Storytime Tapestry Newsletter

The newsletter devoted to spreading love and cultural awareness around the world.

October 14, 2006

Today’s announcements

 Happy Birthday Bob Johnston of Starfish and Sandolar: starfish@ripplemaker.com

Now onto the good stuff!

Today’s Queue Stories

Heart Flush

Michael T. Smith

            I sat on the ground and cried. For more than a year, I’d been working on an

addition to my house. All my free time was spent working on it. In the evenings, after

a day at work, I would gather my tools and go to work building decks, installing wood

flooring, nailing trim around the doors and windows, and putting up siding.

            The siding was the breaking point for me. It wasn’t the siding itself; I knew

that. It was the accumulation of work and stress that broke me. I did the siding alone.

I was up-and-down the ladder all day: cut a piece, position the ladder, climb, nail, down,

move the ladder, climb back up...

            I heard my kids crying inside. The sun burned the back of my neck. Sweat burned

my eyes. My insurance company had issues with certain materials in the older section of

the house and were threatening to cancel our coverage.

            The stress built.

            A new piece of siding was positioned on the cutter. I pulled the trigger on the saw.

The blade spun to life and stopped, as I released my grip and sat in the grass. My elbows

rested on my knees; my head in my hands. The tears began to flow.

            No one saw me, and I never mentioned it. For thirty minutes I sat there, tears

streaming down my cheeks. My shoulders shook from the sobs. The pain flushing from

my heart and running from my eyes. I didn’t fight it. It needed to happen. 

**************************

            I’m not afraid to cry. The memory in the story above is just one of the many times

I have cried. My tears have flowed for happiness and for sorrow. There were times when

I was away from my family for long periods of time. At night, I’d pull the covers over me

and let the tears soak my pillow. We needed to be together. Georgia was taking care of

everything on her own. Loneliness and guilt filled my heart.

            I’ve lost loved ones - is there a pain more severe? The tears flowed; they needed

to. Sad movies, touching stories, and beautiful pictures make my tears flow. I am not

ashamed of them. Tears flush my heart clean of pain. Held in, the pain grows and takes

control. Let it out and feel whole again. The flush hurts, but once it’s over, magnified by

the tears, life looks and feels a little better.

            Give yourself a heart flush. Flush the hurt from your heart.

Michael T. Smith

mtsmith@qwestonline.com

To read my stories or to sign up
to receive my weekly story, go to:
http://archives.zinester.com/86758/

~**~**~

~**~**~

When Only The Best Will Do

Bill Walker

missourisage@yahoo.com

I noticed this on a dog deal, I have seen it before on such as a dog deal.  This was an ad about buy your Peke from us, we have only the best, all others is second rate. Made me wonder about all the Pekes that has came in my life.  I feel so bad to know all was second rate. Well let me tell you something first rate breeders.  I will have you know, none of mine was second rate, not by a damn sight. Mine looked like first rate to me. They looked, acted like full blooded Pekes to me, and that is just fine with me.  I didn't take them for nothing but a pet, a true friend of mine. How dare you tell me. Ming Toy, Chinker, Chinker Boy, Tinker, Poo, and now Little Girl is second rate.

If all the Pekes that as these people says other then the ones they have to breed and sell is second rate,  I feel sorry for all the poor ones looking for a home.  I guess those should be done away with.  Well your going to have a heck of a time putting that over on this Peke lover.  Most of us people that love and have a Peke got them for one reason.  We fell head over heels in love with the little ball of fur. It was love at first sight. This little fur ball I just got to have.

This is true with any kind of dog,  makes no difference what kind or how pure it is. I have yet to see or find to many people here in the states of pure something or other blood lines. Seems to me most are a duke mix.

I have had people say to me your Pekes are a bit bigger then what I thought Pekes grew to be.  Yes that may be true.  I also know Pekes do come in a few different sizes.  I have heard of one years ago that almost fit in a coffee cup, full grown, still a Peke.  Mine seemed to be a bit larger.  Tink, he weighed in at about 25 pounds.  He was still a Peke. He would tell you so if you thought any different.  Poo was as pure a Peke as any gets. I had a Peke breeder Vet doctor tell me so.  He said he was perfect in every way,  second rate,  never.

Yes first rate, when nothing but the best will do.  I think you are barking up the wrong tree.  There is many out there that gets a Peke or any other dog for one reason.  They don't care about the first rates.. They find a dog, fall in love with it, and take it home.  Most of us can't pay a thousand dollars or more for a first rate,  we like the second rates,  those too have a full big heart of love to give.

I can take Little Girl to the beauty shop.  she dances out the door in fine fashion.  Her fur looks as good as the ones in the first rate pictures.  She has that bow leg look, tail flapping in the wind, and has that look of get out of my way. I am a Peke, and darn proud to tell you so. And you better not tell me I am second rate, I will jump up and take a bite out of your rump. Now do I get a new toy today or not?  If not let me get near the toy rack, think I see one with my name on it.  

Tinker and Poo; The Boys Write

http://www.iuniverse.com/bookstore/book_detail.asp?&isbn=0-595-35741-5

~**~**~

 THE NEW GENERATION CHURCH (August 2006)

By Georgewaters Ojeigbe – gojiegbe@jhplc.com

As I look around each day and see so many of us claiming to be born-again, Christ-like, as I observe our lifestyles, and the things we do, the question I do ask is where then are the sinners and unbelievers? Indeed, if nearly all of us who’s nearly every conduct and preoccupation constitute grave offence to God are all "Christians," "born-again," and "men of God," then I can confidently bet you that non-Christians and unbelievers no longer exist! The clear demarcation between the two camps may have since collapsed. Everything has been jammed and there is confusion everywhere.

Now, the devil has one major objective in this world namely to stop multitudes of people from having genuine experience of salvation from sin, living worthy Christian lives in this world like the apostles of old did and making heaven at last. Having forever lost his place in heaven due to pride and rebellion, he is so desperate to get so many people to suffer the eternal torments of hell with him. No matter whatever else he does in this world, he does not lose sight of this singular objective which is very dear to his wicked heart. The devil’s savage battles with believers has raged for ages but seeing that he has not made much progress with confrontations, he has added a more subtle strategy.

The subtleness offers made-easy and modern Christianity. They do not offer solution to the problem of sin. They instead sanction and justify them, simplify everything and offer limitless freedom so much so that even after a night of sexual immorality, one can still enter the Church the next morning, and then speak in tongues, do miracles, and deliver wonderful sermons.

The point is that if we are born-again and the experience was not able to kill the appetite for sin in our lives then we may have got the fake version. We must investigate it, either we have lost what we once had or we never had it in the first place.

As this world winds up, the Church is fighting a big battle against the confusion the devil has unleashed in the body of Christ, to blindfold men and women, keep them entrapped in places of false religious teachings, and damn their souls eventually. TOO MANY PEOPLE ARE PREACHING TOO MANY STRANGE THINGS THESE DAYS, AND YET PERFORMING ASTOUNDING MIRACLES.  Recently, a certain local preacher in my country; Nigeria, was told that he was in error and he fired back “if really I am in error, why am I still able to perform miracles?”  Maybe this preacher does not know the scriptures Matthew 7: 22-23.

The truth is that the devil is not bothered with whatever you are doing, so long he is assured you are living in error, and that you will join him in hell eventually. Now, all these female Rev. Bishop and Pastors laying hands on people and praying for them with body-hugging clothes that shows their delicate parts, and low neck blouses with boobs threatening to spill out, so they are also worshipping the holy God? Some pastors of modern churches encourage their members to wear horribly revealing dresses to Church and some men have lusted in their hearts, while some others have gone to commit fornication after enticing them. Now, Jesus’ word that a man who looks at a woman to lust after her has committed fornication with her in his heart also has some implications for women. If a woman, by her revealing dress seduces men into immoral thoughts and acts, she too is guilty of the same sin. It takes too to commit fornication.

Unfortunately, many of the people we call pastors and preachers today are mere motivational speakers who just manage to spice up their lectures with some scripture verses.  They only focus on the goodies and fail to tell people the implications of worldliness. They hardly know anything about how a man can be saved from sin and prepared for the coming of Christ. IN FACT, THAT IS EVEN NOT IN THEIR AGENDA, but the consolation is that before the trumpet sounds, God, in answer to the prayers of His genuine children, will overthrow many places of false religious practices and rescue the multitudes trapped there by miracle exhibitions or teachings about Godless prosperity.

Perhaps, it all just a mater of prophesy taking place now.  We have our destiny in our hands.  We decide to choose the way of destruction or the way of eternal life.

~**~**~

Readers Feedback

Carol, my friend,

If you can find the answer to this question, I would love to hear it. Good customer service passed away long ago and they failed to even hold a service for it. I think it took good manners, courtesy and a genuine concern for it's fellow man with it.

My bank can be a pain, that is for sure. Of course, banks are not the only ones who have lost these things. Businesses hire collectors and adjusters that care about nothing except cash flow. Hospitals send out bills to families within twenty-four hours after a love one expires and I have heard of the billing department calling the home for payment on the day of the funeral.

What has happened to our world? We have become focused on material objects and dropped our humanity.

Love,

Dianna

Carol,

I know EXACTLY what you're talking about. I think it's the same all over, though you do run into pleasant exceptions from time to time. But, unfortunately, good customer service is an exception. You did better than me. I think I might have leaped over somebody's counter.

Bruce

Senior Writers

Chief writer: Sharon Bryant

Chief researcher/historian: Hartson Dowd

Agee, Vance; Apted, Violet; Baker, Kathy; Batt, Al; Berry, Nell; Blaine, Pamela; Boda, Ginger; Booher, Paula; Buhagiar, Victor; Cassady, B.J.; Costner, Joan Clifton; Cavalera, Robyn; Crider, Mark; Dees, Mary; Deming, Barb; Doherty, Maria;  Dowd, Hartson; Dowd, Helen; Gilbert, Robert, Jr.; Gold, Ron; Goodier, Steve; Grisham, Mary-Ellen; Braun-Haley, Ellie; Harris, Kathy Anne; Henry, Linda Ann; Hunt, Sharlett; Hymes, Christina; Jacobson, Gary; Kiser, Roger Dean; Kerens, Claudia; Kevin, Tim; Jenkins, Pamela; Liles, Norma; Lily Jodi Flesberg; Lock, Joyce; Marlor, Janice Bumbalough; Mazzella, Joe; Meeks, Carol; Mizrany, Mary Carter; Morris, Deepak; Ojeibge, Georgewaters; Petry, Dianna Doles; Roberts, Susan; Shiveley, Debra; Shaw, Bob; Sims, Richard; Smith; Michael; Streidel, Saskia; Swarner, Ken; Vaknin, Sam; Verhoeff, Jan; Walker, Bill; Walker, Joe; Warner, Gordon, K; Walsh, Sue; Weymouth, Barbara J.; Whirity, Kathy;

Wainland, David; Westerfer, Clara; White Robert;

Storytime Tapestry Staff

Carol Roach - Founder/publisher

Thelma Hartselle - Co-Founder, Moderator

Clara Westerfer – moderator

Bob Johnston - moderator