Welcome to "Straight From the Heart!"

If you enjoy this free daily email service, I encourage you to forward it on to family and friends. If this has been passed along to you and you want to join the list, just send a blank email to: 
Thunder27@aol.com
I appreciate any feedback or constructive criticism, so feel free to write me (Michael T. Powers) and let me know what you think!
Straight From the Heart
http://www.storiesfrommyheart.com
___________________________________________________

 

C. Hope Clark, Author of "FundsforWriters - The Book" requests your presence each Sunday at your computer to receive grants, contests, awards, markets and fellowships to further your writing goals through FundsforWriters, the newsletter.  Find the funds to feed your writing.  Soon to be available through 1st Books Library, FundsforWriters - The Book in both ebook and paperback.

FundsforWriters - the free weekly newsletter. Subscribe by mail to: FundsforWriters-subscribe@egroups.com or email the editor at HopeClark1@aol.com.  And visit our new website at www.chopeclark.com/fundsforwriters.htm.
___________________________________________________

 

 

By Colleen Duvall

 

 It was around April of 1997 and I was home alone. I was in the nursery we
 had set-up in anticipation of adopting a baby of our own. From time to
 time I would go into the nursery just to sit in the rocking chair and
 admire the angel borders on the wall and the crib decorated with a neutral
 angel quilt and a teddy bear stuff animal. I would daydream what it would
 be like to have a baby sleeping peacefully in this crib. This time it was
 different, I was overwhelmed with emotion, I got on my knees and starting
 crying. Then I started to pray..."God, I know you hear my prayers. I want
 more than anything to adopt a baby. It seems like a dream. Oh, please God
 grant me this one prayer and let me be a mother to your precious child. I
 promise to love this child as my own and I will do my best to raise this
 child to know you. God, help us to get through this long adoption process
 and help us find a birthmother. May it be your will Father that we will be
 blessed with a beautiful, healthy baby. In Jesus name, Amen."
 
 As I wiped away my tears, I felt a sense of hope and overwhelming love. It
 was like God had put his arms around me and said; "I hear your prayer and
 it shall be done." Words cannot describe the peace that I felt from that
 point on. John and I continued to pray together every day and God eased
 our anxieties. We were able to get through the adoption process rather
 smoothly. One Sunday, approximately five months after I had prayed that
 prayer, a lady from our church came up to me and said "I have a
 granddaughter that is expecting a baby in two months and she is planning
 to give her baby up for adoption. I would like to see you and John adopt
 this baby".  I was totally surprised and could not believe what I was
 hearing. I asked the grandmother if we could meet with her granddaughter
 and she said "yes".
 
 The meeting with the birthmother went very well. We went with her and her
 grandmother to Coco's Restaurant for pie and coffee. I showed the
 birthmother our adoption profile with pictures and a resume letter. We
 invited her to see the nursery we had set-up at our house and she
 accepted. From the very beginning we wanted the birthmother to feel
 comfortable with us and not have any doubts about us as a loving Christian
 family. I believe the birthmother felt very comfortable when she decided
 to place her baby with us.
 
 It took another two months to finish the adoption process with the
 Adoption Agency. We were approved by the agency just two days before the
 birthmother went into labor. It was Sunday, November 9th, 1997 and we were
 at church. The birthmother's sister came in to tell us that her sister was
 in labor. We immediately left church and drove to the hospital an hour and
 a half away. The whole way I was praying that we would make it in time for
 the birth or our son. We made it and eight hours later he was born by
 caesarian. When I finally saw him for the first time, my heart just
 melted. There was an instant bond that I cannot explain. God kept his
 promise to me. Now when I look into my two-year-old son's beautiful dark
 brown eyes, I am reminded of  the awesome power of prayer.

 (Note: This is the poem I wrote before the adoption took place.)
 
 "To My Sweet Angel To Come"
 Though I haven't seen your sweet face,
 I know you will be given through grace.
 For each and every day that goes by,
 I anticipate the sound of a baby's cry.
 My child, you are always on my mind,
 And I think about you all of the time.
 Your joyful laughter and warm smile,
 And if you will come in a short while.
 You will be a blessing from above,
 I will treasure you always, my love.
 I think of the happiness you will bring,
 And how the angel in heaven will sing.
 They will watch over you day and night,
 To comfort you through heaven's light.
 My child you are an angel to me,
 A special gift from God you will be.
 You will always be a precious dream,
 In my heart and with joy I will beam.
 May God be with you my blessed one,
 Keep your faith until God's will is done.
 
 Colleen Duval
 duvals@fmsn.com
 
Send Colleen an email and let her know what you thought about her story!
************
 Colleen is a Accounting Clerk at a private Liberal Arts College in
 California. She is a Mom to two precious boys and a wife to John, a
 wonderful husband. Colleen enjoys writing poetry and has several poems
 published with the International Library of Poetry. See Colleen's picture
 and poems on her webpage: http://www.angelfire.com/ca3/colleend
___________________________________________________

 

Thought For The Day:

 

"One man that has a mind and knows it can always beat ten men who haven't and don't"
(George Bernard Shaw)

 

Verse for the Day:

"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."
Phillipians 4:13

 

Kid's Thought For The Day:

"Puppies are cute, but they have sharp teeth."

Parent's Thought For The Day

"If you want to bring your family closer together, buy a smaller car."

Coach's Thought For The Day

"Self discipline is when your conscience tells you to do something and you don't talk back."
(W. K. Hope)

 

Deep Thought For The Day:

"I'm really glad the guy who invented the Ray Gun was named Ray. Being shot with a Fred gun just wouldn't sound as cool."

 

  _
/_/\/\    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 

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  (RKaGe@aol.com)    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!
 Video Imagery
http://members.aol.com/Videoimg/index.html

Do you feel as if life has no meaning for you?
 The Four Spiritual Laws
http://www.ccci.org/laws/index.html

Writer's guidelines for Straight From the Heart can be found here:

Writer's Guidelines
http://storiesfrommyheart.com/writer_s_guidelines/

The copyrights to the stories that appear here are owned by the authors and are used with their permission.  This email 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. 
Thanks!

UNSUBSCRIBE:
If you are receiving this e-mail and would like to be taken off the
list please send a blank email with "Unsubscribe" in the subject line.
You will be taken off as soon as possible.