Storytime Tapestry Newsletter

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

March 30, 2007

Today’s Announcements

A happy birthday wish goes out to our wonderful writer and friend, Ron Gold: outthinkresumes@aol.com

Queens, NY

Groopman Honored For 17K+ Volunteer Service Hours
(L. to r.): George Napolitano, representing Congressmember Carolyn Maloney, Cynthia Groopman, holding the 114th Civ-OP Presidential Award, Jim Pollock, president of the 114th Civ-OP, City Councilmember Peter F. Vallone Jr. and Michael Sais, representing Assemblymember Michael Gianaris.




City Councilmember Peter F. Vallone Jr. joined representatives of other local elected officials to honor Cynthia Groopman with the 114th Police Precinct Civilian Observation Patrol (114th Civ-OP) Presidential Award. Groopman received the award last Wednesday morning, March 21, at the Peter Della Monica Senior Center in Astoria. Groopman has worked with the Civ-OP for 15 years, racking up more than 17,000 hours of volunteer service.

My sincerest prayers and thoughts go out to everyone, so very sad to read about the three children of one family may gods arms comfort them all.  I have been guilty of feeling alone and depressed over my problems and ask for  forgiveness...  Sometimes the burdens seem so heavy to bear and we forget that we are NOT alone. God bless you all. Violet: violetsrblue7@hotmail.com

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Today’s Stories

~**~**~

HOPE FOR THINGS UNSEEN

by Ellie Braun-Haley   

When I cleared my calendar to spend time with my sister after her hip replacement I had no idea of the immeasurable gift God was about to send.

My sister, Dorothy is the third oldest child of nine children, an outgoing brunette with a winning smile and great disposition. I arrived a year and a half after her, a blonde mischievous kid, curious about everything and often a pest to my older siblings. Like our mother, Dorothy is a joy to be around. She chooses to look at the sunny side of life. I was looking forward to spending time with her as I drove the four and half hour trip south.

On her first night home we laughed sharing childhood memories. As we talked I noticed that my sister continually rubbed at her injured leg. When I asked her about it, she replied, ”Oh Ellie, I’m worried about the circulation.” I felt her leg and gasped. The leg was swollen and unyielding; it felt as solid as a fencepost. Now we were both concerned!

That night as I got ready for bed I knelt to pray for Dorothy, “Please Heavenly Father if there is anything I can do for my sister, please show me.”

Earlier I had spotted a 1993 edition of “Chicken Soup for the Soul” in my sister’s library and that night I took it to bed to read. I read randomly and as I read through my fourth choice, a story on healing by Mark Victor Hansen, I was overcome with a warm sensation in the chest. I knew I was being told how to help my sister.

The next morning I told Dorothy about Mark Victor’s experience in being a part of a miraculous event for a dying teenager. Then I told my sister I was to do the same thing to help her circulation and encourage her leg to heal.

As I spoke to my sister that morning I felt awkward and unsure of her response. I’d never done anything like this before and I was acting on faith yet how on earth was my sister going to receive this? I stuttered and stammered through my explanation telling Dorothy, “I don’t have a clue what I’m doing.”

She didn’t ridicule me, nor look at me as though I’d soon be admitted to a psyche ward for an adjustment. She smiled at me and said, “Let’s try Ellie.”

I’d never been so grateful for my sister’s easygoing attitude as I was at that moment. She trusted me and appeared to have confidence in a positive outcome. The room seemed to be filled with a mixture of exhilaration and trepidation. I felt dizzy with anticipation. I was full of hope for things unseen, wanting so much to help my sister yet I had no idea of what would happen.

I rubbed my hands together vigorously for some fifteen seconds then held them one or two inches above my sister’s injured leg. Slowly and consciously I moved my hands back and forth hovering slightly above the leg. Suddenly I opened my mouth in shock, wanting to describe what I suddenly felt yet I was momentarily speechless. Then, with a half laugh, and in absolute awe, I asked my sister if she could feel anything, for by now a strong, beautiful energy was pulsing back and forth between my hands and her leg. It was magnificent, exhilarating, an experience like no other on earth.

I looked up at my sister, wanting her to feel the same thing, hoping she too could feel God’s hand in this event! “Oh Dorothy, can you feel that? I asked.

At first she indicated that she could feel nothing then within seconds her eyes lit up and with a look of excited surprise she said, “Ellie, it is so powerful, I expect to see sparks!”

Now I felt beyond high, for we both were experiencing the same phenomenon. I continued to keep my hands moving up and down the swollen leg while the incredible, pulsing energy remained constant. When I was done, there was no need to ask if the leg was better. It was.

We didn’t speak of this event for months. I guess I never asked the question because what ever was going to happen was in God’s hands. Eventually I asked my sister to describe what she felt that day. Though it was more than eighteen months later I did not miss the awe in her voice, the reverence!
In her words: “The whole thing was peaceful, satisfying and fulfilling. It seemed like there was something hovering over me. It was very powerful and I experienced such a feeling of love. The pain just seemed to dissolve.”

Trustingly, I had asked for a way to help my sister. Blindly and with faith we had gone forward, not knowing where we would be led. We shared something of God that day, an experience that we shall gratefully treasure and one that will never leave our memories

Ellie Braun-Haley
Postscript
Today, Dorothy’s health is good and she walks well with her new hip. She and I share a beautiful closeness, with one another and with God. That day in my sister’s home when I felt the pulsing energy I didn’t think of what good might happen for my sister in the future, I only knew we were in His loving presence. God had heard my prayer and was with us that day.

Ellie Braun-Haley
shaley@telusplanet.net

ELLIE presents talks for 2007 and 2008 on her two books and on a topic dear to her heart, THE POWER OF PRAYER. Besides her books, Ellie writes short stories as a hobby, using events in her life to draw on. She is the author of four books and has had numerous short stories published, three of which can be read in Chicken Soup for the Soul with two more out in 2007. She says her family and God are her inspiration. She may be reached at shaley@telusplanet.net Married to an anthropologist, Ellie is the mother of three children.
Look for books by ellie Braun-Haley at this link
http://www.evrcanada.com/creek.html
About Ellie Braun-Haley

Inspirational Speaker and Author of:
"A Little Door, A Little Light"

Poetry Corner

~**~**~

Just Like Me & You

David Fox

We focus too much on nationality

and ignore a personality

There's no room in this world for cruelty and hatred,

Differences are to be celebrated

So what if you're a different race?

A human's a human despite the color of their face,

Asian, Hispanic, Black, White or Jew,

Inside everyone's the same

Just like me and you.

(c) David Fox

Your friend,

David Fox

davidirafox@yahoo.com

Storytime Tapestry subscriber

~**~**~

Readers Feedback

Carol: it broke my heart today to read Violet's message. I and maybe others too, might not send messages of courage when prayers are requested, however, I, always elevated those prayer to God for action. The fact that Jazmin is doing better is a witness of the power of united prayer... Violel, I am glad to hear Jazmin is doing better. That's the power of united-silence prayer. Hang in there kiddo.... God is in control!  Tannia

To family needing German help for son!

GruB Gott!

Ich heiBe Vance Agee, dozent des deutschen; 2.Schuldirektor pensioniert; Lewsiton - Buffalo - Niagara Falls. Ich lernte/studiete Deutsch 7 Jarhe. Ich verdiente den Preiz des Middlebury College im Aufsatz (nicht die deutshen Studenten!) Habe den Magister gemacht (arbeite noch an dem Doktor). Ich habe Deutsch 2 Jahre am Houghton College gelehrt; auch zwei Jarhe an der Philadelphia-Montgomery Christian Schule; und fuenf Jarhe an Pembroke High School in Corfu, NY. Habe Deutschland 6mal besucht.

If your son would like on-line Aufsatz (comp) help, he is welcome to send me his Aufsaetze for correction!

Alles Gute!
Im Namen Christi
Vance Agee (please Google name)

I too would like to add my comment of hilarity to the one about Dianna Dole Petry's "Cookies Anyone". I laughed all the way through it and could imagine the mess she had to clean up and the charred cookies. Bless you, Dianna for that story. It warmed my heart.

Nell Berry

louis_berry@bellsouth.net

David, Loved this walk down memory lane via numbers.

Reminded me of the time I shared my new letters behind my name & a friend sent me a note addressed:

Constance L. Gilbert, RNC, BSPA, CDONA/LTC, FDONA, M-O-U-S-E   

Storytime Tapestry Angels

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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, Mariane Holbrook, Mary Ellen Grisham, Louise Nomani, Sharon Bryant, Angela Walker, Hart and Helen Dowd, Keith Ready, Ginger Morgenstern, Ellie Braun-Haley, Surinder Jandu, Bob Shaw, Carol Meeks