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*Buried Treasure* 1/17/02 ____________________________ 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 ____________________________________________ Happy New Year from HeartTouchers.com From now on 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! 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 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 _________________________________________ A Buried Treasure by Bob Perks Bob@BobPerks.com She is your neighbor. She lives in that house down the street where the grass gets a little tall in the summer. The sidewalks remain covered in snow a little longer than most of the homes in your area. During your early morning drive you'll see her outside in her housecoat and slippers sweeping the porch. Even on a warm summer day she wears a heavy sweater. Every so often you see her walking down the street with her fold-up push cart heading toward the grocery store. For the most part she is invisible to the world. She has become a part of the scenery. She goes about her daily routines asking for nothing from the world. And the world responds by doing nothing for her. The truth is she could die tomorrow and you most likely wouldn't even miss her. "They're selling that old house down the street. You know, where that old lady lived." "I saw a sign at the grocery store. They're having a tag sale. Man, I bet there's some great old stuff in there. Let's make a point to go Saturday. We'll get there early for some real bargains." By the end of that Saturday, when the last piece of her life has been sold, she will be but a memory for someone. Her worth to whatever family members laid claim to her property, will be in dollars and cents. She was just passing through this life, biding her time. "How sad," you say to yourself. How sad indeed. Sad that you never got to know her. If you had taken the time to say "hello" one day you would have been blessed. Perhaps walking the down the street one early summer's eve you would have seen her sitting on the old oak rocking chair you got at a bargain price the day they auctioned off her life. That chair was hand made by her Father. He came to America with the skill of a craftsman and raised her and her seven siblings with his bare hands. Her Momma sat in that chair and breast fed every one of them. She made their clothes, baked bread everyday and tended to a large garden that they depended on for fresh vegetables. This mysterious old lady was married once for what would have been a lifetime for most of us. Her husband died years ago, but not before he paid the last payment on the home you rummaged through on Saturday. Children? They had seven kids and raised them on hand-me-downs and fresh garden vegetables. Two died at an early age, one in a car accident when he was just a teen. The others went on to college and scattered across the U.S. in search of big dollars, big homes and little respect for who gave them life and everything they had today. Except for a few photographs that they split among themselves as tokens of the "good old days" they each received their portion of the estate and went on with their lives. Some where in her possessions they found an envelope filled with cash. On it was written the words, "I couldn't spend your money." For they would send her checks to pay someone to cut the grass and shovel the sidewalk. She did it herself. She had no living relatives and very few friends to visit her. The ones still around were tucked away in nursing homes she couldn't get to visit. Yes, how sad it is that you didn't take the time to say hello. You would have met an honest to goodness Angel here on earth. I am guilty, too. You see, I wouldn't have met her either except one day while driving past her house I blew a tire and pulled by the side of the road. While struggling with the spare, she came out and offered me a fresh glass of homemade iced tea. I sat on her steps as she rocked in that chair and told me a lifetime of stories. She talked so long she apologized for she rarely got visitors. I assured her that she need not apologize at all. I was the one who was sorry that I had never stopped by sooner. "You are an angel," I told her. In her sweet, gentle voice she said, "We are each other's angels. We meet when it is time." She died the other day and I sat on her front porch and watched her life fall apart. The neighbors got some real bargains that day. But I found a treasure. "I believe in You!" Bob Perks Bob@BobPerks.com Write Bob and let him know your thoughts on his story! ________________________ Bob is a professional speaker, author, member of the National Speakers Assoc., and the National Writers Assoc. Sign up for Bob's FREE weekly messages, "I Believe in YOU!" by visiting: http://www.BobPerks.com or send an email to: Ibelieveinyou-subscribe@topica.com All stories remain the property of Bob Perks Copyright 2001 _________________________________________ Reader Feedback! This is definitely one of the most inspirational web sites on the internet. I look forward to reading it all.....I find it very uplifting! Keep 'em comin! craftyldy1@webtv.net Hi Michael, I wonder if you would please do me a favor, and in your HeartTouchers column, would you express my sincerest "thank-you" to the many readers of your column, that sent me an email and/or birthday for my 50th birthday which was on January 15, 2002. It was so sweet of people all over the world to take time out of their lives to do that and I will always remember them and their wonderful well-wishes. Thank-You for your help in this matter. Sincerely, Julia F. Lucord jlucord@bellatlantic.net (Daughter of Jean C. Fitzgerald who wrote the story about me called, "A Portrait Of Courage", which you published in your e-zine.) _________________________________________ Thought For The Day: "The ultimate measure of a person is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy." --Martin Luther King, Jr. Verse for the Day: "If thou faint in the day of adversity, thy strength is small." --Proverbs 24:10 Kid's Thought For The Day: "If your sister hits you, don't hit her back. They always catch the second person." Parent's Thought For The Day: "A Dad is a person who has replaced the currency in his wallet with snapshots of his family." Coach's Thought For The Day: "Winning is habit. Unfortunately, so is losing." --Vince Lombardi, former coach of some football team that wears green and gold. Writer's Thought For The Day: "Anybody can write a short story -- a bad one, I mean -- who has industry and paper and time enough; but not everyone may hope to write even a bad novel. It is the length that kills." --Robert Louis Stevenson Deep Thought For The Day: "No piece of paper can be folded more than 7 times." ___________________________________________ REQUESTS: I am sending out a prayer request. Last summer I had a miscarriage, and we have been wanting kids for a long time now. Please remember me in your prayers as I also pray for myself that God will grant us this child. Thank you, Carole leteipan@Heidelberg-Eastafrica.com Yes, I would like the stories sent to me as long as they are free. You see I am a disabled women, that lives in Florida. I am 46 years old and have back problems. Would you please pray for my health, direction and financial help. Thank you! Bye for now. Barbara Bjclark6611@aol.com ___________________________________________ _ /_/\/\ 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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