Storytime Tapestry Newsletter

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

Dec 10, 2006

Today’s Queue Stories

~**~**~

An Old Friend Died

Bill Walker

missourisage@yahoo.com

Yes an old friend died, one knows their getting old, when old friends are dropping like flies all around.  Most of these old friends I never met, but these too were old friends. Some I can't remember the last time I seen them.  These are radio, and television, and movie old friends that I am thinking of. 

Most of these died some time back as to being seen and heard of.  I got to thinking about a certain one that was on the tube many years ago.  That is when the tube had people you liked to hear and watch.  Any ways I wondered what happened to the man that was on the tube every morning, Monday through Friday.  He always signed off with a smile and said one word. "Peace."  I went looking the other day, what ever became of Dave, the "Peace" man?  I see it is said he took his own life.

While I was at it I just took a look at the long list of friends I use to have.  Most has passed out of this world to the next. I never knew they were gone, just never noticed their passing I guess.  I remember these dropped out of sight and hearing one day, and was just gone. Kind of like one day the man said "good night Dave" Dave always said, "good night Chet."  This time Dave said, "good bye Chet."  It was kind of sad.   That was Chet Huntley, and Dave Brinkley.  We never seen Chet any more.  Dave is now gone also. Those was news people one could trust to tell the news. You never got some personal thinking, it was just the facts, and the news. You didn't get some brain washing on I am for Joe Blow for President and this is why,  and your nuts to be looking at that other guy like is handed out today on the tube.  You just got the facts, and the news of what is going on..  Like Edward R. Murrow's reporting. THIS.... IS LONDON.    Tonight the German planes is over head, dropping bombs on the people of this town of London.   The people are in the bomb shelters, doing little things to help one another through the night.  Some ladies are mending a pair of socks, some you see will be reading a Bible or a newspaper. While some will be working on a cup of tea.  These are tough people, these English.  Their homes may be gone, when the raid is over, but these people will live to say.. "We will never give up, we will fight on the beaches, we will fight in the streets, we will fight, and we will in the end win out, so help us GOD."   THIS IS..... LONDON.   Ed too is gone,  I can't remember when he, I last seen and heard.  But he was a true news reporter.  Don't make them like he and his kind was any more.

There was many a good person on the tube and radio, years ago, those are gone.  People that would never think of saying certain four letter words, or even giving a hint of one.  What ever news, or show that was on, you had no fear of hearing such.

The people in charge of to days news should take a step back it time and learn how to tell the news.  Just the facts, and the plain news would be wonderful to have once again

The people in charge of the TV shows would be well served to go back to the days, of old. Have some one on the par of Bob, Red, George, Matt, Kitty, Loren, Lone Stranger, or is that Ranger?  There were many, many of the old now gone people of yesterday year that knew how to do a show.   Could make you laugh, cry, and be happy you watched and heard them.  There was meaning in each and every show.   Not any more.. We have nothing but garbage.

Red used to sign off kind of like Chet and Dave.  "May God Bless."   And he didn't have to check to see if it was alright to say GOD.

Yes my old friends, may have never met them,  but never the less my old friends, gone but I haven't forgot.   "PEACE."

Tinker and Poo; The Boys Write

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

~**~**~

All from Insights from a Blind Man: Chris Hansen

Chris Hansen
E-mail Address(es):
chrishansen54@sbcglobal.net

God, the Longer I Know Him the Stranger He Gets!

By Chris Hansen

Part III

In my first article, I pondered God's all knowing nature which twists mathematical probability from 50% to 100% simply because God already knows how things will turn out; thus, making probability meaningless.  In my second article, I pondered God's all present nature which twists the laws of motion into non-motion simply because God touches all points of the universe all at once, thus rendering motion impossible.  Now, in my third article, I am pondering God's love. 

We know what love does to humans.  It's a bit of joy and insanity too.  True love drives us to take unreasonable risks for the benefit of someone else.  Love drives us to hope when all hope seems lost.  Love drives us to be patient when others would give up in exasperation.  Well, if love can do that with mere mortals, what can it drive God to accomplish!

The very nature of love is based on the complete freedom of the beloved one.  If I love someone, it soon becomes clear that I can not force my beloved to love me back.  If I could, then my love wouldn't be real.  I would be a puppeteer instead.  I would then have a love relationship with a toy, or a robot or a puppet.  That's not love.  That is a game or a fantasy, but it's not love.

So then, if God is to have a genuine love relationship with anyone, that 'anyone' must be totally free to choose.  In my first article, I pondered the question, is choice really choice when God already knows the choice?  If He knows what I will choose, then can I choose another choice?  In other words, if God already knows that I will choose to love Him, then can I choose not to do so?  Not from God's all knowing point of view.  However, from my point of view, since I don't know my choice before I make it, then I am still free to choose.  If God made me love him, and, in His almighty power, He could do just that, He would be a cosmic puppeteer.  So, God must limit His limitless power.  This goes against the very nature of God!  His nature to love is in direct conflict with His nature to be all powerful.  If God dragged me into His presence, and forced His love on me, and, He could do just that, then He would be a cosmic rapist.  Again, that's not love.  That's imprisonment.  It's a bit like the dad who took his kids to an amusement park and, when one of them cried about something trivial, the dad angrily said, "You will be happy!  Else I'll give you something to cry about!"  Obviously, that's not love either. 

If human love is patient, then surely God's love must be!  Patience implies that something might take too long.  Then, again, this goes against an almighty God's nature.  An all powerful being need never be patient.  He could simply make things happen whenever he would like.  Again, He limits His all powerful nature in order to express patience.

Now, the most twisted thing about love is the conflict between justice and mercy.  True love demands justice against wrongdoing.  If someone wrongs my beloved, I fly into a rage and I demand justice!  On the other hand, if my beloved, say, a child of mine, does something wrong, I tend to fly into protecting my little one.  I try to excuse his or her misbehavior, or minimize it, or I want to forgive.  Who hasn't been tempted not to punish a small child when that child gives you that certain look with those big tear filled eyes!  God is in the same predicament.  His perfect love simply demands that all injustice be swiftly punished!  This is in direct conflict with His intense desire to be merciful.  If He punishes, then He can not protect and nurture.  However, if He nurtures and protects His beloved one, then He can not right the wrongs done by that beloved one!  Suppose that your sweet little girl had just poisoned her sister!  Now, you have some idea of the conflict in the heart of God's nature. 

How does God solve this intense conflict!  God's mercy crashes into God's justice!  Guess who gets caught right in the middle!  Jesus Christ!  His death satisfies the justice of God.  He is guilty by association, by being human.  We arrest each gang member in a bank robbery and we don't much care who robbed, and who pulled the gun, and who looked out for the cops, and who simply stood by.  We round them all up, simply because they're all part of the criminal gang.  Well, God is like that with us criminal human beings.  We're all guilty by gang association.  We're all part of the criminal enterprise that sought to overthrow God.  God's just nature doesn't much care whether we're fallen angels, fallen humans, depraved humans, or unintentional rebels or even human-divine.  We're all rounded up!  Jesus was willing to be swept up right alongside us. 

Now, this hardly seems fair.  After all, the guilty get off scott free!  Do they?  Let's say that I am guilty, and I am!  Jesus dying a bloody death hardly lets me off the hook.  I don't say, "Jolly nice of you to die for me!" and then skip off as if nothing had happened!  No!  Instead, I am horrified at the cost of my sin!  I ponder just how wicked I must have been for such a price to be paid!  Now isn't that fair?  Should I not ponder my sin?  Doesn't that right things?  If I say I am sorry, and if I truly am sorry with a deep sense of repentance, this is a just thing.  If my child does something truly awful and, if that child comes to me in tears and is willing to make amends, I am moved with compassion (particularly when my child realizes that I must pay the consequence for his or her misdeed).  My sense of justice is satisfied, and so is my sense of mercy.  God is that way, too.  When you and I realize just how bad we are, and we are truly horrified that Jesus had to pay such a high and bloody price, and we are honestly sorry, then His sense of justice and mercy are both satisfied.

Summary: God desperately loves me.  He does not force me to love Him.  Neither does He force His love upon me.  He let's me choose.  However, I have chosen to be part of a criminal enterprise.  I am part of a race of rebels.  I do not deserve to be loved.  Yet, I am loved anyway!  God's justice demands that I see my wrongdoing for what it is.  However, His mercy demands that I be given a chance at being forgiven.  God became human and took upon Himself the brutal punishment of a Roman cross!  Now, I must choose!  Will I choose to walk away from the one who loves me?  Or, will I choose to enter into a beautiful love relationship with the one who went to such desperate measures to reach me?  I freely choose to be sorry for my wrongdoing.  I freely choose to enter into a sweet love relationship with the one who was patient and kind, when He was never required to do so! 

What do you choose?  Choose now!  Not choosing is already choosing not to take His offer!  If you would like to enter into a love relationship with Jesus, who died for you to prove His love, who rose from death, to prove His divinity, and who patiently waits for you - you might consider praying a prayer something like this one from your heart: "Jesus, I admit it!  I am part of a criminal enterprise!  You died a horrible death for me!  I am truly sorry that you had to go to such trouble to rescue me!  Please forgive me for causing you all this trouble!  Your resurrection from death gives me hope again.  I want a love relationship with you.  Please accept my love, as inadequate as it is.  You deserve so much more than I could ever give you.  Even so, I will give you all I can with your help.  Amen!"

If you sincerely prayed that prayer, may I welcome you home!  You can visit http://www.fbcmodesto.com  for more information, if you like.  Feel free to pass this article along for others. 

Further help links
http://www.reasons.org for help defending your faith
http://www.equip.org for healthy well balanced Christian materials
http://www.truthsthattransform help in reaching others and influencing our culture for good.
http://www.billygraham.org help of all sorts or phone 1-866-Jesus Cares day or night.
Many more sites are available. 

Have a blessed day!

© by Chris Hansen

Author of Grandfather's Journal

Revelation Revisited and Secret of the Psalms

Poetry Corner

~**~**~

"Almost"

Mary Dees

What did you do while I was sleepin' he said?

Did you "almost" say hello,

To that someone you've been dreamin' bout,

I never had a chance to know?

Or was it just some stranger,

That you find comfort in for spite?

Did you "almost" say 'come find me’?

To help you through this lonely night?

Did you reckon with your anger?

Did you want to see it through?

Did you Oh' did you,

Yes, I will ask that from you.

You may bow your head in silence,

He says Oh' then I'm sure to know the truth.

But she says "how can true love be your guidance".

When I asked only, faith from you you?

She finds a corner drifting,

Back to the girl she was before.

Hunched down in surrender,

Although she didn't know what for.

The shells in which she treads are feeble,

She walks delicately across each time.

He knew she was his all along, she said,

But funny, how love forgets to be kind.

By Mary M. Dees

marlena7694@yahoo.com

~**~**~

Can’t Write

Sharon Bryant

Now if only I could write

Like you do so well

I'd quit making candy

Maybe my stories would sell

But since writing was only

A childhood dream

I'll keep on making candy

And serving ice cream

Sharon Bryant

1946@bellsouth.net  

Readers Feedback

You sound a lot like me, Carol. I always wanted to be a singer and I feel I could have been with a little training and a lot of self confidence. I had neither. In fact, a lady who was the sister to my brother's first wife, told me when I was only about eleven that I couldn't even carry a tune. She was real nice!!! She thought she could sing and I was even more sure that she couldn't. So, that lowered my self esteem and self confidence to the point that I never even tried to be a singer. I loved to sing but never sang in public until I moved here. I joined church and almost immediately began to sing solo in front of the congregation. It was awful because I was so nervous and didn't really know how to sing in public. But since that time, our piano player has coached me somewhat and I have now become more confident and love to sing solo in church. I don't know if they are being nice or what but many of the congregation have expressed to me how nice my voice is and how well I can sing.  I really don't care if they are being honest with me, I enjoy singing and I know some of them really enjoy hearing me, they have asked me when I was going to sing. So, I will keep singing to the glory of God.

Blessings,

Nell

Oh my Debra & Chris, What an amazing piece! Those two inventive minds under one roof...never a dull moment I bet.  Great work!

Mary M. Dees

 Allison,

Your story "A Man of Honor' was simply breathtaking.  It brought more than one tear to my eye. I too, feel such hurt and anguish for the homeless. Now that winter has set in here in Tennessee USA where I live, I worry even more.  I think of those who are sleeping in cardboard boxes in the freezing temperatures and I pray that God will open a door for me to help them in some way.  This is surely a terrible way to live. For there, but for the Grace of God go I.  We should care. We should help. We should share what we have with others who need it, no matter how little we have to give. Even a little is often more than these folks have.

God bless you for your caring heart.

Love

Leeuna

 ~**~**~

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