Storytime Tapestry Newsletter

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

January 26, 2008

Today’s Announcement

Don’t forget to order your copy of Angels Watching Over Me, the story of an ordinary woman facing less than ordinary challenges.  Angels Watching Over Me is a story of family love, sacrifices, poverty and an undying faith that makes heroes out of all of us. Here is the link in case you have forgotten it: http://www.lulu.com/content/964306

Important notice: Storytime Tapestry is a free e-zine, however donations are always needed to help with the operating expenses of running the newsletter and to keep Storytime Tapestry the quality newsletter you are so accustomed to.   You can make your donations to paypal at: winterose@videotron.ca, or if you would prefer to use the mail system contact the publisher at the same email address: winterose@videotron.ca

Today’s Stories

  ~**~**~

GIVING YOUR LIFE AWAY

By: Joseph J. Mazzella

     Sometimes the greatest lessons in life come at the oddest moments. One of mine came when I was helping to harvest our gardens as a boy. We had four of them and they took a lot of work.  In the fall, however, they produced more than enough vegetables for the whole year. Every year my Dad would separate a part of them to share with friends and people in the community. One time while we were loading up a bag full of corn to take to a needy family I asked my Dad why we always gave so many of our vegetables away. He said, "Son, not everyone has as much as we do. They can use our help. Besides, if we didn’t give these vegetables away they would just go to waste." Now that I have been on this world a lot longer I can see the wisdom in my Dad’s words. I can see too that they apply not just to vegetables but to our entire lives.

     What good are our lives, after all, if we don’t give them away? What good are the things we have if they just go to waste? We all come into this world naked and shivering with nothing. We can take nothing with us when we leave here either. Our lives and possessions then are only momentary gifts. They have meaning only when we share them and use them to help others.

     In fact, the real riches of life come from every act of giving, helping, and sharing we do. These true riches are love, joy, and oneness with God. They are the wealth of the spirit and the treasures of Heaven. The best thing about them too is that they never run out. The more you give them away, the more God pours them into your heart, soul, and mind.

     Don’t let your life go to waste. Give it away. Give it joyously in service to others. Give it lovingly in service to God. Give your money, your time, your talents, your help, your skills, your energy, and your love. Give without fear knowing that God will always give you back even more. Make yourself rich in the treasures of Heaven and bring a little Heaven to Earth as well

Joe Mazzella

joecool@wirefire.com

~**~**~

I AM AFRAID

Dr. Harmander Singh

            He was afraid of going to bed. He felt sleepless after 10 o'clock. He woke up his younger sister who just went to sleep. She was not able to know why he woke her up.

"What is wrong with you, Tony?” she asked him.

"I'm afraid,” he replied with fear.

"What are you afraid of?” she said and came to him for not knowing what was wrong.

"I'm afraid of the terrible dream that I saw last night,” he said fearfully.

"Don't be silly. I will not happen again. You are just afraid of it because you feel alone. Why do not you pray before going to bed?” she asked.

"Oh My God, I forgot even to pray. Should we pray together, please?” he requested.

"O Dear God! Bless us with good sleep so that we should be able to surrender you and fill us with great love of yours which you are bestowing though Mother Nature. Please bless us to be a tune with the night and the day to follow, so that we should be able to love your creation with love of harmony and peace. Amen,” they prayed.

"Thank you, my dear sister,” he thanked her.

"You're always welcome,” she said with a smile.

            He slept without any fear. Next morning he was beyond this disharmony to say that he was afraid of something. He knew the meaning of harmony.

Daily Moral Insight for a Peaceful Night

Is not it a good idea to pray before going to bed?

Is not fear of God remover of all fears?

Is not praying together give harmony?

Is not it that Mother Nature cares?

Is not fear just a sate of mind, which we can fix with prayers?

Dr. Harmander Singh

bhagouauty@gmail.com

~**~**~

Rope-jumping Lesson

Jennifer Oliver

I'm a plus-sized woman...which makes me positive, right?

One time I overheard one of my coworkers, this petite little bird, telling this other coworker that whenever she went shopping, she always had a hard time finding a size six that fit her just right.

"What a coincidence!" I chimed in.  "I have the same problem!"

Growing up, I had always been known as "skinny Jenny."  The stressors of college led me down a path lined with divine chocolates as I crammed for finals.  The stressors of motherhood led me to pesto pasta heaven.  Before you can say "type II diabetes," my bathroom mirror began telling me the sad and painful truth.  I'd morphed into a trophy wife of the Michelin man.

When my daughter was two years old, I found her trying to jump rope.  She kept swinging the rope over her head and stomping on it.  She couldn't get a handle on it.  Her brothers were too busy jumping rope to show her how, so I took it upon myself to teach her.

I did a few clumsy cycles and was surprised to see that it was very much like learning to ride a....well, a mechanical bull.

Still jumping, I turned around to find a captive audience.  All four of my children were bug-eyed.  

Mommy jumping rope? 

I could see myself through their eyes.  Sort of like watching a little elephant with breasts flopping together like click-clacks.

My oldest son, Cody, had this awed smile on his face, the kind reserved for those huge chocolate milkshakes.  I will never forget what he said for as long as I shall live and breathe.

"Momma!  You look beautiful like the rainbow!"

I stopped jumping rope as tears welled up in my eyes.

He added, "And...and your body is made of hearts!"

George Bernard Shaw was onto something when he said, "People are always blaming their circumstances for what they are.  I don't believe in circumstances.  The people who are going to get going this world are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want, and if they can't find them, MAKE THEM."

A circumstance does not define you.

You are a human being first.

I am a human being first...who happens to have a body made of hearts.

Jennifer Oliver

 Poetry Corner

~**~**~

 Why Are You Here?

Conrad S. Cardinal

Are you on the earth for a reason?

Or just here to enjoy each season?

Is there something you should be

attending to?

Or should all your endeavors be only

for you?

Jesus said that we should love one

another.

Shouldn't we be treating each one

we meet as a sister or brother?

From time to time each of us needs

a helping hand.

Someone to really listen and under-

stand.

If we reached out to just one person,

the world would be a different place.

Most of us would probably have a

smile on our face.

Perhaps this is the reason we're here.

HE wants to see if we can learn to care.

Conrad

cconseth@aol.com

~**~**~

Something to Ponder

Conrad S. cardinal

Something that has helped me along my

weary way,

Believing Jesus understands my plight

and what I face each day.

HE knows the ups and downs I face.

He came to earth to walk the walk, as

a man he took his place.

There is something I ponder, the relation-

ship between husband and wife.

This is quite different than others we face

in life.

Men and women so different, the way we

think and feel.

The problems this creates at times, seems

to be unreal.

This relationship is so important in this life,

I wonder and would ask, did Jesus have

a wife?

Conrad

cconseth@aol.com

 Carol, thanks for publishing Janet Perez Eckles' newsletter! After reading it below, I immediately subscribed to Splash of Inspiration, and have already received a confirmation email. What a wonderful newsletter she has! Also, the graphics, Janet's photo and everything else came out great in Storytime Tapestry! Thanks again for publishing Janet Eckles' newsletter :) Rosanne Publisher / Editor / Author

The Cat's Meow for Writers & Readers Ezine TM

Now On Sale: Mirrored Images; www.rosannecatalano.net

I know this fine author (Janice Perez Eckles).  I found her on a site for visually impaired folks like me.  She has a truly inspiring life story.

Chris

Dear Carol,

We always enjoy most of your writers. We especially enjoyed Joe Walker's
story of,
'NATURAL, ORGANIC, 100 PERCENT WHOLESOME HUGGING' that we read in
tonight's e-mail! Joe is right, a HUG can just about cure anything! And
this world needs more of them! Thanks Joe for a very uplifting story,
and we will be doing more HUGGING and hope that the rest of the world
will start too! We'd all surely be in much better shape and a LOT
happier if we did...:)

Gratefully,
Andy & Barbara Hinman

Hey,  Carol and all, you are all so nice to me, I am so touched and I feel so blessed that you like my work!
 
Yes, the story of the Shipwreck is in the Bible -  (Acts of the Apostles) - and so.... truth to tell, I have just written an "I was there" letter for the Passionists' site, and of course, since my birth name is Antonia, which just happens to be a Roman name too.... I used that one.
 
Good morning from Malta!
 
 
Tanja

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, Charlotte Hilliard, Maria Keller, Marilyn Sink, Victor Buhagiar, Clarice Hinson, Conrad Cardinal,