STORYTIME TAPESTRY

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

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Oct 19, 2005? 

Today??™s Announcements:

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Pamela Blaine is our newest senior writer! Way to go Pam

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Hello Carol,

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I just wanted to brag a little bit. I was just notified that one of my stories, Shangri-La Off I-95, has taken an Honorable mention in the Genre Short Story category of the74^th Writer??™s Digest Competition.

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Does this mean I??™m famous? J

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David Wainland

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Now on to the good stuff..........

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

Getting Ready For The Harvest

By

Pamela Perry Blaine

?© August 2004

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In the farmlands of Missouri it will soon be harvest time.?  This year the corn was more than ???knee high by the 4^th of July??? as the old saying goes.?  Although there aren??™t many elephants in the Midwest to use as a measurement, I??™m sure that the corn is every bit ???as high as an elephant??™s eye???.? ?  The bean pods are filling out in the bean fields and the silks on the ears of corn have turned from white to dark brown.? 

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The days have been cooler and folks have already been saying they have seen wooly worms.?  All of these things are indicators of the fact that summer is nearly over and harvest time is near.

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As the harvest time approaches, we prepare for it.?  To do otherwise would be foolish and would cost dearly.?  Farmers and grain elevator workers check their equipment so that when the time is right they will be ready because it is possible to wait until it??™s too late.?  There comes a time when harvest time is past.

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It happens in our lives too.?  It??™s important to be ready for the harvest.?  Our earthly life doesn??™t last and we don??™t know when it will end.?  There is a parable told about the harvest.?  Read it carefully because there is an important message in it for all of us:

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The Harvest

There was once a spider that lived in a cornfield. He was a big spider
and he had spun a beautiful web between the corn stalks.
He got fat eating all the bugs that would get caught in his web.
He liked his home and planned to stay there for the rest of his life.
One day the spider caught a little bug in his web, and just as the spider
was about to eat him, the bug said, "If you let me go I will

tell you something important that will save your life."
The spider paused for a moment and listened because he was amused.
"You better get out of this cornfield," the little bug said, ..........
"The harvest is coming!"
The spider smiled and said, "What is this harvest you are talking about?
I think you are just telling me a story." But the little bug said,
"Oh no, it is true. The owner of this field is coming to harvest it soon.
All the stalks will be knocked down and the corn will be gathered up.
You will be killed by the giant machines if you stay here."
The spider said, "I don't believe in harvests and giant machines
that knock down corn stalks. How can you prove this?"
The little bug continued, "Just look at the corn.

See how it is planted in rows?

It proves this field was created by an intelligent designer."
The spider laughed and mockingly said, "This field has evolved and

has nothing to do with a Creator. Corn always grows that way."
The bug went on to explain, "Oh no. This field belongs to the owner
who planted it, and the harvest is coming soon."
The spider grinned and said to the little bug, "I don't believe you,"
and then the spider ate the little bug for lunch.
A few days later, the spider was laughing about the story
the little bug had told him. He thought to himself, "A harvest!
What a silly idea. I have lived here all of my life and nothing has ever disturbed me. I have been here since these stalks were just a foot
off the ground, and I'll be here for the rest of my life, because nothing
is ever going to change in this field. Life is good, and I have it made."
The next day was a beautiful sunny day in the cornfield.
The sky above was clear and there was no wind at all.
That afternoon as the spider was about to take a nap,
he noticed some thick dusty clouds moving toward him.
He could hear the roar of a great engine and he said to himself,
"I wonder what that could be?"

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(Author unknown)

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???So be prepared, because you don't know

what day your Lord is coming.???

Matthew 24: 42

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?  ??.?·?? ??.?·????)?  ??.?·*??)
( ??.?·??? ? ?  (??.?·?? ??.?·??
? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?  `?·-?»Pamy
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"Security is not the absence of danger,
but the presence of God"
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My Website:
http://blaines.us/PamyPlace.htm
e-mail: pamyblaine@blaines.us

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~**~**~? 

? Stolen? Treasures

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? Joyce C. Lock

Righteousness

... all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags ... Isaiah 64:6


Knowledge

... knowledge, it shall vanish away. 1 Cor. 13:8


Wisdom

For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God ... 1 Cor. 3:19


Prophecy

... prophecies, they shall fail ... 1 Cor. 13:8


Tongues

... tongues, they shall cease ... 1 Cor. 13:8

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Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.?  Matthew 6:19-21
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And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof:

but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.

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1 John 2:17

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?© 2005 by Joyce C. Lock

http://www.angelslight.org/joycepoem.html

http://our.homewithgod.com/heavenlyinspirations/

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STOLEN CHILDHOODS

By: Kathy Whirity


The lyrics to the old song kept replaying in my mind: "We had joy we had fun we had seasons in the sun, but the hills that we climbed were just seasons out of time."

Bill and I were taking our evening walk. The weather was predictably hot and muggy for this July night. Children were out and about; playing ball, some riding bikes, others racing by on motorized scooters, and older teens hung out on corners enjoying the summer night and each other's company.

As we walked we noticed another sign of summer -- chalk outlines of hopscotch decorating front sidewalks. The sounds of summer could be heard in the laughter of these happy children. With school out and summer vacation in full swing, they had a lot to celebrate.

Before we knew it we reached our destination, my sister-in-law, Marie's house. It was there we heard some shocking news. A young man from our Mt. Greenwood community had died as a result of being hit by an alleged drunk driver. I say alleged because he refused a breathalyzer test even though those at the scene distinctly smelled the strong odor of alcohol.

This is happening far too frequently -- the grievous irresponsibility of overindulgence by imbibed individuals is killing and maiming our innocent children.

Alcohol is the evil culprit that sacrifices the safety of our kids as they play outside, in what should be safe surroundings. Drunk drivers strip our society of its security to let kid be kids and enjoy their time outdoors.

You never think it can happen to you. But then it hits home. A boy from the neighborhood gets killed; a great kid who went to school with my nieces. Suddenly, it puts a face to this nightmare epidemic.

The 4th of July is a day meant to celebrate America's freedom. On the way home from fire works festivities that night we noticed a group of people, standing in a circle, lit candles in hand. It took me less than a second to realize that this was not a gathering of people celebrating the 4th of July. This was a quiet memorial for Andrew?  -- the victim of a drunk driver. A thought came to me as I saw them all obviously comforting each other in prayer.?  Let freedom ring but let justice be served by those who choose to drink and drive, and kill.

There's a pall in the summertime air in this community. The sound of children's laughter is still carried on the warm summer breeze, but for parents the harsh reality has hit home. Once again it's the innocent victim who succumbs to the deadly choice of a drunk driver who carelessly gets behind the wheel, turning his vehicle into a weapon of death and destruction. And, as is usually the case, he walks away unscathed, truly the biggest travesty of all.

Andrew was just a few blocks away from his house when he was struck. His father was by his side within minutes of the accident. What this greiving father wanted more than anything was to hug his son and tell him how much he loved him. Sadly, he never got the chance -- Andrew never regained consciousness, and died two days later at Christ Hospital.

Our laws, all too often, seem to accommodate the criminal. When our children are senselessly dying at the hands of drunk drivers, society, as a whole, should demand better from our politicians, for this is insanity.

I cannot help but to think of Andrew as that old song continues to play in my head: "We had joy we had fun we had seasons in the sun, but the hills that we climbed were just seasons out of time."

Young Andrew didn't run out of time, it was cruelly taken from him. There will will be no more seasons in the sun for a young man described as giving, caring, kind and outgoing.

All his dad wanted was to hug his son and tell him he loved him. In his shoes, is that not what any of us would've wanted? We never know what awaits our kids when they head out the door. We try to appease ourselves with thoughts that something like this will never happen to us. Then we hear this tragic news and we're not so sure.

Don't forget to hug your kids today -- right this minute! Tell them you love them until they're sick of hearing it and then tell them some more.

Let your words cover them like a verbal security blanket of assurance -- wherever they go -- for their sake and for your own sense of security, just in case there comes a day when you may not have the chance.


(c) 2005 Kathy Whirity
kathywhirity@yahoo.com


Kathy Whirity lives in Chicago where she shares her life and love with her husband of 28 years, Bill, their two daughters Jaime and Katie, and two rambunctious retrievers, Holly and Hannah. Kathy is a newspaper columnist who writes sentimental musings on family life.

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~**~**~

? ValueSpeak

A Weekly Column

By Joseph Walker

valuespeak@msn.com

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ARGUING FOR CHANGE

? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?  It will come as no surprise to anyone who knows my eldest son, Joe, that he spent a portion of his final night in his home state arguing.

? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?  It is, after all, one of the things he does best ??“ and one of the reasons he is taking his wife, Jen, and their two little girls away to law school on the other side of the country.

? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?  Joe loves to argue.?  He always has.?  Even when he was little he would take an absolutely untenable position and try to defend it ??“ just to see if he could.?  At that time the arguments revolved around discussions like, ???Who would win a fight to the finish between He-Man and She-Ra?????  These days it focuses more on matters of public policy, socio-economics and sports.

? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?  As far as Joe is concerned, it??™s all in fun ??“ like playing catch with ideas as opposed to baseballs.?  Unfortunately, not everyone sees it that way.?  During last night??™s discussion of ??“ of all things ??“ baseball, Joe??™s good friend, Mike, was concerned that steroid use by athletes would ruin the game he loves.?  On the other hand, Joe ??“ never much of a baseball aficionado ??“ presented steroids as just one more advance in sports technology and suggested that it was no different than taking scientifically advanced nutritional supplements or utilizing modern exercise tools.

? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?  To be honest, I don??™t know if Joe really believes that.?  Sometimes it??™s hard to tell.?  But Mike disagreed with Joe, and his voice increased in pitch and amplitude as he rebutted.?  Joe, of course, responded in kind.?  Before long we had to figure out a way to change the subject or these two great friends would have spent their last hours together punching each other??™s lights out.

? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?  And feeling badly about it.

? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?  By now, anyway.

? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?  Just as we??™ve known since he was little that Joe would eventually be going to law school, we??™ve known for almost as long that he would be leaving the state in which we??™ve lived his entire life in order to do it.?  A trip to Washington, D.C., during his eighth grade year cinched that deal.?  So it??™s no great surprise, really, that we??™re headed back to D.C. this week to help Joe and Jen and their family settle in for at least three years of law school there.

? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?  What is surprising is the struggle I??™m having with this.?  I??™ve known for years that this day would come.?  No surprises, you know??  And I??™m pleased for Joe and excited that his life-long dream is about to become a reality.?  But I hate ??“ and I don??™t use that word lightly ??“ HATE the thought of him and Jen being thousands of miles away, not to mention the fact that they are taking two of my three granddaughters with them.?  I??™m going to miss them all.?  Desperately.

? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?  To make matters worse, the four of them seem to be happy about what is happening.?  They aren??™t even pretending to be sad around us.?  They??™re approaching all of this overwhelming change in their lives aggressively. They look at law school like it??™s their own personal New World, and their U-Haul-toting minivan is the Nina, the Pinta and the Santa Maria all rolled up into one light blue gas guzzler.?  This is one of the greatest, most glorious adventures they will ever encounter, affecting not only the next three years but the rest of their lives, and they are embracing it with all of their hearts, their souls and their student loans.

? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?  All of which are being stretched to the very limit.

Willingly.?  Boldly.?  Joyfully.

? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?  Perspective is an interesting thing.?  It allows people to share the same experience and to view it completely differently.?  What is painful to one can be exhilarating to another.?  And that??™s probably a good thing.?  Otherwise, New Worlds would never be explored, law schools would never receive bright new students and families would never learn and grow through change.

? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?  With or without the arguing.

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Writers Feedback

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Maria ??“ I Remember -

Wow what a great to the point emotion filled perspective. ? Very well done,

Fred

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Prayer Requests and Updates

Hello Gang,

On this coming Thursday, Oct 20th, my daughter Cheryl will be having a biopsy

on a goiter on her chest. Please remember her in your prayers that this test will

be benign. She is my only child but I would be as much concerned if I had many.

My aim is to not allow the enemy to attack my faith and I do beleive that where

two or more are gathered together in prayer, He is in our midst!

Thank you very much!?  I appreciate your caring!? ?  Normie p.s. Expect to hear from

me with the results as soon as I know.

Concerning Joy

You will go out in joy
and be led forth in peace;
the mountains and hills will
burst into song before you,
and all the trees of the field
will clap their hands.

Isaiah 55:12 NIV

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? SENIOR WRITERS

Chief Writer: Sharon Bryant

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

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; Lilly, Jodi Flesberg; Lock, Joyce; Mazzella, Joe;? Ojeigbe, Georgewaters;

?  Petry, Dianna Doles; Roberts, Susan;?  Shiveley, Debra; Shaw, Bob; Sims, Richard; Streidel, Saskia; Swarner, Ken; Vaknin, Sam; Verhoeff, Jan

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

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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