Storytime Tapestry Newsletter

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

October 17, 2006

Today’s announcements

Happy Birthday to our German beauty, Saskia Nienna Streidel Brown

saskiaofthewoods@yahoo.de

Storytime Tapestry - It was so thoughtful of you to remember our 30th Anniversary and we want to thank you for your blessings from the bottom of our hearts!

Love,
Mark & Ginger Boda

Now onto the good stuff!

Today’s Queue Stories

~**~**~

The Great Train

Bill Walker

missourisage@yahoo.com

I was looking at my few train sets, toy trains that is. All mine is of the good old days of trains.  The glory days of trains, the steamers. The days of the engines of steam.  Those big black beautiful engines of raw power, hissing into the station, grinding to a stop. The whistle blowing, the bell ringing.  Passenger trains coming and going, fright trains also.  The crew on each train taking pride in that one train.  I remember in the big cities the round house, the shops, where trains in need of a repair got worked over. I remember the different lines of trains. There use to be every so many.  Some just ran certain states and parts of the country.  Then there was the big lines, ran from coast to coast. Those were the glory days.

I have one passenger train set, I put one of the beautiful steam engines pulling it.  I was  just looking at it and thinking of the times as a child of 6,7, 8 of age taking a ride on one.  What a joy that was, a ride on a passenger train, those that never had such a ride,, well poor soul just don't know what they missed.  There is nothing that can compare to such. You can have your jet flights, I don't think those compare to a passenger train ride, no way.

Now I was thinking just looking at this one set, some day we all will take a ride on the Glory Train. Now my set has a baggage car, a mail car, a sleeper, a diner, three passenger cars, a tail ender, I can't remember just what that car was called but it is the last car on the train.  Has a platform end. I think I remember seeing the President standing there a few times waving at the crowds of people.  F.D.R. and the last great President. Harry Truman. 

On the Glory Train, I think there will be a few cars missing. I don't believe there will be any need of the baggage car.. You see, this train has no need for baggage.  Where it is going, you leave all baggage behind. All your things you have saved up, is no good where this train is going.  Like wise the mail car. No mail is on this trip.  The Diner, yea we might need that one.  Fine foods will be served on this trip. The Glory Train people will have the best of foods.  The sleeper, oh we can leave it behind,, no sleepers on this Glory Train ride.  All is wide awake looking ahead to the station at the other end.  The passenger cars will be filled with happy people all on this wonderful train taking them home to the Glory Promised Land.. That Station called Heavens Gate.

I can just see the Glory train pulling through the gate.  Whistle blowing loud and clear, bell ringing and the old steamer coming to a full stop.  There will be Jesus and all the Angels greeting each person as they step down from the train: stepping down on Heavens green green grass of HOME.

Tinker and Poo; The Boys Write

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

 ~**~**~

Luke 24:32

Did you ever feel the Lord so near

There was burning in your heart?

Burning Heart

Joan Clifton Costner

We walked along discussing all the prophecies we could remember.

The day was warm and dusty and we were glad to find a spring at the side of the road where we could stop for a little refreshing. We washed our faces , hands and

feet. Then sat for a few moments before taking another drink and resuming

our journey to Emmaus. But our discussion took no break. We were going

back over all the predictions we could ever remember hearing. It’s easy to

hear things or think you remember things that aren’t that true. It is true that

each family took great pride in getting everything down very straight for their

children. We were deeply perplexed, and the conversation was intense.

As we rose and began to move down the road again we were joined by a fellow

traveler who just fell in step with us and listening to our concern began to join

in the discussion.

He apparently hadn’t even heard about the murder of Jesus. We recounted how

terrible it had been, how unfair! Lies! People hired to bear false witness! After

all, we knew Jesus better than anyone, and we knew what a perfect man he was.

Actually we believed He would be the Messiah. We were expecting him to set

up an earthly kingdom soon and then all hell broke lose! Those high Priests and the Sanhedrin court officials always were afraid of Him because the people loved Him so. They feared a loss of power, for they held the people, by superstition and innuendos that frightened and intimidated them. They bound them by invisible chains, whereas Jesus set them free.

The Stranger spoke, "Don’t you think, when you read over the words of the old

prophets, that this was bound to happen?"

But, we lamented, not like this. He was not even recognizable!

"Didn’t Isaiah tell us it would be thus?"

"We’ve had other crucifixion and none of them looked this bad."

"Probably due to the blood brought over His face from the crown of thorns."

"I’ve never seen a crown like that before...and it was all in jest"

"That wasn’t all though, I saw a strip of flesh hanging on His back at least 12 inches

long. His back and sides were shredded. His beard (what was left of it) was matted with blood from them pulling it out the night before."

We walked on, our hearts so heavy that our feet felt like lead.

The Stranger kept right up with our brisk pace. We did want to reach Emmaus

before the sun set. This road was not as dangerous as some, but things around

Jerusalem were really stirred up right now, making everyone on edge.

"He said he was going away, but I didn’t think He meant dying."

"He called Himself the Good Shepherd, and said He would die for his sheep."

"Did you think He might be lying?"

"Oh, no, Jesus was incapable of lying, but....well, we just didn’t understand and

I still don’t. What is accomplished by His death? He, Himself said, the dead know

nothing...still, if He has risen...but no one has ever come back from the grave..."

"Lazarus....remember?"

"And that boy with the demons..."

"And the little gentile girl..."

"Yes, the daughter of Jarius."

"Suppose He was God’s son...would that change things?" offered the Stranger

"That’s Who we believed Him to be, but how could God die? We thought He

would live forever."

"Would you die, sacrifice your life, for someone, anyone else?"

"What good would that do? I am just a man! Exodist tells us a man is responsible

for his own sin...no one else’s."

"God doesn’t die."

"Why do you bring the Passover Lambs? Why are they presented to the Priest

without blemish?" The Stranger was intent.

"You know the scriptures well...it is from Moses day and to be kept every year,

God said, until the messiah comes."

"Will you go on killing lambs?"

We walked on, going over and over the things we had been taught all our lives.

The sun was lower and that gnawing in our stomachs. We were happy to see Emmaus in the road and since our destination was on this edge of town we started

to turn toward it, cutting across a field. The Stranger walked on.

"Oh, don’t go on...You’re tired, we know. Come. We’ll have a little food."

He turned back toward us. Something familiar about His form...His eyes.

He came towards us. We implored Him to come along.

When we reached the house there was food already cooked and bread just fresh

from the oven.

We sat down together. We asked Him to bless the food. He took the bread in

His hands and began...

That’s when we saw! We saw it all, the wounds, the familiar breaking, the blessing~

begun the way we had heard so many times before!

We didn’t even get a word out before He was gone! I don’t mean He walked away.

He was just gone!

How we lamented! Why hadn’t we seen, understood? We were walking with the

Lord and too dull to catch it! Then we were right! We should have known for didn’t our hearts burn within us as we walked along that road? Wouldn’t our hearts burn forever and ever?

What a zeal flew through our bodies, so tired a moment before...but now! Hope

had shone her face! We left our loved ones after only a moments embrace and ran the way back to Jerusalem ~ to the other disciples, for we couldn’t tell them soon enough! The world was changed forever! Hope was alive! We had not been fools following some false teacher. Our allegiance to Jesus was honored and rewarded. We were some of the first to know what the whole world would soon come to know, for news like this can’t be hidden in a corner.

All the beautiful words came flowing through our minds, all the covered things were

uncovered - no more seeing through a glass, darkly ~ our ears and eyes and understanding were so alive! "I go to prepare a place for you..." He had said..."In My Father’s house are many mansions..." He said the Comforter was coming! He said, "I, if I be lifted up....shall draw all men unto Me!"

Remember when He asked if we would also leave? Peter ha asked, "Lord, to Whom

would we go? Thou hast the words of eternal life..." Truly, truly, it all made sense now, and we could say as we had heard the centurion say on the hill...

"He was.... the Son ...of God." Yes,...He IS the Son of God!

Joan Clifton Costner

jody@ptsi.net

copyright

http://underhiswings0.tripod.com
http://www.heavenlypoetry.com

~**~**~

Readers Feedback

Whisper of Love by Aro is certainly an inspiration to all of us pet lovers.
Thanks
Mark Crider

 Great point made by Amanda Wallin!  I have been diagnosed with everything from Multiple Personality Disorder, Bipolar Disorder, to Depression and even Borderline Personality.  I have been prescribed Prozac, Effexor, Zoloft, Trazadone, Paxil, Celexa, and so many more I can't remember them all.  None of them helped me.  Most made me sick and some made me really crazier to the point that I couldn't even think straight.  I think that's why people stop taking them.  I know I did.  I tried St. John's Wort, which did nothing.  I have asked for Zanex which I know would keep me calm as I have taken it before but since it is addictive my doctor won't prescribe it.  Thing is, I know my answer is not in a bottle of medicine.  There is no happy pill, unfortunately, so I have just decided to do my very best to remain positive and stay in the moment.  That doesn't always work for me, however, and would welcome any suggestions.                                                                     Blessings, Sharlett Hunt

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