The Sparrow at Starbucks.

Post 665 ~ ~ ~ Friday, 19th February, 2010.

Hello again my Friends ~~ I hope all is well with you all and that your
lives are good. Mine is much the same. I went to my doctor yesterday
and had my tablet increased again, so I hope this time it will kick in to
help me get back to normal. If not, I will have to get a second opinion
and find out what else can be done. Today, I had my hair trimmed.

Tonight's story was sent to me by my dear friend, Lady Di. It is a
very nice one, so thank you Dianne. I hope you enjoy it.

I once read that a coincidence is just when God chooses to remain
anonymous. . . . . .

The Sparrow at Starbucks. The song that silenced the cappuccino machine.

It was chilly in Manhattan but warm inside Starbucks shop on 51st Street
and Broadway, just a skip up from Times Square. Early November weather
in New York City holds only the slightest hint of the bitter chill of late
December and January, but it's enough to send the masses crowding
indoors to vie for available space and warmth.

For a musician, it's the most lucrative Starbucks location in the world, I'm
told, and consequently, the tips can be substantial if you play your tunes
right. Apparently, we were striking all the right chords that night,because
our basket was almost overflowing.

It was a fun, low pressure gig - I was playing keyboard ad singing back-up
for my friend who also added rhythm with an arsenal of percussion
instruments. We mostly did pop songs from the 40s to the 90s with a
few original tunes thrown in. During our emotional rendition of the classic,
"If You Don't Know Me by Now" I noticed a lady sitting in one of the lounge
chairs across from me. She was swaying to the beat and singing along.
After the tune was over, she approached me. "I apologize for singing along
on that song. Did it bother you?" she asked.

"No," I replied. "We love it when the audience joins in. Would you like to sing
up front on the next selection?"
To my delight, she accepted my invitation. "You choose," I said , , ."What
are you in the mood to sing?"

"Well . . . do you know any hymns?"

Hymns? This woman didn't know who she was dealing with. I cut
my teeth on hymns. Before I was even born, I was going to church.
I gave our guest singer a knowing look. "Name one."
"Oh, I don't know. There are so many good ones. You pick one."

"Okay," I replied. "How about "His Eye is on the Sparrow?"
My friend was silent, her eyes averted. Then she fixed her eyes on
mine again and said, "Yeah. Let's do that one."

She slowly nodded her head, put down her purse, straightened her
jacket and faced the center of the shop. With my two-bar setup she
began to sing.

Why should I be discouraged? Why should the shadows come?
The audience of coffee drinkers was transfixed. Even the gurgling noises
of the cappuccino machine ceased as the employees stopped what they
were doing to listen. The song rose to its conclusion.

I sing because I'm happy; I sing because I'm free,
For His eye is on the sparrow
And I know He watches me.
When the last note was sung, the applause crescendoed to a deafening
roar that would have rivaled a sold-out crowd at Carnegie Hall.

Embarrassed, the woman tried to shout over the din, "Oh, you all go
back to your coffee. I didn't come here to do a concert. I just came in
to get something to drink, just like you." But the ovation continued.
I embraced my new friend, "You, my dear, have made my whole year.
That was beautiful."
"Well, it's funny you picked that particular hymn," she said.
"Why is that?"."
"Well . . ." she hesitated again, "that was my daughter's favorite song."
"Really?" I exclaimed.
"Yes," she said and then grabbed my hands. By this time, the applause
had subsided and it was business as usual . . . "She was 16. She died
of a brain tumor last week."
I said the first thing that found its way through my stunned silence,
"Are you going to be okay?"

She smiled through tear-filled eyes and squeezed my hands. . "I'm
going to be okay. I've just got to keep trusting the Lord and singing
His songs, and everything's gonna be just fine." She picked up her
bag, gave me her card, and then she was gone.

Was it just coincidence that we happened to be singing in that
particular coffee shop on that particular November night?
Coincidence that this wonderful lady just happened to walk ito that
particular shop? Coincidence that of all the hymns to choose from,
I just happened to pick the very hymn that was the favorite of her
daughter, who had died just the week before? I refuse to believe it.

God has been arranging encounters in human history since the
beginning of time, and it is no stretch for me to imagine that He
could reach into a coffee shop in midtown Manhattan and turn an
ordinary gig into a revival. It was a great reminder that if we keep
trusting Him and singing His songs, everything's gonna be okay.

The nest time you feel like GOD can't use YOU, just remember , , ,

A. Noah was a drunk
A. Abrahan was too old
A. Isaac was a daydreamer
A. Jacob was a liar
A. Leah was ugly
A. Joseph was abused
A. Moses had a stuttering problem
A. Gideon was afraid
A. Sampson had long hair and was a womanizer
A. Rahab was a prostitute
A. Jeremiah and Timothy were too young
A. David had an affair and was a murderer
A. Elijah was suicidal
A. Isaiah preached naked
A. Jonah ran from God
A. Naomi was a widow
A. Job went bankrupt
A. John the Baptist ate bugs
A. Peter denied Christ
A. The disciples fell asleep while praying
A. Martha worried about everything
A. The Samaritan woman was divorced, more than once
A. Zaccheus was too small
A. Paul was too religious
A. Timothy had an ulcer
A. Lazarus was dead!
No more excuses now!!
God can use you to your full potential. Besides you aren't the
message. You are the messenger. God Bless.

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Now to find some jokes for you . . . .

First tonight was sent by my youngest granddaughter. Thanks Jorja.

NEVER SAY TO A COP.

1. I can't reach my licence unless you hold my beer.
2. Sorry Officer, I didn't realize my radar detector wasn't plugged in.
3. Aren't you the guy from the Village People?
4. Hey, you must have been doing about 125 mph to keep up with me.
5. Are you Andy or Barney?
6. I thought you had to be in relatively good physical condition to be
a Police officer.
7. You're not gonna check the trunk are you?
8. I pay your salary.
9. Gee, officer, that's terrific. The last officer only gave me a warning too.
10. Do you know why you pulled me over? Okay, just so long as one of
us does.
12. When the officer says, :Gee. Your eyes look red, have you been
drinking?" You probably shouldn't respond with, "Gee Officer
your eyes look glazed, have you been eating doughnuts?"
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One from the Pearly Gates . . . "Not So Bright."

A young boy enters a barber shop and the barber whispers to his
customer, "This kid is not so bright. Watch while I prove it."
The barber puts a dollar in one hand and 2 quarters in the other,
then calls the boy over, "Which do you want, son?"

The boy takes the quarters and leaves the dollar.
"What did I tell you? said the barber, "That kid never learns."

Later when the customer leaves, he sees the same young boy
coming out of the ice cream store and says, "hey son, may i ask
you a question? Why did you take the quarters instead of the dollar?

The boy licked his ice cream and replied, "Because the day I take the
dollar, the game's over."
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Some from my good friend Linda May . . . Thanks Linda.

A Muslim was sitting next to Paddy on a plane. Paddy ordered
a whiskey. The stewardess asked the Muslim if he'd like a drink?

He replied in disgust, "I'd rather be raped by a doze whores than
let liquor touch my lips."

Paddy handed his drink back and said, "Me too. I didn't know we
had a choice."
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Paddy calls Easyjet to book a flight.
The operator asks, "How many people are flying with you?"

Paddy replies, "I don't know. It's your bloody plane."
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Paddy and Murphy wee working on a building site.
Paddy says to Murphy, I'm gonna have the day off. I'm gonna
pretend I'm mad."

He climbs up the rafters, hangs upside down and shouts,
"I'M A LIGHT-BULB." Murphy watches in amazement.

The Foreman shouts, "Paddy, you're mad, go home." So he does.

Murphy starts packing his kit up to leave as well.

"Where the hell are you going? asks the foreman.

"I can't work in the frigging dark," says Murphy.
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Two Irish couples decided to swap partners for the night.
After 3 hours of amazing sex, Paddy says, " I wonder
how the girls are getting on?"
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Paddy takes his new wife to bed on their wedding night.
She undresses, lies on the bed spread-eagled and says,
"You know what I want don't you?"

"Yeah," said Paddy, "The whole friggin' bed by the looks of it."
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Paddy, the electrician, got sacked from the U.S. prison service
for not servicing the electric chair. He said in his professional
opinion it was a death trap.
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Paddy and his wife are lying in bed and the neighbor's dog is
barking like mad in the garden. Paddy says, "To hell with this."
and stormed off.

He comes back upstairs 5 minutes later and his wife asks,
"What did you do?"

Paddy replies, "I've put the dog in our garden. Let's see how they
like it?"
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Mick and Paddy are reading head stones at a nearby cemetery.
Mike says, "Crikey, There's a bloke here who was 152."

Paddy says, "What's his name?"
Mick replies, " Miles from London."
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Have you ever wondered what happens when Hallmark writers
have a bad day?

My tire was thumping, I thought it was flat, But when I looked down
I noticed your cat. Sorry.
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Heard your wife left you, How upset you must be
But don't fret about it, She moved in with me.
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Looking back over the years that we've been together
I can't help but wonder, What the hell was I thinking>
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I've always wanted to have someone to hold, someone to love
After having met you, I've changed my mind.
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I must admit you brought Religion to my life
I never believed in hell until I met you.
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While we were together, you always said you'd die for me
Now that we've broken up, I think it's time you kept your promise.
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So your daughter's a hooker and it spoiled your day
Look at the bright side, It's really good pay.
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Thank you Patty for this one.

I'm not really grouchy.

I just don't like traffic, waiting, crowds, lawyers, loud music, unruly kids,
Jenny Craig, and Toyota commercialls, barking dogs, politicians and a
few other things I can't seem to remember right now.

I am sure everything I can't find is in a safe secure place, somewhere.

I'm wrinkled, saggy, lumpy and that's just my left leg.

I'm beginning to realize that aging is not for wimps.

I'm sure they are making adults much younger these days, and when
did they let kids become policemen?

I'm wondering, if you are only as old as you feel, how could I be alive
at 150.

And, how can my kids be older than I feel sometimes?

I'm a walking storeroom of facts . . . .I've just lost the key to the
storeroom door.

Yes, I'm a SENIOR CITIZEN and I think I am having the time of my life.
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Just a few quotes to close with . . . . .

People who drink to drown their sorrow should be told that sorrow
knows how to swim. ~ ~ ~ Ann Landers.

When I read about the evils of drinking, I gave up reading.
~ ~ ~ Henny Youngman.

I feel sorry for people who don't drink. When they wake up in the
morning it is as good as they are going to feel all day.
~ ~ ~ Frank Sinatra.

You are not drunk if you can lie on the floor without hanging on.
~ ~ ~ Dean Martin.

Chains of habit are too light to be felt until they are too heavy to
be broken. ~ ~ ~ Warren Buffett.

I know a man who gave up smoking, drinking, sex and rich food.
He was healthy right up to the day he killed himself.
~ ~ ~ Johnny Carson.

The most wasted of all days is one without laughter.
~ ~ ~ E. E. Cummings.
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Well folks, that's all there is for this post. Take good care of
yourselves and each other. Enjoy your lives and have some fun each day.
Love and Best Wishes to you all. Cheers, Merle.

Post 665 ~ ~ ~ Friday, 19th February, 2010.
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