ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Our thanks to the following publishers for permission to quote from the following copyrighted songs:
“God Can Do Anything”. Copyright ©1946 by Singspiration. All rights reserved. Used by permission. Composed by Ira Stanphill.
“I Will Serve Thee”. Copyright ©1969 by William J. Gaither. International copyright secured. All rights reserved. Used by permission. Composed by Bill and Gloria Gaither.
“Lonely Voices”. Copyright ©1967 by Hope Publishing Company. International copyright secured. All rights reserved. Used by permission. Composed by Billie Hanks, Jr.
“Something Beautiful”. Copyright ©1971 by William J. Gaither. International copyright secured. All rights reserved. Used by permission. Composed by Bill and Gloria Gaither.
“Without Him”. Copyright ©1963 by The LeFevres. International copyright secured. All rights reserved. Used by permission. Composed by Mylon LeFevre.
© 2009 by Ann Kiemel
Publisher - Heritage Builders Association, Clovis, California 93619
www.HeritageBuilders.com 1-888-898-9563
First Printing 1974 in the United States of America
Library of Congress Number 74-81137
ISBN 978-0-615-30734-3
Cover design by Claire Tingen
Cover photo by Justin Davis/Fencelinemedia.com
Text formatting and editing by Esther Garcia
dedicated to jan, my sister . . .
she makes me believe in love
table of contents
6 spinach and dreams
7 three rows every sunday
8 ann
9 john
10 the architect
11 miracle
12 black knit cap
13 new neighborhood
14 the sidewalk sweeper
15 june
16 buster
17 mrs. grissom
18 mark and eric, 5 and 6
19 chocolate chip cookies
20 it pays
21 i’m out to change my world
the agnostic
i whipped into a small gas station,
“uhm sir,
could you fill it up please?
i’m kind of in a big hurry
i’m on my way to the airport.”
“oh, you are, are you?
where are you going, lady?”
“oklahoma city.”
“going to visit friends there?”
“no, sir, i’m going to speak.”
“what do you speak about?”
and i stuck my head out of the car window
and i said,
“hi, sir. my name is ann.
did you really want to know?”
“yeah, that’s why i asked.”
“well you see, sir,
Jesus Christ is the Lord of my life.
he laughs with me
and cries with me
and...”
“i’m an agnostic, ma’am.”
“wow! an AGNOSTIC?
a real AGNOSTIC?
uhm, tell me sir,
do you have any problems?”
“yeah, i’ve got a lot of them.”
“tell me one.”
he squatted down beside my window
and looked in as he said,
“i’m so insignificant.”
his face was sober
and his voice was so bitter
as he said,
“i’m so insignificant.”
“sir, me too.
i’m just an ordinary girl
but Jesus adds a lot