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I'm Special* 12/13/01 ______________________________________ If you enjoy this free daily email service, I encourage you to spread the word to family and friends that we may bring inspiration into the lives of many! If you are not on the list and this has been passed along to you, join the thousands of HeartTouchers.com readers around the world by sending an e-mail with the word "Subscribe" in the subject line to: HeartTouchers@aol.com Visit our inspirational web site and read all the past stories in our archives at: http://www.HeartTouchers.com ____________________________________________ I'm Special By Kenneth L. Pierpont Gideon is a little fellow in my church who is afflicted with Downs Syndrome. The first time I met him I reached out to shake his hand and he looked a little frightened or confused. He hid his face in his mother's lap. Eventually he got used to me and within a few weeks he would put out his hand the moment he saw me coming. A couple years ago he was involved in the Christmas program. During the program the introduction began to play and the children walked to the front dressed as Christmas packages. Each child waddled up the aisle and climbed the steps to the platform with their legs and arms sticking out of a box wrapped in Christmas paper. A bow sat on the top of each child's head. They were well rehearsed and sang beautifully. The last song was a little number I think titled "I'm Special" At the end of the song the children were coached to shout out all together; "I'm special". The song ended and all on cue the children shouted; "I'm special" and the song ended. The crowd laughed and applauded. The children were then to file off the platform and make their way back the aisle to sit with their parents for the rest of the program. Things quieted for a moment as the children started to leave the platform. In the quietness of the moment Gideon looked out at the people, a big smile lit his face, and with a clear voice that carried all over the auditorium he shouted; "I'm special." There was a smattering of laughter across the crowd. Another second or two of silence followed and then Gideon said it again loudly and clear: "I'm special." It was if he expected a reply. His teacher helped him off the platform. The crowd grew thoughtful and quiet. Half way back the aisle he said it again and then again as his mother gathered him into her arms. She warmly said, "Yes you are Gideon, you are special." It was the line Gideon repeated over and over that still lives in the hearts of everyone who was there that night. We didn't think to choose little Gideon for the lead part in the Christmas program, but God had other plans. Little Gideon was named after a man who was used of God to deliver Israel during difficult times. When God chose Gideon to be one of the judges Gideon was cowering for fear, but God called him a mighty man of valor. God is like that. He chooses and uses people we tend to overlook. He inspires unlikely people to accomplish extraordinary things. Come to think of it that is what he did the night Jesus was born. -------------------------------------------- Ken Pierpont lives with his wife and eight children in Fremont, Michigan. He is a pastor who loves to tell stories, especially at Christmas time. You can meet him on-line at www.kenpierpont.com or write him at ken@kenpierpont.com. Every Monday morning he starts the week by sending a new original story to about fifteen hundred friends who receive the Stonebridge Newsletter. If you ask real nice he will add you to the list. _________________________________________ Happy Holidays from HeartTouchers.com (If you get your order to us by December 19th we should still be able to get our book to you by Christmas!) We wanted to let everyone know that for Christmas we will be offering our book, Straight From the Heart "A Celebration of Life" for only $13 (instead of the regular price of $14.95), and best of all, we will pay the shipping! So if you have any interest in purchasing an autographed copy of the book for yourself, or as a gift for your loved ones, now is the time to get it! But if you want them in time for Christmas, you need to act fast! IMPORTANT! This is only for those orders that come directly to us and not the publisher and we can only accept checks and money orders. For those who still want to order the book by credit card, you can still do so through the publisher at: http://www.booklocker.com/bookpages/michaeltpowers01.html but you will be paying full price and shipping. To order your autographed copy send a check or money order for $13 (We pay the shipping!) for each book made out to Michael T. Powers, and then send it to: Michael T. Powers 1918 Liberty Lane Janesville, WI 53545 Hurry! Time is running out! To preview the book by reading some of the stories visit: http://www.HeartTouchers.com/michael_t__powers/ AOL Users Click below: Straight From the Heart: A Celebration of Life _________________________________________ Thought For The Day: "What a big difference there is between giving advice and lending a hand." --Waterloo Verse for the Day: "Little children, let us stop just saying we love people; let us really love them, and show it by our actions." --1 John 3:18 Kid's Thought For The day: "When you get a bad grade in school, show it to your mom when she's on the phone." Parent's Thought For The Day "A successful marriage requires falling in love many times, always with the same person." --Mignon McLaughlin Coach's Thought For The Day "Success is how high you bounce after you hit bottom." (General George S. Patton) Writer's Thought For The Day: "I don't think anyone should write their autobiography until after they're dead." --Samuel Goldwyn Deep Thought For The Day: "As the light changed from red to green to amber and back to red again, I sat there thinking about life. Was it nothing more than a lot of honking and yelling? Sometimes it seemed that way." ___________________________________________ REQUESTS: Hi All, This is Steve, Jaye's husband writing for Jaye while she's at the Medical University with Jenny. Thank you all so much for continuing to lift Jenny to the Lord for His care. She had a five and a half hour surgery today and the cholesteotoma was actually pressing against the cerebral membrane but did not make contact with the Brain tissue. It was removed successfully. Thank you God!! Jenny's still in Post Op at this time but we'll try to send out another update soon. Thank you again. We are so grateful that our God is such a Mighty God. Steve and Jaye Lewis jlewis@smyth.net A girl in our youth group got sick this week and the virus has gone to her brain. She was having seizures all day so now they have put her into a coma for forty-eight to seventy-two hours to calm her brain. Please keep her in your prayers. Her small family has been through much lately and she is in dire need of many prayers. Her name is Whitney Holly and I will update you as I can. Thanks so very much. C. Miller tinifer@yahoo.com Thank you for all your prayers. Baby Shawn is doing well after his stroke. They have removed all the tubes, wires, and respirator and he is thriving. Doctors say there is left brain damage which will affect movement on his right side. He will have therapy as part of his early routine. There may be speech problems also, but since he is coming along so well he is expected to be home for Christmas! And mom is healing up well also. Praise the Lord! And thank you so much for your prayers. Nancy V. (Rawlins) Weaver silentnancy@webtv.net ___________________________________________ _ /_/\/\ MICHAEL T. POWERS \_\ / HeartTouchers@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 ___________________________________________ The copyrights to the stories that appear in HeartTouchers.com are owned by the authors and are used with their permission. We refuse to run stories without the author's permission and contact info listed after the story. We also refuse to publish stories listed as "author unknown." (All of which violates Copyright Law and the rights of the authors.) This e-mail 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. Thank you so much for honoring the rights of those writers who graciously share their stories with us! __________________________________________ 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 the web page for Michael's video production business! Visit: http://www.hearttouchers.com/video_imagery/ AOL Users click here: Video Imagery ___________________________________________ Would you like to see your story in HeartTouchers.com? Writer's guidelines can be found on our Web site here: http://www.HeartTouchers.com/guidelines/ AOL Users click here: Writer's Guidelines ___________________________________________ SUBSCRIBE: "I need a daily source of inspiration and encouragement in my life!" To become a HeartTouchers.com Member send an e-mail with "Subscribe" in the subject line to: HeartTouchers@AOL.COM Then get ready to laugh, cry, and be deeply touched by some of the best stories on the Internet! __________________________________________ UNSUBSCRIBE: All you have to do is send an e-mail with the word "Unsubscribe" in the subject line to: HeartTouchers@aol.com Give it a day or two to be processed... __________________________________________ Do you feel as if life has no meaning for you? http://www.greatcom.org/english/four.htm AOL Users click here: The Four Spiritual Laws __________________________________________ |
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Touching Lives - One E-mail at a Time! Author Michael T. Powers - HeartTouchers @ aol.com
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