STORYTIME TAPESTRY

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

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Dec 13, 2005? 

Today??™s Announcements:

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Happy Birthday Rosemarie Leonard

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I hope you are enjoying the Christmas Contest thus far.?  We opened with the writings of Sharon Bryant.?  She still has a few others which will be featured a little latter on.?  Today I want you to view the writing of one of our senior most senior writers, Norma Liles, who is one of my oldest internet friends.?  I met her when I first got my computer in the 90??™s.?  She is affectionately known to me as my internet mom.?  Norma will have other stories to offer for the contest a little later on as well.

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

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? Today's Christmas Stories
~**~**~**~

• ? To Speak a Piece? 
• Norma Liles

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My little 4 year old daughter looked like an absolute

dream with her golden hair curled to frame her cherub

face. Such a charming little miss in her red corduroy

jumper and her sparkling white three quarter sleeve

length blouse.?  Looking all dressed up like a young

lady, according to her, she lifted her legs very high

so as to see her black patent slippers and her ruffled

anklets as she moved about..

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She knew she was darling so she took that fact to

the limits.?  Always a well behaved child, she loved to

show her pretty dimpled smile which seemed to

entrance the recipient.

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We were rather new in the community and the church

where we attended. It was the Christmas season and

the Sunday School teachers were assigning different

little poems and songs for the little ones to learn for

a Christmas celebration.

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Cheryl was a quick learner; taking right to the fact that

she was going to be a part of what she considered a

big deal.?  We rehearsed each night before her bedtime

and in a short time, she had mastered her little part.

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The day of the celebration had finally arrived. Her father

had dropped she and I off at the church's door while he

parked the car.?  We walked right in?  and as we entered

the room, we met with her Sunday School teacher.

We spoke and I asked Cheryl if she would recite for

her. All at once, I hit a blank wall.?  She had pulled a

new one on me; stage fright.?  The teacher assured

me that once the other children had done their part

that she would do so.

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I was not too sure of what to expect but I took my place

in the congregation and rather sweated the fact of

wondering what would be next.?  As her group entered the

pulpit, they all looked so sweet and innocent. Each

one in turn said their part and I laterally held my breath

when it was Cheryl's turn.

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Now came the big surprise. She stand up as tall as

her small stature would allow and confidently said:

"To speak a piece I was invited

? To have the chance, I am delighted

? For I can speak though I am small

? So I come to greet you, one and all" uh...uh...

(unrehearsed):"Merry Christmas, everyone!"

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As you can realize, this was not a part

of the show as none of the rest of the

children had done anymore than what they

were taught.?  The congregation broke

out in laughter and Cheryl thought she had

accomplished her feat to the hilt.

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Needless to say, I was a small bit

embarrassed but extremely proud of my

little four year old 'celebrity?'

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NormaLee Liles ?©

hoopla214@yahoo.com

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? ? ~**~**~

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My Exchange Gift ? 

Norma Liles

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I was trembling as I looked across the room at this sharp looking older
fellow who had just received the 'exchange gift' that I had brought to Mary's
party. He was taking his good old time about opening the gift; stopping
long enough to joke with someone about what it might be and they were
doing the same with their prize.

This party had been a God send as this holiday season looked to be
pretty bleak for me without my family close by. I had been a widow for
several years and had learned to cope to some extent but my daughter
and husband had an anniversary coming up so they had decided to
spend their holiday out to sea on a cruise ship.

Most of the people at the party were singles who were used to seeing
each other from time to time. The fellow, Chad, who was opening my
gift was a new face but he seemed to be very nice and mannerly. Looks
have not always been a high priority in my scheme of things but respectability
has been high. Chad seemed to fill that bill.

In the meantime, my attention had been drawn to a couple more folks
coming in a little late so when I looked back, Chad was coming toward
me with a smile on his face and a gleam in his eyes.

:"Hello there! I just want to thank you for these bells. I know you will find
this hard to believe but they were actually on my wish list for Christmas.
I have a new snowmobile and I thought it would be great to have some
bells to go along with it. Several of the folks here tonight are coming over
to my place on Christmas eve for a ride. Would you be interested in
coming along?"

Needless to say, this was the answer to my dilemma of spending Christmas
alone. Chad and I hit it off very well and it looks like we are planning to see
more of each other in the New Year, thanks to the Christmas bells.

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NormaLee Liles ?©

hoopla214@yahoo.com

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? ? ~**~**~

Fulfillment In a Job Well Done.? 

Norma Liles

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? It was a cool crisp fall day when we gathered at our church's dining room to

fill the? shoeboxes for the Operation Christmas child; a project which is headed

by Franklin Graham, Billy's son.

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The ultimate goal for this project is to furnish Christmas gifts for children in

foreign countries with the purpose of reaching them for Jesus Christ.

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Many children have never heard of our Jesus so this is a sweet way to win

their attention as well as to realize that as they receive gifts from us, they can

learn to receive the gift of Jesus Christ.

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Over the year, donation of items for this cause are accepted to fill the shoe boxes;

such as a stuffed animals, dolls, toothpaste toothbrush, combs, coloring books,

crayons, markers, hard candies, hair brushes, toy trucks, modeling clay, reading

books, a bar? of soap, washcloth? and etc.?  Each box is covered in Christmas gift

wrap prior to the contents being added. A tag is attached which denotes the gender

of the child as well as the ages; boy or girl ages 2-4, 5-9 and 10-14.

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Each volunteer from the J.O.Y. Bible class (J=Jesus, O=Others, Y=You), were

assigned various duties to complete this extraordinary service.? 

It was my duty to place a bar of soap and a washcloth into a plastic bag in

preparation for filling the boxes while others filled small plastic canvas boxes

with hard candies, others gift wrapping the boxes, others labeling the shoe boxes

for the required ages of the children while others carried unfilled shoe boxes

to the various cardboard boxes ready to supply them with the donated items.

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There was a festive aura in the room as we enjoyed each other's company while

we worked toward a goal of bringing happiness into a child's life with a toy or

a piece of candy while we acquainted them with the love of Jesus Christ, our

redeemer.

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Our church was the drop off point for area churches and before the shoe boxes

were encased in larger boxes, the whole church community had filled 900 shoe

boxes.?  Thank you, Jesus, we are still spreading the news of your birth through

a simple but fruitful mission and purpose.

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How sweet it is to be a part of the family of God who enriches our very life when

we serve Him in any capacity.

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"Jesus loves me this I know for the Bible tells me so.?  Little ones to Him

belong. They are weak but He is strong!"

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\If you wish to enrich your life, please click on this link for more information on this project:

http://www.samaritanspurse.org/MP_Article.asp?ArticleID=63? ? 

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NormaLee Liles ?©

hoopla214@yahoo.com

12-5-05

? ? ~**~**~

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?  I Was the First

Norma Liles? ? 

I was the first to see the star

A beautiful sight to behold

My emotions became loose

As I knew what the sign could be.

I went to my knees in a minute

My mind could barely grasp the site

Within minutes a calm engulfed me

'Twas the *star' of old Bethelehem!

Rejoice, rejoice oh my brethern

The babe has been born to us all

Lying in a manger so sweet & mild

'Jesus' the long awaited Messiah.

Praise Him, the King of Glory

The One who was promised so long

Hear how the cattle are lowing

Happy Birthday to our King!

NormaLee Liles

12-26-05

NormaLee Liles ?©

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, she is a senior writer for Storytime Tapestry.

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~**~**~

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Writers Feedback

Carol,? Thanks for your thoughts at Christmas as told in your story, and for your good wishes.?  We wish you a very happy and peaceful Christmas and trust that the New Year will bring you many blessings.? ? ? ?  Love Gabrielle. ? ? 

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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; Gilbert, Robert Jr; Goodier, Steve; Halley, Ellie Braun;

Harris, Kathy Anne;? Hunt, Sharlette;? Hymes, Christina

Jacobson, Gary;? Kiser, Roger Dean; Kerens, Claudia; Kevin, Tim Jenkins, Pamela;

Liles, Norma; Lilly, Jodi Flesberg; Lock, Joyce; Mazzella, Joe;? Morris, Deepak;

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

Weymouth, Barbara; 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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