|
----------------------------------------------------
WRITE 2 THE HEART
Stories that are aimed "Write 2 The Heart"
June 20, 2001 Volume 1, Issue 22
Cheryl Speir, Editor, moderator@write2theheart.com
--------------------------------------------------------
By subscription only! Welcome to your next issue of
"WRITE 2 THE HEART"
You are receiving this FREE newsletter because you
requested a subscription or a friend generously forwarded
it to you.
-----------------------------------------------------
Freely forward this ezine to as many people
as you wish, just remember to send the entire issue.
-----------------------------------------------------
Do you have a story you would like to share with our readers? We
are currently looking for new writers. To submit, send your
story as an email along with a few sentences about yourself to:
moderator@write2theheart.com
---------------------------------------------------------
AJ Thomas writes today's story. This is her first
submission to any publication. I am sure it will not be
her last!
---------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------
Please Close the File
By: AJ Thomas
--------------------------------------------------------
It had been several days since I had journaled; I needed to
empty my mind a bit. I was trying to improve my abilities
on the computer, but this little message kept appearing on
my screen. It said something like, "You can't open a new file
while you still have the old file open." In someway, these words
stuck in my mind..over and over, day after day. I would always
get to this step, but could not move on. Then finally an angel of
mercy (well, it had to have been something from the heavenly
direction) caused me to hit the right key to move on.
I felt that there was someone talking to me about something; but
I just couldn't connect. I would almost get the point, but I
couldn't work through it. I intended to use this somehow in my
Sunday School opening, but when I arrived that Sunday, I still
didn't have a message. I now know that it was God speaking to me
about some prayers I'd been sending in His direction. I just
wasn't tuning in.
Since Mom had passed away, I had been struggling with some
family issues. I come from an extremely dysfunctional family due
to the fact the everyone hasn't yet acknowledged God's existence
in our lives. (I'm not perfect, just forgiven!) I knew where to
go for the answers, but just kept playing the tape of nastiness
over and over again. Then it came to me, just like that!! "You
can't open a new file while you still have the old file open!"
That's what God was trying to tell me! The lights suddenly came
on, and I could see what I had been missing all along! I'd left
the proverbial file drawer open just far enough so that those
things that cut so deep could still seep out and almost drown me
in frustration. What possibly could lock that file for good?
First and foremost, I had to go back to God with all of it. I
had done exactly what so many of us do--I'd laid my burdens on
the altar, but before I'd even gotten off my knees, I'd picked
them up before God even had a chance to fix them. I knew what I
had to do. I needed to go to the Lord and ask His forgiveness
for my lack of faith. Sounds easy? Nope!
It's been months now, and I have begun to feel peace. We
have a choice in this life, and I decided that it was time to
take the freedom God gives all of us. I made a conscious choice
to no longer let Satan interfere with what God has planned for my
future. It doesn't matter what people say concerning me! It
only matters what God says! I am of no reputation! There's
nothing to ruin concerning that. The only thing that matters is
what God thinks about me. Think about it! Isn't it God that
really has the final say in what we do, whether we acknowledge it
or not? That's what it says in the Bible!!
I wish to share something that really helps me. When
Satan reminds me of my past, I find great pleasure in
reminding him of his future! When I close him out, I can
clearly see the future that God has planned for me. God
commands us to pray for our enemies, whether it be family
or just people. There's a verse to a song that says, "You
can talk about me all that you please, I'll be talking about you
down on my knees!" Do we really do that? Most likely, not as
much as we should.
In closing, (the file, that is), open your heart to the new file
that God has prepared for you. In it, you will find the most
wonderful blue prints, (purple, in my case), drawn up for you by
the "Master Designer!" If I don't see you here, I'll see you
there! In His love, AJ
AJ Thomas
AJ's computer is down at the moment; she can be contacted
through a friend at: dragontree @ geneseo.net
---------------------------------------------------------
I live on a farm in North-Central Illinois where I spend my
Time with horses, dogs, and rabbits. I have been writing and
composing music and poetry since 4th grade. I greatly love the
out of doors and our great God who made it all! I love the color
purple. (Indeed she does, her story came written in purple)
--------------------------------------------------------
FROM OUR READERS
---------------------------------------------------------
Cheryl,
What a lovely story by your son, Chris. I often wonder if
our son, Bobby, had he lived longer, would have enjoyed
the outdoors as much as the rest of his family does.
Once when we took our two oldest daughters (ages 7 and 2)
up to a lake to camp out in our tent, we got so tickled at our
seven year old. She was fascinated by the many tiny frogs, about
the size of an adult thumbnail. I went over to see what the girls
were doing. Cathy was holding a toy bucket and saying to her
sister, "Look, here's one Linda." Then Linda would pick up the
tiny frog and put it in the bucket. They had a bunch of the tiny
frogs in that bucket to show me, and Cathy hadn't touched one of
them.
Aren't memories precious?
Cathy and her husband (now living in Florida) will be in
Ephrata this afternoon for a day and a half to visit with us, and
her younger sister, Terri & her family. Our weather is
unseasonably cold, perhaps a treat for Floridians. I just have
to tell you that we had a frog living under our house for a few
years. We never saw him, but we heard him. I think he liked the
water from our leaky outdoor faucet. After we had it repaired, he
disappeared. Love & Hugs, Pat Lowe
"I wanted to let my mom know that even
now living in Alaska, I can still feel her hugs
and hear her voice when I go out to teach
my boys how to be silly in the woods".
I just got through reading today’s mail.....Oh....it was
wonderful.....I had chills.....I just can't wait for my
teenagers to get "normal" so they can hold a coherent
conversation!
I am wanting to write you a goodie....but can't get my thoughts
and words together....just give me time.....I think I can do it!
Debbie (And she did! Watch for Debbie's story next week)
We live in a society today, where you are taught a certain
percentage of children come from a dysfunctional home
and this may be true to some extent, but it was so
refreshing to see "the flip side" of this subject. Chris,
(Crispy Critter) continue to raise your children as your
mother did you, and I guarantee, your children will one day write
a story of their love and pride for you.
As for spiders and snakes, you and your brothers would have been
exposed to them even if you lived in a large city. As Cheryl's
sister, I know this for a fact. Cheryl was not and is not afraid
of any "creepy, crawley" bugs. As a little girl, I was told she
used to catch lizards and have them bite her ear lobe so she
could wear them as earrings. "Yuk" When it comes to spiders and
snakes, I ain't got what it takes.
Oh, let's us not forget, she also talks to animals and they talk
back. Yeah! As Chris wrote, Cheryl and her family lived on ten
acres of land, way out, in the middle of "no where land", so,
usually this meant that they left their doors unlocked when they
went somewhere. Well, one day, I decided to drop by since I just
happened to be "no where". When I arrived, I knocked on the
door, no one answered, so I eased the door opened and yelled,
"Cheryl, are you here!" Well, after two attempts of calling out
to Cheryl, I finally got a response, "Whatcha doing?" I began to
respond, "Oh not much, just thought I wou------------------
"Whatcha doing" was repeated again. Well, I know I was speaking
loud enough that Cheryl was able to hear me, so it became clear
to me, as I made my way into Cheryl's den, that I wasn't speaking
to her or anybody, but Peter Pan, one of the family’s pets. I was
glad at that time that no one was home.
One more thing, Congratulations on the grandson. (Look out
spiders and snakes)
Love, Karen
---------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------
Cheryl's Corner
---------------------------------------------------------
There is a salvage discount store I love to frequent
in my town. Once, while there, I found metal bric-a-brac
piece that had four angels cut out in a row. One was
missing it's halo. I bought it thinking I could replace it. I
set it on top of my television and there it sat for a few days.
Standing in front of it one day, I tried to figure out what
I would need to fix it. As I looked I started laughing.
That piece looked like the personality of my four sons!
The first angel has it's halo pushed back, like Chris wore
his baseball cap, afraid he would miss something in the
world around him. The next is missing his halo, Aaron
was always misplacing something of his. He spent more
time looking for things. The third angel has it's halo on
straight and level. That's Tim, he was born believing he was
sent to straighten this family out. He finally realized what a
hopeless task that was at twelve. The last angel has it's halo
on haphazardly, I can just hear Jeremy asking, "Do I HAVE to wear this"?
So, the piece will stay as it is. Other people may
wonder why I keep that broken piece. It makes
me smile and remember when.
---------------------------------------------------------
Copyright 2001 Write 2 The Heart
Nothing may be reproduced or published without the written
permission of the individual authors or copyright owners.
------------------------------------------------------------
All subscriptions sent to your email free of charge.
|
