Return to Newsletter Archives
      image of Blessed2Bless banner

      Newsletter
      January 20, 2004
      Published by Steve Klusmeyer
      Distributed by hundred-acre-woods.com
      Subscribe or Unsubscribe



      Where Did This Come From?

      You are receiving this newsletter because you either subscribed yourself or someone you know added your name to the list. If this was forwarded to you, I would love for you to subscribe. If you are already on the list, you can unsubscribe if you just have to - but I would really hate to see you leave.

      Sorry, but I have no control over those who may have added your name or forwarded a copy of this newsletter to your address. I do want to thank you for taking a moment to check out this issue.

      Please Do NOT subscribe someone to Blessed2Bless without their prior permission! Instead, forward a copy and allow them to make the choice. That way I won't get yelled at when they think they are being spammed! Thanks for your help.

      Please note that there are no attachments to this HTML version of Blessed2Bless. It is therefore totally safe from a virus point of view.


        A Word From Our Sponsors - Why?

        What's Happening to Marriages?

        Perhaps you are like some couples who say their marriage is feeling tired. Or worse, in trouble. You may be unsure where to turn for help. I can count the places I would recommend on one hand. Here's a great one I recently discovered. -Steve
        image of LifeAnswered.org Banner LifeAnswered.org


        Are you tired of junk mail and spam?

        Maybe MailWasher Pro will help you like it has helped me.

        As well as letting you preview and delete your e-mail before it gets to your computer, MailWasher Pro also lets you bounce e-mail back to the spammers so it looks as though your address is not valid.

        Check out a FREE version of MailWasher Pro today. -Steve
        image of Firetrust MailWasher Pro Banner

        Consider other products that I recommend.

        End of A Word From Our Sponsors



      Feed-Back Appreciated

      Thanks for all of the positive feed-back concerning the new HTML format. Almost everyone (and I heard from quite a few) really liked the new version. So I plan to continue in that direction for now. I did hear from one reader who was having problems seeing the images. Some mail programs may not display all of the colors and/or graphics correctly. However, all of the text should show up even if the colors and graphics don't. If you experience problems with the appearance of this newsletter, you can always view a copy of this issue and previous issues in the archive section of my web site. Another reader asked about the text-only version. Unfortunately, I accidently deleted the e-mail before I could respond. If you know who you are, please write again and I will get back to you.
      -Thanks, Steve


      In This Issue

      • By Steve: Told You So
      • Quotes to Remember: by Max Lucado and others
      • By Someone Else:
        • The Fugitive by Janette Blackwell
        • Trusting God With Heavy TV's by Mike Collins
        • Reintarnation and Other Made-Up Words
        • Wisdom from Will Rogers
      • From the Bible: 1 Chronicles 16:31
      • Useful Information: Credits, Subscribe/Unsubscribe, etc

      If you haven't read the Useful Information at the end of this newsletter or if it's been a while, please take a few minutes to check it out.

      If you enjoy Blessed2Bless, you might also like another newsletter that I publish. Subscribe to Ponder This.


      By Steve

      animated image of Doctor Holding Check Up Clip Board - Graphic provided by Animation Factory Told You So
      -by Steve Klusmeyer - 1/20/2004

      I'm Right

      A told-as-true story tells about the tombstone inscription, "I told you I was sick!" Another story describes a visit to the doctor by a patient, unhappy with the diagnosis. He said, "I've been to three other doctors and none of them agreed with your opinion." The doctor calmly replied, "Just wait until the autopsy, then they'll see that I was right."

      Both stories depict the mindset of many today. Being wrong is not even feasable. Even when everything else points the other direction, we remain steadfast . . . facing the other way. We've already made up our mind and don't want to be bothered with the facts.

      I Was Wrong

      Some of the most important words (other than I Love You) that can be said are, "I was wrong. Forgive me." It's been said that God gave us two ears and one mouth because we should listen twice as much as we talk.

      Some issues are black and white, with no room for so-called tolerance. But everything else is an opportunity. You might just be surprised what you can learn when you are willing to admit mistakes and really hear what others are saying.

      Learn more about dealing with past mistakes.

      Read more writings by Steve.

      Go to the link above to read previous Writings by Steve. Photos are included with many of the writings. Follow other links in this newsletter to read additional Writings by Others, Quotes to Remember, and Pictures with a Story.


        A Word From Our Sponsors - Why?

        These ads pay for the cost of this service and a percentage is given to feed starving orphans in third world countries.

        Please stop by our affiliates and malls. Most are Christian, and they are all good products and companies.

        AOL users click here

        Thanks Mike Hodapp

        End of A Word From Our Sponsors



      Quotes to Remember:

      Do not punish me by granting that which I wish or ask.
      -Max Lucado (1959-Present) USA Author, Speaker, & Pastor

      Accept that some days you're the pigeon, and some days you're the statue.
      -Unknown

      Always do stuff that will make you look good if you die in the middle of it.
      -Unknown

      Eat a live toad in the morning and nothing worse will happen to you for the rest of the day.
      -Unknown

      Read more Quotes to Remember.


      By Someone Else:

      The Fugitive
      -by Janette Blackwell animated image of Dog Drinking Water from Dog Dish - Graphic provided by Animation Factory

      Where are the dogs of yesteryear? They all seem to be some breed or another these days. They never used to be. Back in the forties, we had dogs that LEANED in one direction or another. Or maybe two or three directions at once. But we never went out and bought a specific brand of dog. Why would you buy a dog when the neighbors were giving away perfectly good pups for free, along with a jar of peaches and maybe some string beans?

      What we wanted in a dog wasn’t a particular appearance. We had a soft spot for cute pups, but essentially we went by the dog’s usefulness. It has always been hard to earn a living farming, and the animals on our Montana farm all had to have a use. The cats earned their living by catching the mice that ate the grain. The dogs earned their living, Daddy told us kids, by bringing in the cows at milking time.

      Our dogs tended not to be real good at bringing in the cows, but we kept them anyway. Maybe because Daddy had a soft heart -- which he did -- but mainly, I think, because the dogs had a better understanding of what they were there for than we children did:

      The dogs thought they were there to bark at every single car that went by.

      Back when one or two cars came by in a day, we were glad to know that someone was coming down our hill, and, unless it was time for the mailman, we checked to see whose car it was.

      The forties went by, then the fifties, and the number of cars increased. We no longer checked each time to see who it was. Which was not the fault of the dogs: they still barked at every single car.

      By the time the sixties arrived, I had left home but came back for vacations. And during one summer vacation I found out why we really needed that dog.

      “There’s someone hiding up in our shack,” said Daddy. “Whatever you do, don’t go up there. Don’t even go near it.”

      The shack was at the top of the hill by our house. It had probably started out as a homesteader’s shack; now it was just a shack. It had one main room with a table and chairs, a cupboard with a few dishes, a wood stove, and a double bed. A roughly tacked on second room held two more double beds. An outdoor toilet out back beckoned with open door.

      In the forties and fifties, Grandma cleaned the shack from top to bottom each June. She washed the dishes in the cupboard, washed all the patchwork quilts on the beds, and put fresh kerosene in the lamp. All to prepare for the workers who came to Montana each year to hoe our sugar beets, under a contract between the Mexican government and the sugar beet company. The Mexican government had some tough negotiators: under that contract a good worker could make fifty dollars a day. Excellent wages in the forties and fifties, and, some might think, fairly good wages today.

      By the time the fugitive came in the late sixties, Daddy no longer grew sugar beets, and the shack had for years lain empty. Then our neighbor Nina Davis telephoned. “Have you got someone in your shack across the road from us?” she asked. “Because we’re seeing a light in there at night.”

      “No. No one’s supposed to be in there,” said Mamma. But neither our family nor the Davises went to the shack to investigate, nor did anyone suggest calling the sheriff. The Davises were also native Montanans and went by the same code of behavior we did. I’d learned about this code when I was little and one of our neighbors had a practice of stealing from other neighbors. “Why don’t we tell the sheriff so he can arrest him?” I asked.

      “If he got arrested, he might or might not get convicted. And if he got convicted, he’d get maybe six months in jail,” said Mamma. “And when he got out of jail, he’d come back to our neighborhood to live. And one night our barn would burn down. Or maybe our house. Or someone would shoot our cows or maybe even us. Something. So we leave that situation alone.”

      Now that the rest of the country has discovered Montana and taken over a good chunk of it (the goodest chunk, in fact), people no longer think that way. The Bitterroot Valley has five times the population it had in my childhood. The sheriff has deputies, and according to the local newspaper they are busy day and night responding to complaints of barking dogs, domestic violence, and petty theft.

      But, during that week in the late sixties, we and the Davises kept watch on the shack and did what we had been taught to do: nothing. “Look!” said Daddy, as our car drove slowly by the shack one night. We looked, and, sure enough, a dim, grey light shone through the shack’s window, which window was pretty dirty now that Grandma no longer gave it her attention. “He’s lit the kerosene lamp.”

      “Must be reading in there,” said Mamma softly.

      That week we locked the doors of our house every night -- something we had never done before -- and Daddy slept with his pistol close at hand.

      In case the dog barked in the middle of the night.

      So that was why we’d put up with all that barking all those years, I realized. That and our family’s soft hearts and, where some of those dogs were concerned, our soft heads as well.

      A few days later Daddy said, “The Davises tell me they haven’t seen a light in that shack for three nights. I’m going up with my pistol and try the door.”

      He went up at noonday, stood like a Western lawman with his back to one side of the door, gun ready. He suddenly kicked the door open and whirled to face the interior of the shack.

      Silence.

      He went inside, gun still at the ready. But the shack was empty. Our fugitive had fugited, leaving behind only a couple of well worn detective magazines and a pile of cigarette butts. And an unmade bed. Sure proof that he hadn’t been brought up right, you bet.

      And, in case you wonder, Daddy didn’t take the dog when he reconnoitered around the shack that day. Daddy was pretty fond of that little dog, and he didn’t want him to get hurt.

      -from Nostalgia Notes
      Subscribe
      Visit Janette's web site.

      Read more writings by Others.


        A Word From Our Sponsors - Why?

        These ads pay for the cost of this service and a percentage is given to feed starving orphans in third world countries.

        Brighter Whiter Smile

        Professional Teeth Whitening. Whiter, brighter teeth, Guaranteed!
        http://mocda2.com/1/c/32976/153202/330354/330354

        End of A Word From Our Sponsors



      By Someone Else:

      Trusting God With Heavy TV's
      -by Mike Collins

      A number of years back my wife and I moved to North Carolina, where I took a job as program director and morning show host of a Christian radio station.

      After much thought and prayer, we packed our belongings and loaded the U-Haul for our first major move. I never realized how much junk we owned until faced with packing it. I'm convinced I threw more away that day than I packed! My wife was terror-stricken I would catch her with her head turned and throw out things just so I wouldn't have to load them.

      My parents made the trip with us and helped unpack before heading back to West Virginia. They were great help, and fortunate for us, worked cheap, if you know what I mean. As a matter of fact, Dad insisted on paying the toll booths for all three vehicles. I'm convinced there will be a special place in heaven just for parents.

      They were not well up in age, but I wanted to keep them from lifting anything heavy. I used a truck dolly to wheel in the major appliances, and our furniture was not heavy at all. But we have an extremely heavy television, and I didn't feel comfortable using the truck dolly to move it from the truck to the living room.

      I decided to wait for the perfect opportunity to grab the television and sprint for the apartment so Dad wouldn't try lifting it. Did I mention there were a lot of stairs involved? Finding my perfect chance, I grabbed the television and started on the long, hard climb. I grunted and wheezed as veins popped out in my forehead, arms and neck. I wasn't walking, and I sure wasn't running; I guess you could say it was more of a quick-paced waddle.

      I did mention the stairs, didn't I? The grunting and wheezing turned to mumbled prayers as I struggled with each step. I thought my arms were going to fall off before I could safely put the television down. Sweat bathed my body and dripped from the end of my nose.

      Dad saw me struggling with the weight and came to help. I motioned with my head for him to get out of the way and began grunting, "I got it. I got it. I got it." Yeah, sure: it was all I could do to keep from dropping it!

      Finally reaching the living room, I sat the monstrous box down on the couch and bent over it for the longest time. My energies spent, I found my way to my recliner and rested for a while.

      Oh how often I find myself doing the same thing in my spiritual life--taking on enormous burdens without ever asking my Heavenly Father for assistance. Have you been guilty of this? God wants to help us with those burdens if we will only slow down enough to allow Him to put His hands on them.

      And what else can I take from this story? Well, I've also noticed that I carry far too much junk on my spiritual journey. I pack trash in spiritual suitcases, thinking the junk will matter when I get to my heavenly home. My journey would be less stressful and burdensome if I could learn to clean my spiritual closet on a daily basis.

      Like the special trip my dad made to help me with items I couldn't handle alone, Jesus made a special trip to Calvary to help us bear our burdens--not to mention paying the toll booths on the way.

      -from Words of Faith
      Subscribe
      Web Site

      Read more writings by Others.


      By Someone Else:

      Reintarnation and Other Made-Up Words

      Each year the Washington Post's Style Invitational asks readers to take any word from the dictionary, alter it by adding, subtracting, or changing only one letter and supply a new definition. Here are some of the 2002 winners:

        Intaxication: Euphoria at getting a tax refund, which lasts until you realize it was your money to start with.

        Reintarnation: Coming back to life as a hillbilly.

        Giraffiti: Vandalism painted very, very high.

        Sarchasm: The gulf between the author of sarcastic wit and the person who doesn't get it.

        Inoculatte: To take coffee intravenously when you are running late.

        Hipatitis: Terminal coolness.

        Karmageddon: It's like, when everybody is sending off all these really bad vibes, right? And then, like, the Earth explodes and it's like, a serious bummer.

        Dopeer Effect: The tendency for stupid ideas to seem smarter when they come at you rapidly.

      Received from Marty's Joke of the Day.

      ---
      Remember when the funniest jokes were the clean ones? They still are!
      A cheerful heart is good medicine... (Prov 17:22a)
      GCFL.net: The Good, Clean Funnies List:
      Good, clean funnies five times a week, FOR F R E E! ... AND NO ADS!
      Subscribe

      Read more writings by Others.


        A Word From Our Sponsors - Why?

        These ads pay for the cost of this service and a percentage is given to feed starving orphans in third world countries.

        Free Tax Software from TaxACT

        Plan ahead. Prepare and print your tax return free! Start your free tax return online at TaxACTOnline.com! That’s the TaxACT Advantage.
        http://mocda4.com/1/c/32976/152918/330354/330354

        End of A Word From Our Sponsors



      By Someone Else:

      Will Rogers Wisdom

      Will Rogers, who died in a plane crash with Wylie Post in 1935, was probably the greatest political sage this country has ever known. Enjoy the following quotes:

      • Never slap a man who’s chewing tobacco.
      • Never kick a cow chip on a hot day.
      • There are two theories to arguing with a woman... neither works.
      • Never miss a good chance to shut up.
      • Always drink upstream from the herd.
      • If you find yourself in a hole, stop digging.
      • The quickest way to double your money is to fold it and put it back in your pocket.
      • There are three kinds of men: ones that learn by reading, few who learn by observation, and the rest of them have to pee on the electric fence and find out for themselves.
      • Good judgment comes from experience, and a lot of that comes from bad judgment.
      • If you’re riding ahead of the herd, take a look back every now and then to make sure it’s still there.
      • Lettin’ the cat outta’ the bag is a whole lot easier’n puttin’ it back.
      • And finally: After eating an entire bull, a mountain lion felt so good he started roaring. He kept it up until a hunter came along and shot him... The moral: When you’re full of bull, keep your mouth shut.

      -from Bill's Punch Line
      Subscribe

      Read more writings by Others.


      Life's F.A.Qs.

      Many are asking tough questions in today's world. Maybe you have been asking a few of the same ones. Learn more about answers to some of life's tough questions.


      From the Bible:

      Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice, and let them say among the nations, "The Lord reigns!"
      1 Chronicles 16:31 (RSV)


      What is Blessed2Bless?

      Blessed2Bless is published on a round-2-it basis. Most weeks, you will receive at least one issue. Some weeks, you may receive two or three. Once in a while, you may not receive an issue for a week or two. So, whenever I get a round-to-it, you can expect to hear, "You've got mail," Yahoo," or whatever happens on your PC.

      Blessed2Bless contains an article that I have written using simple everyday events to illustrate qualities and ideals sought after by many in the world today. Also included are writings from other sources that I have come across (usually by e-mail or a book I am reading). I try not to send everything that comes along; but I do send those that I think would be a blessing to you . . . or at least make you think for a moment and/or bring a smile to your face for just a little while.

      Learn more about the meaning of Blessed2Bless.

      Check out past issues of Blessed2Bless in the archives.

      CAUTION: Please do not drink while reading the humorous stories. Doing so has caused many to snort Diet Pepsi out their noses.

      Does this newsletter have a light gray background with a red border on the left edge? Some mail programs may not display all of the colors and/or graphics correctly. However, all of the text should show up even if the colors and graphics don't. A copy of this issue and previous issues may be viewed in the archive section of my web site.

      Please NOTE: Corrections to spelling and grammar are NOT made to the articles in the "Writings by Others" sections.

      Also note that there are no attachments to this HTML version of Blessed2Bless It is therefore totally safe from a virus point of view. Be aware that the latest ludicrous viruses send out email from people's email programs, pretending to be from someone else within their address book. As my address becomes better known, it is just possible that you could receive such bogus e-mails - they are not from me!

      -Steve Klusmeyer {:o)<><

      Blessed2Bless -Genesis 12:1-3
      " . . . I will bless you; . . . and you will be a blessing. . . . and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you."

      animated image of Contact Steve being painted by a Paint Brush from a Paint Can - Grapic provided by Animation Factory (edited by Steve)


      Credit Where Credit is Due

      If known, the original source of material used in Blessed2Bless will be cited, or at least the source where I obtained the material will be cited with a credit at the end of each item. If the material was obtained from an e-mail newsletter, subscription information to that newsletter will also be included. This will be done as a matter of Christian integrity to give credit where credit is due.


      FYI

      Please visit my web site. Take a moment to check it out and visit often to see what's new.


      Blessed2Bless by Steve Klusmeyer

      Web Home Page
      Site       		Writings Writings by Steve
      by Steve       		Quotes Quotes to Remember
      to Remember      		 Pictures Pictures with a Story
      with a Story
      Life's Life's Frequently Asked Questions
      FAQs      		 Writings Writings by Other Authors
      by Others      		 Newsletter Subscribe to Blessed2Bless
      Subscription      		 Contact Contact Steve
      Steve


      Check out Caleb's creations.

      Do you need a web site? I can design it and get it on line. Learn more.


      What is the Deal with those Ads?

      You will see ads in Blessed2Bless These advertisers keep the newsletter FREE by paying for ad space. My host, Mike Hodapp (Tigger at hundred-acre-woods.com), uses the proceeds to pay the basic expenses of his Internet service as a web site host server as well as sending a portion each month to feed starving orphans in third world countries. The advertisers pay by the number of clicks on the ads, NOT by the number of sales.

      Read a more in-depth explanation of the ads.


      Subscription Information

      Subscribe to Blessed2Bless You can unsubscribe using the same link, if you really have to leave.

      Blessed2Bless and several other newsletters are distributed by hundred-acre-woods.com lists. Names are not purchased or added to our lists without permission. If you did not subscribe yourself, then someone you know probably added your name to our list(s). Or someone else may have forwarded it to you.

      If you are changing your e-mail address, please advise me of both your old and new address. I will happily change my records to ensure ongoing delivery. You may do this yourself by unsubscribing your old address and subscribing your new address using the subscription link above.

      Once in a while, addresses may be deleted by mistake. This usually happens if e-mail is sent to an address several times and it is returned as undeliverable. This can be caused because an address has been discontinued or even because the mail quota has been exceeded. If you feel that your address has been deleted, go to the subscription link above and subscribe again. A message will let you know if you are still on the list. If not, you will be added.

      Attention AOL users: Occasionally we see an uncommonly high number of bounces from AOL subscribers. Should you notice our newsletter(s) not getting through to you via AOL, we recommend you subscribe under a non-AOL email address. There are many free email providers available. Sorry, but this is an AOL issue that we have no control over.


      Confidentiality Statement

      I respect your privacy and will not share your information with other parties. Your name and email address are NOT sold or shared with any other list, web site, advertiser, partner, or service for any reason.


      The End! Thanks for Reading.

      Give a nice day! -Acts 20:35
      -Mike Purcell, Cartoonist and active duty Navy Man




      Copyright © 2002 ... to infinity, and beyond — Steve Klusmeyer. All rights reserved.


      If this E-mail was forwarded to you and you would like to join our list, Please subscribe.

      We have many other GREAT christian mailing lists at hundred-acre-woods.com.

      This issue of Blessed2Bless is distributed by hundred-acre-woods.com. You can contact listmaster (Steve Klusmeyer) by email.

      If you MUST leave, you can unsubscribe.

      AOL: Unsubscribe



      Back to the Beginning of this Issue

      Return to Newsletter Archives