{Straight From the Heart} *Beyond the Pain* 1/13/00 Welcome to "Straight From the Heart!" If you enjoy this free daily email service, I encourage you to forward it on to family and friends. If this has been passed along to you and you want to join the list, just send a blank email to: Thunder27@aol.com I appreciate any feedback or constructive criticism, so feel free to write me (Michael T. Powers) and let me know what you think! ____________________________________________ Beyond the Pain By: Viki Florkowski All of us are given a certain amount of "challenges" during our lifetime. It's not the challenges themselves that are seemingly good or bad, it's how we respond to them that matters. For example...years ago, I was going to get new tires put on my car because I was planning a trip. I ended up falling in a grease pit, broke 2 ribs, was off work 7 weeks the first time, went back to work and pulled my ribs apart and was off work 4 1/2 months the second time. Now out of this seemingly bad situation, here's what I received: 7 weeks of much needed rest. There isn't much you can do for 2 broken ribs but rest. I learned to breathe through my diaphragm and therefore I gained a new and beautiful voice for singing; and when we finally settled with the insurance company, bought a house and paid cash for it. Sometimes it is very difficult to keep a clear head in these types of situations, so that is why God made friends, counselors and others (angels come in many different shapes and sizes). And God will never put you in a box canyon. He will always give you a way out. Sometimes you must stop before you can see the exit, but it is always there! And it really doesn't matter whether you "win" or "lose". God will love you either way. All He expects you to do is to try, because God doesn't want quitters. If you have complete faith in Him, He will take care of the rest. A friend of mine once told me "God writes straight with crooked lines." My heart goes out to all those that hurt as well...prayer is the best remedy because God can multiply one prayer just like He did the loaves & fishes. The following poem has helped me many times when I have been stuck in my pain...maybe it will help others too. Beyond the Pain In the midst of your pain and sorrow, "Be still and know that I am God." Accept this pain willingly , and lovingly, as a gift from My hand; And in return, offer it back to Me as a gift of love. Focus all your attention on Me alone. Trust in Me completely. I will come to you, so pleased that you would share My Passion with Me. I will take you, like royalty, beyond the pain, And give you to drink of the sweetness of My Love. And there the pain ceases to be. There is only sweetness and peace, Safe within My Sacred Heart. Viki Florkowski vikflo@urec.net Send Viki an email and let her know what you thought of her writing! *** A little bit about Viki: I live in a small town, about 35 miles NW of Columbus, Ohio. I work 3rd shift in a large factory and go to school two nights a week (I graduate in March and take the Medical Board Exam in June). I began writing about 20+ years ago and never compiled anything until last year. A friend of mine, Corky Ferguson, who also writes for your site, told me that all my writing is of no value unless someone reads it. It is my hope that those who read my words will in some way benefit from them. I have no web site as yet...will let you know when that becomes a reality. _________________________________________________________ Maximum Living While the day sits twinkling in the unfolded light of dawn and you prepare to emerge from your cocoon of cozy slumber, baptize the hours ahead with fresh confidence. Trust that you will be taken care of and proceed positively. Step forward with purpose and let each footfall be an expression of your unique and wondrous self. Leave your mark of quality on the requisite demands of the day, and tarry at the tasks that bring you joy. Yield to the unexpected, and handle the unforeseen with clarity of heart and mind. Free yourself from the weight of pettiness and refuse to undermine another's worth. Weave the silken threads of your kindness through every encounter with friends and strangers. Seek beauty in attitude and outlook. Create beauty in your own. Love without condition, no strings attached, and your spirit will be free to soar. Copyright © 1999 Terri McPherson tmcphers@mnsi.net _______________________________________________________ Request: From: thunder27@aol.com I am asking for prayer for one of the subscribers to this list. Kim has had 4 back surgeries and they've not been all that successful... The one she is going to have soon is to implant a morphine pump... Nothing can be done other than to try and keep the pain down a bit. Please keep her in your thoughts and prayers. Thanks! Michael ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Thought For The Day: "No one is useless in this world who lightens the burden of anyone else." (Charles Dickens) Verse for the Day: "Now we who are strong ought to bear the weaknesses of those without strength and not just please ourselves. Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to his edification." Romans 15:1,2 Kid's Thought For The day: "You have to eat a lot of cereal before you find the free toy." Parent's Thought For The Day "Children are taught not to talk to strangers. Parents should not become strangers." (My thanks to Bonnie Zahn for passing that one along to me!) Coach's Thought For The Day "A vital team characteristic is the ability to overcome adversity. Any team acquires experience and endurance as it learns to fight back. This in turn builds the kind of character which seldom crumbles at a time of crisis or testing." (Tom Landry) Deep Thought For The Day: I love boxing. Where else do two grown men prance around in satin underwear, fighting over a belt?...The one who wins gets a purse. They do it in gloves. It's the accessory connection I love. -- John McGover (My thanks to Barbie for passing that one along!) _ /_/\/\ MICHAEL T. POWERS \_\ / THUNDER27@aol.com http://members.aol.com/Thunder27/index.html /_/ \ "For I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but \_\/\ \ Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body I live for the Son \_\/ of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me." Galatians 2:20 "I thought of you first after my family sat down to watch the video we gave them. They loved it, to say the least! Within thirty seconds my mom was crying and my dad did too. They said it was the best Christmas gift we could have given them!! You did such a beautiful job! They were so suprised and so touched---they really, really, really loved it. Thanks for helping to make it so special to us all. My mom mentioned how the songs were perfect for the video too! Thanks again!" Kelli (RKaGe@aol.com) College Station, TX Let me make you a video from your pictures or home movies! Check out the web page for Michael's video production business! Video Imagery http://members.aol.com/Videoimg/index.html