STORYTIME
TAPESTRY
The Newsletter
devoted to spreading love and cultural awareness throughout the
world
May 26,
2005
This newsletter is
not the usual format today.
The poetry section
will appear first in this newsletter because we have two wonderful poems written
for Bill Walker as a tribute to his best friends, Tinker and Poo. Then we have a cute little poem about a
Teddy Bear from our Kathy Baker.
Joanne Szczepura is does not see herself as
a writer is providing us with some stories about her most embarrassing
moments. Some readers might be
squeamish therefore it is a reader beware newsletter. But I am sure most of you will love the
stories as much as I do.
Now on to
the good stuff..........
Animal awareness
series endorsed by Shiloh and Hank our
mascots; all stories must receive their approval.
Poo, My
Friend
I once had a friend,
Poo was his name
He meant the world to
me
He was a sweet as he
could be
And knew that
word...loyalty
Oh, he would never
leave me
He was as loving as
anyone
He taught me how to
just relax
To live and to have
fun
We went for walks out
in the park
And for drives in the
country side
He loved it when the
wind would blow
Yes, he surely
enjoyed his rides
I never had to scold
him
Well, maybe once or
twice
But he was the most
effectionate friend
And treated me quite
nice
He would dance
and prance around
When he would come
inside
And watched as I ate
my lunch
As I watched the
news...cuddled by my side
Yes, Poo was a dearly
beloved friend
One who brought me so
much joy
He loved to romp and
play with me
And with Tinker...my
other boy
They may have been
little people
With four little legs
and fur
But before they went
to the Rainbow Bridge
They were my
babies...yes they were
Poo is waiting for me
now
In that beautiful
place in the sky
And the moment I get
to meet him there
He will run to me and
bark... Here am I
He will give me
sloppy wet kisses
And wag his little
tail
Then he will prance
around for me to follow
As he leads me over
the Rainbow Dale
Jene Lind
imauthor4u@aol.com
~**~**~
Tinker my
Boy
Tinker my
boy,
We enjoyed so
much
You once were so soft
And furry to
touch
I loved your brown
eyes
And your short little
yip
You were my buddy
I thought you were
hip
You were so, so
friendly
Your little eyes
bright
When I let you go out
for
Your last walk of the
night.
You loved to go riding
And sit by my
side.
My Tinker a part of me
left
When you
died.
No more will you
cuddle
With me on the
couch
No more will I
say
Come on Tink, "Let's go
out"
My sweet furry
friend
My best buddy, my
boy
My Tinker I miss
you
You were my pride and
joy
Written for Bill Walker, April 5, 2004
By: Jene Lind, Hillboro,Missouri
~**~**~
Big Teddy
Cried
by
Kathleene S. Baker
I??™m a well-worn, retired teddy bear,
Now resting in a
drawer.
The girl who always loved me most,
Isn??™t with me
anymore.
She??™s gone away to
Rainbow
Bridge,
After so, so many years.
But often times in my
dreams,
That sweet Josey still appears.
One day while in the toy box,
I heard,
???A new pup??™s on the way!???
Out I climbed, so much to do,
I must look my best today.
I rubbed my eyes, fluffed my hair,
And struck my
finest pose.
I prayed she??™d take a shine to me,
So I crossed my fingers
and my toes.
Later when that tiny pup arrived,
I was waiting
on the floor.
I could replace her littermates,
And even do much, much
more.
At night we snuggled close,
As I kept her safe and
warm.
She slept so peacefully next to me,
Even when it
stormed.
She did play naughty with many toys,
But I was set
aside.
For I was something special,
Which filled me with much
pride.
I didn??™t have a fancy name,
But ???Big Teddy??™ seemed
okay.
The only thing I cared about,
Was Josey??™s loving
gaze.
Every day she carried me,
And paraded through
the house.
She held me oh - so gently,
With my left leg in her
mouth.
After meals, when quite content,
Away we two would
prance.
And our routine had a name,
???The Happy Tummy Dance!???
I was
never chewed, torn,
Or ripped apart ??“ to Josey I was real.
And I was not
a toy at all,
For I had a heart and I could feel.
After all our years
together,
The only wear that really showed.
Was from all the gentle love
bites,
My Josey had bestowed.
I do come out from time to time,
For hugs and an
embrace.
Josey??™s mom still misses her,
I can see it in her
face.
While she hugs me tightly,
She always takes one deep
smell.
She hopes there??™s still a scent of Josey,
I know it - I can
tell.
Just above the drawer I??™m in,
A beautiful box sits on
display.
Inside are Josey??™s ashes,
So she doesn??™t seem too far
away.
We were always the best of friends,
And always
side-by-side.
And the day I lost my Josey,
This Big Teddy really
cried.
?©2004
Kathleene S. Baker
Lnstrlady@aol.com
Today's Queue
Stories
~**~**~**~
~**~**~
"NO ONE IS
USELESS IN THIS WORLD
WHO LIGHTENS THE BURDEN OF ANYONE
ELSE"
THE NEW CAR
Joanne Szczepura
GypsyJo2@aol.com)
In October of 1997 my car, which
was 10 years old and had been mine for 4 of
those years, died. I'd had the
engine rebuilt less than a year before, and had
spent all my savings fixing
all the problems old cars seem to need fixed. I
had thought that the car
would last, at least another five years, but that was
not meant to
be.
I started a new job in August of 1997 as a bus driver for the
disabled and
had just moved in with some friends. The day my car died was
the day after I had
fallen down the bus steps shattering a disc in my low
back putting me out of
work and on Worker's Compensation.
I had no
cash in my pocket, no checking account or money in savings. I also
had no
credit because I paid cash for everything. I believed if I did not have
the
money to pay for it I did not need it. The only credit card I owned was a
J
C Penney's card I'd had for years and had only used twice to establish minor
credit. All of this meant that there was no way I was going to be able to
afford to buy a car, and I was told so by everyone.
But God told me
otherwise! After praying about the problem, God gave me
specific directions
with Proverbs 3: 5 & 6: "Trust in the Lord with all your heart
and lean
not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and
He will
make your paths straight" (NIV).
I was first directed to open a checking
account with my final full paycheck
from the bus company. The second
direction was to start looking for a NEW car.
When I protested saying "God,
are You kidding me? You want me to look for a
new car? How am I suppose to
pay for a new car on what I am going to be making"?
God answered me with
Matthew 6: 8: "Do not be like them, for your Father
knows what you need
before you ask Him" (NIV). So I did as I was told to do,
trusting
Him.
I spent two weeks looking at, and test driving, new cars. I found
several
that I liked, especially a fire red Dodge Neon, which happened to be
the very
first car I drove. I tried again and again to find a dealership
that would
finance the amount needed at a rate of payment that I could
afford. Again and again
I was laughed at and told "no way"!
I went
again in prayer to the Lord, saying "Ok, God, if You want me to have a
new
car, You are going to have to provide it for me". I had decided on that
brand new 1998 Fire Red Dodge Neon that had all the extras I wanted, and
they
wanted far more than the amount I would be able to pay. God answered
with James
1: 4: "Perseverance must finish it's work so that you may be
mature and
complete, not lacking anything" (NIV). I understood this to mean
that I still had a
lot of work to do before that car was mine.
I was
then told to go to the bank, where I had just opened a checking
account, and
find out how much they would loan me for a new car. I did this on
Saturday
morning, and was informed that, since it was a weekend, they would not know
anything until Monday, and to call back then. I was also told to keep
looking
at new cars.
Monday morning came and I called the bank. I was
asked to come in to talk to
the bank manager. She told me that the main
branch had turned down my loan
saying I had no credit. She then asked me if
I had ANY type of credit at all. I
had just moved, so I happened to have in
my purse the credit reference letters
from the electric, gas and phone
companies. I also told her of my J C Penney
credit card but explained that I
only used it twice in all the years I'd had
it. She took them and told me to
come back after lunch to see her.
When I did, she told me that, as that
bank's branch manager, she would
override the parent company's loan veto and
would grant me a loan for $12,000 but
that would have to be for a new car
loan, not a used car. If I could find one
for that price, with tax and title
included, we could do business. I went home
broken hearted because the car
of my choice was far more than that amount. As I
was praying and seeking the
Lord again, I was given the verse Job 35: 14,
"How much less, then, will He
listen when you say that you do not see Him, that
your case is before Him
and you must wait for Him". (NIV) So, I waited.
That evening I got a
call. It was from the salesman of the Neon dealership.
He asked if I had
managed to get a loan, and was amazed when told that I had
been able to get
one. He asked how much the loan was for, and laughed when I
told him. He
said he was sorry but he could not let the car go for that amount. I
told
him thanks for calling and hung up.
A half hour later, I got another call
from him. He asked if I could come up
with any cash for a down payment. I
told him he did not understand, I had
$12,000, and that I had to have a car
for that amount with tax and title, out the
door. He again said he was sorry
and we hung up.
An hour later, the phone rang again. It was the salesman
again. He said he
had talked to the owner of the company and had told him my
story. He also said
that the owner had decided that the car I wanted was now
mine for the price I
wanted to pay!
The lesson I learned from all
this is that if I am willing to pray, seeking
the Lord's directions
(Proverbs 3: 5 and 6), trusting in Him (Matthew 6:8),
persevere in following
His directions for me (James 1: 4), and wait on Him (Job
35: 14), not only
would He supply my needs, but He would also give me my wants.
If you have
a prayer request you can email me, Joanne Szczepura, at the
following
address: AOL. Or if you'd like to chat and have AOL or AOL Instant
Messenger, send me an IM anytime you see me online and I will be glad to
chat!
~**~**~
Embarrassing Moments Contributions by Joanne
Szcsepura
My story:
I'd gotten up late for work and
was rushing to get ready. You know, one of
those days when the alarm goes
off but you just can't drag yourself out of bed
and get going. Well, I was
rushing around like crazy, getting showered and
dressed and I realized that
I'd forgotten to bring my slip into the bathroom with
me. I thought to
myself...well, no one will know. I finished getting dressed
and ran down
stairs grabbed a glass of juice and drank it on my way to the
door. The bus
picked me up right in front of my house and I could see the bus out
there
through the window...the driver was a nice guy and he knew I always
caught
the bus at that time, so he was waiting for me. I ran out the door, and as
I
did, the door slammed on the corner of the wrap-around skirt I was wearing.
You guessed it, I didn't know so I kept going, and my skirt stayed! I was
left
standing there, in front of a full bus of passengers, in my underpants.
I was
sooooooo embarrassed! But, I did get some whistles and a few date
requests
from it LOL
~**~**~
Mom's
story:
My Mom had gone to the Doctor for her annual Pap Smear. When she got
there,
she found she had to go to the restroom. She did her business and
found that
there was no toilet paper. So, she reached in her purse and wiped
with a tissue.
She went in and undressed and "assumed the position". The
doctor came in and
began his exam and all of a sudden he broke out in a
great big belly laugh. He
called his nurse in and soon they were BOTH
laughing their heads off. Mom was
getting more mortified by the minute and
finally could hold back no longer.
"What the hell are you laughing about"
she asked. Doc Hoffman held up his hand
in which there was an S & H
Green Stamp and said, "Lila, I've done many of
these exams but this is the
first time I've ever gotten an S & H Green Stamp
bonus for doing so!"
From that time on, Doc Hoffman asked Mom if she had brought
him any more
bonuses when she came into his office.
~**~**~
A story about my daughter,
Christine:
Another funny little story of this nature...When my daughter,
Christine, was
about 7 months old, she'd gone from sitting straight to
walking with no
crawling stage in between. One day, I'd been on the phone
talking to my Mother long
distance. My daughter toddled up to me and tugged
on my pant leg and said,
"Momma baff!" This meant she wanted to take her
daily bath and knew it was about
time for it. Since I was on the phone long
distance, I told her to wait for a
couple minutes while I finished talking
to her Sito (Lebanese for Grandma).
She toddled away and I'd thought she'd
gone back into the living room and was
playing with her toys. I finished my
conversation with my Mother, then went in
search of Christine for her bath.
I looked in the living room, where I saw a
trail of clothes leading from
there, down the hallway and into the bathroom.
When I got to the bathroom,
there was my daughter! She'd put up the lid and seat
on the toilet, climbed
in and was, in her own words, "having her baff all by
herself!" It was the
cutest thing! All you could see was this tiny, grinning
from ear to ear
little child, from the shoulders up, sitting in the toilet! I'm
so glad she
didn't know how to flush!!! LOL Unfortunately, I didn't have a
camera...wouldn't that have made an adorable picture? And one to embarrass
her
now that she's over 30! Needless to say, I didn't make her wait again
when she
said she wanted to do
something!
GypsyJo2@aol.com
A little about me...
The most
important thing I can say about me is that I'm a child of God and a
prayer
warrior for His children. Since I am disabled, I have lots of spare
time and
I like to put that time to good use, so I belong to several prayer
groups. I
also have a love for young adults and there are several online who have
blessed me by calling me Mom.
I'm also a "wannabe writer" and I've
written several testimonies of what the
Lord has done for me. Here is one of
those stories:
~**~**~
A MOUNTAIN
SPRING
By: Joseph J.
Mazzella
When I was 12 years
old our family moved into a new home. It was in a wonderful, secluded area
several miles off the main road and surrounded by trees. The only disadvantage
to being so far off the beaten path was that the only water came from a well
that was full of sulfur and iron. It turned our white t-shirts yellow and
was far too foul tasting to drink. My dad, however, found a nearby mountain
spring that was full of fresh, clear water. I can remember my brother and I
carrying the huge 15 gallon water jugs 50 yards into the woods to fill them with
drinking water several times a week. It was a difficult walk back carrying a jug
in each hand, but the mountain spring water was worth it. It was so light and
sweet that it not only quenched my thirst but also uplifted my heart and
delighted my soul.
I can still taste that
delicious, God-given water in the wellspring of my mind. It reminds me again
that the best things in life may require a little bit of work but are well worth
the effort. This applies to choosing and sharing love, joy, and happiness most
of all. Joy often comes dressed in work clothes, and if I have to do some heavy
lifting and carrying to bring a little light into another??™s eyes and a little
smile to another??™s face then I will do so with a song in my heart, a dance in my
step, and laughter in my soul.
Let??™s make the
effort to share love and joy with everyone we meet then. Let??™s make the effort
to help others all that we can. We may need to do some heavy carrying from time
to time, but the wellspring of delight, bliss, and ecstacy that God will bless
us with will be well worth the effort. We may need to work at it each day, but
the moments of peace, laughter, joy, love, and oneness with God we create and
share will flow like a Heavenly mountain spring to fill all of our thirsty
hearts and souls.
Joseph J. Mazzella
joecool @
wirefire.com
Joe lives in West
Virginia with his wife
and three children. Various dogs and cats
have adopted Joe and his family for their
own. Joe enjoys his family, beauty, love
and hearing from his email friends. Joe
likes to take the time to smell
the
roses and enjoy the beauty around him
as he goes about his daily life.
Writers
Feedback
Thanks again for running my story in this one my
friend. I think that Bill's new Little Girl is almost as good a writer as Tink
and Poo
as well. Have a great day. Wishing you every joy,
Joe
Sharon
Bryant - The girdle story is fantastic!! Thanks for sharing that
one.
ROFLMG(girdle)Off.
--Kay
Announcements
WELCOME TO THE VERY 1ST HOOP
HOMECOMING
IN HONOR OF MY MOM/DAD; OLLIE &
JOSEPHINE HOOP
* * *
*
IF YOU ARE NOT RELATED BY BLOOD TO THIS BIG
FAMILY,
WE WISH TO EXTEND THE HAND OF ADOPTION SO
GRAB YOUR NEIGHBOR BY THE HAND OR THE NECK AND WELCOME EACH OTHER AS WHEN MOM
AND DAD SPREAD A TABLE, THERE WAS ALWAYS ROOM FOR ONE
MORE!
JUST AS A REMINDER, IF YOU HAVE LITTLE ONES
WITH YOU, PLEASE BE
SURE THAT YOU KEEP AN EYE OUT FOR THEM FOR
THEIR SAFETY.
ALSO, IF ANYONE WOULD LIKE TO VOLUNTEER TO
HEAD UP THIS FUNCTION NEXT YR, SEE ONE OF WE GIRLS, MAXINE, CHARLENE OR MYSELF
AND WE WILL BE GLAD TO LEND A
HAND.
BEFORE WE EAT, I WOULD LIKE YOU TO MAKE
WELCOME , MY FRIEND, JOHN AND HIS WIFE, DIANE INTO OUR FAMILY AS OUR GUESTS
WHICH WILL BECOME A MEMBER OF OUR FAMILY. JOHN WILL OFFER A PRAYER OF
THANKSGIVING & DIANE HAS A LITTLE SOMETHING TO READ AND THEN WE WILL CHOW
DOWN.
EARL, MY SON-IN-LAW WILL BE GRILLING
DOGS/BURGERS SO JUST LET HIM OR ANY OF HIS HELPERS KNOW YOUR WISHES AND HE &
HIS HELPERS WILL BE GLAD TO HELP YOU OUT. ALSO, WE HAVE PROVIDED CONDIMENTS TO
ADD TO YOUR CHOICE.
PLEASE TRY TO KEEP THIS PLACE CLEANED BY
USING THE CONTAINERS FOR YOUR TRASH AND WE ARE OFF TO A GREAT TIME FOR THIS VERY
1ST HOMEOMING IN HONOR OR MOM/DAD AND OUR SIBLINGS WHO HAVE GONE ON BEFORE
US.
JOHN...........PRAYER DIANE, POEM
CHOW DOWN! SOCIALIZE MAKE
MEMORIES
Prayer Requests and
Updates
Dear
Prayer Warriors
Please
keep this family in your prayers, they are in need of our Saviors mighty
strength and healing.
Thank
you for your prayers for this
family...
Love,
Barbara
here is
a note from Judy:
Wanted
to let everyone know we just got the call that Butch's Sister's (Liz's) hubby
Bobby Walker is dying..
Dr's
have given up and pulled all life support. Just a matter of time now..Dr said it
could be tonight or two or three
days.
We are
in the middle of calling all of Butch's 7 other sisters too let them know. Then
we are leaving for the hospital..Don't know when I will be back
home.. Please pray for the
family.
Hugs
Judy
Carol,
My brother's best friend and
someone I consider a "brother" as well was involved in a fourwheeling accident
on Sunday and he ended up breaking his back. He's paralyzed from the
ribs down and they are doing surgery on him tomorrow at noon. The doctors have told him that his spine is
severed and that he might be paralyzed for life. They really won't know
anything till they go in tomorrow. He's been having some feelings below
his injury and other places are slowly getting feeling but they still think that
its severed. Please send this prayer request to everyone who gets the
newsletter. We need to pray for a miracle. He's only twenty-one
years old and it would be horrible if he could never walk again. Pray that
the doctors go in tomorrow and find that things aren't as bad as they seem to
think that they are and give him the hope of walking again. I believe that
if we all pray about it and believe that its possible he will walk again.
Julie
A. Bowles
To
All;
Yesterday may 24th I went to
Girard,
Kansas Hospital and they took blood to test
my
blood sugar level and a few
other things. I had to go over today at 2:00 P.M. to
see the
doctor about the results of the test, everything tested just fine except
my
blood
sugar it was 158.
Doctor
says that I am a diabetic and its type 2 and as long as I stay on a diet
and
watch
my p's and q's I will never have to take insulin shots. Yesterday when they told
me I
might have to take insulin, I refused to take that answer. I prayed and ask
god
to help
me I told him there was no way I wanted to be on insulin or even be
a
diabetic. I got one out of two in my favor and I feel
that my prayers were answered I am
just
praising his holy name saying thank you jesus thank
you!
I am
drinking diet sprite today and will stop all sweets to start diet, wheat bread
and
watching carbs. Doc also said I needed to lose a little
weight and start exercising
I am
heavy 178 and a half lbs. he said to drop to 160 lbs. and I would feel alot
better.
I also invited him to come
down to the city park to night at 7:00 P.M.
to the tent revival,
I have
been out there witnessing letting people know what the good lord has done for
me
and
what I have seen done! I am saying praise the good lord for everything he has
done.
Well I
am not going to babble on just thought you'd like to
know!
God
bless and be with you and yours
always
Walking
in his light
Richard &
Jackie Sims armaksman@yahoo.com
To
all;
At 6:50
P.M. this evening I had to
battle the old devil just to be able to go down to
the
tent
revival. The devil said," Richard your not going to that revival to night you
got
emphysema and don't have the breath to get up and walk
out to your truck to go"
I
prayed and rebuked the old devil and our father god give me the breath to walk
out to
my
truck and drive to the tent revival. It seems that our preacher brother jeff has
springs
on his
feet, when the good lord sends down the message brother Jeff is jumping all
over
the
place keeping us all sitting on the edge of our seats. and you can tell that the
spirit
of the
lord is there
I
believed that god surely bless us to night there were 3 souls saved and about 12
people
healed.
Please keep praying that we can draw in more people and more souls will
be
saved.
God bless you all and Thank You all for your prayers for us and the tent
revival!
Walking
in his light!
Richard &
jackie sims armaksman@yahoo.com
SENIOR
WRITERS
Agee, Vance; Apted, Violet; Baker,
Kathy; Batt, Al; Berry, Nell;
Boda, Ginger; Bryant,
Sharon; Buhagiar, Victor; Cassady, B.J.; Crider,
Mark;
Deming, Barb; Goodier, Steve; Harris, Kathy Anne; Hunt,
Sharlette;
Jacobson, Gary; Kiser, Roger Dean; Kerens, Claudia;
Jenkins, Pamela;
Liles, Norma;
Mazzella, Joe; Ojeigbe,
Georgewaters;
Petry, Dianna Doles; Roberts, Susan;
Shaw, Bob; Sims, Richard; Swarner,
Ken; Vaknin, Sam;
Walker, Bill;
Walker, Joe; Warner, Gorden
K;
Whirity, Kathy; White,
Robert;
STORYTIME
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