Great stories

For as long as humans could talk throughout the world stories have been told and retold. They act as vital threads that weave through the fabric of any culture. In any society they define the roots and significance of the peoples. World stories spread as the culture grows.

I have been blessed by the number of world stories I have found from my travels throughout the world. I have also had the opportunity to learn a bit about each country. In turn, that lends substantial meaning to the world stories I hear. In the process, I have discovered how world stories arise out of the cultures from which they are born. My firsthand experience of a given culture heightens my appreciation of their stories. My travels have taken me to Southeast Asia, Central and South America, and Europe. I find myself amazed at both the differences and similarities of the various countries.

Some world stories are humorous. Other world stories are filled with mystery. Many world stories are insightful. Often world stories are inscrutable. Generally world stories contain lessons. All world stories keep us amused. JayStetzer.com

No matter what, all world stories maintain a deep bond with the fabric of their culture. The experiences of people are drawn in world stories.

Listen to my CD entitled “World Full of Stories” to enjoy the variety found in world stories. It is an award winning recording that will take you on a delightful trip around the world! You can find world stories and more at www.jaystetzer.com. See another site that is similar here.

I keep lots of memories from the days when I was a young parent. Not only those high points, but those exasperating moments as well. A good example is the memories I have of buying gifts for my children. Holiday gifts. Birthday gifts. Gifts rewarding good behavior. I spent some serious hours searching for something unique, something meaningful. Most of the time it was rough going. I quickly realized that a good gift is hard to find. A meaningful gift is even harder to find. And whenever I succeeded in finding a gift that I regarded as special, I treasured it. And I hoped my children would do the same.

I am now a grandparent. And I am always on the lookout for a unique gift children would enjoy. Something that will last far beyond the moment of giving. A memorable story is that kind of gift. And it is appropriate for all ages, children included. A CD full of stories will provide hours of pleasure. Think of the glimpse it can give into cultures and customs from countries around the world.

My “Recordings” page on this website lists three story CDs. Fables in Four Minutes is a collection of ten stories, each one representing a different storytelling genre. For listeners who want to take a virtual trip around the world, World Full of Stories makes a unique present. My latest project is Parking in Manhattan, and it contains a compendium of urban folktales that will tickle the funny bone. To purchase my CDs, just follow the directions on the “Recordings” page to place your order.

Looking for a unique gift children will value and cherish? A unique gift children can grow with? A unique gift children can share with their parents and friends? Give them the gift of story. It is a unique gift children will cherish for the rest of their lives!

I have spent a good amount of my time researching stories that offer listeners something more than simply a clever plot. Something that the listener can relate to. Call it a message. It might give the listener a suggestion of a new direction. There could even be an outright moral. It doesn’t really matter what name you give to this elusive quality; it is more important that the stories I tell possess it.

As a child I found deep meaning in inspirational stories. Both my mother and my grandfather told similar stories. Once in a while, a teacher would tell a story that held profound meaning to me. I was surprised to find how memorable those stories were. The messages stuck in the memory, too. Treat others the way you want to be treated. There is no substitute for honesty. Take time to smell the flowers. Give back to your community. I am who I am because of those messages.

I find myself using stories I heard long ago when I perform today. The stories are ageless. The messages are as relevant now as they were long ago.

What’s so important about inspirational stories? For one thing, we experience a deluge of information and news on a daily basis. Second, the lives we live give us no breathing space to reflect. In the absence of time and reflection, we have precious little available insight to bring to current affairs. Here is the place for inspirational stories. A listener can mull over inspirational stories. They give us something to consider. Something that points us a bit closer to our “true north.” Something that offers a little perspective to life.

Care for some inspiration? At www.jaystetzer.com you can find memorable inspirational stories. On the “Listen” page of my website, click any one of the story samples and you are likely to find a message worth your time. “The Egg Seller” and “Herschel and the Wedding” from the World Full of Stories CD are good examples of inspirational stories. “Service with a Smile” on my Parking in Manhattan CD offers the listener a great hidden lesson. Long after they are told, inspirational stories stay in the memory. I am even inspired by the inspirational stories I tell!

We live in a complex, fast moving world. We all need a bit of “inner” direction to guide us as we cruise down the highway of life. Inspirational stories can help us in our travels. Think of them as your own personal GPS! There’s a wealth of inspirational stories available on all of my recordings. Check them out!

For as long as humans could talk throughout the world stories have been told and retold. In the fabric of a culture, they act as vital threads in the weave. In any society they define the roots and significance of the peoples. World stories spread as the culture grows.

One of the great benefits of my travels around the world is the wellspring of world stories I have found in each country I have visited. And each time I visit another country I have the opportunity to learn a bit about it. Rituals and customs. Geography and daily habits. So the world stories I hear have substantial meaning to me. In the process, I have discovered how world stories arise out of the cultures from which they are born. The more I experience a particular culture, the more I appreciate the value of their stories. My travels have taken me to Southeast Asia, Central and South America, around the United States, Canada, and Europe. I find myself amazed at both the differences and similarities of the various countries.

You can find in every culture notions which they hold as sacred. You can also find things demonic. Their stories regularly exhibit these notions. They make up the mythical soil out of which the stories grow. Myth forms the basis for many world stories. Creation stories form the majority of this category, along with other stories help explain the world.

By contrast, folk tales spawn from daily village life. These stories rise out of a rural setting for obvious reasons. Fairy tales also live in the world of folktales. The questioning minds of preliterate villagers found apt expression through stories of magic and mystery. Many folktales were cautionary tales with lessons for avoiding catastrophe. Do not go into the deep, dark woods! Steer clear of wild beasts! Do not talk to strangers! On the other hand, reward and happy endings comprise many folktales. Good is eternally pitted against evil. One can discover the Golden Rule in most plots. No matter what the genre, a good world story brings meaning to the contemporary world as well. And that brings us to storytelling today. Modern society is a far cry from rural villages, yet the stories ring true regardless.

Some world stories are humorous. Other world stories are mysterious. Many world stories are full of insight. Often world stories are enigmatic. Generally world stories teach. All world stories keep us amused.

No matter what, all world stories maintain a deep bond with the fabric of their culture. People tell of their experiences through world stories. And they have merit in worlds far removed from their origin.

To enjoy the breadth of subject matter found in world stories, listen to my CD entitled “World Full of Stories.” It is an award winning journey that will take you around the globe!

I grew up with the word “nifty” as a standard descriptor in my vocabulary. It alluded to the uniqueness and stylishness of the subject being described. As time passed, I heard the word used in a wider range of conversations, including nifty evenings out, nifty concerts, and nifty songs. Later still, it cropped up in conversations about more “cultural” experiences: nifty books, nifty poems, and nifty stories.

Whenever I heard the word I assumed it meant something good, something attractive. Still, I did not really define the word until I found myself using it to refer to the stories I tell to audiences and on recordings. Actually, I hit the books when a listener said my stories were nifty. The Merriam/Webster Dictionary definition states: “very good, very attractive,” etymology unknown, originally used in 1865. The standard reference Compact Oxford Dictionary states: “particularly good, effective, or stylish.”

What makes nifty stories nifty? The stories I choose to tell are, indeed, particularly good and rather effective at making a point, a lesson, a message, a bit of perspective. You could say that my idea of nifty stories is stories that enlighten as well as entertain. There needs to be a message beyond a witty punch line.

Any story with a moral at the end sends the listener a clear message. It teaches by example. However, the lessons in many other stories may not be as obvious. The characters may act out the meaning of the story. Listeners are left to figure out the message for themselves. And different listeners will carry away different messages. Stories such as these are inclined to be more widely popular. The subtler lessons tend to come from longer tales. Epic stories have many layered lessons Just compare a tale from the Arabian Nights to a fable by Aesop to see the difference. Which one appeals to you? Personally, I like to find my own message when listening to a story. Check out my World Full of Stories and Fables in Four Minutes CDs for some examples of nifty stories with more subtle lessons.

Nifty stories edify. Nifty stories appeal to a broad audience. Nifty stories carry a message that applies to all people. Nifty stories are always in vogue. Stories such as these hold the listener’s attention long enough to send their message effectively. Nifty stories are worth their weight in gold!

As a kid, I overheard my older brothers using the word “nifty” when referring to a cool car or a great suit. It was a word that meant a variety of things, all of them good and attractive. As time passed, I heard the word used in a wider range of conversations, including nifty evenings out, nifty concerts, and nifty songs. Later still, it cropped up in conversations about more “cultural” experiences: nifty books, nifty poems, and nifty stories. Priceless humor.

The word seemed allusively defined, yet attractively so. Still, I did not really define the word until I found myself using it to refer to the stories I tell to audiences and on recordings. Actually, I hit the books when a listener said my stories were nifty. The current Wiktionary defines the word as “good; a general term for anything that is good, useful or beneficial.” A thesaurus gives synonyms such as “peachy, smashing, dandy, great, keen, and groovy,” all of which strike me as exchanging one jargon term for another!” Learn More..

What makes nifty stories nifty? The stories I tell always have a message, a lesson, a bit of perspective, and they are, indeed, particularly good and rather effective at making their point. You could say that my idea of stories that are nifty are ones that entertain as well as enlighten. I look for stories with certain underlying values that help the listener to set their internal compass when sailing through life.

Nifty stories edify. Nifty stories are memorable. Nifty stories carry a message that applies to all people. Nifty stories are always “stylish,” regardless of the era that spawned them. These stories are naturally very attractive. Stories that are nifty are stories that are priceless!” Check out my website at www.JayStetzer.com for some nifty stories! Stories for children

For centuries stories have been told and retold throughout the world. How come? Because they are entertaining, for one thing. For another, they deal with the human condition. Even stories using animals as characters reflect the situations and actions of our species.

The struggles of life have been with us for centuries as well. Conflict. Famine. Thorny relationships. Struggles that implore some understanding, some support. Some kind of resolution.

Needless to say, no one cares to listen to preaching. We prefer to take our medicine with a bit of sweetener. That is where laughter comes in. It is the honey in the brew. Witty humor is priceless humor. A unique combination.

As you know, everyone loves to laugh. Laughter takes the sting out of life. And as long as we are laughing at the foibles of others (and not ourselves) we find those situations funny. Call it priceless humor.

Look around you at the great humorists. Dave Barry. George Carlin. Russell Baker. Look at history and the humorists that litter the pages. Moliere. Henry Fielding Storytellers all. Painting scenes with priceless humor.

What makes priceless humor? The answer is simple. Priceless humor revolves about common everyday experiences. The lost keys. The misunderstood comment. The consequences that follow are generally laughable.

You will find lots of priceless humor in urban folktales. My CD Parking in Manhattan illustrates many humorous circumstances. Folks can relate to and empathize with the characters involved in these hilarious comedies. Priceless humor arises out of priceless situations.

You can also find many examples of priceless humor in world stories. The retelling of such stories never ceases to bring gales of laughter to listeners. Two good examples from my CD Fables in Four Minutes are “Rock Soup” and “Herschel in the Woods” Listen to “The Egg Seller” or “Hickory Dock” from World Full of Stories. There are many similar examples of priceless humor from virtually every country on the planet. You will find yourself remembering these stories for a very long time. At www.jaystetzer.com you will find a rich source of priceless humor!

When I am out and about, I tune into conversations around me. They are laden with disasters and catastrophes. The conversants generally cannot see the life lesson they offer. It is my job as a storyteller to sort out the meaning from all the information I hear. To make the tale palatable, I inject a bit of humor. Priceless humor.

Virtually every storytelling genre contains examples of priceless humor. Why? Another simple answer. Laughter makes learning easier. There is often a lesson to be learned through a story with priceless humor. It just goes to show what a treasure priceless humor can be.