Today's Queue Stories
~**~**~**~

No, this is not Eastern Europeans Girls Gone Wild. It's about Death with Dignity.

Maria Keller

Where do I begin, to tell this Love Story (you can all start humming that Andy Williams' version of the movie theme, Love Story now, if you like some background music!)

Every time Ray wanted to go somewhere on a trip, he would start ordering travel books from Amazon. The first time I ever went to Europe, was Italy in February of 2001. I had read so many books about Italy before we went there, that I was sick of the place before I even got there! But because of his insistence that I get the "most bang for the buck" our of our travel experiences, I read and read and read every travel book he proferred. He was a great fan of the geeky, but Italian-ophile, Rick Steves. (if anyone is planning any trips to Europe, you are doing yourself a great disservice if you don't get the most recent edition of the Rick Steves guide. And no, he's not paying me to say that!)

The first time we went to Hawaii, Ray did the same. Rick Steves doesn't cover Hawaii, but a lot of other writers do, and through the "Lonely Planet" guidebooks and others, I knew more about how the "white man" (sons and descendants of the Christian missionaries) stole valuable Hawaiian lands than I really wanted to know!

So about a year or so ago, the flood of books about Prague arrived. Rick Steves had a guide to the entire region of Eastern Europe. I read the Lonely Planet guidebook and I got a public transportation map of Prague. Rick said in his guidebook, there are four ways to get from the airport to your hotel. VERY VERY cheap, somewhat cheap, still cheap and somewhat expensive. Lucky me, I got to learn about all four ways, since I made multiple trips to the airport, trying to get tickets for an early return issued and then tickets reissued once again. And then me returning alone, the "somewhat expensive." The "still cheap" was the way that we got from the airport to the hotel when we first arrived.

Prague's airport is very modern and convenient. And if you are the adventuresome sort and not afraid of public transportation, and know where you are going, you can get to the center of town for all of 48 American cents! (May be more now, your mileage may vary with the devaluation of the American dollar). Since Ray demanded and INSISTED that I get over my phobia about public transportation, taking the Metro and the bus to the airport was not only an experience, it was a memory I will forever treasure, despite my loss of my loved one there.

Prague kind of "weirded me out" from the moment I got there. Why do we call in Prague...when the people there call it Praha? What is so hard about calling a city by its real name? Just as Rick Steve warned, there is a lot of Communist flavor to the place. People always seem to be watching and listening and talking quietly, as if in fear someone might overhear them and report them for exercising the right to free speech. We did not stay in the city center, and our view from the hotel room was rows and rows of communist bloc apartment buildings. There may be a pun in there. The apartments looked like concrete blocks.

Food and beer and everything else but the hotel room was cheap. If you go, don't mention to your drinking buddies how cheap the beer is! Praha-ites are a little pissed off now that they have been forced out of the city center by wealthy American expatriates. It is not just anti-Americanism, because the wealthy of western Europe has gone there too!

I'll make the "death with dignity" part short. Because that is what it was....very short.

Ever the prudent travel planner, Ray subscribed to a travel insurance plan. This was our sixth or seventh trip covered under the same policy, through his American Express card.

Ray passed away quickly- within 36 hours of his requesting that the Praha EMS team transport him to the hospital. Up until then, he had total quality of life. The people there were wonderful to me. The hospital staff were wonderful to me. The doctors there spoke and wrote impeccable English. Although it is not usually allowed for visitors to be in intensive care for more than 10 minutes at a time, they allowed me to spend as many hours with him at his bedside, as it took, before he passed.

When he did, a nurse came in and said to me "Asystoly." Yeah I figured, that out I was there watching the monitor. No one rushed in with debrillator panels to shock his heart back into beating. It didnt occur to me until many months later, that that was surely odd and not what would have happened in a American hospital.

They just let him go.

And because I loved him so much, and because I knew him so well, that's how I knew he had exactly the peaceful passing that he'd wanted.

I miss you, hon. I just really do!

Maria Keller

Copyright 2004

sommer@prodigy.net

 ~**~**~

         Due to the fact that many young Christians do not know that God
hears and answers prayers and others are confused about prayer and
answers I have been impressed to write about a few of my personal
experiences both past and present.  I hope you can use the article that
I am now presenting.

Thanks, Brother Bob

Answers to Prayers

Bob Raines

I have found from experience that obedience to God is a continual source
of blessings. Our Bible teaches us that God is not a respecter of
persons.
Rom 2:4 Or despisest thou the riches of his goodness and forbearance and
longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to
repentance?
Rom 2:5 But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto
thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous
judgment of God;
Rom 2:6 Who will render to every man according to his deeds:
Rom 2:7 To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory
and honour and immortality, eternal life:
Rom 2:8 But unto them that are contentious, and do not obey the truth,
but obey unrighteousness, indignation and wrath,
Rom 2:9 Tribulation and anguish, upon every soul of man that doeth evil,
of the Jew first, and also of the Gentile;
Rom 2:10 But glory, honour, and peace, to every man that worketh good, to
the Jew first, and also to the Gentile:
Rom 2:11 For there is no respect of persons with God.
Rom 2:12 For as many as have sinned without law shall also perish without
law: and as many as have sinned in the law shall be judged by the law;
Rom 2:13 (For not the hearers of the law are just before God, but the
doers of the law shall be justified.
Ephesians 6:9, Colossians 3:25, Proverbs 28:21, 24:23, Psalm 138:6, Psalm
119:6, 15, 117, 2 Chronicles 19:7, 2 Samuel 14:14
I put several verses of Scripture that teach us that God is not a
respector of persons. God always looks on the heart of man and not the
clothing that cover his body. Coming from a family that did not have much
in the way of material goods and yet others seem to have all they desired
I grew up without much self respect. I had always been intimidated by the
education and affluence of others. After I became a member of a Christ
Centered Bible Believing Baptist Church and hearing so many people tell
of God's Blessings I developed a far different view on life.
I took time to personally check out the Bible References that men based
their belief on. When came to the place that I was in agreement with them
I then began asking God to give me wisdom in finding the solution to my
special needs. God in His Providence answered my prayers. I have always
worked rather than wait and expect others to give me handouts. I never
wanted to be called a bum, or leach. If somebody gives me a gift, it must
be of their own free will without me asking them to help meet my needs.
With that philosophy in mind, I began seeing God answer my prayers. In
1975 I bought an old stepvan. I converted it into an Snowcone & Icecream
Truck. I made a good living with it and was at the same time able to be a
witness to others. God enabled me to give generously to missions during
those days as He met our needs. On a cold day in November 1975, with ice
on the ground and streets I still loaded my truck and drove the streets
of Chattanooga, Tennessee selling snowcones, candy & icecream. My profit
was $35.00. Not a lot of money, but enough to buy our needed food. God
had enabled me to safely drive over the ice laced streets, feed our
family and have a heart that was filled with gratitude, joy and laughter.

It is a blessing to be able to provide for a family with pride and
dignity. It is additionally a blessing to know that just as God provided
for my needs, He is also looking for others to bless. He delights in
giving. "Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot
obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. Ye ask,
and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your
lusts." James 4:2-3
From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even
of your lusts that war in your members? Ye lust, and have not: ye kill,
and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not,
because ye ask not. Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that
ye may consume it upon your lusts. Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know
ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever
therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.
Do ye think that the scripture saith in vain, The spirit that dwelleth in
us lusteth to envy? But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God
resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. Submit yourselves
therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Draw nigh
to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and
purify your hearts, ye double minded. Be afflicted, and mourn, and weep:
let your laughter be turned to mourning, and your joy to heaviness.
Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.
James 4:1-10
God has been so tender and gracious to me over the years and I am
thankful for it. I know that on numerous occasions He could have whipped
me without mercy and still He has been tender and loving. I have found
that God is not a God that loves to punish, He looks on the intent of our
hearts and blesses accordingly as we pray and respond to His Leadership.
Far too many people do their best to stay away from God rather than draw
close to His Everloving Arms. Our Lord says that if we will draw nigh to
Him that He will Draw Nigh to us.
God does not answer prayers because we agonize in prayer. God answers our
prayers because of our unselfish acts and actions. He answers our prayers
because we humbly seek His Power and Presence. He answers our prayers
because we respond to Him in accordance to His Word. My life verses are 1
John 5:13-15.
"These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son
of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may
believe on the name of the Son of God.
And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing
according to his will, he heareth us:
And if we know that he hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have
the petitions that we desired of him." 1 John 5:13-15.
I do my best to check myself as I pray. I ask "Self, the request that you
are asking of God, is it really according to God's Will?" If after
examination I can attest to the fact that it is according to God's Will
then I know that the request will be honoured by God.
This past Saturday, February 19, 2005 is a prime example. A widow in our
church needed a new roof on her home. Eight men from our church
volunteered to do the job. Some of the weather forecasters predicted from
40 to 8% chance of rain. We prayed with confidently. It did rain in
Malvern, Arkansas and at times in a few places it was a hard rain. The
only rain that showed up on Whipperwill Rd. was a few light sprinkles.
The job was done as the men rejoiced in God's Blessings. The widow was
dancing with joy.
God does hear and answer prayers.
Bob Raines is a born-again Christian that has a desire to live a life
that is pleasing to our Lord. He has been a involved in starting five
churches. He can be contacted at
drbobraines1@juno.com

You may contact me at: drbobraines1@juno.com. I will pray for you and
will answer your questions after prayer. I will not promise that I will
have an absolute answer to all your questions but I will reply. 

~**~**~

My thankful Day

Laura S Brace

Today I am sitting at my computer thinking about all I have to be thankful for.  My mother used to always remind me every day of what God had given us. 

It isn't our holiday of Thanksgiving, but I truly believe that a heart of thanksgiving can bring more blessings to our lives than we can count. 

When I try to make a list of all I have and have been blessed with, it is hard to put it on paper. 

So, I will begin at the top.........

  My health -- Praise God that I still have my health at my age ( 54).  That sounds old.  I don't have to take medicine, and I can still go to my Jazzercise class!!  My father died of a heart attack at 52, and my mother at 79....so, I guess it could go either way.  But, I have made it past the ( half way point) I know for sure.   And every day that I can get up and feel good, I am so grateful for. 

  My friends -- I seem to have met some really great people in the last year.  My bible study friends, I feel like I have known for a very long time.  We really have a lot of fun together.  My internet friends from Story Time Tapestry, I have been so fortunate to meet.  Not everyone can say that they have friends to be there for them. 

  My home -- thank God for a home and a warm place to be at night.  And thank God for the money to pay for it!! 

  My Car -- Thank God for a good running vehicle. 

My job -- I have worked for a great guy for almost two years that is retiring and I will be out of a job soon.  I am wondering where God will send me next...........

My Family -- This year I went to a family reunion for my fathers side of the family and met cousins and family relations I had never met.  What a blessing that was.    Every day I am thankful for my daughter and my great step daughter.  I am thankful I met my husband and we have spent the last almost 10 years together. 

I think I would like to do a Gratitude Journal.  I believe it can help me stay focused on what is really important in my life. 

Every day is definitely an adventure...........

Laura Brace
lbrace @sbcglobal.net
About Me:
My name is Laura Brace and I live in
Houston Texas with my husband, James, 16
year old stepson, Michael and a household
of animals. We have a dog, 3 birds, a cat
and of course two gold fish. They all
have names and equally different
personalities, even the fish!! We are
blessed with 5 children between us and 6
grandchildren. Life is never dull at our
home.
 

Writers Feedback

Good morning, Carol. thanks for featuring my piece about a severe case
of animal cruelty here in Maine. and thanks to the readers and other
writers who took the time to drop a note. Many blessings all. ??“Kay

Kay??™s story:  so sad-------my heart breaks for the poor dog........God was never sorry he created animals, just people......

DKB

I would love to get my hands on those three boys who did this to the
family pet that did not belong to them. 
I would hate to know what I would do to them in my moment of anger.
Some things are better left in the hands of the law cause some  animal
lovers would certainly  do bodily harm to them.

To the family of the pet, please accept my condolences. Ten Winter

I can't imagine hurting a dog or cat or any animal.

Just recently I found two baby coons in my trash can at work, spitting at me, but I knew their mama had to be near. I tipped the trash can on its side, and sure enough, the mother was beneath the deck waiting for them.



I helped a turtle cross the road last week. Two in fact. Afraid they'd get run over by a car, I parked on the side of the road and picked the turtles up and helped them cross the highway. A cop stopped to see why I was pulled over then he saw me with the turtle in my hands and he waved and smiled.

I tried to save a baby chicken when its mother would not feed it or take care of it.

I saved a frog recently from getting run over by a lawnmower.



A dog.....my favorite furry creatures will give with every ounce of their being, all the love and loyalty they can. I just can't imagine harming such a beautiful creature.

If a kid who is 16 or 17 years old does not know right from wrong or has no feelings for an animal, then lock them up and throw away the key. I would think If they will harm an innocent animal, they will harm anything and anyone.



I look at my own two dogs and can't imagine anyone ever laying a hand on them. God forbid if I ever caught anyone trying to harm either of them. They are part of my family, and we call them "our children."

Stories such as this make my blood boil.

Sharon

These young people are without conscience and I do not believe any amount of rehab will fix that. My solution----Take them deep into the jungles and free them without weapons. Let animals be animals. These particular animals are missing a few stem cells. Louise

This story absolutely broke my heart and made me feel ill. I don't understand how anyone could feel any gratification for such haneous cruelty. Nathalie

Dear Kay:
I had not heard of this particular incident, but I hear of
them in Texas (where cruelty to animals is a third degree
felony) from time to time. If it's in the south Texas area
where I can use my influence, believe me, I get the perps
the max. Even the Animal Control employees get nervous
when I show up at their facility, afraid I might spot some
illegal indignity towards our furry friends.

Things like this just ruin my day and they shouldn't. I
should let them 'sharpen my sword' and charge harder.
Thanks
Mark Crider

Kathy Baker, I loved ???The Locket.???
Barb Deming

Sandra Lewis Pringle, you are an inspiration. The piece you shared with us was moving and the poetry drew me in with the first line.

Barb Deming

Weed or Wildflower ??“ Maria Doherty - What a beautiful soul. What a magnificent writer. Ron Gold