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DO YOU SMELL THAT?At the end of this story, it gives you two options.I think you will figure out what option I chose.A cold March wind danced around the dead of night in Dallas asthe doctorwalked into the small hospital room of Diana Blessing. She wasstill groggyfrom surgery.Her husband, David, held her hand as they braced themselves forthe latestnews.That afternoon of March 10, 1991, complications had forcedDiana, only 24-weekspregnant, to undergo an emergency Cesarean to deliver couple'snew daughter,Dana Lu Blessing.At 12 inches long and weighing only one pound nine ounces, theyalready knewshe was perilously premature.Still, the doctor's soft words dropped like bombs."I don't think she's going to make it," he said, as kindly ashe could. "There's only a 10-percent chance she will livethrough the night, and eventhen, if by some slim chance she does make it, her future couldbe a very cruelone."Numb with disbelief, David and Diana listened as the doctordescribed thedevastating problems Dana would likely face if she survived.She would never walk, she would never talk, she would probablybe blind,andshe would certainly be prone to other catastrophic conditionsfrom cerebralpalsy to complete mental retardation, and on and on."No! No!" was all Diana could say.She and David, with their 5-year-old son Dustin, had longdreamed of the daythey would have a daughter to become a family of four. Now,within a matter ofhours, that dream was slipping away.But as those first days passed, a new agony set in for David andDiana.Because Dana's underdeveloped nervous system was essentially'raw', thelightest kiss or caress only intensified her discomfort, so theycouldn'teven cradle their tiny baby girl against their chests to offerthe strength oftheir love. All they could do, as Dana struggled alone beneaththe ultravioletlight in the tangle of tubes and wires, was to pray that Godwould stay closeto their precious little girl.There was never a moment when Dana suddenly grew stronger.But as the weeks went by, she did slowly gain an ounce ofweight here and anounce of strength there.At last, when Dana turned two months old, her parents were ableto hold herin their arms for the very first time. And two months later,though doctorscontinued to gently but grimly warn that her chances ofsurviving, much lessliving any kind of normal life, were next to zero, Dana went homefrom thehospital, just as her mother had predicted.Five years later, when Dana was a petite but feisty young girlwith glittering gray eyes and an unquenchable zest for life.She showed no signswhatsoever of any mental or physical impairment. Simply, she waseverything alittle girl can be and more. But that happy ending is far fromthe end of herstory.One blistering afternoon in the summer of 1996 near her home inIrving,Texas, Dana was sitting in her mother's lap in the bleachers ofa local ballpark where her brother Dustin's baseball team was practicing.As always, Dana was chattering nonstop with her mother andseveral otheradults sitting nearby when she suddenly fell silent . Huggingher arms acrossher chest, little Dana asked, "Do you smell that?"Smelling the air and detecting the approach of a thunderstorm,Diana replied,"Yes, it smells like rain."Dana closed her eyes and again asked, "Do you smell that?"Once again, her mother replied, "Yes, I think we're about to getwet. Itsmells like rain."Still caught in the moment, Dana shook her head, patted her thinshoulderswith her small hands and loudly announced, "No, it smells likeHim.It smells like God when you lay your head on His chest."Tears blurred Diana's eyes as Dana happily hopped down to playwith the otherchildren.Before the rains came, her daughter's words confirmed whatDiana and all themembers of the extended Blessing family had known, at least intheir hearts,all along.During those long days and nights of her first two months ofher life, whenher nerves were too sensitive for them to touch her, God washolding Dana onHis chest and it is His loving scent that she remembers so well.You now have 1 of 2 choices. You can either pass this on andlet other peoplecatch the chills like you did or you can delete this and actlike it didn'ttouch your heart like it did mine.IT'S YOUR CALL!"I can do all things in Him who strengthens me."This morning when the Lord opened a window to Heaven, He sawme, and Heasked: "My child, what is your greatest wish for today?" Iresponded:"Lord please, take care of the person who is reading thismessage, theirfamily and their special friends. They deserve it and I lovethem very much"The love of God is like the ocean, you can see its beginning,but not its end.ANGELS EXIST but some times, since they don't all have wings,we call themFRIENDS.

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FROM SOME ONE AT CHURCH

Hi keep my nepfew in your prayers,im just getting home from the hospital,surgery went good,he had head,lung,liver,kidney,spline energy,now hes being kelpt paralized to help him heal,,,& there runing mri to check his head & spine damage,,,thank you ,,,ttyl,,,God bless us all...«´¨`·.Diamond.·´¨`»: thanks,,,hes still not in the clear,,,I appericate the prayers,,,it was his 25th birthday«´¨`·.Diamond.·´¨`»: thanks ever so much
Nick was turning to cross thr R/R tracks & a car was speeding around the corner,caving the car in on him,they had to cut him out & after the got him to the nearest hospital they flu him to UK hospital in Lexington.
Mri was ran to check his head & spine after the surgery,well know more later,ill keep in touch.
" God Bless You & Yours" take care & have a great day,I appericate your prayers...
I love you family & friends

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A Sunday school teacher asked her class, "What was Jesus' mother's name?" One child answered, "Mary." The teacher then asked, "Who knows what Jesus' father's name was?" A little kid said, "Verge." Confused, the teacher asked, "Where did you get that?" The kid said, "Well, you know, they are always talking about Verge n' Mary.'' *********** KIDS IN CHURCH 3-year-old Reese: "Our Father, Who does art in heaven, Harold is His name. Amen." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A little boy was overheard praying: "Lord, if you can't make me a better boy, don't worry about it. I'm having a real good time like I am." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ After the christening of his baby brother in church, J! ason sob bed all the way home in the back seat of the car. His father asked him three times what was wrong. Finally, the boy replied, "That preacher said he wanted us brought up in a Christian home, and I wanted to stay with you guys." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I had been teaching my three-year old daughter, Caitlin, the Lord's Prayer for several evenings at bedtime. She would repeat after me the lines from the prayer. Finally, she decided to go solo. I listened with pride as she carefully enunciated each word, right up to the end of the prayer: "Lead us not into temptation," she prayed, "but deliver us from E-mail. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ One particular four-year-old prayed, "And forgive us our trash baskets as we forgive those who put trash in our baskets." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A Sunday school teacher asked her children as they were on the way to church service, "And why is it necessary to be quiet in church?" One bright little girl replied, "Because people are sleeping." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Six-year-old Angie and her four-year-old brother, Joel, were sitting together in church. Joel giggled, sang, and talked out loud. Finally, his big sister had had enough. "You're not supposed to talk out loud in church." "Why? Who's going to stop me?" Joel asked. Angie pointed to the back of the church and said, "See those two men standing by the door? They're hushers." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A mother was preparing pancakes for her sons, Kevin 5, and Ryan 3. The boys began to argue over who would get the first pancake. Their mother saw the opportunity for a moral lesson. "If Jesus were sitting here, He would say, 'Let my brother have the first pancake, I can wait.' Kevin turned to his younger brother and said, "Ryan, you be Jesus!" ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A father w! as at th e beach with his children when the four-year-old son ran up to him, grabbed his hand, and led him to the shore where a seagull lay dead in the sand. "Daddy, what happened to him?" the son asked. "He died and went to Heaven," the Dad replied. The boy thought a moment and then said, "Did God throw him back down?" ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ A wife invited some people to dinner. At the table, she turned to their six-year-old daughter and said, "Would you like to say the blessing?" "I wouldn't know what to say," the girl replied. "Just say what you hear Mommy say," the wife answered. The daughter bowed her head and said, "Lord, why on earth did I invite all these people to dinner?"

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I don't really believe in the "miracle" part but the prayer is>worthwhile. Peace & Joy>>>> PRAY THIS EVEN IF YOU DON'T FEEL LIKE IT!! IT WILL ONLY TAKE A>MINUTE.>> You never know when God is going to bless you!! Good things>happen when you least expect them to !!!!!!!!> Change the number in the subject box when you forward it by>adding one!!!>> Dear Lord, I thank You for this day. I thank You for my being>able to see and to hear this morning. I'm blessed because You are a>forgiving God and an understanding God. You have done so much for me and>You keep on blessing me. Forgive me this day for everything I have done,>said or thought that was not pleasing to you.>> I ask now for Your forgiveness. Please keep me safe from all>danger and harm. Help me to start this day with a new attitude and plenty>of gratitude. Let me make the best of each and every day to clear my mind>so that I can hear from You. Please broaden my mind that I can accept all> things. Let me not whine and whimper over things I have no control over.> And It's the best response when I'm pushed beyond my limits.>> I know that when I can't pray, You listen to my heart.>Continue to use me to do Your will. Continue to bless me that I may be a>blessing to others. Keep me strong that I may help the weak... Keep me>uplifted that I may have words of encouragement for others. I pray for>those that are lost and can't find their way. I pray for those that are>misjudged and misunderstood. I pray for those who don't know You>intimately. I pray for those that will delete this without sharing it>with others. I pray for those that don't believe.>> But I thank you that I believe. I believe that God changes>people and God changes things. I pray for all my sisters and brothers. For>each and every family member in their households. I pray for peace, love>and joy in their homes that they are out of debt and all their needs are>met. I pray that every eye that reads this knows there is no problem,>circumstance, or situation greater than God. Every battle is in Your hands>for You to fight.> I pray that these words be received into the hearts of every eye>that sees> it.>> If you prayed this prayer, change the number in the subject>box before forwarding the message so people can See how many people have>done so. God Bless!!!!!!!!!!! Just repeat this phrase and see how God>moves!!>> God,> I love you and I need you, come into my heart, please.>>> Pass this message to 8 people except you and me. You will receive>a miracle tomorrow. Don't ignore and God will bless you.>> Know that you are already blessed by the person who sent this>to you

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The Whipping There was a school with a class of students that no teacher had been able to handle. Two or three teachers had been run off fromthis school in one year by the unruly students. A young man, just out of college, heard about the class and applied tothe school. The principal asked the young man, "Do you know what you are asking for? No one else has been able to handle these students. You arejust asking for a terrible beating." After a few moments of silent prayer, the young man looked at the Principal and said, "Sir, with your consent I accept the challenge. Just give me a trial basis." The next morning the young man stood before the class. He said to the class, "Young people, I came here today to conduct school. ButI realize I can't do it by myself. I must have your help." One big boy, they called Big Tom, in the back of the room whispered tohis buddies, "I won't need any help. I can lick that little bird all bymyself." The young teacher told the class th at if they were to haveschool, There would have to be some rules to go by. But he also added thathe would allow the students to make up the rules and that he wouldlist them on the blackboard. This was certainly different, the students thought! One young man suggested "NO STEALING." Another one shouted "BE ON TIME FOR CLASS." Pretty soon they had 10 rules listed on the board. The teacher then asked the class what the punishment should be for breaking these rules? "The rules are no good unless theyare enforced", he said. Someone in the class suggested that if the rules were broken,they should receive 10 licks with a rod across their back with theircoat off. The teacher thought that this was pretty harsh, so he asked theclass if they would stand by this punishment? The class agreed. Everything went along pretty good for two or three days. Then Big Tom came in one day very upset. He declared that someone had Stolen his lunch. After talking with the students, they came to the conclusion thatlittle Timmy had stolen Big Tom's lunch. Someone had seenlittleTimmy with Big Tom's lunch! The teacher called little Timmy up to the front of the classroom. Little Timmy admitted he had taken Big Tom's lunch. So the teacher asked him, "Do you know the punishment?" Little Timmy nodded that he did. "You must remove your coat," the teacher instructed. The little Fellow had come with a great big coat on. Little Timmy said to the Teacher,"I am guilty and I am willing to take my punishment, but Please don't make me take off my coat?" The teacher reminded little Timmy of the rules and punishments and again told him he must remove his coat and take his punishment like a man. The little fellow started to unbutton that old coat. As he did so,the Teacher saw he did not have a shirt on under the coat. And evenworse, he saw a frail and bony frame hidden beneath that coat. The teacher asked little Timmy why he had come to school without ashirt on? Little Timmy replied, "My daddy's dead and my mother is very poor. I don't have but one shirt, and my mother is washing it today. I woremy big brother's coat so that I could keep warm." That young teacher stood and looked at the frail back with the spine protruding against the skin, and his ribs sticking out. He wondered howhe could lay a rod on that little back, and without even a shirt on.Still, he knew he must enforce the punishment or the children wouldnot obey the rul es. So he drew back to strike little Timmy. Just then Big Tom stood up and came down the aisle. He asked, "Is there anything that says that I can't take littleTimmy's whipping for him?" The teacher thought about it and agreed. With that, Big Tom rippedhis coat off and stooped, and stood over little Timmy at the desk. Hesitatingly the teacher began to lay the rod on that big back. But For some strange reason after only five licks that old rod just broke inhalf. The young teacher buried his face in his hands and began to sob.He heard a commotion and looked up to find not even one dry eye inthe classroom. Little Timmy had turned and grabbed Big Tom around theneck apologizing to him for stealing his lunch. Little Timmy beggedBig Tom to forgive him. He told Big Tom that he would love himtill the day he died for taking his whipping for him. Aren't you glad that Jesus took our whipping for us? That He shed His precious blood on Calvary so that you and I can have eternal life inGlory with Him. We are unworthy of the price He paid for us, but aren'tyou glad He loves us that much? This is a story everyone needs to know. So if you know anyone elsewho may be blessed by this story, please pass it on. God bless you, and keep you safe. Most people's troubles come fromtoo much time on their hands - and not enough on their knees. For the Christian - Prayer is not an option but an opportunity. "In prayer; expect setbacks, but refuse retreat." Don't tell the Lord how big the problem is, tell the problem howGreat the Lord is

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Beginning TodaY
Beginning today I will no longer worry about yesterday. It is in the pastand the past will never change. Only I can change by choosing to do so.
Beginning today I will no longer worry about tomorrow. Tomorrow will alwaysbe there, waiting for me to make the most of it. But I cannot make the mostof tomorrow without first making the most of today.
Beginning today I will look in the mirror and I will see a person worthy ofmy respect and admiration. This capable person looking back at me is someoneI enjoy spending time with and someone I would like to get to know better.
Beginning today I will cherish each moment of my life. I value the giftbestowed upon me in this world and I will unselfishly share this gift withothers.
Beginning today I will take a moment to step off the beaten path and torevel in the mysteries I encounter. I will face challenges with courage anddetermination. I will overcome what barriers there may be which hinder myquest for growth and self- improvement.
Beginning today I will take life one day at a time, one step at a time.Discouragement will not be allowed to taint my positive self-image, mydesire to succeed or my capacity to love.
Beginning today I walk with renewed faith in human kindness. Regardless ofwhat has gone before. I believe there is hope for a brighter and betterfuture.
Beginning today I will open my mind and my heart. I will welcome newexperiences. I will meet new people. I will not expect perfection frommyself nor anyone else: perfection does not exist in an imperfect world. ButI will applaud the attempt to overcome human foibles.
Beginning today I am responsible for my own happiness and I will do thingsthat make me happy... admire the beautiful wonders of nature, listen to myfavorite music, pet a kitten or a puppy, soak in a bubble bath... Pleasurecan be found in the most simple of gestures.
Beginning today I will learn something new; I will try something different;I will savor all the various flavors life has to offer. I will change what Ican and the rest I will let go. I will strive to become the best me I canpossibly be.
Beginning Today, And Everyday.

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WHAT GOD IS LIKE!

These young people have done an outstanding job using different commercials to describe God. You will enjoy this. A fifth grade teacher in a Christian school asked her class to look at TV commercials and see if they could use them in some way to communicate ideas about God. Here are some of the results: scroll down.
God is like.. BAYER ASPIRIN He works miracles.
God is like... a FORD He's got a better idea. God is like... COKE He's the real thing. (This is great) God is like... HALLMARK CARDS He cares enough to send His very best. God is like... TIDE He gets the stains out that others leave behind. God is like... GENERAL ELECTRIC He brings good things to life.
God is like... SEARS He has everything.
God is like... ALKA-SELTZER Try him, you'll like Him.
God is like... SCOTCH TAPE You can't see him, but you know He's there. God is like... DELTA He's ready when you are. God is like... ALLSTATE You're in good hands with Him.
God is like... VO-5 Hair Spray He holds through all kinds of weather.God is like... DIAL SOAP Aren't you glad you have Him? Don't you wish everybody did? (that one is my favorite)
God is like... the U.S. POST OFFICE Neither rain, nor snow, nor sleet nor ice will keep Him from His appointed destination. Forward this to 10 people so that they can know what God is like...... BLESSINGS FROM OUR HOUSE TO YOUR HOUSE
"We make a living by what we get, we make a life by what we give." - Sir Winston Churchill