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?Storytime Tapestry Newsletter

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

Contact the publisher at: winterose@videotron.ca

September 4, 2008

Today?s Announcements

Call for submissions:? Storytime Tapestry is in need of more stories, please keep them coming in.

Help support the continued running of Storytime Tapestry join me on mylot and get paid while we talk to each other and others all over the world:? http://www.mylot.com/?ref=winterose? if the link doesn?t work just cut and paste

From my son Steven Roach:

I was thinking you should advertise the link regularly in your newsletter if the link doesn?t work just cut and paste

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http://greenhorse.com/join_now.ghc?r=177952857
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tell them it would help support the newsletter and they can earn money from it. They need to sign up and install it but they don't need to do anything else. They just do what they normally would anyways on the net and they earn money while it?s on. In other words they just keep it running while they are online. It?s small doesn't take up much system resources and they can earn more if they advertise their own link and get people under them as well. Let them know some people make 5-10$ a day on it and its been open since 2002.?

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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

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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

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?Feature Story

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? Author: Nell Berry

nellberry07@comcast.net

Word count: 1003

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Who God Is To Me

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For many years I knew not God. I was fearful of Him and worried about what punishment He would administer if I did something wrong, or if I sinned or made Him angry. I was not at all sure there was a God. But if there were, I certainly did not want to irritate Him and call down His judgment on me.

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????????? Of course, I knew I wasn?t perfect and I did do things that were wrong, as we all do. Consequently I was always in a state of feeling guilty and waiting for God to punish me. I was in a constant state of turmoil, inside; because I couldn?t seem to help myself; I couldn?t control my sinful nature. What was I to do?

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????????? Sure I prayed. I asked God continuously to forgive me and take away my sin. It was so stressful, because almost immediately I would go out and do either the same thing again or something just as sinful. Then it would begin all over again, the fear, the guilt, and the turmoil. I simply did not know how to stop sinning and not make God mad at me. I felt He was this big, big, guy in the heavens somewhere, where I knew not, that would suddenly out of the blue strike me dead with a bolt of lightening or some kind of tragic accident. I lived in fear of things I could not see. I tried to act as if I had it all together and knew God. I didn?t want anyone to see what a mess I was on the inside.

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????????? Then one day I kind of figured it out that if God were such a horrible taskmaster, He would already have struck me down by whatever means. But I was still here! I was totally healthy and had no horrible marks or no diseases of any kind. The only thing I couldn?t figure out was, if God wasn?t a hard task master who would punish me for all my sins, why then did He take my mother and father at such a young age? Was this perhaps my punishment for the ?bad? things I had done? Or was there still something ?bad? that would come upon me, if I continued to sin? Should I be still trying to please God? Should I do something ?good? to make up for the wrong I had done? How ?good? did I have to be, for so many sins I knew I had committed? Was there a certain level of ?good? I should attain to keep me f rom being punished? Would I ever be ?good enough? to make it to Heaven?

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All these things were a source of torment for me before I finally asked God to forgive my sins and made Him my Lord and Savior. Somehow from that time on, though I still didn?t know much about Him, I knew that my sins were forgiven and I need only to ask His forgiveness and repent if I committed a sin; that He is faithful and just to forgive us, when we ask Him. When He died on the cross, it was for all my sin. He paid it all. Not just for the sin I had committed before I accepted Him as my Lord and Savior and asked His forgiveness; but for all the sin I had committed or would ever commit. How good is God? Who wouldn?t love a God like that? Who wouldn?t ask forgiveness and take Him as Savior and Lord and worship Him with every breath we take? Praise You Lord!!!

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????????? God, to me is a hard taskmaster when we refuse to obey Him. When we constantly disregard His commandments and put our own lives in jeopardy by the choices we make. Only because He loves us so does He insist on obedience to His word; obedience and being faithful to taste and see that He is good by living our lives in accordance with His word; by being faithful to read and fellowship with Him through His word daily. God does not call down some kind of punishment when we sin.? If we let Him take control of our lives and live according to His word, He is a forgiving God; a God of love and mercy and grace.

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Our sin is punishment enough. The consequences of sin are always death; death to ourselves and death to our spirit and separation from God. Unless we repent and ask forgiveness immediately when we sin and with the help of the Holy Spirit do not continue to commit that same sin, we are bound to be punished by the natural consequences of sin, mostly sins of the flesh, which are sexual sins such as lust, adultery, fornication, pornography, etc. We can all see what the natural consequences of those sins are; a continual disregard for the feelings of others; a drawing back from the word of God; a backslidden condition; broken marriages; disease; broken homes and homeless families and children. These are the hallmarks of sexual sin; not just sexual sin, but other more subtle forms of rebellion such as lying; stealing; or more violent crimes against society. But of course, if we do not repent and ask God?s forgiveness, we will be found guilty and relegated to a sinner?s Hell, a place God has prepared for the devil and His demons as the Bible says.

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????????? Since I met the Master and asked Him to take control of my life, I now know He loves me with an unconditional love and will always forgive me when I ask Him to. No, I am not yet perfect and won?t be as long as I am a sojourner on this earth. But I know if I do slip and fall, which I have and do, He is faithful and just to forgive my sin, when I humble myself and ask His forgiveness.

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That is Who God is to me.

nellberry07@comcast.net

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Anniversary

BJ:? Diana have you seen Rudy?? I have looked high and low for that guy?

Diana:? No, I haven't seen him or Katie for several hours.

BJ:? I expect that Katie is running around somewhere.

Sandi:? No daddy, I think Katie and Rudy are off together.

BJ:? What!? That is unusual.? Put your sniffer on and let's track them
down.? I hope they haven't been picked up by the law.

Outside Sandi catches the scent and off they go...through the woods,
over the hills and by the lagoon.

Sandi:? There they are.

BJ:? Let's sneak up and see what they are doing... be quiet.

Katie:? Then it was about that time when Diana brought me into her house.
Boy that changed my life.? I still hadn't met father yet.

Rudy:? How about another brew?

Katie:? Sure thing ole buddy.

Rudy:? Burp!? Never seen you drink brew before Katherine...It is always
wine coolers.?

Katie:? Today is a special day...it is my annie,, anny,, anniversary with the
family.? I could have expired several times before today.

Rudy:? You have an expiration date?

Katie:? No no silly, I have been ill a few times, but father fought for and with
me.? He is a swell (hic) guy.? We should be heading back ... burp!? he will
be missing us.

Rudy:? Okay, give me about five more minutes..I need to get my eyes clear.

BJ whispering to Sandi:? Let's head on back and let them have their time,
okay?

Sandi: Sure daddy, I understand..

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The Herd from Guthrie

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B.J. Cassady

bjcassady@cox.net

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Poetry Corner

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?Never

Cynthia Groopman

Never regret what you did do or say,

Never behave in a rude or nasty way.

Never dwell on?the misgivings of the past,

Always let the good times and fond memories last.

Never criticize or hate,

Another's misfortune you shall never rejoice or celebrate..

Never cry when you are down,

Think of a silly joke and a smile vanishes the frown.

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Never be angry or annoyed at what you do,

Remember that after a rainstorm skies become clear and blue.

Never rush and always be calm,

Never panic or sound the alarm.

always be assured that God is watching? over you,

Angels are always there seeing you through.

By: Cynthia Groopman

cynthia.Groopman@verizon.net

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New Section: Native Elder's Meditation ? This section will be filled from time to time with the contributions of Jeff Ricky Cheeks.?

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New Section: Torah Studies ? This section will be filled from time to time with Jewish teaching.

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From the Mailbox

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Carol?s Corner

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Gogo Boots and Fishnet Stockings

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Carol,
??? You remind me of myself my friend.? When I was younger people always thought I was wise for my age,
and treated me as older and more mature than my years.? Now that I am older some people say that I
act too young for my age.? I guess these souls of ours never truly match the age of the bodies that
carry them around.? Wishing you every joy, Joe

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Well Cheese on Bread!

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Inspirations ? Joe Mazzella Column

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Carol,
??? You are a true angel my friend.? I am always amazed at how quickly you send
this column out after I mail out my article.? Know in your heart that all that you
are doing in this life is making this world a better place.
???? May you pack well for this journey and the next.? Wishing you many suitcases
full of love and joy, Joe

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, Marilyn Sink, Victor Buhagiar, Clarice Hinson, Conrad?

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