STORYTIME TAPESTRY

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

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Special Treat - Christmas Contest Submission ??“ ? B.J. Cassady

Dec 24, 2005

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? All special treats will be Christmas Contest entries from now on.?  This way I can maximize on the number of stories I can get out to you.?  Please do not influence your vote because you see a writer has a special treat.?  I will pick a story at random for this selection.?  The soul purpose of using the special treat section is to get out my Christmas stories to you.?  You will still vote for your favourite writer at the end of the contest whether or not they were slotted for a special treat or remained published in the main newsletter.

Carol Roach

? And now for today??™s selection:

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? Christmas 1984? 
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? ? ?  I have written many stories about the pleasant, unforgettable
Christmases of the past, but a few had very bad experiences and yet
the memories of these enhanced my character.?  One of these was
Christmas 1984.
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? ? ?  An eviction notice on my door December 1st did not set me off in the
Holiday mood.?  Finding a place to move during winter, during Christmas
time, would be difficult.?  However, I realized this might be a blessing in
disguise.?  Living in an apartment complex was not my style and know
that it's new owner decided to convert them to condos made my choice
clear, get a real home.
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? ? ?  Next problem, I had three cars, all were old and all were not running.
I needed one new car.?  I could afford it.? 
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? ? ?  Next problem, my grandmother died, her funeral was to take place
one state away so I had to borrow a car and drive in a decent snow
storm to get there.?  No problem.?  I had many friends and the trip went
well.
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? ? ?  Christmas would not have as many presents this year.?  But I was
counting my blessings.?  I had friends,?  I developed a plan, I decided to
get a new car (and save about 200 dollars a month in gas and repairs).
When one receives bad tidings, it is us to decide how to react.?  By the
first of the year, I had a new car, lived in a house, had excess money
for the first time in years.? 
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? ? ?  From simple beginnings we grow and learn.?  We must hold to our
values and not value what we hold.
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B.J. Cassady

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B.J. Cassady

BJ.Cassady @ af-group.com

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? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?  Christmas 1985? 
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? ? ? ?  Vince, my son, was A.W.O.L. from my life for some time.?  His
birthday is December 13th.?  In the year 1985, I had not heard from him
for some time and decided to drive to his house in Texas.
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? ? ? ?  There, I found my lost child, a man, but still a child to me.?  He sat
on a wooden chair with a blanket around him, huddled in front of a
kerosene heater in a home void of furniture (other than the chair), a
home void of electricity, and normal heat.
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? ? ? ? ?  I took my son and brought him home for Christmas.?  I fed him well
and nurtured him back to health.?  We developed a plan for him.?  That
Christmas was filled with tears and joy, tears of what might have been.
Joy of what was.? 
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? ? ? ?  I remember reading about another Father who took His Son home
once when He was tired and alone.?  We should do the same when we
can.
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B.J. Cassady
Guthrie, Oklahoma

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B.J. Cassady

BJ.Cassady @ af-group.com

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B.J. Cassady is a Stephen Minister at ? Edmond Trinity Church and ISD professional

in Guthrie, Oklahoma.?  A disabled Vietnam ? era USAF vet,?  BJ enjoys giving back to

the world with his writings and is putting ? together a CD audio collection of his best

writings.?  For further information please write: bj.enterprises @juno.com

Also look for his story 'Medals' in ? "More Patriot Hearts" by Lt Col William

Coffey and "The Quilt".