a town called Judgment page 7

a town called Judgment page 7 by ric gustafson.

" Judge!" Homer exclaimed as he closed the passenger door and stared at the sign.

" Not only is he the local carpenter but he is also the town's judge".

" I don't know about going in Louis" he said with a reluctant voice as they reached the door of the shop.

" Joshua, would love to meet you".

They walked into the small wood shop and Louis rang the bell.

A young man, sporting a dark beard and a pure white apron, walked out of a back room.

" Greetings Louis".

" Greetings Joshua" he said as they shook hands. He turned to see that Homer was not standing next to him. " I wanted to introduce you to my new boarder" he said as he scratched his chin in confusion. " He must have gone back outside".

" That's ok" Joshua said as he reached under the front counter and handed him a small sack. " Here is the present I promised".

Louis opened the sack and took out a small woodcarved ornament. It read ' POP'.

" Thank you Joshua".

Peace and God's blessings. Love Ric.

a town called Judgment page 6

a town called Judgment page 6 by ric gustafson.


Homer stared out the passenger window as the old pickup slowly drove along. " This is Main Street? he asked as he noticed empty store after empty store.
" It used to be a very vibrant part of town" Louis replied as he stopped at a red light. He pointed toward several boarded up stores. " That used to be a barber shop and that used to be a drug store".
" What happened?".
" Hardly any of the young people stayed after high school" he said with sadness in his voice. " It was sad to see".
The light turned green.
" Oh Homer" he said as he turned right onto a side street. " Would you like to say hi to one of the few remaining tenants".
" Sure".
Louis eased the pickup into the parking stall and turned off the engine.
Homer stared at the sign above the front door and dread spread within.



Everyone take care. Love Ric.

through the eyes of a child page 7

through the eyes of a child page 7 by ric gustafson.

Jessica blew her nose as Charles handed her another tissue. " Thank you" she replied as she dabbed her eyes because of her crying.

" What time did Kelly leave the dorm room to go jogging?" Detective Mark Springer asked as he opened up his small black notebook and looked around the small dorm room.

" About 8:00 am" she replied as she kept drying her eyes. " After her jog, she was planning on taking a shower and then driving home".

" She was already packed?" Charles asked as he noticed two small burgundy suitcases sitting by the front door.

" Yes, she was so excited to come home and spend the summer with the two of you".

Detective Springer walked over to the window and stared toward the wooded park across the street. " Jessica, was Kelly familiar with the park as far as where to go jogging?".

" Of course, she went jogging there a lot after classes were over".

" Do you remember what Kelly was wearing when she went on her jog?".

Jessica thought for a moment. " I believe a yellow and white jogging outfit and she was also wearing baseball cap".

" Jessica, is there anybody you know of who would want to hurt our baby?" Katie asked with a concerned look.

" No, everybody liked her".

" Any boyfriends?" asked Detective Springer.

" No" all three replied.

" If there were, she would have told us" Katie exclaimed.

" That's all the questions I have for right now" the Detective said as he stood up and shook Charles's hand. " I 'm going over to the park to look around and I will be in touch".

Peace and God's blessings. Love Ric

a town called Judgment page 5

a town called Judgment page 5 by ric gustafson.

The old red pickup truck rattled as it slowly traveled down the two lane highway.

Homer looked out the passenger window. " Have you always lived on the edge of town?".

" Where my service station is was the place to be at one time". Sadness came over his face. " Not anymore".

The pickup stopped at a light and Homer glanced to his left. He observed that the street stopped at a black gate. It looked like an entrance to a park.

" What's that Louis?".

" It's called the Great White Throne Park" he replied as the light turned green and his foot pushed on the gas pedal. " It's a strange place".

" Why is that?".

" I've had several men over the years stay with us" he said as he adjusted his rear view mirror. " The outcome has always been the same".

" What outcome?".

" A trumpet sounds, two men in white come and take my boarder to the Great White Throne Park".

Homer watched as they passed the Welcome to Judgment sign. " Then what happens?".

" I never see them again".

Everyone take care, Love Ric.

a town called Judgment page 4

a town called Judgment page 4 by ric gustafson.

Louis walked toward the bedroom with a concerned look on his face. He heard a strange noise coming from the spare bedroom and he wanted to investigate.

" Homer" he said softly as he knocked on the door. He pushed it a little with his right hand and the door gave way and opened. He looked in and noticed their new guest crouching in front of a small wooden dresser. On top was a small statue that resembled a golden calf.

" Homer".

" Oh! I'm sorry" was the startled reply as the young man stood up. " I hope I wasn't bothering you".

" What are you doing Homer?" Louis asked as he stared at the statue. " I heard a strange noise coming from in here".

" Because of the Master that I serve, I have to chant several times a day".

Louis stared at the statue. " Homer, what is that?".

" It's a golden calf statue" was the reply as he smiled. " It's a symbol of whom I serve".

" I came to ask you if you wanted to go with me into town".

" Sure" was the reply as Homer clapped his hands at the thought.

Everyone take care. Love Ric .

seven deadly sins 2011: Impurity c

seven deadly sins 2011: Impurity c by ric gustafson.

Ben walked slowly past Mr Firestone's door when Rose raised a finger to stop him. " Ben, Mr Firestone would like to see you for a moment". He knocked on the door.

" Come in".

He opened the door to show Mr Firestone standing next to his desk. Standing next to him was Elaine and Ralph Johnson who was head of security for the company.

" Sit down Ben" he said as he walked to the window and looked out. " Please take a look at the paper that is on my desk".

He picked it up to see that it was a letter of resignation . " I don't follow Sir".

" Ben, I'm a christian and I started this company on christian morals". He turned from the window and now stared at his employee". " I cannot allow an employee who does not follow that same moral code to totally destroy this company I work so hard to maintain".

" Mr Firestone, I have tried to please you".

He raised his arm to silence him. " Ben, I have given you so many chances and you have snubbed them in my face".

" And if I refuse to sign it".

Mr Firestone walked over to his desk, pulled out a piece of paper and handed it to Ben. " Do you remember signing this?".

Ben's heart sank when he realized that it was the action plan he had signed the last time he was in his office". " Yes".

" Ben, I have the right to fire you because you did not do what I instructed you to do". " Because I am a christian, I am asking you to resign".

A pen was given to Ben and he thought for a moment. He knew he had no other choice. He signed the resignation form.

" Ralph, will you escort Mr Halsteen to the front door please".

" Goodbye Ben".

The End.

research help: ' The Journey' by Billy Graham.

Peace and God's blessings. Love Ric.

seven deadly sins 2011: Impurity b

seven deadly sins 2011: Impurity b by ric gustafson

Elaine handed Ben the notebook that contained her idea.

He glanced at it and then handed it back to her.. " It looks pretty good" he replied with a grin. " But I like Roger's better".

" You haven't even hardly looked at it yet".

" Yes I did Elaine but I like Roger's idea better".

" You've already made your decision without hardly looking at it".

" I like Roger's idea better than yours" he said with a serious look. " That's all". " All I'm saying is this" he said with a serious look. " If you would use your assets more, you could go far in this department".

" Mr Halsteen" Elaine said with fire in her eyes. " Are you saying what I think you are saying".

" Possibly".

Elaine turned and walked out closing Ben's office door loudly. She walked down the hallway to Mr Firestone's office and knocked on his door.

research help: ' The Journey' by Billy Graham.

Everyone have a great Saturday. Love Ric.

seven deadly sins 2011: Impurity a

seven deadly sins 2011: Impurity a by ric gustafson.

Elaine knocked on Mr Halsteen's door as she held tightly onto the notebook. She was anxious to show her boss her idea for the new Macanac T Bone campaign. She knocked again thinking maybe he did not hear it.

" Come in".

She opened the office door to show her boss heavily studying somebody's idea page. " Mr Halsteen".

" Yes Elaine". He did not look up.

" Mr Halsteen, I brought my idea for the new campaign".

" Thank you, I'll look at it after I study Roger's idea further".

" Mr Halsteen" she said as she sat down in the empty chair next to Ben's large oak desk. " I was hoping you could look at it now in case you had any questions".

Ben now stared at Elaine. " Ok, I'll look at it now".

research help: ' The Journey' by Billy Graham.

Peace and God's blessings. Love Ric.

seven deadly sins 2011: Slothfulness b

seven deadly sins 2011: Slothfulness b by ric gustafson.

Noreen drove their white Villager into the snow packed driveway and noticed that it had not been shoveled yet. As she drove into the two car garage, she also noticed that the green recycle container and the garbage had not been put out. She unlocked the kitchen door, opened the trunk and brought out sacks of groceries. She opened the door and walked in. As she walked toward the kitchen counter, she noticed that her husband Ben was asleep on the living room couch. She quietly put the groceries on the counter and walked into the small living room. She picked up the remote and turned off the football game.

Ben woke up. " What's going on?".

" Ben, why haven't you shoveled the driveway or taken out the trash?".

" I'm sorry" he replied as he noticed that she had turned off the football game. " I just laid down for a moment to watch the game and I must have fallen asleep".

" I asked you to do those two things before I went to get groceries" she said with an angry tone. " I barely made it home on the icy road because you insisted I go to the grocery store".

" I'll go out now". He slowly put on his boots and his heavy coat.

" Did you call the credit card company like I asked?".

" No, not yet".

" Ben, I asked you to call them" she said as she stamped her foot in frustration. " What's gotten into you today?".

" I'm under a lot of pressure at work because of Mr Firestone" he said as he put his stocking cap and gloves on.

" You better not lose this job Ben Halsteen" she said loudly as he walked into the cold garage and shook his head. " Do you hear me?".

research help: ' The Journey' by Billy Graham.

Everyone take care. Love Ric.

a town called Judgment page 3

a town called Judgment page 3 by ric gustafson.

" Mrs Mutson, this roast beef is fabulous" Homer exclaimed with a strange grin as he took another bite of the tender meat.

" Thank you Homer" Alice replied as she poured her guest a glass of milk.

He drank from the cold glass. " I have not tasted milk literally in ages".

Louis stared at his guest. " Tell me about yourself Homer?".

" Well" he said as he took another bite of his dinner. " My Master sends me on assignments all over the world".

" Master?".

" Actually my boss".

" He sent you on assignment to this desolate place".

" It would seem so".

" Homer, do you have a place to stay?" she asked as she got up from the table and put her empty plate into the sink. She took a towel off of a fresh pie that was sitting in a corner of the counter. She took a knife from a drawer and began to cut it into wedges.

" Right now no" was the reply as Homer observed the dessert she was preparing. " Is that fresh pie?".

" Yes Homer , it's apple" she said with a chuckle as she looked at her husband. " Louis, couldn't you use some help around here?".

" She's right Homer" he said as he dabbed his mouth with a napkin and handed her his now empty plate. " In exchange for an empty bedroom, you can help me around here".

" I accept" was Homer's reply as Alice handed him a large slice of homemade apple pie.

Peace and God's blessings. Love Ric.

seven deadly sins 2011: Slothfulness a

seven deadly sins 2011: Slothfulness a by ric gustafson.


Elaine walked into Ben's office and noticed that he looked like he was daydreaming. " Mr Halsteen".
Ben looked up to see one of his employees standing in front of his desk. " Yes Elaine".
" Mr Halsteen, have you finished the monthly reports for Mr Firestone yet?".
" No, not yet" he replied with a stare. " I'm not sure if I will or not".
" Mr Halsteen, those reports are due by the end of the day".
" Will you do them for me Elaine?".
" Mr Halsteen, they are your responsibility as head of this department".
" I'm so mad at Mr Firestone" he said as anger filled his eyes. " I don't feel like doing anything for him anymore".
" Mr Halsteen" she said in a quiet voice. " Have you done the schedule including the vacation schedule?".
" No, not yet".
" Mr Halsteen, if you don't do your job you could be fired".
" I don't care anymore" he said with a sigh. " I just don't care anymore".
" Mr Halsteen, aren't you worried about your job?".
" No" Ben said in a final thought. " I don't care anymore".
" Mr Halsteen, I'll have to tell Mr Firestone you did not do the reports or the schedule".
" Do what you have to do" he said as he stood up and walked toward the door. " I don't care anymore".

seven deadly sins 2011: Gluttony b

seven deadly sins 2011: Gluttony b by ric gustafson.

Ben walked up to Rose's desk and stopped because she was talking on the phone. She looked up, noticed him and smiled.

" Just a second Madge" she said as she put the call on hold. " He's waiting for you Ben".

He walked into the spacious well decorated office and noticed a few things he had not remembered before.

" Sit down Ben" Mr Firestone said as he sat down in his office chair and took a piece of paper out of one of his desk drawers. " What is this?". He handed Ben the paper.

Ben looked at the piece of paper. " It's the expense account statement from my business trip".

" Did I not give you an exact budgeted amount that you could spend".

" Yes, but I thought if I spent a little more we could lure some potential customers".

Mr Firestone took the paper and put it back in the drawer. He opened another drawer and took out another piece of paper. He handed it to Ben. " Ben, read this".

" It's an action plan" Ben replied in a sarcastic voice as he studied the paper. " What's the meaning of this Mr Firestone?".

" It's simple Ben, this plan says that you need to improve on the things listed on this sheet of paper within the time period stated". He gave him a pen. " Ben, I need you to sign it".

" And if I don't sign".

" Ben, I will call security this second and have you escorted from the building". " It's your choice".

With a scowl on his face, he picked up the pen and signed the paper.

" Can I go now?".

" Yes".

Ben shoved the paper to his boss and angrily walked out of the office.

research help: ' The Journey' by Billy Graham.

Peace and God's blessings. Love Ric.

seven deadly sins 2011: Gluttony a

seven deadly sins 2011: Gluttony a by ric gustafson.

Ben walked through the front door and laid the brand new suit across the corner of the brown couch. He put his winter coat in the closet and turned to see his wife of twenty years standing behind him.

" Hi darling " he said as he gave her a peck on the cheek. " I didn't know you were standing there".

" I'm worried Ben" Noreen replied quickly as she handed him a statement. " I was just going over the credit card statement".

" What's wrong with it?". He quickly glanced at it and then handed it back.

" It's maxed out". She gave him a worried stare. " I also got a call from a creditor today".

" We'll be ok" was the reply as he showed her the new suit he had just bought.

Noreen shook her head. " Ben, we can't afford that".

" I'm going to wear it next week on my busines trip".

" What's the trip for again?".

" Mr Firestone wants me to go to a convention and try to lure some customers for the company".

She took some bread and meat from the refrigerator and made Ben a sandwich. " If we don't take care of our finances, sandwiches is all we will be living on".

" If I get this huge promotion that Mr Firestone has been hinting about, we will be ok".

" I hope so" Noreen replied with a sigh as she put the credit card statement in the desk drawer. " Ben, I sure hope so".

research help: ' The Journey' by Billy Graham

Happy Father's Day to all fathers. Love Ric.

seven deadly sins 2011: Greed b

seven deadly sins 2011: Greed b by ric gustafson.


" How was the steak Mr Firestone?" Ben asked as he swallowed the last bite of his meal and wiped off his mouth with his napkin.
" Very good Ben" he replied as he drank from his water goblet. "It's one of the best steaks I've had excluding ours of course".
" Mr Firestone" Ben slowly said and then hesitated. " I have a lot of good ideas for Macanac Steaks".
" That's good Ben" he replied with a smile. " I like hearing that from my supervisors".
" Mr Firestone, have you ever thought about appointing a Vice President who would be directly under you?".
" Are you referring to yourself Ben?".
Ben gave his boss a strange look. " With all my great ideas, I think I would make a great Vice President".
" Ben" Mr Firestone said like he was talking to his own son. " You've been doing your job ok except for the negative reports I sometimes get from your employees". " Don't be so greedy" he said as he put a hand on Ben's shoulder. " Let me worry about your advancement, just concentrate on your own job".
" Ok Mr Firestone" Ben said quietly as the waiter put the bill on the table.
" Are you sure you don't need help paying this?".
" No I'm fine" was the reply as he put his Visa card on top of the bill.
The waiter came and took the bill and card.
" Thanks for dinner Ben" Mr Firestone said as he got up and put his coat on. " Remember my office door is always open". He walked out.
Ben sat at the table and signed the Visa bill. A scowl came to his face.




research help: ' The Journey' by Billy Graham.




Peace and God's blessings. Love Ric.

through the eyes of a child page 6

through the eyes of a child page 6 by ric gustafson.

Charles turned into the two car long driveway. He got out of the dark colored Tahoe and walked up the five concrete steps toward the front door. His wife and himself had lived in the two story house for over twenty years since right before Kelly was born.

He opened the front door to reveal a small dopey eared beagle.

" Tobey" he said as he knelt and petted the happy dog. The dog licked Charles's face and then sauntered off. He walked into a large modern looking kitchen and put his car keys on the counter.

Katie Brown ran into the room and embraced her husband. " Charles, what's happened to our baby?".

" I don't know" he replied as tears began to form in his eyes. " A Detective Springer from the missing person's unit called saying that he had talked to Jessica".

" Kelly's roommate".

" Jessica reported to the Detective that Kelly had gone jogging at the park nearby yesterday morning and never came back".

" Never came back" she replied loudly as tears came into her eyes. " Our baby would never do that".

" I know" he said as he quickly glanced at the mail that was on the kitchen table. " The Detective would like us to come down to the dorm and we can talk to Jessica together".

" Ok" Katie replied as she went upstairs to fix her makeup because of the crying.

Peace and God's blessings. Love Ric

through the eyes of a child page 5

through the eyes of a child page 5 by ric gustafson.

Charles slowed down the SUV as the light turned yellow. It turned to red as he stopped. He turned up the volume as the harmony sound of the Gaither Vocal Band came through the car speaker. The gospel group relaxed him and he smiled as he began to sing along.

The light turned green and the Tahoe slowly began to move again. He knew that he was almost home. As the CD changed to another song, Charles's bluetooth rang.

" This is Charles Brown".

" Yes Detective Springer".

" I'm sorry to disturb you Mr Brown".

" That's ok Detective" he said as he stopped at another red light. " I was just on my home".

" Yes Detective, I did speak to Jessica" he said as he watched the red light. " No, she was too distraught to give me any information".

Charles listened very intently to what the Detective had to say. " Yes Detective, we will meet you at their dorm room".

Peace and God's blessings. Love Ric.

a town called Judgment page 2

a town called Judgment page 2 by ric gustafson.

" Judgment" was the reaction from Homer as they walked around the side of the old building. He stopped all of a sudden and then remembered what the old apostle had told him.

As they walked into a large dirt yard, Homer noticed that the building was an abandoned gas station.

" I forgot to introduce myself" the old farmer said as he walked over and put one of his hands on one of the old gas pumps. " I'm Louis Mutson".

" Homer Tang".

" Glad to meet you Homer" was the reply as he leaned on an old windshield cleaning station. " This used to be the only service station in Judgment". He walked over to an old coke bottle machine. " At one time, this station and town was the place to be".

" What happened?".

" Eventually, young people left town and tourists stopped coming" he said with a sad voice as he looked around. " About ten years ago, I had to close it down".

Homer could hear his stomach growl.

" Are you hungry son?".

" I sure am" Homer replied with a grin. " I can't remember the last time I ate".

" Alice and I would love to have you join us for dinner".

" I'd love to".

Everyone take care. Love Ric.

a town called Judgment page 1

a town called Judgment page 1 by ric gustafson.

Homer Tang opened his eyes and could see the blaring sun above him. He quickly closed them and immediately heard the rattle. He knew what that sound meant and was not sure what to do. He was going to jump up and run when he heard the sound of metal hitting something. The rattle stopped.

" Here son" said a calm voice as he felt a warm hand clasp his.

He opened his eyes to see an elderly farmer smiling at him.

" You were lucky son" he said as he helped him to his feet. " That rattler was right next to you".

" Where am I?".

" Well" he said as he wiped off the machete with a towel. " You are basically nowhere".

They began to walk down a steep hill.

" All this land is yours".

" It sure is" was the reply as they walked toward what looked like an old gas station. " At one time this land was very fertile".

" Where am I?.

" This is a town called Judgment".

Peace and God's blessings. Love Ric.

seven deadly sins 2011: Greed a

seven deadly sins 2011: Greed a by ric gustafson.

Ben sat down at the two person table as the waiter took the fancy napkins out of the two water goblets. " Is somebody coming to join you?".

" Yes, hopefully" Ben replied with a frown as he studied the fancy menu. He saw his boss walk in and the Maitre D pointed toward the table.

" Good evening Ben" Mr Firestone said tiredly as he took off his trench coat and hung it on the coat rack that was next to the table. He sat down and took a sip from his water goblet.

" Thank you Mr Firestone for coming on such short notice".

" I came Ben even though I'm not sure why".

The waiter came to the table to take their order.

" Mr Firestone, the meal is on me" Ben said as he studied the menu. " Please order whatever you would like".

He put down the menu. " Are you sure Ben, this is an expensive restaurant".

Ben took his Visa card out of his shirt pocket. " I have my credit card, please order whatever you would like".

Mr Firestone turned to the waiter. " We will start with two side salads please". He put down his menu. " Now Ben" he said with a straight face as he looked at his employee. " Tell me why you asked me to come here tonight".

research help: ' The Journey' by Billy Graham

Peace and God's blessings. Love Ric

seven deadly sins 2011: Envy b

seven deadly sins 2011: Envy b by ric gustafson.

" He's waiting for you Ben" Rose said as she got an envelope ready to mail.

He walked into the office and saw his boss standing by a window drinking a cup of coffee.

" Good morning Ben" he said as he looked out the window toward the employees parking lot. " Please have a seat".

Ben stared at all the beautiful things he had displayed around his office and he started to get envious. " I envy you Mr Firestone".

" Why is that Ben?".

" You are so successful with this company" he said as he looked again around the office. " And all the power and fame that go with it".

" Ben" Mr Firestone said quietly like a father to a son. " I'm a simple christian man who had a simple dream and started a company". " I don't care about fame or status I just want my company to thrive and have happy employees". Mr Firestone looked at Ben with a stern look. " Which is something I'm not hearing much from your department".

" What are you talking about?".

" I heard what happened to Elaine" he said with a sigh as he sat down behind his desk. " She's a good employee Ben".

" Mr Firestone, I was not happy with her slogan so I replaced her on my slogan team".

" From the reports I am getting from her co workers" he said as he picked up a stack of papers from his desk. " To me it seems you went over the line beyond work reasons".

" What are you saying Mr Firestone?".

" Ben, clean up your act and your department or I will make immediate changes".

Ben walked out of Mr Firestone's office not with concern but a hardened heart that he was going to do things his way.

research help: ' The Journey' by Billy Graham.

Peace and God's blessings. Love Ric.

the two suitors of Zoie Malone page 2

the two suitors of Zoie Malone page 2 by ric gustafson.

He blew on his cold gloved hands as he stared toward the west. ' Boy I hope it comes soon' David thought as he stamped his feet. ' The bus usually comes around the same time' was his thought as he stamped his feet and blew on his gloves. He grinned as he noticed the large white city bus pull up in front of him.

It stopped and the large door opened.

" Good morning" David said as he took his heavy winter gloves off and reached inside his pant pocket. He pulled out a rumpled dollar bill and a quarter and put them in the required slots.

The driver grinned and then the bus started.

David slowly walked toward the back of the bus and then he saw her.

She was sitting in the same seat that she always did and was writing as usual in a journal or something. She had long blonde hair and was wearing a red stylish winter coat.

He sat down in a seat opposite her and stared out the window.

She had been riding the bus for two months now and David did not have the courage to talk to her.

Peace and God's blessings. Love Ric.

seven deadly sins 2011: envy a

seven deadly sins 2011: Envy a by ric gustafson.

Roger Harrison put the flag for the 4th hole back in the cup. He got into the golf cart and then began to write down the scores. " What did you get on that hole Ben?".

" Seven I think" Ben replied as he got into the cart. They drove over to the 5th tee. Ben got out and walked over to the green ball washer. " I envy you".

" Why would you envy me for?" was the reply as he looked at his friend.

" You are successful at the company, have a great house and a great marriage".

" Ben, those things don't matter to me any more" he said as he put his golfball on a white tee. " Because now I'm a christian". He hit his drive to the right among some trees.

" I envy Mr Firestone" Ben said as he teed up his ball and took a couple of practice swings. " I would love to have his power, fame and be the President of Macanac Steaks". He hit his drive down the middle of the fairway.

" Be careful Ben" Roger said as he began to walk toward the right side of the fairway. " Your thinking could backfire on you and the company".

Ben started to walk down the middle of the fairway with a strange grin on his face.

research help: ' The Journey' by Billy Graham

Peace and God's blessings. Love Ric.

seven deadly sins 2011: Anger b

seven deadly sins 2011 : Anger b by ric gustafson.

Noreen Halsteen put the pot roast on the decorated dining room table along with some cooked potatoes and carrots. She looked at the clock and knew that Ben would be home any moment.

Ben walked through the front door of the single story home and put his brown briefcase on the square glass end table. He quickly kissed his wife and then sat down at the table. "Pot roast again" he said in an angry tone as he put some on his plate. " With all these cookbooks can't you make anything else".

" Sorry" she sweetly replied as she put some of the food on her plate. " I'll make sure I make something different next time". " How did the department meeting go?".

" Terrible" he said as he slammed the table hard with his fist.

Noreen poured some red wine into a goblet. " What happened?".

" Elaine who was one of my best workers" he said as he bit into some of the potroast. " She came up with one of the worst slogans I have ever heard". " I'm thinking about replacing her on our current slogan project".

" It'll get better" she said as she sipped from her wine goblet.

" It better" Ben replied in an angry voice as he pushed his chair back and walked toward his favorite easy chair.

research help: ' The Journey' by Billy Graham

Everyone take care. Love Ric.

seven deadly sins 2011: Anger a

seven deadly sins 2011: Anger a by ric gustafson.

Elaine Schram put the presentation on the easel , sat down at the long conference table and waited for the others to arrive. She was nervous because this was her first major presentation to the department and she also wanted to stay on Mr Halsteen's good side.

Ben walked in with a sour look on his face and sat down next to Elaine.

" What did Mr Firestone have to say?" she asked as she drank some bottled water to calm her nerves.

" Nothing important".

Other members of the advertising department began to walk in and sit down at the conference table.

" Let's begin the meeting" he said as he glanced at his watch. " We'll start with Elaine's presentation".

She grinned and then walked over to the easel. " Mr Halsteen, after hours of suggestions and my own ideas I have come up with a very simple slogan for the Macanac T bone steak". She began to flip the pages on the easel and told about the success of the Macanac T bone steak. As she got to the last page of her presentation, she took another sip of her water because she was nervous".

She flipped to the last page of her presentation and then looked at Mr Halsteen. " My very simple slogan is ' A Macanac T bone, why not try an original'. She looked at Mr Halsteen and the others around the conference table for their reaction.

Ben stared at Elaine with an angry look. " That is the slogan you've been spending all your time on".

research help: ' The Journey' by Billy Graham

Peace and God's blessings. Love Ric.

seven deadly sins 2011: Pride b

seven deadly sins 2011: Pride b by ric gustafson.

" Ben" Howard Firestone said as he walked to his office window and looked out at the employees parking lot. " I started Macanac Steaks International from nothing and no money in the bank". " I'm a christian Ben and I built this company on integrity, honesty and hard work". " When I started this company , there was not much competition" he said as he walked over and put his hand on the stuffed bear head above his desk. " But now with competition such as Omaha Steaks and others, times have changed".

" Mr Firestone, what does this conversation have to do with me?".

Howard sat down in his desk chair, looked at Ben and then opened a desk drawer. He took out a stack of papers and handed them to him. " Ben, I have been getting disturbing reports about you from the supervisor below you and employees from your department".

" What kind of reports, Mr Firestone?".

" I've gotten reports of racism in regards to promotion and work assignment based on sex not skill". " These are serious allegations that I have to investigate" he said as he stared intently at his employee. " Ben, what do you have to say about these allegations?".

He cleared his throat. " Mr Firestone, since I've been here your advertising revenue has skyrocketed and your overall sales have tripled in the last year".

" I know Ben" Howard replied with a sigh as he picked up the stack of reports. " These reports cannot go on". " Promise me you will fix these allegations Ben".

" I promise Mr Firestone" Ben said with an expressionless look on his face. He walked out of the office.

Howard was not sure.

research help: ' The Journey' by Billy Graham.

Everyone take care. Love Ric.

seven deadly sins 2011: Pride a

seven deadly sins 2011: Pride a by ric gustafson.

Ben Halsteen walked into his spacious new office and sat down in his new black swivel chair. He grinned as he looked around the new office the company just gave him. He walked over to a large cardboard box and began to bring out pictures to hang up. Pride entered his heart as he stared around the huge office. There was a knock on the door.

Marlene, Ben's new secretary poked her head inside. " Mr Firestone would like to see you in his office.

He walked down the plaque filled hallway and then knocked on Mr Firestone's door.

" He's waiting for you Ben" Rose, Mr Firestone's secretary, said as she sat down.

He knocked again.

" Come in".

He walked into a very spacious office filled with pictures and stuffed animal heads on the walls.

Howard Firestone stood up from his desk and walked over to Ben. " Thanks for coming on short notice" he said as he pointed to a chair next to his desk. " Please have a seat".

" Mr Firestone, I take it you like to hunt".

" I love to hunt because it's a way for me to relieve stress and anger" he said as he smiled at his employee. " Ben, you should try it sometime".

" No thanks" was the reply as he shook his head. " I'd rather work out myself". A nervous look came over him. " Mr Firestone, I'm curious as to why you wanted to see me".

Howard gave Ben a serious look. " I'll get right to the point".

research help: ' The Journey' by Billy Graham

Peace and God's blessings. Love Ric.

through the eyes of a child page 4

through the eyes of a child page 4 by ric gustafson.

Charles was finishing up the executive meeting when the intercom rang. The investment firm he had founded was doing great business and at the moment was very prosperous. He glanced out the large window to his right and witnessed the beautiful spring day. He thanked God for the beautiful weather and all the blessings God had given to him. He and his wife Katie were looking forward to the return of their daughter Kelly from college. She was going to live with them but work during the summer.

" Mr Brown, Michelle wants to speak with you" Jack Westin said as he whispered from the side of the conference table.

Charles frowned as he picked up the phone. His secretary normally never called during a meeting unless it was an emergency. ' Father, I pray that my family is ok' he thought to himself as he picked up the phone. " Yes Michelle".

" Mr Brown, I'm sorry for interrupting the meeting" the voice said as it cracked. " I have a family call you should probably take in your office".

" Gentlemen, I'm sorry to stop the meeting but I have an urgent call I need to take". Worried, he walked out of the conference room and walked down the carpeted hallway to his office. He sat down at the huge oak desk that was his sanctuary from the chaos of the office. " Michelle, you can patch the call to me now".

" Ok Mr Brown" came the reply.

As the phone rang, Charles mouthed to himself a simple prayer. " Hello, this is Charles Brown".

" Jessica, slow down and try to speak a little more clearly" he said quietly into the phone. " I cannot understand you".

As the caller talked on, Charles's face turned ashen.

" Lord help me" he said loudly as he put his face on the desk and began to cry.

Peace and God's blessings. Love Ric.

through the eyes of a child page 3

through the eyes of a child page 3 by ric gustafson.

Kelly put two small burgundy suitcases by the front door as her friend and roommate Jessica came out of her room.

" I thought that you were going to start for home". She had noticed the yellow and white jogging outfit.

" I thought that I would go for a quick jog" she said as she adjusted her ball cap. " Then I will quickly shower and then head for home".

" I need to go to the library to study for my last final" Jessica said as she hugged her friend goodbye." Enjoy your summer and tell your parents hello". She picked up her backpack, smiled and walked out.

Jessica looked at her watch to see that it was about 8:00. ' I can't wait to see my parents' she thought as she picked up a rag to blot out a stain that she noticed on her jogging outfit. She put the rag back on the sink and then walked out.

Peace and God's blessings. Love Ric.

through the eyes of a child page 2

through the eyes of a child page 2 by ric gustafson.

Vinnie Deegan opened his eyes as he heard the doorbell. He had fallen asleep as he was watching the football game.

" Get down Rodger Dodger" he said to the white cat who was resting on his lap. The cat jumped off and he got up and put on his black slippers. He walked over and barely opened the door. " Yes".

" I saw your ad in the van section" said a short pudgy man who wore glasses. " The ad was about a white van for sale".

" Oh yes" he replied as he pointed toward a closed garage. " I will come out and show it to you".

He put on his tennis shoes and his brown summer coat. He opened the front door, and with the stranger walking behind him, walked up to the garage door. He took a key from his key ring and opened the garage. It revealed a small white van with no markings.

" It's not a very large van as you can see" Vinnie said as the two of them slowly walked around it and studied it. " Why do you need it for?".

" I'm going to use it for a small delivery service that I'm going to start" he said with a grin as he took a wallet out of his back pant pocket. " I'll take the van and I would like to pay cash for it".

After the sale was finalized, they walked toward the end of the garage. The stranger glanced over toward one corner of the cluttered garage. " Are you going to use that pile of rope?".

Everyone stay cool on this very hot Monday. Love Ric.

through the eyes of a child page 1

through the eyes of a child page 1 by ric gustafson.

Kelly held tightly unto her father's right hand as they slowly walked through the green summer grass. " There's the stand with the cool dessert I like" she said with a squeal as she hung tightly to her father's hand.

" Oh yes the funnel cakes" he replied with a big smile as he adjusted his ball cap to the early afternoon sun. " Later on I think we can have one".

" Yea" she exclaimed as she clapped her small hands in joy. " I love the powered sugar that's on top".

Charles Brown was happy that he had brought his daughter for an afternoon of fun at the Baxter County Fair. He did not spend as much time with her as he wished. His job as CEO of an investment firm kept him for long hours away from his family. After three hours of riding the Black Spider, playing skee ball and every carnival game you could think of, Charles's fair tickets were just about gone.

" Before we get a funnel cake" he said to the delight of his seven year old daughter. " I have enough tickets for one more ride".

" The bumper cars Daddy" she screamed with joy as she ran toward the tent next door. They quickly got in line and Kelly ended up in a car up front while Charles got stuck in a car on the right side

A ride worker walked over and said something to Charles.

He got out of the car and walked over and stood by the entrance.

The ride started and as cars banged into each other, Kelly could not see her father. " Daddy, where are you?" she yelled as the cars kept banging into each other. She began to panic.

When the ride stopped, a crying Kelly saw her father at the entrance and ran to him. " Daddy, where were you?".

" Sweetheart, I could not ride the car so I was standing here watching you the whole time".

" Daddy, promise me you will never leave me".

" I promise" Charles said with tears coming down his cheeks as he tightly embraced his daughter.

Peace and God's blessings. Love Ric.

the end of the trail page 3

the end of the trail page 3 by ric gustafson. free write story 2

" What is that?" Howard asked as he stared at the young trail guide.

Mickey pulled another ledger from underneath the counter. " This is my boss's personal ledger".

" Personal ledger?".

" Howard, do you believe in Jesus Christ and have a personal relationship with him?".

" Yes, ever since I was young" he replied with a smile.

Mickey thumbed through the pages. He stopped on a certain page. " Yes, I see that your name is in here". " Very good" was the reply as he pointed outside. " You may proceed down the right side of the remaining trail".

" Thank you" he joyfully said as he hugged his wife and then ran out the door.

Mickey turned toward Melinda. " Melinda, do you believe in Jesus Christ and have a personal relationship with him?".

She shook her head. " My family was not christian and neither am I". " I would have to say no".

Mickey thumbed through the pages. " I'm sorry Melinda, I do not see your name in my boss's personal ledger".

" What does that mean?".

" You must go down the left side of the remaining trail".

With a frown, she walked out the door.

Mickey put the ledgers back underneath the counter.

The bell on the door clanged.

Everyone have a great Saturday. Love Ric.

the end of the trail page 2

the end of the trail page 2 by ric gustafson. free write story 2


" So what do we do now?" the man asked with a fearful look on his face.
Mickey smiled and pulled a large black ledger from underneath the wooden counter. " This is one of my boss's ledgers".
" What does that ledger have to do with us?" the wife asked.
" Everyone who has ever walked the trail of life must be in this ledger". He turned to the wife. " What is your name?".
" Melinda Petsac".
" Petsac" he said as he turned the pages. He stopped on a page and thumbed through the names. " Yes, I see your name in here".
" Good" she replied with relief in her voice.
Mickey turned toward the husband. " What is your name?".
" Howard Petsac".
He quickly thumbed through the pages. " Yes, I see your name is here".
" I'm glad to hear that" he replied as he walked toward the door. " Melinda, let's get back on the trail".
" I have one more thing to discuss".




Peace and God's blessings. Love Ric.

the end of the trail page 1

the end of the trail page 1 by ric gustafson. free write story 2

Mickey Munroe yawned as he poured himself a cup of coffee. He looked down and checked his trail badge to make sure it was on straight. He looked at the clock on the wall and noticed that it was 7:58. He sat down behind the wide wooden counter and straightened his large brown trail hat. He looked up to see that it was now 8:00.

The little bell on the front door clanged. A male senior citizen slowly opened it and held it open for his small wife to enter.

" May I help you?".

" Yes" the man said in a hesitant voice as he slowly walked up to the counter. " My wife and I are frustrated".

" Why is that?".

" We were doing just fine on this trail of life" he said as he pointed outside. " And now it seems the trail has come to an end".

" That's true" Mickey said as he straightened his trail hat. " This is the end of the trail"

Everyone take care. Love Ric.