Storytime Tapestry Newsletter

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

Jan 26, 2007

Today’s Announcements

The Writer's Chatroom Writing Contest!


PRIZES:
1st place: $25.00 Cash, Publication in Writer's Chatroom Newsletter and on The Prompt Writer website, and 1 copy of C. Hope Clark's book, "Just Hit Send"

2nd place: A subscription to Total FundsforWriters and publication on The Prompt Writer website

3rd place: 1 copy of Christine R. Senter's book, "Written Promptly Everyday"

Honorable Mention: A critique of your story, provided by Glenn Walker, of Writer Circle fame.


All entries will be published in our forum at least for the duration of the contest.


GUIDELINES:
NO ENTRY FEE!
Genres --All (with the exception of Poetry and R+ rated Language or Adult Content*)
Word Count --500 or under
Theme --New Beginnings (must use one of 10 provided prompts**)
Entry Deadline --March 1st
Announcement of Winners --No later than March 15th

You must be a forum member to enter. There is no charge to join the forum. http://www.writerschatroom.com/forum/

Send submissions to "renee" through our forum PM system. Put your user-name in the subject-line. Do not include your name or any other identifiable information in the text of the submission. Forum members will vote through our forum PM system.

*We reserve the right to reject any offensive material without explaination.
**Prompts are provided by Christine R. Senter and have been posted at: http://writerschatroom.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=837#837


SPONSORED BY:

C. Hope Clark of, Funds For Writers, Fame: http://www.fundsforwriters.com/  
Christine R. Senter, the Prompt Writer: http://www.thepromptwriter.com/  
The Staff at Writerschatroom: http://writerschatroom.com/  
Audrey Shaffer - http://audreyshaffer.com  
Linda Hutchinson – http://www.lindajhutchinson.com  
Renee' Barnes – http://trailerparkgazette.bravehost.com  
Glenn Walker, founder of Writerschatroom: http://www.comicwidows.com

Urgent!!  

"Warn ASAP everyone you know not to open an e-mail with "Mail Server Report" in the subject line.  This one is real!

This is a Bad Virus. Please don't open! Delete the e-mail.

This one checks out http://www.snopes.com/computer/virus/mailserver.asp and is a bona fide virus; hence, the warning. Any email with "Mail Server Report" in the subject line is a new virus And should not be opened. It comes with an attachment in 'zip format'.  Apparently, there is a Zip file attached; so, be very leery of anything with a zip file on it. The message tells you that a worm was detected in an e-mail that you Sent out and asks you to open and install the attachment to fix the Problem. DO NOT DO IT!

              It IS the problem!

You can check this out at snopes:
http://www.snopes.com/computer/virus/mailserver.asp
(This virus is called Warezov W or W32 )   
Again, go to this site and read what it says...!  

Donations are needed to help with the operating expenses of running the newsletter and to keep Storytime Tapestry the quality newsletter you are so accustomed to.   

Please note that Storytime Tapestry is a free newsletter to members and there will never be a cost for the newsletter.  Donations are purely voluntary and no member should ever feel guilty for not making a donation at this time.

Today’s Stories

~**~**~

Robin L.

Empathy in Action

Sometimes we forget to take the time to recognize the richness that defines our lives. This may be because many of the messages we encounter as we go about our affairs prompt us to think about what we don’t have rather than all the abundance we do enjoy. Consequently, our gratitude exists in perpetual conflict with our desire for more, whether we crave time, convenience, wealth, or enlightenment. Yet understanding and truly appreciating our blessings can be as simple as walking a mile in another’s shoes for a short period of time. Because many of us lead comparatively insular lives, we may not comprehend the full scope of our prosperity that is relative to our sisters and brothers in humanity.

If you find taking an inventory of your life’s blessings difficult, consider the ease with which you nourish your body and mind, feed your family, move from place to place, and attend to tasks at hand. For a great number of people, activities you may take for granted, such as attaining an education, buying healthy food, commuting to work, or keeping a clean house, represent great challenges. To experience firsthand the complex tests others face as a matter of course in their daily lives, try living without the amenities you most often take for granted. This can be a great experiment to undertake with your entire family or a classroom. Understanding working poverty can be as easy as endeavoring to buy nutritious foods with a budget of $100 for the week. If you own a car, relying on public transportation for even just a day can help you see the true value of the comfort and conveniences others do without. As you explore a life without things you may normally take for granted,! ask yourself for how long you could endure.

The compassionate gratitude that floods your heart when you come to fully realize your abundance may awaken pangs of guilt in your heart. Be aware, however, that the purpose of such an experiment is to open your heart further in gratitude and compassion. This awareness can help you attain a deeper level of gratitude that will allow you to savor and, above all, appreciate your life with renewed grace.

Robin Lee

onespiritx3@yahoo.com

~**~**~

 INVESTMENTS

By: Joseph J. Mazzella

     I have a friend who is a rich investor. He doesn’t wear thousand dollar suits, however. I have never seen him in anything but old, work shirts and blue jeans. He doesn’t drive an expensive car either. I doubt if he has ever even owned a new car. He doesn’t live in some fancy mansion on a hill. His house is old and his furniture is worn, but that doesn’t bother him at all. You see my friend is an investor in goodness. He doesn’t earn any money from it, but the dividends he receives make him one of the richest men I know.

     I remember the hug he got once when he helped an elderly lady jump start her car. It was priceless. I remember the smile he got from a young boy after he fixed the boy’s bicycle. It was worth a fortune. I remember the warm thanks he got when he helped a poor family repair their home before Winter arrived. It was a treasure beyond compare. My friend never hoards the wealth he gets back from his "good" investments, either. He just keeps reinvesting them in his community and in this world everyday of his life.

     One of the greatest things about my friend’s investments too is that we all can make them. I intend to make as many of them as I can every chance that I get. There is no risk involved either. Henry David Thoreau said, "Goodness is the only investment that never fails." Invest in some goodness today then. Help a neighbor. Share some laughter with your friends. Give a smile to everyone you meet. Take your wealth of love, joy, and oneness with God and invest it in everything you do. I guarantee you that the return on your investments will be incredible and your compound interest will be out of this world. You might even become a goodness billionaire like my friend. He knows as well as anyone what the true riches of this world and the next world really are.

Joe Mazzella

joecool@wirefire.com

~**~**~

ValueSpeak

A Weekly Column

By Joseph Walker

valuespeak@msn.com

THE FREEWAY SAMARITAN

Joe Walker

            There were a thousand reasons not to stop.

            I was running late for . . . um . . . well, whatever it was that I was running late for that day.  The freeway was busy and I didn’t want to cause an accident.  Surely the Highway Patrol would be along soon, and it’s their job to help stranded motorists, isn’t it?  And I had on my navy blue suit, with a light blue shirt and a silk tie.  Not exactly car-fixing clothes, you know?

            Let’s see – that makes 1,004 reasons not to stop.

            And here’s 1,005: I am the world’s worst auto mechanic.  Public enemy No. 1 on the AAA’s Ten Most Wanted list.  Mr. WhatsaWrench.  The first time I tried to change my car’s oil myself I did fine – until I forgot to put the new oil in.  The boys down at the garage had a big laugh over that one.  The next time, I remembered to put in the new oil – only I put it in where the power steering fluid goes.  That triggered a letter from the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Chryslers.  They suggested I get a horse.

            Don’t get me wrong.  I’m not feeling sorry for myself.  God has given me other talents to use for the benefit of mankind.  But I’m not sure how much it would have helped that lady who was stranded by the side of the freeway if I would have pulled over and burped on cue.

            So I didn’t pull over.  I drove by, just like dozens of other drivers on the freeway that day.  And I felt guilty about it.  So I turned off at the next exit and made my way back to see if I could at least give her a lift or something.  But by the time I got back to her a Hispanic gentleman had pulled in behind her and was tinkering with her car’s engine like he knew what he was doing.

            “Is there anything I can do to help?” I asked.

            “No, thank you,” the lady replied.  “This nice man says he can fix it.”

            At that moment, a voice from under the hood shouted: “OK, try it now!”

            The woman reached for the key and turned it.  The engine started beautifully.

            “It was your serpentine belt,” the man explained, wiping his hands on his pants.  “It slipped off.  It’s pretty worn.  You want to take that to a mechanic, get a new one put on.”

            The woman tried to give the freeway Samaritan some money, but he declined and waved as she drove off.  It wasn’t until we started walking toward our cars that I noticed he had five more reasons not to stop than I did; his family was sitting in the station wagon, waiting patiently.

            “Do you stop and help people like this often?” I asked.

            He shrugged.  “Somebody has to,” he said.  “What’s she going to do if nobody helps?”

            And for him that was reason enough.

            In his final sermon, given the night before his assassination, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. took as his text the Biblical parable of the Good Samaritan.  In the story, a man is attacked by thieves and left by the roadside.  Several travelers happen upon him, but they pass by.  Eventually someone does stop to help, although it is the one person who might have had a reason not to.  He is a Samaritan and the victim is a Jew.  Those folks didn’t get along any better back then than they do now.

            According to Dr. King, those who passed by the injured man were asking themselves the wrong question: “If I help this man, what will happen to me?”  The Good Samaritan stopped to help because he asked the right question: “If I don’t help this man, what will happen to him?”

            Dr. King spent a lifetime asking the right question.  If we truly want to honor his memory during this time of year and always, then we need to ask ourselves that question, too.

No matter how many reasons we think we have not to.

Poetry Corner

~**~**~

Hope's Reassuring Candle

Cynthia Groopman

With a warm reassuring glow,
A beautiful candle of hope will blossom and grow.
Amid the darkness of turmoil danger and frustration,
Flourishes the everlasting candle of hope's promise of elation.
When desolation invades life's tranquil sky with everlasting sorrow,
Hope's glorious candle will thrive with luster and joy each and every tomorrow.
For the Lord, kindles the candle of hope,
Deep within each and every heart and soul,
As hope's candle of perpetual consolation, will heal and make us whole.


Cynthia Groopman

Cynthia.Groopman@verizon.net

Copyright ©2006 Cynthia Groopman

~**~**~

The Wind's Song
Cynthia Groopman

Oh, my fair wind,
Sing a merry song to me.
One full of sprite and energy.
A whisper or a whine,
Oh, wind's song sounds like a bell's chime.
Autumn wind's song,
Thrusts and thrashes the leaves along.
Spring's wind is one of fragrance,
Full of brightness and cheerful radiance.
In the summer, on the other hand,
Wind's song cools the dry and thirsty hot land.
Winter's song is harsh and cold,
 Behaving in a manner so angry and bold.
Oh, wind's song, be gentle and kind,
For in tuneful joy, musical fun I can find.
Cynthia Groopman
Cynthia.Groopman@verizon.net

Copyright ©2006 Cynthia Groopman

~**~**~

 Look With Me
Cynthia Groopman

Oh, dear eternal Father, please repair me spiritually,
You can help me change my behavior and adopt a brand new personality.
I have done so much on my own,
But still feel inadequate and alone.
 Guidance, I truly need,
 For I tried to plant repentance's seed.
I know I can change,
 As much as I try and try,
But it is quite strange.
Often I ask myself why,
 Only pleading for forgiveness of transgressions and sins,
With a sad heart and a teary eye.


Cynthia Groopman

Cynthia.Groopman@verizon.net

Copyright ©2006 Cynthia Groopman

Readers Feedback

I absolutely agree. Today's society seems to have become infatuated with hateful and superficial bullies.

Since when do a person's looks have anything to do with their value? What powers could physical beauty possibly have to enhance ones ability to sing, act, do a job, anything?

I have known gorgeous people who were so wicked and hateful that they were ugly and repulsive to me.

I've also known less physically attractive people with hearts so filled with love and beauty that you could actually see it in their eyes. They fairly glow. That "glow" radiates out to others and is a powerful drawing force to those who are able to recognize it.

As my grandmother says, "Pretty is as pretty does."

Judging by those standards, Simon is one of the ugliest people I've ever seen. 

I'd much rather be with beautiful hearts than rotten souls, any day of the week.

Thank you for letting me know I am not the only one who feels this way.

Renee'

I Could Fly Away Part II - Thank you Michael.  Wonderful memories!  Louise
                              

Thanks for being so kind to consider and to make me a senior writer. This is a wish come true. Thanks for publishing my poems. I have found this email tapestry a tapestry of love. God bless you. Cynthia

Carol  I am keeping you in my prayers my friend.  I am sure that God will help
you to find a way to meet all of your needs.  Keep your faith strong my
friend.  Wishing you every joy, Joe

PRAYERS FOR YOU I CAN DO! I'm sooo sorry you still haven't found a job...Rosanne

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Here is our Storytime Tapestry Angels: Also, I would like to thank those of you who chose to be a silent angel and gave an anonymous donation to keep Storytime Tapestry up and running.

Clara Westerfer, Mark Crider, Rosanne Catalano, Paula Booher, Kay Seefeldt

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Surinder Jandu

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; Groopman, Cynthia; 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; Pringle, Sandra Lewis; 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

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Thelma Hartselle - Co-Founder, Moderator

Clara Westerfer – moderator