Laughter, Tears, and In-Between: Soulful

With a heart turned toward his own journey and with an eye and ear turned to the spiritual journey common to us all, Paul Williams finds the humor, the heart, and the humanity of life and the God who is beneath it all. This collection probes the beauty of life's otherwise ordinary experiences through stories that lift up the triumph of God's creational intent over the suffering and meaninglessness often found in today's world.

With stories grouped around the major themes of life -- growing up, family, work, and the fear and discovery of finding oneself -- the common thread of Laughter, Tears, and In-Between is the importance of the journey. From ordinary events in his own journey -- including Christmas gifts unseen, strangers met through lines of an obituary, seeing his youngest child leave home, and other major passages of life -- the author invites you, the reader, to see God in his, and your, own story.

Preface

ix

Acknowledgments

xi

Rememberings

Opening the Gate for Pa

3

(2)

The Quilters at 506 Noah Avenue

5

(3)

When Is It Time to Cross?

8

(3)

``Carmen'' and Other Surprises of Wonder

11

(3)

A Third of a Century, and Then...

14

(3)

Just Okay Chicken

17

(2)

A Christmas Remembered

19

(2)

A Hero in Eastern Kentucky

21

(3)

A Father's Mercy

24

(2)

Knowing One Place

26

(3)

My Network Debut

29

(2)

A Glad-Hearted Day

31

(4)

At Home

On Seeing Eyes

35

(2)

In the Loving Arms of Her Father

37

(2)

Christmas Gifts and Hard Lessons

39

(3)

Pathmark Neapolitan Ice Cream

42

(2)

A Game of Redeeming Features

44

(3)

Three Empty Rooms

47

(3)

I Love That Phone

50

(3)

Mid-Thoracic to Shoulder Level

53

(2)

Laughter in the Rental Car Bus

55

(2)

I Do Miss Those Trees

57

(3)

Our Children

60

(1)

Their Work Is Never Done

61

(6)

Just Noticing

A Good Man

67

(2)

The Toronto Make Believes

69

(3)

Self-Esteem Way

72

(2)

A Grandfather and a Granddaughter and a War

74

(3)

To Bring Forth the Fruit of a Place

77

(2)

This Is Communication?

79

(3)

``Joy to the World'' in the Summertime

82

(2)

It's Swatting Time Again

84

(2)

The Christmas Bundt Cake

86

(2)

The Obituary Page, of All Places

88

(2)

At Least for the Moment

90

(3)

The Journey

Excited, Terrified, and Called

93

(3)

On Running Hills, or the Absence of Them

96

(2)

The Smoky Hotel

98

(3)

We Get Letters

101

(3)

The Call

104

(2)

The Other Side of the Mountain

106

(3)

Barney Fife and the Desire to Be Whole

109

(2)

God Doesn't Talk Much

111

(2)

My Thirtieth R union

113

(2)

Toward the Outstretched Arms

115

(2)

The Really Hard Test

117

(4)

The Trek to Long's Peak

121

(5)

pilgrim62

126

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Laughter, Tears, and In-Between: Soulful Stories for the Journey

Summary

Table of Contents

Supplemental Materials