STORYTIME TAPESTRY

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

Jan 30, 2006? 

Today's Queue Stories
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Darkness And Light

Steve Johnston

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The sky was clearing and a gentle wind blew across the rooftops. I could barely make out the whispers. They began as humming and slowly grew as the voices began to distinguish themselves.

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I could hear the shrill sounds of men, women and children, all speaking in a ghostly harmony. There was sadness and anger. There was confusion and surprise.

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A chill ran down my back. The voices were growing in volume. I wanted to run and hide away inside my house. But my body betrayed me and there I remained as the scene began to unfold.

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The air grew cold and the night seemed to dim. Darkness rose and seemed to envelope my yard. The air seemed to thicken and moisten. A dank and rotting smell seemed to overtake me.

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Suddenly, the darkness began to take shape and move. Grey forms and faces began to morph from the swamp of dark and moist air. The voices grew clearer.

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Questions and names were spoken over one another. Gibberish and madness rang out from the monstrous chorus. And still I stood, watching as the figures came into view.

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I was fearful and yet??¦there was something non-threatening about them. Something human still remained. I tried to capture the voices and words in my mind. I tried to remember.

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The forms took shape and I began to see that the darkness was simply an illusion. These figures that now stood before me were all human. Scared and confused in death as in life.

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Sadness filled me as I began to understand. They were lost. Stuck between this world and the next. Searching for a way home.

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I opened my arms, as if to embrace them. I felt the gentle touch of dozens of hands and arms surround me. Warmth now engulfed me. Tears streamed from my eyes.

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The words fell from my lips.

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???Goodbye. You are loved.???

Steve Johnston

stevenmjohnston@yahoo.com

Steven Johnston has been a professional writer for more than 10 years.?  His work includes articles from the former music.com, ghost articles for a number of companies, and technology magazine, poetry and prose.?  He is a graduate from the college of New Jersey, (formerly Trenton State College, and he lives in Levittown, Pennsylvania with his wife and dog. ? For more information and additional pieces visit Steve??™s blog at:

http://sparksofinspiration.blogspot.com/

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~**~**~

? "Sunday Sonlight"

Sandra Lewis Pringle? 

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God's Reflection Through Us

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We work hard with our own hands.

When we are cursed, we bless;

when we are persecuted,

we endure it;

when we are slandered,

we answer? kindly.

I Corinthians 4:12

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? ? ?  In the course of our lifetimes. . . . our faith journeys . . .many shall cross our paths, seeking truth.

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? ? ?  They will watch us closely, as we react to challenges, face adversities, and experience setbacks in our lives.

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? ? ? ?  We who have a close relationship with Christ, are on display.? ? God will use our lives as a living testimony of His power, His love, and His grace.

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? ? ? ? ?  Depending upon the relationship that we have with Him, determines the portrayal we demonstrate of Him, His everlasting love.

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? ? ? ?  If we are quick to respond to the needs of others, that proves His compassion.

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? ? ?  If we are responsive to the lack of understanding that many have of His love for us, this proves His unconditional love.

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? ? ?  If we remain calm, while being attacked unjustly or persecuted on account of our beliefs, this proves His power, working through us.

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? ? ?  There are many ways, in every day, in which we portray Jesus, in our speech, actions, reactions, and deeds.

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? ? ?  Knowing Christ intimately prepares us to share Him, at? any given opportunity.

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? ? ?  If we do not know Christ as Our Lord, we may give the wrong impression.

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? ? ?  A young woman has been sending me snail mails for quite some time. ? Recently, she wrote and complained that God had not answered her prayers, for many things, including the husband she has been seeking.? ? She was

about ready to give up on God.

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? ? ?  God is not a God that we can make demands to.? ?  His Word says that if we delight ourselves in Him, He will give us the desires of our? hearts.

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? ? ? ?  A happy heart is one that is in covenant with Him, one that understands and respects His ways, and is willing to wait and trust in His promise, His timing.

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? ? ?  We have to line our thoughts, our minds up with His, and we have to look to Him first, before any others, in all things.? ? This proves to Him, that we have a heart for Him.

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? ? ?  The God which we are to portray to others is a loving and faithful God. He is willing and able to keep us safe in the shelter of His mighty wings, and carries us through all the storms of life, by the greatness of His love.

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? ? ?  Our lives should be descriptive of gently teaching others, gently leading others, with respect and without condemnation.? ? There is no condemnation in Christ Jesus, and there should be none, in those who wish to teach and lead.? Jesus did not come into the world, to instill fear.

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? ? ?  We should be willing to make sacrifices so that others may see Him in us, always faithful,? always genuine.

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? ? ?  Reflecting the image of God must come from the heart, sincere and earnest to touch the lives of others, to lead to the right pathway, urging others to walk in spirit, rather than flesh.

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? ? ? ?  The image we demonstrate of Christ should be one that captures the attention of others and leaves them yearning for the same kind of relationship with Him.? ?  If we accomplish this, I am sure that He is well pleased to use us, as often as possible, to shine through the darkness of the world.

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? ? ?  Let your light so shine among men, to reflect His true image.

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? ? ?  I encourage you, Folks, to strengthen yourselves in Christ Jesus, so that others may be strengthened and encouraged through you.

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?© 2005? ?  Sandra Lewis Pringle

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? Sandra Lewis Pringle

? ? ? ? ? ?  SLPEnt1@aol.com

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My name is Sandra Lewis Pringle.?  Writing is, and always has been, a favorite pasttime of mine, since a child.? ?  I often would make up little stories to entertain my cousins, and friends, at times we had nothing else to do.

? ?  I wrote poetry at a young age, and then began to write more seriously, as the years passed.

? ?  I began an inspirational greetings site, online, in 1998.?  By that time, I had gathered several people who wished to read poetry, and with whom I had been sending out prayers, in answer to prayer requests.

? ?  The name of my poetry site is "Greetings from the Heart and Soul."
Greetings From The Heart And Soul

? ?  Later, I added my daily devotionals, "Morning Glorythoughts", and that readership has grown by leaps and bounds.? ?  Praise God.

Morning Glorythoughts Daily Devotionals

? ? ? ? ?  And since I also like to play with photography, I have recently added onto the internet, my own gallery of photos, which glorify the Presence of Almighty God all around us.

Sandra's Gallery of Photography

? ? ? ?  I reside in North Carolina, grew up in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains, and this is where I call home.

? ? ?  I hope that if you visit any of my websites, you will enjoy and be blessed.

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Poetry Section

~**~**~

I am a Mess

Leona Ebling

I am a mess I must confess

Cause I am stressed and even depressed

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I wrote a book, designed and published it

My good friend and a few others told me it would be a hit

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Well out it came online for sale you see

And they sent out one free copy to me

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So with no extra funds to buy and sell

This book is not doing to well

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So old depression that old ???tude???

He came around that crazy ???dude???

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He thinks that I have time to entertain

But I am not going to play his game

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I have spent years and years with him

And procrastination his dearest friend

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But time is flying by real fast

And I have no time as days go past

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To waste on either of those two

So this is what I am going to do

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I??™ll keep on ???Dancing with Life??? each day

And send procrastination and ???tude??™on their way

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And hope that maybe before I ???dance on high???

I will have other books online for people to buy

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And I can say THANKS to Carol my publishing friend

Whose inspiration and encouragement never ends

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To a very special person who is so important to me as I am ???Dancing with Life???

Carol our dear Winterose who is always in full bloom and beautiful

Leona

Still "Dancing with Life" (my book you can order from AuthorHouse.com or Barnes & Noble?  your friend and fan of all those wonderful stories as we make a difference in lives every day.? ?  Leona? ?  wwjdleona@aol.com

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~**~**~

WEEKLY CONTEST WINNER

NICOLE STEVENSON

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Writers Feedback

Susan I will keep you in my evergrowing prayer list God Bless ? 

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Prayer Requests and Updates

? Dear Prayer Warriors

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Please pray for Gilbert, he is 35 years old and in critical shape at our UCD Med Center.

His lungs are filled with fluid and will require a life threatening surgery by the end of the week.?  I have known this young man since he was a young boy and he did not have parental support as his father abandoned the family and his mother turned to heroin and alcohol.?  Now all her children have gone the same route including Gilbert.?  He and his siblings have lived a life of abuse and neglect.

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Gilbert was the one who always tried to keep the family together looking after each one and he still does even from his hospital bed.? 

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I was so shocked when he turned to the drug route as I took him to Sunday School as a child.?  He and his siblings never stood a? chance but our Lord with no parental support.

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He always calls on me when he's in trouble, he cried while talking with him on the phone last night with pain in his chest.?  He has been homeless with his mother who now has cancer.

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Gilbert says no more cigarettes or? drugs? if he recovers from this lung problem.?  He has the patch for not smoking now and is on methodone for his drug addiction.? 

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Please help me pray that he will find the Lord right there in that hospital bed.? ? His abuse began as a child from? neglect from his parents and he has abused his? body? with so many substances that he may not make it.? 

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He has a good heart and would give you the shirt off? his back if he thought you needed it.?  Please lift him up to our Lord in prayer for healing of his physical, mental and spiritual body.

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I ask these things of you in Jesus most Precious Name!

Amen and Amen

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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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