This spring I'm taking some workshop/classes on storytelling. I allready had to tell stories about my childhood, my family and the area I'm from. On Thursday, we are each supposed to tell about "haints"-a ghost or scary story. I wondered if any of you have a good ghost story?

Now, one I'm intrigued with is a local legend. Back in the 1880s, a man from this area-and I mean just down the road from here, supposivly killed a woman named Lucy Perkins, and he was caught right away and put in jail, but legend has it that a mob stormed the jail, and lynched him. Now, supposivly his spirit haunts the road where the tree he was hung from grew-the tree has since been cut down. But why His ghost walking around and not hers? How curious! I got the cold shivers when I found out where I live used to be called the old Perkins place! Also, our goat barn is supposivly haunted by a man who hung himself from the rafters-of course no one mentioned this until we had moved in. I don't like the goat barn, it is a creepy place, I all ways want to look behind me when I'm in there and it always feels cold and sad to me.

I'm not saying I believe in ghosts-what intriges me is the story-why this story told and not that one, why is the story told this way and not that. Why are some events embrodered and passed down until they achieve legendary status, and other stories hushed up, never mentioned?

I grew up with ghost stories-in Appalachia, a good ghost story was fine entertainment. My husband was a child in suburban Chicago and claims he never heard any ghost stories as a child, I guess its kind of a cultural thing.

-- Kelly (homearts2002@yahoo.com), March 09, 2002

Answers

Kelly--Yep, there are "ghosts"--actually evil spirits sent to harrass us. Whenever we move into a new place, especially if it has been lived in before, we have learned that the first thing we need to do is some housecleaning, spiritual, actually. We go all through the house, pleading the Blood of Jesus and ordering the spirits to leave, in His Name. Sometimes we can feel them almost actually running over us on their way out! One house was so bad before we did the housecleaning, it felt cold and creepy. Afterwards, visitors remarked how warm and welcoming it felt. Found out later that that house had seen a lot of trouble, divorces, even maybe murder. Doesn't matter what kind of evil spirits are there, if you know your authority in Jesus, you can get rid of them. 'Course, if we are going to do this, it goes without saying that we must be Blood-bought Christians. Remember the story of the seven sons of-------(can't remember the name) who tried to cast out spirits in the name that the apostles preached, but they didn't actually know Jesus--spirits beat up on them!

-- GibsonGirl in s.e.Illinois (bobtravous@email.com), March 10, 2002.

The only good ghost stories I know are about the Holy Spirit. Is that the kind you want?

-- Thumper/inOKC (slrldr@yahoo.com), March 11, 2002.

I couldn't agree with that Gibson girl more----we do that to anything we also buy like furniture before we bring it into our home---

We rebuke & cast out in the name of our Lord & Savior a lot---& we annoint in oil----almost anything new brought into our home or car-- or truck---etc/etc/--

I have walked aroung a property & claimed it in Jesus Christ's name & also annointed it with oil----

I have even walked around a small town I lived in & claimed it for God----& carried a bottle of oil & annointing----- the church grew from 6 bodies warming a pew---to a sprit filled preacher comming to town & the church has grown to over 100 now! Most are even saved!!!

Mighty is our God who can use us if we will serve Him!!!

-- Sonda in Ks. (sgbruce@birch.net), March 11, 2002.