Storytime Tapestry Newsletter

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

July 15, 2007

Today’s Stories

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WHAT I LEARNED FROM BAKING AN APPLE PIE

Pamela Garlick

It was a crisp cool day in autumn. My father had dropped off some apples a couple of days earlier and I knew what that meant – it was time for apple pie. It had become a family tradition that we have an apple pie supper at least once in autumn. I figured this day was perfect for it.

My mind drifted as I baked. I often said baking and cleaning were dangerous territory for me. They both gave me too much time for reflection. Too often through the years my reflections weren’t very positive.

However on this day, my mind drifted philosophically, relating each task to something spiritual. The crust was the Lord’s protection, like a hedge around our life, keeping all the sweetness and goodness inside only to be shared at the proper time.

Then I reached into the bag of apples, smiling as I pulled out the first plump, ripe fruit. It looked so perfect. I smiled thinking of Jesus, and knowing he was perfect and how we as Christians can only strive for such perfection, knowing we will always fall short.

As if to prove that the next apple I pulled out of the bag had a slight bruise in one spot. Yes, so many of us have been bruised by life leaving us less than perfect. Some more than others, as was the case with the next few apples I pulled out of the bag.

Oh but as I cut into these apples, removing the scarred fruit, I thought of how we needed to cut out the scarred fruit in our lives. Those bruises on the fruit would only lead to rot, and no one wanted that. Likewise, we could not let it ruin us and those around us. No, whether natural family or church family, we wanted our pie to be delicious when it was cut open and shared.

My biggest lesson that day, however, came as I dug deeper into the bag and found an apple that was truly rotten. My hand froze as I was about to throw it away, I was suddenly reminded of several Bible stories that had always plagued me.

For example when God had ordered Joshua to wage war on the tribes of Canaan, totally destroying them. Not even leaving a remnant of the people. Not woman. Not child. Not infant. Not even cattle. It always seemed such a harsh judgment just because God wanted to give their ground to His chosen people. Okay, besides the fact it was all God’s land to do with as He chose, and I knew that, I still had a question.

As a relatively new Christian I’d even asked my pastor about it once, distressed that the God I’d always thought of as the nice guy, could be so unreasonable. Why not just ask the other people to move or offer to buy them out. I mean, sure they were pretty detestable people, but in my book, His chosen people weren’t sparking examples of faithful followers.

"That’s just one of those questions we’ll have to ask God when we get to heaven," my pastor had replied.

I would add that to my list, I’d thought. Also thinking, once I got to heaven I probably really wouldn’t care about the answers any more.

Well, like those tribes, I threw out that rotten apple and reached into the bag for another, only to find it too was partially rotten. In fact, every apple that had been beside the rotten one in the bag had bad spots on them. Some so bad they couldn’t be saved. They too were thrown into the trash.

I sighed, thinking it was kind of obvious what lesson I should get from that. It could have been coming from my mother’s lips. "You hang around with bad apples, you’ll turn bad too."

So my mind drifted back to another of those Biblical stories I’d heard. This one told by Chuck Swindell as he spoke on the book of Ester. Ester 3 tells about Haman, who in this story is the rotten apple, and how he starts stirring up trouble for the Jews – Almost like he had a personal vendetta against them.

Swindell revealed that was exactly the case. Haman was the son of an Agagite. Okay, there were so many ‘ites’ in the Bible, I had difficulty telling one from the other without a program. So I got out my program – in this case my study Bible – and after reading several possibilities for exactly what the title "Agagite" could mean, I saw the one most seemed to think was correct. It refers to Agag, king of Amalek.

Both names rang a bell, so I turned to 1 Samuel 15 and ‘Aha!’ I realized why. The Amalekites were one of those tribes that God had ordered to be totally destroyed. -- You know one of those tribes I thought God might have been a little hard on. Even thinking He had been pretty tough on Saul for not following His exact orders when he captured Agog rather than killed him.

It wasn’t until I reached back into the bag of apples and pulled out several more with very tiny spots just beginning to go bad, it finally sank in. Evil begets evil. A very rotten apple that remains next to several good apples will eventually rot them too. It never works the other way around no matter how we wish it might.

And even those that only have a tiny spec of rot can look forward to eventually becoming totally consumed with stinky, smelly fruit that is not good for anything but the trash or the compost pile.

The compost pile. . . Might that be symbolical for that place none of us want to end up? – Well that is a subject for another day. As for this day, I had already given myself more than enough to think about.

Yet, later as I cut into that crisp, golden crust, revealing the delicious, sweet filling inside, I couldn’t wait to share it. And to share what I learned that day.

While it is our job to go out into the world and help bring the lost to Jesus, we still must remember that when there is so much evil inside someone that it can in no way be cut out, we are dealing with someone that could just as easily take us to the compost pile with them. That doesn’t mean we give up on them, but we must protect ourselves; and if we can’t we have to try a different tactic.

Yes, we must surround ourselves with a strong faith, Bible study, plenty of prayer, and with the good fruit of fellow believers if we want to produce a good, wholesome life. A life that others will want to share.

Pamela Garlick

K_P_Garlick@msn.com

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This I Believe # 19
Bill Walker
missourisage@yahoo.com

This I believe, I have been reading what many people in this land say are the problems and I think they are right. We need a return to before F.D.R. His ideas was all bunk anyways. This I Believe.

We need a return to brother can you spare a dime days. People either had a job, or did without. We need a return to the speak easy joints. You know bootleg days of booze. We need a return to the days of working 12 hour days, 6 days a week for 10 dollars a week. We need a return to the days of sweat shops. We need a return of the days of old age
pension; that would be a couple dollars a week.

The good old days, a loaf of bread for a dime or less, and gasoline for 7 cents a gallon; Ford model A for 450 dollars. Be a heck of lot less cars on the road. At the wages of those days, who had 450 dollars?  Henry didn't have easy pay plans in those days. And the tight wad banker sure wasn't going to put a loan on one of those tin cans.

Yes my very Conservative friend, we need a return to the good old days. This I believe. The Liberals has taken us down the road of better times, better living and done away with many of the things we enjoyed back in the great crash of 1929. This I believe.

We should remember this there needs to be a mix of the two, the Conservative nor the Liberals have all the answers. There will be a leap forward if both sides go middle of the road. You have to be a bit Liberal in any thing, you also need to be a bit on the Conservative about anything To be all one way makes for troubles. This I believe.

I don't think for a minute F.D.R. meant to give away the store. I think if you looked at the over all record, he wanted to put people back to work. If people are working, they can pay taxes, and have a better way of life. I don't think he wanted a free ride for anyone. With government aid there would be work. This I believe.

I think right now one of the problems we are faced with is the work just isn't there. Why is this? For one thing it has become the thing to close down the factory, and the CEO ships the factory elsewhere on the globe. Who caused this? Well lump the Liberals, and the Conservatives into the same boat. Each wanted a bigger slice of the pie, in fact both wanted most of the pie. That just doesn't work.

I blame both the Liberals and the Conservatives for the troubles. Both would like to have 5 slices out of the pie, and let the other have the remaining slice. It just doesn't work that way.

This I Believe.
Tinker and Poo; The Boys Write
http://www.iuniverse.com/bookstore/book_detail.asp?&isbn=0-595-35741-5

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Poetry Corner

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Dislikes

Cynthia Groopman

Many dislikes, I claim to possess,

Some interfere with the quality of life, joy and happiness.

When a person disparages another,

I feel disgusted and my spirit begins to shudder.

After gossip and idle talk were uttered,

My heart unhappily flutters.

When a person is treated in hateful or prejudicial ways,

I feel bad and angry all day.

When rain spoils one's joyous parade                        

Foiling and thwarting happy plans previously made,

I am disappointed as you can see,

That is why feelings of dislike overpower me.

I must try to put dislikes aside,

Only gladness and joy in my heart must forever reside.

Cynthia Groopman

Cynthia.Groopman@verizon.net

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  A Gem Of A Day
Cynthia Groopman

As the sun glitters and sparkles it shines like a diamond so bright,
That is caressed by the warmth of the gentle alluring sunlight.
For the blue sky is happily singing,
A melodic song of joy as the bell of gladness is sweetly ringing.
Accompanied by the elegant chants of the merrily chirping birds,
The gentle breeze whispers melodic words.
To possess and to marvel at a gem of a day is indeed so precious and so dear,
Adorning our cup of life with splendid charm and enchanted cheer.

 
Cynthia Groopman
Cynthia.Groopman@verizon.net
Copyright ©2004 Cynthia L. Groopman

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What A Song Can Do 
Cynthia Groopman

A song can evoke a smile,
As it eases the pain and sorrow for a while.
A song can transport us into a gentle and happier time,
When our childhood days were filled with sprightly dancing rhythms and rhymes.
A song can enliven and brighten a weeping heart,
As sunshine's laughter each lyric and melodic note will mirthfully impart.
So clap your hands and stamp your feet,
As we savor each tuneful song and musical treat.
For marvelous wonders, that are miracles to us, a song can do,
For hidden in each little word and note, is the glowing rainbow, of hope,
Gently embracing and caressing me and you.

Cynthia Groopman
Cynthia.Groopman@verizon.net
Copyright ©2004 Cynthia L. Groopman

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 The Wind
Cynthia Groopman

The old wind speaks in many different voices you can plainly hear,
as it angrily howls, it evokes fright and fear.
It roars like a mighty lion, suddenly set loose from its cage,
which evokes hostility, terror and rage.
It turbulently tosses everything devesting in its path,
causing destruction in its aftermath.
But the wind can become a breeze gentle and playful
allowing the little trees to merrily dance to and fro,
singing a beautiful spring time song, sweet and melodically low.
For the voice of the old wind is heard everywhere
And in the softness of a gentle breeze,
The wind's whispering voice,
Chants a silent prayer.


Cynthia Groopman
Cynthia.Groopman@verizon.net

Copyright ©2004 Cynthia Groopman

Readers Feedback

 Re I Believe #19 by Bill Walker.

Louise <windmill@tdstelme.net> wrote:

I too wish for simpler times, but I remember little Bobby who came to school dirty and hungry because there       were four siblings at home and no washing machine and not enough food. Those were not perfect times.   But I also remember the woolen mills and shoe factories that stood proudly on the riverbanks and gave pride and independence to working men and women.  They fed and clothed the families that lived in the small communities in this state. They paid taxes that built the schools and fixed the roads. Those factories have closed their doors and moved ---------------------------..So, now we have subsidized housing, fuel assistance, free school meals, free medical care for those without income.  Would I take any of those away?         No

   But, It is so clear!  We want to pay the wages of a Korean or Mexican or Indian worker, but we expect to live the high life of an American.  Somewhere here there is a huge contradiction.        How can we compete in a global economy with such a disparity of standards------------------of pay and of living costs.  I don’t personally want to make the wages of a migrant worker and live in his old trailer.  I don’t want to live like most of the world’s poor who are now making our shirts and shoes and computers. But soon they’ll be richer than us for now we have no work.    This I believe               Louise

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