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The Story of the Week
Seeds Page
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This Weekly Service we call "SOW Seeds"
Once each week, we present a story. A story with some Spiritual "seeds" to SOW. Occasionally, there may be a duplicate story, but it is rare considering how many stories we have in our archives now. Where do we get these stories? From YOU. They may be Serious, Sad, Funny, Inspirational... the story will speak for itself. It can be a True story or a Fictional one... hopefully not Too long. ;-) It can be an Original Story, or if you wish, a story from a favorite book or from a friend. Each "SOW Seeds" will be given Full Credit to it's Author and Source (if at all possible), as well as to it's contributor. So when you send us a Story, PLEASE make sure it includes the "credits".
["Author Unknown" is acceptable only if the Author is
TRULY unknown.]
BTW... If you have Friends or Family that enjoy reading a Good Story, be sure to tell them about our "Story of the Week". They Too can recieve this Weekly Service simply by sending an e-mail Request to:
seewithin@churchwithin.org.
If you would like to send us a comment on The Story of the Week, or have each week's story and service sent directly to you via e-mail, send us a message below with your comments or request.
THANKS!!!
This Week's "SOW Seeds" Service
2-3-2011 Church Within SOW Seeds Service - Story #675
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Welcome
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Greetings my Dearest Sisters and Brothers, and welcome again to Church Within's Story of the Week ["SOW Seeds”].
This week's SOW Seeds Story, contributed by: Patije
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Story of the Week
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“The Keeper of the Spring”
(From Peter Marshall's book, “Mr. Jones, Meet the Master”)
The late Peter Marshall used to love to tell the story of the “Keeper of the Spring.”
The Keeper of the Spring was a quiet forest dweller who lived high above an Austrian village along the western slopes of the Alps. The old gentleman had been hired many years ago by a young Town Council to clear away the debris from the pools of water up in the mountain crevices that fed the lovely spring flowing through their town. With faithful, silent regularity, he patrolled the hills, removed the leaves and branches, and wiped away the silt that would otherwise choke and contaminate the fresh flow of water.
By and by, the village became a popular attraction for vacationers. Graceful swans floated along the crystal clear spring, the mill wheels of various businesses located near the water turned day and night, farmlands were naturally irrigated, and the view from restaurants was picturesque beyond description.
Years passed. One evening the Town Council met for its semi-annual meeting. As they reviewed the budget, one man's eye caught the salary figure being paid the obscure Keeper of the Spring. Said the Keeper of the Purse: “Who is this old man? Why do we keep him on year after year? No one ever sees him. For all we know the strange ranger of the hills is doing us no good. He isn't necessary any longer! By unanimous vote, they dispensed with the old man's services.
For several weeks, nothing changed. By early autumn, the trees began to shed their leaves. Small branches snapped off and fell into the pools, hindering the rushing flow of sparkling water. One afternoon someone noticed a slight yellowish-brown tint in the spring. A couple of days later, the water was much darker.
Within another week, a slimy film covered sections of the water along the banks and a foul odor was soon detected. The mill wheels moved slower, and some finally ground to a halt. Swans left, as did the tourists. Clammy fingers of disease and sickness reached deeply into the village.
Quickly, the embarrassed council called a special meeting. Realizing their gross error in judgment, they hired back the old Keeper of the Spring…...and within just a few weeks, the veritable river of life began to clear up. The wheels started to turn, and new life returned to the hamlet in the Alps once again.
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Pastor's Quote of the Week
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I believe that [everyone] is the keeper of a dream - and by tuning into one another's secret hopes, we can become better friends, better partners, better parents, and better lovers.
(From: Oprah Winfrey)
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The Prayer
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Dear God,
You are the Keeper of my Soul.
You ALL are Within the Infinitely Loving Embrace of our Universal Parent,
The Creator's Eternal Love to all of You,
Pastor Daniel
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