As Clear As The Milky Way
Stories
Contents
What's Up This Week
"As Clear As The Milky Way" by Scott Delgarno
"The Impact Of Certainty" by Argile Smith
"A Mother's Tears" by Richard A. Jensen
What's Up This Week
Jesus is always ready to protect and care for us. No matter where we are, no matter what we are doing, he is always there. He is our Father ready to shelter us and help us through all our failures, fears, and misdeeds. Trust in our Lord, Jesus Christ, to see the goodness throughout humankind.
The writer of Hebrews may consider Abram a paragon of faith but he was so totally human. His is the story of a man who followed his heart, believing God but who, at every turn, sought to engineer his own future -- telling Pharaoh that his wife Sara was sister, begging God to make Ishmael, Hagar's son, his heir. God is infinitely patient in working out his will, but we are not.
* * *
As Clear As The Milky Way
Scott Delgarno
Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18
After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision, "Do not be afraid, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great." But Abram said, "O Lord GOD, what will you give me, for I continue childless, and the heir of my house is my cousin, Eliezer of Damascus?"
-- Genesis 15:1-2
Jay and Sarah found each other in college. Neither had dated much in high school. College represented a chance for both of them to get a new start and that was part of the bond that brought them together. They saw it in one another's eyes and in the geeky awkwardness each found attractive in the other.
They were engaged with astonishing speed, the way young people often are who find their first "true love." Their bond was strong. They felt as if they were meant for each other from before birth. Love was running away with them like a carriage without a driver. They decided they wanted four children. They even named them.
But by their senior year, the "new" having worn off, both wondered if they had been emotionally hasty. Jay, in particular wondered what it would have been like had he tested the waters with several women before settling on one for life. They broke it off each assuring the other that they could always get back together if they wanted. The arrangement felt odd and reassuring at the same time.
Jay worked that summer at his father's restaurant in Seattle. He enjoyed his freedom but when September rolled around and, for the first time in his life, Jay found himself not going to school, he began to wonder if he had made a great mistake, breaking it off with Sarah. Taking the Labor Day weekend off, he made the three-hour drive hoping to surprise her, just showing up at her door.
He rang the bell with a giddy confidence but was a bit unnerved at her mother's initial unease at seeing him. Jay chalked it up to the breakup until she told him, haltingly, almost apologetically, that Sarah had been seeing someone else all summer and was once again, engaged.
Jay didn't have the heart to hang around another minute. He motored right home and did his best to move along in life. He applied to graduate schools all on the east coast thinking he needed a completely fresh start. Though he liked the fall colors in New England as much as anyone, he felt a certain culture shock, but when the next fall rolled around he dug into his studies and things went well enough for him to stick it out.
He more than welcomed the opportunity to go home for the holidays. It would be fun and his older brother was getting married right after Christmas. Jay would be a best man before he would be a groom. That felt somehow correct.
He found he thoroughly enjoyed planning a party for this brother. They had never been all that close before. On the big day Jay found himself listening very intently to everything the minister said during the ceremony. He saw himself right there, holding a woman's hands in his own.
He found the reception not to his taste, hating DJs and the obligatory playing of "Y-M-C-A" and "We Are Family," but he danced with a half dozen girls, asking Julie, his second cousin, to take several turns with him on the parquet floor. She seemed to enjoy the festive nature of it as much as he did. They managed to get together every day that vacation and, back at school, separated by 3,000 miles, they emailed often. Within weeks they found themselves talking about marriage, first, in general, then in reference to themselves.
It was odd, having a relationship develop that way, so far apart. There was something a bit unreal about it all, but Jay felt he wasn't getting any younger and he and Julie had quite a bit in common. With spring break coming, he bought her a ring and presented it to her at the family restaurant at an Easter morning brunch right in front of his family. Every one seemed so pleased for them both.
Later on that same morning he had run into his former fiancÈ Sarah's brother at church. He heard himself asking about Sarah. Was she well? Did she like being married? Dave, her brother, said that though she was still seeing Rick they hadn't married, and hadn't even set a date yet. Dave wrote down her number and presented it to Jay, encouraging him to call her. "She'd love hearing from you," he said.
Jay complied. He complied so quickly he called her from the narthex. He felt something break up inside himself at the word, "hello." It was uncanny. It was like a spring thaw.
The two caught up quickly on the basics, but neither said anything to the other about their significant relationships. Then there was a long pause. How about coffee the next day, he said? Sarah related that she was leaving town to spend a week at the beach with her folks the next morning. She'd like to see him, but it had to happen that afternoon. Jay said he had plans to do some shopping, but that it could probably wait a day, though he knew very well that he'd be on an airplane the next afternoon.
He thought about Sarah all the way through the service and was on his way to her house before the benediction was pronounced. Her mother answered the door once again, but this time she was chuckling.
Jay marveled at how easy it was catching up with Sarah. How it seemed they hadn't been apart a single day. They talked about everything -- old friends, some of whom had already married and divorced. They talked about school, and work, and family and pretty soon Sarah was crying and Jay found himself holding her in his arms. They talked the whole night.
It was near midnight when he finally asked her why she had gotten herself engaged again so quickly. "Oh," she said, "maybe it was because there wasn't a single thing about him that reminded me of you."
That night on the airplane, looking out at the stars, Jay felt himself shell shocked. He was now promised to one woman and totally in love with another. He knew deep inside what he had to do. But what would he tell Julie? How would he break it to her?
Still, his heart was soaring now. His perspective was galactic. Why had he not seen this before? Any time he'd put himself in charge of engineering his own happiness, he'd make a mess of it. Life was so much bigger than he was, he thought. Everything of real worth was a gift, not contrived. It was as clear as the Milky Way.
Scott Dalgarno is pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Ashland, Oregon. He is also an adjunct professor at Southern Oregon University, where he teaches Film and Ethics. His poetry, essays, and stories have appeared in numerous publications, including The Christian Century, America: The National Catholic Weekly, The Antioch Review, and Alive Now. Dalgarno has a masters degree in English from the University of Oregon, as well as his M.Div. degree from San Francisco Theological Seminary. He plays some guitar and often wishes he were John Mayer.
The Impact Of Certainty
Argile Smith
Psalm 27
Dan and Rita took one look at Bethany, and their whole world changed. Before she came along, they had devoted themselves to making their two-career marriage succeed. When they found out that they would be having a baby, they embraced the challenges of merging career, marriage, and now parenthood. As they waited for their baby to arrive, they figured out how to make room for their newborn bundle of joy into their already-crowded lives. Once they knew that their baby would be a girl, they settled on a name for her, decorated her room to match her gender, looked into child care possibilities, and tended to all of the other details necessary for her arrival into the lives of her ambitious, two-income parents.
But they didn't count on Bethany being born ahead of schedule. In fact, she arrived dangerously early. Premature at birth, Bethany came into the world with a number of medical strikes against her. According to the team of physicians who studied her case file and examined her tiny body, her future looked bleak.
Dan and Rita listened to the prognosis, but they didn't respond to the news with despair. They had seen little Bethany, too, and something happened to them once they saw her lying in her incubator. From the moment they laid their eyes on their baby daughter, nothing else mattered more than her, not even their careers. Climbing up the corporate ladder now meant nothing to them as they studied their new baby's face and soaked in the shape of her miniature mouth and the beauty of her enchanting little nose. Strengthening the bottom line at work paled in comparison to watching Bethany's little chest rise and fall with each breath.
Consumed now by the life of their little girl, Dan and Rita set out immediately to make drastic changes. They modified their work schedules to accommodate their sole interest in being close to their Bethany. Consequently, they had to give up clients to other colleagues, which they knew would have an adverse effect on their positions within their companies.
Their drastic changes addled their friends at work and family members. For example, Rita's boss tried to warn her about the risk she was taking in terms of her future with the corporation, but she didn't seem to be the least bit frightened about what may happen. Dan's dad tried to warn him as well. He urged his son to be sensible and reasonable, but his advice fell on deaf ears.
Bethany's new parents smiled in acknowledgment as they listened to the concerns of others, but they kept on rearranging their lives in keeping with the little life that had taken their hearts captive. They winked at each other as they smiled, knowing for certain that they would not be diverted from the path they had chosen. Their certainty added to their confidence, which prompted them to make whatever changes necessary for Bethany's sake. If they ever had a doubt about the wisdom of their choices, one glimpse of little Bethany would always erase it. Bethany became the sole source of their joy, and devoting themselves to her became their sole ambition.
Dan and Rita reflected a remarkable sense of certainty that bolstered their confidence as they embraced their little girl. Likewise, the writer of Psalm 27 registered inflexible certainty as he confidently devoted himself exclusively to the living God. Jesus also lived with certainty as he made his way to Jerusalem and the cross, confidently walking in the path his Father had directed him to take for our salvation.
Argile Smith is vice president for advancement at William Carey University in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. He previously served at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary (NOBTS) as a preaching professor, chairman of the Division of Pastoral Ministries, and director of the communications center. While at NOTBS, Smith regularly hosted the Gateway to Truth program on the FamilyNet television network. He has also been the pastor of several congregations in Louisiana and Mississippi. Smith's articles have been widely published in church periodicals, and he is the author or editor of four books, including Helping Hurting People: Reconciliation-Focused Counseling and Preaching and Interpersonal Relationship Skills for Ministers.
A Mother's Tears
Richard A. Jensen
Luke 13:31-35
Gertrude Schmidt loved being a mother. She truly felt that motherhood was her one true vocation in life. Gertrude's devotion to her calling came most clearly to light after her husband, Horst, died. Gertrude and Horst had had three children of their own. Peter was twelve, Monica was ten, and Sebastian was six when their father died. Gertrude threw herself into the task of mothering more than ever before.
It was difficult, of course, for Gertrude Schmidt to support her family now that Horst was gone. There was a small pension and social security but that was barely enough to keep the family afloat. Gertrude pondered her situation. She came up with a splendid idea! If she would take in foster children for the state she would be given a stipend for raising them. This was the best of all worlds she thought. She could go on being what she wanted to be: a mother. And, she would make additional money in the process.
It wasn't easy for Gertrude Schmidt to convince the social agency that she ought to be allowed to raise foster children. Normally such children were only assigned to homes with two parents. But Gertrude persisted. This one time, therefore, the agency made an exception. They began to assign foster children to the care of Gertrude Schmidt.
Gertrude was overjoyed at this turn of events. She plunged into motherhood with more gusto than ever. She loved her own children. She loved the foster children who were assigned to her. She spoke of them all tenderly referring to them often as, "my flock."
Over the years, however Gertrude Schmidt's joy at being a mother turned into grief. The first foster child she took in was a fifteen-year-old boy named Gary. Gary had been in and out of many foster homes leaving much trouble in his wake. Gertrude was undeterred. She would take Gary in and love him into manhood. But it didn't work. Gary ran with a rough crowd. One night he had been with some boys who were drinking. There was an automobile accident. Gary was killed. And Gertrude wept.
Her own son, Peter, had really taken to Gary. He, too, was filled with grief over Gary's accidental death. In his grief Peter turned sullen. He spoke hardly a word. And then one day, Peter was gone. No note, no words of farewell, simply gone. Grief had driven him to the chase. And Gertrude wept.
A second foster child, a girl named Cynthia, came to live under the loving care and protection of Gertrude Schmidt. Cynthia had originally come from a very wealthy home. She was quite spoiled. It was hard for her to take the near poverty conditions that reigned at Gertrude Schmidt's place. She wanted so many things. She wanted them so badly that she began to steal them. Cynthia was caught shoplifting several times. The judge, listening to Gertrude's loving pleas, tried to be lenient. Leniency did not work, however, and Cynthia was finally put in juvenile detention.
Once again, Gertrude wept. Her heart was broken. She had given all of the love she could muster to her ''flock.'' If only she could just gather them all up in her arms and love them. But her love was spurned. And Gertrude wept. It's all she knew how to do. Gertrude wept.
(Lectionary Tales For The Pulpit, 57 Stories For Cycle C, by Richard Jensen [CSS Publishing Co., Inc, Lima, Ohio: 1994], pp. 47-48)
**********************************************
How to Share Stories
You have good stories to share, probably more than you know: personal stories as well as stories from others that you have used over the years. If you have a story you like, whether fictional or "really happened," authored by you or a brief excerpt from a favorite book, send it to StoryShare for review. Simply click here share-a-story@csspub.com and email the story to us.
**********************************************
StoryShare, March 4, 2007, issue.
Copyright 2007 by CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Lima, Ohio.
All rights reserved. Subscribers to the StoryShare service may print and use this material as it was intended in sermons, in worship and classroom settings, in brief devotions, in radio spots, and as newsletter fillers. No additional permission is required from the publisher for such use by subscribers only. Inquiries should be addressed to permissions@csspub.com or to Permissions, CSS Publishing Company, Inc., 517 South Main Street, Lima, Ohio 45804.
What's Up This Week
"As Clear As The Milky Way" by Scott Delgarno
"The Impact Of Certainty" by Argile Smith
"A Mother's Tears" by Richard A. Jensen
What's Up This Week
Jesus is always ready to protect and care for us. No matter where we are, no matter what we are doing, he is always there. He is our Father ready to shelter us and help us through all our failures, fears, and misdeeds. Trust in our Lord, Jesus Christ, to see the goodness throughout humankind.
The writer of Hebrews may consider Abram a paragon of faith but he was so totally human. His is the story of a man who followed his heart, believing God but who, at every turn, sought to engineer his own future -- telling Pharaoh that his wife Sara was sister, begging God to make Ishmael, Hagar's son, his heir. God is infinitely patient in working out his will, but we are not.
* * *
As Clear As The Milky Way
Scott Delgarno
Genesis 15:1-12, 17-18
After these things the word of the LORD came to Abram in a vision, "Do not be afraid, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great." But Abram said, "O Lord GOD, what will you give me, for I continue childless, and the heir of my house is my cousin, Eliezer of Damascus?"
-- Genesis 15:1-2
Jay and Sarah found each other in college. Neither had dated much in high school. College represented a chance for both of them to get a new start and that was part of the bond that brought them together. They saw it in one another's eyes and in the geeky awkwardness each found attractive in the other.
They were engaged with astonishing speed, the way young people often are who find their first "true love." Their bond was strong. They felt as if they were meant for each other from before birth. Love was running away with them like a carriage without a driver. They decided they wanted four children. They even named them.
But by their senior year, the "new" having worn off, both wondered if they had been emotionally hasty. Jay, in particular wondered what it would have been like had he tested the waters with several women before settling on one for life. They broke it off each assuring the other that they could always get back together if they wanted. The arrangement felt odd and reassuring at the same time.
Jay worked that summer at his father's restaurant in Seattle. He enjoyed his freedom but when September rolled around and, for the first time in his life, Jay found himself not going to school, he began to wonder if he had made a great mistake, breaking it off with Sarah. Taking the Labor Day weekend off, he made the three-hour drive hoping to surprise her, just showing up at her door.
He rang the bell with a giddy confidence but was a bit unnerved at her mother's initial unease at seeing him. Jay chalked it up to the breakup until she told him, haltingly, almost apologetically, that Sarah had been seeing someone else all summer and was once again, engaged.
Jay didn't have the heart to hang around another minute. He motored right home and did his best to move along in life. He applied to graduate schools all on the east coast thinking he needed a completely fresh start. Though he liked the fall colors in New England as much as anyone, he felt a certain culture shock, but when the next fall rolled around he dug into his studies and things went well enough for him to stick it out.
He more than welcomed the opportunity to go home for the holidays. It would be fun and his older brother was getting married right after Christmas. Jay would be a best man before he would be a groom. That felt somehow correct.
He found he thoroughly enjoyed planning a party for this brother. They had never been all that close before. On the big day Jay found himself listening very intently to everything the minister said during the ceremony. He saw himself right there, holding a woman's hands in his own.
He found the reception not to his taste, hating DJs and the obligatory playing of "Y-M-C-A" and "We Are Family," but he danced with a half dozen girls, asking Julie, his second cousin, to take several turns with him on the parquet floor. She seemed to enjoy the festive nature of it as much as he did. They managed to get together every day that vacation and, back at school, separated by 3,000 miles, they emailed often. Within weeks they found themselves talking about marriage, first, in general, then in reference to themselves.
It was odd, having a relationship develop that way, so far apart. There was something a bit unreal about it all, but Jay felt he wasn't getting any younger and he and Julie had quite a bit in common. With spring break coming, he bought her a ring and presented it to her at the family restaurant at an Easter morning brunch right in front of his family. Every one seemed so pleased for them both.
Later on that same morning he had run into his former fiancÈ Sarah's brother at church. He heard himself asking about Sarah. Was she well? Did she like being married? Dave, her brother, said that though she was still seeing Rick they hadn't married, and hadn't even set a date yet. Dave wrote down her number and presented it to Jay, encouraging him to call her. "She'd love hearing from you," he said.
Jay complied. He complied so quickly he called her from the narthex. He felt something break up inside himself at the word, "hello." It was uncanny. It was like a spring thaw.
The two caught up quickly on the basics, but neither said anything to the other about their significant relationships. Then there was a long pause. How about coffee the next day, he said? Sarah related that she was leaving town to spend a week at the beach with her folks the next morning. She'd like to see him, but it had to happen that afternoon. Jay said he had plans to do some shopping, but that it could probably wait a day, though he knew very well that he'd be on an airplane the next afternoon.
He thought about Sarah all the way through the service and was on his way to her house before the benediction was pronounced. Her mother answered the door once again, but this time she was chuckling.
Jay marveled at how easy it was catching up with Sarah. How it seemed they hadn't been apart a single day. They talked about everything -- old friends, some of whom had already married and divorced. They talked about school, and work, and family and pretty soon Sarah was crying and Jay found himself holding her in his arms. They talked the whole night.
It was near midnight when he finally asked her why she had gotten herself engaged again so quickly. "Oh," she said, "maybe it was because there wasn't a single thing about him that reminded me of you."
That night on the airplane, looking out at the stars, Jay felt himself shell shocked. He was now promised to one woman and totally in love with another. He knew deep inside what he had to do. But what would he tell Julie? How would he break it to her?
Still, his heart was soaring now. His perspective was galactic. Why had he not seen this before? Any time he'd put himself in charge of engineering his own happiness, he'd make a mess of it. Life was so much bigger than he was, he thought. Everything of real worth was a gift, not contrived. It was as clear as the Milky Way.
Scott Dalgarno is pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Ashland, Oregon. He is also an adjunct professor at Southern Oregon University, where he teaches Film and Ethics. His poetry, essays, and stories have appeared in numerous publications, including The Christian Century, America: The National Catholic Weekly, The Antioch Review, and Alive Now. Dalgarno has a masters degree in English from the University of Oregon, as well as his M.Div. degree from San Francisco Theological Seminary. He plays some guitar and often wishes he were John Mayer.
The Impact Of Certainty
Argile Smith
Psalm 27
Dan and Rita took one look at Bethany, and their whole world changed. Before she came along, they had devoted themselves to making their two-career marriage succeed. When they found out that they would be having a baby, they embraced the challenges of merging career, marriage, and now parenthood. As they waited for their baby to arrive, they figured out how to make room for their newborn bundle of joy into their already-crowded lives. Once they knew that their baby would be a girl, they settled on a name for her, decorated her room to match her gender, looked into child care possibilities, and tended to all of the other details necessary for her arrival into the lives of her ambitious, two-income parents.
But they didn't count on Bethany being born ahead of schedule. In fact, she arrived dangerously early. Premature at birth, Bethany came into the world with a number of medical strikes against her. According to the team of physicians who studied her case file and examined her tiny body, her future looked bleak.
Dan and Rita listened to the prognosis, but they didn't respond to the news with despair. They had seen little Bethany, too, and something happened to them once they saw her lying in her incubator. From the moment they laid their eyes on their baby daughter, nothing else mattered more than her, not even their careers. Climbing up the corporate ladder now meant nothing to them as they studied their new baby's face and soaked in the shape of her miniature mouth and the beauty of her enchanting little nose. Strengthening the bottom line at work paled in comparison to watching Bethany's little chest rise and fall with each breath.
Consumed now by the life of their little girl, Dan and Rita set out immediately to make drastic changes. They modified their work schedules to accommodate their sole interest in being close to their Bethany. Consequently, they had to give up clients to other colleagues, which they knew would have an adverse effect on their positions within their companies.
Their drastic changes addled their friends at work and family members. For example, Rita's boss tried to warn her about the risk she was taking in terms of her future with the corporation, but she didn't seem to be the least bit frightened about what may happen. Dan's dad tried to warn him as well. He urged his son to be sensible and reasonable, but his advice fell on deaf ears.
Bethany's new parents smiled in acknowledgment as they listened to the concerns of others, but they kept on rearranging their lives in keeping with the little life that had taken their hearts captive. They winked at each other as they smiled, knowing for certain that they would not be diverted from the path they had chosen. Their certainty added to their confidence, which prompted them to make whatever changes necessary for Bethany's sake. If they ever had a doubt about the wisdom of their choices, one glimpse of little Bethany would always erase it. Bethany became the sole source of their joy, and devoting themselves to her became their sole ambition.
Dan and Rita reflected a remarkable sense of certainty that bolstered their confidence as they embraced their little girl. Likewise, the writer of Psalm 27 registered inflexible certainty as he confidently devoted himself exclusively to the living God. Jesus also lived with certainty as he made his way to Jerusalem and the cross, confidently walking in the path his Father had directed him to take for our salvation.
Argile Smith is vice president for advancement at William Carey University in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. He previously served at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary (NOBTS) as a preaching professor, chairman of the Division of Pastoral Ministries, and director of the communications center. While at NOTBS, Smith regularly hosted the Gateway to Truth program on the FamilyNet television network. He has also been the pastor of several congregations in Louisiana and Mississippi. Smith's articles have been widely published in church periodicals, and he is the author or editor of four books, including Helping Hurting People: Reconciliation-Focused Counseling and Preaching and Interpersonal Relationship Skills for Ministers.
A Mother's Tears
Richard A. Jensen
Luke 13:31-35
Gertrude Schmidt loved being a mother. She truly felt that motherhood was her one true vocation in life. Gertrude's devotion to her calling came most clearly to light after her husband, Horst, died. Gertrude and Horst had had three children of their own. Peter was twelve, Monica was ten, and Sebastian was six when their father died. Gertrude threw herself into the task of mothering more than ever before.
It was difficult, of course, for Gertrude Schmidt to support her family now that Horst was gone. There was a small pension and social security but that was barely enough to keep the family afloat. Gertrude pondered her situation. She came up with a splendid idea! If she would take in foster children for the state she would be given a stipend for raising them. This was the best of all worlds she thought. She could go on being what she wanted to be: a mother. And, she would make additional money in the process.
It wasn't easy for Gertrude Schmidt to convince the social agency that she ought to be allowed to raise foster children. Normally such children were only assigned to homes with two parents. But Gertrude persisted. This one time, therefore, the agency made an exception. They began to assign foster children to the care of Gertrude Schmidt.
Gertrude was overjoyed at this turn of events. She plunged into motherhood with more gusto than ever. She loved her own children. She loved the foster children who were assigned to her. She spoke of them all tenderly referring to them often as, "my flock."
Over the years, however Gertrude Schmidt's joy at being a mother turned into grief. The first foster child she took in was a fifteen-year-old boy named Gary. Gary had been in and out of many foster homes leaving much trouble in his wake. Gertrude was undeterred. She would take Gary in and love him into manhood. But it didn't work. Gary ran with a rough crowd. One night he had been with some boys who were drinking. There was an automobile accident. Gary was killed. And Gertrude wept.
Her own son, Peter, had really taken to Gary. He, too, was filled with grief over Gary's accidental death. In his grief Peter turned sullen. He spoke hardly a word. And then one day, Peter was gone. No note, no words of farewell, simply gone. Grief had driven him to the chase. And Gertrude wept.
A second foster child, a girl named Cynthia, came to live under the loving care and protection of Gertrude Schmidt. Cynthia had originally come from a very wealthy home. She was quite spoiled. It was hard for her to take the near poverty conditions that reigned at Gertrude Schmidt's place. She wanted so many things. She wanted them so badly that she began to steal them. Cynthia was caught shoplifting several times. The judge, listening to Gertrude's loving pleas, tried to be lenient. Leniency did not work, however, and Cynthia was finally put in juvenile detention.
Once again, Gertrude wept. Her heart was broken. She had given all of the love she could muster to her ''flock.'' If only she could just gather them all up in her arms and love them. But her love was spurned. And Gertrude wept. It's all she knew how to do. Gertrude wept.
(Lectionary Tales For The Pulpit, 57 Stories For Cycle C, by Richard Jensen [CSS Publishing Co., Inc, Lima, Ohio: 1994], pp. 47-48)
**********************************************
How to Share Stories
You have good stories to share, probably more than you know: personal stories as well as stories from others that you have used over the years. If you have a story you like, whether fictional or "really happened," authored by you or a brief excerpt from a favorite book, send it to StoryShare for review. Simply click here share-a-story@csspub.com and email the story to us.
**********************************************
StoryShare, March 4, 2007, issue.
Copyright 2007 by CSS Publishing Company, Inc., Lima, Ohio.
All rights reserved. Subscribers to the StoryShare service may print and use this material as it was intended in sermons, in worship and classroom settings, in brief devotions, in radio spots, and as newsletter fillers. No additional permission is required from the publisher for such use by subscribers only. Inquiries should be addressed to permissions@csspub.com or to Permissions, CSS Publishing Company, Inc., 517 South Main Street, Lima, Ohio 45804.
