Far Away Places


I wanted to thank all of you for the wonderful responses I have received so far on 
"A Father's Love."  I have a ton of them to go through, but I will answer every one 
of them.  Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
  
     After a recent email, inquiring about my copyright on the story, I wanted to 
make sure everyone knew that they are free to forward or pass along the story in 
any way shape or form.  Including printing it out and using in newsletters, Sunday 
school classes, etc.  I have begun to copyright what I write as a way to protect it 
in the hopes of someday putting together a book of my writing.  It is a far off dream, 
but I leave it in God's hands as to what he would like to do with it.  He is the one 
who gave me the ability, and I give it to Him to do with what he wants.  I am just 
thankful for the opportunity to share with everyone from my heart.  The only problem?  
So many stories....so little time.
Michael

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It is with great pleasure that I introduce to you an excellent writer, by the name of 
James Stokes.  Miriam steered me to his website a while back and I got the chance to 
read some of his stories and poetry.  I hope you enjoy this story as much as I did.


Far Away Places
By James Stokes 
 


Grandpa bought a deluxe motor home; it's equipped with all the works: 
stove, sink, shower, AC, TV, CD, cruise control and refrigerator. It 
even has an awning for sitting out in the shade. Grandpa was happy. 
While he was waiting for it to be delivered, he went to the travel 
agency and bought maps and got brochures for all the places he'd ever 
dreamed of visiting: Disney World, Yellowstone, Grand Canyon, Vancouver, 
Boston and Miami. 
Then they delivered it, bright and shiny, right to his front door. Now, 
how's that for service? The first night he had it, he camped out in it, 
"just to break it in." He spent most of the night looking through the 
brochures and mapping out their first big trip. Grandpa was happy. 
Grandma just chuckled and shook her head. 
The next day, he was up with the sun and he surprised Grandma by cooking 
breakfast for her out in his little kitchen. After breakfast, he was 
ready to take his motor home out for a spin. He and Grandma climbed up 
into the cabin and he started the engine. Grandpa was happy. 
He drove carefully and cautiously out to the end of the driveway. From 
high up in the cabin, the world had a whole new look: the sky was 
closer, the lanes were narrower, and the pavement seemed so far away! 
Grandpa was not so happy now. 
So he backed the motor home cautiously and carefully down the driveway 
and parked it in the back yard. Grandma just chuckled and shook her 
head. 
Grandpa spends his weekends camping out in his new motor home. Sometimes 
you can look out into the back yard and see him napping in the shade of 
the awning; sometimes you can smell the fish he's cooking out there. At 
night, beyond the glow of multicolored lanterns, you can see him sitting 
under the lamp at his little kitchen table, reading about far away 
places. Grandpa is happy. Grandma just chuckles and shakes her head; 
she's happy too. 
 
(July 24-26, 1998) 
© Copyright 1999
James Stokes
bayou@webkorner.com
Let James know what you thought of his story!

If you would like to visit his web page, and read more of his writing, I've included 
the link.  For those of you on this list who love to write, James has a place for you 
to submit stories to be shared on his web page.  Go check it out!

 Web Page for Writers   Web Page for Writers: Post your short stories...  http://members.tripod.com/~fictionwriter/main.html
    A web page for aspiring writers. Post your short stories or poetry here!

Tomorrow I will introduce you to another writer!

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I received a number of versions of the parrot joke. My thanks to those who sent it to me.
Pat and Lee, here you go......


   David received a parrot for his birthday.  The parrot was fully grown with a bad 
attitude and worse vocabulary.  Every other word was an expletive. Those that weren't 
expletives, were to say the least, rude.  David tried hard to change the bird's 
attitude and was constantly saying polite words, playing soft music, anything he 
could think of to try and set a good  example... Nothing worked. He yelled at the 
bird and the bird yelled back. He shook the bird and the bird just got more angry 
and more rude.  Finally, in a moment of desperation, David put the parrot in the 
freezer.  For a few moments he heard the bird squawk and kick and scream - then 
suddenly, there was quiet.  Not a sound for half a minute. David was frightened 
that he might have hurt the bird and quickly opened the freezer door.  The parrot 
calmly stepped out onto David's extended arm and said, "I believe I may have 
offended you with my rude language and actions.  I will endeavor at once to 
correct my behavior. I really am truly sorry and beg your forgiveness." David 
was astonished at the bird's change in attitude and was about to ask what had 
made such a dramatic change when the parrot continued "May I ask what the chicken did?"

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Your Hero Stories!

Today being August 16th, it's easy to share my Hero with you.  It's my Mother.  
She always had a hearing ear for me growing up, and taught me the value of saving 
the nickel.   We always lived on a very strict budget to save money for vacation's 
and holiday's.  

Mother always kept a perfectly clean house and yard.  How she did it, I'll never know.
She won yard beautiful when I was growing up in Houston and also here in Lufkin, TX.  
Never met a stranger, and was always kind to everyone.

Mother lived by me for most of my life until she had to go to a nursing home due 
to age and she always wanted to come home.  Until November of last year she wanted 
to go home but not this home, with her Heavenly Father and be with my Daddy and her 
mom, dad, sister's and my children.  I went to look at cards early this morning, 
just long enough to get very sad knowing that Mother is not here anymore, yet 
happy because she is with her loved ones.  She doesn't have to labor in a wheel 
chair anymore nor take baths when she wasn't ready.  She can get all the food 
and water she wants and she will always look perfect sitting at the Master's table.  

Happy Birthday to my Mother
Joann
joann@inu.net

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Waiting to send a letter to your hero?  You might miss out on something!
Read on:

Thank you so much for publishing my letter to my sister, I am sending along her 
response, just thought you might like to see it.....
Peggy
MssChiff25@aol.com


Oh, my gosh!   This morning, ( Wednesday),  I was crying out to the Lord because 
I was so discouraged about a hundred things and begged Him to do something to 
encourage me.  Then finally this evening I had a chance to sit down at the 
computer and there was your wonderful E-mail.  I bet you didn't know that God 
uses you.
Your letter was beyond anything I could imagine anyone saying to me.  I guess 
I don't believe that anything I do ever amounts to much.   I love you.  I loved 
you with all my heart from the moment I knew that Mom was expecting.  You were 
the neatest thing that ever happened to me as a child and I enjoyed you immensely 
all those years.  You were a delight to me and I was always very grateful that you 
came along.  I can't speak for anyone else, but I think we all thought you were 
pretty special.
     Thank you for sharing those feelings with me. It really saved the day and the 
month and the year for me.  You used to listen to me more back then.  Now, you're 
pretty independent yourself.  
     I'm going to send this because I think you're probably online right now and 
I'm going to try to figure out how to do instant messages.    
 Love you always and forever.  Dottie

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REQUEST

Michael,
I was thinking of this man while reading about Kelly. His name is Bob Moore. His 
grandaughter is a good friend of mine. They both go to my church. About two weeks 
ago he went into the hospital, but he's been sick for a long time.
	He needs a heart transplant but they won't give him one because he's over 
70. That made all of us mad. He's been retaining fluid in his lungs. The doctor's 
don't know what meds to give him, cause what works for his heart won't work for his
 kidneys (which are threatening to shut down) and vice versa. 
	A week and a half ago he spent the night really close to death, but they 
managed to stablize him around 4:00 AM. He's in the Cardiac Care Unit, right know. 
    Last Thursday, his grandaughter said that he probably won't come home alive.  
	On Sunday, my pastor informed everyone that he might be able to go home, 
but won't be able to do more than recliner-bathroom, recliner-bed. 
	It would really help if you would pass this to anyone you can. I ask that 
you pray For Bob and his family.

Charlotte
Cbea15@aol.com 

Thought For The Day:

"If you tell the truth, you don't have to remember anything."

Verse for the Day:

"Kings take pleasure in honest lips; they value a man who speaks the truth."
Proverbs 16:13


Kid's Thought for the day:

"Every flower smells a little different."

Parent's Thought For The Day

"A happy childhood is one of the best gifts that parents have it in their power to bestow."

Coach's Thought For The Day

"How a woman plays the game shows something of her character.  How she loses shows all of it."


Deep Thought For The Day:

"Two people in every one is schizophrenic."