ARCHIVE # 2 - MARCH 2000

Howdy!!!

Well, it's very late, but thank The Father, I'm getting the second wind I need to get this done. I've had this letter planned for a long time, but I wanted to have the archive page done before I got this ready. The archive page took MUCH longer than I would ever have anticipated. But, the next one won't take so long 'cause I'll know more about what I'm doing.

So, as you can see by the title, this issue will be about criticism. With all of the visits to behavioral hospitals I've had in the last 2 weeks, I've been broken by the site of large amounts of young people worn out from the stress of trying to fit in. That desire to be a part of has even brought some of them to the point of attempting suicide. The whole thing is weighing very heavily on my heart. I also know of many adults that go through it (trying to fit in, that is), including myself at times, so I'm hoping that this newsletter will be strengthening for at least one person.

2 Corinthians 10:12b (KJV) says, "but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise.

~~~~~~~~~~

Matthew 16:13-17 (briefly stated in my own words,) Yah-Shua asks who MEN say that He is & receives various answers, but Peter speaks his knowledge of Yah-Shua as the Messiah & Yah-Shua says that Peter is blessed because he got his understanding from The Father & not from man. (This leads to this next verse--)

~~~~~~~~~~

2 Corinthians 10:17-18 (Complete Jewish Bible,) (*L*) So let anyone who wants to boast, boast about ADONAI, because it is not the one who recommends himself that is worthy of approval, but the one whom the L-rd recommends.

~~~~~~~~~~

And last, also from the Complete Jewish Bible, 1 Corinthians 13:4-5 says, "Love is patient and kind, not jealous, not BOASTFUL* (my emphasis), not proud, rude, or selfish, not easily angered, and it keeps no record of wrongs."

~~~~~~~~~~

And remember this...blowing out someone else's candle does not make yours glow any brighter.

For this week's new stuff, I've chosen a walk thru nostalgia park. First, does anybody remember the song "Kid's Are People Too (Wacka-doo)" ? It was the theme song from "Wonderama" which was a kid show from the 70's that included back-up music from a kazoo. And, what about Captain Kangaroo, Romper Room, Sherriff John or Winky Dink? Well, this site I'm sending you to is called "TV Party's Lost Kid Shows" and has all those great shows we watched as kids, including listing many by their locales like L.A., Chicago & New York. Just type in "http://www.tvparty.com/lostkids.html"

+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+

This next one is also about kid's 70s shows...remember Freddie the golden flute who talked, and Jimmy his friend that was always trying to save him from the mean ol' "Witchiepoo"? And who always helped Jimmy & Freddie? Why, H.R. Pufnstuf of course. Then there was Lidsville about a land of living hats... good and bad. The bad hats worked for an evil magician named Hoo Doo. Well, these & many others like, "Sigmund & The Sea Monsters", "Land of the Lost", "Lost Saucer" and "Bugaloos" were all created by Sid & Marty Krofft. To visit their unofficial, yet very accurate, site... (I must note here that this cannot be the site I typed into the original issue because, for some reason, that site no longer exists.) ...just type in "http://www.krofft.net" This site has great information, and if you click on "links", you will be directed to a webring of 70's nostalgia sites.

+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+

And last, as promised last week, the site to view all of the February newsletters & click on site links at your leisure is at... "https://www.angelfire.com/journal/godskitchensink/archive1feb.html" Please let me know what you think before the end of March, so I can decide if I should use the same format for the March archive page.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~SOMETHING BORROWED~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This first article I found in my Motivational Mailer, and it made a lot of sense to me, so I thought I'd pass it on.

HOW TO HANDLE CRITICISM

There's no denying it: criticism can (and often does) hurt. But no matter what you do in life, you expose yourself to the possibility of being judged unfavorably. Even if you try to remain in the background, avoiding all confrontation, you still must make decisions - minor ones, maybe, like where you eat and what you wear. And, rest assured, not everyone will agree with your choices.

So, since you are going to receive criticism no matter what, let's take a closer look at how you can best handle (and even benefit from) it! The next time you are criticized, consider the following points:

...Criticism is often nothing more than a reflection of personal preference. Again, regardless of what you do, somebody won't like it. Accept that people have diverse backgrounds, preferences and interests. You won't please everyone, so don't even try.
...Don't take it personally. Sure, this is easier said than done. However, the critics generally aren't trying to prove that you have no value as a person. Rather, they're revealing their dislike of your idea or your performance. Let them have their opinions. In the end, you decide whether or not to let another person's remarks bother you.
...Strive to learn from their words. Find some truth in their statements - even if only a shred. There is usually some accuracy in critical comments. The critic may not be tactful, and the remarks may be greatly exaggerated, but there is often helpful information which you can glean. It's your job to seek out this kernel of truth and benefit from it!
...Don't be defensive. Resist the temptation to argue with the critic. While it's only natural to try to prove that you are "right" and that the other person is "wrong," this generally gets you nowhere.
...Accept that many people focus only on negatives. The critic rarely gives a full, accurate assessment. He or she tends to report only the negatives, even if there are plenty of positives to mention as well. Recognize that some people simply think it's unnecessary to tell you what you've done right. Instead, they focus only on "helping" you - which, to them, means "correcting" you.
...Realize that vicious, harsh comments come from those people who are unhappy with themselves. I've found that mean, angry, insulting remarks spring from unhappy, insecure people. They have to vent their anger and frustration on someone and you've been chosen as today's target! Don't let these people bring you down.

Remember: not everyone will like you, your goals or your actions. But, don't let the fear of criticism stop you from doing what you want. Accept criticism as part of life, and learn from it where possible. And, most importantly, stay true to your own values and convictions. If others don't approve, so what!

Jeff Keller
©Attitude is Everything, Inc

~~~~~~~~~~

Jeff Keller is a motivational speaker and author of the book, Attitude is Everything. To read two chapters of the book and to sign up for Jeff's free e-mail newsletter, visit his web site at "http://www.attitudeiseverything.com" or find the link below.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

And, if you liked this story, check out "http://www.self-worth.com/mailer.htm" (or link below) to view a full sample issue of "The Motivational Mailer" and/or subscribe to the daily e-mail. It's one of my favorites!

+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+

This next one is a long, but wonderful story. I'm not sure if I heard it as a child, but it sounded a bit familiar to me. I have not found any info as to the author of this one. I got this story from my Good Tidings daily e-mail. A short note from it's editor, Charlotte, preceeds the story.

~~~~~~~~~~

We need to judge ourselves by the Word and not by one another. If we compare ourselves to others we will judge ourselves one of two ways: better which leads to arrogance and pride, or we see ourselves as inferior which leads to poor self-images and feelings of unworthiness. We are all precious to God. He loves each of us and, if we are wise, we will not compare ourselves among ourselves.

~~~~~~~~~~

SMALL WOODEN PEOPLE

The Wemmicks were small wooden people. Each of the wooden people was carved by a woodworker named Eli. His workshop sat on a hill overlooking their village. Every Wemmick was different. Some had big noses, others had large eyes. Some were tall and others were short. Some wore hats, others wore coats. But all were made by the same carver and all lived in the village. And all day, every day, the Wemmicks did the same thing: They gave each other stickers.

Each Wemmick had a box of golden star stickers and a box of gray dot stickers. Up and down the streets all over the city, people could be seen sticking stars or dots on one another. The pretty ones, those with smooth wood and fine paint, always got stars. But if the wood was rough or the paint chipped, the Wemmicks gave dots. The talented ones got stars, too.. Some could lift big sticks high above their heads or jump over tall boxes. Still others knew big words or could sing very pretty songs. Everyone gave them stars. Some Wemmicks had stars all over them! Every time they got a star it made them feel so good that they did something else and got another star. Others, though, could do little. They got dots.

Punchinello was one of these. He tried to jump high like the others, but he always fell. And when he fell, the others would gather around and give him dots. Sometimes when he fell, it would scar his wood, so the people would give him more dots. He would try to explain why he fell and say something silly, and the Wemmicks would give him more dots. After a while he had so many dots that he didn't want to go outside. He was afraid he would do something dumb such as forget his hat or step in the water, and then people would give him another dot. In fact, he had so many gray dots that some people would come up and give him one without reason.

"He deserves lots of dots," the wooden people would agree with one another.

"He's not a good wooden person."

After a while Punchinello believed them. "I'm not a good Wemmick," he would say. The few times he went outside, he hung around other Wemmicks who had a lot of dots. He felt better around them.

One day he met a Wemmick who was unlike any he'd ever met. She had no dots or stars. She was just wooden. Her name was Lulia. It wasn't that people didn't try to give her stickers; it's just that the stickers didn't stick. Some admired Lulia for having no dots, so they would run up and give her a star. But it would fall off. Some would look down on her for having no stars, so they would give her a dot. But it wouldn't stay either.

'That's the way I want to be', thought Punchinello. 'I don't want anyone's marks.' So he asked the stickerless Wemmick how she did it.

"It's easy," Lulia replied. "every day I go see Eli."

"Eli?"

"Yes, Eli. The woodcarver. I sit in the workshop with him."

"Why?"

"Why don't you find out for yourself? Go up the hill. He's there." And with that the Wemmick with no marks turned and skipped away.

"But he won't want to see me!" Punchinello cried out. Lulia didn't hear. So Punchinello went home. He sat near a window and watched the wooden people as they scurried around giving each other stars and dots. "It's not right," he muttered to himself. And he resolved to go see Eli.

So, he walked outside. He walked up the narrow path to the top of the hill and stepped into the big shop. His wooden eyes widened at the size of everything. The stool was as tall as he was. He had to stretch on his tiptoes to see the top of the workbench. A hammer was as long as his arm. Punchinello swallowed hard. "I'm not staying here!" and he turned to leave. Then he heard his name.

"Punchinello?" The voice was deep and strong.

Punchinello stopped.

"Punchinello! How good to see you. Come and let me have a look at you."

Punchinello turned slowly and looked at the large bearded craftsman "You know my name?" the little Wemmick asked.

"Of course I do. I made you." Eli stooped down and picked him up and set him on the bench. "Hmm," the maker spoke thoughtfully as he inspected the gray circles. "Looks like you've been given some bad marks."

"I didn't mean to, Eli. I really tried hard."

"Oh, you don't have to defend yourself to me, child. I don't care what the other Wemmicks think."

"You don't?"

"No, and you shouldn't either. Who are they to give stars or dots? They're Wemmicks just like you. What they think doesn't matter, Punchinello. All that matters is what I think. And I think you are pretty special.."

Punchinello laughed. "Me, special? Why? I can't walk fast. I can't jump. My paint is peeling. Why do I matter to you?"

Eli looked at Punchinello, put his hands on those small wooden shoulders, and spoke very slowly. "Because you're mine. That's why you matter to me."

Punchinello had never had anyone look at him like this -- much less his maker. He didn't know what to say.

"Every day I've been hoping you'd come," Eli explained.

"I came because I met someone who had no marks."

"I know. She told me about you."

"Why don't the stickers stay on her?"

"Because she has decided that what I think is more important than what they think. The stickers only stick if you let them."

"What?"

"The stickers only stick if they matter to you. The more you trust my love, the less you care about the stickers."

"I'm not sure I understand."

"You will, but it will take time. You've got a lot of marks. For now, just come to see me every day and let me remind you how much I care." Eli lifted Punchinello off the bench and set him on the ground. "Remember," Eli said as the Wemmick walked out the door. "You are special because I made you. And I don't make mistakes."

Punchinello didn't stop, but in his heart he thought, "I think he really means it." And when he did, a dot fell to the ground.

~~~~~~~~~~

Think about it... we judge others by our standards and others judge us by theirs, but at the end of the day we are all fellow Wemmicks..... er... Humans, perfect and imperfect in our own little ways which makes each one unique..... special... and for those of us who believe, don't you agree that the opinion of our Maker is most important? Be glad and thankful for what one has and live life to the fullest and don't spend too much time worrying about the "stars and dots" and don't waste time giving out "dots" either !!!!

~~~~~~~~~~

If you like this story, you can subscribe to "Good Tidings" by sending a blank e-mail to "Good_Tidings-subscribe@onelist.com" or visit her site at "http://www.GAgirl.com/tidings/gtidings.html"

+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+

And a short one I found on Motivational Mailer (link already given) says it beautifully...

IMPERFECT COMPARISONS

Do you bemoan the size and shape of your various body parts? Is your hair too thick or too thin or too curly or too straight? Are you too tall or too short? Who changed the standard from 'perfect the way you were born' to 'perfect the way someone else was born' anyway? It doesn't make any kind of logical sense. If we judge our appearance by the way someone else looks, or compare it to a standard set by society, then we're not giving our Creator enough credit for knowing what He's doing.
The next time you pass a mirror, stop and have a good long look, then repeat these words, "If it's good enough for God, it's good enough for me!"
© 2000 Terri McPherson
Windsor, Ontario, Canada
Email: "tmcphers@mnsi.net"

+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+

And, I'll finish this section off with a funny one that really proves we can't know everything just by appearance. What this bird sees will change everything just by the way he judges it...

THE PARROT

David received a parrot for his birthday. The parrot was fully grown with a bad attitude and worse vocabulary. Every other word was an expletive. Those that weren't expletives, were to say the least, rude.

David tried hard to change the bird's attitude and was constantly saying polite words, playing soft music,anything he could think of to try and set a good example.

Nothing worked. He yelled at the bird and the bird yelled back. He shook the bird and the bird just got more angry and more rude.

Finally, in a moment of desperation, David put the parrot in the freezer. For a few moments he heard the bird squawk and kick and scream--then, suddenly, there was quiet. Not a sound for half a minute. David was frightened that he might have hurt the bird and quickly opened the freezer door.

The parrot calmly stepped out onto David's extended arm and said, "I believe I may have offended you with my rude language and actions. I will endeavor at once to correct my behavior. I really am truly sorry and beg your forgiveness."

David was astonished at the bird's change in attitude and was about to ask what had made such a dramatic change when the parrot continued,...
.
.
.
..."May I ask what the chicken did?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~SOMETHING TRUE~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Well, I've filtered my thoughts in here & there, so I'll just add a reminder of the 2 greatest commandments G-d ever gave. One, of course, is to love Him with all of your heart, mind, body, soul & spirit. The 2nd, which is like the first because the Spirit of both laws is the same, is to love your neighbor as yourself. So, can you love your neighbor if you don't love yourself? Truly, that would be an impossiblity. Doesn't it clarify, then, why the enemy of our souls would be always walking around making loud noise (a roaring lion) about how little we're worth so that we'll get all depressed & quit loving ourselves? 'Cause if we don't love ourselves, we can't love our brothers, and if we don't love our brothers, G-d does not love us or even know us! It's a vicious circle, but it can be broken simply by letting our Maker fill us with His love toward ourselves and others.
Think of it this way...

You can wear your name brand clothes,
From your head down to your toes,
But if you ask The One who really knows,
He'll say, "Take My armor, it really glows."

And I'll add that if you're wearing His armor, it will be the thing that shows too. (I just couldn't figure out how to get that line into the poem.) Anyway, why should we let someone who's in the same shoes as we are (humanity) tell us what we're worth?!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

And that ices the cake for this week. I have no special days to put in, or items from readers to add yet. I pray that this message would help all who read it to understand how very, very much it means to our Creator to have us accept His love & pass it on. I pray that all would receive a HUGE portion of His love & a deep touch of His Spirit into your Spirit this day & every day that follows. Be blessed by Him as you live for Him & may He have mercy on you in your times of weakness or failure. Shalom, Love, Joy & Laughter to all who read this & to Israel!

~Crystal

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~THE END OF ISSUE # 5~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

ISSUE # 6 -- FRIENDSHIP

(mistakenly sent with the title of "stuff".)

Delivered, Thursday, March 9th, 2000

Good Evening & Good Day To All;

I've had a really busy week, but I've also had some really enjoyable times as part of it. I have especially enjoyed the e-mails I've received in response to my personal invitations to join the list, and I've been real excited to watch the # of subscribers climb up. At last count I was up from our original 8 to 13 total members. I extend a happy welcome to all of our new signee-upees.

There will be some more soon when my advertising begins to payoff, but I am very grateful for EACH and every one of you who are starting from scratch with me, and will get to watch the growth. I have even gotten some other newsletters to swap ads with me, and since I was already advertising their ezines on my site, it's just a great big bonus for me. And with all that good stuff I must offer Praise to YaHVeh, which can be said by saying, "Hallelu-Yah!!!!" And now, on with the show...

For starters, let's look at Proverbs 18:24�(KJV) A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.

~~~~~~~~~~

While Yah-Shua IS a Friend that sticks closer than a brother, I don't believe that this verse is a prophecy of that, as I've heard stated many times. I like the way it is stated in The Complete Jewish Bible (*L*), and I think it comes much closer to the widsom I feel was intended by Solomon. (And there's a similarity in the way the scripture is written in the New RSV)..."Some 'friends' pretend to be friends, but a true (*my emphasis) friend sticks closer than a brother.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Now, Matthew 25:31-45...here I will offer a summary of my own paraphrase to save space.

{Verse 31} Yah-Shua comes back in clouds of glory.
{32-33} He divides people as sheep from the goats.
{34} He invites the sheep into Heaven for eternity.
{35-36} He lists the many things they did for Him.
{37-39} Confused, but grateful, the people ask when they did so much for Him.
{40} He tenderly reminds them that whatever they have done to the least of His people, they've done unto Him. (Kind of a "next of kin" thing, ya know? When anyone helps someone we love, we also feel grateful.)
...{Verse 41} He curses the goats to follow their sins & the father of their sins (the devil) to the place of torment.
{42-43} He reads a list of the things they never did for Him when needed.
{44} Confused and scared, they ask when such things happened.
{45} He now hits them with the fact that if they did not do good things to the least of His people (which we all are since we are created in His image, see James 3:9), they were just as much rejecting Him. (Whew!)

~~~~~~~~~~

And, last, Ezekiel 16:49 (KJV) Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride, fulness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters, neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy. (And you thought their iniquity was a totally different thing, didn't you? Sodom's last sins were results of these things first, just as we can see in our world today.)

Delivered, Thursday, March 16th, 2000

Okay, for starters I thought that I should mention the site where you can purchase your own Complete Jewish Bible if you want one. Just click on, or type, this address into your browser's address window. "http://www.messianicjewish.com"
Once you get there, you can click on the webstore, or click on the picture & move the arrow around to find the items you want to look at. The Bible I use it the blue one on the left. You can also find things like items with "W.W.Y.D?" (What Would Yah-Shua Do?) on them.

+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+

Next, is there something that you want to do, but need instructions, yet you don't want to have to buy a book or visit the library? Try Learn 2 at "http://www.learn2.com" and enjoy their many free tutorials. They say that March is National Craft month, so maybe you'll want to learn how to make your own candles or something.

+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+

And, last, this site was sent to me this week (thanks Karen) and has some beautiful gifs & jpgs to use, or just enjoy looking at. Go to "http://www.fci.crossnet.se/imgindex.html" and just click on the image you would like to view.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~SOMETHING BORROWED~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This next poem is absolutely staggering, and it unfortunately talks about the "goats". But, it is so worth looking at to make sure we're right in His eyes.

~~~~~~~~~~

THE COLD WITHIN

Six humans trapped by happenstance
In black and bitter cold.
Each one possessed a stick of wood,
Or so the story's told.

Their dying fire in need of logs,
The first woman held hers back
For on the faces around the fire,
She noticed one was black.

The next man looking cross the way
Saw one not of his church,
And couldn't bring himself to give
The fire his stick of birch.

The third man sat in tattered clothes;
He gave his coat a hitch.
Why should his log be put to use
To warm the idle rich?

The rich man just sat back and thought
Of the wealth he had in store.
And how to keep what he had earned
From the lazy poor.

The black man's face bespoke revenge
As the fire passed from his sight,
For all he saw in his stick of wood
Was a chance to spite the white.

And the last man of this forlorn group
Did naught except for gain.
Giving only to those who gave
Was how he played the game.

The logs held tight in death's still hands
Was proof of human sin.
They didn't die from the cold without,
They died from the cold within.

Author & Source Unknown

+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+

Now this next one reminds me of the scripture that says (ooops, I almost ruined it for ya. I'll tell at the bottom, but you'll probably already know by then.) I got this story from my sister-in-law almost a year ago & I still love it...

Dear Ruth,
I'm going to be in your neighborhood Saturday afternoon and I'd like to stop by for a visit.
Love Always,
Yah-Shua (Jesus)

Her hands were shaking as she placed the letter on the table. "Why would the L-rd want to visit me? I'm nobody special. I don't have anything to offer." With that thought, Ruth remembered her empty kitchen cabinets. "Oh my goodness, I really don't have anything to offer. I'll have to run down to the store and buy something for dinner." She reached for her purse and counted out its contents. � Five dollars and forty cents. "Well, I can get some bread and cold cuts, at least."
She threw on her coat and hurried out the door. A loaf of french bread, a half-pound of sliced turkey, and a carton of milk...leaving Ruth with grand total of twelve cents to last her until Monday. Nonetheless, she felt good as she headed home, her meager offerings tucked under her arm.
"Hey lady, can you help us, lady?" Ruth had been so absorbed in her dinner plans, she hadn't even noticed two figures huddled in the alleyway. A man and a woman, both of them dressed in little more than rags. "Look lady, I ain't got a job, ya know, and my wife and I have been living out here on the street, and, well, now it's getting cold and we're getting kinda hungry and, well, if you could help us, lady, we'd really appreciate it."
Ruth looked at them both. They were dirty, they smelled bad and, frankly, she was certain that they could get some kind of work if they really wanted to.
"Sir, I'd like to help you, but I'm a poor woman myself. All I have is a few cold cuts and some bread, and I'm having an important guest for dinner tonight and I was planning on serving that to Him."
"Yeah, well, okay lady, I understand. Thanks anyway." The man put his arm around the woman's shoulders, turned and headed back into the alley. As she watched them leave, Ruth felt a familiar twinge in her heart.
"Sir, wait!"

The couple stopped and turned as she ran down the alley after them.
"Look, why don't you take this food. I'll figure out something else to serve my guest." She handed the man her grocery bag.
"Thank you lady. Thank you very much!" "Yes, thank you!" It was the man's wife, and Ruth could see now that she was shivering.
"You know, I've got another coat at home. Here, why don't you take this one," said Ruth. Ruth unbuttoned her jacket & slipped it over the woman's shoulders. Then smiling, she turned and walked back to the street...without her coat and with nothing to serve her guest.
"Thank you, lady! Thank you very much!" Those words were all she had left. Ruth was chilled by the time she reached her front door, and worried too. The L-rd was coming to visit, and she didn't have anything to offer Him. �She fumbled through her purse for the door key. � But as she did, she noticed another envelope in her mailbox.
"That's odd. � The mailman doesn't usually come twice in one day," she mumbled to no one in particular. She took the envelope out of the box and opened it.

Dear Ruth,
It was so good to see you again. Thank you for the lovely meal. And thank you, too, for the beautiful coat.

Love Always,
Yah-Shua (Jesus)

The air was still cold, but even without her coat, Ruth no longer noticed.

Author Unknown

~~~~~~~~~~

(Hey, is it just me, or do other people cry over stuff like this too?!)

~~~~~~~~~~

BTW, that scripture is...Hebrews 13:1-2 (from The Complete Jewish Bible) it says, "Let brotherly friendship continue, but don't forget to be friendly to outsiders; for in so-doing, some people, without knowing it, have entertained angels."

+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+

And now a little something funny from my friend, Dave, at Dave's Daily Chuckle...

~~~~~~~~~~

Feeling Stressed Out?

(Please understand this is a mental exercise; we do not encourage violence!)

~~~~~~~~~~

Picture yourself near a stream. Birds are softly chirping in the crisp cool mountain air. Nothing can bother you here. No one knows this secret place. You are in total seclusion from that place called "the world." The soothing sound of a gentle waterfall fills the air with a cascade of serenity.

The water is clear... .
.
.
...You can easily make out the face of the person whose head you're holding under the water.

LOOK!!! It's the person who caused you all this stress in the first place. What a pleasant surprise. You let them up... just for a quick breath... then ploop!... back under they go...
You allow yourself as many deep breaths as you want. There now... feeling better?

~~~~~~~~~~

Do you want to join 6325 others who get good, clean, jokes like this sent to their mailbox everyday? Join this list! Send a blank e-mail to: "daily_chuckle-subscribe@egroups.com" Or visit "http://www.daily-chuckle.com" & sign up there. (You can also link directly below, or from my main page, to sign up. )

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~SOMETHING TRUE~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

And that brings me to my part. The thing that's been working on me today is the thought about all of this stuff about loving yourself & having high esteem. I may have even mentioned in another letter that we can't effectively love our neighbor as ourselves if we don't love ourselves. But, while that is true, I felt like G-d wanted me to communicate something a bit deeper than that.

See, according to the scripture about showing yourself friendly to gain friends, it's not the love of self that creates love of others, but the exact opposite of that. Sometimes we all feel like we just can't give anymore, but the fact is, giving people are happier. Even the scripture backs that one up in Acts 20:35 where it says, "...It is more blessed to give than to receive." And Our Father wants us to give so badly that He created us to feel good when we give so we would do it more. He WANTS us to act like the "sheep" in Matthew 25, because He wants to be our Shepherd. By being our Shepherd, He can bless us with all the wonderful promises like...

-- leaving the 99 and coming after us if we stray;
-- leading us in green pastures that run beside still waters;
-- keeping us from being blind followers of blind leaders; and more.

He is the door to the sheepfold & it is Him only that truly cares enough to ask us to cast ALL of our cares upon Him when we enter that door. Anyone, and anything, else is a thief & a robber who wants nothing more than to scatter & kill the sheep.

~~~~~~~~~~

Well, I have much more on this subject of friendliness & how G-d expects us to be friendly, but I'm going to save it for next week under the topic of judging the way we want to be judged. I have found other scriptures about loving others first, but if you all find scriptures, feel free to send them to me. And for this week, think peace, invision peace, plan peace, and then do your part to bring peace... the best way being to go to the Prince of Peace! (Of Course.) And, since I have nothing for special days & special ways this week, this pretty much brings us to the end.

~~~~~~~~~~

Shalom, Love, Joy & Laughter to all of you & to Israel...

~Crystal

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~THE END OF ISSUE # 6~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

ISSUE # 7 -- DUE UNTO OTHERS

Hello All,

Welcome to this week's issue of the "God's Kitchen Sink" newsletter. As of last count, we have reached 16 subscribers...DOUBLE what we started with. I'm so excited & I welcome all of my new friends!

~~~~~~~~~~

So, did I realize that I forgot to change my title last week from the draft I save "stuff" on to the the real title? No, not until it was too late. And I've even had an offer of someone to edit for me, but I don't want to keep them waiting into wee hours of the morning. But, we all know that titles are just a shell & it's what's inside that counts anyway, right?

Now, do I realize that I spelled the title this week with "due" instead of "do"? Yes, and I have a reason. But first, did you hear about the well-organized preacher who tried to label all of his files with Bible scriptures? The file containing his bills was labeled, you guessed it, "Due unto others". Of course his wife, who kept the nursery running, was also fond of labels & she labeled the door to the nursery with this scripture... "We shall not all sleep but we shall all be changed." (1 Cor 15:51)

~~~~~~~~~

Okay, I know, I'm getting too punny! Anyway, I promised last week that I would continue on the theme of friendship under the topic of judging others as we would be judged. Well, doing to others as we would have them do to us is basically the same idea, but I'm using "Due unto others" based on the 1st scripture I'm using, because our love is due unto others. And with that, we're off & running...

First, all scriptures tonight will be from the "Complete Jewish Bible", (*L*)

Proverbs 17:17 says, "A friend shows his friendship at all times--it is for adversity that [such] a brother is born." (I find this "such a brother" thing very interesting. It looks like it means that friend who sticks closer than a brother again.)

~~~~~~~~~~

And I couldn't help looking a little further down to verse 19 where I read, "Those who love quarreling love giving offense; those who make their gates tall are courting disaster." (My note...I see this making gates tall as something that keeps people, and therefore friends, outside. So, what this says to me is that people who won't ever let other people "in" are courting disasters like depression.)

~~~~~~~~~~

Next, this is a bit long so I will paraphrase a bit...

Luke 6:28-38 begins with, "Love your enemies! Do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you."

{Vs 29}...turn the other cheek;
{Vs 30}...give your coat also.
{Vs 31}..."Treat other people as you would like them to treat you."
{Verses 32-35}...What good is it if you love only those who love you, give only to those who gave to you, or lend only to those who can pay you back? Even sinners can do those things. But, love your enemies, do good, and lend expecting nothing back & your reward will be great!
{Verse 36-38}...Show compassion as The Father shows you compassion, don't judge & you won't be judged, don't comdemn & you won't be condemned, forgive & you will be forgiven & when you give, men will give more back to you than you can hold.

~~~~~~~~~

And last, in Galatians 6:10 we see, "Therefore, as the opportunity arises, let us do what is good to everyone..."

With the next holiday coming up being St. Patrick's Day on the 17th, I thought you all might like to look at the St. Pat's day card from "Action Cat" where most of the cards have cats involved in some type of action. The entire site is worth visiting since they support many programs that benefit animals, so make sure & go to their home page after viewing the card. The page I'm sending you is one from which you can send your own cards out for Friday. Just click on the highlighted address, or type it into the address section of your browser as follows, "http://www.actioncat.com/saintpatricksday.html".

+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+

Now, here's your chance to go to Mars! Well, at least your name can go. Nasa previously launched the Mars Polar Lander, on 01-03-99, with 932,816 names on board in a CD-Rom. The next launch is due in 2001 & they want millions of names. As of today, they have 1,217,655 names. This is not just for kids. Anyone can request their name be sent to Mars & you will even get an official certificate via e-mail for each name you send. Just click or type in "http://spacekids.hq.nasa.gov/2001/" and join my family on a trip to Mars. Cool Huh?!

~~~~~~~~~~

And that's it for the new stuff.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~SOMETHING BORROWED~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This comes from a wonderful daily list I receive called "Life Support". You can visit their site by going to "http://www.lifesupportsystem.com/", or click on the link on my main page.

~~~~~~~~~~

If you want to subscribe, you can send a blank e-mail to "lifesupport-subscribe@topica.com"

~~~~~~~~~~

And now his story...

ONE MINUTE CHANGED A LIFE ��

He almost killed somebody, but one minute changed his life.

This beautiful story comes from Sherman Rogers' old book, "Foremen: Leaders or Drivers?" Though we know more today about effective management and supervision, Rogers makes an excellent point about relationships.

~~~~~~~~~~

During his college years, Rogers spent a summer in an Idaho logging camp. At one point, the superintendent had to leave for a few days and put Rogers in charge.

"What if the men refuse to follow my orders?" Rogers asked. He thought of Tony, an immigrant worker who grumbled and growled all day, giving the other men a hard time.

"Fire them," the superintendent said. Then, as if reading Rogers' mind, he added, "I suppose you think you are going to fire Tony if you get the chance. I'd feel badly about that. I have been logging for 40 years. Tony is the most reliable worker I've ever had. I know he is a grouch and that he hates everybody and everything. But he comes in first and leaves last. There has not been an accident for eight years on the hill where he works."

Rogers took over the next day. He went to Tony and spoke to him. "Tony, do you know I'm in charge here today?"

Tony grunted.

"I was going to fire you the first time we tangled, but I want you to know I'm not," he told Tony, adding what the superintendent had said. When he finished, Tony dropped the shovelful of sand he had held and tears streamed down his face.

"Why he no tell me dat eight years ago?"

That day Tony worked harder than ever before -- and he smiled! He later said to Rogers, "I told Maria you first foreman in deese country who ever say, 'Good work, Tony,' and it make Maria feel like Christmas." ��

Rogers went back to school after that summer. Twelve years later he met Tony again. Tony was superintendent for railroad construction for one of the largest logging companies in the West. Rogers asked him how he came to California and happened to have such success.

Tony replied, "If it not be for the one minute you talk to me back in Idaho, I keel somebody someday. One minute, she change my whole life."

~~~~~~~~~~

Effective managers know the importance of taking a moment to point out what a worker is doing well. But what a difference a minute of affirmation can make in ANY relationship!

~~~~~~~~~~

One minute. Have you got one minute to thank someone? One minute to tell someone what you sincerely LIKE about her or what you appreciate about him? One minute to point out something that was done well and elaborate on it?

...One minute. It can make a difference for a lifetime.

By Steve Goodier

+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+

The same letter, Life Support, publishes some reader's responses at the end of most issues. One day I found the following and have been blessed by it.

~~~~~~~~~~

You hold a block of metal in your hand. It's solid, yet within the metal there are molecules or atoms, all moving by laws of their own. Press a block of pure gold against a block of silver. When you separate them they seem unchanged, but a good physical chemist will show you that where they have been in contact, invisible flecks of gold have wandered across the barrier of structure and buried themselves in the silver. And the atoms of silver, somehow, in the structure of the gold.
��

I think that when people are pressed close they act the same way. Part of you enters them, part of them enters you. Long after you forget the names and faces, they are still a part of you. Sometimes it is frightening to think that every person you have ever hated, feared, or run away from is part of you. But so is every person you have ever learned from, every friend you ever had."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

My note...

Whether we're the silver, the gold, or something else, it's important to realize the impact we have on others. The Bible states that evil communications corrupt good manners, but where 2 or 3 are gathered in The L-rd's name, He will be in the midst of them...meaning that His will be the particles penetrating & affecting us. What a wonderful reason to gather in fellowship & worship of The L-rd with others who desire His presence.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~SOMETHING TRUE~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Wow, this is just such a great topic I could go on, and on, and on, and on, and (you get the idea.) I will suggest that, if you've never heard it, you find some place to hear the old Don Francisco "Steeple Song". If nothing else, go to his site & read the lyrics. In the chorus, he asks questions like "Do you make the poor man beg you for a bone?" "Do the widow and the orphan cry alone?"
(Archive note: I found a site where you can read the complete lyrics. Just go to "http://www.surfshop.net/users/dmelius/html/song_lyrics2.html" and scroll to the 4th song down.

~~~~~~~~~~

Anyway, on my own list of "Due unto others" I must start with the debt I owe my Creator because "He first loved me." He showed by example how to do all of the things he asks us to do, because He is Just & Merciful. I want to share a quick bit of testimony that truly shows His love toward us, even when we are not showing it back to Him.

~~~~~~~~~~

Back about 10-12 years ago, I had been enduring a very long battle with a "thorn in the flesh" sort of a situation. I asked G-d to take away any & all people who were trying to hurt me on purpose & not allow them back into my life. Well, He doesn't change people's free will, and He taught me that I must be the one to decide who & what I let into my life. Anyway, one of those thorns snuck back in & hurt me worse than ever. I was so angry that I was even angry with G-d. Before I went to bed I said a VERY quick little prayer, something to the effect of "G-d, I'm mad at You right now, even though I know I should not be, and I just can't pray right now. If you are listening to me though, please lay my burden on someone else's heart that can touch Your throne for me. Amen." And off I went to bed.

The next day I got up & did the usual work routine, but I was still numb & pretty depressed over the recent hurt. I watched the clock all day 'cause I just wanted to go home & go back to bed. I was watching the clock closely at around 3pm 'cause I was waiting for my break time. Suddenly, a wonderful feeling of peace swept over me, and I wondered to myself if someone could've been praying for me, but then I dismissed the thought.

So, I got home around 5:30pm & found my mom, who was also my roommate, on the phone with a lady who was new to our church congregation that month. My mom, and this lady - Peggy - were both crying. When I took the phone, Peggy said something very close to, "Crystal, I don't know what you've been going through, but I want you to know that I woke up this morning with a burden on my heart for you and have been praying for you all day. Around 3 o'clock this afternoon, I touched the throne of G-d for you and He said to tell you not to worry because He will not come out with egg on His face. He will take care of everything."

Now I was crying right along with her. What I find so loving, and so amazing, are all of the words that I said in that short prayer making it into her conversation with me. Like, I asked G-d to "lay my burden on someone else's heart" and that's what she said she woke up with. And then I asked Him to let it be someone that could "touch His throne for me", and she said those exact words. Finally, the fact that I was clock-watching, & that He chose to use that exact time to invite her into the throne room, was so I would have even further proof that it wasn't just coincidence. What a loving gesture.

He knew me before I was made, He loved me then & has always loved me first, even when I've been angry and rejecting of Him. He is just too good to describe in any words. I Love Him so much!!!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

No Special Days sent so far...
did you all forget your birthdays? (lol)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~SPECIAL WAYS~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

And this is by one of our subscribers, Nancy G. about her daughter & my VERY good friend, Kim. (Actually they're both good friends & I hate being so far away from them - 2000 miles - but I'm really thankful for e-mail.) Enjoy the story!

~~~~~~~~~

ALL THE COOL PEOPLE

This is a true story that happened last December.
...My daughter, Kim, works at Jack-in-the-Box. They have a policy of asking the customer's name when taking an order so as to personalize the "call" to pick up your order and to familiarize themselves with their regular customers.
At Christmas time, a man came in to eat dressed in a Santa suit. Kim didn't feel the need to ask his name, she just wrote "Santa Claus" on his ticket and sent it to the back to be filled.
When the order came up, the high school employee that brought the order to the front said, "Kim, you are kidding about this, right?" Kim said, "Nope, look - there he is."

A few days later, a Mexican came in to eat. When asked his name, he phonetically said, "Hey-sous". Well, being an extremely literate person, Kim put the correct name on the ticket and sent it to the back. When the order came up, the same high school girl was there. She brought the order to Kim and said, "O.K., I accepted it when Santa Claus came in, but now you're trying to tell me that 'HE' is here!"

"Sure", replied Kim, "All the cool people know where to eat!"

~~~~~~~~~~

And, for those of you who are not familiar with it, Jack-In-The-Box is a fast food burger place. I wish we'd get one here in Kentucky.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

And that about wraps it up for this issue. Tune in again next week for a lesson on how to write Haiku poetry & a chance to have some of your poems submitted here. Have a great week & try not to get pinched on Friday.

~~~~~~~~~~

Shalom, Love, Joy & Laughter to all of you, to all who read this, and to Israel.

Love, In Him,

~Crystal

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~THE END OF ISSUE # 7~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

SPECIAL ISSUE -- PURIM

Delivered, Monday, March 20th, 2000

(for Purim Holiday on Monday & Tuesday,

March 20th & 21st, 2000.)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~THE END OF PURIM ISSUE~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

What is Purim?

Hello Everyone,

This is Crystal bringing you a real quick special edition newsletter concerning the upcoming Feast of Purim on March 20th & 21st. Your first task in this fast is to read the entire book of Esther to get the whole story. It is easier to read in a more modern-type version, like NKJV or NIV, that reads more in story form.

Next, I want to invite those of you who are near by to attend the 2 Purim services at Temple Beth Shalom on Monday at 7:30pm, and Tuesday at 7:30pm. The Monday service will be basically the reading of the Megillah (the book of Esther), but the Tuesday service ends with a feast of sweets. Hopefully someone will be bringing the traditional dessert called "Hamantashen" which is the same as a turnover, but usually filled with poppy seed jam. The word means "Haman's Hat" or "Haman's Ear". I found the recipe at a number of online sites about Purim.

Now, in brief, I'd like to share the story of Esther. When reading through the book, I kept thinking about the scriptures that "Pride goes before destruction" and that "All things work together for good."

Basically, King Achashverosh needed a queen to replace the recently dethroned Vashti who had disobeyed him. Esther, whose parents had died & was being raised by her uncle, Mordechai, was selected because of her beauty, but did not tell the king that she was Jewish per instruction by her uncle. Once she was queen, her uncle hung around the king's gate to watch his niece. One time, he heard a plot to kill the king & advised his niece who told the king & gave her uncle the credit. (And good things often come out of giving someone else the credit...you'll see.) It was proven true & the king recorded the events in a diary.

So now, this guy Haman gets a high job with the king. Everyone bows to him as he passes. Everyone, that is, except Mordechai. Haman's pride is so offended that he decides that everyone of Mordechai's people, the Jews, should be killed. He & his soldier friends gambled and cast "pur" or "lots" to determine the day they should attack & it landed on a date nearly a year later. He tricked the king into supporting the decree & sent letters to all of the king's cities to know it. Mordechai let Esther know & asked her to tell the king, but she was afraid that if she went to him uninvited, she might be killed. Mordechai lets her know that G-d can save his people another way, but that maybe she was in her position of royalty for just this purpose. She plans a fast & asks for others to fast with her to help her get over her fear. It worked.

Meanwhile, on a particular sleepless night, the king decides to read the diaries & realizes that Mordechai was never rewarded for saving his life. He calls Haman to get suggestions for rewards, but doesn't say who they're for. Haman is so stuck on himself that he thinks the rewards are for him, so he suggests all types of great fanfare. Then Mr. Prideful has to do all of this stuff for Mordechai, the guy he hates. He builds a gallows to hang Mordechai for revenge.

Now, Esther gets the king's attention & gets his favor, and then invites him & Haman to a banquet which they attend. At that banquet she invites them to another. It is at this 2nd feast that she asks the king for the favor of saving her & her people, and points out Haman as the enemy behind the evil plans. The king storms out & returns just in time to find Haman ready to rape his queen. Haman is hanged on his own gallows, Esther is given Haman's house, and Mordechai is exalted in the king's palace. Many people became Jews (Esther 8:17) as a result of everything. The end result is a war between the Jews & those who were still on Haman's side, but because of the many who became Jews, and the many more who sided with them, the Jews won.

It is this victory that is celebrated on Purim. The reading of the story allows people to cheer when they hear the names of Esther & Mordechai, but to boo when they hear the name of Haman. The feast, of course, celebrates the victory & the sweets after the fast also for sweet victory. What a great story of deliverance! My favorite part is Haman having to exalt Mordechai, because I get really irritated with people like Haman & it's always nice to see them cut down to size. I was also touched, though, by the fact that Esther feared because normal circumstances would mean death if she went to the king having not been called to him by name, but that she was willing to do whatever it took to get over the fear after hearing Mordechai's warning. She was accepted by the king, just as we are accepted by our King. Throughout the story, I can see a lesson on how to witness by being nice, serving, loving, and giving, rather than demanding that people would see it our way. I see that we can increase those who follow our L-rd by caring for them, yet standing our ground to NOT serve any of their false gods. I guess this is a good example of a soft answer breaking the bone.

Well, that's it! I cried through much of reading the story because I can see G-d's excellent mercy & grace, and I pray that all who read this will be able to see it as well. I wish you all the blessings & victories of Purim. If you have any questions, or if you would like directions to Temple Beth Shalom, please e-mail me right away.

Thanks & I hope you've enjoyed this,
~Crystal

Delivered, Thursday, March 23rd, 2000

ISSUE # 8 -- G-d's Gifts

+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+
Hello Friends,

Yes, I am running a bit late. I'm writing this on Thursday morning instead of Wednesday evening, because I was extremely tired last night & did not want to sacrifice anointing just to get the issue out. I owe G-d and you all the very best I have to offer.

I do hope that you all are enjoying the days of some warmer weather, and beautiful blossoms on the trees. Like my friend, Nancy, I truly enjoy the dogwood trees around here. I love the ones where the owners somehow planted two different color ones so closely to each other that their trunks & branches intermingle and form a half-pink and half-white tree. That set up next to whatever trees we have here with the purple blossoms is just indescribably beautiful.

Okay, so since I am in a clearer state of mind today, I am going to try something a bit different. I am going to try to add a table of contents that you can click on if you want to go to just one particular section, which is helpful if you want to cut & paste a certain section, or just to read it again later without having to scroll through everything. (NOTE: This is the system I'm using to help you get from one newsletter to the next in the archives, so it will not be used to get to different SECTIONS of each issue, except in the eGroups archives where you can view each one individually.) "Have HTML book; will learn new stuff", ya know what I mean? I do hope it works without you all having to see all the little html codes. If you get a bunch of codes, PLEASE let me know. So, with that we're off...

Again, all of the scriptures for this week's references will be taken from "The Complete Jewish Bible" (*L*)

~~~~~~~~~~

First, from James 1:17, "Every good act of giving and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from The Father who made the heavenly lights; with Him there is neither variation nor darkness caused by turning."

~~~~~~~~~~

Next, from Acts 17:24-28, "The G-d who made the universe and everything in it, and who is L-rd of heaven and earth, does not live in man-made temples; nor is He served by human hands, as if He lacked something; since it is He, Himself, who gives life and breath and everything to everyone. He is not far from each one of us, for in Him we live and move and exist." (My emphasis added.)

~~~~~~~~~~

And last, because of the above scriptures, we can understand Jeremiah 9:23-24, "Here is what ADONAI says:

'The wise man should not boast of his wisdom, the powerful should not boast of his power, the wealthy should not boast of his wealth; instead, let the boaster boast about this: that he understands and knows Me--that I AM ADONAI, practicing grace, justice and righteousness in the land; for in these things I take pleasure,'

says ADONAI."

Okay, as for new sites, I think I've found some entertaining ones that you all will enjoy this week. I've got one for readers, one for video watchers, and one for Bible searchers. To start, though, I'd like to share this sweet little page called "April Showers" at "http://login.internettrash.com/users/pandora79/APRIL_SHOWERS.html"...ENJOY!

+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+

Now, for all of you readers out there, I've found a wonderful site with the full text of over 200 literary classics, including 84 of Aesop's Fables. Just visit "http://www.information-resources.com/Library/library.html" and print them out, or just enjoy them online.

+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+

And, for those of you who are tired of what the world has to offer us in film format, you should be pleased to find a company like "Feature Films For Families". They have many of their own creations, like "The Buttercream Gang", and then they have re-makes of some popular movies that had good content but needed some editing for language like "Space Camp". My kids and I have enjoyed everything they have sent us so far. And, yes, they do have cartoons like "Scamper The Penguin" for some of the little ones. Visit their site to view their entire catalog and to find out about some of their new releases that are in theatres. I am making plans to see "Who Gets The House" because I love the concept of kids who stand up to their divorcing parents & make THEM exchange weekends staying in the house with the kids, instead of the kids having to do the moving around. Anyway, their site address is "http://www.familytv.com/".

+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+

Last, for you Bible searches; this site has search & study tools plus many, many Bible-type resources and links. It is hosted by "Gospel Communications International - The 21st Century Gospel Films Company" and can be visited at "http://www.gospelcom.net/gci/index.shtml" .

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~SOMETHING BORROWED~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

This week's first story is borrowed from my "Good Tidings" newsletter. I will put her subscription information at the end of the story. (In archive, it's in the links.)

A Little Girl's Prayer...� (As told by Helen Roseveare, a doctor missionary from England to Zaire, Africa)

One night I had worked hard to help a mother in the labor ward; but in spite of all we could do she died, leaving us with a tiny premature baby and a crying two-year-old daughter. We would have difficulty keeping the baby alive, as we had no incubator (we had no electricity to run an incubator) and no special feeding facilities. Although we lived on the equator, nights were often chilly with treacherous drafts. One student midwife went for the box we had for such babies and the cotton wool the baby would be wrapped in. Another went to stoke up the fire and fill a hot water bottle. She came back shortly in distress to tell me that in filling the bottle, it had burst. Rubber perishes easily in tropical climates. "And it is our last hot water bottle!"� she exclaimed.

As in the West it is no good crying over spilled milk, so in Central Africa it might be considered no good crying over burst water bottles. They do not grow on trees, and there are no drugstores down forest pathways. "All right," I said, "Put the baby as near the fire as you safely can; sleep between the baby and the door to keep it free from drafts. Your job is to keep the baby warm."

The following noon, as I did most days, I went to have prayers with any of the orphanage children who chose to gather with me. I gave the youngsters various suggestions of things to pray about and told them about the tiny baby. I explained our problem about keeping the baby warm enough, mentioning the hot water bottle. The baby could so easily die if it got chills. I also told them of the two-year-old sister, crying because her mother had died. During the prayer time, one ten-year-old girl, Ruth, prayed with the usual blunt conciseness of our African children. "Please, God," she prayed, "send us a water bottle. It'll be no good tomorrow, God, as the baby'll be dead, so please send it this afternoon." While I gasped inwardly at the audacity of the prayer, she added by way of corollary, "And while You are about it, would You please send a dolly for the little girl so she'll know You really love her?" As often with children's prayers, I was put on the spot. Could I honestly say, "Amen"? I just did not believe that God could do this. Oh, yes, I know that He can do everything. The Bible says so. But there are limits, aren't there? The only way God could answer this particular prayer would be by sending me a parcel from the homeland. I had been in Africa for almost four years at that time, and I had never, ever received a parcel from home. Anyway, if anyone did send me a parcel, who would put in a hot water bottle? I lived on the equator!

Halfway through the afternoon, while I was teaching in the nurses' training school, a message was sent that there was a car at my front door. By the time I reached home, the car had gone, but there, on the verandah, was a large twenty-two pound parcel! I felt tears pricking my eyes. I could not open the parcel alone, so I sent for the orphanage children. Together we pulled off the string, carefully undoing each knot. We folded the paper, taking care not to tear it unduly. Excitement was mounting. Some thirty or forty pairs of eyes were focused on the large cardboard box.

From the top, I lifted out brightly colored, knitted jerseys. Eyes sparkled as I gave them out. Then there were the knitted bandages for the leprosy patients, and the children looked a little bored. Then came a box of mixed raisins and sultanas -- that would make a nice batch of buns for the weekend. Then, as I put my hand in again, I felt the .� .� .� could it really be? I grasped it and pulled it out -- yes! A brand-new, rubber hot water bottle! I cried. I had not asked God to send it; I had not truly believed that He could.

Ruth was in the front row of the children. She rushed forward, crying out, "If God has sent the bottle, He must have sent the dolly, too!" Rummaging down to the bottom of the box, she pulled out the small, beautifully dressed dolly. Her eyes shone! She had never doubted! Looking up at me, she asked, "Can I go over with you, Mummy, and give this dolly to that little girl, so she'll know that Jesus really loves her?"

That parcel had been on the way for five whole months! Packed up by my former Sunday school class, whose leader had heard and obeyed God's prompting to send a hot water bottle, even to the equator. And one of the girls had put in a dolly for an African child -- five months before -- in answer to the believing prayer of a ten-year-old to bring it "that afternoon."

"Before they call, I will answer!" Isaiah 65:24

*Helen Roseveare, a doctor missionary from England to Zaire, Africa, told this as it happened to her in Africa. From "Praise Broadcasting Network" at "http://www.pbnradio.com" To Subscribe to "The Story of Encouragement", send a blank e-mail to: "PBN-on@mail-list.com".

+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+

This next story is also a missionary story. I do not recall where I originally got it from since I have received it from a few sources. I hope you all enjoy it as well.

HURRICANE MITCH

The following is copied from the July, 1999 Newsletter of Agape Harvest Church Ministries, Blue Springs, MO pastored by Dr. Daniel E. Bohler.

This month we want to share with you about a Miracle Provision from the Lord. It happened with Tom and Wanda Shaw, Founders and Directors of Tree of Life Ministries, including a home and school for underprivileged children in Honduras, Central America:

"We, His servants, occasionally have the privilege of being where He is moving in a big way. Such was the case when our ministry team went to feed the refugees who were flooded out of their homes as a result of Hurricane Mitch. The storm had stolen the lives of 6,000 people in Honduras. Thousands more were left homeless. We learned from the authorities that 3,500 people were being sheltered at Camp Agas, the refugees flood center in San Pedro Sula. My wife and I were shocked to hear that many of those people had not eaten for three days! Our school was not damaged by the hurricane and God had blessed our crops and ministry so that we had ample food with which to feed our students. However, when Mitch hit, schools all over the nation were abruptly forced to close. Our school was no exception. Thankfully, we were in a position to help those destitute people, now stranded on what had been the San Pedro Sula fairgrounds.

When we arrived there, we turned over several hundred five pound bags of corn, rice, and beans to the authorities. We knew it could take quite a while...even days... before the officials could organize the cooking and distributing of that dry food. The situation was so grim, that we also brought in three 20 gallon tubs of cooked food for immediate distribution to these starving victims. While we knew it was impossible for us to feed all the refugees, we were hoping to at least be able to feed the children.

The pastor who took us in warned me that our reception could be crude. It seemed the government was moving too slowly and desperation was overwhelming the hungry families. One of the camp's main officials had come to assess the situation just one day earlier. In anger and frustration, the people threw garbage and shoes at him and drove him off. I knew my team would have to face several challenges, the first one being that we only had enough food for the children. When 1,000 children lined up, I became panicky. Beside the line of children was another long line of elderly people. Mothers with babies were in still another line.

We had only two tubs of cooked rice and milk mixture and one tub of cooked beans. It appeared we were facing devastation! The first half of the children who passed through the line quickly consumed the two tubs of rice and milk. We had just one tub left. It contained the beans, which were to be accompanied with a tortilla. We brought the rest of the children on through the line, but I began to feel anxious sorrow. I could see we were not going to have enough food to make it to the end of the line. There was no way for that tub of beans to stretch to feed all those children! Despair overwhelmed me as I stood looking at the line trying to judge how quickly the food would run out. It was an impossible situation! To make matters worse, some of the children would try to slip back into the line for another helping. The scenario was growing increasingly chaotic and the line difficult to control.

I could not bear to observe this hunger inspired chaos any longer! As I walked outside the building, I cried out to the Lord in my heart. Then, for 15 or 20 minutes, I just stood there watching the line of people pass into the building. When I went back inside, I expected the tub to be nearly empty. That meant I would have to cut the line off and turn the rest of them away, still hungry. Yet, when I looked, there was more food in that tub than there was when I left! The supply of beans did not seem to be diminishing. The servers just kept on scooping up beans and handing them to the hungry children. My daughter, Brenda, was one of the servers. She remarked later, 'Dad, it seemed strange that there was no change in the amount of food left in the tub. It just stayed at the same level, no matter how many people we fed!'

Soon, I realized that all the children had been fed, and still the tub of beans remained full! We were able to serve the entire line of adults and everyone else we could beckon to come and eat! A 'MIRACLE OF PROVISION" was happening right before our eyes. It was just like the miracle Jesus did when He made two little fish and five small barley loaves stretch to feed five thousand men, plus women and children! We do not really know how many we fed. One thing is certain...everyone was fed who wanted to eat! Afterwards, we knew there was one more very important thing we had to do. So, after we fed everyone, we gathered the people into the bullring. It was sad to watch as whole families tried to assemble themselves on their little cots so they could sit and hear us. Then, we boldly proclaimed the Gospel of Jesus Christ and made sure they knew that God was not the author of their pain and that He cared about them. We made certain they understood that what we had done for them was just a small expression of what God would like to do for them. We were able to give them the most valuable food of all!" TO GOD BE ALL THE GLORY!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~SOMETHING TRUE~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Well, that brings us down to me I guess. My thoughts about G-d being our provider of all things were really drawn this week from someone who was telling me that G-d did not, necessarily, give me inspirations or thoughts on a regular basis, but more likely gave me a gift of intelligence from which I get my answers now. He, (one of my kid's therapists,) told me that it was important to acknowledge the talents within myself to keep a higher self-esteem.

While in some ways I could agree with him, my mind was instantly thinking on the scripture I used above about wise men not boasting. I also thought about the timing in which I receive many of my inspirations. I have shared something with someone before, with neither of us knowing the future (of course) and had it turn out to be the exact thing they needed. I don't call that intelligence...at least not my own anyway.

See, I may take Ginkgo Biloba, but I still thank YaHVeH The Creator for the ability to even think to take it, and - of course - for the provision of the herb, the people who researched to find out that it works, and all of the resources out there that were used for the manufacturing, packaging, distributing, selling, etc., of the product. If we think about all that is involved in some of our simplist tasks, they won't seem so simple anymore. I remember Max Lucado telling readers in one of his books to not forget to thank G-d for their spleens.

So, today I thank Him for my spleen, whatever it really is, and for EVERYTHING else too! He really is worthy of all of our praise, even for ultra-long e-mail newsletters with authors that just can't quit, (ha ha). But, I am going to quit now accept to add this thought about gifts...since Methuselah lived to be 969 years old, can you imagine all those birthday gifts? Where's THAT yard sale being held?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~SPECIAL DAYS~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I'm still not getting people sending me their special days, except that Nancy reminded me AFTER last week's letter that she was a St. Patty's Day baby. So, though I sent her an e-card, I wanted to also say it in the letter, "HAPPY BIRTHDAY (now belated), NANCY!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~SPECIAL WAYS~~~~~~~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I'd still like to get some more original stuff to put into this space. I have one more from Nancy to use, so that gives you all about 2 weeks to send me new stuff. And, I have the perfect opportunity for you:
Remember last week when I promised you a page about learning to write Haiku? Well, I have the page done, so you can all try your hand at writing some. I will post as much as I can fit on here, along with your name in print as the author. The only better thing I could do would be to send you money, and I don't have any left-overs of that at this moment. I may consider an actual contest later when I can come up with an appropriate prize & a few more judges than just myself. So, go visit my page, learn to write it now, and that way you'll get in some practice time. The address for the Haiku lesson is "https://www.angelfire.com/ky/shorterstuff1/haiku.html" .

Have Fun! And that's it.

~~~~~~~~~~

Shalom, Love, Joy & Laughter to all of you, to all who read this, and to Israel.

Love, In Him,

~Crystal

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~THE END OF ISSUE # 8~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

ISSUE # 9 -- BURIED TREASURE

Delivered, Thursday, March 30th, 2000

Hello Everyone! Yes, it's late again because I allowed myself to get distracted 'cause I HAD plenty of time...but suddenly, it was all gone! Never-the-less, I am really excited because I'm seeing growth in the list, now up to 21 subscribers, and I'm seeing some names I don't recognize, (which are - as Will Rogers would've said - not strangers, just friends I haven't met yet.) All of you please know that you can write to me anytime to tell me what you think about the newsletter, or just to say "Hi" or "Hello". I'd love to hear from those new to the list that I don't know yet.

Anyway, I think you'll enjoy this letter on digging for treasure. And this treasure, the value of G-d's greatest creation (mankind), is a treasure worth finding in others AND in yourself. I pray that everyone who reads this will be inspired to look inside ALL humans for each wonderful treasure The Creator has given us. So, let's start digging...