Welcome to the Neverending Stories Collection.
You are about to step into a world of fantasy as we bring you through our collection of stories and tales. Each of our little stories bears a message and a wish to the reader. Do take time to read all of them and spread them around. And if you like, you can tell us how you feel about them or even contribute to our collection. We hope you have a nice time here.
Mark was walking home from school one day when he noticed the boy ahead of him had tripped and dropped all of the books he was carrying, along with two sweaters, a baseball bat, a glove and a small tape recorder. Mark knelt down and helped the boy pick up the scattered articles. Since they were going the same way, he helped to carry part of the burden. As they walked Mark discovered the boy's name was Bill, that he loved video games, baseball and history, and that he was having lots of trouble with his other subjects and that he had just broken up with his girlfriend.
They arrived at Bill's home first and Mark was invited in for a Coke and to watch some television. The afternoon passed pleasantly with a few laughs and some shared small talk, then Mark went home. They continued to see each other around school, had lunch together once or twice, then both graduated from junior high school. They ended up in the same high school where they had brief contacts over the years. Finally the long awaited senior year came and three weeks before graduation, Bill asked Mark if they could talk.
Bill reminded him of the day years ago when they had first met.
"Did you ever wonder why I was carrying so many things home that day?" asked Bill. "You see, I cleaned out my locker because I didn't want to leave a mess for anyone else. I had stored away some of my mothers sleeping pills and I was going home to commit suicide. But after we spent some time together talking and laughing, I realized that if I had killed myself, I would have missed that time and so many others that might follow. So you see, Mark, when you picked up those books that day, you did a lot more; you saved my life."
Buying for someone who had everything and deploring the high cost of items, I considered gift buying anything but fun. Hurriedly, I filled my shopping cart with last-minute items and proceeded to the long checkout lines. I picked the shortest, but
it looked as if it would mean at least a 20-minute wait.
In front of me were two small children - a boy of about five and a slightly younger girl. She carried a beautiful pair of shiny, gold house-slippers. As the Christmas music sounded in the store's stereo system, the small girl hummed along, off-key, but happily.
When we finally approached the checkout register, the girl carefully placed the shoes on the counter. She treated them as though they were a treasure.
The clerk rang up the bill. "That will be $6.09," she said. The boy laid his crumpled bills atop the stand while he searched his pockets. He finally came up with $3.12. "I guess we'll have to put them back," he bravely announced. "We'll come back some other time, maybe tomorrow."
With that statement, a soft sob broke from the little girl. "But Jesus would have loved those shoes." she cried.
"Well, we'll go home and work some more. Don't cry, we'll come back." he assured her.
Quickly I handed $3.00 to the clerk. These children waited in line for a long time. And after all, it was Christmas.
Suddenly a pair of arms came around me and a small voice said, "Thank you, lady."
"What did you mean when you said Jesus would like the shoes?" I asked.
The boy answered, "Our mommy is sick and going to heaven. Daddy said she might go before Christmas to be with Jesus."
The girl spoke, "My sunday school teacher said the streets up in heaven are shiny gold, just like these slippers. Won't my mommy be beautiful walking on those streets to match these shoes?"
My eyes flooded as I looked into her tear-streaked face. "Yes," I answered, "I'm sure she will."
Silently I thanked God for using these children to remind me of the true spirit of giving.
But all the long year through
The joy that you give to others
Is the joy that comes back to you"
It was only four days before Christmas. The spirit of the season had not yet caught up with me, even though cars packed the parking lot of our local discount store. Inside the store was worse. Shopping carts and last-minute shoppers jammed the aisles.
This is also taken from an email from Joseph... Thus, i'd like to thank Joseph for all the emails he sent us... I guess one day, we can change the name of this page to "Joseph's Page" or something...Oh and guess what? More articles are coming...contributed by Joseph *smile*
Oh, and if you've any queries about these mails, you can write to Joseph. ( I mean duh, who else? )
I was walking down Life's highway a long time ago,
when I saw a sign that read,"Heaven's Grocery Store."
As I got a little closer, the door came open wide,
and in the next moment, I was standing inside.
I saw a host of angels. They were standing everywhere.
One handed me a basket, and said, "My child, shop with care."
Everything a Christian needed was in this grocery store,
and if you can't carry all that you want, you could come
back again for more.
First I got some PATIENCE. LOVE was in the same row.
Farther down was UNDERSTANDING, you need that everywhere you go.
I got a box or two of WISDOM and two bags of FAITH.
I couldn't miss the HOLY GHOST, for I could see it hovering
above everybody.
I stopped to get some STRENGTH and COURAGE to help me run the race.
And though my basket was getting full, I remembered to get some GRACE.
I didn't forget SALVATION, for salvation, was for free.
So I tried to get enough of that to save both you and me.
Then I started up the counter to pay the grocery bill,
for I thought I had everything to do my Master's will.
As I went up the aisle, I saw PRAYER and I just had to put that in.
For I knew when I stepped outside, I would run into sin.
PEACE and JOY were plentiful, they were on the last shelf.
SONGS and PRAISES were hanging near, so I just helped myself.
Then I said to the angel, "Now, how much do I owe?"
He just smiled and said, "Just take them wherever you go."
Again I smiled at him and said, "How much do I really owe?"
The angel smiled and said,
"My child, Jesus paid your bill a long time ago."