the two suitors of Zoie Malone page 1

the two suitors of Zoie Malone page 1 by ric gustafson.

David Marks swallowed the last of his buttered toast as he watched the morning weatherman talk about the forecast.

" The high today is only going to be 2 degrees" he said as he pointed at the screen. " So dress warmly as you go out the door".

He walked quietly into the small kitchenette and poured himself another cup of coffee. ' I wish I was more of a morning person' he thought as he put one more slice of Rotella Wheat into the small black toaster. As he waited he yawned again. ' I'm just not a morning person' came the thought as he remembered the commercial where people were dancing around because it was the morning.

He yawned again as the toast popped up. He buttered it as he looked at the clock that was built into the stove. " Wow, look at the time" he exclaimed out loud as he noticed it read 5:50. " I need to leave".

He swallowed his toast, turned off the coffeemaker and poured out the remains of his cup into the sink. He put on his good shoes, walked into the bathroom and brushed his teeth. He put on his heavy winter coat and then picked up the remote.

" Stay warm and have a great Monday" the young forecaster said.

David turned the TV off and then quickly left the apartment.

He did not want to miss his bus.

Peace and God's blessings. Love Ric.

Clue 2011 page 4

Clue 2011 page 4 by ric gustafson.

Marilyn and Mortimer watched as men, women and children smiled as they ate their dinner.

" This shelter provides three meals a day and gives them a place to stay".

" That's right" Mortimer replied as he waved over the shelter's Director.

The middleaged man smiled and walked over to them.

" Marilyn, this is Frank Warren the Director of the shelter".

" Mr Warren, the pleasure is all mine" she replied as she sat down and took a checkbook out of her purse. She wrote out a check, tore it out and handed it to the astonished Director. " Mr Warren, my late husband wanted me to make a sizeable donation to a charity of my choice". She looked around at all the people being helped. " Mr Warren, for what I've seen your charity is worthy of this money.

" Thank you Marilyn" he replied with a blushed face.

She reached into her purse and handed Mortimer a business card. " Mr Snelling, please come to this address at 9:00 tomorrow morning to get your money".

Peace and God's blessings. Love Ric.

the punch line page 2

the punch line page 2 by ric gustafson. free write story 1


" What's in your hand?" asked the girl as she sat down next to me.
" My bible" was my reply as I finished eating the coconut cookie that I had.
" I don't read the bible" she replied as she drank from her punch glass. " My family is not religious".
" I'm Jackson Grant and I'm a Junior".
" I'm Doreen McCoy and I'm also a Junior".
I thought for a moment. " If you are interested in the bible, Psalms is a good place to start".
" Thank you Jackson" she replied as she stood up and then threw away her now empty cup and napkin. " I will think about that".
" I hope we will run into each other next year" I said as I drank the rest of my punch.
" I hope so too" was her reply as she smiled at me and then walked off into the crowd.
I grinned as I went back to reading my bible and listening to the jazz band.


The End.



Peace and God's blessings. Love Ric.

the punch line page 1

the punch line page 1 by ric gustafson. free write story 1


I walked down the long steps to the lower commons area. I turned right as a four person jazz band was making the night lively. A large table had been set up and several different types of cookies were on display. I put a chocolate cookie and a coconut one that I had to try right away on a small plate. I walked over to the place where punch and water were being served. I reached over to take an empty cup and startled the girl in front of me.
" I'm sorry" I said as I took the cup. " I was just trying to reach for an empty cup".
" That's ok" she said as she poured a cup of the punch. " You just startled me was all". She walked away.
I poured myself a cup of the punch and then walked over and sat down by the jazz band.
I started to get bored so I pulled out of my coat pocket my small black bible.




Peace and God's blessings. Love Ric.

Clue 2011 page 3

Clue 2011 page 3 by ric gustafson.

I drove into the snowy parking stall. I got out and put some quarters into the frozen meter. I enjoy the downtown library and it's book selections. I walked around the side of the building toward the front steps.

I stopped and glanced across the street toward the city park. I noticed a white truck whose simple sign on the side read ' Salvation Homeless Shelter". I noticed that a small window had opened and a line of men was starting to quickly form.

I walked across the street and came up to one of the men in line. " Do they do this for you every day?".

" Oh yes" replied one of the men as he bit into a roast beef sandwich. " They generously give us a sandwich and water every day".

I watched for over an hour as this homeless shelter was helping the less fortunate. I smiled knowing that I had found my charity of hope.

Everyone take care. Love Ric.

Clue 2011 page 2

Clue 2011 page 2 by ric gustafson.

" Of course" I replied nervously as she pulled a pink cigarette case out of her handbag. She took one out and held it. I opened my desk drawer and found the lighter that I used when I smoked. I lighted it as she leaned back into the wooden chair. " Now how can I help you Miss?".

" Johnson" she replied in a husky voice as I heard the cold December wind whistle outside. " Marilyn Johnson".

" How can I help you Miss Johnson?".

" Mr Snelling, do you believe there is hope in this world?".

" Being a christian, yes I do believe there is hope in this world".

" I respect that" she said as she snuffed out the cigarette into an ashtray. " I'm sorry to say that I do not feel that way".

" How can I help you Miss Johnson ?".

" Mr Snelling, my late husband was also a nonbeliever and in his will instructed me to give part of his estate to a charity of my choice".

" That was honorable of him".

" So Mr Snelling".

" Mortimer, actually everyone calls me Mort".

" Well Mort, it's very simple".

" And what is that?".

" Find me a helpful charity and I will make it and you very rich".

Peace and God's blessings. Love Ric.

a man of gratitude page 1

a man of gratitude page 1 by ric gustafson.


Jesus's feet hurt as he walked through the small village. He was on his way to Jerusalem and he had been walking for several hours.
" Unclean" yelled a voice from a distance.
Jesus kept walking closer and saw a group of ten lepers standing in a group.
" Unclean" yelled one of the lepers as people from the village kept their distance and quickly walked by.
One of the lepers recognized Jesus and whispered something to the others. All ten yelled in unison " Jesus, Master have mercy on us".
Jesus felt compassion for them. " Go and show yourselves to the priests".
The ten walked off and as they walked, they were cleansed.
Jesus walked toward the end of the village. He heard a noise and turned around. One of the cleansed, a Samaritan fell on his face at his feet.
" Thank you, Thank you" he sobbed as tears fell down his healed face. " Praise God".
Jesus looked at him with much love in his eyes. " Were not ten cleansed but the nine where are they?".
" Was no one found who returned to give glory to God except this foreigner" he said as he noticed that this Samaritan was the only one to return. " Stand up and go, your faith has made you well".



Peace and God's blessings. Love Ric

a church of purpose page 1

a church of purpose page 1 by ric gustafson.

Nicholas sat down in the pew and began to read the bulletin. He watched the choir walk in and sit down in the choir loft. He could sense that someone was sitting down next to him.

" Hello Nicholas".

The young man turned to see that the Creator had sat down next to him. " I did not know that you were going to be here".

" I thought it would be fun to come to this service".

Nicholas looked around the crowded sanctuary. " This service looks packed today".

" Nicholas, this is a purpose driven church".

" Purpose driven?".

" This church has asked the question and answered it".

" The question?".

" Why does this church exist?".

" Why does this church need to answer that question?".

" Because Nicholas" the Creator said with a smile. " Without a purpose, this church has no foundation or motivation to even exist".

research help: ' The Purpose Driven Church' by Rick Warren.

Everyone take care. Love Ric.

Clue 2011 page 1

Clue 2011 page 1 by ric gustafson.

The office felt cold like eating a bowl of ice cream. I walked toward the cold tiny office window. It was December 5th and I could see that it had started to snow. They were predicting several inches by the next morning and I was trying to finish up so I could go home. The economy during the year had gotten worse and business was very slow. I was going to go home, heat up a Swanson dinner and watch Charles Stanley until it was time to go home.

I was about to turn off the green antique lamp that was on my cluttered desk when I heard a knock on my office door. I opened it to reveal a female who looked determined to talk to somebody. She had on a fancy blue dress and carried a red handbag.

" You are Mortimer Snelling the private eye?".

" Yes I am" I replied as I showed her into my tiny office. " Please have a seat".

She stood by the wooden chair that always fell apart.

I scooped up the old newspapers that were on it and put them in the recycle bin. " Sorry about the clutter, I was just about to leave".

" Your door sign says that you are a christian private eye".

" That's true I am".

" Can we talk Mr Snelling?" she asked in a low tone of voice as she played nervously with her long blonde hair".

Peace and God's blessings. Love Ric.

Exit 41 page 1

Exit 41 page 1 by ric gustafson.

Shadrach watched as the seconds ticked down on the TV. He bit into a frito scoop as he watched the winning team start to celebrate on the field. " My Super Bowl team lost again".

" My team won" Meshach exclaimed as he sipped from a bottle of Sunkist orange. " Abednego, what are you doing?".

" Somebody texted us" The young man said as he stared at his cell phone. He smiled as he read the text. " Do you remember our friend Mesa?".

" Sure, he lives in California" Shadrach replied as he stood up and started to clean up the snack table.

" He's getting married and is inviting us to the wedding".

" California would be fun" Meshach said as he finished the orange pop. " We could see the Grand Canyon and then drive through the desert".

" Ok" Abednego said as he began to reply to the text. " I'll text him and tell him that we will be coming".

Peace and God's blessings. Love Ric.

the return to Hoot Owl page 4

the return to Hoot Owl page 4 by ric gustafson.


Alfie and Alice walked up to a wooden podium. A sign on the front of it read ' please wait to be seated'.
" Nobody's here" Alice said as she quickly looked around. " Nobody's here to seat us either".
" May I help you?" asked a young man who was wearing a white waiter's uniform.
" Yes, we would like a table please" Alice said as she looked around the quiet dining room. " It seems we are the only people here tonight".
" That's true" he replied as he seated them and handed them a menu. " Business has been very slow tonight". He filled their water glasses and let them study the menu for a while.
After a while, he came back and opened his ticket pad. " Have you decided what you might like?".
" The chicken fried steak sounds good" Alfie said as he handed him his menu.
" And have you decided?".
" I'll have the meatloaf" she replied as she handed the young man her menu. " And a side salad with Italian dressing".
" Very good" was the young man's reply as he took the menus and walked away.
Alfie noticed that the young waiter looked a lot like the young man at the Inn.






Everyone take care. Love Ric.

scrambled eggs to go

scrambled eggs to go by ric gustafson.


I walked into the cafeteria and looked at the big round clock on the wall. It said 9:15. I knew I had fifteen minutes to eat something for breakfast. I quickly walked up to the serving line.
" Scrambled eggs to go" the food service cook said in a loud voice.
" How did you know what I wanted" I replied with a strange look.
" You always get the same thing" he said with a smile as he handed me the styrofoam container.
I shook my head and walked over to the cashier.
" Scrambled eggs to go" the cashier said with a laugh as she stared at my container.
" How do you know what's in there?".
" You always get the same thing".
I paid for my eggs and then sat down. As I ate in silence, I began to ponder some things. Is my life so predictable that everyone knows what I'm going to do next. And what about my spiritual life, is it predictable and a routine also?. Would I be willing to sit in a different pew and greet new people?.
My fifteen minutes was up so I put my tray on the belt and began to walk back toward the office.
I decided in my personal and spiritual life, to try new things and talk to new people. I will talk to God more and study the bible more.
The next time I have breakfast at work, I'm going to have pancakes and bacon.




Peace and God's blessings. Love Ric.

Salt and Light page 2

Salt and Light page 2 by ric gustafson.


Ten year old Michael Walker quietly knocked on the wooden door.
" Come in".
He opened the creaky door and walked into a dimly lit office.
" Hi Mikey" his father said as he put down the pen he was using. He shuffled his reports.
His son slowly walked toward his desk. " Ouch!" he said as he bumped into the empty chair near his desk. " Dad, it's really dark in here".
" I know" he replied as his son sat down in the empty chair. " I called the light bulb company and they are sending out their best person".
" Dad, can we sponsor a child from Haiti again this year?".
" I don't know Mikey, money's tight right now". He saw the disappointment look on his son's face. " We''ll see".
" Ok" was his reply as he stood up to leave.
" Before you go I have a favor to ask".
" What's that Dad?".
" This is a new brand of chip that we are coming out with" he said with a grin as he handed his son a bag. " I would like your honest opinion".
Michael opened the bag and ate one. A grimace came over him. " Dad, they taste terrible". " What are they?".
" Saltless potato chips".





Peace and God's blessings. Love Ric.

Salt and Light page 1

Salt and Light page 1 by ric gustafson.


Jack Dallas knocked on the heavy wooden door.
" Come in".
He walked into a heavily decorated executive office.
" Hello Jack" RJ Sullivan said as he pointed toward an empty chair near his desk. " Please have a seat". " We're going to miss you Jack" he said as he sat down and smiled at his employee. " Over the years, you have become the best salesman I ever had".
Jack gave a big sigh. " Mr Sullivan, I feel now is the best time to retire".
His boss spotted an index card on his desk and handed it to Jack. " Jack, I have one last job for you".
Jack stared at the card. " The Walker Potato Chip Factory".
" Jack, we've been getting many complaints about light bulb issues and bland potato chips".
" Bland Sir!".
" Potato chips with no salt".



a tidbit about salt: the Egyptians used salt to make mummies





Peace and God's blessings. Love Ric.

the return to Hoot Owl page 3

the return to Hoot Owl page 3 by ric gustafson.


The young man handed a registration card and the key to Room 4 to Alfie.
He signed the registration card and took the key.
" Room 4, just up the stairs and to your right".
" I'm hungry" Alice said as she picked up one of the suitcases and began to walk toward the stairs. " Is there someplace that's close and open to eat?".
" The Hoot Owl Diner is just down the road and it is open".
" Thank you" Alfie said as he picked up the other suitcase and followed his wife up the creaky wooden steps toward Room 4.
Alfie drove the SUV into the small gravel parking lot that was empty of cars. He saw the small sign that was swinging from the wind and it said ' Hoot Owl Diner'. As he parked the car, the outside looked like an old wooden cabin. They walked up some wooden steps to a porch area where a small porch swing was in one corner. They walked into the Diner.




Everyone have a great Sunday. Love Ric.

the madman of Gadara page 2

the madman of Gadara page 2 by ric gustafson.


The Teacher woke up and looked around. He slowly stood up and stretched out his arms. " Quiet, settle down" he said in a loud voice. The wind and the Sea calmed down. The Teacher turned and pointed a finger at us. " Don't you have any faith at all".
All of us were amazed that the wind,rain and the Sea obey him.
We rowed into the sand of Gadara. Myself and another follower jumped out of the boat to pull it in. As we were doing this, what looked like a crazy man ran toward us wailing and rattling a huge chain that hung around him. We had oars in our hands and were ready to defend the Teacher. This crazy man fell onto his knees at the Teacher's feet.
A strange voice came out of the man. " What business do you have here Jesus Son of God?".
Jesus simply asked " what is your name?".
" Legion".
" Come out of him!".
" Please don't send us away" the voice shrieked from inside the man. " Send us into that herd of swine".
Jesus looked at the swine herd and then gave his ok.
The demons entered the swine and the whole herd went over the cliff and drowned in the Sea below.
I saw the crazy man get up and begin to talk to the Teacher in a normal voice. He was so happy to be free of the demons that he asked the Teacher if he could join our group. Jesus smiled, hugged him and instructed him to stay and tell everyone what had just happened to him.





Everyone have a great Saturday. Love Ric.

the madman of Gadara page 1

the madman of Gadara page 1 by ric gustafson


This day I will remember for a long time. The other followers of the Teacher along with myself were listening to him tell us a story about some seeds sprouting and growing. As with most of his stories, we asked him to explain it because we did not understand.
Later that day, the Teacher said to us " let us go across to the other side of the Sea". When he got onto the small boat, he looked very tired and sleepy. He walked to the back of the boat, laid his head on a cushion and went to sleep. As we started across the Sea, the weather was fine but as we kept rowing the sky got darker and the waves got choppier. As we kept rowing, it started to storm and waves started to come over our small boat. I and the others on our boat were starting to panic that we were going to die.
I ran up to the Teacher and shook him. " Teacher, we are all going to drown".





Peace and God's blessings. Love Ric.

our daily bread store page 2

our daily bread store page 2 by ric gustafson.


One Saturday afternoon with business slow, Fran snuck out of the store and walked across the highway. She walked behind a tree and observed Wilma's store. She noticed customers coming out with smiles on their faces but hardly carrying out any actual bread.
After a couple of hours of watching this, Fran walked out from behind the tree and stopped a customer. " This is a bread store yet customers are hardly carrying out actual bread".
The customer smiled. " Why don't you go in and check it out yourself".
Fran walked in and was amazed at what she saw. Only a few racks in a corner actually had any bread on them.
Wilma walked out of a back room carrying a black bible. She was surprised to see Fran.
" Wilma, if this is a bread store how come you sell hardly any bread".
Wilma opened her bible to the Lord's Prayer. " Part of the Lord's Prayer is give us this day our daily bread".
" So?".
" Daily bread includes our daily physical bread but so much more".
" Like what?".
" Our spiritual and general well being".
" Ok".
Wilma gave Fran a loaf of wheat bread and a bible. After she left, Wilma prayed thanks that Fran had come to Our Daily Bread Store".



The End.




Everyone take care. Love Ric.

the man who fed the birds and squirrels page 3

the man who fed the birds and squirrels page 3 by ric gustafson.


Robbie hit a plastic golf ball and because of the wind, flew farther than he had expected. He frowned as he observed that the wind had taken it into old man Barnes's yard. He stood there thinking about how he was going to get it.
He watched as the old man slowly put bird seed into the multicolored bird feeder. As he turned to walk away, a pretty blue bird quietly flew down and began to peck at the seed.
The old man turned and saw the teen standing by the fence. " Good afternoon young Robbie".
" I'm sorry to bother you Mr Barnes" he said as he pointed toward the lawn. " My plastic golf ball flew into your yard".
The old man slowly bent down, picked up the plastic golf ball and handed it back to Robbie. " Anything else I can do for you?".
" I was observing that pretty blue bird that was already eating your seed".
" That my young friend is a blue jay".
" A blue jay?".
" There are two things about blue jays that really interest me" he said as he watched the bird quickly eat and then leave. " First , blue jays are highly curious and are very intelligent birds".
" What 's the second?".
The old man smiled at Robbie. " They are one of God's creatures".




research help: Wikipedia.org





Peace and God's blessings. Love Ric.
"

the return to Hoot Owl page 2

the return to Hoot Owl page 2 by ric gustafson.


Alfie Huntley slowly drove down the quiet street and stopped the SUV in front of a small sign. It read ' The Hoot Owl Inn'. Alice watched through the passenger window as her husband drove slowly into the circular gravel driveway. As he parked in front of the white colored Inn, she noticed that no other cars were parked there.
As he took the luggage out of the trunk, Alice walked up some wooden steps and through a heavy wooden door and into a heavily decorated foyer. There was a fire blazing in a large fireplace and several stuffed animal heads on the walls. She rang the bell that was on the front counter as Alfie put two green suitcases on the floor near their feet.
" Hi" said a smiling young man as he walked up to the counter. He wore a white suit and white untied sneakers. " May I help you?".
" Yes, is it possible to rent a room for tonight?". She stared at the young man. " We're on our way to Oklahoma City".
" Of course".




Peace and God's blessings. Love Ric.

our daily bread store page 1

our daily bread store page 1 by ric gustafson.


Fran took a sip of her coffee and stared across Highway 86. She had opened the largest bread store in the small town of Southwind Texas. Since opening two months ago, sales had been fantastic and people were flocking to her store. Anger and frustration set in when she found out that another bread store was going to open just across the highway.
What made her angry was that her childhood friend Wilma Anderson was opening the store. They played together as kids until one day Wilma told her that she had become a christian. She was not and they quit spending time together. She could not believe that she was having her grand opening on a Saturday. That was the day that her sales were the highest.
On the day of Wilma's grand opening, Fran did not notice a dip in sales. She decided not to worry about Wilma's store.
After a couple of months, Fran noticed a small amount of customers were going across the highway to Wilma's store.



Peace and God's blessings. Love Ric.

the return to Hoot Owl page 1

the return to Hoot Owl page 1 by ric gustafson.


Alice Huntley squinted in the darkness as she slowly flicked wet leaves of the small city entrance sign. " Hoot Owl" she said to her husband as she flicked more leaves off of it. She showed confusion on her face as she noticed a 0 next to the population of the town.
" I don't even see Hoot Owl on the map" Alfie Huntley replied in frustration as he studied a map.
" We wouldn' t be lost" she said as she got back into the brown SUV. " If you hadn't tried this alternate route to Oklahoma City".
" I only tried this highway to see if it would save us some time because of all the I 40 construction work".
" Well it didn't" she replied with a hurtful stare. " Now what are we going to do?".
" Let's find a motel and then in the morning drive to Oklahoma City".
" Ok" she replied with a big yawn. " I'm tired too".
He started driving down Main Street and noticed their were no other cars on the street.




Everyone have a great Sunday. Love Ric.

his name is John page 6

his name is John page 6 by ric gustafson.


" Ahura, it is time for me to leave".
" I know my son". The chieftain of the village knew that boys John's age left the village to become men.
The village held a celebration for John and Par'am. The people of the village prayed for the two and then said farewell.
They traveled into the desert and stayed clear of towns and cities. The journey ended at the northwestern point of the Jordan. They approached a gate of a village that had been built into a hillside.
A man wearing a white tunic opened the gate for John. Par'am stayed outside.
One of the men walked up. " What is your name?".
" Yahya-Yuhana".
The Essenes at Qumram called him Yohannan which is Hebrew for John.





research help: ' John the Baptizer' by Brooks Hansen.




Everyone take care. Love Ric.

his name is John page 5

his name is John page 5 by ric gustafson.



Par'am held the small hand of the child as they walked up to the entrance of the dwelling. John's protector knew about the small village on the far side of the Jordan. The two sat down in the dirt at the front entrance to wait for the chieftain and his wife to wake up. Par'am wrote something in the dirt.
Taraneh woke up, got dressed and then began to walk outside. She planned to wash their pots and jars in a nearby stream. She nearly tumbled over the two sitting in the dirt. " Ahura, come here".
The chieftain of the village walked out and saw the older man and the young child.
" I wonder what the name of the child is?" she said as she embraced the child.
Ahura noticed a name written in the dirt. " His name is Yahya-Yuhana
They took the two into their household and cared for them.
The child grew on a diet of carob beans, locusts and honey.




research help: ' John the Baptizer' by Brooks Hansen.




Everyone take care. Love Ric.

Hoot Owl page 2

Hoot Owl page 2 by ric gustafson.


" How far to Oklahoma City?" I asked the young man.
" Probably two hours" was his reply as he took my plate and refilled my water glass.
" Is there a nearby motel?".
" Yes, down Main street right at the edge of town".
" Thanks". I got up and paid the bill. As I walked out, I noticed that the young waiter looked like the gas station attendant. I found the motel and noticed that their were no other cars in the parking lot. I walked inside and up to the front desk.
A young man, wearing a pure white suit, walked out of a back room. " Can I help you?".
" Do you have a room for the night?".
" Of course". He smiled and then handed me a key after I had registered. " Have a good night".
As I walked to my room, I noticed that the young man looked like the young waiter at the diner.
I got up the next morning, ate and then drove toward the city limit. As I reached the end of town, I noticed a young man in white next to the Hoot Owl Welcome sign.
I pulled up next to the young man. " This town is like a ghost town, nobody lives here".
" Your right nobody lives here". He turned the sign around. It read ' Hoot Owl population 0".
" Why is it that nobody lives here?".
The young man pointed toward the sky. " This is not our home, Heaven is".
As I drove off down the highway, I noticed that the young man was still holding the sign and smiling at me.





Peace and God's blessings. Love Ric.

Hoot Owl page 1

Hoot Owl page 1 by ric gustafson.


I pulled up to the sign at the edge of town. It said ' Hoot Owl". I was driving on Interstate 40 toward Oklahoma City when I saw they were diverting traffic unto an unknown highway. The farther I drove, it occured to me that I was getting lost. I kept driving down this strange highway and drove up in front of this city entrance sign.
I noticed that my car's gas tank was nearly empty, so I drove a short distance down the main street to the nearest service station.
" Can I help you?" asked a young man who was wearing white coveralls. They were not dirty.
" Fill it up" I said as I noticed I was the only one getting gas. As I paid for the full tank, I asked the young man if he knew of a good place to eat.
" There's Mama's Diner just down the street".
As I drove toward the diner, I noticed that there were no other cars on the road. I walked into the small diner and sat down in one of the booths.
A young man, wearing a spotless white shirt and white apron, walked over. " May I help you?".
" Yes, I'm starving" I said as I looked at the menu he had just handed me. " I'll have a turkey sandwich and chips". He walked away and I noticed that I was the only patron in the diner. He came back and poured some water into my glass.
A little while later, he brought my dinner.
" Kinda quiet around here" I said as I noticed that I was still the only customer in the diner.
" It sure is".
As I finished my sandwich, I yawned and then checked my watch.




Peace and God's blessings. Love Ric.

Day 27,376 page 4

Day 27,376 page 4 by ric gustafson.


" What!" David exclaimed as he dropped his plate of birthday cake.
" It's Day 27,376" Pierre said quietly as he pulled a piece of paper from his back pant pocket. " Your name is number 1 on my list to go home today".
" I can't go now" he said as he noticed his grandson was enjoying his dessert and the party. " It's my birthday today".
" Sorry David" he said as he handed him the piece of paper.
David studied it and noticed his name at the top.
" I have my orders".
" I wasn't expecting it on the day of my birthday".
" As a christian, you knew this day was coming" he said as he sampled the birthday cake.
" I know, I just wasn't expecting it today".
" Nobody knows what day that will be" he replied as he noticed his daughter sitting down to enjoy a piece of cake. " Did you want to say goodbye to your family before we go?".
David shook his head yes. He got up and walked over to his daughter Colleen. He sat down next to her and pointed toward Pierre. As he whispered into her ear, she began to cry.
He got up and walked back over to Pierre. " I'm ready to go".
Pierre and David walked out the side door and then they went home.



The End.




Everyone take care. Love Ric.

Day 27,376 page 3

Day 27,376 page 3 by ric gustafson.


Rico put a ham and cheese sandwich on his plastic plate along with some potato salad and chips. " Great party Grandpa". He sat down next to his grandfather. David was eating a piece of his birthday cake when he noticed the man of his age filling a plate of nuts, mints and fresh fruit. He noticed that the man wore a ballcap that said ' Heaven' on it. David saw the stranger put his plate down and walk toward the punch bowl. He walked over.
" Nice party" the stranger said as he poured himself a cup of the punch.
" Thank you" David replied. " I don't think we've met".
" Oh! I'm sorry" he exclaimed as he shook David's hand. " My name is Pierre".
" Nice to meet you" was the reply as he stared at the stranger. " Do you live here at the retirement center?".
" No" he replied with a smile. " Actually I came to the party for a specific reason".
" And what is that?".
" To take you home".




research help: a Janice Gilmore article




Peace and God's blessings. Love Ric.

Day 27,376 page 2

Day 27,376 page 2 by ric gustafson.


" Taste this punch" Colleen Rogers said as she put a spoon into the silver punch bowl. " I want to make sure it's just right". Ronald Rogers put a little bit into a cup and tasted it. " Needs a little bit more sugar".
" Rico, will you put a bowl of cashews and a bowl of mints on the table please?".
" Ok Mom" her teenage son replied with a frown as he walked off to do what she said.
She was happy that the town's retirement center let them have the party in their party room.
David Pickering quietly walked in with his oldest , Ruby hanging onto his arm.
" Happy Birthday Grandpa" his grandson said as he put the bowls of snacks on the serving table. " How does it feel to be old".
" I'm a young 75".
After a while, many family members and friends came for David's party.
At one point, David shed a few tears for his late wife, Arlene. He knew that she would of enjoyed the party.
Before the party ended, David noticed an elderly man about his age come in and start to mingle. He had never seen him before and wondered if he lived at the retirement center.




research help: a Janice Gilmore article





Peace and God's blessings. Love Ric

his name is John page 4

his name is John page 4 by ric gustafson.


" Are they here?" Herod asked.
His assistant Menahem, who was standing by the courtyard door, moved aside.
Three men entered the chamber. One wore a Persian turban as if he came from the north. The second was an African with skin as black as coal. The third was a distant Oriental. All three bowed before Herod.
" What brings you to our land?".
All three pointed toward the sky.
" What do you know about the prophecy?".
The Persian began to speak in a foreign language.
Herod stared at Menahem.
" He said the new king is to come from this area".
" Oh yes, the prophet Micah predicted that he would come from Ephratah which we call Bethlehem". Herod gave the three Magi a serious look. " You can go on one condition" he said after he cleared his throat. " If you find him, let me know so that I may worship him also".




research help: ' John the Baptizer' by Brooks Hansen.





Everyone take care. Love Ric.