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*Miracle* 1/16/02 ____________________________ If you enjoy this free daily email service, I encourage you to spread the word to family and friends that we may bring inspiration into the lives of many! If you are not on the list and this has been passed along to you, join the thousands of HeartTouchers.com readers around the world by sending an e-mail with the word "Subscribe" in the subject line to: HeartTouchers@aol.com Visit our inspirational web site and read all the past stories in our archives at: http://www.HeartTouchers.com ____________________________________________ Happy New Year from HeartTouchers.com From now on we will be offering our book, Straight From the Heart "A Celebration of Life" for only $13 (instead of the regular price of $14.95), and best of all, we will pay the shipping! So if you have any interest in purchasing an autographed copy of the book for yourself, or as a gift for your loved ones, now is the time to get it! To order your autographed copy send a check or money order for $13 (We pay the shipping!) for each book made out to Michael T. Powers, and then send it to: Michael T. Powers 1918 Liberty Lane Janesville, WI 53545 To preview the book by reading some of the stories visit: http://www.HeartTouchers.com/michael_t__powers/ AOL Users Click below: Straight From the Heart: A Celebration of Life _________________________________________ Before we get to today's poem by Deborah Dee Simmons I wanted to take a moment to thank all of our readers for the wonderful feedback that they provide to our writers after each story. Time, after time, after time, the authors of the stories I run here on HeartTouchers.com will write to me and say that they were overwhelmed with the feedback they received. I have provided a few of those e-mails in our reader feedback section which follows today's poem... Thank you so much for taking the time out of your schedules to share your thoughts with those writers who graciously share their stories with all of us. Your encouragement and feedback are second to none! From my family to yours, Michael _________________________________________ "Miracle" By Deborah Dee Simmons At the end of a long and painful week, when Life had gone astray, And the twin sins, Spite and Anger, had visited each day... As my dreams left me abandoned--all alone and in dismay... I sank, dejected, to my knees--and to the Lord I prayed. "I could really use a miracle, to fix the things that broke, To mend the battered friendships, to restore my shattered hopes, To heal my wounded ego--to patch my broken heart... It may not happen all at once--but a miracle's a start." "I could use a chance to redeem myself--to show I really care, And take the time to prove my worth to loved ones everywhere, I'd appreciate a little time to try to make amends, If things I've said or done this week have hurt my dearest friends. "I'd like to sit and ponder on my blessings, large and small... And thank You, Lord, for my great wealth (and for loving me at all)... I promise I'd appreciate the ones I hold most dear... If you could grant me one more chance, then I could persevere." The Lord took pity on me...and in response to my appeal... Said, "I know you want a miracle--instead, let's strike a deal. I'll send a glistening sunrise--each and every day, I'll grant you hours--twenty-four--to spend in work or play. "Use the clouds to wipe your slate clean--of hurt and spite and pain, Rinse the anger from your memories--with the mist and falling rain. Wash your hands of hate and insult--with the sparkling morning dew, Use the brand new day I give you--and start your life anew." "Each new dawn brings possibilities--endless in their range... For forgiveness, love and caring--and for honest, heartfelt change. Use the means that I provide you--they'll help to guide you through... I'll furnish all the tools you need--but the miracle's up to you." Deborah Dee Simmons, Copyright 1995 simmons@pathwaynet.com Write Deborah and let her know your thoughts on her poem! ____________________________________ "Deborah Dee Simmons writes from her home in mid-Michigan when she's not at her day job as the Secretary to the Superintendent of a large school district. In addition to writing her inspirational poetry, Deb has been published frequently on the Internet, authored a column and feature articles for the local newspaper, has written for a major greeting card company, is currently writing two books and has completed a multi-volumned children's book series for which she does classroom presentations. Her work will also be featured in an upcoming "Heartwarmers" book. _________________________________________ Reader Feedback! Michael, Thanks for posting my story, "Their Love Shined Through," about my parents in HeartTouchers.com. Your subscribers are awesome with their wonderful feedback. I printed out all the messages from your readers and gave them to my mother to read. She's 89 years old now and very much still full of life and love. She was very touched by the comments, which have become part of our family "Warm & Fuzzy" file. Continued Blessings in the new year to you and your subscribers. Tom Lagana lagana@juno.com Co-Author "Chicken Soup for the Volunteer's Soul" (July 2002) Co-Author "Chicken Soup for the Prisoner's Soul" Tom Lagana ~~ Success@TomLagana.com ~~ http://www.TomLagana.com ********** I received this one yesterday from Harriet May Savitz, whose publishing credits includes: 20 published books of her own, several Chicken Soup books, essays appearing in newspapers and national magazines, and an ABC Afterschool Special produced by Henry Winkler of her book, "Run, Don't, Walk". She writes: Dear Michael, Just wanted to drop you a personal note. I have been published many times before, but never have I received such a warm response as from your readers. Each note I received had such a sense of sharing...of gratitude...of love reaching out...I thank you for the opportunity to be on your site and to receive such nourishment from your readers. My Best, Harriet May Savitz HMAYSAVITZ@aol.com Author of Monday's story "Welcome 2002" ********* Dear Michael, Your readers are unbelievable! There are already so many e-mails in response to my story ("What Happened to the Car"). Thanks again, Michael Jordan Segal MSegalHope@aol.com ___________ Thank you so much HeartTouchers family! You really are a wonderful bunch of people with a huge gift of encouragement! _________________________________________ Thought For The Day: "Don't ask God for what you think is good; ask Him for what He thinks is good for you." Verse for the Day: "After this manner therefore pray ye....Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven." -- Matthew 6:9,10 Kid's Thought For The Day: "Puppies still have bad breath even after eating a tic-tac." Parent's Thought For The Day: "A man read that middle age is when you pull back from physical activity. If he shovels snow, a middle-aged man can easily have a heart attack. The next time it snowed he asked his teenage son to shovel the front walk. "If I shovel all of that snow," the father explained, "I could keel over from a heart attack." His son said, "Sure, Dad, I'll be happy to." The man keeled over from a heart attack. Coach's Thought For The Day: "I'm going to send the injured reserve players out for the toss next time." -- Mike McCormack, coach of the hapless Baltimore Colts after the team's co-captain, offensive guard Robert Pratt, pulled a hamstring running onto the field for the coin toss against St. Louis, 1981 Writer's Thought For The Day: "Words are sacred. They deserve respect. If you get the right ones, in the right order, you can nudge the world a little." --Tom Stoppard Deep Thought For The Day: "If you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs, it's just possible you haven't grasped the situation." -- Jean Kerr ___________________________________________ REQUESTS: Hey Michael, just thought I would tell you that the girl I had on your prayer list, Whitney Holley, has miraculously recovered in the past few days. She is talking and sitting up. She has tried to take a few steps, but after being in a coma for a month, her muscles are nearly non existent. Please keep her in your prayers as she continues to recover and goes through her therapy. Thank you all for your prayers! C. Miller tinifer@yahoo.com Michael and Kristi, I have a prayer request on behalf of an e-friend. She has a friend who is battling suicidal thoughts on an hourly basis. Please join us in praying that her friend finds his way back to us. That he realizes we are all here to help dig him out of this deep hole of depression. Thank you so much. Jennifer fourears@hotmail.com ______________________________________ _ /_/\/\ MICHAEL T. POWERS \_\ / HeartTouchers@aol.com /_/ \ "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 ___________________________________________ The copyrights to the stories that appear in HeartTouchers.com are owned by the authors and are used with their permission. We refuse to run stories without the author's permission and contact info listed after the story. We also refuse to publish stories listed as "author unknown." (All of which violates Copyright Law and the rights of the authors.) This e-mail may be forwarded in its entirety, but please do not cut and paste the stories to be used elsewhere unless you have contacted and been given permission by the individual writer. Thank you so much for honoring the rights of those writers who graciously share their stories with us! __________________________________________ Video Imagery --Michael's Video Production Business "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 surprised 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-- 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! Visit: http://www.hearttouchers.com/video_imagery/ AOL Users click here: Video Imagery ___________________________________________ Would you like to see your story in HeartTouchers.com? Writer's guidelines can be found on our Web site here: http://www.HeartTouchers.com/guidelines/ AOL Users click here: Writer's Guidelines ___________________________________________ SUBSCRIBE: "I need a daily source of inspiration and encouragement in my life!" To become a HeartTouchers.com Member send an e-mail with "Subscribe" in the subject line to: HeartTouchers@AOL.COM Then get ready to laugh, cry, and be deeply touched by some of the best stories on the Internet! __________________________________________ UNSUBSCRIBE: All you have to do is send an e-mail with the word "Unsubscribe" in the subject line to: HeartTouchers@aol.com Give it a day or two to be processed... __________________________________________ Do you feel as if life has no meaning for you? http://www.greatcom.org/english/four.htm AOL Users click here: The Four Spiritual Laws _____________________________________ |
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Touching Lives - One E-mail at a Time! Author Michael T. Powers - HeartTouchers @ aol.com
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