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{Straight From the Heart} *Armchair Angel* 2/13/01
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As promised, here is the update on the big game this past Saturday...
Before we get to the varsity game I couldn't have been prouder of my JV
team. We stood toe to toe with Beloit Memorial, a school five times
bigger than us. We were within three points of them going into the
fourth quarter before foul trouble canceled any hope of victory.
Although I am never happy to lose, that was one game I was
satisfied with afterwards. Our girls played their hearts out, and
that is all that Coach Witte and I ask of them...
I thought I held back the tears pretty well during the starting line-ups
of the varsity game. My niece Jennifer Pozzani wasn't called to the
floor until the second to last player, which gave me way too much
time to get misty-eyed. But Sara Douglas kept me in check by
telling me over and over, "Don't cry Tie-guy, Don't cry Tie-guy."
Jen shook Whitey's hand and then I gave her one last hug, a kiss on
the cheek, and some long-stemmed Roses as suggested by my
thoughtful wife Kristi. I went and sat on the bench and thought one
more time about how much I will miss playing against my Jennifer...
Then all my thoughts turned our beloved Lady Cougars and how we
were going to defeat Jen and her team!
The varsity game was once again a classic battle. One of which many
people stated after the game: "That was the best high school girls
basketball game I've seen." The mighty Lady Cougars jumped out
to a 24-12 lead over the Purple Knights as Amanda Splan and Britt
Korth (Our Fabulous Freshman) bombed away from three-point land.
But the Purple Knights came back by half-time, and our Lady Cougars
only led 27-24. The end of the third quarter showed the score at 42-42
and the wild and crazy fourth quarter ended in a tie at 54-54 to send
it into overtime.
Jennifer ended up making 6-7 free throws in the overtime period to
clinch it for her team as the Knights won 64-59. Jen ended up
leading all scorers with 24 points, the same as the number on
her uniform....
We put the Beloit newspaper article of the game on our website
which can be seen at: http//www.MichaelTPowers.com
Click on the Lady Cougar button at the bottom of the left hand side...
As soon as we get some pictures back and scanned, we will have
those on the site also. Congratulations to both Jen and her team
and to our Lady Cougars. Those are the kinds of games where
you wish no one had to lose....
Who am I kidding! Jen, you little stinker! You took over the game
last year and won in overtime. Did you have to do it again!!
For our beloved Lady Cougars: You have no idea how proud I am
to be a part of our awesome basketball program. There are few
places I would rather be than in the mighty "Cougar Dome,"
surrounded by the classiest, most talented girls basketball players
in the state of Wisconsin. I am looking forward to the journey as
we take the "Road to State!"
If you have just joined us, or you read all this and you have no clue
what I am talking about check out Friday's story at the following link:
http://www.storiesfrommyheart.com/020901/
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ARMCHAIR ANGEL
By Joan Wester Anderson
Jackie Commins, of Newberg, Oregon, is a firm believer in heavenly help.
One evening shortly after New Year's, however, she learned even more
dramatically how well God and his angels take care of her.
Because no heat gets to Jackie's bedroom, she sleeps on a couch in her
living room during the winter. The couch is opposite her front door, and
there is one window in the room; both open onto a small porch. Anyone on
the porch can see directly into the room because curtains cover only the
sides of the window.
Jackie was nearly asleep that evening when she was startled by loud
knocking at the door. Since she lives alone and her lights were out, she
decided not to answer. Whoever it was would surely go away.
But the knocking continued, and now Jackie could hear the low voices of
two men. They were talking on the other side of the door, just a few feet
from her. Suddenly, one shone a flashlight through the window of the door,
its ray narrowly missing her as she lay curled up on the couch. Jackie's
heart began to pound. These men were obviously up to no good.
Again they murmured to each other, although she couldn't make out the
words. Then she heard footsteps moving stealthily toward the window, and
again the flashlight went on. Its beam traveled slowly across the floor as
far as it could go, then outlined Jackie's armchair, which directly faced
the window. Just a thin pane of glass separated her from the intruders.
Jackie began to pray. "Oh angel, come and help me..."
The light beam, which had been moving slowly across the armchair suddenly
stopped. Abruptly it clicked off, and Jackie heard one of the men talking
excitedly to the other. The light went back on again, as if the second man
was now holding it. Once again he focused the beam on the chair, then
quickly extinguished it.
"Let's get out of here!" Jackie heard one of them exclaim, no longer
attempting to be quiet. Two pairs of feet clattered across the porch to
the staircase. In just a few seconds, there was silence. But it took
Jackie several hours to fall asleep.
Days later, when Jackie read her weekly newspaper, she learned what had
happened on that frightening night. Two men were in police custody,
charged with burglarizing several houses in an area surrounding Jackie's
neighborhood. The thugs had posed as travelers in distress, needing to use
a phone. When kindly people opened the door, the men had overpowered them,
and robbed them of valuables and holiday gifts still under the tree.
Obviously they had had similar plans at Jackie's house. Except for one
thing, the question that has intrigued her ever since.
What (or whom) did the men see sitting in the armchair?
Joan Wester Anderson
angelwak@mcs.net
Send Joan an email and let her know what you thought of her story!
(From: WHERE MIRACLES HAPPEN, by Joan Wester Anderson, published by
Ballantine Books.)
The following bio was put together by me (Michael). It is longer than usual, but
I wanted to share as much about this wonderful author as I could!
Author and lecturer Joan Wester Anderson was born in Evanston, Illinois. She
began her writing career in 1973 with a series of family humor articles for local
newspapers and parenting magazines. She was a monthly columnist for two
parenting publications during the 1980's, and has published more than one
thousand articles and short stories in a variety of national publications,
including Woman's Day, Modern Bride, Virtue, Modern Maturity, Chicago
Parent, and The New York Times Syndicate.
Her 12 books include Where Angels Walk, True Stories of Heavenly Visitors,
which was on the New York Times bestseller list for over a year, has sold
almost two million copies and has been translated into fourteen languages.
Joan has appeared on national television programs including "Good Morning
America," "Oprah," "20/20," and "NBC Nightly News with Tom Brokaw."
She and her husband live in suburban Chicago, and are the parents of five grown
children, and grandparents of one.
Joan's newest book is the authorized biography of Loretta Young which is available in
bookstores nationwide or you can order it from Amazon.com at:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0883474670/qid=970538404/sr=1-1/102-1577653-2672164
AOL USERS CLICK HERE: Forever Young, The Loretta Young Biography
I also encourage you to check out Joan's home page at:
http://www.mcs.net/~angelwak/home.html
AOL USERS CLICK HERE: Joan Wester Anderson
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Thought For The Day:
"Others can stop you temporarily -- you are the only one who can do it
permanately." --Zig Ziglar
Verse for the Day:
"Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize?
Run in such a way as to get the prize." --1 Corinthians 9:24
Kid's Thought For The Day:
You may have tangible wealth untold;
Caskets of jewels and coffers of gold.
Richer than I you can never be --
I had a mother who read to me.
Strickland Gillilan (1869-1954)
Parent's Thought For The Day:
ABRAHAM LINCOLN'S MOTHER : "Again with the stovepipe hat? Can't you just
wear a baseball cap like the other kids?"
Coach's Thought For The Day:
"When you stand on the victory stand, you must be able to ask yourself: 'Did I win
this medal?"
Kip Keino, Olympic gold medalist in the 1500 and the 3000 meter steeplechase,
from a speech urging young athletes not to use performance enhancing drugs.
Deep Thought For The Day:
"Why is it that when you're driving and looking for an address, you turn
down the radio?"
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_
/_/\/\ MICHAEL T. POWERS
\_\ / THUNDER27@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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