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{SFTH} *Billy's Promise* 7/26/01

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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
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Just wanted to share a little story that happened tonight with our
youngest son Connor and Grandma...

Grandma was talked into having a pretend sword fight with our 2-year-old,
Connor, so they picked up their plastic swords and faced off. Grandma
assumed the proper fencing position and yelled out, "On Guard" in her
best French accent. Connor, without skipping a beat, also assumed his
best fencing position and yelled out, "I'm Jesus!" He figured if Grandma
was going to be God (he thought she said, "I'm God!") when she dueled
with him, he better be Jesus to keep the match fair...
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We have another wonderful story from SFTH favorite, Bob Perks!
Be sure to e-mail him and let him know what you thought of his story!
Michael
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Billy's Promise

By Bob Perks
Bob@BobPerks.com


Lost some where in the crevices in my mind are millions of images, moments, lessons learned and words of wisdom. If I am fortunate, they will rise to the surface at just the right time so I can pause and give thanks.

Birthdays trigger such memories.

1990 was indeed a monumental moment in my life. I turned 40. As tradition requires, my friends and family gathered to remind me that I was crossing another threshold. They called it "Over the hill," I believe.

My wife Marianne, saw it differently and presented to me a gift I would cherish for a lifetime.

A hot air balloon ride.

Not only would this be a first, but as exciting as the experience was, it would become a sign from heaven for a young man.

I was reminded of my trip, when my brother told me about the big community picnic his daughter Susan took part in this year. She lives in New Jersey and they hold a big block party each year. This year they added hot air balloon rides. Although tethered to the ground, they still give you a thrill as you rise high above the nearby houses.

After hearing about this, my wife and I talked about how beautiful our experience was for us. I can remember helping them unfold this huge balloon, holding the opening so that the heated air would lift it skyward. Once airborne we drifted silently across fields and highways. People stopped in their tracks to wave and shout at us. Deer scampered across properties frightened by the looming air monster. As I sat quietly reminiscing,
Marianne said, "Do you remember the young couple?"

"What couple?"

"The couple who lived on the farm where we landed," she said.

It is a tradition, we were told, that wherever the balloon lands, you crack open a bottle of champagne and share it with the property owners. Then they are given free tethered rides as a way of saying thanks.

Oh, yes. The couple.

They invited us all inside as they gathered glasses for the toast. We sat comfortably in a huge living room which was modestly furnished with odds and ends. We raised our glasses to "health and happiness and to the hospitality of our hosts."

Then the young man began to speak.

"I can't tell you how much this means to me," he said nervously.

"You are sign from heaven at just the right time," he continued, now choking back tears and fumbling for words.

"You see..." he whispered. "My little brother Billy died just a few days ago," he paused. "He told me that he would send me a sign to let me know he was okay."

There was an uneasy silence in the room. We permitted him to tell us this story without interruption.

"I had just finished dinner and we were talking about how handsome he was and how much we missed him. My wife Janet, told me to go sit on the porch while she cleaned up. I had sat down and looking up at the sky, I questioned God as to why this would happen to him. Then I said, "Billy you promised me a sign."

He stared to cry as he said, "Then I heard this sound that sounded like someone was saying "shhhhh." Like Billy was telling me "Be quiet, watch, here it comes," he said.

The sound he referred to was the propane flame used to heat the air in the balloon. It is used to raise and hopefully gently lower the balloon upon landing. During the incredibly quiet glide at the whim of the air currents, it's the only sound you hear. Shhhhhhhhh. Shhhhhhhhhh. Except of course, your heart beating with excitement.

He continued, "Then directly from behind the house I looked up and saw this incredible balloon approaching the field. I yelled, "Honey, come here. It's Billy!"

"You can imagine what I thought!" laughed his wife.

"There it was. Billy's promise," he said.

I have never had such a memorable gift in my life. I have been a friend, a husband, a father and such. But I had never been a sign from God or a promise kept...Billy's promise.

"I believe in You!"
Bob Perks
Bob@bobperks.com

"I believe in You!"
Bob Perks
Bob@bobperks.com

Send Bob an e-mail and let him know that you thought of his story!
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Bob is a professional speaker, author, member of the National Speakers
Assoc., and the National Writers Assoc. Sign up for Bob's FREE weekly
messages, "I Believe in YOU!" by visiting: http://www.BobPerks.com or
send an email to: Ibelieveinyou-subscribe@topica.com
All stories remain the property of Bob Perks Copyright 2001
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From the Guestbook!

Dear Michael,

I wrote to Roger this morning after reading his story: The Power of Please.

My mother had also been sent to an institution for about the span of 4-5
years of her life. She should never have been sent to such a place. I say
further, and with much certainly that NO ONE should have been sent to such a
place.

She too, survived the awful nightmares that follow such an incarceration.
However, the abuse permeated everything in her life and ours, souring much
of what could have been an idyllic existence.

It is with great sadness for her that I write this, and to acknowledge that
she did the best that she could with what she'd been given. She is gone now
nearly five years, and God truly knows, just how much I miss her.

So to Roger, thank God, you survived the abuse and are fighting against it
each and every day for youngsters everywhere.

Thank you for taking on this battle for the Rogers and Eileens (my mom)
everywhere in this land and beyond.

I so applaud you because you are a hero.

Maria Carey
Connecticut


Thank you for providing the info to visit RDK's web site. Incredible what
one man can do with a life grown up in a dark dungeon of the soul. As this
man illustrates, people cannot blame their bad/criminal/lousy behavior on
their parents, early suffering, or any other horrible conditions. We each
one are responsible for out own selves, our own behavior, our own thoughts,
our own souls.
Melvita Ruth Foster
jme@texhoma.net

Michael,
The story by Mike Boudreaux was one of the best I have read on SFTH.
That is just the way God is. When you think your OK, danger lurks near
and when it appears that the Shepherd has not noticed the situation, He
makes His presence known. I read somewhere (John Chap. 10) that He has
never lost one out of His hand. I believe it. -- Roger Cook
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Thought For The Day:

"A poor man is not the one without a cent. A poor man is the one without a dream."
(Henry Ford)


Verse for the Day:

"The intelligent man is always open to new ideas. In fact, he looks for them."
Proverbs 18:15 TLB


Kid's Thought For The Day:

"Children's tea parties are more fun then grown-ups' tea parties."


Parent's Thought For The Day

"Labor Day is a glorious holiday because your child will be going back to school the next day. It would have been called Independence Day, but that name was already taken." --Bill Dodds


Coach's Thought For The Day

"Give them the benefit of your convictions but keep your doubts to yourself for they already have enough of their own." --John Kessel


Deep Thought For The Day:

"I gaze at the brilliant full moon. The same one, I think to myself, at
which Socrates, Aristotle, and Plato gazed. Suddenly, I imagine they
appear beside me. I tell Socrates about the national debate over one's
right to die and wonder at the constancy of the human condition. I
tell Plato that I live in the country that has come the closest to
Utopia, and I show him a copy of the Constitution. I tell Aristotle
that we have found many more than four basic elements and I show him a
periodic table. I get a box of kitchen matches and strike one. They
gasp with wonder. We spend the rest of the night burping."


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REQUESTS:

Michael,
My daughter, Charlotte, has had a rough summer. As soon as school was finished she had her tonsils out. The she did get to go to Falls Creek with our church youth group. She had a great time. Then the Monday after she got home she had a second knee surgery. She had to have her kneecap realigned with a metal plate and 3 screws. Now she has developed an abscess because of some of the stitches are trying to come out. She is trying to be brave but all this having to lay around is getting on her nerves. She is looking forward to getting off the crutches soon. It just seems that everything is dragging. I am asking for prayer for her. She is a senior this year. She is looking forward to college next year so she can get started on a medical degree for a Pediatric Oncologist. I'm just asking for prayers so that she will get better soon.
Thank You and God Bless You,
Sharon
Iluvjc2000@aol.com
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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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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!
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A number of people have written to us asking what an EBook is, since
our book is being offered in both print and EBook versions. An EBook
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