STORYTIME TAPESTRY

The Newsletter devoted to spreading love and cultural awareness throughout the world

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Sept 2, 2005? 

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

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The Likes of Me Can??™t Breed

Roger Dean Kiser

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Twenty of us boys watched, with eyes wide open, as the girls filed into the orphanage dining room. All eyes were upon Vel Addison who was marching past us wearing a pair of white, skintight shorts.

"Oh my God! You can see everything she has. Did you see that?" Whispered Wayne Evers, as Vel marched past us.

"You and you, come here right this minute," said the head matron, as she pointed to Wayne and I.

As we approached her location she reached out and she grabbed the two of us by the shirt collar. With all her might she drug us into the long hallway leading down to her living quarters.

"I have devoted my entire life to making sure that the likes of you never breed." She said, as she stared at me as though I were the most evil thing that ever lived on the face of this earth.

Even though I was only ten years old, I knew very well what the term "breeding" meant. I knew that a man and a woman had to "do it" in order to make a baby. What I could not understand is how she could know what we boys were thinking. She always seemed to know.

"Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah," she ranted on.

"Why ain't we gonna be allowed to breed?" I began thinking to myself.

I just stood there trying as best I could to shut down my little brain. I stood there watching her big floppy lips move back and forth. Half of what she was saying would just pass by my little ears without me even hearing a sound.

"POW" went her hand as she slapped me up side my face, knocking me against the wall.

"Are you paying attention to me, young man?" She asked.

"Yes Ma'am. You said I can't have no kind of breeding."

I watched as the matron drew back her hand to slap Wayne. Wayne stepped back several feet, drew back his arm and balled up both his fist.

"Don't you dare try and strike at me young man," said Mother Winters.

"How come you ain't got no husband like other people has?" asked Wayne.

All at once, she torn into Wayne with both hands. She grabbed Wayne by the head and started banging his head into the wall as hard as she could.

"You??™re going to kill him. You??™re going to kill him," I kept yelling, as loud as I could.

Several seconds later, several of the other house-parents came running down the hallway and grabbed hold of Mrs. Winters. I watched as they held her against the wall. She stood there breathing in and out, as fast as she could. I looked over at Wayne who was wiping blood from his mouth and face.

"YOU TWO ARE AS GOOD AS DEAD!" Call the police. RIGHT NOW screamed Mother Winters at the black cook.

"Come on," said Wayne, as he hit me on the arm.

Wayne and I began to run down the hallway towards the screened breezeway. Out through the dining room we ran, as fast as we could. By the time we stopped running, we had left the orphanage several miles behind us.

"We ain't going to get out of this one, are we Wayne?" I asked him.

Wayne said not a word. He sat down on the curb and he began to cry as loud as he could.

"How come she knows what we were thinking when we was looking at Vel in those shorts?" I asked.

"She doesn??™t know what we were thinking. She only knows what she was thinking. She's just got a dirty mind," he replied.

"You sure are smart Wayne. Real smart to know all that kind of things," I told him.

After several days on the run, Wayne and I turned ourselves into the police. We were exhausted, we were cold and we were hungry.

Several years later, I left the orphanage on my way to the Florida School for Boys Reform School in Marianna, Florida. Wayne was not so lucky. He remained in the orphanage for another eight years, until his eighteenth birthday.

Most of the boys, and girls, from the orphanage had never been on a date. Most had never even held the hand of someone of the opposite sex. Many had never even spoken to someone of the opposite sex before leaving the orphanage on their eighteenth birthday. At last count, many of the boys and girls from the orphanage were on their fifth or sixth marriage.

I do not think that has anything to do with breeding, or does it.

Roger Dean Kiser

trampolineone @earthlink.net

Roger Dean Kiser is the author of the
book "Orphan, A True Story of
Abandonment, Abuse and Redemption."
Roger also writes non-fiction short
stories which he displays on his
website "The Sad Orphan" located at:
www.rogerdeankiser.com
Roger's short stories have also been
published in: Chicken Soup, Heartwarmers
Heartwarmers of Love, A
Cool Collection I and II (Israel),

"The Bully" was made into
a short film by Nicholas Delfino
and has been entered into several major
film festivals in the United States

~**~**~? 

? Know What You Believe

Joyce C. Lock? 

? ? ?  When one has been physically attacked a number of times, you BELIEVE the attacker when they say they will do it again.

? ? ?  Once enough threats have been met with physical force, you BELIEVE the additional threat that there is no where, on the face of the earth, you can hide but what they will find you.

? ? ?  And, if you try to flee, apart from a supportive backup team, they will cause you to BELIEVE they meant what they said.

? ? ?  When such threats have become your reality and more threats are made on your very life, you BELIEVE them, as previous behavior appears to be evidence they will follow through.

? ? ?  When BELIEVING has come as a result of the realities you've experienced and fear takes over (so severely that it cripples you from the ability to physically, emotionally, mentally, and spiritually function to par), they have made you a BELIEVER.

? ? ?  The attacker will even try to convince you to BELIEVE their behavior is a direct result of something you said or did, or failed to do; making you the only guilty party and deserving, too.

? ? ?  Also, among the religious sect are some who will agree, causing you to BELIEVE not even God can receive you.

? ? ?  It has been said that 'seeing is believing' and 'everyone believes something'.?  The above makes it evident that BELIEVING is not a solution.?  There are things we need to KNOW.

__________________

? ? ?  Whether given the name terrorist, insurgent, abuser, or even legalist; all are bullies (shedding innocent blood, as each? is spiritually blind and cannot see one's true heart) and bullies are cowards imposing their fear upon others.?  Bullies only pick on those they can make to fear and or, thereby, look down upon and or, somehow, control.?  The moment a bully is met with a more
powerful force, they back down.?  Sure, in numbers, they may try to rise again.?  But, still, we have a more powerful force than any.

? ? ?  Anyone who hates because your faith does not match theirs, they are a liar (I John 4:20).?  And, if you do not love, only because of another's faith, that makes you a liar, too (Romans 12:5, Ephesians 4:25).?  And, whether it has anything to do with one's faith or not, we're still called upon to love (John 15:12).

? ? ?  Whatever excuse is given for not loving, it is not of God (I John 4:8).?  Nor is it God's will for any to dwell amidst such circumstances (I John 1:5) and their wrong doing will not go unpunished (Genesis 9:6).

? ? ?  Just as God did not give Satan permission to take Job's life, God does not give Satan power to take our life prematurely (I Samuel 2:6).?  Also, the lack of freedom to serve God is not life.

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Know ye not that ye are the temple of God, and that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you: I Corinthians 3:16?

For the gifts and calling of God are without repentance: Romans 11:29.

A man to whom God hath given riches, wealth, and honour, so that he wanteth nothing for his soul of all that he desireth, yet God giveth him not power to eat thereof, but a stranger eateth it: this is vanity, and it is an evil disease: Ecclesiastics 6:2.

Blessed is he that considereth the poor (in spirit): the Lord will deliver him in time of trouble.?  The Lord will preserve him, and keep him alive; and he shall be blessed upon the earth: and thou wilt not deliver him unto the will of his enemies.?  The Lord will strengthen him upon the bed of languishing: thou wilt make all his bed in his sickness: Psalm 41:1-3.

? ? ?  There are precious promises throughout the Bible, whatever your need.?  Claim each one that God speaks to your heart.

? ? ?  Any time you believe a lie, it will hold you prisoner; as only truth can set you free (John 8:32).?  If ever you are not truly free to serve God, it is not the truth.?  Thus, it is important to get out your Bible, search for truths about who God really is, follow the paths of His anointing (as per His instruction to you), and find His promises for you ~ so you can "KNOW" WHAT YOU BELIEVE.

For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he ...

Proverbs 23:7
?© 2005 by Joyce C. Lockhttp://our.homewithgod.com/heavenlyinspirations/

? ? ~**~**~

? ValueSpeak

A Weekly Column

By Joseph Walker

valuespeak@msn.com

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AN ADVENTURE IN EXCELLENCE

? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?  I don??™t think I??™ll ever forget the summer that Joe turned pro.

? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?  For several years, my eldest son had been mowing, raking and edging the grounds (such as they were) at the Walker Estate (such as it was).?  But that year our neighbors in the duplex across the street offered to pay Joe to do the same for them.?  It wasn??™t a big job, but it gave him something constructive to do, and it provided enough income to keep him in cologne, styling gel and a pair of fashionably baggy shorts.

? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?  One day, while Joe and I were sacrificing my right elbow to the gods of pull-start lawn mower engines, I noticed that the neighbor??™s lawn was littered with little green apples that had fallen from their apple tree.

? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?  ???Hey, Joe,??? I said between pulls, ???why don??™t you pick up the apples before you mow????

? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?  ???Don??™t have to,??? he said.?  ???The blade is set high enough that it goes over the top of ???em.???

? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?  ???That may be true,??? I said.?  ???But don??™t you think you should pick them up anyway????

? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?  ???No.???

? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?  Yeah, I know ??“ it was a dumb question.?  Might as well ask another: ???Why not????

? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?  ???They pay me to mow the lawn,??? he said.?  ???They don??™t pay me to pick up apples.???

? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?  ???Well, yes, that??™s true,??? I said.?  ???They don??™t pay you to breathe, either, but you still manage to do that while you mow the lawn, don??™t you????

? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?  Joe looked at me.?  The logic of my argument left him stunned, speechless and stupefied.?  At least, I think that??™s what it was; with 13-year-old boys, sometimes it??™s hard to tell.?  But just in case he didn??™t understand what I was saying, I cut to the chase: ???Joe, pick up the apples!???

? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?  Grudgingly, he did so, but not before he gave me The Look.?  You know the one: eyes rolled back, a sneer on the lips, resentment written all over the face.?  He didn??™t say anything.?  He didn??™t have to.?  I knew what The Look meant.?  Heck, I practically invented it back in my own professional lawn mowing days.?  As I recall, I administered it whenever my slave-driving father had the temerity to suggest that it was inappropriate to leave long strips of lawn unmowed.

? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?  ???These folks are paying you good money,??? Dad would say.?  ???You owe them good work.???

? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?  That??™s how I knew what Joe was thinking when I made him pick up those little green apples.?  And because I knew, and because I cared about him and the kind of person he was becoming, I wanted to sit down right there and teach him everything life had taught me about the value of work ??“ both why we do it, and how.?  I wanted him to understand that this one lesson well-learned could very likely mean the difference between success and failure in life.

? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?  But I don??™t know ??“ somehow, that seemed a little too cosmic for a 13-year-old with a bad attitude about apples.?  So I smiled at him and gave his shoulders a squeeze.

? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?  ???Look,??? I said, ???I know picking up the apples seems like a lot of extra work.?  But be honest ??“ it looks better, and it really isn??™t that big of a deal to do it, is it????
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?  He shook his head slowly.?  The Look melted.?  A little.

? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?  ???But by doing that one simple thing,??? I continued, ???you??™ve turned an adequate job into an excellent one.?  It??™s almost always that way, Joe ??“ on the basketball court, in the classroom, in life.?  The main difference between adequate work and excellent work is just a little extra effort.?  And the way I see it, why settle for adequate when you??™re capable of excellence????

? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?  Joe didn??™t respond ??“ at least, not immediately.?  But somehow, I think he understood.?  He started trying a little harder to do the work of which he is capable.?  And while there were still a few bumps along the way here and there, he became a great and much valued employee at the convenience store, the hardest-working (if not the most talented) basketball player on the high school team and ??“ eventually ??“ a great student who is headed off to law school next year.

? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?  And if that isn??™t the mark of a pro ??“ lawn mowing or otherwise ??“ then God didn??™t make those little green apples.

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Poetry Section

~**~**~

She Fades: I Fade

Christina Hymes

?  She fades like the dust in my hands,
Falling are the tear drops from my eyes.
Your lips, your touch, and grace
All fade to my disgrace.

She fades like my memories of us,
Walking on the beach holding hands.
Her smile, her laugh, and alacrity
Melts my heart in two.

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Children's poem:

I fade into the distant blue hue,
and the golden sun becomes my blanket.
The stars are my night light,
And the moon is my cuddly toy.

I fade into the darkness,
where shadows dance along the walls.
Creepy faces dance around me,
beckoning for me to follow along.

I fade into mommies arms,
where nothing can do me harm.
Baking cakes, and singing songs all
day long 'till the sun goes down again.

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Christina Hymes
CDRC Marketing Assistant
hymc0001@unf.edu

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? ~**~**~

Come Follow Me

Christina Hymes

Come follow me to land of the free,
where pain, and death never
walk beside me.

Come follow me to the land of the free
where people don't get shot, and war
is never a fee of freedom.

Come follow me to land of the free,
where children play and are as happy
as can be.

Come follow me to the land
where discrimination, incrimination,
and this nation of suffering no longer lives.
Come, come follow me.

Christina Hymes
CDRC Marketing Assistant
hymc0001@unf.edu

Christina Hymes was born in Bethesda, Maryland on March 4th, 1986. She grew up
with her older sister, twin, and younger sister. In 2002, the family moved to Jacksonville Florida where upon she finished high school in 2004, eight in her
class.
She now attends the University of North Florida and will be majoring in
Nursing and minoring in English. Christina writes on her free time. Her work
is a collaboration of poems that deal with her life and the events around her.

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? ~**~**~

*Someday*

Norma Liles

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Someday when I get to that shore

There to live eternally, forevermore

I'll drop to my knees in His presence

Kiss the nail pierced scars that He bore.

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Life on this earth is quite a trial

But serving Him is a blessing, to be sure

He gave His all for the love He gives

Behold Him, the Lamb that was slain.

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In this life, I tremble at a needle

Which is threaded into my human veins

But it is little compared to the nails

The nails that pierced our God-Man.

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Down on my knees, you will find me

So burdened with sorrow for Him

To realize what He accomplished for me

Throw all the nails to the deepest seas.

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Norma Liles

8-28-05

hoopla214@yahoo.com

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About Me:

Norma Liles is a retired data entryclerk/supervisor who lives in Ohio. Her hobbies
are: writing poetry and stories, reading,
her family, living for Jesus and
her use of her computer. Her ambition is
to add pleasure to those who read her
writings as well as sharing her faith.

My writings have been published on Starfish,
Driftwood, Sandollar, Morning Spirit Lift,
www.poetry.com, PrayerofGod, Jan Karon's
newsletter, American Poetry Writer's league,
Lucy's Inspiration, Faithful Hope reading room,
Poetry of Today publishing, Hope in Him,
Bonnie's Place, America will remember and
News Moose. Finally senior writer for
Storytime Tapestry.

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Writers Feedback

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Announcements

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Melba Moore will be on the air with me live! Tune in
www.artistfirst.com 7pm est today Monday 29,2005. It seemed so far off
but the time has come, listen to my show First Cut and find out what
this song bird has been up too! You don't want to miss this interview.


Regards,
Nicole Stevenson

Stevenson15n@aol.com
Radio Host First Cut

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Prayer Requests and Updates

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? SENIOR WRITERS

Chief Writer: Sharon Bryant

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? Agee, Vance;?  Apted, Violet;?  Baker, Kathy;?  Batt, Al;?  Berry, Nell;

Boda, Ginger;? ?  Buhagiar, Victor; Cassady, B.J.;?  Cavalera, Robyn; Crider, Mark;? 

Deming, Barb; Doherty, Maria; Goodier, Steve;?  Halley, Ellie Braun;

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;?  Shiveley, Debra; Shaw, Bob; Sims, Richard; Swarner, Ken; Vaknin, Sam; Verhoeff, Jan

Walker, Bill;?  Walker, Joe;? Warner, Gorden K;

Whirity, Kathy;?  White, Robert;

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STORYTIME TAPESTRY STAFF

Publisher: Carol Roach-founder

Moderator: Thelma Hartselle-co founder

Moderator: Clara Westerfer

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