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{Straight From the Heart}   *Breakfast at Denny's*  11/16/00
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Straight From the Heart
http://www.storiesfrommyheart.com
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    Just wanted to remind everyone about our challenge for all of you!  Do you have a hero in your life? I want you to take a few moments and write about him or her. Yes, that means you have to stretch your fingers out and do some typing or better yet, make it a handwritten note. When you are done, send it to your hero. That simple act will not only make that person's day, but it will be your way of thanking them for all they do in your life.  If you want to share the hero letter with us, send it to:

thunder27@aol.com

We may share it on the list!

We did this last year and some amazing things happened!  Check out our website:
Straight From the Heart
http://www.storiesfrommyheart.com

Click on the Heroes Button on the left hand side to see the amazing stories! 
To start the ball rolling I shared the letter I sent to my hero and mentor Bill Greer on our website. (Includes a photo of us!)

You may never know how much that simple act of writing a heartfelt letter will mean to that special someone in your life.  Read the first hero letter response at the Heroes page and you will be touched and challenged.  I guarantee it!
Have a great week and take some time to write to that special someone who has made a difference in your life!
Michael
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BREAKFAST AT DENNY'S

By Lynelle Dawson

     At about 6 o'clock in the morning, I firmly knocked on her window and
loudly whispered, "Sarina!  Wake up!  Sarina!"
     Finally I heard a sleep-interrupted voice growl, "Go around!" meaning
for me to go around to the front door.  When I got there, Fawn, Sarina's
24-year-old sister, quickly unlocked the door.
     "What are you doing here so early in the morning?" came the sleepy
question from 13-year-old Sarina peeking her auburn head from around the
corner.
     "I'm taking you to breakfast and then to school.  Get dressed," I
uttered in conjunction with my conspiratorial grin.
     Shaking her head to clear the cobwebs, she mumbled something
unintelligible and stumbled back to her room.  She emerged later, school
uniform in place, book bag bulging at the seams and we departed for the
local Denny's.
     Upon our arrival Sarina immediately spotted a remote control claw
machine and had already targeted her unsuspecting prey -- a stuffed poodle
holding a picture frame.
     "Lynelle, can I please play the game?  I'll win something for Kallie
again!" she begged.
     Kallie is my 14-month-old daughter and is Sarina's excuse for coercing
umpteen dollars from me to play this game that she loves so dearly.  Her
reference to "again" is because the very first time she played it, in my
presence, she won Kallie a stuffed animal, therefore the "excuse" holds a
lot of merit -- in her eyes anyway.
     "After you eat, you can play a few times."
     Satisfied with that answer, she ordered breakfast.  When it arrived
she wasted no time.  Eating as quickly as she could she asked, "Can I go
play the game now?"
     "No, finish your eggs first, Sarina."
     Moments later I was fishing quarters from my billfold and depositing
them into her eager hands.  In a flash she was in front of the game and
moments later all quarters were gone.  She returned empty-handed and
somewhat disappointed, though far from subdued in her quest.
     I handed her another dollar.  Moments later, again she returned,
crestfallen.
     Before I could hand her more money, a man that had been watching her
from the counter, offered to win the coveted poodle frame for her.
Excitedly, Sarina whirled and ran back over to the money-gobbling machine.
However, he too, was not able to grasp the elusive poodle frame with the
flimsy remote control claw.
     "Lynelle, please, can I have some more money?  I know I can get it
this time.  We've moved it now!"
     By this time, the entire corner of the restaurant was watching the
scene before them with marked interest.  Grinning, I gave her another
dollar.  Amidst "You can do it!" and benevolent laughter, she again lost
the prize as it fell from within the claw's metallic clutches.  The man
plugged another two dollars in, but to no avail.
     Many dollars later the toy still remained inside the machine.
     However, the onlookers all had grins tugging at their faces.  Their
expressions made me realize that it was the camaraderie in trying that was
the most joyful regardless of the outcome.
     Our waiter had even made several valiant, but unsuccessful attempts.
As he turned away, defeated by the machine, I kindly told him, "It's
probably too heavy to lift with that claw."  He merely shook his head and
then unobtrusively walked out the front door.
     When he came back in, he quietly walked over to Sarina and placed an
identical poodle frame, into her hands.  Pleasantly surprised, she shyly
said thank you and then flashed me an excited smile.  No one had observed
this act of kindness, though.  The rest of the group in the restaurant was
still competing to be this young girl's hero.  They did not know that her
hero had already quietly revealed himself.
     A few minutes later, the waiter called out to the first man that had
originally offered his assistance.  When he looked up, he saw Sarina
holding the toy and his face became sheepish while he muttered some
friendly smart aleck comment to our waiter.  Still the line of people
competed, refusing to be defeated by a mere machine.
     We had so much fun, but more importantly, Sarina was cheered into
forgetting why I was even there that morning.
     You see, Sarina's step-daddy -- the only daddy she's ever known -- had
gone into the hospital a few days earlier to remove fluid that was building
up within his chest cavity.  After several days of pumping unsuccessfully,
they decided to perform a routine surgery.  When they opened him up, they
discovered multiple tumors.  This was completely unexpected and came as a
ghastly shock to the stunned medical staff.  He was diagnosed with
Mesothelioma, a cancer caused by asbestos.  It is noted for a swift, yet
painful death.  Sarina had just been delivered the hurtful news the night
before and I had come into town to help in the only way I knew how -- with
my heartfelt love and support.
     None of the patrons in Denny's that morning could have possibly known
the turmoil in Sarina's life.  It uplifted my heart to see a group of kind
strangers band together to help an innocent girl that early October
morning.
     Sarina didn't win anything for Kallie that morning, but she won
something for her own heart -- a very special memory and at a time when she
needed it the most.

Lynelle Dawson
Frankie088@aol.com

Send Lynelle an email and let her know what you thought of her story!
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Lynelle lives in Oklahoma with her 14-month-old daughter, Kallie, whom
Sarina absolutely adores.  "The coveted picture frame now holds two of
Kallie's baby pictures," says Lynelle.  If you would like to see more of
Lynelle's writing or subscribe to her column about Mesothelioma (The
Diagnosis), go to:
Lynelle
http://www.themestream.com/authors/41526.html
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Thought For The Day:

"There is nothing final about a mistake, except its being taken as final."
(Phyllis Bottome)

Verse for the Day:

"The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord...Though he fail, he shall not be utterly cast down."
Psalm 37:23,24

Kid's Thought For The Day:

"Your echo will always answer."

Parent's Thought For The Day

"To be in your children's memories tomorrow one must be in
their life today."

Coach's Thought For The Day

"Material possessions, winning scores, and great reputations are meaningless in the eyes of the Lord, because He knows what we really are and that is all that matters."
(John Wooden, College Basketball's all-time winningest coach.)

Deep Thought For The Day:

"Keep your nose to the grindstone and your shoulder to the wheel. It's a lot
cheaper than plastic surgery."

  _
/_/\/\    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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