A Father's Stories For His Children

By PhD Robert Darrol Shanks Jr.

A Father’s Stories For His Children
This is a series of stories written to spark discussions not only in school
but at home as well. The author is an educator and a retired USAF officer.
He put these short stories together for his children and grandchildren
drawing from his experiences growing up and as educator and

• Language: English
• Publisher: LitFire Publishing
• Release date: Nov 8, 2019
• ISBN: 9781646740642

PhD Robert Darrol Shanks Jr.

"Dr. Robert D. Shanks Jr. (Dr. Bob) is a retired USAFR Colonel who served in the intelligence field. A former junior high school teacher and public school administrator in Nebraska, he was often called for active duty assignments. His last active duty assignment was as a professor at the USAF Air War College located at Maxwell AFB, in Montgomery, AL. He is a graduate of the University of Nebraska, the USAF Air Command and Staff College (ACSC) and the Air War College. After retirement he served as an Adjunct Professor at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University (ERAU) in Prescott, AZ."

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A Father’s Stories For His Children

A Christian Reader For Students Grades 5-9

Copyright © 2019 by Robert Darrol Shanks Jr., PhD

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher or author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

Although every precaution has been taken to verify the accuracy of the information contained herein, the author and publisher assume no responsibility for any errors or omissions. No liability is assumed for damages that may result from the use of information contained within.

Unless otherwise indicated, Bible quotations are taken from New International Version (NIV) © 1995 by Zondervan Publishing House and New King James Version (NKJV) MacArthur Study Bible © 1997 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.

ISBN-13: 978-1-64674-064-2

Printed in the United States of America

LitFire LLC

1-800-511-9787

www.litfirepublishing.com

[e-mail]

This book is in remembrance of our deceased children:

Robert Scott Shanks

Kandace Leigh Shanks

Steven Alan LaSalle

And

Diana Lynn Hontz

Cover photo is of the author’s son Robert Scott and daughter Krystal Lynne

Contents

Grandma McCurdy’s Wisdom

Listening to That Little Voice

Of Land Mines and Cardboard Houses

Grandma and the Bible

Unintended Consequences

He Kicked the Bus Tires

Those on the Margins of Society

We Are Witnesses for Christ in All that We Do

What Does Being Humble Mean?

How Important Is Attitude in Life?

A Father’s Gift of Christianity to His Family

The Queen and the Other One

Intelligence vs. Wisdom

God Is a Healing God

The Green Porch Swing

Accepting Christ as Your Savior

A Father and Son Revelation

A Ham Sandwich and Coffee!

Quiet, Be Still

Don’t Be Ashamed

Forty Crosses

Our World’s Forgotten People - The Unreached for Jesus Christ!

An Ancient Roman Disciple of Christ

Grandma

McCurdy’s Wisdom

Bobby Darrol pumped his bicycle furiously against the stiff Nebraska wind as he made his way across town to see Grandma Curdy, the most favorite grandma for all the grandkids in his family. It was Saturday, the day he often sat on the porch swing with his grandma to talk about life and all the fun and troubles of being twelve years old.

He knew today was going to be a special day because as he neared her corner he could already smell the fresh baked bread coming from her house and filling the air in the neighborhood. Bobby laid his bike against the white picket fence as he ran up the porch steps and knocked on the door. The door opened to the smiling face of his white haired grandmother, Hi Grams. She grabbed him and gave him one of her special hugs and said, Let’s have some fresh bread and butter and sit on the porch swing Bobby. In no time the two of them were slowly swinging back and forth on her green wooden porch swing hung from chains enjoying the warm morning sun flooding through the porch screens and eating the warm bread fresh out of the oven.Grandma, why do some kids tell lies at school to hurt others? Grandma Curdy’s eyes sparkled as she looked at Bobby with that special look of wisdom as she said, "Well Bobby you and I know that we shouldn’t lie but the reasons why others do is not for us to worry about. We just need to treat others as we want to be treated and to help others, not

hurt them."

She got up and disappeared into the house returning with more warm bread and her little black book tucked under one arm. Bobby was always amazed that no matter how much he didn’t understand about a problem, grandma Curdy could always find an answer in that little black book. He really liked these Saturday mornings that he could spend with his grandma and besides she knew everything that he liked to eat too! She made him feel important and he could feel her love and caring. She always made things seem better and not as serious as he thought they were. His mom and dad were important too but there was something special about grandma Curdy. She slowly thumbed through her book peering over the edge of her glasses to look at Bobby. Finally she found what she was looking for and began to speak. It says right here that we are to love our neighbor.

Even though they hurt us?