Web Site: http://www.ShangralaFamilyFun.com/ShangyFunList.html Group email address: bcrsystems@earthlink.net Shangrala Family Fun: http://www.ShangralaFamilyFun.com/ ================ *~* 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 Like Me here... http://tinyurl.com/cma6all AND Please Share This email with All Your Friends And Family! ^~^ May God SUPER BLESS You As You Do! THANK YOU! ================ __ __ ,-' `' \ _---``-- / _ _ ; __ `. / / `' \; /`----- ) / .-/ ,( ), \-. ; | \( \ / )/; | - _5 `7 -; / ( ___-' `-____ | ( ___`-_ \ ____| \ / `,/ \ _(\__ / \ \ ; \ .' /' `i. / | | \ _-'( _\__-/ `- | | ` ,` `_ | BP * Don't forget to follow us on social media for our latest updates and uproarious funny and inspiring pages! On Facebook: https://tinyurl.com/y8dcm8x7 On X (Twitter): http://tinyurl.com/n5uf3dxv ================ _ _|_|_ ,|_| |_|_ || | | |_| || | | | | || | | | | _|| | | | | ||)\ ^ ^ ^ | || | | || | | || | | \\ | \\ / ejm )\ ( / \ \ / \ \ \ \ ~*~ Our Hearts And prayers Go Out To Charlie Kirk and Iryna Zarutska's Family. May God Bless And Comfort Them Through Christ Jesus. President Trump: Spoke out on Charlie Kirk's death hours after the conservative activist was fatally shot at a speaking event at Utah Valley University. He was 31... "I am filled with grief and anger at the heinous assassination of Charlie Kirk on a college campus in Utah," he said in a video message Sept. 10. "Charlie inspired millions and tonight all who knew him and loved him are united in shock and horror." "His mission was to bring young people into the political process which he did better than anyone ever," the politician continued. "He championed his ideas with courage, logic, humor and grace. It's a long past time for all Americans and the media to confront the fact that violence and murder are the tragic consequence of demonizing those with whom you disagree day after day, year after year, in the most hateful and despicable way possible." Trump shared, "This is a dark moment for America." https://tinyurl.com/7uw86wrs --- ________ _________ \________\--------___ ___ ____----------/_________/ \_______\----\\\\\\ //_ _ \\ //////-------/________/ \______\----\\|| (( ~|~ ))) ||//------/________/ \_____\---\\ ((\ = / ))) //----/_____/ \____\--\_))) \ _)))---/____/ \__/ ((( (((_/ Andrew Fabbro | -))) - )) ...My thoughts Charlie Kirk brought young people together by uniting them with God, family, country and common sense values. He was well-loved by those whom he inspired. He was not ashamed nor afraid to speak about Jesus Christ in public - in fact he loved witnessing, spreading the gospel and engaging in friendly debate both over the bible and politics. I saw people speaking about him calling him a hero... 'A person noted for feats of courage or nobility of purpose, especially one who has risked or sacrificed his or her life.' I tend to think of him more as a martyr... 'One who makes great sacrifices or suffers much in order to further a belief, cause, or principle.' He knew the dangers of speaking in public concerning God and politics at these indoctrinated college campuses, but he chose to do so anyway to get the Word of God and common sense out to the people he loved the most - the youth of America. I attribute the swing in college kids voting conservative to his long hours of dedication and speaking debates in the lion's den so to speak. I asked God why He allowed this to happen. Charlie was such a great witness for God. I still don't know why He did not intervene unless He had tried but too many circumstances with people and their own free will stopped Him. We see this often that there are many things that happen to avert the death or danger, but goes unchecked. We have to keep in mind that God plays by His own rules as well. He won't force people to do or not to do things. -=- (\ _ /) (`\(")/') (`/\') \\/^\// / \ hjw / \ `-._.-' Take the failed assassinations of Trump: The first one, Trump was given a quick idea to turn his head just at the right moment and avoided taking a direct hit. The other time, a security guard was given the idea to look in the direct of the sniper at the treeline of the golf course. If either person had ignored the idea given them from God, then Trump would have died. God mostly uses people to do His work. I am sure God tried but was probably ignored. We need to pay more attention to those little thoughts we often get. Charlie became a martyr. Very sad. Charlie will be greatly missed by his family and loved ones and God. _______ / /_ / -/- / / / / / / /_______/ / jgs ((______| / `"""""""` "Precious (costly) in the sight of the Lord is the death of his saints" -Psalm 116:15 ------- * NEWS: Elon Musk is offering $1 million to fund murals in major U.S. cities featuring the face of Iryna Zarutska, the Ukrainian refugee fatally stabbed in a random attack by a man with 14 prior arrests while she was riding a train home from work. President Trump has called for Decarlos Brown Jr. to face the death penalty for the alleged murder... "We are heartbroken beyond words. Iryna came here to find peace and safety and instead her life was stolen from her in the most horrific way," her family said in a statement. "No family should have to go through this." --- !|| !|||| ,/|||| !|'''| `\ | )\ \ ejm / \ \ \ ...My thoughts What broke my heart was when I learned that when her family were told they could have her moved to her home country paid for by the US, they declined the offer saying that she loved America and would want to be buried here. I also learned she was working hard to be able to afford a car. So sad that public transit caused her death. We all need to be vigilant as the bible tells us to be... "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour." 1 Peter 5:8. Those of you who are thinking of giving your life to Christ by doing as Romans 10:9 says - Saying out Loud that Jesus Christ is your Lord while believing in your heart that God raised Him from the dead - shouldn't waste any time in doing so. God warns us the lion is out and about - seeking whom he may devour! Like this poor woman was taken. If you watch the video, you can tell she was totally surprised and unbelieving that this happened to her as she quickly bled to death and slumped to the floor. Too sad. Sad for the evil monster that took her life that society hadn't helped or stopped and very sad for the woman who trusted in society to keep her safe. Should have never happened - but it did. -<>- >-->2 HOT Off The 'Shangy' Press :) Our too hot to handle new page is from our friends LouiseAu and Johanna. This is a darling page full of heart melting photos of pets with their most treasured toys. Be sure to give this a few moments of your time and visit it here: _ (\ \) o__^\/ , \ ' \ < _ _ ' ' . `| \____\ - - ' . . () | ) _ _ `.' `.' .//---_/-_/ _ _ Cute Pets With Toys! http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/petstoys.html --- ...Aww, so sweet! Thanks Ladies! This next piping hot new page is from our friend LouiseAu. This one will give you plenty of smiles for your day. They always say 'Experience is the best teacher'. These people show us some of their hilarious lessons. Be sure to check this and its funny video out here: a. ---._ _`8P . ` \`| ___.8 / ( / __(P --. \ \( ( _. \\\ ___ |/_ ` \ `_,/ \--( ">'__.(-' `-/ `- \_( _____..stuMBLE (__.----. (_ ] `\__(\|/ | `" | [________________a:f____________________ Hard Lessons! http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/hardlessons.html --- ...A great rib tickler! Thanks LouiseAu! =========================================================== >-->From Heartwarmers: "Go confidently in the direction of your dreams! live the life you've imagined. As you simplify your life, the laws of the universe will be simpler." -- Henry David Thoreau W .__. .__. [ ] |::| |::| E ._. |::| |::| ._. |\ |:| ._. |::| |::| |/| \ \\|/ |:|_|/| |::| |::|_ |/| |-( )- |:|"|/|_|::| |::|\|_|/| _ | V L |:|"|/|||::| |::|\|||/||:| \ ` ___ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ | \/ / ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~ ~~~pwh We're coming up to the painful anniversary of September 11 -- a day that will be marked in history as a turning point. ()__ ||**Z__ ||**|**=Z____ ||**|**=|====| ||==|**=|====| ||""|===|====| || `"""|====| jgs || `""""` >UNFURLED TO LIFE The flag laid crumpled at the curb, held in place by the storm sewer grate. No one knows if it was there an hour, a day, a month, or a year. It lay prostrate on the ground, brought low by an unexpected event that snapped the cord that bound it to daily life. Someone stopped, noticing when others did not, stopping when others did not. That person went out of their way, as many have in their lives, and took action to move things towards their rightful place. He picked up the flag, and carefully brushed the ever-clinging dust and dirt off of it, picking a few pieces of debris carefully from it. The man walked over to the nearest streetlight post and tied the flag as high as he could reach with its remaining frayed cord. Perhaps it was not flying in the air as grand as it once knew, but it rustled its flagged face into a freshened breeze, once again unfurled to life. -- Daniel James ___________________________________________ Dan is a Heartwarmer Gem who lives in the northwestern United States of America. ___________________________________________ ======;===========;() #######:::::: #######:::::: #######:::::: jgs #######:::::: ############# ############# ############# ############# ############# ############# >SEPTEMBER'S GRIEF by Ginger Boda "Grief has it's own timetable, one that does not always follow our fervent desire to move on." I recently saw the comment in reference to the terror that struck our homeland on September 11, 2001. I gazed at the sentence for a long time, pondering its truth. I've not been a stranger to grief and heartache. I was sixteen when I lost my own mother and nineteen when my father passed away. Both died from terminal illness. Many family members and friends have since died as well, causing grief to become a familiar face to me. Sure, there were some periods of reprieve in between the pain, but the pain truly never goes away. It just lessens its grip. I was told, "After the loss of a loved one occurs, there are stages of grief one must pass through." I imagined it to be somewhat like an obstacle course or driving test. Drive straight ahead, do a figure eight through those orange cones, look back and go in reverse, parallel park and sit for a moment, look both ways, climb that hill, then go back to where you began. You get the picture. If only the experience was so predictable, but I've learned that grief is not a test of such simplicity. There is no grading system. No instructor to fail or pass you. There is no point A, ending at point Z, indicating that the test is over. And the obstacles one faces are not the same for another. There are no set rules. In my own grief, I remember many friends who said all the wrong things to me. I didn't blame them, because I knew that they meant well. Sympathy was given, but empathy was harder to find. The most difficult comment to hear was "Well, they are in a better place now." It was true, but it hurt. The second was, "Don't you think it's 'bout time for you to get on with your life and stop grieving?" That fervent desire to move on was present, yes, but most of the time it was embedded in the hearts of others, rather than my own. In fact, I had no idea how I was going to "move on" let alone know when, or why. The day our country watched in horror, as so many innocent lives were taken without warning, was a day of much grief and shock that none of us will forget. These last two years have been filled with memorials and tributes through country songs, celebrity concerts, photos and prayer lists, angel projects and flag waving. Confusion and helplessness merged with pride and determination, as we've all tried to cope with the devastation. But if we took a closer look, we would discover the ones who have had the most to contend with -- the ones who were left behind. A baby somewhere, born after 9/11, whose first word wasn't "Dada." A toddler now, his own features are mirrored in the photo of a loving parent he will never know. The new bride who became a widow, before her wedding band had the chance to make an indentation on her finger. The mother of teens who has cried at night, wondering how she'll raise them alone. The young boy filled with anger for the pain in his heart and the little girl who has wondered who would walk her down the aisle one day. The husband who has struggled to part with his wife's belongings, and just stares out the window. The parents who've incessantly watched old home-movies of their child's smiling face, while they cling helplessly to one another. Yes, these are scenes of heartache for those who've been left behind to gather up the pieces of their lives, while life goes on. Whether we're driving down the road, or looking out the window of our homes, it's obvious that life HAS moved on, regardless of the pain. The seasons changed. New grass has grown. Fresh flowers have bloomed. The rains fell, and the sun has risen and set each day. There has been a predictable timetable for nature, for schooling, for sports, for elections. For just about everything -- except grief. And "when" it comes upon us, is just as unpredictable as "when" it leaves us alone. September's grief was huge. And there are still many walking wounded. "What can we do?" We can grieve alongside those who hurt. We can listen to their hearts, as they talk about the memories, or dream about what could've been. We can affirm their feelings. For those of us who pray, we pray for healing to come, for memories to turn from painful to pleasant, for splintered and angry hearts to be softened. Yes, grief may appear to have its own timetable, but God knows what it is. And only through His strength can the ones left behind follow their fervent desire to move on. I know. I've been there. Many fellow Americans suffered tremendous loss on that September day. We have not forgotten their grief. And may these simple words, "In loving Memory," earnestly portray this promise from the heart... "We Will Always Remember -- with Love." -- Ginger Boda ___________________________________________ Ginger lives in California with her husband, Mark, of 26 years, and three grown children. She has contributed to various online publications, weaving faith, tradition and humor into her stories and poetry, striving to lift the spirit, and encourage the soul of the reader. Ginger also loves gardening, reading, and collecting hearts of all shapes and sizes. You can contact her by clicking here: mailto:Rhymerbabe@aol.com =========================================================== >-->From Daily Encounter: , , /////| ///// | ///// | |~~~| | | |===| |/| | B |/| | | I | | | | B | | | | L | / | E | / |===|/ jgs '---' >A Lasting Relationship (edited) 'Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.'1 Relationships can be difficult. Building healthy relationships requires work and a good amount of effort that many just aren't willing to make. The lack of willingness to do your part usually ends in a failed relationship. When we accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior we are entering into a personal relationship with Him and God. This relationship, like earthly relationships, requires some effort on our part. When Jesus called His disciples to follow Him they did so without question. They trusted Him and desired to serve Jesus no matter what they had to leave behind. Although their relationship began as Master and servant, Jesus soon elevated it to a brotherly kind of friendship where Jesus shared God's plans for them and all mankind. To build their relationship with Jesus, the disciples spent time with Him, they listened to Him, they learned forgiveness, love, and patience. The more they were with Jesus the stronger their relationship grew. There was one disciple, however, who chose to spend time away from Jesus and instead found his way toward bad influences and betrayal, ultimately ending in a failed relationship with Jesus. I recently read that people do not rebel against authority, they rebel against a lack of relationship. That was definitely the case with the wayward disciple. When he chose not to cultivate his relationship with Jesus he rebelled against the ultimate authority, God Himself. Spending time with our Heavenly Father means making time to read His Word and learning more about Him. We can spend time in prayer talking to Him and allow God to fill us with His Holy Spirit. When we spend time with God, others will know because His Love will radiate from us in our words and actions. Let us encourage each other to spend time with our Lord, and put in the effort to help our Heavenly relationship to grow, so that others will see the Christ in you. Suggested prayer: Dear God, forgive me for placing other things or people before You in my life. I have seen that without you I make erred choices and I want my life to glorify you. Fill me with the desire to spend time with You. In the name of Jesus Christ I pray, Amen. 1. John 15:4 (ESV). Today's Encounter was written by: VeronicaB. <:))))>< , , /////| ///// | ///// | |~~~| | | |===| |/| | B |/| | | I | | | | B | | | | L | / | E | / |===|/ jgs '---' >God's Plans are Good Plans 'No human wisdom or understanding or plan can stand against the Lord. The horse is prepared for the day of battle, but the victory belongs to the Lord.'¯1 Being proactive in life and wanting to get things done is good. God encourages us to work and be good stewards of the abilities he has equipped us with. However, when we develop a self-sufficient attitude it can also lead to the sin of pride if we are not careful. When we start believing more in ourselves than trusting in God, we risk missing out on the blessing that comes from relying solely on God, which is where our true deliverance can be found. The 'I've got this!' ¯attitude can also be a sign of fear¦ the fear of giving up control, that is. The fear of being vulnerable and admitting our great need for God. The fear of accepting help thinking that it will lessen our value in some way. These are all obstacles that we can unintentionally create that hinder our spiritual growth. A Christians life is defined by faith - faith in the One who holds our future in his hands and who has promised to never leave us. It is believing that if God says he will work all things together for our good, that is exactly what he will do. Our definition of 'good'¯ may look differently than His sometimes, but that is the beauty of trusting His Word. Our human minds are limited and cannot comprehend the greatness of God. Our plans are usually based on the here and now because that is all we know. But God knows all, he sees all, and is in it all! We can rest secure that He is good, and His plans are always good. We may do our best to prepare, and we should always work where God has us, but ultimately our victory and hope are only in Him! Suggested prayer: Dear God, please keep me from becoming prideful and believing more in my own abilities than in You. Thank you for being my safe place in every circumstance. I know the victory belongs to you and your plans are always for my good. In your precious son's name, Jesus Christ, amen. 1: Proverbs 21:30-31 (NLT). Today's Encounter was written by: Crystal B. When copying or forwarding include the following: "Daily Encounter by Richard (Dick) Innes (c) 2016 ACTS International. --- //// !!!! _ \\\\ ! -'/ _ |||| \ / \`-'''| \__| \ / ) | \__\_ ejm / | \ ( \ ...This makes me think 'God encourages us to work and be good stewards of the abilities he has equipped us with.' I am reminded of today's socialists. They want to promise people all sorts of 'free' things from government. Of course, we know that the government in itself does not make anything on its own. All that it has comes from the backs of the people it controls. So they intend to tax those who are more well off heavier than those that are not so as to provide the free things. The problem is that eventually, you run out of other people's money. The rich do not want to keep working hard to supply those who only want a free ride. They leave the area or stop making the money they used to. This leads to a downward spiral of loss of income to the government who cannot supply all the free goods as it did before. History shows us that soon all communist countries wind up with a host of terribly poor people with the only ones doing well are the leaders themselves. The people suffer. Why? Generally, people who go against God always suffer the consequences. We have freedom of choice from God Almighty. We can choose the socialist 'free ride' society and elect them to govern over us. But we will always suffer the consequences. The bible teaches us that... 2 Thessalonians 3:10 'For even while we were with you, we gave you this command: If anyone is unwilling to work, he shall not eat.' Here God is saying those unwilling to work should not eat. Those who are unable to work fall into the 'need' category: \ | / -- * -- / | \ /') ./') ('\. ('\ /' /.--''./'') (''\.''--.\ '\ :--'' ; ''./'') (''\.'' ; ''--: : ' ''./') ('\.'' ' : : ''./' '\.'' : :--''-..--'''' ''''--..-''--: dp Eph.4: [28] Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labor, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth. God wants us to work with our hands and give willingly to those who need it. He does not say that we must give to the needy - but rather that we may do so. Government forcing others to give by taxing them is not God's plan for the needy. People who do not follow after God's Will which is His Word, suffer the consequences. Time and time again, history shows us that the people suffer famine most often. Like with Venezuela where the people wound up having to go to trash bins to try and find food. Here in the United States, we embrace capitalism and reject socialism because we know that 'working with our hands the thing which is good' - capitalism - is God's way. And God's way is always the best way. =========================================================== >-->From Archives InspiredBuffalo: !|| !|||| ,/|||| !|'''| `\ | )\ \ ejm / \ \ \ >PRAYING By: Joseph J. Mazzella A friend wrote me a letter the other day and asked me if I pray? This friend told me that he just couldn't seem to find time to pray in his own life. I didn't criticize him, because I too used to feel like I didn't have time to just sit down and pray. One day, however, I remember reading something written by a very wise man. It said, "Prayer is nothing more than talking to God.' This I thought is something we can do at anytime and in any place. Now days I pray all the time. My prayers are nothing fancy. My simplest one is just to say 'Thank you God' in my mind often during the day. I thank God for my life. I thank God for the many blessings in it. I thank God for the problems and troubles I face that help me to grow stronger in love, joy, and faith. Another prayer is simply to say 'I love you God.' By looking at all the good God does for me every day I can clearly see how much God loves me. Once I see how much God loves me it is then not hard to love God back. Two more prayers are 'Help me to choose love and joy every second I possibly can' and 'Help me to share that love and joy with everyone everywhere, expecting nothing in return.' I pray these prayers because I have grown to know that God is love and God is joy. By choosing love and joy I am choosing to grow in oneness with God. By sharing this love and joy I am sharing the spirit of God. And by expecting nothing in return, I am knowing that with love and joy I already have everything. These are a few of the simple prayers I say each day. Yours may be different and that is great. As long as they bring you closer to God say them. What you say isn't important. What is important is that you talk to God each day and allow His love into your life. --- __ /_/\/\ \_\ / /_/ \ \_\/\ \ \_\/ unknown ...Remember John.14 [13] And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. It us important to end our prayers in the name of Jesus Christ. Why? Because Jesus Christ is our mediator. He takes our prayer to God himself for us - like hand delivering it to God. 1 Tim.2: [5] For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus; See this great teaching Ask -- Seek – Knock http://www.absolutebiblestudy.com/Leadership/Ask_-_Seek_-_Knock.htm -<>- .:::. ':::' .: .:*~*:._.:*~*:.*.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:. .:*~*:.*.:*~*:._.:*~*:.*.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:. .:*~*:._.:*~*:.*.:*~*:._.: :. .:*~*:.*.:*~*:._.:*~*:.*.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:. .:*~*:._.:*~*:.*.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:. .:*~*:.*.:*~*:._.:*~*:.*.: :. .:*~*:._.:*~*:.*.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:. .:*~*:.*.:*~*:._.:*~*:.*.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:. .:*~*:._.:*~*:.*.:*~*:._.: :. .:*~*:.*.:*~*:._.:*~*:.*.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:. .:*~*:._.:*~*:.*.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:. .: :. .:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:. .:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:. .: :. .:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:. .:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:. .: :. .:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:. .:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:._.:*~*:. .: jgs .: .: .: G O D B L E S S Y O U ! .: .: .: .: >Don't Ever Stop Dreaming Your Dreams Don't ever be reluctant to show your feelings when you're happy, give in to it. When you're not, live with it. Don't ever be afraid to try to make things better you might be surprised at the results. Don't ever take the weight of the world on your shoulders. Don't ever feel threatened by the future, take life one day at a time. Don't ever feel guilty about the past what's done is done. Learn from any mistakes you might have made. Don't ever feel that you are alone there is always somebody there for you to reach out to. Don't ever forget that you can achieve so many of the things you can imagine. ... It's not as hard as it seems. Don't ever stop loving don't ever stop believing, don't ever stop dreaming your dreams. -Unknown -<>- (\.-./) / \ .' : '. _.-'` ' `'-._ .-' : '-. ,'_.._ . _.._', '` `'-. ' .-'` `' '. : .' \_. ._/ >This Magic Moment By Jennifer Anderson It was like many Maui mornings, the sun rising over Haleakala as we greeted our divers for the day's charter. As my captain and I explained the dive procedures, I noticed the wind line moving into Molokini, a small, crescent-shaped island that harbors a large reef. I slid through the briefing, then prompted my divers to gear up, careful to do everything right so the divers would feel confident with me, the dive leader. The dive went pretty close to how I had described it: The garden eels performed their underwater ballet, the parrot fish grazed on the coral, and the ever-elusive male flame wrasse flared their colors to defend their territory. Near the last level of the dive, two couples in my group signaled they were going to ascend. As luck would have it, the remaining divers were two European brothers, who were obviously troubled by the idea of a "woman" dive master and had ignored me for the entire dive. The three of us caught the current and drifted along the outside of the reef, slowly beginning our ascent until, far below, something caught my eye. After a few moments, I made out the white shoulder patches of a manta ray in about one hundred and twenty feet of water. Manta rays are one of my greatest loves, but very little is known about them. They feed on plankton, which makes them more delicate than an aquarium can handle. They travel the oceans and are therefore a mystery. Mantas can be identified by the distinctive pattern on their belly, with no two rays alike. In 1992, I had been identifying the manta rays that were seen at Molokini and found that some were known, but many more were sighted only once, and then gone. So there I was: a beautiful, very large ray beneath me and my skeptical divers behind. I reminded myself that I was still trying to win their confidence, and a bounce to see this manta wouldn't help my case. So I started calling through my regulator, "Hey, come up and see me!" I had tried this before to attract the attention of whales and dolphins, who are very chatty underwater and will come sometimes just to see what the noise is about. My divers were just as puzzled by my actions, but continued to try to ignore me. There was another dive group ahead of us. The leader, who was a friend of mine and knew me to be fairly sane, stopped to see what I was doing. I kept calling to the ray, and when she shifted in the water column, I took that as a sign that she was curious. So I started waving my arms, calling her up to me. After a minute, she lifted away from where she had been riding the current and began to make a wide circular glide until she was closer to me. I kept watching as she slowly moved back and forth, rising higher, until she was directly beneath the two Europeans and me. I looked at them and was pleased to see them smiling. Now they liked me. After all, I could call up a manta ray! Looking back to the ray, I realized she was much bigger than what we were used to around Molokini - a good fifteen feet from wing tip to wing tip, and not a familiar-looking ray. I had not seen this animal before. There was something else odd about her. I just couldn't figure out what it was. Once my brain clicked in and I was able to concentrate, I saw deep V- shaped marks of her flesh missing from her backside. Other marks ran up and down her body. At first I thought a boat had hit her. As she came closer, now with only ten feet separating us, I realized what was wrong. She had fishing hooks embedded in her head by her eye, with very thick fishing line running to her tail. She had rolled with the line and was wrapped head to tail about five or six times. The line had torn into her body at the back, and those were the V-shaped chunks that were missing. I felt sick and, for a moment, paralyzed. I knew wild animals in pain would never tolerate a human to inflict more pain. But I had to do something. Forgetting about my air, my divers and where I was, I went to the manta. I moved very slowly and talked to her the whole time, like she was one of the horses I had grown up with. When I touched her, her whole body quivered, like my horse would. I put both of my hands on her, then my entire body, talking to her the whole time. I knew that she could knock me off at any time with one flick of her great wing. When she had steadied, I took out the knife that I carry on my inflator hose and lifted one of the lines. It was tight and difficult to get my finger under, almost like a guitar string. She shook, which told me to be gentle. It was obvious that the slightest pressure was painful. As I cut through the first line, it pulled into her wounds. With one beat of her mighty wings, she dumped me and bolted away. I figured that she was gone and was amazed when she turned and came right back to me, gliding under my body. I went to work. She seemed to know it would hurt, and somehow, she also knew that I could help. Imagine the intelligence of that creature, to come for help and to trust! I cut through one line and into the next until she had all she could take of me and would move away, only to return in a moment or two. I never chased her. I would never chase any animal. I never grabbed her. I allowed her to be in charge, and she always came back. When all the lines were cut on top, on her next pass, I went under her to pull the lines through the wounds at the back of her body. The tissue had started to grow around them, and they were difficult to get loose. I held myself against her body, with my hand on her lower jaw. She held as motionless as she could. When it was all loose, I let her go and watched her swim in a circle. She could have gone then, and it would have all fallen away. She came back, and I went back on top of her. The fishing hooks were still in her. One was barely hanging on, which I removed easily. The other was buried by her eye at least two inches past the barb. Carefully, I began to take it out, hoping I wasn't damaging anything. She did open and close her eye while I worked on her, and finally, it was out. I held the hooks in one hand, while I gathered the fishing line in the other hand, my weight on the manta. I could have stayed there forever! I was totally oblivious to everything but that moment. I loved this manta. I was so moved that she would allow me to do this to her. But reality came screaming down on me. With my air running out, I reluctantly came to my senses and pushed myself away. At first, she stayed below me. And then, when she realized that she was free, she came to life like I never would have imagined she could. I thought she was sick and weak, since her mouth had been tied closed, and she hadn't been able to feed for however long the lines had been on her. I thought wrong! With two beats of those powerful wings, she rocketed along the wall of Molokini and then directly out to sea! I lost view of her and, remembering my divers, turned to look for them. Remarkably, we hadn't traveled very far. My divers were right above me and had witnessed the whole event, thankfully! No one would have believed me alone. It seemed too amazing to have really happened. But as I looked at the hooks and line in my hands and felt the torn calluses from her rough skin, I knew that, yes, it really had happened. I kicked in the direction of my divers, whose eyes were still wide from the encounter, only to have them signal me to stop and turn around. Until this moment, the whole experience had been phenomenal, but I could explain it. Now, the moment turned magical. I turned and saw her slowly gliding toward me. With barely an effort, she approached me and stopped, her wing just touching my head. I looked into her round, dark eye, and she looked deeply into me. I felt a rush of something that so overpowered me, I have yet to find the words to describe it, except a warm and loving flow of energy from her into me. She stayed with me for a moment. I don't know if it was a second or an hour. Then, as sweetly as she came back, she lifted her wing over my head and was gone. A manta thank-you. I hung in midwater, using the safety-stop excuse, and tried to make sense of what I had experienced. Eventually, collecting myself, I surfaced and was greeted by an ecstatic group of divers and a curious captain. They all gave me time to get my heart started and to begin to breathe. Sadly, I have not seen her since that day, and I am still looking. For the longest time, though my wetsuit was tattered and torn, I would not change it because I thought she wouldn't recognize me. I call to every manta I see, and they almost always acknowledge me in some way. One day, though, it will be her. She'll hear me and pause, remembering the giant cleaner that she trusted to relieve her pain, and she'll come. At least that is how it happens in my dreams. -<>- >Links for Your Enjoyment :) Nature's Teardrops! http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/teardrops.html Proud Of Our Troops 7! http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/troops7.html Here's Your Frog! http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/frog.html Pets Being Pets! http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/petsbeingpets.html Take The Sword! http://www.ShangralaFamilyFun.com/poems/sword.html Who Is He? http://www.ShangralaFamilyFun.com/poems/who.htm Self Talk! http://www.ShangralaFamilyFun.com/BibleStudy/selftalk.html Which Parts Are Written To You? http://www.ShangralaFamilyFun.com/BibleStudy/whichparts.html Lets Dance! http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/dance.html Notes To God! http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/cnotes.html Greetings! http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/greetings.html Amazing Underwater Creatures! http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/underwater3.html Amazing Water Creatures! http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/watercreatures.html That's God! http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/thatsgod.html World's National Park Trails! http://www.ShangralaFamilyFun.com/walkingtrails.html Beautiful Rainbows! http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/rainbows.html 9-11 And Troops Index! http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/911andtroopsindex.html SUMMER INDEX: http://www.shangralafamilyfun.com/summerindex.html -<>- How to Become a Christian - How to Get Born Again / How to Get Saved / Romans 10:9 & 10 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DMzblR8YDQ0 Bible https://quod.lib.umich.edu/k/kjv/ Bible Study Index http://www.absolutebiblestudy.com/Contents.htm The Way Bible Articles https://thewayinternational.com/english/ Truth Or Tradition.com Index: https://www.truthortradition.com/ Bible Teaching Videos - John Schoenheit Spirit And Truth https://tinyurl.com/2gyn3f35 The Lion Weekly Digest is a newsletter delivering the week's top articles from The Lion straight to your inbox. Find all of the stories: https://readlion.com/ Latest From PragerU: https://www.prageru.com/ Latest From Mommy Underground: https://mommyunderground.com/ Latest From Christian Life Daily: https://www.christianlifedaily.com/ -<>- >In The Worldly News: President Donald J. Trump https://www.donaldjtrump.com/ White House Actions - 2025 https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/ Trump Accomplishments 2025 https://tinyurl.com/musd7m3x DOGE Latest News https://doge.gov/ DOGE Latest Savings https://doge.gov/savings From The Daily Acorn: Positive News https://www.thedailyacorn.com/ Latest From Lifezette: https://www.lifezette.com/ Tucker Carlson On Rumble https://rumble.com/c/TuckerCarlson Latest Eric Bolling: https://ericbolling.com/ Latest From Hannity: https://hannity.com/ Latest From American Action News: https://americanactionnews.com/ Latest From Reliable News: https://reliablenewsnow.com/ Latest From Newsmax: https://www.newsmax.com/ Latest From Expose: https://expose-news.com/ Latest From Billings Report: https://billingsreport.com/ Latest From AFA: http://tinyurl.com/j7lakqw Latest From OperationRescue: http://www.operationrescue.org/ Latest Product Alert: http://www.emergencyemail.org/products/?fmt=text Latest Health Alert: http://www.emergencyemail.org/health/?fmt=text Click to Give Free https://greatergood.com/clicktogive/ggc/home 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 God'sDailyWord: , , /////| ///// | ///// | |~~~| | | |===| |/| | B |/| | | I | | | | B | | | | L | / | E | / |===|/ jgs '---' >Intended For Good Joseph's life was filled with one difficult situation after another. By the time he was a teenager, his brothers had developed an intense hatred toward him which led to an attempt to take his life. But rather than kill him, they sold young Joseph into slavery (Genesis 37). And then, as a slave, Joseph was falsely accused of rape and thrown into jail (Genesis 39). It's never really explained how Joseph learned to trust God, but he did! He could have become very discouraged when he became a slave, but somehow Joseph adjusted to his circumstances and thrived; "The Lord was with Joseph and he prospered" (Genesis 39:2). When tempted with s%xual sin by Potiphar's wife, he kept himself pure because he did not want to "sin against God" (Genesis 39:9). But false accusations still sent him into prison. Even after spending several years in jail, Joseph continued to place his complete trust in God. When asked to interpret Pharaoh's dreams, Joseph risked his freedom and rightly gave all the glory and praise to God rather than take credit for himself; "I cannot do it, but God will give Pharaoh the answer he desires" (Genesis 41:16). Joseph was rewarded with much more than his freedom; he was placed in charge of the entire land of Egypt during a great famine. He was also reunited with his family and able to keep them from certain starvation. Several years later, after their father died, Joseph's brothers came and fearfully asked for his forgiveness. Joseph could have taken great revenge, but he continued to demonstrate his understanding of how God cares for His children. Genesis 50:19-20 "Joseph said to them, 'Don't be afraid. Am I in the place of God? You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.'" When Joseph was sold into slavery, he had no idea of God's awesome plan. All he could do was continue to trust and draw nearer to God. Joseph would spend many years in jail before receiving even a hint of God's purpose. But God is ALWAYS at work in the lives of those who love Him. Joseph's life must encourage us to draw ever closer to God during times of hardship - to continue trusting and honoring Him in all we do... no matter what our circumstances! We all go through "dungeon" seasons when life seems to take unplanned and seemingly "unfair" turns. We all, at times, feel abandoned and alone: "Has God forgotten me? Does He no longer care?" We may not understand why things happen the way they do, but if we will continue to love Him with all our heart and consistently trust Him in and through all our trials, we can be certain (and one day we will truly see) that God's work in every situation is truly intended for good. Have a Christ Centered Day! Steve Troxel God's Daily Word Ministries **** Reading Plan **** Job 20:1-22:30; 2 Corinthians 1:1-11; Psalm 40:11-17; Proverbs 22:2-4 <:))))>< , , /////| ///// | ///// | |~~~| | | |===| |/| | B |/| | | I | | | | B | | | | L | / | E | / |===|/ jgs '---' >Return to Give Thanks One day when Jesus was traveling from Galilee to Jerusalem, ten men with leprosy approached Him and called out; "Jesus, Master, have pity on us!" (Luke 17:13). Jesus didn't immediately heal the lepers. Instead, He gave them a simple instruction; "Go, show yourselves to the priests" (Luke 17:14). A leper would only present himself to a priest if he believed the leprosy was gone. The priests had the authority to declare a diseased person ceremonially clean and allow them to return home (Leviticus 14). Therefore, the lepers demonstrated great faith when they followed Jesus' command; "And as they went, they were cleansed" (Luke 17:14). Notice that the lepers had to take action before they were healed; their action was a demonstration of their faith. Though all ten lepers had been cleansed of their terrible disease, only one returned to give thanks; "He threw himself at Jesus' feet and thanked Him" (Luke 17:16). Jesus responded with a very convicting question. Luke 17:17 "Jesus asked, 'Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine?'" I wonder if we really understand the degree to which we have been healed and made clean; "God made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgression" (Ephesians 2:5). We were DEAD, and He made us alive with Christ - that's serious healing!! Our Heavenly Father reached down in love and provided a way for complete restoration when we did not even have the ability to cry out for help; "While we were still inners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8) - that's serious love!! His Hand guided us toward healing through His Son and His Hand continues to heal in countless ways on our daily walk. Every time relationships are restored, His hand has healed; when conflicts are resolved, His hand has healed; and when He lovingly welcomes us back after we have wandered from His presence, His hand has healed. But do we return to thank Him? Or are we as the other nine lepers who go on our way and forget the One to whom we owe our very lives. The one leper who returned threw himself at Jesus' feet. If we knew how deathly sick we are without Christ and how completely He has healed our soul, we would not only throw ourselves at His feet, but we would remain and refuse to ever leave. Let's live each day in the presence of God and continually come before Him with hearts overflowing with thanksgiving and praise. Let's remember our divine healing and ALWAYS be the one who will return to give thanks. Have a Christ Centered Day! Steve Troxel God's Daily Word Ministries **** Reading Plan **** Nehemiah 3:15-5:13; 1 Corinthians 7:20-40; Psalm 32:1-11; Proverbs 21:5-7 ========================================================== >--->From CupO'Cheer: _______ / /_ / -/- / / / / / / /_______/ / jgs ((______| / `"""""""` >WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY ABOUT PROPER DRESS FOR THE CHRISTIAN? We are to put on the garment of love. Colossians 3:14; 1 Corinthians 13:1-7 We are to put on the garment of compassion and kindness. Luke 10:33-35; cf. Genesis 50:15-21 We are to put on the garment of forgiveness. Luke 17:1-7 We are to put on the garment of humility. Philippians 2:5-8; James 4:10 We are to put on the garment of God's Word. Ephesians 6:11-17 We are to put on the garment of steadfastness. 1 Corinthians 15:58 We are to put on the garment of purity. Matthew 5:1-12; Hebrews 12:14; 1 Peter 1:22 We are to put on the garment of the new man. Ephesians 4:24 We are to put on the garment of light. Romans 13:12; Ephesians 6:13 We are to put on the garment of mercy, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering, forbearance, and love. Colossians 3:12-14; Ephesians 4:1-2 We are to put on the garment of Christ (His holy and righteousness character). Romans 13:14; Galatians 2:20; 1 Peter 2:21-24; 1 John 2:6 KneEmail: "But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection." Colossians 3:14 Bible reading for today: 1 Corinthians 1; Psalm 100-102 as seen in KneEmail -<>- (\ (\_\_^__o ___ `-'/ `_/ '`--\______/ | ' / | mic ` . ' `-`/.------'\^-' >THE RICHEST MAN IN THE WORLD I was doing my monthly budget today. That is when you divide one check by ten bills and pray that there is a little something left over. The whole kitchen table was covered with bills, notebooks, stamps, envelopes, labels, money orders, and my oversize calculator. I had just hit the wrong button on that calculator for the third time and was groaning with frustration when suddenly my little Beagle, Snoopy came racing out of my bedroom. Without breaking stride she bounced up on the chair next to mine and then leapt up on the table. She spun out on the papers sending them flying everywhere while my calculator crashed to the floor. Then without missing a beat she started licking my chin as fast as she could. I was about to yell at her but found myself laughing instead. Leave it to that sweet dog of mine to remind me that I am one of the richest men in the world. My riches can't be placed in checking accounts or used to pay bills, but they are more priceless than a thousand treasure chests full of gold. My riches come from the furry friendship that follows me around on four legs all day long. My wealth flows from every smile that my children give me. My money comes in the form of hugged backs rather than greenbacks. My gems are the kind words and caring thoughts I give and receive. My gold comes from the shining spirits of my family, friends, and neighbors. My vast fortune is one of Love. It comes from knowing that God loves me. It comes from knowing that I can choose and share love myself everyday of my life. It comes from knowing that when I love, I have joy. My bankbook may never be heavy, but when it comes to the treasures of Heaven my heart is full to overflowing. May you always choose God's love and Heaven's wealth yourselves. And may you always take the time to pet your dog even when she's sitting on top of your bills. - Joseph J. Mazzella -<>- _______ / /_ / -/- / / / / / / /_______/ / jgs ((______| / `"""""""` >ROOTLESS RELIGION These things you have done and I kept silence; you thought that I was just like you. -PSALM 50:21 A Christian leader told me about boarding a small commuter plane for a short flight out of Nashville. Moments after he settled in, a flight attendant's voice came on the loudspeaker and said, "When the pilot steps onto the plane, I want you to clap for him. He just found out his fiancée is expecting twins." When the captain appeared, the passengers erupted into a raucous ovation. My friend sat there thinking, I can't believe it. We're applauding immorality. This is in a country where reliable research tells us that nearly 85 percent profess to have some kind of religious convictions, and 90 percent believe there is a God. But it's also a country where a solid majority personalize religion with little regard for the need to submit themselves to any kind of accountability or authority. In essence, everyone does what is right in their eyes (see Judges 17:6). We've become a nation made up of very small humans playing God. As a result, many people treat religion more like a hobby. It's a free-flowing, do-as-you-please, spiritual smorgasbord where they pick and choose what they want, when they want it. A little dab of truth here, a little dab there. But never too much truth. As someone has said, "God created man in His own image; then man returned the favor." It is time for us as Christians to clean up our own house, to let the Bible's truth become not just our standard for belief but also our standard of behavior, both personally and in our families. Then we must take it a step further, calling those around us to the good news of Jesus Christ and exhorting those who know Him to internalize, apply and proclaim His life-giving message. The future of your family and our nation depends on it. DISCUSS Try to define a practical step you could take to influence your sphere for Christ. What is one need you could embrace as your spiritual calling? PRAY Humble yourselves before the face of God, and ask Him for the spiritual reformation of your family and our country. as seen in Moments Together For Couples --- _______ / /_ / -/- / / / / / / /_______/ / jgs ((______| / `"""""""` ...About Fornication 1 Cor.6: [13] Meats for the belly, and the belly for meats: but God shall destroy both it and them. Now the body is not for fornication, but for the Lord; and the Lord for the body. [14] And God hath both raised up the Lord, and will also raise up us by his own power. [15] Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them the members of an harlot? God forbid. [16] What? know ye not that he which is joined to an harlot is one body? for two, saith he, shall be one flesh. [17] But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit. [18] Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that commiteth fornication sinneth against his own body. [19] What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? [20] For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's. When you have s&x outside of marriage - not being married, that is fornication. Here the Apostle Paul was admonishing his people that to just have s%x with anyone they wanted to when they wanted to was not right because God sees it as two becoming one - marriage. -<>- .==,_ .===,_`\ .====,_ ` \ .====,__ --- .==-,`~. \ `:`.__, --- `~~=-. \ /^^^ ...always on the go! --- `~~=. \ / `~. \ / ~. \____./ jgs `.=====) ___.--~~~--.__ ___\.--~~~ ~~~---.._|/ ~~~" / >THIS IS JUST A RESTING PLACE Sometimes the road of life seems long As we travel through the years And, with a heart that's broken And eyes brimful of tears, We falter in our weariness And sink beside the way, But God leans down and whispers, "Child, there'll be another day"-- And the road will grow much smoother And much easier to face, So do not be disheartened-- This is just a resting place. --Helen Steiner Rice -<>- __ /_/\/\ \_\ / /_/ \ \_\/\ \ \_\/ unknown >JESUS LOVES ME, THIS I KNOW Sharon Jaynes Today's Truth "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 8:35, 38-39 NIV). * Friend To Friend It was the first anniversary of the terrorist bombing of September 11, 2001. The rubble from the World Trade Center had been cleared and the Pentagon repaired, but men and women all across America still mourned the 3,000 lives that were lost on that dark day. In my hometown, a memorial was set up on an expanse of land with a sea of twelve-inch white crosses representing the men and women who died. Kathy and her family went to see the memorial. Along with her seventeen-year-old daughter, Heather, Kathy took along her three- year-old niece, Taylor. It was difficult for young Taylor to understand exactly what was going on and why so many people were sad, but she obediently walked hand-in-hand with her cousin between the tiny crosses. At some point, little Taylor wandered away from her family. It was reverently silent as the crowd of mourners looked at the names inscribed on the white memorials. Some crosses were decorated with flowers, others with Teddy Bears or other memorabilia, but nothing spoke more poignantly than the silence broken by quiet sobs. Then, as if coming directly from heaven, a small voice could be heard floating on the breeze. Everyone turned to notice a little girl with outstretched arms twirling in circles among the crosses. With face lifted toward the sky, she sang... |><|~|><| /(((9)))\ //) -_- (\\ (((( ._. )))) ))))---(((( ((((`---')))) (___|xXxXx|___) \ | | / / ^ ^ ^ \ / \ (_._._._._._) \ | / ( | ) | | | hjw |-|-| /`-^-'\ (__,^.__) "Jesus loves me, this I know. For the Bible tells me so. Little ones to Him belong. We are weak but He is strong. Yes, Jesus loves me. Yes, Jesus loves me. Yes, Jesus loves me. The Bible tells me so." Time seemed to stand still as hundreds of mourners turned their attention to one small girl with a big message. Even in the midst of pain, even with the loss of life, loss of dreams, and loss of hope... Jesus still loves us. That love can lift the burden of despair, resurrect our dreams, and restore our hope. In 2 Corinthians 4:6-9 Paul reminds us: "For God who said, 'Let light shine out of darkness,' made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." Jesus loves me...this I know. _ _|_|_ ,|_| |_|_ || | | |_| || | | | | || | | | | _|| | | | | ||)\ ^ ^ ^ | || | | || | | || | | \\ | \\ / ejm )\ ( / \ \ / \ \ \ \ Let's Pray Dear Lord, today I remember all the men and women who died in the terrorist attack of September 11, 2001. I also think of the difficulties in my own life. Thank You that no matter what my outward circumstances may be, the fact that Jesus loves me will never be shattered or shaken. You, O LORD, are the constant in my life and You are the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Jesus loves me, this I know. In Jesus Christ's Name, Amen. Now It's Your Turn When was a time in your life that you have felt overcome with the gravity of a difficult situation? How did the knowledge of God's unchanging, unfailing love give you comfort? Perhaps you are in the middle of such a situation at this very moment. Are you willing, as the little girl in this story, to open your arms to God and sing, "Jesus loves me this I know?" Why don't you stop right now where you are and sing that chorus to God. More From The Girlfriends Today's devotion was taken from Sharon's book; Your Scars are Beautiful to God: Discovering peace and purpose in the hurts of your past. If you would like to learn more about turning your pain into purpose and your hurt into hope, this book can help you on your journey to wholeness and healing. http://www.crosswalkmail.com/ as seen in Girlfriends in God Available Free by E-mail every other day. To SUBSCRIBE: Send an e-mail with SUBSCRIBE CUP O'CHEER in the subject line to cheer316@sc.rr.com. ========================================================== >-->From LaughAndLift: "All that is necessary for the forces of evil to win the world is for enough good men to do nothing." - Edmond Burke 1729-1797 W __ __ [ ] |::||::| E ._. |::||::| ._. |\ |:| ._. |::||::| |/| \ \\|/ |:|_|/| |::||::|_ |/| |-( )- |:|"|/|_|::||::|\|_|/| _ | V L |:|"|/|||::||::|\|||/||:| \ ` ___ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ | \/ / ~~~~ ~~~~ ~~~ ~~~ >9/11: 10 Years On (By Chris Long) Early this morning, I watched a special on the 9/11 terrorist attacks that recounted using footage from that day all that transpired. I have to admit that I had actually forgotten some of the details and watching the events unfold again rekindled all sorts of thoughts & emotions. Seeing people jumping from the towers to their obvious death was a very surreal (and "silencing") thing. Actually the whole thing was - and still is - surreal. I know that terror attacks have and do occur worldwide. I know that as far as the shear number of casualties, many more have died in other circumstances and events. Yet, there were heroes from that day (both that lived and died) - and they SHOULD be remembered and celebrated. But, 9/11 speaks to more than that (for all people, American and otherwise). 9/11 showcases the clear difference between good and evil, light and darkness. Certainly other events have done the same (Hitler killing millions of people certainly did!) But before 9/11, we had been coasting for quite a while, at least in America, without really being confronted with such a clear, large-scale, visible example. It's easy to forget details and emotions from those days because, well, there is a part deep down in all of us that WANT to forget - to pretend like the whole thing just never happened. It's easier to emotionally detach - to live in a dream world where we can pretend that all people just want to love each other and therefore just want love and understanding (i.e. everyone is "reasonable"). It's easier - as many have indeed done - to dispense with labels such as "terrorists". It's easier (i.e. "less painful") to insulate ourselves and pretend that everyone just wants peace. It's easier to believe that those who were behind 9/11 were just a few crazy guys, rather than taking a serious & honest look at what fueled their actions: their muslim faith. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to notice that societies that are predominantly muslim (i.e. much of the Middle East) tend to be more prone to violence - particularly violence in the name of Allah. It is certainly legitimate to ask why. And yet, in the name of "political correctness", the whole religious angle to 9/11 has not only been seriously downplayed by almost everyone, the almost unbelievable truth is that even before the 10-year-anniversary, there was and still is a serious push to erect a muslim "cultural" center and mosque where the twin towers (a symbol of American prosperity) stood 10 years ago. It's almost unfathomable, and yet this is where we are. A nation that seems to have little moral bearing - and little backbone - unable to confront the realities of the world in which we live - seemingly sliding more and more into some made-up fantasy world, rather than acknowledging & embracing reality. 10 years on, and it pains me to say it, but America as a whole not only didn't learn the lessons from 9/11, we've largely continued down the same silly road we've been on for some time that has only led to a decline of our society as we know it. The U-Turn that has been - and still is - needed, on a large-scale has not happened. Here's the reality: There's evil in this world. There are 2 sides: light and darkness, good and evil. Every person on this planet is in one of those 2 camps. Ultimately it gets traced to the spiritual realm, as those that are children of God, and those that are children of the devil. The Bible talks of both and makes clear that both are here. If you thought the Bible said we are all "children of God" (as many would have you believe), that is NOT a concept the Bible teaches - it explicitly teaches against that concept in numerous locations - including by Jesus Himself (i.e. when he flat out tells groups of people that their father is the devil!). And our world clearly bears out what the Bible teaches in this regard. Yes, Christianity, like Islam, teaches that one group is right and others are wrong. A key difference is that Christianity teaches that God is love and wants all people to come to Him and teaches that love is not only a key trademark of God, but is to be the major trademark of those that are followers of Jesus Christ as well. Anyone with any intellectual honesty at all, looking at the total picture of Islam in our world, would HAVE to conclude that the same cannot be said there. Any Christian committing an act of violence against someone else because of their beliefs, is an oxymoron - it completely goes against what the Bible teaches. But since we know God is love, we also know that the devil is NOT love. It stands to reason there will be plenty of people ready and willing to act in accordance with that. What happened in Nazi Germany in World War II PROVES that evil is something that resides in many - all it takes is a spark and those that were "evil behind the scenes" suddenly become very visible. There are many more on the side of "evil" in our world than a few "deranged" individuals. Until Jesus comes back to this earth and establishes it, there will be no peace because those 2 sides are existing here, and the darkness is ever trying to advance and squelch the light. Even more, according to the Bible it is going to get worse - much, much, MUCH worse before Jesus' return. If you think people are having trouble facing reality now, just wait... If you haven't noticed, our whole society - our whole world - is gearing up for mass delusion (the Bible predicts this as well) - and some might even argue (and make a good case) that it has already started and is in progress. People are so absorbed in trying to avoid really having to deal with the realities of life and eternity. Between movies, t.v. shows, facebook, twitter, blogs, cell phones, tablets, computers, 3-D, this gadget, that experience, etc. - we have already gone to great lengths (more I would say than any time in history) to avoid the important things - the truths that we NEED to face. My encouragement this day to all believers in Jesus Chris is to be very very careful in how we're living. We need to have our eyes WIDE OPEN in these days we're living in, being very careful not to get swept away with all the temptations and distractions that the "broad road" has to offer. The devil can be quite subtle when it suits his purpose. We, more than ever, need to live holy, set apart lives, showcasing the love of Jesus, living in full reality of what's going on in our world - and what the Bible says about it and its future. And though a planned subject for another article in the future, we want to be "watching and waiting" - very much "on our toes" - ever mindful of Christ's return for His Church. We want to be ready, not caught off guard. We need to sober-minded in the strongest sense of the word. So on this 10-year anniversary of 9/11, yes it is good to remember those that died. But may we NEVER just reduce the remembrance of 9/11 to some mere sentimentality of those that died and neglect the very important, weightier matters that 9/11 showcased to all of humanity about this great struggle between good and evil... between God and the devil. -------- This article is Copyright by Chris Long 2011. You may use this article for free for any purpose, whether commercial or non- commercial, as long as you use the entire text and that all text, including this notice, is not modified or removed in any fashion. For any other usage, you must obtain written permission from the author. --- ^ ,' \ L""/ ` | J | J L | | . , | |.`v_L.' // ,>-(-\'_ \`' \ - /-. / /`""| ),' `- ( ,-' \ ) ,' ,' h / / / `)--.. \/ / \ <) < , L<' F/ _/ ,' L ,-' \ | ___L / ( F J ___,' L | ,' | F ,' | (_,--..__ mt-2|_ ,' `"`--.._\ ,' / \ / (_ (diddled by b'ger} ...And so it continues Here this was written 14 years ago and we still are dealing with the good verse evil in America. The far left is emboldened to call for violence against those that simply disagree with their way of thinking. The majority of college age youth agree that it is acceptable to inflict violence against someone that they do not agree with. It is why we see so many riots and why Pres. Trump had to send in the National Guard Troops to LA recently during their protest of ICE apprehending and deporting known criminal aliens. It has been going on since the time of Jesus when people tried to stone Jesus merely for what he had to say. John 8:59, John 10:31-42 We see why our country's forefathers valued free speech so much. Without inciting hatred or violence, we should be able to calmly debate each other differences of opinions. During Obama and Biden's Presidency, free speech was not so much allowed here. They weaponized our very own government against us sending FBI spies into our churches and even our parents were targeted against control over their own child's education and welfare. We learned from Elon Musk that the government was silencing us on social media as well. The devil tries to silence our freedoms. We are in a war of God vs the devil. It is spiritual. The more evil the devil can inflict, the more he wins the battle. The more good God spreads with His love through His people, the more God wins. By the grace of God because of two failed assassinations, President Trump is bringing America back to what our forefathers had fought so hard to give us - freedom of liberty for us all. Trump is allowing religion back into our lives and giving us our voices back to freely express ourselves with our own concerns, values and morals. The way God intended for us to be - having freedom of our own will. !|| !|||| ,/|||| !|'''| `\ | )\ \ ejm / \ \ \ May God always protect Pres. Trump as he leads America into our 250 year celebration with God's abundant blessings of goodness, grace and mercy through Christ Jesus our Lord. ========================================================== .--. .--. / ' .\ |'. ( .-. \ \ . ` /\. /`. / ) ( `.' .' '--'` (\ \.' .' ) \`. \ _/ _..--' `. \ /`'<_/ : )"'``..`-3 : :. `"'. ) / |-.'' (_.-._ | / ( .'`--..J ' |-'( |_| | : >` '. .'' : | Y | < | : > ' \ `_ : '` \ / :- ' || : / ./: | \ .'J /_ ) : | '% | a:f /.-.`). : I | / ( \ ) : .^) `-' `..-' (`"' / ===' >-->Everyone Needs Someone People need people and friends need friends And we all need love for a full life depends Not on vast riches or great acclaim, Not on success or on worldly fame, But just in knowing that someone cares And holds us close in their thoughts and prayers- For only the knowledge that we're understood Makes everyday living feel wonderfully good, And we rob ourselves of life's greatest need When we "lock up our hearts" and fail to heed The outstretched hand reaching to find A kindred spirit whose heart and mind Are lonely and longing to somehow share Our joys and sorrows and to make us aware That life's completeness and richness depends On the things we share with our loved ones and friends. ~Helen Steiner Rice~ >Updated FUN STUFF URLS - Oh Yeah, Shangy! ---------------------------------------------------------------------- http://www.ShangralaFamilyFun.com/urls.html FUN URLS ---------------------------------------------------------------------- -->ShangyFunList AD RATES: $35 will get your a message (of up to 40 words) out to all web site list readers. 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