_____________________________________
{SFTH} *The Bubble Gum Man* 7/18/01
_____________________________________
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 us by sending
a blank email to: Thunder27@aol.com
___________________________________________________________
Michael's long awaited book Straight From the Heart: "A Celebration of
Life," is finally here! Close to 200 pages of true short stories filled with love
and laughter await you! Visit our web site to order the EBook, or to order
by credit card! You can also read some sample stories from the book here!
http://storiesfrommyheart.com/michael_t__powers/
AOL Users Click Here: Straight From the Heart: A Celebration of Life
To order your autographed copy at no extra charge, send a check or
money order for $18 ($14.95 for the book and $3.05 for shipping and handling)
made out to Michael T. Powers, to:
Michael T. Powers
1918 Liberty Lane
Janesville, WI 53545
For two books add $4 for shipping and handling and for three books add $5 for shipping and handling. If you want four or more autographed copies of our book you only pay $5 for shipping and handling. We'll pay the extra shipping costs!
Be sure to let us know who you would like it autographed for and then allow about two weeks for us to sign it and send it on its way to you.
___________________________________________________________
The Bubblegum Man
By LaRose Karr
Oh, how I loved that Bubblegum Man. I had the great privilege to
grow up in a small country church. It was a charismatic church and
though I don't attend that denomination anymore, I have a great
respect for that church.
It was a church where there were no quarrels. Now, this can
sometimes be rare in churches. Sometimes we lose sight of the big
picture and have squabbles over wallpaper, decorating, differences
of opinion, you name it. Christians are just like the rest of the
world, they are imperfect people. I don't have any memories of
that at this church. I remember sitting in Sunday School class and
teacher Glenda feeding us the word.
There were some great and good people who were the cornerstone of
the church. They still go there some 30 plus years later. Farmers,
teachers, grand people. And man, how they can worship. Last time I
was there, they had a baby grand piano, a guitarist and a drummer. I
knew they were gonna rock!
As a child, I'm afraid I wasn't too alert in church. We had a clock
on the back wall. I don't know how far into the sermon I'd go to
sleep but I'd awaken about noon.
I'd rouse and get up off the pew with drool on my face. I'd get my
composure back for the last hymn. I don't know how old I was before
I sat through a church service without sleeping but I must have been
close to the teen years.
The Bubblegum man is etched forever into my memory. He'd go to the
store before church and purchase a sack full of those big, fat,
pink, Double Bubble penny kind. After church, kids would
immediately surround him. Some would come and ask, others would
just stand in front of him until he reached into his pocket and
handed them a piece of gum.
After about 20 years, he had to stop passing out Bubblegum. His
memory wasn't too good and some kids took advantage of that. They
began coming back two or three times and he couldn't remember who he
had given gum.
Oh, how I still remember those kids flocking around him after
church. I didn't mean to cry while writing this story but the
"Bubblegum Man" was my Dad and this is a great memory.
LaRose Karr
rosiebay@kci.net
Send LaRose an e-mail and let her know what you thought of her story!
______________________________________________
LaRose Karr and husband Larry live in Sterling, Colorado with their four
children. She is a church secretary who enjoys people, travel, and
storytelling. She believes her writing is a gift from God and gives him all
the glory! She is a contributing author for volumes one and two of the new
Christian inspirational book series "God Allows U-Turns." She is a weekly
devotional columnist for www.edevo.com. She can be reached at rosiebay@kci.net
__________________________________________________
Thought For The Day:
"Great thoughts reduced to practice become great acts."
(William Hazlitt)
Verse for the Day:
"Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered
Isaac his son on the altar? Do you see that faith was working
together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect?"
James 2:21,22
Kid's Thought For The Day:
"Let the frog go where you found it."
Parent's Thought For The Day
"The secret to feeding your child is learning how to disguise a vegetable
as a french fry." --Jan Blaustone
Coach's Thought For The Day
"Don't knock your competitors. By boosting others you will boost
yourself. A little competition is a good thing and severe competition
is a blessing." --Kindleberger
Deep Thought For The Day:
"The other day I went to the bookstore to buy a dictionary. The
clerk showed me a really cheap one. I couldn't find the words to thank him."
_________________________________________________________
_
/_/\/\ 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
_________________________________________________________
The copyrights to the stories that appear in SFTH 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!
http://members.aol.com/Videoimg/index.html
AOL Users click here: Video Imagery
_________________________________________________________
Would you like to see your story in Straight From the Heart?
Writer's guidelines can be found on our Web site here:
http://storiesfrommyheart.com/writer_s_guidelines/
AOL Users click here: Writer's Guidelines
_________________________________________________________
Purchase your copy of Michael T. Powers' new book! For a sneak
preview, visit:
http://www.storiesfrommyheart.com/order_our_book_
AOL Users Click Here: Straight From the Heart: A Celebration of Life
_________________________________________________________
SUBSCRIBE:
"I need a daily source of inspiration and encouragement in my life!"
To become a Straight From the Heart Member send an e-mail with
"Subscribe" in the subject line to:
Thunder27@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 "Unsubscribe" in the
subject line to: Thunder27@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
_________________________________________________________
Michael's long awaited book Straight From the Heart: "A Celebration of
Life," is finally here! Close to 200 pages of true short stories filled
with love and laughter await you! Visit our web site to order your copy!
You can also read some sample stories from the book here!
http://storiesfrommyheart.com/michael_t__powers/
AOL Users Click Here: Straight From the Heart: A Celebration of Life
To order your autographed copy at no extra charge, send a check or
money order for $18 ($14.95 for the book and $3.05 for shipping and handling)
made out to Michael T. Powers.
To:
Michael T. Powers
1918 Liberty Lane
Janesville, WI 53545
For two books add $4 for shipping and handling and for three books add $5 for shipping and handling. If you want four or more autographed copies of our book you only pay $5 for shipping and handling. We'll pay the extra shipping costs!
Be sure to let us know who you would like it autographed for and then allow about two weeks for us to sign it and send it on its way to you.
