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{Straight From the Heart}   *Wrinkle in my Hood*  10/30/00
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Welcome to "Straight From the Heart!"

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Straight From the Heart
http://www.storiesfrommyheart.com
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Just wanted to remind everyone again to check out the "Too Much Information" link on our website.  We both wanted to share some interesting information about ourselves!  Check it out at:

Straight From the Heart
http://www.storiesfrommyheart.com

Michael
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Wrinkle In My Hood

By Kenneth L. Pierpont

    We live in a very quiet neighborhood. Late one evening I was listening
to some music when I heard a loud crash on the street. It took me a while to
realize what had happened. Earlier that evening my wife wanted me to go to
the store to get some soft drinks. It seemed like this would be a good time
to let my teenage daughter get in a little practice driving. I sent her to
the store with her older brother riding shotgun. She took my truck. I
settled back to enjoy the music.

    At dinner earlier that evening my oldest son was speaking admiringly of
the truck. It is a little four-wheel drive Ford Explorer and the kids knew I
enjoyed having it. It is the nicest car I have ever owned. I said, "Guys, my
heart is not set on that car. I like it but it is just rusting metal and it
is a depreciating item. It won't last forever. Never set your heart on
anything that is temporary." I had no idea how prophetic my advice was that
night.

    The thud on the street was followed by a commotion upstairs and then the
whole family pouring down the steps led by thirteen year old Chuck who
shouted, "Dad, Dad, Holly wrecked your car."

    My heart sank and my mind was flooded with conflicting thoughts. Was
anyone hurt? Who else was involved? I ran to the door with a racing heart
and in that instant a message came clearly to my spirit like a voice in my
heart: "Here is your chance. You have always looked for ways to show Holly
that she is precious to you. Here is a unique opportunity to show her what
you really love. How you react now is something that she will probably never
forget."

    To my surprise the accident had not occurred on the street, but right in
my own driveway. And my fears about damage to the property of other people
melted when I saw that the collision was with our other car, the family van.
In her inexperience Holly had confused the brakes and accelerator. In an
instant both of my cars were wrecked. Holly was unhurt physically but when I
reached her she was crying softly and saying over and over again, "Oh, Dad,
I'm sorry, I'm sorry Dad, I know how much you love this car." I wrapped her
in my arms and she cried and my heart melted for her.

    Later that week an adult friend stopped by and asked what happened to my
truck. I swore her to secrecy and then told her what happened. Her eyes
moistened and she said, "That happened to me when I was a girl. I borrowed
my Dad's car and ran into a log that had fallen across the road. I was able
to drive the car home, but it was totaled. When I got home my Dad dragged me
from the car, knocked me to the ground and began to kick me." Over forty
years later the pain of that rejection still moved her to tears. It was a
deep wound on her soul.

    I remembered how tender-hearted Holly had been the night she wrecked the
car and how vulnerable she was at that moment and I breathed a prayer of
thanks to God for His gentle reminder that night. Someday years from now
when Holly thinks back on her life and she remembers me I want her to know
that I loved her a thousand times more than all my earthly possessions put
together.

    I repaired the van, but the wrinkle in the hood of my truck is still
there today. Every day it reminds me of the really priceless things in my
life. I don't mind having damage to my truck, but I don't want to be
responsible for damage to my daughter's heart.

Kenneth L. Pierpont
pierpont@mail.riverview.net

Send Ken an email and let him know what you thought of his story!
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Ken Pierpont is the Sr. Pastor of First Baptist Church  in Fremont,
Michigan. He and his wife Lois are the parents of four boys and four girls.
Ken is a story-teller, plays a little harmonica, and knows enough guitar
chords to put his children to sleep at night. He has devoted his life to
telling people about Jesus and helping people build strong, happy families.
He frequently speaks and his family sings with him at camps, conferences,
retreats, home school workshops or wherever he can get free food.  

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REQUEST:

From: cheetah@citynet.net (Sherri)

Hi,
I just wanted everyone to know that my mother will be going in for her tests in the morning (10/30) at 9 am.  She will have a colonoscopy, D&C, and possibly a CAT scan.  My mom still has her faith in God and knows he will pull her through this.  The devil has been making his rounds too though and has tormented in every way he knows possible.  One night this past week, she was fighting the devil and praying to God and the Lord showed her that the doctor may be scratching his head but that he wasn't.  He then gave her a bible verse and it is Psalms 118:17 "I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the Lord."  She is a fighter and although the doctor is sure this cancer has come from somewhere else, we will have to wait and see what God does.  My mother says her valley may get very low before she comes up the other side.  Please hold her name up in prayer when you think of it.  Her name is Linda Pursley.  Thank you all so very much!
God Bless!
Sherri
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Thought For The Day:

"Render more service than that for which you are paid and you will soon be paid for more than you render.  This is the law of increasing returns."
(Napoleon Hill)

Verse for the Day:

"Remember this: Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously."
2 Corinthians 9:6

Kid's Thought For The Day:

"Don't let the spaghetti sauce leak onto your green beans."

Parent's Thought For The Day

"The good news is that grandchildren keep you young. The bad news is that after you spend time with them you feel your age."
(Joan Holleman)

Coach's Thought For The Day

Habit is most difficult to defeat.  If you delete the first letter, it doesn't not change "a bit" Delete another and you still have a "bit" left.  Take off still another and the whole of it remains.  But if you take off another, it is wholly used up.  Goes to prove if you want to get rid of a habit, you must throw it off altogether.
(Mandel)

Deep Thought For The Day:

"I am returning this otherwise good typing paper to you because someone has printed gibberish all over it and put your name at the top." 
(English Professor, Ohio University)

  _
/_/\/\    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

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