Welcome to Share-A-Link, where Stewards find interesting, informative and inspirational pages to share.

Shelter Animals

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Sarah McLachlan: Dedication to Shelter Animals

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Magical Greyhound Friendships

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Lee Greenwood–God Bless the U.S.A.

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On Eagle’s Wings

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“The Horse”

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Our thanks to Betty Schultz for this wonderful prayer:

The Prayer of St. Francis de Sales

Be at Peace.

Do not look forward in fear to the changes of life;

rather look to them with full hope as they arise.

God, whose very own you are, will deliver you from out of them.

He has kept you hitherto, and He will lead you safely through all things;

and when you cannot stand it, God will bury you in his arms.

Do not fear what may happen tomorrow;

the same everlasting Father who cares for you today

will take care of you then and everyday.

He will either shield you from suffering, or will give you unfailing strength to bear it.

Be at peace, and put aside all anxious thoughts and imagination.

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Sea Turtle Swimming on Reef

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Leave it to the Brits and BBC: Funny Talking Animals!

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Our thanks to Susan Gilbert for submitting these great pics of some “unlikely” best friends!

This must have been pure joy for the photographer!

“Friendship isn’t about who you have known the longest
It’s about those who came and never left your side ….”

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Our thanks to Renda Mackey for submitting this great Memorial Day tribute.

To those of you who are veterans God bless and Honor to you!

IN THE WORDS OF A C/W SONG

“ALL GAVE SOME, SOME GAVE ALL”

HONOR OUR VETS EVERYDAY, NOT JUST TWICE A YEAR, AND PRAY FOR THE ACTIVE SOLDIERS STILL OUT THERE FIGHTING FOR FREEDOM AND HUMAN RIGHTS !!!!!!!!

PREPARATION FOR MEMORIAL DAY It is the VETERAN, not the preacher, who has given us freedom of religion. It is the VETERAN, not the reporter, who has given us freedom of the press. It is the VETERAN, not the poet, who has given us freedom of speech. It is the VETERAN, not the campus organizer, who has given us freedom to assemble. It is the VETERAN, not the lawyer, who has given us the right to a fair trial. It is the VETERAN, not the politician, Who has given us the right to vote. It is the VETERAN who salutes the Flag, It is the VETERAN who serves under the Flag, forever ETERNAL REST GRANT THEM O LORD, AND LET PERPETUAL LIGHT SHINE UPON THEM. God Bless them all!!! Makes you proud to be an AMERICAN!!!!

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After the Tornado (Greensburg, KS.)

Our thanks to Peg Fields from Maine for this great SHARE!

Click here to view this incredible story of animal rescue and friendship.

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What Pets Do When You’re at Work

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Amazing Earth moments time lapsed video

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Thanks to Beverly Siegel for forwarding this truly cute inspiration.

IF I DIDN’T HAVE A DOG OR CAT…

I could walk around the yard barefoot in safety.

My house could be carpeted instead of tiled and laminated.

All flat surfaces, clothing, furniture, and cars would be free of hair.

When the doorbell rings, it wouldn’t sound like a kennel.

I could get to the door without wading through fuzzy bodies who beat me there.

I could sit on the couch and my bed the way I wanted, without taking into consideration how much space several fur bodies would need to get comfortable.

I would have money, and no guilt to go on a real vacation.

I would not be on a first-name basis with 6 veterinarians, as I put their yet unborn grandkids through college.

The most used words in my vocabulary would not be: out, sit, down, come, no, stay, and leave it ALONE.

My house would not be cordoned off into zones with baby gates or barriers.

I would not talk ‘baby talk’. ‘Eat your din din’. ‘Yummy yummy for the tummy’…

My house would not look like a day care center, toys everywhere.

My pockets would not contain things like poop bags, treats and an extra leash.

I would no longer have to spell the words B-A-L-L,, W-A-L-K,, T-R-E-A-T,, O-U-T,, G-O,, R-I-D-E, C-O-O-K-I-E.

I would not have as many leaves INSIDE my house as outside.

I would not look strangely at people who think having ONE dog/cat ties them down too much.

I’d look forward to spring and the rainy season instead of dreading ‘mud’ season.

I would not have to answer the question ‘Why do you have so many animals?’ from people who will never have the joy in their lives of knowing they are loved unconditionally by someone as close to an angel as they will ever get.

How EMPTY my life would be!!!

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Our thanks to Mark Marcotti for sharing this GREAT link!

The American Chesterton Society

http://chesterton.org/

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How your cat wakes you up in the morning

Our “thanks” to Richard McNamara for this cute presentation.

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Our “thanks” to Marie Paulhamus for this great picture!

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We thank our favorite EXAMINER writer, Phyllis O’Beollain for these links:

Paralyzed Bunny Helps Pediatric Patients

www.examiner.com

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4-H Pet Pals Program: Healing Touches

http://ourohio.org/magazine

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Mother Moose and twins come for breakfast

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David Gallo Shows Underwater Astonishments

~Submitted by Marie Paulhamus

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FREEDOM & JEFF

~Submitted by Renda Mackey

Not
many people get a picture of this proud bird
snuggled up next to
them

Freedom

and I have been together 10 years this summer.

She came in as a baby in 1998 with two broken

wings. Her left wing doesn’t open all the way

even after surgery, it was broken in 4

places. She’s my

baby.

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When

Freedom came in she could not stand

and both wings were broken. She was

emaciated and covered in lice. We made the

decision to give her a chance at life, so I took

her to the vets office. From then

on, I was always around her. We had her in a

huge dog carrier with the top off, and it

was loaded up with shredded newspaper for her to

lay in. I used to sit and talk to her,

urging her to live, to fight; and she would lay

there looking at me with those big brown eyes.

We also had to tube feed her for

weeks.

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This

went on for 4-6 weeks, and by then she still

couldn’t stand. It got to the point where the

decision was made to euthanize her if she

couldn’t stand in a week. You know you don’t

want to cross that line between torture and

rehab, and it looked like death was

winning. She was going to be put

down that Friday, and I was supposed to come in

on that Thursday afternoon. I didn’t want to go

to the center that Thursday, because I couldn’t

bear the thought of her being euthanized;

but I went anyway, and when I walked in everyone

was grinning from ear to ear.. I went

immediately back to her cage; and there she was,

standing on her own, a big beautiful

eagle. She was ready to live. I was

just about in tears by then. That

was a very good day.

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We

knew she could never fly, so the director

asked me to glove train her. I got her used to

the glove, and then to jesses, and we

started doing education programs for schools in

western Washington

. We wound up in the newspapers,

radio (believe it or not) and some

TV. Miracle Pets even did a show

about us.

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In

the spring of 2000, I was diagnosed with

non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. I had stage 3,

which is not good (one major organ plus

everywhere), so I wound up doing 8 months of

chemo. Lost the hair – the whole

bit. I missed a lot of work. When I

felt good enough, I would go to Sarvey

and take Freedom out for walks. Freedom would

also come to me in my dreams and help me fight

the cancer. This happened time and time

again.

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Fast

forward to November 2000, the day after

Thanksgiving. I went in for my last

checkup. I was told that if the cancer was not

all gone after 8 rounds of chemo, then my last

option was a stem cell transplant. Anyway, they

did the tests; and I had to come back Monday for

the results. I went in Monday, and I was

told that all the cancer was

gone.

So

the first thing I did was get up to Sarvey and

take the big girl out for a walk. It was misty

and cold. I went to her flight and jessed her

up, and we went out front to the top of the

hill. I hadn’t said a word to

Freedom, but somehow she knew. She looked at me

and wrapped both her wings around me to where I

could feel them pressing in on my back

(I was engulfed in eagle wings), and she

touched my nose with her beak and stared into my

eyes, and we just stood there like

that

for I don’t know how long. That was a

magic moment. We have been soul mates ever

since she came in. This is a very special

bird.

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On

a side note: I have had people who

were sick come up to us when we are out, and

Freedom has some kind of hold on

them. I once had a guy who was

terminal come up to us and I let him hold

her. His knees just about buckled and he

swore he could feel her power coarse through his

body. I have so many stories like

that.

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I

never forget the honor I have of being so close

to such a magnificent spirit as

Freedom.

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Hope

you enjoy this.

Jeff

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Share here in the Lenten Stations of the Cross

(Our thanks to Rachel Crowley)

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SWALLOWS

~Submitted by Lisa Brown

Here his mate is injured and the condition is fatal.

She was hit by a car as she swooped low across the road.

Here he brought her food and attended to her with love and compassion.

He brought her food again but was shocked to find her dead.

He tried to move her … a rarely-seen effort for swallows!

Aware that his sweetheart is dead and will never come back to him again, He cries with adoring love..

He stood beside her, saddened of her death.

Finally aware she would never return to him, he

Stood beside her body with sadness and sorrow.

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Millions of people were touched after seeing these photos in

America and Europe and even India … The photographer

sold these pictures for a nominal fee to the most famous newspaper in France .

All copies of that edition were sold out on the day these pictures were published.

And many people think animals don’t have a brain or feelings?

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AWESOME TEXAS MORNING

~Submitted by Nancy Schmid

NOT SCARED OF THE “BIG GUYS” AT ALL..

VERY INQUISITIVE. AND THE HORSES

DON’T SEEM TO MIND.

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THE FAWN LOOKS SO SMALL…

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(After the horses moved on, the doe came for her fawn,

So all is well in case you were wondering……)

GOD’S BEAUTY AT ITS FINEST.

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