A Perfect Heart... Unknown author
Thanks to Angel for sending this little item. The author of it is unknown
to either of us. If anyone recognizes or knows who the author is, please
help us out here.
"One
day a young man was standing in the middle of the town proclaiming that
he had the most beautiful heart in the whole valley. A large crowd gathered
and they all admired his heart for it was perfect.
There
was not a mark or a flaw in it. Yes, they all agreed it truly was the
most beautiful heart they had ever seen. The young man was very proud
and boasted more loudly about his beautiful heart.
Suddenly,
an old man appeared at the front of the crowd and said, 'Why your heart
is not nearly as beautiful as mine.'
The
crowd and the young man looked at the old man's heart. It was beating
strongly, but full of scars, it had places where pieces had been removed
and other pieces put in, but they didn't fit quite right and there were
several jagged edges.
In fact, in some places there were deep gouges where
whole pieces were missing. The people stared -- how can he say his
heart is more beautiful, they thought?
The
young man looked at the old man's heart and saw its state and laughed.
'You must be joking,' he said. 'Compare your heart with mine, mine is
perfect and yours is a mess of scars and tears.'
'Yes,'
said the old man, 'yours is perfect looking but I would never trade with
you. You see, every scar represents a person to whom I have given my love
- I tear out a piece of my heart and give it to them, and often they give
me a piece of their heart which fits into the empty place in my heart,
but because the pieces aren't exact, I have some rough edges, which I
cherish, because they remind me of the love we shared. Sometimes I have
given pieces of my heart away, and the other person hasn't returned a
piece of his heart to me. These are the empty gouges -- giving love is
taking a chance. Although these gouges are painful, they stay open, reminding
me of the love I have for these people too, and I hope someday they may
return and fill the space I have waiting. So now do you see what true
beauty is?'
The
young man stood silently with tears running down his cheeks. He walked
up to the old man, reached into his perfect young and beautiful heart,
and ripped a piece out. He offered it to the old man with trembling hands.
The
old man took his offering, placed it in his heart and then took a piece
from his old scarred heart and placed it in the wound in the young man's
heart. It fit, but not perfectly, as there were some jagged edges.
The
young man looked at his heart, not perfect anymore but more beautiful
than ever, since love from the old man's heart flowed into his. They embraced
and walked away side by side."
Common Knowledge Test...
A reader sent me this little, fun test! I have included the questions
in this weeks E-zine and the answers will be in next weeks E-zine, 13
April 2001. Stay tuned!
Go Ahead! Take this test! Let's see how good you are on "COMMON
KNOWLEDGE".
No cheating! No looking around! No using anything on or in your desk!
Can you beat 18? (the average.) My score was 18.5!
Write down your answers and then check the answers in next weeks Oakie's
HTH E-zine. If you feel brave, Email
me your results!
And remember... No Cheating!
1. On a standard traffic light, is the green on the
top or bottom?
2. How many states are there? (Don't laugh, some
people don't know)
3. In which hand is the Statue of Liberty's torch?
4. What 6 colors are on the classic Campbell's soup
label?
5. What 2 letters don't appear on the telephone dial?
(No cheating!)
6. What 2 numbers on the telephone dial don't have
letters by them?
7. When you walk does your left arm swing with your
right or left leg?
8. How many matches are in a standard pack?
9. On the United States flag is the top stripe red
or white?
10. What is the lowest number on the FM dial?
11. Which way does water go down the drain, counter
or clockwise?
12. Which way does a "no smoking" sign's slash run?
13. How many channels on a VHF TV dial?
14. Which side of a women's blouse are the buttons
on?
15. On a NY license plate, is New York on the top or
bottom?
16. Which way do fans rotate?
17. Whose face is on a dime?
18. How many sides does a stop sign have?
19. Do books have even-numbered pages on the right
or left side?
20. How many lug nuts are on a standard car wheel?
21. How many sides are there on a standard pencil?
22. Sleepy, Happy, Sneezy, Grumpy, Dopey, Doc. Who's
missing?
23. How many hot dog buns are in a standard package?
25. On which playing card is the cardmaker's trademark?
26. On which side of a venetian blind is the cord that
adjusts the opening between the slats?
27. On the back of a $1 bill, what is in the center?
28. There are 12 buttons on a touch tone phone. What
2 keys bear no digits?
29. How many curves are there in the standard paper
clip?
30. Does a merry-go-round turn counter or clockwise?
Oakie's Journal...
Hi! This last week has been another beautiful Spring week in the Heartland
of northwest Oklahoma.
It has really been warming up quite nicely with a slight breeze to keep
you cool during the day. AND... You do need your sunscreen out there.
I know from experience, because I forgot mine on Tuesday. The results
showed on my face, neck and nose. I won't do that again.
There will be lots of Oklahomans out there with their eyes to the sky
Friday evening. These Spring-like temps have sprung tornado watches across
the panhandle and western parts of the state for the evening hours. Que
Sera Sera! AND... Be Safe!
 We
have been teaching the colts the halter, lead rope and Whoa (being
tied to the hitching posts) the first part of this last week. My
stud colt, Moon, was also introduced to the blanket strapped on his
back this week. He did do a little bit of pouting, but he got over it.
Thank God for apple treats!
Yep! I spent most of the day out with the horses the first part of the
week.  Moon's
Mother, Cindy, is seen grazing on wheat pasture, and expecting her 2001
colt in the next few weeks. Oh! What a heavy load she carries. I hope
I'm around when she has her colt. That would be fantastic! Actually --
I am hoping for a filly this year.
NW Okie Sunsets....
 We
do have some fantastic sunsets in Oklahoma. How are the sunsets in your
area?
Out at Fairvalley (SE of Freedom, Oklahoma) in the sandy hills,
sagebrush, buffalo grass country, of Fairvalley, the Spring and Summer
sunsets can produce some spectacular sunsets. Here is some more views
of Fairvalley's Sunset, 2 April 2001...
Fairvalley Sunset-1
- Fairvalley Sunset-2
Fairvalley Sunset-3
- Fairvalley Sunset-4
Fairvalley Sunset-5
- Fairvalley Sunset-6
Fairvalley Sunset-7
Now if you want to get closer to the stars and moon, the Colorado rocky
mountains is the place to be.
BUT.... the open range of the country prairies is where you can view
some of the great sunsets. Do you have any sunset pictures to share? Send
them on this way.
Sometimes, we Okies get so busy hurrying around trying to make ends meet
between sunrise to sunset.... that we forget about the beauty around us.
The mountains and lakes in the east/south -- the luscious green carpet
of wheat pastures in the north/west -- the wild turkeys and deer grazing
in the wheat pastures. AND... The wheat is growing fast!
 This
gorgeous NW Okie Sunset was taken the evening of 1April 2001, on a country
road looking west near the Woods and Alfalfa County line a few miles north
of Dacoma, Oklahoma. Here is a couple more views of that same sunset...
NW Oklahoma Sunset
Sky - Dacoma,
Oklahoma Sunset
 Besides
working with my horses, I spent last weekend helping celebrate my friend,
Bud Clark's, 70+ birthday with his family and friends.
 Bud's
birthday is 2 April, but his wife, Lovina, had a surprise birthday party
31 March 2001at the Moose Lodge, Alva, Oklahoma. Bud was NOT the oldest
person there, though. Hazel Dickson, age 94 years, can be seen seated
down front with her daughter, Wanda, standing on the right. Lovina and
her older sister are standing behind Hazel Dickson.
Besides Spring flowers, thunderstorms, sunsets, colts, and expecting
mares... 
This wild bunch of NW Okie Turkeys were spotted around lunchtime, 3 April
2001, grazing in a farmers wheat field somewhere a few miles north of
Dacoma, Oklahoma. Don't go out hunting them unless it is turkey season
and you have the permission of the farmer, though.
 I
have never really experienced wild turkeys that have had their tail feathers
spread out. This photo was taken the same day, 3 April 2001, in the evening
around 5:30pm in the the same wheat field north of Dacoma.
Another reader had this to say about the Wild
Turkeys, "I love that pic of those turkeys walking across. You
got it made up there... living the good live, turkeys everywhere... And
a pony to boot! So keep smiling... Enjoy it all!"
Don't work too hard and don't forget to view the Spring flowers, trees,
sunsets and sunrises whenever you can. Sometimes we get so busy we seem
to take them for granted.
-- Linda - "Oakie"
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Amen To This...
Thanks to Diane for sending this to us. It gives us something to think
about! Take a moment to read when you have a chance. If you find it worthwhile,
send it out to the world. Thanks!
S & J School Shootings... If you haven't
already read this, it is worth a few minutes.... On Thursday, Darrell
Scott, the father of Rachel Scott, a victim of the Columbine High School
shootings in Littleton, Colorado, was invited to address the House Judiciary
Committee's subcommittee.
What he said to our national leaders during this special
session of Congress was painfully truthful. They were not prepared
for what he was to say, nor was it received well. It needs to be heard
by every parent, every teacher, every politician, every sociologist, every
psychologist, and every so-called expert!
These courageous words spoken by Darrell Scott are
powerful, penetrating, and deeply personal. There is no doubt that God
sent this man as a voice crying in the wilderness. This is a portion of
the Darrell Scott's transcript:
"Since the dawn of creation there has been both
good & evil in the hearts of men and women. We all contain the seeds of
kindness or the seeds of violence.
The death of my wonderful daughter, Rachel Joy Scott,
and the deaths of that heroic teacher, and the other eleven children who
died must not be in vain. Their blood cries out for answers.
The first recorded act of violence was when Cain slew
his brother Abel out in the field. The villain was not the club he used.
Neither was it the NCA, the National Club Association. The true killer
was Cain, and the reason for the murder could only be found in Cain's
heart.
In the days that followed the Columbine tragedy, I
was amazed at how quickly fingers began to be pointed at groups such as
the NRA. I am not a member of the NRA. I am not a hunter. I do not even
own a gun. I am not here to represent or defend the NRA - because I don't
believe that they are responsible for my daughter's death.
Therefore I do not believe that they need to be defended.
If I believed they had anything to do with Rachel's murder I would be
their strongest opponent.
I am here today to declare that Columbine was not just
a tragedy-it was a spiritual event that should be forcing us to look at
where the real blame lies!
Much of the blame lies here in this room. Much of the
blame lies behind the pointing fingers of the accusers themselves.
I wrote a poem just four nights ago that expresses
my feelings best. This was written way before I knew I would be speaking
here today:..
Your laws ignore
our deepest needs,
Your words are empty air.
You've stripped away our heritage,
You've outlawed simple prayer.
Now gunshots fill our classrooms,
And precious children die.
You seek for answers everywhere,
And ask the question "Why?"
You regulate restrictive laws,
Through legislative creed.
And yet you fail to understand,
That God is what we need!
Men and women are three-part beings. We all consist
of body, soul, and spirit. When we refuse to acknowledge a third part
of our make-up, we create a void that allows evil, prejudice, and hatred
to rush in and reek havoc.
Spiritual presences were present within our educational
systems for most of our nation's history. Many of our major colleges began
as theological seminaries. This is a historical fact.
What has happened to us as a nation? We have refused
to honor God, and in so doing, we open the doors to hatred and violence.
And when something as terrible as Columbine's tragedy occurs,
politicians immediately look for a scapegoat such as the NRA.
They immediately seek to pass more restrictive laws
that contribute to erode away our personal and private liberties. We do
not need more restrictive laws.
Eric and Dylan would not have been stopped by metal
detectors. No amount of gun laws can stop someone who spends months planning
this type! of massacre.
The real villain lies within our own hearts. Political
posturing and restrictive legislation are not the answers. The young people
of our nation hold the key.
There is a spiritual awakening taking place that will
not be squelched! We do not need more religion. We do not need more gaudy
television evangelists spewing out verbal religious garbage. We
do not need more million dollar church buildings built while people with
basic needs are being ignored.
We do need a change of heart and a humble acknowledgment
that this nation was founded on the principle of simple trust in God!
As my son Craig lay under that table in the school
library and saw his two friends murdered before his very eyes-He did not
hesitate to pray in school. I defy any law or politician to deny him that
right!
I challenge every young person in America, and around
the world, to realize that on April 20, 1999, at Columbine High School
prayer was brought back to our schools.
Do not let the many prayers offered by those students
be in vain. Dare to move into the new millennium with a sacred disregard
for legislation that violates your God-given right to communicate with
Him.
To those of you who would point your finger at the
NRA - I give to you a sincere challenge... Dare to examine your own heart
before casting the first stone! My daughter's death will not be in vain!
The young people of this country will not allow that to happen!
Do what the media did not -- Let the nation hear this man's speech. Please
feel free to send this out to everyone."
Mailbag & Links....
 "Check
out the beginning of the cherry blossoms coming out. They are a bit late
because of the cold weather, but should be out by Thursday. I had to walk
all the away around the Potomac Park to find 3 trees with blooms."
Michael
Jefferson Memorial
- Washington Monument
"Hi I am looking for a copy of 'The Upper Arkansas'
by Virginia McConnell Simmons. Thanks." Ken
Graczyk, PO Box 1014, Buena Vista, Colorado 81211
"Dear Linda, I really enjoyed the information regarding
the ration books. I remember them." Dolly
Descendants of J.M. Wing... "I'm searching
for the descendants of J. M. Wing who marr. Sarah Elizabeth Teller, the
dau. of Henry S. Teller & Julia Ann Ford Teller of Keokuk County,
Iowa. Sarah was marr. to Dr. Charles Asbury Ruggles, then divorced him
and marr. J. M. Wing of Woods County, OK near Freedom, OK. I also am looking
for a Theresa J. Teller-Jacobs-Lemon who last resided in Edith, Oklahoma
in Woods County. She had two sons from the first marriage to a Jacobs.
They were Bonn Jacobs b. April l895 in Iowa and Dean J. Jacobs b. August
l897 in KS. Any help would be greatly appreciated. I believe Thereesa
Teller Lemon and her husband ran a filling station and a grocery store
in Edith, OK." Everette W. Evans
"Like Family Roots... I am trying to locate
information on my descendants who came to the USA in the 1870s from Prussia.
My Great Grandmother was a Mary Like who immigrated with her family in
the 1870s. I do not know which port they came through. I believe the spent
sometime in upper Midwest and moved many times. In the 1880s they settled
in North Dakota, in the town of Wahpeton, which is in Richmond County.
There my G-G-Grandmother opened a boarding house and she had a good business,
however her husband wanted to move the newly opened Oklahoma Territory.
My Great Great Grandfather's name was Peter Like, That was the last anyone
ever saw or heard of him. I saw your query and since the Like surname
is not very common I wanted to know if you had any connections which may
point to North Dakota! Thanks!" Jim
Campbell, Rosebud, TX
"In an interview recently-- I am told --some
one was interviewing the country western singer, Ronnie Dunn, and he was
asked what he missed most about not being in Oklahoma, instead of Nashville.
His reply was "The Oklahoma Sunsets." I had not realized that they don't
have our kind of sunsets in many places. In Chicago , years ago, I never
saw a western sunset or even a sunrise in the east over the Michigan lake
- their atmosphere was apparently too cluttered. In Mississippi, I always
felt as though I was in a hole....no sunset there either. Maybe it was
the trees or even the moisture that closed me in. Obviously, we Okies
tend to take these blessings for granted...maybe it's because they are
free."
 "Look
what I just found out by a hackberry tree in the pasture. The date on
the picture should be 4-3-01. There are none blooming in the flower bed
yet. My usual duty around the house was to just witness what Nita was
doing in the flower beds, etc... and of course it was also assigned to
me the responsibility to haul off any excess flowers she decided to replace.
When she cleaned out an area that was becoming root bound or just simply
needed thinned out she would have me discard them - I usually replanted
them in the pasture somewhere. The picture of the early Iris is the result
of one of those 'discards.'  It
is very early for the Iris to be blooming, even here in southern Oklahoma.
My specialty is trees, roses & exotic plants. We are limited on native
varieties of trees in this part of Oklahoma but I always looked forward
to a trip to Mississippi and experience their many different varieties
of trees & plants. This is my favorite time of year in Oklahoma, except
for the potential tornado. " Ernest
Get
the Weatherbug... "This explains it! Spread
the word, now that we are approaching 'twister' season! My conference
speech on the 'Cherokee Strip Online Museum' went VERY well!!! The academic
(university) historians in Texas loved it." -- Patricia L.
Steed, Ph.D.
Associate Professor
of English NWOSU Web Page
Personal Web
Page
GenaNet
Portrait Database... "If you are like most of us,
you have family photos carefully stowed away and maybe even portraits
of ancestors hanging on your walls. Thanks to the Internet and Geneanet,
you can now share these precious pictures with your faraway cousins! GeneaNet
has developed a database to allow you to share those portraits and photos
with others that works just like the postcard database. You can index
your photos and/or scan them and add them to our database. Find out what
your ancestors looked like by searching the portrait database."
Woods County Genealogical Book... "Does anyone
know the address where I may obtain a copy of the Woods county genealogical
book for ? settler prior to 1900? My aunt tells me that one exists and
I am trying to locate information regarding the following: William Riley
Whitney m. Frances H. Fanon(Fannon). william was born ?Indiana Jan 20,
1848 and died Jewell, KS 4/27/1932. I have no other information other
than this so, any help is greatly appreciated!" Susan
"We have wild turkey around here too, but I have
never seen so many at a time and especially out in the wide open. Occasionally
you can see several of them coming out of the wooded areas.  Lake
Murray is only a couple of miles south of here and of course it is also
a game preserve complete with turkey, deer, bob cats, coyotes,eagles,
buzzards, snakes and litter bugs."
Linda K McGill Wagner
c/o WWW Publishing Co
Thanks! You can also view The OkieLegacy online.
Copyrighted © 2008 by WWWPubCo & OkieLegacy. A
ll Rights Reserved.
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Oakie's
Heart To Heart 
