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April 29, 2003 - "Cowboys and Indians"
Welcome to 2Theheart!
"Grace isn't a little prayer you chant before receiving a meal. It's a way to live." ~Jackie Windspear
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MOTHER'S DAY BOUTIQUE! Find the perfect gift for Mom in our 2TheHeart online boutique! Our boutique offers wares from our own members: books, jewelry, bath & beauty, angels, candles and more! Do your Mother's Day shopping here! www.2theheart.com/boutique
Mmmmmm CHOCOLATE! Melt Mom's heart with a personalized box of Dan's freshly made truffles! You can upload a photo onto the box that she can pull to out to keep after the chocolate is gone! Add flowers for an unforgettable Mother's Day gift! http://www.qksrv.net/click-404250-10284561 TELL MY KIDS I WANT THIS!!!
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Another beautifully recalled memory from Mike Collins, who is rapidly becoming a 2TheHeart favorite!
"Cowboys and Indians"
by Mike Collins
During my childhood, the beautiful Appalachian mountains of Southern West Virginia served as the playground of my friends and me. We were rugged outdoor kids who simply loved adventure. We didn't sit indoors like most kids today, playing video games and surfing the Net; we were too busy out playing ball, swinging on grapevines, catching crawdads and minnows, hiking, swimming or fishing at the old pond, camping, or anything else that would get us out of the house. Had our parents only known a fraction of what we were doing, they would have surely maintained a fuller prayer life.
We especially loved to play games. We'd play hide-and-seek, tag, and tackle-the-man-with-the-football, as well as make-believe games like cowboys and Indians or cops and robbers. In the world of make-believe, guns were created by sticking your thumb straight up and extending your index finger straight out while curling the other three fingers around a make-believe pistol grip. If someone pointed his "gun" at you and shouted "Bang!" or "Pow!" you were considered dead and were obligated to fall to the ground immediately without moving.
One day in particular we were playing cowboys and Indians deep in the mountains. Envisioning myself as John Wayne, better known as the Duke, I had my "five-shooters" out and ready for action. I decided to climb a huge tree to get a better view of where the "bad-guys" were hiding. Climbing higher and higher, I saw no sign of anyone until I was six to eight feet off the ground. It was from there I noticed Gary Browning (my cousin) quietly sneaking along, ready to shoot the first thing that moved. I allowed him to move in a little closer before taking aim and shooting; however, I was distracted by a noise from the other side of the tree.
Turning to investigate, I found myself staring straight down the index finger of Curtis Gibson. "Pow!" he shouted from the ground. Panicked that I was so far up the tree, I began climbing down as fast as I could. "The Duke has been shot in the foot!" I screamed. Remember, I was obligated to fall, but I was eight feet off the ground in a tree! "Bang!" shouted Gary, who was now aware of my hiding place. "The Duke has been shot in the shoulder!" I screamed as I kept climbing down. "Pow, Pow!" A double shot came from Curtis. "The Duke has been shot twice in the calf!" I squalled, nearly reaching the ground. Then as I was dangling from the lowest limb, Curt and Gary emptied their imaginary ammo into me. "Pow! Bang-Bang! Pow, Pow-Pow! Bang!" From just about a foot I finally fell to the ground and announced, "The Duke is dead!"
Just like the make-believe bullets of childhood games, Satan's fiery darts cannot make you fall. His blistering trajectories usually whiz toward us in the form of stinging words...words like "I want a divorce." or "You have cancer," maybe even "You're fired!", all of which can be painful, and sometimes even enough to make you want to give up, but none have the power to make you fall.
In Romans 8:38-39 the apostle Paul wrote: For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
No matter what Satan throws at you, it will never be enough to make you fall. Remember, he can shoot all he wants, and even scream "Bang!" until he's blue in the face, but the truth remains: if you do happen to fall, you will be forced to live with the fact that you had been shot down with blanks.
Mike Collins copyright 2003
mikecollinsemail@yahoo.com
Mike Collins is a syndicated columnist, broadcaster and author of Christian-related material. You can find Mike's previous stories "Valentine's Day Balloon" & "Mike's Knives" in our archives. www.2theheart.com/archives
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The Letter Box:
Susan,
I just read the story "The Red Shoes". It brought tears to my eyes. I know of only a couple people like this and find that they lift my spirits when the darkness tends to take over. Most certainly the stranger with the red shoes was an angel waiting for Angel. I am a shoe person, I own shoes of different styles, colors and shapes. I love them all equally and would not hesitate to give them away if someone found something in them that touched them so deeply as Angel did. You were truly blessed to have had the opportunity of knowing, loving and having Angel in your family. Tami Brody
Hello Sooz......
We two seem to come up with endless stories about personal heartbreaks in our lives, and yet, they're all written with lessons so valuable. Thanks for reminding me about angels lest I ever forget. The Red Shoes was beautifully written as usual, and reminds me that angels are hovering in places we least expect. God Bless the Simpaticos! Kathe Campbell
Dear Susan,
I think "Red Shoes" once again speaks of a courage and love of life that is so enormous, so enduring that it brings tears to my eyes. The way your Angel met her red-shoe angel is so characteristic of her ability to communicate and love that this story is once again unforgettable. The pain of illness and loss is almost equally matched by the beauty of determination, endurance, and love.
And congratulations on the new three part publication with Publications International--sounds as if those books will meet many needs. Blessings, Mary-Ellen, "meg"
Oh Susan, today's story of the Shoe Angel giving to your Angel is beautiful and so moving. Tears started flowing as soon as I got to the part where the Shoe Angel started unlacing her shoes! We should all be that free in giving to others.
I hope that the Shoe Angel subscribes to 2theheart, so she can read how she blessed Angel, and others like me who have read about her generosity. Kathy Norris
Susan- Thanks for sharing the wonderful red shoe story....now your sister can wear them where streets are even better than yellow bricks...they are paved in gold!!! Blessings to you and your family. ---Kay Seefeldt
"In the East, men take off their shoes when they worship God; in the West, they take of their hats; but worshipping God depends neither on shoes nor hats, neither feet nor heads, but on hearts. -Sundar Singh
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