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{SFTH} *No Shoes* 8/22/01
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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 stories
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To order your autographed copy at no extra charge, send
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Michael T. Powers
1918 Liberty Lane
Janesville, WI 53545
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Be sure to let us know who you would like it autographed for
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We have yet another powerful story by SFTH favorite Roger
Dean Kiser, Sr. Be sure to check out his web site to read
more of his touching true stories...
Quick note from Michael:
For those of you who are familiar with the book
God Allows U-Turns (www.godallowsuturns.com),
Allison Gappa Bottke, the wonderful lady responsible
for putting the book together, will be on "Decision Today"
at various times on Wednesday, August 22, on radio
stations across the country. The interview can also be
heard on the Decision Today web site at
www.decisiontoday.org. (You can also check for
radio stations in your area that will be airing the broadcast so
you can tune in.) In our area, Wisconsin, it will be on these two
stations:
Madison WNWC 1190 AM 4:30 PM CT
and
Milwaukee WEMP 1250 AM 6:00 PM CT
Decision Today is also planning on airing Allison's personal
testimony on Labor Day. The interviewer felt there was too
much in the interview to do it all in one story.
More info on this powerful book series coming soon!
Michael
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NO SHOES
by Roger Dean Kiser
He appeared to be very nervous as he walked through the
large wooden church doors. His head was lowered and his
eyes looked directly at the tile floor as he walked very slowly
towards the far back pew, away from the rest of the
congregation.
The preacher immediately ceased talking and slowly
lowered his arms, which he had been flinging about during
the course of the sermon. He shifted his eyes towards the
young man as he accidentally slid on the heavy wooden
church bench while trying to quietly sit down.
The deacons and choir master began to whisper among
themselves as several of the other members of the church
began to turn around and look at the unshaven figure. I had
noticed when he walked into the church that he was very
thin, dirty and that he was not wearing any shoes, and that
he looked awfully hungry.
He constantly smiled at all the little children from the
orphanage, when we would turn around to look at him. But
then the matron slapped me on the leg because I dropped
the nickel onto the wooden bench, which the orphanage had
given me to put into the collection plate. So I did not turn
around and look at him any more. I always liked the money
collection part of the church service best because I knew
that it was almost over and we would get to go home soon.
The preacher started talking, on and on about how people
should dress up for church and that they should cut their
hair and be clean before coming to services. I knew that he
was talking about the man in the back of the church
because he had long hair and he was not very clean
looking. But the man just smiled and never said a word. He
just sat there, once in a while raising his hands towards the
church ceiling and saying out loud "Praise God in Heaven"
real loud like. The older church people would look at him
like he was crazy or something, but he sure didn't look crazy
to me.
The preacher finally walked off the platform and whispered
something into the deacon's ear. The deacon got up from
his chair and walked down the side isle, next to the pretty
colored glass windows and he asked the man to leave
because he was disrupting the church service. The young
man just looked up at the deacon and smiled. Without
saying a word he rose to his feet, turned and walked
towards the two large wooden doors leading out of the
church. As he reached the doors he once again stopped,
turned around and smiled at everyone. He reached over and
picked up the entire stack of "The Upper Room" pamphlets,
which were always sitting on the table by the entrance and
he turned them face down and then he walked out the large
wooden doors.
I will never forget that smiling man with the very kind face
having to leave the church that Sunday morning because of
the way he was dressed, and not clean shaven. I never saw
that man's face ever again after that, I don't think. But he
sure looked an awful lot like the man that I saw in those
shinny pictures in the middle of my bible.
Roger Dean Kiser, Sr.
trampolineone@webtv.net
Write Roger and let him know what you thought of his story!
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The Sad Orphan Web Site
http://www.geocities.com/trampolineone/
Roger and his wife, Judy, also a writer, live in Brunswick,
Georgia. As a child Roger was raised in a very abusive
orphanage located in Jacksonville Florida. He has written a
book titled "Orphan" which tells of the horrors that he and
other children suffered daily, for more than ten years.
His book is in all major bookstores and available
through his web site/link, for purchase. He now writes and
speaks to children in the Georgia School system about child
abuse and its effects.
In the last two years Roger has developed one of the most
read child abuse web sites in the world, "The Sad Orphan"
located at: http://www.geocities.com/trampolineone
which displays many of his short stories.
You can purchase Roger's book, "ORPHAN"
in major book stores or order from Amazon.com at:
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1580624480/o/qid=975333679/sr=8-1/straighfromthe0a/107-5931457-7011735
AOL Users click here> Orphan
If you missed the interview we did with Roger, you can check it out at our
web site at this link:
http://www.storiesfrommyheart.com/roger_dean_kiser_sr_/
AOL Users click here
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Reader Feedback!
I absolutely loved yesterday's story by Diane! Yes, I would love the zucchini
bread recipe! Better yet, I will send the stamps so she can mail me one!
Cheers,
Maria
MCAREY@GreenwichLibrary.org
********
Hi, Michael! I just found your website and subscribed to it. I have spent
the past 1 1/2 hours poring over the touching, thought provoking and
humorous stories contained within this treasure-trove. I find myself
wishing that I had some inspiring story to tell and the talent to tell it.
Alas. I did find your story about the bathtub and Caleb particularly
nostalgic. I do want to encourage you to take the time to savor these
moments with your son as all too soon, you will find him staring you in the
face and the realization will suddenly occur to you that he is grown now,
and will have a life of his own that doesn't include time for you as much as
it used to. My son is 20 now, and, even though he still lives at home, he
spends very little time here. I find that I am very lonely now because I am
no longer the center of his universe. Gone are those magical times when we
would wake up and embark together on yet another adventure to someplace we
have never been before to see something we only had heard about. He doesn't
hold my hand any more, and he doesn't crawl up on my lap to ask me thousands
of questions about subjects ranging from butterflies to the latest jet
fighter. He doesn't tell me any more stories about "this kid" from school
or the playground. When we go out to dinner together, he drives his own car
and meets us at the restaurant. I have many regrets about my boy growing
up. The worst of which is that I didn't have a video camera when he was
little and growing up so that I might have captured these priceless moments
of our lives together to savor in these times now that I am missing him so
much. Thankfully, I do have so many fond memories of him, and this little
boy that he once was, lives forever in my mind, and I visit him there nearly
every day. Take the time to be with your son; glean every detail you can
from his life and commit it to memory as best you can. Memories of him will
be a great comfort to you when he is not around to demand your time and
attention any more. Thanks for sharing.
Bob
*******
Dear Michael,
I just read your story about your little Batman. I'm fighting back tears of my own. I am a grandmother now, but remember similar experiences with my children. My little guy wanted to be a super hero too. My daughter believed she was Wonder Woman for the longest time. We didn't have the store bought costumes. We made them out of old towels and such. Her magic power bracelets were anything she could get around her little wrists, sometimes just plastic rings from her baby brother's toy box. My son was just as creative with his outfits. We'd never know what or who would come flying out of his room, but we always played along.
What nice memories your story stirred up in me. Today, as my daughter plays "super mommy" and her husband plays "monster daddy" with their toddler, I feel privileged to be the "mighty Grammy" whose arms can protect from "tickle jobs". But, there is a price to pay in our game.......many, many kisses.
Thanks again!!
Rosie
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Thought For The Day:
"Sin has many tools but a lie is the handle which fits them all."
(Oliver Wendell Holmes)
Verse for the Day:
"A lying tongue hates those it hurts, and a flattering mouth
works ruin." --Proverbs 26:28
Kid's Thought For The Day:
"Above all else, make sure you always know where the
bathroom is."
Parent's Thought For The Day
"If you wonder where your child left his roller skates, try walking
around the house in the dark. --Leopold Fechtner
Coach's Thought For The Day
"We must be silent before we can listen.
We must listen before we can learn.
We must learn before we can prepare.
We must prepare before we can serve.
We must serve before we can lead."
--William Ward
Deep Thought For The Day:
"If I had to choose one incident that sparked my love,
study, and eventual career in astronomy, it would be
the first time I saw a picture of that planet--you know,
the one with those neat space-rings around it."
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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!
Check out this site for Michael's video production business!
http://members.aol.com/Videoimg/index.html
AOL Users click here: Video Imagery
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http://www.storiesfrommyheart.com/guidelines/
AOL Users click here: Writer's Guidelines
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Purchase your copy of Michael T. Powers' new book! For
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http://www.storiesfrommyheart.com/order_our_book_
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Straight From the Heart: A Celebration of Life
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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 is a book that can be downloaded
and read right on your computer. The advantage of ordering
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check out this web site to order the EBook version of
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