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*A Healthy Life* 2/7/02
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With all the self-help books, videos, and TV infomercials
out there telling us how to live a healthy life, I thought
today's story by HeartTouchers favorite Jaye Lewis
was so refreshing! Be sure to let her know your thoughts!
From my family to yours,
Michael
P.S. I missed some birthdays for some very special people this
past week! Happy Birthday to Sara Douglas, Diedra Mueller
Keith Witte, and Kim Gilbank!
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A HEALTHY LIFE
By Jaye Lewis
I've never been an athlete. I've never been much
interested in sports, ever since I stopped playing
touch-football with the boys, when I hit puberty.
I've tried tennis. I hit the ball too high, too long,
and way over into left field. I've tried softball. Thank
goodness that ball is "soft" and big, because it felt
just awful when it hit me in the eye. I tried running,
but I couldn't get anyone to chase me.
I tried swimming, but even though I float like a cork,
and have had numerous lessons, I can't seem to get
over the idea, that I'm really going to drown. Finally,
I settled on walking, and for a number of years, I
walked 3 to 5 miles a day. I realize that there is
an Olympic sport referred to as "walking," but when
I tried that, all I succeeded in doing was throwing my hip out.
I'm definitely NOT an athlete, but I make do, especially
in my "mid-life" years. Which brings a question to my
mind. When did I hit mid-life? I remember when I hit
thirty. I had to visit a grief counselor, because I knew
my life was over. I remember forty. I had to see a grief
counselor, the day after my first child graduated from
high-school and moved out of the house, because I
knew my life was over. I remember forty-four. For
some reason I thought my life was over. Then I hit
fifty, and I was all excited, because I was able to join
an organization called AARP. My husband was,
especially, excited because he is younger than I,
and he got to join, too!
Fifty became the magic age. I knew that as long as
I was in good health, in this day and age, I probably
had a good fifty years ahead of me. Then came the
asthma. O.K., I had that much earlier, but it only
became life threatening after fifty. Then came the
firbromyalgia. O.K., I had THAT earlier, but it's not
life threatening. Then came the arthritis, and, more
recently, at fifty-five, came the diabetes. Somewhere,
along in there, I became very interested in
pharmaceuticals, and, finally, one day, I became free.
I began by noticing the sunsets, and I had the time
to stop and really wonder, at the beauty and the
magnitude of it all. Then I moved onto the sunrises,
and I quickly found out that if I wasted the early
morning, I missed the loveliest part of the day. Then
I began to notice how grateful I was to be able to
witness the changing of the seasons. The first whisper
of spring; the rustling of the leaves beneath my feet, in
the fall; that first breathless covering of a winter's snow;
and in the summer, all the flowers, and the buzzing of
a bumblebee.
When illness would hit me, I found that I, actually,
enjoyed the solitude. A time to reflect, gather my
thoughts, and pray, at leisure. I found that I was
"experiencing" this mid-life season, and I was no
longer missing every moment, shackled to the chains
of worry, and what "might" be. I found that worrying
about tomorrow, only served to make me overlook the
blessings of today.
It's not always easy. A few loads of laundry, and a pile
of dishes can take an entire day; but then I don't push
myself a lot. So, I forget to make the bed, as I watch
the rosy glow of dawn meet the rising sun. I have time
to walk our little, wooded acre with my little dachshund
straining at the leash. I get to read the "signs," with
my Happy Dog, sniff the air, and gaze out at nowhere,
studying the sky, with the same intensity that my little
dog studies the ground.
I get to meet the day, every day. I get to say
"good-night," to the sunsets. I've studied a lot of
sunsets, in the last five years, and I've never seen
two that were alike. I get to know my Creator as
I never have before, and I've gotten to make MY mind
up, about the mysteries of life; and I have grown
certain, that all this was no accident.
I feed the birds, and I take great delight in their
multicolored hues, especially in the spring. I drag
a chair to stand on, so that I can fill the feeders to
the brim, myself. I say a little prayer, as I wobble,
a little cock-eyed on the chair, and I laugh, at
myself, and all the pretensions of my younger
life. I take great delight in my life. I thank God
for all the precious little things of every day.
Friends. Family. Neighbors. And health. A health
of the soul. For I have come to understand what
real health is, and when you have REAL health,
then you truly have everything.
Jaye Lewis
jlewis@smyth.net
Write Jaye and let her know your thoughts on her story!
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Jaye Lewis is a writer/poet, who celebrates seeing life
from a unique perspective. She writes and lives with
her family in the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains of
southwestern Virginia. Jaye also shares her life with
a cat, a kitten, a bird, a big "special" dog, and, of
course, her constant companion, her "tweenie"
dachshund, Happy Dog.
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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
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Straight From the Heart: A Celebration of Life
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Thought For The Day:
"Choice, not chance, determines human destiny."
Verse for the Day:
"...I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore
choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live."
Deuteronomy 30:19
Kid's Thought For The Day:
"If you wait until you are sure you will never take off the training wheels."
Parent's Thought For The Day:
"Children need more models and less critics."
Coach's Thought For The Day:
"Players become what you tell them they are."
Deep Thought For The Day:
"Ask me about my vow of silence."
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REQUESTS:
Michael,
I would really appreciate it if you could add this to the prayer list. My
nephew is going thru such turmoil in his life. He's in his 2nd year of
college and struggling with the classes and what he really wants to do in
life. His relationship with his mother was severed this past Christmas
because she would listen to how he felt about the way she was living her
life (a little on the wild side) and how he felt unwanted when he came home
from school. On top of that he's got a bum car and where his school is
located, there aren't may job opportunities. I've tried to tell him to
stick it out that it'll get better, but I don't have the money to help him
out with school living expenses nor his car situation. He's talked about
driving the car into a tree. Please pray that he'll find some way to cope
with all of the stress that he is under and that someday he'll be able to
forgive his mother. I believe that is a huge burden on him, all the anger
he feels towards her and her nonsupport of his feelings. Thank you.
Petals
imcsecretary@hotmail.com
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_
/_/\/\ 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
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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
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