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Teri,
I do not have a photo of Bill,
However,
He sent out a story about days of an old man that gave his truck for a broken car which he fixed, gave his hot coffee to a stranger, and gave money and a job to the man that tried to rob him at gun point. A policeman was injured and set the man free because he felt the Christmas Spirit from the Old man. There was to be a photo of the country gas station/country store and I knew I had one.
It has taken me several days to finally locate it.
.He will understand the photo if you place it in some of his sections.
Bill, is a friend that I enjoy talking with, about almost any item; he and I belong to Storytime_tapestry group together.. I notice that many from there have put up a legacy for him. He is really thought well of, this is no surprise.
Bill, I wanted to bring a smile to your face when you see this photo of your gas station story.
Date:
Tue, 18 Dec 2007 11:13:08 -0800 (PST)
From:
"Keith W. Chambers"
Subject:
The Old Gas Station
To:
"Bill Walker"
Hi Bill . . . There was a picture of an old time filling station above the story but I couldn't get it sent with the story. Enjoy. . . Keith
The old man sat in his gas station on a cold Christmas Eve. He hadn't been anywhere in years since his wife had passed away. It was just another day to him. He didn't hate Christmas, just couldn't find a reason to celebrate. He was sitting there looking at the snow that had been falling for the last hour and wondering what it was all about when the door opened and a homeless man stepped through.
Instead of throwing the man out, Old George as he was known by his customers, told the man to come and sit by the heater and warm up. "Thank you, but I don't mean to intrude," said the stranger. "I see you're busy, I'll just go." "Not without something hot in your belly." George said.
He turned and opened a wide mouth Thermos and handed it to the stranger. "It ain't much, but it's hot and tasty, "Stew ... made it myself. When you're done, there's coffee and it's fresh."
Just at that moment he heard the "ding" of the driveway bell. "Excuse me, be right back," George said. There in the driveway was an old '53 Chevy. Steam was rolling out of the front. The driver was panicked. "Mister can you help me!" said the driver, with a deep Spanish accent. "My wife is with child and my car is broken."
George opened the hood. It was bad. The block looked cracked from the cold, the car was dead. "You ain't going in this thing," George said as he turned away.
"But Mister, please help ..." The door of the office closed behind George as he went inside. He went to the office wall and got the keys to his old truck, and went back outside. He walked around the building, opened the garage, started the truck and drove it around to where the couple was waiting. "Here, take my truck," he said. "She ain't the best thing you ever looked at, but she runs real good."
George helped put the woman in the truck and watched as it sped off into the night. He turned and walked back inside the office. "Glad I gave 'em the truck, their tires were shot too. That 'ol truck has brand new ..... !" George thought he was talking to the stranger, but the man had gone. The Thermos was on the desk, empty, with a used coffee cup beside it. "Well, at least he got something in his belly," George thought.
George went back outside to see if the old Chevy would start. It cranked slowly, but it started. He pulled it into the garage where the truck had been. He thought he would tinker with it for something to do. Christmas Eve meant no customers. He discovered the the block hadn't cracked, it was just the bottom hose on the radiator. "Well, shoot, I can fix this," he said to himself. So he put a new one on.
"Those tires ain't gonna get 'em through the winter either." He took the snow treads off of his wife's old Lincoln. They were like new and he wasn't going to drive the car anyway.
As he was working, he heard shots being fired. He ran outside and beside a police car an officer lay on the cold ground. Bleeding from the left shoulder, the officer moaned, "Please help me."
George helped the officer inside as he remembered the training he had received in the Army as a medic. He knew the wound needed attention. "Pressure to stop the bleeding," he thought. The uniform company had been there that morning and had left clean shop towels. He used those and duct tape to bind the wound. "Hey, they say duct tape can fix anythin'," he said, trying to make the policeman feel at ease.
"Something for pain," George thought. All he had was the pills he used for his back. "These ought to work." He put some water in a cup and gave the policeman the pills. "You hang in there, I'm going to get you an ambulance." The phone was dead. "Maybe I can get one of your buddies on that there talk box out in your car." He went out only to find that a bullet had gone into the dashboard destroying the two way radio.
He went back in to find the policeman sitting up. "Thanks," said the officer. "You could have left me there. The guy that shot me is still in the area."
George sat down beside him, "I would never leave an injured man in the Army and I ain't gonna leave you." George pulled back the bandage to check for bleeding. "Looks worse than what it is. Bullet passed right through 'ya. Good thing it missed the important stuff though. I think with time your gonna be right as rain."
George got up and poured a cup of coffee. "How do you take it?" he asked. "None for me," said the officer. "Oh, yer gonna drink this. Best in the city. Too bad I ain't got no donuts." The officer laughed and winced at the same time.
The front door of the office flew open. In burst a young man with a gun. "Give me all your cash! Do it now!" the young man yelled. His hand was shaking and George could tell that he had never done anything like this before.
"That's the guy that shot me!" exclaimed the officer.
"Son, why are you doing this?" asked George, "You need to put the cannon away. Somebody else might get hurt."
The young man was confused. "Shut up old man, or I'll shoot you, too. Now give me the cash!"
The cop was reaching for his gun. "Put that thing away," George said to the cop, "we got one too many in here now." He turned his attention to the young man. "Son, it's Christmas Eve. If you need money, well then, here. It ain't much but it's all I got. Now put that pee shooter away."
George pulled $150 out of his pocket and handed it to the young man, reaching for the barrel of the gun at the same time. The young man released his grip on the gun, fell to his knees and began to cry. "I'm not very good at this am I? All I wanted was to buy something for my wife and son," he went on. "I've lost my job, my rent is due, my car got repossessed last week ..."
George handed the gun to the cop. Son, we all get in a bit of squeeze now and then. The road gets hard sometimes, but we make it through the best we can." He got the young man to his feet, and sat him down on a chair across from the cop. "Sometimes we do stupid things." George handed the young man a cup of coffee. "Bein' stupid is one of the things that makes us human. Comin' in here with a gun ain't the answer. Now sit there and get warm and we'll sort this thing out."
The young man had stopped crying. He looked over to the cop. "Sorry I shot you. It just went off. I'm sorry officer." "Shut up and drink your coffee." the cop said.
George could hear the sounds of sirens outside. A police car and an ambulance skidded to a halt. Two cops came through the door, guns drawn. "Chuck! You ok?" one of the cops asked the wounded officer.
"Not bad for a guy who took a bullet. How did you find me?"
"GPS locator in the car. Best thing since sliced bread.
Who did this?" the other cop asked as he approached the young man. Chuck answered him, "I don't know. The guy ran off into the dark. Just dropped his gun and ran." George and the young man both looked puzzled at each other.
"That guy work here?," the wounded cop continued. "Yep," George said, "just hired him this morning. Boy lost his job."
The paramedics came in and loaded Chuck onto the stretcher. The young man leaned over the wounded cop and whispered, "Why?" Chuck just said, "Merry Christmas boy ... and you too, George, and thanks for everything."
"Well, looks like you got one doozy of a break there. That ought to solve some of your problems." George went into the back room and came out with a box. He pulled out a ring box. "Here you go, something for the little woman. I don't think Martha would mind. She said it would come in handy some day."
The young man looked inside to see the biggest diamond ring he ever saw. "I can't take this," said the young man. "It means something to you."
"And now it means something to you," replied George. "I got my memories. That's all I need."
George reached into the box again. An airplane, a car and a truck appeared next. They were toys that the oil company had left for him to sell. "Here's something for that little man of yours."
The young man began to cry again as he handed back the $150 that the old man had handed him earlier. "And what are you supposed to buy Christmas dinner with? You keep that too," George said, "Now git home to your family."
The young man turned with tears streaming down his face. "I'll be here in the morning for work, if that job offer is still good."
"Nope. I'm closed Christmas day," George said. "See ya the day after." George turned around to find that the stranger had returned. "Where'd you come from? I thought you left?"
"I have been here. I have always been here," said the stranger. "You say you don't celebrate Christmas. Why?"
"Well, after my wife passed away, I just couldn't see what all the bother was. Puttin' up a tree and all seemed a waste of a good pine tree. Bakin' cookies like I used to with Martha just wasn't the same by myself and besides I was gettin' a little chubby."
The stranger put his hand on George's shoulder. "But you do celebrate the holiday, George. You gave me food and drink and warmed me when I was cold and hungry. The woman with child will bear a son and he will become a great doctor. The policeman you helped will go on to save 19 people from being killed by terrorists. The young man who tried to rob you will make you a rich man and not take any for himself. That is the spirit of the season and you keep it as good as any man."
George was taken aback by all this stranger had said. "And how do you know all this?" asked the old man.
"Trust me, George. I have the inside track on this sort of thing. And when your days are done you will be with Martha again."
The stranger moved toward the door. "If you will excuse me, I have to go now. I have to go home where there is a big celebration planned."
George watched as the old leather jacket and the torn pants that the stranger was wearing became a white robe. Then a golden light began to fill the room. "You see, ... it's My birthday. Merry Christmas."
Tags: Spirit of Christmas, what you meant for Evil, GOD meant for good.
Thursday, December 13, 2007
OUT OF THE MOUTH,
&nb sp; THE HEART SPEAKS
It was Christmas week in the small town of Forest City. Nearly all the 3501 residents, plus some from surrounding areas; as well as the Capitol of Rutherford County were there. The lights were all aglow in the variety store, drug store, the one and only restaurant and the Bar-B-Que (the best in the whole land).
The Ice Cream Shoppe was busting-at-the-seams with consumers buying hot chocolate and going outside to sip the sweet warmth in the very cold afternoon. A few were ordering the special Alcohol-Free Egg Nog.
The Post Office usually closed by 5PM and Saturdays was still open for the late mailer. Most of the residents there had day jobs that hindered their mailing before this week unless they bought stamps and put it in the box for local or out-of-town delivery. They wanted to mail a few gifts to their family that would not be able to get together for Christmas. The Five & Dime was all a bustle with last minute shoppers for the same reasons. The streets were extraordinarily bumper-to-bumper with cars (having to stop often for pedestrians) and people going to the park in the middle of the square (which indeed was actually oval). They had to be very fortunate to find a parking spot in this sleepy hollow town. They would say, “We roll up the streets at five and go home.” There was NO parallel parking in this town, only angle parking or a few parking lots. The park had one huge tree in the middle with a pebbles- concrete walkway going to the four directions: north, east, west, and south. Shrubbery and seasonal flowers gave it a welcomed look and appreciated. They built a platform for special occasions under the tree. There were also iron park benches for the people to use all year round. But it wasn’t just Christmas week for shoppers to bring such a large attendance to this family town.
This was the last night where you could win from $25.00 to $700.00 with tickets that the merchants had given them for a drawing each week in the month of December. This last week was the only time you could win that money above $250.00. This too was a lot of money to farmers, farm hands, mill workers, and small businesses. The businesses gave the opportunity to their customers this option of purchasing after work. This was better than Mardi Gras without the booze. I mentioned it was cold earlier. It was cold enough to see their breath streaming from their lips the warmth hitting the cold air. They would clap their hands, shake them, blow on them, and would bounce up and down and do a run-in-place to retain circulation in their limbs. The group was getting larger for anxious people. They finally heard, “Good Afternoon ladies and gentlemen, and little ones. Merry Christmas everyone! This is our last drawing for the year. Hope there are many winners here just waiting to claim your money.” The crowd roared their approval and said “Merry Christmas” to the platform. "Here is the first number:F C 2—4-5 Silence filled the air-- followed by some moans and groans. “I got it’ was shouted by one lady. She was holding it in the air and shaking it as she made her way through the crowd. “We got a winner. What is your name?” “Annie Bell” “Annie Bell has just won twenty-five dollars to finish her shopping.” The Mayor smiles and hands her five crisp five dollar bills. “Now our next number is: ~ ~ ~ F C - 2- 1- 3- 9” This continued until they reached the drawing of the number for the $700.00 prize. Now seven hundred dollars back then in that small town was like seven hundred thousand dollars today. The town consisted of mostly farmers, farm helpers, mill workers and small business people. For some this was their Christmas money. Small children were getting bored and needed the warmth of an extra blanket snuggled up to an adult. The sun by now had hid behind the nearby mountains. “Here is the Seven Hundred Dollar number. “This is the very last call for this year. Good luck to all, and be careful going home. Are you ready? ? ?” “Yeah, hurry up.” said an elder man with little clothing on and no shoes as he held one ticket in his hand. Everyone laughs with anxiety. “Okay, here is the last number……F……C……0……0……2……5.” “Oh, my GOD in Heaven, I have it.” Who had the Big Drawing Prize? Who was giving GOD praise for their winning. One-by-one the town folk separated making an opening for the winner---The winner passed by these people, they laid their hand on him;------ congratulating him, as he made his way to the platform. Yes, him, the elder gentleman without warm clothing in the teens weather. As they waited for the verification of the winning number, the council asked him, “What do you want to do with the money, thinking surely he would say, “Jacket and shoes.” "My neighbor does not have any food for their six children. I want to buy them some food, a cord of wood, and the little babes some warm clothes and a couple toys each.” A hush filled the air, until they heard, ”Randall, you don’t worry about the food. My store will supply their needs for a year, including cleaning supplies.” This was the grocer. Then the clothing storeowner said, “It has been a good year. We will clothe the whole family from head to foot, including work clothes, school clothes, and church clothes.” With no one bulging from their spot, they then heard a kind farmer vow to give them ”wood for the rest of the cold season.” The elder man had rivers of tears running down his face with the love shown by his neighbors. Then he thought, ”All I need to buy them is toys.” Just like the LORD for at that exact moment a District Manager from a famous Five & Dime store (she, from another state, was visiting family, a week early) declares with her gentle voice, “We shall supply the toys for the children as well as the school supplies for the rest of the school year.” The elder man burst out in sobs as he heard all the generosity of those loving people and merchants, and what they were doing out of their blessings for a goody ear. He tried several times to speak but his words froze in his mouth. The mayor laying his hands upon the shoulders of this man said, “Randall, you have truly shown the Christmas spirit in giving out of sacrifice. The town knows of your love for church and how you would like an electric guitar to sing and play for the LORD.
"Well, use the money to buy yourself a vehicle to get you to church, we will buy you two suits of clothing, shoes, jackets; and that guitar from the music store down the street here.
"Now you can bless the LORD with your presence and singing as well as the surrounding churches. We have heard you love singing your songs. "Your heart proved that if you give it will be given unto you.” All went home feeling they had been an indirect part of being the winner this year.
Maybe they didn’t win the money, but they purchased merchandise toward these prizes that were won. They were all happy to be a part of such a loving town.
MERRY CHRISTMAS, ALL!
Tags: Christmas, Giving, Caring Hearts
DRAWINGS OF MY LOVE
&nb sp; HOURS OF WORK, THOUGHT, SEARCHING, WRITING, CHATTING, SENDING, SINCERITY
L O V E
MY LOVES ARE: PRAYING, PREACHING, POEMS, PLAYS, PUBLISHING, POSITIVE, PURE, PERSONAL
&nb sp; L O V E
MY LOVES ARE: RIGHTEOUSNESS, READING, REASSURING, RESPLENDENT, RELIEF, REFUGE
&nb sp; L O V E
MY LOVES ARE: ALPHA, ALMIGHTY, ABBA, ABSTRACTION, AGELESS, ALWAYS
&nb sp; L O V E
MY LOVES ARE: YEA, YES, YEARNING, YIELDING, YOU
L O V E
MY LOVES ARE:
EVERLASTING, ETERNAL, ENRAPTURING, ELECTIFYING, ELABORATING. EXUBERANT L O V E
MY LOVES ARE:
REAL, REFRESHING, REGENERATIVE, RULER, REWARDING, REASONING, &nb sp; L O V E
MY LOVES ARE : SEEING,SOWING,SEARCHING,SEEDING, SINCERITY
IF YOU TAKE ALL THE BEGINNING LETTERS OF THE WORDS IN THIS DRAWING………
. WHAT DO YOU SPELL? &nb sp;
P
R
A
Y
E
R
S !
&nb sp; &nb sp;  &nb sp; &nb sp; Composed 4-12-03 hope grizzard
Tags: Love,encoouragement
IN GOD WE TRUST? Do we trust in GOD? Is the government blocking our faith in GOD? If so, how are they separating the church from the state?2 Samuel 22:31
As for God, His way is perfect; The word of the LORD is proven; He is a shield to all who trust in Him. Americans for many years have trusted GOD to keep our homeland safe. We believed it enough to have it printed or minted on our monies of the USA. We posted, publicly, the Ten Commandments. That same faith brought the constitution allowing us to speak GOD’S Name without crimination. Then a Judge lost his bar after being arrested due to displaying the Commands in front of his Courthouse, and for standing up for the right to display them. Revelation 1:3
Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein: for the time is at hand. School children and teens daily had devotions and prayers in the homeroom classrooms. The Bible was in every classroom as well as the Principal’s office and Library. I heard on the radio just the other day, that the Red Cros will not accept Bibles or Testaments for the care package for the Troops. What? This act of faith is now punishable by law. Mark 8:38
Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels. The Bible was a course taught in accredited classrooms. The Holy Bible was also provided for travelers in every motel room. This most read book was also used to swear in people making a statement in courts.
Matthew 24:35
Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.
During this time of faith activities, more families were involved in Church and church activities, Boy Scouts, and Girl Scouts in learning of GOD and HIS Ways. Even had a merit badge, ”GOD & Country”. Individuals make up families, and families make up churches because the individuals become one. Philippians1:27
[ Striving and Suffering for Christ ] Only let your conduct be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of your affairs, that you stand fast in one spirit, with one mind striving together for the faith of the gospel,
Seldom did you hear of abortions. There were less murders, thievery, teenage runaways, teenage pregnancies, incest, sex outside of the marriage, divorces, pornography and gang activities when we were proud to be a GOD Fearing Country and trusted in HIM and HIS infallible Word. Jude 1:16
These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaketh great swelling words, having men's persons in admiration because of advantage. A person believed that the clergy, teachers, and police were above the normal people and were safe in times of troubles. Today it is now considered normal for these occupations to be in the news for breaking the law, and GOD’S Law against another citizen. 2 Peter 2:18
For when they speak great swelling words of vanity, they allure through the lusts of the flesh, through much wantonness, those that were clean escaped from them who live in Romans16:18
For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.
In GOD We Trust? Who but GOD can we trust now-a-days? Since we have left GOD out of our daily lives, our country has lost its freedom and the name of The “Christian Country.” Psalm62:8
Trust in Him at all times, you people; Pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us. Selah
We are a country of freedom of speech, right? Then tell me, please; how it is that if you submit a poem to a contest with GOD’S name in it, the poerty.com contest web site refuses it. They state that GOD is a slang word; not the name of our Heavenly HOLY FATHER. John12:48
He who rejects Me, and does not receive My words, has that which judges him—the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day.
People are now being arrested for going together to have public prayer. We have lost our freedom of speech! By GOD’S grace will we survive? Some ministers are told by conferences that they cannot preach against sin, nor are they able tell of the blood of JESUS in WHOM we trust.2 Samuel 22:3The God of my strength, in whom I will trust; My shield and the horn of my salvation, My stronghold and my refuge; My Savior, You save me from violence.
There are fewer people to place their headgear or hands over their hearts in pledging the Allegiance {or say under GOD} or benediction for fear of crimination. GOD has been removed from these because we allowed state to tell us whom we can worship. GOD hasn’t moved. Money printed with ”In GOD We Trust” now buys off local, or federal government officials who now have the love of money. They love money more than they love GOD. It is now blood money for the activities just like Judas’ money for the price of JESUS. Even HE said to give unto Caesars what was Caesars and unto GOD what was HIS.We have allowed our Christian standards to subside that we can no longer lift up a standard for the right and freedom. What kind of a nation are we? Luke 7:5
For he loveth our nation, and he hath built us a synagogue. Sodom and Gomorrah are tame compared to what our beloved United States of America is portraying to other countries. The USA will be judged as a nation ---. Micah 4:3
And he shall judge among many people, and rebuke strong nations afar off; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up a sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. ---
How will we stand before GOD when we can’t even speak HIS HOLY Name nor fight the good fight of faith in hating evil and loving good? 1 Corinthians 16:13
[ Final Exhortations ] Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong.
Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Dare we stand up and be a Daniel? Search your heart! Daniel stood up for right against the government and wasn’t hiding when he did it. He boldly prayed to GOD. In GOD we trust with our all and all.
Revelation 14:6
And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people, 1 Peter 2:9
But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light; Revelation 5:9
And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;
SIDEBAR 1.This young Eagle Scout was interviewed on a Christian Network. He, too, spoke on the lack of Trusting In GOD. John 11:52
And not for that nation only, but that also he should gather together in one the children of God that were scattered abroad. SIDEBAR 2. The nation’s number one Democrat, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, is defending the banning of religious references on certificates issued by the Architect of the Capitol.An Eagle Scout asked that a flag flown over the U.S. Capitol be sent to his grandfather, along with a certificate bearing the message: “In honor of my grandfather Marcel Larochelle, and his dedication and love of God, country, and family.â€Stephen Ayers, the Architect of the Capitol, banned the use of the word “God†in the certificate issued for the Eagle Scout. Ayers, serving in a low-level, non-elected position, claims he has the authority to ban the word “God†from the certificate. This is the first time ever for the Architect of the Capitol to ban religious references. Ayers said he banned the word “God†because someone might be offended.Â
Tags: remember, time, then and now
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